Livingston Photo Safari Alphabet Collage

Photo Safari on Wednesday

We went downtown on Wednesday to take a walk and do an Alphabet Photo Safari. Heidi took about 4 pictures, then she just wanted to find the letters and make me take the pictures. She did a great job. Here she is snapping away in front of the bank.

We also took big pictures of cool signs during our safari...here are some Livingston signs:

Heidi and James by the Montana flag in front of Sax & Fryer

[this my FAVORITE SIGN! Hilarious!]

We stopped for a little snack--blueberry scone and a St. Patty's sugar cookie and water--at the Bittersweet Cafe (next to the chiropractor's office).

Heidi bought this little fawn for $1 at Little Buckaroos Thrift Store.

Heidi ate a sugar cookie and named her fawn "Polly."

Heidi took this photo of me with James at the cafe. I looked a tired as I felt (no makeup--so scary), but I had a great time with James and Heidi! Soon I will photoshop our alphabet collage and post it! Fun!

Well-Behaved

Later I will post pictures from this morning's Alphabet Photo Safari with Heidi in downtown Livingston. Man, I love that girl. She is bursting at the seams with personality and sass; she is almost too much for me, but I strive everyday to figure out how to be her mom. The lyrics to "Maria" from Sound of Music often run through my mind when I think of her, and my mom job often feels like pinning down a cloud, keeping a wave on the sand, holding a moonbeam in my hand.

I read THIS POST from cjane today and I felt all kinds of amens coming on. I am often The Bull in a China Shop (speaking of flibbertyjibbits...) and often wish for more grace, more quiet strength. I mean, I am who I am, to a certain extent, I know this; I try to be grateful. I'm just sayin' I could make some better choices. I could learn to be a lady like cjane's Sister Ryan or my own dear grandmother (bless her heart--I'm sure I have horrified her sensibilities a zillion times!). Girlfriends, your thoughts on the secret of womanhood?

i love this way too much

Random Snowy St. Paddy Pix

Our Cousins across the street made this cool snowman today! Uncle Davey is so funny!...
The snow is melting fast and the snowman's face is falling off!

James and Heidi enjoyed a bowl of snow and some Wonderpets this afternoon.

YUM!

My Three Little Leprechauns

Makin' Biscuits

These photos were taken yesterday right before it went from a 55-degree, partly sunny day to DUMPING snow--about 4-5 inches over night. The girls went to play with their cousins across the street, and James stayed with me and made yummy cheddar biscuits. It was our first time trying out the Red Lobster recipe and it turned out great! James with the pastry cutter--notice the Crystal Light sippy and the Pringles (what can I say, we're on a health food kick!) on the counter? Once when I looked away, James sprinkled juice and crumbled a chip into the biscuit batter. But no harm done.
James licked off every cooking utensil and ate all the bits of cheddar dough ("Playdoh! playdoh! I eat it!").

Such a happy helper, my sweet little biscuit-face!
***
Here's the recipe, dedicated to my Aunt Marti, with whom I recently had the following convo:

Auntie: I love those Red Lobster biscuits

ME: Me, too. They are manna from heaven.

Auntie: Manna is supposed to be "sweet" to the taste...well, I guess that means it tastes like whatever you want it to taste like.

ME: Yeah. So for us that just means "cheddar and garlic."

***

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
1 cup cold whole milk
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ heaping cups grated cheddar cheese
Brush on Top:
4 tablespoons butter, melted (the other half of the stick)
¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch salt

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ½ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop (or your toddler’s hands).
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.
5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

From abc news, tweaked by me 03.16.09

"Girl, Put Some Makeup On!"

My steri strips came off this morning! Yay...kind of...I like having the gash somewhat covered, but now it's just swimmin' in neosporin. Hey, thyroidless sisters, got any wound care tips for me? The doc told me what to do, but it was just a few hours after surgery, so yeah, like I remember that...! Anyway, here I am fresh from the shower at 9am: From below (so puffy! check out my awesome Elrey jowls!)
From above...a pearly pink neck smile!

