A Cookie In Each Hand

I CAN'T believe it.

2011-11-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

Has it been a year?

Why yes. Yes it has.

Just finished putting the chocolate mousse inside the chocolate layer cake. I'll frost it tomorrow for our celebration with Grandma and Grandpa:

Happy 1st Birthday to my little Margaret. What a glorious year it has been.

Halloween

2011-10-28T20:04:00.001-06:00

We had our neighborhood Trunk or Treat tonight. I found a cheerleader costume at the D.I. a couple of months ago for Evelyn - only $3. Margaret got a painted black nose and whiskers. What a cute little black kitten.

A little enthused to go get candy:

And now to get geared up for my teenage son's Halloween party tomorrow night. On the agenda: "Creature from the Black Lagoon" movie with loaded nachos, popcorn and candy. To be followed by some 'Night' geocaching and then warm butterbeer and donuts upon arriving back home. Should be a lot of fun!

Mette

2011-10-25T14:15:00.002-06:00

In the quest to decide on a name for our little Margaret before she was born, our family went to drastic measures. We very much like old names, family names, historically important names, and tend to steer completely away from anything trendy or overly popular. I liked Helen. Porter liked Lucy. And Bill had his heart set on Margaret. We knew that the middle name would for sure be Deloris, after Bill's late mom. A bracket was drawn up one night (think college basketball March Madness here), with our top ten or so names. Bill, Porter and I each filled out our own brackets, pinning name against name to see who would move on to the next bracket. In any event, I don't really remember the outcome, just that it didn't really help much.

As time pressed on, I eventually softened to the name Margaret Deloris. In fact, I grew very attached. And when Margaret was born (on Deloris' 75th birthday) I wondered how I could have considered calling her anything else.

Just this past Sunday, Bill and Porter were having fun on a website where you can type in your full name and see how many people in the U.S. have the same name as you. They typed in Margaret's name and it also suggested other forms of her name to try, like Maggie, Meg, Marjorie, and............Mette.

Mette?

Before Bill's dad Brian passed away, he was an English professor. He was also a playwright. One of the plays that Brian wrote was entitled Mette (pronounced Metta). Brian wrote this play about his Danish great grandfather Anders Nelson's first wife Mette, a stalwart, brave, faithful woman who Brian greatly admired (enough to write an entire play about her!)

Astonished, Bill went to wikipedia and typed in the name Mette.

This is what he found:

Mette: a female name of Scandinavian origin, descended from the name Margaret.

I must say, it sent chills up our arms to find this.

People have often asked us if Margaret was a family name. We would tell them that mostly we just loved the name. We both had Margarets in our family trees, but they were way, way back in the family lines that we didn't have any histories on them.

But now the name Margaret, the name we love, means ever so much more. And one day, our Margaret will be able to sit down and read the incredible play that her grandfather wrote about a strong, steadfast woman from our family history, who shares her name.

the gem of our neighborhood

2011-10-10T13:48:00.003-06:00

Evelyn thinks the world of our neighbor Ed.

If ever I can't find Evelyn in the house or yard (she is a world renowned escape artist), I know I need to look down the street with the kids in the culdesac, or across the street at Ed's house.

When Ed comes across the street to visit or say hello, and Evelyn is anywhere in close proximity, we know that Evelyn will want to be involved in the bulk of the conversation....because Ed is very exciting to talk to.

And Ed makes Evelyn feel very important.

Recently, I found Evelyn sneaking back into the house through our kitchen sliding door, carrying the Arctic Circle coupon flier that we had gotten in the mail that afternoon. I asked her where she had been and she, without hesitation replied, "I wanted to show Ed the Square Pumpkins. I think he needs one for dinner."

A couple of weeks ago, just before bed time, she wanted to show Ed her bubbles:

He's a wonderful, wonderful man.

One of those people that just restores a person's faith in the inherent goodness of mankind.

The 50 cent smile

2011-09-30T22:26:00.000-06:00

Porter received his marching band uniform today.

And just in time, because every middle school and high school band in our city have been practicing all week for tonight's half-time performance of the Marching Extravaganza. (It was awwwwwwesome!)

I thought he looked exceedingly handsome and so I asked him to follow me out onto the deck so I could take his picture.

Porter, who very much likes to tease his mom, was trying to act all serious on me, so I asked him to show me a great big toothy grin.

And this is what ensued:

After many attempts to just get a normal smile out of him, I called in a the special forces, a.k.a. Evelyn with her knock-knock jokes:

And this is what I got with a 50 cent bribe:

"Mommy, Max and I will smile for 50 cents too!"

the HAPPY kitchen.

2011-09-27T11:37:00.003-06:00

My kitchen is the room in my home where I love to be. It's the room where my kids look for me first if they aren't sure where I am.

I LOVE that. Because I was the very same way.

I knew that I could find my mom in the kitchen. It's where she paid the bills with my dad and helped us with our homework. It's where we snapped beans and shelled the peas from our garden. It's where many a memorable family conversation took place standing by the kitchen sink or sitting around the table. Often times the counter tops were covered in rows of hot cookies, waiting for a household of 9 hungry mouths to devour them. It's where I remember my mom shaking a heavy pot over the stove, making popcorn the old-fashioned way for a family home evening treat. I also remember thinking how efficient my mom was to have two or three of us on the kitchen floor with hot, soapy rags, mopping away - each of us with a butter knife in hand to scrape up any stubborn, dried food that wouldn't come up with our wet rag. (Yes, even that is a happy memory.) When I go to my childhood home, it's still the room where I find my mom. The room that I want to be in.

When we moved into our home 6 years ago, this is what my kitchen looked like:

It was a clean kitchen; decent size. But the green wasn't my favorite, and something I knew I would eventually change. I spent months thinking about what color I would change it too. And one word kept coming to mind:

Happy.

I wanted a happy kitchen.

And yellow makes me happy:

The mug holder makes me very happy.

And here's a close-up of three of the many things that make OUR family happy:

What's not to love about homemade pie, rootbeer (in a frosted mug of course), and popcorn (still made the old-fashioned way)?......Yes, not the healthiest arrangement of signs - I know. But all things in moderation, right?

It's a happy kitchen.

a breather

2011-09-22T13:33:00.003-06:00

I put my blog on hold for nearly a year and a half with the hopes of trying to be able to grab hold of the reins of life for a while.

Did it work? Naaaaaahhhh.

But I do know that in this time, a lot has transpired.

For instance, I have a teenager now:

And he's 6" taller. And very entertaining.

Oh, and I had a baby:

But she's not a lil' peanut anymore:

She's almost one!

And my Evelyn....oh my Evelyn. Where do I start?

Lets just say that she's not just adding gray hairs on her momma's head :)

One of my favorite photos...

2011-09-21T22:44:00.004-06:00

They're looking remarkably calm considering there were barking dogs on the other side of that fence

Thanks Linds. You are an amazing sister. And photographer.

Our Thursday

2010-05-20T22:14:00.000-06:00

Spent the day watching Porter's second to last game of the season.

He's had an amazing one.

And his little sis readily agrees.

I hope to slowly start blogging again over the next little while. We'll see.

I've been busy growing a little one in my womb as of late. And I'm still green.

from green to......???

2010-04-01T17:46:00.001-06:00

And so the renovations begin.

It actually began over a month ago, but I'm just now getting the time to post these pictures.

Our kitchen is getting a facelift. And it has been so much fun!

My sister-in-law once told me that the kitchen is the one room in your house that should make you giggle when you walk into it. I really love that philosophy.

This past month, we have been working on adding trim, hardware, and painting the kitchen cabinets.

My kitchen used to, in the not so distant past, look like this:

notice the color, and the flat fronts of the cabinets and drawers

And then we decided to get creative and add some interest and functionality with our self - constructed hanging mug holder:

Oh how I love this mug holder! It has brought me joy. Really it has. (And giggles)

We began the next phase of kitchen renovations by taking the cabinet fronts off and adding a simple piece of trim:

Evelyn watched in amazement as Bill ran a bead of wood glue down the trim before he nailed it down. She ran over to me confused, and said, "Mommy, why daddy put mustard on it?" We laughed and laughed!

We then spent the next week and half painting three coats onto them, letting them dry really well in between coats. We added some black knob hardware, and this is what we ended up with:

Ignore the underside of the countertop please...it's getting replaced very soon.

I think it's really amazing how much the hardware and that little bit of trim has given the cabinets an entirely different look.

I gave myself headaches trying to narrow down a color. But when all was said and done, it always came back to this buttery yellow. Why? Because I have always loved yellow. Yellow makes me happy. And I love what it has done for my kitchen. It's welcoming, bright and cheery.

We are going fairly dark on the new countertop that will be installed. They are actually going to be similar in shade to our wood floors. That should happen within a week. And then comes the building of the dining room arch and painting the kitchen walls.

The fun is just beginning.

And I plan on documenting it all.

A jaunt down south

2010-03-30T18:20:00.002-06:00

It's not very often that the university where my husband works and the school district where my son attends have Spring Break vacations that match up.

It happened this year!

And so we took the opportunity to head south for the week to spend some time with my sister Megan in Utah, and then go further south to Las Vegas to spend the majority of the week with Bill's family.

(And yes, I thought of you and waved, Loni, as we drove through St. George. We even ate at the In n' Out, and sat at the outside tables without jackets....Wow, St. George is beautiful this time of year!!)

While in Utah visiting my sister and her family, we walked around the Mt. Timpanogas temple with my nephew Ryker. Evelyn, from that time forward, insisted on touching every temple we drove by or visited.

A picture of Mt. Timp temple that Bill took. It was a beautiful day. It's always a beautiful day when you have pot roast with potatoes and gravy for Sunday dinner....thanks Meg!

While in Las Vegas, we spent most of our time visiting family, which was wonderful. But we did try to venture out once a day to enjoy an activity with the kids:

Ethel M's chocolate factory and cactus gardens.

Evelyn was whining for the better part of this excursion, as she tried to make friends with a cactus and decided to shake it's hand....lots of little cactus spines in little fingers.

We love the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. We really don't like going to the strip much at all, but when we do, we visit Shark Reef. Oh, and M & M world.

