My Town

I am so happy to be here talking about the city that I love.  I am actually from the Bay Area up in Northern California, but Glenn, our two daughters & I  moved to Temecula, California  9 years ago and love it so much I am claiming it!

Temecula is located about 45 miles NE of San Diego.  The weather is gorgeous year round and the city is clean, well planned and rated the #2 safest city in the United States.  Along with great schools,  friendly people, beaches & mountains close by it is a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

With Temecula's Mediterranean climate it is the perfect place to grow wine grapes and Temecula boasts over 35 gorgeous wineries.  It is not uncommon to be out for a run Saturday morning and see a dozen hot air balloons filled with tourists before they go wine tasting for the day.

Temecula has a wonderful mix of old Ranch homes and newer tract homes.  There are many farms here as well as Horse lovers.  Temecula is very horse friendly with horse trails woven all throughout the city.

Temecula has a wonderful 'Old Town' that was established during the 1890's.  There are many antique shops as well as restaurants and charming boutiques.

Temecula is pretty much perfect for me.  It has enough conveniences to make me feel like I am in a big city (Walmart, Costco), but small enough at just over 100,000 people, to make me bump into friends wherever I go.  There are tons of parks, pools and a Community Center that offers up so much year round entertainment for families.

Temecula translates into "Where the sun breaks through the mist".  It's true.  We get the sea breeze from the ocean and the warmth of being inland.  Basically the best of both worlds.

We've since added a son to our family and now have 3 crazy kids running around.  If you're ever in the area and want to babysit our precious three let me know.  Honestly that experience alone should get you here.

Opposites Attract

I woke up wanting to serve the kids more than just fruit and bagels this morning, so I whipped up some whole wheat pumpkin quinoa muffins.  Probably not the best idea to use your super loud wheat grinder at 6am.

Poor Glenn.  He was still in bed after a late night at the movies with friends.  Then while he was still in bed at 7 I hopped on my stairmaster located 2 feet away from our bed and also extremely loud, to work out.

I am a morning person and Glenn's a night owl.

Glenn has a gazillion friends who text him all day long and my phone (our home phone) rings maybe a few times a month when Shauna calls to tell me how much she loves me.  (Do telemarketers that I hang up on count as friends?)

Glenn likes to spend his leisurely time watching movies that have lots of explosions while I like to curl up in bed and watch roses being handed out.

I like frozen yogurt, Glenn likes double fat ice cream.

Glenn excels at all sports.  I barely know what a home run is.

Everyone loves Glenn.  I mean everyone.  Me?  I know on this blog I may come across as utterly delightful, but not everyone thinks cooking for hours and gushing about how adorable my children are is fun.  I know, weird!

Glenn knows computers.

I know the importance of good scenery in a photo shoot.  Isn't my laundry room lovely?

Enough about us.  We're stuck with each other.  Actually Glenn has it pretty good because every time he reads a book to the kids he falls asleep while I love to read to them for hours.  And Glenn doesn't like to cook.  If it's not served on a plate, there's nothing to eat. 

So back to these delicious, healthy muffins.  The kids ate em up.  Not as fast as Glenn though.  I think it took him two bites to finish his muffin.

Hey me too!!!  We do have common ground.

If nothing else our shared love for my baked goods will keep us together.

That and the fact that he never tires of me going on about the funny/cute/sweet/crazy/so precious! things the kids did that day.  I think he's the only one left that will listen.

Oh my Goodness! Oh my Gosh!

Ethan loves his school.  He LOVES it.

I know this because he is always telling me how much he loves learning, his friends, handball, Friday Morning Flag Salute, his teacher, recess,  art projects, etc.

So the other day when he came to me saying "Mom, I want to change schools", I was completely baffled.

"Are the kids being mean to you?" was the first question I asked.  I couldn't fathom what could be the matter.

And then Ethan said this, "No.  It's just that they take the Lord's name in vain all the time.  And it kills me!"

Sweet boy.  He's heard bad language.  He's gotten picked on.  There have been times of sadness and times of unfairness.  It's part of growing up and learning to navigate life.  There's not too much I can or want to do about it.

But this hurts his spirit.  He is a boy who really wants to choose the right.  He has born his testimony in front of our whole congregation of over 200 people.  He prays nightly.  When superheros and how strong they are come up in conversation it inevitably ends with - "But Jesus is the strongest" (or bravest, best, smartest)

I've toyed with talking to his teacher.  Possibly the Principal about letting the kids know that some people find this term hurtful.

I am not weird.  I don't mean to cause trouble.  I don't know if this is just one of those things he's going to have to deal with and get over, or something worth bringing up.

In the meantime I am just going to keep on saying things like "gosh darn it", "gee whiz" & "good golly miss molly" & hope people catch on.

*I am not sure why there are links on this post, I think I have a computer virus or something.  Must get Glenn on it soon.

The Boy is Mine

Ethan is a growing boy.  As of a few months ago he is eating double what he used to.  Maybe triple.  He wakes up starving.  He comes home from school starving.  He eats a before dinner snack,  an after dinner meal and a 'goodnight' snack.  I am sure he would eat more at school if he wasn't so darn busy being the reigning handball champ, or as he calls it "King of the Court".

