Happy Valentine's Day 2010!

{Yet another year mommy gets off her deathbed to celebrate...}

The girls woke us up at 7:13, excited for our Valentine's breakfast. So we cooked raspberry stuffed french toast and thick bacon and orange juice and grapes. While I cooked adn set the table, Rich gave the kids the Valentines he bought for them:

Addie, Heidi, and James with stuffies from dad.
Mommy setting the table, sorting out Valentine treats
(see that envelope? We got it yesterday from the Smiths in Pinehurst, NC! We opened it today over breakfast--thanks for all the sweet Valentines, Hila & family!)

James and Daddy

Addie and Daddy at the table

Heidi with her squirt gun from the Smiths.

After breakfast, we got ready for church and were even 20 minutes early! Amazing what getting up an hour early with enthusiastic children can do for ya! I'll come back and post pix of them in their cute church clothes today...
***
Last week, the kids spent lots of time with Grandma and Uncle Mike because I was sick. Heidi built a tiny snow man at Uncle MIke's house on Friday (yes, we need some NEW snow!)...

Also, last Tuesday, poor Cousin Danny (age 7, first grader at the same school as the girls) fell on the playground and broke his arm. He had to have surgery and get screws in his arm. Addie and went to visit after school.

Update

I have received from several sources complaints that I haven't blogged in a while. I am still sick, my ear is still swollen and infected after 11 days of augmentin. The antibiotics are taking a toll and I have had a few days of nausea and vomiting (a la pregnancy) over the past week. I've also felt nearly normal a couple of days, but then I crash the next day. I just saw my regular doctor and after an exam she scheduled a CT scan for my head and x-rays for my back at 1:30. She scheduled a consult with another doctor and will call me late this afternoon with another plan of action.

On the bright side, I have been able to keep up with the laundry and spend quality reading/cuddle time with the kids while I am holed-up in the basement. I also scanned a bunch of old photos to save on disks. I posted an album of mission pictures on facebook, and when I feel decent, I am working on cropping and color-correcting other oldies like this:
That's Audrey and Willy and me holding baby Tyler at Christmas 1994. Will was teaching Ty to be Rat Boy.

I have also been reading like crazy and creating blog posts in my head. I read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell in 6 hours (say what you want about his "glibness", I looove the way he thinks and sees patterns everywhere; I devour everything he has to share!), Half The Sky by Nick Kristoff and his wife, and I am in the middle of The Magic of Encouragement by Stephanie Marston. This is an old book , but it has so many good ideas and exercises to do to make your home a haven and a strength to your children...last night I decided it was going to serve as our family night curriculum for a while. I also watched Food, Inc and it made me cry (for the farmers, not the animals). I typed up a draft of thoughts about it I will post when I get around to editing it.

So I will get back to you after my hospital business today. Thanks for your concern. If anybody wants to play with my kids or take them to the playground, this is always welcome since I have been a terribly boring mama and I am still unsteady on my feet.


Here is some Malcolm...I hope he delights you as much as he delights me. I wish he was my neighbor.

Friday, yay!

I have been sick all week--Sunday started with a moderate-to-severe sinus headache and Monday it became a full-blown, throbbing ear ache. On Tuesday morning, my left ear was swollen shut, so I saw my doc at 9am and got antibiotics and supplements to kill the infections and stop the general inflammation (fish oil DHA is supposed to help with that)(the diagnosis was double ear infections, with an abscess in the left ear that was infecting surrounding tissue in neck and jaw). The pain was as bad as labor, except maybe worse because it was steady, w/o the rhythmic cessations and definite end (and great reward) of labor. I have never been in that kind of pain. I finally got some pain meds from the doc and had a good night's sleep Wednesday, so Thursday there was marked improvement. I even went to PTO mtg and served as secretary for the first time. Today I still can't hear clearly but there is less swelling. The pain seems pretty bad, but that's prolly because I was trying not to take anymore vicodin. But I am going to, and I am taking a nap with James shortly.


My girls are auditoning for the Firehouse 5 Playhouse production of Alice in Wonderland today--they've been having theatre workshops all week and are very excited. If you would like to come see the shows, they are next Friday, 2/12 at 7pm, Saturday 2/12 at 2 and 4pm and admission is $5, or $20 for a family. Proceeds go back to the PTO, which shelled out a couple thousand clams to give the kids this experience, so COME SEE THE SHOW!!! Anyway, I just wanted to remark again here how much I adore my children and how lucky I feel to be their mom. It has been a hard week, I have been pretty much bedridden, but they have been really good at taking care of me and entertaining themselves and doing their chores. I am thankful for that! One thing Addie has done to help is reading to James. Heidi has to go to sleep around 7:30pm, but James often has had a nap and Addie's bedtime is now 8pm. So Rich will go tuck Heidi in (reading and a "10-minute-lay-by") and Addie has started taking James to his bed and reading to him for a half hour or so. Then she goes up to her room and James just reads himself to sleep. How cute is that? Here are some pix I snapped on Tuesday:

Awww...reminds me of THIS.
***

Meanwhile, Heidi continues to amaze and impress with her artwork. This little marker-on-paper piece just cracked us up:

"Look at your little artist," it says. Indeed. How does she know that artists stereotypically wear berets and carry palletes? and look at that cute little paint brush in her hand. She just kills me.

