Our New Day-After Thanksgiving Tradition...

This year we started a new Day-After-Thanksgiving Tradition; and this is one tradition I intend to uphold for as long as I possibly can!

First, we slept in. Ahhhhhh.

Then, we got up for a lazy breakfast of toasted bagel breakfast sandwiches with farm fresh eggs (from our chickens), rich cheese, juicy tomatoes, and grilled mushrooms and onions.

After breakfast, Brice, Don, and the kids (so all the boys) headed to the Gym to work out and then swim at the indoor pool.

My mom and I dressed and headed into Coeur D'Alene for a couple hours of Christmas shopping. We hit the stores with the special one-day sale items we wanted; in-and-out, with very little waiting in lines at all.

And then, we drove to the Coeur D'Alene Resort Spa to finish off the day with a round of message, soothing showers, and facial treatments. Ahhhh.... now that's the life.

I had a pregnancy message, designed to focus in on the muscles that are most achy while pregnant. It was heavenly.

Fully relaxed and pampered by the spa treatments, we walked across the street for nice Italian dinner before heading home to rejoin the real world again.

What a lovely tradition though... Thanksgiving might just move into my top holiday spot with a tradition like this to look forward to.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving All! My mom and Don came up to spend Thanksgiving with our family this year, and to help me cook in case I wasn't feeling up to it. Thankfully, I was feeling well on Thanksgiving, and together, my Mom and I cooked-up quite a feast.
We prepared a fabulous roast Turkey, heavenly mashed potatoes, 100-step Green Beans with crispy scallions, Baked Maple Syrup Sweet Potatoes, an incredible onion balsamic gravy, two kinds of homemade cranberry sauces, and 3 pies (a caramel chocolate pecan pie and a traditional pumpkin). And yes, all this food was for 4-adults and 3 kids. Needless to say, we have plenty of leftovers (and multiple recipes to use them up as well).

The kids enjoyed the day playing in the fresh fallen snow, while my Mom and I worked away in the kitchen. I can't think of a more satisfying way to spend the Thanksgiving day!

When it was time to eat, we all sat down at our big table in the dining room (the kids were very excited to get to use their special Thanksgiving linens and dishes).
Even Mazzy joined the table with a big plate of Thanksgiving food!
It was a perfect Thanksgiving, and I couldn't have asked for a better day! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families as well!

Hemlocks Celebrate!

I posted earlier about Landin's soccer team, The Hemlocks, and their 100-Goal season. This month we celebrated the Hemlocks' incredible achievement with a big pizza party for the kids and their families.

In honor of reaching their team goal of scoring one-hundred goals in a single season, the parents all pitched in and got the kids and coaches T-shirts. I designed the T-Shirts and then had them printed by a local shop here. We even had the kids names put on the sleeves of their shirts. The T-Shirts turned out fabulous, and everyone had such a great time.

Brice was really touched by all the nice things the Hemlock parents had to say about his role in coaching the kids - - especially since he just loves coaching so much. We can't wait for next season!

Halloween 2006

Here are some pictures of the kids in their Halloween Costumes this year:

Landin was Captain Jack Sparrow (We got his costume at the Pirates of the Caribbean store in Disneyland when we were there last March):

Ryder was STITCH from Disney's Lilo & Stitch:
Mazlow was DUMBO: With all the fun activities, it was a great Halloween for the kids. And even though I wasn't feeling 100% I still got to go trick-or-treating with the kids, and that was a whole lot of fun!

Happy belated Halloween to you all!!

Southside Harvest Carnival 2006

(Delayed Post from October 28th)

As PTA President for Landin's Elementary School, I was charged with organizing the school's annual Harvest Carnival - a big Fall celebration complete with a costume contest, a pumpkin carving contest, scarecrow building contests, a Chili and Cornbread cook-off, face painting, temporary tattoos, a cake walk, a sack race, Bingo, a raffle, and a dozen other fun games for the kids. Since I was down for the count the week leading up to the big event, I had to delegate quite a bit of the activity, but I did make it to the event (and managed to bring along a couple of pots of homemade chili and a couple pans of cornbread too).

Here is my Hot and Spicy Chili (secret ingredients: Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, Ground buffalo, and Kokane Beer)
Here is my Sweet Chili (secret Ingredient - Dr. Pepper):Here is my Jalapeno Cornbread:Here is my Sweet Cornbread: My baking didn't take home any prizes, but Brice loved the spicy chili and vowed to eat the entire pot himself if I ever made it again (a personal victory since Brice claims to hate chili and refuses to even try it most of the time I make it).

I took it easy at the event, manning the ticket counter, and sitting on my butt almost the entire time. And since I wasn't feeling up to sporting my Greek Goddess Halloween Costume, I opted for a pair of hospital scrubs instead (much more fitting to my mood)! We had a great turn-out for the carnival, and our kids had a blast! I'm already looking forward to next year's carnival, when we will have FOUR little guys in costume to chase around, and I hope to be feeling up for the challenge!

The Final Soccer Games of the Fall 2006 Season

(A delayed Post from the weekend of October 28th)

Even though I couldn't be there for all the games, the boys both played wonderfully in the final games of the Fall soccer season. Here in Sandpoint, the season ends with a bang with the kids playing a multi-game tournament to wrap things up. Landin's team had 3 games in the tournament, and Ryder's team had 2. The age division champions for the season were decided based on a tournament point system. (3-points for a win, 1-point for each goal up to three, and 1 point for a shut out).

