Recipe: Apple Cider

This is from one of my Air Force wife friends, Maggie. She brought it to a cookie exchange a few weeks ago and I have made it 3 or 4 times since then. It's a big hit. I love it.

4 cups of Apple Cider
2 cups of Cranberry juice
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 orange (sliced)
a dash of all spice
whole cloves

I put it all in a saucepan and heat it up. It makes your house smell like Christmas! It is my new favorite christmastime drink. Thanks Maggie!!

Gratitude: My Family

I just want to take a second and tell everyone how grateful I am for my family. My kids have been such angels today, and my husband has been so helpful. I haven't been feeling well the past few weeks, and he has let me take as many long naps as I need while he is home. I know that he is so stressed and busy, but his family always comes first. And I am so grateful for that. I love them all so much. I couldn't be more blessed.

Gratitude: Being a stay-at-home mom

I'm so grateful that I get to stay home and raise my kids. I can't imagine sending them to daycare, or having anyone else do it. I love them so much and I love watching them learn more everyday. They love to play together and that makes my heart so happy. I am so grateful that my husband has provided me with this blessing and opportunity.

Recipe: Cherry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Oh my holy goodness! These are divine and PERFECT for your holiday cookie exchange!


Chocolate Kiss Cherry Cookies

1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Butter, Softened
2 teaspoons Maraschino Cherry Liquid
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
4 Drops Red Food Coloring
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Maraschino Cherries, Drained and Chopped
48 Milk Chocolate Candy Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2.Combine Powdered Sugar, Butter, Cherry Liquid, Extract, and Food Coloring in a bowl. Mix well
3.Add Flour and Salt. Mix well
4.Stir in the Cherries
5.Shape Dough into 1" balls
6.Place 2" apart on ungreased sheets
7.Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until you can see that the lower edge is a light golden brown
8. Remove from oven and press a candy kiss into the top each cookie. — with Barb Livingood Bahr and 3 others.

Happy Baking!

Upworthy.com

I'm not sure if any of you have heard of upworthy.com, but chances are, you have. In a world of bad news, this website brings insight to good people doing good things. It only reports, or has articles, of things that will brighten your day and make you happy, or make this world better. People doing good. We all need to find the good people in the world.

I'm totally grateful for this website! Full of things that are "up worthy".

check it out! You wont be sorry.
Happy reading!

Product Review: Nature Box

I know a lot of you have heard of Nature Box, but you seriously need to try it!

I was at a friend's house one day and she pulled out a bunch of her Nature Box snacks. They ALL tasted good! I couldn't stop eating them so I had to walk away. Luckily they are super healthy. It a great way to snack, and it's guilt-free.

I got home and ordered my box right away! Your first box is a discovery box, and it comes with 5 full sized bags of deliciousness. You can get your first box for $10. That's two bucks a bag, people! (After that its $20, but you can still find coupon codes for $10 boxes. You can also cancel or pause your box at anytime.

After you receive your discovery box, you can customize your box and choose which snacks you get! It's cool. I chose two snacks and want to have the rest as a surprise. They have a lot of options!

In my first box I got:
Masa crisps: corn chips with flax seed
Vanilla Macaroon Granola: my personal fave
Pistachio Power Clusters: nut squares with almonds, cashews, and pistachios
Roasted Kettle Kernels: Honey coated toasted corn
and Cherry Berry Bonanza: a medley of dried cherries, cranberries, and blueberries

You can choose all vegan snacks, gluten free snacks, sugar free snacks, etc. I like them all.

Go check them out! Here's a link to get your first box for just $10!!
http://fbuy.me/mWF1

Healthy and Delicious Snacks - New each month!

http://www.naturebox.com
I love the healthy snacks I get from NatureBox. You can sign up too and save $10 by using code SHARE10 for a discount off your first NatureBox! If ...

Or use YDLV3 at your checkout. 

Happy Snacking!!

REUNION!

Although Mike couldn't make it to the reunion, we still had a blast! Mike was the only person in his entire family that wasn't there.

Let me tell you a little about the vacation home we stayed in. It had 7 bathrooms. seven. It was gigantic.  The kitchen sat 20. It had a movie theater with 9 couches in it. I think the screen was 120 inches.

The backyard was my favorite part, it had a pool, a soccer field (yes, you read that right) an in-ground trampoline, a playground, a putting green, a BBQ area, fire pit, and much more. Let me go back to the trampoline. Underneath it was a sandbox. To get in the sandbox you had to go through a tunnel, and it was a slide. To get out you climb through another tunnel. The place was amazing.

Also in the back yard was a another building. This building had a basketball court, another bathroom, and a separate room with air hockey, fooseball, ping pong, and a giant TV with a Wii. Also so weights to exercise.

We didn't need to plan any activities because there was already so much to do! But let me tell you a little about the most special part of the reunion: the temple.

As you know, Mike's parents adopted a 12 year girl named Colette. In our religion, we get sealed to each other as families so that we can be together in Heaven. We went as a family to the temple and Colette got sealed to Dave and Debbie. It was such a special day. We are so grateful to have Colette in our family.

Trip to Utah

I just got back from being in Utah for a week and half. I'm so blessed to have two children that travel well on airplanes. Neither of them cried at all and they slept most of the time.

My in laws were having a family reunion and Mike and I were the only ones that were going to be there. I was so sad and so was Mike. My in-laws decided that they were going to pay for my plane ticket to come home, and I am eternally grateful because I was getting homesick. My mom got me a buddy pass, and flew out here to pick me up. With the help of both sets of parents I got to go home!!

Day 1 of our trip was just traveling down to Dallas, which a friend of mine, Heather, drove us down with her because she needed to go down for the weekend to compete in a fitness competition, which she placed 3rd in. So a big shout out to Heather!! And a big Thank You, too. This was also a special day for us because it was Ellie's 7 month birthday. I can't believe how fast these months are going by. Kristen bought Ellie the cutest little robe. She said that Ellie picked it out and just needed it.

Day 2 of our trip was a saturday. My mom flew in to hang out with us. We spent most of the day at Ikea. I love that place.

