Jake's Birthday Celebration: A Few Photos

 My handsome birthday man going through his Paintball Safety Briefing.

 Nick, Jake, and Friends ready to eat some paint.

 Group shot after a hard afternoon of paintball fun.

 Someone had to throw that last smoke bomb. 

The small things that entertain male preteens....red smoke and paintball masks...LOL!

Tasty Tuesday - White Asparagus Soup

While I was in Germany for my graduation I ate at a local restaurant and had some homemade White Asparagus Soup.  It was WONDERFUL!  I came across some white asparagus at our local grocery store and attempted to make some myself.  It wasn't as good as what I had in the restaurant but it was pretty yummy.  So....today I am going to share this awesome recipe.  Hope you enjoy it :)

For copyright purposes, this recipe was found at:  White Asparagus Soup.

White Asparagus Soup

Makes 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. chopped onion (1 small)
• 2 T. butter
• 1 1/2 -2 lb. white asparagus, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces, heads reserved
• 6 c. broth, either chicken or vegetable
• 1/2 c. half and half cream
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Dry white wine, to taste
• Parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Make sure you peel white asparagus before you chop it into small pieces.

Sauté the onion in the butter until soft in the bottom of a 4 quart saucepan. Add the pieces of asparagus (minus the heads) and steam for 5 minutes. Add the broth and boil gently for about 30 minutes, or until the asparagus is very soft.

Purée the soup in batches in the blender (place a towel over the lid and hold down the lid so the hot soup does not splatter) or with a hand blender and return to pan.

Bring to a simmer and add the reserved asparagus heads. Cook at least 5 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Turn down the heat and add the cream. Do not boil further.

Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. You may also want to add a few spoonfuls of white wine, if you think the soup needs acidity. Garnish with parsley.

I am such a MEAN mom!

We just made it through the first week of summer and I am already hearing "I don't have ANYTHING to do" a gazillion times.  Let me mention that last week we kept pretty busy.

Jake's week at a glance:

1. Karate Camp

2. Baseball Practice

3. Open Rec at the Youth Center

4. Early Birthday Party at Paintball facility.

5. Family afternoon in Bury Saint Edmonds

Kortney's week at a glance:

1.  YES Volunteering for Scholarship Money

2.  Pilates with Mom

3.  Work at Commissary

4.  Tea Party with Mom

5.  Family afternoon in Bury Saint Edmonds

Since October we have moved to another country, taken a trip back to the states for a funeral, made 2 trips to Germany, and been on several local trips here in England.  Not to mention just normal life stuff thrown in between that mix.  For this summer we have decided to keep things low key, mixed with structure so that we can all feel a sense of normalcy. That means we are not traversing the world on trips and we are staying close to home for a nice quiet summer. 

Kortney's Summer at a Glance:

1.  YES Voluneering for Scholarship Money

2.  Yearly job at Commissary

3.  Summer Hire job at Base Hospital

4.  Youth Camp at Wales

5.  Study German 2 materials so she can test out of German 2 when school starts and jump right into German 3.

6.  Study/Read AP European History summer enrichment materials to prep for August's class start date.

Jake's Summer at a Glance:

1.  Baseball all summer

2.  Water Zorbing field trip

3.  Karate year round

4.  Laser Tag field trip

5.  Youth Camp at Wales

6.  Swimming field trip

7.  Universal Class - Math Review Course

8.  Universal Class - World Religions Course

I love my kids and I love spending time with them during the summer break; however, I don't feel that it is my job to entertain every minute of every day there is not something going on. I'm sure many of you feel the same way. So, I have come up with a solution for my family.  If there is enough time to be bored, then there is enough time for learning.

Here is where I am now a MEAN mom!  I just signed Jake up for two Universal Class Courses.  If he has enough time to be bored, then as I said there is enough time for learning.  It is obvious that there needs to be more structure and routine for Jake.  That said here is our new structure:

Before videos, computer time, and video game time is allowed the following has to be completed:

1.  Daily chores are complete.
2.  Two chapters from the Bible are read.
3.  Personal Prayer time.
3.  One hour of reading from a text list I created for him.
4.  One assignment from Universal Class has to be done everyday.

