6 La La's

14 DAYS OF LOVE - DAY 1 OF 14

2012-02-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hanging paper heart chimes.I saw this on Dana's blog and knew it had to be our day 1 project. The wee ones love wind chimes and from our snowflake experience, I knew the best place to put these hanging heart chimes would be in front of the sliding glass door because of the floor vent. Sure enough, these heart chimes are gently blowing back and forth, mesmerizing the wee-est.

63 CANDLES WERE ON TOP OF THE CAKE,

2012-01-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

we sang Happy Birthday like only the Young/Peterson Clan can, she made a wish and blew.My brother is putting together an animated gif of the candle blowing. It's awesome, so stay tuned.

EMMA RAE

2012-01-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

gets to come home from the hospital tomorrow. She's doing awesome.Doesn't she just melt your heart?

MY FIRST SCREEN PRINT PROJECT THIS TERM

2012-01-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

I was so excited about this project. I took my favorite photo I've taken of Larry to use as inspiration. I wanted to do something different and really cool for him. I kept it a surprise and wanted to wow him with something amazing.

I decided to do shades of grey and have it be a little abstract. Seven colors and two and a half weeks of work, I completed it. It's not as I had envisioned. I'm SO disappointed.

He looks like a smiling zombie!

THE MAN CLAN MET EMMA TODAY

2012-01-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

They're smitten. Absolutely smitten.

EMMA HAS ARRIVED

2012-01-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

Here is our 4 pound 15 ounce bundle of joy!

Mom and babe are doing great. We are all so happy Emma is here!

IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY TO CELEBRATE

2012-01-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

my mom's birthday.Happy birthday Mama Nanny, we love you!

PAPER PIECING

2012-01-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

My dad and I took a quilting class today at The Purple Frog - paper piecing. It's really fun, but man, is it time consuming. It took us seven hours to do one square but it only felt like one hour.My dad made this seam ripper for me. I love it! Best one I've ever had.
Tada, here's our seven hour Ohio star square.

FLOODING IS WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING

2012-01-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

around our parts.

Bus photo from Statesman Journal

This school bus was on it's way to our middle school. Luckily, there were no injuries.

Our house is fine but we had flood waters 6 feet from our shop and that was super scary. Thankfully, the waters receded from that part of town and we didn't have to sandbag. But unfortunately, people we know are affected from this flood and it's heartbreaking to see reports on the news. Please keep everyone in your prayers!

I RAN A 10K

2012-01-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

this morning in Turner, with one of my running mates, Johanna. After the first mile it snowed on us pretty hard. It was my first run in the snow and we finished with sun. It was beautiful!Reason #7665 I love Larry. He woke up super early, on a really cold morning to drive me out to the race, stayed there to cheer me on AND, he tied my shoe for me after I removed the timing chip.

Twue wuv, I tell ya, twue wuv.

A BABY SHOWER FOR EMMA RAE

2012-01-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

I went to a cute baby shower for Sarah and Emma this afternoon. It made me even more excited for her arrival!3 1/2 weeks. But who's counting?

GHOST HUNTING

2012-01-11T12:42:00.001-08:00

Larry and I are taking a ghost hunting class and it starts tonight! I'm so excited. Other students in the class will be my sister, aunt and uncle, which will make it even more fun. Our class is an introduction to paranormal research, which includes field trips! Have I said how excited I am?!

I wonder if our team of instructors are going to be like Dr. Venkman and Dr. Stantz?

If we have have any discoveries, I'll update you. So stay tuned...

THE NO JUNK FOOD CHALLENGE

2012-01-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

A bunch of us over here in our neck of the woods are starting this challenge tomorrow. Want to do it with us? This is all you have to do for the next 21 days:So basically, nothing processed. Keep it real.

The only thing processed that will stay with me on the 21 days is my Diaya cheese, since I'm limited already.

The hardest for me, I think, will be the chips. What's your weakness?

We can do this!

WATER CANTEEN

2012-01-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Thirty-five years ago, my father-in-law, Larry Sr., (a.k.a. Grandpa Joan) purchased this canteen, in Utah, at an Army surplus store. He used it for camping, wood badge training and scouting.

Larry (a.k.a. daddy, husband and Mr. Awesome) remembers using it growing up for scouting.

Larry and Laird (a.k.a. our inspiring survivalist - Bear Grylls is his hero, besides his daddy, of course), are going to clean it up so Laird can use it.
I love that this is a third generation water canteen that will share memories of use.

PS - Overall, it is in excellent condition. They don't make things the way they used to.

HAPPINESS IS....

2012-01-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

playing with blocks until noon.I ignored all the chores and tasks waiting to be done and played with the wee-est.

We made "da toolest fortress in da whole wuld."

It could have, and should have, been a more productive day, but I wasn't in the mood. I was in the mood to play on the floor.

OUR NEW YEAR'S EVE

2012-01-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

We stayed home and had a smorgasbord of appetizers and goodies. Larry made Belgian fries - a lot of work but amazing!Steph and Miriam came over and supplied us with New Years Eve paraphernalia and Martinellis.

