Ready...Set...Hike

Due to a hectic workday, I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of The Lime on Halloween. I was told that I would win the medal for "Worst Mom of the Year", for not getting a picture. If only that person knew how many other photos I have of The Lime, they would have kept their mouth shut. But that's a different post.

So when LaVor told me he was going to play football on Thanksgiving morning, I knew I'd be able to redeem myself in the picture department.

The Lime could hardly stand the excitement. We started off with a breakfast for champions (orange juice and hash browns...or a giant french fry, which is the way we got him to eat it).

We were afraid there wouldn't be enough people to play a real game but after a while, enough bodies showed up. Two of which were The Lime's best buds, Ben and Joe.

The Lime wasted no time to participate!

He was the cutest dude out there and threw a major fit when we had to leave.

I see a new Thanksgiving tradition in our family's future.

Giving Thanks...Z

The first city we stepped foot in, when we got to Europe, was Zurich. And what a fine city it was.

Drinking from the fountains, enjoying sausages in crusty rolls, savoring my favorite macarons, paying way too much for fast food, watching the men play with the giant chess set, buying a clock, attending church. So much to do, and what a surprise! Most of it had to do with food :o)

Zurich was where we spent our first day and Zollikofen is where we spent our last night. It was also where my parents were married. (Note: the temple is actually in Münchenbuchsee, the mailing address for the temple is Zollikofen) I loved being able to visit the place where my eternal family began.

Two "Z" cities that we will always remember.

Giving Thanks...Y

Four years ago, I was asked to bring the rolls to Thanksgiving dinner.

While at culinary school, we would tape our recipes on the wall so they were out of the way and at eye level (easy to read). I decided to start doing that with my recipes that weren't in cookbooks.

When I volunteered to bring the rolls again this year, I realized I had the recipe STILL taped to my cabinet, four years later. Yikes!

But I must tell you why...this is the best yeast roll recipe I have ever made. I use it for dinner rolls as well as cinnamon rolls, and can't seem to justify filing it away.

When I was in my breads class, the instructor warned us about the constant use of yeast and how we'd be at a higher risk of yeast infections. Blech...freaked me out a bit.

But how I grew to love yeast. Where would I be without yeast? I'll tell you. I would be a deprived person that couldn't enjoy bread, pizza, croissants, bagels, pretzels, and doughnuts, just to name a few.

I love my carbs, can you tell? And I love yeast, at least when it comes to food.

The original date and time of when said recipe was printed

Giving Thanks...X

Never did LaVor and I think that we would take a cruise, let alone win one. So when we heard the news that we were going, for free, we were taken back.

Celebrity X Cruises took good care of us the second we boarded the ship. They offered us champagne, which we turned down, but were then offered water. Our room wasn't ready for quite some time after we were on board but a sweet lady made sure to get things taken care of. Our room attendant was SO helpful, especially when it came to the wave of illness. The food was good and always at our fingertips, hence why I ordered four desserts the first night at dinner. The customer service was astounding when we notified them of our botched excursion.

We were so appreciative, and still are, of the kindness and generosity we received on this trip. If we ever decide to go on another cruise, this one might be hard to beat.

Giving Thanks...W

LaVor doesn't really like it but I'm a cold cereal kind of girl. He always asks if I want to go out for breakfast but I much prefer to stay home and eat my Chex or Cheerios.

So you can imagine how bummed I was when I went to pour my milk this morning, only to find that we were out. Ugh!

I was rushed for time so making eggs was out of the question. Then I remembered my homemade frozen waffles and popped two in the toaster. They get extra crispy, which I love, but soften up a bit with the help of the syrup, so I don't crack a tooth. And the combination of the salted butter plus the sweet maple is something I just recently converted to. Why did I pass up the butter all those years?!

When we have waffles for dinner, I usually make extra and freeze them so I have an impromptu breakfast for times like this.

The waffles saved the day, or at least me from being late for my Black Friday shopping.

Giving Thanks...V

The Lime gets a lot of colds and since times aren't like they used to be, cough medicine is out of the question. I always get a bit frustrated with the nurses who suggest the same ole "steam, honey, humidifiers". Blah blah blah! Suggest something that works!

Like Vicks Vapor Rub!

This stuff is great. It not only helps The Lime breathe easier, I think he also likes the way it feels when we rub it in.

He's happy, we're happy, and everyone gets some sleep (because the coughing seems to be worse at night).

Giving Thanks...U

There is a little boy in Primary who, whenever he says the prayer, asks that everyone be united. You can tell it's something that his family says in their prayers and it's the cutest thing.

I'm sorry to do this, as I hated hearing about the election while it was taking place, and I certainly hate hearing about it now. But I need to mention it.

My parents have always been public with their choice for President. Every election year, we had a sign in our yard, showing everyone who they supported. In the election four years ago, their home was egged because of the signs they had. This year, after the winner was announced, someone put a spray painted sign on their garage door with an expletive + the name of one of the candidates. Then today, while driving in my mom's car, a passing vehicle pointed and laughed at their bumper sticker, while shaking their head profusely as they drove by.

