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The loads... of laundry

2012-01-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

As I was at Costco purchasing my dryer sheets (all whopping 500 of them) I had a crazy realization that I had done 500 loads of laundry in less than a four month period of time. I know that I do mounds of laundry every day and certainly every week but the numbers never really sank in. I do acknowledge that the volume of laundry is due to changing sheets on 6 beds every week and ensuring my children change out of their "germy clothes" when they get home from school. Now when I have my washer or dryer have a breakdown I won't be so put out. It has put in its due effort according to my dryer sheet count.

Can you play it again, please?

2012-01-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

As I piano teacher, it is my responsibility to teach my students proper technique, theory, counting, scales, arpeggios, how to sit properly, how to work the damper pedal smoothly, how to curve your hands and fingers, etc. Part of curving your hands and fingers is keeping your fingernails short. How can one play with the pads of your fingers if you have nails which make you straighten your fingers just to be able to hit the key? Well, the short answer is, you can't have nails and play the piano properly. I reminded myself of this tonight as I sat down to have my Jon Schmidt "fix" and was playing "The Dumb Song." It is quite jazzy, fast paced and Audrey and Derek inevitably dance to it. After finishing with my rapid eighth notes (fast notes) followed by a few glissandos (using the back of your fingernails you trail up and down the keys) I looked down because my thumb nail felt a bit weird. Yep. I bent it backwards a smidge on the outside corner. Guess I need to heed my own advice. :)

2011-12-15T11:41:00.001-08:00

I went to my second concert last night. That's right.. the second concert in my entire life was last night to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. My first was Neil Diamond at the ripe old age of 8. There are two types of people in this world...

I have a friend who is crazy ridiclous amazing at winning prizes off of the radio, giveaway blogs, etc. We made a friendly wager. She won the tickets and we went to the concert together. Talk about a ladies night! Not only did she win the tickets, she won floor seats, five rows from the stage and center section. We couldn't not have asked for anything better. After two and a half hours of a dang good show I have learned some things...

1) Earplugs don't do any good if you keep them in your pocket
2) Concerts with friends are pretty sweet
3) Rock stars aren't all that good looking close up
4) Electric violins are a.w.e.s.o.m.e.
5) I think to audition for a rock band you have to be able to do the hair flippy thing for at least an hour straight
6) Being so close I could pick out the fingerings on the guitar while the dude was playing was amazing
7) Having several thousand tons of metal and flashing lights above my head moving was a bit unnerving at times
8) The compositions and arrangements of the pieces was like candy for my ears (when they weren't ringing)
9) Be sure to tell your eldest daughter to leave the door unlocked or take a set of keys with you so you can get back in the house in the wee hours of the morning
10) I want to do it again

2011-12-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

Amsden Family Christmas Letter 2011

So our Christmas cards were sent through a fabulous company this year which made the cards, addressed and stamped them all for us without having to lift a finger past entering all of the addresses. The only downside was that we couldn't include our traditional Christmas letter, so we get to insert that in our blog like last year. Here goes nuttin'...

Kevin... enjoyed Okinawa to its fullest until he returned home to us from his deployment in May. He loved the culture, people and especially the Sushi. He is currently working as an Executive Officer for one of the Generals at Peterson AFB and was recently picked up for the Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board (you can read more about that on his Facebook page.) We found out the Air Force will be taking us to Alabama next July and I am quite sure Kevin will finally meet his goal of running a marathon while we are there.

Amy...continues to run a well-oiled machine while teaching 25 piano students. She also loves to delve into her teaching roots at the children's school every once in a while and has lovingly assumed the name "gym rat" from some of her closest friends. The highlight of her year was going to Disneyland sans children and playing from sun up to sun down pausing only to get pictures with the characters roaming the park. She is already planning our trip to Walt Disney World...

Breanna...she auditioned for the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony with her trumpet last spring and is thoroughly enjoying her experience. She has also decided to become part fish by competing with a local swim team and continues to test our word knowledge daily.

Ryan...he decided to become a flautist (a person who plays the flute) and is loving the instrument! He has also embarked on competing with the swim team and discovered the beauty of "Dep" gel this year.

Courtney...she has taken off with her piano instruction and has formed gills as well (swimming with the swim team.) She was teaching Audrey ballet positions tonight and consistently has matching accessories laid out the night before for her school uniform.

Derek... he continues to be Derek and we love him for it! It also appears he will try his hand at Water Polo when he is old enough as we can never find that boy once he touches the water. He started preschool this year and is so excited to be in Kindergarten next year. Amy has been given instructions just to drop him off at the door his first day of Kindergarten. Oh brother.

Audrey...our little Cricket is turning two in January! She absolutely adores her siblings and her love is certainly returned. While she is our littlest member, she can certainly hold her own---don't let the cute curly hair fool you!

As always, our year has been eventful and full of love, experience and trials given to strengthen us. We absolutely love keeping track of all of you via Facebook, Christmas cards/letters, phone calls and emails. Our lives are so blessed because of you. May we all remember the reason for the season.

Love,
The Amsden Family

Randomness

2011-11-17T19:58:00.001-08:00

It is 8:41 PM.

The children have been asleep for a while.

I am waiting for Kevin and Breanna to return home from her Youth Symphony practice.

I am seriously craving Panda Express Beijing Beef right now.

I don't want to move my body in any shape or fashion since the last two days my "never ceases to amaze, surprise or let me be lethargic" group exercise trainer has generously helped me rediscover muscle groups all over my body (not complaining mind you, but this is my blog and MY time with my thoughts you are casually reading.)

It baffles me that owners or property managers will rent a home without a refrigerator.

Why in the world would you put a high school, two elementary schools, a day care facility and a home development all together and not put in a stop light but offer a four way stop which allows drivers to show their idiotic decision making skills all hours of the day?

Alabama is growing on me.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the dessert part. The many, many dessert parts.

I have a whole stack of magazines glaring their cover stories at me off to the right of where I sit. Wonder when they will get read? Chuckle, chuckle.

Why do we not have snow? I despise brownness. This is probably why I love California so much. It is always green. If it is going to be brown and cold, cover it with white.

I feel like baking a pie for some of my favorite people. I am plumb out of apples, however. Drats.

Randomness.

Christmas music--ALREADY? YES!

2011-11-16T14:12:00.001-08:00

As I was perusing the radio stations earlier this week in Big Red wearing my "Mom Taxi" cap and collecting fares of empty wrappers, excellent conversations and a synopsis of "Catch 22" I found a station playing Christmas music! Yes, I realize it is early---Thanksgiving hasn't even passed yet; however, I think I have become one of "those people" who listens to the music as early as it is played or even many odd times during the year. Derek sang "Jingle Bells" at the top of his lungs and my heart sang with him. "O Holy Night" always stirs the soul and "Let It Snow" verbalizes what each of us wishes for... a white Christmas. It is probably a wee bit early to start watching the weather reports for December 25, eh?

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-11-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

Alabama. The land of sugar white sand beaches, top notch golf courses, pristine fall colors and historical sites. Apparently, it will be home to the Amsden family next summer as well. Kevin has the opportunity to go Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery and we get to be his follow-on entourage in this wild adventure the Air Force has handed us. How do I feel about it? Well, let's just say my opening statement with the sugar white beaches was not the first thought that popped into my head... my first thought was fried chicken, fried Twinkies and fried Snickers bars. I didn't think of those because I am dying to try one but that is what pops into my brain of when I think of the South. I also think of quotes such as these from "Sweet Home Alabama" the movie produced in 2002-- "You dumb stubborn redneck hick,""Look at you, you have a baby... In a bar," and "Why don't you go back to your double-wide and fry something." I am, admittedly, biased on my perception of what the other end of this beautiful country I live in is like. I am super uper duper excited that Walt Disney World is only 7 1/2 hours away, that Kevin's work schedule will be something similar to his college days and that we can hit the beach in less than a two hour drive. Would it be wrong of me to pick up a southern drawl if I wasn't born and raised an Alabaman?

The meal I struggle with...

2011-10-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Eating correctly is a heck of a lot harder than most people realize. To top that off, I get so busy with everything running through my head that many times I forget to eat. period. Breakfast is never an issue... an instant breakfast with some whey protein and I am on my way. Dinner is with the family and I have that menu planned out for 8 weeks. Done. Lunch. sigh. Lunch. It seems as if every day I am in the never ending debate of what to eat for lunch. I don't particularly want what Derek and Audrey are eating since I just busted my butt at the gym and a corndog just ain't doin' it for me, so I am left to fend for myself. Yesterday... Grapenuts with raisins. The day before that... Grapenuts with raisins. The day before that... Chicken Caesar Salad (good day). The day before that...A Grilled Chicken Sandwich (another good day). The day before that... Life Cereal. I am seeing a trend here of cold cereal since it is fast and easy and generally (if you pick the right ones) half way decent for you. Today... grilled ham and cheese (no bread) and I am still squandering for what to give my demanding body. Panera Bread anyone?

