December 28th

Wow, December has come and gone. We are in the final week of 2015 and I am not sure how we got here so fast. We have had a great year filled with many blessing, some very big heart ache, and lots of fun. How did we get to the end of December when I sat out with a goal to post December dailies and I did three?

This month was beyond busy for us. The first couple of days were easy but by the first weekend we had such a full schedule, I wasn't sure how we would get it all in. We had three birthday parties,a play date, two classes to lead, sing-a-long at church, one holiday party, and grocery shopping. We managed to get it all in even with some change of plans. 

The highlight of that weekend for the boys was their first trip to Chuck E. Cheese! We have told the boys that that place is for birthday parties and there isn't one in our town. These are both true statements but we just haven't told them you can go whenever and it's only twenty minutes anyway. So, we could just go but I think that is a place that we should treat as something special. 

The wa wa wa part of the weekend was when my phone went for a swim. I was optimistic about drying it but it didn't work. We had to order a replacement which again another optimistic outlook was being taken. Unfortunately, it was glitchy which meant we had to order another replacement. A week and a half after dropping it, I finally got a working phone. 

Then, some fun for me started. The preparation for breakfast with Santa, gathering and making decorations to turn our preschool into a winter candy land for Santa. That week I worked with a bunch of great ladies whom gave their time to help make the day special for their kids, our kids and all the other kids. I was so happy to see such a great turnout! It is truly one of my favorite days because I get to photograph everyone with Santa and hear all their wishes.

Little did I know that I was at the beginning of a two week illness battle that was hard to fight. Fingers crossed and knock on wood, I am on the mend. I some how managed to get all my commitments done but looking back I wish I would have rested more early on to kick it quicker. 

Being sick did put a stop to our Christmas shopping and by the weekend before Christmas we had only bought two gifts. Some how I pulled it together and in two days got it all done. The worst part of the two week illness was that it reared it ugly head Christmas Eve. 

While trying to get dressed for church that night I told Eric that I couldn't make it because I was going to be sick and headed to bed at 6:30. We had so many tasks to complete for Santa to come to our house, that I was a little worried that we weren't going to pull it off. Eric stepped up big time and wrapped all the gifts with his niece and got everything out and ready for out magical morning. 

Christmas is my favorite holiday, being sick and not being able to get things ready was hard. Somehow, Christmas morning I was able to get up early wrap Eric's gifts, stage the cookies, milk and place Santa's letter out, get out the last couple of forgotten gifts before the boys woke up. 

Rhys was first and at two he doesn't really get it yet but likes the idea of presents. He kept asking are these for me and Emerson, with such joy and excitement. We then convinced him to go wake up Emerson by telling him Santa had come. That was the quickest I have ever seen Emerson wake up. The both hurried downstairs and the second that Emerson could see the presents under the tree he exclaimed, "He did come! Santa did come!" 

The next couple of hours were spent enjoying the excitement, playing with toys, and loving the fun. Then, I headed to bed for two days. 

I am thankful that I was able to see the excitement of Christmas morning and beyond grateful that Eric took care of everything.

These next few days will be filled with looking back and looking forward. Thinking about what goals I am still working on and new goals I want to work towards. Thinking about what we have done as a family and what we still want to do. I am excited to see what this new year will bring for me and my family. 

December 3rd...

A regular day.

We woke up to a light dusting of snow and lots of requests to go outside and play. They compromised with the hopes of playing in the snow after school even though I told them it was probably going to be melted. 

So, instead Emerson dressed as a one-eyed monster and let Rhys push him around. 

The boys had a great day at school! Today was a Silly Safari day where they got to meet a reindeer. Emerson kissed the reindeer he called Yukon Cornelius, "you know, like the guy on Rudolph."

We really don't have a dull moment with the boys. Emerson found a notebook and marker and I said, "Have fun but remember you can only write on the paper!" That worked well!

He came in to the kitchen to help me with dinner and he had an accidental mark on his cheek. I told him about it and he wanted to check it out in the mirror and then came back with this great mustache.  

