find joy in the journey

quesadilla & guacamole . . . works for me!

 
 yum-o!  I love this dinner.  It's a recipe I pulled from Parents magazine (thanks to my free subscription - another great deal find).

You need: 

• 14 oz. chicken breast tenders, or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1Tbs. Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning blend (I haven't been able to find this in my store so I use 1 Tbs. McCormick's Montreal Chicken Grill Mates Seasoning and the juice from 1/2 lime)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2/3 cup chopped red sweet pepper
• 1/3 cup frozen corn
• shredded cheese
• tortillas

Coarsely chop the chicken tenders and toss with the seasoning blend.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink inside.

Add pepper and corn to chicken and cook for 2 minutes.  Spoon filling onto tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, top with another tortilla and cook quesadilla style.  Serves 4.

Serve with guacamole.

Here's a little something I tried to whip up some guacamole.  I caught part of a Food Nanny episode on BYU-TV and I think this is what she did.  So, so good and easy.

Mash 1 avocado with a fork.  Add 1 clove of garlic (minced), juice of 1/2 lime, and several dashes of salt (to your liking).  Mix and enjoy.

she left proof

in May, you may remember when I commiserated over the lack of grandmother photos in my possession.  I'm assuming I'm not the only one in this boat.  ?

Recently, I came across a blog post on the same subject.  This time focusing on mothers.  Me.  You.  Click on the link and read the italicized note.  About a mother who made it a point to get pictures of herself with her children often.  We shouldn't shy away from the camera and she explains, "to use excuses about how we look, as women, is ridiculous, since our children will never care what we looked like, but only that we had physical evidence of the bond between mother and child."

I whole-heartedly agree.  I love these pictures of my mom and me together.

 

And I know that she would look at them and comment on her hair, her pregnant belly, or the fact that she just gave birth.  (Sorry, mom.  I know you too well!)  But I think she is beautiful.  It gives me a glimpse into a time, a mom, a face that I can't remember simply because I was too young.  And it is evidence of time spent together, of time & effort spent for my benefit (even when I was making grumpy comments moments before the picture was taken -- upper right), and evidence of a bond.

Bottomline, put worry about looks aside and get in the shot.  Easier said than done, right?  :)

Secondly, we all know that moms don't get in the pictures because we are the ones behind the camera.  {Raising hand high}.  I try to fix this by handing the camera over to Scott (or the kids) and saying, "I want proof that I was here."  They are usually happy to oblige.  I just have to be happy with the results.  That automatic 10-second timer also comes in pretty handy.

On our recent trip to California I tried to put this into practice.

More than the physical, photographic proof that we leave for our kids . . . there is the in-the-thick-of-it, day-after-day, being there, loving proof that we are mothers who respect and treasure the responsibility that we have been given.  I've long appreciated these words by Elder Holland and was delighted and touched to hear them again in this segment for and about mothers.

That says it all.  And take a few pictures along the way, too.  

24.7 life in a day

first off, my husband spoils me.  

this weekend marks 5 (cumulative) years with his company so they offered him a gift, thank you, reward . . . whatever you want to call it.  Instead of picking something for himself from the list of options, he let me choose something for me.  Awwww . . . 

So I chose an ipod nano and I love it!  This weekend I had a lot of fun playing around with the video camera.

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I came across this 24.7 Life in a Day project on YouTube and decided to join in.

With my ipod nano I captured 10 seconds of video, each hour of the day.  Not necessarily on the hour, but sometime within the hour.

Here is my life in a day.  7-24-2010

7:00am - morning at the ward campout.  Warming bums by the fire.

8:00am - pancake, egg, & sausage breakfast.

9:00am - kids at the camp playground

10:00am - primary pioneer day parade

11:00am - home with mountains of laundry

12:00pm - checking facebook

1:00pm - folding laundry

2:00 & 3:00pm -- cut Scott's hair and watch 2 episodes of Glee, Season 1.

4:00pm - waking up from a cat nap on the couch

5:00pm - ironing Anna's dress

6:00pm - at an outdoor wedding reception (they're playing our family's summer theme song)

7:00pm - leaving the reception and making plans

8:00pm - Coldstone

9:00pm - goodnight, Conner

what's under your bed?

well, under ours you will find a guitar, assorted duffel bags, and  . . . . light sabers.

