Journaling

(Wishful thinking for spring via)

For today February 26, 2010

Outside my window....
It is a gray and drizzly morning here in Pasco. This weather keeps feeling like spring is right around the corner, and I hope that it is. The last few afternoons have been fairly descent despite some wind, but that hasn't kept Kendle and the rest of the neighborhood kids from playing and riding their bikes.

I am thinking....
It feels good to have the house mostly clean, be showered and dressed, and have both babies sleeping. This is a rare moment. I forget what a quiet house sounds like sometimes.

I am thankful for....
Riley realizing I've had a hard week and needed some time to myself. He's coming home at noon so I can get out of the house and get a much needed break. I think he recognizes that glazed over look I start getting in my eyes when I am starting to feel like I've lost touch with the outside world. I think I'll just go shopping and aimlessly wander and enjoy the fact that no one is crying or saying they need to go to the bathroom. I have a whole long list of things I've been wanting to shop for.

From the kitchen....
I'm going to throw together some Local Boyz chicken in the crock pot just for me for dinner tonight. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law Debbie years ago and it is a knock off of one of the good college eating joints in Corvallis. I don't even measure anymore, just throw some chicken breasts, water, soy sauce, a teaspoon or two of ginger, some brown sugar (can't remember if that was in the original recipe or not), pepper, and some garlic into the crock pot and then shred/chunk up when it's done and serve with hot white rice, veggies, and pineapple for dessert. It's so easy and so good. Leftovers are great too. It always makes the house smell like a yummy restaurant.

I am going....
To try and go with the flow more. I need to let things roll off my back and focus on the big picture.

I am hoping....
I can keep up my weight loss. Lost another pound this morning.

I am hearing....
The hum, hum, hum of the washer and dryer which are pretty much always in use around here. Also, Morgan is playing with the little blue chairs and stacking things on top of them. He loves to build things and use his imagination. He has the cutest little conversations with himself.

Around the house....
I've been looking for some cute decorations for spring. I am usually not a big "seasons" decorator, but I think I am just extra excited for spring this year. I'm also ready to change up some colors in my decorating. Change is the theme lately.

One of my favorite things....
I love sugar free gum. I've been chewing it a lot lately and it keeps me from snacking. I keep a variety so I don't get bored of one kind.

A few plans for the weekend....
The only thing I want to do this weekend is catch up on some sleep, however I'll probably be doing the usual Saturday routine. Riley has a team dinner for his girls club team tonight and will be taking Kendle and Morgan with him, which will help somewhat with my night. I would really like to get the hall bathroom painted this weekend. And I have three books waiting to be read!

Something to remember....
I got a call from Kendle's school yesterday letting me know she was chosen as March's student of the month. We're so proud of her and the hard work she puts in at school to be her best. Her teacher nominated her because of her strong work ethic, desire to learn, and ability to work well with and respect others even while they were acting out of character. (Riley and I got a good laugh out of the last part.) Riley and I agreed that while we may have to tell her to clean her room five thousand times, and not fight with her brother every five seconds, that she is still a great girl and doing the right things at the right times and we need to remember that a lot more. I'm grateful for the little person she is becoming.

Books

Looking for something to read? Here are some books I've read recently. I seem to be on a good book roll lately. Here's my thoughts:


The Looking Glass Wars

By Frank Beddor

Synopsis:

The "true story" of Alice in Wonderland! Princess Alyss Heart is brutally cast out of Wonderland by her vicious Aunt Redd, who beheads Alyss' mother (Off with her head, she cries!) and begins to rule over Wonderland with an iron fist. Alyss escapes from Wonderland and is exiled to another world entirely - Victorian London - where she is adopted into a new family, renamed Alice, and befriended by Lewis Carroll. At age 20 she returns to Wonderland to battle Redd, reclaim the throne, and lead Wonderland into it's next golden age of imagination.