We watched a couple of movies while some took a few naps. We ate and ate, got sloshed on Martinellis and we tuned into Ryan Seacrest to watch the ball drop at Times Square.

Do we know how to party or what?

DETENTION OF THE DEAD

2012-01-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

The first teaser trailer from Detention of the Dead was released today! There are a few glimpses of our board in these 30 seconds. We are so excited to see more, more, more!

No doubt, I will keep you posted...

I don't know why I can't figure out how to have the video clips I post fit the sceen, so click here to see it.

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS OF 2011

2011-12-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

I love looking back at the year and seeing what was accomplished.

2011 was full of fun and joy, heartbreak and sadness, stress, a bit of the bizarre, and through it all, blessings.

In January, we celebrated the new year, I learned how to make non-dairy cheese, we celebrated mom's birthday, we took the boys sledding, we stayed the weekend at the Gescher lake house, took the boys to the bottom of Detroit Lake, celebrated Tom Selleck's birthday, and started putting in a new tub and, much to our delight, Jill and John got married.

In February, we had our second annual 14 Days of Love countdown to Valentine's Day. Some of my favorites this year were our Crush Party, when Lily got red lips and heart attacking. Deb and Kevin helped us tile our bathroom and the bathroom got mostly finished (it still isn't finished!), we made fun valentine's for school, we celebrated Grandpa Joan and Maddie's birthday and I had a weekend getaway with my Soul Sisters.

In March, Mustache March began (so sad for me), Derek and Stephanie had a birthday, our family was shocked to lose one of our family members to an untimely death, we went to see the house my mom lived in as a child and the remains of the Provo Tabernacle, Wil and Phylicia got married, we celebrated Landon's birthday, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day, I took a quilting class with my father, Steve surprised the boys with a visit and we celebrated Sarah's birthday.

In April, Stephanie and I did a U.S. and Scotland Here and There Photo Challenge, my parents moved, I took a two art classes, Larry and I avoided an accident but were run off the road, we celebrated Steve's birthday and my sister came home from Scotland, these were hand delivered and I took a flower design class.

In May, the wee ones made a backyard zipline, we had a hot dog potluck, took Lily to the coast for the first time, we took the boys to Eastern Oregon for Larry's birthday, celebrated Alivia's birthday and Landon had his first (and hopefully only) toothache.

In June, Lily met Captain, my man clan became bull frog hunters, my dad and I had another quilting class, participated in the Jeff Young Fun Run, saw my aunt and uncle on their mission, Landon graduated from Kindergarten, we had lots of outdoor summer fun, the boys invented the jump board of doom, we started working on our backyard deck and I transformed a picnic table.

In July, we went to the paddle boats, saw a diner dwelling monkey named Elvis, LongBoardLarry was in Concrete Wave's Reader's Choice Award in 4 categories, we took the older boys for a weekend trip to Southern Oregon to zipline and see the vortex, I took the wee ones to visit my brother in Seattle where we went to the zoo, played hide and seek and swam, I painted our shed door, we made a homemade slip and slide, my man clan got a little boat to help with bull frog hunting, we went to farmer's markets galore, Larry and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary, we took the boys to the beach and spent Independence Day with grandma and grandpa Joan.

In August, Larry and I went to Bend and saw Ben Harper in concert with Paul and Cassie, and we saw the Go-Go's in concert in Portland with Deb and Kevin. I took the boys headstone hunting, we took the man clan to a super cool Renaissance Faire in Washington and we met my second cousin, who is a magician.

In September, the LongBoardLarry mobile was loaded up with me, Lach and my parents. We drove to Arizona for 10 days, where we did a lot of sight seeing and some family history, including finding our family homestead and visiting Globe, where we found information about my third great-grandfather. We celebrated Lach's birthday, took the boys to the Field of Flags and celebrated Laird's birthday.
In October, I ran my first half-marathon, we had a lot of fun with autumn and Halloween celebrations, including carving pumpkins, eating a lot of theme food, taking the older boys to the Nightmare Factory, taking all the boys to a fun pumpkin patch and going trick or treating. I started taking screen printing classes and we celebrated the third year of the kidney transplant.

In November, Larry and I went whale watching with Stephanie in Anacortes, and Steve joined us on that weekend getaway. We celebrated Larry J's 16th birthday, celebrated Thanksgiving, started the 30 Days Until Christmas Countdown and we cut down our Christmas tree.

In December, we continued our Christmas Countdown, where we made gingerbread house, wrote letters to Santa, made snowflakes, made Christmas cookies and ate a lot of holiday food. We made ornaments and snowglobes and saw an incredible live nativity. We celebrated Grandma Joan's birthday, had an awesome Christmas Eve and Christmas day with our families, saw the Zoo Lights and Miriam came to help celebrate New Year's weekend.

I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to 2012 and what it has to offer.

Wishing you all the best for you and your family in 2012.

