So Far(rar) so good!

The Search is OVER!!!

2011-05-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

My sister in law, Annette sent me this recipe. Steve made it for Mother's Day, they were TO DIE FOR!!! Enjoy!!!

Lemon Bars
For crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
6 ounces (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted, butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For filling:
6 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For garnishing:
About 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until mixed. Add butter and continue to mix until butter is the size of small peas. The mixture will be very dry. Press mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

To make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then the flour. Pour filling on top of crust.
Bake until lemon filling is set, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for 1 hour or keep at room temperature for 3 hours before cutting. Cut into squares and dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar.

It was still a bit jiggly at the end of the baking time, so we turned off the oven and left them in with the door closed for another 30 minutes or so. They were delicious, he did a great job!

Banana, fanna, fo...

2011-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I'm crocheting another chemo cap, in a beautiful luscious silk bamboo blend. I'm a little surprised at the emotions I'm feeling while I make it....after all, I don't even know the recipient....don't even know her first name. She is a friend of my sister in law, Linda...Stage 4 breast cancer...treatable, not curable.

It takes me back to the last chemo cap I made...for Linda's husband, Chuck...and all the tears that fell while I made it. And I feel blessed that he is now cancer free. The beautiful colors of purple also take me back to another time cancer affected someone I love, someone who lost her sweet mommy to breast cancer...and I will name this hat Alice......alice, alice, bo balice, banana fanna fo....ummmmm.....PHALLIS!

In an attempt to make this hat a little more feminine than the one I made for Chuck, I am using this pattern. I hope she likes it...I hope it keeps her warm through the long treatments she will have to endure.

Pre-birthday Fun

2011-01-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Had a little pre-birthday french toast with a couple of friends today....

I've always been a little jealous of Darilyn's birthday week. She gets little gifts and does fun stuff the whole week, but lets face it, she's not married to Steve. And as far as Steve is concerned, he will barely survive the one day.....so why drag it out.

SOOOOOOO, if this is my way of dragging out my own birthday, I'd say it's a pretty good one...fun stuff and gifts all rolled into one package.

Look at the cool thing Paula made me...I know I'm weird...but I don't just LOVE it, it actually makes me quite giddy. It will be my new warning on my crabby days (Paula's idea)

THIS is all I wanted for Christmas

2010-12-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

....all four kids in one place at one time...it's all I care about this year. I get it for two precious weeks.

needless distractions

2010-09-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm making jam....A LOT of jam, 52 pints to be exact. I don't make 52 pints to give away to friends and family, NO that's how much jam we eat EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Can I say that I dread this job? I dread the mess and I dread the time it takes, so I am unfortunately very distractable.

"Kris, want to go to the Roller Derby bout?" YES!!! Pick me up in an hour (4 jars made that day.)

I should chop plums.....ummmmm, maybe I should check on my scrabble words first, and I don't feel guilty a bit, after all it IS the sabbath. (0 jars made that day)

Then today I really did get down to business, and it was crunch time...if you've ever made jam, you know what crunch time is. It's when your jars are hot, your lids are hot, and your jam is hot. You have to work quickly to get everything together before things cool off too much. So I'm moving fast and look up and see blond bubble head chicken strolling across my kitchen floor (freshly mopped, by the way.) "YOU DON'T BELONG IN HERE!!!"

Seriously, if the kids didn't insist on eating plum jam...I'd really consider giving up.

cooking questions

2010-09-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Mom can you send me some recipes? ...I'm tired of PB&J and quesadillas

When you cook spaghetti, do you keep boiling the noodles or turn the heat off when you put the noodles in the water? (guess which one he did)

Apparently, Kraig's mom sent him off less than equipped to take care of himself....he will probably be MIGHTY hungry at Christmas time.

THIS is what I made with my first eggs

2010-09-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Of course, the eggs are still so small, I had to save a dozen to equal 6 regular eggs. BUT it was delicious and it felt good knowing the eggs came from my own back yard.

a little egg-citement......not so much

2010-07-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

I heard my chickens making an "egg laying" sound the other morning....it's hard to explain if you've never heard it, so I'm not going try. But if, you've heard it, you know, it's a pretty distinct sound. Sooooooo, I go sprinting out to my cool new coop Steve's dad helped me finish and.......NOTHING!!!!

Really, I should be getting eggs ANY DAY NOW!!! Of course, as Steve says, it will be "the most expensive darned egg ever laid."

WHATEVER!!!

the beauty of it....

2010-07-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be a grown-up to recognize the beauty of a sunset on the magnificently wild Oregon Coast.

But you might have to be a grown-up to see the beauty in cousins, who live 2000 miles apart; laughing, playing, and later recognizing that their relationships with each other are important to the grown-ups around them.....they got this opportunity thanks to their Grandmother and Granddad, and we are most grateful.

One of our best vacations ever, and it was only a little over an hour from our front door.

the magic number....times 2

2010-07-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Ben is 6.... time flies when you're having fun. He is delightful....a VERY good last one to get.

His favorite gift...a whoopie cushion inside a toy skunk. He looked at me like I was on crack when I suggested he name it "Flower." Apparently, I've failed him in the Disney movie department.
Happy Birthday Ben!

the ultimate motivator

2010-07-19T08:22:00.001-07:00

this is what Kraig looks like when he gets home from work (those are his socks he's holding.) He changes sprinkler pipes from sun up to sundown (literally,) six days a week. I think he's pretty motivated to attain a 3.8 GPA at BYU and get a scholarship...thinking is much less work than lifting.

Still got nothin'

2010-07-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

I thought about making up a song for Steve's birthday...but the only rhyme I can think of for forty is warty and three rhymes with tree...Somehow I just can't get "WARTY TREE" to fit into a birthday song. Now, if I could get crusty old fart to rhyme, THAT would be more appropriate.

Happy Birthday Honey....don't worry, you're still hot!

Our popcicles rock!

2010-06-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

The kid's aunt Linda gave them this popcicle mold several years ago.....it was a "to do" project for the older kids to keep them busy because I had a new baby....now they are a summer tradition.

This is how we did it....We picked the strawberries in the garden and blended 2 cups of them with 1/2 cup of lime aid...poured the "smoothie" into the molds, added sticks and froze...they were awesome.

a new take on upcycling...

2010-06-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Me: Ben, can you put this in the recycle bin, please?

Ben: Nope

Me: Why not?

Ben: Because it's my new hat!

The kid is such a goof!!! Look out Kindergarten, here comes the new class clown!

I want S'MORE!

2010-06-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Does THIS look like a fire built by and EAGLE SCOUT?......

I think NOT!

