Saturday, July 26, 2008
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Our Tenth Anniversary-Show and Tell
Posted By
Kristy
Our tenth anniversary is tomorrow (July 26th)!! Ten years ago, I married the love of my life. God has been good to us and blessed us with many things. Here are two pictures from our wedding day.
I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride! Check out my daughter's reaction. LOL
I love you honey! I look forward to many many more years with you.
A couple of days ago I mentioned the website http://www.worksheetworks.com/the kids and I have been having more fun with it so I thought I would show you the cute little copy work they did practicing their Awana verses this week.
My 7 year olds Awana verse.
My 4 year olds Awana verse
Both my 7 and my 4 year old can’t get enough of this site!I was thinking this might be a fun way for them to write letters to some of their friends in Las Vegas. They can tell me what to type and then they can do the copy work to make them personal.I can’t believe this is FREE! YAY!
But sadly, our grandson had to go home. We managed to get an extra 10 days with him by changing his airline ticket. It went way to fast. Last night, we made brownies. As you can see, Dan really enjoyed the brownie batter!!
Good to the last drop!!
He's so funny! We miss you, Tiberius (inside joke) Hope you get to come back and visit again real soon.
After over a year of prayer and consideration, and a summer of "church shopping", we have finally found a new church. Yeah! I am just so thrilled to be done living in church limbo. There are a number of reasons for leaving our current church, and it was a decision that we really agonized over. It is amazing, because Hub and I both knew that after the visit to the new church that it was the one. AND the sermon began with a story about why people choose churches...
I really have been feeling better lately than I have felt in a LONG time. It is a combination of exercise and spiritual growth, I think. I've been good about my QT lately, and my prayer life. And the exercise just makes me happy! Of course, I still have a loooooong list of things to do before school starts back up again. I really need to make an actual list. I think that will help me get through it.
I am reading a really good book, Loving Life as an At-Home Mom by Donna Otto. She addresses one of my major hang-ups, which is the value the world places on moms vs. the value God places on moms. It is easy for me, especially when I am feeling rather down, to get caught up in comparing myself to others and seeing all they have and (sometimes) wanting it. Like a week's vacation in a hotel. Or 8 hours to myself. Whatever it is. I admit I struggle with contentment. Well, that is like telling God that He isn't good enough! Ouch. I suppose I have been dancing around that little tidbit for a while but I read it plainly in this book and it really struck me. What a brat I have been. Thank you God that you love me anyway!
As promised, here is the recipe I used to make my Raspberry Buckle. For those who aren’t familiar with the term ‘buckle’, think coffee cake with fruit. I’m happy to report that it did turn out nicely. I find red raspberries a bit too tart for me to LOVE them and I’m wondering if I could soak them in sugar like strawberries. Most people probably wouldn’t have this opinion, though. I just happen to have a huge sweet tooth. The cake as a whole is very good. :-)
This is perfect to have with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
The original recipe is from Martha Stewart. I made minor adjustments like using an 11 x 7 baking dish, using frozen berries (from my back yard), and adding about a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Here is the original recipe so you can follow it exactly or make changes like I did.
Raspberry Buckle
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; with mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.
Spread batter in baking dish. Scatter raspberries on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes; dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. With a large spoon, scoop out onto serving plates; serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
Jul. 23, 2008
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My Poor Family (what they have to put up with...)
Posted By
crazybusy
I think I may have a new project for my hubby. We have a 3 car (detached) garage. We have 4 vehicles. Only 1 vehicle is actually parked in the garage and only one of our other vehicles will even fit through any of the 3 single garage doors. It's wasted space if you asked me. And I'm thinking... it sure would make a nice photography studio... A place where I can leave all of my stuff set up, lock a door, leave it there and be able to use it whenever I please, not have anyone use reflectors as frisbies or backdrops to hide behind... hmm......
But not only is there space in there, there is also great light. The light inside our house is not very good and you have to catch it at certain times in certain rooms. If you miss that window of opportunity, you're out of luck. Alek & Millie helped me test my set up before Kenton brought out the nekked baby. These are SOOC or "straight out of camera"- no editing done at all. (except to resize/sharpen/frame for web viewing)
Not bad.
And then out came the nekked baby and her father. I have tried to get this picture/pose 3 times now. Kenton is such a trooper. He's been peed on every time and pooped on too. He was laying on a cushion I'd put on the ground, holding her up over him & she just peed and peed all over him. And did I help? After the hysterical laughter ceased, yes, I did help wipe him and her up a bit. You know you've married a good guy if he can sit there and laugh while a newborn is all over him.
And the first time we tried this.... we tried inside using my hot light. Josiah was downstairs playing with cars nearby while Kenton was standing in front of the backdrop. I had run upstairs to grab something and when I came back down, Kenton just smiled at me and said, "She pooped." That was an understatement. * ing up* It was in his hand, on the floor... and Josiah was a bit freaked. Kenton said as she was going, Josiah said, "Daddy she peed on you!"
