Home is Where the Heart Is

My children are blessed. One of the things that I wanted more than anything when Robby and I began to plan for a family was a close extended family. He grew up with tons of cousins to play & conspire with. I grew up spending weekends and summers at my grandparents house sliding down the stairs, raiding the Avon closet, and walking to the neighborhood park/pool. These memories still have the ability to make us smile and laugh. We both wanted our own children to have these close relationships and cherished memories that we had been blessed with in our younger years.

If you had asked me two years ago, I would have told you that life was almost perfect. Our third, and final, little one was on his way. Auntie Missa was also expecting her 2nd little one. Bobby and Katie got to play and grow with their cousin,Peyton, daily. Katie and Peyton did everything together. They discovered baby dolls together. They had sleepovers together. They took baths together. They started pre-school together. The laughed, played, cried, argued, but most importantly loved together. They were so close sometimes they acted more like siblings than cousins. Every weekend, the Lofgren family would get together for a family dinner and share our lives.

Fate stepped in on August 6, 2009 and forever changed the dynamics of our family. We don't get to see Peyton and Reagan anymore. Bobby, Katie and Andy don't get to play with their cousins. They don't get to talk with their cousins. They don't get to share secrets with their cousins. They don't get to laugh and discover with their cousins. Robby and I can do nothing to fill this aching gap in our family. We can only hope that God and a judge will restore that which has been lost.

My children are blessed! They have 5 GREAT grandparents in their lives...yes, I said 5! They finally got to meet all of their great grandparents this October when we visited family in the mid-west. Great-grandpa Miller made them homemade banana ice cream. Great-grandma Joy took them to Walker Brothers for breakfast and sent them each a gift thanking them for their visit. Great-grandpa and grandma Goldsmith live in Green Valley. They absolutely loved meeting each of their great's and can't wait for a return trip to the mid-west.

Great-Grandpa and Grandma Miller

Great-Grandma Joy

My parents, Granny and Grandpa, moved to Kansas a few years ago. Due to the distance and a lack of funds, we don't get to see each other as often as we would like to. That doesn't stop anyone from cramming as much fun, laughter, and love into the visits we do have. Bobby and Katie love when Granny and Grandpa come to town! They tickle fight, sword fight, and play games until Granny or Grandpa are worn out. Then Granny shows me how to sew or cook something new; things that someday I hope to pass on to my own children. I'm so thankful that we have these special times together and look forward to future visits.

Tickle time with grandpa

Granny and Grandpa

Rob's parents, Nana and Boppa, live about 20 minutes away in NE Tucson. Bobby, Katie and Andy get to see Nana almost every day. She takes Bobby and Katie to school 3 days a week and watches Katie and Andy 5 days a week. Since economic times make it impossible for me to stay at home with my little ones, I get the next best thing...a grandmother who loves them every bit as much as I do. Nana spoils them rotten, but I guess that is what a grandma is for. (When

Bobby knocked Katie's teeth loose a few weeks ago, he told Katie not to worry because Nana would take her to Toys R Us if she lost a tooth. The voice of wisdom!) Boppa also helps take care of Andy and Katie on the days that he is home from work. Andy loves napping and chillin'

with Boppa. When they are not providing care for the children, they are planning special evenings and events for them. They have sleepovers, take them to Disney productions, go to the circus, the park, etc. Every year, we go to Apple Annie's in the fall. We spend every holiday together. We eat dinner together at least once a week. We go out for dinner for birthdays. They are such an important part of my children's development and I am thankful that they are able to spend so much quality time together. Bobby wrote this note to his Boppa on Thanksgiving:

Boppa is the best Grampa evr.

I love boppa.

Boppa is nise.

Boppa plays with me.

Boppa wochis moovese.

From: Bobby

Apple Annie's 2010

American Girl with Nana

Disney on Ice

My children are blessed! While I may long for the seasons of the mid-west, my children's hearts are here. Home is where the heart is!!!

Cheesecake Heaven

I decided to experiment with my basic cheesecake recipe for Bobby's Friendship Feast and received positive feedback. So I thought I would share the recipe this week.

You can either make the graham cracker crust from scratch or you can use the Keebler Ready Crust. It is completely up to you. If you use the Keebler Ready Crust you will need 2 pie shells. If you make the crust from scratch you will need:

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

5 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sugar

Combine the above ingredients. Press into the bottom and 1/2 way up the sides an ungreased 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Let crust cool before filling with cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Filling

3- 8oz.pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin eggs, and spice. Beat till smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the crust. (If you use the ready crust, you will have enough filling for 2 cheesecakes.) Bake for 60-70 min. or until the top turns a golden color. Gently feel the center of the cheesecake to make sure that it is firm. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

**To prevent cracking, place a baking dish below the cheesecake with 1" of water. You may need to refill the water halfway through the cooking time.**

Before serving, edge the cheesecake with whipped topping and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Enjoy! My next experiment is going to be a holiday mint cheesecake using Andes mints. I'll let you know what my taste testers think!

