It Only Took 20 Years

Today I am making my sister-in-law's truly yummy cheesy potato broccoli soup. This is a "blog worthy" event because I actually have enough pots & pans in which to make the soup without having to stop & wash a pot or pan. I didn't even have to borrow a pot or pan from my good friend Lisa or from my mother-in-law!

Thanks to generous Christmas money donations from my parents, Darren's parents, my Uncle Jack, and even one of my little lovelies at school, I was able to purchase my first ever (in 20 years of marriage) complete set of pots & pans!

The bad news-now my family expects me to cook!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheesy Potato Broccoli Soup Recipe

3 large potatoes

10 oz. fresh or frozen broccoli

6 Tbsp. butter

6 Tbsp. flour

1 Tsp. salt

1/8 Tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (1 1/2 cups water + 2 bouillon cubes)

2-4 cups of milk (I use 2)

2/3 lb. Velveeta cheese

Peel potatoes, dice, and boil until tender. Drain. Cut up the broccoli and steam until tender. While the veggies are cooking prepare the white sauce. In a stock pot melt the butter. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken stock. Add milk to the desired consistency. Cook over medium heat until it thickens and boils. Add the Velveeta. After it melts add the veggies.

Merry Christmas PJ Girls

Swine Flu & Halloween

It is true. We've had the swine flu at our house this past week. I came down with a nasty case of it (along with mild pneumonia) earlier in the week-probably picked up from one of my lovelies at school who have had it. This morning Delaney & Addy woke up with "flu-like" symptoms-fever, chills, aches, sore throat, cough-which the doctor at the IHC Instacare said is swine flu even though she didn't test for it. Evidently, they are deeming all cases that come through as the swine flu because it is so rampant right now. Delaney also has pink eye.

And yes.....we hosted our annual pre-trick-or-treating feast (hot dogs & chili) to over 100 friends and neighbors last night! I actually had been "fever-free" for at least 24 hours and did not participate in any of the food preparation (thank you C.K.). I spent most of the evening waving to & talking with friends from the back deck, as I didn't want to spread my germs around.

The girls were able to enjoy the Halloween spirit a little before they actually came down with the flu.

The girls & Darren actually carved pumpkins outside this year because the weather was so great.

Delaney had a Halloween piano recital this week. Her costume had to have something to do with her song.....Ghost in the Piano!

Fruits & Veggies....Oh My!

I love September when all of the fruits & veggies are ready to harvest, but at the same time I am completely overwhelmed with ALL of the fruits & veggies that need to be harvested! It seems that everything comes into season and is ready to be bottled just about the same time that I have to go back to school. We spent all day last Saturday bottling 40 quarts of peaches, 15 quarts of green beans, blanching & freezing 20 quarts of corn, and picking one of the apple trees. I haven't even been able to touch the tomatoes yet, but I have had many neighbors who have been using them for salsa & spaghetti sauce. I shouldn't complain---it makes me very happy to see my food storage room filling up with yummy things from the garden!

Addy & her friend Minju picked the apples from one of the trees.

Delaney was a huge help with the peaches.

The peach tree was so heavy with peaches that Darren had to support one of the branches with a 2X4.

Here are just a few of the green beans from the garden.

Thanks Again to My Heavenly Father

Last year on September 28th, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. Last week my dad had his 3rd PET scan since having his left lung removed and receiving alternative medical treatments in Mexico.

My thanks to my Heavenly Father-Dad's latest scan shows no cancer!

School-Again!

Summer has gone by way too fast. We had a great trip in July to Alaska. After that Delaney attended a piano camp at Utah State University. Both girls then took a 3-week summer P.E. & a summer band class. We wrapped up the end of all that with the death of Darren's aunt, Gaye, and the marriage of our niece, Nicole. Now, we are officially back in the swing of school, and I can't say that I am complaining! We had SO much going on over the summer that it is kind of nice to be in a regular schedule again.

I wanted to post a couple of pictures so you can see what "regular" life is like for us!

Delaney is back to her nightly homework routine. She is now equipped with a new laptop computer that is "ice blue" (matches her glasses). She saved her cold hard cash to pay for half of the computer because I'm a tightwad!

