Z Good Life

december activities

We had a busy month of December, and I snapped a lot of photos with my phone. (Sorry for the poor quality. The shutter speed is agonizingly slow on my Blackberry Torch!)

I attended a ladies only Christmas party. My contribution to the array of appetizers was a holiday cranberry brie en croute. It's basically a brie, cranberries, pecans, and rosemary all wrapped up in puff pastry and baked until golden brown. YUMMY!

Our neighbors hosted a caroling and cookies party. It was great fun to go caroling with many of our neighbors and friends!

Our family went to an ugly sweater Christmas party. Lily won 3rd prize!

Jay learned how to do a back flip 360 on a friend's trampoline. (Yikes!)

 

bellewood acres

(It is 8 days post-op, so I decided to try to go to sleep without a pain pill tonight. After 45 minutes of tossing and turning with a VERY sore abdomen, I realized I was going to need at least 1/2 a pill. So now I wait. Might as well blog! I meant to catch up over the past week, but I was really much too miserable. Bygones. Off we go! Onward and upward!)

We have taken great delight in showing our new neighbors (who were born and raised in Las Vegas) the joys of autumn in the Pacific Northwest. First stop: Bellewood Acres!

Lily and Millie enjoyed the bumpy ride to the orchard and pumpkin patch. Fast friends after just a few months... Love it!

Check out the impressive view of Mt. Baker from the pumpkin patch! We could have stared at it all day. Gorgeous mountain on a gorgeous day!

We didn't choose pumpkins at this time because it was still more than 3 weeks before Halloween. Besides, we had to save another weekend for Boxx Berry Farm and their giant pumpkin patch!

Wait, I take that back. We did allow the kids to choose a couple of gourds, which were growing in the pumpkin patch.

We picked a few honeycrisp apples, but not too many. When we paid for them, we realized we picked them from the wrong section of the orchard. Oops!

Also, what's a trip to Bellewood without giant honeycrisp caramel apples and miniature apple cider donuts? Tasting is a must! We were surprised they didn't offer hot coffee, tea, or even hot cider. When I asked, they said it's because they lack a handicap-accessible restroom. That's all going to change next year, though -- they are expanding and erecting a new building with all the amenities. It's wonderful to see such a great local farm growing and prospering in our community. Until then, Bellewood Acres!

 

 

concerts at the park

During the summer months, our community heritage society hosts weekly concerts at a local park. We've only missed one this year!

(Lily and Millie, the dynamic duo, both age 7)

When a big, lovely home went up for sale on our block, we expected empty-nesters to be the most likely buyers. Imagine our surprise when a wonderful family with two girls moved in! Lily and Camille are both 7, but Camille will be one year ahead of Lily in school. Camille has a big sister, Sophie, who will be in 5th grade. Lily and Millie have been practically inseperable this summer. So thankful for wonderful neighbors!

We've been enjoying the concerts in the park with our new neighbors each week. We bring blankets, chairs, and some food to share. Vendors at the park provide Thai food, local handmade ice cream, savory meat or vegetable hot pies, and gourmet cupcakes. Everyone looks forward to our Thursday evenings together, and I, for one, will be a little sad when the concert in the park series is over.

Welcome to our 'hood, neighbors. We love you guys!

my long-lost "brother"

I bet none of you knew I had a brother! Well, Felix isn't really my brother. He was sort of my brother for a while, 23 years ago. When I was in my first year of university, my family invited a 17-year-old exchange student from Brazil to live in our home and attend our local high school. I was living in a dorm on the university campus at the time, so I saw Felix on weekends and holidays.

(Felix and his wife, Yara)

Facebook is a pretty neat tool for finding long-lost friends. I searched for Felix's name, and when I saw a picture that looked like him I sent a message: "Were you an exchange student at ______ High School in 1987?" Sure enough, that's all it took! He immediately contacted my family and booked a flight to the States!

It was so amazing to catch up with Felix and to meet his wife, Yara. They are such wonderful people and they make a great couple. We're looking forward to another visit next year. They even promised to bring their daughter (16) and son (12)!

sledding day

What fun to wake up to snow on Sunday morning last week! We did a little housecleaning, then invited ourselves over to Janet and Meshak's house because they have the awesomest sledding hill -- PLUS we love to hang out with them!

I was surprised that Summer wanted to sled down the hill. She's always nervous about her kneecaps going out, whether she realizes she's nervous or not. Nope, she wasn't at all interested in the jump the boys made. She preferred to hang out with the youngest member of the family -- 1-year-old Baby Gabe!

Here's Jay catching some air. (Hmm. That reminds me of what Janet's son said after the motorcycle incident.) The boys had a blast, but Jay was so sore the next morning!

Lily went down the hill a few times, but she really just wanted to work on the "igloo" with Elijah.

Not only did we enjoy the sledding hill and the company of our dear friends, Janet even fed us lunch! Pictured above is her famous (to me, anyway) artisan bread. Nothing beats warm homemade bread and a huge pot of lentil-veggie soup on a snowy day.

Thank you, Janet and Meshak! We love  you!

home

Our sweet neighbors went to Michigan for 10 days, and they just got home! Lily and Blossom (3) are the best of playmates.

 

Summer and Lily had some fun with sidewalk chalk on the day our neighbors came home. They felt so loved when they saw this "Welcome Home" message!

Lily and Blossom had a LONG playdate the next afternoon. :o) We're all glad they're back. It was just too quiet around here!

freezer jam

We've been enjoying fresh freezer jam for a couple of weeks now. We ran out before strawberry season, and it was so depressing to buy Costco jam. Yuck. I didn't even eat any of it.

