Recipe Gone Wrong

I guess I'm just lucky, but none of my kids are picky eaters. I often test new recipes and my family is willing to give them a try.  They don't love everything I make, but I can't remember the last time anyone complained or refused to eat dinner.

Recently, I decided to buy some quinoa at Costco.  I've heard so much about it lately and I wanted to try cooking with it.  Then we got some beets in our CSA box and I wasn't sure how to prepare them.  I thought they might go well with the quinoa.  Thanks to google, I found several recipes for Roasted Beet Quinoa.  The one that looked the best also included goat cheese.

I was excited to try a recipe with three ingredients we don't usually eat.  John picked up the cheese on the way home from work and I got to work.  I roasted those beets and cooked that quinoa and then put it all together.  It looked nothing like the photos online.  I followed the recipe carefully, but the beets turned everything red.  It almost looked like raspberry sherbet.

I put it in front of my family, assuring them that it tasted better than it looked.  After the first few bites, I saw the looks on their faces.  No one complained, but Lavender promptly spit it out and Evan drank half a glass of water.  I told them it was an acquired taste and they just needed to try a few more bites to get used to it.  I reminded them that Grandma loved beets.

Then I took Lavender up to bed and left the rest of the family to finish dinner.  The table was clean by the time I came back downstairs, but Marianne was eating a bagel with cream cheese. Apparently no one finished their dinner. Reportedly Evan sat staring at his food and asked, "I wonder if this is how Cammi [his very picky cousin] feels at dinner?"  Marianne was more direct with me, "What were you thinking, Mom?"  I asked John about it and he tactfully explained, "Well, I don't really like beets."

So I made a deal with everyone:  They promise to try the quinoa again, if I find a different recipe.  Anyone have any good recipes to recommend?  Please let me know and be sure to think of me at lunchtime.  I'm eating Roasted Beet Quinoa every day this week.

How it was supposed to look

How it actually looked

Worse Than the January Blues!

We were hit by the plague earlier this month and it has taken us more than two weeks to recover.  Now that we are no longer zombies, here is our family update:

Lavender now has four teeth.  Teething was very painful for her and she is much happier now that they are in. She is very aware of them and alternately grinds her teeth and smacks her lips. We try to distract her because it drives us crazy! She is also standing by herself.  She usually does it when she is busy playing and needs her hands to grab or shake a toy.  Although she does it often, I have yet to get a picture of her standing.  Her hair is also growing longer and getting lighter.  She is into everything, but we are grateful she usually sleeps all night.  I can't believe she will be a year old in less than a month!

Smacking her lips

Evan spends as much time as possible unicycling and slacklining.  He must have excellent balance because he is very good at both! He and John recently went to Torrey Pines to watch the pro golfers in the Farmers Insurance Open.  He especially enjoyed watching Tiger Woods.  He was surprised at some of the spectators.  One man brought a step stool to stand on.  Another used a periscope to get a better view. Despite the wind and cool weather, one mother and grandma brought a nine week old baby on the course.

On his slack line

Marianne was hardest hit with illness and has been busy getting caught up on everything.  She is preparing for a flute solo in church and her driver's test to get her license.  She has spent lot of time studying as she finishes up a challenging three semester scholar project called "Thomas Jefferson Youth Certification." She spent the last week doing a Facebook fast and is currently lamenting the fact that she STILL hasn't seen Les Mis!  She also refuses to let me post a picture of her, so here is a bonus shot of Lavender:

Elder Aaron has been transferred back to Toronto and to Korean work.  The Korean branch has been dissolved and there are only two Korean language missionaries in the whole mission--Elder Aaron and his companion! The ward he is serving in is very large and about 90% of the members are converts.  It must be huge, because the ward has 8 missionaries--4 English, 2 Farsi & 2 Korean!  I've never heard of a ward having 8 missionaries.  In fact our ward usually shares 2 missionaries with another ward. Aaron is excited to be back in Korean work, but he was sad to leave Timmins.  He loved the ward members there and he will miss the beautiful scenery since Timmins is surrounded by forests and lakes.

