What the......14 years!

I am not sure how it happened, but I have been married for 14 years today! I know you're really shocked, because I pretty much still look like I'm 20...right?!?!
I am so lucky to be married to such a great guy who has made the past 14 years fly right by! He also is so great that he made me want to have 4 babies--and they are all pretty great too, just like their dad! Try not to be too jealous of my, oh, so perfect life...

I just want to tell Dan (and whoever else happens to read this) that I am really happy to have him and look forward to the next fourteen years (and in the immediate future, I am really looking forward to going to Chicago!!) Thanks Elizabeth for watching the kids :)

Who doesn't love a guy with a moustache?? It's sexy, I know.

So, this is right after we got done listening to a 3 hour presentation on why we should buy a condo! We were celebrating the end of medical school and Dan finishing a marathon the week before. I'm surprised we were able to smile here, because after the high-pressure sales tactics from the condo sales people, we felt like we had both run a marathon that day.

Abby's baptism day. I am so happy that Dan has been able to baptize two (almost three) of our kids. Gosh, what a great 14 years--love you!

PS--probably should post some wedding pictures but I hate them, so...sorry!

Blueberries!

I went blueberry picking FOUR times this season. I just can't get enough of these things. I recently read an article in the Parade Magazine about "foods that make kids smart" (click on link to read) and it went on and on about blueberries! I had to go blueberry picking again the very next day after reading the article. I forced/bribed my kids into coming with me to help me pick the brain power and memory enhancing, antioxidant rich, great tasting, little blue balls! After all, it is for their brain power benefit! I think my kids are probably so happy to be back at school--but I am missing my little helpers!
After eating so many blueberries I was about ready to pop I started mixing them in my smoothies, pancakes, muffins, yogurt etc. I still had a lot of blueberries, so I tried out some new recipes. I made, pie, tart, cobbler, salad dressing and salad. My favorite was the blueberry salad dressing with blueberry Cobb salad. With my history of taking pictures of my food I, of course, have some pictures of some of these things!

Salad:
4 cups spinach or mixed greens.
1 large fresh tomato, diced
1-2 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cashews or other nut of your choice
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4-1/2 red onion, diced
can also add or replace other ingredients with boiled and diced eggs, sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, diced, grilled shrimp or whatever else you like on Cobb salad and what you have available.

Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh lime or lemon juice

1/3 cup splenda or sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon olive oil

a few grinds of pepper
Mash up blueberries with a fork or in a blender if you want it finer. Add all the other ingredients, mix and enjoy!

Blueberry cobbler

with ice cream--yum!

Blueberry Tart was a yummy creation of cooked and fresh blueberries.

Fresh Blueberry Tart

Crust:

1 cube butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

(you can add some chopped nuts or oatmeal)

press into a tart pan and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until very lightly browned.

cool completely

melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and spread evenly over crust (this prevents filling from making crust soggy)

Chill until ready to use

Filling:

3 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp cornstarch

2 1/2 tbsp water

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the fresh blueberries with 3/4 cup sugar in a medium sauce pan. Whisk together water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into blueberry mixture. Cook, over medium-high heat, until berry mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken. Stirring occasionally, boil for about 1 minute. Transfer berry mixture to a large bowl to cool to room temperature.When berry mixture has cooled, stir in remaining fresh blueberries. Pour blueberry mixture into prepared crust and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Go Blue!

Despite the fact that their team is much better than ours this year and we are most likely looking at another loss again, we still firmly believe Michigan is better than Ohio State. This, of course is supported by the fact that we have a much better overall record (we have the most wins and the highest winning percentage of any team) and a much better record against Ohio State. In celebration of our superiority both on the field and off (we are much better academically, we don't burn couches when we lose, we don't throw things at opposing fans, and we don't dress our children in clothes that say F*** Michigan), we will publish a series of posts to demonstrate these claims to the outside observer.

Buckeye fans, enjoy!


The following post was originally posted on michiganzone.blogspot.com. We have copied it here, but edited it to make it more family friendly.


The Best D*** Copycats in the Land!
Now, we all know how those Bucks just love their band. When they're not throwing things or spitting at ours, they're praising theirs. Geez, they're so proud of these folks, they call the OSU squad, ahem, "The Best D*** Band in the Land."But let's take a closer look, shall we? I think you'll find it's hard to call yourselves the "best" when you're not even the most original and stole the thing you're most known for. Let's start with their uniforms, shall we?



















Here they are, the "the OSU" marching band. Look at those uniforms, huh? Woo eee! Clean, crisp......Sporting those distinctive red and black hats with the red patches near the shoulders.






















What style, what class...hey, what the...!? I've seen that look before. Is it just me or do they bear a striking resemblance to the guy standing outside the mall ringing the bell:

























Yes, apparently the Best D*** Band in the Central Ohio Region Not Counting Most High Schools (BDBCORNCMHS) obviously got their fashion sense from the Salvation Army Band (SAB). Unless of course they're one and the same. Sort of like Clark Kent and Superman. I mean, has anybody every seen the BDBCORNCMHS and the SAB in the same place at the same time? I dunno. Looks to me like they're forming a "Script O" around the little red bucket below:




















Speaking of which...
Now let's talk about the thing the Best D*** Salvation Army Band in the Land claims to be known for -- the "Script Ohio." Yes, it truly is one of the great traditions in all of college football: When these young musicians, after putting in hours at the mall helping raise money for the poor, prove they know how to spell four-letter words then honor the fattest guy on the squad by letting him run out and dot the "i", usually getting it right on his very first try.
In fact, here is a picture of the very first time the Buckeyes ever performed "Script Ohio," way back in 1936. Impressive, huh? Only problem is...























...That's four years AFTER the University of Michigan marching band did the first "Script Ohio" in the 'Shoe in 1932! (picture below). Even worse, the OSU band director in '36 was also present at the '32 game but claimed he got the idea somewhere else! Yeah, riiiiight. This guy is the Scooter Libby of band directors!Sad to say, looks like the thing tOSU band is best at is copying the originality of the Wolverines.





















Gee, I wonder how Buckeye fans feel, knowing their band is "best" known for something they copied off Michigan? But then again, maybe trying to be like us is a good thing. Heck, maybe someday their fans will copy our class and bring that back to Columbus as well. But I doubt it.



Go Blue!

Bittersweet-ness

Utah won Michigan. I am a huge Michigan Fan, but I really loved seeing Utah win this game.We had so much fun with our friends, Chris and Lisa, who came for the weekend and to watch the game with us.
I did wear red for the game and here we are at the Utah tailgate party. Dan went neutral which I think is a little wimpy--pick a team man.

What's a game without food! More bittersweet-ness. My kids started back to school this week. I was really looking forward to having part of the day back to myself, or at least as much as it can be with a 2 year-old. I was surprised how much I miss and worry about them all day! I am getting soft.
I managed to get Jake's picture while he was riding his bike to school. Andy and Abby have to leave so early and in a mad rush that we haven't been able to get a picture of them yet. I hope it gets easier!