TRY A NEW THING EVERY MONTH

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

is one of the items on my new year resolution list, after I was inspired by Crystal. This is what I'll be learning to make in 2012:

January - naan

February - soap

March - moisturizing kitchen hand scrub

April - hamburger buns

May - hummus

June - a sprinkler

July - fruit leather

August - freezer jam

September - pretzels

October - bagels

November - vapor rub

December - apple butter

I love my list of resolutions this year. It's a really long list, but it is (at least it seems to be now) organized for successful completion. Believe it or not, there's even ghost hunting on it.

I'm excited for a productive 2012!

Anything fun on your list?

I PICKED UP A VISITOR

2011-12-30T22:48:00.000-08:00

from the airport last night.

Miriam wanted to surprise my sister, Stephanie, with a weekend visit. It was such a hard secret to keep AND what a fun surprise it was!After we got her luggage, we hunted Stephanie down and the surprise was awesome! Too bad I didn't get her reaction on video.

FOR SALE

2011-12-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Tough Traveler Kid Carrier - 75.00 Great condition, gently used.

For more information and more photos, check out the Craigslist page - http://salem.craigslist.org/bab/2776282595.html
Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier - 40.00 Great condition, gently used.

For more information and more photos, check out the Craigslist page - http://salem.craigslist.org/bab/2776291587.html

In Step Safari Double Jogger Stroller - 75.00 Wear shows on the handle and edge of the foot rest. Otherwise, in great condition.

For more information and more photos, check out the Craigslist - http://salem.craigslist.org/bab/2776287587.html

THE BOYS LOVED THEIR ART COMMISSIONS

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Do remember the ones I showed you for the wee ones and Lily? Click here for a looksee. I couldn't show you the older boys' before Christmas because they check out the blog. Now that Christmas has past, here are the final two.Laird being a survivalist with knife, fire and of course, bugs for a snackity snack.
Larry J with a dreamy sports car.

All five are framed and in the hanging in the boys' rooms. They are so fun and look magnifique!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S EVE?

2011-12-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

Love, love, LOVE this video chat karaoke special with Zooey Deschanel and Joe Gordon-Levitt.

Sorry, I don't know how to make it fit in the frame.

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS ANOTHER SUPER TALENTED SENORITA

2011-12-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

I have in my life.

Look at this wool bag she made me for Christmas. She is a knitter with mad skills.
I'm so happy to be the lucky recipient of this bag. I love it!

MY MOM GAVE US A FUN GIFT

2011-12-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

Pillowcases with Mr. Right and Mrs. Always Right embroidered on them.What makes these pillowcases even more awesome is that she HAND EMBROIDERED the lettering. Isn't she so good?! She loves handwork and is so good at it.

Want to see more of Grandma Amazing's handwork? Check out:

- Quilts she made our boys

- Christmas stockings for our family

MY IN-LAWS GAVE THE BEST GIFT TO THEIR CHILDREN FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

Wooden suitcases full of childhood memories.I love how the names on the suitcases resemble a combination. It was so fun to go through the papers, art and photos. The boys had a great time laughing at their dad!
A few of our boys have written very similar papers about wishing for a monkey.
Who knew Larry used to have a hut in his younger years.

But of all the writings, photos and art projects that were in the suitcase, my all time favorite was a picture Larry drew of his mother for Mother's Day. I'm framing it. LOVE IT!!

This was such an awesome gift! The smiles, laughter and memory sharing was priceless.

A YEAR OF DATES

2011-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

Some of us siblings got together and gave a year of experiences to our parents for Christmas.Some of the dates have specific dates and times - a play in January and my mom's favorite movie, West Side Story, etc... How lucky are we that it is playing at the Elsinore Theater in February?! That was an exciting purchase; nothing like old movies on the big screen. The other dates are for their favorite eateries, movie tickets, etc... Some are extravagant and some are simple, but what they love.

My sister bought the basket to contain their monthly excursions and made a really cute photo collage of the gift givers. We all brain stormed about their favorite activities and likes and then we scurried about town to pick up the gift cards.

Twelve months of paid dates for the love birds. After 43 years, I love that they still hold hands.

Our gift was inspired by Shannon at Life in General.

ZOO LIGHTS

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

at the Oregon Zoo.There are over a million lights at the zoo and they are incredibly beautiful and fun.

If you haven't gone yet, you have until January 1.

CHRISTMAS DAY

2011-12-26T00:31:00.000-08:00

we went to church, then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Joan's house. We opened presents, the cousins played, one of the highlights is always grandpa's train set, and we had a delicious Christmas lunch.

We are blessed to have such incredible family. It's been a fabulous, joyous, love filled weekend! I truly hope your Christmas weekend was amazing too.

CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-12-25T23:51:00.000-08:00

was at our lair and it was full of food on tables with wrinkly tablecloths, presents for everyone, almost all of the family in town, lots of fun noise and laughter.
The three littlest cousins were so much fun to watch open their presents, we got serenaded by carolers, ate way too much food and went to bed with smile on our faces.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 30 OF 30

2011-12-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

Carry on family traditions.My father remembers his dad making rice krispie treats with chocolate chips on Christmas Eve.
I remember making them with my father for Christmas Eve. We'd snitch them and have to make another batch.
I make them with my boys on Christmas Eve and we always do an extra batch so we can snitch.

