forward it back

best.sister.ever

she might be the only sister i have but she's the best!
today as i kept getting distracted by things needing to be done at the house instead of getting out of the house to run errands as i had planned, i got a call from my sis. i continued to talk to her as i cleaned out the cupboard by the computer. it was my turn to vent today so i proceeded to tell her how awful my morning was. i told her how i didn't realize that jeremy accidentally took my keys until we were all strapped in the van and ready to leave for school, luckily i quickly found the one spare key. i told her how when porter and i got back home the garage door wouldn't open and that since jeremy had my keys i didn't have a house key, hence no way to get in. i told her how i had practically just rolled out of bed, porter and i were both in our pj's, no hair combed, no teeth brushed, no shoes, and no bra...no bra!! oh yeah and no purse or cell phone either and porter wanted breakfast. i told her how i had to drive to mom and dad's (20 minutes away) because there was no way i'd be caught dead anywhere else! i told her how mom thankfully remembered i had given her a spare key---good thing cuz i didn't even remember i had done that! i told her how porter and i had finally made it home and within 5 minutes i realized that porter had left the gate open and sinbad was gone. i told her how we had to get right back in the van and drive around the neighborhood in the rain searching for the dog! i told her how unhappy i was that my day was totally out of wack now. i don't remember if i told her that i kind of made a nasty phone call to jeremy and then apologized later but know that i could've been more sincere. my van is currently in the driveway, the garage door sits waiting for my handy man to get home from the fire station so it can be fixed. anyway, my sweet sister listened which is all i needed and then i told her i loved her just as we end every phone call.

now get this, remember i was cleaning out a cupboard when i was talking to her? well, i kid you not, within 10 minutes of us hanging up i found a pad of paper and i stopped to flip through a couple pages for some reason and to my surprise, i came across this....
 
it was a letter from my sister to me dated from march 22 of this year. apparently she wrote it when she was here for spring break and i just found it today. talk about perfect timing!

hello jules,
don't know when you'll get this, but whenever it is...just wanted to let you know how much i love you and how glad i am that you're my sister. i'm the luckiest girl in the world and i thank God for you. you truly are a blessing to everyone you know or who knows you. you are probably one of the most generous people i know. seriously--you are and God will bless you more b/c of that. thank you for being such an awesome sister and always being there for me no matter what. i don't know what i'd do if i couldn't talk to you on the phone once or twice a day :) and i still dream that one day you and your family will be able to be close to us in CO! we would LOVE that! if God wants it in His plan, then it will work out. also, my kids love being spoiled by "aunt juli"! i'm a meanie compared to you! oh well, i just wanted to say thanks for always dropping everything to be with us when we come visit. we sure love that you do that. you're right, just being together as a family is the best! have a wonderful week--whenever this is you are reading this and know I LOVE YOU SISSY!
love,
jenna

okay, i think i have to disagree...i believe i'm the luckiest girl in the world!! with tears in my eyes, i called her right back. it's truly a blessing to have a sister and a best friend all wrapped up in one wonderful person! thanks for brightening my day sis, i love you to the moon and back!

ps...makes me want to write sweet encouraging notes to some special (or random) people and hide them only to be found who knows when. hmmm...that's an idea:)

summer, why must you leave so soon?

this was our last day before the start of school and routine and i wanted to spend it at the pool with the boys. i have to say our new spring hill pool turned out to be quite nice. i was very skeptical at first but it ended up being the best thing for us this summer. this was the first summer in what seems like forever that i could actually relax enough to read in a lounge chair while the boys swam. it was quite wonderful!!

we have had a major heat wave going on here ever since we got back from our vacation and most of the things we had left on our summer list were physical things to do outdoors and it was just too hot so the pool became our everyday haven. the older boys would usually meet up with friends and porter would stay close by asking for a snack every 5 minutes---despite that, it was still great.

