Cookie of the Month

So, I have always wanted to be a member of the __________ of the month club - flowers, cheese, exotic fruits. I love to get packages and then this excitement is breed and fed by Red Envelope and Harry & David.

And to be honest I love to make cookies. (shocking I know) And I love to make GOOD cookies! And I love to discover a new GOOD cookie. And since I pretty much post a cookie recipie a month, I decided that you too might want to be a member of the ____________ of the month club too.

So here it is . . . . . . . the COOKIE of the MONTH CLUB!!

Now you too will get a little bit of goodness delivered to you monthly by someone who loves you- just to make you smile!!

Judy Brown's Soft Molassas Cookies ( aka supersoft gingersnaps)
(from Favorites)

1 1/2 c butter
2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c molasses
4 1/2 c flour
4 teaspoons baking soda (this is not a typo!)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Roll into balls with a cookie scoop and roll balls in sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 for 10 minutes.

These make wonderful holiday cookies!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

thank you snow- for making a late (but better than never) appearance to really get me into the Christmas spirit. i wish I could capture for you the amazing beauty of the white snow hanging perfectly on each branch of the trees as if it was painted there against a blue blue sky.

There is a great song the 12 pains of Christmas that whines about the "pains" of Christmas:

finding a Christmas tree- riggin' up the lights- yo ho sending Christmas cards- and spending time with the in-laws - helping charities

But these are actually some of the best moments of the season

On Saturday we took the girls to pick out a tree- they loved picking out there tree- (actually the tree picked us. we were walking down the aisle and it fell over right in front of us!) Then having it tied to the top of the car and bringing it home to decorate.

The girls helped me set out the other decorations while we waited for Dan to put on the lights and then they loved helping me put on the ornaments!

And I had to truly put Kate's little lesson about her Christmas tree (see post below) when I got to the basement. We have lived in many different places since we have been married- some years I have been overwhelmed by how many Christmas decorations I had. In Boston space was so tight that I could only put out a few decorations- and well this year I have a new entertainment system full of empty shelves waiting for the perfect Christmas decorations. And because I do not have the appetite or budget for Modern Display to come and decorate my house I was honestly feeling a little discouraged. One of the last things I got out was our collection of Christmas books. And I had a total awe ha moment and instead of just putting them in a stack- I stood them up and suddenly I had shelves fully of my favorite Christmas books. Thanks Kate for the reminder I do not need more, instead I need to be more grateful for what I have!

And yesterday we were blessed with a new little niece: Ruby Louise

Ash & John welcomed their sweet baby last evening. She is perfect and sweet, and like Ash said it is amazing that you can love someone so instantly. I am glad that I got to be there and witness the miracle of birth that I never tire of!

more pictures to come!

We have a fresh snow, a tree, house lights have been up for weeks (as we took advantage of a 60 degree Saturday) the Christmas shopping is done, the radio is already giving me a Christmas music hangover, we have decorated Christmas sugar cookies (don't worry- i too have about hit my limit- valentines and then I am done for awhile I promise!!) my Christmas cards are here- and I'll start addressing them today. And now with the safe arrival of a newborn babe fresh from Heaven to remind us all of our own vulnerability and dependence on our Savior, we are ready for Christmas . . . .

O Christmas Tree

Kate found this little tree when Dan & I were cleaning out the storage room the other night. I told her she could have it for her own room- She took it upon herself to decorate it. Clips, build a bear bows, ribbons, valentines garland, and is that a Q tip?

What a great lesson in taking what you've already got and being absolutely thrilled about it. She currently has put her tree where we usually put our big tree- it is standing in until we get a real one. Part of me wants to leave it . . .

Thankful

Last night Dan, the kids and I made a list about the many things we are thankful for! The list was long and a little silly at times, but we really are so grateful for the many wonderful things around us!

Meg is thankful for balls, babies, cheese, apples, the baaaath, shoes, mama and dada!

Kate is thankful for her teddy bears, food, toys, furniture, cousins and friends, the phone, her dad's tools so that he can work, Jesus, TV, stickers, and songs about Jesus that sound like the Backyardigans.