The highlight of Porter's trip was coming home with two brand new saxophones. An alto and a tenor. He has played the alto all year (one that we had been renting) and has begged us to let him play the tenor as well. We are making him earn the tenor sax. Right now it is sitting in our bedroom and it is killing him. He is extremely talented and is leaps and bounds ahead of his band class with his ability. He can melt any grown woman's heart with his rendition of Edelweiss and make you want to tap your toe to The Pink Panther. We are starting him in private lessons at the university on Thursday. He is super excited about it.

Since being home, we have been battling illness, trying to unpack and do laundry, and just get back into the swing of things. We have some home renovations that are in the process, and the kitchen countertops to be put in this week or next.

Pictures soon to come.

Evelyn hand update: She's healing well. She's got some pretty good scar tissue that we apply some concentrated cream to a couple times a day. But overall, we could not ask for a better outcome with the accident. Time will tell if more needs to be done in the future.

Lucky number 13

2010-03-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

I married Bill thirteen years ago today.

That choice, by far, has been the most important decision of my life.

Oh, how I love that man.

This year, we gave each other two gifts.

The first one, a picture:

We've had our eye on this painting for several months now, and knew that we wanted it in our home.

It's by Julius Von Klever, an artist of the late 1800's.

We've really struggled finding a picture of Christ that we really love.

We don't necessarily love a lot of the more recent artists' renditions of Christ.

But we both LOVE this painting.

The colors. The symbolism. The fact that it is a classic, older piece.

It moves me.

