Longing

I miss summer.

I want to be able to jump into the lake.

I want to be so hot that you NEED water.

I miss doing NOTHING with my sisters.

I miss the gossip.

The knitting.

The boating.

The beach.

The swimming.

The bonfires.

I miss tanned babies.

Sweaty afternoon naps.

AC in the trailer.

Fresh fruit.

Feeding hot dogs to the dogs.

Bare feet in the grass.
Cool breezes off the lake.

It's almost February.

Then we have Valentine's day

St. Patricks day

Easter

Anniversary

Then finally May long.

5 events. I only have to wait 5 more events.

Paper bag Prayer Book

The Lesson this week in Sunbeams is 'I can pray to my Heavenly Father'. I've been racking my brain all week to come up with a fun idea for the kids. I think this book will achieve what I was hoping for. I want the kids this week to walk away with the knowledge of the format of a basic prayer and the idea that we can pray to our Father in Heaven about pretty much anything. Most of the kids in the class can't read yet so I used as many pictures as I could.

This project took me about an hour to do. It's pretty basic but with a few more things it could be a really cute little book. I have lots of cut outs and will most likely attach them with either yarn or magnets. This book I attached my pictures with magnets. The actual construction of the book is only 3 paper bags. I stacked them with opposite ends so I could have pockets in the book. I bound this book with sisal twine but you could use ribbon, sew it, binder hoops, or raffia.

In this book I have cut-outs of:

1. Things I am thankful for

- A living prophet

-My family

-Scriptures

-the priesthood

-temple

-pretty much anything else you can think of

2. Things I am praying for
-me

-dusty

-Ellie

-Lucy

-Our Leaders

-Our food

-Pretty much anything

satiated

You know you've done too much blogging in one day when........
You start getting motion sickness from all the whirring pictures

Hollywood Dreams

have you ever watched the movie, 'You've got mail'?
It's one of my "go to" chick flicks. If I'm sick, bord, in a sappy mood, or just happen to pass by it, while browsing one of the many satellite channels we have, I will watch it. I saw it in the theater when I was a young whipper-snapper. Clearly not that long ago, in actual time, but it does seem like a life time ago! I watched the show with a bucket of popcorn and my eccentric aunt, whom I adore. I dreamed of living in a far off city, having a quirky job, and (the point of this rambling) a lap top computer. I wanted to excitedly type on my bed to my charming and handsome Mr. Hanks.
I have a lap top now, which RARELY moves off the computer desk. If it does venture off, it is only to my couch. There have been a hand full of times that the computer gets put in my bed to have me awkwardly type of the keys. Alas, my grace with the lap top does not measure up to Ms Ryan's!
Even now as I am typing in my bed, next to my snoring Mr. Hanks, I still feel a touch glamorous. I know in this day and age a laptop seems ordinary and expected but the fact that I can sit, snuggled into my down duvet (which Dusty bought me as an anniversary present a couple of years ago... I was completely surprised by the gift- which doesn't happen. I didn't even have it on a list or anything.. it really is a lovely and useful present and for those of you who are reading this and don't have one, seriously consider putting it on a gift list in the future!) typing to you is, well, still very Hollywood to me!

Dusty's Job

I LOVE Dusty's new job.
I love the job because every 4 days, our family gets a long weekend. I love that in that 4 days I feel like I get to spend time with him, Ellie, and Lucy. I love that I get to spend time with each of them and I also get to spend some time doing what I love to do. I love to bake. I love to bake in the peace and silence that my house can be, while Dusty is home for his "long weekend". I love that Dusty gets restless by the third and forth day so he will actually VOLUNTEER to do the dishes after I bake. I love Dusty's job because it means I get to spend more time with my family AND I get to bake AND I don't have to clean up my mess. Life is good, isn't it?!

Lucy's Bad Day

Grumpy

Pouting

Yawning

Bedtime

Our family, like every other family with kids, has been hit with the sickness. Both kids are tired, grumpy, and sick. Real ick!