Annie is thankful for her school and primary teachers, for books and learning, for "the Friend", the Holy Ghost, a house to live in and clothes to wear, her parents, Grandmas & Grandpas, cousins near and far, and lets not forget aunts and uncles. Annie is also thankful for animals and Santa!!
A is thankful for modern appliances: washer & dryer, furnace, dishwasher, cell phones. little noses (see picture of Meg above) sleep, family, the Light, the blogger dashboard, wonderful fun kind children, wonderful friends, prayers that are answered, little giggles, and Pitter Pat Photography for the wonderful pictures!

Dan is thankful for a job, good health, cheap gas, nice fall weather, the scriptures, spending time with family, nice weather, honest people, indoor plumbing, loving supportive kind wife, ipods, good co-workers, a good client, "the pitter patter of little feet"

At this thanksgiving time we are all grateful for the wonderful family and family that we have. We are grateful for your love and examples, and your friendships. You bless our lives in so many ways.

And as we begin this Christmas Season we are very grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ. We all may believe many different things about Jesus but I hope that we can all know that He is aware of us individually and that we might all find inner PEACE this season!

wasting time

Oh how i wish I had something great to blog about- something that would require lots of time, uploading pictures and writing and re-writing to get it perfect. Something to keep me from the torture that awaits me in my basement. I wish I had somewhere to go or dishes to do- but alas in 15 minutes the kids will be in bed, dishwasher already loaded - even a load in the laundry. It is amazing all that you can accomplish when you are trying to be too busy, for P90X.

So I think most people give up on new exercise programs about week 3. Yep. I'm there. Ready for my "1 1/2 hour of nothing to do" evenings back. Long tub with a good book sounds a lot better than 330 sit ups. Oh I remember like it was yesterday when I joined Powerhouse Gym with the twins and Paige. I could hardly walk down the stairs from the 3 floor where we lived. I remember being sore for a while- a week or so I think.

3 Weeks folks and I am still super SORE! it is killing me! I wasn't planning on beginning this extreme exercising program when I bought it for Dan for his birthday. I thought he could get in shape and I could sit on the couch with a symphony bar and a book and try and look supportive while he chiseled out his new hot body. But the day of his birthday he opened the package and said "come on babe". And now if I stop- I'm a quitter. I don't quit anything. Dan knows I have an addictive competitive personality and that he had me at "lets go."

so for all of you that we have talked into joining us- like Tony says "Just keep pushing play"

Candy for Soldiers

Wondering what to do with all of the left over Halloween candy??

Ours has been sitting on our counter since Halloween and the few things I like are already gone. The novelty of it all has seems to have worn off for Annie & Kate (except for when she realized it was gone) and Meg as found new tactics for climbing up onto the counter to get the candy. An 18 month old and candy never mix well. It is either sticky or chocolaty and either way it is a total mess. So off it went today to Soldiers Angels who will add your left over Halloween candy to care packages sent to the troops. It was super easy (I know my dentist will be proud) and even if it cost me a little in shipping- I feel like it went to a much better place than just the garbage!!

Here's the link for where to send your candy!!

bummer! (and for the moment totally ungrateful)

So I was thinking about blogging about:
how thankful I am
Maybe a "dear" post like Ashley does.
Or maybe some thoughts on the Election
and P90x..
or Dan's birthday.

But instead I am sitting here pouting. (how ungrateful is that for one who just witnessed a very peaceful election process.)

I have just spent the last hour trying to get my blog into book format for Christmas presents for the grandparents. A great idea that is only offered by blurb Well they could have mentioned before I spent 1/2 hour downloading the software- that blurb and blogger are current not "talking" to each other. Then I spend even more time searching for another site that will "slurp" my blog into a book to no avail. I don't want to have to wait while my slow computer (and connection) re-uploads all of the pictures into a book like shutterfly or costo. I love the slurp and edit idea.

any thoughts? bummer!

