A success!

First and foremost, a great big, gigantic THANK YOU to all those who were thinking of us and sending your prayers our way! And, hugs and kisses to Keith and Susan who did a great job spoiling our kids for eight days. (I'm sure it will take me months to get them back to "normal".)

In my opinion, California was a success and we are looking forward to a pain-free 2009! Dr. Wise was brilliant (fitting name don't you think) and gave us lots of good tools and help. I was feeling rather apprehensive to meet him, he being a genius doctor of research at Stanford University, and me being a backward country bumpkin from Nowhere, USA. But he put me at ease the minute we met and in the course of a week has become a very close friend of Dustin's. Tim, his physical therapist, is now a member of our family and Dustin has invited him to live with us! Well, maybe not "live" with us, but they have already planned a ski vacation, hiking expedition and guitar jam session to be held ASAP! Spending nine hours a day with others, sharing your pain, anxiety and intimate details can really forge a bond quickly and that's what Dustin has gleaned from this experience. Nearly 20 new allies! Men and women from all over the world, including England, Spain, France, Finland, Ireland and Scotland, not to mention all the others from the states. It was an amazing experience... amazingly hard...amazingly beneficial. We feel incredibly blessed for having found help for Dustin's CPP. It will be a long process, he has not been "suddenly cured" but we now know what to do and how to do it and having the tools we need is the greatest boon!

Asian Chicken Salad

I love this salad and thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

For the Salad, add together:
1 bag of fresh Spinach
1 8oz. pkg. Bow tie Pasta cooked and cooled
4 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds
1/2 C. Sunflower Seeds
1 C. Water Chestnuts, chopped
3 Chicken Breasts, cooked in lots of lemon-pepper seasoning, cooled and diced

For the Dressing, mix together very well: (make sure the sugar is dissolved)
1/2 C. Vegetable Oil
1 tsp. Salt
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1 tsp. fresh, grated Garlic

Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. *Do not refrigerate dressing before putting on salad!

Paintin' Pumpkins

Check out what we did this weekend! We not only painted pumpkins but we also worked on our Halloween costumes (pictures coming soon) and got spooked at our friends' "Spooky Walk". They decorate their backyard with gravestones, flashing lights, skeletons and all manner of creepy crawlies and cajole the local drama club into dressing up and entertaining the neighborhood. Did I mention they also have candy? So fun!

P.S. the warm weather has returned! (75 degrees today)

Dustin v. Snow

I had to post this picture, it makes me laugh! Dustin went out to save the trees after the big snow the other day and this is what he got for his efforts. He reminds me of Don Quixote. The aging, gentle buffoon part you ask? Of course not! As the hero who rides off on his decrepit horse to perform acts of chivalry in the name of love. I can see clearly in my mind, the fog beginning to lift and Don Quixote racing toward the windmills, imagining them as giants. Now, conjure up the lyrics to "The Impossible Dream". (To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe....) Picture Dustin, cantering toward those towering trees, gallantly grasping the trunks and shaking with all his might! Ridiculous? Yes, but like Quixote who is also ridiculous, he "maintains his staunchly hopeful attitude and belief in chivalry." * For me, his love, (or maybe to safeguard his investment) Dustin bravely fought the snow. While not looking like the resplendent hero, deep down he really is my knight in shining armor!....(And the world will be better for this, That one man, scorned and covered with scars, Still strove with his last ounce of courage, To reach the unreachable star.)
* www.answers.com

What the Heck?!

Where did my beloved fall go? The leaves on my trees haven't even changed color yet! And isn't that the best part of October, all the yellows, oranges and reds? As I was wallowing in gloom, my kids were joyfully pulling on their snow boots! Ellie (being the scientific one) took a ruler out and measured that abominable, pallid mess. 7 inches in my backyard! Just look at the tree in the front, it looks like the top has been broken off and is barely hanging on by a shred of bark. It's not even Halloween! We're not supposed to have snow until after Halloween! Ignoring my state of depression, the kids had a blast building a snowman and making angels all over the yard. They made a regular "snow day" out of it and in the end, (resigned to Mother Nature's will) I actually pulled myself out of my funk to make them hot chocolate when they finally came in.

