Quick Sis Fix

The good news is Marta is here! We are staying up late every night so she can teach this old dog some new tricks on the PC (see photo collage below). My kids love her because she plays with them and listens to their piano pieces enthusiastically. She also stays on their beds with them until they fall asleep. What devotion!

The bad news is that I do not have much time to blog. Yesterday we ran on the track while the twins had gymnastics. (Well, mostly we walked and talked but then threw ourselves into running for a few desperate brownie-burning laps.) Today we are hitting the road and shopping. Min wants to go to H&M and Trader Joe's...and I have some GAP money burning a hole in my wallet.

In the meantime...you can read our story or hop on a plane and come join the fun!

Four Faces

Chicken Soup for my Soul

My son is crying this morning as he boards the school bus. We've had a rough start today and he doesn't want to go to school. I assure him everything will be fine and then burst into tears myself as the bus pulls away.

I kiss my husband goodbye as he leaves for a ten-day business trip and feel the loneliness set in as soon as he backs out of the driveway.

The sky looks gray and gives me an unsettled feeling. A dear friend's little boy just broke his leg. And another sweet friend is having a double mastectomy tomorrow. I want to help without too much hovering.

Yet, there are happy things to look forward to as well. My cute younger sister flies in tonight for a week of fall festivities. The air is turning crisp and the leaves are starting to fall. A package with Halloween costumes arrives in the mail.

What can I do to nourish my children and comfort myself? Help my friends in their trials? Welcome a favorite guest? Celebrate the beginning of a wonderful new season?

I know just the thing...a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. The soup that has nourished and comforted and welcomed and celebrated for at least four generations in our family.


Tradition has it that my great-grandmother, Adelilah, worked all day plucking poultry during the Depression so that she could bring home a chicken for her own family at the end of the day. I picture her stirring it on the stove as her little ones slide on the hardwood floors in their hollow living room. Empty, because the bank had just come to take away the family's pretty new furniture.

In those days, I'm sure Great-grandma wasn't too worried about calories or carbs. Probably just wanted to stretch the soup as far as it would go. I've heard she was a wonderful baker and picture her tenderly baking loaves of fresh bread to go with the hot soup.

I wonder if Great-grandma served chicken noodle soup to her oldest son when he got sick. Did her tears salt the broth after his funeral? Or when her younger two sons went off to war? I'll bet the soldier boys missed her cooking and felt that all was well when they could finally come home and eat a bowl of chicken soup at the family table.

Great-grandma passed the recipe on to her new daughter-in-law, my Grama June. I picture Grama stirring the pot in her yellow kitchen while the kids watched "I Love Lucy" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" after school.

I'm sure Grama served the soup in exquisite blue and white china bowls, with a crisp side salad and some kind of fancy seeded roll. Martha Stewart could've learned a thing or two from Grama June.

Did Grama roll her eyes across the table as her oldest daughter and son tormented the littlest sister about the imaginary orange spot on the back of her head? I'm sure being a dutiful daughter-in-law she followed the recipe perfectly. But, knowing Grampa, he probably teased her about "not quite measuring up" to his mother's version and would have shaken in a whole lot of extra salt.

June's tormenting oldest daughter grew up to be my mom, Marty. I remember Mom making chicken noodle soup for company, for birthday celebrations and to take to sick friends. Watching her, I learned to measure the cream in half an eggshell and roll the noodles with a pizza cutter.

The smell of Mom's chicken soup warmed up any house and made it a home. When our family had moved to another country far away and were feeling homesick and lonely, Mom lit the gas range in that funny, damp kitchen and stirred up her magic potion. Looking back, I think she must have been as comforted making the soup as we all were eating it.

I tried my hand at soup making as a new bride. Surprisingly, it was not as easy as Mom always made it look! I learned that one cannot make a rich, delicious chicken stock by simply boiling boneless, skinless breasts. And I learned not to get my feelings hurt when my new husband sacreligiously crushed a whole sleeve of saltines in the bowl and proceeded to eat the whole thing with a (gasp) fork!

