The Payne Family

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

2012-01-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

I saw this cute idea on Pintrest. It's more fun than I thought it would be. First, I cut out a TON of 3" pink hearts (thanks, Cricut. . . again!). Stacked them in four stacks. Then I put initials on each heart per stack (H for Heidi, Sean, W for William and C for Charlotte). Then I had a little family meeting to explain the game. I got out a large clear vase and told them we were going to see how much we can fill this up before Valentine's Day. In order to fill it up, we needed to hand out hearts to those we love in our family. But, it needs to be a surprise! When you give someone a heart, it's like saying, "I love you!" When you get a heart, you drop it in the vase and that's how we fill it. I swear you can't help but smile when you find these hearts in the least likely of places. William usually will set one on my pillow or on the floor in front of my door. Sean has been more creative. I've found hearts on my Diet Coke in the fridge, inside my Nook cover, and even in each shoe! I've handed my share out and helped Charlotte. We've put them in toy boxes, Sean's jacket and cover, William's Wii controller, under car keys, etc. It's been great and our jar is almost half full already! I totally recommend this game to anyone.

Recipe of the Month

2012-01-01T17:45:00.000-05:00

Here's a rib sticking, tummy warming, favorite. Homemade manicotti! It's so easy to make and is a real crowd pleaser. This is especially a good meal for taking to someone sick or home from the hospital. You'll need a couple of things you might not have on hand so it may require a special trip to the grocery store. You'll need:

2 cups of shredded pizza cheese (I use the kind in a bag. Remember I'm lazy!)

2 tubs (32 oz each) of ricotta cheese (I use whole milk but if skim would work too)

2 Tbs dried basil

1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all of the ricotta and half of the pizza cheese with the basil and salt. Then spoon the cheese mix into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Set aside.

Now get a baking dish or roasting pan and spray the bottom and edges with Pam. Then spoon your favorite pasta sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. I used Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. (You will eventually use 2 24oz jars of sauce. If you make your own make sure you have about 48 oz of it). Get a large stockpot of water on the burner. Salt the water and bring to a boil. While that's heating up get the pasta ready. I used:

1 pkg. Lasagna Sheets (found in the the dairy dept. or by the other refrigerated pasta)

Lasagna sheets are thick flat sheets of pasta that just need to be blanched. If you don't have the sheets, I guess you can use manicotti tubes and fill those. You'll need to follow the package directions about preparing them and skip to the part about the filling.

Cut your sheets in half so you have 16 squares. Drop them in the boiling water, one at a time, and boil for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.

Now you're ready for the filling! This is a basic cheese filling but you can add stuff to it. A box of frozen chopped spinach would be tasty. Maybe some chopped sun dried tomatoes. . .

Line up a few at a time on a large flat work surface. Get your cheese filling bag and snip the bottom corner with some scissors. Pipe cheese filling down the center of each square. Roll and place, seam side down, in the sauced pan. Fill the pan then coat more sauce all over the top of the manicotti. Cover with parchment paper on top of the sauce and then foil on top of that. Bake at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. Then take off the foil and parchment and cover with the rest of the pizza cheese. I love me some cheese so I put some extra on for good measure. Put it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Your kitchen will smell like you've died and gone to Italy!! After you pull it out, let it rest for about 15 minutes and serve with extra pasta sauce. Salute!

Happy Wii Day!

2011-12-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

William has wanted a Nintendo Wii for YEARS. Ever since he first played one at my sister's house he's been hooked. At first he was too young, then we didn't have a proper TV for it, then blah, blah, blah. We just kept putting it off. Well, William had decided months ago to save his money for a Wii. He has a large money jar and little by little it would fill up as he earned money or saved it from birthdays or grandparents. Some of his chores include vacuuming the kitchen floor, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning his room, dusting, and helping with putting laundry away. These go for 50 cents a job. He has also done a couple of big ticket jobs like clean and vacuum the car (for 2 dollars). Sean and I have also helped him out by putting loose change in his jar when he wasn't looking.

Well, today was the Day of Days! William finally had enough to buy his Wii. He was so proud. Sean took him to the bank to change out his coins. He made sure they went at a slow time so the tellers would be more cooperative. He had over $50 in change alone! Then they headed to the store so William could pick out the box and pay for it with his own money. What a big guy!

Apparently the box was super heavy so William couldn't keep his smile going!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T02:53:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas from William and Charlotte!

Ward Christmas Dinner

2011-12-23T00:59:00.001-05:00

I have a lot to catch up on. I'll start with the event that took up a lot of time in the last few weeks, our ward Christmas dinner. Here's the story behind the event:

First of all, in the middle of October, our ward made the choice to exhaust the entire rest of the year's budget to charter 2 buses to take families to the DC Temple. It was a controversial decision but it was Bishop's choice to make. Anyway, it was announced in Relief Society that our Christmas dinner would be a simple potluck and the Young Men's auxiliary was in charge. It was an effort to teach us a lesson in sacrifice, ie. we sacrificed our fancy party for a trip to the temple. I was shocked! The Christmas dinner should be the nicest event of the year! I heard the chatter from other members who felt the same. We were all troubled over the dinner and how it might turn investigators, friends, and family members off. Anyway, after stewing over it for a week or so, I volunteered to help with the decorating. With a ton of planning, shopping, and countless hours on Pintrest for inspiration I was able to make this party look great in spite of the simple potluck. Here's what I did. I had the food lined up in the overflow and shut the partition walls 2/3 to hide the potluck-y-ness of the food tables. Also, I had Sean string lights all across the cultural hall so we could dim the lights way down and have an intimate setting. I brought all of my Christmas decorations including my trees, wreaths, centerpieces, battery powered lights, and even my Santa collection.

But I think that set this party apart was the Hot Chocolate Bar. I was so excited to do this. I had 3 Crock Pots full of hot chocolate and an assortment of condiments including

Crushed Peppermint

Mini Marshmallows

Mini Chocolate Chips and White Chocolate Chips

Peppermint Stirrers

Chocolate Sprinkles

Cans of Whipped Cream
Marshmallow Peeps on a Stick
Cinnamon
Chocolate Powder for Dusting

Gingersnaps (for dunking)

We had a Santa suit but no one to fill it. So Sean, being the best helper ever, volunteered for the job. To make things run more smoothly, we had Santa make his arrival while people were eating. He went around to visit each table for photo ops and have his elves (the Young Men) hand out a special treat bag for the kids. This way, we didn't have a huge lineup after the dinner and we could end the evening on a more spiritual note. It worked like a charm. Sean was a great Santa in spite of not really wanting the job to begin with.

Then we had a variety of performances from members including a piano duet, singers, and poetry readings. We ended the night with some Christmas carols and were done by 8pm. I was so exhausted by the end of the night. Good thing my kids didn't mind being left with another family for most of the night. Thankfully, we had a ton of help with the clean up and we were home a little after 9pm. It was a ton of work and I had the biggest headache the whole day and night, but hearing the people tell me that they had never been to a nicer Church dinner made it all worth it. Although I won't be throwing another party for a good long time, I'm looking forward to it.

Thanksgiving Preschool Snack

2011-11-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad I can make fun snacks for William's school. Here's an easy kids snack:

Body - Cantaloupe (bottom flattened for stability)

Head - Pear

Beak - Pineapple

Eyes - Blueberries

Wattle "dangly thing" - Apple Slice

Feathers - Mixed Fruit on a Skewer

I attached all the pieces of the head by toothpicks and used more toothpicks to attach the head to the body. I considered cheese cubes on a stick for feathers, but fruit was more colorful.

Recipe of the Month

2011-11-07T23:35:00.000-05:00

Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

This is a good one. I also appreciate any excuse to my bundt pan. It's a great appetizer, side dish or entree (that is, if you're like me and love a good side dish for dinner). Make sure everyone has some gum handy because this recipe can some major dragon breath!

Start out with:

2 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/3 cup of warm water

Mix these two together and let them sit for 5 minutes or so. While that's going on, throw the next few ingredients in a mixer with the bread hook attached.

2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Mix these all together and add the yeast. Mix the dough until it's a big ball. You might need to stop and scrape the sides a few times. Stop when it gets all stretchy and bread dough-y, about 5 minutes or so. Then get a large mixing bowl and spray it with cooking spray. Put the dough in and cover with a clean dish towel. Let it rise about 2 hours or until it doubles in size. Punch it down and get the following ready:

1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
1 Tb Italian seasoning
2 cloves of minced garlic

Blend these to make a delicious butter garlic sauce. Take a bundt pan and spray it with cooking spray. Then tear off a piece of dough and make a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Dip the ball in the butter and place it in the bundt. When you have a single layer, cover it with grated Parmesan. I only had shredded Three Cheese Italian, which worked okay but I'd used grated next time. The shredded cheese melted out to the edges instead of inside the dough. Make another layer and cover with cheese. Repeat until all the dough is used.

Cover with the dish towel and let it rise again about 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Invert onto a plate and dig in! Make sure you have plenty of marinara for dipping, or Ranch (for William). So good when it's warm from the oven! I can't tell you how it is reheated because it doesn't last that long around here!

Painted Leaves Kids Craft

2011-11-05T16:23:00.000-04:00

I've been surfing the web for cute ideas for kids crafts only to find stuff that's fun to make, but not really worth keeping. I've always loved the idea of framing kid art but William is not out of his "abstract" phase (ie. globs and squiggles with no picture in mind). I found a frame on sale and an idea hit. This frame holds three 4x6 photos. I cut out 4x6 rectangles of white cardstock and traced a circle in pencil on each of them about 2/3 the way up.

Then I had William use a Q-tip to make colorful Fall "leaves" (dots) with paint. The circle helped him keep the dots in the right place.

