Your Life Uncommon

Simplify.

2012-02-13T00:05:00.000-07:00

It has nearly been a month since I last posted. It has been on my mind a lot, but there has also been a sort of calm. I have felt like it would be good for me to take a break and re-focus. I guess the best way to explain the purpose of this break would be to compare it to a "Girl's Night Out" or a "Date Night". Stepping away from our norm refuels us and when we come back, we are a better version of what we were before we left.

This last month I have had my priorities on my mind a lot. I work, from home, but still it is work. My responsibilities as a mother, my desire to be a better one. My opportunity to be married to Ryan, my desire to constantly find ways to make sure he is every bit as happy as he makes me. My roles as daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, friend and all of the privileges that come when I nurture those relationships. My gratitude for the blessing of being a member of Christ's Church, once again restored to the earth, and all of the areas in my life I desire to make better so that the Lord will continue to bless me with the opportunity to share my testimony with others through this blog and the firesides about Dawson. Also, the responsibilities I have as a temple recommend holder and the opportunity I have to live so near a temple. I need to be better about regular, frequent attendance. My wish to be better and have more time to dedicate to serving others and spending much more time to give my energy to helping and spending more time with my dear grandparents. Wanting to spend more time reading and learning. Being more regular with taking better care of my health........

My list could go on and on.

Basically I have thought about what needs to be eliminated, and what needs to shift in priority. What do I need to simplify so that my energy is better directed? There are obviously a million things all of us have that helps make sure that our plates stay full. I think there is just a bit of shifting and balance that has to take place...and sometimes sacrificing, in order to meet the most important needs in our lives.

I have re-focused and I am still in the process of making those changes. It was good to step back and get a more clear picture of my goals and the course that I am on, as opposed to where I want to be.

Is that all a little heavy? Sorry bout that! :) Just a little something on my mind, and a sort of explanation for my absence....and a promise to seek for more purpose in the things I do.

LET'S SIMPLIFY.....

Remember that whole "3 Cookbooks in 90 Days" thing we have going on? Well, I have a ZILLION....Ok, maybe a few less than that, recipes to share with you. However, I am just going to give them to you one at a time, instead of all the recipes I used in a single meal. It is crazy how long it takes me to post some of those. I have an insane ability to take WAY too much time doing things. I don't get it. I have tried to change it, but alas....I'm still slow! :) It probably has to do with a little A.D.D. I can walk in to a Target for 2 things and 2 1/2 hours later I am walking out of the store wondering what the heck just happened and why did it take SO long?! My hubby lovingly tells me I get distracted by sparkly things. It is true. I concur.

The other side of this is the fact that in the last month my hubby's job has changed a bit and he spends a week out of town out of every three weeks. Since my children do not dote on ANYTHING I make, outside of green salad, because of their unnatural picky-ness, I do not waste my time baking up a storm on their behalf. We do a whole lot of simple while Ry is out of town, and that is OK with all of us!

Rest assured, there are A LOT of seriously delicious and totally practical meals coming your way.

Outside of the recipes, normal posts will come, not everyday, but they will be more frequent than they have been over the last month....Deal?!

NOW, I must give one mighty thank you to all of you! Some of you are newer to this blog, and some of you have been here since it was created. I have received some of the most amazing and inspiring emails from so many that have found their way here one way or another....from Australia, to Uganda, to Oregon, and everywhere in between, it has been one of my very favorite things about this blog. When else would I have the opportunity to share my life, thoughts and most importantly, my testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel with so many all over the world?! The Internet is a spectacular thing!

I know not everyone that reads this blog agrees with everything I say, and I know that not everyone believes the same things I do, but you have all been incredibly kind and I appreciate that so much! Kind is always welcome! :)

Anywho....thanks for hanging in for my ramblings and for sticking with me through my break! :)
You guys seriously make my life better! Thanks for that!

Grateful Kids Are Happier Kids

2012-01-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

I love when my hubby sends me great articles like this:

GRATEFUL KIDS ARE HAPPIER

(you should totally take a sec and read it, too!)

{Image Source}

"We know that grateful kids are happier [and] more satisfied with their lives," explains Hoftra University psychology assistant professor Jeffrey Froh in an article this week in The Washington Post. "They report better relationships with friends and family, higher GPAs, less materialism, less envy and less depression, along with a desire to connect to their community and to want to give back."

That's not all. It's also believed to boost immune systems and lower blood pressure over time. In a Temple Univeristy study, patients with hypertension lowered their blood pressure just by calling a "gratitude" hotline everyday. If it's that effective on adults with health problems, imagine what announcing the good things in life at early age can do.

