Cookies with Grandma

Christmas creations

All right boys. When you read this in the future, please try to remember that I TRIED to be good at doing crafts with you. I TRIED to have patience, & I TRIED to let you do as much as possible without taking over & doing it myself. 

In the case of the Ginger bread house, I did most of it myself. It was a little tricky. And yes, I put each individual shingle on the roof. 

You guys tried your hardest to get the eyes & nose to stay on our Rudolph candy canes, but eventually I vacuumed them all up.

Your Christmas countdown you did almost by yourself. They turned out wonderful. But we never remembered to take off a loop each day. It ended up being 3 or 4 days at a time (which made for good hand cuffs) so I think that depletes the purpose of learning what a day is or counting them down. 

These trees would have lasted forever if Nathan wasn't obsessed with the little gingerbread men. He took them all off, I swear I picked up more than what we put on. And Daddy just got mad at them because they were always in the way. Maybe Christmas 2009 will be a little more hands on & not Mommy doing most of the work!! 

(by the way, thank you for breaking so many Christmas decorations & ornaments. Now I don't have to store them anymore!!)

Our Christmas tree!

    
 
 

We finally went & got a tree. Didn't want to spend money on it, so we got a pretty dinky one. We let the boys do most of the decorating, except the lights, therefore the interesting looking tree. It seems as though trees are always more of a pain than not. Everyday I catch myself threatening the boys to put the ornaments back on the tree or I'll throw it away. It's worse than getting them to clean their rooms & I have ornaments strung throughout the house. But it's finally here, & it feels like Christmas!!!

Appropriate? Or just funny............

A Christmas Story for people having a bad day:

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped
the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Feeling a little more educated.

I found this book on a fellow friend's "Good Reads" review. It looked very interesting, so I picked it up from the library & watched it sit on my piano for a couple of weeks. Finally ready to start looking at what I put into my body, I opened the cover, & was amazed at what I found. This book is NOT a eat this, don't eat this kind of read. The author is very laid back & explains how we have come to our Western diet as a society today. This is my review on my "Good Reads" account: 

Has anyone seen that commercial recently about one mom giving her kids juice, then the other mom says, "how can you give your kids so much juice? It has a lot of high fructose corn syrup in it." Which the mom pouring the juice replys,"it comes from corn, what can be so wrong with it?"  I saw that commercial a couple of weeks ago & thought, hmmm, they make a good point. But also what kind of selfish, greedy individual would come up with that? Telling moms it's ok to drink lots of juice with crap in it because it originally comes from corn?  This book was SUPER great at explaining how our country has arrived at how we think about "nutrition" & food. How we eat, what we think is ok, the evil politics that has hidden what is really healthy for us in order to gain more money. Then the author goes on to talk about other cultures, why they're healthier, why our studies are nothing but crap, but also talks to the people who head these studies who admit they are crap. He has researched this topic very deeply, taking in all points of views, opinions, sides, but still never tells you That you MUST eat how he says.  His opinion is non-bias, & has quit a few humorous comments that keep you reading more. I recomend this to EVERYONE. You will learn more about what you "think" is healthy, but not feel guilty (unless you should be) about your eating habits. I still sat down & ate my sis in laws choc cream cheese frosting (thanks Lisa) & read about how to go about a healthier lifestyle. I know that oreos, crackers, cakes, fast foods are not healthy. But what about my peanut butter? My canned foods? My bread? The packages that have health claims, the laws that are made to go around really being healthy, but can claim to be. Did you know Fritos can claim to reduce some disease (don't remember which) because they now use a product called corn oil, instead of a previous ingredient, although corn oil is even worse to consume. It's ridiculous.  Also contains interesting results to studies about our habits, how media gets us to think a certain way, & why we eat the way we do. The difference between "food" & "food products." It's all about the title: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Yes, you should read it. So now Jared & I are trying to be a little better at cooking with more fresh "food" & learning more about what those pesky ingredients are that we can't even pronounce. Some of my favorite advice from this book was "don't eat anything your Grandmother wouldn't recognize"  "don't shop in the center aisles"  "no more than 5 ingredients" (to this my response was bun, hamburger, lettuce, cheese & bacon. That's only 5!) "try not to eat alone" "shake the hand that feeds you"  & " NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP"

During the voting frenzy, a friend sent me an email about this group of women who fought for the right to vote. I placed this HBO movie on my Netflix list & waited for a couple months for it to become available. It's not that they didn't do a good job, the acting was ok, but it's the story that gets you. I had no idea about how these women were arrested & tortured. What society thought about the intelligence of women, how no one cared. I will never again not care about voting. Every chance I get, I will give my tiny little voice of opinion, if not only to show appreciation to what women fought for not even 100 years ago. 