On sunday, day 3, we flew home. We had a big family dinner that day. My cousin and his family came, and Calvin got to play with his cousins. He LOVES playing with his cousins.

The rest of the week was pretty much low key. We went to a Halloween party at our neighbor's house, visited friends at SkyWest, hung out at home mostly,  until Halloween. I took Calvin Trunk or Treating at my mom's church building. He loved it! He didn't like dressing up so much, and he never said Trick or Treat, or Thank you. If fact, I'm pretty sure he didn't say anything, which is rare. But he was just taking it all in. And now the kid is hooked on sugar. Oh well...

That night we went to the reunion, which was also in St George. We were so excited to see everyone and Ellie got to meet the rest of Mike's family. I will post a new post just for the reunion, because there were a few special moments.

I left on saturday night to go back to my parents so we could go home early on sunday morning. We got to the airport and got all unloaded, but didn't make it on the flight (we were flying standby.)

All of the flights for the rest of the day (and next day) looked awful. We tried again on monday, out of Cedar City, and we were going to get on and make it all the way home, but our plane had mechanical problems and we wouldn't have made our connection, so.... we went back home.

Then finally on Tuesday we took a flight out in the afternoon, (Alyson flew home with us and was such a big help! Thanks sal!!)  and got back to Texas on Tuesday night. Mike and Kristen picked us up.

Home again, Home again, Jiggety jig.

November??

I can't believe it is already November. I'm so excited! This year will be a new experience for me for Thanksgiving because I have never not been with my parents or Mike's parents. This year, we are celebrating with our Air Force family, and I honestly can't wait! Everyone has such great recipes and ideas, and I'm excited to try something new. I'm excited that all the wives want to be in the kitchen helping and that a lot of them will be here! We might also have some of the international pilots come and it will be their first Thanksgiving experience. My sister Kristen will also be coming up and I am SOO excited for that. I don't think I've had Thanksgiving with her in the past 5 years. I'm excited to start new traditions and see what other people do for their family traditions. I'm also excited to blog about this experience later this month.

On a lighter note, it's also Movember. I hate mustaches.

Gratitude: My Mom

Since I can't sleep, I thought this would be a great time to post about my mom. I've been putting this one off because I knew it was going to be so long.

I can't put in words exactly how grateful I am for her. Nothing I can say will ever be good enough, to me, to thank her for everything. I can't express how much I love her, through writing. As I am starting this post, my heart is exploding with so much that I want to say, that I may not be able to organize my thoughts well enough to express exactly what I want to say about my mom.

My mom is good at everything she does. She is the strongest person I know. She can open any pickle jar :) But seriously, she is the strongest person, in an emotional sense. I rarely see my mom cry, not because she doesn't have feelings, but because she is (private about her feelings)?. When I have seen her cry, it's usually at spiritual settings, where most of her tears are from happiness, or expressiveness for love of her family and the Savior. My mom holds herself together well, and she has learned to be an independent woman. She is classy.

I see myself having some of the same life experiences that my mom has gone through. When I get in a rut, I think, "What did mom do" or "What would mom do?" When I am having a rough day with my two kids I wonder how my mom did it. When I ask my mom how she did it, she says "I just did". For example, a recent struggle I had was that Mike was gone at officer training for 15 weeks. It was really hard, but there was a time that my dad lived in New Jersey and we lived in Utah, and my mom was basically a single mom for that little while. I can't imagine the loneliness she must have felt, because even though there are people that love you around you, the love of your life isn't there, and you need them.

My mom used to give us the answer "Because I said so" when we asked her why we had to do something. I hated that.

If I ever need advice (or even when I don't) I know that my mom will come up with a solution for any of my problems. And she will ponder on it, for sometimes days at a time, and even when I'm not thinking about it anymore, my mom will send an email out and have an answer for me.

My mom is amazing. She will do whatever she can for anyone. She has taught me how to serve others, and when you serve, you do it happily, with your whole heart.

My mom is also the best grandma. She loves to sit and read books with Calvin. She could rock my kids in a rocking chair all day long if they'd let her. She knows how to calm them down when I can't.

My mom is my best friend. She always will be. I miss her everyday. We have so much in common and I always feel the need to talk to her. I call her at least 3 times a week, but mostly every day. I love her more than she will ever know. She has been such a great example and I hope I can be just like her one day. I hope I can live up to the high standards she has set for being a mom.

Love you mom! Can't wait to see you again soon. (This sounds like my mom died, she is very much alive and well, I just love her to death I guess... :))

Recipe: Red Panang Curry

Seriously. Your taste buds will sing a happy song! Not only is this curry gluten free, but its super healthy! That's always a plus, especially at my house. If you've been to Benja's (in St George, UT) this recipe tastes VERY similar to the red curry you can order off the menu. It's missing something, and Mike and I can't figure out what it is exactly, but its still so good. 

Ingredients: Serves 4-6.

2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. grated ginger

2 tbsp. Aroy-D or Mae Anong Panang Curry Paste (I actually substituted Thai red curry paste for this.)

2 cans coconut milk (13.5 oz. each) *Trader Joe’s carries light coconut milk with has 50% less fat than regular coconut milk

1 tbsp. palm sugar (or brown sugar) I used brown sugar

1 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice

1/4 cup roasted and unsalted cashews

1 cup chopped white mushrooms

1 cup chopped white/yellow onion

4 Thai basil leaves

4 oz. cubed extra firm tofu (I used chicken)

5 broccoli florets

1 cup red belpepper

10 snap peas

Assembly:

In a seasoned wok, heat oil on medium heat.

Once hot, add ginger and garlic and let cook until light brown.

Stir in curry paste.

Whisk in coconut milk, grated palm sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice and turn heat up to medium-high. *Add the lime juice little by little until it’s just how you like it. I used the entire 1 1/2 tbsp. of lime juice.

Add veggies, tofu, and basil leaves and cook until tofu is cooked completely (you can test this by cutting the tofu in half and trying a bite; if it is not cooked completely, you can taste the rawness).

Top with crushed cashews.

Happy cooking!