We really enjoy the fire pit Steve and boys built with an old dryer drum...it's almost like camping, only we get to sleep in our beds and take a shower.... AND I don't have to wash all their stinky gear when they get home!

Cookie incident

2010-06-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

I made cookies for 5th grade graduation...2 doz almond cookies with a whole almond right in the middle... they were lovely. I put them on a plate, sent Abby out the door and she promptly DROPPED the entire plate. Plate broken, cookies on the driveway and I did what any other overwhelmed mother trying to get the kids off to school (besides swear, I did that too) would do. I invoked the 10 second rule...dusted them off, put them on a PAPER plate this time, and sent them to school.

So, if you ate one of my cookies at graduation and there was a little extra....um....fiber, there is your explanation....... If you never trust me to bring cookies anywhere ever again, I understand completely.....If you want to make your own, here is the recipe.

Almond Cookies

1 cup butter, soft

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp baking powder

Cream sugar and butter, add egg and extract. Combine dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture with minimal mixing...chill for 2 hours.

Drop cookies onto a cookie sheet and press a whole almond in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 for about 13 minutes.

our graduate

2010-06-14T11:22:00.001-07:00

It was cold and windy, but we got it done...Kraig and 328 of his classmates are now the graduate class of 2010. We endured the cold, the wind, and SEVENTEEN Valedictorian speakers (yes 17...oh. my. gosh!) Kraig didn't really want to go, but we made him...I hope he is glad some day.

Proud parents are we!

Seminary Graduate....

2010-06-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

Our first graduation this week and we almost missed it....Steve and I laid down to rest and fell asleep. By a miracle my eyes popped open at 4:20 (graduation was at 4:30) and we raced to the Stake Center just in time. Four years of early morning Seminary is something for Kraig to be proud of...I know I'm proud of him.....

always playing catch up...

2010-06-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

a lot has happened in the last couple of months...

Abby is now a big 10 year old.

I ran my first half marathon (slowly, but surely) and came home with the Guinness Book sized blister along with my finisher's medal.

Oreo has eaten multiple pair of shoes.

Kraig was accepted to BYU Provo.

Reed tore up the track for Memorial Middle School and got a 5th place ribbon in hurdles....obviously not pictured here...because as per my usual luck, I got to the track meet (picking up Abby from school) AFTER the hurdles were OVER!
And Ben STILL has a girlfriend....but don't tease him about it, he doesn't like that.....

Really?

2010-06-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

Has it seriously been two months since I last blogged?

Wow, I suck!

Check out this blog

2010-04-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

A new blog by some of our favorite people...funny, in a random kind of way...good random, not bad random.

Our Attack Blog

Egg-stravaganza

2010-04-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

This was our 8th egg hunt, (I think.) We filled and "hid" about 1000 eggs in our yard...this is a ton of fun for our family (except Steve.)

It has been really rainy this past week, so wet that the back yard is a little swampy...I was worried about having a total down-pour during the hunt...I prayed (begged) pretty hard about it, and Heavenly Father showed a little sun just for us....well, not so much sun as not rain, and I was most grateful for the break in the rain.

The food seemed especially yummy this year...great friends make it a day we look forward to (except Steve.)

Happy Easter Everyone!

my girls

2010-03-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

These are "the ladies."

Sarah and Natalie got them for me for my birthday...Steve was slightly annoyed. I love them.

As you can see, they are growing like crazy and will need to move from their Rubbermaid tote house soon. I'd better get on that....I'm not sure Steve is willing to help me build a new home for them. He doesn't think fresh eggs are worth all this trouble...plus he figured out that running their heat lamp is costing him $17 a month in electricity and figures you can buy a lot of eggs for $17 a month.

He's such a stick in the mud!

A fun visit

2010-03-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Abby's friend, Suzanne moved to Arizona last summer...Abby has REALLY missed her. Suzanne came for a visit and the girls spent a fun filled day together doing girlie stuff...pedicures, shopping, and lunch.

It was a GREAT day!

St. Patricks day....THE birthday!

2010-03-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

can you believe I got him to put on a birthday crown and let me take a picture?

Kraig is 18?...when did I get so old? I'm struggling a bit with all this. He's off to BYU in the fall and then a mission...what happened to the little boy who wanted to eat "Sister Chapman popcorn" and watch "Walker Walker?"

Last banana...

2010-03-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

We're officially out of "cheese sticks," a lunch staple at our house and tortillas (we are done making "dang quesadillas" for the week,) The cats are eating dog food, but not really enjoying it. Oh and Ben barfed in the night last night and asked me for soda this morning...do you think ginger ale is a reasonable food storage item? All in all, we're doing OK...no one will go hungry and I will even get through preschool snack tomorrow...I would call us fairly prepared....I think.

First Problem Solved

2010-03-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday and we're down to 2 bananas...just a little update.

I decided to make a french toast casserole to try to conserve as much milk as possible this week...the biggest problem that I face this week...Ben has preschool snack on Friday. I'm hoping to use a gallon of the milk we would normally drink for the class. Considering that we started with one gallon down, this will take some planning.

So I "made" milk to use in the french toast casserole, you can't tell the milk is powdered if it's cooked, it's another way I hope to conserve some of our fresh milk. As I went along in the recipe, I realized that I would be using our LAST 1/2 cup of maple syrup in the recipe. CRAP! We would need syrup to pour on the finished french toast. I remembered a recipe I had for cinnamon syrup and decided I should make that...it's really yummy. Here's the recipe just in case you get "stuck" without syrup when it's your week.

Cinnamon Syrup

1 1/3 c sugar
1/3 c water
2/3 c corn syrup
Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and add

1 tsp ground cinnamon
5 oz evaporated milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbl butter.

Serve warm. Store leftover syrup in the fridge.

Pretend Pandemic

2010-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

Or is it a storm?...it could go either way. No matter what you call it, here is the bottom line. Our Ward is playing a game and we're "it." Families are chosen at random to live from the food that is already at their homes for one week. It is an interesting concept. Since Steve is "in charge" of this little activity, I'm pretty sure he was waiting for me to be a little off my game to call our name over the pulpit. I usually have 6 gallons of milk and 9 lbs of bananas every Monday morning, but this Saturday got a little busy and I ended up with about 3 lbs of bananas and MAYBE 5 gallons of milk...no yogurt, but PLENTY of bread to get through the week.

In my estimation, the 6 bananas + 6 people + 6 days = Steve had BETTER be leaving the bananas for the kids.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Feliz dia de San Valentin

2010-02-11T15:50:00.001-08:00

Here are the Valentines Abby made for her class...she did them all by herself and they turned out really cute. We found the tutorial HERE This is the picture from the web site, but Abby's were pretty much identical (and I didn't take a picture of them.)