Kortney is pretty self-motivated so as long as she is keeping up with everything then I let her do things in whatever order she pleases.  If that changes, then I will add structure to her days too.

The big news today in my family is that I am a MEAN kind of mom!

More
Educational
Assignments
Nightly

I think I like my definition of "mean".  Cheers!

Danielle

January's Journey To Health Update

It is said that a habit is hard to break. It is also said that it takes 21 days for a habit to establish itself. I know many people set New Year's Resolutions this time of year. I also know that many of those resolutions don't make it until the end of January. I used to be one of those people. That is why I don't set resolutions for myself anymore. However, this year I did set forth some wellness goals for myself. YAY...I have to say I am pretty excited about my health goals for January, 2012. I met every goal that I had set for myself. YAHOO!!!

Weight Loss: My goal was to lose 5 pounds and I lost 6. Only 6 more to go to my goal weight. Ok...I didn't have a whole lot to lose but that "Holiday 10" had to go. My clothes were getting snug and I can't be having any of that...LOL! I worked too hard 3 years ago to get out of the plus size clothing section. If my weight is something that I can control (not health related)...I am going to be responsible and take care of myself.

I'll be honest....at first I was a bit discouraged about "only" losing 5-6 pounds.  I mean the first two weeks of changing my diet and adding exercise felt like torture....I was always hungry and my body was sore in all different places.  Surely, I should have lost more than 5-6 pounds??  Then I watched What Does 5 Pounds of Fat Look Like?.  After I watched this video I no longer felt like all my work was in vain.

Working Out: My goal was to work out on average 4 times a week and I met this goal. I was so excited about this. My strategy was to workout 6 days a week. I followed this schedule:

Mon-Weds-Fri: Walk/Jog on the treadmill for 45 minutes.
Tues: Pilates for 60 minutes
Thurs-Sat: Strength Training

I haven't ever worked out 6 times in a week...but as long as I have certain activities scheduled for certain days I have no excuse. The motivation is there when I already know what I am going to do for a workout. I have found this method to be very successful. YAY!

Program: Last time around I used Weight Watchers. This time I am using www.sparkpeople.com. SparkPeople is a program that counts calories, encourages exercise, and emphasizes an overall healthy lifestyle. It's not just about changing one aspect of your health...but as many as you can for complete wellness.

One aspect of the program that I really like is that you can run reports to keep up with your progress.  The  picture below is a screen shot of my "Calories Burned from Workouts."

There is also an iPhone and iPad app for Sparkpeople. I use my iPad all the time to log my food and exercise. Very handy! I don't think I would have been this successful had I not used the iPad app.

Overall Stats for January:

Minutes Exercised: 759 (averages out to about 25 minutes a day).
Calories Burned by Exercising: 2750
Workouts: 4 times a week.

**I didn't keep track of my mileage for January**

I am really excited to see what I can accomplish in February!!!

The Living Room

Quite a few people have been asking for pictures of our house.  I can never seem to get pictures when everything is clean all at the same time so I though I would just share a room at a time.  The first room I will share is the Living Room.  Keep in mind when looking at these pictures that my living room is about double the size of most living rooms here in the local area.  We were very lucky when we got this house.  It was the first and only house we had to look at.  We actually had to make a decision right on the spot as there was another family taking a second look at the house after our viewing.  I kinda felt bad about swiping this house out from someone...but only for a few seconds.  You snooze you loose....LOL!

 I don't like how my curtains are tied together right now.  But...I've not got the hooks for the tie backs anchored to the wall.  So, I tie the tie back around the curtain.  We don't get much sunlight here so I let it in when I can.  One day I will get the anchors up...LOL!

The black recliner was Nick's Christmas present this past year.  

We did have an ugly cream colored one that was an eye-sore.  

I totally love the red pillows.  They have raised flowers on them with a diamond looking center.  I found them at a local store here in England.

This is an ALL wool...totally handmade rug that Nick bought on one of his trips to Turkey.  We've been afraid to use it since we have the kids and the dog.  This rug was not cheap!  But...we decided to try and use it here.  No food or drinks allowed in the living room and shoes off at the front door.  So far...so good!!!   

