2010: 40...Fit & Fabulous

Dumb-founded...

There's nothing that frustrates me more than someone doing a job without knowledge of how to do the job.  Sheesh.  I've spent an hour on the phone with the clerk of a court asking a simple, or so it seemed to me simple, question.  I've had 3 answers, all different and now I'm waiting on the supervisor to call me back.  This is Arapahoe for this court - it takes me several tries to get a straight answer and then generally when I follow their instructions to a "T" they come up with something I did wrong.  {ugh} seriously...oh well, guess at least I get paid for my pain.

Thankful...

Last night was Jake's first Scout Court of Honor.  It's where they receive their recognition.  Pretty impressive turnout I have to say.  Tons of parent support and tons of scouts receiving awards for their hard work on merit badges and moving up in ranks.  Jake earned his Second Class and his Tenderfoot, turns out he's also the troup historian (the things you learn about your kids...) I was very proud of him.  He seems to enjoy Scouts even more than he enjoyed cubs, which is good, he's got a few years ahead of him. 

Frank joined Kenzie for her father/daughter "tea" last night.  It was so so cute.  All the dad's had to bring pictures of themselves from when they were young to show their daughters.  All he had were a few select shots, one when he was about 12...Kenzie just cracked up.  Funny to think of your parents as kids I guess. 

I love that we have so many activities for our youth and young at church.  My goal is to keep them so busy they don't have time to be in trouble as they grow!  I see the impact of them hanging out with such good groups of kids already and I feel lucky.  I don't know how parents go it alone.

Fall sky...

This morning I woke to a beautiful fall sky.  No sun yet - it's coming...sunrise is getting later which means I'll catch it more often! :)  There's just the faintest hint of purple/pink in the sky under rows of dark blue clouds. 

It's my favorite part of the day - before the kids are up and rushing begins.  Today I think, after I clean the carpets (my father in law is coming to visit - good a reason as any to deep clean I guess!) I am going to go out and photograph fall...before its gone...and we have more snow to follow last week's introduction to the next season before this one arrived.

Crumble-top Pumpkin Bread (cake)

Here's a yummy fall recipe that I used yesterday when the pumpkin puree can was staring me in the face!  From the Libby's website...

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose baking mix (bisquick)
• 1 cup raisins, (optional)
• 2/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground pumpkin pie spice (can use more for a stronger flavor) 
• 1 can (30 oz.) LIBBY'S® Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
• 2 large eggs
• Streusel topping (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.

COMBINE baking mix, raisins, oats, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Combine pumpkin pie mix and eggs in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups (or bread molds like I did), filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping.

BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool slightly. Serve warm.

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:
COMBINE 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

Enjoy! 

Sunday...

Love Sundays...so quiet and restful around here.  It's taken a lot of work and a lot of years with the kiddos to get them to get, and enjoy, the Sabbath as a quiet, laid back day of the week, but I think we are finally there.  They, like us, have their routines for this day and I love it.  Jake and I tend to move towards reading, Kenzie enjoys practicing her piano and watching Sunday "approved" movies. 

I take this day to read the scriptures and review my materials for the Sunday school class I teach.  I love having that class.  It's not easy.  14-15 year olds who really could be less bored if I made them wash my car - but we try and most days we successfully get through the lesson!  And most of the time we all learn a little something - so that's a highlight.

Today we'll talk about the Pioneers.  Here's a topic the kids have probably heard at naseum throughout their sunday school years, but I'm a history nerd and love this part of the Mormon heritage, so my hope is that a little of that spark of enthusiasm will rub off on them, a little, today... one can hope.

I'm hoping to take advantage of the beautiful fall Sunday to go to the park as a family after Church.  Frank pre-cooked our dinner yesterday so we just have to heat-and-eat...no stress there!  I love when he does that - it always leaves more time for family time when he does.  And really, for me, that's what Sunday is all about.

FREE day...

So, the kids had no school today and I wanted to occupy their time with something fun - well - fun I hoped.  I took Kenzie and Jake and Jake's best friend Eyan to the Colorado History Museum which is open and free until they are at their new space in February 2010 I think...the upstairs is dedicated to Denver history and the downstairs is dedicated to Colorado history.  We all actually had a good time.  The kids set off exploring and touching and interacting with the exhibits, which was great.  I know I had a good time.

The best part was when we went downstairs to start on Colorado history.  There was a small activity center.  You know the kind - somewhere the 4 year olds can play since they're bored out of their minds.  Well...just so happens they had Lincoln logs and can you imagine, these little logs occupied my son and his friend for a full 45 minutes.  No joke.  Guess I know what to get him for Christmas this year.  Couldn't get him to play with them for the life of me when he was a toddler but today I couldn't get him to stop - even when the 4-year olds came to the table longing to play with the logs my son was using.  Nice.

Kenzie and I wandered our way through the Native American displays through the pioneer days enjoying the little movies in between.  It was a nice day and a great, free way, to kill a few hours.  So if you're itchin for something to do downtown - there you have it.  My recommendation.

Over the hump...

