weekend:

it's always sad when you don't think you have your camera but then realize the next day that you really did.  good thing that these nifty cell phones have cameras so you can still take an impromptu photo.  

the sky was absolutely marvelous yesterday.  just beautiful.  the kind of sky that you just want to sit outside and look at forever and ever.  it was a day-after-the-big-storm kind of sky.  ---and i took a few pictures with my phone.  ones that looked great on my phone, but as i looked at them this morning i realized that i forgot to roll down my window and so they are not as lovely as i would like...however, i feel that it is a little mean to withhold pictures, even though they don't do it justice:

these pictures were taken on our way to church - i had a lovely 50 minutes of staring out the window at the pretty blue sky.  we stayed for potluck and were able to get to know many of the church members.  country churches might be the best.  i know that we have been greatly impacted by the absolute, friendly welcome we have been given.  it is a reminder and a challenge to us to always be warm, friendly and welcoming at our home church, even though there are quite a few more members.  

which brings us to our evening: which was fairly uneventful - we consumed a ridiculous amount of ice cream and watched Cupcake Wars and Master Chef on hulu.  that's it.  perfect day.

weekend: catch up

these are from a few weekends past - but not last weekend (which is still to come -- patience now...)

the weekend of the rhubarb cream pie + pancakes

no outside adventures this weekend - the weather wasn't too fabulous 

we just stayed inside and baked the day away

and played "Risk" on the xbox - can you say addiction 

the weekend of strawberry shortcake + breakfast burritos

also - the weekend we conquered the puzzle + planted the garden

i believe we also watched a lot of hulu...

it was good

weekend:

as jon and i went to sleep last night, we both said to each other "what a great day."

it was just that good.

sunny.  breezy.  an ice cream + pizza kind of day.  we played board games all evening with mike and kate.  laughing up a storm.  eating popcorn + cold cereal.  almost consuming a couple tubs of ice cream because they are our ultimate favorites.  walking at sunset.  lulu ended the day taking a snooze on the bench.  spoiled pooch.

jon and i spent most of the day driving around the north dakota countryside.  a little of it was spent waiting in road construction.  but it was good waiting.  the kind where you talk to the motorcyclist behind you and enjoy the windmills and great views beside you.  

it all started because we decided to drive to church -- it takes about an hour.  we felt like the pioneers.  except our truck is just a little faster and less dusty than a wagon.  we arrived at our little country church to a sweet congregation of about 25 people.  we were more than warmly welcomed, introduced to almost all of the church members, and invited for lunch.  the pastor is the same pastor i had at my academy church during sophomore year.  i walked into the church and told jon "i know him" - true that.  such a small world sometimes...  isn't it great.  he (the pastor) and his wife have five of the most beautiful + polite boys i have ever seen.  we are excited to have found a "summer" church family and are looking forward to getting to know new people in our community.

the rest of the day was spent taking the long way back home.  looking out the window at the canola fields and rolling hills.  spotting ranches that we loved + passing through some of the smallest towns (blink and you'll miss it).  no storms.  no weather warnings.  just sunshine.  

oh happy day!

hope yours was just as lovely.

friday! -- the one where my summer began...

today was my last day at work for awhile - it was almost my last day at work ever -- but then i last month we (jon+i) decided it wasn't and so back again in the fall i'll go -- why oh why - well here is what my last week at work looked like:

-rainy day monday movie - coloring included

- watermelon day + sunflower seed spitting and rolling in the field

- pink lemonade + paper puppets + a few minutes of pixar short films

- sandwich + ice cream cones on the playground - play outside all day

- picnic in the field 

i know you're jealous - everyone should have my job - with the requirement of you can happily survive having your name (or teacher teacher) called every 15 seconds by multiple children, don't mind having boogers picked and wiped on your sweater or coughing in your face, and can productively, creatively and kindly (at least most of the time) break up sharing, pushing, and "so-and-so said they aren't my friend" disputes while teaching social skills and loving your friend...  to which you will be richly rewarded with the funniest comments you've ever heard and the sweetest smiles you'll ever see.  it really is the best job ever  -- the one that i am finished with for a few months -- now to put on my other career hat -- to which i need to find a creative name for besides cook, trailer-keeper, errand runner, dog catcher (well- one that also includes hulu-watcher, blog-reader, bookworm, scrapbooker) -- hello it's montana time.

our pacific northwest sky was trying to confuse me the other night with a montana-style sky

 this is one of the things i've been doing instead of packing

 but today, as my summer officially began, i decided i'd better hop to it -- so i made my list -- see....

