Christmas Program

Thank you grandma Laing for encouraging us to put on a Christmas Pagent. It was wonderful. All of the parents fully enjoyed it, and the children really had fun.


Our little Wise-men/Shepherd...They were both.
Because we have a lack of boys, (Logan is the only boy out of 9 kids in the 2 families present) the girls played all the roles, and that is why they are in pink...All of them wanted to be Mary, this was our attempt to make it better. Cute pink shepherds huh?


Most of the cousins, minus just a few who were sick or too little.
Left to right, back- Emily, Aubrey, Kaitlin, Megan
front- Olivia and Allison


Mary, Joseph, Angels and Shepherds. :)


Someday, Olivia will ask, "why aren't there very many pictures of me?" And we will have to tell her, it is because you did this when ever we wanted to take your picture...

Or this.....

Logan's First Birthday

Logan's first toy trucks, and they make NOISE!!!!



Family Birthday party, and Logan's gift from Aunt Alicia and Uncle Aaron, it was a BIG hit.
(that is cute cousin Sophie in the background)



Enjoying his birthday cake...

Blowing out his candles....well, not really, but we tried :)

Logan Walks

This is Logan, crawling and carrying his Lamby, then taking his first steps. SO Cute!!

December's BIG snow...

So, we had our first HUGE snowstorm this week. 19 inches in 2 days....

All the kids watching the snow come down in the morning.

Our backyard in the morning on the 21st.

The snow was almost too high for the snow-blower.

This is the snow igloo that Craig and the kids built in the backyard....It had 2 rooms and 2 doors. It was high class!

Are you nice now?

First a preface to set the stage...When we have time-outs at our house, the kids may come out when they are ready to "be nice". When they poke thier little heads out of thier bedrooms and say, "Can I come out now?" I always respond with "Are you ready to be nice?"

So yesterday, Olivia was throwing a fit because Ally was using the bathroom that she wanted to use....sigh.....I informed her that she should just use the other bathroom, to which she rebuttled that she didn't want to and she wanted Ally to get out so she could use the bathroom "right now". Well, after I had enough 2 year old attitude, I picked her up and hauled her to the other bathroom, and set her on the toilet. She was not happy. She continued to be sassy and rotten, until she got a little 'love tap' on her backside. I let her pout for a few minutes and then came back to see if she was done going potty and if she needed help with her paperwork....when I came in, I said, "are you all done", to which she responded...

"Are you nice now?"

:)

coupon madness

Perhaps there are a few of you who know that I am kind of a deal diva. I love to get a great deal! This is my latest coupon extravaganza... For all of the items shown above, (before tax) I spent a grand total of
.....drum roll please.....
$3.00!!!
And here is the best part, there is a $20 rebate when I mail in my receipts.
I am one happy momma.

A Thankful heart

Today my heart is full of thanks for many things. I sat with all my family, my children, my father and stepmother, my brother and his family, and my Uncle and aunt, and shared a BOUNTIFUL meal, that was delicous. We visited and laughed and truly enjoyed each others company. I was able to talk to my youngest brother in the military and his dear wife, to complete the evening. How thankful I am for them. I am thankful to have my family so close to me. It is often at times like these that I miss my mother greatly, but I am reminded today of how many others I have to stand in her place and help me along my way.

This year has brought many hardships for my family and friends. Of the 6 immediate members of my family at dinner tonight, 5 of them have had lay offs (I was the only one who hadn't been laid off, but you can't really lay-off a mom :). My father faced cancer once, and is fighting it again. My brother was in a serious car accident and walked away without any serious harm. And yet among all of this, God has always seen fit to bless us with enough, and some to spare. Our lives have been lifted with joy and happiness. 2 babies were born into our family within the last year, amid all of this. We all have cars that work, homes that are warm, food to fill our bellies, and the gospel of Jesus Christ- the greatest of all our blessings. It is only fitting to give thanks for him this day as we look to begin this Christmas season. He is the reason for our celebration today and everyday. I am thankful for his love, his tender care, and his watchful eye. For my sweet husband, my beautiful children, and my angel mother, who surely watches over us all. God bless each of you on this joyous day. May you all feel as blessed and cared for as we do today.

Dinner delight

So, many of you know that I am a lover of good food. (when I say good food, I am referring to good tasting food rather than good for you food... :) I try to keep things healthy most of the time, but there are just some days that you need to eat something that really just tastes good. Today was one of those days...

Tonight I make fettuccine Alfredo (and salad), with apple spice cake and lemon sauce for dessert.

Here is the greatest recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo I have ever had, thanks to my friend Kyli's mother -in-law.

