I found a way to keep myself from obsessing over not being able to have our kitchen redone this year (or next, at this rate!)...

P.S.--I've read all of this since last month's bookclub!

... Reading books on human reaping, injustices done to the hired help during the 1960's and books on the Holocaust seem to be really doing the trick...

I'm finding solace in learning about the struggles of others, and it keeps me from pining away for anything frivolous...


The Hunger Games was a different kind of book than I am used to reading...I'm not big on science fiction, but I found myself many times while I was in the middle of it thinking to myself how gratetful I was that my life was not like that...


The Help was just plain awesome...I loved every minute of it. I actually felt depressed when it was finished. Oh! How I wish I could meet these women in real life. Aibileen was my favorite character. I felt like I could actually hear her speaking!
We take so much for granted in our day. It's amazing to me that it wasn't that long ago that these kinds of struggles were such a part of normal life.

Sarah's Key was a story about the Holocaust. Historical Fiction books are my favorites because they give history a personal story for me. It makes it easier for me to understand.
I really enjoyed this book and once again, found myself being totally thankful that I have the life that I do.


Night was a memoir written by Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor. It was very interesting and intense. The ability to persevere is the message that I get from each of these stories. It's amazing to me how resilient we are as humans.

Does reading about other people's struggles help you to cope with your own?

Five for Friday

1. Last week was Reilly's special week at school. I got to come into class for the last 10 minutes to read the kids a story. I chose this one called "Dog Food"...

It was the biggest hit ever! There were hardly any words, but we all talked about the creative pictures that were made from vegetables...

You'll never look at asparagus the same way again!

Look at his little onion pup! I can't believe how cute this is!

2. I keep forgetting to post about this, but for our December book club, we decided to trade our favorite books with each other and then discuss in January.

I was very excited to read Cold Sassy. Several pages into it, the darn thing started to self destruct! At one point, I was literally reading it "pamphlet style"! It sure made it easier on my wrist this way...but I felt like such a dip when I took the "pages" to a doctors appointment and noticed someone looking at my book wannabe!

I totally had to replace the book for the girl who lent it to me...

Has this ever happened to you?

3. We've been trying really hard to get Jake to the point where he can pass off his Bear in cubscouts and move onto Weeblos in March.

As previously mentioned, I've been frustrated in the past that he hasn't been passing many things off with his troop. One of the requirements was to visit a police station or meet with a deputy sheriff or other police officer. Since obviously this wasn't going to be taking place on a troop level, I had to make an appointment with the local police station to have Jake go in and have a talk with one of the officers.

It turned out to be quite interesting...He got to see a tazor, pepper spray, baton, handcuffs (he actually GOT handcuffed) and the police car. He also got to stand inside a closed jail cell...
When I let Ellie and Reilly go in, Ellie became obsessed with the toilet, so we quickly got the heck out of there....

Is it just me, or is this something that a troop should be doing together?!



5. I watched Lilly today while Leisha went to a dentist appointment...

Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE this girl!!?? She is totally edible!

I couldn't resist giving her a thousand smooches...I'm pretty sure she was over me already...

Good Food--Good Friends!

Last Friday, my friend Jen Pond organized a surprise belated birthday lunch for Rob (Heather's husband) and I since we share the same birthday...

It wasn't just ANY lunch--it was a THAI food lunch--and it was nothing short of amazing!

Jen enlisted her husband, Mike, into staying home from work and cooking up his magic! He is an excellent Thai cook! (all self taught!)

She had the table set so elegantly!

The decor and the food was better than any restaurant I've ever been to!

Pad thai, drunken noodles, curry, & dumplings...

I can't even look at this now without salivating all over myself...

It was beyond delicious!

I am certain that there will be food in heaven!!

It's great to be surrounded by people I love!

39th Birthday recap + good mail

I had another great birthday this year...

This was the pre-curser to the big one! Tis' the last year o' my 30's...Yowzer! After this year, I'll never be able to watch 30 Something and be able to feel like I'm in the same boat...

As mentioned on my previous post, my mom drove up to celebrate Reilly's birthday and mine.

My birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, (ideal because Ellie is at pre-school all day on Tuesdays!), so we were feeling kid and fancy free!

We went shopping and then had lunch at CHICK-FIL-A!! Can't get enough of that place! And then went to see The Blind Side...(which I loved!!!) Seeing that movie really helped solidify the feelings that I had been having after going to the Holocaust Museum as well...

Why have I been moaning about not being able to get a new kitchen...?! Seriously!

I love documenting the gifts I receive...It's something that I enjoy looking back on from time to time when I'm having a bad day...
It reminds me of how much I cherish friendships...(and not just because of the great gifts!)

Wende sent me a copy of her favorite book, The Guernsey Literary Potato Peal Society (which I loved as well but did not own a copy)...until now! She wrote me the nicest card also...

