Fun (and not so fun) Times!

I'm attempting to get all of the recent fun (and some NOT so!) times here, just so I don't forget my blessings.

We spent a great Thanksgiving day with friends in York and had the most amazing food, along with super company! We brought the apple chestnut stuffing, Conan's yummy mashed potatoes, and our family's favorite peanut butter chocolate ganache pie!!! We learned some good games, too (like Dutch blitz!).

On black Friday, we skipped the mall and instead took Emma to her amazing piano teacher's house to decorate a magnificent gingerbread house. This wonderful woman makes nearly a thousand houses to donate to a school she began in Brooklyn, NY, and also enough to give to all of her (MANY) quite fortunate piano students. Then the kids and I hopped in the car and drove the 6 hours to North Carolina to spend a few days with Renee', our mom (who was visiting), and cute niece! They had just moved in, minus brother in-law Ashley who was working his ridiculously long commuting job to Bulgaria... (talk about jet lag!) Anyway, he's home now for a few weeks- yeah! We had a fun filled weekend- it was beautiful and mainly we just laughed a whole bunch. After we made the trek home, braving D.C. and Baltimore traffic with gritted teeth and thankfully,Christmas music blaring, we waited and waited to find out if we are moving to a new place- thanks to mold growing in ours... ugh.

Meanwhile, Emma still suffering with unidentifiable stomach pains, which began while taking a strong antibiotic last month for bronchitis, came down with another awful bronchial infection. Our poor little girl has been suffering. She has missed 24 days of school so far this year... She has now experienced blood tests, chest x-rays, the ER, inhalers, and lots of medicine. That's been the not so fun part... She is finally back to school, as of yesterday, and is in good spirits again.

As of today, we are for sure moving, (like next week) which thought kind of makes my skin crawl, but (oh joy), to a beautiful home not too far away where we will stay put for a LONG time. There is always a silver lining... As I attempt not to give in to anxiety over it all, I remember that things always work out somehow, and continue to feel immense peace. It's so amazing to know that we are being watched over and looked out for. Especially in the darkest hours... At such a wonderful time of the year, I am humbled and grateful for the trials which always seem to turn around when we think we can't handle them another minute (and usher in the blessings...).

Christmas Music Already???

This morning I climbed into the minivan to take Emma to school, and on to Monday morning stuff, when I hit the stereo power button... I was pretty much shocked by what I heard! No, it wasn't the usual profanity or annoying lyrics of today's music, but the sound of Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" that completely threw me off! Whatever happened to Thanksgiving??? Are we just skipping it altogether this year? Wow... What a disappointment. I LOVE Christmas music! That's not the problem... But when I consider what my ancestor, William Brewster sacrificed to come to this land on the Mayflower, all that was lost in the pursuit of religious freedom, all of the peril and trial he and his fellow shipmates endured (for years); I feel a little loss at the prospect of a forgotten holiday that celebrates gratitude for the gifts God so lovingly bestows on us.
So, that's it for today. As thrilled as I always feel when Christmas time approaches, I truly cherish Thanksgiving. For the bounty, the blessings, the time with family and friends, and the pause to thank Heavenly Father for all of his love and mercy; for the many things we take for granted. I am focusing this week on living in gratitude daily (as we were so gently reminded recently by a living prophet in General Conference) and for living in the present, not dwelling on the past or waiting for the future. That's all... Gratitude!

Halloween!

(Since I always forget to blog, I'm in the mood and am attempting to catch up a little!)
We were happily surprised that here in Pennsylvania, when this lovely holiday falls on the Sabbath, many of the townships schedule trick-or-treating and festivities for the preceding Saturday night! Our very own township did just that, so we were able to dress up our girls for friends' parties and send them out to collect many pounds of sugary treats. Conan spent two hours going back and forth from the front door to Christian's room down the hall where they were video gaming, while I spent a good hour devouring a favorite mystery book, then visiting with our good friends who stopped by with their adorable little 2 year old "elephant" (daughter)! Elizabeth, being a teenager, wouldn't finish her cat makeup until she arrived at the party, so I never got the completed picture, and Emma was extremely comfy in some newly acquired footy pajamas! Christian and his friends put on masks and raised their deep voices an octave or so in an attempt to collect some candy bars (by sounding 13)! This was after they lined up on the back deck with air soft guns, shooting into the back yard... such boys! It was too fun!!! Pumpkin carving was slimy as always and we roasted some of the seeds coated with butter and the amazing Mediterranean sea salt I brought back from Mallorca this summer! Yuuuuuumy!

