Fundamentals and Fripperies

2013 Goals: The Reckoning

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 23:22:00 +0000

2013 was a good year for me, for the most part. Lots of drama and tears, but also a lot of accomplishment and progress. Here's how I did keeping up with those pesky New Year's resolutions:

Spiritual

Pray with a dual purpose every day--recognize and thank God for specific blessings, and recognize and ask for specific types of help.
Using my current needs as a guide, plan on studying the scriptures topically. I will study what I want to study, write about it or blog about it and change topics when I feel like I'm ready for a change.

Well, I could have been better with this. But I've at least worked into daily scripture reading and prayer. And I feel a difference in my life when I do at least that minimum. I will probably just keep these goals and roll them over for next year.

Physical

Track my food using My Fitness Pal.
Exercise 5 times a week, rather than the 4 I've been averaging. I do an interval or HIIT-type workout, but as the weather gets nicer, I'll start getting outside and walking/running.

Check! I have been developing some good health habits this year--I now exercise 5-6 times a week (strength train 3 times a week, and do cardio the other days). I tracked my food for a while, but realized that the way to change my body and feel healthier is to be willing to be a little more realistic about how I need to eat in order to get the results I want--and there's more to it than tracking calories. I've worked on things that I can do wherever I am--like portion control (just eating until I'm satisfied rather than overly-full) and prioritizing healthy foods and limiting less healthy foods. For example, I only eat 2 or so servings of refined grains or sugary treats a week now--sugar and delicious bread are things I have a tendency to overeat, so it is better for me to have a game plan for those foods rather than just letting my taste buds rule. Strangely, I find that this restriction actually enhances my pleasure in those foods when I do eat them, which makes my life feel more joyful. Deprivation = joy? Who knew? Bottom line (no pun intended--harharhar), I've lost another 10 pounds this year through the combination of more exercise and better food choices.

Intellectual

Research some possible career paths that I might be interested in. Find out what I would need to do to get from where I am now to there.
Reach out to my contacts in the academic world and see about the possibility of teaching a Sociology class locally or online in the meantime.
Research for a possible book or blog idea based on research-based best marriage and family practices.

Check. In the short term, I am going to apply to teach online classes at BYUI and BYUH. I'm also looking into applying to an MFT program in the next 5 years.

Social

Invite friends and their families, if applicable, over for dinner twice a month.
Invite friends out with us on date night a couple times a month. We love to talk to each other, but it's fun to include others in our plans, as well.

Mostly check. I don't know if we met our averages, but we've definitely branched out more with others socially. It's been good to get to know others and have some good connections where we live.

Familial
I have some roll-over goals from last year.

Brainstorm with my husband about what each child most needs from us. Set goals for how we can meet those needs.
Be more consistent with the kids and their chores--make sure there are consistently implemented rewards as well as consequences. We have a good system in place, but it requires every day, consistent follow-through (mostly by me, since Aaron doesn't get home until 6:30 or 7 most nights). There's the rub :). I just need to quit making excuses and do it.

Check-ish. So, I kind of wonder if this is a goal that'll ever be done. We did brainstorm and have some areas of focus for each kid. I feel like they are making progress in areas they need to develop, and we are trying to help. Ah, parenthood. Working on it.

With chores, we dropped our system of the kids earning money for their chores. They can earn money through doing extra jobs, but they just need to do their normal chores because they are part of our family and need to contribute. We had a fair number of kids who just thought, "Eh, I guess I don't need the money--so I don't want to do my chores." We want our kids to grow up to be responsible without always wondering what's in it for them with everything--and we need kids to help us take care of household chores. So this is working better.

Organizational/Decorational (yep, I know--not a word)

Drastically reduce the amount of stuff in the garage, and organize what's left over. It is so easy to just dump stuff and run, and there is a decent amount of stuff out there that either needs to find a new home in someone else's home, be thrown away or be put away inside the house.
Help organize and decorate the rest of the kids' rooms, starting with Sophie and Lucy's.

Check! Or at least, a partial check. There was a mythical time in mid-summer when our garage was looking fantastic. Now, not so much. I think it is a seasonal problem--when it's cold and unpleasant out there, it's not that motivating to keep it organized.

As for the kids' rooms, I have some finishing touches, but they are looking great! We painted in there this year and did a bunch of decluttering. They look and function much better.

Mad Cow Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 05:42:00 +0000

We lived in England for about 3 1/2 years from 1999 until 2001. For the first four weeks, we lived in a lower-ground floor apartment (the English make everything fancy--it was a basement) near Kensington Gardens. The owners were antique dealers, so their home was a delight and a bit of a worry, since Brendan and Damon were still little. The great thing was that they had everything we could want--including an amazingly stocked kitchen and tons of cookbooks. One of my favorites was this one (I later bought my own copy in a charity shop/thrift store).

It is a great cookbook--very British. By far the best recipe to emerge from this cookbook is my stewy version of their "Beef Casserole," which I of course dubbed "Mad Cow Stew." If you prefer more of a stewpy consistency, just add more broth, or use fewer root veggies, which soak up the broth like crazy.

Mad Cow Stew

2 1/2 pounds beef, cut into 1" by 1" chunks (I just use whatever's cheapest--stewing it means it'll be tender no matter what--and a fattier cut of meat ends up being tastier than a lean one)
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup flour
4-5 large pats butter
4-ish Tablespoons of olive oil
3 carrots, washed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 large potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Optional veggies: celery root, a cup or so of green beans, a turnip, etc.
3 stalks celery--washed, trimmed and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup grape juice + a splash of vinegar
3-4 cups of beef broth, or that amount of water with the requisite amount of bouillon or beef base
Juice of one orange
Orange peel--two 1" by 2" strips
Bay leaf
4-5 drops Tabasco sauce

Cut up the onion. Melt a large-ish pat of butter with about a Tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium (or slightly less than medium) heat. Stir the onions occasionally while you start cutting the other veggies. I try to get away with not peeling as much as possible, so I don't peel the carrots and potatoes--only scrub and rinse them. You have to peel the parsnips, turnips or celery root. Cut up the potatoes or celery root (if using) into about 1-inch or smaller chunks. Cut the parsnips and carrots (or turnips) into 1/2 inch chunks. Mainly, I like to have perfectly balanced bites with some beef and a small assortment of veggies in one spoonful, so you don't want your veggies to be too big. When the onions are starting to get a little translucent, add the garlic. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, then add the other veggies. Cook until the veggies start to get a little brown and caramelized around the edges (they will not be cooked through). Dump all the veggies out into a big bowl.

Put another pat of butter and teaspoon or so of olive oil in the pan. While the butter melts, dredge your meat in the flour/salt/pepper mixture until all the pieces are evenly coated. Put them in the pan and brown, about half in at a time. Make sure to cook both sides. Put the browned meat on top of your veggies. You will probably want to add more butter and oil before browning the second batch of meat. As soon as all the meat is browned and on top of the veggies, immediately pour the grape juice and vinegar and the orange juice in to deglaze the pan. You can, of course, use wine for the grape juice. We don't drink, so we don't really have wine on hand, but if you do, it'll taste fantastic in this :). Whisk all the lovely browned bits off the sides and bottom of the pan and into your broth. When the deglazing liquid is bubbling, stir in the beef broth, the orange peel, the bay leaf and 4-5 drops Tabasco sauce.

After that has come to a slight boil, put all your veggies and meat in the pot. The broth should just about cover the top of the veggie/meat mixture. If it doesn't, top it up with more beef stock.

Turn up the heat to a little past medium. When it starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, turn it down to low--as low as you can go. Cover, and let it do its business for at least 2 hours, but probably no more than 4, tops. My foolproof method is to take a piece of meat out at around 2 hours. If it is melt-in-your-mouth tender and you feel the sudden urge to grab a bowl and start eating, it is ready. If not, cook the stew a little more. You can add more salt and pepper at this stage if desired.

If you want to cook it in a crock pot, you can just put all your veggies and meat in the crock pot after you've browned them. After the broth/deglazing liquid starts to bubble, pour that over the meat/veggies. Then cook on low for 7 or so hours, or on high for about 4 hours (Note: use less broth if you go the crock pot route, unless you don't mind stewp).

As this cooks, your whole house will be infused with a stewy aroma that makes grown men weep. We serve it with biscuits and salad, but it's great with crusty bread, too. This is definitely peasant vs. five-star fare, but it is great. If you manage any leftovers, like most stews and soups, it's even better the next day. Enjoy!

The World's Best From-Scratch Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:57:00 +0000

They are even fluffy and delicious with half white and half wheat flour.

Prepare yourself for an extremely long-winded recipe intro. If you are already cringing at the idea, just skip down to the recipe and directions below.

I have been on a crusade to make fabulous biscuits for some time. It's not that I haven't made biscuits, but they've usually been somewhat lacking in one way or another. Somehow I soldiered on.

Several years ago, I was at my Mother-in-law's house eating dinner and had the best biscuits I'd ever had up to that point. She is a truly fantastic cook and gifted baker who cooks nearly everything from scratch. Having a Mother-in-law who is a great cook can lead to problems, as I've seen in the lives of some of my friends. There is the problem of the husband who always compares his wife's cooking to his mother's and finds his wife's therefore lacking. There is the problem of the mother-in-law who relishes her role as supreme cook and refuses to share recipes and tips with the daughter-in-law in a pathetic bid to retain her top spot, at least in terms of her son's stomach.

Thankfully, my husband, my mother-in-law and I are above all this nonsense. We just like great food. My mother-in-law and I are both the types who like to serve what tastes fabulous to us and evangelize about it to whoever will listen. She is always generous with her recipes and tips, although like many great masters, she often has a hard time explaining the how of some of her recipes, as she does things (even baking) mostly by feel and taste rather than by measuring things perfectly.

Anyway, back to the biscuits. I ate them, and immediately turned to my mother-in-law and asked her for the recipe. She said, "You aren't going to believe this..." and pulled a bag out of the freezer--Pillsbury Biscuit Grands?!? I was surprised--but mostly sad, because the truth is, that I'm something of a cooking-from-scratch snob. I was hoping I'd discovered the holy grail of from-scratch biscuit baking only to find out that it was actually a plastic cup. My heart felt heavy, not unlike the biscuits I was baking at the time.

Fast forward to about 6 months ago. I figured out how to make the best biscuits ever. Really.

Here is the secret: most biscuit recipes call for shortening, and that is where they fail. And granted, shortening can make some fabulous biscuits, but it is really, really not good for you. Plus, it coats your mouth with a weird film. And health and taste scruples aside, on this particular day I didn't have any shortening in the house. So I had a genius idea. I had a big tub of coconut oil from Costco, and decided to try using it with butter to make biscuits. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The World's Best From-Scratch Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (room temperature, unless it is hot enough in your kitchen that it is liquid, in which case you should refrigerate it)
1/3 cup plain yoghurt
1/3 cup milk

Set you oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

I use my Kitchenaid with the flat paddle attachment, but you can do it by hand instead.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the mixer bowl. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the butter and coconut oil. Cut in in until the fat is in pea-sized chunks or smaller (either by using the flat paddle, or by using a pastry cutter or two knives or crumbling it with your fingers). Mix the yoghurt and milk together, and pour in all at once. Mix until dough is just starting to come together (with a Kitchenaid, this is about 5 or 6 rotations). Turn out onto a floured surface (I use a piece of parchment paper on my counter to make my life easier). Use your hands to smoosh everything you turned out into a mound of dough. Knead 5-6 times. Roll out until it is about 3/4-1 inch thick. Cut out your biscuits. Gently smoosh the leftover pieces together and cut out the rest of the biscuits. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I usually use a Silpat or line it with parchment paper). Cook for 10-15 minutes. Take out of the oven. Behold, inhale and consume their awesomeness.

