bsmiles and sunny days

Let's go back to this kitchen for just a minute. I was telling some of the girls that hung out in the kitchen with me during the party that someday I'd have a kitchen like this, only with less industrial feel and a breakfast bar that opens up to a huge living area. If you have never used a convection oven, count yourself one of the luck ones. You can't know what you're missing if you've never experienced it. At home I usually crank my oven up to 450 and let it preheat for 20 minutes before attempting to bake my pizzas. And usually they still come out soft in the middle and barely brown. This sweet mama (the convection oven) made beautiful restaurant quality pizzas on 375 in 10 minutes. It was SWEET; especially considering that I was baking pizza for the masses. I heart this kitchen. Only let's paint it red and rearrange a little. There. Oh wait, can we also add music, maybe lower the cabinets a little, I had trouble reaching some stuff... and if I could get an

Let me just start by saying, it was a fabulous party with no regrets. She loved it. Every minute, every detail, every guest, every gift, she loved every bit of it. I try to make birthday magic happen for each of my kids on each of their birthdays. I stay up late the night before the big day doing the work of the Birthday Fairy: wrapping gifts, hanging streamers, and making Dale blow up balloons. The next morning, I make breakfast in bed for the late-sleepers and a feast for the early birds . But when it comes to parties, I will pull out all the stops to avoid a party with anyone outside the bloodlines. I'm not trying to be a drag, I really want each year to be a landmark event. It's just that I get so revved up that it takes it all out of me. I have so many kids that I can't keep track of all of them while I'm doing the legwork for the party. This one kept escaping out into the breezy evening while no one was looking. She also grabbed every cup she could reach off the

My sweet little girl is twelve today. *sigh...*

If you have ever spoken to Micah, you know that he loves the Legend of Zelda. Since we already spent the day out shopping and eating at In-N-Out Burger in honor of his birthday, we had an informal party at the house yesterday. He invited some kids from the neighborhood to eat cake and play video games. It was pretty stinkin' awesome.

When you wash overalls, hook both straps to the buttons and then turn the whole thing inside out. It saves quite a bit of racket if you live anywhere near you dryer. Here's another. I save applesauce cups and mini frosting containers like the ones in refrigerated cinnamon rolls. They are perfect goldfish or marshmallow bowls for my little ones, and they are also great for holding sauces and dips in to-go lunches. And here's just one more... A miniature broom does a great job taking down dust on the floorboards and window screens.

Happy BIG TEN, Bud! I hope this one is the best birthday you've ever had in your whole life! We love you!!!

I always feel a little guilty on Sundays when I am hustling around the house and I finally sit down at the end of the day exhausted. It's complicated because we have our weekend right before the weekend, so I think that since we spend a couple of days kicking around, that should count. But it's not the same as just taking the day off. I don't ever really take the day off. I don't know very many moms that do. So today, I decided that as soon as Dale was off to work, I would rest. Even with the doorbell ringing, kids running in and out, and the telephone ringing, I rested. Knowing that for a few hours I didn't have to do anything completely recharged me. I'm ready to take on the world. You should do it sometime. Seriously, you'll thank God for the foresight to give us a day to rest. He's thoughtful like that.

I am really tired. I don't know where the day has gone or what I've done with it. By the looks of my house you would think I slept all day. But I didn't. I have been in motion since before dark this morning. This life zaps all my energy some days. Oh I love it, I do! But it is a 24/7, dusk till dawn, non-stop, high intensity work zone , and I am really tired. zzzz...

Let me start by saying this is an image I found on Flicker that resembled what we saw driving home on Wednesday, only it wasn't across a farm field, the billows were bigger, and there was an entire city separating us from the blaze. It seemed curious to us, but we went along our merry way into Target for our weekly extravaganza. When we got back in the car, Dale had a message to load up our precious belongings and plan on spending the night away from home. The fires were just a few miles from our housing area and the winds were sending them hurling closer and closer to our house. I can't tell you everything that went through my mind. First things first, I started to devour the Chili's leftovers that were sitting safely in my lap only moments before the news came. Next I thought of our dogs. The highway was closed to our house so we'd have to take the long way home and what if we didn't get there in time to get them out? Then it occurred to me that I've n