I HAVE A FATHER CHRISTMAS MY GRANDMOTHER MADE

2011-12-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

for my dad in the 80's. To be honest, he looks a little scary and that is exactly why I like him so much. When I was six, we lived in Italy and I had a scary Santa experience and this Father Christmas reminds me of him. Here's my scary Santa. Who knew they made Santa masks? Isn't that the scariest Santa you've ever seen? Good times, good times....

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 29 OF 30

2011-12-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread houses. Actually, graham cracker, but we still call them gingerbread.The host/hostesses.
This tradition with grandpa is something the boys really look forward to every year and this is the first year they haven't done it on Christmas Eve.

Although it is so much fun doing this edible craft with all the cousins on Christmas Eve, it was a much tidier, less rushed and a calmer activity done one on one with the grandparents and individual families. It was a fun and tasty evening!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 28 OF 30

2011-12-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

Family date night.We saw Tintin. The grownups LOVE the captain and the wee ones love Snowy.

ADORNING THE TREE

2011-12-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

wasn't finished, according to the wee ones. They took it upon themselves to add some finishing touches while we were occupied with other Christmas tasks.Snowman mask and pliers. I love how the tree limb is coming through the snowman's eye!
Batman.
Bows and a lot of kindling. I love their imagination and team work and their additions will remain on the tree.

PS - there is also a green lantern mask hanging from a limb, how'd I miss that ?! So funny!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 27 OF 30

2011-12-21T19:57:00.001-08:00

Peanut butter balls - a family tradition.Lach was so proud he made "da hugest peanut buddah bawl in da wurld"

PS - Do you remember when this tradition was pranked?

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 26 OF 30

2011-12-20T22:01:00.001-08:00

Drive the neighborhoods to check out the Christmas lights.This one was our favorite houses. We'd love these many lights combined with the crazy tall Santa. Just give us a few years. Muah, ha, ha....

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 25 OF 30

2011-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas movie marathon.We watched a few of our favorites - Merry Madagascar, Christmas Vacation, Frosty the Snowman and The Polar Express.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 24 OF 30

2011-12-18T20:51:00.001-08:00

Finish decking the halls.
Christmas Eve is at our house this year and we want our little lair to feel festive, but on a shoestring budget.

We wrapped some of our hanging artwork in wrapping paper and adorned them with bows, we put our Christmas collections together to make a statement and hung snowflakes from the ceiling.

It was really fun and it's feeling very festive.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 23 OF 30

2011-12-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

We went to a live nativity.
It was a super foggy night, we had crisp winter air and saw an amazing nativity.
They had a real camel there also, his name is Nigel and he's rad! We also met a sheep named Soda Pop. It was so fun!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 22 OF 30

2011-12-16T09:28:00.001-08:00

Bake homemade gifts.

This year, my favorite item we're baking is Martha Stewart granola.
Crisp honey sweetened oats, crunchy almonds, chewy golden raisins, tart craisins and sweet blueberries covered with cold almond milk is a heavenly breakfast. We're definitely making extra for us too.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 21 OF 30

2011-12-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Read of Christ's birth.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 20 OF 30

2011-12-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Salt dough decorations.We made the dough, cut them out with cookie cutters, baked and painted some fun decorations.

Want to make your own? All you need is:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup water

Mix until it forms a dough ball. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 200 for 4 hours. Cool completely and paint.

Easy peasy and fun.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 19 OF 30

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Snowflakes.

We couldn't stop with the 3d snowflakes, so we decided to do some 2d ones to tape to the windows. We are on a snowflake making frenzy and will be stringing some up to hang from the ceiling too. Winter wonderland, I tell ya. Winter wonderland.

If you'd like to make some too, check out this great tutorial from Haley at Life Is Sweet and this one from Michelle at Vintage Junkie.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 18 OF 30

2011-12-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

Reindeer Rootbeer.When my friend, Kari, posted this idea on Facebook, I knew my man clan would love it. Who wouldn't love reindeer rootbeer?

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 17 OF 30

2011-12-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

3d snowflakes.We hung twelve and it's a little mesmerizing to watch them slowly spin.

The wee ones think our lair is turning into a winter wonderland.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 16 OF 30

2011-12-10T12:32:00.001-08:00

Homemade snow globes.Our snow globes are a Santa, snowmen, a snow sledder, Yoda, lego spaceship and Ironman. As long as you add white and/or silver glitter it's all Christmasy right?

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 15 OF 30

2011-12-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas cookies for an after school snack.Linzer Thumbprint Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

seedless jam

Heat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar and egg. Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to butter mixture. Once incorporated, roll the dough into small balls (approximately 1 tsp each). Place on a cookie sheet and use your thumb to indent the center of the ball. It helps if you flour your thumb. Fill the cookie with a bit of jam, (1/4 tsp - 1/2 tsp.)

Bake 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

Tip - don't snitch the cookies too soon, the jam is super duper hot!

IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY TO

2011-12-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

celebrate Joan's birthday.Joan is a beautiful person inside and out, kind, thoughtful, loving, incredibly fun, a wonderful mother, an amazing mother-in-law and a fabulous grandmother.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN!

