An Evening out...Pier 1 and Starbucks

Last night the family and I each picked out one new ornament for our Christmas tree. We've made it a tradition to do this most every year. We planned to go to Pier 1 Imports, and I'm glad we did.

They usually have such an awesome selection, and this year did not disappoint. There were so many beautiful and adorable ornaments, I could have bought 10! My hubby picked out this cute little sock monkey....he is so adorable with his little scarf!

My oldest son Everest picked out this scruffy, copper glittered squirrel. I just love him! I was eyeing up this one as well!

I chose this adorable chubbsey little sparkley penguin! I love his scarf and candy cane.

My youngest son Easton, picked out this transparent, red bulb with a white shimmery swirl. It is soooo pretty! He had a really hard time choosing as well...but this is the one that first caught his eye..so he went for it.

*****

After we purchased our ornaments, we stopped off at Starbucks for a nice hot beverage! It was freeeeezing cold last night.

I think it was in the high 20's and the wind was really blowing.....wind chill baby! So, it was pretty nice and cozy inside the land of Starbucks...not to mention how good it smells in there!

I hope Starbucks doesn't mind...but I went a little "Andy Warhol" on their logo....just for fun!

*****

I'm glad we got to get out of the house for an evening...it was very nice!

Merry Christmas!

My Boy Scouts

My Scouts. My 2 boys and my hubby. I absolutely love this photo. It is so classic and timeless. I snapped this shot back in the Fall, just a few months ago. I just knew it would look great altered into something reminiscent of olden times. I fell in love with how it turned out. I want to frame this one for the mantel.

A slightly different version, though still vintage inspired.

The original shot. Love it!!

Just wanted to share this photo with you all. As it happens, my guys are at Scouts right this very moment. It is snowing like crazy out there and the roads are very icey!! Tonight, they are having a gear inspection for winter camping this month. They must have at least a 0 degree sleeping bag, and at least 2 sets of thermal underwear, snow pants, water proof boots, hat, gloves, winter coat....and a slew of other cold weather, mandatory necessities to pass inspection and be permitted to winter camp.

My oldest has winter camped in single digit temps! He's gone 3 times now. This will be the first winter camping for my youngest. My hubby, his Dad, will be there for this camp out so I will be feeling pretty confident he will be just fine.

When I say winter camping....I mean, camping outside, in a tent, on the ground, in the snow. Scouts are educated on cold weather survival and they take it very seriously. The adult Scout leaders are all trained in how to look for signs of hypothermia and exposure, trained in CPR and First Aid...and the Scouts themselves are trained in those areas as well.

My oldest son's 2nd time winter camping was in 18 inches of snow. Hiking through 18 inches of snow to the spot and then shoveling out a spot for their tent, putting down straw first, then a tarp, then your tent. They are outside the entire time from Friday night til Sunday morning when they pack up and head home.

It is definitely a confidence booster for the boys and also a good understanding that they CAN survive against the elements, that they are not helpless and dead out in the cold and snow of winter. I know it will help them in other things in life that come along...they will think about how tough winter camping was and how they got through it and will know they can get through other situations in life equally as hard.

Winter camping is completely voluntary. You do NOT have to participate. Also, if you feel you do not want to stick it out, you can go home at any time...you can call your parents and have them come pick you up any time of day or night. A few Scouts did end up going home last year. Fortunately, it is not forecast to be as cold this time around....supposed to be around 40 degrees.

As a parent, I am able to go winter camping with them as well. I am not quite sure that I could do it....but how would I know if I never tried. Do I have a desire to do it??? No, not really....but in a way, I guess I do wonder how I would fare. I have camped in 32 degree weather though....as in that was the low over night and about 50 during the day. Does that count?? This will be my hubby's 2nd winter camping with the Scouts.

Have you ever winter camped in the snow?? If you have, I'd love to hear about it. Or, if not, do you think you could handle it??

