Cooking Together

Josh is a great cook. Seriously! I just love to cook, so generally don't invite him into the kitchen. Well, that and he tends to be a little messier than I am...

Anyhow, there are some things he just prepares better than I do, like fried rice. Tonight's dinner was stir-fry (Pork and Vegetables in Hosein Sauce) and it seemed like a good night for fried rice rather than steamed. So I invited Josh to cook with me.

It was lovely!

Our kitchen is fine for me, but not ideal for 2. However, we danced our way through prep and shared the stove-top so we could prepare our meal together. And it was delicious!

I'm not sure my overly controlling self can take it every night, but I think we might have to cook together more often. It was a wonderful experience, and reminded me again that I love my husband. We complement each other well.

Holidays 2012

We love the holidays! Yesterday was special - we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one with the kids, being thankful for one another and our time together. 

The day started with caramel-pecan cinnamon rolls, then presents: 

 Our tradition is to take turns wearing the Santa hat - I put on that hat and hand someone a gift. Then, whoever opened their gift puts on the hat and hands out another gift. And around we go! Josh looks the best in the hat. :)

Josh made Donovan armor - pictured is the breastplate. This was an intensive project - Josh spent hours cutting, staining, and piecing the leather. The sides will be stitched now that we can fit it to Donovan.

 Mike had lots of help opening his Wii hunting game.

 Kaiya had her eyes on this doll a couple of weeks ago, unbeknownst to us! We were glad to find out we'd picked well. :)

 Each year we take the kids shopping so they can pick things out for each other. Usually, with the last few dollars, they pick out candy and such - this year, Audri gave Donovan cookies, as well as an Axe body wash and cologne kit (not pictured).

 Audri is opening a beautiful necklace that Donovan picked for her. Somehow I did not get a picture of the necklace once opened. In this picture, you can also see the skateboard Audri received from us.

 The kids got beanies in their stockings. Donovan wore his while opening some of his presents.

 Josh received a camouflage beanie from Audri, and a new hatchet from me. I think this picture makes Josh look like quite the mountain man!

We gave Camdon a few Heroscape castles and the Marvel characters - it seems there is a tie between Captain America and Iron Man for his favorite. 

Oh - one of my presents was this beverage dispenser. :) I "opened" it early so I could use it for the day, and we used the box for some of Cam's presents.

 Mike helped open the box, and then built Cam a castle to play.

Once presents were opened, we broke out the appetizers: crackers and a cheese-ball, chips and salsa, parmesan bites, artichoke dip, and a vegetable tray.

 Kaiya liked the vegetable tray best! She ate all 10 olives off her fingers. :)

Then, we played games - Mike and Amanda brought over their Wii and we hooked it up.

 Mike played his new game, and Cam sat enthralled, waiting for his turn!

 Donovan turned on the computer and played a game that he created in his video-game class at school.

We finally ate dinner around 7 - I'm not sure we were hungry enough even then, but it was time! Turkey (deep-fried!), ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and salad. It was a team effort!

After dinner, we put a movie on for the kids, then played some games. At 9:30 we served some dessert (apple pie, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake) so Mike and Amanda could get the kids home to bed.

We had a marvelous day! It was "practically perfect in every way" (Mary Poppins is on right now, and the quote seemed to fit.) Thank you Elbert family for joining us, and contributing to the food and fun!

We love the holidays. We are grateful for one another and the time we get to spend together.

Oh - Amanda took some great pictures as well. I can't wait to see them!

Ravioli

I have decided that fresh pasta is really the way to go. It really is fairly easy to make, it just takes a bit of forethought. This weekend, I decided to make my own ravioli. I had marinara sauce that I had made from some garden-fresh tomatoes and put in the freezer, and needed something to put it on!

I decided to make large ravioli... my pasta recipe made 24 large ravioli's. I was so excited to eat them that I forgot to take a picture once they were cooked. :)

I served them with both a marinara and an alfredo sauce... both options were delicious! Thank goodness Michael, Amanda, and kiddos were available for dinner, or we would have had way too much food.

I love being in my kitchen. I love creating delicious meals to share with friends and family. This was definitely a meal I will make again!

Busyness

In church today, we heard a sermon about the dangers of busyness. Doug Fields, author of What Matters Most, writes that "busyness makes us look important but cripples our relationships. Busyness feeds our egos but ultimately starve our souls. Busyness fills our calendars but fractures our families. And busyness props up our images but shrinks our hearts."

Wow.

