Christmas 2010

 Best Christmas of My Life

A picture worth a thousand words!!!

Christmas Letter...

So if you think it is tacky to e-mail, blog, and facebook a Christmas letter on Christmas Eve you might not want to check this out...but if you don't mind.....

http://www.scribd.com/doc/45879821/Christmas-Letter-2010-Blog-Copy-Without-Names

Enjoy family and my one follower :)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!!!

Day 50 - Alone...Wow these post are getting boring ;)

So here we are at day 50 alone.  Peach wants to say bye, bye :)  Good for her.  The end is at hand.  Dr. J is doing his last Chicago interview.  There are three more that he for sure is doing.  He cancelled four others today.  The interview process is so draining emotionally, physically, monetarily (don't believe me ask my bank account which gone into protective custody).  At a certain point when you are relatively sure you have secured a yes at more than one place that you happen to really like, well then maybe it is time to pack some of them in.  This leaves his with fifteen interviews, probably ten places that we would be really excited to go.  So the hope is that other candidates who maybe didn't get as many interviews will get some more.  There are two other interviews that we are still on the fence on. They are great places to go but because of their distance from home (we are talking far north east) and the fact that the interviews practically overlap each other we're having trouble being excited about them.

Tonight I made the kids oatmeal.  Yup, that's where this crew happens to be on their culinary delights tour.  I know it sounds horrible but the kids were excited.  I wouldn't say they are picky but they definitely prefer plain.  They had theirs dripping with brown sugar.  I added sliced bananas and pecans to mine, my favorite way to eat oatmeal...and it was divine!!!!  The bananas give it sweetness the pecans give it crunch.  Yesterday we did sweet potato quesadilla an idea I got from my friend Linda.

I sauteed 1/2 an onion in olive oil, then added two grated sweet potatoes.  When the mix was nice and cooked I three in a cup of cooked black beans.  Then I made quesadillas with whole wheat tortillas.  In my frying pan I had, tortilla, layer of cheese, sweet potato mix, layer of cheese, and another tortilla.  Cooked on one side until it had browned, flipped and cooked on the other side.  I served them with sour cream and homemade salsa.  So yummy!!!!!!

Gigi's Turns 4 - Preschool Portfollio

Gigi turns four today.  Just in case you were wondering we are still alone, but luckily daddy flies in at 9:30 tonight so tomorrow we are going out to watch Tangled.  Should be great.  I've heard it is the best Disney Movie in years.  It will be fun to celebrate all the changes Gigi has gone through this.  She went from non talker to a chatter box.  She went from a bossy, grabby toddler to great sharer, really loving, caring, sweet big sister and little sister.  Gigi loves to laugh, read, draw, play mam with dolls.  She enjoys preschool.  Dr. J and I put her in the Child Development Lab preschool at the University this year.  It is awesome.  Monday was parent teach conference.  They had put together a portfolio for each child with all the different developmental areas, pictures, and observations.  It was great to see everything she has been up to this year.  The night I got it I had her explain all the different sections to me.  Listening to her explanations was incredible.  She knew exactly what each picture was and told me all about the important things she's been learning this year.  I LOVED IT!!!  Here are some of the pictures from the porfollio.

Gigi loves beading.  Apparently she pics the animal beads which are much harder to bead.  She is determined though.  This particular necklace she made for me.  She really is a loving girl.

She made these binoculars at school along with a set for Peach.  She is so good about sharing.

They have a table in the room that is always filled with something, sand, water, for a week it was filled with ground coffee and animals.  Gigi loved the smell of that coffee.  She loved sitting at the table and organizing the animals.  She had fun building families, a mom, dad, and lots of babies.  She enjoys counting the families.

There is a loft in the room that has babies, a kitchen, make believe clothes.  Gigi loves this area of the room.  She is very loving to her babies, feeding them, changing them, asking people to be quiet when they are sleeping.

They do things like cut play dough in class.  Gigi has a weird way of holding the scissors, she gets it done though.



This is Gigi's best friend at school.  Her name is Enping and they like to do art projects together.



Gigi is one of the braver kids in class.  When fire lady Heather came to class Gigi was one of the only kids willing to approach her and then she wanted to know how the mask and hat worked.

Regardless of what this picture says Gigi loved putting this fire truck together.

More painting.  She is fiercely protective of these projects. 



Gigi put this three little pigs play on for the other kids in her class with two other girls.  So cute!

The girls love to pull each other up the slide.  Aren't these girls cuties.

Coffee can stilts, the girl has good large motor skills.

Playing stop go the other kids in the class.  Doesn't she look happy being in charge :)

Like I said, good large motor kills :)  Anyway this was just some of the stuff in her portfolio, so fun to see what she is doing.  Along with this her teacher's gave me fun ideas to help her grow.  Awesome preschool, awesome daughter, happy mom :)

Day 47- Alone

So I started out looking at bow ties, because my husband is in a profession where wearing a nasty dirty tie is a professional/personal/client hazard.  This lead me to slim suits.  This lead me to Hugo Boss.  I'd love to see my hubby in this suit...to bad it is 800 bucks.  Oh well :(

Day 45 Alone - Stuck in the Ariport

So a certain dashing husband (he actually does like quite dashing in a suit with his new haircut.  I thought it was to short but with a little gel it is quite nice) took the train up to Chicago this morning.  His original flight was  suppose to leave at 9:45.  That one was cancelled and we rescheduled for 2:00.  That one was cancelled while he was on the train.  Now we are hoping the 8 PM one leaves.  Poor guy though...stuck in the airport for eight hours not knowing.  What a pain.  If he misses his flight tonight he'll have to try again tomorrow.  The negative on this is of course we paid for his hotel with priceline...no insurance...so if he misses tonight we are out the money....BLAH!!!!!  It was nice having him home last night.  He actually made it to the Christmas Party.  Since the Party is usually during finals week this is not a guaranteed thing.  I loved having the extra hands to chase Peach down at the party...and also sit her on Santa's lap.  When we found out who Santa was this year, I said, "Oh good you can sit on his lap".  Thanks for good friends with a great sense of humor!!!! 

