Showing posts with label Sifting Through Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sifting Through Life. Show all posts

Friday, December 8, 2017

Sifting Through Life: Breitenbush Hot Springs



NOTE:  There are not any naked pictures in this post. This is a family friendly site. Just in case you were wondering....LOL

It has been a long week. Finals are next week and I am sick. The kids are sick too. The hardest part is, here we are in December, and our weather is gorgeous. Like bright blue sky, mid 50's, little to no wind, gorgeous. Here we sit, sniffling and coughing watching this weather pass by, and we can't enjoy it, other than to watch it from behind our windows in the house, on the couch. Bummer.

Today was the worst of it for me. My body decided to put a halt to all studying and parenting for the day and I found myself in bed. I did have class at 2 but promptly came home and went back to bed. Two naps in one day has done wonders, I am feeling better. Although, it is 11 o'clock at night and I am wide awake. I have studied metamorphic rocks and volcanoes until my eyes are bursting from over studying.

I've been wanting to write this piece for a while, ever since we came home in October from our trip to Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon. I guess today, with it's bright blue sky and beautiful weather reminded me of our trip. I booked this October trip back in May. I knew that it may be wet from rain, cold, and dreary. I didn't care because I thought the hot springs would be great with the cooler temperatures outside. We were pleasantly surprised with a burst of bright weather over the last weekend in October. The picture below was taken on our drive up to Detroit Lake, OR. You can see the blue sky and Mt. Hood in the distance.


We arrived, our first time here, to a little bit of paradise. Checking in at the parking lot was a piece of cake. The attendant in the registration office was informative and welcoming. The parking lot is above the retreat. They provide pull dollies to carry your stuff from your cars to the cabins. We needed two. Our stay was for 3 days but you need to bring your own bedding, pillows, bathroom stuff, etc... Of course, we needed snacks. We way over packed! Keep in mind this resort is an optional clothing hot springs. So clothes while in the hot tubs is not necessary, you will need clothes to walk around the retreat center and to dine in the cafateria. We didn't know what to pack because the weather in Oregon this time of year is all over the place. I am glad I packed warm clothes, the nights were very cold. I saw some people there in their pajamas and robes the whole weekend. I chose to change more frequently for meals and classes than most. Next time, I will still bring my warm coat, gloves, and hat but leave some of the other stuff behind.


Our little cottage was so cute. One full bed and a twin, a toilet, and a sink. Small and the perfect size for just the two of us. We weren't quite sure what to do when we first got there. Neither of us had ever been to anything like this before. It is something I have wanted to do for a while. I can't tell you why I wanted to get naked with strangers in an outside environment, other than to say I felt compelled to do it. I felt it was something I needed to do for me as a woman, as a human, as a person. I needed to let go and just be. I wanted to be naked and unafraid. I was hoping for a change in my perspective and I got just that. 

I had no idea what to do or how to do it other than to go to a hot spring, take off my clothes, and get in. It all happened that fast. My stomach was flipping, my heart was racing, my hands were sweaty. I looked like a pro on the outside but on the inside I was all wiggles, giggles, and anxious. Cory and I stopped at the first hot spring and did what everyone else did. We followed the leader and it worked.
Honestly, I was afraid if I thought about it, I would chicken out. 

I am so glad I did not chicken out. It turned out to be the best visit for both of us. We met some of the most amazing, like minded people, that resonated with our value system and ideas. We felt like we had arrived home. Inside the hot springs we chatted, laughed, and talked for hours with people from all over the world. Married, single, same-sex, parents with kids, older couples, younger couples, you name it we saw it. All body types. This was comforting for me. I was nervous about my body. I am almost 50 and my body has been through child birth several times and natural aging and sagging. It happens. Nobody cared what our body looked like. Or at least, that is the impression I got from the whole experience. Nobody pointed fingers, laughed, or made wise cracks. 