1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the mixer bowl. Mix the dry ingredients.

2. Add the butter and coconut oil.

3. Cut in the butter and coconut oil until the fat is in pea-sized chunks or smaller (either by using the flat paddle, or by using a pastry cutter or two knives or crumbling it with your fingers).

4. Mix the yoghurt and milk together, and pour in all at once.

5. Mix until dough is just starting to come together (with a Kitchenaid, this is about 5 or 6 rotations).

6. Turn out onto a floured surface (I use a piece of parchment paper on my counter to make my life easier).

7. Use your hands to smoosh everything you turned out into a mound of dough.

8. Knead 5-6 times.

9. Roll out until it is about 3/4-1 inch thick.

10. Cut out your biscuits.

11. Gently smoosh the leftover pieces together and cut out the rest of the biscuits.

12. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I usually use a Silpat or line it with parchment paper).

13. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Take out of the oven.

14. Behold, inhale and consume their awesomeness.

He's Leaving the Nest

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 07:01:00 +0000

Recently, I’ve been watching Mothers at the cusp of their children’s transitions. I used to think that when kids left home for the first time or got married or had babies of their own or started kindergarten that their Mothers were just unadulteratedly happy. “Yay! My children are growing up! They are moving onto bigger and better things!” But now I see that for many Mothers, these transitions are filled with both joy and pain. All beginnings are planted with the seeds of a death--the emphatic end of something that was precious during its time, and will never be again.

My oldest son, Brendan, is leaving home to be a missionary halfway across the world in a matter of weeks. He will be able to write weekly emails, and call a few times a year. He will be gone for two years. I have no doubt that he will do a great job, and that the people he meets and the experiences he has will impact his life forever. There is nothing else I would rather have him do at this point in his life.

But this parting is at best bittersweet. My heart is simultaneously bursting with pride and breaking in two—and that is an emotion I didn’t know was possible. I wouldn’t want Brendan to stay home just so I don’t have to miss him. I wouldn’t want him to stall out in terms of experience and knowledge, just so I don’t have to worry. That would be a supreme act of selfishness. And a little creepy, to be honest. But to say that I don’t feel raw and pained at the thought of him leaving would be a lie.

It is comforting to me that he will be doing something that will help him both grow and help others. If I didn’t feel like he was doing something worthwhile, I wouldn’t be trying so hard to figure out how to let him go without burdening him too much with my grief.

I am just going to miss him. I am going to miss him padding down the stairs to get a bowl of cereal. I am going to miss hearing him sing and play guitar all the time. I am going to miss the way he manages to be both kind and firm with his younger siblings, who all adore him. I am going to miss laughing at stupid videos on the Internet with him. I am going to miss giving him hugs that still feel a little strange now that he is taller than me.

As the time comes closer for him to leave, I’ve noticed that he seems to hug me more, and to linger as he tells me about his day. I wonder if he is drawing closer for him—or for me. That wouldn’t surprise me. He is a truly good person. Not perfect, but I trust the intentions of his heart maybe more than anyone else’s on earth—including my own. I am having a hard time saying goodbye.

I haven’t always been a psycho with separation anxiety. I remember the day that I left for college for the first time. I had happily spent the last few precious days before I left seeing friends and tying up loose ends. I gave my Mom a hug after the car was packed. She told me to have a great time, as she hugged me longer than normal. As I drove away with my Dad, I looked back and saw her wipe her eyes as she watched the car leave.

I wasn’t a completely heartless kid. I would venture to say (and I can produce witnesses to corroborate) that I was a kind and sensitive 18-year-old who loved my family. I was sad to leave home—to leave my parents and my siblings. I knew that things would never be the same again. But on the other hand, things would never be the same again. I was headed towards adventure and possibilities. I was headed towards my life—as I chose to make it. And that was exciting. All in all, as a fairly well adjusted kid, I would have to say the emotions of excitement and anticipation overrode any sadness I felt.

Several years passed and I became a mother myself. When Brendan was a little boy and we lived in Provo, I would occasionally happen to drive by the Missionary Training Center on a Wednesday. That’s the day when new missionaries arrive to be trained before flying off to places all over the world. I would stop at the stoplight and see the parents and their freshly scrubbed and clipped sons walking across the crosswalk with luggage in tow. I would look at the Mothers’ faces, about to say goodbye to their child for two years. Then I would look in the rear view mirror at my sweet boy buckled in his car seat and get teary, thinking about him leaving someday to go to an unknown place to do some good in the world.

I wish I could go back to that long-ago day when I left home and tell my Mom how much she meant to me in that moment. That all the things she had sacrificed, all the worry she had instead channeled into love and care was going to be worth it. That I would make her proud. That the pain of saying goodbye would be eclipsed by the good I would do. That other things would fill her heart so it didn’t feel so empty.

Maybe it is always easier to go than to be left behind. I am sure that Brendan is feeling mostly anticipation and excitement. Or at least, I hope he is. It is maybe not fair to burden our children with just how much we love them, with how much our happiness is entwined in theirs. There is a weight inherent in that, and it is easier to travel light when you leave home for the first time.

In the meantime, I am trying to let out my sadness slowly, like releasing air after taking a deep, deep breath. I am trying to anticipate the good that will come from this step in his life. I am sure that there will be many joys in hearing about his adventures. I am sure that like many hurts, mine will subdue and change into wisdom and compassion for others in a similar place. It will help me more fully appreciate the preciousness of the time I have left with my younger children. It will help me to have more faith that subsequent goodbyes with the rest of my children will be less wrenching. I will know that I will be okay, and that much of what changes will be replacing something beautiful with something else that is equally beautiful.

But for now, I am a little sad.

Smith Family European Vacation--Days 9-13: Paris!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:57:00 +0000

Well, things got busy that last week in Paris. The weather was beautiful--low 70's and sunny. Perfect. Our apartment was so centrally located that we could easily go somewhere during the day, come home for dinner, then pop out again to do something else. Anyway, less time for sitting around blogging. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.

Monday

The main items of business on Monday were to visit the Sacre Couer, visit the Clicancourt flea market and a date for Aaron and me.

We managed two out of three. I erroneously thought it would be really easy to find the market. We walked in the direction we thought it was, but nothing was obvious. By the time we found a Wifi connection and looked things up, I realized that it was going to be quite a hike. By that time, the thought of dragging the little kids through a sea of don't touch that, stay close to me, please! where in the heck is Sawyer? had kind of lost its appeal. And I didn't really mind. I think it is good to leave something special for next time, trusting that I will have the opportunity again, rather than grimly feeling like I have to do everything out of some sense of desperation.

The Sacre Couer is a beautiful church on the top of a tall hill, in the Montmartre district in Paris. It was lovely, only slightly marred by some really aggressive sales people on the steps, and a long stretch of steps that had obviously been used repeatedly as a toilet. Ick. The kids loved it because there is a fun playground and a carousel at the base of the hill. The kids also had fun buying all sorts of cheap-o trinkets for their friends in the small road between the Metro stop and the base of the hill up to the church. We had a picnic lunch, and the sun was out, which warmed us up and made the whole day feel pretty fabulous.

We got home and got the kids settled for a little while. Brendan and Sophie and I went grocery shopping, using the apartment's little old lady shopping trolley thing-y.

At about 7, Aaron and I headed out to a Lebanese restaurant that he had looked up that was supposed to be really, really good. We were hoping for something that at least reminded us of our beloved Ishbilia in London. We wrote down the intersection for the restaurant and got on the Metro. When we came to the intersection, we saw the restaurant across the street. When we crossed the street, we realized there were actually two restaurants called the same thing, side-by-side. One was a bar-style restaurant that sold mezze-type fare. The other one was a casual grill-style restaurant. We had thought we were going to a nicer sort of place, but decided to roll with it and sat down and gave our order. It was then that Aaron looked out across the intersection and saw another restaurant, with the same name, that clearly looked like a fine-dining place. Doh! We opted to stay where we were, but were bummed that we'd missed the nicer place. We looked through the fine-dining restaurant's window on our way back to the Metro like sad little urchins. We missed out, no doubt about it. Who puts three restaurants on the same corner and names them the same name? And how in the world did we walk right by the other restaurant and not notice it?

C'est la vie.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning was heralded by Lucy throwing up a few times. We decided that it wasn't worth taking a potential thrower-upper into public, so Damon and I stayed home with her while Aaron took the rest of the kids to the Musse d'Orsay and to a street called Rue Clair. Aaron wasn't amazingly impressed with Rue Clair, but he and Brendan loved the Musse d'Orsay. That's another one for my "next trip" list.

After her, ahem, outbursts in the morning, Lucy got much more chipper. She ate and drank normally for the rest of the day. That night, we headed to the Champs Elysses and did some more shopping at H&M.

Wednesday

Wednesday morning we got up fairly early and went to Versailles. We'd never made it there in previous trips, and after seeing Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (which I realize is not exactly period-accurate, but visually beautiful), I was keen to see the palace. It did not disappoint. I just had no idea how massive, or how crazily ornate it was (Marie Antoinette's bedroom? Hello!?!). It helped me understand how bitter I would feel if I were a French commoner starving outside the gates of Versailles. Viva la Revolution!

We also took some fun family pictures and had fun cavorting on the grounds of Versailles in our swanky new French clothes. When in France...

After we got home and got the kids situated, Aaron, Brendan and I went to the Louvre since it closes late on Wednesdays. We barely scratched the surface there, and saw some funny (monkeys painting pictures?) and some breathtakingly beautiful (The use of light in some of the paintings! Botticelli's frescoes!) art. We also wondered why all the wardrobe malfunctions? I mean nudes, I understand. I grew up going to art museums with my mom, and nudes don't make me one bit uncomfortable. However, I had never noticed how many paintings at the Louvre depicted women where just half the bodice of their dress was pulled down. Janet Jackson, watch out! :) I wondered if it was symbolic of motherhood (there were quite a few similar paintings with a baby nursing or about to nurse where the "wardrobe malfunction" made sense). At any rate, I found it kind of distracting--much more distracting than full-on nudes. Overall, though, I found it so inspirational to see all the amazing things people have created throughout the ages, and then to think that God is even greater than all that. I'm so grateful to live in such a lovely world and for my place in it.

Afterward, we went to a cafe nearby and had a delicious dinner. Beef Bourguignon for me....mmmmmmmn.

Thursday

On Thursday, we just took it fairly easy. Got up lazily late, and headed with picnic lunch to Luxembourg Gardens. Luxembourg Gardens used to be only open to nobility until after the revolution. It is still a very genteel sort of park. We had to pay to get into the playground, but it was worth it. My kids loved the zip line, and all the merry-go-rounds there. We enjoyed just lazing in the sun, and watching all the diverse people at the park.

Afterwards, we went to an amazing bakery on the way back to the Metro stop. I had the very best raspberry tart ever, and everyone else had something they loved just as much. A perfect end to a beautiful outing.

After we got back from Luxembourg gardens, we spent the rest of the night relaxing, packing and tidying up our apartment.

