Green Elevations

Damnage and Damage

2012-01-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is my greenhouse after 80 mile per hour winds. It is ten years old now so I guess it was destined to happen sometime. We will be fixing it in the springtime.

Ty's Project of Awesomeness

2012-01-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

The finished project. He did quite a nice job. I only helped him cut the styrofoam with a serrated knife, he did the rest! This is his animal cell project for 7th grade science.

Wind

2012-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

It has been so windy and I have not gone for a walk or run in days. I have been on my exercise bike watching Netflix instead. The weather experts say the gusts are up to 95 miles per hour.
I am painting the hallway upstairs this week, so the house smells like paint again. I am getting rid of the dark mossy green and going with tribal drum now or basically a very dark brown. I hope it will look okay when I am done. I am also painting all the frames the same color so they are more coordinated on the family picture wall.
I am getting excited for the Hunger Games movie. It is being released March 23, 2012. I have watched the trailer and it doesn't look too cheesy. We all know that the book is ALWAYS better than the movie.

Migraines

2012-01-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

On Friday the 13th I was reluctant to leave the house, I am a bit superstitious. But Donna's friend, Doug needed his house cleaned so I thought I better get it done before things pile up next week. So I drove down and vacuumed up dog hair for three hours or more. That wasn't so bad.
But on Saturday, I woke up with a migraine and that kept me from getting much done that day. I did make a pie with Shannon later in the evening but that was about it.
I am so relieved and happy to be released from RS secretary. No more birthday cards! No more rolls! When people ask me what will I do with all my spare time, I want to scream, enjoy myself! But I just say I am still teaching seminary and that keeps me plenty busy.

Most delicious pie ever!

2012-01-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

Last week, Shannon and I made a coconut cream tart and it was pretty good. It was a Martha Stewart Living recipe. But then, yesterday, we made the Cook's Illustrated CC pie and it was EVEN BETTER!
Graham cracker pie crust was tastier and the recipe used coconut milk. That recipe was a keeper!

We picked up some delicious Brussell sprouts from H-mart. I ate them for lunch one day but before I cooked them, I noticed the label. I love Engrish.

DNA Model

2012-01-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Now it is Shanny's turn to make a DNA model. Kiki and Rach probably remember having to make these in high school also. Here is her finished representation. She did a nice job!

My guys

2012-01-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

Norm's 46th birthday.

Bye to Kiki and Rach

2011-12-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

If you only knew.

Kiki went back to college today. We sure will miss her bubbly personality! We had to wake up at 4:30 A.M to get her to the airport in time for her flight back to Utah. In a few days, Rachel will be leaving as well and I am going to miss her. She has been an immense help for me and I hope I haven't driven her nuts.
I don't brag much but I feel like I can do this here on my blog since not many people read it. But I am proud of all of my kids and the things that they do.

Rachel, me, Kiki, Shanny

We celebrated Norm's birthday early last night since the older girls will be gone in January.
Chocolate cake, strawberry ice cream and more Ikea chocolate. Nom.... nom..... nom.

Family Christmas Photos

2011-12-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

Holiday photos....2011

Rachel made everyone a fleecey headband or neckwarmer! She is a good seamstress!

Don't shoot your eye out.

It was so fun to have everyone home for Christmas. It will be sad to see my older daughters go back to school but they have bigger fish to fry out in the world.

It is not very often that we can take a family photo. We put this off for days and Christmas morning seemed like the best time.

Christmas was when we were engaged, 23 years ago. I am so happy we are together after all these years.

Sweet Rewards!

2011-12-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

I am not even sure how long ago I wrote a letter complaining to Hershey's about their new crappy formula for Twizzlers chocolate licorice, but today I received a letter from them telling me they were now producing the original formula for their chocolate licorice. They also gave me two coupons!
Now that is what I call customer satisfaction!

Since I had to walk through a ton of snow to get the mail today, I am glad there was something that made it worth my while.
We got almost three feet of snow last night! A white Christmas in Colorado!!!!

Wisdom

2011-12-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

"One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons--marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who use them, he has taken the wrong turning."- C.S. Lewis

I just got done reading the Screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis. Great book. This quote is not from the book but I thought it wonderful, nonetheless.

Sweet Stuff

2011-12-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

These were easier to make than they look. And very good. I brought a few of these over to Mary M and I hope she liked them. I am also going to make green and white ones this week.

These are some of the yummy desserts I am making for Christmas:

Christmas Crack Or Turtles.

Caramel ( easy microwave kind)

Sugar cookies

Gingerbread people

Pumpkin scones and bread

Shortbread

I try to give away as much as I can so we don't have too many tempting things around here.

Can you guess where Rach is?

We went to Norm's work party Thursday night. It was very delicious food in a nice place called Morton's in Denver. I usually have no problem finishing my dessert but the key lime pie was even too rich for me!
I was able to go shopping at IKEA while I was waiting for Norm to finish up a meeting. That store is fun!