and i completed much of it with about 3.5 hours of errands

now that all but three of the errands are done, i just have to pack it up - and that is another list that is even longer than this one.  significantly.

but for right now-- it's my time.

as in mY time.

the time where i get to do whatever i want.

wHateVer i want.

are you scared?

you shouldn't be -- don't you know how responsible i am?

all i want to do is eat my Cars shaped mac and cheese and read a book .

that's it.

that's what i am going to do right now.  

as soon as i hit the "publish" button

p.s.  did you know that before tonight i never knew photo booth had this feature...

shows you how much i've toodled around with it -- but nOW i know -- beware...

p.s.s.

the other sign my summer has begun - the weather channel is an online favorite - tonight i read that 

it really should be summer now - for reals - "la nina's reign is over" -- which gives me a little more hope that i might have a few less tornado warnings this year -- which would be good -- did i mention i dreamed about tornados again last night - second time - survived both times. this time with a sturdy piece of cardboard, a pair of hand cuffs and metal hand rail -- i woke up thinking that it was just a little too final scene of twister-ish  - and also wondering where my brain comes up with this stuff 

-- maybe i was a police officer in my other life -- 

--ok you can stop laughing now--

...seriously...

on a more serious note -- it isn't as expensive (a relative term i know - but i was thinking like a really big number) to have a safe room or storm cellar as you might think -- i checked --  if you want to check you can go here:    FEMA: Safe Rooms or High Wind Safe Rooms

may merriment

just a select few from a month that flew by so fast i can hardly remember what happened...good thing i have pictures to remind me ---

melissa graduated -- she's going to be the best nurse practitioner ever

kim and i bought cupcakes from cupcake jones to celebrate the occasion--

one of each kind of course

it's beginning to feel a little like summer - sandals and starbucks frosty frappuccino goodness

 a girl weekend with my favorite kellie and alecia - insane amounts of fro yo and non-stop chatting -- literally -- i think it was like 8 hours before we slowed down.

today:

starbucks - quality "alone" time --  i should make this a regular on the calendar this fall

so many things to do - jon calls me to see if i am packing every five minutes (well, not quite, but close-- actually his last call was to tell me that i didn't fill out the address on my latest online order - but he took care of it -- what a good husband)

last night i came home and put the packages on the table, ate copious amounts of chips and salsa, and sat in my comfy chair.  it was good.  i think the dishes might be getting stinky in the sink though -- i should probably do them tonight.  along with pack.  which means i'd better make a list.  

i'll get right on that...

sunday funday?

we bought a flat of mangos last week at costco and i have been eating them up -- tonight i ran across this smoothie recipe from whole foods and it looked like it might be delicious -- use frozen bananas if you have them (add an extra if it taste's too "green" for you)  i sub the soy protein powder for brown rice protein -- but you can use whatever you have...

GET OVER IT GREEN PROTEIN SHAKE

Nourish your body after a night of indulgence with things it really needs: nutrients and antioxidants. Sweet mango and banana, a hint of green earthy flavor and soy protein powder that contributes even more plant power!

Ingredients

2 cups organic chopped fresh greens such as spinach or kale, thick stems removed 
1 mango, peeled and cubed 
1 cup original or unsweetened ricemilk 
1 banana 
3 tablespoons Whole Foods™ Organic Vanilla Soy Protein Powder 

Method

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

 i'd say it's been a fairly productive day - ended with an evening of back-to-back-to-back-to-back "Lie to Me" - i think i've mentioned our addiction to this show...

it's going to be a busy week -- i'm not quite prepared for it -- menu is almost done -- but that's about it and i still have one more dinner to plan...oh --- i got it -- falafel salads with homemade hummus and ranch dressing.  well, that is one more check off the list -- now i'd better go get to a few more before bed -- happy sunday!

 love love love these girls

taken a couple weeks ago -- girl's trip to boise --

how the story goes...

it goes like this...

when jon is home i don't really blog.  there are a lot of things i don't do when jon is home that i do do when he is gone.  blogging is one of them.  it is either that he demands all of my free time or he demands the computer, or it could really be just that we do other things --- also i go to bed earlier because i can't sit in bed with the computer on for hours when he is trying to go to sleep -- this is because i don't like it when he is on the computer and i am trying to sleep. phew.  glad we got that covered.

so i realized (again) today that i just haven't been on the pictures --- really since summer -- and here it is almost summer again.