Ryan, Molly and the girls got to take a fun trip to San Francisco this month.  I once took Evan a toddler  to SF and it nearly killed me.  Fortunately, Ryan and Molly are much more patient parents!  We missed spending time with them when we were sick.  Our granddaughters are incredibly gorgeous and exceedingly smart.  Lavender loves being with them and they are starting to play together.  Brianne recently locked Marianne out of the house when Marianne was babysitting her.  I tried really hard not to laugh when she told us about it.  Here are the girls with their favorite movie:

John and I get to deal with fun things like plumbing repairs and finances.  We did go to the symphony this month, but I was so exhausted that John took me home during intermission!  My highlight of the month was getting my first blog book in the mail.  I have wanted to do this for years and I even tried a few times on Blurb, but I got so frustrated that I gave up.  My friend Tawnya recommended blog2print and it is so easy!  It is a bit on the expensive side so I just did my first year of blogging--2008.  By the end of this year, I want to print a book for each of the other years 2009-2012.  I was very impressed by my sweet husband who read every page of the book and congratulated me on recording our family history.

Silly Songs

My mom often sang to us as we were growing up.  She told us that she learned most of the songs from her Grandpa Ras.  She always sang, You Are My Sunshine and My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, but the songs we liked best were the silly ones.

One she sang to us was called Sweet Violets.  You can actually buy it on iTunes sung by Dinah Shore!  The lyrics are funny because the rhyming words you expect are cut off.

There once was a farmer who took a young miss
In back of the barn where he gave her a...
Lecture on horses and chickens and eggs
And told her that she had such beautiful...
Manners that suited a girl of her charms
A girl that he wanted to take in his...
Washing and ironing and then if she did
They would get married and raise lots of..

Sweet Violets
Sweeter than the roses
Covered all over from head to toe
Covered all over with sweet violets

The girl told the farmer that he'd better stop
Or she'd call her father, and he called a...
Taxi and got there before very long,
'Cause someone was doing his little girl...
Right for a change and so that's why he said:
If you marry her, son, you're better off...
Single, 'Cause it's always been my belief
Marriage will bring a man nothing but...

Sweet Violets
Sweeter than the roses
Covered all over from head to toe
Covered all over with sweet violets

The farmer decided he'd wed and he'd wait,
And started in planning for his wedding...
Suit which he purchased for only one buck
But then he found out he was just out of...
Money, left in the lurch
Standin' and waitin' in front of the...
End of the story which just goes to show
All a girl wants from a man is his...

Sweet Violets
Sweeter than the roses
Covered all over from head to toe
Covered all over with sweet violets

Another funny song my mom sang to us was The Billboard Song.  We even sang it together in the hospital, when God gave us a few extra minutes with her.  We laughed and sang together as a family.  Later, her kids and grandkids even sang it during the luncheon after the funeral.  She would have loved it.

There are lots of different versions online, but here is the way I remember the lyrics.

One day as I was walking on a dark and dreary day,
I came upon a billboard and much to my dismay,
The sign was torn and tattered,
From the storm the night before,
The wind and rain had done its work and this is what I saw,

Drink Coca-Cola cigarettes, chew Wrigley’s Spearmint beer,
Ken-L-Ration dog food makes your complexion clear,
Simonize your baby with a Hershey chocolate bar,
And Texaco's a beauty cream that's used by all the stars.

So, take your next vacation in a brand new Frigedaire,
Learn to play the piano in your winter underwear,
Doctors say that babies should smoke until they're three,
And people over sixty-five should bathe in Lipton tea. Hey!

My mom  had nice voice and often sang in the choir.  But after her cancer treatments, her voice wasn't as strong.  She told Marianne that she didn't like to sing in church anymore because she "croaked."  All I know is that her voice always sounded beautiful to me!

It kind of looks like Mom could be singing in this picture, doesn't it?!

Grateful

For the strong, but gentle Spirit

Who whispered

And called to me for years.

Patient, yet insistent

That she not be forgotten.

For the tiny body

Who sprouted and grew,

Even thrived within me

Amidst doubts,

In spite of the odds.

For the precious newborn

Brought forth from my body

And from the realm of spirits

Delivered by her grandmothers

A harbinger of peace.

For the darling infant

Enfolded in my arms

Encircled by my heart

Her smile radiates joy

To everyone 'round her

For the toddling baby

She is fast becoming.

Moving and grabbing

Hold of life with a squeal

And thrill in each discovery.

For the exuberant child

We will shortly meet.

Growing, learning

And embracing her world

With eyes wide open.

For the feisty teen

We will surely find

Questioning, serving and

Searching for truth as she

Prepares for her future.

