RIP Grandpa Willy 2/3/37 – 6/16/2010

Robert and his dad, "Grandpa Willy"

Grandpa Willy, “Papa” passed away this Wednesday. He is in a better place and may he have peace that he longed for all his life. We’ll miss you “papa”.

Happy Father’s Day

 

My Robert

I’m so proud to have such a wonderful, loving, caring husband, who truly is my hero.  I love his strength, his determination and his good heart.  He is an amazing dad and husband and I am so thankful that God has given this man to me. Robert, I love you with all my heart!

My Dad

My dad – He is amazing, strong in the Lord, committed to his family, caring and compassionate.  I love his humour and his quiet ways and the lives he has touched with his big heart. I love you dad!

Happy 4th Birthday, Kiley bear!

Kiley 4yrs old

Kiley at 6 months

Our sweet baby, Kiley Marie Karlheim was born 4 years ago and last week friday we had a big celebration for her.  She is sassy, smart, fun, imaginative, loving and sweet and I just love being her mommy.  She has taught me everyday how to be a more patient mommy and better person. How does a 4 year old do that, you ask? When I get angry, impatient and lose my cool (sometimes not her fault). She will ask me why I am angry at her and sometimes I’m not but when I have so much going on and try to get 10 million things done at one time, I look like a mad woman on the loose and take it out on whoever is closest to me and that happens to be her because she is stuck to me like glue.  And sometimes, this angers HER and she’s frustrated at me because she can’t understand why mommy is angry and  looks like a crazy woman, that just broke out of a loonie bin,  when everything’s fine.  This is when I realize, I need to breathe, get a grip and slow the flow because all my bad energy was making her stress, and a 4 year does not need stress in her life. So she’s taught me how to take my anger down a tempo and to stop and smell the roses and I love her for bringing me down to earth and humbling me. What a blessing to have her in our lives. Happy Birthday Kiley, bear!

Please God, watch out for my children

Robbie

I am so not ready for my 13yr boy to grow up but excited to see him become a man! I’ve been in denial for a loong time now…..but it’s hard to deny when he’s 6 ft and 180 pounds, in your face big…….well, not my face because he’s totally a lot taller than I am and now adays I have to look up at him.  Which I find very annoying….I already feel like a shrimp next to my hubby…pretty soon it will be Kiley’s turn to look down at mommy.

So, these teenage years are starting to excite me a little bit – weird, I know.  I’m suppose to be scared out of my mind right? All the drama, girls, sex, drugs and whatever else. ….but I’m not worried about it…maybe just a little bit.   I kind of feel at peace and good about Robbie and the years ahead.  I’m looking forward to his first real girlfriend, homecoming, prom, football games and just sending him off to college. I know…. this sounds crazy! I guess, it’s because my parents were never there for me through those years of my life and never saw any school related stuff…..I don’t want that for our kids…. or maybe I wish that my high school years were alot different than what they were…. so, here I am trying to relive it through our son. I think this is as close to the truth as I’m going to get…..it’s kind of sad and pathetic but I don’t care.  All the fears about raising a teenager has never really bothered me so much I guess.  Maybe  it”s because I know that everything our children do is out of our hands and there is only so much we can do – teaching them right from wrong, supporting and being there for them etc….  What I have decided to do with our children is to put my trust in God –  to guide, protect and help them to make Godly decisions in their lives,  maybe that is why I feel at peace with everything they will have to face in their teenage years.  I am grateful for Jesus allowing me to give Him my fears and anxiety and He’ll in return give me peace when I put my trust in HIM, it’s a pretty good trade off,  I must say. And another important thing that I try to instill in our children is that they too can trust in God to help them through things that maybe they don’t want share with mom, dad or anyone. This is the one thing my parents (especially mom) would tell me all the time….pray and trust in God. This trust in God has made me who I am today and I pray that my children will do the same.