I am busy. We are all busy. And I can see the truth of what Fields writes in areas of my life. I do not want to be so busy that I forget my priorities, that I take my eyes off the important things. I don't want my relationships to suffer - to be crippled; I don't want my soul to be starved, my family to be fractured, or my heart to be hurt because I am too involved.

I don't know how to be less busy. I don't know what to say "no" to. At this point, I'm not sure I need to; however, I am approaching the remainder of this year with a heightened sense of awareness, watching for signs that my busyness is hurting me. Evaluation creates opportunities for change - and this seems a good time to evaluate, prior to considering New Year's resolutions, and identifying where I should be putting my energy that will keep me busy with the right things.

Highland Games

Today was the Celtic Festival and Highland Games! Josh and I went down to check out the festivities:

 The bar was set at 32' in this picture... the athletes were spearing a 16-pound bag with a pitchfork and throwing it over the bar. 

 Over 20 men lined up for the "Bonny Knees" competition - where blindfolded women felt each knee and chose who had the best ones!

 Preparing for the caper toss - the athletes tossed the log (it only counted if it completed a full end-over-end rotation) to see who could toss it the farthest.

The ladies in attire - preparing for the Bonny Knees competition.

We had a great day at the Games! We also viewed a number of vendor booths, found Josh a sporran (a piece of attire needed to complete his formal dress kilt), met a guy who teaches black-smithing (I think Josh will sign up for a class in the spring) and watched a couple of young dance groups. It was a wonderful day to be together, enjoying the sunshine, and experiencing more of Josh's heritage.

Jack has moved inside...

We first picked Jack up hoping that he and Samson would be backyard friends. They are, but they pick on each other a bit as well. Samson is missing a small piece of his ear from their "playing", and Jack has been kicked a few times. We decided that maybe it wasn't such a great idea to keep them together.

So - we've been transitioning Jack inside. He's unsure about the whole thing - he's always been an outside dog - but is starting to settle in. The first time Josh brought him in, he laid in the corner between the couch and the chair and wouldn't come out! 

Now, almost a week later, he'll only go in or out if he's on the leash, but he does like to be inside.

He loves the attention he's getting...

And after playing and wrestling, he loves to lay next to Josh and hang out.

This morning I even let him lick my plate after breakfast... that's a big deal. 

We love Jack. Actually, we've added to his name and now he's Jackson. And he's ours.

Camdon's Birthday - A Day at the Beach!

It has been so much fun having Kaiya and Camdon here... and today, we got to celebrate Camdon's 2nd birthday!

We took the kids to Lucky Peak to play at the beach.

Camdon playing in the sand with his motorcycles

Someone before us had created this little "puddle", which was perfect for the kids. They could play in the water, but knew not to go beyond the little sand berm. Camdon found a toy boat that someone else had left behind, and played with it for almost an hour.

Kaiya was doing a water dance... we all got "splashed" more than once with her water kicks!

 

 And then she was done in the water, and sat on the beach waiting for us to be ready to get dressed again. 

It was a fabulous day! The kids loved the beach (and the water), and it was nice to be outside in the sunshine.

Happy birthday, Camdon! I had a great day playing with you!

Meet Jack - Samson's New Dog

Samson is lonely. He's been the only backyard animal since Tuesday... so today we got him a dog.

Meet Jack!

Jack is 4-years old, and a lab/hound mix. He's shy, but good tempered. He is used to cows, horses, ducks, and other dogs, so we figured he'd be okay with Samson and the chickens.

The "boys" weren't too sure of each other at first:

 

 

But, then they sniffed each other out:

 

 

Then Jack barked, and spooked Samson a bit. He went to stand by Donovan - like he can really hide. :)

 

They are still getting to know each other... we hope they'll become friends, but they're both a bit skittish right now.

PS - the goats are pretty tasty. :)

Two Weeks In...

I am two weeks into my PhD program. The first week was completely overwhelming, just trying to adjust to being back in school, setting aside time for reading, researching, writing, and responding to my classmates. The second week was better; I'm hoping that by the fourth week I've settled into a routine!

I do seem to have a great cohort group; most seem interactive, prompt to post, and thorough in their responses. I suppose that's the benefit of the degree we are seeking; we know what to expect and how to to help one another along the way.

So - 2 weeks down, 206 to go!

Donovan's New Coat

Donovan opened a gift from Earl and Katie - a jean jacket that has been passed down from his great-grandfather.

It won't fit for long - but it's a wonderful family heirloom. Once Donovan outgrows it, I think we'll put it in a shadow-box with the story of the jacket and the patch.

Audri & Samson

The kids are here! Audri quickly asked to help feed Samson:

It's going to be a great summer!

