Photo-a-Day December 31

Well, here we are ... on the last photo-a-day for December. Today's photo is another one I found in the photo drawer. It was taken in November 1980 upon our arrival home from the hospital with our second precious little boy and while that is worth emphasis, in this post I will focus on that orange VW Bus in the background.
Yes ... the first family "mini van." I loved that car ... driving over the front wheels, manual transmission, the entire interior could be hosed out after a soccer game ... or a big spill, and it could transport a carload of people. I guess I should add what it couldn't do ... travel uphill at the minimum posted speed limit, could make surprise lane changes on a windy day, and the body felt like you were driving a tin can. With all that said ... we have many precious memories involved as owners of that van. And there are some incidences that we can now laugh at decades later that were pretty scary at the time.
Several months ago my co-worker and I had a great lunch conversation about our vans. She owned the same vehicle and in the same color/year. We had fun comparing our stories and I knew I would have to blog about it sooner or later.
Here are a few VW Van "disasters": One day while picking Tim up from kindergarten I got Matt out of the carseat and proceeded to slide the door shut ... only it kept going ... right off the track. No, I'm not that strong! I was only a few blocks from home but my car was filled with groceries. Thankfully the school secretary helped me get home -- I'm sure that was not in her job description. I was so thankful for her help.
We have several Wallowa Lake vacation horror stories involving the gas pump and being stranded on the darkest road between Joseph and the state park. Or when we had a gas leak between Pendleton and LaGrande. The Elgin gas station owner asked us to move it off his property. Pretty scary stuff ...
We sold this van in the late 80's to upgrade to an Astro ... well, now ... that's another chapter in car ownership.
Thanks for stopping by during the month of December. Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2009.
Happy New Year!

Photo-a-Day December 30

It was such a pleasure to enJOY a visit with Donna this afternoon. Now that the roads have cleared and we can get around we "celebrated" Christmas today with a little gift exchange.
What a clever gal ... she knows how much the family enJOYs playing a heart-pounding round of Nerts. They have witnessed the competitive, card slapping game first hand this year when it was Germer vs Dehaze : )

Can you see a theme to the cards ... clever, clever that girl. There's a deck suited to each family member. It might be interesting seeing those Ducks and Beavers flying across the table. I think we will have to separate those boys ... civil war around the card table!!!
Also in the gift bag was a gift certificate for my favorite nail salon ... a fresh manicure is a must when holding those new Barbie cards.
Another item in the bag was a small remote control lantern ... perfect for reading in the tent at Wallowa. Can't wait!
Thanks, Dehazes for the wonderful, creative and thoughtful Christmas gifts perfectly suited to our family. We are so thankful to have you in our lives. God bless you in the coming year!

Photo-a-Day December 29

O.K. ... so while I was in the photo drawer I found another old picture. I'm guessing I'm about two years old. For some reason this photo always triggers a deep memory ...

• a warm day
• sitting on a table with a tiled top for a photo shoot
• my bedroom is being painted

... of course, I would have been too young to recall that at this age, so perhaps it's connected to some other photo event in my younger years.
It's amazing at this age what you can recall ... AND what you can't remember in the present day! hahaha

Photo-a-Day December 28

I was going through my photo drawer yesterday and found this picture. I believe it was taken in the late 50's ... now I am dating myself! We are posed in the living room at my grandparent's house during a Christmas family gathering.
Notice the icicles hanging from the tree. Many trees were decorated like this in that era. You had to put each strand of "rain" on the branches. It took hours and patience to decorate the tree in this fashion. The older I got the more I wanted to just throw it on the tree and be done with it. Do they even sell this stuff these days? I'm glad that fad is long in the past! Although, the tree does look very pretty in this picture. This must have been prior to the aluminum tree and color wheel I mentioned in an earlier post.
What a "blast from the past" ...

Photo-a-Day December 27

Bargains ... Bargains ... Bargains!
We finally got out of the house today. We can see pavement again and we don't have to stay in snow "bumper" ruts on the road to get out of our neighborhood. We actually drove 65 miles an hour on I-5!
We traveled down to the Woodburn Outlet Mall this afternoon to check out the "best buys" ... and we were not disappointed. Since the Christmas shoppers couldn't get out before the 25th the inventory was stocked and priced to sell. It was nice just to get out in the fresh air and walk without the fear of slipping. Now we only have to deal with the rain and rapidly melting snow!
Only 4 bags ... not too much "damage."