I loved this book for 4 reasons:

1. I am enthralled with the story of Alice in Wonderland and anything related to it.

2. This book takes the story we all know and invents it in a totally new and exciting way.

3. It has a map inside the beginning of the book. I love maps!

4. It is a series.

This is the first book in the series. The writing is creative and the characters are interesting. In Beddor's story, the most dangerous weapon that Alyss and Queen Redd can possess is their imaginations, which is how they battle each other and what sets them apart from the rest of the Wonderlanders. They don't physically pick up weapons, they imagine throwing daggers or large objects and it happens. When Alyss returns to Wonderland after her long time away, she has to learn from scratch who she is and how to become the Queen she was meant to be. There is a little bit of everything in this story - action, adventure, and a budding love story. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and find out what happens! I would recommend this book for young adult and up.

Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter

By Mellisa G. Moore

Synopsis:

Melissa always knew that her family wasn't perfect, but she never suspected the shocking truth...

In Shattered Silence Melissa Moore shared the true story of her life as the daughter of the notorious "Happy Face" serial killer. As she slowly realized the full extent of the gruesome crimes her father has committed, Melissa also begins to realize that she cannot change her father -- all she has control over is her own life and deciding how she will move on.

Told with heartbreaking sincerity, this uplifting story of optimism and finding joy, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, will inspire you to face your own challenges with a similar attitude of hope.

This book does contain adult themes of murder, rape, and abuse, but don't be turned away by how it sounds. It doesn't contain gory grisly details about the murders or other offensive material. The author had a sad life, but was determined to become something better despite her circumstances and the unthinkable acts of her father. She grew up here in Washington and most of the story takes place in the Yakima Valley and in Spokane. I found it interesting that she later got married and joined the church. She writes about how there were many times in her life where she felt like she was guided and protected. This book really puts out a good message that you do not have to become a victim of your environment or give up on life when it seems you have nothing to live for. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 14.

Witch and Wizard

By James Patterson

Synopsis:

You are holding an urgent and vital narrative that reveals the forbidden truth about our perilous times...

This is the astonishing testimonial of Wisty and Whit Allgood, a sister and brother who were torn from their family in the middle of the night, slammed into prison, and accused of being a witch and a wizard. Thousands of young people have been kidnapped; some have been accused; many others remain missing. Their fate is unknown, and the worst is feared -- for the ruling regime will stop at nothing to suppress life and liberty, music and books, art and magic...and the pursuit of being a normal teenager.

This book is targeted for young adult readers, but I found it entertaining anyways. It has the basis for a great storyline and had the potential to be great, but I found it just good. I found the writing to be a bit choppy and didn't go as in depth as say, Harry Potter. Nonetheless it was a quick read and I liked the ideas that James Patterson had. The main characters, Wisty and Whit have to become the hero's of their own lives to save their parents, friends, and their world as they know it. The prologue interestingly enough, begins with the details of their planned public execution. "The One Who is the One" and his cronies "The New Order" commonly referred to as the N.O., are the leaders of a new political and cultural oppression and are targeting anyone suspected of or actually possessing magical powers. Whit and Wisty discover they are children of a prophecy who are meant to take down the N.O. This book contains themes of war, power, discrimination, teamwork, young love, and good and evil. There is some violence, but not in detail. It has a cliff hanger ending and continues into a series.

The Hunger Games Series

By Suzanne Collins

Book #1

Synopsis:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Book #2

Synopsis:

Katniss Everdeen continues to struggle to protect herself and her family from the capitol. (Didn't want to give too much away if you haven't read them yet)

I read a LOT of books, and these have quickly become a favorite. My friend Julie recommended them to me and let me borrow her books and I could not put them down. I loved them and can't wait until the third book is released! I am calling them the new "Twilight" because it seems all my lady friends are reading them, although I like this series SO much more. Katniss the main character is smart, strong, brave and beautiful. She is forced to fight in the Hunger Games and play along with the politics of the capitol, if not there will be dangerous actions taken against her, her family, and the people of the districts. The people of the outlying districts are forced to live in poverty and highly restricted conditions while the residents of the capitol live an indulgent and glamorous lifestyle. (ring any bells?) These books have just about everything -- action, adventure, romance, a love triangle, intrigue and suspense. I think the premise of the book is genius and one of the most original I've read in a long time. {There are rumors that it might be made into a movie.} Read - these - books!

If I could pick any way to spend a quiet afternoon, it would definitely be reading a good book!

