Allegria Images

First 48: Baby Xavier

2012-01-18T05:48:00.000-08:00

Was blessed to be able to document Xavier's Nikovanni's birthday! His dad created his middle name--isn't it a nice one? I'm working on a slide show, but had to tease you with a few shots first. OK. More than a few--but he's so adorable, and his mom is so beautiful. Holy Hannah! Seriously gorgeous--and after giving birth, too. It's sooo not fair!

Again, these are just a few and are the less--erm--intimate ones.

Sparks the Elf

2012-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

We started the Elf on the Shelf thing this December. It was kind of fun--although the elf IS rather creepy looking. The kids started writing little notes to him, and he'd reply. Julia gave him cookies and other goodies, and he got the kids a Christmas ornament.

I forgot to post some photos of the "best of the elf," so without further ado, I present to you--Sparks.

Helping take out the tree decorations.

Indulging in a nice, sweet breakfast while attending an elf meeting.

Kinda like a ball pit--only with marshmallow "snowballs!"

The kids had a really hard time finding him up here!

I really appreciated the help this year.

Must get squeaky clean after all that messing around.

I don't have photos of him sharing Christmas cookies with Julia's stuffed animals, diving off a Christmas tree branch, sleeping in the gravy boat, eating from the gingerbread house...which reminds me that I KNOW I took some photos of the gingerbread house and him by it. Hang on...hmn. I looked through everything and they appear not to be on my computer, or else they'll show up somewhere odd. How strange. He was with us for about three weeks, and got into all kinds of mischief--it's just the mother who wasn't as with it as she should have been with the camera. I'll have to dig out the little notes the kids wrote and scan them. They were sweet, and his responses were remarkably wise, considering the mess he made around here...

Groovy doggie

2012-01-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

Oooh yeah, we've got one groovy dog.

Cool man...

Lone photos

2012-01-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, I took only two photos. Two. The rest of the time I just enjoyed being with the kiddos without an appendage. So here are the photos.

And inexplicably, although I have no pictures of dinner--I have one of the cake. Why? Not sure. But here it is:

It's a fudgy brownie peppermint torte, but since I didn't have four 9-inch pans to make it more torte-like, so the layers are thicker and there are only three of them. Anyway, I digress. Brownie layers, cream cheese and peppermint filling. Festive.

And that's that! Two photos but probably the most relaxing Christmas I've had in years.

I hope your Christmas was merry and that you have a wonderful 2012. I'm excited that I can finally write it on my checks. I've been doing it and having to cross it out for months. It slides so smoothly off the pen--2012--that it just has to be a great year!

Nighters.

This is for you, Mom!

2012-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

Lefse day right before Christmas. I'm pleased to report that they turned out better than any I've done before, I was able to roll them paper thin for once, and Meryl was happy to eat them saying they didn't taste like dry tortillas this time. Yes, it was a different recipe (sorry Grandma). Cream and a little sugar makes everything taste better, yes?

Silverware Windchimes

2011-12-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

Last year I wanted to make some vintage spoon bracelets and got a great deal on a lot of silverware on Ebay. Somewhere along the line I saw a set of windchimes made with silverplate and decided to make one for my mother-in-law for Christmas to use the various bits and pieces of silverware that I didn't use for bracelets. It wasn't too hard to make--although bending the fork tines was a bit ouchy on my hands. I used beads that I had lying around the house. It was just handy that I had enough to make this!

They sound really gentle and pretty.

Might just have to make a set for us!

To make:

You need: A piece of iron. 2 sterling dinner forks. 4 assorted shorter forks/spoons/knives. Pliers. Leather. Drill and drill bit (teensy. 1/16 I think I used). Hammer. Fishing twine. Beads. Scissors.

Get yourself a piece of iron. I had a small piece from a railroad track. Worked great! Wrap a piece of silverware in the leather, lay it on the piece of iron, and pound it flat with a hammer. Repeat with each piece of silverware.

Drill a small hole in the top of the handle and center and just above the tines of a fork. Do the same with the handle of another fork.

Wrap the fork handle with a piece of leather to help grip into the vise and avoid tool marks.

Stick the fork handle into the vise right up to the tines. Bend the tines, center ones forward and back and side ones outwards. A lot of elbow grease works, as does a hammer. Just be sure to cover the tines with leather if using a hammer of pliers to avoid tool marks.

Bend and curl the tines using pliers .

Be sure to put the leather between the pliers and the silverware to avoid tool marks.

Repeat with second fork.

Drill holes in the handle of 4 assorted spoons/forks/butter knives.

Tie the pieces together with fishing twine and beads as shown in the photo.

I twisted a piece of wire through the top fork and decorated with a large bead for hanging.

Polish well with silver polish.

Voila! A unique and pretty gift for a garden lover.

Note: If I were to do it again, I might drill a little hole in each fork tine of the forks that I'll be curling before I curl them. That way it would be easier and nicer looking when attaching the chime parts. Just a thought.

Christmas Card

2011-12-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

It seems like I only get out Christmas cards every two or three years, so when I do I like to do something kind of fun or creative. One year, we did a card that was kind of like those "I Spy" books. You know, where there's a whole bunch of stuff laid out and you have to find little objects among the mix. I put out Christmas ornaments, beads, lights--and then stuck in little bits and pieces like a little car, paintbrushes, etc to represent certain things that had happened to us that year. Another year I did a newspaper type thing (that was fun!). This year I blatantly ripped off an idea that I found on line. If you'd like to steal the idea from here, go ahead. It was quite simple to do in Photoshop, and would probably work fairly well in Publisher as well, although it would take a bit more time probably.

This year our list was trimmed dramatically, so I posted it on FB as well, so friends could see it there.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, our 2011 Christmas card:

Of course, I COULD send out one like this, but since the idea of my kids taking Swedish lessons to prepare their Nobel Peace Prizes seems rather preposterous, I'm just happy to report that we survived 2011 fairly intact and happy, that we're looking forward to the coming year, and we wish you all the very best!

Beautiful RoAnna

2011-12-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

When we first had kids, RoAnna was one of our first babysitters. And now, feeling extremely aged, I had the privilege of taking photos of her blossoming pregnancy.

She liked the idea of the earth and fertility, and brought some ivy with her. Between her ivy and what I had, plus yards and yards of fabric, we transformed her into a grecian goddess:

And then, for fun, Rick played around with a set of headphones that he had brought along. I love that they had idea of what they wanted to do and got into having fun at the session. It was such a pleasure working with them! I can hardly wait to meet their little one.

First 48: Babies K and B

2011-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd try my hand at some birth story type photography, so when a friend of mine's sister was expecting twins, I offered my services. Last Friday I got the call and headed to the hospital. Here are a few select photos taken within the first 48 hours of arrival. I thought about whether I'd like photos of me in labor posted on someone's blog--and decided I wouldn't. So even though I have permission, I'm being really discrete here and only posting ones that I wouldn't mind having posted, if it were me.

Aren't I the luckiest photographer EVER??

The babies ended up being delivered via c-section, and hospital policy understandably keeps cameras out of the OR, but the nurse was great and as soon as the babies were wrapped up, she wheeled them into the room for a couple of quick photos before they were whisked away to be weighed and measured. Someday maybe I'll live in a place where I can take photos immediately after birth, but for now, I'll take what I can get and be happy!

"So YOU'RE the guy who kept sticking a foot in my eye. I oughtta..."

Big sister wasn't so sure about the idea. This is as close as she would get while I was there!

All cozy in beautiful handmade blankets by Auntie.

I would LOVE to do more of this type of work! I felt so honored to be able to document these moments, and being able to snuggle with such new, fresh little souls made this a weekend that I'll remember for a long time. I'll be going to their home soon to take newborn portraits--and I can hardly wait!

The Scheme

2011-11-29T17:52:00.000-08:00

Found this piece of paper under the table the other day:

We're in trouble.

In other news:

Our Thanksgiving table was groaning.

Good food, good friends, good reasons to be grateful.

