Happy Thanksgiving

Melodie Beattie: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Our morning was spent sipping mulled cider and devouring fresh baked orange rolls while watching the Macy's parade. My girlie and I made cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, maple glazed sweet potatoes and Italian stuffing. She helped to set the table and made oreo turkeys with her dad. Then 4:00 o'clock rolled around.


The truth is by the time we sat down to eat nothing tasted quite as good as I had hoped. The kids were hyper. They hadn't taken their afternoon naps. Chad returned from his aunts later than I had expected, which was ok, but the food I had spent the day preparing sat "warming" in the oven for 2 hours.

This Thanksgiving we were invited to feast with Chads aunt and uncle who live nearby.
Unfortunately we had a house full of sickness and were not all able to celebrate with them.
Chad went and and brought us home some delicious turkey and ham.

I was exhausted by the end of the meal and ready for the day of thanks to be over. Before we took the kids up for bed we sat at the table to blow out the "birthday" candles. Fin sat on my lap and as I listened to the things she was thankful for I felt such an overwhelming love for her. Some days and nights she gives me a real run for my money. But last night in the midle of all of her random "thankens"(like blowing, strawberries, & bubbles, to name a few) I thought to myself, "I am so thankful for you".

This weekened

Today is misty and gray. A heavy fog is settling through the trees. Sounds like the perfect day to catch a flick about a vampire family who lives in the forested Northwest.

Today reminds me of Hill and our adventures last month.

While she was here (she happens to be a HUGE Twilight fan) we traveled to a small town in Washington called Kalama. After touring her dream house/farm in the hills overlooking the river, we drove around the high school parking lot where they filmed some of the scenes in Twilight. We grabbed some lunch and walked down main street in the rain. Before leaving for home we perused a quaint antique shop were my girl made it a point to touch each and every item we passed no matter how old and pricey it was. It was a great day.

Frugal Friday

How do you know when your food has gone bad!

click here

Giving {more} Thanks

She asked me last night if she could blow out the happy birthday cake.

This month I have witnessed an amazing amount of sensitivity develop in this little being. She can sense if I am sad worried frustrated or happy without me saying a word. If I'm sad she will go and get me a "blanklie" (blanket) and tell me, "You need a mommy." If I'm worried she will stroke my hair and quietly tell me, "Don't worry, OK." If I'm happy she is too, saying, "I so happy mom, I really happy too." She loves to whisper "I Love You" into my ear. Frequently she asks for her Aunties, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents (especially when she is sad, or hurt). Sometimes she'll ask me, "Mom, I sad, I want to cry." I'll say OK and she will cue the fake tears. Her favorite part of bedtime are the butterfly kisses she gets from her dad and climbing into her brothers crib and sleeping side by side with him under his covers. I love the little person she is becoming. So grateful she is mine.

Giving Thanks

We have a tradition at our house of eating dinner by candle light during the month of November. I love it because it helps fade out all the distractions of a messy kitchen and instead illuminates the only things that really matter, good grub, my fella, girlie and little tank. Sometime during the course of the meal we mention some of the things that we were grateful for. Man does our girl love this tradition. She gets so excited for dinner. She has helped prepare every meal this month, sets the table each night, eats all of her dinner, gives thanks, and then comes the best part...blowing out the candles. The other night she said she was "granken" grateful for chickens (our candlestick holders are bronze turkey's). I love the little things that have brought happiness into our lives this month.

These are a few of the things that Finley is grateful for. Where am I?!

The 10th of November

me mom rocky

Happy Birthday to my dearest friend and brother Rockford Jay. I love you.

"Happy Birthday Cake"- Finley

Our past

Just finished watching this. Loved it. Made me want to get smarter.

Seriously. The manner in which people spoke to one another, their written correspondence, the way they conducted themselves in public and in private, how refined and almost poetic at times. I told Chad that I wanted him to hand write me a weekly letter. I made him read me entry after wikipedia entry about our founding fathers. I think that we are missing out on the beauty and insight that a written letter reveals.

Frugal Friday: Necessity

I hate eating leftovers. Instead of fixing it when it's broken or wearing something out, I like to buy things new. Doing without is an exception to the rule and unfortunately not the rule I follow. Time has come to reinvent my way of living. Becoming a bi-product of my spending habits is starting to haunt me. I want to live more providently.

