The Allen Family

Dear Family and Friends,

2010-11-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey! How are you? We are doing well. Hope you are too!

Chad has had an extremely busy year with his business. Unfortunately, most of his work is and has been in the Modesto area. We spend at least half of every month apart, but we are so thankful that he has work when so many people in the construction trade are unemployed.

I am still able to be a stay-at-home mom and spend most of my time driving the girls and their friends all over the world...

Emily - 15

Emily is a sophomore at Murrieta Valley High School. She runs cross country and track. She spends a lot of time on homework, but when she has free time, she is with her friends or on Facebook.

Megan - 13

Megan is an 8th grader at Thompson Middle School. This past summer her hip-hop dance team spent a week in Las Vegas competing at Hip Hop International. What an experience for both of us! She had a great time. She continues to take dance class and loves her hip-hop and contemporary classes.

Abbey - 10

Abbey is a 5th grader at Cole Canyon Elementary. She just finished her second season of soccer and she is hooked! She even played goalie quite a bit this year. She made some great saves! Chad and I love to watch her play!

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous 2011!

Love, Chad & Shannon, Emily, Megan & Abbey

Cousin Craft Camp 2010

2010-06-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's Cousin Craft Camp time again! It has been so fun having the Rissers here for a whole week!! We are having so much fun and we still have a couple more days left!!

Cousin Cook-Off... We split up into teams, chose an appetizer and a dessert, shopped, cooked and presented at the Johnson's on Saturday. We had everyone vote. Emily, Jillian and Megan won in the dessert catagory with their Chinese Take-out Cupcakes. Brooklin and Heather won with their Cheese-y Corn Dip.

The girls played a game of Kick-the-Can...

We took a trip to Painted Earth, a paint-you-own pottery shop. Grace and Ethan even got to come inbetween their vacations.

They had a Cousin Camp-Out in the backyard...

Brooklin and Megan set up shop giving massages. They earned quite a few dollars for our trip to the mall.

A little sewing...

Family time at the Johnson's...

Divingboard...

IN-N-OUT!

White Lime for yogurt...

The mall...

And last night we made our own lip gloss...

The fun and activities keep on coming!...

The Next Generation

2010-05-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

For more on my history with snakes...click here.

Ahhhh, the beach...

2010-04-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break, Meg, Abbey, and I got to get away with our friends, the Villanuevas. We went camping at the beach. It was lovely...

"Wow"

2010-02-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

Megan's social studies teacher assigned her class a book report for Black History Month. Meg's book had to be at least 200 pages. After she read the book, she was to do an original book report. No papers, no dioramas, no poster boards. The assignment was to "wow" her teacher.

Her book was called Hidden in Plain View. It was about how the Underground Railroad used to use quilts to post secret messages about when it was safe to escape from slavery. They would hang the quilts out on the fence. To the slave owners, it just looked like quilts airing out in the sun. To the slaves, each block pattern had a different significance. One meant it was time to pack your belongings, another meant it was safe to escape, etc.

For her project, Megan chose 4 blocks and we made a small sampler quilt. I helped by cutting out the pieces and sewing the sashing, but otherwise, Meg did most of it herself. She was meticulous! It turned out beautifully! She also wrote a summary and we sewed it onto the back. I think she'll get an A+!

Her blocks were the monkeywrench, log cabin, shoofly, and bowtie patterns.

RECON

2010-02-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

Megan is on a hip-hop dance team. Their team is called RECON. They competed this past weekend at Showstopper Dance Competition. She/they were great! They were 3rd in their catagory and 10 group overall.

OCD or something like it...

2010-02-01T11:30:00.001-08:00

In April of last year, I was inspired to start quilting by my aunt and cousins. They had made a quilt over Easter break and it was so cute that I just had to try it myself. My aunt, Heather, had found the pattern at Oh, Fransson! The website is done by a woman named Elizabeth Hartman and it is full of wonderful inspiration. So, like Heather and J and B, I, too, did the Mod Quilt-Along from Oh, Fransson! I blogged about it here. I finished the quilt top and back, sandwiched my quilt and then moved on to some other projects. Finally, a little before Thanksgiving, I got it back out, quilted it and finally finished it.

Well, during all those inbetween months, I worked on a few other things...

I made flannel blankets. Some for donating and some for a couple of friends who each had a baby girl this year.

I made tote bags and drawstring backpacks. Again, some were gifts and the rest were for two Christmas boutiques that I took part in.

My mom and I went to Martha's Vineyard in April to visit my brother. I took some of the photos from our trip and some Martha's Vineyard themed fabric I found, and made her a scrapbook quilt for her birthday.

I was on a roll so I made a quilt for Abbey. Cherry theme by her request...

FRONT:

BACK:

I made one for Emily that is black and white/brights.

I am still working on Megan's along with six other quilts in various stages of incomplete.

And this is my newest...

I think it's safe to say... I'm obsessed!

Dear Family and Friends, (A Christmas Letter of sorts...)

2009-12-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hello All! Merry Christmas!

How are you? I hope everyone is doing well.

Time has gotten away from me once again...

So, to catch you up on the doings...

To start with, we are all doing well. We've had the standard colds this year, but no one got the swine flu! We are all still alive! We are happy and enjoying life here in Murrieta. All three girls are doing well in school and are busy with their own friends and activities.

Chad has been working mainly in Modesto for the last six months. He started his own company, Allen Electric, and has been very busy getting it up and running. He still has contacts there in Modesto(/Manteca), and amazingly enough, they are still building houses, a few at a time. He is usually gone about 10 days and home about 4 days, gone for 10, home for 4. He stays with friends, works 14-16 hour days, then crashes on an air mattress. I'm in awe of the things he does for our family. We have discussed moving back, but alas, none of the five of us want that... Here at home, we are busy and miss him in the evenings, but have found a way to make it until he comes home again. The nice thing is that when he is home, he is home.

In general, I have adjusted to this disjointed way of life. Not unlike, I imagine, a woman who is married to a firefighter or truck driver or business person who is gone for days at a time. I have found a way to be okay when he is gone. The girls' various schedules keep me pretty busy and so I don't really have a whole lot of time for dwelling on the fact that he isn't home. We talk on the phone many times a day and I can keep him apprised of all the excitement here at home. Things like Abbey winning the coloring contest in her class, to Emily getting nominated for Freshman Homecoming princess. Progress reports show up great on a text message... The hardest part, I have found is the constant changing of gears. Shannon the Sort-Of-Single-Mom, Shannon the Wife, Shannon the Sort-Of-Single-Mom, Shannon the Wife... It gets difficult to go back and forth. For now...that's just the way it is.

Emily...

Emily is so old now it makes my head hurt. I'm really having a hard time with how quickly the time is passing. She is a freshman now, and my freshman year is the year where I feel like I can remember almost everything with perfect clarity. How on earth is it possible that my kid is that old when I feel like that was me about 3 years ago. Anyway, she is maturing and changing and growing, both physically and emotionally. She is taller that I am. She ran cross country in the fall (I blogged about it here and here)and has already started conditioning for track in the spring. She is doing great in school. I look at her and I can't believe she is MY daughter.

Megan...

Megan, too, is older than I'd ever believe my children would get. Seventh grade for goodness sake! She is a hard worker and is the kid who always comes straight home from school and does her homework without being asked. In August she started taking dance class again. She is IN LOVE with dancing once more. If she isn't doing homework, she is wearing her ipod and dancing. She dances all through the house, on the trampoline, to the mailbox... Her hip-hop class recently danced at the local opening of the Michael Jackson movie. They were amazing. So amazing, in fact that her teacher wants them to start competing. It will be fun to see where this goes.

To see Meg dance, click here. (She is the shortest one on the far right hand side, standing behind the chair. The video is incomplete...we had technical difficulities...)

Abbey...

When Abbey was three, she promised me that she wouldn't grow up. She would stay my little baby forever. Well, that promise is broken. She tells me that it isn't her fault, that God just made her to grow up. She's right, I guess, but I still can't stand it. She is learning algebraic terms and functions. I am almost unable to help her with homework anymore and she is only in fourth grade. Or should I say, "She is already in the fourth grade?" She played soccer this year and LOVED it! After her first practice she told me she was already sure she wanted to sign up again next year. Her team was great. Every girl was a nice person and her coach was amazing. It's been fun watching her fall in love with something because she has never really found that "one thing" before now. She has tried ballet and t-ball, and tumbling and art classes. Not until soccer did we ever see anything resembling passion!