I had them dry overnight. Then I framed them.

Then I got out my trusty Cricut and cut out a bare tree shape. I used Stretch Your Imagination "Tree." I originally was going to glue the trees directly on the leaves, maybe use some pop dots for dimension, but it just didn't look right. Then I thought about cutting out vinyl and adhering that to the glass. Much better!

Then I added a title and voila! Cute kid art worthy of any wall. The best part is, I can peel the title off and change the "leaves" and make one for each season. Love this!

Halloween

2011-11-01T12:02:00.000-04:00

Halloween was awesome this year! We went to pumpkin farms, got dressed up, had special Halloween treats, went Trick-or-Treating, and topped off the holiday with an awesome Halloween party.

A couple of weeks ago we went down to Virginia to watch my sister's kids for a few days. We went to a fall festival at Merrifield Garden Center in Gainesville. They had a fantastic set up. There was a bounce house and inflatable slide in the front. They had a hay ride around the lot. There was a hay bale maze in the back and a large sandbox filled with corn to play in. The kids also got to paint a pumpkin and get face painting if they wanted. A fabulous set up at a local garden center.

The next day we went to Cox Farm. A family tradition for my sister. It's definitely one of the best pumpkin farms out there. They have tons of giant slides, lots of farm animals, a corn maze, free apples and cider, play grounds and a very entertaining hay ride.

Back home, William had his preschool Halloween party and costume parade. It was crummy weather so we had the parade in the gym.

Then it was time to get ready for Trick or Treat night. In our township, they have Trick or Treat night the Thursday before October 31st. Silly, I know, but that's how it is out here for whatever reasons. Grandpa came to join in the fun and later Robyn's family came to double dip in the Trick or Treating.

After Trick or Treat night is over, you get the feeling that Halloween is over. I am totally against this! This year I had a Halloween party to celebrate the actual holiday. I invited a few families over and had treats and snacks and did it up proper. I had the most fun planning this party! I'm pretty sure it was a success even though we ended with one of William's friends throwing up. I wish I would have taken more pictures, but I was caught up in the party fun.

Good times this Halloween season. Now for the frenzy of putting Halloween away to make room for Christmas!

Recipe of the Month

2011-10-21T01:24:00.000-04:00

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring

Okay, confession time. I have a serious addiction. I can't get enough of Pinterest! I had been trying to ween myself off the computer and actually do something productive with my free time. But now, thanks to my sister, I've discovered the wonderful world of seeing crafts and food that other people (want to) do. So now I just spend hours looking at pictures of projects instead of actually doing them. But tonight, no more! I was browsing the many recipes people have posted and I wanted to actually try something. Seriously, Pinterest makes me so hungry! So I heated up the oven and made this Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring or "Ring of Delish." as I call it. It took less than 30 minutes for this to get in my belly! I honestly couldn't wait until morning to make this. Like I said, totally addicted! Oh, and here's another confession, I'm super lazy in the kitchen. If there's a shortcut, I'm going to take it. This is definitely my kind of recipe. Preheat the oven at 375 and now here's what you'll need:

3 Tbls melted butter
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used my Mapeline syrup) but any will do

Mix these two together and set aside. Now combine

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, or walnuts)

Take a bundt pan and spray it down with cooking spray. Then pour half of the syrup mixture around the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the sugar mix around the pan as well. Then here comes the shortcut:

2 tubes of refrigerator buttermilk biscuits

Take the biscuit dough rounds and line them up in a tight ring around the bundt with edges overlapping. Pour the rest of the syrup and sugar on top. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until brown on top and cooked all the way through. Take it out and let it set for about a minute before inverting it on a large plate or platter. Slice yourself a piece now because (like me!) you won't be able to wait until breakfast!

Fall Portraits

2011-10-07T21:21:00.000-04:00

What an ordeal!! I forgot what a chore it is to have a baby get portraits done. Usually Charlotte is such a smiley happy baby, but at Picture People, she just wouldn't smile. I jumped, I danced, I "Peek A Boo"-ed, I tickled, but nothing seemed to work. The only time she seemed to enjoy herself was while she was sitting on William and smacking his head like a drum. She was laughing but he was upset. I was a sweaty mess when the session was over. Although William was a pro and got a lot of good poses I'm glad it's over until next year.

Hooray for Halloween!!

2011-10-06T14:47:00.000-04:00

Here's something to know about me. I LOVE Halloween!! I always have. Even before it was cool to love it as an adult. I love the fall decor, the dressing up, the mystery, the free candy(!), what's not to love?! I get giddy after William's birthday in August because I know Halloween is coming up. I tried something new this year. I've been collecting Halloween ornaments for years (they were hard to find at first) and now I can fill a tree. I was worried it would be too Christmasy, but I think I turned out great. Here's some pictures of my haunted house.

I tried a Halloween Tree this year.

I need more bookcase shelves!

Side Table with Lighted Branches

I LOVE my Halloween Village

Basket of Quilted Pumpkins and Gourds

Haunted Hallway

Entryway Table

View From the Front Door

Creepy Kitchen Countertop

Happy First Birthday Charlotte!

2011-09-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Charlotte is ONE! We had a small family party. And by party, I mean cupcakes and singing "Happy Birthday" to Charlotte while she smiled at us. No frills on this one. Why no over the top kid's party? First of all, she's one. She doesn't know nor will she remember this birthday. Second, there are a lot of other activities I'm involved in this month. There will be plenty of time for big girlie parties in the years to come. Until then we'll keep it simple.

Soccer Superstar!

2011-09-28T17:09:00.000-04:00

William has started playing soccer and is an instant star. It helps that he is one of the oldest on the team of 4-6 year olds. Team Hurricanes had their first game on Saturday and he did great. He almost scored a goal and got to play goalie. He even blocked a goal! His coach asked if he had played soccer before. I guess kickball in the backyard has really paid off! The games are mercifully short (20 min.) and I don't think score is kept but as far has William is concerned, he's a pro now!

A Little Hustle Before the Game

Getting Warmed Up

Jumping Jacks

Dribble Drills

Go William!

William's Cheerleaders

Recipe of the Month

2011-09-15T01:12:00.002-04:00

Okay, I've been such a slacker this summer! I hope this recipe makes up for my absence. It's my all time favorite homemade soup. I totally found it by chance online at A Thrifty Mom. It's based on the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden and has been a favorite in our family ever since. I'm glad it's finally cooling off so I can justify making hot soup. I don't have a photo so I'll have to show a swiped picture from another blog. Enjoy!

In a big ol' soup pot throw in

1 1/2 lbs of Italian sausage (pork, chicken, turkey, whatever) I prefer the spicy pork kind. Make sure it's bulk or cut off the casings and crumble.

1 diced onion

When the meat is browned, remove from the pot and drain the grease. I like to keep a little on the meat for more flavor. Put the meat back in and now add to the pot

6 or 7 medium diced potatoes. I like the skins on. I like the flavor and I'm too lazy to peel.

8 cups of chicken broth

3 cups heavy cream

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less based on your heat tolerance)

Bring to a slow boil on medium heat. Make sure you stir it pretty often. DON'T let it curdle! I did once and it ruined the whole batch. Turn the heat down to med/low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While that's cooking wash and chop

6 cups kale

After the 20 minutes are up, add the kale, cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes.

I admit this soup takes FOREVER to make but it's so worth it! Serve with garlic bread. Eat it. Love it. Yum!

Back to School

2011-09-09T14:04:00.000-04:00

School is back and William is the king of preschool! He is in the Blue Birds class with his teachers, Mrs. M and Mrs Nacci. He even has a few friends that he knew from last year in class. In fact it was kind of hard to take pictures once we got to school because he was so excited. The school had a shaky start because of all of the rain (cancellations and what not) but we're now back on schedule. William is looking forward to friends, field trips, and recess. I'm looking forward to free time and making class snacks. Yay for school!

Two Wheelin'

2011-09-08T17:52:00.000-04:00

William has reached that all important childhood milestone. We have taken off the training wheels and he can ride his big boy two wheeler. We're so proud!

Alligator Party!!

2011-08-15T14:00:00.000-04:00

William turned FIVE! He's such a big kid now. We had an awesome party to celebrate my special little guy. Of course the party started for me weeks before while I made the birthday banner, party hats, pom poms party favors, and planned the alligator themed menu.

Birthday Banner

Custom Party Hats

Party Favors with Alligator Toys and Goodies Inside

Pom Poms

First we had lunch while the party guests arrived.

Alligator Bites

Ham and Cheese Alligator Sandwich

Peanut Butter and Jelly Star Finger Sandwiches

"Swamp" Salad (Lime Whip Jello w/ Pineapple)

Fruit Tray

Pasta Salad

Goldfish Crackers
Cucumber Punch (my favorite!)
Juice boxes

Alligator Sub Sandwich


Swamp Salad

Then we played a little Alligator Ring Toss while getting ready for the craft. The kids were less than professional ring tossers so we split into teams to save time (and sanity!)

The winning team got a trip to the "Gator Goodies" treat bar. I love doing a treat bar. I like to have the candy be color coordinated to the party's theme. I chose brown, orange, green, and red. I think I'll choose less colors and segregate them more in the candy jars next time.

Gator Goodies

Cherry, Green Apple, and Chocolate licorice

Reeses Pieces

Almond Joy Pieces

Salt Water Taffy

Jelly Beans

M&M's

Chocolate Covered Raisins

Then we headed back into the kitchen for an alligator craft. I had cut out foam pieces to make an alligator visor. It was cute in theory, but the execution of it was not so cute. If I do another craft at a party, it MUST be all self adhesive and no gluing involved!

