Homesick

Every once in a while, my kids get homesick for California. It's hard to blame them, we did live in the very best part of California that there is. Great climate, great schools, great location, great ward.... with lots and lots of kids... we had a huge Primary and Youth program... over 100 active kids. We all have times when we miss Dublin, even me... sniff, sniff...

I don't understand why, but since we've moved here my kids can't seem to make (and hold onto) any really good friends. Don't get me wrong, they have LOTS of friends... Taylor's texting bill every month proves that to be true. They seem to know everyone. All the kids seem to like them. But close friends... tight friends... even best friends... those experiences are alluding my kids. I don't know what to do about it. I really don't... and it makes me sad.

Is it too much to ask for a stalwart, outgoing family to move into our neighborhood (preferably from out of state) that has a 14 year old boy and an 11/12 year old girl? Is that too much to ask? It certainly seems like it...

Recipes for Week 2

Jill, here are the recipes I use for my week 2 dinner menu. See what a good friend I am? Now you have to share some recipes with me! ;-)

Texas Haystacks
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can tomato soup
1 can chili (we prefer no beans, but you can use either kind)
Serve over fritos or tortilla chips. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and ranch dressing.

Albino BBQ Chicken
1 c. ranch dressing (or ceasar dressing)
1 c. italian dressing
2 lbs. chicken breasts
Marinate chicken in dressing and grill.

Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. BBQ sauce (any flavor)

Fajitas
I don't have a recipe for this... I just grill some chicken, then add some julienned peppers and onions. Add lime juice, garlic and some taco seasoning. Serve on warm flour tortillas with cheese, sour cream and lots of guac!

Mandarin Chicken
(strikingly similar to the Panda Express version!)
Grill 1 lb. plain chicken (boneless skinless breasts or thighs) on BBQ while you make the following sauce:
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. vegetable oil
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. minced ginger
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
Mix first six ingredients in a saucepan. Combine water and cornstarch, mix well and add to saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce and simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove chicken from grill, (carefully) slice it into bite size pieces. Put chicken in bowl and cover with sauce. Serve over steamed rice.

Ceasar Steak Kabobs
(from my cousin Heidi who blogs here)
1 green pepper
12 plum tomatoes
1 onion
12 small red potatoes (or larger ones cut in half)
1 lb. steak, cut into cubes
1 c. ceasar dressing
Cook potatoes until soft (don't overboil or they will be mushy on your sticks.) Pour 1/3 c. dressing into ziploc bag with steak. Cut veggies into 1" pieces and put into a bowl with the potatoes. Pour remaining dressing over to coat veggies. String veggies, potatoes and steak onto kabob sticks. Cook on grill over med high heat, turning once. Remove from grill when meat is cooked through.

Menu Planning

In an effort to stay focused on Menu Planning, I've been working on a four week menu. I have four weeks of meals planned out and I'll just rotate through those 4 weeks. Wednesday is leftover/fix it yourself night because we have CubScouts and Mutual, which in just 4 weeks, will involve 3 kids and hubby. I've successfully made it through week one of my menu and have been working on the rest of the weeks trying to work out something good but practical. One night each month, I'm dedicating to trying a new recipe. It would be nice if I could do this more often, but I'm trying to be realistic. And I did repeat two meals in the month - tacos and pizza. Standby, easy favorites that everyone loves.

If you want to start menu planning, but just don't know where to start, here's a tip I learned from Flylady. Every night for one month write down on your calendar what you had for dinner. By the end of the month you will have a lengthy list of meals your family eats! Easy, huh?

I'm going to try to keep my current weeks menu posted on the sidebar... mostly just to keep me focused and on track! Let me know if you have any kid friendly meal suggestions... I can always use them! :)

Gym Challenge

My brother and I started a gym challenge two weeks ago... then we both got sick and well, it hasn't gone too well since...

