Cookies galore!

I didn't go to the RH House to bake on Wednesday due to car issues, so I decided to bake up a storm on Saturday. FUN! While baking I watched myself some movies, drank myself some coffee (you know how that makes me happy... in fact I'm drinking some coffee right at this moment... a happy girl....), and decided it was time to begin again teaching myself how to decorate sugar cookies. And I mean more than just spreading frosting on a cookie. So I took a 'baby step' and decided to bake up some pink hearts. Nice, easy, sweet hearts. Heck, it's close to Valentine's Day. I had a small heart shaped cookie cutter that was just perfect. What ya think? How cute are they?

So I whipped up a batch of royal frosting and piped it around the edges. Notice how there aren't any pictures of this effort? I sucked at it. But I kept on going, and I told myself that practice, practice, practice would do the trick. I reminded myself that this was one of my first attempts, and that it is going to take a while. I told myself that I should just relax and enjoy the ride. After that long talk with my self I began to have fun doing it, and I have to admit by the end of the process I was doing a bit better. There's hope for me yet, and I've decided that I'm going to bake up a batch of cookies and just practice on them. You can practice pipping on a cookie sheet, but I think I need to practice on actual cookies. I have an amazing cookie decorating book with lots of ideas, and one of my goals is to create some Elvis cookies just like in the book.

Okay, so I have the feeling my Elvis cookies may be the Elvis at the end of his life, when he was a bit 'worse for wear', but I'm not going to let that stop me. No sirree. A bad Elvis is still Elvis.

And there's a cute bee cookie: I think I'll have to work on that one for a certain young lady I know. Ah, I remember the days when I was a girl of forty........

The cookies looked pretty good, and the folks that were at the House when I delivered them raved about them. One couple was taking dinner to their daughter in the hospital and we got there just in time for them to take a couple to her. I hope she liked them.

I found some strawberry cake mix and frosting and thought I'd give them a try. The cake mix had pudding in it so I couldn't do the buttermilk trick I do with other cake mixes. The cakes were moist, but very light, and I think too light for cupcakes. I probably won't do a pudding cake mix cupcake in the future. But they looked pretty darn good, and I think the chocolate heart on them hits the right note.

Does this not say 'Happy Valentine's Day' to you?

Last, but certainly not least, I made some chocolate marshmallow cookies. I'd been eying these puppies for a while, and since I had everything in the house (man I love when that happens) I figured I'd add some chocolate cookies to the list. I LOVED THEM.

The chocolate cookie base was not too sweet, the marshmallow was a light touch, and the chocolate frosting: hey, it's hard to go wrong with chocolate frosting! They were very easy, very good, and I now have a new cookie to make at the house. I'm putting together a pretty good selection.

And now that I think about it, it's been a while since I've baked up a batch of black and white cookies. Hmmm.

Gotta go.

Deacon the Dog

Now it's official: Deacon had come into the computer age. He has his own chair and everything. Next thing you know Lire will demand one as well.

Maybe next year Cardinals...

Super Bowl baby. Time for family, friends, and food. Oh yes, and blue 3-D glasses from Intel so you can watch yourself some crazy commercials. And we fell for it folks. Do these folks not look ultra cool and suave?

Wow, Steven is working on that cool and suave look. That's my boy!

Cari and Doug decided that Mark needed help with his cool and suave look. Let's just say Mark and Jennifer were not impressed with their efforts. I think he's cute just as he is.

Now don't think all afternoon was spent in blue glasses from Intel. We're not quite THAT cool and suave.

Mark and Curt hung out. Reminds me of the 'old days'. We met Bonnie and Curt while I was pregnant with Cari. We've been so lucky to make such good friends as we have. Friends that are willing to come to our house and wear blue glasses from Intel and look cool and suave with their friends.

Okay, this is SO NOT FAIR. Jennifer is SO DARN CUTE in the blue Intel glasses.

I am not as cute, but I think there may be a touch of the cool and suave look for me left. And I'm wearing one of Steven's old Tigard HS jerseys, so I am football city all the way.

