One Big Step Closer Part Two

Time to get cooking! I want to try out my main dish

recipe and in order to do that I put on my apron.

My friend Kendra made this for me for my 40th.

She's smart, she put a little homage to my blog on the front.

And she's super talented. This apron is even reversible...

see, told you she's smart!

I told her she should call them Wonder Aprons,

they make a girl look busty. I mean look.

Now to the cooking.

I have chicken marinating in buttermilk and hot sauce.

The printer ink is out, so I use my laptop to see the recipe.

Time to get the dredge ready...

Lunch break... while the chicken bakes.

Yumm... veggies on focaccia bread, to die for!

Oven-fried Chicken! Not sure Aibileen and Minny would

agree, but I really can't imagine using Crisco like they do.

Main dish - Check!

One Big Step Closer

Knowing the Oscars are coming, I came home this morning saying Today is the day I highlight my hair. Tennison's response, "No, it looks good like that." Thanks Lumpy, but a girl knows when she needs to highlight!

I'm going out on a limb and documenting this experience. Here we go!

It all starts here. A $10 kit, who can beat that?

Actually I can, this one was free! I called Clairol to tell them

I had purchased yet another kit without all the "ingredients"...

coupon for a free kit came in the mail.

The panic sets in, the fear levels rise with each ticking minute,

and as I feel the burn (literally) I wonder what it will look like

when the towel comes off. Maybe Oscar will give me good vibes.

Don't panic! I'm not panicking...

The cap comes off, I wash my hair, and fearfully look in the

mirror at the finished product. Phew, no burn marks or stripes.

Thanks Oscar!

Yes!! I can go out in public later!

Now that the locks are done I can go work on part two of this blog.

You've been taking pictures of yourself, running around with a plastic

bag on your head, and talking to yourself. What is up?

... says the dog who thinks I'm nuts.

Oscar Countdown

10 days and counting until our 18th Annual Academy Awards Party. It was time to take down Valentine's Day...

And time to shift into Oscar mode...

I've decided the Oscar needs to be near me for moral support these last 10 days.

I needed inspiration for my menu so I set him on the cookbook!

Last week something came up which caused me to switch gears for our theme.

An hour later I decided some good Southern food, inspired by

best picture nominee The Help, would be awesome.

Apparently this isn't fazing Moka. She wonders why I scurry around.

Stay tuned!





Bragging Rights

Scott and I have never really made a big deal out of Valentine's Day. We did have a Valentine's dinner snafu once while we were both working. We made a crock pot recipe that had noodles cooking in it all day... disgusting. The runniest looking noodles you've ever did see. What is a young couple to do, on the day set aside for love, when all of the restaurants are booked? I can't remember.

We have planned two Valentine's parties. A couple years ago we hosted a couples dinner party and played the Not-So-Newly-Wed Game... we created some questions and learned a lot about our friends. And might I add there were 2 babies born approximately 9 months from that night. Just sayin'! This year we hosted another party with some of our favorite couples - lunch at our house and then went to see The Vow, a nice romantic movie for Valentine's.

This morning, on Valentine's Day, I woke up very bleary-eyed to this...

Once I got my contacts in I saw how amazing it all really was.

Because of this, I feel like I have bragging rights. Scott gets major great husband points for this. I have always said that for me, flowers are kind of a waste of money because they die. These are not real, but real amazing! They show me real love because he chose exactly what I like. The perfect colors and style. He knows me. He keeps notes about what I like. He's a catch that guy!

Oh, downstairs there was one more vase full...

He is my Valentine forever!

Because I LOVE HIM THE MOSTEST!

Paris Chick Unplugged

I think I have mentioned in the past that I believe one of the "duties as assigned" for a mom is to help your kids find their passion. Not my passion, their passion. Reagan had to play an instrument in 6th & 7th grade, she played the viola. The day she could stop was they day she was ready to turn it in for good. I mentioned, "How about the guitar?" When we went to the music store and saw her sit on that stool with a guitar, it was natural. The way she sat, the way she held the instrument, the look on her face. She now takes guitar lessons and seems to really be enjoying it. She took this picture of herself on her iPod. I said it looked like her first album cover. I melts me.