My mom made me the cutest poster and had each of the kids and Brian sign on the back of each flower something they loved about me...

She also gave me a bunch of random things like chartreuse polka dot socks, a much needed spatula, mixing bowl, and a sweet smelling car scent...

Look at this card? Is that awesome, or what? My mom found this while she was driving through Punxatwaney, Pa. last year sometime and saved it for my birthday...



She also gave me this crazy cute monkey bank! Isn't he precious?!
I have him sitting right on my nightstand...


Heather gave me a beautiful candle, the most stinking cute little rooster I've ever seen and a gift card to my favorite garden store. The card from her is PLANTABLE! So clever!


Christine sent me this gorgeous flower arrangement...I was so surprised to get this because we usually just exchange cards for our birthdays...



These adorable bird sticky notes were from Patsy!
Where did she find these?! I love them!



Angela sent me her usual package of delights...(I had to separate it into sections so I could get it all in the picture) Guess what's in the box?...

These duckling cookies!!! Can you believe these things?

and these gorgeous salt and pepper shakers that look so pretty on my stove...they are a perfect compliment to my blue plate collection...

and then... there's THIS guy! Are you as in love as I am?

Claudia sent me a birthday card with her famous swirly messages...

Kelly gave me these chartreuse ramekans for
making creme brulee! How did I make it this far in life without ramekans?

Jill sent me this adorable card and music mix...

I've had these tunes cranked in my car ever since!

This was such a great gift!

Isn't this an awesome quote she printed on the front?!...

I love these gift tags that Michelle sent me ...

I've seen pictures of her making these on her blog and was secretly hoping that I would be the recipient of them...

My sister, Katie
made me these handy facial scrubbies...

I've been using them every night...

Tina sent me these cute package labels and wood grain tape from Ballard Designs...

Very original and handy!

Olivia gave me a satin lipstick case she got when she was in Hong Kong last year.

She also gave me some scented diffusers...

Look at these cute flower bowls from Leisha !

I was so excited to see them when I opened up her package...

One of my visiting teachers, Kathryn, made this cute card for me
and my other visiting teacher, Beth, stopped by and dropped off a pot of daffodils and some delicious brownies...(I forgot to take a picture of those!)

My neighbor, Jeannie , brought by a vase full of daffodils and a cute little duck...

My other neighbor, Lynda, gave me chocolates and a card with a wonderful message and note !

So there you have it...

A whole lotta love was sent my way...

I'm so grateful for thoughtful friends...

Weekend getaway in DC

I'm backtracking a few weeks, but wanted to make sure I posted about our great getaway weekend with the Merrills...

We decided to combine a weekend away from the kids and early birthday celebration for Rob and I...(we share the same Feb 2 birthday)

We left right after Reilly's birthday party on the 29th. My mom stayed with the kids.

We drove to DC and stayed in Georgetown. Heather and Rob drove down earlier on in the day, so our plan was to just meet them in the hotel lobby the next morning.

Here we are just after coming out of the DC temple...We snagged some poor unsuspecting woman to take our picture...I love how there's a huge snowflake covering up the lower half of my face...


We stopped at Senor Peppers for lunch and Oh My Goodness was it good! We took a picture of our food on Heather's camera (spinach and cheese enchiladas) but the copy of her picture didn't translate well on Smugmug...the photo was too small....
It's probably just as well that I don't have tangible proof since I would be pining away for those enchiladas for the rest of my life!

Although the roads were a mess, our next plan of attack was to go to the Holocaust Museum. (Cause nothing says good times like going to the Holocaust Museum, right?) Seriously, though, none of us had ever been, and we were very interested in going.



It was snowing like crazy at this point, so we were really struggling for a place to park...

Rob and Brian finally just let Heather and I out at the museum and they managed to park a block or so away.

The museum was nothing short of amazing. I was, and continue to be, humbled by the stories and exhibits that we saw. There was an entire room just filled with shoes.
Huge cases with nothing but old toothbrushes, combs, nail clippers, etc. --all things that were confiscated from the prisoners. We got to stand inside of one of the actual train cars that carried up to 100 prisoners at a time. I tried to imagine what they were thinking as they were being carted away from their family, home, and life... I can't tell you how moved I was to witness this...It was truly unforgettable! I am inspired by how people persevered after such horrible events.


"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too, will end and that peace and tranquility will return again." Anne Frank


We only got to spend 2 hours there before it closed so we went back the next morning (Sunday) and were there for 3 1/2 more hours...



Saturday night, we went off in search of a Thai restaurant and ended up finding one that met all of our expectations! This was a picture of the crazy soup that Heather and I each ordered...

Floating around in there was octopus, squid, and clams just to name a few...(Not foods that I would normally be interested in), but it was hot and tangy and really quite delicious...

After dinner, we walked back through Copley Square stopping off along the way to browse in a book store.

Georgetown is such a cute town...it was fun walking around even if it was a snowy night...