Friday

We checked out of our apartment at 10 a.m. My highlight for the morning was that the parking garage attendant totally hit on me when I went to pick up our van. He said "Tres Belle!" and pointed to me. I said "Merci," then hurriedly walked back to our van and started to drive out. He motioned for me to stop, looked at my ticket and asked hopefully if I was coming back. I said no, and got the heck out of there. I mean, I know I'm irresistible and all, but that was a little creepy. Something tells me that when you are trying to pick someone up in a parking garage, you aren't exactly looking for true love. I got great mileage out of it for the rest of the day, though. Anytime Aaron and I were deciding something, I would say something like, "You'd better let me have my way--otherwise I'll go find parking attendant man!" I'm so hilarious...

Anyway, we drove back to Frankfurt. On the way, we stopped in Luxembourg. We wanted to check it out. Amazon's European Headquarters are in Luxembourg, and we'd totally be up for living there if the right opportunity came along. We found this awesome park in the middle of the city, and I've gotta say that the park bathrooms were some of the nicest public bathrooms I've ever seen. The kids and I are sold!

We also drove through Trier, Germany, which is a lovely city on a river.

The other exciting thing about the drive is that we filmed the kids doing an acoustic "goat" version of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In." I only got to tape about half of it because Aaron's phone ran out of memory. Nevertheless, they are so funny.

And really, being with my crazy, exasperating, amazing family is what this trip was all about for me. I loved seeing all the sights, but it was special because I was with the people I love the most in all the world for a brief moment in time. I feel very, very grateful.

Smith Family European Family Vacation--Days 7 and 8: Hello, Paris!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:37:00 +0000

I'm a little behind, since we've been busy living. Luckily (note the dripping sarcasm), Lucy threw up twice this morning, and I'm not feeling so hot either, so we stayed home from sightseeing today. The upside is that I cleaned the whole apartment and have time to catch up on my blog posts.

We got up on Saturday and prepared to go for a nice, long loop around the city. Every time Aaron and I have been to Paris, we do this loop and we love the sights and people watching that it affords. All told, we walked about 6 1/2 miles that day, which is an extra big deal for little kids like Sawyer.

We started from our apartment and walked to the Arc de Triomphe, then headed down the Champs-Elysses. We did some shopping at H&M and Petit Bateau. Petit Bateau has just about the cutest, best quality children's clothes ever--and price tags to match. Given that 80% of my kids' wardrobes are normally bought at thrift stores, I felt even more sticker shock. But we bought some really special clothes that they will love for a long time.

Sophie, Lukas, Sawyer, Lucy and I spent a little while waiting for the others. We had separated to shop. Without thinking, I let one of the boys who went with Aaron use my phone. We opted to enable international texting on our phones for just such eventualities, but it doesn't work if you don't have the phone in your pocket :). Anyway, the younger kids and I parked ourselves on a bench and watched the parade of nationalities and personalities and fashion ideas come on down the road.

Just about the time I started wondering how to file a missing persons report in France, we finally found each other, and continued on to the Place de la Concorde. I didn't know this until this trip, but this was the "Revolutionary Square" where many of the beheadings of the French Revolution took place. To transform the meaning of this place, Louis-Phillipe decided to erect a 23 meter granite obelisk, given to him from the king of Egypt. It took two years to transport it from Egypt to France.

The day we were there, an energetic brass ensemble were playing music at the foot of the obelisk, so we stopped to listen. Lukas and Sawyer ran up and put money in their open case. Those two love to give money to musicians--pretty much anyone who asks for it. There are a lot of people begging in Paris. Many of them hold out a cup. The first time Sawyer saw this, he said, "Mom, is that guy thirsty?" That made me laugh, but also feel sad.

Damon doing some photo bombing.

We walked across the Seine, and then along the river and across a few streets to the Eiffel Tower. We will go up in the next few days, since the line is really long if you don't have reservations.

Sophie and I being silly under the Eiffel tower.

Then we hiked home. At this point, everyone was hungry and it started to feel like a death march. It started to rain. Several of our shopping bags started to disintegrate because they were so wet, so we had to stop and consolidate so nothing would get ruined. Sawyer finally blurted out, "I'm so hungry I could eat all the people in the whole world!" Since we didn't want to have to resort to cannibalism, we stopped at a fast food place near our apartment and bought a few Margharita Pizzas and Doner sandwiches. We took the food home and inhaled it. Then Aaron and I retreated to our room while the kids messed around taking funny pictures of each other.

I don't even know how to caption this picture...

Cute Sophie.

Blue steel.

Bottoms up.

Apples are a good modeling prop.

Aaron and a few of the kids went back to the Champes Elysses for more shopping. The rest of us just lumped around watching garbage on TV (or working on blog posts, as the case may be). But the TV was in French, so I'm pretty sure it was a cultural experience. At least now the kids know how to say "sponge" in French. That should come in handy.

On Sunday, we had to get up early (7 a.m.) to get ready for church. The church building is over near the Hotel de Ville, so it took a few metro changes from where we are staying to get there. We listened to someone translate the service into French for the first half of the services and the children went to Sunday school, where other children translated for them. However, then the translator's microphone went on the fritz. Since we weren't getting anything out of the meeting anymore, we decided to cut our losses. We went to the Notre Dame and toured it. They had a mass going while we walked around, and the music and atmosphere was amazing. I love organ music in cathedrals.

Walking out the gate from the church courtyard.

The church building is the ground and lower ground floor of this building. Cars park haphazardly in the courtyard.

Joan of Arc statue in Notre Dame.

Intricate stained glass in the cathedral.

After that, we had lunch along the banks of the Seine. Then we went home. A few blocks away from home, we realized that we both (Aaron and I) forgot our keys to the apartment. I was doubly sad, because I had decided to wear attractive vs. sensible shoes to church, and said attractive shoes were not making my feet happy. Although they did look fabulous, it must be said.

Damon and I went out to figure out how to call the property manager. We didn't pay for a calling plan on our phones because we have a phone in our apartment. Although, that only works if you can get into your apartment...

We went to three different convenience stores, and ended up at this little kiosk that sold cigarettes and pay-as-you-go phones, as well as (luckily!) calling cards. Then we tried to call the number we had, but after several attempts, we couldn't figure it out. We were just leaving the phone booth in frustration, when Aaron found us and let us know that the building supervisor had let us in. Hallelujah! My feet were so happy to come home and chill out.

Memorial honoring fallen soldiers at the base of the Arc de Triomphe.

Detailed stone carvings on the Arc de Triomphe.

After napping and eating dinner, we headed out (in sensible shoes for me, this time) to climb the Arc de Triomphe. Well, in all fairness, Lucy, Sawyer and I got to cheat and take the elevator to the almost-top because of our stroller. The view was beautiful, and we were up there when they turned the lights on the Eiffel Tower and to watch the sunset. Magical. Aaron and I tried to get Brendan to take a picture of us kissing, but he insisted that the first picture he took was good enough. So it is not quite as artistic (or well-focused) as I would like. But what can you do? Knowing that you got to kiss the one you love on the top of the Arc de Triomphe in the City of Love helps to compensate for any photographical deficiencies.

Lukas looking at all the sights of the city from his vantage point on the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

Lights on. Periodically they sparkle and flash.

With my love.

Then we went home and crashed. The great thing about having such busy days is that we all sleep like logs.

Bon voyage!

Smith Family European Vacation--Days 5 and 6: Salzburg and a Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:55:00 +0000

Fountain near the Dom in Salzburg.

On Thursday, we got up fairly early and headed out to Salzburg, Austria. It was about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive from where we were staying in Germany. At least half of the drive was spent on two-lane highways. You could go at least 60 mph on all of them, but the real problem was that if you got behind a truck, you were hosed. Unlike in the States where trucks or other slow-moving vehicles are required to pull over if a certain number of cars build up behind them, in Germany there would be a row of 15-20 cars behind a truck going half the speed limit. A car or two would speed up and pass when it was (somewhat) safe to do so, and periodically the single lane would expand to two and let fast-moving cars pass through. Overall, however, it was a rather frustrating section of the drive.

Germans seriously have the best looking woodpiles I've ever seen. Somehow they cut each piece to exactly the same length, and then split them to exactly the same width, and then stack them perfectly.

We arrived in Salzburg all in one piece and found parking in a parking garage that was literally tunneled out of the mountain. The boys dubbed it the "bat cave." We walked to the Salzburg Dom. It is another lovely church.

I have to admit that much of Salzburg for me was about looking for Sound of Music sites. Initially, I was planning to do our own Sound of Music tour. However, about five minutes after we got there, it started to rain. The forecast had predicted it would be warm with a slight chance of rain so we dressed accordingly. Instead, it was cold and very rainy. I have decided that I am a fair-weather tourist. If I get wet and cold, I get a little bit cranky. Aaron would probably chivalrously deny it, but it is sadly true.

After the Dom, we went into a restaurant and had a delicious lunch. It was nice to dry out and warm up a little. Goulash and potato dumplings for me. The little kids had pesto pasta, which they loved. We tried the Apfel Strudel again, and I didn't like it as well as the stuff we had the day before, largely because they included raisins. I am not a fan of cooked raisins. Plus, they served it with a smallish scoop of ice cream, and it was much better with the custard sauce. On the up side, a picture on the wall attested to the fact that Rick Steves had been there. So that must mean that we have fabulous taste in restaurants.

A door in Salzburg. Catholic families write on their doors with chalk to mark Epiphany. It says:" 20*C+M+B*13". It is the year, with the CMB in the middle, which stands for the Latin phrase that means "Christ bless this home."

After that, we walked through the Getreidegasse and did some shopping. Aaron bought Sawyer some "handsome clothes" (Sawyer's words) at H&M. We also bought Lucy a cute boiled wool jacket, which she immediately started prancing around in. Heaven help us with a little girl who is so aware of her own charms.

Strangely, the store where we bought it (full of traditional Bavarian/Austrian clothes like lederhosen and dirndls) gave us a bag with a picture of Pamela Anderson in a "sexy dirndl" on it. It was sort of hilariously incongruent.

Red Bull was apparently created in Austria, so they have a whole store devoted to Red Bull merchandise. Not their finest contribution, in my opinion.

Sweet fashions in Red Bull world.

Lovely display in a shop window.

Sawyer showing off his treat from the bakery.

After shopping, we took the tram up the hill to Salzburg Castle. The views from the hill were spectacular, including a few Sound of Music sites, such as the manor on the lake where the "backyard" scenes were filmed, and the cemetery where the Von Trapp family hid from the Nazis. We could see all across the valley and down into the city below.

With all of that, some of the best views were actually a little closer to hand. I love my sweet and crazy kids. Some of them held still long enough for me to take some pictures.

Sophie.

Brendan.

Lucy.

Speaking of crazy, I'm pretty sure that Sawyer and Lukas consider all castles (and city streets, for that matter) their own personal par cour courses. They've both had some near misses (and many a disapproving look from the natives) as they heedlessly careen down city streets. We are trying to keep them in check without completely killing their joy. It's a delicate balance.

Sophie and Brendan in the cemetery where part of the "Sound of Music" was filmed.

We then went back to the Bat Cave and got our car. The screen on the machine that took our parking ticket as we excited said "Gute Fahrt!", which means, "Have a good drive!" I read it out loud, and we all got the giggles. Being cold makes me a little loopy :).

We were all glad to get back "home" and relax.

