My Happy Little Life

January 23-29, 2011

2011-02-01T22:02:00.010-07:00

This past week came and went so quickly that looking at these pictures now it seems like a month ago rather than a week ago that all this took place. Monday morning we woke up to frost covered trees and rooftops. Even a warm weather gal like me has to appreciate that kind of a scene.

Monday afternoon a special package arrived all the way from Cyprus. It was addressed to Baby Preslee. Emersyn couldn't wait to open it. Uncle Robert, Aunt Haley, Gabe, and Owen sent this darling Activity Book for her! Emersyn spent the afternoon playing with it so she could show Preslee all the ins and outs as soon as she arrives. Thanks Robert and Haley!

On Mondays I try to prepare all of our dinners for the week. Here is the bottom shelf of our fridge stocked with yummy meals that are ready to heat and eat!

After I got done cooking, Emersyn had a special treat for me. She cleared the dining room table and used it as a stage for her ballet recital. I sure love that girl.

There is a little snow hill in our front yard and every day after Jaxson gets home from school he climbs it and then dives into the snow. Even after repeated begging from his mother to please not cover himself in snow right before he comes in the house. Oh well. Boys will be boys.

I hit the jackpot this year! Jaxson and I loooove Cadbury Creme Eggs and are always a little sad when Easter is over and the eggs are put away until next year. Well, this year Wal-Mart started selling them in January! That's right. 4 whole months of gooey goodness!

Emersyn recently opened up a small doctor's office right in her bedroom. She is both secretary and doctor. Here is where you check in and state your illness. Today Grandma Clayton needed her nose un-stuffed.

Over here on the bed is where Dr. Emersyn will cure you of anything and everything.

My poor pigs have been in serious need of a pedicure for quite some time. Due to my very large belly, this is nearly impossible to accomplish. I finally broke down and decided to go for it, so Emersyn and I soaked our feet and painted our pigs. Emersyn even does her own painting now.

All finished! Side note: my feet are not typically this fat. I have started to retain some water. Not pretty, I know.

My super cute friends Bailey, Tricia, and Kassie threw me a baby shower. This is the darling invite the girls made!

The yummy refreshments!

Bailey and Tricia.

Tricia and Kassie doing up the tasty punch.

I received so much fabulous stuff! Preslee isn't even here yet and she is already spoiled rotten.

Jaxson spent Friday evening with some friends and he came home wanting to teach Keith a game called Ninja Destruction. It was hilarious. You rub your hands together and say "Ninja Destruction." Then you jump into a ninja pose. Then something about trying to hit each others hands, but not moving your feet. It was fun to watch.

I will sure miss the day when my little E doesn't leave me notes like this anymore. It says" You Are My Only Sunshine Mom. From Emersyn"

Another picture Emersyn made me. She loves to draw, color, and write.

This week I did a dog themed date! I made some puppy chow and left it in this canister with a little invite for Keith.

We played Walk the Dog. Yep, it's a kids game, but we had fun. I won.

We had some delicious greasy hot dogs and fries from Five Guys Burgers. Did I mention I won the game?

Then we shared an ice cream sundae out of this here fancy dog dish. Don't worry. I scrubbed it good after Harley ate his dinner. Just kidding. It's brand new. We were gonna watch Marley and Me, but at the last minute I decided I just couldn't do it. Why do all the dog movies have to have sad endings? Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, etc. Instead we watched The Office. No dying dogs.

Jaxson appears to be dying in this picture, but I assure you he is alive and well. Saturday mornings I make a list of all the household chores that need to be done and then we divide up the list and everyone pitches in to help get the cleaning done. Jaxson is a mighty fine bathroom cleaner, laundry doer, floor sweeper, average vacuumer, duster, and trash emptier. Here he is scrubbing the stupid cracks in my dining room table. NEVER buy a table with decorative cracks.

Emersyn cleaning the windows.

I have had a crazy sweet tooth lately. Late Saturday night I was craving German Chocolate Brownies like my mom makes. So, I made some. Then I ate almost the whole pan myself. Over several days, of course.

Brownies:

3 cubes butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
2 t vanilla
1 cup milk

Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting:

1 cup canned milk
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 cube butter
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 cup coconut (I only had 1 cup, but that wasn't about to stop me. They were still delicious!)
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine first 5 ingredients in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling. Continue cooking until thick, about 10-12 minutes. Add coconut and nuts; stir well. Spread over cooled brownies.

Also this week:

Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment and my c-section was scheduled for Valentine's Day at 1:00!

Emersyn also had a doctor's appointment Tuesday for her kindergarten shots. I can't believe she is old enough for kindergarten. I am so glad we are having another little one cuz I don't think I am ready to be done with this stage of my life just yet. She is in the 32% for weight and 17% for height. She may be small, but man is she cute!

Friday Keith and I turned in our license application for my in home preschool! We had our fingerprinting and background checks done and are now just waiting for the various inspections to be scheduled. I am getting pretty dang excited!

January 16-22, 2011

2011-01-23T21:20:00.007-07:00

We had a pretty low key week. Jaxson was sick all week so on Thursday I took him to the doctor. He tested positive for Influenza Type B. Poor guy. That is why I don't have many pictures of him this week; he hung out in bed with a book for the majority of the week. I am happy to report that he is feeling much better now and will be back to school tomorrow!

Monday was Civil Rights Day so there was no school. We had a pajama day (I think I love this more than the kids do!), made snowman cupcakes, played games, watched movies, and had waffles for dinner.

This is a special cupcake that Emersyn made for Keith.

I was unable to make it to the grocery store at the beginning of the week like I typically do, so by Wednesday I was out of everything. We made an Arby's run and had a picnic on the living room floor. The kids love when we eat on the floor. I guess the food tastes better that way.

Mom and Dad Hughes got this bouncy chair for baby Preslee. Luckily, Jaxson helped me assemble it. He knows a bit more about screwdrivers and their shapes than I do and, apparently, is also better at reading and following instructions than I. Thanks Mom and Dad Hughes! Preslee will love it!

Emersyn has a severe cross bite and had to get a palatal expanding retainer. She will have to wear it for about 3-5 months. It took some getting used to, but she is doing really great with it. I have been really impressed with how responsible and careful she has been with it. Her speech is still a bit off, but the orthodontist said it would take about a week for it to return to normal. She is such a good sport.

Friday was our at home date night and Keith was in charge this week. He spends a lot of thought and I really appreciate it. We have had tons of fun with our dates so far this year. This week, he made a queso dip and got Mexican sodas that we snacked on while we tried to watch Season 7 of The Office. It took us over an hour to watch a 22 minute episode!

WARNING: PROCEED AT OWN RISK!!!!!!!

Part of our date was to create body paint tattoos on each other. This is what Keith came up with:

Grotesque, I know, but I couldn't not include it. I thought it was sweet. It says "My Two Sunshines."

I have always had mad artistic skills (which is obvious here) and this is what I did for Keith. The red devil looking blob is actually supposed to be a cinnamon bear. Told you I had mad skills.

Here is Emersyn in one of her many princess dresses. She wears them almost all of the time. Ever since she ate lunch with the Disney Princesses she believes that she is truly royalty. I hope she never stops believing that.

Everybody knows that princesses have to host tea parties on a regular basis, and Princess Emersyn is no different. Today she served me tea (milk with pink sugar crystals) and crumpets (Cheez-Its).

Emersyn didn't like the milk with sugar, so I had to drink the milk then she would eat the sugar out of the bottom of the cup with a spoon.

Pinkies up!

Saturday evening we headed over to Mom and Dad Hughes' house for a visit. The kids always want to see Aunt Cole's pet.

Grandma and Emersyn played hunt for the alien for a really long time! Grandma was a great sport!

Grandpa and Jaxson love to play games together! Tonight they played Sorry!

We have been blessed with so much, but this week I am especially grateful for our good health and for family members that live close by. I had lots of extra help this week from the moms and I love them both!

