4th of July 2011

Our 4th of July went something like this:

*Almost the whole family slept in -- that never happens. Well, except for Morgan who threw up at 6:00 in the morning.

*Late breakfast of pancakes, berries, and bacon.

*Hurried and rushed everyone to get dressed so we could head to the parade (I think 15 minutes for the whole family is a new record). Everyone was super decked out in lots of red, white, and blue.

*Fun time downtown at the Pasco parade. The twins didn't even cry at the loud noises or sirens which was a pleasant surprise. It was hot and sunny, but not too miserably hot. The kids got a satisfying amount of candy.

*Came home and put everybody to work cleaning house and working on the yard. (Well, everyone but the twins who were napping. Oh, and Morgan wasn't feeling well so he fell asleep.) Got everything festive and fun for our family BBQ later that evening.

*Welcomed family over for some of Riley's delicious chicken, burgers, hot dogs, and LOTS of other yummy food. Cake, ice cream cones, and other treats capped it off. My little sister and her two best friends surprised us with a visit as well which was a big treat.

*The kids entertained us with some songs and dances and other backyard antics. The babies ran around with wet clothes, then shirts off, then almost no clothes at all.

*After cleaning up and relaxing a bit we all moved blankets and chairs out to the front yard for some fireworks viewing. We didn't even have to wait for the big show to begin, we had plenty of illegal fireworks going off all over town.

*Enjoyed the fireworks show and the cool night air. Summer doesn't get much better than that.

It was a great day, so much in fact that I found that even with the "hustle and bustle" of it all I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Kendle even told me it was her best 4th of July yet! That's huge coming from her. I love my family, I love my friends, and I love this great country that we are blessed to call home.

Happy Birthday America from the Dodson's!!!

 

Mother's Day Weekend

 {One of my Mother's Day gifts, new running shoes}

We had a great weekend here at the Dodson household. Friday afternoon Morgan and I went to the doctor, got some prescriptions that would help us feel better, and Friday night I got knocked out and slept the best I had in weeks. My body needed a serious reprieve from all the coughing I'd been doing and I felt so much better Saturday morning after getting a full nights sleep. Saturday morning we all got to work cleaning the house and working outside. Riley took down our poor play set that was falling apart and got that area all cleaned up and Morgan and Kendle hauled the scraps and the wood to his truck to be taken to the dump. After that the twins went down for a nap, Kendle and Morgan went to my mother-in-laws for the afternoon and Riley went to go scout a game to see who they would be playing this week. I was really tempted to go rest up and take a nap while it was quiet, but I put on some work gloves and decided to go do some weeding instead. I got all of the front weeding done and most of the back. There is something so satisfying about pulling weeds and seeing an instant effect of everything looking nice and clean. Later that afternoon we got to work on our new "fire pit" area, which was really pretty simple. We just raked all the peagravel to smooth everything back out and clean out the debri, assembled the fire pit, and I planted some cute little trees in some bright green pots to put around it. I'm still looking for some better chairs, but anything is an improvement from what it looked like before, trust me. Now all that's left to do is to frame the edges out with some wood to contain the pea gravel better. This is definitely everyone's new favorite spot. I'm trying to convince Riley to try and make us some cute benches to go there.

Sunday I woke up to Riley making me a delicious breakfast. Granted the kitchen was a mess and the whole house smelled like a diner, but the food was really good. He had gotten up extra early to make me bacon, scrambled eggs, country hash browns, english muffins and orange juice. It was delicious. At the table were also some beautiful roses and some cute gifts from the kids. It was a great way to start Mother's Day. I wanted to take a picture with all the kids before church and of course at least one of the kids has to start crying. Don't ask me why this always happens, but it does. This time Morgan had a whole bunch of stuff in his hands and in his shirt pockets and I made him take them out (because he couldn't take them to church anyways), so then he totally started crying and he was the only one NOT smiling for the picture, but I love him anyways and it keeps it real I suppose.

And here is one of the funny out takes.....



So as you can see, we took what we could get in the two minutes we had to spare to snap a few pictures.

Church was wonderful, there were so many good speakers and inspiring thoughts that were shared (not to mention the chocolates and cheesecake we were treated to). It made me remember more than ever to be grateful for the opportunity to be a mother and that this is what I wanted in my life so I need to choose to be happy and make the best of whatever comes along, and also I need to be the type of mother my children deserve to have. It was one of my most enjoyable Mother's Day Sundays I've had in a long time.