Wednesday morning he said something about wanting cinnamon rolls.  I can do that!


I am not sure what it is about that boy but he literally melts my heart every single day.  I guess it's just a mother's love.  The kind of love that makes you want to sit and stare at your child and take it all in.


I am noticing there's something different with a boy.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it has something to do with knowing that I am irreplaceable to my girls, but with Ethan, one of these days some girl is going to up and steal his heart away and he won't be mine anymore.

So if Ethan wants cinnamon rolls, I am making them.  I want to make all his culinary wishes come true so that the bar will be set high and he will marry a girl who will feed my baby well.  I guess he won't be a baby anymore, and I guess he's not a baby now, but that's beside the point.

And yes I use my hands to spread the butter.  They can also sub  for a spatula, a spoon or even measuring cups in a pinch.  And by pinch I mean being too lazy to grab the measuring cups. 

 

Here's little Miss Lila eating the photo shoot roll.  Lila likes everything fancy.  My mom has been trying to downsize her house since my sister moved in and couldn't store her mostly broken china anymore.  I love getting rid of things but couldn't bear the thought of my Grandmothers China getting thrown out.  It may be cracked and chipped, but I love it.

I also love this table set that a friend was getting rid of.  I've been wanting patio furniture and am going to see if I can weather proof it. 


Dining Al Fresco is tres chic, not to mention I can forgo the after dinner sweep.  What I noticed after posting these pictures is the book in both Ethan and Lila's picture.  It's the same book.  We have a kajillion books in the house but if one kid has a book, they all want to read it.  Immediately.

 

 Oh and the rolls....  Turned out better than I hoped.  Soft and fluffy, perfectly tender and flaky.  I used THIS recipe.  Of course I had to add in some whole wheat and lessen the sugar but seriously, who's going  to turn down a cinnamon roll?

So as Ethan grows so will his appetite.  I am sure I'll spend many more hours in the kitchen whipping up anything he asks for. 

To all the future girls in my son's life.  You may have youth and beauty (and a little thing like not being related to him) to make him fall more in love with you.  But I'll have more than 20 years of feeding him before you even enter the picture.  

Think you know the way to a man's heart?

Bring It.

Sunday Dinner

One of my favorite dinners is a Cafe Rio inspired pork salad.  I put a 6 lb pork roast in the crock pot last night with brown sugar, Worcestershire  and other spices and set it on low all night. 


We serve it with black beans, cilantro lime rice, chips, corn pudding, pico de gallo, avocado, limes, flour tortillas, cheddar, lettuce and a cilantro dressing.  When there's this much food involved  it's nice that we can split the work between my mom, Jeannette and I.  The recipe can be found HERE.http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2009/02/shredded-sweet-pork-salad-2


Also nice that I have friends who bring whole wheat peanut butter chocolate bars, they were so good.  It's actually a recipe of mine and I gave it to her and can't remember where it's from.  It's probably better that way.

Emry getting some sewing tips from my mom after dinner.  Since I've realized I cannot now and will never sew I told Emry to have at it, it's all hers now.  She made a purse out of a T-shirt tonight, it's a start.

Emry also sporting her new short hair.  She cut off about 8 fried chlorinated inches.  
 

Lila working on a friendship bracelet.  Can't have Emry outshine her in the craft department.  Lila also looking like she needs her hair chopped off.  We love to live in the pool but man it wrecks my kids hair.

I asked Emry to get some shots of us all but she missed our lovely friends and only got Glenn & I.  I guess we're her favorites.  Or she got sidetracked by something cooler than our guests, like a praying mantis.


I also need to ask her to please make sure we look good, c'mon Emry.  Glenn & I may be super dorky but at least if she got a good shot of us we could pretend we weren't.

I took this one of my beautiful sister Jeannette and her daughter Kylee.  She's almost done with her 3 months of training at the hospital and is an R.D. all on her own, what a grown up.


Seriously though she's finding it very challenging working and keeping up with her kids while being a single mom.  She has a wonderful attitude though and enjoys her crazy busy life nonetheless.

There's nothing I find funnier than people on cell phones.  Maybe it's because I don't have one but it seems they are pretty much an appendage of most people.   I can be in a group where everyone has their cell out making deals, checking in or I don't know, doing whatever they do.  Teens especially can't be without one, I am sure life as they know it would end.


(on that note I've taken Emry's Ipod touch away because it annoys me (shocker!!!) not for good, but it has to be on my terms, yup, I am that controlling)

And I have to have a cute picture of  my favorite child  Ethan.  What would a post be without his precious mug?  As I am snapping this picture Ethan is asking "Do we have anything healthy to eat?" 

 Which really means "I want some dessert and I know I have to eat some real food first".

Interesting. No P.

The other day I was reading a home/food blog and the post had about a dozen dream bedrooms from Pinterest.  They were lovely and dreamy and made me want to take a nap even though I had just eaten breakfast.

