November's Ten Things

Another month has flown by.  This one was full of gratitude for things big and small.  Here are:




1.  Playing in the Fall leaves

 2.  Making sugar cookies

 3.  Getting our family picture taken by my uncle!  I'll post them tomorrow . . .

4.  Celebrating my 7th Anniversary with Todd - well okay, you get a sneak peak after all, my uncle took this picture too:

 5.  Having a warm home with a heater that works well.  I smile about that every single cold day.

6.  Enjoying Thanksgiving with family and good food

7.  Going to the Aquarium - here is a salamander

 8.  Decorating for Christmas

9.  Singing in the Assembly Hall

10.  Playing in the snow

It's Beginning . . .

There is even more snow than this now:

 Over a foot and a half, I think!  Shoveling my driveway is on the to-do list today . . .

Meanwhile, I'm starting to get excited about making things with these fabrics.  I have to be good though, and finish three more sewing projects first!  Only three!  I'm ahead of last year.

 We are also enjoying our tree!  I bought a lot of new ornaments after Christmas last year, so it was fun to decorate the tree this year with all the new pretty things.

Yes, I do believe it's beginning to look a lot . . .

Grati-turkey

It's become a tradition for us to do a Grati-turkey.  We took turns saying what we are grateful for and putting the things on the turkey's feathers.  Ethan wasn't ready to be done when the feathers ran out, so we just kept on going!  I bet you can't guess who is grateful for "pink princesses"?  And how about "letters, so we can spell words".  Home, family, and the church are among the others, but it may not be quite as clear who picked those ones.   

 Ethan has also been having fun making a lot of Thanksgiving projects.  You can thank blogger for the sideways picture . . .

When I think about the things I am grateful for, I could make a list that never ends.  My husband, my children, my faith, my health.  But here are a few random ones I've been grateful for lately:  My four inch thick memory foam bed topper.  It's as good as sleep syrup!  Singing in a choir.  My dishwasher.  Fur-lined mittens.  Hearing Ethan laugh at movies.  Watching Ethan give Madeline hugs.  Hot chocolate with a giant marshmallow.  Paper snowflakes.  Crayons.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Picture Catch Up

Here are just a few pictures I've been wanting to post for a while.  It's easy to get behind when you take as many as I do . . .

I just thought Madeline looked cute in this one.  She's helping me make frosting for the sugar cookies in the background.  These cookies were pumpkins, but in a week or two we'll be doing the Christmas tree version!

 What a surprise to wake up Sunday morning to a foot of snow.  Todd shoveled for a while, then I went out and took over, then he came back out and finished.  We need two shovels . . . oh wait, how about a snow blower!

 But actually, I LOVED being out there.  I loved the cold morning, the birds swooping around, the sound of crunching snow.  I've always liked to shovel snow - don't know why.  I get worn out though, before the job is done.

 I was thrilled to get this perfect coat for Madeline.  A hand-me down I couldn't say no to!!!

 And of course, Ethan LOVED playing in the snow.  Once again we find his snow boots too small . . . hence the super tall socks over the pants.  Oh well, he thought it was perfect!

For Todd

I remember the first time I saw you. It wasn’t love at first sight, but I had a feeling I’d like getting to know you and your roommates.

I remember the first time you kissed me. Not the time I ducked (though I remember that too!) but the time I let you and wanted you to. Out in the parking lot of my condo near the balcony where the guys would play “Kiss the Girl” on their guitar.

I remember the night you proposed. Walking through gardens, candlelight dinner, and a ring I thought was more beautiful than any in the world.

I remember the look in your eyes as we sat in the temple, waiting to be married. I’ll never forget that.

But what I don’t remember well is life without you. Who was I? Well, I know I was me. I still am. I will always be just me. But I do know that I’m better too. And that makes me smile.

Happy 7th Anniversary Todd. I love you.

Christmas Concerts

I have had to most wonderful time singing in the Sounds of the Seasons Choir, and now it's almost time for the concerts! 