Incidentally, it was really fun to be able to hang out with Aaron's parents. They are such nice people that they willingly spent four days with our crazy group and even acted like they were enjoying themselves. We are lucky to have them!

The kids with their grandparents.

Friday morning, we got up and hit the deck running to pack up our car and leave the house clean and tidy. In case you were wondering, this is what it looks like when a family of 8 goes to Europe for two weeks:

The back of our van packed to the rafters.

I took a few pictures of the house before we left. It was a great place to stay.

Our front door.

Our kids had a great time on the swings during our stay.

Our landlady's home, with attached barn around the corner.

The drive itself was fairly uneventful, other than some crazy weather. It definitely felt looooong to all of us. It took nearly 11 hours for us to drive from Southern Germany to Paris. Refer to the description above concerning two-lane highways to understand in part why it took so long. That is a pretty long time to be in one car with six children. Suffice it to say, these were some oft-heard phrases:

"Knock it off!"
"You're being a jerk!!"
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"Give my (insert favorite object) back! Now!"
"When are we stopping to eat?"
(sobbing) "Three more hours? I thought you said it was only an hour and a half!"

You get the idea. Family car trips, without our usual DVD player, are not for the faint-hearted. Aaron and I kept our cool most of the time, which is about the best we can possibly hope for.

We stopped at IKEA near Strasbourg for lunch because we knew it would be cheap and that we would be able to find something that everyone would like. Plus, with any luck, we figured we'd be able to eat some of this:

Kidding, kidding. IKEA was an inspired choice--everyone was happy, and they had some really good things that IKEA in America doesn't. Most notably, they serve vegetables with the mashed potatoes as a matter of course (carrots in this yummy creamy sauce and zucchini). They also had some delicious desserts that we don't get in the states, like chocolate eclairs.

We meant to stop in Strasbourg and walk around the city center, but realized that we were running late to meet the property manager for our apartment in Paris, so we just stopped for lunch and drove on through. Hopefully we'll be able to hit it on the way back.

We were very happy to arrive in one piece, unpack a little in our cute apartment and fall into bed, exhausted.

Bon voyage!

Smith Family European Vacation--Days 3 and 4

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:59:00 +0000

The good news about day 3 is that I slept all the way through the night, and so did all my kids. Yes!!! Jet lag is the worst, so it feels great to be back on a better schedule.

The other great news is that we had my very favorite breakfast cereal in the world on Tuesday morning--Chocos. Aaron and I (and perhaps Brendan got a diluted dose by nursing) first fell in love with Chocos when we were living in Germany for the summer in 1995. I am really not a treat cereal lover, but Chocos are very, very chocolatey, and not too sweet. They turn your milk deliciously chocolatey, too. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good. They are not sold in America. We may have to stuff a few boxes in our suitcase.

We decided to drive into Munich and go to the Deutches Museum. It purports to be the largest Science and Technology Museum in the world. It was HUGE. We have been to the Smithsonian and various other science museums around the world, and this was definitely the most daunting. We probably only skimmed through about 1/2 of it. They had whole boats in here, for goodness sake.

The most impressive exhibit was a mining exhibit. It was a warren of chambers and tunnels. It literally took 20 minutes to just walk through (with kids like Lukas and Sawyer, who are 8 and 5 respectively--we don't exactly get to stand around and read every placard). It went up and down four or five levels and was very, very impressive. By the time we finally got out of the dark labyrinth, I felt relief that is probably only surpassed by real coal miners after a hard day's work underground.

We spend a lot of time at the "Kinder Reich" (children's kingdom). The human-sized hamster wheel and extra-big Legos were a big hit. Lucy was a big fan of the kid-sized toilets and sinks in the bathroom ("They're so cuuuute..." she cooed when she saw them). After spending 6 or so hours there, including a suprisingly good lunch at the museum cafeteria, we went home. Aaron's parents arrived, and we all sat down for a traditional German dinner of "Abendbrot." Germans tend to eat their main meal at lunch, and just have a light meal of bread, cheeses, lunch meat and vegetables for dinner.

After dinner, I did some laundry in our impossibly small washing machine. Granted, I have an impossibly large washing machine at home, but I would probably have to do laundry all day long if we lived here just to keep up. Then I relaxed. The rest of the family played a vicious game of Settlers of Catan.

My favorite quote of the day was from Sawyer. We had just visited the museum gift shop, where he had bought an over-priced suction cup ball. As we were walking back to the car, he showed his shopping bag to Brendan and said knowingly, "This is what I wasted my money on today."

Day 4 was our Bavarian castle day. We got to see three castles all lived in or built by Ludwig II--Linderhof, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. It was amazing to see their opulence and marvel at the artistry involved, especially given that so much of it was done by hand. We had a delicious lunch at a hotel restaurant near Schloss Linderhof, which included the very best Apfel Strudel I have ever eaten, bar none.

The kids' favorite part was taking a carriage ride up to Neuschwanstein. And during the carriage ride, their favorite part was when the horses, shall we say, broke wind. All the kids Sophie and younger giggled and giggled. Silly kids. They were also impressed when I was able to ask the driver what the horses' names were and tell them what he said in reply (Mary and Murrri. They were a matched pair of mother and daughter). Granted, that's about where my German ends these days. We've watched a little German TV, and the only show where I didn't feel completely lost was when we were watching the kiddie show "Caillou." So I guess that means I'm about a 3-year-old here.

But most of all, what I've noticed the last few days is just how beautiful the Bavarian countryside is. I am exactly half German and half English, and I get the same feeling when I drive in the country in England. It may be that both these places are objectively beautiful, but I think it is somehow deeper than that. I think that something deep in my DNA recognizes this land and feels some sense of belonging here. At any rate, it is gorgeous just to drive from one place to another.

Unfortunately, on the way home, we missed a turn. I decided to do a U-turn on the deserted country road and pulled slightly onto the shoulder to give myself a wider turn radius. Our right wheels immediately sunk 10 inches into the soft mud which was covered by only 1 inch of what I thought had been sturdy gravel. We put branches under our wheels and tried to get out, but no dice. After about 10 minutes of spinning our wheels and pushing (and just as panic started to set in), a truck stopped, and three orange-jumpsuit clad men jumped out. Two of the three immediately lit up cigarettes, and then, with cigarettes dangling from their mouths, they go to work. First they (and Aaron and Brendan) tried to push us out. When they realized that was futile, they attached some straps to our car and pulled us out. We gushingly thanked them. They waved aside our thanks, hopped into their car and sped off.

Since we were back on the road, we made one more stop before we went home: a lovely church in the village of Wies ("Wieskirche"). It was hauntingly silent inside and very, very lovely. It was a gorgeous end to our day.

Gute Reise!

Our European Vacation--Days 1 and 2

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:59:00 +0000

The Eagle has landed!

We have been planning a trip to Europe as a family for 6 months or so. Aaron's parents are living in Frankfurt for a few years, so it was a great excuse to come. We hemmed and hawed about who to take, whether to go at all, and eventually decided that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to take our kids on a great trip that they will always remember. Or at least, being realistic--that the older ones will always remember.

We arrived on Sunday and spent the day at Aaron's parents' house. His mom made a delicious dinner for us, and then we went to the Alte Stadt in Frankfurt. It was the first sunny day they'd had after a long, long winter, so practically all Frankfurters were out enjoying the sun and the many street performers who gather in the square.

Even in Europe, Starbucks is everywhere!

We walked across the Eisener Sterg, a pedestrian bridge where thousands of couples have attached a "love lock", usually engraved with their names, and then thrown the key into the River Main below to symbolize their devotion.

We then walked down the Fussgänger Zone. Most cities in Germany restrict the main stopping districts to pedestrians only, which makes them a convenient place for shopping and relaxing. Nearly all of the shops were closed because it was Sunday, but it was fun to window shop. We took the long escalator up in the My Zeil shopping mall and got to marvel at a little German engineering.

Then we went back to Aaron's parents' house and all started to feel like a truck had run over us. Seriously. We had some ice cream with homemade chocolate sauce, which gave us just enough of a bump in energy to get us back to our hotel in one piece.

Croissants at breakfast.

On Monday (after a broken night's sleep that reminded me of this article, as well as the best free hotel breakfast ever), we headed out to the first part of our trip--Southern Germany and the Bavarian Alps, with a stop in Heidelberg.

Driving over an old cobblestone bridge on the way into Heidelberg. Aaron was driving, don't worry...

Heidelberg Castle hasn't been occupied full-time since the 18th century, but it is a beautiful, beautiful building up a very, very steep hill.

The trudge up the hill to the castle.

After touring the castle and doing some grocery shopping, we drove three hours to the house we'll be staying at for the next few days. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, but it is just lovely.

The view out of one of the old battlements at Heidelberg Castle.

Another beautiful view down the hill.

Damon and Lucy snuggling up at the top of the hill.

Some of the kids atop the largest working wine flask in the world at Heidelberg castle.

Sun dial on the side of the castle.

The Renaissance wing of the castle, with the clock tower.

I loved these shutters on one of the buildings near Heidelberg Castle.

"Women Parking space." Those Germans are so chivalrous.

I made a delicious German dinner of wurst, spaezle with onion gravy, rotkohl and salad. Aaron whipped up some quark with cherries and whipping cream for dessert. Yum. I may or may not have come to Europe just for the food.

I clearly need to learn how to take good indoor pictures at night. But here is our dinner. Yum.

Cool barley twist column in the house we're renting.

Slippers provided for guests in our vacation home.

Lucy digging into some wurst.

Our table by the morning sunlight.

We are going to take some fun day trips over the next few days and just savor the ambiance. It is so fun to be here--listening to people talk and feeling some of my language skills come back, people watching, architecture watching and noticing all the cultural differences, both big and small.

The view of the Bavarian Alps from our back balcony.

Gute Reise!

Road trips and Best Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:13:00 +0000

Brendan, Lucy and I went on a fun road trip a few weeks ago so that Brendan could take one last look at a few colleges he's applied to. And, as it turns out, so he could have fun hanging out with a bunch of Utah friends for a whole weekend. I should have been a little ticked that we drove so far for that kind of bait and switch, but I really wasn't--mostly because it meant I got to hang out with my friends, too. And eat some delicious food at Cafe Rio....Yuh-hum!

Right at the top of that list of friends is one of my very dearest friends in all the world, Brynn. She let us stay with her for several days and provided delicious food and unparalleled ambiance and great company. And since I haven't sent a thank-you card yet (her thank-you for my hostess gift was, of course, promptly dispatched--I will not let this make me feel insecure) and since her birthday is coming up, this is my prosaic ode to Brynn.

We met 12 years ago. Our family had just moved to a town called Richmond-Upon-Thames, outside London. It was our first Sunday at church, and I was not-so-subtly scanning the congregation for potential friends. I saw Brynn, and to my ethnocentric shame, I thought, "She looks too stylish and well-groomed to be British." Turns out I was right--and wrong. She was American, and my ignorance was thoroughly contradicted over the next few months, as I subsequently met lots of chic, well-groomed (and otherwise awesome) British women.

We became fast friends, not only because of her well-groomed chic-ness, but because she is just a great person. There are so many things I like and admire about Brynn. Here are a few:

She has a great sense of humor and doesn't take anything too seriously, including herself. For example, check out this hilarious video that she and her kids did. Awesome. Every time we talk, she makes me laugh. And I love to laugh. So it works out.

