Christmas gifts and birthday wishes

Wowzers!!!!!!! So I have never even owned an iPod or mp3 player or anything. I even revolted at the idea of satellite radio. Dusty got me an touch for Christmas and I am hooked. In fact, I am blogging from it. That is rediculous! Our Christmas was fantastic. We stayed home this year and my parents and sister and uncle and cousins came too( and all the pooches.... 5 in total). We have two more christmas' left. I am wiped. I think I may hibernate for the next couple of months ( after my birthday... I think I might ask for am iPhone. Did I mention I'm in love

finding in the Unexpected

I had never found someone the PERFECT gift.

I have found good gifts but never "perfect"."

Maybe that's why I have struggled with the concept of "consumerism" the last 5 or so years.

I have a hard time with the gift giving at Christmas. I have felt like the truly important parts of Christmas are drowned by the need for shopping and buying and finding. The sweet sounds of families spending time with one another are muffled by car horns and ripping wrapping paper.

I have been having a Grinch moment in my life for quite sometime.

I KNOW that Christmas is not about gifts and yet,

in passing conversations that is the focus.

All of the "holiday stress" in my life is about the gifts.

I have really struggled this year.

Tonight, 8 days away from Christmas,

I finally found the perfect gift.

The perfect gift

isn't 

a gift that has been picked up just because they are the last person on your list

or

"it's nice enough"

or

the kind of gift that "will do".

It isn't something that you have to buy so you don't offend someone.

It isn't a gift bought to "beat out" the other gifts.

There is no obligation with the perfect gift.

I found a gift that is simple.

It is beautiful.

It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the person I am giving it to.

I have never found "Christmas" in a package before.

For me, Christmas is a season of giving.

Giving of time

of hope

of love

of peace

of forgiveness

and every once in a while,

 you have the privilege

of giving

someone

something

 unexpected.

and for me,

this year,

 I got the gift of giving someone I love dearly, a present they will truly enjoy.

1 Kitchen sink coming right up.

Yes Yes I have been a blogging slacker. I just can't help it. It's Christmas. and I am busy with all things Christmas. Making gifts, baking, parties, music, trees, sledding, dresses. It is so awesome and happy. I think I could be an elf. I look fantastic in green and red. But for all those out there who still read this thing (if there is any) then I have a treat for you.....

Cure your Cold and Warm your Soul (or tummy) Soup.

(dusty emailed me from work yesterday and said he was SICK. He hardly ever gets sick (thank goodness- cause he thinks he is going to die) and so I made him soup. Only I had no chicken. Or noodles. So this is what I came up with....

2lbs of ground beef
6 cups of beef broth.
4 cups of water
3 large carrots
1 onion
2 heaping tablespoons of garlic
1 large can of tomatoes
1 can of corn
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 can of lentils
1 bag of baby spinach chopped.
pepper.
Parmesan cheese.

Cook the ground beef in the stock. Add the water. Bring to a boil. Put in onion (quartered) and carrots and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, boiling at medium heat. Add tomatoes and corn and broccoli and cauliflower and lentils and baby spinach. Cook over medium heat for 20 more minutes. This is soup. So the longer it simmers the better... I also throw in the rind of my Parmesan cheese and let it simmer with the soup. I think it adds flavor. Season according to your tastes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on it. Enjoy.
I did.

A Page from Dr Suess.

Today there is a foot of snow. It looks like I live in who-ville. I am nestled into a secluded mountain town, the Christmas lights twinkling and the snow on the ground is the purest of white. All the little chimneys are smoking and the kids are running around down the middle of the street with their toboggans and touques.
It is also my friends birthday today. I woke up this morning and thought what an awesome day for a birthday. For reals. It is beautiful and there are still snowflakes falling. She and another friend came for lunch. We had soup and buns and salad and veggies and dip and apple crisp. What is better than apple crisp and warm soup on a wintry birthday? I think Nothing. I had such a wonderful time visiting and laughing and eating. There is something so homey and familiar and comforting about good friends and warm food when it is cold and snowy. Today has been perfect. My dishes aren't done. There are toys from heck to breakfast and yet I am so happy.
Happy birthday friend.

When Nature Calls

"Ellie, what's this?"

"I dunno, Lucy, lets ask Dad!"

"DAD", both in unison.

"What?"

"What IS this?"

"Bear poop" said VERY casually.

 {SCREAM}

and run away.

And to think we live IN the wilderness

Cheesecake and Self-Control?

All I can think about is cheesecake.

It's horrible.

and delicious.....

mmm so delicious.

