Virtual Coffee

Hello! Another Tuesday, another coffee date.

If you were really having coffee with me today...

I'd probably start talking a mile a minute about how The Pioneer Woman's new book is coming out soon. You can pre-order the book (which I've done) and she'll be going on tour when the book comes out. Don't you worry, I've already made plans to go and see her to which ever of her spots is closest to me. I've been following Pioneer Woman's blog for over a year now and love love love her cook book. Julia also enjoys her cook book. It has cows.

If you were enjoying coffee with me this cold but beautifully sunny day...you'd notice that Evan is here.
You'd also notice his crutches propped up by our recliner. I'd then tell you how Evan is home for two weeks. After a month of intense pain in his left leg and hip area, we took our 4th trip to the doctor in a month yesterday. The previous trips found nothing that the doctors could pin point the pain to. They thought maybe a pulled muscle or something of the sort. When I noticed his leg was swollen on Sunday night, we went to the doctor Monday and found out that he has a DVT. This doctor was fabulous and thorough and we did spend the whole day at the medical clinic, but Evan got his leg sonogrammed, blood taken and a game plan on how to take care of the blood clot. He'll be home for two weeks re-cooperating and getting used to his medicines. We're so thankful that we know what's wrong, that we can finally start getting him better and that we got him to the doctor when we did.

When the doctor came back to talk to us about the results of the sonogram and what to expect with Evan's blood therapy, he said to Evan, "You have a big ass clot." I told Evan that if the doctor can only describe what's wrong with you in swear words, then that's a big deal.

So, I have Evan with me for two weeks! Yes, right now he can't walk around without crutches and yes, he is in a lot of pain and I have to do pretty much everything for him, but I do so enjoy his presence at home during the week. He's going to read some books I've bought him that he hasn't had a chance to read, we're going to watch a lot of movies and one of his friends is going to loan him a PS3 for a couple of weeks so he can play games.

While drinking our second cup of coffee we'd talk about the upcoming month. We'd talk about how I've already decorated but haven't put the empty tubs back into the basement yet. We'd chit chat about trips to see Santa, cookies that need to be made, gifts that have yet to be purchased, latkes that need to be made for the first time ever by yours truly. I'd ask about how your Thanksgiving weekend went and what your favorite Christmas or Hanukkah traditions are.

Thanks for stopping by for coffee with me today. Don't forget to stop by Amy over at Lucky Number 13 and see how everyone else's coffee is today!

Tradition.

Evan's parents were here over Thanksgiving weekend. Elisabeth was so excited to have family to share a holiday with. They were only here for a few days (which flew by so fast), but we tried to pack in as much fun as we could.

But, there had to be ornament making. It's a Christmas tradition.

My mother-in-law started it when Elisabeth was 1. Jana'd been helping a class at the school she works for make ornaments where the students painted their hands and then held onto an ornament ball. The then turned the handprints into snowmen. Jana liked the idea and decided to have Elisabeth do it too, and then passed them out as Christmas gifts.

We've done it every year since. Ethan, Julia and now Owen (it's his first year participating!) hands are all over my Christmas tree. This year, we had to find ornaments big enough for Elisabeth's hands to fit on. That was kind of a reality check.

Elisabeth can paint her own hands now. She is 8, you know.

Last year, we were certain Julia would not be too happy about the painting of the hands, but it turned out she loved it. She kept telling us it tickled and just stared in wonder at the whole process.


It's just the beginning of Christmas traditions around here! And one of the best things is that, it's all new again for Julia. She doesn't remember last year, so she's so excited about everything we're doing. Putting up Christmas decorations and decorating the tree. She's even learning some of the songs. She sings a mean "Jingle Bells".

Next up? Cookie making!!!

Burp.

We had a lovely weekend. We managed to skip eating leftovers today, but do not worry, we still have plenty.

We're out of these though:

Cause those things are flipping fantabulous and are a must have on the menu. As are deviled eggs, but those are gone as well.

