Wordless Wednesday (or whatever they call it)

Birthday Aftermath

I thought Gabriella was the highlight of Maryn's bday, until we got trumped by a present from one of her friends on Sat...read below.

I thought some of you may have been curious to know how a party with 9 little 6-7 year old girls would go...we're still alive...no injuries...but lots of screaming, running around, giggling, jibber-jabber about Troy and Sharpay, and of course some tears...was involved. All in all I think the party was fun for Maryn (and hopefully friends). She absolutely LOVED all the attention and having all of her very favorite friends gathered in one place. I guess that made the migraine afterwards worth it.

Party Theme: Pajama Party (compromise on the original sleepover on a Friday night idea for pizza and games on a Saturday in pj's).

Pizza with friends...Maryn at the far end leaning to the right and Avery is top right.

Party Games & Activities: decorating a pillowcase for Maryn, watching HS Musical 2 while intermittantly running wildly throughout the house, playing Twister, doing the limbo (what?!?), playing Telephone, playing ghosts & hunters (made up by Maryn involving the dark, blankets, and flashlights, and 1 crying friend), cake & ice-cream, and presents.

Can I see? Can I see?

Party Highlights: Maryn stealing the show and over-ruling my carefully thought out plan for games & activities, friend of Maryn's insisting on doing the limbo, asking the girls how much money they got from the tooth fairy and 1 yelling out "a fifty!", having the girls actually eat some of the veggie tray in addition to the pizza, and Maryn getting a "Pixel Chix" (of which she has now grafted to her body). It was an afternoon to remember...for all of us!!

What party isn't complete without some tears mingled with chocolate cake & ice cream??? Isn't that how the song goes?

7 Years Ago Today

I actually found myself giggling a little as I fell asleep last night thinking about what a day I had on December 14, 2000, the day that literally changed my life for good. I had gotten up for work…it was around 6:30 am. I remember rushing to the bathroom because it didn’t feel like I was going to make it in time and I didn’t. I thought I had wet my pants, but it was actually my water breaking. I remember sitting there (sorry, gross image) and the trickle not stopping. Hmmm…that’s strange. It’s still really early, I thought. I’m not due for another month practically. (Jan. 8 was my due date and it was Dec. 14th.) I told Mark about it and he mumbled something and rolled back over. I got in the shower. The trickle became a little stronger…with every movement. After I got out of the shower, I called my doctor. He said to go the hospital, that if it was my water breaking we’d have a baby by the end of the day and if not we’d go back home. I told Mark to get ready—grab my hospital bag and put the carseat in the car. He reluctantly agreed. He did not believe we’d have a baby by the end of the day, it was way too early. But I knew it was time…the contractions had started by this time and I was IN labor. We drove the 5 minutes to St. Luke’s and I checked in. It was thrilling, scary and intense all at the same time. I was pretty calm despite the fact that I knew that we were going to have a premature baby. I guess I didn’t understand what all of it would mean. After we got into the triage, the nurse checked to see if my water had broke and what had started as a slow leak was now in fact a waterfall. She basically finished the job and we were ready to go. Mark was in shock…he was both excited and a little overwhelmed at what we were embarking upon. We got a huge birthing room complete with a Jacuzzi, TV, birthing ball, etc. I tried out the Jacuzzi right away. It was nice and relaxing. I spent the next couple hours in and out of the tub. After that, I felt what it really meant to be in labor and breathed my way through another couple hours before I could get my epidural. Sweet epidural. After that I was happy as a clam. I laid in my bed, chatting with my nurse who was from Michigan, and Mark went off to eat lunch. When he got back I remember it was time to start pushing and he smelled like chocolate. I didn’t like him much at that moment. I hadn’t eaten since the night before and it was now around 2:30 pm. I pushed for 3 hours and nothing was happening. Finally the nurse figured it out and with a little adjusting and a vacuum suction cup placed on the baby’s head, out popped our little 5 lb. 12 ounce baby girl!! She started screaming bloody murder instantly and I remember seeing her beautiful rosebud lips curl into a sneer that made my heart sing and melt all at the same time. Even after they placed her on my chest, she screamed. It wasn’t until Mark started talking to her that she calmed down. She recognized his voice and quieted down for a moment and then continued on into her tirade. They cleaned her off, weighed her, and warmed her up. She was a preemie (born at 36 ½ weeks) and very small, but her apgar scores were great. She had strong lungs and good color. They let us keep her and she didn’t need to be whisked away to the NICU. I took a little time being stitched up (had to go back for surgery 3 mos. later anyway), and Mark got to talk some more with Maryn Elizabeth, now only a few minutes old. I held her as they wheeled us up to the recovery floor. We had a corner room and I remember not wanting to ever leave. The three of us there in that tiny little room felt like the most right thing I had ever done in my life. I had a baby by the end of that day, and began a life that I would never trade in a million years.

And as the years have past I have watched Maryn grow. She has always been such a cutie! She is curious and smart. She is affectionate and sensitive. She is social--friendly and warm. She is creative and constantly has marker-stained fingers from all her coloring and drawing. She has the funniest sense of humor and really gets a kick out of making us laugh (ask us about her "tooth" book sometime). She has always been a great big sister…from the time she wasn’t even two and we brought Avery home. She’s been a helper and a strong force for good in our family. She is learning so much this year and I am constantly surprised at how articulate and kind she is becoming. She is a sweetheart and I am thrilled to be celebrating #7 with her this year.

St. Mikolas Day

Check out this festive Czech Christmas tradition:

http://pragueblog77.blogspot.com/2007/12/mikolas-day.html

I meant to post this on Wednesday, as that is the official day they celebrate St. Mikolas Day in the CZ. I was explaining it to the girls and I'm not quite sure they could wrap their little minds around it. It seems pretty straight-forward, albeit completely bizarre, but in my own experience it would often vary (as traditions do) and was left pretty wide-open to interpretation.

