Eldest

Emil Michael's birthday was yesterday. 

(It just doesn't seem right to not see your child on their birthday.)

He is a Writer

He is Enigma 

He is 20!

 He has become such a handsome, articulate man. 

Polite and humorous, witty and kind. We're so proud of who he is and how he stands strong to his convictions.  I can't wait for him to come home from school in April!

Since I haven't blogged in a month...

On Valentines Day Emil and I made a nice candlelight dinner for Noah and Kirstin.

Dinner was good but dessert was my favorite part. :)

Chocolate Bliss Cheesecake

I had never had Chocolate cheesecake and decided it was time to fix that. It was AMAZING!

Just click on the name to go to the recipe. Make sure you have peeps to share it with because it is rich and you don't want to end up eating it all by yourself!

On Feb 22-23 I had a camp retreat in Nags Head. I'm the Camp Director again this year so this overnighter was a chance to get all our leaders Adult and Youth together to talk about the theme and what we needed to focus on as well as assign them Levels to work with.  

The view from the cottage we stayed at! Too bad the weather was yuck

Our gals doing a craft. Kirstin's on the left in grey & red

It was a great get together and everyone enjoyed themselves but I think I did too much because the next day I was home sick. After 2 long naps and a full day of rest I was ready to go again. 

I've also been working on the home projects I told you about. We sold our dining room table so now the room is bare but I'm hoping to start making my dream table soon! 

We rearranged the study and this weekend, when we go to the temple, we'll pick up the remaining two bookcases to finish the built-in bookcase for that room. I wanted to paint but Emil said no. He likes the blue. :(

Last night we had some friends over and I tried a new breadstick recipe. It was Yum. Give it a try! 

Easy Breadstick Twist

Easy? Well... as easy as making your own bread is. However, the kids loved pulling them apart and they were quite tasty! I topped them with a light sprinkling of this garlic bread seasoning which I use all the time! 

First Report

It's been over a month so I guess it's time to blog again. I've been busy building, painting and rearranging but before all of that, yesterday was Kirstin's birthday. 

What a beauty our little girl has turned out to be!

I surprised her with a Bacon Bouquet. She loved it. Lest you think I'm crazy, she's really into bacon right now. (Don't ask, I have no idea.) I didn't come up with the idea- I saw it on a blog I follow, Our Best Bites. It was an idea for Fathers Day.

And since she wouldn't tell me what she wanted for dinner I had to make birthday cake pancakes (add a cup of cake mix in the pancake mix and sprinkles). They were really good- and double chocolate sprinkle cookies which I have eaten entirely too many of and they were also stupendous. I found it all on Pinterest which has been a blessing and a curse. 

We sure love Kirstin and her high energy, love of life, spontaneity, sweet spirit and humor. What a blessing to have spent the last 17 years with this girl wonder. 

OK- on to crafty things......

When our home was built we had wire shelves in all the closets as well as the pantry. 

Before

While economical, they aren't the the sturdiest shelves, so last year I built my first wood shelf in our hall closet and this year I redid the pantry. I still have the trim on the top shelf to paint but otherwise it's done!

After

It didn't give me any more room but I no longer have to worry about items tipping over or the shelves sagging because my flour is too heavy. 

I loved this half shelf height. It works great for al my baking pans that are weird shaped or sized.

I also incorporated a higher bottom shelf to put my buckets of sugar and flour into the pantry. Emil was very happy as they had been hanging out in the corner of the dining room for years. 

I totally feel empowered now and want to do all the closets. First on the list is my bathroom closet which is sagging under the weight of heavy shampoo.

I always forget to take a" before" picture!

The dining room that has been red the past 6 or so years and it was time for a change. I decided I wanted something lighter so I painted it Distinct Natural Taupe. (Found the paint swatch at Walmart but got the paint at Home Depot. Martha Stewart) It's a nice neutral color and has been a wonderful way to dispel the winter blues!

We went to Ikea a couple weekends ago on the way home from a temple trip and found a buffet for the dining room that has a tiny scratch and was $150 off. I had been looking for a buffet like this for years!

Sweet! Thank you very much! I'll take that!

