Christmas 2009

We were so excited to be in our new home for Christmas. We were doubly (is that a word?) excited to have Randy's family spend Christmas day with us. The day started with opening presents. We make all the kids wait until everyone is ready before we go into the family room. This year took a little more waiting because Braxton had contacts to put in and McKay was lost.

OK- Braxton can see now and I found McKay.

Then it was on to opening presents. I enjoyed watching my kids interact with each other. In a moment of uncharacteristic brotherly love, Braxton was helping McKay with his new gun. Then Daddy got to show off his new present - a monster TV - and the kids got a Wii. I think we are the last people on earth to get a Wii. I held out as long as I could.

Then we had to get ready for the big family feast. My mother taught me well and we had a beautiful table. This photo is for my mom. Our dining area is large enough that we had two big tables set up in there.

This photo is for Randy. He was so proud of his roll arrangement.

I took advantage of some down time in the morning to call my sisters and enjoy some liquid refreshment.

We loved having all the family here and the big boys even got an opportunity to play the Wii.

The entire weekend was full of family and food. It was a wonderful Christmas holiday.

I Need an Amy

When I moved to Elko over 5 years ago, I had a built-in network thanks to my church associations. One of those wonderful associations was my dear friend Amy Lords. Amy had lived in Elko long enough to know where the good stuff was and she had a small family (four little boys) so she was a thrifty shopper.

At this time, there was a great bread debate in my house. Where is the best and cheapest bread? It had to freeze well because I would buy several loaves when it was on sale and freeze them. You can stick any bread in the freezer, but whether or not it thaws out just right (not soggy or hard as a rock) is a determining factor in buying bread. So I was experimenting with various varieties of bread and Amy saved my life one day. She had done the same thing at some point and had determined what the best loaf for the best price was. She did my homework for me and saved me such a hassle.

And now I have moved from Elko and find myself yet again in the midst of another great bread debate. Today, as I purchased three more different loaves of bread, I thought, "If only I had an Amy...."

Little Drummer Boy

We went to Braxton's Christmas band concert on Thursday night and endured the 6th grade band. Then the 7th grade band started their first piece and the gymnasium went pitch black. No lights except the emergency exit lights and everybody's cell phones. Unknown to us was that the power was out for a 60-mile stretch on this side of the state. After sitting in the dark and singing Christmas carols for about 20 minutes, they finally rescheduled the concert for the next Monday. Back we went for Monday's performance where I was able to capture this video of Braxton. You are not required to watch the following video unless you are grandparents; however, if you find some pleasure in the torturing sounds of beginning band, feel free to watch.

Ballet

Kilee wanted to take ballet so I found a school when we moved and every Friday we drive into town for ballet class. Before Christmas, her school had a demonstration and lecture- whatever that is. Here's my beautiful ballerina (with and without the flash) before it started (it was held at the Rexburg Tabernacle).

Kilee's teacher is Miss Holly, and we really like Miss Holly. She is so patient with the girls.

Next stop---I'm not sure. In all reality, we went to Arctic Circle and shared egg nog shakes (yuck, by they way).

Outside

Many of you wrote and wanted to know what the outside of my house looked like. When I took the pictures of the inside, I couldn't do the outside because it was cluttered with trucks, trailers, and warm bodies.

So - to complete the tour of my house, may I present to you the outside:

Merry Christmas!

I did not send out Christmas cards this year. I'm sorry. Guiltily, I opened all your cards and received your warm wishes and made a promise that next year I'll do better. And I just might. So far I'm doing great at every other year. But if I had sent out Christmas cards and a family letter, this is what it would have said:

Another year is almost over and we are almost sad to see it go. Even though 2009 was hard, it was a great year for us and we had some good things happen.

In March, Randy was offered a job as the education administrator at a juvenile corrections center in Idaho. A school district in Colorado was also an option, but we felt strongly that Idaho was where we were supposed to be. He began work the end of April. The kids and I stayed in Nevada to get the school year over with. We put our house on the market the first of June and had an offer in 36 hours. It was truly a blessing and a confirmation that this is where we are supposed to be.

Unfortunately, finding a house in Idaho did not go so smoothly. We looked at a lot of houses, and eventually, we found a home we loved, but it involved going through a short sale. We made an offer on the home in July, but quickly learned that short sale stands for anything but short. We moved into an apartment (which was scary and you can read about it here) and got the kids into school, knowing that we'd probably be moving in the middle of the school year. We finally closed on the house in November and were able to move the first week of December.