In a study of early adolescents, Froh found that kids who journaled daily about their good fortune, over a period of two weeks, were less prone to depression and more satisfied with their lives overall. And that optimism and satisfaction made them more likely to take care of themselves physically in the long-term."

Gratitude is a powerful powerful thing, my friends! I am so glad I read this article! It reminds me both the importance of putting more focus on it within my own life AND the importance of teaching my children the importance of developing an attitude of gratitude. How powerful would it be to live our lives focusing on all that we have to be grateful for, instead of all that we lack?! Of course we would be more satisfied and happy.

This whole article has inspired me to start a new tradition in my family. Each night at family dinner we are going to go around the table and list one thing that we are grateful for that day. I will encourage the kids not to repeat, if they can help it. I hope that doing this will help all of us become more mindful of all they have to be grateful for, and that it will help bring us closer as a family!

Thanks for the awesome article Ry!

Flecks or Nuggets?

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

{Image Source}

This story has me thinking today.......

There is a story of a young merchant from Boston, who in 1849, as the story goes, was caught up in the fervor of the California gold rush. He sold all of this possessions to seek his fortune in the California rivers, which he was told were filled with gold nuggets so big that one could hardly carry them.

Day after endless day, the young man dipped his pan into the river and came up empty. His only reward was a growing pile of rocks. Discouraged and broke, he was ready to quit until one day an old, experienced prospector said to him, "That's quite a pile of rocks you are getting there, my boy."

The young man replied, "There's no gold here. I',m going back home."

Walking over to the pile of rocks, the old prospector said, "Oh, there is gold all right. You just have to know where to find it." He picked two rocks up in his hands and crashed them together. One of the rocks split open, revealing several flecks of gold sparkling in the sunlight.

Noticing the bulging leather pouch fastened to the prospector's waist, the young man said, "I'm looking for nuggets like the ones in your pouch, not just tiny flecks."

The old prospector extended his pouch toward the young man, who looked inside, expecting to see several large nuggets. He was stunned to see that the pouch was filled with thousands of flecks of gold.

The old prospector said, "Son, it seems to me you are so busy looking for large nuggets that you're missing filling your pouch with these precious flecks of gold. The patient accumulation of these little flecks has brought me great wealth."

Today I am thinking about how easily I get focused on doing too much. I tend to be a person that loves simplicity, but I seem to always wrap everything up in a complicated mess. The funny this is that when I am crazy busy I spread myself to thin. Never really giving enough of myself to anything to make it feel right. However, when I simplify and focus on the small things, the things that make my big picture it's best, life is more peaceful and fulfilling. What makes me forget this?!

My goal this year is to focus more on the "flecks" in my life. Today I am making a list of all the things that are important to me (scripture study, daily prayers, weekly temple attendance, serving others, spending "fun" time with my kids, taking care of my health, being a crazy amazing wife :), being a better friend, etc). These things will receive my energy. They are the little things in life that make my life rich, blessed and full of happiness.

Sure there will be things that will require my attention. However, I will learn to give them what they require and then move on.....simplify.

This totally reminds me of a story a lady told at a convention she was speaking at. She was talking about making treats for her childs school class. She was supposed to bring 20 treats that resembled "12 Drummers Drumming". She stayed up all hours of the night baking large cookies shaped like drums. She frosted and detailed each one meticulously. She was exhausted the next day when she took them to the class. As she set them in front of the kids she sought a bit of ooo's and aahhh's from the children. Instead.....they ate them in like 2 seconds flat and went on with the rest of the party. She said, "It was this point that I realized a Ding Dong and 2 Twizzlers would have worked just fine."

I think about that a lot. How true is that?! Sometimes it is so great to give something our best effort, and others it is OK to just accomplish the task. After all, we are all busy. There is a lot that is required of us. WHY make it harder than it is supposed to be. In my experience, when I give a large amount of effort to the things that are not on my list of things that are important to me, I tend to feel overrun and a sense of failure, no matter how much I accomplish outside of those things.

Sometimes the nuggets are great, but they are few and far between. The flecks, however, are in everything that is important to us, and as they accumulate, their value is far beyond a nugget here or there. "The patient accumulation of these little flecks [will bring us] great wealth!"

