Family & Friends

Steve's parents have been here for the past two weeks and we've had a nice visit with them. The boys have so enjoyed having their Gramma and Grampa here! Dev was able to help Steve complete the projects he wanted and needed to get done before he deploys, so I know that is a huge load off Steve's mind. We had great weather while they were here too, but in Idaho, the weather is always perfect!

We love the neighborhood we live in, and we are very lucky to have some wonderful neighbors. Margaret lives "across the alley" from us, and not only is she a wonderful woman, she loves our boys something fierce. She recently turned 70, so we had a little celebration with her the other night.

We love you, Margaret!

Nothin' Finer

This little guy loves boats. No, I mean he LOVES boats. He loves the ocean, too. Unfortunately, we live in a land-locked state (beautiful as it is). Fortunately, after all these years we've discovered a little sandy beach, not far from our home, where we can go and pretend we are at the ocean (I really have to use my imagination, but the boys are easier to please). Imagine Camden's delight a few nights ago, when we packed a picnic dinner, and jetted off to the beach when Steve returned home from work. Camden piled into his little boat and ate his dinner while drifting peacefully about. Pure heaven.

Bible School Drop-Outs

The boys missed Vacation Bible School at our church this year, because we were in Maine while it was being held. Luckily, our town has no shortage of churches, so we mosied on down to the Catholic church on Monday and signed up for VBS there. Keep in mind that Griffin Does Not Go Anywhere Without His Mother, so I was very proud when he willingly went (and stayed, without shedding a tear) on the first day. By the end of day two, however, he wasn't as happy, and by the third day, he cried hysterically when I announced it was time to get on over to "school". Camden, who was having a great time, was distracted by the knowledge that his grandparents are currently in town, and was afraid he was going to miss something if he was gone all morning, so by Wednesday, I had a couple of drop-outs on my hands. Cest la vie!

Some of you may have figured out (hi, Kate!) that I've had another blog for a few months now. I decided to keep a separate blog to chronicle Steve's upcoming deployment to Iraq, mostly so that I can have it printed in book form, once the deployment is over with. Also, I really wanted to keep this blog separate, because this is the space that I write about cooking, creativity, my boys, and my family. I don't tend to vent on this blog about the every-day stresses in life (because everyone has them, but who wants to read about them, really?), but I wanted a space where I could write honestly about going through a deployment. So, if you would like to read about that portion of our lives, then please feel free to stop by Way Out West: The Deployment Chronicles.

Did you see this article in the New Yorker? It really has my mind abuzz. Will try to organize my thoughts into a post in the next few days.

Maine Wrap-Up

It is hot, hot, HOT here in Idaho, but I am not going to whine about it, because it is also hot in Maine, but they have the humidity to contend with, too. I am in the desert, so I will just sit here and sweat and remember that it could be worse!

This week has blown right past the boys and I, and I really need to get my rear in gear because I have a lot to accomplish in the coming weeks. I think we all needed a week of recovery (doesn't everyone need a vacation from their vacation, when it is over??) but now that a week has passed, it is time to buckle down and get serious. So, today I will leave you with some highlights from our trip to Maine:

My attempt at a birthday cake, while away from home and my cake decorating supplies. Camden wanted a Lego cake, so here it is, complete with finger prints from various children. Certainly not the Titanic cake I made last year, but Camden was thrilled, and that was the only opinion that mattered to me! Camden was so happy to be able to have his birthday in Maine this year, and I'm very thankful to my parents for helping me make that happen.

Spending time with Jen. Jen, thanks so much for stopping in on the 29th to see me - - I know it was a short visit but it meant so much to me!

Spending time with this precious girl. My niece Violet is so incredibly sweet, and I enjoyed every second that I spent with her. A big thank you to my brother and my sister-in-law for all the driving they did, to make it possible for us to spend so much time with her. The boys adore her (Griffin could write his own blog post about that!) and they all had such fun together.

Spending time with old friends. We enjoyed a lovely evening at the Cox home in Bowdoinham...so great to visit with Tony and the girls, and to see Eunice and meet Wells.

Reid State Park. Camden went crazy for the ocean - - his first real "beach" experience. Out of all of the pictures I took in Maine, this is my absolute favorite. The kids had such fun that day...it was perfect.

The view from my in-law's house. Love this picture of the Sweet Pea one morning...

My 20th high school reunion...it was so much fun reconnecting with old friends. I had a wonderful time over the two days of events and am so happy that I actually remembered to take a bunch of pictures!

Making new friends. I had the pleasure of spending time with someone who I never knew in high school - - we planned the reunion together - - and it was great. Ironically, her married name is Heather Davis!

A great night out with my parents. A stressful day ended perfectly with dinner at No. 10 Water at the Captain Daniel Stone Inn (where our wedding reception was held), followed by an evening at the Maine State Music Theater, where we saw, "Always...Patsy Cline". Perfect.

