What happened?

My children have grown up and I seemed to have missed it.....
Last week A.J. let us know that he is trying to come home for a long weekend in May (May 14-17) as he has a quick break after finals and before "summer prep" begins. He INSISTED on taking care of all the flight arrangements and paying for the ticket himself. We told him we don't mind and he again insisted as it was an extra, unplanned trip home. It was a very mature thing to do!!
And then just this past weekend Erin participated in services at Temple. She lead a few prayers, read from the Torah and spoke about her time in USY. WOW she was great. She spoke very nicely and then did an amazing job reading from the Torah. This was my child who HATED Hebrew school and once Hebrew school was done wanted nothing more to do with it. Now, at her request, she read/chanted a portion this week. She did it so nicely and said it wasn't even that hard!!
I can't be more pleased to see my children turning into such nice adults. I do miss my babies but do know there are great times ahead!!

A few nice photos...

Here is my Passover table. I haven't made a Sedar in many years. It was nice to be home, for a change, and to enjoy Passover with friends.

And then on the 2nd night of Passover we went to Sedar with my Dad's extended family (58 this year). We always have a great time and this year was no different. My nieces are always adorable....

No Foolin' I Think She has Found Her Calling....

And I do believe she has known all along. Erin has said, since she was about 5 years old, that she was going to be a teacher. The grade level and/or subject has changed a few times but her goal of teacher has remained constant. At this time her plan is to teach high school history. Well last night she worked her first official job as a tutor and, I do believe, she was great. A neighbor up the street had asked to have her tutor her in math, as a paid gig. I was a bit apprehensive and not sure it was a good idea. This girl is a year younger than Erin and they are friends. I wasn't sure Erin would be able to separate tutoring from social hour. Well the first session was set up for last night at 7PM. I did give Erin one piece of advice--set a timer, or her phone, for 1 hour and make sure that no boy talk or giggling occured until after that hour was up. She seemed to like that advice. At 7PM the young lady came to our house and the tutoring session began. I didn't stay in the room but I did hear a bit from upstairs and came down once to get some water. Well let me tell you--I was impressed. Erin remained professional the entire hour (actually they went a bit longer) and was able to help Jessica understand math. They did not goof off and actually helped Jessica get through her homework. Erin did NOT do the work for her but showed/taught her what to do.
When the girl left I told Erin I was proud of her. I was actually very impressed by her. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, Erin is going to make an amazing teacher one day--whatever subject she chooses.
P.S. If your child needs help with math (pre-calc and below) call Erin. She is reasonable and good!!

AIR FORCE ACADEMY 2009 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

A.J.'s 2009 football scheduled has just been released. Unfortunately, this year there are no games "local" but all, but 1, are on TV. Dave states he will attend some of the games but I predict he will actual attend them all. I will go to some but not all this season. For sure we will be at the first two games but from there we will wait and see.

Here is the info....

DATE OPPONENT/LOCATION TIME (TV)

Sat., Sept. 5 Nicholls State @ AFA noon (no TV)
Sat., Sept. 12 @ Minnesota TBA (TBA)
Sat., Sept. 19 @ New Mexico 4:30PM (CBS-C)
Sat., Sept. 26 San Diego State @ AFA 11:00AM (THE MTN)
Sat., Oct. 3 @NAVY TBS (CBS-C)
Sat., Oct. 10 TCU @ AFA 4:30PM (CBS-C)
Sat., Oct. 17 Wyoming @ AFA 11:00AM (THE MTN)
Sat., Oct. 24 @ Utah 1:00PM (VERSUS)
Sat., Oct. 31 @ Colorado State 1:00PM (THE MTN)
Sat., Nov. 7 ARMY @ AFA 12:30PM (CBS-C)
Sat., Nov. 14 UNLV @ AFA 3:00PM (THE MTN)
Sat., Nov. 21 @ BYU 12:30PM (CBS-C)