Halloween 2008

The Wizard of Oz

with Kate as Dorothy

Annie playing a mean Wicked Witch of the West

The cowardly Lion Meg -

who was very cowardly about wearing the rest of her cute costume

Adrianne as the Tin Man

And Dan as the Scarecrow

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rachaels' Pumpkin Cookies (from Favorites)

3 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 cup oil
2 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
3 cups sugar
1 t salt
5 cups flour
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix well. Add flour and mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Browned Butter Frosting
1 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c milk ( i use evaporated milk in frosting)
1 t vanilla

melt the butter on the stove in small sauce pan until melted and it begins to brown. (watch it close so it doesn't burn) add to powdered sugar and slowly add milk until smooth, add vanilla
Frost and enjoy!!!

Tagged

8 Shows I love to watch
The Mentalist
Chuck
Biggest Loser
Amazing Race
Without a Trace
The Today Show
Ellen
Life
SNL

8 Favorite Places to Eat
the Dodo
Cafe Rio
Red Butte
Carl's Jr
Lone Star -Fish taco's yum!!
Cheesecake Factory- delish pumpkin Cheesecake
Rumbi
my mom's house

8 things that happened yesterday
i laughed
i cried
i swore- just once
talked on the phone with Ashley
folded laundry
rocked meg to sleep
worked in the yard- what a beautiful day!
made dinner that everyone liked! yippee for Chicken Enchilada Casserole from Favorites

8 things I love about fall
jeans and a t shirt
Halloween parties
the crunch of leaves
apples- love a good apple crumble, warm with ice cream!!
pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bread
soup season is here!
warm afternoons
football season ( & baseball season which sadly for us is now over!)

8 things on my wish list
(This is hard seeing as how I just had a birthday but id I must . . . )
a dust buster that actually works
a king size bed
a babysitter for the week Dan & I are going to Mexico
for my kids to know how much I really do love them
a clean desk by the computer (which is currently home to my 5 part time jobs)
for Halloween to be fun & to finally be over
a long warm fall
my chairs in my living room to be re-upholstered

8 people I tag
Um! aside from the gals from work who were all tagged, I don't think that 8 people read my blog, so if you do and this looks like fun knock yourself out!

the amazing love of sisters

Read this about the amazing love of sisters

and then make sure you kiss and hug everyone you love.

Pack's Pumpkin Patch!

Packs Pumpkin Patch in Farmington was free! (except for the $50 in pumpkins we took home) and not crowded at all. What a treat! Lauren was home on fall break and when she is home from School we always find reason to hang out! I almost see her more now than when she lived four blocks away and was busy enjoying every minute of her senior year. Now she misses us when she is gone (and we her)- so we love to see her every chance we get!!

Back to the patch- the kids enjoyed the mini corn maze- pulling the hand cart ( I broke a sweat trying to pull all of the pumpkins and the kids)- posing for pictures- and very thoughtfully picking out their own pumpkins!

Trying to get the girls to smile at the same time is a challenge- but they do "angry pumpkin face" really well on cue!

Oh Kate! Thanks to Lala she has cute little pig tails and can make a mean kissy face.

meg was SO cute sticking her head through the cut outs for a picture.

Sophie in her new Halloween skirt. Thanks Mushie!!

Aunt Coco, Annie & Meg!

And afterwards we all smashed into one booth and ate a yummy lunch at Apollo Burger! What fun. For more cute pics see Ashley's Blog

Bewitched!!

The witches at Gardner Village are always a hit! We braved the UEA crowds and the kids has a great time finding all of the witches! I think their favorite was the one who had flown right into the side of the barn. I loved the ones who were headed on vacation!

Meghan and Ashley!
Emma was a little nervous about this big witch- so Kate put her arm around her. too cute!!
Annie & Meg
Meghan, Annie, Emma, Kate & Ashley- happy to have found all of the witches on their list!

30 and well . . . . content.

So, A how does it feel? the big 3-0. Honestly it feels great! I am thrilled to be 30!! I am in a very content place in my life. Happy in the moment- and for me, a constant "planner of the future" this is a big deal for me. There are no plans for next week, next month or next year, no remodeling project to finish- or a stage in life that I am just trying to get past.

No, I am truly enjoying the moment.

I have caught myself so many times lately- smiling, enjoying my family around me. Playing games with the girls or spending some one on one time with them. Even with busy Meg. I am enjoying her late night rocks. Although she goes to bed perfectly around 8 she is usually up one more time for a "love". It is a very tender moment rocking her, kissing her head, holding her finally still little body and having my heart so full with how much I love her.