Poinsettia

2011-12-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Norm brought this beauty home for us recently. It is a much better looking plant than the silk ones I usually put out. Now, if I can only keep it alive til January....

Meow Mix

2011-11-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

Some good pins I got recently off Pinterest that feature cats. I am so cat deprived, can you tell?

Emphasize the Positive

2011-11-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

I have been really negative lately and I am going to try to focus on positive things and stuff that makes me happy.
We played Life, Pirates of the Caribbean version last night. Ahoy mateys!

Would you believe this bread took me three days to make? It is sourdough version, Farmhouse bread. It won't take as long next time, since I have the sourdough starter now. Can't wait to tear into this. We are going to eat this with my homemade cream of tomato soup tonight!

I love my kids!

The most beautiful sunrise I have seen in a while.

Pancakes for breakfast this morning....Tyler being shy. Shannon reading about Frankenstein.

Let the Christmas Season begin!

2011-11-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

We put up the tree yesterday, the day after Thanksgiving. I love the new Christmas tree. I always wanted a tree with lights already on it and last year I found a clearance tree so this is the first year to see it up! (Norm would have been happy with the K-mart tree we bought twenty years ago.... the one that sheds needles everywhere.)

As soon as I get the flannel snowman sheets on our bed, it really feels like Christmas.

Rachel, Shannon and Tyler helped put the decorations on. We tried to coordinate it this year with silver and red, and a little gold here and there.

We watched I am number Four last night. Good alien movie. Another fun alien movie we watched this week was Escape to Witch Mountain. It was an excellent remake. The first one was pretty corny.

Another credit card of ours was hacked. Second time in a month! It is scary how easy it is for people to get to those accounts.
Another credit card story I forgot to tell about: I went to the library a few weeks ago and thought I lost my card there. I called the credit card company and cancelled my card. About a week later, I found my card in the driveway, when the snow had melted. It really was crazy how the snow had melted only around my card. I was glad it wasn't stolen or lost.

Pumpkins and Pranks

2011-11-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

2011-11-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

Harvest Feast

2011-11-21T06:26:00.000-08:00

My kids have been going to these Harvest Feast lunches at the school for years and I seldom ever helped or volunteered except to send in food for it. But last week, I went in and helped and it was actually not that bad. I have also been on a tangent ( for ten years )that eating turkey dinner a week before Thanksgiving is stupid. I guess it is okay. NEVER say NEVER! The only strange part was the hippie man getting up to do native american chants with a drum for half an hour. Nederland. Gotta love it.

I am loving my new Cooks Illustrated cook book. I made french toast from it and enchiladas so far. It is bigger than the bible and with way more rules. :) This was an early birthday present....to myself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cottonwood Farms Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

Just a little fun editing.

Such a beautiful fall day at the pumpkin patch.

Denver IKEA

2011-10-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

We went to IKEA Friday and I took a few photos on the sly with my smaller piece of crap camera. We waited a long time for this store to be built.
It was overwhelmingly huge but interesting. We ate at the food place and it was alright.

Tyler really like this walking thing.

But he liked the chocolate even more.

Rachel contemplating.

ShannonBanana

2011-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Rachel's Cool Hair Ribbon

2011-10-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Early Morning Shannon

2011-10-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here is Shannon yesterday morning wearing the hat Rachel knitted for her. She looks darn cute.

Tyler Turns Thirteen

2011-10-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Poor Tyler. He had a pretty good birthday but he vomited last night. He said that he felt sick on the school bus earlier and I think he may have caught some dodgy virus.
Rachel made those awesome decorations! She also was ready to throw confetti on him when he came in the house last night after we took him to dinner but he got out of the way too fast.

Another teenager!

2011-10-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

My favorite purchase for this year was a new bread machine. I think I use it almost every day. Favorite breads to date:
Cinnamon
French
Italian Herb
Spelt Raisin
Chocolate

Fall Getaway Trip to Walden, Colorado

2011-10-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Such a nice time. I love exploring new places with Norm.

Yeah, I love getting my photo taken.

Shannon Homecoming 2011

2011-10-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

Shannon and Norm

Rachel curled Shannon's hair for homecoming. Shannon's hair is getting so long! When she wears it in a bun, it is massive.

Sophomore year.

Labor Day Hike From Moffat Tunnel to Crater Lakes

2011-09-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Beautiful weather, good company. What more can I say?

First day of School 2011

2011-08-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ty is in 7th grade and Shannon in 10th now. Kiki and Rach in college, Freshman and Jr. respectively. They are all good students and I hope that their classes go well!

CAM the Ram, Whole Lotta Wool going on

2011-08-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ty with CAM the Ram. Can you tell he didn't want to do this at all? It was really soft though!

CAM the Ram is a domesticated breed of sheep known as a Rambouillet

Ultimate oatmeal cookies. Cherries, chocolate, pecans. yummy.

Can you tell how much Shannon loved sleeping in a hotel?