OK its been way too long

Sorry about that. I had started out so well. I blogged pretty steadily for one whole year and then nothing. Its not because I didn't want to BUT I think it was more because I didn't really have anything interesting to say. Not that I do now but I do miss it and would like to get back into more regular blogging.
Ok, here is what's up.....A.J. was just home for 5 days for spring break. It was great having him home and getting a chance to really catch up with him. Spring break comes on the heels of "Recognition" at school. Recognition is a ceremony, or point in the semester, when the Freshman are finally recognized as legitimate members of the school. The 40 days leading up to this are pure hell and, basically, legalized hazing. It is a major accomplishment to come thru it BUT it still leaves a yucky taste in ones mouth for a week or so. In fact it was so tough that A.J. lost 10lbs in the last few days before recognition. He came home exhausted and a bit skinny (or at least skinny for A.J.) A few days of doing nothing, eating and having fun as put him back in good spirits. Also, he is on his way to visit Stephanie for 5 days so I am sure that helped. Once he returns to school in will have about 6 weeks before the semester ends. WOW the first year of college sure went fast, at least for me.
A.J. will be home some time this summer but for just 3 weeks. He will be home end of June until mid July. He has 3, 3 week period during the summer and 2 of which he has assignments. This summer he will have survival training and "summer support". The first of the 2 is strenuous and the 2nd one is basically helping out with whats needed at school during basic training for the Class of 2013. Not to mention he has to be back on campus to get ready for the football season. His first game is Labor Day weekend but we don't have a full schedule yet--I will post it once I have it.
Now on to Erin. She has finished, officially, with soccer. She played for Canyon JV this past season and did great BUT she has decided to retire. We will miss seeing her play but support her in this decision. She is getting very involved with her temple youth group (USY) and will, in fact, be running for a regional board position. The elections are in May and if she wins she will be required to keep kosher and observe the sabbath. It will certainly be a challenge for Erin but I admire the way she is willing to take it on. I will let you know how the election goes but do keep your fingers crossed.
Dave and I are really up to nothing special. I have been thinking, lately, that I need to pick up a new interest or 2. At this time I am weighing my options. I am very lucky that going to work full time does not need to be one of my choices. I am leaning towards learning, and becoming fluent in, Spanish. I think it is a skill that will come in handy throughout the rest of my life. Classes are taught at my local jr. college and I can take 1 class a semester for a 4 semesters. I do remember a little Spanish from high school but will start at the beginning to refresh my memory.
Well that's it, in a nutshell.
Check back for more updates, insights and pictures--I promise I will be better at posting.

25 Random Thoughts

There is a "thing" going around FACEBOOK. Someone posts 25 random thoughts, they "tag" you and then its your turn. After being "tagged" a few times I decided to do one of my own. Here goes....
1.I am totally in love with my husband, even after 20 years of marriage and 27+ years of being a couple.
2.I am still not sure how come A.J. is so tall.
3.Erin impresses me with her humility, I wish I was like her as a teenager.
4.I don’t like cats (they scratch), dogs (they bite) or birds (they claw your eyes out)
5.I wish I had more patience.
6.At restaurants I prefer to order a few appetizers as opposed to an entrée.
7.I want to write and publish a cookbook.
8.I am happy on the day I have paid all the monthly bills.
9.I am not that versed in politics and don’t really wish to be.
10.I think I am a very easy going person.
11.I enjoy scrapbooking but don’t think I am that artistic
12.Even after all these years I still don’t get all the finer points of “offsides” at a soccer game.
13.I don’t like my middle name (sorry Mom and Dad).
14.Diet Coke is best at a “fountain” with pellet ice.
15.I enjoy meeting and talking to new people BUT I don’t like speaking in front of a large group of people, even if I know them all.
16.I enjoy taking long walks alone. I do lots of thinking.
17.A glass of milk looks so good but, to me, tastes so bad.
18.I think I like camping, in the motorhome, a little more than I let on.
19.I love pizza, sushi and perfectly ripe bananas just not all at the same time.
20.I want to take a trip to Paris someday.
21.I like the fact that A.J. and I have the same laugh.
22.My job is boring but I don’t really mind because I have great working hours.
23.I wish I was better a shopping with coupons.
24.In case you didn’t know, I don’t shop at Wal-Mart if I can help it.
25.I am my own “people”—I do my own taxes.