I love Fall!

Fall is exciting!

It's apples and cider.

It's an airborne spider.

It's pumpkins in bins.

It's burrs on dog's chins.

It's wind blowing leaves.

It's chilly red knees.

It's nuts on the ground.

It's a crisp dry sound.

It's green leaves turning

And the smell of them burning.

It's clouds in the sky.

It's fall. That's why...

I love fall."

-Author Unknown

An afternoon in the pumpkin patch

Our local nursery offers free hayrides and pumpkins this time of year and we love to take advantage! We pile onto the trailer loaded with hay and head out, bumping up and down the dirt roads, to the back of the nursery where all those fat, orange pumpkins are waiting. It's great fun to see the kids run from pumpkin to pumpkin, checking under all the overgrown leaves and vines for that one special gourd that will make this seasons best jack-o-lantern!

Jace's autograph

Is not a kiss the very autograph of love?

-Henry Fink

Can you see the kisses along the bottom of the mirror? I'm not sure when Jace did this, or even why, but I love it! Usually I'm annoyed by his messes, but if I could etch these kisses permanently onto this mirror I would!

We're having WHAT for dinner?

My in-laws are coming to stay with the kids while Dustin and I are away and I want to have a few meals prepared in advance to ease the burden of having to cook each night. So, as we sat around the dinner table I asked the girls which meals they'd like for me to freeze. Lainie was enthusiastic and suggested five or six great ideas. Ellie on the other hand replies, (with a no-nonsense look on her face) "I'm 75% sure I won't eat anything with chicken in it!" I bet you all can guess what we were eating for dinner tonight!

Screwdriver as hair appliance?

This morning, as I was getting ready for the day, I had just picked up my hairdryer when I heard Jace yelling for help. I find him sitting on the floor holding his foot. As I kneel next to him to examine his toes, my wet hair falls into my face. Looking up, Jace says “Mom you need to get your screwdriver.” “Why do I need a screwdriver?” I inquire. “Cuz, you gotta get that hair fixed!”

D & C 1:27

As you can tell by my last post, I love my sister and that doesn’t stop even when she chastens me! She has shown me the error of my ways and has encouraged me to make amends. Yes, she called me to repentance and so I humbly come before her to ask for forgiveness.
Sarah, will you please forgive my lazy ways? Will you forgive me for not carrying my camera with me wherever I go? Will you forgive me for not blogging every silly thing Jace says? Will you forgive me for being too lazy to do anything other than sit on my couch and read a good book? I promise to try harder to keep my blog updated. I promise to add pictures to my posts. I promise to patiently wait for my decrepit computer to log on so that I can keep you a breast of “all the goings on in the Birch household”. I can’t promise perfection, but I can promise that I will endeavor to be a much more consistent blogger.
Your humble and always sincere sister,
Wendi

Sarah

Having my sister here for the week has been the most wonderful thing! Do you have a friend or family member who (no matter what is happening in your life or theirs) makes you feel like a million bucks? They can look into your eyes and know exactly what you’re thinking, exactly what you're feeling and they know exactly how to react to whatever need they see there? (and respond in a way that boosts your self-esteem?) That is my sister. She is brilliant! She makes me feel good about myself. She makes me laugh. The best thing is that I don’t even have to try to look good in front of her, she loves me for being real. Even when it’s weak, shallow, selfish-Real. I have so much fun when she is around and I can see myself morph into a new being, someone who is more positive, more loving, more giving, more good. Oh how I wish that she lived next door! Having her close would be so great for me, not to mention what a benefit it would be for my kids! Until that golden, happy day, possibly in the far-distant future, I’ll cling to the spirit she left here and will always admire her pluck!

Happy Late Birthday To You!

A small tribute to the summer birthdays I so rudely neglected!