RECIPE: WATT'S CROCK POT BEEF STEW

SO it took me just a little over a week to get my 2nd recipe post up. Just a little. I actually had another recipe that I REALLY wanted to give to y'all but I couldn't find it and the girl who gave it to me still hasn't re-emailed it to me. All her fault.

Today's recipe is from the Favorites cookbook. It's the Ivory family faves and may still be available at the Make A Wish Foundation. The full cost of the cookbook (either $20 or $25) goes entirely to Make A Wish. Good deal for a great collection of recipes and a great deal for the foundation.

Here's the recipe - as EASY as can be:

WATT'S CROCK POT BEEF STEW

1 lb. beef stew meat, cut to desired size

4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (or 4 handfuls of baby carrots, chunked)

1 bay leaf

1 envelope onion soup mix (i.e. Lipton Recipe Secrets)

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1 10-oz. package peas (optional)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally to mix.

NOTES:

* I put the first 4 ingredients in the pot in the order listed then combined the soup mix, the soups, and the tomato sauce and poured them over the other ingredients. Didn't stir for the first hour or so.

* I left out the peas this time around and it was still very good but I think it would be even better with them.

* No need to salt this one. Plenty of it in there with the soups. But this is coming from someone who doesn't salt anything, so take it with a grain of...salt.

* I have a larger, shallower crock pot as opposed to a tall, deep one. I did the longer, low-temp option and the stew was totally done and ready at about 6 or 6 1/2 hours. I turned it to warm and kept it that way until about 30 minutes before serving when I turned it back to low...came out PERFECT.

* If you're like me, you like to taste things as they cook. Don't on this one...it tastes totally sub-par as it goes but when it's done cooking, the flavors have melded nicely and it's very yummy!

This one was a hit with the whole family. Well, almost...Claire wasn't a huge fan but then she didn't like chocolate cake on her 1st birthday so we won't trust her judgment.

LET SLEEPING KIDS LIE

Around 11:00 this morning Claire decided she'd had enough of the day already. Lots of fussing and crying. And a bit of whining and a few sourpuss faces to go along. So I took her to her room, laid her in the crib, and walked out. Silence. Three minutes later I hear talking/jabbering. I go back into her room and peek over the side of the crib to see her playing with her toes and smiling. Okaaaaay...so maybe we just needed a second alone. Or not. The minute I stand her on the floor, she starts crying again. So I sit in the rocking chair and hold her for a whopping 30 seconds before she decides that she wants to get down and play. And then cry again for no reason.

At this point it's about 11:15 or 11:20 and looking at my watch, I realized that I'd be having to go to get Huds from school in about 35 minutes. And I am NOT waking Claire up to do so. She's just going to have to be cranky and ticked off until we get back later.

So I gave her a 1/2 slice of homemade bread from a neighbor (SUPER good...mmmmmm) and head downstairs to check my e-mail and the likes thereof. You get one guess as to what happened as soon as that 1/2 piece of bread was gone. Yes. The tears, whining, fussing, weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth started all over again. MY WORD!

With expert patience and ignorance on my part, the minutes were counting down until it would be time to go. I thought we were actually going to make it. Then I acidentally nailed her in the forehead with my elbow. Oops. Bad mommy. After I picked her up, she laid her head on my shoulder and started working on that magical thumb of hers. A few seconds later...quiet. And nothing since except for the occassional whimper or the sound of her sucking her thumb.

The entire time that I've been typing this post Claire has been out cold on my shoulder. Guess I'll let her take a quick nap after all and hold her all the while. Good mommy....until I wake her up to put her in the car seat in a minute. Then I'll be a bad mommy all over again.

IT'S A NEW DAWN...

It's a new day, it's a new life. For me...and I'm feelin' good! Oh, I'm just so thrilled and happy and tingly all over. I've got a huge smile on my face. My life changed for the better today. And I know that many of you are going to relate to what I'm most ecstatically celebrating about:

Claire's 1st day of nursery was today.

