Oh THERE you are Ivan!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
To the Man of the House
What lucky kids we have!
You take them places and show them new things.
You teach them about the world around them with patience.
You go to work everyday and make a living to provide them with a safe and healthy life.
You love their mother and teach them about family.
You are so strong,
so smart,
so important...
and so loved.
Happy Father's Day!
You take them places and show them new things.
You teach them about the world around them with patience.
You go to work everyday and make a living to provide them with a safe and healthy life.
You love their mother and teach them about family.
You are so strong,
so smart,
so important...
and so loved.
Happy Father's Day!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
I Think We Have a Hobbit in the Neighborhood
Maybe it's because I've just finished reading the book, but I'm thinking that's Frodo Baggins in my front yard...and an elven princess. They appear to be having a duel!
Okay...it's really just Ivan and Jenelle, but seriously...check this picture out.
The grimace on the hobbit's face is making me wonder who's got the upper hand.
Oh...and maybe you're wondering about the socks.
Firstly, uniform rules state white or navy blue socks.
Secondly...
Do I really have to state the second reason why these socks are SO wrong with a white polo and navy blue shorts?
But its summer now and I don't have the will to fight about clothes anymore.
When you wear white and navy blue for nine months of the year, shouldn't you be allowed to let your creative side through? Bold colors - broad stripes - it's all good.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
How's Larry you ask?
He's HUUUUUGE!
He really is - the change in two weeks is amazing!
Our neighbors came over this weekend to see the legendary cabbage and were saying that since he's a cool weather veggie (as well as the broccoli and cauliflower we have planted nearby), our unseasonably cool weather this year has been a bonus for him! Do you want to know how cool? We woke to temps of 37 degrees this morning! And our high yesterday was 69. Normal is 80!! I know that probably sounds pretty good to some of you right now.
Anyway, we'll see what the summer has in store. There's a lot of danger that lies ahead for Larry before he finishes his journey. Slugs and moths being the two biggest. But, he's off to a pretty good start.
He really is - the change in two weeks is amazing!
Our neighbors came over this weekend to see the legendary cabbage and were saying that since he's a cool weather veggie (as well as the broccoli and cauliflower we have planted nearby), our unseasonably cool weather this year has been a bonus for him! Do you want to know how cool? We woke to temps of 37 degrees this morning! And our high yesterday was 69. Normal is 80!! I know that probably sounds pretty good to some of you right now.
Anyway, we'll see what the summer has in store. There's a lot of danger that lies ahead for Larry before he finishes his journey. Slugs and moths being the two biggest. But, he's off to a pretty good start.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Don't hurt yourself...
...because it is seriously possible.
For the most part, I eat pretty much what want without guilt OR consequences. I do work out to stay healthy and in shape, but most of it comes down to genes...thanks Mom and Dad!
So, when people say, "A moment on your lips, forever on your hips", I usually laugh.
NOT anymore.
Meet SUGAR MUFFINS!
When I popped one of these into my mouth (and I could pop them because we made them as mini-muffins), I felt it go quickly through my body only to find a nice cozy home on my stomach...the next one landed on my butt and the last one - yes...I had to try it to see how they taste after sitting around for a few hours - made its home on my hip.
These guys are dangerous!
I found the recipe in a blog and they say it's a Betty Crocker recipe, although I've never seen it and couldn't find it via Google. I'd like to give credit where credit is due...but sometimes you have to risk it!
Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
Heat oven to 350'. Put paper cups in a muffin tray.
Put the first 1/2 cup sugar, milk and vegetable oil in the bowl. Mix with wooden spoon and add egg. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. batter will be a bit lumpy which is good.
Spoon into muffin pan to make 12 muffins.
Bake for 20 - 25 min or until slightly brown.
While muffins bake mix up the cinnamon and sugar. Melt the butter.
When muffins are done baking let them cool for 5 min. Then roll (all over) in butter and then in cinnamon and sugar.
OK...here's what I did differently.
First of all, I made them as mini muffins - just more fun!
Second, I substituted 1/4 tsp Cardamom for nutmeg. Reason(s) being...I have Cardamom and do not have Nutmeg and I like Cardamom better anyway.
Third, and this may be how they did it...it just didn't clarify, I melted the butter on a plate so that when I rolled the muffins in butter, they weren't being submerged.
After they were rolled in sugar, I set them to rest on a cooling rack so that they could sort of "air out" all over. They get fairly saturated from the butter and if air can get to them from the bottom, they won't be soggy.
