Wit, Wisdom, & Whining

Since I Got Tagged...

Here you go, Lynn...thought I would put it here instead of on FB, to kill two birds with one stone.  : )

1. What time did you get up this morning?

9:15 am (the kids are at Grandma's!)

 

2. How do you like your steak?

Rare

 

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Eclipse...is it bad it has been that long?

 

4. What are your favorite TV shows?

Modern Family, The Office, 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, House, and anything on TLC or HGTV.

 

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I like Illinois, except for the winters.  I would spend the winters in Las Vegas to see friends

 

6. What did you have for breakfast?

A slice of cinnamon bread and glass of orange juice

 

 7. What is your favorite cuisine?

Sushi-- and I tried to have it for lunch today, but they were not open!  Ended up at a Chinese buffet that just didn't compare (although it was good)

 

8. What foods do you dislike?

Raw crunchy onions, pepperoni, and cilantro (I am allergic to cilantro)

 

9. Favorite Place to Eat?

Kinta Sushi, Ron of Japan, or Bandera

 

10. Favorite salad dressing?

Creamy garlic

 

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?

Honda Odyssey

 

12. What are your favorite clothes?

Comfy-- black yoga pants and a tank top

 

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

I always like to go to Italy to see our family, but I would love to go somewhere tropical that has great diving.  We are considering Belize for our anniversary next summer

 

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

Always half full.  Even when life stinks, I know that God is using it to teach me something and I find the positive

 

15. Where would you want to retire?

Somewhere warmer than here...if possible!

 

16. Favorite time of day?

7:00 pm-- kids are bathed and smell good, the kitchen is cleaned up from dinner, the homework is done and things are ready for the next day...just get to read a book with the kids and relax

 

17. Where were you born?

Morris, Illinois

 

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Hockey

 

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?

You know who you are

 

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?

Nobody (lol)

 

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?

All of you

 

22. Bird watcher?

Occasionally....some beautiful cardinals around lately.  My daughter has really gotten into bird and would love one as a pet

 

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?

Night-- for sure. 

 

24. Pets?

3 cats, 1 dog, 1 snake, 1 frog, lots of fish

 

25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share?

Looking forward to going to Disney World over Christmas with the kids this year!

 

26. What did you want to be when you were little?

Veterinarian.  I became a birth junkie instead

 

27. What is your best childhood memory?

Going boating with my parents on the Illinois river

 

28. Are you a cat or dog person?

Cat

 

29. Are you married?

Yes- going on 10 years

 

30. Always wear your seat belt?

ALWAYS!!  

 

31. Been in a car accident?

A couple.  One with a deer when I was 21 and heading back to college.  Once where I rolled my car four times through a ditch and was lucky to survive.  A couple of times I have been rear-ended.

 

32. Any pet peeves?

People who drive in the right lane and want to go straight when I want to turn right on red.

 

33. Favorite pizza topping?

Fresh mozzarella, tomato, proscuitto, and arugula -- mmmm...

 

34. Favorite Flower?

Pansies and orchids

 

35. Favorite ice cream?

Tiramisu gelato

 

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?

McDonald's

 

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?

Never.

 

38. From whom did you get your last email?

Facebook alert

 

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?

Hm.....Pottery Barn

 

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?

Went to a crazy halloween party last night dressed as an 80's rock girl

 

41. Like your job?

Yes- love what I do.  There is nothing better than bringing babies into the world.

 

42. Broccoli?

Yes- I love almost all green veggies

 

 43. What was your favorite vacation?

Our trip to Door County last summer with the kids--simple and fun

 

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?

My husband

 

45. What are you listening to right now?

I can hear birds outside-- the house is quiet with no kids in it

 

46. What is your favorite color?

Orange (right now)

 

47. How many tattoos do you have?

None

 

48. Coffee drinker?

Yes- I love coffee.

