Family Weekend

The kids were here this weekend, and so was Michael! :) Here's what happened:

Audri disappeared into her room to read a book...

Creating some kind of chair/bed for herself.

The boys played XBox games...

And I got a little carried away in the kitchen. :) I made both peanut butter and chocolate crinkle cookies, as well as banana bread, and breadsticks... last night I made some cream-cheese filled pumpkin muffins as well. The people both of us work with are pretty excited about my recent baking spree!

Chase's Visit!

I was so blessed this past week to spend time with Chase! Well, the whole Henrie family... but Chase certainly captured my heart. :)

Waking up the first morning, and seeing trees, squirrels, sunshine, and grass... every morning after he headed to the big window first thing to see what was happening outside.

He bonked his head at the airport trying to get to me... you can see the two little scrapes and the start of a bruise.

I didn't have a high-chair, so Chase would sit at the table like a big boy and wait for food. His chin almost rested comfortably on the edge of the table. :)

Jen and Chase, watching "Baby Signing Time" and singing about brushing their teeth.

Fun is complete when we slide down the hallway in a box car! He's actually signing for "more!" in the picture - he wanted Wayne to push him again. :)

I was trying to capture the moment...

Chase wasn't as thrilled as I was about the camera being out during his play time.

Chase and Aunt Jaime

Chase was unhappy in this photo - he really needed a nap, but it was just about time to head to the airport, so Jen didn't want to put him down. I'm choosing to believe he was sad that he was leaving Aunt Jaime's house.

Somehow, during the whole week we only captured this photo of Jenna and I. She really did come with Chase! :) So did Wayne, but I didn't get any pictures of him either.

It was a wonderful week with Chase and his parents here. I will miss them!

We had snow....

But it's gone. I was hoping it'd be here through Christmas. I could still have a white Christmas, but I won't be holding my breath. I'm too busy singing along to the Christmas music to actually hold my breath anyway.

However, white Christmas or not, I am so excited for family to be coming through town over the holidays... it'll make the holidays even if there is no snow on the ground. I can't wait to see the Henrie family on Monday!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We started with a potluck dinner at a friends house, 18 of us together, each responsible for a part of the meal, grateful to have a large group to share it with. When I asked the kids what they were thankful for, the response was "a warm house" and "lots of food". True, I am thankful for those things too. I am also thankful for a wonderful family, people who love me and support me, people who always want what is best for me. I am thankful for my sweet, attentive husband, for the love and joy, the challenges and struggles, and the life we are creating together. I am thankful for the love of a Heavenly Father, and the forgiveness and grace I find in Him.

We have continued the weekend with family time... as I sit here this afternoon, our home is decorated for Christmas, there is spiced cider simmering on the stove, and soup in the crock-pot for dinner. We have played games, baked bread and cinnamon roles, watched movies, eaten large amounts of food, and sang along to holiday music. We have chatted, laughed, danced, and watched the snow fall.

With all of that, I can say that it has been a perfect holiday weekend. We are most certainly blessed, and I am so thankful for this time of year.

Good People Everywhere

There are good people everywhere. And I find them in the most random places. I was really craving a Ginger Ale tonight. I saw a commercial for one, and I couldn't get it out of my head. I finally convinced Josh that we should run to the convenience store (which is really only 2 blocks away, so it's not like we were going that far...). Anyway, we walk through Chevron, and can't find Ginger Ale anywhere on their shelves. We asked the clerk, and he said they didn't carry it; however, he reached under the counter and pulled one out. He said his wife had packed it for his lunch, and he didn't care if he had it or something from the soda fountain. We offered to buy another soda for him, if we took the one from his lunch, but he wouldn't hear of it. He was simply glad to be able to give me something that I wanted. How wonderful!

It was one of the best Ginger Ale's I've ever had. :) Yes, there truly are good people everywhere.

Friends, Family, and Going Blonde...

Today I had the privilege of spending time with Ms. Eva Jane! :) She was in Boise for a couple of days, and we were able to connect.

I had to cover for the team at work, so was committed to the office, so she came to hang out with me there. It was fabulous to see her! Thanks for coming to visit me, Eva!

After I left work, Josh convinced me to get a hair cut, and then to color my hair. So, shorter, and blonder...