In unrelated family news Peach is enjoying putting words together.
"That's mine."  "It's a shoe."  "No done." "What's that?" And my personal favorite of last week the "My turn," she yelled and she shoved Gigi off the stool.  I'd been putting toothpaste on the brushes and making up little stories about how they were a prince or princes and I was their hand maiden.  Apparently I wasn't going fast enough for Peach.  Gigi was very good natured about the whole thing.  She is mellowing substantially.  Yesterday Dr. J had Captain E trapped with his bum in the air.  He yelled out to Gigi, "Free spankings, come give E a free spanking."  She yelled back, "No!  I'm a nice sister!"

In unrelated me news I tried out a different name on Saturday.  We were volunteering at the Chrisis Nursery kid shop and on my name tag I put the name that my family and close friends call me.  Think of my name and shorten it into a boys name.  That is it!  I wanted to try it out to see if I wanted to make it permanent in the move.  Dr. J and I have been joking about reinventing ourselves when we move.  First off we aren't very social, and we decided that when we move we are going to put off the social vibes and see if we can't get it to snowball.  Then there is the exercise thing.  We're inconsistent, so we need a house big enough to put a tread mill in.  Finally the name thing.  I have never really been a fan of my first name.  All of my sisters names after those of relatives and have a purpose in their name.  My name on the other hand happens to just be one of the most popular of 1980, later picked up by strippers and drug namers.  It would be tolerable if there was a purpose but so far I have found none.  I asked my dad a few years ago why he choose my name and the man said, "Honestly I just can't remember."  Blah!  The irony is the name is extremely difficult for my Mexican grandparents to say.  As a child they shortened my name to the previously hinted at boy name.  As an act of familiarity all of my siblings have as well.  My husband started calling me that name sometime after he heard my family calling me it.  Several friends have when they heard my husband.  I like it, it is easy, I already answer to it.  Why not just make it official at the move :)

 

One of the perks of being with Nana free mani/pedis.

 

Also you get to hang out with the uncles who are so much fun, until they aren't :)

Sprinklers at Nana's

I love this sequence!  Usually we go home at Christmas and spend our time freezing.  October it is still warm enough to play in the sprinklers.  Forgot your swim suit...underwear heros for a day.

October Utah Trip

24 hour car ride in our Lancer!!!  We took out the small car so that the van would be here when I flew home after three weeks.  Three kids in the back seat, thank goodness for zoobies, Diary of a Wimpy kid, and sausage!



Day 42 - Alone

Dr. J is partying it up in Ann Arbor....so here I am :)  New computer set up, pictures up, now it is time to upload all my October-November pictures.  I can't ever get it right.  First, forty plus blogs with no pictures, now forty plus pictures with no words.  Good luck!

Captain E

There is so much going on in that little six year old mind.  Yesterday Dr. J and I were having a slightly heated discussion.  First he tried to work out a compromise between the two of us.  Later he came downstairs and when we said his name, he said, "Wait now don't get me back into this."  Dr. J and I just laughed.  He is such a perceptive little kid.  Then today we were watching this show Bizarre Foods.  The kids loved it because well these are really weird foods.  Someone eating a bat, what kid doesn't want to see that.  This particular episode the host was visiting the country of America Samoa.  The kids say, "Wow mom we need to go there.  It could be really relaxing for everyone in the family."  Ten minutes later he says, "Nope never mind there is no electricity there. I can't go where I can't play my WII."  Cracks me up!  He also asked Dr J, "Dad what do you have to give mom so that she can have another baby."  Yup that was a nice one.

Day 41 Alone-Does it Count?

Does it count as alone if my husband crawled into bed this morning at four thirty?  We snuck a few hours of sleep and then he came down at eight to eat cake and ice cream for breakfast with the kiddos.  They of course think he is the coolest.  We got to chat for about an hour while I helped pack his suitcase after I dropped the kids off at school.  Then he was off again.  This time for Columbus.  They had dinner at one of the residents homes...who happens to be Mormon.  Apparently the program pulls in one Mormon a year.  When you consider they only take eight residents a year that is pretty good odds.  My top guesses as to why...
1) A Temple.
2) An Airport.
3) Costco...Sam's club is not the same.
4) They pay for you move.
5) A cost of living that makes a measly little resident be able to buy a fair nice house. 

He called me tonight and left a message that the hotel he is staying in is pretty darn swank.  There are times that I'm pretty sure I dislike the man!  Best moment of the day: Finished my advant Calendar.  Worst: tons of yelling when two kids peed on the floor within thirty seconds of eachother.  I'm seriously considering having my self medicated.  I need to chill.  That or take up the bottle....

Advant Calendar

So I've always been envious of people who do an advant calendar.  That doesn't mean I've been especially anxious to put one together which is why I'm thinking about this November 30th, today though I came across this.

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2009/11/magnetic-advent-calendar.html

I have a muffin tin.  I'm totally going to do this, but instead of the activities she put in I'm going to fill it with these scriptures

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5415%3Aprimary-advent-calendar&catid=4177

Then we'll just read one each night unitl Christmas.  The positive on the muffin tin is there should be enough room in there to sneak in a Hershy Kiss or two.

Day 40 - Alone, 33 Things I Happen To Love About My Husband

1) He has the most amazing eyes. A perfect blue that stand out so bright when he wears blue shirts. They of course are framed by amazingly long eyelashes.
2) He is incredibly smart. That isn't the say he is always right, but he is often right and isn't afraid to give a wrong answer. If he gives a wrong answer he learns the right one and then he isn't wrong on that again. When you are a medical student this is a highly valued skill.
3) He has a great sense of humor.
4) He is always making up little songs, songs about the kids, song about life. It makes me laugh.
5) He has a huge smile. It is is the first thing I noticed about him.
6) He keeps the bed warm.
7) He smells delicious. I wish I could bottle his smell and sell it for money!
8) He is a hard worker. He has spent the last eight years working his buns off while going to school so that I could stay home with our kids.
9) He complements efforts rather than results.
10) He has a great sense of adventure. I remember one of our first dates it was snowing. We were leaving an activity and the church parking lot was empty. All the sudden he started doing wheelies.
11) He loves nature.
12) He takes me for drives.
13) He shares the same political beliefs I do. It makes it easy to talk politics.
14) He explains sports to me.
15) He lets me pick out his clothes.
16) He loves to play games and never rubs in when he wins, a major plus when you are married to spoil sport.
17) He has an iron stomach and will eat whatever I put in front of him.
18) He has an amazing ability to recall minute facts from books he's read.
19) When our children wake up in the night he is the one who gets up with them.
20) After nine years he still gropes me in the kitchen when the kids aren't looking.
21) He tells me I have a perfect body....what wife doesn't want to hear that.
22) He thinks exercising together is a date.
23) He washes the dishes and is the one most likely to sweep the floor.
24) He has a look he gives me that makes me feel like he can see into the very depths of my soul.
25) He is extremely complementary.
26) He encourages me to be more social.
27) He always takes my bets.
28) He served in nursery for over a year with no complaints because I needed his help.
29) As he goes through this interviewing process he is constantly asking himself, "Is this a place that my family can be happy." It is his number one concern.
30) He has been writing me poetry and love letters since we first got together.
31) He is my very own sleep aid....I kid you not he is a cure to my insomnia.
32) His children adore him.
33) He is constantly telling us he loves us.

