My Hot Date on Oct. 27th

A while back Paul was one of the lucky ones to get a free steak coupon from Outback. We meant to take it to California with us but we totally forgot it. It was going to expire on Halloween so we were running out of time.

On the 25th I was at a stake training meeting for my new calling. While I was there our stake president counseled us to date our spouse. He said a lot of wonderful things but that is the one thing I thought really stood out. Since I obviously think it's important to spend quality time with the person you love most, I called my mom and asked her to babysit. President Gleason's words were the push I needed to make a date happen. We needed to have this date. I told her I was just trying to follow counsel from my stake president. ; )We started out with our yummy steak dinner and then we to see the new Footloose.

I really enjoyed the movie. It was entertaining to see what they chose to change from the original and what they kept the same. (I couldn't believe that they kept the old yellow bug and the ugly sport coat from the big school dance scene at the end of the film.) I really liked the little changes in the story line. I thought the actors all did a great job acting and dancing. I seriously got goosebumps during some of the dance numbers. I actually bought myself a Line Dancing 101 DVD because the line dancing in the movie looked like so much fun LOL!

 

Paul was a good sport. I think there were only three guys in the whole theater but he didn't mind. He's pretty much awesome. I'm so thankful to have him in my life. I can't wait to have more dates with him. Now I have the perfect excuse, "My stake president said I had to!" 

Today I am Thankful for Great Friends

Yesterday Rees and I showed up to church dress identically. It wasn't planned, we hadn't shopped together it was a total and complete coincidence. There was a time in my life when I would have been horrified to have this happened. Yesterday I thought it was hysterical. I knew Rees had great taste so to be dressed like her validated my outfit!

I know my first post was about friends/neighbors so this is sort of a repeat but not really. Plus my friends are great enough they deserve two days of thankfulness, maybe more.

I don't like to name names because I don't want anyone to feel left out but if you are in my ward or we have shared a laugh I am talking about you! My friends are so dear to me. I don't remember ever in my life having so many girlfriends. Some I talk to on the phone for hours, some I do lunch with and others are just friendly faces I see at church, school or the grocery store. The thing is I trust all of these women. I know they would help me with me kids if I needed it. I know they would listen to me if I wanted to spill my guts. I know that we share something special and that means the world to me.

I am so thankful for the wonderful, beautiful (inside and out), generous, loving, wonderful women that I get to share my life with. They are great examples, beautiful daughters of God, loving mothers and wives. I feel so blessed and thankful for all of you.

I'm Still Thankful, I promise!

We have been working like crazy. We as in mostly Paul. We finally got the three doors painted. What a giant pain in the butt that was. At lease it saved us some serious bucks. Do you know how much they want to charge you to paint a door? $700 for the front door and $1000 for the french doors. Um, no way. I didn't care if we had to apply the paint with our tongues we weren't going to pay that kind of money.

Anyway, yesterday I was thankful for power tools like our paint sprayer, power drill and all that good stuff that makes home improvement projects doable.

Today I am thankful for the new shelf in my bedroom (and for Paul who assembled it) that is helping me be much more organized. It is also keeping me safe since I can't trip over the giant piles of crap that had no home. My crap is no longer homeless and for that I am thankful. LOL!

Sorry for the camera phone picture. Emma got straight A's on her first junior high report card yesterday. We celebrated with a dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We are very proud of you baby girl!

Today I am Thankful for my Grandma

Seriously, how cute is she? 

These are my grandparents. Growing up I was very close to them. I have a lot of happy memories playing in their pool, 

having BBQ's in their backyard and celebrating all the holidays with them and the rest of our extended family. There was always a lot of cousins to swim with at grandma's house.  

Grandma isn't doing real well right now and it breaks my heart. I haven't seen her in over a year. That has been really hard on me. While I was growing up I saw her just about every day. She is very special to me and I wish that my kids could have more chances to spend time with her. 