I made cranberry sauce for the first time ever! I used Pioneer Woman's Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce recipe. Holy moly, was it delicious!
My 17.5lb turkey was cooked perfectly and I even found the giblet bag before I cooked it this year!!! (Well, Evan found it.)
Our friend, Jeanna, made this ham. I usually don't like ham. This ham changed my mind forever.
Unfortunately, I was so busy making sure people ate and that there was enough drinks and that everyone was enjoying themselves, that I neglected my camera.

I hate it when I do that.

But, we had fun. I love it when friends and family from different parts of our lives can come together to talk and laugh and eat and have fun. It was a fabulous Thanksgiving.

And Jana and her iPad totally kept the kiddos entertained for hours!!

I've neglected you...

But, I have a reason.

I've been busy.

And sick.

And I have company at my home.

The End.

I'll be back soon with lots to say, I promise.

And, yes, I do realize that I've missed 2 days of NaBlPoMo. Evan's reminded me all day today that I didn't post yesterday.

I punched him.

Then I laughed.

Then I apologized.

Then I giggled.

I'll be back tomorrow.

But, first, I have to go push Evan down because he just said to me, "Are you actually blogging? Cause you didn't yesterday, slacker."

I am thankful.

I am thankful for Evan. He makes me laugh; loves me even when I'm being me; is my best friend; drives me crazy; makes me smile just thinking about him.

I am thankful for my girls. I can not imagine my life without them in it. They are sweet, stubborn, creative, sweet, unique and the best thing I've been able to call mine.

I am thankful for my friends. They are what keeps me sane, keep me humble, make me laugh till my cheeks hurt, know me and love me anyway.

I am thankful for my family. All of them.

For the family I was born into. Crazy, loud and at time unbelievably, hilariously ridiculous, I am so thankful for Mom, Dad, Terra and John, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandparents. It's a true blessing to be loved by so many.

I am thankful for the family I married into. Jana, Keith, Kyle, Matt, Ethan and Owen are some of my favoritest people on this planet. And, how lucky am I to find an entire clan who loves me? For all of Evan's aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents--I could not have asked for a more wonderful family to be a part of.

This holiday season, I am thankful. I truly am.

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving day!

(From my first turkey, Elisabeth. 2002. 3 weeks old.)

What I want for Christmas.

While preparing for my second Thanksgiving as the host, I was thinking about my Mamaw. My Mamaw is my Grandpa's mom. This is her with a rather grumpy Elisabeth in 2005:

My Mamaw passed away a few years ago at the grand age of 98. Sometimes it's still hard to believe she's gone because I truly thought she'd live forever. I used to ask her if she was going to live to be older than 100. She'd give me a giant hug and laughingly say, "Oh, honey, I hope the Lord doesn't wait that long to call me home!!".

She came to Pekin from southern Illinois every Thanksgiving. She'd stay with my Grandpa's sister, my Aunt Betty, and we'd all come over Thanksgiving day bringing our side dishes and toys and books (if you were me) and we'd romp around my Aunt Betty's big house, trying to stay out of trouble. It was hard. (For those of you who know any of my cousins or are my cousins, then you know how bratty they all are...still.)

We'd also all wait for Mamaw to make her famous chicken and dumplings. She stand next to a huge pot and would stir in all sorts of ingredients. She never had a recipe, never measured with measuring cups. She knew how to make them by heart. I would stand by her and she'd sneak me and any of her other grand and great-grandkids a small bit of the dumplings or a small slice of chicken. Once the blessing for the food was said, we'd all stand in line grabbing some turkey, corn casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, mashed potatoes, etc. as calmly as possible. But, when it came time to get a serving of Mamaw's chicken and dumplings, there was no shame as to how much everyone would pile on their plates. You quickly learned to scoop as much as you could because there would be no seconds; everyone wanted them and they were the first thing to be devoured every year.

I distinctly remember being in junior high or high school and watching Mamaw make her chicken and dumplings. I was telling her that her dish was my favorite part of Thanksgiving. She said, "Thank you, sweetie. But, you know, someone better write this down, cause I won't be around forever."