People were at the springs for a variety of reasons, but after our conversations with a few, it felt like they were there to relax, let go, take some yoga classes, enjoy the outdoor scenery, be inspired, and breathe. By the end of the three day weekend, I missed the kids, but I didn't want to come home. It felt too good to be true to have found a place that was so peaceful and accepting. A place that we could be with strangers without our clothes one minute and then eating dinner with them, fully dressed, the next minute. 

I left that weekend with new friends, a new perspective of myself, a new lease on life, a new me. I knew I needed to do this but I wasn't sure why. I know why now. For me it was the final removing of a belief system about nudity that been preached to me from the time I was young, nudity was wrong, nudity was evil. There is shame and regret attached to this too. It was my perception, from an early childhood, that it was all for the purpose of recreating. Nudity was looked down upon and was something that should be hidden especially when it came to women. Women should be covered up always to save face, to prevent a bad reputation, and to hide our flaws. 

As a woman, I wanted to let it all go and be free, my flaws and all. I wanted to lay out on the rocks at midnight, naked, and watch the stars. I wanted to sit in the sauna and then go sit cross legged outside and meditate in the cool crisp air, naked. I wanted the freedom to just be a human in human form without clothes, makeup, or society telling me to change. I needed this to happen and I am so glad I followed through with this bucket list item.

I can't wait to go back and neither can Cory. We both felt so alive when we left and refreshed. Our spirits were high and our outlook had been changed forever about nudity, freedom, and self care. It was easier than we thought, and less scary on the inside once you take the leap of faith to do it. I don't know what we expected but what we got was nothing like it. People were open and accepting. We are planning a trip for Mother's Day. They host all types of weekend retreats. In May, they offer a special Mother's Day Family weekend. 

Here is a direct link to the January workshops (click link for more information) and weekends in case you are interested in attending.

Lodging Information (click link)

I know that this experience is not for everyone. I understand that we all come different upbringings and religious back grounds and for some, this might be bordering on an over the top experience.  If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be to do this long before now. I came home and told all my kids of my experience and how I wanted them to do it now, and not wait, like I did for the right time, the right body, the right what-ever our ego tries to protect us from. Do your research and find the best place for you to shed your clothes. I don't think I could go just anywhere and have the same experience. I know that Breitenbush Hot Springs was the right place for me and my family. As an added note, you don't have to be naked. I saw people with swim suits, some bottoms only. 

Remember, be you. Be authentic. Be carefree. 

This is not an ad. 





Friday, July 15, 2016

Sifting Through Life: I Told my Daughter to Fail





Be prepared to think that I am the absolute worst mom in the world. It's coming--coming--yep, I did it.  I told my oldest daughter to fail. I gave her permission to try life on, and if she fails, its okay.

Let me back up a bit.  It all started with car problems.  We bought a lemon and we paid the price--over $5000 in repairs to keep this POS a float.  Can you tell I don't have fond feelings for this draining machine?  Well, my daughter did though. She loved this car.

Mac was her first car.  Her first big investment into something that was her own. She worked hard for her money and was proud of the little beast of a car.  This past week it started sounding like trolls lived under the hood.  Big trolls whacking the shit out of the engine.  Not a good sound and not one we were wanting to repair.  The bill came in at a whopping $1200.

Keep in mind we spent $2500 on this car.  We thought about donating the car but that was nixed because they wanted running vehicles in descent shape.  Mac was headed to the grave.  We sold him for $50 to a guy who worked on cars and can hopefully breath a few more miles out of him.

Here is our issue--4 drivers and back down to 2 cars.  In Annapolis we did this same scenario with the drivers but with only one car.  It wasn't easy but we did it.

MONEY!  The existence of something necessary, but oh so fleeting, when you need it. We have money.  She has money.  How do we spend it appropriately?  Who buys the car?  Do we co-sign on the car?  Do we buy used or new? Do we even need a car at this time?  Is it 5 O'clock yet?