AND, she learned to slip stitch in the process...it was a good project.

Our Super Bowl Burgers

2010-02-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

These are the BEST burgers ever... If anyone tells me I've made meatloaf because I included egg yolks, I will personally hunt them down and egg their house. Try it...this is not your mama's meat loaf!

1 lb of Ground Beef
2 TBL dehydrated onions...I've tried it with both dried and fresh, dried is the hands down winner
2 tsp of garlic powder (try fresh if you want)
1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp of Tabasco sauce
2 TBL of honey mustard or 1 TBL honey and 1 TBL yellow mustard, I've done it both ways
2 egg yolks
dash of salt and pepper

Obviously, 1 pound of beef doesn't cut it for our family, multiply this recipe by the pounds of beef you are working with.

I have no problem with that...

2010-01-28T13:01:00.000-08:00

My latest project. This is the "boy beanie" from the Happy Hooker book. I intended to make it big enough for Steve, but accidentally used the wrong sized hook and so it fits Ben perfectly.

In Ancient Greek Mythology, the minor goddess Minerva wove tapestries of historical events. It was customary in the Middle Ages, to decorate castles and large homes with these woven tapestries on the walls. Minerva is now the goddess who oversees all forms of needlework, including knitting and crocheting and embroidery. Her caution is to work one small mistake into the project, not where it will damage a pattern, just so that the finished work will not be perfect and make the gods jealous.

I don't need to purposely make mistakes...my projects are full of them, just as long as the crochet police don't come knocking on my door.

A few 'shrooms make a really yummy soup

2010-01-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

The natives are getting restless...sorry, here is the recipe I promised.

Mushroom Barley Soup

8 cups chicken broth
1 cup pearled barley
Cook barley in broth until tender (about 45 minutes.)

1 lg onion chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
saute onions in olive oil until transparent

1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbl butter
1 tsp salt
Saute mushrooms in butter until soft and add

1 cup of dry sherry
reduce wine by half

Combine onions and mushrooms with broth and barley and add
4 Tbl soy sauce
1 tsp dill
freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded chicken

There you go...call it dinner!

It's hitting the fan...

2010-01-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to whine for a bit...I just need to get it off my chest. I've got about 1000 things to do and here I sit blogging, but at this moment, THIS is what I need to do. If ANYONE ever says to me that I have "time" because I stay home, I cannot be responsible for their safety. Some days are a little overwhelming, and this is a whole week of it.

Teach 6 classes
Make 2 Hula Hoops (and when the lady that ordered them picks them up, she's going to want to have a LONG visit with me, because that's just how she rolls)
Finish a birthday gift for a friend
Organize and execute Activity Day
Attend 2 basketball games (where we will most likely get killed)
Visit "Live and Learn With Your Baby" class and talk to them about the benefits of exercise postpartum.
Prepare snack for Ben's Preschool class (STILL not making fruit Kabobs!)
Read and prepare my Primary lesson
and to top it all off give a TALK in church for the second time in three months!
Oh and I will be doing all of this with an infant in my care for approximately 9 hours this week...

If you stop by our house this week and I don't answer the door, just come on in...I probably won't hear you knock, because I'll be banging my head against the wall.

My Zwinky

2010-01-19T08:50:00.001-08:00

This was fun...I wish I really looked like this, but she is wearing my boots (kinda) To make your own go HERE

My son has a girlfriend?

2010-01-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

No, not the 17 year old...that would be legitimate (and embarrassing to him, I would never blog it.) So far, he seems pretty practical in the girl department (and I am MOST grateful for that)...we're talking about the 5 year old here.

I sat by Ben's preschool teacher, Mrs. Huffman at a basketball game and she asks, "so does Ben talk about Carson at home?"

Me: No, who's Carson?...I mostly hear about how Tommy "beats him up."

Mrs. Huffman: She's a little girl, they sit together, and play together, and stand in line together....Carson, mostly tells Ben what to do and he rolls his eyes a little (gee wonder where he learned that skill) but does what she says.

Me: REALLY? I had NO idea......

That sounds so......so.......FAMILIAR!!!!

Bossy girls rock!

THIS is what I want for my birthday!

2010-01-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

This and 4 hens (plus all their "stuff") Is that too much to ask?

Oh and Honey, you can get this HERE.

Although, IF I DID get this, it probably wouldn't be THIS, it would probably be some ghetto version that McGyver put together with duct tape and epoxy.... *heavy sigh*

Kraig can fly!

2010-01-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the clip Landon! This would really be funny if he hadn't ended up with a snow rash on his face.

He actually saw stars when he landed...poor kid!

conspiracy theory...

2010-01-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Husbands think their wives conspire against them...some of the more paranoid ones think we even spend our time enlisting other women to help.

While it's pretty funny to think that they don't believe we have anything better to talk about.... I will admit, it's true, we do conspire and yes, sometimes we do enlist a little help. My friends have harassed Steve in many situations where I would have been less successful.

Now I'm getting off task...my latest conspiracy, and no, I did not need any help on this one. BUT I did share my technique with another woman to use on her husband....because it worked!

Me: Hey, would you take a ballroom dance class with me?

Steve: REALLY?

Me: (pointing to the ad in the Parks and Rec catalog) Look, we'll learn Salsa, Merengue, and Waltz...it's only an hour once a week!

Steve: An HOUR? EVERY week!!! IT'S EIGHTY BUCKS!!!!

Me: OK, if you don't want to do that...how about this dance social once a month...the first half hour is a dance lesson and the next hour you practice what you learn, $5 each.

Steve: I could probably handle that!

Me: I'll write it on the calendar!

I am just THAT good!

The Hawk Hat

2010-01-10T19:32:00.001-08:00

This is the hat I made for Kraig for his snowshoeing trip....I also made him a neck gaiter to go with it. I was under a time crunch and had to set aside another project to make sure I finished in time.

I found the pattern HERE. I added the contrast around the outside and the "hawk" is just a row of tassels I made from 12" pieces of yarn down the center of the hat.

My pictures kinda suck....sorry.

It was so popular that Reed has requested one too.

Did I mention that... he FORGOT it?!? Left it sitting right on the kitchen table!!!

wouldn't you know it...

2010-01-03T17:45:00.001-08:00

.....we spent all that money on Christmas presents and the kids have more fun with the boxes!

Something is wrong with this picture....

2010-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Apparently, we have a Border collie who is afraid of cows.....like RUN the other direction kind of scared!

Just a little irony for you.

He is also afraid of Pedi paws, but I think that might be somewhat valid, oh and baths too....SCAREDY CAT, I mean DOG!