Every single time I look at it.

~~~~~

The second gift, was the mutual accomplishment of a goal:

And boy, does it ever feel good!!

This past week we were able to finish Dave Ramsey's

BABY STEP 3!!!!!

We've done baby step 1 ($1000 emergency fund), and baby step 2 (no debt except mortgage)

And a few days ago, in time for our anniversary, we finally finished Baby Step 3 which is our 6 months emergency fund. This fund would pay our mortgage, utilities, groceries, and gas for the car. Essentially providing all necessities of life, for 6 months, in case Bill lost his job or other such emergency.

I am glad we were able to set this goal and work hard on it together.

It's a wonderful gift to give to a spouse on their 13th anniversary.

Or any anniversary for that matter.

I've 'bean' thinking...

2010-02-27T17:10:00.001-07:00

In recent months, I have put forth an effort to cut back on the amount of groceries I buy, and have been brainstorming some alternative after school snack ideas for my son who has, in recent months, entered the phase "eating me out of house and home."

Lets face it. Dried beans are cheap. Really cheap. And they have super longevity on a shelf. But probably most important, are the health benefits, as they are packed with tons of protein, low in fat, and very high in dietary fiber.

My mom has taught me how beans cook wonderfully in a slow cooker. They really do. And so I recently made a whole crock pot full of pinto beans and made them into refried beans without all the fat. In fact I didn't add any kind of fat, lard, or bacon grease usually found in refried beans (hence the name), but instead, concentrated on seasoning them well with spices and some bottled salsa and then using my immersion blender to get them nice and smooth with just the right consistency. (You could just as easily use a blender).

I froze some of the beans in ziploc bags (because beans freeze GREAT!!!), but used most of them to do this:

Homemade bean burritos with a little sharp cheddar on top.

But the really fun thing about it is that I made a bunch of these little burritos, froze them on a cookie sheet, then threw them into a big ziploc once they were frozen, so they can be taken out individually for a snack or meal:

Next time I will use whole wheat or whole grain tortillas to make them even healthier, but I had a couple packages of white tortillas in my freezer that needed to be used.

A little chicken or beef could be added inside as well, and then a meal could be made by baking them in a pan covered with enchilada sauce with a little more cheese to melt on top.

Porter wholeheartedly approves of his new after school snack. And it makes me happy that he is getting something more on the healthy side.

But I'm thinking that some Beano might be on my next grocery list.

The blessing of...

2010-02-25T10:06:00.001-07:00

Time.

Wonderful doctors and nurses.

Lots and lots of physical therapy.

Prayer.

Priesthood.

These were Evelyn's little fingers at the 2 week mark after her accident, with most everything trimmed away and cleaned up:

And now, we have this:

This picture was taken this morning, exactly 4 weeks since the accident.

She's been our little miracle.

In more ways than one :).

**We now have permission to do her physical therapy treatments at home 3 days a week (which is really good because it was getting expensive!) It's gone surprisingly well! I've learned a lot through the process and I'm now a pro at cleaning and bandaging her wounds. When we saw the plastic surgeon last week, he was in awe of the incredible healing that has taken place. He doesn't even want to see us for two more weeks. The outcome of this accident is becoming more than we could have ever asked for. We are so grateful!

A weekend to remember

2010-02-15T17:00:00.001-07:00

Valentine's day crept up on me this year.

Yes, I saw the plethora of Valentines stuff in every store, and even had multiple people ask me what our plans were for Valentines day. But I still didn't really put two and two together.

I've been distracted....with Evelyn's injury and appointments, Bill's busy work schedule, and some nice visits from family and long lost friends. I think having the holiday on a Sunday really threw me off too.

In past years, I have always given Bill and the kids some sort of chocolaty gift/surprise. Not this year. I spaced it. Thank goodness for my parents dropping off some valentines and chocolate for us, and also an unexpected package that arrived from my cousin, that was filled to the brim with some candy and a stuffed animal for Evelyn, and chocolate and candy for the rest of us. So, even though my mind was elsewhere, we were sufficiently 'valentined'.

Our Valentines day was actually very nice. Bill started out Sunday morning with a meeting at the
Stake Center with Elder Perry, an apostle. There was only about 30 people at this meeting, so it was really special for Bill to be able to be there.

Later on, we went to church, where we listened to Porter speak in sacrament meeting. What a great kid and what a great talk!

After church, I made some enchiladas using some really tender pork from a roast I had made earlier in the week.

That night, we invited some friends over. We had a wonderful visit while eating some Valentine's cake and ice cream. (Yes, believe it or not, I did make a cake. I scrambled Saturday night to at least make a Valentine's cake to give my family).

After our company left, and the kids were in bed, Bill made the two of us some Mexican hot chocolate in the blender. It was his gift to me, and it was delicious. Darker than regular hot chocolate, with a hint of cinnamon. Mmmmm. I loved it. There's nothing like a mug of hot chocolate to end a nice, relaxing day with the one you love.

This morning, we woke up, got ready for our day, and had the elders over for a breakfast of french toast on Bill's day off.

Despite my absentmindedness, our weekend was great. It just goes to show that you don't have to buy expensive gifts or eat at restaurants or put up lots of decorations to enjoy a holiday with your family, huh?

Plus we have enough enchiladas for tonight's dinner, so I have the night off of cooking!

An update on Evelyn's hand: We had to do a home treatment on her hand yesterday because physical therapy was closed for President's day. Ron sent me home with all of the stuff that I would need to be able to do it. I was a bit nervous, but Bill and Porter helped me. We did it!.... and her fingers are looking amazing. I mean really amazing. This little girl has been so blessed. We go see Ron tomorrow and then to the plastic surgeon on Wednesday where we will learn more.

a picture...

2010-02-10T13:15:00.004-07:00

...for those who have been curious.

(**Don't scroll down if you aren't comfortable looking at hurt little fingers.)

Tomorrow will be two weeks since Evelyn's accident.

I've had a lot of people ask me about it.

How does it look?

What exactly happened?

Where on the fingers did she get the friction burns?

And the most asked question: Are her fingers deformed?

No. Her fingers are not deformed.

They're actually looking pretty amazing.

I took pictures today at hydrotherapy with Ron because I was amazed at the healing so far.

Porter hasn't even seen it yet because it always has to be bandaged.

I've had many ask what it looks like.

So

for

those

who would like to see it....

Here it is, right after her 20 minute whirlpool soak, and right before Ron worked on it:

We're getting there!

miracle

2010-02-08T13:36:00.003-07:00

Ron the PT ended up letting us have a break over the weekend from the hydotherapy treatments. But we had to be in first thing this morning to see him before we went to see Dr. Maloff the plastic surgeon at 9:15. It was a busy morning.

Let me just begin by saying that prayer and fasting and priesthood blessings really work.

Evelyn's hand looked pretty amazing today after the long weekend. There have been some big improvements made.

Dr. Maloff was so impressed with how the debridement was going (thanks Ron!). And he couldn't believe how much better it looked from one week ago. He didn't even mention the words 'skin graft' during the whole appointment today. Yay!

For the next week and a half, Dr. Maloff is having us continue to visit Ron for debridement, BUT she only needs to go in every other day. We will visit Dr. Maloff again a week from this Wednesday for further evaluation.

Until then, Evelyn is doing well. We have learned a trick. We put a peanut butter M&M in her mouth if she doesn't cry while her hand is in the whirlpool. This is helping a lot. Once the hand is out of the water, then Ron works on it with wet swabs, tweezers and scissors. This is where I have to hold her hand really, really still. She doesn't like it one bit, but she cooperates. I have been so amazed at how brave she has been and how she always says "thank you, Ron" when he is done.

We have felt of your prayers and we thank you. This act alone has strengthened us. We have also felt of our Heavenly Father's love for us. He is so mindful of each one of us. And for this I am so grateful.

Day 6 of this adventure....

2010-02-04T11:51:00.002-07:00

The whirlpool debridement treatments are becoming more difficult for Evelyn. The nerves are growing back, so there is more pain. Ron her PT is having to cut away the dead material from the wound as she cries and cries. She doesn't even like the whirlpool part anymore. I'm having to physically hold her hand down in the water. It's no longer a fun bubbly bath for her hand (Bill even uploaded the movie "UP" to his iPod so she would have a distraction today. It didn't work.)

We knew it was going to be hard this week. And it has. I was SO looking forward to tomorrow because I thought these treatments would only be through Friday, But Ron told us today that he was pretty sure we would at least have to do Saturday too. So it's going to be a long weekend before we get to go back on Monday morning to see the surgeon.

So, to get my mind off of what's to come, here are some pictures of happier moments from this past weekend. We put a big mitten over her bandaged hand, I found an oversized coat for her, and Porter took her out on the deck so she could play in the falling snow:

catchin' snowflakes on her face

wanting to explore

snowball, midflight, heading straight for Porter's face

Porter is THE BEST big brother to this little girl

manicure....?

2010-02-02T14:08:00.014-07:00

I really wish :)

The whirlpool therapy went well today. Ron, her PT was awesome. He was so impressed with how brave she was and how much she talked his ear off. He said most toddlers scream their heads off.

She didn't cry once.

Evelyn got to put her hand in a big silver tub with lots of jetted water and bubbles. She thought it was great! After that, Ron swabbed the wound to clean it out a little which she didn't like. He said that today he would only swab it because if he did any more, she would not want to come back ever again...and we have to do this all week so we're easing her into it. Baby steps.

Tomorrow he will need to use scissors.

I can look at the wound now. A little. It's looking better. Kind of. I still hide my eyes when it gets worked on and I DON'T THINK that's gonna change.

And I'm okay with that.

We're being brave around here....and I think we deserve some chocolate.

Evelyn's hand

2010-02-01T15:10:00.002-07:00

We met with the plastic surgeon today.

As of right now, she will be going to physical therapy everyday this week for 'whirlpool debridement' of the wound. This entails allowing the swirling movement of water to debride or remove the dead tissues from her fingers. There will also be some physical picking or scraping of the wound in areas that need special attention. Not fun. The good thing about this is that she will be re-bandaged everyday by someone who knows what they are doing. This will also reduce greatly the possibility of infection (which we don't want).

The whirlpool treatment will help the wound fully reveal itself. There is a possibility of needing skin grafts which is another story in and of itself. I will update on that if we have to cross that road. The wounds are in a hard place, i.e., knuckles, etc.

We meet with the doctor again, one week from today. He will further evaluate the wound then.

Evelyn did well at the doctor today. She was a little apprehensive of the doctor (she did say "cheese" when he took pictures of her hand :), but completely LOVED her nurse Rosie. Rosie was able to help Evelyn have the courage not to cry and pull back on her hand while they were working on it.

Please keep Evelyn in your prayers. It's going to be a long week.

How is she?

2010-01-31T17:17:00.004-07:00

Well, when she was able to wear great-grandma's earrings to church this morning, she was happy.

But honestly...she's been quite a bit of grump mixed in with a little bit of happy, which has been a big shift from our happy, spunky, social butterfly of a girl.

She doesn't want anyone to touch her owie. We had to put a short sleeved dress on her for church (in this snowstorm, nonetheless) so that it was easier to get her hand through a sleeve. (She's very conscientious and careful with her bandaged hand.) I debated bringing her to church at all, and ended up bringing her home right after the sacrament because of a major meltdown.

We told her she gets to meet her new doctor tomorrow (the plastic surgeon) and that he will help fix her fingers, and she says "No. No doctor." The novelty has worn off.

But at the same time, she has been an extremely brave little girl, who has respected her bandages and melted the hearts of many physicians and nurses this weekend with her wit, her conversation and big blue eyes.

