Finders Keepers

I started my Saturday morning early to hit a yard sale or two. My goal was to find something to serve as storage for the playroom. I still had not unpacked the boxes of kid's books and everything I looked at online to buy was overpriced and not as functional as I would have liked it to be. 

I didn't know if I would find something but it never hurts to look. I drove to the first sale. It was a very large sale with items donated by area residents with all the profits going toward a high school group heading to Peru to do some sort of humanity project. 

I think I scored. 

Yes, I found a storage solution, but first I have to rave about this rug. I wasn't looking for a rug but certainly had been feeling like I needed a rug under my dining room table. But it would have to be big and have to have the colors I needed to tie my dining room and livings room together since our home is an open floor plan. And, rugs are costly. I'd been shopping around. 

I'm no expert on rugs, but I do believe this one was probably purchased at top dollar. It was in terrific condition. There was one tiny stain on the corner, no pet hair and yes, I put my nose to it to make sure it didn't have any odor problems. (Anyone observing me in this process probably got a chuckle. Good thing I don't know anyone.)

Once I brought it home I cleaned it up a little by vacuuming it and sprayed Lemon and Citrus Bliss essential oils on it for a nice natural deodorizer. 

I couldn't pass it up. Don't you agree? 

To the ARMOIRE.......

I saw this and knew it had potential. One of the bottom doors was missing and it was pretty cosmetically challenged, but it was a solid piece. I think it was meant to be! It fits perfectly in the space I needed it to be in and it is so multifunctional. 

By removing the other door, The Legos fit in the space like a charm, giving the boys access to them but at the same time remain tucked away. I'm a "tucker." I like things contained and out of view. My husband does not. He likes to see everything. I think this is a win win solution.

Perhaps when I have the time and vision, I'll paint it and spiff it up, but for now, it's serving it's purpose.

And you ask what I paid for the rug and the armoire? Well, typically, I would have driven a harder bargain, but since it was donation only and going to a charitable cause, I paid $20 for the rug and $20 for the armoire. I think I still got a great deal?

Boys and Berries

I know it probably doesn't seem like a big deal to some to pick berries, but to me it is a privilege to experience gathering your food source and teaching our kids how the food we consume gets to their mouths. To celebrate Father's Day, we headed to Lazy Valley Ranch in Penn Valley (less than a 10 minute drive for us) to pick our very first blueberries. I'm not a rookie berry picker by an means, with years of summers spent in my great grandparents raspberry patch, but blueberries were new.

Upon arrival we checked in and got our buckets. The kids got their own special little people buckets and we were pointed down the road to the patch. We were greeted by a lovely man, the owner, who told us where to park and then educated us on picking the ripest berries. We went to work. First in awe of how beautiful they were, then to find the most perfect berries. 

In typical Schuller fashion, the picking became competitive. The boys were on the prowl to find the biggest blueberry ever grown, and in their opinion, each one they found was. 

We spent a least an hour filling a bucket that in the beginning, seemed small and fillable, but quickly realized it was a slow fill. It didn't help that both boys kept stealing from the the big bucket to add to theirs. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our time spent in the 'Lazy Valley,' and I was excited to get home and make a blueberry smoothie in the nutribullet. But getting out of the blueberry patch was a little difficult. Eric struck up a conversation with the owner of the ranch, and as the kids and I lounged under a shade tree and sipped water, Eric and this man kept chatting. After all was said and done they were exchanging numbers. I think a connection was made and having heard tidbits of the conversation, I know Eric will be frequenting the area and begging Shannon to let him help with haying and other farm stuff. This should surprise no one that knows Eric! 

We finally made it back to the headquarters to weigh our beauties. $17 well spent!

And finally, home to create lunch! 

The 'Boys n Berry' (I know it's misleading, but clever, don't ya think?)

1/2 c. blueberries

1/3 c. vanilla Greek yogurt

2tsp. raw honey

2tsp. ground flax seed

1/2 c. Silk Fruit and Protein 

1/2 c. crushed ice

Blend, enjoy!

Remember the blackberry bushes in my back yard? Yep, they're ripening and will be ready to pick this week I presume! Blackberries are not going to be as leisurely to pick as they have nasty thorns. I will be out with my long sleeves and gloves gathering these. But don't you worry, it will not detour me from putting them in the freezer! 

