While I breathe, I hope

Rag Curls

2011-03-26T23:09:00.000-06:00

When I was a little girl, I used to always see my grandma curl her hair for Sunday morning with strips of brown paper bag. I don't really know or remember how that came to be her choice over rags but I think some of it may be that she grew up in an atmosphere of using whatever you had.

I loved to have my hair done that way. I can distinctly remember the crinkle that it would make when I would have to sleep on it. My favorite part was the tight ringlets that it would produce. I had hair down to my waist until I was about 12 years old. I would have my mom roll the hair up wet the night before church so that Sunday morning she could brush it out into a gorgeous POUFFF. Even my bangs! I laugh and cringe at that now when I think about it. I'm sure glad my taste and style has changed. ;)

Now my children love to have their hair done in rag curlers. I opt not to use the so tight paper bag curlers on them, though. Instead, we 'up-cycle' our tights that get runs in them. I cut the legs off the tights into 3-4 pieces a leg. The thickness of the tights give a nice size ringlet. I refuse to brush their hair into that previously mentioned beautiful poufff. After undoing the rag curler, I twist each ringlet with my finger and a little texture cream or mousse. This gives a much smoother and cuter 'Shirley Temple' affect. After a day I will then brush it out for a softer look.

Who knew that brown paper bags and tights with runs in them could produce such endearing memories?

"Do not fear your destiny"

2011-03-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this post from my blog: Sugarfree Sweetie Pie.
This is a blog about our journey with my son's disease.

I felt that this post had pertinence in all aspects of life.

Do not fear your destiny...

A good read

2011-01-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying a good read to night going over old blog post. I've missed blogging a lot but didn't realize how much until tonight.
I spend most days feeling like my brain is fried and lately my post show it. I've tried to get at least a picture off and a caption but even then that only lasted 3 days.
I loved reading my post from when I used to have a thought-full brain, that was well rested and used.
I see now that I need to make an even greater effort at blogging to find some 'me' time and find myself in all the muddle above my neck.

A Family Portrait

2011-01-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

This fine piece of art was completed by Amellia. Yes, there is an extra pet. No, it is not ours it is the neighbor's dog. It was added by Claire. Yes, those are "poop nuggets" below the dogs. Those were kindly added by Olivia.

Happiness is...

2011-01-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

watching The Wiggles on Mommy's bed.

New Year's Tree

2011-01-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Riley came up with a brilliant idea to remove our Christmas ornaments and make a New Year's Tree. I trimmed it with balloons and party favors. I topped with our own 'crystal' ball. I loved it so much I think it will be a new tradition!

"Give Thanks at the Rememberence"

2010-11-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Amellia took this picture of a beautiful sunset we were blessed with the other night.

Each year I yearn for a more thankful Thanksgiving. The make up of Halloween is barely washed off before the gaudiness and materialism that clouds Christmas is upon us. We can scarcely find a quite moment or honorable nod to the toil of those who built our nation and left us with the plenty abound. And just as He is slowly erased from his own birthday celebration, remembrance to our Savior and our Father are replaced with gluttony.

I cannot say that I have not fallen prey to forgetfulness. I cannot allow myself to get caught up again. I feel this pull to gratitude when I reflect on my life. We all have joys and trials that have made our lives what they are and who we are.

I felt there was risk this year for us to be caught up in all the bustle of our life. We are in the middle of so much change and chaos that I have felt out of myself. I didn't want to loose another holiday season to regret and missing precious moments. I think Heavenly Father heard my thoughts when I received a post that was sharing a Thanksgiving Devotional.

An inspiring family has created this daily devotional for the Thanksgiving season. I really feel that it has made a difference, at least for me. I may not see the affects on my children for years but I know that their souls cannot helped but be touched by the scriptures, poems and stories.

If anyone is interested in this devotional here is the LINK.

Olivia turns Six

2010-11-07T20:44:00.001-07:00

On October 29th my baby girl turned six! It is really hard for me to believe actually. Besides the fact that to me she still looks like shes four and she still sucks her thumb :( she will always be a baby too me. For a few years I thought she would be the official baby of the family, but that changed :)

Six important things to know about Olivia.

1. She loves the color orange.
2. She loves Reese's Peanut Butter Cups- obsessively!
3. She is pleasant in the morning and always greets me with a smile.
4. She is a willing helper that I can count on.
5. She inherited my temper- poor girl.
6. She loves to sing and dance especially with her 2 favorites, High School Musical and Camp Rock.

She loves "butter cups" so much that she wanted me to use that as the theme of her birthday party. I was a little unsure of how I was going to pull that off. This is what we came up with:

We decorated in Orange and Brown- what else??? :)
My talented hubby helped me create invites that looked like a Reese's wrapper.

I decided to use "the Gang" to solve a mystery of who ate Olivia's butter cup. I made up clues that went along with each character in a game which led them to Scooby, of course, who was the culprit. {And he would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for those meddling kids! } They had lots of fun doing that and playing with the characters.

They also had fun eating a Reese's treat and playing "Blind Man's Bluff" in the back yard.

One of those days

2010-09-29T11:07:00.004-06:00

I'm having one of those days where I just cant get motivated to get beyond the bedroom. The chaos of our surroundings {our basement is almost finished and the rest of our house is clutter while things wait for their new home} is overwhelming me. I don't feel like dealing with school today either. So I'm just wandering around doing nothing and then being irritated by that. I decided stop complaining and blog but then what to blog? NO one likes to listen to complaining....

So here is what you get for a post. My girls have a new, current favorite song. Its funny cause Evan likes to think hes Michael Buble and sing along. I dare you not to want to dance around!

Burning the Midnight Oil

2010-09-22T01:31:00.002-06:00

Decided to make some changes and updating tonight while I wait up to fill Evan's feeding pump. I've found it is easier to stay up then to get up after only an hour or two of sleep.
Its quiet in the house and I can get things done. One of those things to do is a blog that chronicles my experiences with my sugarfree sweetie pie :) I hope it will be a treasure for us and a help to someone else.
nighty-night!

Please No Heart-attacks

2010-09-21T13:04:00.004-06:00

Yes I know, a post. It has been almost a year. I am resolved to pick it up again and start a new one. This is a lot to ask for, of myself, but I need this outlet back. So be on the look out. For now enjoy a picture!

Merry Christmas to all!

2009-12-17T12:16:00.003-07:00

A Christmas Prayer

By Robert Lewis Stevenson

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wisemen.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love over all the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desire with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

May you feel the warmth of our love and have a wonderful Christmas!

{ I apologize for the sideways video. It is a filming error on my part and well, by the time I realized the mistake... I wasn't getting them to do it again ;) }

2009-09-28T14:02:00.003-06:00

She can be so sweet and innocent and silly and fun.

But she has a secret.
Somewhere behind her impish smile and cartoon-like voice lies a violent creature.
A creature who daily, at any time, unleashes its terror on the world.
We captured a brief encounter with that creature.
Prepare yourself, it is not for those with sensitive ears.

{The story behind this video is that I had been threatening her that I would video her behavior and show it to her in an effort to get her to stop. Well she tried to hide behind a book. I thought it was hilarious that the book happened to have a pirate face on it.}

Time flies when you aren't getting any sleep.

2009-09-08T14:49:00.003-06:00

We just love our new little guy! Everyone is enjoying having a little baby to hold and cuddle. {Accept for Max who would prefer to ignore him still} We are all anxiously awaiting the day when he smiles out of a response to the person he sees instead of a response to what he feels in his tummy.

His tummy does cause him a little trouble and he spends a lot of his day grunting in his sleep, poor thing. He is able to sleep through just about anything but hunger. His sisters can scream and run and play and the dog can bark like a banshee and he won't flinch. But give him and empty tummy and hes like a grumpy little bear.

Now like I mentioned he can sleep through anything but he has a very sensitive startle reflex when he is awake- I don't understand it. When he we change his diaper we have to be careful to go slow, play music, cover him with a blanket a little and take what ever precautions necessary to keep him calm and feeling secure otherwise, for some crazy reason, he scares himself hysterical. At that point he is crying like a baby goat and is desperate to be held and cuddled.

Sunday was his first day at church. He looked so handsome in the little 'tie' onesie I made for him.

He is really starting to chunk out! He loves to eat and I feel like that is all I do all day sometimes. At his 2 week visit he had already grown 2 inches and gained over a pound and a half. I'm anxious to see his progress at his next visit.

This is him 2 weeks ago, it is amazing how fast they change and grow! I can't believe he is already one month old!

11 years of wedded bliss....

2009-08-19T16:50:00.005-06:00

August 14, 1998 Garin and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. This year marked 11 years of sharing our love and lives together. We had been so focused on the excitement and anticipation of our new little boy that any celebrating had been forced to the back of our minds. Our sweet little girls didn't want the day to go unnoticed so they threw us an anniversary party. They spent the morning planning and decorating in secrecy for their party. {It was a wonderfully quite morning!} When it was complete we were invited downstairs.

We got to play 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey'

And that was followed by a dance party. We were supposed to have a 'romantic dance' as well but unfortunately Evan was hungry before we could finish. The evening was complete with Garin cooking a wonderful steak dinner for himself and me and then having a quite movie night. I don't think we could have asked for a better anniversary celebration!

HE IS HERE!!!