I wet brined the turkey with water, salt, apple cider vinegar, and herbs , then minced some garlic, mixed with olive oil, and rubbed/smeared it under the skin. Then inserted sage leaves and thyme sprigs under there too. It felt weird to be up to my forearm between the meat and skin, I must say, but it really wasn't difficult. Filled cavity with onion wedges, parsnip and carrot pieces, and more sage leaves. This is going to be my go-to turkey recipe for the rest of my life.

No idea why these are watermarked--but OK!! On the left, pumpkin thyme rolls. Salad was pear and candied pecans with a balsamic vinaigrette. I have decided never to use a potato masher again after using a ricer this time. I was sick of mashing and mashing and still getting lumps. BUT, stick the cooked spuds through the ricer, stir in the butter and milk and...NO LUMPS! I'm converted.

And yes, that IS my ironing board still set up against the wall. *sticks jaw out* So??

But I digress.

How to set a Thanksgiving table on a budget: Cool tan plates from Goodwill. Napkins on sale at Boscov's for $3.99/4. Embroidered with turkeys. Loved. Place cards by Martha Stewart online templates. Wheat. Candle in vases filled half way with corn. Table linens on sale for 90% off everywhere after Halloween (paid $2 for the dark brown cloth and about the same for the runner), leaves from Dollar Tree and lo, a harvest table! There's something to be said for procrastinating, as long as you don't have rigid expectations. HA!

And in other news:

Was blessed to be able to take birth story photos this past weekend of a family expecting twins. Felt so privileged to be able to document such a special moment. I'll post a few discrete photos in the next day or so. Those twins are the sweetest!

Apples for breakfast...yes?

2011-11-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

More photos taken an age ago which I meant to post but didn't and I hope you forgive me.

These cookies are yummy, and with both apple and oatmeal, they are most suitable for breakfast, don't you think?

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

2 1/4 cups (340g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 sticks (336g) unsalted room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups (300g) brown sugar
1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups (360g) quick oats
3 small apples, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks.

1. Preheat oven to 350 (180 degrees celsius). In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt , and spices. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add in vanilla.

3. Slowly add in dry ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Remove mixer from the stand and stir in oatmeal, and apple chunks. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Use a small ice cream scoop (if you have one—mine’s in storage right now) or a tablespoon to drop golf ball sized dough onto the cookie sheet, keeping at least an inch and a half between each cookie.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until just turning golden brown.

And they were delicious.

Amen.

Farm fresh

2011-11-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

A friend gave us some beautiful fresh from the chicken eggs last week. I took a photo. Forgot to post.

So now, for your viewing and drooling pleasure...

Aren't they lovely?

And they tasted wonderful, too.

Thanks, Steph!!

Halloweeeeen....bwahahaha....

2011-11-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of photos of the kids from Friday. I was a bad mommy and didn't take any last night. Too much going on! But the Halloween parade at school was adorable.

Here are my kiddos:

After the parade, it was off to partay.

Erm...let's try that again.

PARTAY!!

That's more like it. :o)

Each year the kids draw on the pumpkins and I cut them out.

They both chose to do their interpretation of Belle.

Can't you see the resemblance?

October snow

2011-10-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is what we beheld on Saturday morning:

The kids had a ball, of course. Spent the whole afternoon out there, came in for a late lunch--and wouldn't stop eating!

Belle had an OK time as well. :o)

Supposed to melt this week, but I think it's going to be cooooold trick-or-treating tonight!

Julia's baptism

2011-10-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you who have been around here much have figured out that I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I don't really go into my faith on this blog much, since it's not only a personal blog but also somewhat of a professional one. But every once in awhile it's worth mentioning, simply because it's integral to who I am. Anyway, last Saturday was my daughter's baptism, and it was lovely. She was so excited to be baptised! When she wrote in her journal that night, part of her entry read, "Outside I felt like a soggy wet sponge, but inside I felt all warm and fuzzy." Isn't that sweet?

Here's the one and only photo that was taken, which I did quickly in the hall between making sure everything was ready and also making sure there was at least one photo. Since we didn't have any other family there other than my husband's 86-year-old mother (it has been a lovely visit--she's still here perusing cookbooks as I type!), there wasn't anyone to see that photos were taken of the family and such, but at least there's one of Julia and her daddy.

As a side note: Every once in awhile I do a double take with Julia, because she looks soooo much like her cousin, Trina. This is one of those photos where I really see the resemblance. When the nurse first put Julia in my arms, I looked down and thought, "Trina twin!" Truly the Rutz genes win out with this girl, while Adam looks just like me. OK not really. He's a lot shorter and is all boy. But there's no mistaking that he's my son!

We were blessed to have many friends--both members of the church and non-members alike--attend, and Julia was amazed at all the people coming out to support her. Thank you all so much--you made the day complete. When I think of the wonderful people in our lives I feel so lucky to be here and know so many first rate folks. I don't know how I hit the jackpot, but I'm grateful.

Also thanks to those who participated in the service, speaking, playing the piano, directing the music, jumping in to help with the refreshments, and the other miriad of things that made everything go smoothly. The day was extra special because of you! Thanks!

Beth and Co.

2011-10-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Was able to get these shots of Beth's family yesterday--right before it started to rain and before the wind and blowing and COLD that came in today. YAY!

Julia: 637 photos and some extra strength Tylenol later.

2011-09-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

I've blogged before about how stinkin' HARD, if not impossible, it is for me to take photos of my kiddos. The other day I took Julia out with her new white dress for some photos for her baptism announcement. Two hours, 637 photos, a full card, and a spent battery--and I just got a handful. Oy. Once again I'm thinking the thing to do is hire someone else to take photos of my kids. Rawther ironic, that! HA!

My favorite girl. These shots? I like.

And this, my friends, is a glimpse at daily life with this young lady.

Pray for me...

Bed of laundry?

2011-09-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

I mean, I know I have some laundry to do and all, but really?

This is what I found a bit ago when I went upstairs to get the name of the cleaner I use to give to hubby.

Grabbed my camera.

Took this:

And never did get the info for Meryl!

Diesel

2011-09-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Brought Belle over to a friend's to play with their new 4-month-old doberman puppy. He's such a sweet dog--but already outweighs our Belle and is the same height! When he grows into those paws, he's going to be hugeamongous! But such a pleasant little..er..big?..guy.

Took a couple of pictures of him while there, just cos!

Look at those ears! Kind of reminds me of a batman costume. HA!

This photo followed by a nose print on my lens. Which happened more than once, for the record.

My Belle tired him right out, so into his chair he went...

(Look at those paws! When he catches up with them, wow. Huge.)

And crashed.

Out.

Just because.

2011-09-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

Took this awhile ago at a birthday party.

Liked it.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Danielle:::Sneak Peak

2011-09-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

The problem with taking so many shots of someone as sweet, easygoing, and natural as Danielle is having to choose which ones to go with! She was so willing to try anything, and eventually was confident enough to try her own thing and really work it. I love it when that happens! "Can I get in the water?" Well YES!

Here's a little sneak peak to share, Dani. Thank you for letting me be a part of this exciting time. I can hardly WAIT to see what you do next!

So many more...so little blog space. :o)

Goin' underground.

2011-09-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend of the summer, we took a day trip to Laurel Caverns.

How cool is this???

And how I thanked my lucky stars more than once for a camera whose ISO could be ramped up, coupled with Lightroom to edit

Being in a cave 7-14 stories underground without a tripod doesn't make for good lighting conditions! And I didn't use a flash on any of these. Oooh yeah!

See the horizontal line on the left hand side?

That's a fault line. Freaky--but cool.

You wanna go now, don'tcha? Don'tcha?

Laurel Caverns. Highly recommended!

First Day of school

2011-09-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

The house is oddly empty this week. For the first time in 8 years I'm kid free during the day, and although Julia has been looking forward to this day, when she could bring her little brother on the schoolbus, for the past three years, I'm feeling a bit lonely.

It's all the kids' fault. They just have to go and grow up.

And this is the scene less than 15 minutes after arriving home:

Crashed. Out.

Woke up only long enough to try to eat, little tears of tiredness the whole time.

After that a snuggle then, "Mommy, I can't wait any more..."