I was a bit worried about her adjusting to the change since she's the shier of my two kids. Hudson? I could hand him off to anyone. Leave him with a new sitter. Introduce him to some weirdy with bad skin, hobo clothes, and a rat's nest for hair. It was all good. He'd hug, kiss, snuggle, and talk with anyone who was up for it. But not Claire. Until she was close to a year old, she had serious social anxiety. Cried anytime my MIL was around. Fussed if I tried to put her down when a stranger was in the room. Sobbed and sobbed if someone gave her a nice, friendly "hello" at the grocery store. Cries when we leave her with a babysitter. Now that she's a bit older, she doesn't freak out as much as she used to. But she still isn't exactly what one would call a shoe-in for nursery.

So I walked into nursery today, very much planning on staying put for a good while. I sat down in a chair and held Claire on my lap. We'd been there all of about oh, two minutes, when she slid down off my lap and made a bee-line for one of those chiming roller things (you know what I'm talking about). She looked at me a time or two but just kept playing. She even interacted with a couple of the other toddlers and one of the other adults in the room without batting an eye (or hitting any of the kids). I quietly got up and slipped out the door. I hung around for a while, peering in the one-way window in one of the doors. She was happily playing with different toys, sharing them with the other kids, taking things across the room to show them to one of the nursery workers. Honestly, I don't think she noticed or cared that I was gone. I couldn't believe it. And I couldn't be happier.

Let the confetti and balloons fall. Cue the Hallelujah chorus. Set off the fireworks. Bring out a plate of celebratory chocolate...or Princess Cake...or both.

My baby loves nursery.

UHHHHH....

I've been in a blogging rut all week long. I've wanted to blog. Honestly I have. But nothing brilliant came to mind and while I had a couple of ideas, nothing came to fruition.

I had a great recipe I wanted to post...couldn't find it.

I thought of posting new pics of the kids...haven't taken any.

I considered just writing about what I was doing with my day...too hum-drum.

I sat here and stared at the screen...nothing magically appeared.

Talking on the phone with one of my girlies the other day, she commented that I'm very "listy". So I thought about doing another list (and I have some good ones in mind). But I don't want to be "listy" all the time. I want to offer more than a stack of bulleted items grouped into random categories...

I want to wow everyone (right....) with some amazing post that will blow their minds and rock their worlds. It's obviously not happening, though. So you'll just have to wait to be rocked another day.

25 THINGS I LOVE TO LOVE...

Alright. Tomorrow is good old St. Valentine's Day. So I decided that in addition to my anti-love post about things I hate, I should also write a list of things that I love. Those things that float my boat, tickles my funny bone, make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And in advance, I hereby once again tag anyone who wants to be tagged...

1. ALL of my family: husband and kids, parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
2. Brownie batter.
3. A good gab session with one of my girls (or 10 of them...doesn't matter).
4. When my car is freshly cleaned.
5. Thunderstorms...they terrified me as a child but now I just can't get enough.
6. Looking in my wallet and finding cash that I forgot about or didn't know I had.
7. Using the word "peeps".
8. Hearing Hudson use the words "peeps" and "freakin'".
9. BBC's Pride and Prejudice. A dose of Colin Firth/Mr. Darcy, anyone?
10. The ocean.
11. A really big, deep bathtub full of hot water and surrounded by silence. Ahhhhhh.
12. My children's laughter.
13. Seeing a loved one (friend or family) after a long time of being apart. Even better if it's one of my dearest peeps and it has been long enough that we cry over seeing each other again.
14. A Balboa Bar (or 5 of them) with everything.
15. Listening to the rain as I fall asleep.
16. Going shopping for a specific item of clothing or a certain accessory and finding it. On sale. In the color I wanted. And it fits.
17. Lying in the shaded cool grass on a summer day.
18. CHALK-O-LIT.
19. The CD of children's music that Max made. Pollywog in a Bog always gets me going.
20. The rare and totally treasured day that I'm able to sleep in.
21. Puppies and ducklings. Admit it. You smiled just now, didn't you?
22. Amusement park rides at Disneyland, The Boardwalk, Lagoon. Wherever. They just rock.
23. Tasteful displays of Christmas lights.
24. Marzipan...especially Mrs. Cavanaugh's and that tasty layer of it in Gayle's Princess Cake.
25. Feeling wanted, appreciated, needed, and loved.

This list was even easier to write than the one about things I hate. I'm going to have to write "Another 25 Things I Love To Love" sometime. Sometime soon...I'm already typing it up in my head.

