Why I Love Valentine's Day....Heart Attack!!

I look forward to this....all year long!!  I love our family HEART ATTACK!!

We begin this on the 1st day of February, each morning before school, The Darlings and their

parents write on a little heart...something the like about the other people in the family.

This year...I found the cutest Post it Notes that were heart shaped...that made the note writing

much easier.  In years past we have used foamie hearts...and doiley hearts..but I love these the best.

The first days are easy...are not too creative...but sweet...it is on about day 5 that the family

has exausted the "standard" compliments and begins searching for something kind to share...

This get really creative and pretty funny....

We've gotten ALOT of laughs from this one...by PreShie...

It makes me sad when the time comes to take down the notes...I really love them...and I love

watching The Darlings and The Farmer...search for "their" hearts to see what other

family members have written about them.

It is one of our favoite family traditions!

A Perfect Summer Evening....

Escondida....

It is a place full of memories for more than one generation of The Farmer's family..

The Farmer spent much of his childhood at The Escondida Ranch.

Some of that time he was working....mending fences....gathering cattle to be branded...

Some of that time he was enjoying a family picnic or camping trip.

Other times, the family Christmas tree was carefully chosen...

and then there are the "man" trips, on 4-wheelers, held each year at the same time.

It is a lovely place, and so filled with wonderful memories.

When I was expecting The Boy, we made trips to the Escondida...

when The Boy was a little boy....he decided to give the Vacas....(cows).....

his....BaBa...(bottle), because The Farmer told him that they were really hungry,

and thus ended The Boy's BaBa days. He never really felt too bad about his gift

to the Vacas....he has has been a "cowboy" Boy since birth.

The Darlings have all spent a great amount of time at The Escondida...in fact during our recent trip to Utah, they longed for our summer trips to the ranch. The Darlings grew up in the streams that run only in the summer months....playing, swimming and fishing...when they were older, they enjoyed a little cliff jumping at the Dam. I asked The Boy, if he too would share this great treasure with his children...and his response was "for sure!!!"

Oh how we love a summer picinc at The Escondida Ranch.

'

Our most recent trip was a bit unusal. There were no Darlings with us.

Some had football, and another was sick. But that did not stop The Farmer, myself, and The Farmer's Mother....from joining other family members for a late afternoon journey to

The Escondida. The afternoon was warm....there was just enough water.....and after

a great attempt at building a small dam was made, by The Farmer and his brothers.....

there was just enough water for the little nieces and nephews to enjoy a swim. Truthfully

I think that the grown men enjoyed the process of building the dam, as much as the children

enjoyed swimming in the collected water;)

The recent rains have left The Escondida beautifully green.

The local wildlife were a bit disturbed for a few hours while the children collected

tadpoles, and anything else that they could find to play with. Always, The Farmer's Mother,

who has spent years on this ranch....was heard in the background saying...."don't hurt the

tadpoles....snakes....(or whatever they were playing with).....they would like to go back to their families...." or "be gentle...son't squeeze the little fish too hard..." I asked her about the years and years that she has spent on the ranch....and she said it was one of The Farmer's Father's favorite places to be. She rode with him on horseback...on the back of mules...on the back

of a 4-wheeler....or sometimes in the truck....all over the mountains of that ranch.

And she loved it!




The traditional stir-fry was served....it was quite yummy!

potatoes,

squash....meat....

onion....bell pepper....

all served on warm tortillas, topped with avocado...

Yum!


And when we were preparing to leave the ranch....this is what we saw.....

It was a perfect ending to a perfect summer evening picnic at

The Escondida Ranch.

Popcorn + Sunday = Tradition

If you were to ask The Darlings what Sunday evenings at Grandma C.'s is all about,

they would say

POPCORN!!

It is a tradation that has been going on for years. Every Sunday evening The Farmer's family

gathers for bowl of Grandma C.'s special popcorn. Some really lover her "special" recipe,

and others like it plain. Popcorn is enjoyed while great conversation is

had by the adults, and while the children are playing games or watching a movie in the next

room. It all sounds very civil doesn't it???

The kids have been known to get a little loud at times....

but what do you expect when 17-20....very active....

children are together??

Back to the adults.....we have certainly addressed all of the world's problems at one time or another, while eating a bowl of popcorn...and it is very possible

that we have solved a few too.

The Darlings begin Sunday morning with the same question each week.....

"Are we going to Grandma C.'s today???"

to which I answer...."Don't we always???"

but they still ask.

And, I love it that they ask!

And...I love it that she provides a place and time for us to gather as a family, to connect,

and to talk....

all over a bowl of ....POPCORN.


We have tried every popcorn popper known to man,

we actually own all of these poppers....currently.

I know....it is a little overboard....

but....it is serious business around here.

Here is my take on each.....

*Air popper - not a fan....too dry....but more healthy for you

*Whirley Pan - love it! it doesn't make enough to feed a crowd...makes awesome kettlecorn!

*Theater Popper - love it! It is a mess to clean...takes special oil....but it is yummy!

*Microwave Popcorn - great if you need something quick....great for the kids!

*Cuisinart Popper - love it! it is dang cute! it uses too much oil and mine broke pretty fast.

It is kind of difficult to clean too.

I thought for as much as I paid for it...it would become a family heirloom....Nooooo!

I do love everything else about it though...I cut way back on the oil that it suggests.

and it still makes great popcorn.


*Stir Crazy Popper - like it! easy to clean, uses less oil, makes a ton of popcorn

at one time. I recently purchased this, and so far so good....it is

holding up well.

The Farmer's only request on Sunday....is that he arrive home, in the evening,

(he can't usually join us at Grandma's)

to the smell of popcorn in the house and a large bowl for him on the counter.

It makes him happy.

Grandma C.'s Famous Sunday Popcorn

popped popcorn in a large bowl

olive oil

butter, (the real thing)

Brewer's yeast (can be purchased at a health food store)

salt

*melt the butter with olive oil in equal parts

carefully stir into the prepared popcorn....season to taste with salt

and sprinkle with Brewer's Yeast

(she says it is full of B vitamins, so it is good for you)

A Few Of My Favorite Things - Part 1

Over the next several days I am going to post a few of my favorite Christmas things.
Mostly for my personal documentation. Traditions are a wonderful thing, and it seems
that Christmas is full of the. I love advent calendars! Love them! Here are some darling
and creative ways to countdown for Christmas.



This is from my ever creative sister-in-law Kim. She always has the best ideas.

This is from Kim's friend....I love it!

I love this one most of all! Perfectly wrapped little presents. How fun to
open each one!

And finally....Our family Advent Calendar. This was made for me by a dear
friend. We have enjoyed it since the kids were very little. They look forward to
turning each number over, as if they didn't know what it will say when completed;)
Chirstmas just wouldn't be the same for us if we didn't have this calendar out!