More cousin time! The boys also had the opportunity to spend lots of time with their cousin Max. He is a sweet, smart little guy, and they had so much fun playing together. Every time I think of him now, I think of him yelling, "Uncle Heebie!!!" whenever he'd see Steve. Too cute!

The Maine Maritime Museum. The boys loved it, but Camden was crazy about it. The boy loves ships. I think we could have left him there and picked him up at the end of the day and he would have been fine with that.

Boothbay Railway Village. Another huge hit with the boys. Again - - could have plopped the boys on the train and left them there to ride all day long. We will definitely be going back, the next time we are in Maine.

The magic show at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. We met Max and Dani there, and had the best time! Camden was tickled that he got to assist the magician.

Visiting Maine is always a bit tricky since both of our families live there, in that it is nearly impossible to fit everything in that we'd like to do. I think each time we go, we learn something new that will make our next trip a little easier. Throw two little kids in the mix, and we kind of just have to "go with the flow" based on how they are holding up. The boys did a great job, are good little travelers, and I'd say they adjust and adapt very well. I'm so proud of them!

As for me, I am really missing my morning walks with my mother. Luckily for me, my parents will be coming to Idaho in the near future!

Eating My Way Through Maine

When I returned to Idaho last week and started looking at all of the pictures I'd taken, I realized that I'd taken a lot of pictures of food. For example:

Amato's Whoopie Pie

Fresh Maine lobster (thanks, Mum & Dad!)

Pancetta peas from our dinner at No. 10 Water

Moxie (at Reid State Park, no less)

Whoopie Pie from the Vegetable Corner

No food in this picture, but can you guess where this was taken? Yes...standing in line for a hot dog at Danny's on the Mall in Brunswick (with ketchup, relish, and onions, thankyouverymuch)

Clearly, it is a crime to go anywhere near Brunswick, Maine and not make a stop at Fat Boy. I enjoyed a banana frappe and some onion rings, and boy oh boy were they good.

Food not pictured? My mother's delicious Italian sandwiches, the fresh haddock that my father-in-law prepared, the lobster crostini I enjoyed at Sea Dog, and the delicious gluten-free muffin I had at Wildflours Bakery...wish I'd managed to have one more of those! I can't believe that I didn't manage to eat a lobster roll while in Maine...that will be at the top of my list for my next visit!

A Sedate Fourth

We are back from Maine. Still trying to recover (at least I am). My laptop has died, so I'm dealing with an elderly desktop which makes computer time just a bit more of a chore. I have 500+ pictures from our two-week adventure in Maine, so once I have a chance to sift through them, I will post some of the highlights of our trip. In the meantime, I give you this photo of faithful old Riley. Riley detests the Fourth of July, probably just a little bit more than he detests the Cherry Festival. He is petrified of fire crackers and parade sounds. So, my dog with bad hips, who cannot jump, managed to claw his way into my lap on Sunday (ouch!), because nobody can protect him like his mother, the poor boy. We ended up giving him a sedative, and before long he was passed out cold, oblivious to all the hub-bub around him.

Riley, in various stages of distress!

My Summer Project

***Update: A big thanks to my Dad, who did a little research for me and discovered that my camper is a 1965 Cardinal. We found some really neat pictures online that show what it originally looked like, which will be a big help to me when I design a new sleep space inside. Thanks, Dad!

Remember this post? I seriously cannot believe this, but I am the proud new owner of a sweet, 10' vintage camp trailer!


I am madly in love with it, and could hardly sleep last night, as my mind was spinning with all that I want to do to it. It is in great shape, but still needs a lot of work to get it to where I want it to be. I've already done some major scrubbing, but the real work will have to wait until we return from vacation. I'm not positive, but I think that is is a 1965 Safari. Still need to do a bit more research to be sure. Be prepared to see a bunch more posts about my camper restoration!

Memorial Day

Poor is the Nation that has no heroes, but beggared is the Nation that has and forgets them.

~author unknown

*Please remember to pause today at 3:00 p.m. local time for a minute of silence, in observance of the National Moment of Remembrance*

Homemade Bagels

I use to make bagels quite frequently, before I had children. For some reason, after I had Camden, I'd decided that I couldn't possibly make bagels anymore, because I had a child to look after. A couple of days ago it dawned on me that I should whip up a batch, because really, they are a cinch to make (especially if you have a bread machine). It cracks me up sometimes, when I think of the things that I thought I couldn't accomplish when I had one child, because now I have two and I get twice as much done. Weird. Anyway, onto the recipe...

Ingredients
1 cup warm water 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

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3 quarts boiling water
3 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
3 tablespoons poppy seeds, sesame seeds, Asiago cheese...whatever toppings you like!

