April is National Poetry Month

So I'll share my favorite - 


Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost


Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.


I loved it when I was young and now it makes me a little sad, but its still fantastic!

33 for 33

I think I am pretty much done! This is really making me think I need to write down my life lists too - not just ones for this year.

1. Run a 5K
2. Achieve a "normal" BMI
3. Wear a bikini - even if just in private
4. Take a photography class
5. Get a new tattoo
6. Hike Badger 5 times
7. Eat more veggies daily
8. Go on a weekend trip away with no kids
9. Take a family vacation
10. Finish our shop
11. Move into our new house
12. Plant a garden
13. Pay off the Tahoe
14. Decrease non-mortgage debt
15. Practice Yoga weekly
16. Scrapbook monthly
17. Sew Something
18. Go Kayaking
19. Float the River
20. Go Wine Tasting
21. Sell our house
22. Go white water rafting
23. Finish 5 books on Good Reads list - not new additions
24. Smile More
25. Go on adventure walks with boys monthly
26. Get a massage
27. Build a piece of furniture
28. Keep a one sentence journal for a month
29. Monthly game/movie nights with kids
30. Finish my "Encyclopedia of Me"
31. Volunteer
32. Improve/Maintain/Make New Friendships
33. Make more desserts!

What a fantastic Sunday!

Love starting a Sunday with coffee made by my husband!  I used a new iPhone app called C25K (Couch to 5K) to help with my run today.  That and a playlist full of songs at 140 beats per minute made it a much more successful run day!  It was pretty nice that the timing/distance to Katie and Don's fit just perfectly.

I ran over an Josh drove over with the boys for Baby Michael's First Birthday!  What a fun thing to celebrate outside in the beautiful sunshine. I think that I am a pretty good cook but Heidi definitely has the baking strength in our generation of family members.  It must be genetic!  We had yummy cupcakes and Mike had the cutest ducky cake.

After we got home, I played ball in the back yard for awhile with my boys.  Josh claims that I hold my mitt wrong but I'd like to claim some spousal abuse for the amount of times I got hit today.  Of course, that means I'd need to call CPS on myself since I managed to hit Brody 3 times this afternoon, once in the forehead, once on the chest, and once in the mouth.  Poor buddy - I only brought on the tears once though!

Now I am so ready for bed!  Working on my 33 for 33 list - I am a little behind as I probably should have had it finished before my birthday.  We'll see if all 33 items get done by next April!

Foxy

Just finished watching Fantastic Mr. Fox on DVD. The Easter Bunny left it it Boone's basket.  

 How did I not know the movie was by Wes Anderson?

I knew that I would love the story since I love Roald Dahl but during the movie I just kept saying "I love this dialog!"  Josh made the comment that it was just like The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic (like that should make complete sense to me).  I completely agreed, yet couldn't figure out how this "kids movie" was able to do that.  Duh!  I am not sure what it is about Wes Anderson movies, but I love them.  And Fantastic Mr. Fox was...well, Fantastic!

Making Dough

Thanks to the Pioneer Woman, I am going to attempt a few recipes tomorrow!  Can you believe I've only make real bread once before?  And that was before we were married (but right after I got my Kitchen Aid Mixer).  Pioneer Woman's famous cinnamon roll dough recipe is the same dough base for Hot Cross Buns and her Rosemary Dinner Rolls too!

Scalded Milk , Sugar, and Oil

So I'm making dough today and two different bread recipes tomorrow!  Wish me luck!

ETA:  I decided against Hot Cross Buns because I just couldn't get excited about raisins in my breakfast rolls, so Cinnamon Rolls it was!  And they were fantastic - hopefully the dinner rolls turn out as well!  Have a Wonderful, Blessed Easter!

Cinnamon Rolls on Easter Morning! (Brody was in a hurry for his)

A Guest Post from Josh - Just to Vent

So we decided to break down and buy new shoes for one of the rigs. Procrastination made it so we need both rigs at about the same time. By the way have you priced tires in the last year? You won't like what you find.

We decided family rig first-since it carries the family more, that one has priority.  

Of course we have been talking about rims for 5 years so why not. Shop around; find some good deals and finally decide on some new American Eagle rims and Toyo tires from Schwabbies. 

Sooo last Friday we drop the big Tahoe off. Once there I am reminded about: mount, balance, lug nuts, valve stems, tax, "Do you want those siped sir, for only $50 it makes the tire....blah blah".        $1700 out the door. Ugh.

After the initial buyers remorse, and a detailed polishing on Saturday, I'm feeling pretty good about the purchase. Definitely sharp looking, and the truck can wait until later in the summer for some new pavement creepers... right? Wrong.

About 18 hours later I'm driving down 240 nursing a slight hangover (from a poker game the night before (a winning effort by the way)) when I notice a funny sound emanating from the passenger side rear, oh yeah its a blow out! 

SOB.

Okay. Regroup. Think about it for a couple days. Now it official, it's not going to fix itself, I need to do something so off to Schwabs again. Of course I have to have the Toyo MT's and they have to be big so for about $1300 they can be mine; sick to stomach must go home and cry, one more day to think about it. 

Then a ray of hope, good old Apollo comes through. Wednesday I have my annual review and it turns out okay, I get a little ching to help out with the cash hemorrhage I seem to be ailing from. Back down to Schwabs I go (where I am somewhat of a rock star by now) "Go ahead boys make em shine!" I say with gusto "Call me when you're done."

Off I go... 15 minutes later ring ring, thats odd what could they want so quickly? "Mr Prock did you know two of your rims are cracked? We can't mount tires on these death traps... Have you perused our fine selection of custom rims?"

Yes, yes I have. 

Thats my week, hope yours has been better.