Soccer Season

Today was the kids last soccer game of the season. I was very pleased with the way both my kids played this year. I wasn't sure how Alicia would do, as she hated soccer a few years ago as a preschooler and she wasn't the best at basketball, but she was fairly good! It was so fun to be able to cheer for her and hear other parents talk about her on the sidelines. I was so proud of her. AND then today Ethan made 3 goals. Depending on who you ask some say 4. :) He also has really enjoyed soccer this year. So I end the season one proud momma and so glad they both liked soccer and had a good time while playing.


I would add pictures but my cameras zoom has stopped and pictures of the kids far off in the distance just don't cut it.

***********Wonderful hubby***********

Most of you have picked up on, or have recently read about, my love for caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Well, my hubby actually picked up on it as well! He went to Portland yesterday (FOR WORK) and on the way home he stopped off and bought me 2 apples! What a guy. I ate one last night and will have the other tonight! WONDERFUL, my hubby and the apples

UPDATE

I finished book 41 for the year today, and got to wondering where I am in my goal of one book a week in 2009. 41 books may sound good but I need to read 11 more books and there only 9 more weeks. I need to pick up the pace. Thankfully I do have about 4 books half read but they have not held my attention. But I will try to finish those up and that may help. We'll see, but at least I will know that I came close.

Tonight is Family Fun Night at our church. Ethan has been asking almost every day how many days until tonight. They get to wear costumes and do fun games.

Which reminds me of another bad mommy moment. Alicia wanted to be a TIGER for Halloween. She LOVES animals. So I told her I would get some orange clothes and we would put black tape on for stripes. I would order a tail and some ears. So I did all that. Or so I thought. On Friday the ears and tail came. Except I am not an animal person and didn't think much about ordering a LION set.

So a male lion mane came and well, lions are not orange with stripes. To top it off on Sunday I checked the status of the clothes I had ordered and found I never ordered them. So Alicia's outfit pretty much fell apart.

So we went to Shopko Sunday night and they were thoroughly picked over. We were about to leave and decided to check one more time and found a disco girl dress. She loves it and I think she will pull off a hippie retro girl well.

So that is all the random thoughts I can think of right now.

New Moon, the movie

So New Moon comes out next month. I wasn't too much of a fan of the first movie. I really enjoyed the books, but felt like the movie was missing something. That said I am looking forward to this movie. I felt like Stephanie Meyer's series just got better as she wrote more. I am a Jacob fan. Sorry Edward followers. So I am excited to see what this movie does with that story line.

The small theater here in town is showing the movie at midnight the first night it is out. I am contemplating going and seeing my first midninght showing of a movie. But I would be going alone and I still have to get up in the morning to take kids to school and be in Ethan's classroom that morning as well. So I can't decide. I know I can definitely wait to see it, it's more the feeling like I am getting old and should be able to do some fun, crazy things like I did in college. :) It shouldn't be such an ordeal to decide if I am going to a movie.

What do you guys think? When, if at all, are you going to see this movie?

need some Help

So as I have been thinking about and getting ready for Christmas I have been going through rooms and closets getting rid of things. I guess for me it would be called fall cleaning. (I never have the energy in the spring to spring clean. But I do in the fall.) ANYWAY, I was looking at the present Ben gave me last year. I really wanted it. Was so excited to open it but it never worked. Ben got me a very nice blender but he got it at Linens and Things before they went out of business. We were never able to return it and when I called the company that made it they needed a receipt. Ben tossed the receipt knowing all sales were final at Linens and Things. OOPS.

ANYWAY, I would love to find someone who is good at fixing things to take a look at it. It does turn on but just doesn't blend. Do you guys know someone who could fix my blender? I could pay about $20.00 but not much more then that. I am desperate! We still have our old one but it is WEAK.

something about me

Yesterday I went shopping with my mom. Every Columbus Day she comes up and we go shopping. Some years we have had kids, the last few we have not. I look forward to it. I rarely go shopping where I can actually try clothes on and I save my money up so I can actually buy things. But I was actually most excited about buying a caramel apple! I love Rocky Mountain Chocolate's apples. YUMMY. I bought 2! Last night when Ben was at basketball and the kids were in bed I ate one. Tonight I plan to eat the other one. I love the sourness from the apple with the sweet of caramel and chocolate.

So now you know something new about me.

79 days until Christmas

I love Christmas. There are so many good things about Christmas. Jesus came to earth to be our Savior. That alone is a wonderful thing. It's such a great truth to be able to read with your kids. And our reason to celebrate Christmas. It is the popular saying, "Jesus is the reason for the season" But Christmas has also become a family season for us. We try to spend extra special time with the kids. Do extra special things. It isn't about presents but family. Traditions. Fun. Family.

This year I am doing 3 presents for each family member. (and 1 family gift) It really takes the emphasis off presents and onto the season. This is actually a tad hard for me. I love to buy presents. I love seeing there faces when they open something they will love. But three presents gives us another way to get back to the story of Jesus' birth. The wise men brought baby Jesus three gifts, well at least listed, so they will be fine with 3 themselves.

I am actually done buying for Alicia! I have been saving money and amazon gift cards and as good sales came out over the last 2 months I have bought and put things away. I was so thrilled when I ordered her last present a few days ago. So nice to know I will not be rushing around in December. I will be making cookies with the kids, decorating ornaments, going and looking at lights. Ben will take them on dates, we may go to the zoo lights, the list goes on and on. No stress in my house this year. Just some good ol fun.

What fun things do you do as a family at your house. I would love to try some new creative things this season.

meal planning

I used to meal plan. Until summer started. I like to have things planned out and this includes dinner. It helps me save money and it helps me from becoming lazy and wanting to go out. One of my friends asked me about meal planning today. I gave her my few hints and then told her I would get back to it and make up a schedule today or tomorrow and give it to her to get an idea of what mine look like.

But when I go to make the schedule I NEVER, no matter that I created one last month, NEVER know what to make. :) I get stuck in a rut. Tonight I decided to use some mashed potatoes up and have made shepherds pie for the first time for dinner tonight! Hope it turns out, as I pretty much did not follow directions so I could make it gluten-free and use what I have in the house. BUT. . .I need more new recipes. Otherwise I do the same things, tacos, lasagna, chicken pot pie, steak, pork chops, tamale pie, etc. I want some new fun recipes! For example I know next week I am going to make some orange chicken. That will be new for us. We usually only buy that at a restaurant.

Do you girls meal plan? Do you have a fun recipe you are willing to share post here on my blog?

Not much of interest going on around the Wilson house lately. Alicia and Ethan have started soccer, school has been going for awhile now, Awana started back up for another year, and small groups are back and running. This doesn't leave much time for anything too exciting.

I am starting to plan a little bit more for our June Yellowstone trip. Ben and I have decided that after a week with my family in Yellowstone/Cody Wyoming we are going to say goodbye to them and head south for about another week. I would really like to add on another few days to that and go see Mt Rushmore but the reality is that Ben does have to work, and this is probably all we can do. And truthfully it is probably enough time for the kids to be on a road trip. We are going to go to a place called Thermopolis and then head to Salt Lake City. Not so much for the city but Alicia wants to see a salt lake. I am starting to get real excited about this trip. It will be so much fun to be with my family (parents and sister's family) for a week. Have the cousins play together and get to know each other. But then it will be nice to head out just the four of us and have family time. I love to plan trips. To look at forums and see where we should stop for food, where we should stay, what is a must see. So much fun.

The kids are home today and tomorrow. They just got done eating watermelon and now I have, I mean get, to play some UNO with them. :)