 

49. How many children do you have??

Kyle (turning 7 in February)

Erin (turned 5 in July)

Ryan (just turned 1)

25 Random Things

1. When I was in 5th grade, I started playing the clarinet.  I played all the way through high school.  Two great teachers helped me to learn and had a lot of patience.  Mr. Donahue and Mr. Olsen- both of them passed away this year.  : (

2.  I scored at Old Navy today.  They are having a "Kids Shop Free" promotion so when I got a few things for myself for winter (including a great new sweater), the kids got some things free (including a normally $36 wool winter coat for Ryan).  Total before coupon:  $273.00  Total after promotional coupon: $120.

3.  I have been volunteering in my son's first grade classroom and it is really rewarding.  I work on Tuesday mornings from 8:30 until just shy of 10:00 am.

4.  My car is 2,000 miles overdue for an oil change.  It is on my to-do list for this week.  How far is it "acceptable" to go beyond the suggested 3,000 miles?

5.  The Blackhawks are off to a great start-- including my favorite Hawk, Patrick Sharp.  He scored two goals in each of the last two games, and one in the game before that.

6.  I really like when Sharpie scores two goals because that usually makes him the star of the game.  The star each night gets interviewed by the comcast sportsnet guy-- and Sharpie is really "visually pleasing" as Chris would say.  ; )

7.  I am on the quest for the perfect shade of terra cotta for my kitchen.  The new granite countertops get installed on November 2 and I want to freshen things up before then.  It is already orange, but was never quite the shade I was looking for, so I am going to fix that.

8.  Right now, my son is at his first Cub Scout meeting.  I think my husband will come home as the leader since they were really trying to find a few people to help out.

9.  When Ryan recently turned one, I started "Your Birthday Book" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  While I don't want to see him grow up too fast, I can't help but think of what the completed book will be like when he turns 18.

10.  My favorite TV shows lately have been The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family, House, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and anything on TLC (including the addictively-freaky Sister Wives) in no particular order, although I don't really watch that much tv.  ; )

11.  I prepared my first spaghetti squash this week.  Our CSA has brought us one for the last three weeks, so I cooked two.  They were delish with just a little salt, pepper, and butter.  Yum!

12.  I am four classes into a fun Bradley class series.  There are four couples that are all having their first babies.  One is planning a home birth, two are with midwife practices, and one is with an OB.

13.  Kyle brings home books from school to read each night.  They have ALL been about animals lately.  Last night we read about beavers, tonight it was bats, but they are all non-fiction. 

14.  I am trying to decide if I want to run the Chicago Marathon again next year.  The race itself is great, but the training takes up a lot of time.  It also whips my butt into great shape...so I am thinking that maybe I should?  My butt could use a little bit of whipping lately.

15.  My favorite pet is my cat Tinkerbell.  She sleeps by my feet, purrs, and the delight of her life is chasing craft pom-poms around the house.

16.  I have pink hair.  Just one little piece, but it was unusual for me to get a pink hair extension.  I did it to support a local salon in raising funds for cancer awareness this month.  For $10 I got a pink hair extension- the full proceeds went to the charity.

17.  My baby wears cloth diapers and it isn't nearly as much work as I thought it was going to be.  I can't imagine running out of diapers and having to go to the store.  All I have to do is run a load of laundry, which I do every 3 days.  The impact on the environment and my pocketbook are the main benefits. 

18.  This Sunday my church is doing Trunk or Treat, where you dress up your car for Halloween and kids trick-or-treat from the back of it.  I am still looking for ideas on how to dress up our Honda Odyssey, but if you have any ideas, I am all ears.  They are planning on at least 60 cars this year and several hundred children in costume.

19.  Costumes for the kids this year kick butt.  Ryan is going as Charlie Brown.  Kyle is going as Snoopy.  No, Erin would not dress as Woodstock for me, despite my best efforts.  She is going to be a peacock.

20.  Mike and Kyle are home.  Mike is now a Cub Scout leader.  (And I am thrilled that he is being an active and involved dad-- he is great and we are lucky to have him.)

21.  I love crab rangoon.  Last night we had Chinese food and I swear I could have just an order of those for dinner and nothing else if people wouldn't look at me funny.  They are so good.

22.  I don't like dressing up.  I do it because I have to, but I would much prefer if we all just wore black yoga pants or track suits everyday.  I told my husband that if I were to go before him, to please just bury me in my comfy yoga pants and an Old Navy tank top....my most un-sexy outfit as far as he is concerned...