Summer Plans

It seems that summer might actually be here! We have thought so twice before, but then it's turned colder again. Now our fingers are crossed that it's here to stay.

The kids will be here next weekend (the 23rd) and we are making summer plans. Of course, with the animals we can't just leave, but we don't need to. I will be headed North for a week, Audri wants to see her friends in Twin for a week, Josh and Donovan want a few days of boys time in the woods (something about getting dirty and not caring)... we have passes to the water park, we dug out our rafts and can float the river... we want to explore Idaho a bit and head to Silver City (a ghost-town about an hour away) and few other places as day-trips.

We're not entirely sure what the summer will bring, but we're excited that it's here!

Changes on the Farm

Farm life is exciting - but hard. 

Wednesday night we were out for a couple of hours. When we returned, our goats had jumped the fence into our neighbors yard... it's a 6-foot fence!

When we went to retrieve the goats, they had escaped the neighbors yard as well, and were gone. We haven't been able to find them - we no longer have goats.

Thursday Josh was able to get the garden planted. :) There is still room to plant more, and we'll probably add to the garden in the next few weeks. 

Saturday was raining on and off all day. Peter has been sick, and Saturday he took a turn for the worse. He wouldn't get up at all. We knew when we went to bed that he probably wouldn't make it through the night... Sunday morning when we got up, he was gone. This was the last picture I had taken of him - he'd been sick for a few days, and stayed curled up against the fence for most of the last week of his life.

Samson has grown tremendously. He loves to eat; he actually stands at the back door and moos when he's hungry, because he knows we come out of that door with the bottle for him. :) 

He gets so excited to eat his back legs shake! He will come when called - if Josh steps outside and whistles, Samson will trot over to him. 

Samson needs a new friend now; he looks pretty lonely in the backyard by himself. Josh wants to get him a puppy, but my heart is hurting right now. We'll get Samson a friend soon, but I need a few more days.

The farm is growing...

After getting our cows, one of our neighbors offered us a couple of goats. His daughter needed to downsize (she had 5 goats, and only wanted 2), so they were giving some away. The mama had just finished weaning her baby, so we were given both of them. :)

Bella - the mama

Thumper - the baby... he loves to climb on the paver stones Josh has stacked on the patio. Eventually, these stones will become part of a retaining wall... for now, they are Thumper's obstacle course.

Samson - he loves to play. :) As soon as Bella and Thumper entered the yard, he bounded over to meet the new animals and make friends... Bella was terrified, and still won't have anything to do with him. Poor guy.

We hope to plant our garden in the next week or so as well. The farm is well under way!

Baby Cows

We bought baby cows! Meet our calves:

Baby Peter - he's a feisty one! He is pretty reactive and responsive, and was the first of the two to take the bottle. He loves Crystal and I; Josh says it's our "woman scent". :)

Baby Samson - he's been a bit slower to take to the bottle; we were worried about him last night. Finally this afternoon he got hungry enough to eat. He has a bit of red in his coat (this picture was in the shade, so it's hard to see his coloring).

Josh feeding Samson

We're pretty excited!

The back yard has been prepared for planting (which will be our project in the next week or so). Now that the cows are here, our next goal is to build the chicken coop and get some chickens. :)

Welcome to the Davis Farm!

Grocery Shopping

I love grocery shopping. I know most people don't feel the same way; however, I love creating a menu plan and grocery shopping for the ingredients for my meals. I enjoy walking through the store and picking out produce, talking with those at the butcher counter and having them cut my meat, and comparing labels to find the right product that will help enrich the dish I intend it for. This weekend, I spent Friday late-night completing my meal plan, then Sunday afternoon grocery shopping. I am so excited for all the scrumptious meals I get to create over the next month!

Preparing to Move

Moving is stressful. I am trying to prepare as much as possible... Pack a few boxes each day, clean out rooms as we empty them, etc... But it is still stressful. Luckily, Josh is taking care of most of it. The goal this week is to get the keys to the house, rent a U-Haul van for two days, and knock it out.

The best part? The two days that Josh wants to rent the U-Haul are mid-week, and I will be working. So, the theory is that I can just show up at the new housed and unpack. I love the idea!

Wish us luck! My fingers are crossed that this move goes as smoothly as Josh has planned.

Once we are settled in, we'll post pictures of the house and yard!

Eating Out

We love eating out - it's a treat. Sometimes it's for convenience, sometimes because we're celebrating, sometimes just because we're craving something we've had somewhere before.