Lovely little lambs at the fair.

And Rachel, whose name translates to Ewe in Hebrew.

see more funny videos, and check out our Yo Dawg lols!

Lessons Learned

2011-07-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

Great book I just finished. What did I learn from this?

It is wise to pay your house off.
Be involved with your income.
Think before you buy something.
Eat foods that make you feel your best.
Use cash more often than credit cards.

Utah and Idaho Summer Trip

2011-07-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Bear Lake, Shanny and Rach

Salt Water taffy, ( funny story, an old native american dude pointed to his rotten teeth at the store and warned us not to buy taffy.)

Krispy Kreme heaven

Shannon, 15

Shanny and Rach again.

My mom and pop

My "twins" ...ha ha

One of my cute nieces, Alison. She has the best laugh.

Tyler with some of his cousins. Old Maine hill, Logan.

My sister cutting up melon. This is an old apron of my grandmother's I think.

One of my husband's favorite places. This store has everything.

My little bro, who is not so little anymore. His family is growing by leaps and bounds.

Rexburg, Idaho temple. If Rachel ends up going to Idaho, this will be right next door! It is beautiful.

My sister, the amazing photographer. She made that shirt. This woman has so much energy.

Teaching the young 'uns how to play marshmallow Armegeddon, a family tradition. A painful game I might add.

One of my nephews, Ammon, riding the trash can. ???

Porch lizards.

Pooped. Norm crashing on the couch at my moms.

Tyler in Grandpas front yard.

We also got to see Kiki for a short time ( not long enough) Not even time for photos!
I

Greeley, Fourth of July Parade

2011-07-04T15:28:00.001-07:00

Back in my Territory

2011-06-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

Kiki and Grandma T, backyard N. Logan

Kiki and Dad, Bear lake, Utah

Setting up the printer and computer in Kiki's dorm

Unloading the car

Figuring out the key

Tall bed, lots of storage underneath for clothes etc.

The first of many posters

Last week we took Kiki to college and our house is strangely quiet without the older girls. There is still a pile of stuff in the basement, I am trying to figure out where everything will be stored in the interim while Rach decides what to do with it. She came and stayed with the younger kids and I was thankful she was able to come visit for the past week. We had to go to do some shopping for knee length skirts, difficult to find nowadays.
It was good to see my parents, even if it was only for one night. They keep themselves busy with lots of hobbies and traveling. My mom put together a few photo albums for us with pictures I haven't seen in ages. I will have to scan some of those photos for this blog. I can't believe she kept all those old pictures I drew as a little kid. Norm thought it was funny that the majority of my pictures were of ice cream, candy,flowers, and cats. Big surprise, have I changed much?
It is difficult to say goodbye to our daughters but it is such a great opportunity for them. They felt very stifled by our location in the mountains and now they can socialize to their hearts' content. I miss them and love them.

Ouch!

2011-06-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, Norm had some severe pain in his back. After doing some quick internet searching, we made a home diagnosis of a kidney stone. It was about 11:30 p.m. I drove him down to Boulder, trying not to wreck the car. Norm doesn't even see a doctor on a regular basis, so this was his first time to the ER since he broke his leg skiing as a teenager.

When we got to the hospital, they gave him some narcotics to help dull the pain, but I could tell from his groaning that it still hurt a lot. They did an MRI and told us he had a kidney stone. They gave him some Flomax, more pain meds and liquid IV drip, to help him flush out the stone. I know this might be too much information but he did pee out the stone, early afternoon Saturday after we got home. He said that part didn't hurt. Now we have to take the stone in to get tested, to see what kind of stone it is.

Some raging maniac was in the ER screaming and cussing so that was not enjoyable to listen to. After seeing a few people with bloody legs, and faces, I remember why I didn't want to be a nurse. I am thankful that Heavenly Father helped me be strong through this difficult time. I needed to be there for my husband and not get too distressed. I am also glad he is feeling back to normal today, because it was really scary last night.

5 Things I am loving about Summer this week

2011-06-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ty finally going outside to ride his bike

Shanny painting outside, no mess for me to clean up. :)

Apricots, these were gone in two days.

Flea markets finds

Gloaming in the early evening. The light hitting all the fresh new leaves makes my day!

Flashback from the Eighties.

Kiki's Cookie Cake

2011-05-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Lewis' made Kiki a cookie cake. It was yummy and so cute! They are so sweet!

What's the Story here?

2011-05-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

Kiki's Graduation Weekend

2011-05-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here's what she was saying right before the picture: " Just hurry up. I want this hideous gown off!"

Kiki and Wynter

Shanny taking care of Kiki's flowers

The cupcakes Rachy and Kiki made together.

Ty and Rach playing chess, waiting for the graduation ceremony to start.

Cake!

Some of Kiki's classmates, so cute.

Ty's own personal whiteboard. ( made out of those labels they stick on turkey.)

Panthers rule.