The highlights of my birthday were: dan & I and the kids huddled around the heater in the car between soccer games trying to get warm and enjoying breakfast from Mcdonalds.

Pampering myself with a friend enjoying manicures and pedicures!! and shopping!

Dinner out with friends at the Cheesecake Factory! mmmmm! the pumpkin cheesecake is amazing!

A Movie in the Murdock Theater!

Thanks to all for the cards, calls and gifts- it really was a wonderful day!

Dear Jesus,

tonight Kate tucked this little note to Jesus in the mailbox. It says . . .

"Dear Jesus,

I love you.

Love Kate"

These are a few of my favorite things

Spontaneous nights out!!

The rain. It makes for a wonderful sleep after working the night shift.

It is dark and overcast and a little cooler than usual.

You know that " I just want to stay here in bed all day snuggled under the warm covers feeling" - then imagine how great it would be if you had been up all night and you get to stay in bed.

Matching, themed jammies!! I am a huge sucker for holiday pj's!

Visits from Lauren

Looks like Kate has the Lauren signature face down, but Annie could use a little more practice

Making new traditions! We enjoyed a very mellow, fulfilling conference weekend as a family!

And my cute husband! Sometimes everything seems to click and I love these moments! Thanks babe for your enthusiasm about what to make for dinner, how hard you work, and for helping me find time for myself. I love you!!

Garden inspired Cooking!!

love, love the garden and it has been fun to cook with all of the fresh veggies. Almost everyday this past week I have been out looking for ripe tomatoes- and then I venture over to my neighbors yard to see what is ripe there . . . I really enjoy cooking, but when it comes to dinner, I get stuck deciding what to make and then being excited about it when the day rolls around.

Last week I really enjoyed being inspired by my garden.

Pork Enchiladas with fresh homemade salsa. (& Zucchini bread- Gretel I am still waiting for your choc. zuch bread recipe . . .)

Spaghetti Squash with Bolegnese. (hmmm! I thought: I love spaghetti squash and I like spaghetti sauce- this will probably be pretty good! Well it was really good- much better than I even imagined!!)

Fresh Pesto with chicken & bowtie pasta

Bruschetta Chicken Bake- I made bruschetta (kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, garlic, S&P) mixed it with breadcrumbs, spooned it over chicken and baked it! After it baked, I added a little bit of feta. This was supposed to be the meal of the week- and it was good but honestly I felt like it was missing something. I still think the idea sounds wonderful- so all you great cooks out there if you have any suggestions or recipes please send them to me!!

and tonight with the leftovers- PIZZA with pesto, chicken, artichoke hearts, pinenuts, bacon AWESOME!!

and Zucchini Cookies of course!
3 eggs
1 c. oil
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 g grated zucchuni
2 t vanilla
4-4 1/2 c. flour (the dough is super sticky)
3 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

mix together, scoop into balls & roll in cinnamon sugar mixture and bake at 325 for about 12 min
or add a cup of choc. chips and scoop onto pan & bake at 325 for 12 min

enjoy! love A

"Boston You're My Home"

A while ago John shared the idea of creating a music club where they would have a topic and everyone would create a playlist for that topic. When the Celtics slaughtered and utterly embarrassed the Lakers to win their 17th title and give Boston its 6th pro sports championship in 7 years, I thought it would be fitting to pay tribute to my home town by making a playlist about Boston, but it never happened. Just a few months later Brady and the Patriots are in a sad predicament, so Bostonians keep their attention, as usual, on the Red Sox. So now that they have their work cut out for themselves in the playoffs, I’ll make a pathetic attempt at boosting the karma with a few of our favorite songs about the Hub. With a little help from iTunes and the always reliable internet, here’s what I came up with.

1. “Dirty Water” The Standells
This song is a must on any Boston playlist. Any true Bostonian knows about it and it is even played after Red Sox games. I’ll admit there really isn’t that much to it, but if you have a good guitar riff, a catchy line like “Boston you’re my home,” and throw in a nice dose of harmonica, you’ve got yourself a pretty good song. Sidenote: the line about “frustrated women” refers to the dorm girls from the many colleges around Boston who suffered from an early curfew back in the day.