First of all, we were instructed by our Mission President not to tract on the 5th of December. Mostly because St. Mikolas rings people's doorbells when he arrives (and so do unsuspecting missionaries) and we would probably cause an all-out wig-out for the kids of the home who would probably be a little disappointed we weren't dressed up in costumes offering candy, etc. "But we have something much better and fulfilling than candy..." Also, something I picked up pretty soon after arriving as a missionary, almost every holiday (and non-holiday) involves lots of alcohol and drunk Czech men and missionaries don't mix. We would see drunk Mikolas's in the town square chasing around the angels and devils (and other innocents bystanders), and our Mission President just didn't want to go there, so he quarantined us. Wise man. But that didn't mean we couldn't observe the crazy Christmas mayhem from our apartment window. (We had a great view of the town square.)

I found this blog entry from a girl's "Prague Blog" (clever, eh?) and it seemed to explain the tradition pretty well. I don't remember the potatoe thing, but I had a pretty limited experience with it as well. In my experience, the angel gave the kids lots of candy, but if the kids were bad, the devil took the candy away. (Insert Count Dracula cackle here...) It was a pretty intense experience for the little kiddos. Some were either left in a sugar-induced stupor or traumatized by visions of devils stealing their candy or giving them potatoes. What!?! (I know, it's not even as weird as their Easter. Remind me to post about that come April.) Anyway, that's St. Mikolas Day, and now it's on to the actual Christmas day (Vanoce) and its' own set of (wacky) traditions. (Because the Santa thing is pretty much over with St. Mikolas, they await their presents being delivered under the tree by Jezisek (yez-ee-shek), the baby Jesus. That's right the baby brings the presents. Hmmm...

Hope you're all having fun with your own holiday traditions!!

When You Wish Upon A Star...

...makes no difference who you are!! We finally made our Disney wishes come true over Thanksgiving weekend. We had a great trip. The weather was gorgeous (mostly low 80's) and the Magic Kingdom was all I imagined it would be.



Friday--
We got into Orlando about 1pm and picked our rental car to drive out to our hotel welcome center (we got roped into one of those time-share thingy's and had to jump through all their (stupid) hoops). After getting our free tix to the park on Sat., we had a simple lunch at the "Biggest McDonald's in the World". It was fun for the girls and M&I got to play Ms. Pacman and Asteroids. We made our way to the Hotel Royal Plaza and unpacked. We settled down for awhile and then hit Downtown Disney for some sight-seeing and then took a Ferry Boat to Old Key West Resort for some fancy (slightly) Carribbean food.



After dinner we returned to Downtown Disney where they were having a kiddy dancy party and Avery jumped right in. After some cojoling and hearing her fave HS Musical song, Maryn finally joined the party too and couldn't drag herself away. It was the funniest and cutest thing I've ever seen. We grabbed hot cocoa from Ghiardelli and walked back to our hotel.



Saturday--
We started with breakfast at Perkins, and then made our way to the Magic Kingdom.



We started with Tomorrowland, had $7 hot dogs for lunch, and then we were onto Main Street USA. After that we started Fantasy Land, but were so exhausted, we called it a day around 6pm. But not before squeezing in a quick visit to Santa. We got back to our hotel and had TGI Fridays for dinner.



Sunday--
We had to go to our (stupid) timeshare thingy at the crack of dawn and left feeling a little used and jaded. We shook it off pretty quickly after getting to the park again and starting where we left off in Fantasy Land. This was our best day because the lines were shorter and we were more prepared. We had lunch with Pinnochio and then continued on into AdventureLand, Liberty Square, and FrontierLand.



We even had time left to go back to Tomorrow Land and finish some rides we missed on Sat.



Before we left we got to see the castle lit up by a swoop of Fairy Godmother's wand and some sweet fireworks too.



We definitely ended it properly. But some of us were more tired than others.



We hit Perkins for a light dinner (after stuffing ourselves with funnel cakes, caramel popcorn, and ice cream at the park on our way out).

Monday--
We had a breakfast buffet at our hotel, and swam in the hotel pool. The heater was broken, and so the water was chilly but still fun for the girls. We checked out and stowed our luggage in our car and hit downtown Disney again to pick up our souvenirs.



We said our final goodbyes to Disney and headed towards the airport where we had Cracker Barrell for lunch. We got back to Detroit around 8pm.

The trip was great. It was a bit stressful at times, but mostly relaxing and exciting and a chance to spend quality time with the girls. We were together constantly and it's the first time in a long time I've been able to just walk around for hours with them holding my hand. I can see why people love it. It's more than the $ it costs to get there, it's really the memories that you come away with that are priceless.

The Trouble With All Of This Lovliness...

...is that it has to be raked up eventually. This is a gorgeous little Japanese Maple tree in our backyard. We barely realized it was there this summer because it is buried beneath some random, huge hulk of a tree that literally overshadows the entire yard (no grass back there either). Anyway, these past couple weeks, the little Maple just popped with color. It's wonderful to look at, but we also came to the harsh realization of how time consuming it can be to clean it all up and dispose of it. [Tangent: Have I ever mentioned the the trash/refuse collection restrictions that are enforced in Livonia? Oh. my. gosh. The list of restrictions is like longer (and probably more boring) than the manuals I write for mainframe software at Compuware! Yard Debris has to be separated from regular trash and clearly marked in an appropriately sized bin. Leaves can be collected in paper bags, not plastic or in "windrows". The list goes on and on literally. I'll stop now.] So you can guess what we did this weekend. About 6 (paper, not plastic) bags later, we are hoping that the snow doesn't come down before the last of the leaves gets scooped up. But it might be nice to have a "white" Thanksgiving.