Well, we hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy 2010! If you are ever in Southern California, we'd love to see you! Come stay with us... we're only an hour from Disneyland!

Love, The Allens

My Hero...

2009-10-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from her last two races. I can't believe that I have a runner...

Fire Update

2009-09-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

The fire was put out quickly. Approximately 20 acres were burned and no homes were lost. Thank you, Jesus!

Fire in Murrieta

2009-09-24T13:57:00.001-07:00

The hill behind our house caught fire today. The response time was so fast. Within minutes, planes dropping fire retardant and helicopters dropping water were on the scene. They did an amazing job of containing the fire. Even now as I type these words, the fire is almost entirely extinguished but the helicopters are continuing to monitor the situation. Please pray for the firefighters and those whose homes are in the vicinity.

The harder the challenge, the greater the reward...

2009-09-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

I write this with Emily's permission.

Ok... Where to start?

Sometime last school year, maybe around March or April, Chad and I told Emily we'd like her to choose something to participate in when she started high school. We wanted her to get involved in her school in some way, expand her friendship circle, have less time for texting and the drama that goes along with it, etc. Well, she had briefly shown an interest in running. We suggested the cross country team. She is more of an individual sport kind of person, it would suit her personality. She said she'd think about it. So, as the end of the year approached we asked her what she had decided. She didn't want to do it anymore, but she didn't have any other ideas. So she reluctantly agreed to try cross country. We told her that if she was going to do it, she needed to do it. No quiting... One year. If she hated it she could choose to not do it again next year. She said okay.

Cross country is a fall sport so they start conditioning in the summer, six days a week at 7:00am. Her first day of practice was July 6. This did not thrill her. She went to practice the first day and when I picked her up, she was not happy. She was exhausted, angry, and defeated. She cried and told me she hated it and she wanted to quit. It was too hard, she can't do it. As many of you know, Chad has been working out of town for several months now. He is home a few days and then gone for a week or two. Well, Chad wasn't going to be home for two weeks. I told her that she needed to give it some time. She hadn't been running and needed to give herself some time to get in shape. She had to give it the full two weeks until Chad got home and then we would all sit down and discuss her options.

Let me just say that the next two weeks were some of the toughest parenting weeks of my life. She fought me every morning. She hated getting up early, she hated that she couldn't have sleepovers with her friends, she hated that it was so hard. There were days that I dropped her off and I cried all the way home. Now some of you may be thinking, why fight her then. Just let her quit. Believe me, I was SO tempted to do just that. But months before, when she signed up for the team, Chad and I talked about her possible reactions to the first few weeks of practice. We knew she would hate it and cry and complain. Let's be honest, she doesn't like to work hard (she gets that from me), and she doesn't have a lot of confidence. She doesn't like to try new things. These things we knew and we want her to be better than that. We wanted her to build a little character and develop some work ethic. We wanted her to learn what it is to be part of a team. To cheer on and be cheered on... And honestly, how could I ask her to develop these characteristics if I was unwilling to do my part of the hard work and stand behind her, push a little when she wanted to give up, withstand the emotion behind her exhaustion...

Well, little by little, the runs got easier. She ran more, walked less. We had that talk when Chad got home and she decided to stick it out. When he got home, he went with her on Saturday and ran the "long run" of the week. They ran 5 miles with no walking. She went to Running Camp the following week and had a hard time. They ran twice a day, morning and evening.

There is a big race every year at camp. It's called "Killer Peak." The race is 4 miles uphill with a 1200 foot altitude change from bottom to top. It is a really big deal for everyone on the team. Alumni come back every summer to run it and try to beat their own personal best time. The morning of the race, Chad and I drove up the mountain to watch her run. When we got there, she wasn't feeling well. She didn't run. She wanted to come home. We could see right away that the sickness she was suffering from was homesickness. We were so disappointed. We had been so looking forward to seeing her run. She didn't even try. As soon as she saw us, she could see how disappointed we were. We saw, though, how disappointed she was in herself. As each runner came across the finish line, the whole team would stand and cheer. Once they crossed the finish line and rested for a minute, some of them would run back a few hundred yards and help encourage and run with their friends who were behind them. I was so sad for her. She had robbed herself of this beautiful experience. We talked about what had happened and she decided to try to stick it out at camp. She wasn't feeling 100%, but she would try. She came back a changed person.

Gone were the complaints and the "I can'ts." Gone was the girl who didn't think she could do it. The "long run" for the 5th week of practice was nine miles. She ran the whole thing.

I don't think I can explain to you how wonderful it has been to watch my child literally bloom from a little seed, self protected and doubting to a beautiful flower, full of confidence. She is blossoming as a member of her team.

And it isn't only her attitude about cross country that has been affected. She is more thoughtful, and self-disciplined. She sees more of the world outside her own.

Today was Emily's first Cross Country Race. Chad and I were so excited to see all of her hard work pay off. We wore our "RUN EMILY RUN" custom t-shirts to show our support. We talked to her before the race and she was very nervous. But when the race started, she did such a great job, she surprised us, herself, even her coaches. She didn't just run it to run it. She ran it with purpose. She was in pain, but she didn't let up. One coach said that he loved seeing that she is a competitor. The first 40 runners in each race got a medal. She placed 31 of 120 freshman girls in her heat.

(She is #1512)

This experience has taught all three of us some valuable lessons. First, Chad and I have learned that there are some things worth fighting for and some points worth forcing. We are seeing such a change in our daughter for the better (and she was a great kid before any of this.) I have spent years doubting myself as a parent, wondering if I'm doing the right thing, making the right decision, waiting for some of the payoffs I've always heard were coming. We know now that as parents we usually do know what's best for our child. We can trust ourselves and as long as we are on the same page, we can make it through the challenges that come in raising our kids.

And Emily... She has learned that she is capable of so much more than she thinks she is. That she can't say can't until she's at least given it a try. She's learned that we will stand behind her and push her (if needed) and support her no matter what.

What I hope she's learned most of all, is how much we love her and that we couldn't be prouder.

Soccer...

2009-08-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

Abbey is playing her first season of soccer. Her team is red and black. They chose the name "FIRECRACKERS!"

She had four practices and then...bam! Tournament!

Her team played three games this weekend. They won the first two, lost the third.

She's having so much fun that she says she's already thinking about signing up again next year. ;)

(She's #9)

Modern Love

2009-08-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this article in the NY Times called Modern Love
Those Aren’t Fighting Words, Dear By Laura A. Munson.

The article is about a woman whose husband came to her one day and told her he didn't love her anymore, he wasn't sure he ever did. She decided she didn't believe him. She stuck it out. She internally decided to give him six months and waited to see what happened. She went about her life with her children, kept setting his place at the dinner table and waited.

And he came back around.

If only more wives (or husbands for that matter) had the strength to do this. I find it interesting that the article was titled modern love... Have we come full circle? Is this idea of love... waiting and continuing to love someone who is being unloveable such a new idea that it is now modern? Has divorce so permeated our society that it is the normal, expected result? How sad...

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

What this wife did is the very definition of love. She didn't let her pride get in the way. She didn't let her anger and hurt fester. She didn't hold a grudge. She hoped, she persevered.

I imagine that this must have been one of the most difficult things she had ever done. She must have had moments of horrible pain and frustration. And in no way do I believe that every woman who tries to wait for her husband to work through a tough time will have the same result. Some husbands will still leave. But don't most people stay in a job they hate much longer than six months while they contemplate their options and make a decision. If more people, husbands and wives alike, would give their rocky marriages six months who knows what the definition of Modern Love could be.

Anniversary

2009-08-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years ago, today, Chad and I were married. Wow! Fifteen years... How the time has passed in the blink of an eye.

This year we are apart. I am at home in Murrieta. He is working in Modesto. But I think that it almost makes sense this year. Hold on while I explain...

You don't make it to fifteen years of marriage without some ups and downs. You don't make it to fifteen years without learning how to be flexible. You don't make it to fifteen years without learning that marriage takes work and just because you might not be together on the DAY OF, doesn't mean that you don't care anymore. In fact, I believe that it means that we are STILL IN THIS TOGETHER. We are willing to do whatever it takes to make our family work and keep us moving forward. We are willing to make momentary sacrifices for the good of our family. And even though I would love to be on an Hawaiian island with my husband right now, I'll take take just knowing that we both care about the long term. Our marriage, our family, has a future.

I love you, Chad.

Summer...

