Crazy as a March Hare

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Every year I think that our tree turns out so pretty! This year I thought I would take a few pictures of our favourite ornaments. I still haven't figured out why blogspot turns pictures taken with a Cannon camera, so bear with the horizontal photos. :)

This year we got a Scotch Pine. The branches are bare except for the ends, so you hang most of the ornaments in the tree.

Glass ornaments are our favourites! This snowman seems so jolly and I love seeing him each year!

Last year our tree fell over and we broke about half of our ornaments. This Santa is a new addition this year.

I picked up this cute trolley car in San Francisco in Bloomingdale's on Black Friday a few years ago.

I love this little reindeer. The snow in the bottom of the ornament moves around.

Most of our ornaments seem to be Santas. Perhaps it's the red and white we like. There are so many depictions!

I love the feathers on the mittens.

This ornament used to hang on my Grandma Burdette's tree. Before LED lights you would put one of the tree lights under the ornament and the heat would make the fan turn. This is a very special ornament.

Chandler made this in kindergarten. I love seeing him so tiny!

This year my sisters and I started a new tradition of sending each other ornaments to hang on our tree that remind us of each other. This is what I got this year for us. However, I forgot to send it on time! So dear sisters, this is what you will be getting in the mail in the next few weeks!

Merry Christmas!

Stuffing vs. Dressing

2011-11-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Today I was sitting at my mom's table shredding ten loaves of bread to prepare, what I like to call stuffing, for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I was led to remember all the times I had seen my mother and my grandmother sitting in the same kitchen doing the same thing. I'm not sure where my grandma got her recipe from, but it's amazing. It will always be my favourite recipe for this particular dish. She never wrote the recipe down. My mother learned it from watching her and I learned it from watching my mother. I remember the first year that my grandma died and my mother and I frantically tried to remember how exactly to make what my grandmother called "dressing". I'm sure over the years my mom and I have developed our recipe, but every time I make it I will always think of my dear grandma and how much I love her and everything she passed down to us.

The Smuggies

2011-09-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Today I took my children to a music lesson. We sang and hit sticks together and had a merry old time. One mother was breast feeding while we sang. "That's right!" I thought. "I can roll with the new wave hippie moms." I stay at home with my kids, we sing, we breastfeed in broad day light and we have a good time doing it! After the class Teacher Beth, who sported a yellow kerchief in her hair; a sure sign of the modern hippie mom, overheard me telling Ellis that we needed to get home so I could start sewing. She asked what I was sewing and I excitedly told her that I was sewing my daughter's Halloween costume. Ellis looked at her and said, "I'm going to be Princess Peach!" That's when I saw it. The smile and nod... "How nice." I couldn't help but to laugh. I could tell right there that she didn't approve. Rowan chimed in that he was going to be Luigi. I could feel her trying not to judge me, but she couldn't help it. After all, I'm breaking a cardinal rule of the new wave hippie mom. I let my kids watch T.V. and play video games! (gasp!)

Teacher Beth then explained how her daughter is going to be a Native American for Halloween. She's going to have braids and a head band and feathers coming out of her hair from their chickens! She sewed her costume last year too, she had been Laura Ingalls! Thank goodness I knew who that was. I would have loved to have told her that my children were also literary characters two years ago too. Ellis was Alice and Rowan was the Jabberwocky, but I could see "the smuggies" behind her eyes and I didn't want to spoil it for her. She really is a sweet lady and was very kind to us, but it made her feel good that she wasn't subjecting her children to the horrible things that I do. I could have really made her day and let her know that for snack today we were going to have fruit roll ups, they have high fructose corn syrup.

I try to be a good mom. We stay away from sugar for weeks at a time before we lapse back into lazy snacks. I am my kids' preschool teacher and take them on plenty of outings. I take my kids to church every Sunday and try to teach them to be good people. We raise chickens and eat their eggs. We try to plant a garden every summer. I can fruit and make pies and make dinners from scratch. I'm well on the road to the new wave hippie mom that I would love to be. But, there are some things that I'm just not willing to give up and so I'll never be fully initiated into the club. And I'm okay with that. I have my own kind of joy that I get from watching other people delight in how much better they are than me!

7 Year Itch?

2011-09-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

As of September 11th, Bobby and I have been married for 7 years. It feels like much longer, maybe because we dated for 3 years before we got married. It's been a wonderful 7 years and we were able to go away together this weekend and reflect on them together. Typically, the saying goes that every 7 years you yearn for some change in your life, but as we looked back we've had nothing but change! We decided that at this point now, we couldn't be happier! I feel like we have changed a lot in the last decade, and for the better. How nice that we could grow together as a couple and as a family. After this weekend, it was very clear to me how lucky I am and how much each of us have grown. Let me tell you a little about it.
Saturday, the 10th was very busy. We had soccer in the first part of the day, and then I helped at a wedding in the late afternoon and evening. By the time I got home later that night, my hips were VERY sore. But I didn't want to complain to Bobby about it. We got up early on Sunday and I was already feeling emotional. I usually try to glaze over September 11th, try to focus on my anniversary, but this day was hard. I kept welling with tears. Chandler and I were both to speak in church and although I was excited, I was a little nervous too. Chandler spoke first and he was so amazing. I really cannot think of a prouder "mommy moment"! He wrote his own talk, and then spoke slowly and clearly. I ended up being very pleased with how I did with my talk, I was glad that I had practiced so much before hand, and I didn't even cry. Then Bobby and I ran home and packed bags for the children and for ourselves. I was feeling pretty emotional because I must have been more worried about the job on Saturday night and the talk Sunday morning more than I had thought. Now that those things were over I was ready for an emotional release, but instead I needed to focus on packing (fast) and sending the kids off for the next 3 days without tears. So I needed to hold it all in.
We were finally on the road and I was worried about getting there on time because we had massages scheduled at 4. We would probably arrive around 3:30, I didn't want to be late. About an hour into our drive we got a phone call for our wonderful friend who was watching our children, she told us that we had not put the children's luggage in her car! I couldn't believe it! We had been so hurried and so worried about the kids being comfortable, that we completely forgot to move the bag! I felt my mood begin to take a rapid downward turn, but told myself that being upset about it wouldn't solve anything. I was determined to be in a good mood and not let "the natural man" take a hold of me!
As we entered into the Sonora area my earlobes began to get a funny itching sensation, as we moved further towards Twain Heart and further up in elevation I began to feel the sensation moving to my cheeks as well. We arrived at our bed and breakfast just at 3:30, our room wasn't ready and we would have to wait. Although I was feeling uncomfortable and just wanted to relax, I assured them that we were fine sitting in the front room to read until it was ready. By the time we got to our room about 15 minutes later, my palms were itching and my whole face and neck were totally red. It was 4 o'clock and the massage therapists were not there. Our appointment must have been sent for 4:30 we thought. Our hostess provided me with an allergy pill and I knocked out on the bed. Waking up 45 minutes later extremely groggy, I realized that it was 5:15 and there was still no sign of the therapists. We called up front to find out that there had been some sort of mix up and the hostess was frantically on the phone trying to find people that would come in on short notice. Again, not her fault, no reason to be upset, right? At 6 o'clock we were fortunate enough to have 2 massage therapists arrive, or so we thought....
Now maybe it's that Bobby and I are ruined. A few years back we had the most amazing massages EVER! So now, of course, everyone else is compared to these others. But in this case, I really think it just wasn't that great. For starters, whenever I have ever had a massage there is usually gentle, relaxing music playing. These two must have had a very different idea of what type of music should be played. I was laying down on my stomach with my face in that circle thing with my eyes wide open, thinking, "What the heck????" First it was like these romantic love songs, which I'm sorry, are just creepy when some stranger has their hands on you. It then moved to this like... new age world music? Imagine energetic, almost techno music with a man yodeling/singing over the top of it. It reminded me of some sort of thing I would hear in a yurt full of hippies trying to find their inner energy or something. It was totally ridiculous for a massage and totally weird. Not to mention that I think I was being massaged by Darth Vader. This guy was breathing so hard through his nose, at first I thought he was wearing a mask or something because it was so loud! The massage was terrible and I really just couldn't wait to get off the table. By 8 o'clock I was starving and we left for dinner.
It really took all my mental muscles to stave off the crankies by this point. We ate at an Italian restaurant with fantastic service, great atmosphere and horrible food. Thank goodness that Bobby had me laughing so hard at the table over our terrible massages that it didn't bother me too much. Unfortunately, it bothered my stomach and I felt sick the rest of the night.
The next morning, Bobby and I left for Yosemite. My hips were still very sore and my lower back was stiff after the terrible massage the day before. I didn't want to complain to Bobby. I knew that he wanted to take a little day hike and I wanted to be accommodating. It was a beautiful day and Yosemite was PACKED! There were a million people there. I hadn't been able to find my shoes before we had left in such a rush and had only packed my Converse. I like them for when I need to wear them for short periods of time, but not for when we need to do a lot of walking. It was nearly lunch time and we didn't have any food with us, but I assured Bobby that I could do a quick 3 mile hike with him and then we could go to lunch. When we got near to where we were hiking we saw that the road was closed and that we needed to hike an extra .6 miles. No problem, just smile. We began our walk. I was fine when it was flat, but then we began our incline. My hips began to hurt immediately. Bobby started talking about how excited he was to do the John Muir Trail in two years and I snapped! I want to take that hike with him so badly and it was apparent that I was probably not going to be able to even finish this little one. My hips were screaming and my pride was hurt. I have an injury that most likely will never get all the way better. I took all the frustrations and emotions from the past 2 days and pushed them all into this. Then I let loose on my poor confused husband. When he tried to talk to me I told him that we weren't having a conversation in front of the bajillion people around us. Instead of getting angry, he asked me what I wanted to do. When I couldn't give him an answer he told me that he didn't feel like walking after all and led me back to the car. When we got to the car I finally explained how badly my body was hurting and how hard it was for me to admit that I couldn't do the things I used to do. He let me cry it all out. I told him how sorry I was that I had ruined our day. He said that I hadn't ruined the day at all and that we could still enjoy the park in so many ways. What should we do first?
I sat there in that car and thought about a few things. 1. How selfish I was being. 2. How wonderful my husband is. 3. How this conversation might have gone 5 years ago. Let me tell you something I've learned about marriage. You make your own happiness. Even though the day before had been crazy, I still had a great time just being with Bobby, because I had decided to. Had I been totally honest with Bobby on that morning I wouldn't have put myself in a situation where it was harder for me to keep my control. I saw what I had done wrong, admitted it and asked for forgiveness, and then MOVED ON! We had a wonderful rest of the day. We enjoyed each other's company and had a great dinner. Bobby was so understanding and just so happy the whole weekend. He went through a lot of the same things I did and didn't get upset. I didn't need to either. We decide to be cranky, or we decide to be happy. We are at a point in our marriage that we decide to be happy together no matter what we come up against, even if it's each other! I'm so thankful that we have learned these lessons together and I look forward to another year of happiness.