For the lovely woman 

She will ultimately grow to be.

Fulfilling the dreams and

Desires placed by God

Deep within her heart.

For her gift of healing

Like the balm in Gilead

As a soothing herb

With a delicate fragrance

Of purity, grace and peace.

For sweet Lavender

A blessing to us all.

Can You Do the Satoosee?

My mom was a woman without guile.  She lived close to the Lord and somehow managed to maintain a sweet innocence throughout her life.  I will never forget the time we found mom singing and dancing to a popular song on the radio.  We were embarrassed to hear her singing along and one of us told her, "Mom!  You shouldn't be singing that."

"What do you mean?" she innocently replied.

"Did you hear what they're saying?"

"Yes.  It says, 'Sa-too-see tonight.' See, I'm doing the Satoosee!" she said while demonstrating a dance move.

She was rather surprised when we explained, "Mom, the song is called 'Seduce Me Tonight'"

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of mom doing the "Satoosee."  This silly picture will have to do. I believe she was showing my aunt how people dressed at Venice Beach.  Her outfit is funny, but as usual, much too innocent.

In case you're not familiar with the soundtrack of "Flashdance," HERE is a link to this great hit from the 80s.  Don't worry, there are no "Seduce Me Tonight" pictures or video.  Music only.

Party Animals

Marianne planned her first party at the age of three.  She didn't get her party planning skills from me.  It must have skipped a generation since her Grandma Anne was a great party planner.

When I was a little girl, we lived in a split level house in Des Moines, Iowa.  It was a great house for a party because it had so many different "spaces." If my parents had friends over for a dinner party, the kids could be down in the family room or even the basement.  For kids' parties, there was a screened porch on the back of the house.  My brother Scott and I had several birthday parties in that house, but my favorite party was hosted by my parents.  It was a backwards party.  I remember my mom thinking of all the different things they could do backwards.  Everyone was encouraged to wear their clothes backwards.  They had dessert first, followed by the main course and then appetizers.  Guests were greeted at the door with a cheery, "goodbye!"  I think the table was even set backwards.  My mom had a lot of fun planning it, and I was thrilled to be included in her preparations.

Another time, I wanted to do something to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy.  My mom helped me organize quite a party.  We hosted a backyard carnival complete with games and prizes.  We invited our friends and neighbors to join us under the crab apple tree for a fun afternoon.  Of course, they needed to buy tickets to play the games and all the money went to the MDA.  I am sure the amount we raised was fairly small, but I really don't remember.  I will never forget how much time my mom spent helping me prepare for the carnival!

As a teenager, my mom encouraged my brother Scott and I to have occasional parties with our friends.  She always made sure there was plenty of good food and helped us come up with fun games to play and movies to watch.  I think she was often more excited about the parties than we were!  She threw me a Sweet Sixteen birthday party and I remember how beautiful the cake was with big roses.  We almost always had homemade cakes, so having a large, professionally decorated cake was a big deal to me.

My mom and Marianne had a special bond with their shared love of party planning.  One time we were on a car trip together and Mom started discussing her funeral with Marianne.  I told her that was too morbid and to stop talking about it, but she insisted.  She said that Marianne was the only one she could trust to follow through with her plans.  She said she wanted a celebration at her funeral.  I told her I didn't want to talk about it and refused to be part of the conversation, but I had to listen since we were all in the car together!  Mom said she knew the family would insist on a traditional funeral and that was fine, but that she wanted a party afterwards with balloons and Peanut M&Ms. She wanted everyone to have fun and not be sad.

The conversation was nearly forgotten, but when my mom passed away about five years later, Marianne reminded us that Grandma wanted a celebration at her funeral.  And so we had one.  After the funeral services in the church chapel, we had a luncheon.  The cultural hall was decorated with balloons and many beautiful quilts my mom made.  Every table had a bowl of M&M's and we had wonderful food provided by members of her ward.  We sang a few fun songs together and shared a few stories and memories.  After the graveside services, we had a balloon release.  My cousin Kristen took lots of wonderful photos that you can see HERE.  My mom was definitely there with us.  She never would have missed such a great party!

Mom and Dad in 1974 or 1975 - Doesn't she look ready to party in that dress?!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's 71st birthday. We will celebrate her birthday later today, but I wish she was here so we could celebrate it together. I sure do miss her!