4 Random Facts about Me

1. I hate roller coasters. I’ve hated them as long as I can remember. All those trips to Cedar Point, I’d be sitting on the bench holding purses, drinks and jackets so everyone else could ride. You know the day after Prom where all the seniors took a trip to Cedar Point? I didn’t go. I’ve stayed away from them for awhile and finally broke down with Mark when we were first dating. We were at the Eastern Idaho State Fair and I didn’t want to seem like a wuss, so I agreed to ride with him and was simultaneously crying and screaming the whole time. We got off the ride and I ran to the bathroom in humiliation and to clean up my mascara-covered face. Needless to say, he still liked me after that, but I swore him to secrecy that he’d never tell his brothers.
2. I rarely puke. I’m not sure about when I was a baby, but as a child I rarely actually vomited. The only incident I really remember was after eating a bad Strawberry Sundae from McDonald’s. It happened in the car on the way home and luckily we had a garbage bag. Because of that incident I think I got stereotyped, but after that I remember not throwing up for a long time. Even when I was pregnant, I didn’t puke, I’d just feel like I needed to all the time.
3. My fingers are funky. I don’t have double joints or toe-thumbs or anything. It’s basically just my index and middle fingers on both hands lean out. So for example, the two fingers on my left hand sway to the left and the fingers on my right hand sway to the right. Who knows why, but it’s like my hands got stuck in a really bad windstorm in utero and are permanently bent. It’s kinda freaky looking.
4. I love thrift stores. I sometimes spend hours perusing them just to relax. When we were living in Twin Falls, they had a thrift store “Rodeo Drive” on Main Street in the old downtown area. I started out at “The Mustard Seed” and then worked my way up through antique shops on either side of the street to “Society of St. Vincent de Paul” and then finished up with the “Idaho Youth Ranch”. Unfortunately the DI was further out, as well as the Salvation Army. I actually had to make specific trips to these stores. Since I’ve been back to Livonia, I’ve found a few regulars…Salvation Army on Farmington and Plymouth, Society of St. Vincent de Paul on Wayne and Hunter, and Value World on Ford and Wayne. I’m still able to satisfy my craving for thrift and finding a great bargain.

Cute Little Things

Avery is doing this funny thing lately where she talks with an accent. It’s not identifiable…not British, or French, or any ethnic stereotypes like you’d imagine, but something consistent and silly in her opinion. I have to admit it’s pretty entertaining when the mood is right. She purposefully mispronounces her s’s and replaces them with “sh” and then kind of puts a southern twang into the word and does this all in a deeper tone than usual. Her favorite word to do this with is “yes”….so it comes out like “yay-ash”. And imagine her sticking out her bottom jaw in a major underbite when she does it. It’s pretty cute.

We were driving to return library books last night and it was warm and cozy in the van. Mark was flipping channels on the radio and I heard some Christmas songs coming from 100.3. He kept going and I immediately told him to turn it back. It only took a fraction of a second for Maryn to shout “WHAT!?!” from the backseat. She not only recognized what she was hearing, but then continued to inform us all that “IT’S TOO EARLY--IT’S ONLY NOVEMBER THE 8th!!” This amused the heck out of me for several reasons. First of all, the fact that she could place a song that quickly…she definitely has gotten my freaky genes for identifying songs, phrases, and faces like a savant. Second of all, that she knew that it was too early…that Christmas is still over a month and a half away, and that if you ingest too much “Christmas” before the actual holiday, you will surely get burnt-out. And lastly, that my little first-grade-know-it-all now knows the precise day and month (from writing it on her papers all day at school). She is a crack-up sometimes!!

And lastly, I called Mark from I-96 around 5:20 to tell him to go ahead and get dinner started. He agreed and when I got home the chicken was defrosted, the oven was preheated, the potatoes were cut (exactly like I asked), he was in process of cutting the “slimy parts” of off the cubed squash, and was getting ready to “drizzle” the olive oil over the vegetables in the roasting pan. It was just so dang cute in it’s own way. I know he knows how important seemingly unimportant things are and he really tries to please me and make sure it’s done the way I like it.

I know it’s probably the same for you all in your own lives. It’s these little things that our loved ones do that make our hearts sing and make us want to shout into the heavens. I’m so grateful to have these people in my life and feel so blessed in so many ways. Every day and every “little thing” is such a treasure.

One-Year Anniversary for Maryn...

...of being lice/nit free. You may recall that it was almost exactly a year ago that Maryn came home with the "scratchy's". My theory now is that it came from that stupid Jack Sparrow pirate hat that was popular last year at Halloween. There was a little boy named Max who was Jack in her kindergarten and he, of course, let everyone try on his nappy, dread-locked, lice-infested disaster. It was only a few weeks after that we started getting the notes in the cubbies to wash all of our linens and winter gear. Then we got the emails from the Center director to treat all family members for preventive measures. Then the Dr. started visiting their class and checking the kids, and teaching the teachers how to check the kids, then the parents, and then the dreaded lice came anyway. As you may recall, that was the longest month of my (and Maryn's) life. It sucked in every way possible. It was incredibly disgusting to begin with...imagining tiny bugs crawling through your hair...laying eggs on your folicles, and those eggs hatching and growing into more bugs. Yuck. It was also incredibly time-consuming. The laundry! Oh, the laundry! It never ended. We bagged up lots of stuff and sent it over to Mom&Dad's, where they washed it and then it just stayed there because I didn't want any kinds of fabric in our house until we were all clear. For a month, we had no blankey's or pillows or stuffed animals to snuggle with while watching TV or reading. It was a cold, spare time. We also had to do the initial shampooing and combing...which literally took us into the wee small hours that first night. We had to go to dr's to get notes, and we had to repeat the nit-checking process every night. The scene went like this...imagine our biggest, brightest lamp, and two chairs. I was in back, Maryn was in front of me. I started at the front of her hair and worked back. Lots of clips held the already checked hair in place, while I combed and separated her fine mountain of never-ending hair with a fine-toothed comb and tweezers. Phrases like "nit-picky" and "lousy" had new meaning for me. But this was not all about me. This was about poor little Maryn too. The poor girl was only 5 at the time, and was forced to sit in that chair while I scraped and pulled and actually plucked out her hair for hours at a time. She had to have the stinky shampoo at bathtime and sleep on plastic tablecloths (at her Dad's). She even had to lie to her teachers a few times because I couldn't afford to take off any more work. She was a real trooper and had to grow up a lot during that month. She also had one of the most spiritual experiences of her life to this point.

