Why Hello There!!

It's been so long and I miss my blog.   Darn life keeps getting in the way of blogging time!  =)

I thought today, I would share some completely random and unrelated things that are swirling about in my head. 

• It's a big day here in our household.  First day of school!  Samm-samm is a Junior this year!  It doesn't seem possible that she could be old enough to be a Junior, but indeed she is.   Miss V is in third grade.  Third!  I was tearing up as I walked her down the "big kid" wing of her shcool this morning.  She told me to save it for when I got home!  Love that girl!

• Samm-samm is taking her driver's test today.  Seriously!  Somebody please stop my kids from growing any older!  *sigh*

•  This morning, while I was still gently nursing some coffee into my system, Miss V looks at me and says, "You're hair is so crazy this morning, Mom.  It's so crazy, you look kind of like a zombie!"    ...  ha...  a zombie...   ......................Twerp!

• Had a DTap shot this morning.  My arm hurts.  *pout*

• I have a lump in my breast.  While my doctor is not too concerned I will be going for a diagnostic mammogram, ASAP.  Mmhmm.  Stupid lump!

• Otherwise, he gave a clean bill of health! 

• I am aching to get back into some belly dance classes.  I really feel like even if I am practicing regularly, I won't actually progress and get better without the instruction, guidance and input of more experienced dancers.  

• My arm hurts.  

• I don't want to go for a mammogram.  =(

Wordless Wednesday 7-24-12

The view from our room at Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood, OR

Mt Jefferson peaking up through the clouds

The view from our room at 5:30am the next morning

My view of the peak of Mt Hood while drinking my morning coffee. 

Another mile up the mountain, looking back down.

Had the opportunity to stay at Timberline Lodge, elevation 6000, on Mt. Hood last week.  

The views left me absolutely in awe of creation.
The whole experience just left me feeling blessed beyond belief! 

Wordless Wednesday 7-4-12

Mt Rushmore, SD

Happy Independence Day!!!!

 

How Time Flies!

I have started working outside the home again.  Part-time, yet it feels like full-time when it comes to having time for things like crafting and blogging.  *le sigh*

Last week, I was blessed to have my in-laws come to stay with us for several days.  Darin, Victoria and I decided to take them to Leavenworth, WA via the scenic Cascade Mountain Highway.  Oh how I love a road trip! 

Here we are the Diablo Lake lookout.  Check out my hair.  That was some serious awesomeness!

Darin, Victoria and I walked out onto Diablo Dam, while Grandpa and Grandma chose to enjoy the scenery from the solid ground.  The causeways were open, so it made for some beautiful photos.  

Part of that beauty were the rainbows created by the mist.

We also walked across a bridge over a very deep and beautiful gorge.

The photo cannot due justice to just how high the bridge was!

Of course, I paused here and there to enjoy some of the wildflowers.  God's creation is just amazing!!

At the peak of the mountain pass, there was still snow along the roadside.  I made Vicki stand in the snow for a picture.  She was not too impressed with that!

Eventually we made our way to Leavenworth.  For some reason I didn't get any pictures of the town this trip.  However, I have a one I took from a previous trip.

There are so many neat shops in this little Bavarian town!

I could have spent another two days here.

Hopefully, this will not be the only road trip we do this summer.  I love road tripping, and hope to have some more photos to share.  

And here is a smile for the day.  While at a petting zoo, just outside of Leavenworth, Victoria and I spotted this peacock trying so, so hard to impress a peahen.  He strutted, fluttered and followed her around for a good 20 minutes. However, she never even glanced his way.  Oh, I am sure she saw him, I mean, how could you not?!?!  But, she didn't acknowledge him.  Sounds like any bar in any town, America.  HAHA!

So if you have having a bad day or week, just think of this poor guy.

Have a blessed day!

Wordless Wednesday 6-13-12

My daughter likes to read!

Dajaj Ablama (Syrian Chicken Stew)

This chicken stew is ready in under an hour, but tastes like it stewed all day.  Sooo good!

Dajaj Ablama

(Syrian Chicken Stew)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup flour

¼ cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

5 tbsp pine nuts

4 ½ cups chicken stock

Pinch of salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp lemon juice

Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Seen here served with brown basmati rice.

Directions:

Trim chicken breasts of any fat, rinse and pat dry. Cut each breast into 3 pieces and dip them in the flour. Melt butter in a frying pan and brown chicken over moderate heat. Remove chicken from the pan.

Fry the onion in the same pan until golden brown. Remove and fry the pine nuts in the same pan until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper and cinnamon to the pan, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.

Transfer the chicken and onions to a large saucepan. Add the stock and cook over moderate heat for about 40 minutes, until tender. Add the lemon juice and cook further for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the fried pine nuts and cilantro.

Life-us Interrupt-us

 Life has been crazy for the last while.  It has been a roller coaster of stress, fun, change, fear, relief, happiness and pretty much every emotion possible.  It has also totally gotten in the way of blogging, crafting and experimenting in the kitchen.  Without recounting every detail of the last couple of months, I will just say, I am grateful to on this side of them, am totally blessed and ready to reacquaint myself with my blog! 