Both John and I are blessed to have amazing mothers. Both were faithful, Christlike women, loved by everyone who knew them. That's why we named our daughter "Marianne." We were hopeful she would follow in the footsteps of both her grandmothers.

This week I want to share some stories about my mom. Here is the first one:

One of my earliest memories is of my mom teaching me to forgive.  When my brother Scott and I would argue, she would bring us together.  She taught us to say, “I’m sorry” and in return “I forgive you.”  Sometimes we had to repeat these words until they could be said in a loving and sincere way.  Most important in this process was giving each other a big hug.   All of my siblings have learned this lesson well and I am grateful that each of them has been quick to forgive when I have lost my temper or offended them in some way.

The summer before I was in 6th grade, our family moved from Iowa to Southern California.  There were several girls my age in our neighborhood and things seemed to go well at first.  Then I began to have problems with one of these girls at school.  She started to make fun of me and say unkind things about me to our classmates.  At first, I tried to ignore it, but over the next few weeks, I became more hurt and upset.  I went home and indignantly told my mother what was happening.

I couldn’t believe her response! She suggested that I invite this girl to come over after school and make cookies.  I told Mom that the invitation would never be accepted, but Mom patiently sat next to me while I made the difficult phone call.  To my surprise, our neighbor agreed to come over after school on Friday.   Mom had everything ready when we got home and she stayed with us while we began rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies.  At first, the conversation was awkward, but soon we began to have fun.  When it was time for my friend to go home, she apologized to me. Things weren't perfect from then on, but I immediately noticed a change in her behavior at school.

I am grateful that my mother understood and lived the principle of forgiveness. I hope that I can be more like her and strive to follow Christ’s example and the words of Ephesians, “And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Mom with her mom - 1981 or 1982.  In Hawaii with the wind blowing through their hair!

A Post To Sleep On

Thirteen years ago, John and I were able to go on an all expenses paid trip to Italy.  Our group arrived in the afternoon and on the way to our hotel, we were told that we could take a walking tour of Rome.  Some people opted to take a nap, but John and I fought the jet lag and saw the sites!  The next morning we were offered a tour of Vatican Square and a chance to see the Pope.  We were shocked that some people in our group opted to sleep in!  

Some view sleep as a luxury, others as a necessary evil.  Although we didn't mind missing a few hours of sleep during our vacation, sleep is important in our home.  In fact, getting enough sleep is part of our family culture.  We rarely stay up late and we often ask each other, "How did you sleep?"  We want to make sure everyone gets enough rest.

My first two babies were champion sleepers.  I heard stories of sleepless nights with babies and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with those mothers. My kids slept through the night from the time they were around a month old.  I had it all figured out.  Then Marianne came along.  She struggled with sleep from the very beginning. Maybe my good sleepers hadn't been the result of my superior mothering!  I often resorted to taking Marianne for drives to get her to sleep.  She didn't sleep through the night until she was 19 months old, just after Evan was born. It was a gift from a merciful God.  Evan was a better sleeper, but was still waking up multiple times in the night at 18 months.  We finally staged an intervention over Thanksgiving when John had some time off.

Since Marianne was born 16 years ago, I have read many books about getting your baby to sleep.  There are so many different theories and techniques.  The experts all seem to know what will work.  Except when it doesn't.  I have come to the conclusion that there isn't any method that will work for every child.  Each baby is different and so is every mother.

As an older experienced mother, I like to think that I have been a little wiser with Lavender.  I started to write a whole paragraph about Lavender's sleep habits/history since birth.  But you know what?  I don't think anyone cares.  Besides, what worked with her will not necessarily work for any other baby.  Here is my only advice:  Do what makes you and your baby happy.  If those two don't match up, do your best.  For breastfeeding moms:  learn to nurse lying down.  It will make nighttime feedings much easier.  Personally, I loved using a co-sleeper.  It's a bassinet attached to your bed and I wish I had one with Marianne and Evan.

I am grateful for the hours Lavender and I have spent together  rocking, singing, patting and nursing.  Even if it meant I got a little less sleep.  Like an all expenses paid trip to Italy, her babyhood is a once in a lifetime experience.

Lavender Has A New Cousin!

Cole Jason joined the family this afternoon.  He weighed 9 lbs 13 oz!  My grandma and mom were both born in January, but Cole is the first of my mom's descendants with a January birthday.  He will probably need a bit of surgery so keep him in your prayers.  Congratulations to my brother Jason and sister-in-law Lacy!

