snow photos

With the closures of airports and cancellation of many flights, my husband is delayed and he has not seen our snow....so please excuse my blog post while I post a dozen or so photos for him to get some perspective of our snowfall.....We had about 30"......not including drifts....

these are very happy kids. They are LOVING the snow....!

these are the steps (that you cannot see) that lead to my porch......

the snow hit the mailboxes :)

a side-glance of our house....looks mild from a distance....

this is the fence-line and the snow almost crested it.......

I like this one best....and checked out the neighbors house, with drifts on top of the snow, it topped 6'.....

tunneling their way to the garage...where they were bringing the pop into the house...

part of our driveway....

the DURING shot of my car..

the AFTER shot of my car...
a long-range view of our street....

still here....

1. My blog updates have been sporadic...I'd like to say I'm sorry, but I'm not :) I'm just busy with the kids. And taking care of Greg....

2. We're still in the house, Day 3 of Snowapalooza. The biggest blizzard in like a bazillion years. I have some neat pictures of the three FEET of snow in my front yard. But my desk is a mess and I can't find my camera cord. (I used the throw down, I'm not taking my uber-expensive cameras in this snow....)

3. Greg is stuck in FL. Since the airports closed due to the snow, I'm still Home Alone.....

4. Homeschooling is going fine. We took a lot of time off this week due to the weather (which means Jonathan was at home)..

5. There's really nothing going on here, except schooling, the never-ending house details, and counting the days until VA is my rear mirror. We're supposed to be leaving for WA State in June, and I'm READY!! Let the adventure begin...

6. Well, I'm off to play the Wii. I was VERY grateful for the Wii, during the long hours when the kids couldn't go outside..it helped pass the time. But no matter how much I practice, I still suck at Mario Kart....

BUSY

life is busy.
I'll get to the blog soon.
Between working out, kids' school, Mt. Laundry and sleeping, the blog suffers :(
But it's good. I'm busy livin' life!!

my Friday

1. Had lunch at Chick-Fil-A. I love CFA....The NoVA locations are participating with Freedom Alliance (The president of the organization is photo'ed, I cannot recall his name....) and doing an amazing promotion.
You stop by, get a Priority Mail large Flat Rate box, you fill it up for a soldier, address it and bring it in between January 15th-February 6th, and they will PAY THE POSTAGE TO SHIP IT TO IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN!! As if that wasn't enough, they will give you a FREE Chicken Sandwich. That's a double awesome great deal......I already have a few soldiers in mind that I am making boxes for :)

2. Then we went to the Dulles Expo, for RV Show!! Greg has firmly made me into a camping sort of girl. Not that I would turn down room service....but there's truly nothing like camping. I never camped until I married him. Ever. (I can only imagine what he thought of me that first camping trip....)

Well, we got there and I promptly fell in love with the Rockwood Roo....Now I just need to win the Lottery.....
Shortly after falling for the Roo (which we won't buy, but I can dream, can't I??) I was attacked by the GEICO lizard......My fear of lizards is legendary, but this one seemed harmless. You can never be sure, even with inflatables....

3. Now, I'm getting Micaela and Adam ready for TKD and movie night. Tonight, we're watching

Miracle (2004), the true story of the 1980 US Hockey Team....

what are you guys up to this weekend? Do tell...

so glad it's Tuesday...

1. I like Tuesday......it's probably my favorite weekday. I'm weird like that.

2. Today my car is making an AWFUL noise. So bad that my husband is coming home to look at it/fix it hopefully. I do take my car for granted and I'm so grateful that I have a HANDY MAN in my house. This, of course, has wrecked my day.......

3. But I used my time wisely. Since I am participating in the Pantry Challenge (trying to shop from my Pantry and NOT grocery shop, unless necessary), I've been pouring over my trusty Recipe Binder...picking out recipes based on what's in over-flowing pantry and freezer. I did this prayerfully, thanking God for the bounty that I have. That I lack for nothing. That I am so blessed. Everything I am, and everything that I have, is a gift from Him.

4. So today, I've fixed Black & Blue Cobbler. Actually, ADAM fixed it. During this morning's homeschooling, I clued him in on a BIG secret: if you can read, you can cook. He prepped the cobbler, measured out the ingredients and when we're oohing & aahing over tonight's dessert, he'll be so proud that he contributed.

5. I also made Rice Bread. It's SUPER easy and a great way to use up leftover rice.

I'll share the recipe with you. It really is a great bread. Slightly toasted with butter...Yummmm.