Last night after putting the twins to bed, we gave in to Kendle and Morgan's begging and tried out the new fire pit. We sat around and watched the sparks fly into the dark sky and listened to the crackling fire. We watched Riley stoke the flames and add more wood.  We stayed there until it was way past bedtime and my feet in my flip-flops got cold. It was one of those rare moments in time where you could just soak in the contentment and see it mirrored in your children's faces. It was the perfect way to end such a wonderful day. I'm grateful to my little family for making me feel so loved.

4th of July Desserts

I loved this roundup from the kitchn on making some patriotic inspired desserts for your 4th of July celebrations.

This blueberry star cake is beautiful:

And you can't go wrong with Ina Garten's flag cake:

Or if you're trying to take a healthier route, this fruit platter makes a

pretty display:

In the past we've also done simple things for the kids like patriotic colored star shaped sugar cookies and those red/white/and blue rocket popsicles are always a hit as well.

I wish I could be baking up some sweet treats for the 4th, but I'm busy packing for our weekend away in Portland. Riley's team is playing in the Portland Cup and we are making a family trip out of it. We'll be hanging out at my brother Jeremy's on Saturday - barbecuing it up in their gorgeous backyard, visiting, playing, doing some fireworks, and having a good old time. The kids are excited to play with their cousins and swim in the hotel pool. And we may just have a few surprises up our sleeve.......

St. Patrick's Day Treat

I don't usually do much in way of celebrating St. Patrick's Day, but I conceded that since I am married to an Irishman, I should do something. Because I have a family of picky eaters, I decided to play it safe and make something sweet - green cupcakes with sprinkles on top.

These cupcakes are a bit deceiving. They look like regular cupcakes from the outside -

-and then when you take a bite into the middle............

A bright green surprise!

I just used a regular yellow cake mix and added green food coloring to it. When they bake up the outside turns a golden brown like it normally would. I didn't have any green sprinkles so I just took some large white sugar sprinkles and tossed them around with some green food coloring. Couldn't have been easier.

I've already had one little leprechaun devour one...........

Here is an old Irish blessing for you:

"If God sends you down a stony path, may he give you strong shoes."

Happy St. Patty's Day

Our Christmas

Christmas Eve my parents, Tucker, and Tamra came up. Riley's mother joined us after she got done with church. We had yummy snacky type food and did the usual Christmas Eve traditions of singing some carols and letting the kids open a gift which is always pajamas. It was a fun and relaxing evening. Before bed, Kendle left her letter and some cookies for Santa on the dining table and then sprinkled food for the reindeers all over the front lawn with Morgan's help. She was getting him excited for Santa to come.












This was a very different Christmas for us this year, due in large part to the babies. Usually Riley and I are so excited to get the kids up early, this year Kendle came in at 5:00 after Riley and I had just put the babies back to sleep. We told her to get back in bed and wait a little longer. I hated to put a damper on her excitement, but we were way too tired. I knew they would not be able to stand waiting for very long though so we got the kids up around 6:30 or so while the twins slept on. Stockings were first, and I loved watching Morgan's little face as he pulled things out one by one. The new sunglasses and tie were cool, but when he got to the bottom where the candy was, his eyes got super big and he thought he had struck gold. I think he could have stopped right there and been perfectly content. Little ones are so easy to please. I guess Santa figured the children had been good afterall this year and he left some good gifts for them. It was fun to watch their happy little faces.

As per Dodson family tradition, after opening our gifts, we jumped in the car in our pajamas and raced down to my parents house in Oregon to enjoy the rest of the Christmas festivities. Well, that's how it usually goes. This year it took us a little longer to get there. We enjoyed our stay with them and all of the delicious food and snacks my mom always makes, not to mention all of the help my parents and Tamra were with the babies. The following day my mom treated the kids and I to a movie (The Alvin and the Chipmunks sequel). It was Morgan's first movie and he LOVED it. He was so good and liked all of the music in it.

All in all we had a very Merry Christmas!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

[The Chicago River is dyed green each year for the St. Patrick's Day celebration, shown here in 2008.]

Kendle was so excited to wear some green today for school. I don't know how many of the other kids will be wearing green, but I remember when I was in grade school it was a big deal to make sure you had at least a little bit of green on - nobody wanted to get pinched!

While reading about St. Patrick's Day on Wikipedia this morning I learned something new:

"St. Patrick's Blue, not green, was the color long-associated with St. Patrick. Green, the color most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times, may have gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing. At many times in Irish history, to do so was seen as a sign of Irish nationalism or loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish. The wearing of and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the saint's holiday. The change to Ireland's association with green rather than blue probably began around the 1750's."