I'm disappointed in the actions of the people mentioned above. I'm disappointed in the people that want to move to another country after the results of this election (because it really might be better somewhere else?). I'm disappointed in the people who want to break away from the United States and form their own country.

What I am thankful for is the example of a six year old, who asks Heavenly Father to bless us to be united with our brothers and sisters, no matter what they look like or what they believe.

Giving Thanks...T

My mind is failing me and I can't remember if it was the summer of 2000 or 2001, but it was amazing.

There seemed to be a church activity, whether temple baptisms, a youth conference, girls camp, or fireside, every weekend. I was on a spiritual high and my testimony was busting at the seams. I knew, without a doubt, that the church was true.

Since then, different aspects of my testimony have been "planted" and "grown".

I love that The Lime asks about heaven and Heavenly Father. He wants to know where He is and when I tell him heaven, he says that he can't see Him. I tell him he's right, but that we can still talk to him and that he loves us. I know without a doubt that he hears our prayers. Like last night, when we couldn't find The Lime's bouncy ball and I said a little prayer. I literally turned around and saw The Lime pushing the "giveaway" box and saw the neon yellow ball nestled in one of the sweaters.

I know that the Savior lives. I am extremely grateful for this time of year, that the entire world takes a little extra time to think about Him. I'm thankful for His sacrifice for me and that I'm able to use the atonement on a daily basis.

I am extremely grateful for my eternal family, that I get to be with these silly gooses for eternity.

I know the Book of Mormon is true. I've read it, prayed about it, and received a confirmation through the Spirit, that it is the word of God.

I am especially grateful for my testimony. It is the one thing that is all mine and nobody can take it away from me.

Giving Thanks...S

Here are 33 (his age) things, that I'm thankful for, that make up my spouse.

1) He's the main cook in our family. When The Lime was born, we didn't request meals to be brought over, since he wasn't the one that gave birth and was still able to provide a hot meal for us.

2) He makes me laugh, even when I don't want to.

3) He's the calm one that assures me everything is going to be alright.

4) Even though he hates short hair, he lets me do whatever I want with mine. As long as he can have a beard.

5) He kills spiders for me...with his bare hands.

6) He knows me far too well and can go Christmas and birthday shopping without a list, and get the perfect thing.

7) He can fix anything. The neighbor's garbage can had a wheel missing and The Lime said, "Daddy fix it?"

8) He gets sad if The Lime and I don't say goodbye to him in the morning.

9) He accomplishes things.

10) He wears delicious smelling deodorant.

11) Although a big guy, he can melt into a puddle of mush when The Lime is around.

12) He puts up with my craziness and bratiness.

13) He can be covered in dirt during the week but cleans up nicely for church.

14) He can fix our cars so we don't have to trust a sketchy mechanic.

15) When we want to make a major purchase, he researches long and hard to make sure we get the best one.

16) He's made a connection with the YM in our ward and wants to make sure they go down the right path.

17) He doesn't care that I have little boobs.

18) He goes out in the middle of the night to get The Lime medicine when he's sick.

19) He's taken me around the world.

20) He offers to give me blessings when I'm sick.

21) He forgives me time and time again.

22) He's gotten into Advent over the last few years, except he still won't wear his church clothes.

23) He rarely lets things bother him.

24) He drives a beater car so we don't have to have a car payment.

25) He married me in the temple.

26) He makes cute kids.

27) He has an eternal perspective on things.

28) He thinks my chocolate chip cookies are the best.

29) He's okay with our children having traditional German and Dutch first names.

30) He likes to have fun and joke around, and sometimes thinks I'm too serious.

31) He's a very thorough ironer.

32) He's willing to do whatever he has to to provide for our needs.

33) He loves me.

Giving Thanks...R

This song is not what I'm thankful for.

But I am thankful when people take responsibility for their actions rather than pointing the finger and blaming someone else

Giving Thanks...Q

This is not far fetched. I REALLY am thankful for...

I know I shouldn't do it every day, but I clean my ears the second I get out of the shower. Part of it is to get the water out but I also love the feeling.

Growing up, when my mom would still clean our ears, she would lightly moisten the clean q-tip with her tongue before she put it in our ears. We apparently hated the sound of the cotton rubbing our skin. I don't know about my siblings but I can't use a q-tip without licking it first.

When The Lime was still nursing, I'd examine his ears all the time. I could even be found with a couple q-tips sitting next to me, just in case I had some cleaning to do.

Such a handy little tool to have around. And with 500 in a box, they seem to last forever.

Giving Thanks...P

We love to eat around here. All of our big trips were planned around where we should eat. Food is our friend.

And one of our favorite foods is pizza. We probably eat pizza at least once a week, whether it's homemade or from a restaurant.

Years and years before The Lime came around, we would frequently visit Berkeley. Neither one of us was willing to backdown supporting our individual pizza shops (Blondies for me, Fat Slice for LaVor) so we would eat a slice at both places.

When we were in Amsterdam, we found a hole in the wall pizza shop that was amazing.  One guy holding down the fort while Johnny Cash played in the background. We loved the delivery truck, too.

