25 December 2010
20 December 2010
By Small and Simple Things…
I took this from a blog that I love to frequent. If you’ve never read from Chocolate on My Cranium, start now!
I have trouble with wanting to do too much. I have so many interests - photography, music, cooking, gardening, sewing, quilting, blogging, homeschooling - that I can't seem to find the time to do them all. Then add in all the things I should be doing - reading scriptures, exercising, writing in my journal, spending time with each of my children, taking time for my husband, making personal time for myself, making sure school is done adequately each day. And then, add to that my knack for doing most things in an elaborate way - well you see my dilemma. I tend to forget that bigger or more is not necessarily better. The simple and small things can be just as satisfying, if not more so. They are definitely less stressful!
I have a tendency to want to get in and get things done in a big way. For example, cleaning my house. When I clean it is full throttle, every room, takes all day. By the end of the day I am exhausted, grumpy, and there are messes already in the rooms that were cleaned first. If I were to break that down and do smaller tasks throughout the day and week, I'd end up with the same result with much less work and stress involved. The same principle can be applied to every other aspect of my life - how I approach homeschooling, sewing projects, scripture reading, etc.
The area I need to focus on right now is time spent with my children. I am reminded of a story that was shared in the last General Conference by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. "A friend took his young family on a series of summer vacation trips, including visits to memorable historic sites. At the end of the summer he asked his teenage son which of these good summer activities he enjoyed most. The father learned from the reply, and so did those he told of it. “The thing I liked best this summer,” the boy replied, “was the night you and I laid on the lawn and looked at the stars and talked." (Dallin H. Oaks, “Good, Better, Best,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 104–8)
"...but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" Alma 37:6
Several years ago I was asked to speak in church about the influence of mothers. I decided to make it personal for the congregation. I put the names of every mother in our ward in a bag and pulled out seven names. I then called their children and asked, "Share something about your mother with me." Here are some of the responses I received.
* My mother was never afraid to take off her shoes, get on the floor, and play with us. She still does that! Can you imagine the thrill her grandchildren get when Grandma comes over, takes her shoes off and then roll cars around, or lays on her belly to color a picture?
* With a lot of children in the house it was hard for my mother to spend one-on-one time with us. She never failed to tuck us into bed at night, talk to us individually about our day, and then help us pray. We'd lay in bed waiting for our turn with mother.
* By the time I was four I could say that I had read every book of scripture. My mother would read the scriptures to us when it was our naptime. She'd read until we fell asleep. My dad would tease her saying it was preparing us to fall asleep during early-morning seminary!
* I remember the fun we had working with our mother. Cleaning the house, weeding the garden, raking leaves, mending clothes it didn't matter what it was, mom was there helping us making it more enjoyable.
You should have seen the look of delight on the mothers' faces when they realized I was describing them. You should have see the proud joy their children had for their mothers. I'm sure these families had big vacations or activities they involved themselves in. But that's not what the children remembered.
I then shared this memory of my own mother. Waking up in the morning we knew where we'd find my mom - sitting at the kitchen table with her scriptures laid out in front of her along with several church manuals and a notebook. That image day after day impressed in me the importance of personal scripture study. With her not having to say so I knew my mother loved the gospel. (Her habits still haven't changed! When we visit I can still find my mother in the early morning hours reading her scriptures.)
"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all." (Julie B. Beck, “Mothers Who Know,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 76–78)
And do not try to choose it all. This is where my self-discipline needs to kick in. I need to realize that I'm not expected to choose it all. My children don't expect me to do it all. They don't want to be overstimulated and overworked. They just want my time, my attention with no added frills overloading our experience. I want to find happiness in the simplest of gestures - a hug, a kiss, laughter as we work, a snuggle as we read a book. These are what I need to focus on so that when they are grown my children will remember that I read to them, played with them, sang with them, cooked with them, cleaned with them, loved them.
"Wherefore, be not weary in welldoing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." Doctrine and Covenants 64:33
17 December 2010
Consequences and Reactions…
Ballet Recital…
On Tuesday, Evelyn had her first ballet recital with the new dance studio she is going to. A woman in our ward has a studio in her basement and it’s right around the corner from our house. (It’s a lovely thing.) She means serious business with the girls and Evelyn loves it!