Foam Visors

This was like herding cats!

After the craft ordeal, we headed back into the front room for some more games. We sang/acted out the "Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree" song. William got to be "Mr. Alligator" for song and everyone participated by "teasing" and then getting "snapped right out of the tree." That led up to the game of "Saving Mr. Monkey." I had cut 30 or so alligator shapes (thank you Cricut!) and sprinkled them all over the floor. Each kid had to carefully tip toe across the "infested water" to rescue Mr. Monkey on the other side. I was worried the kids would lose interest or master this game too quickly but it seemed to be the hit of the party. They wanted to do it again and again. Fine by me! They continued their rescuing while I got the cake ready.

Don't step on an alligator!

I LOVE Wegman's Ultimate white cakes. They are also a perfect canvas for decorating a birthday cake. Last year I had a shark's fin coming out. This year we had an alligator river. I used blue icing for the river, cut up some artificial florals for bushes and stuck some gator toys on top (of course I washed everything before I put them on the cake!) Then I piped some green reeds and more river on the sides and voila! Awesome cake that tastes great in less than 10 minutes.

Making a Wish

Blowing out the Candles

After the cake and ice cream, we opened presents. William got some great stuff! He loved all of them but he's really into his Crayola Glow Station (it glows in the dark so it makes going to bed a lot easier!), Geo Trax, and his Hot Wheels toys. We had just enough time for the kids to play with all the new toys before it was time for the guests to go home. Right before leaving they each got an alligator cookie and a Ziplock sandwich bag to fill up at the "Gator Goodies" table. It was a crazy 2 hours but super fun.

Everyone asks if I enjoy going overboard every year for little kid parties. Of course I do! I wouldn't do this if I didn't! I only have a few years of fun themed birthdays so I'm going to live it up while I can. Yeah, I may be a little crazy to stay up past midnight trying to figure out how to make an alligator out of two sourdough loaves, but those who came enjoyed the party and William loved it. That's all the validation I need.

June

2011-06-15T13:49:00.000-04:00

Now that it's halfway through the month, I figured I'd better get on the ball with my lists.

Likes

Smells of summer come wafting in. Barbeque, fresh cut grass, wet pavement after summer rain. Heaven!

Pool time! William is finally old enough to take swimming lessons and doesn't need me to hold his hand in the water anymore. He loves the water. He's like a fish! Even Charlotte loves splashing around at the pool.

Red White and Blue! Another flag waving holiday (Flag Day). Gearing up for Independence Day. Stars and stripes are definitely in fashion this month.

Farms start selling their goods. We have many local farms and they sell their produce right from their property. You can't fresher than that unless you grow it yourself! Mmmmm, fresh strawberries!

All of the kids in our neighborhood come out to play and William herds quite well with them. There's always an impromptu kickball or softball game, or Nerf war, or something going on in the back yard.

Dislikes

As much as I love sunny days, it's difficult to keep an 8 o'clock bed time when the sun is still out.

Still no school. It's nice to have the free time, but I really miss the schedule of school every day.

Thunderstorms. I HATE thunderstorms.

I Am a Child of God

2011-06-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

So sweet!

Summer is Finally Here!

2011-06-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

We took a short trip down to the Candland's house and spent some time at the pool. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and plenty of sunshine. William will be taking swimming lessons this month so I predict many more trips to the pool.

Open for Business

2011-05-13T16:24:00.003-04:00

I'm trying a new thing. I'm offering my crafty/baking services for a reasonable price. The teachers at William's school have been keeping me busy making treats for their own kids' classes. I would love to extend the offer to anyone else who would like a little special something for you, a friend, or an entire class. Here's a list of some stuff I'm offering.

Treats

Cake Pops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.00 a piece

Mini Cupcake Bites . . . . . . . . . . . $0.50 a piece

Rice Crispy Treat Pop . . . . . . . . . $0.75 a piece (chocolate dipped $1.00 a piece)

*photo from craftjr.com

Cookie Pops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.75 a piece

Carmel Corn Balls . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.75 a piece

Bird Nest Cookies . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.00 a dozen

Jelly Sandwich Cookies . . . . . . . . $8.00 a dozen

*photo from recipenut.com

Fudge (with or without walnuts) . . .$5.00 a dozen (1 1/2 in. squares)


*photo from freechocolate.info

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels . . . . . . $3.00 a dozen

*photo from makeandtakes.com

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods . . .$0.50 a piece

*photo from bigmamashomekitchen.blogspot.com

Paper Crafts

Personalized Cupcake picks . . . . . . . . .$1.00 a dozen

photo from creativepartybuzz.com

Personalized Birthday Banner . . . . . . . $12.00

Personalized Name Banner . . . . . . $10.00

Personalized Party Hats . . . . . . . $3.00 a piece

I don't know about shipping prices. I'm not even sure how I'm going to do it yet. So basically if you're in the Central Pennsylvania area, I'll deliver right to you, otherwise, I'll do my best. I'm not expecting a booming business, just throwing it out there.

*I had to find photos online until I can replace them with my own. I picked photos that are pretty close to what I can do.

Touch a Truck and Special Olympics

2011-05-09T00:53:00.001-04:00

Last week we finally had a sunny Saturday to play. I packed up the kids and headed out to the community even,"Touch a Truck" day. For one day our local fire department hosts a barbeque and a lot full of every sort of truck from fire trucks to monster trucks. Even the Hershey Kiss-Mobile made an appearance. William got a fireman hat and wore it the rest of the day.

After William had his fill of climbing on all of the trucks, we headed to the Navy base where Sean was volunteering at the Central Pennsylvania Adult Special Olympics. We had a great time dancing with the athletes and watching Sean pinning on ribbons. Charlotte was quite the attraction. Several "Special Olympians" wanted to take her picture. She was her usual sweet self and charmed everyone. It was a great day.

May

2011-05-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

Hooray! It's May!

Likes

The trees are fully leaved. I love it when the trees get thick enough to block the view of the busy street down the hill from my front door. I also love that they block most of the sound from said street. Much nicer views!

Sunny days, warm weather, what's not to love!?

Mother's Day! Now that William is old enough to actually understand what Mother's Day is, it is now one of my favorite days. He said he was going to sing in Sacrament Meeting to me and that he was going to give me "a beautiful surprise." When I asked what it was, he said, "It's a secret. But I'll give you a clue: it has a stem." What a sweetie!

May sweeps. This is when my favorite TV shows pull out all the stops to "sweep" their ratings. It makes for some good TV.

Memorial Day! The official kick off to summer. Barbeques, corn on the cob, watermelon, bring it on!

Dislikes

Wind! Yucky, yucky wind! I guess it can be windy year round but today is particularly windy. Of course it's also trash day so there is garbage and recycling blowing all around. We live on the corner townhouse so everyone's trash blows down to our yard. Boo wind! Boo lidless trash cans!

Preschool ends. I'll miss picking up William and talking about what he's learning in school. I'll miss him singing his little songs that he learns. *sigh* No more preschool until September!

Bugs! The bugs are back. I found a giant spider in William's bathroom last night. Ewwww! Hate the bugs!

Recipe of the Month

2011-05-02T02:43:00.001-04:00

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Salad

This is a good one from the fabulous website, Our Best Bites. I've mixed it up a bit and made a super slacker version of their Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad. Here's what you'll need:

1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 15 oz can of black beans
1 11 oz can of Mexicorn

Throw all of these into a colander and rinse all of the "can juice" out. Then throw them in a big bowl along with:

4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce (I use 1 1/2 bags of baby Romaine)
2 cups chopped grilled chicken (I use either a box of Short Cuts grilled chicken, or shredded rotisserie chicken)
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

Mix it up real good and set aside. Now for the dressing. You'll need:

2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup Ranch dressing
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 chipotle chile, finely chopped (from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. Found in the mexican food section at the grocery store)
1 1/2 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies.
1 tsp chili powder
juice from 1 lime
1/4 tsp salt

Mix these all together really well and pour over the salad. Mix it all together now. It makes about 4-6 servings, but we never have leftovers. It's super spicy*, and super good. My all time favorite salad. Muy delicioso!

*To cut the spiciness, omit the chopped chili pepper. To add more heat, add more adobo sauce.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-27T18:44:00.001-04:00

This digital scrapbooking design personalized with Smilebox

Doughnuts and Dads

2011-04-26T12:03:00.000-04:00

I'm such a slacker! I haven't updated in weeks. Here's the first new post in hopefully many to come.

William's school had an activity that celebrated Dads. All the dads and grandpas were invited. Luckily, William had both available to come. Even Ryan got to come for a visit. The class did a little song and dance with the alphabet and handed out homemade cards. William's card read, "Daddy, I love you because. . . you build really cool stuff, like a bed." Afterwards, we got to feast on mini doughnuts.

Recipe of the Month

2011-04-11T16:03:00.000-04:00

Best. Roast. Ever!!

I owe this favorite to that sassy Paula Deen. I've tweaked it a bit and put it in a slow cooker. I recommend this on Sundays because nothing is better than coming home from church to a house filled with the smell of roast-y goodness!

First prep the roast. I use a 2-21/2 lb beef chuck roast. Rub the meat with seasoning. You can use garlic salt and pepper but I use this special blend I keep in its own shaker.

3/4 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup seasoned salt (like Lawry's)

Stir all together and fill a shaker to use for a rub. Always good!

Okay, now that the roast is all spiced up, sear it in a large skillet with 2 Tbs. melted butter. Brown it on each side and a little on the sides.