Farm Security Administration: Destitute pea pickers in California.
Mother of seven children. (Circa February 1936)

Money or lack of it has been a hot topic throughout history. On Saturday I read in Newsweek about Depression 2.0 and the state of our nation. I have listened to talks given by Church leaders about the need to live within our means. I pass by billboards along the freeway and hear slogans like "Act your wage" and "If in debt the only reason you should be going to a restaurant is if you are going there to work." (thank you Dave Ramsey)

Talking to a wise old owl this afternoon I was encouraged to create something worthwhile out of our situation. So here it is, as the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention". This site (click here) will document my journey as I become
A Mother of Invention out of desire to better my financial future. I will be posting all of the advise and creative ideas that I come across, (perhaps even an invention or two of my own) as I organize my life. I'd love to read about your successes and of things you've tried in order to save a dime or help you live within your means. You can email me at: amotherofinvention{at}gmail{dot}com or post a comment on the blog. With your permission I will publish your tips so that we can all benefit.

Peek in on my progress and see how it goes. The added pressure of you watching will spur me on. So let the good times roll.

**Side note. Don't start sending us cans of powdered milk. We are not destitute or bankrupt yet!**

Giving Thanks

I am thankful.
thankful for last nights uninterrupted sleep
thankful for play dates and happy children today, yesterday was another story
thankful for the rain...oh the rain (ask me next month)
thankful for the decrease in the price of gas (our car only gets 11 miles to the gallon)
thankful for this life-


Marilyn Thomsen : And while it takes courage to achieve greatness, it takes more courage to find fulfillment in being ordinary. For the joys that last have little relationship to achievement, to standing one step higher on the victory platform. What is the adventure in being ordinary? It is daring to love just for the pleasure of giving it away. It is venturing to give new life and to nurture it to maturity. It is working hard for the pure joy of being tired at the end of the day. It is caring and sharing and giving and loving…

President Elect

BARACK OBAMA

44th President of the United States

VOTE

enjoying my freedom

today is the day

Trick or Treat

So far I am loving the holidays with a kid just old enough to understand that Halloween is one of the greatest nights in "kid life". She laughed and skipped to and from each house. Hauling an overflowing bag of goodies. Once she got the hang of the routine this is how it would go;

Bing bong

Fin: "Trick or treat, hurry!" (As if to say, lets get this show on the road. Load me up. I've got more houses to hit before the night is over. Once she snagged some loot she would take off skipping and laughing to the next door and occasionally yell back a "thank you" or "Happy Halloween" as she left.)

Other favorites from the night;

While still at the door: "Ahhhhh mom, that monster scareded me, dAAAAAAaaaaaaaaad!" (in reference to a bald gentleman who answered the door, not in costume)

Chad: "Fin, you're working really hard." (He said as she strained to heave her candy-filled bag over her shoulder like a purse.)
Fin: "No dad, I working candy!"

"No Tuck, NO! It's my candy... IT'S MINE!"

On Saturday, the day after Halloween Fin and I went out for a walk in the rain. When we were headed home we approached a "grandma" in a dark pancho headed toward us.

Fin: "AHHHHH mom a WITCH, mom lookout a WITCH!!!"
Me: "Shoosh Fin, be quiet!" (as the woman nears)
Fin: "No mom lookout, a WITCH!!!"
Me: (As we meet the woman) "I'm so sorry..."
Witch: "That's OK I've been called worse."

trick-or-treating

ward trunk-or-treat
she was so excited to show her friend "Izo" (the bunny) her costume

Happy Halloween

Elmo & Abby Cadabby

caramel apples & carving pumpkins

After spending a day making caramel apples at a friends we spent the night carving our pumpkins. Fin thought it was gross, and Tucker thought it was awesome. Chad was really intense in his carving preparation. Everyone was happy in the end.

one fall day

Music class in the morning with the kids, then a trip to the zoo with some friends. One of the last dry days of the season. The warmth of the sun mixes with the crisp fall air. Rust, amber, persimmon and the forest green of the pines color the hillsides. The energy of the zoo animals today matches that of my kids. Polar bears and sea lions swim right up against the glass. The baby elephant (3 months old and 450 lbs yikes!) teases his 1/2 blind "aunt". Shir Kahn the tiger paces and growls along the edge of his enclosure. And the giraffe comes almost close enough to touch. After the zoo we have lunch downtown with Chad at the Elephant Delicatessen. We eat mac and cheese, tomato bisque, a wood fired pizza and coconut macaroons. We talk about things that make us happy, our kids mainly. Then we walk back to the car under a cascade of falling leaves. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon.

today

(this is fall at our house)

nature's goodness

After struggling to hold onto our two little ones through two hours of Stake Conference we packed a picnic and took off to the falls to breathe in some of natures goodness. I love the way the outdoors can lift my mood and increase my appreciation for the senses of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. I love that through nature I can teach my children of God and the love that he has for us. Enjoying such a beautiful day with my family was a much needed respite from the stresses of life.