We were so exhausted and frustrated with the lice. She used to cry about how much she hated the lice, and why did she have to get it, and she wished she'd never gotten it, and on and on. We started praying more earnestly in our bedtime prayers. Every night. And then every morning. And then at meals. And then before we started the "nit-picking" rituals. Maryn's faith was really tested because after the first time she prayed, the lice didn't go away. I found more the next night. And the night after. They didn't go away as if by a miracle. But they did go away. There were fewer and fewer until they were eventually gone. She learned that Heavenly Father doesn't just take away our trials, and make things miraculously better all at once. But if we are patient and have faith, He hears our prayers, sees our humility, and blesses us. He also gives us trials and experiences to make us stronger and to teach us lessons and to remind us that He is in control.

This is a long story, but the reason it is fresh in my mind is because we had our Primary Program this past month. The topic was "Faith in Jesus Christ". Maryn's class all came up with their own talks. How has their faith in Jesus grown this year? Maryn's teacher asked her class to think about it and she helped them write down their feelings. Maryn's talk went something like this..."I got sick...with head lice...I prayed and it got better." I got a call from one of the Primary Counselors who told me what Maryn was planning on sharing in the Program. She was pretty tentative about it...maybe we could encourage Maryn to choose another experience to share with the entire congregation, she thougt. I concurred. I encouraged Maryn to come up with something different, which she did. However, the new talk never got written down and the original notecard was included in the master Program script. Maryn got to the podium and waited for her teacher to whisper in her ear. She knew it was the wrong talk, but she said the words anyway. "I got sick...with head lice...I prayed and it got better." Of course, she was a little red in the face and the Ward snickered and shot glances in my direction. I knew she knew that it would get this reaction, but she perservered. She got down and returned to her seat. I tried catching her eye, and when we did I gave her a thumbs up and she returned it with her closed mouth little grin. When she came back to our pew after the program ended, she was a little nervous. I told her she did great and gave her a big hug. I think she knew she had done well, and I think both of us realized that this was the talk and the lesson she needed to share that day...unedited and true to life. Maryn's faith in Jesus Christ did grow and for that I am thankful.

All Hallows Eve

Here are the little "ghouls" dressed up for their (short) night of trick-or-treating. We whipped up these costumes from our dress-up box at the last minute because the ones from the trunk-or-treat just wouldn't do for a second run. We were joined by the Griswold's, and Mom & Dad passed out our candy. (Mark was at class that night.) We did a couple streets, and were pooped out pretty early. Things have changed since I was a kid, because the kids got full-sized candy bars at at least 3 or 4 houses. Their loot was seriously enviable this year...lots of chocolate and only one house gave out money, and even that was a quarter and not a bunch of pennies like when I was a kid. The weather was wonderful, and we got back before it was dark.

Halloween 2007=Success.

Trunk-or-Treating Goes Bust

Did every Ward in the country have Trunk-or-Treating on Friday night? Hmmm...that would make an interesting survey, wouldn't it? Is Trunk-or-Treating becoming the millenial version of Ward Dinners??? Seems pretty standard nowadays...a chili cook-off, some cider and donuts, a costume parade, maybe a spook alley in the overflow or some random classroom hosted by the YM, and then the culminating event of stalking members trunks for some CANDY! Yep, we were there too, along with the rest of you, on Friday night at the Westland Stake Center!

Here are the girls getting geared up to go!


We have a "Red Princess" and a "Rock-n-Roll Witch". They have since abandoned the idea of these costumes for the actual Halloween on Wed. Who knows what they'll be then!!


This is Avery and Maryn marching in the "Costume Parade". There were no contests or prizes this year...which is too bad. There were some really original ones. A whole family was dressed up as the cast of Annie, Dad was Daddy Warbucks with a bald "cap" on, Mom was Mrs. Hannigan ( a little on the trampy side), son was "Sandy the dog", and their 3 yr. old actual daughter named Annie, stole the show with a giant red afro and little red dress. But my favorite costume for the night was a little toddler boy dressed up as Tiki Tiki Tembo...I mean come on!! Is that not awesome?!?

Unfortunately the Trunk-or-Treat was a bust because it started raining after the chili cook-off. People scrambled to set up trunks in classrooms and doorways throughout the building, and the kids managed to make it chaos running back and forth multiple times to the same rooms. Oh well. It's all good. The girls came home with a great stash of candy that will be hard not to raid! I guess we're lucky none of it melted! Here's to a Happy and Spooky Halloween on Wednesday night (if you're not Trunk-or-Treated out already)!! Let's see some pictures!!

Fall Family Faves

Awhile back, Melanie suggested we add some "Fall family favorite recipes"...so here's my crack at it. Mind you, I have zero time for creativity or multiple steps. I can hammer these out in about 30 minutes, and everyone is usually satisfied (with minimal whining and bribery tactics).

Sweet Potatoes and Pears (with Pork chops)

3 or 4 sweet potatoes, cut up into chunks or spears
3 or 4 pears, cut up into chunks or spears (could use apples too)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Toss ingredients with olive oil, and salt & pepper in a roasting pan. Do not cover. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are tender. Add a little butter and brown sugar to coat the vegetables if you want a sweeter flavor.

I served this along with just regular pan-fried pork chops with a little seasoning. I think the colors, the flavors, and the roasting really blended well and reminded me of Fall.

Chicken and Couscous

12 (or more) Chicken Tenders (not breaded)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup (fat free, low sodium kind of course!!)
1 tsp. Thyme
About a half a teaspoon of paprika
1 box of plain couscous

Spray down your favorite frying pan, and pan-fry the chicken tenders until pink is gone from the outside and season to your taste with whatever you like. Make sure the pan doesn’t get too dry…add water if necessary. Add the can of Cream of Chicken soup and seasonings over the top of the chicken tenders. Let this simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, also making sure the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile cook the box of couscous according to package directions. When sauce and chicken are done simmering, serve it over a bed of couscous. I usually serve steamed broccoli and cauliflower on the side.

This is REALLY simple (and fast), but is a real family favorite. The girls love the sauce and it keeps the couscous from falling all over the place. You can increase ratios for more people.

