Um, here I am

Oh. My. Goodness.

Really, I am that blogger.

I have about a million things going on (like everyone), but the thing that falls to the bottom of the list is my little blog.

I have nothing to say, except dang.

As I bounce around the internet, I am loving all the Christmas posts on decorating, treats, gift ideas, ways to celebrate, yummy foods, advent calendars and so much more. 

I do not have that kind of post today. And I may not have that kind of post at all this Christmas.

Dang again.

If you needed to know that you are not the only one who does not have it all together at Christmas time (or anytime, really) trust me when I tell you I am all over not having it all together. 

But I have gotten really good at 'enough'. Enough really is enough.

 How cute are these cookies? 

They represent several fun hours goofing around with my daughter and grandson. We giggled and made some terrific memories. We ate way too much sugar and I even tried to feel bad about it, but I didn't.

I really do not like the idea of stressing out over perfection. I am so happy with enough, especially when enough comes with a great experience.

We named the yellow ginger bread girl "Macaroni and Cheese Girl" and the friend on the right "Ugly Fred" (even though I think he is super cute with his green jimmie pants).

Have a Merry Week Before Christmas.

the most unfortunate looking tree

We really like trees.

We all grew up in Michigan, and trees (and water) are part of our heritage and landscape. We feel hopeful with new buds in the spring, we like the shade in summer and we like to play in the leaves in autumn.

We even like them in the winter - Not sure why though.

Anyway - We have two trees on our property. This is one of them.

You might think it looks just fine. But there is a problem:

It's in the wires. Ugh.

To solve that problem, several years ago, someone lopped off the top. Since then it had been growing again and looking so sad.

We were sad to take it down, as we knew there were happy critters living in it (think squirrels and birds), but it just had to go. It was destined to become a big problem real soon.

And like I said, just not good looking at all.

I secretly think Hero was totally excited to go to the rental place and pick out some beefy chain saw to play with for the day. Since Colin was home, he got in on the action, too. 

I was safely at work.

And it's down. Really. Just like that. 

The details are a little sketchy to me (remember I was at work blissfully unaware that my so was wielding a chainsaw around), but I understand that a few branches were taken off that might interfere with the wires, the tow rope was tied on, one of them cut and the other pulled.

And done.

Colin doesn't even realize what he is doing is work. He is just loving this.

Not sure where Hero is standing to take this photo. Some things are better unknown.

Moving right along - little bits and pieces of tree. 

The neighbor's little dog barked at them all. day. long. That's always fun.

Firewood for the fire pit - Yay!

And there it is. Done and done.

Hero left the stump at 4 feet high to build something awesome for the grandkiddos.

(Look at that cute little lineup of arborvitaes, which will probably provide some privacy in, oh, about 17 years.)

It's good! We love it!

We miss the idea of the tree, though. We are really trying to think how we can get another tree in our yard that won't get into the overhead wires or the underground sprinklers.

oh, man

July 10.

Tomorrow is our son Colin's graduation party.

This is happening in the season of "everything happening". It's a good season, but, oh man, it doesn't seem to slow down. At all.

I think about posting but I don't have the photos ready. So I put it off another day, which, in this season, turns into a week and a half.

Dang.

Since the last time I've been here, we have had a million things going on -

I finished that wedding I decorated.

Colin graduated.

(And we are planning his before mentioned party.)

We have gone to a bunch of graduation parties.

I got my hair cut (Yay!)

I've been working on Young Women's camp. Two and a half weeks away!

I got a new church calling - Starting in the fall I will be teaching Seminary, which is an early morning (5:55am!) religious class for high school students. They meet every school day. Needless to say, I am a little overwhelmed, but lots excited. And working like crazy to prepare.

We've had visitors - mostly Lauren, David and cute cute Max.



Father's Day.

Youth Conference.

Tons of yard work - mulch, leveling the back yard, sod, planting 17 little arborvitaes, cutting down a tree, building a tree fort, and everything else that just comes along with yard work.

Hero and I taking a few days with Colin and Liam to go camping and to Michigan Adventure. (Which by the way, we all totally recommend. Nice park, great rides and not super crowded.) The camping was pretty awesome, too, right on Lake Michigan.

4th of July.

Kids needing stuff.

Work. And overtime.

I think this list could keep going, but you get the idea.

I wouldn't trade what I have going on for anything - Although it's a lot, I am happy with loving and taking care of my family and home, serving others and having some play time, too. I am a huge believer in pacing myself, saying no to things that I really need to say no to and focusing on what is most important. But this pace is working at the moment.

