please tell me you have all seen the goods at darlybird.com!

do you know i've never bought earrings anywhere else? (ok, maybe once but that's it. seriously).

and one year i did all my christmas shopping at the darlybird trunk show. her stuff is that cool. (especially if you like vintage)

i miss the days of shopping the darlybird collection in person and hanging out w/ one of the coolest girls on the planet! and indulging in her yummy eats! i miss her sweet little girls and awesome husband.

so guys when are coming to visit?

p.s. i still want a darlybird shirt w/ that cute little logo on the back shoulder. wouldn't that be so cute?!


oh yeah, and don't miss the giveaway! check out darlyblog for the details...

i love the sabbath...

especially w/ 1 o'clock church.

i love having a low-key morning to hang out w/ my boys. to make them french toast w/ veggie sausage and yummy smoothies, to play steam roller on the tramp and to pick carrots, broccoli and snap peas out of the garden!

asher gets a full nap.

i have time to iron.

i have time to really get ready (the only time all week).

and when we return from church, it's dinner, a little down time and the bedtime routine. today while i made dinner the boys played ring around the rosie w/ asher and watched planet earth--our favorite sunday show!! hearing the boys laugh and play is like music to my ears and amazingly i hear it a lot on sunday when we have 1 c'clock church.

i love that sunday is a special day!

when all else fails...

post a recipe. i can't think of anything else noteworthy to blog about but food is always a good option in my book. and remember my criteria: fast, easy and delicious. please share yours!

chile verde bowls

in large pot boil:
1 box chicken broth
6-8 raw chicken breasts, cut into pieces (scissors are the best)
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
salt, a good amount (tenderizes chicken)
pinch of sugar
lemon juice
1 can green ortega chilis (rinse can w/ water and add to pot)
1 jar salsa verde (rinse jar w/ water, 1/4-1/2 full and add to pot)
1 cup red salsa

boil 15 min. until chicken is cooked through. reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve. i also like to throw sliced zucchinni into the pot about 5 min. before serving.

serve over this most delicious spanish rice. i finally found the perfect recipe by combining 3 other rice recipes:

saute 1 1/2 c long grain white rice in
4 T olive oil w/ 1 finely chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic until rice starts to brown

add:
2 c chicken broth
2 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1 can stewed tomatos, pureed (or 1 can tomato sauce)

bring to boil. then reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 min. turn off heat, let stand additional 5 min. and then remove lid to avoid over cooking rice.

serve w/ warm tortillas or corn chips and garnish w/ cheese and/or sour cream

i did go a fun fieldtrip w/ jaden's class today to the natural history museum. jaden was so cute and cuddly w/ me. i guess he knows he has to take advantage of his mom time and get his cuddles in when he can. i loved it! he was so cute answering lots of questions and has really improved w/ his impulsive nature. he patiently raised his hand every time he had a comment instead of blurting out the answers (even when other kids were). this is really a big improvement.

the docent was showing us two feathers; one from a hawk and one from an owl. when she waved the hawk feather it made a big whoosh sound but when she waved the one from the owl it was silent. she asked the kids why that would be. i couldn't come up w/ a good explanation. then jaden raised his hand. i wondered what he would say. when she called on him, he responded, "because an owl has to sneak up on its prey so it has to be silent." and he was right. uh-oh, i better get back to studying.

really good information for those who want to know....

visit www.mormon.org and/or www.lds.org for more truths about
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

(i think in facebook language now...)

cheryl wants to know if the homemade french toast, 30 min. reading session, batch of cookie dough (for eating), trip to the beach, help cleaning "their" room, apology, bedtime stories, kisses and hugs count when she also did all that screaming? seriously. i think being the mom is hard!

goodnight. and here's to a better day tomorrow.

and if this makes you think about judging me than please just erase it from your memory.

more food...

grilled turkey panini

yummy turkey (costco's columbus brand is good)
yummy cheese (provolone and blue cheese crumbles are good)
yummy bread (sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta are all good)
spring mix salad greens
sliced tomato
thinly sliced purple onion
spreads:
pesto
red pepper and artichoke tapenade (from tj's)
mayo and mustard

pop in the panini maker (or in a pan) and grill

sweet potato fries
(so delish. would i lie to you?!!)