If you are reading this and NOT on Facebook--consider yourself TAGGED.

An idea for Superbowl Sunday

I know its been way too long since I have blogged and I apologize. I am always thinking about what I want to blog but I never seem to get my thoughts to the computer. Sorry about that. Today I came across a recipe that I just have to share. It is a dream come true to my husband, I am sure. The origin and backstory of the dish was reported recently in the New York Times but I will not bore you with that. I will just give you the yummy details....

BACON EXPLOSION

Adapted from Jason Day and Aaron Chronister

Time: About 3 hours
2 pounds thick-cut sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons barbecue rub
3/4 cup barbecue sauce.
1. Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips. Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it. Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.
2. Preheat oven to 225 degrees or light a fire in an outdoor smoker. Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with 1 tablespoon barbecue rub. Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.
3. Crumble fried bacon into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tablespoon barbecue rub.
4. Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.
5. Roll sausage toward you, this time with bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Turn it so seam faces down. Roll should be about 2 to 3 inches thick. Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.
6. Place roll on a baking sheet in oven or in smoker. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. When done, glaze roll with more sauce. To serve, slice into 1/4-
to- 1/2-inch rounds.
Yield: 10 or more servings.

Pictures from the BOWL and New Years...

Well Air Force didnt win but we still had fun. We stayed in Plano with my cousin Wendy and her husband Chris and their kids Shane and Courtney. We were joined in Fort Worth by the Mellady Family (Jim, Jill, Stephanie and Brendan) Here are a few pictures from the trip....

Happy New Year!!

Just want to take a minute to wish you all a happy and healthy 2009. Its going to be a great year, I just know it!!

Oh yeah, here are new pictures of the kids....

Going BOWLING....

A.J. and the Air Force Falcons have been invited to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas on December 31st. Of course, Dave, Erin and I will be attending. We would love to have any of you join us but do understand it is a bit of a schlep. The game will be televised on ESPN at 10AM California time. The Falcons will be playing Houston, a team they beat earlier this season. Hopefully they will take care of them once again!!

My AHAH moment....

It came last week while on one of my many walks. I had been thinking about my kids alot and ways that I could help them or make their life easier. It really evolved into thinking about what type of relationship I wanted with them. Do I need them to talk to me about everything in their life? Do I need them to turn to me for everything? Do I need them to ALWAYS like me? I thought the answers were all YES but the more I thought about the more I realized it wasn't.
When A.J. left for school I knew I wanted to give him space and not bug him. It was hard when I realized that he didn't need me as much as I wanted him to need me(Dave let me know that's because we raised him right). I know this first semester hasn't been easy on him and, at times, I wasn't sure how he was doing. Erin has been having some difficulty in school this semester and I have had to lay down the law in ways I didn't want to (i.e. take away her car and restrict her USY activities). She would often be in her room doing who knows what and seemed unhappy.
I knew I didn't need my kids to think of me as their best friend and tell me everything BUT I also knew that I didn't want them to HATE me, or worse think I was to blame for their problems. It hurt to think that they may be sad, upset or lonely and feel they had no place to turn.
I went back over conversations, discussions and actions I have taken in the past few months and decided I would change very few things. I decided that I did all the things I needed to do so that my kids knew that I cared about them and cared about their future. I decided its OK if they are mad at me or don't need as much of me as they once did. Its OK if they want to keep to themselves or share their problems with someone other than me. I do know that I have done what I needed to do so they know I love them and will always be here for them--no matter what. When all is said I done I want my children to know I care. And that, without even consciously knowing it, was what I wanted all along.