But we have a new annual tradition! We meet my friend Janet and her sons at the berry field, pick berries, and head back to Janet's to make jam while the kids play together! (Summer prefers helping in the kitchen and playing with 10-month-old Gabriel.)

 

This is just the strawberry jam I brought home. Janet had about the same amount. A week later, we did it again with raspberries, but we only made 2 batches. In addition to delicious freezer jam, our freezer contains both chopped and whole strawberries and raspberries. We'll be enjoying Washington berries all year long!

independence day 2010

Ah, the block party gets bigger and better every year! Once again, we got a permit to block off our street at either end of the block -- and once again, we had a giant bouncy house set up right in the middle of the street!

We started off the day at our local park for the annual 4th of July parade. A couple of families stood next to the street and threw candy for the children in the parade. Here's Lily riding her bike:

 

The entire neighborhood congregates back at the park after the parade for a picnic lunch. There's live music, face painting, and traditional family games until mid-afternoon. (We came home early because it was SO COLD!) Summer volunteered to help out at the face painting station.

 

Check out Jay's new wheels -- all decked out for the 4th of July parade!

 

We got started with the Block Party Blast (read: 60 pounds of pyrotechnic paraphernelia) in mid-afternoon. Erich and our neighbor, Dave, let all the kids take turns lighting the firework of their choosing -- under VERY close adult supervision. We have such a great neighborhood. We all chipped in for the fireworks and the bouncy house. Oh, I forgot to mention the taco truck that parked on Dave's front lawn during the party! Delicious, authentic Mexican food! It was very reasonably priced, and it was a great change of pace from our usual "potluck style" block party. Here's a pic of Summer and her friend Bryanna enjoying the fireworks:

One of my friends from my Capernwray days brought her family down for a visit in the afternoon. It was so great to catch up! Kimmie, you haven't changed one tiny bit! :o)

Erich and Dave planned to have the Block Party Blast finished by 10:00. Would you believe they rigged a dead Christmas tree with fireworks as part of the grand finale? Unbelievable! (Note: It is not a good idea to put Roman candles on a dead tree, then torch said tree. As the tree burns, the burning Roman candles fall out of the tree and shoot flaming fireballs into the crowd.) At 10:30 we all walked, relatively unscathed and unscorched, down the block to watch our city's Blast Over the Bay!

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday and remembered to thank God for the freedom we enjoy in America!
 

  
  

the dentist

No, Michelle isn't my dentist. She's one of my best buddies, though, and this picture was taken on her 40th birthday! Michelle, I love ya, Man! 

I don't like going to the dentist. In fact, I like it SOOOO little that I completely bailed on going for 6 years. (I'm back on track for visits twice a year as of right now, so give me a break.)

Why do I dislike it so much? I'm not sure. I've had horrible experiences with one particular tooth (3 root canals and 2 surgeries), and one dentist who literally yelled at me as I sat in the chair.

Once my sister Mindy became a hygienist, she cleaned my teeth twice a year for free during her lunch hour. She was great! Once she passed away, though, I found it difficult to go to any dentist. For years, I got choked up every time I sat in a dental chair. (Actually, that still happens sometimes.)

OK, fast forward to the present. I have a sore spot on my gums, so I went to my sister's niece, Julie, who followed in Mindy's footsteps and became a hygienist here in town. (Talk about getting choked up... Mindy would be so proud of her!) Julie did such a great job. Maybe making that first phone call was the hardest part of getting back on track.

I digress. Julie took some xrays and instantly discovered the reason for that sore spot -- an ongoing and persistent infection in the tissue and bone surrounding my "nightmare tooth." There hasn't been any pain because the tooth has no nerves. Both Julie and the dentist agreed that it is time to extract the tooth. Unfortunately, because of the 2 previous surgeries to remove (read: scrape out) infected bone, there's not much bone left in the socket. Some of the bone that remains is now infected and needs to be removed. Did you know a specialist can do a bone graft onto your jaw? The specialist will use platelets from my own blood, mixed with bone material (read: cadaver bone), and the bone regenerates in 3 months. VERY cool.  

I'll be saying good riddance to "nightmare tooth" in 2 weeks (sooner if there's a cancellation) and getting an implant in a few months. I am anxious for BOTH procedures. Fortunately, my dentist and the specialist are very understanding. It turns out lots of people are fearful of scalpels in their mouths and blood running down their throats. I've never experienced "conscious sedation" before, but I think it's going to be my new best friend. Well, that and my iPod Touch. I hope to be off in my own little world while all this extracting, scraping, and grafting is going on!

Prayers appreciated.

sweet pepper mango salsa

The kids and I spent the afternoon at Janet's on Monday. She taught Summer how to make "Goof Proof Artisan Bread," and taught me how to make her delicious sweet pepper mango salsa!

Ohhhhhhh, this stuff is delicious all by itself. I eat it by the spoonful. (No lie.) However, since we need to eat protein with our dinner, I served it on baked mahi mahi fillets.

SO! Not only did we enjoy great conversation, great playtime for the kids, and great smoochie-cuddly time with her 5-month-old baby boy -- We brought home food for dinner and new recipes! To give the leftovers a little "zip," I'll add a bit of finely chopped jalapeno and serve it with tortilla chips.  

I'll try to remember to take pictures of the next loaf of artisan bread. The dough has been in the fridge for a day, and it can stay there safely for another day or two. For now, here's the recipe for the salsa:

Janet's Sweet Pepper Mango Salsa

1 bag of Trader Joe's frozen mangos (partially thawed are easier to chop)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 orange bell pepper
3/4 sweet onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/8 c. Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce
juice and zest of 1 lime

Dice everything up, mix it all together, and serve!