Addy actually has to read again now that school has started. Unlike her older sister, she doesn't particularly enjoy reading. She would rather spend her time making earrings or playing with friends.
Once home from school I quickly change out of my super-teacher costume (something other than sweatpants & a t-shirt) so I can cook dinner, help the kids with homework, correct papers that I can't get done at school because I have 32 students this year, throw in a load of wash, and pay some bills (among other things).

Princess is doing the same thing she always does-ruin my couch with her fat belly and shedding hairs.

And finally, the "master" of the house doing what he does best-reclining!

Alaska 2009

We returned this week from our yearly trip to Alaska to see my family. I know that I have posted A LOT of pictures, but we had a ton of fun & I wanted to share some of that with you!

Probably the best part of the trip was seeing that my Dad's health seems to be mostly back to normal. He has gained back the weight he lost while fighting cancer last fall. He is also getting stronger, and having only one lung only slightly slowed him down. He looks great and I am thankful to my Father in Heaven that Dad is still alive & kicking!

Mom & Dad with Delaney, Addy, and Duffy the dog
The Alaska cousins (minus one)

Delaney & her pal Duffy

Dad & my brother Dave hanging out on the deck we helped build while we were there

Delaney & Alaska cousin Carol

Addy and a really weird little fish that was inside a 40 pound halibut that Utah cousin Anna caught

Addy & Alaska cousins Shane & Tyler with Utah cousin Anna-They played A LOT of Phase 10 & bandmitton

Delaney reading again

Dad & Darren working on the roof of the deck
Addy & Utah cousin Anna playing Phase 10 at my parent's cabin in Caribou Hills

Delaney's first driving lesson with her Uncle Dave at the cabin

Addy bathing in the lake at the cabin

My dad enjoying the fire pit at the cabin

Delaney on one of our 2 Kenai River rafting days

Off to Camp They Go

Delaney & Addy are off to camp! They will be attending Heber Valley Girl's Camp until Friday afternoon. They are very excited to go.

I have mixed feelings about the week! I have plenty to do to keep me busy-house cleaning, picture projects, etc. The days will go by quickly, but I have a feeling that once I lay down to go to sleep each night the realization that both my children are out of the house may be a little more than I can handle!

My mom always told me not to wish away the days of diapers & bottles. She has always said that before I know it the girls will be grown up and gone away. I think this week will give me a little taste of times to come. I don't think I am ready for it! Am I the only mom who feels this way????

I Am So Thankful for Another Father's Day With My Dad

Dad & I-July 2007-Anchorage, Alaska

I am grateful that my dad is around for another Father's Day. If you would have asked me last October whether or not I thought he would live to see the spring, I probably would have said no. He has overcome so many obstacles through the help of his Heavenly Father and the prayers and support of hundreds of family members & friends.

The hardest part of seeing my dad in the hospital with cancer was the fact that his physical body was not the physical body he had for so many years. In all of the years he has been my dad I can think of only one time that he went to the doctor---that was when he severely cut his leg with a chain saw. I never saw the man go to the doctor for any other reason. Whenever he got sick he would fix his problems with "monkey's blood" (merthiolate) or a leather man. I have actually seen him pull out a sore tooth with his leather man. Whenever we got hurt with the typical cuts & scrapes of childhood, he would say, "Sheri Lee, I've had worse burns (from welding) on my eyeball." And he probably had! My dad is a tougher than nails kind of guy.

Although he is physically tough, he does have a soft side. As a kid, not a night went by without my dad giving me a hug and kiss and telling me he loved me before I was off to bed. To this day, whenever I visit him, I still get the same hug, kiss, and loving words. I hope he knows how much this has meant to me over the years.

Dad, I love you more than these words can express. I can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to help you rebuild the deck on the house. I can't wait to get those hugs & kisses & token "I love you" each night before I go to sleep. I can't wait to hear you tell one of the grandkids to toughen up, because you've had worse burns on your eyeball! I can't wait to have you around for many, many more Father's Days. I thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the gift of you this day.

School Is Out-Let the Medical Bills Begin

School has been out for 3 days, and I have spent each of those three days at my gynecologist's office, the ER, and the dentist. Wow! I hope it goes uphill from here!

