Whistle While You Work...

I am now gainfully employed. My neighbor and friend owns a silk screening business. She has been getting so many orders, with no advertising. She finally broke down and decided to hire someone to help. And that someone is me. It's a fairly posh job. Besides the fact that I'm on my feet most of the day, I get to go in after my kids go to school and come home when they get home. You can't ask for better than that. I love my job and my boss! Thanks Leslie!

Thundercake

Thundercake by Patricia Polacco is how we were introduced to thundercake. I have read this book to the girls over the years. But not until today, did we make the cake, the recipe being in the back of the book. There is an unexpected, weird, secret ingredient. I guess you'll have to read the book to find out what it is. The cake was/still is delicious. Especially delicious paired with MarGene's fudge frosting.

I didn't want monsoon season to pass again before we missed opportunity to make thundercake again. We have had a terrific season with lots of rain. Sometimes the storms bring really loud thunder, hard and fast rain and hail. I rather enjoy it. I love the smell of rain. The book, however, is about a little girl who is afraid of thunder. Her Babushka helps her overcome her fear by gathering all the ingredients for the cake and then baking the cake, getting it into the oven just in time. What a fun story.

Summer's Abundance

Mike helped me make 6 batches of peach jam! I went a little peach crazy. I got so many peaches then realized I had so little time to take care of them. Since I had 6 boxes of pectin, we made jam. We froze the rest. I think it will equal to about 8 gallon bags of frozen peaches. I guess we'll be eating alot of peach pie and cobbler this winter!
I also put up 4-5 gallon sized freezer bags of roasted New Mexico chilis. I wish I could get a good picture of these. I think I like the smell of fresh roasted chilis almost more than I like to eat them. They smelled so good. Our little white accord smelled like roasted chilis for days. (Mike wasn't too happy about that.) I have already made delicious chili rellenos with them. Oh, how I love summer's abundance!!

Memorial Day Weekend

Oh how we look forward to Memorial Day weekend, just as we do Labor Day weekend. Our friends come up from "the valley" to go camping and we get to spend all weekend with them. Not much happened except for enjoying each others company and the rain. Tyler didn't fail to provide entertainment with his untraditional pets, Biscuit (the brown goat) and Gravy (the black goat). I am so glad my dad, mom and brother, Jeff were able to join us. I can't believe Jeff went on a zip line again. When he was a little boy, he fell off of one, breaking both his arms and cracking his skull. He even rode it in the dark. It was alot more exciting than riding it in the day. The darkness just added a new dimension to it. As usual, I didn't take enough pictures.

Thanks, again, to the Rowley family for allowing us to tag along!

Our New House

Mike has taken on the adventure of building a new house. A new dog house that is. Once it was finished and put in the back yard, I was sure he needed to get a building permit before he started. It is so big and Chloe loves it. It is insulated and equipped with a warming light to keep our little cutie warm through the winter. What was so amazing about the whole construction was how we acquired the materials. Mike was able to use alot of wood he already had. Then what he did need to buy, he got from the scrap pile at Home Depot, only costing 51 cents a piece. Didn't Mike do a great job?!!!

Summer Critters

Summer and monsoons bring us many opportunities to find cute little critters for the girls to enjoy. One night I went outside just after a big rain and found this on our back porch.....Boy, did I scream. It wasn't huge, but I've never seen a salamander on my porch or in my yard before. It really surprised me. While Anna and Amelia searched for grasshoppers to feed it, they found these two little cuties......
We call them horny toads. They really are horned toad lizards. These two are babies. We put them in the "bug catcher". They just sat there looking out like this, almost as if they were watching a movie. They didn't move or try to get out. They were so cute to watch. The girls really enjoy finding these little critters. I know Amelia can't wait until fall so we can catch tarantulas again.

Creative Aprons

Aren't these two aprons cute?? I made them out of little dresses that were just a little too small for Anna but I couldn't bare to get rid of them. Within seconds of her trying them on, I got the brilliant idea of making them into aprons. That way, I could still see them. All you do is cut or seam rip up the back. Surge or zigzag stitch along the edge, if needed. Then sew a ribbon flush with the top back edge. Vua, la. There you have a cute, simple apron.

Misc. Family Pictures

This is a hodge podge of different family pictures. I just wanted them for the record, since this is my form of scrapbooking.

Watching a movie with our adopted Grandpa, Raymond

Our cat Lady

Our little Yorkie, Sadie, sleeping on Anna's laundry. 12/07 Chloe, our Golden Retriever Sadie and Lady in the same place at the same time, amazing! 1/08

Amelia's school Christmas party outfit - she's Cindy Lou Who. 12/07

Mike snoozing. 6/07

12/07

Anna wearing her reverse headgear. 6/07

Anna's eczema is really bad, poor thing!

Anna treated for molluscum. She's even smiling. Again, poor thing! 2005 The day Allie and Anna got braces. 4/13/07Anna, Our little princess. 9/07
A cool bird's nest in my parent's yard. 3/08 Field trip to the Williams Fish Hatchery. 4/07
The first time my hair turned purple, on accident. 10/07The second time my hair was purple, but this time on purpose, because I liked it. 4/08

Saying Bye. Uncle Brian is going to Abu Dhabi. 1/08

Free At Last....

Free at last, free at last!! School started yesterday. It is good but sad. I'm glad to have time to update my blog. I am sad because I miss my girls. And some of their adjustments to new schools, teachers and friends is hard. All three of my girls are having to navigate new buildings. Amelia and Allie actually are in a brand new facility. It is very nice. Anna moved into an already existing building but it is still new to her. She also no longer rides the bus with Amelia. She rides alone. The change seems hardest on her.

First Day of 3rd Grade

Anna's Cute New School Shoes

First Day of 8th & 5th Grades

The Girls' New BookBags

They are pretty darn cute, if I say so myself! Oh, I just did!

Another Trip to Gilbert, AZ

Since Mike and I went on the River Rafting Trip with Allie and our Young Women, Amelia and Anna needed someone to tend them. Thank you Mom, Dad, Cheryl and Janette for all taking care of my kids. Looks like they had a great time until I could get "down there" to pick them up and spend a few days, too.

I was able to arrive just in time to attend Maren's baptism. It was nice to have Steve and Janette there.

Janette's daughter, Bella, and I hit it off. Of course, I loved every minute of it! Having a little puppy to help her warm up to me doesn't hurt either.

Mike helping Bella get ready for bed by singing Mairzy Doats.

Can you see why I married him? Bye everybody!