I carried her upstairs to clean her off as Josiah was walking downstairs and you'd have thought she had leprosy or something the way he sidestepped us to avoid that scary pooping baby.
Okay, I'll stop there. What is it about having a brand new baby that makes us moms think that poop is an okay topic to blog about? Whew. Anyway.
So like I said, this was the third time I tried to get this shot. I still consider it unsuccessful and maybe, just maybe, I can convince Kenton to try again. *laugh* This little just will not stay fast asleep. Have I posted any pictures of her with her eyes open yet? If not, here ya go.
Now this first one looks weird and I'll tell you why in a sec. Maybe you noticed why right off. But this is the only shot I got of her in this position where she's not grumping, etc. This was before Kenton had his shower. I love it because it looks like she's giving the "okay" sign before she did the deed. But I didn't like it because her little bum area was exposed... so I just cloned that area out. Kenton's other arm & her little bum got cloned out. I tried just cropping it out but that looked even worse. I did a really sloppy job because this isn't one I'll print- no matter how hard I'd try to make it look good, it'd still look funny/off. I know, I talk to much about the photos. I need to just post 'em and not talk about 'em.
And here are two from a different pose that I liked but wish she was asleep...
Already opinionated about having her pic taken...
Do you want to see that one in color? Newborns' skin tones are so extreme, I like 'em better in B&W.
So if a) Julianna cooperates better next time and STAYS alseep and b) I can convince Kenton to do this again, I'll hopefully have better ones to post next time. I'd better wait at least a week before I bring it up again though...
Circus Circus Circus Acts **** This we LOVED! Another great freebie!Every 15 minutes there are circus acts in the big top.My kids could stay all day.There are also inexpensive midway games and many of them guarantee your child will win a stuffed animal. (I can’t even tell you how many of these I gave to Goodwill when we moved!LOL)
Fountains at Caesars Palace (In Forum Shops underground shopping area.) ** This is something to see if you happen to be in the Forum Shops when the show happens.It is VERY loud and hard to understand.(My daughter was terrified of this too! LOL)I could live without seeing it.But, it is free.
Aquarium at Ceasars Palace ** There is a big aquarium you can look at for free.It’s pretty.There is also a free tour of how they take care of the aquarium.You get to go “back stage” and see all the equipment.It’s pretty interesting and again, it’s free!LOLI wouldn’t make a special effort to do this unless you have a budding Marine Biologist in the family.
Leid Children's Museum **** Finally something that is BIG in Las Vegas!LOLThis we LOVED!Wehad a season pass to the museum and went frequently.They have all kinds of fun stuff for kids.A stage with costumes, a grocery store, banks and fire dept.There is a display of old neon signs.(Which is pretty cool.)There is an awesome section for the little ones where they a can mine silver. (Pretend silver of course.)There are arts and crafts, a karaoke room, a place where kids can play basketball in a wheel chair, lots of science related exhibits.Plan to be there ALL DAY.Pack your own lunch.There is no where to eat nearby. It is closed on Mondays.Also, sadly it is not in a good part of town.It is very near the skid row section of Las Vegas.It is attached to the Public Library and a lot of sketchy characters hang out outside.Once your inside it’s great, but keep a close eye on your kids coming and going.
Las Vegas Natural History Museum *** This is pretty nice.Once again, it’s small.But, if your kids like dinosaurs they have animated ones.There is also a cool open tank of sharks you can view. It is across the street from the Lied Museum. This will take about 3 hours to see it all.
Star Trek Experience **** We never made it to the Star Trek Experience because it was too expensive.BUT, we did eat at Quarks Bar & Restaurant a couple times.It was FUN!If you like Star Trek I recommend eating here! There are very realistic characters who come around to the tables.I about fainted when I came out of the restroom and encountered a Borg!LOLThe one time we took the kids a Klingon came to our table and scared my daughter to death!LOLWhen my daughter dove under the table the Klingon totally stayed in character and chastised my husband and I “Did you not warn your young earthling that there would be Klingons here?!”LOL(Can you see a theme by now of my daughter being completely terrified of the strip!LOL) We also got a good laugh when the Quark tried to get us to pay by leaving one of our children with him!LOL
Ethel M Chocolate Factory **** I am giving this 4 stars but I am also saying this is four stars only at Christmas time!The actually chocolate factory tour is pretty lame.It is self guided and only takes a few minutes.Plus they only give you one piece of chocolate for visiting!LOLBUT, in the month of December they decorate the cactus garden that is out front with thousands of lights.It is truly beautiful and was our favorite Christmas thing to do in Las Vegas. You can see pictures from one of our visits HERE.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area**** (Winter only)This is a wonderful beautiful place that you will hardly be able to believe is right outside Las Vegas!You will feel a world away from the strip!If you enjoy hiking there are a lot of great trails.Ask at the visitor center how to hike to the waterfall.(It’s dry in the Summer.Feb. is the perfect month to go see it.) This was a favorite hang out stop for our family. Click here to see my post about a field trip we took to Red Rock.