2009-08-16T13:44:00.004-06:00

EVAN LEE CRUZ
7 lbs 3 oz

19 in

We are excited to have our new little boy home with us. It has been a long nine months in which every doctor visit had at least one of the girls asking if 'Evan was going to come out today'.
Finally, on August 8th 2009 that day came bright and early.
I had gone to bed the night before around midnight without any contractions and resolved to the fact that I was going to be pregnant forever. {But on the other hand I was so grateful my pregnancy and baby were uneventful and healthy after the last week was filled with 3 dear friends experiencing the worst of what bearing children had to offer.}
At 2:30am I woke up from a dream that my stomach hurt and thought I had to go to the bathroom. When I stood up, I felt a pop and a gush of water. At that point I was wondering if I had wet myself or if my water had broke. This was something that I had not ever experienced on my own before. About ten minutes later I started to have contractions and decided we should get ready to go to the hospital. The contractions began to get harder and I thought it was because I didn't have the cushion of water... little did I know things were progressing a little quicker than I was anticipating. We finally headed out and made the 45 minute drive to the hospital. We arrived at 4am. We had fortunately had my In-laws meet us there to pick up the girls. I was in a lot of pain by the time we got there and all I could do was think about getting in there and getting some relief. I walked up to what I thought was the Labor and Delivery desk and realized that after some recent renovations the Labor and Delivery Desk had been moved and that suddenly, I needed to push! At that point I was not thinking clearly at all and couldn't comprehend where all the little signs were telling me to go. Luckily, Garin had caught with me and ran down the hall yelling ' My wife is in labor!' to try to find the nurses.
While he was finding someone I briefly considered lying on the floor and delivering the baby in the hallway myself but much to my relief they arrived with a wheelchair and took my straight to a room. The next few second/minutes felt like and eternity in an alternate world. I remember everything but erratically. By the time I got undressed and in the bed his head was on its way out. Evan was born at 4:09 am, yes nine minutes after I walked through the front door. My doctor arrived about 10- 15 minutes too late, I felt so bad they even had to call him. We spent the next hour getting to bond with him which was nice because after he got to the nursery we didn't get him back for a day and half.

While doing Evan's newborn assessment they found his temperature to be only 95 degrees and his blood sugar was dangerously low. Apparently babies born quickly like he was or in stressful situations have a hard time maintaining these things. He spent the next 36 hours on an IV and glucose drip along with a gambit of test to make sure it was only stress and not another underlying problem causing these dips. It was hard not to get to hold him and cuddle him and just see him even act like a normal baby but eventually he proved himself well enough and we were able to bring him home Monday afternoon.

We have been happy to have him at home and take turns holding him. Everyone is anxious to help with his needs and pick out his clothes. We (mostly Me) have been trying to adjust to no sleep and a new schedule to our day to day lives. It has been nice having Garin home with me this week, I will be sad on Monday when he leaves. And we have lots of wonderful friends helping out where they could (poor Max would have gone crazy with out the Smiths!)

He is a week old now and it is fun to see and learn who he is. He is hungry when he is hungry and lacks any patience when it comes to food. He hates having his diaper changed and gets so upset over it. I said to Garin 'who knew a little boy could be such a drama queen!' We just love our little boy.

A little something to fill the summer time.

2009-06-23T10:19:00.002-06:00

Gretchen emailed me this link that I thought I would share with anyone out there who's kids love to look for bugs. My girls have enjoyed it so far, although our first find turned out a little tragic. Happy Hunting!

The Lost Ladybug Project

2009-05-30T14:02:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted for awhile because May has been a busy month. We had a nice visit to my parents house and I am hoping to post the pics and stuff in the near future. Since we have been home (2 weeks today) the water heater has broken and needed to be replaced, my computer is going crazy and I don't trust loading my pictures on to it- that's why I'm not posting. And thursday the A/C decided to stop working. Thats the next issue to deal with this week. Throw in all the normal day to day life, Doctor appts and primary stuff and I just want to go to bed instead of do anything else. Plus poor Garin has been having to bust his hiney at work lately so when he is actually at home he is still occupied with more work. Hopefully things only happen in threes and I can relax a little instead of wondering what else is going to break or go wrong!

Things I've Been Up To....

2009-05-05T13:47:00.002-06:00

A symptom of pregnancy that I have been dealing with is a constant need to be working on a project. No matter how tired I am I just want to keep working, but it has to be something fun, I'm not itching to do any chores!

This is a 'boppy' pillow that I made with 2 covers. This was super easy and inexpensive. The pillow alone only cost about $3.00 to make and each cover about $4.50. For the pillow, I bought a $3.00 twin sheet and that makes 4 pillows! This I think is a good and easy homemade gift if you have a shower or something coming up. Here is the link to the instructions.
With the leftover fabrics from the 'boppy' covers (Gretchen and I made 5 covers) I made these adorable little booties and some matching burp cloths. The booties I got from Sharon's blog and watched her make some at the craft weekend from a few weeks ago. I love these booties and have a stack of fabric waiting to be made into more. They are also a fun inexpensive gift idea that is easy to make and you could even use scraps you already have. Here is a link to Sharon's blog for the pattern and some that she made.

I have also crocheted two baby afghans. I just did an easy giant granny square with a larger hook so it went fast but I like how they turned out. This is the one I made for my little guy. I have a couple of other crocheting project in my 'queue' but hey are going to have to wait. I have been having a little trouble with some pregnancy related carpal tunnel and after working on these blankets, I had a few really troublesome nights.

Now, beckoning me from my sewing pile, I still have the fabric for a quilt and a 'Moby' style wrap to make. It has been hard for me not to want to just get to it but this week I have to be getting ready for our trip to my parents house. I'm excited for a vacation and some relaxation away from everyday life but I'm dying to craft. I am planning on sewing a hooded towel tomorrow for a friend who just had a baby that lives in Washington so maybe that will appease me.

Super Duper Craft Weekend

2009-04-27T13:16:00.003-06:00

Here is a link to all the fun adventures I had in Colorado.
I had such a great time being with {nearly all} the Weber sisters.
I had so much fun; it made the blizzard and air sickness all the more bearable.
Thanks for inviting me ladies!
Craft Weekend

Claire turns SIX

2009-04-14T20:31:00.009-06:00

Where does the time go when our little ones grow up. On Monday Claire turned six years old!

Here are 6 things that are great about Claire:

She is super cuddly!
She gets excited about things she learns.
She has an active, inventive imagination- she never stops talking to whatever is around her. This is a funny 'conversation' I over heard her playing one toy to another: "who are your friends?" REPLY " The Italians" REPLY "AHHAHHH" REPLY FROM ANOTHER MYSTERY GUEST "She doesn't like Italians."
She is mischievous.
She is loving.
She loves the Savior and cherishes the scriptures.

Claire chose an ice cream cake that was made with Funfetti cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream that had to be topped with a big number 6. Her dinner of choice was Gouza! Of course we had to have the Free's over for cake, we can't do anything without them! She got lots of fun presents and had a good time playing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE-BEAR!

Easter Activities

2009-04-14T20:01:00.008-06:00

Of course, the Easter Bunny came bright and early.

On Friday, we colored eggs.

On Saturday, we had the Free Family and the Gerad Cruz Family over for a craft, egg hunt and lunch. We painted easter egg rocks to help us remember the real reason we celebrate Easter.

Luckily, the rain stayed away long enough for us to hunt without getting wet.

Sunday was a beautiful day and not just because they looked so lovely in their dresses. The bright sunny day warmed our hearts as we reflected on the happiness our Savior brings to our lives. Later that evening we had an Easter dinner with some of Garin's Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.

2009-04-09T17:29:00.001-06:00

GRRRR I'm mad a blogger because I'm trying to post and It won't let me download pictures and the other day I had a problem with text. I really am trying to post....

Random Sampler

2009-04-09T17:06:00.009-06:00

These are a few of the things we have been up to.

I have been sewing like crazy. I made a 'boppy' pillow {which I will post about after I finish the covers}, a shower curtain job for my FIL, and these cute dolls.

These are Wee Wonderful dolls. I just love them. They are so cute and it is fun to think of new characters to come up with from the original pattern.They belong to Olivia, Amellia and Claire. Livvy named hers and one I made for Daphne 'Pickle'. I couldn't figure it out, forever, why she thought of that name. Then Riley clarified it for me. The original doll pattern is named Olive- Olivia, strangley, can't say it or won't and calls olives- pickles. She is a weirdo. Amellia and Claire keep changing the name of their dolls per their mood or game.

This is a picture of some yummy vampire teeth that Bekah sent us in a fun package the other day. They are made out of chocolate and pretzels.

This is a fun game we made up today called Tushie Tag. Whoever is 'IT' gets to use the tongs and pinch the tushie of whom ever they can catch. This person then becomes 'IT'. Fortunately, their hands are small and can't pinch too hard.

Can you guess what the balloons mean????

2009-03-30T13:40:00.008-06:00

YUP! ITS A BOY!!!!!!

They look sweet, don't they.

2009-03-26T15:00:00.006-06:00

So Tuesday, my two youngest were stolen by aliens and replaced with two look-a-likes with an evil design. This is the only explanation I can come up with to explain the events of that day. Now don't get me wrong, anyone who spends even a little time with them will find that the are (to put it nicely) independent, spirited women. Tuesday, they were strangers to me.

The day started out normally. They did their chores nicely and began to play while we got ready to begin school. They were, however, a little rowdy as they always are when the barometer swings. And then it got worse. They became wild creatures that could not and would not be tamed. After an hour of them running insanely through the livingroom, while the older two were trying to study, I banished them to their room. The frustration and irritation was beginning to build.

All seemed calm. Maybe that should have been my warning of what was to come. Riley came to me and said 'Mom they are making a mess in their room with their lotion!' This statement sent me over the edge. I can barely keep up with the day to day task without big messes to clean up. I went in to find pink, glittery lotion smeared on the ceiling above their bunk bed, on the comforter and all over the bed. Claire had pink stained hands. {Of course, it was a kind that stains!} I was so angry, I just started crying and yelling {the kind when you expect the cops to show at your door any moment}. I cleaned it up the best I could and sent them and myself to a time out. I had to lie down because I was so mad that I was having some contractions.