what was not so great was what i thought i would try to do that morning quickly before the pool opened. i don't make a special "school clothes" shopping trip before school starts. i just buy things as they are needed (usually for easton) and the others get the appropriate hand-me-downs and an occasional new item here and there. well, i thought i would be nice and take them to each pick out a new shirt for the first day (with some guidance from me as i have pictures in mind) and then some new shoes for easton. sounds simple enough....oh.my.word...it was a nightmare!! i didn't like the shirts they wanted but after a few choices, i gave in. i guess my days of having them dress nice and somewhat matching for the first day are over. but the shoe situation. DRAMA! i was trying my best to let easton pick out his own shoes but after seeing what he was choosing i decided since i'm buying them i have to at least like them a little bit...and this was not happening! i went to famous footwear because i had a coupon but everything was still way more than i felt comfortable spending plus....me no likey nada! sorry, i'm trying to sum this up with out giving every last detail; picture oldest child pouting because we can't agree and i want to look at other (cheaper) places and him not understanding that he can make it one more day without a new pair and that we'd look more another day (mind you we thought he was a size 5 and they measured him at a 7---a "men's" 7!!), middle son keeps trying to show me shoes and begging for some and throwing a fit because it's "not fair" that easton gets everything (even after i just bought him a shirt), youngest child taking shoes out of boxes trying to try them on and just wanting them for the heck of it. after a few rounds i say we are leaving empty handed, in their protest they don't budge. i ended up having to walk out to the car and wait for them to come out after they realized i was serious (porter came with me, he was actually the best behaved for once). easton starts to get in the front seat but then he changed his mind because he didn't want to sit by me. cooper was just crying a river but easton had to throw out all kinds of things like "i hate you", "it's like you're not my mom anymore", " you are you and i am me, i am my own person mom" ~ oh my! i was like wow, isn't it too early for all this crap to start now or is God having a sense of humor and giving me a taste of what it's like to have girls! LOL! it was not fun and definitely not how i pictured our last summer morning but after some lecturing (and maybe a bit of yelling...ahem) and a "you are ungrateful children" speech, we made it to the pool. at this point it was not for them it was for me because i did not think they deserved to go somewhere and have fun but i did deserve to go somewhere and relax!!

after all those long winded run-on sentences here's some pics...

porter had just got brave enough to jump off the diving board a couple days before this. he even did flips to try and give me a heart attack! i love to see how proud they are of themselves when they overcome a fear and have a blast.
i would sit right on the side waiting in case he needed help but for these pictures i had easton right there...even though the life guard was there. paranoid mama.

i kind of miss it when they used to be afraid to try things!

i did not want to leave but we had "meet the teacher" night to get to. i felt like a kid kicking and screaming on the inside not wanting to go. the pool would be closed from now on except for weekends, closing after labor day and i just felt sad, as i typically do at the end of every summer. thankfully the day had improved immensely from our dramatic morning and we were having a great time. i waited until we absolutely had to leave and decided to try and get a quick picture of the boys.
you'd think i would know better that when you're in a hurry, waiting until the end to try and get a decent quick picture is pretty much impossible! cooper just could not focus, i even tried bribing him with a dollar. well, you see how that worked!

on our way to meet the teachers...


thrilled to be in 2nd grade, can't you tell? 

my boys are too embarrassed to get their picture taken with their teacher right upon meeting them so i don't make them but they both seem super nice. i am happy and so are the boys...i think.

on to easton's school...

my 4th grader was ready to pose...

i knew there was no way he would do this for me in the morning for the 1st day of school when people were around so i took advantage!

as much as i hate to say good-bye to summer, school is starting, ready or not! 

xo

 

late summer dinner

 the boys were getting ready to spend their last weekend of summer at jeremy's mom's house so i wanted to have my parents over for dinner before the routine of school set in. my mom is always so good about having us over, unfortunately i am not as gifted in the entertaining/hospitality area as she is so i don't have them over as often as i should. i like to think that she's had many more years of practice than i have so there is still hope!

