shenanigans

shenan i gans {shə-ˈna-ni-gənz}

plural noun informal

silly or high-spirited behavior; mischief

Our First September in Arizona

One thing that we are really loving about September in Arizona is going outside! There are so many wonderful city parks with playgrounds and splash parks and we are beginning to take advantage of them. Our weather is on average 10 to 15 degrees cooler these days. Not hitting 100 EVERY single day of the week has been so nice. This has especially been appreciated since the pool at our apartment complex hasn't been open in over a month! 

We are starting to feel autumn in our own way here. This is the first autumn in over 20 years that neither Mike or I have been starting school and even though we decided not to start preschool yet, we got into the 'back to school' feel with Annabelle starting some little classes of her own. Sometimes I worry that she might be too distracted to listen to and follow directions but I just remind myself that she isn't quite 3 yet and her teachers are probably used to it!

Mike seems to really understanding a lot more at work now. I can tell because he talks in his sleep and most of the time he rambles off some work jargon that goes right over my head. He is busy a lot of the time that he is at work and if he has any down time at work he has his 'green belt' project to work on. This project is a requirement to be 'green belt' certified in a management strategy called Six Sigma. I'm so relieved that he likes what he is doing. I guess the last couple years I've had this little fear that he wouldn't like his field and we'd be back to the student life! But engineering really suits him. I married one smart cookie. 

Chopped!

I've been wanting to chop it all off for several months - mostly because it was too heavy, too hot and I was bored with the ponytail. So yesterday Mike TOLD me to go into the salon while he did the grocery shopping to see if they had any appointments. I'm so glad he did. I got 8 inches off so that I could donate it and I love it. Hopefully I can replicate the style myself this week. We'll see I suppose.

Four Things

Four Random Things I like about my husband:

(0r guys in general)

1. Being outside makes him happy, pretty much no matter what else is going on.

2. He has an engineering mind (he designed and sewed his own backpack).

3. He hasn't owned a pair of jeans in over a decade, talk about being true to yourself. 

4. He loves 'his girls'. 

Four Jobs I've had:

1. Chinese place in the mall: organizer of plastic silverware

2. Samurai Sam's: the bossy girl

3. Teen's with disabilities summer day camp: counselor

4. City of Colorado Springs Therapeutic Recreation: intern

Four Movies I've watched more than once:

1. I am Sam

2. Letter Factory (more than once? try hundreds of times)

3. Dan in Real Life

4. Whale Rider

Four TV shows I watch:

1. Dirty Jobs

2. Wipe Out

3. Jon and Kate plus 8

4. most recently - Project Runway

Four Places I've been:

1.  buried in a pile of leaves laughing

2. climbing up the side of a cliff without shaking

3. on an operating table smiling

4. flying down a mountain in zero degree weather in complete bliss

Four people who email me regularly:

1. Mike

2. the Relief Society

3.

4.

(I admit it, I'm a bad pen pal, no one emails me b/c I am terrible at writing back)

Four of my favorite foods:

1. these noodles

2. mashed potatoes with brown gravy

3. gummies

4. bean enchiladas

Four places I would like to visit:

1. Argentina

2. New Zealand

3. Tibet

4. Mexico

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:

1. House Hunting (with a little terror, but still looking forward to it)

2. making my first Thanksgiving dinner

3. playing outside ALL winter

4. watch Annabelle grow and learn even more

Four people I tag:

1. Holly because I know she is home bored wishing she had more to do to keep her busy

2. Nichole because she needs to post again

3.  Anyone who is related to me and wants to

4. Whoever has tried the cinnamon roll recipe

Cinnamon Buns

My friend from living in Provo, Shelsea has a lot of great tried and true recipes and craft ideas. One thing she is really famous for is her Cinnamon rolls. The basic dough recipe can be use for buns, scones, doughnuts, and other doughnut variations. I never have tried any other treat besides the cinnamon rolls, they are just too tempting!

Here is the recipe:

(this is the recipe cut in half, and it is STILL more than you could ever eat, so beware - you'll either want to half it again, plan on giving them away or freeze them after you roll them up and save them for later)

4 cups warm water

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp yeast

1/2 cup oil

enough flour to make soft dough (approx. 10 cups)

1 Tbsp salt

4 eggs beaten well

Beat eggs and set aside. Put warm water in a large mixer add sugar and sprinkle on the yeast. Let it sit for 10 min. Add oil and some flour. Mix well. Add beaten eggs with more flour alternating and mix well. Add more flour and sprinkle in the salt. Mix adding flour until the dough  comes away clean. Put dough into an oiled bowl and roll to coat. Cover with saran or an air tight lid and let raise to double it's size.

Roll risen dough into a rectangle of a desired size. (it may be too sticky to put directly onto the counter, if so consider spreading saran wrap or dough mat of some kind). Spread the dough with butter, spread with brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll dough up and cut into pinwheels (I like to use dental floss for this part) and place on parchment lined baking pan. Let raise until double in size. Bake at 350 about 15 min. Take out of oven just long enough to put *topping on and return to the oven and bake until the topping bubbles all over (time will vary depending on size of pan/rolls). 

*Topping: equal parts of whipping cream and brown sugar, stir until mixed completely. Apply to rolls with the back of a large spoon and spread a thin layer on top.

After baking is done apply icing. I prefer a cream cheese icing.

Blend together:  1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

powdered sugar (add until consistency is no longer runny)

milk (don't add too much or else you'll have to had A LOT of powdered sugar)

He is Home!

My little brother David returned from his mission to Peru this month and so  Annabelle and I went home for 10 days. Mike, Adam (my older brother) and his wife Trudy  {who is pregnant - hip hip hurray} were all able to join us for the weekend that David spoke in church. We had a great trip, spent lots of time with family and it was cool enough I even put on my sweatshirt a few times (rain in 60 degree weather). Here are some highlights:

David coming home of course was the main event of my time spent in Colorado. At first he seemed to be a little uncomfortable around us, I think because we are a lot louder and rowdier than the polite Peruvians he has been living with but he got used to us and caught up on sleep (due to layovers and canceled flights I think he traveled for about 30 hours). 

Annabelle warmed up to him after a few days and asked me a few times if he was going back to Peru or not. I was glad to inform her that he was not, his plans now are to return to BYU and work on a degree in Bio-informatics (sp?).

My grandma, Nona if you have met her, came up with the idea of taking Annabelle to the North Pole. The North Pole is a little amusement park up in the mountains west of Colorado Springs. It is perfect for younger kids with fun rides and no lines. And because it is in the mountains the temperatures are nice in the summer and not too crowded. 

Although Annabelle wasn't afraid of the crazy fast and twirling rides or even the ferris wheel (the world's highest, by the way) She wouldn't sit on Santa's lap! And they had a really good, white bearded, blue twinkling eyed Santa available. Oh well!

Over the weekend that the ENTIRE McKean family was in town we went on a hike to a spot we have hiked to since I was probably only a year old. And of course had to take the opportunity to get some professional family pictures taken.

Went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo . . .

And of course we had some good down time to play with Grandparents. At the McKean house that meant eating ALL of the raspberries out of the garden each morning. And at the Sherwood's that meant either reading dozens of books or taking a quick little dip in the fountain with Papa Zeke.

Teaser

(Photo credit to Joyanna)

An update is long over due. I am happy to report this time that it is due to having such a great time that I never stopped to blog. Check back soon and I'll have my camera uploaded and my writing juices flowing.