While we were in our time outs- supposedly- they continued on in the reign of terror. (With no help from their big sisters of course) they they played some kind of war game that hairspray was the weapon of choice. I was locked in my room telling on them to dad. When I found out about it Riley had broken into my room followed by a cloud of hairspray. I went out to find the house cloudy and unbearable to breathe in. ( I didn't find out till that night that they also during this battle squirted hair gel all over the unfinished part of our basement floor and three coolers as well as a bag of fish rocks!)

Now they were in for it! I kept my cool as best I could because my sanity level was already in the red. I sent them to timeout again and no lunch. After much screaming, fit throwing, and 'You're the meanest Mom" s I sent them to their room. the big girls went to their room and I had a hour of quiet time. During my quiet time, my little darling devils flooded their bedroom floor with water. It is still damp.

I have no idea what to do at this point but to continue to fight with them to stay in their room while they try sneak out and steal gum out of my purse or pester their sisters or just try to sneak around. At that point Garin had me take all of their stuff away. All they had left was a mattress. They did not like this at all. Olivia was so worried that everyone was going to laugh at her because she had to be naked. That night they cleaned and cleaned so they could have pj's, a blanket and a pillow.

The next morning they returned to me and an empty room which they have been slowly earning back. I hope the aliens got all they needed, I don't think I could survive another day with the replacements they would give me!

2009-03-13T11:00:00.001-06:00

Olivia decided that purple marker makes a great shade of lipstick. Thank goodness for washables!

Gift idea...

2009-03-12T16:46:00.003-06:00

This is a tile cutting board/ trivet. This is a project I like to make for wedding gifts. It is quick to put together, looks nice and very useful. I love the one I made for myself.

What you need is:
1 - 12 inch granite or marble tile
4 -oak buttons
hot glue or liquid nails

Glue each oak button to the four corners of the unfinished side of the tile.

When the glue is dried, flip it over and add any other items you'd like. It doesn't wrap well so I prefer to just decorate it with a bow.

2009-03-10T10:03:00.003-06:00

This weekend Gretchen and I threw a baby shower for our friend Ashley. We had lots of fun preparing it, hanging out with friends and eating yummy food. My favorite part was making a diaper cake. I had always thought they were so cute as a gift. I didn't realize how easy they are to make and the possiblities are endless when you decorate them.

How to make a diaper cake.

Ps - Ashley, I'll get the pictures for you on CD.

A Friendly Challenge

2009-03-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

The first five people to respond to this post will get something from me!
My choice.
For you.
Handmade.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be (nor do I at this point).

The catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they want to receive a homemade gift from me will indeed receive one. Be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!!

2009-02-23T16:06:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm excited to announce that the morning sickness is gone- Hallelujah! so life around here is getting back to normal. I think Garin is almost more thankful than I am. He has been such a trooper. After working 10 hour days he was still willing to come home, make dinner, do laundry, clean the house and wrangle the poor neglected kids. We all wouldn't have survived without him. I really appreciate is awesome-ness.

This past week, Riley and I attended a mother-daughter party for Activity Days. It was a little valentine party. We played a little game, made a little decorative plate with a picture of Christ on it and shared 'candy-grams'. Riley wrote me the sweetest little note:

"dear Mom
I Love you. you are The Rainbow in my Life. I Love you as the sun shine.
I love you forever. You are my favorite person.
Thank you!!!

I loved it, it broke my little heart. She is so loving!

How did you get that baby....???

2009-01-29T10:36:00.002-07:00

This is the question that I have been dreading to be asked from my children. I honestly expected it from Riley or Amellia but lucky for me it was Olivia. The puzzled and questioning look on her face made me intially laugh and then I thought ' Whew, I can say a basic answer and she'll be satisfied' So my reply was that Heavenly Father makes our bodies so we can have babies in them. Olivia's reply to me was 'No, I know how you got the baby. 'member the day we went to play at the park? That's where you got the baby.'

Beware of Parks...

2009-01-29T09:34:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to Rexburg to visit family. I didn't bring my camera but Bekah took lots of fun pictures. Here's a link to see the fun http://craftierlittledevils.blogspot.com/2009/01/more-photos-from-week.html
While you are there check out her project 356, I think it is so cool.

How do you like my new widget???

2009-01-20T12:14:00.002-07:00

Now everyone can understand why I never came back to blog. I'm slowly coming back to life. My posts will still be far between I have alot to catch up on around the house. My poor hubby has been long enduring for me.

DON"T GIVE UP....

2008-12-08T10:58:00.003-07:00

I promise I will have more posts soon. I'm so behind because I have been busily behind my sewing machine and other crafting tools. We are doing a home made Christmas this year and I can't even prove my efforts because I don't want to give away any spoilers. Plus because we took a two week break from school in November I am keeping up with school work now- normally we take off the whole month of December for this exact reason. I'm slowly catching up on reading everyone elses blogs too. I miss my blogging world.......

Disneyland

2008-11-17T12:34:00.005-07:00

Earlier this month we took our kids on a surprise trip to Disneyland as a Christmas present for our family. We just piled them in the car @ 5:30 am [after we had secretly packed] and after we started driving told them where we were going- I expected screaming but they just stared blankly and said they didn't believe us! We went early so that we could get there at a slow time of the year. I would say it was perfect, our longest line was 45 minute. We were able to go on many of our favorite rides

Another surprise that the girls got was that my parents were able to come with us. We also got to visit with other family members that live in California while we were there. (Tye-dye thanks to EMM- we love them)

We all were surprised one morning when we arrived and found that The Jonas Brothers were taping a concert for a Christmas program- that was fun.The BUZZ Blasters had to be a one true favorite, we all loved being able to see who could get the highest score. Others included Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, The Tower of Terror and California Screamin' . Olivia was really into riding rides, most times I dragged her kicking and screaming and then she would be fine. Her favorite was the Enchanted Tiki room, I think she saw it 3 times.They just opened Pixie Hollow with the release of the Tinkerbell movie so we got to meet all the fairies.

The Haunted Mansion was decorated in a 'Nightmare after Christmas' theme. The decorations were fun but I liked the original ride much better. I like a little spooky.The Castle was decorated for Christmas.Hooray for good times, good fun and good memories!

Sunday Brunch

2008-11-16T14:33:00.004-07:00

I apologize if there is anyone out there who actually comes to read my Sunday Brunch and it hasn't been here. I have been a little busy lately and it has kept me from my computer. With that being said I move on to the topic I chose today- forgiveness.

Actually, I was inspired but the primary lesson today which was I Can Forgive. I had to fill in in a pinch and it has had me thinking. Forgiveness really is such a complex idea, especially where it deals with the Savior and atonement. The 5 year olds I taught today learned that it makes you happy and it is a way to do as Jesus would do.

If I want to be like Jesus and be happy, why is forgiveness so hard? Maybe pride, maybe holding on to being wronged allows for justification in other situations? Is it harder to forgive loved ones than strangers?

The Savior taught that if we forgive our trespassers we will be forgiven of the Father. (Matt 6:14-15)

I have some forgiving that I need to do. Some of it is daily little things, some of it is a little harder and more hurtful. I am accepting a challenge to forgive someone/something in an effort to brighten my holiday season and feel the Savior a little closer. I hope that I can do it and move forward. I encourage you to ponder this idea as well.

Have a wonderful day and you can read more Sunday Brunch from the Queen of Chaos

If you have a daughter who lets you...

2008-11-16T14:18:00.003-07:00

do pretty things with her hair, here are some fun blogs.

http://babesinhairland.blogspot.com/

shedoeshair.blogspot.com

http://pipershairdos.blogspot.com/

http://piggiesnponies.blogspot.com/

Halloween review

2008-11-12T11:10:00.003-07:00

My kids love to pick obsure things to be for halloween. I like it because it is fun to be inventive in putting together their costumes. Here's our 2008 line up.

Olivia chose an easy fairy- we just hit the dress up box.

Garin was 'Ron Weasley'. At work each department chooses a theme and they compete for best design and stuff. This was the only picture I got of him that day. We were heading to our Trick or Treat on Main Street with the Free's.

Amellia wanted to be a golfer. Fortunately it was an uncommonly warm day.

Claire was 'Shirley Temple'. She is wearing a dress that was mine when I was 3 or 4 yrs old.

Riley is ZOONR-J5 aka The Cat from Outer Space.

2008-11-12T10:56:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Olivia- {back in October} It is hard for me to believe she is 4 years old!! We did her & Claire's room for a gift this year. They wanted an 'ice cream' room so here is what we came up with. The 'treats' on the wall are printed on foam core. I still have one wall that is blank so I think I will cut out their names in foam core and cute paper.

Fun Stuff

2008-10-21T12:48:00.003-06:00

My friend Nancy turned me on to a great, free downloadable program that you can turn your blog into a book. Instant Journal!!! There are multiple other book ideas you can use this program for as well. CHECK IT OUT I'm hooked.

If you haven't been using your blog follower what are you waiting for!! It saves me lots of time and I never have to play catch up with my favorite blogs. Check it out on you dashboard.

Kidspeak

2008-10-20T12:26:00.002-06:00

At our home the English language is the primary language spoken and is sometimes sprinkled with French, Spanish, Japanese or any other language for that matter. At meal times though our English is peppered with our kidspeak. If you ever dine with us, here are some translations you made need.