While this is going on, get the Crock Pot ready. You'll need:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 soup can of water

Blend all these wet ingredients together and set aside. When the meat is seared, place it in the pot and pour the soup mixture on top. Then sprinkle the following all over:

2 Tb beef bouillon or granules, or two beef bouillon cubes, crushed

1 medium onion sliced into wedges.
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Take out the bay leaves and make a gravy with the juices.

Pour the juices into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Mix 2 Tbs. cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water and slowly add to the gravy, stirring constantly.

April

2011-04-04T02:10:00.001-04:00

Happy April!

Likes

Spring Colors! I can finally put those tired dark winter clothes away and bring on the bright colorful tops, skirts, and dresses.

April Fool's day. Now that William is old enough to appreciate a good prank, it's been a lot of fun. We can't wait until next year.

Pedicures! Time to put on those flip flops and get my nails painted up nice. My feet have been so neglected during the long dry winter.

Easter Activities. Easter egg hunts, Easter Bunny visits, Easter egg decorating, I love it all!

I love tulips and daffodils in the early spring. They're the first burst of color after a drab season. I know they don't last very long, but they're very welcome while they're out.

Dislikes

Rain, rain, rain, rain! Muddy shoes, bad hair, William fussing to hold the umbrella.

Earth Day propaganda. I hate having the whole "Green Movement" shoved down my throat. It's ruining our country's productivity and mostly based on false info. Anyway, Boo Green Police!

April Fool's Day

2011-04-01T21:53:00.000-04:00

This year we finally did something for April Fool's Day. William was excited all week about telling jokes all day on April Fool's Day. Little did he know what we had in store. I first drew a mustache on him while he was asleep. He didn't even notice it until about 10am when I got impatient and made him go look in the mirror. At first he was a little confused. He asked if I had drawn the mustache while he was watching TV. Then he thought it was the funniest thing. He couldn't wait to play a joke on Sean. We hid all of the soda cans that were in the fridge except for one empty can. Sean came home for lunch and reacted just like William imagined he would. Then, after work, Sean fell asleep on the couch and William got some payback with the mustache pen. He also added some pretty hair clips and bows to complete the look. I'm ashamed I didn't take pictures of Sean when he woke up. It was a great "jokey" day.

My Handyman

2011-03-30T02:00:00.000-04:00

Sean has been busy in the garage. He made me a king size bed frame and headboard. Now we're just waiting for our new humungous mattress to fit in it. I have a feeling my life is about to change. Hello sprawling out at bedtime!

Welcome Spring!

2011-03-21T00:28:00.000-04:00

I made these goodies for William's preschool snack. Trust me, they taste as good as they are cute! Here's a bonus recipe for you:

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

Bring the sugar and syrup to a boil while stirring constantly. Take it off the heat and add

1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter (I used almond butter due to allergies at William's school)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Stir until all melted together then add in about 5-6 cups of chow mein noodles.

Form into nest shapes on a Silpat or waxed paper. Then add 3 egg shaped candies to each one. I used Cadbury's Robin Eggs but M&M's will work too. Let them cool completely then devour these sweet and salty treats! You'll probably need a big glass of milk to go with them. Yum! Here's to you, Spring!

Baby Spanx

2011-03-14T02:58:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking Charlotte might need this. . .

Nicknames

2011-03-12T19:36:00.002-05:00

It occurred to me that although Sean and I just refer to each other by our names, we have nicknamed our kids several times over. Here's what we've come up with.

William:
Turkey
Turk
Turkey Bird
Bird
Birdlet
Prince William (when he was particularly whiny)
Sweetheart
Big Guy

Charlotte:
Charlotte-y
Char-lot-a
Charlie
Bug
Buglet
Chubs
Chub-a-Lubba
Chunky Monkey
Hippolina
Charlie-phant
Charlie-potamus (whose tummy has no bottomus!)

Butterfly Chandelier

2011-03-11T20:46:00.000-05:00

Pottery Barn

Here's my latest Pottery-Barn-Knock-Off craft. I saw this butterfly chandelier in PB Kids while in Annapolis and coveted it right away. Upon a closer look I saw that it was just paper butterflies strung onto fishing line. How easy is that?! Well, I got all excited and got to work. It didn't take that long (thank you Cricut. . . . .again!) and I LOVE it. Of course I added a few extra touches like ribbon and making the butterflies different shades of pink, and I need to trim it. Although, I kind of like the free flowing "mass of butterflies" look. Now, I just need to put a hook in the ceiling to hang it up.

My Version

Close Up

March

2011-03-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

Another month, another list:

Likes

Easter is coming! The chocolate from Valentines Day is gone and the Cadbury's and chocolate bunnies step in just in time to fill the gap. Oh, speaking of Cadbury's, I LOVE the Cadbury Bunny commercial with the animals trying to go "bok bok bok." My favorite is the cat going "Bok-meow! Bok-meow!" It still makes me laugh after all these years.

Spring is official! At the end of this month it's officially springtime. I LOVE the spring! After months of cold and snow and dry air, it's finally warm enough to go to the park, ride bikes and other outdoor stuff.

Fresh air! We can finally open the windows and let out the stuffy heater air we've been breathing all winter.

Dislikes

The relentless TEASING from the weather. Two days of 60 degree weather then a week of 40 degrees and rain. Just get here, Spring, already!

A whole month without a federal holiday. I know, most people don't get days off for MLK, Presidents, Columbus, etc. But when you've been getting them off for years, they become something you really look forward to.

My favorite shows go back to reruns. Boo empty DVR!

Recipe of the Month

2011-03-04T01:42:00.000-05:00

Seafood Pie (AKA Seafood Quiche)

This is a family favorite. I have to call it a "pie" because Sean hates quiche. He loves this one, though. Also, it's one of the few things I make that William will request seconds on. In fact, I double the recipe and make 2 pies just so we can have some leftovers. I know my mom will be ashamed of me but I use the store bought pie crusts to save time. Sorry mom! I know you have shown me a zillion times how to make perfect pie crust and I've failed to carry on that legacy. Okay, enough of that, now on to the recipe! Preheat the oven to 350 and start the mixing. You'll need:

2 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbs flour
1/2 cup milk

Mix all these together in a large bowl. No need for a mixer. Just a spatula and a little elbow grease should do it. Then add the rest of the ingredients.

1 (6 oz) can crabmeat, drained (you can use real lump, but I do it on the cheap)
1 (6 oz) can tiny shrimp, drained
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbs dill weed
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Mix it all together and spoon it into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Yum!

Poor William!

2011-02-28T12:20:00.001-05:00

He woke up this morning with DOUBLE Pink Eye! He couldn't open his eyes so he was stumbling around this morning, running into things saying, "I can't see! I can't see!" We just got back from the doctor and started the dreaded eye drops. Poor little guy!

Whooo Loves Valentine's Day?

2011-02-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago, I thought it was ridiculous that owls were making a comeback. They remind me of really tacky macrame owls from the 70's (yuck!).

But I see them everywhere now. It's like geese were in the 80's, and insects (bees, dragonflies, butterflies) were in the 90's. I have to admit, now owls are cute. Not just cute, but really fun to make. I decided to make owl themed valentines for William's class. Here's how I did it.

I used the following punches:

large circle

medium circle

small hole

large flower

small flower

First I cut out an oval shape for the body.

Then I used my large circle punch to shape the ear tufts.

I used my medium circle punch for the eyes and a small hole punch for the eyeballs.

Cut out a small triangle for the beak.

Then I used my same large circle punch to make the wings. I glue them to the sides and trim the edges.

A large flower punch (matching the wings) glued from the back to make the tail feathers.

I used a small flower punch cut in half for the claws.

I put this little guy on a card and added a little message "Whooo thinks you're cool?" and inside the card it said, "I do! Happy Valentine's Day! From William"

I have made a ton of these little guys and I love them! Too bad Valentine's day is done and I don't have an excuse to make more. Maybe we'll have "Easter Owls" . . . maybe not!

Recipe of the Month

2011-02-02T19:01:00.007-05:00

Jambalaya

Mmmm! This is good eats! I tried this one in December and couldn't wait to make it again! It makes a lot so either I had to wait until we had guests or just have a ton of leftovers. I couldn't wait anymore. Now my fridge is packed with delicious, delicious Jambalaya. The best part about making this is that it's practically fool-proof! You basically just throw everything into a pot. The prep work is what takes the longest. Here's what you'll need:

2 Tbl butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Heat a large pot, or Dutch oven on medium and melt the butter. Saute the veggies until they're tender. About 5-7 minutes. Add the following:

1 Andouille sausage (12 oz.), diced

2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained. I like the kind with jalepenos in it.

1 1/4 cup beef broth

1 cup uncooked rice (I used regular white rice but you can use brown or long grain)

1 cup water

Stir it up and then add the spices*.

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Stir it up and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and let it simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 - 25 minutes. Now add:

1/2 lb of fully cooked shrimp.

I used a little more than a half a 16 oz bag of medium sized frozen shrimp. Also, I get the kind that has been peeled. You can get the uncooked kind and peel and devein and cook it a little longer in the pot until pink, but who needs the hassle when you're so close to having this in your belly!

Finally, top it with:

1 Tb parsley, fresh is best, but I use dried because I'm lazy and sick of chopping by this time.

Cook, uncovered, until the shrimp are heated through, about 5 minutes. Eat it with sliced french bread to soak up the juice. So good, it'll make you wanna slap yo' mama!

*If you really want to bring the heat add some cayenne pepper as well. I think the andouille sausage has enough bite to it, but to each his own.

February

2011-02-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

Likes

I love the beginning of this month. It's full of hearts, pink, red, love, and flowers. Very girlie, and a huge opportunity for crafters to go crazy.

Homemade Valentines. I love to make valentines. I'm a big fan of homemade cards. I also love to see heart shaped doilies in the stores. Oh, the possibilities!

