Lake Mead Cruise

Happy Memorial Day!

With the end of May already upon us, it was time for us to do our family outing from our Christmas list. I was in charge of May and chose to go on a little sightseeing boat cruise on Lake Mead. We couldn't have asked for better weather - high 70's and clear blue skies. The tour was 1 1/2 hours long and there was a narration going on for most of the tour, telling of the history of the lake and the area. Most interesting was the information about the building of the Hoover Dam, which our boat took us right by.

I think these monthly outings have been the best Christmas gift we have ever given to each other. We look forward to them each month and Christmas has lasted us the whole year long!

St. George Getaway

Our family set a scripture reading goal at the end of January - to read for 60 days. We created a chain with 60 links and the kids each were assigned a color and when their colored link was up, it was their job to remind us to read. It really helped to have them be the ones in charge of reminding us, not to mention they were motivated by the reward for our accomplishment....a weekend getaway. We finished our reading back in April, but because of soccer we have been unable to take a getaway. So with soccer cancelled for Memorial Day weekend, this was our weekend to reward the kids for a job well done in scripture reading. We stayed at a friends condo just outside of St. George. We drove up on Friday and after getting settled into the condo we went to dinner at the Olive Garden to celebrate Kaitlyn's completion of 1st grade. When we returned to the condo, the kids wanted to swim and luckily there was an indoor pool so it was an option, despite the cool weather. On Saturday, we began our day with swimming again. Then we went into St. George to visit the temple and the visitors center, we ran a couple of errands on mom and dad's list, we went to the park and played baseball and soccer and then returned to the condo to play basketball. Saturday was also Rich's birthday, so that evening we had a birthday celebration at the condo - complete with pizza, cake and ice cream. On Sunday we attended church and then returned to the condo where the kids had crafts to do, they finished reading "Ben & me" with Rich and we played multiple rounds of Apples to Apples Junior, Chutes and Ladders and Guess Who. As we left town, we stopped at the Brigham Young house to take a tour - the kids were most fascinated by the chamber pots....am I even surprised? We have already begun our next scripture chain and can't wait to have another successful completion soon.

Last Day of 1st Grade

This past week was Kaitlyn's last week of school. Can she really be done with 1st grade? It seems possible except that it means she will be beginning 2nd grade this fall and that seems too old for my daughter. Where has the time gone? On Friday there were no classes held, but instead the different grades had their individual award ceremonies. Kaitlyn's awards were presented by her dear teacher, Mrs. Harmon. Kaitlyn received quite a few, including:

• Perfect attendance for the ENTIRE year (3rd year in a row)
• 99% average for Spelling for the ENTIRE year
• 100% for homework being turned in for the ENTIRE year
• Read Across America (50 hours of home reading)
• In "Mad Math Minutes" she tied with one other boy for the highest level - 2nd grade level, worksheet #32

As you can tell, Kaitlyn not only loves school but she really does well in her studies. All credit goes to her alone. Rich and I support her, but she is so motivated and is always telling us "I can do it myself" - and she does!

At Kaitlyn's request, we went to Olive Garden for dinner Friday night to celebrate her graduation.

Good job Kaitlyn on a great year of 1st Grade!

"In dog years, I'm dead"

It's not my intention to post a belated birthday wish to my husband - but considering the fact that I'm late in posting because I was with my husband and kids (and out of computer range), I guess it's okay. so with that....HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY....

Born May 24th 1968, that makes my husband 40 years old as of yesterday!

So in honor of such an important birthday, here are 40 things that you may or may not know about Rich....

1. Born in Portland, Oregon

2. the 2nd oldest of 11 children

3. went to Raleigh Hills Elementary school - go Panthers!

4. awarded "champion" reader for the MS read-a-thon in 3rd and 4th grade

5. played little league baseball on the Bashers team

6. attended Whitford Junior High - go Coachmen!

7. delivered newspaper for the Community Press

8. played basketball in 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grades

9. first kiss was at the age of 12 (claims he can't remember her name)

10. attended Beaverton High School - go Beavers!

