WA-LAH...easy as that

NO, I did not make this. I wish I had taken a picture of the two loaves of homemade whole wheat bread I attempted to make a couple of weeks ago... flat as a pancake, and dense, kind of like a two by four actually. Last night Brad came home with the ingredients to make some more, he and Liv whipped it up, and I have to say it was very likely the best homemade whole wheat bread I have ever tasted. This picture doesn't do it justice.....If bread can be beautiful, this bread was beautiful and (as Laurie A. would say) MMMM SOO TASTEY! I think he has found his calling in life, I will never be satisfied with store bought bread again =0)!

P.S. I got my hair cut today.....I LOVE a fresh DO! I would post pictures, but I tried to take a self portrait, and failed miserably......Unless of coarse you are interested in seeing a picture of my legs =0). I'll post a pic when I get one.

Most People who know Gwen..

have only ever seen her like this

or this....
and wouldn't know she was even capable of a face like this-->

This is the face she made every time she didn't get what she wanted yesterday =0).
Somehow it is hard to be intimidating with a sweet little face like hers =0).

Here are some more pictures of my angels yesterday before church. (I love the expressions on Liv's face. You can tell she sure loves her sissy!)

A Tribute

To President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who passed away last evening. Our family loves him and is so grateful for the service he gave to God, the church and the world. You can read more here.

This morning,

I am doing some of this.....uninterupted=0)

While Brad and Liv do a little bit of this-I was supposed to go to, but we had babysitter issues... Besides, I am enjoying the productivity, and I think it is sweet they get to have another date. (FYI this is Liv's 4th lesson, and 1/2 day ski, and she can pretty much do it all by herself now! I'm such a proud mama =0).....

Comfy Cozy

I have fond memories, growing up, of winters spent eating soup, sitting under a warm blanket, and watching Anne of Green Gables. These images conjure warm, cozy emotions within me. I think winter is a hard time for a lot of people. I can be put into this category. I definitely find myself in a "Funk" some days. BUT, today I worked on a fun project, ate "soup a la Brad" for lunch (Romen noodles with veggies) and veggie beef soup with yummy bread and butter for dinner. I am sitting here with a warm belly, thinking about my favorite things about winter...... with a smile on my face =0).

SO, in the spirit of the moment, here is a list of some things I love about winter:

1. Snow Shoeing
2. Hot Cocoa, mixed with cinnamon and vanilla creamer =0)
   
3. Postum
4. SOUP, any kind
   
5. Cuddling under a blanket to read stories to my girls
6. The Play Gym
7. Projects

Here are some photos from todays projects: Jewelry
Now for your assignment =0). I think it would be great to see some of the things each of you like to do to keep yourself busy in the winter time. I am in the need of a new project. I would LOVE to see some of the things you have been working on, or maybe things you have done in the past. Ideas please! Don't be shy!

P.S. I've been thinking about putting together a tutorial on how to make simple necklaces, bracelets, etc. If you are interested let me know!

MMMWAAAA!About 2 weeks ago, Liv decided on a new nick name for Gwen.......Stinker Winker.
I didn't think it was a big deal... A couple of days ago I could tell it was starting to stick! There was no more Gwen, no more Sissy, no more Gwenabeanie......only Stinker Winker. SO, I had a little talk with Liv about how that might hurt Gwen's feelings if she always calls her Stinker Winker. Liv agreed, walked over to Gwen and said,

"Come here Sweet Lips!"

Aparently Liv thinks this is a perfect fit, because this one is sticking too =0).

He has a gift =0)

Last Sunday was my birthday. It was really perfect. It just reiterated one thing that I already knew about Brad. One of his talents is definitely Gifting! He always gives me the Best Gifts! Somehow, without me giving him any hints, he always gives me something that I absolutely love. And when I say LOVE, I mean I love it as much as something I would pick out for myself, without the problem of dealing with my indecisive nature =0). This birthday broughtwhich has totally changed my workouts (I have major problems getting bored on a treadmillA subscription to this magazine......I'm not much into Magazine subscriptions, but I don't know if I am even going to be able to throw these away! Really.

Thanks to everyone else who remembered me on my birthday and made it perfect. I love you all =0).

1 reason why Gwen still seems like such a baby =0)

Gwen and Liv 17 months old

This morning we were watching some home video of Liv when she was 11 months old. Brad said, "I was just thinking, Liv is about the same age here, as Gwen is now." Well, Gwen is 16 months old now. This started a conversation about how Liv always seemed so much older than Gwen does. I made a comment about how it's because Gwen is our baby now, and I just love to pretend that she is still a baby even though she is growing up =0). So then, I remembered a list of Words I had written down in Liv's baby journal, I went and looked it up.....

The following is a list of words that Gwen can say:
Hi
Da (Daddy)
Ma (Mamma)
di (here)
some rendition of Thank you.....that sounds something like shasha

Here is the list of words Liv could say when she was Gwen's age:
Mommy
Daddy
Nana
Papa
Grandma
Grandpa
Me
Mine
Nana (Banana)
Baby
Ball
Fishy
Doggy
puppy
Twitchell (Tchi-tcho) (my parent's dog)
no
yeah
shoe-shoe
boot
diaper (die-die)
wow
eye
ear
mouth
nose
elbow
toe-toe
hat
call
go
outside
more
apple
cracker
wawa (water)
ni-night
on
up
book
tubby (bath tub)
snow
Jesus
Santa
bye-bye
babydoll
bye-bye dad
no mom
boo
goat
bonk (any time she hit her head)
yummy
num-num
along with the sound of every animal.