After a few years' trial and error, I have made my own (healthier) adjustments to the family recipe. I use skim milk instead of cream and add a whole bunch of chopped carrots and celery so my kids get an extra serving of vegetables. Sometimes, in a pinch, I use canned chicken broth and chop up those skinless, boneless breasts. But I always make the noodles from scratch and I always serve myself a big mugful before dinnertime. Just to make sure it tastes ok.

The phone rings. It's Jake's teacher. She got my message about our rough morning and is just calling to say that he's doing fine and the day is going very well. Wow! Such a great teacher. How can I thank her for all that she does? Hmmm...maybe a Gladware bowl of homemade chicken soup!

A Great Weekend!

Yesterday, my sweet hubby watched the kids all day so I could meet my sis-in-law, Christie and some of her friends in NYC. Stie is such a fun and welcoming person. I can honestly say we would be great friends, even if she hadn't married my little brother. I also got to meet one of my internet buddies, Annie, whose blog is one of my favorites. Turns out, she is even better in person. All the ladies were so nice and very welcoming. I love making new friends!!

I really was in the Big Apple for only a few hours...but had fun riding in one of these bike rickshaws...


...and LOVED seeing this play! If you haven't heard of The Drowsy Chaperone, don't feel bad...I hadn't either. However, if you get the chance to see it, GO! It is a great play-within-a-play. Singing, tapdancing, rollerskating, wacky humor, clever staging, great costumes. I just wanted to watch the whole thing all over again as soon as the curtain went down. I love Broadway!!

I hopped on the train as soon as it was over so I could get back home for the other great part of my weekend. General Conference...a meeting our church holds twice a year and broadcasts throughout the world. It's filled with inspiring messages from our wonderful leaders and, thanks to TiVo and the satellite dish, I watched every minute in the comfort of my own pj's, on the couch, with a big bowl of this for company! I love General Conference!!

And, whenever the kids got a chance, they were outside...playing in our newly fallen leaves. Although it still feels like summer, it is starting to look like autumn.

A great weekend was had by all!

Making the Grade

Some of my long-time readers will remember that during the hazy, hot summer months, I did my fair share of complaining. In fact, you could say I was pretty anxious for school to start again.

Now we're into October, and the honeymoon is over. It's time to check in on the public school system and see how things are going.



You got it...report card time! Here goes...



TRANSPORTATION DEPT: C+
You have done a nice job getting my two elementary kids to two different schools on time. It was a bit of a rocky start, when my 8-year-old was getting on that bus at 8:00 am and not delivered home until 4:45 pm. Thanks for fixing that. I also appreciate the very cheerful bus driver, Bob, who compliments my lawn and lets me know if my lights are on. However, my son could have done without the big bite on his arm from his kindergarten seatmate, "Fang."



CAFETERIA: B
I appreciate the effort you put into feeding the masses. My kids especially enjoy the creative "theme" days. This month they are looking forward to "Wizard Day"...especially the banana wands. Unfortunately, they don't seem too excited to try the "Halloweenies" offered on the 31st. Thanks, anyway.



TEACHING STAFF: A+ B
The A is for my son's sweet, patient, positive Special Ed teacher. She deserves a raise, a company car, and a massage chair in her classroom.


The B goes to my daughter's long-term substitute. She is not the real teacher, but has done a fairly decent job starting the year off right. I have noticed she sometimes tends to yell. I don't appreciate other people yelling at my kids. They get enough of that at home.



OFFICE STAFF: C
You are organized and efficient, but can you at least pretend to enjoy young children and sympathize with their understandably-frazzled parents? Just a suggestion...



PTO BOARD: B
Thank you for planning the back-to-school picnic, the ice cream social, the pizza dinner and outdoor movie night. And why don't I just give you the PIN number for my checking account, then you can help yourselves to whatever funds you would like? That way I don't have to buy $10 rolls of gift wrap and $45 magazine subscriptions all year long! See? Win-win.