PS- it is NOT low-fat, but you will thank me later, it is divine.

Alfredo Sauce:

1 -8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
1 Cube of Butter
1/2 - 1 C. Cream
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
(I also added about a T. of dried parsley because green stuff gives the illusion of healthy right?)

Heat all and serve over cooked fettucini, with a green salad so you don't feel guilty :)


Apple Spice Cake:

1 1/2 C. Flour ( I use half white and half wheat)
3/4 C. Oil
3/4 C. packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. ground Allspice
2 Eggs
1 1/2 C. Grated Apples (or applesauce)

Mix dry ingredients- add wet. Stir in apples. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350. Serve with Lemon Sauce.


Lemon Sauce:

2 C. Sugar
1/4 C. + 1 tsp. Corn Starch
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 C. Water
1 C. Butter (yes I really do mean 1 CUP of butter :)
1 1/2 tsp. Lemon Extract

Mix dry ingredients in pan. Add water and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon extract.

I hope that some of you will venture to try this and tell me what you think....I hope you love it too.

Allison the Musician

Ally is turning into quite the musician. She loves to play and create at the piano.
I am a proud mommy!

Random Cutie Pa-tooties

Some miscellaneous cute shots of the kids for the grandparents...

Logan with his favorite toys...

Logan and his best little friend Merrit....Aren't they cute!

My Great Accomplishment

After what seems like FOREVER, I finally finished the CHAIR!!!
Not bad for a $5.00 garage sale find!

Here Chicky, chicky, chicky...

Some cute pictures of the kids on Halloween, (mostly for the grandparents who didn't get to see the cute little chickadees!) And by the way, Craig and I are chicken farmers :)

The CHAIR!!!!!

So, do you ever have those days (or weeks) where it seems like the list of things you have to do each day is longer when you go to bed than it was when you woke up? I get up each morning with great intentions and a whole host of things to accomplish and at the end of the day, all I have done is laundry....and dishes...? For the last month, on my list has been- the CHAIR!!!!

A long time ago, I bought this great wing-back recliner at a garage sale. It was the most comfortable chair, though it was worn pretty bad. The lady only wanted $5, so I bought it. I have done some upholstery before, I recovered my 2 living room couches in 2006 (I think). It was a lot of work, but well worth it I thought. So, home I came with my new chair and the best of intentions to recover it....well, several years later, I still had a severely worn, ugly but comfortable green chair...still waiting to be re-finished. When I was pregnant with Logan, I tried to finish it, however, to any of you out there who may be wondering, big fat pregnant bellies and re-upholstery do not mix- that only lasted an hour or so, until I was so miserable I couldn't do it any more. Anyhow, last month I decided it was time to tackle it again...and do you think I am done with it yet? No. It is at current torn apart in 3 different pieces, (2 of which are finished) and waiting for me to get it done! I have it sitting in my living room, so that I can not ignore it any longer, but at the end of the day, there are always things that are more urgent to be done, and so sits the chair....My goal is to get it done by the end of th week...Let's see if I can do it. You can bet that will be a jubilant post on the glorious day when I FINALLY finish the CHAIR!!!!!

The deciding factor

So, if there was ever a debate about wether I am a good mom or not, the following incident could quite possibly resolve the issue, and not in my favor....

Yesterday, I was making dinner, and my oldest, Ally was sweeping the floor for me. Olivia and Logan were playing in the kitchen and living room. Ally finished and asked me if I would help her sweep her dirt pile into the dustpan, I agreed and at that same moment, I heard my neighbor outside. I went to the door and leaned my head out to tell him something quickly, It was intended to be a 60 second conversation, but then we started talking about something else. I walked out onto the porch and then another minute later, I was standing in the driveway talking. We were having a grand conversation, laughing and having a fun time.

After about 5 minutes, I noticed that my 2 girls were now outside with me, riding bikes in the driveway, and that Craig had come up from the back yard. In that instant I thought...UH-OH, where is Logan....I panicked and went running into the house, only to find him sitting on the floor, not far from Ally's dirt pile, helping himself to whatever he could find.....

With dirt on his lips and chin, I picked him up and thought first...how grateful I was that he wasn't hurt, and second, wow, I must be the world's worst mom....

He was happy to have been left in freedom to eat whatever he wanted to out of the great buffet on the floor. And honestly, if it weren't for that tantalizing pile of morsels, he might have made is way down the stair to the basement, or out the door and down the stairs to the concrete....It could have been a great trauma, but lucky for all of us, no harm was done.

So today, I give thanks for my children's gaurdian angels, the spirit's voice of warning, piles of cheerios, crackers and who knows what else, and this subtle reminder to be a better mom... :)

Stink-be-gone

So, this is just a small bit of useful information that I thougth some of you could perhaps find interesting....