23.  Speaking of, my favorite sweatshirt is MIA.  If I don't find it soon, I am going to be forced to replace it. 

24.  My favorite scripture is Zephaniah 3:17.

25.  In case you don't feel like looking up Zephaniah 3:17, it says: The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

 

Italian Adventures (Part two)

Can you see highlights of Florence in a day?  The answer is yes, when you had originally planned on going to Pisa for a day trip (skipping Florence entirely), but then change your mind and take an open bus tour over and over.....

After the train ride from Chiusi in Tuscany to Florence, no one really wanted to spend more time on a train.  And, the trip to Pisa and back was going to be a few hours....plus, we were booked on a train going out of Florence later that evening to Venice, where we would spend a couple of days....more train.  We opted to skip Pisa...the tower is still leaning, I am told.  ; )

So, what did we see? 

 Well, from my dad's point of view (which was very comical on tours)...we saw this..."the lady with the rock on her head"....at least 10 times.

 
And, we saw a statue of a naked guy in bronze...some refer to him as "David".

 
Some pretty views of the city of Florence...

 
Some cute kids...

 
A great new pair of shades...love these designer Italian sunglasses.

 
The Duomo....a building with more stairs than anyone would ever care to climb, in my opinion...

 
My son??  What is he wearing???  (Oh, that is just the apron that everyone who comes here takes a picture in...but no one actually buys!)

 
And to end the day, a great pair of knockers....

 
For some reason, my kids were taking lots of pictures of doors. 

Part 3 coming!

 

 

Italian Adventures (Part 1)

So, we finally got our pictures transferred from the camera cards to the computer. This was more complicated than it should have been since my laptop doesn't seem to like these huge files coming in swarms....of over 1,000 images (at 15 megapixels each).  We ended up putting the images on the kids' computer- so this is the second time I started this post...as the first time, a kid came by and closed it without saving it.  : (

So, anyway-- Italy.

We left on our trip on September 1 and were gone nearly 3 weeks, coming home on September 20.  On the first day, we left our house in the early afternoon and had a 5 pm flight out of O'Hare direct into Rome's Leonardo Di Vinci airport.  You know how they say that "getting there is half the adventure"?  Well, I think that is true, especially when you are travelling internationally with three small children.

Without children, security is merely a minor inconvenience.  With kids, it seriously takes like a half an hour.  The whole group had to remove shoes, jackets, and take out all electronic gadgets (including laptop, nintendo ds, etc). All snacks I was bringing for the baby (yogurt, organic juices) had to be swabbed- and since I was bringing them, I was subject to the full security pat-down, because apparently, one sign that a tourist might be a potential terrorist is the fact that they are carrying a jar of baby food AND ALSO a baby for a 10 hour flight.  Just getting to the gate was actually such an accomplishment that my mom decided it should be celebrated. 

 
Since this draft beer at the airport was $8, we let her celebrate on her own, but may have snagged a couple of small sips.

So, we board the plane- and Erin soon learns that we didn't actually purchase a seat for Ryan, but instead had developed an (ingenious) plan to put her in Ryan's carseat for take-off, so we could eventually move him into that seat for sleeping purposes-- while she would share Kyle's seat. 

 
She was not down with my plan and screamed at the top of her lungs, "let me out of here" for the first half hour of the flight until a random "allergic reaction to travel" required that I give her a Benadryl strip.  At that point she became much more compliant with our requests and slept for the duration of the trip!  (Imagine our surprise).

So, nearly 10 hours after starting out, we arrive in Rome.  The kids were great for most of the time and my parents weren't too bad either.  : )  After heading through the Italian "dogana" or customs, which were quite different than in the US, with "Go through this door if you have something to declare" and "Go through this door if you do not have anything to declare" with NO ONE WORKING at either door, we were greeted by Mike's dad, Byron, and step-mom, Maria.

After some greetings, everyone except me headed off with them in their cars they had brought to pick us (and our stuff) up.  I stayed back to wait at the airport for a little adventure of my own with Steve and Brooke, who would both be on one of the next flights to arrive.

