Spring Fever and Senioritus

I have less than 3 weeks left of school and I'm going crazy! I have major papers to write and big heavy books to read. With the weather being so nice, it's been hard to concentrate. My friend Amy suggested that I have spring fever and senioritus. That about sums it up. So if I don't return phone calls or being unsociable these next few weeks, please forgive me. I'm just trying to finish all my homework!

11 years ago.....

This is my wedding day, 11 years ago tomorrow. I was a young 21 years old that day. My hubby had just turned 23. Our honeymoon was a stay at a local condo while we tied up loose ends in our move to Oregon. Oh, and we put up hay for my mother in law. Seriously. I bucked bales on my honeymoon. On that day I vowed that we would go to Maui for our 10 year anniversary, which we did. Another crazy story about our wedding day was the photographer. He was a guy Dan knew and he was just starting his photography business (this should have been a big red flag). He wanted to make our pictures his examples to show other brides.(One of my pictures ended up in the phone book, kinda weird!). He came to my Mom's house before the wedding to get pictures of all of us girls. An hour into the pictures, I was climbing into my Dad's 55 Chevy Bel Air, and the photographer yells, "S***". He had forgotten to put film in the camera. We quick re-did some pictures of me and the bridesmaids, and rushed to the church. The whole rest of the day felt rushed, and we ended up re-doing some pictures the next day! So, on my wedding night, I had to be careful not to mess up my hair!!!!!
Dan is on the boat right now, so we will celebrate our anniversary when he gets home.
Happy Anniversary Honey, I love you!

Camping Adventures part 2

This is our crew that went camping with us. Well, more like the crew that was hanging out on Sunday morning. People came and went all weekend, which was great. The kids are covered in face paint, and later used that paint to make rocks into works of art. Ok, more like cover themselves in paint, but the point was to paint the rocks.
I just finished a book of pictures from the camping trip. I made it for the kids and also as a project for one of my classes. I made it through Shutterfly, and I think it's going to be really cute. If you have never made a photo book, check them out online at Shutterfly, Photoworks, Costco or Walmart. It's really easy, and the books are a great keepsake.

Tasty Tuesdays

Here we are again, it's Tasty Tuesdays! Tonight I will be having an old stand by that works great for using up leftovers. I have some left over turkey strips that will be great in my Chicken Noodle Stir Fry. Yes, I know the recipe calls for chicken, but substituting leftover turkey or pork works great. Don't forget to post your thoughts if you try this recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips (leftover chicken, pork or turkey also works great)

2 tbsp oil

1 ½ cups water

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 packages Oriental flavor Ramen noodles

1 package frozen vegetable stir fry mix

2 tbsp soy sauce

In wok or large fry pan, cook chicken in oil. Add water, garlic, bring to boil. Add noodles, seasoning packets, veggies, and soy sauce. Simmer 7-9 minutes

Camping Adventures

We had a great time camping at the river. It's a great campsite and we love all the room the kids have to play. We have a sandy bank of the river, and the kids love to play in the sand. This first picture is Nate buried in the sand. The chair is over his head as shade.

Here's Lily playing in the sand. The river was really cold, so they didn't swim much. Yesterday our whole camp played a game of softball. We had fun and Lily got the first home run (because they let her). The kids got to sleep in a tent with Uncle Marty last night, and they thought it was a great adventure. The weather was beautiful all weekend and we couldn't have asked for a better time.

Calvin and Hobbs

Nate loves to read Calvin and Hobbs comic books. I love that he's reading, and that he gets a kick out of it. There are some things that go right over his head, and others I have to explain. In one comic, the snowman was committing suicide, and I had to explain to Nate what suicide was. This picture is an example of what I find when Nate is reading too much Calvin and Hobbs! Should I be worried?

Winner!

Yesterday I entered a contest at Scentsy Success. The contest was guessing what the new Bar Tee's would be. I picked the correct ones and won all three tee-shirts! I'm so excited! I know, it's just tee-shirts, but I won! Ok, ok, I'll go back to homework now.

Me Stressed? Never!

Last week was insane, and when I thought this week would be better, God laughed! Things keep popping up that I'm having a hard time saying no to. On top of everyday things, school, housework, etc, I'm trying to clean the trailer and pack it up for camping this weekend. And when I stock the trailer, I STOCK the trailer. On every other camping trip, I have made cookies, rolls, cinnamon rolls, salads, hamburger patties, and the list goes on. This time, it's store bought cookies, chips and deli salad! I'm also in the middle of a big test for one of my classes. I have to write a paragraph about 25 different people in the book I read. I'm on 17........it's been tedious! I have assignments due this weekend (online) that I need to get done before we leave also. So wish me sanity and sunshine for the weekend!