Then bed.

And he's gone to bed before his regular bedtime every day since.

On his own.

No complaints.

I like.

Asking for the impossible

2011-08-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

Had to post this shot of my kids from the weekend. We won't even go into how many I had to take before we got it. OK. You want examples?

Oooh...feathers...

Let's grab the sister and poke with the feathers...

Smile? I'll give you a smile...

Mother says...Oy.

But out of about 1, 436, 501 photos I found this:

So not all was lost!

Charles and Joan

2011-08-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine hired me to take some candids of their wedding and reception. Photography wasn't allowed in the chapel, so there aren't any photographs of the ceremony, but I had fun taking photos of the guests and details and food! :)

Here are a few. I wish we had been able to take some real portraits, but hey. I did what I could without that request!

Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day, you two!

Cadence

2011-08-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to practice my baby whisper skills today on Cadence.

At almost four months, she's ancient for newborn photography.

BUT, so sweet that having to take some extra time to get her to sleep was just a bit of icing on the cake.

Thanks for letting me take over your living room today, Bonnie!

"Back when I was a whippersnapper..."

2011-08-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

This guy looks like he has a lot to say.

Wonder what he's thinking?

Headache is keeping me from a clever caption, so I'll leave that up to you!

I have complete and utter faith that you'll come up with something fabulous!

Tow Mater Receiving Line.

2011-08-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

While in Canada, I got on the ferry and went over to a friend's.

Her neighbour had a collection of old trucks.

Aren't these great?

The colours? Awesome.

I want to go back in time and drive a green or teal car.

Oh yeah.

Way more there than just these.

I just didn't appreciate the big white building in the background.

Call me retentive.

So be it.

County Fair

2011-08-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes--slap my wrists. My kids were up waaaaay past bedtime when we went to the Bedford County Fair the other night. WAAAAAAAY past! But they were still on west coast time, so for them it was earlier. Truth. Sticking.

I don't know why I like the above photo so much. Yes, maybe I should have pulled back a bit, but this couple, with the black shirts and cowboy hats engrossed in conversation, was compelling to me.

Flavour Power Punch

2011-08-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

Remember when we went out picking wild strawberries?

This is probably the BEST way to eat them.

Rodeo...ish

2011-08-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

It's boots and chaps

It's cowboy hats

It's spurs and latigo

It's the ropes and the reins

And the joy and the pain

And they call the thing rodeo

I really need to put a maple leaf on this next one...

There's just something about cowboys working with those big bulls...

I just wanted a shot of the cowboys working the gates.

Just so happened that I ended up with a shot of...chaps...center stage.

I wasn't looking for such a shot. I was looking at the hats.

Believe it or not, it's 'truth.

OK. On to another maple leaf moment. It's like, jeepers, I kept getting shots of hind ends.

"Ya wanna piece of me? Do ya?"

And then I thought, what the heck. Same photo, but of the photographer instead. I'm jealous, coz he had the best seat in the house. Grrr.

First time at the Bedford County Fair. Definitely go again! The kids got hooked on bull riding.

Or maybe it was just those chaps...

Pioneer Days

2011-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Days held at one of the most beautiful spots on earth.

Every July 24, we celebrate the entry of the pioneers into the Salt Lake valley. It's funny, because other than the SL area, I don't think it's celebrate much. Except in central BC, where we recognize the pioneers with gusto! Really, everyone should do it. It's so much fun! I think one year we had frog races, and floating around somewhere is a photo of me and a friend kissing frogs.

Obiously we were both still single.

But I digress.

This year, there was a little handcart pull, pioneery games, and yummy food cooked in dutch ovens.

Of course I didn't get releases for everyone that I took photos of, so I'm only posting shots where people can't be recognized too much.

Except for my little whippersnappers.

And other family members! Where's Adam? He's in the pic. Look carefully!

A few days back, when it wasn't pouring for a few seconds...

2011-07-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

My mud-spattered Julia girl at the lake. She's wearing her jacket because it was COLD out there. Why black and white? Because no matter what I did, I couldn't make the colours look right! Adjusted white balance, sliders all over the place, and it either looked too orange, too green, too blue, or too dull. So black and white it is. But you just thought it was artistic and that's what I wanted, right?

Whey aren't there pics of Adam, you ask? Because even though it was chilly, he was wearing just his unders and his imagination.

Love these trees. I always thought they were aspens, but just now when I tried to find out for sure I found thatt what I always called a poplar tree is actually a trembling aspen, and that poplar is just another word for it. So now I have to find out what these are. They have pretty frilly leaves and make teensy weensy little pine cone-like seeds.

Looking west from Mom's shore.

whoa--uh-oh

2011-07-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Why a foto of feet, you ask?

Because of the riding boots.

And they're encasing MY feet.

The thing is...

I don't ride.

Oh help.

"Who is this lump of potatoes on my back?

They seriously do NOT pay me enough to put up with this kind of ineptitude, really."

"Well, OK then..."

Poor Hank. I really felt for him, but by the end we were getting along, if not famously, at least well enough to have a really nice morning.

I think he's reserving judgement.

Which is exceedingly good hearted.

There's something suspect in any activity that requires a helmet, don't you agree?

And no, I'm not pregnant. I have a bottle of much needed bug spray in my jacket pocket.

But thanks for noticing.

Hank's sister was more than interested in my camera.

Doesn't Hannah have a sweet nose?

Thanks, Sis, for taking the shots of the girlie and me, and for taking us out today. If not for you, there would never be proof that I ever sat on a horse.

I wouldn't say that I actually rode dear Hank.

Chances are, he'd agree.

What can I say? Everywhere is a photo-op!

2011-07-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

More fishing...

ice cream!

2011-07-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Done the most delicious way.

The sorer the arms at the end the better-er the ice cream tastes.

Butter pecan. Yum.

2011-07-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Where we took the girls fishing last week.

See the road?

Yeah...we stopped here. Not that it looked much different from the road we were on, but since the lake was right here, and we weren't up for getting stuck in the mud and being chased by a bear, it seemed the prudent, albeit less thrilling, choice.

Just another day part 2

2011-07-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

One of the beautiful symbols of the woodlands and lakes of British Columbia.

Just another day in Beautiful British Columbia part 1

2011-07-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Fox den at Uncle Larry's place.

Mighty fisher of...fish

2011-07-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Fun on a Wednesday night

2011-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sis brought her fiddle and the dancing was hot!

Even the dog got in on the action:

Limbo technique of choice:

So fun to see the new fam together having such a great time. Too bad the goodbyes started the next day. Sigh.

Beating the boys at their own game

2011-07-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

Girls went fishing yesterday. You go girls! What's funny is that while the boys, other than Adam, eeked out over the worms, the girls spent all the time they weren't fishing playing with them. Then had plans to, in their own words, "freak out the boys with the worms" when they got back.

I'm not sure what happened with the worms, but I'm pretty sure that this freaked the boys out enough:

Whoa!

2011-07-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

While the boys were out fishing the other day, and Adam was hauling them in, the girls were out having some fun of their own! Horseback riding at Sis' house!

HA! Just noticed her shirt! Too bad, Emma muh dear!

Julia and Ami

Lovin' leather.

You should have heard these girls giggle when they broke into a trot on the ponies. There's nothing like it!

Mr. Cowboy with a grin as wide as all outdoors.

Picking berries while waiting their turn.

My Julia girl, riding all by herself for the first time.

You should have SEEN the one that got away!

2011-07-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Adam went fishing with some uncles and cousins on Saturday. He caught the most fish--and the biggest!

Here he is with a lake char, the largest of his four fish.

Uncle Billy said he was so excited he could hardly talk! And THAT'S saying something!

And, I might add, the fish were delicious. :o)

Arrrrooooo!!!

2011-07-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

A quick shot of the kids at Wolf Rocks, in the Gallitzen State Forest.

I took loads of photos, and will probably get more up soon. But for The Fam especially, here's one to prime the pump.

Julia has a rather strange look on her face, here. Wonder what she's thinking?

Now I'm off to catch fireflies with the kiddos before sleeping one last night in our tent on the lawn.