Randy loves his job, but since his facility is always open, school runs year round. We are still adjusting to not having Christmas break, spring break, and summer vacation. On the other hand, he doesn't have to discipline students and he doesn't have to deal with parents. He intends to begin his Ph.D. in the fall. We must be crazy.

Braxton started 7th grade at one school and will finish at another. I think junior high is hard enough without having to switch schools in the middle of the year. He started band this year (percussion) and loves it. He loves reading and I struggle to keep him in books. He got to go to scout camp for the first time this past summer and loved it. He loves going to Young Men's activities and tolerates playing the piano.

Tanner is in 5th grade and hated to leave his old school. On the first day at his old school, he made 19 new friends. On the first day at his new school, he made 19 more new friends. He is a friendly, social boy and has a great sense of humor. He's working on earning his Webelos badge as it has been hard with two moves and three wards. In January, he will no longer take piano lessons from mom but will go to the same teacher Braxton is taking from. Tanner and mom are excited about that. Tanner is the tall one in the picture below.

Kilee is in 2nd grade and loves her friends. She has a new little friend who lives behind us and they love playing together. Kilee gets a little lonely being the only girl so we're glad for her cousins and friends to play with. She is a great helper around the house and loves to be neat and organized. Really, she's my sister's daughter but somehow ended up at my house. She can't wait to be baptized in June and is lobbying for pierced ears.

McKay is 3 and is just fun to have around. He's such a good boy and can't wait for his turn to go to school. His favorite time of day is when his brothers and sister get off the school bus. He loves nursery and is getting ready to go to primary in January. He loves his daddy and is his little buddy.

I miss Nevada more than I thought I would. I miss my friends (good friendships take time to build, you know) and I miss the blue Nevada skies. I graduated with my master's degree in May and am so glad to be done. I'm still tutoring for the college in Elko, doing all my work online. I miss the classroom, though, so I will start teaching at BYU-Idaho in January. I'm thrilled about this opportunity and have felt so at home in the English department there.

We have loved the opportunities that we've had this year to cement friendships, reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. We have truly been blessed in 2009, and count our blessings every day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Mi Casa

Welcome to our new home! Our house sits on 1.33333333 acres on a dirt lane. We are now the proud owners of 59 can lights (Braxton counted). Let's take a tour! The view from the front door:

There are two doors which you cannot see in this picture. To the left is the master bedroom. To the right is the piano room. The door you can see on the left is the hall closet. The door on the right is the powder room. Straight ahead is the great room. (I've spent a lot of time perusing house plans that use fancy names. )


The powder room:




The piano room looking in:



The piano room from the stairs, looking back towards the entry way:



The master bedroom:



Another view, looking towards the master bath/closet:


At the top of the stairs is an open space, otherwise known as a loft.To the left is the hallway and three bedrooms and a bathroom. To the right is the bonus room which contains a ping-pong table, an air hockey table, a foosball table, a wet bar, and surround sound. What it does not contain, and won't for an unspecified amount of time, is something to sit on. I forgot to take a picture of the bonus room. Notice that dark spot on the left of the photograph above?

That is this interesting little cubby hole. Can you say bean bag and a good book? Here is another view of the loft, looking towards the bonus room:

The upstairs bath.

The shower is to the left and further back, to the left of the toilet, is a closet. That means that when the kids run out of TP while sitting on the john, it's just a reach away. Quite convenient.

Braxton and Tanner's bedroom. This is Braxton's side:

And this is Tanner's side:

Where the dormer windows are, they each have a vaulted ceiling. Built into the ceiling are rope lights and the switches will be by their beds. They are totally excited about "NIGHT LIGHTS" but I'm thinking I'll unplug those babies and save me some $$$ on the power bill.

Kilee's room has a this fun little cubby hole. It even has lights and electrical outlets. I think I need another bean bag.

Back downstairs, you have one of my favorite parts of the house:

Look at those book cases! Oh- I can't wait to fill them! Look at those cold air returns! I forgot to put the covers back on before I took the picture!

This is Randy's favorite part of the house:

See that big empty spot above the fireplace? The one that screams "BIG FLAT SCREEN TV!" It's a man's spot.

Here's my other favorite part:

Cue oohs and ahhs.

But wait! There's more!