I could go on, but in honor of his 33rd birthday I'll stop there. Happy Birthday Baby!  Loving you is Cherry Pie!!!!!

Captain E says, "I love you dad, I hope you had a good day. And remember you will come back on Friday and then we'll have some fun time!"

Gigi, "I don't want to say anything. Come home soon."

Peach, "Dhuh, hi dada!"

Day 39 Alone - My Three Wishes

Today was a rough day.  Too many details would be painful but how about, teething, clingy daughter, fit over mittens, Hershey Kiss ground into the carpet, a living room that is still a mess even though I've tried picking it up five times today, a fatty dinner, a son who told me my Thanksgiving Turkey wasn't as good as the one he had at the first grade Thanksgiving Party, a stain cleaner that has made my favorite shirt blotchy, etc.  I'll be honest I want chocolate!!!!  So here is what I have energy for today; These are my three wishes from a magic genie!

1) Kids who listened the first time at least some of the time.  I don't want baby robots, brained washed children, midgets with no personality or sense of personal ability or space.  I want my children to be able to freely make their own decisions, but just once in a while I'd appreciate it if they would act the first time.  It would make me feel like I was actually accomplishing something.

2) A non chubby body.  I weighed more than my mom at ten.  I have three beautiful sisters who wear clothes in the very low single digits.  My hubby is a good man and tells me I have a perfect body, but I'm a girl and I know better.  I would mind not having to worry about those extra holiday pounds.

3) An always clean house.  Wow that would make my life so much easier :)

Day 38 - Alone Two Lives, One Day

He: Woke up at 1:30 am.
She: Said, "Will you get out of bed and turn that alarm clock off."
He: Got dressed in the dark and then asked, "Would you mind if I turned the lights on?"
She: "Fine."
He: Got in a cold car with only a Dr. Pepper and a book on tape about one depressed Mr. Lincoln for company on the 3 hour drive to St. Louis.
She: Has no memory until...
He: Due to bad directions by google maps ended up going north instead of south.  When he saw no airport signs he called.
She: Woke at five to the phone ringing.  "What," she said.  And then had to turn on her computer to try and figure out the correct way.
He: Turned south and made it to the airport with plenty of time to park, check in, and be told his toothpaste had to be check because it was larger then 3 ounces, something he had been told by...
She: Spent several hours looking at GPS units online.  This was the second time in a week she'd been woken to correct Google map inadequacies.
He: Started reading Hunger Games on the plane but then promptly fell asleep.
She: Let the kids run wild and then reigned them in for lunch and church clothes.  She showered with the eighteen month old because when Peach heard the shower start up there was no keeping her out.
He: Got to San Diego and called his hotel to come pick him up.  Going outside he realized he had entered the Garden of Eden or maybe the Land of Oz.
She: Dragged three kids to the car grateful for the sun and the rather warm 40 degree weather.  She entertained, begged, and pleaded with three kids to stay in their bench during sacrament meeting.  She dropped two off at primary and then followed the third one into nursery where she spent the rest of the afternoon singing songs, playing with toys, hoping no one would kick her out for being there with her not quite eighteen month old daughter. 
He: Was caught up in the book and never left his hotel room.  He said, "This is GOOD!" about the book.
She: Called him after church.  "So how is it?"
He: "It is beautiful!"  And by this he meant he was close enough to smell the ocean, the sky was blue and perfect, the grass green, the weather balmy.
She: Rushed home to pick up the living room and throw together a vegetarian lasagna to be put in the oven before the home teachers showed up.
He: Took a shower and was chauffeured to a dinner date with the other Med Ped interviewees and residents.
She: Spent dinner listening to potty jokes and watching sauce get squished into tights.  She got kids ready for bed.  She washed dishes.  She swept the dinning room floor.  She finished reading the last 1/3 of Harry Potter Seven.  She actually cried when she Professor Snape shows his silver doe patronus.  She sat in bed writing this blog and is deeply embarrassed by the words in the previous sentence.
He: Went to bed after a night of getting to know yous and good food.

Day 38 - Alone Again :)

When do you know it is time to get a GPS....maybe when you've been woken up for the second time in less then a week to explain not clear google map directions!!!!

Day 38-NOT ALONE

Today I'm Thankful: HE'S HOME!!!!!

Day 37-Alone

Today I Am Thankful For: Being only one state away from my husband.  As I type this he is barrelling through a major rain storm, that apparently is covering most of the Midwest because it is pouring here as well.  I don't know if he is going to make it all the way home tonight but I know he is close, closer then he has been in a long, long time.  When we were first together and my hubby felt like we weren't able to spend enough time with me he said, "Quality time is quantity time."  I'm looking forward to a little quantity time with hubby, even if it is only for three days :)

Today I didn't:

-do scriptures with the kids.  I don't know what happened.  We were in the room ready to go and then I said, "Ahh get in bed."  Quick kisses and I left.  I think I'm getting a little buggy.

-get the rolls done for tomorrow.  Blah Thanksgiving :)  J/K...a holiday devoted completely to gluttony...MY FAVORITE!!!!

Today I:

-cleaned my bedroom....yes!!!!  I guess I figured since someone else was going to see it, it was time to get it going.

-made pumpkin pie, stuffing, and brined my turkey.

-Picked up the living room three times, I kid you not.  Thanks kids for making that one happen.

