Taking the Long Way Around...

This Wednesday we will be moving to Spokane. For some of you that don't know, Benny will be doing a Ob/Gyn fellowship for 6 months. We will be there until Jan 15th. Matt will stick around and finish out work until school and than a family (new HS teacher) will rent out our house and move in mid Aug. So, this may be one of the last posts here until we are settled into our small apartment in Spokane.
This song by the Dixie Chicks is one that Benny says is, "My song"! I think in many aspects it does share a lot of who I am, where I came from, and the "long way around". My mom always told us kids when we were younger "Broaden your Horizons" and now it is very evident that we followed her advice....my brother and family just moved to Geneva, Switzerland! So, in this situation I try to put in perspective that this "long way around" could have been another 4 year plus residency in OB or in some peoples cases a husband going off to war (I am thankful for that)!! It is hard to leave such a beautiful place and at such a beautiful time! We sat out on the front porch the other night watching the pink sunset or as Cozy called it the "pinkalicious" sunset and the orange moon over the cascade mountains. The kids were dancing in the tall grass (its a miracle to me that Atticus has use of both legs), the wind was blowing, and the lake was quiet! I think we will realize how lucky we are to live here even more when we are gone, but looking forward to some Spokane shopping and other adventures there!!

Haley's Favorite Summer Recipes

Super Protein Pancakes
(my cousin Bryn told me about these and I wasn't so sure until I tried them out. I have been looking for protein alternatives for my little vegatarian~ Cozy! These are so good!!)
1 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
blend all of these together in blender and add a bit of milk to help make it a little more liquid. cook on sprayed griddle and be patient they don't set up as fast as normal pancakes. Add fresh blueberries or Syrup below.

My Mom's Homemade Syrup
(I didn't realize you could buy syrup until I was a teen! This is the easiest and better way to have maple syrup plus you can reduce the sugar amount!!)
Boil 1 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp Mapeline (found by the vanilla at the grocery)
Boil and than keep in fridge. You can also add cinnamon and/or nutmeg to spice it up!

Haley's Fiber Wraps
(so I get an easy lunch and then I eat it all summer. Here is my favorite that is very high in protein and fiber!!)
Carb Balance Mission whole wheat tortillas (1 is 4ww pts)
shredded carrots
albacore tuna in water
your favorite mustard
rise tuna in colander to reduce sodium intake. mix fine with mustard. spread on tortilla and add carrots. roll and cut.
preferred drink with this: diet coke on the rocks in wine glass with a pink straw!

Enjoy and let me know if you try any of these!!!

Cherry Home Evening

Here are some photos of the cherry pitting event we had last night.....
(thanks to The Nelsons and Len & Lesa England for the free fruit!)

Princess Cozette

This is Cozy's first dress-up other than her 2 tu-tu's! She believes every princess is Giselle from Enchanted or "ka boom a bike" as she calls it. She named it that because the prince gets run over by a bunch of bikers in central park....go figure, but we understand her!
This summer Cozy makes us laugh when she is continually caught taking food from other peoples picnics at the lake (we do feed her). Yesterday she got a hold of someones HOT cheetos before I could grab her and I think she may think twice about doing that for a while!

Atticus Halen?

Atticus is now walking with an exaggerated limp. I have to remind myself daily that at least he is walking.... someway! He continues to teach me patience with a little bit of added humor. Here he is at 10 PM rock 'in out!

Don't forget your DONKEY!

Pancakes, fireworks and donkey ball?

Check back soon to see Dr. John Dame team up with his local Manson neighbors to play against Chelan in donkey baseball.....