Tomorrow we'll take pity on the grass and take the tent down. And take pity on my sleep deprivation.

Night all!

Family Fun Fest

2011-07-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Unapologetic productions, a local group, put on a little family festival a week or so ago, so we went! What with the bubbles galore, science experiments, face painting, arts and crafts, and live entertainment it was a great afternoon! We stayed right until the very end.

A highlight of the day was a performance of Fractured Fairy Tales. At least I think that's what it was called. The premise was that the script got all messed up and the two actors were winging it, so the stories were all mixed up. They did a great job!!

Here is "Goldi Socks and the Three Wolves:"

And introducing Adam in his first on-stage performance as the Second Little Bear. Note his lovely house of tin cans:

Next---the bright lights of Broadway!!

A boy and his dog

2011-07-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Adam always snuggles up with Belle and then wants a photo. This is our newest offer!

THIS is what we do to rodents who are wrong about the weather.

2011-06-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

Since we moved here we've been fighting with groundhogs. They were hanging out underneath the shed. We tried trapping them. No luck. The dang things wandered around the nicely baited trap but wouldn't go in. We trapped every raccoon in the park. They'd be in the trap, peacefully sleeping and waiting for us to let them go.

We pulled down the shed.

We planted a garden. I trenched around the garden two feet deep by a foot wide, lined the trench with wire, and put up a fence.

The groundhogs dug next to the retaining wall behind the place. Left a huge mess in the yard of dirt and debris. This spring, we found another hole, also next to the retaining wall, giving the groundhog a way out as well as a way in.

About half an hour ago, Julia looked out and saw a groundhog in the yard. I called out Belle, and she went to work. She dug that hole out along the wall, first one side, then the other, leaving less and less space for the groundhog to hide. Finally, she got ahold of it and drug it out of the hole. I'm too much of a softy to let her kill it, but she shook it around a bit before letting go, and it streaked across the neighbour's yard, Belle in hot pursuit. When I called her, Belle came back. Happy as a clam.

I think the groundhog has been scared out of a life.

I don't have good photo of the groundhog. It--and I!!--moved too fast! But here's it's hind end.

Serves it right for being wrong about the weather.

Early spring my eye.

2011? Meh. Highly over rated.

2011-06-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Larry told me that I can't go back to his house unless I bring an Amish buggy with me. He has wanted one for years. The closest that I can come to honoring his request is bringing these photos up, which I'll do when we go to Canada next weekend.

I hope they'll suffice!

An idyllic day

2011-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Berry picking last week. We had a special visitor in the parking lot. He was a beautiful boy, very interested in what we were up to as we got out of the car and said hello. His family were picking berries too. We felt like time had stopped. Between the beautiful setting of rolling Pennsylvania hills and farms, the Amish horse and buggy nearby, and the lovely people we were picking near, it was a peaceful and cheerful morning.

Part of our loot. The one Adam is holding is a berry that looks like a turtle. It does!

Of course, as perfect as the morning was, it left me with 20 pounds of strawberries to deal with.

We won't mention how late I was up hulling them, OK? But now we have a bunch of berries in the freezer.

Smoothies here we come!

Tidbits

2011-06-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

So. I've had this ready to post for awhile, but you will see that things have been rather...hectic.

The other day I was all set to paint the porch railing. I thought.

I had the paint on the deck, and then realized that I needed to fill the cracks first. So I went downstairs to get the wood filler.

Let me set the stage.

I had moved an 8 foot ladder onto the porch after using it to put up a curtain rod (another loooong story, but finally it's up there). It was leaning against two chairs awaiting my taking it to the garage.

While I was inside getting the wood filler, Adam decided it would be cool to balance the paint can on the edge of the ladder.

I came out and decided to move the ladder before I did anything else. Not realizing the paint can was balanced on the other end, I grabbed one end and heard a crash.

You guessed it. A whole gallon of white paint all over our NOT white porch.

After I finished shrieking, I told Adam to stay put and to please, on pain of death, DO NOT let Belle off her tether. I ran inside and grabbed a painbrush and on impulse a couple of paper plates and managed to scootch the paint onto the plate and into the can, rescuing pretty much the whole shebang. But that still left a big, lovely, white painted area in the middle of the porch. So I raced inside for some water and rags. As I came down the stairs, here comes Adam into the house with Belle.

"I led her around the paint, mommy."

Horrified pause.

"She didn't get any paint on her feet, did she?"

"A little bit, mommy."

Luckily it didn't get into the house...just in the covered area, which I just removed the carpeting in. So now it has a couple of lovely prints as well. But at least it didn't get on any carpet.

And I have a good story to tell him when he gets older!

Other recent "kid incidents:".

Poured half a jug of plant food all over a side flower bed.

Trimmed the bushes in the front down to twigs.

Named all the worms we've dug up whilst expanding the garden.

Fooled around on the edge of bed and broke a collar bone.

Someone decided to poke holes around the edge of the milk jug, and I didn't notice and...yes...poured.

I'm sure if I thought hard enough I'd come up with more.

My brain is blocking my memories. It's a protective mechanism.

For Daddy

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's a bird...

It's a plane...

It's...

Adam's Daddy!

Fighting for truth, justice, and Family!

Goooooooo.....Daddy!!

(We're not quite sure what your kryptonite is. You've changed diapers without a whimper so I think maybe you're even stronger than Superman!)

We know it's not Father's Day yet, but figured you could use the pick-up today! Have a good one!

****

Adam's face looks blue in the shot, and I tried and tried with Lightroom to fix it, to no avail. Help!

Pretty plucked posie

2011-06-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

He KNOWS he's not supposed to pick certain flowers in the garden.

He KNOWS we've planted some cutting flowers that he can have free reign over when the bloom.

But this one, lonely clematis blossom was just too much to resist.

I'm afraid I wasn't a very understanding mother at first.

"BUDDY! You're not supposed to PICK that!."

Then tears.

Then I realized he wanted me to have it, because it was so beautiful.

And I felt like a troll. Tried to mend the situation with hugs and "Gosh, it's lovely, isn't it?"

So I took a photo so we'd be able to enjoy it, even after it wilts.

BUT, he has been warned once again that when the next three little buds open the flowers are to be left alone to enjoy when we go out into the garden.

Someone should take bets on what happens.

Bookie?

Backblog #4

2011-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

The problem with playing against one of your best friends is that when you fight for the ball, and you get control and then notice that your friend trips and falls over, one must leave the ball and make sure your friend is OK before continuing to play, thus negating any team gain.

But that's the way it should be, after all.

Backblog #5

2011-06-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

Had a nice little brunch with some ladies from church a week or so ago.

Loved these fleurs, don't you?

And the little watering can is delicious!

Backblog #3

2011-06-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Adam has been wanting to play soccer since he was a year old. This year is finally the year!

These shots were taken a couple of weeks ago, before the cracked collar bone incident.

His coach insists on his jersey being tucked in. Which looks...odd.

I love this face!!!

Blackblog #2

2011-06-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little man has finished preschool.

Since Daddy is in the military, Adam was chosen to hold the flag during the pledge of allegiance.

I have one word about his growing up so fast.

WWWWWAAAAAHHH!!

One day he's going to grow up and leave me and then I think I will just die.

And his sister? I'm going to never let her out of the house. I'm going to have hubby guard the door with a shotgun, and she is never EVER going to go away, because when she does, I'm going to shrivel up.

Just shrivel, I tell you, until there's nothing left.

And I'll only revive when she gives me grandchildren. Which I refuse to think about right now.

The end.

backblog #1

2011-06-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'll chain myself to a post to be flogged. I've been lazy about getting the photos from the camera to the computer. It's just that there are so many other things to do!

So I'll go backwards, here, and start with Memorial Day! Last year I took a bunch of photos from the ceremony, which is pretty much the same every year, so this year I didn't take the photos of the tombstones, the marines, and the veteran playing taps. Like every year, the ceremony was touching. I especially enjoyed the speech this year. If you'd like to see my photos from last year, you can go here. Memorial Day is probably the weekend that I enjoy the most during the year.

