Fresh Tomatoes and The Joys of Being Sick

Last night I was up until 4:00 am coughing.  That was brutal. But listen to all of the wonderful things that have come to me as a result of this sickness!

1. Both kids nap.

2. Instead of working out while my kids nap I get to do fun stuff like update my blog and read books and relax. Rare luxuries at any other time in my life.

3. I don't have to make dinner. Last night my friend Tanys brought us a delicious hot meal and tonight  Crystal is bringing over soup. I love women.

4. I get to sit and watch TV with my kids while snuggling and kissing them. Growing up I always looked forward to being able to sit and watch TV with my kids. I love kid shows and kid books. I don't know why it never occurred to me that I would have to use TV time to pack in as much cleaning, cooking, bill-paying, meal-planning and showering as I could. So it's nice to do it and not feel guilty.

5. Brad really steps it up a notch. On Saturday Brad folded laundry. I swear that is the first time I have seen him fold laundry in the entire time we've been married. And not only that, he did a great job! He even folded the towels in my very own precise, too-picky way. So all this time he has been pretending he didn't know how to do it the way I like...I'm onto you now Brad, bwah ha ha ha...

6. Last but definitely not least, I've lost 2 pounds just sitting around doing nothing. Apparently being sick burns calories. Who knew!?

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Thanks to my sister-in-law Jill who grew them in her garden, I had a whole bunch of beautiful, fresh tomatoes to make yummy stuff with.

First my mother-in-law helped me make salsa...(I've done it by myself before and it was a lot of work. Definitely better to do it with someone.)

Then I made some beautiful red tomato sauce to put on whole wheat pasta...

And finally some homemade pizza with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. I find it so satisfying to making healthy, yummy food with free, fresh, tasty home-grown tomatoes.

Thanks, Jill and Karen!!

All Things Bright and Beautiful

A delightful book by James Herriot that leaves you feeling pleasantly uplifted. Like an old friend, you can leave it for long stretches and pay it no attention, but you pick it up and start right where you left off. Then put it down feeling a bit happier.

In this the second book in a series, James Herriot outlines his adventures as a farm veterinarian in the late 1930's. He often expresses a love for nature and an awareness of the beauty around him. He sees animals as part of that nature, and expresses a gentle love and care for these creatures. I think I will never look at a cow or a sheep the same way.

The funny thing about this book is it's in a category of it's own, I believe. I found it in the "pet" section at the bookstore. A section I will probably never go to again until I read the next book in the series!

Pumpkin Patch! And Swine Flu.

My kids and I have H1N1. We've spent a lot of time watching TV lately and trying to keep warm and snuggly.

(For anyone who's curious-it feels like the flu, and it sucks like the flu.)

But before I knew I was contagious with a pandemic flu, I forced my sick self and my sick kids out for some fun on this absolutely beautiful fall morning.

Brad is laughing because Breanna is actually eating the raw corn. It took her a long time to chew it, but trust Breanna to put in the work if it means FOOD in her belly!

Me in a corn field. I think it works quite nicely, don't you?

Trying to find their way through the maze. Breanna wasn't crazy about the mud so being the manly man that he is, Brad put her on his shoulders and saved the day.

Picking Perfect Pumpkins from the Pumpkin Patch. Try saying that 10 times fast.

I just did. It's really not that hard I guess.

Breanna examining the pumpkin after she-you guessed it-tried to take a bite out of it.

Old Friends

Don't you just love old friends who are there through thick and thin and love you even though they know ALL your secrets???

I was reading an old journal the other day and this song totally describes a darker time in my life.



A recurring theme in the journal, however, was these guys, I always managed to have fun with them, and felt like myself again after being with them! They would always make me feel like I was normal, even cool, even though I probably wasn't. Love you guys!


Oh I should mention this picture is from like the year 2000...and it's not the best picture of my friends but it's the only one I have on my computer! :)