All things ZUCCHINI

It happens every year...

We have an explosion of zucchini...it's seriously the easiest thing to grow...it's actually hard to make it STOP and CATCH a zucchini at the proper stage...

If you'll remember, we'd usually not get out there in time and they looked something like this:

What to do when you have nine 5 lbs zucchinis sitting on your counter? 

Well, besides using them for weights during your lovely P90x workouts...you start scouting out good zucchini recipes...

We've tried a bunch and I will admit that there aren't all so superb...the grilled zucchini with goat cheese was NOT a hit in our home...however, I HAVE found that if you can stick it in recipes that resemble "familiar" tastes...they are usually winners...

for example...my girls LOVE banana bread...BAM..make it ZUCCHINI bread and throw in some chocolate chips...Wa-La..perfection...

Another new favorite in our house are these tastey treats...Zucchini BROWNIES!  We're talking 2 full cups of shredded zucchini in these puppies...oh my goodness are they delicious...and of course, because of the chocolate, the girls don't even see any remnants of green zucchini shreds and they're nearly gone before I get them to the table!

Had a great day yesterday taking the girls out to get some pictures...I'm on the hunt now to put up a new wall display in my bedroom...I really need to change out the pictures...got a nice "album" of options over at facebook if you care to vote in...I'll post more pics from our hiking outing sometime next week:) 

Enjoy your weekend!

Things I learned about a Puppy

So, this little girl left us yesterday...

to travel on to a better place...a place where she won't be held every 2.5 seconds by sticky little hands that play with her bows and give her kisses...a place where she will actually GET a nap and not have to run after a ball or toy or a 4 year old with shoelaces for hours on end.  No, she is not "gone" in THAT sense...Puppy Heaven is still without this dear one, but our dogsitting time has come to an end...

And so I thought it prudent to write down things that I've learned so that when if we ever get a dog, I will be be prepared...

#1- Puppies are scared of hair driers, tractors, blowing leaves, birds but are NOT even startled by a large "NO" after they've gotten into your trash or pooped on your floor.

#2-To puppies, socks are the ENEMY...they MUST be destroyed!

#3-Puppies WILL bolt for an open door and continue running with no thought to their surroundings...and as long as you chase them, they will KEEP GOING.

#4-Trash is like perfume to puppies and they want to roll in it, rip it up, and even eat it...

#5-Apparantly puppies love to dig holes and find worms...and then bark at them as if they are "socks" (see #2)

There are many other things that I've learned, but all in all, my girls had such a great time watching her and cried for 1.5 hours after she left...complete, emotional wrecks...poor things.  I'm sure I.S. and I are going to have to have the whole "are we getting a dog anytime soon" talk in the near future...

...the thing is though, I JUST bought a brand new package of socks! What to do...

I'm OLD....and flabby....and I need another brownie

As I mentioned yesterday, I planned on getting psyched up for starting the ole P90x series again...

And so it has begun...

I'm not sure what happened between this past winter and now...

well, besides brownies, ice cream, frappes, fountain drinks and lounging at the pool for hours on end...but really, not much right?

Something has happened though because my ability to do plyometric jump squats and core work is looking more like bending slightly proceeded by getting up on tippy toes...it's quite pathetic I must say...

So sad was I that I lacked the energy necessary to Put IT to ole Tony Horton, I went and downed 2 frosting covered brownies and an ice cold Pepsi...THERE, that'll show him!

The stretch marks and jiggy parts are out in full fashion this time of year I say...Don't worry, I'm not giving up THAT easily...however, I am in full modification mode with regards to the exercising...this translates into less impact and more water breaks for yours truly! 

PLUS...when you start realizing that they sell things like THIS and it hides all those unwanted areas, it is NICE!  This is the 2nd dress I've purchased...my blue one can be seen here:

thanks to my friend Bev who did some awesome photoshopping to fix up those unsightly parts:)  But seriously, if you do NOT have one of these dresses...it's like wearing a t-shirt but not having to suck it in or pull your shorts overtop of your flabby tire around the middle...I bought the dark purple with a pair of leggings for the fall...talk about comfort when doing photography AND...here's the BEST part of all...the kimono sleeves are armpit sweat proof ...no, seriously, I should know, I have issues:)  But, they hang off from the dress so well, that they don't touch your skin...it's like a built in breeze blower! 

