Because we don't want to get struck by lightning...

The day after Halloween we noticed Christmas decorations on the front lawns of residents here in town.  Over the past week, the number of festive houses has increased and Abby has taken notice!  It has become a routine every morning as I drive her to school, to have her ask why we don't get to set up our decorations like everyone else.   I usually reasure her that ours will be up soon enough, we are just waiting for the snow to come.  (Really I'm waiting for a sudden burst of energy, that's all)  This routine conversation took a turn for the worse the other day when Abby confided that she really does not like the Christmas tree that we used last year.  It's too small.   She wants one that is at least taller than Daddy.  She actually has an idea of what she wants...in fact, she knows the very tree she wants.  We pass by it every morning and Abby dramatically but seriously sighs and says, "Oh mom, I REALLY want Daddy to cut that one for us!"  or "It'd be perfect."

I brought the camera along with me today so I could show you Abby's perfect tree. We had to spend some time explaining to her just WHY we couldn't use this particular one.




And Yes- that is the temple in the back ground!

Oddly Delicious

I told my sister in law, Rachel, that I would post the recipe for a dish I made tonight for my family. It's called Cheeseburger Casserole, and you know what? It really does taste just like a hamburger. I don't think I've ever made a casserole with pickles in it ...but it works.   So if you like that sort of thing then this is a fun recipe to try.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef (LEAN is a MUST)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded American cheese
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet (I used the bread sticks)
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seed
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DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pickles, water, ketchup, mustard and pepper.
Spoon beef mixture into 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Unroll dough; press into 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares; place on top of cheese. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Lest we forget

I just finished reading this book called ROOTS, and although I turned the last page several days ago I can't stop thinking about it. It's a beautifully written compilation of several generations beginning with one African- Kuntay Kinte and finishing with the authors fond memories of his ancestors and his search to connect the dots. Enter...Alex Haley and this book. The timing of this book has been interesting for me. As much as I initially refused to get caught up in American Politics I have watched the election this past week with a lot of interest. You know it doesn't matter if you are Liberal, Conservative, or in between, there is one fact about this election that resounds and brings hope to my heart. This week, one of the toughest, strongest, and at times aggressive countries in the world just elected a black man to be their leader for the first time. After reading about the generations and generations of people who were treated as slaves, given no rights, and forced to do as the white people said, I find it monumental that we've come this far. Now it could probably be said that their is not a group of people who have not experienced racism or prejudice and certainly America is not guilty of distributing it all. I am not trying to knock the states (LUCI: I love the states) They have amazing gas stations, and we could learn a thing or two about patriotism from watching them. I'm not even saying that I would have voted for the democrats if I could have voted. I'm not voicing any political beliefs here, I am talking about one thing only. A few generations ago, in that very country the thought of a "Black man" being more then a slave working for his owner was unthinkable. That's all I'm talking about. Progress.

I also found another little thread throughout this book that has affected me so profoundly this week. Stories were told, from one generation to the next, so that over a hundred years later the youngest baby knew about their great great great great great grandfather. They were proud of their history. Do you know in Africa tribes have a griot. An old man who's job it is simply to remember. To remember stories, genealogy and history. They don't record data, they treasure it up in their minds, and then pass it on to the next griot.

It was a year ago today that John's mom died. It was a year and a half ago that my Dad died, and it has been almost 23 years since my mom died. After each one of their passings I remember thinking, "I will never forget who they were. My kids will know their grandparents even if they can't get to know them." I remember stubbornly planning on keeping their memory alive as if they were still here, yet I look back and wonder how I've let myself forget to do that. I want my kids to KNOW their grandparents. I don't want us to just wallow in our losses and pity ourselves. I want us to honor these people who always put their family first. I want my kids to know how rich their heritage is. I have stories about their GREAT grandparents that I've not sat down to tell.