Courtney

Kiley

Obsession with Justin Bieber

Kiley is obsessed with Justin Bieber(teenage singing sensation right now), she’s only 3 (almost 4).  A month ago she heard his song “Baby” on the radio and liked it.  She asked us who was the singer and we told her…..so then every time we would get in the car to go anywhere, she would ask if we could turn on Justin Bieber.  We told her we couldn’t….that we would just have to wait until it comes on again…..this went on and on and finally she did get to hear in a couple more times on the radio….thank goodness! 

She was out with daddy one evening and came home with Justin Bieber CD and a People magazine with Justin Bieber on the cover…..this has been the biggest mistake daddy has ever made! So now all I listen to in my car is JB! I also made the  mistake of taping Oprah when JB was on and now THIS is all we watch…..first thing in the morning when she is up, first thing we put on as soon as we come home from school or anywhere and first thing she ask to watch in the evening (if it’s not on already).  She would ask to watch JB on “Okra”, it was cute at first…..not so much anymore. She wants to change her name to Justin Bieber and thinks she’s going to see him in concert and wants to make signs that say, “I love JB”….no idea where she got that from. She tells everyone she knows about JB…..we were at the grocery store one day and happen to walk pass the magazine rack and she saw JB on a teen magazine and went gaga over it.  So, she gave up a treat she wanted to get for the  magazine….girlfriend is obsess….at 3 years old!!! Do kids at this age really do this….obsess over a teenage boy or girl?  I have never seen anything like this and it freaks me out a little.

Grandpa and Grandma visit

Kiley and Grandma

My parents came to visit this past weekend and we had a great time.  Kiley was attached to my mom’s hip, ate and slept with her……even brushed her teeth with grandma.   Robbie cleared his busy schedule with his peeps to hang with grandma and grandpa for a couple of days as well.  We all thought that was very sweet of him because he’s your typical 13yr old, his life revolves around his peeps right now.

 We took my parents down to the asian grocery store to get some asian fruit that is in season right now and also for some fresh asian veggies to make Laotion food that I dearly miss and crave.  It’s  hard not having a big family near by because I grew up having big get together with the all the family…..this extended to aunts, uncles, cousins, friends.  We’d all come together and cook and then feast together.  Now,  nothing.  Miss it so much!

My Dad

My parents, Kiley and I drove down to Houston for the evening to be with my aunt and uncle on Monday.  They hadn’t seen them in 2yrs, so they were very excited to go down for a quick visit. It was awesome! While at the asian store Sunday, my mom and I bought some veggies to make an asian dish I love, but since we weren’t going to be around to make it, we decided to bring it with and make it at my aunt’s house in Houston.  When we got there – around lunch time, my aunt had lunch cooking on the stove, fried white bass, papaya salad and sticky rice! I was in heaven! It was sooo good!  After lunch, she and my mom started making my favorite dish and I just happened to mention I was craving acouple more Laotion dish that I haven’t had in ages, so she starts making those!  She had them in pots big enough to feed 20-30 people! This is how Lao people cook! They make enough for all their family and then some.  So this past weekend I came home with a dozen  frozen container of food that my aunt made for me! I think a four hour drive for some Lao food is always doable for me.  I was bummed that Robert and Robbie couldn’t go with because Robbie had school and Robert had alot of work to do before his trip. They’ll be going next time though.

Going to Asian Grocery Store

It was a short but very enjoyable and fun visit with my parents, who I miss dearly.  Love you mom and dad!

First Quilt

My First Quilt top

Quilts. Too Intimidating.

I started sewing almost a year ago and decovered I really enjoy it. I’ve made a few things here and there and quilts were always at the back of my mind….waaaay back…..like when I turned 60, or something like that.  So a friend was giving a quilt pattern away on her website www.jennygarland.com  and I thought I’ll enter….someday I’d make a quilt, besides I didn’t think I was going to win! Lucky me WON! Jenny’s been teaching a bunch of us to quilt.  We are doing a block a month so, by the end of the year we’ll have enough pieces to make one quilt.  I am having so much fun piecing together the blocks, I got a little anxious so here I am making the “Sweet as Kate” quilt by Jenny Garland, she’s amazing by the way!