She drew this pencil-on-paper piece on her lapdesk. Rich and I were cuddled up on the couch watching Harry Potter on 1/23, and she was facing us, "sketching" us on her lapdesk as we watched the movie. Quite a likeness. I was still wearing a striped stocking cap. Rich was thinking about something, she explained to us, but I can't remember what.

Melin Kids Rock.

Saturday at The Reef in Billings

We headed out at 11am on our Billings adventure. We had lunch at HuHot, then went to Cabela's and Target, then we went to The Reef waterpark at 4pm. It was WAAAAY more crowded this time than it was last summer, but we still had fun and the slide lines never got too long. We grabbed a quick "dinner" at Burger King on the way home and the kids crashed about 20 miles into the drive. We got home at 10:45pm. We LOOOOVE family Saturdays! Rich & Heidi in the wave pool


Daddy with happy kids (the girls were heading up the stairs for another slide)

James and mommy took this picture of Daddy and the girls up waiting in line to slide

James & Addie

James & Addie on the kiddie slide

Addie and James climbing on the playground

James & Addie on another kiddie slide.

Heidi in the wave pool with mommy

It was so relaxing, mommy almost fell asleep floating!

Addie and James playing with a "geyser" on the playground

James loved the wave pool! Heidi on the slide.

***

Thanks for another fun family day, Daddy!

One more flashback...

I was busy from sun up to sundown yesterday and feel blessed to have had the energy to keep up. I am exhausted today, but I am so enjoying James. He's such a good boy. Check out THESE pix of him at 2 months old...LOVE MY BOY!

We're off to rest and watch "Chuggington." Have a good Thursday!

PS: Or check him out HERE...babylicious!

Back in the Day

I just looked in my archives to see what we were doing 5 years ago today...
There was THIS, and THIS. Look HERE at my baby girls 5 years ago! Awwwwww.

Anyway, just checking in after a fun weekend. I've been in the kitchen for 2 hours cleaning and cooking 3 dinners at once. I had no plans to leave the house, but I am missing a couple of ingredients and the pharmacy just called with my monthly scrip, so I guess I'll venture out in the snow and fetch me some stuff.

James is playing with a "paint" game on the other computer, and I am trying not to cry because he seems like such a big boy clicking the mouse and stuff. *Sniffle*

We're taking some cookhouse chili to Aunt Jenn today because she broke her ankle on Friday. POBRECITA! Get well soon, Jenn!

Saturday at Chico

First things first, Happy 79th birthday to my darling Gram! Today we went to Chico with Mike (Rich's brother) and Christina. Rich took this picture from the Poolside Grille and sent it to Jess (his other brother, in Florida) on his phone. Today was one of those days the Melin kids like to go to Chico--cold and snowy and not very crowded. We went for lunch (pizza and walnut salad) around 1pm and swam for an hour and a half.
Rich snapped this foto of the gang--Mike in front, Christina, James, me, Addie and Heidi.

Here we are again with less fog.

Heidi and James got out of the 105-degree pool water to walk around in the 20-degree air...crazy kids!

Addie tried to lay on one of the deck chairs

(Notice Heidi in the background licking the snow)

Here's Heidi licking the snow.

We took showers there and I lotioned up the girls and blew their hair dry so we were all ready for Sunday when we got home. We did a few errands in town, then came home and ate staduim brats and fruit for dinner. Then I made kettle corn at about 5:30pm and we all snuggled down stairs and watched "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Everyone is in bed and I'm actually feeling excited about a peaceful Sabbath tomorrow. Yay.

In the Bleak Midwinter...

I have kinda been in hibernation mode here. I've had a lot of pain and headache this week that I've been battling with Excedrin migraine and Classical Stretch. I am thankful for PBS! I felt terrible on Tuesday morning, but napped with James and got myself together enough to go to temple in Billings that night, and I am glad of that. Also, the kids have been pretty dang good and I am so thankful for them! Here's a little update:

Addie has been baking up a storm with her EZ Bake oven. Correct me if I am wrong, but I really thought this little episode was amazing: While I was taking a nap and visiting teaching on Sunday, she looked up some EZ Bake recipes on the internet and made them! She found a recipe for Barbie's Pink Sparkle Cake and made 4 of them. Then she made the icing from scratch and decorated the cakes with frosting and valentine candy sprinkles. They were seriously adorable (she took one to Uncle Mike) and really tasty. I was just so surprised she could do that by herself! She even took one of my recipe cards and wrote down the recipe--so cute!