Chandler and Ice Cream

2011-08-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Last night Chandler had his first school dance. I know, he's only 12, but he's in Leadership at school and they plan all the dances. I think it's nice for him to be able to go to the things he works so hard on, besides that, it's not like he's going to go anywhere near a girl!

Anyway... I was surprised last night when I asked him which of his friends were going and he said none. I said, "Oh really? Who are you going to hang out with?" He said he didn't know but that he was sure someone would be there. I thought that it was so cool that he wasn't going to give up having a good time just because his friends weren't going! I always worry about him "following the pack", but clearly he does what he wants to do. (Let's hope he continues to want to do good things!)

I dropped him off at the school at 6, but instead of driving back at 8:30 I decided to walk down to the school to get him. I met him out front and we went to Foster's Freeze. We sat outside, ate ice cream and talked for an hour! It was so wonderful! He told me all about the dance and how much fun he had. He said that he was actually kind of glad that none of his friends were there because it gave him the opportunity to get to know some other people a little better. He loves his friends, it was just fun to hang out with other people sometimes.

I had asked him before the school year started if he would make a promise to talk to me. If he would talk, I would listen. It was so great last night to see that actually happening. We walked home and I thought about how easy it would have been for me to have just taken the car to pick him up. The trip would have lasted 2 minutes and we probably would have only chatted for a second. But because I took the time, not only did I get some good exercise, but some real quality time with my son. I am always so worried about him becoming a teenager and being impossible to talk to, but I'm hoping that if I continue to keep the lines of communication open and I keep taking the time to allow him to talk that we may survive those years after all. I know it will be difficult, but last night gave me a big glimmer of hope. :)

Summer Time

2011-08-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted, but it's because we've been busy squeezing out every last drop of summer. :)

Summer is a time for our family to be busy with simple pleasures. Sitting on a warm sidewalk at night trying to find Scorpio and his heart, Antares; eating home made ice cream with black berries, baking pies and making jam, canning peaches and green beans, finding yet another recipe for eggplant and zucchini, camping and boating, roasting marshmallows, riding on the knee board, swimming in the lake, going to the State Fair, and lazing around the house.

I've been heard to say things like, "People are coming over, put clothes on!" or "We aren't having ice cream for breakfast again!" Things are relaxed, easy going, and peaceful. It all goes by too quickly. However, by the time August rolls around we are ready to be back to a routine. We miss the easy going time of summer but feel well rested and ready for the school year.

This year Chandler is in 7th grade! I can't believe how the time has flown. Rowan and Ellis will be in "Mommy School". I've been busy this week cleaning out the playroom and getting it set up for school. I am optimistic that we will have a good time doing preschool at home. After all, it's my last year home all day with my little ones.

Soccer has also started and Chandler is playing really well. He seems to be on a good team and has a lot of friends he knows this year. Rowan also started soccer and loves the running. Ellis is very upset that she doesn't get to play, but luckily for her, Rowan's coach lets her practice with the team. It's been a great summer!

The Chick Experiment

2011-06-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Only one of our 8 eggs ended up hatching. I gave it until Monday morning, a full 5 more days, until I knew I had to make a change of plans! The kids and I went to the feed store and I purchased 3 of the youngest chicks I could find and brought them home. It was still pretty early in the day and Buttercup, as usual, was still trying to hatch her clutch. I reached under and took all her eggs and then one by one took each baby chick and placed it under her. I was so nervous. I wasn't sure what she would do with these new chicks.

I stayed for about 30 minutes just observing her. The first time she saw each chick she would squwak and peck at it! The chick would run back under her to hide. I went inside for about 2 hours and then came to check on her again. Now we accepting of two of the chicks, but every time she saw the golden sexlink she would still peck at it. I wasn't sure if I was going to have to take that chick out, but I decided to give it a bit more time. By the end of the day Buttercup seemed much more at ease.

Today is Friday and she has had the chicks for 5 days now. All of the chicks are accepted and so cute. You can see Buttercup teaching them how scratch for food. She is up and moving around much more now. I feel like this way of "breaking her broody" was so much more fun than suspending her in a cage! It's really been such a learning process, but very rewarding. I never knew how much I enjoyed raising animals! I think I will let her raise them to about 6 weeks and then let my friend begin her own coop with the young ones. :)

Mottled Houdan and Golden Sexlink

Buttercup teaching her chicks how to scratch.

White Sultan and the chick Buttercup hatched. It's a mixed breed.

New Life!

2011-06-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

23 days ago I put 8 fertilized eggs under Buttercup to help break her broodiness. Today one of the eggs hatched! They were supposed to hatch on day 21, but I decided to give it a few days just in case. This afternoon I went out to check and sure enough, there was a little chick under her mama! I was worried for the chick's safety in the big coop, so I fashioned a brooder for mommy and baby. I'm not sure if any more of the eggs will hatch, but I'll give it another 16 hours or so and see what happens. Here are some pictures I took of the brooder I made. It should keep the chicks in, but let mom out to go and forage for food as she needs it. I only hope that she will protect her chicks from predators, they are very exposed here. I may put the fire screen over the top at night, but we'll see. I'll talk to the feed store when I pick up some chick starter and see what they say.

This is the brooder I used when we first got the chickens. I put a milk crate in the end with a towel over it so that Buttercup could feel like she's in a protected place.

I wasn't sure if she would use it, but I put her eggs in the crate, then set her in the brooder and she went right over to them! She is such a good mommy!

Here is a glimpse of the new chick peeking his head out from under his mommy. I say "he" because I already suspect he's a rooster, but we won't know for sure for a few more weeks.

Our new baby chick! I'm so excited at my hen's first hatching!

4am

2011-06-10T03:24:00.000-07:00

It's 4am and I'm awake again for the second morning in a row. My mind just won't turn off. I dream about yesterday when I put soap on my grandpa's finger to work his ring off. I think of his hands, still warm, and how they won't hold mine anymore. My grandpa was my hero, the kindest, most gentle man I've ever known. I'll miss his jokes, I'll miss his black converse and his Alaska belt buckle. I'll miss the way he always took time for us grandkids when we came to visit. I'll miss the way he answered the phone. Even though I knew this day was coming, I couldn't ever be ready. I'm hoping that at some point I'll cry and let all this emotion out. His funeral will be in 5 days, maybe then. I guess part of me isn't quite ready to accept that he's gone and the crying might make that fact real. I'm not sure how to end my thoughts...I loved my grandpa...

My knight in shining underpants!

2011-05-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Rowan is such an enjoyable child! One of his most endearing qualities is his imagination. At the present time he is obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. We have the old cartoons that he likes to watch. This is a picture of him charging around the kitchen chasing after Nazguls!