Hurray For Paint!!!

I was so completely horrified by the state of the walls in our new place; covered with patches of spackle and builder-grade flat white paint! So, while my hard working husband was out of town earning a living, I moved everything to the center of the family room and after pouring over hundreds- maybe thousands, of paint colors, just went with the colors calling out to me, the ones I loved! I kind of gulped, bought the 3 gallons, one for each room, and broke out the rollers and drop cloths. After an agonizing 4 days (you know how it is... trying to live with everything in disarray, running out of paint with half a wall to go... etc...) I had a beautiful new home! Really, that's what it felt like. I'm relishing in the deliciousness of robins-egg blue for the family room, a yummy cinnamon hued kitchen, and every time we come and go, loving the dramatic deep blue-green entryway! Since we are relegated to renting at the moment, it's all I can really do to make the space my own, and it makes a dramatic difference in turning a house into a home! It just feels like me! By the way, I LOVE the new Martha Stewart paint at Home Depot. It covers entirely in one coat, and has an amazing depth to it- for about $25 a gallon! NICE!

Looking Back at Summer!

I really am shocked at how long it's been since I've been on here!!! It's insane! Anyway, we've had some really crazy last several months and I'm finally sitting down to do some updating... Here's the condensed recap: we moved in June in an effort to return to our kids' former schools, couldn't find a house, so we shoved all of our belongings in a huge storage unit! July 1st, the kids and I (and dog) took off in our blue minivan and drove to Provo by way of Nauvoo, IL, then to Mesa, Tucson, then across the southern U.S. to Mississippi, then returned to PA!!! Quite crazy! That took some time... I kind of stayed extra long in Utah because of a stubborn infection that got me down.. I had to be back in PA by the 2nd of August to board an airplane out of Philadelphia heading to Spain! Emma and I got to experience life on the island of Palma de Mallorca (quite a destination!), then Renee' and I were fortunate enough to head off to London for a weekend of great food, comfy bedding, the Tube, and LOTS of walking! We had a blast! After returning to Spain for several more days, we came back to the states (very grateful to be able to understand those annoying airport announcements, and not having a 4 inch cockroach try to attack my feet while USING a public bathroom-yep it happened in Mallorca...). Unfortunately, Conan still couldn't find a house while we were gone; fortunately we have some amazing friends who took in our lovely teenagers while Conan and I were both gone (his business trips..) Hence, an extended hotel stay... fun, fun... We all survived!

Now I'm thinking about it all and wondering HOW we actually survived, but here we are, in a new place with some really super memories... I have the best husband and children in the world along with extended family- my mom, siblings, parent's-in-law, husband's siblings, and even a few random strangers who took care of us/entertained us over our homeless summer! Thank you everyone... I'm still attempting to load pictures onto my computer from London.. having technical difficulties... I'm confident I will get them here soon!!! I love our families!!!

Hurray for snow... and letting go!

We did get a few feet of snow over the weekend, and I am done apologizing for my blogging (or lack of) skills... This is a new goal I have- to be kind to myself! So far it is going very well... I actually scheduled and got my OWN haircut, and I'm not saying awful things about myself when I look in the mirror! No more berating myself for not exercising EVERY DAY, and when I eat something yummy, but way too fattening, I'm enjoying it without reservation. Along with that, I am eating better and actually wanting to walk the dog. What is it with us women expecting ourselves to be perfect, then when we fall short (big surprise), we beat ourselves up thoroughly? I found myself feeling guilty for laying in bed- WHEN I HAD THE FLU!!! Okay, come on, that is too much... So, I saw a book at the library about caring for ourselves from the inside out, I promptly checked it out and opened it up; within the first chapter there is a challenge to make a pledge to yourself (type it up and save it) to treat yourself as your own good friend! Wow, what a concept. It's not like I've never heard of it (try, "Love thy neighbor as thyself...") but for some reason I just forgot about it. Maybe it's just a natural cause and effect of having children who we would do anything for, even give up our own needs (selves) for. Well, there has to be some way to balance it out- so we take care of our own real needs first, then we are better able to function and take care of those we love. In my pondering and studying, I have realized that I can easily neglect myself, criticize myself, and become way to hard on myself because of it all. Maybe it's the age... Or the fact that my oldest child is approaching adulthood himself! I read somewhere of the irony of our children struggling through the teenage years, right when we mothers start struggling with our own sense of identity. I am letting go of unrealistic expectations of myself and enjoying life more on a day to day basis, because it's good for me. More reaching out to others, more forgiveness of my own weaknesses, more love for God (and just as important, accepting his unconditional love for me) and more gratitude for the magnificent blessings he gives to me... Ahhhhh, it's divine! (Along with all of that white powdery stuff we have tons of!)