Evelyn is in the beginning class and after their performance, the girls in level 2 performed their dance. She loved watching them and wants to dance as well as they do. During her dance, she was concentrating so hard, she forgot to smile. She told me, as we were getting her ready, that her teach told her to remember to smile. She’ll have to work on that a bit.
16 December 2010
Thought…
"God, our Father, has entrusted precious little ones to our earthly care. To them may we teach prayer, inspire faith, live truth, and honor God. Then we shall have heavenly homes and forever families. For what higher gift could we wish? For what greater blessing could we pray? None!"
Thomas S. Monson, "Teaching Our Children," Ensign, Oct. 2004, 7
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this lovely outfit. Hey at least he dresses himself, right? We aren’t going anywhere, so I didn’t make him change.
04 December 2010
Bran Muffins Kids Will Eat…
Inhale is more like it. I made these tonight to go with a pot of potato soup. I added craisins, chopped pecans and cinnamon. The boys both ate 2! Give them a try. Just don’t make them the day you mop your kitchen floor…. I now have a big crumbly mess all over the place. They are very moist and fall apart easily.
28 November 2010
Prayer…
This morning I am very grateful for an answer to a prayer. No matter how small the prayer might be, or how simple the request, the Lord hears us. My family is safe and for that I am truly thankful.
24 November 2010
30 Things…
Today is my sisters birthday. The lover of birthdays… I don’t know how the whole birthday love started, but when we were younger she could count down the days to her birthday at any given point in the year. I’m thinking today, 
- The greatest sister anyone could ask for.
- A.M.A.Z.I.N.G mother
- I’m guessing she’s a pretty good wife too.
- Fabulous daughter/daughter in-law.
- Kind
- Patient (That one can be tough at times.)
- Takes things in stride.
- A fantastic cook.
- Channels her inner Nana like nobodies business.
- Speaks my language.
- Creative trickery… nuff said!
- Loves the gospel.
- Amazing example of good and right.
- The chosen child…
- Treats my kids like her own. Which means she is not afraid to call them on it when they are being naughty.
- A Visiting Teacher.
- Knows there is only one way to get some where, even if it is the long way.
- Loves to read.
- Collector of fabric. (It’s genetic.)
- Finds us adventures to take the kids on when we are at Mom and Dad’s.
- Can eat a whole no bake cheesecake without batting an eye.
- Has a great sense of style.
- Loves shoes.
- Can talk me off the ledge…
- Enjoys stupid, mindless TV shows just like me.
- Knows that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father.
- Has a daughter just like her.
- Body Language!
- Always knows what I need to hear.
The list could really go on and on. Happy Birthday Sis! Hope it is a great one. Welcome to your 30’s!
21 November 2010
Conversation…
This is a conversation that I had with Max this morning…
Max: What day is it?
Me: Sunday
Max: Are we going to church?
Me: No, mom and dad are sick.
Max: But I love going to church!
Music to my ears, I tell you. He has been a little weird about going to nursery lately, so I was so glad to hear that he was sad that he was going to miss it.
14 November 2010
Best Pumpkin Pie…
EVER! A friend from my ward posted this recipe on Facebook, so I decided to try it today for our Family Home Evening treat. It was so good. Rick said it was the best pumpkin pie he had ever had. We ate it while it was still warm… all of it!
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (strained if fresh)
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 c. milk or cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/2 t. almond extract
- 1 pie crust
Cream the cream cheese and pumpkin puree until smooth. Mix in sugar and spices. Add liquid ingredients and mix until completely blended together. Pour into pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 60 minutes (I baked mine for 1 hour 15 minutes). Check for doneness by inserting a knife in center of pie. Pie is done if knife comes out clean.
I tried to take pictures of Max to add to this post… he caught on to Sam’s antics of closing his eyes when I tried to snap the picture… stink face!