Photo-a-Day December 26

What fun we had playing Jenga with the family. I don't believe I ever played it when the boys were younger. It's hard to take your turn when the tower of blocks is swaying ... you hold your breath until your block is softly placed on top. Poor Matt ... it finally tumbled!
I got a little extra sleep this morning, tidied up around the house and worked on my 2005 scrapbooking pages. This afternoon the Gears picked us up, we grabbed a bite to eat at Baja, then off to see Marley & Me. I wasn't sure if I would like it but it was very good ... and sad. I usually read the book before seeing the movie but now I am interested in getting a copy to read. We avoided the malls and all the hustle and bustle today. Maybe tomorrow ...

Photo-a-Day December 25

Merry Christmas to All of You!
We enjoyed our White Christmas ... although, after 13 days with snow on the ground, I am ready to see pavement again. It will be years before I want to sing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas."
This year we desperately needed an upgrade in Christmas stockings. Matt still had a Sesame Street one! Hard to put grown-up gifts in a stocking with Big Bird on the front. We found these at Macy's yesterday while downtown and knew I had finally found the perfect stockings for the boys : )
Our morning started out with brunch: Egg & Cheese Souffle (great recipe, Home Based Mom), ham, hash browns, baked apples, cinnamon swirl coffee cake and a fresh fruit platter. I think I watched too many Food Network shows during our snow event and had to try many new recipes.
Next was opening our stockings, which always include an ornament representing something about the receiver's year. Tim's is still on a UPS truck : ) but that was the interesting part of this year's shopping -- we ended up opening several boxes with "it's on the way" messages.
This year Calleigh was interested in helping everyone open their gifts ... the paper, bows, ribbon and tape were all so very fascinating. We were all blessed with many "just what I wanted" gifts, some fun, some silly causing much laughter ... and some that brought tears. Despite the odds of the weather we enJOYed a wonderful time together as a family.
Later in the day we added a new twist to our "build your own ..." meal. This year it was Build Your Own Burrito Bar. What a great idea! Then on to a few competitive games of Connect Four and Jenga.
To top off our day we drove the eastside kids back home and got stuck in the snow at each house. Thanks to Matt's neighbors for assisting us with their shovel ... we are home safe and sound ... reminiscing about our amazing day.
More pictures to follow ...

Photo-a-Day December 24

The weather couldn't cancel our family Christmas traditions. With chains on the car, light rain falling, the snow starting to melt ... we headed north to downtown Portland for our annual family day.
We met at Pioneer Square for our traditional picture, a Santa visit at Macy's, shopping at Pioneer Place and a leisurely dinner at Rock Bottom. Despite all the obstacles to our plans we had a wonderful time together ... probably one of the best. We didn't have a tight schedule and could just enJOY the day.
The only thing missing from our day was the Christmas Eve service at church. It was canceled due to weather conditions in the area. That is probably the biggest missing piece to our family tradition. We miss the soft light, worship in song, the message, being with our church family ... it is just so ingrained in our family history!
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Cookie Recipes

Marie ... I am posting the recipes you requested. Happy Baking : )









Chocolate Crackles
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup salad oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omit these)
about 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate. Combine sugar and oil. Add melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time; beat well. Add vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts. Chill dough. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough in powdered sugar. Roll to coat. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

I usually double this recipe. I use a cookie scoop to measure cookie dough, roll into balls, drop into a large zip loc bag containing the powdered sugar, zip it shut, shake to cover cookies and then place on cookie sheet.
I like them a bit under baked ... kind of the texture of a brownie.

Gooey Mixed Nut Bars
from the kitchen of Kim

Crust: 1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup soft butter
Using a pastry blender, mix well until crumbly. Press in an ungreased 11 x 7 pan and bake for 15 minutes @ 350 degrees.

In a kettle combine:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup corn syrup
Cook on medium heat until melted. Add 1 12 oz can mixed nuts and stir till coated. Spread on crust.

Bake 10 minutes.
Cool before cutting.

The chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe is on the back of the bag of chips and I didn't save it. Oops : (
Merry Christmas Eve

Photo-a-Day December 23

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing ... Glory to the newborn king!"
Time to move on to something other than snowfall ...
This year I have worked at simplifying Christmas decor. I wanted to display things that do not overload the senses, have meaning, and can be handled by the grandkids. For me, clutter is not peaceful. I found a spot in our living room to set up a few of the angels I have in my collection. They've come from many different sources ... gift exchanges, a candle from Woodstock, NY when I visited in 1985, and my newest addition -- a find at Goodwill for $1.99. I discovered, quite by accident, that she plays "Silent Night" while I was in the checkout line. I thought it would be a great "hands-on"addition for the grandkids to play with plus I LOVE a bargain : )
As we draw near to Christmas, it is good to ponder the lyrics -- "Peace on earth and mercy mild -- God and sinners reconciled." -- and remember the reason for the season.