Select the dough setting on your bread machine. Place water, salt, sugar, flour and yeast in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. When cycle is complete, let dough rest on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces, flatten, and then form each piece into a small ball. Flatten balls. Poke a hole in the middle of each with your thumb. Twirl the dough on your finger or thumb to enlarge the hole, and to even out the dough around the hole. Cover bagels with a clean cloth, and let rest on your lightly floured surface (such as a large cutting board or counter top) for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 3 tablespoons of white sugar.
Sprinkle an ungreased baking sheet with cornmeal. Carefully transfer bagels to boiling water, 3 or 4 at a time. Boil for 1 minute, turning half way through. Gently lift each bagel from the boiling water (I used a slotted spoon). Drain briefly on clean towel. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. Glaze tops with egg white, and sprinkle with your choice of toppings.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until well browned.

Note: If you're looking to make gargantuan-sized bagels, then maybe cut back to 9. If you divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, you will get small bagels.

Where Did This School Year Go???

I seriously cannot believe that tomorrow is Camden's last day of first grade. This school year seems to have evaporated right before my eyes. I have been counting down the days for a couple of weeks now - - I can't wait to have my Big Boy for the summer, and I know Griffin feels the same way. That poor child has spent many a day, asking me over and over, "When will Cammy be home?"

This past Tuesday was Camden's class picnic and Field Day, and we had such a nice afternoon with him. Steve had arranged to work from our local armory that day so that he could be there (he's good like that).

Camden and his classmates, enjoying their picnic lunch

With his buddies, Ryan and Roman

Daddy, under the parachute

Griffin, getting in on the fun

Camden and Nadia. Camden informed me today that he has a "major" crush on Nadia. I promptly reminded him that no girl will ever be good enough for him, and that he will live with Mummy FOREVER. Okay, I didn't. But I wanted to.

Griffin displays his photography skills

With his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Lyter

Camden had a challenging and wonderful school year. I am so thankful for the incredible teachers at his school, and all that he learned. I can't believe my baby will be in the second grade in a few short months. It doesn't seem possible.

Round-Up

It has been busy around these parts. Not long after my friend Jen came for a visit, my father came to visit for a little over two weeks, and it was great! All four of us have been missing him, since he left last Monday - - it was so nice having him here.

The boys received a lot of love and attention from their Papa, which, of course, they loved. My dad is such a gentle and patient man, and a wonderful grandfather. Camden and Griffin are very lucky boys.

While he was here, spring soccer came to an end for Camden. Griffin is so anxious to start playing himself, but he misses the fall cut-off by just a few days, so he'll have to wait another year, unfortunately.

Camden absolutely loved soccer this year, and it was so much fun to watch him. As a parent, I have to admit that I'm not exactly sure how I feel about organized sports at this point! I truly feel that at this age level, organized sports are there to teach children how to play the game, how to be a good sport, and to simply have fun. Although I try very hard to let my children find their own way in life and not hover too much, I saw some things this time around that caused me (on more than one occasion) to want to throttle some kids and some parents. That's all I'll say about that or I'll get myself all worked up!

Thank goodness when my dad was visiting, he helped me arrange my photos on the bare living room wall. I knew I wanted all black frames, but rather than going and buying matching frames, I spent $2.99 on a can of spray paint, and painted what I already had. It came out just the way I'd hoped it would.

Camden's spring school pictures came in, and I cannot help but smile, every time I look at this picture. Still no front teeth, and no signs of any coming in. I just love his gap-tooth smile and hope it stays that way for a few more months.

Where did that warm weather go? Currently, we are freezing here in Idaho. I sure do wish it would warm back up!

Blueberry Muffins a la Martha

The other night, I made a veggie quiche for dinner, and decided that blueberry muffins would be the perfect side. I don't have a "go-to" recipe for blueberry muffins, so I paid a visit to my good friend The Internet for some inspiration. I didn't have to go any further than MarthaStewart.com to find just what I was looking for (no surprise there). This recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.

Makes 1 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (I used canned blueberries - just drained them well, then sprinkled with 1-2 teaspoons of flour and tossed to coat)
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not over mix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.
Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe produces a really delicious blueberry muffin. Light and fluffy, with a lovely vanilla flavor. I especially love the sugar/nutmeg sprinkled on top. These muffins did not last long in my house.

Jackpot

The boys wanted to check out some yard sales this morning (I've raised them well, you see), so off we went. We only made it to one, where Camden spied this beauty. I had only let them take a dollar each from their piggy banks, and I felt badly for Camden when he approached the person in charge, to ask how much it cost (because I knew it would be more than he had). I'm guessing his sweet smile must have charmed her, because she replied, "For you, one dollar." These boys have played with their new "construction site" for hours today, and it is currently parked next to Camden's bed as he sleeps. Love these little boys so very much!

p.s. Yes, Jen ~ that is Riley, licking Roy, in the background.