Delight in Everything

My friend Monique did this review on her blog and I loved it so I thought I would do the same (I did add a few more questions).

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

• Rock climbed
• Made fresh pasta
• Saw the musical "Wicked"
• Attended my first professional conference
• Was audited by the IRS (in the end we were right)
• Actually completed a sewing project
• Perused a Tuba museum
• Enjoyed a great meal at the Teriyaki Grill with Susie
• Cut my hair short and liked it
• Attended the Taylor Swift concert with Brianna
• Hosted family at our home for Thanksgiving
• Went one whole week without eating added oil, sugar, grains, meats, or dairy foods
• Tweeted (but I like Facebook better)
• Played "Settlers of Catan" (my favorite game ever!)

Did you keep your new years' resolutions? Probably not. I don't even know what they were.

What are some of your resolutions for 2010? 2009 was the hardest year for me, health wise, and I don't wish to repeat that. My resolution for 2010 is to take care of myself so I can take better care of my family and friends.

Did anyone close to you give birth? My SIL gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Gracie. I was blessed to be able to fly out and take baby pictures.

Did anyone close to you die? No

What countries did you visit? None

What states did you visit? Arizona, Idaho, Utah (twice), North Carolina

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

• I would like to be more organized and complete more of the projects I started in 2009.
  
• A garden that actually produces enough for canning.

What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? March 9th, the day Brianna fell off a scooter and broke her jaw in two places, broke four teeth, and received 16 stitches total.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Does surviving count? I would say starting a garden, but Andrew did all of that.

What was your biggest failure? I did not do well with my blogging, nor did I take enough pics of my kids.

Did you suffer illness or injury? As stated before, I've spent more time sick this year than any other year of my life. That has been very frustrating.

What was the best thing you bought? Andrew's used tubas on eBay. They make him so happy!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The people on "Clean House" and "Hoarders." I don't know how anyone can live like that.

Whose behavior impressed you? Brianna. It was amazing to see how she went through her recovery process. She was so brave. And, my kids for being kind to others. I also enjoyed watching my friends take care of people who needed spiritual and physical help.

Where did most of your money go? Our trip to Utah, getting ourselves healthy financially, food storage, tree removal, kids activities and school fees.

What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to "Imaging USA" for the professional photographers conference and seeing Anne Geddes speak. Also, spending time with family and friends in Utah, baby Gracie making her arrival, our Memorial Day weekend trip to NC, watching our kids on Christmas morning, making smoothies in my Blentec blender.

What song will always remind you of 2009? Any song by Taylor Swift

Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, richer, nicer? Happier - yes and no. I am happier with who I am, but my health issues were pretty depressing. Richer- spiritually, for sure! Nicer - I am trying to be nicer everyday.

What do you wish you'd done more of? Cook more from scratch, stick to a budget, exercise, read more to my kids, take care of myself, go to the temple, pray.

What do you wish you'd done less of? Avoiding. I am really great at avoiding doing what I should be doing.

How did you spend Christmas? In the comfort of our own home while relaxing in our pajamas.

What was your favorite TV program? The Amazing Race, 24, Monk, Psych, The Mentalist and NCIS.

What was the best book you read this year? I actually read very few and listened to many. My favorite that I listened to was "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. It is incredibly well done. I did read, "Eve's Daughters" and I really enjoyed it. Most other books that I read were cook books and how-to books.

What did you want and get? A better relationship with my husband, a pasta machine, a flat screen TV, a Blendtec blender, a panini grill, a sewing machine, more time with my friends.

What were your favorite films of this year? Well I just watched Anne of Green Gables 1 & 2 and it made me realize how much I did not love any of the new movies I saw this year. The one I found most fascinating was Julie & Julia as I loved getting to know Julia Child. I also saw (most on DVD), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Angels and Demons, Up, Night at the Museum 2, New Moon, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Harry Potter 6, My Sister's Keeper (I totally cried my eyes out!). This week I watched the classic movie Patton for the first time and I thought it was awesome.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 33. My birthday fell on a Sunday which kept it a much more peaceful celebration. My kids did manage to rat me out in their Primary Sharing Time and all the kids sang Happy Birthday to me.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Being a better mother to my kids and taking more time to create memories with them.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008. I discovered Chico's. Their clothes fit my shape right now.