One way to look at it

2010-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sudafed is illegal to buy in the state of Oregon without a prescription....and it makes my life a living hell. OK, not quite that bad, but it's also been said that this is the allergy capitol of the world...grass seed, Christmas trees, cotton wood, and mildew all grow well in this wet cool climate. Anyway, short story long, I don't know what it is, but I'm allergic to something or most likely two somethings (a summer something and a winter something.) And just by luck (not,) it seems that Sudafed is the best thing for my allergies.

My Sudafed reserve was running low, and Kraig needed some for his cold, sometimes I feel like that episode of Seinfeld, you know the one I mean...only my question is, "are you Sudafed worthy?" Knowing how precious my Sudafed is, he says....

"Maybe we should buy some Meth and extract the Sudafed..."

He's a funny kid, I'm totally willing to share with him.

The feeding frenzy stops here!

2009-12-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

I work out a lot...more than 7 hours a week and that's if I don't do any running...and running significantly adds to that time. Sometimes, I get a little ticked off that I'm not skinnier...in my mind, I should be uber skinny with all the gym time I put in. OK, I think I've figured out what the problem is, I guess it's not rocket science....apparently, I have no self control.

I sat down and made a list of all the desserts I've consumed from Thanksgiving until now, and quite frankly, it's a freaking miracle that I don't have to order clothes from Omar the tent maker. I'm feeling darned lucky that I can button my jeans up. Be prepared to be shocked and then sit down and try it...just list the desserts, nothing else...it's an eye opener.
Here's my list:

Thanksgiving, I made 4 kinds of pie, peanut butter cup, snickers, banana cream, and key lime...I tried them all, not all on the same day, but yes, I ate some of each

People bring lots of goodies around Christmas, I don't know if they just feel obligated because Steve is in the Bishopric, but regardless of the reason, we got lots of treats...let's break it down by category (and yes, I ate some of each):

Bread:
Cinnamon rolls, pumpkin bread, monkey bread, lemon bread, Christmas bread, and nut bread

Candy:
Divinity (BTW, Sister Kunzulman makes the BEST divinity I've ever tasted), caramels, fudge, penuche, pecan log, peanut butter fudge, peanut brittle, oreo truffles, and nutter butter truffles, rocky road...oh and Sarah brought me a 1/2 box of dark chocolate Queen Anne Cherries.... I let the kids each have one and I ate the rest.

Cookies:
molasses cookies, sugar cookies, cranberry cookies, peanut butter cookies, poppy seed cookies, peanut butter kisses, and nut crescents. I also ate one of April's cookies at a Relief Society meeting, because I can't let the opportunity to eat one of April's cookies go by.

Steve and I went to Novaks for dessert one night...we got the sampler platter (oh my gosh!)

Chocolate fondue at book club

Sister Crook made Oliebollens for the ward fireside....and Julene made me eat one

A lemon bar at the ward Christmas party

and a blondie sundae with eggnog ice cream and butterscotch sauce on Christmas Eve

I almost forgot the stocking candy on Christmas morning

No wonder I feel sluggish, I think it's time to start my yearly sugar purge.

Congratulations Student of the Term!

2009-12-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

I have good kids, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. Reed is Student of the Term at Memorial Middle School...I haven't totally figured out what it means to be student of the term...I think the recognition is nice, AND he got a bag of goodies and an ice cream bar at lunch!

Way to go Reed!

A Christmas song as sung by Ben...

2009-12-17T15:25:00.001-08:00

"Good tithings we bring, to you and your kids!"

Not completely sure what that means, but I'm sure it makes sense in his mind.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

because I bake...

2009-12-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

My dear friend came by today...we are having a play date. We are playing with the C Man at our house so that she can spend all the time she can with her mom. We talked a bit about how she's doing with her mom's stage IV cancer...and we both cried. She is overwhelmed by her own feelings and I felt helpless to help...I can tell her what I believe about the next life, but it doesn't save her from the reality of living this one without her mom and I grieve for her.

So, after we both dried our tears and I sent her on her way, I did what I always do when I feel helpless....I bake. For some reason "doing" something that makes me feel self-sufficient always makes me feel a little better, and that usually involves loaves of bread.

Here is the recipe I made today:

Sourdough Bread

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbl yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups bread flour

Directions
1) Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
2) Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
3) Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.
4) Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
5) place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
6) Make two fairly deep horizontal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.
7) Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it form the oven, and cool on a rack.

Welcome Oreo!

2009-12-06T21:31:00.000-08:00

We are excited to welcome Oreo to our family. Ben says his middle name is Blue, so I guess I should introduce Oreo Blue Farrar. The cats aren't so excited, but they don't like us much either, and we feed them.

I'm NOT making fruit kabobs!

2009-12-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

Ben took snack today to his preschool class. He's been trying to convince me for days that he should take fruit kabobs (for 17 kids and 2 teachers.) Ummmm......NO! I've let my children bully me over the years as far as school treats go...one time I made cinnamon rolls for Reed's entire class, how stupid is that? But NO MORE!

Now I'm the old mom, and I know better. At this point, I think he should feel lucky that I even remember to take snack at all...dementia could set in at any moment (AND I almost forgot the last time it was our turn.....oops)

I think he did OK, he took Chex party mix, orange slices, and brown sugar mini muffins that I got up at 6 a.m. to make. P.S. I'm not making birthday party bags for the entire class either...I'll leave that to the dumb young moms :)

Civil War

2009-12-03T12:16:00.001-08:00

GO BEAVS!!! You get another shot at the Rose Bowl this year...don't BLOW IT again!

Dedication

2009-11-30T10:30:00.001-08:00

Our new music is dedicated to my dad....who tortured us with The Carpenters just about every minute we were in a car with him. I know (and can sing) the words to just about every Carpenter's song, that makes me a potential KARAOKE GENIUS!....somewhere along the line, I even began to like it. (is this where I'm supposed to say "thanks dad?")

Merry Christmas!

Seven

2009-11-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

It takes us about 7 minutes to get to church...10 on a bad light or slow-poke-in-front-of-us day. We normally have A LOT of chaos in the car when all of the kids are together...here is an example of our trip to church from yesterday....and this was a fairly good day.

Ben: let's play the quiet game
(and I'm thinking, hey, maybe we are going to have a peaceful ride to church for a change)

Silence for about 2 seconds

Reed: PAUSE, and goes on to tell us a story Joel told them in class. How the pioneers didn't have a lot of room in the wagons and the kids had to sit in one position the whole time. (and he had them sit in one squished position the whole class)

Kraig and Mom (at the same time): They WALKED!

Mom: Joel is full of CRAP!

Kraig: He was just trying to torture you guys Reed!