2009-08-04T09:38:00.001-07:00

All summer long I've been feeling guilty about not updating my blog. After spending some time this morning trying to get our summer down on paper, I realize that I've hardly had time to breathe, let alone try to blog...

Here's a little update on what we've been up to this summer...

Started off the summer by painting the shutters and the front door. I painted them a dark espresso brown.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

...Much better!

Emily's friend Elizabeth came from Modesto for a visit. She flew down and we drove her back home.

We visited some of our friends in Modesto. We stayed a few days with the Villanueva's and then stayed with the Proms.

Got to have coffee with some friends that I haven't seen in a few years...

The girls all got to go spend many nights with their friends.

FATHER'S DAY!

We went bowling with the Proms for Father's Day.

We came home to Murrieta for a few days and brought the Prom boys home with us. We spent one day at the beach.

Then back to Modesto for another week. Our friends went on vacation and asked us to house-sit while they were gone. The girls and I went especially so we could spend some quality time with Chad, but we got to spend some more time with friends.

BBQ'd on the 4th of July with the Proms.

Finally, back home to our own beds.

Emily started Cross Country practice on the 6th.

Chad was only home every 2 weeks or so for a weekend at a time. One of his weekends home we went to SEA WORLD!

My aunt, Heather and two of her daughters came for a week long visit. They were able to bring my cousin Haley too! We had a week of "Cousin Craft Camp" at our house.

We made recycled notebooks, bookmarks and clothing designs.

We spent a day sewing.

One day at the beach...

A trip to the mall...

And we wrapped the whole week up with a EXTRA FUN Whole Family BBQ and Swim Party at the Johnson's house.

After our company left, Emily went to Cross Country Camp and Megan and Abbey and I went Back-To-School shopping.

We still have so much going on and summer is almost over. Abbey has started soccer practice. Chad and I will celebrate our 15th Anniversary this week. Emily and Megan have orientation and school pictures on Thursday, and next Wednesday, the 12th, they all go back to school.

Whew...I'm tired...

Lack of Inspiration

2009-07-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

With Chad out of town the last few months, I've been at a loss...

But, we've been busy and I have lots of photos. I'll be posting again soon. I promise...

High School...here she comes...

2009-06-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my oldest daughter will graduate from 8th grade. Tonight is the dance. She's a high schooler now. (Pardon me while I whimper in the corner...)

This is me at 14...

This is her at not quite 14...

These are her friends...

Not even the same ballpark folks...

She is...

2009-05-28T22:45:00.001-07:00

happy...

cuddly and snugly and squeezable...

fun and funny...

so smart...

filled with joy...

artistic and beautiful...

goofy and giggly...

growing into such a young lady...

a dancer...

abandoned and graceful...

thoughtful and sensitive...

She is 12...

Happy Birthday, my sweet Megan!

Happy Birthday Mom and Gram!

2009-05-27T20:51:00.001-07:00

One track mind...

2009-05-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ok... So I've caught the sewing bug...

I've been having so much fun. Made another quilt. This one for Emily. She chose the colors. It's turning out awesome, so far. I'm just waiting for a foot for my sewing machine to come in the mail before I can finish it.

FRONT:

BACK:

Also made a couple of tote bags this afternoon...

Back to my machine I go...

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Sewing Saturday

2009-05-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my aunt and cousins spent a day sewing together. They made a beautiful quilt and they blogged about it here. It inspired me. I am making my quilt to match my family room.

These are the fabrics I chose.

These are my finished blocks.

This is my final layout.

My finished quilt top...

I haven't sewed in so long. It was such a fun project. I can't wait to start another one...

Megan felt like sewing too.

She did her project with minimal help from me. The torch is definitely passing...

This is her final product! A warm flannel blanket to donate to Project Linus. What a fun mother/daughter afternoon.

Chris, this one's for you...

2009-04-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

Meet Francie...

2009-04-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

We are officially a two dog family...

35 is half of 70!

2009-04-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

For the last ten years or so, I've cried on my birthday. Somehow the day just seems to disappoint. Maybe it's because it's supposed to be "my day" and it usually seems to end up about everyone else. The nature of being a mom I suppose...

Well, I'm 35 now. This number was looming with a large amount of heaviness for me. Thirty-five is half of 70. Thirty-five is half way between 20 and 50. How is it possible that I am just as far away from 20 as I am close to 50? Seriously, I was 20 about 3 years ago. Everyone says that the time flies by. I just had no idea.

My birthday present this year was my trip to Martha's Vineyard to see my brother. My mom and I had a great time! But when I got home, there were still surprises waiting for me.

The evening of my birthday, my mom came over and brought dinner. She made homemade potato ham chowder and fresh baked bread. It was delicious.

And I didn't want a cake this year. While we were in Martha's Vineyard last week, the fudge shops were just starting to open back up for the season. Fudge sounds good to me...

Mom made fudge with toffee chips for me... yum!

And my husband... for those of you that don't know Chad well, he is the "handiest" person I've ever met! I truly believe that he can do anything that he sets his mind to doing. In the course of our marriage he has saved us "millions and millions" of dollars by doing things himself that the ordinary person would have to hire someone to do. If you are not yet married, and are looking for a life mate, I highly recommend adding to your list of desirable attributes the ability to fix and build and install things.

Anyway, this was our family room when we moved in. Two gaping holes in the wall where a built-in entertainment center would go...

This is how we've lived with it for the last year. This beautiful set-up consists of a plastic Costco table holding our T.V. and relevant electronics, with all of our DVDs and CDs in Rubbermaid tubs under the table.

When I got home from Martha's Vineyard last week, this is the incredible work of art that was waiting for me when I got home...SURPRISE!

Chad and his brother, Billy, who is the other "handiest" person I know, spent much of the week I was gone and some of the week before that, building this beautiful entertainment center from scratch!

I honestly can't complain this year. I didn't cry. Not even one tear. Thirty-five started off pretty well. Maybe it won't be so bad after all...

Visiting Jordy

2009-04-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was six and a half years old when my baby brother, Jordan was born.

We grew up. Now he is a chef on Martha's Vineyard.

He's been on Martha's Vineyard for almost a year now. We miss him. My mom and I decided that we needed to go visit.

We explored the island a little on our own while Jordy was at work.

We visited him at work and he gave us a great tour of his kitchen.

We got to stay at his beautiful resort. He got us a two room suite.

Our suite was in this beautiful cottage.

He fixed us the most fabulous meal I've ever eaten.

Artichoke Barigoule - artichokes, carrots and onions, boneless chicken thigh, dehydrated orange slices...wow!

Parisienne Gnocchi on Spring Vegetables with shaved pecorino...wow!

He brought us two sandwiches that we shared. Rock Shrimp BLT on Brioche and Pastrami on Rye with homemade pickled cabbage...delicious!

Citrus Pannacota with white chocolate shavings and madeleines

Cream Puffs with vanilla ice cream and "Chef Jordan's Famous Butterscotch Sauce"...oh my goodness!

We ate at some other great restaurants and toured the island.

We got up early our last day. We had to catch an early ferry, so we went out to watch the sunrise. Beautiful...

I'm so glad that we got to go see him. But now I miss him even more! He is such an awesome person. In fact, he's the coolest person I know. I admire him so much and I am so proud of him. He is the kind of person who goes out into the world to see what else is out there.

Love you Jordy!

P.S. My mom is going to blog about the trip too. Check out her blog here.

HE IS RISEN!

2009-04-12T11:51:00.001-07:00

Matthew 28:5-7

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; HE HAS RISEN, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

Happy Easter! Love, The Allens

Photographic Evidence...

2009-04-10T19:25:00.001-07:00

SNAKE!

2009-04-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

Our neighbor across the street is Dr. Sean Bush from Discovery Channel's shows Venom ER and I Was Bitten. He is an envenomation specialist, and an ER doctor at Loma Linda University. He is also an incredibly nice guy!

Last night was a fundraising gala for Loma Linda and "A day with Dr. Bush" was auctioned off to help raise money for the University. He took this albino Burmese Python named Popcorn with him to the gala. The snake belongs to a friend of his and he is returning it tomorrow. He invited us over to see it before he takes it back. It was awesome! Abbey and Megan kept their distance except for a quick touch. Emily wouldn't even consider touching it. She stood about 5 feet away the whole time.