One of our favorite local spots to go is Tony's in San Francisco. We went there after the first day of the Avon Walk this year, so I could load up on carbs, per Jared. There's always a wait but it's so worth it.

We made a visit to Pizzaiolo in Oakland last month. The pizza wasn't the only amazing thing...the salads were great, pasta was great, service was great, and they have their own garden in the back that you can admire and bocci ball to play. We loved our experience and will definitely be back.

I consider it a blessing that one of the foods The Lime will eat is pizza. That way he doesn't have to miss out on the deliciousness!

Giving Thanks...O

Being the youngest child, I got picked on quite a bit. But the biggest thing (no pun intended) that I got made fun of for were my teeth.

Let me take you on a 13 year journey to show you why.

Kindergarten: Cute little baby teeth!  Nothing wrong with these chompers!

First grade: My front teeth are loose, one so much that it's literally hanging by a thread.  But I refuse to let anyone touch them.

Second grade: Front teeth are now in, one more than the other, and they're BIG.

Third grade: Lost more teeth, which created more room, which created a gap.

Fourth grade: Still losing teeth, still have a gap, still HUGE.

Fifth grade: Lost canines so I now have big teeth and big holes in my smile. But at least the gap in front has closed a bit.

Sixth grade: Bad picture, still bad teeth.

Seventh grade: Same as above.

Eighth grade: Bad, all around. I believe all permanent teeth are in and it's not pretty.

Ninth grade: I had just gotten my brackets on for braces, but no wire. My teeth felt 10x bigger than they already were. I practiced this "no teeth" smile in the mirror and thought I looked cute at home. Not so cute on film. I wrote "blah!" on the picture in the yearbook.

Tenth grade: Braces! And another gap! I had lime green bands on for most of my treatment.

Eleventh grade: Your average ortho patient, that just happens to look stoned. But I wasn't.

Twelfth grade: I had an ortho appointment about a month before my senior pictures. I asked the doctor when he thought I could get the braces off and it was music to my ears when he told me in a couple of weeks.

I'm guessing it's because of my job but I'd say my smile is the #1 thing I get complimented on and I always tell people, "It was a long process to get to this point." In fact, I should print this post and keep it at my desk.

But I'm grateful my parents decided teeth were a top priority because I couldn't imagine still looking like my eighth grade picture. *shivers*

Giving Thanks...N

My first experience with anything Niles Canyon was in the 8th grade, when my principal dressed up as the White Witch. The legend goes that a young girl was on her way to a wedding, through Niles Canyon, when the horses that were drawing her carriage were startled by an oncoming car. The girl was thrown out of the carriage and hit by another oncoming car (it supposedly took place in the 20's). People have apparently seen her on the side of the road, wearing a white dress, hitching for a ride. Others have seen her in the backseat of their cars, while driving through the canyon.

My dad and I used to take Niles Canyon to get to the Goodguys Car Show in Pleasanton. I scrapbooked about one experience, where we spoke German the entire way.

One time, my brothers let my sister and me tag along to a youth dance in Walnut Creek with them. Their friend was driving that night and decided to go through the canyon. I'm surprised I'm alive to tell about this because while it was happening, I was certain I was going to die. We were passing cars when there weren't broken yellow lines, we were going so fast that my face began to get tingly and finally went numb, and I swore from that moment on that I would never drive with that friend again. I did, but he was much safer the second time.

When LaVor and I started dating, Niles Canyon became the popular route between our houses. My mom didn't appreciate me driving late at night through the canyon, by myself, but I did it anyway. I never looked in my rear view mirror though, in fear that I'd see the witch.

I loved having an area among crazy city life, where trees actually changed colors and there were cows grazing up on the hillside. The winter and spring produced a rushing creek that ran through the canyon, creating an even more peaceful scenery.

I also love seeing the Christmas train every year, covered in lights as it makes its way from Sunol to Fremont. And my excitement is hardly containable as my friend has graciously offered her train tickets to us for next week.

It will be nice to enjoy my favorite driving spot from the other side of the tracks, while singing Christmas songs with my two favorite boys.

Giving Thanks...M

I was a bit worried when we got married, about what I would do with my make-up. I wasn't a big make-up wearer but I had to wear something so I didn't look like a ghost in my pictures. My friend volunteered to make me look pretty and she did an excellent job at not making me look like a drag queen.

Six years ago, I could get away with not having to wear make-up every day. But I've aged since then, and had a kid, so I need something to make me presentable.

I was doing my niece's hair last week when she said to me, "I can't wait to wear make-up!" I told her it sounds exciting now but when she has to do it each time she leaves the house, it will become a chore. But it's a chore that sometimes needs to be done.

Like in my case...

I try not to leave the house like this but it happens every now and then (minus the curlers). When I do go out in public like this, I pray that I don't run into anyone that I know.

I much prefer to see people when I look like this.

When I came out of the bathroom, The Lime looked at me and said, "Lookin' good my lady!"
We always say, "Lookin' good my man!" to him.

All I can say is...God bless make-up. And let's hope I never have to take a mugshot. Yikes!