11. lettered in cross country and track

12. ran the 800 meter in track, as well as the 4-by-4 relay

13. first job was at the Langdown florist and greenhouse

14. worked for Lamb's Thriftway as a "bottle boy" - counting bottles and can returns

15. at age 15, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout

16. Eagle Scout project was cleaning a park in a Raleigh Hills neighborhood

17. performed in two Dance Festivals

18. purchased a Honda Spree (motor scooter) while in High School

19. attended his freshman year of college at Rick's College in Idaho

20. Lived at "Somerset 301" while at Ricks

21. called on a Mission to the West Indies Mission (Caribbean)

22. served on Barbados, St. Vincent and Trinidad

23. was one of the first 12 missionaries to proselyte in Trinidad

24. worked as a grounds keeper at the Portland Temple following his mission

25. majored in Landscape Architecture at University of Oregon in Eugene

26. employed at the University of Oregon Library

27. spent two years at U of O

28. transferred to Oregon State University in Corvallis

29. majored in Horticulture at OSU

30. worked at Fred Meyers as a checker for 3 years

31. first job out of college was Monrovia Nursery

32. got insurance license in August 1997 to work for AFLAC

33. married "ME" in 1999

34. had back surgery in 2000, after months of walking like an old man

35. moved to Las Vegas in 2001 and still comments on all the sunshine daily

36. will welcome his 6th child in approximately one month

37. enjoys college football - go Beavers and Cougars

38. has very little hair on his chest

39. favorite flavor of ice cream is Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip

40. likes to recycle and have an active compost pile

I LOVE YOU HONEY - HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS EVERYTHING YOU'D HOPED!

Read Across America

One of Kaitlyn's activities as part of her last week of school was a Field Day called "Read Across America". All year long the kids have been participating in a reading program that "earned" them states for each hour that they read at home. Those students that earned all 50 states got to attend this Field Day. Kaitlyn had her 50 states earned back in February and has been looking forward to this day for even longer.

I was one of the parents asked to drive, which meant that, along with Kaitlyn, Cason and Jake got to be a part of the activities. The day was spent at a fun community park, complete with water structures. The kids played relay games and had water balloons, had pizza for lunch along with an unlimited supply of popsicles. It was a really fun day for all - I was glad to be a part of it.

Jake, warming up to the cold water...

Kaitlyn, blasting anyone that came near with a water hose... Cason, finally getting his chance at the water hose to payback his sister...

What does "Helldorado" mean anyway?

We have officially attended our ONE parade of the year! It's checked off. We're done. No more required. The parade we attended was held last Saturday - it was the historic HELLDORADO parade held in downtown (old downtown, not the strip) Vegas. Rich read that it's been going on since the 1930's and felt that we ought to take part in the tradition. Turns out, it's just a parade. I'm not sure why I was expecting more. It was fun. The kids walked away with all kinds of treats and goodies and so they were happy. Rich walked away happy because he doesn't have to attend anymore parades for the rest of the year.

Kaitlyn's Fine Arts Performance

Kaitlyn's school year has been wrapping up for the past week. It's been a lot of activities and parties for the first grade and she has been having a blast. Last week her school held a week long "Fine Arts Exhibit", with hour long assemblies each day featuring the kids performing whatever talent they chose. This photo is terrible, but it's the best of what I have. It's Kaitlyn's class performing "Follow the Prophet" together. That same day, Kaitlyn performed a piano solo of "Twinkle, Twinkle". Kaitlyn signed up to perform all on her own - I'm probably fortunate that I even became aware of it. I was proud of her for participating, especially since she hasn't taken piano lessons for a year and never had a recital in the year that she took lessons. In true Kaitlyn fashion, she was confident and played her song without a hint of being nervous. Nothing challenges our princess!

52 Blessing Project Week 20 ~ AIR CONDITIONER

I know it wasn't that long ago that I was praising the warming weather. That has now given way to my really looking forward to a cool spell. The spring has been long and wonderful and blissfully mild (by Vegas standards), but we are a desert and being true to our desert heritage - it's finally HOT. So here are my reasons that I'm grateful for my AIR CONDITIONER today:

• My car thermometer registered at 110 today
• I'm 34 weeks pregnant
• The meteorologist explained today that our "highs" are measured in the shade - thus the temperature we feel is generally 10-15 degrees hotter
• One hour of swim lessons at 4 p.m. today - with me sitting on the sidelines melting (see picture - yes that is me. The heat tends to bring out the witch in me!)
• I have to wear varicose vein stockings - which means no sandals and long pants, which only adds degrees to the already hot, pregnant lady wearing thick compression nylons!