CHOCOLATE!! Enough said.

Presidents' Day. I know it's practically a phony holiday and an excuse for government workers to take the day off and for businesses to use the images of Washington and Lincoln to sell cars and mattresses, but I love that for a brief moment, we remember two of my favorite historical figures.

Dislikes

I'm so tired of getting static shocked! I can't seem to avoid it. It also seems to get worse. I got shocked today and almost teared up it hurt so bad. Bring on the humidity!

Snow days. I used to think they were the greatest but now, I'm running out of things for William to do while he's stuck at home. He watches way too much TV on snow days and I feel like a bad mom for letting him just to get him out of my hair. It will be great when Charlotte is old enough to play with him.

Crappy movie season. This is the time when the movie theaters are packed with really bad movies. Producers knew these movies couldn't compete with the holiday blockbusters so they trot them out after the first of the year. This makes for some bad movie dates.

Recipe of the Month

2011-01-22T22:58:00.000-05:00

I want to start posting recipes that I've tried and love. I'm going to make it a monthly thing. This way, I won't have to always blog about my boring life. I can shake things up a bit. I'll try to post pictures next time. I just decided to do this while heating up some leftovers. Leftover meatloaf doesn't make a pretty picture.

Robyn's Meatloaf (aka The Meatloaf Hater's Meatloaf)

This dish is some serious comfort food! I have always hated meatloaf until my sister, Robyn, made this for me one night. It is so good and easy to make! It's perfect when the weather is cold and you need some warm deliciousness in your belly. Here is how I make it:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb spicy pork sausage (I like it hot)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the meats until they're good and mixed. Now get out your food processor and throw the following in it:

3 slices of bread
2 carrots
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tb parsley

Pulse until you have a crumbly mixture. Add this to the meat. Then add the following:

1/2 Tb pepper
1 Tb salt
2 Tb Dijon mustard
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs

Mix it up really good. You may need to use your hands. Then form a loaf in a large baking dish. I used to use a large loaf pan, but the center never seemed to get cooked through. Also, it's easier when you have some room around the edges of the loaf for this next step. Here comes the BEST part:

8 slices of BACON!!

That's right! Wrap that sucker up in bacon. It may take more or less than eight slices, depending on the brand you buy. But wrap it horizontally as if the bacon were measuring each slice. Now for the glaze:

1 cup brown sugar
2 Tb dry mustard
2 Tb tomato paste

Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and really mix it up. It will take a while and you'll wonder why it still looks like powder instead of glaze. That is because you are not done mixing. Eventually it will soften up and be the consistency of very thick paste. Now spread this all over your loaf.

Pop it in the oven (uncovered) for 1 hour and you have yourself a tasty meal!

January

2011-01-20T15:22:00.001-05:00

My sister did this cool thing with her blog where she lists everything she loves (and hates) about each month. I wanted to do this (after all these years I'm STILL copying my sister!!) but needed to start in January. Now that it's almost over I figure I better get on the ball and post so I don't have to wait another year. So here goes:

January

Likes

Clearance sales! This is the BEST time to use those gift cards from Christmas. I love going children's clothes shopping because you can buy the winter clothes for next year at $1.99 a top (Crazy 8 & Children's Place Outlet).

Network TV comes back. The DVR gets a little thin during the Christmas season. I like having new shows to look forward to. Shows I watch: Law & Order (LA & SVU), NCIS, Modern Family, House, The Office, and 30 Rock.

My anniversary

We celebrated 7 great years on the 16th. The last few years, we've either have been separated by deployments, hired a crazy sitter that told us to come home early, or had been too poor/lazy to go out. This year we actually went on a fabulous date to Roundtop Ski Resort.

Dislikes

I get really sick of snow by the end of this month. At Christmastime it's charming, by the end of January, it's a pain in the rear!

Dry, dry, dry, skin! My fingernails chip and I have to put lotion on my hands at least 5 times a day to keep from turning into a reptile.

2010 Review

2011-01-05T17:41:00.002-05:00

I know this is a little late, but I thought I'd take fond look back on the year that was.

January

Got a new short haircut

Called as Primary Secretary

February

Snow, snow, snow!

Found out we were expecting little Charlotte

Supply Corps Birthday Ball

Went to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia

March

William tries out his new tricycle

Ward Talent Show (I played one of my piano compositions)

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Boyds Bears (William gets scared of the Easter Bunny)

April

Easter with Grandpa

Trip to Washington DC to see the cherry blossoms

Stake Roadshow (I was in charge of costumes for our ward)

Girls Getaway in Chicago with college roommates (Melissa Fowler and Rachel Lingmann)

May

Armed Forces Day and Harrisburg Senators baseball game

First ultrasound; it's a girl!

Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus

Peterson Kids Reunion and trip to Washington DC

June

Trip to California

Visit to Fairytale Town with Grandma

San Francisco Trip with Grandpa

Cousin Marc and Kristen's wedding

Family Camp Out

July

Independence Day with the Candlands

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

Supply Corps Picnic

Sean leaves for Maryland for 2 weeks

Robyn's Summer Camp

August

William's Shark Birthday Party (4 years old!)

Primary Pool Party

Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire

Ryan Candland's Fireman Party

William learns to ride a bicycle (with training wheels)

September

William starts preschool

Surprise baby shower

Baby Charlotte comes!

October

Come home from the hospital

Mom and Dad visit to help out with Charlotte

William's field trip to Paulus Orchards

Natalie Candland's baptism

Primary Fall Festival

Charlotte admitted in the hospital for a fever

Preschool Halloween Parade

Trick or Treat night

November

Primary Presentation

Charlotte's Blessing Day

My mom gets engaged

Trip to Hersheypark with Candlands, my mom and her fiance, Robert

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving with the Candlands

December

Sean's Lieutenant Promotion Ceremony

Tree Lighting Ceremony at Carlisle Barracks

Breakfast with Santa at Wegman's

Preschool Christmas Program

Christmas at the Candlands with Grandpa

2010 was exciting and fun for us. Here's to another great year!

Christmas in Virginia

2011-01-01T01:09:00.000-05:00

This year my dad came out for Christmas so we met up with him at my sister's house in Northern Virginia. It's always a great time at the Candland's house. We headed down on Christmas Eve and stayed until Sunday night. We had festive food (featuring my dad's AWESOME cioppino soup), played a few rounds of Catch Phrase, and stayed in our jammies all day on Christmas. William was so excited to get the gift he has been wanting all year, a GeoTrax train set with remote controller. I don't think he stopped playing with it for more than 20 minutes since finding it under the tree Christmas morning. Although now he's all about the V Smile game set up on the TV. Thanks Aunt Robyn! Sean got a Kindle and a couple of Amazon gift cards to keep him reading until next Christmas. Charlotte's favorite gift (and by Charlotte, I mean me) was a super cute tag owl that Aunt Erin made. I got an Android phone that is awesome. I now know that it's totally addicting and I'm pretty good at online Boggle. I have yet to get into Angry Birds even though Sean tells me I don't know what I'm missing. It's been a great season. Now on to the new year!

Paige-y LOVES Charlotte!

Charlotte's Favorite. So Cute!

Chub-a-lub!

Grandpa's Boys

Santa Came Through with the GeoTrax Train

Early Christmas Morning

Christmas Jammies

Grandpa and Charlotte

Preschool Christmas Show

2010-12-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

William's preschool had their Christmas show on Thursday. They split all the kids up into classes to do individual presentations. William sung his little heart out. They started with the Christian classic "I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart." then they sang "The Angels Sing: La La La." And they had a big finale (with jingle bells) singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." It was mercifully short and very sweet. I wish he could continue these Christmas presentations in Kindergarten.

Sean's a Lieutenant!

2010-12-10T15:08:00.000-05:00

Sean had his promotion to lieutenant ceremony. I'm glad I got to be there. I almost didn't make it. First of all, I still can't get the timing of getting 2 kids ready for an outing. William slept in and I couldn't get him out of bed. I had to dress him like a baby and didn't get to do his hair. I also didn't have a cute outfit picked out for Charlotte so that took a while going through clothes. I planned on being there at 8:50am (ceremony starts at 9am), but didn't get out of the door with my kids in tow until 8:55am. Then, it just happened to be the wettest day of the year. Pouring rain! Good thing I curled my hair so it could be soaked while packing kids in the car! Then, at the base, I couldn't find a parking spot. I didn't know that they had a spot waiting for me and my cell phone was dead so no one could get a hold of me. I didn't get into the building until 9:10. When I walked into the conference room, there were about 30 people standing there, staring and silent. Awkward! The captain who was to swear Sean in had left and someone had to go after him to bring him back. I just wanted to crawl under a rock, I was so embarrassed! The ceremony was sweet. William got to hold the Bible and I got to pin Sean's bars on him. It could have been a nice day, but I was too humiliated to enjoy it.

Hersheypark at Christmas

2010-12-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

It's becoming a family tradition to head out to Hersheypark during the Christmas season. They do such a good job transforming a theme park into a Christmasy chocolate wonderland. I love it! This year I got to host all of my family at my house. It was crowded, cozy fun!

The next day was Charlotte's blessing day. After church I made lunch and for dessert we had birthday cake for my 33rd birthday. It's been a long time since I had a birthday party just for me. It was great!

I hope we can continue this family holiday tradition.

I Hate Nutcrackers!

2010-11-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

As a kid, I was irrationally afraid of nutcrackers. Hated them, wouldn't look at them, didn't want to be near one. Even now, they give me a creepy vibe and I don't want one in my house. This commercial confirms my feelings.