The lady at the hair salon asked what kind of color I wanted, and then flipped through my hair. She said, "well, you're really over 50% gray, so I'm going to go with a gray coverage color." I knew I had a lot of gray, but 50%?!?!?

I even convinced Josh to pose with me. :)

Now for dinner (potato chowder, in bread bowls) and dessert (apple crisp) and then a good book. Josh and Donovan have commandeered the XBox for the night, so I think a nice long bath is in my future. :)

Rainy Days

This weekend has been pretty rainy. Today we decided to take advantage of it by watching a couple of movies. Josh is more comfortable sitting on the floor for long periods of time (a harder surface). To prepare for movie time, I piled blankets on the floor against the couch so I had something to lean against, and we watched movies while drinking hot cocoa and snuggling. :) It was fantastic! What a fun way to spend a rainy day, just being together. :)

Final Paper for Final Class

Woo-hoo!!! I just submitted my final paper for my final class... the only thing I have left to do in my MBA program is to finish offering the workshops, tally survey results, and write my results and conclusion chapter. I'll be working on that as of Thanksgiving weekend, as I should have had enough workshop participants by then to calculate results and draw conclusions. :)

I'm almost done!!!

Josh and Jaime

Pictures of us are hard to come by. Neither of us loves being in front of the camera all that much. However, at our friends' wedding a few weeks ago, the photographer caught us. :) They got their pictures back yesterday, and shared this one with us. I thought I'd share it with you as well!

Josh and Jaime - September 4, 2010

Broadway in Boise

Every year there are 6 or so Broadway shows in Boise. We hadn't had the opportunity to go to one previously, but a friend of mine had season tickets and was unable to use them for yesterday's show. So, Josh and I got to see The Color Purple! The tickets were amazing - 2nd row, right in the center - and the show was fabulous. It was a little different take than the movie... the vocalists were incredible! It was such a treat to see a show... we're inspired to see more!

This season's shows include Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, and Wicked! We'll see what we can do about getting tickets to some of them... :)

SHC Alumni Barbeque!

This afternoon we had our first SHC Alumni event... as a member of the alumni committee, we planned a barbeque! We fed over 150 people, and had a great afternoon. :)

Myself with Cassie, our Registrar.

It was fabulous to see so many alumni with their families and hear how they're doing. I love working in higher education!

Teaching a Class

I have had the opportunity to co-teach a class this month. We're half-way through the month, and I LOVE IT! Its a professional development class; I'm helping students with their career portfolio's (cover letters, resumes, references, master applications) and preparing for interviews. It's interesting to me how my students (most of whom are older than me) are completely unprepared to write a cover letter, and that the idea of transferable skills is so completely foreign that I had to not only define them, but give specific examples and even help people add to their list of transferable skills because they cannot identify them.

I'm enjoying the class, the grading process, and figuring out how to communicate effectively and help these students position themselves to find employment as they graduate from their respective programs. I'm excited to have more opportunities to teach, and hope they become more frequent!

Yesterday was the wedding. :) I took off work Friday at 12noon so I could handle the prep. By 8pm, I had the salsa, artichoke dip, broccoli salad, and garlic roasted potatoes done. I had the meat cubed and marinating for the kabobs, I had the spice cookies mixed and chilling, as required, the brownies baked and cooling so I could frost them, and the shortbread cookies coming out of the oven.

Then I went to a goodbye-dinner for my friend Cristi. Once I made it home again, I cooked the meat and sliced all of the vegetables for the kabobs.

It took us a while, but Josh and I prepared kabobs until 2 in the morning. 100 of them.

The frig, pre-wedding... I don't think it could have been much fuller.

My space for the food... I had the perfect set-up to set food out, and man the grill. What you can't see is a huge umbrella that provided the table, and me, some shade while grilling the kabobs.

I didn't get pictures when the food first came out... this was towards the end of the afternoon, after most of the platters and bowls were refilled, and people were full but still grazing. The artichoke dip was a huge hit!

The second round of the main course... things were fairly well picked over! :)

Relaxing on Sunday... we were completely worn out from Saturday's festivities! Josh and Donovan wanted to battle it out on the Heroscape board.

Audri and I made so no-bake cookies to go with our afternoon of Disney movies. :)

Good thing we have tomorrow off as well!

Catering a Wedding?