You should come if you live close by.  It is free and it is going to be wonderful!  The choir is around 130 voices, with an orchestra.  I might be a tad biased, but I think we sound great.  We are singing awesome songs and it's really going to enhance the season - at least for me!

We also have a concert in the Assembly Hall on Sunday, November 28th at 5:30.  This one will be a shortened version of the two main concerts at Bingham. 

And as a side note, I am in a small quartet for one of the songs.  I auditioned for the part awhile back and was so excited when they selected me to sing in it.

Happy Holidays!!

Shaving Cream

I have officially stopped using shaving cream. And I am oh, so happy about it. The whole shaving cream thing is a joke anyway. I always thought I was using it to protect my legs and make it easier to see where I had shaved and where I hadn’t. When my legs burned after shaving, I always thought to myself, “good thing I used shaving cream or this burn would be so much worse”. Ha! It’s all a joke.


If you use shaving cream, you should try going without it. The time saving thing is worth it alone. Mom, I always thought you were crazy to not use it, and now I know you were just smart. As moms always are!

Since I have stopped using shaving cream, I have cut my shaving time down by half. I can now save the money that the shaving cream cost. I can actually see BETTER to shave when there isn’t foam everywhere covering up the hair, and my legs burn LESS after shaving than they did with shaving cream.

What We've Been Up To

• Buying ingredients for Thanksgiving dishes
• Christmas Shopping
• Christmas sewing
• Eating breakfast under the table

• Playing Pirates
• Singing Christmas music
• Putting off the ironing

Food Pic

I made this the other day: Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil over Coconut Rice.  It was so delicious! 

Tiny Babies

Yesterday, I finished a very fun project.  And now I'm excited for Christmas.  Why?  Well, Madeline just might be getting a wooden doll house for Christmas and while it does come with little people, it doesn't include any babies.  Madeline just loves little baby dolls, and since they seemed easy enough to make, I decided to try:

 Between the pom pom hat and the ruffle bum, I think this one is my favorite:

I can't wait to give these to her next month!

Breakfast Conversation

Ethan and I enjoyed breakfast together this morning.  We usually wait for Madeline to wake up, but she's good at sleeping in like her Daddy (I often wish Ethan had also inherited such a quality), and we were hungry.  In the middle of eating, Ethan said, "Soooo . . . where's Todd?"  I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and said, "who's Todd?"  He gave the most puzzled look and said, "MOM!  Todd is your husband!"

I giggled the rest of breakfast.

Birthday Banner

I was doing fine with my lack of progress on my mile-long list of projects until November hit.  That's when I start to freak out a bit and say, "Christmas is NEXT MONTH!"  But before I can even think about Christmas, I've got my little boy's birthday.  That's why I decided to finish this before working on any more of my Christmas sewing projects:

He's excited for me to hang this up when his big day comes.  I used the Moda Spirit Charm Pack to make the pendants.  I love charm packs!

And as for today, well it just so happens to be the birthday of someone I love dearly, so I guess it was timely to finish the banner today!  Happy Birthday Nana, I love you!

Leaves

Today is perfect Fall weather, and while most of our trees are still full of green leaves, we have just enough trees that have changed colors and dropped their leaves to have a little fun.

November Recipe

Parmesan Cups with Orzo Risotto

Mark Bittman

Time:  30 minutes

2 cups good chicken or other stock

1 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup minced parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan; stir in orzo, cover, and turn the heat to medium-low.  Set a timer for 15 minutes.

Use a ¼-cup measure to make 4 rounds of Parmesan on a nonstick baking sheet.  Smooth the rounds into thin pancakes, 5-6 inches across; the thickness need not be perfectly uniform.  Place the baking sheet in the oven.

The Parmesan rounds are done when the centers darken slightly and the edges begin to brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it stand for about a minute, then carefully lift each of the rounds with a thin spatula and drape over the bottom of a narrow cup or glass to form a cup shape.  Let dry for about 5 minutes. 

The orzo is done when it is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Season it with pepper and a little salt, then stir in the parsley.  Spoon a portion of orzo into each of the Parmesan cups and serve with fish or chicken.