WE LOVE YOU!!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 14 OF 30

2011-12-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas craft for the wee ones.The older boys and I helped the wee ones with a Christmas craft packet I picked up at the craft store. It looked cute and easy. It wasn't. I'm blaming it on the glue. It was a huge crafting fail. FAIL.

IT WAS A YAYA CHRISTMAS

2011-12-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

and a Yaya birthday last night. After an awesome dinner, we had a homemade Christmas exchange.Then Brenda had her cake and opened birthday presents. One year, six out of seven of her presents were a bottle of wine.

This year she got two aromatherapy window gardens
and two hats. It probably isn't too funny to you, but to us it was h.i.l.a.r.i.o.u.s.

Maybe you just had to be there.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 13 OF 30

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

A yummy hot chocolate bar.On the menu:

Swiss Miss

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate

whipped cream

marshmallows

snowman Peeps

candy cane stirrers

TWO MORE LIGHT STRANDS FOR THE HOUSE

2011-12-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Only 249,480 lights away from Griswold status.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 12 OF 30

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Celebrate St. Nicholas Day. We have German, French, English, Danish, Irish and Swiss ancestors, so we have decided to pass down the tradition of celebrating St. Nicholas Day.

The boys leave their shoes by the fireplace on the evening of the 5th, and when they wake up, they are filled with simple edible gifts, like oranges, nuts and chocolates.

WHILE MOST OF THE MAN CLAN WERE NESTLED SNUG IN THEIR SCHOOL CHAIRS,

2011-12-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

the wee-est and I went to Grandpa's to carry on the tradition of decorating his "breakable - no touch" tree.
Lach's favorite part of the afternoon? Stacking the empty ornament boxes.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 11 OF 30

2011-12-05T09:01:00.001-08:00

Homemade pumpkin pie. A man clan favorite. This vegan pumpkin pie is delicious - you won't miss the dairy or eggs.

Pumpkin pie with Coconut Cream Whip

Prepare your favorite pie crust.

Filling:

2 cups puree pumpkin

1 cup full fat coconut milk

3/4 cup sugar

3 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp cinnamon

Pour into prepared, unbaked, crust and bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

It will be a little wiggly when you take it out. Let it sit until cool and then refrigerate. We had ours within 3 hours of baking and it held up fine and was delicious. It was even better the next day.

Coconut Cream Whip:

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled

sugar to taste

1 tsp vanilla

Whip coconut milk until fluffy, add sugar and vanilla and beat until it's thick.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 10 OF 30

2011-12-04T00:01:00.001-08:00

Make and decorate cookies.It was a delicious activity but it gave two of our man clan tummy aches.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 9 OF 30

2011-12-03T12:10:00.001-08:00

Remember the season is really about Jesus Christ.We took the boys to the Community Nativity Festival to see hundreds of nativities from all over the world. Absolutely beautiful nativities ranging from hand carved to glass to lego and even a chocolate nativity.
There were scenes from Jesus' life and a choir from a local school.
The children's area was amazing. They had the town of Nazareth set up with costumes for the kids, with a wheat tent to play in (Mary's kitchen), Joseph's workshop and a craft area.
A shepherd was there telling the story about the night the shepherds saw an angel.
It was such a great family evening out. If you're local, you still have time to go. Today is the last day and they will be open 1-7. Click here for directions.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 8 OF 30

2011-12-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Have a winter picnic. We spread a large blanket on the floor and had dinner while we watched Elf. For dessert, we ate red Mother Goose popcorn.

THE LADY OF THE LAIR

2011-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Lily was my five color project.This snapshot was my inspiration.
I'm an extra credit type of gal, so I did two backgrounds. This has definitely been my favorite screen print of the term.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 7 OF 30

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Write letters to Santa.After the wish lists were written, we put them in the fireplace so that the draft would carry the letters straight to Santa.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 6 OF 30

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hanging a fresh Christmas wreath on the front door.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 5 OF 30

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Spread some cheer.For family night, we decided to do a random act of kindness. We bought balloons, latex free of course, and headed down to the hospital.

When we got there, we picked a floor and got in the elevator. We found a nurse and asked her if she had any patients that could use a random balloon delivery. She told us to head up to the next floor and gave us a room number.

As we were waiting for the elevator, a man came up to us and said, "Wow, someone is going to get a lot of love!" I thought he was a doctor but he ended up being one of the chaplains. We asked him if he knew of anyone who could use a balloon delivery because we had three more rooms to find. He asked us where we were headed. We told him the room number and he said, "that was the room I was going to tell you to go!"

The nurses on that floor told us other rooms that they thought could use a balloon delivery. One of my favorite deliveries was the last room we went to. The man was asleep, so I tied the balloons to his bed tray. He woke up as we were leaving and was so confused why we were there. He finally said, "Who do you think I am?" I told him, "I have no idea." The confusion was replaced with a smile and a choked up thank you.

It was such a fun and special evening. Definitely one of my favorite family nights.