At first I thought 'Oh I should paint the walls and the bed frame and search for new bedding and ..................and then I stopped myself from going down a very dangerous path.  I love my bed.  And my bedroom.  We have the comfiest mattress and I love the checked quilt from my Grandma's house and the yellow duvet I scored thrifting for $2.  And why my computer doesn't acknowledge thrifting as a word is beyond me.


Our bed did have another rail, but it broke because it was our favorite place to sit and floss our teeth.

And yes we have a lovely stairmaster in the left hand corner.  Funny, none of the dream bedrooms had one.  And that glass of water, it's from the bathroom sink.  See, I can go up & down fake stairs for 35 minutes, but go down 15 real stairs to get good water from the fridge, too much effort.

 
And then there's the misplaced LaZboy.  It was in the nursery but got shoved out to make room for all of Ethan's Lego's.    My feelings are still hurt that he'd rather play than be rocked to sleep.


So there's my bedroom.  It's not posh or fancy.  No one is ever going to pin it.  But I love it.

Green

I am so hopeful that this will be the year I have a successful garden.  I have grown a few things in the past, but I really didn't know what I was doing.  My mom helped me plant some seeds and some baby plants and lo and behold some of them took.  And some of them didn't.


I decided this year to get a jump start and plant in these little boxes.  All from seed.  I put them out during the day and lovingly bring them in at night.  I water when they seem dry and talk to them to make them happy.


I will replant them all in about a month into a raised garden in my backyard that Glenn built a few years ago.


I am most excited about my Watermelons.  If they take I will be the happiest person in the world.  Delicious, organic, freshly picked juicy watermelon cold from the refrigerator is the best thing about summer.


A good friend and gardener extraordinaire gave me all of the supplies and helped me with tips to ensure a successful garden.  I told her she would get sick of me because I will be calling at all stages to get advice.


In return I am helping her grind grains and teaching her bread making techniques.


I am definitely getting off easy.


I hope in a few months my garden will be overflowing with tomatoes and cucumbers and my hill will be bursting with watermelon and cantaloupe.


But you know me, if nothing takes I'll be forced to create my own green treats in the kitchen.

And buy a watermelon every day of the summer.




*****Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your kind words of understanding on my Monday post.  Through reading so many of your uplifting blogs I have been inspired to be more open and it's truly wonderful.  

The Whole Truth

I tend to be pretty rosy on this here little blog of mine.  I am in love with my kids, I am obsessed with  my  our dog, it's always sunny, let's cook up a 10 course meal blah, blah, blah.

And while that's true, there are other truths as well.  Truths I can't leave out because I want this blog to be my whole life.  The good, the bad, the scary and everything in between.  This is my life journal and I don't want my kids to go through trials later in life and after reading over their childhood, our life, to feel that their parents can't relate.  That we never went through hard times.

The old me would have waited until Glenn landed the perfect job and then spread the news.  The new me realizes that's unfair.  To myself, my kids and anyone reading my story.  

Since September when Cisco had their huge layoffs, Glenn has kept busy doing concrete sales.  That has ended and lucky for us we are in the midst of Tax Season so Glenn will be busy once again preparing taxes.  He has things in the works as far as a job but nothing solid yet.

We are living off our severance package, some money from concrete jobs, Tax Return Jobs, our own Tax Refund, and pretty much just living frugally.

The old Marie would have been a constant stress case freaking out everyday and tossing and turning at night.
The new Marie is relying on faith that everything will work out as it should.  Glenn & I (mostly Glenn) are smart and hardworking.  We are doing what is right.  We are prepared and putting ourselves out there for any opportunity that comes our way.  We are raising righteous children.

I still make time to let my kids know how much I care.  Chocolate always seems to do the trick.

Take them to the park and let them explore.

Love watching Brutus soak in the sun.

Take Ethan to baseball practice and feel that of course he's a star in the making.

Make granola.

And watch my kids soar.

We're happy and healthy & life is being completely enjoyed by us all.  I am a lot more tired than I was at 20, but I am also a lot smarter.  Smart enough to know that we'll be fine.  All that is really important to me in this life is my family.  And they're not going anywhere.

I am a child of God.  I know Him and I most definitely know that He knows me.  He has a plan for us.  Bigger and better than anything we could have planned for ourselves.  Our part is to keep on working hard and doing what's right and he will meet us there.

I know this because I feel it in my bones and in my heart.

And that's the truth.

Valentine Crush

I had to buy oreos.  When my kids saw them on the counter they knew something was up.  I don't buy oreos.  But I needed them to make THIS......

I only buy highly sweetened, hydrogenated oiled cookies when I can mix them with a ton more sugar, candy, lots of unnatural oils and fake flavors.  Yup that's my criteria.  But really, it's much, much too precious.  How could I resist making this popcorn?!

Look at these tags!!!

I have a weakness for popcorn when mixed with sugar.  Or butter & salt.  Or plain.  Any which way really as long as it's homemade.   No Cracker Jack or Crunch & Munch for me, I am obviously way too fancy for that.

Every single ingredient in this popcorn may have made me cringe.  But at least I made it with my own 2 hands.

Plus, did you see how cute it is?