4 girls and a Dad

Summertime!

2010-06-11T11:13:00.001-07:00

It's official, summer is here!
Yesterday we hiked one of the hill trails here at SunCrest. I love living up here...

To Ski or Not to Ski

2010-01-28T08:28:00.001-08:00

When I started running a couple years ago part of me was seduced by my friend's description of bliss. You know... runner's high... when your running settles into it's perfect steady rhythm and you feel like you could run forever...you know? Not me. Running is never bliss for me, I enjoy it and even like it some days but I never seem to be pounding down the trail because I can't think of a place I would rather be. So two years ago I got a road bike and THAT has been fun, then this winter I did the craziest thing and bought a Sundance Ski pass. I've been skiing a total of maybe 5 or 6 times in my life, but with Brin in first grade this year I decided it was time to ski. My first day, I remember sitting on the lift as we started up for the second time and thinking what have I done? I have to come back here again and this is hard and embarrassing and I'm not sure I can or want to do it again. But I went back the next week and the next and the next. Then came Tuesday this week, I woke up again with that knot of anxiety in my stomach. As we turned out of the main part of Provo Canyon to head up to Sundance the police were checking for 4-wheel drive or chains because the roads were barely cleared and I thought to myself that I was in for a record short day of skiing because of bad weather. I announced to my friend on the lift that I was ready for the back side of the mountain today, one run down the front and then we'd tackle the back because I might as well face this unrational fear. The powder was deep as we started down and suddenly I was having fun, not just a good time but a grinning good time as I made my way down the hill. It was hard, and still just as steep but suddenly I was having fun! The feeling lasted all day, we skiied until I could hardly stand and I still just felt elated. It's going to be hard to get going again next week, but I've had skiing bliss and I can't wait to feel that again.

To ski or not to ski with Grandma at Solitude...Sadie:to ski, Em:still deciding...

2009 in Review

2009-12-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

Butch Cassidy

2009-11-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Sadie: This weekend I ran the Butch Cassidy 5k. I took 3rd place out of all the girls under 10 years old. I raced a dog half way! IT WAS SO FUN! Later that afternoon we went to a frog pond. I caught a frog the size of a nickel.

Sadie crossing the finish line...

Emilee: I took 5th place in my age group: girls 11-14. I couldn't run because I was 11, but I walked fast and had an awesome time. We were with our friends the Claytons and we had a blast!

Brin: I took 5th place out of all the girls under 10 years old. I won a green ribbon for my prize. The race ended in a ghost town and we got to explore some of the old houses there. That afternoon we drove through a really long dark tunnel in Zion's National Park. We turned off the car lights and Dad drove really fast and we screamed like on a roller coaster!

Reunion

2009-08-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

Bear Lake 2009

Emilee getting up on the kneeboard-look at that determination!

Sadie inside Minnetonka caves

Brin on the beach

After a vacation as I sort, wash and fold the piles of laundry, while the tent gets stored and the sleeping bags and flashlights put away and as I start to put the house back together I have had the following internal conversation with myself. "I'm doing it for the kids." "Some of my best childhood memories are the vacations and time I spent with my cousins." And by far the best... "they'll appreciate this when they are older."

This summer I finally admitted to myself that it is as much for me as it is for them. I love spending time with my family and extended family and I'd pack and unpack all summer long if it meant that we could be together. And this summer I did just that and for the record it was all worth it.

Camp

2009-07-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

There's camp and then....there is GIRLS CAMP.

The ingredients:

1 campground

16 girls 12-17 years oll
5 women leaders

3 very patient men

5 tents

lots and lots of food

The directions:

Do a little hiking, a lot of eating. A little fire-building, a lot more eating. A little knot tying, and more eating. Then take another day and spend it boating, mixed with more eating.

The results:

Sixteen 12-17 year old girls (who started out with not a lot in common) who now really like being around each other. They still don't have that much in common, but what they do have in common- the gospel of Jesus Christ- is enough. The friendships they formed and nurtured through 3 days of girls camp have turned them into friends forever and a strength and a light to each other through the coming years together. And that makes it all worthwhile.

1994

2009-06-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

President Bill Clinton takes office
Nancy Kerrigan gets clubbed on the leg
9 people are held hostage in the Salt Lake Public Library
Apple computer releases it's first Mac computer with a powerPC microprocessor
Kurt Cobain, of Nirvana, dies
OJ Simpson leads police on a televised chase through LA
...and I graduated from high school

Tonight I attended my 15 year high school reunion and had fun visiting and catching up with old friends. Some of my good friends even won awards...longest married (14 years), most kids (7, WOW!), and farthest distance (over 6,000) miles. You know who you are, so now when you browse through my blog you're required to leave comments so that I feel important and am inspired to be witty and intelligent.

After a few hours visiting, I decided that 1) we're not that old, 2) we haven't changed all that much and 3)we really should stay in better touch!

Flash Flood

2009-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

How we spent our Memorial Day weekend...

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=6593300

Shortcuts

2009-02-19T20:49:00.001-08:00

Why you should RUN when in response to your "what are you doing?" you get "I don't know."

After Aunt Kati came to the rescue:

Certified!

2009-02-08T21:50:00.001-08:00

Well...almost. Brian and Em went up to the crater at the Homestead for Emilee's two days of open water certification. Day 1...not so successful, but after some sudafed and afrin Day 2 went much better.

A few years ago in church our friend, Justin gave a talk where he explained that he always tells his girls "you can do hard things!". His words have stuck with me all this time and it is something that I have found myself repeating to my own girls.

During the course of Emilee's dive certification we have had this conversation several times and I am so proud of her! She did it!

Expansion

2009-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

You may think it looks harmless, but my seven year old would quickly correct that very mistaken impression.

If you had been hanging around our house this past week you might still think that the Middle Ages were in full swing, and that torturing small children was an acceptable practice. Every evening around bedtime the wailing would begin...echoing through the chambers of the house shrill screams of "not the crank" and "don't tighten it! " along with shouts of "NO, MOM, NO."

A friend once told me that she always used to tell her daughters "Beauty is Pain" as she combed out their snarls and got them ready for the day. That hasn't been quite the lesson I wanted Sadie to learn this week, and besides who wants the moral of the story when their teeth, their head and their tongue hurts?

Let's just say it's been a long couple of days. But I think we might be through the woods. Tonight as we finished the crank and the hysterics I looked down at Sadie and asked as I dried her tears "Does it even hurt anymore?" She stopped crying and looked up at me thinking. "You're just crying because you remember that it did hurt a few days ago, huh..." and then she started giggling.

I decided that's the moral of the story for this week: growing can be painful, whether it's reshaping your mouth, or your life. And that seems a lot better lesson to teach my girls...instead of "beauty is pain" how about "inner beauty often comes from painful lessons." But I still think I might wait a few days to pass on my little bit of mom wisdom...at least until all the aching subsides.

Traditions I

2008-12-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Just after Em was born I started our Christmas book tradition. Every year we add a Christmas book to our collection, and when I put away the Christmas stuff in January I write a little Christmas synopsis and attach it in the front of the book.

We have the classics...the Night Before Christmas, the Grinch, the Polar Express. We have the Tale of Three Trees and Christmas Oranges. We even have a Little Golden Book that I tracked down called the Animals Christmas Eve. It's a story that my Mom bought when I was three and we have read it every Christmas since.

This year's book is A Christmas Dress for Ellen by President Thomas S. Monson, and is the retelling of a 1927 Christmas in a little frozen Canadian town. As I read this story tonight to the girls I was reminded again of all that we have. Even in the middle of a recession our circumstances are so far removed from 80 years ago. I often think (with gratitude), that my kids live so far removed from want. Yet at the same time, I want them to recognize and be grateful for what they have.

How do you do that?

Artificial

2008-12-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

Until last year we had a Christmas tree tradition. We would get a tree permit (an adventure of it's own) and then a couple weeks later go up into the Uintah's and cut down our Christmas tree with my family. We'd go sledding and tubing and hiking and hauling and finally Brian had enough. No more Charlie Brown Christmas trees for him!

So on Saturday night we set out on our Christmas tree quest. The girls were horrified when they realized we were not headed to a tree lot, but to a store. "A FAKE TREE!" they gasped. I was calmly reassuring, it's ok, the tree will look real and all the lights are already on it! Together we selected the perfect tree, a nine foot blue spruce with little pinecones on the tips.

The oh so professional "tree boys" assured us that it would be boxed and waiting for us up front in 20 minutes. We had dinner and then went to go make our purchase. Right in front of the register was a tree box with our last name in big letters. We handed the cashier our tag and they trucked the tree right out to the car.

After wrestling the tree box into the house we prepared to open and assemble. "This box looks new," I remarked to Brian. Because we had purchased the last remaining blue spruce (which was the floor model) I wasn't expecting a new box. We opened the box to find...someone else's tree.
"Did you tell them our last name?"
"No, did you?"
"Nope."

We loaded the wrong tree back in to the truck and Brian raced back to the store to get there before closing time. I made a frantic phone call to try and locate the right tree. After two phone calls and two people who obviously knew nothing the tree boy finally called back. "Yeah, we wondered where you went," he drawled. "We'll go ahead and get your tree ready up front," he added helpfully. I hung up and crossed my fingers hoping that the desire to leave the closing store would inspire him to actually get the tree up front this time.

So, we got the tree set up...and the lights didn't work on half of it. For the last three days Brian and I have tried everything, including unclipping the entire strand of lights, removing them from the tree and replacing every bulb. No luck. So today I removed all the strands of unlit lights and replaced them with new strands.