I had never made a cheesecake (baked) before but Ellie wanted a chocolate chip cheesecake for her birthday (which I know was a while ago but today I thought about that cheesecake and I wanted some).

I'm trying this thing...

it's called self-control.

It SUCKS.

BUT

 for those of you who don't do crazy things

like tell yourself that you don't NEED cheesecake

then here's the recipe.

It's awesome.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Ingredients

-1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
-1/3 cup white sugar
-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/3 cup butter, melted
-3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
-1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
-3 eggs
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cocoa. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Set crust aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk; beat well. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Toss 1/3 of the miniature chocolate chips with the 1 teaspoon flour to coat (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Mix into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven (do not open oven door) and leave the cake in the oven to cool in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate before removing sides of pan. Keep cake refrigerated until time to serve.

homesick

We went "home" for Thanksgiving.

Sometimes I get really homesick.

I miss walking outside and seeing my ponies.

I miss the smell of my horse

(well maybe not mine)

I miss giving my kids the oppertunities I got.

The girls had such a good time riding all day with dad.

I think their Dad had a super good time.

I could barely get him in for dinner.

 Ellie and Lucy on Booger

 Ellie and Dusty lettin' him eat.

 Ellie and Booger

Lucy and Elliot

(like the deer off Open Season)

Perfect as a Pear

This is the first year I've ever canned solo.

It's been pretty awesome.

My storage room actually looks like a storage room.

I've done

Peaches

Peach jam

Strawberry jam

Pears

and I have a box of apples sitting in my living room.

I really had a good time.

My kids have too.

My house is DESTROYED.

Why clean when mom is so clearly distracted.

The mess has been worth it.

 Aren't Pears so Pretty Jarred?

I wanted to put them around my house as decoration.

They made my kitchen seem so kitcheny

Penny isn't a huge fan of canning (yet) but by the time we did pears she at least knew that this was her spot and that she wasn't getting held. Peaches were a LONG LOUD process.

Pears

My syrup recipe is:

1 cup of sugar to 5 cups of water.

I hot packed my pears.

They are perfect 

they don't taste like they've been drowning in syrup.

 and it's just enough sugar to keep them from getting all dirty (brown)

Just putting it out there

28 days until my Christmas Tree goes up. Pretty excited.

Penny. & .Sweater

Yarn: Baby Bamboo.



Dance like No One is Watching

Our town was offering ballet and jazz classes. I signed both of them up and they were so so excited. I got Ellie all of her ballet stuff and THEN found out that the classes got cancelled. Needless to say we are all a little disappointed BUT 45 minutes is just too far to drive for classes this year. Maybe next year. I think that maybe we'll just dress up and pretend for now....



From Woolfs to Bears

I think I'm ready to switch species.

Who wouldn't want to eat as much as possible and then sleep all winter?

Yep.

I am going to be a bear

My cubs agree.

Harvest Ball

This is one of the videos I took of the girls at the Harvest Ball. It was super fun and they were ecstatic to be able to get dressed up in their finery and go dancing. We had to stay almost until pumpkin hour!

That is Lucy and Dusty enjoying the treats found at the ice-cream bar!

Ellie in her ball gown.
I am pretty sure that she had the "bestest most perfectest ball EVER!"
I know cause she told me.

Only 10 more months.....

Superwoman (without the spandex)

Get up

Get dressed

Make Breakfast

Feed breakfast

Clean-up Breakfast

Let dog out

Feed dog

Get kids dressed

Feed baby

Read scriptures

let dog in

Set-up School

Do part one of School

Start binding sweater

Make snack

Clean-up snack

Start making jam

Do second part of school

Finish making jam

Finish school

Clean-up school

Feed baby

Clean-up canning stuff

Let dog out

Make tarts

Company comes

visit

make lunch

Clean-up lunch

Serve dessert

Clean-up dessert

Feed baby

Let dog in

Make Supper

Start second batch of jam

Eat supper

Feed baby

Finish making jam

Clean-up supper

Get girls into pj's

Give FHE lesson

Say prayers

Tuck into bed.

Let dog out

Feed Dog

Feed baby

Finish binding sweater

Let dog in

Go to bed

(and wake up 4 more times in the night to feed the baby)

Whew. And. To. Think. I. Get. To. Do. It. Again. Tomorrow.

Sunday Mournings

Ellie and Lucy both got balloons yesterday at the Primary Activity.

Ellie actually got three.

Ellie's first balloon was orange.

She brought it outside and it blew out of her hands into the pokie grass and POP.

A few tears were shed.

Ellie's second balloon was a pink one.

She was playing with it and it fell on to a sharp point on one of the chalk boards.... POP.