25 THINGS I LOVE TO HATE...

My girl Sherrie tagged "anyone who wants to play along" on her post about 25 things that she loves to hate. Things she can't stand/irritate her/she enjoys complaining about. She stated that she thought she'd have a hard time coming up the a list of 25. Me? No fleakin' peeoblem. This one sounds like nothing short of oodles of fun. Here I go...

1. When my kids are sick and there's nothing I can do to make it better.
2. Folding whites when I'm doing laundry.
3. Mispronunciation of the words "expecially" and "acrossed". Do any of you see an "x" in especially or an "ed" at the end of across? I don't think so.
4. Snow on the sidewalks and streets, in my driveway, and any other place I may happen to set foot in my normal daily activities.
5. Complaining and whining. I know that's exactly what I'm doing right now but this is one of my precious lists. It doesn't count.
6. Peeps who have issues behind the wheel: (a) driving slowly and then speeding up when I go to pass them or tailing me after I do, (b) taking slow, wide turns - especially right hand turns when there is a large, open park strip to one side, (c) parking crookedly or took close to one side of a stall...apparently sick the day that those strange white and yellow lines in parking lots were explained, (d) talking or texting on their cell phones instead of paying attention to what they're doing as they operate their piece of potentially deadly machinery
7. Being poked, tickled, or pestered in any fashion.
8. Hot, dry summer days that turn into hot, dry summer nights. 87 degrees out at 11:00 pm? No thanks!
9. The royal mess in my craft room.
10. The fact that my kids can be perfectly quiet and content but the second I get on the phone, they both want or need something, have a question, have to sit/climb/hold on to me, or tell me something.
11. This one is for you, Max: "Crackers".
12. Unnecessary swearing and sex scenes in movies.
13. Peeps who don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom. There was this one lady at my old office who NEVER washed up after going potty...I cringed every time I saw her shake hands with a client.
14. Stretch marks...my babies are worth every one but I still hate them.
15. Needing a flashlight and only being able to find ones with dead batteries.
16. Telemarketing calls.
17. Peeps who are self-centered, selfish, and act inconsiderately. This world revolves around no single person.
18. Peeps who are rude to waiters, customer service workers, or store clerks.
19. Hand washing my crock pot's dish...it doesn't fit in my dishwasher.
20. TMI WARNING: having "that time of the month" over a holiday, vacation, or important event.
21. Having to charge my cell phone. It's much easier for me to just leave it in my purse 24/7.
22. MRI's.
23. My wide size 11 feet. It's almost impossible to find shoes that are comfy and look good.
24. Parents and adults who are more concerned with being friends with their teenagers than actually raising them. Hello?! You're their parents!
25. Going to Costco or Target on a Saturday.

I would love to give you more but it's supposed to be 25 things I love to hate, not 100. So I'm done. Like Sher, I hereby tag anyone who wants to write a super fun-to-make list of things that they really can't stand. Enjoy!

1st RECIPE POST: ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

I've been thinking of doing a recipe post for some time now. But how in the world do I decide which one to post? So much good food and so little time! Alas, after much consideration, I've decided to give you a recipe I mentioned in a previous post. It is that of my Italian Chopped Salad. It's a recipe that I got from my mother-in-law and is so yummy that sometimes, it's all we have for dinner. Here y'all are:

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

iceberg lettuce

sharp cheddar cheese

salami

tomatoes (I prefer grape, cherry, or Roma)

avocado

black olives

green onions

cucumber (we use English)

Caesar or Italian croutons

1 envelope Good Season Italian Dressing mix

water

vegetable oil

white vinegar

Make dressing using the mix, water, oil, and vinegar according to package directions. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Shred or chop the lettuce and put in a large bowl. Chop or shred each of the next 7 ingredients (cheese through cucumber) and add a layer of each on top of the lettuce. Just prior to serving, top with croutons and dressing and toss well.

NOTES:

• Unless a REALLY big salad has been made, start by going a bit easy on the dressing...a little can go a long way.
• My MIL also adds chopped green pepper but we're just not into it, hence the reason I left it off the list above. But you can add it if you want. If you like that kind of thing.