I told him my snake stories... I think he was impressed! :)

Snake Story #1

First of all, my dad and my Uncle Steve, have always been "snakey, wild animal-ly, outdoorsy" kind of guys. Well, one Easter, (I think I was about 11 or 12) we were at my grandparents' house for Easter dinner. My Uncle Steve had caught a baby rattlesnake and was keeping it in a terrarium. While we were there, he found a California King Snake in the front yard. King snakes are a constrictor, and they can tolerate the venom of rattlesnakes. My uncle thought it would be cool to put the two snakes together to see what would happen.

Well, the two snakes fought. They both would coil up, the rattler would strike. The king snake just kind of waved back and forth. The rattler would strike again. He would hit the king snake repeatedly. We watched as small beads of venom would kind of squeeze back out of the bite site. The king snake just waited patiently for the rattlesnake to get tired. Once he did, the king snake got a hold of a part of him and started squeezing. He just coiled and wrapped himself around the rattlesnake until he was dead. He then proceeded to eat his Easter dinner as we ate ours. YUM!

Snake Story #2

When I was growing up, we lived out in the country. We lived on a many acre avocado farm. One day, our friend Ethan came running down the hill behind our house, yelling for my dad. He was screaming that his dad, Dan, was pinned by a rattlesnake. My dad grabbed a shovel and sprinted back up the hill with Ethan right behind him. A few minutes later, all three of them came back down the hill. My dad was carrying the headless body of an enormous rattlesnake. He had chopped off it's head with his shovel and then buried it. He put it's body in a box. He said something about skinning it and making a "hat band" out if it. (Yes, if you go back a few generations, we are from Arkansas.)

Well, for the next several hours, all of us kids watched that snake's reflexes coil up and strike, headless, at the side of the box.

And my dad did make that snake into a decoration for his hat. On a windy day your heart would stop and then you would realize that the rattlesnake you were hearing was actually dead and sitting on my dad's head.

Don't you wish you had a childhood like mine...

For more snakey fun from my childhood, visit my mom's blog.

Cupcakes

2009-03-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I found a great recipe for Chocolate Mint Cupcakes. Tomorrow, all of the Moms-In-Touch groups in our school district are taking goodies to the district office. I made one batch of chocolate mint and one batch of lemon. In the recipe the cupcakes are from scratch, but why do that when a cake mix is just as good!

I made the batter according to the box directions.

To the chocolate batter, added 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint (not regular mint) extract.

For the lemom cupcakes, I made cream cheese frosting and added 1 teaspoon lemon extract. I used my decorator gadget to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I sprinkled them with pink and yellow sugar.

For the chocolate mint cupcakes, I made another batch of cream cheese frosting and added 1 teaspoon peppermint extract.

I used my decorator again to fill each cupcake with a surprise frosting center. Then I piped more frosting on top to hide the holes and sprinkled them with green sugar. So cute and so yummy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or another flavor, if desired)

3 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add extract and blend. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until smooth.

History repeats... I hope not... :)

2009-03-26T10:04:00.001-07:00

So I have this kid...

She is independent.

She is willful.

She is hard headed.

(She is also really great, but that doesn't go with my theme today. :) )

She is just like me... (oops!)

I was going through my pictures recently and this is what I found.

This is me when I was about 3 years old. I put on mascara all by myself.

This is my daughter at 2 1/2. She decided to put on mascara all by herself.

Boy, am I in trouble...

Weighty Issues...

2009-03-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I tend to struggle with my weight. I haven't been satisfied with my size ever, that I can recall.

This is a problem when you have daughters. Mine have watched me struggle and diet. They've watched me yo-yo up and down. They've seen me unhappy inside my skin.

There are some things I've had to come to terms with over the last 20 years.

Shopping for jeans and bathing suits will make me cry. I have to prepare mentally for days before I can attempt to scavenge for a pair of jeans or bathing suit that I will be able to wear in public.
I never fit into the size that I think I should fit into. Even when I've managed to lose some weight, I'm always about 5 pounds from the next smaller size. It is a morale killer, for me, every time.
I'll never be able to just walk into a store and pull something cute (in my size) off the rack, go to the register and buy it. I always have to try things on. Nine times out of ten, that cute item from the rack exacerbates one of the many body issues I struggle with.

Well, this week, my girls had a half day and we went to the mall for the afternoon. We decided to look for bathing suits. My heart ached as I watched my sweet daughter's face and realized that she, at 11 years old, was experiencing the very same emotions that I experience when I am in a dressing room. I saw her experience embarrassment, shame, disappointment, self-consciousness...pain.

I wanted to scream out loud right there in the dressing room. How dare anyone, myself included, contribute to making my daughter feel this way about herself. I hate the society we live in that says if she (or me too, for that matter) isn't tall and thin, she isn't as worthwhile or important or cool or as beautiful as someone who is.

How could anyone think that about this precious, beautiful girl? How could they do that to her?

I won't be a party to it anymore. I pray that from this day forward, the only message she gets, at least from watching me, is that we are all made beautifully and in God's image. She is beautiful outside, but more importantly, inside. That's what really counts!

The braces are on...

2009-03-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Before...

After...

The pain begins...

Put bubbles in the kiddie pool

2009-02-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my pictures today.

I remember this one time when I was about 7 years old. It was summer and we lived at the apartments on Las Lomas. I was next door playing with my neighbor, Lisa, and we decided to go swimming in the kiddie pool. Someone got the idea to pour a big bottle of bubbles into the water and as we played and splashed, the water started sudsing up. We swam around and around and around in circles and the water got more and more and more bubbly until we were up to our necks in bubbles. We were having the best day EVER! I can still remember thinking that "This is the most fun I've ever had."

Now, you can probably guess that I have had other fun since then. But this memory strikes me in a way other fun memories don't. And that's like this...I don't abandon myself to the fun anymore. There is a controlled containment to my fun now. I don't mean a, "I'm a grown woman and I can't act irresponsibly, so hold back on the crazy" kind of containment. I'm talking about a holding back. I don't think I really let myself enjoy certain things because deep down inside I think that it isn't dignified or mature. I think as I've gotten older, even though I am having fun in a given moment, the rest of life and the weight of it keeps my feet a little too soundly on the ground. I can't remember the last time I just threw my head back and let myself thoroughly enjoy the moment, and that makes me a little bit sad. I don't want my girls to hold back on their enjoyment of life, but here I am...their primary example.

So, I think I'm going to try and take a few notes from that girl in the picture. Don't take life so seriously. Lighten up, Shan...enjoy the moment. Be a seven year old girl once in a while and put bubbles in the kiddie pool. You just might have "the most fun you've ever had!"

...the possibilities

2009-02-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Ten o'clock in the morning is the best time of day. It's my favorite time of day. I have been up since seven. I have (usually) showered, made and eaten breakfast and carpooled. I might have even run an errand or two. Now my entire day is before me, what will I get done? There is still the promise of a productive day. Or a day of pleasure. Maybe both. I could clean the whole house or go to a movie. I could do six loads of laundry while scrap booking or be planning next week's menu and grocery list and I might even make it to the store before school is out. Aahhhh...the possibilities at 10am.

Nine o'clock at night is the worst time of the day. It is my least favorite time of day. I am tired. I have been running around since the girls got home. I have helped with homework, made snacks, made dinner, and probably run to the store for an emergency ingredient to a project that is due tomorrow. I have corralled children into showers and harassed them into brushing their teeth. I desperately want to climb into my comfy bed, but I still need to wash the dishes, make tomorrow's lunches and wash P.E. clothes so someone doesn't get detention. Aahhhhh...if only it were 10am...

Friday

2009-02-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

Em and Meg left for Winter Camp Friday afternoon.

Abbey received a "Learner of the Pack Award" (her school mascot is the coyotes) at school for her academic excellence and her love of reading. Her certificate was good for a free kids meal at Claim Jumper!

Last night, Daddy decided to take her on a date to use her certificate. They sat down at their table and ordered. Abbey ordered baby back ribs with macaroni-and-cheese and fries. Chad had butterflied shrimp. While they waited, they colored and drew and did the activities on the kid's menu, but the crayons kept breaking.

Chad said they had a great time talking and eating. As they were leaving, he asked her,

C - "So, how was it?"

A - "Great food, crummy crayons."

And that's what it all comes down to folks...

Keeping the Sanity

2009-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Monday was a school holiday. It had been raining here for most of the weekend and we were all going a little stir-crazy. Oceanside... here we come!

Lovely. Peaceful. Replenishing. Soothing.... Then back to life and reality. :)

Thinking

2009-02-18T15:15:00.000-08:00

Who knew that thinking could be such a non-productive, time wasting activity?