As I prepared to head out for my weeknight Strength and Endurance class the boys were watching a movie. I walked in to say good by and Emerson looked like a jack-in-the-box. 

Most days look like this and I love it. It's trying and hard and lots of times I feel defeated but it's my most favorite thing I have ever done. 

December 2nd...

Cards, cookies and chocolate.

I am in a big debate with myself on whether to send out Christmas cards this year. I love making our cards every year, it's a fun project for me but I just can't commit for some reason. Emerson on the other hand has been working on his "envelopes." So, I might just send out what he has been making!

We made our first round of cookies! Thanks to flour being on my grocery list this morning, it made me realize we didn't have any chocolate chips. So, Emerson and I busied ourselves during Rhys' nap making chocolate chip cookies. I might have just started up our bad holiday habit but we all love a great Christmas cookie!

Then the snow started and to help keep the boys inside and their minds off playing in the snow we all had hot chocolate.

We rounded out the second day of the month with watching a bit of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" before heading for baths. I think I am loving how we are spending our time together!

December 1st...

Is finally here!

I love this time of year! Our house is all decked out and we are enjoying the excitement of the boys. This year is going to be so much fun with our little elves. 

On Sunday, when it was no longer raining we went to our favorite Christmas tree farm, Lowes, to get our tree. We have tried several different places and our best trees have come from there. So, why mess with a good thing! Emerson was convinced that he was going to get a tree, also. 

We picked out a lovely 7' tall Fir tree, that fits perfectly in our house. Emerson ended up picking out a little beauty and was so proud of his find. The entire way home he talked about how he wanted to decorate his tree and where he was going to put it. 

He might of been a little disappointed when we told him that the big tree was going to in the corner.

We all worked on making this the best tree we have had, yet. The boys are getting pretty good at hanging ornaments. They got to hang the shatter proof balls, while I did the special ornaments.  I love how tree looks! 

When we finished the tree it was time for the Christmas parade. Emerson was asked to ride on the float for Stoney Creek Swim Center. His favorite part was the bubble gum he was given when the parade was finished but I am pretty sure he had a great time with his friends. 

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I love all the experiences we get to have as a family. I love the excitement and anticipation leading up to the day. I love the warmth and spirit of the season. For me, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Thankful...

For a great Thanksgiving break.

I always look forward to Thanksgiving because of the time we spend with family and friends, the delicious food, and the start of the Christmas season. I am thankful that this year was different than the years past because my little family spent a lot of time together. 

This year we traveled to my parents, usually we host. I love hosting family gatherings but we all know the amount of work before, during and after that it takes. Eric and I find ourselves busy every night, the day before and the day of that our boys spend more time watching tv than time with us. It was great to be a contributor instead of the mastermind. 

My whole family was together this year. My brothers and their families, my parents and us. It has been along time since we have all been able to be together on Thanksgiving. I am thankful that we were able to be together. 

This last day of November finds me grateful and thankful for all of my family and friends, our home, our love, our lives. Today, also finds me hopeful for what is to come as we finish out this year. 

Things that I love...

Trying new recipes.

Stuffed Pepper Soup (picture from www.cookingclassy.com)

This past week I had a bit of a breakdown with our food planning. It happened mid-week when the temperature outside dropped. I was hungry for lunch and when I went to make my regular food I wanted something more. Something hot. Something, like soup. 

We didn't have any cans of soup and when I looked around, I found that we were missing some ingredients for me to put together something quickly. So, I made my regular salad and had a cup of tea. 

Then, when it was time for me to make diner we had nothing planned, nothing was thawed and I still wanted soup. I felt frustrated and overwhelmed by this simple task of eating all because I wanted soup. 

That night I sat down with my phone and spent the next few hours searching Pinterest (another thing I love!) looking for soup ideas that work with paleo, clean, or 21 day fix ways of eating. I tossed out a few dishes that I found and we decided that we would try Stuffed Pepper Soup. 

