Happy Thanksgiving! Day 24

I am thankful for everything!! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love sitting around with my family, cooking, watching YouTube, eating, dominos, joking around, face timing family far away, just sitting there. Being with them is so great, I wish we could be with each other more, even if our holidays play out the same each year. We sneak pickles and olives and hot-out-of-the-oven rolls before dinner, make fun of those not sitting at the grown up table, do the dishes, eat pie, play dominos-13 rounds( I got second), eat more turkey and pie, watch television, and make fun of each other. Ahhhhh, family time!

Thankful Days 23

Yesterday I was and am thankful for all my kitchen gadgets I use that make my life easier. I juice with my big ole juicer machine, grind my coffee grinds in my my grinder, toast my toast in my toaster, make pie dough in my food processor, make chocolate custard with my emulsifying hand blender, smoothies in my blender....I am busy in the kitchen:). I love my kitchen gadgets so much!

Thankful Days 22

Thankful for Snuggles in bed. Mmmm. Yawn.

Thankful Days 21

Did I mention I'm thankful for coffee?

Thankful Days 20

I am thankful for all the dogs in my life. I love my cat Toe too, but not as much as my doggies. Tiddly-"Wink" is our itty bitty luv bug here at home. He stays by our feet keeping them warm and eating crumbs. Right now, he and popi are sharing cereal. At my parents Samson the Komondor and Ned the Bouvier await us with big hugs and kisses. We love our hairy friends!!

Pinterest Experimentation

I cannot believe I hadn't thought of this before I saw it on that darn website. Going to the dollar store and spending $7 on containers has changed the messy kid's drawers in the kitchen forever. It is so nice and organized now! Little by little, right?

Thankful Days 19

It might seem silly but I am thankful for my aunt Jill's cooking! Tonight she made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and Brussel sprouts. So yummy!!!! Everything she makes is awesome, all holidays are wonderful because of her cooking. She always complains about one dish, "oh! It has too much sage! It will be horrible!" and if course it is always perfect. Her food is holiday specific too, so it's nice to know what to expect and I look forward to it each year.

Pinterest Experimentation

I have a pair of nice jeans I got at a swap recently. They fit me just fine but the zipper always goes down by itself. I can't figure it out, pretty frustrating. I came upon this nifty idea on pinterest and I am very happy now with my jeans! You take a key ring, put it on your zipper, then you are able to loop that ring around the button as an anchor! No more falling zippers!

Thankful Days 18

I am forever grateful and thankful for insulin. Without it my baby-bee would die. It wasn't that long ago that children did not live once diabetes came into their life. There was nothing anyone could do. My dad remembers a little girl who was in his class, one day she didn't come to school, she died of diabetes. Insulin has allowed my daughter to live, and for that I am forever thankful.

Thankful Days 17

today after many a headache i am very thankful for modern medicine and it's conveniences. i can go to my medicine cabinet and get almost anything i need for my ailments. that is a very nice comfort to have.

image found on google

Thankful Days 16

this is my make-up from yesterday. i am thankful for musicals. i know a lot of people don't like musicals but that is just sad for them, they have made my life a lot happier!

images found on google

Thankful Days 15

I am so thankful that I live in the great town of tulsa. I love my home city. I love my home state. My favorite thing about living here is that "Tulsa thing." you know that thing where you run into everyone you know when you go to the ob-gyn office, when you hand out hugs in and amongst the produce at the farmer's market, share a bottle of chardonnay with the next table while eating out because you went to high school together. Living in Tulsa is like having mini reunions everywhere you go. I love it! Is also extends outside the walls of Oklahoma, I run into Tulsa peeps out of state ALL the time, bars in San Francisco, MOMA in NYC, just to name a few. It's happened out of the country too! Other reasons I am thankful for my city is that it is beautiful, has great architecture, good food, great museums, it has 4 seasons, my family, great thrifting, and it has a wonderful history. I heart Tulsa!