What kept you sane? My husband, my friends, being left with only one child at home during the school day.

What drove you insane? Trash on the floor!! Bugs! Brianna's recorder that Ella keeps on finding and making wretched sounds with! Forgetting to renew my library books!

What were some of your favorite dishes of 2009? The Thanksgiving turkey, the fresh pasta and sauce I learned how to make this year, the Tuna Carpaccio at Cheesecake Factory, the mild yellow curry with chicken at the Elephant Thai in Phoenix, the winter fruit salad I made for a Relief Society meeting, the beef tenderloin my mom made last month, the beef negimaki at Wasabi's, the pumpkin dinner rolls.

What political issue stirred you the most? Health-care reform has me pretty concerned.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. That it really is better to give than to receive.

What are you most excited for in 2010? Siesta Key, Florida! White sand beaches, clear water, having family to hang out with in a fun beach house, and going to the BYU v. Florida State game. "Imaging USA" again in January. Andy and Jamie's baby boy due in January and our trip to meet him in February. Brianna entering the Young Women's program in January! (Whoa!)

What are you least excited for in 2010? All the veggies I have to eat, yuck! Watching people I love learn hard lessons.

We wanted to take the time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Since we did not get Christmas cards sent this year, we thought we would share with you a video of our kids. Every Christmas Eve, we reenact The Nativity scene while reading Luke 2. Here is the video from last night.

Here is one of the cutest reasons I have not been blogging. I took a trip to Utah to take pictures of my sweet little niece, Gracie. This is the first baby for my brother-in-law (a Salt Lake City firefighter) and his wife and we all so excited for them. She is such an angel. You can see more pictures of her here: http://amylynnsmith.com/photocart/slide_show.php?viewGallery=1035

I have a song that I sing to this little princess of mine. It is to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and the words are as follows.

I love you my little Ella Rose.
I love you from your nose to your toes. ( I always touch her nose and tickle her toes)
I love you to the moon and back.
I love you my little Ella Rose.
I love you and I know you love me too.
I love you my little Ella Rose.

This song has magical powers as it often can stop a temper tantrum or crying in seconds. In Utah, Ty heard me singing it and requested that I sing his song. Of course, I had to scramble to come up with one quick so instead of "my little Ella Rose", I changed it to "my happy little Ty" and the second line to "I love you, you're the sparkle in my eye." He loves it and I get the best snuggles every time I sing it. Phew, crisis averted that time.

I love singing these songs to my little one as I can always feel how much the kids love me. Who else wants encores from a lady who can't sing very well? Only those that you love you . . . a lot!

There's a lot going on around here! This is my attempt to get this blog back up to speed.

I am hoping to start a new regular post called, as the title suggests, Menu Plan Monday. I need something to inspire me to plan my meals better so dinner time isn't so chaotic. You will see a pattern develop. I don't make fancy breakfasts. Also, Tuesday and Thursday nights are super busy here, so those recipes are the easiest and quickest to make.

Here is my plan for this week.

Meal Plan for the week of September 21st:

Monday: Homemade Pasta with Bolognese-inspired Sauce

Tuesday: Quesadillas with black beans and rice, carrots

Wednesday: French Toast with fruit

Thursday: Turkey and Cheese Paninis, veggies on the side

Friday: Homemade Pizza with green salad

Saturday: Crustless quiche, fruit salad

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Lunches:

grilled cheese sandwiches, sliced apples
PB&N or PB&H
cereal
oatmeal
soup
cheesy rice

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Breakfast:

freezer waffles
hard-boiled eggs
cereal
oatmeal with sliced apples
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Snacks:

baby carrots
apples w/ peanut butter
grapes
homemade yogurt with honey, vanilla and cinnamon
string cheese
fruit roll ups
100 calorie chip bags
Rice Krispies Treats

Well I am back into the world of couponing and loving it. I thought that moving down South meant fewer deals and so I didn't even try it. After finding some great blogs from my area, I was inspired again. Here is a pic of one of my recent trips:


The total for this grouping was about $15. That included 10 boxes of Fiber One cereal, 12 sticks of string cheese, 15 glade candles,7 glade candle refills, 3 boxes of Rice Krispies Treats, 1 box of Nutrigrain bars, 2 lbs of lunch meat, Hungry Hungry Hippos the game, Glade Sense and Spray, two packages of Kids Essentials drinks, bounce dryer bar, Tide Stain Release, and 2 individual servings of cereal.