Last night we went out to dinner. It was fabulous food, but we sat at the restaurant, surrounded by the noise and chaos, feeling rushed to complete our meal so the people waiting in the entry area could sit and eat... and we realized that eating out has lost a bit of its luster. For as scrumptious as our meal was, I could have spent the same money at the grocery store on quality ingredients and created a meal at home that we could have enjoyed, slowly and quietly, and it would have been perfect.

I'm sure we'll still eat out from time to time. But, after last night, we'll think twice before we do! When we want a date night, we want time together - and we can do that at home, sharing in the meal preparation and then the meal itself, enjoying conversation and just being together, focused on the time we are able to share together.

Maybe our "eating out" treats will have to be soft-serve ice cream from our favorite shop down the street. :)

Quilting

Today I begin quilting lessons! A friend of mine creates gorgeous quilts, and offered to teach me the basics.

It started with picking my pattern. Not as easy as it sounds! Of course, my eye was drawn to the patterns that were really too complicated for me to attempt as a beginner. I wanted to pick something I knew I could finish. So, after 30 minutes of standing in the pattern aisle, I finally selected one that used strips instead of multiple pieces to create one block. 

Next, I needed to pick my fabric. This was also time-consuming; there were so many cute fabrics, but every time I picked one, I couldn't find enough that went "with" it to make my quilt. 

Poor Josh. He was at the craft store with me. We were there for almost 2 hours. 

With my pattern and fabric in hand, I headed to my friend Tracy's this morning. We ironed, cut, sewed, ironed, and sewed some more. After 8+ hours, my quilt is coming together beautifully!

I still need to finish the binding, but this was enough for today. 

I had so much fun! This is just the kind of relaxing project I can see myself enjoying on the weekend. I may have found my new hobby!

The Library

I think the library might be my favorite place on earth. I love bookstores, but the library doesn't require that I have money. :) I recently discovered that the Boise library is open Sunday afternoons... which has been great for me when I want to exchange books. Today, we arrived at the library just before it opened - and there was a HUGE line! I was so excited to see others who couldn't wait to enter into the world of books, and the magic that exists there.

I have begun limiting myself to 4 books each visit. I can return each week if I get through my books that quickly, so I don't need to load up on 8-10 each time. It's always hard to choose which 4 will actually come home with me each visit.

I try to mix up my options, choosing different authors, different genres, different themes... sometimes I lean to the more serious, other times to the fun and light-hearted; either way, fiction or nonfiction, fun or soul-searching, I love to read. It is my favorite way to relax.

Made from Scratch

For a variety of reasons, I've become more and more interested in making all of our food from scratch. Mind you, it doesn't make them less fattening (most of the time)... but at least they are a bit more natural. :)

Today I made more pasta (I'm still excited about last weekend's success!), mozzarella-stuffed meatballs, marinara sauce, and french bread for dinner:

Followed by German-Chocolate Cake for dessert:

The picture doesn't do it justice!

I love eating something that I know didn't come from a box or can or mix. It does take a bit of extra planning and time, but it is so worth it. :)

Pasta

I have wanted to make pasta for months. For some reason, I've been nervous to try it. This weekend I decided to tackle my fear.

I made Herbed Fettuccine noodles Saturday for Grilled Vegetable Fettuccine.

Delicious! It required a bit of time (for drying, not so much in the prepping or cutting... that part was pretty fast), but was so worth it! And, not nearly as hard, or scary, as I thought it would be. 

So, today I made bow-tie pasta noodles for our Beef and Noodles dinner. 

I feel so accomplished! :)

I have fallen in love with fresh pasta... and can't wait to try making ravioli next weekend!

Crafty Collaborative

Some ladies from work have created a crafty collaborative - an opportunity to get together and work on craft projects while hanging out together. Of course, there will be food. :)

I'm pretty excited to join the group!

I have a bit of a problem, though... I don't really have a crafty project! I no longer have any of my scrap-booking or stamping-up supplies, and I don't own a sewing machine. I haven't crocheted or done cross-stitch in years, and I don't paint or draw.

My "craft"? I bake. That's harder to do when I don't have a kitchen.

So - I'm on the lookout for fun, easy, crafty projects that I can do in an afternoon. Any ideas?

Christmas Vacation / Kids Visit

We had a wonderful Christmas vacation, and loved having the kids here!

A few of our highlights: playing games, watching movies, bowling, mini-golfing, and eating (both at home, and out!). A few pictures of our fun:

 A peanut butter milkshake... never as good as Grandpa's, but I still order them! :)

 Can you believe how tall Donovan is?!?!

 

We're looking forward to Spring Break!