Friends anyone???

Almost since we moved in to this house (in June of last year), we've had a stranger wall in our dining room.  When I put up our wall hangings I found a box of 10 frames that my mom gave mefor my   birthday several years ago.  They're a variety of sizes and there's nothing wrong with them...  I just hadn't ever put them to use.  I hung them up in the dining room when I found them thinking how nice of a place it would be to maybe have pictures of our extended family there eating with us for each meal.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any pictures of extended family, so they stayed the way they came out of the box.  You know, with the pictures of whoever those people are.  It wouldn't have been so obvious that they were strangers, except three sets of three were of the same people/family.  And then, on top of that, the frames only hang vertically and one of the sets of three had the people posed for a horizontal display, so they hung on our wall sideways...

I am maybe the absolute worst when it comes to wall decor.  1.). I'm not artistic, so I can't envision things.  I don't know what looks right and good, and what's totally off.  2.)  I'm lazy.  When we moved to the city-ish where we live now, I had boxes of pictures and such that when I removed them from the walls in our previous apartment (where we lived for 6 months), I told myself I'd just leave them boxed up instead of putting holes in walls.  I boxed them up securely so they wouldn't get broken of damaged.  We lived in that first duplex on canova drive for two full years without opening those boxes of wall hangings.  

We then moved to the house that we just moved from.  We lived in that house from 2008 until 2012 when I finally decided it was time to try to decorate and make it look more homey.  That's when we got our first good family pictures.  The year Buttercup was born...  Embarrassing?  Maybe to some. 

I can give a tiny excuse that between 2003 and 2006 when we moved to our current city-ish of residence, our little family of three and then four, moved five times.  We seriously moved almost every six months...  

Anyway, all excuses aside, I'm thankful for good friends who push me beyond my comfort level.  I'm also thankful for friends who see needs and fill them, without even being asked.  

After getting our family portraits taken, I definitely WANTED to display them!!!!!  So that was helpful.  And after doing so, I appreciated it.  It did, in fact, make our house feel more like a home!

So... All this to say, I FINALLY got those strangers replaced!!!!  

In October I finally got around to asking our family to send us prints for us to hang up...  No one responded though.

I replaced the largest framed stranger with a picture we took with our family pictures of the kids and Nana.  Otter pop was an only child, so our kids are her only grandkids. Also, she's not married, so I can't picture her going to get her pictures taken all by herself!  And then there's the part that it's the best picture I've ever seen of all our kids in one frame...  There's that too.

It stayed like that for all of december.  Strangers, some even sideways, and then our beautiful Nana picture.  That was better than before, at least!

Then this past week I went to take our Christmas cards off display.  I like to keep them.  Usually I cut off the card part and put up the pictures on our fridge.  This year I took off the first one and realized it was the same size as three of those frames!!!  So, I framed it.  And then picked 2 more to put in the other 5x7 frames.  Then I realized that I had 3 that with proper training, could utilize the 4x6 frames!  And then I was like, "well, what now?!  What should I do with these others?!?!!  I can't pick favorites like that" (Especially since I wasn't paying attention to who was being framed and who wasn't to begin with!!!!)

I went and found frames, and trimmed, and found more frames, and got all out photo cards framed and placed on our stranger wall!!!

I'm willing to fill the whole wall with friends and family at this point!!!  I'd still really love some family's pictures.  I have 2 cousins, and my one brother sent a photo card.  Then the other brother gave us beautiful photos for Christmas!  But none of my parents, or my sister's family... And none of my husband's family at all!  

I found an old picture of his 2 younger cousins that I added...  They'd be embarrassed to see their pubescent faces framed and on our wall!!!  They both are married with adorable girls these days.  (I won't post an up-close of that one for their dignity.)

Anyway, send us pictures.  We'll -in turn- pray for you and your family at dinner time!!!!!!!!!

💜💜💜💜💜

Visiting family and friends

Christmas break

The Girl Scouts caroling on stage.

Making sugar cookies.

Visits from best friends!

Hanging out.

Loving life.

Decorating cookies!

Baking!

Making gingerbread houses, villages, and a train.

Date nights because otter pop has awesome customers!

And just hanging out!!!

Truffles

We did truffles this year.  I went on Pinterest and found a zillion different types.  I think I even told you there's bacon truffles...  Yeah, that wasn't on our list of contenders!  

We did a vote with our list.  Everyone in our family voted plus at least one outsider.

The results had a 3-way tie for first (5 votes), and a 6-way tie for 2nd (4 votes) This may have been an easy decision for some --just make 3 types--), but I already had it in my head that we'd be making 6 flavors.  So I had to cut the 6 in half.  I combined 2 of them (raspberry and cheesecake), decided lemon cause there weren't any other fruit flavors (with raspberry being combined, that's not the same), and then cut coffee and salted caramel for 2 reasons: 1.) I thought o might eat them all and 2.) I didn't want to eat them all.  

So that resulted in Carmel Apple, Reece's peanutterbutter, Mint, Oreo, Lemon, and Chocolate raspberry cheesecake.