Tasty Tuesdays

Welcome back to Tasty Tuesdays! Here's the dinner plan for tonight. It's a favorite of mine, and a staple these past few months. It's the only recipe that Dan wanted to take on the boat. It's not a specific amount of ingredients, because we make as many as we need (want). My kids won't eat these (shocker!), but I make regular grilled cheese for them. Enjoy, and if you try these out, please post your thoughts.

Spicy Grilled Cheese

Sourdough bread (get the good stuff at Costco)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Large onion, sliced thinly
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
4 oz can tomato paste
3 or 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in Mexican food aisle)
2 tbsp mayo
1/4 cup brown sugar

Saute onion in EVOO until soft and light brown. While cooking onions, blend tomato paste, peppers, mayo and sugar in a blender until smooth. On one slice of bread, spread the tomato mixture, top with onions, cheese and second slice of bread. Butter both sides of bread and brown both sides in a fry pan.

Looking for a gift?

My Scentsy Mother's Day baskets were a hit. I thought that it would be a great idea any time of year, so now I'm making Birthday Baskets! Each basket includes a plug in warmer, bar of scent and a car candle. I'll even throw in a birthday card. Items must come from my stock on hand, but I have a variety of scents and warmers. The special price for these baskets are $25 plus tax. I will deliver anywhere in Whatcom County. If you are out of county, shipping is extra. I can also make up special order baskets for graduation, house warming, ect. Click on the Scentsy picture on the right of the blog for my contact info, or to check out these Scentsy products.

Nobody But My Lord

My Dad and Step Mom were visiting this weekend for my Grandparent's anniversary party. Dad brought his quartet with him to sing. He wanted the grand kids to sing with, and here is just one of the three performances that they did this weekend. The third performance at an assisted living facility was the big hit. Really, you can't top cute kids! Click the highlighted word below to see the video.

Here

Wannabe Stauffer

It's pick on Tarah week. Yes its an official week, it's on my calendar! On Monday Tiff picked on Tarah with her Not Me Monday post. Click on that highlighted spot to read that post. Today I picked on Tarah at my Grandparent's 60th Anniversary Party. My Grandma wanted a way to distinguish who was family at the party. Ten years ago at the 50th, we all had to wear teal tee-shirts. We all hated those shirts, but went along for Grandma's sake. So when Grandma started talking tee-shirts again, I jumped in with the idea that name tag buttons would work. I color coded each family unit so that everyone could tell who belonged to who. Hang in there, we are almost to the Tarah part. So Tarah has always wanted to be a Stauffer, so I made her a special button that said Wannabe Stauffer. Tarah proudly wore her button today, until she went to the punch table. The sweet little old lady pouring the punch told Tarah that she had a beautiful name. Wannabe, what a beautiful name! Sorry, Tarah, that name is now stuck. Oh, and if you hear screaming in a little bit......it's Tarah finally reading Tiff's Not Me Monday post. He he he he! Love you Tarah, even if you are not family!

Vitamin D experiment

I tried a vitamin D experiment today. My hypothesis was that if I studied in the sun, the vitamin D would help me retain more. While the sun on my back felt good, further testing was difficult because it was so bright. I thought that maybe I needed more vitamin D to be more effective. So, then I tested out my lawn chair, pulled up my pants and shirt sleeves (to gain the most vitamin D possible of course). While the sight of my pale legs and lack of shaving them was frightful at first, I was able to relax for awhile. My test was cut short by a phone call, so my conclusion is that I will need to do more testing, on multiple days, to see if I can prove my hypothesis.

Who would I be if I were not me?