Also, since we decided to use this rug we changed the colors of the living to room to include red.  We've never had red and black before.  I kinda like it though!!!  Black is my very favorite color!!

Dumb Dog

Many of you know that I refer to our dog Hazelnut as "Dumb Dog."  Not so much because she is actually dumb, but rather she is SO smart.  Hazel is one of the best dogs I have ever owned.  Although her puppy years were filled with frustration she has permanently become a member of our family.  So much so that she thinks she is human.  

Check out the pictures below.

I was working on laundry and I walked by Jake's room and this is what I saw.  Mind you both Jake and Kortney were in school.  I don't mind Hazel being in the kids' bed...but...she has her own blanket she is supposed to lay on so it's easier to keep everything clean.  

1).  She's not on her own blanket...but lying directly on the sheets.  

2).  Her head is on his pillow...LOL!  

I find her like this quite often....silly girl!!

This picture was taken 5 minutes later.  When I walked in and caught her in the first picture...she decided to move to her own blanket.  She thought she was going to get into trouble.  Notice though how she is only half way on her blanket and still lying on Jake's pillows.  If bedroom doors are left open I will find her rotating between Kortney's bed and Jake's bed.  A long time ago for one of my Creative Writing classes I actually wrote a sonnet about Hazel. 

I am sharing it below. 

 Not the best...but...I thought it was quite funny!!

Dumb Dog

A chocolate brown lab, tall with skinny legs

A loud mouth to boot, always making noise.

Annoyingly close, at dinner-time begs

Chewing on everything but her own toys.

Up early every morning to go pee,

As soon as she’s out all she does is bark.

A great pain in the rear, my dog is she.

White scratches on the door, she leaves her mark;

Restless all day she paces and she roams.

Anxious, excited, never stops to rest,

Eager she waits for the kids to come home.

They walk through the door, and I am quite stressed.

       The house becomes wild, my mind’s in a fog,

       All because of the stupid, brown, dumb dog.

The Winning Shot

Last night Jake had a basketball game.  His team did a great job.  It was their 5th game and thus far they had not had a win.  Let me just point out that technically in this basketball league there are no winners and losers.  However, at 11 years old...they know who wins and who loses.

Last night the game ended in a tie so they went into a 3 minute overtime and my little man made the winning shot for the team.  The score ended 18 to 16.  Now...I'm not trying to brag on Jake...but...taking that shot was huge for him.  Until this winning shot he had not even attempted to shoot the ball out of fear of letting his team down by missing a shot.  He overcame that fear this game and went for the shot.  It was a beautiful shot and really helped him with his self-esteem with his basketball abilities.

Jake mostly plays defense.  Tonight he did a really good job within defensive role.  I got a couple of shots on my camera.  I don't take the best pics but I wanted to share a few.

I love this shot!!  Check out Jake stealing the ball from the opposing team.

Jake passing the ball to his teammate.

I think there are about 11 games left in the season.  It is exciting to see the changes and the growth in all the kids as the season progresses.  GO NUMBER 22!!!  GO LAKERS!!!!  

Cheeseburger Casserole

Cheeseburger Casserole (Weight Watchers)

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 55 min

Categories: Main Dish

Ingredients

		2 sprays Cooking Spray
		2 ea Potatoes (large, boiled or steam whole, drained and cooled)
		1 clove Minced Garlic
		1 ea Onion (chopped)
		1 ea Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
		1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
		1 lb ground turkey breast (uncooked)
		1/8 tsp ground cumin
		1/4 tsp Salt
		1/8 tsp Black Pepper
		2 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese
		1/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk
		1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
		8 ea baked low-fat tortilla chips (crushed)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

Peel and thinly slice potatoes; layer in prepared baking dish. bake potatoes until slightly crisp, about 10 minutes; remove baking dish from oven and set aside.

While potatoes are baking, coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat; add garlic, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes; remove to a plate, cover to keep warm and set aside. Add turkey to skillet; cook until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 8-1- minutes. Add cooked vegetables, cumin, salt, and pepper to turkey and stir to combine; spread mixture over potatoes in baking dish.