My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

½ large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1-2 cups of fresh mushrooms, chopped
Etc. veggies: add another colored pepper or a yellow squash or some carrots if you like…I try to use up my produce when I make this sauce.
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat oil in a large pan, and start sautéing onions and green pepper first. When they have cooked a minute or two, add the zucchini/squash and mushrooms for another minute or so. When veggies are mostly cooked, add the sauce and diced tomatoes. Add the seasonings and simmer for about 10 minutes on medium.

If you want meat/hamburger, you can cook it ahead of the veggies in the same pan, drain and add later.

We usually eat this over whole-wheat pasta, frozen tortellini or ravioli, or sometimes couscous.

1 cup of this sauce is zero points on WW if you keep it vegetarian. This is seriously my secret weapon when I’m trying to lose weight. If you serve even 2 cups of this sauce (1 pt.) over 1 cup of whole-wheat pasta or couscous, you’re still eating only about a 5 points meal, unless you top it with some parmesan cheese, which is always good (and not too bad in points values either). It is very filling and nutritious.

Remember This?

In case you don't, this is the 'ole water wheel at the Franklin Cider Mill. This is what I think of when I think of going to the cider mill as a kid...I remember going on field trips here with classes from Taylor Elementary, I remember going after school with Mom, Ryan, and "the little girls", getting donuts and cider BEFORE dinner, and before Dad got home from work. I remember the old water wheel, watching them mash and squish the apples up into cider and enjoying it with hot, greasy cake donuts.

(This is the apple mash, the cider draining into the final strainer, and view of the 3 Brown Gals on their way into the chaos...)

We took a trip this past weekend, and it was pretty much the same as I remembered. (Except for the crowds and the bees...)

The girls mostly had a good time too. I figured I had to include the cute one of Avery on the left, as the photo on the right is the "not so cute" side of her.

Tools of the Devil

Long lines at Meijer, stop-n-go traffic on 96 (east and westbound), toe holes in a new pair of pantyhose, bacon grease, shower mold, burnt food, a zit in the middle of my face, all-you-can-eat buffets, my alarm clock, crappy service at restaurants, the internet, Secretary of State's office, chapped lips and no carmex...no matter how hard I try to not let these things get the best of me, they do!! They confound me and they exist to torment and inflict serious anxiety in my life. They also exist to make me feel bad about me and life in general. I have a hard time with the fact that there are some yucky things in life that I, in fact, can't control and have to learn to live with...(it's called opposition or adversity, but that's a whole different topic). These things are discouraging. They make even the best days not so great. While I think that many negative things in life can be used as tools of the devil, I failed to take into account the bigger picture.

Discouragement — A Tool of the Devil

Once upon a time it was announced that the devil was going out of business and would sell all his equipment to those who were willing to pay the price.

On the big day of the sale, all his tools were attractively displayed. There were tools of Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, Pride, Idolatry, and others flauntingly exhibited. Each of the tools was marked with its own price tag.

Over in the corner by itself was a harmless looking, wedge-shaped tool very much worn, but bearing a higher price than any of the others. Someone asked the devil what it was, and he answered, "That is the tool of Discouragement."

The next question came quickly," And why is it priced so high even though it is worn more than these others?"

“Because,” replied the devil, "It is more useful to me than all these others. I can pry open and get into a man's heart with that when I cannot get near him with any other tool. Once I get inside, I can use him in whatever way suits me best. It is worn well because it is so easy to use on so many people, and few folks even know it belongs
to me."

I found this analogy in an article recently titled "I Blew It" by Vickey Pahnke Taylor from MeridianMagazine.com. The analogy really hit home. I think I have a discouragement wedge of my own. It's there, I know it. It implants itself deeper and more permanently each time I'm faced with pesky little irritating things or bigger, more menacing obstacles and tribulation. I don't know that I'll ever be able to extract it, it's pretty much there to stay. However, I know I can find a way to live with it, and choose to ignore it and be happy anyway. I know that certain tools that Satan uses, although clever and designed for us individually, don't have to be the (spiritual) death of us. That is part of the test, my friends. Can we live with what we've been blessed with by our loving Heavenly Father and be happy in spite of Satan's attempts to knock us down, and beat us up with his tools??? I'm thinking that we can. It isn't easy to make the choice, but is absolutely something we have the power and ability to do. So, if you're feeling a little like the wedge is inching deeper in your own life, stop it! You can stop the wedge (maybe not pull it out), but stop it by changing the way you're thinking. Think of your greatest blessings and hopefully with each smile that wedge will loosen up a little and be a little more bearable to live with.

Just something to think about...

My latest obsession...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Okay, so I think I mentioned in my last post that things have been a bit slow at work. I found this blog after reading one of Shauna's friends blogs (you know you've read them too!!), and I can't get enough. Her blog series titled "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story" is hypnotic. It reads almost at times like a romance novel, but definitely more down-to-earth. I can't believe this is actually someone's life. It seems so fairy-tale, or horsey-tail as the case may be for Ree. She is a fantastic writer, photographer, and cook!! She also has a separate blog for recipes and cooking. It's equally as hypnotic and something you will love as well.

http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/

I'm totally trying her recipe for the Best Lasagna Ever and her Chocolate Sheet Cake.

I'm warning you however, make sure you have a chunk of time set aside, because you will get sucked in...guaranteed!

If you Google “Suzanne Brown”, this is what you get…

(Bear with me, it’s been a dry spell at work.)

…A lawyer, an award-winning visual designer, an author, an attorney, an actress (who may possibly have taken her clothes off at some point), a diet success story, an artist, a family history buff, a stay-at-home Mom’s club organizer, a book-club organizer, a gallery owner, an English professor, a certified public accountant, a high-school principal, a travel agent, a CRNA who volunteered in Cambodia, a bride, a trust beneficiary, an insurance agent, a photographer...