I used leftover brown rice from last night's dinner. Now don't you worry, the rice doesn't end up with brown flecks in it, the paddles in the machine break up the rice so that it blends in nicely....
Since this bread is such a great riser, it makes awesome French Toast!
I mean, LOOK AT THIS BREAD!! Bread like this will cost you a small fortune at somewhere like Panera or Great Harvest. But I figured out that it costs me about $0.47 per loaf. It's inexpensive, very tasty and a budget-friendly recipe. This assumes that you have basic bread making ingredients on hand. I use a Zo bread machine and I bake exclusively with King Arthur Flour (it costs more because it's worth more!). I usually just make the dough and bake mine in the oven but I was pressed for time. My bread machine is a workhorse. We're big fans of bread around here....

RICE BREAD RECIPE
(recipe assumes use of bread machine, not by hand)

• 1.25 cups of warm tap water
• 1 medium egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup of cooked leftover rice (white OR brown)
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons instant dry milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 cups of King Arthur Bread Flour or all-purpose flour (Your bread will rise MUCH higher if you use bread flour in this recipe)
• 1.5 teaspoons active dry yeast

Measure ingredients in bread machine pan, putting in wet ingredients first. Then stack everything else, adding flour then yeast last. Do not allow salt or sugar to come in contact with your yeast!
Use the Basic Cycle. Press start and let your machine work its magic. Remove cooked bread from pan shortly after baking so it doesn't stick. Allow it to cool before slicing....

This is a FLUFFY, high rising bread.. The kneading action will break up the rice so no one will even see it :) It's an excellent way to use up your leftovers.

Monday......

1. Trying to NOT grocery shop this month as much as possible. Doing the Pantry Challenge, and finding it easier than I thought....I am glad that I stocked up so much in previous months. Makes this easier....Utilizing GREAT websites for recipe ideas helps....

2. You know what else helps? I put the hammer down on the kids' pickiness, that *I* was enabling. My days as a short-order cook are coming to end thankfully. After Week 1 of enforced "You Eat what the Grown-ups Eat", I'm happy to report that the whining isn't as bad or as long. And Adam who is SUPER SKINNY has gained 2#. And his appetite is a bit more predictable. And BOTH kids are sleeping better.....and......

3. *I* am less stressed, knowing that I am doing what's right for the kids in the long-run.

4. I'm also pleased as punch to report that I have not gained weight since coming home vacation (even after that HUGE lunch at Blue Ridge Grill, I love that place.....) I reluctantly weighed in this morning on my Wii Fit Plus, and I am down 1.5# from 9 days ago when I last weighed in AK...It's small and steady progress. And then there's the exercising.....

5. I only worked out ONCE last week....and here's the shocker, I missed it. I'm struggling to make time for my own health, as we have the kids' school day, dinner prep, house cleaning and of course, tae kwon do...I'm come to the conclusion that I may have to start getting up at 4am. This will sure eliminate any late night DVR-watching sessions :)

6. I've started looking at how I eat since I am so hyper-focused on the kids' eating habits. And I'm trying to look at my calories like money....am I spending them wisely? I am craving water, and bread. And I find myself thinking about steamed or grilled veggies...The Veggies I can do, but I am cutting back on bread. I can't give it up entirely. Not only would I miss life without baking bread, but denying myself an entire food group is shooting myself in the foot....

7. Weekly menu: I am planning my week's menu out, based on what I have. And I am way too excited about Black & Blue Cobbler tonight....in the crockpot. I love my crockpot....

.....hell yes....

1. I did NOT vote for Obama.
2. I will work to get him out of office.

lunch hour

it's my lunch hour and I'm watching this:



I think the men and women who work Border Patrol are among our bravest.

we're back....

Back online.
Trying to find a groove....
I'll be back to the blog soon.

still here

Life's busy as we enter these last few days in Alaska...
I don't wanna go home....
Well, I do, but not as much as I SHOULD want to....
I'll have lots of stories and photos to share soon :)

do you hear what I hear....?

Have you ever heard God whispering to you....? trying gently to lead you in one direction, while you stubbornly pull in another....? Well, that's been me recently. God has tried to tell me to SLOW DOWN, cut it out and let Him handle stuff.....And for the past three weeks, I really have. This Alaska trip took me out of my element and removed a lot of typical stressors for me. We're in our last week here and it's back to reality.