Reed: Oh, OK....RESUME (the quiet game in case you forgot, we're playing that)

10 or 15 seconds of silence, then Kraig turns around and in a loud stage whisper says

Diarrhea!!!

Uncontrollable peels of laughter

Ben: "YOU LOSED KRAIG!!!"

MAYBE we should try the game again in sacrament meeting...without the diarrhea talk!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

Somehow, wild little Native Americans doesn't have the same ring to it as wild little Indians...but how ever you say it (PC or no,) we've got 'em.

Pie Orders

2009-11-25T07:54:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving I let each person in my family make a pie order, here is the dessert menu:

Steve: Banana Cream
Kraig: Key lime
Reed: Key lime
Abby: Snickers
Ben: Peanut butter cup

Several people have asked me for the recipe to the Peanut butter cup pie...I finally created it, so here it is:

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

1 graham cracker crust (either homemade or store bought)

Chocolate layer
1 cup chocolate chips
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup hot heavy cream
chop chocolate in blender add egg and vanilla and blend together. While the blender is running, slowly pour hot cream into the mixture. Mix well, chill until thick enough to add to bottom layer of the pie, chill

Peanut butter layer
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 TBL sugar
whisk together 1/2 cup cream and peanut butter, set aside. Whip remaining cream with sugar and fold the two together. Add to the top of the chilled chocolate layer.

Topping
Chopped peanut butter cups (don't skip this step)

Enjoy! And happy pie eating.

Our Thanksgiving Letter!

2009-11-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Just a note to let you know we are hoping to see you Thanksgiving Day. But….Martha Stewart will NOT be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I’ve gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead. we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I’m sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress “private” meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that “passing the rolls” is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread. Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie , garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.

I hope you aren’t too disappointed that Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won’t come next year either.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!

Thanks to my friend Paula, who ALWAYS makes me laugh, for this little gem...it made my day!

Our Letterman

2009-11-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

Kraig received his letter at the Cross Country Awards. I love that he has a life long sport, not to mention the endurance he has...He is looking forward to his first ultra-marathon (50K) next spring.

Meet Molly

2009-11-21T21:48:00.001-08:00

This is the dog we want...she lives in John Day which is about 5 1/2 hours from us. Kraig found her on Craig's list and we are keeping our fingers crossed that all works out in our favor....he is finishing up his Eagle Scout project write-up as we speak, and will be ready next week.

The light at the end of the dog tunnel

2009-11-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

Steve is getting soft....Steve is CAVING!!!!

This is the deal he worked out with Kraig:

Kraig submits his Eagle Scout project and has it approved. Then we start looking for a dog.

Kraig had it written up within 24 hours and is gathering the signatures he needs....he even asked for the phone number of the person he needed to submit it to.

Apparently, constant harassment actually works....I'll have to remember that!

I AM thankful...

2009-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

So, I've watched my friends on facebook do this "Thanksgiving Challenge" on their status lines. Each day the say something they are thankful for. So I missed the boat for the first 19 days of the month, but I think I can pull it all together here. Here I am...jumping on the bandwagon.

I am thankful for.....

4 great kids...they are all individuals, and I enjoy the heck out of being their mother Anti-frizz serum A husband that supports my independent streak (and let's face it, I can be a handful) and eats just about whatever wacko thing I've dreamed up in the kitchen (and rarely complains about it) A strong healthy body....so I'm not as skinny as I'd like to be, at some point, I'll have to get over that. 2 parents who raised me well and always set the bar high pedicures...or maybe I'm thankful for cute toes 7 bookies...the women who are there through thick and thin good running shoes....I haven't decided if I'm thankful for running yet, but if I'm going to do it, I'm much happier doing it in good shoes. Music...it adds a lot of joy to my life REALLY GOOD friends who have become more like part of our family to live in this country that affords the freedoms we enjoy, and while it's not perfect, I do believe it is the promised land Our Ward family and the good examples they are in the lives of my children
Board games, and the fun we have as a family playing together Facial wax, because without it I would surely have a unibrow
A lovely home that keeps us warm and dry
Am I allowed to be thankful for Costco? because I am
hardwoodfloors ...blood, puke, pee, poop, it all wipes right up
Good schools for my kids
a boy who dared to question the religions of his time and knelt in a grove of trees and took his concerns to his Father in Heaven

OK, this is harder than it looks...and I'm won't promise to do the rest of the month, but there it is. I, obviously have much to be thankful for.

Time keeps on ticking....ticking

2009-11-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

Mary Ann said it best...the more you have to blog, the less time you have to blog it....and sometimes, I let life take over and don't take time for the things I enjoy. Here is one of the recent highlights:

Abby is STUDENT of the MONTH at Central!!! There is only one student of the month per month and we are very proud of Abby. There was a student assembly, at which Abby was honored (and surprised.) These are some of the nice things the staff at Central had to say about Abby:

Abby is about what is best for others first. She is confident and provides a very positive role model for others in her class. Congrats Abby!

She is always willing lend a helping hand. She is a friend to all. Her smile is contagious

Abby has a unique way of using her leadership skills to help others.

Strangely, I found myself getting a little emotional when those things were read about Abby... I have to admit I sometimes view her helpfulness as bossy and this was a very good reminder for mom. I'm so happy she's seen as confident, I wouldn't expect a daughter of mine to be anything else...I often say "my mother gave me more confidence than brains," and I'm glad to pass the torch on to Abby.

GOOD JOB ABBY!!! We love you!

Golden Day!

2009-10-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Reed turned 13 today...his GOLDEN birthday, our second golden birthday this year!

Reed was my very hardest delivery and had to be taken by ambulance to the NICU in Eugene. We spent a very scary 4 days driving to Eugene, holding Reed for 12 hours, going home, and doing it all over again the next day. At 7 lbs and 1 oz he looked like a giant next to most of the babies in the nursery and the nurses enjoyed him because he was less fragile that their normal clientele.

Reed wanted to stay home from school today and when we said "no," he "played sick" and did it anyway.

He ordered steak for dinner and key lime pie for his "birthday cake." We'll celebrate with a few friends late this month.

Happy Birthday Reed...We love you!

Pumpkin Head!!!

2009-10-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

We picked the pumpkins from our garden this week!

I love getting credit for a whole Family Home Evening!

This is our haul...not as much as in years past, but I think we'll have enough to get us through Halloween.

Welcome Fall!

They're getting desperate

2009-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

On the way to pre-school this morning Ben described to me how he was going to get a dog....

He's going to make a DOG TRAP!!!

The dog trap is a box held up by a stick, and he's going to put dog food under the box...the stick has a sting that goes to Ben's bedroom. When he sees a dog go in our yard and eat the food under the box, he's going to pull the string and trap the dog.