I, myself have not been so brave. I'm having some issues that I need to work through. I get physically sick when I think about what happened, or think about the wound, OR see the wound. I have to put my head down and hide my eyes whenever the doctor looks at it. And I'm still not getting much sleep because it's all I think about. When are they going to scrub it? Is she going to need skin grafts? Will she have full mobility?

I need to buck-up. It's going to take some time for her hand to heal...with lots of re-dressing the wound; which I am going to need to do. I have to do this! Bill's going to give me a priesthood blessing after Porter's court of honor tonight. (He's receiving 4 merit badges!!!)

We can do this Evelyn.

You might just need to help pull mommy through.

sleepless...

2010-01-29T00:10:00.003-07:00

It's midnight.

And the only reason I am up writing is because I can't even begin to sleep.

My little one is in bed next to me. She's sleeping with me tonight.

It's been a rough night:

She caught her hand in our treadmill while it was moving. Can I say, guilt?

We ran her to the urgent care a couple blocks from our house, after having our wonderful neighbor (a nurse) look at it. The urgent care sent us to the ER.

She has deep, full-thickness friction burns on her middle and ring finger, right hand.

We go back to the hospital on Saturday morning to re-dress the wounds, and then we will be meeting with a plastic surgeon Monday to see what things need to be done.

My stomach is in knots. I feel horrible. Worse than horrible.

Sleep my little one.

A brother's influence

2010-01-22T10:12:00.002-07:00

My little brother Bracken is on a mission in Ecuador for our church right now. He's one of my heroes ... man, I love and miss that kid.

He is without a doubt one of Porter's heroes. Porter talks about him, without fail everyday. He acts like Bracken and talks like Bracken - they have the same sense of humor. They even look alike - blonde hair, great smiles, handsome.

On Porter's birthday last July, Bracken sent Porter a challenge. He wrote: "Keep reading the Book of Mormon. I bet you can't finish it before I get back."

Porter decided to stick this quote on the wall right above his light switch where he can see it everyday.

Well, my brother comes home this August.

Porter finished the Book of Mormon a few days ago.

And...

...is starting it over again. Porter told me this week, "Mom, I'm going to show Uncle Bracken. I'm going to read it twice."

After only a couple days, he's through first Nephi.

I've often wondered how much Porter is getting out of his personal scripture study, especially where he is reading through it quite quickly. Is he thinking about the things he is reading? Is he comprehending? Is he allowing the Holy Ghost to teach?

He fell asleep last night reading. His light was still on when I went back to his room to make sure he was tucked in. I found his Book of Mormon with an orange marking pencil holding his spot like a bookmark. I was curious to see where he was at, so I opened it. Page sixty- one. He was in 2 Nephi, chapter 2.

And this is what I found:

Thanks, Brack for inspiring your nephew (and sister).

This book changes lives.

It's changing the life of my son.

Lemon Bar Royalty

2010-01-20T07:45:00.003-07:00

Baking is definitely a hobby of mine. I particularly love to makes pies and pastries.

And let me tell you, this little confection deserves some recognition.

First, let me get this out of the way: I love anything that has to do with lemons. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

And I love me a good lemon bar. (My brother Darrec, however, does not :)

THIS is a good lemon bar.

One inch tall. The perfect buttery crust. Tons of lemony filling, not too tart. Not too sweet. Chewy top layer dusted with powdered sugar.

Three distinct layers. No soggy crust.

I would like to declare, without one bit of hesitation; that this is the KING of all lemon bars:

You bet, this bite went right into my mouth as soon as I snapped this shot...

Lemon Squares

from San Francisco pastry chef Emily Luchetti

for the crust:

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

12 T cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until mixed. Add butter and continue to mix until butter is the size of small peas, about 30 seconds. The mixture will be very dry. Gently press mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

for the filling:

6 large eggs

3 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 c. flour

To make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then the flour. Pour filling on top of crust.
Bake until lemon filling is set, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for 1 hour or keep at room temperature for 3 hours before cutting. Cut into squares, with a wet, sharp knife, measuring about 2 1/4 inches and dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar.

Don't eat the whole pan!!!

gone with the green.

2010-01-18T22:34:00.001-07:00

Welcome....

...to my kitchen.

It was green when we moved in 4 and a half years ago. And it's still green. I didn't hate the color badly enough to change it immediately. But I have definitely never loved it.

That's all going to change. Soon. Hopefully this spring.

My kitchen is going to get a makeover. New countertops. Cupboard overhaul. Backsplash. Paint throughout. Replacing the ceiling fan with a fun light fixture, and more. And this is going to be done all on a budget.

I'm so excited!

Remember this?...

....and how it was going to be a smaller component of a much larger project?

Well, it's going to be a part of the kitchen overhaul. We completed this particular project this weekend. And the best part about it, is we spent less than 10 bucks to do it.

Our goal was to add some interest and character to this space:

My sister-in-law Laura noticed how high that cupboard was and how much space was being wasted here.

So after a lot of thought, this is what we came up with:

We used recycled wood from our old deck and - get this - the metal hooks are from the plastic swivel top hangers that you get from department stores. Bill's epiphany. Some of our mugs had really wide handles and the cup hooks at the hardware store weren't even coming close to holding them. (Thanks for helping out with our need for more hangers, Katie!)

We have a hodgepodge of a mug collection. But that's ok, matching mugs can be boring. And our family is hodgepodge, so it's perfect. My favorite part about this though, is whenever we go down to Las Vegas to visit my husband's mother's ancestral home, the only thing they have to drink out of is mugs. Tons and tons of mugs; none of them matching. We love it!! Bill has great childhood memories of this. It's an adventure just to get a drink of water..."hmmmm, which mug am I going to choose...?"

I love, not only that this new piece is a functioning contribution to our kitchen space, but that it makes getting a drink and having meals interesting and exciting, AND that we are carrying on an old family tradition.

My favorite mug? This light brown crackly one. I'm drinking orange juice on the rocks from it as I type this. I love that it feels so right in my hand and the fact that the inside is so shiny that I can see my reflection when I look down in it.

I'm hoping to take pictures and document my kitchen transformation on this blog.

But until then, come enjoy some ice cold orange juice out of a mug, in the green kitchen!

Debt...

2010-01-16T13:01:00.003-07:00

It's a vicious, cyclical beast.

A beast, that in our household, has finally been tamed.

And taken to the doghouse.

Take that! You beast!

We've never had a huge amount of consumer debt. We've owned one credit card through our local credit union that we put a $1000 max limit on.

It's what we would use in emergencies, or for an occasional purchase when our normal paycheck just didn't stretch far enough.

But it was debt. And it was annoying. And burdensome. It was a cyclical dirty, rotten beast. Cyclical, because it would always get paid off (usually with part of the tax return), but then it would start all over again. There was almost always an amount on that card, whether it be: doctor or dentist bills, tires or repairs on the car, clothes or shoes for a new school year, etc.

Well, since I have been taking the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course, our financial outlook has been a lot brighter. (I only have about a month left in the class - I don't want it to end!) I've had quite a few people ask me about Dave Ramsey and his class, so I thought I would share some of the things that have made me a FIRM believer in his system:

-We finally have a budget that actually works, using the zero-based budget plan. Now the 'ants' don't carry away that last little bit of money that is left over when we do our budget every two weeks.

-Using the cash envelope system has made a HUGE difference in how we spend our money. It is so much harder to spend cash! And now we use cash envelopes to pay for all groceries, gas, doctors visits, misc items, etc. When the cash is gone, it's gone.

-Having a $1000 emergency fund (Baby Step #1) has saved our hides this past month or so. With the miscarriage, and broken washing machine, we were able to pay for both of these unexpected events without touching a credit card. I must say though, it was really hard to dip into that fund to pay for these things. We didn't want to touch it because we worked so hard to get it. But, of course we did, and now we are actively building that fund back up to $1000.

-We no longer have debt except for our mortgage! (Baby Step #2). And we look forward to working on paying the mortgage down quicker after we finish a few more baby steps. The goal is to never have a 30 year mortgage again. Ever.

-We hope to have our 6 month expenses Emergency Fund by summer. This will be in case Bill were to lose his job or other BIG things like serious illness, natural disaster, etc. We would be able to live for 6 months (or more, if we stretched it) on this emergency money supply. This will feel really, really good to have done.

I think overall, we have just been able to play offense with our money rather than being on the defensive when 'stuff' happens. Money has not looked the same since taking this course. We treat and handle it differently.

And it is reciprocating.

Here's to Dave Ramsey and keeping the beast in the doghouse for life!

**My only complaint is that I wish I would have known about it sooner. I shudder to think how much further along we would be if we had known about this going into college.

tools and me

2010-01-14T15:28:00.008-07:00

Another goal for the new year is to become more of a handyman. Like Bob Vila, minus the facial hair.

My sister-in-law Cathy even gave me some tools recently because she knew I wanted some. (She's like my mother-in-law in that way...she quietly listens and takes notes in that brain of hers, and then out of the blue, BAM!! She surprises you with something that you have wanted. Cathy once secretly reupholstered my cedar chest bench while I was downstairs watching a movie with Porter because she had heard me say that I wanted it done. She's tricky that way.)

Anyway, back to the tools. They're PINK!!! And come organized in their own nice canvas tool bag. I love them. I've been using my pink measuring tape to measure everything in the house because it makes me feel happy and important and handymanlike.

Since acquiring the tool set though, I've been itching to really build something.

Anything.

And so I did.

I dreamed the project up in my head, and Bill hammered out the logistics and helped me get the design just right.

Then we paid a visit to my dad - because he is just as talented as Bob Vila, minus the facial hair....and has a wood shop that would probably make Bob Vila drool. My dad's got skills.

I can't say I completely cut and built it. I didn't. My dad and Bill helped. But it was so much fun hanging out in my dad's wood shop with the two men in my life I love most of all, building something I dreamed up. Plus, we even recycled some lumber from our old deck to make it. I'm excited to see the finished product. It needs some paint and some hardware, but here it is; raw, unadorned, beautiful:

What is it? Well that's another blog post for another time.

I will give a hint though. It's a small component of a much larger project that we will most likely start when it warms a little. Stay tuned.

Until then, I will continue enjoying my pink tools and experimenting with this ambition for 2010!

(** By the way, are we supposed to say twenty-ten OR two thousand ten??)

I've been waffling for a while now...

2010-01-06T09:08:00.004-07:00

I've kinda been in a bloggin' rut lately. But Ms Fish has inspired me once again. She does that sort of thing.

While reading her blog last night, she mentioned a goal that she had for the new year. It's been a goal of mine for a while now mainly because it has been the source of a HUGE amount of guilt in my life. (Mom's and guilt....naaaaahhhh)

But Ms Fish's blog post gave me just the nudge I needed to be able to say 'I can do this too.'

I mean, it can't be that hard, right? It's just...

Breakfast.

Yep. You heard me right. Breakfast.

I don't eat breakfast. Well, let me correct that. We eat a lot of breakfast ..... for dinner.

I can't stomach breakfast. I don't want to eat when I wake up in the morning. And because of this, my family suffers. They eat a lot of cold cereal around here. Toast and juice if they are lucky. My husband's lunch box is often adorned on top with a granola bar and piece of fruit as he grabs it and runs out the door.

I know. It's ridiculous.

But just so you believe that miracles have not ceased, please witness this:

Meet ... my waffle iron.

She comes out onto my counter about once a year. So far, for 2010, she's made an appearance twice. TWICE!!!

This is her, in all her filthy, dust-caked glory at precisely 7:20 this morning. She's hot and ready to go.