I don't know if anyone did write down her recipe. I know I don't have it. And even though I've fond another chicken and dumpling recipe that I successfully make, it doesn't come close to my Mamaw's. I really wish I'd have thought to ask her for that recipe while she was still here with us. I wish that all of the thousands of times she came up to visit and I sat with her and talked about school and family and books and yarn and all the things I loved to talk to my Mamaw about, I had stopped for one minute and asked her to write that recipe down for me so I could make it for my kids and grand kids and great-grandkids some day.

So, this year for Christmas, I have decided I know what I am asking for.

I am asking for recipes from the women in my life. I am going to ask that they write down recipes that they love, that they've made for me millions of times throughout my childhood and every holiday. I'm asking for the recipes that we kids would beg for when we'd visit and still beg for as adults. And, I'm asking them to write it in their handwriting. The handwriting that is so familiar to me and that I will have forever every time I make their dishes.

Thankfully, I was pen pals with both my Mamaw and my Grandma's mom, Mama. Here's my Mama holding a very new Elisabeth in 2002:

My Mama passed away at the grand age of 94, just two weeks after my Mamaw. I have countless letters from them that I treasure greatly. And, while I don't have recipes in their handwriting, I do have memories of standing in the kitchen with them and watching them cook.

So, get ready:

Grandma

Grandma Sandy

Mom

Jana

Aunt Diane

Aunt Delene

Cause you're getting a phone call soon from me.

Virtual Coffee

Good morning!!! I've got the coffee brewing, I have fabulous creamers for you to choose from and I have a list of things to do a mile long. So, if I randomly break from our conversation to frantically write down yet another thing I need to get done before Thursday, please forgive me.

If we were really having coffee today...I'd tell you that both girls had recitals this week at the church they attend on Wednesday nights. They go to Pioneer Club, which is kind of like a church-y scouts program. Even Julia gets to go. They both love it and look forward to Wednesdays. Julia did a fantastic job in hers. It was on Wednesday night for 2-5 year olds and she sang and did all the hand movements and didn't come running over to me like I thought she would. She's getting so big.

Elisabeth's recital was done in front of the whole church on Sunday morning. Do you see her? she's in the second row from the top. Peter's right below her and Mabel's two people to Elisabeth's left. Henry is up there somewhere, but I don't think I got him in the shot. Elisabeth loves to sing in front of people, so I knew she'd do a fabulous job.
As we sat and chitchatted over our lovely coffee...you'd probably notice our Hanukkah things.
Last year, Elisabeth asked a million questions about Hanukkah. She loved hearing the story behind it and wanted to know if we could celebrate it this year. Of course, I said yes. So, I've been doing a lot of homework on Hanukkah and why/how it's celebrated. I actually knew very little about it. I found some fabulous children's books to read to the girls and then headed out to Target to get a menorah, driedel and the candles. I have a couple of Jewish friends that I've talked to Hanukkah about and what they do to celebrate. I have a recipe for latkes and we made homemade applesauce on my fabulous canning weekend that we'll be eating as well. What I love is that Elisabeth is so excited. I love that she's interested in other's beliefs and wants to explore them and incorporate them into our beliefs. I think it's wonderful and I'm proud of her.

If we were sitting at my house drinking coffee...we'd be talking about how the high for Thanksgiving is 28 degrees. I would then tell you that last Thursday, we were playing at the park waiting for Elisabeth to get out of school and the temperatures were in the high 60s!! While Julia played in the sand pit, Elisabeth was having her second recess on her school's playground in the background.
I'd tell you how I'm insane about capturing pictures of the mountains.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm going to miss them when we move this summer. They've become such a part of my every day. I completely understand why pioneers stopped here on their journey west, took one look at this unbelievable mountain range and said, "Yep. This is it. This is home." I feel the same way.
As we were wrapping up our coffee date...I'd ask what you're doing for Thanksgiving. You'd tell me about your plans and who's visiting you or who you're visiting.
I'd tell you how we're skipping the shopping on Friday because my in-laws are coming and we're heading to Boulder for a day of fun and exploring. I'm so excited. I've never been to Boulder.

Before you go, I'd show you Julia jumping. It's one of my favoritest things she does right now.