Once they cleared customs, we found the local train and took it from the airport to Roma Termini, which is the main train station in Rome.  We had a few extra minutes, so we grabbed some paninis, sodas, and a beer for Steve, and took them on our next train ride with us to Chiusi, which my brother fondly pronounced "cheesy", where we would pick up our rental car.

The only thing about trains and beers...you have to bring your own opener, evidently.  Steve didn't consider that and after trying everything that Brooke and I had in our purses, gave up in defeat and put the bottle back in his duffle bag, only to have it leak in their on its own the entire time....beer dripped from his bag at the rental car place-- I was hoping they didn't notice.  I don't have picture of this, but Brooke does!

So, we get our car, and with a minimum amount of getting lost, that did involve many crazy turns, parking, and driving on streets the width of a stairwell, in a stick-shift Lancia Delta, we made it to our destination: Agriturismo San Gallo in Toscana.  The rest of the family was there waiting, and the reunion was great-- the kids were thrilled to see their cousins, and I couldn't wait to see the apartments that I had chosen after only seeing them online...ended up- they were beautiful, and so was the view!

 
There is nothing quite like the Tuscan countryside- except for a place to view it from poolside with your family and some of the region's best vino rosso!

 
Brooke and Steve are quick to adjust to the Italian lifestyle, but Steve, upset about his beer on the train, or lack of beer, really, decides a Peroni is his beverage of choice...and he shares with Ryan (well, sort of).

 
The funny think about this picture is that I have almost the same exact one of him with Kyle when he was this age- only with a Miller Lite in my old living room...going to have to get him this one in a frame to put next to that one. 

So, after some relaxation by the pool, and exploring San Gallo, we had a great dinner that Maria cooked- she brought ingredients to make so many good things that we hardly ate out while in Tuscany except for lunches.  Since she owns her own restaurant, Vecchia Maremma, and is about the most amazing cook around, we were fine with that.  Yum!  We had lots of fun visiting before turning in for the night, pleasantly "happy" from red wine.

The kids, thrilled to be with their cousins, were up early the next morning.   Here are Kyle and Erin wtih Matthew and Sarah.

 

Who was with these kids?  Nonno.  Mike's dad had gotten up to see the farmer for some eggs to make the crew breakfast. 

 

After breakfast, we set out to enjoy the nearby town of Montepulciano-- probably my favorite spot in all of Tuscany, and the one I will go back to every time I visit Italy, regardless of how many times I have seen it.  Going there is like entering a time machine-- the stone streets, rock-covered buildings-- nothing has changed in hundreds of years.  Lined with small shops selling gelato, wine, sausages, cheese, pasta-- anything you can think of...it is a fun place to spend a day.   It is also where they filmed one of my favorite movies....

 
Contrary to popular belief, it was not Volterra....although Brooke and I didn't know that and went to see Volterra a few days later anyway....that is another story for another blog post.

So, in order to investigate all that Montepulciano had to offer, we tasted wine and toured several wineries.  Here are Mike, his brother, Sergio, and our niece, Sarah.

 

While I was in Italy, I was also on an assignment.  When I asked my best friend what she wanted for me to bring her back, I was surprised when she responded with pictures...she is a photographer.  Why would she want pictures?  But, I accepted my task and took the pictures she wanted-- of doors.  I took over 100 pictures of doors all through Italy.  But, here is one of the ones I liked best from Montepulciano.

 
While on our trip, we tossed the diets aside and enjoyed lots of gelato-- so many good flavors, I can't even tell you.  I know I had limoncello, nutella, fragola, nociola, fiordalatte, tiramisu, and so many other great ones.  Ryan loved it the most I think.  He had some of Mike's chocolate and then begged Kyle for some of his too!

 
Before we knew it, the day was coming to an end.  We headed back to San Gallo, taking pictures along the way of the beautiful sunset.  We relaxed a while and then grabbed some pizza at a nearby ristorante. 