January 9-15, 2011

2011-01-16T22:04:00.011-07:00

We enjoy playing games together as a family. Jaxson got Legos Minotaurus for Christmas this year and we spent Sunday evening playing it. Emersyn won this go round.

Monday was my lucky day!!! I went shopping Monday morning to find Keith a pair of slippers for our at home date. I didn't find any slippers, but I did find this coat from the Gap on clearance for a killer price!

I also had entered a contest from a fabulous illustrator named Tricia Rennea. Well, I WON!! She did this amazing custom illustration of me that I will use for my preschool. I look pretty dang cute as a cartoon! ;)

Emersyn has always loved the water and would bathe for hours a day if we let her. What she loves even for than a bath is a bubble bath!

We can almost always find Jaxson reading a book. In fact, we have a heck of a time finding books for him to read fast enough.

I went to bed early Monday night not feeling well. Emersyn had left this note on my pillow. The big smiley face is me, the little one is her.

Jaxson has had the opportunity of being in the Gifted and Talented class for the last two years at school. The class meets once a week and does a fun project. This week they folded these "Pup in a Cup." He is always so proud and excited to show us his special projects from this class.

Jaxson has scouts every Thursday evening. I think he looks so handsome and grown-up in his scouting uniform, but he keeps insisting that he just looks "regular."

Jaxson was chosen to Be Like Bentley at school this week. He was able to fill out this questionnaire that will be hung at school for the week. I love that he wants to be a spy when he grows up!

Emersyn had a bad dream and came upstairs to sleep on our floor for the rest of the night. It didn't take Honey long to realize she was there and joined her.

Ahhhhh! Heaven in a carton! No bowl needed.

I came home from doing some shopping Friday night and Emersyn had set up a picnic in the living room for her baby and some stuffed animals.

Emersyn and I picked up some cupcakes from the Cocoa Bean Cafe for Keith and I's Saturday night date. Here she is enjoying a cupcake. Or the frosting rather. She didn't touch the cake part.

Saturday Keith and Jaxson went snowboarding with some friends. Jaxson has been snowboarding since he was 5 and loves it. Like father, like son!

Here is the invitation I did to invite Keith to our date! I did a Baby, It's Cold Outside theme. The coat fit in perfectly with the theme!

I brought in some snow and we made indoor snowmen.

Masterpiece complete! My snowman is on the left, Keith's on the right.

A delicious cupcake sampler platter!

I made some homemade hot chocolate. So good! The recipe is:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups milk
4 T cocoa
1 t vanilla or peppermint extract

Heat all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for 10 minutes or until hot. Serve immediately with whipped cream. Yum!

After we made our snowmen, we sat by the fire eating cupcakes, sipping hot chocolate, and reading Shel Silverstein poems. Shel Silverstein has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Now my kids love to listen to me read his poems to them! Here a few of my favorites:

My Beard

My beard grows to my toes,
I never wears no clothes,
I wraps my hair
Around my bare,
And down the road I goes

The Battle

Would you like to hear
Of the terrible night
When I bravely fought the....
No?
All right.

Listen to the Mustn'ts

Listen to the mustn'ts, child,
Listen to the don'ts
Listen to the shouldn'ts
The impossibles, the wont's
Listen to the never haves
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
Anything can be.

Another great week! This week I'm especially thankful for a loving, hard working husband who loves me unconditionally!

January 3- 8, 2011

2011-01-09T21:41:00.005-07:00

Pretty much the only New Year's Resolution I made this year was to update my blog on a semi-regular basis. I have tried different ways to document what happens in my family's day-to-day life, but I'm no good at it. Traditional journaling is too boring for me and I just don't have the time to keep up with my scrapbooks. I decided to give blogging one more go and at the end of the year have all of my posts put into a family history book of sorts.

So in short, these posts will probably be a little boring for most. It is more a way for me to remember the little moments in time as I strive to find joy in my daily journey.

Monday night the kids were feeling restless as we waited for Keith to get home for work. We decided to play Freeze Dance. The kids would bust their best moves until the music stopped and then they would have to freeze. Here is one of Emersyn in the air and Harley looking on like he thinks she is nuts.

This is a frozen position. Jaxson was doing some funky break dancing or some such.

The kids spent a lot of the time they were dancing staring at their reflections in the window. Can't say I blame them much; they are pretty cute!

Jaxson was also doing some flying leaps through the air that made me giggle.

Emersyn receives a very small monthly allowance. She had been saving her money for quite some time. After she got paid in January, she decided she had enough to buy something. And all she wanted was to buy something for her brother. Moments like these make my heart happy. Usually it is fighting, screaming, and teasing, but they do love each other. Even if they fight like wild animals. Keith took her shopping and she picked out this Bionicle set for Jaxson. She was so excited to give it to him when he got home from school!

Keith talked her into buying something for herself as well, and she picked out a little microwave set that she LOVES. She is constantly cooking us plastic food!

This box came with our new baby seat in it. I was so excited because I pulled the seat out just before the garbage truck came down our street. I was gonna hurry and run the box out to the curb, but Emersyn saw some potential in it and asked if she could keep it. She did the designing and Keith did the cutting. She turned it into a house/restaurant. She keeps her microwave on the ledge and serves us our food. I have to say, she has a bit of a creative streak in her.

This is hard to see, but it is the design on the outside wall of her house. It says "Emersyn House", with the s written backwards.

I have no idea why I can't get this picture to turn the proper direction, but it is Emersyn giving my gihugant belly a hug and a kiss. She can't wait for her little sister to join our family!

Thursday I spent the day organizing and rearranging. Not exciting, but I did accomplish a bit. This is one of the closets I got cleaned. Space in this house is at a premium and we have to utilize every inch!

Jaxson noticed that our bananas were looking a tad nasty, so he asked if we could make some banana bread. Friday after school we whipped up a batch. Here is Emersyn. For the record, this is not the same outfit I let her leave the house in today. It is the fourth outfit and one of her choosing. I'm not a fan of black and brown together!

Apparently, eight year old boys are incapable of just smiling for the camera.

Our Friday night treat was these DELICIOUS floats! Apple Pie Floats to be exact. They are made with vanilla ice cream, apple cider, and ginger ale. YUM!!

Keith was in charge of our home date night this week, which was nice cuz I spent all of Saturday at an infant/child cpr and first aid class. We watched a movie and he made us these treats. Apple Pie Puff Pastries with ice cream and caramel sauce. The pastries were actually Pepperidge Farm and they were sooo good!

All in all it was a good week. The kids are getting bored with the winter and I find myself running out of patience way before I should. Thankfully, they are forgiving and loving with their grumpy mom! I am so grateful for them and the happiness that they bring to our lives. I can't wait for our new little one to come join this crazy mess!

Fun Craft Blog

2010-05-01T18:35:00.002-06:00

I have started a fun blog with craft tutorials & projects, recipes, and fun things to do with your kids. Hope you will come check it out! www.jenni-simplysavvy.blogspot.com

While your at it check out my mom's blog. She's just getting started, but her blog is gonna rock! She is a crafty craftsman and is going to have some crazy cool tutorials of her own. So do yourself a favor and hop on over to www.kringleberrykottage.blogspot.com

Snow Fun

2010-01-10T21:20:00.008-07:00

After the New Year we finally got some snow. The kids (and Keith) were thrilled. Me, not so much. I am a warm, sunny weather kinda gal. Keith built this little snow hill in the backyard. The kids could slide down it all day. Please pardon the crack.

Keith dragging the kids back and forth through the yard.

The kids on the sled that Jaxson bought.

Harley standing by the door waiting to be let in. FYI: Those are handmade, wool mittens that he is wearing. Lovingly hand-stitched by Keith.