My goal: to find a way to hold onto this PEACE, this togetherness and this closeness once we return back to life in VA.....I get all teary-eyed when I think of how much I have wasted, just chasing my tail. God was whispering to me the whole time....

So I listened these past 3 weeks.....I can hear it and see it clearly now. I'm ready and my heart is open in a whole new way.

Things I loved about this trip:

* my husband was with us the WHOLE TIME.

* we hung out as a family THE WHOLE TIME

* did I mention there was a maid?? hehehehe

* there were naps.....

* just getting away from the chaos and the stuff....

I think this trip was valuable for many reasons: it put back into the military community that I am distanced from, living so far away from post in DC, and as we prepare to return back to a more typical military life, this is a good thing.

I'm countin' my blessings and there are MANY.

I'm getting all teary eyed thinking that a brand new year is upon us.

I'm setting big goals. I'm ready.....

blessed day....

The children fell asleep to my reading of "The Story of Christmas" after getting home from the on-post Chapel service. It was very moving. We sang some of my favorite carols. Adam declared, in a loud whisper that Santa had NOTHING to do with the birth of Jesus.....and he sang with me. I loved that!!

This morning, we awoke to squeals and whispers that there gifts waiting to be opened...

I got what I wanted: time as a family. Reconnecting. Soon reality will come a callin'....And life will be a busy chaotic rush, so for now, I am soaking this up. I am taking naps. I am appreciating the housekeepers :)

Christmas was full of blessings. I hope it was the same in your house.

finishing up....

1. Today I will hopefully complete my minimal Christmas shopping....some people are HARD to buy for...

2. I discovered today that my asthma is highly reactive to Pine-Sol.....good to know...

3. We're surviving these weeks of extreme togetherness very well......having a 3 bdr apartment-hotel with a maid doesn't hurt.....

4. I am so proud of Jonathan and his adjustment to a VERY different routine. he's done VERY well....He surprises me....

5. With our busy schedule, we have not even sat down long enough to make Christmas cards....That Wii gets in the way....(I think I may be into Wii yoga....maybe after a few months, I'll be brave enough to try a REAL yoga class......I have such awful balance...)

6. One of the things that I'd wanted most this holiday season was LOTS of family photos. Every momma I know wants ALL of her kids in photos...Jonathan wasn't in this one, he was too cold and hung out in the van :)....and see my new hat that Greg bought me? I love it.

Sunday with the Family....

Today included sleeping in, bowling and a sled dog ride...

Just another fun day in Alaska....

For the record, *I* did not ride the dog sled....someone had to take the photo :)

Tomorrow, it's back to school, working out and finishing up the last minute shopping....

....staying busy.......

1. Family time reigns supreme....When we decided to spend a month in Alaska, it sounded pretty glamourous. It just rolls off your tongue..a MONTH....it's pretty sweet being back here in Alaska. But it's REALLY hard to get the kids' to do their schoolwork when they are a bit distracted by snowboarding and mountains of snow, and did I mention the snow....?

2. It's funny how we waited FIVE YEARS for snow in VA, we leave for a month's vacation, and what happens back in VA...a real life snowstorm....go figure. I don't think I would have like watching people freak out over the snow. I think the main reason DC is bad with snow is their total lack of preparedness.

3. Trying to explain the feeling of AK to people who've never been here is hard to do. We just feel more at home here than anywhere else...

4. I am almost done with the gift shopping. The kids said I am back on the Naughty List after I called a young lady "the B word" in the Mall today......(I'd been standing in like for 15-20 minutes at Arby's and she cut in front of me and about 15 other people...I tried to be nice, but that didn't last long.....) so I am on the Naughty List. But she had it coming...

5. Tomorrow, I am printing out lyrics for our Christmas Eve sing-along. I LOVE TO SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS......so do my kids, so we're going to spend some time on Christmas Eve just singing. I always cry listening to my kids sing. I started tearing up listening to Jonathan sing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" today in the car......

6. By the way, our rental car was upgraded two levels to a rockstar minivan. I have new respect for minivans. I will no longer diss them. I can see the charm now. I will now own one until Volvo makes one, but still....

7. Tomorrow is either bowling or Snowboarding and/or tubing.....

life is good. And busy.......and full of the joy of family and togetherness. I hope it's the same in your house.....

and as for the astonishing lack of photos on my blog? I turned over my camera to Adam, so I have a LOT of photos of his new stuffed animal, an Alaskan Husky named Blazer, and about 10 million blurry trees photographed through frost-covered van windows......you wanna see? I'll gladly share. he's very determined about his "art"....