Castle on the Corner

Help in the Kitchen

2012-01-04T09:30:00.003-07:00

It's been quite some time since making bread that I forgot about the type of help I receive in the kitchen when I do so.

A little break time snack. Note to self: it doesn't taste good when covered in flour.

...and the cleanup. Thanks Sam! The trail of flour that went from the kitchen to the bathroom to the front room was not pictured.

The Clean Up

2011-12-27T11:52:00.004-07:00

When I was little my room must have been very messy, I don't remember it being messy, but my mother sure does. She sent me to live to downstairs in the basement because of it. She must have been really tired of seeing the mess everyday as she passed it to get to her room. I do remember my father helping me clean my room one time by putting everything that was on the floor into a big garbage sack and throwing it all away. That taught me something...I didn't keep a messy room after that. Now that I have my own daughter I see what sorts of messiness she can create. I walk past her room several times a day and in so doing have seen it progress from bad to worse, I should say regress. Yesterday, I was done looking at it, it was time to clean up and clean out. We went through every bag, backpack, purse, every drawer, every box and were able to fill two trash bags and two give away bags. We rearranged the room to give it a new look. She did most of the work herself and she did so without complaint. These are the before and after pictures of a job well done.

To Mother

2011-09-19T15:46:00.002-06:00

To my mom, who was always yelling at us to either stay in or stay out!

Infallible Logic
A little boy, caught in mischief, was asked by his mother: "How do you expect to get to Heaven?" He thought a minute, and then said: "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door till they say: 'For heaven's sake come in or stay out.' Then I'll go in."

I Despise You...

2011-08-30T20:48:00.003-06:00

I despise you, laundry.

I motion for a week of just wearing the same thing everyday, no matter how stinky we get, just so that I can have a week go by without having to remember to change the laundry. Anybody going to second that motion?

My Eme

2011-07-28T11:19:00.002-06:00

My Emeline turned the wonderful age of 8. She is a most wonderful girl, who is kind, helpful, and beautiful. I am blessed to have her as a daughter and friend. She helps me remember what life is really all about.

I Just Don't Know Sometimes

2011-07-25T10:00:00.002-06:00

Why try to be good?

It's funny how emotions can change on a whim with one little tidbit of information. It's funny how upset and afraid one can become when things are taken away that are relied on heavily. And then all of it changes again when it changes for the better again. So why try to be good?...because when you try to be bad, things go wrong, then when we try to be good, things eventually go better.

This Poor Blog

2011-06-27T09:57:00.002-06:00

Down right neglect or forgetfulness? Either way...I have been neglecting this here little blog of mine. I have had a really, really, really slow computer that was getting slower and slower every time I used it so it would take me hours to get onto the internet, download some pictures, post them and then it would think for about two hours about actually publishing the post. The one really good thing about Mr. Jewels being back in school are the student discounts for just about everything including a brand spanking new super awesome computer. Now if I can only figure out how to get my pictures from the camera onto the computer I will be set and this here little blog of mine will come to life again.

Six and Counting

2011-05-17T10:45:00.003-06:00

I have found a pure love of knitting. My sister does it, my friends and neighbors do it. I've done a lot of washcloths, but the next step for me where knitting is concerned was, socks. Since Christmas I have knitted 3 pairs of socks and started work on a pair for my daughter that I'm trying to get done by the time her birthday rolls around next month. So mind you, some things have been neglected around the house, particularly the laundry. I think every one of our shirts that finally makes it to the closet are hanging there wrinkled. Thank goodness for Suit Coats and forgiving friends.

Disaster, Disaster, New Computer

2011-04-06T19:13:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday, 5:00 a.m. woke up to Mr. Jewels asking if I'd like to go swimming in the basement. Our water softener, which, by the way, we had just fixed after years of not having it work, overfilled and spilled out during the night. A tube had come loose. We filled up buckets and buckets of water and watched as the things that had been floating around finally find solid ground. Second disaster...went to help a sister-in-law and her roommate pick up some mattresses for their new apartment 45 minutes away from where we live. Having been told that these were twin mattresses I left home with a tarp and some string and I mean string, not rope, that Mr. Jewels had handed me. They were not twin mattresses, they were full size, two mattresses, two box springs loaded into my small and old Nissan pickup truck. Strapped down with tarp and string I headed onto the freeway to make it back to their place. As I was heading onto the freeway going 40 mph, I see in the rearview mirror the tarp and top mattress fly across 4 lanes of traffic, not hitting a single vehicle and land in the left hand side meridian. I called Highway Patrol to assist me in getting this mattress. He comes and tells me that we are going to get up to speed and dart across the lanes over to the left meridian and then back up to where the mattress is and load it back onto the truck. I suppose I had a look of terror on my face because he said "no, that's too dangerous." After some phone calls to family to come help, we tied down the remaining beds with actual rope and headed back home going 40 mph all the way, leaving behind a good mattress for someone else's lucky day. And now I get to type this post on a brand new computer, this is a first for me.

Making Sweet Socks

2011-02-19T20:56:00.003-07:00

To be honest, I'm still just working on one sock, but I'm on the foot already. That's gotta be a good sign. Now the real test is figuring it out again for the next sock.

True Love

2011-02-17T18:28:00.002-07:00

This is what Gordon B. Hinckley as said about it..."true love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion."
He also said "love is the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death."
Thou shalt live together in love (D&C 42:45)

Hope Through Sacrfice

2011-02-13T21:25:00.002-07:00

It has taken me quite a few months to feel any type of hope for the success of our future. After months of looking and applying and interviewing for jobs and praying and fasting and trying to not give up hope, Mr. Jewels and I have decided that the Lord wants for us to give up on the job search temporarily and go back to school to earn a doctorate degree. Hopefully by then the job market will look a lot better and if not, then he will have the option of teaching.
I have felt of lot of varying emotions through this whole process, and at first I was quite content and happy, but as time moved on I began to feel differently, just to name a few...despair, envy, anger, jealousy, pity, grief, selfishness, humility, embarassment, sadness, fear, and finally, hope. Hope through sacrifice. I had to ask myself "Am I willing to give up all that we had been working towards for what the Lord sees for our future, although I cannot yet see it?" It's scary and humbling to allow our Heavenly Father to direct our lives and take care of us. I had to be submissive. With much pondering, help and prayer, the Lord has taken those awful feelings and replaced them with hope, love, desire, willingness, happiness and a renewed faith. I have learned that it is okay to stop and cry for awhile. I have learned that life is full of sacrifices, sometimes easy to make, sometimes hard to make. I know it won't be easy these next couple of years, but there is still hope. "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

Homemade Goodness

2011-02-12T17:51:00.003-07:00

I love the frugal way of life, so anything that will save me some money I want to try. I saw on a television show that I can make my own cleaning supplies, now I have always known that I can make my own cleaning supplies, but now that I have seen it, I believe it (seeing is believing). I have made a disinfectant cleaner for all around cleaning, glass cleaner for windows and mirrors and laundry soap for...you guessed it, laundry. Here are the recipes, if you decide to make your own.
DISINFECTANT CLEANER
3 cups hot water
2 tsp Borax
4 TBSP White Vinegar

GLASS CLEANER
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 TBSP Vinegar

LAUNDRY DETERGENT
1 Bar Fels-Naptha Bar Soap
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup Baking Soda
Grate the bar soap as fine as you can, add 1 cup Borax, add 1 cup Washing Soda, add 1/4 cup baking soda. Stir well. Place in airtight container. Use 2 tablespoons per regular load of laundry. You can add a scent if you like, something like lavender oil or tea tree oil, just a little bit goes a long way.