Truffles and Teachers

V and I found a good use for all the paper boxes that we had hanging around.  We put homemade chocolate truffles in them and took them to school for V's teachers as it was Teacher Appreciation Week.    

I love Victoria's school.  I have never met such an amazing collection of truly passionate and caring teachers and support staff.   We are blessed. 

It was so much fun delivering them to her various teachers.   There was Mrs Johnson, her regular teacher; Mr. Woodworth, her music teacher; her P.E. teacher, her computer teacher, the principal, the librarian, the school counselor and one of the para-educators whom Vicki has a bond with.

 I am kicking myself for not taking the camera with me!  

The really cool part was that Victoria would tell her teachers that they were homemade truffles in a homemade box.  I'm not sure which part they were more impressed with.  And when she told them that, yes, she helped make the truffles and yes, she made some of the boxes, she beamed with pride.

Now I suppose I should share my truffle recipe.   Well alright then.  Bend my rubber arm.

Chocolate Truffles

3  cups semi-sweet chocolate chips  

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a heat safe bowl, melt chocolate chips over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat as soon as melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk.  Chill for 2 hours or until mixture is easy to handle.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  

Roll in coconut, sprinkles, cocoa or crushed nuts.

The pictured truffles were made with 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 cups dark chocolate chips and rolled in a cocoa and powdered sugar mixture.

Paper Boxes

Darin recently taught the girls how to make paper boxes.  They used varying weights of paper stock and made origami style boxes without any cuts to the paper.   

I would post a tutorial, but I didn't get to play with them as I was busy in the kitchen.  Maybe I can get him to show me as well and then I can post the tutorial.

 

First Darin and Samm made some, while Victoria and were out one day, then they showed Victoria the next weekend.  We now have many, many boxes.

 I am proud of how well V did with her boxes also.  She was very precise with her folds!

Hers are the smaller brightly colored boxes.

It looks like fun.  I want to make some, too!

I may have to buy some more card stock!

Awesome!

Life has been in the way of posting, but I wanted to share this with you...  You should have this.  Where you live.  Where you work.  Where you create.   Everywhere!!!

Agreed?

source:  One Kings Lane

Wordless Wednesday 4-18-12 - Spring

Story of a Girl - Chapter 9

Chapter Nine – Dear Stranger

Unfolding and reading the letter, sent to me by this stranger who had given me life, not once, but twice, was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had in my life. It seems like a dream, looking back now. A dream that I only have bits and pieces of. The details are gone, and the parts I remember seem clouded. But, I remember the feelings.

The paper seems so loud as I unfolded it. The sound seemed to echo through the house, echoing the vast feeling of …. nothing... I was feeling. How does one, in such an emotionally charged situation, feel nothing. It was more than nothing. It like standing knee deep in a black pool of eternal nothingness. That is the best way I can describe it.

I had shut myself off from feeling anything, because I didn't know what I should be feeling. My life was in utter turmoil, and now I was now about to time travel to what felt like some other person's life.

Standards

source: http://www.technologyrocksseriously.com/

source unknown - If you know who created this, please let me know.

Thankful

source: http://craftykat-mycraftyplayground.blogspot.com

source: http://bitsofwool.blogspot.com

That is all.

Friendship Friday 4-13-12 - Surprise!

It's Friendship Friday, hosted by Create With Joy.  It's a blog hop that allows you to meet fellow bloggers and maybe even make some new friends.  

Question Of The Week
When is the last time someone surprised you?
Share your story and make us smile!

This is not the last time someone surprised me, but it is one of my favorites!

Having my birthday on New Years Day often means that people are tired and your birthday gets over looked.  My mom of course, never over looked my birthday when I was a child.  But, the I grew up and got married.  (Actually it's more like I got married and then grew up, but that is a whole other story.)  

My ex-husband was really bad at the birthday thing.  He tried to remember, it's just that he had never really been into birthdays.   So one year, we were at a friends for a New Years Eve Party.  When midnight rolled around, everyone cheered, hugged and celebrated the New Year.  Then, to my surprise came my friends, holding a birthday cake and everyone started singing Happy Birthday.  That was my very midnight surprise birthday party.  

Over the years, other friends have surprised me this way as well, and it is always a surprise!  I have several good memories of midnight birthday cakes with good friends now.  

I am also happy to say that Darin is quite good at the birthday thing.  He always tries to do something to make me feel special on my birthday, whether it be the midnight surprise cake, or cooking me a nice dinner.  One year he attempted to make tiramisu for my birthday.  We still laugh about how awful it was.

Now, for the most recent surprise...  my eldest daughter likes to drop in for surprise visits every now and then and that ALWAYS make my heart happy.

How Pinteresting!

Here is a fun Linky Party being hosted by Cherished Handmade Treasures. 

The theme is outdoor spaces and it seems to fit perfectly with my own inspiration today.  So here are a couple favorites!

The colors, the perspective.  Makes me want to be there!

Spring Be Thy Companion

Spring has finally arrived in our little corner of the world.  

It brings me joy to see the renewal of God's creation.  

The hope of new buds.  

The promise of delicate blossoms.   

The joy of new life in all forms.

a dragonfly freshly emerged from its pupae skin