Who's the baby?

Morgan insisted on getting in the other baby walker and following Kale around this afternoon.

{Kale looks just like big sister Kendle in this picture}

We've had that old blue and green walker since Kendle was a baby. I started putting the twins in them the last few days and they have been scooting around the kitchen. It is crazy to see their little 3 1/2 month old selves move like little turtles around in those things. I put a little blanket behind them to keep them from wobbling around. Time to start protecting the back of my ankles!

Times 2

My mom suggested that I take some pictures of the little every day things to do with the twins so I will remember what it was like to do 50 loads of laundry a week, wash bottles until my hands are raw, and rock the springs off of our recliner. Of course no one is ever around to snap a picture of the really amazing things like when I am feeding and rocking both babies and I am wondering how I am going to get up and carry them both to their room without waking them up.

So the picture of interest today is this:

That would be all of the clothes they have grown out of in the last few weeks. It took me two hours on Saturday to go through everything. There are probably over 60 onesies in there. Everyone always says with a baby you can never have too many onesies, but I say yes, yes you actually can. I think we've reached that point.

Baby Girl's Getting Old

Today is Tamra's 20th birthday! How can that be possible?! I feel like I've fell through a time warp because I feel like I'm still 20 myself sometimes.

I really love this girl and admire her in many ways. She is creative, talented, intelligent, and interesting.

{Picture via her Facebook page -- taken at the Outside Lands Music festival in San Francisco. I love this picture and I think it looks like a magazine ad}

Fun facts about Tamra:

Her celebrity best friend would be Kristin Wiig

Loves Chinese food

Eats leftover mashed potatoes for breakfast

Is a trend setter

Loves Indie music

Majoring in Fine Arts

Talented artist, budding photographer, and interpretive dancer

Had a childhood crush on Jeremy Sumpter (from Peter Pan)

Can sleep (like the dead) till noon

Remembers facts and trivia like nobodies business

Has watched Newsies and the Sandlot 1000+ times

Makes friends easily

Fantastic with witty remarks and comebacks

Has a lovely singing voice

Humors me when I pick out future husbands for her

If I had to pick a piece of "flare" for her to wear it would say:

"I have man calves and I'm proud of it"

Happy Birthday Tam!

I want......

*To get things done without having to stop every ten minutes

*My bathrooms to magically clean themselves

*The laundry to leap out of the laundry basket and neatly fly to the closets and drawers

*A new haircut

*New clothes for Spring

*Time to finish my book

*A vacation somewhere warm, sunny, and quiet

*To not have to change poopy diapers for a day

*A volume control for Morgan's voice

*Sound proof walls for the baby's room (see previous)

*Wide open spaces

*A personal chef

*To move into a bigger house without having to clean and pack

*A day's worth of patience

81

I was looking through some pictures I had recently uploaded onto the computer and forgot that I had these. I put them on our family website, but forgot to post them on my personal blog. They are from my grandmother Katie's 81st birthday a few weeks ago.

{Yummy german chocolate cake}

{Blowing out the candles}

{Surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren}

{Still has the magic touch with all the babies, she's holding Kale}

I can't begin to describe how amazing this woman is. Everyone is always telling her to slow down and not do so much. She was recently her ward's gospel doctrine teacher and now teaches a youth Sunday school class. She helps with most ward activities and get togethers. Three {lucky} missionaries live in the basement of their home where she cooks delicious food and is a warm motherly figure. Her and my grandpa leave at four in the morning to fulfill their temple assignments. She always remembers birthdays and sends cards to everyone {not a small feat in our very large family.} She always has a kind word of encouragement and a "can do" attitude. She is a wonderful example of giving unconditional love and support to all of her family members. My grandparents travel the north west attending sporting events, graduations, baptisms, baby blessings, funerals, weddings, and other important events. That is hard to do at any age, so the fact she is still going and doing all of that at 81 is nothing short of amazing.