I COMMISSIONED ARTWORK FROM MY SISTER

2011-11-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

and am so excited! Three of the five are done. I won't post the other two until after Christmas because my older boys check this bloggity blog.Landon loves all things Luigi.
Lach wanted to be Superman with laser eyes.
And of course, our cute pup with her heart shaped nose. I'm so excited to get them framed for Christmas.

If you want some original art work for a present, especially for the people on your list who have everything, you should contact my sister and have her create something wonderful.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 4 OF 30

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Bring out our inner Griswold.Right now it's tame, but we still have plenty of time to go overboard. Muah-ha-ha.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 3 OF 30

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Find the perfect Christmas tree.
Usually the cutting down tradition is that the boys start and daddy finishes, but this year Laird had the final saw.
When we got the tree home, we decorated it. But then, we had a Christmas tree stand malfunction and the tree tipped over. Luckily, not much harm was done to the tree and ornaments.

We finished the tree off with a train around the base, much to the wee ones delight. I'm still deciding how much I'm really liking that part. It was great the first five minutes though....

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 2 OF 30

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Christmas pajamas!And, we have our own Elf On The Shelf.

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - DAY 1 OF 30

2011-11-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

Black Friday shopping. A combination of hitting stores by myself, with Sarah and Steph, Steve, Dad. I would have seen Mike also, but the store he was in was just to crazy.

Worst store of the Black Friday experience is hands down, Walmart. Best experience, Target and lots of fun at stores in between.

Black Friday = People watching galore

PS - I know the photo is blurry but it's the only one with us as a group.

NINE ADULTS, TWO TEENAGERS, FOUR WEE ONES, TWO PUPPIES,

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lots of food, chitty-chat, laughter and fun, makes for one awesome Thanksgiving.Grandma Joan had a fun activity for the kids. They made their own ice cream in baggies and were able to ate it with their pumpkin pie - super fun.
The pups ran around in circles, we lounged, the boys played and we all left with the fullest of bellies. But isn't that what's supposed to happen on Thanksgiving?

PS - I tried fake meat for the first time, courtesy of my mother-in-law. It was yummy.

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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I am thankful and grateful for so many things. In good times and in times of adversity, I know my life is blessed.

One of my favorite quotes -

"Gratitude is deeper than thanks. Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may merely consist of words. Gratitude is shown in acts."

- David O. McKay

My wish is that you have a wonderful day with your family and friends. Chew slowly, count your blessings and enjoy your day.

NO SHAVE NOVEMBER ONLY

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has eight more days.Not that I'm counting or anything.

PS - Someone might be really grey.

I HAD A CRAFTING DATE WITH MY WEE ONES

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this afternoon.We made turkeys for a snack and they were gobbled right up.

A FAMILY BIRTHDAY PARTY

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with a lemon cake, vanilla ice cream, blowers, balloons and presents for our sixteen year old.His grandparents bought him a shiny yellow car for his birthday! It might be a matchbox car, but hey, it's a car, right?

WE HAVE A 16 YEAR OLD!

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Larry J is an awesome son, a great older brother and I can't believe he is sixteen. Wow, time flies. He is kind, loving and funny. He loves typical teenager things, like, cars, music, movies and computer games. I love his sense of humor. I love that he admires his father. I love his smile and I love the man he is becoming.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARRY J!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

I'VE FOUND ANOTHER WISHLIST ITEM AND IT IS SO COOL!

2011-11-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the Jetlev Flyer?Larry and I were watching Tech Toys 360 and when we saw this, we couldn't help but say humina, humina, humina. Doesn't it look like so much fun!?

IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY TO

2011-11-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

celebrate Erica's birthday.Erica is beautiful, fun, loving, spiritual, caring and kind, intelligent, thoughtful, interesting and interested, uber talented, sweet and has a great laugh.
There are many people I want to be when I grow up and Erica is one of them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERICA!
WE LOVE YOU!!

WHOEVER INVENTED THE CLAW

2011-11-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

is a genius.We winterized our yard this weekend and I borrowed the claw from our neighbor. Best invention ever for the garden. We tackled our weeds at warp speed and my flower beds have nice loose soil. It is officially on my Christmas wish list.

LARRY GOT THE REWARD FOR THE FUNNIEST FIND

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this weekend.I thought it was hilarious!

BEFORE WE SAID GOOD-BYE TO STEVE, WE STOPPED

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for lunch at the Shire Cafe in Arlington.It is a very interesting place. It is an 110 year old Methodist church that had been abandoned and neglected. Now is used for a yummy cafe, tattoo and piercing studio, hair salon, gaming, music and live events. Only 5 minutes off the freeway, it was a great way to end the weekend.

EATING IN ANACORTES

2011-11-07T17:18:00.001-08:00

was a delicious adventure. I thought I would have problems finding morsels for myself, but it was no problem whatsoever.The first night we ate at Hong Kong Gardens and the chef was kind enough to make me a vegan entree.
Our second night we ate at Adrift. This was hands down, our favorite restaurant of the weekend. They use local food and have a killer menu. Once again, I was able to get a vegan creation for dinner and it was amazing. Cinnamon black beans, mango salsa, salad combo - unbelievably delicious. Larry loved his dinner too and will be recreating his Skagit Burger for our man clan.

