New Year Goal

I did it! I made a goal and now I'm making it public so I have to do it.
I am going to run a 5 K this year-April 18th to be precise. The Salt Lake Marathon has a 5 K race. Eli is going to run the half marathon-overachiever or young and insane-your call :) Anyone who wants to join great. The more the merrier or at least we can motivate each other and drag each other over the finish line.

Some sites I've found helpful to try to get ready.

Calorie Counts @ about.com-I have to lose some weight for these joints to survive

www.saltlakemarathon.com To register

Training sites:
http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/first5K.htm
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Christmas Lights

I finally wrangled the latest pics off of Doran's computer and here is everyone at the Christmas lights we go to each year. First is me & my honey Doran, then me & Nicca, Ronan & Alexandra. Ana is next to the peacock, Eli is kissing the snake and Tasha is by the wolf. It was sooo cold!

What's for dinner?

I hate making dinner-I think you all are in the same boat if you have been around long enough. I have made macaroni & cheese, tacos, hamburgers, etc. all too many times to count and dread the thought of what's for dinner tonight. I subscribed to the Pillsbury monthly cookbook for a year hoping to get new ideas, but I inevitably didn't plan the menu before I went to the store. When it was time to make something from a new recipe, I didn't have a necessary ingredient since I buy what I've used for years. Obviously it didn't work out too great. But this is a new year and I've made a goal of trying at least 1 new dish a month (ambitious I know, but I think this is really do-able). Success! 5 out of seven liked January's new dish. The others know how to make PB & J.
Skillet Nachos
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/4 c diced dehydrated onion
1 can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
1 can red/kidney beans drained & rinsed
2 c. frozen corn
1/2 to 1 t. chili powder (To taste)
1 bag corn chips
Garnish with:
Grated cheese ( I like jack & cheddar)
Sour Cream
Salsa

Brown meat with onion. Add tomatoes, beans and corn and chili powder. Cook through (the tomato sauce in the tomatoes should thicken up). Serve over the chips and garnish to your personal taste. Takes 15-20 minutes to make. The corn provides a sweet contrast to the chili powder.

OK-so 6 kids has truly thrown me for a loop. My dear sister in law Anne asked when we were going to share pictures of our adorable new addition and my thought was-didn't I send those out? Apparently not-the pictures were buried on my desk, so until I can get to the post office and mail them, here they are-Alexa at 2 months-taken in July, just before our trip. Of course, kids grow and grow and grow, so its time to take her into the studio again and have more pictures taken. She is 8 months today and of course very advanced for her age-claps her hands, eats cheerios and is walking around the furniture-much to my dismay. I tell her to stay a baby just a little longer and she says-baba , dada and maamaa.