I have been totally stressed about school, homework, housework and the million other things I'm doing right now. My wonderful hubby keeps telling me to slow down and not do so much. My kids are complaining that I'm not keeping up with cookies (really!). Yesterday Lily asked if I had done laundry yet, and when I told her no, she said to me, "You need to get on that". No joke! This week is extra stressful because I volunteered myself on a couple projects. Yes, I should have listened to my hubby and not taken them on, but it's for family. Yes, I am making excuses. For me, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't help out family. I wouldn't feel like myself. Who would I be if I didn't do what I always do? Who would I be if I wasn't known for my baking? Who would I be if I gave up everything domestic and crafty? It's been hard balancing the different parts of me this year. The student in me that is working hard to graduate. The mom in me that wants to help in the kid's classes and bake brownies for every little party. The daughter and sister who wants to be there for the family. Who would I be if I took away all of those labels? I hope that underneath everything, I am a loving, caring child of God. I need to keep my eye on the big picture, and not stress over the little details (easier said than done!). Until then, pray that I will keep focus......and get everything done!

Customer Service

I had a great meeting with my banker today to open a business account for my Scentsy business. We were talking about customer service. I told her I'm not the pushy sales person, but I believe that customer service is important. In today's economy, its customer service that will bring people back. So if you are a business person, keep that in mind. If you are the customer, remember who gives great service and give them your business.

Tasty Tuesdays!

Since last Tuesday I posted a recipe, I thought I would try Tasty Tuesdays. I will post what we are having for dinner, and maybe some kitchen helpful hints. Because this is last minute, I'm posting something I already had typed up. I did make this a couple weeks ago. It's a great mix to have on hand for last minute dinners, camping and gifts. I make up this mix and put it in a bandanna and tie with twine. It's cute and the dinner kit is a hit. If you try this, post a reply with your thoughts! Good luck!

Texas Two Step Dinner

1.6 oz pkg. brown gravy mix

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried, minced onion

1 tsp garlic salt

10-12 crushed tortilla chips

1 ¼ cup pasta wheels or 1/2 package veggie mac, wacky mac

Pour gravy mix and seasonings in a plastic zipper bag. Add chips and pasta. Attach instructions.

Add bag contents, and 7 cups water; bring to a boil. Add one can of chili with beans, or 1/2 pound ground beef.

Stir in 15 ounce can corn and 16 ounce can chopped tomatoes.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes.

Garnish with tortilla chips and cheese.
Serves 8

The fabulous family photo

A big thank you to my wonderful sister Amy, the photographer, who always plans a family picture every spring. If someone (Tiff) would stop getting pregnant every year, we wouldn't need an updated picture every year! Just kidding, I love getting an updated picture every year. It's fun to see our family grow, and how much the kids have changed. Thank you sister for your thoughtfulness, and photo shop ability (I'm not saying how many heads were switched, or who they were!).

Mothers Day Poem

My kids made me some great presents at school. I have to share the poem that Nate wrote!

My Mom

My mom is always making me feel better when I am sick
My mom is always pretty and nice, and that's the truth
My mom is always doing baskets for the teachers on half days
But my mom is never making me eat yucky food.

My mom is always wearing a bandanna when we go camping
My mom is always making the best cookies in the world
My mom is always making the best brownies in the world
But my mom is never forgetting to plant food in the garden.

My mom is always getting me good toys for me for my B-day
My mom is always the best mom in the world
My mom is always nice to Lily and me
But my mom is never mean to me and Lily.

Happy Mothers Day 2009
Love, Nate

Happy Mother's Day

Left to right-
Mom, me, Marty, Rob, Tiff, and Amy Jo

I have the best Mom in the world. Don't even try to fight me on this, I will win! Mom had 4 kids in 5 years (crazy). I can't even imagine how hard that was, in the days before disposable diapers! She made dinner almost every night, and almost always had cookies on hand (hmmm, wonder where I get that from?). She was cook, chauffeur and bottle washer, and worked on and off the farm. She was the cool Mom that went on field trips and all of our friends loved her. When I was in high school one of my favorite things to do was host breakfast. On special occasions like a birthday or Pajama day at school, Mom would get up early and cook breakfast for me and my friends. She would spend a couple of hours in her bathrobe flipping pancakes for hungry teenagers. For my sweet 16th birthday, Mom piled the van full of my friends and we went dessert hopping. We hit 4 different restaurants and only had dessert. Today, Mom is the most supportive of me going back to college. She watches Lily for me on Tuesdays so that I can go to class. She's up for a game of battleship or a tea party any day. I would be lost without her support, advice and friendship. I love you Mom, you are the best! Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom!

Birthday Surprises and Toilet!