Mom: "Then what?"

Ben: "I'm going to take care of it! I don't think Dad's going to let us get a dog, so I need to trap one!"

The poor kid has the meanest dad on the face of the earth, and sadly, he knows it.

Brooks Harrier Classic

2009-10-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Kraig's Cross Country meet was in Albany today....it's so fun to watch him run!

Look at that SEA of kids! READY, SET, GO!He had his best personal time of the season today!

Waiting to turn in his BIB info....MAN! Those are some SHORT shorts!

New Toys!

2009-10-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

I got a new dryer last week....I LOVE it!!! I would marry it if I could! It's the LG XL and it sings me a song when it finishes. AND I'm not the only one in the family that is excited by our dryer purchase. In buying a new dryer, the kids scored too!
Can you believe they have a beautiful Little Tikes yellow play house with a pink door? And YET, they would rather play in a dryer box...

There goes my 'get skinny quick' plan...

2009-09-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Aren't runners skinny? I THOUGHT runners were skinny! But I was recently teaching a class and noticed a woman wearing a marathon t-shirt and asked her about it..."yeah, I just finished my first half marathon," she said. Now I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just saying how it is...she wasn't skinny, in fact, she was a little on the chubby side.

CRAP!!!

Now what am I getting out of this running thing? Is it enough for me to just be strong and healthy WITHOUT the skinny part? I need to think this through.

Enjoy each mile, because you may or may not be getting skinnier :)

FIRST GOAL!!

2009-09-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ben is playing AYSO soccer this year...he's on the team with his best bud, Braiden. He thinks it's pretty fun, but it hasn't started raining yet.

At today's game he made his first goal and mom bought him ice cream...we made a little deal earlier in the week.
Good job Ben!

For my running friends (the girls anyway)

2009-09-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

OK, I know you're going to laugh, but since talking about bathroom emergencies while running, I've heard MANY stories...so here is a solution.

Go-girl makes a funnel of sorts that allows women to stand while....ummmm....PEEING!!! Check it out...it could come in handy. At least you won't get honks while squatting behind a bush like ONE of my friends (she thought she was well hidden, but apparently not.)

IF we get "in" to Hood to Coast...I'm buying these for the whole team (except the guys....they have that option built in)

All About a Dog!

2009-09-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

The kids are on a mission....they want a dog and they are either going to get it OR drive Dad crazy talking about it.

They work it in to just about EVERY conversation and point out dogs every where we go, they have changed the wallpaper on the computer to a picture of a dog, they even wrote "dog" on the shopping list (over and over)....Abby and Ben have agreed to ask Santa for one if Dad doesn't cave by Christmas.

They have researched dog breeds and have it narrowed down to a few, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be terribly picky. They have even picked out names...

I don't know how Dad is going to get out of this one :)

Questions and Answers from Ben...

2009-09-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ben and I have the BEST conversations in the minivan.

Ben: Why are Sumo wrestlers so fat?

Mom: I don't know......Dad knows more about Sumos than I do (he lived in Japan for a couple years)

...and I'm thinking he wants the REASON Sumos gain weight to wrestle.

Ben: I'll bet they eat lots of doughnuts and CANDY!!!

Where does this stuff come from?

Senioritus

2009-09-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

According to Urban Dictionary: Senioritus is a medical condition experienced by all individuals between the ages 17 and 18. Around this time in the individual's maturing, they simply f*#k their physics homework, and cross their fingers hoping graduation comes before their grades plummet.

I love Urban Dictionary...anything I hear out there (usually by the younger crowd) or read in a book that I don't understand, I look it up...they generally have the exact info I need and I don't have to look like a total idiot by asking "what's that?"

Anyway, I digress...I have a new definition for Senioritus...a mom (or dad) who realizes that our time with this kid at home is almost over and that makes us a little blue.

Kraig had his senior pictures taken. My friend, Tricia took them and they turned out great...she's such an artist.

This is the beginning of the end and I'm a little sad about that.

Not On Strike...

2009-09-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm getting some complaints about my blog vacation...I'm not on strike, I've just been a little overwhelmed lately. I will make a real post soon and be back to my normal yappy, blogging self. Although, I have to admit, it's nice to know I've been missed. :)

Kid quote of the day...

2009-08-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

"I wouldn't mind going to church if it weren't for these clothes....they're ITCHY!!!!"

....Reed Farrar

Can't say that I completely disagree with him...

If you're ever in Boise

2009-08-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

This is Fanci Freeze at 14th and State in Boise....they make a treat called a Boston...it is a milkshake with a sundae on top. You get to choose the flavor of the shake and then the toppings on the sundae AND the number of choices is MIND BOGGLING!

Steve: Butterfingers shake/caramel sundae

Me: Chocolate shake/caramel sundae (boring)

Kraig: Marshmallow shake/hot fudge sundae

Reed, Abby, and Ben: Reeses shake/Oreo sundae (Abby and Ben were the little sheep in this outing)

Put this on your "must do" list if your ever in Boise!

Party like it's 2009

2009-08-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

We finally had Ben's "friend" birthday party this week. Ben is a social kid and has been dying to have his friends over for his birthday.

Ben's requested menu: Corn Dogs, Watermelon, Chocolate Cupcakes

Ben's requested activity: Chuck E Cheese

(obviously, we didn't go with that)

Ben's second choice: Slip and Slide in the back yard (and a pinata)

Happy Birthday (again) Ben! We love you!

Am I there yet?

2009-08-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me recently if I'm officially a real runner...and I wasn't really sure. After some deep thought, I'm decidedly NOT a REAL runner yet. This is what I've discovered about real runners.

They are very open and extremely forgiving of bodily functions...runners have funny stories about gas, poop, and pee. I've heard so many "I got out in the boonies on a long run and had to poop" stories...and I don't have one of those stories!!! Therefore, I don't believe I'm a REAL runner yet. And I'm strangely OK with that...I don't need a story that includes the words "prairie doggin' it" or "smokin' the cigar," and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'd tell it with the open glee that I've heard from other runners.

I know, I know....I'm normally so open, but this is one of the few things I'd like to keep private if you don't mind.

HAPPY RUNNING!!! I'm up to almost 7 miles...soon I'll be ready for a half marathon!

The Lake House

2009-07-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be summer without the Lake House...this is our 10th summer there. Abby and Ben think it belongs to us :) Ben starts to ask me to go to the lake house every spring (about March.)

The little kids LOVE to ride on the tube, the big boys wake board and wake surf. There is also a paddle boat, jet ski, and a canoe. There is no lack of fun here!

We love to see friends and play in the water.

Ben likes to try to catch little fish with the net.