Tonight, I will go to bed with a lit and half decorated Christmas tree. Instead of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree adventure, we now have the National Lampoons Buy an Artificial Pre-Lit Christmas Tree and Have an Adventure. AUGH!

Shhh...

2008-12-01T21:21:00.001-08:00

Don't tell...but I'm not quite finished with my Christmas shopping yet...ok to be completely honest I'm just barely started with my shopping.

But I have a little secret that I discovered many years ago. I am a list person (I'm turning into my mother, I know!!). If I'm feeling overwhelmed with to much to do I make a list, I take great pleasure in crossing things off, and somehow I get it all finished. So, the secret is a holiday planner that I download every year from familyfun.com. It is awesome, my favorite pages are the gift list, the fill in the blank calendar, and the recipes, menus and party pages. This year I'm committed to filling out the holiday memories page also. I keep everything in a binder in page protectors, and it keeps all the receipts, recipes, crafts, ideas etc. together. And I even keep my lists from years past...just ask what Santa brought Sadie three years ago!

The crazy thing is, it is so simple, an hour and you could create your own. But that's another Christmas secret...don't waste time on something that someone else has already done!

Karma

2008-11-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

About a year ago one of our first blogs showed a picture of our neighbors laying their sod in the snow. Brian and I thought this was incredibly funny...who lays sod in the snow???

This is a picture of our backyard less than 24 hours after laying the sod:

Voting

2008-11-04T09:06:00.001-08:00

Not:

-because I think my individual contribution will change the outcome.

-because my state is a battleground or swing state.

-because then I earn the right to complain (I get that anyway).

But:

-because I live in America, and going out this morning was one way that I can show gratitude for being an American.

-because it's a right that people have fought and died for. And voting shows my respect for their sacrifice.

-because it makes me feel a part of a greater community of citizens who know and care.

-because I care about my city and my state.

-because I know my legislator who's up for re-election.

- because I can.

Disappointment

2008-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Disappointment has a flavor. A salty, bitter, and hard to swallow taste.

I've been training for the last couple months for the Butch Cassiday 10K in Springdale . This morning I went out for a quick and easy two miles, just to keep my legs fresh, but still have them ready to go on Saturday. We have awesome trails near the house and this morning was perfect. An ideal fall day for a run, cool and crisp and lovely. I was halfway through my run, and had just turned around to head back when I stepped into a leaf covered hole and pitched forward. Immediately I knew that my ankle was sprained. I also knew that I was .9 miles from the car on a trail where it wasn't likely that I'd encounter any help. So, I stood back up and hobbled as quickly and carefully as I could back to the car. I knew I had to get there as fast as I could before I started to feel my ankle and before my body used up it's adrenaline supply.

So, I'll be taking pictures this weekend. Brian, his mom and the girls will be running/walking the 5K and I'll just have to smile and enjoy the scenery. Happily disappointment also tastes like pistachio gelato from one of my running buddies...thanks a million L.!!

Ten

2008-10-23T20:57:00.001-07:00

10 for Ten

Yesterday Em celebrated her 10th birthday! Here are 10 things about her.

1. She loves to read. Not just a little, but A LOT. If she ever needed to be punished we would do it by taking away her books not her TV time!

2. Blue is her favorite color. The color of her eyes, her walls, her clothes, etc...

3. Her heart is kind. Even as a little girl Em was always very aware of those around her and wanted to make sure that everyone was happy and included.

4. Friends come easily. Em makes and keeps friends, lots of friends.

5. Perfection is in the cards. Em didn't even learn to ride a bike until she was 7. I realized later that she was afraid of falling. If she can't do it right, she's not interested in trying. I'm afraid she gets that from me...we're working on it together.

6. Imagination lights her world. Books about dragons, princesses and other worlds are fascinating to her, and all of her reading adventures carry over into playtime with her sisters.

7. Science is fun for her. Her school curriculum this year covers rocks and on a recent trip to Moab I watched her point and explain to all the other kids the stuff we were looking at. Currently one of her favorite things to do with friends is pound open rocks with hammers to look for 'crystals' inside. She also asked for a microscope for her birthday.

8. She is very coordinated. She plays the piano very well and with expression-which is hard to teach. She is also an awesome swimmer, this summer she started learning to butterfly.

9. Boredom isn't in her vocabulary. She always finds something to do! We could fill her entire closet with boxes and it would be perfect for all the little things she likes to do. She will grow up well rounded because she likes lots of different things.

10. Happiness is being with her. Em's smile lights up a room, and she is one of those people you just love to be around. She is a blessing in our lives and we are so grateful to have her in our family!

Happy Birthday!

It just got interesting

2008-09-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Until tonight:
...I was lukewarm about voting for John McCain for president
...I've never really cared about a vice-presidential candidate, and
...I've scoffed at all the ideals lobbed around at convention time.

And then Sarah Palin stood up and said "No one expects us to agree on everything. But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. " After listening to her talk tonight:
...I will defend my vote for the republican ticket.
...I will follow closely this vice-presidential candidate, and
...I support the ideals I heard about tonight, and the candidates who hold them are the ones I will vote for.

10 minute list

2008-08-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

So, what would you take if you had 10 minutes to grab whatever and get out?

Yesterday afternoon I was talking to my friend Lisa down in Draper as she picked up her kids from school. She was giving me the play by play of a fire in the foothills and I thought, we'll have to check it out when we head over the mountain later. Just after hanging up with her my neighbor called and asked if I was packing...I walked around to the front of my house and about dropped the phone. The way the smoke was billowing I expected to see flames creeping down the valley any second. Brin and I jumped in the car and drove up to the top of the mountain to see how close the flames actually were. Thankfully the fire was in the foothills a couple miles away. We picked up Emilee and Sadie at the bus stop and they were worried. Their bus had been delayed while the school made sure it was safe to send them home, but as they came up the mountainside it really looked like the fire was in our valley.

From our front porch

"Mom, what do we do?" they asked. I had each of the girls pack an overnight bag with a few changes of clothes and some of their "special treasures". But then I found myself wandering through the house...what should I take...

From the top of the mountain

The fire never got closer and I never really did pack. But I've been thinking a lot about what I would have thrown in the car. This week I'm constucting my own 10 minute list. I'll post it later. Yesterday was just the practive run, I'm sure there will be more scares in the future and next time I want to be a little bit more prepared, but honestly as long as my family was in the car, who cares about the kitchen table?

Kitchen Therapy

2008-08-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

No, as much as it needs it, kitchen therapy at my house involves no kitchen cleaning, because kitchen therapy is not for the kitchen...it's for me. Give me an hour or two with no time limits in the kitchen and I will come away happy. I've never made blueberry pie before, Brian's not a big blueberry fan. But, this might have to be a repeat recipe...we had it with homeade ice cream and it was awesome!

A Piece of History

2008-08-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Of the original 200 copies, only 25 are still in existence.

In 1989 this copy was found in a flea market, the buyer paid $4 for a frame he was interested in and found the document underneath the picture.

It was most recently sold for 8.14 million dollars.

There is a handprint on the bottom left corner and writing on the back (but no secret treasure maps).

It is a Dunlap Broadside. One of the original 25 copies of the Declaration of Independence printed on the night of July 4, 1776. It was on display in the Utah State Capital last Friday and the girls and I went with Grandma Diane to see it.

I struggled a little to explain the significance of this very old piece of paper that we waited in line for 2 hours to see. Our freedoms had their groundwork laid with this document, these were the thoughts behind the value of the individual and their right to self-determination. And America has lived up to the Declaration's promises and taken it's high-reaching ideals and implemented them for everyone. There have been failures to live up to the promised life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all, and yet we've done a pretty good job. Even when we haven't quite lived up to the assurances provided the Declaration has stood as an ideal, as a better way, and as a hope for the future. And it is one of the reasons that our country is great!

I Give In

2008-08-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

It’s been building for a while, my THIRST. Everyone asks if I’ve PARTAKEN yet…after all I am known for DEVOURING them. But I was afraid, of the subject, the hype, and the audience, how could anything live up to this buildup of MYTHICAL proportions? And the fallout, you finish SATING your THIRST either OBSESSED or indifferent.

Well, I started CONSUMING them this weekend during our family vacation. I began at TWILIGHT, when Brin informed me it was time for bed. I tucked her into her sleeping bag and read by the light of the NEW MOON (and the tent light). It was a little COLD outside, and I found my arms falling asleep from loss of BLOOD as I rolled from side to side. But I…I was SLEEPLESS. I did eventually SURRENDER to the NIGHT but continued my HUNT the next day. It took me all of 72 hours to PREY through all 2444 pages, I read through the ECLIPSE (ok, so it only visible at the North Pole) and into the BREAKING DAWN—not really.

It took me a day or two to recover from the reading FRENZY. The DAZED look has finally faded from my BLOODSHOT eyes. And now I feel…QUENCHED.

Flaming Gorge Improvised

2008-08-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Vacations when I grew up were planned to the last minute. In a family with eight children the opposite of structure was chaos. So, on Tuesday night last week when I realized that we didn't know where we were staying, we didn't exactly have rafts reserved and we still weren't sure who was coming, I took several deep cleansing breaths. This was a boy's trip, and it was time to roll with the punches.

I asked myself the important questions...

could I sleep in the car...Yes

would we have enough to eat...I could plan for that

did it matter what we did or when we did it...No

And that was just on Tuesday!!