Here is one of my favorite stories that tell the most about her character:

As a young mother she was asked to make some rolls for a church relief society activity. She says she did her best efforts in making them and brought them with her to the dinner. As all of the ladies were eating, she overheard some of the older women in the ward asking "who made these terrible rolls?" My grandma realized they were talking about her rolls. Now, I think just about anyone would have become angry, embarrassed, sad, and vowed to never attempt making something like that ever again, and I'm sure she did have some of those feelings. But instead of being offended and holding a grudge, she approached the women and kindly asked if they could teach her how to make wonderful homemade rolls -- and they did. Now, everyone that is acquainted with my grandmother or who has had the pleasure of eating in her home, knows that she is famous for her delicious (and by that I mean DELICIOUS) rolls. The world would be a far worse place without those scrumptious melt in your mouth baked goods.



That story came in handy to me as I had a very similar experience as a young mother who was not overly self confident about her cooking. She has always been such a great example in my life and there are many times when faced with a decision that I think to myself, "what would grandma Katie do or say?"



It means so much to me that Kendle and Morgan have had the opportunity to form relationships with her and my grandfather and make lasting memories.

Valentine's Day recap

We had a very low key Valentine's weekend this year. Kendle came home from school on Friday with her valentine box filled to the brim with cards and candy. I don't remember getting that much candy when I was in school. It's almost like Halloween. [I asked her if she was excited to get a valentine from anyone in particular and she said nope, just all her friends. I'm kind of relieved she's not boy crazy just yet.] We decided to get Panda Express for dinner and then we watched a movie and just relaxed. It is hard to stay up late and do anything anymore.

Saturday everyone pitched in and helped clean the house. I always think of the primary song, "Saturday is a special day it's the day we get ready for Sunday." I was able to go through all of Kendle and Morgan's clothes and weed out the ones they have grown out of and organize their dressers and closets. It was much needed and looks so much better now. And I don't know about anyone else, but I think one of the most romantic things a guy can do is help you clean! After the cleaning I got out some fun things to let the kids decorate some sugar cookies I had left un-frosted for them. I was surprised at how well Morgan did. He very carefully shook sprinkles on his cookie and placed a few other decorations very precisely. Their cookies looked great! They ate quite a few of them, but really I didn't mind because there were less there to tempt me.

Yesterday Morgan and the babies were so good at church and Kendle was a good helper. When we got home I received some valentine's from the kids and the babies went down for a nice long nap. Then Riley made me a delicious dinner of tomato/basil/garlic/ grilled chicken, baby red potatoes, grilled asparagus, strawberry spinach salad, and french bread. I helped with the salad a little bit, but other than that it was all him and he wouldn't allow me to do anything. It was so good! He even set the table and did all of the cleaning up. What a treat. (I could definitely get used to THAT on Sunday afternoons.) For dessert I made chocolate dipped strawberries and a heart shaped chocolate cake dusted with powdered sugar using this recipe. The cake was pretty good for being so low cal and low fat. I will definitely make it again.

Later that evening my parents drove up for a visit and brought us some treats. We visited and watched Penelope which is such a cute movie. My parents offered to take Kendle and Morgan home with them to spend the night since there is no school due to President's Day today. They are awesome. Riley is gone today to a soccer game for his girls club team, and with the older kids gone it will be a very quiet day which I will thoroughly enjoy. I am going to relax and catch up on some reading in between taking care of the twins.

So it was a very nice weekend and I'm so thankful for my family. I have the best Valentines.

Making Me Laugh Today

Last year for Valentine's Day I bought Morgan a cute dog that is like a puppet and every time you move the mouth it sings part of "Close To You" by the Carpenters. Morgan dug it out of the toy box and has been singing the song all morning. Nothing cuter than hearing his little voice from a corner of the house singing:

"Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near?"
"Just like me, they long to be, close to you."

It's the most adorable thing.

On another note (ha), I laughed out loud when I heard him yell after flushing the toilet -- "Bombs away!"

He seriously cracks me up!