during these extremely hot summer days the boys have been obsessed with this old movie from netflix called the three ninjas. they were so excited for my parents to get to our house that they were waiting outside for them in their "ninja costumes"...mind you it was like 90 something degrees with major humidity and they're out there in their jackets!! grandma was immediately bombarded with 3 requests for her to make them ninja costumes like the ones in the movie:)

this is about as fancy as i get with 3 young boys! it's plain and simple but still nice. 

the dinner: teriyaki grilled chicken, rice, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and a cold macaroni salad. with this meal i always do the chicken, rice and asparagus and then whatever else sounds good with it that day. sometimes a lettuce salad or a jello salad...whatever you want. of course the chicken is my mom's recipe! it's a really good and easy meal and "easy" is right up my alley:) 

i love it when i make a meal that the boys actually want to eat and help themselves to! now if we could just get that to happen more than once out of every 100 meals that would be awesome!

love family dinners! but even better...dessert!  

this dessert is amazing and definitely one of my favorites. i usually have to have some sort of an excuse to make it though and my parents coming over seemed like a great one. lave cakes--i heart you!

i'm pretty sure i got this out of a martha stewart magazine quite a few years ago as you can tell by the wrinkly, ripped up, well loved page!

now i wouldn't classify this as the easiest dessert there is but it is still pretty simple. you just have to make the centers ahead of time and you have to make them right before you serve them so they will be nice and warm straight out of the oven. you can visit with your company as you whip these up. my mom helped me so that helped to speed up the process.

sooo delish!!

it's a party in your mouth people---yuummee! (it's pretty rich so the nice small size is perfect) 

to end the night my mom brought some of my grandma's jewelry back from california and i got to pick something out to keep. i chose this sweet little piece. it didn't have a chain so i found one of mine to put it on.

i love that i can wear this and feel like i have a little piece of her with me. thanks mom.

my family,
my parents,
sharing a great meal,
makes for a wonderful evening.

here are the recipes if you'd like: 

grilled oriental chicken  

1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. ginger
(pepper to taste)

boil above ingredients for 5 minutes...cool. use chicken breasts (i like to use the chicken breast tenders). marinate meat for only 1 hour. grill.

rice

we like rice pilaf and it's from a box. (can't remember the brand, i don't have one here to look at).

asparagus (got this recipe from a friend at church)

wash, break off ends
lay in a pan and coat with olive oil
sprinkle sea salt over them
put in a 400* oven for 15 minutes
sprinkle fresh parmesan all over 
out back in the oven for 5 more minutes
wa-lah---so good!!

macaroni salad

i just used the betty crocker "suddenly pasta salad" from a box. creamy italian. 

sweet potato

baked (oven or microwave)
butter,salt and pepper
that's it!

i said it was an easy meal...not all home made, but easy.

oh my...i can't forget the dessert!

ghirardelli individual chocolate lava cakes

center:

1/2 bar (2 oz) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar
1/4 cup heavy cream

cake: nonstick coking spray

1 bar (4oz) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. cake flour

*raspberries and whipped cream for garnish

to make centers, melt chocolate and cream in double broiler. whisk gently to blend. refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. form into 6 balls; refrigerate until needed.

to make cake, heat oven to 400*f. spray 6 4oz ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray. melt chocolate and butter in double broiler; whisk gently to blend. with an electric mixer, whisk eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and light. fold melted chocolate mixture and flour into egg mixture just until combined. spoon cake batter into ramekins. place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin. bake about 15 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. let it sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes. run a small, sharp knife around inside of each ramekin, place a plate on top,invert and remove ramekin. garnish with raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

there you have it! 
enjoy:)

xo

leave it to "the" porter

did my first child ever attempt this? no.
did my second child ever attempt this? again no.
what's that saying?...oh yeah, 3rd times a charm baby! i guess i'm not surprised that it was my third child...my crazy third child, to finally have an encounter with some scissors. i'm just surprised that it took 5 years for it to happen!