This year was great fun because Julia learned how to ride her bike (finally!), so we all went in the parade! Adam, unfortunately, cracked his collar bone last week so couldn't ride his trike as planned, but some friends loaned us their wagon, which we decorated, and away we went!

Adam won the contest for his age group. Not sure whether it was the sympathy factor, since his arm is in a sling, successfully bribery attempt from throwing candy to the judges, or simply that he was paired with the cutest dog ever. Either way--he won a savings bond. And a beeeeautiful ribbon!

Here's Julia, all ready to go. Her helmet keeps falling to the back of her head, no matter how tight we do up the straps. It's a job to figure out by the next outing.

All ready to go!

Down at the cemetery, Beautiful Belle lying in the shade.

Headed home...and straight into the grass! There's definitely a lesson in life to be learned by the fact that what we focus on becomes where we end up. Julia is so worried all the time about riding off the road that she focuses on the grass...and that's where she ends up!

Until next year!

DOGPILE!!

2011-05-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Julia said it's like the Princess and the Pea...and she's the pea!

Then Adam crawled on top, and I'm not sure who it the princess now...

These are straight out of the camera, completely unedited quick snapshots.

Ignore the lack of trim and the junk on the table. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

blossom bonanza

2011-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Took advantage of a day or two of sunshine last week to take these!

Aaah! Mmmmnnn! Maybe Spring IS here? Maybe? Between rainstorms?

Guilty or innocent?

2011-05-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

There is a whole wack load of this plant along the property line and the garden. I remembered the old adage, "Leaflets three, let it be," and I'm wondering whether it's poison ivy or something fairly innocuous. I looked it up, and it looks kind of like it might be the dreaded plant, but it doesn't look quite the same.

Anybody know for sure? I used Round Up on some of it, then felt badly in case it might be something nice.

Which I doubt.

Please advise. I'd like to get rid of it now, if it's a nasty. If it's pretty innocent, I'll keep it there for the green.

Thanks!

Soccer Sweeties

2011-05-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Adam...ah yes, I'm gonna have troubles with this one! HA!

First soccer game today, photos prior. Here he is with some of his team mates.

Lapping it up with his sister and an older woman. teehee

We were at the field for HOURS today. And it got FREEZING cold. Adam and I wrapped up in my big hoodie and cocooned while Julia played.

Brrrrrr!!!

I keep telling myself it will be the end of June soon. And I also tell myself that when Hubs gets back HE'S going to spend hours and hours freezing at the field the first season back while I hang out nice and warm at home with a hot cocoa and a novel. So be it.

:o)

From way back when

2011-05-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

For the benefit of the hubster, here are photos that I forgot to post from...oh...a couple of months ago.

Science Fair, 20111.

OK. Now back to our regular scheduled programming.

Eggsacting fun

2011-04-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Our Good friday egg decorating thingy.

Easter egg decorating? Check.

Topiaries and things

2011-04-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Incidentally found this tutorial for making topiaries from jelly beans. So in my copious amounts of free time (like, from 10 pm-4 a.m.!!) I made a couple. Nothing better to do, of course. HA! But time went quickly, since I was fueling myself on the non-pastel colored jelly beans. Glue one, eat two, glue one, eat one...

The question now is how do I preserve them from getting all goopy and attracting bugs until next year?

A couple of other things from our table:

Easter bunny napkin folds can be found here. I found the fabric but didn't have time to hem the napkins, so the edges are raw. Ah well. I'll hem them for next year!

The easter egg place setting was done by emptying the egg and decopauging tissue to the shells with Mod Podge. The tutorial can be found here. They were great fun to make! I made the dessert from the egg whites. The rest of the table was fabric that I found lying around and scrapbook paper that we shredded with the cutter and twirled around pencils. And yellow plates from the dollar store. Because they looked so much happier than my white ones and made me so much happier not to have to wash them!

Add a family of great friends, and we had a lovely evening!

I'd love to hear how you spent your Easter and about your Easter traditions, your table, food, etc.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

The most exciting thing to happen since the birth of my children

2011-04-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. This is homemade bread actually rising.

Which, if you know my bread making history, never happens around here.

I did a dance of joy.

Then we made these:

And we rejoiced.

It was an Easter miracle.

***

recipe can be found here

They look quite petite at the Taste of Home site.

Ours, however? Were humungous.

Note to self: Next year, despite what the recipe says, make 'em smaller.

The end.

All I can say is...

2011-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

YAY!!!!

Melting streams,

emerging leaves,

forts in the woods,

and floppy-eared dogs,

OH MY!

My Adam

2011-03-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is my Adam-Bean. Our cheerful sunflower child.

Before he was born, when we told Julia about her new sibling, we said we didn't know whether the baby was a boy or a girl, because it was only the size of a bean.

It stuck.

Which could be a problem someday. Especially since Julia sometimes calls him Beano.

Adam has been, from the very moment he arrived, a happy, lively soul.

He smiled earlier than most. He giggled earlier than most. This picture, with the smile? Is typical. As is the fuzziness, since this kid is ALWAYS in motion!

He loves taking things apart, dumping things out, and building things. Wrap, paper, cardboard, leftover ANYTHING is a treasure that needs to be kept and used for some sort of building project.

He's the loudest kid I know. And he talks constantly. At a high decibal level.

He's my cuddler. He gives great hugs. At night, when he's giving me a goodnight kiss, it can be painfully enthusiastic! My glasses always end up askew as I try to keep from being too roughly tackled.

He's gentle with the cats and rough with the dog.

In the kitchen, anything goes. In a bowl could be sugar, all the vanilla in the bottle, and a bunch of oregano. Presented to me with flair. All the paper in the computer is taken and covered in pictures and the "writing" of recipes, which MUST be placed with the other recipe books. I have no peace in the kitchen, having constant help whenever I so much as set a toe in through the kitchen entry, and nothing, absolutely nothing, is sacred there.

He's the most grateful child I know. He says thank you for EVERYTHING. Sometimes I'll do something without even thinking about it--nothing much, really--and he'll be all smiles and "THANK you, mommy!" as though I've just done the best thing in the world for him. I love the positive reinforcement.

He likes playing dress up, pink, hotwheels, trains, getting his nails done (!), drawing, building, taking things apart, making forts, going to preschool, collecting toilet paper tubes, opening mom's mail, leaving the end off the gluestick, squeezing out mom's toothpaste, playing board games (as many as mom or dad will sit with him for--all day if possible), digging in the dirt, and snuggling with mom reading story after story.

Every night he asks, "Why do you love me, Mummy?"

And every night I ask myself:

How could I NOT love this child?

My Julia

2011-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this little girl!

She's my prickly rose. I wish I could see into her head, see what she really thinks.

These things I do know.

She loves to read.

She's strong in her ability to say no when tempted to do something she doesn't feel is right.

She's a story writer.

She loves her brother. When push comes to shove, she's there for him.

She's obedient.

I don't know how many times I've asked the kids to do something, and she's on it.

Right away.

And then I say, "Didn't I tell you to...oh. You're already done!"

She's my Family Home Evening alarm bell.

She's not a big cuddler. When I give her a hug, she doesn't relax into it, rather she tries to grab my neck and climb up my legs.

But if I take out a book and pull her near to read I can snag at least a book's worth of snuggles.

She loves school, especially the language arts part.

She has developed into a sweet little singer.

She wants to be a mom and an author when she grows up.

Her giggle is the best sound in the world.

She's ticklish. Very. Ticklish. You just have to point your index finger in her general direction and say "tickle tickle," and she loses it.

She's tough. When she is really hurt, she hangs in there and takes it with nary a tear.

But if Adam touches her, you'd think she was mortally wounded.

She likes animals, books, peas, tomatoes, the scriptures, speaking in primary, helping mom without being asked, going to bed with her music on, soccer, choir, baking, pet society and webkinz, making crafts, scrapbooking, dressing up, talking with friends on the phone, steaming hot baths, and running.

She doesn't like hamburger, being cold, math minute practice, being rushed, and

CHOCOLATE (much).