I have some cucumber and peppermint oil that I'll give a go, I want my family to smell fresh and sweet all year long.

Coming Up Short

2011-02-02T10:28:00.003-07:00

They say that Necessity is the Mother of Invention, I believe that to be true when it comes to the invention of the Bread Machine. I do love that I know how to make bread, but now with my time being spent on other things and having never used a bread machine, I thought I should at least give this machine a try. It only takes about 5 minutes to drop all the ingredients into the container and with the push of a button, it is off and running, three hours later, bread. I borrowed the machine from Amy down the street (thanks Amy) and was ready to go. I tried it three times but every loaf came out like this.

It may have been the yeast, I'm not sure. A little disappointed, I returned the machine. I will stick with the "natural way" of making bread.

Work

2011-01-16T20:51:00.001-07:00

"By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.”

Reflections on a Consecrated Life
D. Todd Christofferson.

The Start of Something

2011-01-14T10:22:00.004-07:00

The longest night of the year, December 21st, Winter Soltice, the kids last day of school for winter break, we decided to celebrate and start a new tradition in our home, (we have very few). We set up the kids tent in the front room next to the Christmas Tree and let them sleep there for the night. It ended up that they did it for two nights, I believe we started a successful tradition. (Again, the date on the picture is wrong)

I remember giving birth to that little boy, but honestly I have no idea where he came from. He is so weird.

The morning after. It's fun sleeping in new places, but nothing beats sleeping in your own bed.

Happy Belated Winter Soltice.

Love is the Best

2011-01-09T21:28:00.003-07:00

Sweet daughter of mine puts notes on my nightstand from time to time, her latest one has helped me beyond words. I love her so much.
(Note: the date on the pictures is way off.)

A Charmed Life

2010-12-10T22:01:00.002-07:00

Every time we celebrate a birthday I reflect on how many years of marriage were under our belt when these little ones came into our family. Amazing how immature and young we can be and still be held responsible for the nurturing and raising of these little ones that come.

So this year as we celebrate our oldest's 11th birthday and our youngest's 3rd, we have 10 years (oops, I mean 12) of marriage under our belt and now feel ready, mature and old enough to raise these little ones. We don't look so scared anymore. It's a charmed life.

It CAN Be Done

2010-11-14T21:10:00.003-07:00

This is my second or maybe third season for canning. I still don't own any of the big required equipment needed for the process, but because of some great neighbors I have been able to complete the processing. This season brought lots of salsa, spaghetti sauce, grape juice, apple juice and apple sauce. By far, my favorite had to have been doing the apple juice and apple sauce. They look so beautiful in the jars and taste even more delectable and having a friend to help you out is fun and better than going at it alone.

Here's to You, Children of the Seventies

2010-11-08T11:41:00.003-07:00

Going through my children's clothes I found this suit that my mother saved from when my brother was little. This is a classic pin striped suit. I have two other great outfits, but I'll save those for another day. People must have thought I was going crazy, having dressed my son this way for church, but his Nursery Teacher thought he looked very handsome. I'm pretty sure she has children who grew up in the seventies. May good fashion never die.

Learn to Wait

2010-10-26T21:34:00.003-06:00

Let us, then, be up and doing
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I was reading many passages in my Simple Abudance book the other day trying to catch up to where I know I should be and this poem struck me and has stayed with me for many days. Oh, how grateful I am to be someone who is blessed with a desire to be up and doing and how grateful I am for a husband who is also blessed with a desire to be up and doing. At this time if I could only remember each day that striving and struggle precede success, even in the dictionary. I love our food storage, I love our financial reserves, I love being out of debt, (except for the house), I love tithing and fast offerings, Gordon B. Hinckley said it doesn't take money to pay tithing, it takes faith, I love having a Prophet who is the watchman on the tower for me, I love that I still have some babysitting jobs and I love my new job of cleaning. I love the effort my husband has taken in finding and even being grateful for small part-time jobs that come available. If only I could love the wait.

Dumpster Discoveries

2010-10-05T21:43:00.002-06:00

I have done a little dumpster diving in my time, but mostly it is walking into the big ones and not diving into the small ones that are usually behind stores, these dumpsters have been on my block for neighborhood cleanup, so it is fun to see what people throw out. Here are just a few of my fun finds.
Some old windows.

A ladder for the pumpkins to grow on next year. I have been looking a long time for an old wooden ladder and there it was in the dumpster, what a blessing.

This really neat door, the window opens from the top and is stopped by this chain. The picture is crooked, not the door.

This was a bathroom cupboard, I just took off the doors and gave it a nice coat of paint, then some whacks with a chain and some rubbings with sand paper. The box next to it was also in the same dumpster. I don't know what to use it for yet, but I love it.

Love-Hate Relationships

2010-09-10T10:44:00.002-06:00

I love when the kids go back to school... I hate that I am more busy in the evening with schoolwork and all the little tidbits of information to pay for this, donate that, buy this to help our school out stuff and when is this money due?

I love using the county library... I hate getting the notice that I have a library bill due because of damaged books. I know that we did damage one book with water, but the other book I couldn't tell anything was wrong with it, even the lady that brought the books out for me to see had a very questionable tone in her voice to the so-called "water damage" on the title page of the book. Oh, well, I actually like the books I had to buy and it was actually cheaper than buying them from the bookstore.

I love Yoga...I hate rolling out of bed early in the morning to do it. I just started doing it this week. It's really only a 30 minute workout, but I am so tired, it feels like forever. Though, I love the way it is making my body feel. I've been told that I can always work on my flexibility.

I love reading the scriptures...just not the Old Testament. I can't use the word hate in that sentence, I might go to H E double hockey sticks if I do. So I have added Gordon B. Hinckley's "Standing a Little Taller" to my daily reading. I have lots of favorites, but for now, since it is harvesting time and I am having a hard time getting excited about preserving what I have harvested, this one is for me..."Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is a sin." James 4:17, and then Gordon B. Hinckley says; "You can't plow a field simply by turning it over in your mind."

Jack

2010-08-21T17:51:00.002-06:00

What a wonderful concert he puts on, this Mr. Jack Johnson. It was amazing. I hadn't been to a concert for a long time and Mr. Jewels had NEVER been to a concert, so it was a special treat for me to be the one to bring him to his first concert. We met up with some friends of ours, who have a huge blanket to sit on. While we waited for the bands to come out the men played with their phones and the women talked about life. The funnest thing was watching all the other concert goers getting more relaxed with their alcohol and the wonderful dancing they did, plus all the picture taking they did, I bet they have twenty pictures of the same friends doing the same thing. Plus, we haven't stopped listening to Jack Johnson since the concert.