In a small microwave safe bowl, combine cheese product, evaporated milk and crushed red pepper flakes; cover and microwave on high power until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon melted cheese over turkey and sprinkle with tortilla chips. Bake for 35 minutes; remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.

Notes

220 calories per serving

Journey To Health....

Germany was an awesome place to live. It's a beautiful country with lots of yummy foods. The cool thing about when I lived Germany was that I had endless options of food that I could indulge in that would not aggravate my food allergies or bladder issues. However, the food I ate there was not very healthy. And...I loved German bakeries and the candy aisle at the grocery stores. And they have the best soda in the world...German Fanta.

Unfortunately, I don't live in Germany anymore and have lost access to the yummy foods I readily partook of while there. So...I am going to use this time in England to get back on track with healthy eating and living.

In my journey to regain a healthy lifestyle of exercise and eating nutritious foods, I downloaded an app to my iPad called Menu Planner.

I absolutely LOVE this app. I was able to plan for a whole months worth of meals. It tracks what I need for groceries and creates a master shopping list that I can email to myself. I can also input my own recipes and...check this out...IMPORT recipes from a ton of online websites and magazines!!! Most of my recipe's are Weight Watcher's so don't let the titles of meals fool you.

That said I have January's menu completed. There are nights I won't be eating what is listed on the menu. For example Pizza Night and Spaghetti Night. I can't make the family suffer through a WHOLE month of blandness....LOL!! They will start crying ;(. I'll prob just eat pancakes or some yucky frozen meal those nights.

Since Jake will have basketball games on Tuesdays for the next 8 weeks I set Tuesday as Crockpot dinner night. That way all we have to do is eat before we leave or right when we get home.

Fridays are an easy cooking night just in case we decide to not eat at home and venture out for dinner.

Oh...another thing I am working is making a little bit of extra food to portion out and put in the freezer so I can stock up on freshly made meals I freeze myself so I don't have to buy store bought frozen dinners. Tastes WAY better! I'm shooting for 1200 calories a day and this will also help me keep track of calories since I already have it properly portioned.

Here we go to a healthy New Year!!

Memorial Day Service in Luxembourg on 5/30/2011

I'm a little late in posting about the Memorial Day service we attended in Luxembourg on May 30, 2011. What can I say? Sometimes life gets busy :0). My philosophy is better late than never so I would like to share about our day today.

I was so happy to learn that the service didn't start until 2pm. Call me lazy if you want but I was still not feeling well that weekend. It is about an hour drive from where we live to the cemetery and I was looking forward to resting up until the moment I had to leave. The only drawback about the whole trip is that the AC in the van went out again that morning. Nick had just taken it in to get fixed two weeks prior to our trip so we are not sure why it went out again. One of the good things about the trip is that a fellow homeschooling mom and her daughter joined us for the festivities; her husband was playing TAPS at the end of the ceremony.

The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is home to those soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulge during WW2.  Here is a link to the official website of The Luxembourg American Cemetery that shares the historical details of the Battle of the Bulge and the memorial erected in honor of those who died.  There is also a video link so you can see the grounds yourself.

The ceremony began with a flyover.  Those are always awesome!!  The guest speaker was a Navy Admiral (whose name I forgot).  One of the interesting tidbits he shared in his speech was that over the generations there was 97 years of military service between his grandpa, dad, himself, and his son.  To me that is amazing.

We also learned that General Patton was buried there.  From what we learned at the cemetery he wanted to be buried on the same ground as his men. No special burial ceremony or location for him.  He was a great American leader who once said, "Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood."

It's a little late, but I would like to thank those who serve, have served, and sacrificed their lives so that my family and I may live in freedom.  God Bless you all!

                                             GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Today I Ditched the Harley Boots

Those who know me well know that I live in my motorcycle boots.  Over here there is always a chill in the air and if my feet are cold so is the rest of me.  So...I wear my boots pretty much every day.  My Harley boots are the best investment I have ever made on a pair of boots.  I can wear them every day and I can even wear them with dress clothes.  Yes...I wear my boots with dressy outfits.  You don't see many people who do this, but that doesn't bother me.  See...I am ME...and what you see is what you  get.