Recipe: Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies!

***Update: I made these cookies today. They are the best cookies I have ever made. Honestly. I probably ate just as much dough though... Seriously. I will never make a regular chocolate chip cookie again.

Wow, that is a mouthful! But these are said to be AMAZING! and I honestly haven't tried them yet, but you can bet I am going to be making them this week. Probably tomorrow. So here it is:

1Cup butter (softened) 
3/4 cup sugar
 3/4Cup brown sugar 
8 oz. Cream cheese (softened)

Mix those ingredients until creamy

Add in 1 tsp vanilla 
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 9 TO 11 minutes

Happy Baking!!!

Car Accident from Friday

So, of course, the day after I write about looking for the good in everyday things, I get in a car accident. Luckily it wasn't our fault, we were all ok, and I wasn't driving. I don't remember too much about it actually happening, but I do remember that right after it happened, I didn't know what happened and then I thought, "Oh my gosh... we just got hit by a car."

I heard Calvin start crying and looked at his face and he was really scared. I told him it'd be ok, and I got out of the car to make sure he was fine and ran over to the other car to see if she was ok. The driver was saying she was in a lot of pain. Her airbag deployed and she had a hard time breathing. She was shaking really bad, and she had bruises on her arms and little "air bag burns" that were bleeding. I hugged her and held her as she cried and she called her boyfriend. She had just bought her car. She kept saying that she had a green arrow, but I know that we had a green light because we were stopped, and it turned green and then went... So we were obviously paying attention...

The lady was making a left hand turn and we were going straight. We were stopped so luckily we hadn't been going very fast by the time it all happened.

Someone who saw it called 911 for us and then drove away. It took a while for the cops and ambulance and fire trucks to get there but they all showed up. I think probably 8 vehicles for a little accident. My friend's car wasn't damaged too bad. Just some front left bumper action, but the other car had major damage. The entire front of her car was smashed.

Once the cops showed up she was taken to the hospital on a gurney. She was definitely in a state of shock, and I realize that I sort of was too. I had a major adrenaline rush because somehow, I was totally calm and knew exactly what to do, and got it done, and made sure everyone was taken care of before I relaxed enough to make sure that I, myself, was ok. The cops pointed out the bruise that was on my neck from my seatbelt, that luckily I was wearing, because I have never been good at remembering to wear my seatbelt. It's been a couple days now and I'm extremely sore and have been having a series of bad headaches. Hopefully they will go away soon. I get a little more sore everyday. I hope Calvin isn't sore. The kids both seem to be doing well.

My friend that was driving is from the Netherlands and hasn't been here very long, so she didn't know exactly what to do or how to handle it. Her English is really good, and she is a nurse. She is a really good driver and takes really good care of her car. She kept telling me that she was so glad that I was with her. She stayed calm the whole time and I was really impressed with the way that she handled everything. And I'm lucky to have her as a friend.

Anyway, I know that accidents happen, and it wasn't anyone fault because no one would do it on purpose. But the good that came from this is that when we got Calvin out of the car, we pointed out all of the helpers, and he wasn't scared of the sirens. He was happy to see trucks and fire trucks and cop cars. He did so well, and so did Ellie. We kept saying to Calvin that everyone was there to help us and that there were a lot of good people. And of course, that everyone was ok.

Rain

Why does it seem like all the bad stuff happens at the same time? Here's an example:

Today, my husband "hooked his ride" which means he failed his flight, the day before he was supposed to solo, which pushed his solo to Tuesday. (Everyone does it at least once during pilot training, but it's really hard on their egos.) On the way home he got a flat tire. Also, today I didn't have dinner made when he got home, (this is rare).

I also notice that when we go out, both kids have to act up at the same time. It's a chain reaction of bad things.

I think that maybe once one bad thing happens we just notice all the other little crappy things, instead of focusing on the good things that happened that day. So as you noticed, my hubs had a bad day today, (I thought my day was just bland until I put some thought into it). The same day, I had a pretty good one:

I got up at 6 with Calvin, (actually 5 with Ellie because she pooped on my bed, but then I went back to sleep after I cleaned it up) then we did nothing for like 2 hours because I was so tired. He finally took a nap and so did Elle, that lasted maybe an hour tops. When they woke up, we played and ate lunch, and took a bath, and did our daily routines. Then we went to the bank. (It was in the grocery store and Calvin was so excited that he got to drive the "car" carts around. Ya know, the 20 foot long shopping carts that are impossible to turn ;)) We then decided it'd be fun to take daddy a drink, but he couldn't come out, so we just went home. Then we played outside until Mike got home, and he told us that he needed the car tomorrow, but so do I because I need to go to lunch with my flight girls and take pictures of someone else's solo flight.

Anyway, this may sound like the most boring day ever, but what I see is that I got to play with my kids, and have fun with them. Probably not a day that I will remember, or that they will remember, but it was great. When we drive on base Calvin gets so excited about every plane he sees. And he always knows how to make Ellie laugh. (She has the sweetest laugh, and the saddest cry). He gets so excited about everything, and always asks "What's that?" He loves learning. Today he learned Mike's siblings names. He gets better at talking everyday. It amazes me how big he is getting, and I'm almost sad about it.

I also noticed how perfect the weather was today and took full advantage of it. We drove with the windows down and we played outside as much as possible. Being outside is our favorite.

We had family scripture study, and family prayer. The spirit was  in our home and it feels so good have those special moments with my family. Calvin wont go to bed without family prayer now, and to me, that's a gold star on my parenting chart! :) I walked back in to say goodnight to Mike and he was on his knees in personal prayer. I'm so grateful that I saw that. I love him, and I love the man that he is becoming. Our love grows stronger every single day.

And that is what I got from my boring day.

Gratitude: Day ?: Honesty

I know I'm completely falling behind on my gratitude journal! I will slowly but surely catch up.

Today I'm grateful for honesty. Sometimes honesty can hurt, but it's always right.

I once read, "The  greatest advantage of speaking truth is that you don't have to remember what you said." I can't tell you how much I love this quote.

I believe that the foundation of a good relationship is trust. You can't have trust without honesty.