I don't want Abigail forgetting how much her Grandma Hardy loved to sit with her and read books, or how she was always waiting at the kitchen window whenever we'd come to visit ready to feed our hungry tummies and be the grandma that she was so good at being. I want my kids to never forget that they knew someone who was perfectly kind to others,and it is possible to be that good. I want my kids to remember her pumpkin pie (that's really made with squash), the bags of cheetos, the classical music that filled her home, and her sweet disposition that always made everyone feel welcome. I see so much of her in John. He's good just like her. I see her in Jessica's dimples.


I want my kids remembering that they had a Grandpa who LOVED being their grandpa. I need to tell them about times growing up when that man had NO MONEY but could still pull a meal together when the fridge was bare. I want my kids to know how he owned one pair of shoes for a large part of our childhood, yet we always had what we needed and in some miraculous way, we even had what we wanted. My Dad was a biker, a police man, a private investigator and at times a bit of a rebel. He once grew his grey hair out long and wore it in a ponytail- and I think it was to just get a stir out of us. He was a joker, and he had the most giving heart and deepest laugh ever.



I want my kids to remember the stories of my Mom. Their Grandma Rausch who by all description seems more perfect then anyone I've ever known. I want my children to know that a day doesn't go by that I don't wish they knew her, had heard her laugh or seen her smile. I want my kids to know that every memory I have of her was a good one. For almost 5 years she fought a disease and our 5 year old minds hardly even knew it.

I want my kids to know that their GREAT grandparents were equally amazing. Some were immigrants from Germany, some were farmers and gardeners, a few were converts, some were noble latter day saint pioneers, some were like parents to me, a few fought in wars, all of them good people who contributed to how we live today.

I want my kids to know these people, to love them as much as we did. As much as we still do. I want my kids to desire to be like them, and to pass on their stories to their kids. Why am I not doing that for them? I love to go to my sister Jewel's house and look at the wall of photos she has of my Dad. I LOVE that!

Sometimes I feel hesitant to talk about great people who I love and miss, because I sense that talking about them would be wallowing or self pitying. It's almost as if we think that moving on will make us stronger then holding on. WHY? I don't think it is stronger, I think it is stupider:) If we don't wallow in the memories of those we need to remember we won't give them the time in our minds and hearts that they deserve. If we forget about the atrocities some groups of people have had to endure then we will never learn to treat people better. We can move on from our trials, our experiences and past hurt, but we can't, we absolutely can't forget.


So those of you who are still reading this long post, Thanks for sticking with me. Those who tuned out- you can wake up now and go on with your day. Rant is over. But I'll tell you one thing. With this Remembrance Day coming up I plan to do just that. Not only will it be a great chance to celebrate this amazing, free country we live in and express gratitude for those men and woman who made Canada what it is. In addition to that, I feel there is so much more to remember and pass on as well from my own heart and mind.

Happy Thought

Does this make anyone else happy? I never thought I'd see the price of Gas under a dollar again!

Picture This

Imagine a beautiful snowy day. The first snowfall of the year to be exact. Fresh, big white snowflakes. A little lodge in the mountains. A table for two- make that FOUR. Hot chocolate. Pasta. Deer just outside the window. Sound lovely? Well...it was:)

I woke up this morning knowing that it was going to snow, and that knowledge sent me into a frenzied hurry to get our neighbors lawn mowed and clear of leaves before the weather turned for the worse. I was finishing up barely as the first flakes began to fall. After that it was off to Sam's speech class, and then we had to get Abby from school. Then, out of the blue...a beautiful day happened.

I decided that we'd head out to Waterton, (yes big surprise), as it had been awhile since we'd gone out there. The drive was nice. Sam and Jess slept in the back while Abby filled me in on all of her kindergarten happenings of the day. When we got to Cameron falls Abby and I enjoyed some one on one time playing and taking photos. We drove around looking for wildlife, and taking pictures of the trees all dusted lightly with white.


We finished off by having lunch at the Kilmorey Lodge. The kids menu is so affordable and things had been going so well I figured - why not? So there we were- the four of us all coloring on our kids menus, eating spaghetti and meat sauce while watching huge fluffy snowflakes just outside the window cover the ground. It was heavenly. Mind you, I couldn't help but wish a time or two that it was John sitting across from me. ...sans children. Still, I was happy to have that afternoon with them. Just as I was marvelling at how perfect that experience was Sam began blowing bubbles into his drink, and Jessica threw two crayons that barely missed the waitress. I guess that all good things have to come to an end.