2. “Rock and Roll Band” Boston
Obviously we can’t leave out the band named after the city. These MIT students who made it big trying to fund their way through college not only put together a repertoire of now famous classic rock hits, but they represent all those bands who got their breaks in Boston. A surprisingly long list in fact. Here’s just a few: Aerosmith, the Cars, U2 (first American concert), They Might Be Giants, and New Kids on the Block (I’m not sure we’ll claim this one) and Marky Mark (AKA Mark Wahlberg).

3. “Sweet Baby James” James Taylor
James Taylor is another artist from Boston and this is probably the first song I ever associated with Boston. I heard a live version of the song when I was young and when he sang the line “Now the first of December was covered with snow, so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston” and everyone cheered, I felt some pride in my city. The only problem was I never remember seeing a cowboy herding cattle anywhere near Boston. But it is still a good song.

4. “Boston” Augustana
I first heard this song a few months ago on the radio and actually liked it right off. I really like the piano and all the build ups. Ironically, one of the reasons for going to Boston was because “no one knows my name,” evidently they didn’t watch the TV show “Cheers.”

5. “Tessie” Dropkick Murphys
I heard these guys while I was going to BU, they were a pretty popular local band but I had no idea they were known nationally. They are the quintessential hard core irish drinking band who’ve had a few too many. Plus, I can’t get enough of the Boston accents. (I kinda wish I still had mine.) The band is a bit like flogging Molly, just angrier and with more yelling. They have a bunch of songs about Boston, but this is a remake of an ancient Red Sox fight song and incorporates everything that is great about the Boston attitude. They originally recorded this song in 2004 when the Red Sox had hopes of playoff success, but quickly found themselves in a 0-3 hole to the hated Yankees. But karma was on their side that year and they not only pulled out the most amazing playoff series comeback, but ended up winning the World Series. Go Sox!!

6. “I Want My City Back” The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
After a concert tour, these guys came back to Boston and headed to one of their favorite bars in Kenmore Square only to find out it had been closed down. This song laments that sad discovery. They too have a bunch of songs more or less about Boston, but I like the intensity of this one.

7. “Boston” Five Way Friday
I randomly found this song in my iTunes after I had offered to “back up some music files” for a friend. Turns out it is pretty good. It appears that a lot of songs about Boston have to do with traveling, I’ll have to theorize about that one.

8. “Get It Like You Like It” Ben Harper
In 1918 the great Bambino kicked a piano into Willis Pond
But Johnny Damon swung a bat and grand slam that was that
86 years of curse was gone, just like you like it
Get it like you like it.

Not only does this bring back fond memories of the 2004 win, but the story of Babe Ruth dumping the piano into Willis pond actually happened, in the town I grew up in no less. Go Sudbury!! The story goes like this The bambino frequented a cottage in the town of Sudbury during the off-season while he played for the Red Sox. He was apparently an avid piano player and enjoyed playing during the parties. There are three basic versions for the story; (1) He pushed the piano out onto the frozen pond behind the house during a party for skating and music. The piano was left and later fell through the ice. (2) In a moment of drunkenness Babe gets upset and takes his anger and/or moment of stupor out on the piano and dumped it into the pond. (3) To impress party-goers with a feat of strength he picks the piano up over his heads and throws it into the pond.

9. “Back to Boston” The Rosebuds
Let me insert my disclaimer here: I really know very little about music and after 8 songs I had to go to the internet to find a few more tracks. In fact, I’m not even sure about the accuracy of any information I have written, except for the part about Babe Ruth’s piano. So let’s just say a few of these songs I just happened to stumble upon and thought were kinda cool.

10. “Boston to St. John’s” Great Big Sea
Well, Boston has a lot of boats. Um…hmm…well, I liked it.

11.”Vineyard” Jackopierce
Martha’s Vineyard is an island off the south shore of Massachusetts. It’s a popular tourist area and actually a really fun place to check out if you’re ever in the area. This song is an example of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In all its got a couple really good lines and nice bits of music and put together works out to entertain.

