Fall Goodness

Fall is here, at least I think it is this time. We have had a few maybes this month with colder weather, but then it pops back up into the shorts and t-shirt weather. But the cold today is the kind of cold that makes you wish to stay inside in your sweats and eat soup and watch a good movie with your man, or kids if you can work it out so they too want to snuggle in the middle of the day instead of run outside that crazy kids, which is typically my kids preference.

My mother is queen of soup making. It's always from scratch, and she just puts in whatever she has laying around, and it is ALWAYS delicious! Ummm, I can smell a pot simmering now.... Mom's want to come over for dinner. Oh, by the way, you're cooking!

We are wrapping up the Halloween holiday this week as we just got back from our 5th trick or treat event with another one tonight, and two on Saturday. Pictures to come soon. All I can say is that the kids are definitely getting good use out of their costumes this year, and Eric is loving all the candy.

Oh, and I can't make soups like Mom, but here is a nice side to those soups.

CHEDDAR SCALLION SCONES

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 heaping tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese, very soft

3 scallions, chopped (use green and white parts)

1 egg

1 cup heavy cream (or half-n-half or whole milk)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add cheddar cheese and mix twice (or so) to coat cheese with flour. Fold in cream cheese until just barely mixed, then add scallions, tossing to coat. In separate bowl, lightly beat together egg and heavy cream (or whatever you have on hand; I usually use whole milk). Quickly add egg mixture to flour and cheese mixture and stir until just combined. (Don't work it to death. Rubbery scones are out this year.)

Dump dough onto floured counter and pat into a circle about 1 generous inch thick. Dip sharp knife in flour and cut into eight large triangles (as you would a slice of pizza). If desired, brush tops with butter or with an egg wash (1 egg plus 1 T. water, beaten together). Bake on baking sheet or stone lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot from oven, or allow to cool and place in plastic bag or airtight container and refrigerate or freeze. Scones freeze beautifully.


Happy Fall everyone, enjoy the soup and sweats!!

Quiet Glow

The Job

My Grandma emailed this to me today, and it is so perfect. I guess I took the job...

PARENT - Job Description POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in you r charge can ultimately surpass you PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis. WAGES AND COMPENSATION : Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more. BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance , no pension, no tuition reimbursement , no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE 'THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!

GB Girls

Today was a perfect day of work and play. What a wonderful Saturday! We started the great day at Ty's soccer game. He did a great job on the field and playing goalie. I have to admit, it is super stressful being on the sideline for me when Ty's playing in the goal. The whole team's fate rests upon his shoulders, and if the other team scores, he looks so defeated, so I try to keep my emotions in check for his sake, but man it is hard.... AND HE'S FIVE!!! Half the time the kids don't even know which way they are going on the field. Really, it is all just a bunch of fun (unless he's in the goal) haha. But they won! It was really fun today watching Tanner on the sidelines. He was yelling louder than I was for his brother, and a few of the other players that he has learned the names of. He is such a good little brother. Where Austin could have cared less about the game, because he was on the sideline getting attention from all the parents as he kicked his little soccer ball up and down the field. What a ham.

After the game we came home and met my parents front for a little deep cleaning on the front yard because heaven knows it needed it. I love yard work Saturdays, as long as there is help. The baby slept, but the older two got right into it and within a little over an hour things really looked a lot better. I think the boys favorite part was when they got to get lunch with Grandpa in the truck. I mean, you really work up an appetite after all that hard work right?

Later on Eric took the boys to see Toy Story in 3D, and they were so excited. I haven't had a chance to take them to the movies yet, it's kind of been dad's thing. But the stories Eric tells me when they get home let me know how much fun they had. I'm glad they did a boys day. While they were gone I had a photo shoot with Alexis and her girls. I wish I could take their picture all the time (and I'm not just saying this because I know you are reading this Alexis) they just really are that cute. And they did so good considering how tired they were.


Then I got to meet up with just the girls since it was Alexis's last night here. We talked forever and just caught up with one another. I totally had the giggles all night, it was really bad (sorry girls) but I think even without the giggles, I would have been laughing a ton. They are so funny. It is nice to have good friends to laugh with.

Now it is time to hit the sack. But looking back this was a truly eventful, productive, enjoyable Saturday. Sweet dreams.

Lush and Loving It!