The next day, my parents and in-laws (and Kyle and Erin) spent the day at the terme, or bath, relaxing in a spa-like environment.  Mike and I headed out for the day with Steven and Brook (and Ryan) to visit Volterra and San Gimignano.  While we were sad to find out that New Moon only used the NAME Volterra, but actually filmed in Montepulciano, Volterra was a beautiful city, famous for its alabaster....which is ironic, because isn't that what Edward feels like?  : )

San Gimignano did not disappoint-- with more towers still standing than any other hill town, there were breath-taking views everywhere you looked. 

 
There was also one of the largest Italian beers Steve had seen thus far...he was excited.

 
One last big family dinner ended our day, and then we were departing Toscana for Firenze.  But wow-- it was beautiful.

 
 

Part two coming!

 

Using What You Have....a 3 week challenge....

Ever come home from the grocery store, loaded down with full bags to realize that you really don't have room to put the things you just purchased away?

When that happens, there are two reasonable options...1) completely gut your kitchen, remodel it, and add more cabinet space or 2) go through your cabinets, inventory the foods you have both in there and in the freezer and plan meals to use some of these items before purchasing more.  My husband wasn't keen on the first idea (although I would LOVE the granite countertops I was promised when we bought this house over 5 years ago....) so I opted for #2 today.

Normally, when I plan our family menu for the week, I flip through cookbooks and food magazines, searching for a few fun recipes that I would like to try.  I arrange them throughout our week (with the more time-consuming dishes on nights that I have more time and the quick-and-easy meals on nights that I have meetings or Bible study.)  I then throw together an ingredient list, leaving off the things I know I already have in the cabinet, and head to the store.

We have had some great things lately- over the last two weeks, I have made:

Fish Tacos with Coconut RIce and Fruit Salsa

Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf (to die for!), Cheese Grits, and Baked Asparagus

Spaghetti with Artichokes and Tomatoes, Garlic Bread, and Salad

Grilled Chicken, Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry, and Rolls

Pork Marsala with Mushroom Noodles, Green Beans, and Salad

Hamburgers on the Grill, Corn on the Cob, and Baked Beans

Chicken Pomodoro with Angel Hair Pasta, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Classic Pot Roast with Fresh Vegeables, Mashed Potatoes, and Rolls

Macaroni and Cheese Soup, Homemade Chicken Tenders, and Salad

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti Casserole, Rolls, and Salad

All of these things-- found on food blogs, from cook book pages, and magazines like Cuisine at Home are great-- but they were sending me to the store to buy ingredients that I might not have already had.  This week, I want to try to challenge myself to use what is already in the cabinet.

Thus begins, the THREE WEEK CHALLENGE.

For three weeks (well, now through the end of the month), I am going to commit to spending less than $50 a week on groceries for the whole family (excluding Oberweis). 

This is definitely possible as I cleaned out/organized our big freezer in the garage this morning and we have over 50 pounds of ground beef, 6 arm/chuck roasts, several packages of beef stew meat, 6 packages of round steaks, two pork tenderloins, 10 pounds of Italian sausage, 6 packages of brats, 4 pounds of bacon, 25 pounds of breakfast sausage, 2 cured ham roasts, 3 packages of butterfly pork chops, 5 pounds of salmon, a 2 pound bag of shrimp, and more-- isn't it pathetic to have all of that and be out buying more?  And, that is just the freezer.

So, this week's menu is using things up that we already have and only buying a few minimal ingredients to make them into healthy and tasty meals. 

Today for lunch, I cooked a pack of brats-- and they were tasty and a great alternative to the ham sandwiches or wraps we eat most of the time.  Here is the rest of the week:

Wednesday: Chicken Roulades with Spinach and Ricotta, Wild Rice, Rolls, and Salad

Thursday: BLT Pasta, Garlic Bread, and Salad

Friday: Mixed Antipasti, Butternut Squash Risotto, Seared Steaks, Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus, and Chocolate Mousse (company is coming over...)

Saturday: Grilled Pork Loin, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Rolls

Sunday: Italian Beef Sandwiches and Parmesean Potatoes

This involves purchasing only a few ingredients: a fresh tub of organic mixed greens ($4 at Costco), a loaf of Italian bread (unless I get adventurous and make my own-- which I just might!), a small baguette, 1/2 pound of prosciutto, fresh asparagus, a pack of bittersweet chocolate chips, and a small container of heavy whipping cream.  Total-- about $20.