A Letter to Santa

2010-11-12T11:56:00.000-05:00

How sweet is this?!

Dear Santa,
I love you. I was a good boy this year. I love Daddy, Charlotte, and Mom. I love everyone, even Santa! Pennsylvania is our state. I hope you know where we live. I would like a Geo Trax train and Toy Story 1 and 3 movies. I want real tools and some wood so I can make something with Dad. And please bring the Laugh and Learn Kitchen for my sister, Charlotte.
Love,
William

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet!

2010-11-01T23:39:00.000-04:00

In central Pennsylvania, apparently Halloween is celebrated on different days. Our township has trick or treat night on the Thursday before Halloween. Others have it on the Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday. So lame! Anyway, William had his preschool Fall Festival and costume parade on Thursday. Then we got ready for trick or treating. William was a skeleton, Charlotte was a strawberry, and I was a cat. Sean was a trooper and stayed home to hand out candy. William and I hit the streets around our townhouse community. He was relentless. By the end of the night, I had to hold his bag for him it was so heavy! It was a great night. Too bad it was all over by Thursday and very anti climactic for the actual holiday. Maybe next year we'll "double dip" trick or treat by heading out of town on Halloween.

Field Trip to Paulus Orchards

2010-10-28T14:05:00.000-04:00

William had his first field trip with his preschool. My dad made it just in time to join us. We went to a family run orchard and pumpkin farm. A good time was had by all. The kids learned about how bees pollinate the blossoms on the trees. Then we hopped in the tractor pulled wagon and headed out to pick the perfect pumpkin. Then we headed out to the orchards to pick some Red Delicious apples. After the wagon ride, we were dropped off at a homemade playground with giant tube slides. Charlotte was excellent by sleeping in her carrier the whole time. Good ol' farm Fall fun!

Blessings

2010-10-17T13:21:00.000-04:00

A small list of blessings:

Beautiful, bright, crisp, Fall weather.

A sweet little baby girl who isn't too fussy.

William, who is such a big help to his new little sister.

My wonderful Mom who was such a big help during the day and all through the night.

An understanding husband who didn't make a big deal about me spending all my time with my mom.

Friends who helped out by bringing us fabulous meals.

An awesome sister with the foresight to take pictures of it all.

Welcome Baby Charlotte!

2010-10-03T01:48:00.000-04:00

We have a new baby Payne!

Charlotte Marie was born September 29th at 4:15pm.

6 pounds 10 ounces

18 3/4 inches long

Cutest Room in the House

2010-09-27T01:53:00.000-04:00

Here is the cutest room in our house. I can't NOT smile when I walk in. Sometimes I just sit in the chair and bask in the girlie vibe. I wanted to "nest it up" proper to make up for not getting to put a nursery together for William because we moved around so much when he was a baby. Until William was 1, his room was just a crib in a storage room.

View from the door

I love my crib set! The wall behind is where I'll put a hanging quilt rack.

The ottoman opens up and blankets are stored

Love doing the vinyl letters!

Love my Cricut! I got the idea for this project from Crate and Barrel. They were charging $3 a letter!

I found this instead of a dresser. We'll get a real dresser later when I find the right one.

I found these cute wall decals online.

I'm so glad we went with a nice crib instead of a cheap one like last time. William's crib fell apart before he was two!

A craft project with Mod Podge, patterned paper, and a canvas.

Everything is all ready!

I have to say a special "thank you!" to Sean for not making me feel guilty for kicking him out of his office, not making it an issue when I spent a little more in order to get what I really wanted and not just what was cheapest at the time, and for putting all of the furniture together. Now all it needs is a sweet little baby to make it complete. I love this room!

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-08T23:32:00.000-04:00

My little guy is in preschool now. His teacher is Mrs. Barber and he is in the Blue Fish class. He loves it and has no issues with being away from me. All he needed to know is that they have toys, a playground, and new friends and he was saying, "Bye-bye, mom. Hello, preschool!" He goes Monday through Thursday, 12:30 to 3pm. Just enough time for a little nap for me (or a fabulous stress-free trip to Costco).

His preschool is at a Methodist church so they say opening prayers and blessings on the snacks. His teacher told me that William volunteered to give the prayer and did it all by himself. She said she was very impressed with him. I loved hearing that. They know that we're LDS. Back in my hometown, there was a Methodist church that was convinced Mormons were not Christians and were very vocal about it. I hope there is no confusion at this church. I guess William will see to that.

Labor Day Visit to the Peterson's

2010-09-07T23:42:00.000-04:00

We went out to Philly to spend Labor Day with Darrin and his family. They took us to their ward barbeque. We had hamburgers and hot dogs then played a 'no points' game of kickball. William had a hard time understanding the order of the bases. Then when he got tagged out, he got sad. After the game, we played at the playground. The township had some bounce houses set up and the Philadelphia Eagle, Swoop, made an appearance to sign autographs and toss some footballs. William was too busy with the inflatables to waste time on a mascot. It was a lot to pack into my afternoon. I was so exhausted by the time I waddled back to the car.

William's 4 Year Old Portraits

2010-09-01T17:03:00.000-04:00

Look out preschool girls! William is undoubtedly a chick magnet. He was such a ham and LOVED getting his pictures taken. I was such a fool though because on the way to the Picture People, we stopped at the bank. They asked if William wanted a lollipop and I said, "sure." Big mistake! William had a blue tongue, blue teeth, blue, sticky hands, lips and face. What was I thinking?! Luckily, we arrived early and I came prepared with a clean wash cloth and squirt bottle. We went into the bathroom and I scrubbed is teeth, hands, face, everything! I also made him drink a ton of water to rinse out the blue coloring. I think the pictures turned out great but it was almost a disaster. I'll remember to not have any food or candy right before a photo shoot next time.

Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire

2010-08-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

This weekend was the opening of the PA Renaissance Faire. I had read online that it was listed as one of the top 100 things to do in the country (I don't know who made this 'list'). I really was impressed with how large and involved it was. It really was a pretty big deal. I had never seen so many Dungeons and Dragons nerds congregated before! It was a sight to behold. Not everyone was pimply and pasty though. There were many 'modern tourists' like us around. Although it really got annoying when some characters took their role too seriously and spoke with fake accents, pretended cameras were the devil's boxes, and used 'old English' to speak to my 4 year old who barely understands regular English, let alone their crazy-town version of it. We played medieval games, checked out a blacksmith making swords, saw too many overweight, over 'busty' wenches, watched the royal parade and jousting tournament. William got a catapult gun that shoots marshmallows and marbles and rocks or anything small and round. I already laid down the law on NO shooting anything but mini craft pom pom balls in the house! I wanted to eat a giant turkey leg like a real wench but the line was way too long. Overall it was a fun time. Definitely worth the 2 for 1 price we got in with!

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Pow Pow Power Wheels!

2010-08-12T13:24:00.001-04:00

When you were a kid, didn't you wish you had a Power Wheels? Didn't only the most lucky/spoiled of kids have this most excellent of toys? My parents would never give in when we begged and begged for one. They claimed it was a waste of money. WELL, I guess being a grandparent changes your perspective. Over the years, my parents have given Power Wheels as gifts to my sister's and brother's kids. Now, William joins the ranks of becoming a proud Power Wheels owner. It's so funny to see how our parents will completely change their philosophy from raising their own kids to spoiling their grandkids. I'm not complaining. Thanks for the spoils! Better late than never!

Shark Party!!

2010-08-04T20:31:00.007-04:00

William had his 4th birthday party and it was a blast! I had the best time planning and decorating. I got out my Cricut and went shark crazy! Most of my inspiration came from this blog. I made party hats, pom pom balls, shark clothespins (for the game), treat box favors, wall decor, and a cake topper. I'm a little sad that it's all over because I loved the prep work. We had 7 friends including cousins come to the party. We started with a light lunch:

Menu

PB&J and ham and cheese sandwiches (cut into fish and dolphin shapes)

Goldfish Crackers

Shark Jello (with toy sharks swimming around)

Cheese and Crackers

Veggies and Dip

Cucumber Punch

Then we played a childhood favorite party game, Drop the Clothespin in the Jar. Only, I "sharked" it up by decorating the pins as sharks and had them drop into a fishbowl. When someone dropped a shark in the bowl we all did a shark "Chomp!" Then we went back to the kitchen to make a little sea creature craft with foam stickers (I didn't get any pictures because we were all helping the kids with the craft). Then back to the front room for a game of Musical Fish. It's like musical chairs but I cut out fish shapes to stand on and had a shark hand puppet to "eat" the kid who didn't get a fish to stand on when the music stopped. Then they got to pick a shark candy so there was no hurt feelings. Then it was cake and ice cream time. It took a few tries for William to blow out the candles but he got the job done. Then present time. He got some awesome gifts, but it was a little crazy keeping the other kids back so we could get some pictures. Then they got a trip to the treat table.

Sweet Shark Treats

Blue Gummi Sharks

Swedish Fish

Red, Grey, Blue, and Aquamarine M&M's

Hershey's Milk Chocolate and Cookies and Creme Kisses

Soft Peppermints

Blue Raspberry and Cherry Licorice

Then all the kids went down to the basement to play until it was time to go home. I am so grateful Sean, my sister, Robyn and sister in law, Lynette were there to help out. They really helped make things go smoothly. It was such a festive and fun day! William has already requested a dinosaur party for his 5th birthday. And I thought I planned ahead!!

The Invitation

Birthday Banner

Party Hats

Pom Pom Balls

Treat Box Favors

Shark Cake

Decorated Plate Decorations

Sweet Treats

William's Shark Bites

Shark Jello

The Party Master


Drop the Shark in the Tank

Shark Clothespins

CHOMP CHOMP!!