I have been searching for a solution to the stinky kitchen rag....It doesn't seem to matter what I do, that sour stinky smell always seems to find it's way back....

A friend of mine told me to put it in the microwave (damp) and microwave it for 1 minute, and that it would kill all the bacteria....so, I took the rag that I had just discovered had soured over-night and popped it in for 1 minute, and you guessed it, stink gone! AMAZING!!! What a fabulous discovery for the day.

So there you have it, the solution to stinky kitchen rags has been discovered! Try it out and tell me what you think.

PICK ME UP!!!

Logan has just realized that it is far more interesting to be carried and watch what the big people are doing, so, he cries to be held a lot...

My dear friend Anna, posted a similar picture of her little boy who is just about Logan's age, he was looking up at her and smiling, as if to say in a sweet voice, "I love you, would you pick me up please?"

I took this picture of Logan- He seems to be saying something more like-
"Don't you love me, why won't you pick me up?"

This is a face I see multiple times a day.
Once I do pick him up, he smiles at me, then pats my shoulder and says "ma."
So Cute!!!

And just a cute little story about Olivia-
Last night she must have been restless, because she kept getting out of bed. The third time, I was down stairs and she was telling me from the top of the stairs that her clippy had fallen out and that she couldn't sleep if I didn't put it back in...So I, in frustration said to her,
"Olivia Jane, you get your little bum down here."
Craig was standing at the bottom of the stairs and when she saw him, she says,
"Mommy wants my bum down stairs."
We both had a hard time not laughing until she was back in bed with her clippy safely back in her hair. :)

This weeks fun...

I suppose it is only fitting that it start to get cold, seeing as how it is October now. But we were surprised to wake up to snow yesterday morning. Ally and Livy were SO EXCITED!!! This is them on the snowy trampoline.

They had tons of fun, and were soaking wet when we were done.



While the kids were having fun and playing, Craig and I had a cold project of our own. We built this shop last summer, and have been putting off putting up the siding. We thought we should get it done before it got too cold, who knew that we were already to late. :) Hopefully we can get it finished before more snow comes to stay.

OCTOBER ODDS-N-ENDS...

So, it has been a LONG time since I have done any blogging,

I really have no good excuse either, I simply haven't made the time lately.
So here is what we have been up to....

This is Ally and my good friend Kyli's cute kids eating some
VERY BIG watermelon slices out of our garden...





Our Sweet Ally had her 5th birthday!!! She is growing up so fast!
For her birthday, she also started piano lessons, and is doing very well.





My 2 cute girls headed out on a
Daddy-Daughter-Date with their handsome daddy.
They were feeling so cute because they got to wear blush and lipstick.
Aren't they cute?

Olivia was so proud of herself, she completed this puzzle all by herself.
Who says puzzles are for kids 3 and up?





Logan has started getting curious! Everything needs a lock on it, or it is free game! His new favorite place to play- the pots and pans drawer! He pushes them around the kitchen floor like they were toy cars. :)

Summer Salad

With the garden in FULL swing, :) We have been trying to find new ways to use up what we are growing, and I made a FABULOUS, and easy salad that was a big hit at our house.

1 large or 2 small cucumbers -cubed (and peeled if desired)
1 - 2 C. cherry or grape tomatoes -cut in half
1/2 - 1 C. cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
-mix and serve.

So simple, so yummy and I would think healthy, though I suppose it depends on how you look at it. It is a great way to use up those thousands of cherry tomatoes, and dozens of cucumbers that you don't know what to do with. Enjoy!

Baby Bruises

So, I have accident prone children, especially my 2nd child- Olivia, bless her little heart, she just can't help it. They all are constantly getting bruises from walking into walls, or tripping over their own feet. :) In light of this tendency, I have found a wonderful remedy that I think is fabulous, and wanted to share it with all of you.

Well, ever since Logan has learned to crawl he has had a string of bruises all the way across his forehead. A few days ago, he ran his head into the corner of our china hutch...

It immediately turned purple and started to swell up. He was screaming and crying, it was really sad. I put some Arnica on it (you buy it at the health food store)...



He stopped crying almost immediately, and in the morning, instead of a huge bruise and a black eye, this is how he looked...



It's pretty amazing stuff. I used it when Ally got clocked in the cheek with a swing, and the same thing happened, it took the pain away almost immediately and she healed significantly faster that I thought she would. I use it on myself all the time too, because I bruise so easily. Sometimes, if I put it on right after I hurt myself, I won't even have a mark the next day. Just and FYI- Arniflora, Arnica gel, it is AMAZING.