Its been too long

and I am sorry about that. It is basically "same ole, same ole" at the Wallerstein's. A.J. came home for Thanksgiving and it was great to have him home. He seemed happy and, believe or not, taller. He spent time with the family and with lots of friends and then headed back to school for a few weeks of classes and finals. He will be back home again on December 18th. Fortunately/unfortunately, it will be a short vacation. On December 26th he is flying to Dallas to start practice for the Armed Forces Bowl. The Falcons will be playing in the bowl game on December 31st (more details to follow). We are all going to the game and will fly back home on January 1st and then A.J. goes back to school on January 4th. It will be a short time in L.A. but at least he will be home for latkes and his birthday.
All seems well with Erin. It looks like we may have turned the corner on school/study issues (keep your fingers crossed) and it is now soccer season. She plays on the JV team at Canyon and, IMO, is great!! It is so fun to watch her play and see what a daredevil she is in goal. She is afraid of NOTHING. It is still preseason and the team is off to a bit of a rocky start. Hopefully they will get it together just in time for league and then kick some Santa Clarita butt. Of course, I will keep you posted.
Well thats all for now. I will try to keep you more in the loop!! Happy Holidays!

A.J. in the news....

The Air Force Academy played BYU this past Saturday. They did not win but A.J. got in the game and played well. A.J. is on the "2 deep" and the young man he plays behind, Peter Lusk, suffered a minor injury. While being tended to A.J. was sent in the game. He was in during a drive in which AFA scored and was able to make some crucial blocks. It was a thrill to see him play, play great and then come off the field with a huge grin on his face. He did get in for a few more plays during the game and did well then too. In fact, he did so well that he got some notice from the press. Here is a link to today's Colorado Springs Gazette and an article about A.J.....http://www.gazette.com/sports/wallerstein_43649___article.html/freshman_calhoun.html

Can you believe my 17 year old "baby" is holding is own in Division 1 football? BYU is ranked 17 in the nation. Their players are HUGE and 22-23 years old. There are great things to come for A.J., that I am certain!!

Going BOWLING!!!

AJ and the Air Force Falcon football team are having a great season. They are currently 8-2 with 2 games left to play. They have, basically, guaranteed themselves a spot in a bowl game. Which game is not yet determined. They should play in one of the following 4 games...
1. The Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl on December 2oth
2. The New Mexico Bowl on December 20th
3. The Poinsettia Bowl, in San Diego, on December 23rd
4. The Armed Forces Bowl, in Fort Worth, on December 31st
Which game they play in depends on how they finish in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) and, of course, how the other teams finish.
How it works is a bit complicated but I will try to put in simply, or as I understand it. First and foremost, a team has to finish at least 6-6 in the conference to even be invited. Then the teams are invited in the following order...Las Vegas goes first, Poinsettia goes second, New Mexico and Armed Forces get the last 2 picks. In general it is the top 4 teams in the conference EXCEPT if the team that finishes first in the conference is chosen to play in a BCS bowl game.
This year, if all goes well, that will happen. UTAH is currently 10-0. If they can finish the season undefeated they should be a BCS buster and be invited to a BCS game. That then moves all the MWC teams up a notch.
At this time Air Force is currently tied for 3rd, with BYU. Whom Air Force plays this Saturday. Their final game is against TCU, who is currently second in the conference. Air Force has a chance to win those last 2 games. They are playing great football and there is no reason for that to change. If on the off chance they do NOT win the last 2 games then the worst they can finish in the conference is 4th. If UTAH becomes the BCS buster then Air Force will be picked third for a bowl game. If they do not then they will be picked 4th.
The bowl organizers are not required to pick the teams in order of finish BUT they are looking for the best game possible. They want to sell tickets, put people in the seats and generate TV viewers. AFA has shown they can do that!!
Where they will play will not be known for a few weeks. Anywhere is really great BUT if you are asking for my preference I will tell you.... Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. Not only is it local but that game will be played on AJ's 18th birthday. I couldn't throw him a better birthday party if I tried!!