I'm All Out of...Ideas

I'm all of ideas. The only thing running through my mind right now is, "I'm nearing the finish line! Only 3 more posts before I've completed the November blogging challenge." Some days have been easier than others to generate ideas for a post. Tonight is one of those nights where I am feeling uninspired.

My father-in-law is going in for a minor procedure in the morning. He is having a scope in one of his major arteries to ensure that there is no blockage. Although it is a rather simple procedure, there is always the fear that something might go wrong. Tonight has been filled with anxiety about tomorrow's upcoming events.

So I leave you with a picture of my littlest one finishing the race. Love the utter look of concentration on his face! :) Until tomorrow everyone...

Cheese Gone Bad!

I like to try to get Christmas photos and cards out of the way long before the holiday rush begins. Robby and I picked out outfits for the children back in September. I'm one of those OCD moms who loves to coordinate her children's outfits. I don't know what I will do when they outgrow Gymboree. We had the clothes, we had the picture date, we got up early to get spruced up...so now all that was left was to show up and smile, right? WRONG!

Say what?!? I have to take pictures today?

Andy was not in a picture taking mood today. We arrived at the mall 10 minutes before our scheduled appointment ready to go. Andy wanted to walk around, so we took turns following him in and out of the store. The young photographer told us it was out turn and we all moved to the back room. We got situated and then she said, "Let's try a photo with everyone standing first. Mom and dad in the back facing each other. Kids in the front facing each other. Little one in the front by himself." Lets just say that did not work out. Every time we'd place Andy in front of his brother and sister, he'd run off. We tried this at least 6 times...and then he began to scream every time we'd pick him up and try to hold him for the photo. After several attempts to calm him down, we called it quits for today and re-scheduled.

The minute we walked out of Picture People the tears stopped...go figure! :)

Since our Christmas family photo had been a bust, we came home and decorated the house for the holidays. Threw a Garth Christmas CD and sprayed some cinnamon air freshener...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!

Christmas tree up and decorated...check!

Andy hanging his very first ornament on the tree

Bobby's new favorite ornament...it lights up and Darth and Luke talk!

Katie having fun putting her own ornaments on the tree. Her favorites this year...the evil queens from Disney!

Icicle lights hanging and programmed on a timer...check!

Countdown to Christmas angel hung on the wall...check!

Christmas photos finished and cards ordered...uncheck!

What's an OCD mom to do??? Smile and keep swimming! These moments remind me that I am not really in control! LOL! I can only hope next week's photo session is a success. ALL hints and helpful advice for getting a 19 month old to participate in the family photo session will be greatly appreciated!

Bb is for Black Friday

I am one of "them". I wake up in the middle of the night to seek out the ultimate deals on Black Friday. I sleep over at my in-laws on Thanksgiving night and the girls head out bright and early to shop till we drop. Our routine over the years has become Kohls, then Target, then various other stores and sales. This year, we broke from tradition and went to Target first.

I don't know what made this year different, but Target seemed much more crowded than usual. I didn't feel like the deals were as good this year...regardless of my lackluster list, there were hundreds of people in front of us when we arrived to line up for the grand opening. Since I'm not after the major electronic deals, I usually don't have a hard time finding the items on my list. This year my list included: a $3 toaster for work, a new piggy bank for Katie, a computer chair for my father-in-law, Christmas pajamas for the little ones, and an Itunes gift card for the hubby. I gathered all of my items only to discover that the line wrapped halfway around the store and was quickly approaching an hour wait time. Thankfully, my mother-in-law accidently got in the electronics checkout line and we only had to wait about 20 minutes.

Next, we headed out to Kohl's. CRAZY!!! The line wrapped the entire way around the store and was running about 2 hours. My mother-in-law volunteered to get in line while I shopped. I found some cute Christmas tees for the kids and a few toys for my princess.

By the end of our Kohl's stint, I was beginning to reach my sleep deprivation limit. We ran to a few more stores for a quick item here and there...finally, I picked up the kids and came home. Can anyone say NAP TIME??? Unfortunately, my little ones had different plans.

So, without further ado, I am off to bed. I hope everyone's Black Friday experience was as fruitful as mine! Family Christmas pictures at Picture People tomorrow. (I'm sure that will be the theme of my next blog.) I love the beginning of the Christmas season!!!

Things I Am Thankful For...

Turkey Day 2010

It is a family tradition to stop what we are doing, take a moment, and to think about things that we are thankful for. These are just a few:

"Car! Vroom!" -Andy

"I am thankful for you!"- Katie

"I am thankful for God, Jesus, and my family."- Bobby

I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful for the 3 beautiful children that God has given me. I am thankful for a wonderful husband who almost always gets me. I am thankful for my sister who is always there to listen. I am thankful for my family who helps take care of my little ones. I am truly blessed!

Wordless Wednesday: My Little Turkey

Friendship Feast 2010