The Reality Sets In

Aidan and Sarah started the new school year yesterday and it was a successful day for both of them.  Aidan is now in third grade and Sarah in first grade.  This is Sarah's first year of full day school and while she was super excited about finally getting to eat in the cafeteria and ride the bus both to and from school, she was a bit apprehensive about being away from me all day, stating she would miss me.  I have a feeling she's given me no thought throughout the day yesterday or so far today.  However, here is where the reality is for her right now:  Yesterday within minutes of arriving home at almost 4:00 p.m. she asked with much dramatic flare, "Mommy, can I watch a show? Because I'm ex-haust-ed!"   Then last night at bedtime, with a school career totaling 2 years and 1 day, I heard the words I never thought I'd hear from her:

Sarah: I don't want to go to school tomorrow. (with a big tired sigh)
Me: Why not?

Sarah: It's hard work! I got all hot and tired all day. 

This is from the girl who has loved school until this point.  In pre-K and Kindergarten she would actually cry if there was a day off school or she was sick and had to miss.  I know there is a world of difference between going to Kindergarten for less than three hours and 1st grade for 6.5 hours but I don't think Sarah was quite prepared for it.  I know she will adjust, but I'm expecting a very tired girl for the next couple weeks. 

On the flip side of this...after just a day and a half, I love having two of them in school all day!  I adore all four of my children and wouldn't trade the "bustle" of having a big family for anything, but things are so much easier with only two at home--especially Katie and Jonah.  They are self proclaimed best friends and play wonderfully together.  Not to mention they are fabulous "shoppers."  Truly the worst part of summer is grocery shopping and errands in general with four kids in tow.  I would do whatever I could to avoid taking all four of them with me this summer, but for the most part, it was unavoidable.  I loathed heading out with all four of them to do my stuff...  However, both yesterday and today, Katie, Jonah and I have run errands and it's been, dare I say, blissful in comparision! 

Katie will be starting pre-K in three weeks which means it will be just Jonah and I for three mornings a week.  I wonder if we'll even know what to do with ourselves during that time?  I'm definitely looking forward to one on one time with Jonah and errands with only ONE child-I can't begin to imagine what that will be like!  

Camping!

We went on our first family camping trip this past weekend and we all had a blast!  Since we were late in making a reservation we had to just take what was available in the camp site we wanted and it couldn't have been more perfect for our family.  We had an oversized tent pad, where near the restrooms (I use that term loosely), a view of the lake and plenty of safe areas for the kids to explore. 

Jonah's favorite two things to do were play with his dump truck and sweep the rocks at our site.  He also loved watching the chipmunks eat the sunflower seeds we put out for them.

The girls fell in love with the hammock we strung between two trees.  This hammock is extra special because it is the one Jeremy's brother Andrew used on his camping trips.  All the kids had fun with the hammock but the girls spent the majority of the time on it (or fighting over it).

Aidan's favorite thing to do was wander in the trees near our campsite.  He spent most of his time wandering and having conversations with himself. 

The campfire in the evenings was of course all a big hit with all the kids, and the first night we made s'mores and the kids told "ghost" stories. The second  night we roasted hot dogs.

We attempted our hand at fishing for trout but I think our location at the lake as well as a lack of patience led to empty lines--except for Aidan.  He got a tug on his line and quickly reeled it in to find not a trout at the end but a giant crawdad (or crawfish for those of you from the south).

The kids were all major troopers through the entire weekend.  At first we heard many cries of pain as one or the other of them tripped over rocks and fell but after a few admonitions of "when you're camping you have to be tough and just get up and keep going", they all bucked up and took the scrapes and bruises like true outdoorsmen!

The one major downside of the trip was the COLD nights.  It dropped to the low 40's and silly me thought that since our sleeping bags were graded for 20-40 degree weather that we'd be just fine in normal pajammas.  We all froze the first night and had a quite a restless sleep.  The second night we bundled in sweatpants, jackets and socks and had a much better sleep. 

On the way home we stopped along part of a river that has a secluded sandy beach area.  I am truly enchanted by this area due to the mix of black and tan sand (which is the softest, finest sand I've ever felt) as well as the gorgeous views and perfect areas for wading into the river. 

On the way home we stopped at this restaurant and Jeremy was in heaven!  I dare say this was his favorite part of the whole trip!  I have to admit it was seriously good bbq-about the best I've ever had.  Too bad it's almost an hour from our house...  My nephew is attending college in the city near the restaurant so I'm sure we'll find some way to meet him there for dinner at least once or twice.

