Babies, BBQ's & Crop Circles

Hello blog world.... I've missed you!

This week I've been deeply entrenched in "Potty Training Boot Camp."  I took the entire week off work to work with Hayden and while we'll still not there 100% I'd say we're at a solid 90% which is a vast improvement.  I've gone back and forth this week between feeling like a drill sergeant and then private Benjamin - with no real clue how I've got myself in this mess!!!

That being said, I REALLY need to play some serious catchup.

Two weekends ago (goodness how time flies when you're behind on your blog) we saw our first glimpse of real summer weather around these parts and so we tried to make the VERY most of it.

Friday (the 3rd) was gorgeous, AND sunny AND warm (great combination of adjectives) - and it was also a very special day as my very dear friend Shay gave birth to her second beautiful daughter ~ Tenley Rhiann Bachelder.

Isn't she cute?!

I couldn't wait to get up to the hospital to see her - especially since 2 1/2 years ago I was rushing up to the hospital to see Shay after the birth of her first daughter Jenica at the very same hospital.

Me and little miss Jenica, September '08

Shay, me & little miss Tenley - June 2011

Saturday (the 4th) we hosted our first BBQ of the summer for a group of our friends.  Dave got a bit excited with the guest list, and so what started as a "little" get-together quickly escalated into 35 people (once we included kids) coming for dinner!  Of course we both subscribe to the "more the merrier" philosophy so it was a lot of fun and a great test for our back yard which is only slightly larger than a postage stamp!  Turns out postage stamps make great BBQ spots!!

(click on the collage to see pictures bigger)

The weather was lovely, the food was great and the company was perfect!  Dave did an awesome job with the meat on the grill and everyone bought amazing sides to make quite the feast.... no one went hungry, in fact almost everyone had to be rolled out the front door when it was time to leave.

We also borrowed a fire pit from our neighbors so that we could sit around the roaring fire as the night progressed and get that "camping" feel from the comfort of home.  Dave likes fire... a lot!  And we did have a great time visiting with a few couples who stayed later and enjoying the ambiance that a fire creates...but this is what we found the next morning as the sun rose.

Did aliens visit our backyard?

Sure likes a crop circle to me!


Poor Dave... who is normally so proud and protective of his precious grass had no one to blame but himself for this one.  As a smart wife who loves her husband I've stayed away from the topic - but I'm praying it comes back to life...eventually.

And there's your two week old recap!!!

I'm A Big Kid Now!!

This past weekend I turned 33, and I celebrated like every adult woman should - by throwing myself an 8-year girl's birthday party!!

And it was awesome!!

There are several rules that should be followed when throwing yourself the party of an 8-year old.

#1 rule - NO BOYS ALLOWED!  
I'm not anti-men by any means, and I love my husband and my boys with all my heart - but sometimes you just need girl time, so I took this rule very seriously.  While Dave stayed home with the kids I hit the town with 7 of my closest girlfriends and we giggled and laughed and filled the car with tales of extreme estrogen and it was glorious.

#2 rule - I'LL TAKE FRIES WITH THAT!
When I was growing up my idea of a huge birthday treat was going to McDonald's... my tastes have grown up a little since then but sometimes nothing beats a great burger joint.  So we hit up Red Robin - a place with truly magnificent fries and where even at 33 you'll still get balloons and be sung to by the wait staff (which I would have been REALLY okay without) but my fish n' chips made it worth it.

Me and my girls at Red Robin

Did I mention they make you wear the balloons on your head while they sing to you?

#3 rule - EMBRACE YOUR INNER CHILD!
Ever since my sister went roller skating for Valentines Day I'd been longing to let my inner skater child out to play ~ luckily my girlfriends were all up for it too and so we went prepared to laugh at ourselves (and each other) and no matter what, stick together for moral and perhaps real life support too.  Turns out skating is a little bit like riding a bicycle... you never really forget but you might start out a little wobbly.  That doesn't mean you won't feel every muscle as you work away around the rink... 'cause oh my... you will... my hips, my knees, my ankles all protested loudly but I reminded them they were pretending to be 8 and that shut them up enough to keep going.

Ready to get our skate on!

I had no idea that roller skating rinks were becoming so popular again, or perhaps they never lost their draw and I was just oblivious... the place was packed out with all ages represented and all clothing "styles" too... we had a good time laughing at a group who'd come in "disco" attire courtesy of goodwill.

My girls represented well too:  Enjoy their best skating poses.

Amy the "Atta-Tude"

"Punky Bruiser" Halverson

Superaina

"Cole-inator"

Tricialicious

and yours truly - the birthday ballerina!

It was so much fun.  We enjoyed the music, the people watching, we marveled at the group of people break dancing in the middle of the rink with the crazy skills, and the little7-year old kid who was out-skating everyone else and weaving in and out of people doing all sorts of fancy tricks.  We laughed, we ached, we made fun of ourselves and amazingly enough we managed to go the entire night without falling flat on our behinds.  I call that a success!!

Fabulous cheap entertainment - thanks Oaks Park!