Kiki had two graduations on Sunday; one for High School and one for seminary. It was such a contrast to go to the high school graduation with all the clapping, whistling, screaming, yelling and fanfare, and then to go to the seminary graduation where everything was dead calm. I reallly did like the slide show that they showed at the high school graduation. All these kids grow up so fast!
Driving home after the seminary graduation, we saw a beaner convertible with a GIANT trophy in the back. It was hilarious, and I wish I would have gotten a picture of that. Rach tried to with her cell phone but it was starting to get dark outside. These guys in the convertible reminded me of Pedro's cousins from Napolean Dynamite.

Now we have about three weeks until Kiki leaves for college. We still have a lot of things to get ready, what am I doing blogging? Bye!

Crazy Weekend

2011-05-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Senior Breakfast. Hmmm.....cold eggs, cold bagels, cold pancakes, warm milk. Somebody dropped the ball here. And getting stuck in the parking lot because of the Senior prank, ha ha not funny.

Weekend of non-stop craziness. More pics later.

Deleting Friends

2011-05-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to deleting a bunch of my "friends" off Facebook. Most of those people I don't give a rip about anyway. I kept the friends that I was related to, close people from church, and some old high school people who I would feel horribly guilty for deleting, even though I never talk to them. I was trying to get my list down to 100 and I am still working on that. I spend way too much time on Facebook and I hate the time suck. I
I have my profile set to private so that only friends can read my info and look at my photos. Still, I worry about stalkers and creepers.

Mouse Tale

2011-05-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

It was mother's day at church and we were preparing strawberry shortcake in the church kitchen for all the mothers to enjoy after the lesson. I was just washing up some of the bowls and I spied a dead mouse come swirling up the drain into the sink. Their were about three other people in the kitchen and I didn't want anyone to freak out so I just said, "Hey, you won't believe what I just saw!" in a very calm voice. They came over to the sink to look and I fished a small dead mouse out with a fork and threw it in the trash, like I do this everyday. They were impressed that I did not scream and act like a wimp. It really was pretty disgusting that a mouse was living in the kitchen drain and I kind of lost my appetite after that for eating any strawberry shortcake. I have some reservations now about eating from the church kitchen. I have set so many traps in my garden and taken care of so many mice and vermin outside but inside is completely different story. Yuck!

Rachy @ Home

2011-05-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Even though she is in her pj's, I asked Rachy to stand in the garden for a photo.

I love her smile.
I am so proud of her. She is halfway through college!

Kiki's Double Prom Weekend

2011-05-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Simplify

2011-04-28T12:01:00.001-07:00

Richard J Foster set down some principles that we can follow to live simple lives:

Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status
Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you
Develop a habit of giving things away - de-accumulate
Refuse to be propagandised by the custodians of modern gadgetry
Learn to enjoy things without owning them
Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation
Look with a healthy scepticism at all 'buy now, pay later' schemes
Obey Jesus' injunction about plain, honest speech
Reject anything that will breed the oppression of others
Shun whatever would distract you from your main goal

A Snowy Easter Weekend

2011-04-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take photos outside but it was cruddy this Easter.

I forgot how to use the timer on my camera, it has been so long since we did family photos. ( since October!)

I like this photo of my girls laughing at their pictures.

Kiki and Ty giving the thumbs up sign for the timer finally working. Thanks to Norm.

There may not be many more opportunities for family pictures. Kiki is going to college in Utah soon. Rach is already in college but she lives nearby.

We only dyed a few eggs this year. I like the egg wraps...they turned out pretty nice.
And notice, I don't do "Easter grass?" I shredded green paper and it is easier to contain.
I forgot to take pictures of the treats the Easter bunny brought. They are all gone now!

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Finally some Snow!

2011-04-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

We got 11 inches of snow last night. This is a welcome spring storm since we have had so very little moisture this winter. I still fear that the well will dry up.
My kids got a much wished for Snow day

Our snowbunnies

Since he stayed home too, Norm finished the tile in the kitchen and put up the new light. I am excited to have that project done!

Random Treats

2011-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

I finally remembered to get the Easter Decorations out earlier than the day before.

I made these rainbow cookies for St. Patrick's day. They were just plain sugar cookies with food coloring , but everyone went gaga over them.

Lemon cake that was uber delicious with ice cream. I lost the recipe and I am trying to find it!

The clouds that never make rain. Still beautiful though.

This feature rocks.

2011-03-31T07:55:00.001-07:00

I just found out that you can upload YouTube videos directly to blogger. Isn't that sweet! Just click on the upload video button and then it will let you select where you upload from . Easier than taking candy from a baby.

Surprise! ( not really)

2011-03-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Rach turned twenty this week and we went up to visit her on Saturday. Hubby fixed her car, and we decorated her apartment while they went out to practice driving...it is a manual.

All I had was my crap camera so these pictures are less than great. Rach was surprised about the decorations but she found out about the cake when we were trying to be sneaky.

It looked better than it tasted. King Soopers does not make tasty cakes.