Okay...so, I hope you've enjoyed my random discussion about poor squating techniques, jiggly flab and armpit sweat...JUST what you were hoping to read on a Wednesday morning...

I'm here for you people...

Adventures in Dogsitting

We haven't owned a dog since my dad stole our last one about 6 years ago...

And I use the word "stole" in the most affectionate way:)  To make that long story short, let's just say that trying to sell a house, moving in with your in-laws for an extra 3 months and not having a lawn for 9 more months necessitates begging your father to watch over your "baby" until you get yourselves put back together...Little did we know it would be a year later and sweet Bailey up and decided, "Um...thanks but no thanks Ma, I rather like the sweet life here with belly rubs, daily walks and 5 different types of treats in containers on the counter for my choosing!"

So, we said farewell to our sweet Bailey-dog and decided to have another baby instead...this time in the human form...and thus we have Little Munchkin!  Now, my girls do ask to have a dog every other day every once in awhile, but we've held off.  In the meantime we offer our services as "dogsitters" for friends...

If you will remember, we had Maci for almost a year...that scarred me for life was a wonderful experience for my girls...of whom Little Munchkin STILL can't seem to get off her heart or mind and asks about her on a weekly basis! 

This week we welcomed another little Yorkie to our home for about a week.  Her name is Marcel...I"m not sure what it is about Yorkies and their families' desire to leave them with us...maybe it's the fact that we have girlie girls or that Maci is still alive and well...I don't have a clue, but my girls never turn down an opportunity to have some puppy time. 

I'm going to save the funny stories for AFTER little Marcel has returned to her home safely...wouldn't want her parents to get nervous ahead of time...rest assured, she IS still alive and for the record, I am too...and that's a plus!

p.s. I will post a picture of the sweetness a little later, however, P90x started up yesterday and the fact that I"m now in a sitting position and to get the pictures off my camera would require me to use leg muscles to get OUT of the chair...muscles that until yesterday, I didn't realize existed and are now so sore that I'm seriously considering going out and purchasing BENGAY, but will probably only manage to make it to McDs or Starbucks for a frappe...cuz, really, they're both COLD relief right?

The Pool

I've never really been a "pool person" persay...

It's not that I don't enjoy a good dip at the 'ole swimmin' hole...as long as that hole is crystal clear, decked out with lounge chairs and is a mild 81 degrees...AT LEAST!

We joined a pool this year and to be honest, I wasn't quite sure about it at first.  Sweetpea is a natural in the water, but Peanut is still working on treading water and Little Munchkin...well, let's just saw that it took 2 weeks before she let go of the wall...WITH her life jacket on the entire time.

Now, for a mom who isn't necessarily "into" the whole "pool scene", this was a HUGE step for me...I want to be a cool pool mom...I think I actually wrote about it awhile back...but watching all the beautiful, scantily clad moms hanging out in their bikinis and realizing that my spare tire is now resembling my very own, built in inner-tube...well...you get my point!  It's a lesson in character development and being comfortable in one's own skin...and lots of it...hanging and drooping everywhere...

Oh, the woes I could get into about all that, and my absolute need to get back to P90x and working out...but, let's just not go there right now...because, I"m sitting here enjoying one heck of a huge brownie and I would rather NOT be interrupted I'm going to psych myself up for starting that here soon!

For those of you that live in my neck of the woods, you don't need me to tell you how incredibly hot it has been around here lately...now, I"m NOT complaining, because we were dealing with crazy cold weather and power outages left and right this winter...the fact that we have air conditioning and that beautiful sunshine is a blessing...but it HAS led me to the pool a bit more than I would have ever thought necessary before.

