Hey mommas!
If you have never showshoed, you must do it. It is so much fun! Last week, I went with the second graders to Glacier National Park to go on a little nature snowshoe adventure. The weather was beautiful and not too cold which was nice. Our excursion went out of the Apgar visitor center which has little discovery hikes every Saturday~~perfect for younger kids!
Glacier is a different place in the winter. Very quiet and peaceful. It always amazes me to see Bald Eagles flying overhead here. We even see them over our house. The ranger told us that people come from all over the world to see the bald eagles in Glacier Park.
Snowshoeing is also a fun workout. Strenuous and invigorating! I absolutely loved it and can't wait to go again. I heard that the trails up at Blacktail are good so I want to check those out. Adventure is so much fun!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Top 10 Book Club Reads
Recently I started a book club. Since I am new to the area, I really didn't have close friends to ask or know a book club to join, but I have been desperate for the friendship and fun a book club provides.
I asked a few of my neighbors and a couple of ladies I had met at the kid's schools and they were excited to start one, too! Our first meeting was last week. We read The Paris Wife which is the story of Ernest and Hadley Hemingway told from Hadley's point of view. Ernest already told his story in his memoir A Moveable Feast.
There was a lot to discuss in this book. It is sad and because it is true, I think that makes it even sadder. We drank wine, we ate yummy desserts and we even held a brand new baby...Our youngest member. It was a success.
I have been in many book clubs over the years and read a lot of books. Here are my top 10 bookclub reads. These books offered a lot to discuss and provided a lot to think about as well as to learn.
TOP 10 BOOKCLUB READS~~~
The Poisonwood Bible
Ahab's Wife
Sarah's Key
Those Who Save Us
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
City of Thieves
The Other Boleyn Girl
Hunger Games
The Girl With the Pearl Earring
The Devil's Teeth
The Kite Runner
I know, I know, that is 11!...I could go on and on! If you are just starting a book club, these are good books to get you started on some great discussions though. Just grab a few friends or if you don't have friends yet, like I didn't, grab a few fun neighbors and start reading!
I asked a few of my neighbors and a couple of ladies I had met at the kid's schools and they were excited to start one, too! Our first meeting was last week. We read The Paris Wife which is the story of Ernest and Hadley Hemingway told from Hadley's point of view. Ernest already told his story in his memoir A Moveable Feast.
There was a lot to discuss in this book. It is sad and because it is true, I think that makes it even sadder. We drank wine, we ate yummy desserts and we even held a brand new baby...Our youngest member. It was a success.
I have been in many book clubs over the years and read a lot of books. Here are my top 10 bookclub reads. These books offered a lot to discuss and provided a lot to think about as well as to learn.
TOP 10 BOOKCLUB READS~~~
The Poisonwood Bible
Ahab's Wife
Sarah's Key
Those Who Save Us
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
City of Thieves
The Other Boleyn Girl
Hunger Games
The Girl With the Pearl Earring
The Devil's Teeth
The Kite Runner
I know, I know, that is 11!...I could go on and on! If you are just starting a book club, these are good books to get you started on some great discussions though. Just grab a few friends or if you don't have friends yet, like I didn't, grab a few fun neighbors and start reading!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Calzones
Hey mamas?! Want to be the most popular person in your house? Make these calzones. They are easy and yummy deliciousness on a plate!
Pioneer Woman has an easy pizza dough recipe. You can also use your favorite bread dough recipe, ready made store bought dough, you can even buy dough from your local pizza place.
Roll out a ball of dough and spread with sauce. Place pepperoni and cheese on the bottom half and fold over. Crimp edges with a fork and brush with olive oil. Bake at 425 for about 10 minutes. These freeze well. Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Recipes and Irony
My adventures today merely involved the kitchen. Not too adventurous, I'm afraid. But, I thought I would share the recipes anyway because they were good!
For lunch, I had this avocado chicken salad. I made it yesterday and added mustard and dill pickles because I am adventurous, remember? I let it sit (in the fridge, of course! I am not that adventurous!) and it was yummy!
I spent the morning making my family orange chicken for valentine dinner. It smells delicious. I have to admit that Panda Express would have been infinitely easier but much, much more expensive for a family this size...I made this whole meal for under 10 dollars and that includes fried rice. It would have cost me at least $40 at the panda...and some kids would have been sharing.
I have to share with you a funny, in a dark, weird, sort of head scratching way.
I went away from my family for a 9 day trip to visit my parents in another state. I took the baby with me. Greg worked at home and did my stuff while I was gone.