Addie & Heidi making angel cookies for Tuesday's afterschool snack.

Dear Heidi Egan (aka "Big Heidi"),

I think I may have given birth to one of your children. Not only is she the only true blonde in our family, but I caught her chugging pickle juice on Tuesday. I know that she would live much better on a farm in a more artistic family, so you can pick her up anytime.

Love, Jamie

PS: I am totally joking about the picking her up because I would die of boredom without my sunshine. Little Heidi, you're not goin' anywhere cuz I love you too much.

***
I made up a new recipe on Tuesday and I wrote it down like my MIL keeps telling me to do. So here you have it, folks...

Breadmaker Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles

2 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, fileted into 4 breasts
8 slices deli ham, cut in half to make 16 slices
8 slices swiss cheese (approx. 3” square)
Shredded colby jack cheese (optional—my girls don’t like swiss cheese and I lke them melted together)
1 loaf of breadmaker dough
1 egg for egg wash

Preparation:
1. Start breadmaker on “dough” setting using regular white bread recipe (mine takes 90 minutes, so do this first).
2. Preheat oven to 350
Filet chicken breasts and place on large piece of foil.
Pour ½ c Italian dressing over chicken, wrap and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, let juices drain, and set aside to cool. Gather all ingredients for bundle assembly.
3. When dough is ready, remove from breadmaker and lightly knead. Divide into 8 balls (like large rolls) and roll out to 6-7 inch circles.
4. Cut chicken filets in half, making 8 pieces—1 for each bundle. Salt & Pepper them to taste.
5. Assemble bundles: sprinkle dough circle with cheese, spread with optional sauce (below), lay down one slice of ham, one piece of chicken, a slice of swiss cheese, and top with anotherr slice of ham. Gather dough around meats and cheese and twist dough into a knot, securing with wet fingers.
6. Place bundles on large baking sheet covered with foil (save yourself the mess of leaky cheese).
7. Whisk one egg in a small bowl and brush egg over bundles to create a crisp, golden brown top (I also sprinkled on some sesame seeds at this point, just because I had them).
8. Bake the bundles for about 45 minutes, until the bread is the desired shade fo golden brown and remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes and serve.


Optional Honey Dijon Sauce
(can be used in the assembly of the bundles or served on the side for dipping)
2TB mayonnaise
1TB dijon mustard
1TB honey
Whisk together in small bowl and set aside til assemby time.

***

You could totally make these with thawed Rhodes Rolls or (of course) your own regular bread dough. The stuffing is variable, too--you could spread on some cream of chicken and chopped broccoli & spinach (Costco style), or stuff with scrambled eggs, cheese, and sausage, or use salami, pepperoni, mozzarella (calzone style), and use bacon rather than ham. It's just so versatile and yummy!

"early morning
april four
shot rings out
in the memphis sky
free at last
they took your life
they could not take your
pride
in the name of love..."

Dear Elder Holland,

I don't think it is possible for me to love you more. Thank you for always tailoring your messages to my needs, starting back in 1985. It means a lot.

Love, Me

***
I am feeling so edified by The Best is Yet to Be. It's not that I have been discouraged or anything--I've been quite excited about the coming year, etc.-- but it was just nice to read something so totally uplifting, ya know? Here are some of my favorite bits:


[of Lot's wife]"In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future...She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had."

(This story made me think hard about being ready to do what Lot's family, and Lehi's family, had to do. I am doing everythign I can to balance making this a wonderful home and life for us, but also to keep perspective enough so that if God asked us to walk away, we would. Without looking back, without hesitation...think about THAT challenge for a minute!

Anybody remember that song, "Called to walk in high places/ far from the ground/ where light and truth and love abound..."????for some reason that chorus came to mind while I was reading this article).

[He cites Paul as the opposite of Lot's Wife]: “ 'This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 3:13–14)."

"Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."

***

I believe the bright future of my family has been revealed to me, and when I focus all my energy of heart on that revelation, I am happiest. My goal for the new year is to keep my eyes on that prize and to ignore/avoid those in my life who lie in wait to see me to fail, who believe I can't succeed as a mother or as a Saint because of who I may have been or where I may have come from. I want to surround myself with those who believe in our bright future, who "cheer on every runner" knowing "that the race is against sin, not against each other "(quote from THIS masterpeice from Holland--see also the very bottom of this page). Not only do I not have to "go there," I've been commanded not to, and I won't.

We Love You, Too, Uncle Foo!

Yimmy Loves DUNDO DREW! from MelinFamily on Vimeo.