My wonderful friend who shall remain unnamed, turns 40 today. Last night a bunch of us surprised her with a party, then I stole her to go play poker at a girls night. I have to say that I am horrible at keeping a secret because I'm a bad liar. I think I did pretty good, even when the birthday girl called me two hours before the party to whine and complain that nobody was doing anything for her birthday. He he he. I did have part in a fun joke that we played on her. I did not do it alone, so I can't be the only one blamed! Last night during the party a toilet with a fountain in it just happened to show up on the birthday girl's front porch. I think it would make a great goat water trough since her goats keep showing up on her front porch. She has already threatened to bring it back to my house. I think a new war has started.....he he he he.

Someone is turning 40.......

Someone I know is going to be 40 tomorrow. I can't say who, and I won't name names. Can you guess who it is? Who could it be? I won't tell! I'll give you a clue, it' not baby Drew.

Pictures for Art Class

I wrote a post for my Art class and it would help for them to see the visual of what I am talking about. So please don't judge me by the look of my office. My point in this post was to show that I need an office makeover.......I'm sure you'll agree!

Fiesta!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This week is teacher appreciation week, and our PTO is doing something for the staff every day this week. Being today is Cinco de Mayo, (and I can't pass up a theme) I was put in charge of today. I filled my roaster with Chicken Ole and had others bring chips, salsa and cornbread. In the hope that this inspires you to make something festive tonight, here is my simple recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken Ole

4 chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa
1 can corn
1 can black beans

Place chicken in the bottom of a crock pot, place everything else on top. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Top with cheese, or shred chicken and place it all in a tortilla.

A Good Night's Sleep

Lily and I had this conversation the other day.

Lily: Mommy, when Nate is in 4th grade and I am in 1st grade, can we walk to school by ourselves?

Me: I'll think about it, why?

Lily: Because then you can get a Sleep Number bed and get a good night's sleep.

Me: Kid, you are cut off from TV, you are quoting commercials!

So, in Lily's mind, if she and Nate could walk to school together, Mommy could sleep in, hence the good nights sleep.

The War Continues......

My friend Tracie's husband Gordon and I have a little war going on. It's been awhile since we have had an action in this war, but I knew the war was not over. It started a few years back at a party I hosted (YES, I host a LOT of parties!). After everyone left, I walked into my bathroom to find everything re-arranged. Toothpaste was in the windowsill, towels in the bathtub, and mouthwash in the closet. I figured out that Gordon had done this. For the next year, every party that Gordon attended, he always messed up the bathroom before he left. So......when he and Tracie went on vacation, they asked Dan to feed the animals, and left us with a house key. He he he he.(Insert evil laugh here) Dan helped me put maxi pads in Gordon's underwear and tampons in his coat pockets. For some reason Gordon and Tracie have never given us a key to their house since.....wonder why? After that Gordon didn't mess with my bathroom.....until tonight. As soon as the last person was out the door, I told the kids to get jammies on and brush their teeth. Nate hollered from the bathroom that he couldn't find his toothbrush. I knew instantly that Gordon had attacked the bathroom again. We found the toothbrushes on top of the vanity mirrors. The best one tonight was the Reader's Digest was under the trash can. Good one Gordon. But we warned, the war is back on!!!!

Happy Birthday Lily

Today is my baby girl's 6th birthday. How did time fly so fast! She is super excited for her birthday party today, and so far we have only popped one balloon! Here's a picture of the birthday girl at her ballet recital in March. Happy Birthday Lily bug!

One Week Left until Mother's Day!

Just a reminder (mainly for the men) that Mother's Day is a week from tomorrow. If you are still looking for a gift, click HERE to see my Scentsy special.

I had asked for Mother's Day that my husband pay someone to come clean out my fridge (it was nasty!). My sister in law Tiffani got wind of this and decided to repay some favors by cleaning the fridge. Tiffani you rock! So here's the question, do you think that Dan should still get me a Mother's Day present?

Grandpa's Rolling Pins

I have a very talented Grandpa who has made me numerous beautiful works of wood. Here are the rolling pins he made, and the special rolling pin rack to display them.

Toothpaste stockpile

Today I had to buy toothpaste, and it's only May 1st. Why is this such a shocking thing you ask? Well, every Christmas we get "stockings" from both my Dad and Step-Mom and my Mom. They like to fill these stockings with practical items, and we tend to get multiple tubes of toothpaste. I love that for months after Christmas, I don't have to buy toothpaste. So we finally ran out of the toothpaste stockpile, and I had to buy toothpaste. All I can say is I can't wait until next Christmas!