Thursday 1)we left an hour and a half later than planned, 2)we made it almost to Evanston before Brian realized he hadn't packed his brand new wetsuit...or any wetsuit...a crucial piece of equipment in 50 degree water, and 3)our friend didn't have his dive mask or gloves or booties. In the Wal-Mart Evanston parking lot at roughly 9:00 at night (no, apparently they don't carry 5 mil wetsuits or diving masks) the guys decided not to drive back home and retrieve their equipment. Truthfully, part of this was my fault as I refused to pull the trailer, in the dark on a winding road to a location that I had never been to before (bad sport, huh!). The new plan was to drive to Vernal the next morning and hope for the best at the local dive shop. 4)We pulled into our camp about 1:00 in the morning.

On Friday we picked up the rafts and put in the water just below the dam at Flaming Gorge. We loaded up the life-jacketed kids-all 17 of them- and started down the river. By the end of the first mile we had successfully determined the hierarchy of splashing. Adults-ride the raft-some splashing is fun. Teenagers-jump from raft to raft-splashing is necessary. Tweens-can jump in the river-will giggle if splashed. Kids-will drop their legs over the edge of the raft keeping a death grip on the side-splashing other people is fun. Toddlers and babies-where the heck am I, why am I wearing a marshmallow that I can't eat and splashing makes me scream.

When the family ride was over the serious stuff began. I was the lucky one selected for dive support and so with the able bodied assistance of a 12-year-old and 2 nine-year-olds and with 5 spare tanks on board we started again at the dam with the divers. They had an awesome time. A couple guys described it as flying as the current carried them down the river, and Brian said it was one of the most unique dives he has ever done.

Saturday we hiked down a precarious cliff to fish for 10 minutes until the rest of the group arrived and refused to endanger the lives of their small children by joining us. After hiking up the precarious cliff and relocating to a sandy beach (where you could cast your line to your hearts content without catching a single thing) the group split up. Serious fisherman, crazy trail runners, and the other parent not participating in the two before mentioned groups, now left to be responsible for their own part of the 17 children. After our group reassembled at camp, all 5 guys decided it was time for more fishing--coincidentally at the exact same time that dinner preparations were just about to begin. And Brian and I decided that instead of driving home we'd stay an extra night.

Sunday we were supposed to be home at 1:00 so we could be showered, cleaned up, and I would have time to make Brian's birthday cake before everyone arrived at 6:30 for cake and ice cream. By the time we had cleaned up camp...we could still make it by 6:30. By the time we finished fishing again at 1:30 maybe we could make it. By the time we left Vernal at 4:40 we were never going to make it.

And you know what we had a great weekend. Every day was fun. It wasn't what I had envisioned or planned for and it turned out just fine, in fact it was more than fine it was great!

So, for camping this weekend I'm just going to let it all go. I won't plan for anything. I'll have no expectations and I won't worry about what time we're leaving or getting back. I'll just go with the flow, I won't stress about packing or food or sunscreen and everything will be just fine...Yeah, right.

Wide Open Tight Spaces

2008-07-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a change in my life. It seems that my friends know more about what is going on in my family than I do. I've read our "family" blog all of maybe three times. Each time I went here it was because someone made a comment about an accomplishment of one of my daughters and I was oblivious giving them a generic response like, "yeah, isn't that great". Have I really been that out of touch? I suppose I should take the title of our blog as a hint. It's bad enough, but to avoid it from changing to "4 girls and some Dad" or "4 girls and that Guy", I'm sharing a not-so-secret place that I love to take my family (and friends) each year. Public camping sites with RV hookups are for old people and rednecks. Oh, and apparently wife beaters.

I like open spaces. I like my privacy. I like to get away from it all. So it's ironic that one of my all-time favorite camping spots is a cave-like rock formation in Canyonlands 150 miles south of Moab that sits near a favorite family rated slot-canyon. I think I like it so much because the trip combines a lot of things I like; camping, jeeping, hiking, slot canyons, and lots of friends.

Canyonlands' Elephant Hill is a gem and someplace every family should go to. Specifically, camp in site #4 at Devils Kitchen (#2 is a second choice). This place is remote. Moab is 1.5 hours away if you need anything and of course, you usually do. We've been lucky so far and only broken down 3 out of 6 of 7 trips there. Simple things like front upper track bar ball links falling off, pitman steering arm breaks at the compression gear, spring retention clamps failing, and I think we broke a sway bar disconnect or two. But don't let that deter you, those are all easy trail fixes - bring lots of water and don't forget your spare pitman arm (Kevin!).

Rather than be wordy, I'm including some photos of our last trip. It really is one of my favorite spots in our local area and kids NEVER forget this place. The slot canyon is called "The Joint Trail" and is only a half mile hike to the entrance and only about a quarter mile inside. This trail hike makes the trip worth it. Yes, you can rappel into your campsite, explore the many hidden passageways leading from one campsite to the next through a network of dark connected tunnels, or just sit back and admire the amazing beauty around you for hours and hours but this hike is definitely a must-do.

Once inside the slot canyon, the kids can go wild. The width of the canyon is 3 ft with walls of 150ft+. There is a special side route that we always take the kids through that requires removing belts, hats, and exhaling for 5 seconds while slipping through. I don't get on the scale to check my weight much but once a year at this spot I know if I've added 10 pounds. We've only had one person get stuck and a good relaxing exhale solved that (sorry, I swear it looked like you would fit!). Kids love the narrow parts but if you are claustrophobic, stick to the main trail.

- B.

Little Fishes

2008-07-12T09:30:00.001-07:00

Swimming lessons are a summertime rite of passage at our house. A few years ago we found a private teacher through Dive Utah and she is amazing. In addition she lives in Draper and has a heated pool in her backyard, what more could I ask for?

Two summers ago Betsy worked with Brin on water safety. This summer Brin learned the breaststroke and by the end of our 21 day imprint can cross the long length of the pool by herself. We swam with friends earlier this week and it was back to panic mode for me because suddenly Brin feels like she can go anywhere. With her little waist belt she feels invincible.

It was amazing to watch all of the girls progress. Sadie is like a little frog, within the first week she had coordinated her breaststoke arms and kick together and it has given her the freedom of the pool. She is quick and strong and confident.

Betsy's pool is not quite big enough for Emilee but while the other girls had their lessons she practiced her breaststroke, her freestyle and worked on her butterfly legs. It was amazing to watch her with fins in the water, so graceful and powerful.

During the last three weeks of swim lessons each of the girls has asked...Mom, could we get our own pool? It made me happy, I have three girls who love to be in the water as much as I do and maybe someday...after all if Dad gets to have a harley, shouldn't the rest of us have a pool?!?

Fountain Frolics

2008-07-06T21:40:00.001-07:00

Quintessential Sadie

This is what summer is all about. My sister Lisa is visiting from California and on Thursday all the sisters (and sis-in-law, of course) got together at a local park. By the time we finished eating all of our kids were pink-cheeked and sweating and the fountain on the other side was to cool to pass up. This is how to spend 100 degree days!

Testing the Limit

2008-07-03T20:08:00.001-07:00

Van 2 for the Wasatch Back

Friday June 20th has been on my calendar for many months and was a day I was looking forward to and dreading in equal amounts. I was looking forward to running with my friends and dreading being the slowest. I was anticipating a lot of fun and camaraderie and dreading running on no sleep. I was eager to see what I could do and how far I could go and dreading the unknown. I learned that I'm not afraid of sweat, exhaustion, or hills and I learned that I can push my limit!

The Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay is a 180 mile relay race from Logan to Park City, UT. Each team has 12 runners who each run 3 different legs throughout the race. The team has 2 vans with 6 runners each and they leapfrog each other over the course to have runners at each of the 35 exchange points along the way.

It was awesome, brutal, but awesome.

I was runner #7, the first runner from our van at every major exchange point. Van #1 started at 8:20 ish in the morning in Logan and we just met them at our first exchange point in Liberty. I am a morning runner--during the school year I'm home by 7:00am ish and during the summer home by 8:00 in time for Brian to leave for work. So starting at 2:00 in the afternoon in 94 degree heat (I swear it was 100 on the road) was a new experience. Those first 4 miles were HOT! But then they were over and I only had 2 legs and 8 miles left to go!!

Our team name was Legs, Breasts, Wings and our car decorations: an enormous bra, pink wings and stuffed nylon legs complete with running shoes garnered a lot of attention along the course. It made for some fun camaraderie and funny comments along the road.

After all six of us had run we passed the "baton" back to Van #1 at Snowbasin and headed to the lodge for massages, ICE cold showers and FOOD! And then we hit the road so we could be at the next exchange point.

I started Leg #2 at East Canyon State Park at about 11:15. It was a little scary to accept the baton from Kelli and take off into the darkness with my little headlamp all by my lonesome. And then after about a mile it was awesome! Other relay cars (and much to my dismay too many runners) passed often enough that it wasn't complete solitude, and yet it was. With no i-pod and only the sound of my own breathing it was by far my favorite leg. My husband (who is the greatest) met us that night to shadow the nighttime runners. He and his friend lit the road for us with their bike lights and carried our water bottles. He was about 25 minutes to late for my run but he shadowed each of the others and let our Van just be at the next stop catnapping until they came in. Now that is true love!! After we finally passed the baton off to Van #1 at Rockport Reservoir around 4:30 am we headed in to Heber for "bed".

After a quick $2 shower (worth every penny) we crashed literally on to the wrestling mats laid out in the gym at 5:45 and had about 2 hours of sleep until we got the call that it was time to go again.