12. “Brown-Eyed Girl” Jimmy Buffett
No, Jimmy Buffett is not from Boston, though he does spend a good amount of time on the islands. And no, Jimmy Buffett did not write this song. Nor does the song have anything to do with Boston, unless Jimmy Buffett sings it live at Fenway Park and tailors it perfectly for the audience. In other words, this is a great cover. It represents all those songs that get adapted to the city and turn out to be even better than the original. Plus it gives great Red Sox Karma and my wife happens to be a fine brown-eyed girl who lived for a while in Boston.

So there you have it. Let me know what you think, and better yet, if I forgot anything. I hope you enjoy and Go Red Sox!!! P.S. John & Scott consider yourselves tagged (and any one else who likes music and actually reads our blog).

Thanks to some sweet moves by my wicked awesome wife, we got most of the music up on the sites. Not all the tracks are there, nor are they the best ones, but still I'm psyched we've got something. If you want the real thing I'll make you a copy. Thanks, A you rock!

Bonus Track: "Sweet Caroline" Neil Diamond

Thanks to Ashlee and Brittany for bringing this song to my attention. It really doesn't have anything to do with Boston, but it is a huge hit at Fenway. So it is now on the album. Here's the story behind why they play it...beware, it's not for the superstitious.

aaaaaaath!

Meg (or Moo as we more often call her) loves the bath! She can say aaaaaaath! shower and water- it is really cute

Don't even mention the word unless you are planning to take her straight there. It doesn't matter if we have already had 2 baths today she insists on getting wet, which also means she joins me most days in the shower.

I'm smitten with Fall

It's true . . . I'm smitten. From the beautiful clear CRISP AIR in the mornings, WARM afternoons for riding bikes, LEAVES beginning to change into vibrant hues, DECORATING for fall with red, orange, yellow, green & brown- my house was inspired by the fall, wearing my favorite JEANS and t-shirt, the bright green GRASS that is no longer stressed by the summer heat, yummy SQUASH from my garden, the routine and SCHEDULE the new school year brings, the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS of football season, FARM STANDS packed with pumpkins and gourds, and my own beautiful Cinderella PUMPKINS on the porch, sleeping with the window OPEN and listening to the CRICKETS, warm cozy SWEATERS, delicious and easy SOUP for dinner, and making a (huge) mess BAKING!!

Inspired by the fall we made these leaf shaped sugar cookies and shared them. Because as Kate & Annie remind me that is the best part of making treats.

A's Sugar Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then vanilla, then gradually add flour salt and baking soda. Put the dough into a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Then roll out & cut into holiday shape of choice. I put my cookies on the pan in the fridge for 10-20 minutes before baking and it helps them to hold their shapes better. Then bake for 10 minutes at 350. cool completely before frosting.

Yummy butter cream frosting

1/2 cup butter softened

1t vanilla

1/4 t salt

1/3-1/2 cup EVAPORATED milk

4 cups powdered sugar

beat the butter until fluffy, add additional ingredients, alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency, should be thin enough to spread so the frosting appears smooth on the top of the cookie. The frosting will harden slightly and you can used a pastry bag to pipe on additional decorations.

i've been inspired

A couple of weeks ago a friend told me about an young Arizona couple (the Nielsens) who had been in a small plane crash (maybe you have heard about them on the Today Show or in the New York Times) and gave me a blog to look at. c Jane run I have been faithfully reading once or twice a day ever since. Even if I don't have time for any other blogs I feel a pull to check on this family. The Nielsens were both severely burned (Stephanie about 80% and Christian 30%)and are currently medically sedated, undergoing skin grafts, fighting infection and fighting for their lives.

A few key things have drawn me in - first the faith of the family. They are Mormon and believe in the power of prayer and knowing that a loving Father in Heaven is aware of us. They are not angry or bitter- but are inspired and hopeful and share that message of hope and peace with readers. The blog is written by Stephanie's sister who is caring for three of her four children in addition to her own new baby.

Really if you think that you are having a bad day- try stepping into someones shoes who is in the midst of tragedy- a mom that might not make it through the birth of her baby, a beautiful couple and parents of 4- wrapped like mummies in a burn unit, a young family whose 5 yr old daughter was just diagnosed with cancer, the breadwinner of a family currently without work- and ask yourself if what you are complaining about- and arguing about- is really that important.