Feeling wayyy better today.  Still a little hoarse, but otherwise, back to normal.  Can't express how happy I am when being sick doesn't turn into 'nearly dead' for me.  There's nothing worse than being saddled with sick for weeks at a time.  This was relatively short, viral and never went to my chest...hallelujah!

Back to working out...unfortunately inside.  I was up to walking 4 miles plus or biking 10+ in the good weather.  I'm hoping for more of that soon.  But for today I'll start off slow and inside -- stopped at the store on the way home to buy the one thing I swore I'd never eat...whole wheat pasta...but I'm craving some and trying to make better choices than all the white bread crap I usually eat. 

Oh, and tried an experiment...which apparently required STEEL CUT oats.  Rachel talks about how she cooks oatmeal overnight in the slow cooker and wakes to a yummy, warm breakfast.  So I tried.  With Rolled Oats...huh.  Apparently this is a recipe for GLUE because that's what I woke too...yummy smelling, however unappetizing to look at, GLUE.  Wound up having to make a batch the old fashioned way...now the dilema is what to do with the pot-o-glue sitting on my counter.  That can't be good for the drain in the sink...right?  Bleck.  So much for good intentions.

Good day for a movie...

So - still feeling crappy, not worse, just not better, I decided to snuggle in and have a movie day.  Nice to have the option, I must admit.  Frank has now loaded our HTPC with DVD movies from our extensive library and it's nice to have so many options at the push of a button (or 12)...it's chilly and windy out, though no snow like yesterday.  Just balmy.  The perfect day to wrap up in my hoodie and blanket on the couch with a pot of hot tea and the clicker in hand.

Frank, the good egg he is, made a special trip for me to the library to pick up some books I'd been talking about for a while.  More historic fiction...good stuff...I started in on one of them today...so far, so good, and a fairly quick read.  My favorite kind. 

One thing of interest...my friend Rob's escapades have put me back in touch with a few kids from the ol' block...that's been interesting.  Interesting to see where we all wound up any way...it's been a good thing from a bad thing...gotta love the silver lining.

Love it!

The cool weather is upon us.  This weather I love...rain not so much, but 50's -- that I do love.  It's that great time of year between a nice summer and a crappy winter that pulls my heart strings and reminds me most of my youth in the midwest.  Arizona never had an inbetween.  Just hot and then "spring" where winter should have been.  It's gray and rainy and crappy out today.  Just ugly.  I even had to move a photo shoot because of the lighting.  And I'm not sad because I'd rather curl up on my couch and listen to the rain all day. 

I can't seem to shake this cold.  It's not getting worse, but not getting better, either.  Stuffy nose, aches, etc.  Woke up at 5:15 this morning with the rain and tossed and turned until almost 6a where I got to drift off for another 45 minutes until my alarm went off.  It is a school day after all and my turn to car pool.

Only wish I had a great book to hunker down with.  Frank laughs but the library overwhelms me.  I get in there and start touchin all the books and then I can't decide what to take, so I usually take a bunch when really I'm a book at a time kind of girl and then I come home feeling so overwhelmed I can't get started.  One of my many quirks I guess....one of the quirks that makes me the prize I am, right honey? 

To edit or not to edit -- getting in on the action{s}...

So, its raining and my mind is pretty blank other than a low-grade migraine that's brewing...rather than words and thoughts its pictures that keep flashing in my mind and then that got me to thinking about how differently I do things with my photos now than when I started photography as more than a hobby a year and a half ago...

I get asked occassionally if my pictures are SOOC (straight out of the camera) or are they editted...for the most part, they are editted.  Not for things like lighting and composition like they were in the beginning.  I've learned a lot about aperature and light this past year or so, but to fine tune my photos, give a twinkle in the eye when it's there, but just barely, yep - I'll fess up, I do.  How do I do it?  Through Photoshop.

And click...I'm sure some of you just tuned out...and that would have been me once upon a time, but then I discovered a secret...Actions.  Actions are like short cuts in Photoshop.  They take what once took me 10 steps and turned it into one of two steps to achieve a look or feel that I am looking for.  Actions are my saving grace...they cut my work flow in half, and by the wayside, taught me more about photoshop then I think I could have ever learned from a manual or a class...I actually understand how to use photoshop better long-handed by using the shortcuts than I ever could have imagined. 

For most hobby photographers programs like google's Picasa work great.  They let you edit and manipulate your photos...say from color to black & white, clear minor flaws in a picture, boost the colors, but to do more extensive edits (such as enhancing that sparkle in the eye, whitening teeth, removing a minor love-handle) you need to become friends with PS...and if you have it, you might want to visit Ree's site and load her free Actions...once you do - you'll be hooked...here are some before and afters to wet your appetite...down the road I'll talk more about PS, layers and how to use actions, etc...

Addy "Before" - pretty eyes, but missing brightness...

I used an action to allow me to brighten her eyes just a pinch...much better!

Whitening some teeth...

The goal isn't to make the picture look unnatural, but to enhance what is naturally there and actions are simply shortcuts that help me to do that!  So, if you have PS and haven't played with Actions yet...go get 'em at Dee's site and let me know if you need a hand!  You'll be addicted, I promise!