Leg #3 was the hardest for me, I started around 9:00 so it wasn't to hot yet, but I went from feeling like I had totally fresh legs the first 1/2 mile to "just keep running, just keep running" for the last 2 miles. I was exhausted! But then I got back in the car and got to cheer everyone on the rest of the race. It was incredible to watch my friends run. I knew how tired I was on my flat route and to watch them run hills and perservere was inspiring!

We crossed the finish line together 30 hours, 24 minutes and 34 seconds after our start! A third place finish for our women-sub-masters category. And we're signed up already for next year...anyone wanna run?

June 14-19

2008-06-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

6/19 Horseback Riding at the Hardy's

6/18 Caterpillar Capers Continued...

6/16 First Day at the Pool

6/15 Mexican Train on Father's Day

6/14 Cheering Dad Across the Finish Line

Brian did his first official bike race, the Tour De Cure in Brigham City. 70 miles later we were there to cheer him across the finish line!

June 9-12

2008-06-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

6/12 Cookie Pizza for Cookie Thursday

6/11 Horseback Riding Lessons

6/10 Planting Tomatoes

6/9 Library Day

Dashing through the Daisies

2008-06-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

6/8 A Sunday walk with Grandpa Ted

I love where we live! This is just down the "trail" from the house but it was no mere tiptoe through the tulips because 1)deer eat tulips and 2) our three girls don't tiptoe anywhere!

Little Red Riding Hood & the Big Bad Wolf

2008-06-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

Another I DID IT!

Tee and I at the finish line with the Big Bad Wolf

Yesterday I rode in the Little Red Riding Hood Century, a women's only cycling event. I rode with my friend Tee, and even though we signed up for the 45 mile segment we decided to do the 60, and I completed it! I was in the saddle for just under 4:30, and I've decided that is a long time to be on a bike!

We started in Wellsville at 8:00 am and it was cold! About 45 degrees, we started off at a great pace and made our first rest stop in Newton about 17 miles down the road and just over an hour into our ride. After a quick stop we were back on our bikes and on to the next loop. The first three or four miles were a gradual uphill, and I had a hard time getting back into the rhythm of our first section. But then around mile 25 or so we had a fantastic downhill, always lots of fun. Of course we made up for it with a hard climb before we coasted in to lunch back at Newton around mile 33. I needed the rest and the calories. After lunch even though we were headed south again we were right into a pretty strong headwind and mile 33 to the rest stop at 41 was the hardest section for me. The wind finally dropped off again around 50 miles but as we looked back to see our lunch spot across the valley we could see it being drenched by rain. I think we rode around the storms all day, they always seemed to be about an hour behind wherever we were. Thank goodness! After another stop at about 54 miles we had a stong finish back in Wellsville. My friend Tee is awesome, she could have done the entire ride in a lot less time and yet she stayed with me and I had a fantastic time. She "pulled" me and a couple new found friends through the hardest part of the ride. I promise to practice more so I can repay the favor soon!

Tee and I at the finish line with our celebratory Martinelli's

The valleys we rode through were beautiful and green, the west side of the Logan Valley is just gorgeous! And the little towns we rode through were so picuresque and pastoral. I can't wait to try again next year maybe by then I'll be doing the whole century and taking a turn at the front!

I am a child of God

2008-06-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

6/7 I am a child of God

Today the girls went with their primary to the I am a child of God exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art. Sadie told me all about the "church mouse" that was hidden in one of the exhibits and Brin enjoyed the coloring. I think we'll have to go back together.

WebKinz World

2008-06-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

6/6 Welcome to our new additions, Lucy, Hiccup & Blackie

Grandma Millie & Grandpa Ted are here to visit for a few days and Grandma took the girls to the store this morning to add to their webkinz collection. They were so excited! I have to add that I love the webkinz website. It is awesome for kids: pet care, games, mail to friends, a store where you can "buy" for your virtual pets with all the virtual money you earned playing games. And it's great for parents: kid and user-friendly and most importantly safe!

Cookie Wednesday & a Sleepover

2008-06-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

6/5 Sleepover!

6/4 "Cookie Wednesday" an idea borrowed from our Beach & Bike family friends. Thanks guys!

Picnic on the Porch

2008-06-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

6/3 Picnic on the Porch (what we did today instead of watching TV)

FAQ's

2008-06-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

The three most frequently asked questions at my house:
1) Can I watch TV?
2) Can I play the computer?
3) Can we watch a movie in the car?

So...to avoid having to answer these questions more than 20 times a day we are making TV & computer rules. Right now that's one hour of TV and 30 minutes of computer a day, and no movies on car rides around town. But we will also be compiling a list of things to do besides the above 3 activities...Stay posted for our upcoming summer adventures...

6/1 Strawberry Jam

6/2 Catching Caterpillars
I promise there is one inside the jar. We found our new friends on a thistle plant outside the house. We're hoping that we might actually have a few chrysalis' in a few days. I'm going to have to do some research with Sadie and see how long that takes.

The Book Thief

2008-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Brilliant! Told from an extraordinary point of view, death was the perfect voice for this wrenching story. His wit, his frankness, and his asides were perfect companions to this carefully wrought novel. In the middle of the story he pauses to write and foreshadow,

"I'm spoiling the ending, not only of the entire book, but of this particular piece of it. I have given you two events in advance, becasue I don't have much interest in building mystery. Mystery bores me. It chores me. I know what happens and so do you. It's the machinations that wheel us there that aggravate, perplex, interest, and astound me."

How often in an English/Literature class have we heard the intoning voice..."now why did the author choose to use foreshadowing?" And we have the typical answers, to build suspense, to pique interest to frame the story...Here the author is blatant, I love how he admits that it's not so much the ending but all the little details in between. Draw your own life metaphors in the blank...

I have to admit I have a macabre fascination for Holocaust stories. I am haunted by WWII. By it's brutality, immensity and inhumanity. The Diary of Anne Frank, The Hiding Place, Night and Number the Stars are among some of my favorites, and The Book Thief now takes it's place on my list.

This was a fantastic book! But wait until you have a day or two blocked out to read, because once you find yourself inside this story you won't want to leave.

Bicycle Counting

2008-05-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

1 spare tire

2 bike wheels

3 flats

4 friends

The Salt Lake Century Gang

As I finished my long solo last half of the bike ride last Saturday I had my fingers crossed that my tires would be ok. The ride was supposed to be fully supported, which I thought meant that if you got a flat there would be someone to fix it, but I saw no one along the bike route and the spare tire I was carrying would not have done me much good without a tire lever and a way to inflate it...

Apparently I pushed my luck a little to far because on our evening ride today I had 3 flats, not just one but 3! and two of them were simultaneous. Thank goodness for my friends, their patience and spare CO2 cartridges!

Silver lining: Now I know how to change my own flat tires and exactly which tools I should be carrying.

Legs, Wheels & Wings

2008-05-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

I did it! My longest bike ride so far and at a (for me) decent pace. I met my friends at 6:30 this morning and we drove up the Utah State Fair Park for the Cycle Salt Lake Century. I was a little nervous about the 7:30 mass start. Bikes and crowds of bikers make me a little anxious, add to that my exactly one week old "real" bike shoes and my not-so-lightning quick reflexes and natural grace and it's understandable. But, it wasn't bad at all. The ride out was fun, all the traffic was stopped and it was nice and cool. It was a new experience for me to ride in a pack, I decided it's actually fun to be surrounded by other bikers and had a good time. I hit my turn around at the rest stop at mile 18, my friends who were doing the 72 mile loop headed on and I turned back. The ride back was not so fun, this time all the people I passed were heading the other direction--that doesn't count--and I was alone the entire 18 miles. I guess if I want to stay with the pack I better up the mileage next time! But I finished my 36 miles in about 2:15. Not to shabby for a brand new biker and all good preparation for Little Red Riding Hood in another couple weeks!

I often go walking...

2008-05-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's decision time again...this spring the work begins on the yard. We're a couple weeks behind the bloom times in the valley but we really do need to get going. We've hired a landscape designer and this afternoon we met with her at a local nursery to look at plant selections. I really had no idea quite what to expect but after seeing her preliminary drawings for the yard I am excited! We came across some definite No!s,(no ornamental pines or juniper) but we have some really unique spots that I'm excited to work with. Hopefully somewhere between my idea of profusions of color (see above picture) and Brian's ideal of sparse rocks and bark we'll find a compromise. Wish us luck!

Cream Puff Paradise

2008-05-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

I confess, it's not mine...but it soon could be. I spent yesterday afternoon at Chocolatier Blue for a pastry class. When my friend called with the invitation to join her I figured I was long overdue for a girls afternoon. Thanks to my awesome Mom, who took my girls, I got to go and do one of my favorite things. Baking makes me happy and this kind of baking makes me really happy.

We made flourless chocolate cake, pate a choux and pastry cream.

Flourless Chocolate Cake is one of my all time decadent dessert faves. Our chef showed us how to make a blackberry gelee to top it off and I think I might have a new favorite topping...the recipe was so simple and the thoughts of how many ways I could use it sent me into spirals of delight...homemade vanilla ice cream, apple crisp, grilled peaches, lemon cheesecake...I could go on...

The pate a choux was new for me, I've seen many recipes but never tried it. As soon as I have vanilla beans to make the pastry cream (and for homemade ice cream) I know how I will spend a couple delightful hours in my kitchen. Does anyone want to go in on those? They come in a pack of 75 on www.pastrychef.com and I just can't see myself using all of them in the next couple of months. The pastry cream was fantastic, and as I watched I kept thinking I can do this!