Greg, strangely, has NEVER read my blog. Wouldn't know the address if you asked him and is not on facebook. He doesn't know my online life or what the topic of my blog has been since 2008.
The morning after I returned from my trip. We were having a nice cup of coffee in the kitchen and he looked at me and said, "you know, I could help you with some sort of housework schedule if it would help you." HUH?
Now mamas...you know I love irony. But, honestly, that is going a little too far.
For lunch, I had this avocado chicken salad. I made it yesterday and added mustard and dill pickles because I am adventurous, remember? I let it sit (in the fridge, of course! I am not that adventurous!) and it was yummy!
I spent the morning making my family orange chicken for valentine dinner. It smells delicious. I have to admit that Panda Express would have been infinitely easier but much, much more expensive for a family this size...I made this whole meal for under 10 dollars and that includes fried rice. It would have cost me at least $40 at the panda...and some kids would have been sharing.
I have to share with you a funny, in a dark, weird, sort of head scratching way.
I went away from my family for a 9 day trip to visit my parents in another state. I took the baby with me. Greg worked at home and did my stuff while I was gone.
Greg, strangely, has NEVER read my blog. Wouldn't know the address if you asked him and is not on facebook. He doesn't know my online life or what the topic of my blog has been since 2008.
The morning after I returned from my trip. We were having a nice cup of coffee in the kitchen and he looked at me and said, "you know, I could help you with some sort of housework schedule if it would help you." HUH?
Now mamas...you know I love irony. But, honestly, that is going a little too far.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Starting an adventurous life.
I am not couragous or brave or very adventurous. I chalk that up to having a bunch of kids and trying to keep them alive during all of their adventures. It makes me cautious.
I don't really like that about myself. I don't want to live in fear of trying new things, adventurous things, or things that require a little bravery. I want to be an adventurous mama.
I have the perfect opportunity in my new home. Montana is the home of adventurous mamas! I want to be like that!
There are so many things to do up here that I have never tried and many things that I don't know how to do. It is never to late to learn to ski a big mountain, fly fish a roaring river, hunt an elk and learn to dress it, shoeshoe a quiet winter wilderness, ride a sled pulled by dogs, hike a glacier and so much more.
These things I am going to do. I hope you follow along!
First, I have to get in shape. I won't be going very far in this body. I have had 10 babies in the last 19 years and not done a lot of rugged, outdoors stuff. My son and I are doing p90x to get in shape so I can start climbing mountains!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A Good Man is Hard to Find.
Channeling a little Flannery O'Connor for all you nerdy English majors out there;)
Marriage is hard work, don't you think. It starts out all amazing and fun and then somewhere between diaper changes and job changes, illnesses and stress, it gets a little ugly. This man who once hung the moon for you, now wants you to move out of the way so he can watch the game. His quirky little habits, don't appear quirky anymore, just downright annoying.
These things can be bad enough, but what happens when you encounter a major bump in the road. This man lets you down and vice versa. How do you find your way back?
When we moved to California, we hit our major bump in the road. Greg loved San Francisco. He loved the city, the vibe, everything associated with it. Me? Not so much. I was out in the suburbs..an hour and half commute each way for him, which he loved. He loved riding BART to work, the uninterrupted time of peace and quiet. While he was riding a train with a good book, I was running kids to all activities and sports, juggling babies, pregnancy and dinner. When he got home around 7:00, I was at the end of my rope.
I hated the city.
So, after 14 years of relatively peaceful marriage, we were fighting. It was a few, long, hard years for us. My resentment at moving and his resentment at my unhappiness and during this time, we entered the teen years. Teens will figure out a way to get you to disagree in order to divide you and get their way. So, yet more conflict.
It took a long time for me to realize that I had to change my way of thinking. I couldn't control his actions, but I could control my reactions. It took a LOT of prayer. I did the love dare twice..the first one didn't take :) and read The 5 Languages of Love. I tried to control my tongue..this is a lifelong battle for me..I like to match wits.
These things helped but I just recently had a major turning point. I had an epiphany.
I just spent nine days alone with the baby at my parents house. I visited my grannies, aunts, uncles, cousins and sat and listened and talked without distraction. One day, I was sitting next to my uncle, listening to him talk about his wife and it struck me like a bolt out of the blue, so I knew it was God hitting me with a two by four...because that is the only way I hear him. I'm kind of dense with God. These words, "this is a good man." Lord, I knew he was not only speaking of my uncle.