And this is the fruit of her my labor.

My husband ate these very waffles this morning.

He also sat at the table glassy-eyed and in shock at what he was witnessing his wife doing in the kitchen.

The same table he usually sits down at to eat a bowl of cold cereal, or toast if he's lucky.

I may have heard him quietly mumble, '...you really, really LOVE me' :)

It was a good morning.

Yes, miracles do happen.

Oh, and more goals to come. Stay tuned for "Bob Vila runs a 5k".

Or something of that nature.

And for your 2010 blog viewing pleasure, please let me introduce you to Ms Fish's mother, LGH.

Oh, and MY WASHING MACHINE GETS FIXED THIS AFTERNOON!!!!!! Finally.

It wasn't quite what we expected,

2009-12-26T13:07:00.004-07:00

but nonetheless, Christmas was good.

My maternal grandmother passed away in the middle of the night a couple of days before Christmas. But it was a blessing because she was able to leave behind an extremely frail, decrepit body and mind and have a joyous, sweet reunion with my grandpa.

On the 23rd, my washing machine died the great death, and because of the holiday, a repair man won't be able to fix it until Monday. Thank the good heavens above for Bill being able to get all of the laundry done except for one load and for Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and having $1000 emergency fund.

We woke Christmas morning to a vomiting two year old. Throw-up all over the place ... and a broken washing machine. Nice. Thank the good heavens above for a very loving and understanding mother who came by on Christmas to collect the soiled sheets, blankets, pajamas, pillow cases and stuffed animals to take to her home and be washed and folded and returned by her and my dad the next morning. Mothers are a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Later, on Christmas night I suffered a miscarriage. It was something I had a hunch might happen - my doctor said it might. And it did. Thank the good heavens above for a loving husband who fought it out with me, and for his big hand to squeeze tight, and ibuprofen, and a hot, hot bath, and a hot rice heating bag, and cold ginger ale. We did it together. And I'm okay. I was blessed with strength and perspective and a family and parents who have taken care of me. It was a miracle that I was even pregnant. And that, in and of itself, brings us hope.

Even through all of this, Christmas was good. We were surrounded by family and friends through much of it. We ate lots of good food. We had a family Christmas party at my brothers new house. I turned a year older on Christmas Eve. We fed two friends on Christmas who didn't have family to be with. And my husband turned a year older today.

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas:

Eli and Evelyn. Cousins. Best buds. Miracle babies.

Family nativity. Does your family nativity have a Christmas elf? Ours does.

Porter and Kennedy playing Mary and Joseph in our church's primary nativity story.

Awesome, face-pullin' sis...

... and her adorable daughter.

My dad. I love him. Bill pushed the button on the camera just as my dad's mouth was coming out of his 'fish lips' pose.

My joys. Porter and Evelyn. Santa brought Porter some tools and Super Mario Bros Wii. Santa brought Evelyn a baby doll that she named 'Pancake'.

Christmas is always good.

She's been waiting for well over a month now...

2009-12-15T16:15:00.006-07:00

...patiently? I wouldn't go that far.

It all started when she watched her Grandpa blow out his birthday candles the first part of November.

And it's been escalating ever since.

"Mommy? Mommy can I have birthday cake?"

"Mommy, I blow out candles on birthday cake?"

This happens multiple times in my day. When she talks to people on the phone, she wants to talk to them about birthday cake. (Uncle Andy even went so far as to make a pit stop to drop off some chocolate cake for her on his way from Provo to Rexburg).

Well, last night after a nice dinner with my parents, Evelyn reached an exciting climax of her short 2 year life. And, oh how exciting it was!

It had been 9 and a half years since I had celebrated the two-year birthday of a child.

I'd forgotten just what a riot it is.

Happy birthday my little one. Thanks for reminding me how exciting life can be.

She opens doors...

2009-12-10T13:57:00.002-07:00

...my life just got a little bit more complicated.

He is

2009-12-03T13:27:00.003-07:00

-An engineer. He builds amazing contraptions with his hands.

-Interested in girls

-Wanting a little more freedom with his bed time

-Building a Go-Cart with his dad down in the garage in his spare time

-Drinking milk like no one's business

-Opening the car door for his mother

-Disliking homework

-Helping us solve problems and adds valuable insight at our Sunday morning Family Councils

-Taking the garbage and recycling down so I don't have to

-Becoming extremely proficient at the ukulele

-Getting embarrassed by his parents ("Dad stop singing!! We're in Walmart!")

-Quite the comedian, always has been. But right now, learning from the best; Calvin and Hobbes

-Experiencing growing pains (times 100) right now in his ankles, knees and hips (we took him in to the doctor where they did X-rays and told us his growth plates are inflamed. I swear every morning when he wakes up, he looks taller)

-Really good at making his sister laugh

-Still holding my hand and giving hugs and occasional kisses :)

-He is ...

becoming a young man.

(sigh)

the ceiling

2009-11-30T10:33:00.003-07:00

For the last 6 months I've been waking up in the very early morning hours with my back hurting - aching.

"I'm only 33," I tell myself. This stuff happens to old people.

And so, taking it into my own hands, I've been researching the benefits of healthy sleep positions (since I am one to toss and turn for at least a half an hour before the waves of blissful sleep begin to come over me). And in my research, I've found that you can train your body- with a lot of self control- to sleep in a position that you want.

Two nights ago, I decided to sleep on my side (which is my favorite) with a comfortable pillow between my knees to help support my spine.

In the morning, my back didn't ache. As much.

Last night, Bill, being the supportive husband that he is, decided that we would both try sleeping on our backs with support pillows under our knees. (which supposedly is the best position for a healthy back).

He ran downstairs and gathered all the extra pillows we have. He was anxious for my scripture reading and internet perusing to be done so he could help me get my pillows situated 'just so'.

After getting me situated, he then worked on getting himself comfortable.

While staring at the ceiling, I asked, "um, sweetie, who's gonna get the light?"

(He did)

And this was the conversation that followed, after laying in the dark, staring at the ceiling, for a few minutes:

Natalie: So, how are you?

Bill: How are you?

Natalie: I'm actually really comfortable in an odd sort of way, but at the same time I'm having an inner battle trying to resist the overwhelming urge to flip onto my side.

Bill: Yeah, me too.

**LONG PAUSE IN CONVERSATION**

Bill: So, what does the person win who sleeps an entire night in this position?

(Laughing)

Natalie: Hmmmmm. I don't know. What do you think?

Bill: How about the winner gets to choose the movie and we have a movie/date night after the kids are asleep.

Natalie: Sounds good. If I win, will you play with my hair while we watch the movie?

Bill: Yep.

A few minutes later, I can tell by Bill's breathing that he is asleep. (The guy can fall asleep the moment his head hits the pillow....I on the other hand cannot).

I'm still awake at midnight; comfortable, but wanting to turn to my side. I'm 'willing' myself not to. "I can do this," I think to myself. "If I can just fall asleep, I've got it made."

At 12:30 Bill rolls to his side in his sleep.

"If he's sleeping on his side, than so am I!"

I roll to my side.

I fall asleep.

I wake up at 5 a.m. and see that Bill is on his back again. Drat! I know the alarm is going to go off soon, so I hurry and position myself on my back again before Bill notices. :)

The alarm rings. I hurry and get up, get dressed and go grocery shopping while everyone is still asleep.

As Bill is helping me bring groceries in he asks, "So, how did you sleep?"

"Alright. How 'bout you?"

"Pretty good. I don't think I turned to my side."

"Yes you did. In your sleep. About 12:30. I know, because I was still awake staring at the ceiling and as soon as you turned, so did I!"

Bed time at our house has turned into quite the fun adventure ... and into quite the competition.

I think overall though, both nights that I have gone to sleep, determined to sleep in a good position, with support pillows, I have waken up with far less back pain. Which is a good thing.

I'm just thinking that we might need a security camera installed in our room to be able to declare the official "Slept On Back the Whole Entire Night" winner. We might just have a couple cheaters on our hands.

To love and lift another -

2009-11-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

This is what we are called to do.

Our family was blessed today by someone we care about a lot.

It meant the world to me. Lifted me when I needed lifted.

Humbled me.

Especially when I found out this person had a heavy, sad heart. Had experienced a loss during a time when we are supposed to be the most happy and thankful.

This person was in pain,

and this person sought to lift and serve me and my family.

This person was our angel today,

reminding me of perfect, Christ like love.

good ol' Dave

2009-11-11T11:25:00.004-07:00

I've enrolled in a 13 week class on Wednesday nights from 8-10 p.m. (I tuck Evelyn in bed, say good bye to Porter and Bill and head out the door).

I'm attending the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University.

I've gone twice so far.

LOVE. IT.

Since I have started going, I feel empowered. Hopeful. I think about money in a completely different light.

The people that I am taking the class with are awesome. I love our discussions. I learn so much from them and walk away each class so renewed and ready to face our family's finances. We all come from different backgrounds. But the theme is resounding with each of us - and that is, no matter how much money one makes, we are all looking for ways to become at peace with our finances, using a budget, reducing our debts, being generous with our money, and building wealth.

Dave Ramsey's motto is "If you will live like no one else, Later you can live like no one else.

I love that tithing to one's church is a huge part of Dave's philosophy and one of his steps. I also love how important it is to him that we teach our children these concepts and that we make the words "debt, 401K, mutual funds, savings, compound interest, etc.," a part of our family's daily vocabulary and conversation.

We've made some really good strides. But because we are on such a tight budget to begin with, we've had to make some cut backs in other areas of our life in order to be able to follow the steps in Dave's Financial Peace course. Here are some that we have been doing:

-Our family has only eaten out once in the last couple of months (We have usually eaten out about once a paycheck). We havn't missed it.

-I am making larger portions of the foods my family likes so that we can try and eat these meals a couple of times during the week. Plus, I'm still making my own bread.

-I've seriously cut back on buying fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers and other expensive snacks. (I've always had a love/hate relationship with them anyway - loved that they were convenient, but hated how unhealthy they are) My kids are, well.....coping. In our Sunday morning family council where we discuss family matters, Porter has helped us come up with some healthier, more economical snacking ideas which has helped.

-I've set my washing machine to cold and I'm using homemade powdered laundry soap and having great results!

-And yes. I've done the unfathomable. I have seriously cut down my trips to Costco. (Since it has come to town, my grocery budget has really gone up and I havn't necessarily seen HUGE savings) I am very loyal to WinCo (a large discount grocery chain in my area) and I know their prices by heart, so I feel, at least for the time, that I will be saving money by loading up at Winco and having an occasional trip to Walmart or Costco.

-Nothing is going on the credit card. Nothing. It's not an option.

-We have down-scaled Christmas. A lot. But we look forward to being together and sharing in our many wonderful traditions. Plus, we can't wait to give away the homemade gifts that we have made together this year. They rock.

We are working hard at heading towards financial peace as a family. It feels really good. And I have Dave Ramsey to thank for reminding me of the things I already know, but he puts them into such a fun and innovative light, that it seriously has given me a completely new perspective on handling each and every dollar that comes in.

A How to

2009-11-10T15:20:00.002-07:00

Many have requested a pattern for the naughty little sock monsters.

I didn't really use one but I used this as a general guideline.

I however, did not use the heel of the sock to make the monster be able to sit. I used the heel of the sock to make the fun mouth on mine. I found my crazy socks at Freddys on clearance for about 2 bucks a piece. If they are socks that go to the knee, I was able to get 1 monster per sock. If they were just above the ankle socks, I had to use the other sock for the arms.

