A family that fills the void.

First trip home since that-which-must-not-be-named happened. I won't get into the details of my whole trip, just what I learned from the family I have been distant from since I moved away.

The morning we were leaving for Michigan started normal enough... I walked out of my bedroom to let the dogs out and Ketcher was screaming "I HAVE TO POOP!!!"

We rushed to the potty and he had explosive diarrhea. At the same time Kenzie walked in the bathroom, grabbed the teal waste basket and started puking into it.

We wrapped the car in plastic and I brought 4 changes of clothes for each of them. I was praying for no sickness on the plane, but it might have made the security line in Denver a little faster. Either way, we were lucky enough to have neither kid sick until the car ride to Flint.

A few days into the trip we went up north (Michigan style) to hang out at The Ranch. This place rivaled the ritziest place I've ever been... except maybe The Louvre for obvious reasons.  If that's what going up north is count me in!!! 

This is The Ranch at night... imagine the day time pic!
Which I forgot to take...

A giant elk was the first thing we saw at The Ranch.
You know it's real because he's peeing.

 

After dropping the kids with my nephew's very sweet fiancé, we headed to the rifle river to scatter my dad's ashes. We could feel the Devine intervention simply because the weather was strangely 65 degrees in the middle of November... in Michigan... if that isn't weird, I don't know what is.

Beautiful setting where he can fish from now on.

It was very serene and could have been emotional until, without thinking, I handed the ashes to my nephew and said "So do you want to do a ceremonial ash shaking?"  If you didn't find that line funny, say it out loud. Hear it now? 

Thanks Dad for sending me the line "ash shaking"
while we are trying to do something serious.

We headed over to one more location. It was a camp ground with the most beautiful, unfiltered view of the sunset we could have ever asked for.

If this doesn't say Heaven, what does?

I managed to keep my mouth shut at this location and I took some great pics. This is after the scattering with my mom, sister, and nephews Brandon and Wes.

Unfiltered Michigan beauty.
 

We headed back to The Ranch, where we toured the property, saw more elk and deer, and I said more inappropriate things by accident. At least I learned to keep my mouth shut while people talk about beavers.

The downside to staying at this luxury location was my daughter, who was both tired and sick, decided she would channel a demon. I know she is only 3, and we all know 3 year olds are like earthquakes, leaving devastation and tears in their wakes, but I know she CAN be a really good girl. Apparently she didn't want anyone to know that about her, so she refused to eat, she made high pitched barking noises, wouldn't keep her feet off the table, and had a threenager attitude.

My sister and her family were classy, loving, and gracious to us despite my little terror. They taught my kids how to fish, took them on tractor rides, played with bubbles, colored pictures together, and were just wonderful people to be around.

Auntie Stacy teaching Ketcher how to fish.
My Dad would have been so proud.

They really got into looking at the bugs living
under the dock.

Ketcher going for a tractor ride with Uncle Anthony.

Kenzie's turn!

This trip has shown me that the huge void my Dad left in my heart is filled by this family that I have been so distant from since I moved away.

My niece, Alayna, who is equally as goofy as she is beautiful.
My nephew, Wes & his fiancé Ashley, who are complete opposites in nearly every way, except they are both old souls that probably knew each other long before this life.
My nephew, Brandon, who grew into such a compassionate gentleman. I just wanted to kidnap him and bring him back to Colorado with us. Kenzie put up the picture he colored for her in her bedroom to remember him... since she couldn't seem to remember his name in person.
My brother-in-law, Anthony, rough around the edges, but made sure to give my kids the full ranch experience. I know he will be the one to teach them why their Papa loved the outdoors.

George Washington hair compliments of Alayna!

Most of all my sister who is more like my Dad than I think she even knows. She's compassionate, loving, great with kids, hilarious, unselfish, and gave me the most incredible way to remember my dad... by spending time with her and her amazing family.

She also, hand sewed this pillow from one of my Dad's favorite shirts for me.

Thank you Best family, I am beyond grateful to have you in my life. Dad lives on through every one of you.

Just thought this pic was funny.

Pregnancy and Kenzie Update

Ready for my close up.

I have been getting bombarded with two questions: 1. How are you feeling? 2. How is Kenzie?

Here is a little update for all our friends and family:

Kenzie - 16 months

Kenzie is blowing my mind with her skiing. I can't believe how much joy she gets out of it. Obviously, she got that passion from Dan. It is truly a joy to see Dan's face glowing when he gets home from the hill with her. I have never seen anyone more proud.

Other new developments: Screaming. I guess she has found the volume of her voice and she is testing it to the extreme. She screams because she is happy, mad, or sees a dog.  She can say Hero, dog, cat, duck, ball, hi, bye, and daddy.  She tries to say elephant, bird, banana, gorilla, I love you, and probably a bunch of other words I haven't picked up yet.