Musical Fish

Party Friends

William's First Campout

2010-07-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

These pictures are from a while back but I thought it was worth posting. We went to Deer Run Park which is about 40 minutes south of us and near the Appalachian Trail. It was a good campsite for a 3 year old. It had a large grassy field for softball, soccer, running around, etc. It had a surprisingly clean swimming pool and hot tub, showers and bathrooms, a snack bar, a huge playground, duck/fishing pond, game room, and tattoo parlor (!). Being pregnant, I was very uncomfortable and didn't sleep well at all but Sean and William had a blast. Next time, maybe it should be a male bonding experience rather than family time.

Setting up camp

Our huge tent that was just big enough

Sean's scouting skills coming in handy

Roasting hot dogs for dinner

I was not the happiest camper!

William's face painting from the tattoo parlor

Watching the campfire

The huge playground was awesome

Feeding the fish

Cow Appreciation Day!

2010-07-25T20:55:00.000-04:00

I know this is very late but Sean has been out of town with the laptop (and my pictures!) We've been out to visit him so now I can do some updating.

Chick-Fil-A is my all time favorite fast food place. They are clean and friendly and always have fun promotions. For Cow Appreciation Day (because they only serve chicken there!), free meals were offered for anyone who dressed up like a cow. We got all cow-ed up and got us some free chicken sandwich meals. Yum!

Independence Day (Better Late Than Never!)

2010-07-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

We had an awesome 4th of July shin-dig with the Candlands and their friends, and my dad. We drove out to The Plains, Virginia. Peter's friend had rented out a VIP spot at the field where the fireworks show was. We had sandwiches, pizza, popcorn chicken, fruit, spinach dip and lots of sweets for treats. While we waited, there was a helicopter air show, rocket demos, a small polo match, and a GIANT field sprinkler to run through. It was good times. The fireworks were great, even though the music was not in sync. The only bummer of the night was trying to get out of the maze of thousands of cars waiting to get out of one exit. It took us over an hour to get out of that parking lot!

After running through the sprinkler

Chillin' out while waiting for the show.

Sean and my dad

Buddies

Sean, William, and Ryan

Postponing Our Independence Day Post

2010-07-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

I can't post our awesome 4th of July weekend just yet. Our lazy laptop (which gets only about 10 minutes battery life!) has pooped out and we had to order a new power cord for it. It should be here by next week. Oh, and it pooped just as I finished uploading all of my pictures (200+) and erasing them from my camera so no uploading them to the desktop. More posts to come like:

Family Camp Out
Independence Day Extravaganza
Dress Like a Cow for Free Chick-Fil--A Food
Sean's Wetting Down ("Wetting Down" is a traditional Navy party you throw when you go up in rank. He'll be a full Lieutenant)

Grandma Time!

2010-06-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

Grandma's Pool

It was unseasonably cool for the middle of June in Yuba City. It made for fabulous days of sweat-free time outside, but unfortunately my mom's pool was freezing! We only went in twice and William would shiver and cling to me each time so I gave up. We went to the new Aquatic Center that had kids water slides and fountains. I didn't have my camera for the public pool so you'll have to trust me that it was fun.

"Night Before the Wedding" Dinner

This was an informal version of a rehearsal dinner. Both Marc and Kristen's families were there and we had Hawaiian haystacks, Grandma Barrow's potato salad and delicious pineapple-coconut cake. As always, when we get together with aunts, uncles, and cousins, funny stories and lots of laughter are to follow. This night was no exception.

Marc and Kristen's Wedding

The whole reason for the visit was to attend the temple wedding of my cousin, Marc and his now wife, Kristen. I was one of the last to get married so I wasn't endowed to go to the temple for most of my family's wedding, including my sister and brother's weddings. I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity. The ceremony was beautiful and reminded me of my own sealing. Sacramento weather was beautiful, the couple was good looking and Kristen's dress was gorgeous. After the photo session, we headed back to my Aunt Kelly and Uncle Sterling's backyard for the reception. It was very tasteful and I loved the small jars of homemade strawberry jam as wedding favors. Towards the end of the evening, William entertained everyone with his interpretive dance moves. Very funny, but I couldn't get a good picture of it. That Saturday was a long day, but a lot of fun.

Fairytale Town

A tradition in my family is a visit to Fairytale Town in Sacramento. My Aunt Kelly used to pack us all in her car and take us there every Christmas Eve day. As I got older, the park got more and more run down but in recent years they've renovated the park and now it's a pretty decent place to bring kids and relive old childhood memories. William loved the slides and watering Mr. McGregor's Garden (from A Tale of Peter Rabbit). Somewhere in my aunt's scrapbooks there are photos of the giant cheese "standing alone" from "The Farmer in the Dell" and all of us cheesing it up on it. I got my mom and William to peek out of the holes and I even wedged my pregnant self inside for a photo.

Helping Grandma

William loves to be helpful. He asked if he could help Grandma make a fruit salad and before she could respond, he was already pushing a chair up to the counter to stand on. He also liked watering the flowers and filling up the fountain with water. We went to In and Out Burger while out there and he insisted on getting a hat to wear like the workers there. This is why he's wearing it like a chef's hat while helping Grandma in the kitchen.

Barrow Family Food Fest

It's been said that when the Barrows get together, it's always a food fest. Yes, yes it is and yes it was! Everyone brought good food to share and we had barbeque hamburgers and humongous Nathan's hot dogs. Unfortunately, my mom forgot to take out the Lime Whip Jello Salad (my favorite family recipe!) from the freezer and it was ruined. Darn! Then we played my favorite game, Dirty Bingo. This is when you play regular Bingo and get a wrapped prize with every Bingo you get. Then when the gifts run out, you start stealing from each other. When someone gets a blackout (a full Bingo card), only then does everyone get to open their prizes. I was the game master that night to let my mom have a turn at playing. I also got to pick out the prizes and that was fun to do. My mom won the big ticket prize, a bag of chip clips from IKEA. The rest were from the dollar sections of Michaels and Target. I especially loved the patriotic hats that Kelly and Jeff won. It was my cousin, Michael's, 28th birthday so we sang "Happy Birthday" and had mint chip ice cream cake, brownies, and cherry and berry pies. Christian and Janay had their first baby and got checked out of the hospital that night so they came over for Baby Brynlee's family barbeque debut.

Visiting With my Mom

My mom was working most of the days I was there but we still got in some good "Girly Time." We went shopping in Roseville, got pedicures, went to Home Town Buffet with Grandma Barrow, and stayed up too late in the night talking. I also love my mom's back yard. Sometimes we would just sit outside and watch the birds and eat breakfast or sip cold drinks by the pool.

Grandpa Time!

2010-06-22T17:03:00.000-04:00

Gauche Park and Grandpa's House

On our first full day in California, my dad took the day off work and picked us up to take us to lunch and playtime at the park. Then we went back to his house and William got to play with one of the highlights of his trip, the Imaginext Dragon Castle. Then we relaxed outside and Grandpa taught William how to hit and and throw a baseball.

Sunday Afternoon Barbeque and Homemade Ice Cream

On Sunday, after church and naps, we headed back to Grandpa's house for some more Dragon Castle fun and barbeque ribs. We celebrated an early Father's Day with a couple of gifts, a Navy tee shirt and a framed scrapbook page of an interview with William about his grandpa. Then after relaxing and visiting, we were treated with my dad's famous homemade ice cream. Mmmmmm!

San Francisco Trip

My dad suggested a trip to San Francisco so we headed out in the morning to spend the day in the Foggy City. On the way, I wanted to stop at the new Nut Tree shopping center. It has a kid's play area that is new and cool in an old school way. When was the last time you saw teeter totters and a push merry-go-round? There was also a carousel, rocking horses, giant checker and chess boards, and a little train that went around the park. After William ran himself ragged, we had lunch at Fenton's Ice Cream. Then we crossed the bay and headed for the Exploratorium in San Francisco. I had been there once as a kid and thought it was cool. It was science nerd heaven and I was very bored, but William liked checking out all the stuff and pushing buttons so I endured it for him. This must have been what it was like for my mom when we went there 20+ years ago. On the way home, we stopped in Vallejo to have dinner with my uncle Gene, who is always a hoot. It was a big day and we were all exhausted when we finally got back.

Visiting Yuba City

2010-06-22T16:58:00.000-04:00

As much as I love living in the East, I often miss my family and friends and ache to be with them in California. No matter how crazy I think the state in general is (politics, social policies, etc.), I have a lot of fond memories there. My family and friends of course, but here are a few little known special memories.

Palm Trees

I know that palm trees are not limited to CA, but seeing them always reminded me of home. Actually, they remind me of my Grandma Barrow's home because she used to have a big one in her yard. When I was little, we lived in Nevada, and would drive to Yuba City pretty often and I always knew we were close to Grandma's house when I saw the palm trees.

The Smell of Star Jasmine

It's the most wonderful smell to me. This plant is everywhere and when I get a whiff, I immediately think of my mom's backyard, family get togethers, happy school memories, dating Sean, friends from high school. Basically all good memories associated with my childhood come flooding back with the smell of star jasmine.

Hydrangeas

I LOVE these giant balls of flowers. Both of my grandmas had them in their yards and when we would visit, I always wished I could bring a big bouquet home with me. I've tried over and over to grow my own, but they never seem to thrive as well as they do in California.

Since my parents' divorce it's been tricky when it came to visiting my old home town of Yuba City. William and I bounced back and forth from my mom to my dad and it was a very exhausting 10 days. But, we were never bored and always had something going on and someone to visit. William was in grandparent heaven. Because there was so much going on, I'm splitting my posts into Grandma time and Grandpa time.