We finished off the night with a quick stop at CVS for a candy run (yay for sprees and sweet tarts!)

It was such a memorable trip and one that won't soon be forgotten...

I came home feeling like things had definitely been put into perspective for me from the trip to the temple, and to the Holocaust Museum.

I feel so blessed to live in a country where we are free to worship however we choose and to have free agency. I take this for granted more often times than not...
I'm grateful for opportunities like this that help me see the big picture of what is really important in life...

Official Chinese New Year party

Never in my life have I acknowledged (let alone CELEBRATE!) Chinese New Year like I have this year! Seriously! This is like the 3rd Chinese post in a month!

I couldn't resist documenting an OFFICIAL Chinese New Year party that we were invited to at our friends, the Wangs, from our ward...

Even this little guy, (my friend, Olivia's grandson), was dressed for the big event!

There was food galore! All different kinds of things like Chinese curry, Korean kimchee, fried rice, salmon, sushi, Korean barbeque, just to name a few...



I asked Brian earlier on in the day to go to Wegman's to pick up a chocolate cake for us to take with us to the dinner (along with one and a half dozen duck eggs I've been collecting to give as a hostess gift (Chinese people love to eat duck eggs...yuck!)





When he came back with this *$#@#* butt ugly concoction, I almost died! It wasn't his fault. After all, I just told him to pick up a chocolate cake. But at least the flowers could have been RED?! For all I knew, blue represented death or something like that in the Chinese culture, and I didn't want to take a chance. So-- I panicked and returned the cake to avoid having to do the walk of shame into their house...

What I exchanged it for was soooo much more of what I had in mind...First of all, it was twice the size of the other one and looked more the part...

I copied off the Chinese characters for "Happy New Year" and cut it out making sure to back it with wax paper so the frosting didn't seep through...

I was so pleased with the result!

After feasting, (and I mean FEASTING!) we settled in for some games...

Ellie got to sing along to the karaoke machine--(have you ever seen that SNL sketch where Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein are singing?--that would best describe how she sounded singing "Old MacDonald". (Nerve grating alert!)

But then, the fun really started when Heather and I pulled out the big guns and started singing "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina!"--(the tune for everything but the chorus seemed to elude us)--

Would you believe this is my first karaoke experience?

What was most funny, and I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it, was the scenery that was being shown while the words of the song were coming up on the screen. It was so random, like scenes from auto shows, and cheesy Asian women splashing in the water, etc. I'm guessing it was made in the 70's, which added an extra element of humor and tackiness...

All in all, it was a memorable night...It's so fun having such diverse friendships...

Gung Hey Fat Choy!

Pretty in Pink!

Ellie's birthday is actually in July, but I always feel a little guilty that she gets the shaft...


Usually in July, I'm up to my eyeballs in garden work/lawn mowing/etc. that I never feel motivated to throw a birthday party plus the fact that it's hard to coordinate having her friends from school over because many people are on vacations, etc.

This year, I decided to throw her a half birthday and let her invite the girls from her pre-school class. (I went with a "pink party" theme per Michelle O's inspiration!) and I loved every minute of planning the details...(it's my favorite part of any event!)

I packed the goody bags with lots of pink things. After the party ended, I immediately regretted putting the P.S. I Love You lotion in each bag. Oh my goodness...my whole house smelled like a brothel! No lie!

I was particularly thrilled with how these little flower hair clips turned out...


This was one of the perks that came with our recent HUGE snow storm...


This pink party snowman was the perfect way to welcome our guests...

I've been coveting these big tissue paper balls for the longest time, and finally used my half off coupon at Michael's to purchase them...

I love love love how they turned out! The whole room was transformed into a pink wonderland!

After the girls arrived, we (and by we, I mean my cute neighbor girls, Maria and Elise) helped the girls make pink bracelets...

After the craft, it was time for lunch...

cheese and peanut butter sandwiches, chips, carrots/celery, raspberries and pink lemonade...

I found this fancy way to present sandwiches in one of Martha's party books a few years ago and have been waiting for the day when I could use it...

I loved how it really carried the pink theme through...(are you wondering if this party was for Ellie or me?!)

I'm not a baker, so this was the best thing I could come up with in the way of cupcakes...

Why does it still shock me to see myself in pictures?

I bet you can't tell you how excited this girl was?!

After lunch, they came into the living room and played pass the purse, and freeze dance.

Who knew that everyone would be fighting over which one got to push the buttons on the dinky little keyboard that we have...(Girls!) (ugh!)

I'm still not sure why taking a final picture of all the girls together was so difficult! This was the best one of the bunch and they still weren't all looking at the camera! Gese!

Ellie loves these two! Maria and Elise are the girls we always get to babysit and they were my saving grace! I don't know how I would have handled 8 screaming, high energy girls all by myself!

One thing is for sure...Ellie will be talking about this day for years to come...