Other essentials: turkey or ham and cheese for sandwiches and sandwich bread-- less than $10.

The garden is still full of tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, carrots, and herbs.  Cabinet is crammed full of pasta, rice, lentils, and all kinds of good things that are just waiting to be used.

Wanna join the challenge? 

Even better, at the end of the challenge, I can donate the difference to where it will make a difference.  Can you do that too?

Fall Means Food

Well, when you are a foodie it does. 

In the summer it is too hot to cook a lot of lengthy meals.  Most of the things we eat when the heat is cranked up are off of the grill and out of the garden.  They are great- but for a person with a love of cooking and all things food, it gets old.  But, then fall comes around.

There is nothing better than the smell of apples cooking down on the stove, on their way to becoming apple butter or a pie.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices float through the air and out the windows.  Neighbors practically show up at the door asking to come inside for a sniff. 

This fall, we had the chance to pick apples at my parent's house.  Picking apples at the local orchards is fun (for a photo opportunity) but you just can't beat the apples my parents grow organically and let us pick as many as we want of (for free!)  So far, I have cooked and processed nearly 80 pounds of them into so many jars of apple butter I am giving it away to anyone who will take it.  I also made a couple of pies and crisps, and several large jars of applesauce.  For those asking me for recipes, here you go!

Apple Butter Recipe:

Start with freshly picked and rinsed apples.  These are the kind we picked.  I would tell you what kind they are if I actually knew.  My parents don't know either.  When I asked last time, the response I got was, "red ones".

So, rinse these bad boys and then cut them into quarters.  Leave the skin, leave the seeds, even the stems....you can cut out any bad spots or insects though.  For every four pounds of apples that will fit in your pot (I use my handy dandy food scale for this), add 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar.

Let them simmer down for nearly an hour.  Remove from heat and let them cool for a while (apple burns are no fun-- just ask Barb.  She suffered a tragic burn last week making caramel apples).  When the apples are at a safe temperature for handling, spoon the contents into a food mill and work them through.  This is when the seeds, stems, and skins come out-- but by keeping them in during the cooking process, you are getting the benefit of much of the pectin they contained.

Add your puree back to your stock pot and on low to medium low heat, begin cooking your apple sauce into apple butter.  Add 1 cup of white sugar for every 2 cups of apple puree.  Some recipes I have seen call for more of this, but I like to use as little as possible- you can add more if you like it sweeter or if you think the apples you had were not quite sweet enough.  Also, at this point, begin seasoning your mix.

My favorites are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice- but mostly cinnamon.

As it cooks, it will thicken and start to turn from yellow, to golden, to brown.  When it is dark brown, it is ready to go into jars.

This is not ready.  This is barely starting to turn brown.  I think I cooked this 8 more hours before it was finally done.  I then ladled it into sterilized canning jars, put on loose lids, and processed the jars in batches of boiling water for 15 minutes each.  Now, if you make your own English muffins, (we use Alton Brown's recipe), there is simply nothing better.

Any more apples?  Make this.

Apple Crumb Pie-- the secret?  Add a little almond extract to your apple mix....delish!

Coming soon-- Italy, making Pumpkin Ravioli, Pumpkin Patch, etc...not sure if I am ever going to catch up.

One Already

So, it seems like this was yesterday.

But, that was October 6, 2009.

Which means....my "baby" is one.

No more snuggly little newborn...no more potted plant.  Gone are the days of the "sit and stare"...here are the days of getting into everything.

Including the green turtle cake the kids and I made for him.

 

But, with being done with baby days, we are now able to enjoy toddler days.  Now we get belly laughs when he thinks he is getting tickled, to play with all sorts of fun new toys, and to watch him taking those first tumbly steps.

I think this is going to be fun too.  It was before.

Do these two look familiar?

Kyle (circa 10 months)

Erin at age one.