Day 36-Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Early winter nights.  Wow today was a doosie.  Captain E spent his time home from school tyring to determine which of his high pitched squeals I didn't hate.  Guess what, I dislike them all.  Gigi got in the makeup again but this time broke out all the blush and eye shadow, got it all over the floor and her pjs.  Then I spent a significant amount of time asking her not to walk on the back of the couch and finally sent her to time out.  This is when she said, "You are ruining my life!"  Nice.  Peach fell and cut her mouth.  She took a ten minute nap.  She only ate dinner when I was holding her.  At 6:50 I was tired, so I put the kids into jammies and sent them to bed.  Luckily is was dark and they thought it was time to go to sleep.

Today I didn't:

-finish the dishes.

-finish cleaning the house.

Today I:

-put the Christmas Tree up.  We didn't put any ornaments up, we're waiting for Thanksgiving but it makes us happy just to have the tree up.

-talked my husband out of Arizona, he's in on his way to New Mexico.  Yeah us. 

Day 35-Alone

Today I Am Thankful For: Places to take the kids.  The library, preschool, school, Tae Kwon Do, you get the picture.  I love my kids but when we just hang out at home things get a little dicey.  I'm grateful for new places for them to play and places for them to get their wiggles out.

Today I didn't:

-do dishes...I can't help it...no fun.  

-catch Peach's third pooh of the day.  I put her in panties and the girl did good, that is until the end of the day when she had a diarrhea in her panties.  GROSS!  Some things about being a parent are great, some aren't.  Bodily fluids are one of those not so great moments.

Today I:

-shaved my legs.  My hubby is coming home in three days.  Time to start grooming again.  

-made nested eggs for dinner.  Captain E begged for them.

-got a peek at the Back Friday sale adds.  So something I want goes on sale at 12:01 am, Friday at Wal-mart.  Dare I go?  What a pain. 

Whole Food Thanksgiving Pitfalls

As a girl who appreciates food Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  There is something about is, family oriented, wholesome, delicious, and yet some of the foods that we think of as wholesome are not only calorie laden but are far from whole food.  Here are some of the most common Thanksgiving Pitfalls.

Pumpkin Pie:  I bought pie pumpkins this year and thought I was so ahead of the game.  Then I threw a can of of evaporated milk into my cart.  Ingredients: Milk, dipotassium phosphate, carrageenan, Vitamin D3.  It isn't a ton of stuff but I really just wanted milk.  Want to add Ready Whip to the top: Cream, milk, corn syrup, sugar, mono-and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavors, carrageenan, nitrous oxide.  A frozen pie crust: Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil), Water, Dough Conditioner (Dextrose, Wheat Starch, Salt, Baking Soda, Calcium Propionate [A Preservative], Vegetable Shortening [May Contain Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and/Or Cottonseed Oil], Sodium Bisulfite), Salt. Contains: Wheat, Soybean.

OK, NO THANKS!!!  I found this recipe on a whole foods site by Rachel Wood and this is what I'm going to make...although I'm going to try coconut oil instead of butter.  I'm going to top it with cream I whip myself.  Make sure yours is just straight cream, some have weird preservatives in them.

Pumpkin Pie

Accompanying article: Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
Makes one 9-inch single-crust pie
For the crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted, cultured organic butter, well chilled
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

1 sugar pumpkin
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups organic cream
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and add them to the flour mixture. With your fingertips, quickly and deftly rub the butter into the flour to make a dry, crumbly mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the mixture. Using a fork, rapidly stir the dough until it gathers into clumps. If the mixture seems dry, add more water to hold the dough together. Gently form the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to rest and chill for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, place the pumpkin halves in a pan, shell side up, and bake for 1 hour or until the pumpkin is tender and exudes liquid and the shell starts to sag. Scrape the pulp from the shell and purée it with a fork or potato masher or in a blender. Measure 2 cups of the purée and set it aside. Reserve any additional pumpkin for another use.
Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and, starting from the center out, roll the dough to about 2 inches larger than the size of the pan. Loosen the pastry, fold it in half, lift it and unfold it into the pan. Press it into place, trim off the excess dough and crimp the edges.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 425°F.
In a large mixing bowl lightly beat the eggs. Add the puree and the remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Pour the mixture into the dough-lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake an additional 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Stuffing: A typical bag: Enriched flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin, mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, whole wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% or less of each of the following: yeast, spices, dehydrated onion, salt, wheat gluten, ascorbic acid, dehydrate parsley, autoyzed yeast extract, distilled vinegar, TBHQ, soy protein.

Great, yuck.  Instead for stuffing I like to just chop up bread and toast it in the oven (it can be homemade bread if you like).  Chop up half an onion, half a thing of celery, add parsley, and a little onion salt.  Meanwhile I boil the giblets on the stove.  I add the chopped up giblets and then shove a bunch of it i the turkey.  I know they say you shouldn't but I still love it that way.  The rest goes in a cake pan and I add a little giblet water.  Then I bake it in the oven with foil over the top.

Cranberry Sauce: Wow who doesn't want to say yes to that can shape...um gross.  If you want to make your own.

12 ounce of cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice

1) In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice.  Stir in the cranberries and cook unit the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl.  Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.  Wow so easy!

Gravy: Canned gravy: Wheat Starch, Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid), Lactose (Milk), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer), Chicken Fat, Turkey Meat, Silicon Dioxide (Added to Make Free Flowing), Onion, Torula Yeast, Caramel Color, Spice, Natural and Artificial Flavors and Sulfiting Agents.

Wow.  Tons of stuff in a little can.  My gravy is so easy.  I melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour until it has balled up.  Then I just use my turkey baster to suck out turkey juice from the bag.  I always cook my turkey in a bag.  It keeps it nice and moist while you are waiting for the dark meat to cook all the way.  I use a whisk to whisk butter, flour, and turkey juice and watch it thicken on low heat.  Super easy, super delicious.

