Going Once - Going Twice...

Tonight was the annual Rotary auction and we found a few things that we could use and won them and then...well, there were a couple we found that we didn't necessarily need. All I can say is that the party will be at our house next summer.... We got this 24 foot Sun Chaser pontoon boat and a...vending machine? Yes, you read that right. A VENDING machine...maybe sales from the vending machine will pay for the boat...Oh well, it's all for charity I suppose. I'm glad at least that the money went to a good cause. We definitely did our piece for the cause. Support your local Rotarians - they are an under-appreciated group who are worth every penny and minute that you donate to them.

Thankful

I was thinking today how much I miss my sister and I suppose in a round-about way, it makes me thankful. I am thankful for having her at all, even if it has to be only a few times a year and by phone.

Thankful

Today is Friday and I am looking forward to spending time with my husband this weekend so I am thankful today for how hard he works and the things he sacrifices every day so that we have easier lives.

Five whole years!

~Congratulations Chris & Lyss~

Thankful

We are having a playdate at our house today so I am thankful for the mom's group up here on the mountain so that my kids have friends who live close enough for playdates at home.

Thankful

I missed my kiddos all day Monday and Tuesday while I was in tax class so today I am thankful that I get to stay home with them and not drive in traffic an hour each way for work like I used to.

Thankful

I am finishing my two-day class in taxes today so today I am thankful that the kids' grandparents live so close that they are able to help us out when we need it.

Thankful

My hubby is gone fishing in Laughlin so I am thankful today for our great dog that protects the house while we sleep.

Thankful

Since it's the season for being thankful, I've decided I will write something for every day until Thanksgiving that I am thankful for.

Today I am recovering from Halloween night so I am thankful that my fridge is tall enough to keep the overflow of candy out of my kiddos reach.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween - California style

Halloween Pre-Party

Yesterday, the kiddos and I went to a Halloween party playdate. There was pumpkin carving, hot cocoa, apple cider, treats, they played games like hot potato, hide & seek, bean bag toss,
and feed the animals,
and had a fun time playing with friends. This was a great way to get them all hyped up for Halloween tomorrow…oh, and let Mom & Dad get some well earned sleep. When it comes to putting the kids to bed easily – playdates ROCK!

Patriotism

I came across some quotes on patriotism that I found particularly thought provoking today and thought I would share them:

The government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. ~Mark Twain

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. ~Mark Twain

If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. ~Samuel Adams

I am certain that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice. ~Fredrich August von Hayek, Nobel Laureate of Economic Sciences 1974 (you know, back when they gave them for doing something of value)

Our Budding Barber

Daddy & our little man needed their heads shaved and who better to do it than our 3-year-old...okay, probably lots of people, but none of them would have appreciated the opportunity nearly as much. Lucky for Daddy, Mommy was there to clean up the job once his daughter was done with him!

Ooey Gooey Fun

The kids relished their pumpkin carving experience this year. Both picked out their own faces and our oldest even helped to carve hers (thanks to a kid-friendly carver). Both had silly faces when they took their first handful of pumpkin guts but were excited to get to clean out their own jack-o-lanterns. Daddy did a great job helping them out.The final products were great and they were so excited about their masterpieces that it was all I could do to get the kiddos back in the house once they were lit.

Enjoying Fall

The colors in the trees around here are just amazing right now. Here's a shot of what the lake looks like on our walks:
We were so inspired by the nice weather and beautiful scenery that we drove the jeep out into the forest a few days ago in the evening for a small hike and took the little barbecue to make tacos when we got back to the car. It was kind of a campfire, without the fire (which we're not allowed to make here right now). Apparently our little guy wasn't as impressed by the scenery as we were. He took the opportunity to sleep in the backpack the whole time :)

Take a Hike

The kids requested last week that we go for a walk in the forest and along the way each picked out a "walking stick". My little girl's stick was barely tall enough to reach her waistline and my little man's stick was twice his height. I felt like I was in a remake of "The Three Bears". Then my little acrobat decided that she would show off her balancing skills. I'm not sure if it was our recent trip to the circus that inspired her or if she was showing off for her little brother but who needs fancy gymnastics classes when we have everything we need right here?

What to Make

The fall season always gets me in the mood for baking. This is good for the smell of my house but not so much for my waistline! Here's a really simple tart recipe that you can use to make mini-tarts in a mini muffin pan or spread out in a large tart pan. Either way you can fill it with whatever you wish (I suggest either pudding or apples with crumble topping).

Start with a cube of butter, add about 1/2 (3 oz) a cube cream cheese and a cup of flour. Mix, refrigerate for an hour, press into the pan and bake at 45o until lightly browned. This is a very versatile recipe that I got with my pampered chef mini muffin pan and have used to make yummy bite sized apple tarts - perfect for a fall dessert.

Almost a TEEN!

Happy 12th Birthday to my sweet niece, Meg. Soak it in honey, because next year you'll be a teen and then expected to grow up and all that nasty stuff. Take advantage of being a "kid" as long as possible. I love you very much.

Dress Rehearsal

The kids have been admiring their costumes in the closet for quite some time now, so last week I let them do a little dress rehearsal of their outfits, you know, just to make sure they fit right of course!

My little man will be Clifford, the big red dog (thanks M for the hand-me-down):And my little princess is going to be...well, ....a princess. Cinderella to be specific:
It looks like the costumes fit!

Why buy the ___ when the ___ is free?

No, not milk & cows....I'm talking about green onions! I'm sure you read my post from yesterday and know by now that I grow my own green onions (aka chives), but did you know that you can do it for super cheap and SUPER easy? Here's what you do:

Buy a bunch of green onions from your local grocery store (stay with me here), use what you want of the tops for potatoes or salads or whatever and then when all that is left is about an inch of green above the bulb, bury it somewhere so that the greens are all that stick up from the ground. Water regularly. As anyone who knows me already knows, I HATE to water things and in fact, am worthless without my sprinkler system (with the few exceptions of plants on my deck that stare at me every morning). So I just put my chive bulbs in a small planter and plopped it down in the middle of my vinca (which is already on sprinkler timers) and VOILA! I bought ONE bunch of chives last spring and have not had to buy another since. They grow back super fast so you always have a plentiful supply and we should know because we use them on everything. I just go out and harvest some with scizzors any time a recipe calls for them and it regrows itself for the next recipe. Why buy chives when the ones in your garden are free?