I stayed home and rested, missing the kids morning games, but made it to the field to sit and watch Ryder's last game (where he almost scored a goal on the right side of the field this time).

The highlight of the whole day for Ryder was receiving his trophy for participation in the season. When they called his name, and handed him his trophy, he couldn't have been more proud. I missed Landin's first game (where I was told he pulled off the "Italian" move - a soccer move he's been practicing all season, and beat 4 kids to the goal with it, and scored). I did see his second and third games, which were incredible - the Hemlocks (Landin's team) played so well together, and nearly every member of the team scored a goal.

During the season the Hemlocks had racked-up quite an impressive number of goals, and about mid-season we started talking about "what if they could score 100 goals in the season?"... so going into the tournament, they needed 22 goals to hit 100 and they had 3-games to do it. The first game they won 9-0. Thirteen more to go. The second game they won 7-1. Six more to go. They scored the first goal of the game and the kids were pumped reminding each other they only needed 5 more goals to hit 100. They scored 3 more and were practically jumping out of their skin. They scored one more and we could feel from the sidelines their intensity on the field. Then Landin booted in the 100th goal, and the kids went crazy! They were falling all over one another, hugging and high-fiving, while the other team had no idea what was going-on (this was an internal goal the kids had that they hadn't shared with anyone else). They were so proud though, to have set that lofty goal and then achieved it as a team - with every single member contributing. It was a sight to see.

The Hemlocks won the tournament, and even got their picture in the paper for the achievement.

In celebration of reaching their goal of 100-goals in a single season, the parents pitched-in and got the kids and coaches T-shirts that say "2006 Hemlocks - 100 Goal Season" with a line of Hemlock trees with a players name beneath each one.

It was really neat to see the kids progress as a team and as individual players this year, and I know Landin and Ryder already can't wait for the Spring season to put back on their cleats and hit the field. Game On!!

Reasons I'm so lame...And you can all say "I told you so"

I just re-read my last post... I'm so lame. I spoke (wrote) that post too soon. Who the hell did I think I was declaring myself healed? I know I went to college for 6-years, but clearly, I learned about being a spin doctor, NOT a medical doctor.

So the bottom line is I'm back on bedrest, eating my humble pie, and letting Brice (and everyone else who insisted I really needed more rest) say "I told you so." UGH!

So I was feeling great midweek last week, thinking this whole thing was yesterday's news. My mom reminds me now (sarcastically) "oh yes, you had every right to take yourself off of bedrest, after all you were feeling kind of better for what - 2 or 3 whole days, right?" Ok Ok, it sounds absurd to me too now... but at the time it was a completely rational thought (at least for me). [sigh]

I went trick-or-treating on Halloween, I worked from the Starbucks in town and did some house cleaning on Wednesday, I went to my girls night Bunko game on Thursday, and then it hit me. Laying in bed on Thursday night I thought I was going to die again. The same stomach pain, wrenching my gut. So I take some of the pain medication that they gave me when I left the hospital (I'd only taken it twice since I'd been home). That didn't work. I barely slept on Thursday night, then woke up on Friday with what I was pretty sure was strep throat. Back to square one.

I took it easy over the weekend, not even leaving the house, but by Monday, I was still feeling awful. I went back to the doc on Monday night, and got some antibiotics for my throat (which have just now kicked in and its Thursday) and the earache I also picked-up over the weekend. My immune system has gone to hell, and now I'm in catch up mode trying to do whatever I can to get healthy. Yes, everything, including the good 'ol bed rest.

So I've removed pretty much all the activity from my daily routine, and while I'm still working, its really just my brain and finger muscles I'm using as I sit in my jammies in front of my computer, curled-up with a blanket and a cup of herbal tea. It's low-stress, and keeps me from pulling my hair out. The rest of the time, I just rest, and do quite activities like reading every decorating and cooking magazine I've ever saved (and there are a lot of them), or reading books or doing puzzles with the kids. It's all very restful, and peaceful, and I'm doing okay with it.

The docs still haven't identified the exact virus that’s inflicted me, but they say its mono-like in symptoms and duration, and that I should expect it to last at least into December (as a best case scenario assuming I adhere to the whole bedrest thing). And that's the best case. The likely duration is 2-3 months they say. HUH? I'm adjusting to the thought of being sick for a month or more. Hey, give me a break, I've barely gotten used to the idea of Bedrest. Baby steps.

One piece of good news is my mom is coming to cook Thanksgiving here at the house, which will be great, since I surely would have rationalized that as an exception to my bedrest orders (after all it is a national holiday); but with mom here, that won't happen.

The other obviously great news is that Baby Beckham is doing wonderfully, and is growing right on schedule, and moving around and kicking more and more each day. I'm extremely thankful that I can bare the brunt of this pain for both of us. What a relief to not have to worry about his health!

I really appreciate all of the wonderful calls and notes you all have sent checking-in on me, and sending your warm wishes. It's meant a lot to hear from everyone. I looking forward to feeling like my old chatty self, so I can check back in with everyone and catch up on everything I've missed.

In the meantime, I'll try to do a better job of updating the blog as long as its restful to do so, and will gather up the pictures from the last few weeks and get those posted right away. After all, even though I'm sick, for the rest of the family, the show must go on!