Sunday Quote

2011-03-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

"One thing will always secure heaven for us- the acts of charity and kindness with which we fill our lives. We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

~ Mother Theresa

Is your heart just breaking every time you see the news and the devastation in Japan? I may not be able to do much, but I can pray for those in need.

Shanny Turns 15!

2011-03-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it's a week late! And she is wearing a fuzzy old tatty bathrobe.

Shanny had to go to school on her birthday but at least she didn't have to take C-SAPS that day. She got a new camera, a gift card, a journal and b-day money from sweet Grandmas and Grandpa. We sang Karaoke ( Owl City) and ate cheesecake with cherries. Shanny was the first one to use the new birthday plate that I got for two bucks at T.J.Maxx. The day after her birthday, we drove to Greeley where we got to celebrate again, with Rachel and eat Chinese food.
I love you, Shanny!

What Little Boys Are Made Of

2011-02-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Norm brought home a slingshot for Ty earlier this week. He had one as a boy and did not want his son to miss out on such an adventure. He also said that most kids nowadays just get to do "virtual" shooting and never anything in the real world. We taught him (hopefully) how to be safe with it and to not shoot at anything alive. ( although Norm didn't discourage shooting of woodpeckers.) We went for a walk today since it was so beautiful and he shot rocks at trees and pinecones. I got to do some shooting, too and I think I missed out on a lot of fun as a girl since I spent all my days playing with Barbies and dolls!

We found out this week that my sons's entire class will miss out on their Outdoor Education because of bad behavior. The principal said the kids would give the school a bad name if they went for a week and acted the way they usually act, which is mainly bullying, lack of respect and not following rules. A lot of people are upset with the principal. But these kids, most of them are pretty wild and needed a wake-up call I think. All three of my girls got the opportunity to go and loved it when they were in sixth grade. I know my Ty isn't perfect but I also hope that he doesn't follow along with the crowd when they make the wrong choices. One of his best friends is going to a different school next year and it is going to be very difficult for Ty because they have been in school together since first grade.

Why Do You Have to Be a Hard Drive breaker?

2011-02-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

Hard Drive on the upstairs computer is on the fritz. So I am blogging on the downstairs which is tantamount to insanity. This vintage computer is about 15 years old and the keyboard is so loud it sounds like popcorn popping.
We will have to see if our "Machine Whisperer" can fix the Hard Drive.
Latest happenings:

I got my hair cut. Long story short: I cut my hair myself when I was sick because it was literally driving me nuts. Then I had to go get it cut for real to "fix" it.

Ty is at a friend's house for a sleepover and a Magic Card extravaganza.

Kiki and Shanny get to do lots of seminary make-up due to illness.

I am on Harry Potter #4 and loving it.

Norm is almost done tiling the kitchen. Grout and sealing are the remaining chore. He is good at tiling.

Dora brought me the best soup ever. It was squash butternut soup and so yummy! She's a sweet VT.

I am planting a few seeds here and there for inside growing. I am hankering to get some stuff going in the greenhouse. I ordered my seeds etc this week. I miss the smell of dirt.

I have missed church. I can't wait to go back. I can't believe I missed Sheri Dew at the Women's Conference. Such a bummer.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

I am not sure I understand why corn has anything to do with Valentine's day but it made me laugh to see it being used to celebrate a day of love. Corny love? They look very sugary. I think I will stick with the chocolate this year.

Last year I walked on the pond nearby our house and made a heart in the snow.

Festive tights!

A neighborhood dog that is friendly gets some attention from Kiki.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Humor Me

2011-02-10T18:32:00.001-08:00

The funniest thing I heard today was Kiki saying" This isn't a house, it's a hospital!"

Choices

2011-02-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Quote for the day:

It is our choices, Harry, that show you what we truly are, far more than our abilities

~~Albus Dumbledore
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

To Each Her Own

2011-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

I finally finished painting the living room and dining area. Since we have high ceilings, there were a few panicky moments on the ladder. Not everyone loved this paint color ( "cork") when I first starting rolling it on but now everyone says it is an improvement on the dreary "greige" that I painted about eight (?) years ago. I mean, what choice do they really have? They are not painting it. I am.

I still have the bathroom to paint and the accent wall where all the family photos hang in a gallery. I will show that later.

This is my son rolling around on the carpet before we moved the sofas back into the living room. I felt like rolling around on the carpet too after I finished painting but I resisted the urge.

Remember the piano that washed up on a sandbar in Florida? While I was painting, I had plenty of time to ponder about my old piano that I kept having to move out of my way so I could paint the walls. I was trying to think of a way to get our old piano into the forest for a similar story but it is it the size of a small car. My piano was a gift from a friend in Michigan. It really played well when we got it but several moves later, we have a cracked soundboard and a lot of major work necessary to make it sound beautiful again. It is a Boston Chickering about 100 years old. I am still attached to it but it is massive and my house is not, so I can't justify the space it takes up. Something will come to mind, be it destruction or resurrection into shelves or a huge fishtank.