#4 rule - DON'T SKIP DESSERT!

After all that exercise skating,  I felt we more than earned the right to eat dessert.  So on our way home we stopped at Yo Top It, a new frozen yogurt joint to reward ourselves for doing so well.

Hello lovely - you were delicious!!

It was the perfect end to a great night out.  Who knows, maybe I'll turn 8 again next year too!

TO LISA WITH LOVE

Today I received a distraught phone call from a long-time friend.  She left a message with the receptionist at my work asking me to call her as soon as possible, and to please tell me these three words...

"YOU'RE KILLING ME!"

My insanely vivid imagination instantly went into a frenzy as I imagined all the possible scenarios in my mind of why she'd so desperately need to get in touch with me.  She NEVER calls me at work.  Had I done something?  Said something?  Was she still holding a grudge over the last time I was in her neighborhood and didn't stop by to see her. Or maybe it was something different...was she okay?  Was she ill?  Did something happen to her parents??

After several rounds of phone tag with me getting more and more anxious, we finally connected and it turns out my dear friend (who's also 6 months pregnant) was in fact just craving some sweets - and my mention of no-bake cookies without posting the recipe was putting her over the edge.  So much so, that she called to threaten she'd never read my blog again if I didn't start sharing the goods!  And I'm a people pleaser... I can't handle that kind of rejection!

So Lisa... here's my recipe for no-bake cookies.  I'm sorry I didn't take step-by-step pictures for you, but here's the chocolately-peanut-buttery goodness all broke down for you!

NO BAKE COOKIES:

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal

Directions:
1.  In a medium saucepan combine sugar, butter, milk & cocoa powder together. 
2.  Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.
3.  Add vanilla, salt, peanut butter & oatmeal.  Mix well to combine.
4.  Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper.  Allow to cool and set.



And Lisa, because I love you ~ stay tuned tomorrow for my recipe (and pictures) of the world's best carrot cake!!

What A Weekend!!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of spending four nights away with some of my dearest friends at the Oregon Coast.  I have been looking forward to this trip for an entire year now.  It's my opportunity to get away, relax, talk, laugh and SCRAPBOOK!!!

Oh how I love to scrapbook.  And four days, with no interruptions, no children, no distractions... well that's just beyond blissful to me.

So last Thursday we packed into two vehicles (an amazing feat I must say) and caravaned our way to Lincoln City.

Can you spot Tricia??  Look close - she's there I promise!

Thank you having such a big car Tricia because we never would have made it otherwise!

Jodi, Tricia and I met Sarah & Laura in the local grocery store parking lot and we were off.  We got to our rental house only to find out that none of the pictures on their website showed it was a multi-level house... with the main living area on the second floor and the bedrooms on the third.

Scrap happens here!

Now stairs are not a problem if you're on a normal vacation.  After all, this is all I packed for myself.

Carry-on size suitcase and toiletries bag

However, this is my scrap stuff.

This is normal right?

Hello... my name is Kelly.  And I'm a scrapaholic!

And yes I realize one of my drawers has dropped off the track and looks very sad in this photo... it just traveled up a gigantic flight of stairs... trust me, it's just happy to be alive!

Hello treacherously narrow and slippery stair well!

When faced with hauling my INCREDIBLY HEAVY scrapbooking gear up this INCREDIBLY NARROW staircase, I was INCREDIBLY THANKFUL for my INCREDIBLY HELPFUL friends. 

Sometimes I like to overuse the word incredibly.

 

Without them there's an excellent chance I would have spent the next four days sitting at the bottom of the stairwell sighing deeply and tragically while contemplating the meaning of life, and questioning why I started scrapbooking at all.

 

But I was not alone.  And everyone pitched in and helped, because they all had great gobs of stuff too, and we hauled every last bag upstairs, and then rewarded ourselves for our hard work with dinner out on the town.

We also gave ourselves the freedom to complain about our aching calves, sore backs and tender knees the rest of the weekend without judgment! 


And the view made us feel better too.

Pacific Ocean right there out the window!

And we had a fabulous weekend.  Besides lots of scrapbooking, we shared stories, we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, we laughed til we cried and smiled until our faces hurt.  We ate delicious food (still dreaming about Laura's amazing fish taco's) and got amazing shopping deals at the Lincoln City outlet stores.  We talked about temperaments, and even went out and bought Florence Littauer's book to give Sarah & Laura the official "test" to pinpoint their personalities.  (And we were not surprised with the results - Sarah is a sanguine with a good shot of choleric and Laura is a perfect melancholy!)

Goodness I love these girls!

  
Oh, and we also got fun presents courtesy of Bobbi Villa here and her amazing sewing abilities.

She used fabrics and belts from Goodwill to make them all!

Yes, it was a wonderful weekend, and I'm already looking forward to next year... and a one-level house!

And let me just mention my husband for a moment, the man who allowed me to leave him alone with two boys for four days without complaining at all.  He did such an excellent job that I'm going to go ahead and forgive him for going out and buying this while I was gone.