Okay, now I'm freezing just talking about this! It is 26 degrees outside right now, snowing cats and dogs, I'm freezing my gazoogies off, and I'mma 'bout ready to go put on some water for tea! {What are gazoogies you ask? I really don't know....it's something my mom always said, so if it is inappropriate, I blame my mom! haha!!!}

Happy winter!

I remember.....handmade ornaments

This is one of my favorite ornaments. It was made by my son when he was 3 years old. He was in Playgroup at our church...pre school for 3 year olds. My son is now 14. Fourteen. My baby boy is 14. When I think about him, being 3, his tiny little hands painting and glittering this pine cone.....it's just too precious. I wish I could go back in time and glimpse a shot of him, sitting at the table, creating, watching the other kids, waiting for me to come pick him up, giving me this ornament, hanging it on the tree. Days gone by. It's almost torture for a mom to think back on these memories. Though they are fond and precious and sweet and wonderful...the longing to be there again, just for a moment...it's a little torture-ous.  Those precious, sweet, innocent days. I miss those days. Little boy, so cute and sweet, red hair, freckles, little nose, little mittens, little winter coat. 

If I told him of this memory, how much I adore it... he would say to me "ok"....and I would have to say "ok??? What do you mean, ok? You should say, aw mom, that is such a nice memory." Then my 14 year old will repeat what I said he should say....in a monotone voice, "aw mom, that is such a nice memory." 

Stinker! 

Kids!

LOL!

But, really, I just love this pine cone!

Summer Activities with the kids, Episode 1, How to play Trash Can, a card game

Recently, my youngest son taught me how to play a card game called Trash Can. I pretty much fell in love with this game, because it is easy, requires no deep thinking or massive brain power, and it's fast moving. 

Here's the object of the game: Be the first person to fill in Ace through 8 {Aces are considered 1} in consecutive order, in the spaces of the face down cards in front of you. You accomplish this by drawing cards or using opponents discarded cards.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

First deal the cards out, just as you see below, placing the remaining cards in a stack off to the side.

Think of  your cards as numbered in consecutive spots of 1 through 8. 

{In this game, you will use Aces for 1's.}

The first player draws a card from the deck of remaining cards. He draws a 9, which cannot be used. He puts the 9 card in the discard pile. His turn is now over. What the player is hoping to draw is cards numbered Ace through 8 so he can fill in the appropriate spots in his set of cards in front of him.

Player #2 decides if he can use the discarded card, or to draw a new card. The top card on the discard pile can be used by the next player if possible. If not, he must draw a card.  He draws a King.

The king is a wild card and can be placed anywhere the player chooses.

In it's place, the face down card is now revealed. An 8 card.

The player can use the 8 card in the 8th spot...now revealing the face down card in it's spot...a Jack.

The Jack is discarded since it cannot be used. His turn is now over because there is nothing more he can do.

Back to Player #1, he draws a new card since Jack cannot be used.

He draws a 3.

Player puts the 3 card in the 3rd spot.

The face down card is now revealed...it is a 6.

Player puts the 6 in the 6th spot.
{By the way, if you draw or reveal a card that you have already filled in a spot, you obviously can't use it again...the card is of no use to you. Discard it and your turn is over. For instance, if this player had just drew a 3...he already has the 3 spot filled...so he doesn't need it...he would have to discard and his turn would be over. He does not get to draw again.}

The face down card in that spot is revealed and it is a Jack.

Boo! Jacks cannot be used. Player discards the Jack. His turn is now over.

Player #2's turn. He draws from the stack since he cannot use the Jack.

He draws a 9. The 9 cannot be used. He only needs cards Ace through 8, or another King for a wild card.

He discards the 9 since he cannot use it. His turn is now over.

Ok, now you get the idea of how this goes. The game continues until each of your face down cards is replaced with the corresponding card using Ace through 8. Remember, Kings are wild and can go anywhere.  As long as you are picking up cards that can be placed in the correct spot, a player can keep going during his turn until he gets a card that cannot be played anywhere...then his turn is over.


