November Thanks Day 6 - The Kiddos

Last day of sports camp

Making kiflis with Grandma

I couldn't very well spend a bit of each day giving thanks, and not mention my kids. They are, after all, the greatest gifts God decided to bestow upon me (although, they do drive me nuts a lot of the time). Instead of focusing on all the reasons I am thankful for them, I have decided to focus on some of my favorite things about them this year, and do that with pictures since no amount of word manipulating would be able to replace the looks on their faces.

Posing in front of the tooth fairy letter

Valentine's Day

Getting little brother ready for his birthday at school

First week of school

Letter my daughter made to the tooth fairy for her brother

A super hero and his side kick

Posin' with the space dude at the Museum of Flight

Finding shells on the beach at Vashon

November Thanks Day 5 - Washington Adventures

Reyna and I on a trail headed to Eunice Lake

My whole life I have been the type of person to try only what I for certain knew I would be successful at. As anyone can ascertain, that means there have been multiple opportunities thrown my way that I simply avoided, especially once the weight gain/muscle decay started. I especially did not want to try things that would force me to realize I was not in the shape I was in high school, or that would make the kids see mom couldn't do as much as other moms, or that would make my husband know (not just suspect) that I really am unable to do everything he can. What it really has all boiled down to is shame. I did not want to feel it in any way, shape, or form. And, please note, I am not lazy. I bike, walk, play with  my kids, lift weights occasionally, and more. I am just not (nor, if I'm being completely honest, have I ever been) in the shape to charge up a mountain while looking model perfect with ladylike perspiration daintily misting my body with a pristine rhythmic breathing.

Pacific Crest Trail with their Papa

Last January I made a resolution to stop being in a rut, and try at least one new thing a month. Like most resolutions, I quickly broke that since I either didn't have the money to try whatever I'd found, or didn't have the time, or started to forget my resolve. What I did end up doing, though, was deciding to accept opportunities as they were given to me instead of finding a way out, even if I thought I may look ridiculous to the entire world (which, I might add, I did many times over. And using the term "world" is not an exaggeration. There is a surprisingly high number of international visitors in Washington State every summer). My dad presented the idea of taking day trip vacations throughout the summer, and going on excursions on Mount Rainier, and any other places we found interesting. The summer of 2013 we had done this once and it had been alright (although my feet did freeze as I walked barefoot in the snow), so I figured it would be fun and something that would make my kids have good summer memories. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Wrong.

Crystal Falls

So wrong.


Ohanapecosh

Pain is what it was. Sheer pain, memories filled with pain, gasping for breath, clothes drenched in sweat, and side spasms that made labor seem like a frolicking summer camp for kindergarteners. You know what else it was? Proof that I was able to do the things that my mind said I'd fail at. Let me be clear, I did fail each and every time we went out, at least by society's standards. In saying that, though, I perfected the art of getting up and leaving the house for shear agony each time it was offered, and in continuing to put one foot in front of the other instead of laying face down on the trails and demanding that the Civil Air Patrol air lift me from the mountain and take me home. Victory, really, is all in my own perception. 



Kids and Hubby on Sunrise Trail

Today, my thanks is for my own psychological shift from "nope, can't do that, I'd look like an idiot" to "what the heck is the worst that could happen". It sounds silly, but the simple acceptance that I can look stupid in public, and my world will not end, has opened up endless possibilities for me. After all, looking stupid really isn't so bad as long as I'm not actually being stupid! 

Sunrise Trail

Pacific Crest Trail



Mowich Lake

Trail to Eunice Lake

November Thanks Day 4

photo credit to www.rcocdd.com

Today's thanks is done a bit in advance of the event actually happening - 8 months and 2 days to be exact. You see, my family and I are taking our first family vacation, ever, and it will be to Disneyland. Happily, the husband gave the green light to book our trip back in September, and now we are working on paying it off, and getting the kids excited to go.

To be completely honest, I think this trip is more for me than anyone else in our family. I say this because 1. I love all things Disney, 2. I was going to have a small hissy fit if I didn't make it back to the parks some time soon, and 3. I feel it's really important to do something like this with the kids while they will still believe in all of the magic that the park has to offer, and really want those memories stored away in my heart as they grow up and away from me.

Also, this will be my husband's first ever family vacation. Minus the few excursions he and I have taken without the kids, even when he was younger, he has never planned and gone on a family trip. I am so excited to be able to take part in his, and the kids, first time at Disneyland, and the experience of seeing how we all react to traveling together. Cannot wait for July 2015!

Easy Peasy Pizza Dough

The best part of this pizza is how fast it is to make, and how easy it is for kids to help with. Not only is it easy, but the kids love to get in the mix and create their own food. Definitely a must do for any night of silly, family fun!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups self rising flour (or regular flower if that is all you have)

1 cup of plain (we use Greek) yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (if not using self rising flour)

3/4 teaspoons salt (also if not using self rising flour)

Combine ingredients, and knead the dough with extra flour. This dough will be VERY sticky and soft, so do not worry about whether or not there is too much extra flour during kneading and rolling out. After the dough has been kneaded, roll out with rolling pin (I gently rub mine with flour several times during this process) to fit desired baking sheet - we use a cookie sheet for a thin crust, or a cake pan for deep dish. Please keep in mind that if the table was not covered well with flour, that transferring the dough from the table to the sheet will be an absolute bear! Before moving the rolled out dough, spray the sheet, or lightly cover with oil (butter could work as well). Then, place desired toppings and bake for approximately 10 minutes at 400 degrees!