Please head over to Ms. Amy at Lucky Number 13 for more coffee chit chat and fun!!! See you next week!!

Good morning!

Friday morning, Evan woke me up around 6:ooAM.

"Virginia. Hey, you need to wake up and see this."

I opened one eye and saw that our bedroom was bathed in a beautiful pink. Evan was peeking out the blinds of our window. He turned to smile at me and said, "You're going to want your camera."

I walked outside to see this:

He knows me so well.

Oops.

Apparently, I did not post yesterday. Evan pointed it out to me today when I finally emerged from the world I was in.

I was reading.

I've been reading for 2 days. I couldn't stop. When I did stop, I was still thinking about the book, wanting to know what happened next, replaying the parts I'd already read over and over because it was so well written and I was so enamored by the story and the characters.

What was I reading? This:

No, I haven't seen the movie yet. I hear it's not near as good as the book. They never are. But, I did put it on my Netflix queue.

What completely hooked me was the writing. It's told from Henry and Clare's perspectives of the same experiences. As you can tell from the title, there are lots of different dates and places that are visited by Henry. I was entranced the entire time and ignored everyone around me (just ask poor, neglected Evan).

So, I do apologize for skipping a day in this National Blog Posting Month...but it is a damn good book. Go read it.

Whining amongst a lovely sunset.

I hate it when I don't sleep well because of sinus/allergy issues. It makes me groggy and headache prone the next day. Today is one of those days.

My house smells like onions. I hate the smell of onions. I chopped 2 onions for the Thanksgiving meal at Evan's work today. My reward for contributing to the Mexican food meal? An oniony house.
How many times in one day can my children say my name? I've counted 4,582 so far today. I'm changing my name. I will only respond to Francesca from now on. Please don't tell my kids what my new name is; I plan on making them guess.
I strongly dislike cleaning. I super wish it wasn't part of my job requirement as the stay-at-home parent. I wish I had a housekeeper like Alice from the Brady Bunch. I'd totally make her wear a uniform and have her call me Mrs. B.
My perfect day would include waking up from a perfect night's sleep on a pillow that I actually like. I'd have coffee already made for me and my breakfast would be warm and ready to eat. I'd read and lounge in my pajamas for as long as I wanted. I'd watch crap tv and movies that make me happy while I crocheted with an endless supply of yarn and hooks at my disposal. Then I would take a long walk in perfect weather and I would feel healthy and refreshed. I'd bake and cook a fabulous dinner and dessert for everyone I love and I wouldn't have to clean the kitchen because my housekeeper, Alice, would take care of that. I'd be in bed by 10:00PM on the dot and I'd instantly fall into a deep slumber. Sigh. It sounds so magical.
Please note, in the above scenario, there was no potty training, cleaning, laundrying, refereeing, or anything of that sort in my perfect day. Oh, and everyone called me Francesca and it was lovely.

Dentist.

Yesterday Elisabeth went to the dentist.

Elisabeth LOVES the dentist. She's been begging me to see one ever since we moved here. She loves to get her teeth cleaned and to see the x-rays of her teeth and ask the dentist a lot of questions.

I, personally, do not like going to the dentist. I never have. I don't like anyone touching my teeth. I hate the flouride treatments, the scraping, the smell of those stupid latex gloves they wear.

Ok. I have to stop. I'm giving myself the heebie-jeebies.

Julia had never been to a dentist's office before. She was so very excited. This is how she watched Elisabeth get her teeth cleaned.
Elisabeth had zero cavities. She is also going to be getting sealants in 6 months to further prevent any cavities from ever showing up.

Julia had me ask if she could have her teeth cleaned too. She has to wait till she's 3. She was okay with that, though, because they gave her 3 stickers and a giant bouncy ball for being such a good little sister and waiting so patiently.
Don't worry. I've made an appointment. I'm going to see the dentist too.
I guarantee you I won't be as happy as the girls were.

Mommy Radar

Elisabeth and Julia at about a month old. Ebeth is on the left and Julia's the one on the right. So hard to believe that they were ever so small.