Now I'm in the process of selling my dining room table and 10 chairs that go with it and getting something smaller and less formal. When it's all done I'll post a better picture of the entire room.

I have my eye on a project that I would love to try to do but I'm not sure my skill set is up to snuff. Actually this photo was the inspiration to my entire dining room redo. 

I just love that table. I don't know why but I feel like it wants to be a member of my family. I'm not usually this way about furniture so it's strange to me but I love it. 

I also want to make bookcases like this for our Board Room (aka Study, where all of Emil's surfboards live) . Well minus the pink backing but some color backing. Emil's on board so once he's mobile again that project should move pretty quickly. These are just 3 bookcases from Ikea with crown moulding on the tops and bottom. I love the custom look. 

We got the center bookshelf when we were at Ikea along with the buffet but they were out of the 2 side bookcases so, for now, we'll have to hold off on that. I couldn't get Emil to agree to paint the study. Oh well- it'll make the bookcase "pop" when it's all said and done. 

And I did get my first project from my New Years Resolution done. A photo scrapbook of Scotland. Yea! 

Oh, last but not least, Emil had his surgery done on his other Achilles this past Friday. It was earlier than expected but since his last surgery went so well and he was a "model patient" they went ahead with this one. Of course his entire motivation is such that he'll be able to be out in the water this summer surfing. It's gone better than the last. I think that is because he knew what to expect and how far he could push himself. Yesterday was rough though. He gets nauseous from the painkillers they give him and he could hardly sit up for 5 minutes without feeling like he was going to be sick. He's not good at lying around and doing nothing. Today he's going to try to make it without any painkillers and hopefully it'll be a better day. 

What fun things are you doing for Valentines Day?

Christmas & A Fresh Start

Christmas was wonderful!

Kirstin balled up under the blanket, Emil M. pinned under Noah

Emil Michael got home a week before Christmas. Kirstin and Noah have been wrestling with him pretty much non stop.

It has been so nice to have him home again, to hear the piano being played, have him writing in the living room. A silent but constant presence. College life has been a good growing place for him and when he comes home it is with a greater appreciation for family and the blessings he has. I really like this part of my kids growing up!

We spent Christmas Eve at Emil's parents. Where there was great food, lots of family, presents, a hunt for a pickle, the pie dance and desserts! I feel so blessed to have the family I do. I love all the crazy traditions they have. I treasure all the traditions our own little family have begun and remember with fondness my Christmas's at home as a child with my parents and siblings. Life is good. 

I made some felted Sheep for my Mom and Sisters for Christmas. As a fond reminder of our time in Scotland

They were probably my favorite Christmas Craft but coming in a close second was discovering Sculpey clay. 

A new friend, Shelley, made these adorable Dove ornaments from Sculpey clay and gave them to me as a gift. I  absolutely loved them! Shelley is pretty amazing and if you want to have your mind blown by sheer artistic talent check out her website. 7layerstudio

So I humbly asked her to show me how to make some and she graciously agreed. I want to do a all white Christmas tree next year in addition to our family tree and wanted to have some handmade ornaments on it. So this was my start.

After checking out all the different ornaments Shelley's made over the years with Sculpey clay I was very awed and inspired. We'll see what next year holds. Maybe I'll have the umph to do new ones each year but I'm not making any promises.

Last week was full of visiting friends and spending time together. It has been great. Emil went back to work on Wednesday and has been doing well. He is still limping but really improving since his surgery. He just uses a compression sock or ace bandage to keep the swelling down and is in his sneakers now. He didn't use the boot except for one day I think!

Noah's been busy hanging with the Crosses and using new toys. 

Kirstin got a GPS for Christmas and has been busily tearing up the roads getting in all her socializing that she has to put on hold during school since academics take front seat. She's happy sleeping in and staying up late. Emil Michael assures her that she'll fit right in at college. He's right of course. 

So today is New Years Eve.

 I happen to love new beginnings. I don't know why. Maybe because of all the possibilities. My imagination runs wild with what could be... I read a quote recently, that went something like "no matter what your past- your future is spotless". I love the concept.  