This week I went to the gym twice - Tuesday I did 30 minutes on the Elliptical and Thursday I swam laps for 30 minutes... (during which time I think I pulled a muscle in my ribcage...) Now it hurts when I cough or sneeze or laugh too much! Saturday I stayed home and did 45 minutes of Yoga. That's all I have to report for the last week. I hope to improve this week. But really, I need more than just "bragging rights" on the blog to motivate me... I think we need to be working towards some kind of reward, don't you agree, Adam?

So, if any of our blog buddies have any ideas for a "reward" please let me know. We live over 1000 miles away from each other and we are both on a tight budget. Any suggestions would definately be welcome!

TV

I was in the Gym Locker room yesterday morning and I listened to the TV which was covering Obama's first official "act" as President. Signing the order to close Guantanamo and "abolish" torture. I have mixed feelings about this... as a whole I believe torture is inhumane and unnecessary. But when you are dealing with crazy terrorists who don't think rationally, maybe there is a place for it?

I guess I have that thought because Eric and I having been watching 24 episodes this week trying to catch up on the current season. If Jack Bauer was real, he'd be unemployed right now... which would make me scared because without Jack Bauer, no American citizen is safe, right? Have you noticed how 24 sets a precedence for American politics? 24 had a black president and now we do. 24 now has a woman president.... hmmm.... I know Hillary hasn't thrown in the towel yet.

And a question that Eric and I both have... (and I'm sure I could google this and get the answer, but I'm too lazy....) how do we even have a military prison in Cuba... don't they hate us? (Not the Cubans... but the Cuban government?!?)

Okay, now on to Lost...

Why is Ben helping the Oceanic Six? What's in it for him? He says he can't ever go back to the island... there must be another motivation... I thought the first we saw of him, he'd be having Sayid hunt down Penny or something... glad that hasn't happened yet. I just can't decide if I like Ben or not... one day I like him, the next time, I hate him... I guess that's why he's such a compelling character. And I noticed that life away from the island has been good for his skin... he looks younger... maybe he discovered Botox on the mainland...

Hurley probably gave the best performance of his career the other night. That scene where he finally tells his mom the truth was awesome. And even better... she BELIEVED him! Honestly, I don't think I would have believed anyone I know and love if they had told me a cock-n-bull story like that... I'm just sayin'....

Jack... he always tries so hard and always gets the raw deal. It's just so weird to see him and Ben working together. I'm just not sure what to make of it yet, but good for Ben to flush his pills. Clean up yourself Jack... that beard was awful!

Sun - why is she after Ben? Of course, everyone on the island hated him, but does she know that he was personally responsible for blowing up that freighter with Jin on it? I didn't think anyone but Locke knew that. And I still believe that Jin is alive... maybe he's floating on freighter wreckage out in the ocean. I don't know how or when he's going to surface, but I'm convinced he's not dead.

Kate... once a fugitive... always a fugitive. It cracked me up how quickly she was able to pack up and leave with Aaron after those weirdos came to her house looking for a blood test. Who sent them, anyway? Loved the envelopes of cash and the gun... she could be on the run for a year with that stash!

Sayid - I'm glad he seems to be wising up to the fact that Ben is using him. The fight scene in the "safe house" was classic Sayid and I just love to listen to him talk. What's even more amazing is that in real life he's British and has a completely different (but equally cool) accent!

About the island... if it's jumping through time, that still doesn't explain how it vanished to the people who were on the helicopter and the freighter. I did see a theory on YouTube about a wormhole... not sure I get that and what it means, but whatever...

Charlotte looks like she might be a goner with the symptoms of the time travel sickness and all, but it seems to me she has a bigger role to play. After all, she was born on the island and seems to have some strange connection with it. Maybe she got a DUI in Honolulu and they are booting her off the show... maybe they'll save her, but it doesn't make sense to me that we are going to have another repeat episode with her like we did with Desmond last season.

I had just told Eric that I was totally annoyed with Neil (?) the red shirted whiner... and two minutes later he took a flaming arrow to the chest. I guess they made him obnoxious on purpose so we wouldn't care when he bit the dust.