The ER visit was for Addy. Two nights ago she spent a miserable night with severe pains on her right side. By the morning I decided that she probably had an appendicitis issue, so I called the pediatrician, who sent us to the ER. After several hours of blood work, CT scans, and ultrasounds, the doctor determined that a cyst on Addy's right ovary had ruptured. By the time we were discharged from the ER Addy was no longer in pain, but was really hungry! This picture was taken after several long hours of waiting without any food (thus the frowny face).

Testing Blues

I haven't posted anything in awhile, mainly because school has been sucking the life out of me. May is a stressful time of year for me (and probably many other teachers) as I try to cram every last bit of learning into my little lovelies in hopes that they will do well on the end-of-level tests. This year we are taking our tests online---I know this sounds like a great idea, and it is for some. However, the same students that randomly fill in the bubbles with pencil can now move much more quickly by clicking on any old answer that looks good. With much frustration, I watched one of my students move through a 54 question reading test in less than 10 minutes. Keep in mind that there were 7-8 passages that went along with the questions. Now, I consider myself pretty smart. I also consider myself a quick reader. However, there is no way in ---- that I could have read those passages and answered all the questions in 10 minutes!

May will soon be over, along with testing---only 14 more days to go!

Happy B-day Delaney

My girl is turning 14. She is already taller, smarter, and more well-read at 14 than I am at almost 40! She is an excellent pianist, who spends every waking extra minute on the piano. She is an excellent French horn player. She is learning to speak French. I can't believe that I-a girl who was raised in Sterling, Alaska riding horses and 3-wheelers & eating moose meat-am raising such a sophisticated kind of girl!

Since I have previously written about Delaney's "amazingness" I won't write another big, long list of the great things about her. I do want the world (and Delaney) to know that I thank my Heavenly Father each day for sending me such an amazing girl. I love her very much & am proud of the person she is. HAPPY B-DAY DELANEY!

Happy B-day Addy

Wow! Time flies when you're raising kids. Twelve years ago today we were living in Alaska when I went into labor with Addy. I called Darren to tell him to come to the hospital. He asked if I could hold off a little since he was in the middle of parent teacher conferences at school. Yeah right! Addy wasn't about to wait. She was determined to get here, and in the process broke my tailbone!

From the beginning Addy developed the nickname "Addytude" because she has always had a mind of her own and her own way of doing everything. As a baby my dad nicknamed her "Spider" because of her long arms and legs. My mom has always called Addy "Goober". Addy says a goober is a kind of fish or peanut, but she doesn't know why Nana calls her this! I have always called her "Addybug". Another name she has been called, but hates, is her full name, Adalynne Jane. She doesn't like this because she says I only say it when she is in trouble! She is probably right.

Here are some funny & great things about our girl Addy...

-She is extremely funny. Most people don't know this. People who see her at school and church are always surprised when I tell them that Addy is a clown at home. She has many funny voices (ask her to do the MotoMoto voice from Madagascar 2) and funny faces.

-She still likes to snuggle with me. I normally am not a "touchy feely" kind of gal, but I love snuggling with Addy. It doesn't matter where I am, she always seems to find her way right into the middle of my lap. I don't know how much longer she will continue with this, but for now I will enjoy it.

-She takes every opportunity to sleep on the couch. Every week-end, holiday break, & during summer vacation she sets up house with her blanket and any number of stuffed animals on the couch downstairs. She stays up late and ALWAYS falls asleep to the same movie-The Great Outdoors.

-She eats just about anything, but never seems to gain weight. Just this week we went to the pediatrician for 7th grade shots. Addy weighs only 82 pounds. She is in the 4 percentile for her weight & 87 percentile for her height. The doctor told me that Addy needs to eat more. The problem is, Addy already eats a ton, but she never seems to put on any pounds. If only I had this problem, I wouldn't be worrying about losing that annoying baby weight that has plagued me for the past 12 years.

Today Addy wants to celebrate her day with a movie day. She has her bed all set up on the couch. She has the popcorn popper ready to go upstairs. And, she has asked me to spend the whole day with her watching movies. What more could a mom ask for?? Happy B-day Addybug.

End of an Era

In preparation for our move to Utah 9 years ago, we bought a full size van (not a cute mini van) that would be capable of pulling a U-haul trailer. The van did a great job of moving our little family and our belongings across the state of Alaska, down through Canada, and then into Utah.

The van has since been used for trips to Southern Utah, Disneyland, San Diego, San Fransisco, the Redwood Forest, the coast of Oregon, and many other places in and around Utah.