After lunch we headed off on an adventure. Another body of water. This is Scott's Flat Lake. 

We decided to check out the day use shore. It was pretty populated, even on a Late Sunday afternoon, but the people watching is sometimes half the fun. 

I think it was a great Father's Day. 

Jax warming up after his swim

Kaleb warming up after his swim with his daddy. Love this picture!

Montana Memories

Photo 1. Tickling the little people from behind brought out the smiles. 

We had our family photos taken in March right before Eric headed down to start his new job. I thought it would be a good way to reminisce of our home, our mountains, our Montana. 

We used a new photographer, as our friend Christina Engle with patchworkphotography.com, moved to Phoenix. I found a budding photographer out of Ennis, MT, Shanna Swanson, shannamaephotography.com. 

I called a friend in Sheridan to ask permission to use a structure on their property, called Silver Springs, as our backdrop. I love old and rustic wood, the history, the texture, the earthiness. She was all for it. Shanna was willing to meet us in Sheridan. 

The day was blustery and cool, the wind was not cooperating, and neither was one of my children. Jaxon just wasn't having any of this picture taking thing. He wouldn't smile, barely looked at the camera and was just expressionless. Shanna did a great job working with our family and despite having an uncooperative little guy, she managed to capture our family in our best light. I would highly recommend her!

Look through the purchased photos. I have copyrights to them. If you are a family member and would like to order any pictures - shoot me an email or text and let me know. I've numbered them in the caption so you can order accordingly. I will send you a digital copy and you can do your own printing.

ENJOY!

Photo 2. Just for fun. This was Shanna's idea. I wasn't entirely sold on the idea but LOVED how it turned out. Notice the storm that rolled in behind us ~ then look at the next picture to see the difference. 

Photo 3. This isn't the greatest of our family, but we sure love the backdrop.
I think my eyes are even partly closed. darn!

Photo 4. Kaleb Thomas. What a handsome little mini-Eric.

Photo 5. You take what you can get. I actually really like this picture because Jaxon is in his own little happy world.

Photo 6. The boys. Love, Love, Love Jaxon's expression!

Photo 7. My personal favorite. What I love is that we aren't posing. We're just walking together as a family.

Photo 8. Driving back into town I spotted this amazing building and thought it would make a cool background. One would think we coordinated our colors to match this building. 

Ultra Proud Parental Moment

Last summer it was swimming - my ultra proud parental moment. It's that moment you first witness your child doing something independently, that they have either learned with your assistance, or on their own.  It's an accomplishment. It's a milestone. It's also a tear-jerker as you realize you're child is growing up.

I won't lie. We had to push a little harder on the bike riding than we wanted to. Kaleb was not motivated AT ALL to ride without training wheels. Probably not uncommon. A few months back I found a YouTube video on how to teach a child to ride. Their concept was simple. Remove the pedals and let them first learn to balance by gliding on the bike and making the bike go by using their feet to push themselves. So, we took the pedals off.

Problem. Kaleb wasn't too excited to get himself going fast enough to try to balance. Our neighborhood has a perfect learning spot, with a slight hill and then a nice gradual downslope. That became our start point. Problem. Kaleb kept putting his feet down to stop himself, not allowing for him to get going fast enough or long enough to work on the balancing act. I was getting frustrated. Eric was getting frustrated. We tried not to let our frustration show. Should we nudge (okay, push) or stop and let him just keep riding on the trainers?

In my moment of frustration and sheer "you can do this kid," I suggested that if he doesn't quit putting his feet down, we'll have to take off his shoes. Well, I really didn't mean that, but as soon as I said it, I knew Eric was going to do it. So there I was, warning my child that if he put his feet down, they would get scraped up. Did he understand that? This could be genius. This could be disastrous.

And then it happened. He had no control except to steer and balance. He was not in control of stopping himself, yet in control of balancing. The first time he glided without shoes he went a few feet. The second time, 50 yards and the 3rd, well, he went all the way to the bottom of our subdivision - on his OWN - with daddy running right beside.