It would be remise of me to leave out the fact that Jenelle was my official batter mixer. She loves to help in the kitchen. She did question what I was adding when I put the Cardamom in, but I just coughed and banged some utensils together and basically avoided her question. No matter now because she loves the muffins too.
SO
Try them!
Pretend you didn't read what I wrote about them at the beginning and try them! Your guilt will be worth it!
For the most part, I eat pretty much what want without guilt OR consequences. I do work out to stay healthy and in shape, but most of it comes down to genes...thanks Mom and Dad!
So, when people say, "A moment on your lips, forever on your hips", I usually laugh.
NOT anymore.
Meet SUGAR MUFFINS!
When I popped one of these into my mouth (and I could pop them because we made them as mini-muffins), I felt it go quickly through my body only to find a nice cozy home on my stomach...the next one landed on my butt and the last one - yes...I had to try it to see how they taste after sitting around for a few hours - made its home on my hip.
These guys are dangerous!
I found the recipe in a blog and they say it's a Betty Crocker recipe, although I've never seen it and couldn't find it via Google. I'd like to give credit where credit is due...but sometimes you have to risk it!
Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
Heat oven to 350'. Put paper cups in a muffin tray.
Put the first 1/2 cup sugar, milk and vegetable oil in the bowl. Mix with wooden spoon and add egg. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. batter will be a bit lumpy which is good.
Spoon into muffin pan to make 12 muffins.
Bake for 20 - 25 min or until slightly brown.
While muffins bake mix up the cinnamon and sugar. Melt the butter.
When muffins are done baking let them cool for 5 min. Then roll (all over) in butter and then in cinnamon and sugar.
OK...here's what I did differently.
First of all, I made them as mini muffins - just more fun!
Second, I substituted 1/4 tsp Cardamom for nutmeg. Reason(s) being...I have Cardamom and do not have Nutmeg and I like Cardamom better anyway.
Third, and this may be how they did it...it just didn't clarify, I melted the butter on a plate so that when I rolled the muffins in butter, they weren't being submerged.
After they were rolled in sugar, I set them to rest on a cooling rack so that they could sort of "air out" all over. They get fairly saturated from the butter and if air can get to them from the bottom, they won't be soggy.
It would be remise of me to leave out the fact that Jenelle was my official batter mixer. She loves to help in the kitchen. She did question what I was adding when I put the Cardamom in, but I just coughed and banged some utensils together and basically avoided her question. No matter now because she loves the muffins too.
SO
Try them!
Pretend you didn't read what I wrote about them at the beginning and try them! Your guilt will be worth it!
Our first summer list
I found this great idea on a cute blog that Joanna told me about.
I decided to try it this summer because we are going to be pretty busy, but still have lots of little things that we like to do each year!
So before Hannah left yesterday, we sat down and came up with a pretty good list.
If you click on my photo, you can read it much easier. The plans in yellow, since they are harder to read, are...
1. Swim Meet (in July in Moses Lake, WA)
2. Cabin with the Sentzes
3. School shopping
4. Zoo
5. Ohana Shave Ice (favorite snow cone stop)
6. Go to Portland
Not sure if we'll actually accomplish all of this, but its good to have a dream!
As a side note, I'm still getting to know this camera and I'm working on setting the image quality to a higher resolution so I can make my blog pictures bigger and not lose quality!
I decided to try it this summer because we are going to be pretty busy, but still have lots of little things that we like to do each year!
So before Hannah left yesterday, we sat down and came up with a pretty good list.
If you click on my photo, you can read it much easier. The plans in yellow, since they are harder to read, are...
1. Swim Meet (in July in Moses Lake, WA)
2. Cabin with the Sentzes
3. School shopping
4. Zoo
5. Ohana Shave Ice (favorite snow cone stop)
6. Go to Portland
Not sure if we'll actually accomplish all of this, but its good to have a dream!
As a side note, I'm still getting to know this camera and I'm working on setting the image quality to a higher resolution so I can make my blog pictures bigger and not lose quality!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Bye Bye Hannah!
We took Hannah to Camp Ghormley today.
This is her first time and she was so excited...the clock couldn't move fast enough until it was time to leave. I don't blame her a bit. I remember camp when I was her age and it's such an awesome experience!
Thankfully, she was able to go with her best friend Amanda who is also going for the first time as well. That makes it so much nicer for her...and for her momma!
So this week there will be a little less noise; a little less drama; a little less laundry to wash and food to prepare and mess to gripe about...but there will be a little less Hannah too and for that reason, we'll look forward to Friday!
Hannah & Amanda outside their cabin.