Here is the quilt top so far….still needs one more border, which I will work on next week….can’t this weekend too much going on…….I love prints so this quilt is quite busy!

“Sweet as Kate”

Old Pictures

Robbie at 9 months

Remember the days when we would buy film, take pictures and them drop them off at Walgreens or wherever to get them developed.  It would take weeks to get them back and then when we did get them back,  we would put them in a photo album nicely or if you are like me, you would have them stash in a bin or shoe box in the closet…..waaaaay back  in the closet.  And over time you end up with a dozen shoe boxes or one giant bin with ALL your photos.  Thanks to the digital age, I no longer need shoeboxes for my photos, although I do miss holding the pictures in my hand.  We have probably 4 or 5 thousand –  maybe more digital pictures of the family and of the kids.  Well…..I will be adding to that number in the next few weeks or so.  My hubby just pulled out our giant bin and asked if I would mind scanning ALL of them into the computer. He shouldn’t have done that.  I am crying my eyes out looking at these baby pictures of Robbie and of the family.  My baby is growing up way too fast!  I do not like it!

Robbie 1 1/2 yrs old

Chicken Chili

Chicken Chili

We went to eat at Jason’s Deli over the weekend and I had their chicken chili and it was really really good.  I left there wanting more……so I went home and made it for dinner!  When I eat something good at a restaurant I have a habit of trying to make it on my own  AND I have a BAD habit of making too much!  The chili turned out fantastic! It is even better after 2 days in the fridge! Here is MY recipe for the chili: 

Let me see…..hope I don’t forget any ingredients. 

• 6 chicken breast
• 1 can of Bush’s pinto beans(drained)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1  14.5 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of green chili
• 1 cup diced onions
• 2 tbsp of chili powder
• 2 tbsp of cumin
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• pinch of sugar
• 1 cup celery(I didn’t add it to mine because I didn’t have any but if I did, I would have use it)

Boil the chicken breast with half of a small onion and tsp of salt for about 15 minutes. Remove chicken breast and dice, put to side.  In a medium soup pot put in the pintos beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chili,  onions, chili powder, cumin, diced chicken and 4 cups of chicken broth(use broth from you boiled chicken in).   Bring this whole thing to a slow simmer for a few hours,  stirring once in a while. Season with more salt or more sugar to balance out the acid due to all the tomotoes.  Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream - so yummy!   

Make this and tell me what you think you’d do differently. 

The picture would look perfect if it had a sprig of parsley or cilantro on top, don’t you think?

Thank God for taste buds and teeth!

Prime Rib

Look at this thang!!! My house smells of this wonderful, mouth-watering goodness.  This is by far the most delicious recipe for a prime rib I’ve ever had.  I discovered this recipe on www.Epicurious.com way back, 1997 to be exact and we’ve made it since. It’s truly love at first bite!   Here is the recipe:

 Roasted Prime Rib with garlic and horseradish rub 

Makes 8 servings 30 large garlic cloves, unpeeled 1/4 cup olive oil 1/3 cup prepared white cream-style horseradish 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1 6-pound well-trimmed boneless beef rib roast Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss garlic cloves and olive oil in small baking dish; cover. Bake until garlic begins to brown, about 35 minutes. Drain olive oil into processor. Cool 15 minutes. Peel garlic; place in processor. Add prepared horseradish and coarse salt. Puree until almost smooth. Place rack on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Spread thin layer of garlic mixture on underside of beef. Place beef, garlic mixture side down, onto rack. Spread beef with remaining garlic mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 1 day. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Uncover beef. Roast until thermometer inserted into top center registers 125°F for rare, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer beef to platter; let stand 30 minutes. Scrape pan juices into small saucepan. Slice beef crosswise. Rewarm juices; drizzle over beef.