On the other hand, like me, she feels things deeply. She is empathetic when I feel overwhelmed by something sad or disturbing on the news that makes me worry that the world is going to you know where in a hand basket. If I am mournfully obsessing over one of my kids' behavior issues or whatever, she gives helpful hints, but mostly just listens and makes me laugh at self-depreciating stories about her own kids. She was at my house when the Twin Towers fell, and we watched BBC's coverage together in stunned silence. She was the first (and only) friend to visit me in the hospital right after I had Sophie.

I know that she is a friend who I can not talk to for months at a time (because, ahem, I've sadly tested this), and know that everything will still be the same between us. I know that if I were in serious trouble, even of my own making, that she would welcome me with open arms, help and kindness.

I also love that like me, she loves to talk. We have a great time talking in circles for hours and hours; interrupting each other in our enthusiasm, going on fun little tangents, finally getting back to the point and eventually tying up all the loose ends until we are done talking...at least until the next time.

I also love that we have a very similar taste in clothes and home decoration. Picking friends solely based on fripperies is a bad idea, but when the more important basics are already there, having someone who shares your taste is delightful. We love to antique together, bounce home decor ideas off each other and show off our latest home/wardrobe triumphs to each other. It's just fun. Here are some (sneakily taken) pictures of her cute house:

Gorgeous blue and white china collected at various antique markets in England. I gave her that primitive antique box at the bottom of the picture. Hopefully she didn't just put it out because I was coming to visit :).

Her cute Easter mantel in her family room.

Her classy living room.

Her mom painted this picture, and she picked out the frame. I love the whole thing.

Awesome gallery wall with funny/inspirational quotes and a portrait of each member of the family painted by another member of the family.

Her adorable girls' room. Their blessing gowns are hung on the wall as decorations, with more antique plates on the wall behind the bed.

Close up of the fabrics on the bed. So sweet.

Lovely chandelier in her girls' room (which I hung, by the way--because I'm awesome like that),

Know that she has just redecorated her master bedroom, and it is maybe her best work yet. I just felt like too much of a creeper to take surprise pictures in there. So just imagine a calm, serene, classy room times a thousand, and that'll just about cover it.

Ah, Brynn. Words cannot convey how grateful I am that we are friends. Thank you for being in my life (and for letting us mooch on your food and your kindness last month). I love you!

2013 Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:47:00 +0000

Given that 2012 was one of my better years in terms of goal-setting and achievement, I've decided that I'm going to make posting my goals on the blog a yearly tradition. I should know by now that I work better when there is some sort of social pressure involved (whether real or perceived).

So, with no further intro (since time's a-wastin'--it's already February!), here is what I'm planning on:

Spiritual
I feel like I set the same goals every year for spiritual, which are to read my scriptures and say my prayers daily, and I pretty much fail every year, some years being better than others. I think that instead of concentrating so much on the every day part, I need to make sure that the way I pray and study the scriptures actually helps me live my life better and draw closer to God.

Pray with a dual purpose every day--recognize and thank God for specific blessings, and recognize and ask for specific types of help.
Using my current needs as a guide, plan on studying the scriptures topically. I will study what I want to study, write about it or blog about it and change topics when I feel like I'm ready for a change.

Physical
I made some great progress last year and managed to maintain my good habits over the holidays (huge accomplishment!). However, I am ready to keep progressing and becoming healthier and stronger. And okay, I wouldn't mind being a little thinner, either. However, I find that if I concentrate more on losing weight over healthy habits, it's easier for me to flake out--I am just not quite vain enough or something. If my goal is to be healthier, weight loss is just a by-product of doing something nice for my body, and that feels like a more positive and respectful way to approach myself. Besides, I don't have any desire whatsoever to become an extremist about food--life is too short, food is too tasty and I like looking like a woman.

Track my food using My Fitness Pal. It is tedious, and annoying, but I am changing some lifelong food habits here. It's going to take longer than 6 months to do that. When I track, I end up making more healthful food choices and being more consistent and realistic about my calorie intake, which is the big secret to lasting weight loss.
Exercise 5 times a week, rather than the 4 I've been averaging. I do an interval or HIIT-type workout, but as the weather gets nicer, I'll start getting outside and walking/running.

Intellectual
I need to start making some strides toward having a career again someday. To that end, I want to:

Research some possible career paths that I might be interested in. Find out what I would need to do to get from where I am now to there.
Reach out to my contacts in the academic world and see about the possibility of teaching a Sociology class locally or online in the meantime.
Research for a possible book or blog idea based on research-based best marriage and family practices.

Social

Invite friends and their families, if applicable, over for dinner twice a month.
Invite friends out with us on date night a couple times a month. We love to talk to each other, but it's fun to include others in our plans, as well.

Familial
I have some roll-over goals from last year.

Brainstorm with my husband about what each child most needs from us. Set goals for how we can meet those needs.
Be more consistent with the kids and their chores--make sure there are consistently implemented rewards as well as consequences. We have a good system in place, but it requires every day, consistent follow-through (mostly by me, since Aaron doesn't get home until 6:30 or 7 most nights). There's the rub :). I just need to quit making excuses and do it.

Organizational/Decorational (yep, I know--not a word)

Drastically reduce the amount of stuff in the garage, and organize what's left over. It is so easy to just dump stuff and run, and there is a decent amount of stuff out there that either needs to find a new home in someone else's home, be thrown away or be put away inside the house.
Help organize and decorate the rest of the kids' rooms, starting with Sophie and Lucy's.

There it is. I'm excited for a new year of doing fun stuff and becoming a better person.

What about all you awesome people out there? Are you setting any New Year's resolutions?

2012 Goals: The Reckoning

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:06:00 +0000

Last year, I took a bold step and put my yearly goals on my blog, in hopes that putting them out there would prevent my usual lazy loser approach to keeping New Year's resolutions. I am tentatively confident that there was some wisdom in this, because this has definitely been one of my better years in terms of setting and achieving goals.

So, here is the breakdown:

Physical

Be more conscious of what and how much I'm eating.

Check! I tracked my food on the iphone app "My Fitness Pal" pretty consistently from January through October. Since then, I've been monitoring myself a couple times a week.

Do 30 minutes of heart healthy exercise a day

Mostly Check! I've been averaging exercising 4 times a week. I either do videos at home or go walk/running. I've started exercising with a friend most days, which helps keep me motivated.

Do as many sit-ups and push-ups as I can in a row before getting into the shower.

Fail, but not really... So, I never actually did that, except for maybe two days in January. I decided instead to do circuit-training workouts that incorporate resistance exercises and cardio, so I'm actually doing more than my goal.

These healthier habits have resulted in losing 15 pounds this year, which feels great.

Spiritual

Continue reading the scriptures and praying daily.

Sometimes check... There is a reason why this is a goal for me every year. I would say I average 4 days a week?

Organizational

Organize one area in my home at a time, starting with the most problematic area first and working methodically.

Sort of check. I have made some progress is some areas (my room, the living/dining room), but I haven't exactly made the whole-house sweep I was planning to.

Household

Decorate one area at a time.

Check! I have been much better at just working on one area at a time until I am done, rather than doing a little here, a little there. I am 90% happy with the living/dining room. I am 80% there with the master bedroom. I decorated Damon's room as a surprise for him in the Fall.

Parenting

Brainstorm with my husband about what is most important for each child right now and work on doing that thing.

Fail! I have been thinking about this, but I haven't really ever brainstormed with my husband, which I think is the most important part of this goal. It's a good idea, though!

Figure out a reasonable system that encourages our kids to be more responsible and self-motivated with their chores, homework, etc.

Partial Check. I have done three different mutations of chore charts this year. Each has had its pros and cons. Bottom line, all require parental follow-through, and that is sometimes lacking on my end. I feel like we've made some progress this year, though, and I am planning on continuing to make progress this next year in terms of encouraging responsibility among my kids.

Social

Start a book group.

Check! This has been great! I should have started one right when we moved here instead of languishing friendless for so long... It's nice to have a reason to read and wonderful people to share my thoughts with.

Put a little more thought and effort into date night.

Partial check. I'd have to give myself a B- for date night thought and effort, but that has been movement in the right direction. This is probably just an attempt at pitiful self-justification, but maybe it's actually okay that we keep our dates simple--that I don't even mind the occasional Home Depot date (and truthfully, that would be something I'd suggest long before Aaron would).

All in all, I think I had a good year last year. This optimism may be inflated by the fact that I am usually a pretty terrible New Year's resolution keeper, but I'll take it.

Molasses Cookies--An Autumn Tradition

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:23:00 +0000

Much of the excitement I feel about the changing seasons is influenced by our family's food traditions--the smells, the sights, the textures and colors--and obviously the tastes.

Last year I posted about my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread--and it is definitely a culinary herald of Autumn for our family. Another are these cookies.

They look very brown and humble, I know--but they are delicious. If you think you don't like gingerbread ("Too spicy! Too...whatever!"), try these. I promise you won't be disappointed. Plus they make your house smell like it's just been smacked with an Autumn goodness stick...in the best possible sense :).

Molasses Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil or 3/4 cups butter (I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup coconut oil, but usually use butter)

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups unbleached flour (I usually use 1/2 whole wheat, but went decadently all-white this time)

4 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt (I use Kosher because I prefer the little salty crunch, but normal table salt is fine)

1 Tbsp. ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Cream together butter or oil and sugar. Add eggs and molasses and stir until combined. Stir in dry ingredients until they are evenly mixed in. Chill dough for one hour. Scoop out (I use about 1 oz of dough) and roll dough into balls, then roll in the extra granulated sugar. Bake on 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, or until they are starting to get a little more brownish golden on the top. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for another 10 or so minutes to firm up, then put on a rack to cool. Enjoy!

Work Day

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:08:00 +0000

One of my friends and I have a kind of funny tradition, but one that we really enjoy. It is called "Work Day."

We get together for three or so hours and work. We alternate whose project gets top billing, and then just go to town together.

We have done glamorous things, like these pillows for her to-die-for living room...

I donated the plaid fabric, and she bought the rest. I did most of the sewing, and she watched my kids for me. It was so fun to work with such pretty materials--ball fringe and ric-rac are both weaknesses of mine.

We also had fun putting together the gallery wall for my living room:

We've also done some not-so-glamorous projects, like cleaning out her son's bedroom. It was nice to know, as I unearthed all sorts of crazy stuff, that I am not the only one with a semi-disgusting, baffling, yet ultimately love-able 14-year-old boy :).

Either way, it's more fun to do work (and I am less likely to get Decorating ADHD) when I am doing it with a friend.

We've both had a couple months of craziness, and I've missed the excuse for productivity and companionship.

It's time for work day again.

Mental Health Prescription #1: Nuture Your Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:10:00 +0000

Disclaimer: This is an unabashedly Christian, religious post. If that is not your cup of tea, happily skip it and come back in a few weeks for a more general post :). I would also be interested in any comments about what you do to nurture your spirit in your own way.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I hope that's not really true. Because I have good intentions to blog, and I often post something that alludes to a future post as though it's immediately forthcoming, and then wait months before I do anything about it.

However, like most good things that I procrastinate, I get to them eventually. Thus, here we are.

After my last post, I've been continuing to work on becoming happier. At the center of this effort has been doing what I need to do spiritually so that Jesus can help heal my heart and open my eyes to the joy in my life.