Crazy, I know!

My couponing has not stopped there. This picture is just a small peak at what we have been able to get. Of course, I have to give credit to the blogs that helped me. Here is a list:

www.southernsavers.com
www.faithfulprovisions.com
www.dealseekingmom.com

These ladies do a fantastic job and really make couponing easier than it has EVER been. These blogs might not work for your area but I am sure there are blogs for you too. Just do a search in Google.

Here are some facts about our darling three-year-old

• She loves Dora, princess stuff, anything pink and sparkly, and beautiful dresses.
  
• It is not uncommon for her to change her outfit 4-5 times a day which isn't always appreciated.
• She is having a hard time adjusting to being home during the day without her brothers and sister.
• Her favorite foods are cheese, chicken and bread.
• She loves the Barbie movie series.
• She loves to snuggle.
• She is incredibly ticklish.

We celebrated her birthday at IHOP. She loved her funny-face pancake although she didn't know what to think about them singing to her. We continued the party at home with cake and presents. The highlight of her birthday was her cake. It was a darling, sparkling-pink castle.


She loved her presents too. She received a princess lunch set, a darling felt and wood cupcake toy for her kitchen, a crown, a beautiful dress, twin baby dolls, and a floor puzzle. Add to that all of the birthday wishes she received and you can see she truly felt like a princess for a day.

Bri took a break from school uniforms today to dress up in this outfit. The theme is "decades" and she picked the 70's. This was as close as we could get to a flower child look with what we had on hand. We glued the flowers on the skirt and used lots of ribbons and yarn. She loved it of course, especially her hair.

It is official, Arick is 9! It is so hard to believe how much this kid is growing up. This past year has been pretty great for him. He is more helpful around the house, his reading has improved, he started working outside with his dad including a bit of mowing the lawn, he completed his wolf badge for Cub Scouts (he earned 6 arrows as well), he played basketball and soccer and loved it, and so much more. It is going to be so much fun to watch him this next year.

As for the birthday details, he is pretty pleased. He had two family celebrations where he was totally spoiled, one at Gigi's and the other at Red Robin where they embarrassed him with their loud singing He was given a really neat collection of rocks that glow under a black light. Arick loves rocks and this set was perfect for him. Another favorite is his wand and Harry Potter gear. This year was the first year I took Arick to the movie theater to see HP when it opens. He also received two Wii games, a finger skateboard, a trio of Bakugan, and a Lego Bionicle. Add to that his birthday money that Papa and Grandma gave him and I am sure we can all agree that he was spoiled.

It is official! Until 2:45 p.m. today, I am home with only one child. That means no sibling squabbles until 2:45 pm, a much cleaner house, easier shopping trips to the store, etc. However, the best part is that when Ella takes a nap, I can too! Oh how I have missed naps in a quiet house. Of course, that doesn't mean that I will have time to take a nap, but the peace that comes from knowing that I can is great too. Woohoo!

1. I absolutely love my salad spinner. This year we planted a garden and it is amazing how much dirt clings to the vegetables. This salad spinner makes the cleaning process so much easier. Click for more details here



2. I purchased the cookbook Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone a few months ago and I have loved it. It has really helped me discover that vegetable can actually taste great.



3. Timez Attack the computer game is by far one of the best multiplication games out there. Arick really struggled last year to memorize his multiplication tables. Now that school is in session and he will be learning division, Arick needed a refresher course. Thanks to this game, he has had a lot of fun and he is truly mastering this. If you go to http://www.bigbrainz.com/index.php you can try a free version. You will not regret it. We bought the full version with a coupon and have been very happy with out purchase.



4. My favorite meal right now is Stouffer's Stuffed Green Peppers. Yummy and healthy for you!



5. The television shows Monk and Psych are back on. Yay! If you have not seen either, especially Monk, then you must go out and rent the DVDs. You will be laughing in no time. You can see clips and full episodes at www.usanetwork.com

We are back from vacation and my camera card is full and I have so many stories to tell. While you are waiting you can see this picture of me with the kids. Excuse my hair as the wind in the salt flats of Utah is not kind to short hair.

Here is a list of things that have been going on around here.

