bowling for wednesdays

Nice squishy hug of a picture:

Every Wednesday, during the winter at least, a bunch of friends of mine on base with young children get together for lunch at the bowling alley + a couple games for each "meal" purchased. It's a pretty fun deal! However, this last wednesday we showed up to all the bowling lanes being maintained, so we were only able to eat lunch, but to make it even better I let the kids each get their own root beer (not the norm at our house, as it affects their behavior and hyper-ability instantly!). They filled up pretty quick with all that fizz and ate maybe half of their lunch. I couldn't expect to take them home right after that, so we headed to the gym's field house for a good run around. 

vanilla no bakes

Today I was lucky and got Mont to try a new cookie recipe with me. I woke up wanting to bake something, even if I didn't want to eat it, I just wanted to whip something up like a momma should on a cold snowy day.

Here's the recipe, as found on a pinterest link:

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter 

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla flavor pudding mix

3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes. Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy like you are a 4 year old boy! : ) "Can I have another cookie??" "Can I just have ONE more?" "Please?"

my paintings this last year

'black eyed junco" - for kids, 4x6" watercolor

"Eastern Bluebird" - for Stacey, 5x7" watercolor, gouache 

"American Goldfinch" - for Cami, 4x6" watercolor, gauche 

"Pirate Ship" - for Maxwell, 3x5" acrylic on canvas

Untitled - 3 landscapes for our kitchen, 8x10" (2), 9x12" acrylic on canvas

 "Umbrellas" - for Dodie, 5x7" watercolor

"Anne of Green Gables" - for Nova 8.5x11" watercolor, gauche 

"Seashells" - for Chelsea 4x6", watercolor, gauche 

"Anne of Green Gables" - original #2, for Lindsey 8.5x11" watercolor, gauche 

"Barn Owl" - for fun 10x14, acrylic on canvas

"Flowers" - for Sharon, 5x9" watercolor 

"Flowers 2" - for Sharon, 5x9" watercolor 

"Sacred Grove in Light" - for Leslie, 18x24" acrylic on canvas

"Hot Air Balloons" - for Darci, 8x10" acrylic on canvas 

"Hot Air Balloons 2" - for Darci, 8x10" acrylic on canvas 

 "Small Brown Owl" - for Stacey, 4x6" watercolor, gauche

"House Finch" - for Cami, 4x6" watercolor 

"Mountain Bluebird - NV" - for Kjersten, 5x7" watercolor 

"Cactus Wren - AZ" - for Kjersten, 5x7" watercolor, gauche  

"Seagull - UT" - for Kjersten, 8x10" watercolor, gauche 

Hawaiian Holiday

I should have just forgotten my camera, for all the pictures I did not take. Here are just a few: 

Bellows Air Force Station. Mont ran around at full speed through the surf for about 30 minutes; 

back and forth, back and forth, kick kick, cha cha cha. 

A lagoon or two down from ours, we were walking with the kids down to see the hammerhead sharks at the I'hilani Hotel and try the buffet at the Disney's Aulani Hotel. On the way back, to keep Mont motivated to keep moving, we had told him he could "run through the dark trees" .. and he did. The entire walk home, all three huge lagoons, he ran and ran and ran, even circled (multiple times) around  the "dark trees" - he thought it was the most adventurous thing ever. In North Dakota when it is dark, it is either snowy out, or very late in the summertime, so nighttime is always a "new" thing for him to experience when we are farther south than our current living coordinates. :) I couldn't believe his little legs had that much running power. It was hilarious!

come see the moon

The kids still love the moon with all their hearts lately, and when it rose so big and bright like this, they asked me to come see and take a picture. I love what they love, so I could hardly say no! :)

White Christmas

It's no surprise that it snows a lot here in the winter, but it's always a cute surprise for the kids when they wake up to big snowflakes falling all around. Mark was upstairs with the kids while I was getting ready for the day when he had this candid moment with the kids. I love this picture he took of Mont, arms outstretched in excitement over the snow and of the season. Wish I felt this way over the snow even after Christmas too!