I made the soup for diner on Friday night. It was prefect and just what I wanted. I thought it was pretty easy and quick to make. It tasted great, it was everything that I want stuffed peppers to taste like but as a soup and pairs perfectly with grilled cheese. Well, that's how I served it to the boys and they loved it.

Stuffed Pepper Soup will now be added to our menu!

Thankful...

For learning new things. 

When I decided to become a group exercise instructor I knew it was going to be hard, it was something that I knew nothing about. Sure, I had been taking classes and making up workouts with my friends and I knew about the 32 count but leading a class was far from something I knew how to do. I decided to try my hand at it because I needed a challenge, I needed to learn something new and I wanted to encourage others with their fitness. 

Each class is an opportunity for me to work on my skills. Some classes flow smoothly and some do not. Each class is a chance to try new things or change up the format. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Each class is a time for me to connect with others. Sometimes I am comfortable with everyone and others I am insecure. Each class is time for me to learn. I love that! I am grateful for that.

I am thankful that I have found a love for working out. I am thankful that I have found a great place to workout at. I am thankful for the friendships that have developed from working out. I am thankful for the people I work with. I am thankful that I can learn this skill on the job. I am thankful that I believed I could.

Thankful...

For the little moments. 

Emerson found a deck of cards today. When I got home from my group exercise class he greeted me by asking if I would play cards with him. I taught him the game of "War." We played through the deck once before both of us lost interest. 

Playing cards reminds me of my grandmas. One grandma played cards all the time, either solitaire or Old Maid with her grandkids or Rummy with her friends in the afternoons. We all have a story that starts with, "one time when I was playing cards with grandma..." and ends with lots of laughter. My other grandma, I don't remember playing cards, expect when she was over one Christmas morning and we had been given a deck of Uno cards. She was my partner in the game because I ended up with half the deck in my hands and needed more hands. I remember laughing with her and having fun. 

I am thankful for this little moment that Emerson and I had today that brought back sweet memories of two ladies I am beyond grateful for. 

Thankful...

For inspiration. 

My head often spins with ideas of things to make, places to see, posts to write, and pictures to take. Most of these things don't happen because there are not enough hours in a day. I am thankful that the world around me sparks my creativity. 

Thankful...

For color. It's as simple as seeing these orange colored leaves with an electric blue sky. Or a brilliant red Cardinal perched on dull greyish brown branches of a bare tree. Or green, green grass speckled with bright yellow dandelions.

We are surrounded by beauty everyday. 

Thankful...

That I can vote. I am thankful that women before me fought for themselves and for generations to come for the right to vote. I am thankful that there are people whom want to be civic leaders. I am thankful that even though the ballot was small and all races but one were uncontested, I could vote. 

Thankful...

For places like this.

This year we have spent our time going to state parks for camping, hiking and fun. I am thankful that these lands are persevered and cared for. I am thankful that these lands are public lands. I am thankful for nature. I am thankful that we are able to explore and learn from these lands. I am thankful that we have had a year of adventures in these lands. 

Halloween...

Hayride at Spencer Farms pumpkin patch

I love this time of year because everything starts to become cozy. Sweaters, fuzzy slippers, scarves, and blankets. It also means Halloween. There are so many things I love about Halloween but the few things I hate makes this celebrated tradition my least favorite. 

I love the pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, carnivals, and dressing up as superheroes, princesses, cartoon characters, vampires or witches. I hate scary movies and dressing up as creepy, ghoulish, evil characters. Scary movies give me anxiety and most creepy costumes come from those scary movies. I really want Halloween to be G rated!

My most favorite part of the tradition is the candy! I remember as a kid going around town with my mom and brothers getting candy from the people we knew. When we were done we would head to the elementary school gym for the Halloween carnival. Costume contest, games with prizes and candy, and a haunted house. I had so much fun running around playing with friends and staying far, far away from the haunted house. Returning home was always the best part!