So many questions and the answers are not easy.  Rye has worked very hard to save her money so she can move out on her own with a roommate.  This whole car thing is jeopardizing her future plans.

I had to use the word "adulting" this week.  I might be going strait to grammar hell for that too.  She is distraught over facing a car payment, having to spend money, and make payments.  Paying your parents back isn't always the position you want to be in. It's something we are willing to do.  Loan our kids money with the idea of paying it back.

Welcome to being a grown-up. Some days life gives you a big old middle finger and you're left feeling deflated and out of options.  I know the feeling and today so does she.  This breaks my heart.

As her parents, we went through a list of possible solutions.  Some she liked and some she did not. Some required working more hours, moving to a new location for public transportation, and some included walking.  What is not an option is us co-signing.  We are opting out of this option for a variety of reasons.

This morning I could tell she was still frustrated and upset.  I get it!  Shit, I've lived it.  You have money but not enough established credit.  You don't want an old car but your budget is too small.  More money going out and less going to savings.  Who hasn't had to play this game of "Do I or Don't I".  It sucks sometimes.

Adulting sucks sometimes.



In our discussion this morning we talked.  We listened to each other.  We vented our frustration with each other and to this whole situation.  I sat on the floor, listening to her talk and  thinking to myself, how am I going to handle this situation. I didn't want to fight.  I didn't want her to feel upset and angry.  I could see that she was sad, angry, and frustrated.

I was being given an opportunity to allow our daughter to feel frustrated and angry in a safe environment.  I was letting her express her anger.  I wanted her to know its okay to feel at a loss for solutions. Sometimes we need to feel the burn of defeat and frustration before we can see that there are options. I told her it's okay to not know all of the answers.

In our exchange of words, she told me that it was unrealistic for her to move to a new location.  It would simply take all of her money and she would fail in eight months.  I stood up and crossed the room.  I grabbed her by her shoulders and gave her the biggest hug and told her I loved her.  I told her that she was of value, that she was smart, and if she failed that we would be here.

I backed away and with big waving hands, I also said, "PLEASE FREAKING FAIL! Please. I would rather see you fail than not try.  What if in that eight months you have the best time of your life? What if you don't fail?  What if you learn that life is about moving forward whether you are failing or succeeding?  Who determines what a fail is anyway?"

I hugged her again. I didn't want to let her go this time. Her life passed before my eyes. The first time she walked, the first time she went to school, graduating from college--I saw it all.  I have been teary eyed all day.  I want her to succeed but sometimes they need a push out of the nest so they can start to fly.  I don't think she is going to move anytime soon.  That is not the point.

The point is I gave her permission to live, to try, and possibly to fail.  Failure is not the end of the world. It's the beginning of a new adventure. It's a reason to try again. Failure does not come easy but it also doesn't need to define you. I want her to try fearlessly and confidently. I want her to try no matter what and if she fails, it's okay too, we get up again and try all over.

As her parent I need her to try.  For herself?  She needs to try too.  It's how we grow as adults. It's how we learn.  It's not easy. I don't think everything should be easy.  I have grown from some of the hardest situations in my life.  Some people have said I failed too.  I'm okay with that.  I know that it only drove me to try again and again. I wish my mom had encouraged me to fail once in a while too. Releasing me from the hell of perfection that I had enlisted my soul to live in through out my teens, twenties and thirties; always afraid to fall, to trip, to make a mistake.

I don't know if anything I said this morning will sink in and resinate with her but I want her to fly like an eagle.  Not to mention she is driving around on a beautiful sunny day at the beach in the cutest red convertible VW Bug.

So yeah, I told my daughter to fail.  It's because I love her that much that I did. I believe she will surprise herself because I see her through my eyes.  That of a mother that would do anything for her children, even if it means, she might have to figure a few things out for herself, fall a few times, and get right back up.




Friday, May 9, 2014

Sifting Through Life: Popup Tent Trailer Makeover and Breakfast Burritos


Recipe at the end.