And then there were four "responsible" parents

2011-10-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

As of right now, I can't decide what title to give this blog post... thoughts were: Eleven Children, Half My Age, Hurdling Talents Discovered, What To Do Next Time? Regardless, they all are describing the recent trip to Disneyland which Kevin and I took sans children. It was interesting to see the reactions we received when we would run into people we knew at Disneyland and they would not see any children in tow. Between and Miles and Amsden families we have eleven children---the score is five for the home team and six for the away. Quite a feat to have two couples with families of our size on vacation as couples and not as famillies. It took a years worth of coordination with grandparents, aunts, friends and teachers to make it work, but, by golly, it was certainly quite worth it. I'm not going to go into details of the trip as then it would be like I was gathering you all in to watch the never ending slide show of our trip but I will touch on a few highlights...My husband schmoozed our way into a convertible which we enjoyed driving up the Pacific Coast Highway (also known as Highway1). I was on the lookout for hottie McHottie Matthew McConaughey but didn't have any luck. Ate an entire combo meal at In-N-Out burger with my fries "animal style" and enjoyed every last morsel without feeling any guilt. Later that night I felt horrible from all of the grease but I still savor the flavors of "The Spread." The next day I experienced Disneyland in it fullness without having to worry about diapers, wipes, baby food, nap times, kids meals or sunscreen. I love my children. I love making sure they are well taken care of, but I loved having only a piece of plastic in my back pocket to carry around for five days. Dressing up for our Halloween Spooktacular party was amazingly fun and I swear all four of receded in age by at least ten years. Running around the park, trick or treating, with not a care in the world for the time of day or if we even had dinner was awesome. I also found myself strangly attracted to Kevin's press on mustache. A highlight was the next day as we were having some friendly "speed walking" competiton to get to our next "Fast Pass" station and as Tanan and I were edging up on each other he broke into a run only to find a motorized scooter and stroller with a sleeping child was in his way... he launched himself over the stroller with a passing, "Do you have any Grey Poupon?" and successfully beat me to the front of the line by milliseconds. The sight alone was worth the defeat.

Making room in the fridge

2011-09-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday marked our month of birthday celebrations. It begins with Ryan on the 22nd of September, I follow a week later on the 30th, Breanna follows a week later on the 7th and Courtney bring is all to a happy end on the 15th. Not kidding.Over the years, Kevin and I have often had people ask, "How did you plan all of your fall birthdays?" It is quite simple. Take the average of all four birthdays, go back nine months and you have.... Kevin's birthday. (wink, wink.) Today was Ryan's party and we had six boys coming over. I was in charge of ordering the food so I ordered six medium Domino's pizzas. Factor in Derek, Courtney, Audrey, Kevin and myself in addition to the six boys and I figured should polish off all six, no problem. Wrong. I had to make room in our fridge for FOUR pizzas! Not even 2/3 eaten pepperoni pies. FOUR entire pizzas. When did boys become so whimpy in their appetites? Do they not have hollow legs? Does one boy not eat an entire pizza by himself? Am I just jumping the gun for teenagerhood? If you need some lunch, come on over. Apparently, I have some pizza to share.

In five years

2011-09-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

As Kevin and I were cruising Costco this weekend, we had an "aha" moment when we realized that our eldest child could be leaving the nest in five years. Yep... Breanna could be headed off to college in five years. It tore my heart in two. I broke down in tears on the display furniture right next to the holiday candy and the sherpa lined blankets. She truly was meant to be our first child as she is the peacemaker in our home, a shining example for her siblings and has been an excellent child to help raise us as parents. I figure having this "aha" moment 60 months in advance will help me accept the day she leaves the safety of her home to help the make the world a better place just by simply living in it.

A very fulfilling moment

2011-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have blogged before about how fulfulling it has been to teach my own children to play piano and to now hear Breanna playing Chopin, Bach, Joplin and Mozart. Right on her heels are Courtney and Ryan tearing up the ivory keys and enjoying what has become an integral part of their childhood. Derek, being a most observant child, asked months ago to start learning how to play the piano. I held him off for as long as I could (he is only four) and finally caved. I sent him to another teacher. I was worried the differences of our strong opinions would make it a horrible experience and he would never want to pick up the instrument again. Today that all changed. Since the other children started school in August I have suspended his lessons to see how my schedule worked in the middle of the day. As it turns out, I just don't have an opportunity to drive him to lessons with Audrey's nap times as they stand right now. So.... I dived in. He received a rip roarin' piano lesson using 6 of his fingers on the black keys today AND it was a pleasant experience. I still can't believe we enjoyed each other's company so much. I am sure I was building it up in my head much more than it needed to be, but as a parent I never want to do anything which will have negative effects on my child. I am sure the high point of the lesson for him was getting to pick out of my candy box, but for me it was connecting with my son with a language foreign to him but one I speak, think and dream fluently...music.

My own kitchen drawer liners

2011-08-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today was my step aerobics class with "Big Momma" and 32 of my friends (okay I don't know everyone, but when you sweat together you form some sort of weird bond). Last Friday was just a bad morning so I beat my step to a pulp with my frustration. Today was an incredible day and I worked my step over pretty hard because I loved the music I was working out to, loved the company I was with and had an abundant amount of energy (don't ask me where that came from after shuttling around 5 kids yesterday for two hours) but I had to keep stopping to readjust the stupid thing because the rubber footie things on the bottom are obviously not so rubbery any more and to top that off, the kitchen drawer liners (grippy thingies) which we put underneath the rubber footies have also seen better days. I believe one of my things on my "to do" list this week is to go purchase my own kitchen drawer liners and just pack them in with the rest of my gym stuff. Who would have thought that in addition to weight lifting gloves, protein bars, water bottles and towels to catch my sweat I would be adding something found underneath my dinner plates?

A change of pace

2011-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

So if you have read my previous posts, you know I have two gears... reverse and high. Apparently this week, my high gear just got a turbo engine with a couple of nitric oxide boosters added as we have rolled into the athletic arena. I have few sports in which I will whole heartedly support my children participating in (I hate ending in a prepositional phrase, but I can't figure out how to change it). In fact, I have two--- swimming and running. A few of my reasons are that I want them to be good at the sport individually and not have to depend on a team for their success and the other biggie is that I want them to be able to do the sport for the rest of their lives. So this week we entered into the competetive swimming arena with Breanna and Ryan. I am not expecting Olympic swimmers; however, I believe that caring for your body has to start early and part of that is giving your heart a good workout. So swimming five days a week is now on our platter of activities. Courtney will eventually follow and as we have watched Derek learn to exhale underwater on his own (thankfully not inhale!), I am pretty sure he will be following suit when he is old enough.

I have made it through this week. It was a test. Kevin is working for our retirement to the tune of at least 16 hour days (Generals keep one hopping on both feet repeatedly) so how much I put on to my plate is solely dependant on how I can manage it all. Being exahausted at the end of the day feels great as long as I have my time to keep myself healthy in the mornings. Now I just need some suggestions on what to feed these children after practice so I don't have to keep making a fourth meal. :)

Meet My Lisa

2011-08-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

It started about 4 years ago. We moved from Colorado Springs to Vandenberg AFB in California and we knew of the Brock family because they were moving to VAFB right along with us. We never interacted with them while we lived in Colorado Springs even though "the boys" worked together and we lived less than 7 miles apart. So we arrive in CA at practically the same time, see each other at the housing office and spontaneously invited them to go the bowling alley for lunch with us. Little did we know that it would be the beginning of the intertwining of the Brock and Amsden families. After getting to know Lisa better she discovered that I liked to run and after taking one look at her, I knew she could maneuver around the weight room pretty easily. She wanted to start running, I wanted to not be intimidated by the weight room and so it began our crazy 0430 workout schedule. Little did I know that the workouts and already built friendship would lead to knowing a person so well that we could finish each other's sentences. We were known to our husbands as "The Dangerous Duo", Crestview PTA had their world refreshed by us filling the President and Vice President roles, holiday dinners... you get the picture.
Even though the Air Force has separated us for the time being, we have remained in close contact thanks to modern technology. I could probably add texting to our cell service and then I would become a texting junkie with this woman. Maybe not such a bad idea... anywho, I always have told Lisa I expect to see her on the cover of "Oxygen" magazine one of these days and have submitted my resume to be her manager. The woman is just incredible and is one my inspirations for continuing to hit the gym every day.
I call her "My Lisa" because I have such fond memories of her. Sure, we had our ups and downs and I realize now that those moments were so intense because we cared so much for our friendship.
I post this blog because I am so proud of her. She recently was in the Potomac Cup fitness competition and she absolutely blew her competition out of the water. I am her cheering section across the miles and I wish every time she competes I could be there. Times and seasons, I know...