Money-Making Scheme

2010-07-29T18:55:00.002-06:00

Mr. Jewels and my son both have their own paper routes, so I thought that it would be a great idea for me to save the extra papers they bring home everyday, bundle them up when it got to be a lot and take them to the local recycler and turn them in for cash. My daughter has been doing the same thing, only with aluminum cans. So we took our sweet money making load to the recycler, had them weighed and took the receipt to the cashier to get paid. The total came to $6.54, I asked the nice lady how much the cans came too so I could pay my daughter the right amount and she said $5.72, and then she sweetly added that the newspapers came to $0.82. I saved a whole years worth of newspapers, bundled them up, stacked them in the car and drove them for a whole $0.82. I even used a 1 cent bonus coupon. I feel ridiculous.

Sanctuary

2010-06-30T15:03:00.002-06:00

Sanctuary: refuge: a shelter from danger or hardship.
Monday, my sanctuary was in my bedroom with the window blinds open to let in the light and the view of the trees, the window air conditioner on to bring on a cool breeze, the bed with all its' sheets, pillows and covers properly placed and the latest read from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine. All was somewhat quiet and relaxed. It didn't last long, but for howcver short a time it was, it was still my sanctuary for the day.
"Sanctuary...is a word which here means a small, safe place from a troubling world. Like an oasis in a vast desert or an island in a stormy sea." Lemony Snicket

Making It

2010-06-17T15:32:00.003-06:00

Memorial Day Morning...First trip all the way to the top of Malan's Peak. Exhausting. But I liked it and have done it twice since. It's fun seeing our little city from up above. Isn't it beautiful?

It All Started in a Garden

2010-05-18T13:46:00.003-06:00

On our trip to Midway, they had a sign in their garden that said, "It All Started in a Garden". It took me awhile to figure out what that meant, then, oh yeah, Adam and Eve and the creation. I suppose God likes gardens and I should try to make my own a thing of beauty, but I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that buying this home on the corner would have come with a lot of yard and therefore yardwork. I was just so in love with the home, I didn't seem to care. We have definitely made progress over the years, but I still find myself envying those homes with little yards. Spring in this front yard is by far my most favorite.

Week Starter Trip

2010-04-22T16:43:00.003-06:00

Mr. Jewels and I decided to finally take a little getaway, without the chillins, at the beginning of the week instead of on the weekend. Only downside is that all the fun antique shops are only opened on Friday and Saturday. But, anyhow...It was wonderful. We drove to Midway and stayed at the Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast, which is an absolutely wonderful and cozy place to stay. Lots of birds, a lake to boat on, trails to walk around, waterfall to admire. They made us a fantastic breakfast of stuffed french toast, topped with whipped cream, fresh fruit and bacon. We also dined at some really good restaurants, took a little drive around Midway and a little hike around Deer Creek Res. Here is a picture of a house we drove by and looking at it from one side it looks like the roof is warped, but looking at it from the other side it is perfectly flat.

A big bird's nest on top of a pole by the reservoir.

Conversations

2010-04-06T14:20:00.003-06:00

Driving home from the store, my Sam begins a conversation with me that includes some of the words he knows, like monster truck, Prime, Bee, cars and a lot of umms and mumbling, but he begins each conversation with "Mom". All I have to say back to him is "Hi Sam" and he fills in all the rest. I love it. It makes me believe that yes, we can enjoy each other's company. There can be peace mixed in with the whining, crying and screaming. How our Heavenly Father must feel, when He knows there can be peace mixed in with our whining, crying and screaming. Today marks the 180th anniversary of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how grateful I am to have this gospel in my life and in the lives of my children. "It beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." (Alma 32:28)

So, what do we eat? Answer: Beans and rice with a side of water.
Just Kidding.
Cereal with milk, cottage cheese, pbj sandwiches, ham sandwiches, ramen noodles, string cheese, chicken, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, beef & black bean and tomato burritos, spaghetti with meatballs and homemade garlic bread, chicken haystacks with rice, cream cheese chicken with rice, baked chicken with spaghetti (a food storage favorite), yogurt, bacon, pancakes, we like our pancakes with chocolate chips, yummie, scrambled eggs, cream of wheat, pizza, pasta salads, macaroni and cheese (mostly just for the kids) bagels with cream cheese, enchiladas, cake, goldfish crackers, swedish fish, and other snacks that are on sale at the store. I do use powdered milk a lot when we run out of the real stuff, but honestly I can't tell the difference anymore between the real milk and the fake stuff. Morning Moo's is the best. And I try to make bread as much as possible. There you have it. They are not the most elaborate meals and I don't have teenagers yet, so I think that's why I haven't spent a lot on food, I'm curious to know though, what am I not buying that others are?

A Crazy Challenge

2010-02-16T10:12:00.003-07:00

I have been going to the second round of the financial class that is being offered at my church. Last Thursday we talked about getting Only Big Big Bargains and one lady commented that there is a website that shows you how you can spend $40.00 a week for a family of four. So I got the crazy notion in my head that I am going to give it a try, only with $50.00 per week since I have a family of five. Mr. and I are on step three of the program which is to finish building the emergency fund. So if I can pull this off for a little while to help build that fund we can get it done sooner and move more quickly to the next step. I usually spend $380 per month on groceries, averaging $95.00 per week and I have been doing pretty good. If I go over budget one week then I have to take it out of the next weeks budget. Anyway...I figured since I try to go shopping every other Monday, I could spend $50 at Costco and $50 at the grocery store. I gave it a try yesterday and clipped my coupons and sent myself to Costco first. I spent $59.00 there, (I bought a frozen pizza that I knew would take me over the budget, but it looked really good.) Then I headed over to Smith's and spent $17.75. It was hard just getting the bare essentials, but since I have also been establishing a food storage I can use that to supplement for the next couple weeks or months. I think this may work.
I know the picture has nothing to do with the post, I am just getting excited for warmer weather to return. Do you like the eyebrow he drew on himself?

Loving Something New

2010-02-04T09:12:00.004-07:00

I am loving the new shelves that Mr. built last week for our Food Room, and they extend under the stairs, which makes me love them even more. I now have more space for wonderful food storage items. They give me renewal on what the Prophets of the Church have been teaching for years and years and years..."Establish a Food Storage." With my new sense of renewal I went grocery shopping on Monday and saved more money than I spent. Loved It.
And I am loving the freshly painted door to the food room. I was even able to get the paint off of the beautiful old door handle. (I boiled it off)

This is Fun?

2010-01-20T13:34:00.004-07:00

Mr. Jewels signed up for the first annual Utah Crossfit Games which was held Saturday, January 9th at the Olympic Oval. We spent all day watching men and women suffering through grueling workouts. Mr. Jewels is in all red. Doesn't he look excited to compete?!

Worth Repeating

2010-01-07T13:32:00.003-07:00

"And now let us welcome the New Year
Full of things that have never been."
Rainer Maria Rilke

Nine things done for the first time last year worth repeating:
1. Baking Bread
2. Square Foot Gardening
3. Canning Spaghetti Sauce
4. Having the Windows Professionally Cleaned
5. Knitting
6. Setting and Reaching Financial Goals
7. Stocking Up
8. Clipping Coupons
9. Shorter Hair (well, not really for the first time, but the first time in a long while)

10 and 2 and 11.25.09

2009-12-08T17:10:00.002-07:00

December brings a celebration of birthdays of our two sons born eight years and a day apart from each other. This year also brought with it a little financial joy as well. We sent off our LAST school loan payment on November 25th! We have only now to pay off our home. It is such a weird feeling to have that debt gone, I can't describe it. I wonder if I look different? Merry Merry Christmas!