1. Brianna had her teeth fixed yesterday. She broke 4 adult teeth in the scooter accident. Unfortunately, she will have to go back when she is an adult because they can't do porcelain work this young. For the molar in the back that means a stainless steel crown. I will post pictures of before and after later.

2. Arick and I will also be visiting the dentist this week. Arick is happy about his appointment while I am not happy about mine. Arick will have his braces removed. He is so excited, especially to be able to eat the restricted foods again My visit ioday was to deal with cavities. I loathe going to the dentist. Ugh.

3. Andrew has had some great success getting grass to grow in the bald areas of our lawn. Maybe by this time next year our lawn will be perfect. We can always hope.

4, I started making pasta from scratch this week. I made ravioli with a shrimp filling which came out pretty good. My ravioli were not pretty at all, but at least they were tasty. Yesterday I made fettuccine noodles with a lovely Bolognese-inspired sauce. Inspired because I didn't use the 2 cups of red wine called for in the original recipe. It was a huge success. Brianna wants me to try to make herb pasta where you include the herbs in the pasta dough. We shall see.


5. Andrew and I celebrated 13 years of marriage last month. Maren babysat for us while we enjoyed a night out. We went shopping at a mall which felt luxurious without kids. We got to go to all the stores we wanted to that kids would have been downright bored in. After the mall, we headed to PF Changs for a romantic dinner for two. We chose a late reservation to avoid big crowds and it worked out great; very few people were there. We really enjoyed the food, especially the honey chicken and the cakes at the end. I love going on dates with Andrew.


6. Our gift that we chose to mark our 13th anniversary was an ice cream maker. While shopping at the mall, we went into Williams and Sonoma and immediately fell in love with this. We would have purchased it there, but I have learned never to pay full price, so we decided to find it cheaper and then we could purchase it. We didn't have to wait long. I found it the next day at Costco for $30 less than Williams and Sonoma. Score! We have made 4 batches since then and it is true that you can never make a bad batch of ice cream. The thing we love about this model is that it is two quarts, which is perfect for our family of six.



7. I am still busy with photography. I still have two years until Ella is in school full time, so I don't do any marketing as I am not ready for full time work. The above photos are of a recent client and her newborn baby.


8. This has been my favorite summer with the kids yet. I have tried to do lots more fun things with the kids. One of the fun things we do is to go bowling. We signed up for the Kids Bowl Free program and it has been a lot of fun. The kids get two free games and 4 tokens for the arcade. I do have to rent the shoes but the cost is still pretty low. I bought a pass so Andrew and I can bowl too. Of course, I am terrible at it which the kids think is funny. I will have my revenge though when they bowl without bumpers and realize how much harder bowling actually is.

9. We went fishing on Friday night. Arick caught three blue gills and Brianna caught one. We then sat and enjoyed a great fireworks show that the local yacht club hosts every year.

10. We spent the 4th doing lots of things. Andrew weeded for 3 hours and patched holes in the walls. He also performed in the band concert at the town party. I spent the day making ravioli and rolls to bring to the party at my mom's house. We headed to the party at 5 and enjoyed lots of great food and fireworks (when it wasn't raining). We also watched Home Alone 2 with the kids and we were all in hysterics. The kids thought it was so funny!

Oh help me. Little Miss Sassafras has learned the not-so-subtle art of sassing. She does not like to be punished and if I try to punish her, she tries to give me the same punishment. All the while telling me how I am such a mean mommy. I am going to have to grow a thicker skin with this one. Other than that, she is a sweetheart. She loves snuggling, hugging, andgiving kisses. She tries to be my little helper and is much better about not making huge messes. She is totally into anything princess and loves hanging out with her big sister. I love her to the moon and back, but the sass has got to go . . .

Last week I celebrated turning 33. The party was wonderful. My Mom made me a delicious dinner with all my favorites: shrimp, artichokes, frog eye salad, and fruit salad. Andrew and the kids gave me a panini maker which is a big hit is our house. I also enjoyed eating this darling cake that was super yummy (one layer is chocolate, the other is carrot cake). To top it all off, I received lots of birthday wishes from the people I love.

I am really hoping that this year is awesome. For most people, they choose their resolutions around the beginning of the new year. I prefer to set goals around my birthday. I have set the bar high for myself this year so I shall see how it goes. Let's just say that the number 33 is in a lot of them.