That funny feeling

Yesterday (Memorial Day) I was able to take my kids to the movies while Sara ran some errands.  We went to see the latest Indiana Jones (Diana Jones as Weston was calling it when I brought home the Raiders of the Lost Ark the other day).

The movie was good.  I don't know if I liked it because it was like revisiting the 80's or if it really was a good movie, but I liked it anyway.  There was a lot of action (surprise surprise), and as a result,  I had Weston on my lap, and Keaton hanging on my arm for the duration.

Any fan of these movies will know that one of Indy's famous lines is, "I've got a bad feeling about this."  True to form this line  escaped Dr. Jones lips more than once in this film as well.

Right when the "intense" music preparing us for the final scene was playing, my Weston turns around on my lap to face me and says in his most serious voice, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Classic.

Fancy Is As Fancy Does

I was fancy this week. I held on to a man's white gloved hand as I stepped out of my car. I I drank chilled water from specialty water bottles, served on a silver tray. I inhaled the fresh smell of "green mango" each time I entered the glistening lobby of the hotel.

My face glowed in the soft light of swarovski studded columns.

I cleansed my body in a dual-headed shower with sugary body wash and scrub.

I enjoyed the morning news as I primped in front of the bathroom mirror.

At the end of the day, I laid my fancy head down on a plush pillow, plumped by someone other than me.

Now fancy that.

Applause

Triple Berry Crunch...one of the many reasons I LOVE the Fresh and Easy.

Tasty and can it be any more adorable in a pink box?

Still Frame

Who pushed the fast-forward button? Even though there are moments I wish I could skip a scene, lately I have been wishing for more slow-frames and even some rewinds.

Sedona Revisited

I surprised Brian for his birthday last week with a sneak-away trip to Sedona, for just the two of us.  We had a great time together, sleeping in, going to the movies, going to eat when we were hungry, not when the clock said lunch time.  We read books and went to the pool.  We also went on a little explore at the state park.  We both brought a camera along--

 

Gentle beauty.

Peacefully picturesque.

Maybe a good screensaver.

Um...picture taking is just not the same without a cute kid or two or four to smile at the camera.

However, we did enjoy a surprisingly delightful lunch at Judi's on Brian's birthday--

(Dakota--The Activities Chairperson at Sedona Summit Resort--you were right, they were delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs.)

One random thought before leaving our precious getaway trip:  From one simple campaign sign, I know this man to be someone who looked adversity in the eye and spit, straight on--

What a great little town!

Five Years Ago...

...I was able to hold my second son, Weston, for the first time and kiss his soft, newborn face.

 

I didn't know then, as I cradled him in my arms, what a big life was wrapped up in that tiny body.  I have since learned, in our half decade together, that this boy lives a passionate life.  Whether it is kissing or biting, singing or screaming, he does it with vigor.  It seems as though he is loving or hating...no halfway in between. 

I love the way he sings, in kind of a Rock Star kind of way(silent night, holy night...all night long!).  I adore the way he asks questions--statements with a question mark at the end (you can fix this?  i can have a snack?  somebody can help me?)  I can't get enough of his abundant hugs and kisses.  I never tire of hearing his infectious laugh that he shares with us often.  My heart melts as he sleepily staggers in my room in the middle of the night , climbs in my bed and cuddles in close.  He is one of a kind and I am glad he's mine!

Hearty Pasta Salad Recipe

Hearty Pasta Salad

• 5-6 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or chopped)
• 2 packages bowtie pasta (Da Vinci brand is great!)
• 1 and ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 T. chopped green onions
• 1 16 oz bottle of Kraft Coleslaw Dressing
• 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 dashes of thyme
• 1 pinch of ginger
• 2 cups diced celery
• 3-4 cups red grapes, halved
• 2-3 unpeeled, diced apples
• 2 20 oz. cans of pineapple tidbits
• 1 ½ cups slivered almonds

Boil chicken with salt and pepper on low heat until cooked thoroughly. Cut and shred into small pieces. Set aside. Cook the pasta using the remaining chicken broth (you may need to add a little extra water) for 12 minutes on a rolling boil. Rinse and drain. In large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, spices, onions, bottle of dressing and mayo. Try hard not to tear pasta while mixing up. Refrigerate. (this can be done the night before) Right before serving, add celery, grapes, apples, pineapple, and almonds. Add more mayo if you need to moisten it a bit. (You want it moist and covered well with the dressing.) Add more salt and pepper if desired! I used half of this recipe and it was plenty for my family. Happy Cooking!