It necessitates me monitoring the wherabouts of my girlies 110% of the time and oftent that requires me to be IN THE WATER.  Thankfully, we have gotten to know the sweet little lifeguards and they keep an eye on my girlies when Little Munchkin has to "tinkle" every 45 minutes...We ARE fortunate in that, the pool we joined has very few members (due to the EXCESSIVE COST of membership)and therefore, it's not overly difficult to locate them amidst the glistening water in the 900 degree weather...(yes, I know I put one too many zeroes, but THAT'S what it feels like)

I can't believe that the summer is half over...but, we plan to enjoy it to the fullest!

Partial Harvest

I won't lie to you...

I've been a little disappointed this year with our garden...

I mean, when you compare it to our over-abundance from last year...it just makes me a little sad...

Not to say that we didn't give it all we had this year...with 24 potato plants and 23 tomato plants and over 15 onions and I don't know how many garlics...along with 3 plantings of green beans and 5 rows of sugar daddy peas...

I could go on and on...

We're not farmers...we just like a nice big garden...Italian Stallion likes to go out there on Saturday mornings and weed, while I take all the credit on any and all harvesting:)  It's a GREAT bargain! 

This year, though, with all the rain and humidity and just all around crazy weather...coupled with the fact that the deer have finally discovered us and flea beetles descended upon our potatoes...well, it just made for a rather meager supply this summer.  And note to self, although crop rotation is necessary...keep the beans towards the inside boxes where the deer will be less likely to eat off the tops!

Now, I know, I know...we still have the whole month of August to go...our tomatoes are starting to ripen..I've already shredded 4 zucchinis and made bread, brownies and grilled zucchini with goat cheese...We replanted more beans and said, "what the heck, let's put us in some more zucchini..cuz, you know we love shredding zucchini all day!  THE JOYS!" 

We are enjoying what we have though...and it does look yummy...just not the "plethera" that I was counting on!  Here are just a few of the onions, but all of our garlic...I didn't bother taking pictures of the potatoes because to put it bluntly, I was just sorely disappointed by the amount we surfaced:(

The girls at least had fun with picking them though:

Little Munchkin even enjoyed driving the tractor...and YES, my husband let her drive...it makes me a bit nervous for the future as she obviously feels it necessary to talk, point, and probably put on makeup all whilst driving...

We put them all to work cleaning everything...

And then they pooped out on us...

I am looking forward to my basil growing...it took about 3 times to get it to take this year, so it's still rather small...but we'll have some bushes here come September!

But until then, I'll just be dreaming of pesto and willing my replants to sprout! 

My girls

I'm in a "stretching/growing" period with regards to photography...I'm beginning to teach classes and when I do that there is inevitably a great desire within me to LEARN MORE...and so, I'm back to the drawing board (and my camera manual) and searching on the internet and contacting other photographers...

One thing that I have struggled with is consistency within my post-processing...just that whole editing bit...I, sometimes want everything to flow together...but other times, certain pictures just "need" a different look. 

It's beautiful outside today...I've already been out pitching the lettuce trees...and yes, I said lettuce TREES because I let them go...REALLY let them go and they are as tall as me...well, before I yanked them up and hauled them to the compost pile...

I've weeded the front flower bed and sprayed for clover in the front yard...and all the while I was thinking and praying and trying to figure ways to challenge myself so that I can be a better teacher AND so that I can take better pictures to capture seemingly simple moments that in turn, last a lifetime!  (whoa...a little heavy for 8 this morning)

Anyway...just now I ran outside, snapped a few pics of my girls and made myself edit in less than 20 minutes...You know what I ultimately discover?  No matter what...whether I edit 'correctly' or not...and I DO still have much to learn...but, whether I just "get" it or completely botch it...my girls are just plain beautiful the way they are!  And I'm just thankful to have them and have the ability to snap pictures in front of weeds in our yard or catch them giggling at me!

Thank you Jesus for my sweet girls!

A Little bit of Nothin'...