So I know this has NOTHING to do with my post, but I wanted to share this link about feminism and motherhood. If you go read this link, let me know what you think of it in a comment.

Madonna Syndrome: I should have ditched feminism for love, children and baking

Crazy World

2011-01-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

I received a terrible e-mail yesterday.

Dear ____________________ Community,

A message with threatening language specifically directed at a_________ faculty 
member was discovered late this morning (1/26) on a boys’ restroom wall and 
reported to school administration. We contacted the _________ County Sheriff’s 
Department and a sheriff’s deputy came to______ to investigate. The message was 
not specific about a date or time or action to be taken but did state that the 
teacher “should die.” Along with whatever results from the sheriff’s department 
investigation of a possible criminal act, such a message clearly violates ____
 
policy and regulation.

Because nothing is more important to the _____ staff and me than the physical 
safety and well being of each of our students and employees, I am treating this 
situation very seriously. The staff member named in the message has been 
contacted and is working with my office and the sheriff’s department to assist 
in determining who wrote this message.

Please discuss this matter with your student. If she or he has any information 
that could assist the investigation, please ask them to call the _____ County 
Sheriff’s Department at ________-4444. If he or she has information but wants to 
remain anonymous, they may call________

As our partners in keeping _____ a safe and positive learning environment, I 
wanted you to know what occurred today and ask for any assistance that you may 
be able to give. If you have any questions or concerns about this incident or 
message, please contact me at either _____________ 
or _________

Thank you,

______________
Principal

How would you feel if you received this?  Scared?  Worried?   I feel so bad for my kids.  They live in the craziest time and I can't imagine how they deal with this.   I never had to worry about being shot at school. Beat up, yeah, that happened to some people.  So many confused people get a hold of guns/weapons and then someone pays the price with their life or their children's life.

I just wanted to give my kids a hug yesterday and tell them not to worry. But they were scared to go to school today.  I was

too.

POM shopping

2011-01-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

A store we have fun going to as a family is the Pacific Ocean Marketplace.

It has the best prices for rice, noodles and the best selection of greens I have ever seen. You can get several varieties of mushrooms, bok choy, tofu here. I think this is the only store that my husband likes MORE than me.

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

We were lucky to have Rach home from college for Christmas. Kiki has been applying to colleges here and there and she will be leaving in the fall. It really seems surreal to me. Rach will be 20 this March and halfway through with college already!
Shanny and Ty fight like crazy and I wonder what will happen when they are the only kids here. I hope it doesn't get worse. Oh, the joys of teenagers.
We are able to view all the pictures I put on the Green Elevations blog on the Roku box so I am more inclined to add photos nto this blog because it is just like a photo album on-line. Already the kids have changed so much in the two years I have been blogging. I am not so worried about comments and followers anymore although it is nice to have a few comments once in awhile.
A lot of changes coming up for 2011 for our family. Time flies.

Homework

2011-01-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

Now that Ty is in sixth grade, he has pretty much gotten to the point of math problems even I can't remember. Even though the final answer is still the same, the way to get to it has changed. He will probably have to get a tutor later on if he wants help. His sisters try to help him but that usually ends in hysterics.
I am just so glad that I can use a calculator!

Shanny's purple bow

2011-01-07T16:26:00.001-08:00

Seasonal Indulgences

2010-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

You'd pout too if you had to wear this yellow bowtie and cummerbund.

We went to Ty's choir concert the other night to kick off the Christmas season. He really did not want his photo taken, as you can see by his glum face. If you are a sixth grader, you have to do orchestra, band or choir. So Ty "gets" to do choir. It is funny when we are at home and Ty will sing pretty much any song he hears. All I have to do is sing some random song and a little while later, he will be humming it and not even notice. It is a family joke now.

During the summer, another blogger, can't remember her name now, shared a recipe that we just scarfed down. It was called "cracker crap" but we re-named it "turtles" and I decided that it would be a new holiday tradition to make a batch of these up. They are super-sugary and I thought they were just perfect for adding to the cookies etc on Christmas plates. I made a batch last night. Here is the recipe:

Turtles

1 sleeve of saltine crackers

1 cup of brown sugar

2 sticks of REAL butter

2 cups of chocolate chips

3/4 chopped nuts, or candy canes

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Lay the crackers on a baking pan, make sure it has a lip.

Boil for three minutes, the sugar and butter.

Very carefully, it is hot, pour the mixture of the crackers.

Bake 5 -6 minutes.

Take out of oven, Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Wait five minutes. Spread those chips. Add the nuts or whatever topping desired. Refrigerate before cutting. Try not to eat the whole pan in one sitting.

As a side note, here is a recipe for Ghee: ( this is for Jen)

Sticks of pure butter are placed in a large saucepan or kettle over medium to high heat. As the butter melts, it begins to boil. The solids settle to the bottom, while a thicker layer of oil forms in the center. The excess water forms a foamy top layer as it boils away.