 

No, we do not pull them out for light saber battles after the kids go to bed.  But we could.

Now, on top of our bed you will find this

the Heavenly Bed.  Ahhhhhh . . . . . Feel the comfort.

For years we have talked and dreamed about having a Heavenly Bed.  Every time we stay at a Westin we sooo look forward to that wonderful, dreamy sleep.  When you sink back in the pillows all your cares and worries just melt away.

And now our dreams came true today.  Our current mattress is 11 years old and has been great.  But for a while now Scott has been dealing with an achy back every morning.  When he suggested getting a heavenly bed I didn't put up a stink.  (Plus they're having a sale right now - 25% off everything heavenly).

I've been running around town this afternoon and shopping online to gather a new bedding ensemble.  Most of it is here so far and I looooove it.

• all white sheets
• white matelasse duvet, & shams
• porcelain blue quilt & euro shams
• and 3 layers of pillowy comfort

Since we're freshening up our bed I think it's the perfect time to freshen up the bedroom & bathroom as a whole.  Which translates to . . . . paint.  These colors are inspiring me.  (that's our blue quilt on the right)

 

Going for a relaxing, airy, calming, fresh feeling.

Now I just have to figure out what walls get what colors.  Anyone want to come over and stare at walls with me?  It's my latest favorite past-time.

us: pictured

well, I got a little side-tracked and the seattle report is going to have to wait, because I just got a CD containing our family pictures in the mail!

As you can see I've been tweaking the blog a bit with the updated pics.  The photos are giving me all kinds of inspiration for re-working this place, so pardon my dust as I play around for the next few days.

I love the pictures.  I love love love the lighting!  That wonderful golden glow.  I love the way everyone looks in the pictures . . . at our best.  I love how the outfits look together.  But most of all I love that we have great family pictures that I can hang on our walls.

Our photographer was Missy Cochran and she was great!  She scouted the location for us, had an ample supply of smarties on hand for cooperative, smiling children, and beautifully captured our family right here, right now.

 

I mentioned in an earlier post that she took some time at the end of the session to do some silly pictures with the kids.  And they were alllll over that.  The picture below is my absolute favorite from the odd, head-scratching, "are-these-really-my-children" antics that went on in front of the camera.

Can you guess what they are doing?

 

The Robot.
 
       

seattle posers

Last week we went on a little family trip to Seattle.  A city vacation.  We had a great time and I have lots to share, but right now I'm spending my time herding eleven 8-10 year old boys from archery, to weaving, to BB-guns, to tug-of-war all the while trying to keep the swarms of mosquitoes at bay.  I'm claiming success so far -- I think I only have 3 bites. 

I downloaded all my trip pictures tonight and I noticed a common theme.  We like to pose with stuff.  Statues, odd toys and costumes, whatever strikes our fancy.  Here's a little preview of Seattle through some of it's oddities and lesser known landmarks.

 top to bottom, left to right:

penguin outside the Pier 55 T-Shirt Company; a cuddly, stuffed, enlarged replica of the bird flu virus in the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop; in the train station; riding Free Willy in the Seattle Aquarium; entrance to Pirate's Plunder on Pier 57; the hammering man outside the Seattle Art Museum; random totem poles; a wolf hat in Pirate's Plunder - Anna giving her best howl; fisherman in a fish & chips place (Payton requested this photo-op).

project life: june

june 5:  the culmination of 8 months of ballet lessons . . . the big recital.  The theme was the Wizard of Oz and Anna's class played the part of the Lollipop Kids. She LOVED the hooker stage make-up most of all.  When I applied mascara her eyes lit up in the mirror, "they got bigger!"  As you can see, she was an adorable ballerina.

june 13:  First things first, I am loving coral/peachy pink this season.  Secondly, I made this awesome ruffle bracelet to wear with my ensemble at the garden party back in April.  The brooch belonged to my Grandma Neva.  I think it gives the perfect touch.

june 17:  He's done with 3rd grade.  Wow.  I asked why he gave me this "sleepy" pose and he said it's because 3rd grade was soooo easy.  He has had a great year . . . . he's well into the 5th grade math book and just started the 5th grade reading curriculum at the end of the school year.  Way to go, bud!

june 22:  Riding the conveyor belt is fun to do!  Fun to do!  To do, to do!  Riding the conveyor belt is fun to do!  To do to do to do!

june 28:  I've got a date with some toilets.  Back from vacation and back to the real world.  Mondays are for cleaning bathrooms.  

eclipse fashion

ready to walk the black carpet for my premiere of Eclipse (last friday night)

 

(polka dot top: H&M; denim leggings: Express; shoes: too old to remember; belt: made by me)

I seriously did not plan to match the book cover,

 . . . black with a red ribbon.  It just happened that way.