Again, I'm not sure why the photos are being turned on their sides.. If anyone has any suggestions to this problem, I'd be glad to listen!

We've got a broody!

2011-05-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

Raising hens has been a truly educational experience for me. I'm now onto a new lesson. I have a hen that won't leave the nesting box! I'll poke her, push her, take all the eggs out from under her, but still, she won't move! In the mean time, she only eats about once a day so she's not getting the calcium that she needs. She's laying soft eggs that I can break if I poke them with my finger. She has decided they aren't good enough to sit on and kicks them out into the coop then finds other eggs to sit on! I've been reading to put her in a wire cage without bedding to cool her engines, but instead I think I'm going to try to find some fertile eggs for her to hatch. Wish me luck!

See how puffy she is? That's a face that says, "back off!" She kinda lays her wings out a bit too to keep the eggs warm. Poor thing wants some babies!

Tea Party Time!

2011-05-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's the perfect weather for tea parties and the wedding season is upon us! Why not combine them? I threw a tea party bridal shower for a girl friend of mine the last week of April. I love all the china and table settings. I had a lot of fun with this!

These are a few teapots of my mom's and mine. The yellow is an antique pot, the white and blue from Target.

This teapot is from my mom's china collection, British Castles.

This is my hand made teapot with the Scottish Thistle.

A piece of Lennox china I inherited from my Great Aunt Shum

My favourite tea cup!

Pretty antique china plates, the one on the right is Lamoge. They are holding rose shaped sugars.

Choose your tea cup!

I think it's fun to mix and match china. These are the three sets I have.

I wish the picture hadn't turned vertical, but here is the spread of food! Quiche, puff pastry filled with cream cheese and jalapeno or artichoke, chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches.

For dessert, my friend Diane made us delicious cake pops, chocolate covered strawberries, and white chocolate teacups filled with lemon curd! She is amazing!

And of course the pretty present table!

Spring has Sprung!

2011-05-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

I love our yard in spring time and can't help but to take some pictures of the new blooms we have around the yard! I took these a few weeks ago. By now my red and yellow roses have finally come in and my hanging baskets are filling in nicely. I still wanted to show off some of the first blooms of the season!

Having only lived in our house for just under two years, I still get some new discoveries in the spring time! I found this iris growing on the ground underneath one of my camilia trees. I propped them up and they are doing well. Not sure why the blog turned the picture on it's side, but it is still beautiful!

These are wild onions that we have growing all over the side yard! I don't think that they are eatable, but the are very sweet.

Roses are such hard work, but the blooms make it all worth it! I love the fragrant blossoms and various colours! The front of our house looks barren without them!

I was also surprised to find wysteria growing on the front and back gate! If only the blooms lasted a bit longer. I think these were here for about 2 weeks.

A few other pretty blooms found in the front yard.

This lilac tree only blooms for about 2 weeks as well. It has such a sweet fragrance! Sadly, once picked it only lasts about 3 hours in a vase.

The pretty little things shade the chicken coop for a few weeks!

Chandler James

2011-05-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in so long and I believe it was partly because I was overwhelmed with what to write for Chandler's 12th birthday! I don't have any of his baby pictures scanned, however he is the only child of mine that has an actual baby book!

Chandler is truly an amazing boy. He is funny, likable, and very creative! Although at times he can be challenging, we could never do without him!

This year, on his 12th birthday, he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood. He now serves the sacrament at church and is growing in faith. I am so pleased that he seems to grasp the importance of this and takes it seriously. I feel that Chandler is a very strong soul and is capable of doing a lot of good! I can only hope that I'm a good enough parent to harness and direct him in the best way.

We love you Chandler!

Ellisandra Kay

2011-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

My little baby girl turned 3 this week! I can't believe that I don't have any babies anymore! She has been just the little girl I always wished for. She loving and snuggling, and affectionate. But she's also a tough little cookie with her own attitude. You can tell she has two older brothers to keep her on her toes. Here are a few pictures of my little Ellis over the last few years.

Ellis' first surprise to us was coming 3 weeks early! I went in for a routine doctor's appointment and he told me I was in labor. Good thing I had put her room together the day before!

These were my 3 favourite dresses! Her blessing gown (so gorgeous), her first Disney Princess dress while visiting Sleeping Beauty, and then just this sweet little pink dress. I love smocking! It's been so much fun having a sweet girl to dress up!

Ellis loves roller coster rides and going on all sorts of adventures. I feel like you can see that gleam in her eye here.

Ellis has her own sense of style and LOVES to play dress up! These are a few of my favourite outfits!

This year on her birthday, Ellis was the princess. She gave out plenty of loves and kisses and twirled around in her pretty dress. She loves her family and really is such a sweet and wonderful girl. We are so happy to have her in our family. We just couldn't do without her!

Snow Birds and Winter Blooms

2011-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

It's February in Northern California, and although it's not covered in snow like the rest of the nation, it's still freezing. Time to visit Aunt Brooke in Arizona!

Chandler had last week off of school so the three kids and I braved the 13 hour journey to Surprise, AZ. It was well worth the drive! The first day there Brooke and I took the kids to the Phoenix Children's Museum. This place is amazing. I'm so jealous that I can't go to this place all the time! Here are a few pictures that we took there.

The kids had such a blast pretending to go to the market, making forts, and climbing huge structures!

On Saturday, Uncle Alex took us on a hike. Very different terrain from what we are used to, but still beautiful. We were lucky for an overcast day so that it wasn't too hot!

We had such a wonderful time visiting, but as always it's nice to return home. And here are a few pictures of what our garden greeted with us on our return.

There's no place like home. :)

Love is in the air!

2011-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Valentine's Day! I love the red and pink, I love vintage cards, and I love being loved! This year I decided to take a cue from Bakerella and make some sweet treats of my own! I had also gotten the idea in my head that I wanted to send something to my neighbors. I like what Matt 22:37-39 says about loving your neighbor and I thought Valentine's Day was an excellent way to show that love!

I've never been much of a baker, much less cake decorator, but I had so much fun making these little cakes! I also have an obsession with vintage valentines. I was able to print out some cute ones I found online, thanks to my mom, and on the other side the scripture that I wanted to share. Here are a few pictures of how they turned out.

Cupcakes

Mini Cakes

Vintage Valentines with Scripture

This same night Bobby told me that he was going to take me out to dinner and to be ready by 4, which seems kind of early for dinner. However, I've learned not to question Bobby if I want to keep getting surprises! The babysitter had just arrived and I was filling her in on things when I saw a limo pull up in front of the house. I've never ridden in a limo and I was so excited! I went outside and there was a poster on the window that said "Happy Valentine's Day 2011 to our Favorite Wives" and I was confused, thinking, is this some sort of party bus? I opened the door and saw my 2 sister and brother in laws sitting in there. I was so happy to see them. We never get to spend time together. The guys had plotted over New Year's to surprise all of us and it worked! We drove around for a little while, swung by the casino and played for a few minutes. Then went to Fat's for dinner and then to Strike's Bowling for a few games of Glow Bowling. It was a wonderful night!

The day after our wonderful date night was church and what an excuse to do cute hair for Ellis!

Here's a heart braid I did for her on Sunday.

And here is a cute 'do I found on a blog for actual V Day!

And last of all, these are the little treats I got for my loves on Valentine's Day

I have so much love in my life and I am grateful for it every day! I wish you all a very happy Valentine's Day!

Broke down and busted up!

2011-02-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up feeling completely exhausted. It's a Thursday, so it's a preschool day. By this time in the week I've driven down to Rocklin about 80 billion times and I'm over it. But, Rowan loves preschool so much that I can't skip it. I drag myself out of bed and I'm already wearing comfy track suit pants, not going to change out of those. The thought of anything tight around my middle while I'm crampy isn't appealing. I grab a tee shirt out of my closet and figure that it matches well enough. One look in the mirror tells me that there isn't much hope for me. I'll need at least a full hour to look human and I have about 30 secs before I need to be out the door with both kids dressed. I grab my flip flops and my sunglasses and as I climb into my car I think to myself, "Am I really leaving the house looking like this?" My hair is pulled into a messy bun and I've brushed my bangs to the side, there are times that I do actually consider this a hair do and since I just had my eyebrows done I really don't need as much make up. Still, a little effort never hurt anybody.

I drop Rowan off at preschool and Ellis and I head to Target to do some shopping while there is only two of us. I pray that I won't see anyone I know, grab a cart and head inside. As I'm entering the store I see that I'm not the only one dressed this way. I immediately see two girls (not together) dressed head to toe in Abercrombie and Fitch sweats and Uggs. They too, look like they just drug themselves out of bed. It's at this point that I consider the irony that even though I feel like I'm totally scrubby, the outfit I'm wearing cost about the same as a car payment. Why are we all spending so much money on clothing that makes it look like we just rolled in from a camp out? I grab a few things and then of course, the inevitable happens. I turn the corner and who do I see? Why of course, it's the totally gorgeous, skinny, well put together friend I haven't seen in ages!!! I say hello and quickly admit how embarrassed I am that somebody I know is actually seeing me out like this. She exclaims, "What are you talking about, you don't look all busted up! Some girls run around here looking totally broke down, but you look super cute!" I've heard this from girls before, that I pull off the "beach bum" look really well. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about that, but I'm going to go ahead and say that it's a good thing since most of the time I'm way too lazy to go for any other look.