It's Tuesday...we're pretty much halfway through summer...(not that TUESDAY signifies the middle of summer...it's just that all of a sudden I've realized that it's almost over and today happens to be Tuesday)
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I'm sitting at my computer as my girls are conducting a rigorous and riveting game of UNO in the other room and are cracking up over the fact that they can "skip" and "reverse" each other over and over again...to them, they are hilarious...to me, they are a tad loud:)
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I've decided that after heading to the theater today to see a free showing of Ramona and Beezus, we need to concentrate on the house...I don't know when was the last time I saw the top of Little Munchkin's dresser or the floor in my laundry room.  I think they both still exist, it's just been a longgggggggggg time. Plus, my fridge has a unique "smell" emminating from within...it's not pleasant.
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I need to tell you the story about Little Munchkin and the stealth-y tactics she has taken to "steal" toys from her sisters' bedroom all in the name of "I NEED it"...but, as I mentioned above, SMELL from FRIDGE...yes, that story will have to wait.
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I'm a bit disappointed in our garden this year...overall it's so-so and I was going for FANTASTIC..we are a far cry from that...we're going to pull the garlic and potatoes this weekend b/c I can't stand to see the reminders of a crop gone bad.  Last year we had tons and tons of potatoes...not so much this year, and we have twice as many plants.  Italian Stallion already pulled the sugar daddy peas and my heart sunk.  I guess all us "farmers" have to realize that there are THOSE type of years for crops, but it doesn't make it any better.  I can be grateful though, for the huge garlic and onion plants that are coming up out of the earth...but, munching on a garlic clove just ain't the same as a sweet pea or some killer mashed potatoes!
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In my realization that the summer is half over, I have also remembered that the girls have reading charts and school stuff that they are supposed to be keeping track of...and me, as their ever organized mother, has made sure that they are painstakingly reviewed and charted completely dropped the ball and can't even remember where she put their pencils...and that's the story of my life right now:)

We are looking forward to getting back to the pool sometime this week...that should be a GREAT help to all my other woes of a smelly kitchen and non-studying children this summer!  If all else fails, just ignore it right?

We're back home!

Remember the whole "almost peeing in the car in a traffic jam" incident?  Yes, well, that feels like a longgggggggg time ago already...Our trip back home was fairly uneventful and for that I am thankful.

We really had a great time...my girls got completely sugared up at Grandma's & Papa's house, thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Cars 2 movie...complete with popcorn and pop, and ran around like crazy kids at Chuck E.Cheese whilst sleuthfully searching for lost tokens or tickets on the floor (under machines, in the bathrooms, and lots of other germ infested areas:)...going "home" for me is like CAMP for my girls...and I love it!

While they were hitting the theater and eating spoonfuls of frosting and cheetos (not together mind you)...I had the opportunity to instruct another SnapShop class.  I am working on a blog post about it over at CTPhotoMemories...it'll be there soon...but, I will say (on this personal/family blog) that I always come away with mixed emotions...at first I'm on an extreme high of adreneline and excitement.  My attendees learn a ton, I throw a LOT of information at them...info that they'd otherwise have to gleen from hours googling on the computer or sitting in classes for weeks...I try to be efficient and enthusiastic...I read through their surveys like a desperate, thirsty person from the desert...and I am always blown away by their gratefulness and encouragement...

And then I do what every teacher does after every day of class...you replay every word and illustration and you think of ways to make it better...I'm so thankful for my Italian Stallion who'll sit and listen to all my woes and insecurities and then help me formulate a plan...

We had a GREAT date night for our anniversary and I miss those days where we could sit and talk for hours on end without interruption. 

My girls are tired, but oh so happy...it was a good visit but we're ready to get back into our old schedule...

the one that includes sitting poolside sipping on glasses of ice cold water and dipping pretzels into nutella...

bring it on!

This incredible man asked me to marry him on September 10, 1998...10 months later...we were married on July 10, 1999...it's been 12 years...today!

I grew up with guys as my "buddies"...I didn't really get into the whole "dating" scene until college and even then, I wasn't all that into it...I'll be brutally honest with you...I was scared out of my mind! 

I don't say this other than to give you a tiny insight into the workings of my brain...but I come from a long line of divorce in my family...back to grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents...somewhere in the depths of my heart, I honestly thought I carried a "divorce gene" and I couldn't help it...

I couldn't imagine falling in love with someone and then involuntarily crushing them in the future...what if I didn't have it in me to last forever? 