I don't know if there are two kids that could possibly love their dad any more then these two. They absolutely adore him, and he them. Quite frankly sometimes it makes me a little jealous. They were both on their tippy-toes to see the gigantic fish that were swimming in the pools at the bottom of the waterfall. When I asked Finley what she was doing in this picture she said she was "fishing."

When we got back to the car Finley was sad. I asked her why she was crying and she said, "I want the Grandpa Ginny, I want the Grandpa. I want to find him in the bushes." I think it's safe to say this little girl misses her grandparents!

The Columbia River
At the observation center we were caught off guard by some of the most powerful winds. All of the cars were rocking almost lifting with each gust. Chad's glasses were blown off and he didn't even realize it until we were inside the tower. I was blown into a parked car while I ran back to safety after taking this shot.

A week in the Life

I loved this idea of documenting a week in our life, but the reality is where do you find the time. I have seen this done a couple of places ( here, here, and here are some creative examples). So far this is all I could muster up.

Sunday Morning Routine:

We always seem to run 15 min. late no matter what time we wake up in the morning. Chad packed the diaper bag and made the kids breakfast while I spent (too long according to him) getting ready. The kids were great during Sacrament meeting. It was the Primary program today so that helped to hold their attention. Finley loved nursery and when we asked her what she learned about she said, "JesusGod (yes, like it's one word), and itsy spider".

After church we had a visit from our home teachers.
Steve brought his son Jakob (who is 5) and Jakob asked (more like stated), "When I grow up I'm gonna marry Finley." Callie (Jakob's mom) told me the next day that Jakob had talked to her about marrying Finley to which she replied, "That's great Jakob but when you get older you're going to have to ask Finley." He said, "Well can't I just ask her mom?" (Hope they don't mind me sharing this... I just thought it was so cute, and it is her first proposal and all.)

After they left we enjoyed naps and a Lazy Sunday Afternoon.
(*note Chad made lunch, dino buddies and blue corn chips)

Checking out the leaves
Before dinner we took the kids on a walk around our Neighborhood. I twisted my ankle falling off the curb while taking pictures. Finley face-planted when she tripped on the sidewalk while running down the hill in spite of our warnings to "slow down on the hills." Neither of us learn. We live in such a great place though. You can't beat the colors that surround us this time of year, so vibrant.

Puerto Rican Dinner: Rice with Vienna Sausage and Garbanzos
I went to Puerto Rico when I was younger and my great-aunt Gloria taught me to cook rice. She told me that she and my great-grandmother would rinse the rice with warm water and then save the rice water and use it to wash their faces with. She swears it makes her skin softer. Another rice cooking tip is to cook rice in a cast aluminum pot like this buen provecho!

Right before we sat down to eat Tuck crawled over to Chad choking AGAIN! He had 1/2 swallowed a large piece of pumpkin stalk he had ripped off one of the pumpkins. At least he knew to crawl to one of us for help. This kids curiosity is driving me CRAZY!

(Don't look too close mom. I had to improvise with some of the ingredients.
I don't have any sasson.)

Sunday night tradition the easy way
Finley still rocks her crooked, squinty-eyed smile every now and again. She calls cookies, "cookie-cutters", and couldn't wait to eat her cookie-cutters and watch the Lion King in the tent downstairs with her dad.


Bedtime routine and a quiet night... sort of:
The kids went down at 8:00pm, but at 9:30pm they were still up laughing hysterically. Chad went up to put Finley back in her bed. When he opened the door to the nursery Finley jumped off the side of Tucks crib and made a B-line to her own bed. She hopped in the wrong way and buried her face in the blankets and pretended to be asleep. Who teaches her these things?

Tuck woke up at 11:20pm and again at 3:16am.
What am I going to do with him!?

Annual Family Photo

This only happens about once a year because there are guaranteed to be tears, and unpleasantries exchanged. (see last years attempt here) Another guarantee is that not one single photo of the 4 of us together will turn out. This year proved to be no different. I even tried to simplify things by doing the "shoot" on our back porch. Well this is what we ended up with. The only photo with everyone smiling ended up being a little blurry to put it mildly. Callie do you want to come take a few of us for our posterity. With the bar set so low you should feel absolutely no pressure.