I also did not coordinate with my movie-going group to all wear black and white.  It just happened that way.  A fun coincidence.

As for the belt -- totally cute, huh?!

 I found the tutorial for this on Ruffles and Stuff.  I'm already looking for excuses to make more.  I also wore this with a blue & white striped dress on Sunday -- a nice little patriotic touch.

Scott and I went on an afternoon date today so he could see the movie.  He is in agreement that it was a pretty cool battle/fight scene.  He thought it should be longer, though.

Now that I've got my Eclipse movie fix I want to re-read the book, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, and Breaking Dawn (before that movie comes out next fall).  Looks like I've got some summer reading to keep me busy!

the 3rd of july

earlier this week Conner had an orthodontist appointment.  No braces.  Yet.  Just checking his spacing after they pulled some baby teeth last year.  Anywhoo, the ortho asked "Are you doing anything fun on the 4th of July?"  Conner replied, "you mean, more like the 3rd of July.  We have to remember to keep the Sabbath day holy."  And . . . . silence and tight-lipped grins from the ortho and his assistant.

So, on the 3rd of July we decided to get filthy, fill our bellies with delicious food, and enjoy some crazy fireworks.

 

and Payton was able to cross something off his summer fun list . . . . hold a snake.

 

not on his summer fun list . . . an allergy attack so bad your eyelids puff up like marshmallows.

The kids ran free, the adults visited, and aside from this creepy baby doll (who I know is going to pop into my nightmares at some point) it was a great afternoon & evening with friends.

 

Oh the terror.  Definitely sending out some Chucky vibes.  I could barely contain my laughter long enough to get this pictures.  You probably had to be there.  :)

 

I tried a fun red, white, and blue Jell-O dish.  See the recipe here:  Stained Glass Jell-O.  I didn't cut it into stars (didn't have the time, or patience), but it still looked good and served fabulously from a 9x13 glass dish.

Happy 4th (or 3rd) of July to you!  Hope you have had a wonderful grilling, sparkling, playing, flag-waving kind of weekend!

july 1st: summer fun so far

Not too bad for the first 2 weeks of summer vacation.

While in California we went on a great hike in Yosemite National Park.  The views were spectacular,

 

At about the half-way mark we made it to a footbridge where we got our first glimpse of Vernal Falls,

 

The entire hike was uphill, and considering this was the first time we've attempted something like this with our family, the kids did great!  I asked them if they'd like to go hiking again when we get home and they all said yes.  Yippee!  This is something I have wanted to do with our family for ages and now it looks like everyone is checked out.

As we walked further the sound of the waterfall got louder, the air got breezier and colder, and soon a damp mist was in the air.  We came around a corner and this was the view,

Isn't that gorgeous?  This is also the point where Payton, my mom, Heidi, Carlee, Preston, and I turned around and headed back down.  Too wet.  The rest of the crew (Dad, Scott, Conner, Anna, and Sam) continued on to the top, yes the very tippy top of the water falls.  As you can imagine, they got soaked.  Anna and my dad didn't actually go to the very top.  They turned around when the trail and steps started getting treacherous and very slippery.  But Anna wanted to keep on going!  They had to make her stop and turn around.  For the return hike I called her "Anna the Brave."  She quite liked that.

Other summer fun things we've done that are not on the list:

*The kids wore Nature Bracelets while on our nature walk to collect leaves, flowers, sticks, and even a lizard tail.

 
* I gave all the girls (mom, heidi, carlee, anna, and me) glitter toes one night.  A sparkly red in honor of the upcoming holiday.  I think Anna is going to get some blue glitter fingers this weekend as well.

*The kids painted t-shirts for the 4th of July, using stencils made from freezer paper.  I got the idea from Family Fun.  It worked great!  I had no idea you could iron freezer paper on your shirt and it would stick.  Definitely adding this one to my bag of tricks.

Okay, that's all the fun I have to share now.  Hope you're having a fun summer as well!