Family Pictures 2009

It was 18 degrees as we left our house to have family pictures done. I had my heart set on outdoor pictures and was excited to have a thin layer of snow covering the drab ground. I knew it would be cold but thought surely it would only take a minute to snap a few pictures.

We took our coats off for the first picture but after that Zane and Morgan refused. An icy breeze began to blow which only made it worse. Our wonderful friend, the photographer, worked as quickly as she could to give us several poses to choose from. (She did a fabulous job!)

Scott, Brittany, and I did a pretty good job of pretending it wasn’t that cold. Morgan and Zane though were not so good at faking. They tried to climb inside their coats to find shelter from the cold. In most of the pictures they are making faces that seem to say, “It is too, stinkin’ cold out here! What the heck is Mom thinking! And you want me to smile?!”

Here are just a few of the pictures. . .

(You can't see their red cheeks and noses!)



We're thinking summer for the next family picture.

Swimsuit?

A good swimsuit at a good price is hard to find. I know that most of you are probably not even thinking about swimsuits right now but I have spent the last several months trying to find a new swimsuit. I have been digging through clearance racks and searching the internet to find something that was comfortable and didn’t leave you feeling naked or like an old lady.

Sun Safe Swimwear was featured on our local news the other night and I was so amazed that I have to share. You can see their line of swimwear by going to sunsafeswimwear.biz. These swimsuits cover you and look beautiful. The prices are fairly reasonable too.

So, if you are looking for a swimsuit go check them out.

Feeling Creative

What can you do with a faux pine wreath and shinny Christmas balls? Decorate the front door of course.

After searching for the perfect decoration, I was inspired by my sister-in-law , who was inspired by Pottery Barn, to create a simple wreath for my beautiful red door. (You can see hers by clicking on the link.) I spent $4 on the wreath and $4 on the balls so that is way cheaper than any wreath I could have bought at the store. I have a few larger balls in my stash that I want to add to finish it off but I think it turned out pretty cute.

And I finally finished my “JOY” letters from the relief society activity.

I have one more project currently in the making. Just waiting on some vinyl letters to complete it then I will post another picture. I’m feeling very festive. I think we’ll get the tree setup this weekend. Ho-ho-ho!

{Abducted by Aliens}

All I remember is a flash of light and a whirring noise. I don’t know what happened but when I woke up almost three months later my home was just the way I left it – dirty dishes and all.

All that matters is we are back and have so much to be thankful for.

We had a great Thanksgiving in Oregon and got to see some of our family. We are thankful there was NO snow. And we are thankful for so much good food!

Playing the Wii – I helped Zane KO Morgan.

Brittany had a birthday. She is thankful to be 18 and I am thankful for a few more months before she goes off to college.

I am thankful for a cute little spiderman and an adorable witch.

We are also thankful for sugar cookies!

I am thankful for my princess who was crowned Homecoming Queen.

Love the dress!


Scott is thankful for a new puppy. Zane and Morgan are trying to be thankful also but he chews on them.

“Down Pea!”

Scott is still driving 160 miles everyday and thankful most of the snow has stayed to the north. And I am thankful I finished my work projects and now have time to do get back in the routine.

I am also thankful for this Christmas time when our thoughts turn to showing love and giving service. And I have to admit I am thankful for CYBER DEALS and that my Christmas shopping is done. Now I can focus on decorating and baking goodies to share with friends!

Life's Lessons

Brittany has an early meeting on Tuesdays and I have been letting her drive to school on that day. (Yes she is a senior and we still make her ride the bus.) My car was almost out of gas so she decided to put gas in it on her lunch break yesterday.

She hit the “pay inside” button, put gas in the car, and then went inside to get something for lunch. She took her food to the counter and told the girl she also needed to pay for the gas on pump six. The girl verified the amount and Brittany handed over her debit card.

Later, when Brittany was at work she pulled the receipt out of her pocket and looked at the total. It only showed $7 instead of $27. At first she thought maybe the gas part didn’t show on this receipt but the more she thought about it the more it bothered her.

After work she returned to the convenience store, showed them her receipt and explained that she didn’t think she had been charged for the gas. The girl working at this time was a little upset that Brittany had waited all day to come back and told Brittany they should have called the police on her. Brittany politely told them they were lucky she was an honest person.

Brittany was a little frustrated with the response she got but I assured her she had done the right thing and that is all that matters.

Granola

There is nothing better than fresh, homemade granola. After searching for and trying different recipes I found one that is so simple and so DELICIOUS.

Here is the recipe:

Granola Cereal

4 cups rolled oats, wheat, or barley (or any combination)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or sesame seeds
1/2 cup walnuts, almonds, or pecans, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, or a thick syrup made with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2-3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla and/or other extract
3/4 cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together except for the dried fruit. Set the dried fruit aside.
2. In another bowl mix the sweetener, oil, and extract together.
3. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The liquids will be absorbed and the granola will become darker and shinier.
4. Spread the granola in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for ten minutes. Use a spatula and turn the granola on the baking sheet. Place the granola back in the oven and bake for another ten minutes or until fairly dry and starting to brown. (Granola will become crispier and crunchier as it cools.) Remove the granola from the oven and stir in the fruit. Cool and store in airtight container. Use within two weeks or freeze for longer storage.

I omit the sunflower seeds and add 1/2 cup of coconut instead. Walnuts and dried cranberries are our favorites. Also, I have been making it with honey but I want to try one of the other sweeteners the next time I make it. Let me know if you try this.

Zane helped me measure and stir and then we enjoyed a bowl for lunch.

“I’m sorry mommy.”