Squadron Christmas Party

Emmy and Mont surprised me with their bravery every time we saw Santa, no matter where we saw Santa this year. Even here at the party they went beyond Santa and even bounced around on the bounce houses that in the past have been far too intimidating. Maybe they really are getting older and braver and stronger. I was happy they got to have so much fun. And then we got sick... I am not to the point in parenting where "I don't care if my kids get sick, let's let them have fun." When parents bring themselves or their kids who are still sick to parties, I get mad... because then it's too late and my kids have already gotten their germs. We all got sick after this party. Experiences like this make me think I will always have this mindset. And I hope I do. I can't understand the people who come around without any regard for other's health! Merry Christmas. :)

Ward Christmas Dinner

End of November I was contacted by our Bishop's wife, asking me to be in charge of decorating tables for the Ward's Christmas Dinner on December 15th after church. Of course I accepted the "challenge" but goodness, did I stress over the budget: $70 for room of about 250+ people. All through our trip to Utah, I worried about getting to stores and getting things at wholesale, and when nothing seemed to be working out, I decided to do the simple approach. 

I spent a total of $32 on: 

ribbons

cranberries

burlap 

For Free: 

pinecones from our yard (summer collection)

pine boughs cut from our huge Christmas tree!

mason jars from a friend who hadn't used them for canning this year

white butcher paper from under the church's stage, unused for a long while

I haven't mentioned the delicious pine smell! It welcomed you as soon as you opened the door to the gym.. and it was SO Christmasy. Hallelujah!

When I began laying things out on the 'demonstration table' for the people who showed up to help, I was nervous.. is this going to be enough?? is it pretty? is it nice? is it what I hoped for?? Well, they loved it right away. Oh, I was relieved! And I admitted to myself, I liked it too. 

It was simple, understated, warm, colorful, and still festive. I was approached by our Stake's First Councilor, later after the dinner was done and he had nothing but nice things to say about the table decor. I can't tell you how nice that was to hear. I have never taken on a 'job' like this! ha He and his wife had grown up in a Lutheran church, and he said that these decorations were so "classy" (he said - he is a pretty stylish guy, so I took it!), and that you could bring anyone here to the dinner and they would feel at home and welcome. I'm tooting my own horn pretty loudly, and you might be thinking these don't even look that great! Yikes! Haha So I am going to sign off and say this was a fun project, and I was happy to be the one to do this after all the stress over it in the beginning.

our little elfin friends

Before December had rolled around I had seen this blog post, and decided that this might be a fun way to bring some Christmas magic into our house for the kids. I don't hate the Elf on the Shelf, don't get me wrong, I've laughed at quite a few of the antics I've seen pictured around the internet! We actually did some of the silly ones for these three little ones. We called these three our Kindness Elves. Pretty soon though, the kids were just calling them "The Elves"

They came with a letter (that I had typed up in haste the night before), introducing themselves and delivering some "nice list" pajamas. Sorry this is the worst/best picture I took of the letter by tree light:

Every morning the kids would run upstairs to see where the Elves had moved and done during the night before. There were one or two mornings we heard them running up the stairs talking about the Elves and Mark bolted out of bed to hide them until he could stage them. Whoops!! thankfully that only happened twice, I think. ha ha!

live nativity

The two wards that meet in our building/town, every year has put on a silent live nativity.

I drove in earlier that day to set up inside for the hot cocoa that they serve when people are ready to warm up after they last more than a few minutes in these negative degrees. The volunteers are members who sign up to do 30 minute shifts in long johns and costume garb, probably wishing they were huddling next to the livestock standing by to stay warm! It is a beautiful, humbling, reverent sight to behold. We didn't stick around for it that night because we were unfortunately under the weather as it was, even without standing outside in negative temps.

While I was driving away, Brother Renfrow (I visit teach his wife, whom my children love dearly because of her chickens, turkey, other fowl and rocks) was parked outside with the stable. It was just too much; I had to snap a quick picture.

This nativity has been drawing quite a crowd from town and the surrounding areas, with even quick write ups in our local papers. Very fun to have ties to something like this.

Mommy, can I touch the moon?

Yesterday while Mark was flying, I took the kids late to the commissary (at dinner time, when it is already dark) for an emergency diaper and milk sort of run.

On the way home, while we bundled in our coats and held tight to whatever could warm our fingers, Mont and Emmy noticed the moon. Typically we are inside with lights on at this hour in the winter (and in summer they are asleep before it gets dark), so seeing the moon is always a big deal to their little selves.