Frosted Mini Wheats: 'greasy sweets'
Rice Crispy Cereal: 'sizzles'
Toast cut into triangles: 'turtle toast'
a cube of butter: 'butter in the bowl'
Parkay butter spray: 'chucker butter'
a piece of cheese: 'naked cheese' {'naked' can also apply to any item that may normally have something on it but is not desired to be on it at that time. verb form is 'nakeded'}
Chicken drumsticks: 'chicken-on-a-bone'
Quesadilla: ' cheese wrapped up' or 'cheese folded up'
A half of an apple: 'a heart apple'
May I have a piece of toast?: 'May I have my bread cooked?'
Eggs: 'eggies'
Ramen: 'noodles'
refried beans with cheese: 'cheesy beans'
Ketchup: 'dip-it'
sour cream: 'cream'

Soda is generally not liked because it is too 'spicy'. Most dinner items are described with words like yuck, ewww, gross, disgusting and blahh. Also there is lots of screaming and crying as well in regards to vegetables and anything that looks different.

For your consideration-

2008-10-18T21:07:00.003-06:00

At this time of the year, as the election draws near, I want to share these things with you because I feel that it is important that everyone understand that you do not and should not settle for the lesser of two evils. We are asked to prayerfully consider our voting decision and most of the time we need to seek else where than the national main stream media for what is out there. Please take the time to consider the options. The videos will take some time but are well worth it. the first video is a Press Conference hosted by Ron Paul with 3 third party candidates including Chuck Baldwin who I am going to support. Following the video are excerpts from an email that Garin and I received that I whole heartedly agree with and finally more information on Chuck Baldwin. Enjoy.

Voting for the lesser of two evils has been a part of our electoral process for so long that many of us have just accepted that we are doing our best by voting for the one least capable of damaging our nations fabric. Voting for the lesser of two evils is a sin in the eyes of the Lord. Oh that was bold no? Read on. I'll start off by quoting a constitutional scholar from George Withe University and Pres. Benson.
Vote for the right people, as the spirit directs even if they seem to have no chance. President Benson said, 'The Lord says that he holds man accountable for their acts in relation to governments. (D&C 134:1) We must follow this council from the Lord: "Honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil. (D&C 98:10)" Note the qualities the Lord demands of those who are to represent us. They must be good, wise and honest.' (Ensign Nov 1987) Also note that he said WE must seek DILIGENTLY for such men. It is not enough just to choose what we perceive as the lesser of two evils on the ballot. In the coming years we must follow the prophets and 'diligently seek out good, wise and honest men" to vote for. They may not win, but the Lord will not hold us accountable for electing Satan's servants. If you cannot find a candidate whom you feel the Lord would have you support, may I suggest you write in a candidate ... you feel confident would fill the position honorably and further the Lord's plan. Above all; cast a righteous vote.There was a two party system in the United States in 1844, much like there is today. In regards to the question of whether to vote for the "Whig" candidate or the "Democratic" candidate in the election of 1844, and his unwillingness to vote for either, the Prophet Joseph Smith stated:
....we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgement. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us. ( Times and Seasons, Nauvoo, IV, 441. Cited also in Roberts, Comprehensive History, II, 208-209.)

Additionally, Hyrum Smith, the prophet's brother stated:
We engage in the election the same as in any other principle: you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be a sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the Constitution. Don't fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right. We want a President of the U.S., not a party President, but a President of the whole people; for a party President disenfranchises the opposite party. Have a President who will maintain every man in his rights. (History of the Church, Vol. 6, Chapter 15, page 323).

President Benson stated that the book of Helaman would be our best guide to follow as a type and shadow of our day. What does it say about how elected officials would gain the popularity of our votes?
Helaman 6:17 For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain. Helaman 6:38 And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations. Helaman 6:39 And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God.

This is how the enticings work. We are thrown a branch here and there and after some time we eventually find that we're hanging on to the whole tree. This is not an all at once proposition. Now we know the doctrine and guidelines under which we should operate and can act as agents unto ourselves in electing those who will uphold the constitution of the U.S. ....

We are given a warning:
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.How do we not choose iniquity when those are sometimes our only options? How do we move forward and repair what is clearly not working? After all the definition of insanity is doing the same thing (toting the party line) while expecting a different result. The answer is to seek the Lords advise and through revelation and ACT upon those promptings. He knows the end from the beginning. In these times of such silent deceit, it is difficult to know the wolves from the sheep. Fortunately, the Holy Ghost has a sharp shears. Now I know full well that those who put this into practice are in the minority of the population. The chances for real change (not to be confused with what Obama offers) are slim. However, our faithful actions will be counted for righteousness and therein lie the blessings. We cannot hold back the rolling waters of the great deep but we can most assuredly stand firm in the knowledge that we stood our ground valiant in our testimony and fearless of the consequences. There most certainly is a "portent of stormy weather ahead" to which we better take heed. Attending the temple, living our covenants and keeping our eye on the prophet will help us live in a manner that will qualify us for heavenly help whenever we choose to ask for it. And do we ever at this time.

Chuck Baldwin

The Constitution Party

LDS for Baldwin

2008-10-16T11:49:00.003-06:00

There is just something about a new pair of jeans- that fit wonderfully- that is so great! No matter what size you wear or what mood you are in they can really make you feel good about yourself. My current favorites- the Sweeheart from Old Navy. {They're on sale right now ;) }

How did you get engaged?

2008-10-14T15:56:00.003-06:00

In April of 1998, Garin and I drove from Utah to Washington to meet my parents. It was Easter weekend so Garin used that to create his idea for asking me to marry him.

After arriving at my parents home we whisked away to a near by rest area. I know a rest area sounds strange but at the time it was the only private (because no one goes there) and still park like place I could think of. My parents live in a farming community so there were little choices- anyway. He took me there and made me close me eyes while he prepared an Easter egg hunt.

I had to find each egg in numerical order. In each egg was a scripture that related to love and marriage in some way that was special to him. I didn't know how many eggs there were so I kept expecting that the next one would have a ring in it, and each time the egg felt too light to have a ring in it. At the end of the hunt, and still no ring,I started to wonder if he was tricking me. Instead of the ring in an egg it was in his scriptures and he had planned to smoothly drop to one knee with scriptures and ring in hand. It didn't exactly go as planned, the ring fell in the grass at me feet and he had to do a little searching. It didn't ruin anything, it was still a very sweet and thought out gesture. I will never forget it.

My ring was designed by Garin a few weeks before so I knew generally what it would look like but it was so much more beautiful in person than on paper. I cherish it so much because it comes from his heart and imagination.

I know, I know

2008-10-13T10:37:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted in a while and thank you for continuing to check back. My mind is a little fried right now. We are moving into the holiday season and school and other projects have me a little crazy. So in an effort to get back on track here is a fun little video. My kids LOVE Scooby-Doo and memorized this little rap from one of the cartoons. It is entertaining as well as educational. Have a great day!

2008-10-01T16:44:00.002-06:00

The Wilson's posted this fun packet for General Conference. I thought I'd pass it along!

My Crazy Eights

2008-09-29T12:22:00.002-06:00

8 Favorite TV Shows:

Lost
Grey's Anatomy
Little House on The Prairie
The Office
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Anything HGTV
The Biggest Loser (especially when I'm eating Ice Cream-HAHAHA)
The X- Files ( have to rent them)

8 Favorite restaurants:

Bajio
Chili's
Del Taco
Famous Dave's
Teriyaki Bowl
(these are more special than favorite:)
Ivar's in Seattle
Lorena's
Al Forno's

8 things that happened yesterday:

survived church
worked on Family Search Indexing
took a nap
was woken up 6 times during that 1 hour nap
spent some alone time with my kids
made a yummy soup
worked on some family history
stayed up late reading

8 things I look forward to:

no more allergies
Olivia's birthday
The Holidays
cooler weather
Our Christmas Surprise for our kids
General Conference
Saturdays
reading Breaking Dawn again

8 things on my wish list:

a quiet day to myself
organization
a new van
a little elbow room in a pretty place
shedding some pounds
shopping spree
a trip to Hawaii
a trip to Europe

If you read this, you're tagged- show me your crazy eights!

A Favorite Scripture

2008-09-28T14:08:00.003-06:00

2 Nephi 4: 15-24, 27-35 from the Book of Mormon

15 And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.
23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.
24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!
33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.
35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

Journal Jar

2008-09-24T21:22:00.002-06:00

A few years ago at an enrichment meeting I received a journal jar. It is a simply decorated jar full of potential memory preserves. The label touts that if one were to answer all the questions (about 100) they would have a nice little personal history started. I've decided that since my blog is essentially a journal and history of my current life that I might actually attempt to use my otherwise idle jar. I'll record the questions so you can start your own memory storage if you so desire.

Do you recall any outstanding family trips or summer holidays experienced as a child?

As a child, my dad was in the military so sometimes life felt like were on extended family trips. Usually when we moved we spent a lot of our free time experiencing the sights and history around us. I really enjoyed all the places we went from Williamsburg to Langley to Joshua Tree to the Denver Zoo and so on. All of this has extended into my adult life and so I am constantly dreaming of places to go and dragging my family here and there but I think we are all the better for it. It makes for great life experiences.
Not many of our excursions were over-nighters or for very long (unless it was to visit Grandma's house). I think this had to do with the fact that we were a family of 6 rowdy children who drove our parents crazy and that we were always cursed by Murray's Law- yes, I meant Murray not Murphy-. What is that you say? Well it is Like Murphy's law (whatever can happen will happen)but for our certain Murray Clan it applies specifically to cars, freak accidents and vacations unless you are my brother David who unfortunately lives in its shadow. One of our biggest vacations I remember took us on a tour of D.C. , Mount Vernon, and other Civil War sites. It was a true Murray's law example. It was a great trip. I loved it. But it rained and rained and rained. We camped and got soaked, we fished and got soaked, we toured museums and battlefields and got soaked. As I mentioned before 6 kids, and all that rain made potty breaks a constant bother as well. Because we were camping we had our gear in the car and my dad decided that while in D.C he didn't want to leave a certain knife in the car I'm not sure if it was because he didn't want it stolen or because he didn't want it on the streets on D.C in a homeless persons hands. Any way my mom kept it in her purse. Well the Smithsonian didn't take too well to that knife in my mom's purse. They confiscated it and almost arrested my dad. Needless to say my parents were glad to get home from that trip. The knife was never returned.
Another fun memory I have is travelling to Tennessee from California a few times for a family reunion at my great grandparents home. We would usually caravan with my dad's parents and our cousin. We all took turns riding in the grandparents car. That was the best place to be because Grandma new how to pack awesome snacks and we could eat whatever and whenever we wanted. One year my brother, my cousin and I spent the whole trip singing 'the Gambler' and 'On the Road Again' at the top of our lungs, nonstop. We thought we were so coool- HAHAHA. If we ever had to go to the bathroom Grandma made us use a Planters peanut can- that, not so fun.
I just love trips and could go on and on. I'll save that for a place where don't have to keep reading. I hope you enjoy reminiscing about your childhood trips.