Jam Jams

This is another old recipe I have. They make really delicious cookies BUT be forewarned that they do require some patience and time. For us, it's worth it.


Jam Jams

1 cup of shortening

3/4 cups of brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of salt

4 cups of flour

mix your wet ingredients.

Add your dry.

Roll out to a 1/4 of an inch

Cut with a small round cutter (my cookies are about an inch and quarter.)

**I don't have a cookie cutter that's as small as I like these cookies so I just used the top of the useless thermos' I have lying around.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Put jam in while they are still warm.

** I have used every jam imaginable for these cookies and the best choice is a thick tart jam. I like using a wildberry or a raspberry. In these cookies I used strawberry (which isn't my favorite but it's what I had).

Oh yeah AND I've had the dough resemble a fine crumb. Just work it like bread dough with your hands.

Sunbeams

I was having a little, "I'm not Mormon enough" spaz about teaching sunbeams. It seemed like EVERYONE I talked to actually taught a "lesson". Not to say I haven't been but I spend more time crafting with the kids and talking about our lesson then I do actually "teaching" it. I know this may just be rambling and I have received a LOT of encouragement from people around me but I feel slightly..... very inadequate at teaching any church based material (even to three year olds).

The point of the rambling is that I decided that this week I would try to teach all these kids the good ol' fashioned way. The result- 5 bord kids. Thank goodness for the help I had. The person assisting me became more of a bouncer (but in a tame three year old kind of manner) and I just kept talking and encouraging with the hope that somehow my "spiritual" rambling would catch the attention of just one child. Alas that would be a negative! I give all you teachers props for actually being able to give a 20-30 minute lesson to a bunch of wiggly sunbeams.

The day wasn't a complete loss. I learned some very valuable lessons.

1. help isn't a bad thing. (the primary presidency has been very supportive in trying to find some one for an assistant and I've been resistant to the idea of help..... but having someone in there was... helpful (who knew?))
2. have music time was a great idea
3. I broke down and gave the kids a snack (which I'm not really too fond of the idea) but I think the poor kids are starving.
4. I am a crafter and that's what I do best with the kids so that's what I'm sticking with.

I love my calling. I was hesitant in taking it, in fact I was sure someone made a mistake putting me in there. I am so thankful to be a sunbeam teacher. I am grateful for a really great primary presidency. And I am REALLY grateful to all those of you who listen to me and help me.

career path....perhaps

Will just have to get the camera turned the right way....

Ellie's Outfit

I cannot say how much I enjoy watching my Ellie. She is darling and precious and trying so hard to be independent! This is another of the many outfits she has put together since her "new closet". She walked out this morning so proud of her outfit. She quietly whispered in my ear, this morning over breakfast, "Mom, sp sp, I think that I am fancier than Cinderella".

Yes. Yes you are.

NO bake Chocolate Oat Cookies

There are so many variations to this recipe, the possibilities are seriously endless. I normally make this recipe with coconut and no peanut butter but when I asked Ellie if she wanted coconut or peanut butter, the response was simple.

"oh mommmmm. (hands on hip) Peanut butter!"

The recipe is simple and easy.

Totally kid friendly!

Recipe

1 3/4 cups of sugar

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of butter

4 Tablespoons of cocoa

Combine in sauce pan over medium heat.

Allow to boil, stirring continually.

Once boiling continue boiling for 1 1/2 minutes.

3/4 cup of smooth peanut butter

3 1/2 cups of quick rolled oats

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine all ingredients.

Mix until coated thoroughly.

Spoon on to wax paper.

Let them sit until hardened.

The boiling time is a pretty important part of this recipe.

IF YOU:

1. Don't boil long enough the cookies won't set up
2. Over boil your cookies will be dry and crumbly

The cookies should be moist but solid and defiantly delicious!

Happy Baking!

Closets are a girls best friend!