He tried to tell me it was a present for me from the boys... nice try babe!

I'm linking up to my gals so you can see their recaps of our time too.  Sarah, Jodi & Laura.

What I Love Wednesday

It's Wednesday again and time for me to acknowledge that special thing in my kitchen that just really has made life easier for me this week.  

Last week I loved on my pots & pans, and while I still love them dearly, this week they have been outshone. Move aside Rachael Rays...   what I love this Wednesday is my friend Sairaina! (Here she is in my kitchen so it TOTALLY counts.)

Isn't she just adorable?!  Definitely my favorite thing in my kitchen!!

Sairaina and I go WAYYYYY back, but over the last couple months she's become a great cooking cohort also.  Every other week we get together and prepare a meal together (this sounds better than I stand around telling her what to do and watching her cook for me).

Sairaina is an amazingly talented person.  She's an incredible musician, singer, songwriter, worshiper.  She's one of my closest friends, a great co-worker, a fantastic Kids Camp counselor (go Super-raina go!) and she's one of the most photogenic people I've ever encountered.  She's also kind, and generous, and lovely, and gracious, and giving and sweet, and funny and gorgeous and I just love her to pieces... and for some crazy reason she loves me too and we enjoy our quality time together in my kitchen!

She'll tell you she needs the cooking lessons.  I'm here to tell you she's lying - she certainly doesn't need my help, but I sure like cooking alongside her and so I play along like I know something she doesn't when it comes to culinary skills, and she pretends I'm actually teaching her something and we have a great time.  Oh, and then we eat our creation!  It's really a win-win!

Last night she came over and we cooked up one of my quick easy favorite meals.  Spinach, Tomato & Feta over Penne pasta with garlic & herb chicken.  (and then I roasted some acorn squash too because I had them and needed to use them.)

Hello deliciousness... visit again soon!

It's a very easy recipe and so flavor-full!  It's a favorite around our household, even with Hayden who told me it was "mmmmm tasty!"

"Sairaina" action figure not included with most kitchens

Here's what you need: 

Chicken, EVOO, onion, garlic, spinach, tomatoes (I used cherubs, but you could use any kind diced), feta cheese and penne pasta.  The Sairaina is optional, but I highly recommend her!

Start by boiling some water in a big stock pot.  Salt it good and add your penne pasta, cooking it al dente.  Drain and set aside.

 In a saute pan heat some olive oil over medium heat.  Season your chicken (I used a roasted garlic & herb blend) and cook 'em on up.

In a skillet, heat some olive oil and saute a chopped onion for a couple minutes until it starts turning translucent. 

Add some minced garlic (I used three cloves) and stir around another minute.

Dump in a whole bag of baby spinach.  It will look like a lot... do not fear, that stuff wilts down SERIOUSLY!  Cover with a lid, or just stir around in the heat for a few minutes.

See, totally wilted. 

Add your pretty tomatoes next... don't they add such a lovely color?  Oh I'm getting hungry all over again just staring at this. 

Then add your cheese (I used 2/3 of the container) and allow the cheese to melt for a few more minutes.

Add your pasta back in and toss around.  Serve with chicken...or not, whatever floats your boat!

So thank you Sairaina!  Thank you for coming over, and cooking with me, and making such a delicious dinner.  You're my favorite thing in my kitchen - and an obvious choice for what I love Wednesday. (and everyday!)

The Butter Lovers Club

Tuesdays are dangerous for me.

You see I belong to a club.  And we meet on Tuesdays.  And when I walk in the doors this is what I'm generally greeted with.

Danger in it's purest form!

Welcome to the Butter Lover's Club - AKA - Women's Bible Study.

I love my Bible study group, they're a fantastic group of ladies and we have such a good time together - BUT they like to bake, and cook and then bring dangerously good things with them to share - and then I feel obligated to eat them, because hello, it's rude if I don't sample their hard work right?? 

This is justification in its saddest form.

We meet at my dear friend Angey's house which is cozy and warm and she always has fresh brewed coffee, and cocoa and chai tea, and then she also makes these:

Homemade blueberry scones.  TO.DIE.FOR!

Like I said... Tuesdays are dangerous!  

But our night is about much more than the food.  We cram into Angey's living room, snuggle in on her comfy leather couches and look to our fearless leader Debbe.

Ready to teach us - she's brave, because we're mostly sanguines with no attention span!

And then we get VERY serious!

A window into our deep, intellectual theological discussions!

Okay, so I use the phrase "serious" loosely!  But I think God is okay with that - after all the Bible says:

"A merry heart does good like a medicine."

Proverbs 17:22

And after a long day at work, picking up kids, cooking dinner, cleaning up dinner, getting kids ready for bed and then having to head back out the door when all you want to do is fall into a coma on the couch - laughter is really good medicine. 

And we laugh... a LOT!  

But we also have really good discussion time, we share our hearts, we pray together, and at the end of the night, we walk away encouraged, strengthened, inspired and maybe a pound or two heavier... 

I call it a trade off!