A Strange Couple Weeks

The past few weeks have had some crazy moments. Distance learning was winding down, and so was our motivation.

Doesn't everyone jump in the trampoline with ice cubes?

We focused on our last couple weeks of school as best we could.

In between all the zoom meetings and tears over school assignments, there has been plenty of creative playtime.

We've had some crazy storms, but that didn't stop us from getting out for hikes and bike rides. My Dad has been great about coming over most days to do PE with the kids, social-distancing style.

 We finished reading Charlotte's Web and Pollyanna for school. (Lots of reading in the trampoline!)

And we joined the cousins for a "Fun Friday" picnic at the Sunset Whitney golf course trail.

 It was the afternoon after I got home from the picnic with the kids that Adam's back started hurting. At first he thought he had pulled a muscle, but he quickly realized it was kidney pain. Another kidney stone was traveling down from his kidney, and he was in tremendous pain. (I believe this was his 4th or 5th over the last 10 years or so). That Friday night the pain got so bad we ended up in the ER.

Adam was released, and back in the ER Saturday evening. Released and then back on Sunday. Released and then back in the ER for a 4th time on Monday. He was in some serious pain. Seeing him like that made me feel so helpless. I'm guessing the pain was comparable to labor, but without the breaks in between contractions. It was just constant agony, and the morphine, dilaudid, norco, and other strong pain medicines they gave him barely did anything to help. On Monday evening he was finally admitted to the hospital for a potential surgical procedure to remove the kidney stone (and the other 8 or 9 in his kidneys).

Adam ended up coming home from the hospital on Wednesday and not needing surgery....for now. He passed 2 stones that week! I spent many hours sitting in my car in the Kaiser parking lot, because I was not allowed to go inside with him. The whole experience was pretty awful, but I have to give a big thank you to all the grandparents for helping out with the kids, their schoolwork, and sometimes in the middle of the night when we had to rush to the ER.

Life at home continued on as usual (quarantine style).

 Jenna officially graduated from Pre-K!

 As well as homeschool TK!

 Swimming season began in style.....

 And we've been spending a TON of time in our backyard.

We put up some shade sails to prevent the plum cherries from falling on our beautiful handmade deck.

On Friday I decided we needed a fun family day to celebrate the start of summer, so we headed over to the American River.

We found a beautiful trail to walk along in Folsom, and it almost felt jungle-like underneath all the trees.

Okay, not so jungle-like under the overpass.

We then went to Beals Point at Folsom Lake for a picnic.

It was absolutely beautiful!

A nice breeze, fresh air, and a break from all the madness of the world.

We spent a solid two hours throwing rocks into the water. I'm not sure what these boys were talking about, but they spent a lot of time out on this rock.

Grandma Jan came along, and we all agreed it was a great day.

And then this weekend it just felt like the world spiraled out of control again. So much violence and injustice and sadness in our country right now. I'm trusting that God is still in control, even in the midst of all the chaos. I'll close with this beautiful video of local Bay Area churches singing "The Blessing": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLPDcqwdcto

I'm Cooking Again

Sometime back in March when the whole world was falling apart, I lost my love for cooking.  I was still making dinner every night, but let's just say our meals were a little lackluster. It felt like we were in survival mode, or on vacation, or I don't really know. Anyone else?

Sometime in April I got a bit of motivation back and decided to put some more effort in to our dinners. This quarantine feels like our new normal, we're in a good routine with distance learning, and we stocked up on groceries. So I took some pictures! Hope it inspires you to get out of your quarantine cooking rut.

Veggie Tostadas, Brown Rice, Fruit

I think this was a meal right before I stocked up on groceries, so I had to make do with pantry staples. I've discovered tostadas are a fast, tasty meal. I lay the corn tortillas on a tray in the oven for a few minutes, then top with things like beans, bell peppers, onions, corn, and taco seasoning. Top with cheese and put back in the oven until crisp and warm. On the side we just had brown rice and fruit.

Shortcut Chicken Parmesan, Tortellini, Broccoli

I rarely make traditional chicken parmesan, but instead make this lazy version. I thinly slice chicken breast and lay in a baking dish on a thin layer of marinara. Then I top it with croutons, parmesan, mozzarella, and a little more sauce. Bake for 30-40 minutes. The croutons melt into a crust and it mimics real chicken parmesan! On the sided we had cheese tortellini and steamed broccoli.