Afterward we all enjoyed some yummy hot chocolate. Here is the recipe:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups milk
4 T cocoa
1 t vanilla

Heat all ingredients in large pot 10 minutes or until hot. Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Trip to the Zoo

2009-06-19T22:17:00.003-06:00

We took the kids to the zoo one evening last week. Here are a couple pictures.

T-Ball

2009-06-19T22:04:00.003-06:00

At first I complained quietly to myself a lot about having to go to T-Ball practices and games, but I have found myself enjoying them more now. Towards the end of the season. Jaxson has played his hardest and tried to be a good a sport. Except the time he had to bat with a pink bat. Any bystander would have thought it was the end of the world. And then we threatened him with his life and being grounded for the remainder of the summer. He did use the pink bat, but not with a smile on his face. All in all it has been a good experience for all of us. A special thanks to Coach Karen and to all of Jaxson's cheerleaders!

Emersyn the Ballerina

2009-06-19T21:58:00.002-06:00

Emersyn is taking a Jazz/Ballet class just for the summer. I love watching and she loves dancing! The class is 45 minutes long each week. At first I thought maybe that would be a tad too long for 3 years old, but all the girls in the class love it so much, none of them lose interest. She loves to wear her pink "dancing dress" and her ballet slippers are so tiny and cute!

Girl's Camp

2009-06-09T23:04:00.003-06:00

I have been consumed by Girl's Camp preparations lately. My poor kids. Every time they ask me what I am doing I say "It's for Girl's Camp." Today Emersyn brought me this little flower. I said "Wow, it's beautiful! Thanks." And she said "It's for Girl's Camp!"

Kindergarten Graduation and Binder

2009-06-09T22:49:00.010-06:00

The graduation program was so cute and the teachers, staff, and PTO went out of their way to make it special. They sent out invites, the kids sang a few songs, they received diplomas and little bears, and they even had refreshments afterward. We are so grateful to Ms. Bell who made learning fun for Jaxson this year and who was so patient with his boisterous personality!

Mr. Gauchay, the principal, interviewed a couple kids and Jaxson was his first interviewee. So funny! I was so mad that we forgot to take our video camera.

Our little graduate!

Jaxson and his best friend, Kyle.

Jaxson and his teacher, Ms. Bell.

This is what I put together for some of Jaxson's papers, art work, and report cards. So easy. I put a picture of him on his first day of school and had him write his name. He loves to look through it and it was so easy!

We Love Summer!!

2009-06-09T22:44:00.002-06:00

Our favorite time of year! We got a cheapo water slide and the kids have loved it!

Random Pictures

2009-06-09T22:30:00.011-06:00

My cute kiddos. They are my world.

A cold and windy day at the lake!
Gearin' up for boating season!

My pretty princess. LOVES the camera and insists on having her picture taken.

Keith's creation. Wakeboard rack/life jacket dryer off-er. Also featuring the new beauty (wakeboard) that the Easter bunny brought me.

Danny, Crystal, and cutie patootie Jace. Good-bye and good luck! We love and miss you.

My Mother's Day card made by Keith and the kids. I always get cute handmade cards like this. I love it!!

Blowing bubbles with Grandpa Clayton.

Emersyn wanted to look like a kitty cat so she drew some whiskers on her face. Not washable.

A Visit From the Tooth Fairy

2009-06-09T22:25:00.003-06:00

Jaxson FINALLY lost his first tooth the other night. The thing was loose for a long while and the replacement has been growing behind and slightly off center for some time. Hopefully, it will slide into place on it's own. He was very excited to find a 5 dollar bill under his pillow the next morning!

Family Pictures

2009-05-06T22:33:00.001-06:00

We had these pictures done when my brother and his family came for Shellie's wedding.

Las Vegas, Baby!! part 1

2009-04-30T22:55:00.004-06:00

Keith and I decided to take a sorta last minute trip to Las Vegas. It was really great to get away for a few days.

We left at 6:30 Sunday morning. The trip there wasn't too bad. We checked into our hotel around 3:00 Nevada time. Then we spent a little while wandering around our hotel, we stayed at Circus Circus, and then went to Adventure Dome. It is a 5 acre indoor amusement park inside the Circus Circus. We ate dinner at a little pizzeria where the food was average. Yes, these things were done on the Sabbath. I heard that Heavenly Father overlooks these things if done on vacation. Is that true? ;) After dinner we headed down the strip. We shared an ice cream sundae at the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop. Wandered around inside a few hotels. My favorites are the New York New York and the Paris. Hmmm. I wonder if that means that I really am a big city kinda girl? These are a few of the pictures from our trip. The one with the gondola is inside the Venetian.

Las Vegas, Baby!! part 2

2009-04-30T22:18:00.007-06:00

On Monday morning we took a shuttle down to Mandalay Bay where we went to the Shark Reef. That was pretty cool. After we were done there we wandered around the New York hotel and then had lunch at Gonzalez Gonzalez. I had the most delicious peach margarita (non-alcoholic of course.) After lunch we hit up M&M World. Then we just headed back in the direction of our hotel. We went inside a lot of the hotels on the way back and it took us most of the day to finally make it to the other end of the Strip where we were staying.

Tuesday morning we headed to the outlet mall and spent the morning mostly browsing. Funny thing though, both of us were moving around like little 90 year olds. Holy Crap, was I sore! Pathetic, I know. Once we were done shopping we went to the Macaroni Grill for a late lunch. It was nice because it was off of the Strip, so it was a little quieter. Here's a funny story for ya. My feet were KILLING me and at the mall there were several little kiosk type massage places and I really wanted a foot massage, but I just decided to get one once we got back to the hotel. I pulled out the yellow pages directory and flipped it open to the massage section. As I was looking, I noticed that most of the adds mentioned that they would come to your hotel 24/7. Well, I sure didn't think anything of it and told Keith to call one up and find out what the fee was etc, etc. So he calls up Brenda, Barb, and Brie and it wasn't until he was half way through the phone call that I realized I had just made my husband call HOOKERS!!! Well, she (Brenda, Barb, or Brie I'm not sure) really wanted Keith to schedule an appointment for later that night. Only $100 per hour and not even licensed massage therapists. Oops! I shall use better judgement next time.

Our original plan was to head home on Thursday, but I was missing the kiddos and we had done pretty much all we had wanted to (although I never got my massage) so we came home Wednesday instead. We stopped in Utah and ate lunch at the Maddox. Yum!

A huge thanks to Mom and Dad Hughes, and Mom and Dad Clayton for keeping the kids and dogs for us. We couldn't have done it without you. Love you all lots!!

I'm Back!!

2009-04-23T21:16:00.001-06:00

I have decided to bring back my family blog. Check back soon for the latest!

Remember When

2008-12-17T17:08:00.004-07:00

This one is for Christopher!!! I was wrapping presents the other night (my very least favorite part of Christmas. I HATE wrapping and I really suck at it) and used up several rolls of wrap. And it made me remember when me, my brother, and sister were young. For some insane reason my parents would leave Christopher in charge. Usually this was fine, but not at Christmas time. He saved the core from the middle of the wrapping paper and would make Shellie and I sit on the couch. If we got up or tried to move at all he would beat us with these. And let me tell you, they made these a lot sturdier way back when. When my parents returned home he would pretend that everything had been just fine and they would leave him in charge next time, too! They must not have believed Shellie and my stories. Oh well. We survived!!

Christmas Fun

2008-12-17T17:01:00.004-07:00

It has been awhile since I last posted. We have been taking it easy. Here is what we have been up to. One night we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. Santa and Mrs. Clause were outside at one house and they were handing out candy canes to the kids.

Edible Snowflakes

2008-12-03T20:05:00.002-07:00

We found this fun recipe in the December issue of The Friend Magazine. (For more info on the LDS church or this wonderful magazine for children click here.) You just warm a flour tortilla up in the microwave, fold it in half three times, cut with scissors, and fry it in a little vegetable oil. Then we sprinkled them with powdered sugar and sprinkles. They made a quick and yummy bedtime snack!