November Thanks Day 3

When I was growing up, education was strongly emphasized. I was home schooled, took part in many additional classes, completed grades years early, and took part in Running Start. When I was 18 I was short one course to complete My Associates in Arts, and had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I figured as long as the job sounded smart, I'd give it a try. Years later, I had run the gamut in possible majors, had exhausted my husband, and frustrated myself in ever thinking I would be able to complete a degree while working and being a wife/mom.

Then, one day, I received a phone call from a good friend. She had run into the chancellor of a school called WGU (one I had heard a little bit about from a co-worker a year earlier), and said she was going to enroll and I needed to go along for the ride with her.  She and I had both been laid off, and had looked at a few other local colleges near us for answers in how to get further in life, and had come up with minimal, realistic answers. Because of that frustration, I felt that WGU would probably end up in the long pile of "been there, tried that, came of nothing" that was growing larger by the year. I halfheartedly called and spoke with a wonderful woman who gave me a list of things I needed to do to become enrolled, and slowly went through the process to become an accounting major (it sounded smart, was in the line of what I'd done for my career, and made a nice sum of money). Fast forward six months, and I had been enrolled, and absolutely miserable. My mentor was wonderful, I just had to accept that the major I had chosen was not for me.

The wonderful thing about WGU is the flexibility and the want to keep students doing what they need to do. My mentor immediately set up and interview for me to speak with the head of the teacher's college. Within days, we all decided that was where I needed to be, and I was seamlessly switched over to a new degree with a new mentor. Two years later, I have nearly graduated, am setting up everything for student teaching, and have a light at the end of my tunnel for a set career. Not only that, but because of its low tuition, I will be graduating with a tiny amount of loans to pay off - not quite the mountains of debt the majority of students face when entering the real world!

I am oh so very grateful to that friend for forcing me along this adventure with her, and for this school in opening up so many opportunities for myself and my family. It has been an absolute God send, and (despite all of my migraines from hard work, and procrastination) blessing!

Reyna's Thanks:

 

I thank for the food and grate blessings at home. And I love gumbo that is my favorite food and I want to be vary good at cooking jest like my mom and I love broccoli.

Gumbo!

 

   Bubba's Thanks:

your friends

and you.

Our squirrel friend, Biscuit

 

Second Day of Thanks - Magical Beginnings

Photo courtesy of thewaltdisneycompany.com

For any of you that do not know me well, I was given an opportunity to work for the Walt Disney Company back in 2005. It was my very first job, and the one that has, to date, taught me the most about myself, and the most about what a good work ethic should be.

Most people assume I have an obsession with this company because of the happy go lucky story lines, and general love of "the mouse". In all reality, I fell in love with the ideals of a company who have found the magic potion to generate a full on team spirit for every single employee they have. This spirit is a force that drives each person from the high up imagineer to the lower level janitor to put all of their passion, effort, and energy into creating a detailed, accurate, image of this company for the world to see. I think it is safe to say that, no matter who you are (or what your views are of the company), Disney has almost no equal in their commitment to detail, accuracy, and follow through.

While I worked for the company, I was given the push to stretch myself. To not accept that I was a shy 18 year old kid who was really satisfied to blend in to any background I happened to find myself around. Instead, I was forced to create magic, to find ways to reach out to guests and make them feel special, and give all of that credit to the name of the company instead of to myself. Basically being required to realize that I was there to work for the glory of the company image, instead of the glory of myself (something that I have found is really hard to do most of the time).

As I spent my short time for Disney, I was able to work in costuming (for regular cast members, parades, and Festival of the Lion King with training on the side for Tarzan Rocks), security at Pleasure Island (something I am definitely NOT suited for in real life, but a good life experience), ticket taker/server for La Nouba, parade usher (hardest thing ever when re-routing thousands of people), among many other things. At the end of my time there, I had the confidence to walk in to any position and just give it a try. Many people see that as a negative, that I have moved around to many different companies in my short time working. What they don't understand is that A. The economy fell apart and made lay offs more common and B. Those different positions have all propelled me to where I am now. And while it has been hard to start over so many times, I learned from the best how to shove those freak out feelings down, and put myself in whatever job has come my way.

For that, I give my second day of thanks to the Walt Disney Company. Without you, and all of your lessons, I probably would still be the scared, apprehensive girl, not willing to jump at any career opportunities. Thanks to you, I have the confidence to know when a position is right for me and stick through it, or when (as in doing security), it's a good learning opportunity but nothing more.

The Family's First Day of Thanks

Some of the best hot chocolate ever!

Normally, I do my basic thanks on Facebook. A quick sentence, maybe two, to do my duty and get on with my life. I have decided, though, that to fully prepare myself for the season I need to actually focus instead of dashing. And I also decided to drag my kids along through this journey, and they will write what they are thankful for at the bottom.

To kick off this season of thanks, I am grateful for the invention of hot chocolate! Sound silly? It might, but for my family, it is something that has developed into a near nightly tradition. I make hot chocolate, and then we all drink it as I read out loud from a book - we have been going through the Little House series. It is our way of winding down for the day, and coming together, leaving all daily irritation behind. Life is so busy, full of frantic (some times yelling) moments. The hot chocolate forces those moments to the side, and reminds me that anyone is able to squeeze in at least 20 minutes of quality, relaxed time.

Reyna's

 

I am thank full for having at least one cat I used to have  10 cats the cat I have is Archimedes.

 

Bubba's

I likeeeeeee 1000 cats