I had some time to clean up my room this past week and was thinking of all the projects and new crafts I'd like to conquer. I decided to write 12 on slips of paper and pull one out each month, then focus on finishing that one project that month. I have some projects that have been lingering too long that need finishing and some new projects that need to start. I liked the idea so I'd thought I'd share. 

Maybe you have unfinished business too? Sometimes just figuring where to begin is the hardest part. I've already picked my January slip and it's to make a scrapbook of my Scotland trip. Thankfully I have a Groupon for a digital scrapbook I need to use so maybe if I'm really productive I'll pick two projects. We'll see!

What are your resolutions? 

Some of my spiritual goals are to read and study the scriptures each day. Physically,  I decided to try to exercise more consistently and plan 3 meals a week. With our family dwindling I find our eating habits have changed and not always for the better. I think that me being more organized in this area may help our family as a whole. As far as just personal goals I'm trying to be more organized in my scheduling. I've got a new planner and have penciled in all the events I know we have going on as a family already and since I'm doing Girls Camp again this year I'll need lots of check lists for that. 

I wish you all the very best in the year to come. 

May we love more, forgive sooner and share of ourselves. 

We each have so much to be thankful for, even in our trials. 

Love - Kathryn

Blessed

This week was a long one. 

Emil was home convalescing.

Wednesday was Kai's birthday.

Then Friday hit and the tragedy in Connecticut happened.

As Emil and I watched the news they listed the children's names and ages. 

So many 6 year olds. The same age as our Kai.

I thought about what those families are going through and I pray that they have people around them to hold them when they cry. To put their arms around them and just be there to listen.

Friends like we had, that thought of our needs when we couldn't think for ourselves.

Friends who have lost a child or sibling or parent or friend. Family that mourn with them because they are suffering too.

Someone they can pour their heart out to when they feel it just can't break into any smaller pieces.

I pray that they can see early on, what a blessing it was

to have that person they in their life for however short a period of time. 

To have seen the wonders of the world through a child's eyes.

I hope for them they can feel it is "better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all"

That they can come to see death is the beginning of eternity

something we all have to go through it to get to that side of things. 

 To remember the good times, the goofy faces and all the things they loved about them.

And I pray they can find grace and forgiveness so they can heal. 

I'm still standing, but Emil's not....

So I've hit a new low in my blogging record. 2 months since my last post!!! Really? 

 What have we been up to? 

Kirstin finished her Marching Band Season and has been kicking butt on her AP classes. In her last progress report she had 90's in both classes. We're so proud of her because she's been working so hard at them. She decided to sing in the Stake Choir this Christmas so last night and tonight she had performances. I went to the one last night and they did a great job. 

Noah has been working on his Scouts, albeit unwillingly, but working on it nonetheless. Emil decided to give him some manly work so every day after school he goes out back and splits 4 pieces of wood. He's been pretty tireless about it and the pile is quickly diminishing. I think the ax is bigger than he is. I'm sure it weighs more than he does!

I've been working on my website Christmas items. I've learned that having a website is time consuming. You've got to bake the goods. Then photograph them. Then price them. Then edit and list. It took me about 2 weeks to get it all done. Whew!

Here's a link to the site if you want to see everything.

 But here are just a few things I've been working on.  

Braided Lemon Bread

Egg Nog Cupcakes with Santa Toppers

Ginger Crinkles

Raspberry Linzer Cookies, My favorite!

Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread 

Cookie Boxes

 Emil's work asked me to make 7 cakes for their Annual Christmas Party this year so these are what they ordered. 

Red Velvet Cheesecake, Key Lime Cheesecake, White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse,
Caramel Pumpkin, Ultimate Chocolate Mousse, 6 layer Toffee Caramel Torte

Here's a new Santa I did for a party for Diane Huggins. I love him!

 Here are a couple of cookies I'd like to make. How cute are they? Not sure I'm that good at free handing it yet though. 

So that's why I've been absent. Baking has consumed me. 

In other news.....