Must be the season.

p.s. I am so going to get those photos in order! You need to see our crazy backyard update and the awesome tree fort Hero built!

peanut butter balls

It's Christmas time!

I have so many good memories of Christmas as a child. When I think back on the things that made it special, I remember things we did as a family.

Some were more work, like polishing the silver for dinner (wish my mom knew about this great method!) and ironing napkins and cleaning the house.

But other things were more enjoyable, like putting every single ornament we owned on the tree and making little crafty things and having plum pudding after Christmas dinner with all of our family.

I remember gifts received - The Atari game we were able to open on Christmas Eve. We woke up Christmas morning to my parents playing it. And also gifts given - My brother gave my grandparents a Hickory Farms gift in a cool ceramic turtle planter kind of thing (take my word for it.) The reason I remember it so well is that my mom was so impressed that my brother chose such a thoughtful gift for them. I wanted to get a ceramic turtle planter kind of thing for them every year after that, but could not find another one. Too bad.

When Hero and I got married, we each brought memories and traditions to our Christmas season. I loved making cookies and hanging stockings, which Hero had not done before. We got together with his family for Christmas dinner and made treats his mom liked to make.

One of those things was Peanut Butter Balls.

I thought they were the Best. Things. Ever.

And I still think that. 

Since the first days of our marriage, we have improved the system quite a bit. It helped having a bunch of kiddos to help with assembly. When they were younger, we had to watch them like a hawk to make sure they did not eat too much of the profits and to wash their hands if they even looked like they may have licked their fingers. Sometimes we would end the evening in a meltdown, but most years we did pretty good.

Each year we make between 400 and 600 of these little yummies. We love eating them and sharing them.

This year Colin wanted to make 1000. Um, that is a lot even for us. We made a deal - we would try to make 1000 but no one is allowed to complain about making a thousand.

Even though we are down to four of us, we were pretty efficient. We got the dough mixed up pretty fast - It helps that we have teenage boys with strong young muscles. We ate a quick dinner and got right to work on production. One of us - usually me - uses the little cookie dough scoop and drops the dough balls on the (clean) table. Everyone else grabs them up, rolls them up and plops them on the trays. 

We try to be very careful about placement - We need to get as many as possible on each one. There is usually someone that gets a little crooked in lining them up, but we are pretty much pros - We usually get them straightened out.

After a tray is full, out to the garage it goes. They dip better when they are cold.

(And in our opinion, they taste better frozen. That's because we keep them out in the garage and grab one every single time we go out there. We get a lot more cooperation about taking the trash out this time of year, too - Just another opportunity to grab one or two.)

These little beauties are ready for their chocolate bath. 

(Just had a vision of taking a chocolate bath. On the one hand, so warm, smells good and something new. On the other hand, ummmm, I don't think so.

When the kiddos were little, Hero did most of the dipping while I supervised the ball rolling and hand washing. Now that we have responsible teenagers with no one else to monitor, they get to help with that part, too. Yay!

The middle of the production isn't always the prettiest. These still need topping.

Liam demonstrates the two handed dipping method. Basically with one hand you stab a ball with a toothpick, dip it and let it drip back into the pot, and while it is dripping you use the other hand to stab, dip and let drip. It repeats over and over and over. Many, many times.

Got a little wonky in formation here. That happens toward the end of the evening.

But the quality control never slips. 

Beautiful.

I rarely made treats with my mom - She was a great cook, but didn't do much baking or treat making. When I had the chance to do that with our family, I jumped on it. Over the years, we have tweaked how we do things, but the peanut butter balls have been a consistent favorite year after year. For everyone.

And I really hope our kiddos have good memories of making and eating and sharing them.

But as much as we tried, we did not reach our goal of 1000.

We only made about 750.

But that should be plenty.

What We've Been Up To

Holy cow - It's been a while!

And do you know why?

Because we have not done anything.

Sometimes it works out like that. Let me explain.

About three months ago, our daughter Alex, who has lived in Idaho for the last six years, told us they were thinking about moving to Michigan. I immediately did not believe her. Ever since her wedding to Lawson, we were under no illusions to ever think they would live anywhere east of the Mississippi. Lawson is from Utah, and like so many who have grown up in mountain regions, felt such a deep connection to those mountains, that he never wanted to leave them. Alex supported that and since their wedding, we have visited them or they have visited us twice a year. Oh, and regular Skype sessions. Not ideal, but it was the reality. And in those years, never a word about anything different than living near the mountains. (There were a few times they talked about relocating for school or work, but those conversations ended in denial for me - They were talking about California or Oregon - Even farther away!)