Cue more oohs and ahhs. My very own pantry! I'm so excited I don't even know what to do with myself. Randy just has to put a big red bow on the door (which is all we can afford at this point) and Christmas is done.

From the kitchen, here is the view:

My beat-up kitchen table will look kinda sad in this lovely spot:

This is the back hallway.

Or something. What do you call this little spot? One door goes to the garage, one door to the family room, one door to the backyard, and it's open to the kitchen. Braxton calls it the intersection. Randy wants to call it the 4-way. I just want to call someone to take the ladder out to the garage.

No house tour is complete without a view of the laundry room.

Since there is nothing in it, this is a great time to show it to the world. It's clean for the very last time.

Now, back out the front door you go.

There are my kids' backpacks. We're home.

-2

That would be the temperature when my kidlets got on the school bus this morning. It might have dropped that cold once last year. It's only December 2nd, folks. I don't think that I am the least bit prepared for the winters here. My kids are wearing three coats to school these days.

Note to self: find better winter coats.

Peachy French Toast with updates

I think that the week I'm moving is a great time to post a recipe. What else do I have to do besides update my blog? Pack the kitchen? Paint? Clean bathrooms? Nah. I'd rather do this.

I discovered this yummy dish almost eight years ago when Randy and I stayed with Kent and Janice Howard in Elko. Janice is a fabulous cook. She served this yummy dish for breakfast. Since then, it has become a family favorite. When we had fresh peaches this fall, I made this for breakfast a few times and my kids thought they were in heaven. This is a recipe from Taste of Home and you can find a printable version on their website by clicking here.

Let's get started. This recipe has to sit overnight so plan ahead.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You may be tempted to only simmer for one minute, but the longer you simmer, the better the syrup is at the end. Pour the sauce into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Let me just caution you on the stirring business. Don't use a plastic spoon for this part or else your spoon will look like this:
And then you have to throw that whole batch away and start over.



Drain a 29 oz. can of sliced peaches and arrange over the syrup. Or if you have a quart jar of your own peaches, just drain that and use those. Or if it's the right season and you have a peach tree, use four or five fresh peaches. Or you could spend a bundle on fresh peaches out of season. Just slice up some peaches and cover the syrup in the bottom of that pan.

Slice up a left-over loaf of French bread and arrange 12 slices over the peaches. Then wisk together six eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. **Randy kindly reminded me that nobody ever just has left-over French bread. So- just go buy a loaf of French bread and use it to make this tomorrow. See- now it's left over (night).

Pour the egg mixture over the bread.

I like to pour slowly and make sure that all my bread is soaked with the egg mixture. It will taste better tomorrow. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, take the mixture out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 350. Let the French toast sit for 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes covered; uncover and bake another 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the French toast comes out clean.

I forgot to take a pretty picture of it when it came out of the oven. So here's a pretty picture half eaten. The syrup becomes all runny and yummy and is so good on the French toast.

Yummy!

**Another note, I made this once using powdered eggs and powdered milk from my food storage, and my own canned peaches. It worked out great! I was teaching a Relief Society class on food storage and wanted to teach the sisters that it was possible to make yummy food from your food storage. Truth be told, I think this is the only thing I've ever made with stuff in my food storage.

**Except that's not true. I made brownies once with powdered eggs. I don't recommend it. Randy literally had to chisel them out of the pan. Hard as a rock. He says he broke a chisel.

Home Sweet Lean-To

For the last 112 days (but who's counting?) we've lived in this dungeon and have taken walks and gone running up and down the roads in this little community. It's been interesting, to say the least. As one of my friends put it, "It was good enough for grandpa and good enough for them and it's gonna be good enough for their kids, by golly." In other words, change or progress is not evident here. I heard someone else put it another way, "You have to marry your cousin to live up there." Yes, there are several last names, but one way or another, those names all lead back to one family tree.


But this post really isn't about either one of those things. It's about this:

Is it a house? Is it a trailer? Is it three stories? or two and a half? These strucutres, otherwise known as homes, literally litter the countryside. Feel free to discuss this building craze amongst yourselves.

Thankful

Growing up, Thanksgiving was a day of work. At some point, my parents hit upon a great plan for my dad to get work done outside and my mom to get dinner fixed without kids harassing her. Thanksgiving day became the day we restacked the wood pile. And somehow the timing always worked out such that we couldn't eat (i.e. dinner wasn't done yet) until the pile was restacked.