As I left after class I couldn't help it...I picked out a box of chocolates to take home. It was my reward for not licking my fingers the entire 3 hour duration of class...and I have to say they have been worth every calorie I will have to run or bike this week to equal out!

Little Things

2008-05-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life we get lost in the stuff. The next big project, the company from out of town, the never-ending laundry and the mundane jobs that need to be accomplished. But I've decided that in the midst of chaos you can still choose to be happy. There is pleasure to be found in each day. You just have to decide what brings you joy. My list is simple and long it's made up of little things that are sometimes significant to only me, but they bring satisfaction to each day. Tonight was full of good things, book club (always a treat) but even better good friends, and silliest of all a night time field trip to a brand new...of all things grocery store...where we arrived to late to get the gelato we were all hoping for, but still in time for the gelato maker behind the counter to let us sample each of his flavors. So with the taste of pink grapefruit gelato still on my tongue I'll sleep contentedly until tomorrow with it's own list of simple pleasures.

Sidelines

2008-04-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

side·line [sahyd-lahyn] 1. the position or point of view taken by a person who observes an activity or situation but does not directly participate in it. 2. not my first choice for today, but 3. a great place to cheer on my friends who did a fantastic job running the SLC 1/2 marathon today! Way to go Laura & Lisa!

Why is it that my best laid plans always go so seriously awry?

Today was the SLC 1/2 marathon. The one that I blogged about at the beginning of the year, because if I put it in writing I would be more committed to training for....the training part I could handle, the injury part I hadn't counted on. I tore one of my left calf muscles at the end of January and although I could walk again after a week I haven't been able to run since.

So I've been feeling a little bit sorry for myself...and then Brian and I got road bikes. We had been talking about them for a while and I was trying to convince him that I was serious about doing a triathlon. And so instead of pouting this morning we called some friends and went for a bike ride. I was committed to the mouth of American Fork Canyon and back. I was hoping that it would be about 10 miles, but by the time we got back to where we had parked I had ridden 23 miles! We added an up the canyon and around the Mt. Timpanogos temple loop and it was a lot of fun!

I'll still complete a half marathon. And the Wasatch Back relay is still on my list. But I've now added "Little Red Riding Hood" a bike ride just for women up in Logan in June. So right now I am still and out of shape recovering runner but one way or another I will still have fun this summer...

Ten signs your baby is not so little anymore!

2008-04-13T18:53:00.001-07:00

10. She can write her own name, and knows her address and telephone number.
9. She talks confidently to strangers about every exciting part of her day.
8. She has a favorite website and can log-in with her own user-name and password.
7. Her appearances at your bedside in the middle of the night are counted monthly instead of nightly.
6. She is too old for Elmo and Dora the Explorer, and she knows who Hannah Montana is.
5. She can play guitar hero and fancies herself a drummer.
4. She is able and willing to help empty the dishwasher, the garbages and clean out her own sink.
3. Her bicycle and scooter now only have two wheels each!
2. She dresses herself and wants to do her own hair with all the logic and style sense of a five-year old.

AND

1. The tooth fairy has made her first visit to this little princess!

Roatan-part 1

2008-03-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Now this was a vacation...

Great diving for a week...Private little cabin tucked in the mangroves over the water...all the food that you can eat (and more than I should have)...zip lines in the jungle...and time with just Brian. Ahh, just writing that makes me want to go back....

The diving was fun. We had a lot of fun swim throughs, awesome ocean life...I saw a free swimming moray eel over 6 feet long! Turtles, huge crabs, an octopus, 3 squid in formation, my first garden eels lots and lots of fish and we did a really cool dolphin dive and some wreck dives. I stayed safely on the outside...you'll have to talk to Brian about how cool it was inside.

And our "cabin" was awesome, beautiful inside with hardwood floors and a generally hot shower. And we shared a little deck with hammocks and chairs with two other couples that were friends, so we had a nice gathering place to just sit and chat and watch an awesome storm on one of our last days.

The zip line started at the top of a hill and 18 zips later landed us on the beach in a Gumbalimba Nature Preserve where we got sat upon by macaws and monkeys. (Something that I thought would be a lot cooler than it actually was, it was stinky and messy...check that off the life list and glad to know for future reference). The zip line was very fun! You get harnessed in and then you get to fly through the jungle, what an awesome experience.

We were also with friends so in addition to "together" time we also just got to hang out. We had a great week. And I have to say a special thanks to Ben & Alison for staying with the girls (especially for weathering one of the "worstest days ever" in 4-year-old land). You guys are the best! And we will return the favor anytime!

Jumping In

2008-03-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

When Brian and I moved to SunCrest we did more than just buy a lot and build a house. We bought into an ideal. Mountain living, quiet neighborhoods, trails, pocket parks, a neighborhood market and gathering place. So with all the gloom and doom in the local papers, roads falling apart and a developer in default, I've been wondering how this affects me and how I can still have my ideal.
I have been amazed at our neighborhood involvement. Anyone who feels that one person can not make a difference should see my community get together. A group of residents has formed just to present a unified voice. They have lobbied for (and had passed) legislation, canvassed the neighorhoods, befriended the city council, and just in general provided a forum for ideas and concerns to be discussed. Without having any legal authority they have become the place where people go for answers and solutions. Individuals can make a difference!
So, in addition to joining the residents group I am also running to become a neighborhood voting member for our local Owner's Association. (Isn't that supposed to be the worst, nastiest job ever?) But I have high hopes, and after watching our residents in action I think I can still have my ideal as well.

February 29

2008-02-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

Since we get a whole extra day this year why does mine seem to be filled with the same tasks that all the other days hold? Shouldn't leap day be exclusively reserved for doing all the things that you never have time for on regular days...

This link to a NYTimes essay had some interesting leap day tidbits...I for one would have liked to have been one of the Roman priests who could add or delay days for personal gain. Muaahaahaa.

It takes a front loader

2008-02-17T15:31:00.001-08:00

I know you're saying "MORE snow pictures?!?" But you almost have to see it to believe it. The road in front of our house has been classified by the city as an "Limited Use Driveway" which is a fancy way of saying...we won't plow it. So SunCrest has a contractor that is supposed to come and plow the road for us. Let's just say that I have been stuck a lot this winter. I stay in until my neighbor clears the road with his snowblower. After one of our last big storms we had a front loader show up at 9:00 pm and he spent the next hour and a half clearing the road. This is what it looks like when you turn into our lane. I have to admit since we have four wheel drive it's kind of fun! And I've been saved from the February doldrums when everything is so dirty and dreary that you can't wait for the sludge to melt and the sun to come out. Up here the snow is still deep and white and it's so pristine I don't mind being snowed in so much!

Our friends brought some snowmobiles over yesterday. They said it was so the kids could have some fun...

Make up your Mind! or not...

2008-02-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

There's just one problem with my blog...and it's the same problem I have with my life and my time. IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE! I just can't decide...do I blog about my passion for food, cooking and baking, or do I write about my new running hobby, how about the latest great book I read, or should it be Christensen family news where you keep up to date on the latest happenings in our household...
For now my blog, like my life, is all of those things, I run, I read, I eat, I bake and I Mom (yes, I'm using that as a verb)...hey...maybe that last one is inclusive of all the others. One day when I finally determine my internet name-you know the one that I can use for my e-mail and for all the sites I visit, the one that sums up in one word who I am-then my blog entries will be more consistent.
Until that time, my blogs run like my life...a little of this, a little of that and a lot of in between.

An Inspiration

2008-01-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

"The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds..." This was one of my favorite Pres. Hinckley quotes. Not only was it inspiring, but everytime I read or remembered it I could remember his smile, his laugh, his exuberance and energy. When someone of his age and with his responsibilities reminds you so gently to consider all that you could do or be, how could you walk away?

I think that many things will be written in the coming days of his wonderful life and example, and I don't have anything particularly eloquent or unique to add. What I do want to write is that Pres. Hinckley embodied for me the principle of perfection. The idea that we come to this earth to gain experience and knowledge and that the course of our life should be spent in bettering ourselves and becoming more like the Savior. He did that, and he lived that.

I will miss this living hero in my life, for it was truly a pleasure and a blessing to have followed this prophet.

I think I can...I think I can

2008-01-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

A goal unwritten is just a wish.

I'm a little late on the blog, but the goals have been written now for a couple weeks. I picked five categories, physical, social, family, spiritual and financial and wrote down my goals for the year in each category. It's now official, they are written down, and now I just get to pick my rewards....well and do all the work. Some of my physical goals include the SLC 1/2 marathon in April, the Woman of Steel Triathlon in May and running with my friends in the Wasatch Back Relay in June. It was a good workout week. I ran 13.5 miles total, biked 10 and swam 1600 meters. I did the 10 mile bike ride this afternoon, after a short 2 mile run (I know backwards for a triathlon), but I haven't ridden a bike seriously for a long time. I have to include the goals in my blog, because now they aren't just official in my book, you all know about them too! I expect lots of training support (encouraging words), and for some of you to join me...

I think it's going to be a fun spring!

Snow Day

2008-01-05T17:05:00.001-08:00

Finally- a day where the temperature was above 20. I realize that if you're under 15 you are impervious to cold, but if I'm needed to help build a snowman it has to be at least 35 degrees!Right before I was knocked unconcious by an enormous snowball to the top of my head...ok not really, but it was a whitewash! The final product...