Cari didn't get the memo for this picture.

Let me warn you fellow bloggers with cute little children. Doug was originally in this picture. In the left hand side of the picture is a thumb. Due to the hand gesture Doug was making he was cropped out of the picture. There were other pictures affected by this effort on his part.

Enjoy blogging cute little children while you can my friends. One day they too may turn into a 'Doug'.

Rip City!

On Friday I got an email from the good folks at the Ronald McDonald House: they had tickets for kids to go to Saturday night's Blazer game and be one of the 'kids on the court'. FUN! I got myself two tickets, found myself a nice young man to take along, Gabe, and we met up on Saturday and drove on down to the House to pick up our packet.

Well, we picked up the packet at 5, so we had a bit of time before the Rose Garden opened at 6. We grabbed a bite to eat at Taco Bell (since we planned on them giving us a free chalupa when the Blazers scored over 100 points that night, we figured we should give them some business). Hmmm...still some time left before we can get into the Rose Garden. Darn it.

Hey, I thought to myself, we're right by Cari's house. Let's go bug her and play with the kittens. We were lucky: Cari was in, she was happy to see us (right, Cari, you were 'happy'?) and the kittens were happy to see us. Gabe had a great time playing, and as you can see he was a big hit. During the play time that big piece of wood you see on the coffee table made it's way to the floor. Good times. Good times.

Cari brought the rats out for a peep. Interesting dynamics, eh? Cat meets rat.

Thanks Cari for letting us come by unannounced and entertaining us so nicely. I appreciate it. I guess you weren't brought up by crack smoking wolfs. Thank goodness. You helped make the evening even nicer.


We get to the Rose Garden, wait in line to get in, find where we're suppose to meet the good folks of the Blazers, and after all of the events of going on the court and such Gabe got a bag FILLED with great stuff. A hat (see above), wrist bands, a head band, a Blazers notebook, ruler, pen, a picture of one the players, and a pennant for the wall. Very nicely done Blazers, very nicely done. Can you tell Gabe was happy? The hat looks like it was made for him.

Okay, I got ahead of myself. Here is a picture of Gabe on the court, getting ready to high five the players as they come out for warm ups. Why is there only one picture? Cause the rest of my pictures oh Gabe being on the court SUCK! Blurry city! Kseniya had me take her camera: let's hope I didn't screw those up. Gabe is the second kid in on the right hand side (the kids line up on both sides so the Blazers can run through them as they come out to the court to war up). Hard to see, I know.

After the Blazers came out on the court the kids got to sit on the sidelines for about 5 minutes and watch them warm up. How fun for Gabe to not only go to his first Blazers game, but to get to high five some players and sit on the court! How very cool is that!

Gave was a delight. He is so easy to talk to, pleasant, funny, and I think he became a Blazers fan last night. I'm thinking it happened folks.

The folks sitting next to us were from the House as well, and the girl was SO EXCITED about going on the court. Her dad was so excited cause he got the hat in her gift bag! A win/win for all folks.

Our seats were in the 200 level, and I have to admit not too bad at all. A couple of guys a couple of rows ahead of us were a bit 'loud' (could the beers they were drinking as they supported the team have anything to do with it?), and stood a lot, causing the kids to have a difficult time seeing. But the guys were high fiving the kids a lot, didn't mean any harm, and they eventually settled down and sat through the last half (could the effects of the beers they were drinking as they supported the Blazers have anything to do with that? I'm thinking so).

Utah played well, but it was pretty much Blazers for the whole game. The blazers scored over 100 points and we got our free chalupas. Thanks Taco Bell!

I had a great time taking Gabe to the game. I hope he and I can do something like this again. I really enjoyed hanging out with him, and I hope he had as much fun as I did.

One important thing we learned at the game: if you ever made a sign at a game, and they offer you honking big ole pens to write with, DON'T DO IT!!! Those honking big ole pens will cause the sign to STINK for a LONG TIME. Like a REALLY LONG TIME. Trust me, we know.