This week I was walking through the local Base Exchange and came across two beautiful pairs of shoes that I could not leave without.  Guess what?  I just HAD to buy them.  For those of you who don't know me well...I absolutely LOVE shoes.  I don't splurge on many things but every now and again I give in to that little voice in my head that says, "Buy these shoes....buy these shoes."  Thank goodness I don't always listen to that voice or I would be in BIG trouble.  The good news is it has been almost a year since I even bought myself a pair of shoes so I felt no guilt in my purchases.  Besides...one pair was on sale.  I saved more than I spent...at least on one pair...hehehe.
 

Today I ditched my motorcycle boots and I wore the pair pictured above.  It was warm outside so I left my Harley boots in the closet...uh...rather in the middle of my bedroom floor.  These are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I have ever worn.  I'm hoping for some sunny days in England so I don't have to bury these babies in the closet.

These are the other pair of shoes that I bought.  These shoes are so delicate and feminine.  I prefer to be comfy...but I gave up comfort for an afternoon and showed my feminine side.  Yes....I share that side of me every now and again. 

I'm not into frivilous shopping, but I have to say that there is nothing like a great looking pair of shoes to brighten my day...LOL!! 

Kortney Versus Mom

It has been recommended to my dear Kortney by her piano instructor that she learn to play some popular wedding music so that she can start earning money by playing for weddings.  She is very excited about doing this, however, she's having a hard time picking out which music to play.  One of my personal favorites is Beautiful In My Eyes by Joshua Kadison.  I showed Kortney the video to the song as an idea for her to play and she laughed at me.  Here's the link: Beautiful In My Eyes.  She went on and on about his hair and how it looks cheesy that they are making his hair blow with a fan...LOL!!!!  Yes...I agree the video is a bit cheesy.  However, the lyrics to the song are awesome!!  Yes...sometimes (not very often) I am a hopeless romantic.  I happened to bring this song up again today and she told me that if I could get 10 people to respond that they think she should learn this song too, then she would learn it for me.  So....if you like this song and think it would be a good song for Kortney to learn to play for weddings please either click the "Like" button on the link on FB or leave a comment here on the blog.  Please friends....help me...LOL!!!!

Wrapping Up The School Year

Well...that time of year is approaching the Hollinger household; we are wrapping up our first year of homeschooling. I have to say the beginning of the year went better than the past few months. However, we made it ALL the way through the year...which I will be honest...I did not think was going to happen. Our studies consisted of the core subjects of Language Arts, Literature, Math, History/Geography, Science, and Spelling. For electives we studied German, Piano, Drums, Bowling, and Baseball. I'd like to say that how we started is how we finished. But...life happened and many changes were made to accommodate what was going on within our family at various times throughout the year.

The school materials for the kids were student-led and they finished all subjects but Math and History before my surgery a few weeks ago. They will be working on Math and History until the end of June. Somehow we fell a little behind in those two subjects. I still can't figure out how, but it doesn't really matter as this little bit of school work gives the kids something constructive to do. They have completed end of year testing...which I am anxiously awaiting the results. Even though I know in my heart they did great, the human side of me sometimes doubts my decision to homeschool this past year. Seeing their scores will be the final affirmation that I made the right decision....I hope...hehehe!!! I know that for this year homeschooling was what was needed for our family.

Many people have asked if we are going to homeschool next year. As of right now we are not going to homeschool next year. Both Kortney and Jake have enjoyed spending this year with me, but they are ready to go back to school. Kortney has friends that she met at other bases we have lived at that are now living at the base in England that we are moving to in July. Jake loves to be surrounded by people and will make new friends very quickly. I do have a feeling that once they start going back to school that they are going to miss the flexibility of homeschool. I won't be surprised if we homeschool again in the future. I'm holding on to the 8th grade materials just in case.