She needs early intervention. It's my responsibility as a woman and her mother to ensure that she learns to love the stuff.

She's my joy.

Calooh, Calay! A bookish sort of day!

2011-03-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a Children's Book Festival in town. Since we loooooove reading at our house (we can spend the whole day reading stories, much to the internal screaming in pain from my vocal chords), attending was not an option!

Highlights:

Each child received a book--and we got a couple of really cooooool ones.

A storyteller told a couple of great stories, and had the kids in stitches. I didn't want to use the flash, so my photos are a bit iffy, but here they are:

Decorating cookies

Beaded bookmarks.

All in all, a good day!

A moment of excitement

2011-03-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

I was upstairs yesterday when I heard a police car "whoot whoot" and then the sound of a cop speaking through a megaphone. I went downstairs and checked up and down the street. All appeared well. Went back upstairs and looked out the bedroom window and saw, quite a distance down, what looked like a guy in full camo holding a shotgun (away from the house, to my relief)

Do you see what I saw? To the right, underneath lower wire, by the conifer tree? Believe me, it looks in real life exactly like I told you!

I reached for hubs' field glasses, which happened to be right there on the dresser.

And realized that the perp in the big crime drama was this:

And that the neighbours had the television on.

I really REALLY need to get out more!

In a pinch, at first.

2011-03-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

In my so organized and extremely together state, I made pancakes a few weeks ago. Looked forward to the crisp pancakes with syrup. Yum. As the pancakes were cooking, I went for the syrup and...

Crumbs.

I had forgotten that I was out.

What to DOOOO?

So onto the internet I went, and found a recipe for homemade pancake syrup. It was to be made in a pinch, not as a regular staple. The batch that I made that day was really too sweet, but the kids liked it OK. When we went to the store to get syrup, I asked them whether I should just make some again (way cheaper!) or get our usual. They decided that they liked the homemade stuff, and although it tasted different, they'd get used to it.

Last week I made it again, only without as much sugar and with a bit of salt to cut the sweet.

It's really good. Definitely more than comparable to the stuff in the stores.

I'm afraid it has corn syrup in it, so if you're squeamish about that sort of thing, this recipe is not for you. But then again, the stuff in the store has corn syrup, too. So.

Here's the recipe:

1-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A good pinch of salt

In a saucepan, stir and cook the sugars, water, and corn syrup over medium heat until boils. Boil for about 7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add extract. I think I add a bit more of the maple than the recipe. Taste and see what's good for you. Add the salt. Stir well. Cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Just another day.

2011-03-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yeah, this is just an example of our usual get-up for school. Shirt on the bottom, pants and unders on the head, and shirt backwards. One shoe and one slipper.

Yup. Just another morning at our place.

I should point out that he was the only one at preschool today with underwear on his head.

I'm so proud. *sniff*

Backlog

2011-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Really, I've been a horrible blogger lately. Looking back, I see that I've posted maybe...erm...once a week. What can I say. My fingers were removed due to...uh..digimagiggeritis major...and I've had to..um...type with my nose. Which takes awhile.

So without further ado, and so my nose doesn't get chapped, here we go with the recent happenings.

Last Wednesday was Dress Like A Storybook Character Day. Here's Julia:

Can you guess who she is?

(hint: It's a Robert Munsch character)

***

In other news.

Have I told you how much I looooove Freecycle? If you haven't heard of it, GO! NOW! And check out http://www.freecycle.com/ Sign in under your county, and you're good to go! It's a yahoo group, and if you have anything you want to get rid of, you can post an offer. It goes to everyone on the list. First person to reply arranges to pick up the item! I've gotten a few things from Freecycle. A basketball hoop, a kitchen cart, and last week a juicer. Used only twice. YES! The lady had bought it, used it twice, and decided after it had sat there for ages that she wouldn't be using it anymore and it was time to find it a new home.

Mom and Vic were here last week, and Vic and the kids had fun juicing up a storm.

Julia's face says it all. Yum!

***

Here's Mom fixing the shelf in my corner cupboard:

So YAY! Between a good friend who fixed the broken window under the stairs and Mom and Vic fixing the corner shelf, I am in a MUCH better mood. Of course, I still have to find the hinge I need online for the corner doors so I don't come thiiiiis close to cursing every time I want to get in there but can't. I tell ya, it's a good thing I'm not too broad, otherwise I would never be able to access anything in that cupboard, seeing as how the door only opens up 90 degrees, which in a corner cupboard, means that really there is just a narrow opening to get into that cupboard, but I'm rambling and that's just the way I get when I even think about that cupboard. But imagine the cupboard door attached to the left of the opening there. Then have it extend out 90 degrees from the opening and, well--now I think I need a cookie. And chocolate. Lots. Of. Chocolate.

I can't remember if I wrote about a walk a week or so ago with the bunny prints everywhere. So I'm going to go check and if not, I'll post those later.

After a few days of fairly warm weather, it snowed yesterday. So we went out or a walk, Dog and I, and it was magical. The snow had bent the trees low over the trail, so you had to bend under the trees to go down the trail, and every sound was muffled to silence.

Did I have my camera? No. Still no p&s, and it was snowing and I'm still a wimp with my DSLR. Just trust me that it was absolutely and utterly gorgeous.

And now I'm off. Adam wants to use the Wii, and within less than 24 hours after the parentals left, the house needs a good pick up. Please come back mom. I need you. I'll cook. You can tidy up after me and children. Please. Pretty please with a cherry on top? I'm begging you...grovel-grovel...

birthday cake and the aftermath

2011-03-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

Quick (belated) birthday post.

Kids picked a cake mix. Funfetti. Julia made the cake. They both frosted it with two cans of frosting and a veritable blizzard of sparkles and sprinkles.

It was death defying.

Afterwards, I felt like doing this:

But with two little ones hyped up on sugar, it didn't seem prudent.

So now I'm off for some much needed rest.

Good night!!!

mosaic mania

2011-02-19T22:33:00.000-08:00

Winter have you down? Join us at the trainstation as we work on mosaic panels that will be put up at The Bottleworks Art Center.

Oh! Those golden tile pieces that we're working on are so warm and cheery! And the thought of tulips---oh my! Contrary to the looks on their faces in these photos, the kids loved smearing the grout on the tile pieces and sticking them down. They wanted to stay long after time was up, so we'll definitely be going back. There are about 100 panels to work on, and probably less than half are done, so work will go on for a few more weeks.

Here are some finished ones:

See the little star? That's where the one we're working on will be. :o)

a piece of my heart

2011-02-15T06:08:00.000-08:00

went into these little valentine scones for my kids.

The kids made really cute valentines, and then they brought them to school, and I realized I hadn't taken photos. But we're going to make a couple more this week to send to their dad, so I'll be SURE to take one then. I was under strict instructions that it needed to be done. So I'll be obedient to my mother! HA!

Recipe for the sweetheart scones can be found here.

A little European flair, mais oui?

2011-02-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

So, I was working with Kidlet 1 trying to get her math minutes done...

*Not one of her favorite things. Bleh*

*note expanded mouth gap. Lost front tooth #2, affectionately dubbed, "Snaggle" yesterday afternoon. The Toothfairy arrived on time, and we're all very proud of her! *

...when I noticed Kidlet 2 come downstairs with the dog. I looked down, and...

...I don't know, but there's something about this getup that screams: "Needs a beret."

And also: "This is one patient dog."

I still can't quite believe, although I have to because the evidence was right in front of me, that Adam managed to bring her upstairs and squeeze her into his last year's t-shirt all without any disagreement on her part.

Yup. We've got one good dog.

***

I took a few photos today of the kids-and-valentines-day variety, but this just cracked me up so much that it gets precidence! HA!

Blog rescue mission

2011-02-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

The lovely Jaime at rhayne wrote a post last Saturday about what she did while waiting for the fridge repair guy. What else to do but take photos around her house, of course! Which she did. You can see her beautiful photos here. Absolutely exquisite shots of little things around her house. So calm and soothing I felt that I had fallen into the most beautiful oasis in the world. When I need to slow down and breathe, I take a break at her flickr stream. Try it. You'll see what I mean.