Back at home the kids bundled up and played in the snow a bit. All day they've been hugging me and wishing me a Merry Christmas. Yeah, that's not going to get old:)


This is Abby thrilled that the snow is actually lingering on the ground.


Here is Sam catching Pneumonia.

Jessica spent a lot of time watching the snow fall. This is obviously something she's going to have to get used to. But what do you expect from a girl who is still wearing her SWIMSUIT on top of her clothes! We're going on a month of this whole swimsuit fad.

Just a few pictures from our almost perfect day. The only thing missing... was John!

She's just that Brave

There is something about the fall that makes me want to tie up all loose ends. You know, finish off the To-Do list, clean the yard, pack away the summer toys, get the family in for physicals, and make sure everyone has seen the dentist. All that kind of stuff.

The past couple of weeks have been all about Teeth. Abby has been the hardest hit this year with several cavities. How many you ask? More then one - let's just leave it at that. It has been a lesson to John and I that when you ask your kid to brush their teeth and they say "I did!" ...don't believe em. :) That said Abby was one tough little cookie as the Dentist worked on her little mouth.
When he was all finished, and as we were getting into the van, I told Abby how proud of her I was. I even said that the Dr thought she was the Bravest patient EVER! To that Abby smiled and calmly replied,
'Yeah I was brave. I was braver then an ostrich...before...it gets shot!"



I couldn't disagree with that. ...I don't think?

chad's family

Yesturday, my brother let me take some photos of his family.


Some of my favorites are posted on my art blog. Thanks Chad- it's always great to see you guys!

Halloween

We were in a hurry to carve pumpkins one evening. After looking at these all completed I couldn't help but think some patience would have been wise. The poor things look absolutely hideous! Despite that, the kids enjoyed it, and they happen to be pumpkins that we grew ourselves this year!

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Now as for the costumes...








We really didn't go all out this year in planning, and to tell you the truth it came down to the wire wether or not Sam was going to wear his costume at all. He kept telling me, "Later." Later he'd wear it. I don't know what he was waiting for. Abby was a cowgirl as she'd wanted to be for some time now. I think that goes a long with her desire to have a real live pony one day. Just another subtle hint perhaps. Jess enjoyed being a half-dressed witch but we did manage to get her to wear some bunny ears and a cute cotton tail instead. What this picture doesn't show however is that as soon as we got to Aunt Jewel's house, the costume came off and she came upstairs wearing her cousins swimsuit instead. These days that is her outfit of choice:) John was a Rocker, complete with full arm tattoos. That made me laugh as it is so the opposite of his real life personality - but I guess that is what makes Halloween so great.

So we had a little bit of everything this year, most of all we had a GREAT time!

33 things about Mr. Right!

One cool thing about my husband, that a lot of people may not know, is that he was born on Halloween. I've heard lots of stories from him and his siblings about how they'd celebrate that BIG day. For example, John's mom always made a ghost cake, complete with fire burning eyes. Every year I try to replicate that cake for him, but I just can't get the eyes to burn as they should. I've resorted to plopping two tea lights on the cake and call it done. Sarah, John's sister, once told me how it used to make her mad that John seemed to get more candy on Halloween then everybody else. I have to admit I Love Halloween, and have ever since I was a kid. With children of our own now, that day has sadly become all about them, and not so much about JOHN! This year I want to make sure that we don't let another birthday go by without celebrating the fact that he is in our lives. With your help I hope to compile a list of 33 things about John that make him great!