Baby Update

2008-12-03T18:49:00.003-07:00

We have had so many people call to express concern for us. Here is what is happening: Thanksgiving Day was when I started having some problems. Friday morning I went to the ER. They put me on bed rest, but I didn't take it too seriously. Yesterday morning I went back to the doctor and they had me go to the hospital for another ultrasound. The baby does have a heart beat, but it is beating too slow. They said it should be beating at 100 beats per minute, and it was only at 66 beats per minute. Also, he is too small. The doctors said to pray for a miracle and that is what we are doing! I am getting lots of rest, and honestly, it is so boring sitting around doing nothing that I think I may go crazy! I have to go back to the doctor tomorrow for some more blood work and back next Tuesday for another ultrasound. We would appreciate your continued prayers in our behalf. Thank you so much for your concern, prayers, and offers to help!

Randolph the Reindeer

2008-12-03T18:46:00.004-07:00

Every year after Thanksgiving my Mom comes up with a craft for us girls to do together. She usually does the majority of the project, too! This is what we made this year. Isn't he cute?!

Horse Cake

2008-12-03T18:44:00.002-07:00

I made this cake for my Dad's Birthday last week. I found the idea at Family Fun's website. Gotta love Family Fun!

Letters To Santa

2008-11-30T21:48:00.002-07:00

I saw this over at The Creative Homemaker. When you write your letters to Santa this year, take them to any Macy's store. They will deliver all letters to the North Pole, PLUS, for every letter they receive, they will donate $1 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation!

My Nativity Collection

2008-11-28T20:08:00.003-07:00

I LOVE Nativity Sets!!!

O Christmas Tree

2008-11-28T18:52:00.004-07:00

We set up our Christmas tree this evening. Each year I get all of us an ornament that represents something special we did that year. This year I got our ornaments in Disneyland, plus I got Keith a little wakeboarder since he got his boat this year. The kids got so excited looking at ornaments from past years. It is our special heirloom tree!

Fish in a Bag Soap

2008-11-24T16:00:00.002-07:00

I saw these over at Little Birdie Secrets (if you haven't been over there, you gotta check 'em out!) and thought they would make cute Christmas gifts for Jaxson to give the kids in his class. It's a fun craft that little ones can help with!

WINNERS!!!

2008-11-20T21:15:00.003-07:00

I am very excited to announce the winners of the Charity Raffles, but first I just want to say THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you for your support. Thank you to Crystal and Mom for the items to raffle and thank you to all of you who purchased tickets and to those of you that joined the swap. I wish I could give all of you a prize. All of the proceeds will go to The Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. They use the donations they receive to fund research, to help raise awareness for this rare disease, support families learning to live with pediatric cardiomyopathy, and patient education. Awesome! And now the news you have all been waiting for!!

The winners are:

For the Scentsy Pack: BARB
For the Nativity: GINA

Congratulations to you both! I must also thank my handsome assistant with the never-ending support he gives me and for drawing our winners tonight!

A Day Off

2008-11-20T21:03:00.003-07:00

Jaxson has been feeling very grumpy lately and I figured that he was acting that way because he isn't getting what he needs from me. I try to spend good, quality time with my children each day, but hey, I'm human and sometimes life gets the best of me. So I called his school today and told them he wouldn't be there. I did, however, check with the office first on the attendance policy. Apparently, they aren't too worried with how many days a kindergarten child misses. So we went to Seagull Book and found some great Christmas stories (awesome prices! if you love books go check them out), and then we went to McDonald's for a Happy Meal. Then we built towers out of Dixie Cups. This is a very cheap way to spend an afternoon! And we spent a lot of time reading stories. I must say that he has behaved better today than he has in a LONG time. We had the best day together! I guess when kids act up what they usually need most is love! I love you, Buddy!

Nativity Blocks and Scrabble Tile Pendants

2008-11-15T22:08:00.002-07:00

These are two of the crafts we did today. The Scrabble Tiles were a huge hit. There is a great tutorial over at Make and Takes.

Christmas Crafternoon

2008-11-15T22:04:00.003-07:00

Today was the big craft party. We had lots of fun and yummy treats!

Teacher Gifts

2008-11-15T22:00:00.002-07:00

I made up this little card set for Jaxson to give his kindergarten teacher for Christmas. There are two each of three designs. Then I tied the whole thing up with a coordinating pen and ribbon.

Daily Christmas Devotional

2008-11-15T21:40:00.003-07:00

I wanted to do something special this Christmas to help my little family remember why we celebrate Christmas, and to keep Christ as the focus of our celebrations this year. This Daily Christmas Devotional is my solution. I typed up a list with a scripture and a song for each day in December leading up to Christmas. All but two of these songs can be downloaded free of charge from www.lds.org.

December 1 Angels We Have Heard on High/Luke 2:13-14
December 2 Away in a Manger/Isaiah 9:6
December 3 Oh Little Town of Bethlehem/Micah 5:2
December 4 O Come, All Ye Faithful/Jeremiah 23:5
December 5 Joy to the World/Isaiah 40:3-4
December 6 Once Within a Lowly Stable
December 7 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear/Alma 5:50
December 8 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Psalms 24:9-10
December 9 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks/Jeremiah 23:6
December 10 Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains/Jacob 7:11-12
December 11 Once in Royal David's City/1 Nephi 10:4
December 12 What Child is This/1 Nephi 11:13,18
December 13 Little Jesus/1 Nephi 11:20-24
December 14 Who is the Child/Matthew 2:11
December 15 Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus/Helaman 14:3
December 16 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day/Helaman 14:5-6
December 17 I Believe in Christ/Luke 1:30-31
December 18 When Joseph Went to Bethlehem/3 Nephi 1:13
December 19 The First Noel/3 Nephi 1:19
December 20 Oh, Hush Thee My Baby/Luke 2:4-7
December 21 The Nativity Song/Luke 2:8-11
December 22 We Three Kings of Orient Are/Matthew 2:1-2
December 23 With Wondering Awe/Matthew 2:9-10
December 24 Silent Night/Luke 1:26-38,46-47 Luke 2:1-20 Matthew 2:1-14

I'm Pregnant, I'm Pregnant!!

2008-11-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Again. We are hoping and praying that we have better luck this time. And I am just too excited to keep it to myself!

Charity Raffles

2008-11-04T23:26:00.003-07:00

Don't forget that November 20 is the last day to get in on the fun raffles with all of the proceeds going to the Children's Cardiomyopathy foundation. The nativity retails for $150. The tickets are $5 each of 5 for $20. The Scentsy Warmer pack retails for $45. The tickets are $1 or 6 for $5. Please support a great cause! Just click the donate button at the top of my blog and send me an e-mail with your info.

Fun New Blog

2008-11-04T19:43:00.001-07:00

My cute sister-in-law, Glenna, has a fun new blog with cute crafts and yummy looking recipes. Check it out!

10 Weeks to a Merry Christmas

2008-11-03T15:51:00.001-07:00

Be sure you stop by my other blog to check out Week 4!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:00:00.002-06:00

We had a fun day and hope you all did, too!

Holiday Traditions

2008-10-29T21:38:00.004-06:00

I love, love, LOVE Christmas. I probably get as excited as just about any kid out there. I don't think that early October is too early to listen to Christmas music or watch my favorite holiday movies. In fact, my kids have been watching Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas for the last two weeks. Drives Keith nuts! He is perfectly happy to wait until Thanksgiving is over to start celebrating. Not me! One of my favorite things about this time of year is the special family traditions. And I am always looking for new, fun things to do with my family. So, I want to hear about YOUR favorite holiday tradition. The one that inspires me the most might just win a little something. Please share and later I will post about our family traditions and some new ones we are starting this year.

Fun Give-A-Way

2008-10-29T11:23:00.000-06:00

Check out Gina's give a way on her blog!