2008-09-22T11:11:00.001-06:00

Do you have a cure for thumb-sucking?????

Are you feeling a little tired after church?

2008-09-20T20:41:00.003-06:00

Do you feel a little tested and tried in your church duties? Feast on this quote from President Henry B. Erying, from the 2002 Ensign.

"You are called of God. The Lord knows you. He knows whom He would have serve in every position in his Church. He chose you. He has prepared a way so that He could issue your call... The person who was inspired to recommend you for this call didn't do it because they liked you or because they needed someone to do a particular task. They prayed and felt and answer that you were the one to be called."
" You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice. Your hands to lift the same as His hands. His work is to bless His Father's spirit children with the opportunity to choose eternal life. So, your calling is to bless lives. That will be true even in the most ordinary tasks you are assigned and in moments when you might be doing something not apparently connected to your call. Just the way you smile or the way you offer to help someone can build their faith."
"There will be times when you will feel overwhelmed. One of the ways you will be attacked is with the feeling that you are inadequate. Well, you are inadequate to answer a call to represent God with only your own powers. But you have access to more than your natural capacities, and you do not work alone. The Lord will magnify what you say and what you do in the eyes of the people you serve."

He will not leave you comfortless! John 14

Queen of Chaos is dishing up more spiritual food. Check out her side bar for more Sunday brunch.

A little catching up to do.

2008-09-17T21:50:00.004-06:00

I haven't been very diligent in getting my daily posts out and I still have my contest to do but I've been a little tied up trying to be more diligent at housework (BLAGH). So here is what we did this weekend.

Saturday was our annual Lagoon day for Garin's work. It's their nice way of saying thanks to the employees and we look forward all year to attending.

Everyone soaked after Rattlesnake Rapids. We had fun being able to go on more rides together and our 2 oldest are all about roller coasters. We took turns with them.
Livvy wasn't so sure about the spinning rides, she kept saying ' it makes me have a stomach'.
Her sisters were sweet and helped her along.
Sunday was Amellia's 7th birthday. Being Sunday and since we all were tired from the day before so it was a low key celebration. But now that she has made her list and has her b-day money tomorrow is a much anticipated shopping trip.

Laura and 'Manly'

2008-09-15T21:41:00.004-06:00

I have always loved The Little House on the Prairie television series. My favorite episodes are the ones when Laura falls in love with Almanzo. At one point when I was living in Provo I could watch it 3 times a day if my work schedule fell at the right times. I remember sitting with my roommates sapping over the romance. I still watch it nearly everyday and have hooked my children now as well. (Hubby still just rolls his eyes- I'll get him soon!)

Strangely I have never read the books, I don't know how that happened. So for school we are beginning to read the series together and practice some pioneering skills. I recently (on my own) finished Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is about Almanzo as a boy. I just loved this book it was so endearing. Not only was it an interesting story but filled with life lessons and useful information in regards to planting and harvesting. I don't have any boys of my own, but if I did I would encourage them to read this book.

Laura and Almanzo Wilder
1885
google images

Sunday Brunch

2008-09-14T13:16:00.003-06:00

I'd like to share some thoughts from our Regional Conference Broadcast we attended this morning.

Elder Ballard, member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, reminded us that we should be following the promptings of the Holy Ghost more promptly and diligently. It told us a story of when he was a bishop and missed an opportunity because he put off a prompting. He told of a woman in his ward who had been on his mind all day but due to the late hour of the night in which he had free time he chose to not bother her and visit her the next morning. Upon arriving at her home that morning he was greeted by his daughter with tears in her eyes because her mother had passed in the night. He regretted that chance he missed to bless and comfort her in her time of passing.
I am always second guessing my promptings. It is something I struggle with. But I know that as I exercise that ability I will get better at it. Not every prompting will be life changing but we won't know that unless we are obeying.

Sister Lant, General Primary President talked of raising our children righteously. She cited D&C 68 (v25-28) as being a guidance for us parents. She said that even if we are diligently saying prayers and reading scriptures and having family home evening it is no excuse to not keep trying harder to do better, there is always room for improvement. We should beware of allowing Satan to enter our homes and over booking our schedules.
I don't think any of us don't want to raise righteous families. But it is an on going battle in the world we live in. I would encourage you with your spouse (or not if you don't have one) to evaluate things in your home and find one thing to change or improve. It is a good way to start and open up communication. Something that we have enjoyed doing is a morning devotional.Our devotional includes prayer, song, stories from the friend, scripture memorization, etc. It helps set a mood for the girls for the day. Maybe something like this would benefit your home even if you had to do it at night, make it what your family needs.

President Monson, President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, talked about prayer. He shared with us many endearing stories and poems but his main message was about making our homes a house of Prayer.
When I think of a house of prayer I think of the temple. Somewhere for reflection where the Spirit of the Lord can dwell. That is hard to come by sometimes in the daily chaos but it inspires me to want to find ways to create a more peaceful environment around me. It also inspires me to encourage more meaningful prayers and making sure my children have a better understanding of the power of prayer.
The primary scripture for this month is Mark 11:24 'Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.'

If you have any questions about what you read here or who you have read about you can visit www.lds.org.

IF you would like to read more inspirational post please visit THE QUEEN OF CHAOS . You can read her post and look for 'Sunday Brunch' in her side bar for more.

Patriot's Day

2008-09-11T10:23:00.003-06:00

We all remember, with perfect clarity, where we were today- seven years ago. I was asleep, ready to give birth any day, when I was awakened by a phone call from Garin. It was hard to pull myself out of sleep and try to comprehend what was being said to me. And then we all watched TV for days.
When I think about these events and all that has passed since then I hope that I don't ever fall 'asleep' to love of country. That I remember with perfect clarity all that has passed in the history of our country to make it a blessing to live here. We don't have to be a solider in a battle to fight our cause for freedom. We can vote. We can be good neighbors. We can build our communities in righteousness and love. We can be educated. We can be prepared. Happy Patriot's Day!

Oh beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
AMERICA! AMERICA!
May God thy gold refine.
'Til all success be nobleness and every gain divine.

Oh beautiful for Patriot's dream that sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears.
AMERICA! AMERICA!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

verses 3&4 America the Beautiful

You Wouldn't Want To Be....

2008-09-10T16:20:00.004-06:00

This book by David Stewart and David Salariya is one of our favorite books. It cracks me up! It is full of wonderful facts and humor- especially the weird and disgusting. For example, on the page where you are learning about the gross procedures to mummification, a dog can be seen in the background running away with an arm in it's mouth.

There are a bunch of them from a sailor with Christopher Columbus to Vikings to Aztec human sacrifices. We check them out from the library over and over again. If you haven't read them yet, go to the library now! you won't be disappointed.

*p.s.- today is the last day for my little game so I will be getting back on the winners and stuff shortly.

Did ya hear the one.....

2008-09-09T14:08:00.003-06:00

Riley told me this joke yesterday:

What did Dela*ware to the Ball????

I*da*ho??? Al*ask*a!

She learned at class shes taking about the States. I thought it was a good one ;)
My kids love to tell jokes. They always make up their own that are complete nonsense but some how still hilarious. I'm always glad when I get a real (and actually funny) one.
Do you have a good one?

Granola

2008-09-08T10:49:00.002-06:00

On Friday, the girls and I had a baking day. One of the items we made was granola. I love granola and this is my favorite recipe. I got the recipe from my sister EMM.

Mix:
6 cups oats (rolled or old fashion)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup powdered milk

Mix and then add to dry mixture:
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla.

When the mixture is well combined spread on 2 baking sheets that have been sprayed with cooing spray. Bake at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes. the granola will be golden brown. When it has completely cooled you can break it up. Store it in an airtight container.

My Variations:
I sprinkle the top of the granola with cinnamon prior to baking. After it is cooled I mix in almonds and craisins for cereal or m&ms and nuts for a snack. Also, this time I didn't have any wheat germ so I used 1/4 cup ground Flax instead and it worked just as well.

Happy 1st Blog-versary to me!

2008-09-07T15:54:00.002-06:00

Hooray! I made it one whole year of blogging. I started blogging because a couple of my friends had started one and it seemed like it met all the needs I wanted out of my myspace page that I wasn't getting. It also has been a fun way to feel like I'm keeping a journal.
I have loved getting to share my daily life with my family and friends who live so far and some who are close. I have enjoyed being able to share our fun and my thoughts and feelings.
So for my blog-versary I have set a couple goals for myself. I will blog everyday even if it is just a random nothing. I want to increase my readership but 10%. This is where you come in. I want you to post a link on your blog of your favorite post of mine or something you think your readers would like about me. I'm looking to make new friends and find some old.
I will check everyone on my favorites list to see who played and have a drawing. I don't have a prize to show or woo you with because I want it to be tailored to the winner. Ill close my contest on WED. the 10th.
So here is to another year and many more to come! Thanks for reading and being apart of my life. I look forward to sharing more time with all my blogging buddies out there no matter how near or far you are.
Have a good Sabbath.