Caramel anyone???

I bought a 15 pound cube of quality caramel to make some treats. This is a picture of it AFTER I used a good 4 inches of it. 

So I ended up with around 160 SWEET DELICIOUS TURTLES. 

Thanksgiving Diva

It all started with an urge to try my hand at gardening. Nothing has ever before survived these previous urges. I kill the unkillable plants. But this year, I got tomatoes & pumpkins to grow for me. This picture was taken early on in the season. By the time my plants were done growing, they crossed my whole backyard. I was very proud of myself for being able to grow my own veggies & actually be able to eat them. We had sooo many tomatoes. And I looked forward to not having to buy any pumpkins for the Holidays. 

I was too scared to actually carve any of the pumpkins we grew, afraid they would be gross inside since I grew them, so we all colored them for Halloween. There were about a dozen all together, more than we knew what to do with. So a couple days ago, I say it's time to toss the pumpkins, they've taken up their share of space for long enough. Then got the inkling to cut them in half for the boys to see. Then started wondering if I could reuse the seeds to plant for next year, I got online & started looking at things to do with pumpkins. Found some yummy recipes, & decided to try some of them out. 

I ended up with some DELICIOUS oatmeal choc chip cookies. They are actually VERY good. SO I am feeling mighty proud of the fact I was able to cook something that I grew. Not just tomatoes in a salad, but actually baking the pumpkin & puree ing it, then freezing some for later. These things are stuffed with potassium & vitamin C. & loaded with vitamin A. There is no butter, & not too much sugar. That means it was all right to let my kids have them after 9 pm right?? At least they were eating pumpkin & oats. 

We have also started a "We are Thankful for..." tree. Every day I ask the boys what they are Thankful for, & we put it on a leaf for our tree. I have never done this much for Thanksgiving before, & am feeling mighty happy with my self. 

Here ya go Drea!

Andrea has been asking for some pregger pics, so here they are. I had to put aside 2 pairs of maternity pants this morning because they no longer comfortably fit. This is not a good sign since I still have 3 more months to go. All that homemade bread I've been making. We're almost out of butter. 

Also, I found these at Winco last night. I might be living in my Old Navy Men's pajama pants pretty soon. 

My MP3 player

I started doing surveys with this company online a couple years ago. The only one that I've found to not hassle you or jerk you around. I finally had enough points for something that I wanted..... An Apple shuffle. It's so teeny & I love the headphones. Here are the boys & Jared modeling it off for me. 

What a wuss

I cried at the end of Walt Disney's Cinderella this morning. How lame are those hormones?

Oh so sexy

I tried a cinnamon bread roll thingy. Didn't turn out so hot. Jared still ate it, but we had to make french toast out of the loaf, which was tasty. These aren't very attractive loaves, anyone have a good recipe for cinnamon bread?? Not a quick bread or rolls, but actual bread. 

Halloween 2008

We celebrated Halloween 4 times this year. Jared was an English postman, Me a pregnant nun (again), Grant a "fire truck man", & Nate was a tiny ninja. Glad I got costumes on clearance last year, although Grant was the only one wearing something original. I want to dress up as a family next year, any ideas??

This is at our ward's Harvest Festival, tons of fun & awesome activities for the kids. Good chili too. We also went to Brighton ward's trunk or treat, Susie Scoville's haunted house, then around the town on Halloween night. We saw lots of old neighbors, & people were giving out hand fulls of candy at almost every house. We have way too much candy. 

The boys had so much fun running around. My brother Kevin & his girlfriend Tessa did most of the work taking the boys up to the doors & helping them. Jared & I kinda just played around. Jared squirting people with Grant's fire extinguisher, I swear I didn't know it squirted when I bought it, leave it up to Jared to figure it out. 

Bring on the arrows!

Betty Crocker, watch out!

I've been into the whole food storage thing this last year. Be prepared. So my goal was to learn how to make bread before the years end. I finally got the courage to try it today (for some reason I feel intimidated by the whole yeast & rising stuff). I tried the braided circle method for one of the loaves, it was sooooo yummy.

  I also combined a couple different corn chowder recipes & did a crock pot corn chowder. Hello! Why I haven't I made this before. It is better than the bread. I have stuffed myself sick tonight, but I sure feel good. 

 

Even though I went to the doc the other day & saw how much weight I've gained in the last 5 weeks, I still sat down with a chunk of bread & a stick of butter to watch Grey's Anatomy. I have absolutely no reason to wonder why my thighs are growing outward. 