Gratitude: The little things

I'm grateful for all the little things that happen throughout my day. My "squeezes" from Calvin, an email from my mom, a call from my sister, Ellie's sweet smile, and the cuddles I get from her. I am so grateful that when Mike comes home, he makes a little time for us before he starts studying. That little bit of family time is so precious and the very best part of my day. He is so special to me.

To me, special is such a strong word. I don't use it loosely or light, especially in this context.

I am grateful for the precious, special, little things.

Yikes!

I haven't posted almost all week! I know I need to, but I've been so busy. Don't worry- I will catch you all up on what's been goin on.

Thanks for the support. I'm really grateful for it!

Gratitude: Families (Collette Edition)

I want to express how grateful I am that I have such great in-laws. They are a shining example of the love I need to show to others. Today, October 7th 2013, they adopted a 12 year girl. They became foster parents first so that they could have her in their home while they were waiting to adopt. They love her as if she was their own. Collette came from a rough background, but she is now shown love every day and can come home knowing that she will be safe and taken care of. She is such a sweet girl. She is always there to lend a helping hand and wants what is best for everyone. She is so happy to have older siblings to be examples to her, and she is lucky to have Nicole in her home to help her with this transition. I can't say enough great things about this.

Collette is going to be sealed in the temple to our family at the end of the month. I'm so sad that I wont be able to make it but I know that families can be together forever, and for that I am grateful. I'm grateful that Collette has a home to call home, and feels like home, and will be hers forever. I'm grateful that she has won over the hearts of our family. I am grateful that she fits in so well.

Welcome to the Terry family Collette Terry. You will be loved unconditionally and there is no better place to call home, and no better people to call family. We love you and hope to see you soon.

Full Heart

I love LDS General Conference. I love that it is two times a year. I look forward to it every time. I learn so much and feel so enlightened. It's a special time.

Also, my heart is full. I just love my family so much. I love my extended family, and my own little family too. Today I talked to my parents for 30 minutes. I love talking to them. They always know exactly what to say to make me feel even better, even if I'm already happy.

Mostly my heart is full for Ellie and Calvin. I loved watching them play tonight. They are the sweetest kids and I couldn't be more blessed. I actually had a hard time putting Ellie down tonight because she was being so good, and wanted to play, but I knew she was tired and she fell right to sleep. Calvin was the same. I'm just so lucky to be their mom and get to be with them everyday. They are so precious to me. There is nothing better in the world than seeing them play together and with Mike.

Citrus Lane: baby boxes mailed right to your door!

I just signed up for Citrus Lane. It's a box that is mailed to you that is have about 5 of the best baby products on the market. It's different every month and it goes by age of your baby. So Calvin would get different things than Ellie. You cancel any time, and your first box is 50% off with the code TAKEHALF. If you click the link below you get an additional $10 off! So you'd pay only $5 for your first box. I'm super excited to see what I get!


If you have a baby, and love baby stuff- click here:

https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Julie.Terry.2182402

Product Review: Ikea Borja Baby Spoons

For $1.49 you can have the best baby spoons on the market. It's a two pack of white and green spoons. One is long and skinny, the other short and fat.

I seriously love these. I recently started feeding Ellie baby food. These spoons are the way to go! I love the long slender one because it is the perfect size for Elle's little mouth. She likes it too!

I find that most baby spoons are too deep. These spoons are not only shallow, but they have a smooth lip so you can basically just pour the food into your child's mouth. I give these spoons 5 stars! They are so great!

Recipe: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

These are the perfect cookies for fall! They smell like fall, and taste like fall. If you're looking for a great pumpkin treat, this one is for you!

What you will need:

For the cookies:

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the coating:

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together to blend. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined. Next, still on medium speed, beat in pumpkin. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, but do not over mix. Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spices for the sugar coating. Scoop dough (approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Take a drinking glass with a flat bottom and moisten with water. Dip the glass in the sugar mixture, and use it to flatten the dough balls. Re-sugar the glass as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove when the centers of the cookies have set. Let cool on the baking pan for approximately 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.


Happy Cooking!

Holy Shmokes.

Today was such a crazy day! It all started at 3 AM when I was changing Ellie's diaper and I had to go grab another one and she peed all over my bed, so I had to change my sheets. Then we woke up at 8:15 to get ready for a Dr appt at 9. (Ellie's 6 mo check-up). I went in to Calvin's room at 8:30 and he had peed soooo much that his diaper literally fell apart all in his crib. He bedding was soaked too! So I got him out of bed and put him straight into the tub. I got him ready to go and Ellie in her carseat and totally forgot to brush my hair- but whatever, it was in a ponytail anyway. So we get to the doc and Ellie has to get 4 shots... yay.... Then we get home, I feed the kids and put Ellie to bed, and then cleaned calvin's bedding and changed his mattress (we have a backup), and then put him down too. He sat and talked for like 20 minutes while I did the dishes. I went in to grab a sippy cup and it stunk soooo bad! He had diarrhea all over his bed! UGH! So I had to wake him up because he had fallen asleep at this point. I changed him, and cleaned his bed again, and got him back to sleep.

Then I clean some more and a friend came over to watch the kids while I go to the grocery store. I came home and thought- ok, we've been through the worst. I was supposed to watch another friend's kid at 4, but turns out, both Calvin and I were super sick. (and still are) I thought to myself, only two more hours until Mike gets home and he can help out. WRONG! he got home at six, I made dinner, then study time until he went to bed.

I have never changed so many poopy diapers or have changed the sheets so often in one month. I'm baffled. (and still sick :( )

I don't want to jinx tomorrow, so I wont say it can only get better...

Hope your day wasn't as awful as ours :)

I'm Back!