Okay, so my grateful list is sounding a bit more like a gripe entry....you get the picture. I'm just glad that I have the option of going indoors and cooling off. Thanks AIR CONDITIONER!

You do the addition....

1 card from Kaitlyn 

1 set of hand prints from Cason 

1 picture from Kaitlyn 

2 recipes from Cason 

2 "supermom" pins from the kids 

4 cards from Cason 

Lunch in bed (due to early church, we missed breakfast in bed) 

2 hours of "bed" time after church (NAP!!!) 

1 heartfelt card from my husband 

1 IPOD nano from the family

It all adds up to one wonderful Mother's Day! I am so blessed, and my favorite part was just being all together as a family! I love you all!

Strawberry, Pinenuts and Feta Salad with Zesty Lemon Dressing

This recipe (and photo) are courtesy of The Sister's Cafe blog. It was posted yesterday, and I just happened to have all the ingredients. So guess what we had for dinner last night - and what I had for lunch today - and what I may eat again tomorrow! This is soooo yummy! I have used my sister-in-law's recipe for Spinach Salad ever since I became a Dougall and never thought I would deviate from the craisens and tart apples and poppy seed dressing. But this recipe is worth having as an additional option - especially when strawberries are so plentiful and look so pretty! 

  Strawberry & Spinach Salad 

 Dressing: 

3T fresh lemon juice 

3T sugar 

1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard 

1/2 tbsp grated lemon rind 

1/4 cup canola or light olive oil 

 Salad: 

3 cups fresh spinach 

1 cup fresh strawberries ,sliced 

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 

Feta cheese to taste 

 In blender combine lemon juice, sugar, mustard, grated lemon rind and oil. Pulse until mixture is combined , thickened and sugar is dissolved. In a large bowl, toss together spinach, strawberries, nuts and feta. Toss with enough dressing to coat. (I only used half the dressing and it was plenty!)

If I can do it....

One week later and I can proudly report that my daughter has had her hair done everyday but one (the photos are proof). I'm still working up to some of the fancier hairstyles, but we're getting there. Thanks again "She Does Hair"!

52 Blessing Project Week 19 ~ BEING "MOM"

There is nothing better than BEING "MOM"! When I was growing up, a mom was the only thing that I wanted to be and I am so grateful for my husband and my children who have made my lifelong dream a reality.

BEING "MOM" is hard! It's the only job that I can think of that works you ridiculously long hours, significantly underpays, is physically draining and mentally frustrating ~ and yet in the end you can still honestly say that you LOVE every minute of it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

I know I wouldn't trade my role as MOM for anything. In the end I think I will look back and claim that the days weren't nearly long enough, the reward immeasurable and my memory of any frustrations will long have faded.

Thanks Rich for allowing me the blessing of BEING "MOM" to your children and, more importantly, allowing me that role on a full-time, stay-at-home basis.

Thanks Kaitlyn, Cason and Jake for allowing me the blessing of BEING YOUR "MOM".

I couldn't ask for a greater blessing!

Jake's Definitions...

We've taught Jake a few signs to try to help him communicate in a manner other than his high-pitched scream. He picked them up quickly and uses them frequently, but has changed the definitions to suit his own needs. 

"MORE", since so often used while he is eating, has now taken on the meaning of "feed me" and he pulls it out of the blue whenever he is hungry, which seems to be a lot!

"ALL DONE", which generally is used to signify the end of a meal (and thus the unbuckling from his seat) has now taken on the meaning of "unbuckle me" and he now uses that sign whenever he wants to get out of an entrapment device (stroller, grocery store cart, car seat, etc.)

"PLEASE" has stayed pretty true to it's meaning and I really encourage it when he is screaming for something. Problem is, most of the time he uses his patient "please" and I know he wants something, but the something more often than not remains the mystery and the source of his frustration. We're making progress, but it would really just be easier if he would start to talk.... 