Tired Body, Tired Mind

It seems like life always works against me when I'm really trying hard to do something. I started working out again recently after a 9+ month hiatus and I was pretty proud of my efforts. That is until this week where I have literally had zero energy or motivation to get a workout in thanks to two little baby boys who have made it their personal mission to spend as much time with their mother as they can. I almost think they have a competition going on between them of who can wake up the most times. Let me just say, they have an overabundance of energy for three month old babies. Tuesday evening I attempted to squeeze a quick workout in while Riley was at soccer, but that ended badly with Morgan and Kendle fighting and one of the babies waking up. Yesterday after another night of very little sleep I didn't even bother trying to motivate myself to do it. The worst is when my brain is exhausted. Even when my body is sore and tired, if I am alert and have some brain function I can motivate myself and talk myself into exercising even when my body protests. But when the brain is exhausted I just shut down. It is safe to say that this week I have just been physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. Riley has been going to conditioning training for their high school boys soccer team at night and then doing practice for his girls club team after that to get ready for their state cup. For everyone who keeps asking and wondering "how I'm doing it", let me just say there are many days when I want to just throw in the towel and let my house go to pot and the kids eat cereal for every meal. And I don't like the person I become when I'm cranky and have no patience. My day this morning has already gone a little something like this:

Woke up at around 3:45 am to feed Kale.

Crawled back in bed around 4:30.

Woke Riley up to feed Cooper around 4:45.

Passed out cold until Morgan came in and woke me up at 6:30.

Got him a drink and put back in bed.

Woke up at 7:00 to help Kendle get ready for school.

7:30 started getting Morgan showered, dressed, and fed.

7:55 Kendle left for bus.

I began cleaning up the kitchen and washing the ten bottles on the counter.

8:15 Kale woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed. Talking and laughing and being overly cute. No hope of getting him back to sleep soon. Fed and changed him and am now holding him while I type this.

It's a good thing I can usually get a shower in before Riley leaves for work so I can at least feel some what human.

*Ok, since I always try and see at least one positive in a situation, I guess I can say I'm lucky I "get" to be exhausted taking care of two cute babies. Sometimes blessings do come at a price.

Free Valentine Printables

If you are like me and have waited until the last minute to do Valentine's here are some useful links for a lot of cute ideas to print off at home. (use card stock if you have it)



Link #1



Link #2



Link #3


*I found a few more worth taking a look at:

Link #4

Link #5

Link #6

Kendle needs to have her cards to school by tomorrow for some reason, so that is what we will be working on tonight. I don't know which ones she is going to choose, but this one is my favorite:

12 Weeks

{ Dodson Boys}

12 weeks is:

busy

smiling

laughing

recognizing

watching hands

legs that want to run

growing appetite

losing hair

Just. Plain. Cute.

*Journal Thoughts*

I realized I haven't done a journal post since back in April before I got bad morning sickness with the twins. Thought I better start back up.

Outside my window.....
It's been raining and wet and we've had foggy mornings all week. Kendle has been in heaven getting to use her new umbrella she got to pick out last Saturday at Target. It's white with polka dots and she's been more excited about carrying it around than anything else lately.

I am thinking....
About how much I liked the movie "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel Mcadams. Riley wanted to see it for his birthday so we went last night and we loved it. I love a good action adventure. It just goes to show that sometimes you shouldn't listen to other people's opinions since I had heard from a few people that they didn't like it. We thought it was awesome. I loved the set, the music, and all the actors. No bad language either which was a welcome change since the last movie we saw was Avatar and it seemed like every other word in that was bad.

I am thankful for....
The opportunity to be a mother. I learn something new every day.

From the kitchen....
Riley and one of his buddies are BBQing and smoking some meat today and every time I open the fridge I can smell the meat that is marinating. For some reason it takes on a really strong garlic odor. I love to eat garlic, but not smell it. It's kind of making me gag. It reminds me of this old man we used to pick up for church when I was a kid and he always smelled like garlic because he would eat tons of dill pickles.

I am going....
To try and tackle about fifty loads of laundry today and hack out the jungle that has become the children's room. Every bedroom in our house has the same problem - too many clothes. I try and pair down, but the kids are at the age where they grow out of things so quickly it can be hard to keep up with the cleaning out process. Especially the twins. I have laundry baskets full of things they have already grown out of. Yikes! They are already wearing a lot of size 6 months clothing.

I am hoping....
Kendle has a good day at school today. I had kind of a cross moment with her before she left for the bus about her homework and I feel horrible. It was one of those moments where I could have fixed things for her, but I realized she needed to learn a valuable lesson of accepting her own consequences.