I had such a great weekend in Dallas that I can't wait to blog about it. I was there for 5 days and it consisted of grading papers, high school football games, swimming, cleaning, shopping, and getting less sleep than I ever have. Oh!, and we took ADORABLE pics of my little Ellie babe. She turned 6 months old this week. I can't believe how fast time has flown, but I also can't imagine my life without her. I looked at old pictures today (of 6 months ago :)) and she was so tiny. Now she's about to have a tooth pop through any minute! Here's Elle's 6 month practice pic (taken on my phone)

Which brings me to another point. Being a mother of TWO teething children (at the same time!) is not my favorite. But it'll be over soon and I will miss it. (Song popped into my head: You're Gonna Miss This. I love that song and its 100% true for me.)

Calvin loved playing with his cousin Parker. Parker is just a month and a half younger than Calvin. They were so cute together. I probably took a million pictures of them. (Ok, but seriously, we took over 1000 pictures between my phone and my sister's camera.) Here is an example of how cute they are together:

I loved watching these two play together. I love that they can play all day, (or fight) and still have a great time. As we drove away from Parker, Calvin sat in the back and said "Bye Bye Park Park." It broke my heart that I forgot to have him actually say good bye to Parker. He also waved to Kristen until we couldn't see her anymore. (Kristen is Ellie's favorite person in the whole world. She reaches for her even when I'm holding her.) (PS: Ellie is Kristen's favorite person in the whole world.)

We had such a great weekend, but boy were we glad to see our Daddy! We missed him more than ever, and he missed us. We are so lucky to have such a great Daddy.

Now I'm off to sleep next to him for the first time in what seems like forever! (Ellie is in her own room tonight so Mike actually gets to sleep in his bed :))

MIA this week

Hi friends,

I will be taking the week off from blogging because I'm going to Dallas to visit my sisters :) Plus, my sister is flying in from California with her little sweetheart, Parker. I just love him to bits and pieces.

Have a great week! Catch ya on the flip side!

Recipe: and Gratitude: day 13: Hot Lemon Wassail

This is my most favorite fall and winter drink! My mom makes it multiple times a year, and whenever we are sick. It is so jam packed of Vitamin C that it can cure any cold! Seriously though, it tastes amazing. If you like hot drinks, and want to feel better, make this! You wont be sorry.

Hot Lemon Wassail 

Warm together 
2 c water 
1 c honey (if you don't have honey, use sugar. I use sugar every time)

Stir in :
2 c OJ
1 c lemon juice
2 t vanilla extract
1 t imitation almond extract (imitation, because so many folks are allergic to nuts)

2 qts water

Heat and serve warm.  (do not allow to boil)

Happy Cooking!

Gratidude: day 12: Cool Weather

Tonight I am so grateful for cool weather. We sat outside as I helped Mike study for his test tomorrow (wish him luck), Calvin played on his little 4-wheeler, and Ellie sat with us. It was such a great night! We also had a neighbor stop by and say hi.

I could have sat out there all night, except that the mosquitos were eating me alive...

Happy Fall, ya'll!

Today the high is 80. I'm soooo happy! I want to spend all day outside playing tennis and other fun sports. Fall is by far my favorite season.

Tomorrow is the first day of fall. I am going to celebrate by having a fall feast! Tortilla soup, homemade rolls, apple cider, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I can't wait! I love fall.

Right now the temp is just 65 degrees. BEAUTIFUL. Calvin and I went to a bakery down the street and picked up some really yummy donuts. It just seemed fitting for a saturday morning fall breakfast.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this heavenly weather.

Gratitude: Day 10: Technology

I'm grateful for technology. It amazes me that I can "FaceTime" with my family back in Utah, or send them an email or text and receive a response almost immediately. Sometimes I wish it would slow down because I feel like it just keeps speeding up, and forcing us to speed up with it, but when it comes down to it, most of it is a really good change.

Gratitude: Day 10: Other Air Force spouses

Being in the AF has already given me so many friendships and experiences that I would have never had otherwise, and that will last a lifetime. 

 

I am grateful for the friendships that have been created here in Texas. It's almost an instant thing. It's also like you've been friends forever. Everyone is "living the same story" so to speak. Our husbands or boyfriends are all going through flight training and we need the support and help to get through this together. 

When I first moved into my home, it was a week before I was set to be induced with Ellie. Two girls that I had met only once before came and helped me unpack and move in, while Mike was at work. I couldn't believe the love and compassion that these girls showed, and continue to show. They were such a huge blessing in my life at that time, and especially since I really couldn't do much, and I couldn't even get my thoughts together enough to organize it. 

This is not the only time that these wives have come to my rescue. They brought meals when Ellie was born. (I didn't even know most of them, but they came in and it's like we had been friends all along). They have given us rides when we need them. They have been here to babysit anytime, and last minute. They have listened and talked. They have made time to just hang out. They have opened their homes to anyone in need. They expect nothing in return.

I'm so impressed by this lifestyle, and I love being a part of it. There is no other life for us. We love it. I'm grateful to have this opportunity. I will pay it forward.

Projects: Growth Chart

So, I saw a growth chart on Pinterest and decided that I needed one, because I want to remember how little Calvin was. I think mine turned out pretty cute. It was super easy.

Here's what you will need:

3/4 x 6 x 8 board (have Home Depot cut it down to 6 feet, BONUS: you can keep the extra 2 ft for a different project!)

Spray Paint (I used an eggshell color.)

A Sharpie (or in my case,  Cricut and some vinyl, but my letters and numbers are falling off.)

A pencil (for drawing the lines)

Optional: I bought a small stencil at Wal Mart and painted light grey and dark grey clovers on mine. I really like the pattern and it gives it a finishing touch. 

To start, just spray the board with the spray paint. Then do your stenciling if you choose to. This next step is really important. I want to HANG my board on the wall, six inches from the floor. I chose six inches because it will be higher than any base boards in any house. (We will be moving around a lot.) So, measure six inches from the bottom of your board- THIS WILL BE YOUR 1 FT. Then just measure the rest of the feet. Your board will actually be 6 1/2 feet if you hang it 6 inches from the floor. I did a long line for the feet mark, and a short line for the inches. (I will be going over them with a sharpie as soon as I find one.) 

Then add your number and your name if you choose, and you are done! Easy, one night project! 

Happy Crafting!