This weekend's project

So, in 2 days (Friday and Saturday) we went from this:



To this:



13 Quarts of Apricot Nectar
2 batches of Apricot Jam (not in picture)
19 bottles of Spaghetti Sauce
22 jars of Salsa
2 Batches of White Nectarine Jam*
*(which was not as fabulous as it sounds, not much flavor)

Lots of fun. If any of you love canning like me- I have some great recipes!

A new day....

So, after what is likely the last weekend of vacation for the summer, I have decided that it is time to start getting my act together again. You know, the whole new year's resolution thing, only in August :). Now that school is back in session, there aren't so many distractions for the kids (like neighbor kids playing in the street ALL the time, and staying out late into the night), and I am planning on starting home-school Kindergarten for Ally this week, (I am open to any tips or ideas any of you may have, or use). We are getting back on schedule, early to bed and early to rise...Cutting out the treats, and starting to exercise again.... (I think that my body might go into shock, but then again, I have heard that shock therapy works, so here goes.) Also, we are doing 1 week with no TV, to try and detox from TOO much TV and movies...My kids are getting lazy. When they can't go outside and play because it is too hot, they just want to stay in the house and plop down in front of the TV...not good. I will let you know how we are all doing as the week goes on....I will be needing encouragement I am sure- I enjoy vegging out in front of the TV as much as the next guy. I am planning on being able to get lots more done in a day and lots more sleep at night. Wish me luck, I am going to need it. :)

Apricots, Apricots and more Apricots!!

So, we were out yesterday morning picking apricots from our tree, we put Logan on a blanket in the grass with a few toys, he apparently wasn't interested in the toys, because I looked over to see him eating a smooshed apricot from the ground. (yuck!) So we moved him back a little ways, away from the apricots, but before we knew it, he had found his way over to the basket and he was eating apricots as quickly as he could. He would take a bite, then put it back and take another bite of another one, and put it back. He was in heaven!

And for anyone out there who likes to can- here is a great recipe you might like to try. It is my own creation, and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.


Apricot Syrup

9 C. Apricot Puree
1 pkg. Pectin
4 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Almond Extract (opt.)

To make apricot puree, pit apricots and place in pan with 2 cups of water. Heat just until soft. Put apricots (and juice) through food mill to remove skins. Return puree to pan and mix in pectin. Bring to a boil, then add sugar and almond extract, if desired. Return to boiling; boil hard 1 minute. Pour into jars and process 15 minutes in water bath or steam canner. (Processing time is for Utah- lower altitudes would only take 10 minutes)

I made this last night, and we ate it on pancakes this morning, it was SOOOOO yummy. It set up really nicely, just the right consistency for syrup. I also make this with blackberries in the fall, and it is a family favorite of ours. I think I am going to try apple cinnamon syrup this fall too, when apples are on. :)

Happy canning if you decide to try it!
Let me know what you think, if any of you do decide to try it.

Logan crawls!!

Well, Logan officially crawls now. He has been working on it for a week now, and finally has it down. Time goes so quickly, it seems just like yesterday when we brought him home. What a little blessing he has been for our family

.

"Be ye therefore perfect"

This is not my typical post, and forgive me, because it will probably be a bit long, but I have had some thoughts that I wanted to put into words.

Today I ran into an old friend, a girl that I knew in college, 12 years and (20 pounds) ago. We both had our children at the pediatrician's office, and the whole time I was sitting there talking to her, I was thinking that I wished I had put on make-up and changed out of my old jeans and T-shirt. I was so embarrassed to be seen looking like I did. She still looked like she did in college, cute and thin. Her hair was done neatly and she had nice clothes on. She was so kind and we had a great time catching up, and I am sure that she gave no thought to the worries that were going on in my head.

A similar thing happened a few weeks back. A friend popped in during the early afternoon, and my house was a mess, and again, I was embarrassed that my dished weren't done, and that there were cheerios on my floor, and that my kids were grubby with their hair undone, and in whatever clothes they had picked out for themselves that morning.

When I left my friend this morning, I thought to myself, 'why do you care so much about what you look like, and what other people think of your appearance?' I have thought on that all morning, and this is the conclusion that I have come to.

In Matthew, we are given the admonition to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." That is a tall order for all of us simply because of our human nature. We are each trying to do the best that we can, and trying to be Christ-like followers I think, but somehow, in my mind, I translated that to mean that I have to be physically perfect, (you know, thin, beautiful, and well dressed with a clean house and perfect children). When really that is not what Christ is asking of us. The kind of perfection that He is asking of us is not a physical perfection (as in a spotless house, weed-free lawn, perfectly groomed children, or trendy appearance). I believe He is looking for a perfected heart .