I am hearing....
Babies babbling and Morgan singing along to Dora the Explorer. The usual background to my day.

Around the house....
There are so many little projects that need to be done or finished. It seems like we can never quite get caught up. Hoping to cross some more off this weekend.

One of my favorite things....
I love the smell of baby lotion. There is almost something magical about the smell of a freshly bathed baby covered with Johnson's baby lotion.

A few plans for the weekend....
Kendle is going to a friends tonight and then a birthday party at Monkey Dooz tomorrow. We are hanging out with some friends tonight. Riley has soccer tomorrow and then hopefully can work on some things for me after that. I need to go to the library sometime either today or tomorrow. That's about it.

Backstory with Recipes

So I guess I should give a little more information about the dinner that made Riley fall in love with me. [Actually, the way he tells it, he knew he was going to marry me from the moment he met me, but this meal sealed the deal. I guess I will have to have him write his own version of how things happened. ] Now you would think it was some magnificently hard gourmet dinner, but that is not my style or Riley's style. I am a fan of down home comfort food cooking. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy branching out and going a little fu-fu every now and again, but really it's the basics done right that are my favorite. I made him fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pan gravy and biscuits. Simple right? This is seriously one of those bribery meals you can pull out. Need the garage cleaned out or the bathroom painted? This will do the trick.

For a lot of dishes I cook, I pretty much make it up as I go. I don't have "real" recipes, just a lot of eyeballing this and a dash of that and a pinch or two of something else. It's basically just trial and error and until it's just right the way my family likes it and sometimes those turn out to be the best dishes.

I wish I could have taken some pictures of our dinner last night, but with two crying babies, two older rambunctious kids, and a starving husband it totally slipped my mind. But I will say there was not a lot a whole lot of talking around the dinner table, just lots of happy eating sounds. Even Kendle my picky eater was devouring her chicken like it was going to escape off her plate if she didn't gobble it down.

Sarah's Fried Chicken
4 chicken breasts cut in half (You can leave them whole, I just do it for time's sake because they cook faster and they are smaller portions for the kids.)
3 eggs
Oil
Flour
Garlic Powder
Seasoned Salt
Regular Salt
Pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat about 350 degrees. Do not fill the pot more than half full with the oil. You do not want it too hot, that will burn the outside of the chicken and not cook the middle. To check if it's ready, I stick the handle of a wooden spoon in and if it bubbles and sizzles around it it's ready.

In a shallow dish or pan (I use tin pie plates) mix together about 3/4 cup flour (add more if you need it) a couple of big dashes of Garlic Powder, Seasoned Salt, and Pepper to your own tastes.

In a medium sized bowl beat the eggs.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Set up everything assembly line style on the counter near the stove. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg and coat on both sides. Then immediately coat in flour mixture. Make sure to get an even coating on both sides. Place in hot oil and cook until nice and brown (I don't have an approximate time, just until it looks done).

Remove and place on paper towels to soak up some of the excess oil. To keep the chicken crispy while finishing the batch, I will place them on a cookie sheet in a slightly warmed oven.

Pan Gravy
[Trust me, this recipe is not for the faint of heart or if you are counting calories. Of course all things in moderation right?]

Drain off almost all of the oil from the pan used for frying the chicken. Leave just a small coating of oil and the bits and pieces left over from the chicken at the bottom of the pan. That's the good stuff. Over low - medium heat add in a tablespoon or two of flour and start mixing and scraping up all of the stuff from the bottom of the pan with a wire whisk. You want it to be smooth and stirrable. Keep whisking until it has browned a bit. You want to get rid of the flour flavor. Then slowly add in a little bit of milk at a time until you get the desired consistency. You don't want it to be pasty and lumpy. Keep whisking and stirring until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste - it needs to have flavor. If it starts getting too thick again, add in a little more milk and whisk until smooth again.