Chad is out of town for the moment. Whenever he is gone, the part of my brain that allows me to function goes with him. He left about 5 days ago and it has been exactly that long since I have accomplished anything worth talking about. Laundry? Nope! Dishes? A few. Dinner? Barely. That's it. I've been on the computer or pacing up and down the stairs wondering, "What did I come up here (or down here) for?" Yesterday I didn't shower until 9:30pm and then I got right into bed. What was the point of that?

I have, though, been thinking a lot. I have spent hours thinking about what I should be doing, what needs to get done, what errands I need to run, but nothing has been accomplished! Most of my thoughts have been fragments that start off going somewhere but end up... My brain is like a ping pong ball bouncing around inside my head. My inner dialogue looks something like this:

I really need to go to the grocery store for... (FOR WHAT!??!)
Megan needs her shirt washed for Fri... (OK, I'll get on it! Oops, I forgot.)
Did Abbey put her homework packet... (in her folder, on her desk, where? where was I going with this line of thought?)
I need to get some new recipes... (for what? dinner? breakfast? a party? am I going somewhere? did I sign up to bring something?)
Taking a walk right now would do me so much goooooo... (GOOD, GOOD! That's what I'm trying to say!)

I'm currently having a week where appointments WILL be missed and friends will be left waiting for me somewhere we arranged to meet last week while my brain was still working...

So, if you were left waiting for me in some fashion this week, I forgot to return your call, or you had coffee by yourself yesterday, please forgive me. Chad will be home in a few days...

Valentine's Day Sleepover

2009-02-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, my mom and I planned to have a Valentine's Day Sleepover for the cousins at our house!

Mom and the kids arrived at around 4pm and within the first 30 minutes, Ethan was minorly injured and went home to mom and dad. So, now it was a Girl Night. Plans didn't change but we did talk about bras at dinner... :)

Anyway, first we had Make-Your-Own Pizzas! Emily even got fancy with the dough twirling!

Next, we did a Treasure Hunt. Mimi did the clues. The big girls read the clues and the little girls figured them out.

Everyone got a prize at the end.

After the treasure was eaten (chocolate, of course!) we made yummy, sticky, PinkPopcornBalls-on-a-Stick.

We stayed up late and watched Secondhand Lions.

In the morning we had waffles and sausage for breakfast and then pampered our feet with pedicures. We had a soaking station and a painting station. Everyone picked a different color polish.

Let's do it again next year! (Hey other cousins, you're all invited too...!)

SISTACULAR!

2009-02-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

A "Sistacular" (Megan named it...) is a celebration just for sisters. A night to hang out and make fun food. (Abbey was having a "friendtacular" with her friend Lynn across the street.)

Tonight our menu included:

Sliders with steak fries and onion rings
Molten Lava Cakes
Cherry Cheesecake Tarts

Each of the girls had their own recipes to be working on. Emily made the Sliders and Megan made the Cherry Cheesecake Tarts. Em and I made the Molten Lava Cakes together.

After the dishes were done, we settled in to watch Miss Congeniality. Nothing like a little sister time...

How did I spend my time before computers? I can't remember...

2009-02-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

Quality Time

2009-02-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Emily and I got away for the night...just the two of us. I thought it was time for us to spend a little quality time together.

We left right after school on Friday.

As we were pulling out of the driveway, we noticed a rainbow... Thank you God for your promises.

We spent the night hanging out together, talking, painting fingernails and watching a movie.

In the morning, we had breakfast, talked some more, and went out to have some fun!

We did some shopping and went ice-skating.

We had a little snack...

On the way home, we saw another rainbow. I love how they were like beautiful bookends for our time together.

One more stop on the way home for a special dinner at Olive Garden.

We had such a nice time together. It was so fun and interesting to talk to her about all the things she is feeling and experiencing in this time of her life. I feel so blessed to have been able to take this little bit of time with her!

Oral Surgery

2009-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Emily had SEVEN teeth extracted today in order to get her braces on soon. It's not an experience that she ever wants to repeat.

Balcony Photo of Today

2009-02-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

The clouds off in the distance were so pretty...and so were the girls!

25 Random Things

2009-01-31T18:48:00.000-08:00

Just like my mom, I too have been tagged to do a list of 25 things about myself. Here it is... (The same list is posted on Facebook.)

1. I got married at 20.
2. I LOVE spicy food.
3. I was in the Future Farmers of America in high school. I raised pigs.
4. I love to cook and eat soup.
5. My dad lives in New Zealand. (Not really about me, but interesting, I thought!)
6. I love to take pictures and scrapbook.
7. Mountains or Beach? Mountains for me!
8. One of my favorite things to do is go to the movies alone.
9. I didn't drink coffee until after I turned 30.
10. I love to read. My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
11. I collect recipes.
12. I can play on the hard and expert levels on guitar on Rock Band! (A little embarrasing...)
13. I played flute for four years in elementary and junior high.
14. I am afraid of heights.
15. I am the oldest of three and the only girl.
16. I love going to the grocery store.
17. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
18. I can sew.
19. Chad and I will be married 15 years this August.
20. I don't like tomatoes or fish of any kind, but I love brussel sprouts.
21. I want to write a book someday.
22. I love blogging.
23. I am the oldest grandchild on both sides of my family.
24. I love 80's music.
25. My favorite stores are Target, Old Navy and IKEA.

We live on a cul-de-sac, for goodness sake.

2009-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Chad says that I say this everytime I tell the girls to go out and play...

Reconnecting

2009-01-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, one of Abbey's friends from Modesto called. She hadn't talked to this friend since the move. She was so excited.

"You sound so much older..."

"I'm taller now..."

"I haven't talked to you in so long..."

It was fun to listen to her side of the conversation and hear how pleased she was to talk to this friend that she still misses.

Thank you, Lord for technology!

Belated Christmas

2009-01-21T15:53:00.000-08:00

I've had some things from Christmas that I've been meaning to send my dad in New Zealand. I talked to him the other day and asked if there was anything that he might need me to send him. (He has said the cooking style there is very similar to English cooking and sort of on the bland side. They don't have a very large selection of spices there, so last year we sent him some that we bought in the bulk section of WinCo.) He said he was still doing okay on the spices but asked if I could send him a tube of neosporin and a bottle of aspirin. They don't have anything like neosporin and aspirin is prescription only. Well, when he mentioned spices I told him all about Old Town Spice Merchants, the spice store my mom and I just discovered in Temecula. (She blogged about it here.) I told him that I'd love a reason to go there again and that I'd pick some things out and send them to him with the Christmas stuff.

So today I mailed off his box...

Inside I included:

New Mexico Green Chili Powder
Worcestershire Powder
Fire Chili Blend
Chipotle Powder
Smoked Black Sea Salt
Horseradish Powder
Hunter's Game Blend
Smoked Tomato Seasoning

Merry Christmas Dad!

A Prayer...

2009-01-20T15:44:00.001-08:00

Dear Heavenly Father,

We have a new President today in the United States of America.

Please be with him and his family and keep them all safe as he begins to lead our country. I pray that you will give him wisdom and courage and restraint and good council. I pray that you will break his heart with the things that break Yours and that he would be the man that You would have him to be. I pray, Lord, that he would not take our country down a path of moral decay, but that he would protect families and marriage and unborn children.

Lord, I know that you love Barack Obama. You want him to do well and succeed. I pray that he will. Lord, please help me to remember that you are in control of all things. That we are all subject to You and that you have the final say in everything. Lord, help me to be a prayer warrior for President Obama, his Cabinet and all of the new leadership in this country. And when I am frustrated or don't understand, please help me to learn to lean on Your understanding and not my own.

In Jesus' Lifesaving Name, Amen.

Bikes at the Beach

2009-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today was a school holiday. We wanted to spend the day out of the house. Do you know what you can do when you live in Southern California? You can just hop in the car and head on over to the beach for a little bike ride. A total blast...

And before you head home, you can stop and get yummy frozen yogurt...

Chad's Birthday - Part 2

2009-01-16T21:18:00.001-08:00

At our house, when it is your birthday, you get to eat on the special "Birthday Plate."

Chad chose to eat tacos on the plate today.

Chad didn't want a birthday cake this year. We are both trying to cut back on the calories so we went and got frozen yogurt at our new favorite spot...Xtreme Frozen Yogurt.

The girls always go crazy with the toppings.