Two burning questions we had after the premier on Wednesday.... who was the butcher girl... Jill? Have we seen her before and what is her connection? And how does Ben know Daniel's mom... if the assumption is correct that she's the white haired lady we saw at the end? Are we going to spend all of Season 5 going through the Seventy Hour deadline she gave Ben to get them all back to the island? (okay, I guess that's 3 questions....)

What are your burning questions about Lost????

The Force, New Shoes, "Ma" Training and Lost

Yesterday a friend needed me to take her to the mall (she needed to pick up an engraved gift for someone and her car was in the shop). I hate going to the mall, and I'd already planned my afternoon in my head, which did not include leaving the house.....


but.....


then I had this brilliant idea......


we could go shoe shopping! After reading Sheri's post about cute heels, I've been itching to get some new shoes... you know, something cute and stylish. (Anyone who knows my tastes in clothes and shoes will be falling on the floor in shock! I'm all about it being cheap, practical and comfortable.) So, I said, "Yes, I'll take you to the mall, and if we have time, you can help me look for some new shoes!"


Deal.


No more than 5 seconds after we entered Macy's, Brayden announced that he had to "go potty". So we hurried to the nearest bathroom while my friend picked up her gift. I drug Brayden into the Women's restroom, which he hates... he wants to use the boy's bathroom even when there isn't a "bigger" boy to escort him.


After he took care of business, I held him up to the sink so we could wash hands. I put him down and swiped my hand in front of the automatic paper towel dispenser machine. I got a towel for me and a towel for him. I should have known that wouldn't be good enough for him, so he held his hand in front of the sensor so another towel would come out. When it magically appeared, he said to me, "Mom, I got the towel like a Jedi. The Force!" It was hilarious... My biggest regret is that I didn't have a camera handy to take a picture of him using the "force" to get his towel.

After our detour to the bathroom, we hit a couple stores looking for shoes. I'm not really willing to pay more than $30 for shoes (unless they are running shoes). I didn't think I was going to find anything until we were on our way out any my friend saw a sign in the window of the Naturalizer store... Clearance up to 70% off... so we stopped in. I actually found 4 pairs of shoes that I loved- all were under $40, but I ended up buying this one:

It was $79, marked down to $23, which fit the "cheap" requirement. It was comfortable (suprisingly!) and it's practical, too! It looked good with the jeans I had on, and it will look good with brown trousers and church dresses. So, Sheri, I hope you are proud... I still want to go shoe shopping together soon, though!

Last night, Eric and I attended our first Trek Training. We were "hand picked" (so they say...) to chapperone a dozen teenagers on a 3 day Pioneer Trek Re-enactment for our Youth Conference this March. There are a lot of things about Trek that are kept secret from the kids before they go, so I won't be able to spill my guts about it right now, but suffice it to say that Eric and I are going to be pulled "WAY" out of our comfort zones... and we are both very comfortable with sleeping on the ground, digging a hole to pee in, and cooking over a campfire.



We will have a fireside with the Youth on February 15th, where the "Ma's" and "Pa's" will be introduced to the kids and we will have to be properly decked out in our pioneer garb for that night. I imagine we'll be doing a lot of perusing Savers, GoodWill and Deseret Industries before then, looking for just the right clothing. ;-) (Those of you who know Eric well, know that he wouldn't be caught dead in a store like that....) and shopping for 1800's period wear won't be the hardest thing we have to do for this adventure....

And last but not least, I'm giddy with excitement... only seven more hours until Lost begins!!!

Thanks

Whether or not you agree with me, I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell our former President of the United States,

Thank You.

Not many people have felt the "love" for Bush 43 the last year or so, but I think that too many of us have forgotten the positive things he has done for our United States of America over the last eight years. I will not pretend that I've agreed with every policy decision he has made, but let's not forget that he's been dealt some of the most difficult cards to play in recent administrations.

I admire President Bush for his:

Integrity,

Christian Values and his devotion to His Faith,

Perseverance,

Dedication to Fight AIDS and Malaria in Africa,

Support of the Pro-Life Cause,

Devotion to His Family,

and the Ability to Laugh at Himself.