So when Alex said they were serious, I did not believe her. When she looked into transferring their jobs - they both work for Target - I did not believe her. When they ended their lease on their apartment, I did not believe her.

I really, really did not want to get my hopes up. I knew for so long that this was not an option that I was cautious. 

And then there was a conversation that went something like this:

Me: I can't believe you are really coming. 

 Alex: Mom, we are coming. We have jobs in Michigan. We have no place to live here. We need to live there.

Me: Really?

Alex: Really.

Me: Are you sure?

Alex: We are sure.

Me: Really sure?

Alex: Really sure.

Me: Well okay then!

And Hero and I hopped on a plane to Salt Lake City, then hopped in a shuttle bus up to Idaho Falls, then hopped in a 16 foot Budget rental truck and drove that truck from Idaho, through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana and finally into Michigan.

And since we arrived home safely and all in one piece (Yay!) on October 25, we have not gotten a single thing done on our small house.

Because when you have a sweet little family living in your basement while they find their own small house, it is pretty much impossible to get anything done.

Not that I am complaining. It has been terrific having them here in Michigan! We could not be happier.

Even though we are not getting much done. Because what is the point of having a great little home if you don't pause to enjoy it?

A Fun Thing In the Kitchen

I know you know that we are in love with the way our kitchen is coming together.

We went from this:

To this:

Yep - It is really getting there.

This kitchen just gets better and better each day. And not only because it is so much more functional and fabulous looking.

But because is feels good.

Can a room have a feeling? Sure. 

It can feel closed in, dark, cramped, disorganized - Not so good.

Or it can feel open, light and bright, orderly - Good.

Something else that makes a room feel good is who you share it with. And the kinds of things you do there.

We are choosing good.

See what we did?

It started with this:

And this sweet book:

source

And this terrific girl:

Lauren so graciously agreed to help me make these delicious treats for a good friend's family luncheon. She has made hundreds of these little french cookies. 

We had great time whipping these babies up.

Making macarons is surprisingly easy. Really. It is basically a type of meringue that is piped onto baking sheets, baked, cooled, then filled with a yummy filling.

The trick (and not that much of a trick) is once it is is whipped up that you don't handle it so much that you lose all the fluffiness you just whipped into the batter.

These are lemon. Yum.

Piping makes you feel like a pro.

These are chocolate. Yum again.

Once they are cooled fill them up with goodness - That is another name for filling.

See those blue ones? Blueberry cheesecake. Yum for a third time.

Holy cow. We had a pretty difficult time not eating all of them.

I love the fun things we do and the memories that we are creating in our little house. Of course, we made lots of awesome memories in our big house, too, but bigger does not always mean better. We are happy to find that we are just as fun and happy and comfortable and all kinds of good things in our cozy home as we were in the big house.

Next time we make macarons:

source

Ice cream filled!

Yum for the fourth time.

Random Kitchen Stuff

We are still working on this kitchen of ours, and next week we should have some photos and something to say about our back splash. 

We've been working on a few non-kitchen things now that a big part of it is functioning pretty darn good, but we are still plugging away at the little things. It might be a few months before we can say "All done!" - Scout camps, band camps, driver's ed and a few other expenses need to be taken care of first. 

But it's all good - We love what we have done so far!

I thought I would share a little more of what went on around here during the marathon week of getting this kitchen on it's way to fabulous.

One of the things we did was paint the floor.

Oh, wait. No we didn't. 

We painted trim.

We painted the ceiling.

We painted walls.

We painted edges.

We took relaxing paint breaks on the ladder.

We pulled about 735,022 nails and staples out of a very small area of the floor. That will happen when there are 3 layers of old floor to pull up.

We tried different techniques at staple and nail removal. Colin demonstrates the pulling out with your bare hands method.

 Liam shows off the cutting method.

Brenden working hard at the prying method.

See how much joy and happiness comes from ridding an old floor of staples and nails? You should try it sometime. If you want, I can let you know when we get on the rest of the floor - There should be enough for everyone to share!

We installed this awesome new light for over the table. 

How it looks off.

And on.

Tricky stuff going on here.

Speaking of tricky, we squeezed a kitchen appliance into a space that was too small for it. This box contained our new dishwasher. See the space behind it? Next to the fridge? The dishwasher has to fit in that spot.

A closer look. No way that was going to fit in that little, tiny space.

It must be an optical illusion. Really - That is the exact size space. Crazy.

We are getting closer to "done", but sometimes those little projects can take sooooo long to finish up. We are determined to not have this linger for the next several years in an "almost done" state. But there are lots of little projects