Delight in Life

Today's Pages

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:01:00 +0000

I was able to put together two layouts today among cleaning cooking and baking cookies!

Such A Lovely Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:01:00 +0000

I recently subscribed to a scrapbook kit club - Cocoa Daisy, and received my first box of goodies last week. I finally had a chance to sit down and play with it this weekend. Here is one of the layouts I created.

It's fun to get that box of coordinated paper and embellishments every month! I hope to make time to create more today.

Fresh Balsam

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:11:00 +0000

If you have an artificial Christmas tree and miss the smell of a real one, you MUST get this...Fresh Balsam wallflower from Bath & Body Works. The scent is clean and fresh without the overpowering scent of pine. I wish I would have bought several more!

X-Men

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Jake had his first 3 on 3 basketball tournament this weekend. It was so fun to watch them play. They played 3 games and competed against some very good, experienced players. Although they didn't win any of their games they all had a great time and are excited for their next tournament. I'm looking forward to watching as their confidence and skills get better and better!

The Fair Was a Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:12:00 +0000

Tuesday night we made rolled sugar cookies. The challenge was to find 4 cookies that looked the same for entering in the fair. Same size, thickness, color, etc.

After the cookies were finished it was out to the shop to put the final coat of oil on the step stool.

Wednesday afternoon was interview judging. The kids stand in line with their projects and wait their turn to be judged. The judges ask questions about the project to determine what you learned and to make sure you did it yourself. I wasn't able to be there for that part so I sent the camera with Tim and he took photos so I could see!

Here he's being judged on his stool. The only question he could remember being asked was what kind of wood he used...pine.

For the cookies he was asked what the hardest part was, his answer was setting the timer. I would have said rolling out the dough (I don't like making rolled cookies!)

He got blue ribbons on both of his projects! And since we didn't have any animals entered, that was it for our 4-H fair experience this year!

Joan, Maris & Emmitt

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:17:00 +0000

I took some family photos for a friend this weekend. The leaves seemed to fall from the trees so quickly this year there are pretty much only bare branches left. We did manage to get a few with some pretty fall colors though.

View the rest of the photos on my Flickr Photostream.

Getting Ready for the Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:24:00 +0000

Next week is fair time! This is Jake's first year in 4-H so we're starting slow by only entering 2 projects. Actually I think 2 projects is about right so maybe we'll stick with that. He chose to make rolled sugar cookies and a wooden step stool. We did a practice run on the cookies last weekend and will make the ones for the fair Tuesday night. The stool is almost complete. He sanded it down and put a coating of oil on it. The linseed oil/turpentine mix smelled really strong, hence the need for the face mask. It needs another coat of oil and then it will be finished!

Future Track Star

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:12:00 +0000

Livia, Reese & Elias - Fall Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:00:00 +0000

My sister brought her kids over on Saturday for a fall photo shoot. It was the perfect picture taking day...little wind and no sun! We had a bit of a challenge but a lot of laughs with Elias. It's hard to keep a 9 month old still and keep him from putting everything into his mouth!

View the rest of the photos on my Flickr photostream

Apple Picking

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Our apple trees are full this year. After the first frost we picked some from the tree in our backyard. Tim lifted Jake up in the bucket of the tractor to reach the top...and he still couldn't reach the very highest ones.

End of Summer Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0000

For the last day of summer vacation, Jake and I took the afternoon off and brought the dogs to the beach. I've been wanting to all summer but worried about there being too many people there for the dogs to run around. I could hardly hold onto Scooby once she saw the water. As soon as I let her off the leash she dove right in.

Lucy preferred to just lay on the beach.

Jake had fun looking for crawfish and snails and playing in the sand. It was a nice day, although a little windy. We stayed for about an hour and then loaded everyone up and headed home.

3rd Grade

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Jake started 3rd grade last week. The summer seemed to go by so fast but he was excited to get back and see all his friends. Now it's the start of earlier bed times and homework again!

Phoebe Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:27:00 +0000

I finished the Phoebe Bag today. It was fairly easy and took me about 2 hours. I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Here is a view of the inside with a pocket for my cell phone and iPod.