As for the comment today, I've decided to believe her. Embracing the beach bum look seems to coincide quite nicely with raising 3 children and running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. And after all, it's just easier on my ego.

Preschool Fun

2011-01-25T16:14:00.000-08:00

Last September I joined a co-op preschool group. A bunch of ladies from my church down in Rocklin were doing a Joy School type of thing, but just without the official material. I was happy when I was invited because preschool is just SO ridiculously expensive. I wasn't sure how Rowan was going to go to preschool at all! We take turns teaching each week and I have enjoyed it so much. I always have my mom's old cowboy records from when she was little playing when the kids come in or are working on their projects. For some reason I'll think they'll enjoy it! I love coming up with fun snack ideas and projects that have to do with the letter of the week. I wanted to show a few pictures that I have taken from when it's been my turn to teach.

This was a snack I did around Halloween. I call them mummy mouths and are made with apples and almonds. The kids loved them!

This is back in October when we went to the pumpkin patch. They had such a great time!

This next picture is our Christmas party. They were all wearing Santa beards that they made. Rowan still has his and loves it! LOL

Today we were learning about the letter "R", so I thought it would be fun to do a rainbow theme. My mom and I made jello with all the colours of the rainbow. We went over the colours and learned their signs. Then we got to have a yummy treat. After I was sure that they all had a clear idea of a rainbow we did our fun art project. What kid doesn't love finger painting? I love how these turned out!

We also did really cute turkeys in November. We had got on a walk and collected brightly coloured leaves. Then come home and traced their hand on a piece of paper. We drew the turkey's head where the thumb is a put a googley eye and then pasted the leaves where the rest of the fingers were. I think that was my favourite project, so of course, I don't have a picture for it! We still have the rest of Spring for lots more fun and I for one am super excited! (geek out time!)

I must be blind.

2011-01-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

Every morning, very first thing, Rowan has a vitamin. They are all the same shape, they all taste the same, they are all the same size. The only difference are the colours. For about the last year and a half Rowan will only eat the orange vitamins. When those are gone, he'll move to the brown and by the time those are gone I'm hoping that his sister has eaten the rest. Recently, he's begun to change his particularities to wanting "the big one" or "the squishy one", or "that big white one back there"! Of course, there aren't any white ones. When I try to explain to him that they are all exactly the same, he insists that I'm wrong and that there is indeed a larger vitamin in the bottle. This usually ends with him looking in the jar to find just the right one and then proclaiming to me, "See, it's right here!" I mean really, how can I be so stupid?

Can I be shallow in Heaven?

2011-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today I've finally realized that my body's main goal is to become morbidly obese. Unless I'm eating 1200 calories a day on a vegan diet and working out like a crazy person at least 4 days a week, my body will put on massive amounts of weight. This week, I only got to work out twice. I ate like I usually do (which in all honesty really isn't that bad.) and I put on 4 pounds. 4 POUNDS! I work so hard and then take a few days off and you would think I had some sort of eating spree through Willy Wonka's! I try to think of the goal ahead. I try to think about a body that I would feel wonderful and confident in. Then I start thinking about how nobody has a perfect body until the resurrection... I hope that when I get my perfect body that I actually appreciate it. What if in Heaven, I'm too spiritual to even care about my body and having a perfect body is a total waste?? What I need is my resurrected body now, while I'm still shallow. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, so I guess I had better start cooking more Indian food again.

Rowan turns 4!

2011-01-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my "little prince" is already 4 years old! To say that this child had been anticipated is an understatement. Chandler had been asking for a sibling for at least 3 years. I was going through such bad baby withdrawals that I brought home two chihuahuas to care for! With 8 years between Chandler and the new arrival, everyone was excited to have a baby around again. Rowan was born on January 11th, 2007 and we couldn't have been happier to have him. Now 4 years later I find myself reflecting on how much joy this little boy has brought us!

Rowan was and still is such a great sleeper! He sleeps 10 hours a night and takes 2-3 hour naps during the days. Could you ask for anything better?

A Disney Addict from the beginning like the rest of us; he fit right in.

Rowan had barley turned a year old when his partner in crime arrived! It always seems as though Rowan had been waiting for Ellis to come. They are rarely apart and are always happy to see each other after they have been separated.

Throughout Rowan's 2nd year, you could not find him without his Minnie Mouse doll. It was very sweet and I miss those toys that now sit on the shelf.

As Rowan got older, he grew the most beautiful, lovely locks of hair. It broke my heart when we finally cut it!

Rowan kept my hands full during his 3rd year. He proved to be very smart, loving to read and knowing all his letters and numbers. He likes things to be "just so" and has an incredible sense of direction! He always knows where we are going! He has a special relationship with his Papa Knotts and always wants to be working with him. Whether it's building the chicken coop or working on the car, he definitely a boy's boy.

We had many family and friends around this year for Rowan's birthday. And I think that we can all agree that our lives are that much better with this little guy around. He is a joy! Happy birthday, Rowan!

Home for the Holidays!

2011-01-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

We had a very blessed and fulfilling holiday season in 2010! In November fall was upon us and we began to get hungry... The first Thanksgiving meal I made was for my bunco group. I wanted to spoil them and it was delicious and very much enjoyed!

My Dad and Gail were out in California the weekend before Thanksgiving, so Bre and I met up with them for a wonderful weekend of catching up at Aunt Terry's!

Upon returning home, I thought I might spice it up a bit for the holiday's and cut some bangs for the first time in 22 years!

Brooke and her family came up to visit for the holiday and we took a family picture for the first time since my wedding. We were all very please with the results!

On my birthday the whole family went bowling, we weren't sure how the little kids were going to do, but they loved it!

On Thanksgiving night we started our Christmas shopping! I left at 7pm and arrived home at 7am! I got most of the Christmas presents, birthday presents, and winter shopping done, I was so happy! The line outside of Toys R Us was crazy. I was number 41 out of 2500!!

The first weekend of December brought us to Red Feather Christmas Tree Farm for our annual tradition of cutting down the tree. This year in lieu of a Silver tip, we went with a Douglas Fir.

Every year, the City of Auburn puts on The Festival of Lights parade. It's a time for the whole community to come together and say, "Merry Christmas!" to each other.

For our Christmas presents to each other, Bobby and I took a weekend together in Las Vegas. We ate like kings and took two days in the spa. It was a wonderful, relaxing get away!

When we got home from our trip, it was time for me to get busy! I had baskets full of homemade yummies that I had made as presents for my family. La Maison du Cluck was in full swing! My friend, Kiernan and I made apple butter, lemon jelly, mandarin marmalade, Italian pasta soup, and scented rice bags to heat up for sore muscles. Wrapped in a festive basket, I think these gifts were a hit! I also made lots of yummy pies this year, lemon meringue being the prettiest.

On Monday, the 20th, we took the kids to the mall to go see Santa. On that night was also scheduled a "flash mob" that was to surprise mall patrons and burst into the Hallelujah Chorus near the food court. The problem was that no one had kept it a secret. Over 5000 people showed up to hear this Christmas song. It was truly amazing to see how many people came because they wanted to feel that Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, the mall was quickly over capacity and the fire department came in and had to evacuate the place. What could have become a scary place to be remained calm and orderly. Everyone left, but what were we to do? The kids were all dressed and Rowan was dying to see Santa. We didn't have much time at this point so we hurried to Sunrise Mall and saw the Santa there. The experience was so much better! The mall had hardly any people in it, with only 10 people in line to see Santa. Ellis wouldn't go near Santa this year, so the picture is only of the boys. Afterward, instead of going to our usual Christmas light tour on Strand in Rocklin, we went to the Walnut St. Christmas light display that was down the street. We enjoyed the Christmas lights there so much more than usual! The boys stood on the center console and put their heads up through the sunroof to see all the lights. We had our Christmas music blaring and the boys were shouting Merry Christmas! I think that this is one of my favourite traditions!

Soon, it was Christmas Eve and we took our traditional trip up to Papa Ernie's and Nana Nannette's house. We had dinner with the whole family and the cousins had fun running around the house together. Our tree was decorated and waiting for Santa to come!

The next morning, we found that Santa had arrived at our house! He had left presents, filled the stockings, and left a note for the kids as always. My parents and brother, Bryce came up to enjoy watching the kids opening their presents. We took a long time just opening stockings, ate a very yummy breakfast and then slowly opened our presents under the tree. It was nice to take our time and have the magic last. Later in the afternoon we went down to my parents house for game playing a delicious meal! It was a very merry Christmas!