To start, turn them inside out, flatten them with the heel up. Draw a general body pattern on the sock, using the link above for guidance (I used a sharpie marker for light colored socks and a white makeup pencil for black or dark socks). I used a sewing machine on low tension to sew the body and the arms. Be sure to leave a hole in the crotch so you can stuff him with fluff. Turn it right side out. Stuff him. Sew up the crotch and sew on the stuffed arms using a needle and thread. Also, tuck the heel in and sew it in place to create the monster mouth. Buttons and felt for the face and details. And walaaaaaaaah! You have a naughty little sock monster.

Oh yeah, don't forget to include a cute tag that says: This sock monster was made for you with love, by Natalie....and then give each of them a name (this was the fun part, we went with nursing home names) and some hilariously quirky characteristics and you are good to go!

Super duper economical gift. I was also able to find some fun socks at the Dollar stores in town. When I first started sewing, it was just kind of a trial and error experiment. I even used a couple for experimenting. But it got easier after a time. They do take over 2 hours to do one. So it is going to take some time if you do more than one. So plan ahead.

But do be careful, it doesn't take long once they are complete for their naughtiness to erupt.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

The Monsters Have Arrived...

2009-11-08T12:59:00.042-07:00

They have been relentless and have shown no mercy - it's been nothing but chaos.

They have taken control over my life for the last 2 weeks.

All 26 of them.

Bruce has been the ring leader. He is quite the character ... he enjoys juggling chainsaws and making artisan cheeses. Oh, and running over orange construction barrels.

Ida has taken over my television, watching roller derby until all hours of the night and is constantly listening to Barry Manilow.

And Beatrice. Oh Beatrice! She's busy marking up my new hardwood floors ... you see, she is obsessed with red stiletto heels.

But I guess I cannot completely blame them.

For I have created them.

Each and every one.

With some crazy socks, some stuffing, and a few odd buttons.

10 of them found new homes yesterday at a benefit craft fair for little Tegan who has cancer.

A few more will be given as Christmas gifts.

And the rest will be shipped off this week to my brother in Ecuador so he can give them to the little kids there. He is serving a mission for our church.

All I can say is, I'm so glad to be finally getting these guys out of my house. They've created havoc. And they had better behave in their new homes ...

Or else. :)

A full heart, and thankful tonight

2009-10-21T21:52:00.007-06:00

for two vehicles that run

for a home that is my family's refuge from the world

and warm beds to crawl into at night

for legs that allow me to walk and run

for two children I wake up each day for

and a husband who kisses me and tells me I'm beautiful

for scriptures and prayer and revelation

for a living prophet on the earth

and to be a Latter-Day Saint

for hot, homemade whole wheat bread

with honey butter

for freshly-powdered toddler bottoms

for shelves full of vibrantly colored mason jars holding the seasons harvest

and a mother who patiently teaches me these things

for a neighbor who rolls my garbage cart back to my house

when I havn't quite gotten to it yet

for my ancestors who have gone before me, who I feel

strengthening me and pushing me forward, cheering me on

for a trial that has humbled me

to my knees

and for my Savior, who knows me, my heartache, my shortcomings, my strengths

and who gently lets me know

of His love

and for a knowledge that HE will come again - I know this

these are the things I am thankful for

tonight.

An outing

2009-10-14T20:29:00.001-06:00

A 4 day weekend...

2009-10-14T09:30:00.002-06:00

...makes for a couple fun projects with Porter and Mom:

A cake that was out of this world!

Porter mixed, poured, baked and frosted. (He requested that I help him smooth the frosting at the end.) He spent several minutes throwing the mini chocolate chips on the sides so that they would stick - plus a big 'ol chocolate chip smiley face. Porter was pretty proud of his creation so he ran a piece across the street to Uncle Ed who appreciated Porter's efforts. (The next day, I ran a huge piece to my nephew Wyatt for his birthday so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat anymore. It was really, really, really good.)

And then,

Porter and I worked hard at coming up with a slogan for his upcoming student council campaign. Each candidate can put up one poster in the gym. This is what we came up with:

Porter enjoyed being on the student council in the fourth grade. He didn't run in the 5th. And this year he has decided to run for VEEP against 5 others. He gives his speech over the intercom on Friday morning. He's had a fun week so far and is enjoying himself - and that's all that I ask. He knows to be a good sport whatever the outcome. (I can't help that he got the student government bug from his mother.)

Yeah. The poster makes me crack a smile every time I look at it.

It's so.....Porter.

Missing Her Tonight

2009-10-11T21:03:00.005-06:00

On the one year anniversary of my mother-in-law's sudden passing.

This is the last known photo of my mother-in-law. It just happens to be with Porter right before they headed off together for a concert. Two weekends later she was taken from us in an instant.

We miss and love her and cherish our memories of her. And tonight Porter read the words of the hymn 'In Our Lovely Deseret' for us right before family prayer. She whistled it nearly every minute of her day.

We can still hear her whistle.

hats

2009-10-02T19:25:00.009-06:00

Bill came home from work last night just in time to eat dinner. He had had a bad day.

After dinner, as he sat on the couch, his little Evelyn came up to him and said, "Daddy wear hat."

Bill said, "You want dad to wear a hat?"

"Yes," she said. "I wear hat."

And so he grabbed her hand and they walked down the hall together as Bill said, "What hats should we wear?"

Well a moment later they emerged wearing hats. And Evelyn said, "Bye, bye Mommy!"

Bill looked at me with the 'what should I do?' expression.

And I told him that he had better at least take her for a walk.

And so, they left.

And I wasn't far behind, running out the front door to see if I could get some shots of them in their hats, on their walk:

Stopping for some conversation.

(*Notice my HOT honey who has been working hard at eating right and exercising so he can be fit and trim.)

"Can daddy have some kisses?"

"Schmooooooooch."

"Oh, I love your hugs. Dad neeeeeeeds your hugs."

(What is it about little children and their ability to sense when you are having a bad day?)

"Hey dad, look at mom over there taking pictures of us from the front porch with her telefoto lens."

She found herself a treasure...

2009-09-27T19:14:00.010-06:00

...in the box that is ready to go to the D.I.

She was entertaining herself while I was getting ready for church - and Bill called, "Grab the camera!"

She knew just what to do.

Oh, why do they grow up so fast?!

mi familia

2009-09-14T10:10:00.001-06:00

Bill and I have two awesome kids.

One of which got all of my genes, and the other got Bill's.

Through and through.

I've often been told that my kindergarten picture looks like Porter. With pigtails:

And just recently, we have been amazed at the uncanny resemblance that Evelyn has with her pa:

And it wasn't until yesterday, when I was getting ready for church and printing off a copy of this picture for my lesson, that it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is our most recent family picture taken a couple of weeks ago by my sister in my parents backyard. Bill and I are each holding the offspring that looks like us. And for some reason, to me, in this picture, the similarities are striking:

Hey Porter, you may have inherited your mother's genes, but at least my pigtails didn't come along with the package :).

Mr. S

2009-08-31T16:03:00.010-06:00

I love my husband for a multitude of reasons.

One of those reasons is his deep love and admiration for the inspired men who helped (through a loving God) to shape and found our country in an incredibly miraculous way; a manner in which the world had never before seen.

He reads, in his spare time, about these men; their sacrifices, their disappointments, their loyalty, their faith. And in today's political world, where our constitution is literally hanging by a thread, where moral standards are swept to the wayside, and where political platforms change as the shifting sand, Bill becomes more in awe of our Founding Fathers inspired vision of government 'for the people'; a vision that many of our representatives serving today seem to have forgotten.

Another one of the reasons I love Bill, is he is one of the most honest men I know. And being so, whenever he votes, he votes his conscience, always looking for a person of character, honest, virtuous; whether he/she be democrat, republican or independent.

Bill loves his country and his God and has recently began writing about these things in a blog.

If you'd like, visit it at: ifanyonewaswondering.blogspot.com

(one of my favorite posts is entitled Socialism and Religion)

A few favorite moments

2009-08-23T12:22:00.019-06:00

From our family's last hurrah this summer to Island Park and Yellowstone National Park:

The 30+ year old tent trailer of Bill's childhood that he inherited this year. Many hours of elbow grease have been put into restoring it in time for our many camping adventures this summer. And I must say, well worth it...already countless memories made.

Pool at Biscuit Basin.

(Bill and Porter watched a young man jump the fence, walk out onto the fragile crust and stick his finger in the water to see just how hot it was.)

Yeah.

Makeshift sulfur mask.

GREAT socks.

Very,

very,

relaxed and contemplative.

5 bear sightings on one of the days we were there....this is one of 3 that we were able to see.

Going for a canoe ride ... in the back of the pickup.

Mud bath.

This masculine beast was the perfect photo-op.

Got to spend one of our days in Yellowstone with my parents. Here we are visiting the fantastic visitor's center/museum at Canyon Village that we love to go to - highly recommended.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

My mom and dad.

The best parents (and chauffeurs) one could ever ask for.

Watching his dad take a picture of the grizzly bear. (I'm thinking he looks rather mysterious and handsome in this picture :) --notice the many survival bracelets he's sportin'...he learned to make them at Scout camp and has made a bajillion of them. Grandma is even wearing hers, but I didn't get a picture.

BUT, there was one little critter out and about that the tourists photographed as much as

the bison,

the geysers,

the bears,

the elk,

and the waterfalls:

She even grabbed the attention of some black-leather clad, weather worn bikers and managed to melt them into a puddle of mush.

7474 Charmant Drive

2009-08-20T11:00:00.006-06:00

I went out to the mail box a few minutes ago. Inside was a letter addressed to "The familia de Stanton" with a return address of 7474 Charmant Drive, San Diego. Inside was three free bowling tickets. We don't know anyone from San Diego... so I 'googled' the address. It's the address of the San Diego temple. Porter's response: "I guess God really wanted us to go bowling."

hmmmmmmmmmm.

Someone's being sneaky.

(floor remodel pictures below)

They're in!

2009-08-20T09:00:00.001-06:00

And I love 'em!

We were able to (with the help of a good friend) finish putting in the wood floors this past weekend. They're acacia. Giraffes eat the leaves of acacia trees. Giraffes have good taste.

My favorite part of the flooring is the color and variance in the wood grain. Plus, they are distressed, so when we accidentally distress them, it won't stick out like a sore thumb.

It really was an exciting project and gave our home a beautiful facelift. And now the grungy carpet in our high-traffic areas is GONE!

Bill updated the baseboard moulding as well (although we have not caulked or painted yet):

Hopefully, we will soon be able to build the arch in the dining room entry and then we can choose paint colors...and once we choose paint colors then we will find a couple area rugs.

But while the rugs are not there, you can bet I've been trying to see just how far I can slide down the hall in my socks.

Ed

2009-08-12T15:55:00.001-06:00

Everyone needs a neighbor like Uncle Ed.

Why?

Because they just do.

Ed, with his small frame, sweet smile, and big bushy beard, has been a source of joy to our family:

~He's lended many a tool and encouraging word.

~We love to see him driving his small gray truck (which proudly displays our country's flag). We can always count on a friendly wave.

~Ed makes me feel like a world-class chef.

~He is a kind, wise man with a mountain of knowledge and experience.

~He can easily put a smile on Porter's face and is helping Porter's coin collection to grow.

~Ed has introduced me to the world of pregnant onions -- although, because of a number of circumstances, I have yet to keep one alive. :)

~Ed is not a Mormon, but shows a great amount of admiration and interest in our family's religion. He knows more about our church's history than many members do and he even collects books and other artifacts from our church history.

~Plus, I'll never forget the day he came over, soon after we had moved in, and showed us one of his prized possessions; the world's tackiest souvenir:

An old rhinestone encrusted "church key" (a.k.a. beer bottle opener) with a picture of the Salt Lake temple on it.

Ed, you rock.