They have one of those stamp card programs where you buy so many yogurts and you get one free. Chad got his monster-sized yogurt for free tonight! A perfect gift!

When we got home, we sang "Happy Birthday" with candles in his yogurt.

The Day Chad was Born...

2009-01-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

was 37 years ago today.

Even though his appearance has changed over the years, he remains one of the most constant people I know. He is steadfast and reliable and kind. He is honest and hardworking. He is an amazing father and husband.

Happy Birthday Chad! I love you!

P.S. It's also my cousin Jenny's birthday today...Happy Birthday, Jen!

She's home!

2009-01-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

She made it! She's home! She's exhausted! We were so happy to see her!

Katarina even came over earlier in the evening so she could come with us to pick Emily up from the bus.

One last picture with her roomates...

Dennis MISSED her! He was SO excited to see her!

We'll post some of her trip pictures soon! We're just all so happy to have her back!

Her Last Day Away...

2009-01-11T17:51:00.000-08:00

1/11/09

5:00am Wake-up call
6:30am Walk to Rockefeller Center
Breakfast at Rockefeller Center
Top of the Rock Observation Deck
Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center
Lunch in the city
Tour Central Park
Bus tour of upper Manhattan
Airport
7:15pm Flight to LAX
2:00am Arrive in Murrieta (Yaaaaaaa!)

One Sister in N.Y.C. and Two Sisters in the Kitchen

2009-01-10T18:33:00.000-08:00

Emily's Itinerary for today 1/10/09 (One more day and she comes home! :) )

6:00am Wake-up call
7:00am Breakfast
7:30am BUS to NYC
Ferry to Statue of Liberty
Lunch in NYC
Walk around the city
Subway to hotel
6:00pm Dinner @ Mars 2112
8:00 pm Broadway Show: The Little Mermaid
10:00pm Curfew

While Emily is wandering around the most famous city in the world, Megan and Abbey are busy cooking in the kitchen. On the menu today: Abbey and Megan's Mini Fruit Tarts. The recipe will be in the next issue of the family cookbook. I love that in this family, everybody cooks!

Delicious!

Emily's Trip Day 5

2009-01-09T22:25:00.000-08:00

6:00am Wake-up
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am BUS to Arlington National Cemetery
9:15am Wreath Laying Ceremony
Bus to Amish Country (lunch on bus)
Tour Amish Farm and House
5:30pm Dinner @ Miller's Smorgasbord
Bus to Philadelphia
Candelight Tour of Philly
10:00pm Curfew

Emily Goes to Washington...and we went to Disneyland...again...

2009-01-08T21:16:00.001-08:00

Emily in Washington Day 4

6:00am Wake-up call
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am BUS to National Mall
Lunch at Reagan Center
1:00pm Capitol Hill
Library of Congress-Supreme Court
Dinner at Pentagon Mall
10:00pm Curfew

Well, our Disneyland annual passes are finally expiring. We went today for one last day of fun and to celebrate Chad's birthday next week. He didn't want to get the birthday button, but you have to have it in order to get a dozen free tortillas at the Mission Tortilla Factory. So, of course, I made him get the button...then it turns out that the tortilla machine was broken down...ooops.

We rode Tower of Terror, of course. It's one of our favorites.

The girls got to choose one last Disneyland treat.

Abbey and Megan rode California Screamin' together.

Pirates...

If you read my blog regularly, you'll remember how much the girls love... It's Tough to be a Bug... (If not, you can read about it here.) This experience was the worst yet... Abbey literally sat, curled up into the fetal position, on the floor. But Chad and I couldn't pass up one of our favorites just because of a little crying! ;)

And you'll also remember our Toy Story rivalry. Well, I think that after all my bragging and teasing over the last couple of times I beat Chad, what I did was wake a sleeping tiger. He STOMPED me today. See for yourself. He was blue, I was red.

We thoroughly enjoyed our year of having annual passes, but we are all a little relieved to know that it will be quite a while until we visit Disneyland again. Apparently you can get too much of the "Happiest Place on Earth."

Emily's Day 3

2009-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

1/7/09

6:00am Wake-up Call
7:15am Breakfast
8:15am BUS to Mt. Vernon-Tour
Lunch at Roy Rogers
Tour Smithsonian
4:00pm Tour National Archives
Dinner at Union Station
Tour Memorials
10:00pm Curfew

Day 2 in D.C.

2009-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

Em's Itinerary

1/6/09 - Day 2

6:00am Wake up Call
7:15am Breakfast
8:15am BUS to Monticello-Tour
Lunch
Tour University of Virginia
BUS to D.C.
Tour D.C., pictures at White House
7:00pm Dinner
Kennedy Center/FDR/Jefferson
10:00pm Curfew (in room)

Independence...

2009-01-05T05:59:00.001-08:00

This morning Chad and I sent Emily off on her first truly independent adventure. She's gone on trips without us before, including one on an airplane, but this is the first time she won't be with a family member. She's off to D.C. with her friends and classmates.

Last night the girls said goodbye to her...

This morning, we got up at 4:30am. We got the last of her things together and left for the bus to the airport. Before we left I asked her if she was nervous. She's not, of course. She can't wait to get on that bus with her friends.

I told her to give me her best nervous face. Even it looks excited to go...

Em and her roomies...

(Mom, enough pictures, already...)

Enjoying the view...

2009-01-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

Family, Friends, New Year's, and Cousin Sleepover Part 3

2009-01-02T12:09:00.001-08:00

Sorry to keep you waiting for Part 3 of the Cousin Sleepover...

Out for dinner...

A little Life...

A little RockBand 2...

The next morning, ready for church...

The rest of the family came for a day of visiting and to pick up the girls from the Cousin Sleepover.

We interrupt the fun for a scary accident...

Haley fell at Mimi/Nicki's house and broke her nose...OUCH! But, after a trip to the emergency room, she felt well enough to come back to our house for a one night extention to the Cousin Sleepover. Heather and Caitlin even decided to stay for the fun!

Saying goodbye...we miss you all already!

So, here is where we change the subject a little. After the Cousin Sleepover was officially over and we got done wishing we all lived closer together, we cleaned up the house a little and got ready for our next round of fun visitors. Our friends from Turlock, the Villanueva family, were on their way to visit us for New Year's.

Now, let me tell you a little about the Villanueva's. Husband/Dad Ed and I used to work together at the Wherehouse (music store) back in the early 90's. I sort of knew his wife Chris, who worked at another store (also the Wherehouse.) Anyway, I had Emily and the following year, Ed and Chris had Noah. Then, I was 8 months pregnant with Megan and out on maternity leave and Chris called me one day, out of the blue, to invite me over for a playdate and walk to the park. Emily and I went over and I think we were at Chris's house at least 3 days a week from then on for the next 3 or 4 years. Chris is the kind of friend everyone should get to have. She pulled me out of my "toddler funk" and got me out of the house for playgroups and days at the park and she introduced me to MOPS. She helped me keep my sanity. She was a sounding board a cohort in motherhood for me. She always understood what I was going through or dealing with. She still does. Our families always got along great and we spent many many Fourth of Julys and New Year's Eves together over the years.

Well, over the last several years we haven't talked or seen each other as much. Our kids are all in school now and you know how life gets busy and distracting. Then, we up and moved away. But we can always pick right up where we left off. It is wonderful. We recently had a fun day with them at Disneyland and it was so fun that it prompted them to come visit us over New Year's just like old times!

We have had a great week with them. We went on a hike on the Santa Rosa Plateau. It is a nature reserve about 10 minutes up the road from our house. The views and scenery are beautiful.

We had a great New Year's Eve party. Chad's brother, Billy and his family came, along with our neighbors, the Varners. Even my mom came over for a while. Of course, we had a ton of food!

We ate and visited and played games until midnight!

L to R: Dave and Tina, Ed and Chris, Chad and Shan, Billy and Ruth

All the kids...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

For New Year's Day, we took a fun trip to the beach for a weenie roast and s'mores!

This morning, for their last day, we took a walk and showed them around the neighborhood. I think we might have been able to convince them that they need to move down here and be our neighbors. (The house next door is for sale... :) ) Even Dennis got to have fun with a new friend...Zoey, the Villanueva's weiner dog!

Come back soon guys! We love you!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T19:20:00.001-08:00

Cousin Sleepover Part 2

2008-12-27T17:22:00.001-08:00

Cookie Making...

Playing House...