Anyway, I thought to myself, "If I have some time on my hands to go around on the fly--without cleaning first--and take photos of details in my home, what would it look like?"

Erm. I think I have some work to do before my home is the haven of beauty that I sense in Jaime's photos. And the key here was DETAIL. There is no way on earth I'm going to show you a wide view of my house. Maybe when we know each other better... HA!!

So. Hold your nose and here we go!

Ignore the dust. I'll get to that. Maybe.

Don't ask.

Now go over to Jaime's place to recover,

The end.

Johnny Appleseed Bars

2011-01-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

Way back when, shortly after I started this blog, I came across Forgotten Bookmarks, a unique blog written by Mr. Popek, proprietor of a used and rare bookstore. His blog shares the items that he finds between the pages of the books that come through his shop. I suspect that this is the kind of shop where one could easily become lost in the stacks. Glorious. I'm going there some day. Sans kids.

Amongst the notes, photos, postcards, and other bits and pieces are handwritten recipes. The thought had crossed my mind that it might be fun to make them, but I was in the middle of my 365 project and one thing led to another and I never did. Right now, though, I'm in a bit of a blogging slump, so it seems the time to give some of them a try. I sent Mr. Popek an email, and he graciously agreed to have me recreate these recipes. Don't know that I'll have one everyday, but occasionally I'll try one out and see how it turns out.

Today I gave the kids the choice between three recipes for which I had the ingredients, and they chose Johnny Appleseed Bars, because Johnny Appleseed was a character that they had read about, and Adam knew he wore a pot on his head, a necessary accoutrement to any cooking expedition.

So Johnny Appleseed Bars it is. You can see the original post here. It was found in a copy of one of my favorite books, a 1943 edition of Charlotte Bronte. I changed the order of the ingredients for the recipe to make sense. Here we go:

Peel and slice 2 cups of apples. I did this first coz I didn't want the dough to get dry while I was doing it. So. Peel first. Plop in water. Set aside.

Julia took this one, and it shows my weird thumbs in all their glory, so it had to be posted.

You know those doors where you push down the latch with your thumb? I saw a cartoon the other day, can't think of what it was (Wild Kratts? Word Girl?), and the bad character, a woman, had one short thumb and couldn't open the door in a moment of crisis.

I found it sadly amusing.

Beat together 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup oil.

Then you measure the brown sugar, afterwhich you put the brown sugar down and grab your camera. After you take the above photo, you reach for the brown sugar to find that it's not there. You look all over the counter. You ask the kids what they did with it. You look again. You send everyone out of the kitchen so you can look unimpeded. You want to scream and throw things, but restrain yourself because it just wouldn't be mature.

Then you see, out of the corner of your eye, metal. And find, to your chagrin, that the brown sugar was...

Still in the bag.

You ponder the notion that you're gradually losing your mind.

Then you put 2/3 cup sugar in with the egg and such and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients. Then stir in 1-1/2 cup oats.

Spread half the dough in a 9" square pan. It doesn't look like there's enough to cover, but there is. You just have to smoosh it it well. I greased the pan, even though the recipe doesn't say to, and I'm glad I did. I don't think they would have come out of the pan very well if I hadn't.

Sprinkle with 1 cup nuts and 2 cup thinly sliced apples. I used pecans, 'coz that's what I had.

Then put the rest of the dough on top. The recipe says to smooth with a pancake turner, but I don't think that would work, because it's quite thick and doesn't look smoothable. I took sections of the dough and flattened it in my hand before placing on top. Even so, it barely covered. But it did!

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Cool. Sift some confectioner's sugar over top. If you have a 4-year-old Adam in your house and allow him to sift, you'll end up with what looks like a winter snowstorm all over the top. Cut into bars.

They're yummy.

At first, I thought they'd taste just like apple crisp. They're similar, yes, but not the same. They so remind me of something my grandmother would make. Full of hearty goodness. The kids want to make them again, and both had two pieces. I think a little bit of whipped cream would be nice on top.

So there you have it. Who knows when this was written up, but probably not yesterday. Not that it matters, because good recipes stand the test of time.

So. Make these. They're a great, wintertime, comfort square.

A blog post about nothing

2011-01-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Realized I hadn't posted in a bit. So...

Here's a photo of the dog chasing her tail.

Other than that, I've got nuttin'. Nuttin' at all. Oh. News.

Lost my engagement ring. Not only an engagement ring, but my great-grandmother's diamond in the setting. I've been checking dog poop, but I'm suspecting Adam had it. He admitted to it, actually, but he also admitted to putting it on the roof, behind the radiator, and in assorted other impossible places. The good news is the house is getting cleaner than it has in months upstairs. The bad news is that I still haven't found it. So if you have the time for a prayer, please maybe add a bit of help to find the ring? Thanks.

Still dealing with TriCare insurance. It's getting old. After being told today that they still hadn't received my application, when I had emails to prove it, including their replies, I finally forwarded everything over to them again, at which point I was told I needed to re-date everything. So I did. A checkup would be nice. Not having to pay $65 whenever my kid has to go see the doctor would be even nicer.

We made a snowman down at the bottom of "our" sledding hill yesterday, Adam and I. He's quite stylin' in his bark buttons. Did I take a photo? Nope. Still no point-and-shoot, and hauling the DSLR and the toboggans and the dog was just a bit much. Camera stayed home.

I like chocolate chip pancakes. Don't you?

Corner View today is favorite artist. I don't know that I have one. But I heard John Rutter's Suite Antique on the radio yesterday, and loved it. I think it bears finding and loading onto ipod. Beautiful.

Here's the Prelude:

I've been trying to think of a piece of his, which I had on cassette an age ago...OH! I just remembered! The Banquet Fugue. I did it with my choir years ago. Here's a recording of it, audio only. Not the one that I have on cassette--can't find that one anywhere! But you get the idea:

Not sure if I can say that Rutter is my favorite artist, but I like some of his stuff, and it has been on my mind. So there.

I know it's past Christmas, but here's my favorite Christmas Choral piece. John Rutter. Some day I want to direct a choir that can sing this. The sopranos need to be stratospheric, though.

OK. I'm done. Have a good day!

Snow Ball

2011-01-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Didn't know what to title this one. It didn't turn out as I had hoped, but in a strange and unexpected way, I kinda like it. Not sure why, because technically it is all wrong. And yet...

New Online Baby!

2011-01-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

A link for you to comment about today. Ideas would be appreciated, and if I'm techno savvy enough to incorporate them, I'll try.

It definitely needs work--need to register a domain so the address is easier to locate, fix how it loads onto facebook (puts up the wrong information, so I'm waiting for tech help), add links and things, but generally the site is done. I'm kind of proud of it!

I'm not sure where it'll take me, but if I can start doing a few more shoots, I'd be a happy woman.

http://www.wix.com/lynnrutz/allegriaimages

Julia last summer. Ah, those warm, sleeveless days.

Snow Day

2011-01-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

There's something about perfect snow days, crispy clean air, snow gently falling down and tasting (as my daughter says) like outdoors, wood, and sunshine all rolled into one when it falls on your tongue.

We spent three days outside, sledding, wandering around in the woods exploring the logs and crannies made all the more mysterious and inviting covered with snow, dog romping at our side.

Here are a few shots one day when the snow wasn't quite as heavy as it had been and I got brave enough to take out my camera for a bit.

toasty much?

2011-01-15T06:59:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon raisin bread. In the toaster. Set on the lowest possible setting.

Erm...

I think I have a toaster gremlin, because when I put in the next two pieces they barely got brown on low and I had to stick them back in THREE times to get that beautiful, golden color.

Just thought I'd share. My life is THIS exciting! :oD

Bushes in the snow

2011-01-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

One of a few photos I took yesterday in the snow. Yes, I finally got brave and brought my camera out in it.

Liked the contrast. Not sure about the rest of it. Ah well.

Corner View: Snow

2011-01-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

Corner View yesterday was snow, and although I took this photo, I didn't take the time to post it.