In 1 Samuel 16:7 it reads-

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

I have been too concerned with my failure to be outwardly perfect, to pay much attention to perfection of the heart. Perhaps that is one of Satan's great tools to lead us astray- his great distraction. He tricks us into thinking that appearances are more important than personal purity. He tries to keeps us so busy keeping up with the Jones's and so wrapped up in materialistic things, that we have no time for what is really important. I hope you won't think that I am saying that those people who have it all together, have put their priorities in the wrong place because that is not at all what I mean. I simply realized that the Lord expects great things from me, just not the same things that I have been expecting from myself lately.

So, while I do believe that a clean house is a happy house & I will continue the never-ending battle to have a clean house, I want to worry less about the unimportant things in life, and pay more attention to the things that are of worth, my husband, my kids, my faith, and my heart.

The Princesses Request

Today while we were driving home from Grandpa's house, the girls were watching Barbie's Princess and the Pauper on the DVD player. At one point, Barbie (as the princess) tells the pauper in song, that when she wakes up, "the maid comes running in...and while I eat she rubs my feet... " Ally says to me, "mom- maybe we could try that tomorrow, when you are done eating breakfast, you could rub my feet while I eat, or maybe daddy could if you are still finishing your breakfast."

So, I guess Ally would be the princess in our household. So do you think that makes me the maid?

My first 5K

I am excited to tell you all that on Saturday, I ran my first 5K ever! It is an amazing feeling, and I have to admit, I am proud of myself for accomplishing this goal in my life. For 3 months I have been training, and was really worried about how I would do, but I finished, and did it in 38 minutes (my goal was under 40), and I felt great doing it. I couldn't be happier. :)

Summer Vacation to Oregon

Well, it was a wonderful family vacation, filled with fun with friends, activities, and the occasional meltdown or two. :) Here are a few pics that I am excited to share with all of you.

First, we spent Friday night at my favorite restaurant, the Marakesh with 3 of my best friends and their spouses. Great food, great company and a great time was had by all.

On Saturday, we went to Blue Lake Park in Gresham,
Here is Olivia, having a ball at the sprinkler park.

This is our Ally, who was affectionately referred to as "grumpy" on our trip.
Can you see why?

Sunday was spent with my good friend Martha and her husband Jesse,
and their 4 beautiful daughters.


Olivia, Jenna, Kylie, Ally, Emma, Mariah, and Logan (the odd man out).

The air mattress was apparently the hot spot to be.



Monday was one of the highlights of the trip for all of us.
We spent the day at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).



Ally and Livy in the sand box...



Happy kids at play...



Daddy teaching Ally how do build a dam out of sand...



Daddy with girls and the HUGE T-Rex...



Tuesday we headed out to the coast for an over-night stay at Seaside beach.
We stopped on the way to pick some blueberries at a U-pick blueberry patch, which I thought would be so fun for the kids, turns out, not so much. They were done after 5 minutes... :)



Next stop, the carousel in the mall on the coast.
Here is Craig and the girls.



Olivia on her horse, or dog, or whatever animal it is supposed to be.



And my new favorite picture of Ally, who is a BIG horse lover.
She was most excited to ride the carousel.



Next, we visited the Seaside Aquarium.
Here are the girls touching the anemones, urchins and sea cucumbers.



Mom with Sleepy and Grumpy....



Dad with the girls and the sea lions.



Wednesday morning, we got up early and headed to Indian Beach (between Seaside and Cannon beach) at low tide, so we could see the tide pools. It was amazing. We saw TONS of starfish and anemones and other sea creatures. Olivia and I thoroughly enjoyed it, Grumpy, however, was not amused, she was more interested in building sand castles.



Olivia with the star fish.



Beautiful aren't they?



Logan's first touch of sand and salt water.



The beautiful Oregon Coast.



A great panoramic that Craig shot.



What we didn't get pictures of is Olivia face-planting in the sand, Logan crying for the entire 20 minute walk back to the car because I forgot his Binky, and Grumpy crying because she didn't want to be there, and then crying because she didn't want to leave. :)
We had so much fun that when we got into the car,
this is the scene 5 minutes after we started going.

Perhaps Grumpy, was really Sleepy in disguise. :)





In spite of all the crying, Craig and I both agreed
that the beach was the highlight of the trip.

And here is one funny one of Logan at a restaurant....
he was upset when he would drop his pickle.



Is that cute or what?

Even though at times, we weren't sure why we wanted to go on this long family road trip, in the end, we were so glad that we did. It was TONS of fun, and we want to do it again sometime soon. And we are SO glad to be home. :)