Overall the trip was considered a huge success and loved by all.  We definitely have many more camping trips in our future.  To view the rest of our camping pictures click here. 

First Family Vacation

We had a blast! This past weekend we took a trip to Colorado Springs, which is about an hour and a half away. The cabin we stayed in took closer to 2 1/2 hours to get to. It was a great cabin, tucked away in the mountains with not another sole around. The trek up the mountain to get to the cabin was a 30 minute drive up a steep, twisty, narrow (very narrow, in many places) dirt road and we had more than a couple close calls around corners with cars coming from the other direction. It was definitely an adventure just getting to and from the cabin. It was worth it though! The cabin was a perfect mix of rustic and modern and the perfect size for our family of six. 

This ladder led up to the kids sleeping loft.  The first time up and down scared Jonah immensely

but then he discovered the joy of climbing up and down and by the end of the trip declared the

ladder his favorite part of the trip.

The sunroom was the favorite hang for the kids, aside from exploring outside.

On Friday night we grilled chicken at the cabin and just hung and out explored the area. There was a little pond and stream close by.

 The cabin had two hummingbird feeders that were in constant use. We would have to fill them twice a day to keep the hummingbirds happy.  There were so many hummingbirds that they would be hovering around waiting for their turn at the feeder and fussing at others for taking too long.  When they fly right by your head they sound like Light Sabers.

On Saturday we rode the Pikes Peak Cogway up to the top of Pikes Peak. The train ride was over an hour one way and very beautiful. At the top we were allowed only 40 minutes or less due to the altitude. Unfortunately that really wasn't enough time to enjoy the views, take a bathroom break and grab a snack. Next time we will plan to drive ourselves to the top so that we can stay as long as we'd like.

Saturday evening we headed to the Flying W Ranch for a cowboy meal and show. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip for all of us. We were blessed with basically front row seats and couldn't have asked for a better experience all the way around. The "grandpa" type guy in the singing group even called Katie out from the stage, pointing out the "cute little girl over there" and waving at her and Sarah.

On Sunday we visited Seven Falls and Cave of the Winds. Seven Falls is truly spectacular in itself. But due to the high commercialization of the area it lost some of it's natural splendor. It was quite a trek up to the top using stairs but our kids were quite the troopers.

Once we climbed the 224 steps to the top of Seven Falls we took a short hike to

Midnight Falls where there was a little cave the kids could sit in.

Cave of the Winds was Aidan's favorite attraction and the other kids enjoyed it too. Unfortunately we didn't get a very good tour guide and it there were so many tours going on simultaneously that it wasn't the most enjoyable experience for Jeremy and I. We were constantly having to wait for one tour group or another to pass by or finish in one of the cave rooms before we could proceed and it was quite noisy in the cave with some many different groups in there at the same time.

Sunday evening called for major thunderstorms in the area and we debated and debated about whether to make the trek down the mountain to view fireworks. We were concerned about what the dirt road would be like traversing home in the rain. We decided to give it a try and were glad we did. The rain held off and the spot we picked to watch fireworks from turned out to be amazing. We didn't know exactly where they would be launched from and so we just picked a high point in the city of Manitou Springs, pulled off the highway and set up our chairs on the grass on the side of the road. It ended up that the fireworks were shot off literally 50 yards directly in front of us. We could see them launching them and it was quite an up close and personal (and loud) experience. It also was the easily drive home from a fireworks display we've ever experienced. The thunderstorms and hail hit at about 11:00 p.m. once we were all tucked safely in our beds at the cabin.

Monday morning we packed up and said good-by to the cabin, then headed to the Ghost Town Museum. The kids really wanted to go to this, and even though it didn't really interest Jeremy and I, we decided to oblige them. The kids did seem to enjoy it, but as we suspected it was not really worth the time and we should have skipped it all together. Afterwards we headed to Garden of the Gods and walked the trails, taking pictures and thoroughly enjoying God's amazing creativity. Then we went for a quick lunch at The Mason Jar before heading to the Garden of the Gods Trading Post, a massive souvenir shop, before heading home.

Over all it was a fantastic trip and a great experience for our first official family vacation. Jonah wins the "trooper" award. At 3 1/2, we weren't sure how well he'd do but there was hardly a complaint from his lips the entire time...the girls, however, didn't fully appreciate all of the hiking and walking involved, which I expected. Our only regret was not having more time to enjoy just hanging out at the cabin. We thought we'd scheduled in quite a bit of relaxation time but with the length of the drive and many of the attractions taking a longer amount of time that expected we had very little time at the cabin other than while we were sleeping. We will plan better for that part on our next trip!