13 November 2010
He’s Catching On…
Tonight for dinner we had Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and cinnamon rolls. I made the cinnamon rolls back in October and froze some of them. I pulled them out last night to defrost and baked them this afternoon. I told the kids once their soup was gone they could have one. Evelyn and I finished pretty quick… the boys tend to linger over dinner. Max pretends he can’t feed himself and Sam is a slow eater likes to saver his food. After I finished, I was sitting at the computer and asked the boys if they were done. Sam’s reply,…
“I’m closer then I’ve ever been.”
That’s for you Mom!
Part 2 of this post… I wanted to take a cute picture of him to add to the above, but he was not cooperating. He was being a nerd! He talked me into letting him have another cinnamon roll. I said yes, as long as he let me take his picture, a good one this time… (I got schooled.) I made the mistake of saying, “Oh your eyes were closed on that one.” The photo shoot went down hill from there… Mr. Smarty Pants kept closing his eyes. The little turkey!
12 November 2010
Avoidance…
I have a lot that I could be doing… like folding laundry, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, but instead I’ve been scrapping. I did help a friend push her car out of her garage so she could jump it and made 3 loaves of bread, so the day hasn’t been a total waste. I have a bunch more pages to share, I didn’t do all of them today, mind you.
10 November 2010
Thought…
"As we pass through the trials of life, let us keep an eternal perspective, let us not complain, let us become even more prayerful, let us serve others, and let us forgive one another. As we do this, 'all things [will] work together for good to [us] that love God' (Romans 8:28)."
James B. Martino, "All Things Work Together for Good," Ensign, May 2010, 103
05 November 2010
Changes Are Coming…
Our retaining wall was started today. Well actually we’ve had the block for a couple of weeks and the dirt and gravel came last week and they did a little yesterday, but today was the real start day. The day that things really happened and you can tell something was done.
04 November 2010
03 November 2010
Oops…
Since it would appear that my last post is a repeat… I thought I better post again. Here is the list, so far, of next year’s Halloween costumes for Mad Max:
Mr. Smead (Sam says he is going to be Captain Hook.)
Santa Clause
A bird (a flappy one)
A shark
A penguin
At the rate he’s going, the list will be a mile long. On another note, he ate all of his dinner, even though as I was making it, he pointed out all of the things he didn’t like. He has actually ate pretty well at dinner the last couple of nights. I’m sure I’ve just jinxed myself. Maybe the horrible picky food phase is starting to pass… I’m not holding my breath though.
Memorial Day…
Yes, I said Memorial Day… I’m a little behind. Memorial Day was our first camping adventure of the summer. Rick’s cousin and his family were able to join us for one night. It was a little CHILLY the first night, but everyone stayed warm enough. We went to Fremont State Indian Park. They kids had a great time exploring, I got to read and Rick got to ride his 4-wheeler.
30 October 2010
All About Spelling…
I love All About Spelling! This is our first year using it and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. It has been great for both kids. The lessons, or steps as they call them in the books, are very self paced. You can take as little or as much time as you feel your student needs. I also love the readers that go with each level. It is as much a reading program as it is a spelling program.
There is a special offer right now for 20% off the newest reader Runt the Pig. Perfect for beginning readers. Sam is almost done reading Cobweb the Cat. Orders placed between now and Monday receive the e-book All About Homophones. Here are the instructions…
Here's how to claim your free book with any purchase:
- Add any product(s) to your cart.
- Do not add the All About Homophones e-book to your cart quite yet.
- In the upper left corner of the cart, you'll see a box that says "Special Code." Type in these three letters, all in capital letters: AAH. Then click the "Apply" button.
- The free All About Homophones e-book will appear just above where you enter your shipping information. Click the orange "Add to Cart" button.
*********
Check it out, you won’t be disappointed! I’m not a great speller, so spelling is something that is important for me to teach my kids.
26 October 2010
I have nothing better to share…
I’m tired, I think I’m coming down with something. Max went to bed with undies on last night, we finally ran out of pull ups. He wakes up dry every morning. I’ve only been putting him in a pull up because we had them. Glad to not have to buy pull ups or diapers any more.
You da man!