I thought that was interesting, that the original "wearing of green" was to wear a shamrock and not green clothing.













If you want to make a treat for your kids today, you can visit this link to the blog Every Day Food Storage to read about a recipe for some green shamrock cookies. These would be fun to make.

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Thanksgiving Learning and Fun

We all know about the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and how the Native Americans and the Pilgrims shared a feast. But do you know how it actually became a national holiday?

After 1621, future Thanksgiving celebrations occurred at various times throughout the year. George Washington declared a feast of Thanksgiving in 1789, and presidents issued similar yearly proclamations after that. During the Civil War, poet Sarah Hale started a campaign to celebrate the holiday on the same day throughout the country.

President Abraham Lincoln saw it as a way to unite the country, and in 1863 he proclaimed a national Thanksgiving celebration on the last Thursday in November. It was changed from the last Thursday to the third Thursday by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 as a way to lengthen the Christmas shopping holiday. In 1941, Roosevelt finally changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November, proclaiming it a Federal holiday in 1941.

I thought that was pretty interesting. I did not know it had been changed that many times. Throughout the month our family is going to be talking about what we are thankful for and learning more about the Thanksgiving holiday. We're making a trip to the library in the next few days and will be picking up some books related to the holiday and the history of it.

There are so many resources and ideas on the web for cute crafts and activities. I thought I'd share some that I found:

*If you're looking for some cute coloring pages, clip art, and other activities for you children to keep them busy on afternoons after school check out this link:
http://holidays.kaboose.com/thanks-color.html
There are lots of cute printables.

*The Family Fun website always has lots of cute things too. I especially liked these little pilgrim place cards:
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/feature/famf117tabletop/famf117tabletop6.html

*I also thought this idea for "Harvest Blessing Snack Mix" was very cute. The link also has a free printable tag to include with it if you like:
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/thanksrecipes/a/thxblessmix.htm

*Ever wonder if your ancestors came over on the Mayflower? Take a look at this list and see if you can find any familiar names:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_passengers_on_the_Mayflower

Thanksgiving is one of those Holiday's that just quietly creep up on us.

What is one of your favorite things to do for the Thanksgiving Holiday?

Looking ahead at this month

Now that the elections are finally over, I guess it's time to move on and hope for the best.

I'm looking forward to the fun activities this month will bring.

*This weekend my mother and I will have our girls day at the Custer's Christmas Craft Show. I love this time of year when you can feel the holidays in the air and start doing some Christmas shopping. Last year at Custer's I found the perfect little black table to go with my shelf I had bought there the year before. I enjoy walking around and smelling all of the good smells while we get our wheels turning for Christmas crafts and ideas.

*Next Friday Riley will be getting surgery on his ankle. I'm not looking forward to that necessarily because he will be needing a lot of help, but I am glad he's having it done and that hopefully it will heal well and he can regain his strength and dexterity in that foot. His ankle has really bothered him for the last two years or more since he first injured it and since part of the bone is dead (which I didn't even know could happen) the surgery is a light at the end of the tunnel hopefully. We are hoping this will be a good time to get it done since things slow down for him at work in the winter, and soccer doesn't start until the end of February.

*The weekend after that Twilight opens in theaters and me and my gimp husband will be going to see it. Riley read the books, and although he didn't really care for the mushy romantic parts, he liked the vampire and wolf characters. So we're both pretty stoked to go see it. I'm really hoping that Hollywood has not turned it into a typical teen/slasher romance.

*The week after that is Thanksgiving which is one of my favorite holidays. I love the food, the smells, and the fact that it is pretty much a stress free holiday (besides cooking the feast). My mom makes a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and I try to pick up all of her great cooking methods as I've helped her the last few years. I might even love the leftovers as much as the actual meal! Nothing compares to being in a warm cozy house while a turkey is roasting in the oven and pumpkin pies are cooling on the counter. Heaven!

*I've never been much of a fan of the day after Thanksgiving sales, but this year I just might be taking advantage of some of them. I would love to get my Christmas shopping done by December so I can just enjoy the Christmas holiday without enduring the shopping purgatory that most stores become that time of year. So maybe it will be kind of fun to join the throng of crazy shoppers on Black Friday. We are simplifying our Christmas gifts this year which should make shopping easier as well.

This month is the perfect time to look back and think about all that I have to be thankful for.

Easy Monday

We're still at the 'rents for the weekend.