We have done this before!  : )

While we Wait....A Few Confessions

So, you are still waiting for recipes and our trip to Italy...they are coming.  Promise.  They just take a while when there are seriously over 800 photos to sort through!  Be patient-- and, in the meanwhile, ten juicy confessions about life right now.

1) Sleep.  I am trying to figure out if I am getting enough of it right now.  Lately I have had many afternoons that I just want to curl up and take a nap-- unfortunately, that doesn't work well when one has three children who are all home at that point and need help with homework or need entertained, or need you to remove small choking hazards from their mouth... Does the change of seasons to fall, the days getting shorter, and more gray skies make you want to take a nap?  Maybe it isn't lack of sleep but just wanting to sleep more in this weather.  Hmmm...

2) I had a throw-down with Petco last week.  Yep.  Petco.  I took Daisy to get her groomed before I was to pick up Erin and Cole from school.  I had made an appointment before I went over and everything was fine...right?  No.  When I got there, baby in tow, with 15 minutes until I had to pick up kindergarteners, they informed me that her rabies shot had expired two days ago.  They could not groom her.  (Or maybe these people just didn't want to do any work that day?)  So, I came home, picked up the kids, and called the vet.  They had a cancellation so I took her over to get her shots updated.  Now, with three kids in tow and a wet leash (because my dog can't hold her bladder in the car and had peed in the cargo area-- which is why we have a rubberized cover back there), I get to the vet where $250 later, my dog is ready to go.  Enroute to return her to Petco to get her groomed (she was really stinky and shedding like crazy), they tell me that they can't see her until 48 hours after she has had her shots...as per their policy, which no one told me earlier?  Really?  I chewed out the manager-- it was 2 days since her vaccine expired.  Did they really think there was some four day lapse in coverage?  Arg.  Need to find new dog groomer.

3) October 3.  It is October 3 and I haven't figured out Halloween costumes for my kids yet.  Normally, I have these picked out and ordered in late August.  Being gone for most of September has got me behind.  And, I have to figure out what we are all going to be this year since the kids are trick-or-treating and Mike and I are going to a couples' Halloween party.  I saw a cute frog costume for Ryan.  Anyone got any good ideas for the rest of us?

4) Hockey is back.  : )  The Blackhawks have been getting going for the year and I have loved watching it, although I find it kind of sad that a lot of the Stanley Cup winning team is no longer in Chicago.  I get very attached to players and it is hard to see them go-- at least they kept Sharpie though, my very favorite guy.  He got married over the summer, by the way.  (Just in case you were wondering if that yummy guy was single...he is not.)  ; )

5) Dave's balls.  That is for a friend who will laugh uncontrollably when she reads this.  She knows who she is.  For the rest of you, sorry- you missed the best laugh I have had in 10 years or more.  Wow- those kinds of laughs are soul-cleansing.

6) Twins.  Twins.  Two sets of identical twins.  I love my small group I get to work with at Elevate, our church's junior high ministry.  I have had the joy of guiding this group of girls for the past two years, as they went through sixth and seventh grade-- now they are eighth graders.  And some new ones have come too.  I always had one set of identical twins (Kendall and Paige) that I struggled to keep straight.  Now, I have a second set (Sarah and Lina) that are even tougher.  Anyone got any tips?  Would tattooing them be frowned upon?  : )  In November, our group is going to Breakaway Camp at Camp Timberlee in Wisconsin-- I can't wait to go spend some more time with my girls.  They grow up way too fast.

7) A guy named Steve Wiggins sang at our church this morning-- a Dove Award winner, and North Shore Willow guy, he was great.  He sang with a raspy voice and a guitar melody that drew me in.  I loved the lyrics to this song, A Faith That is Real, that he sang:

Consider it joy when the trials of life are upon you,

Remember: a promise is given to all who endure

Bringing wisdom, filling completely...

With a faith that is real, a faith that is true

The source of strength to carry me through

When what I believe is not what I feel, I hold on...

With a faith that is real.

Tossed by the wind and the waves, I have been double-minded,

Faithless and doubting, til you taught me how to believe

You are my anchor!  Lord, I can trust you!

Oh Lord, I know it is by your grace alone that you saved me

And the good that I do is only becuase you gave me...