25 October 2010
24 October 2010
Candy Bar Cookie Bars…
We were invited to friends for dinner tonight and I offered to bring a treat. (Seeing that I haven’t been to the store in about a week and a half, I didn’t have much to offer.) I found this recipe in The Ultimate Cookie Book and thought it looked tasty and really easy.
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 2/3 c. butter
- 1/4 c. dark or light color corn syrup
- 1/4 c. peanut butter
- 1 t. vanilla
- 3 1/2 c. rolled oats (the recipe called for quick, I used regular.)
- 1 12-oz. package semisweet chocolate chips (Again, I used my favorite Hershey’s Special Dark.)
- 1 c. butterscotch chips (I think I only had 1/2 c. and they turned out fine.)
- 2/3 c. peanut butter
- 1 c. chopped peanuts
- Preheat oven to 375. In a medium saucepan heat and stir brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup over medium-low heat until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in the 1/4 c. peanut butter and vanilla; stir until smooth.
- For crust, place oats in a very large bowl. Pour brown sugar mixture over oats, stirring gently until combined. Press oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.
- In the same saucepan heat and stir chocolate chips and butterscotch chips over low heat until smooth. Stir in the 2/3 c. peanut butter until smooth.
- Sprinkle half of the peanuts over the crust. (Oops, I missed this step and put them all on the top.) Slowly pour chocolate mixture over the peanuts, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining peanuts over top. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack until firm. (I popped them in the fridge.) Cut into 1-inch squares.
22 October 2010
This Time Last Year…
The ciaos of moving was near, we just didn’t know it yet. We would accept an offer on our house 16 November. We had to be out in 3 weeks, with a planned trip to California in the middle for Thanksgiving. My sister has just entered said craziness, having signed an offer on their house yesterday. She too has to be out quickly… the week before Thanksgiving!
This picture was taken 21 October. I guess I don’t take many pictures in October, because it was the only one I could find near today’s date.
21 October 2010
Oatmeal Cookies…
I made a batch of Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies today and thought I would share the recipe. There are a few things in them that might surprise you. They are so tasty!
- 1/2 c. coconut oil
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 t. vanilla
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 c. oatmeal (I like regular oats.)
- 2 T. flax seeds
- 1/4 c. wheat germ
- 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (spoon into measuring cup, then level with a knife)
- 3/4 t. baking powder
- 1/2 c. raisins
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans
- 1/2 c. chocolate chips (My new favorite kind of chips to use are Hershey’s Special Dark. Thank you Kimberly!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray or line pans with parchment; set aside.
In a large bowl mix coconut oil and brown sugar until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and salt. In a second bowl, combine oats, flax seeds, wheat germ, flour and baking powder, then add to oil and sugar mixture. Stir well to combine thoroughly. Fold in raisin, pecans and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by the spoonful (I use a small ice cream scoop) onto prepared pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool on pans for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
20 October 2010
Thoughts…
Many blessings in life are missed because worldly judgment was applied to what was really a spiritual decision.
Gregory A. Schwitzer, "Developing Good Judgment and Not Judging Others," Ensign, May 2010, 104–5
We will each face times of difficulty, and the question is not when we will face them but how we will face them.
James B. Martino, "All Things Work Together for Good," Ensign, May 2010, 101
19 October 2010
Tonight’s Dinner…
Thought…
"Sometimes we feel that the busier we are, the more important we are- as though our busyness defines our worth.... We can spend a lifetime whirling about at a feverish pace, checking off list and list of things that in the end don’t really matter. That we do a lot may not be so important. That we focus the energy of our minds, our hearts and our souls on those things of eternal significance- that is essential."
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, May 2002
18 October 2010
I’m behind again…
So I’ll take the chance to let you all know that the Yankees are losing and DH is having a hard time with it. hee, hee, hee I like to give him a hard time about it. Growing up in Nor Cal, I come from a family of die hard Giants fans. He just asked me if I hate the Yankees. I can’t really say I hate them. Hate is a strong word. I told him I was indifferent. It’s been years since I have actually watched baseball… but knowing that them losing bothers him so much does make me grin a little. I just heard the score… 8 to nothin’… I’m not going to lie, I laughed under my breath. Does taking pleasure in this make me bad? {evil grin}
** Dear, when you read this weeks from now… remember that I love you & that you love me.**
Deep Thoughts…
Time makes one wise. Ask advice from someone older than you.