Kendle enjoyed camping out with grandma last night, the wind blew against the tent all night but grandma says she slept soundly.

Riley got up at 4:30 to do some hunting.

Morgan has had his fill of licorice, suckers, cookies, and other treats grandma has spoiled him with.

The wind is blowing here in Eastern Oregon and it is chillly. Did I bring a jacket? NO.

It feels like fall.

Making our way back home this evening, and will spend my night preparing for the school week ahead.

Hope you've all enjoyed a nice, relaxing weekend!

4th of July 2008

Friday the 4th we headed downtown Pasco for the annual 4th of July Parade. We sat right by the pool since Kendle had swimming lessons, and since hardly anyone showed up she got to go down the big loopty-loop slide a dozen or so times. After her lesson she came and joined us for the rest of the parade and made a valiant attempt to retrieve as much candy as possible. There wasn't a ton to be had this year, but she did score two coupons for a free milkshake at McDonalds. Not too shabby. Morgan didn't enjoy the parade so much, but did perk up a bit when the firetrucks and ambulances came by. Other than that he was content to look for sticks and rocks and try to run away. The parade weather was comfortably warm with a slight breeze, much better than it's been the last few years. I'm bummed I did not get a picutre of our family with everyone decked out in their red, white, and blue.

After the parade we grabbed some lunch and headed back home to get ready for the BBQ we were having that night. We had invited some friends and family over to celebrate with us and it turned out to be really fun. Riley grilled some hot dogs and hamburgers and we set out big tubs of pop and ice in our backyard. Thanks to our guests we had lots of yummy sidedishes, chips, cookies, popsicles, and icecream. It was fun to just eat, relax and visit with everyone. The kids had fun playing on the swing set (thanks Riley for finally fixing it) they played limbo with the garden hose, and probably drank enough pop and ate enough sweets to last them until Halloween. They also had fun with the bubbles we got them:

The little ones enjoyed chasing them around. I got a kick out of how excited the kids were and how well they all played together.

I guess you could say the suckers were a big hit as well:

We're thankful for all of our friends and family that came and helped make it a fun time.

After everyone headed out, we grabbed some chairs and blankets and sat out in the front yard with my parents and grandparents to watch the fireworks from the stadium down the road. Little did we know we'd be getting a second free fireworks show from our neighbors two houses down. And little did they know, that a police man had been sitting there watching them with his lights off for a good ten minutes before he came and busted them. I don't know if people are just ignorant, or think they are above the law, but the city ordinance banning fireworks seemed to be one of those pick and choose laws for a lot of people in our neighborhood and surrounding area this year.

It started to get a little breezy during the fireworks and we all had sweatshirts or were wrapped up in blankets. Morgan was very laid back, drinking his bottle and leaning on me while he looked at the big explosions in the air. He clapped and said "yay" a few times. The fireworks were beautiful and while we were watching them, my grandfather told Kendle the story about how Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star Spangled Banner". It made me think what it would have meant to live back in those times, and through the dirt and grit and horror of war, be overcome with hope and a renewed spirit to see the American Flag still waving high in the air after a desperate battle. My heart is thankful.

After the fireworks were over, my parents offered to take Kendle home with them for the rest of the weekend, (yay) so we packed her a bag and sent her off down the road with a smile on her face. I'm so thankful to live close to my family, and it makes me happy that my children love to spend time with them. All in all, it was a great way to celebrate the 4th of July, and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Independence Day

"Freedom is never free." ~Author Unknown





















On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and Democracy was born. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the "land of the free and the home of the brave" so they can begin their American Dream.

Here is a section from the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

To read it in it's entirety go here. I highly recommend it, it was truly inspired. I am in awe of the bravery of those men.

I am so thankful to live in such a wonderful country. I pray that we as a nation can endure the trials ahead, stand for what is right, and never forget the price paid for our freedom.

The Journey of Motherhood

Once upon a time, some years ago, there was a little girl. This little girl loved to play, and read, and dream about what her life would be like when she was older and all grown up. She had many hopes and aspirations and the desire to be successful at whatever career path she would eventually choose. She had fleeting thoughts of being a mother, but it was never something she dwelt upon much. It seemed like something so far in the future; time felt so slow when she was young. She reasoned that she needed to experience life and have some adventures and triumphs before that day came. She thought the world expected more from her, and the world was very persuasive. The twists and turns of life constantly interrupted and changed the once clear and marked path she had been on. This girl was always a people pleaser, and once she struck out on her own and tried to find her own way, life got a little scarier and harder and the decisions weren't as easy as they once were. Did she know who she was any more? Did she like this new person she was becoming? What were her goals now? Where did she want to end up? What was her driving force in life? She felt lost and confused and unhappy and life continued that way for a while until one day she met someone, and they fell head over heals in love. Happiness ensued and then fate decided to take one more gigantic twist and change her course indefinitely. The day came when she finally realized that she had a purpose that was greater than she ever imagined for herself. She became a mother, and her hopes and aspirations and dreams all shifted and became hopes, aspirations, and dreams for her child and future children to come. Her life was forever changed, and her heart was grateful.