Chicken Tacos, Southwest Salad

We BBQ'd a pre-marinated chicken from Trader Joe's and then sliced up for tacos. I loaded it up with guacamole, lettuce and tomatoes. On the side we just had a bagged salad (also from TJ's) that had cabbage, pumpkin seeds, tortilla chips, and a zingy southwest dressing.

Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese, Veggies and Dip

This was just creamy tomato soup from Trader Joe's, grilled cheese sandwiches, and raw veggies with tzatziki dip. Yum!

Sole, Baked Potato Wedges, Kale, Green Beans, Watermelon

I baked sole in the oven with salt, garlic powder, and lemon juice. It was SO tasty! On the side I made potato wedges and then sauteed green beans and kale in garlic and more lemon juice. We also cut in to the first watermelon of the season, and it was good!

Chili and Salad

I tried a chili recipe from my Magnolia Table cookbook. It was called Gaines Family Chili, I think. It was delicious! They recommended topping it with fritos, so I used the Trader Joe's brand of corn chips. On the side I made a big salad.

Chicken Sausage, Asparagus, Corn, Watermelon

I think this was a hot day, so we decided to BBQ. Chicken Sausage for us and hot dogs for the kids, as well as asparagus cooked with red onion and garlic, corn on the cob, and watermelon. Felt like summer!

Spaghetti, Homemade Sourdough, Broccoli

Spaghetti night is always a favorite (of mine!) I used my sourdough starter to bake a couple loaves of bread, and steamed broccoli on the side.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Green Beans, Crescent Rolls

Ok first of all, am I the only person who does NOT know how to make crescent rolls from a tube? I blame it on the fact that I did not grow up eating them. Everything was homemade and whole grain in my house!  So on this night the weather turned colder, and I made Magnolia Table's chicken pot pie. Except I didn't thicken it up, but instead served it over mashed potatoes. Plus green beans, and it was SO delicious!

So tell me, how much are you cooking these days?

Mother's Day 2020

My Mother's Day began with flowers and a present wrapped in a giant snowman bag because....why else? Haha. Adam and the boys got up early to make me breakfast, which included homemade waffles and bacon.

 Lucas put together a plate of apples and peanut butter, because he knows I like this as a snack!

Ready to eat!

Inside the giant bag was a Nutri Ninja blender. For the first time, I can make smoothies that are totally smooth! The huge bonus is that Ryan woke up today and asked for a smoothie. (he never eats fruit!)

 The kids enjoyed playing with the cardboard.

On Saturday my sister and I treated my Mom to greek food from Wally's cafe and ate outside in my sister's backyard. It was very nice!

The rest of Sunday was pretty normal, so for dinner I requested we pick up food and then have a picnic. We all needed a change of scenery! We grabbed food from a local Mexican place called Mezcalito Oaxacan Restaurant. The food was okay but unfortunately they didn't give us utensils! Grandma Jan joined us after I snapped this picture.

 Hope you all enjoyed your Mother's Day!

Ryan's 10th Birthday and Beyond

Ryan's birthday was one spent at home, but he really didn't seem to mind. We woke up to 10 balloons in the front yard!! After much speculating, we discovered it was the work of Grandpa. So fun!

After a little schoolwork we went out front.....

Because the cousins drove by to sing Happy Birthday!

Not much schoolwork got done on this day. Andrew was being SO naughty, I was trying to make Ryan's day special, make a dessert......school was just impossible.

Making cookies that looked like pizza, however, was not impossible. (Thanks to a local baker, Bee in the Bonnet!)

In the afternoon Grandma Jan came by with Ryan's present.

 Pickle Ball! Ryan loves being outside, so this looks like a lot of fun for him.

 Cool dodgeball!

 Ryan requested Chili's for dinner, so we indulged him with bacon cheeseburgers.

 I made oreo bars that were incredibly rich and sweet!

We sang, and Ryan opened a couple small gifts. Our big gift for him (a green machine!) won't be here until Saturday.

 Happy 10th Birthday Ryan!

Ryan has been obsessed with music lately, so these wireless headphones from Grandma and Grandpa were a terrific gift.

 As was this pickle ball set from Grandma Jan!

My little ducklings, riding in a line down the sidewalk. There were repairing the roads near us so we spent a good hour watching on Friday.

Our caterpillar turned in to butterflies and we released them this weekend!

 On Sunday we had a social distancing birthday picnic. My niece Bella turned 7, so we celebrated her and Ryan on separate blankets, spaced apart at the park.

 Bubbles!

 Rolling down hills!

 And of course any trip to Clover Valley Park always ends in exploring the creek.