THANKS Sarah and Jaimy for sharing your beautiful lake house with us and providing my children with fabulous summer memories!

Ben 5

2009-07-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ben turned 5 this week! My baby is growing up! It's hard to think about, especially since there will be no more babies...I would have more, but Steve is not on board. He says I'm "too old"...OK, so maybe I am. It's not all that pleasant to have "ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE" written on the front of your chart in big red letters like I did when I was expecting Ben.

If I have to "call it a day" in the baby growing department, then Ben was pretty darned good last one to get. He is delightful; in a naughty-impish-push it as far as he can-and sit back and enjoy the reaction way. He adds a lot of fun to our family. Happy Birthday Ben!

Prius Counting

2009-07-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Kraig taught us a game...Count the Prius! Counting Priuses can be somewhat of a hippie thermometer...the more Priuses, the more earthy a community. Let me explain: we went to Salem a couple of weeks ago and on that 50 mile round trip, the kids counted 30 Priuses. On the way to Idaho we saw 1 during the entire 8 hour trip (Eastern Oregon.) In Boise, we saw maybe 6. I have no idea where the Prius capital of the world is, but I'm going to guess that Western Oregon might be in the running...bunch of tree huggers!

Virtual running buddy

2009-07-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Heidi, we've known each other since the third grade (Miss VanBeek's class at Butteview Elementary.) This year, we started running "together." Heidi runs in Idaho and I run in Oregon and we report to and cheer for each other. I'm so proud of her, she stopped smoking and works really hard.

We ran a race together in Melba, Idaho while I was visiting. LOVE YOU HEIDI...

We will so ROCK Hippie Chick in the Spring!

I find the best stuff on my front step!

2009-07-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ben made himself a "habitat" for a butterfly he was planning to catch. He couldn't catch the butterfly, but he will soooo be ready if he ever does.

Aunt Linda (the entomologist) would be so proud!

A question of Crocs

2009-07-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is Abby's first big purchase with her own money...she found these Crocs at Frogs and Pollywogs downtown, and REALLY wanted to buy them. I made her wait until the next day so that she could be sure that it was really what she wanted. She opted to buy the cute little jibbets later.

Kraig says that Crocs are the result of an incestuous relationship between flip flops and galoshes...don't be vague Kraig, tell us how you REALLY feel.

Zoo Boise

2009-07-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

A few years back we took the kids to the Zoo in Boise and they whined the whole time because it was "too hot." We reluctantly decided to try again and I'm glad we did, the zoo has changed a lot since we last visited, there was very little whining and we had a fun day together.

The kids rode the little merry go round...even Reed who was embarrassingly too big for the kiddie ride.

They are checking out the Red Pandas which surprisingly looked a lot like a red North American raccoon...Kraig said "that's probably what eats people's cat food in China." We, obviously have a little raccoon problem in our neighborhood.

The kids favorite thing, hands down was the giant tortoise...they would like to get one for our back yard. Apparently we need to move to the Galapagos Islands.

Over the river and through the Woods...

2009-07-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

We spent the last week visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho. Some of the things that makes Grandma and Grandpa's house so much fun!
An old fashioned Coke machine on the back porch... full of soda, with a cup of nickles sitting on top to purchase whatever soda you choose AND lots of cousins to play with (my sister has eight children)

Grandpa has things like Kayaks and rubber rafts and knows just where to take them for a fun morning of rowing.

Grandpa buys fireworks...the good illegal kind

Grandma and grandpa have a pool in their back yard, the kids swim every day

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa, We had a GREAT time!

Shaking my head in disbelief...

2009-07-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this one got his sense of fashion from his father....

Random Conversations from the Back Seat

2009-06-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

We passed a truck carrying a mobile home (well half of it anyway,) and Abby asks..."how do they put those houses back together?"

Honestly, I didn't really know...so I said..."maybe screws and nails, or some sort of special glue."

Abby thought glue sounded silly and she giggled..."maybe Elmer's glue!"

Then Ben throws in his two bits..."who's Elmer anyway?"

I don't know buddy...the glue guy, I guess.

Biking the San Juans

2009-06-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

We have the best Priest's Quorum...I love these boys. They spent some time in the San Juan Islands in Washington, camping and riding their bikes together.

This is the Westside Free Pile...People are very earthy here...you can drop your stuff off or pick up some stuff you need...it's looking like a whole lot of junk to me. Kraig talked more about the "Free Pile" than anything else on the trip.

Many thanks to their leaders, Brother Smith and Brother Winter...Kraig had a great time. Many of the boys will be great leaders because they have had such fine examples. This is something these boys will never forget.

NOTHING rhymes with 42!

2009-06-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Steve!
The kids really wanted to get dad something special for his birthday and this is what was agreed upon when we went shopping...they were actually pretty excited about it!.... A zipper tie!

He got other stuff too, but we think the zipper tie is the coolest!

"A father carries pictures where his money used to be"...(unknown)

2009-06-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! Some things that make our dad the BEST!

He can make you giggle by "strumming your guitar" OR

giving you a "knuckle sandwich"

If a boy decides he would like to run...dad runs too. Pretty soon, dad can't keep up with that boy anymore.

Wild shopping cart rides through just about every parking lot in town.

Going on field trips...even if he's the only dad surrounded by moms

Taking great care of not only his own kids, but ALL the kids while the moms have a little mom fun.

Singing LOUD and OFF KEY in the car to his favorite "The Who" CD.

Honoring his Priesthood and being a good example to his children

I hope we were able to make his day special.

New running shoes and "performance" socks

Strawberry stuffed French toast

and best of all...

A Father's Day Cootie Catcher (by Abby)

LOVE YOU!

Hanging Chads...

2009-06-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is how the poll turned out....AND this is what I found out about the voting...Steve was trying to use different computers at work to "STUFF" the ballot box. CHEATER CHEATER PUMPKIN EATER!!! Somehow, they didn't all register... I'm going to count that as one of my Tender Mercies. Momism of the day...CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER!

Is my new apron fashion or function?

STINKING CUTE!!! I'd wear it to Target
11 (57%)

I'm with Steve, put it on and get to baking!
2 (10%)

SO CUTE, but I don't know about wearing it around town
3 (15%)

Where are my cookies?
3 (15%)

Votes so far: 19

Thanks for voting, and if you see me at Target or Costco in my fabulous new apron; you'll know that it feels great on, not just because it's stinking cute, but because it was made and given with lots of love.

A Life of Crime?

2009-06-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

This is what I found on my front porch this week...Somehow, Madeline had been abducted and I didn't even miss her.

No ransom note was found, and no demands were made. She was still smiling, so I assume that she wasn't treated too poorly.