Prop 8

This address was given at the BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2006

 

Boyd K. Packer

 

 'The virtue of tolerance has been distorted and elevated to a position of such prominence as be thought equal to

and even valued more than morality. It is one thing to be tolerant, even forgiving of individual conduct. It is quite another to

collectively legislate and legalize to protect immoral conduct that can weaken, even destroy the family.'

 

'There is a dangerous trap when tolerance is exaggerated to protect the rights of those whose conduct endangers the family

and injures the rights of the more part of the people. We are getting dangerously close to the condition described by the prophet Mosiah, who warned:

 

"Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part

of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.'

 

"And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you;

yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.'  (Mosiah 29:26-27)

 

'Tolerance can be a dangerous trap.'

 

As always, Boyd K. Packer says it so eloquently!

 

The Prophet Joseph Smith said at the first Relief Society, 'There must be a decision of character, aside from sympathy.'

 

I did it!!

So I wanted to make a blanket for a friend's new baby. I really like the crocheted edge blankets & I decided to practice on a small blanket. This is how it came out.

It was sooo much work, that I just bought some binding for my friend's blanket & didn't do anything fancy. 

This practice blanket is going to baby bundles in our ward. I hope the new mommy will appreciate it!

I'm posting this as proof that I did this pattern once upon a time. 

So long Little Missy.....

Yesterday, my parents had to put down one of their cats. I decided to take the opportunity to talk to the boys about death & heaven. I had it all planned out... She went to heaven to play with Heavenly Father & Jesus, she gets to play with all her friends all day, etc. 

I sit down with the boys & say, "ok guys, Little Missy is dead, do you know what that means?" Grant started balling his eyes out. "NNNOOOOOO, I don't want Little Missy to go away...." Apparently he's watched Bambi a few too many times & knows exactly what death is. The poor sweetheart needed lots of cuddling for a couple hours while Nate ran around happily searching for the kitty. I love my kids. 

The Little Gym

Awhile ago, Grant Nathan & I were going to the California Family Fitness on Howe & Northrop. We went almost everyday for almost a year. The kind of fun the boys had there in the kid center really encouraged me to go as often as I did. They had the best girls working there, always doing crafts & playing games. When we decided to get pregnant again, we quit the gym knowing I would not be feeling good enough to go, then would not have enough energy. It also was a little pricey. Grant was super sad about this, constantly telling me stories about the good ole days at the "little gym." 

"Mom, remember when that guy opened the door & smashed my toe & I cry?? Remember? At the "little gym?""  "Mom, remember we go to the "little gym" & we paint pictures?" etc. When VSP offered us a good deal at the local 24 Hour Fitness, we signed up. But to take kids was too expensive & the place is super dirty. I could feel myself collecting sick germs just opening the door. Let alone the kids center was 30 years old. We called it the "crappy gym." I put my membership on hold. 

So yesterday, Grant found a quarter on the ground & said this, "MOM, I found a quarter!! Now I have money & we can go to the "little gym" we not need to go to the crappy gym anymore!"

I love how their brains work & how easily they remember what they love. 

Halloween crafts

Oh how I already miss the easiness of summertime. All you had to do to entertain your kids was go to the park, the library (there is currently no story time), water park, the zoo, fairy tale town, send them in the backyard, go to another park, outside play dates, etc. Now that it's getting cold, I actually have to try be a mom. So I decided to cut out some Halloween shapes & yes I know my cutting is not the best. This is what the boys came up with. 

Grant is VERY proud of his spider teeth. 

Nathan was just happy to not be watching TV. 

Aren't my ghosts beautiful?? I had to free hand everything, wasn't able to find outlines of these shapes on line. And they are proudly displayed in our windows for all passerbys to see. 

Marriage is fundamentally about children's needs, not adult desires.

Jared's Birthday dinner 2008

Trying to teach Grant how to lick his plate to get all the yummy goodness. 

Heavy Heavy Hangs over thy poor head..........

Happy 28th Birthday my love!!!

Apple Hill 2008

Kevin & Tessa asleep on the way. So cute. 

I'm not sure if Nate understood that the food was for the Geese. 

Juliette looking so cute & as if she's grown a foot in a month. 

Pumpkins all around. I'm glad we grew our own this year. 

Enjoying apple fritters & staying out of the rain. 

We had a ton of fun even though it was raining off & on. Grant slid & got his bum all muddy. Nathan ate food off the ground, a gallon of cider was $6.95 (ouch), cute crafts, & we only spent money on apples & caramel covered apples. Yummy. I'm gonna start saving up for next time to get a Rocky Road apple. Those suckers are $10, but oh so good!!