There were a few tears but I said we would see if there were anymore balloons.

So into the gym we went to see if the Primary had anymore balloons.

No such Luck.

Then there were more than a few tears.

A lovely little girl was in the gym while all this was happening so she gave Ellie her balloon.

Now Ellie has a red balloon.

Ellie promises to keep this balloon safe.

She is so happy.

She sleeps with the balloon.

It eats dinner and breakfast with us.

I say, "No balloons at church".

She puts the balloon on her bed.

We come home and it eats lunch with her and then it is nap time.....

I don't know how many other kids do this but at OUR house, my children believe that when I say "naptime" it means that they run around their rooms on the tipie toes and use "whispers".

So during "naptime" Lucy sits on Ellie's balloon.

POP.

There were MORE than a few tears.

I would call the sound wailing.

 The balloon gets thrown in the trash and the girls are tucked back in.

I am sitting knitting and I can hear Lucy rattling on and on about the balloon, Ellie is still cryings (not really a wail anymore but most certainly is still lamenting the balloon).

Anyways, I'm listening the chatter and the crying when I catch Ellie saying,

"Lucy.... LUCY".

Lucy- "Yes"

Ellie- "Please stop talking about my Balloon"

Lucy- "Ellie Ellie, Why?"

Ellie- "Because I'm still mourning my balloon and it's making me sad when you talk about it"

Lucy keeps chattering and Ellie begins to wail.

I am happy to report that they ARE napping

AND

I have a few hours to figure out what to do about a balloon.

Eating Crow

As a child I loved going to the dump. In fact, I STILL love going to the dump. I wouldn't say I love it enough to go on a date to it BUT I do love the dump. As a child I loved the dump because I loved loved watching the seagulls eat everything. They were everywhere. Now as an adult I like going to look at all the stuff people throw away BUT I went to the dump a couple of days ago and it was my first time at this particular dump and a flood of fond childhood dump memories came back. We drove into this dump and there was no word of a lie at LEAST 26 crows. And that's at least people. That's just the ones I counted for sure. I find crows kinda creepy. Is it odd I'm creeped out by crows but love the dump? I have not passed on the gene that is creeped out of crows because my own children had the best time watching the crows hop around fighting and squawking and eating. And who doesn't like an eating crow (besides me of course)?

Fruits of Saturday

I got home from church. It was chilly and gray. I walked through my door and immediately got to work with the after church routine.... undo the dresses, get pj's out, start some lunch. You know all the usual stuff. Right now the girls are in their beds quietly reading (except for Penny, who at the moment is a little less than pleased that she has been put down for a moment) and I have gotten to enjoy some pie. Fresh peach pie. It's so nice to enjoy your Saturday labours on a quiet....er....on a Sunday afternoon.

Young Men's Camp

So YM's camp was awesome.

I wouldn't know personally

BUT

I heard.

You know through the grape vine.

We have grape vines all over the place out here.

So there is this little tiny gray spot between the trees.

That's the camp.

Dusty took this picture on a ridge on the way to some lake.

They did lots of hiking.

Oh wait not hiking.... "Mountain climbing"
In fact, Dusty's legs were so not used to all this hiking, er, mountain climbing, that when he got back to camp his legs seized and he fell over on the ground and couldn't get up.

Bahahaha

so funny.

Especially because after he managed to get up it happened again!

He tells this story in amusement now. I'm sure it wasn't so amusing then.

This is a picture of the lake they hiked to on the second day.

Dusty loved it.

They fished here and I guess it was pretty awesome because everyone caught something.

Dusty caught 8.

They had a great lunch.

This is a picture taken from camp.

In the V on the picture is where they hiked and then behind the ridge was one of the lakes.

Dusty said they had a good time.

I think he may even be looking forward to the next one.

dandelions in August

I took Penny to the Health Unit today.

She's growing like a weed.

A beautiful, lovely weed.

Perhaps a dandelion.

She is 12lbs 4oz.

Up a full 2 lbs since 2 months ago.

She's grown 2cm in length and in head.

She is cute as a button.

I have some awesome pictures of her smile.

(one of her most endearing features. Seriously it melts my heart)

BUT

they are on my other camera and that is at the lake

(the joys of living in two places)

AND

my other camera is on scout camp.

SO

You'll just have to trust me on the smile thing.

It is so freakin cute.

A little Background Information

So about 20 years ago I sat in my mother's kitchen and watched her and my Gramma can.

Did I like canning?

No.

Did I like to eat canned food?

No

 it seemed like that's what poor people did.

 What can I say...