I have two gears

2011-07-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Most bicycles (except beginning bicycles) have at least 5-8 gears. Motorcycles have usually 5, a manual transmission on a car-- 5, a semi truck diesel-- many more than five. Things that go and work have many gears. I have two. That's it folks-- two. High gear and reverse. For most machines you have to slow down or completely stop to switch from a forward gear to a reverse to avoid doing irrepairable damage. Not me. Switched in an instant. As this is our month of vacationing, I get to flip between those to gears several times and I love them both. An old slogan, which was obviously catchy said something to the effect of, "We get more things done before 6 AM than most people do all day." That is me in high gear---every day, all day until my head hits that pillow. I wouldn't have it any other way. I am sincerely appreciative of the fact; however, that I can leave for a week with my family to the Colorado Rockies without having ANY screens or electronic devices used. Samsung, Nintendo and Motorola all found themselves absolutely obsolete, as they will again in the near future, while we enjoyed the bond we have created as a family unit. I look forward to being in reverse for no other reason than to just watch my blessings splash and get covered in mud while enjoying a free flowing river. While I see Audrey discover a wildflower or pokey weed for the first time. While I watch our children devour the campfire S'mores with marshmallows carefully burned. High gear can wait for a few days...

Too smart for her own good

2011-07-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Apparently, you will be privledged to read posts about both of our pets... you met Max last week and now you get to meet Ginny. Ginny is our Jack Russell Terrier. She is 8 years old and we have had her in our family for 7. She is an amazing family companion and too smart for her own good. Case in point... yesterday we went to Eitch Gardens with Derek and Audrey (the older three are at summer camp). We left her in the backyard with food and water. When we returned we were greeted by the typical white lightning (Ginny barreling through the kitchen) and went about emptying the car of all kid stuff. Later in the evening I was surfing through Facebook when I noticed a friend of ours who lives down the street from us had said that Ginny was out and was sitting on our front porch waiting for us to return home. She said she got her back into the backyard and had put a barrier in front of the wooden gate since that was apparently how she got out. I personally made sure that gate was closed before we left so how did she get out? This theory has yet to be proven, but we are pretty sure she learned how to hit the lever with her paw and open the gate. That is truly the only explaination. Kevin and I will test our theory in the near future and add an update but it wouldn't surprise us if our theory was proven true. This dog is one smart cookie and is so loyal to our family. Too bad they didn't have a dog park at Elitches.

I'm sorry... he IS dead

2011-06-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

We aquired a hermit crab several months ago from Courtney's second grade classroom. His name is Max. We have learned how to take care of this wonderful creature and he has adapted well into our chaos. He has never changed shells so we are always on the edge of our seats waiting for him to pick a new home. Three days ago, Courtney announced the moment had arrived and Max was out of his shell! I ran up to see him and was apprehensive as I announced to Courtney...Max is dead. I swore the crab was dead. I looked inside his shell hoping to see one of his little claws. I touched the remains, moved them around and watched them for an entire day hoping that he would move. After that day of observance, I regretably removed his remains, put them in a Ziploc baggie and threw the bag in the trash. I couldn't decide if this justified a backyard burial. Courtney asked yesterday if I had taken care of Max and I said I had and that was the end of that.

Surprise! Courtney comes bounding down the stairs today and yells, "Max is alive!" I assured her she was wrong and proceeded to take the stairs two at a time to see what in the world was going on inside this 2 by 3 foot cage in which his shell had apparently moved from one side of the cage to the other. The shell had indeed moved. My curiosity was piqued. Do I reach my hand inside this cage to determine if there is a crab ghost living there? Oh. My. Being the brave momma I needed to be, I picked up his shell and THERE WAS MAX! Apparently he had shed his exoskeleton to include what looked like to be his claws---everything. We are so happy he is alive and have promptly given him food and water--we hadn't since we thought he was dead. Now I know what an exoskeleton of a hermit crab looks like and we are officially an Amsden party of 9 once again.

The mailboxes

2011-06-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

As I was returning from the mail today, I had this fleeting thought... with over 100 houses sharing the same location for their mailbox why do I never see another soul when I am gathering my mail? People collect their mail often, one would assume, since important documents do still come through snail mail; so, where have they gone? Didn't see anyone yesterday or the day before. I see the mailman every once in a while when I am stalking him for the package I am anxiously awaiting, but I never see another resident collecting their mail. Is it because of the time I go? I don't think so as it varies from day to day. Curious to know if your mailboxes are a gathering place or a ghost town?

You know that it is summer

2011-06-01T05:50:00.001-07:00

Summer is a time to break out the sunscreen, crank up the AC (at least my husband would love if I did that--- I am too much of a miser to have it on too long), dust off the coolers, grab the picnic basket and tune up the bikes. As I was driving our neighborhood I noticed many more "second vehicle" cars were parked out in the driveway and as I pulled into our driveway, our sporty Subaru was one of the ones which had been kicked out of the shady, weather protected garage space now occupied by 6 bicycles and a Chariot stroller. It. Is. Summer. Time for the fearless escapades of Ryan and Derek as they tear down the Balance Circle sidewalk like it is the Indy 500 with little care for any obstacles in their way. Time to get the bahooka reconditioned for the ever slim bicycle seat which I swear is made of hard plastic most days. But most of all, it is time to create those lazy summer day memories that I know I will cherish in seven years when Breanna has flown the nest and is headed to college. Now if I could only find that perfect swimsuit...

Sharing a meal...

2011-05-23T20:22:00.001-07:00

Kevin and I are social beings. Always have been. Always will be. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to have a meal with another family. Now, granted, that other family needs to have certain attributes which will compliment ours---an awesome sense of humor, only a slight level of shyness, a wild, spontaneous side, moderately similar food tastes and a good amount of forgiveness and understanding for all of the craziness which will transpire during the dinner. Bonus features include: children the same age, close proximity to our house, being able to read Amy's imaginary reader board, being able to be a night owl, and a love of killer UNO. Now that the precendents have been laid for our dinner guests the point of this blog is simply this... a meal tastes better when shared with friends. Hands down. Doesn't matter if it is cold cereal, filet mignon or a five course meal. Not only does it help my taste buds to savor every flavor but it creates awesome memories that we always treasure and remember. Some of our fondest memories are from 12 years ago when we swapped dinner once a week with some dear friends who lived in the same apartment complex as us. Still use many of her recipies. Still visit and stay with them when we head to Utah. Still love them to pieces. When would you like to share a meal?

Putting down the peanuts

2011-05-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

So, honestly I am blogging right now to force myself to put down Planters Sweet 'N Crunchy peanuts which I am obesessed with right now. I just can's stop eating them, so if I type then I can't open the can, pick the one out with the most sugar coating, pop it on my mouth and chew through the candy coated shell to the.... peanut. Actually cashews are my favorite nut, but any nut candy coated is automatically my favorite. I love those Farmer's Market stands where they roast or coat the nuts right before your eyes with any flavor... cinnamon, cinnamon and sugar, toffee, chipotle and lime, you name it. Delish. My craving is gone. Thank you for helping me so I don't have to run an additional two miles tomorrow.

More summers than most

2011-05-17T18:11:00.001-07:00

As I have been cruising through blogs, facebook stats, memoirs, etc., I noticed a common trend... Kevin and I have been married longer than most of our friends. It may be only by a couple months, but it is still longer. Should I feel old? Should I feel seasoned? Should I hope that in those longer years and more summers of being married that we are able to pass on to our younger comrades the secrets of marriage that we have discovered? Nah... all you younguns get to figure it out for yourselves. :) We will just sit back with our front row tickets and enjoy the show of ya'll sifting through what we already know.

Makes for some excitement in cooking...

2011-05-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

So during our staycation Kevin and I decided to just do some window shopping since we had no kiddos in tow and could browse as long as we wanted to. We started at a strip mall location and then discovered that it was freaking cold! We ditched half of the shops and ate some warm yummies at Panera Bread. We then ventured on to one of my favorite places lately... Penzeys Spices. I just love the smell of the store when I enter the door and then the culinary creative part of my brain just goes wild. Mexican Vanilla, Vietnamese Cinnamon, Garam Marsala blend, India Tellecherry Peppercorns, China Ginger... the list contines on for oodles of time. I am now salivating. I would fit well into Pavlov's expriment. Looking for some taste testers.... :)

Could I do it again?