I Miss

2009-11-13T18:43:00.002-07:00

I miss Primary. I love Primary. I went to Relief Society for the first time in almost ten years and something just didn't seem right as we were waiting for everyone to arrive and get started. It was the music. She wasn't playing Primary Songs. Those songs have started my Sunday morning for a long time. I will miss those sweet tunes. In Primary, the gospel is simple and the spirit is sweet. I now will need to gain a love for the other things the gospel of Jesus Christ has to offer, but Primary will always be on the top of my list for the things I love.

Merry Halloween!

2009-11-06T14:54:00.002-07:00

A little late, but at least I have finally gotten around to it... here are the highlights of our Halloween this year. Jon was himself, he wore a pin that said "I'm ME". Mr. Jewels and I were the Buddy the Elf and his Girlfriend, I always forget her name in the show. Eme was cat girl and Sam, with a bruise still on his chin and new front teeth, a pirate. We spent all of $5.00 on our costumes this year. It was awesome. Have a Merry Halloween. And yes we passed out candy canes and played Christmas music at the Trunk or Treat. Tis the Season!

Summer Learning

2009-10-16T12:11:00.003-06:00

Knitting.
My great aunt showed me how when I was about 10 years old. I still had the project in a box, unfinished, with the instructions close by. After awhile you forget what the instructions mean. So I reluctantly took my knitting project to the knitting class this summer. One of the instructors looked at my project, pulled it off the needles and undid it all! But I'm grateful for it. I am learning to knit. Granted, I have only done washcloths so far, but I am doing different stitches, my latest is the seed stitch, which I love. It reminds me of a cozy fire, sipping hot cocoa and watching the leaves fall. I think I like knitting.

Unbelievable

2009-09-30T14:14:00.002-06:00

One of my goals for this year has been to fill our food room with food storage. Starting out small and simple I thought it would take me awhile to fill the shelves and especially with the amount of money we have budgeted every week, it was close to impossible to buy a little extra to store. But with a little faith, I wrote down my goal, started searching the LDS websites for ideas on food storage, looked for money saving tips, started using coupons and sure enough my shelves are filled and spilling over. I went to the store and of course to Costco for milk and butter and my total bill for this weeks' groceries and some items for storage was $58.00! I still can't believe it. It's like the Lord knows what he's talking about when He tells his Prophets to tell his people to establish a food storage. We have been truly blessed in this area of our lives. I now have a greater testimony of following the Prophets.

Porch Buddies

2009-09-03T11:41:00.003-06:00

We are porch buddies. He'd rather sit by me and watch the kids play than go play with the kids. It's very flattering. And yes, that is a pot of flowers that he is holding.

Yes I Can

2009-08-31T14:46:00.003-06:00

There are certain expectations that come with growing a vegetable garden, like preserving what I have grown. There is so much produce for us to eat on a daily basis that it becomes inevitable that I must somehow preserve these fruits and vegetables for later and so therefore I can. I only started last year and only did salsa and freezer jam. This year I have to do a lot more. I did tomatoes which after reading the instructions over about 20 times was pretty simple. It's funny to me that learning and doing one thing leads us to learn and do other things.

Presenting...

2009-08-12T20:20:00.001-06:00

The Fruits of My Labors

Enough said.

Uinta trip

2009-08-04T16:10:00.003-06:00

Some neighborhood friends of ours invited us up to their family cabin a couple weeks ago. It is beautiful up there. We enjoyed the weekend very much. We didn't even have any car or tire trouble. Seriously Blessed!

Post

2009-07-21T15:06:00.003-06:00

I found this post at a yard sale, the only one I've been to so far this summer. It has found a home in the dining room. I did buy another smaller post and its home is outside with the potted flowers. This one is in better shape so I felt it deserved a place in the home, away from the elements. This post helped me get the umph I need to finish decorating the walls in the dining room. It is now complete and I love it. I do want to change the sideboard table but that will come in it's own due time, ie...when I have the money for a new one.

And here is a status update on the vegetable garden. These pictures were taken on July 1st.
The first pepper brave enough to show itself to the world.

An overall view of the garden.

CORN!

Gone, Gone, Gone, it's all Gone

2009-06-29T13:58:00.003-06:00

I have had long hair for 6 consecutive years. I gave myself two options; trimming it or donating it. I made the decision that I would donate it, so that meant a shorter hairstyle. So here it is and yes this picture was taken of me by me, which I have never, ever done before, I look a little tired or I caught myself in a half-face.

And here is the hair that will be mailed off to be made into a wig. It feels good. And I love my hairstyle. I now get to use a flat iron again. Yippee!

Steel and Birthday

2009-06-15T16:12:00.005-06:00

Eleven Years. On June 11th we celebrated eleven years of marriage. The traditional gift for this year is steel. Even though last year we decided to skip getting each other a gift to go with the year, this year without knowing it got each other something made of steel...a pullup bar and a garden pot. I received the garden pot, just in case you were wondering.

We also celebrated Eme's birthday on June 13th. She drew a picture of what she wanted her cake to look like, a pink Christmas Tree with a blue sky and green grass. We got pretty darn close. I love having her as part of our family. She is such a delight.

Hunger

2009-06-15T15:34:00.002-06:00

Why am I so hungry right now? I ate lunch just a little while ago and I am starving right now. When I finally get some time to sit down at the computer to check up on all the blogs I now have to stop and get something else to eat so I can actually enjoy blogging. It's a hard life.

Let's Go Fly A Kite

2009-05-25T21:27:00.003-06:00

Up to the highest height. I don't know if my knitted kite will fly very well, but it looks good. It is supposed to be a wash cloth. Can you tell that it is my first knitting project? I am going to try another one and then probably another one until I can get it right.
I did get the vegetable garden all planted right though, with the kids help. We have planted sweet corn, pole beans, bush beans, carrots, pumpkins, watermelons, tomatoes of course, and peppers. I absolutely love the finished project, now if only it will stay this way. I have read articles that say to "Plan for Success" so that is my motto for my garden this season. I have committed myself to spend quality time in the garden...weeding, watering, fertilizing, and Eme says I need to sing to the plants for them to grow (something she learned in school), so singing is now added to the list.

Flip Side

2009-05-18T15:02:00.005-06:00

On the flip side of dark cold winter months come the bright warm spring and summer months. We are getting ready. The vegetable garden will be a work in progress this year as I am attempting the raised bead square foot gardening. Here is how it looks now with new soil brought in from the green waste site and freshly tilled.

This was the view from my front window a few weeks ago until a hail storm came and destroyed them all. Cruel weather.

These are the artistic works of our middle child for your enjoyment. Complete surprise to me.

Checking out the green grass.