I'm getting ready to cater a wedding. It's my biggest cooking feat to date... I have catered a baby shower, but that wasn't quite the same. I have toyed with menu plans for weeks, and finally settled on one based on the budget, amenities at the wedding site, and number of people attending.

I'm feeding 50-60 people... the wedding is in our friend's backyard, and I have a small kitchen (with 1 oven, and no microwave) and a barbecue grill at their house. So, here's the menu:

Appetizers - cheese and cracker tray, fresh salsa, and artichoke dip.

Main Course - beef kabobs, chicken kabobs

Side Dishes - roasted garlic potatoes, broccoli salad, rolls

Desserts - scottish shortbread, double frosted brownies, spice cookies with pumpkin dip

Yes, there will be a wedding cake (that I'm not responsible for!), but the bride wanted some other sweet treats for those with a sweet tooth, as well as those who may not prefer cake.

Wish me luck! I'm excited, but a little stressed about the whole affair... I'll be taking most of Friday off to prepare; Saturday is the big day!

The Kids Have Grown!

The kids have grown! They are both getting so tall. :) They were here this weekend, and we caught them at some of their favorite activities:

Audri, set up on her computer while watching television before breakfast.

Donovan, playing Heroscape with Josh. He's grown 9 inches since October!

We had a good weekend; we mostly spent time around the house, but enjoyed the family time. Today we were able to take a walk, since it finally cooled off to the mid-70's. It won't last - we're supposed to be back up to the mid-90's by Tuesday. When the kids come back for Labor Day, we should be back to cooler temperatures, and will have more fun pictures!

Friends

I have been so blessed this week to spend time with my dear friend Heather, her husband Justin,m and their daughter, Serenity. Heather and I met in high school, and have stayed in touch over the years; she was in Boise for a training class, and we were able to get together a few nights this week for dinner. It has been fabulous! I won't list the meals I made (although they were yummy!), but I will say how much I loved having her here. It's such a blessing to know there are people I may not see every day or talk to every week, but can still get together with and continue as though we were never apart. Heather is such a sweet, funny, caring woman, and I am grateful to call her my friend.

Unfortunately, our camera is out of commission right now, so I didn't get any pictures. :( Next time... and we will be sure to have a "next time" soon!

Date Night

I love date night. I used to think it was kind of silly, since it's mostly just Josh and I, and every night is kind of like date night... but it's different, even if we stay home... date night isn't just the every night wind down at the end of the day watching a little TV night, it's the night we set aside to be special... sometimes to reconnect, sometimes to do something silly, sometimes to get out of the house, but always time that is just us, not focused on the stresses of life, not talking about cleaning the kitchen or weekend plans with the kids, not worrying about school or finances or the dirty laundry. Just us.

Last night was date night. :) I cooked us a fantastic dinner: steak in a mushroom sauce, and a side of sauteed vegetables (summer squash, zucchini, potato, onion, carrot, and green pepper). Then we had a pair of movie passes, so we headed to the theater. We were early for the show, so headed down the street and wandered through Cabella's for an hour or so, just planning for the future and mentally adding to both our camping gear and our survival kits, then back to the theater. We sat and held hands, and enjoyed the movie.

Nothing spectacular, but wonderful when we take the time to set aside an evening and focus on each other. I love date night.

Education Abounds...

Josh has started his MBA program! :) It's fun, because we should have the same classes for the next three months; we're both currently in an International Management class. I love having a partner in crime! :)

I've started putting out a few feelers for doctorate programs in higher education administration... I am not sure how quickly I'll start into that program once I finish my Master's, but want to know my options. Down the road, I'd like to move into the administration realm of higher education... we'll see. I'm not 100% committed to that at the moment, but it would be a natural progression, and matches my skills, abilities, and interests. Stay tuned!

Thesis Project

I have started the process of developing and writing my thesis. Part of me is overwhelmed - it's so much work! And part of me is overjoyed - the end is in sight! I have submitted my project proposal and my annotated bibliography for my literature review. Next is my statement of methodology... but not tonight.

My project is this: Create and implement a workshop series titled "Do What You Are" that will provide participants with a clear vision for their career passion and then identify and match the resources necessary to assist participants in achieving the career of their dreams.

Our first session of the series happens in three weeks! And, another exciting addition is that I've created a partnership with the Idaho Department of Labor to help offer this event, providing the access to community resources, including higher education matches and training needs that will help a participant leave the workshop with an actionable career plan.