I wondered why Ben felt that he should act so extremely toward poor Madeline, so I asked him why he decided to bind the arms and legs Abby's Madeline doll with tape...He said "I hate that dolly, she's always staring at me."

I Married MacGyver

2009-06-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

As long as I've known Steve, people have referred to him as "MacGyver." He can fix just about anything...it seems to be intuitive to him. If I called him a mechanical genius, he would be embarrassed, but that's really what it amounts to. His mother claims he fixed his first toaster at the age of 6, but she will occasionally indulge in a little exaggeration...who knows, it could be true. His sisters swear he could build an entire house with his Swiss Army knife, but that remains unproven as well. This is what I do know...as great as it is to be married to Mr. Fix It, there are also some "cons" to this situation as well.

For example, he has fixed my dryer at least a million times (OK, Steve's mom isn't the only exaggerator in the family.) The FIRST time it broke, I thought 'YES!!! NEW DRYER!' But alas, no, he fixed it...and the ugly beast that I purchased at a garage sale some 10 years before that, lived on. At some point, I had a dryer that I had to attach a magnet to the door just to keep it shut, but BY GOSH the darned thing still ran! Since then, he has taken pity on me and found a "new" garage sale dryer...one that doesn't require an industrial strength magnet to close the door...but the chances of me EVER owning a new dryer are somewhere between slim and none.

He also is a collector of parts, items from broken things that he thinks could be useful later in fixing other thing...and while I admit that he does eventually find uses for these items, sometimes the amount of broken junk we store is a little discouraging.

I'm not really going anywhere with this...it's not a rant OR a rave...just a fact of my life.

My microwave caught on fire yesterday...I wonder if I'll get a new one, or just get yet one more life out of the old one...we shall see.

Project Red Bag

2009-06-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is what we are doing for Enrichment this month, I think it will be fun.

Oak Creek Ward Enrichment
June 24th, 6:30 pm
The Home of Heidi Wiest
32161 Quail Run, Tangent
Unique in our Talents
United in our Purpose
In this red sack, three items you’ll place,
They should represent YOU, so don’t be in haste.

Choose three of your talents or special abilities,
Your hobbies, experiences or capabilities.

If you can’t find an item, a description you’ll write,
Photos or certificates are perfectly all right.

Seal your three items in your bag with care
No names on the bags, it’s a secret to share.

At enrichment meeting, we’ll open the sacks
We’ll try to guess WHO...as we look at the facts.

Invite your friends, our Young Women and all,
It will be a great night, so give them a call.

Dinner is at 6:30, June 24 is the date,
Don’t forget your red sack (& please don’t be late).
Please Bring:
*Your favorite salad to share
*Your red bag with three items that
describe you (remember, no names)

If you pick up my bag, you might see some of these things...

Brown...not because it's my favorite color, but because I am "a Brown girl." (Brown is my maiden name)

I like to crochet...maybe I'll include one of these crowns in my bag

I just ran my first 5K, I could put my BIB number in my red bag

I did grow up in Idaho...an Idaho Spud Candy Bar might be a good thing to put in

Any other ideas? I'm open to suggestions...I only need three things, but I want them to be GOOD!

Riding Salem's Riverfront Carousel

2009-06-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

We had a little Salem fun this morning...what's not to love about a REAL carousel? Music and beautiful, glossy hand carved horses... this is the stuff good childhood memories are made of.

Abby's horse was named Snickerdoodle

Reed rode Nugget and Ben was on American Flyer

Ben REALLY wanted to ride Jazz the Zebra, but the little girl in front of him snagged it first...Watch out for those darned girls Ben! :)

Ice Cream Quest

2009-06-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

We have a summer tradition at the Farrar house called Ice Cream Quest.....It is our mission to locate and make THE BEST ice cream recipe...this is our first attempt this summer! We make ice cream every Monday night (just about) and we'd love some recipe suggestions...as long as it's the BEST! The Strawberries are from our garden.

The recipe we used. It is from a cook book called Mormon Cooking...

2 c milk

1 c sugar

1 Tbl flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

3 c cream

2 tsp vanilla

2 c crushed strawberries

Scald milk. Combine sugar, flour, and salt and whisk into the scalded milk. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir 3 Tbl of hot mixture into egg yolks. Immediately stir back into milk mixture. Return to heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture coats a metal spoon.

Stir in cream, vanilla, and berries, chill well....Freeze in ice cream freezer.

I have to admit this was a pretty DARNED GOOD first attempt...could be tough to beat.

Itchy boy

2009-06-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

The kids were out in the neighborhood forest on Sunday and mom yelled "STAY ON THE PATH!" More than once....This is what you run into when you don't listen to mom...POISON OAK!!
Now Ben has an itchy rash on his leg. He's pretty miserable and is, of course, making my life hard too....Sigh...I wish it were more satisfying to say "I told you so."

Fashion or Function?

2009-06-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

How cute is this apron? It was made by my fabulously talented friend Kaysha and given to me by her mom Rosalind...my favorite kind of gift (handmade and heartfelt.) OH MY GOSH!!! I LOVE IT!!!

THANKS GUYS!

Here's the thing....I think it is cute enough to be part of an outfit, but Steve thinks it's weird to wear an apron out in public...What do you think?

Go over to the poll and vote (please)

Kris and Andi's Strawberry Run

2009-06-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

I ran my first 5K yesterday...I'm still slow, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day!
Steve and Ben watched the race up until the time I crossed the finish line, so Ben thinks I came in dead last...he keeps telling me "Mom, you losed!" I wasn't last!

Andi and I showing off our numbers

My lucky socks...They came with those $130 shoes...they had BETTER be lucky!!!

Our first 5K!!! We're done and it feels GREAT!

How does your garden grow....

2009-06-04T12:54:00.001-07:00

Last night, my dad said that if HE had a blog, he would show me pictures of how things are growing in his garden. I don't know if that was a hint... but it probably was. So here are a few pictures.Strawberries are so delicious, the slugs can't get enough of them!

yellow squash or zucchini, who can really tell at this point?

These are the things that are "up"

Corn

Tomatoes

Strawberries

peppers

egg plant

basil

beets

zucchini

lettuce

yellow squash

pumpkins

parsley

I planted EIGHT egg plants...what is wrong with me?

Abby's new "Do"

2009-06-03T20:45:00.001-07:00

Abby got her hair cut today...no more "tent head."

I'm in the (iris) Garden!!!

2009-06-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Julene, me, Natalie and Sarah at Schreiner's Iris Gardens in Salem

Wow! What a beautiful place, I wish my cell phone camera had done it justice!! Well worth the trip north just to see the fields and fields of blooming bearded iris. You should go....and take a picnic!!! It is fabulous!