Bonnie Springs *** (Winter only) If you are looking for good old fashion fun this is the place!LOL(I am talking as hokie as you can get!)My kids liked it. There is a train to ride, a couple of old west shows and some shops.The best part is the petting zoo. You can get very up close and personal with the animals. Makes for a fun day!It’s about 25 minutes from the strip.
Freemont Street Experience *** This is fun to go to at night.They boast the world’s largest TV!LOLThere are shows on the hour and you will be amazed.Go to the website and see what is playing when.Some are more family friendly than others!Mermaids is a bar/casino on Fremont Street where you can get .99 cent fried Twinkies and Oreos! (Don't take the kids inside. Mom stands outside with the kids and dad goes in for treats! LOL) This was another big night out for us when we lived in Las Vegas. The shows are free of course!
Don't Sees!
Pirate Show at Treasure Island – The pirate show is no longer kid friendly. It is suppose to be sexy, I thought it was really lame.Yes, my husband and I went and saw it right before we left.I wanted to know what all the hoopla was about. I couldn’t believe all these people waste their time seeing something so stupid!
Excalibur - While there is nothing really wrong with Excalibur, there isn't really much there for kids. We went to the buffet a couple times and I was always disappointed that a building that looked so cartoonish had so little for kids. The best part is what you can see from the car driving by, the building!
Okay, with all this said I just want to warn to be on guard the whole time you are in Las Vegas with your kids.I would warn them ahead of time that there will be times you are just going to tell them to close their eyes and they need to obey.You need to be vigilant to do things like distracting the kids as you drive passed certain billboards and turning over placemats that have half nude women on them. (Been there done that!) Even as I was preparing this post I was amazed how many hiney’s and how much cleavage I was exposed to just looking at Las Vegas websites.I am already forgetting how prominent that atmosphere is in Las Vegas! (Thank God!)
Whew, that is enough for now!Tomorrow I will try to post on our favorite places to eat in Las Vegas.
Frequently we will lose a toy or a ball into the neighbors yard. The residents only come to this house ever few weeks, so usually we have to wait to retrieve our lost items. They come home, find our junk and toss it over into our back yard. Well, it's good to have a young strong teen staying with us because he can do it for us! He would like us to believe he did a back flip over the wall (like a Ninja) and saved the day, but I have pictures to prove otherwise. LOL. Danny was able to extend his stay from the 15 to the 24th, unfortunatly he does have to go home this time. Even though he and my daughter have eaten me out of house and home, one day going through 4 gallons of Lemonade, and countless gallons of Kool Aid and food. We've enjoyed his visit very much and hate to see him leave on Thursday. P.S. He knows I am only teasing him. Yes, they did go through that much but we don't get to play grandparents very often so it was worth it!! So, don't get on him mom and dad!!
This is what my cubboard has looked like since the July 1st. I can't keep up. Normally, it's full of cups, glasses and bowls and plates. Yes, paper and plastic would have been the way to go! Again, it's a grandparent thing so I don't mind!!!
"Hey Jamin! My family and I will be going to Las Vegas for one week next week and I was just wondering of you could tell me where are the “must see” stops there. And I don’t necessarily mean the big tourist attractions but the places that only the locals know about, you know what I mean?
I have 4 children ages 8, 7, 5, and 3 so I definitely need something kid friendly.
Anyway I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give.
Sincerely,
Eva "
There is a saying that "Every 5 years the whole world passes through Las Vegas." Having lived there for 4 years I can honestly say I believe that is true! Not only does Las Vegas host conventions for EVERYONE, (I will never forget the time we were eating out at a buffet and there was a HUGE group of Southern Baptist Pastors eating there that were in Las Vegas for a convention. LOL) also if you want to go to California from just about anywhere in the USA, your probably going to pass through Las Vegas.
Since we lived in Las Vegas for 4 years I have answered this question more that a few times! LOL So instead of just emailing Eva with my response I thought I would put it here too.
Kid friendly things to do in Las Vegas? Yes, they do exist. But, I first a warning. The Las Vegas strip as a whole is NOT a kid friendly place. My best advice for manuvering the strip with kids is do not walk anywhere on the street! Yes, I know the strip is designed to be walked. It is also designed to look like everything is really close, while being a much longer walk that it looks like! I have nothing against walking, But, the problem with it in Las Vegas is exposure to pornography. I am not just talking about the posters and billboards that are everywhere on the strip. Most of them are a very strong R-rating. What I am warning you about are the call girl cards that are aggressively passed out on the strip. You see prostitution is illegal in Clark County where Las Vegas is located. But, there is not law against passing out advertisement for the brothels in ajoining counties. So, everywhere you go there are aggressive men and women passing out what look like fancy trading cards with the most disgusting pornography on them you can imagine. People take them and then drop them. So they are all over the street. If the card pushers aren't busy with people they stick them in fences and on poles and etc. I am telling you if you walk the street there will be NO avoiding seeing this! So you have been warned! (BTW, the parking is all free on the strip.)