President Bush wasn't the most articulate, suave or genteel man. He was a Cowboy from Texas. But I feel that he was the "real deal". You never wondered if he really mean what he said, because you knew that he always meant it. I never worried about sex scandals in the Oval Office that plagued former Presidents. I always have appreciated his genuine Honesty and Personal Integrity... even when the world as a whole (except maybe Africa) critisized, mocked and ridiculed him.

President Bush and Mrs. Bush... may you enjoy your retirement and know that even though we aren't represented in the main stream media, there are many of us out there who are grateful for your service to our Nation. May God bless you with the knowledge that you served our country to the best of your ability. I, for one, will be forever grateful.

I Don't Get It...

Are you on Facebook?

Somehow, like a year ago, I got "invited" to be on Facebook. I set up an account, not really sure what I was doing and then I just couldn't really figure out what I was supposed to do with it... so I did nothing.

Over the last six months, I've gotten numerous requests for facebook "friends" and I've approved most of them... I've only ignored one or two...

But I still don't get it. I mean, I get the purpose of it, but I don't get what's exciting about it. Am I just an idiot?

Do you like Facebook?

A Little Bit More

This picture has nothing to do with my post, but I took it today to prove I spent some time outside!

I haven't really made any New Year's Resolutions yet. I'm not sold on the concept as a whole... every year I make a really big list of all the things I want to accomplish - habits I want to improve, projects I want to complete, attitudes I want to have... and every year, I've completely forgotten about my list by March. Do we set ourselves up for failure every year when we do this? This year I want to improve certain aspects of my life, but I want to be realistic about it. I've decided to try a new approach this year. I'm going to work on some key aspects of life, but not try to overhaul myself all at once... baby steps... baby steps...

Things I want do a Little Bit More of:

*scrapbooking

*exercising

*having fun with my kids

*photography

*meditation/spiritual improvement

*yoga/pilates

*meal planning

*taking time to relax or read a good book

*quality time with my husband

*housecleaning/yard maintenance

*giving service anonymously

What would YOU like to do a little bit more of this year?

"Say Eight"

Last night I "cried uncle" and drove myself to the Walgreens Clinic because I was pretty sure I had a sinus infection. Not only did I have a sinus infection, but an ear infection as well!

One of the many questions the Nurse Practicioner asked me was to rate the pain on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst.

I immediately thought of this clip from Brian Regan... and before I could stop myself, I said, "eight". I didn't get morphine, but I walked out with a heavy duty prescription for Amoxicillin!

King of the Hill

All geared up and ready to go... our Favorite sledding spot... Wing Mountain, AZ

We went to Flagstaff to play in the snow yesterday... and Ian was almost as happy as he is on Christmas!

He couldn't get enough...

when everyone else was tired...

and wet...

and cold ...

and hungry...

he just kept going and going and going...

kinda like the energizer bunny!

It was really hard for me to get any decent pictures at all... it was crazy crowded up there yesterday! Everytime I had a good shot lined up, someone would walk right in front of it, or some wayward sledder would nearly take me out because they don't know that it's wise to stop your sled with your feet before you run into the spectators...

Seriously, why does all common sense fly out the window when you are in the snow? We saw some pretty darn close calls, including a kid about 10 years old get pummelled by a intertube holding 3 grown adults... yeah, it wasn't pretty! Thankfully, he was able to walk away unharmed, but he was probably mentally scarred for life!

All in all it was a good day, but I'm hoping we can make one more run later in the season when it's not so darn crowded... last year we went up in late February and it was awesome. We are thinking that Ian might have bobsledding in his future....

Repetitive

If you are tired of me blogging about Pink Eye, you can bet I'm that much more tired of fighting it. Megan was a false alarm, whew! But tonight as we gathered kids together to read scriptures together, we noticed Brayden's right eye... red, swollen and yellow goop oozing from it.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????????

I was totally gearing myself up to make my grand reappearance at the gym where I've only been once in the last 6 weeks due to injury and then chicken pox and then pink eye and then a horrific head cold... Just as I thought I could resume my normal routine, I get slapped with this one AGAIN!