"I knew I'd been good this year..."

2007-12-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

What Sadie said to Brian on Christmas morning. One of those ahhh moments that you get to have as a parent.

The Mom Test

2007-12-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know who to credit this to...it was one of those random e-mail forwards (most of which I detest...which is why this funny one is here on my blog instead of in your inbox.)

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that. "Why?" my daughter asked. "Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs" I replied. At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Momma, how do you know all this stuff, you are so smart." I was thinking quickly. "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mom Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mom." We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information. "OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the dad. ''Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face.

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2007-12-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

and my fire is so delightful (that's my new gas stove--I'm referring to). So I'll just stay inside today and have "Christmas Kitchen" day. My friend Kaylene passed on the recipe and her expertise for these awesome caramel apples. The caramel is delicious and these have become a traditional Christmas treat around our house. Lisa came over today and we made a lot of apples! My personal favorites are the caramel dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Yummy. So, if you are feeling inspired here is the recipe to have fun in your own kitchen....

Caramel Apples

2 cups butter
2 lbs. brown sugar
Dash salt
2 cups light corn syrup
2 15 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter, add brown sugar & dash salt. Add corn syrup. Mix. Combine over medium high heat. (7 on electric stove) Add sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly to about 235-238 right between soft and hardball stage. Stir in vanilla at the end. Start dipping apples after caramel has had just a minute to set. (if the caramel is too hot it will slide off the apples.)

For ice cream-less than softball stage 230
For carmels hardball 245-250 hardball stage

Tips: de-wax, insert sticks and chill apples prior to making caramel. Wax will prevent caramel from sticking to apples, inserting sticks and chilling will make apples ready to go as soon as caramel is ready.

½ this recipe will do about 12 apples, 10 pretty ones and 2 with not so smooth caramel…

Turtle Shortbread Cookies

2007-12-17T08:06:00.001-08:00

When December comes, I keep my sanity by spending time in the kitchen. It is one of the things that I love to do, and on Sundays when I put all the other projects aside baking doesn't feel like work at all. This was yesterdays project for a cookie exchange with my recipe group. Check out the recipe at our Saucy Cooks blog. Next edible??? Caramel apples on Wednesday...want to join me?

Isn't this absurd?

2007-12-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

Brian and I were greatly entertained yesterday when we looked outside and saw this at our neighbors house...Now we understand that the fall is a good time to lay sod but if you have to rake the snow first...

Evolution

2007-11-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

If you asked my girls about their "Christmas List" their eyes would light up and you would hear about the wonders to be found in the latest American Girl Doll Catalog, about scooters and talking birds, MP3 players, Littlest Pet Shops and all sorts of other miscellaneous fun stuff.

Pose the same question to me and watch the look of panic flit across my face. You see my definition of Christmas list has evolved over the last few years, now instead of my personal wish list I will tell you about the Christmas letter I haven't written, the picture CD I still dream of compiling, the gifts I have yet to purchase, and the gifts that I need to purchase and still don't know what to get! AGGHH!

However, ask me what I did today to dig in to the list and you'll see the look of guilty pleasure as I tell you about how I browsed the Harry & David catalog and the Williams-Sonoma catalog and the hour I spent on the internet searching out Christmas delicacies like homemade marshmallows dipped in caramel and moose munch popcorn.

But it's still November...and when you stop by and taste the yummy things coming out of my kitchen when December comes maybe I'll have forgotten for a moment all the things left still undone.

The Courage to Cross the Line

2007-11-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is the spirit of running. The determination to finish, and the exercise in mind over matter. This girl has courage! You can follow this link to the story on ESPN. A warning: the video will make you cringe!

Little taste of caramel heaven

2007-11-10T21:18:00.001-08:00

I have to begin by professing complete picture plagiarism. These pictures were so luscious that I didn't even want to compete (and I ate and shared this Salted Caramel Cheesecake to fast to even attempt my own photos). One of my favorite food blogs to check is Cream Puffs in Venice. She started a group called the Daring Bakers and once a month they all try out a new recipe and then take pictures and blog about it. Sounds like fun to me! This wasn't actually a Daring Bakers recipe, it was just something she made. The picture on the right is from her blog and the one on the left is from Food and Wine where the recipe came from. If you follow the Food and Wine link it will take you to the recipe. This wasn't hard, and I will readily admit to not only being afraid of cheesecake but of completely burning my first batch of caramel. But at that point I was only 6 Tbls of corn syrup, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, 6 minutes or so and one game of freecell in to the recipe. Yes, I left the caramel on the stove and sat down at the computer to play Freecell (I know, I deserved the mess). The second time around I watched the caramel more closely, a method I would highly recommend, since mine turned amber between about 5 and 6 minutes. One more "recipe note to self" after you have removed the burned pan of caramel/sticky candy to the deck to cool DON'T LET IT HARDEN. This required reheating the blackened disaster on low heat over the stove to remove the hard as rock burned mess from one of my favorite pans. But all's well that's ends well and I had Salted Caramel Cheesecake later that night to show for all my effort and that was worth it!

I DID IT!

2007-11-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

My friend Lisa sent me the following quote this week from John Bingham....I am a runner because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far. I am a a runner because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not. I finished my first race 10K in 1:04:54, so my average mile time was 10:26. Most assuredly not to fast, but 6 miles counts as far in my book still. The Butch Cassidy 10K started in Springdale, UT right outside of Zion's National Park and ended in the ghost town of Grafton, 6.2 miles down the road. They actually shut down the main road while we ran, which was very cool. And the course was gorgeous, with southern Utah red rock walls as a stunning backdrop. My family was waiting for me at the finish line, and Emilee, who was waiting for me on the sidelines actually ran the last .1 mile with me. I was so glad to cross that finish line! And I had that runner's "I DID IT" high from finishing something that for me was really hard. Now, Laura is trying to talk me into the SLC Half Marathon. YIKES! That's double and change what I ran on Saturday...but this little voice inside is saying come on, you could do it, how cool to be able to add that to your life list...The problem is it is still a very little voice inside, a much bigger voice is saying...let's see how 10 miles feel and then we'll talk.

Brian and I in Kolob Canyon in the north part of Zion's.

Taper Down

2007-11-02T12:24:00.001-07:00

Wish me luck! Race week is finally here...
Thursday I got online one more time to check the race details. Four weeks ago when I looked there were only 17 women registered for the 10K. And despite tellling my girls over the course of the last few months that I just wanted to run the race and I was not going to win the race I truly do not want to come in last!! Silly, I know.
But I've done pretty well with my 10K training. This week I'm in the "taper down" phase and so I had an easy 3 mile run on Tuesday and 2 miles on Thursday. With lots of stretching and yoga in-between. Today is a rest day and by tomorrow morning I should be rested and full of lots of pre-race energy.
I have my own personal philosophy about big 'events'. If I do my best in preparation and honestly do everything that I can to be ready--than I am okay with the results--no matter what (again, as long as I'm not last...).
So, happy trails to me and if all goes well I'm setting my sites on a spring sprint triathalon.

"Proper Girls"

2007-10-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

I had the funniest post trip conversation with Sadie this week. I was asking her about what she had done while I was in NY, and she started telling me about a dinner while I was gone. She said that it was really gross and something she didn't want to eat. But Brian was telling her about having good manners and there was a special word for it but she couldn't remember what it was called...
It turns out the discussion was "proper girls". I was rolling on the kitchen floor--this from the dad who introduced burping and other behaviors that have spawned a whole other set of rules in the "you can do it at our kitchen table while Dad is around, but never in public!" category.
Since my return I have learned that "proper girls"
1) load their dishes in the dishwasher when they are finished
2) don't eat and get food all over their faces and clothes
3) eat the food in front of them
4) use good manners
5) help around the house
and
6) get ready for school by themselves
That's a pretty awesome list for just a few days...when can I leave again and come home to such well-mannered "proper girls"?!?

Top Ten

2007-10-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

My top ten favorite things about my New York trip...

10. crème brulee chocolates from Kee's Chocolates

9. crepe cake at Lady M’s

8. going back stage after Mary Poppins

7. tarragon with pink pepper gelato at il laboratorio del gelato

6. The Egyptian tomb at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

5. Bodies-the Exhibition

4. 20 hours of sleep in 5 days

3. 17 friends in two suites

2. bike ride on a cruiser through central park

and my favorite part of New York this October...

1. Wicked!

The Witch is In

2007-10-11T21:34:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I went with the girls over to Gardner Village to see the witches on display. I must say it was quite...bewitching. It was the start of what I would like to make an annual tradition but it was also one of those experiences where I can see us growing more into the experience. The girls were almost as interested in the horses on the other side of the parking lot as they were in the fun displays scattered around the shops. I guess we just say that today there was something for everyone!

One of our great finds was the Naborhood Bakery. The girls and I skipped dinner and got treats instead. I love the dilemna of too many good choices and watching each of them try to pick the best dessert. And although I wouldn't have traded my orange-cranberry muffin top as we were leaving I noticed that you could buy homemade bread by the slice..YUM!

I had a good time with my girls, but this would also be a fun place to spend the afternoon with my mom or girlfriends!

I Will Survive...

2007-10-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Start theme music here...

It has been one of THOSE weeks. You know the type, all your carefully laid plans and well thought out to-do lists... and then reality hits.

Brian went in for his ACL reconstruction on Wednesday. So Tuesday afternoon we got a call from the surgical center that we were on the schedule for 6:00 AM. "In the morning?!?!" was Brian's response when I called to let him know. Yeah.