All the kids received fun things for Christmas. Some of the favourites were an Air Hog Helicopter with a spy camera, a large moving dino, a tool bench, and Ellis got her first Barbie dolls!

On the week between Christmas and New Year's we took the kids up to the snow to play and do some sledding. We went up to Cisco Grove, which is really just a gas station with a big play area next to it. It's not a snow park and there are signs everywhere saying, "Sled at your own risk." Comforting. It was 24 degrees outside, but the kids had a blast! I realized too late that I had left the memory card for the camera at home and so i took a few photos with my phone.

We spent New Year's Eve at Bobby's sister, Jodi's house. We stayed up playing games and eating yummy snacks. The cousins all played so well together and then next morning we had a fantastic breakfast at The Purple Place. On New Year's Day we had the missionaries over for dinner with our last traditional meal of the season. Roast duck and oyster dressing. It was so good and we had a wonderful time reflecting back on the last few weeks. We feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family. We hope that everyone else had a memorable holiday as well!

This is Halloween!

2010-11-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

Halloween is always such a fun time of year for us! As usual, we were chalked full of fun activities. Here are a few snapshots of them.

We always love our trips out to the pumpkin patch. I love finding weird gourds to decorate the house with!

This is a few shots from our pumpkin carving party. I made my chicken tortilla soup and fun was had by all!

Here is our house all spooky and ready for trick or treaters!

We had a thunder and lightning machine, a fog machine, dry ice, and spooky music playing. We love decorating!

Here are a few shots of the family at the ward Halloween party.

Ellis was a BYU cheerleader, Rowan a shark, and Chandler a viking!
Bobby was a crusader and I was a country music singer.

The night of Halloween Ellis was Cinderella and I was a vampire.

We had a great Halloween and can't wait for the holiday season right around the corner!

It's Apple Season!

2010-09-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

It's apple season in Northern California, which means Apple Hill time! One of our family traditions is to drive up to Camino each fall and visit the many apple ranches off of Hwy 50. Our favourites are High Hill Apple Ranch pictured below and Rainbow Ranch. We get caramel apples, apple cider, apple fudge, and fun crafts at High Hill. At Rainbow Ranch we get apple donuts, Bobby's favourite!

The ranch stocks the lake with fish for the kids to fish for.

Chandler brought his friend Matt and Josh with us this year.

A couple in our ward has apple trees that were overloaded with apples and they gave us a whole box! I quickly set to work and made apple pies and apple butter. Since it is also peach season I also made two little peach pies and canned some peaches as well. I never knew I liked canning and baking so much!

Home grown apples.

My apple pie!

Canned peaches, apple butter, and an apple marinade, so yummy!

Two little peach pies... to die for!

Farewell to Gaston

2010-09-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

These are the last shots of our cockerel, Gaston before I took him back to the feed store where I bought him. I would have loved to have kept him, but we aren't allowed to have roosters in the city. :(

Just as we finally got up the gumption to get rid of Gaston a suspicion I had was confirmed this morning that our little Chouette is actually Claude. We heard this little guy beginning his weak new crow this morning!

The first signs I had where the hackles (the feathers around his neck) and the pointed feathers draping around his tail. He doesn't have a large comb and that's why I wasn't sure.

Rowan goes to preschool and work??

2010-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rowan started preschool this year! He is in a co-op down in Rocklin with some other kids from the Rocklin Stake. There are 6 boys and each mom takes a turn doing pre school at her house for a week. Rowan loves it and I'm told that he's the calm one. He comes home with fun projects and coloring that he's done. When I pick him up the first thing he asks me is, "Where is sister?" They don't like to separated for long!

Chandler also started Jr. High this year and loves it!

Rowan has a new game he loves to play. Every morning when he wakes up, the first thing he wants are his tools. He get's into the drawer and gets his measuring tapes and masking tape. Then he says he has to go to work. This is what he does...

I find this on the house, the cars, the plants. He very carefully measures and then tapes everything! Whenever Bobby is doing any home projects Rowan is always right there helping. He loves working with tools and building. I've had to begin hiding the screwdrivers...

Berry Time!

2010-08-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's Blackberry Pie season! This pie is always special to me because my mother's birthday is on July 20th. For her birthday every year my grandma would make her a blackberry pie rather than a cake. After my grandma passed it was up to me to make the traditional pie.

Here are a few pictures of this year's pie. And yes, they are as yummy as the look!

We have eggs!!!

2010-08-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

For a few days now our chickens have been acting a little odd. They run to us as soon as we come outside and follow us around. They seem extra friendly and also extra loud. We knew that any day we should be expecting eggs, as Fifi and Cosette are both 5 months old now.

I expected that the hens may begin to lay, but not use the boxes we built for them. We put golf balls in the nesting boxes to encourage them to lay their eggs there. Since I knew that there should be eggs any day I thought that today I would check the nesting boxes to see if there was anything in there, or at least some ruffling of the pine shavings. This is what I found!

Patience is not my strong point.

2010-07-26T09:54:00.001-07:00

I've been dreaming about running. In my dream I can run far and fast and it feels wonderful. When I wake up I remember that I can't and it sucks. I hurt my knees in June. It's IBTS or runner's knee. I've kept off the running, I've been to the doctor, but I really haven't done much to prevent the problem coming back.

I've been planning to run Wharf to Wharf since March when I started running. It was a goal to show myself that I can do anything I set my mind to. The running has not only helped me to lose 40 pounds, but the mental health has been unbelievable! When I had to stop running, my motivation for any exercise kind of went out the door. I didn't know what to do or where to start. I did some walking, but just didn't get the rush or the accomplished feeling that I get after a run.

Anyway, I was planning on walking the Wharf to Wharf with some other ladies that were walking too. At the start of the race we had to jog, just a little to kind of filter everyone out... It was like giving a junky crack, I couldn't stop running. It felt SO wonderful! I told the other ladies that I was just going to run for a few minutes and then fall back on the right and walk again until we caught up to each other. I'm so impatient. I couldn't help myself and ran the first mile.

The running felt so great that at first I thought that I might be able to run the whole race, but by about .75 miles I could feel my knees. I got to the first mile marker and knew I had to start walking. I kept a fast walk, but by the end of the 2nd mile my knees actually hurt and the limp started. I had to limp out the rest of the 4 miles. I was so disappointed, so frustrated, and so embarrassed with myself for not just walking the whole thing.

I spent the rest of the day in a kind of haze. My husband and I were sitting in a restaurant on the water, eating fish tacos, great weather, and I was just blahhh. I couldn't shake the upset all day.

Today, I feel the motivation to call personal trainer and get my knees back in shape. I don't ever want to be in this position again. Obviously, just staying off the knees isn't going to make it better and I need to figure out what I'm going to do to keep myself from getting fat and crazy again! Today I'm really going to start healing. :)

Our new walk in closet!

2010-07-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

We bought our dream home a year ago this last July and we have loved it! However, there are a few improvements to be made here and there. A big one was our master bedroom closet. It only held Bobby's clothes and I kept my clothes in the walk in closet downstairs. This week Bobby decided it was time to move me back in!

This was the closet before.

You can see into Ellis' room from our room. Her closet backed up to ours.

Here are Bobby and Grandpa Knotts tearing down the walls between the two rooms. (The fun part!)

I don't think Ellis quite knows what's going here.

Chandler and Uncle Bryce were a huge help!

Here, they have framed in the new wall in our room.

Grandpa is teaching Chandler how to use a drill. They are making Ellis a new closet.

A new wall in the back of the closet and in Ellis' room. We still have to texture and paint it.

Ellis' closet has dry wall, almost done!

Oh how I love to go camping!

2010-07-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Our favourite place to camp is Shirttail Creek at the Sugar Pine Reservoir. It's just past Foresthill, so it's not very far from our house! The campsites are clean and beautiful. The lake is clear and warm with a small island you can walk out to. We enjoy taking small hikes, swimming, making campfires, and sleeping in our tent. Here are a few pictures from our last adventure!

This is our campsite. It's double size, so enough to fit two families.

Ellis and Rowan would carry their chairs up the stairs to where the car was parked and sit up there. They had so much fun playing in the dirt and swimming!

Grandpa and Grandma Knotts were able to join us this weekend and were a lot of help with the kids!

Grandma and Chandler getting ready to make S'mores!

We may have got a little carried away with the fire on the first night!

Chandler and his S'more.

They like to keep me chained to the stove! LOL

The moon over the lake, so beautiful!

Our backyard in the summer.

2010-07-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

We love our new house so much and thought I would post a few pictures to show a little of what life is like for us in our backyard during the summer!

The chickens are always looking for a cool place to relax and roam around the backyard. They are so fun to watch!