If I thought treating Pink Eye was a pain with my older boys, it holds nothing to pinning down a screaming 3 year old and trying to get Antibiotic eye drops in his eyes. Of course, I'm treating both eyes now, because with a 3 year old, there's no chance that it won't spread to both eyes by tomorrow. The first drop wasn't too difficult, but the second drop was torture. He kept screaming, "That hurts me!!! That hurts me!!!" and was it so hard for me to administer the medicine anyway. I felt so bad. Five more days of this.... oh joy!

Tomorrow I'm gearing up for a long day filled with Laundry and Sterilizing. I'm thinking that maybe they are picking it up from each other on the couch cushions... one thing in the house that everyone touches, but never gets washed in the washer. I'm going to be using my steam vac tomorrow to clean the couches and lots and lots and lots of Lysol. And of course, I get to wash the boys bedding... again... for the second time in a week.

Aren't you glad you aren't me?????

Shhh....

Megan woke up with blotchy red eyes today... after she showered she showed them to me and I said, "looks like you've got pink eye too... guess you're staying home...." ....ugh....

Then twenty minutes later, I looked in her eyes and they looked completely normal... and I thought, maybe it's not pink eye... maybe she just got soap in her eyes and rubbed them a lot in the shower... maybe we are just overly sensitive to blotchy eyes around here and I'm over reacting....

so I did what any mother would do in my shoes ... I gave her some leftover drops from Ian's bottle (I didn't touch his eyes with them, so the bottle should be clean) and I charged her with a vow of silence about the potential pink eye problem. I also told her to avoid too many "girlfriend hugs" and other things that might spread germs, that we may or may not have... just to be safe, you know... and told her to finish getting ready for school.

Yeah, I know, you think I'm terrible... sending my daughter to school when she may be carrying a very contagious virus.... but... if you were in my shoes and spent the last 3 weeks of school vacation taking care of sick people that had to be quarantined in my house, you'd do the same.

Trust me...

Cuteness

I have the cutest 3 year old EVER.

First, a few days ago we decided to see which Wii game would be easiest for Brayden to play... we picked boxing. He LOVED it! Check out this clip... he wins everytime!

Yesterday, after I suffered through a movie with the kids (we saw Bedtime Stories and loved it!) I took the kids to Target. They all had Christmas cash and allowance that was burning holes in their pockets. Brayden immediately was drawn to the Thomas the Train stuff. His favorite train is Percy and they had this little $10 set with Percy in it. He carried that box around the store while I finished my shopping and had it open before we even got home. He spent the next 4 hours playing with Percy and our other train tracks... skipped dinner, skipped dessert and left us in peace to have a FHE lesson and play Clue while he happily played in the family room with his Percy train. Last night I got on Amazon to see if I could buy matching tracks to go with the Percy set... Eureka! They have them online and they aren't terribly expensive... considering the play value I've gotten out of this train already, I'll gladly shell out another $20 for the matching track pieces.

He didn't want breakfast this morning either... he just wanted to play with his trains. I'm going to have to produce one AMAZING lunch to lure him away to eat... wish me luck!

Misery

I'm bogged down with a nasty headcold and I just want to go back to bed, but here's the deal... everytime I lay down, I start coughing uncontrollably. When I sit in most positions, I cough a lot too. My head feels like it's going to explode from the sinus pressure and I've already wiped out one whole kleenex box this weekend. I'm most free from my cold symptoms when I'm standing up, but how is that helpful when I'm just so dang tired?

I went to church yesterday and sat through Sacrament meeting in total misery. I spent the second half of sac mtg trying to figure out how to delegate my repsonsibilities to someone else so I could go home. I was successful... after I watched my baby go to Sunbeams for the first time. I No longer have any "ties" to the Nursery! Can I just tell you what a weird feeling that is??? For the last 16 years, I've either served in Nursery or had a child in Nursery, or had a baby that I wish could be in Nursery.... there's always been some connection. It's strange... my baby isn't a baby anymore!