Sushi RULES!

Sushi is hands down my favorite food(s). Today I came across an article, or really an excerpt from a book, that I thought I my fellow sushi eaters would find interesting. The following info comes from the book "Sushi for Dummies".


Figuring out how to eat sushi politely can be confusing at first, but if you remember the tips in this article, you're sure to display good sushi manners in a Japanese friend's home or at a sushi bar.
Don't rub chopsticks together
Don't rub disposable wooden chopsticks (waribashi) together after splitting them apart. Making a performance out of rubbing them together shows bad manners. It implies that the chopsticks have splinters and are cheap, insulting your host. If you must, or the disposable chopsticks really do splinter when you snap them apart, rub them together discreetly, not in view of all.
Do place chopsticks together
There's chopstick etiquette for proper placement and use just as there's etiquette for knives and forks. Don't cross your chopsticks when you set them down, any more than you'd cross your knife and fork when you set them down. Lay your chopsticks down tightly together, below your plate, and directly in front of you. The points should face to the left if you're right-handed, or the opposite way if you're left-handed. And heaven forbid you stick chopsticks in food — especially a bowl of rice! That's a definite no-no! This is done only at funerals, where the deceased's personal chopsticks are placed upright in a full bowl of rice, offering the person sustenance for the journey into the next world.
Don't look for a spoon
As unusual as it sounds, the Japanese don't use spoons. They sip their soups out of small soup bowls. Sometimes soups are served in lacquer bowls with lids. You remove the lid (which keeps the soup warm), lift the bowl, and sip out of it. Any small, solid ingredients are eaten with chopsticks while holding up the bowl. If the heat of the soup causes the lid to stick, don't panic. Simply squeeze both sides of the bowl gently with your fingers and the lid will pop loose. If it's too difficult for you to drink soup without a spoon, go ahead and ask for one. But give it a try the Japanese way, at least once.
Do flip chopsticks over
If the sushi bar or dinner host doesn't provide serving utensils, go ahead and flip your chopsticks over and use the blunt, clean ends to pick up some tasty bit of sushi from a communal platter or bowl or from a friend's plate, if the friend is willing to share! Set the items down on your plate and flip the chopsticks back to their original position to eat with them. Doing this is hygienic and shows that you care for yourself and others at the table.
Don't overload on soy sauce
Don't drench your sashimi (slices of raw fish) or sushi (vinegared rice items) with soy sauce. Soy sauce is meant to enhance flavors, not smother them. Just as it's polite to taste your food before you salt it, it's polite to limit the use of soy sauce, letting the hosts or sushi chef's mastery of flavors be your guide. Just lightly dip your sashimi or sushi in your soy sauce.
Do dip the fish in soy sauce
There's a practical reason for dipping the fish or other finger sushi topping — instead of dipping the sushi rice ball — into the soy sauce or other dipping sauce. The rice ball falls apart, making quite a mess. Plus, the rice absorbs too much soy sauce, drowning out the delicate tastes of the sushi rice. Doing so also insults the host or sushi chef who took time to season the way he felt was right.
Don't put wasabi in soy sauce
Unless you're absolutely crazy about wasabi and can't help yourself, don't mix wasabi in your soy sauce when eating sushi. If you want to do the proper thing, ask your host or sushi chef to put extra wasabi in the sushi itself. Eating sashimi is the exception. When eating sashimi, you can mix a bit of wasabi in soy sauce without being improper.
Do eat sushi with your fingers
Finger sushi started out about 200 years ago as a street snack meant to be picked up and eaten with your fingers. You can use chopsticks to eat sushi, but fingers are still perfectly acceptable. But always use chopsticks, not fingers, when you eat sashimi.
Don't forget to use the washcloth
In a sushi bar or restaurant, you'll receive an oshibori, which is a small hot or cold (depending on the weather) wrung-out towel to cleanse your hands with, before and sometimes after you finish your meal. Oshibori is set in front of you when you sit down. Pick it up out of its little basket or tray, wipe your hands, fold it up, and put it back in the basket. If you like, keep this first oshibori to wipe your fingers during the meal. Sometimes you'll see the Japanese wiping their face with their oshibori, which is perfectly acceptable. Wiping your hands and face with an ice-cold towel is refreshing if it's a particularly hot summer day. Conversely, if it's been very cold, a warm towel on your face feels great!
Do ask the sushi bar wait staff for food and drink
When you sit down at the sushi bar in a sushi or Japanese restaurant, the wait staff will bring you just about everything but the sushi. They'll bring you your first oshibori, or washcloth, for your hands, and a cup of complimentary tea. You'll place your orders for sushi with the sushi chef in front of your section of the sushi bar, but you ask the wait staff for any drinks, like sake, wine and beer, and items such as soups, salads, and desserts that are on the restaurant's Japanese menu. The exception to this rule is if you'd like the sushi chef to prepare a special dish, perhaps a salad, to go with his sushi that's not on the menu. If you need more soy sauce, extra plates, clean dishes, or another oshibori, ask the wait staff. Tell the sushi chef when you've finished your meal. He's been keeping track of your sushi dishes and will have the wait staff add them to your bill.