A good type of snow

Woke up this morning and we were getting a light (and let me repeat LIGHT) dusting of snow. Just how I like it. I made a pot of coffee, cuddled up with a good book, and enjoyed the good type of snow. Enough to enjoy, but not enough to keep me home bound. Good snow.

Our little tree was happy it was a good type of snow. What a nice way to start the day. :)

Mama mia!

Hooper decided it was time to make some pizza. He looked online, found a recipe, and went to work. Here he is working on the dough. Amazing. I never would have thought he'd come up with something like this.

Working the dough. Not sure how the scissors come into play here. Not sure I want to ask.

Pineapple and ham. Oh man, let me just say this: it was GOOD. Hooper, it was darn good.

Okay, almost time for the Super Bowl. This little guy is so mad that the Steelers are back at it again! He's going around saying "Go Cardinals!"

We're preparing for having folks over for the Super Bowl (Go Cardinals!). I moved furniture, and Mark went out and rented himself a carpet cleaner.

Hard at work, cleaning. He did a great job. Fun? No. But a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, fun or not. Thanks Honey.

Go Cardinals!

Deacon found himself having to hang around outside while Mark cleaned the house preparing for folks to come over to watch the Super Bowl. Oh well, it's only once a year buddy.

Happy B day dad!!!

Why are these folks so excited? Stunned? Amazed?

Because January is my Dad's birthday month! Ha! Look how excited (stunned, amazed) he looks at this fact! Wow. I think he's looking excited (stunned, amazed). I think. Maybe.

My dad is a sports kind of guy. I remember as a kid going to the park and playing while dad played, or umpired, baseball. I remember going to the bowling alley and hanging out while he bowled in a league. I remember going to a high school football game dad refereed (I think it was at Live Oak High School) when I was in the 6th grade, and our baby sitter was there, and she was one of the baton twirlers, AND she even used batons that were on fire! Wow, do I remember that. I remember listening to baseball games on the radio during road trips, and at picnics. I still like listening to games on the radio today: reminds me of lots of good times we had.

I don't have many memories of dad and golf, except I know he's a fiend for it. But there is a funny story out there about a very young Steven and a golf cart gone a stray. I wasn't there, but I hear it was funny.

AND this last year my dad was golfing with a friend, and at the same hole they both got a hole in one! Can you believe it? How amazing is that? You go dad!

Hey dad, remember when you were umpiring a baseball game, Linda broke her arm, and when she came to tell you, you told her to wait until the inning was over? I remember she was pretty low keyed about it all (pretty good for a little kid, eh?), and I'm pretty sure you were pretty amazed when you found out she wanted your attention because her darn ole arm was broken! What the heck! That's our Linda girl.

Come to think about it, I cut my eye at that same park (not at the same time as the infamous Linda broken arm thingy), and I had to have stitches. Maybe we should have rethought that whole park thing dad. Maybe.

Back to you dad.

My dad is funny, sporty, smart, loving, and I ADORE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART. I love how he ADORES MY MOTHER WITH ALL HIS HEART. I am so lucky that my parents showed me what loving each other is all about. Mark is lucky that way too. We both have wonderful parents and don't think we don't know it.


Birthday story of my dad. A few years ago we went to Kennedy School in Portland for dinner, and as we're waiting to be seated we wandered around, looking at the art hanging on the walls. Wonderful pictures and art work to be seen. Check it out if you haven't done so. Go.

Dad found a tile, with a child's note framed in it. A cute little note, probably written during class. A cute little note, probably written during class, definitely written on the very day my dad was born! How cool is that? What are the odds?

I must be the luckiest girl in the world to have you and Mom as my parents. Okay, Linda is a lucky girl too, and John and Tom didn't do too bad either.

By the way, come to think about it, what's with the names Mary, Linda, John, and Tom? Come on folks: could you have chosen any simpler names? Would have served John right if you'd named him Percival, or something along that line............hee, hee. I'm liking it. Percival.