Grocery Explorer

I hate grocery shopping. That being said, I do not have a "regular" grocery store I frequent. I get certain groceries from certain stores. Like for instance, I do not get my milk from the same place I get my meat or even my pasta or fruit. That is four grocery stops right there. Sometimes I do get dry goods and produce in the same spot, but not frequently. It is so confusing. Sometimes it takes five stops if I want cheese products. Asian products, factor in another stop for 6. Yikes! Why can't I streamline? Back to the point, I went to a grocery store I rarely go to today because I heard they had cheap pineapples, I went to aldi. Do you know about aldi? I knew a little from my grocery shopping experiences in germany, they are pretty much the same. They are a no frills, do it yourself grocery experience. They package their own food for their stores only, kinda like trader joe's. Not as nice as everyone's beloved t.j.'s you say? Well, they are both owned by the same company....who's to judge? Today I went out to the aldi at 22st and 129th, armed with my own bags(because they charge you for bags) and my quarter(for the grocery cart) I went out for my adventure. First thing I noticed was all the German speaking Amish women shopping. I felt like I was in Germany! Well not really, that was a joke, the feeling like i was in germany part...nevermind. Another thing I noticed was it was very clean, and they had my favorite brand of gummi, haribo, and lots of European chocolate! Now I really did feel like I was in a German grocery store. I think the first things I ever bought in a German grocery store was chocolate:). Well, I got my pineapple for dollars cheaper than the regular store, mushrooms, strawberries, pears, and apples. They had a very large special on name brand toys like Barbie and Thomas the train there too. After i got what i came for I checked out behind a young Amish lady who bought maybe 100 lbs of cream cheese. After my turn I bagged my own groceries on the long table behind the registers and traded my cart for a quarter to an older gentleman. All in all it was a pleasant experience. I think I'll go again.

Thankful Days 14

I am very thankful for bees. Without bees, "they" say, we'd die. They go so much for us besides make honey. I have so much to say about my bees, not enough time right now, I will have to catch you up soon.

Thankful Days 13

Thankful for outside, nature.

Thankful Days 12

We love you internet, oh yes we do. When you're not near us, we're blue. Oh Internet we love you!
So yesterday I was missing my wireless connections I get so easy in my tulsa town. Being in the backwoods of Arkansas I can't get any connection!! So, yesterday, I was and am thankful for the interwebs!!

Thankful Days 11

Today, and every day I am thankful for books to read. I love reading and I am thankful my children love to read as well. I always feel funny telling them to "stop reading!" and go to bed, or go eat, or get out of the car. We love going to the library every week and picking out books. June prefers science books and historical novels, and Beila likes comics, anime, and easy readers like Dick and Jane, she has been reading completely since August. Popi follows suite and loves to carry books around and flip through pages. Yay for books!

Thankful Days 10

I am thankful for foot rubs. That's it, foot rubs.

So Much to Catch Up On...

goodness, i have left out so much from the end of summer and this fall. i'll try and be fast...

aren't they cute?

dinner at tokyo garden for juni's birthday dinner.

juni's cloud themed birthday party

breakfast and chicken judging at the fair. popi hated the mirrors.

when we go to the fair, we spend ALL day there.

sky ride, caramel apples, and the largest horse hoofs i have ever seen in my life, the picture doesn't even show the mamothicity of it. i just made that word up.

california dreaming. popi meets her cousin Zinny! we love her bunches and bunches!

good times with friends and family. oh yeah, and that trip to steve jobs' house.

and what would a trip to cali be without our trip to mecca, the Google campus. we had breakfast, never had breakfast there before, but of course it was fantastic!

this is just scratching the surface...

Anthro Interview

I went in for a group interview at our favorite shopping place this afternoon. I have wanted a part time gig there for awhile, but never have acted on it. My mom called today and pushed me to go in, so really didn't have a choice, did i?So I donned a cute but sensible fall outfit and headed into the unknown of the group interview. Quite interesting really, but we'll see. I am super busy but it would be nice to work a little again, if I get it good and if I don't good. I'll let you know....

video video

earthquake happenings explained, this video is so funny.

Thankful Days 9

I am thankful for spontaneous dance parties in my living room. Yes, I need to put the laundry away, but right now dancing is always more important than putting clothes up.

Thankful Days 8

May I sing a song to you? I don't know a lot of the words, but it goes a little something like this..."and I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free....". Horrible song, no? I may dislike the song but the words ring true for me. I am proud and thankful to be born in the good ol' US of A. Right now there seems to be a lot of people who don't love their country, that's fine for them, but there is no where I'd rather live, well except maybe Barcelona, but don't tell anyone, k? Thanks.

