Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Living Room Forts
Wasn't building a fort in the living room the best when you were a kid?! Claire loves it - and though I am looking forward to the day when she can make her own fort (and clean it up), I don't mind destroying the house every now and then for the good of the design. I especially like the photo of Claire "hugging" Miles - a classic example of her sisterly love.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday Dinners
A few pics from Sunday dinner at the Hillers. Miles is sporting his new "hmmmm" pose with his cousin Ethan. He will sit there and tap his finger on his chin - it really does look like he is thinking about something really important!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
30 Years of Fighting Fires
My dad retired in December 2009 as a 30-year firefighter with El Dorado County Fire in Northern California. If you count his time as a volunteer firefighter, he spent 32 years doing something that he loved to do - helping people every day. He is a humble guy who didn't ask for any hoopla for his retirement, but we decided he needed at least a little recognition from his family.
I had heard of a Las Vegas firefighter who created fire artwork, and kept that piece of info in the back of my mind for just this occasion. Fire Art is a company that creates customized artwork to show the individual firefighter actually in the art.
In Moment of Truth, the firefighter is shown facing the fire - the turnouts have my dad's name on them, El Dorado County Fire, his engine number, and they match the style and color of his gear. His helmet is also a match and we even took off the protective goggles that he never liked wearing. The artist created a custom sticker that all of the firefighters wear on their helmets to honor a fallen friend. Little touches like that made it really cool - and we were all so happy to give it to him, along with another piece that illustrated a California structure fire, similar to many calls my dad has been on. It even showed the type of tool he used most to pull down burning ceilings.
Unfortunately, I think the years of fighting the politics and personalities within the department instead of fires helped to fade his love for certain parts of the job - but it was his time away from the desk that he enjoyed most. I was always so proud to say my dad was a firefighter - it seemed like a much cooler job than most dads had. He is still very much involved in that tight-knit community - serving on the Fire Board, as an expert in union relations for a local law firm, and as a member of the only award-winning bagpipe and drum team in California made up exclusively of firefighters.
I just want to thank my dad for providing for our family - and for my mom for helping to make that career possible. She was alone during those times when dad was gone for days at a time, or even a week at a time during a wildland fire. I don't know if I would have handled that as well as she did.
I tried to express myself when all of us presented my dad with these visual reminders of his career, but of course I said about 5 words and started crying. So much for being the spokesperson... I am just very grateful for the many blessings that I had growing up, and still receive from being born into my family. I love you Dad!
I had heard of a Las Vegas firefighter who created fire artwork, and kept that piece of info in the back of my mind for just this occasion. Fire Art is a company that creates customized artwork to show the individual firefighter actually in the art.
In Moment of Truth, the firefighter is shown facing the fire - the turnouts have my dad's name on them, El Dorado County Fire, his engine number, and they match the style and color of his gear. His helmet is also a match and we even took off the protective goggles that he never liked wearing. The artist created a custom sticker that all of the firefighters wear on their helmets to honor a fallen friend. Little touches like that made it really cool - and we were all so happy to give it to him, along with another piece that illustrated a California structure fire, similar to many calls my dad has been on. It even showed the type of tool he used most to pull down burning ceilings.
Unfortunately, I think the years of fighting the politics and personalities within the department instead of fires helped to fade his love for certain parts of the job - but it was his time away from the desk that he enjoyed most. I was always so proud to say my dad was a firefighter - it seemed like a much cooler job than most dads had. He is still very much involved in that tight-knit community - serving on the Fire Board, as an expert in union relations for a local law firm, and as a member of the only award-winning bagpipe and drum team in California made up exclusively of firefighters.
I just want to thank my dad for providing for our family - and for my mom for helping to make that career possible. She was alone during those times when dad was gone for days at a time, or even a week at a time during a wildland fire. I don't know if I would have handled that as well as she did.
I tried to express myself when all of us presented my dad with these visual reminders of his career, but of course I said about 5 words and started crying. So much for being the spokesperson... I am just very grateful for the many blessings that I had growing up, and still receive from being born into my family. I love you Dad!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Cousins
I know I've said it before and I'll say it again, these cousins need to live closer to each other! And that way even if they don't get along sometimes (though they did sooo much better this time), they would have the chance to just hang out again next week and have a good time. We sort of put them all together for days at a time and hope they don't fight - well, with three oldest girls running around that aint happening. And I can say that since I am the oldest in my family.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Matty Lou's Homecoming
Last week we went to Placerville just in time to be front and center at the Sacramento airport to greet my youngest sibling Matthew as he came home from his 2-year mission to Malaysia. He greeted us with a calm, quiet smile and I could tell he was happy to be home. We all hung back while mom and dad hugged him first, and then I snuck in for a hug. I am the oldest after all, so I was next in line.
The rest of the week we enjoyed being in beautiful California - with evening temperatures that actually dipped below 100 degrees at night, it was such a nice break from the Vegas heat!
Claire enjoyed some country living experiences - collecting eggs from the chicken coop, picking tomatoes, and playing outside as long as she could. It almost felt cruel to bring her back to our little house without a yard. Miles loved it too - he got over his dislike for grass and was crawling all over the place, making it harder to keep track of him but he loved to go exploring.
My Dad and Miles
Kenny the Baby Whisperer
Me and Becky
Family at the Ward Luau
My Mom and Miles
Matty and The Kiddos
The rest of the week we enjoyed being in beautiful California - with evening temperatures that actually dipped below 100 degrees at night, it was such a nice break from the Vegas heat!