Halloween 2008

So I thought I had reached the first year my kids were not just dressing up. I was a bit sad but really just feeling old. Well luckily I was mistaken. Erin has dressed up for school this year....

I am still feeling old but now for another reason. This costume is an '80's chick. That was me in the'80's. UGH my fashion choices are now considered a costume!!

Live from Colorado Springs....

Its A.J.....
I have been getting lots of questions about A.J. that I do my best at answering. I thought, though, it would be best to go to the source. I asked A.J. a bunch of questions and he answered me in his own A.J. kinda way. With his permission I have done a bit of editing on the answers....

1. Do you enjoy the academy?
Eh, its ok, I guess
2. What do you like about it?
The football’s cool, and most of my squadmates are friendly.
3. What do you dislike about it?
I cant stand the military stuff. Especially the stupid freshman shit, like walking only on the right side of the hallway. And running the strips and shit.
4. Are you having fun?
Its not very much fun. It isn’t the college life I wanted. You’re supposed to go to parties and have fun on the weekends, you know, and I haven’t gotten a chance to do that, and I really wanted to.
5. How are you doing academically?
Are the classes hard?
School is going very well. My classes really aren’t that hard. My teachers seem to like me, and I get the material pretty easily.
6. Do you regret your decision to attend?
I don’t know if regret is really the right word. Do I wonder if things would be better at Harvard? Yeah. But regret just inst the word, I’m looking for.
7. How is football?
Football is going well. I really hope that we get into a bowl game.
8. Is it hard not to stand on the sidelines and not get in the game?
Its really not that hard to be on the sideline. Especially when I know that Lusk is better than me. I know I will get my time. Sooner or Later.
9. What are you hoping to do this summer?
This summer I will have to a bunch of training stuff so I don’t know how much time I will have. But I probably just want to relax, hang out with friends, stuff like that.
10. What foods do you miss and want your Mom to cook when you get home?
I think I want shepards pie, the dutch oven ribs, a good steak, and crushed carrots, maybe twice baked potato.

Of course, I discussed a few of his answers with him a bit more in depth. He did tell me he doesn't want to leave the Academy and is certain it will get much better after "Recognition" which is in March. At that time he will have more privileges and not have to "run the strips" and do the other "freshman shit" he doesn't like. He is looking forward to next year when he gets much, much more freedom on the weekends and he will be able to go out in the town and attend parties and, in general, have more fun. He was told in advance that Freshman year is hard and isn't like any other college. He is glad that no one sugar coated it and he knew what he was getting himself into. In addition, he says that it will really be all worth it if the team gets to a bowl game this year. At this time they are "bowl eligible". They currently have a 6-2 record and a team must finish 6-6 or better to be eligible. If they can win this week and next then they will be HIGHLY likely to play in a bowl game. I will keep you posted on that.