This is Brooke Shadows (Abbey) and Stephanie Boyle (Brooklin). They just recently found out that they are adopted sisters. (?) Anyway, Brooke and her husband Tom have a daughter named Hallie. Stephanie and her husband Justin have a daughter named Lillian. They have all recently moved into a new house together.

Walking Dennis...

Watching a movie on the laptop...

Abbey hasn't been doing her doggie doo duty lately. Daddy sent her outside to do a quick pick-up after Brooklin stepped in some. Brooklin was very kind to offer to help. She wanted to be the scooper. Abbey held the bag.

Stay tuned for more sleepover fun!

Cousin Sleepover Part 1

2008-12-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

Going great so far... :)

Jesus is the Reason...

2008-12-25T21:45:00.000-08:00

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

Today we had our Allen Family Christmas Celebration. We went over to my In-Laws for a delicious Mexican Christmas Feast. We had tacos, tamales and beans and rice. There was apple pie and coconut cake for dessert. Delicious. After dinner we opened presents and had a great time hanging out with the family! The girls love to spend time with their cousins. Even Dennis had a great time exploring Grandma and Papa's yard. Chad and the kids played their annual football game out in the street.

A couple of weeks ago, my mom posted about family traditions on her blog. She asked others to share some of their family traditions. Well, one of our family traditions, taken from my childhood, is that we set out a doll or stuffed animal by the Christmas tree so that Santa will know where to leave each girl's gift. Then we set out the cookies and carrots for Santa and the Reindeer and then, off to bed.

Come on over Santa! We're ready for you!

Snow Date

2008-12-20T20:39:00.000-08:00

The weather here this week has been very cold. Two days ago it snowed in Wildomar (about a mile away from us. See pictures below.)

(I love the contrast of palm trees against a backdrop of snowy mountains!)

So, today we were planning a family trip to the mountains to find some snow. We wanted to head in the direction of Julian, (Ca.) so we could make a stop at Dudley's Bakery for the best fresh bread around these parts. They have a jalapeno bread to die for! Well, as we were getting ready to leave, Abbey said that her tummy felt like she was going to throw up. No winding roads for her, please! Emily wasn't feeling great either, so I decided to stay home with them and the day turned into a father/daughter day for Chad and Megan.

They got to Dudley's. They ate bread. They found snow. They had a great time.

Winter Formal 2008

2008-12-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

So, she went...she had fun. That's about all she'd say. I questioned, she responded with things like, "I guess", "sorta", "not really", "I don't know", and "I don't think so." The teens are officially upon us...

We Wish You an "ELF"y Christmas!

2008-12-18T10:37:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

It's raining, it's pouring...Yaaa!

2008-12-15T13:34:00.001-08:00

The thing I miss most about Modesto is the weather. It is the middle of December and up until 3 days ago it was still 75 degrees here in Murrieta. It doesn't even feel like fall, let alone winter. But this morning I woke up to my favorite kind of day...RAINY!

I love the sound of the pitter patter against the glass. I love the sound of the clink clinking of the water flowing and dripping down the rain gutters. I love the clouds and the wind.

Rain, rain, please don't go away. Come again for another day...

Toy Story Showdown!

2008-12-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, our family has had Disneyland annual passes this year to celebrate our living back in Southern California. We have used them often! We've gone after school a couple of times and it's been great to be able to meet friends there. This past summer they opened a new ride in Disney's California Adventure Park. It is called Toy Story Mania and it is FUN! The ride is designed like a carnival midway and you are taken through a series of shooting games. It is like a big video game and you wear 3-D glasses. At different times you are shooting darts, tossing rings, throwing baseballs, etc. The goal, of course is to score as many points as possible. Chad and I love to ride together and see who can get the highest score. Last time Chad lost and I received a wonderful foot massage as my reward!

Well, today we decided to go on a date while the girls were at school. We arranged for my mom to get the girls from school and we headed to Disneyland for a rematch/showdown.

Disneyland has a similar ride and it is also themed from the movie Toy Story. It's called Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and again, you shoot at targets trying to get the highest score. We went to this ride first and as you can see from the picture below, I took this very seriously with excellent results. Notice our scores!! (Maybe Chad's gun wasn't working! hee hee!)

Next, we went and had lunch in Downtown Disney. After lunch we went over to see who would win our showdown! We stopped on the way to watch the 3-D Show, It's Tough to be a Bug! Our girls HATE this show. It is the kind of show where they shoot air and water at you and make it seem like things are going to hit you in the face. Chad and I really love this show so we took the opportunity to see it without anyone crying, huddled up in a ball in the seats next to us!

Next, it was off to Toy Story Mania!

Well, I must tell you that Chad beat the pants off of me this time. Our final scores were something like 145,000 to 173,000. We thought about riding again to break our tie, but the line was long and we wanted to beat traffic so we headed home.

Our passes don't expire for another month.

Maybe we'll have time for a rematch... ;.)

Dress Shopping

2008-12-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Next week is Emily's "8th Grade Winter Formal." She and four of her girlfriends are going together. Today Emily and I, along with some of her friends and another mom went to find the dresses. The girls had so much fun hunting for just the right one! The other mom and I tried not to panic about how grown up they all look.

This is the one we came home with. She loves it! And we even got it on sale! Another bonus...she will get to wear it again in January when she goes to see a Broadway Show in New York on her Washington D.C. Trip!

O, Christmas Tree, O, Christmas Tree

2008-12-07T18:13:00.001-08:00

Miss you Dad...

2008-12-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

What goes around...

2008-11-29T22:18:00.001-08:00

A few months back, Emily participated in her first t.p.-ing at a slumber party. She and her friends did a couple of kids' houses that they knew from school.

This morning we awoke to our own t.p.'d yard. Emily's friends had come and "christened" our front lawn. She was none too pleased! My niece (she's 5), who had spent the night, took one look and said, "Toilet paper? Gross!"

Thanksgiving...and being thankful...

2008-11-28T11:05:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's a time to spend with family and remember all that we have to be thankful for...

This year, I am looking beyond a generic "family and friends" answer to the question, "What are you thankful for this year?" God has blessed me in incredible ways.

I am SO thankful for another year of being married to Chad! For fourteen years we have been a team, raising kids, figuring it all out together. When more and more people are getting divorced and families are falling apart, I am so grateful for a husband who is committed to our family and our marriage. He is an amazing person. He has integrity, he works incredibly hard, he is an amazing father, and he's a pretty handy guy on top of all of that. He is my best friend. Thank you, Lord, for Chad.

We have three beautiful, healthy, intelligent, amazing girls. Every day we laugh and wonder at the things that they say, the people that they are. They are great kids. Each one different from the next. They are growing and maturing every day. They amaze me. They make my life more interesting and wonderful. Thank you, Lord, for Emily, Megan and Abbey.

Our girls have an amazing dad! I wish I could make them understand how truly lucky they are to have a dad who jumps on the trampoline with them, goes on walks with them, takes them on dates, and tells them they are beautiful. He encourages them and hugs them and talks with them. Chad has helped heal some of my hurts by being such an incredible father to our girls. Thank you, Lord, for the father that Chad is to our children.

We are finally close enough to see family almost whenever we want to. After all the years of living 400 miles away, it is so fun to have cousins and grandparents and aunts and uncles around to spend time with. And when out-of-town family comes to visit, we can host the gatherings. Thank you, Lord, for our getting to spend time with our family.

For me, getting to spend time with my mom has been an amazing treat. I still haven't quite gotten used to how close she is. She and I both forget sometimes that we can call each other and invite the other to run errands or to a movie. Thank you, Lord, for my mom. And thank you for protecting our relationship through my teens. I am so thankful that we made it to the other side and that I can call her my friend.

(This picture is of us with "Sam the Cooking Guy.")

I've also gotten to spend time with sister-in-law and my goofy brothers. I missed them when we lived in Modesto and it is so great to be able to talk and share stories and "remember when's" with them. Thank you, Lord, for my brothers and a sister thru marriage.

And friends... We got to see three sets of friends this week. We met up with the Villanuevas and the Cernanskys at Disneyland and the Proms came and stayed with us for the weekend. We had so much fun with all of them. It is great to see how everyone's kids have grown and the people that they are becoming. It is great to chat and catch up and remember how lucky we are to have developed such great lasting friendships with them. Thank you, Lord, for our friends and the fun that they can bring into our lives.

And that brings me to Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful for a home of our own, where we can cook an amazing dinner and spend time with family.

I am thankful for my sous chef, Megan. She helped me do a lot of prepping for dinner.