Back in the Swing

2009-05-11T12:43:00.002-06:00

The end of a school year is crazy. Lots to do and lots to remember. I helped with teacher appreciation week last week and it seemed like my whole world was consumed in it. I don't know how other women do it all. I like the simple life. This week I feel like I can get back into the swing of things, such as cleaning the house, making dinner and being a mom.

Frosting

2009-04-22T14:06:00.003-06:00

Thanks to a lovely baking class I attended a week ago, I was encouraged to make my own frosting instead of using the cake frosting bought at the store. Now, I enjoy the store-bought frosting, especially having it in the fridge so I can have a chocolate treat every now and then. Needing a chocolate fix, Monday night I decided to make a cake for dessert and had no frosting in the pantry, so we looked up some chocolate cake frosting recipes on the internet that had excellent reviews and picked one to make. It turned out delicious. The whole cake was devoured by the next afternoon.

Dog Gone It

2009-04-17T15:37:00.003-06:00

Starting at 6:00 a.m. (well more like 5:30 or 5:45), Mr. Jewels was making a lot of noise as he was coming up the stairs to our bedroom after his paper delivery job, come to find out it was a huge dog that was making the noise. A German Shepherd followed him around the neighborhood and then hopped in the car and was ready to come home. It was a good few hours of the kids playing laughing, screaming, crying and giving the dog names like Avery and Rabbies Vac. (Jon said it was the name on the collar). We found out the name was actually Donte and he had escaped last night from his home. Good, well trained dog and never barked. Chewed up 5 stuffed animals, a wooden snowman and a wooden doll. Ate Sam's breakfast bar and half the box of Multi-Grain Cheerios. Glad he's back with his rightful owner.

Relief

2009-04-01T09:26:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was layoff day at Mr. Jewels' work. The anticipation was numbing. We had known this was going to happen for about two months. Rumors were spreading early in February and what was funny was that some guy called a meeting to straighten out the rumors, but what he said was exactly what the rumors were. Engineers. Every phone call yesterday morning made my heart jump, it was usually a telemarketer, but I was grateful that he hadn't called yet. He called at his usual time and he was still employed. Mixed emotions were flowing. How does one feel relief and gratitude when others we know are in the other boat? Prayer is an amazing thing. It allowed me to thank Heavenly Father for his blessings and ask His help in providing a way for those in need. I recognize His hand in all that we do and it feels humbling to know that He knows that our little family relies so much on Mr. Jewels' employment, it is so true that each of us has a responsibility in our family. I realize how important it is to do those responsibilities and to be grateful to have them. My favorite scripture that I read last night is "And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you."
And after all the emotion, I'll take Sam's example and just find a quiet place to sit and feel humbled and grateful.

Is It Over?

2009-03-29T17:43:00.002-06:00

I look forward to most weekends, especially if there is nothing but free time on my hands to do whatever I want to do for how ever long I want to spend doing it. This weekend wasn't one of those. I was wanting it to be over before it even started. I woke up Friday morning with a pain in my neck, must have slept wrong all night long. I hate when I can't turn my head from side to side. The pain is still there, how many pain pills will it take for it to go away already?! We had a wedding to go to Friday night for Mr. Jewels' Aunt, it was lovely. His family is very very talented and so S-M-A-R-T, so I kind of just watch and listen from the sidelines. It was good to see his sisters and that they are doing well. Even though it was weird to not see the youngest one there, I guess it would be a little extreme to fly halfway across America to be there for a 10 minute wedding ceremony. After the wedding we brought the mother-in-law up to our house to stay with us until Sunday. I wasn't much for sleep overs when I was little and I'm not much for sleep overs now, I don't know what it is, but I just feel nervous the whole time someone is staying over. Saturday, I went grocery shopping, took Eme to a birthday party, went to a baptism, gave Jon a crappy haircut, spilled hot wax in the toaster, on the counter and on the mixer, TWICE. Before going to bed Saturday night, we set out the church clothes, bathed and showered and ready for scriptures when I noticed two holes in Jon's ONLY church pants. So he had to wear other pants, that, should I say, are flood worthy, to church today. I was asked if I shouldn't just sew some ruffles on the bottom of the hems. I might just to that. So this week, we will be shopping for new church pants and a new toaster and remembering to put only one chunk of wax in the Scentsy plug in. I still haven't cleaned up the wax that was spilled on the dining room floor a couple weeks ago. I'm having a love-hate relationship with that thing. Is it over? Almost.

Winter, Spring, Winter, Spring

2009-03-24T15:42:00.004-06:00

Some evidence of Spring.

Just waiting for the kids to come home from school.

The Good Morning Cow

2009-03-17T16:36:00.003-06:00

Just so you know...I made a whole gallon of the Morning Moo's NonFat Dry Milk, without mixing it in with our regular 2 percent, which is what I usually do with the Church's brand of nonfat dry milk. It was fantastic! Didn't mind drinking it one bit. Now we know that we can enjoy it if we ever have to have it.
Also here is my latest project. A set of shelves that were in Mr. Jewels' Aunt's Shed that she no longer wanted. I painted them green and am going to put my canning jars and other essential items on them. They make my bare basement actually look cute.

Giddy as a School Girl

2009-03-14T16:46:00.004-06:00

I am so happy today. First of all I got my gift from Lydia and it was fantastic. I love it all. I can't wait to try out the recipes. So here is a picture of what I was given:

Some of the cookies were cooked at different times so that's why they all look so different. The really dark brown ones were cooked for who knows how long because forgetfullness runs thick in my blood when it comes to setting the timer for things, but I did remember to set the timer for the other batches and keep the oven turned on. Then I cleaned up the kitchen till it was sparkling and then went grocery shopping/food storage shopping. I went to Smith's for their sale on pasta. I bought 23 bags of pasta, 9 boxes of cereal, one box was a manager's special for only $0.79, 4 gallons of milk, a bag of chicken breasts and a box of Fruit Rollups. My before fresh values savings and coupons savings was $92.85, but I paid $44.98! I couldn't believe it! I was so excited that when I came home I put everything out on the table and took a picture.

What a Great Day!

2009-03-10T16:06:00.003-06:00

I love laughter that comes from the very center of little bodies. It's amazing what they find funny. Enjoy.

For the Fun of Giving

2009-03-05T13:06:00.001-07:00

(Took this from Lydia's blog)

Why not give it a try?

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me.

Restrictions:
1 - I get to give you anything I want to give you.
2 - But it will be just for you.
3 - You'll receive it by the end of March
4 - You must re-post this on your blog and offer the same giveaway to 5 people.
5 - Don't forget to take a picture of what you get.

Happy Giving!

A Want for A Time of Need

2009-03-04T15:35:00.002-07:00

I have never been a huge food storage fanantic and I have always liked our little "food room" as Jon calls it, downstairs in the basement, it has been, should I say, sufficient for our needs, meaning it has never been well stocked. I now want to have it well stocked and I actually wouldn't mind seeing our entire basement looking like a case lot sale gone mad grocery store. I made my first case lot purchase of black beans the other day and it was thrilling. I want more. I even bought a #10 can of Morning Moo's Low Fat Dry Milk Alternative. I have heard it is better tasting than the "other" powdered low fat dry milk, or "warm milk" as it is known around here. We will try it and find out. Now, should I travel to Dick's Market place in Centerville for their case lot sale, they have slightly lower prices than the Macey's around here?