I'm going to try to post a recipe every week or two. Hopefully this will help get me out of my cooking rut and make me try new things. Or at least remember "oldie but goodie" recipes. Any requests? Send them to me and I'll try to appease.

PRIORITIES OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD

As is the nightly routine Max read scriptures with Huds before he tucked him into bed tonight. At the end of their reading, he explained to Hudson that Heavenly Father helped Nephi know how to build the boat. Max then said that anytime he needs help on something, Heavenly Father can help him, too. They talked about various things that Hudson could get help on such as building something, something in school, or making a decision. Hudson responded with a very enthusiastic, "Heavenly Father could help me build Legos...", he paused with a thoughtful look. Then holding one hand up in the "rocker sign" (thumb and middle fingers in, index and pinkie fingers up) and giving a sly, eyebrows-up look, he said, "Star Wars Legos".

That boy of mine...he sure knows what's important.

NUMERO TRES: UNEXPECTED

Everyone – especially us girls, I think – has an idea in their minds about how their life is going to be when they “grow up”. I don't know of anyone who has been so lucky as to have their life turn out exactly as planned. That’s a given. Maybe some of our dreams fall into place. But not every single aspect of our imaginary perfect life can come to pass. And my life most certainly is no exception. Here’s my list of UNEXPECTED. Things that I wouldn’t have guessed would happen. Or that I had planned otherwise on. A few things that have changed in me.

Now, mind you, this list of unexpected things does not implicate or mean in any way that I’m not happy with my life. It doesn’t mean that these things are unacceptable to me. It doesn’t mean that I’d change anything. I am happy with my life. I’m a true believer in “blooming where planted”. It’s just a list. And here she goes:

• I settled outside of California.
• I don’t mind – and sometimes actually like - watching golf or tennis.
• Aside from the graham cracker variety, I’ve never made a homemade pie crust. And aside from the no-bake kind, I’ve never made a real pie either.
• I have never been able to do a cartwheel. Tried and failed many times…always thought I’d get it eventually but I was wrong. And I know I’m not the only one.
• My second child is a girl (I was 150% sure she was another boy).
• I worked various jobs – mainly medical and insurance – and never did do what I always wanted to do: work with families and children.
• I never finished college.
• The following foods (which were on my “no-way Jose” list as a kid) are all quite delicious to me: tomatoes, sushi, bratwurst or ribs with sauerkraut, tomato soup, and the legs of calamari/squid (SO much better than the body).
• I haven’t worn shorts in public in years.
• My feet got wider and grew almost a size when I was pregnant with Hudson.
• I like country music.
• I was diagnosed with a not-so-awesome genetic medical condition at the late age of 30 (making it that far with NFII and not knowing it is almost unheard of).
• We moved into our “final” home when we only had one child.
• My uncontrollable response to my children crying when they get a vaccination/shot is to laugh. Out loud.
• I have never been to Europe.
• I like shoveling and/or snow-blowing the white stuff.
• As much as I love to cook, I constantly feel like I’m in a rut when it comes to make for dinner. I always thought I’d offer a great variety of meals to my family…not so much.
• I am totally into blogging.

It’s funny, I know that a lot of other things in my life have been unexpected, but many of them are ordinary and/or amazing to me and would probably be (if they aren't already) in my ORDINARY or AMAZING lists. Interesting to take a look at my life in these little “categories” and see how many of the things I listed could be put on more than one list.

There you have it, kiddies. The third and final list that I promised a couple of weeks ago. Honestly, doing these lists has been kind of fun for me. Try it yourself sometime…it’ll get you thinking.

Now to decide what my next list will be…

2ND TIME AROUND

Hudson was a fast teether as a little one. He got his first teeth around the normal age (4 or 5 months) and after that, it was 2 teeth almost every month. And the process of getting them in was never an issue. When one of his little whiteys would decide to come in, it was always super quick and we never knew they were coming in until his gums bled because it had broken through. He had 16 teeth at 14 months. He got his 2-year molars (usually in closer to age 3) before his 2nd birthday. Teeth, teeth, and more teeth.

