Buttermilk Syrup and Belgian Waffles

Yesterday went well. I'm glad my checkup is over. Today is payday and I need to go grocery shopping so this will be quick.

My friend, Colleen, gave me a great recipe for Buttermilk Syrup. We especially LOVE it on waffles.

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter

2 tsp. corn syrup

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Boil for 7 minutes, stirring constantly and then add two teaspoons vanilla. Serve warm. Hint: you will need to make this in a large pan because it foams up when it starts to boil.

Last week, I saw a great recipe for Belgian Waffles over at "Twelve Makes a Dozen". Her blog is really fun! Twelve Kids! Wow. Thanks, Sandy, for letting me link to your blog and your great recipe. :) Happy FRIDAY, everyone!

Here's the hoop -- should I jump?

Look at this cute guy... he LOVES climbing in our tree.
Christmas isn't really Christmas without a kitten... life is good.

How's life? How's your Christmas preparations coming? You may think I am just one of those annoyingly perky people during Christmas... I love it! All of it. My friend, Stephanie, did a great blog post about that today and well, I'll just say DITTO to what she said. (and Steph, for the record, I might send out New Year's Cards again, the budget is *tight*)

Our family is also doing something really special this year... more on that later.

Okay, so in my last post, I told you that I sent my children's story to two publishers... (now three) well, I got a positive response from one of them just five days later.... WHAT?!?!?!?!

Yeah, I was pretty excited and I know they are a reputable company because a friend of mine has recently published with them; however, they require a $2,000 retainer FEE. :( Yes, I just heard screeching brakes, did you? Anyway, the retainer fee is fully refundable upon the sale of 1000 copies of my book. Blargh! I knew it wouldn't be that easy the first time out of the gates, but man, that email got me excited! From what I've heard, that is fairly common for unknown authors wanting to publish their first book.

I firmly believe that if I'm supposed to publish this book something better will come along. I wish I was Anne Shirley and there was a local "Rollings Reliable Baking Powder" Company that needed a boost. I bet I could win that!

Anyway, I love Christmas and for the moment, we are all basically healthy... which is kinda freaking me out.

I love my kids. We made some cardboard box cars this week just for fun.
And it was.
Beck slept in his last night.

Zoe and I went to a USU women's basketball game with her class. SO fun!

Here she is with "Big Blue", the USU mascot!
Zoe said he stunk like cologne... just keep thinking that way, sweetie.

Kaia's still awake (it's 10:15) and she's crying. Zeke is up there with her and I should go help. He is such a great guy... which kinda freaks me out too.

This should probably be another post, but I want to do a "Word of the Year" thing like my good friend, Tawnya. She is most groovy, by the way. I think it's a great idea and a way for me to really make some changes in my life all through the year. Not a big list of "resolutions", I've never been one for that really, but something simple. Something I can think about and implement everyday.

Once I decided to do this, the word I wanted came to mind almost instantly:

DISCIPLINE
dis.ci.pline (noun)

1. training to act in accordance with rules; drill: military discipline.

2. activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training: A daily stint at the typewriter is excellent discipline for a writer.

3. punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.

4. the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc.: the harsh discipline of poverty.

5. behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control: good discipline in an army.

This is what I jotted down on my phone:
TIME
MONEY
STUDY
GIVE
PROGRESS
SELF

I'll expand more on that list as I figure out exactly what I was thinking when I wrote it.
For the most part, I want to focus on our money and get out of debt. This year is the year!
I feel like the planets are aligning...

No more PRIVACY!

So I finally got to meet my friend, Dedra! She and her children and her sister, Gina, stopped by on their way through Utah. We had a great time!! :)

She fixed my necklace and made a keychain for Kaia with the leftover beads :)

And we had to try on Beck's goggles just because:

Here's Gina: she made breakfast!

Yeah, it's me:
I am so excited to tell all of you that her blog is not private anymore! Go see! She's funny and way groovy and she ALWAYS makes me laugh.
Bless her heart! (Just kidding, Dedra!)

Now I've done it!

Okay, I seriously need to write a blog post... life is so busy and crazy right now.

A quote I really like, "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." Life is too short. No one is perfect. Look for the good. People can change.