i also worked on my december daily book today -- yes,  i am aware that it is march.  and no, it isn't done, but it is close.  that should tell you about how much scrapbooking i have been doing lately.

so the real question is just what have i been doing?  well, i think i have been hibernating and when not hibernating i think i have been at work with possibly a weekend or two of travel...  so while i can't really think of any "thing" that i have been doing, i know that it has been good.  and that's what counts right?

p.s.  how did it get to be march already?

today i spent most of the day hibernating in my sweats and sweatshirt -- then i spiffy'd up a bit and went out on the town -- well to town that is -- to senior recognition and a birthday party to be exact.  now i am back to the sweats again.

the family at senior recognition

at the birthday party

valentines tea

today kim and i had a tea party for our moms and sisters.

it was sweet and fun and full of pink and red

this weekend has been so very busy (a good busy).  tonight - right now - is the only time i have really had a moment to sit down and just relax (and i really should be in bed as it's almost midnight).  

this last week has been especially busy -- catch up after the previous week spent out of town (with no internet in case you've noticed the lack of posts) -- but we decided that it would be wonderful to invite our family over for a valentines tea party -- and it was...

all us girls

we had a lot more weekend goodness -- more pictures to come

weekend + giveaway

what a good weekend i had -- how was yours?

i went with two of my best girls to one of their timeshares at a resort in idaho -- it was beautiful -- surrounded by mountains that had some snow still clinging on and lots of trees.  we started out on friday night with a stop at my very favorite huckleberry's -- we had some great salads from the deli, pasta from the pasta bar and walked out with not one, but three desserts from the dessert case -- yes -- these girls know where it's at -- (just for the record, it wasn't my idea to get dessert, but it might have been my idea to try more than one... you know how hard it is to just choose one)  their juice bar juice of the day is one i am super excited to try -- pineapple, pear, and purple cabbage -- thinking i maybe try and make it to the grocery store and try it later this week -- speaking of juice -like substances -- i came home last night and found this fabulousness had arrived:

don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY to win this great book!  

click here to enter

i'll choose a winner tomorrow

p.s. this morning i had a great smoothie -- little apple, orange, grapefruit, little banana, lots of kale, some flax seed oil, hemp & pea protein

the rest of the weekend was great -- the resort completely makes me think of the movie "dirty dancing" --  big recreation center, classes, golf, meet and greets, etc.  the only thing it was missing was patrick swayze.  

i think ms. lulu cuddle-bug missed me -- this is us right now -- she's laying on my lap while i try and type on the laptop -- we have a pretty good system down 

don't forget to enter the giveaway!

it's a blueberry muffin kind of morning...

not to brag or anything -- but i slept really good last night.  8 hours of deeps sleep goodness in my snowflake flannel sheets and my christmas pajamas with lulu next to me -- lulu --who must have been tired too because she didn't change positions the whole night, therefore eliminating a paw in my face or pushing me off the bed... it was a good night.

this morning i woke up and walked out to greet the roommates -- with my eyes barely open -- only to see through my little eye slit that my roommate and best friend forever (seriously) was making blueberry muffins for breakfast.  everyone should have roommates that wake them on the weekend to fresh blueberry muffins... aren't you jealous?  you should be.

did i mention that they are in snowman liners??

so it's chai tea and hot, fresh, buttery blueberry muffin for me this morning... oh you're wondering about lulu --well she slept in an extra 25 minutes this morning, not even rousing when bridger jumped up on the bed and gave her a little shove with his nose -- nope -- she stayed in bed til she was good and ready to get up and come out and get loves from justin for 15 minutes before finally being ready to head outside and begin the day.

speaking of beginning the day -- i better get a move on as i'm supposed to be ready to leave for early church in 23 minutes.  yikes.  i'm still in my jammies!

two for tuesday

it's raining today -- but a nice break after yesterday's 95 degrees and 150% humidity -- it was the kind of day where you walk outside and are immediately covered in sweat - i felt bad for the guys out pulling honey.  we had to take them more water towards the end of the day -- that's saying a lot since they each take out a gallon+...
i've been busy this last week -- when i say that, what i really mean is that my fingers have been busy, and my computer has been really busy -- the last couple days have been spent selecting and editing photos and making books.

one of them is for these two love birds --of pictures that i took at their engagement shoot:

we had a quiet weekend.  i didn't take any pictures...

i scrapbooked most of saturday.  it was a pleasant experience and a great way to spend the day -- simply amazes me that i accomplish so much more scrapping on a queen size bed than i do working at a table.