I'm sure Gwen will learn to talk some day =0). For now, I LOVE to pretend she is still a baby =0).

Fun Kid Food

OK, I am always up for fun kid meals. Brad brought this idea home from someone at work, and we had a great time with it.

Dizzy Dogs
1 package hot dogs
1 package refrigerator bread sticks
Wrap the breadsticks around your hot dogs and bake them @375 for 12-15 minutes
*If you would like to, you can brush with egg whites and add sesame seeds or poppy seeds, Brad added Kosher Salt to some.
Eat with an assortment of dipping sauces, because anything is better when you dip it...right? (Liv definitely agrees =0)

I would love any fun kid food suggestions you have..... post them, or leave them in my comments! (We also do english muffin pizzas....pretty self explanatory, and we love'em)

P.S. Yes these hot dogs are red....if you are dieing to try one...you'll have to come to Maine =0).

Just a change

I just wanted you all to know that I am thinking of you, and your boredom =0)....I know you are bored of the last title, and I don't blame you. I really do care about this problem, but I am crazy busy, and I have nothing interesting to tell. So, I thought... the least I can do is give you a new title to look at =0).
<3 Betsy

Oh yeah, and a new/old picture to look at too =0)

What is your Color??

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Green

You're green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!

Take this test >

Thanks to Jesse for this fun idea.... I was surprised to be green too =0). I hope you all take it too so I can see what color you are =0)!

My latest project complete..This is my collage of pictures and memories from 2007.I got the idea from my sister, who got it from a friend, who probably came up with it herself =0)....I just got it back from ACI printing yesterday, and Its already up on my wall=0).

Life is good for this little munchkin!


Gwen has been SOOO Happy lately! She is making this cheesy little smile constantly! All I have to do it look at her and she is completely thrilled. When I took this pic, she was smiling/laughing at Liv who was standing behind me. Notice her cute little snaggle teeth... her other front tooth is finally coming in. She has had just one for a very long time =0).

As a side note....When Liv was a toddler, she LOVED to run away from me. Everytime I would try to get her to put on her shoes, give her a toy, put on her coat, dress her in any way, change her diaper....anything, she would run away laughing in delight. Just this week, Gwen has started the same game. Good thing she is still so slow!

LaAaAA[singing]
(insert harps, and singing angels here)

Today we found the light! I sat my girls right in our front room, and let them play. There are actually more windows in the play room, but there is a huge sliding glass door where we were, and the lighting was perfect. I snapped a few shots with no flash at all, YEAH! I love you light =0).




ISO 400, F3.5, 1/150-200......for those of you who are interested =0).

AAargh....

I am so indecisive it really can drive me totally crazy! I know someone out there can give me some good advice on what to do for indoor photos. This whole winter thing is really putting a cramp in my picture taking life! I just feel like I can never get enough light.

What do you do to get enough light in your indoor photos??
For this one, I took it at a high ISO, and then pp it in with a noise reducer. It works fine, but not ideal....

PS--Sorry if this bores any of you!

Words to live by

So, recently I read a blog entry, from a friend of my sister, and it was all about her "Word for the year". Instead of a new years resolution, she chose one word to sum up her aspirations for 2008. Her word for 2007, was "DO", and for 2008-"LIVE." This whole concept has gotten me thinking. I have come up with a whole list of words, all point to the same concept...my vision, my goals for 2008.

1. Cherish- Our family will only be what it is right now once.... I want to cherish this time and enjoy every ounce of it. I want to enjoy every minute of my playful, energetic, squishy cheeked, kissable girls, and my hubby.
2. Childhood- I have this dream of creating a perfect childhood for my kids. Giving them a cozy, warm, safe childhood where they always know Brad and I think they are perfect, and wouldn't want them to be any different. Also, this word reminds me to let loose, get dirty, let them get dirty, paint, tickle, laugh, rough house, dance, sing, read.......etc. All the wonderful things childhood is made of.
3. Create- A reminder that everything I do creates something... I am not only creating my own life, but the life of my family. The most important thing I will ever create is a partnership with each of them. In 2008, I want to create: memories, love, fun, lasting friendships with my girls and husband, and that cozy, warm, safe haven for my children.

"CHERISH THIS DAY"

Holy Snow!

To quote one of my "Maine" relatives:

"Maine is cold, but we don't get very much snow..."

I'm not sure I agree =0). We went sledding again today....or should I say we tried to go sledding again today. It was a feeble effort. There was too much snow to sled, we kept getting stuck! I have never heard of such a thing! This is a picture of Jessie, our friends little girl, standing in the snow today.....It must have been 2 1/2 feet deep, and we are supposed to get 8-12 more inches tonight! We did have a great time, and the weather was PERFECT for playing in the snow.....even if we did lose Gwen because the snow was so deep....ok not really=0). Good thing I like snow, or I may not last long up here in New England =0).