Blog Recommendation

So the hair may be hard to see in this photo - but you can tell that it is done, right? I have found a wonderful blog that will probably change my life, and my daughters. Let me explain - I have no sisters. No older sisters to teach me the art of doing hair. No younger sisters to let me practice on their hair. As a result, I really have never been any good at doing my daughters hair. And in truth, Kaitlyn really doesn't like to have her hair done (by me!) But now I have found "She Does Hair" and not only are there all kinds of cute ideas, but instructions for the "hair inept" such as myself. Furthermore, I let Kaitlyn look at the site and now she is ASKING me to do her hair! She wants it to look like the pictures (it doesn't, but she doesn't know that). Got to love good blogs and then pass along the good news.

a Sense of Style...

We are on day #3 of Cason wearing this ski cap. He even wore it to school yesterday. It's quite the fashion statement for a five year old. I found out today that it's not so much about the fashion....he admitted to me that he is wearing it so he doesn't have to have his hair combed. Fair enough! 

Stuffed Shells

I've now had three requests for this recipe - and I've only made this recipe three times. I think it's a hit and I give you my word that it comes together so FAST!
I originally recieved this recipe from a member of my mom's ward who teaches cooking classes. I have modified it to include sausage - I think the added meat adds substance to it and helps the shells not be so overwhelmingly rich. The original recipe also called for a marinara sauce, but I use a homemade alfredo sauce and it's YUM!

STUFFED SHELLS

1 pkg. jumbo shells
1 can artichoke hearts, not marinated, chopped
½ cup frozen spinach
1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled (I use Jimmy Dean Sage flavor)
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
Dash each of Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and pepper
¼ tsp salt

Cook pasta until almost done – it will be easier to stuff if it isn’t all the way cooked.
Combine chopped artichoke hearts and spinach with 1 cup of water and boil for about 10 minutes to thaw and soften. Drain well. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and spices and then add the spinach, artichokes and sausage. Stuff the shells with this mixture and place in a baking dish, open side up. Top with marinara sauce or alfredo sauce and bake.


ALFREDO SAUCE

¼ cup butter
1 quart HEAVY whipping cream
½ -1 cup parmesan shreds (I always use extra and I like the asiago/parmesan mix)

Melt butter in saucepan – do not let it burn. Add whipping cream and heat over medium-low heat until it thickens (at least 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Add a little salt and pepper. It is okay if the sauce comes to a boil. When the sauce is thickened, add the parmesan cheese (do not add before thickening the sauce or the cheese will sink to the bottom and burn). Taste and add additional salt if needed.
***You will only need 1/3 - 1/2 of this recipe if you are using it to top the shell recipe - I have frozen the leftover and used it at a later date and it worked fine***

Enjoy!

52 Blessing Project Week 18 ~ GRATITUDE

This 52 Weeks of Blessings Project has been more for me than for anyone reading...I know that. This week I'm acknowledging the blessing of being GRATEFUL and the fact that this project has really put me in a GRATITUDE mindset. I find myself recognizing blessings all week long, things I don't think I otherwise would see as blessings. With that in mind, I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes on GRATITUDE. (I only wish I knew who to give credit to, but I don't so I apologize for not listing the author.)

"GRATITUDE unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. GRATITUDE makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. GRATITUDE is the heart’s memory. The more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you."

SkyMania

I guess we were a couple of day's late in doing our April Family Activity from our Christmas list of family outings, since we went yesterday and it was officially May. Rich was in charge for April and he chose SkyMania - an all trampoline walled play place. It's literally just tons of trampolines all attached and everyone jumps like crazy. The walls are also trampolines, so you can get pretty creative with your acrobatics. There are also balls to play dodge ball with and in the older arena there is even a hoop to try to bounce through. Very unique and a lot of fun.

Rich, Kaitlyn and Cason were the participants (no 32 week pregnant mommy's allowed!) and they jumped for an hour straight. The kids didn't seemed too phased by it, but Rich let out a few moans this morning. Maybe a bit of a workout along with all the fun!

Cason attempting the belly bounce on the wall....

Kaitlyn's standing wall bounce...

The three of them enjoying every minute...