It has been to girls' camp and scout camp.

It has been used to hall furniture, lumber, concrete, bicycles, lawnmowers, and more.

It has carried me up and down the hill to work for the past 9 years.

It has carried the girls to and from school, piano lessons, violin lessons, theater groups, book clubs, swimming lessons, sleep-overs, jazz band, and hundreds of other places.

As much as I have loathed this van over the past couple of years, looking back makes me cherish ALL of the memories the van has given me! As Delaney said yesterday, "We have come to the end of an era!".

The van is being passed on to another family member that has 3 littles. They need more space for these kiddos to ride in. As much as I have wanted to be rid of the van, I agree with something else Delaney said--"Mom, it's going to be hard to go to Grandma's, see the van in the driveway, and then drive away knowing it is no longer ours."

Good-bye van-hello brand new car. I am ready to make some new memories!

Living the Wild Life

Today was filled with excitement! The girls and their friend knitted with their "Nifty Nitters" while watching Nancy Drew. They really know how to live it up!

It's Official-Not Only Are Teachers Underpaid-They Are Over-Germed

Teachers are at the top of the list for the germiest jobs. We are above the trash collectors and doctors when it comes to handling the most germs. This explains why for many years my mother-in-law would come home from teaching first grade and hop right into the shower. This explains why I constantly have a runny nose & seem to go from one cold to the next. Why, just yesterday one of my little lovelies sneezed right on me! If you want to know whether or not your profession is in the top 10 of the germiest read on at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5514726.

Bad or Good Hair Day??? YOU DECIDE

This was the result of 100 little braids that were left in for about 2 days and then brushed, and brushed, and brushed. She wears it well!

Baby Blue Eyes

Delaney recently got glasses. She picked electric blue frames. Being the cautious person I am, I asked her if she really wanted frames that stood out so much. Her reply---"Mom, I am almost 6 feet tall and have bright red hair. I already stand out." Enough said. She got the electric blue frames.

"Tagging"

Recently I have received many emails in which I have been "tagged" to do something. I HATE THESE. I also hate "spam" mail. Who has time to weed through all of this? The one thing I do like to weed through are my friends' blogs. So, today as I was going through my daily ritual of reading my favorite friend blogs, I noticed that my good friend Val had posted a blog "tag". I thought it was so interesting that I decided to try it myself. I know this will be a shocker to her, as she has sent me many email "tags" over the years, of which I have responded to none!

The first part of this particular tag is to take the fourth picture from your fourth picture file. My picture is of Addy. It was taken last April in Los Angeles at an Italian restaurant. I took the girls to see Wicked at the Pantages Theater in L.A. for their birthday. We had a great time.

The second part of the tag is to Google my name and the word "needs" after it, and return the first 10 phrases it gives to me. Here is what I got:

1. Sheri needs to find out why she is being contacted by a collection agency. I used to work for a collection agency while in high school (many years ago) but can’t imagine why one would be trying to contact me now.
2. Sheri needs a prosthesis that can keep up with… When I tried to click on this phrase to read the rest of it, a “forbidden” warning came up. So, I probably don’t really want to know what kind of prosthesis I may or may not need!
3. Sheri needs to go to a concert. This is true. Britney Spears IS coming to S.L.C. soon! No thanks…
4. Sheri needs help with Broodlord quest chain. I am not quite sure what this is. I think it has something to do with the World of Warcraft. Maybe my father-in-law needs this more than me-he is a gamer.
5. Sheri needs help with the annual march against the death penalty. I am actually for the death penalty, but don’t know if I am so for it that I would really get out and march.
6. Sheri needs your birth story. Sure. If you want to send me your birth story I would be happy to read it.
7. Sheri needs to take a chill pill. This could be true. I have been told by some (Thanks Val) that I can be a little “high strung”.
8. Sheri needs your prayers. Today it would be helpful for you to pray for my dad-not me. He is going in tomorrow for his first cancer "scan" after his lung removal and cancer treatments last fall. I pray that he is cancer free.
9. Sheri needs to find a WWII nurses uniform. I am not quite sure that I really need this.
10. Sheri needs to walk a mile. Or three or four! I do need to get back on the treadmill!

Thanks Val. I needed something "useless" to distract me today!