I decided to make Ellie's closet a little more kid friendly.
I went to walmart and bought a pressure rod and some baskets. We (Ellie and I) sorted her clothes into the baskets and put up the rod. She hung up all her dresses by herself! I have been having mini-battles with her for the last month or so about getting dressed. I am tired of fighting with her so I decided that maybe she would be more excited about getting dressed if SHE got to pick out her outfit.

SHE IS. She is absolutely ecstatic about being able to get dressed herself. Best part, no fighting AND she's usually the first one dressed.(now we just have to work on the matching part)

Long Sleeved Toddler Smock

I am so frustrated.

I have been planning on making a smock for my kids for a while AND I've been searching for a pattern to make a long-sleeved crafting smock. I could NOT find one anywhere (did I mention that I didn't look through purchase patterns.... I can't sew so I can't justify spending money on a pattern I'll most likely mess up). I decide How hard can making a pattern be???? My answer.... I shoulda paid for a freakin pattern!

I drew a picture of what I wanted the smock to look like on packing paper (I have a ton of it and I never really appreciated how handy the stuff is).

I drew it on the fabric

I cut it out (wrong.... clearly should of been paying more attention)

Redrew and adjusted pattern

finished cutting.

Started sewing (everyone tells you oh this is the easy part......... YEAH RIGHT! (maybe if you already know how to sew))

I finished.

It only took me a 4 hours from start to finish (which I'm positive that if you have even the slightest clue what you were doing it wouldn't take you that long)

There are a few things i would change.

1) pay attention when I'm cutting

2) go buy thinner elastic instead of using the elastic off the top of Dusty's underpants.

3) the neck... something weird is going on. I probably should of used bias tape (or whatever it's called) but I didn't know how

4) ask for help

For a first one, it's fine.

It's better than fine (as long as I don't focus on the many many mistakes)

Luce Loves it, in fact we had a little screaming match about taking the dang thing off. (mother of the year...I think so (except for the screaming.... although it was a good release))

the naked chef strikes again.....

Ellie and I baking cookies one afternoon.

my friend (not the only one but a great one)

I am grateful for really great friends. The ones that if you moved half way around the world, they would still call or ,better yet, if you didn't have time to talk to them, they would still be there when you came back.
I have a really really great friend! I am so very grateful that I have someone to call and that, most importantly, she actually wants to listen to me.

Sunbeams week Two

Sunbeams was EXHAUSTING!!!!! I think all the parents must of loaded up the kids with sugar right before they came in.... probably not but the kids were so......enthusiastic. The lesson this week went WAY better than last (mostly cause I crammed a billion activities in so there was no "toy-time"). I cleaned out the "toy closet" before sacrament so that when all those 3 year olds raced in and pulled open the cabinet the toys were.... GASP gone.... so sad ;) . All was well. I planned on teaching the kids the lesson right off the bat, as to get through it with out a lot of squirming. It did work wonders. After the lesson, I got out the huge pieces of paper I brought (all the packing paper from the movers) and traced the kids. They had so much fun coloring and drawing all the body parts. After they were all done I taped them up on the wall for them to see. We sang a couple songs and rhymes. I can't believe how fast time flys when you are on the move (in 5 different directions!). I had a wonderful time and am completely exhausted but am so looking forward to next week..... (especially now that I know the card under the door trick!)

Knitted 80's Headband

Ellies 80's rocker headband.

I had some *BIG softie* yarn left over from a hat so I knitted a band and stitched it together and added a big pink flower to it. Ellie loves it for her dress-up box. It makes me smile every time I see her wear it.

Princess Ellie and Princess Lucy

Ellie dressing up Lucy so she can be like in the book 'Fancy Nancy'

Ellie trying to get Lucy to pose on the chair with her for "princess pictures for the wall"

Lucy making her great escape

Ellie making a serious princess face.

Quick Rise Buns

Quick and Easy Buns

1/2 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons (1 package) of yeast

Mix the sugar and the water together. Add yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

3 cups of warm water

6 tablespoons of oil

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

3 eggs (beaten)

2 cups of flour

mix all the above ingredients in with the yeast concotion.