What time is it? Summertime! Anticipation!

For those of you who don't know, the title is a quote from a song in "High School Musical 2".  My kids sing it all the time, even in the middle of winter.  It's so cute hearing Jonah say sing "anticipation"...anyway, I digress, this post is really not meant to be all about the song...

Today is the last day of school and I have to say I'm super excited for the summer.  I love not having a set routine, I love not having to drive back and forth to school at the same time every day, I love watching my kids play together.  They are finally at great ages to actually play all together now and I love seeing what the four of them come up with. 

Last Friday there were several happenings at their school.  The school was celebrating it's 10th anniversary which included a pep rally and Aidan received a "Pride" award for the second year in a row.  For a description of the award, check here. We are so proud of Aidan's excellence in school!

The kindergarten classes hosted a "Teddy Bear Picnic" which consisted of a concert and cookies outside.  I was really impressed with the kindergartners music skills, they truly sounded and looked great.  The music teacher gets an A+ from me!  Sarah was adorable when doing the motions.  Jeremy was unable to attend due to work and it makes me really regret that we've never invested in a camcorder. 

This was a demonstration of their mad faces

She worked so hard to mimic the teacher's exact expressions!

At the end of the day the PTA hosted a free ice cream social in honor of the end of the year as well as the 10th Anniversary.

And now I say: bring on the hot weather, swim lessons, baseball tournament, park days and lazy days!

Hoping to motivate...

myself...

In the past 2 1/2 years since moving to Colorado I have lost 75 lbs.  I still have about 20 lbs to go and since last July I have lost nothing and in fact over the past two months I have gained several pounds back, which is definitely not the direction I want to be going.  I'm blaming the gain on stress and while I'm still very stressed out about Jeremy's job situation I know I can't let that sink me back into body I had two years ago--I don't plan to ever be that heavy again!   I'll admit I haven't really done anything drastic in the past nine months to try to loose this last 20 lbs, but now I'd really like it gone in time for summer clothing-which around here is not until the end of May.  This morning I started back up with my Jillian Michaels workout and I'm hoping that will help me to get my eating back on track.  I figure by putting it out here for the "world" to see, I will have to follow through or it will be very obvious that I haven't!

Here are some pictures to show my progress.  Hopefully this May I'll have a new one to add!
 May 2007                        May 2008                         May 2009

Feel free to share any weight loss success stories or tips with me!  I would love to know what actually works for others!

A Mama's Pride!

Yesterday Jeremy and I had the privilege of attendning an all-school assembly to watch Sarah receive a Coyote P.R.I.D.E. award.  It's basically like a Student of the Year award.  Each teacher picks two students from their class to receive it.  Aidan received this same award last year.  Coyote PRIDE is the school motto and stands for P-Positve, R-Responsible, I-Inclusive, D-Dependable and E-Engaged.  Here is what her teacher wrote on her nomination form:

"Sarah is one of the most positive students you will ever meet.  She is positive about her work and her friends.  She comes in with a smile on her face and it is contagious!"

Way to go Sarah---we are so proud of you!

Unfortunately, we didn't have the best view from where we were at.

I also have to share a moment of pride in Aidan as well.  On February 12th he decided on his own to start reading the Bible from the beginning.  He has read like crazy every day and updates me with his progress.  I'm sure he doesn't understand every single thing he reads and there were a few times he asked me what something means but he's very determined to work is way through.  Last night he completed the book of Genesis--we are talking 50 chapters in 34 days!  Amazing!  How many of us adults struggle to read even one chapter a day?  He is excted to get started on Exodus tonight!

And now I leave you with a view of our St. Patrick's Day supper: 

I could make a pun about "going green", since that's what we all did the next day

 but that wouldn't be very classy... =)

A-lo-ha!

I know what you are thinking based on my title but no, we are not going to Hawaii...maybe someday in the far off future though!

About a year and a half ago I had Hawaiian BBQ for the first time at a catered dinner theater my nephew starred in.  It was sooo good!  Little did I know at the time that it would become one of my cravings. Unfortunately the restaurant it came from is quite a distance from our house.  I don't crave it often--maybe every 3-4 months--but when it hits, it doesn't go away until I get some.  About a year ago we found a restaurant, Rumbi Island Grill, about 15 minutes away that meets my need. The only thing I ever get is the Luau Pork Plate. Jeremy has tried various things there and has not been that impressed but he's never tried the Luau Pork Plate.   Early last week Jeremy showed me a coupon for a different Hawaiian BBQ restaurant about 25 minutes from us and that was all it took to set off my craving.  I thought about it all week and decided that rather than head to the restaurant I would try to make my own at home, hoping for half-way decent results.  It turned out fabulous!  And it was easy!  Jeremy also thought it was amazing and said I should definitely make it again.  All the kids liked it too.