For most of my life, I've thought that Jesus' sacrifice was mostly for sinners and for big sins--you know, the "big 10" :). I knew theoretically that I, like everyone else, was by definition a sinner and that I thus needed his atonement. I believed that his sacrifice was necessary and that he loved me, but because I was defining sin so narrowly and not sinning in super visible and traditional ways, I often struggled with understanding how Jesus fit into MY life. So I consequently kind of did my own thing. I was living my life like I was a spy on a covert operation in deep cover, trying hard to fulfill my mission but not checking in with headquarters very often.

However, there were huge, difficult parts of my life that I found overwhelming--things like depression/discouragement, personal weaknesses, disappointments, frustrations, fear, feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, difficult relationships. But since most of these things didn't seem to fall under the "sin" category, I just soldiered on, praying for God's help but not really taking the time to understand how he could help me with these burdens.

Part of my problem was too much humility, and part of it was too much pride. Too much humility because I would think that I don't deserve to ask the Savior for help with my "First World Problems" when there are people with really terrible problems out there. I felt like I just needed to stop whining and buck up. Too much pride made me think that I was doing just fine on my own, thankyouverymuch--what could Jesus do for me, anyway? Either way, it was a lack of faith and lack of understanding about Christ's role in my life.

However, several months of protracted stresses and sadnesses earlier this year softened my heart to the idea that I couldn't do my life, any of it, the way I'd been trying to do it. I couldn't do it on my own. I tried at first to do lots of other things to cope with that helpless feeling--shop, eat (bad idea), exercise, distract myself with computer stuff, talk it out with people who love me. All of these can be or should be part of a healthy life, but they don't get at the core of life's problems on their own. My search to find something--anything!--to help me feel better makes me think that most of the sins we silly humans commit or the addictions we may have are often just imbalanced attempts to find the peace that only comes through God.

In desperation, I started to realize that despite church-going and serving, I needed to learn how to truly "come unto Jesus" one-on-one. It's not that I haven't felt his love and help throughout my life, but I definitely felt like I had lost that easy connection with him over the last few years. My reaction when things have been difficult has been to turn inward rather than turning towards him.

I started to study the scriptures and other books about the Atonement with a new intensity. I read conversion stories of people in the Bible and Book of Mormon and was reminded that Jesus came to heal us in every way. Anything that weakens us, or saddens us, or hurts us, or separates us from him is on the table. If he can heal Paul, or Peter, or the woman in the New Testament who had been bleeding for years, or Alma or Enos--he can heal me, too. Completely. Miraculously. Graciously.

In order to be able to access the Savior's healing power, however, I've had to get some of my own ducks in a row. The process has involved first learning more about who Jesus is and how he helps us. I have a feeling that this learning will be a life-long process. I then had to do some serious soul-searching to figure out what I need help with (what are the REAL problems?), which is not as easy as it sounds. Lots of the things we think are the problems, are really just symptoms. The last step is to humbly ask for his will and his help in that thing and open my heart to his help, guidance and blessings. This has been hard for me--both to pay enough attention to recognize my needs and weaknesses and then to ask for help.

The good news is that this process works. It is repentance. I know that this is why Jesus came here to earth--to allow all who are willing to come unto him and be healed from all their infirmities, again and again. Jesus is real, and his love and power has transformed my heart the last few weeks from ingratitude and despair to joy and thankfulness. My life isn't miraculously easy for me all of a sudden, but I feel like my burden of sadness has really been lifted. And that feels very, very good.

My Mental Health Sabbatical

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 05:08:00 +0000

So, I feel that something of an explanation is in order for my sudden three-month sabbatical from the world of blogging. I've deliberated about whether I wanted to go into this in such a public forum, but I feel like it might be something that helps other parents, and especially Moms, out there. So here goes.

I haven't been blogging because frankly, I've been pretty miserable for the last few months. Not quite every day miserable, but more days miserable than not miserable. Crying multiple times in a day several days a week. Feeling irrationally angry and out of control. Trying to put on a normal face when I'm feeling anything-but inside.

And I am telling you, this is not a nice way to live.

It is hard for me to understand why I have been so sad. After all, I know enough about life and the greater world to know that I live a pretty stinking charmed life. I know I do. I can see all my blessings laid out in a neat line and recognize how lucky I am.

I have a truly good husband who loves me despite my imperfections and who makes me laugh. I have six beautiful kids who fill me with swelling pride on a regular basis both for their accomplishments and for their characters. We are doing well financially. I have a spiritual life that brings me peace. I feel like I have all the things that really matter.

But somehow, knowing that you are blessed and ought to be happy and feeling happy and blessed are two different things. Sometimes counting your blessings actually makes you feel worse when you are sad, because you have to add "ungrateful" to your list of reasons to feel bad about yourself :).

Now, I find that I have two choices when I am stuck in a rut: stay there, or start analyzing things to figure out how to get out. How did I get in this rut? What do I need that I am not currently getting? What situations made me fall there in the first place?

I always find it interesting that when I am feeling down that other people's advice tends to be along the lines of "Take some time for yourself..." I get that I need time for myself, but people say this as though shopping or manicures can solve real problems and real sadness. I really do like shopping and even manicures as much as the next woman, but they don't solve problems of the soul.

However (and at risk of sounding too brightly optimistic when I am at best only tentatively so), I've figured out a few things I need to do that have helped me to start to claw myself out of this pit. To be a happy person and a happy mom, this is what has been lacking:

Create order. Have a system in place that creates better order in our home and in my life. In short, be more organized and make sure my kids do their share.

Exercise regularly. I have often figured that if I don't mind not looking like a super-model, that regular exercise beyond the demands of being an active mom was optional. I do not think I am in any danger of looking like a super model any time soon (more's the pity), but I am learning that if I don't exercise for a few days, I get grumpy. Who knew :)?

Feed my spirit daily through prayer, scripture/inspirational reading and thoughtful contemplation and journalling. I can nearly always trace a horrible day (or week) back to a failure to do these things.

Check my expectations, and keep them in check. Like a lot of at-home moms, I seem to think that I should be able to do everything right now--brilliant kids, beautiful home, perfect marriage, wonderful food, worthwhile volunteering, time to develop personal talents and career, etc. Well, surprise--I can't do all of it, all the time--and that is absolutely normal and fine. Keeping my expectations low seems like a lame cop-out, but it actually makes me happier with myself and my kids.

Let myself feel what I feel, and figure out how to healthfully process my emotions. I need to be unafraid to be real with myself and with others, instead of trying to pretend that everything is fine when it isn't. When I do that, I stuff all the negative stuff, let it build up and then it comes out in ugly and inopportune ways.

Let go of perfectionism. Bottom line, the reason I even want to maintain a facade of perfectionism is due to unhealthy pride. I like to be self-sufficient, and that is good. But it is other people's realness that draws us to them, not their perfectionistic facade, and trying to pretend you aren't sad or that you aren't struggling is like trying to pretend you aren't drowning--it doesn't work.

I am still taking it one day at a time, corny as it sounds, but I can cautiously say that I'm starting to feel better. It feels so very good to enjoy things again and have more of a sense of humor about life's downs. I'm going to blog a little more about each of the things that have been helping me over the next few weeks.

How about you? What do you do when you find yourself stuck in the pit of despair*? * Princess Bride reference intended :)

Friday Night Must-See T.V.

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:59:00 +0000

My eyes have been glued to my T.V. screen every Friday night for the last few weeks. That is unlike me, because with the exception of "Downton Abbey", I can't think of many shows that qualify as must-see T.V. for me.

The reason for my interest is admittedly biased. My little brother is on T.V. ! It is true. He is one of the cast of a new reality TV series called "Bering Sea Gold" on the Discovery channel.

Like most reality T.V. shows, there is plenty of drama and conflict. There are some rascally characters who have a hard time keeping their language family-friendly. So I recommend it with those caveats.

The weird thing about having someone you know really well on television is that it should feel really weird, but it doesn't. At least not to me. Maybe that's because I love and respect Ian so much. For once, someone who is actually a good person can be quasi-famous.

Which is not to say that anyone has shown any interest in keeping up with our family anytime soon--which is a good thing. Unlike my brave brother, my idea of hell would be to have someone filming my life for weeks at a time. I have too many moments I'm not proud of.

I am proud of him--not so much for being on T.V., but for being secure enough with himself to let all of America into his life--the good, the bad and the ugly. He didn't do so lightly. He has been a little worried, hoping that the way he was portrayed on the show would accurately reflect the Christ-like person he is trying to become. That speaks volumes about the kind of man he is.

Although to be honest, as a big sister, I somehow always remember him as a little kid (he's the one on the far right in the picture below). You've gotta have someone keeping you humble, right? :)

Busy, Busy, Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:09:00 +0000

We are busy, busy, as usual. We also started having our master bathroom remodeled this week. I wish I could brag that it is me and my husband sweating it out, but I have to admit that we have hired a contractor and it is nice knowing it will be done soon, with minimal stress on our parts, other than enduring the noise and mess that comes with remodeling.

So I've been able to concentrate on the fun part: the design. I want to feel like I stepped into a sunny day at the beach every time I go in my bathroom. I also want a more contemporary look than I normally go for. I just like a bathroom to feel (and hopefully be) clean. Here are some inspiration photos I pinned:

Via Decorpad

via Google Images

I love the open vanity and beachy feel.

Love the outdoor tropical shower

Here is a sneek peek of what we are doing:

Shower tile (Silver vein-cut travertine for $3/square foot from Craigslist)

Floor tile (Grey limestone, $4 a square foot, another Craigslist find)

Vanity--just waiting for cute baskets of towels, etc., on the bottom:

Showerhead:

Paint Color:

Right now we have a hole in our kitchen ceiling, and everything in our bathroom is gone except the floors and the wall. We had our rusty, galvanized pipes replaced as well, and we are loving the water pressure in our one working shower. They installed the Hardiboard in the shower, and we are now living in a house that looks basically normal except for the light coating of drywall dust that has settled over everything. I never thought I'd say it, but I just really want to be able to clean my house.... Right now, there is no point.

But man, am I glad that we can afford to remodel our bathroom right now. It is going to function and look sooooo much better. I'll post some more progress pictures in a few days.

Coin "Tiled" Mirror Frame

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:21:00 +0000

During our snow days a few weeks ago, I finished a project that I've been planning to do for a while.

Several months ago, I bought an IKEA mirror at the Goodwill. It looks something like the one below, except with a completely flat frame. When I bought it, it was turquoise, which although lovely, was a bit brighter than what I wanted. So I spray painted it antique gold, then lightly with a silvery champagne color and hung it up. I've been wanting to bring more silvery tones into my living room, but it just didn't look good. I liked the shape, but not the color. Also, the flat frame just looked too contemporary for my shabby chic/junk market/aspiring Miss Mustard Seed-style living room. So I left it on the wall and just felt cranky and confused whenever I looked at it :).

One day, one of my friends, Genevieve, hemmed and hawed, finally summoning up her courage to tell me: "Uh--promise you won't be offended--but I think that mirror doesn't look so good there..." We do decorating projects together and bounce ideas off each other all the time, so this wasn't completely out of the blue, but it was pretty bold of her to say.

I laughed in surprise--I wasn't at all offended, and we we brainstormed about what to do with the mirror. Then Genevieve, genius that she is, reminded me of my plan to do a table top of international money something like the penny counter I had pinned a few months ago. What about putting the money on the frame?