This is so exciting!!!

Breadsticks

Today I'm making breadsticks. I'm always extra proud of myself when I bake bread, in any form. I'm pretty excited - I have a cream-sauce that I'll serve over ravioli with thin-sliced chicken, and salad and breadsticks seemed the perfect complement. So, in-between writing a paper and cleaning the house, my breadsticks are coming along. :) They are on their first rise cycle now. I can't wait to eat them!

Staycation Review

Staycation week has been full of fun and relaxation... and of course, food! :) A quick run-down, both for my memory and so my mom knows that I really did take it easy...

Saturday- Josh and I got up and took a walk, then took Donovan to the Pool Party at the Clubhouse of our Complex. I wrote a paper for my online class, had dinner (kabobs!) and then Josh and I had a little date: a private trip to McDonalds for $1 hot fudge sundae! :)

Sunday - I got up and made breakfast, as is our Sunday morning tradition. :) Sausage gravy, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Should I mention that I was most certainly not "dieting" while on vacation? After breakfast we took Donovan to the Boise Rec Fest, then returned home for dinner. I made grilled stuffed pork tenderloin and some roasted potatoes. Then Josh and I took our evening walk; we have a look around the lake behind our Complex that is about 3 miles, and we love to walk and talk, so we try to take a walk almost every day.

Some of the fish we see in the Boise River on our walk.

Monday - Spring Cleaning! I scrubbed the house, including moving the appliances, cleaning out the frig, and scouring the bathtubs. Whew! All the things I never seem to have the time to do. Then I went to the library and checked out 6 books, then returned home to prepare dinner... homemade lasagna, including the marinara sauce, and fresh-baked french bread. After dinner, I read one of my books while enjoying a luxurious bubble bath. :)

Tuesday - Started with a walk, followed by our adventures at the Boise Depot, Platt Gardens, and the Idaho State Penitentiary.

Josh and I at the Gardens... our self-portraits usually cut off the top of at least one of our heads, but we keep trying! :)

Josh has started taking pictures again - he's a talented photographer! I love this picture, taken near the Penitentiary, and would love to enlarge it in black and white, then frame it in my living room!

Then we took Donovan to see "How to Train a Dragon"; Tuesday is $1 tickets at the theater! For dinner, I made homemade beef pot pie - I think my best to date.


Wednesday - I got up and read a book. Seriously - I didn't get off the couch until noon. :) Once I finished my book, I wrote my final paper for my online class and then baked some banana bread. Josh and I took a walk before dinner, then I made a true Southern meal: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and beef gravy. :) After dinner I read another book...

Thursday - I got up and made breakfast - banana pancakes. I've never made them before, so was excited to try. :) Donovan loved them! After breakfast, Josh and I hiked Tablerock, which is a 3.5 mile hike, round-trip... I actually made it!

Josh at the top of the hill

Another self-portrait - proof that I made it to the top!

Friday - Josh and I got up and took a walk, although it was a bit shorter (only a mile!) because I was pretty sore from our hike the day before... then we took Donovan and his friend, Robert, to Lucky Peak for the afternoon. The boys loved playing in the water, and Josh and I enjoyed the quiet time on the beach.

Relaxing on the beach, with my book and my water bottle... and lathered in SPF 90 sunscreen!

Donovan and Robert, showing us a snail they found in the water

While at Lucky Peak, I finished another book. :) By the time we got home, I didn't feel like cooking, so we ordered a pizza and let the boys play. Josh and I played some chess then snuggled to some television.

Saturday - Josh and I got up and took a walk, followed by a couple of hours of gun shopping... ok, really it was gun browsing; Josh thought he might find some great deals around the 4th of July, but nobody was running any great specials. For the afternoon, Chae and the kids made it to Boise! We hoped for lots of time with them, but settled for a few hours. It was pretty windy, so we ended up hanging out at the apartment where the kids played XBox and GI Joes while Chae and I chatted and caught up on life and her trip. :) It was wonderful! For dinner I made homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Once Chae left (she wanted to drive part-way to Seattle so she could get the older boys to their dad's around lunch-time on Sunday) we ran to the video store and rented a movie, which we enjoyed watching while eating banana splits. :)

Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take any pictures while Chae and the kids were here. :( Darn!!!!