Exercise in character

One of my most favorite ways to exercise is with the fit ball. I have a Pilate's DVD that is so great using the fit ball!!

This is mine, love it. Tennison uses it to play on.

I'm just waiting for the day he pops it.

Here is something I don't use often, but freely admit I own. I'll give you a high five the next time I see you if you can name it in under 5 seconds.

 

Does this help you? 

You got it!! The Thigh Master... even Moka is running from it.

There are other styles of exercise too. Like an exercise in humility. An exercise in gratefulness. An exercise in honesty and generosity. An exercise in just about anything that helps build your character. Today I had an exercise in patience. Here is why...

In this mornings rush it was only 1 egg on the floor.

I had to just keep telling myself... just one of 8 eggs.

Then it was the dough rising in the fridge overnight. It wanted out!

Then it came again. I had to have one of my teeth redone today. I hope you moaned on my behalf. As I was getting situated I asked for the headphones. "Oh, the TV isn't working." Huh? "We can try to get a radio station on the headphones." No can do. Shoot me now. Patience.

My biggest exercise was in forgiveness. As I said mean, mean things in my head about my dentist last week, I realized he is human. He didn't mean to mess up the tooth, he didn't mean for me to come back, he isn't mean... like I thought he was. So in my head I forgave him and decided to let it go. Exercise can be a real pain.

I leave you with a little something from Queen Latifah: "The reality is, I like imperfection. You take away from the world when you're not yourself. Whatever is unique and special about you was designed by God. And when you try to be someone else, we don't get you. Who knows what you would have contributed to the world had you just been yourself, if you just celebrated who you are and just walked boldly?"

Keep exercising in all different ways

 to become the You God wants you to be.

New Years Time Capsule

We started a super fun tradition New Year's Eve 2005 when we hosted a party with a group of families. We gave each family a shirt box to decorate with stickers and markers... their Time Capsule for 2006.

We still use the same box and keep each year's capsule items in it.

We handed out sheets of paper for the kids to work on. The current year was at the top followed by fill-ins to complete about the year. It started with their age, height, & hair color. Then it went on to their favorite food, candy, animal, sport and so on. The questions have evolved over the years, but one thing has never changed, a square for them to draw their self-portrait. We have had more laughs at how the kids drew themselves. Here is a sampling:

Every year Reagan puts a disclaimer by her portrait about her drawing abilities...

and every year she says she wants to be able to fly in the next year.

I'm so glad Whitney let me post this drawing. This picture makes us laugh every year. She'll be the first to admit she looks like a puppy in her drawing.

How cute is that?

Tennison's drawing that same year.

Looks like we have a puppy and an alien.

There is also a sheet to fill out as a family, we call it Family Dreams. These are items we hope to accomplish in the new year. The year before last Tennison's dream was "Fresno". We all cracked up because he was referring to the movie Monsters vs. Aliens when the man said they were moving to Fresno. Surprisingly enough we got close, we went to Los Angeles and did our big Disneyland trip! I put World (Family) Peace... who doesn't want their kids to get along?

We've started to include that year's Christmas picture in an envelope with the year marked on it. That way we can see what we really looked like! I store the time capsule with my Christmas decorations so it comes up from the basement in time for New Years.

Here is what the time capsule sheets included this year:

· I am ________ years old.

· I am ________ tall.

· I have ________ hair.

· My favorite color is

· My favorite food is

· My favorite sport is ____ because

· My favorite teacher this year is ____ and my favorite subject is

· One of my favorite things to do with my sisters & brother is

· The most fun thing about summer was

· In the winter I like to

· My favorite movie is

· My favorite game to play is

· My favorite thing to do outside is

· My best friend is ____, I like to________ with him.

· One thing I remember about my birthday this year

· I like to _______ with my dad.

· I like to _______ with my mom.

· When I am alone I like to

· I wish I could

· Next year I want to learn how to

· My favorite Christmas gift this year was

· My favorite thing to do over Christmas break was

You can always start a time capsule anytime you want, like the beginning of the school year (I started the girls doing them in middle school). They are so fun to look back on and this year we are starting something new. We are going to make a copy of the Family Dreams to keep our sights on some things... like climbing Horsetooth once and for all! World Peace will have to come another year!