We didn't know we needed a reservation, so we ate at the bar and watched the chefs cook. For me, that was one of the best things about our evening.
When you plan a trip to Anacortes, definitely put Adrift on your list. Your taste buds will thank you.

ANACORTES

2011-11-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

I've found another place I'd love to live - Anacortes, Washington. It is a beautiful, small, friendly town and we had the perfect weekend; crisp fall air and lots of sunshine.
Saturday, Larry and I had a whale watching date with Stephanie and Island Adventures. It was an amazing experience and we saw so many Orcas. They showed off for us and it was incredible. From the captain to the boat to the whales, it was an A+ outing.At first we thought maybe we wouldn't see whales, but ten minutes before the captain was going to turn the boat around, we ran into all three pods of the Southern Resident Orca Killer Whales. I've never experienced anything like it.

PS - We may have seen an amorous whale.

PPS - Most of the photos were taken by Larry. I may have gotten sea sick in the middle of the expedition.

YAYA

2011-11-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

We had the yummiest dinner at Yayas. We always do, lucky us.Happy bellies, smiles and aching cheeks from laughter, what an awesome way to spend an evening.

HALLOWEEN STARTED OUT AS IT ALWAYS DOES,

2011-11-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

with a chili and cornbread dinner. Then, it was hilarious.Three of the four boys dressed up this year and this is what they chose.
Boxman had a hard time seeing and was tripping a lot. Spooky Ghost's eyes kept creeping down past his nose, so he couldn't see well either.
As people were handing out candy, they were stumped with Boxman. Was he a locker?, he certainly couldn't be a......box. Between the tripping, costume malfunctions and perplexed candy givers, it was a hilarious evening.
Mom, dad and Steph came over for dinner. Dad did his scary clown makeup himself, didn't he do a great job? Lily hated his costume.
Steph made her Harley Quinn outfit and went trick or treating with us. Dad stayed at the house in a dark spot by our cars. When the trick or treaters came toward the house he'd shine a flashlight on his face.
Larry and I didn't dress up this year. What did you dress up as?

WE HAD A SERIOUS CARVING SESSION

2011-10-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Carving pumpkins is one of our favorite Halloween traditions. It's so much fun!
The pumpkin seeds were toasted but only a few of my man clan like them, so we don't do a lot. This year we tried a sweet and salty and it was just okay. What is your favorite recipe for pumpkin seeds?

PUMPKIN PASTRIES WITH APPLE CIDER GLAZE

2011-10-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Plan on making these again and again because they don't last long.Crust

2 cups flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks Earth Balance (or butter), cold and cut into pieces
Egg substitution for 1 egg (or egg)
2 TBSP almond milk (or milk)

Filling

3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup sugar
Egg substitution for 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (or egg)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
1/4 cup apple cider (or more or less, depending on desired thickness)

To make the crust, combine all dry ingredients. Incorporate butter, until it is a crumbly mixture. Add milk and egg until just mixed. Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface, until the dough starts coming together. Divide the dough into two pieces, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the mixture. Combine all ingredients and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

On a floured surface, roll one of the pieces of dough to 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut into thirds, creating 9 rectangles. Put four of the rectangles on a cookie sheet, lightly brush with water and spoon a tablespoon of the filling in the center. Before you cover it with another piece of dough, brush the edges of the top piece with water; this will act as glue. Cover the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. Put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Repeat.

Preheat oven to 350. Use a knife to vent the pastries and bake until golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. While they cool, make the glaze.

To make the glaze, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Drizzle on the pastries and enjoy.

ON HALLOWEEN IT WILL BE THE

2011-10-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

three year anniversary of our surgery. We celebrated our anniversary, and that our kidney is doing fantastic, with a delicious dinner at Marco Polo.
Larry, Dennis and Mary - I love you guys!!

UNDERWATER ZEN

2011-10-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

My second project is done. It was my first time using registration pins and four colors. It was stressful, but I like how it turned out.My inspiration was this photo of my brother, Derek, scuba diving in Fiji.

My next assignment is transparency colors. It will be a fun assignment, now to find some inspiration....

APPLE CIDER DONUTS

2011-10-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about fall is apple cider donuts. Nothing beats homemade donuts. This vegan apple cider version is amazing.2 cups apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup
7 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 stick Earth balance (or butter)
2 cups sugar
4 egg substitute (or eggs)
1 cup almond milk (or milk)
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
cinnamon sugar

Reduce apple cider and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Combine milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs, cider and milk. Stir in flour mixture, until just combined.

Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This dough works best when kept cold, so plan on putting it back in the refrigerator when not using.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut donuts and fry until golden brown, approximately 1 minute on each side.

Place on paper towel lined plate for 1 minute then dip in cinnamon sugar. We think they are best served immediately.

PUMPKIN PATCH

2011-10-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Airlie Hills Farm in Monmouth. It was our first time at this pumpkin patch and we had so much fun. We stayed for hours. They have a hay maze, corn maze, dark maze, slides, a hay ride, farm animals, etc.. and of course the pumpkin patch. We only had the wee ones with us and they didn't want to leave. It was an awesome family outing and we'll be back next year.