10 Weeks to a Merry Christmas

2008-10-28T22:22:00.001-06:00

I finally got Week 3 posted on my other blog. Sorry it was so late! Also, don't forget that this is the last week to sign up for the My Favorite Holiday/Winter Things Swap for Charity.

Wooden Spool Dolls

2008-10-27T22:34:00.003-06:00

I saw these cute little dolls made out of wooden spools on this blog. I made a couple and then I wanted to make some for Jaxson. I made the Incredible's, but the masks make them look angry. I do plan on making some more and I found a super-cute pattern for a soft, carry-along doll house to go with them!

Snickerdoodles

2008-10-27T22:21:00.003-06:00

Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookies. Last week I had to make some for Activity Days so I made a double batch so I could put some in the freezer. This is a very yummy recipe from the Lion House Pantry Cookbook.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup sugar
1-1/4 t. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2-1/2 T. water
6 cups flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

In medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine butter and 2-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and water; beat until fluffy. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 5 dozen 3-inch cookies.

To freeze the dough I just shape and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture, put them in a cake pan, put waxed paper on top and add more rows, flash freeze, and place in labeled freezer bags. That way you can enjoy a pan of fresh baked cookies anytime!

And the Winner is.......

2008-10-18T20:23:00.002-06:00

Sarahanne! You win the pocket Christmas planner. E-mail me with your contact info and I will get it in the mail. jenni@hughes.myrf.net

Fall Pictures

2008-10-18T20:12:00.003-06:00

We took the kids out to my parents' house and then down by the river in Firth today to take some fall photos. Here are a few of my favorites.

Scentsy Raffle for Charity

2008-10-17T21:24:00.002-06:00

My sister-in-law, Crystal, has donated a holiday Scentsy warmer and three yummy smelling bars to raffle off with all proceeds going to the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. The warmer features a very festive Santa and would make a great addition to any holiday home decor! The bars include: Cranberry Spice, Sticky Cinnamon Bun, and Enchanted Mist. So very good! The raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Just click the donate button, enter in the amount, leave a comment on this post, and then send me an e-mail with your name, e-mail, and the number of raffle tickets you want. The drawing will be on November 20 so the lucky winner can enjoy their new warmer and scents through the holidays! For more information on pediatric cardiomyopathy or on this wonderful not-for-profit foundation visit www.childrenscardiomyopathy.org

Don't forget the other raffle and swap with ALL proceeds going to the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. Scroll down to view and join the fun!

jenni@hughes.myrf.net

We Miss You Already!

2008-10-17T21:07:00.003-06:00

We were lucky to be able to spend some time with Keith's family this week. We even enjoyed lunch at the Snake Bite. Robert and Haley are headed over seas for a new job opportunity. We will all miss them, but we wish them the very best of luck with their new adventure! We love you Robert and Haley!

Eastview Ward FHE packets

2008-10-17T14:51:00.002-06:00

Here are the packets that we will be putting together for November. The themes are: Gratitude, Family Traditions, Thanksgiving, and Slow to Anger. Each packet includes a file folder, song, scripture, lesson, activity, and treat idea. We always have lots of fun putting them together. Hope you will join us! Tuesday, October 28 at 6:30. Call or e-mail me to sign up if you aren't already on the monthly list. jenni@hughes.myrf.net

Just Kidding

2008-10-15T23:10:00.002-06:00

Jen tagged me, too. This one is 6 random things about me.

1. I have a crazy hair phobia. Mostly cuz every other time I eat out there is a hair in my food. Nothing is more disgusting than that.

2. I am not a early riser. Hate getting up before 8:00 in the morning. Makes me grumpy.

3. I can pick things up with my toes.

4. My favorite flavor of ice cream is bubble gum.

5. When I eat a slice of bread I wad it up first. Jaxson also does that only he calls it "making dough."

6. I love Froot Loops.

I have been "tagged" a few times, so here goes.

2008-10-15T22:19:00.003-06:00

First, from Gina, I was supposed to go to my pictures and find the fourth picture in the fourth folder. It is from 2005. Wouldn't you know we would be boating.

The next tag, from Nicole, is this:

4 things I love about my husband: he is a GREAT father, he is gentle, he is a hard worker, and he always loves me, even when I am a jerk.

4 movies I could watch over and over: Grease, White Christmas, Nacho Libre, and Chicago. What can I say. I love musicals.

4 TV shows I watch: We actually don't have TV, but I heard Dancing with the Stars is good!

4 places I've been: Cancun, Las Vegas, California, and Canada.

4 places I'd like to go: Hawaii, Puerto Vallarta, Japan, and New York.

4 things I look forward to in the next year: another baby (wishful thinking), a vacation just for me and Keith (again with the wishful thinking), warmer weather, and winning the lottery.

And last, but not least, this one from Janeal.

8 things I am passionate about: my family, the gospel, raising awareness for pediatric cardiomyopathy, being a mom, organizing, spending time with friends, Keith, and Shutterfly scrapbooking.

8 words or phrases I say way too often: good crap, No!, whatever, Go sit in time out, maybe later, hell's bells ( pretty sure I got that one from my grandma. made me giggle every time.) 7 and 8 might be cuss words, and for the sake of keeping my blog family-friendly, I will just leave it at that!

8 things I want to do before I die: have another kid or two, go to New York, write a book, learn to surf, learn to ballroom dance, go to Hawaii, see my children grow to be happy and healthy adults, and grow to enjoy cooking.

There. I think that covers them all!

My New Blog

2008-10-15T18:53:00.001-06:00

I decided that it was time I had a blog for my personal stuff, and a blog for my creative stuff. From now on, the 10 Weeks to a Merry Christmas will be posted here. I will leave this week's drawing on this blog to keep confusion to a minimum! Don't forget to check out my charity swap and raffle. Just scroll down to join the fun!

Win a Pocket Christmas Planner

2008-10-12T19:50:00.003-06:00

Leave me a comment by Saturday about what you did this week to get ready for the upcoming holiday season, and you will be entered into a drawing to win this Christmas Planner! Anyone can play!

Charity Raffle and Swap

2008-10-11T22:33:00.001-06:00

Please scroll down to view and join the Charity Raffle and Swap with all proceeds benefiting the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation!!

10 Weeks to a Merry Christmas: Week 1

2008-10-11T21:54:00.004-06:00

Before you make any plans for the upcoming holidays, create a budget. Here are some tips to get you started.

Step1

Decide on an amount you are able to spend. It should be an amount you have available in a savings account, or an amount you can easily save between now and December.

Step2

Write a list of all the people you usually buy a gift for. Be thorough. Don't forget the paperboy, trashmen, hairstylist, boss, secretary, mailman, your kid's teachers or any of the other people you may buy a small gift.

Step3

Put the list in order of importance, or in order of amount spent - with the highest at top. Usually your children, spouse and parents will be on the top of the list.

Step4

Now begin to divvy up the amount of your total budget. Write down an amount you would like to spend for each person. Total it up. Does it exceed your total? Begin deducting from each person till you reach your total. In some cases, it may be necessary to eliminate a person entirely.

Step5

Keep the budget with you in your handbag or wallet. Look at it as you shop, and make sure you do not go over the amount per person.

Step6

Peruse the Sunday advertisements for the best deals or use shop comparison sites such as Shopzilla.com to find the most reasonable prices on hot items. Take advantage of free shipping offers that are usually frequent during this time period.

Make a Holiday Planner. This could be as simple as purchasing a small notebook that you use just for your holiday planning. Or you could make it fun and create your own. This website has a lot of cute ideas. Make sure your planner has a place for your shopping and card lists, receipts, a copy of your budget, and lots of blank pages for recipes or decorating ideas you want to try this year.

Start shopping now. After you create your gift list it's easy! Just keep your list in your purse and keep an eye out for the items whenever you are out and about. This is a good way to get some of your items on sale, too.

