Mowing

On Saturday we had our first peak of sun in about 10 days or so.  It was a really busy day but in between a baseball game, moving a freezer and stake conference I had time to mow the lawn.  Like everyone else around here!  My neighbor Nora and I were mowing our lawns together during the brief afternoon of sunshine.  Her daughter Kyra posted this picture on facebook.  She wrote "Shouldn't Casey Coull and Taylor Giullian be doing this?"  Taylor wrote back "Not with Mom's like ours!"  What the heck??????  When he got home he pampered me by making me dinner!  He was so great!  He made Chicken Ceasar salad. It tasted soooo good!  I was starving!  What am I going to do when he goes away to school next year.  I love that sweet guy!

Baseball

From the time Taylor was 4 years old he has loved to play baseball in the spring and summer! This spring is no different!  He's back on the baseball field!  We know him for his speed, amazing catches in center field, great arm, and daring base stealing!  We love going  Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights to watch and cheer at all his games. It's so fun and relaxing for us! We are really going to miss going to his games.  As you know this is his senior year, he'll be going to BYU-I in the fall.  He'll be involved in intermirrals (sp? do you know that spell check doesn't work on this word?)  but I won't be able to be in the stands cheering him on. As parents you're very involved in it all and it will be a HUGE change for us next year!   We've made some really great friends amongst the parents, boys and coaches. It's hard to imagine our winter nights not going to basketball games and our spring and summer nights not going to baseball games.

Although I won't miss:

#1 freezing cold spring games, wearing hats and gloves!
#2 sitting in the rain, with a poncho and umbrella, wondering if I'll be hit with lightening on a metal bleacher?
#3 hot summer nights being eaten alive by peskey bugs!
#4  trying to keep track of a pop-up when it looks like it's going to hit YOU and you're going to be severely injured! 

 I know we'll find new things to do with our kids and friends but we are going to truly miss Spaulding basketball and baseball. It's the end of an era in the Giullian family!  Thanks, Taylor for all the great memories!

  

Camden, Maine

 

Camden Harbor

A couple of weeks ago Steve and I got away for the weekend!  Friday night on our way to Portland, Maine we had the best Japanese dinner in Biddeford, Maine.  Anytime Steve can get Japanese food he's happy!  Since he served his mission in Japan he is even happier when it's authentic Japanese food.  It was, and he was in heaven!  It's not that far from our home so I think it's defiantly on our must go back list.  After spending the night in Portland.  We meandered our way up route 1 to Camden, Maine. Along the way Steve would see a sign for something interesting and we would go check it out.  He is the best at finding little hidden treasures of places to explore!  We had heard from our good friends that Camden is one of their favorite places in the world to go for a quiet weekend.  They were so right!  It was just perfect.  We needed to relax and slow down the pace.  It was absolutely perfect!  I just can't get enough of little harbor towns here in New England. This was defiantly one of the prettiest places I've ever been! We found the greatest places to eat, strolled around town, stayed in a great hotel, went to church, toured a few lighthouses on Sunday afternoon and just spent time together talking and enjoying the beautiful sights! 


Our hotel

We stayed in this beautiful hotel that over looks the ocean and a river that runs through the middle of town.  We were on the river side.  When we first walked into the room, we heard all of this quacking, looked out the window and saw a couple of ducks swimming and playing in this great river.  The falls up the river made it even better.  The hotel was this old building that they converted.  I love the character that you get when old buildings are remodeled into hotels and apartments!  They don't tear buildings down they convert them into what they need and they turn out amazingly cool!

Sunday after going to church in the morning we ate lunch and toured 4 lighthouses on our way back home.  This lighthouse is called the "Breakwater Lighthouse" in Rockland Maine.  We walked out on this stone wall to the lighthouse. It was kind-of a scary walk at times because there are wide gapes in between the stones once in a while.  You had to really watch where you were stepping so you didn't step in between and hurt yourself.  If you can believe it, it was a little less than a mile to walk out to the lighthouse, so it was not for chickens.  We loved the view of the ocean and harbor once we got out there.  Outside of a lot of the homes in this area were stacks of lobster traps in their yards.  That's when it really hit me what a big business Maine lobster is!  We had a great weekend!  Thanks, Steve!

Busy Busy Day!

Yesterday at the library was NUTS! 

Spring break = kid's with nothing to do, a portrait painting project, a well attended story time, a gloomy day, out of popcorn, friend's of the library bake sale all added together = lot's of people and wishing I had worn roller skates day!  The library is a typical New England library.  It's a great old building with a hodgepodge of rooms, closets and stairs.  No way you can you skate.  Anyway it was a fun day! The portrait project is kind-of cool.  Every spring the city of Rochester does some kind of art project that's eventually displayed downtown all summer.  This year they're making a mosaic wall made of wooden tiles the children in the area have created together.  One by one they each paint a tile of their self-portrait.  Eventually they will all be bolted together to create this huge mosaic wall. I'm excited to see it!  The children's tiles were amazing!  Kid's can come up with the best ideas!   It was nice to come home and see my family!  Taylor got home from his baseball teams trip to Cooperstown, New York last night. This is the second time he's gotten to go.  It's a lot of fun and a great experience. It's was nice to talk to him about his trip while my blog teacher Ashlee helped me get a grip on blogging!  I need lot's of coaching! I love to come home after a long exhausting day! 