Story Time

2009-02-25T13:17:00.003-07:00

I love that Sam has an older brother and sister. He learns and discovers most things from them. I especially love when they discover the joy of reading. It's these little moments that remind me of what is most important. I love reading to them, they sit quietly in my lap and point their little fingers to things on the page. What a great time.

Anticipation

2009-02-16T13:16:00.004-07:00

I found an old CD of mine and put it into the stereo to listen to the other day. Why is it that songs can bring us back to what we were doing when that song was playing? I remembered driving to my sister's home to pick up my son after work and feeling the sun shining down through the window on my black Pathfinder and having a very pregnant belly. Little Eme. I even remember the maternity clothes I wore and the winding street that I was on. The songs being played at the time made me daydream about how our lives would be in the near future. I felt a lot of changes coming. Mr. Jewels was finishing school, looking for a job and feeling that we were ready to buy a home and I was nervous to become a stay-at-home mother. I happily anticipated the life I wanted for myself and my family. I wanted our lives to feel like how the songs made me feel. After listening to the songs the other day, I actually feel like our lives reflect the feeling in those songs. I think I will be listening to those songs a little more often now, just to show me how far we've come.

Off With Their Heads

2009-02-11T14:30:00.002-07:00

We cut up ALL of our credit cards last Thursday night for our financial class. We had a lot. Not all of them had been put to use or had been activated, but all in all it felt good to cut them all up. We also got our minivan loan paid off too thanks to the third check we got in January. Love the third check months, I wish they happened more often. Now we just have to get two school loans paid off. We will be going after that "like a gazelle". Quoted from Nacho Libre and Dave Ramsey. We like the way Nacho says it better. So that is our new catch phrase until we get them paid off. I love having goals that are achievable. I am having anxiety over this whole food storage goal of mine. I know I have to just take it one step at a time. Baby Steps. Just like Sam is doing now, he only takes a few steps at a time. I will follow his example and take it a little at a time.

Met My Goal

2009-02-04T16:00:00.004-07:00

Now I know this picture has nothing to do with what I am about to say, but it is the prettiest thing I saw in January. I made a goal for the month of January to not do any shopping other than groceries and I actually did it. I didn't set foot in Savers or Ross, my two favorite places to shop. Think I can do this again for February? My other goal for that month was to take time to figure out the money. Because of the financial class Mr. Jewels and I are taking, I made a budget from the money I make, telling my money what to do is great, I have been able to focus on what I want to do with that money and set realistic goals. Mr. Jewels and I sat down and looked at what our money is doing which really helps me understand where we stand moneywise. He usually does the budget and just tells me what is going on, but now I am more involved than I have been. My goal for the rest of this year is to work on Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness. I wish me "Good Luck". My goal for February is to find a good paint color for the fire place and paint it one last time. (I have already painted it twice now with some paint I already have and I still don't like it.) Aargh!

Oh the Joy

2009-01-19T10:48:00.002-07:00

I love when I have cleaned and mopped the kitchen, it seems like the rest of the house can follow suit and become magically clean too. I especially love going back into the kitchen to find a footprint in the sugar that was spilled on the floor probably just seconds after the mop was put away.

Lessons Learned

2009-01-14T15:31:00.002-07:00

2008 was a year of lessons for me to learn. Lessons with an S at the end.
Lesson one: Learning to cope with a child in the hospital.
Lesson two: Having to say goodbye to a favorite car.
Lesson three: I can't always help everyone with everything.
Lesson four: Real Estate can be a very ugly game to play.
Lesson five: Difficult times can mean blessings later down the road.
Lesson six: Really loving being a wife and mom.
Lesson seven: Appreciating good health and happiness for in-laws.
Lesson eight: Courage to call and go visit a very angry lady.
Lesson nine: (still learning) why these lessons were taught all in one year. Maybe I'm a fast learner. Ha!
Lesson ten: The miracle of forgiveness between friends and the love our Heavenly Father has for us.
Lesson eleven: That there were plenty more lessons and there will always be plenty more, just hopefully they won't be the same lessons over and over again.

Tickets to the Liquor Store

2009-01-10T23:41:00.003-07:00

Explanation on the quotes for Mr. Jewels birthday:
"Don't act like you don't know who it be neither." is from that Go shorty, It's your birthday song by fitdy cent and "tickets to the liquor store" is what Mr. Jewels thought they were saying in a Nelly song when they actually say "Nelly can we get tickets to the next show." So there you have it. Just some of the things that make us laugh. Also the date on the picture is all wrong, should be around October of 2008. I didn't take the time to change the time.

32

2009-01-08T17:41:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Mr. Jewels!
You are a fabulous husband and father and best friend.
Here are some of my favorite things I like about you:
"Don't act like you don't know who it be neither."
"Tickets to the Liquor Store"
Clapping your hands in church when we were asked to by show of hands sustain someone.
Your laugh when you get tickled. Especially when all three of us get you.
Your Smile and dimples.
Your Kisses.
Your Name Curse.
That you always come home to me.
Last, but not least, everthing.

Things I Like Looking At

2008-12-19T12:49:00.017-07:00

So I'm trying to be "blog trendy" by doing this today. I like what my friend Amy did on her blog about the things she is lovin right now and the ten things I'm lovin done on the SouleMama blog. I would like to do what I'm lovin to look at right now. These are my top favorite Holiday decorations this year. These are what get me in the mood for Christmas.

1.This is a little ornament that I like to hang on my window in the dining room.

2. These are some magnets that my sister-in-law made that I put on my stove. The middle one says Joy and the other two are of snowflakes. They are so cute.

3.This is the Department 56 Christmas Village that I got when I was working. They would give one every Christmas, I worked there long enough to receive 5. (Picture courtesy of Mr. Jewels.)

4. This is a new addition this year. It proudly adorns my frigde. Done by the artist known as Eme.

5. This is our backdoor decoration. I made this from the left over tree branches. So easy. This picture does not do it justice. I gotta learn to take better pictures.

6. Hallway Decorations. Got the idea from Martha Stewart.

7. Christmas photo 2008. Spearmint kids and Candy Cane Sam. And just as sweet.

8. My favorite Manger Scenes. The rock one was done by Jon in 2003. I just love it.

What is That?

2008-12-17T11:41:00.002-07:00

Oh, great, a pimple right below my eyebrow which is making my eye swell. How do you cover that up? And what do I do about a section of fly away hairs that stick straight out above my ears, I have to keep pinning them down, are they ever going to grow long again? Oh my gosh, am I in Junior High again? Wait, no, I'm not. I don't have those older sisters of my friends telling me that I have a big nose or that the pimple on my nose is the biggest one they have seen or that my shoes are ugly, my hair is gross, my shoulder blades stick out too far (how am I supposed to fix that?) my earings that I just got are stupid and that I walk funny and my clothes don't fit right. Boy how I hated Junior High. Why do we have to go through such torture. I would spend hours in the mirror trying to make my hair look okay but to no avail, it was useless. I got through it though, went onto High School and enjoyed it. Now I am actually brave enough to try different things with my hair and it does look okay, not perfect, but okay enough to go out in public and not feel ridiculous. And I love the way my new 99 cent pants fit, I have worn them everyday this week. Yes, everyday. In Junior High I would have been shunned if I had worn the same pants twice in one week. Oh my gosh. Didn't she wear that yesterday?