Put a meal or two in your freezer every week. That way when the busy holiday season rolls around you can focus on having fun instead of making dinner. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Easy Cheesy Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
dash of paprika

Place chicken breasts in a disposable aluminum 9x13. Mix all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Label and freeze.
To Serve: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Easy Swedish Meatballs
30 pre-cooked frozen meatballs
1 pkg. country gravy mix
1 cup sour cream
12 oz. pkg. egg noodles

Prepare gravy according to package directions. In a large saucepan, mix prepared gravy with 1 cup sour cream. Cool to room temperature. Place meatballs in a large freezer bag and pour sauce over meatballs. Label and freeze.
To Serve: Thaw overnight. Heat in large saucepan until meatballs are heated through and the mixture is bubbly. Serve over prepared noodles.

When you have accomplished these goals (before week 2) leave me a comment. One lucky person will win a homemade Christmas planner! I will try to get a picture of that posted later in the week.

10 Weeks to a Merry Christmas

2008-10-08T18:46:00.004-06:00

I love Christmas and I love to organize. And so I have come up with a fun weekly plan to help us all get our holiday preparations done early so we can focus on the true meaning of Christmas and enjoy the holidays a little bit more. 10 Weeks to a Merry Christmas will begin the week of October 12th and run through the week of December 14th. I will feature tips on everything from creating a holiday budget to preparing for house guests. I have also received several requests for more freezer meal tips and recipes, so I will include those in each weekly plan as well. Be sure to check back Sunday to get started on the right track to having a Merry Christmas!

Nativity Set Raffle for Charity

2008-10-02T19:50:00.004-06:00

My mom makes these AMAZING Nativity Sets out of river rocks. Each set is unique and takes her about 40 hours to make. She sells them for $150, but she has donated a set to be raffled off with all of the proceeds going to the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. The set includes: Baby Jesus, manger, Joseph, Mary, donkey, cow, two shepherds, three sheep, angel, three wise men, and a camel.
You can purchase a ticket for $5 or 5 for $20. Just click the donate button at the top of my blog, enter in the dollar amount for the number of tickets you wish to purchase, leave a comment on this post, and send an e-mail to me at jenni@hughes.myrf.net with your name and the number of tickets you are purchasing. THEN, on November 20, one lucky person's name will be drawn! And that person will be the winner! I will notify the winner via e-mail as well as announcing it on my blog. I will get it shipped right off so it can be enjoyed for the holidays.
Keep on reading for a fun swap with all proceeds benefiting the same foundation!

My Favorite Holiday Things Swap for Charity

2008-10-02T18:37:00.005-06:00

My daughter, Emersyn, was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy when she was 6 months old. Pediatric Cardiomyopathy is a life-threatening disease that affects about 300,000 children in the United States. Research on pediatric cardiomyopathy is extremely under-funded. For that reason, and to help raise awareness, I am hosting this FUNdraiser!! All proceeds will benefit the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. For more information on the foundation or on pediatric cardiomyopathy visit: www.childrenscardiomyopathy.org
Now for the fun part. This is a My Favorite Things Swap with a Holiday/Winter theme. You will be assigned a partner whom you will send your three favorite Holiday/Winter items, one handmade item, and a hand-written card. You will receive a fun package from someone else in return. In order to participate there is a $15 charge. All of that will be donated to the foundation.
All you need to do is join before October 31 by clicking on the donate button at the top of my blog, donate the $15, and send an e-mail to jenni@hughes.myrf.net with your name,e-mail, and address. Partners will be assigned by November 10. That will give you lots of time to shop for your partner before the package needs to be sent out by December 1.
You can still donate even if you prefer not to participate in the swap. ( But that's the fun part!!) Just click on the donate button and enter in your donation amount.
The more people that know about this the merrier, so PLEASE, mention it on your blog, send an e-mail to friends and family. Let's have some fun!!

Silly Emersyn

2008-09-29T21:42:00.003-06:00

Emersyn has a little Snap and Style Friends Doll that she loves to play with. One of the outfits is a little winter outfit complete with snowboard. This morning she brought me the doll and her jumprope and asked me to tie the rope to the doll. And then she took her doll "wakeboarding." It was rather amusing and Keith thought it was great!

French Bread Pizza

2008-09-29T21:37:00.001-06:00

This dinner took less than 5 minutes to prepare and it was yummy! My kids ate it right up. I used a wheat loaf of store-bought french bread, put on some store-bought pizza sauce, some mozzarella cheese, and some pepperoni. I broiled it in the oven for about ten minutes. Serve with a green salad for a simple and yummy meal!

Homemade Flashcards

2008-09-29T21:21:00.003-06:00

I made these flashcards for Emersyn. I just used 4x6 sized index cards and cut the squares on my Cricut. I am planning on doing shapes, numbers, and the alphabet, too. They were so fast and simple and lots cheaper than the ones I could find anywhere else.

Good Thing I Love These Two

2008-09-13T22:15:00.003-06:00

Most of you already know how much I love my dumb dogs. And good thing, too. Yesterday I had to take Harley (he is the handsome Boston Terrier) to the vet. Who knew that dogs could get ear infections? Not me. But apparently he had a real bad one and needed medication. So I grumbled and complained about the forty dollars that that little trip cost me. Then today, we come home from boating and Honey can't open her eye. It was swollen and weepy. So we called the vet. And a Saturday night appointment with the on-call doctor is eighty dollars just to be seen! Not to mention the three medications she has to take several times a day for the next week. Two hundred dollars later the dogs are on their way back to good health and happiness. Oh yeah- Keith thought it would have been cheaper to just have them put to sleep!

Frugal Living Challenge

2008-09-06T22:21:00.003-06:00

There was some interest in the challenge so here is the first one. Prepare a coupon holder. I liked the binder idea best for me, but there are a lot of other options, too. Check out www.frugalisfab.blogspot.com for more great ideas. Leave a comment on this post when you have accomplished this goal. Have fun!

More Info On Coupon Binder

2008-09-06T22:13:00.003-06:00

I have had a few requests for more info on the coupon binder that I put together. I found my binder at Wal-Mart in their seasonal section. They still have all of the back-to-school items there and had a lot of fun binders for cheap. The trading card protectors I got at Target in their trading card section (baseball cards, Pokemon cards) which is up by the registers. You can probably find them just about anywhere, though. Here are the sections that I divided my coupons in to:

(I listed mine alphabetically)

*baby
*beverages
*breakfast
*canned/boxed
*cleaners
*condiments
*dairy
*deodorant
*frozen
*hair care
*make-up
*medications
*misc.
*refrigerated
*snack/candy
*soaps/lotions
*store coupons
*teeth/shaving

I hope this helps!

Butter Syrup

2008-09-05T14:38:00.002-06:00

This is a very yummy recipe for homemade syrup. And so easy, too! We love it on pancakes, but it would also be great on waffles. Or just by the spoonful? Enjoy!

1 can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
1 T butter
1 t vanilla

Mix first three ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add vanilla and stir. Serve warm over pancakes or waffles.

Coupon Clipping

2008-09-05T14:18:00.006-06:00

I have to admit that I have always felt slightly irritated when I'm at the grocery store and the person in front of me pulls out a fat wad of coupons. The only coupons I ever use are the 40% off ones at Roberts and Michaels. But hey, tough times call for desperate measures. With the high cost of everything nowadays I have decided to join ranks with the tight wads. I mean frugal. I am going to clip coupons! I put together a nifty coupon binder. I have 16 different divider tabs and trading card protectors to store the coupons in. I also found an awesome blog called Being Frugal Is Fabulous. She tells you how to get started and keeps an up-to-date post of great deals and terrific coupons. Check it out! www.frugalisfab.blogspot.com If you are interested in becoming a coupon clipper, leave me a post or shoot me an email. Maybe we can come up with a fun weekly challenge or some such.