Deeper and Deeper

Our ruler is now buried below the snow on our deck. We've moved up to a yardstick!!!

Photo-a-Day December 22

We continue to have snowfall ...
Walt walked around the neighborhood and took over 150 pictures this morning. This photo was taken at Lafky Park. Looks like someone attempted to make a snow fort -- something Walt would do with the boys many, many years ago.

Photo-a-Day December 21

I think we can stop dreaming ... the way things are going there's a high probability for a white Christmas this year.
Just a quick post - I haven't been feeling well today.
Will write more tomorrow.
Back to the couch and cable TV ......
P.S. I'll let you guess who is measuring the snow accumulation at our house ... I hope that's not my scrapbooking ruler!!

Photo-a-Day December 20

Another snow day at home ... no shopping, no malls ... Christmas activities are on hold. We are staying in and what better to do than spend time in the kitchen. I made my favorite Chocolate Crackles and then tried Kim B's Gooey Nut Bars for the first time. Since I had the supplies on hand I baked Gingerbread cookies and Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.
While taking cookies in and out of the oven I put turkey noodle soup on to simmer. I have to say ... it is the best I've made yet! What a great lunch treat on a snowy day : )
Yesterday morning I spent some time reading one of my favorite blogs, Your Home Based Mom -- http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/category/nourish/. I download 26 recipes that look easy and delicious so I may be back in the kitchen soon. Of course, it's hard to move away from my good book and the cozy fireplace in the family room.

Photo-a-Day December 19

O.K. ... I have to admit I was a tad bit disappointed that school was canceled today. I love the last day at school before the Winter break. Everyone is excited for Christmas and looking forward to the time off. Since they didn't make the announcement the evening before I packed and organized everything to go back to work after having four days off. I expected maybe a 2-hour delay but this morning I found all schools in our county (and most of the Metro area) closed.
Well, I made the most of the day ... including a pedicure and manicure, read, took a nap, whipped us some cookie dough -- Chocolate Crackles, my favorite ... Rae's too, and put in some time on my knitting project. I do believe I will have it completed in a matter of rows : )
This has been quite an unexpected vacation, however, I will notice it in June when we make up the time in our contract!

Photo-a-Day December 18

Today is Day 4 - another weather-related No School day. I was fully expecting to work today. Last night I set my alarm and was just getting ready to climb in bed when I thought I would check our website to see if we had a 2-hour delay. Instead, I discovered we had another closure.
I am using this time off to get caught up and finding myself feeling rested after months of exhaustion.
Today is gift wrapping day. The family room is a mess but in a few hours our tree will be transformed with beautiful packages beneath it. I am truly thankful for this time off.

Photo-a-Day December 17

This sign hangs outside our front entry. It was a gift from the Gears to Walt several Christmases ago ... of course, if it's weather related ... it's the perfect gift for him.
School has been canceled for three days now and it's still snowing. I just put a 21 lb. turkey in the oven so we won't have to worry about meals for days. I think I will work on wrapping gifts, addressing cards, and continue my knitting project. Perhaps I'll take a nap ... it's nice to be home.
I am thankful.

Photo-a-Day December 16

Nope ... our Christmas cards haven't been sent. It's the 16th and we just picked up our cards this afternoon at Costco. I sent an online order before the snow event and due to illness and bad driving conditions we haven't been able to pick them up until this afternoon -- with the main focus of the trip --> to pick up Walt's new glasses.
We just heard on the news that our school district will be closed again ... now three days in a row ... so I guess I will have time to get caught up on many of our Christmas projects. You just may see a card in your mailbox soon : )

Photo-a-Day December 15

Our snow event is still hanging on. Tomorrow will be the second day of school closures due to the weather conditions. With the extended forecast ... it looks like more storms may be on the way ... perhaps school will still be in session until the end of June if this weather continues : ( It's beautiful and we seldom get an event like this ... but we'll have to be creative in getting last minute Christmas shopping finished. I'll have to check with Wally the Weatherman to see the best "window" of time for venturing out to the malls : )

Photo-a-Day December 14

Wally the Weatherman was right ... Let it SNOW!