Enjoyment, Pleasure, Delight

2008-12-16T21:58:00.004-07:00

Enjoyment: 99 cent pants, fuzzy slippers, warm sweet potato pie.
Pleasure: Christmas lights, Christmas songs (I finally chose some for my playlist), Christmas Movies, Christmas Tree Smell.
Delight: Life, kids, husband, a good night's rest

Mostly For Relatives in Minnesota

2008-12-15T14:56:00.010-07:00

Hi MiniSodas! I tried emailing these videos of Sam to you, but they are too big. So I am posting them on my blog for you to see. I am glad Sam hasn't started walking yet because his crawl is just delightful and I don't want it to go away. So there is a video of how he crawls. Another video is of him trying to say Snow. He loves the snow, we keep the curtains open during the day just so that he can see the snow and try to say it. The other video is of him and his favorite toy. I had been in the kitchen vacuuming the stairs and cleaning the floors and he was in that position the entire time. I thought he had fallen asleep, I was wrong. He was just enjoying his toy. Hope you are enjoying this Holiday Season in your new home. Love, Jewels

Birthday Boys

2008-12-10T16:57:00.004-07:00

A belated birthday card reminded me that I should have posted a Happy Birthday to my two boys on their birthdays, but of course, I forgot. So in an effort to make up for days of neglect and compensate for bad mothering, I am breaking the "no pictures of kids" rule and saying Happy Birthday to my two boys. Born 8 years and 1 day apart. How wonderful is that. Happy Birthdays!

Charlie Brown Christmas

2008-12-10T16:23:00.003-07:00

I think we are getting a shorter Christmas Tree every year since we have lived in our home. The first year, the tree touched the ceiling. This year we can't fit all of our ornaments or Christmas lights on this tiny tree. It was a lot easier to decorate though, I put on the lights and the kids did the rest, they were even able to reach the top to put the tiny star on. It was great. It sure looks pretty with the lights on at night. Maybe next year we will get just a little bit bigger tree so we can put all of the ornaments on. Oh, and it feels so nice to have my Christmas Shopping done.

Betsy

2008-12-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

We took our new used Subaru Impreza out for her maiden voyage on Sunday afternoon. We decided to drive through the canyon up to a ski resort to see how she handled the steep roads. I remembered to take the camera this time, since it was such a beautiful day, I just had to document it with pictures. The sunset was amazing, especially on the mountains, but we should have paid more attention to that sign on the side of the road. We broke in the car quite nicely, new dents, new scratches, new deer hair stuck in the door frame and a broken side mirror. "Welcome to the family, Betsy." Yes, I know it's weird, but we name our cars anyway.

Blessings

2008-11-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. We received that message on a card from a friend of ours yesterday, which was really weird because a talk in church on Sunday was about the same thing. He said if we are blessed with certain things then it is our responsibility to take care of it and use it to bless others. He is our next door neighbor and they have a huge yard and since he is blessed with a huge yard he is responsible for taking care of it and using it to bless others. I love looking at their yard and all their flowers and vegetables, it makes me want to take care of the yard that I have been blessed with. I am truly grateful for where my family lives. We have great neighbors and friends and schools and church. I am grateful for great health, exercise, happiness, hard work and the ability to enjoy life as Heavenly Father would have it. I enjoy my children and husband tremendously and marvel at them every time I see them and wonder what I did to deserve this. They are truly wonderful. I hope that with all that I am blessed with that I will use them in a manner pleasing those around me.

Snooze Button

2008-11-19T09:32:00.001-07:00

The Snooze Button is my best friend. She says it's okay to sleep a little bit longer. The winter months make it so hard to get up out of bed. The bed is so warm and the house still so cold. My mom would take naps during the day and tell us kids what time she would have to get up. We would go in to tell her it is time to get up, she would always say, "just five more minutes", go back in the room five minutes later, again "just five more minutes". I love my mom and I love the snooze button, they both say, "just five more minutes".

Last Two Items of Business

2008-11-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Scouting, Scouting, Scouting, fun, fun, fun! We finished the last two items of business today for Jon to receive his Wolf and 7, count them 7, which means we did 70 electives to earn 7 arrow heads, one gold and six silver. We did the easiest things we could find in the book which were wrapping a present and learning to tie a necktie for the last two arrow points. He loves scouts. I think Scouts is weird, but at least it gives boys a chance to grow and learn and associate with friends.

5 Hours

2008-11-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

We watched 5 hours of chess on Saturday morning. I know, I know what you're thinking, "AWESOME". Jon enjoys this game, he does chess club at school and this is just one tournament of a hopeful few that he will do. There were different age groups which helps. K-3, 4-6, Jr. High and High School. When we went to find the table for Jon's first round, his opponent was already sitting there. He said to Jon, "I don't play very well". I walked away shaking my head and chuckling. This kid really did NOT play very well. It was a sight to see. At one point in the game he was actually standing next to Jon and then he was leaning over the chess board, Jon had to hold his chess pieces down so the little boy wouldn't move them, chess pieces were sucked on and knocked to the ground, one got lost in the bleachers, this kid was obviously in Kindergarten. The game finally ended in stale mate. The next 4 rounds this little boy was usually close by where Jon played so we would watch and laugh. It turned out to be a great experience for Jon and us. 3 stale mates, 1 loss, 1 win, a walk up to the podium for a participation medal so Jon can prove he's been there, done that.

Is There an Editor in the House?

2008-11-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Blog Safety: To do or not to do? Everyone is talking about blog safety and I keep going back and forth in my mind "should I edit my pictures of my kids and house or should I just forget it and hope nothing bad happens?" At Book Club last night I received my answer, I will edit. Like Nancy said, some guy is probably sitting on his couch in his underwear looking at all of these cute blogs with their cute kids and plotting (not an exact quote, because I was laughing when she was saying it) I don't want to meet that guy. So let the editing begin.

Yummy

2008-11-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

It actually looks kind of gross now that it has been eaten. We cut it up and shared it, the maker (aka Jon) only had one slice, so I ate the rest, my body feels much better now.

Staring at Me

2008-11-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

The maker of this caramel apple has yet to eat it. It keeps staring at me to eat it so I have obliged, but only the extra caramel and chocolate chips that flowed onto the plate. Do I dare eat it without permission? I do deserve it, my body aches from the workout on Monday night and maybe I should put it at ease by giving it something good to eat. This caramel apple will be gone by nightfall. Candy goodness on the outside, nutritious sweetness on the inside. What more can we ask for.

Weather the Storm, Whether the storm?