December!

I actually can't believe so much time has gone by so quickly... I sound old by saying that, but oh well! This blog is bad for my self esteem! I'm just not very good at it! The worst thing is when some amazing corporate working mom asks me point blank what I do all day while my kids are at school... and I have to come up with some concrete answers! Um, well, ohhhhh, hmmmmm.... STUFF!!!! And it's all for the good of the family, ok???

Anyway, we had a super Thanksgiving in Cape May, NJ! It's the most adorable Victorian town right on the Atlantic. We went with two other families and had a blast. The main components being the gourmet Thanksgiving buffet (the bread pudding was "to die for"!!!), and the indoor pool area (the last day we spent 6 hours in there...). It was pretty amazing looking out the windows from our room and seeing the beautiful ocean. (I have to say, the only problem with the East coast is that you have to be a morning person to see a spectacular sun rise, as opposed to the west coast sunsets in the evening- my time of day!) Conan would say, it's worth the sacrifice! We also went to a great zoo with lots of lively animals, and found some really cool shells we haven't seen anywhere else on the beach. We took the ferry to Delaware to get home, stopping in Bethany Beach to visit with friends at their beach house. The ferry ride was pretty crazy with huge waves and very unsteady walking conditions! It was great!

Then, December hit... Always way busier than I'd like it to be. Elizabeth's chorus at school did a super job at the "winter" concert! I spent the first week working on a Christmas tree for our dining room that would be covered in pictures from past Christmases, and other nice memories. That was so fun! I copied all of the pictures in black and white, then mounted them on two different papers. My colors being red and black, I couldn't find any fun black paper in my stuff, so I grabbed some black and white toille fabric from my stash and copied it on cardstock! It worked! I attached ribbon hangers (a stapler worked great), then hung them up! I love looking at it... It has really been simple reminder of what my focus should be this time of year. I had a visiting teaching lunch last week that was a hit- a great way to get all of our sisters together. We decided that the best part of the menu was the honey butter for the rolls... Oh, and the caramel apple cider. Yum!

The girls and I made our traditional sugar cookies, which they frosted and decorated so nicely! Also, Emma and I found a super peanut butter fudge recipe that is amazing! We've already made it twice and have shared it at two different events! The first weekend of December brought us 6 inches of snow!! That was awesome! It only stayed for two days, but that first night the kids spent hours in it and loved every minute of it. Christian and friends decided they would strip down to shorts and run around barefooted in it... Fifteen year old boys... who gets them? I had to get a picture of that!

We have spent a lot of time together as a family this month, which I really cherish. We miss being with our families, especially this time of year, and think about them often. We picked out a Christmas tree last weekend at a local farm and brought it home to decorate with the years of collected ornaments (mostly homemade- the best ones being the ones out of popsicle sticks with glued on school pictures!). We also had a lovely family home evening Monday night with our good friends from our old neighborhood and church ward. My wonderful friend with the five ultra talented string playing boys (someone has to have them...) gave us all a mini concert, too.

I am so thrilled to be able to go to the White House on Monday with a few fabulous friends! All of those beautiful trees amid the history is something I look forward to seeing!

Here are my two favorite recipes for the month. Enjoy what's left of December and 2009!

Caramel Apple Cider: Bring cream and brown sugar to boil over medium heat.
1/4 c. heavy cream Stir in water and cider and heat just until it steams.
1/4 c. brown sugar Divide into 4 mugs, top each with 2 T. of caramel whipped
3 c. apple cider cream. Enjoy!
1/2 c. water

Caramel Whipped Cream: In a chilled bowl, whip cream with brown sugar until
1/2 c. heavy cream soft peaks form.
1 T. brown sugar

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge:
2 c. sugar
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup marshmallow cream (or 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows)
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Combine sugar and milk in saucepan; cook to soft ball stage (I boil for 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour into a buttered 8x8 inch dish. Allow to cool and cut into squares. (It sets up quickly and is ready to cut in about an hour!)