I was a bit of a diva.

I know that that was a very interesting tid bit of information.

I'm sure you are dying to know where this is all coming from.

No, I am not having horrid flashbacks of my childhood.

No, I am not poor.

BUT,

Yes, I am going to can.

I am going to can peaches.

I am doing it without supervision.

I'm crazy like that.

I have this thing in my life where I now need to find new and exciting ways to entertain myself.

AND what better entertainment than boiling jars and fruit.

It's dangerous.

Exciting.

Like James Bond OR better yet,

Indiana Jones.

Yes, I think I may even have to pull out my bull whip.

did i mention?

So a couple of weeks ago I got a calling.

Not really a shocker... I mean seriously who doesn't?

It takes some serious skill to evade EVERYONE at church.

It's like mission impossible really.

You must be stealthy and dive into the darkest of corners...and let's face it... the church has a lot of lights (probably to see all the people in the corners.)

Anyways.

So I got called as (drum roll please)

Relief Society secretary.

Now some of you are groaning for me and some maybe nodding in approval....like

"that's not so bad she could be in primary or young women or in elders quorum.."

BUT

I would like to make a bold statement that I have

THE BEST CALLING EVER.

True story.

Move over people who get to wash church linens....

move over people who have to collect hymn books...

move over.... well just move over.

You may be asking,

"What makes your calling so awesome?"

Well let me tell you.

I am reprieved from the traditional secretarial duties.

No Note Taking for Me.

I get to do a relief society blog.

Pretty sweet eh???

and the BEST part...

I get to do my calling in my PJ'S.....

I told you best calling ever.

and a little bit of Pixie dust.

Dusty's grandma bought these dresses for the girls. I love them so much.

The girls think their fab.

They twirl and twirl.

They hold hands and run around the house.

They imagine their fairies.

I love this picture. It looks like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar!

I forgot my good camera at the lake.....

I just thought I'd throw one of Penny in. You know, just for kicks.

Isn't she adorable.

I think she's especially adorable.

Extra especially when she's sleeping.

Taking the day

I have spent an entire day at home. It's madness. I don't know what to do with myself. I have no plans of frantically throwing clothes and bears and sheeps into bags. I don't have to worry about what's in my fridge. I have enjoyed my time away but, boy, I sure hate packing and unpacking! I had a really great day. I didn't have to push myself to get EVERYTHING done.... I should of pushed a little harder since I'm without pants tomorrow..... but it's been so relaxing. Lucy had a little adjustment to life outside camp. She didn't understand why she couldn't just walk around the house with whatever she felt like eating. She also didn't get that snacks at home means carrot sticks and that bedtime snack WASN'T smores.... She has a really mean mom. Ellie was fine. She had her two boxes of barbies down and I didn't hear a peep out of her all day. I wish I could say the same for Penny.... She takes the award for noisiest baby. If she wasn't my third baby I would think I was doing something wrong. Seriously. Dusty has all but givin up on her. I took a "knitting day" (exciting life I lead) and he watched her for an entire day and night minus the feeds and the moments I took pity on him.... which were more than a few.... I don't think he'll complain if I can't get the dishes done! It's hard to believe she's 4 months old already. Time sure flys. Speaking of flying time.... well just time.... this time of night is my fave. The house is so quiet. Well... except for all the snoring. For a moment it actually feels like I have my brain back... but then I look at the clock and realize it's midnight and I'm going to be up in 2 hours with Penny and then again at 6 and then 8 and then my brains starts to sppppuuuuuutttttttter and my eyessssss start to drooooooop and I know it's tttttttime foooooooooooooor bed.

The Lake

I've spent approximately 6 days at home since june.

I love it.

I saw some yellow in the trees yesterday.

I almost cried.

true story.

Typical scene from the trailer.

(Mariah, Ellie, Me, Lucy, Deb)

Uncle Bear's (Blair's) boat.

(Me, Blair, Ellie, Lucy, Erika)

Bike riding

(Lucy)

fly fishing on the Elk.

(Dusty and Amy)

Tubing

(Dad and Mo)

Coming in from Tubing

(Mariah, Ellie, Lucy, Me)

hanging out

(Lucy, Ellie, Penny, Deb, Mom)

polish

Auntie Bri

more relaxing

(dad, Darc, mom)

tanning

(Lucy, Me)

tubing... I'm thinking of going pro

(Me, Mariah)

Watermelon

(Dad)

gearing up

(Amy)

Just so happy we still have some summer left.....

(Ellie)

A big Happy birthday to Aunt Mo and Aunt Deb!!!

Sure glad you guys came to visit!