Getting Caught Up

Wow, didn't realize it was almost a month ago that I posted...in my head I posted some really grest post, thought provoking, however it appears non of that happened. I'm sure its actually a computer glitch. Like my fingers failed to type on the computer, see a glitch....!
Well today is Monday and I'm working on my menu's for the week. I have menu planned for a long time, but I go thru phases of now and then. Since its a new year I'm trying to do better. Its so much easier cooking dinner when its planned. When I get home its just getting it fixed or Chris fixing it. I have a written list of the most common meals we eat, about 20. Makes it easier to plan. Now there are times when I look at that list and I think yuck. So I go thru cookbooks, these are the reliable cookbooks not the fancy ones, that you know you will never cook from, or search websites, again reliable. Online, I search thru Taste of Home, CD kitchens and foodtv or course, I also use websites from Kraft, Pillsbury etc. Now Taste of Home is so realible, you know they are tried and true. I also have a few of their cookbooks. I have also gone to a couple of their cooking classes which I really like. There is lots of promoting of brands and things, but you get a good bag with lots of samples, a magazine, etc. All the recipes they make are pretty quick. They have their schedules online well worth the cost of admission.
Online I check the reviews written for the recipes and the numbers of reviews.
So on my menu planning I try to add a new recipe every other week, if it's liked then its added to the meal list. I also have been trying to use my crockpot more.
I'm looking at a food coop for fruits and vegetables. I'll let you know how that goes.
The other thing we have been working on is the indoor house projects. Tried some paint samples on the wall, will live with them a week or so and then decide. I know that once the weather gets nice, there are too many outdoor project that need to be tackled. So I need to work on the indoors now.
Oh and Way To Go Saints!!!

Good Friends

I have two best friends that are the greatest. They came up Sunday from Utah for lunch and a visit and to see the new house. See every November we get together and have a girls weekend. Craft fairs, shopping etc. We stay up late and visit, catching up with eachother. We rotate locations/homes each year. Now this has been going on for well over 20 years. This last November I missed it, because we where moving into the new house. I was very disappointed to say the least, even with buying a new home. Anyway they wanted to see the house and bring the Christmas gifts and get a visit in. So I made tortilla soup which is the standard dinner for one of the nights when we get together.
So after the grand tour of the house we sat down for lunch and visited and visited. I cannot tell you how great it is to have friends like this. They are the greatest. I wish it would have been a visit for the whole weekend, but its a nice substitute for missing the whole thing. Its funny to me how well we get along when we are so different from eachother. Its wonderful. I love these women and they truly are my best friends. Looking forward to our next lunch and visit.

Resolutions and snow

Its the middle of January and I have not made ANY resolutions. I've decided to not. To just continue on with short term goals and long term goals. Resolutions just seem so here today and gone tomorrow, kindof like snow. Its beautiful when its happening, then it gets a bit messy when the heat comes on and then its gone.
Anyway, seems like we have been busy, but at what? Work, putting away the Christmas stuff, and getting the last of the storage unit stuff. Need to unpack boxes, now.
Its interesting to me that I want all my pictures, shelves, etc up on walls, but am in no hurry. Partially need to remove the old nails still in the walls from the previous owners, and patch and paint. Luckily the old owners left all the paint behind. Now some rooms need to be repainted. In the past, January has been the month that I want to redecorate, rearrange, but the thought of paint right now, makes me slightly ill and queasy. I want to repaint the half bath. Chris likes it the way it is. But there are holes from the old towel rack and toilet paper holder, I cannot seem to find that paint and glaze. So we will see what happens.
This weekend my girlfriends from Utah are coming up since I missed the annual shopping weekend in November. Anyway they want to see the house. Cannot wait to see them and visit. So looking forward to it. Make a big batch of Tortilla Soup, some crab dip and we are set! I think I will also make a german chocolate roll cake.
Good friends and good food. Great combination!

New Year, New Decade

I got an e-mail from one of my best friends this morning and she said Happy New Year and Happy New Decade...wow, that got me thinking.
Cait will be 10 this year. We will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. We will both turn 45. Where has the time gone...
Our first five years of marriage where spent in Salt Lake City. Lots of growth in our relationship, even though we where best friends before we even started dating, and became High School sweethearts.
Looking back I can say, we have never truly had any hard times in our relationship. Despite, unemployment, infertility and the rest of life, we have always talked and been there to support. Its not something difficult, its just marriage. It's also the greatest. Add to that adopting Cait and its darn near perfect. We may not be, but it sure feels like our life is.
We are really enjoying our new house. We had family over for Christmas eve, which on my side is the big event, German tradition on my Mom's side since she is German. Anyway we had a great dinner, chaos of present opening and lots of fun. Love it.
Christmas morn, was just Chris, Cait and I. My folks slept in. Lots more fun. In the afternoon we went over to Chris's Mom's and had dinner, did presents. Works out great for us. Lots of time to spend with extended family and just our little fam as well.
New Years was awesome, we just stayed around the house, enjoying the nearly foot of new snow. Sledding and watching movies, football and playing Wii. Lots of new games at Christmas.
Did not want to come back to work.
Looking forward to 2010 and all it has in store.

Moved

Well we are moved in, still have stuff in the storage unit to get this month.
Have adjusted to the new space quite easily. Enjoy the extra space and room. We have had the kitchen counters measured and the new ones will be put in the middle of December. After Christmas we will redo the cabinets! Right now the priority is getting the fencing done so we can get the critters into place! We got the tree put up, and we will decorate this week.
Getting Caitlin transferred to the new school. Getting all the address changes in place. Fun stuff like that.
Don't think we will get the house fully decorated for Christmas, but we will get alot done.! Couple neighbors stopped by, both couples from the Teton Valley area. One was Chris's sisters buddy in school. Interesting. The other she was my drill team adviser in High School.
The house is a good fit for us!

FINALLY

After many delays, we FINALLY closed on the new house yesterday!!!!!!
So this weekend is for moving, since the guy that bought our house wants to move in.
Busy busy weekend!
I'm already tired.

The ups and downs of buying a home

just keep coming. We are hoping to close next week, if we can get everything resolved. Buying a foreclosure is so much fun. The loan underwriter is having fits over the mold. Now we live in Southeast Idaho. We are a dry climate, our growing season in short, we still get a hard frost in June and starting in September. Yes we get hot but we do not have high humidity. So the dreaded black mold does not grow here, it cannot survive. However are lender is scared of mold, so we had to find a mold specialist that can test for mold to show that it is just the everyday "leaf" mold. First of all, remember mold is all around us, its everywhere. Its also necessary for the breakdown of plants, etc. Anyway we finally found someone who could test it, or at least take samples, to send to a testing lab in Utah. So now we wait for the results, which we already know, but the lender has to have a lab tell them. This of course means a delay as we had hoped to close today but that will not be happening. Hopefully early next week.
So much fun.