So in all it's cheesy glory, my list of things I LOVE about this man:

1. John can sing
2. John can play the guitar.
3. John can play the piano/organ. Any time he visits a home with a piano he gravitates to it and starts to play. He's so gifted he can just hear a song and know how to play it. I am moved to tears every time he plays my Dad's old favorite, Bridge over Troubled Water.
4. John teaches physics. ...and that doesn't BORE him!
5. John was valedictorian of his graduating class.
6. John cuts his own hair, and he's good at it. Sometimes I like to just stare at him and admire how handsome he gets to be!
7. John is very meticulous. He thinks through every step of any process and always wants to do something right the first time.
8. John tells the BEST bed time stories to the kids. This usually results in absurd jokes and all kinds of silly phrases the next morning and all I can do is shake my head and ask, "Did daddy teach that to you?"
9. John gets the kids hyper right before bed, every night...without fail.
10. John ALWAYS thanks me every day for making his school lunch.
11. John is the son of an English Teacher, which perhaps is why he can pull out a "pun" in any conversation.
12. John loves to learn.
13. The perfect meals for John contain one of the following three things: Cheese, cream cheese, or CHEESE!
14. John has rarely gone a day without having a peanut butter sandwich. A family favorite of ours is the Monkey Sandwich: Peanut butter, honey & Banana! He makes them the best.
15. John is a farm boy at heart. Now he grew up within town limits, and I'm pretty sure he's never milked a cow before, but he served his mission in Texas, has a bullwhip and can say "Awright" like the best of em. He looks great in is cowboy boots, and loves being out in the country. Yup I'm pretty sure it is cowboy blood that is coursing through those veins of his.


16. John always gives people the benefit of the doubt. People just can't disappoint him very easily.

17. John likes to act, and although time doesn't allow for him to be in any local plays right now, his home is his stage, and he is always acting out some sort of character. The kids eat it up!
18. John likes to dance. Waltz, two step...that kind of dance. He's good at it.
19. He loves any movie with Sub titles.
20. John can build, fix or create anything. In fact he can DO Everything. I have never never never seen him fail. There are times when he will come in from the garage or wherever, puzzled about how we will fix or handle a certain dilemma. I just sit back knowing full well that in a couple of minutes he will have the most ingenious solution to whatever the problem is.
21. John may not be a romantic by some peoples standards. But every night we fall asleep with him holding my hand, and I can't think of anything sweeter than that!
22. John is consistently good in every way possible. He isn't just putting on a show to impress people. No sir- he's the real deal!
23. John is the one in my life who keeps me trying to be good, he calms me down when I need to calm down, and he makes me laugh always.
24. John gives without expecting anything in return.
25. John happens to live with 4 people who worship the ground he walks on!

Happy Halloween. Happy Birthday! We love you!



Now, I'm leaving it up to any of you readers who know and love John. Add your favorite thing about him in the comment section. Hopefully we can make it to 33 before he reads this tomorrow!

Recipe of the Week

Sam's scary (and I do mean SCARY) Halloween Sugar Cookies




What you do is you let your mom bake the sugar cookies as directed. Then when her back is turned go and grab some heaping spoons of white icing and drop randomly on the cookies. It helps if you use as much icing as possible, ...oh and spread some on the table and chairs for good measure. Another good decorating technique is to (again when your mom is not looking), find the tupperware container full of food coloring. Open as many lids as you can and just drop as many drips of as many colors as you can onto the cookie. You know you'll have used enough food coloring when the dye runs through the cookie onto the plate/table below.


Looks good and your mom will absolutely Freak OUT! ..Spooky!

You know you live in a small town when...

The local principal drives his tractor to work!



Disclaimer: For the record- the principal happens to be my Uncle. I later did ask my Aunt what the tractor was being used for and there was a perfectly good explanation for it, but I'm not telling that part of it. It's more fun to have you believe this is an everyday occurrence here in cow town.

At our place this week:

* Abby gave her first talk in primary today. It was really cute to watch her talk about service and all that her little hands can do to help others around her. I was so proud of her, and amazed at her lack of fear when it comes to public speaking. When I was little, (let's face it even now) I would burst into tears as soon as I had to speak infront of a group. Abby was thrilled to get the chance. Infact when she was asked a few days ago, she started jumping up and down saying, "My first talk! My first talk EVER!" I just looked at her and told her she was strange. She did GREAT!