Little Darlings (not the strip club in Vegas)

My sweet boy heard Ellie crying, (and saw that I was cleaning) so he went to the diaper bag and got Ellie her bottle and tried to feed it to her. What a sweetheart. I love when he shows me how tender his little heart is and how great of a big brother he is.

I love them.

Gratitude: Day 9: Showers

Today (and every day) I am grateful for showers. No one likes to smell bad... at least I don't think they do. But honestly, being a mom of two, it's hard getting a shower in every time you need one. I am pretty sure it had been 3 days since I showered before today. It was getting bad. Finally, I decided to put Calvin in charge of Ellie (they were both awake) and hop in for a quick shower. When I got out, Calvin was sitting next to Ellie playing with his toys and showing her his cool trucks. That made my heart happy. I love them. And I love showers.

Now this wasn't always the case. I am embarrassed to say that I used to be a total grease ball. Nasty, I know. But lets just be grateful I grew out of that stage, and move on. I don't want to talk about that stage of my life :)

Anyway, Happy Showering!

Recipe: Fruit Pizza

This is by far the best dessert, hands down. Everyone loves it and there will never be any left overs, or any thrown away.

Here's how I make mine (there are many different recipes online)

I start with a roll of Pilsbury Sugar Cookie dough.
smash it down on a cookie sheet to make one very large cookie.
Cook the cookie at 350 for 14 minutes.
Let cool.

The sauce:
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese (softened)
1/2 a tub of cool whip
1/3 cup of sugar

Whip this together and then spread on the cooled cookie.

Toppings:
strawberries (1 cup of cut or sliced)
kiwi (1-2) peeled
banana (1)
blueberries (1 cup)

cut these up into bite size pieces and toss it onto the pizza. I never get all fancy like this picture did, but if you google fruit pizza, you find some really pretty designs to copy.

Serve chilled. (I like it warm but my hubby likes it cold...)

I made this tonight and Mike and I ate the whole thing already...

Gratitude: Day 8: Calvin

Calvin is my first born child. He brings me so much joy. This is Calvin, he is one cool little dude:

From the moment I found out that I was pregnant with Calvin, I was the happiest person on Earth. Since the day he was born, he has been everything I've ever wanted in a baby. He was perfect. He slept through the night at two months old. He never really cried. He loved everyone. He loves to cuddle. He was a social baby and a fast learner. He has always been ahead of his age. He loves learning, and talking. He loves Ellie, and loves to give kisses and squeezes. Up until Ellie was born, we never had any real problems with him. I never knew when he was teething because he was always drooly and he never complained. 

But when Ellie was born he missed the full attention, as all kids do. He is getting past it but he like to defy everything. 

Anyway, Calvin has taught me so much. It's great to see the world again through a child's eyes. Everything is so cool, and new. He loves exploring! 

This little boy is sure to bring a smile to your face. He has the biggest eyes, the cutest dimples, and the curliest hair. Here's another picture of him because he's just so dang cute:

This boy has taught me more patience than anything else in my life. (Including waiting for him to be born...) After many months of "being mean" (ei: hitting, biting, yelling, head butting...) we finally found the only solution to be able to reason with him. We tried yelling, time outs, counting to 3, spanking, pretty much everything. The only thing that has worked to make Calvin calm down or not flip out in the first place, is to be calm with him, talk with him, cuddle him, and love him. I've done the "no yelling" thing before but it only lasted about a week, and I have no excuse (even though I was pregnant with Ellie, Mike was gone, and we were moving to a new state...). 

I love this boy with my whole entire heart (like I love Mike and Ellie) and would never want anyone else to be my baby boy. 

Cutting my running time in HALF!

OK! This post is for people who need some motivation, because my run times will motivate even a turtle.

Mike made me start running a couple months ago. I HATE running. So he only makes me run half miles instead of whole miles. I wasn't going to post my times because it's so incredibly embarrassing but I think it will make a lot of people say, "Hey, I can do better than that!" SOOOO... Here you go. Keep in mind this is a half mile, people. 0.5 Miles!

Day one: 10 minutes 22 seconds.
Then I didn't run for like 2 months because I thought I was going to die.
Day two: 5 minutes and 11 seconds. Yep, I literally cut it in half!

Awesome! I figured that was good enough so now I don't have to run ever again. Just kidding. But I felt like I could keep going except my lungs were killing me! Time to get back in shape.

Anyone can walk faster than my first day. So, lets get our butts off these blogs and go for a jog! (OK, I really like it when people read my blog, so tell your friends about it :))

Gratitude: Day 7: Fall

I can't tell you how excited I am for the first day of fall (which is sunday, in case you were wondering). I love fall! I love the changing leaves. I love the weather. I love sitting outside until dark watching the kids play. I love night games. I love high school football games. I love sweatshirts and sweatpants. I love camping. I love the food associated with fall. I love hot chocolate for those extra cold nights. Anything pumpkin is my favorite! Chili. Crunching leaves. School supplies (yes, I know it's weird, but my mom taught kindergarten and first grade, so she rubbed off on me.) I love the colors, and just really the overall feel and aroma of fall. I have even considered naming one of my daughters Autumn, but I doubt my husband would go for that...

Gratitude: Day 6: Washing Machines

I HATE doing laundry. Not because it's hard, but because I hate folding it and putting it away... But I can't imagine having to wash my laundry on a washboard. I can't imagine anyone liking laundry in the old days.

My grandma told me that her mom spent A LOT of time doing laundry.

That's why I'm grateful for washing machines.

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

This recipe is so incredibly easy, and BONUS! everybody loves it!

Of course it's in a crockpot, because I love crockpot meals, they are soooo simple. Just toss everything in together and let it cook!