Source

I knew this was a good plan instantly. And the rest, as they say, is history. By the way, this technique would work on any other flat surface (picture frame? small table? etc.?) you want to cover with coins. The guy at nubcakes.blogspot.com used resin and a framed counter, but I knew I didn't have the time to do a project that was quite that intense/messy/smelly/required somehow adding a lip to contain the resin all around the edge of a round mirror.

So I went with what I had on hand (or could borrow from Genevieve). I absolutely loved how it turned out.

Pretty cool-looking, right? Despite the lame pictures? I need to invest in some better equipment for taking low-light interior photographs in Washington. A light scoop? A tripod? (Gulp) a different lens? I am not exactly experiencing sun-drenched rooms this winter.

Anyway, technical difficulties and insecurities aside, here is the tutorial:

Other than a surface to decorate (flat mirror frame? picture frame? etc.?), you'll need:

Silicone adhesive (I used Dap Clear Silicone Rubber Sealant)

Modgepodge Hard Coat
Foam brush
Lots and lots of coins (more than you think you'll need--I was literally raiding my kids' piggy banks--I did pay them back, don't worry...)

Step 1. Arrange your money on the surface in whatever way pleases you. I kind of sprinkled all the international money evenly around, making sure to make the silver/copper balance roughly even, then filled in with American money. Incidentally, I put all the American money heads down unless it had a year that was significant to our family (birth years, year my husband were married, years we graduated from high school, etc.). My kids liked helping me find coins that had special years on them.

Step 2. After you have it all arranged to your satisfaction, start using the adhesive to stick the coins on. You might experiment with how much sealant you need. I found about a pea-sized dollop was about right for a dime--more for larger coins. Do all the coins. It took me about two hours to do all of mine spaced out over a day or so.

Step 3. When you think you are done, pick up your frame and turn it upright. If you are like me, a few coins will fall down because you forgot to glue them. Better to find this out later than never.

Step 4a. Let the sealant dry. I left it overnight just to be safe. Then break out your Modge Podge Hard Coat and foam brush. Brush a generous coat over the top and between the coins. Don't worry if it looks a bit gloppy (see picture below). It will dry just fine (see other pic below). Just spread it all out there. I was a little conservative around the edges, though--I didn't want any drips.

Step 4b. Let the first coat dry completely. Then add two more coats, letting them dry thoroughly between coats. Voila! You will be done and have a unique, valuable (har har) home accessory to be proud of.

A few braggy pictures:

Ooooooooo!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Let me know if you try this technique. I'd love to hear how your project turns out!

I'm linking up to:

Not Just a Housewife's Show Me What Ya Got

Portland Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:29:00 +0000

Hello one and all,

The snow melted--and just in time. We've had a weekend getaway to Portland planned for a few months, and were hoping/praying for clear roads.

Aaron's been hankering (yes, hankering) to see Jimmer Ferdette play some basketball in the pros, and since Seattle doesn't have a pro team anymore (sniff, sniff), the Portland Trailblazers are the closest we can get. We stayed over night at a hotel downtown (thank you, Hotwire). The kids loved swimming in the pool Monday morning.

We had a great day eating at some fun restaurants, shopping a little and doing some fun things for the kids. Aaron and the kids went to the game with his brother and our nephew, and Lucy and I went to Target (a pitiful lack of imagination, I know) and picked them up when it was over.

All in all, a great little mini getaway. And I've got the pictures to prove it :).

Sawyer didn't want to come in the pool at all. Here Sophie is trying to convince him that the water's fine...

He had a great time throwing the ball around and lurking poolside. We probably need to get this kid some more swimming lessons. He needs to feel the fear and swim anyway :).

Lukas in midflight. Most of my pictures of him are blurry. His nickname is Forrest, because everywhere he goes, he's a'runnin'.

Lucy and Aaron exchanging some loves.

We ate breakfast at Tasty and Sons. The food was scrumptious. I forgot to take pictures of it because I was too busy eating...

The interior of Tasty and Sons has a cool, urban loft vibe. Loved it.

We stopped by the Doc Marten store. I haven't been to a dedicated Docs store since I used to go to the one (now closed) in Covent Garden when we lived in London. I deliberated about some pewter flats, ultimately deciding no, and took a picture of these gorgeous cushions. I think Sarah from Modern Country Style has one in her dining room. I may have to shamelessly copy this style and make one for our family room.

Cool old building. I am a sucker for them! This one was for sale, and I had a fun time imagining what it looked like inside, and how if money were no object, I could convert it into a block of posh flats. Yes, I know I'm a little strange.... :)

Lucy on the swings. You can't tell, but she is actually swinging in this picture. She is the most daring baby we've had and loves to go high on the swings. Heaven help me!

Damon performing feats of skill and strength.

Sophie taking the shorter but harder path into the playground. She's so cute. And I really wish her jacket came in my size--isnt' it darling?

We have been hemming and hawing about tile design for our master bathroom shower. We stopped into Ann Sacks tile and saw this display. Both of us love it. Miracle! I'm not sure if this color scheme is the one we will go with, but at least this is progress. Woo hoo!

We ate lunch at Hot Lips Pizza and couldn't resist an opportunity to ham it up.

We then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Sawyer had a great time with this pulley and in the water engineering area (as you can tell from his shirt).

Cool view from OMSI out to the Columbia River at twilight.

Over and out,

Snow Days

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:38:00 +0000

One of the great things about living in Western Washington is that it doesn't snow very often. The weather is rainy, sure, but it is also blessedly mild. You can practically wear the same clothes all year, just adding a jacket when it gets cooler and subtracting it when it gets warmer.

However, when it does snow, everything grinds to a halt. Most cities do not have snowplows, you see. It's probably hard to justify expensive equipment that you typically only need once a year at most. Without snowplows, and with temperatures that are usually trampolining around freezing, it means that the snow on the roads melts during the day and then freezes at night. The treacherous road conditions are compounded because so many drivers are inexperienced snow drivers. Really, once it starts snowing, it is better to just stay home if you possibly can. People try to keep enough groceries on hand so they won't need to go to the store. After that, you kind of burrow in for a few days. It kind of reminds me of Laura Ingalls Wilder's description of her childhood winters in Little House in the Big Woods.

As a child growing up in the 19-80's, snow meant tuning into a special AM radio station where the announcer would read off all the school districts and whether they were cancelled or delayed. Delayed meant school would start a few hours late--which was better than nothing. But cancelled is what you really wanted. Cancelled school meant a surprise holiday with built-in entertainment in the form of playing in the snow.

In addition to school cancellations, most activities that are not essential just get cancelled when there has been any kind of snow accumulation. So snow in Western Washington means you have an excuse to stay home and get cozy. Sigh. Staying home and getting cozy is my favorite thing to do no matter what the weather. So what could be better?

My parents live in a semi-rural area, so snow storms when I was growing up often meant power outages. We heated our home with a wood stove, so we were still warm even if the power went out. We could cook on the wood stove as well--we had one memorable Thanksgiving where had to cook our turkey we on the top of our wood stove (moistest ever, by the way). It was both cozy and fun to feel like we really were Laura Ingalls Wilder, stuck at home because of the snow, cooking on a wood stove. Although maybe my mom has different feelings about those power outages...

My family had a great day yesterday. The kids who were old enough spent the day playing in the snow with friends, coming in to de-thaw, then going out again. It's was like a party out there with all the neighborhood kids coming out to play in the snow. Usually, the wet weather means everyone in the neighborhood digs into their houses like moles and we don't see each other until the Spring. I enjoyed the luxury of not having to go anywhere for a change, and just plain puttered: helping the kids, doing laundry, making copycat Great Harvest bread, making homemade bread crumb mixture out of leftover pita bread, cleaning the kitchen, making granola and decorating a mirror frame for my living room. I love puttering around my house, and snow days let me do it to my heart's content. Here's a sneak peek of what I'm doing to my mirror frame:

We learned some important things yesterday. For example, Nutella hot chocolate is delicious. And Washington snow is much wetter than Utah snow. Playing with friends is fun. Taking some extra time to love my home and get caught up on chores makes me feel happy.

We lived in Utah for about 15 years. There, snow is an expected and regular part of winter. For the most part, life goes on as usual, and it just means inconvenience--only extreme weather gives you a break. I'm grateful to live where I do and to have an excuse to slow down and enjoy my family and home once in a while. Thank you, Mother Nature.

And today?

It's another snow day. Oh yeah.

A New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:15:00 +0000

This year started a little strangely because of my Dad's stroke. I think my whole family feels like we are in limbo emotionally. One of my sons summed it up when he said, "I keep wondering if I'm going to come home from school one day and I'll find out that Grandpa died." So there we are--needing to go about our daily routine, but feeling preoccupied with our worry for my Dad.

He's been transferred to a skilled nursing facility closer to my parents' home (but farther away from me). They are hoping that being somewhere a little more low-key will allow him to rest and get more energy so he will have the strength to do more aggressive physical therapy and get some mobility back on his left side. We are all hoping he can get stronger so he can get better. He's made a little bit of encouraging progress this week, so I hope he can continue on that upward path.

I've realized that I do need to go about my normal life as much as possible just to keep myself emotionally healthy for my kids (and for myself). For me, that includes making some goals and resolutions and plans for the new year.

I usually am not a person who likes to tell other people about my plans and goals. I guess it's mostly because I prefer to have my failures be private affairs :). But I think it is useful to list a few things I'm planning this year in different dimensions of my life. A little accountability might be good for me. So here goes:

Physical

Be more conscious of what and how much I'm eating. I need to treat my body better, and overeating/eating junk makes me feel tired and cranky. Food cannot solve my problems (except maybe chocolate...;) ). I'm using a great iphone app called My Fitness Pal to track my food/water intake. LOVE it.
Do 30 minutes of heart healthy exercise a day--either take the kids on a brisk walk to the park or do some cardio with DVDs or the Wii.
Do as many sit-ups and push-ups as I can in a row before getting into the shower. My husband did that all year last year, and it is amazing how that couple of minutes really does make a difference in terms of muscle tone. I know it is not a perfectly balanced strength plan, all you awesome exercisers out there, but doing something is much better than doing nothing. Ah hem. "Nothing" being where I am right now in terms of strength training.

Spiritual

Continue reading the scriptures and praying daily. I just feel better and live better when I do. In the immortal words of M.C. Hammer, "You've got to pray just to make it today." Storytime: One of my friends gave another friend that quote in vinyl lettering on a cute wooden block as a joke birthday present. It was HI-larious. The thought is true, of course :).

Organizational

Organize one area in my home at a time, starting with the most problematic area first and working methodically. I've already posted about my chicken-with-its-head cut off approach to doing lots of things, and it's not really working organizationally. At all. I'm starting with my laundry room. It was clean for about 2 days in October, but it is pretty much back to this again.

Ugh. Kind of overwhelming, but one step at a time, right? I'm babystepping, I'm babystepping as I sort through my clutter...

Household

Decorate one area at a time. I am starting with my living room, since that's the one I notice when I walk in and the one I've been working on, anyway. Starting on a project that is already half-way done is always a shot in the arm. Incidentally, why is a shot in the arm a good thing, anyway? Ouch...