i was in the kitchen eating a late breakfast when easton comes in all wide eyed saying "mom! you have got to see porter--his hair in the front is up to here" (showing me with his hands where porter had cut). honestly, i didn't even flinch. this was typical everyday 'porter tattling' and i figured i'd check it out when i finished my oatmeal. well, in walks porter all nonchalantly just doing his thing like no big deal... except there is a huge hunk of hair camping out on his shoulder! i look up at him and just about spit out my breakfast, i couldn't hold the laughter in, it was a hilarious sight!

he got it good.
he was pouting like this because his brothers were teasing him that he was going to have to be bald. i was assuring him that he wouldn't be bald but pretty close to it--ha ha!
it's hard to tell in the picture but he got a couple good chunks from the top and back too.
off to go get a buzz cut.
drum-roll please....

tah-dah!

is he cute or what?! i forgot how handsome he was with short hair.

okay, i should end this post right there with that sweet picture but this is just too funny. so the boys actually thought it was pretty cool that porter was getting his head shaved. they started making references to the avatar and the character aang and that he should draw an arrow on his head etc.. overhearing this the stylist chimes in saying that she can make a design in his hair and that she's a really good artist and that she's drawn all her tattoos. with a little chuckle i ask porter if he wants something on his head (as if i didn't know what the answer would be)? why of course an arrow like the avatar! she was not familiar with the avatar--(if i was young without kids i wouldn't know either!) but she drew an arrow like from a bow and arrow and porter was like "cool!" i was just like "whatever?!@# ...it will grow quick".

well, our "arrow" turned out like a little bald spot on the back of his head! due to his light hair and frankly to a job not that well done we have people saying to me "eww, he got the back of his hair good!" umm no, that is there on purpose! LOL! the good thing though is that porter can't see it and he thinks he has an awesome arrow on the back of his head and proudly tells everyone about it (then i do the explaining after he's gone).
not that great of a picture but you get the idea. and i was ready to let her write his name on the side of his head if he chose that! what was i thinking? he definitely would've ended up bald then! the only reason i was so care free about all this is due to the fact that he is a boy. you can just give him a buzz and it will grow back quickly. now if i had a little girl and this happened....now that would be a different story for sure!!

anyway, porter likes it. i'm pretty sure he thinks he's big stuff. he likes to brag to his brothers about how fast his hair dries now!

as someone commented on my facebook page "not much of a punishment when he turns out so cute!" yep, i have to agree on that one!! i guess i should have made him go around for a couple days with his own haircut, oh well, he probably would've thought that was cool too!

just another day-in-the-life of my crazy porter boy:)

 

M.I.A...

yes, i've been missing in action so it seems! my parent's came over for dinner last night and my mom looked at my dad and said "did you mention her blog?" i was like "what?" and my dad said he had been checking it and i hadn't posted anything in a long time. i was just surprised that my dad was actually checking my blog! i also got a sweet email from a friend saying she'd been reading my blog all summer and that it was inspiring her to keep a journal for her girls...that was so awesome to hear! i thought to myself last night..."wow, i might actually have seven readers instead of the 5 that i knew of!" LOL! i realized i had bad blogging etiquette because i didn't post something saying i would be gone for awhile...so i apologize for that.

here's the short of it, we left on porter's b-day for our colorado vacation that was only supposed to be one week but it turned into two with me getting to go to california with my mom and sis as a surprise for my grandma's 90th b-day. it unfortunately ended with the unexpected passing of my grandma. so being gone for 2 weeks, dealing with the loss of my grandma, and trying to get caught up and get things "back to normal" around here, oh and did i mention we had only been home a day and then jeremy left for nine days of training in maryland?! oh yeah, it's been a crazy few weeks! i have a lot of stories to tell, a lot of things i need to get out, and my 365 project to get caught up on. the boys start school in 5 days and i'm looking forward to catching up here on my poorly neglected blog.

here's a random pic from our CO vacation...lovin' life!