* John has been Mr. Volleyball lately. In the last two weeks he has had two out of town tournaments, 6 practices and 2 games. I am past the point of feeling sorry for myself as would normally be the case. John was a tired man yesturday as he got up early to go to his last tourney of the season. Things are winding down, and hopefully his team does well when all is said and done. It's been fun to watch him do his coaching thing.

* I've been trying really hard to keep things organized and clean. It's crazy how life seems to fall apart when John is not around. I don't fold laundry, don't cook as well, don't use make up! Yikes! I've read some great books lately. Far from the Madding Crowd, and Roots have been two of my favorite. ROOTS is a giant book that follows the life of one man from the time he is kidnapped from his african village and brought to America by the white people. This book has been a difficult read, mainly because I can not believe how brutal and harshly a group of people can be treated. Still, it has provided a good glimpse for me into a part of both the African culture, and the American culture of that day.

* I've found some great recipe sites lately which have me totally stoked. Like every other blogger out there I am a blog STALKER and I'm more than proud to admit it. Why shouldn't I be, when I gather so much useful information from others. I've learned about photography, art, reading, and yes...cooking from other people. You know how people say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well in John's case, I think that is true. Seriously I think that is how I managed to get him to marry me. I can't wait to try some of these new dishes. I tell ya, John is going to be a happy man. ....uh I hope.

I think we've taught her well

John and I got a good chuckle out of this sign that appeared on Abby's bedroom door the other day. She wrote it herself and when we asked her what it said she breathed a giant, dramatic sigh and laid down the rules as follows:
"No Boys Allowed.
PS: or Fruit Bats
PS: or Platypus"


We know that at her age boys have cooties and they are boring, but we couldn't help but wonder what she has against the fruit bats and platypus of the world! Oh well. Too bad for them:)

Oh hello Mr.Paparazzi

This past monday was election day right? That's a rhetorical question, I know it was, I'm just trying to set up this story for you. Election Day. John and I go down to the local civic center to cast our votes. We have to wait in line for awhile, and we have the kids with us. Perhaps we could have left the kids at home and taken turns coming alone, but we felt it was important that the kids see us vote, thus developing a deep love for the democratic system they've been born into. So the kids quickly get tired of standing in line and all three of them go up to play on the stage with other bored children. John is viisiting with someone. I'm in a dazed stupor and contemplating whether or not I was wise to have left dinner cooking in the oven. This is obviously going to take longer then planned. Suddenly, Wham! Sam wipes out... on the stage... infront of half the town! He's got a bloody nose. We leave the line up, and take Sam to the bathroom to tend to him. Abby and Jess are mad at us for making them get off the stage, and Sam is vehemently assuring us that there is no blood -there is- but he still wants to go back to play. Yeah, like that's going to happen. Everything calms down. We get back in line. Take the 30 seconds to cast our vote, and prepare to leave. Where are Sam's boots? Where's his coat? Abby wants a drink at the fountain. Jessica wants to PLAY in the fountain!!! DINNER IS BURNING! Finally we are all headed out the door, and we hear a cheer from inside as we leave. K not really but I wouldn't have been surprised to hear one.

Can you invision that? I had to describe it in that light so that you would understand that at that point the only thing I was thinking about was getting these kids to the van. And fast.

A few days later I go to buy a copy of the local paper that comes out every Thursday and look who made the front page!





I looked at this and all I could think is, "you've got to be kidding." Right there, taking up the entire front page is our happy little family. I had to scan this into our computer so you might not be able to see it clearly. We are all there - John, kindly holding the door open for an elderly couple, Jess, Abby.... and me with a scowl on my face and my son practically in a headlock!!! Ahhh! We didn't even know someone was taking our picture. Trust me I would have atleast SMILED while restrianing my three year old. Just my luck to. One bad moment, and WHAM there's someone lurking down the street with a ZOOM lense.

I mean honestly Mr. Paparrazi: I'm fine with being on the front page and all. Really. Next time could you just wait 2 SECONDS for a better shot. Deal?