The Mother Daughter Legacy

Since I have not been feeling well the past few weeks I took the time to read a book I bought awhile ago entitled The Mother Daughter Legacy. It is one of the best books I have ever read. I am not the type of person that likes to read self-help or motivational books. When I get free time to read I like to read things that are fun and enticing, not things that remind me of my pile of homework sitting on my desk. Self-help and motivational books feel like homework to me...LOL!!  However....this book is amazing!!! It is a quick and easy read.  It can be read by taking each chapter and using it as a devotional or can be read all at one time in an hour or so.  In this book Carole Lewis talks about the different legacies that a mother can leave her daughter:

1. The Legacy of Nurture

2. The Legacy of Family

3. The Legacy of Example

4. The Legacy of Giving

5. The Legacy of Time

6. The Legacy of Character

7. The Legacy of Words

8. The Legacy of Faith

9. The Legacy of Laughter

10. A Legacy Under Fire

11. The Legacy of Loss

12. The Legacy of Acceptance

13. A Legacy Revealed

14. A Legacy to the Generations

Right now I am on the Chapter titled "The Legacy of Faith." This book has been a great reminder to me that how I interact with, respond to, and treat my daughter will leave an everlasting imprint on who she becomes and how she remembers her mother. In turn, those memories will mold her into the mother she will become.  I've always had the desire to try and be the best mom that I can be to my daughter. This book has brought to the forefront some areas where I was lacking that I did not realize nor want to admit that I was failing in. Anyone who has a daughter should read this book.

If you are interested in purchasing this book it can be purcahsed HERE.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. 

Poem I Wrote For Jake....

So....I'm not doing so well with keeping my blog updated.  I've no excuse except Facebook is easier....LOL!  Anyhoo, while looking for a paper I wrote in one of my English classes years ago, I came across a poem I wrote about/for Jake.  Thought I would share.....

Ultimate Restoration

My son you are the happiness of life.

Smiling, laughing, absorbing each day.

Overlooking its flaws and complex strife.

Ever rejoicing, and not led astray.

Trusting, you commit with all of your heart.

Never forsaking who you truly are.

Ready to conquer and wisdom impart.

Exploring, learning life’s world near and far.

But when for a second life throws a curve.

Throws you off balance and brings fear and pain.

Broadcasting failures and faults undeserved.

Leaving your spirit desolate and slain.

          Remember the one who brings forth healing.

          Mistakes forgotten, His grace revealing.

A Monkey and Gorilla Story

I was grading a bunch of school work today and totally cracked up when I read this writing assignment by Jakob.  He had to write a story about a monkey and a gorilla.  Was cute and I wanted to share.....I've copied this story verbatem.  How you see it is how he wrote it....LOL!  I added the picture to add to the charm of the story.

There once was a monkey named Sam.  He stole banana's from marketers and scrung from house to house.  His only friend was a wise old gorilla.  The gorilla was teaching Sam the way of God but Sam quit because he thought that it was stupid.  Now that sam has been away for awhile he feels lonely and scared.  He remembered to pray and said, "OH Lord, help me find my way home and help to to draw closer to you."  The next day he was traveling on a back road and found a sign that said Middle was to the left and North was to the right.  His home, up in north was a very quaint town.  North was a place for farming and markets and schools.  Middle was cities and where modern homes and industires were.  He ran all the way to North and stole a banana.  It only happened to be when the wise old gorilla was there and paid for it.  Sam not noing the the gorilla was watching him, scooped down and grabbed another.  When he reached for the third the gorilla grabbed his arm and gave him ten gold coins and said, "Go buy a house, furniture, and the rest is for food." 

Fine Arts Night

Last night was the local homeschool group "Fine Arts Night".  Both Kortney and Jakob participated. 

Kortney played a song called Kiss the Rain by Yiruma.  She did a great job.  This song brought tears to many....including myself.  Here is a link to the song:  Kiss The Rain by Yiruma.  She was also VERY excited that she got to play on a Grand Piano.

Jakob played the drums to a church song entitled, Every Knee Shall Bow Medley.  This church the event was held at had electric drums that Jake had never played on before, however he still rocked the house!!