My hospital experience is limited to having 3 kids so I didn't quite know what to expect, or know the "routine" for surgery. It was a little frightening to watch him get all prepped and then be wheeled away. I kept telling myself it could be worse as I watched parents with little kids come in for the children's surgical procedures. Yikes.

His three hour surgery was finished in a little less than 2 1/2 hours. The doctor said it was textbook and everything went like it was supposed to. About an hour later they came to get me and told me that Brian was waking up from his anesthesia. Now that was weird! He still doesn't remember any conversation that happened in the four hours or so post op--I'm trying to convince him that he agreed to another child! He's a little skeptical.

The ladies at the doctors office reminded me that "All men are babies..." but I have to say. NOT MY HUSBAND!!! I totally expected him to stay in bed and me to be waiting on him hand and foot for the next three days...(in between Brin's preschool, Em's orthodontist appointment, gymnastics, parent-teacher conferences, physical therapy-twice, a cousin birthday party and a kid's late-night, you know daily life) and instead he woke up the morning after surgery and the following conversation took place..

HIM: "OK, let's go!"
ME, horrified: "Where?"
HIM: "BestBuy, we need a TV for the bedroom."
ME: "You're joking, right?!?"
HIM: "It's ok, If you won't take me, I"ll just call Kevin"

I managed to put him off until that evening, I have to say the percoset helped, everytime I gave him one he was too sleepy to think for a little while. But we did go to BestBuy that night, the day after his knee surgery. And we went back on Friday to buy the right wall mount for the TV, after installing the wrong size mount that they initially sold us. I'm still writing the letter in my head to corporate headquarters...please instruct all salesmen to correctly assist 24 hour post-operative patients with the appropriate accessories for their purchases. People who are taking heavy pain medication should not operate heavy machinery, drive or be expected to install TV mounts twice because they were initially sold the wrong item.

So, now it's Sunday night. He thinks he's going to work in the morning--and he probably will. I am married to Superman, faster on crutches than a speeding bullet and impervious to pain. The kids will go back to school in the morning. I will host our recipe exchange, (Saucy Cooks) and then after a nice long nap--yeah, right!--I will start my treadmill shopping. Because, after all I did survive!

Okay...Now it's officially gone

2007-09-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to howling wind, not just little rustlings but the check your windows, look for damage to the outside of your house kind of wind. The kind of wind that signals that you really should have pulled out those winter clothes earlier in the week when you woke up and didn't want to get out of bed because it was cold inside the house. The kind of wind that means that summer is over and you will not be seeing the upper side of 80 degrees unless you get out your passport...or at least your gas card.

By the time the E. and S. and I left to go to The Secret Garden at the Hale Center Theatre it was raining and really COLD. "Mom, we can't go out in this!" said S. truly concerned that it just wasn't safe and could certainly not be pleasant out there! "The play is inside!" I answered and thought to myself that if we waited for only good weather we could possibly be spending the next five months sequestered in the house.

When we got home later in the afternoon we had an inch or two of snow. Enough to dig out the snow clothes and find the hot chocolate. Don't worry it occupies it's own special shelf in the new kitchen. What a great tradition--Mom bundles up girls, Mom lays towels on the floor just inside the door to catch all the snowy clothes coming back in, Mom tucks gloves back in coats once or twice and watches from the kitchen window as the girls play in the snow, Mom thinks about getting the camera to capture the first snow pictures, Mom doesn't get camera and misses pictures, Mom is waiting with the fireplace going and hot chocolate readys when the girls come in soaking and cold and Mom and girls have hot chocolate together! It's inescapable...summer is officially gone, but hot chocolate is here to stay!

Summer's Not Over Yet...

2007-09-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

...and I have the perfect dessert to prove it. I found this Peach Tart recipe from epicurious.com a couple weeks ago and I have been waiting for ripe peaches and an afternoon when I had a couple of hours to play. Finally yesterday afternoon I had both! I skipped the almond filling step and used some almond paste that I won at a King Arthur Flour demonstration a couple of months ago. These little tarts tasted almost as good today out of the fridge as they did last night out of the oven. The almond filling and the crust had blended and were a perfect compliment to the peach.

Special thanks to Brian for the picture. He took pity on me after seeing the pic of the last peach tart I made and volunteered his considerable expertise for today's effort. Pretty soon (maybe just a couple more lessons) and the photos will be my own!

5 1/2

2007-09-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

A year ago I would have told you that I really disliked running, that I had bad knees and that I always got stitches in my side when I ran.

I don't feel that way anymore. Remember the first time that you accomplished something that you weren't really sure that you could do? Remember the euphoria when you pushed through the pain or the exhaustion and finished something new?

That is how running feels to me now. This week I registered for the 10K in Sprindale, UT on Nov. 3, and this morning I ran my longest distance ever, 5.5 miles. I know, I know it's not really that far, but it's all relative. For me, it was a longest ever and I did it in under an hour. The 6.2 miles in a month and a half not only seems possible, but I think I might actually be able to do it in under 70 minutes.

This could just be the euphoria talking, but I am loving these long Saturday runs, I'm tired when they are over, but I just can't help grinning the rest of the day. My mind conquered my body and I was able to just keep going.

Peaches and Cream

2007-09-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

I wait anxiously every summer for the peaches to ripen. Are they ready, is it time yet, still two more weeks?!? And then...that first bite of juicy, tree-ripened, heavenly...peach. And I pull out all my peach recipes and eat peaches every day while they last. The following recipe is one of my favorites. I've decided to start taking pictures of my fun food projects...just to keep track and also to improve my photography skills. I recently joined a recipe exchange group with some friends and Laura had the brilliant idea of creating a blog to keep us organized and make it easy. Check it out at...www.saucycooks.blogspot.com . In the meantime, try my Peaches and Cream Tart for a delicious taste of summer.

Peaches and Cream Tart

Macaroon Cookie Crust
2 cups macaroon cookies, crumbled
¼ cup butter, melted
Mix crumbled macaroon cookies with butter. Grease round cake or pie pan. Press mixture into pan and put in freezer for 15 minutes.

Tart
1 cup whipping cream
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Fresh peaches
Fresh raspberries or blueberries (optional)
Sugar

Prepare Macaroon Cookie Crust and freeze for 15 minutes. Whip cream until stiff. Set aside. In a large bowl beat cream cheese then blend in the 2/3 cup sugar, orange juice, and vanilla and almond extracts. Fold in whipping cream; spread over frozen crust. Let set in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours before serving or place in freezer for 1 hour. Before serving, peel and slice peaches. Lightly sprinkle with sugar. Top filling with peach slices and garnish with berries, if desired. Makes 6 servings. (This recipe can be doubled in a 10-inch springform pan or 9x13-inch pan.)

From The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen

One down....forty-nine to go

2007-09-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

One project down...and only forty-nine to go. Actually I haven't numbered the projects still to be done. That would be a little to discouraging. We'll just pretend there is a check list and get things done a little at a time.

I am especially proud of my pantry door because I helped with it. I must confess my favorite projects are the ones that I put on the honey-do list. You know those projects--the ones where your personal involvement is limited to bringing it to your husband's attention and then following through with him to make sure it gets done...(also known as nagging-but that would never happen at my house!)

However, this project was different. The pantry door was delivered in it's raw wood form over a month ago. After walking past it daily and admiring it propped against the garage wall we finally decided that if we wanted to actually use it we were going to have to finish it. Brian did the first stain coat and then decided that I needed to be involved. I did the sanding and the second stain coat. He finished off with the laquer and hanging of the door. I have to admit being proud of my contribution- I was a little scared of the sander and it's potential for harm, but now as I run my hand over my very smooth pantry door I have to say I (ok, WE) did a very good job!

And now on to the lockers in the mud room!

Lengthen your stride

2007-08-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

As soon as the girls left for school this morning I called my friend Lisa--the all things running expert. "My ankles felt funny this morning," I announced. "I stretched like I usually do and did one of my regular routes, but my ankles felt strained." Her first question...how old were my shoes? When I announced their age...2 years... the little pause on the other end of the line told me what I needed to know. How often am I supposed to be replacing shoes? Do you ever realize mid-conversation that the more you talk the more you have firmly entrenched yourself in the beginner camp?

But, I can change the beginner status. I just started a training program to get ready for my first 10K. I want to run the Springdale Butch Cassidy 10K in November with my friends Lisa & Laura and I started training last week. I carefully assessed several different training methods, with lots of help from Lisa, of course. And then promptly decided on the easiest! After all it is my first 10K. And I should be race worthy about three weeks early so maybe I can actually run it decently instead of just to finish.

Anyway, this afternoon, I was laughing to myself as I drove home from Salt Lake Running. (A store I would highly recommend because their sales staff is so helpful and knowldegeable!) I started running to lose weight and because it was so much less expensive than joining the gym...but I just spent $100 on awesome shoes, I really need a treadmill, and I WANT WANT WANT a Garmin Forerunner. If I found a gently used treadmill than my monthly hobby budget might come in under $1000 for all three items. I think joining a gym might have been less expensive afterall, and if I divide the $1000 for every pound I've lost...oh...let's not do that math! AND on top of all that I would forever give up the right to give my husband grief for spending money on his hobbies. Clearly I need to deliberate a little more and assess the entire costs of my situation!