I also believe that no matter how hard you try, you cannot get people to believe or see something they don't want to, even if it is the truth. Like Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." But the truth will come to light someday and I am at peace knowing that retribution is with God. Let go and let GOD. Some good life lessons learned this week, not by choice, but maybe this was needed long ago.

Just FYI, we have ONE computer and now that school's out for the summer, there are FIVE of us waiting in line to use it during the day. Yeah, I'm thinking one post a week might be pushing it.

We've been swimming, BBQ-ing, cleaning, painting, gardening, laughing, crying, cooking, shopping, going to gymnastics, movie watching, reading, and staying up WAY too late... and just enjoying not having to do homework every night!

By the way, we watched a movie on Netflix called, "Outsourced", I really liked it.

NEWS of the week:

1) My neighbor and dear friend, Lora, is EXPECTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the best news ever!
2) I got to meet a blog friend this week! Amber, I had a great time finally talking to you in person. Your kids are adorable! I wish I would have taken more pictures.
3) Zoe had an "Un-birthday" party today. Ever since she could talk, she's wanted a water party: swimming, water balloons, sprinklers, etc. Poor girl was born in November... so this year, she got her wish! :)
4) Last Saturday, I invited the girls from my Book Club and their families over for a BBQ. It was the best night ever! :) I seriously LOVE every single one of these women; they have saved my life. To see some of the highlights... go here, this is my dear friend, Tawnya's blog. This is Beck and his best friend, Sammy, at the BBQ. This is serious. Beck does NOT want to share Sammy with Kaia. At all. Or with anyone else. Sammy is the man! Beck talks about him all day and pretends he's here. :)
5) Gabe (far right) and his buddies heading to a Young Men's activity... they look pretty dang cute I think!

Zeke and I are so blessed. We have so many wonderful people in our life. Thank you to Lora, Tawnya, Amber, Nancy, Nicole, Melissa, Lisa, and anyone else who has made me smile. :)

Wow, suddenly June is half over. I need to take more pictures and keep working on my "to do" list. I've re-painted Beck's room and the family room. Next up is our room and the deck!

Next week: swimming lessons

Oh, and some good advice I learned the hard way,
"Never toss a bag of topsoil into your trunk!" (Do I need to explain?)

I will try to fix you...

I just heard this song the other day from that great documentary I told you about called "Young@Heart"... you should seriously watch it. I love Coldplay. What a beautiful song! I am so thankful for my wonderful family and friends... I couldn't survive without you. Love you all!

Please Stand By

Hello out there...

This week has been BUSY! My children have been home for Spring Break and it's been snowing ALL week, yeah. We have one computer and 5 people who want to use it.

Our computer is having technical difficulties and I feel so lost..... sad, huh? but it's true.

My husband has been installing new anti-virus software on our computer today and it's having issues... it took over 10 minutes for me to bring up my blog and get to the "new post" page. While I was waiting, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and put on my pajamas. (I have no patience and I cannot sit still for more than 5 minutes.)

Anyhoo, I just wanted all of you to know that I'm still here and I'm missing all of your blogs somethin' fierce! Ha! Zeke is working out the kinks on the computer and hopefully things will be a LOT faster by Monday. I can't wait to see what you've been up to!

P.S. I went to Book Club Thursday night. It was AWESOME! These women are so fun, but I always feel kinda dumb.
P.P.S. I watched some fun movies on Netflix and such this weekend:

• "The Pajama Game"-- 1957 musical with Doris Day (yeah, I like that kind of stuff) This one was really silly and some of the choreography was so different and just plain weird; my girls and I could not stop laughing.
  
• "Young @ Heart" -- kind of an independent film/documentary about a Senior Citizen's Choir from Massachusetts that sings songs from Jimi Hendrix, Coldplay, The Clash, Sonic Youth, etc. It was a hoot! Seriously, I want to be like that when I get old.
  
• NOT on Netflix (don't get excited), but we also watched "Tangled". Okay, so I just love this movie to pieces! I have to remind Beck that I'm "happy crying" because he keeps saying, "What's wrong, Mama?" I just love to be in love and see movies with happy endings. CHEESY! But that witch person, Mother Gothel? Yeah, I like want to hurt her (what a hypocrite, I know) but when she sings to Rapunzel, "gettin' kinda chubby" and all of that other horrible stuff, I really want to hit her with a frying pan or something! She's so awful, but isn't that what the Disney villains are supposed to be?
• We've been watching a lot of clips from the musical "South Pacific" on "you tube" this weekend. WHY? Well, it's a bit of a surprise and it involves my husband and a sailor hat...I cannot wait!
  

sorry for the lack of pictures and links..... blah.