Emil had surgery on his left Achilles tendon this Friday. He had some scar tissue that was causing him a lot of pain so they went in and cleaned it out. Everything went well but he's going to be working from home for the next 2 weeks. Actually next week he's suppose to be off but he was already bored by today. He's got the pain under control as long as he keeps it elevated and he stays on his meds. Which means he has to lie on his back on the couch with 3 pillows under his foot and use crutches for the next 6 weeks. I would show you a picture but he's forbid me from taking any. I'll wait until he's sleeping.

Emil M. is doing well at school. He'll be home in 9 days for Christmas Break!!!! Yea!

We can't wait to see him. He's changed apts. and things are going much better. His last apt. he had some really messy roommates but he's in a better place now so we're glad for him. 

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the holidays!

Running & Hot Cocoa

There's this new thing called a blog. I have one I just forgot that I have one. ;)

So you've been dying to know how the running is going but have been too afraid to ask. 

Here's the skinny.

I started to run. My stupid knee started to hurt.

I tried running barefoot style, but with shoes. (love my sweet shoes...)

Sweet Barefoot Running Shoes

My knee stopped hurting. (Yea!)

My calves killed me! (But that was to be expected.)

I kept running.

My calves stopped hurting but my feet started being sore instead.

I still ran.

 I increased my time.

I went to Belize and ran once while wild dogs followed me. 

It was scary. (Wild dogs=no rabies shots)

I got to 8 minutes of straight running and strained my soleus muscle.

I took a break while I went to Scotland. (Such a good decision, it was very hilly!)

I came back feeling recovered and took a kickboxing class and reinjured my soleus.

I've decided I'm old, 

I took this just today. It's true, running aged me!

yes, I know there are people older than me, 

this is just how running was making me feel. 

I am now coming off a 2 week recovery period where I have not exercised at all. 

I feel very much like a bean bag. Parts of me are starting to resemble a bean bag. 

I love fall weather and sweaters. 

Today I walked 3 miles. I will start exercising again gradually and see if I can do this running thing without needing my walker.

( I only wanted to do a 5 K for Pete's sake! It's only 3 stinking miles!!!!)

I'll keep you updated.

I have found when you cannot run it is always nice to be able to drink Hot Cocoa because drinking Hot Cocoa while running causes all sorts of other complications. It's not good people.

Here is a recipe I tweaked that I absolutely love. It's easy, it's cheap and it's versitile.

Enjoy it!

(just not while you're running.)

Hazelnut Hot Cocoa

Adapted from Alton Brown

Makes 5 1/2 c. Mix

2 Cups powdered sugar

2  cups powdered milk

1/2 cup hazelnut powdered coffee creamer

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup cocoa (dutch process preferred)

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste (optional)

Some notes: I don't use the Cayenne. If you like that spicy/sweet thing give it a whirl. 

I added Mallow Bits to mine because I have them and it makes me think of Swiss Miss packets of Hot Cocoa. 

If you don't like Hazelnut you could skip the creamer and do all powdered milk or sub some other flavor of coffee creamer. I don't have very much experience with coffee creamers so I'll have to do some research and let you know what other flavors are out there. 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. Store in airtight container.

To make: fill mug 1/3 full with Hot Cocoa Mix and pour in hot water or just do a few tablespoons like I do. Stir well and add marshmallows!

Scotland

I got back from Scotland this past Tuesday, the 18th. 

I was gone for 8 days with my Mom and my sisters to visit the homeland! It was an amazing trip!

 I got to drive on the left side of the road for the first time!

 They were so polite about the speed limit there!

There were some other signs that I loved.

Some that had us totally mystified.

This way for the duel??? It was pointing to this bridge. How beautiful!

I've decided that there are some hard and fast rules in Scotland.

Our Hotel in Fort Williams

1. All buildings are made from stone... 

Castle Eilean Donan

Me at Eilean Donan!

2. Sheep outnumber people 2 to 1

See those little white dots in the distance? Sheep!

Guess what those white things are at the bottom? Sheep!

Here's looking at you! Sheep!

3. There are no SUV's in Scotland for a very good reason

The roads are tight!

Haybales by the Loch

This is a 2 lane road!!!! What insanity is this?

Scotland was so picturesque.

Glen Coe

It was breathtaking at times.

Mom & Sheila

Sumi

My favorite parts?

The people,

The Countryside,

The Sheep.....