Almost November 4!

I'm dreaming of golf. . . I was looking for a new picture to post on my blog header, and found this one from a while back. I am so anxious for campaign life to end and whatever is new to begin! I hope it includes just a teensy break, some time away with my hubby and kids.

Bean Soup and Pumpkin Crisp

So I made a deliciously simple bean soup for dinner last night and a pumpkin crisp to give to a dear friend. Domestic tranquility and simplicity was so refreshing after a week of appointments, obligations and being away from my kids. The campaign is in full throttle, and we're feeling a bit tattered (or maybe just me?). Have I kissed away my normal, quiet life? Well, whatever happens - win or lose, I've learned so much. Today I'm researching pine bark beetles in Colorado.

Friends

Saturday night I was able to enjoy dinner with many friends who I haven't seen much. My friend Jessica Carlson was diagnosed with a very rare eye cancer and is having her treatments this coming week. She has a baby girl, Rylee that was born in June. The time away from her precious baby girl is the most worrisome aspect of this ordeal. She is one tough chick. That I know, because she was my running buddy when I lived a bit closer. She is half coach, half drill sergeant! I love that she brought out the best in me while we were running.

From left to right:
Sunny, Karen, Laura, Colleen, Jessica, Me, Brittnie, Popi.

Berry Patch Farms

Today we went to Berry Patch Farms and picked raspberries with Aunt Marcia. We also came home with local, fresh, unfiltered, unprocessed honey, cilantro, and roasted anaheim peppers. Yum! At home, Aunt Marcia made vegetable beef alphabet soup and we had cornbread with our honey.

Bremma spelled her name today!!

Little Sisters are So Helpful!

Turin started hockey on Saturday. After he was suited up for the very first time ever, his nose began to itch. Hmmmm..... "Mom, will you scratch my nose?," and I did. Bremma enthusiastically interrupted, "I wanna do it Tuwin!" and she did.

These moments are priceless.

Sarah Palin - Wahoo!

She is the epitomy of beauty, grace and strength. She is smart, witty and tough. Maybe hard core feminists and the media elite hate her out of a deep sense of envy. To use a High School analogy, she is the unique mixture of the Prom Queen, the Valedictorian, the State Champ athlete who also volunteers at her local nursing home.

The reaction at my house: "WA-HOO!" That is how you say,"YEAH!!" when you're a six-year-old litttle boy.

On the Grocery List Today. . .

Here is what I purchased at King Soopers today:

2 boxes of sugar cubes

3 big containers of table salt

1 Fresh, Young chicken

Can you guess what we've got cookin' over here at Basement School?

We are making a mummy of King Cluckenkaman! Sugar cubes are our chosen building material for his pyramid.

Sushi for Beginners

The day of Lisa and Rick's wedding it rained and poured! Our basement flooded. Our power went out. Before we realized the basement flood, we were handwriting postcards by candlelight, and eating sushi for lunch. Here is a picture of Bremma eating and liking her first California Roll.

Notice that Kevin is wearing a headlamp? It was dark, though the flash more than compensates in the photo.

Precinct Driving

View from the campaign trail:

Last week we were out driving rural precincts. Kevin is out meeting the voters in all of his precincts, which has been the main activity for our summer. Most of the areas have been neighborhoods near and around Brighton. This photo is way out east of Denver International Airport. Here is a photo of the lay of the land, as seen by me, the driver. That particular day we brought the kids along and they watched a movie. What troopers!

Quiet Evening

In the midst of the campaign fury, I decided to take a breath of fresh air - so the kids and I went out for a little bike ride before the Obama speech. Here are some pictures of an idyllic Indian summer's evening. This was Bremma's first bike ride on her own bike! She is using the pedals to propel herself.

Family Photos

New family pictures.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside My Window... it is a beautiful, sunny morning.
I am thinking... about the how much I'll miss the Olympics!
I am thankful for... good friends!
From the kitchen... my sister baked a pear gallette - it is divine.
I am wearing... my workout pants, sneakers and a hoodie. I'll change after my shower.
I am creating... a system with my mother to sell her finery on Etsy.
I am going... to deliver peaches and pears today.
I am reading... The Friday Night Knitting Club.
I am hoping... my day is productive.
I am hearing... my daughter having a conversation with herself about not wanting her socks on.
Around the house... the news radio is on, breakfast is served and I'm getting a bit of computer time.
One of my favorite things... a new tea - herbal tisane, called Rose Potpouri. It is spicy, fruity and deliciously refreshing.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Turin

Picture thought to share:

Wedding :)

It rained and rained on Saturday. So much so that our basement flooded and the power went out, too. Around 12 pm I was wondering how I was going to get a shower in time for the upcoming festivities. I was looking a bit like a drowned rat. In the midst of bailing out our window well, the kiddos offered us snacks. That made me smile, as they were sincere in their effort to help mom and dad.

The power went back on, Turin and I hurried to get gussied up and away we went. Dear daughter and hubby didn't need to come early, so they did some campaign work at home.