Basement Bowling

2008-09-06T21:10:00.004-06:00

We had a good time the other night bowling in our basement on our PS3. It is fun game that Garin downloaded that allows you to 'bowl' with the controller. We all love it and it is easy enough for everyone to play competitively. Riley won the night with a score of 157 but even Olivia who had the lowest score still got a 91.
Rockin' to Starlight by Muse, everyone's favorite song. Our toothless wonder.

Here is a video of Claire having a good time, sorry it is a little dark.

Bingham Canyon Copper Mine

2008-09-05T17:18:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday we took a trip to the Bingham Canyon Copper mine. Garin works on a Kid's club magazine for the company he works for. His page this time is on big stuff and this is the perfect place to see big 'Stuff'! (Don't you love Amellia's shoes and socks! Her fashion sense cracks me up sometimes!)
The mine is the largest man made excavation in the world and can be seen from space! The size of it is almost unbelievable. My picture doesn't do it justice so click here! This mine has produced 17 million tons of copper and they plan to continue mine well into the future. It is deep enough that you could stack 2 Sears towers on top of each other in it and still not reach the top. If you have time to read or browse here is some more interesting information.
This is a tire of the trucks that hall the debris out of the pit to be processed. Each tire on these big trucks costs from $18,000 to $26,000 and lasts just 9 months.
These trucks are 23 ft tall and can hall 255-320 tons of rock! The shovels that load these bad boys can scoop 98 tons at a time. And when they are down in the pit they look like little toys.
Besides the pit they have an interesting museum as well at the visitor center. This is definitely a great place to take some time and visit.

Drumroll please...

2008-09-03T22:07:00.001-06:00

Okay so you've been down the 'road I travel', now look at us 'through my eyes'. There are a few little changes I want to make still. I hope you will enjoy another reading year with me. My official 1 year is on Sunday so be looking for that and some posts I've been meaning to get up as well. Let me know what you think and what you'd like to read more of on my blog. I'm looking for any suggestions. Have a nice day!

Next week..

2008-08-27T17:20:00.002-06:00

will be my one year blog-iversary. Ill have a new look. And Ill need a lttle of your help. Keep your eyes open.

2008-08-26T21:45:00.002-06:00

Bright and early on the 21st of August we headed up north to Bear Lake. It is about a 3 hour drive not to mention what ever stops have to be made. We couldn't check in until 3pm so to make the most of the day we stopped at Tony Grove about 30 miles outside of Logan, Utah and went on a small nature hike. It is a beautiful little spot,one I would like to visit again. The kids had a great time though there wasn't much more than cows to see because they were all to noisy with excitement.

Bear Lake straddles the border of Utah and Idaho. It is a beautiful blue color because of the minerals in it. The water is so clear and blue that you can see down pretty deep into it. The beaches are soft sand. If you didn't know better you would think you were on an island beach. While many parts of the lake are very deep, the shores are shallow. We had to walk pretty far before it even was to our waist. This made it nice to not have to worry so much about the kids. They loved every minute of it.
When we first arrived at our camping spot it was impossible to keep them from the beach. Our spot was a quick five minute walk to the shore and they remembered that from last year. They were all sad they couldn't get in that day. They made up for it the next day spending 7 hours of pure joy in the mud, sun and water. Now the high for the day was about 77-78 and the water temp is about 68. I didn't even take my sweater off until afternoon. They didn't care and barely complained about being cold.
Olivia washed her head in the mud for about an hour. A couple of time I just had to make sure hadn't fallen asleep. Everyone just really enjoyed a relaxing day.
That night we celebrated Garin's birthday with some dutch oven peach cobbler and later hot cocoa and an amazing view of the milky way.
Of course with kids it wasn't all peaches and cream. I was proud of how well they went to bed every night because they were exhausted. My kids never go to bed. But there was plenty of dirty messes and crazy behavior. Our friends had to make a trip to the medical clinic because their 3 yr old shoved a shell up his nose. And clean up lasted a little too long for their patience. But overall they were good and we all had a great time.
On the way home we stopped at the Gossner's cheese factory in Logan. A place that the Free's loved to go to when they lived there. We got yummy samples, great deals on cheese and ice cream. Then we made the long trip home and back to reality.

2008-08-20T13:16:00.003-06:00

I should be packing right now but I'm procrastinating. Its probably because our fridge finally came today and I am so excited but....it won't fit!!! thanks to a crooked wall. We have to remove part of the door frame to get it in and because we are leaving tomorrow and my hubby will not be home at a decent hour today I have a beautiful, working fridge right in the middle of my already cramped kitchen. In fact to get to my laundry room I have to use the garage. Soooo anyway I'm not really complaining because it is very nice to have this modern day convenience back in my life, I'm just, well... *sigh*

Have a nice weekend! We will, relaxing at the Caribbean of the Rockies.

Happy Birthday Riley

2008-08-19T11:46:00.006-06:00

So this post is a little late, Riley's 9th birthday was on the 5th of Aug. I've been waiting to post about it because for a birthday present this year Riley and Amellia (who's birthday is in a few weeks) got their bedroom decorated. It took us a few weeks to get it finished.

To celebrate Riley's birthday we went to see 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'. That is a really fun movie! We had a good time. The next day we had cake and Grammy and Grandpa over for dinner. She also got a package from Marme and Papaw with the movie 'Nancy Drew' in it. This is the current favorite and she loves the Nancy Drew books as well.

Riley and Amellia have been wanting a 'Francais' room for a while now. Finally we found just the right set to inspire the room. My friend Gretchen and I (and baby Jack) worked hard at painting the walls and furniture.

It was taking us along time with all the kids and distractions so last Saturday Garin and I just busted it out and had an Extreme Home Makeover style reveal for them- complete with screaming. We are all happy with how it turned out.

Around the top of the room is a french translation of the first line or two of the poem 'How Do I Love Thee?' By Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2008-08-14T15:20:00.005-06:00

10 years today, we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. Beautiful memories from a beautiful day. We celebrated our anniversary big last year because we thought we would have a little one this year. Needless to say that is not the case and so we are having a quiet little night with dinner and a movie while our kiddos hang out with our wonderful friends *thanks Free fam*. We like to take a picture of our family on our anniversary so I will add that to the post after this evening.
Just for a bit of interesting info- the traditional gift for a 10 year anniversary is Tin or Aluminium. Sounds a little weird until you hear the symbolism. Tin and Aluminum are malleable metals, they serve to remind us that we should be flexible in our marriage and that even though somethings may get bent it doesn't mean they are broken or beyond repair. For this year we are going to get a little tin box and make a time capsule to be opened on our 50th anniversary. When it is put together I'll post how it turns out.

GRRRR

2008-08-09T22:08:00.002-06:00

My refrigerator died to today!! We went and ordered a new one and it won't be here until the 20th. We begged them to sell us the floor model. It is very frustrating to think that I will be living out of coolers for the next two weeks. Our frig will arrive the day before we go on a camping trip to Bear Lake- just in time to keep living out of coolers.
*sigh*

If you have not read Breaking Dawn, this post isn't for you.

2008-08-05T23:27:00.004-06:00

It was breaking dawn when I finished this book this morning. I'd been counting the days to its release. Now I think I'm almost in shock, I'm going to have to read it again. It was certainly nothing I expected. I liked it but I'm not sure it is my favorite of the 4, but a good read for sure. My favorite part of the book aside from always Edward was Renesmee (I'm so glad Bella sounded it out for us). I haven't been a fan of Jacob's but he redeemed himself to me in this book. I do not like Bella as a vampire. While she whine's a lot less it gets boring when she isn't needing to be saved as much. What did you love or hate?????

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

2008-07-23T22:36:00.002-06:00

I love this dip! It is so yummy! I hope you like it as much as we do.

1 jar of roasted red peppers
2 bricks of cream cheese
1 pkt of ranch dip

Soften cream cheese. Drain roasted red peppers and puree. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. It is better when it has set over night. Warm and serve with a sliced bagette.
* for quick dinner you can use this as a pasta sauce. Add diced cooked chicken and a little milk to thin it out. Then add spinach (opt) and your favorite pasta.

Take a minute to reminisce...

2008-07-20T16:33:00.003-06:00

This is a fun little post I got from Shaina. Have fun.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

What flavor am I?

2008-07-20T16:27:00.003-06:00

You're Vanilla.
You're as popular and relaxing as vanilla ice cream. You go with the flow, and get along with all sorts of people. You appreciate peace and simplicity, so you sometimes find crowds and loud noises overwhelming. You are a chilled-out, calming influence on the people in your life, and your friends appreciate how supportive and flexible you are.

What flavor are you?

**thanks to Shaina for the fun quiz.

Scentsy

2008-07-18T12:04:00.005-06:00

Have your tried scentsy? They are an awesome alternative to candles. I love their scents! I love Skinny Dippin', Lime Sublime, Coconut Lemongrass, Toasted Apple Butter, the list could go on. **If only the computer had smell-a-vision** If you want to find out more about them you can visit SCENTSY. I'm having a party on Saturday the 19th. If you like what you see your can order from this LINK using my party or you can email me at garinsgirlforever@gmail.com with your info and we'll get you set up.

I'm giddy with anticipation!!!

2008-07-17T09:56:00.002-06:00

and December is still so far away...