I am thankful for the example that my grandma has always been to me. I have only heard he utter a cuss word once. She said shit when she dropped a huge bag of bulk chocolate chips and they fell in a puddle in her drive-way. Can you blame her?

She has always shared her talents and her home. I don't know how many Christmas parties, wedding receptions and get-togethers she hosted back in the day. I am grateful for all the things she taught me, like how important it is to learn how to play the piano and that homemade roll dough freezes well. Some of my best recipes are from grandma. 

I am thankful for all the memories I have with her. This is one I will never forget. My first time on a roller-coaster was with grandma. Me, my mom, my brother, my uncle Rodger (who is very close in age to me), his friend Will and my grandma all drove to Marriott's Great America in San Jose. It was at lease a four hour drive to get there and we were all stuffed in a two door 1980 Toyota Corolla. Grandma is the one that talked us into going on The Edge. She is always upbeat and fun to be around. 

I think my grandma is great and I love her with all my heart. I know I am lucky to have so many great memories with her and I am hopeful that I will have chances to add more. Grandma get better. I love you and am very thankful for you! 

In honor of grandma and her mad baking skills...

Enjoy.

Yesterday Got Away From Me

 

I was planning to save the best (Paul) for last but yesterday I was very much in love with my husband so I thought I would be thankful for him. Of course it goes without saying, I'm always thankful for Paul. I am grateful that we can communicate, compromise and enjoy each other. I think our relationship is special, but he is a private person so I will keep this brief. I feel very blessed to be married to my best friend. I'm excited to grow old with him. I hope there are many more years of travel, laughter and lunches together. I love him and am thankful for him and all he does for our family each and every day.

Today I am Thankful for Modern Conveniences

This morning we woke to a very chilly house. With the flip of one switch we were all comfortable in a matter of minutes. I am thankful for heaters.

Today I got snow tires put on my car and my oil changed. I love having a car. I can’t imagine having to get groceries for the family without it. Or how would I get the kids to school? How would I get them to the doctor? America is not set up for people without cars. Do you know how far I have to go before I see a bus stop? It’s a long way. Cars are so very helpful and really they are a luxury that I often take for granted. I am thankful to have one. I can’t imagine how hard my life would be without a car. 

Let's add cell phones to the list. For over 20 years I didn’t have a phone and I was fine. Now if I forget it on a quick run to the store and I almost panic. What if I need to call home and ask if they want this or that? I can barely function without it. Do I need to be able to play solitaire on my phone? Do I need to be able to check the weather, emails, or message boards? No I don’t. It is a modern convenience that I love and I am thankful for it. Cell phones have a way of putting my mind to rest. They help me not worry about my family because I can usually get in touch with anyone I need and for that I am thankful.

I am grateful for toilets, water heaters, dishwashers, microwaves (Ours is dying. It’s shocking how much you miss it when it’s not working.) ovens, electricity, refrigerators, washers and dryers. Many people lived without any of these things and survived but I’m not sure how well I would do.

I love all the things that make my life easier and more comfortable. I am thankful for them all, truly thankful .

Today I am Thankful for my Kids

 

I feel sort of silly say TODAY I am thankful for my kids. Obviously I am thankful for them everyday but today I chose to talk about them. 

I have really been reflecting on my role as parent lately because the kids are growing up so fast. After Halloween I was actually crying to Paul that our days of class parties and trick-or-treating are almost over. How did that happen? Why are they getting so big? At the same time I love this stage so much. I wouldn't want to go back. I love watching them gain their independence. I love watching them learn. I love that they can do so much on their own now. They are wonderful kids and while they fight like cats and dogs and they do get on my nerves I wouldn't trade them for anything. I love my children and am thankful for them each and every day.

Today I am Thankful for Freedom

I am thankful that we live in a land of freedom. I can't even put into words what this means to me. It is a comfort knowing that I can worship the way I want to. That I can travel freely. That I can do what I want to do. I am thankful to everyone who has fought to protect my freedom. I can't thank you enough.