You can also usually find Ellis and Rowan lounging around or playing with the tractors. Here are a few shots of Ellis playing in the trailer.

At the end of July the blackberries are ripe and ready to be picked! Bobby picks them and I make the pies and jam!

We are also growing our first garden, very trail and error at this stage!

My green cherry tomatoes.

Zucchini

Romain, Bibb, and some other kind of lettuce.

Onions that I planted too close together and chives.

This is my herb garden. We have sage, thyme, stevia, italian oregano, flat and curly parsley, dill and a patch of celery behind all of it.

Here we have some lilies and daisys to coax the bees and such over.

This shows a view of the coop, fire circle, and barked area and where they kids like to play with the tractors! We have so much fun out here! :D

A night at the State Fair

2010-07-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's California State Fair time again! Yummy food, fun exhibits, lots and animals and rides. We had a wonderful time!

A picture with the gold bear is always a must!

Ellis, the tomato! This year at the fair we ate chocolate covered bacon, fried artichoke hearts, and brick of french fries, and funnel cakes!!!

We went through Smokey the Bear's fire safety classes and puppet show. We all got cool bandanas at the end!

We were given enough free tickets for rides at the fair that we were in the midway for over 2 hours!

Me at work! :D

2010-07-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

In May I took a small job at Winchester Country Club just bartending in the Grill for all the golfers that come in. Today I got to go out and learn how to work the snack cart on the course. It was a lot of fun with beautiful views!

Me and my friend, Sara getting ready to go out on the course.

A view of the club from the course.

View of the 15th hole.

Wildlife and gorgeous views!

The Nesting Boxes

2010-05-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't know that my husband was a carpenter, but he surprised me and built fabulous nesting boxes for our chicken coop! I'm so excited for this stage to be completed. Next is windows, vents, siding, and paint.

We lined the inside with linoleum that comes out for easy cleaning.

There are two roosting poles and a ledge at the boxes for them to fly to. We keep the brooder on the front of the coop out of bombing range. :)

Miette Part Deux

2010-05-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I went to check on the baby chicks and found only 3 there. The little Silver Laced Wyandotte was gone without a trace. Somehow, I'm guessing the weasel, dug a hole that I couldn't really see into the run and climbed into the coop and chick-napped my little Miette! I was heartbroken over thinking of my little chick being eaten but went to the feed store after work and picked up a new SLW. I again named her Miette and figured this may be the best way to go about it. All GLW's are Suzette, and SLW's are Miette and so forth. At this rate I won't be able to come up with new names all the time!
When Bobby got home from work I told him that we needed to secure the chicks better. We moved a big heavy fire screen over the brooder. I can hardly lift it, so I doubt any animal will be able to push it off. Bobby then measured all the gaps in the coop around the bottom perimeter so that he could board them up.
We are new to this whole chicken thing, and having to learn things the hard way, but we're getting there. This morning when I checked, all my chicks were safe and sound! :D

Sweet Suzette

2010-05-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Last night a cat got into our coop and now we can't find my sweet little Golden Laced Wyandotte, Suzette. We looked all night for her, but to no avail. The cat was found in the coop laying next to the month old chicks. The larger chickens were scattered with Fifi all the way across the creek and in the neighbor's back yard. I guess we are very lucky that the entire coop wasn't wiped out. I cried and cried and felt so badly for my poor little bird. This morning I decided the only thing to mend my heart was to get a new GLW. When I went to the feed store the only ones they had were 4 days old. I bought one anyway and put her in the brooder with the "hen pecked" month old chicks. They immediately attacked her, so out they came. I gave them back to the feed store and got 3 more 4 day old chicks. A Silver Laced Wyandotte, A Silver Laced Crested Polish and a White Crested Polish. It's kinda a bummer to be starting all over with brand new chicks again, but they are so darling and my heart feels a little lighter. Now to choose some more French names...

The White Crested Polish

Golden Laced Wyandotte

Silver Laced Crested Polish

Silver Laced Wyandotte

Ellis' Big Girl Bed!

2010-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

This week we were given a very nice gift from one of my mother's friends, a canopy bed! It looks so nice in her room and she loves it! However, we are going to need to get a railing because she has fallen out of bed twice now. oops.

The New Chicks

2010-05-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

I went to the feed store today to buy a new light bulb for the chicken coop since the other once burnt out yesterday. While there we saw a large bucket of Bantam chicks, many that were very badly hen pecked. I was looking at the poor little darlings when the owner came up to me and offered that I take them home for free. She said it looked bad to have them there. My heart broke and we are now the owners of 9 chickens. I believe that there are two Silkies and a Frizzle. I still need to think up names for them. I also can't wait until I get a new camera. These shots are hard to see. :(

The black that you see is the medication I have put on them to help heal them faster.

This time, rather than having them inside, I put the brooder in the coop. At night all the chickens will need to share the warm lamp. I'm going to put a framed screen over the brooder so that the big chickens can't get in there.

2010-05-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

We still need to cut windows and vents, put on the siding and paint it, but it's good enough to house the chickens now.

We still have the heat lamp inside and two roosting poles.

This is the sliding door that Bobby made. We can pull open the door from the outside. The rope loops around another handle and keeps it in place.

We have the food and water mounted using plant hangers. I like this better than a chain from the ceiling.

Some sort of ground squirrel or mole is getting in at night to steal food, so I think we'll have to move the food indoors at night.

He's a smart little fellow. Bobby used the cement blocks to block off his access to dig and he just dug a hole through the garden bed instead. That must be some good chicken food!

The chickens are getting pretty big now! Still not full grown.

Cici and Rosey our Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red.

Coop Pictures

2010-05-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

We have the coop more put together than the pictures show. As you can see, our chickies were getting bigger and making a HUGE mess, so they had to be moved outside. The coop is enclosed with the heat lamp in it so that they can still keep warm. I'll post some more pictures soon. I broke my camera and dealing with the video camera isn't nearly as convenient.

The Coop

2010-05-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

It's slowly coming together! Today Bobby made a pulley system for the door to the coop so that we can open and close it from the outside. We put some nesting poles inside and one outside. We got a 2 gallon feeder and waterer and hung them from hooks suspended from the side of the coop.
The ladies are getting quite a bit bigger and today we allowed them to free range throughout the back yard. It was very entertaining to watch then peck at the grass and find little slugs and insects. They seemed genuinely happy! I was also very pleased to see that when they seemed to have their fill of the great outdoors that they all came back to the coop on their own.
We really have grown quite attached to our little pullets. Pictures soon to come!

Attitude of Gratitude Day 6

2010-04-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Day 6 (Monday the 5th)

I am grateful for my camera and being able to capture all these precious moments of my children and family! I am also so grateful for facebook. It's such an easy way to share these photots with my family. My dad and step mom live in Boston. I have a sister in Arizona and another sister in San Diego. Emailing 20 pictures would take me all day, facebook makes it so much easier! Looking back on photos from just 6 months to a year ago, I can't believe how much my children have grown. I don't think I would remember without the pictures!

I am grateful for music. I wish I had a little more talent. I love, love, love to sing! I just wish I had a little more talent. I would give almost anything to be able to play the guitar and sing. I would love to be able to write my own music. Luckily, we have people with plenty of talent that I can listen to!

I am grateful for family night. I'm so glad that we put aside one night a week that we are all home together. Whether we are having a lesson or playing a game. I think it's so important to have at least one night!

I am thankful for all the educational material we have gotten each week from my wellness meetings. I feel like I'm in so much more control over what I'm feeding my family now that I know what I'm supposed to feed them. We have moved to grains, veggies, fruits, with little meat and dairy. I feel a huge difference in my energy levels and my health. I am very grateful to learn about health! I can't believe how much I didn't know!!

Attitude of Gratitude Day 5

2010-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Day 5 (Sunday the 4th)

Today is Easter. I am so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that on the third day he rose. I know that Christ was resurrected and has a body of flesh and bone. I know that because of his sacrifice that I too will be resurrected and have eternal life with my family. I am so thankful for this testimony. I know that families can be together forever. My friend died this last week, and even though I am sad I know that I will see her again. It is so comforting to know that this life does not end with death. I am thankful to my parents who raised me to believe this way. I am thankful to my church and all the examples I had so that I could find my own testimony as well. I am thankful for the scriptures that teach me what Christ would have me do. I am thankful for the life that I have been given and the strength I have been given to endure it. It's not easy to live the way Christ showed us, but I know that it's the right way. I know that through family scripture study, family prayer, family home evening, and attending church and taking the sacrament that I can stay strong and teach my family how to be strong as well. I am so, so thankful for my divine nature. I am so thankful that I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I am also thankful for my family coming over and spending Easter Sunday with us today. We had such a wonderful day playing games and hiding eggs together!