***
My peeps have all gone- the girls to hang out with Grandma and cousins Rosie and Hannah, and the boys to the gun show in Bozeman (yes, we are armed and dangerous now, and I missed hunter safety last weekend! I'll catch the next one and you can just call me Calamity Jane!) I am taking a wicked sweet nap today! I am getting excited to visit AZ, to snuggle Owen, to hang with Sam, Kris, and Lisa, to meet up with my valley girlz in Mesa, to catch the Easter Pageant at the AZ Temple, to celebrate Papa's 84th birthday...what great timing for a trip, and for less than $100! THIS song has been on my mind...it's perfect for spring fever and daydreaming of AZ sun! Have a great weekend and SING ALONG...

Three little birds, sat on my window.
And they told me I don't need to worry. [love the bob marley reference!]
Summer came like cinnamon
So sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.

Maybe sometimes, we've got it wrong, but it's alright
The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same
Oh, don't you hesitate.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely,
Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside,
(just relax, just relax)
Don't you let those other boys fool you,
Got to love that afro hair do.

Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it's alright
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.
Don't you think it's strange?

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

'Twas more than I could take, pity for pity's sake
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realise, that you don't even have to try any longer?
Do what you want to...

Four Poster Dull Torpor

I am gettin' sick-n- tired of bein' sick-n-tired, as the Red Hot Chili Peppers once put it--seriously sick of my room and not being able to open the windows and get glorious fresh air. Why? Because, while it is deceptively sunny out there, and it is indeed mid-March, the low today was minus ten! MINUS TEN, people. Shiver in my bones just thinkin' about the weather. It's such a long time since my better days...

however... THIS gorgeous post just lit up my life in so many ways, not the least of which is to make me feel the warmth of the African sun AND the Holy Spirit all in one shot. Joh, I love you so very much.

***

PS: bruises are gone...life is good...

WARNING: Scary Thyroidectomy Images Comin' Right Up...

These look horrific...I am sorry, I didn't realize how gross they are, but this is how I'm lookin' today! Too bad it's not Halloween! (Lisa A., did yours look gnarley like this? I am told it's a little worse than usual becaus the thyroid was enlarged, but...ew!). I got adjusted at the chiro today--couldn't stand layin' in bed anymore, even though I am exhausted now from going out. It's freezing cold and super snowy, so I'm happy to sleep it off. My SIL, Amie, just came from Helena and brought me a basket of bath goodies and took all the little boys to swim at Chico (Heidi and Addie are at school). So I am hoping Jill can take a little nap now...poor thing! I'm gonna go join her. All is well...XOXO

What was that?

I had my thyroid removed early Friday morning. I did pretty well in the hospital and came home yesterday, but I feel way worse than I thought I would at this point. Rich and Jill are taking good care of me, but I am sore and loopy.

Today

Here are some recent pictures...this one is actually Sunday night... Addie and I made Chocolate-Peanut butter Rice Krispy Treats for her class snack on Monday.

***

Monday afternoon, I got a package in the mail from Oregon. Jessica in NC ordered it for me off etsy.com "from one thyroid-less girl to another"--it's a butterfly, shaped like a thyroid--get it?

Beautiful! Thanks, Jess!

Here I am wearing my necklace and driving my awesome minivan.
(My right eye still looks buggy, and it has been running non-stop today)

Looking to the right is way better than looking to the left because I have this weird, slow-healing owie on my nose. It errupted on 2/21, just after I started anti-biotics for sinus infection. It used to be red and bulbous, causing the kids to sing, "Mommy, the red-nosed reindeer." Now Rich just calls it "nose cancer."

James and I took a walk down by Heidi's school is the cool spring rain...

He wore the new "Lightnin' McQueen" shoes Daddy bought for him, and I wore my crocs, too--they are so great in the rain!