She has mastered her threading farm as of Sunday, which made me almost as proud as the skiing. She is also playing her harmonica, and has started to feel more comfortable playing solo in her room while I work in the living room or kitchen.

She knows where her eye, nose, ears, teeth, foot, toes, mouth, and belly button are. New this week: Elbow. 

Pregnancy - 6 weeks left

Kenzie screaming, I was trying to smile
but my ears were bleeding.

My energy level is plummeting again. I have been trying to go on walks just to get out of the house. When we come home I plop down on the couch and slide slowly into a coma, until Kenzie starts shrieking and pulls me back out.

I started sleeping in the guest bed, which has helped significantly. We just can't fit 2 adults, 3 dogs, and my gigantic pregnancy pillow, named Bob, in one bed. Plus the dogs were taking turns throwing up at 3am all last week.

Unfortunately the baby is 100% a night owl already. I fall asleep and he wakes me up punching my bladder, rolling around, and last night stuck some body part in the side of my pelvis, waking me up to excruciating pain. The irony was, it was probably his elbow.

Cobb salad

This will be the first summer doing Cobb salad vegetarian. I will keep you posted on a proper chicken substitute. Until then this will be for my mets loving friends.

COBB SALAD

Hard boiled eggs

Cooked bacon

Chopped rotisserie chicken

Romain lettuce

Cheddar cheese

Sliced avocado

Diced tomatoes

Black olives

Ranch dressing

Combine all these ingredients and devour. 

Mexican Pizza

I have not found a way to make the tortillas extra crispy like taco bell, but they are still really good.

MEXICAN PIZZA
*This is filling but for a big family definitely double the recipe and use 2 pie pans.

• 2 flour tortillas
• 1 can refried beans <- recipe doesn't really take a whole can so you can use the remainder as an appetizer with some chips while the meal cooks
• 1/2 bag (or 1/2 lb ground meat) meatless crumbles
• Taco seasoning of your choice or make your own with cumin, onion powder and garlic powder
• 1/2 can enchilada sauce, green or red... your call
• Mexican cheese
• sliced black olives (optional)
• fresh diced tomato (optional)
• chopped green onion (optional)

1. Grease a round pie pan.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Cook your meat, or crumbles, with taco seasoning as you normally would for tacos.
4. Layer your pie pan with 1 tortilla on bottom, a layer of refried beans, taco "meat", and top with the other tortilla.
5. Cook in oven for 10-15 mins.  The top tortilla should appear firm when finished. 
6. Let cool slightly then pour enchilada sauce over top, covering the tortilla... it doesn't take much.
7. Layer with cheese and add a few black olives and chopped green onion.
8. Bake in over for another 15 minutes.

Top with salsa, sour cream, or avocado.

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

This is my toddlers favorite. I add lots of avocado to hers and exclude the cheese and sour cream.

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder (this is not spicy so don't be scared)
• 2 cans petite diced tomato
• 2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 1 10oz package of frozen corn
• salt and pepper
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)
• salsa (optional)
• avocado (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• cheese (optional)

In a large sauce pan heat oil over medium heat, cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, beans, broth, corn and 1 cup water. Season with salt & pepper.

Bring to boil; reduce to simmer. Add tortilla chips and cook until soft; about 2 mins. Remove from heat and if eating now garnish with any optional ingredient.

If freezing, let cool completely in fridge over night.  Put in gallon size bags and lay flat to freeze.

To reheat:  Let thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Add to sauce pan and heat on medium until starting to bubble. Turn down to low and let simmer until heated through.  Garnish before eating. 

Dan's toppings:  cheese, sour cream, extra tortilla chips
Amanda's toppings:  tortilla chips, avocado, black bean and corn salsa from Target... yum!

Blueberry Pancakes

I recommend doubling the batch if you are going to eat these for breakfast that day and freeze some.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES TO FREEZE

• 2 cups bisquick Heart Smart mix
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 egg
• 2 T sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries

1^st put frozen blueberries in bowl and put in microwave for 1 minute. Let set in microwave until you are ready to stir them in. Rinse before adding to mix.

Stir bisquick, milk, egg, sugar and vanilla until blended. Fold in blueberries gently.

 

Pour by slightly less than ¼ cupfuls onto hot, greased, frying pan.

Cook until bubbles break on surface, turn, cook until golden.

To freeze: lay wax or parchment paper in your freezer. In a single layer lay the pancakes flat after they have cooled.  Add another layer of wax or parchment paper if needed and lay more pancakes.  Let freeze at least 6 hours. Add to gallon Ziploc baggies.

To reheat:  Lay pancake flat on plate, microwave 45 seconds for 1 and add 30 seconds for each additional pancake.