Claire enjoyed some country living experiences - collecting eggs from the chicken coop, picking tomatoes, and playing outside as long as she could. It almost felt cruel to bring her back to our little house without a yard. Miles loved it too - he got over his dislike for grass and was crawling all over the place, making it harder to keep track of him but he loved to go exploring.
My Dad and Miles
Kenny the Baby Whisperer
Me and Becky
Family at the Ward Luau
My Mom and Miles
Matty and The Kiddos
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Water, Boats and Splashing
What could be more fun? Claire and Miles played with this new water table for more than 30 minutes, which is like 3 hours in baby/toddler time.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Dinner at Aunt Cindy's
When I first moved to Las Vegas, I lived with my aunt and uncle for a month or so before I figured out where I wanted to live. And before I got married, I went over to their house for dinner practically every Sunday. We have gotten out of the habit, but have been trying to get together at least once a month.
We had dinner at their house and my cousins were there as well - they are moving to Tennessee next week so we got to say goodbye before they left. Our kids played so well together - it was honestly suprising how they didn't fight. Here they are taking a break from hide and seek, and then watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, obviously a huge hit. We should have had more playdates together. We will miss you guys!
We had dinner at their house and my cousins were there as well - they are moving to Tennessee next week so we got to say goodbye before they left. Our kids played so well together - it was honestly suprising how they didn't fight. Here they are taking a break from hide and seek, and then watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, obviously a huge hit. We should have had more playdates together. We will miss you guys!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Grilled Pizza
My oven is still broken - I guess I just don't miss it that much in the summer, so we haven't even had it on our to-do list while the temps hover around 105. We have been using the grill and the crock pot more, and I like it because they are usually healthy recipes and the house stays cool.
I have been wanting to try grilled pizza for awhile but I thought the dough would just droop between the grill and be a huge mess. It wasn't a mess at all! And it turned out really good! I used my regular pizza dough recipe (still using your recipe Jacqui) and made BBQ chicken pizza - you can really use any recipe, even store-bought dough. I also watched this tutorial on AllRecipes.com that helped.
The main tips I picked up were to make smaller pizzas so they are easier to flip - you grill one side, flip it, and then put the toppings on really quick and heat until the cheese melts. I think the pizzas cooked in about 5 minutes total, and they had that brick-oven taste with a little bit of char.
I have been wanting to try grilled pizza for awhile but I thought the dough would just droop between the grill and be a huge mess. It wasn't a mess at all! And it turned out really good! I used my regular pizza dough recipe (still using your recipe Jacqui) and made BBQ chicken pizza - you can really use any recipe, even store-bought dough. I also watched this tutorial on AllRecipes.com that helped.
The main tips I picked up were to make smaller pizzas so they are easier to flip - you grill one side, flip it, and then put the toppings on really quick and heat until the cheese melts. I think the pizzas cooked in about 5 minutes total, and they had that brick-oven taste with a little bit of char.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Happy Birthday Miles!
Miles was born one year ago today - born 3 weeks early as a somewhat scary surprise. He was just excited to meet us, I guess. He is such a fun addition to our family - and such a boy! He gets into everything, including things that Claire never even tried, like the garbage can, unrolling every toilet paper roll, and reaching so far into the bathtub to touch the running water that he falls over into the tub.
We celebrated his birthday two days ago with the Hillers. He wasn't too interested in opening presents, but he did like his toys and books. He also got a water table and a ride along toy that we are excited to try out.
The cake - I kind of forgot that our oven was broken when I was brainstorming what type of cake to make for Miles. So, Matt thought we better start Miles off early with our love of Nothing Bundt Cakes (a local cake company who made our wedding cakes and grace almost every birthday meal at the Hillers). He wasn't so sure about it, and just put his finger into the delicious cream cheese frosting, so we had to help him out a bit.
He hasn't had his one year appointment yet so I don't know his exact measurements, but he has a long torso and shorter legs (Matt's child for sure), so he wears 9 month old pants and 12 month old shirts. He has two teeth on the bottom, and four on the top almost through. Miles is the fastest crawler I've ever seen, and is often seen doing the bear crawl, up off his knees. He can stand up without holding on to anything, but hasn't walked yet. He likes his pacifier, maybe a little too much, but he is a good sleeper so I don't want to mess with a good thing just yet. He typically takes 3 naps a day. We love this little man! Happy Birthday!
We celebrated his birthday two days ago with the Hillers. He wasn't too interested in opening presents, but he did like his toys and books. He also got a water table and a ride along toy that we are excited to try out.
The cake - I kind of forgot that our oven was broken when I was brainstorming what type of cake to make for Miles. So, Matt thought we better start Miles off early with our love of Nothing Bundt Cakes (a local cake company who made our wedding cakes and grace almost every birthday meal at the Hillers). He wasn't so sure about it, and just put his finger into the delicious cream cheese frosting, so we had to help him out a bit.
He hasn't had his one year appointment yet so I don't know his exact measurements, but he has a long torso and shorter legs (Matt's child for sure), so he wears 9 month old pants and 12 month old shirts. He has two teeth on the bottom, and four on the top almost through. Miles is the fastest crawler I've ever seen, and is often seen doing the bear crawl, up off his knees. He can stand up without holding on to anything, but hasn't walked yet. He likes his pacifier, maybe a little too much, but he is a good sleeper so I don't want to mess with a good thing just yet. He typically takes 3 naps a day. We love this little man! Happy Birthday!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Rain
Yeah!! We got some rain yesterday! Everyone went outside to do a rain dance, but it only lasted a few minutes. Still, a nice break and finally a reason it's been so humid (well, humid for Vegas).
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