I was able to take my friend Jenni out and take some pictures for her business Lush Boutique. You know, the fabulous jewelery that I can't say enough about! Not only was the jewelery amazing as always, but Jenni is beautiful. I had so much fun being creative and doing a fashionista type shoot. It was different that the poses or candid shoots that I normally do and I loved it. I'll probably be giving Vogue a call after this to see if they need a photographer for any of their shoots. HAHA






Now back to the wedding I photographed last weekend. Photos coming soon. Work, work, work.

Great Grandma Makes Everything Better

A few weekends ago my Grandma made it up here to visit for the weekend. My boys love it when GG (great-grandma) comes to visit. Nothing is ever boring when she's around. Friday night we hung out at my mom's house for dinner. GG mentioned a possible bath after dinner and before I could say anything there were bubbles, hot water, and three naked boys laughing with delight.


Actually Austin wasn't too sure about the whole bubble thing. I think it was his first time. But Ty and Tanner couldn't believe their luck when they saw how many bubbles Grandma had in her bathtub. I'm not sure our baths here at home will ever be the same again.



After baths (I don't know why we didn't do this first) everyone enjoyed their ice cream, for dessert.


We played with the robot (more posts on this soon) and just had a great time being together, as always.

The next morning the whole family came to Tyler's soccer game. It wasn't very eventful, but Ty was so excited the they came to watch him play.


Tanner, who has been to all the games, really wanted to play football instead of watching the action on the field. Gratefully Grandpa obliged during a quarter that Ty sat out and so his day was made too.


Where as Austin was very happy sitting on GG's lap while he was fed snacks.

While the visits always seem too short and too long in between, we really love it when GG comes and can't wait to see her again.

5 Little Monkies and then some

Yesterday our friends dropped off their little ones for a minute while they ran an errand. I love these kids. They are sooooo good. My boys adore Calli. They just treat her like a little doll. And their baby Luke, can't be any sweeter. Austin was in awe with the baby. He wouldn't leave Luke alone. At one point the boys were all snuggled up with Calli on the couch and I couldn't resist putting the babies up there for a photo.


And a few weeks ago we headed out as a family to a BBQ fest in Sacramento to celebrate my friend Lisa's birthday. It was a super windy night, as the photo will show, and the event itself wasn't as great as we had hoped, but I love being with my friends. I love that all of our kids get along, we always have a great time, and even the husbands get in on the action. Good times.


Lastly, before I pass out for the night, I had to post these pictures of the kids with my dad last weekend. They have such a great time with Grandpa. I'm not sure what adventure they are on here, or what the story is about, but they are loving it.

Flooded

Same old story here. Flooded with work, flooded with kids, flooded with life, but today....
we also had flooded streets.

It was a cloudy morning but at 11:20am the clouds opened up and a months worth of rain came down on us. I was sitting in my living room, getting the kids ready to go pick up Ty from school when it started. The boys and I watched the rain pour down as we sat at the dining room window. Minutes later we had our very own waterfall as Tanner called it. There was so much rain it was running over the gutters and making a solid wall of water in front of our window. While I was enjoying the show, my main thought was, really, this, 10 minutes before I have to pick up Ty. Maybe it will stop? But it kept on coming. I figured if this rain wasn't going to stop, I was going to at least get a front parking spot at school, so I packed up 5 minutes early. As we stepped outside all bundled up and ready to dash to the car... it stopped. As quickly as it had came the rain was gone, but the fun was about to begin.

The neat thing about where I live is the subdivision is on higher ground than the streets just west of us. So guess where all that rain goes???? Down the street. The drive to school had a few detours, some because there were AWESOME puddles, and some because the puddles where too big and I wasn't even going to try. By the time I had picked up Ty, dropped off one of his friends, found a few more puddles to splash and gone home to get my camera, it had been about an hour. I really wish I had gotten the camera first because it was amazing. In fact, some kids actually got their canoe and floated down the street. Of course I had to let my boys out and play in the water too. Luckily it was decently warm while we were out there.



This is one of the puddles I decided not to go into, but because no one else wanted to drive in it too, the boys had a great time in it.




We finally went home but before I could get Tanner inside, he made one last mad dash to the gutter. Mind you, this is about and hour and a half from when the rain stopped and there is still a ton of water.



Austin was dying to join in on the fun, but some of that water was taller than he was, so we let him play out back while we got lunch together. Who needs a swimming pool and where else is it warm enough to have a naked baby in the water in October? Only in California. (mother side note, he was only out there for about 2 min.)


They wanted to stay out all day, but I was wet enough for the whole week and called it off. What a fun afternoon though. It is great to have days like this, once in a while.

But as they went to bed tonight they both asked, "Can we drive in the water again tomorrow Mom?" Too fun!!