Turin was adorable in his tuxedo and cowboy hat. My dress actually fit. Miraculous! Thank you, Spanx! However, my feet are still bruised from my shoes (which were worth the pain!).

The bride and groom had a marvelous occasion. All went smoothly and Lisa wasn't even phased by the pouring rain.

Bremma woke up Sunday morning thoroughly disappointed to have found herself at home and out of her princess dress. She danced and danced and danced!

Matron of Honor's Dress that is . . .

Remember my last post? Well, I assumed that my dress was going to fit. Ha.
So, now I've got a dress that is painfully too small, though it does zip - when I choose not to breathe. This dress has been a nightmare. First, I ordered it in February, and one size bigger - just in case I were to become prego. In April, I did get pregnant. So, when the dress arrived in May, I tried it on and couldn't even zip up the back. The bridal shop was very flexible, ordered me a new dress and charged me for a restocking fee (better price than the dress!) and so I ended up with a size 14 extra length.
Ok, miscarriage. A week later. Time goes by . . . and I hoping to shrink a bit.

A week and a 1/2 before the wedding, the recommended seamstress/alterations lady arrives at my home to do our measurements (Amber and Laura's too). She doesn't have her tape measure. RED FLAG!

I picked up and paid for the 3 dresses yesterday. Decided to try it on while the kids tried on their clothes - I wanted to be sure everyone was at ease in their new outfits, and that nothing unexpected awaited in the guise of a missing button, stain or tear.

Made a phone call to the seamstress. She hasn't returned it. Lovely.

I'm bringing a back up dress. I won't survive this dress all night long! And, I am not being overly dramatic - I never do that, do I? :)

So, when I post the photos of the wedding and there is a subtle look of pain in my eyes, it is the dress, or maybe the shoes!

Getting Ready

Tuxedo: check

Dress: check

Silver Shoes: check

Ring Bearer pillow: check

Matron of Honor Dress: check

More Silver Shoes: check

Wedding Gift: check

Flexibility: check!

All in the Family

Back Left to right: Janie Frei, Me, Laura Frei, Stephanie Tedy, Lena Vander Laan, Amber Frei, Marilyn Priola and center The Bride!

Here is a recent photo of the women in the family at the bridal shower that we celebrated in anticipation of my cousin Lisa's wedding which will be on Saturday. I am feeling so blessed to have such a group of supportive, kind and fun women in my family!!

Basement School

My dear hubby has been working from home since mid-May, and this was nice and good as I was wrapping up the school year with my kindergartner. However, waves of panic have been washing over me as the school year approaches . . . sharing space isn't going to work out so well for this school year. Hubby needs a quiet place to be on the phone, we can't be very quite and get our work done (while keeping doodlebop 2 1/2 year old sister busy!)

So. . . I decided to rearrange our unfinished basement in order to function as a school room. So far, so good. Being so pleased with my physical effort, I asked my son to figure out a name for our new "school." He replied, "Umm, how about Homeschool?" with a puzzled look expressing the silliness of needing to name the space. I balked at that and urged him to come up with something else, something a bit more creative. "Oh, I know . . .Basement School!" So there we have it, Basement School!

Ho hum. . .

Ho hum. That is how I felt when I woke up Monday morning. Well, ho hum with a dollop of guilt for feeling ho hum. I looked around at my family and my home and the joy I desired wasn't resonating with me at all. I was planning to meet my good friends for a day at the pool. This gave me something to look forward to, I knew I'd put on my smile on when they arrived. But, still feeling ho hum. Around 1:30 pm the world changed.

My friends and I were enjoying a very hot sunny afternoon with the kids at a local, unpopulated swimming pool. What went from a perfectly wonderful afternoon turned into a mother's living hell within one minute. My friend's 5 year old son was laying lifeless at the bottom of the pool.

Praise to God that he was resuscitated quickly and is doing fine. My dear friend, on the other hand is tormented by the images of what she experienced. We are praying fervently for her healing and that she would know deep in her soul that this was not her fault. And, like I've heard for years, it happened so quickly, so quietly . . .

My intention in posting this entry is simply to relate how quickly we are called to action, and I mean that on many levels - physical, emotional and spiritual. This day was another reminder for me that life is so incredibly fragile and fleeting. I don't have time for ho hum. I refuse to indulge in it. And again, I can not praise God enough for the women in my life. To see every one handle this emergency with such grace and love - is beyond words.

Ratatouille - My Own Tiny Chefs

I have my own tiny chefs (ok, maybe 'little' would be a more apt description, as my children are not rodents) in the kitchen. Bremma loves to peel garlic and pulled up the stool to sit and do so. Turin wants to cut! So, pushing my 'gotta get it done fast and clean' mentality aside, we made dinner together. We had Pasta a la Priola - that is lots of vegetables from the garden saute'd with olive oil, garlic and onions. Next came the tomatoes, squash, basil and parmesan cheese. I am proud to say that my six year old son know knows the difference between fresh basil, mint and rosemary - I sent him a pickin! They even invented a dessert, without my input or help - grapes and cherries on a toothpick. Now that's fine dining. Hey, they're eating lots of fruits and veges!!