I love trailer life.  I must because I lived in one for a whole year with my family of five in 2010.  To make that dream come true we had to do a lot of soul searching and sacrifices to make sure we were making the right decision for our family and for our kids.

I still stand by our final choice of taking the trip and I have no regrets in doing so.  It was a time in our lives when we had nothing to lose financially.  Life presented a set of problems for us to overcome and we made the best of it.

I guess you could say we were handed a basket of lemons and we made a lemon meringue pie instead of lemonade.  Our ideas of thinking outside the box have carried there share of confusion from our close friends and family.  Living a nomadic life for a year was up there with "totally crazy!"

I will share more of our time on the road and the sacrifices we made to make that happen in a later post. This post is about our new trailer.

Our new adventure.

Sometimes I get these ideas in my head that seem so ridiculous that I wonder if I am actually going crazy.  It is not any surprise that when I mentioned to my older kids that I wanted to buy another trailer they immediately fled the room.  Teenagers and trailers are like mixing oil and water together or at least that is how my two see it.

To this day they won't admit that our time in the trailer was fun.  I secretly know that it was the best adventure we could have experienced with our kiddies.

I immediately explained to them that I was not shopping for a large trailer but a small one.  Something that we could use for weekends.  A small popup tent trailer that we could use to enjoy the outdoors without sleeping on the hard ground.  I wanted a place that we could escape to that would not cost us a small fortune each time we wanted to use it.


I needed a way to escape the doldrums of every day life.  My hope is that the kids will embrace this new trailer and join us for some fun family time.  I have a feeling I may be waiting a while for them to jump on board.  LOL

I can tell you who IS excited beyond belief.  That is Isabella.  Oh my, she is ready to leave yesterday and start living on the road again.  My little gypsy. I love her sweet spirit and willingness to experience life with wide open arms.

So how did I end up with this ugly trailer?  I am not too proud to admit that it was ugly, stinky and well used.  It needed TLC and a lot of it.  The transformation took a few weeks.

 I love it!

In February, a lady in our community, posted a popup trailer on our neighborhood site.  A lot of people had expressed interest in the trailer.  She had it priced really well.  I jumped at the chance to add my name to the long list of hopeful tent trailer owners.  I was a bit disappointed that after a few days there was not any response to me or any of the other neighbors.

Looking to the left when you walk into the trailer.

I accepted the fact that I was not going to get that trailer but it had the wheels in my head spinning.  I couldn't think about anything else.  Summer was quickly approaching and I knew that if I was going to get something finished in a short amount of time I needed to purchase a trailer soon.

Cory had just come home from a trip.  He was tired and overwhelmed.  I had been home with a new baby for five days by myself so I was in the same boat.  In my eagerness to win him over to the idea of purchasing a trailer I mentioned to him that I had bid on a popup trailer and was patiently waiting for the lady to get back to us.  I added, "wouldn't it be nice to have a place to relax in the woods?"




He was pleasantly accepting of the idea and we chatted about what we wanted and how much we were willing to spend on our little "home away from home".

Those dang budgets!  We set out to look at what something new would cost us.  I think we were also curious as to what new gadgets the market was selling this year.  Like with cars, trailers are always being improved with the latest and greatest new "thingy".

I found the tent trailers to be priced within our budget but I didn't want to pay that much for something I felt we could get used and update.  I love the renovation aspect of these DIY projects.

We came home with lots of ideas but no trailer.  The next day Cory took our rent over to our landlord and came rushing through the front door, out of breath, telling me I needed to leave right now.

Hold on just a minute there buster brown...why all of the rushing around?

 He had something to show me.  A trailer.  Okay then, lets go!

It turned out that our landlord's neighbor had a trailer for sale but we had to buy it right then for a $1,000 dollars or he was going to list it on craigslist for the original asking price of $1800.00  That was a huge savings in my mind and very much in our budget with a lot to spare.

To make a long story short, we bought the trailer.


