Jo-Lynne over at Musing of a Housewife created a fun idea to recap 2010. You are to post the first line from the first post of each month. I added just a little commentary too. So here goes:

January- I am one of the few people who likes resolutions. I love the opportunity to examine my life and think of things I want to add or take away to make it better. I mean, I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't succeed. I'm just going to try and learn. And yes, I do this every day of the year. It's just fun to think a little bigger as we watch the calender change.

I looked back over my resolution list last week and I had accomplished 9 out of 10! That's pretty darn good.

February- My computer has been working for a whole 16 hours!

My computer still drives me nuts. Maybe one of my resolutions should be that it is replaced.

March-
Asher handsome, courageous running, playing, laughing makes my heart beat Son

Oh, my sweet baby turned three this year. Here's a virtual pat on the back for those of you who dealt with a three year old in 2010. Or ever.

April- There are so many things I want to blog about! But I am behind in posting to the point I don't know where to start.

My blogging went way down hill in 2010. Another resolution idea is brewing...

May- Today I am old. Well, at least I am older than I was yesterday. I love that my birthday is in May. I love that the weather is almost always gorgeous. I love that the whole nation of Mexico is celebrating me.

I got a bike for my birthday. I'm still scared of it.

June- The last couple weeks have been super busy around here, so I thought I'd post some of the milestones passed.

In the mundane of the day to day this post made me realize how many things changed this year. Rachel is growing so fast, Rosie is now homeschooling and Asher has gained quite a few new social skills. Including, but not limited to, streaking.

July- A certain young boy recently told me he read my blog. I was like, "What?"

There was a point in my blogging career I was desperate for readers. Now that I have some (three) my transparency has taken quite the back seat. So much so I didn't even blog in August. And in September I had one post that was only pictures. I started this blog for me, I need to remind myself of that!

October- Last night we made our way down to the Michael C. Carlos Museum for their "Mummies and Milkshakes" event. I had been wanting to take the kids, since we are studying ancient history this year, and last night worked out great. We had an "Egyptian" picnic, with grape flavored Capri Suns, Ritz crackers, cheese, dried banana chips, cucumbers and yogurt. Then we headed over to the museum where we looked at real mummies! It was pretty cool and gross all at the same time. I was so proud of my girls with their comments like, "That pottery is from the New Kingdom because of the blue on it." It reinforced all that we have been learning.

This was one of my favorite moments from our school year. In some ways I have been struggling through our homeschooling curricula. But it's moments like that field trip that make it worth it.

November- Rachel saw this "skele-cutie" costume months ago and liked it. I made a bony ballerina joke, and that was its name from then on out.

More pictures for November and December. A few recipes, but no real "meat" in blog posts.


So this exercise has taught me that my blog is DULL. If you are still reading- well, thank you loyal reader. I'm sorry I haven't offered more. But I am adding "make my blog better" to my resolution list.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's!

Our life...as documented by ornaments...

(I totally copied this idea from Jodi.)

Once upon a time there was a funny guy that loved Star Wars and Mexican food.


He met a girl who looked like a mouse and liked to sew.


Wait. I think the author is a little biased against the appearance of the girl in this story. She is now in her thirties and saying goodbye to the youthful look she once had. Let's try again.

A long, long, long time ago, in 1996, boy met girl. They fell in love in 1998. They got married in 1999.



Eventually Very soon they had a precious little girl. Her name was Rachel. She started dancing at a young age and hasn't stopped since.


A few years later the most snugly of all their children entered the family. She made them laugh (and sometimes cry.) She brought joy and music to their lives.


And then, after two lovely little girls, God decided it was time for this little family to experience a little man. Asher came to be part of this wonderful family.

In many ways he completed their troupe. They could say "Party of five" when eating out.

But their poor mom was a bit frazzled, and a few years later when they decorated the tree a terrible thing happened.

Asher opened a box and found many ornaments with baby pictures on them. He carefully lifted each one out and asked, "Is this me?" "No, sweetie. Those are all of your sisters," the mom sadly replied. You see, this mom had never had Christmas pictures made of her third born. She had never created an album to document his life. She had been too busy caring for three little kids to remember such important, but non-pressing, matters.

Then, to the rescue, came Super-Grandma. She swooped in with a package from Macy's containing ornaments to remember each precious life.

Fittingly, Asher's ornament was a snowflake. You see, they say no two snowflakes are alike, and the same is true for children. While Asher does not have a special baby picture ornament, he does have a family that loves him dearly. He is a unique gift from above. He shines brightly, not because of what is packed away in a box as hidden treasure, but because he reflects the light of others. He is sensitive and caring, yet strong and creative.


And it is because of the three children that there is so much noise joy in this special home at Christmas time.

Anybody interested-

In what we are eating this week? Here's my weekly plan. It includes three new recipes, so I thought I'd share. I've never tried these, so I'll let you know.

Monday (with salad and bread)

Roasted Red Pepper and Herb Pasta with Shrimp(from Cooking Light)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups shrimp and pasta mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese)

2 red bell peppers
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel and chop; set aside.

3. Cook fettuccine according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Set aside; keep warm.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add shrimp to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and 1/4 cup lemon juice to the pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until the shrimp are done and half of the liquid has evaporated. Add chopped parsley and the next 5 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper) to the shrimp mixture. Remove pan from heat.

5.Combine cooked fettuccine and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large bowl; toss well. Add shrimp mixture, tossing gently to coat. Top each serving with cheese.

Tuesday (with grilled cheese)

Cannellini Bean Stew (from Real Simple)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Other Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 servings

2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
6 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan (optional)

In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, bring the beans, broth, garlic, bay leaf, and carrots to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Spoon the stew into bowls. Drizzle with the oil. If desired, add either some vinegar or Parmesan.

Wednesday (side dishes- green beans and roasted red potatoes)

Lazy Cranberry Chicken(From I'm a Lazy Mom)

(The following is quoted from her site.)

4-5 chicken breasts
1 8oz bottle of french dressing
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
1 16oz can of whole cranberries

Place your breasts (the chicken's, not yours) in a crock pot. I slap mine in there frozen (the chicken's, not mine), but if you have some time (and want this dish to be even better) you can brown your breasts (the chicken's, not yours) on both sides in a pan before putting them in the crock pot. Which is something I've NEVER done, but I do recommend it for those of you who aren't as pathetic as I am. It adds flavor. Or something like that.

Next, pour in the whole bottle of dressing, toss in the soup mix and dump in the cranberries. (Those are all very technical cooking terms in case you were wondering.)

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours or until your breasts are done (the chicken's, not yours).

Serve over a bed of rice, noodles, or just throw it down on a plate like I did.

(I'm going to try this with Fiddle DeeDee's brown rice)

Thursday

Spaghetti and meatballs, salad and bread (Depending on my enthusiasm I may make homemade meatballs from The Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader and marinara from Jennifer's cooking blog and Cooking Light. It makes a ton, so if you use this recipe be prepared to freeze some.)

If you make any of these, let me know how they go!

Wordless Wednesday