One More Angel's Watching Over Us

Last night, Jasens sweet Dad, suffered a sudden heart-attack, and has passed away.
We are so very sad. Please keep Jasen in your prayers this week.

How I will remember my darling father-in-law..

He was a project away from being done..
and football on t.v.--
he was a rancher in his heart of hearts..
but a business man, to raise a family.
He liked to stay up watching movies,
with his sons there all night long.
He'd joke,"Sounds like a personal problem"
if ya told him what was wrong.
But he was tender.. he was loyal.
Unwavering in times of fear.
And his arms were a favorite place,
for all his grandkids gathered near.
He loved steak made outside on the grill,
and "chocolate bagels" for dessert..
and when his loved ones suffered,
was the only time, you knew he hurt.
He was loving. He was gentle.
He was honest. He was fair.
He was making patato salad..
and glad to have you there.
Dennis. Husband. Brother. Son.
Dad. Poppy,and Grandpa.
In every part he played..
it was a great man that we saw.
And that is why we'll miss him.
In his jeans and white tennis shoes.
He was someone we love with all our hearts..
and that it breaks our hearts, to lose.

Have You Seen My Stuff??

The following items are constantly missing from my home.. or at least very VERY hard for me to find. I am convinced someone is rearranging my things to mess with my head.
1. Pencils with eraser still left.
2. Sophies OTHER "good" ruffle sock.
3. The new special spot I put my ipod at so I wouldn't forget where it was.
4. My single token spool of thread, with my single token needle stuck in it.
5. The checkbook.
6. The dog leash that retracts.
7. Jesse's lunch card, every morning, at 7:15.
8. A ponytail holder when I'm doing housework and my hair is making me HOT.
9. A safety pin when I'm late for church and my bra is showing.
10.The phone when it's ringing.

Apparantly, My Pants Are NOT Flattering.

Tonight, as I pulled on my navy blue velour drawstring pants from circa 2002 (because, let's face it.. not alot fits over the 2 layers of bandage wrap on my post varicose leg..) Sophie observed from the bed. When I finally had them up and on with matching jacket in place.. she clearly stated,
"Mom. Those pants do not look cute on you."
Good to know. Good to know.

My Life As A Stripper

It's true. I HAVE been stripped. But before you all go getting excited about my post 4-babies-body all naked for the veiwing.. I'll end the suspense and explain that I was indeed stripped.. of my big nasty varicose veins that is. Most of ya know (along with many of your small children that have been frightened by them..) that I've been plagued with a mess of old lady lookin' veins on the back of my right leg, for years. Welp.. I'm guessing, and hoping, that the 15 incisions-- and 2 hours of horrible, awful,terrible, very bad pain.. means they have been destroyed at last! 2 months ago I tried a less invasive, method (hot cathedar up the vein. Yum.) that I thought was pretty bad in itself, and included 6 weeks of wearing a compression hose after (the story just gets sexier, anad sexier..)didn't seem to take. So today I was suprised and terrified to experience exactly what goes down in a 'stripping'. It feels alot like it sounds. After a ridiculous amount of injections in the MOST tender inner parts of your calf and thigh.. they cut you in their strategic spots, and then proceed to RIP.. we're talkin' PULL, TUG, and YANK your veins outta your insides. So NOT totally awesome. I've always taken pride in my bravery in similar situations.. barely whispered a moan in 4 labors.. have had all kinds of large chunks a skin taken outta all places because of skin cancer.. but today.. I am ashamed to say I made sounds I've never heard come out of my mouth. Not even the People magazine I had plastered over my face to hide the gore, could muffle my displeasure. So. If you're in the market for a 'strip'.. just wanted to get ya good and prepared-- and reccommend demanding to be knocked out COLD for the entire procedure. Good night now!

Am I Wrong??

As I type.. my very awake, very noisy, but VERY happy kids are all in the basement.. screaming and squealing in delight. I couldn't tell ya exactly what it is they are saying or doing.. just that they seem to be having a great time. They are dinnered, desserted, bathed and brushed.. trottin' around down there in their jammies laughing really hard as they bang into furniture and wrestle, and then stop to discuss a super hero or annoying teacher. Did I mention it's 10:00 on a school night?
I know.. I know. Kids need their sleep.. and 7:00 am comes sickly quick for both Jesse and me when the painfully boring middle school classes call.. (Jesse cannot express just HOW lame his education is. Gone are the elementary school days of Dinosaur reports and field trips. It's all algebra and literary terms for miles..)and I realize that most kids on the block have been tucked away tight for at least an hour by now. But there's something about the magic of pre-tuck in moments.. that somehow turns daytime siblings complaining of boredom.. into the best of friends completely entertained by one anothers presence. I don't know if it's the fun of just knowing they SHOULD be in bed.. and aren't yet.. or the simple void of the busy days distractions.. but whatever causes the friendly bonding to erupt almost on a nightly basis-- is hard to disrupt. Hard to force to an end. Hard to break-up, for bedtime.
I think deep down I just know these precious minutes of giggles and impromptu games--can only happen, now. Before I know it they'll be dating and driving and off to be grown-ups.. have mortgages and jobs and kids of their own.. and now is their time to be kids. Be siblings. Be friends. In their jammies in the basement. At bedtime.

Worth The Weight..