My brothers and I would all sit around checking out our loot, trading and comparing, and eating as much candy as we could before falling asleep. 

Costume selections for trick-or-treating.

This year proved to be just like my memories from childhood. Emerson and Rhys love dress up, we have a bin full of costumes and accessories, so picking out a costume wasn't too hard. For weeks, Emerson talked about being Batman or Ironman or Go Go Power Ranger when it came to trick or treat he chose a skeleton costume and black hat. Rhys chose Superman and stuck with it.

Carnival games.

The night before we headed to the park for a carnival. There were games with prizes, hot chocolate and popcorn, story telling, a hayride and dancing. The boys had a blast!

This is our neighbor. She made this stilt spirt costume and calls herself "Creature."

On Halloween we walked around our neighborhood meeting and chatting with everyone while trick-or-treating. I was amazed how much fun we had and how everyone gets into to the festivities. The boys lasted two hours and then we headed home to pass out candy for the last hour. 

When we settled in for the night, we dumped the candy on the coffee table and picked out our favorites and ate candy until the boys fell asleep. We had a very awesome October capped off with an even better Halloween night!

Thankful...

A Sycamore grove in Prophetstown State Park.

For days like today. Days that we all wake up happy and healthy. Days that the sun is shining bright and the sky is a prefect shade of blue. Days that the whether is mild and inviting for us to spend outside. Days that we all get to be together. 

November is the month that reminds us to be thankful. I have decided that I will use this month to reflect and share what I am thankful and grateful for everyday.  

In search of...

The perfect apple crisp.

It's no secret, I love apple crisp and every fall I search for a recipe that will become my recipe. This year I was determined to come up with my own, which is where I take another recipe and change it up for our tastes. I will tell you, I tried three times and I wasn't really thrilled with any of the attempts. Our first try ended in the trash because of a cayenne- cinnamon mix up. The second try, I adjusted the amounts of cinnamon and added to ginger to get the sweet spicy taste, which was nice but wasn't spectacular. The third time, I went to a different recipe all together and adjusted the cinnamon and that still didn't satisfy.

Until, I found a recipe from Al Roker. I know, seems a little strange, but I found it in my Facebook feed and I read it and thought why not try it. This did not disappoint! We all loved it. I believe I have found my favorite apple crisp recipe. I made some changes to the recipe and that is what I will share below but you can check out the original recipe in the link above.

Ingredients

Apple Filling:

8 cups of assorted apples (pears can be used)

6 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 cup apple cider

Crispy Topping:

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch ground nutmeg

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), softened

Preparation

Cook apples:

Halve, core and slice apples. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the sugar and spices. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter to melt. Add the apples and stir well. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices are released and apple have begun to soften, about 15 minutes. Uncover skillet and add cider. Continue to simmer the apples until juices have thickened, another 5-6 minutes.

Make crispy topping:

Preheat oven to 350'F. In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, old fashioned oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add butter and work in with your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Use your hands to squeeze and press mixture together so that clumps form, this gets the butter fully incorporated and moistens the crumb thoroughly. Break up large clumps into smaller pieces.

Bake crisp:

Place cooked apples and all the syrupy liquid into a pre-buttered 9x13 baking dish. Spread the crispy topping mixture over the top of the apples.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is crispy. 

Apple crisp served with vanilla ice cream flavored with carmel and miniature chocolate peanut butter cups.

Get Out and Go...

Hiking and sharing. 

The past couple of weeks we have been busy getting out and hiking locally. The weather has been prefect and the leaves this year have been unbelievable!

My friend Hollie at Muscles and Munchkins asked me to share with her readers some inspiration to get out and go. Check out my two part series over at Muscles and Munchkins on Hiking with Your Kids: How to Plan and Hiking with Your Kids: Patience and Practice for some ways to approach hiking with your kids. 

Fall Break...

Comes to an end. 

This past weekend was the end of our two week fall break. We had a great time checking out parks, hiking, going on scavenger hunts, going to the gym, playing in our backyard, discovering the best apple crisp recipe, and hanging out with friends. 