Dutch Wonderland

2010-06-08T20:26:00.001-04:00

For Memorial Day we headed out to Lancaster to go to Dutch Wonderland. It's a kids amusement park and water park. It was a lot of fun. William is a little thrill junkie. H,kept wanting the rides to go faster and higher. He was very sad when he told he was not big enough to ride the one big roller coaster. He made due on the little one, though. It's a shame we didn't get to the water park side of the park before the thunderstorm hit. I guess we'll just have to go back another time!

The Little Roller Coaster

The Crazy Plane

The Carousel

Wonder Whip

The Frog Hopper

He rode this one like 5 times in a row!

The Fun Slide

These nice Amish people were kind enough to scowl with me!

NAVICP Field Day

2010-06-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

Sean's work had a company picnic of sorts and it was a hoot. I have a feeling that kids were not invited because William was the only one there, but no one seemed to mind and he was very well behaved. There was a barbeque and awards ceremony and a stick horse decorating contest. The event was cowboy themed so the silly relay races had western names like:

Here Comes the Cavalry! (5 person team galloping while straddling the same board)

Hog Tied Relay (3-legged race)

Saddle Sore Race (popping water balloons with your buns)

The Drought is Over (race to fill a bucket with water by using a soaked sponge)

We had a great time even though Sean's section team didn't win any of the races. That's okay because it was still fun to watch.

The Greatest Show on Earth!

2010-06-01T14:28:00.000-04:00

Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey came to Hershey on Friday. We got tickets and had a great time. I love the circus: the spectacle, and the acts, and of course, the clowns. Sean and William had never been to a circus before so it was really fun to see them discover it for the first time. We arrived early so we could go down to the floor and see some pre-show acts and meet the clowns. Like a moron, I brought a camera with dead batteries so we used Sean's phone to take pictures (not the best quality). William loved the elephants. Sean loved the trapeze acts, and I loved the see-saw acrobats and the seven motorcycles in a metal ball. It was a tradition in entertainment that has been going on for over 100 years. It really was the "Greatest Show on Earth!"

Sibling Reunion

2010-05-25T13:08:00.003-04:00

My brother, my sister, and I all live within driving distance of each other. I get to see my sister and my sister-in-law pretty frequently, but my brother has been really busy with optometry school so is usually a no show. When he let us know that he had only one week off for the next year, Robyn and I jumped on an opportunity to have a small reunion/cousin fest. We rode the train to Washington D.C. to see the Museum of Natural History. We brought a picnic lunch and ate on the Mall lawn. The kids did pretty well considering the heat and the amount of walking involved. They napped pretty hard on the Metro going back. There was game night, a barbeque, and of course, endless cousin fun. It was good times and thanks to Robyn for being a gracious hostess. I hope we can all meet up again before Darrin and his family move back West.

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Play Ball!

2010-05-17T12:32:00.004-04:00

We went to a minor league baseball game on Saturday. They had a ceremony honoring the military for Armed Forces Day. Sean got to stand on the baseline for the National Anthem. William loved his first baseball game. There was a kids zone full of inflatable slides, bounce houses, and a tot lot. I'm not a baseball fan, in fact, I think it's boring to watch, but they did a good job keeping the crowd entertained in between innings. As long as we kept the popcorn, giant pretzel, hot dog, nachos and soda plentiful, William was in heaven. He couldn't wait to call his cousin, Ryan to tell him all about his first baseball game.

Our view from the cheap seats

Armed Forces Day

Rascal the mascot

He liked William

Kids Zone

Armed Forces Day

2010-05-16T17:11:00.005-04:00

I think the best part about living in the East (at least in the areas we've lived) is the overwhelming support for the military. If we are out and Sean is wearing one of his Navy shirts or his uniform, often we will have strangers come up and thank him for his service. It makes him shy, but I love it. I am so proud to have a husband who serves his country (and the way he looks in uniform doesn't hurt either!).

Yesterday was Armed Forces Day, a day I never knew existed while living in California. There was a big festival at City Island in Harrisburg. All the military branches were there with their coolest equipment. The public was free to go inside giant helicopters, climb inside armored tanks, check out the robot drones in action, and sit in the driver's seat of an Army Hum-V. It was little boy heaven. We all had a great time.

City Park Train

On top of a tank

Driving a Hum-V

Drone Robot (Johnny 5)

Piloting a helicopter

Happy Armed Forces Day!

My sunglasses boys

Chicago Girls Weekend

2010-05-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

I had the BEST weekend with my roommates from BYU. We decided to go to Chicago because it would be a new experience to all of us. We stayed in a downtown hotel and could basically walk everywhere we needed to go. We had a tour boat ride, shopped the Magnificent Mile, ate at famous restaurants, saw a musical, had fancy high tea at The Drake Hotel, laughed at the Second City Comedy Club and relaxed all weekend. It was such a great getaway. I can't wait for our next reunion.

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Fun With Cousins

2010-04-20T14:21:00.007-04:00

My sister, Robyn and her kids came up for a quick overnight visit. William was in heaven with all the kids to play with. On Monday, we went to Adams-Ricci Park (or "The Castle Park") then lunch at Five Guys. Then we ended the day with a special treat from Aunt Heidi at the Pennsylvania Bakery. It was good times!

Easter Feaster!

2010-04-06T15:33:00.003-04:00

We had a great weekend over Easter. First, we spent Thursday through Saturday at the Candlands. We spent Friday in Washington D.C. (along with 1,000's of other people!) and had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday and a fancy feast of Honey Baked ham, fruit salad, twice baked potatoes, veggies and dip, and baked artichokes.* Then we came back home to spend Easter Sunday at our house. William was so excited to be able to hunt eggs again and he can't wait to get out and break in that new ball and mitt. The weather was perfect. A great weekend!

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* I made the baked artichoke hearts from a recipe I got from Martha Stewart. It turned out really good so I'll share it with you.

Baked Artichoke Hearts
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I used about 3 slices of white bread)
1/4 cup fresh curly leaf parsley
1/4 cup (2 oz) Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (2 oz) Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs (I used Italian seasonings, rosemary, and thyme)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 pkgs. (9 oz each) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make bread crumbs in a food processor by pulsing a few times until you have broken the slices down to crumbs. Add the parsley, cheeses, spices and salt and pulse until all are the same crumb consistency. Set aside. Divide the artichoke hearts evenly between two greased baking dishes (I used 9x13 Pyrex's but any will do as long as you have a thin layer of artichokes on the bottom). Sprinkle the bread mixture evenly over the artichokes, pressing it down between the cracks. Tap the bottom of the dishes to make sure the crumbs settle to the bottom as well. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, zest, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle evenly over the breadcrumb topping. Cover with foil (Martha also covers with parchment paper under the foil but I've done it without and it works out fine) and bake for 30 min. Increase temp. to 375 degrees and uncover. Bake for an additional 15-20 min. until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Easter Season

2010-03-31T22:29:00.003-04:00

We've had a great week with my dad, in spite of all the rain. We had breakfast with the Easter Bunny and went on an egg hunt at Boyd's Bear Country, we went bowling, played golf, drove to visit Darrin and Lynette in Philadelphia, went to the movies, colored Easter Eggs, made homemade ice cream, and played around outside when the sun finally came out. This Spring is starting out fantastic!

Golfing with Dad and Grandpa

Egg Hunt Loot!

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Sunny Days

2010-03-26T13:10:00.005-04:00

The weather was wonderful all last week. Thank goodness because I was getting stir crazy from being cooped up inside. We went on walks around the neighborhood and William got to ride his tricycle outside (finally!). We went to the park a couple of times and Sean took William down to the creek and they saw a couple of big groundhogs. It's a shame this week has been so cold. At least we have some recent warm memories to get us through it.

* I just noticed that William must have worn red every day last week.

Let's Bowl!!

2010-03-16T01:49:00.005-04:00

Last week my sister-in-law came over with her 3 girls to spend the day. William had been looking forward to it for days. He gets along really well with his cousins and it's fun to watch them play together. Since we don't have an awesome Children's Museum nearby, we decided to try bowling with the kids. They loved it!! It was so cute to watch them cheer each other on. "Go, William, Go!" "I got one, mom!" and "Yay!!" were commonly heard phrases that day. William even told me that when I cheer for him, it makes the ball go straighter down the lane. So precious! I think we might have found a new family night activity. Good thing too, because movies are expensive!

Ice Skating

2010-03-08T01:14:00.004-05:00

I'm so proud of my little guy. He's been wanting to try ice skating for weeks and we finally gave it a whirl. At first William was so excited and thought it was funny to be so wobbly on ice skates. But after one trip around the rink, he was done and ready to leave. At least he lasted that long. I'm glad he's brave enough to try new things. Maybe in a couple of years he'll be ready to try again. We live really close to the ice rink and when we pass it William says, "When I get bigger, then I can go there."

My Glory Days

2010-03-01T12:52:00.007-05:00

I just got these clips from my aunt Kelly. I miss those days when our stake would put on huge musical productions. We had some very talented people involved. I know from the clips it seems that I'm the star, but it was my aunt's video taping of just my scenes. My best friend Melissa was the lead and I played her best friend in the show. Also, Sean had a part in the show as well. I can't point him out because all the guys had fake beards on. He may be the one in part one standing behind me during my solo! It was good times. I was seventeen, a senior in high school, and completely carefree. This brings back some great memories. Thanks, Kelly!

Please Touch Museum

2010-02-25T02:29:00.003-05:00

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William and I headed out for a short road trip to Philadelphia to visit my brother's family and go to the Please Touch Museum. Too bad I didn't get to see Darrin (he had school, meetings and interviews), but we had a great time anyway.