Attitude of Gratitude Day 4

2010-04-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Day 4 (Saturday, April 3rd)

I am thankful for the church up the road that put on the community egg hunt this morning. We brought the kids over to Ashford park at 10am and they had no idea what to do. They stood around and looked at the eggs, like you want me to do what with these? Finally, they threw some candy on the ground and that got my babies moving! They were so cute with their little Easter baskets!

I am thankful for the beautiful scenery driving up Highway 49. Today we went to our Nephew's birthday party in Diamond Springs. The fastest way there is to take 49. I love driving in and out of the canyon, through Coloma and Placerville. Unfortunately, it wasn't as pleasant on the babies stomaches and we had to stop a few times for queasiness. I love, love, love living up here in Gold Country! I feel so much closer to the earth and closer to good down to earth people. It is a good place to be!

I am thankful to have wonderful sister-in-laws. I'm so lucky that Bobby's sisters are such sweet hearts! Every time we get together with them I just love them more. I am very blessed to have married into such a close family.

I am thankful for baby wipes. After Ellis had an upset stomach in the car because of the afore mentioned highway, baby wipes were the only thing that saved us.

I am thankful for my DVR which recorded General Conference while I was gone all day. Hopefully, I will have time to listen to all the talks sometime this week. Our modern technology can truly bless us!

Attitude of Gratitude Day 3

2010-04-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Day Three (Friday)

I am thankful that sometimes my husband can work from home. He and Chandler got home from their Scouting camp out around 10:30. Bobby was working for the rest of the day, but I just love having him here.

I am thankful for having a lot of girls who want to babysit my children. Don't ask me why, Ellis screams like we are never coming back. I'm very lucky that the girls are willing to put up with it. I always try to keep the fridge stocked and show them how to work the t.v. Back in the day I was the Grand Poobah of babysitting; nothing is worse than a boring house with no food in it!

I am thankful for my parents. We love going out with my parents. They are probably our best friends! We always laugh and have such a good time together. We love to have them over for games and outdoor activities. Tonight they took Bobby and I out for his birthday. We went to Bootleggers and had a great dinner. I was so good and had french onion soup with no cheese and a baked potato. Even though the food was simple, it was healthy and I felt good afterward. The no guilt made it totally worth it!

I am thankful for butter. I've been trying to do around 90 percent of my food low fat vegan.... but there is one thing that I cannot let go of: butter. I have cut way, way back but I can't completely let go. Butter, I love you.

I am thankful for free movie tickets. We use the rewards points on our credit card toward movie tickets. I love it because then I don't worry so much about spending a ton of money on a bad movie. Tonight we went and saw Clash of the Titans. I was really excited to see it. Let's just say I'm happy it was a movie we didn't pay for.

Attitude of Gratitude Day 2

2010-04-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Thursday (Day 2)

I am grateful for pizza! I love that I can take myself and four children to lunch and only spend $20. Today we went to Folsom and ate at the pizzaria underneath The Hacienda in Old Town. The little children were going nuts until that delicious ham and pineapple pizza hit the table. Then, golden silence as the little ones munched happily away. I can't think of many things better than kids being good in a restaurant and actually eating all their food!

I am grateful for the zoo. How fun that I can take the kids to see different animals! We had such a wonderful outing today. After lunch we went to the little zoo in Folsom. Peacocks were in full parade, mother hens and their chicks roamed the grounds. We saw foxes, bears, deer, llamas, mountain lions, ravens, monkeys, rabbits, boars, and a menagerie of other animals. Ellis stayed in her stroller and Rowan stayed by my side the whole time. When were done looking at the animals we went around the corner to the little train depot. We all got to take a ride on the train and it was so fun! The conductor was a very nice man in overalls and a train hat. The engine was shiny black and puffed out white steam. We chugged along the figure eight track and toot tooted the whistle. I'm so happy that I have such wonderful places to take the kids!

I'm grateful to have a husband that loves kids. Tonight Chandler had an overnight camp out for Scouts. Another adult was needed for the overnight stay and Bobby answered the call. Because of him, I have the family that I always dreamed of. When he comes home at night everyone is excited! He comes in happy and hugs and kisses everyone. He is so loving, kind, and generous. I am grateful every day to married to such a wonderful man!

I am grateful for my new friends in Auburn. It was fun last night to have a girlfriend over while my husband was away to keep me company. I am so lucky that I was able to make friends so easily in this new town. I feel as though God watches over me and guides me to the people that will help me in my life. For that I am truly grateful.

I am grateful for Benadryl. For three weeks now I have been having breakouts of hives throughout the day. If it weren't for the Benadryl at night I would be wide awake and itching. Thank you modern medicine!

Attitude of Gratitude Day 1

2010-04-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

So in my fitness/wellness meeting this week we were given the homework to write down 5 things a day that we are grateful for. I am the worst journal writer ever, as you can see from my infrequent posts. However, I decided I may have a better shot getting it on here rather than on paper. Here's my effort.

Wednesday (Day 1)
I am grateful for my legs having the ability to run. I didn't do my 3 miles, but I did 2. I clean a house in Loomis on Wednesdays and the loop around their neighborhood just happens to be a mile. I try to take advantage of this every week by running before I work.

I am grateful for Wednesdays that feel like Saturdays. Today Bobby has the day off for Cesar Chavez Day. I love having him home, it just feels good.

I am grateful for 3-D glasses. I used to hate those stupid paper ones. They don't work. The plastic ones are much better. Today I saw Alice in Wonderland for the 2nd time. The book is one of my favourites. I've read it countless times and I love the nonsense. I thought that they did a great job on the movie and I wouldn't mind seeing it for a 3rd time.

I am grateful for all the things we have so easily available to us. Walking around the mall I can't believe how much there is. It's all just stuff. I used to spend hours here looking for the perfect outfit or just the right shoe. Majority of my money would go to clothing. Now I at all the shoes through the windows and I would love to have them, but it's different. I don't go in and spend my money on them. I don't live for that perfect pair of shoes anymore. Part of it comes from not being happy with my body at the moment and not buying clothes until I'm at the size I want to be. But I think a bigger part of it is that I have changed. Even though I'm not as happy with my body as I'd like to be I'm also not as insecure as I used to be. I'm happy with who I am. I don't need to hide behind the fashion to make myself feel better. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I don't like shopping, I'm just saying that I don't live for it like I used to. Also, with kids that outgrow their clothing about as fast as I can buy it I can hardly afford clothing for myself anymore, it all goes to the kids. And the selection for the kids is fantastic! There used to be Baby Gap and that's it. Now there are at least 10 different store just for the kids! We are so blessed with abundance... not just at the mall, but food as well. Look what surrounds the mall, restaurant after restaurant. Anything you can think of, it's there. Grocery stores of all kinds from Winco to Safeway to The Nugget to Whole Foods. Anything we want is within 30 minutes of where we live. For the most part I have money to go into most of these places and purchase things. How is it for the people that don't have the money and still live here? Surrounded by abundance and not being able to use it. I try to be grateful everyday for what we have. I try to help where I can and not squander what I do have. I won't take it for granted.

I am grateful to have an awesome backyard where my family can sit around a fire and roast marshmallows! Tonight my parents came over and we all made smores out back. It was so much fun to be bundled up under the stars with the warm fire in front of us. Watching my diet, I only had two of the wonderfully toasted marshmallows. SO YUMMY! I want to do this all summer.

Chickens!

2010-03-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

We have decided now that we live in Auburn that it's time to go "a little country". For the last few years I have been wanting to have chickens and this week it became a reality! We have 6 new little chicks that instantly won their way into our hearts! These little ladies are our small way of getting one step closer to a sustainable lifestyle. I took a picture of the brooder we have set up in our sun room and and the little darlings taking a nap together.
In the third picture, you can see pretty clearly who each one is. On the top is our Buff Orpington named Cosette. On the bottom is our White Orpington, Fifi. These girls are both about 4 weeks old. Right above Fifi is our Barred Rock, Cookies and Cream, we call her Cici for short. She is getting close to 3 weeks. In the middle from left to right is our Golden Laced Wyandotte, Suzette she is only in her first week. Then our Ameraucana, Gigi she is in her second week and then our little Rhode Island Red, Rosey. She is also in her second week.

Babies' first camping trip!

2009-04-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we decided to go back to Bodega Bay and take the babies on their first camping trip. We went to the Bodega Dunes and had a wonderful time! The wind made it a little nippy, but other than that, the weekend was perfect. We went on a day hike and did some geo caching. The kids liked playing in the sand, sitting in their camping chairs, and playing with their cousin, William.