Day 34 - Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: For the village of people who help me with my kids.  We had stake conference today.  Elder Bednar from the quorum of the twelve, part of the head of my church, was there to speak.  On the best day stake conference is a challenge.  The kids are trapped on hard metal chairs for two hours of speaking.  It is like double sacrament meeting except the only part of sacrament meeting they actually enjoy, the sacrement isn't present.  Add the stress of the fact that I was flying solo and we had a general authority there and my stress levels were pretty high.  We avoided the gym, the seats were mainly full, and the idea of being in there with the kids...well it wasn't pretty.  Instead we headed to the relief society room where conference was being projected on a the TV and the seats were padded.  My visiting teacher was there and three friends from my old ward.  Their kids entertained mine.  They helped share toys.  They offered up other entertainment.  We made it until the closing song when I finally took the kids out into the hall, and then I jetted before the closing prayer....Peach was on the edge of a melt down.  It was an interesting conference.  Going to BYU I had several opportunities to hear general authorities speak but this was my first stake conference with one.  Our stake president focused on the ten virgins and Lehi's dream.  He pointed out that 5 of the virgins were at the right place, they were dressed correctly, and they had the right desire but they were not prepared and thus missed their chance to enter into the wedding.  His challenge to us was not be like those virgins.  Then Elder Bednar spoke.  He did something I've never seen done before in any meeting.  He essentially reemphasized our stake presidents talk.  He started by pointing out the right our stake president has to receive revelation for our stake and then went through President Lunt's talk, pointing out the words he gave that should have clued us into the fact that this was revelation for us and restated his main points.  This was the only part I was able to jot down:  This will sound counter intuitive to most of you but Testimony is not an ending point.  Instead it is only the beginning a place to step off of.  It is just the starting place.  True conversion is being true to what we know to be true, to our testimony.  Alma chapter 23.  He emphasized that like the five wise virgins to the five foolish, no one can give you conversion.  That is something that you have to work on for yourself.  He also said that the rock of our conversion must be Jesus Christ.  You can not stay truely converted if your testimony is based soley on a person, an event, or a program.  He ended with a blessing on the congregation to be in conjunction with the song How Firm a Foundation, but at this point I was pretty stressed out and my ability to feel any peace had left with my daughter's fuss to try to get to the drinking fountain.  Regardless his comments left me with a lot to think about and some ideas to implement in my life.  So end story, it might not have been pretty but we made it, thanks most in part to the Lukes, Jones, and Washburns.

Today I didn't:

-wash dishes.

-put laundry away...I folded the stuff I did on Saturday but it is still sitting on the floor.

Today I:

-explained to my daughter that she is only allowed to put on makeup when I'm in the room with her.  I was made aware of the problem when Captain E said, "Hey what is wrong with Gigi's face?"

-took my daughter out in the hallway and hugged her during stake conference when all I really wanted to do was spank her bottom.  The nice thing is she hugged me back.  Then I felt better and we got to continue on.

-heard Peach say, "This is a ball," while she was holding a ball out for me to see.  It was so freakish I said, "Um did you really just say that."

-had to tell my kids, "No guys, we only kiss people we are married to on the lips."  

-had Captain E read a verse out of the Book of Mormon for us.  We usually do a picture and scripture story for scripture study but I decided since Captain E is reading we should probably revert back to some actually scripture reading again.  I thought he could read a verse each night and then we would tell our picture story.  I helped with the words he didn't know and you could definitely see his excitement.  He said, "Mom I read more words then you, didn't I?" 

Day 33 - Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: The family I married into.  Dr. J is headed to Utah today.  He's picking up 200 pounds of wheat, 2 Christmas dresses, my diamond engagement ring, and Christmas gifts for the kids, so my mother in law and I did some chatting today.  I love my in-laws.  Popular media says that a daughter in law is in competition with her in laws.  Mine help take care of me.  Today my mother-in-law told me she's going to take the summer off, she teaches preschool, to come out and help me move where ever it is that we are ending up this year.  This news brought a great relief to my heart.  I've been concerned about the move, uprooting the kids, uprooting ourselves.  Now I know I'll have the help I'll need.

Today I didn't:

-sleep...I mean really.  I went to bed at five and woke up a eight.

-make lunch.  thank you left over pizza for saving me.

Today I:

-barely can my eyes open writing this.  Sorry folks but this girl is tired and going to bed. 

Day 32 - Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Resolve Carpet Cleaner.

Today it saved my sanity.  I was carrying my Green Smoothie out the door this morning when Gigi asked me to help her put her boots on.  She was sitting at the bottom of the stairs and when I handed her my cup and asked her to hold it while I slipped her shoes on.  I distinctly remember thinking, "Man this is a bad idea."  Almost at that exact second she sat the 16 ounces down beside her and knocked it over.  Green Smoothie went everywhere, the wall, the floor, the door, my pants, shoes, and worst of all half of the entire bottom stair.  Blueberries, ground up spinach, and banana on a tan carpet, bad combo!  Mentally I was freaking out.  I grabbed two towels and tried to wipe up as much as I could.  Then we headed out the door to school.  "What am I going to do?" I kept asking myself.  After Captain E and Gigi were safely at school Peach and I headed over to Wal-mart to check out the carpet cleaners.  After some debate I grabbed a bottle of Resolve Triple Oxi Advance.  It took over an hour, lots of Resolve, tons of water, three very used rags, and my spot cleaner to suck up all the green foam and water but I can now walk in the door without seeing a huge green splotch.  Resolve carpet cleaner is my hero.

Today I didn't:

-kill my daughter after she spilled green smoothie on the floor.

-let my kids have any Halloween candy, believe me they asked.

-do my dishes.

-actual do anything productive.

Today I:

-get spinach and berries out of my carpet.

-dropped my toys off at one week boutique's toy sale.

-spent an hour chatting with my neighbor JaNae when I went over to pick the kids up.  Poor girl had talk with a numb, sore mouth, thanks to a dentist appointment.  I was definitely grateful for the adult conversation.

-spent significant amounts of time trying to find a great deal on Band Hero.  There are none.  Looks like I'm going to have to go out Black Friday.  

-took my kids out for Pizza.  Yup I was just that lazy.  Usually we do homemade but that whole dish issue...well I'm serious about not doing them :)

Check out this picture of my mom and Nana.  I always felt visually challenged in my own family.  My nana and my mom are the two woman I love most in this world.  I know parents/grandparents either don't have favorites or don't admit to them but that didn't keep me from wanted to be the favorite.  In fact I think it is safe to say that these two woman were probably my first great loves.  Like all children I tried to pick the parts of me that matched them, my primary care givers, the ones I loved.  As a child is was deeply unsettling that I could find so few similarities.  Brown eyes to their blue.  Brown skin to their pale.  They both have brown hair but while theirs was light enough that it could easily be dyed to another color mine is dark enough that for simplicity sake many people just refer to it as black.  Curly hair to their straight.  My family has a very distinct nose, the Lucas nose.  While my nose was far from small it was more sharp, a monument to my father.  My grandmother had nice full lips, my mothers are much thinner, mine are some place in between.  They had cheek bones, my cheeks have always been round.  They both have high foreheads with high hair lines, a great place for bangs, mine forehead is narrow, my hair comes down far.  So few are our similarities that even now as an adult I have the list memorized.  My hands and feet look just like my Nana's.  My stubby eye lashes and thick calves are from my mom.  Ironically my teeth were gapped just like theirs and I got rid of that in my early teens.  But the rest of the similarities I hold around myself like a comforting blanket.  I wonder if the same will be true of my own children. 