Mont: "Mommy? Can I touch the moon?"
I tell him not right now, sadly, because it is so far away, and it's dinner time. But maybe he can go when he gets bigger, like Daddy. "Maybe Daddy can go with you to touch the moon. Do you want him to go with you?"
Mont: "Yes! I do want him to go with me."
"Okay, then you will have to work really hard in school and grow really big, okay?"
"Sure, I can. Why do I have to work really hard in school?"
"Because you have to be very smart to go into space. Did you know that?"
"Why do I have to be really smart, Mom?"
"There are lots of buttons in space."
...
"If you go into space you will be called an astronaut. Do you want to be an astronaut?"

.... Practiced saying it a few times. Emmy also joined in here...

"Yes, I want to be an astronaut."
Emmy: "I want to be an astronaut too!"
I asked Emmy. "You do? Emmy you are a brave girl. You want to touch the moon too?"
"Mhmm!" (that's a big yes, in Emmy-language)

We circle a LOT in conversations in the car. What came next made me smile about as big as moon is wide. Emmy told Mont again that she wanted to be an astronaut, which made Mont take over the answer side of the conversation (typically mine or Mark's role). He proceeded to tell Emmy how hard she will have to work in school to become very smart so she could go into space. I believe they have their first career goal, and my air-force-wife-heart melted and burst and got nervous and melted again.

I love these two. How much you ask? Easy. To the moon and back.

the nutcracker

If I were a bettin' woman, I would bet you that my kids love the Nutcracker Ballet more than any other children out there! But I'm not, so I won't. BUT I will say that they do, absolutely, love it. We have two Nutcracker Ballet films we watch interchangeably, and Mark's parents gave us a Nutcracker Ballet mechanical music box that the kids have been enchanted with since they were old enough to hold their heads up at Christmas. 

This year, I put it under the tree so they could enjoy it at their leisure, and it was going so often! We had to move it back to the "less exciting" spot, but they still love to watch the dancers spin to the suite.

Thank you Stacey and Marty for something so treasured!

early turkey

We flew out to Utah the week before Thanksgiving for an Early Thanksgiving, with Mark's younger brother and his sweet wife. They were reunited in October after a probably too-long 6 month deployment. They were going early for a friend's wedding, so we took advantage and went out early as well. Glad we did! It was a lot of fun, and lots of toys and laughs and wrestle matches.. Unfortunately, these are the only pictures we got. Fortunately, they are of some pretty great people. :)

Oh good, she smiled after all!! 

rake 'em up

I'm a big believer in giving little people little jobs, like putting clothes away, helping me load/unload any sort of appliance, groceries, weed pulling, etc. So when we were going a little stir crazy from the coming cold weather, we dressed up and headed outside for some good old fashion yard clean up. The kids loved it. At first.

Look at these colors! So soft and mellow compared to Summer Brilliance.

Mont telling me he was too cold to rake any longer. Oh Mont, it is going to be a hard winter for you..

But he perked up enough for another moment before getting to go inside:

Quasimodo/Emmybowdo: Bows under hats don't work all that great I'm figuring out! ha ha 

But she still had enough 'umph' to take a chance to roar back to her Montster brother:

squirrel, crocodile, skunk and ghouls

Halloween, 2013

Base trick or treating ^^ 

Squadron trick or treating ^^ 

What are the odds of two squirrels at the same party!? Granted, one has wings. Emmy still loved it. And this is about as good of a picture we ever get these days with Emmy girl; 

she hardly ever looks at the camera! 

first day of preschool

Mont has been excited to start preschool since the beginning of summer. So the morning of, he was so compliant with all of my requests/orders. haha Getting an okay picture of him was a different matter entirely. 

He doesn't wear a uniform, but I dressed him up anyway. I read somewhere a mom dresses her kids up nice every first day of school, and when her son asked "Why?" She replied, "So that your teacher will love you." I thought that was so funny I decided to do the same, so that one day when Mont asks why, I can reply with something just as fun. Even though his teacher would love him (or any student!) in mud and leaves too. She is wonderful. 

 There we go! 

Emmy was a mess all morning long without her best friend at her side. She cried the entire time, and no distraction was worthy of stopping her tears. She worried and fretted for the entire two and a half hours of preschool. She did much better the next time, when my neighbor came along as a distraction.