2008-07-11T12:00:00.003-06:00

So here is a slide show of some highlights from our trip. You can scroll over the pictures for captions. We had lots of fun playing. Garin and I went to lunch and a small farmer's market the day he arrived. Besides all the places we went while we were there, the kids had lots of fun playing in water and such in the backyard and playing games and doing puzzles. Max came too and he loved having the freedom of the backyard as well, he has been a little sad since hes been home with less freedom. We did have a few days down because Amellia got sick (poor little thing). She was so sad because everyone was eating ice cream and she couldn't. One game we was a memory game that all the cards are different kinds of candy. One of the nights Amellia was sick she was hallucinating about the candy in the game and it was making her nauseated. I felt bad for her but it was so funny too.
We took a geology tour the day before we left that was pretty cool, Riley and I love rocks. Finally all the girls except Amellia came home with the chicken pox! I think that is why Amellia was sick. As of last night poor Garin has them now too.
So now were are back at home sweet home and we're slowly getting back into a routine.

And the winners are...

2008-07-10T13:50:00.003-06:00

Bekah and Jill, congrats! I had fun doing my little give away. Shaina was my inspiration she always does fun contests. I'm going to do another one when my 1 year blogging anniversary comes up so look for that one. I hope the winner enjoy their prizes.

Emm Tagged Me

2008-07-09T23:17:00.002-06:00

5 things I was doing 10 years ago..

- preparing to marry the love of my life.
- working at the good old Hogi Yogi.
- Living with Shaina
- having fun being engaged.
- registering at stores.

5 things on my 'to-do' list today...

- go to enrichment.
- pay bills.
- blog.
- clean my house instead of reading ;)
- play with the girls.

5 snacks I enjoy...
- Garin
- chips and queso
- Dove dark chocolate
- pretty much any gummi candy
- pretzel crackers

5 places I've lived ( I'm going to list them all)...

Tooele, Ut
Taylorsville, Ut
Provo, Ut
Quincy, Wa
Usk, Wa
Newport, Wa
South Salem, NY
Cheney, Wa
Twenty-nine Palms, Ca (4 times)
Virginia Beach, Va
Colorado Springs, Co
Aurora,Co
Sylmar, Ca
Okinawa, Japan
Amniotic Sack, mother's womb
Spirit World
unorganized matter, somewhere in space
(just being thorough)

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire...

- take lots of vacations.
- nothing... oh, wait I already do that according to Garin- HAHA
- start my own philanthropic organization to provide quality education.
- buy an estate or two.
- start a Bed and Breakfast with a small farm.

5 bad habits...

- being a 'read-inner'
- not being able to make decisions
- yelling too much/ losing my temper
- reading when I should be doing chores
- thinking people hate me

5 jobs I've had...

- nanny
- bakery and meat dept. cleaner
- manager at Hogi Yogi
- receptionist at Elements Day Spa
- mommy (currently)

What you might know about me....
One summer my friend and I would drive the hour drive home from work in our bras because it was so hot and the car had no AC. Truckers got a good show!

I'm going to tag Gretchen, Elissa, Jill, and Brandi

We're Home

2008-07-08T10:43:00.003-06:00

So, we are home. I totally planned on blogging while we were gone but my mom's computer crashed. Anyway, I'm back and I'm gonna get some stuff in order ( like weeding so I can find my vegetable garden) and then I will get all the fun stuff up and my post my winners. Maybe tonight even. I hope everyone is having a fun summer, I can't wait to catch up. Love ya all!

Countdown to getaway

2008-06-21T14:46:00.003-06:00

I keep thinking I'm going to get around to making a real post but it really isn't going to happen. I've been trying to prepare this week for a two week vacation to my parent's house and replace the carpet in our living room with new flooring as well. Need I say more?? I also owe my sister Emm the answers to a tag. It will all have to wait till I get there and Ill put up pictures of our changes at home and the fun we are having. I really am looking forward to getting out of town for awhile.

'A vacation,... from my problems!?' (If you know what movie this line comes from and who said it leave a comment with your answer and Ill do a drawing for a souvenir giveaway from WA. for those who get it right.)

Wish me a sane trip .... I will be driving the 12 hours with my 4 darling daughters and Max. It should be interesting.

Last week...

2008-06-09T22:24:00.003-06:00

I started water aerobics. I love it! I get a good workout without sweating and pain. It is at night so it is a workout that I look forward to as a nice way to relax at the end of the day. So after 3 days last week and watching my calories I'm 4 lbs down- WOOOHOOO!!!

Want something fun to do?

2008-06-01T15:21:00.003-06:00

If you want something fun to do this summer with your family you should try 'Letterboxing'. This is a fun activity that we like to do. It is kind of like a treasure hunt.

You get to find hidden stamps that you stamp into a notebook to keep as a collection of where you have been. There are boxes all over the US and you have probably been near one and didn't even know it! Here's what you need:
- a small notebook, the thicker the paper the better.
- a stamp and ink pad. Something that represents who are or something. A lot of letterboxers make their own stamps. We have yet to venture into this, maybe this year?
- a fun nick-name for your family, we are the 'letter-tigers' I don't know why, our girls chose it.
- an adventurous spirit. Some of the clues are easy, some are hard, some are easy to find, some are really hard or missing. It's better to prepare to have fun if you find the box or not.
- a clue. Below is where to get your clues. When you find the box you stamp and sign your book with the stamp you find and record the when and where. Then you stamp the book in the box with your stamp and when and where you are from. It is fun to see all the other people.

To get started follow this LINK. It will take you a website to get clues and more info on this hobby. This summer we want to hide our first box. If you do it, post your adventure, we'd love to see what you find!
Happy Hunting!!!!

GEE I'm real sorry your Mom blew up Ricky.

2008-05-02T16:47:00.003-06:00

Before there was Napoleon Dynamite, there was Lane Meyers, geeky kid trying to find love and his place in the world. 'Better Off Dead' is one of my all time favorite movies. It is so full of hilarious one liners! What is your favorite line? Haven't seen it??? You must!! To see one of my favorite scenes start the video at 3min 30 sec in to it.

taking a deep breath

2008-04-27T15:34:00.003-06:00

Today I realized that I can be Primary President and everything is going to be okay.
At 8:30 this morning (1/2 hour before church) I had 2 teachers call and say they wouldn't be there, one of which had to do Sharing Time. So with Garin's help (XOXO) and some inspiration I threw a great Sharing time together and it all worked out fine. The kids were even amazingly reverent. I feel really blessed today.
I learned today that there is only so much I can do and the rest Heavenly Father makes up for- thank goodness.

Poor Riley

2008-04-27T15:24:00.003-06:00

I feel so bad for Riley. In a final attempt to rid her of Strep she has had to take this awful antibiotic. It kills almost everything good and bad, we have to take small precautions to make sure she doesn't get other various infections. The worst part of it all is the taste she has to endure. I can't even imagine the flavor, I've only had to smell it. My best description of the smell is the worst cherry scent you can think of mixed with poo-- yes POO!. The smell is enough to make you gag or even light-headed. The first few times she took it it was hard for her not to throw up ( she has to take it on a full stomach). We have system now that seems to help.
1. A few drops of lemon juice- to distract her tastebuds.
2. Throw back the medicine- with lots of jumping around.
3. Drink gulps and gulps of water.
4. End with a piece of gum.

She is more brave than I, she barely complains. I think she really is hoping to not be sick anymore.

Flutter on By Claire is Turning 5!

2008-04-21T21:54:00.003-06:00

On April 12th Claire celebrated her birthday with her friends. It was a butterfly party. We learned about the lifecycle of a butterfly and played a game that went along with that idea as well as "weed, weed, flower" (duck, duck,goose). They did a craft and had snacks. It was a fun time for them but tiring for me. Thankfully, my friend Gretchen helped.

The day after Claire's birthday we were all surprised by the early arrival of our new cousin Emma. That was a fun surprise and we enjoyed visiting her at the hospital. It has just been a crazy few weeks that seem like an eternity. Riley has been fighting Strep ( 3 times in 7 weeks) as well as others fighting colds and earaches. I've just been put in a Primary President and that has kind of thrown me for a loop. I've never served in Primary accept for the past 3 months as a teacher and know little to nothing. I'm sure it will be fun and I'm always open to ideas ;) Of course there is always school and house work too. Somedays I just want to curl up with a book or movie and do nothing else. Maybe one day...at least I can't say I'm bored.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-04-16T21:34:00.002-06:00

I have been too busy to post! I'm sad because I haven't been able to check out anyone else either :( So by next week I should be up and running again. Hope everyone is doing well and having a great time!

New Do's

2008-04-09T11:20:00.003-06:00

Amellia and I got haircuts the other day. She had been asking for a few weeks to get it cut short again, so when I went to get my hair done she secretly asked Grandpa to do her hair too. He asked first of course. So we got matching layered a-line bobs. She feels very stylish now, she loves to be fashionable. The next day she asked me if little girls could get colors in their hair like I do. She wasn't very happy when I told her she had to wait until she was at least 16. Apparently she can't grow up fast enough.

Borrowed Design

2008-04-08T23:26:00.002-06:00

My friend Shaina posted a layout on her blog that I thought would be fun to use as a 'template' for a layout of my own. Here is my result.

Lazy Blogger

2008-04-03T13:25:00.000-06:00

So I admit it, I've been a lazy blogger. By the time I read all the fun on everyone else's I'm just kind of done and need to move on. I have decided if I want to read I need to post. I always get these ideas of what I want to post and then never do it. I need to exercise will power.

Here is my catch up for March.
We had a fun day at the zoo. My friend Gretchen and I convinced our husbands to take the day off and go with us. It was so much more of a sane and fun experience than last year when we went and lost children at various times of the day. Afterward we treated ourselves to lunch at Famous Dave's. I was happy the kids were still pretty well behaved after such a long day- except for the moment Olivia felt the need to scream at the top of her lungs for no reason.