1 - 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil

peel sweet potatoes and cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.

place the sweet potatoes in large ziplock bag. add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

cook 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

mix mayo and ketshup w/ a little cayenne pepper for a tasty dip.

girls weekend

ixchelle, adie, me, paola, sue

we stayed up way too late, we lived on caffeine for two days so we could function and pack everything in, we caught a late night showing of he's just not that into you, we (paola and adie) made chilean empanadas and ate lots of good food, we basked in anthropologie and all its carmel glory, some got new haircuts, some picked up some awesome souvenirs at the local toy store, and micah so willingly put up with it all, including full-time kid duty (and claims the chocolate covered cinnamon bears and empanadas were good compensation),
now we're wondering when we can do it again...

the pinnacles

this national monument is only an hour away from us and we finally got to explore it. well a little at least. it was so beautiful and refreshing to be there. there were lots of rocks to climb to perilous heights and there were caves to explore. the boys loved it.

balconies cliff

about a 2.5 mile hike

i think the caves were the highlight of the trip. they were perfect for our family. not too deep and dark. well they were pitch black and very wet but it only took 10 min. or so to get through.

jaden and i are wondering if that's really the way out.

and it was. this is when jaden turns his back on us, stamps his foot refusing to go through and declares: "i'm not going to die here!" all serious and dramatic. that is until the rest of us started through, including beckam at the front of the pack.

micah (and asher, who suffered a few knocks to the head) was such a trooper. this wasn't the only time he had to do a manuever like this. once he was on all fours crawling. his shoulders felt it for days.

he was SO glad he did it!

recipe of the week...

cheesy tortellini
an adaption of minna's recipe

tortellini, cooked (i used olivieri 7 cheeses from costco)

creamy alfredo sauce w/ a handful of fresh shredded parmesean, heated
(minna suggested using 2/3 c sour cream and 1/4 c fresh shredded parmesean)

saute diced tomatoes (i love the splendido little tomatoes from tj's, i used 10 or use 2 big tomatoes), 4 chopped green onions, 1 c mushroom and a clove of garlic in 2 T olive oil, sprinkle w/ sea salt and course ground pepper

pour alfredo sauce over tortellini and top w/ veggies. serve w/ toasted sourdough

allergy baby

the real asher

we think it's a dairy allergy. he won't drink cow's milk but it seems to be from yogurt (i've been feeding him plain, greek yogurt). we're still experimenting. this was the worst of it though. he's had sporadic breakouts since this picture but nothing like this. crazy, huh?!!

bangs

Beckam's Birthday

beckam was very specific in his plans for his 4th birthday. he wanted his dad to cook benihana's at home (which means tapenyaki-style), his friends to wear star wars costumes (even though he didn't own one, which he was fine with) and chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting.

we surprised him by having "the papas" (mine and micah's dad) bring his cousins evan and bradon from bakersfield.

we got him a storm trooper costume, which arrived hours before the party

neighbor boys

and papa john got him an anakin costume that evan got to wear
(papa also brought light sabers for each kid--non-stop entertainment for 6 boys)
and papa dave brought beckam this:he made it himself w/ his new cake decorating accessories
(yes, that's fondant. impressive.) the other kids got chocolate muffins w/ vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce. i thought that was an easy chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting.
ready for the chef.
on the menu: shrimp, chicken, steak, egg fried rice, sauteed mushroom, zucchini and onion
and ginger ale to drink
awaiting the volcanic eruption:
my sweet, happy birthday boy.man, i love this kid. he greets us many times throughout the day w/ random hugs, sweet little kisses and confessions of love. the other day this is what we heard from the backseat:
"dad, i just really love you. i love you, too mom but i just really love dad. i love the way he looks. i just really love him."

some papa lovin'

turtle tent from the neighbors
happy birthday beckam boy!
we LOVED celebrating you!