Bodega Bay

2009-02-17T13:17:00.001-08:00

This weekend was a 5 day weekend for Bobby. We were all looking forward to spending time together, going geo caching, and getting in some hiking.... Unfortunately, on Thursday Chandler and I found that we had strep throat and Bobby had bronchitis. The doctor gave us all antibiotics, including Rowan. Needless to say, the weekend was not going to go as planned... or would it? On Sunday morning we decided that we were well enough, and sick enough of our house to pick up and spend the rest of the weekend in Bodega Bay. My mom graciously took the babies so that Bobby and I could spend 24 hours of the remaining weekend together. We found ourselves in town by 5pm on Sunday evening and spent the next day geo caching and hiking. Although, there had been a big storm that weekend, we seemed to have just missed it. The weather held and we had a great day that refueled us for the coming week. Thank goodness I'm married to a man as spontaneous as I am!

Mendocino Getaway

2007-09-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was our 3 year anniversary and we decided to go away for the weekend, but couldn't decide on where. I finally told Bobby to just surprise me. I love surprises and Bobby always does them so well. So, obviously, by my blog header you can tell that he took me to Mendocino. Whenever Bobby wants to surprise me as to where we are going we leave very early in the morning so that I fall asleep. That way I never know where we are going until we arrive there. I think that it's most fun that way. On Saturday morning I awoke in Clear Lake, and having never really taken that stretch of road north before, I had NO idea where we were going. I was becoming increasingly more excited because the temperature was dropping and I was very ready to get out of the stifling Sacramento heat! We finally passed a sign that gave away our destination, Entering Mendocino County. I could have done back flips! This is exactly where I had wanted to go!

As we drove the winding road from Willitz to Mendocino I looked out the window at the superior height of the redwoods surrounding us. The forest was so lush and green, and ancient. The scenery made you feel as though you were taking a drive through some sacred forest, it gave a sense of quiet, solitude, and grandeur. Not a place that a car should be speeding through, but there we were... The trees slowly began to thin and gave way to a beautiful coast line. Fog was rolling in and it cast a spell of beauty over the redwoods brave enough to get close to the high bluffs overlooking the ocean. I was awestruck.

We pulled into the town of Mendocino, so charming with it's Victorian style bed and breakfast inns and storefronts. The seaside town was founded in the 1850's and is a haven for weekenders and hippies with their dogs. We stayed in a cottage behind a bed & breakfast on the main street. It was called Apple Cottage, and there was an apple tree outside the front door. The cottage was very cozy and just perfect for a small family. We had brought Rowan with us on this trip, but we would have had room for Chandler as well. Next time perhaps. It was a one bedroom cottage with small square windows throughout. The bedroom had a four poster queen sized bed which led to a small bathroom with a shower. The bathroom was connected to both the bedroom and a living room/kitchen/dining room with a fire place. In the living room there was another bed (a day bed), a small couch, and a table with two chairs. There was also two other small tables and two more chairs in the room. This made it almost impossible for us to put up the pack 'n play or put the stroller in doors, but we moved things a bit and managed to make it work.

We began our first day by having lunch at the Bayside Cafe. We had to bring the stroller up two flights of stairs, but the climb was worth it. We sat on the patio which gave a view of the entire bay. It was a great setting for lunch, unfortunately, the birds thought so also. Although these birds were only small sparrows, they swore they were falcons. Relentless in their endeavour to snatch away some morsel of our food I was hunched over my plate like some protective dog, batting my fork this way and that secretly hoping I might stab one of the sky rats. To add to the scene, about 5 minutes after entering the coastal haven, my sleek hair that had taken me close to 40 minutes to dry and straighten frizzed out so that I resembled a member from the Clan of the Cavebear. And then, to my right, what was that sound? Some crazed animal? Perhaps a wild boar, or a silver backed gorilla? No, the deep guttural grunting was coming from my clearly emaciated son demanding I feed him more quickly! So, with my free hand I had to shovel creamed sweet potatoes and green beans into the widely open mouth of my starving child as fast as I could. Should I for any reason slow down the pace at all, I was immediately reprimanded with grunts and screams sure to annoy any other luncheon guests. My poor unfed 22 lb. 8 month old. Surely this must be the same amount of food that a baby hippo or elephant has to eat. Are they this demanding? At one point I glanced across the table, oh yeah, I'm hear with my handsome husband. "Isn't it beautiful out here sweetie?" (insert loving smile).

After surviving lunch we decided to take a stroll through the town. We quickly discovered that Mendocino is a cell phone free town. On nearly every store was a sign posted "no cell phones". With a small liberating feeling, we switched off our phones and enjoyed the afternoon peeking into the small shops which lined the main drag. We found a candy store filled with wonderfully fatty treats. I quickly bought a bar of whipped rocky road fudge and to my delight it was everything that my taste buds had ever hoped for. In the next shop I found the exact pair of my favourite earring that I had lost the previous summer, and in the next shop I found a beeswax lotion bar to keep my skin happy. In the next shop we had a tee-shirt made for Bobby. It's a long sleeved blue tee with an orange rearing horse on it. Under the horse read the words, "Italian Stallion". We thought it was hilarious.

By 3:45 we found ourselves exhausted and headed for our little cottage so that we could have a chance to relax. Of course, if you are a tiny baby and you have just had a four hour car ride, a one hour lunch, and a two hour shopping outing, you don't want to be in your car seat anymore. So forget relaxing, it was time to let baby stretch his legs and crawl around the floor. It wasn't until dinner time, at the very elegant, and very pricey McCallum House did Rowan begin to fuss and let us know that he was tired. I spent half of the dinner sitting at the table alone while Bobby tried to soothe the tired beast outside. I had our food sent back to sit under a heater until he was able to return. Finally, Bobby was able to return to his seat, but with the baby still awake. Our food was brought out and we enjoyed a VERY good meal. At most expensive restaurants, you eat your food but left wanting more. Not this place, the serving sizes were very generous and we actually had to get a box to take food home. Rowan was very tired, but unable to fall asleep because believe it or not, we were not the only people there with an unruly child. A table away from us were two women and a man with one-year-old Wyatt. Apparently, they didn't think that it was rude for their child to bang on the table with his spoon or to shriek loudly. The other table in the room didn't seem to mind because they were talking SO loudly that they probably couldn't hear him anyway. That left us in our corner, trying to have a romantic anniversary dinner. Rowan eventually fell asleep and it was time to leave. The grounds outside the house had a beautiful garden and I was able to take a minute while leaving to thank Bobby for our delicious dinner and enjoy the atmosphere outside. We went back to our cozy cottage, made a fire and were soundly asleep by 10:30.

The next day we decided to venture into Fort Bragg. This town had none of the charm that Mendocino held, it seemed run down and tired. However, it did hold it's secret treasures. Our first destination was Glass Beach. Most beaches that you go to are covered in sand, but not this one. From a distance it seemed covered in smooth rocks, but upon further inspection you find that it is actually smoothed glass. For some reason TONS of glass was dumped onto this area and over the years the waves have softened the edges to create beautiful gems in the sand. We laid out a blanket and rested on the shore. Rowan might as well had been at Disneyland! He thought the glass pearls were the best thing he had ever seen. He would spy a stone and pick it up, only to see a larger stone and abandon the first to go for that one. This continued on while Bobby and I were able to look through the many choices to see which ones we wanted to take as our own. I especially liked the blue glass that seemed to only be in smaller pieces, and I was very excited when Bobby found a small piece of blue china. After around a half an hour we decided to get going. There were a lot of flies and some ants and a crazy squirrel that kept getting a bit too close for comfort. We went back up to the main street and did a bit of window shopping and decided to have lunch at the wharf. Again, we decided that it was best to sit outside so that we wouldn't disturb any of the other patrons if our baby decided to act up. Something somewhere doesn't like us sitting outside. Instead of birds, this time we were assaulted with a plague of wasps. Our server assured us that we would only be stung if we shooed them away and that it was best to just let them crawl on us and our food. We enjoyed the calamari and left without injury.

We returned to our cottage where Rowan finally laid down for a good long nap. We sat on the edge of the bed and played cribbage. I beat Bobby the first time, only to get owned on the second round. By that time the baby woke up and we decided to take a walk before we found a place to eat dinner. We found ourselves on the other side of the town at a restaurant called The Moosse Cafe. We requested a table on the patio and finally enjoyed a meal with not only wonderful food, but wonderful atmosphere as well. I fed the baby quickly, as soon as we sat down, so he was happy and quiet throughout the meal. We were placed under a heat lamp and he was quite comfy in his warm stroller. We were the only ones on the patio and it overlooked a garden and then the coast. We shared a salad and then a plate of lamb with kalamata olives, mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was exactly what I had wanted for my weekend, to have such a restful afternoon and such a pleasant dining experience. We retreated back to our nest to light a fire and play a few more rounds of cribbage before the sandman knocked us out by 10pm.

The next morning Bobby woke up with an angry cold. As he was not feeling very well, we packed up our place and loaded the car. We took a drive around the peninsula to see the part of the coast that we had not discovered yet. There is small drive that winds around the bluffs to give breathtaking views of the rocky coastline. It was a nice way to end the trip and we began to drive home back through the redwood majesty we had come from.