Here's what you need:

2 Chicken Breasts (still frozen) cubed
1 packet of Ranch dressing seasoning
1 can of corn (undrained)
1 can of Rotel tomatoes with green chills
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 pkg of cream cheese (8 oz, cubed)
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 dash of garlic powder

Cook on high for 4 hours. You wont be sorry. I promise. This is now my hubs fave. Also- If you are feeding more than 4, you might want to double it. I bet it's better the second day, but it's gone, so I wont know until next time. Which might be tomorrow :)

Recipe: Chili (perfectly sweet with the right amount of spice)

I made chili for the first time tonight. I also winged it. I saw what could have been a delicious recipe and totally changed it... and it made it freaking AWESOME! So since I was just dumping things into my crockpot... let me try to remember what went in :)

1 can of Hunt's Tomato sauce
1 can of Hunt's diced tomato sauce for chili (it really says that on the can)
1 can of corn undrained
1 can of kidney bean drained
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
4 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 of a white onion chopped
3 green onions chopped
1 1/2 t of chili powder
1 1/2 t of cumin
1 t onion powder
1 C brown sugar
1 bag of sausage crumbles

I mixed the tomato sauces and brown sugar right into the crockpot before I added everything else. Then I mixed all the ingredients together and cooked it on high for 4 hours. It fed a lot of people. I'd say serves 8... because most people will go back for seconds and thirds. :)

Happy Cooking!!

Gratitude: day5: Eleanor

The REAL day 5 :)

Tonight it's just me and Ellie, and I wanted to open up on a more personal note and tell you all a story.

This is my sweet Ellie girl.

When I thought I was pregnant with Ellie, I was in denial. I had a 6 month old, how could I possibly be pregnant again. I hated the thought of it so much that I didn't take a pregnancy test for almost 5 weeks after I thought it was a possibility. I was feeling sick, and having headaches. I never have headaches unless I'm pregnant or nursing, and I hadn't been nursing Calvin for 2 months.

I took the test and of course it was positive. I was at my brother in laws house when I took it, because my sister in law, Kristel, had just found out she was pregnant. I went into our room and just cried. I was so sad. How could I rob Calvin of his childhood? How was I supposed to take care of Calvin alone while I was pregnant and Mike was at OTS?

Mike, on the other hand, was SO excited! He wanted our kids super close. (While I was in labor with Ellie he was already talking about getting pregnant again.) He was reassuring me that everything was going to be perfect and that I would do great.

I never really changed my mind about being pregnant. I hated it. I also didn't change my mind about wanting another baby, even after we found out it was a girl. (I wanted another boy.) This bad attitude actually continued all the way into my labor. My mom and Mike were telling me how great of a mother I was going to be to two kids, and how exciting it was that I was literally having a baby any second (I was pushing...) and they were sooo excited. I told them that I didn't want to talk about it, and they should stop talking about having plural children... Then she was born. No turning back now. I loved her. Not the "Holy crap! It's my first baby" kind of love. But a gentle "She's so beautiful" kind of love. (Still struggling with the fact of explaining this "thing" to Calvin.)

We brought her home and she cried. A LOT. ALL THE TIME. Calvin never cried. Calvin didn't like that she took his mommy away. I had no idea how to handle it, so I cried. A LOT. I literally would lock myself in the closet and cry. How was I supposed to help her feel better? Well we tried everything. Finally, the thing that worked was that I had to stop eating dairy. Yes, my favorite food group. It was worth it. I finally got some sleep.

I went home for a month when Ellie was a month old. My sister McKenna helped me get Ellie on a normal sleeping schedule so that I could function and still be able to take care of Calvin. (My sister is so great, by the way. She was a lifesaver the entire month I was there.)

When I got back to Texas, life was hard again. I got mastitis and was really sick for about a week. (I thought that continuing to nurse Ellie was going to kill me.) I cried again, a lot. (Poor Mike. He's such a trooper.) Finally I realized that I had post-partum depression, bad. I know a lot of women get this, and it is a real thing. It's hard to admit that you have it, and if you do have it, please get help. It's worth it. (I have never been happier, I love Zoloft!)

Now that I am taking medicine, I can clean my house, take care of two kids, leave the house looking halfway decent, and even find time for things that I LIKE doing... and remember what I like doing. It's been a long time since I have been able to actually focus enough to get any of those things done. When I say a long time, I mean 5 years. My entire marriage I have had some degree of depression. (Thanks again, Mike, for hanging in there with me. Love you babe!, even though you don't read my blog...)

So back to being grateful for Ellie. She sleeps by me to make the nights a little easier on both of us. (Mike sleeps on the couch. Thanks for giving up your spot in bed babe. Believe it or not you're benefitting from it too :)) Every time I climb in to bed and look at her sweet face, all I can think about is how perfect she is. She is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She has the sweetest smile, and she flashes it at us all the time! She loves Calvin the most; he makes her laugh and she loves to watch him play. Calvin loves giving Ellie lots of kisses and says "HI ELLIE!" throughout the day. It's adorable and makes my heart happy :).

Anyway, Ellie is such a blessing in our lives and I can't imagine not having her in our family. She's perfect for us, and I love her so much. I love thinking about how we will be best friends when she's older, (much older, past the teenage stage.) I love thinking about how she is going to be such a great big sister (this is not a pregnancy announcement, I hope.) I love looking at how beautiful she is. I could stare at her all day. She has the chunkiest legs. She has the craziest hair. She has the best smile. She has the cutest laugh and best voice. I wouldn't want her any other way. I'm so lucky to be her mom. And I didn't rob Calvin of his childhood. I made it better. He loves being a big brother.

Which brings me to another point. I have a lot of feelings such as regret and guilt. I don't ever want Ellie to know this story. I don't want her to ever know that I didn't want her, or that I didn't know what to do with her. I don't want her to know that in the beginning I was only breastfeeding so that I could lose the baby weight quickly. How selfish could I really be? (I was so selfish, I hate to admit it.) I feel so guilty every day that I didn't try harder to change my attitude. I regret ever having those feelings toward something that a lot of people can't have. I'm so grateful that I can have children, and get pregnant, and raise my children.

I am so blessed.

Gratitude: day 4: Honest old lady

As you may or may not have noticed... I accidentally wrote day 5 yesterday... but it was day 3. I guess that is what you get for writing so late at night.

Anyway, today I am grateful for the old lady in the sandwich shop that told me I was a great mother and my son is such a good little boy. She said she enjoyed watching me play with him and was glad that I let him wander around a little bit, because he is a good boy.