August Stamp Club

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Here are the projects we're making for stamp club tonight. Both are using the My Friend stamp set and some of the new In Colors. I used the Big Shot and Blossom Party die to cut out the flowers including the metal one!

Cute Bag Patterns and Fabric

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0000

I found some cute bag patterns online I am going to make, the Phoebe Bag and the Pleated Tote. I ordered fabric online from Hawthorne Threads. They have a great selection and the shipping was super fast - I placed my order on Friday and received it on Monday! Here are the fabrics I chose:

I hope to get started on Wednesday. I will post pics of the completed projects once I'm done!

Morning Run

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:04:00 +0000

It was a year ago the beginning of June that I started running, you can read about it here. From the day I started, through running my first 10K, to winter, I was very dedicated. I ran 2-3 miles every other night and weekends. I had a plan hanging on the fridge and marked each day's workout off as I completed it. I would run late at night, in the dark, if I had to. I ran in the rain. I pretty much didn't let anything stop me. Then winter came and things changed. I donned my cold weather gear and ran when it was above 10 degrees and the road was clear of snow and ice, which wasn't very often. Most of the winter was spent indoors on my elliptical machine. Running on an elliptical is not even close to running outdoors. When spring finally came I was hesitant to start running outside again. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it, or that I was willing to put the time into it. When I finally did start again I was surprised that for the most part I was able to pretty much pick up where I left off. But I still wasn't feeling as dedicated to making the time for it as I was last year. It was easy to make excuses at night, like going to the pool would be so much more fun! So last Wednesday, as in 5 days ago Wednesday, I decided I would start running in the morning. I am not a morning person. I hit the snooze button on my alarm every 5 minutes for 30 minutes every morning, so this was going to be a challenge for me. Here are some of the things I did to set myself up for success:

I moved my alarm clock across the room, by the door, so I have to get out of bed to shut it off.
I set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier than usual - 5:30 a.m. I would eventually like to work up to getting up at 5:00 a.m.
I go to bed earlier. I need 7 hours of sleep a night and usually went to bed at 11:00 p.m., now I go to bed at 10:30 p.m.
I set out all of my workout clothes, shoes and iPod on the bathroom counter so I don't have to search for anything.

I am happy to report that so far I have run 2 miles every morning since I decided to make this change! That's 3 mornings (I take Saturdays off and run Sunday afternoons)! I am surprised that I have found it easier to run in the morning. I walk about a 1/4 mile to warm up and then I am able to run the entire rest of the time without stopping. I even recorded my fastest time this year on Friday! It's pretty dark out when I start (I am running in the country on gravel, no streetlights), but by the time I get home it's light out. I feel like I have more energy throughout the day and it's a nice feeling knowing my workout is done and I can do other things when I get home from work. I would like to work up to 3 miles, that's what I was normally running in the evenings, but I wanted to ease into this morning routine so I'd stick with it.

If you read this...feel free to ask me how it's going when you see me to keep me accountable!

Sumo Toad

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0000

It's a daily ritual at our house to check the big egress window, the one without a cover, for frogs or toads that have had the misfortune of falling in. If left there, in the hot sun all day, the outcome isn't good. There are usually one or two in there everyday but never one as big as this guy!

We called him sumo toad because he had the figure of a sumo wrestler.

He kept making a strange chirping sound and you could feel his whole body vibrate every time he did it.

We admired him for a short while an then let him go. Maybe we'll see him again one day!

Garden Scenes

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0000

You may remember back in the spring when I posted my attempts at starting garden plants from seeds, here and here. In the end, it didn't work. I'm not sure what when wrong but when it came time to move the plants outside they all shriveled up and died. Thanks to a trip to the garden center and a friend with a green thumb, and plants to spare, my garden is thriving.

I have been harvesting green beans for several weeks now. I am freezing batches every few days as I pick them.

The green and jalapeno peppers are looking so nice and are almost ready to pick.

Once the tomatoes are ready I'll be all set to make salsa.

I also planted carrots, parsnips, brussel sprouts, broccoli, spaghetti squash, pumpkins and sweet corn. There's nothing quite like growing and enjoying your own vegetables!