In a world where so many of us drive our cars into our garages (which automatically open and close), forever to be shut in by our televisions, computers, phone calls and air conditioning, Ed helps our neighborhood feel like the good ol' days where everyone had a front porch and took a genuine interest in their neighbors.

Ed, you are truly the gem in our neighborhood.

P.S. I didn't initially have a photo of Uncle Ed, so I told Porter I would give him 4 pieces of licorice if he would run across the street and snap a photo. I wasn't sure how Ed would respond because I know many people who are extremely camera shy. But Ed was a willing participant. (Thanks Ed.) And I must say, I think it is a rather flattering picture. (Good job Porter!) Plus, now I have a picture of Ed in my photo archives. And that makes me very happy.

nice socks

2009-08-11T16:05:00.008-06:00

We're still in demolition mode at the house, but we made it home from our family vacation and just finished unpacking and putting the trailer away this afternoon. The wood floors should begin to be put in tomorrow afternoon. ( I can't wait to get out of this mess so that life can return to normal and I can fix my family a nice, healthy meal!)

We visited Yellowstone National Park twice last week in our travels. Our family LOVES to explore Yellowstone- - but we like to avoid the tourist traps (like Old Faithful) and take the road less traveled. There is SO much to see, it is incredible. I think Yellowstone is one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring places on the earth, and I can't wait to post pictures in a few days when my life settles just a little bit. We had a fantastic time. It was much needed.

When visiting Yellowstone though, I've got one thing to say:

Always keep your camera handy.

You never know what kind of socks you're gonna run into on the boardwalks.

sayonara...

2009-08-03T15:15:00.004-06:00

...at least for now, anyway.

We are in a serious demolition-mess at the house right now.... moving furniture, ripping up carpet, laminate flooring, carpet pad, pulling out staples, nailing, and most importantly, making sure our toddler doesn't step on any rusty nails or tack-strips.

And first thing Wednesday morning, we are going on a family vacation. ((can't wait))

Acacia wood floors are being installed sometime next week in our high traffic areas and the kitchen, plus a dining room entry arch to be built once the floors are in....then hopefully paint on the walls, crown moulding, and refinishing the kitchen cupboards...we'll see-- taking it one project at a time.

Be back soon.

Yet, another obsession

2009-07-28T21:09:00.012-06:00

allrecipes.com

My favorite place to hang out on their website is the "Top 20" Recipe page. (click on recipes, then Top 20)

And their #1 recipe, a 5 star recipe, with over 4,000 reviews is the

Banana Crumb Muffin

Eating one of these hot, out of the oven, slathered in butter is an 'out of body' experience. And it's not just my opinion. Over 4,000 people agree with me. I buy over-ripe bananas at the store just so I can make these babies. (I even substitute fresh ground whole wheat flour with great results!)

I recently tried the Big Soft Ginger Cookies, also to rave reviews: (These are also on the top 20 page)

Allrecipes; you're making my husband's life just a little bit sweeter.

An obsession

2009-07-28T13:54:00.012-06:00

The latest BBC miniseries.

Once a week, I put my kids to bed, grab my man and head downstairs to be transported to rural Victorian England, for 1 hour of cinematic bliss.

Lark Rise to Candleford encompasses all that I love about the BBC...the ability to portray a story with realism and yet still remain magical. And they do it while using "normal" looking people-not your stereotypical Hollywood type.

Where I live, it is on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. But, on Thursdays at 10 p.m. they broadcast it in High-Def.

So why am I letting you know when this week will already be the 13th episode? Because they are wonderful, that's why! Yes, there has already been a lot of character development, but they are very episodial, meaning that each one has it's own story line.

PLUS

It will be released onto DVD in October- can't wait!

photo credit: www.bbcshop.com

They woke up this morning

2009-07-20T07:10:00.013-06:00

At the crack of dawn.

And left me.

To go to Scout Camp at Treasure Mountain. (a.k.a. boy-heaven)

And because they share DNA...

They were BOTH,

5:45 a.m.

just a little excited.

We're A Little Bit In Love

2009-07-17T20:19:00.010-06:00

With our new MacBook Pro.

My son and his Alexander Hamilton

2009-07-16T08:47:00.002-06:00

We ordered Dominoes pizza the other night while my sister-in-law Cathy was visiting. After I placed the order, Bill and I realized the only change we had to tip the pizza guy was 24 cents from my change purse. (I had paid for the pizzas online with my debit card).

Panic.

Thankfully, Cathy came to the rescue with some dollar bills from her purse.

But, as Cathy was handing over the money to Bill, Porter chimed in and said, "Don't worry about it dad. I've got it."

Bill said, "OK" and handed Cathy's money back to her.

When the pizza guy arrived, he gave us our pizzas, and Porter handed him a 10 dollar tip. (Our pizza order was only $15) :)

The nice young man asked if he could give Porter back some change and Porter told him, "No thanks," with a huge smile on his face.

The pizza delivery guy had a huge smile on his face too. I think our 11 year old son might have just made his day.

mischief

2009-07-12T19:49:00.011-06:00

On a recent trip to my parents house, I had left Evelyn outside in the back yard for literally one minute, only to come back out and find that she had disappeared.

Following the sounds of little voices and squeals of delight, I went behind my dad's wood shop and found this:

I quickly found out what all the squealing was about. Every time the horse would go to take Evelyn's grass with his big ol' wet lips, she would squeal, and laugh and let go of the grass before those lips could get her fingers.

I think I need to show Evelyn a re-run of Mr. Ed. She would appreciate his lips.

Homemade....

2009-07-12T18:55:00.006-06:00

Chocolate drizzled, vanilla cream stuffed, cream puffs, instead of birthday cake?

I think so!

Way to go Porter- - I'm all about going the unconventional route when it comes to choosing one's birthday dessert.

Happy 11th.

(Mom)

Broken bust...

2009-06-30T10:19:00.007-06:00

Head wound.

Related incidents?

Yeah.

pandemonium, tumult, and ...holy mess!!!

2009-06-24T12:57:00.013-06:00

-Bees gone. Check. (They found a new home with a local bee keeper making honey to their hearts content)

-Old deck demolished and taken down. Check.

-Three big trees taken down in our side yard. Check. (still have 2 or 3 more loads to take to the landfill)

-Tent trailer cleaned, caulked and readied for a week of hard core camping. Check.

-New disposal in kitchen sink installed. Check.

-Phase one of new deck built. Check. (In the rain, nonetheless)

-Husband and son with SERIOUS power-tool skills. Check.

-Back safely from a very wet and muddy week of camping. Check.

-Piles and piles of muddy laundry done from said camping trip. Almost check.

-New deck with first coat of stain. Check.

-Natalie's arms, legs and hair with a fresh coat of stain. Check.-- Porter says I would be better off just going with a spray-tan.

-House cleaned and ready for a big shin-dig at our house this Saturday. Nope. Not even close.

-Porter packed for his first overnight camp-out with the scouts this weekend. Nada.

-Garage an utter disaster. Check.

-New hardwood floor installed. Maybe when I am 50.

-Headache the size of Toledo. Yep--for 3 days now.

My life has been nothing but project after project lately, and I feel like I am spiraling out of control. My house has gone down the drain, the blog has gone down the drain, my washer and dryer have been running non stop and I JUST CAN'T KEEP UP!!!!!!!

Plus, to top everything off, our computer/internet has been screwy. I think we will be converting from a PC to a MacBook Pro in the next little while (if finances allow).

On a side note, it looks like we will be released from our church callings in the singles ward up at the University Stake this coming Sunday after 3 and a half years...(tears). At least that's what the rumors are. So, back to the home ward for new adventures. (I just hope the ladies in the home ward don't get too upset when our little baby girl tries to snag a cell phone or lip gloss from their purse like she does from all the college girls).

**Oh yeah. I forgot one for my check list:

-Hands as moisturized and soft as a baby's bottom. Check! (Thanks to a friend's recommendation over at Jen's fish bowl). I LOVE this stuff!!! And Jen. And her brilliant blog.

the queen has landed

2009-05-29T20:48:00.007-06:00

This may look like just a picture of a tree right outside my kitchen window, but at closer glance...

Yep. Bees.

Lots of them.

This afternoon, I was in my kitchen, doing dishes, when I noticed lots of bees flying in front of me, right outside the window.

I went over to the glass sliding doors to get a better look, and when I looked out, I gasped outloud, and yelled, "Porter, come here! Quick!"

Bees were everywhere. Hundreds and hundreds of them - flying and swarming like they were not quite sure where to go. But the funny thing about it was, there was not one single bee in either of my neighbors back yards and the bees were not in the front yard. I have never seen anything like it in my life.

I made sure my kids were safe inside the house and that the doors and windows were secure, and then I got on the phone and made some phone calls and began googling on the internet.

I found out that this time of year is when hives have to split because there are too many bees in a hive. So, bees will fill themselves with honey, say goodbye to their old home and start looking for a new home.

It just happened, this time, to be in my backyard, where the lilacs and other varieties are in full bloom.

I was told to watch them, and see if I could tell where they were landing...because that's where the queen would be...

Well, the queen landed. In our tree. And so have all her admirers.

Tonight, they have settled and I was brave enough to actually go out on the deck, a couple feet away from them, and watch them. (Whereas, earlier, I was taking all these pictures with my telephoto lens from inside my dining room).

They are beautiful, amazing creatures.

In all of my researching today, I actually found out that to be able to witness this is quite a rare occurrence.

I think I will go fix a peanut butter and honey sandwich in honor of my bee friends.

I'm just wondering what it is I'm supposed to do if they're still there in the morning.

picnic in the park

2009-05-17T19:51:00.001-06:00

Bill has been a busy man at work lately, so since he couldn't come and see us, we packed a picnic lunch and decided to meet him on his lunch break at the park.

The menu consisted of:

-hotdog sandwiches (I didn't have any buns)
-salt and vinegar pringles
-carrot sticks
-chocolate covered strawberries
-crystal light

Porter shoveled in his food as quickly as he could because there was a large family of geese across the park that he wanted to make sure Evelyn was able to see.

We followed them for several yards before we started creeping them out:

We then proceeded on to the disc golf course, a family favorite pastime. I pushed Evelyn in the stroller and followed the disc golf professionals as I documented their skills on camera:

(Bill took over the camera for a second)

"Mom, will you take a picture of me chugging my drink like Napoleon?"

crush

2009-05-16T14:01:00.010-06:00

On the way home from school, Porter let me in on a little secret...and I must say, it made me feel really good inside because it seems the older he gets, the more private he becomes.

He told me that he had found a note in his desk. From a secret admirer. AND it had girly handwriting.

He asked why anyone would want to do a thing like that, and I told him because he just happens to be a very likeable, sweet, handsome young man...and then he smiled and blushed.

I asked him if he knew who it was from and he said, no.

I then asked him if he had brought it home with him and if I could check it out.

He replied, "Nope. I ripped it into little pieces and then put it into the recycle bin."

Yes. I laughed outloud.

Hey, at least I have a likeable, sweet, handsome, environmentally conscious son.

DON'T PICK....!!!!!!

2009-05-14T19:20:00.001-06:00

......the tulips :)

spectacle

2009-05-10T18:50:00.012-06:00

Oh boy! I LOVE glasses! I've always wanted to wear glasses!

And they are cherry red- even better. Sally Jesse Raphael, watch out!!

Give me a second...I've got to get the placement just right.

Perfect! I am such a babe.

All to myself

2009-04-25T20:14:00.006-06:00

Bill is pretty well absent from the family right now.

And he will continue to be, until all the events, conferences, concerts, etc., begin to die down after graduation at the university.

This time of year can be really tough.

That's why I am looking so forward to tomorrow night.

Tomorrow is Sunday.

And on Sunday nights, after ward prayer, we tuck the kids in bed.

And then we do something really sneaky.

We go for a walk.

In our neighborhood.

Hand in hand.

Without our offspring.

And I get to have Bill

(if just for a moment)...

...all to myself.

The chocolate is gone...

2009-04-09T19:11:00.009-06:00

...therefore, I cry.

HOLY CHEESE....

2009-04-02T11:05:00.011-06:00

Is this exciting!

I've been working really, really hard on getting my food storage...both my short term, and my year's supply. I came across this article today and about did a dance!

I've got more research to do, BUT WOW! The possibilities this opens up!

Wig Out!

2009-03-24T11:21:00.005-06:00

A new favorite family game.