Once the boiling process has slowed considerably, the middle layer should have a golden brown appearance. This is the clarified butter or ghee. The preparer carefully spoons off this layer, making sure not to disturb the layer of solids on the bottom. The ghee is allowed to cool in an air-tight canister, similar to a solid vegetableshortening or animal-based lard. Ghee can be reheated for deep frying or drizzled over dishes like a syrup or sauce.

Ghee is considered a saturated fat, since it is derived from animals. Nevertheless, some studies suggest that it is healthier overall than traditional Western fats such as lard and margarine. Ghee uses a natural process to maintain stability without refrigeration, unlike the hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils used in Western cooking.

You could be swinging on a star....

2010-12-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

There's always room for improvement so the song says by Bing. A lot of people actually have sung this song but I like his version the best.

"Swinging On A Star"

Would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
And be better off than you are?
Or would you rather be a mule?

A mule is an animal with long, funny ears
He kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And, by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
And be better off than you are?
Or would you rather be a pig?

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He's got no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig

[instrumental-first 3 lines of chorus]
Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won't do anything but swim in a brook
He can't write his name or read a book
To fool all the people is his only thought
Though he's slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish

And all the monkeys aren't in a zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see, it's all up to you
You can be better than you are

You could be swingin' on a star.

Korean Inspired Hip-hop

2010-12-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

Kiki and Shanny, Talent show 2010

Subarus and dogs

2010-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

When we bought a new Subaru on Saturday, the salesman joked that he did not know if he could sell us a Subaru unless we had a dog. There is a saying : Nederland, Colorado.... A dog in every Subaru.

Not true with our family.

We have too many allergies and nobody loves dogs enough in our family to take allergy medicine every day. We have had birds, bunnies, mice, and that was enough stink for this momma. So we will be driving around a Subaru, minus the puppies. I think kids make enough messes.

Turkey Time

2010-11-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for the graphics fairy for providing this lovely turkey clip-art. I can always count on her for fun and creative pictures!
I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for good food. I am thankful for music, my memory foam bed and talented authors who write books for my enjoyment. I am also thankful for fellow blogging buddies.

Positive Attitude

2010-11-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

I need to list four things that went well today. Because the rest was really stressful!!!!!

1. It did not snow and that I am thankful for because I had to drive all over the state to pick up my daughter from college and run errands like taking kids to the dentist etc.

2. I found a Bing Crosby CD at the library for listening enjoyment in the car.

3. My daughters giving me hugs!

4. I saw a cute woodpecker this morning at the feeder.

Whatnot

2010-11-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

I painted my walk-in closet pale pink and cleaned it up in the process... It was supposed to inspire me to get scrapbooking but I haven't had time this week. I found out that I really have an issue with hoarding scrapbooks. I have WAY too many.

My amaryllis are starting to grow, albeit small.

I am just so glad this busy week is over! I put a lot of miles on the car. Next week is Thanksgiving and Rach will be home. We will be going to see Harry Potter the day after Thanksgiving. Everyone is looking
forward to that!

I am excited that my new book came finally. I checked it out from the library and liked it so much I bought a copy on-line. So far, the sourdough bread has been a FAIL but the rest of the information and recipes I love. I made ghee ( clarified butter) for the first time yesterday. It made me swoon when I ate it on an English muffin with agave.

ghee, or clarified butter

It was also tasty on steamed asparagus.

Since I blog about food so much, I decided to have a website dedicated to my foodie thoughts. It is still a work in progress but pop-in if you are interested. This Green Elevations blog is mainly about family and personal stuff.

I am getting psyched up for the holidays. I wonder if we will have a white christmas?

Ty's T-shirt

2010-11-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ty won a shirt at school for having all of his assignments in. It looks like a dress on him but he was pretty happy to have won it.

Kiki and Shanny Go For It!

2010-11-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

Kiki and Shanny tried out for the talent show and they got in! They performed their own choreographed dance last night and it was tremendously full of energy and cuteness! I also took a video. I will have to see if I can load that on later. I was so proud of them! Yeah!!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:47:00.001-07:00

Fall Photos, Greeley

2010-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

We paid a litle visit to Rach in Greeley on Sunday. The temperature was perfect, and the leaves were all turning golden and ruby-red. Ty was like a dog trying to catch falling leaves from the trees. IT was good to see Rach! I just realized we didn't take any of JUST her. But these family photos are pretty good this time. Ty took off his white shirt and changed into a sporty one that I am not too thrilled about but at least he smiled! In the long run, it doesn't matter what you wear.

Ty turns 12!

2010-10-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

I like the train wreck in Seamus' mouth here. Ty's favorite dinner? Spaghetti.

Yikes! Out of Space!

2010-10-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I sucked it up and paid the five bucks to get more storage. Hopefully in 24 hours, I should be able to blog about Ty's b-day! I can't believe I have maxed out my account. Sheesh! I need to go delete some stuff.