I didn’t think of that one all on my own… it was on my fortune cookie today at lunch.
16 October 2010
Which are you…
Are you a saver/keeper or a thrower-awayer? My mom and sister are are keepers, I am a thrower-awayer. My mom has told my sister that after she dies she better get to her house first, so I don’t throw all of her stuff away. I’m not saying saving/keeping is bad, it’s just not my style. There are several things that I am so grateful to my mom for saving… baby clothes, Halloween costumes, to name a couple. I do keep some things, but for the most part I chuck! It feels good to throw things ways… cleansing. There have been a few times that I look back and wish I hadn’t thrown something out, but so be it.
Evelyn appears to be a saver/keeper. I’m trying hard not to crush her spirit, but sheesh… she has a lot of stuff. We did a de-junking of her room today… all the drawers and nooks and crannies that she can stuff things in were emptied and gone through. It was tough and I let her keep some things, but she would keep EVERY little scrap of paper if I let her. I don’t want her to resent me someday for making her throw her stuff away, but I don’t want her to turn into one of those weird hoarder people. Not to be critical, but people that save that much stuff have issues. I’m just saying I don’t want her to have issues. As we were just about finished, I was sitting on her bed and could see something on one of her closet selves. I couldn’t tell what it was… it was a picture that she got in the drive threw at Chik-fil-A. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her she had to throw it away… Why that was such a treasured possession, I don’t know.
Eek…
I just realized I didn’t blog yesterday. Oops! Hope I don’t get fired. I’ll post again today to make up for it. I’m making Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast this morning. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
14 October 2010
Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup
1 lb. Italian Sausage (I use turkey sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, diced
3 zucchini, diced
6 c. chicken broth or 6 c. water and 6 bullion cubes
1 (28 0z.) can crushed tomatoes (I didn’t have any when I made this tonight, so I used diced canned tomatoes and it turned out just fine.)
1 t. dried basil
1 t. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. uncooked orzo
Brown meat with onion. Drain if needed. Add other ingredients (except orzo) and bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 20 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese. Serve with Pesto Bread and Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies for dessert.
Side note… I was going to take a picture, but I’ve run out of gas. Evelyn asked if there was zuckiwi in the soup. She always combines zucchini and kiwi when refering to either.
13 October 2010
School Lunch…
Today, as Evelyn and I were finishing lunch, she asked me if they had “this” at school. By “this” she meant lunch. We were having left over homemade refried beans and rice. I told her they serve lunch at school, but it wasn’t as good as moms. (At least I hope it isn’t). I said, “I remember having lunch at school and it wasn’t very good.” She said, “So is that why we homeschool?” lol…
12 October 2010
11 October 2010
Drivers License…
I had to get my drivers license renewed today. It expired on my birthday, but because of our move, I didn’t get notice about it. For some reason I remembered last week about it. I was able to fill out the application at home, print it off and take it in. I had to take in 2 items with my name and address, my birth certificate and my SS card. I’m surprised they didn’t ask for my first born too. I had to have a new picture taken… WHY do they always come out so ugly? I mean really, do I actually have that many chins and look like a man? The picture is so NOT flattering. I WON’T be posting it, even if you do want to see it.
10 October 2010
Cousins…
Some of them anyway. The Easterling’s were in town for a wedding. They came down to our house today for church and a quick visit. (Too quick!) I didn’t tell the kids they were coming. As we walked into church I pointed out their car in the parking lot and said, “Evelyn look, there’s a car like KK’s.” (She usually notices cars like theirs were ever we are, I’m surprised she didn’t notice it.) She said, “Yes and it’s black like hers too.” I was trying not to smile and give it away. We walked into the building and Evelyn saw KK right away and stopped dead in her tracks. It was so funny. We had a great day, but it went all too fast. We had to have a little photo shoot before they left. Poor Mary didn’t make it into the pictures though. She was pooped and feel asleep sitting on David’s shoulder.
