A Little Treasure

My grandmother sent me this little book the other day. It was made by my great-grandmother, for her sister, in...1915! I can't believe how well it's held up, especially considering it is in pencil. My great-grandma would have been twelve years old when she made it. The drawings are adorable, and it's so cool to see her handwriting.











I'm really glad to have this little piece of my great-grandma - she was so important in my life and I don't really have many mementos. She didn't like having her picture taken, avoided it like the plague really, and so I hardly even have any photos. This little booklet makes me happy.

Labor Day Campout

We had the best time camping at Ice House Reservoir! Got a late start on Friday, didn't get to the campsite until after dark but the giant full moon helped a lot. Fire restrictions meant no campfire - huge bummer, especially since it was pretty cold at night. Also, no charcoal fires - luckily our neighbors had a large gas grill that they let us use the second night, otherwise all that chicken we brought would have been useless. Realized the new air mattress I bought did not come with a pump (duh) and I forgot to pack syrup for the pancakes I made for breakfast. Funny thing though...none of that got us down.

The campsite was perfect, in the trees and a short walk from beautiful beaches on the super clear, sparkly lake. The sand was full of pyrite, so the whole beach shimmered gold. The kids spent a lot of time fishing, and Hannah caught her first fish ever! Actually, she caught two, looks like she's caught the fishing bug big time.

We hiked up the South Silver Creek, crazy beautiful. The hike was a little extreme as we were trailblazing most of the time, quite an adventure! Poor Jonesy slipped down a granite slope and fell in the icy water, Shane had to rescue him. That water is COLD. Hard to imagine the guys running that, of course the water is up much higher, but still...looks pretty sketchy!

So much fun, can't wait to go back!!

Do you Kindle?

I keep hearing about the Kindle lately - you know when something seems to be on your radar? So I've been doing a little research and while I think it's pretty damn cool, I just don't think it's for me. I like holding a real book and I often read in the bathtub. Plus, I'm cheap. I typically get my books from the library or bookmooch. But then again, maybe it's like when the mp3 player first came out and I thought I'd never get used to not having actual cds.

So, if you have one, let me know what you think. Maybe I'll ask Santa for one.

Gettin' Crafty Wit It

We have three birthday parties this weekend, so guess who's been crafty this week?

It's been quite a while since I did any little critters, they are so fun! Except for the hand cramping doing the tiny parts, that sucks.

For birthday boy #1:

This cute little turtle! Of course now my kids want one too. He is pretty adorable, if I do say so myself.



For birthday girl #2:

Pirouette! She is into ballet, so this should make her smile. My favorite part is the tail, so cute!





For birthday boy #3:


This hat, modeled by Hannah. I really love this pattern, it's a keeper. Probably the most "professional" looking hat I've ever made, and it's super thick and warm. Plus, the texture is awesome.


Phew! I think I'm ready for some birthday cake.

Sick Of Potato Salad?

Give this salad a try instead! It's super tasty and great with grilled food. Makes a giant batch, nice for a potluck.


Curried Rice Salad with Artichokes

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 3 (6.5 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 green red pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine chicken stock and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together artichoke marinade, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine artichoke hearts, green onions, bell pepper, parsley, and celery. Mix in cooked rice, then mix in reserved marinade mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Serve cold.


From allrecipes.com.

New 'Do

I absolutely love Hannah's new haircut - it suits her perfectly!






Now she's all ready for back to school in a couple weeks. Well, almost ready - there is shopping for clothes, shoes, and supplies to be done. Yikes!

Speaking of supplies, I guess I'd forgotten how much college textbooks cost. Jordan's books for this semester would have been over $700 (even for used books at the school bookstore) if I hadn't spent hours finding them on ebay and various other sites for a fraction of the cost. Seriously? I know what I'll be selling on ebay in a few months...

Paddlin'

Check it out, I'm in a boat! Nothing too wild, we just paddled out in the marina to watch the Women's National Wakeboard Competition up close and personal. Those chicks get some mad air!





The beginning of this video is super shaky so hold on to your guts!