Getting sneaky!

This is to be a very random post but I had to share! I have been introduced to something called the Sneaky Chef. It is a way of cooking that adds vegetables and fruits, minerals, vitamins, and proteins to your everyday foods! Now my kids and my husband do enjoy vegetables and fruits of nearly all kinds but the problem I face is that I don't serve them very often, or at least not nearly as often as we need to have them in our diet. I was also looking at different diets that I can do to change the way that I feel, one is the Flat Belly Diet, but as I look through the food and stuff I realized that I would never be able to keep it up on my own. So, when my sisters started talking about chocolate choc chip pancakes that have spinach and blueberries (Iron and vitamin C) hidden and all of her kids AND her husband would eat them, I decided that I really need to look into it. I got the kids recipes book and the manly recipes. I am SOOOOO excited to get going with this and just tweek the recipes that I already do all the time and make them healthier. Thanks for listening to my ramblings!
Oh on the home front, Steven should be returning before Aukai's birthday!! We'll let everyone know as the day gets closer, but as his extension was denied, he is returning on time and with his unit! The countdown has begun!!!

PS.
June 03, 2009
Today I made Hamburger Helper with a sneaky twist and LOVED it! I used vegetable broth in place of the water and then added the sweet potato/carrot puree to the sauce plus added frozen mixed veggies to it at the end, and I got full off of about 1 cup of dinner and 12 oz of skim milk! Usually I can eat half a box which is 2.5 servings! I am sooo impressed and can't wait to try more! Especially the chocolate choc chip pancakes with hidden spinach and blueberry puree!

Karens Employer Military Ceremony

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=c2287e77201e8240&sid=1AZtWjli5bsnHw

We have a division for the university that services all students worldwide that are currently active military who are taking classes and completing a degree. This morning between 6-8 am the University of Phoenix employees added these flags to our open grass area where we work.

We also were able to be highlighted on the news on 2 different channels today.

I was actually able to be there too so I'll post my pictures there later when I get them from my friend Tamie.

Enjoy. There were more than 100 employees there this morning adding the flags and honoring our vets and current military members!

Summer Classes for Men

THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED

By Friday, June 29, 2009

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM:

Class 1How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning At 7:00 PM

Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.Open Forum Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.Graphics and Audio Tapes. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?Driving Simulations. 4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.Online Classes and role-playing Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven-- What It Is and How It Is Used.Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Send this to all the guys that you think can stand the heat, and to all the ladies for the best chuckle of their day!

The Garden

The West side Wicke 1st ear of corn. We know, we know, it is still a baby, but none the less, it is a corn!

Our zucchini! I couldn't believe it. The plants are growing all over the backyard and taking over the corn.
Here is the zucchini that you see in the picture above! I had Nathan cut it so that we could use it for our French scallop cuisine! Granted we only cut the small one and didn't even cut half of it. Hello zucchini soup and bread!



This is our yellow banana squash! There are many growing just like that.

And no, it is not the Michael McCean Musical.

Happy Mothers Day

Today will be a long day once again for those of us who aren't mothers and even those who are mothers will still have a long and wonderful day. I'll probably be a pessimist for this day today but I don't care.

As of midnight last night I officially hate this day. I'm a 35 year old married lady who doesn't have anything to show for myself. I have a great job and a husband who is studying hard so that he can be a helpful supporter to our family. Oh wait, did I say family? We don't have kids, there isn't much of a family here. I can take care of myself, I don't need anybody else to do it for me, what am I saying, family! The dog, Kale, oh yeah, he needs food, water, a walk to the park, an occasional bath, OK, he is exactly like a kid. He begs for ice cream when he sees mom eating some, he wants human treats when we have dinner just like a kid, but guess what? HE IS A DOG so he doesn't count. Oh well, kids are just not for this life. As Nathan always says, "people in this mortal life have to have them because they haven't learned something for themselves that God is trying to teach them and that their kids will teach them and sometimes parents learn and oh boy, as we know some parents don't and so God gives kids to them to humble them and teach them". Families are for the eternities, I have come to the conclusion that my kids are to dang perfect to come down to this nasty terrible world and that God is going to hold on to them for me so that I can pass through the veil and raise them there. I personally don't blame him for doing that. If I were my kids up in heaven waiting to come down to earth, screw it, I wouldn't do it either.

Now for those who are thinking, "man, she is bitter, something isn't going right in their life, their marriage isn't happy and blah, blah, blah"...get over yourself and stop gossiping about what is wrong with my life and worry about yourself. Which I have heard before, its OK, go ahead and gossip and say all you want, just repent when you're done because IT ISN'T TRUE.

I actually enjoy my life and enjoy where I am at this point. As I mentioned above, I said that I would sound like a pessimist and today, of all days, I AM and that is OK. We all are entitled to crappy days and today, on Mothers Day, it just so happens to be mine.

Karen

Our small time together

Well, R&R has come and gone and now we are back to finding our "normal". But before we delve back into that world...here's a little of our family time!
Steven arrived 4 hours early to PDX thanks to some very nice people who gave him their seat on an earlier flight from Dallas to Portland so he could get home. Debbie came with us, Ashley Paice and her son Tyson came and my sister Sheryl and 3 of her kids joined us too to wait and cheer and hug as my hero arrived. Contrary to my fears and the fears of others, Aukai and Keli'i knew exactly who he was and there was no hesitation as they jumped into Daddy's arms.



Over the next 15 days, we had 2 BBQ's with friends and family, with lots of meat and laughter. We went to 2 Mariners games (one we lost and one we won!), we played tons and thoroughly enjoyed every possible minute. We went swimming, played ball, messed up the house, the car, and generally had a blast!
Steven and I were lucky enough to have 4 days on our own as we went to Seattle and Bellevue to attend a seminar given by the Army Family Services, while the kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Gold here in Vancouver. They took their first trip to the Children's Museum one day and the Zoo another day! They had lots of fun!
We had a wonderful visit and Daddy was able to recharge his batteries, he is now back in Iraq ready to finish his job and return home to us. Here are a few of our favorite moments from Steven's R&R. Enjoy!