Back to School--Day 1

2007-08-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the girls first day back to school--at least it was supposed to be. When Sadie wasn't feeling well yesterday I had my fingers crossed that it was a 24 hour flu. After all, you can't miss your first day back at school. Her excitement carried her through the first half hour of waking up this morning, but by the time we sat down to breakfast she was not feeling well again. This picture cracks me up, because it is pretty obvious something is wrong...

Emilee on the other hand was feeling a great. And at the end of the day she literally skipped off the bus and announced that she had "the best day ever!"

Hopefully tomorrow will be Sadie's first day, and her "first day picture" will look a little happier!

Yes...those were my kids

2007-08-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

I remember as a new parent attending ward activities and watching children run wild and thinking..."I will NEVER be that kind of parent, I will NOT allow my children to behave that way!" Well...

Brian and I got called as the activities committee chairmen in our new ward and tonight was our ward bbq up AF canyon. My instructions to the girls this afternoon? "Tonight Mom and Dad are going to be busy, keep an eye on each other and check in with us every so often"...This is what I told my 4 year old!! What kind of parent am I turning out to be?...please...no comments needed on that rhetorical question.

The girls had fun and they even checked in a couple times, the first time soaking wet because they had found the sprinklers, and then a little while later because they were hungry. As we were driving home Sadie kept telling me her stomach hurt, upon questioning we determined that dinner for her consisted of a hot dog bun, because when she got close to the hot dogs they were all black. And she had some homemade root beer and a slushie...nice balanced diet.

As my kids get older I find there are lots of things that I promised myself I would never do as a mom that now just happen. When you only have one baby it's a lot easier to keep tabs on them then when you have 3 separate and very different little girls looking for an adventure. It makes me wonder about how my parenting philosophy will have changed again in another 5 years!

Summer of 100 Books

2007-08-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

They did it! One of our summer activities this year was to read 100 books. And we made it.
Em was definently the team's heavy hitter contributing 35 of the total. She would have read more but a couple weeks ago she decided she wanted to read Harry Potter and those are big books! She is now on book 4 and quite proud of her accomplishment. This has also been good for me because it has forced me to unpack more boxes as I search for the rest of the series.
We are still discussing the big "prize", but the little prize was the music to High School Musical 2. The girls have kept me posted all week on the countdown to when the premiere was (tonight), and they have been listening almost non-stop to the new CD. They are thrilled to be attending a "premiere party" with their friends. I remember as a new mom swearing that my kids would not be pulled in to all the hype surrounding the latest/greatest new TV/movie and now...there just seem to be other important things to worry about, and at least they are reading in addition to watching TV! So when you see them congratulate them on their 100 books!

As...you...wish....

2007-08-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today was my Dad's birthday and one particular item on his wish list caught my attention. He wanted "The Princess Bride" on DVD. Apparently, our old family VHS version, videotaped off the TV when I was probably 13, is no longer a satisfactory way to view this family classic. Also apparently I wasn't the only one paying attention to the birthday list, tonight, Dad opened 3 copies of "the Princess Bride". It was hilarious to sit there with my brothers and sisters and hear this movie quoted. As kids this was a movie that, along with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, we watched over and over and over. And we still remember it word for word. Many family quotes were drawn from this movie..."it's possible...pig", "did the word "THINK" just escape your lips?" and of course "as you wish". There are just some movies that never lose their magic or at least never fail to bring a smile.

What are your family classics?

First things first

2007-08-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

When asked, I keep telling everyone that we are "still settling in" to the new house. But I realized yesterday after wasting countless hours that I might be settling in forever. Brian and I have yet to set up our own computers, we're still parking the cars in the driveway, and Brian's office looks like a bomb site to name just a few of our projects.

And yet I have found time to read Harry Potter (which I loved, my favorite of all) and several other books, I've had a "cupcake day" where I baked for an entire afternoon, I ran the Draper 5k, we've gone on several mini-vacations, hiked to Timpanogos Cave, and had lots of other summer adventures.

So, I grounded myself this morning from the computer and my book (of course, this was after my run... I could only give up so much) until the garage could be parked in. Then, I cleared the rubble in the office so Brian's computer could get set up and painted Brin's nails-2 coats.

It's all just a matter of priorities, right!?! Now I can be guiltless for another couple weeks and get back to my book...

A Mini-Break

2007-07-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Why is it that all the things you would really like to remember, all the milestones, vacations and excitement seem to happen when you are just to busy to write?

Since last I posted we have been to Yuba Lake twice, had our new house vandalized (prior to moving in), finally MOVED IN!!, got water for the house--after moving in, camped at Granite Flats for a family reunion, fished at Flaming Gorge, hiked to Timpanogos Cave, saw Hairspray, Harry Potter and Ratatouille, and a million other little things that make up summer and settling in to a new place.

I think I can fit blogging back in to the schedule now!

Rising Above

2007-06-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

I read something moving this afternoon. Newsweek published an interview that they did with Mariane Pearl, the wife of journalist Daniel Pearl. And in it they asked her about fighting terrorism. I don't have any great claim to right answers in international politics, but I do feel like her answer was profound...

"Terrorism is a psychological weapon, even though it uses physical means. It stops you from claiming the world as your own. It stops you from relating to other people. It creates fear and hatred. The only way to fight terrorists, as a citizen, is to deny them those emotions. That is the only thing terrorists don't expect. Everything else they expect: retaliation, bombing, attacks. All of that is exactly what they want. Deny them fear, and they lose". The journalist interviewing her responded that her answer was a very "noble reaction to terrorism, especially considering what happened to you" and she returned "I'm not saying this because I'm a nice person. It's not forgiveness that motivates me. It's revenge. Terrorists expect retaliation. It's very easy to want to hurt someone who has hurt you. The one thing they're not expecting is my happiness. That's true revenge. And when I see Adam, and I see how happy he is, I think, "I'm winning."

She lived through this great tragedy and decided not to blame an entire population for what happened to her husband. Her "revenge" is to be happy and raise a happy son. Here is a woman who has risen above her circumstances to choose her own way. It was Victor Frankel who said "the one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose ones attitude in any given circumstance."

If the world were full of people with this attitude and belief it would be a different place. For now this is one of the qualities I am going to add to my list of things to become. A woman who chooses her own attitude in any given circumstance.

For the interview go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19265190/site/newsweek/

Summer Dusk

2007-06-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....It has been one of those perfect summer nights when everyone goes to bed content. Brian got to have his Thursday "guy wakeboard night", the kids played outside until dark, and I had a chance to relax on the park bench with nothing to do and nothing to hurry home to.

There is something so magical about summer dusk. It's a twilight transition time that never fails to bring quiet. As the sun slips down behind the mountain it takes all the "busy day" cares with it. The sky gradually darkens, the heat of the sun melts away and my mood matches the twilight. Street noise quiets, kid noise becomes occasional and the song of the night insects enters my consciousness slowly. By the time darkness has fallen I am relaxed and happy.

This will last another ten hours until I get the first house related phone call in the morning. But, cross my fingers, this will only last for another week or so, and then I will be enjoying summer dusk in my chaise lounge (that is currently packed away in storage) on our new deck.

Rat-a-tat-Cat

2007-06-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite childhood memories is of playing games for hours on end. I remember Monopoly marathons, Risk(a favorite of mine), Life, Trouble, Pictionary, and of course the Crump Classic, Shanghai. No camping trip with the extended family could be considered complete without a late night game of Shanghai!

Now that the girls are getting older it has been fun to start playing games with them. We recently discovered a new game called Rat-a-tat-Cat. I loved the idea of a game with strategy that all of us had an equal chance of winning. So I sat down and taught Emilee and Sadie how to play. The idea of the game is to collect the cards with the fewest amount of points, the cat cards, the rat cards are all high points. The trick is you don't get to look at your cards.

In game after game, I would try to "help" Sadie. "Take the three, " I would try to convince her, "it's a low card." "No, Mom I want this one," and she would turn over a zero. "Oh, don't do that," I would stay, because statistically her chances of drawing a lower card were small...and yet, against the odds she would draw that lower card. "Rat-a-tat-Cat," I would call to end the round, absolutely sure that my 4 point total was an assured winner. Sadie would turn over her hand to reveal a 2 point total, 2 zero's and 2 one's. Brian sat down with us to play, I think because he thought maybe I was "letting" Sadie win, but no, she beat him too!

A couple nights ago, we sat down for a couple of rounds. I showed Sadie how to "cut the deck" and deal the cards. (Important skills for any six-year old, right?) After four hands we were all off to different activities. As Brian and I were talking downstairs, I wondered what Sadie was doing, it was awfully quiet upstairs, and she is usually not the silent one around the house. A few minutes later she appeared at my side, "Mom, come play again with me and Emilee,". "I can't right now, Sadie maybe later." A little while later I was upstairs and found a game very carefully laid out. A little glimmer crossed my mind, and I knelt down just to satisfy my curiousity. I turned over Sadie's cards and sure enough found 4 cats, all zero's. Emilee's hand was full of rats, all 8's and 9's. My hand was a little more mixed. I put away the cards, and later that night when Sadie asked, "Mom, did you put away the game?" I answered, "Yes, who do you think was going to win?" Her first response was a shrug, and then this little Sadie grin, started to peek out. "Mom, I made my cards all zero's!!! and filled Emilee's hand with rats! Tee-hee-hee"

Brian and I have been laughing about it ever since. Imagine that, one of our daughters turning out competetive! We'll save the "it's as much fun to play as it is to win" lesson for later. I'm still playing Rat-a-tat-cat, but for the next little while, I think I'll keep dealing!