SCHEDULING: C-
Truly, I don't know if there is such a thing as scheduling superviser. But if there is, please ask him-- if it's not too much trouble--to please let my kids have PE on the same day, library on the same day, school store on the same day, soft pretzels on the same day, Johnny Appleseed awareness on the same day, spirit day on the same day, etc. etc.


Every morning I work myself into a tizzy, frantically hoping I have put the $1.50/library book/sliced-peeled-cored-red-apple/book order money/art smock/pirate hat in the appropriate backpack. Heaven forbid I put one kid in her "Wacky Wednesday" outfit, only to discover it was picture day at her school and why was her brother subjected to hair gel and a comb when everyone else wore mismatched shoes? I think you get my point.



SCHOOL NURSE: A
My daughter informed me yesterday that three girls in her class have lice. She also let me know that you checked her head with a stick. Thank you.



MUSIC DEPARTMENT: D
For your information, this grade would have been much higher, if you had not sent my son home with this....

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

Back in the mid-80s, when I was this cool 15 year old (note: pegged jeans, asymetrical hair and white socks with loafers), Dad & Mom thought it would be fun to move the whole family to England for a year.

Well, if there's anything an insecure teenager loves--it's moving to a different country, skipping her first year of high school to attend an all-girls' English school (complete with uniform!), leaving all friends and living in a cold, damp climate for 12 months. Woohoo!

It turned out to be a very amazing experience, of course, and truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And ever since we returned to the States...I have been dying to return.

Brad at the Tower of London

A year ago this week, my dream finally came true. Brad and I ditched the kids with Nana, boarded a flight to Gatwick and had a fantastic British getaway!

Since the gab blog was not even a twinkle in my eye back then, I decided to post my favorite photos and relive a wonderful vacation.

We spent the first days in London and loved the energy of the city. Did all the touristy things, saw Wicked in the West End, ate fish & chips, rode the Tube everywhere.

Then we traveled 2 hours north to York, the beautiful walled city where our family lived all those years ago.

Mom, Dad, me & Pete at the University of York

Here we met up with my parents, my brother, Pete, & sister, Amy, and their spouses for a few days. It was fun to see our old house, schools and shops. We loved eating Cornish pasties and all the delicious English sweets, visiting old friends and meeting at Betty's Tea Shop every evening for dinner!

Dad's 60th birthday inspired the trip and he was great at showing us all the historical sites. We went to an evening service at the York Minster (below)...very beautiful. Then birthday cake at Betty's!

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The remainder of our trip was spent in the Cotswolds at an old, very, very out-of-the-way inn called The Falkland Arms in Oxfordshire. It was really the middle of nowhere. But, when you're with the love of your life (and no kids...), who really cares where you are?!

Great memories...wish I was there right now!

Birthday Gifts

Someone very special is having a birthday this week. He was my first boyfriend, my lifelong cheerleader, my eternal teacher and friend. Yep, my dad!

I am so blessed to have had this man in my life. As I wondered what gift to send him this year, I couldn't help but think of all the gifts he has given me throughout my life. Here are a few:

• The gift of love--They say the best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. Dad personifies this truth. His love for my mom is so pure, deep and constant. Their storybook romance and happily-ever-after marriage is the best example I could ask for. I think it is very telling that each of my 3 sisters and I married extremely wonderful men. We were just looking for guys like our dad! And, as much as I hate to admit it, each of my 3 brothers are outstanding men, husbands and fathers. They are just trying to be like Dad!
• The gift of learning--Dad is constantly reading. Not just reading...studying. He studies the scriptures, the New York Times, biographies, histories, scholarly texts. Dad knows something about everything. He always says, "If you want to know about something...you can learn it from a book." My love of learning comes from Dad.
• The gift of adventure-- You have to love adventure if you're going to have 7 kids before you're 35! He went back to graduate school and started his own business while raising a houseful of children. He's also a big traveler, who sees the world as one big campus. If you want to find a cool museum, neat old cemetary or an out-of-the-way historical monument, just follow Dad.
• The gift of endurance--Dad has cheated death quite a few times. His health has always been fragile and I know he must be quite uncomfortable most of the time. Still, he has hung on and hung around so he could be there for our graduations, missions, weddings, and other special days. Now that he has 18 grandkids, a whole new generation is blessed by his influence. Thanks for sticking around, Dad!
• The gift of faith--I am so thankful I had a Dad who taught me to pray, to follow the Lord, to live a clean life and to do the right thing even when it's hard. He teaches me by word and by example. The strength in our family comes from having an honorable dad.