Some of the chocolate raspberry cheesecake ones didn't get chocolate because I failed in purchasing enough melting chocolate.  But I hardly saw that as a fail 

(Flip that pic up-side-down if your imagination can't do it for you)

In my humble opinion, the chocolate raspberry cheesecake ones were the best, followed by the Oreo and Reece's peanutterbutter and raspberry cheesecake.  The mint ones were alright, but I didn't like the mint m&m identifying mark in their taste.  I don't like lemon, so I didn't like them at all, and the Carmel Apple ones weren't Apple-y at all.  I liked the Carmel center, but I could like that by simply popping a Carmel candy in my mouth.  

Anyway, it was fun and we have lots of leftovers!

Miracle

At 9:45 last night Starboy was very much on the verge of taking a trip to ER.  He was struggling to get enough oxygen.  Since we were"partying" at our own abode, I was lounging in the comfort of my own bed and in jammies (and had been for several hours).  I had him come cuddle with me so I could tell if he needed to go or not.  I asked binkles to get me some Breathe (oil blend that replaces Vic's vapor rub).  I lifted up the back of his shirt and went to drop some on his back when it started dropping before I was ready because it was fuller than anticipated... Because after rubbing it in I realized it was Thyme.  

The Thyme was with the Breathe because I've been diffusing them together.  Unfortunately, for Starboy, thyme is very strong and needs diluted for topical use.  I had binkles trade them out real quick and hoped that the cooling oils in breathe would help the thyme calm down, but after both applications I quickly dropped a dropper full of coconut oil with a dab of lavender all over his back.  I then rubbed some breathe on his chest and feet.  I gave him his dose of inhaler treatments and literally watched him get better with each breath.  I had been using breathe and the inhalers all day long.  The ONLY difference was the thyme!  God is so good.  I never would've rubbed thyme all over his back! Anyway, he woke up this morning breathing just fine and with a very productive phlemy cough.  It was a great noise to hear!

Today binkles has been laying low all day.  She's all hot and miserable.  I'm praying for a speedy recovery...

Happy new year, 2015!

Twenty fourteen

In January, binkles turned 9 and I turned 32.  Binkles, jones, and boo tried out for the school play, and binkles got a part!  On Martin Luther king jr weekend, the family spent an UNFORGETTABLE weekend at our friends' recently-purchased cabin in the mountains.  I can't remember if I posted about it, so here's a brief recap:  we spent weeks of anticipation for our first winter camping experience.  On the drive up, although she was fairly well potty-trained at that point, buttercup made a HUGE mess in her pants!  Thankfully I had put her in a diaper (who knows why, but I did).  We were snowed out of the cabin and had to run some errands.  We turned on the fireplace to start heating the cabin, and ran off in hopes the guys could get the driveway driven in so that we could park.  We got stuck in the driveway while we turned on the stove, but thankfully my pal is quite the pusher and pushed us out.  I was highly impressed since we had our Yukon XL packed with stuff and people!!!!  By the time we got inside the cabin, it wasn't warm, but the food was ready.  We also found out that the water wasn't working and we'd have to use the outhouse for any potty needs.  Starboy ignored this small detail unless it was convenient for him.  I know I took him outmultiple times, but the inside toilets had another story to tell.  

The water problem turned out to be frozen pipes.  That problem never resolved over the weekend.  We had to use snow and purchased a LOT of portable water.

I purchased disposables for buttercup, and that was difficult for her to regress into.  That was difficult.  

I also started my first cycle after the miscarriage I experienced in December.  It was very HEAVY, way heavier than I'd ever experienced before.  I messed several pairs of pants and a couch!

I think the dogs got sick.  

The fireplace started heating the house the second day, that first night was real winter camping for sure!!!!

We had a blast snow tubing and snow playing.  

There were probably a dozen or so disasters that I have conveniently misplaced from my memory, but it didn't matter.  It was one of the best weekends ever.  I honestly don't think any of the kids knew that ANYTHING went wrong!  It was real winter camping and we had a blast!!!!!!!!!!!

Other January news:  Otter Pop traveled to Arizona for work training and I did several oil workshops.  

In February, my most awesome husband sent me and buttercup across the country to stay with my sister and her family for a short week.  It was awesome to see them and spend time with them since they moved in July of last year.  While I was gone, boo turned 6.

The girls and I did lots of cookie sales for Girl Scouts in hopes to attend camp together in the summer.  

March was quite packed with oil workshops, binkles started track, more cookie sales, several school performances including the school play binkles was in, and then spring break, starting with buttercup's 2nd birthday!

In April, I was able to start volunteering at the elementary school once/week.  I love doing that!  I also was very deep in doTERRA workshops and training.  There were several Girl Scout events too in April.  

In May our family turned a corner of busy-ness that we've never experienced before!  The calendar looks quite empty but we weren't bored!!!!  On the 12th of May, we closed on our very first home.  We spent the rest of the month running to and from, cleaning, scrubbing, and painting, only to repeat the process at the other house.

In June then, we moved into the new house.  The kids got out of school on the 4th, and after that we were IN!