Day 31-Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Being one of two when it comes to parenting.  Captain E has a spelling test tomorrow.  We've been working on the words all week but when we did a practice test this afternoon E remembered one.  It was frustrating.  He was grouchy, I was grouchy.  I think I set us up with some perfect scores earlier in the year.  Plus I'll be honest I'm just a stress case.  So when I felt like freaking I called my partner in crime.  He calmed me down and gave me a few suggestions while I cried it out.  I really felt overwhelmed when I called him.  Ten minutes later we were back at it, happy, and motivated.  Within thirty I called daddy to tell him I was thanks and Captain E told his dad all the words he know had memorized.  Parenting is a hard job.  If you are going to do it, it is best to be part of a twosome. 

Today I didn't:

-catch Peach before she peed on the floor, or pooped in the bathtub.  Shesh little girl way to show momma she is not on her toes.  Peach had sat on the potty and did her business but I guess she had a little more to give.  Ick, so...

Today I:

-cleaned out the tub, no surprise there.

-had a friend over for lunch.  Yeah for veggies!

-helped Captain E with his spelling words.  Thanks for Dads help.

Day 30 - Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Day 30!  Woohoo!!!!  I made it a month people.  This is Dr. J's last week in Oregon.  He had an interview today.  The department chief basically asked him what makes you so cool, in much more professional words of course :)  Wow I hate job interviews.  It makes you want to say, "Well I'm pretty much the most awesome person I know."  Awkward!!!  I mean really.  Tomorrow he has to get all his paper work turned in.  Friday he has another interview.  Saturday he drives to Utah.  Monday he drives to Arizona.  Tuesday he has an interview.  Wednesday he starts driving home.  Sometime Thursday, Thanksgiving I should see my baby again.  He'll be home Friday and Saturday.  Sunday he flies out to California for another interview.  Tuesday he flies home again.  Thursday he interviews in Ohio.  It will be so crazy busy but I'm thankful for those two days he'll be home. When I was pregnant with Peach, Dr. J was in Amman, Jordan for 36 days.  Even though I have tone extra kid this time and have to do 4 extra days alone this time has definitely been easier.  1) I'm not pregnant, wow that stinks!  2) I have three talkers at home.  It definitely helps to have someone to chat with.  Man they can be chatty.  Sometimes I just want a moment of silence...definitely preferable to having too much of it.  3) I have two kids in school.  It makes grocery shopping easier.  4) Three kids means more things to do.  We are busy, busy, busy, running around.  It is harder to miss daddy when you are constantly moving.  4) This time I actually got to have my birthday with my hubby.  Last time he was gone over my birthday as well but this time I got to see him :)  Holidays are better when you spend them with the one you love.  5) Netflix...I'm not going to lie it makes my evenings go by faster.  I heart Netflix.  6) Having him in the states is certainly easier then out of them.  Two years ago it was so expensive to talk.  Now we can chat for an hour a day for free!  Yeah for me.

Today I didn't: 

-yell one single time at my kids...yeah for me.

-make dinner.  It was a subway night.  I'm so grateful for that veggie delight.  It is a life saver!!!

Today I:

-cleaned my house...hurray!!!!  My floors look great.  Why do I ever let them get messy.  I feel so much better when my house is clean.

-I made puzzles out of Captain E's spelling words.  He loved that.  I'm always looking for new ways to try and help him learn things.

-contemplated Christmas.  What should I get the kids?  I mean really.  Who knew being Santa would be this stressful.  I want them to have fun.  I want toys that help build them.  I want something I'm not going to be cursing two months from now when I'm stepping on it in the middle of the night. 

Day 29 - Alone

Today I Am Thankful For: A warm coat.  The weather has turned and it is getting chilly.  I have to bundle the children up each morning before school.  Gap warmest coat, gloves and mittens, like little kittens I march them out to the car.  There was a day in Chicago one day where I saw a man without a coat.  I wish I would have given him mine. In the great debates about rights and what we should have a right to, in our right to life I never hear anyone mention coats.  But when you live in Chicago and it is cold, well a coat is a pretty important thing.  As is food.  I once heard a story of an Anglican Priest that found himself in the midst of a battle when he started preaching from the pulpit that people with no food should have the right to take it from the store.  It caused quite a stir.  There are no laws to make coats or food free, which means around this time of year, when it is cold and times are hard we need to watch out for one another.

Today I didn't:

-pick up the toys downstairs or wash the dishes.  I'm debating going downstairs now and doing it but I'm trying to keep Netflix busy so a certain almost Dr. husband will study for his EM test instead of watching Asian War Movies :)

-yell...I'm trying not to yell at all.  Rough stuff for me, but it is actually going pretty good :)

Today I:

-finished transcriptions on my list of like thirty.  Go me!  The negative on this...the kids watched tons of TV while I was working.

-laughed when Captain E told me, "Mom I wish I'd been born a girl so that I didn't ever have to do anything."  This comment came after he asked me why I wasn't in school like his dad.  I told him, I'd finished school and now someone needed to stay home and take care of him, the girls, and the house.  After daddy was done with school then I wanted to go back.  That's when he dropped his ever have to do anything line. 

Day 28-Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Water.  Yup that glorious H2O, pretty much the only thing I enjoy drinking.  Last night Captain E started pucking red velvet cupcakes.  He came out of his room covered in red velvet chunks.  The bed, walls, his pj's, his hair.  I threw him in the shower and hauled load after load down to the washer.  He continued to throw up until there was nothing left.  Then he went back to bed and sometime in the middle of the night managed to find something else to throw up.  It was so nice to have a washer and dryer in my house, to be able to give him several long showers, to flush the toilet twenty times.  When we were in Jordan we got two loads of laundry a week.  We took a shower every third or fourth day, a bucket shower.  We had to haul or drinking water into the apartment.  It was a dessert and we had to act accordingly.  Yesterday, today, always I was grateful to have clean water, in my home, lots of it.