Because they were the first ones in the cabin, they managed to snag the best bunks!
This is her first time and she was so excited...the clock couldn't move fast enough until it was time to leave. I don't blame her a bit. I remember camp when I was her age and it's such an awesome experience!
Thankfully, she was able to go with her best friend Amanda who is also going for the first time as well. That makes it so much nicer for her...and for her momma!
So this week there will be a little less noise; a little less drama; a little less laundry to wash and food to prepare and mess to gripe about...but there will be a little less Hannah too and for that reason, we'll look forward to Friday!
Hannah & Amanda outside their cabin.
Because they were the first ones in the cabin, they managed to snag the best bunks!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Go Yakima Marlins!
Today was the first swim meet for Ivan and Jenelle since they've joined the Yakima YMCA Swim Team (nearly two months ago)! What a super event!
Here's some pics from the warm-up
Jenelle was a part of a 200m medley relay...racing the 4th leg freestyle!
Although it doesn't appear so here, as Tom Petty says, "The waiting is the hardest part." We tried to make it easier with books, games, crayons and snacks, but sitting around for 2-3 hours before their races was definitely the tough part.
Finally, Ivan and Jenelle both participated in the 50m individual freestyle!
Let me say that I absolutely LOVE Jenelle's entry from the starting block. First of all, she's not afraid to start on the block...which impressed her coach since she's only seven and just starting out. Second, she usually hits the water with a pretty direct impact to her stomach, but doesn't care if it hurts and just starts swimming. And lastly, I know that it will disappear with time and practice, so I'm going to appreciate how stinkin' cute it is while it lasts!
We are sure proud of them. They understood that this was not a race to win, but to swim their best and to finish proudly! And they did just that!! Our next goal...to get big sis involved!
Here's some pics from the warm-up
Jenelle was a part of a 200m medley relay...racing the 4th leg freestyle!
Although it doesn't appear so here, as Tom Petty says, "The waiting is the hardest part." We tried to make it easier with books, games, crayons and snacks, but sitting around for 2-3 hours before their races was definitely the tough part.
Finally, Ivan and Jenelle both participated in the 50m individual freestyle!
Let me say that I absolutely LOVE Jenelle's entry from the starting block. First of all, she's not afraid to start on the block...which impressed her coach since she's only seven and just starting out. Second, she usually hits the water with a pretty direct impact to her stomach, but doesn't care if it hurts and just starts swimming. And lastly, I know that it will disappear with time and practice, so I'm going to appreciate how stinkin' cute it is while it lasts!
We are sure proud of them. They understood that this was not a race to win, but to swim their best and to finish proudly! And they did just that!! Our next goal...to get big sis involved!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Cheese anyone?
I have just heard the craziest news!
The annual cheese rolling event that has taken place on Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire for almost 200 years, has been "officially" cancelled!
Tragic!
I am so thankful that while we lived in Cheltenham, we took the opportunity to go and see it! I remember the traffic being so bad, that at one point we almost turned back.
Here's a few of the pictures I took.
Donald, Jenelle, Hannah and Ivan
See the small white dot? That's the prize!
This gives you a good idea of how steep the hill is!
These are the crazy people heading to the top of the hill. Can you find the naked bum?
Here's a Youtube clip that gives a good idea of what it must be like to actually do the run down the hill.
I can certainly see why people would think it dangerous and unnecessary.
But hey, if you're stupid enough to essentially throw your body down a steep slope in hopes of winning a 7 pound roll of cheese, who are we to judge?
The annual cheese rolling event that has taken place on Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire for almost 200 years, has been "officially" cancelled!
Tragic!
I am so thankful that while we lived in Cheltenham, we took the opportunity to go and see it! I remember the traffic being so bad, that at one point we almost turned back.
Here's a few of the pictures I took.
Donald, Jenelle, Hannah and Ivan
See the small white dot? That's the prize!
This gives you a good idea of how steep the hill is!
These are the crazy people heading to the top of the hill. Can you find the naked bum?
Here's a Youtube clip that gives a good idea of what it must be like to actually do the run down the hill.
I can certainly see why people would think it dangerous and unnecessary.
But hey, if you're stupid enough to essentially throw your body down a steep slope in hopes of winning a 7 pound roll of cheese, who are we to judge?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Look at Larry Grow!
Donald wants me to take pics of Larry about every two weeks. Once he's full grown, he'll have his own little baby cabbage album. Awww...he's a real life Cabbage Patch Kid!
Anyway, here's Larry's fortnightly picture!
Anyway, here's Larry's fortnightly picture!
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