NIGHTMARE FACTORY

2011-10-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Nightmare Factory at the School for the Deaf is awesome! The set is incredible and the costumes are amazing. We had such a fun time!When you purchase your ticket, you have an option to pay $5 more for a VIP pass to get straight in. Don't do it. Standing in line, about an hour, was part of the fun! Interesting characters walk around and there are a few times you get startled. Then, you wait for the unsuspecting to get spooked too and then you get to laugh at them. It's awesome. Everyone in line is in such a great mood and it's a fun experience from start to finish.
$10 admission and they open at 7pm. If you haven't gone yet, definitely go.

MY LEMON TREE

2011-10-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

has fruit! So far six lemons are in the making. I'll be making homemade lemon curd for the holidays.
This little tree makes me happy.

DON'T CALL THE HEALTHY DINNER POLICE

2011-10-18T10:18:00.001-07:00

because I would be fined big time for last nights dinner spread.
Ideas from the man clan started rolling and last night ended up being an impromptu Halloween dinner picnic movie night and I let them pick the menu.We spread a blanket on the living room floor in front of the tv and laid out the food. After much deliberation about what movie to watch, Monster House vs DragonHeart, we had a movie night smorgasbord.

Main Dish - mummy hot dogs with face decoration of ketchup and mustard
Side Dishes - candy corn, chocolate covered pretzels, Halloween gummy worms, popcorn
Dessert - witch fingers

With that menu, you'd never know that there was a mama in the house, but it was fun.

PS - DragonHeart won.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW THE TRUTH,

2011-10-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm walking a little like this.

GIRLFRIENDS HALF MARATHON

2011-10-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

I ran my first half marathon with Molly, Jamie and Heidi this weekend. I've been taking a running clinic at Gallagher's but am not at half marathon running level yet. Sunday, I was wondering what I got myself into but I knew I'd have fun.
The atmosphere was electric. 3000 women running, walking, skipping, some even wearing tutus and pink wigs, bonding for a cause - breast cancer awareness.Along the course Larry and Lach, Shane, Mikel and Haley were there high fiving and encouraging. It was so fun seeing and hearing them.As we crossed the finish line we received water bottles and a necklace from the firefighters. As we got food and ate there was a band playing, people cheering and hugging. It was awesome.

The break down of my race:
I ran the first 10 miles. I felt great at mile 6 but then I felt myself get slower. At mile 10 my legs were screaming at me and on the verge of cramping. I walked 2 miles and ran the last 1.1 miles. I'm a slow runner so my goal was to run the race in 3 hours. I beat my goal! My time was 2:59:03. I couldn't believe that with walking 2 miles I still beat my time by 57 seconds!

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

2011-10-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance (or butter), room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 serving of EnerG egg replacer (or 1 egg)
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
2 cups flour
6 oz vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a jelly roll pan.

Cream butter and add sugar, egg, pumpkin and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy this deliciousness that tastes like fall.

PS - If your house is like my man clan, these cookies will be devoured. Be prepared to make another batch.

ENTERING BOND

2011-10-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a screen printing class and just got finished with my first assignment, which was to use one color. My classmates thought it had a James Bond feel, so I named it Entering Bond.This photo of Lach getting ready to go through a tube slide was my inspiration.I did a few copies in blue also; I thought blue made it looked more playful.

My next assignment is really hard, but I'm looking forward to it. I hope I can transport what I see in my mind's eye to the screen and paper.

IT'S UGLY BUT

2011-10-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

tasty. Green smoothies.
My friend, Mary, turned my on to green smoothies and we've been having them for breakfast.

Do you drink green too? What's your favorite combo?

I HAVE TWO WORDS FOR YOU

2011-10-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Plum GaletteHere is the recipe. You're welcome.

Crust

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Earth Balance, (or butter) cold, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP ice water

Combine first four ingredients with a fork. If you have a food processor, you are a lucky ducky who gets to push a button until it looks like coarse meal. Fork or food processor, it's super easy and delicious. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time. Dough will be crumbly, but will hold together when you press it. Shape dough into a disk and refrigerate for one hour.

Filling

1/4 cup whole almonds
6 firm plums
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP flour
zest of half a lemon

Finely chop almonds.
Pit plums and slice into 1/4 inch strips. In a bowl, mix plums with sugar, flour and lemon zest.

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle, 1/4 inch thick. It's okay if it isn't a perfect circle, this is rustic, so imperfections are encouraged!

Spread almonds over dough, leaving a two inch boarder. (You'll notice on the above photo, I forgot to leave the two inch border). Spread plums on top of almonds.
Fold the two inch boarder of dough over plums.

I brushed the dough with water and sprinkled a little sugar on top. Bake until it is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

HAVE AN ADVENTUROUS WEEKEND

2011-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

LACH AND I

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loved everyday of our Arizona trip and traveling with my parents was a blast. The only thing that would have made our trip better, was if my man clan was with us. And of course, more desert time.To see all of our Arizona posts, click here.