Instead of the gym...

I really should have gone to the gym this morning, but really didn't want to. I was still debating with myself when my visiting teachers called to see if they could come by! And so sad...they wanted to come before I would be back from the gym. Just what I needed, a reason to stay home. So instead of going to the gym this morning, I did something much better. I baked?! French bread, cinnamon rolls, and then made some raspberry jam. Oh, the cinnamon rolls are in the oven now, and they smell so yummy! Maybe I should at least make a little time for wii fit!

Good Things:
1. visiting teachers
2. the smell of cinnamon rolls
3. fresh baked bread

Bad things...tight jeans!

Going ons at our house

The kids are back in school, and I think we have figured out a somewhat regular schedule. B leaves at 5:45 for seminary and the rest of her day. Unfortunately she can't drive herself yet, but we do take turns with a friend, so at least it is only every other week. K leaves at 6:45 for seminary and her day. D and G leave at 7:45, and I leave then sometimes to take D to school, or 8:15 to go the gym, which, by the way hasn't been too regular lately. D gets home around 3:30, the girls not til 5:45. K does have an easy schedule every other day with class done before 11. She should have plenty of time to apply for college, fill out scholarships, work, etc. I am working on that! We are still trying to figure out when to read scriptures. Any suggestions...we are trying the dinner option but know it won't always work.
Soccer has started full force. G is D's coach, yeah. K is varsity and B is JV. So from here until the end of Oct you will find us at one field or another every Saturday and Tuesday. But the kids love it, and it keeps them out of trouble.
I have been busy putting together a school calendar for D's school, going to meetings, back to school nights, and various other things. As you all know, stay at home moms never get to stay home! But if I did, I would probably just waste time. For now, there is no time for that!
We had a great visit over the weekend with my parents. It was nice to just visit and relax with them. I am not the best host, so we didn't do anything. Okay, we did celebrate B's birthday. She turned 15! She requested some really good food for dinner. Salmon, caprese salad, baked potatoes, caesar salad, brazilian lemonade, and truffle torte. YUM
We also had fun with friends in the pool on Monday. I love a day by the pool with friends and food.
Good Things:
1. a visit from mom and dad
2. B
3. Figuring out a schedule

What Happened to My Little Ones?

School started this week...and my little ones are somehow big! 6th grade, sophmore, and a SENIOR?! How did that happen? Nonetheless, it happened. And I suppose that is a good thing, but Wow. It makes me old to have a senior. We had a great summer with lots of swimming, sleeping in, (at least those who didn't have soccer at 7:30, and those who wanted to wake up at the crack of dawn to play on the computer, okay, it must have been just me!) being lazy, and whatever we wanted. But we did need to get back to a schedule. I have missed going to the temple during the week, and not going to the gym as much as I should. So...here's to a great new school year, filled with soccer, seminary, and 11 year old scouts!

Harvest Time!

I harvested my peaches today! All nineteen of them. I know, when you can count the entire harvest, it isn't much, but I am happy about it nonetheless. Unfortunately, the birds thought they needed to snack on them until they were ripe. I covered them, but not until after much of the damage was done. There were maybe ten without traces of birds. So dinner tonight, peaches.

Good Things:
1. sun warmed peaches
2. cooling off in the pool after mowing the weeds/lawn
3. crossing off something on my do to list

Yum

I got this recipe from my cousin and wanted to share, I hope she won't mind. I am not a huge peanut butter person, but this is heavenly! And I am sure fat free!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ c. melted butter
Mix crumbs and sugar . Blend in butter and press into a springform pan.

2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. sugar
1 lb cream cheese at room temp
2 tbsp melted butter
Mix together in mixer.
1 ½ c. whipping cream – whipped to soft peaks
2 tsp vanilla extract.
Fold peanut butter mixture into whipped cream. Pour into springform pan.Melt 4 oz semi sweet chocolate with 3 Tbsp hot water to top the cheesecake. Freeze for several hours before serving.
**No baking required!

The Next Adventure

While the girls were at EFY, G had a conference in Tahoe. So D and I went along. We usually do girl stuff, but this was D's time. So we started out with G at the pool, and then he had to go to classes. We had lunch at the lake, played in the water, read our books, and D even took a short nap there! We played pretty hard. That night the conference treated us to a dinner cruise on the M.S. Dixie. D and I even danced! (We will be taking lessons from the sisters soon at FHE.) The next day we went on the High Meadows trail hike. I borrowed a great hike book from a friend, it had hikes for the entire tahoe area, along with how difficult they were, and pretty detailed about how to get there, how many miles they were, and so forth. (thanks, Amy) It was pretty steep, but a nice trail. We really had fun, and although the end result at the top of the trail was not as spectacular as I was hoping, the view along the way was great. There were some really great rocks for climbing. When we got back, we went to the lake again, but G got to join us, this time renting a kayak. All was well until the next day, when I began to feel my age. And by the next day, I had a great time going from down to up, or up to down. So much for thinking I was in pretty good shape! The hike was labeled a moderate level. We will not be doing difficult. The girls joined us later that night, and then after G's classes on Sunday, we came home.

Good Things:

1. Nature

2. Doing some boy stuff

3. Beaches

Technical Difficulties...

Continued from below:
I am trying very hard to be a good Mom like she is. As someone has said, "I owe all that I am to my dear Mother." I don't know how she did when I was a child, or how she continues to do it. But I will keep trying.
Krisele: She is the blonde, and yes, we are all biological sisters, and I will put us in birth order.
She is an amazing woman who can do anything, and does, while working full time. She can easily run circles around me in the productivity arena. I don't think she ever sits down! She has 4 boys with the oldest on a mission, and the youngest will be in first grade. I have never been in her 2nd grade class, but know she is an incredible teacher, and very professional. I wish I had her productivity and confidence.
I fit in next.
Ashlee: She has the baby on her back in the current picture.
She too, is amazing. She has an incredible strength, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and great sense of humor. She can make even the worst situation hilarious. She is so great with laughing with her kids. She always makes everything fun. She lost a child six years ago, and has four living. The oldest is eight, the youngest almost 4 months. I wish I had her patience, laughing ability, and strength.
Brooke: She is the youngest by about 8 years, and is in black in the current picture.
She too, is great. She is always after more (in a good way) like dreaming bigger. Going back to school, or going beyond what is practical or logical, and where I would be content to stop, because doing more would require a lot of hard work. But she always does that more, and it always ends well. She never stops, and isn't afraid of not succeeding, or asking for help if she needs it. She has two children ages 3 and 1. I wish I had her drive and ambition.
There are lots of others things I like about them too, but that is enough to help you understand a little about them, and why I think they are so great, and why I love to spend time with them. It is a rare occasion that we are all together, and I cherish the time we spent over the last few days where we could just enjoy each others company and not worry about the rest of life that we all left behind for a short time. Hopefully we all came home better moms by filling up our cup!
Good Things:
1. Moms and sisters
2. Strong women in my life
3. Coming home with a revised focus of what really matters in life...Relationships!