2011-05-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

As Kevin has returned home from his deployment, I often reflect back on those six months that he was gone and most of the time I say to myself, "Man! Those went by quickly!" but then I stop to think about each of the individual months and realize that many days were more than difficult. Many days were unbearable. Not because the children had a hard day but because he was missing so many memories with the children and I. Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2010, New Years, Audrey's first birthday, Derek's 4th birthday, Kevin's birthday, Valentine's Day, Easter, April Fool's Day, children's events, choir performances were all done without him present. The day came and went and we made it through but I would never choose to do it again if I had the choice. Could we do it again? Absolutely! Would we ever want to? No.
For those of you whose spouses are still deployed you have my heart. You have my compassion. You have my strength when you need it. For those of you whose spouses will deploy, you have my ability to listen, to cry with you, to laugh with you and to buoy you up when you need it. Take from my experience what you need and want. I am more than willing to give anything to help someone through what I experienced.

We may have to go through a deployment sometime in the next eight years. Will I be better prepared for it? I hope so, but I also do not believe that we can ever prepare ourselves fully for the emptiness you feel when your companion is so far away. I love our country, I love my husband and for the sacrifices he makes for what he believes in and for our family. His perspective is amazing and constant. I am so happy he is home. I am once again complete.

I might never understand

2011-05-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

As I was hanging out our American flag today I noticed that we were the only house on our street that had an American flag out. I thought it might be because it was a wee bit early in the morning, but as the day progressed, flags failed to make their appearance on the front doorstep of any house on our street. It saddened me. As I remember living on base in California EVERY house had an American flag waving on almost every day of the year. The base housing office even installed flag holders on every house. I sit and reflect on this and wonder why we are the odd man out on the block? Is it because we have to spend money and time on a flag? Many people spend the money and time to purchase and set up a flag for sports teams outside their houses... why not the flag of our country? I will probably never understand why since it is part of who I am. But if you don't have a flag waving outside your front door, may I suggest you invest the time and money to show your support for the great nation so many men and women are fighting for? Just a thought. :)

A day for bargain hunting

2011-04-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

It came. My first issue to Reader's Digest and also Family Fun! Now you might ask, okay, whoop de dooo... well, I got my subscription to Reader's Digest for under $4 a year and $3 a year for Family Fun. I have always looked for deals on ANYTHING I purchase, but I hadn't ventured into the magazine world until I discovered www.slickdeals.net. I was initially worried that the websites I went through were not all they cracked themselves up to be, but it's official---I am now in their monthly database. Since purchasing those two magainzes, I have found Taste of Home for $4 a year, National Geographic for $10 a year and Oxygen for $4.95 a year. Dude. What else do I want to read?

An Easter Sunday

2011-04-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

So Easter this year was one that will probably fade away quickly. We did have a fabulous day with our friends on Saturday but one huge element was missing... Kevin. However, we woke up Saturday morning to a huge surprise... an "Easter Bunny" left us a basket full of goodies! Whomever did this knows our family incredibly well. What I couldn't get over was several months ago we noticed a family playing "Go Fish" with their children in a restaurant while waiting for their food. I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of that before so I went on a hunt for a "Cars" Go Fish game. Couldn't find one anywhere...what was in the basket? Amongst games for the older children, Weebles for Audrey, cookies ready to be decorated, beautiful flowers for the girl's hair, a CD for me was a Go Fish "Cars" game! I couldn't believe it! It was awesome. It made my day to be remembered by someone who knows our family so well. Thank you.. whomever you are. We look forward to having many picnics with the basket you left. :)

Service

2011-04-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

So pretty much from the time I got myself ready for the day this morning until right this very minute, I have been doing service for others... mainly my children, but others as well. As parents, I believe that the majority of our time does, and should, be focused on our children. In focusing on service to others, outside of our family, the mix of people in this planet we all share is incredible. No two of us are alike and it is a huge growing experience to try and make all the pieces of the puzzle work together in harmony. One person's needs or wants do not fulfill another persons, ideas are interpreted differently across the board, harmony is sought for but rarely achieved in a complete fashion. It's just plain tough to do the right thing for everyone, and then you sit and reflect on the day and wonder who filled your cup?

Consignments...

2011-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I went to my first ever consignment sale today and must say it was worth the trip. After Derek was born, we gave away a good portion of our girl clothes so when Audrey came along, new clothes were needed. So... I decided to venture out. Pretty cool... people get to make money off of their baby clothes, I get a great deal and Audrey is dressed as cute as can be. I think it is every mother's dream to have their baby dolled up every day, but the vast majority of the population certainly can't afford high end retail outfits every day. And we all know those babies only wear those clothes for maybe 6 months. Would I go if I didn't have a baby under 2? Probably not, but since I do, it kept me occupied for a few hours on a Saturday. By the way... two weeks and 6 days left! Wahoo!

A faithful companion

2011-04-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

As I was walking to the kitchen to check on lunch, I heard the sound of the Amsden Family's faithful companion---Ginny, our Jack Russell Terrier following me. I will be the first to admit and our children will always have priority over our dog; however, she bring to our family a joy (most of the time) that we have never seen with other dogs. For intance, since Kevin has been deployed she needs her time to Skype with Kevin. Call me crazy, but she still needs to know that he is still around and loves her. Unfortunately, she doesn't get wrestled around quite as much with him gone, but we do our best to turn her into "White Lightning" around the house where she runs around like a "Crazy Dog" and subsequently throws the kids into fits of hysterical laughter. She greets us at the door when we come home, rids our yard and garage of mice, becomes an electric blanket for the children at night and gives me a sense of security knowing that her hearing is better than mine sometimes. She is predictable, loving and genuinely a great fit into our family.

Library Due Dates

2011-04-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

So library due dates are really just suggestions aren't they? I mean for .10 a day I can keep the item and return it when it is convenient for me or I can drive to the library, use a gallon of gasoline and feel as though I have stayed within the library rules. What is up with a one week "borrowing" time of DVD's? "How It's Made" is meant to be kept for longer than that so we can attempt to make everything ourselves, right? So right now, I am in the overdue status... it's creepy and I kind of don't like it knowing that I am making an educated decision to keep something past the due date (I am NOT a procrastinator or later turner inner.) But money does talk and I will pay our $1 late fee so I can save almost $4 in gasoline. So is life when the government can't agree on a budget, eh?

Etiquette?

2011-04-03T12:27:00.001-07:00

As Kevin and I (lately just myself since Kevin is a few miles away) are out in public with our children, we sometimes get comments about how large our family is. Now, I never imagined I would have a family this large and my mother and father would probably agree with the fact that THEY never thought I would have a family this large since I only have one sibling; nevertheless, Kevin and I have five beautiful children. Not a single surprise pregnancy, either. (We did pay attention in Health class in middle school.) My question is this... if you don't know Kevin or I from Adam and Eve why would you feel it is your privledge to become privvy to the knowledge of if we are having any more children? Have we ever invited you into our bedroom? Have we inquired why you chose to only have one or no children? Just wondering if there is some etiquette book out there that I missed in high school or college? Maybe I missed it in the Reader's Digest or "Ask Heloise" in Good Housekeeping...I chalk it up to mere curiosity, but it still baffles me...

April Fool's Day

2011-03-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

I don't get giddy over every holiday, but April Fool's Day is one that I do look forward to. :) Our kiddos never know what to expect and tomorrow will be no exception... the dough is kneading, the sauce is simmering, the olives are sliced, cheese is grated and tomorrow morning our munchkins will wake to the smell of ...pizza. Delicious, homemade pizza. I can hardly wait.

Where everything is large...

2011-03-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Went to Costco today and as I was backing out our nine passenger Suburban I realized that I really appreciate the engineer who incorporated Costco's parking lot design. The parking spaces are large, the aisle between the car rows is large and it makes it very easy to turn Big Red around and head home with our treasures. I love that the shopping cart can fit two of my children in the front, that we have to split a Churro just to finish it all between the three of us, that two carts can go down the same aisle together and not hit each other, that I can purchase the largest bag of already shelled peas for my boys and I am instantly the best mom ever. Another great part of the shopping trip today???? I spent under $50! I swear there is a cover charge added at the cash registers because the under 50 mark doesn't happen too often with five children...

If you are hired as a gardener...

2011-03-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

So I was at King Soopers today and lo and behold they have started bringing out the greenery... yes the beautiful potted plants we all want to take home and plant to beautify our homes. One problem... it was 50 degrees with a wind and they had Impatients outside. It absolutely breaks my heart to see these poor plants withering due to the chill and makes me want to scold the people ignorant enough to put them outside. For heavens sake, if you are hired to be a greenery purchase person, do your homework. Or better yet--- hire me. :)

The women's locker room

2011-03-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

I know the title is a little "risque"; however, today was a crazy day in the women's locker room at the Y! I don't know if it was because it was Spring Break for District 20 or what the deal-i-o was but when I entered this morning at 8:20 AM there were blowdryers running, curling irons steaming, showers pouring, women everywhere (thankfully dressed in towels) but it was just busy! And then as I was hopping on the scale, I noticed the scent of all the body lotions and hair products was quite nice and then I thought to myself... I bet the men's locker room doesn't smell like this. I will take the craziness if I can have the nice smell anyday. Tough luck my manly friends. I guess you could break out the AXE body spray. :)

A growing experience

2011-03-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

So when our choir performs, I always have butterflies hours before. Thankfully I have gotten past the point of not sleeping at night and I do get a good night's rest, but right now, right at this moment, the butterflies are churning. I am running through the piece in my head page by page, remembering breath marks, slurs, ritardandos, dimuendos, etc. But the trickiest is when one section of voices is holding and the other is beginning---cutting one off, keeping the other going, two hands, four sections of voices. I think I may need those octopus arms a bit sooner than later.