First things first, it needed to be painted.  I came home and that night started searching for popup trailer renovations on Pinterest.  I started a board here.  I know this won't be my last project trailer and so having one area to keep track of my ideas is going to save me in the long run.

I had all of these wild ideas of going with a bright red color and then the reality of living inside of a drop of blood wasn't as inviting as I originally thought.  I stuck with white and I am so glad that I did.


It immediately transformed the inside to something new and fresh.  We used a primer to make sure that all of the brown wood was covered.  It took 2-3 coats on each surface.  I even painted the side bunk boards.

Along with the dingy brown interior the trailer had a musty smell.  I was thankful that the combination of painting the walls, cleaning the insides and washing all of the covers helped this to go away.

After painting the trailer I decided to tear down all of the curtains.  They were the original set and so thread bare in parts that I am surprised they did not fall off of the tracks themselves.  I had plans of also making new covers for each of the cushions.

It is amazing how little time I was able to squeeze out of each day to work on the trailer.  I became a bit discouraged in thinking that maybe I had bit off more than I was able to handle with a crawling baby under foot.

In the end it all worked out but the work did require me to take a weekend to paint the inside and a separate weekend to make all of the slip covers and curtains.   I believe I have slowed down at this stage of my life.

I toyed with the idea of going with a red, white and blue theme. I felt that since the tables were blue I didn't want something that would clash with this color.  I eventually found the color scheme that you see in the pictures.  I did not find the fabric in traditional places though.  I went to several fabric stores and could not find what I wanted.

Looking to the right when you walk into the trailer.
On a recent outing to Target we were going up and down the aisles and I found myself looking at shower curtains.  There before me was exactly what I wanted: greens and blues.  The stripe that you see on the table cushions is what inspired the rest.  I found everything else in the bedding and kitchen section of Target.

I have tried to put prices and short explanations on each photo so that you can have an idea of what I did and how much it cost.  Overall, the trailer was a $1,000 , all of the fabric and hardware estimated to be about $300 and I spent another $300 on things to put into the trailer: a new grill, a percolator, and new flash lights.  We still have to purchase new tires which we are estimating those to be about $200.00 for the pair.

I hope that someone will find this helpful.  I had a hard time find sites that I felt would help me to redo the trailer.  Let me know if you have questions and I will do my best to reply and answer them.

ENJOY!













Bee Pillows: $40.00 for two fromTarget.

My kids would eat pancakes and bacon on every camping trip, but sometimes, especially if it is only for one night, I don't want to make a huge breakfast.

I make these instead.  I can pre-make most of the filling of the burrito at home.  This makes the morning assembling process much easier when you have tired and cold kids (or adults).

The only thing I make the morning of are the scrambled eggs.  This is just a personal preference, you could make them before without any issue.  I bring a pan, some butter, and the eggs.  I place my cast iron pan over the grate above the morning fire to preheat the pan.  I add the butter, eggs and cook until firm.

When the fire is ready I place all of the ingredients on the table along with heavy-duty foil squares.  Everyone gets a tortilla and they can start making their own burrito.  Use a Sharpie to tell which burrito belongs to who if you have a large crowd.



It is that easy.  These can also be made at home on the outside grill or inside the oven.




Breakfast Burritos

Makes 1 burrito

2 slices of bacon or 1 sausage patty
1/4 cup cooked hashbrowns
1 scrambled egg
grated cheese, optional
salsa, optional
1 flour tortilla, small

*If using large tortillas then you made need a bit more of the above ingredients to fill the burrito.

1.  Prepare heat source: grill, oven or open fire.

2.  Use heavy duty foil to wrap each burrito in.  Cut size according to tortilla size.

3.  Lay out the filling ingredients on the table.

4.  Have each person make their burrito.  Wrap the burrito's really well.

5.  Lay the burrito's on the heat source.  I would recommend not putting them directly into the fire unless you are willing to watch the closely.  Sitting them on some kind of grate works best.