Sunday - Josh and I are enjoying the day inside watching "The History of America", a series on the History Channel that started with the Revolutionary War. It's fascinating! And, a nice reprieve for my sunburn. :) I have also started a new book, and have steak marinating for the grill tonight. After dinner, we'll head up the hill to watch the fireworks, and then I have to head to bed to prepare for work tomorrow.

My staycation week is over. :( However, I've had a fabulous week, relaxed, prepared a number of incredibly delicious meals (which has made me very happy - the kitchen time has been fantastic!!!) and read 5, almost 6, books. :) I think I might have to consider staycations more often!

Stay-Cation Week!

This week I'm on vacation! Since I'm at home, it's my first stay-cation ever. :) So far, we have gone to Boise Rec Fest - an event with lots of outdoor, recreationally-oriented vendors (camping, boating, tourism, etc...), fair-style food, and live music. It was a gorgeous day!

Josh and Donovan at Rec Fest - Donovan chose to get cotton candy as his treat... Josh and I both gave into the Pronto Pups.

The sunny view from our patio - we've been doing lots of walking and playing outside, now that we have such beautiful sunshine.

We decided to check out some of the local tourist spots today... this is us at Platt Gardens, which is at the Boise Depot.

Boise Depot, and the view from the lower garden...

Me, standing at the lower garden; includes a view of North-East Boise... The Boise Depot was constructed in 1924 and had it's first train come through in April 1925. Platt Garden was completed and named after the general manager of the Depot.

Then we headed to the original Idaho State Penitentiary. Donovan and me, outside the stone wall of the outer structure of the prison, which also housed a dairy, a cannery, and an area for farming.

After a number of years in operation, the state of Idaho built a Women's ward. It was fascinating to walk through it, read the history, see the incredibly small cells, and think about how times have changed. Some of the women who found themselves incarcerated were done for crimes of immorality - one was for "inducing a young girl into a house of prostitution". Another (at least from the histories that were available) was for performing abortion. Some for forgery, and others for manslaughter - many women in the early- to mid-1900's poisoned their husbands!

So far, my stay-cation is fantastic! I have enjoyed the relaxation, and am excited that we've finally started exploring Idaho and enjoying the history that exists here.

Blonde?

Last night after work, Josh and I decided that I should cut my hair short again. He said the pixie-look is his favorite. :) Once it was cut, we realized how much gray is really there... so, we picked up a bottle of hair dye. Josh really wanted me to go platinum blonde; we settled on a warm, medium-blonde color.

The dye is processing...

And, here we go! It turned out a little strawberry-blondish, but it's short and sassy, and so easy to fix. I think I was ready in 15 minutes this morning! :)

Family Pictures, and Afternoon Fun!

Today we took family pictures! The website, for your viewing pleasure, is smilesbywire. The user name is Jaime Davis, and the password is LTP0474117200JCP. For parents and grandparents, you will receive a few of these in the mail in a couple of weeks! :)

Once we finished pictures, I went to work. This afternoon was a team-building activity at work, and we were taken to the go-kart track!

Michelle and myself - Michelle is my counterpart in High School Admissions

Getting ready to race!

I came in 6th, out of 10th in my heat... I'm not exactly a speed racer. :) But, it was a good afternoon, and a good day!

McCall

Today we headed up to McCall to see my friend Jay - I haven't had the chance to see her in five years! It was a wonderful day, filled with lots of smiles, memories, and catching up on each others lives.

The Davis family, in front of one of the subdivision signs for a subdivision that Josh and his dad built in McCall, more than ten years ago!

Jaime and Jay

The Davis family on Jay's front porch... it rained some of the time we were there, but was a beautiful, cool day to be in the mountains!

Thank you, Jay, for the opportunity to head up and see you, and spend the day in McCall!

Donovan's Birthday

It's hard to believe that we now have a teenager! We celebrated Donovan's birthday last night... we started by dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, where we saw his teenage boy appetite in action - he ate an entire steam pot (1 whole crab, some shrimp, corn on the cob, baby potatoes, and a sausage)! It was quite impressive. :)

Opening presents - cards from grandparents...

One of the presents Josh and I gave him his "man kit", complete with leather travel bag and all the necessities (body wash, deodorant, toothbrush, etc...)

Once we explained that it was because he's becoming a man, and these things will help him, he finally smiled about it. :)

Happy birthday, Donovan!