Of more importance, I should share some exciting news. For months now we have talked about getting a second vehicle. We have talked and talked about it. Would we actually use two cars? Shouldn't we walk more? Is it worth it? Can we afford it? yadda yadda yadda. I for one have always been for getting a second car, primarily because I've grown tired of waking the kids up on those cold winter mornings just to get John to school by 7:00. Mind you, we aren't struggling with that issue yet as the weather has been nice and John is happy to walk. However with John coaching there are weekly games and tournaments which usually means he's getting home late (real late) and phoning me to come get him, which I'm happy to do, but the kids are all snug in their beds snoring logs by this point. What to do? I was glad when John finally took matters into his own hands this week, and got us a second vehicle:


The thing is...we just can't park it at our house!






He went and got his class 2 and now he is a liscenced bus driver, (which will come in handy on those nights he has games). We are so proud of you honey!


So you see. He's got his wheels, and I've got mine.


Who says I can't compromise?

The only time you get to do this!

Over the thanksgiving holiday we attended a Rausch family reunion. It was fun to see all of my siblings as well as our extended family. Aunts, Uncles, ...cousins. At the end of the day my brother was so excited to have laid claim on this MASSIVE store bought chocolate cake that was left over from the potluck dinner. However, by the time we got back to Chad's place none of us were in the mood for cake. (That probably had something to do with the massive amounts of food we'd ingested over the weekend already.) Looking at the colossal pile of chocolate goodness we wondered what to do with it.

The kids put it to good use!




I had to tell Abby several times that she only gets to eat like this at Uncle Chads and Aunt Heathers!

I am so glad that it is Thanksgiving weekend! Not only to I plan on eating a TONNE of Turkey, but I have so much to truly feel grateful for. You know, I don't think I stop often enough to consider just how fortunate I am. I mean I know in the back of my mind that life is good, but I usually let the busyness of my day, or the little (and I do mean LITTLE) problems overshadow those things that really matter. Luckily we have holidays like this, which help bring us back to the important things in life.

For me, they are:

My kids. I have three VERY great kids who I love more then anything! It is sometimes difficult for me to pause and enjoy the little moments in a day, and let's be honest, there are a lot of things about Motherhood that I'm not thankful for. You know - stinky diapers, messy bedrooms, dirty clothes right after I washed them...etc. What I am grateful for however are the smiles, the laughter, the silly games and the "I love you mommy" moments. They keep me busy -yet laughing every day.

Our home. I love our home. I know that it is small, and not too new, but it is ours and I love it! I'm grateful to have a mortgage that I know we can afford. I'm grateful that I don't have to go to work, and that I can stay at home! There are times when we pull into our drive way and I feel so glad to be HOME.

Our health Yeah, I realize that those who know me really well will understand that to say I'm grateful for health is an understatement. I spend a lot of hours worrying about the health of my family and I. Seriously, I've practically earned a PhD in medicine with all the research and Dr's visits I've made since being a mom! Still, and in my defense I truly believe that our health is one of the greatest blessing we enjoy. I'd take health over wealth any day. Which ...is good because...that's what we've got! :)

Siblings I LOVE my Brother and my SISTERS! I can't imagine going a day without talking to them. They are always there for me and I do take that for granted. While I'm on the subject I should also express gratitude for the amazing sister-in-laws that I have as well. I am so glad I get to live close to so many of them.

Parents I am so grateful for the parents that I had. My Mom and Dad have both done more for me, and continue to influence me daily, more then any body else. I enjoyed Elder Hollands talk at this past weeks General Conference. He spoke about the Angels in our lives, who help us. I am GRATEFUL for my angel parents.

John. Most of all I am grateful to be married to a husband who is a better person than me in every way. I don't know what else to say except that. I'm incredibly lucky - and don't think I don't know it!

The Church. I don't think I've talked much about my religion on this blog, but it wouldn't be right to not mention how grateful I am to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The belief I have that families can be together eternally, and that there is a God who is directly concerned with my individual well being is at the root of everything that I do. I'm not perfect by any means - perhaps that's why I'm so THANKFUL for the gospel!

I truly believe that God is a "giver", and if I ever fail to appreciate that, all I have to do is look at everything good in my life.







Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
(Oh yeah...and Turkey! I'm thankful for TURKEY!)