Nature's Cool, Man

 

While we were in Idaho visiting relatives, Jeremy spotted a lone cloud standing (floating?) out in front of the gray clouds in the background. I got a quick picture with my phone then started singing, "I'm Just a Little Black Raincloud," from Winnie-the-Pooh. It wasn't a little black rain cloud, but it seemed to fit because it was all alone, hovering under the other clouds. 

I Love Birding Challenges

Besides the annual reading challenge I'm doing, it is another year for a birding challenge through Utah County Birders. Books and birds. Aren't they great? And yes, I will sometimes listen to an audiobook while I'm looking at birds.

Jeremy and Nichole (who are also doing the birding challenge), got out one evening for some bonding birding time to the Provo River Delta and saw a barn owl among a few other birds.

Jeremy and I decided to go the next week for a morning birding adventure to see if we could find the owl.

We got there nice and early. You know I love mornings in nature. It was cold, we didn't see the barn owl, but we saw so many other birds. It was worth it.

And somehow I turned the exposure way down on the birding camera so all the bird pictures we took are dark. Sigh.

Oh well. We still enjoyed seeing them... together.

 

I love bonding time! 

 

That day, January 17, was Popeye Day and Hot Heads Chili Day so we had spinach salad and chili on cornbread (I added hot sauce on top of my chili).

The next day, January 18, was Winnie-the-Pooh Day. We had foods with honey: Honey garlic chicken, salad with honey mustard dressing.

It was also Thesaurus Day so we had fun figuring out different way of saying things. Lucky wanted to make Kool-aid. I corrected him and told him it was "Colored Flavored Sugar Water." He needed to put crystalized sweetener in it (aka sugar). The funny thing is the honey I used for dinner was crystalized (crystalized sweetener) so I had to heat it up in order to use it. Heh Heh Heh. 

Catching Up January 2025 part 2

In 2024 both Nichole and Lucky got out for a lot of birding with us, so Jeremy and I took them to the Golden Corral for the annual Utah County Birders dinner there in January 2025. Both Jeremy and I earned Bronze level for the 2024 challenge so we each picked a pair of earrings. Jeremy gave his to Nichole and I kept mine- owls.

Another day, Jeremy, Nichole, and I went to the kickoff event for Orem Library's 2025 Adult Reading Challenge.

January 12 was National Sunday Supper Day and National Curried Chicken Day so for Sunday supper, we had coconut curry chicken and some sort of rice from "A Season of Family Meal Plans," and bread.

We ate dinner early enough that we were able to go over to our friend's for banana splits. 

I love these gals. One is my ministering sister and one Jeremy ministers to and it just so happens that we're already friends.

January 13 was National Rubber Ducky Day. There were a lot of rubber duckies in our home that wanted to be involved in things.

That night, Orem Library had a Winnie-the-Pooh Day event (Winnie-the-Pooh Day is on January 18). Jet, Lucky, Jr. Jr., and I went.

It was definitely catered toward Jet's age group with crafts and activities and stories.

January 14 was Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day. Some of the family members look forward to grilled pastrami and cheese sandwiches for this holiday. We enjoyed them.

January 15 was National Bagel Day. I didn't think we had bagels until I was looking through my pictures to do this post. 

Me: Wait. We had bagels on National Bagel Day?

Jeremy: Yeah. Didn't you make some?

Me (bewildered): Yes, I did.

We had toasted bagels and hot chocolate with fried rice. Mmmm.

 

January 16 was Appreciate a Dragon Day. Nichole usually draws pictures of dragons that day but she was working on another project so she appreciated a dragon she already had.

 

January 17 was Hot Heads Chili Day. We made chili. 

January 18, besides being Winnie-the-Pooh Day, was National Thesaurus Day. We talked about dinosaur related stuff for "The Saurus Day."

Winnie-the-Pooh Day 2024

You know I like to menu plan based on holidays. Well, I kept it really simple on Winnie-the-Pooh Day this year on January 18. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches and in some cases just honey sandwiches. I had planned on apple slices and carrots but I ended up saying, "Eat whatever side dishes you can find." This was because Lucky, Jet, and I were in a hurry to get to a Winnie-the-Pooh even at the library where we were able to play games, listen to a beekeeper (get some honey sticks), and get some prizes.

I love the Orem Library and of course the librarians.

 

There was some Winnie-the-Pooh movie watching that day and we got out some plushie friends to play with. Jet loved that. A couple of them even came with us to pick up Jr. from school.

After the Winnie-the-Pooh activity at the library, I dropped the kiddoes off at home and went to a Relief Society activity where we talked about Self Care.

We did facials (I was humming "Wizard of Oz" music), self massage, drank hot chocolate, and did some meditation. It was relaxing.

 

It was a nice Winnie-the-Pooh Day.

Some January Fun... That Hasn't Already Been Mentioned

Sometimes you just have to dance to the music. In this case it was music from Singin' in the Rain. In fact, I think it was the song, "Singin' in the Rain."  

January 15 was National Bagel Day. Breakfast sandwiches for dinner? Yes, please.

 

Live long and prosper.

 

January 16 was Appreciate a Dragon Day. Nichole wore her new dragon-themed shirt and her new dragon earrings and as is tradition, she sketched a dragon.

She and the boys also played "toss" with the dragon that she made in elementary school. 

January 17 was Popeye Day. We had food with spinach for dinner including Popeye brand spinach.

 

One way to get exercise in during the Winter. Roll the ball down the hall and chase it.

January 18 was Winnie-the-Pooh Day. We had honey roasted carrots with our dinner. I also made granola that day but used maple syrup instead of honey because I wasn't thinking and we had syrup we needed to use up.

 

Sometimes in life, you just have to stop and play with monster trucks. Did you know that because they're "monster" trucks, they roar?

 

And this...