The other night, I was sleeping soundly in my bed, when my Mommy Radar went off. Do you know this Mommy Radar I speak of? Do you other moms have this? It's when one of your children call out or make a noise that indicates "I need you!" and you are woken from a sound sleep, ready to go! When my Mommy Radar goes off it's like a snap in my brain and I get a tingling sensation that one of my kids needs me. Seriously, do you know what i'm talking about or am I just crazy? Is this a programmed instinct in all mommies from the dawn of man?

It was much stronger when they were infants. Sometimes I'd wake up right before they started stirring. As they've gotten older, it only goes off when they are upset. Or, like Julia did 2 nights ago, when they are awake at 4 and giggling and talking loud enough for me to hear over the monitor we still are using. (Hey, they are both upstairs and we are downstairs and Julia will SCREAM in the morning if you don't get her out of bed after her first two attempts to call your name and it wakes up Elisabeth who sometimes gets frustrated and will start crying because, "I never get to sleep because all Julia does is cry and I can hear it through the walls!!!").

One of the things I find humorous about being a parent with older kiddos, is that they can tell you about their dreams.

The other morning, Julia woke up crying for Evan. When Evan went to get her, she was obviously upset about something. He asked her if she had a bad dream. She told him, "Mommy take my toothbrush. I want my toothbrush back." I had to apologize when I saw her. She was not very happy with me.

One night, when Elisabeth was around 4 years old, she called me into her room. She hadn't been in bed very long, maybe 30 minutes or so, and I figured she'd forgotten a stuffed animal or needed to use the bathroom. I walked in and see her sleepily rubbing her eyes. I asked what she needed. "Mommy, will you go look in my closet for me. I think there's a lady in there watching me."

I will not lie to you, that completely freaked me out. No, I will not check to see if there is some creepy woman watching you sleep from your closet. Do I look like an idiot?! And what in the world is in there that you think some lady is in there.

Don't worry. I was a grown up. I walked to her closet and opened the doors, but not after saying a quick prayer and grabbing a hard object to beat the scary lady in the face with in case I did find her. No one was there, thankfully.

Ah...the joys of parenting children during the night.

Virtual Coffee

Hi! It's totally okay for you to come into our house for some coffee today. We have been plague free for 2 days now. We've cleaned and disinfected and we're now normal people again.

Well, as normal as we ever are, at least.

If you were really at my house for coffee today...of course I'd start talking a mile a minute about finding out that our next station will be in San Antonio, Texas--in case I hadn't already told you. But, I probably already have since I've told the whole universe. I'd show you all the things I found yesterday about the new city we'll be calling home next summer. They have a zoo!!! and museums and water parks and a thousand libraries and a zoo!!! and Sea World and Six Flags and The Riverwalk and a zoo!!! And the best part is that my sister and her husband are stationed in San Antonio right now and will still be there when we're there! That's 2-3 years of the girls having my sister around all the time to hang out with and get to know again! My sister and I haven't lived in the same state in 6 years. She moved to Colorado when we moved to DeKalb so Evan could go to law school. Then, when she married her husband (who's also in the Air Force) they were stationed in California and now are in Texas.

The girls are so excited. Julia will probably tell you a few times, "We move to Texas for my birfday." Then she'll tell you, "Aunt Tarta [aka: Terra] live in Texas. We see her soon."

So, now we're focusing on living in the now in Colorado as much as possible. 7 months is not a long time. It'll be time to move before we know it and that is just too sad to think about for too long.

As we sipped our coffee and ate some yummy zucchini bread (whose recipe I will be sharing on my cooking blog later today!)...we'd chit chat about the upcoming holidays. Julia plans on asking Santa for a pink ball. How fabulous is that?! Ebeth is going to ask for a pillow pet! Santa is making out like a bandit this year, I say!
One of my favorite things about having coffee with friends is that the conversation just flows. There's no awkward pauses (where I always feel the need to make people laugh) or wondering about what you're going to say next. With friends, the topics are serious, odd, funny, sad and even mundane, but they're real. And I love a good, real conversation.

Please make sure and visit Amy at Lucky Number 13 for some more great coffee dates!!