Today I am Thankful for Autumn

This picture was taken last year but it looked pretty much just like this again this year.

I am not one that skips from Halloween to Christmas. I just can't do it. I think autumn and Thanksgiving are wonderful. I think that it is important to focus on bounty, harvest and gratitude for this brief moment. In my opinion it shouldn't be over looked. It's a great time of year.

I have loved watching the leaves change. I have loved the short days and the cooler weather. This fall has been particularly lovely. It's lasted a lot longer than in years past. We have been in the high 60's and low 70's. I have worn flip-flops and short sleeves. In November. I feel like I am back home in California. It's all coming to an end so I need to be thankful for it now.

Today I am Thankful for Gorgeous Sunsets

The weather has been unseasonably warm. I have really really enjoyed it. Today it was 70 degrees. In November. How awesome is that? It has created some haze in the valley though. Haze during the day means dramatic and gorgeous sunsets in the evening. I think it is important to see the positive that comes from the negative. I am so grateful for beautiful sunsets. Each one is different. Each one has unique colors. Each one is special. 

Now it's time to snuggle on the couch with the family. We're going to watch How to Train Your Dragon. I'm also thankful that I get to spend time with them but I'll save that for another day. ;)

Another New Recipe-AKA I'm Thankful for Food

Sorry this post is so lengthy. I'm apparently feeling wordy tonight. 

In the interest of over-sharing...family finances used to be a major an issue in our marriage. I had always been in charge of paying all bills. When I would pay too much on something, leaving only a little money in the checking account, Paul would get frustrated. When he was frustrated I was frustrated. This created a lot of tension in our marriage. 

Finally he asked if he should just take over. I was totally relieved but it created a whole new set of problems. I never knew how much money we had. I would check the account but I didn't know what checks had cleared, if tithing had been paid, if some was suppose to stay in the account for this or that. I didn't have a clue what was going on. I would call him at work and ask "is there enough money for this?" He would then ask "why do you need that?" It was sooo hard. I hated having to explain everything I spent and wanted to spend. I felt like a child. He wasn't doing it to be mean, he was doing it because he is an accountant. It's just how he's hardwired.    

Finally I broke down. I was fed up. There were mean things said and hurt feelings all around. Finally we talked rationally and came up with a solution. I would get X amount of CASH at each pay period. (I am totally responsible with cash but terrible with a debit/credit card) I could spend it however I wanted but groceries and basics needs needed to come out of that money. We've been doing this for years now and this arrangement has saved our marriage. 

Knowing that holiday baking items are going to be on the mega sales soon I'm trying to spend less on groceries right now so I have more to spend in the next couple of weeks. It's time to stock up! 

It was also time to try a new recipe. When this one popped up in my Google Reader I was totally excited. I had everything I needed to make it, and usually do since they are food storage items I keep on hand. I could even make some cornbread to go with it and have a nice dinner without spending a dime. Sweet! 

Here is a link to the blog where I got the recipe. It's a great blog. You should check it out.

White Chicken Chili

submitted by Melanie

1 lb great northern beans ( i like to use Navy beans-they are smaller)

1-2 lbs cooked and shredded chicken

6 cups chicken broth

1 Tb olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2- 4oz cans diced green chilis

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

*additional grated jack cheese and cilantro for garnish

1. Soak beans overnight. Drain, rinse and pick over to remove bad beans. Add broth to beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender (usually all day in crockpot on low).

2 Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Mix in green chilies an spices. Add to the beans. Stir in chicken and then cheese. Stir until thick.

Garnish with grated Monterey Jack cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.

Fast and Easy Method

**This makes a delicious soup in a matter of minutes**

For Step 1: Instead of cooking 1 lb beans in 6 cups of broth--just open 3 (14oz) cans of great Northern (or Navy) beans and 2 (14oz) cans Chicken broth and then proceed with recipe. 