If you want to "talk" to A.J. send him an email. His address is c12austin.wallerstein@usafa.edu
I know he would love to hear from you.

Pictures from this weekend....

Here are a few nice photos I thought I would share.


The St. Amand Crew


My Aunt with a tatoo



Erin Weiss and Chrissy showing their spirit


Lots of food and fun



Pete and Dave



My Mom and Dad



Nicole, our tatoo girl, taking a break


There are plenty more to come!!

Maple Gorp (aka TAILGATE MIX)

On Saturday night in addition to enjoying a great football game we also enjoyed a large bag of Gorp I had made. It is a receipe of Rachel Ray's I adapted for our tastes. It was requested I post it so here it is....

MAPLE GORP
(you can use any nuts you like but these are the ones we happen to prefer)

¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats
1 cup cashews
2 cups whole natural almonds
1 cup peanuts, unsalted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup raisins, a couple of handfuls
½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
1 cup plain M&M's

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place maple syrup on the stove with cinnamon and vanilla over medium low heat to infuse the flavor. Warm syrup a couple of minutes, remove. Combine oats, nuts, seeds and brown sugar in a bowl. Toss with maple syrup mixture. Spread the maple coated mixture out on a cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes. Remove the nuts from oven and transfer to another cold pan, tossing the mix to quick-cool it. Once cool, toss with M&M’s & raisins.

The BEST....

Aunts and Mom ever!!

See these ladies I am pictured with? Well these are my aunts and my mom. I am so lucky to have them all in my life. They spoil me, my husband and my kids like you wouldn't believe. They are there for me in good times and in bad. They are there at the drop of a hat to have fun and do the dirty work. I am certain there is nothing they wouldn't do for me and my family. Not to mention, they are just fun to be with.

My Aunt Jean, my mom's sister, is to the left of me and over the years we have had some great fun and often at her expense. She takes it all it stride and laughs with us. She never takes anything too personal and sets a wonderful example in that department. One of her classic lines came one day, over 18 years ago, when we were out shopping for baby furniture with her then 6 month pregnant daughter. Her daughter said she was hungry and wanted to stop for a bite. My aunt replied, and she was NOT joking, "why eat lunch, you are just going to have dinner in 6 hours". It was then and there we gave her the name Auntie Rexic (like anorexia).

Then to the right of me is my Auntie Beverly (my dads sister), then my Mom and then my Aunt Hallie (actually no relation but raised with my mom and her sister so she is an aunt and family to me). My aunt Bev is more the sentimental type. She is an easy cry and when there are tears in her eyes then mine are not far behind. She is outgoing and adventurous. She adores my kids and even shares her birthday with Erin, just 50 years apart.

Most of you know my Mom and know she is just plain great. She will get up early and/or travel far to see her grand kids, or nieces & nephews, play sports or participate in a play. She makes great cookies and shares them all the time. She is strong and, despite a few health issues, NEVER complains.

Lastly, there is Hallie. She has no kids of her own but makes up for it by spoiling all of us. She is our connection to Dodger games, magazines and special pretzels. She is just as strong and determined as the other 3 ladies and, again, another tough cookie.

I guess you can now see where my spirit and drive come from. These 4 ladies have set great examples. They have taught me so much in their words and actions. They have certainly helped me become the person I am today. They all have hearts of gold yet are women who stand up for what is right. They are not afraid to speak their mind nor step up when action is needed. I would be lucky to have just one woman like this in my life so you can imagine how great it is that I have 4.

Thank you Mom, Auntie Beverly, Auntie Jeannie and Hallie for all you do!!