I love this little boy dearly even though he makes me crazy. I can never stay mad at him when he looks at me with his big blue eyes and says, “I’m sorry mommy.”

Here’s what I heard today:

I’m sorry I ate the Sponge Bob toothpaste.
I’m sorry I peed on the floor.
I’m sorry I spilled the milk.
I’m sorry I peed in my pants.
I’m sorry I wrote on my hands with markers.
I’m sorry I pooped on the grass.
I’m sorry I rode around the corner on my bike and didn’t come back.
I’m sorry I washed my hair all by myself and got soap in my eyes and mouth.
I’m sorry I didn’t eat my dinner, but now I’m hungry.

(This picture was taken after rescuing him from the bathtub. He put a handful of MY shampoo on his head and then dumped a bucket of water on his head to rinse it. The soap, of course, went in his eyes and mouth. Several minutes after his bath his eyes and lips were still puffy and red. )

“I am so BIG!”

(WARNING: This is, once again, a very long post. I can’t help it!)

This weekend Morgan and I were discussing her first day of school and how first grade is different from kindergarten. I explained that she would be at school all day and would finally be able to eat lunch at school. I then told her that the bus driver wouldn’t make her wait on the bus for me to come down the road - that she was big enough to walk with all the other kids. She got very excited and her face lit up as she exclaimed,

“Oh, I am so big!”

Saturday was officially Morgan’s 6th birthday. We have been celebrating all month but she still wondered about her party. I had to explain several times that there would be no party this year on her birthday and she was still confused as to why we had not given cards to all of her friends telling them to come over.

She had already opened most of her presents, had a party with Aunt Sharon and Uncle Rick, and had bought a new pet shop playground with her birthday money from grandparents so, there wasn’t much left to do on her birthday. I finally admitted that I had one more present for her. When her friend came over with a gift I gave in and let her open the last two presents.

["I'M WITH MY BFF"]

I thought Ashton’s shirt was cute when she came in our house but I never guessed there was a matching shirt in the gift bag. Morgan was thrilled and quickly put the shirt on. They are so cute!

Then I brought out the big box from my bedroom. Anxiously they all tore into it, trying to guess what it could be. (I didn’t wrap any of the gifts this year unless you count cardboard and plastic.)

“A tent!”



Morgan is always asking me to help her build a tent in the living room. Sometimes she would just sit under the large sheet draped over chairs and watch a movie. Then, Zane would come crashing through and we would have to build again.

The new tent doesn’t fall flat when Zane bulldozes through and it has a really cool tunnel too. The kids played in it all afternoon and Morgan insisted she was going to sleep in it. It’s just right for two!



Happy Birthday Morgan! You are so big!






Then Monday was the first day of school.



We have new clothes. . .

new school supplies in the backpack. . .



and COOL new shoes! It must be time for school.

I took Morgan to her first grade classroom, pried her off of my leg, reassured her that all would be well, and then hurried out to the hall so she wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. Why is it still so hard to leave her? Brittany is the one I should really be worried about. (There are vicious wolves at the high school.) She is the one I should be crying for. I just hurried into the high school parking lot and asked which door she wanted to be dropped off at. I guess after all these years of seeing my prayers for her safety answered I don’t worry so much about her. (And I have equipped her with some mighty weapons to fight off those wolves. She is not one to be reckoned with.) She was also running late so I didn’t get any pictures of her. I will catch her though!

The kids just keep growing older and getting bigger. I guess there comes a time when all you can do is pray for them. Pray that they will do what is right even when you are not there to remind them. Pray that they will do some good in the world. And pray that they will return safely home.

Are We There Yet?!

I was up at 5am packing and cleaning the house. At 9am we were finally loaded in the car and ready to spend a week at Grandma and Grandpa’s. The kids were too excited to sleep much but I managed to keep them entertained with books and movies and food. Every mountain we saw Morgan and Zane asked if that was where Grandma lived.

We took a break in Boise to visit the mall. It was better than an amusement park!

Morgan and Zane loved riding on the escalators. . .

Brittany loved the clothes.

Then over the river and through the woods we found Grandma’s house at last. We had a great time visiting our family and friends. We even had a birthday party with Aunt Sharon and Uncle Rick. And we spent a day with my two friends from high school and their kids. It was like a never ending slumber party.

(Zane always wakes up before me.)

Grandpa got a new clock since we were there last. It chimes every 15 minutes starting at 6am. So, we didn’t really sleep in.

We found a bunch of Berries in the mountains – huckleberries. Morgan and Zane had never picked huckleberries before and they both decided it was good fun.

I think Zane ate more than he put in the bucket.

Morgan and Brittany also ate their fair share.

After a picnic dinner, we enjoyed the sunset on the way down the mountain.

Brittany kept in touch with her friends while we were gone thanks to Grandpa’s computer.

Morgan loved playing with all her cousins and especially liked playing Polly Pockets with Katie and Brinley.

Morgan also got her toenails painted. (Thank you Brenell.)

Zane loved playing with the cousins as well. Him and Corbin enjoyed building with Legos and telling each other knock-knock jokes. (They made up names and really cracked each other up!)

We were excited to go to church with Grandma and Grandpa, even though it meant getting up early. (Side note: Brittany convinced Morgan to let Grandma cut her bangs while we were there.)

We bought school supplies and school clothes.

I think Zane got a little tired of the shopping.


And then it was time to pack up and go home. Here we are all ready for the long drive.

It was a fabulous trip with only minor injuries. Brittany and I even made it to Nell’s for some drinks and curly fries. I wish we had more time to see everyone but we had to get home and get ready for school.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for letting us stay at your house!