6.  Let cook on each side for 2-3 minutes.  The cheese should be melted and the insides warm.

7.  Serve immediately.  Store leftovers in cooler.




Written by Sherron Watson

Friday, October 26, 2012

Sifting Through Life: Tomato Pumpkin Soup and a Family Trip


Living in Utah, we became accustomed to having a Fall/Autumn break.  It was nice and maybe it was a way that as Utahan's we learned to cope with the winters better.  The winters seemed to never end especially when you are living at 6300 feet.  It was not unusual to have a freak storm hit some time in September and another one ending the snowy season in June.  Yep, 9-10 months some years of snow in some amount.  It could be inches or feet in one day.

The break was a way to enjoy being outside, seeing the beautiful colors and hanging Christmas lights on your home.  I think our last year, we just left them up.  LOL

When you live someplace you get into a rhythm of how your life works and runs.  We have moved often and so we have grown used to changing with the state, the season's and the people.

While in Maryland we have experienced a wide range of weather.  In fact, as I am writing this, there is a storm a brewing.  From what they say, it is going to be a doozy , one to write in the history books.  We shall see.  Today I went shopping and stocked up on food, water and fuel.  We have a generator, a basement and plenty of games. I guess we are as prepared as we can be.

This is what we returned home to on Tuesday, a"frankenstorm"in the making.

We returned from a short camping trip.  Now this is the weird part for me. We are camping in October (Utah just had a snow fall).  I made the arrangements a few months ago to get away for a few days to see the Fall trees with the orange, yellow and reds of the season.  I had no idea of what to expect.

Would we arrive to bare trees with no leaves or would they still be green?  Our summer was super hot and this is the primary reason we don't camp or site see in the summer.  I suppose if you come here on vacation you do what you have to do but we live here and so we try to do all of our outdoor activities in the Fall months.  Believe me it is miserable in 95 degree weather with 60% humidity to find your happy place in crowded museums and camp grounds.


On Sunday we arrived to an empty camp ground filled with the most beautiful orange and yellow trees.  According to the lady who checked us in we had come on the perfect weekend.  YAY for me.

Now, I will tell you it is not an easy task to get two teenagers and a workaholic husband excited about taking a few days off, especially when it's not a true weekend.  Our weekend was Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  This is what I heard:

"But I will have homework"
"I have meetings scheduled"
"My girlfriend does not want me to go"…FYI: that was from the son, LOL
"I can't miss even one day, I am swamped"

I am going to fill you in on how this fell on my deaf ears, like I didn't even hear them.  WHY?

It's the same song and dance I hear every time I plan a short trip away.  Every time we come home I hear this:

"I really needed that"
"Wow, that was fun"
"You are amazing parents" (actual quote from this last trip)
"Thank you"

I have learned to follow my intuition as a mother and as a wife.  I can sense when my family is at their breaking points and they are needing a break and a bit of family time.

I used to disregard those small impressions that I would feel along the way.  I would discount my abilities to know when my children are hurting or are sad until a few years ago.  I had a significant experience that taught me I needed to LISTEN and pay attention with my oldest daughter and now I am on high alert.

I had these same feelings this past year and I did just that: listened.  It involved my son this time and I won't go into great detail other than to say I knew he was in pain and having a tough time.  I could sense it.


After a few days I confronted him about it and he remained tight lipped about what was going on.  I talked anyway.  I reassured him that we loved him and would always support him.  We wanted the best for him and he could depend on us to try to understand what was going on.  That whole day I felt a desperation about his situation.  I kept a close eye on him for a few days and he seemed to have found a peaceful resolution out of the deep somber state he had been in.

I soon forgot about that moment because he did appear to be happy again.  I had one other prompting before he started school a few weeks after the above mentioned experience and it was about marching band.  He is one to not disappoint us and yet every time he talked to us about this subject I could tell something was not right.  I told my husband that I thought we should tell him that if he wanted to quit, that we were okay with this but that it needed to be his decision and to think long and hard about this.