I couldn't find an exact medley like the one Jake did but this song is really close to what he played the drums to:  Can't Stop Praising.

I'm SUPER PROUD of both my kiddos!!!!

Valentines Day....REALLY?!?



I'm not a big fan of commercialized holidays. ESPECIALLY Valentine’s Day!!! Yes....I was one of those girls who every year when Valentine’s Day rolled around....did NOT have a special Valentine. So you could say I am a little bitter….NOT!!! When Valentine’s day comes around I get a bit frustrated as I feel that all the love that is expressed on that day should be expressed EVERY DAY!!! Well...this year I'm feeling a bit sentimental. I still don't buy into the commercialism of the holiday, but I've been thinking about some of the small things that love is. I have a small list that I'd like to share:

Love IS......

*When my husband comes home from work with flowers in his hand....

*Jakob surprising me with a cup of tea….

*Kortney cooking dinner because I do not feel well....

*Hazel (my dog) licking my clothes as I walk in the door because she missed me....

*Staying up late to help a sister find a job....

*Taking the time to have lunch with a friend because there was a need....

*That gift that shows up unexpectedly in the mail because someone was thinking of you....

There are a lot more things that I could add to this list..but...I'm not feeling THAT sentimental....LOL!!! But...I would like to mention that sometimes it's better to pay attention to the small things that we often don't notice that other people do for us on a daily basis, than to the one BIG thing they may do for us on Valentine’s Day. Re-think Valentine’s Day this year!!! Do something for someone that's not commercialized; it's easy to buy flowers and cards for someone that day because they are everywhere! Think outside the box and go personal; show that you really care and pay attention to who that person really is.

Oh...and just a side note...this day is often meant to show those that we love that we were thinking about them. However, maybe this Valentine’s Day would be a great day to do something for someone that you don't really care for. Maybe....just maybe....a relationship will be repaired or a new friend will be made. You'll never know unless you try!

Pumpkin Muffins



Ingredients:


1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (I use organic flour)

1/3 cup sugar (I use organic sugar)

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon (I use organic)

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 beaten egg

¾ cup milk

¼ cup cooking oil

½ cup canned pumpkin

¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)


Directions:

In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Make a well in the center. Combine egg, milk, oil, and pumpkin; add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Stir in chopped nuts if desired. Lightly grease muffins cups or line with paper bake cups; fill 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes until center is done. Remove from pans; serve warm. Makes 10-12.

**The recipe said not to use paper bake cups with the pumpkin recipe so I used the aluminum bake cups and they worked just fine. I’ve made 4 dozen of these and put most in the freezer so they won’t go bad and we can pull one out as we want to eat them. Hope you enjoy!!**

I'm Afraid of Lightbulbs!!

For many, many years I have had this weird fear of light bulbs. I will not change any light bulb that is above my head. Ha...the only light bulbs I change are those in table lamps or floor lamps.

I get made fun of...heckled at...and even laughed at for this fear. One friend, whom shall remain nameless (she knows who she is) has teased me endlessly about this fear...that is until she saw why I was afraid (McCall, Idaho incident).

You see...light bulbs do not like me. It never fails that one explodes on me at least once or twice a year. Has my husband ever had one explode on him? Has my mother had one explode on her? Has my friend who teases me endlessly ever have one explode on her? NO...NO...and NO!!

Time passes and I became a bit daring and started changing light bulbs above my head again and guess what happens?

Well...it was 1:30 am and I had been working on homework. I was ready for bed and began shutting down the house. I forgot something in the living room so I turned on the dining room light and "BOOM" the light bulb in the dining room exploded, sending shards of glass EVERYWHERE and triggers the circuit breaker. Yeah...see...this time I wasn't even changing a bulb!!! Thank God nobody was sitting underneath this light when this happened!!!

I was not a happy girl (many at this point would interject and ask when am I ever happy...hehehe). This mess took me 45 minutes to clean-up (at 1:30 in the morning) and I still found glass pieces for several days ALL OVER the house, in my laundry, and in the carpets. Ha...even on the piano bench...LOL!!

SO...for all you people who make fun of me for my fear of light bulbs...BITE ME!!!!