If you are playing with very young children, you may want to end the game when a round is over. However, adults and older children will want to continue. Once a round is won...you shuffle the cards and re-deal...only, this time the winner of the game just played will be dealt one less card as shown  in the photo below. Now, this player will only have to fill spots Ace through 7 to win this round.

*Another thing...when a round is over and you are re-dealing the cards....any cards that have not been turned over in your hand, should remain where they are...get rid of the cards that are face up, and re-deal.



As rounds are won, players will have fewer and fewer cards....until finally, one player only has just the Ace spot to fill. Once that happens...the game is over and he is the winner.

* A WORD ABOUT KINGS: As I mentioned, Kings are wild, and can be moved into any spot. If you should happen to draw a card that can go into one of the spots in your set, but you have already put a king there....you can pick up the king, put the appropriate number card in it's spot and then move the king to any other spot you wish. See below photos for example.

Here you see the King has been used in the 7 spot. 

The player then drew a 7 and is able to put the 7 in the correct spot, now freeing the King to be placed in any spot the player chooses.

Aha! The player can use the King, wild card, in the 5 spot. 

This move has won him the game! 

{or "the round"}

The End!

Please feel free to ask any questions...I hope I  was able to convey these instructions clearly.

Have fun!

P.S.  IT'S BEEN A  WHILE SINCE I HAVE POSTED SOME GOOD RECIPES!! 

LOOK FOR MY NEXT POST OF SOMETHING DELICIOUS....VERY SOON!!

:)

Cape Cod or bust!

Hello  friends! I am writing this post to you a few days before we depart for our family vacation to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We are all, soooo very excited!! Most everything is packed and ready to be strategically tucked and squished, into our van. We're camping for 7 nights on the Cape, so we've got a lot to tote along with us on our 12 hour drive north. 4 bicycles, an 8 man tent, 2 tarps, 2 queen sized air mattresses, 1 big cooler, picnic basket, dry goods food, clothes, beach towels, bath towels, fishing rods, tackle box, medicine cabinet, camp stove, utensils for cooking on the camp stove and utensils for cooking over the fire, cast iron Dutch oven, cast iron fry pan, griddle....and that's basically it in a nut shell as well as a bunch of other misc. things that go along with camping. I've been planning meals for the Dutch Oven...looking for one pot meals such as chili mac and chicken stew covered with biscuits. I can't wait to make eggs, bacon, sausage and coffee on those chilly mornings. Yes, it will be chilly in the morning and at night as it is only early June. However, I have checked the 10 day forecast and the first four days we are there, it is supposed to be 73 degrees and sunny! We won't do any real swimming in the ocean, but we will do plenty of exploring of tide pools and digging for clams in the bay when the tide goes out. We are packing bathing suits....we just might be brave enough if we get a really warm day. The water temp is 63 degrees right now. Honestly, we are not deterred by the weather. There is so much to see and explore on Cape Cod and I prefer it to be not too hot. We are planning on going for a cruise on a sail boat...that will be a beautiful little day trip! We are also planning on taking a ferry over to Martha's Vineyard for the day....we plan to visit a few lighthouses there. Well, I must get back to laundry and packing...I just wanted to check in and let you all know about our little vacation. Of course I will post pictures when we get back!

sisters and breakfast casserole

This past weekend was filled with family! All of my sisters were at my house. H. from Florida, E. from New York and K. that resides locally. There wasn't nearly enough time to visit with my sister H. from Florida though. She's the one I rarely get to see. H. brought her little 2 year old daughter A. with her. She's a doll baby! So cute and sweet. Her voice is so tiny...her hair is down right Goldilocks!

She adds the word "honey" to the end of her sentences. For instance, 

"Can I have a cookie honey?" 

"Let's go play honey." 

It is the cutest thing ever. She is imitating what her grandparents and mom and dad say to her..probably at the end of every one of their sentences...