Eat it and Weep

Monday evening special:

I thought it looked great and tasted delish.  (Farfalle pasta, chicken, grapes, apples, pineapple, celery and almonds--thanks, Katie, for the recipe!)

Surprisingly, everyone in the family liked it as well.

All except one, that is...

 

...Keaton sobbed as we tried to make him chew up AND swallow a bite. 

I figure if the dinner selection doesn't make 83% of us cry, it can be considered a roaring success.

Thanks Uncle Mike

The other day I received an unexpected gift from one of Sara's brothers.  He handed me a bag of Georgia Ice Cream (grits) and said when he saw this he thought of me (I love that others know that my personality is directly tied to my stomach).

Sunday morning I made breakfast which consisted of the gifted grits into which I mixed eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese, butter, and a lot of pepper (to be fair, it was a lot of butter too).

The kids and I were well fed.  Sara ate Cookie Crisp.

For those of you with calculating minds - yes, that was what I made for Mother's Day breakfast.  But at least I did the dishes... uh... at least I think I did... sheesh.. how did those get done??

Mom's are great

When I was five Mother's day was really pretty simple - a box of Cummings chocolates, and... truth be told, Dad, Jerry (my brother), and I would eat the majority of them - so it was really a gift to us.  As I got a little older there were some other things added to the chocolates, primarily, hand prints in plaster painted gold.

I was 18 when I first truly understood the meaning behind Mother's Day.  I was living in Scotland on my mission.  It is a difficult feeling to describe of wanting to hug your Mom, tell her you love her, and you're 2,000 miles away from her.  Needless to say, I honored my Mom that day.  My Mom has always been the definition of selflessness and generosity.  Thank heavens for cell phones, because I use it almost everyday to talk to her.  I rely on her wisdom and advice.  It is a privilege to be called her son. 

Mother's Day changed when I got married, but it changed significantly with the birth of our first daughter Katie Jane.

Sara is pretty much the most "girly-girl" ... well... ever.  When we were married I thought I was the strong one, I was the protector (grrrrrr).  Then silently Sara opened my eyes. 

I learned on October 20, 1996 that a person could be a total girly-girl and at the exact same time be the strongest,  most impressive person... well... ever.  When I am sick or hurt, the world needs to stop and cater to my needs - because I'm really hurt and need to be taken care of.  Because we didn't have maternity insurance at that time, Sara was in the hospital less than 24 hours when Katie was born.  She would not take Tylenol because it would have added to our bill.  She wouldn't even ask for another ice-pack, thinking that too would be another cost.  I still cringe and it hurts my heart when I think about that. 

I honor my wife because of that day, and every day since.

Weston says it best, "Moms are great."

Opposites Attract

My husband is usually hot, while I am more often cold (especially after I eat.)  My hubby loves all things meaty (sausagey and bacony, too) and I love all things fruity.  He laughs at all jokes, even if he has heard it 17 times, as if it is the first time he has heard it and it is a sincere, hearty laugh.  I only laugh if it is REALLY funny.  I love the soft center of the bread, he eats the crusts. He giggles when he gets a punch in the face and I cry when I hit my funny bone. I love to dress up while he loves to dress down.  He can ride a bike and...never mind that one.  He is athletic and I love being the benchwarmer (it is safer there.)  He is FUN and I am not so fun...

For example, I would never actually orchestrate this for our Family Home Evening--

--but Brian did.  Yep, that's right...he did the Diet Coke and Mentos thing.  The kids loved it.  So did the Dad.  I tried to come up with a life lesson to attach to it to give it some meaning, but I was a little lacking in that department.   The squeals of excitement made up the difference tonight.  I felt so grateful that we are a good team and our differences compliment each other and the kids were just very grateful that they got to see a cool explosion.

I'm in LOVE

I found my chandelier.  It's the one I have been searching for.  I hesitated at first to make the purchase of such a beauty, because it was priced higher than I wanted it to be.  A couple of weeks passed since I spotted the gem and I kept going back to check on it.  I finally went back with my sister--smart move--she convinced the seller to take 20% off of the price (she is THE deal maker).  My heart pitter-pattered as I made the purchase.  I brought it home on Friday and Brian hung it on Saturday.

It is perfect and I would like to give each fat crystal a tiny hug.