So who am I? Why wasn’t I among the “Suzanne Browns” on Google? Am I not good enough for Google? So I took a stab at describing myself in a Google synopsis, and here it is:

Mom of two, Wife of one, Daughter of two and Daughter-in-law of two more, Sister of five, Sister-in-law of eleven, Aunt of twenty-seven, Niece of twelve, Cousin of…I can’t count that high, Employee of one company, Teacher of Relief Society, Patient of several Doctors (including a very recently rich allergist) and one Dentist, Head of hair for 1 salon (also very recently rich), Customer of Kroger, Target, Meijer, and Kohl’s (but never Wal-Mart), holder of Livonia library card as well as Zoo, Museum, Compuware Wellness Center, and Family Video memberships, cooker, baker, candlestick maker (just kidding), cleaner, launderer, decorator, organizer, comedian, comforter, nurse, chauffeur, psychiatrist, teacher, student, lecturer (boy do I know how to do that), artist, diet success story (loser of 67 pounds and counting), college graduate, not a sports fan (sorry guys), relaxation enthusiast, runner, temple patron, child advocate, friend to many, helper of whomever I can, disciple of Christ, daughter of God.

After putting it that way, I guess I don’t feel too small for Google.

(Avery and I in our Sunday "matchy-matchy" outfits for Church.)

Fall Open House

Welcome to the Brown's!!

This is a view of our street driving up to our house. I like the colors and the progression of the trees the further you drive...it goes from green, to multi-colored, to just a few red leaves left on the last tree.

This is the front of the house, not much other than a few mums and pumpkins. I'm not crazy about the arrangement yet...maybe we'll get some corn stalks to tie around the pole, and some bigger assorted pumpkins and gourds or something. Then again, we could go the tacky route and get some spider webbing to drape over the bushes and some sweet tombstones to stick in the grass...maybe a bloody mask or something...what do you think?

This is my favorite, tried-and-true Halloween decoration. I made this at a Fall Encrichment Activity with my Mother-in-Law. It took forever to paint all those pieces, but I loved the way it turned out. I've had it since our first Halloween together.

This is the mantle in the family room. (Sorry about the gross soot stains above the fireplace). Anyway, nothing too fancy...I went with just witches (like Mel) and a couple pumpkins. I'm going to replace the red flowers with something more fallish eventually.

And last, but not least this is the creative twist I put on my coffee table centerpiece in the living room. If you look closely, you will see the creepy crawlies peeking out here and there. Something I never would have attempted with toddlers in the house!

Can't wait to see everyone else's decorations...who's next???

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips. ~Author Unknown

(If you look really closely, you may notice a slight tinge of orange around Maryn's mouth from her Chef Boyardee Ravioli lunch before Church, September 23, 2007.)

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us? ~Pam Brown

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison

What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it? ~Jenny DeVries

Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship. ~Margaret Mead

How do people make it through life without a sister? ~Sara Corpening

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden. ~Author Unknown

There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me. ~Mary Montagu



A sister is a forever friend. ~Author Unknown

Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other. ~Carol Saline

Sweet is the voice of a sister in the season of sorrow. ~Benjamin Disraeli

When mom and dad don't understand, a sister always will. ~Author Unknown

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life. ~Isadora James

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. ~Clara Ortega

A sister shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams. ~Author Unknown

It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on... someone to tell on! ~Author Unknown

Sisterhood is powerful. ~Robin Morgan

Sister to sister we will always be, A couple of nuts off the family tree. ~Author Unknown

That last one is my favorite, I think. So I guess I've been thinking a lot about sisters lately...my own sisters and sisters-in-law, the sisters that my own daughters are to each other, as well as the sisters that I see in my own Mother and Aunt. We have such a strong bond. I am so grateful for this blessing in my life. I have felt it's power at some of the hardest times in my life, as well as the happiest. I feel so lucky to be able to share it all with you. I have been so excited to start planning our Reunion for 2008, and then to find out that we're getting a happy little surprise reunion for Mel's bday seriously was the best news I've gotten in awhile!! I can't tell you how much I look forward to seeing all of you, and just being together!! It's a calm amidst the storm, a light in times of darkness, an "event" to look forward to. Does that sound pathetic? I hope not. I just want you all to know how much I love you and appreciate who you are...the examples you show each day in the things that you do and what you stand for. I hope and pray that my girls will have in each other what we do. Here's to Jeff Norman for being the master-mind behind Mel's best bday yet!! I can't wait!!

LOL,
Suzy

Friday Firsts

First Music: I was a child of the 80's, so I went through a Michael Jackson phase. I was a big fan of Whitney Houston too. Other first’s included Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven on Earth” and OMD’s “The Best of OMD”.

First Best Friend: I always had lots of friends, but never one specifically. I remember when I was about 12, Jenny Collier (from church) and I labeled ourselves as best friends and dressed up as Salt & Pepper for Halloween. Later our friendship would crumble over liking the same boy…Jeff Goldman!! She wouldn’t talk to me after she found out he asked me to “go” with him. I broke it off with Jeff after a couple weeks because I felt so bad. She moved away a few months later anyway.

First Book: I remember reading series books a lot like the Little House books, Amelia Bedelia, Ramona the Pest, and Judy Blume in my latter elementary years. When I was in Middle School, it was the Sweet Valley High series!! I remember distinctly checking out Thoreau, Steinbeck, and Lord of the Flies one summer in High School just for the fun of it.

First Car: The first car I bought with my own money was an ’87 Ford Tempo that was red with really faded red velour interior. I called it “Old Red”. It was a stick shift, and Daren taught me how to drive it while I was living with them in Chelsea.

First Job: Chopping onions, slicing bread, selling (and snitching) cookies at the Miami Bake Shoppe (15 years old).

First Date: Buddy Kennedy took me to see his Ypsilanti High School’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors”, Spring 1990.

First "F": Freshman Gym Class because I didn’t want to get my hair wet and I was embarrassed to wear a bathing suit.

First Injury: I broke my thumb playing basketball in gym in the 8th grade at Holmes Middle School. I had to wear an air-cast for months it seemed, and it trapped sweat and stank so bad!!

First Child: Maryn Elizabeth Brown born on the 14th of December, 2000…3 ½ weeks early!! My water broke as I was getting ready for an early meeting at work. She had the prettiest lips and was so small. I was simultaneously freaked out and the happiest of my life.

Avery hits a half-decade!!