A fun St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

So this year I have decided to send the kiddos on a scavenger hunt and make the house look like a leprechaun has been causing mischief. Here is the final note with their "pot of gold"

Ode to the Amsden Children

You thought you could run
You thought you could hide
But the Leprechaun from Crestview
Has found where you bide.

You may try to set traps
Or lure me with sweets
But I am too tricky
For even you, my peeps.

Pictures will be coming. :)

It has finally come full circle

2011-03-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

So as I sat at the piano and played a duet tonight with our daughter, Courtney, I realized that I felt fulfilled. Not just a small fulfillment, a large make your heart grow fulfillment. All of those years of encouragement, explaining why she should learn this instrument, patience, patience and more patience during teaching moments were all fulfilled tonight. I realize that she will continue to improve on her playing and learn many more techniques, etc. in the coming years, but tonight for the three minutes we sat together, I was overcome with joy for the hard work we have both put in over the years. It. Was. Awesome.

A day to never forget

2011-03-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

This is just going to be short and sweet as it has been a VERY long day...
8.8 earthquake in Japan
Tsunamis as a result
Husband deployed to Japan

Phone call at 0700
Husband asking if I had been watching the news
I ask, "Why should I be watching the news?"
He then begins with, "I am safe."

A day to remember...

The Bucket List

2011-03-10T21:19:00.001-08:00

I have been realizing for quite some time now that this will be our last full summer in Colorado. So, I am making a Bucket List and am going to do my darndest to fill up every weekend with something or someplace we want to visit. Thoughts? Suggestions? Places you have visited? Places you wish you would have toured?

A good night's rest

2011-03-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

I realized this morning that I haven't slept through the night for about 16 months straight. Several factors play into this:
1) The last months of pregnancy are never conducive to a full nights sleep. Bladders just aren't made as big as they should be.
2) I always have wild and crazy dreams when Kevin is TDY/Deployed. These are dreams I usually wake from and say to myself, "What in the world does a peacock have to do with the landing of a hovercraft?" The last trimester of my pregnancy with Audrey was no exception.
3) I had a baby. ' Nuf said.
4)Our dog, Ginny, apparently is getting whimpier in her older age and will only stay outside to do one of her two duties. So, then at 3 or 4 AM she wakes me to go outside and do the one she was too lazy or cold to do when I let her out before bed. Seriously? This is also the dog who has to Skype with Kevin or she demonstrates bad behavior when I leave her alone in the house.
Maybe tonight will be different, but I highly doubt it. If the kids are late for school, you will know that my miracle finally occurred.

It is SO not fair

2011-03-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

So why is it that when you need some comfort the most, namely when viruses attack your otherwise healthy body, your sinuses get stuffed with thick colored gunk which then inhibits your sense of taste? It is SO not fair! One of the times I would like to sit and savor the taste of a hot cup of peppermint tea or some chicken noodle soup and all I can gather is that it is either salty or sweet... no distinct taste whatsoever. Lame-O. So today I ate foods that I really didn't care for, but would give me some energy to spite my taste buds. How's that for revenge? It too is Lame-O.

In an effort to get my beloved spouse blogging

2011-03-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

I had this fleeting thought yesterday... it would be super awesome if Kevin would post a few blog entries from Japan. I know several men who blog and I find it very entertaining to read their posts. Kevin is a smart guy with awesome insights...maybe he should give it a whack. So I broached the idea with him last night and I was informed that our blog was too "foo foo" for him to post on. Hence the stripes. Here you go Kev... a manly blog with a feminine touch just for you! :)

National Military Family Association: 2011 Operation Purple® Camp Hosts Selected in 25 States

2011-03-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

National Military Family Association: 2011 Operation Purple® Camp Hosts Selected in 25 States

Today, like many other days, I am grateful...

2011-03-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Today has been a day of gratitude...
grateful for a warm and safe home
grateful for people who share the belief in Christianity as I
grateful for modern medicine
grateful for someone taking time out of their morning to spend it in mine
grateful for simple gestures
grateful for inspired church organizations
grateful to come home to an empty sink with clean dishes drying off to the side
grateful to know my children can exercise empathy and concern for a sibling

As with everyone, or so it seems, we have been attacked by the unseen menaces in our society... viruses and bacteria. The concern, love and friendship extended not only during this time, but routinely in our lives has a price far above rubies.

And this... is how our food budget is so minimal...

2011-03-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

None of these items are generic or small sizes...

8 Old Orchard Frozen 100% Juice Concentrate
1 6 pack Megamind Airheads
4 Mentos rolls
13 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks (Fruit by the Foot, Scooby Doo, Gushers, 100% Fruit Rolls ups, etc)
3 Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal
3 Golden Graham Cereal
1 Cocoa Puffs Cereal
4 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
3 Total Raisin Bran Cereal
1 Cocoa Krispies Cereal (Family Size)
2 Rice Krispies Cereal (Family Size)
1 Honey Bunches of Oats (Family Size)
1 Large California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken
1 36 count Rhodes Rolls
4 Oscar Mayer Deli Selects Meat and Cheese Lunchable like trays

Grand Total: $26.39 An average savings of 85% But wait!
The Catalina Machine spat out $7 in register rewards that I can use my next shopping trip and in my world I always subtract that amount from what I spent on the day I shopped because I incorporated that money into how much I saved, so
Grand Total: $19.37!!!

The weather

2011-03-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

The weather here is nuts. Two days ago, 60 degrees, today raining something which looked like kosher salt. Yes, is will all melt by tomorrow and I will be left with my nasty, crunchy brown grass which seems to want to live inside my house instead of wait dutifully to do its job in the summer. I must say I have been less than impressed with the snowfall we have experienced this year. We were stocked with gloves, hats, coats, snowpants, boots, the works and we have yet to build a snowman over 12 inches high. As I am writing this, Courtney meanders over to tell me about her school day carrying a handful of chocolate chips---I hold out my hand palm side up which in parent language is "Fork some over, kid" and she hands me one. One chocolate chip. I love that girl!

So, I may be turning a new leaf

2011-03-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, I have used the blog to keep grandparents up to date on the happenings of our craziness here in the Amsden household, and I firmly believe that Facebook killed the blogging world or at least slowed it down a little bit--- that being said, I think I MAY be ready to venture into being a blogger once again but this time just try "writing" instead of "posting". Not sure what the difference will actually be but I am willing to give it a try. My first entry... Why must everything my body craves to eat be so chock full of calories? Doritos...Lemon Meringue Pie, Hot Chocolate, Nachos, the list could go on and on but I will spare the details of my crappy eating habits for maybe another day. In watching calories like a hawk, I have determined that I need to find a new love for veggies and fruits; unfortunately, the place to do this would have been California as most of our produce here is shipped from there so... I am on the hunt for GOOD tasting produce. I have developed a love for red peppers and actually ate broccoli on purpose the other day. Shocking, I know...

The brownie recipe I have been looking for my entire married life!

2011-02-01T14:10:00.001-08:00

Supernatural Brownies
From Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers, by Nick Malgieri.

Makes about twenty-four 2-inch-square brownies

Though the name sounds an exaggeration, you’ll agree that these brownies are absolutely out of this world.

•16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
•8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
•4 large eggs
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 cup granulated sugar
•1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•1 cup all-purpose flour
One 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment or foil

1. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over pan of water. Stir occasionally until melted.

3. Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in flour.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top has formed a shiny crust and batter is moderately firm. Cool in pan on a rack. Wrap pan in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature or refrigerated until next day.

5. To cut brownies, unmold onto a cutting board, remove paper, and replace with another cutting board. Turn cake right side up and trim away edges. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares.

Serving: Serve the brownies on their own or with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

Storage: The best way to store brownies is to wrap them individually and keep them at room temperature in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Or freeze them.

Note: If you have a 12 x 18-inch commercial half-sheet pan, you may double this recipe easily.

Frosting:

1 8 oz. block cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
At least 1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP half and half

Mix first two ingredients together and then add the rest. Keep adding powdered sugar until you have your desired consistency. I frost my brownies so they have about 1/4 inch of frosting. Oh yummy!

