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 ..........

Our little family feels really blessed. 2008 was a busy year for our family and it has turned out better than we could of ever imagined.

We brought in the new year with my folks in Fernie at the Elkveiw Lodge. It was an absolutely stunning vista and the company was fabulous!

This year we are going to focus on not rushing and really taking life in.

Dusty and I are so very grateful for the wonderful life we have. We couldn't of picked better kids and both of our extended families are fantastic. We live in a spectacular area of the world and are in love with our house. Dusty's job is perfect for us. I am so thankful. I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for us.