Happy Birthday Cole!  

We love you.

2012 Top 10

Do you like to choose a word for the upcoming year?  Some of my friends do this and I think it helps them focus and find direction.  I have never chosen a yearly word, but as 2012 drew to a close, one word kept popping into my mind.  Even as I chose a Christmas card, I knew I had to find one that included JOY!  In September I wrote about being surprised by joy, but I feel like I have more to say.  As a recap of the year, I want to share some of my favorite moments of being surprised by joy.  Many of these events were not surprises, yet I wasn't expecting the abundance of joy they brought into my life.

10. Cleaning out my parents' home -  Exhausting, frustrating and emotionally painful, especially as a pregnant grandma! Of course it was good to help out my dad and it was a blessing to spend so much time with Jenny, but the joy came from some of the treasures I found in the house.  I came across a sweet, comforting letter that my mom had written, but never given to me fifteen years earlier.  I also brought home boxes of photographs and family history and it has truly been a joy to sort and organize many years of family photos.

9. Monday mornings - This has never been my favorite time of the week, but this year it has been the time we receive emails from Elder Aaron.  At times, his emails cause me to worry, but Monday mornings always bring the joy of knowing an email is on the way!

8. New girls in town -  No, not  babies, I am referring to some awesome women:
     Sweet Molly became my daughter when she married Ryan near the end of 2009.  It was a stressful time when they got married, but since then we have had many good times together.  During 2012 she was a comfort and help to me and a few days ago it really struck me.  She is such a blessing and brings such joy to my life!
     Next is my dad's sister Cheryl.  A few years ago my dad made contact with his half-siblings whom he hadn't seen in many years.  I met his brother and sister for the first time at my mom's funeral.  Cheryl has been so sweet, sending lovely gifts when Lavender was born and reaching out through cards and emails.
     My dad's wife Carolyn was not in an easy position as she joined the family just a year after my mom passed away.  But she has been so gracious and loving to everyone.  She won over the kids with her colorful rice krispie treats and has worked so hard to help and befriend the rest of us.  She has a great sense of humor and it is a joy to have her in the family.

7. Time with my family - Lots of it this year!
April -  All three of my brothers flew out for Lavender's blessing at Easter.
June - My brother David visited us with his girlfriend Annie.
July - My brothers Jason and Scott and their families came and we had an impromptu family reunion.
December - David came back with (now fiance) Annie, and we had another family get-together.  Thankfully Jenny's family and my dad and Carolyn joined us too.  My brothers have married such fantastic women.  It is a joy to be together with my family!

6. Time with John's family - John's parents have both passed away, but he is blessed to have two amazing sisters.  We love to visit them! We spent a week in Utah this summer.  We celebrated the 4th of July together and had so much fun with the whole extended family.

5. Marianne's trip to Ecuador - It brought me such joy to see my girl plan and prepare to make her dream of working in an orphanage a reality!

4. Family Trip Back East - Earlier this year, I told John that I wanted to take Marianne and Evan to to Washington DC since they were so young when we went in 2003.  He didn't think it would be possible this year, but then he found out he would be working at a convention in NYC in October.  John really knows how to travel frugally and he managed to stretch airline miles and hotel points to cover our trip so that we were able to visit DC, VA, PA and NY for 16 days.  We worried that it would be difficult traveling with a baby, but it was an exciting, joyful trip for the 5 of us!

3. Grandbabies - You might think that with a baby of my own, I wouldn't be as excited about grandchildren. Wrong!  I can't wait to see those sweet little girls.  I love hearing their joyful little voices when they come in the house or grabbing those cute little hands as they reach out to me.

2. Lavender Jane -  If you've read my blog at all, you know the joy this sweet baby girl has brought to our home.  I was excited for her to be born, but I was also prepared for reality.  Some babies are colicky, others have medical problems or disabilities (especially when born to older mothers).  But instead of worry or pain, Lavender has brought only joy.  For the first three months of her life, I was constantly surrounded by a powerful peace and joy that she brought with her from heaven.  Later, she began to share her sweet enthusiasm with everyone around her and it has been a joyous ride!

1. Twenty Five Years With the Man I Love - John and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in May. He continues to amaze me with his loving patience.  It brings me such joy to see him play with our beautiful granddaughters and daughter.