happy weekend

I stayed in bed this morning, reading my book. Stella is still sleeping as I type! There were no lunches to pack, no homework to sign. No one to rush out the door. We're thinking of going out for doughnuts in a little bit. Then maybe we'll go to the library. Happy summer vacation to us! We're so glad it's here.

We always forget to make plans for Memorial Day weekend, so I am sure it will find us at home, doing our normal weekend things. That lawn isn't going to mow itself, after all.

Have a happy weekend!

California Quinoa Salad

I don't remember how I came across this recipe for California Quinoa Salad, but I am glad I did. It is fresh and light, and full of good things like mango and peppers and coconut. I'm trying not to eat sugar during the week, and with the raisins and mango, it even satisfied my sweet tooth. I made it for my lunch the other day, then served it to my family as a side that night at dinner. Fair warning: my kids wouldn't take more than the one bite required of new foods. But I thought it was delicious.

I followed the recipe with just a few small changes: I added avocado, because I don't think something can be called "California" without it, and instead of 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, I only added a few splashes. I wanted the lime to shine, and it sure did. Oh, and my mangoes were very small, so I used two. I don't even like bell peppers, but I really loved them in this dish. I'll make it again for sure!

for my super hero loving boy

I have been holding on to these square frames for years. For so long that I didn't even remember what was inside them (old records, apparently). I don't think they've seen the light of day since we lived in our little condo in Provo before Mabel was born.

This is when minimalism gets tricky. Theoretically these frames, which were languishing in the dark recesses of the closet under our stairs, should have been tossed when we did our major clean out. But sometimes I am really glad that I've hung on to things. Like everything else, it's a balance, I suppose.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread and a weekend report

Weekend highlights: a long run with Mike, where we (literally) ran into Reachel and Beth on the canal. Dinner out with good friends and good food, and lots of lazy family time. But the best thing by far was Mike and Mabel's duet of I Need Thee Every Hour during Sacrament meeting yesterday. I might be somewhat biased, but I thought it was really beautiful.

Also a highlight: this zucchini bread. My neighbor gifted me with zucchini fresh from her garden, so I made up two loaves and we finished them off after Sunday dinner.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Topping

3 cups shredded zucchini (maybe 2 or 3 medium zucchinis, or one humongous one)
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

for the topping:
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottoms of two loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and combine. Pour into prepared pans.

In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients. Use a fork or your fingers, it should be crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the loaves.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out pretty clean.

happy weekend

This week sure flew by. With only one week of school left, summer will be here before we know it. (And the temperatures are rising to prove it.) Our summer plans look like this: Get a pool pass. Go swimming.

But first, five more days of packing lunches. I've lost the will to pack them responsibly. Extra waffles from breakfast? A few mixed nuts? Half of an apple? Sounds like lunch to me.

Have a good weekend!

also in the living room

Not only is my friend, Beth Allen, a very talented artist, but she is possibly the kindest person I know.  I was almost overcome when she brought my new painting by yesterday. I wish you could see it in real life. It glows. Thank you Beth! A thousand times, thank you. We will treasure it always.

Here is another of Beth's pretty paintings hanging in my house.

my Mother's Day request

When it comes down to it, much of what I want my children to know is contained in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. But I wasn't utilizing it enough. The small copy we had crammed in our bookcase wasn't doing the trick. So for Mother's Day, I requested a giant print. Mike designed one and I found a frame at a thrift store. I love it. It shines like a beacon in our living room. I've already seen some of my children turned backwards in that white chair for a few quiet moments, studying it. I know that if we abide by the principles in this Proclamation, our family will be blessed, my children will know who they are, and we will have more happiness together. After all, isn't that the point of all of this?

for mother's day

"While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has many layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve 'the mother of all living' - and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us.

As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord's secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the pre-mortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn't stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won't tell you that, but the spirit will."

-- Sheri Dew     

My sister, Leslie, spoke in her ward yesterday, and she included this quote in her talk. I thought it was so powerful, and such a good reminder on a Mother's Day of our divine nature as women. This is why I love Mother's Day so much, because it gives me a chance to remember these truths about myself and to recommit myself to the important work of nurturing these children. The homemade cards and poems aren't so bad, either. :)

I hope you all had a nice weekend.

mother of seven

We've had a house full of cousins this week. My little kids have been in heaven. Stella and Ellie have successfully traded wardrobes, Chase and Elliot have fought all of the bad guys, and Mason has kept us all on our toes. I have had a few moments that made me question my ability to mother, one middle of the night cookie baking session, a late night trip to Filiberto's for nachos, more bowls of ice cream than the past six months put together, and a few really good runs. (Apparently I blow off steam by eating junk food and running. At least they cancel each other out, maybe?)

This is what I have decided: Oh man, I am not cut out to be the mother of 7. Four I can do, but 7 is definitely pushing it. Hats off to the mothers of many children. You have my admiration forever and ever. The good news: we survived! And we still like each other! They really are adorable children, it's just been sort of hectic at our house, and we aren't used to that.

I am looking forward to taking it easy this weekend, and let's be honest, probably all of next week, too.

What are you looking forward to?

Have a happy Mother's Day!

a recipe for dry shampoo

Now that my hair is long, I don't like to wash it everyday. And so I am a firm believer in dry shampoo. Are you? I used to use Suave, even though I never liked the smell. But then I noticed that my scalp burned each time after I used it. And my hair was falling out at an alarming rate. That might be totally unrelated, but I decided to stop using it anyway, just in case.

Instead, I mix 1/4 cup of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of baking soda in an old spice jar. I read that you can add unsweetened cocoa to darken it a bit for brown hair, if you'd like. But here's the trick: before I go to bed, I sprinkle a little on my palms and gently rub my hands together. Then I sweep my hands through my hair, concentrating on my roots. I do this a few times, making sure to hit the areas most prone to grease. Then I brush my hair to distribute the powder. When I wake up in the morning, my hair is fresh and clean, without a trace of the powder, and with a lot more body. I don't know what I would do without it.

Four!

When I climbed onto the surgery table four years ago today, I knew that Elliot would be my last baby. The length of my child bearing years had been determined long before that early morning. My course had been set when baby Mabel's errant foot tried to exit my body first. Four c-sections seemed like enough. And so it was with joy, and with surprising emotion, that we welcomed our dear Elliot into this world.

(His was my only birth where I felt present and slightly emotional. I blame my robot-like emotion at the rest of my births on the morphine.)

Four years later, he is still my sweet baby, and he knows it. He is about a head smaller than his friends (who all happen to be girls), but what he lacks in height he makes up for in personality. We sure love you, dude!

Fun fact: He wore this same outfit to church for his birthday last year, too.

an end of the week report, but mostly just a weather report

I think I talk about the weather too much. I can't help it! I'm either genuinely surprised by how nice it is outside, or equally surprised/disappointed by how hot it is. That probably makes me a boring person, but I never claimed to be anything else. And so:

The sun was shining this week, and the wind was blowing. Man alive, was it ever windy. This is the beginning of the end, you know. No more skipping to the park without breaking a sweat from here on out. I'll try not to be too grumpy about it, or talk about it too much, but I don't make any guarantees.

But oh, despite that blasted wind, this was a good week! Lots of busy, end of the year things, but all good things. I am grateful for my kids and for their hard work. They are bright people, and I love watching them grow and succeed.

We don't have much planned this weekend except for gearing up to watch our niece and nephews next week while their parents are out of town. They live exactly two blocks away from us, but my kids are pumped to have them staying at our house for the week. It'll be like one long (exhausting) slumber party, school nights and all. Fun!

What are you up to? (I'm serious, I want to know.)