(This picture is Avery at the Northville Cider Mill, Sept. 3, 2007--Labor Day)

We celebrated Avery's fifth birthday on Saturday complete with a Girl Super-hero party during the day, dinner out with Grandparents Day at Cheeburger, Cheeburger and a trip to the ER!! It was a good day for her I think...oh wait you're probably looking for more details.

Girl Super-hero Party: Avery loves super-heroes...she's following in her Daddy's footsteps with that one. She loves watching the cartoons on Sat. mornings (particularly Justice League), and having bedtime comic books read to her. We invited 8 friends and started the party decorating capes with markers. Capes were followed by pizza. Pizza was followed by a Super-Hero obstacle course where the girls had to leap tall buildings (cardboard boxes) in a single bound, carry a brick to prove they were stronger than a locomotive, and race back to the starting line faster than a speeding bullet. More games continued inside, and then we finished off with a Super-Avery birthday cake and presents. It went surprisingly well. Sorry no pics available yet.

Cheeburger, Cheeburger: We love this burger place! It is the closest thing we've found to the infamous "Big Jud's" burger experience from Idaho. They have huge, fresh burgers with any toppings you want, fresh-cut fries, and milkshakes of any variety. Avery joined the birthday club several months back and was so excited when she got her free burger coupon in the mail for her bday. We got there, and she ordered Chicken Strips and Ranch...go figure! Grandma and Grandpa joined us and we had a good time.

Trip to the ER: Unfortunately it's not just the shellfish and possible tree nuts that I'm allergic to because following our fun bday dinner, I went into another full-blown anaphylactic episode. Mark and the girls dropped me off at the ER, and went home to open the rest of Avery's bday gifts while I got hooked up to IV Benadryl. Sorry no pics to post of this event either, although I'm not sure I would anyway!!

Maryn, Advocate of Racial Equality and Social Tolerance

Queue music... "All we are saying, is give peace a chance", and "so we keep waiting...waiting on the world to change..." As I post this piece of Maryn's artwork, I can't help but think of the lyrics to those tunes...(my fave of which is John Mayer's song). Maryn gave the FHE lesson last Monday night and this is what she came up with. It was so sweet. It was all about loving people and being "nis" no matter what people look like and how we should get along with people who may look or act different than we do because that is what Jesus (far right, with the beard) would want us to do. Even cats and dogs (lower left) should get along. Queue next song from the Primary hymnbook... "if you don't act like most people do, some people walk away from you, but I won't, I won't...Jesus said love everyone...He turned away from none... so I will, I will...". We were all pretty impressed with such a little girl giving us such a big lesson. We are really proud of her.

Buggin'!!

Disgusting image, huh? Pretty much this sums up our weekend. We decided to go hiking on some trails at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills, and this is what happened!! We were literally charged by an army of thousands of these blasted bugs! (We should have known we were hiking through the Amazon forests of mosquito-infested marshland!!) They were dive-bombing our heads, in our eyes, noses, mouths, ears...eww!! We were slapping ourselves frantically in an effort to kill the suckers before they killed us! Some of us were more successful than others. Mark came out of it unscathed, as did Avery (although last week she sustained a double bite--2 small bites in quick succession) right in the middle of her forehead. Maryn sustained 3-4 bites on the back of her neck and one on her leg. I won (or lost as the case may be) this battle hands-down with over 14 bites (some occurred last week as well)--2 on my face, 2 on my neck, 3 on arms, 4 on legs, 1 finger and 1 toe!! (The finger and toe ones are the worst because there's so little square footage to actually scratch!) After our "fun" hike, we celebrated with cones at Ritter's and Benadryl Itch Cream at CVS. (I sense a theme unfolding in my blog...I should re-title it, "Suzy and her Allergic Adventures") ...as Napoleon would say, "I itch real bad! Gosh!"

Randolph Roadrunners!!

Well, the girls officially began school at Randolph Elementary on Wed., Sept. 5. It was quite a day, and has been quite a process leading up to it. Regardless, they were happy and excited to go, as you can see above. Mark took the day off and dropped them off for a half-day. (Avery was actually only there for an hour.) Avery and Mark returned at noon to pick up Maryn, but after a few minutes realized she wasn't there! They ran to the office to discover that she had been put on the bus back to our old apartment! They called the bus driver who pulled over and waited for Mark to rescue Maryn from the bus, and when he did she was in tears. It was a scary event, especially for the first day...poor girl. Second day drop-off was a little harder for Maryn...she was pretty nervous. After all was said and done, we're now all on the same page as far as bus transit goes and (knock on wood) there shouldn't be any more curve balls thrown our way. Other than being tired and a little more hungry than usual, they seem to be enjoying their new career as RANDOLPH ROADRUNNERS!

Things that make me happy...

(Okay, so I kinda stole this idea from Melanie's blog...although I'm not in the middle of an anaphylactic episode like she may have been...I'm still breathing...I've got my epi-pen and haven't even come close to a fish in a shell since that fateful day...don't worry...no swollen lips, I promise...now getting onto my list of things that make me happy...)

epi-pens. clean sheets. smelly lotion. Carmex. my "blankey". home baked treats (given and received). Showers (bridal/baby/wedding/etc.). a full tank of gas. fresh produce. 70-80 degree weather. Halloween. infants. end of the week. eating out. Magazines. chips and diet pop. talking to my sisters on the phone. People.com. Ceramics/Pottery. watching the girls dance. a good movie. (some) reality tv. making somebody laugh. Dove Chocolate (dark or milk). getting a card in the mail. sounds of lawnmowers and kids in the summer time. crisp air and chilly nights in the fall. falling asleep. a good cut and color. taking care of my family. lighting the candle after closing the kitchen at night. ...I could go on and on I guess.

Go ahead and try it...what makes you happy?

Who Doesn't Love a Parade?

Avery, that's who!! We attended the annual Chelsea Parade last weekend. Becky (Ursem) Yawney and her family live in Chelsea, and they invited us to go. Avery actually had a good time, as we all did, except for the rain and the soggy candy! The floats would pass us by and toss candy directly into the mud-lined gutters. The girls picked it up anyway and had fun seeing who could be the fastest. (Afterwards, most of it went into the garbage however.) Eventually by the end of the 45 minute parade, the rain let up (of course) and the girls had a better attitude about things.