He made the decision to not continue with marching band but just band.

Again, this happened and I did not think twice about the two events because they seemed to have worked themselves out.  I can tell you though, that both times I felt compelled to approach my son.

Getting back to this past weekend, we settled into a routine of chatting around the camp fire each night.


Usually we started with the five of us and the girls would get tired and head into the cottage to sleep.  Cory and I were left with Drake to visit and chat about all types of stuff.  On one of these nights he opened up to us about what was happening and how he was feeling just a few short months ago.  I was shocked at what he said.

I will not break his confidence but suffice it to say they were words that as a parent you would hope to never hear uttered from your child.  He was depressed and in a very low state.  He doesn't know why he felt that way.

At that moment my body was filled with goosebumps.  I knew something had been seriously wrong.

We talked, we did not get upset, we expressed our love and a plan of how to handle those feelings if they come again.  We listened.

The weight that was lifted from our son was huge.  His bounce returned. He smiled.  He played soccer and joked with his sisters all weekend long.


Our time together as a family was very much needed to reestablish the trust, love and support that sometimes our busy lives have a subtle way of placing a wedge between us.

The trip was worth the work to prepare the meals and the time necessary to pack.  We went to bed each night rediscovering what our favorite foods, colors and movies were.  We told jokes.  We simply were together in one large room as a family away from the world for a few short days.  Enough time to forge the friendships, solidify the love and trust and balance our souls again.

If my kids heard me say one more time " I could totally live in a one room house" again I think they may leave me at home next time.  You have to remember we are the family that lived in a 30 ft motor home for one year.  I like tiny spaces.  Our cottage was awesome.  I felt like I was living a pioneer life of sleeping, eating and cooking in one big room.  Our beds were a queen, a full and two bunks.   We had a wood burning stove and one table that sat 5.  A trunk and a side table.  That's it.

I loved every minute of it.

I prepared all of the food before we left.  I did not want to be making huge meals the whole time I was supposed to be on vacation too.

So what did I make?  I made tomato pumpkin soup (recipe below), Enchilada soup, Nutella peanut butter cookies, ranch dip for veggies, hummus dip and tuna fish.  We brought yogurt and homemade pumpkin spice granola for breakfast and sandwich fixings for lunch.  We never eat all of the food I bring.  Even when I cut back we come home with stuff.  We did do smore's on one night too.


It felt like old times when we were traveling and it was just us.  I really do miss our time on the road and I anxiously but patiently am waiting for the time we can do that again.  Until then I will be content with our little outings away, as a family, every once in a while.

I am so grateful for those small whisperings that as mothers and fathers we have access too.  With each new experience it teaches me to listen more as I guide and raise my kids.

Here is the recipe for the Tomato Pumpkin Soup that I made for our first night.  I served the soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.  It hit the spot on the chilly night spent in the "oh, so cute" one room cottage in the middle of the great outdoors surrounded by the most beautiful orange and yellow trees.


Recipe:  Tomato Pumpkin Soup
Makes 4-6 servings.

1 large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon of dried Oregano
1 teaspoon of dried Basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 1/2 cups of cream (heavy or light)

In a medium pot, combine all of the above ingredients except the cream.  Bring soup to a simmer.

Let simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cream.


Top with cheese or serve with a grilled cheese sandwich.

More Pictures Below:















Friday, August 31, 2012

Sifting Through Life: First Day of Kindergarten


Here we go!

School has started and so has the buzzing of this time of year.  I think I signed my life away for my son who is a sophomore in high school.  Every teacher has sent home a consent form, some teachers sent a safety form and others, a supply list.

Sign, print, date…REPEAT..over and over.

College has not yet started for my oldest daughter. She is home with me during the day.  Soon enough she will be back with a full load, preparing for mid terms and anxiously counting the days until she is finally done with school.

With Rye we sign one thing…the check. We are fortunate that we can pay for some of her schooling.