Freezer Meal Friday

2008-09-04T21:01:00.003-06:00

Baked Potato Casserole

1 pkg. shredded hash browns
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Mix together hash browns, bacon, sour cream, 1/4 cup melted butter, cheese, and onions. Place in a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with remaining dabs of butter. Label and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Potty Training

2008-09-03T22:24:00.002-06:00

I decided it was time to start potty-training Emersyn. I picked up some Dora and Elmo (her favorites) underwear to help with motivation. She wears them all right. Just not in the right place!

The Final Cake

2008-09-03T22:20:00.001-06:00

This is the final cake that I made in a four-week cake decorating class I took. So fun! I am starting with Course 2 tomorrow. The only downside is that I have been eating a lot of cake and even more frosting!

Happy 6th Birthday, Jaxson!!

2008-08-23T22:03:00.013-06:00

I can't believe that Jaxson is six today. Where does the time go? We feel so blessed to have him in our family. He's a compassionate, sweet boy and he makes us giggle a lot. Love you, buddy!!

Pirate Party

2008-08-23T21:36:00.011-06:00

We started off Jaxson's special day with a pirate themed party with his friends. We had such a good time! I thought the party was a smashing success. Hopefully the kids thought so, too. First the kids decorated craft foam swords with exploding glitter glue and stickers. Next they had to walk the plank over a sea of dangerous, man-eating, gummy sharks. Then it was off to pin the eye patch on the pirate. After that we played musical islands. Similar to musical chairs, but using paper plates as islands. Up next was Tic, Toc, Find the Croc. And last, but certainly not least, was the hunt for the treasure chest. We ate a yummy (and finely decorated, if I do say so myself) treasure chest cake with ice cream and opened presents. Jaxson got so many nice things that he was all kinds of excited about. His friends were so very generous. A HUGE thank you to Keith, Mom, Patti, and Jen for all the help before, during, and after the party. Couldn't have done it without you. Love you all!

Family Party

2008-08-23T21:29:00.005-06:00

This evening we had Jaxson's family party. All of our relatives that live close were able to come help us celebrate Jaxson's birthday. He wanted an Indiana Jones cake and I ordered this one from Wal-Mart. Thanks to everyone who helped make Jaxson's day special.

My Cake Class

2008-08-21T21:56:00.003-06:00

I have been taking a cake decorating class through Michael's. I am surprised at how much I have enjoyed it. Tonight we made these little clown cakes.

First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-21T21:40:00.005-06:00

Today was Jaxson's first day of kindergarten. He said that he was not excited to go, but I think that he secretly was and didn't want to let on. I could see him smiling to himself as we pulled in to the school parking lot in the rear view mirror. All went well till the bus ride home. You see, I wasn't planning on him riding the bus until next week. When I dropped him at school they told me that he could ride the bus home today. So my very nice neighbor wrote his bus number on his hand and tried to explain to him where to get off. I saw the bus drive down the street. I waited a few minutes. I saw neighbor kids come home. I waited a few more minutes. Jaxson has a slow streak in him and so I waited a few more minutes. Then I saw my neighbor round the corner. She had come to ask me if Jaxson had made it home. Then I started feeling a little panicky. A mini search party was launched. Two very sweet neighbors jumped in their cars to chase after the bus. Luckily, Jaxson was still on the bus. The bus driver had tried to ask Jaxson where he lived. Apparently, when under pressure, he can't remember his address. On a normal day he can. Anyway, the kindly bus driver drove him back by his bus stop so that tomorrow he would know where to get off. And then dear, sweet Randi (the helpful neighbor) brought him home in her van. Anywho, I thought Jaxson looked all grown up and very handsome in this picture taken in front of the school.

Murder at Deadwood Saloon

2008-08-17T23:14:00.007-06:00

My parents hosted a Murder Mystery Dinner Party last night. The theme was Murder at Deadwood Saloon. My mother needed another someone to be a saloon girl and that is why I was invited! She spent way too much time making the costume for me to wear. Everyone at the party was a little bit older than me, but I had a great time, anyway! I have to say that I was quite impressed with the costumes that my parents' friends showed up in. I thought that my Daddy looked so handsome in his costume. I kept trying to get a picture of him alone, but I didn't have much luck. The food was delicious and the entertainment was even better. Thanks, Mom, for the invite!!

A Day on the Lake

2008-08-17T22:54:00.011-06:00

Saturday morning we headed up to Blacktail to spend the day on the lake. It was a perfect day. Not much wind, not too many other boats. Keith's parents came with us. First we pulled the kids around on the tube, and then the adults took turns wakeboarding. Greg gave it a go and did awesome! Fun way to spend the last weekend of summer!

Back-to-School Backpack Kits

2008-08-10T20:45:00.006-06:00

I made this kit to put in Jaxson's backpack. Very inexpensive. All the items can be found in the trial and travel section at Wal-Mart. I used a soap dish for a mini first aid kit. It has an antiseptic wipe, a few bandages, hand sanitizer, and one dose of Tylenol and Pepto tablets for kids. I put it in a quart size zip bag with a package of Kleenex, a pack of crackers (a granola bar would also work great) and an index card with phone numbers for Mom and Dad as well as a few other family members that are close by. Each item could be easily replaced as used.

Chocolate-Almond Dessert Crepes

2008-08-10T20:31:00.002-06:00

I made these for dessert tonight and they were so yummy I just had to share!

1-1/4 cup milk
3 eggs
2 T butter, melted
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 T cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
2 t vanilla extract
Chocolate fudge ice cream topping and whipped topping
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt; add to milk mixture and beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 2 minutes. Add boiling water, stir until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar and cocoa; add cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Pour in gelatin mixture; beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet. Stir batter; pour 1/4 cup batter into the center of the skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to wire rack. Spoon or pipe chocolate filling down the center of each crepe; roll up. Drizzle with fudge topping and garnish with whipped topping. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve crepes immediately. Serves 12.

Freezer Meal Friday

2008-08-07T23:56:00.002-06:00

This one's for you, Gina!

Frozen Fruit Cocktail (a most delicious recipe from my mother-in-law, Patti)

6 cups peaches
2 cups grapes
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cups sugar
1-2/3 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
1-1/2 cup orange juice

Mix all of the ingredients together, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Spoon into labeled freezer containers and freeze.

To serve: Remove from freezer early in the day and let thaw partially. May add fresh banana slices or 7-up.

Boating (if you can call it that)

2008-08-07T23:19:00.011-06:00

Keith brought the boat home Saturday. That is when the bad luck started. Half-way home one of the tires on the trailer blew. Luckily my father-in-law (and his never-ending patience) went with Keith to Provo to pick the dumb thing up. Long story short it took them a VERY long time to get the tire off, drive back the way they had just come, get the tire fixed (or whatever it is you do with broken tires), drive back to where the boat was left all by it's lonesome on the side of the road, put the tire back on, and drive home. After all this trouble, Keith was still as excited as can be to take the boat out. He spent most of Monday and Tuesday morning cleaning the boat, rewiring trailer lights, cleaning the boat, putting bindings on his new wakeboard, and cleaning the boat some more. Tuesday afternoon rolls around and we meet our poor unfortunate hopefuls at the lake. My sister even took work off to come and Keith's sister and her family drove all the way from Rexburg to come. Oh, one more important point. My mother came and she is DEATHLY afraid of water. It's funny to watch her. We load everyone into the boat and drive over to the bird-pooh covered ( and I do mean covered) dock. Keith opened the back to pull out life jackets and realizes that our boat is taking on water. Awesome. He called the guy we bought the boat from and he so kindly informed us that there is a plug and that the plug was in the glove compartment. Who the crap keeps the plug there? By now we were having to tell my mom to take deep breaths and go to her happy place. Shellie decided that she would go back and help Keith get the boat pulled out and drained. For the sake of my mom's sanity I suggested that her and I and the kids stay on the pooh dock. After about 30 minutes some nice teenagers came over to where we were and asked if we were stranded. We told them it might be a possibility and they said they would check back in a little bit. Well, after 15 more minutes we flagged them down and they took us (and our very large tube) back over to the other side. Just as we were getting there Keith and Shellie finished up with the draining of the water from the boat. Of course!! And to my extreme horror, when we took our very large tube from their boat, what did I see? BIRD POOH!! All over the boat from the bottom of the tube. We once again loaded into our boat and headed back to our dock. Couldn't get enough. All was well for a few minutes. Shellie was able to wakeboard, but that was about it. We couldn't get the boat to level out. Shellie - all 110 pounds of her- tried to sit at the front of the boat to weigh it down. Funny picture. So we stopped and ate dinner and then tried again. Same problem. Poor Keith. He finally got frustrated enough and we decided to call it a day. I realize that this is a long story and for that I apologize, but looking back now, the whole thing is rather amusing. Don't tell Keith I said that.