He was ecstatic - confident. I was holding back tears. Eric was puffed up with pride. It was time for pedals and shoes. Eric threw them back on and we went back to work. Kaleb's attitude had changed. He WANTED to keep going. First time with pedals and shoes, he went to the bottom of the subdivision, again. Then, turned around and PEDALED back UP the hill. He had put it together. It clicked in his little mind. Removing the shoes was ---- genius.

Smoothie Geek

Since our week spent in Tucson in April, we were introduced to a new gadget called the nutribullet. This little baby is superb! It's a souped-up version of a blender - allowing to pulse, grind and blend -making the most nutritious and delicious smoothies, gazpacho, salsa and sauces. I've been "bulleting" for a while now. My dad saw how much our family loved the byproduct of the bullet and gave us one as a gift. Isn't he cool?

Anyway, I've become kind of a smoothie geek. For fun I create new smoothies and name them. I think I've always had the propensity to be one of these people - because for years I've always wanted that job; naming nail polish or paint colors. Perhaps my geekness goes far beyond food?  I digress.

The makings of "The Green-go."

Isn't she lovely? 

The nutribullet has revolutionized all our eating - but I'm particularly thrilled with what its doing for a certain picky eater. As ya'all that know our family know, we have thee pickiest of picky eaters - my Jaxon boy. So you can understand why I'm tooting the nutribullet's horn when I can make crazy healthy smoothies and call them "milkshakes," and serve them up to Jax! And.....he drinks them. I think it's the first time (absolutely no exaggeration) his little body has ingested a veggie or a fruit since he was 12 months. I'm sure his system throws out some codes when he consumes spinach, flaxseed, yogurt, bananas and micro greens. 

Yes, seriously. I can disguise these wonderful foods right in his "milkshakes." Of course we have to be careful with our wording. We can't call it a smoothie - but I can work around that. Oh and anything with tiny seeds is out of the question (it's a textural thing). But the possibilities are pretty endless - especially now that I live in the land of fruits and nuts. (I'm talking ingredients here, people)

My fave for lunch, "The Californian" 

(leave me a comment if you want the recipe)

Recipe for The Green-go:

1/4 c. Dole pineapple orange juice, or any citrus juice

1/4 c. Coconut milk

1/2 frozen or fresh banana (or throw a whole one in) 

1 ripe juicy Mango (peeled)

1 ring (or 2) of fresh pineapple (could use canned)

1tsp. ground flax

2 drops doTerra Citrus Bliss Essential oils

3 tsp slivered almonds or cashews

Handful of fresh greens, spinach or kale (I used spinach)

1/3 c. crushed  ice (or more) for a colder smoothie

Put on nutribullet and blend - sip slowly so you don't get a brain freeze and ENJOY all that goodness.

Lizards and Lavender

Many new things surround me. One thing this Montana girl is getting use to is the lizards. They are small and harmless, but still scurry around and rustle the bushes, which gives my heart a slight jump start - but I'm warming up to them. I like watching them from my kitchen window as they climb the tree to sun themselves. Prior to our arrival, Eric befriended 2 little lizards that made their home under our back steps. He named them Leo and Chleo ( I think it's safe to say he was bordering on boredom and loneliness) and these scaly little guys were there for him! HA! 

The boys are still getting use to them too. They like chasing them into the bushes and watching them perform their "push-ups" on the patio. 

Look mom, a lizard!

The other new thing in my world is essential oils - doTerra Essential Oils. Or as Kaleb calls them, "central oils." I became a consultant - which means I can sell these oils. The opportunity happened spontaneously and by accident when my cousin Barb heard I had sick kids a few days prior to leaving Montana. She told me briefly over the phone about these oils and offered to come over and explain them more. 

So its safe to say I'm a virgin essential oil user. I decided to buy what's called the Family Physicians Kit and give them a try. My kit was at my front door in California welcoming me. After having used them for about 3 weeks, I am a believer these oils work. They help ailments, add flare to food, offer a natural alternative and just simply make a person feel good. I'm not sure how I functioned without them this long. They are amazing! 

Lavender - a multi-functional oil

How you ask? What do I do with them?

Let me tell you.....