Thankful Days 7

Oh low-rdy! Thank goodness I have electricity in ma' life. I am so very thankful for those holes in my wall I plug things into and they come alive, light, heat, cool, whatever modern convenience I need. I have no clue how any of that works but I really don't care, just as long as it does work.

Thankful Days 6

I am very thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without God I would be lost. I know a lot of people have different views than I, but that is fine,and I hope you have enough decency to give me what I give you, respect about my beliefs. The fact is that for me Christianity is my life line, it gives me hope and a sense of peace. I hope you have something like that in your life.

Earthquakes

Just so you know I felt my first earthquake around 2:10 am today, it was 4.7 and it shook me awake from bed. just minutes ago I felt my second, 5.2, (update, make that a 5.6)it was longer than the first and I was all awake for it. Geez, tornados and earthquakes now?

Thankful Days 5

I've always got to be thankful for my health and of those I love, my friends and family. We've been through a lot since July 18th, health wise, I pray that type 1 diabetes is the only disease we have to deal with. We are so lucky our children are healthy and diabetes is the worst we have. My aunt has cancer but she is a fighter, my mom and her sister, they have auto-immune diseases they are fighting, these problems are minimal to those who are always fighting to have just one day. Makes my belly aches a laughing matter.

Thankful Days 4

Today, and every day, I am thankful for my house, my home, my shelter. My family has laid their heads in this house to rest for over 50 years. My grandma hung clothes to dry on the same clothes line, my grandpa dug vegetables up in the same dirt, I learned to ride a bike on the same sidewalk my kids draw on with chalk now. I love our house!

Thankful Days 3

I don't know if it was the long day today, the sunglasses I fell in love with but couldn't get, the bee drama, the sleeplessness, the lying from my little bee, or what.....but I am thankful for wine. Don't get me wrong, I don't drink a lot, or even to excess, but after a hard day a nice 6-8 oz of the stuff helps with my sanity. It calms my nerves, helps me relax in a way ice cram or chocolate can only dream of. Hey, It's even good for my heart, right dr.oz? So yes, I am thankful for wine. By the way, isn't this label adorable? It's not that bad tasting either:). Thanks trader joe's!

Thankful Days 2

let it be known, i am thankful for FOOD! food, glorious food! that i can go buy groceries to make meals, and go to restaurants to be fed is amazing.

this here food is a roasted mushroom risotto i made not too long ago, yum!

Thankful Days

i am so thankful for family, my husband, my children, my mom, my dad, brothers peter and james(miss you!), my aunts, uncles, cousins, my blood. without family i would be lost.

i was suppose to post this yesterday but i got caught up in bee drama:)

Robbers

I went out this morning to get the empty bottom board feeder's jar, to put more sugar water in it. I grabbed it before any activity began so I could give them something nice to eat when they woke up. I went back out after awhile to look at what was happening and I came upon world war bee. It was horrible. Each hive had so much activity at the entrance that included wasps and very dark bees. I have Italian bees which are nice and light, very pretty. These bees they were fighting ranged from dark stripes to shiny black. They were scary, and what was worse is they were wrestling with my beautiful little honey bees. The wasps were easy for me to extinguish with my hive tool, the dark bees were not. Not sure what was really going on, I called my bee mentor for advice. She told me I needed to take out the sugar water that was attracting robbers, as well as make the entrance tiny so the bees have a smaller space to protect. The lack of nectar this summer has all these feral bees and other flying sugar eaters looking for food. Since I fed my bees all summer they have honey stores, where other hives don't. The problem is these honey stores smell delicious and has left my girls fighting for what they worked so hard for, and left me helpless as I watch them wrestle these unwelcome guests. All I wanted to do was pick those dark bees off, one by one from my girls, I was so close to tears watching them fight. So, I put on my gear and headed out to get into the trenches. I moved the feeder to the edge of the entrance and shoved wood into the rest of the space except for a small space for my girls to go through. I just stood there watching them and stressing, it took all my strength to peel myself away from the carnage taking place before my eyes and go inside to let nature take over. I did what I could do to help, I needed to leave. I went back out after dark to look at what was happening. There were moths hanging around that I quickly killed with my electric wand and of course some lethargic slow moving bees. Tomorrow will be interesting. I hope my bees are strong and are able to kick butt!