Kindergarten was a bit more laid back for Isabella, we met the teacher on Tuesday and she attended a staggered schedule on Thursday.  A few papers were filled out: birthday, name and locker tag.

The moment we left the classroom Isabella professed her love for her teacher.

"I just love my teacher," she says.

I was curious how a quick meeting with a woman that she just met could cause such a reaction in her small heart.

"Why is that?" I asked.

She sweetly replied, "Because she is beautiful Mom and she is my teacher".

AWWWWWW

Is she not the sweetest little five year old?  This morning as we left for school, she needed a gift for her new teacher.  We went out side to our back yard and looked around.  What could we quickly throw together?

The only thing we have blooming in our yard at the moment is a pretty bush with a cluster of pink blossoms at the very end of each branch.  We grabbed the kitchen shears and headed to the back of the yard.  We fought our way through spider webs and dead leaves.  Reaching up, we discovered that the pretty pink blossoms were wilting and slowly losing their beauty.


We picked them anyway.  I had taken three different types of ribbons in three colors to create a pretty bow to secure the small bouquet.

Our walk to school is short and sweet, it takes us about 5 minutes to weave around the cars parked in the street and cross the busy road to finally arrive at the new school.

I was impressed that Isabella was not nervous or scared.  She was so excited to deliver her gift that it helped to keep her mind off of the fact that she would be going to a new school.

Ms. (kindergarten teacher) did not disappoint.

There, in line, standing behind 4 or 5 little kids, Isabella patiently waited with her orange and pink back pack and Hello Kitty lunch box.  She was wearing the tennis shoes that she picked out with a cute floral shirt and jean capris.

With every opening and closing of the door she waited to see her teacher.  Her head would turn to me and then the door wondering when it would be her turn to go inside to see her new room.

Finally Ms. KT arrived.  Holding her short list of kids for the day, she spotted Isabella immediately and hugged her.  She saw the flowers, or what was left of the few blossoms that had made the trek from the back yard, down the street and to the front door of the school.  All the while being swung back and forth rubbing against her capris.

She smiled down at Isabella and I could see the admiration that Isabella had as she looked up into the eyes of the lady that would be responsible for my little girl, five days a week for 6.5 hours a day.


Isabella trusted her new teacher and was eager to stay.

There were no tears from her or from me.  We hugged and parted ways for a few hours as she adjusted to her new schedule, new friends and a new teacher.

I had planned on homeschooling Isabella as I had done with my older two.  She had other plans.  If we had another child closer to her age, I would have kept her with me, but we don't.  I have a college student and a high school student who are gone all day.  She longs for someone to play dolls, dress up and kitchen with her.  We play and play but it is never enough.

I don't have the stamina I had when my older two were this age and I don't want her to be bored.  I want her to be challenged and happy.

It was hard for me to decide to send her to school but I saw the joy that she radiated, the love she had for her teacher and the friends she was eager to play with on her first day of school.

I will take each year as it comes and if she is happy and doing well we won't change a thing.

I am grateful for teachers.  We feel lucky to live in an area with small class sizes, friendly families and great support from the school board.

I can't believe that we are already here: the first day of kindergarten.

I don't know how the time went by so fast, but it did.

I told my son the other day that I did not want him to grow up anymore.  I hugged him and realized I was not hugging the little boy anymore but a young man.  He looked down at me and smiled and said, "I know Mom".

He shaved for the first time this week.

Rye is moving on with her life too.  Establishing new friends, looking for a job, trying to figure out her future.

Oh, it's hard watching them grow up; yet it is exhilarating at the same time.

My kids will always be my most treasured possession.  I can't keep them in a fancy jewelry box or protect them from being stolen.

They have their whole lives ahead of them, just as we did.

The first day of kindergarten is the beginning of a whole new world for them, then high school and finally college.  It all goes by too fast.

I will watch them go and wait for them to return with arms wide open.

…there she goes!  
























Donut Breakfast Casserole

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