Christmas Letter 2010

2010-11-30T07:14:00.000-08:00

Amsden Family Update – Christmas 2010
In the military, when an operational unit reports its status, it often uses the acronym NSTR, Nothing Significant To Report. One day we’d love to be able put that down on our Christmas Letter: “NSTR … Merry Christmas everyone”! However, with the addition of our fifth child, yet another move and Kevin on a deployment, we definitely have significant things to report. Oh well, maybe next year :)!
2010 began with the birth of our fifth child on January 28th. As we drove up the California Coast to the hospital, under a moon so bright that we could see the boats docked in the bay near Pismo Beach, we reminisced about the birth of a fourth child (Derek) on the night after a horrendous blizzard in Colorado where we weren’t even sure we’d make it to the hospital. Definitely one of the blessings of being in California! Audrey is a beautiful, happy, patient little girl, with a head full of hair (unlike our other babies) who is freely climbing up stairs and is on the verge of walking already – let the fun begin!
Amy has long had a theory that every time the Air Force sees us add another child to our insurance, the personnel office decides it’s time for us to move. True to form, we made our fourth move with a newborn baby this summer! Luckily, we moved back to Colorado Springs and are back in the same house – with 2 more kids! It was great to already know the area, our neighbors and members of our church. This move has felt as close to “coming home” as we’re probably going to experience in the Air Force. We’ll definitely count that as a blessing, especially considering our next item to report.
Shortly after Kevin started his job at AF Space Command, he was told he’s on the top of the list to deploy. His previous space jobs supported military operations around the world, but he was able to do it from home. However, his current job is a staff one and the Air Force has determined it was time for him to ship out. Thankfully, he was blessed with a unique opportunity to be in charge of a small unit in Okinawa, Japan. He arrived the week before Thanksgiving and is scheduled to be back in May. Technology has been a major blessing with him gone, as we’re able to Skype (video teleconference) daily. It has certainly been a challenge being apart, however, we have felt the Lord’s hand in the whole thing and trust we will all do well.
In the mean time, Amy is enjoying a new experience at church. As a lifelong piano player, she has always supported choirs from behind the ivory keys. However, since our church leaders in Colorado already knew Amy could play (she was the pianist when we lived here before), they asked her to branch out and become the choir director! She had never conducted before and apprehensively accepted the challenge. It has been an enormous blessing for the church and for her personally. With her smile and enthusiasm, she has changed the choir from a fledging little group and drawn out anyone with musical ability – sometimes by way of threats :). Choir practices routinely fill every seat on the stand and the performances are truly inspiring!
The rest of the kiddos continue to amaze us. They are all veracious readers and are doing great in school. Breanna is in sixth grade, is playing trumpet in band, playing piano in orchestra, is in the choir and just got a part in the school Christmas play! Ryan is in the third grade, is playing the piano, plays basketball at school, and is progressing in Cub Scouts. Courtney is also playing piano, is in the school choir and learning ballet. Derek started preschool and routinely “plays the piano” as well. The house is a three ring circus at times, especially on school days, but we wouldn’t have it any other way :)!
We are so grateful for all that God has done for us, and count our blessings every day! We hope each of you is well and that you get to enjoy Christ’s love during the Christmas season. Merry Christmas everyone!

The madness that we call life...

2010-08-11T20:15:00.001-07:00

So here we are back in Colorado Springs, back in our house and have almost removed all traces of our renters. :) Three of our children start their 2010 school year tomorrow, one starts preschool this year and Audrey and I will get some time to enjoy her infancy. I am once again consumed with couponing and getting our food budget back down to $250 a month, Kevin is going to start teaching at PPCC again and is dreaming of his DARPA days.

Breanna is considering playing the cello and all I have to say is "You go girl!" The only drawback...the thing is a monster to carry around. All the kiddos are involved in gymnastics and piano, Courtney is exploring ballet, Ryan is wanting to do Cross Country again and Derek LOVES to ride his bike. I have a feeling he will be going to two wheels here pretty darn soon. Audrey is sitting up, and is still just a petite little beauty. Her hair seems to have some curl to it which we are super excited for and adores sweet peas. We have a new photo website--I have to give you access to get to it, so if you would like to keep updated with us, just let me know.

Audrey's newborn pictures

2010-02-16T13:14:00.001-08:00

Here is our beautiful daughter. Seeing these pictures made me wish I had paid the moolah to get them done with each child, but better late than never! :)

Little Miss Audrey

2010-01-31T12:18:00.001-08:00

Audrey Blenda joined our family on January 28th at 07:05 AM. She weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces and was 19 inches long. We made it all the way up to San Luis Obispo without having to deliver her in the car and enjoyed the beautiful moonight drive along the Central Coast in the process. What a change from Derek coming in the middle of a blizzard! We were expecting a small little peanut but not a six pounder. :) More pictures to come this week! Here's a preview...

Randomness

2010-01-21T13:16:00.001-08:00

So as our lives are about to get turned upside down once again with our new addition wanting to make her entrance, I thought I had better post a quick update so as not to appear that I am totally slacking.

1. I have run out of things to clean. Everything from inside the washing machine to the silverware drawer has been done.
2. The rainy weather has been fabulous and I love the change.
3. Bending is a graceful movement that I took for granted for too long. Yes I am 37 weeks and little Audrey will most likely come soon. She just has to wait for Grandma Dee to get here from New York. Hold on for 4 more days, baby!
4. Courtney lost her first tooth. She was so excited and her second one is wiggling its way out to follow suit.
5. Ryan has fallen in love with skateboarding and we make our way to the skate park every weekend it seems.
6. Home is where the Air Force sends us...an update on this one would be nice.
7. Breanna has developed a taste for "Hobbit Food" and quizzes us every night on new things she has learned reading "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit."
8. Derek is now yelling "Fire in the Hole!" every time he pees in the toilet. Hilarious!
9. Kevin is now an all weather runner as he ran in the drenching rain this morning with his squadron. You go honey! I will join you in...sigh, not soon enough. :)
10. Our last trip to Disneyland is fast approaching and I am already saddened at the thought of having to leave our "Happy Place" this summer. Bummer.

New Year's Eve 2009

2010-01-01T10:56:00.001-08:00

So our annual tradition since living in California has been to go to the beach on New Year's Eve. Yesterday we happened to go when the tide was -1 and it was amazing. Absolutely amazing. What a wonderful world we have to live in...

I have found what I am intimidated by...

2009-12-29T13:53:00.000-08:00

So, for a few years now I have been contemplating getting a nice camera. I have hummed and hawed, gawked, shopped around, talked to several friends and photographers, you name it--I have probably done it except the deed itself of forking out the moolah to buy the thing. For Christmas this year, Kevin absolutely, completely and astoundingly bought me my dream piece of machinery...a Nikon D90. It has since sat on our counter faithfully charging longing to be picked up and used only to receive a faceoff from me in which it inevitably won. I must say it is perfect timing with our little one arriving in less than 6 weeks, but I still find myself increasingly intimidated by this camera probably due to the fact that a great picture is just more than hardware--it now includes software editing, learning a totally new vocabulary, using natures gifts correctly and then mixing them all together. We'll see how this goes but here are some firsts...

2009-12-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

So as I was perusing through all of our other favorite blogs after the kids were to bed the other night, I was relieved to know that our blog was not the only one which had been neglected. A once a month post seems to be about my average, and considering everything going on I feel pretty good about that. Some updates...we are down to 9 weeks left with this pregnancy and Kevin and I were able to have a getaway to Monterey Bay, CA while he was doing some work up there, we headed to Sea World and Disneyland for Thanksgiving and had an absolute blast (Kevin was able to take some time off from his internship to come home), we found out we are moving next summer, and it is almost time for Christmas Break! Here are some pictures describing our adventures with more than words...
1) Kevin and the kids won a pie eating contest at our hotel in San Diego
2) Disneyland
3) Watching Shamu at Sea World
4) Listening to a barbershop quartet at Disneyland and resting our tired feet
5) Kevin and I were able to have a "babymoon" in Monterey, CA

2009 School Year Pictures

2009-11-03T10:17:00.001-08:00

Carving of the pumpkins

2009-10-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

So we braved the eewie gooieness of the pumpkin guts and did all four of them without the master pumpkin carver, Kevin, this year. The kids were thoroughly convinced I would botch it up, but I think they came out pretty well. Whew! They are done! Next alligator to the boat...

Time to jot down some thoughts

2009-10-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

So as a few people have mentioned that I needed to update our blog, I thought...well now is better than never! So here goes...

Kevin is at a DARPA Internship--a fabulous opportunity for him and he is loving every minute.

Derek potty trained in ONE, yes ONE day. All it took was a little potty. None of the other kids have ever wanted to use one, but he knew exactly what to do with it when we unwrapped it from the store. He hasn't seen a diaper since. Nursery was a success today as well as we left church in the same clothes he went in. Absolutely amazing and I give him all of the credit.