One night back in November we were all eating dinner one night when Hudson complained that his two bottom center teeth hurt. Said he'd hurt them by trying to bite apart some Legos. Per instructions from our dentist brother-in-law, we had him eat soft foods and take it easy on those two chompers for a week or so in order to have the teeth get securely back into place. But they kept getting looser. And looser. Then, a couple of days before Christmas, we pulled out his 1st tooth:

The new tooth was already visible beneath it. A 4 1/2 year old already getting his adult teeth? Yeah. Guess the whole fast teething thing is a trend with him. As you can see from the above picture, the removal of the 1st tooth caused so much pain that he wasn't ready for a picture until about 10 seconds had passed. That 1st tooth was super ready and came out without a hitch

Now, about that 2nd loose tooth. It became very loose during the month of January. When I say "very", I mean extremely...much more so than the 1st tooth. Upon wiggling it this past Sunday, it became evident that if given the choice, this one would have pack its bags long ago. The new tooth was obviously coming in as the loose one couldn't be wiggled back anymore. Just side to side and forward. And it went in these directions without any discomfort or pain. But it hurt for Hudson to chew. When he stuck his tongue through the little opening he has there, the thing almost lay completely flat and horizontal. If he had sneezed too hard, the thing would have gone flying across the room. But he wouldn't let me pull it out. He was afraid of the pain and "couldn't open" his mouth when he thought I was going to take it out. You'd think the 2nd time around would be easier...apparently not so.

On Monday afternoon - after much "discussion" that included his crying and totally melting down - Hudson told me that he'd let me give it a shot on Tuesday. I brought this up on Tuesday just after noon. No go. I told him he had to give me one try before we could go to see Max at the office. His response was that we were "running out of time" and needed to leave...no time for tooth-pulling.

I had him in a good blocked position on the chair in our room and while he freaked out, I stuck my thumb and a finger in his mouth and pulled. More screaming and freaking out. I took my hand away and he informed me that he didn't want me to try again today and that that was enough. I held up my hand to show him his tooth. He looked totally surprised. Shocked. A look of "what the...?" on his face. He hadn't even realized it was gone. He felt the spot where the tooth previously resided and then stuck a tissue in the gap to stop the bleeding. I think the bleeding lasted about a minute and it was done. Seriously...one piddly minute and everything was over with. He was happy, excited, and completely proud of himself. He informed me that it didn't hurt anymore. He showed me how he could stick his tongue through the new, larger gap. He was elated. And he was eager for me to take a picture of him:

Oh, and just so you know, the next time around, there will not be another post about his meltdowns over having a tooth pulled. He informed me earlier that when he's 5, he won't freak out or be scared of the next tooth being pulled. Good to know!

CRAVING THE END OF WINTER

Max keeps commenting that he's done with winter, ice & snow, and the mucky air outside. While I'm O.K. with a bit more of it (except for the smog), I really am looking forward to springtime and the freedom of summer when I can take the kids outside. Have BBQ's and eat on patio. Sit outside in the evening and enjoy the fresh air. Push Claire in the swing:


Watch Max doing yard work and taking the occasional break with Hudson and Miles:


Not have to worry about Claire getting too cold when she takes her shirt off:


Put Hudson back in swimming lessons:


I'm looking forward to bulbs in my yard popping up. To baby deer walking the neighborhood with their moms. To new leaves budding on my Japanese Maples. To opening the windows all over my house and letting the musty trapped air escape. To trips to the zoo and stops at the park. To birds chirping in the trees.

The more I think about it, the more I'm practically salivating for warmer weather. But it's only February 4th and I don't even get to think about planting tomatoes let alone having an entirely snow-free yard until May. Maybe this post was a bad idea...

LIST # 2: AMAZING

Now I give you my second list. Seemingly bragging and self-promotiong? Possibly. But it’s an interesting one to write, I tell you. In no particular order, here’s a list of some of the things that make me amazing, and that have made or currently make my life AMAZING.