"This is a good man." Certainly over the years he has annoyed, argued, and gotten on the nerves of his wife, but he is a good man. The kind of man you want by your side when you are 80 years old.
The rest of my time there I noticed my dad and his goodness. I know he and my mom had a similar issue as Greg and I had years ago...yet, he is a good man.
This epiphany changed my whole outlook on my marriage and my husband. When I got home, I found I had changed. Hopefully, I am softer around the edges and my tongue less sharp. Hopefully, I will forgive more easily and forget more often. This is the man that God gave me and he is a good man.
Marriage is hard work, don't you think. It starts out all amazing and fun and then somewhere between diaper changes and job changes, illnesses and stress, it gets a little ugly. This man who once hung the moon for you, now wants you to move out of the way so he can watch the game. His quirky little habits, don't appear quirky anymore, just downright annoying.
These things can be bad enough, but what happens when you encounter a major bump in the road. This man lets you down and vice versa. How do you find your way back?
When we moved to California, we hit our major bump in the road. Greg loved San Francisco. He loved the city, the vibe, everything associated with it. Me? Not so much. I was out in the suburbs..an hour and half commute each way for him, which he loved. He loved riding BART to work, the uninterrupted time of peace and quiet. While he was riding a train with a good book, I was running kids to all activities and sports, juggling babies, pregnancy and dinner. When he got home around 7:00, I was at the end of my rope.
I hated the city.
So, after 14 years of relatively peaceful marriage, we were fighting. It was a few, long, hard years for us. My resentment at moving and his resentment at my unhappiness and during this time, we entered the teen years. Teens will figure out a way to get you to disagree in order to divide you and get their way. So, yet more conflict.
It took a long time for me to realize that I had to change my way of thinking. I couldn't control his actions, but I could control my reactions. It took a LOT of prayer. I did the love dare twice..the first one didn't take :) and read The 5 Languages of Love. I tried to control my tongue..this is a lifelong battle for me..I like to match wits.
These things helped but I just recently had a major turning point. I had an epiphany.
I just spent nine days alone with the baby at my parents house. I visited my grannies, aunts, uncles, cousins and sat and listened and talked without distraction. One day, I was sitting next to my uncle, listening to him talk about his wife and it struck me like a bolt out of the blue, so I knew it was God hitting me with a two by four...because that is the only way I hear him. I'm kind of dense with God. These words, "this is a good man." Lord, I knew he was not only speaking of my uncle.
"This is a good man." Certainly over the years he has annoyed, argued, and gotten on the nerves of his wife, but he is a good man. The kind of man you want by your side when you are 80 years old.
The rest of my time there I noticed my dad and his goodness. I know he and my mom had a similar issue as Greg and I had years ago...yet, he is a good man.
This epiphany changed my whole outlook on my marriage and my husband. When I got home, I found I had changed. Hopefully, I am softer around the edges and my tongue less sharp. Hopefully, I will forgive more easily and forget more often. This is the man that God gave me and he is a good man.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Artisan Bread
http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-artisan-bread-325571
This morning I woke up to a roaring fire and coffee already prepared and delivered to my bed. What a beautiful way to start a morning. It is 10 degrees of cold, dark winter outside. But, inside, I am sitting by my fire with a steaming cup of coffee and my babies playing at my feet. The only thing I need is some homemade bread, toasted and spread with apricot jelly. Over the weekend I tried my hand at Artisan bread. Oh my goodness. So easy and so delicious.
I used the recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. It cost about 40 cents to make 2 loaves which would have been $5 a loaf at the bakery. Yummy deliciousness!
The rest of my day will be spent cleaning the house after a 3 day weekend. Throw in a ski trip, a Bronco game, a playdate, 2 haircuts in my shower and a baking lesson with my son..we made pies! and this house is a wreck. Have a blessed day!
This morning I woke up to a roaring fire and coffee already prepared and delivered to my bed. What a beautiful way to start a morning. It is 10 degrees of cold, dark winter outside. But, inside, I am sitting by my fire with a steaming cup of coffee and my babies playing at my feet. The only thing I need is some homemade bread, toasted and spread with apricot jelly. Over the weekend I tried my hand at Artisan bread. Oh my goodness. So easy and so delicious.
I used the recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. It cost about 40 cents to make 2 loaves which would have been $5 a loaf at the bakery. Yummy deliciousness!
The rest of my day will be spent cleaning the house after a 3 day weekend. Throw in a ski trip, a Bronco game, a playdate, 2 haircuts in my shower and a baking lesson with my son..we made pies! and this house is a wreck. Have a blessed day!
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