For Easter this year the Easter bunny came on Saturday, it helped make 9am church the next day and the spirit of the morning go a lot smoother and peaceful. One sad thing in the chaos- no pictures :( I did get one of them with their gifts from Marme and Papaw though and have already scrapped it.

Easter afternoon we went to Garin's parents house for dinner and an egg hunt with the whole Redding clan and to celebrate Bill's 60th birthday. Our cousin Brandi had the idea to let the kids decorate bags to use in the hunt. They loved it, some of them dumped their eggs out when they were done to keep decorating.

I made the birthday cake and Garin picked the topper- a pinata. I was big and crazy but fit the personality we all love so much.

Lastly we had a visit from our friends the Weber's that live in Phoenix. We all had a good time staying up late and just hanging out. The kids had a great time and Max got all the walks a dog could dream of, I think that was there favorite pastime.

So with all that I'm kind of tired and have been laying low- well as low as possible.

Jane and the Dragon

2008-03-22T09:52:00.002-06:00

My girls and I adore this show!

Gouza

2008-03-21T23:19:00.000-06:00

These are a Japanese style pot sticker. We just love them. They are a little extra work but so worth it. Enjoy!

1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ginger
1 pkg won ton wrappers
Squirt bottle of water

Dipping Sauce-
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or soy sauce
1 tbsp (+or-) Asian chili-garlic sauce {how hot do you like it?}

Brown pork. Add seasonings and soy sauce. Add cabbage and carrots and cook until desired softness. Fill won ton wrappers with about 2 tsp of mixture or what ever you think will fit, using a little water will help seal the edges.{ I don't normally fold mine the way they are pictured but I bought a different brand and they were awful to work with. The brand I prefer is Azumaya. I fold them in a half circle.}

Heat a pan with a small amount of oil- 1 or 2 tbsp. When hot enough that water sizzles, place gouza in the pan. Using a lid as a shield squirt about six squirts of water and shut the lid. Let them pan steam for 2-3 minutes squirting again about half way through the time. Gouza will be done when they are brown and crispy on the bottom and transparent and soft on top.
We like to eat them with rice and stir fry veggies.

How to Host a Murder- 50's style

2008-03-11T22:44:00.002-06:00

Saturday, we had fun night at our friend's ( the Free's) house. They hosted a 50's themed 'How To Host a Murder' Party. This is a fun tradition that was started by our other friend's (the Moore's) that we do every year. The names are always fun. I was Evelyn C. (E.C) Leigh , former cheerleader who can't say 'no'. Garin was Rick C. Alcitrent, rebel with 'little cause?'. While we had sorrid pasts and plenty of motive, neither of us were the murder.
All of our kids,( two aren't even in the picture) had fun time eating good food, playing and staying up late.{ too bad the next day was day light savings and 9am church!} Check out Riley's 'lovely' face :)
My wonderful friends Mandy and Gretchen.
The Moore's, the Free's and Garin and Me.

My First Digital Scrapbook Page!

2008-03-04T13:13:00.002-07:00

I'm so excited to have done my first page! Thanks to Autumn's help and Garin's hours of tutoring in photoshop (thank you dear!). I just love having this option for scrapbooking. I can make mistakes, leave it out with getting 'help' from my kids, the possibilities are endless. One of my favorite things is that I got everything on the page (plus tons of other stuff) as FREEBIES from Digital Scrapbook Place!

February...

2008-02-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

went by so fast! I didn't even make one post! So here is my recap of the month.
Valentine's day was fun...

besides the freakish snow storm we had. The day before we could see our lawn and my kids were excited that Spring must be coming. On the 14th we woke to this- 2ft of snow- and many tears were shed.
That night Garin took me on a date.

This Valentine's Day commemorated the 10 year anniversary of our first Valentine's Day together. Garin took me bowling - which is what we did on our first Valentine's with Shaina and Rich and Garrett and his date. It was fun remembering all the wackiness of 10 years ago and the love we have shared since.
Also this month we had a fun get together with some of the Weber Clan.

I've known the Weber's since I was 16. Shaina has been a dear friend and roommate and helped introduced me to Garin. Their whole family is like family to me. Shaina and her family were passing through on their way to South Carolina and invited us to get together. We had a blast playing games, catching up and reminiscing. It felt like old times {with 21 kids and all our spouses added on} pictured from the left: Me, Shaina, Sharon, Melissa(James' wife), Kim,& Courtney

In other news- Amellia was excited to finally lose her bottom teeth and gain some bragging rights and $$$ from the tooth fairy. {Although our tooth fairy is consistently late} Amellia is very paitent.

And finally -just for a chuckle- this is how we found our dear sweet Olivia the other night. No point in sneaking a bedtime snack if you can't stay awake long enough to enjoy it!

Going to the dentist is painful!

2008-01-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Not in the way you may think, though. Sure, there is nothing fun about having someone pick and inspect your mouth, spray water into your gums at a sonic speed to minimalize the the scraping and boring holes to China with the least amount of anesthestic they can get away with; but this isn't what I find the most painful. The part I hate the most is when your dentist calls you in to fill you in on your child's mouth.

I dread this part the most because it is one more place to make you feel like bad mom because you haven't done EVERYTHING perfectly. My children are pretty dilligent about brushing their teeth and when I feel I need to help they pretty much let me. This is the first time any of them have had a cavity; and the two that do, have them due to malformations not poor hygeine. So it seems like the visit should be breezy.... . Well, no. This is the part with all the advice that when put all together we should be spending about an hour a day as a family devoting our time to dental hygiene.

'Make sure your children always have chapstick on to prevent chapped lips, this is a main area for contracting a cold.' { who knew that chapped lips were grounds for negligence}

' Floss your children's teeth a few times a week on any teeth that touch, the other ones don't need it.' {I guess I better invest in a dental chair and hygeinist degree}

' Stop letting her suck her thumb.' { like I enjoy my 3yr old sucking her thumb and playing with my hair all day - I get so much done.}

' She has a little sore underneath her tongue. She says it is from trying to touch her chin with her tongue. I thought you should be aware and she probably shouldn't do that anymore.' {there so many reasons why this is just, well ?????}

' No candy, no soda, no chips, no juice, no fruitsnacks, no white bread, if they need to drink something water or crystal light.' {Crystal Light? and remember my kids have good clean teeth, we do indulge in these things some times, but never?}

' Brush your teeth with a small amount of toothpaste, with your brush at a 45 degree angle for 2 minutes in a circular motion. Spit, don't swallow, the toothpaste and don't rinse with water.''

How have we survived the ages with out modern dentisry? Will my children live to a ripe old age because I failed to apply enough chapstick? Will I live to see the day when a cavity can send you to jail for child abuse?

So why do I keep going back every six months? Because I know that dental care is beneficial. Why do I endure the motherly torture? Because I love my kids and want them to have a healthy mouth. Why do I keep going back to this dentist? Because he is a very nice man who my kids like and trust and I admire him for posting The Family: A Proclamation to the World in his waiting room. So really, I am either a glutton for punishment or I have a high tolerance for pain :)

Our fun get-away..

2008-01-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Finally, after about a week of getting back to normal I have a chance put up some pictures. While it is always nice to be at home, we didn't want to go home back to the cold and snow from the sunny 60F beautiful weather! The wedding was lovely and a happy time being with family. My parents rented a house so that we could all be together, have a place to hang out and let the kids play.

The hot tub was an added bonus we all enjoyed:

Amellia, Riley, my nephew Parker, Olivia and Claire
The happy couple, Matt and Wendi Murray were sealed in the Mesa Temple on January 19th.

David and Rebekah Murray

Our family

Dad and Mom

Lorna and Daphne Christopherson.

Baden and Emmaleigh Neilson and their boys, Wyatt, Parker and Troy.

On our way home we made a quick stop at the Hoover Dam. I've always wanted to drive over the Dam. It is interesting to see it in real life, not quite what I expected. We didn't get out and tour it because well, the thought of a side walk that looks over a huge dam and my {overly excited and curious} children sent me into a panic. It ended up being really busy that day as well. Speaking of panic, check out the bridge they are building to divert traffic from being on the dam! That's one I will have to close my eyes for next time I head down that way!
You can see the dam in the bottom of this picture to get perspective on the height.
This is where it will connect on the other side.

Praise to the Man!

2008-01-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

We will miss our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. We adored him and all that he stood for. We revered the man that he was, he is one of our heroes and will be blessed by the wonderful legacies he left us as a church and a people of God. My heart breaks that we will not see him next conference but rejoices in the reunions he finds himself in beyond the veil. Truly, praise to the man!

We are off..

2008-01-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

To the great state of Arizona! We will be enjoying warm weather while we attend the wedding of my brother Matthew Murray and Wendi Christensen and spending time with my family and friends. We are so excited for this little mini vacation and the addition of a new family member. My family is spread out all over the Western US and we look forward to opportunities to be together. A few of us won't be there, though. Stephen, Deedra and Tristan aren't able to make it because of their work schedules and Lorna's husband, Brian is currently serving in Iraq. They will all be missed. Catch up with you all when we trudgingly come back to the cold!

Still Standing

2008-01-07T01:46:00.000-07:00

Friday night we survived a storm that had some fierce winds {gusts to 100mph}. The power went out around 7:30 pm so we spent the night listening to our house being torn apart and praying the roof wouldn't fly off. It was unnerving listening to the siding rip off and hear every staple pull out of the wood. It snowed after the wind so we haven't even assessed the damage on the roof other than around 9 pm one side of our house was littered with shingles and the wind only got worse and continued on past 2 am when I finally fell asleep. Around 7am I woke up because it was so quiet and looked outside to see a neighborhhod that looked like a war zone. Fences down, Trampolines tossed and mangled etc and then of course some houses untouched. Mother Nature is so unpredictable.