2008-11-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

It is raining today and snowing, I went to vote this morning thinking there was going to be a long line, but there wasn't. I guess I went at the right time. It makes me feel grateful to live in America when I see all of our neighbors coming to the school to cast their vote. It is the one time that this country is unified in doing one thing for the common good.
This month I am in charge of doing Sharing Time in Primary. I am trying to make a good effort at working on it all week instead of right before I go to bed on Saturday night. This week's theme is "I am thankful for my body. I know my body is a temple." Having been in Primary for so long I forget that there is other curriculum besides the Friend and the Primary Manuals. I found a lot of articles about the word of wisdom and being worthy to enter the temple, but the one article that I devoured was one by Harold B. Lee titled "Take Time to be Holy". It brings to mind that along with keeping my physical body healthy and happy that I also need to take the time to keep my spiritual body healthy and happy also. I will try to be better at taking time to be holy so when need be I can weather the storm. I hope it will be a good sharing time, I already have some pretty good ideas. Sam is making this very difficult to type, why does he want everything I have!

What A Beautiful Family

2008-11-02T17:12:00.001-07:00

What a good sport he/she is! And thank goodness we only do this once a year. Emeline dressed up as a chihuahua dog and Jon came as a piece of paper.

Cracker Delight

2008-10-28T18:38:00.000-06:00

Someone left their crackers unattended for a brief moment and came back to find this. As you can see he has three crackers in each hand and has taken bites from both. I'm sure he was just waiting for that someone to leave the room so he could have a wonderful solitary moment to himself and reflect upon what is best in life; the ability to eat.

Peer Pressure

2008-10-27T18:23:00.000-06:00

I guess the term I'm really looking to use is peer influence. Because pressure makes it sounds as if you have to do something and influence makes you want to do something. I've been thinking about what makes me do the things I do and why I have these opinions of mine. I came to the conclusion that it is because of years of peer influence. Yesterday in church we were talking about using cloth diapers and another lady replied that she would never had thought to use them and she doesn't want to take the time to recycle. Then we mentioned the use of the reusable bags for the grocery store and how wonderful they are. It got her thinking that maybe, just maybe she would try it out. We didn't pressure her to use them, we only suggested trying it to see if she would like it. "Going Green" one step at a time. I think about all the things I have tried and all the things I do and it reminds me of the people who have been my friends and have taught me these things. I wouldn't know how to cook if it weren't for a friend who was willing to take some time and show me a few things, even though it was after the fact that she laughed at my inabilities. I wouldn't be a stay-at-home mom if it weren't for some friends who convinced me it isn't all that bad and I wouldn't get bored of it and that it is okay to still shower everyday and look nice even if no one but my family sees me. I wouldn't read good books at night if it weren't for some good friends who started a book club and invited me. I wouldn't be shopping now at Savers for clothes for me and the kids if it weren't for some good friends who show off all of their good finds at remarkably cheap prices. I wouldn't be trying to get a long-term food supply going if it weren't for some friends who are trying to do it also. I truly am grateful for all of the friends who give great peer influence. You never know who is watching and listening and who you could be influencing.

For the Love of...

2008-10-22T22:31:00.000-06:00

CEREAL. What can we say, we love cereal. Like Jerry Seinfeld once said, "it's the only meal where you can eat and drink at the same time without even looking." All of this cereal cost us only $20.00. Each bag was $1.00. Malt-O-Meal was doing a donation drive for the United Way and they were selling bags of their cereal for only one dollar, all of the proceeds would go to United Way. Malt-O-Meal thought they wouldn't even sell 10,000 last Saturday in Tremonton, but by 9:00 in the morning the cereal was gone. People were lining up at 6:00 in the morning to get their hands on the goods. Our friend bought 50 bags and his brother also bought 50 bags, they must really like cereal because they live together. We got to see what 100 bags of cereal looked like. It's a lot. Happy eating!

Fall Weekend Fun

2008-10-19T17:45:00.000-06:00

This weekend was full of relaxing fun. We had no time limits on anything we did, which I love, I hate being rushed. The kids were out of school on Thursday and Friday so we took Jon's friend Nathan to Gardner Village to visit the witches and all the great pumpkins. It took us a good 30 minutes just to make it out of the parking lot when we were done because of all the people that were there. Crazy. Friday, we, along with all the other "park moms" took the kids to a corn maze which also had a hay ride, hay slides, animals, pig races and lots of other great stuff. Then Saturday was work in the yard day and go to Carlos produce to pick some more pumpkins, of course. And I did find another crow. Then Sunday, go to church day. I love going to Primary. The kids are so funny and great. I love weekends like this, now if only every weekend can be this wonderful. Wishful thinking.

Two Sisters Alike

2008-10-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

I just noticed while looking at my sister's blog that we happen to choose the same layout with some of the same colors. It's not that I want to be just like my sister, but I'm trying different colors and fonts for a little while to see what I like best for me so that she can have some individuality also. Sorry, Lisa, I really didn't mean to copy you, it must be in our DNA.

Tuesday nights' routine

2008-10-15T12:17:00.000-06:00

Every Tuesday night for the past 4 years I have stayed at home with the kids while Spencer went to Young Men's activities. We would hurry and eat dinner together, he would leave and I would help the kids finish the day's work. Have them take a bath, read scriptures, pray and go to bed. Now that Spencer has been released from that calling, I don't do anymore yelling by myself on this night for the kids to hurry up and get ready for bed, now there are two of us yelling at the kids to hurry up and get ready for bed. It's been great. I don't know why it takes us so long to get the kids into bed. We start at 7:45 and they finally get into bed at 9:00. Am I not yelling loud enough? Maybe I'll try a gentle nudge next time. But I am finding some of these moments precious to behold. Like Sam admiring at his sister and Spencer and Jon in the kitchen, preparing a turkey that we are going to cook tonight. They even cleaned up the mess. How great is that!

Bizarre Breakfast

2008-10-14T09:53:00.000-06:00

I asked Eme what she wanted for breakfast this morning because she either wants bread with syrup on it or cereal, "frosted snowflakes". She was looking in the fridge to decide and told me she would like bread, mustard and ham, "we don't have any more ham, Eme" I said, "okay, I'll just have bread with mustard" came the reply. She ate the whole thing without a complaint.

Halloween Weakness

2008-10-11T19:27:00.000-06:00

I have this branch that I painted black and stuck it in a black pot for a Halloween decor for outside. I usually have a black crow that sits on one of the branches, but this year I put that crow on a birdcage inside my house. I went to the store today to buy another crow for outside. I bought some spiders, pumpkins and a mouse, but no black crow (the store didn't have one). I love Halloween stuff. I don't like the gory Halloween and not the hooky Halloween, but I love the classic Halloween stuff, like the spiders, witches, crows, bats, cauldrons, potions and all the beautiful colors of the pumpkins and leaves and dark nights with full moons and bright stars. There have been a couple of times where we will be sitting in our living room and see someone out the window, usually it is a little kid, walk up to the crow on the branch to see if it is real. So to keep up with the good times I'll keep looking for that special crow to be a permanent adornment for our black branch.

Doll Love

2008-10-10T17:13:00.000-06:00

I have this doll that my older sister made for me a long time ago, which of course, I still have. It is displayed on a shelf in the kid's bedroom and everytime we leave the room, Sam loves to look up at it and talk to it. So here's to my sister's great talent at making great things. Cheers!

Getting started

2008-10-10T11:54:00.000-06:00

I love looking at other's lives on the internet. Wonder if my own life will look just as great and exciting, if I look at it from a different perspective.