6 or so cups of flour

mix in the remaining flour until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic.

Place in greased bowl and turn.

Let rise for an hour, punching down the dough every 15 minutes.

Shape and place in pans.

Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350' for 10-15 minutes.

A small trip down memory lane

Is it bad that I look at my own blog a few times every day just to hear, 'lost in this moment'?

Last year on our birthdays we were fortunate enough to go to the big and rich concert in Lethbridge. It was the most magical night. (cheesy but so true). Dusty and I hadn't been out alone since the birth of Ellie (2 1/2 years). I looked like I used to (before I got married....by the way I haven't "let myself go" I just don't do much that would warrant getting dressed up)... Dusty looked handsome (also decked out). We went out for a fancy dinner and ate whatever we wanted to and actually got to talk and laugh together without even mentioning any upcoming bills or grocery shopping excursions etc. We went to the concert, holding hands and just being the two of us. Dusty had never been to a concert and I only to non-country performers. We had terrible seats (the worst you can get in the enmax center.... although it wasn't that bad). We sat and listened to music for 3 hours then they played, 'lost in the moment' and I just couldn't imagine not sitting there next to him, holding his hand, having his babies, walking down that isle to him..... I love this song.

SOS the house is QUIET

I was browsing the Internet in the morning, Ellie was playing quietly in her room, and Lucy was running like a wild woman around the house. I noticed after a while how relaxed I was and then it also dawned on me how quiet the entire house was. Immediately instincts told me I could be in for massive destruction somewhere so I began a search for Lucy. I popped my head into Ellie's room..no Lucy. I looked in her room... no Lucy. The bathroom...nope.... I was beginning to panic. I look frantically around all the doors are closed....then a thought... maybe Dusty didn't close the door to the basement..... I run down stairs..... and there is my baby passed out in her lawn chair...... (sigh, smile, and take a picture)

easy frames

Lucy's room is a country farm theme. I bought a bunch of fabric at that really great local fabric shop I blogged about earlier. I made a blanket and a plethora of pillows and with the scraps I decided to make a few little frames for her room. I cut out images from the fabric and modge-podged them on the the cardboard the frames had in it. I stained the frames to match some of the wood furniture in her room and glued some wooden animal cut-outs on them and whhhhhaaaa laaa. Project completed( an in a half an hour)! I love them and they were so easy, better yet, Lucy LOVES them! oh and I costed out the project and it worked out to be 7 dollars for the whole project.

Dusty had a birthday today.
Today I cooked a horrible dinner (not on purpose)
Today I know more than ever, that I was meant for him and he for me.

25 resolutions for the new year

1. have more fun
2. make new friends
3. do at least 3 craft projects a month
4. bake something fancy once a week
5. start walking (mostly to burn off fancy baked goods)
6. exemplify my calling
7. be nicer to Midge
8. throw a big party for my birthday (next year)
9. go to the movies twice this year
10. get a babysitter that isn't family
11. do something without Dusty and the girls (maybe craft night once a month)
12. host a party at my house
13. make less lists
14. not worry about the kids routine so much
15. make time for my friends
16. purge some of the non-necessity items
17. make my bedroom beautiful
18. organize fun family home evening activities
19. spend some one-on-one time with the girls
20. phone my sisters more
21. make more of an effort to see Dusty's grandparents
22. not get so wrapped up in everyday chores
23. teach Ellie to bake
24. make fresh snow ice cream
25. smile more

The Reindeers are BAAAAAAAAAAACK!

"Mom look the reindeers are back in my yard"
"yep they are"
"Those are lucky reindeers. Huh mom?"
"yep"
"Lucky reindeers in my yard. they're going to poop on my lawn! (puts her hand on her hip) huh mom?"
"yep" (I look at her now)
"that's disgusting (wrinkled up her nose) huh mom?"
"yep it is"
"those silly reindeers" (as she walks away to do something else)

First day of Sunbeams

Today was the first day of SUNBEAMS for both Ellie and I. Ellie has been so excited to go to primary with the "big kids" and when Dusty asked her about church she said, "oh you know Daaad. It was good. We just sung song and talked and played with stickers and toys and I sat with Jordan." Dusty then asked, "what songs did you learn?" Ellie replied, "oh just happy birthday. UM. and Jesus loves me" (which we didn't sing nor was it the lesson....kids...at least it's in the same religious theme?!?)