We Totally Bribe Our Kids

For the past year, Avery has struggled with the whole #2 thing. Not to gross everyone out, but she has this thing with cleaning up after the job is done, so to speak. We ask her why, and she says "it's yucky" or "she forgot". Sometimes, she even lies and says she did and then we find the evidence that she actually didn't later on in the laundry hamper. Needless to say, we've spent lots of time talking (yelling), bribing, scrubbing, and trying to figure out how to get over this hump. We teamed up with her teachers at school and devised a plan...nothing too extreme or disciplinary (because Ave does not respond to the disciplinary), and made up a chart. Avery could receive a smiley face each day she kept her panties clean and if she succeeded to fill all the boxes up by the end of about 2 months she could get anything she wanted. (Honestly, what were we thinking? We were desperate, and sick of cleaning disgusting underwear, that's what!!) So she eventually did it! Thinking we were pretty smart, but more ecstatic to not have to perform bum-checks on her, we offered her prize. "What do you want Avery?" "Um, I think I want a pet...how bout a dog?" (Not an option) "...how bout a frog?" (after some research, also not an option) "...how bout a swingset?" "Hmmm...well, okay I guess." I started looking online and we eventually settled on an inexpensive set from Wal-Mart (I know, I know I shopped at Wal-Mart!! Honestly, it's been over a year since I shopped there, but they were the only place that still had some in stock that wasn't way overpriced...although I felt really cheap afterwards.) Anyway, I was big-time hesitant when we bought it. I had read the online reviews of these sets taking hours of manual labor, and frustrated parents having to re-drill holes and buy new hardware, etc. I feared for what this may do to our home life...(flashbacks of having to replace a light fixture in Boise still haunts me). I decided to be available for help, but mostly tried to stay out of his way as he began the process of lining up holes and inserting pre-packaged screws and bolts. I didn't hear a peep. I even left to shop for awhile, and when I returned the thing was half-up and he was just working on attaching the seesaw. Needless to say, I was really impressed. The whole swingset was assembled within a few hours, and the girls were happily swinging and sliding by evening. Avery got her prize and has (almost) successfully kept her pants clean!! And hopefully we will not have to resort to such cheap bribery tactics again...

yeah, right!

A little about me...

Mark sent me one of those survey things to fill out today, and I thought I'd share my answers with everybody. If you have a minute, post one to your own blog!! It's kinda fun.

Four Places I’d Love to Visit:
1. The Czech Republic as a tourist, and not a missionary. I’d love to go back and take my time strolling through the town squares, eating at outdoor cafes, hanging out in museums and old churches, hiking through countryside, and taking naps in old trains on my way somewhere.
2. Disneyland or World…whatever, get me someplace Disney! I’m 33, and never been. Enough said.
3. New York City…a real Broadway show, Time Square, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero…I want to see it all.
4. The Island of Ronensay…fictitious place outside of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Four Things I Covet:
1. People who can eat whatever they want, never exercise, and not gain a pound.
2. People who live off of trust funds or win the lottery.
3. People who make school or sports look easy.
4. People who are naturally soft-spoken and well-mannered…wish I wasn't such a spaz sometimes.

4 Goals I Have:
1. Go back to school and get a Masters degree in something…not sure what yet.
2. Take a stab at possibly owning my own business…a consignment/resale shop that offered Interior Design consulting and Community Assistance.
3. A secure retirement.
4. Making sure my “chair” isn’t empty.

4 Fads I Wish Would Pass:
1. Skinny jeans and layered t-shirts and tank tops.
2. Suicide bombers and school shootings.
3. Britney Spears.
4. Bratz Dolls.

4 Delights:
1. Diet Pepsi and Doritoes.
2. Newborn Babies.
3. Sister’s Reunions (no offense to my brothers).
4. Hearing my girls crack up.

4 Regrets:
1. Giving up.
2. Being mean/losing my temper.
3. Missing an opportunity.
4. Lack of priorities.

4 Things I Wish I Could Do More Often:
1. Garage sale!
2. Go to the movies.
3. See extended family.
4. Not have to watch the clock.

4 Things That I Never Would Have Imagined Would Happen to Me:
1. Plunging the toilet at Maverick, Summer 1994.
2. Meeting the Prophet when I was 12.
3. That I’m actually working as a Technical Writer.
4. That I can look and feel better the older I get.

(Some of) My Glory Days

So August is half over, and I'm starting to panic that the summer is almost gone, and we really haven't enjoyed it to the fullest. We decided to seize the moment last Saturday and took a drive north-east towards Port Huron. We just kind of wanted to explore, and see if maybe we could visit the camp I worked at during the summer of '94. The drive was nice...that would have been enough in itself, although Avery (in classic 4-yr. old style) kept pressing us with "are we there yet's" till we could barely stand it anymore. We finally pulled off the road past Lexington at a Dairy Queen to get cones and satiate Avery's eagerness. Back in the car and about 5 more miles up the road, we saw the great big blue sign for "Camp Stapleton". I was hesitant at first because the camp isn't too far off the road and if there were campers there, it would be a major no-no for visitors to just drop in unannounced. The place was a ghost-town. Not run-down or deserted, just empty. We spotted a car pulled up in front of one of the little cabins and inquired about the current status of camp. They were unloading for a week of rented, private family camping. (Needless to say, we have a good idea what our family vacation will be next summer... ) They were happy to let us wander around and let me recapture my youth. That we did. The cabins were just as I remembered except nicer...fresh paint, new bunks and mattresses, although everything looked smaller (as it often does as an adult going back).

We wandered, and I jabbered about camp memories to Mark and the girls, and it was a lovely afternoon. We made our way down to the beachfront of one of our "greats", and the girls could hardly resist ripping off their sandals to get in the water! We let them put suits on and wade and dig in the sand for awhile. It was the perfect way to "enjoy" our summer while it's still here. We eventually pulled ourselves away and got some dinner in Port Huron. Only Avery got a sunburn that day, and hopefully it will last long enough to remember our "summer fun".