Here are my notes~

I made a couple of changes of course. I didn't measure my beans. I only had a cup or so in my pantry so I just called it good. I used two cans of broth and then added one more once the beans were cooked. I used pre-minced garlic, red onion because that's what I had and basically cut the rest of the recipe in half. I didn't measure the cayenne pepper and didn't read the recipe right so I didn't stir in the cheese. I only had pepper jack and sharp cheddar so I used those for the garnish. I also had some celery I added since I like celery in chili. 

While this was cooking I had serious doubts anyone was going to eat it. It looked like beans in broth LOL! I had some cream on hand so I added a little bit of that (just some drizzles) and then a tablespoon of flour. It thickened it right up and made it look more chili-like. I still was worried about the family liking it. 

They all looked at the bowl with skepticism but tried it willingly. Guess what? No one hated it. (Obviously I aim high around here) They even said they sort of like it. It wasn't anyones favorite but they all said they would eat it again. I was so excited since it was a fast, inexpensive and a totally great food storage meal. There was enough left over for Paul and I to have it for lunch and it was even better today.  I will make this again.

Today I am thankful for food. I am thankful that I have always had food to put on the table. I am thankful that my kids have never had to go hungry because we couldn't afford to feed them. I am grateful that I am in a place where I have the luxury of experimenting and I get to try new things. I am grateful that we always have the food that we want and need. Even when Paul was laid off we had enough food. I have always been grateful that we have never gone hungry but now more than ever I realize what a real blessing that has been.   

Today I am Thankful for my Cat

Today I was at Target looking at the Halloween clearance. They still had a lot of dog costumes left. I thought Marius is as big as some dogs... 

I don't know why we haven't started dressing him up for Halloween. It really is great fun. I couldn't resist getting the a fish costume. (It was either that of a bunch of grapes) It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It totally looks like the fish is eating the cat!

I don't always give him the love and respect he deserves. I often say I wish we didn't have a pet at all. He sheds more than any animal I have ever lived with. He meows louder than any cat I have ever heard.  I feed him and take care of all of his needs and yet he chooses Paul over me all the time. He's a turd but honestly he's a good turd. 

He is incredible patient and gentle. I mean how many cats would let you dress them and then photograph them without shredding you to ribbons? 

He provides hours of entertainment for all four of us. He is loved and adored and spoiled rotten. He's lucky to have us but more importantly we are lucky to have him.  

November = A Daily Gratitude Post

 This picture was taken last October at the Japanese Gardens in Portland Oregon. I am using it just so this post is more interesting.  ;)

I am hoping that I can do a daily gratitude post throughout the month of November. I wish I had thought of this yesterday but I didn't so I will start a day late. (However yesterday I was thankful for a beautiful autumn day. It's been in the low 60's an perfectly glorious.)

This idea came to me because tonight my heart is full of love for my friends and neighbors. We are so blessed to be surrounded by wonderful and I mean truly wonderful people.

I have a little boy who excitedly went to scouts tonight (after declaring a long time ago that he "never wanted to go again" because Rees was released from being pack leader) all because our backyard neighbor is the new assistant pack leader. He has carried Andrew home while he was crying with scrapped and bloody knees, he shares his families trampoline with anyone that wants to use it, and he is an all around nice guy. I don't know if scouts will ever be Andrew's thing but he was excited to go because of a great neighbor that he knows and trusts.

Tonight for scouts they had a bike safety rodeo. Andrew hasn't used his bike for a quite a while. (It's so hard to ride around here since it's really hilly.) His bike had flat tires. Just like that he was able to go to another neighbor's house to have the tires pumped. We didn't even have to wonder if they would help us, we just knew that they would. Everyone around here has each others backs and it feels really nice.

I voted today and saw more friends/neighbors volunteering their time. I go to the grocery store or the kids' schools and always see a friendly face. If I forget something from the grocery store I have so many people that I can call and borrow things from.

I feel so lucky and thankful for the people in my neighborhood and I am honored to call them friends.