I am thankful for grocery stores that are so well stocked. I am thankful for the plentiful food we enjoy...

I am thankful for the fun that our family has while we are cooking!

I am thankful for TURKEY!

I am thankful that my grandparents were able to stop by. Look at them with 5 of their 9 great-grandchildren!

I am thankful for board games. Megan was the "Guess Who Champion."

I am thankful for just being together.

I hope your Thanksgiving was just as great as mine!

From me to you...Happy Thanksgiving!

More Friends at Disneyland!

2008-11-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

Today, we got to see more friends at Disneyland. Our friends the Cernanskys were down from NorCal and we were there trying to squeeze in one more visit before the annual passes expire! I love it!

Here we are on Tower of Terror...twice.

This goofball gave herself bunny ears in the picture...

Disney and Friends

2008-11-22T18:01:00.001-08:00

Our friends, the Villanueva Family, were coming down to go to Disneyland. We (I) invited ourselves to join them on Friday (since we have annual passes this year.) We had a great time! We haven't seen them since last January. All of the kids are getting so big! It was so fun to catch up with them and go to Disneyland too!

Taffie the Hamster

2008-11-18T15:15:00.001-08:00

Taffie

May 6, 2007 - November 18, 2008

The girls' hamster, Taffie died today. The girls were very sad. Abbey took it especially hard. I told her to make a list of all the things she loved about Taffie and we would put it in her burial box. The following is what she came up with.

It reads:

Taffie's love list

1. She was cute

2. She was playful

3. She was fat

4. She was nice

5. I still loved her when she bit me

6. She was to cute for words when she ran in her ball

7. and she was to cute for words anyway

Taffie, you will be missed...

Next Top Barbie Designer

2008-11-17T12:08:00.001-08:00

Megan loves to play Barbies. Once in a while she'll grab a scarf or a bandana and wrap it around her Barbie for a spontaneous outfit. Well, this weekend she found a few fabric scraps and started making new outfits for her Barbies. She called Mimi to see if maybe she had any extra fabric scraps that she could have to make more outfits. Mimi brought her a BIG box of fabric scraps and Megan "designed" for HOURS! Here are a few of her favorites! Maybe she's found her calling!

This one is her very favorite. She loves the front and the back!

Cookies and the Constitution?

2008-11-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

These past couple of weeks, Emily's social studies class has been studying the Constitution. Her teacher explained that, like a recipe for cookies, all of the essential ingredients need to be present in order for the cookies to come out right, for the recipe to work. The Constitution also needs certain essentials in order for it to work.

Her teacher, Mr. Fox, broke the class into 8 groups for the unit. For one of their projects, each group was to bring in a batch of homemade cookies to share with the rest of the class. They got points for taste, look, and creativity. Emily volunteered to be the cookie maker for her group. She asked my mom (Mimi) to come over and help her make them. (My mom blogged about it here.) Em said they got the highest points in the class for her hot dog cookies.

Hot Dog Cookies

1 recipe Butter Cookie Dough (see below)
liquid food colors
red and yellow frosting
green coarse granulated sugar

Prepare dough. Use 1/3 of dough to make "hot dogs." Refrigerate remaining 2/3 dough. Mix food colors in small bowl to get reddish-brown color following chart on back of food color box. Add reserved 1/3 dough. Mix color throughout dough using wooden spoon. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Divide colored dough into 18 equal sections. Roll each section into thin long shape. Round edges. Set aside.
To make "buns" divide remaining dough into 18 equal sections. Roll sections into thick logs. Make a very deep indentation the length of log in centers; smooth edges to create buns. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Place hot dogs inside buns.
Freeze 20 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 15-17 minutes or until bun edges are light golden brown. Cool completely on cookie sheets.
Top hot dogs with piped red and yellow frosting to look like ketchup and mustard. Sprinkle with green sugar.

Makes 18 cookies.

Butter Cookie Dough
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine butter, both sugars and egg yolk in medium bowl. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Cover; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm.

Work Day

2008-11-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

Most Saturdays we get up and do some kind of work around the house. This morning we got up to wash the cars and do some yard work. We started off pretty well. Chad, Megan and I washed his truck. Abbey put out windmills and played with the dog. (Don't tell me she doesn't know how to work hard!! haha!) Dennis enjoyed his first work day by wandering around the yard sniffing and being carried around by two very willing girls!

Meet Dennis...

2008-11-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

Meet Dennis... the newest member of the family! The girls are THRILLED to have him!

My Young Rembrandt

2008-10-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Abbey has been taking an art class after school one day a week. She is really enjoying herself. We thought we'd share some of her projects with you all.

Prop 8

2008-10-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I don't like to get political. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but this video really affected me. Just thought I'd share...

A father goes to jail to protect his son

Maturity

2008-10-14T22:13:00.001-07:00

Recently, Abbey and I have had a few conversations about maturity. We've talked about how that now that she is eight years old, it's time for her be a little more responsible. She needs to pick up after herself a little more. She needs to help a little more around the house. She doesn't need someone to help her clean her room or sort her laundry or load her dishes into the dishwasher. She needs to make her bed and brush her teeth without being asked and without complaining about it.

Well, this morning I got up at the usual 7:00am to wake up the girls for school and get the day going. I always start with Megan and work my way around to Abbey then Emily. So, I woke Megan (always a little difficult as she is such a deep sleeper) and moved on to Abbey. I walked into her room and this is what I found. My heart skipped a beat before I realized that she must already be up. I checked the bathroom, but no, she wasn't there.

I went to check downstairs and this is what I found...

Up. Dressed. Made bed. Brushed hair and teeth. Eating breakfast.
READING THE PAPER??????????

I wanted her to grow up a little...not turn THIRTY!!

Tonight as I was tucking her in to bed, I asked her if there was anything she'd like me to pray for tomorrow at Moms-In-Touch. She said "Could you pray that I would keep my green card everyday at school (that's for good behavior), that I would be kind to others, and...um...that I would do more things without being asked."

What more could a mom ask for?

I guess she was listening.....(HALLELUJAH!)

Running...For Fun?

2008-10-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Chad has taken up running half marathons this year. If not, you can read about his hobby here.

Well, somehow I thought it would be fun if the girls and I ran a race too. We found a race in Long Beach and Chad signed up for another half marathon. Emily and I signed up to run the 5K and we registered Megan and Abbey for the Kids One Mile Fun Run.

We went up to Long Beach on Saturday so we could pick up our running packets at the Health and Fitness Expo. We also decided that spending the night in Long Beach made more sense than driving up so early in the morning. We brought my mom and Em's best friend with us. Mom helped get the girls to their race on time and Emily's friend was an excellent cheer leader.

The morning of the race was COLD. Abbey did not appreciate having to get up early in order to freeze...

Chad ended up running his personal best time:

Finish Time: 1:43:22
Pace: 7:54
Overall: 477 of 7410
Men: 389 of 2997
M35-39: 79 of 495

And Emily...who knew she was such a runner?

5K
Finish Time: 28:41
Pace 9:14
Overall: 358 of 1565
Women: 119 of 980
F 1-15: 14 of 54

Wow Em! I am SO proud of you!

Megan and Abbey did really well too! They didn't get official times but they both said that they had fun and that a mile was a lot shorter than they thought!

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but the girls helped me run the home stretch.

We are already looking forward to doing this again. Abbey even told me she wants to do the 5K next time!

So You Think You Can Dance

2008-09-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

For the last three summers, the girls and I have become devoted fans of the show So You Think You Can Dance! Last year I took Emily and Megan to see the live tour. This year, Season 4, all three girls got to go!

We saw the show in San Diego. We went down early and had dinner at In-N-Out Burger.

We were some of the first people in our seats.

Can't wait until next year!

Change

2008-09-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about change. How do I feel about change? What do I believe about change? How would I go about making a change? Am I capable of change?

These are all really difficult questions for me to answer. I'm not a great person for change. I don't usually react well to it. I am usually terrified and upset by change. It makes me nervous and edgy and afraid. The interesting thing, for me, about this whole topic is that I'm not really sure why I react this way. I've never experienced a traumatic change in my life that I am aware of. Maybe it's just how I'm wired...

The thing is, lately I've been feeling like it's time to make some changes in my life. I've spent a lot of years wondering if I'd ever figure out what I want to be when I grow up and I think I might be starting to formulate the answer to that question. There have been things in my life that I've been holding on to and maybe it's time to let them go. Am I capable of change? I guess I'll just have to give it a try and see how it all turns out.