It got me thinking. Moms these days don't really let their children roam. He's 20 months old, and there is no way he is going to sit still. Little boys aren't made for that. They need adventure.

My dad actually told me this same thing a few weeks ago. He likes that I let Calvin have a little slack. I used to think that maybe I should try to make him sit in his high chair or stroller everywhere we go, but now that two people have told me the same thing, I feel good about the way I'm parenting him while we are out in public. There is a place and a time for sitting still and being quiet. That place is church.

I'm glad this beautiful lady told me this, because it's just what I needed to hear.

Dolla dolla bill ya'll

Today Mike had his Dollar Ride. Who the heck knows why it's called that... but it was his first flight in a T-6 Texan. AAANNNNDDD he puked! Yep! He puked! :) I am sure air sickness is normal for pilots pulling that many G's and doing maneuvers like the AF does, but I just have to point that out because we went on a flight once with my brother in law, Jake, and I puked and Mike still talks about it to this very day. Payback time, times 5 because I'm actually posting it on my blog.

Anyway, it was really cool because I got to take the kids to go watch him and take some pictures. Calvin of course LOVED it because he loves anything with planes and thinks they say "Wow, cool!" Plus he got to watch his daddy, who is his best friend.

I will add pictures here later.

I was such a proud wifey! Proud in a good way :) I decided it was in need of celebration so I made Mike a steak dinner topped with mushrooms, peppers, and onions. He loved it, so did Calvin.

Gratitude: Day 5: My dad

These are in no specific order, but he is DEFINITELY one of my top 10. Instead of writing this as a blog post, I'd like to write him a letter instead, because I know he is reading this :)

Dear Papanwa, (nickname I called him in high school, it means dad)

I'm so grateful to have you as my dad. I wish I knew how to express this in words, as much as my heart feels. You've always dropped everything if any of your daughters was in need. You've always been there for me through the tough times. I knew you were there even if we in an argument. I knew I could count on you for anything. 

I now know that I can come to you for advice as I'm getting "older" and starting my family. I know that I can call anytime and that you'll answer, even if you're running on the treadmill. I know that you've done everything that you can to raise your daughters and make sure that we've been taken care of. 

I'm overly grateful for our cross-country road trip from Utah to New Jersey. (even though I had to be dropped off in St Louis because of the snow storm) I loved hearing all of your life story, and I still love it. 

I love our talks about gospel principles. I love that you support all the decisions I make. I'm grateful for that. 

I'm grateful for how hard you work. And I'm grateful that you have let all of us come back home after we've moved out. 

I'm grateful for the love that you have for my kids, and for the way that you treat them. I'm grateful that you have such a close relationship to Calvin, and I know that he's grateful for it too. He loves you so much. He loves seeing and talking to you. 

I'm grateful for all the times you've already come to visit us in Texas, and that you came to babysit Calvin while I was in labor with Ellie. I'm grateful that you helped me get my house in order when she came home from the hospital. 

I'm grateful for all that you do for me, and I know that you pray for me and that you are proud of me. 

I love you, Dad. 

Thanks. 

Love, Jules

P.S. Thanks for following my blog.

Recipe: Amish Friendship Bread (Instant)

We've all wanted to know the recipe to Amish Friendship Bread without having to let it ferment for 10 days, because when we want it, we want it now. SOOO, after trying a few recipes out that I saw on Pinterest, here it is!

CINNAMON BREAD

(makes 2 loaves)

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs.  Add milk, flour, and baking soda.  Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan).  Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan.  Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping.  Swirl with a knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.  or until toothpick tester come clean.  

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

I have also made this bread in muffin tins which made it a little easier to freeze and take out as needed.

ENJOY!!!

I actually use three small loaf pans. I seriously love this stuff. I could eat it everyday, and my house would also always smell amazing if I did that :)

Happy Baking!

Gratitude: day 2: History: I will never forget.

I'm grateful for history. I love studying it. I love teaching it, or my perspective of it. Today I want to tell you about my 9/11 experience.

I was in middle school and I remember my parents sitting on their bed watching the news that morning. We were watching the Breaking News about the first one when the second one hit. This is quite a big deal for my family because my dad worked in New York at this time. Luckily he was home safe and sound with us, but I could tell that he was heartbroken as he watched this happen, because he lost friends that day. We watched in disbelief as they tried to decide if this was a terrorist attack or an accident. It was time for me to go to the bus stop.

When I got to the bus stop I told my friends about it. They thought I was joking. (I joked a lot, but never about things this serious). When we got to school a lot of the TVs were on in the classrooms but the principal, Mr Goldhart, asked the teachers to keep them off. Luckily most of mine did not listen because this was just insane. We continued to watch all day long. And again all night long. 

I was confused. Why would anyone want to attack America? What had we done to them? Was this a real attack? Was there going to be a war in our country? I wasn't scared, but I was definitely confused.

I'm not grateful that this happened, but I am grateful for being able to watch this unfold. I am grateful that America came together. I am grateful that I could see the good in people after what had happened. I'm grateful that we fought back and took a stand. I'm grateful to have experiences that I can tell my children about. I am grateful for the post that my friend put on facebook today when she was trying to teach her children about it, "September 11th is a hard thing to explain well to little kids. It's interesting to figure out what we want him to know about that time. Certainly bravery, unity, and preservation of our way of life...here's to passing down sadness apart from hate and fear to the next generation!" 

This thought made me think about how I want to teach my children not to hate what happened, or fear what happened, but that it is sad that it happened. And I am still sad that it happened. I think about all the kids who lost their parents. I think about all the wives who lost their husbands. I just can't imagine what they went through and must be living through year after year on this day. I hope they are doing well. 

My little sister has such a big heart. She really felt the need to do something for all of these little children. She did a teddy bear drive and collected over 100 teddy bears for these children. With my mom's help, they found out where to send them and sent them to New York. Though it may not have been much, at least those kids know that some people loved them. 

I'm grateful that I have had the opportunity to see the twin towers before they went down, and right after they went down. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go back to New York and see the new memorial that is so amazing. 

I will never forget.