Bennett Rhys

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:23:00 +0000

Our family was blessed with a new baby yesterday! My sister had a little boy named Bennett Rhys! We left work a little early yesterday and went to the hospital to meet him. He is absolutely perfect!

July Stamp Club Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:22:00 +0000

I used the new Pennant Parade set from the new catalog for this months stamp club projects. Pennants are so popular right now and this is such a cute and versatile set! The best part is there is a matching punch to go with this set so you don't have to cut anything out! We also used some of the new In Colors, lucky limeade, calypso coral and pool party.

Play Ball!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:57:00 +0000

Monday was the last baseball game of the season. This was Jake's last year of playing city league/t-ball, next year he'll be on the pee wee team. The first game of the night was parents vs. kids. When the parents were up to bat, they had to hit a wiffle ball and bat left-handed!

I'm not sure what the final score was but I'm pretty sure the kids won!

After a quick run to the Dairy Queen for supper we were back to watch the red and green teams play for championship.

The game ended in a tie and the umpire flipped a coin to determine the winner.

And green wins it!

All of the games this year, except the championship, were in the mornings which makes it hard for working parents to get to. I am looking forward to evening games next year along with some travel to other towns.

Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Jake and my mom and I went to the Grand Forks county fair carnival yesterday. We hadn't been there in several years. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Jake and I went on most of the rides, except the Kamikaze which makes you go upside-down, Jake went on that one alone.

My favorite ride was the ferris wheel, it was the only one that didn't make me dizzy!

After spending a few hours at the fair we left and did some shopping. Jake needed new shoes and I needed running shorts so we made a stop at Scheel's. Jake tried on three pair of shoes and wanted them all, he finally decided on these Addidas running shoes.

This morning I asked Jake if he wanted to go running with me to try out his new shoes. He was excited to go and was sure it would be no problem because, "I play basketball you know!" Well, Jake is a much better sprinter than distance runner. We walked most of 4.5 miles and even then he had a hard time keeping up with me on the way back.

When we leave our home and head east, about 2 miles of the road is uphill. I asked several times if we should turn around but he wanted to make it to the top of that hill. I hope he comes with me again, and next time we'll stick to a shorter route!

Ladies' Night

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:16:00 +0000

Another rainy Tuesday. The worst thing about a rainy Tuesday is that Tuesday is ladies' night at the golf course. We haven't had a really nice, hot Tuesday yet...it's getting old!

I made the best of it though, by baking buns and making cards!

I made Jake a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on one of the fresh buns. He didn't like the light crusty outside...he's too used to store bought, soft all over, preservative and artificial ingredient full buns. I told him homemade buns are better (because everyone knows they are!) and he told me he wished I didn't read "health books." Hmmmm.

I mass produced some baby and wedding cards and was going to do sympathy but ran out of motivation. I really like how the baby cards turned out.

This is the card I will be demonstrating at stamp camp on Saturday using some of the new InColors!

Garden Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:58:00 +0000

You may remember a while back, I started some seeds to plant in my garden. They didn't do very well, I'm not sure if it was the containers or the location I put them in but they died shortly after they sprouted. I started again with a new container that had a cover and placed them in the south window.

This worked much better. They started to out grow their container so I moved them into styrofoam cups until they're ready to go in the garden.

I am hoping to get them in the ground next weekend. I'm still undecided if starting from seeds is the way to go. I haven't done this before so this year was sort of an experiment. I will decide once they're planted in the garden and I can see how well they do.

The Best Quesadillas Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Olson) — Thu, 19 May 2011 03:25:00 +0000

I made quesadillas for lunch this weekend and one of the comments from my family was, "These are the best quesadillas I've ever had!" I thought I'd share my recipe here so you too can make the best quesadillas ever!

First I sliced a chicken breast into bite-size pieces and cooked in a frying pan with a little oil and some cumin and chipotle powder.

Butter one side of a flour tortilla. Flip it over so the butter side is facing down and place it on a baking sheet (please ignore the fact that I forgot to flip this tortilla before I put the toppings on). Sprinkle half of the tortilla with shredded cheese, cilantro, green onions, black beans and chicken.

Fold the tortilla in half over the toppings. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the top of the tortilla looks brown and crispy.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 slices and serve with sour cream or hot sauce. Enjoy!