* I clean my counters with a mixture of water and drops of Citrus Bliss. The smell is sensational.

  (No harsh chemicals!)

* Drops of Deep Blue to coconut oil (what's known as a carrier oil) to massage Eric's sore lower back   

  (from moving heavy boxes) 

* On Guard might be the best blend of oils I have and they have made it into a foaming hand soap. It's 

   an antibacterial blend of oils, so I have put it in a spray bottle with water and sprayed door handles, 

   toys, etc... I'll use this any day over bleach!

* Lemon. Ahhh, Lemon. A drop or 2 into a glass of water or into a recipe. On my list to try - lemon 

  bars!

* Lavender, lovely lavender. My 'essential,' essential oil. Someone told me lavender is a natural repellent for creepy crawlies such as spiders and scorpions. So naturally you can imagine I was spraying Lavender diluted in water like a mad woman all over door frames and window sills. It was a great task for the boys - kept them entertained for a couple hours. :) 

  Another fantastic use for Lavender is for relaxation. I've been sneaking a drop under Kaleb's 

pillow at bedtime. (And Jax, and mine, and Eric's) Kaleb isn't an easy child to get to sleep but I have noticed a difference since using the lavender. Win!

* Oregano. I won't say Oregano essential oils was solely responsible for the best spaghetti sauce I've ever made. I have to give a little credit to the nutribullet - my newest kitchen gadget. (More on this in another post) By making a spinach, garlic and red pepper purée in the bullet then adding a few drops  of Oregano and mixing in to a tomato sauce, dinner that night was a HIT!

* Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender. If you suffer from allergies like hayfever, then this concoction is the ticket. California has introduced my body to all kinds of new pollens and I have been having some pretty moderate allergies. I tried the cocktail and within 15 minutes my allergies subsided! I would not lie to you!!

And this is just the beginning.... I would encourage anyone who has never tried essential oils to give them a whirl. They will amaze you. And if you're so inclined to buy them through me - cool!  If you want to read more about doTerra Essential oils, pop on over there!

These Essential Oils live right in my spice cabinet for easy access!

Getting Aquainted

There's nothing like feeling guilty as a parent about taking your children away from all they once loved. Family, friends, mountains, Montana.... 

BUT

I truly believe we're going to cultivate some great friendships here and find new things to love. Case in point: A very cool irony occurred. We met some people that live two doors down that moved here from Bozeman in January...... and they have 2 boys! Kaleb was very sad to leave behind his good buddy Trenton, and though he can not be replaced, Kaleb has made a few new friends in the first week we've been here! I'm so excited for this. 

And there's really no better way to get going with friendship than to have a BBQ. Yes, after only being here for 6 days, we had a BBQ and invited some people over. There's really no better incentive to getting your house in order than to plan a party. And it was completely spontaneous. We just thought it would be cool to have our new Montana friends over and let the boys play, but then we bumped into another couple, who also have 2 boys, and decided to invite them! It was a pretty neat time. All 6 boys (all under 6) played on the trampoline, in the sprinkler, with trucks and rocks and sucked down popsicles. It was good for our souls, as parents, to see our children forming new friendships.... and make new friends ourselves!

My friend Selene invited me to go to Lake Wildwood on Monday. Lake Wildwood is a gated community with privileged access to a golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool and a beautiful lake with a nicely maintained sandy beach. I was able to access this because of my new friend that lives within Lake Wildwood. (pretty lucky, don't you think?) We packed a lunch and let the boys play in the water for the afternoon. I believe I'm going to have a nice tan pretty quickly! O yeah!

So far, my new experiences are feeling more like a vacation, and these boxes are certainly not unpacking themselves! 

Checking out the river

Hanging with a new friend, JB, at the river.

California boys, blondies in their swim trunks

5 boys enjoying Popsicles on the trampoline at the BBQ - they all had a LOT of energy!

Yes, we will have many days (and hotter) like this

Lake Wildwood sandy beach (had the whole place to ourselves because school is not out here yet.)

Someone is having fun!

Celebrating our 13th Anniversary on June 3rd with frozen yogurt

I infrequently make a picture - but here I am :) 

Kaleb took our picture 20 times and this was the best of them