The other inspiring thing is Stephanie herself. She writes a blog about motherhood called the NieNie dialogues. Instead of complaining about being a wife and mother she celebrates it. She is a darling mom- who plays with her kids and is still in love with her husband. She doesn't claim to do it all right but she works hard on her marriage and family. She is patient and kind and has inspired me to be a better mom.

what would I do different today if i knew I wouldn't have tomorrow with my kids or husband?

Right now- i think I'll go cuddle with Kate.

Here's to saying Yes!

Yes to playing in the rain

YES to Barbie and The Diamond Castle (no to buying it- but YES to a redbox) &

YES to Annie who insisted I watch the Barbie movie as a whole family instead of work on the computer

Yes to Oreo's at the grocery store- and Yes to eating them before dinner

Yes to reading a book to Kate

Yes to letting Meg take a bath while I am cleaning the bathroom

Yes to licking the beaters and the bowl

Yes to watching the kids ride their bikes outside in the beautiful fall weather

and "tomorrow" to the wash, "later" the kitchen that can never stay clean, "in a minute" to the 4 part time jobs, and "not right now" to the blogging world & "maybe" to the nap I was hoping for.

Happy Birthday Annie!

Dear Annie-

Happy Birthday love! I hope that you had a wonderful day! I hope that you know how much I love you. I have been telling anyone who will listen how I'm in Heaven with 7!! (actually I have been saying this since you were 6 1/2) You have become such a grown up over the past year.

I loved it the other day when you felt like we were just chatting as friends. I love your hugs and that you remember to tell me you love me very day.

Annie, you are so big, helpful, kind, thoughtful, and responsible. You are 7 going on 12 and although part of me wants to yell STOP GROWING! I love the beautiful little person you are becoming. It is so fun to watch you grow and learn. You are becoming a great reader- I am really proud of you.

Annie, one of the things I love most about you is your ability to make friends. When you were little, like Meg is now, we lived in Boston where the people aren't known for being very friendly. Your first word was "Hi" and you would say Hi! and wave to people everywhere we went. Sure, it startled a few, but more often then not, people would have a big smile on their face after meeting you.

Annie, I love your spirit. I have always thought it was too big for your little body. I look up to your example about doing what's right and saying your prayers. You are very sensitive to the spirit and I hope you never lose that.

Annie, I remember holding you as a new baby and loving you so much I thought my heart was going to burst- I still feel that same way!

Happy Birthday! I love you!

Love, Mom

First Day of First Grade

Last Tuesday Annie started first grade.

The day before school started they had a meet the teacher open house. We met her new teacher and then walked over to say high to her old kindergarten teacher. Miss Judy picked her up and gave her a huge hug and told her how much she had missed her. I started to cry. Would this year be okay? Would her new teacher love her even though she will always be in trouble (at school) for talking? (just like her mother!) Will she make new friends? We already did this last year and yet I am nervous for what her school experience will be.

Annie loves it.

She loves walking up to school with the neighbor kids.

She loves playing at recess and she has already made new friends.

She loves looking forward to something special each day:

Library, Art Space, computer lab & PE

A lot of growing up memories fade over time, and although I can't remember the situations I remember the feelings (both happy and sad). I remember the feeling of being left out, or being made fun of, running and playing with friends and feeling on top of the world. I remember how I felt when I didn't get invited to a party or when my boyfriend cheated . . . and all of the sudden I hurt inside again (not for me- those wounds have long since healed) but it aches to know that my kids are going to have to experience those same growing up moments.

No, I am not nervous for Annie. It is me that has never done first grade this way before- I am nervous for me . . .

We love you Old Grandma!

Dan's grandma Annis Crandall Murdock born August 2nd 1916 passed away on August 24th 2008. Grandma was not only a part of many organizations- and since she believed she could always do it better she ended up as president. She spent the majority of her life very involved in Church and community service. Some of the great memories that were shared about grandma, old grandma, mamou, Double A . . . .