For those who know me well.. you know, that a cook, I am not. And a 'good cook', I'm SO not. I do feed my family on a regular basis (that's the rule, right?) and although it may not be shockingly tasty.. is usually somewhat healthy ( I heart organic) and mildly filling. It just seems every time I've risked trying out a new recipe-- my family takes the first bite, and gives me that "Really Mom?" look. I vividly remember being embarrassingly impressed with myself for picking up what looked like 'fancy' marinated pork chops from the meat department (did I mention I'm a tad intimidated by that particular department? The men in their white coats and bloody gloves. Disturbing.) I sat to the table that night relatively confident that I would receive only positive feedback for my exciting entree.. as one by one each member of the group.. kids and hubby alike.. enthusiastically tried it, chewed it, and then shared their subtle, but clear disdain for the food in front of them. I should mention that in my enthusiasm over purchasing something different as our main dish and sure that the shape alone would distract and engage the troops.. I had let the side items slide.. and next to the big attraction, was only white rice, spray buttered broccoli.. and some pathetic looking sliced wheat bread on a plate.So there they all sat.. picking at plain rice and dry bread. Couldn't help but giggle. Something about that particular nights failure.. about that millionth mediocre meal.. and the fact that I'd actually believed it MIGHT be tasty.. just struck me as hilarious. Without warning, my giggle broke out in to one of my 'can't stand it' laughing fits. Laughed so hard, and so long, tears rolled down my face, as my family looked on utterly confused, wondering WHAT was so funny about bad pork chops. So. You can imagine my surprise, when after recently trying a new homemade Alfredo recipe-- EVERYONE loved it. Like, LOVED it loved it. Asked for seconds loved it. Ask for LEFTOVERS loved it. It was crazy. What adds to my giddiness, is that not only is it truly dee-lish.. it's stupid easy. The only downfall I can pinpoint, (and therefore the only reason I haven't decided to make it morning, noon, and night..) is that I'm pretty sure it holds at LEAST 1,000 calories per serving. I'm sure that as a family unit we would all die early and obese deaths, if I don't take some responsibility on regulating our intake of this paticular dish. But being that swimsuit season is over for a while anyway.. I will now post the recipe I have lovingly named 'Alfredo for All'. They will ALL eat it. I swear. It's good over any kind of noodles,(and if you're feeling over-achiever, grill some chicken to throw in it.. but don't feel you must.) READY?

1 pint heavy cream
1 stick butter
1/2 package cream cheese (or throw the whole thing in if ya want it crazy thick.)
1 cup parmesan cheese (feel free to add more!)
1 cup milk (I use skim, but whatever.)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ( I was out and used garlic salt, and it was fine too.)

Got it?? (Gained a little around the middle just reading it?)
So just melt the cream cheese and butter.. add everything else, and make sure to simmer it enough to get the parm good and melted in there.. then loosen your belt!
May you have many happy, easy, unusually fattening mealtimes ahead.

Me. On a Budget.

In the last month.. I have canned tomatoes from our garden, picked--blanched (yeah, I know what that means now)--sliced--syruped (yeah, I made it a verb) and frozen peaches from our very own peach tree, weeded and pulled up old pumpkin vines wearing real gardening gloves, mowed my 1/2 acre, joined and prepared multiple meals for a 'dinner group' AND started, (and have stuck to for a MONTH now) a budget.
All I have to ask, is WHERE the crap is Katy Rees and WHAT have you done with her??? Is this what happens to everyone when they move to Utah? I must say, of all my latest adventures-- the budget has opened my eyes the most.. (even more so than the fat grey cat that sprang outta nowhere in my shed yesterday. Oh my gosh. I have a shed.)
Though many of you may be saying, "Surely in all her 36 years, Katy has at some point followed, or at least pretended to practice the art of budgeting".. but there's where you'd be both embarrassed for me, AND wrong. Funny how now that I am.. I find pretty much everyone else in the WORLD has been the whole time.. and the tricks and tips you all have revealed are something of a wonderment! For instance.. at any given time, Kaly can give you the lowest chicken by the pound price in town-- and Marnie has a rebate plan for almost everything you need to survive. Candice has her coupons organized in such a remarkable fashion it's almost as entertaining as a scrapbook to revel in.. and a number of girls at church have secret internet codes that can take your bargain world to a whole new level. So. I've decided to blog about my new and exciting "Random Acts Of Cheap".. because after all.. like a new outfit-- what fun is it if ya can't show somebody. For instance, in Wal-Mart (everybodys favorite place to HATE being alive. Have you ever left NOT dirty?)just
yesterday.. by check-out I was OBVIOUSLY dehydrated (after all, I'd shopped BOTH sides. Who are we kidding.. that's gotta burn like, 400 calories..) but instead of grabbing the somehow accepted but outrageously overpriced chilled Dasani for a spankin' $1.33.. I opted to pitstop at the in-store Subway on my way out and asked if I could pay for a water cup. What's that he replied?? 'Oh you can have it for free.' Ch-ching! There;s $1.33 in my pocket just waiting for that next pack of starbursts Sophie demands! I know it's exciting folks.. so I'll hold back on my 'Can I speak to a Manager' move that got me my $1.69/lb chicken tonight long after the meat department had shut down for the evening.. and just let you sit back and soak in the satisfaction and delight of the first tale. There will be more. I am ON this train (for at LEAST another month..) so stay tuned.