Find-A-Friend Friday

Guess what!?
I was chosen to be interviewed by Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity
for "Find-A-Friend Friday". I'm so excited! I love Stephanie and her blog.

Look for my interview tomorrow... I hope you like it! :)

(Four times four) times Two!

Thanks to Dedra and Kate for the tag :) You girls ROCK! I figured since I got tagged twice... I'll do eight of everything because I had a hard time narrowing things down to just four. Lucky me!

Four (x 2) places I go:

• Smith's Marketplace (on Main always, not the one on 4th!)
  
• Church
• Elementary School
  
• Middle School
• Doctor's office
• Library
• Temple
  
• Tandoori Oven

Four (x2) favorite smells:

• Rain
• Steak
  
• Fingernail polish
• My Mom and Dad's House
• Zeke
• Baby Lotion
• Gasoline
• Something baking in the oven, especially pie or bread
  

Four (x 2) favorite TV shows/movies:

• Mythbusters
  
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• Elf
  
• Despicable Me
• Bizarre Foods
  
• Avatar: The Last Airbender (The cartoon series from Nickelodeon --only this one!)
  
• My Neighbor Totoro
• You've Got Mail
  

Four (x 2) recommendations:

• A pet. Any kind. Animals definitely have a place in our human world, and the responsibility learned from having a pet is a good thing. (I had to copy Kate, I agree 100%)
  
• Have all of your recommended cancer screenings done as much as needed no matter what!
  
• Don't ever start playing Tetris. Believe me.
  
• A Library card. Don't leave home with out one. (ditto, Kate)
  
• If you don't feel like being pleasant, courteous, or kind -- Act that way and the feelings will come.
• Look for the positive in everyone around you, especially your family.
• Drink LOTS of water.
• Eat less. Move more.
  

Now, I'm supposed to tag 4 (x 2) others:

Lara
Angee
Hilary
Lesa
Tawnya
Lora
Lorie
Shauntae

I'm just a girl...

Zoe's Activity Day group was invited to do the Pinewood Derby with the Cub Scouts this year!
Is that cool or what? I loved seeing the designs the girls came up with --
WAY different than the boys.

Here's Zoe's "car":

Activity Day Girls (sorry for the blur... Beck was "helping"):

Zoe worked really hard and had a lot of fun! But she also learned a valuable lesson. Her car jumped the track on the second heat and somehow everyone (including the judges) thought she'd won. But she and Zeke knew she hadn't. She told the judges the truth and the other car won that heat. That car went on to win the whole race! The little girl that won was SO happy. I think Zoe will always remember this and smile. I am proud of you, sweetie. I know you did the right thing.

When I was 7 or 8, I had a T-shirt that said: "Anything boys can do, girls can do better!" Oh, how I loved that shirt! I wore it as much as I could (and I got in a lot of fights because of it too!) I always grew up believing that girls could do ANYTHING they wanted.

Maybe I appreciate boys a little more now that I'm older, but I still want my girls to feel like they can do great things. I'm so glad Zoe had the opportunity to participate in the Pinewood Derby. I hope Kaia can too.

I have another post I want to write later this week... and my friend, Stephanie, wrote a post today that I wanted to share with you. It talks a bit about what I've been thinking about too. :) Good Stuff!

Cat Baths

I have a great blog friend named Dedra. She is so funny, talented, amazing, and groovy. Just for the record, I have never actually met her. But I want to! I wish she could have her blog public so all of you could get to know her, but it's very important that she keeps it private right now. I feel so fortunate to have found her before she went private. Anyway, we seem to have a LOT in common except for one teensy little thing: she doesn't like cats.

It's okay, Dedra, I forgive you. But thanks for being happy for us and all our cats. I think people either like them or hate them. One of my dating criteria when looking for my future husband was they had to like cats. I'm serious!

Anyway, Dedra and I were blogging about cat baths and I remembered an email I got from another good friend, Loralee, way back when. Whenever I need a good laugh, I open this email and look at it.

Dedra, this is for you:





Seriously, if these pictures don't make any of you laugh, you must be a cat!