ordered wedding project supplies--now to wait for them to get here.

starting to feel the time crunch for all the things i want to get finished before the end of summer.  pressure is good.

my hot water heater stopped working yesterday.  jon has been trying to fix it today.  sad.  i need to shower.  going to have to trek to the warehouse bathroom like everyone else.  boo.

i hadn't been through my reader in about a week -- i had 457 blog posts to "read" -- too many.  the sad part was that out of all of those there wasn't much that caught my attention...

two things:
 -  i am obsessed with homemade granola - store bought i don't really care for - but homemade, barely sweetened granola goodness -- yum.  this year it has been one of my most favorite things to eat.  my wonderful mother sent 2 giant bags of homemade goodness with us to eat while in montana  - it is packed with dried fruit, seeds and nuts...  i savor every mouthful (helps to make up for my brother shoveling it -- he's always in a hurry to eat as much as possible...).

 


mom's gift of granola...





this recipe caught my attention today because -it's for granola - it's gluten-free - it doesn't have multiple sugars or a lot oil  -- i am planning on making it when i get home or run out of granola - whichever comes first --
gluten-free girl's homemade granola

- "the happiness project"  by gretchen rubin -- it's "an account of the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier." -- i browsed through her blog a little this morning and it has a lot of great things -- my favorite for today -- her twelve personal commandments -- i think i will make some of my own. -- it will be at the top of my book list, but first i need to finish "eat, pray, love" by elizabeth gilbert

the story of the weekend

we had a nice weekend -- clean trailer, a yummy dinner of some sort--i can't remember what it was right now, and then kate and i decided to make some uber delicious sit and stay awhile apple crisp

some of us ate it hot -- the rest of us were sleeping...

saturday was biscuits and gravy, with a scrambled tofu&rice skillet, while attending church via the internet.  then we all had some relax time before it was enchilada assembly time.

in between biscuits and enchiladas -- we had to eat some crisp -- 

dinner time.

enchilada supper with the family - mom's recipe, with beans and spanish rice, chips and salsa, corn sour cream, and red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert.  

we were so full.

had to lay down for awhile.

night time

sleeping beauty with sweet sister and some mini book creating

sunday 

it was productive.

we went to out to dinner

it was not so delicious, but i didn't expect it to be so i wasn't disappointed

on the way home the sky looked like this

we had just had a storm come through

it was quite pretty

10 things--i love weekends!

1.  a weekend with no plans is the best kind
2. friday night burger, fries, and onion rings --because my roommate loves me -- for dinner.  tradition is good.
3. pooches in the back -- bridger is not a fan of riding outside -- poor boy was not as excited as lulu --

4. running to watch the sunset at my favorite spot in town --

5. went to vespers to hear the a cappella group Rescue
6.slept in -- or at least jon did -- had lunch with the parents -- walked lulu downtown and met some new friends -- she (lulu) did... she meets new friends all the time --this time she met ali walker -- a local photographer who was taking pictures of feast walla walla -- and also some of lulu... i don't know if she was able to get a good shot as all miss lulu was interested in doing was trying talking to her...to see if she could get a pet or two...  -- i didn't get any pictures on our walk -- but ali, who takes beautiful photos, put some up on her blog - check it out! (and if you do... we sat right in front of that sign for walla walla wine works and listened to the great live music that was playing while drinking our favorite san pellegrino limonata)

7. watched cute comedy with husband -- who is home for a bit! -- management

8. laundry, cleaning, menu planning, grocery shopping, exercising, eating 

9. lots of cooking today -- because on saturday -- while jon was sleeping in -- i was able to read and browse through my books...

loving the kind diet -- even more than i did a few months ago -- read through it again saturday...i just love the way alicia writes- she makes me laugh, plus, all the recipes i have tried have been delicious so far.  this afternoon i made "moms granola" -- i am on a granola kick right now -- oh yum!

you can also catch alicia at her blog: the kind life

my other favorite cookbook of the moment is flying apron's gluten-free and vegan baking book.

today i made the lentil dahl soup to have for lunches this week -- i really loved it -- but i also love curry...  i also tried her house bread -- i think i am going to have to try it again, as it was overbaked, though still edible, just a little crusty -- i think i formed it too long and narrow...  we'll see...  sometime, soon hopefully, when i am seattle -- i will stop by and visit the flying apron and try the goodies for "real"

10.  catching up on blogging and project 365 --

so good -- so hard not too eat too many...

the bag is home to stay for a bit...and the husband too!

hope your weekend was lovely too!