After I came home early, I took some sudafed, some advil, ate a granola bar and went to bed. Then I got up to have a snack when everybody got home from church and went back to bed once Brayden was settled in front of a Thomas video.

Last night I thought I was getting better, but sleep was elusive last night due to the continual cough and this morning I feel worse than I did yesterday. Today is Eric' first day back to work after almost 3 weeks off on Shutdown. Tomorrow the kids go back to school after almost 3 weeks at home. I really don't want them going back to school tomorrow before they help me clean the house. So, I might bribe them... if they clean the house we'll do something fun this afternoon. I want to take them to see Bedtime Stories, but I don't know if I can sit through a whole movie without coughing up a lung. I also have a coupon for free bowling, so we might do that too... Bowling Alleys are loud and no one will notice my hacking there, I hope. But the movie seems so much more relaxing.... I'm hoping that once I've been up for a while, my chest will clear out a bit and things will settle down.

I haven't been this sick in about a year... I guess after taking care of sick kids for the last month with chicken pox and pink eye, it's my turn.... sigh...

Happy New Year!

We're starting the New Year off right around here... it wouldn't be a complete holiday without a trip to an Urgent-Care Doctor. After finally defeating the Chicken Pox, we are now fighting Pink Eye. Ian woke up with it yesterday morning (after we'd had a party with two other families on New Year's Eve!) And now Taylor has it... at least my regular pediatrician is fine with calling in a scrip over the phone... like I want to waste anymore of my Healthfund getting pink eye diagnosed!

I decided to try the Walgreens Take Care Clinic to get treated for Ian' pink eye. They take my insurance and I didn't have to make an appointment or wait longer than 5 minutes. It was a nice change from the regular Holiday Urgent Care scene.

Sedona Rocks!

Imagine having THIS right in your backyard....

After living in Phoenix for almost 4 years, we finally made a trip to Sedona. Eric and I celebrated our 16th anniversary on Tuesday with a much needed adult only getaway Monday night. We used Eric's Hilton Points he collects when travelling and sprung for an upgraded King size suite with a balcony, a gas fireplace and a giant whirlpool tub. It was heaven on earth!

The view from the road as you approach Sedona and Oak Creek...

Highlights included 2 days and one night without kids... gorgeous scenery... dinner at a fabulous Mexican Restaurant... going to see Seven Pounds... hiking in the Sedona Wilderness... Geocaching... Shopping (the only things we brought home were some "lucky bamboo" and 2 bottles of different flavored Hot Sauce)... a stop at the Outlet Mall in Anthem on the way home... and two whole days kid free! (I love my children dearly, but everyone needs a break now and then!)

This was my favorite rock in Sedona... Bell Rock

We drove to a Trailhead that was supposed to be a "moderate" two mile loop, but we parked at the wrong trailhead and 45 minutes later, we got this georgeous vista! We had no idea what trail we were on, didn't bring the map with us, left the GPS in the car (low batteries), and only had one bottle of water between the two of us, so we decided to play it safe and not get stranded in the middle of nowhere. We headed back to the car after I snapped a picture of this dead tree... not sure why I liked it so much! I just thought it looked cool!

After we got back to the car, we stopped at a convience store and paid $17 for 4 AA batteries, 2 ice cream bars, a diet coke and a bottle of water. We decided to count the ice cream for lunch because you can do that when you don't have children with you, right???

With fresh batteries in the GPS, we decided to do a little off-roading and Geocaching in the "Loveable Mutt". That's one of our many nicknames for this car... also known as the "Mighty Montero". How this car has gotten so many interesting nicknames is the subject of another post altogether!

Our Cache took us on a dirt road that the famous Pink Jeeps use. Thank goodness they didn't make fun of our ride as they drove by!

We found our cache in a an area very close to this... hard to believe this is Arizona, huh?

This is the happy dance that he did after finding the cache... or was it after he realized he's successfully survived 16 years with me? Only the two of us will ever know....

Happy Anniversary Eric - I LOVE YOU!