Here's a sneek peek of a few things I've been doing in there already:

Parenting

Brainstorm with my husband about what is most important for each child right now and work on doing that thing. For example, one of my kids is feeling kind of insecure about his/her abilities despite the fact that he/she is a great kid and very talented. We need to concentrate on helping this child feel good about him/herself--giving him/her opportunities to shine, give lots of positive feedback about his/her abilities and talents right now. Look for the good things and compliment him/her. Anyway, you get the idea. Each of our kids has unique needs and this will help us focus on meeting those needs.
Figure out a reasonable system that encourages our kids to be more responsible and self-motivated with their chores, homework, etc. I've considered the Eyres' approach (in a nutshell, after the age of 8 kids "earn" money toward essential things--if they don't fulfill their responsibilities, they don't get money for clothes, activities, eating out, etc.), but I'm still torn about whether kids should be paid to do work for the family. Hmmmmm.

Social

Start a book group. I had the very best book group in Utah with some dear friends, and I miss them (and it) so much. However, long-distance book groups don't work that well, and I know that having a focus for my reading and people to discuss it with makes me happy and will help me make and strengthen friendships.
Put a little more thought and effort into date night. We do go out every weekend (one of the joys of having kids with such a large spread of ages is that we have built-in babysitters), but sometimes the only thing I know for sure is that I want to go somewhere away from my house, without my kids

Well, I think those are enough to start with, don't you? I'm excited to be working towards some positive outcomes for myself and our family.

What about you guys? Have you set any resolutions you feel like sharing? Or are you like I normally am and keeping your resolutions close to the vest?

My Dad's Hands

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:59:00 +0000

A (blurry) picture of a picture of my family when I was about 5 or so. You can see my Dad's hand on my shoulder.

A few days ago, I received a call from my mom at about 10 p.m. She was at the hospital with my Dad. He had a stroke as they were leaving the women's minimum security prison where they do church work and was rushed to the hospital.

He was transferred to a big hospital in Seattle that night. The clot of blood in his brain that caused the stroke had burst. Now it is just a matter of keeping his blood pressure down, waiting for his body to absorb the excess, and hoping that he can heal. His left side has been greatly affected--he can't wiggle his toes or fingers, move his arm or foot, or feel touch on his left side. He is very, very tired, and his speech is slurred. He can't eat normally yet, and gets most of his calories via a feeding tube that gives him what the nurses jokingly call "chocolate milkshake."

His doctors and nurses are very capable and kind, and between my mom, my brother and my nephew, he has had around-the-clock care.

I've been to visit him three times so far. The first day, I felt fine. In fact, I felt bad that upon leaving the hospital, my thoughts immediately turned to what I should make for dinner for my family. How can a person simultaneously cope with something huge and be worried about dinner at the same time?

The second day, what is going on really hit me for the first time. When I came in his room, he woke up a little. As I approached his bed, he reached for my hand with his right hand and pressed it to his lips. I sat down next to him, and tried to make small talk as he held my hand. He made a couple of jokes in his slurred speech about how he's felt better, and then grew quiet. His eyes were on me, although he seemed to be struggling to focus. Finally, his eyelids started to close and he fell asleep.

He fell asleep holding my hand.

We held hands as he napped, and I looked at his hand on mine. The IV tape made the skin under it look whiter and smoother than the rest of the skin on his hand and arms. I let my mind wander.

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by my Dad's hands and arms. They were so much bigger than mine, first of all. I remember when my whole fist could fit curled up with his big hand all around it. His hands could do amazing things like drive a nail in a board with one blow of his hammer, but still manage to do gentle things like deftly remove slivers from my toes when I spent much of the summer barefoot.

Dad's arms were always so strong. When he came home from work, we ran to meet him and jumped all over him like a pack of playful wolves. After we grew tired of the tickling and play wrestling, he sometimes caved into our demands that he flex his muscles. When he did, all four of us hung onto his biceps, trying with our little fingers to flatten his muscles. It never worked, but that was okay--we all ended up in a heap of giggles, so proud of our papa's strength. When he would give hugs, they were big, strong hugs that blew half the wind right out of you.

The other thing that made his arms interesting to me as a kid was his tattoo on his right forearm. I know tattoos have become so common that they are pretty ho-hum these days, but when I was growing up, tattoos were somewhat rare and spoke of rebellion and a checkered past--both kind of fascinating to contemplate, especially in your own dad. On warm summer days, I liked to watch him fold up his long shirt sleeves carefully to 3/4 length--about 2 1/2 times--just enough that you could just see his tattoo peeking out under his cuff on his forearm. It always made me smile/snicker to hear little children see his tattoo and ask, "What's that?" and then hear his classic reply, "That's a mistake. It's just a mistake."

Dad worked outside in the days long before sunscreen was a given. He wasn't a shirt-off kind of hooligan when he worked, so that meant he always had a ragin' farmer's tan. When we went swimming as a family, we kids were always amazed at the impossible contrast between his forearm and his upper arm. He always pretended to think it was funny when we teased him about it.

Maybe some of the most tender memories I have of my father's hands are when he would hold each of my newborns with such gentleness and expertise. He liked to hold the babies in front of him and look in their eyes, talking to them in a quiet voice. When my oldest was born, we were actually living with my parents since the baby was due right after the end of a school semester and before we were heading off to an overseas internship in Germany. When Brendan was finally born, he was fussy and I was inexperienced--we were a pitiful pair. My Dad had just had a hip replacement, so he was something of a captive audience. He would willingly hold Brendan on his lap, and gently keep his binky in his mouth so I could grab a quick shower and feel sort of human again.

His doctors can probably cite cases like his where patients have experienced recovery, but also those who have not. I feel like at minimum, our family has been put on notice, and it is a blessing to be able to have more time with him. However, if this is his time to go, I feel ready to say good-bye if I need to. I love him, and he loves me. We have a little understanding, the two of us...

And I know that this is not the end for him or for our family--he's just closer than we are to a glorious beginning. He is truly in God's hands.

In the meantime, his hand still feels warm and comforting as it holds mine. I don't know what the next weeks and months will bring, but for now, that is enough.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! On a fripperious note, (yes, just made that word up right now) I like how our Christmas card turned out this year. Brendan used Photoshop to create our card based on my specs. He's taking a graphic design class at school, and I finally feel like his education is paying off :). Yes, it's all about me...

We only had to do one head swap--can you tell which one? I love that that lush green backdrop is our own backyard. I feel so blessed to live in such a green and beautiful part of the world.

Speaking of blessings, Christmas always makes me feel such a sense of abundance. Being with loved ones, keeping meaningful traditions, eating crazy amounts of tasty treats (well, maybe that's not such a great type of abundance ;) ).

We celebrated Christmas Eve by having a dinner with my parents, my uncle and brother. After dinner, we played a zany musical chairs game while singing "The 12 Days of Christmas". Then Aaron read Eugene Field's poem "Just 'Fore Christmas" (a tradition in his family and now ours). The kids acted out the nativity while we read Luke 2, like we do every year.

Then we sang "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night) as a family to honor our German roots, particularly my paternal Grandmother whose parents both came from Germany and who sang "Stille Nacht" every Christmas when my Dad was a boy.

The history of this world-famous song is lovely. A pastor of a small town in Austria, Joseph Mohr, was planning Christmas Eve Mass. He was worried because his church's organ has been damaged by flooding. He unearthed a poem he had written several years before, and asked a friend of his (Franz Gruber) to set it to music. Gruber was able to write the song and perform it (with guitar accompaniment) that night. The rest is history.

The German hymn has six verses (compared to the English version's three). It is interesting to see the literal translation of the hymn--the meaning is quite a bit different from the English version we normally sing.

1. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. Holder Knab im lockigten Haar, Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!	1. Silent night! Holy night! All are sleeping, alone and awake Only the intimate holy pair, Lovely boy with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace!
2. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Gottes Sohn! O wie lacht Lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen Mund, Da schlägt uns die rettende Stund´. Jesus in deiner Geburt! Jesus in deiner Geburt!	2. Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, O how he laughs Love from your divine mouth, Then it hits us - the hour of salvation. Jesus at your birth! Jesus at your birth!
3. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Die der Welt Heil gebracht, Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt seh´n Jesum in Menschengestalt, Jesum in Menschengestalt	3. Silent night! Holy night! Which brought salvation to the world, From Heaven's golden heights, Mercy's abundance was made visible to us: Jesus in human form, Jesus in human form.
4. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Wo sich heut alle Macht Väterlicher Liebe ergoß Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß Jesus die Völker der Welt, Jesus die Völker der Welt.	4. Silent night! Holy night! Where on this day all power of fatherly love poured forth And like a brother lovingly embraced Jesus the peoples of the world, Jesus the peoples of the world.
5. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Lange schon uns bedacht, Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit, In der Väter urgrauer Zeit Aller Welt Schonung verhieß, Aller Welt Schonung verhieß.	5. Silent night! Holy night! Already long ago planned for us, When the Lord frees from wrath Since the beginning of ancient times A salvation promised for the whole world. A salvation promised for the whole world.
6. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Hirten erst kundgemacht Durch der Engel Alleluja, Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah: Jesus der Retter ist da! Jesus der Retter ist da!	6. Silent night! Holy night! To shepherds it was first made known By the angel, Alleluia; Sounding forth loudly far and near: Jesus the Savior is here! Jesus the Savior is here! from About.com

I am so grateful for the Christmas season--for the chance to glory not only in the abundance of friends and family, gifts and treats, but in the abundance of life that only comes through Jesus Christ.

In case you are like me and can't get enough of great Christmas music, here is a link to a video of the Thomanerchor (St Thomas Boy's Choir) singing "Stille Nacht".

Merry Christmas!

Some Last Minute Fun--It's not too late!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin S.) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:45:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! Are you having fun yet? :)

If not, here's an idea that I think is appropriate until New Year's at least.

We made gingerbread houses a few nights ago. In the past, we've done gingerbread houses the hard way (homemade royal icing and homemade gingerbread pieces) and the easy way (canned frosting and graham crackers). This year, we tried a hybrid approach that worked really well--homemade icing and graham crackers.

The icing only takes about five minutes to make, but it allows the pieces to stick together sooooo much better than canned or buttercream frosting.

A recipe for it is here or here.

I've found the best way to use the icing is to fill individual sandwich-size ziploc baggies and snip the corner off. Voila! Your own icing bag.

I love the feeling of having our whole family in absorbed silence, doing something at the same time.

Usually that only happens when we are eating an especially good meal :).

I bought a few $1 bags of candies, some M&M's and we used up the last of our Halloween candy to decorate these beauties.

So, they turned out something like this.

Kidding, kidding. This is a picture of a group of gingerbread houses one of my best friend's mom did for the Salt Lake Festival of Trees about five years ago. She is a gingerbread artist (pronounced (ar-TEEST, in case you're wondering). So amazing and precise.

This is how ours really turned out.

My house. I loved my dutch door and rail fence :).

Damon--a demented but proud decorator.

Sawyer, who was so excited he was in constant motion (even as I tried to snap his picture).

Lukas, who made me take about 7 pictures of his house, to capture the different angles.

Sophie, whose house was probably the most detailed, and who totally hogged the red and green M&M's :).

Brendan's was probably the most architecturally correct, complete with chimney, etc.

Maybe next year I'll make real gingerbread again*. But I have to say that spending only 10 minutes (rather than 2 hours) for my family to have an hour and 1/2 of fun together is a pretty good trade-off.

What about you? Have you made gingerbread houses this year?

*Or, I might buy the ones at IKEA--I saw them there the day after we made ours. $3.99 for a whole house of gingerbread pieces (not including candy and icing, which I like to buy myself anyway).