Today I didn't:

-pick the toys up off the floor before I went to bed.

-leave my house.

-go anywhere.

-manage to keep Peach off the top bunk bed and yes she did fall off.

Today I:

-taught my kids about nocturnal animals...ok well mainly just taught Gigi and Peach.  Turns out Captain E knows quite a bit about nocturnal animals.  

-cleaned out tons of toys to sell and get rid of.  Yup it is time to do a major clean out.  With Christmas coming and Gigi's birthday, well we needed room on the shelves.

-washed dishes.

-finished up tons of laundry.

-vacuumed upstairs...yup a Christmas miracle.

-made bread sticks to go with dinner, they were yummy!!!

-got a little snippy with my husband.  I know he is doing the best for us, but mama is getting a little worn down. Poor man, poor mama!

Day 27 - Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: A belief in Jesus Christ.  I was born and raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Regardless of whatever else was going on in my life I've been consistent in going for three hours almost every Sunday since my birth.  Today was no exception.  Me, three kids, alone in a pew.  It went as good as can be expected.  I got all three of them to fold arms for the sacrament prayer.  That was a huge step.  For the most part they played or wrote quietly after that. There was a moment when I had to take Peach out to settle her down.  She hates church and complains bitterly.  The fact that it is right during the time that if I could get her to nap she would nap, does not help.  I stood up and walked out.  When I peaked in a few minutes later to check on the other two they were running behind the pew.  I grabbed them and forced them outside with me.  Times like these you have to question the sanity of coming to church with young children, especially while you are on your own.  Why then do I do it?  From a social perspective I enjoy the programs of the church.  While I think sacrament completely lacks any stimulation for children, primary is a great place for my children to be.  Young women's and young men's equal good.  I enjoy the companionship of other woman that I find in Relief Society and while I sometimes find visiting teaching and home teaching awkward in it's attempts to force friendships, I appreciate the idea of having someone to check in on.  I like knowing I will have a Christmas Party every year and I enjoy not having to worry about Halloween because there is always a Trunk or Treat.  This alone though is not enough to get me out of my house every Sunday.  I go to church every Sunday because I have always had a testimony of the fact that there is a Savior, one Jesus Christ who died on a cross for me and has a desire for me to better myself so that I can feel of his love and direction. Church focuses that for me.  It provides motivation to be better and gives me a sense of satisfaction and peace that I am trying to commune with him.  I by no means think that my church has a monopoly on being able to do that but I am a believer in it's power to bring families together and focus energies towards good.  I bring my children to church every Sunday even when I'm alone because I want my children to have the same opportunity to feel that.  I'm grateful for a belief in a Savior that in an world that sometimes doesn't make any sense is a foundation that keeps me firm, for Amazing Grace that saves a soul, even one that is so insignificant as mine.

Today I didn't:

-make dinner.  It was my friend Erika's birthday and she invited us over for dinner, that she cooked, plated, and then cleaned up after.  She is amazing and I love her.  Happy Birthday Erika

-get my flour picked up.  It is a disaster.

Today I:

-stressed over the fact that my hubby missed his flight.  It turned out ok although the detour flight to LAX he had to take cost us an extra 50 dollars and made him late to dinner.

-manged another Sunday alone with the three kids. 

-risked body parts in the mouth full of teeth.  Peach is still nursing.  I've been trying to cut her back but until her dad gets home I have no plants to tackle the morning and night feeding.  Unfortunately she is becoming a shark with a mouth full of teeth.  She has eight teeth, four in the front on top, four in the front on bottom and then the rest of her gums are huge and bumpy with more.  Four molars are just barely poking through in the back.  I risk nipple and finger every day trying to take care of her needs without losing any skin.

Day 26 - Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Free Heat!  Yup that is right.  On top of my cheapo rent, $544 for a three bedroom townhouse, we also don't pay for gas.  That means on today the first really chilly day of the year I cranked my heat up to 74.  Yes I was freezing.  And I don't have to worry one single minute about it.  This year I'm thankful for my free gas.  I don't even want to think about next year.

Today I didn't:

-wash dishes...there is a huge pile on the counter and I have no intention of doing a thing about it but on the positive...well I spoke to soon on that one.  The thought of coming down to a pile of unwashed dishes, well it was just too much.  The job is done :)

Today I:

-cleaned just about everything else.  Yes I folded the huge pile of clothes on the table.  Yes I cleaned the floors.  Yes I vacuumed.  Yes I organized all the toys.  Yes I vacuumed the stairs.  Yes I picked up the rooms.  Yes I am amazing :)

Well Now I Never Want To Fly Again...

So check out right around 2 minutes....yup the last thing I want is to think about someone looking at my bum like that.  Ironically I imagine my bum would look very similar to that.  Flat guys bum.  Yeah if I can see that much detail I certainly plan on never going through one of these :-)  Drat I really wanted to go to Hawaii, Cancun, Spain, Austrailia, Egypt again.  I understand you want to keep us safe TSA but there has to be a better way then a machine that shows all our rolls and dimples.  Talk about the worst job ever!!!!