To some that may sound like a cop-out or absolutely ridiculous...and maybe it is...but crazy or not, that's how my brain worked and I put my poor future hubby through...I'm not quite sure how to describe the "torture" that followed...at first trying to push him away, turning into "tests" to see if he could really handle the complex nature of ME...

Slowly, but surely...I watched him...I respected him...he inspired me...he cherished me...he didn't love me for what I could be, but for WHO I was...and am...

I watched him care for my family while our world was turned upside down...

I saw him sacrifice his time and money for friends and family, even when it may not have been reciprocated...

I experienced his strength when I wanted to lash out at everyone and felt empty...

I received his endless surprises and gifts to remind me of how he loved me...

I came around...it wasn't a challenge to him to "win" me...he simply loved me...just because...no matter what the outcome would be...but, he waited...

I've known him now longer than I haven't known him...and, I can't imagine life without him.

He is integrity and strength...he is generous and kind...he is fun and surprising...

Happy Anniversary sweetheart!  Thank you for waiting for me!  I love you forever!

THAT would have made a good blog post

I tend to THINK in blog posts every once in awhile...the problem is that I get it all written in my head and then I don't necessarily get to the point where I can write it down and/or type it out...and then it just goes into the depths of my brain and gets all swished around with the to do lists, photography posing ideas and recipes that I wish I could make...

I'm not a huge fan of driving...my hubby can vouch for me on that one.  I tend to be a more white-knuckle driver...ever cautious and get a bit perturbed when others don't follow the "rules" which then, in turn, force me to break rules in order to stay safe...i.e. speed up to get out of the way...

Anyhoo...I was on my way to Michigan yesterday for the Snapshop...Italian Stallion stayed home, but we'll be scurrying back fast on Sunday seeing that it's our anniversary:)  I got a new dress and everything!!!

So, there we were...driving along...we had had our lunch, gone to the bathrooms, no drinks in the car, just the "sweet" sound of the ipod touch and 3 pairs of eyes squinting to see Rapunzel sing about her "best day EVER"...and a little voice says to me, "Mommy, I have to go pee...NOW"

Normally, this wouldn't cause absolute PANIC in me...but seeing as we were in a traffic jam (for the past 30 minutes already) and only managed to pass 1 mile marker/exit ramp I was a little frantic as to HOW we were going to solve this problem...in the car...with a 4 year old...with only 1 adult...while the car is creeping along...with other angry drivers who are trying to cut in and out using the shoulder, etc...

I did what any mom does in this situation...I call upon heaven ( and the older siblings ) to help me out..."distract her" I screamed...Sweetpea went into a wonderful rendition of "what's 9 + 1?" and Peanut starting laughing..which we ALL know THAT'S not going to help.  I found a roll of paper towels and emptied the soda cup from lunch...we cleared the pathway from the rear seat to the front...

I want to interject here that our van had become a camper of sorts because my children deem it necessary to sleep and/or travel with at least 2 pillows, 1 overstuffed animal, 5 other small stuffed animals, 3 blankets and as much coloring and reading paraphenalia that their arms can carry...this is all EACH...SO...we had 6 pillows, 15 stuffed animals, 3 over stuffed ones and 9 blankets overflowing on the inside of the vehicle!

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I was mentally trying to find a way to get her up to me while keeping one hand on the wheel and trying to get her to aim properly so we wouldn't have to deal with a smell along with our already overcrowded van...

God had mercy on me...just as I was ready to have her unbuckle and mama bear was going to come out and start giving mean faces to any driver that dared get close to me while my baby was out of her belt...the traffic cleared...just like that...

Needless to say, I lost all inhibitions and drove like lightning to the next exit ramp...grabbed Little Munchkin squeezing her little legs together and stormed into the bathroom...WE MADE IT!!! And for that I am eternally grateful.

We made it to Grandma's house and they are safe and secure eating lots of sugar and being spoiled:)  I'm getting all prepared for the class tomorrow and have enjoyed already visiting with some friends from "days of old"...more on that to come in later posts! 

Have a great weekend!