"come on honey" 

"eat your broccoli honey" 

"brush your teeth honey". 

In the 2 short days I had with her, she still hadn't warmed up to me 100%. She won't hug me...I hug her, but no hug in return. She is soooo shy. I ask her questions, she looks at me, but won't answer me. 

She does talk, and talk well she does. She talks to her mommy all the time and sometimes she says a few things to us, her aunts. She has taken very well to my boys, especially my youngest. 

Well, fortunately, the visiting isn't quite over just yet. H. has gone to spend a couple days with our parents who live a couple hours away from here. She and her daughter will be back here tomorrow evening and then stay on for one more day. I am so grateful for the extra time to spend with her.

H. dazzled us with her great cooking skills while she was here..including breakfast on Monday morning. She easily whipped up a fantastic breakfast casserole with whatever I had on hand in the refrigerator. It was a complete surprise to me as I had slept in until 8:30 am. When I came downstairs that morning, I was pleasantly greeted with the aroma of savory cooking coming from the kitchen. 

 

Not to mention the smell of Starbucks Pikes Place Blend steeping in the French coffee press. Okay, I can get used to this! I never have anyone cooking for me or making my coffee. Pure heaven I tell ya! H. was in charge of the breakfast casserole, but E. was trying to take some credit too! They were competing about who decided on which great ingredients had made it's way into the casserole. Well, one thing is for sure, E. got all the credit for the French press coffee, as H. hasn't a clue how to operate one.

I want to share with you the recipe for H's breakfast casserole. The beautiful thing about it is, you can add whatever you have in your fridge too. Be creative and use up your leftovers.

H's Breakfast Casserole

Using a 9 x 11 baking dish, break four pieces of bread, into chunks, onto the bottom of baking dish.

Beat 8 farm fresh eggs.

Pour eggs over bread.

Over top of the bread, sprinkle the following:

crumbled pieces of bacon
chopped red pepper

chopped onion

chopped tomato

torn pieces of fresh spinach leaves

shredded cheddar cheese

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes

or until egg is set.

Enjoy!

I see myself in my son

Do you ever see yourself in your children?

I saw myself in my son today.

His appreciation and awareness for everything that is around him...that is JUST like me!

This day,
right here in this photo,
he had decided to do his homework on the swing.

Why??

He had come in from swinging and told me it was so peaceful there. He said he could hear the birds chirping, the crickets, and a squirrel that ran behind him. He also described how the sun was coming through the trees and how nice it was.

I'm thinking, wow, he is 9 years old and he "gets it".

It's just funny because that is exactly how I think.

When I'm in a place and I am overwhelmed with the simplistic, organic beauty of it all...I want to just hang out there. I want to get my journal and write there...I want to read a book there...I want to lay there and take a nap...basically, I want to be in it, of it, with it, a part of it. It fills me with inner peace and a happiness...not a, jumping up and down, kind of happiness...but a smooth, calm, fulfilled, warm, love life, kind of happiness.

When I looked out the back door and saw him on the swing doing his homework, I knew I wanted to capture this moment. It was so precious and beautiful.

See?
I really am, into the "moments" of life.
It seriously gives me a kick.

I am absolutely the person that stops to smell the roses. For that matter, I will actually closely examine the rich, deep blood red color, the velvety smooth texture of the petals, the faint sweet smell.

As far back as I can remember...as a child...I used to sit and look...I mean, just look...at a flower...deep inside...the stamen, the pollen...and just marvel at how each flower would grow to be just like it's other...almost identical. I studied the clover, the blades of grass, the bark of a tree, the big blobs of sticky sap, how the sunlight glowed through it, turning it a golden amber when you looked at it at just the right angle.

Maybe everyone does this...I'm not sure.

I haven't noticed this so much with my first born son...but my second born son...I catch him studying things up close...just like I remember doing...like I do still.

I smile to myself when I see this.
It makes me happy.
It is SO cool to see traits of yourself in your own children!