• Aunt Mary told about lying to grandma about being in the 24th of July Parade in Salt Lake. The lies grew and before she knew it Grandma had made Mary and her friend a uniform and they ended up in the parade as the flag girls for the Beaver City Band.

• Rob reminded us of Grandma's threat to always tuck in your shirt or she would motivate you by sewing lace to the bottom of it. He also mentioned her compassion and fairness when serving on the New Hampshire Parole Board- always listening to the whole story.

• Todd told us of Grandma's counsel to Wear out rather than Rust out!

• Aunt Nancy told us as she was driving to the hospital and got word that Grandma had taken a turn for the worse she suddenly saw a bucket fly across the road in front of her. She said she knew then it was her mom's own way of telling her she had kicked the bucket!

• Amy & Carrie talked about Grandma sewing them special outfits as well as teaching them how to sew.

• Many remembered her love of music and the primary age kids sang her songs at the family viewing and prayer.

• Dan commented about how he loved it when she was telling a story and you knew it was a good one if she laughed her way through it. Her whole face would light up when she laughed.

• Uncle Bill and many others remembered spending time at Cobbet's Pond. Many of the grand kids had fond memories there.

• Tom mentioned her service on Governor Sununu’s Committee on Volunteerism.

• Judy told about Grandma's landscaping service project at a VA Hospital. She had put an add in the local paper for able body volunteers to help plant and ended up getting a group of Hell's Angels who happened to be in town. She even acted like she had invited them personally.

• Everyone had their own memory of Grandma giving them a bad time about something, but it was just her own way of inspiring us to be better.

• Marianne remembered how she was instantly welcomed to the family (while Kurt was still on his mission). Grandpa greeted her with a big kiss on the mouth which mortified Grandma!

We are sure we missed other memories and thoughts that we would love to have you add in the comments. We love you grandma and will miss you! And will be forever grateful for this great family you started.

First Harvest

This is currently my favorite picture of Kate- oh she is cute!!
Kate and her friend Asher.

As part of landscaping the backyard and trying to break up the space to be more visually appealing- we decided to build garden boxes and plant our first ever garden. I have been a little hesitant about this whole idea because it seems like everyones favorite garden item is tomatoes and Annie is the only one who eats them. (although I am waiting for them to finally turn red so I can make salsa yum!!) So I opted to plant a lot of other things to make up for my lack of tomato loving. I think I planted twice as much as I should have and we are excited about our first harvest of squash (yellow, crookneck, spaghetti, and acorn), zucchini, cucumbers, 3 different kinds of pumpkins, peppers peppers peppers, tomatoes (cherry, grape and regular ones) and a watermelon.

Hurray, it's done!!!!

Well three years later and a lot of money and nights and weekends and every other minute we could spare and the house remodel is pretty much finished (cross your fingers). Of course there is the perpetual punch list but that just allows Dan to retire from hard core remodeling to a weekend warrior. The basement was the final piece to finish off and it was a complete overhaul. Check it out:
Here is our old family room. The orange shag carpet, wallpaper and drapes were begging to stay (maybe a retro look) but we couldn't find anything similar in a Pottery Barn catalog- and since that is how we determine all of our remodeling decisions- it had to go.

We like it much better this way. We'll give you one guess where Dan is going to spend the rest of his Saturday afternoons.

The family room from the other direction. The piano, which we were told would be more valuable as a boat anchor was painted black and moved upstairs. It may not sound great, but it looks awesome.
Again, much better this way- we love the french door that go outside and the open stairs.The main load bearing wall had to be removed. In its place went a 20 foot steel beam that weighs about 800 pounds, and it only took Dan, Jared, and Adrianne to lift it. (well actually A had to sit on the beam to act as a counter weight but we'll let her think she helped)

The old laundry room

The new laundry room- with a dryer vent that actually goes outside instead of blowing around in the room! Almost makes me want to do laundry . . . well almost.

All it needs now are some cute Ikea baskets to hold the clean clothes

The new bathroom we added in an old cold storage room under the front porch. one of the greatest things we have done to the house is add two new bathrooms. Four is much better than two when you have all girls!!

For more house remodeling photos

we now tag John & Ash, Curtis & Gretel, and Lacyface . . . it's your turn to remodel!