I love www.hulu.com.

We offically returned our receiver for Direct TV and will be cable/satellite free for who knows how long. It is quite liberating I must say.

Trampolines were one of the best inventions ever made.

PTA is rolling along, Landsharks has started for the season, growing another person in your 30's uses more energy cells than it did in your 20's, and having kiddos on a 7:00 PM bedtime routine is fabulous!

The three oldest have started golfing lessons and Courtney won the prize for best distance last week. Who knew?

Wishing were at Disneyland this week for Courtney's birthday. That is one place I really wouldn't want to tackle without Kevin...Derek tends to run faster than me these days.

Found a fabulous cake/cupcake icing recipe that uses marshmallow creme...great combination of the sweetness of regular frosting and the consistency of whipped cream frosting. I think we will keep it around for a while.

Learned how prepared we were for evacuating our home due to a fire on the base. Really don't want to have to do that again, but now the Suburban sits in the driveway with a FULL tank of gas.

And I have an 11 year old in the house. How did this happen? How did she grow up so quickly? 7 more years and she will be off to college. Oh my goodness. I just can't think about that. Craziness I tell you, pure craziness.

Not missing the 20 degree coldness of Colorado right now. We can still go for walks all around the base in a sweatshirt and take that off mid morning. Although I do miss the colors of fall...

Happy Sunday thoughts...

Amsden...Party of 7

2009-09-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, we did it! We took the leap and we are expecting a baby girl in February. Yes it was planned and we have been enjoying our decision every day since we made it. The children are absolutely beside themselves with excitement and Courtney has already started putting clothes in her dresser. The downside of this all? We sold almost all of our 0-12 month old girl clothes before we moved from Colorado because we thought our family was complete so now we get to go shopping. I am sure I will not have to convince the girls much to come with me on that shopping trip. :) Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine having a family this large and yet here we are just as happy as peas in a pod. We're contemplating taking the baby on her first outing to Disneyland. Anyone want to join?

It has been so long

2009-08-17T10:46:00.001-07:00

So I truly believe that Facebook killed the blog; however, I have vowed to redouble my efforts! So to start off with, this is how I found Derek the other morning...

I am thinking it might be time to make another trip to Disneyland...

From our trip to Utah and Colorado...
We played at Grandma and Grandpa Labbee's house then scooted on up to Pleasant Grove for a family reunion. We then headed over to Colorado Springs and enjoyed all 14 of us living in the same house for a week and then stopped in Las Vegas for an overnighter which included PF Changs and gas station nachos. We made it back to California in once piece and loved hearing, seeing and smelling the ocean. Ginny was very happy to see us and it was wonderful to come home to a larger home! Now to focus on school starting in two days!

The many sides of Ginny....

2009-02-14T16:16:00.001-08:00

Breanna decided to dress our Jack Russell Terrier up today...I thought the middle one was particularly hilarious considering the recent news...

Michael Phelps...

Homemade Laundry Soap

2009-01-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

So a friend of ours mentioned that she had started making her own laundry soap which was supposed to be equivalent to Tide with Bleach---and my ears perked up. So on New Years Day I went down with my ten one gallon containers and proceeded to cook up some laundry soap. I do believe that I am sold hook, line and sinker on the stuff.

Items you will need:

5 gallon bucket with lid
grater
long handled spoon
pan you don't mind cooking soap in
10 one gallon containers
2 quart measuring cup

Here is the recipe:

4 cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 cup washing soda (go to Arm and Hammer's website and it will give you the closest location of a store that sells it)
1/2 cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with the 4 cups of hot water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a five-gallon bucket half full of hot tap water Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to the top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let overnight to thicken.

The next day fill each gallon (milk) container with two quarts of solution from your five gallon bucket and fill the rest of the way with water. Voila! Ten gallons of laundry soap.

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons if you would prefer scented soap.

Top loading machine: 3/4 cup per load (approximately 215 loads)
Front loading (HE) machine 3/8 cup (approximately 430 loads)--I just fill mine to the line in the laundry soap dispenser.

Keep in mind this is a low to no sudsing soap, so don't be concerned if you don't see any bubbles.

Powder Laundry Detergent

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax

Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use one TBSP. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 TBSP. Yields: three cups detergent.

Our Family 2008

2009-01-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here are our most recent family photos--for those of you following me on Facebook you have seen these already, but for those of you new to my blog you can get a glimpse into our family! :)

Kevin's Major Promotion Ceremony

2008-12-15T09:54:00.001-08:00

Our favorite picture is of the girls pinning his rank on...

Christmas Card Rating System

2008-12-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

I came across this perusing the internet and couldn't stop laughing--I thought I would share. And yes, I will keep track of your score...

Card received: +5
Card received before December 1st: -1
Card received after December 25th: -1
Card is pretty, and looks nice on wall: +3
Card is glittery: +1
Card does not contain card, but only letter, so there is nothing to put up on wall: -3
Card is e-card: -5

Card includes photo or is photo card: +5
More than one photo: +2 each additional photo

Photo is non-Christmassy so will look good on fridge all year: +1
Photo is Christmassy so increases holiday feeling of card: +1

Red-eye causes family to appear possessed by evil Christmas spirit: -1
Photo was taken on beach this past summer in summer clothing, so family looks chilly against winter pattern of card: -1
Photo includes dogs with glowing eyes who seem poised to eat humans: -1

Card includes letter: +5
Letter is informative and interesting: +3
Letter describes child as "amazing" or "already an avid reader at age 3!": -3 each
Letter is so braggy and saccharine-cheery, I wonder why I associate with these people: -3
Letter is so very braggy and saccharine-cheery, it crosses over into comical and becomes fun to read aloud in an unkind tone of voice: +2
Letter is a sermon disguised as a Christmas letter, and contains pious hopes for our country, for mankind, and for me personally: -5
Letter mentions details of gross surgery: -1 or +1, depending on entertainment value
Letter contains thinly-veiled family gossip: +3
Letter contains information that should have been told earlier: -2

Card includes check: +5
Large check: +10

Card includes announcement of pregnancy: +10
Card from Christmas Card Friends contains surprising news of baby born since last card sent: +10

Let's Say Thanks! Thank you Xerox

2008-12-02T13:06:00.001-08:00

What a great idea...

Thanksgiving 2008 San Diego, CA

2008-12-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to make a run for the border and went to San Diego. We visited Sea World, the Little Italy district, the USS Midway aircraft carrier and the inside of our hotel room since three out of the six of us either got the flu or food poisoning--eew! The silver lining on that one is that I didn't have to wash the sheets! Hee Hee.

Enjoy the holidays!

Why Men Are Never Depressed (I found this hilarious!)

2008-11-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:

Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple
creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans
take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be
President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a
water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you
the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas
station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop
and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never
stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut,
blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about
tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all
your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of
thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be
your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more
than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable
to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original
color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to
shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes --
one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs
look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of
choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25
minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

Courtney's Totem Pole

2008-11-13T09:11:00.001-08:00

So this was our latest project that we have been working on...Courtney named herself "Soaring Bluebird" and this is what we came up with...pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. :)

Halloween 2008

2008-11-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

Well here is the photo that was taken at the Fall Dance...I am still hunting for my camera which has our memory card in it...thankfully it doesn't have a whole lot on it and the majority was downloaded to facebook.com. Maybe it is a sign to get a new camera. :)

Disneyland October 2008

2008-10-27T11:59:00.001-07:00

We are saving up to stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite...The Paradise Pier Hotel was incredible and we are headed back in February if anyone wants to join...

Our Landsharks 2008 Cross Country Team

2008-10-19T20:34:00.001-07:00

The answer to the riddle:

2008-10-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

Mowing our "lawn"...isn't that just great? Good grief...

Can you guess what Kevin has been doing?

2008-10-13T16:09:00.001-07:00

Yes that is a dirt line on his arm...Once again, you will get the little gold star on your forehead if you are "the winner!"

Ryan's field trip to Avila Barn

2008-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Kevin went on his first "first grade" field trip last week. They traveled to a place called "Avila Barn" where you can pick your own produce and also see some pretty cute animals. Ryan picked a pumpkin for himself and one for Derek--what a thoughtful big brother. Of course the ride on the big yellow bus was a highlight of the trip.

Breanna's 10th birthday

2008-10-13T09:05:00.001-07:00

Breanna turned ten last week and I am still in denial about having a child in the "double digits". She had a pizza and movie party and "The Great Kevino" put on a magic show for her friends. Courtney then decided to schedule her dad for her birthday party this coming weekend. We are so proud of you Breanna and it brings tears to my eyes when I think of what a beautiful young woman you are becoming. Keep up the good work kiddo and I will find that shrinking machine one day!