Nothing Better!

This week is spring break!  That means that my students and I all have a break from seminary.  I can sleep in until 6:30 or 7:00am and not have to spend time preparing a lesson everyday.  I do love my students and teaching, but we all needed a break! That all said, I have time to read!  I'm in heaven!  I love to cuddle up with the quilt my Mom made me and read!  I've heard great things about a book called "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand.  I haven't finished it yet, but I would highly recommend it!  It's a life changing book.  When I sometimes think things are difficult or hard I will think of Louis Zamperini among other things that strengthen me.  I will think of the answer he had for enduring something hard, hope, resolve and humor. I'm so glad that I've had this time to read a great book! 

I love my quilt! My Mom's so talented! I feel her arms around me every time I cuddle up in it!  Isn't it beautiful!  I love that she added my favorite color lavender!  Thanks Mom!



 Ashlee's been taking a cake decorating class.  This was week two!  They learned to transfer images from a coloring page to the cake and than they used frosting to "color" it.  Our cake mission statement is: "a cake must taste as good as it looks"!  Oh my or my, did this cake taste as good as it looks.  Here's a little tip that I thought was brilliant-she added a cream filling.  She took a snack pack vanilla pudding container, and spread it in between the layers.  It was so moist and yummy! I think she's doing great!  Her goal is to decorate Brandon and Camille's wedding cake for their open house here in New Hamphsia!

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Brandon's 23 years old today and I'm so happy that I get to share my life with such a great young man! How can a Mom get so lucky! Here are 23 things that I love about Brandon!

1.  He's one of the most genuinely nicest people I know!

2.  His favorite birthday "cake" is Chocolate Eclair Cake!

Chocolate Éclair Cake

2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

1 8oz. Cool Whip

3 cups of Milk

1 box graham crackers

1 can milk chocolate frosting

Mix the pudding and milk together until thick.  Add cool whip.  Place crackers down in a 9x13 pan, in a single layer to cover the bottom 9you may have to break crackers0.  spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture on top of the crackers.  Add another layer of crackers.  Spread the remaining pudding on top.  Put another layer of crackers.  Spread with the chocolate frosting right to the edges so that it resembles a frosted chocolate cake.  Chill at least 8 hours or overnight is best.  Cut like a cake.

Brandon's all time favorite dessert!

3.  He loves Stuffing Casserole!

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

1 can Stove Top Stuffing (serves 8)-cook as directed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 stick butter

Melt butter in bottom of casserole dish.  Put 2/3 stuffing over butter.  Add chicken.  Heat the soup, sour cream and chicken broth in a sauce pan until smooth.  Pour over chicken.  Crumble remaining stuffing over sauce.  Bake @ 350 for 30 to 45 mins.  DO NOT COVER!  Cook until bubbley!

This is Brandon's favorite.  This was one of the first dishes he asked for when he got back from his mission!

4.  He's fun to be around and really funny!  I love that he always has a smile on his face!
5.  He's creative!
6.  He's engaged to his BFF and sweetheart Camille!
7.  He loves to go to the temple a lot!  I can't wait to go with him in August!
8.  He's thoughtful!
9.  He loves to help people!  He's an especially talented bat captureer!
10.  He's loves to get straight A's!
11.  He's a great brother!
12.  He loves to work!
13.  He loves to watch a good basketball game!
14.  He loves to exercise!
15.  He loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
16.  He loves Camille Murphy!
17.  He loves Cafe' Rio anything!

18.  He loves to play all different kinds of sports!

19.  He speaks fluent Spanish!

20.  He loves cruises!

21.  He makes great homemade Oreo cookies!  Brandon made these cookies for Camille when they   were first getting to know each other!

22.  He loves Taco Bell!  Especially the Frito Burrito!

23.  He loves a great action movie!

I could go on and on.  Brandon's the best!  Camille's one lucky girl!  Love you Brandon!

Oreo Cookie Recipie

Oreo Cookies
2 Devil Food Cake Mixes.  I use Pillsbury
4 Eggs
3/4 cOil
1 can Icing

Mix everthing together but the icing.  Roll the dough in 1" balls and bake @ 375 degrees, just until the cookies crack on top about 5 to 6 mins.  (DO NOT OVER BAKE).  I bake them till the edges are firm but the center is still a little soft, leave them on the baking sheet  a couple of mins, then transfer them to a cooling rack.  Cool.  Make Oreos by putting two cookies together with icing.  The icing can be white or colored depending on the occasion or holiday.