11-27-13

Some people call it Ambrosia Salad, or fruit salad.  We call it 5 cup salad – a cup each of pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, sour cream, and cherries to garnish.

I grew up on this salad at every family gathering.  I don’t eat much canned fruit or sour cream anymore, but I still enjoy eating myself sick on it once a year.  It’s my thing to bring to Thanksgiving.

11-26-13

Two of us got new hair-do's today.  Now we'll be styling for the holiday photos...

A day off work, life is grand.

11-25-13

It’s done!  My editor (thanks Mom!) and I wrapped up changes and published my e-book!

It doesn’t feel like it’s taken almost a year, and some of the info is already outdated, but it feels good to get it out there for others to learn by, and I’m getting great feedback on the free copies.

I didn’t get many 2013 goals accomplished, but this was a big one…

11-24-13

Let there be pumpkin crisp!

I decided to make pumpkin crisp for a work potluck, and I can't make pumpkin crisp without Bruce getting some, so I made two this evening.

Dessert at home for family movie night - watching Hunger Games again to get ready to see Catching Fire this week.  May the odds ever be in your favor...

11-23-13

Started and ended my day with food today.

This morning I headed to the community center to pack Thanksgiving food baskets.  I was in charge of canned vegetables, adding corn and green beans to boxes, and other veggies for bigger families.  Jill and I also delivered four boxes to our adopted block.

This evening Xander and I attended the community vegetarian/vegan potluck.  I love taking a bite of almost all of the dishes to taste the different flavors, and brussels sprouts don't scare me.  Xander usually finds a few things he likes to eat in large quantities - veggie pizza tonight.  We both liked the chocolate sourdough bread so much we brought a loaf home; the talk was about sourdough by a 15 year old with his own bakery.  Truly fascinating.

Blessed to have so much food in my life.

11-22-13

It takes two hours for me to read a Real Simple cover to cover.  I had no idea, because I never indulge to read the magazine in one sitting.  Tonight I took in a coffee, a concert, and some holiday inspiration.  What a great way to welcome a weekend!

11-21-13

Xander has fallen in love with a turkey.

He was hoping I’d have leftovers after passing them out on our adopted block, and I did.  I’m surprised he hasn't popped it.

“My teenage son is having a blast with this inflatable turkey, so maybe your teen will like it too.” – me to parent on the block

11-20-13

Busy evening.  Adopt-a-block visit, Anastasia's swim banquet, and small group.

Anastasia got a coach award and will be co-captain next year.  Fun group of high energy girls.

"So excited for next year." - Anastasia

11-19-13

Wow, both kids home for dinner, what a treat.  Somehow dinner ended with a competition to see who is taller.  All I know is that they are both way taller than me!

11-18-13

Is he cute or what?!?

On an impulse, I got a few dozen of these inflatable turkey balls to pass out to the kids on our adopted block this week.

Gobble, gobble.

11-17-13

And this is why our rental agreements say that tenants are not allowed to paint or make any other improvements.  Their interpretation of improvements is often our interpretation of nightmare.

If only they actually abide by the rental agreement.

We now have a very mint green unit, with a lot of repainting, scraping of paint, and general frustration ahead of us.

11-16-13

Bruce and I headed down to Portland for a bit of shopping this morning, spent the afternoon assessing the mess at our latest reclaimed rental, and attended church this evening.  We unloaded a trunckful of accumulated shoeboxes to add to the stack.

11-15-13

Escaped work today to have lunch with Bruce.  And little Carmelita joined us.  Adorable little girl, even covered with hot cocoa and PB&J.

Weekend stretching ahead of us, TGIF!

11-14-13

A boy with a new pet in his hands.

Tonight was the tennis banquet at Dominoes.  Xander got several academic awards, a tennis patch for his letter, a speech about being teachable and having a great hair flip, and a rubber lobster for the lob award.

I decided not to embarrass him by making him pose with his loot.

11-13-13

The house was transformed into a shoebox packing station tonight, a shopping and fellowship event with our small group.  Xander decided to schlep to the store, so he could enjoy the Ministers Delight afterward.  He's slowly learning to fold the boxes, while Anastasia is a pro at cramming things into the boxes, including tons of lollipops.

11-12-13

Happy 11/12/13!  I bet there were a few weddings at 14:15 today!

Anyway, I've been spending more and more time at the White House.  Not in DC, in industrial Longview.  It is indeed a big white house, a funky old office building that Weyerhaeuser recently acquired.  I'm on another special project, to get them ready to switch over to Weyerhaeuser systems for 2014.

So much for burning weeks of vacation after a hectic year...

11-11-13

I noticed our neighbors flag and realized it would be fitting for Veterans Day.  The rest of the family enjoyed an extra day off, but I welcomed KPMG to my office today for our annual audit.  It's Monday.

11-10-13

I dropped off part of our packed shoeboxes at church, completely forgetting to put a letter inside first.  I thought this year it would be fun to make a photo to put in the remaining boxes.  It was hard to get us all together at one time, then it was hard to get Xander to stand in the right spot.  But hopefully it will be fun for the kiddos to see.

11-09-13

The family is off doing other things today, whatever should I do with myself?!?

I spent time today outside, shopping at the mall and on the computer, and at church.  But this evening, think I'll indulge a little...

11-08-13

Welcome weekend!  Anastasia is in Olympia wrapping up her swim season.  We remaining party animals went to Starbucks this evening to enjoy java and time on our cell phones.  TGIF!

11-07-13

Tonight the swim team descended on our house.

Anastasia had asked Bruce if he would make pasta so they could carb load before Districts.  Later she mentioned that the pasta meal needed to be gluten free, vegan, and with no tomato.  Bruce, as usual, made it happen.

Swim strong!

11-06-13

These two guys scored tickets to the Huskies game Saturday!  The kids scored a new laptop to work on school work.  Xander is building a game for his FBLA competition.

11-05-13

Dumb phone camera.  Trying to capture the ambiance at the concert for Operation Christmas Child.  Great music, great cause, great to catch up with Jill.

11-04-13

Anastasia and I shopped for and packed our first dozen shoeboxes tonight.  

Observations:
It's getting more challenging, but is still possible, to find $5 gifts
The Dollar Store has neat items to round out the boxes
The new Operation Christmas Child boxes are smaller and more challenging
Getting the feedback on what the kids like and need helps
Removing the packaging is a huge space saver and garbage maker
Love it when the store employees notice something is going on and ask about it

11-03-13

Starbucks red cups are back!  I had hoped to take along walk with Bruce to get a cup, but the weather was so nasty that we all ended up walking across the parking center while we waited for it to improve enough to play tennis instead.  Anastasia ordered a salted caramel off the normal menu,t he rest of us had holiday drinks - Xander had gingerbread, Bruce had eggnog, and I had peppermint.  Pure bliss!

11-02-13

Today was the second day in a row that wait staff took a photo of me.  Today it was at Grumpy’s Bar & Grill.  Bruce and I had a date, since the kids were tied up.  We went to a new restaurant and ordered for each other.  We both were considering fish tacos for the other, but went went another direction.  That huge burger was mine!

11-01-13

Passing of the parents from the kids to the (grand)parents.  Vacation day to make the trek, explore Lakewold Gardens along the way, enjoy a Mexican feast and several rounds of Skipbo, and sleep on the couch with my new Kindle.