Sunbeams went better than I thought it was going to. I figured the first day was going to be a complete write off because a) the kids didn't know what was going on b) they didn't REALLY know me and c) I didn't know how much I should plan for them BUT I was impressed. I survived and I only tried to give Ellie a time-out once when I realized I was a teacher and not a parent! The kids (all 5 of them) LOVED doing their sticker craft (which turned out pretty cute... I'll post a pic of it later). I was also fairly impressed that I sang, " I am a child of God" without any music and I managed to sing it in only a semi-untune note.

Oh and to top off an already semi-successful day, the roast we had for supper was AWESOME!

Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake

In my boredom yesterday, I was looking through other peoples blogs and I came across a recipe for chocolate cake in a mug. I have a BAZILLION coffee mugs and really nothing to do with them all so I was excited but chocolate cake in a mug!! I decided to whip it up and it WORKED. It seriously made my day, perhaps even my week!! I made one mug with the kids in the afternoon and then I tested it out again when my hubby came home. IT worked both times. I then preceded to call people to test it on. I called my 16 year-old brother-in-law and he made the cake on the phone and I also called one of my best-less-domesticated- friend and she also made it while talking to me on the phone. Seriously fool-proof!!!! My 3 year old daughter made a mug of chocolate cake all by herself and she even can remember the ingredients. SIMPLE!!!

5 minute Microwaved Chocolate cake in a MUG

1 standard coffee mug

4 Tablespoons of flour

4 Tablespoons of sugar

2 Tablespoons of cocoa

stir

1 egg

stir

3 Tablespoons of milk

3 Tablespoons of oil

stir

3 Tablespoons of chocolate chips (optional)

splash of vanilla ( 1/4 teaspoon)

I put a paper towel under the mug (just in case)

microwave on high for 3 minutes

It will rise out of the mug but the cake didn't hit the bottom. It just goes straight up (it's amazing) Ellie calls this her growing cake!

I let it cool for 30 seconds and then I dumped it on the plate and ate it.

YUM

Red hat

I was making this hat for some of the girls Christmas outfits. It was super easy to knit and didn't take me long at all (maybe an hour). It's a free pattern I found while browsing through sites.

http://www.styledbykristin.com/rugged-ribbed-knit-hat-pattern/

The only thing I changed was that I cast on 6 stitches instead of 8 and it worked out perfectly for a 18month to a 4 year old head.

I didn't have any bulky yarn so I just put in 2 strands of black worsted and 1 strand of red worsted weighted yarn.

The girls do like this hat cause it's so easy to pull on (and off).

AS PROMISED

Christmas pictures as promised.

We spent the 24th at the ranch with Dusty's relatives. We go back every Christmas eve for the party and it was lots of fun this year. There was a massive rook game going on and for those who don't like rook there was lots of other people to talk to. The kids went wild in the basement so they were good and tuckered out on the way home. Dusty's folks headed back home with us so they could wake up Christmas morning with the girls.

Lucy was up earlier than the crack of dawn (5:00am) but Ellie slept till about 730 and then the carnage started. It took us about 2 hours to open the gifts this year. It seemed to last FOREVER. Ellie and Lucy loved having gramma and grampa and uncle Dillon there to open presents.

Ellie got a pile of princess stuff due to the new fascination with Cinderella. And Lucy got a ton of stuff but really the only thing that she went bonkers over was that dang soother!! Kids!

It was a really great day. I wish I had taken a picture of the turkey (it was beautifuL) and my first one.... kinda momentous (I think).

Mary, Rob, and Dillon all took off around 4:00. Ellie soon went to put away all her new fabulous and fancy princess stuff ..........