Wolfie went to church camp and jones turned 8!  By the end of the month we were tired of moving in and decided to put some fun in July.

So in July we started inviting guests over.  Finnagen was discovered to have some huge medical issues after being attacked by a huge dog over our newly built fence!  Binkles and jones went to church camp for the first time for one week, and then Wolfie went the next.  We started re-attending weekly pool days and started swim lessons for boo.  At the end of the month, binkles, boo, and I headed up to Girl Scout camp together.

In August, we returned and I started swim lessons with Starboy.  Both of those kids took to swimming very well!  I started a babysitting job, the kids started school, I got pregnant, we got a puppy, helped regime the puppy's brother (with nana), and spent a weekend down with some cousins at my parents'.

In September, Wolfie took drivers Ed, binkles started cross country, and I continued my babysitting job (3days/week) all while bouting morning sickness.  Girl Scouts also started up and this year I took on a leader position with the juniors (binkles age).  We met a German exchange student (Danke) that needed re-homed and decided that she could live with us, sharing wolfie's room that she was so excited to have all to herself.  Danke was already on the school swim team.  Mid September, Otter pop turned 41 and Starboy was hospitalized for several days.  He came out alive, but it was a scary respiratory distress!  Shortly thereafter, Wolfie went for a walk with mackintosh (the pup) and was bit several times by the same dog that bit finnagen in June.   We had parent teacher conferences at the end of the month and Wolfie finished drivers Ed to start her 6 month probation period.

In October, I started back up with oil workshops, mackintosh got an infection from the dog bite, we made lots of canned yummies (applesauce and relish), and Starboy turned 5!

In November, my father had open heart surgery and then Wolfie celebrated a weeklong celebration of turning sweet sixteen.  Even the skies partied and we got LOTS of beautiful snow!  My dad is recovering very nicely.  We had our family pictures taken and on thanksgiving revealed to our family that we are expecting a new baby.

In December finally we got to meet our little guy via ultrasound and Doppler detection.  We also got to attend the high school's foreign exchange night, music concerts, and several sugar-coated Christmas celebrations.  My sister came to visit with her adorable son, and Wolfie got a job!  We went to a most beautiful wedding, and wolfie's biological mom came to visit.  We started our Christmas break-from-schools and have been ailed with sickness ever since.  Currently Starboy is almost in hospital condition again as I poke letters.  We hope that this next year is filled with GOOD HEALTH, great friends, and fun memories!!!!

From all of us:  we love you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

MY lasagna recipe

I actually made a recipe.  (It's not my style, so drop your jaw.). I'm a rule follower.  Sometimes I'll add a pinch of something or veggies, for your health sake, but I don't throw things together!  And technically, I didn't do that this time either...  But I'm still calling the recipe mine because I combined 2 recipes and then added things.   (Just go along with me...  Don't burst my bubble!)

MY Lasagna

A box of lasagna noodles 

2+ lb of ground beef. (I suggest using half beef, half pork)

1 chopped onion

3 T fresh minced garlic (or 3 cloves minced)

2 T fresh basil torn all up little

2 tsp oregano + 1 drop essential oil (divided)

2 T brown sugar

1 T salt

1 big (29 oz?) can & 1 normal (14 oz?) can of petite diced tomatoes

1 T anchovy paste

6 oz tomato paste

A bag of frozen spinach

Some fresh or canned mushrooms, diced finely so the kids don't notice

24 oz cottage cheese

2 beaten eggs

1 T pepper

2 T dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 lb shredded cheddar

A small bag (8 oz?) of finely shredded Italian 5 cheese blend

1.) in a large frying pan, sauté the onion, then throw in the ground beef and brown.  Drain.  Add in the garlic, and spices (minus the essential oil) and mix together.

2.)  clear an area of the pan and squeeze out the anchovy paste.  Let it melt while you open the tomato paste.  Mix the tomato paste with the anchovy paste and mix it with the beef mixture.  Stir in the diced tomatoes with juice (of course), and add the drop of oregano at this point and the spinach and mushrooms (no juices).  You could chop up a variety of other veggies including, but not limited to: broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, and squash!  Let this simmer for as long as you want.

2-1/2.) prepare the pasta

3.) Open the cottage cheese and stir in the beaten eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.  

4.) Combine the 2 lb of cheeses, but not the small bag of Italian cheeses.  

5.) Get out that pan that's bigger than 9x13 that your mom gave you since your family is so big.  Start layering:

-Noodles (in that big pan the noodles fit width-wise).

-cottage cheese mix

-shredded cheese mix (generously since this is your husband'so fav part)

-meat sauce

This is supposed to layer 3 times, but I only got 2.  The top layer gets the extra bag of Italian 5 cheese blend on top and some sprinklings of grated Parmesan cheese too if you want.

I threw mine in the convection preheated oven at 375 degrees and it was hot and ready in an hour.

I thought it'd take more like an hour and a half though.  

No pic this time.  It was too tasty to stop and take a picture.  I served mine along side cooked veggies (broccoli), because my children love their veggies on the side and hate it when I sneak them in (except the spinach and mushrooms).