I searched on the internet and pulled recipes from various places.  I adjusted the sauce recipe to my taste and made up my own recipe for the rice.  So, here they are.  These recipes fed 3 adults and 4 children with enough leftovers to have another complete meal.  I wanted this for our Sunday lunch, so I put the pork in the crock pot around 4 pm on Saturday (to be done around noon on Sunday), made the sauce and rice Saturday evening and then reheated it on Sunday when we got home from church.

Kalua Pork
2 1/2 lb pork roast (can be pork butt, pork loin or whatever is cheapest at the time)
3/4 Tbs Sea Salt (called for Hawaiian Sea Salt but I didn't have any on hand so I used what I did have)
1/2 Tbs Liquid Smoke

Place pork in crock pot. Pierce all over with a fork, rub with salt and then with Liquid Smoke.  Cook on low for 16-20 hours.   Shred with forks and mix in sauce to taste, let heat through.

Hawaiian BBQ Sauce (this is tripled from the orginal)
1 C Pineapple Juice
3/4-1 C Teriyaki Sauce
2/3 C Ketchup
2-3 Garlic Cloves
3-4 Tbs Brown Sugar
3 Tbs fresh ginger, minced

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan, except ginger.  Bring to a boil, let boil for 10 minutes.  Stir in ginger and remove from heat.  I strained the garlic and ginger out just before pouring it over the pork.

Coconut Rice
2 C uncooked brown rice
3/4 C coconut milk
1 1/4 C water
pinch of salt

Bring water and coconut milk to boil, stir in rice.  Simmer for 45-50 minutes.  Rice may be a bit "gooey", if so you can saute it in a skillet for a few minutes to evaporate some of the stickiness. (I made it Sat. night and we reheated in a skillet on Sunday and it was perfect.)

Other needed Ingredients:
Crushed Pineapple
2 cans of Red Beans

Serve Kalua Pork, red beans and pineapple over rice.  Traditionally Macaroni salad and Asian Slaw are served with this.  I bought some Macaroni Salad at the deli to go with it, but really just the pork and rice are enough to make me happy.  We also ate Kings Hawaiian rolls with ours.  And we topped the meal off with a mixture of Pineapple Juice and Sprite to drink.  I wish I'd taken a picture of it.  Perhaps I will take on when we have leftovers and then post it here.

I "aloha" Hawaiian BBQ and I'm so happy to be able to satisfy my craving at home! 

Tonight we are having homemade Gumbo in honor of the Saints win yesterday---Yum-o!

The Ulitimate Wish List

Jonah will turn three on January 30th.  The other day I asked him what he'd like for his birthday and this is exactly what he told me:
Shoes for my feet

A Car that goes by itself

Chocolate Ice Cream in a cone I can eat

and red bows on everything.

Out of the mouths of babes

The other night the kids and I were cleaning up their toys in preparation for a family game night.  Sarah wasn't doing her share.  I said she wouldn't be allowed to play games if she didn't do her part in the cleaning.  Here is the conversation that followed:
Aidan (8): Yeah Sarah, you'll be forbidden from playing games.
Sarah (6):  Well, it doesn't matter.  Wait, what is forbidden?
Me: What do you think it means?
Sarah: I don't know!
Katie (4): It means not allowed!
10 points to the four year old for her vocab skills!

Later that same night as the kids were brushing teeth:
Sarah: Oh great honorable Mother?
Me: Yes, my dear.
Sarah: Wait, what does that mean?
Me: Highly honored and respected.
Sarah: Oh, never mind then.  I'll just call you Mommy.

On a more poignant note...
Today in the car we were listening to a song about heaven.
Katie: I want to die right now!
Me: Why?
Katie: Because I want to be with Papa Terry, I just miss him so much!
Me: Well, it would be wonderful to be with Papa Terry but if you went to heaven right now I would really miss you. 
Katie:  Why did Papa Terry die? (this has been addressed multiple times before but she's still trying to figure it all out)
Me: He got very, very, very sick and the doctors couldn't make him better.  So, God choose to take him to heaven.
Jonah: Yeah, and Papa Terry opened his eyes and he was better! (Jonah will turn 3 in a couple weeks.)

I cried the rest of the way home...I love the view from a child's eyes.