College Visits

2010-10-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Kiki and I went to visit the Denver School of Culinary Arts or Design. It was fun...and we learned a lot about this college. We will see what she ends up deciding.
The 85 foot high yellow sculpture is called the Articulated Wall by Herbert Bayer and is a pretty funky design.

Fun Photo Editing Site!

2010-09-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

fun photo box has some really bizarre and somewhat cheesy photo editing you can play around with. I find it highly addictive. Watch out. Good site....

Please Tip Your Head Sideways Before Viewing

2010-09-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Kiki, Summer 2010

2010-09-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

Shanny Sept 2010

2010-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Which is your favorite?

2010-08-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Political Ad

2010-08-19T06:35:00.001-07:00

Fruit Pizza

2010-07-29T05:42:00.000-07:00

Shanny helped me in the kitchen to make some tasty fruit pizza. We made a whole grain crust, smeared it with honey and vanilla sweetened cream cheese, and lastly add fresh fruit. The strawberries are from our patch and the mint is from the garden as well. Apricots and peaches courtesy of Wallyworld. Easy and refreshing summer recipe!

Kiki Turns 17

2010-07-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my dear Kiki turned 17 yesterday~!!

We went to Twilight and out for lunch @ the International buffet, nail place, and POM. (Pacific Ocean Marketplace.) She actually asked for a sewing machine. I can't wait to see what she creates!

Weeding @ the Welfare Farm

2010-07-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Wake everybody up at 4:30 AM. Grab mosquito repellent, sunscreen, maps, water, camera, hats and gloves.

Drive for an hour and a half in the car. Arrive at the farm. Use the porta potty. Sign up. Get a ride in the back of pick-up trip to the field. Not the Field of Dreams by any stretch. Jump out of the truck. Get assigned a row of beans that looks about a mile long. Walk down it. Pull out the sunflowers, and corn. Leave the thistles, yeah. Get very wet pants and shoes. Get a million mosquito bites despite repellent.


I don't think we will ever forget this experience. It was pretty easy to pull the weeds out but the bugs were beyond belief.

I was proud of my kids for helping out and being so willing to serve.

2010-06-27T14:43:00.001-07:00

2010-06-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is all Lindalou's fault!

2010-03-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

What's up???

2010-02-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

I got a funny email from my sister saying... why haven't you posted on your blog lately...what's up? She forgot I changed my blog to wordpress and I HAVE been posting. But not much.

click here to go the the OTHER Blog:

2009-12-08T09:56:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May the joys of the season be yours to enjoy!

Test for Christmas Greetings

2009-12-03T16:40:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Thanks for coming to see me!

2009-11-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thanks for visiting me over at the newblog! I worried it was a mistake but I really like Wordpress. Thanks!

New Blog Addresss

2009-11-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here is where I am at now! Memory Tome

Loving my Husband Friday! #1

2009-10-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I have participated in this "love my husband" friday. mominin of the peer review blog, is the hostess of this great motivator for strengthening our marriages. Today my husband has the day off and we are going to run a billion errands and I just wanted to say that I would try to not be a worry wart when we drive around today in the snow and keep my thoughts to myself when it comes to the drifting snow in the road, and why we should stay home and never leave. But we are running out of supplies and Kiki forgot her lunch so we are getting ready to blow this taco stand. It feels like I have been in the house ALL week, cooking and painting. I so appreciate everything my husband does for us,especially clearing out the driveway so we won't be snowbound. I love him and don't tell him or show him enough. Today is a great day to do this:

Fresh Powder!

2009-10-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

The best part of it all? Two snow days for the kids. At least we did not run out of t.p. this time. And we have had power so we are warm and cozy.

Superstitions!

2009-10-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

Last night my kids told me if you wear your pajamas inside out to bed, you might get a snow day. ( Mind you, I didn't. But they did)And this time it worked. I just checked the closures, and sure enough, all mountain schools in Boulder are closed! It is dumping out there.

Pumpkin Carving Time

2009-10-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kiki wanted nostrils in her jack o lantern, so the power drill was brought out. It looked pretty disgusting because the pumpkin strings were coming through the nostril holes. Booger city. Shanny was still a little sick in this photo. She went back to school today. I bet she has a ton of homework to catch up on. That sucks!
I still won't let them wield the knive for the big carving. I am too protective. But they get to draw the face and scrape the gunk out of the pumpkin. The kids love to eat the seeds after I wash them off and toast them in the oven. We are due for another big snowstorm! It has been a snowy fall.

Heads up!!!

2009-10-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

LindaLou over at the great blog Mush Push is having her first giveaway on her blog. She is giving away the cookbook Pioneer Woman Cooks and it sounds wonderful! Go check out her blog and leave a comment why you love to read blogs or write blogs. Her blog is worth the visit, she has a clever sense of humor and is very sweet! And crafty too! This is in celebration of LindaLou having twenty followers! Congratulations!