another recipe if i may and a cute beckam story

and i may since it is my blog. i like to share these because i'm always looking for new fast, healthy and most importantly delicious dinner ideas. it's not a real recipe it's more of a meal idea:

meatball sandwich
focaccia rolls (SO GOOD, trader joes), toasted

italian style (or turkey) frozen meatballs (trader joes), cooked

provolone cheese, melted on top

marinara sauce
(i just throw these ingredients in the blender and then heat on the stove: 2 T extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 28 oz can stewed tomatoes, ½ t salt, ½ t black pepper and 10 fresh basil leaves (or dried or if you're my husband, you use cilantro instead of basil (on accident)--same difference, right? it still tasted great. i tell you he teaches me time and again that there really IS more than one right way to do things!)

cute beckam story
sometimes as a mother i wonder if my boys are learning anything i'm trying to teach them. and then there is a moment like this and i realize the answer is YES! asher can now reach the doors to the armoire, which houses the tv and he loves to exercise his new found skill of shutting the doors whenever they are open. unfortunately for him, they are only open when the tv is on and more unfortunately, his brothers do not appreciate him closing them while they are watching a show. so the other day, this very scene played out while i listened from the dining room. i hear the armoire door shut and turn my head to see what the repercussions will be. beckam walks over to asher, gently puts his hand on asher's cheek and quietly says, "asher...please don't shut the doors again, brother is trying to watch star wars." and best of all, asher listened!!
glory, glory hallelujah maybe they are learning something!

excuse me while i play on facebook

i won't be long and when i return:

i'll tell you about beckam turning 4 (two weeks ago)
i'll show you my new bangs and pictures of asher w/ an allergic reaction (to what? i don't know but he looked f-u-n-n-y. kinda scary really.)

a recipe and more family photos

i hear some of you actually use the recipes i post so here's one of our favorite fast and easy "regulars":

abc chicken soup
(i just make up the amounts every time so this is what i did tonight)

boil 3 large chicken breasts in chicken broth (3 boxes of pacific from costco) for 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through. chop 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 1 parsnip, 2 zucchini and 1 cup of mushroom. remove chicken, shred and set aside. add veggies to boiling broth, except for zucchini and mushroom. let boil a few minutes before adding bag ABC pastsa (trader joes). cook 8 min. or so and then add remaining veggies and chicken. salt and pepper. serve w/ trader joe's most delicious corn bread!!

for beckam it's the lettuce wraps but this is jaden's fav. tonight he had two full bowls and was ready for "third 2nds."

and today in the mail i got the cd of our family photo shoot that melissa did (header photo)! wanna see some of our favorites?! (they're not blurry if you click on the image)
and there's a few more that will be featured in our header at some point. because any good photographer includes personalized blog header photos don't they? she's in san luis obispo so look her up if you want some great pictures at a great price!! she's super cute and nice, too!

maybe men don't belong in the kitchen.

i was talking to micah on the phone last night while shopping at target when he says, "oh, that's why there's bubbles all over the floor. that wasn't the soap for the dishwasher." so today we ran the rinse cycle to see if we could get rid of the lingering suds. when micah opened the dishwasher, all that could be heard from the kitchen over and over was, "wow, these soap suds are fantastic. these suds are really fantastic." then, "come here, you've got to experience this."
micah's notorious for these kind of accidents. this is perhaps his best:

when we were very newly married, we were doing laundry late one night and since the laundry room was outside and around the corner from our apt., i sent him out to change the clothes from the washer to the dryer and bring in the clothes from the dryer. then i waited for him to come back. and waited and waited and waited. and waited. then finally the front door opened and in steps micah laundry basket in hand. check. i look at him confused. he smiles. (this story i cannot retell without laughing my head off as i type it) and says, "the dryer is broke. there's water pouring into it!" i'm still confused. water? really? he goes on: "yeah, it's the funniest thing. i opened the dryer and the clothes were still really wet. so i put more quarters in and WATER starting pouring into the dryer!" of course i was hysterical and surely wet my pants and probably did each time i retold it to every member of our family. he went on to tell me how baffled he was about water in the dryer until it occurred to him that it must be the washer! but why in the world, he wondered, would the washer be on the right side?! the washer goes on the left. it's always supposed to be on the left! he then resorted to taking each piece of clothing out one by one and wringing it out before tossing it into the dryer. "spin cycle? what's a spin cycle?" he wondered. (he still didn't know tonight about the spin cycle when i stopped at this point while reading him this post and said he would probably do the exact same thing today should the dryer ever malfunction like that again).

i teased him about his great ploy to get out of laundry duty for the rest of his life. and it actually kind of worked. i'm happy for him to fold but i'd rather man the machines. and fold he does. you should see his skills! he's learned from the pro (apparently that's me. just ask his mom and dad. they marvel at my folding and have been known to just sit and watch me. really! no talents. who am i kidding?) so it all works out. and the dishes got clean. and the clothes did, too. so i'm not complaining. really.