Everyone has their own stories and battle scars associated with being a mother. If anyone thinks it is easy, they have obviously never tried being one. It is the most challenging, humbling, scary, exhausting, mind boggling, heart wrenching, and difficult role to have. But it is also a more rewarding, fulfilling, joyful, fun, interesting, educational, and sacred experience than I could have ever imagined. It's like having pieces of your heart walking around outside of your body.

Someone once tried to make me feel belittled and embarrassed that I was "just" a mom. They tried to insult me that my life was boring and unimportant. Instead of feeling angry at this person, I just felt sad for them. If they could have only felt a little fraction of the joy and contentment I felt when I rocked my baby to sleep, or when I was the recipient of a tight little squeeze around the neck with chubby little arms, they might have had a different interpretation of what was important, and that there was nothing in the world that could have made me feel regretful that I was "just" a mom.

I feel a great responsibility on my shoulders to lead and guide my children and love them the best I can even on the bad days where I really need a nap, the house is a mess, I don't know what to cook for dinner, and there are 3 big baskets of laundry waiting to be folded so I can finish the other 10 loads still needing to be washed. Everyone has those days were you have to really dig deep and draw from your inner strength to get through the day and it is easy to become discouraged, but I am constantly surprised to find how much strength we as mothers possess when needed, and thankful for the knowledge that tomorrow is another day and we have the opportunity to start fresh again. I for one need my fair share of second chances.

The Journey of Motherhood for me has been life changing and everything I didn't know I wanted for myself. I truly believe there is a purpose and a reason for the things that happen to us; lessons are learned, loved ones are found, new adventures begin. I am far from perfect and find myself lacking in many qualities I would like to possess, but it is my hope that someday my children will have an assurity that they're mother prayed in thankfulness for them, treasured them, felt joy to be with them, and loved them with all of her heart.

To all the Mother's out there who are not "just" moms,

have a Happy Mother's Day.

Great Easter Weekend

Here are some more pictures we took before church yesterday. Don't judge me for my horrible photography and wiggly children.

Hope you all had a great Easter weekend. Is anyone else suffering from a candy hangover?

Going Green

Today is the day to go green. No, I'm not talking about saving the earth, I'm talking about the color that is seen around the world today in the celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Wikipedia states: The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, “to grow”. It is used to describe plants or the ocean. Sometimes it can also describe someone who is inexperienced, jealous, or sick. In America, green is a slang term for money, among other things. Several colloquialisms have derived from these meanings, such as “green around the gills”, a phrase used to describe a person who looks ill.

So In honor of today's holiday here are some of my favorite green things:

Granny Smith's make one heck of a good pie. And I love how they look piled high in a big bowl for decoration as well. One word - fresh.

Who doesn't love Kermit? Enough said.

On first glance, pesto is not that appealing. But if you can get past the look it is so delicious!

I may or may not have been borderline obsessed with the Wizard of Oz in my younger years, and the part where they reach the Emerald City is by far my favorite scene. I wanted to live in the Emerald City. OK, still do.

There is something about a perfectly mowed baseball diamond that can make me stare at it for hours. Green grass + baseball just screams summer to me.

Much to my mother's dismay, I was (and still am) an avid pickle lover growing up. She insists that she could come in my room at night while I was sleeping and smell garlic in the air. Gross huh? That crunchy, garlic goodness calls to me.

There are days when I wish I could turn into the Incredible Hulk. Or just have him as my side-kick. Maybe I'd get out of Walmart a tad bit faster.

I always have a pack of this gum in my purse, car, kitchen junk drawer, or anywhere else I can stash it. Gotta have it on hand for after I eat all of those pickles and pesto.

It's not very often that you see green flowers, but I think these green hydrangeas are so pretty.

If I had to make a list of my all-time favorite songs, "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green would definitely be on there. Every couple should have a "song". Riley and I have a couple, and this is one of them.

Have a great green wearing St. Patrick's Day!!!