Anyone wanna go boating?!?

PS Isn't Shellie cute? She's single!

Cupcakes

2008-08-03T13:02:00.002-06:00

The kids and I made these fun cupcakes that look like hamburgers and hot dogs.

Ingredients for hamburgers:
Nilla Wafer cookies
grasshopper cookies
red and yellow frosting
coconut tinted green for shredded lettuce

Ingredients for hot dogs:
circus peanuts sliced down the center
caramels rolled between your hands to form hot dog shape
red and yellow frosting

Vampires, Werewolves, and Books. OH MY!!!

2008-08-02T00:46:00.006-06:00

I have to admit that I have been "bitten." Yes, I too, am in love with Edward Cullen. The release of the fourth book in the Twilight series has been highly anticipated. So a group of us vampire crazies went to Barnes and Noble's midnight release party. It was absolute insanity! But fun. First we went to dinner at the Outback and then we headed to the bookstore. They had trivia games, face painting, nail painting, and a lot of people came in costume. At 11:30 they had us all go outside the store to line up. Earlier in the day they had given out wristbands with letters and numbers on them. Luckily, a couple girls in the group got letter A and they let them purchase multiple copies of the book. We had our copies before 12:30. Here are some fun pictures from our night.

Freezer Meal Friday

2008-07-31T22:41:00.002-06:00

I thought I would share two of my favorites this week since I missed last week. Enjoy!!

Country BBQ Ribs

3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 cups BBQ sauce (my favorite is KC Masterpiece)

Place ribs in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on High for 4 to 6 hours or on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove ribs from slow cooker and allow to cool. Discard liquid. Place ribs in freezer bag. Cover with BBQ sauce. Label and freeze. 8 servings.

To Serve: Thaw. Heat in microwave or on stove top until hot and bubbly. Serve with baked potatoes.

Freezer Meal Friday

2008-07-31T22:32:00.003-06:00

Grandma's Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat
3 cups sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup quick cooking tapioca
2 bay leaves
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Place stew meat in slow cooker. Add carrots, onion, celery and tomatoes. Stir in tapioca, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours. Remove from slow cooker and allow to cool. Remove bay leaves. Place in labeled freezer bag. Freeze. 8 servings.

To Serve: Thaw. Heat until hot and bubbly. Serve with cornbread or sourdough bread.

Provo

2008-07-29T20:21:00.017-06:00

On Sunday evening Keith decided that we needed to head to Provo to look at a boat. We made arrangements with my parents to watch the dogs and on Monday morning we were on our way. Provo Lake was beautiful!! I would love to have spent more time there, but the kids were tired. Keith fell in love with the boat, and yes, we have put an offer on it. Once we left the lake we went to a place called the Pizza Factory for dinner. The breadsticks came on long sticks and they were yummy! It was a fun place to eat. The kids and Keith spent the rest of the evening swimming in the hotel pool. This morning we went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. WOW!!! I was very impressed. They also had a lot of hands on exhibits. The kids really loved digging for dinosaur bones. After the museum we went over to the Farm Country area. It was fun to see the different farm animals and go for pony rides.

Super Card

2008-07-23T22:36:00.004-06:00

I am in a monthly card swap with some friends, and the theme for the month was Kid's Birthday. Jaxson was my inspiration for this card since he loves all things super! The inside of the card says "Hope your birthday is super-just like you."

Picnic at Tauphus Park

2008-07-22T18:55:00.007-06:00

I have been hearing a lot about the new play equipment at Tauphus Park, so we decided to pack up a picnic dinner (okay, not really, we grabbed sandwiches from Jimmy John's), tossed the kiddos in the car, and headed to the park. It was great fun! We all had a great time playing until the rain started to pour. That was fun for a minute, too, until my hair got plastered to my head. Not pretty. Then we went to Reed's Dairy for an ice cream cone. On the way back home we noticed a rainbow, but I was unable to get a picture of it.

Freezer Meal Friday

2008-07-18T21:16:00.002-06:00

Stromboli

1 loaf bread dough
8 slices deli ham, thinly sliced
20 slices pepperoni
8 slices provolone cheese
2 T. shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. dried parsley flakes
1/4 t. pepper
1 egg, beaten

Let dough rise until doubled. Roll loaf into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Arrange meat and cheeses down the middle of rectangle dough. Sprinkle each layer with spices. Fold dough around meat and seal pressing dough together on seams and ends. Wrap loaf with plastic wrap and then foil. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Place seam-side down on greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Slice loaf on a diagonal. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Jaxson's Ju Jitsu

2008-07-17T19:41:00.005-06:00

Jaxson started Ju Jitsu the beginning of the month. He loves it and he does so well. The sensai is all business. I like it because they really focus on self-discipline and control. These pictures are kinda blurry, but Jaxson was really excited to see them on "our website." He's the little guy in the green and navy.

Foam Crafts

2008-07-14T16:13:00.004-06:00

I try to do at least one craft project a week with Jaxson. I found this cute foam kit at Michaels for a couple of dollars. We had fun working together to get it done. Jaxson thinks a good home for it is on the kitchen counter. I'm not so sure!

Sunday Dinner at Grandma's

2008-07-14T16:03:00.005-06:00

Sunday evening we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Clayton's house for a most delicious dinner! Grandpa even made yummy homemade ice cream. Here is the recipe:

Vanilla Ice Cream

6 eggs
2 quarts heavy whipping cream
1 quart half & half
3 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1 T lemon extract
1 T vanilla extract

Mix all together and freeze according to manufactures' instructions.

Freezer Meal Friday

2008-07-11T22:07:00.002-06:00

I have recently fallen in love with freezer meals. Each week I try to put a couple away and on those busy days when I don't have the time to make dinner (or on the lazy ones when I just don't want to) all I have to do is pull a yummy meal out of the freezer!! So I thought that I would share the happiness and post some of my favorites.

Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds beef stew meat
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (1.25 oz) envelope onion soup mix
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
3 T red wine vinegar
1/4 cup quick cooking tapioca
1 cup sour cream

Cut beef stew meat into 1-inch cubes. Place stew meat and mushrooms in slow cooker. Combine soup mix, soup and vinegar. Stir in tapioca. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 12 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours. Stir in sour cream. Remove from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place in labeled freezer bag. 8 servings.

To serve: Thaw. Heat and stir until smooth and hot throughout. Serve over hot, buttered noodles.

Visiting Teaching Handouts

2008-07-11T21:48:00.006-06:00

I made these little handouts for the ladies that I visit each month. On one card is the lesson and the other is a favorite recipe of mine. The flower is a magnet. I thought it was a fun idea and makes it a little easier to contact the ladies that are hard to reach.

Fun at Lava Hot Springs

2008-07-11T21:35:00.006-06:00

Today Keith and I took the kids and my nephew, Clayton, to Lava Hot Springs. I have not been there in a very long time, and I have to say I was impressed. The thing that I loved most is that it was CLEAN!!!! Swimming pool dressing rooms are typically filthy, but this one was not. In fact, if necessary, I may have tippy-toed around barefoot! Cleanliness aside, we all had a great time!