Author: lizardek

Rachel, Martin and Karin in the babypool, with Bryce watering the flowers behind them

We’re baaa-aaack! 🙂 The last several days have been so whirlwind that I feel as if Hurricane Charley was my LIFE! The party on Friday was great! Our giant-feasty-spread of salads was a huge hit. We had chicken curry salad, diced veggie salad, roasted vegetable salad, tuna pasta salad, shrimp-avocado-spinach salad, napa cabbage salad, sourcream and cucumber salad, swedish potato salad, tomato-basil-mozzarella salad, fruit salad, deviled eggs, veggie and dip tray, black and green olives and CAKE! brownie cake with caramel frosting, cinnamon swirl cake with cream cheese frosting, and spice cake with white chocolate almond frosting. It’s no surprise...

There’s no place like home 🙂

We’ve been doing party prep all day: dusting, laundry, vacuuming, general pickup, and then starting the preparation on the gazillion salads that we are serving tomorrow. Anders was outside all day weeding, mulching and then mowing the lawn. We also had to run to the store 3x for various forgotten ingredients. After dinner, which was gigantic, perfectly cooked, THICK steaks and artichokes, we did the salad prep. I was in charge of chopping vegetables. I’m a slicing, dicing queen. My mom and sister were very impressed, so I guess my two years of slavery service at the Bagel Fragel Deli...

Hi there! *waves* Miss me? I haven’t been able to really read my friends pages or any blogs for over a week and the tremors are really shaking me now. I’m in web withdrawal big-time and don’t know when it will end. A month-long vacation has really shown me how deep my addiction lies. I’VE MISSED YOU! *group hug* Thank you for all the lovely greetings and best wishes on my birthday yesterday, it really contributed to a glowing feeling of well-being that lasted all day. I was treated to breakfast in bed, prepared by the kids, and received a...

One year ago today, I took the plunge and started this live journal, thanks to inspiration from galestorm. I’ve met many wonderful people online since I started and found a community that offers support and encouragement, and given me an outlet for my writing, and the things I want to say and record. 🙂 I don’t have time to say much since I’m still in Oregon and am having a blast! There are 4 of us here now and the other 3 arrive today. I got to see Becky’s kids for about an hour yesterday, and we can all feel...

We were going to go to Bronner’s and take bets on how long it would take Anders’ eyes to roll up into the back of his head, but as (his) luck would have it, we ran out of time due to the siren call of all the outlet stores at Birch Run. I sound like someone who lives for shopping, if you judge by what we seem to be spending the most time doing during this vacation, but really it’s only because I haven’t been home to the States in over 2 years, and we saved up the wish list,...

I’m not sure there could have been a more perfect summer day than this one. Summer Sights: A monarch butterfly that landed on my footrest and breathed in and out with his wings. As soon as the thought “I should fetch the camera” crossed my mind, he lifted and floated away. The grass-marinated slickery limbs of my children as they slipped and slid in and out of the pool The nodding, sun-saluting red red RED heads of the bee balm flowers and a crouching, mud-brown toad blending into the woodchips The sinuous wavy curves of water from the hose sprayed...

In the harsh, cold light of day this morning, I made the tough decision to return the biggest (and most expensive) impulse item I picked up at B&N yesterday: a special Book-Lover’s Edition of Trivial Pursuit. 🙁 The biggest reason why? Because both Anders and my mom, upon separately hearing what I had purchased, said, “But…who are you going to play it with?” *sob* So, tonight I trounced Mom at cribbage and now I feel better. Anders and I spent some time at Lowe’s this morning drooling over chandeliers and hanging lamps because we have now lived in 2 houses...