Dad, there is no gift on earth I could give to thank you for the wonderful gifts you've given me. Your life's example is a constant source of hope and strength to our family! Happy Birthday, I love you!

Has It Really Been 10 Years?

Ten years ago, my husband and I left the Rocky Mountains for the Atlantic Seaboard. We were young and ready for adventure. Brad got a great job offer and was excited to move up the corporate ladder. I had just finished five years of unsuccessful fertility treatments, including a very painful and expensive failed attempted at IVF. For both of us, this cross-country move was just the change we were looking for.

Of course, if you had told us ten years ago that we would still be living here, working for the same company and the proud parents of four, we would have laughed. We were just having an adventure, not settling down...

But, we've put down some roots and found a place that feels like home. It's been a wonderful place for us these past ten years! To celebrate, I'm posting ten photos of my favorite things around here. Hopefully, it will make you want to come visit!

This is the local pond. I drive by almost every day. During the spring we feed the baby ducks, in the summer you can see people fishing, the gorgeous autumn colors are reflected each fall and in wintertime it twinkles with lights. When we get really lucky and have a cold winter, people come out with skates and hockey sticks!
I love New York! And it's only a little over an hour by train! The first summer we lived here, when I had no kids and lots of out of town company, I went to NYC almost every week...seeing a different Broadway play and visiting different tourist spots each time. Heaven!

These days we don't go nearly as often...but try to see a show at least a couple times a year. Nothing is more fun...

The local food is delish. Soft pretzels are a biggie. Lots of Italians means there are lots of great little Italian places. Yummy pizza. Delis, bakeries, and water ice stands offer all kinds of delicious treats. Everyone loves hoagies and, of course, cheesesteaks. I'm not a huge cheesesteak gal myself. But I love the great restaurants around here!

Sesame Place is the top tourist spot in our neck of the woods. It is a waterpark geared for the preschool set...but my older kids love it too. I love their "Rock Around the Block" parade. It's very cute, clean and almost Disney-esque. We used to get season passes every summer until the year I lost my oldest child there. I have not completely recovered. But Sesame Place is still a happy place!

The architecture here is sooo quaint and charming. Lots and lots of stone houses. Historical homes are preserved beautifully. Tradition and history are everywhere. Of course, there is not a gas station or McDonalds on every corner...but a little inconvenience is so worth the beauty I enjoy each day.

Growing up in a land-locked state, I never thought I was much of a beach person...boy, was I wrong! I could spend days on the beach (or "down the shore" as the natives say). The Atlantic Ocean is very warm and swim-friendly in the summer months. Plus, the cute seaside towns have great boardwalk amusements, charming shops and fun restaurants. The above photo is in Cape May, NJ...my favorite beachtown here!

The spot where we live is close to the city, but also close to the country. In fact, we have the best of both worlds. I love to drive by all the local farm stands and past old covered bridges. Lancaster County is just an hour away. We like to go and see the Amish farms and stuff ourselves silly at the Good & Plenty!

Philadelphia itself has a lot to offer. No matter how many times I see the Liberty Bridge or tour Independence Hall, I learn something new about our country's history. It is fun to walk the old cobblestone streets, visit Ben Franklin's house and eat at the Old City Tavern. A great way to travel back in time!

Of course, it would be wrong to not mention the shopping is fabulous! King of Prussia mall...need I say more? This is another aspect of life I enjoyed much more in my pre-kid life. But just knowing it's there...that's enough for now.

**Hope you enjoyed your tour of my hometown today! Truly, the best thing about this place is the group of amazing friends who have become our East Coast family. They have helped us so much and continue to provide support and love. We always are ready for company, though...so call us when you're in town. We'll leave the light on for ya!