Twin Day

2008-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Friday was Twin Day at Crestview. Thank you Valereigh and Will for being twins and Emma, Abby and Rylan for being part of quadruplets!

Ryan's birthday

2008-10-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

So Ryan's birthday begins our yearly adventure of one birthday a week for an entire month...
He wanted to have his party at the local pizzaria Mi Amore. The main reason for him wanting to have it there is to play all of the arcade games. I figure once a year can't hurt too much. He also decided he wanted to be "healthier" when it came to classroom snacks so he brought yogurt parfaits. They were a huge hit. Happy 7th birthday Ryan. We love you!

S is for Spider

2008-10-02T12:59:00.001-07:00

This is absolutely one of my favorite days in Kindergarten. S is for Spider and they bring home these adorable hats.

Minuteman Beach

2008-09-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of our favorite beaches. On this particular trip the kids hit the "sand dollar gold mine" and brought about 30 sand dollars home they then proceeded to paint them the next day with acrylic paint. Mighty pretty they are! We also found some fiesty crabs and had a "crab race" back to the ocean. The best part about this beach is that it is owned by the government and not available to the general public and you can see how crazy my family is because they are all in swimming suits on this blustery day and the smart one of the family is nice and warm in a sweatshirt. :)

Jalama Beach

2008-09-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

So we just discovered this great little get away not far from our house. Jalama Beach is a county park and has camping areas, showers (a must for Amy) and is a fantastic boogie boarding beach! We will definitely be returning...

First day of school!

2008-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

So the 20th of August was the first day of school for not one, not two but three of our children! That's right folks...Courtney is in Kindergarten. Don't worry it makes me feel older than I would like as well. The trek to the school is made interesting by all of the construction happening around us and I can truthfully say I ride uphill to school both ways and will be doing so in the rain pretty soon. We have two streets that have significant hills (well significant when I am riding a bike and towing a trailer with an almost 2 year old and frequently a 4 year old in it). I am currently taking applications for the "Thighs of Steel Program" sponsored by yours truly. I refuse to fight the traffic and pay the high gas prices so we bike to school--EVERY DAY and for me it is THREE times a day. Poor Derek tries to fit in a nap somewhere along the way. He is getting to be a pro at eating on the run and many times falls asleep in the stroller on the way home. I am enjoying my mornings and have been kept busy organizing the 200+ volunteers for our PTA. We have an absolutely amazing school and it makes up for many of the inconveniences we face living on base with new housing being built. Our recycling project is taking off as well as our adopt-a-classroom project. Hensel Phelps just committed to sponsor 10 classrooms! Yipee! Anywho...there is our update in a nutshell or maybe an eggshell since this so long...

A Junior Triathlon

2008-08-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

So...Breanna and Ryan competed in their first triathlon this weekend! It consisted of a 50 yard swim, 1 mile bike and 1/4 mile run. Of course butterflies abounded while they were waiting for their turn but we cannot puff out of feathers enough for them doing this! Ryan took first place in his age division and Breanna took third. Way to go guys!

Now if they only had a triathlon like that for me...

Cousin Camp 2008

2008-07-29T19:07:00.001-07:00

Well 30 people and one shower can create some fun! Craig and Toni, Wendy and Theron, Des and Brian and our best friends Tanan and Suzanne Miles came to cousin camp this year--along with Grandma and Grandpa of course. As you can tell from the pictures our time was well spent and we had everything from hula dancing to backwards day. The pond was definitely a highlight and the zip line was amazing! We learned that canoes tip over very easily (right Grandma and Grandpa) that Pulled Pork Sandwiches are great for a crowd and that washers and dryers can run pretty much 24 hours a day. Loves to all of you! Thanks for coming!

Guess how much....

2008-07-29T18:55:00.001-07:00

So I do this all the time to Kevin when I get a steal of a deal while grocery shopping. Coupons are still a huge part of my budget every month and I am interested to see how much you think I spent on the following...

1 pint of blueberries

2 1.75 quarts of Albertson's ice cream

1 Chocolate turtle chex mix

5 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal

4 boxes of Golden Graham cereal

9 boxes of Cocoa Puffs cereal

6 boxes of Trix cereal

8 boxes Betty Crocker fruit snacks---scooby doo, transformers, you name it

4 boxes Fruit Roll-Ups

2 boxes of Curves granola bars

3 boxes Nature Valley Sweet and Salty granola bars

4 boxes of Nature Valley Original granola bars

3 boxes of Fiber One granola bars

1 package of Mint Oreos

1 Cheerios Snack Mix

4 Yoplait YO+ yogurts (4 to a pack)

That is right folks---60 brand name items for how much moolah? Take your best guess! :)

My pretty, pretty peaches...

2008-07-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

So I learned a few things this time around while canning my peaches...
1) Putting the pit in the jar really does make the color more peachy
2) The "get rid of the air bubbles thing" before you seal them up is valid
3) I love making these knowing how yummy they are--I could hardly keep the kids from doing the old "one for me, one for the jar" routine

Now if I can only get unstuck from the floor...

Anyone?

2008-06-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there use Vonage? I am getting pretty tired of Verizon and wanted to know what you thought...

Absolutely amazing--I can't stop watching

2008-06-28T11:33:00.001-07:00

glumbert - Guitar never seemed so hard

Visit his website at www.andymckee.com.

Newest addiction

2008-06-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

Going Going Gone!

2008-06-26T11:03:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been to Vandenberg, you will probably remember the old housing, but the beautiful trees surrounding them. Well this is what we get to look at everyday now--right across the street. Progress definitely has a down side...
New field grade houses are slated to be on Aspen and Cedar later this fall. Maybe, just maybe we have a 1 percent chance of moving into one. That might make all of this construction traffic and noise actually worth it. I hate seeing trees bulldozed...I also added some more photos to our Utah trip.

Who do you Goodsearch for?

2008-06-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Crestview is up and running with this Yahoo! based provider. Change your search engine and our PTA will get a penny for every search you do!

Photos from Kevin's trip to the Marshall Islands

2008-06-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

So here it is--what Kevin gets to do when he goes on a business trip...

Our first summer vacation 2008

2008-06-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

We took our first vacation to Northern Utah and attended Kevin's sister's wedding in Springville. While we were there, we visited the family I nannied for years ago--The Roney's. They built a beautiful home and let us stay in their "barn"--really very unique and beautiful part of their home that has been constructed from pieces of wood you would build a barn out of. After the wedding we headed to Pleasant Grove and stayed with Dad and Darlene. We visited BYU campus (trying to indoctrinate the kids early), took a trip to Lagoon, ate at our favorite restaurants, visited friends, surprised some family (Hillary's baby blessing) and Kevin met the Mecham side of the family. Overall a great trip and we are gearing up for our next one in July.

Derek's adventures

2008-06-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

So I turn my soaker hose on to water my flowers and lo and behold the water travels the path of least resistance and makes a puddle. Derek escapes outside with Ginny (our dog) because she jumped up and opened the screen door and where does he go? Of course to the puddle. By the time I made it outside (a few seconds later) here he was in all of his glory. Covered from head to toe in sandy dirty water. I had to spray him off in the sink before I could even get his clothes off--oh and by the way this all happened right as we were leaving to pick up Ryan from kindergarten. Of course!

Later that day he ate corn on the cob for the first time and you can tell how it was received....I have never seen a cob so clean!

Watercolor

2008-05-24T15:55:00.001-07:00

Courtney created this in preschool this week and for whatever reason, I think it was her choice of colors, I held onto it and wanted to add it to her art collection. It was simple yet the colors blended so nicely...
Breanna had her science fair this week and learned that Great Northern Beans, Lima Beans, Kidney Beans and Black Eyed Peas have diverse growing habits, it was Open House for both the kiddos and I cannot say enough nice things about Breanna and Ryan's teachers. Ryan came home with a huge portfolio stuffed full of work he had done throughout the year with pictures of him each month. Breanna came home with wonderful art projects and her writing composition folder. I cannot believe how fast my little ones are growing up. I will have a fourth grader next year! Augh! AND Courtney starts Kindergarten. Where does the time go?

We had our Landsharks end of season party today at the base pool and had so much fun. I think Kevin and I have found our niche in sports together...

For Memorial Day, we are hangin' out here. Going anywhere along with the millions of people living in California just does not sound all that thrilling. We tried on a weekend once and you would have thought Tom Cruise was at the same place we were there were so many people. Welcome to LA!

And now from your PTA President...Just a reminder to keep saving all of your Box Tops for Education, Campbells labels and Tyson A+ labels over the summer. They really help out your schools and thank you Grandma Dee for sending them to us!

The answer to the riddle

2008-05-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

He was at the Marshall Islands--more specifically Kwajaleian Atoll. The island is a mile and a half wide with a golf course literally right on the coast!