This is a picture from our family hike at Holliday Park. Unfortunately, it was cut short because of rain but we were able to spend sometime outside. I learned that while hiking and doing scavenger hunts I enjoy making bouquets out of my finds, which made my head swim with ideas of things to make. 

We have had fun changing up our routine for a couple weeks and enjoying the awesome Indian summer weather but I think we are all ready to get back into our school routine, again. 

Fall Break...

Traditions.

This weekend was full of so many of the things we love to do during fall break. We carved pumpkins, had family movie night, ate apple crisp and went for hike.

Every time I see Snake Grass, Emerson and I try to make it whistle. My brothers and I spent a lot of time as kids playing in the creek near our house and loved when the Snake Grass was strong enough to blow like a whistle. That is my favorite picture of the weekend.

This is one that I love also!

Get out and go...

Start a series. 

I wrote this post a couple years ago during one of my attempts at starting this blog. I have known since I had the idea of starting a blog I would share my travels. I have been going through the handfuls of posts that are still drafts and found this. The story on how we decided to see as many of our national parks as we can and when I came up the Get Out and Go idea for my blog. This was written in early 2012.

This past October (2011), we had some friends getting married in Las Vegas. Eric was all set to go and I was planning on staying home because we had a three month old baby. As we got closer to October, I was really comfortable with the idea of tagging along with the baby and hanging out while he went to the wedding. The only things I asked to do was to go to the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. I knew that those places were easy trips to make so, I was not asking for too much.

Eric agreed to those things and started looking into it how to get there, where to get a car, and where we should stay. As he was figuring out those details he started looking at other parks near by and what else we could see and if adding more days before the wedding or after the wedding would be better.  That's when he came up with the idea to fly out early rent a car and go to Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon National Parks. I was like awesome, lets do this but we will only do little hikes because we have a three month old and I will have to feed him and that might be hard to do and no camping.

We flew to Vegas, got in a car and drove for what seemed like forever to get to Zion and when we got there we were blown away. We found an easy hike up a side of a mountain and set out on our first family hike.

After we hiked the short hike and shuttled to a few points of interest we went to the lodge area to hang out on the lawn, have some lunch, and feed the baby.  During that time, we talked about going to more parks because we bought a park pass and I said why not go see more before the pass expires.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is how it all started.  We bought a park pass that was good for a year and I wanted to get our moneys worth. I might have been a little drunk on the view and the moment when I suggested that.

The great lawn.

So, I think Zion National Park, a park I did not know existed until a few weeks before our trip, was the catalyst for wanting to go to as many national parks as we can. Look at that view, that prefect blue sky, the red rocks of those mountains and if you could feel the warmth of the sun and the smell of fall in the air, you would totally get it.

Here is a little back ground, so you can see that this idea wasn't completely off of our radar. When I met Eric, he was preparing to go on a camping trip to Glacier, Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks with some college friends. I had been to the Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Trail and Rock Mountain National Parks. So, going to the parks is something that both of us had done without the other. I grew up camping and hiking. He is a boy and like most boys, loves doing outdoor things like that.

____________________________

That was where I had ended the story, before.

We went on to see several other places, then to Arizona and a short stay in Flagstaff before heading back to see the Hoover Dam, the Las Vegas sign and our friends get married.

That was when our family trips started. This story was the reason why I wanted to write my Get Out and Go series. We love traveling together, since we started dating we have covered many miles and over half of the states. With each trip, I journaled and photographed everything. I wanted to share our travels beyond those journals to encourage others to get out and go and see these places that our great country has to offer. Like Zion, a place I didn't know until shortly before the trip. As well as, showing that these trips can be done with kids of any age.

My goal with writing this series is to share our stories from our smallest of journeys to the biggest. Exploring our own backyard is just as important as traveling far, so I will share our favorite walking paths and parks to playing in our very own back yard with our boys. Getting out of our house and being active is what get out and go is all about.