I'm too nervous about taking my good camera out into the snow, and I think my point and shoot is being held hostage! LOL I think it's waiting for a treat before coming home. Anyway...am I being paranoid about taking the camera in the snow? I'm still waiting for the camera rain cover to make its way here. Might need to...um...remind a certain someone? Or else just bite the bullet and buy one.

Anyway, we have been hit by the big storm on the east coast. The snow is the beautiful, fluffy kind. Makes big piles in a short time! Julia said it looked like someone is breaking apart tissue paper. Maybe someone up above forgot to take a piece out of their pocket before doing the laundry?

Anyway, these photos don't do it justice, since I'm such a chicken. But here are a couple shot from inside or under cover.

I don't remember ever having this many snow days in one season. The kids are playing dress up today, and the dog has come downstairs in a scarf, then a tutu, and now is proudly sporting cat ears. She's just HAS to be confident in her doghood to pull that off!

So between the catdog, the bumblebee with one sock on , and the shnazzy witch-lady with gold heels, purse, and styling scarf (both of which I don't have photos of...sorry), it's a bit of an adventure in our house on this snow day!

I think we'll go sledding today, if the snow slows down a bit. I want to bring my camera. WAH!

In other news. I've been shovelling the walk about three times a day, the third time being late at night when I bring Belle out, so there won't be quite so much to do in the morning. The snow has been kind of fun to shovel, since it is so fluffy. Kind of like shovelling cotton. This morning I woke up and went out to shovel to find that our fairly new neighbors (they just moved in this past Spring) had done my walk for me! I had to look twice in case I was dreaming! So, feeling grateful but also somewhat gyped (HA!) I went and shovelled a path around the house and to the bird feeders. And it was DEEEEEEP! I should have told someone what I was doing, so that if I didn't come back they could put a flask on the dog and send out a rescue party.

OK. Off to bake or something equally worthy of a snow day!

(Just don't tell my waistline what I'm doing, OK? Thanks.)

Shell game

2011-01-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

So, Belle was spayed last Tuesday and has to take it easy for a few days. Fearing that all the inaction would make her loopy, we've been playing some indoor games with her.

This is one of our favorites.

The kids love it, because it's something they can do.

So, a few photos from a couple of goes with this game.

Is the treat under this one?

Nope. This one.

Maybe this one?

Yes! I know it's this one!

Am I right?

YES!!

Join the Klub Club

2011-01-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

In our family, there's a tradition of making Norwegian Klub on some special---and not so special---occasions. It has become somewhat of a joke, because we appear to be the only ones that like this stuff! So, documenting for posterity and anyone else brave (or foolish) enough to try it out.

Ready? So clear a good portion of counter space, roll up your sleeves, and let's get going!

Put your biggest pot of water on to boil. Put some salt in it. Then add some cutlery. I love this part! Grandma Helen used to do this, insisting that it keeps the dumpling dealies from sticking to the bottom. I just like cooking cutlery.

It doesn't burn.

Cut up a block of salt pork into smallish pieces and put them in a small pot of water to boil.

Peel a wack load of potatoes.

Amazing how figuring out how to adjust the focal points actually makes an in focus photo. Duh.

Throw them in a food processor and process until they're somewhat smoothish. They'll almost immediately turn a lovely pink. Isn't this appetizing?

Then add some salt and enough flour to make a dough. My great-aunt Florence said that you should only add enough flour to make it hold together, which is somewhat true, but don't be too stingy with it, or everything will fall apart when you put it in the water later.

Put some flour on the counter and put a spoonful of the batter in the flour. Add more flour and smoosh it around in your hands to make a dumpling type thing, adding flour until it feels right.

Don't ask me what that means. For me, it's a gamble every time. For the record, this batch tasted a bit floury, because I didn't mix the flour in enough at this stage.

This is what your hands will look like. Kind of like play dough for grown ups!

Or not.

Flatten it a bit in your hand and add a couple pieces of the salt pork. By the way, when you're ready for the salt pork part, drain the salt pork out of the pot, pouring the water into the larger pot.

Waste not, want not.

Put the dumpling in a slotted spoon and gently put it in the water, holding it gently in the water for a few seconds to get it used to the idea. Then allow it to fall off the spoon into its relaxing spa.

Boil the heck out of it. 45 minutes or so?

Then you have these.

Aren't they tasty looking?

White balance all thrown off here, but I'm not feeling like bringing everything into editing.

So there.

True, stout hearted, Norwegians eat the stuff with butter, salt and pepper and maybe some mustard, if they're feeling particularly hoity-hoity.

Those with a less advanced palate plop sour cream and bacon bits on top, as my kids do.

For the first time, Julia ate all of hers--although giving this face first.

Adam wouldn't touch his.

The joke is that any potential family members have to pass the klub test before acceptance into the family, so just before I made these, I phoned Mom and asked her how Vic enjoyed klub during the holidays.

He didn't, although he probably was pretty good natured about it all.

I don't know how mom will live this down, but I suppose we'll forgive her--and Vic! The question is whether Vic will forgive us for foisting such a thing on him! :oD

Construction Zone

2011-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

So, we (read, I) decided that the kids had outgrown their megablocks. They had outgrown them, and they only made towers with them anyway. I thought that maybe their imaginations would be stimulated a bit more with something a bit more flexible. Fortuitously, a friend of mine (Thanks Michelle!) was also going through her kids' things before Christmas and offered their duplo table. "YAY!" I thought, "Maybe they'll build...a house or something!"

Guess what has been under construction:

But they were having so much fun and were so proud of their tower that I was able to take this:

Trepidation

2011-01-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

This is Belle yesterday after she overheard me on the phone confirming her appointment at the vets to be spayed today.

Can you really blame her for this face, after all?

Punica granatum

2011-01-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

Julia saw a pomegranate in the store and wondered what it was, so Charlotte bought her one.

And I took photos of it.

And now it's still sitting in the fridge, because the kids didn't really like it, and the only thing I can find to do with the seeds is put them in a salad, and the thought doesn't really appeal.

Looks pretty, though.

Melty snowmen

2010-12-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, hubs' aunt posted this link to the cutest cookies EVER on Facebook. And I just had to try them! So I made some sugar cookie dough on Monday and stuck it in the fridge. It seemed rather crumblier than usual for dough, and sure enough, when I went to make the cookie bases yesterday, I couldn't make it stick together to save my life. So I grabbed the remainder of a stick of butter, about 1/3 of a cup, threw it in the dough, and beat it for a few minutes. It was easy to form then, but I crossed my fingers that the cookies would hold their shape and not be too tough. It seemed to work. So if this happens to you, give adding more butter a shot.

Anyway, here are some (too many!) shots of our melty snowmen. Which reminds me that, although it's frigid out there now, by Friday it's supposed to be warmer and melting for real!

Note that, although we were making this evening right before supper, Adam has not been out of his jammies all day! It's the hols, man!

Julia's---with pink snowballs, of course!

It was fun playing around with the gumdrops left over from our gingerbread house making frenzy.

One of my faves. Love her little tam-o-shanter.

Anyway, you ought to try these! They're really fun. It's nice not to have to mess around with cookie cutters, and the cookies are big enough for the kiddos to decorate without much in the way of assistance. Yippee! And did I mention again how dang CUTE they are? But how can we eat them? How, I ask you? How?

glimses of Christmas

2010-12-28T07:36:00.000-08:00

A few quick peeks into our Christmas:

Julia's school winter concert.

Belle, looking worried. She usually doesn't look this way, and one day I'll take a photo that proves it!

Grandma Char's sticky buns. Adam eats it like a bun-cicle.

Julia reading the Christmas story this year for the first time.

The Gift. He has been wanting this game ALL YEAR.

Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles.

In other news...

Had roast beef and yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner. May I say that the roast was perfectly cooked and everything came out at the same time and NOT sound like I'm bragging? Maybe if I ammend that by reporting that I completely forgot to bake the pie and the house smelled like burnt butter from where it overflowed the pudding tins and burned all over the bottom of the oven, leaving the house very un-Christmassy smelling!

But that's what candles are for, right?

Hope your Christmas season was full of happiness.