1-24-10-Part 1- I Love It When I Don't Have To Cook

This morning Hunter cooked breakfast of Pancakes & Eggs. I wish I would have been able to record the sounds coming out of my kitchen for all of you but alas I didn't. I wasn't totally sure I wanted to even eat it but overall it turned out ok. Actually it's probably a good thing I didn't record it because I would have had to use the BEEP editor way too much. The pancakes were sticking on him and he was all frustrated. (It was funny to listen to though... )

His Papa John would have been proud because Hunter can make a pancake be about as black as his.... My dad's motto is "When it's smokin' its cookin'... When it's black it's done." All my friends remember my dad's pancakes with a can of corn added... they are legendary (not quite sure it's in a good way).

I also realized that I need to teach him how to use seasonings when cooking but that will come over time.

Madeleine set the table, I got off the phone, took the picture and then we ate (No Miss Molly did not eat at the table with us.. Hunter just wanted her in the picture).

1-18-10 - Last Morning & Going Home

So this was the last morning of our trip. We had to be at the airport by 1pm to get the boys so we just had cereal for breakfast.

For all you health nuts out there I normally do not buy sugary cereal except on fun trips when we aren't watching what we eat anyway...

Once again Megan was being the perfect child for the photo and Madeleine was trying her hardest to just get me mad or to look like the biggest dork alive... pick one...

After eating breakfast, getting the car loaded up and the unit cleaned up we set Megan's facebook account up then it was time to go check out and get the boys from the airport. We stopped at a hotel near the airport so I could send out some leads to the sales people and Hunter called me 10 minutes early to tell me they were already waitng on the airport drive.

We went and picked them up and headed to take Megan to her house. Once there I used my friends computer to send out leads again and while I was doing that all the kids broke out the Wii game so we ended up staying a couple hours playing some games. I'm sure my kids had fun because they didn't want to leave but it was a school night after being gone for days so there was stuff to get done at home. It was a fun afternoon and I enjoyed it.

 

Eric hasn't learned to submit to my photo taking yet... it's only a matter of time :-)

When we got home I found out that the people who were watching my house scrubbed it down while we were gone go I was in total bliss going to sleep that evening... thinking I should go away more often so I can come home to a nice clean house.

The kids and I got some teriyaki chicken for dinner on the way home since I didn't know what groceries would be available to cook once we got there. The kids were starving and ate on the drive and I didn't eat until I got home so only one meal counts today which was breakfast with the girls.

~Jamie

1/17/10 - Day 3 Part 1 - Lake Coeur d'Alene Trip

So I woke up early early in the morning then went back to bed and woke up a 2nd time around 9am when my sister Kelly called me. She thought the boys were flying out this day and was rushing to wake them up. Once she was on the correct path I got up and made the girls a nice breakfast of Pancakes with real maple syrup, eggs & bacon.

Once it was ready I woke them up around 11am or so to start their day... We set the table and sat down to eat...

After breakfast was done and we threw the dishes into the dishwasher the girls requested Visine for their eyes since the chlorine was getting to them. I headed off to the market and while out I detoured through the salon... got my eyebrows done and had the lady chop off about 2 inches on my hair. I picked up the Visine, a Uno card game and headed back to the resort.

When I got back the girls were once again at the pool so I sent a text message to Megan's phone to let them know I was back. Soon they arrived at the unit where they got the eye drops and we sat down to play Uno.

Madeleine was being in an out of sorts mood so I sent her off to take a nap.. she fell asleep within minutes and I proceeded to get my ass kicked by a 12 year old who outscored me shamelessly.

 

Since this was the first meal of the day it gets marked as a success...

~Jamie

Test run #2 (Christmas Morning) - Breakfast & a Trip to Canada

Our test run number two was Christmas breakfast with Grandma & Grandpa. Dakota & Maddie set the table and got it right this time. We had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage patties & waffles.

Here's a photo Grandma just posted up on Facebook:


(In photo viewing left to right as seen in the picture- Hunter, Dakota, Jamie, Grandma Jeannie, Madeleine, Papa Earl)

After we ate we opened presents and ate candy from the stockings while two of the three cats were lounging around.

(Miss Molly)

(Kasey Kahne)

And here's more photos that Grandma took with her remote controlled camera:

(Hunter & Dakota)
(Hunter, Dakota & Grandma Jeannie)
(Dakota & Grandma Jeannie)
(Dakota & his Aircraft Carrier)
(Group Shot)
(Another Group Shot)
(Maddie & Grandma Jeannie)
(Another shot of Maddie & Grandma Jeannie)
(Maddie & Papa Earl)

Now my favorite picture... Grandma Jeannie & Papa Earl gave me the Red Lantern lights for my birthday... SO VERY COOL!!! Can you tell I really like them?

Here's a better shot of one:

After Grandma & Grandpa left I got a bug up my rear and decided that I wanted to drive to Canada so I could say I was in another country for Christmas. Hunter drove with me on a nice & sunny (but colder) Idaho afternoon. I dropped him off at the Porthill Mercantile to wait for me since he doesn't have a passport.

The Canadian border patrol agent thought it was humorous. When she asked what the purpose of my visit was and how long I would be in Canada, I said "I'll be here for no more than 15 mintues. I want to go up and turn around so I can post on Facebook that I was in another country for Christmas."



The U.S. agent didn't find it as funny coming back. It's not like the border was busy, there was only one car in front of me and no one behind me. They were so slow that she asked me to turn off my motor and pop my hood so the two guys standing outside of the little booth could check under my hood. Isn't it sweet & nice that they check your oil for you? They did the same thing for the car in front of me... but this lady was kinda grumpy. Maybe I was interupting a good book she was reading or do you think they train them not to smile or something?



On the drive up and drive back home we saw some amazing views. Isn't North Idaho just beautiful? Just in case I haven't mentioned it lately... I LOVE IT HERE!










Once we got home I started two batches of the No-Knead Bread recipe below. Here's a photo of the dough mixed up and ready to sit around for 12-18 hours. I'll be actually baking them tomorrow for us to have with dinner.



So far it has been a nice & relaxing Christmas Day which is exactly what I wanted. Tonight's dinner will be Ribs but I'm not sure if we are going to do a sit down dinner or just a free for all... It may, or may not be, test run #3 but if it is I'll post up later.

Here's some shots of Hunter helping me make the ribs.



Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a blessed day.

~Jamie