You also have to serve these yummy biscuits with this meal:

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder (you can add a bit more depending on your preference)
3/4 tsp. salt
5 T shortening
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly and in little pea sized pieces. Add milk a little at a time until a ball forms and dough pulls away from the sides (not too sticky). Roll out on floured surface and cut into biscuits ( I would err on the thick side depending on your preference). If desired brush tops with butter, and then bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Do not over bake these. You want them to be soft and flaky.

My family seriously thinks I am the queen of the world when I make this. Well at least during dinner anyways.

*And don't forget the mashed potatoes!*

29

**Happy Birthday to my one and only.**

For a few short months we get to be the same age and I'm no longer the "older woman".

We started off the morning with one of his favorite breakfasts - fried egg sandwiches and chocolate milk. What a great combination right? Tonight I'm making his favorite dinner (the dinner that made him fall in love with me, or so he claims) with an ice cream cake for dessert. He told me this is already the best birthday ever. I hope so.

Riley, may 29 be your best year yet!

*Loves*

Bogie's Last Day

Sunday was a bittersweet day for our family. We gave Bogie to my aunt and uncle that live out in the country near Heppner, OR. We felt he deserved a better life than being cooped up in our tiny yard. He is a hunting and outdoors dog at heart and he just wasn't thriving and living the life that he should. Also, with as busy as our life has become we just didn't have the time to devote to him and that made us sad. Kendle was pretty devastated about the ordeal, but we will take the kids up to visit him and she'll see what a great time he's having and how happy he is and feel better about it I hope. My aunt Alaina and uncle Mark live in a cool place with lots of room for him to roam and a creek that runs behind their property. They also have another dog to be a buddy for Bogie. It's basically a dream home for him and I am so thankful and relieved that he is going to a good place where he will have a great life.

We took these pictures at my parents house Sunday afternoon before we let him go. Bogie was so excited to have space to run we could hardly get him to calm down.

I thought back on some good memories of Bogie and here are a few:

*When we first got him, we tried sleeping him out in the garage since it was winter time, and he would just whine and cry like a baby. So we'd let him in the house and he'd go right to Kendle's room and sleep on the floor by her bed. They were buddies from the start.

*When I was having really bad morning sickness with Morgan, he was still a puppy and I think he could tell I wasn't feeling good so he would come lay by me on the couch in a comforting way. I taught him to fetch the newspaper for me so I didn't have to step outside in the cold. (that would come back to bite me)

*In the summertime when I would be out watering flowers I would always give him a big drink from the hose and spray him down. He would act like he didn't like it and run away, but he'd always come back for more. When we'd put the sprinkler on for the kids to run through he would do it too and we would all laugh so hard. I think that dog knew he was funny. There were times when I swear he was actually smiling.

*One time when he was about a year old, he dug under the gate and got out. In the morning we found about five newspapers and a shoe that he had brought home and put on our doorstep. Guess he got confused that we only wanted our newspaper and shoes brought back home. Glad we have nice neighbors.

*Sometimes we'd be in the backyard playing soccer or letting the kids race each other and Bogie would always try and join in the fun. He would make the kids mad because he'd go and get the soccer ball and run away with it or try and knock them over while they were running just like an annoying big brother. We'd always end up laughing about it though.

*And I don't think we'll ever forget this or this. We still laugh about those incidents and probably always will.

So we'll try and forget about all of the digging in the yard, the escaping under the fence, and the chewing up of lawn furniture and toys and just remember the good times. Thanks Bogie for all of the fun you gave us the last four years.

They said what?

Thought I better jot these down before I forgot.

Riley brought home a bag of Bugles the other day. Morgan loves to eat them. He kept going to the pantry door and asking for more "muggles". I had no idea what he meant until he pointed to the bag. Ohhhh, I got it. (I think we've been watching too much Harry Potter around here.) I hated to correct him though because it sounded so cute.

While riding home from church yesterday afternoon, Kendle piped up from the backseat asking what getting "head whipped" meant. Riley and I were both really puzzled and had no idea what she was asking us about. She kept saying, you know - getting "head whipped". We still had no clue what she was talking about. Then she said, "you know when you're driving really fast in the car and you then you have to stop really fast and it hurts your head." Ohhhh, we got it. Whiplash! Ha, we laughed about that the rest of the way home. I think "head whipped" might be our new favorite verb.