Day 25 - Alone

Today I Am Thankful For: All my good girl friends.  I've had some great friends growing up.  My first best girlfriends were my sisters.  There were four of us before any brothers arrived and growing up was a blast.  We played Barbies and tons of different make believe games.  Those early years set me up for loving the companionship of other girls.  In grade school all my girlfriends seemed to be named Tiffany or Erin.  It must have been the times.  Junior high became the era of Pamela.  Our moms made us have a slumber party.  We clicked and spent almost every weekend together.  Pamela had a friend from school named Leslie.  We had a friend Melissa from church.  The end of junior high to high school we were always together.  There was Christine, Katie, and Hillary.  There was never just one of us around.  Then college came and we went our separate ways.  Christine and Melissa went to Easter Arizona.  Hillary went to hair cutting school and then to ASU.  Pamela and Leslie started out at Arizona State University.  Katie and I both ended up at Brigham Young University although I'm pretty sure neither of us even knew the other one was applying.  We were in separate apartments and while we did hang out, my new roommates became my family.  There was Amy, Candace, Whitney, Rebbecca, and Shanna.  I don't know what happened to Becca and Shanna, but Amy and I still talk on the phone regularly.  Candace and I talk med school (she's an ER doctor) on facebook.  I keep track of Whitney through the occasional e-mail.  I went back home for a year and half while my grandmother was sick and picked up with my high school friends.  I used to sleep at Leslie's place three times a week.  We'd watch Conan and eat cheap pizzas, some of my best memories from that time.  I came back to Utah and got a new set of roommates.  Rachel, Heidi, Becca, Patty, Michelle, Noelle, Megan, and Heather, oh Heather how I loved you!  The sweetest girl I ever knew.  Thanks to blogs, facebook, and e-mails  I keep track of most of them.  Then I met Dr. J.  All of the sudden my free time was taken.  I no longer had a group of girls that my mom, my school, my housing threw me together with.  I had a best friend and he also happened to be my hubby, my lover, my companion for now and forever.  I love him and all the time we spend together but I sometimes miss the companionship of my sisters.  Luckily I now have children, my ward, and my hobbies to throw me together with other woman.  I don't spend hours talking with them on the phone, or chatting over dinner, playing barbies, or hanging out at dances talking about boys like I once did, but I get to see these ladies at relief society, at volunteer events at the schools, at the library or the pool.  I get to chat with them outside my door on warm days, at the post office, or the grocery store.  We laugh about our children, discuss how to make our budgets work, feelings of inadequacy or questions of faith.  I get joy out of serving them and joy from the service they render me.  I am thankful for my sisters, my female friends who bring so much joy to my life, help me with my children, and keep my spirits up during the rough patches, like when my husband is gone for two months :)

Today I didn't:

-clean the living room.  I'm thinking we need a clean up day on Saturday :)

-fold any laundry.  It is all washed but sitting on the kitchen table, which thankful happens to be very clean :)

Today I:

-made granola.

-made a chocolate cake with beets.  Very interesting.  I wouldn't say it was the best thing I've ever had but it certainly was interesting watching Captain E and two of his friends who are all self proclaimed veggie haters gobbling it up.

-went to my friend Linda's for dinner!  So nice to have adult company!!!  Thank you Linda!!!!

Day 24-Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Books to read.  I've always loved reading.  As a child I used to make my mom read to me until her voice was gone.  Learning to read was liberating for both her and I.  By third grade I'd read all the Nancy Drew books at my local library, something like 125...I was crazy about mysteries even then.  I loved reading so much that I would read all my text books within the first two months of school.  I just needed some new reading material.  My favorite type of book, a good English/Scottish Murder Mystery, or non fiction about some totally average topic but written like a great fiction story, or even sometimes a little teen love drama/comedy.  I love to read to my children, my favorite is books that work in verse that I can memorize, bright pictures books, funny true life stories, even sometimes comic books.  Right now I'm reading in tandem Compromised, The Replacement, Artemis Fowl, and this other book about a girl who can smell death.  This is how I work.  I'll get several books and I want to read them all that second.  Books have brought so much joy to my life.  They entertained me in the summer when it was to hot to go out to play.  They keep me company when my hubby is to busy to talk.  They bring me closer to my children.  They open my mind to new worlds and new knowledge.  I love books. 

Today I didn't:
-pick up the living room...I think I'm in a state of denial on the whole thing.

Today I:
-made three lasagnas, yum.
-cleaned up the kitchen.
-did laundry....yeah me.
-gave my hubby a hard time.  Isn't that what wives are for ;)  Congrats to Dr. J.  He got another great interview today.  He has so many now the question isn't really will he match, the question is where can he match that will be the best place for him as a professional and us as a family.  It is a daunting responsibility.  We probably need to cut some interviews but it is so hard.  We want to find the best place.  It is just as much about us interviewing them as it is about them interviewing us.  I''ll be happy when Match Day, the third Thursday in March has come and gone!

Day 23-Alone

Today I'm Thankful For-Good Fall weather.  I grew up in Arizona.  We have one season.  Unbearably hot summer and then relatively cool summer.  The humorous part of this is that as a kid I actually thought we had seasons.  We bought a coat every year, and we actual wore them, at least a few days a year, although come to think of it I'm pretty sure we never zipped our coats up. Also I never needed gloves or a hat.  If you hate cold Arizona is the place to be.  The Midwest is a different place.  We have winter...it stinks, freezing rain, wind, yuck!  We have spring, lots more rain.  We have summer, stifling humidity.  Finally, we have Fall.  It isn't beautiful and colorful like other states but it is nice.  It isn't cold, it's sunny.  Really it is the best season we have.  Today was gorgeous.  We had so much sun, enough warmth to wear flip flops, but still a good cool breeze to keep me from sweating while I was chatting with my friend while the kids played outside.  Man I love Fall. 

Today I didn't:

-have a break down.  It was way better than yesterday.

Today I:

-made yogurt.

-made taco salad for dinner.

-watched the kids play outside.

-took Peach to the library.

-bought something fun to show my hubby when he gets home...go marriage!!!

Man Cold

I stole this off my friend Bridget's blog.  Anyone who has a father, husband, brother, or grown son knows how absolutely true this is.  It should be made into a service announcement :) 

Day 22-Alone

Today I'm Thankful For: Not ever smoking or drinking.  I think if I had any addictions they would be full blown driving me right now.  Dr. J is going to be doing that interview in Arizona.  I guess he decided it would be good practice which means he's not going to be back until Thanksgiving day, which means I have eighteen more days to go, eighteen more days.  I have a headache, my neck is tight, there is a tickle in my throat, and I'm pretty sure I'm suffering from sleep deprivation.  Smoking and drinking, oh I'd be under the covers right now drinking away and then where would we all be...up a crick without a paddle.  My grandfather had a serious addiction.  My father has serious addictions.  There are people who can dabble with no problem but I've always known I wasn't one of those people, that's why growing up I avoided addictive substances like the plague.  Addictions, they drive people's lives.  Dr. J had the opportunity to do a ride along on the ambulance yesterday.  Twice they had people who needed an ambulance ride who begged for ciggies before they got on the ambulance.  Who needs that?  Thank you teenage me for having some common sense.

Today I didn't:

-sleep well.

-eat well.

-no freak out.

Today I:

-washed dishes.

-read to the kiddos 

-ran myself ragged running the kids around...Tuesday is my hardest day.