I'm not much of a boardgame or deck of cards player. Never really have been.

BUT

Porter recently purchased this card game with some of his allowance money and we have been playing it several times a week since he has gotten it.

The characters in the cards are easy to fall in love with, A game only takes minutes, It is exciting and fast paced, A fantastic Sunday afternoon activity, and it gives me some one-on-one time with Porter to laugh and have a little friendly competition- we play best out of 5. (Evelyn loves it too- she is very stealthy at taking the cards that have been played...her favorite is Stevie!)

Our cards are already showing a little wear and tear- we tend to get a little feisty.

But I definitely give Wig Out! a two thumbs up!

The insight of little spirits

2009-03-19T08:40:00.001-06:00

I have been spending some of my spare time working on typing up my mother-in-law Deloris's life history from her journal. I recently came across this entry that I would like to share. It made me so very happy.

My darling little grandson Porter has been concerned about me. He is three and a half. Natalie reports that he is always asking to go to Rexburg. He needed to go see if I was alright because I was alone and didn't have a Grandpa or a Bracken with me like his other Grandma did. I assured him that Andy was with me for a time, so he helped keep me company. He seemed to feel better about the situation.

Natalie called me a few days ago saying on family night they were trying to explain about the resurrection (it was Easter). Porter asked, "When will Grandpa be resurrected? I think we are best friends." I think that is true. The insight of little spirits.

I think it will be a very sweet reunion.

virtue

2009-03-17T19:15:00.001-06:00

Have you ever been able to recognize a virtuous person just by the way they talked, dressed, carried themselves, or by that unmistakable light in their eye?

The very first Sunday of my sophomore year at ISU, I was sitting in my single's ward Sunday School class waiting for it to begin.

I distinctly remember Bill Stanton walking in. He came in through the door and walked up the center aisle, past me, and then he took his seat with a couple of his roommates about three quarters of the way back.

I can't really explain the feeling, but I have to say that it was an overwhelming feeling. He really did catch my eye unlike anyone has ever done before (and not just because of how handsome I thought he was!) I had never met Bill before up to that point in my life. BUT, I knew that I wanted to.

It was interesting, because in that moment of seeing him come into the room, I KNEW, without even ever having met him, that Bill honored the priesthood which he held, and that he had for a companion, the Holy Ghost, in his life.

*This was taken from a talk that I gave this past Sunday, to the single's ward that we are serving in right now.

I cannot even begin to explain the difference it has made in my life to be married to a virtuous man. A man who is the guardian of the virtue in our family.

Bill and his roommate Aaron. They walked into Sunday School together on that fateful day.

Happy Anniversary, Bill. You are the love of my life.

Time Travel

2009-03-15T14:16:00.005-06:00

I've had a terrible head cold all weekend. And because of that, I was really worried to speak in church today.

Yesterday afternoon, I even loaded up the kids and drove down to Fred Meyer to stock up on some cold medicine so that I could be all "drugged up" to give my talk without sniffling, coughing, wiping, etc.

As we were standing in the medicine aisle at Freddy's, I sneezed two times in a row really loudly.

Porter said, "Wow, Mom. You just went back in time 40 minutes!"

I looked at him, confused for a minute, and then started laughing when I remembered the book he was reading. In this book, there is a character that has a super power, that whenever she sneezes, she goes back in time 2o minutes.

Well, this morning, Porter woke up sick. I told him that I would hurry home as soon as Sacrament meeting was over so that I could take care of him.

Just as I was walking out of the room, he said, "Mom, I really hope you don't sneeze during your talk today. That way they will only have to listen to you give it once!"

:)

Break out the power tools

2009-02-28T21:48:00.005-07:00

Bill is a good, good man. On top of his crazy-business, he is tackling some exciting home improvement projects (with the help of my dad and some other amazing people.)

These are a few of the things on his list:

-Installing some much needed food storage shelves (he's gluing and drilling right as I type!)...as of this week we will have our year's supply. It feels soooo good.

-New wood stair banisters and hand rails in our entry way. (the man we are hiring will be able to do it in the next couple of weeks)

-New flooring in the upstairs (hopefully over spring break)

-An archway entry to our dining room (hopefully over spring break)

My dad has also built us a beautiful shelf to go beneath our t.v. and will be constructing built-in book cases for two walls downstairs. Thanks Dad for all of your help. I love you so much!

*Oh, and as a side note...Bill also pre ordered the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice on Blu-Ray (Because watching Colin Firth {in his High-Definition glory} play Mr. Darcy, comes in second only to watching my husband slather on the Liquid Nails and use his power tools!) It will ship out on April 20th. I think a 6 hour movie marathon will be in the works as soon as it arrives.

NBR

2009-02-17T09:54:00.007-07:00

For the last three weeks, at dinner time, Porter has literally been shoveling the food in his mouth as quickly as he can, taking his plate to the sink, and with a mouthful of food, saying, "Thanks for dinner mom...I've gotta go, it's ready to start!!" while running down the stairs to turn on the television.

Through most of this, I had just assumed that he didn't want to miss his favorite PBS show, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman.

Little did I know.

On one particular night last week, Porter rushed through his dinner as usual, ran downstairs, and after about 30 seconds we heard him scream:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Bill and I were very startled by this outburst and so we yelled back down asking him what was wrong.

To which he replied: "Mom! Dad! The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 300 points today! I'm LOOOOOOSING money!!"

Bill and I just looked at each other and started laughing.

Yep. He had been rushing through his dinner so that he wouldn't miss this:

What a kid!

In his weekly GATE class, Porter has been learning about investments. Each kid in the class was given $50,000 imaginary dollars and required to research the markets and choose what they wanted to invest their money in. Porter has had an absolute blast with this and has taken it very seriously. He even came home on Thursday and said he was up 17 grand.

He's home sick this morning and I can't bear to tell him what the markets have been doing today :(

I think I'll let Paul and Susie break it to him tonight on the Nightly Business Report.

Life Happens...

2009-02-14T12:01:00.006-07:00

...and the blog goes out the window.

I've been trying to allow my life to be less consumed by my computer and trying to be doing things that I need to be doing.

It's taken a lot of self control, but it's actually been really nice.

I've tried to block out the voice in the back of my head that nags at me if I havn't blogged in nearly two weeks, or commented on everyone's blogs that I follow.

And do you know what? I've survived with flying colors-- it's actually been very empowering.

It's amazing how much time I have had, to be doing the really important things, like....

emptying our kitchen garbage of car keys, pots and pans, silverware, toys, and many other hidden treasures left for us by this little member of our family:

Love Affair

2009-01-31T19:17:00.012-07:00

My husband loves cast iron.

In fact, he used quite an unusual method in college to determine how much he would spend on a date with a girl.

And it all had to do with... a dutch oven.

Bill enjoyed dating and he was a very creative dater, often coming up with very clever, fun dates on a dime.

But, Bill really had to like a girl if he was going to pull out his pocketbook for a date. He knew that a good dutch oven was about $35. And he frequently used this price to compare with the possible price of a date. If he liked a particular girl and was interested in pursuing things with her, then he wouldn't hesitate spending some money on a date. If not, well....then....let's just say, he would rather spend his money- on a dutch oven!

When we met and after getting to know each other, to my delight, I quickly passed his dutch oven test. (Thank goodness :). And after we were married, for one of our first Valentine's he bought me some cast iron cookware... because, and I quote, "Nothing spells L-O-V-E like cast iron!"

I must admit, it took me a few years to get the hang of cooking with cast iron. I really didn't enjoy it at first- - too heavy for my weak arms, drying and oiling them so they wouldn't rust, a pain in the neck to clean ("you mean I really can't use soap on these things?!?")

But as the months and years passed, and my pans became shiny, black, beautifully seasoned and nonstick - my heart softened and my admiration (for both my pans and my husband) increased.

Bill very recently showed his love for me by presenting me with his mother's cast iron skillets. And these pans are simply amazing- 30+ years of love, seasoned into each one.

I use cast iron every day. I love it. It is my pan of choice. It is a love affair.

And for this Valentines Day I am hoping to get this:

A reversible cast iron grill...

...because nothing spells L-O-V-E like cast iron!

Yep.

2009-01-29T16:04:00.007-07:00

She walks.

Could someone, please tell me...

2009-01-19T21:00:00.003-07:00

...When it was, that my 10 year old son gained the ability of devouring a foot long sub sandwich without even a blink?

Anyone?

...it seems like just yesterday he couldn't finish his chicken nugget kids meal.

Kim and Janet

2009-01-18T12:45:00.005-07:00

My parents. My heroes.

Happy 36th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

A few words that come to mind when I think of the two of you:

Happy... With each passing year you seem to grow more happy and more in love...there is not a greater gift you could give to your children.

Devotion... To your ever-growing family, your friends and neighbors, your faith in Jesus Christ.

Simple... Humble. No pomp and circumstance. No frills. Just the way I love you...just the way I want to be.

To the greatest parents one could ever ask for. Thank you for your influence, understanding, patience, and love.

All my love,

Wall of Angels

2009-01-15T14:17:00.002-07:00

It's done!!!

The Family/Ancestor wall is finally done.

It's been in the making for a few years now-- I've been collecting and saving pictures for a very long time. And with Bill bringing home many new pictures when he and his brothers and sisters went through the family home in Rexburg it really got me excited to fulfill my vision. It's just what I needed to kick me in gear.

With the help of my good husband on the ladder for a couple of hours (right over stairs I might add), and a shopping trip to acquire a few more frames, this is what we spent the evening hours of Family Home Evening doing:

I love it.

I find myself staring at it multiple times a day. There are many on the wall who have already passed on and even many whom I have never met before. But I absolutely love being able to put a face with a name on a pedigree chart and I feel so close to each one of these people when I do this.

I feel like I have a whole entire wall full of angels staring right back at me.

Bread Boycott

2009-01-13T12:10:00.008-07:00

I havn't bought any bread for 2 weeks now. Not one single loaf.

Bill and I got an electric grain mill for Christmas this year so that I can really start using the hundreds of pounds of hard red wheat in our food storage.

We've made cracked wheat on occasion for breakfast (which we really love), but other than that, our wheat has just sat.

I didn't want it to sit any longer.

I have been bound and determined to learn to make a good whole wheat loaf of bread. Believe me, I have tried before- each time a disastrous effort-- dense, heavy, loaves.

BUT, with the help of my mom (the ultimate bread baker) and her neighbor, we have succeeded!

I can now make whole wheat bread that tastes good. Really, really good. And it uses sugar instead of honey, so I can save all my honey to make the really important stuff like honey butter for the bread or to put on cracked wheat- Bonus!

It is a wonderful recipe. Very light and soft and slices beautifully. Oh yea, and makes great toast (just for you Linds :) ) And the really great part? Porter and Evelyn eat it as fast as I can slice it.

So far we have eaten it with corn chowder, to make eggs-in-hole, and to toast for breakfast. Oh, and I can't forget the 2" thick hot slices with honey butter that Bill and Porter have eaten in honor of Bill's dad. (Bill's dad used to take each kid on their own special day during spud harvest to Ricks College for lunch. For dessert his dad would always order a thick slice of bread with honey butter...Bill always wanted ice cream...but he eventually learned to appreciate his dad's idea of dessert).

I'm sure our bread-consumption will slow down a bit when the novelty wears off, but for now, it just feels really good to be able to make your own bread to use and freeze, and I must say, I am really quite proud of myself. It has been a real accomplishment!

*I'd be happy to share the recipe. Just email me at chacofeet@gmail.com