Then we moved and my parents decided the furnace was better than the wood-burning stove (no, it's not, but it is less work). They just had a dwindling family, see, and now they would have to haul, chop, and stack the wood themselves so it didn't seem to be so important.

Eventually, my mother started a new Thanksgiving tradition of going around the table and saying what you're grateful for. Mostly, I can't remember what I said. Since I'm not with my extended family today, I thought maybe I'd take a minute and share with you what I'm grateful for this year.

*My husband. As marriages are falling apart all around us, I'm grateful he's willing to work on ours.

*My children. People we know struggle to have babies and I've been blessed with four.

*My husband's job. More and more jobs are disappearing and we are grateful every day that Randy has a great job that he loves.

*My education. One of the best moments of my life was earning my master's degree. Nobody can take my knowledge away from me.

*Good health. We can get out of bed every day and go about our activities.

*Rod & Christy inviting us to share Thanksgiving with them. I don't think I could bring myself to cook up a turkey in this apartment. I hope they have pumpkin pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Time Out!

Randy wasn't very pleased with the mouse post so it's time to move on.

10 days ago I was able to meet my two best friends in Salt Lake City for Time Out for Women. I'm not sure what I expected, but I got more than I imagined. Besides three great days with two of my favorite people, I was spiritually fed and uplifted.



We did some shopping Friday afternoon and then ran to my aunt's house to leave our things. Thank you, Aunt Dixie, for hosting us. We enjoyed every minute we spent with you and Uncle Gary. Then it was off to the Salt Palace to hang with 3,300 other women.

Friday was fabulous as we got to hear from Wendy Watson Nelson, wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson, and Sheri Dew. Saturday we were entertained by Mary Ellen Edmunds and Emily Watts, and we were taught by S. Michael Wilcox and Kris Blecher. It was really an uplifting experience. Lori, Vicki, and I spent some time talking about what we learned and we know.


Some things will not be forgotten: the beaver hat, running to Olive Garden to get a table for lunch, makeovers, scary Walmart, Trulee forgetting very important things like a toothbrush and pajamas.


Some things will be treasured: knowing that I couldn't ask for two better friends in all the world, knowing that my husband loves me (and didn't complain at all about taking a day off work so I could go), knowing that I'm here for a purpose, and knowing that there are women out there who love and live and struggle and rejoice, just like me.


We made plans for next year. Now that I think about it, we made a lot of plans over the weekend. Plans that involve three women and no husbands or children. Plans that I know we will carry out. And I can't wait!

#21

It's not a big secret that I greatly dislike where we are currently living. I couldn't find a house that I loved (or even liked, for that matter) and we needed to get into a place fast because school was starting. This little basement apartment came up and the landlord didn't require a lease, which was good because that means we can leave anytime...like next week when we move into a house...a house which I love, by the way.


In the meantime, this apartment has provided its set of challenges. We dealt with quite a few spiders when we first moved in. My kids aren't scared of those anymore. Not even McKay. He'll grab a shoe and take out the spider. Over the weekend, he rolled over a little one with his toy car.


One other challenge, that isn't as easy to deal with, has been mice. Not A mouse, but MICE, as in lots. More than I've seen in the last five years. We didn't have a single mouse in Elko. I loved the neighbor's cat because of that. Now that I think about it, we've probably caught more in this apartment than I've seen in my whole 36 years.


Most of them have been caught under the kitchen sink, but we did have some glue traps around just in case. Saturday morning Randy observed this little creature in a glue trap next to the dryer.

Disgusting, huh? This is #21. It was still alive at this point so then there was some morbid excitement about how to take out the mouse. If you know Braxton, you know how it ended. And try as I might to keep three other kids from watching, it was somewhat of a victory for them.

In case you are wondering, the next one will be #27. Please don't call Health and Welfare on us yet. Give me one week to get moved out and into my house.

Coming soon - pictures of my new house!!!

A Fine Fall Day

During our last bit of beautiful weather, Randy took the kids (and the camera) for a walk.

We live less than a mile from the Fall River and it's a fun walk there and back.


These are not our dogs. They belong to the guy up the road. These dogs like to go to the river, too.

These are the Tetons. Not a great picture...

Most of the canals are empty so they walked out on a foot bridge and had a seat.

And this is McKay later that night.

It was, in all, a fine fall day.