Happy New Year to YOU

and happy 9th anniversary to us!
i'll die if my kids get married at 21. i'm SO glad my parents had complete trust in me and never questioned or doubted my decision (i know some were skeptical since we only dated 6 months before we were married and i became mormon to boot). i couldn't have found a more perfect man had i searched the world over. and how cool is it that i met him when i was 12 and got to watch him live his life for 9 years before i ever dated him. i was well-informed and he's exceeded the potential i saw in him another 9 years later! what a testament to the benefits of living the gospel.

this year i want to exercise regularly even it's only once a week.
i want to focus on the good things in people even if it's just their shoes at the moment.
i want to enjoy each day with my little family even when it's hard.

i'm grateful for where i am at the end of this year and look forward to the growth and experiences the new year will bring.

a great christmas story:

and i just heard this christmas song, children, go where i send thee by mary chapin carpenter on the radio (for what I thought was the first time) and loved it! so we got it on itunes and have enjoyed it so much. in fact, we were listening to it tonight as the boys were going to bed and jaden got up to request we put it on his shuffle for him.

here's the funny part, i was trying to figure out how to post it here so you could hear it and when i searched for it, it came up w/ natalie merchant singing it and i immediately recognized it from her cd--one of my favorites! but it sounds so different i had no idea it was the same song.

check em' out. what do you think?

have you seen this awesome website:

Personalized Christmas Story Books

we made some today and even laminated them.
the boys loved it and were so excited!

Thankfully...

• we got to go to moscow, idaho w/ the other 22 members of my family (more than half were kids) for a thanksgiving gathering. it was cold but we were in the comfort of my sister's beautiful, cozy home and didn't even notice. we had such a great time! the kids played tirelessly in the basement (which is bigger than my house) while we a-dults cooked (or watched others cook), visited, cleaned-up and played games. i talked a group into going to see twilight with me again and i loved it just the same. so did micah and everyone else, especially my 14 year old niece. (everything was so beautiful, i didn't take any pictures. that happens to me a lot. i don't know where to even start so i just don't. i'm sorry. i call it "just enjoying the moment" not "just being a slacker")
  
• (did you remember to insert "thankfully" after each bullet) they didn't lose mine and asher's luggage until the return flight and we'd planned on staying overnight in sac w/ some of our best cousins, who are always SO hospitable and gracious. and our luggage was found in the morning while we attended the davis ward (so.much.fun to see good old friends). and the airline reimbursed us for my cute new church dress, shoes, outfit for asher and toiletries we had to buy!
• when the christmas tree slid off the roof of the car tonight on the freeway at 5 o'clock, instead of tumbling off into oncoming traffic, it dangled perilously on the side of the car hovering too close to the pavement, giving the boys and i a good laugh until i could pull over. and while i awaited the arrival of my knight in shining armor, a nice chp officer showed up, inched his way between the tree and the whizzing cars to hoist it back on top. micah arrived shortly thereafter w/ bungie cords in hand and we made the short jaunt safely back home (when jaden proclaimed, "that's the last time we let some kid tie our christmas tree to the roof of the car." he was at least 18.) amazingly the tree is unscathed standing proudly in the living room as i type!
• jaden informed me tonight, "mom, i'd rather not read my "pretend" reading books from school. i like reading real books like the scriptures where i can get good information."

REVISED

• i didn't get sick on thanksgiving, which has happened to me too many times.
• beckam started puking tonight--not on our trip and not in costco today before the christmas tree incident and it wasn't on jaden's head (you know trundle beds are good for that when you're on top. my sister and i had them. i slept on top and i'm sure janie still remembers the fateful night i got the flu). it was just all over his bed.

things could always be worse, right?!