• I remember phone numbers like nobody’s business and I never forget a face.
• Less than 18 months ago, I had a tumor crushing the nerves in my spine and could barely stand or walk by the time it was removed. Today I can walk, swim, run…do whatever I want. My only side effects from the tumor and the surgery to remove it are a small tender/numb spot on one leg and a bit of muscular pain in my back.
• I’m a stay at home mom with 2 beautiful children (ordinary and amazing…wouldn’t trade it for the world).
• I made it through my teenage years and came out of them as a well-rounded young adult.
• I haven’t had to work a day since my 1st was born.
• My husband started his own business 9.5 years ago and even with the ups and downs of the real estate world, his work has supported our family…and thank the heavens above, the doors are have remained open.
• I have the most loving, supportive, generous, and thoughtful parents in the world.
• My siblings rock. I have a sister and 3 brothers – all of whom I consider to be my closest friends and aside from arguments in our younger years (i.e. childhood and teenage years), none of us has ever had a big fight, tiff, or problem with any of the others.
• I went through 10 hours of labor and nearly 2 hours of pushing only to have a C-section on my 1st. Then, with a C-section scheduled for my 2nd, I went into labor a few weeks early and went through just over 5 hours of labor and only a few minutes of pushing…no C-section needed.
• I have wonderful friends with wonderful attributes: thoughtful, empathetic, funny, good at listening, understanding, kind, and uplifting (to name a few).
• Even though I’m a “bad friend” who doesn’t call for months, doesn’t see them for longer, and forgets their birthdays, my friends still love me because many of them are “bad friends” too. And we love each other for it.
• I’m an animal lover and have had many pets (not all just mine – some were or are family pets): 9 dogs, a snake, 3 rabbits (Mork lived at my Grandpa & Grandma’s), numerous fish, 7 birds, and 2 cats. That’s a whole lot of “stuff” to clean up!
• All of my INCREDIBLE doctors for my NFII were recommended by physicians I trusted and all of them are covered under our insurance.
• I knew all four of my grandparents.
• I can make a mouth-watering homemade chocolate mousse from scratch (thanks, Dad), a killer loaf of homemade bread (thanks, Mom), and an awesome Italian chopped salad (thanks, Carol [my mother-in-law]).
• I’m willing to try anything (almost) once…you never know what you’re going to like to eat or to do until you’ve given it a shot.
• My husband and children love me and accept me for who I am in spite of my bad habits, some of the things I do, and the many mistakes I make.
• I have been cut open and put back together more than I would have liked. In the process, I’ve had countless stitches, 60-something staples, a hole in my skull, and titanium plates and screws to put me back together. And aside from a couple of scars, I don’t look like any of it happened.
• I’ve been blessed with a built in optimistic attitude and view on life.
• I’m walking around with a tumor in my neck and one in my right inner ear/brain with no side effects from either.

I’m surprised and happy to say that I found my “amazing” list much easier to come up with than my “ordinary” list. My 1st list was longer but this one was quicker to write. I could add a few things to it but then I’d really feel like I was bragging. So I won’t. The final list will follow soon…

LIST # 1: ORDINARY

So it took me a little longer than a few days to get my fantastically marvy lists going. Dying from anticipation? I’m here to bring you back to life. May I present my 1st list: the things that are ORDINARY about me and my life.

• I’m a stay at home mom with 2 wonderful kids.
• No matter how little a desire I have to do so, I do laundry, vacuum, scrub toilets, wipe down counters, etc.
• I dream about the future and what I hope my life will bring.
• I argue with my husband.
• I yell at my kids.
• My life hasn’t turned out exactly the way I thought it would.
• I have days when I’m edgy, irritable, cranky, and no one in their right mind would get in my way.
• I have days when I’m giggly, happy, easy going, and smiling all day.
• I have regrets about things I have done and things I haven’t done.
• Even though I love them more than anything, my husband and kids have a knack for driving me bonkers at times.
• I have bad habits that I would like to break.
• I have a hard time listing my good habits but I know they’re there.
• I get lonely.
• I miss people.
• I break resolutions and promises I make to myself.
• I’m totally unique and not like anyone else…funny how that’s an attribute everyone has.
• I went through a seriously gawky phase in my younger years.
• I can be at my absolute best but still have no problem finding and naming my faults.
• I procrastinate at times and always end up wishing I hadn’t.
• I feel good when I accomplish something.
• I’m a night owl who dreads getting up early in the morning.
• When I do get up early, I feel a lot better about myself.
• I get frustrated or angry with myself when I fall short of what I know I can do.
• I fear some things that others don’t and I’m unafraid of things that might scare them.
• My family loves me in spite of my shortcomings and I love them with each one of theirs.

Next up, list number 2...