Day 11: Guacamole & Tomatillo Salsa

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Leftovers
Snacks for today Guacamole & Tomatillo Salsa

GUACAMOLE

From: Vita Mix: Whole Food Recipes

OUR RATING: LOVE IT

So I was told anyway. I am not a fan of Guac...or avacodos. I try them all the time, but every time it gives me the heeby jeebies. I am not a fan. However, I tried this recipe out on extended family that loves the stuff and they said it was very good. So there you have it! A winner!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Ripe Avocados
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Ascorbic Acid Powder (optional)
1/4 c. Onion
1 Medium Tomato (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Scoop out the flesh and place in blender.
Add Garlic Salt, Lemon Juice and Ascorbic Acid. Run on medium for 15-20 seconds or until ingredients are mixed. You may need to stop your blender and use a spatula to scrape around the sides to integrate ingredients.
Turn machine on again. While it is running drop in onion and tomato.
Do not over mix, leave chunky.

TOMATILLO SALSA

From: Vita Mix: Whole Food Recipes

OUR RATING: LOVE LOVE IT!!

I'm not kidding....DIVINE!! This is going to be made over and over and over in my house! If you haven't tried a tomatillo salsa, you MUST try this one! Totally my favorite salsa ever! I just wish the picture was better, darn it!

INGREDIENTS:

16 Tomatillos
4 Scallions
2 Jalapenos, seeded
1 Garlic Clove
1/4 c. Lime Juice
1 c. Cilantro Leaves
1 tsp. Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Start with slow speed and quickly increase to medium. Run for 10 seconds or until just chopped.
If necessary, stop the blender and use a large spoon to mix it around and then try again.
ENJOY!

TOMORROWS MENU:

Beef Tamale Bake
Tomatillo Salsa with Tortilla Chips
Green Salad (of course)
Banana Ice Cream (Non-Dairy, of course!)

DAY 10: Zesty Beef Pot Roast

2012-01-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Zesty Beef Pot Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Green Salad

ZESTY BEEF POT ROAST

From: Pampered Chef: It's Good For You

OUR RATING: LOVE IT

The flavor on this roast is different than I expected. It truly is zesty. It's not over the top, it is just right and SOOOO good! Honestly, my roast cut wasn't the best. A little tougher than I would like. I am going to for a better cut next time and cooking it long and slow. I corrected the recipe to include a long slow cook time. I do love a good crock pot meal!

By the way, have you noticed yet that we eat a lot of green salad? Well, this is one of the only things my Mallory will for sure eat. Meat does not appeal to her at all. She always has to choose a protein, like yogurt or milk to go with dinner, but salad is a good way to get veggies in my kids! They both love it...and honestly, I do love a good crisp salad WAY more than I like a cooked soggy veggie...just sayin!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Dried Oregano Leaves
1 Boneless Beef Eye of Round or Beef Top Round Roast (3-3.25 lbs)
2 Garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 Medium Onion, sliced
1 3/4 c. Water
1 3/4 tsp. Better than Bouillon or Bouillon granules
1 c. Thick and Chunky Salsa
1/4 c. All-Purpose flour
1/2 c. Cold Water
2 Tbs. Snipped Fresh Parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Combine Chili Powder, Cumin & Oregano; mix well.
Press seasonings evenly over surface of beef roast.
Heat skillet to High. Add a little oil and garlic.
Add the roast to the pan. Brown on each side, turning often to avoid burning.
Slice onion.
Mix salsa, water and bouillon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Place roast in a Crock Pot and turn heat to low. Pour salsa/broth mixture over the top and arrange onions over the roast. Cook for 6-7 hours or until meat thermometer registers the correct temperature for a fully cooked roast.
Place roast on a plate and "tent" with tin foil. Let rest for 15-20 min. before cutting. This lets the juices settle down a bit and keeps the meat juicy.
Place flour in bowl, add water and whisk until smooth.
Pour remaining broth and onions from the Crock Pot back into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Slowly stir in flour/water mixture. Boil for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in parsley.
Serve meat over mashed potatoes and pour gravy over the top.
Let me know how much you love this! :)

TOMORROWS MENU:

Leftovers
Guacamole
Tomatillo Salso

DAY 9: Hummus

2012-01-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Hummus

HUMMUS

From: Vita Mix: Whole Food Recipes

OUR RATING:Has Potential

I haven't had Hummus all that much. When I have it has been a flavored hummus, like Sun Dried Tomato, etc. I wanted to try this recipe out since I haven't ever made it myself. We were having dinner at Ryan's parents house and I thought I would take a veggie tray. My opinion on the hummus....this recipe is a really good hummus base. Which basically means that it was missing a bit of flavor. So, if you have a little something you would like to add to a hummus base, this is the one for you! :) And please, pass along your mix-in options. I would love to know where to go from here. I am not ready to give up on this stuff yet, I just need a little direction!

INGREDIENTS:

15 oz can of Chick Peas (Garbonzo Beans), drained
1/2 c. Raw Sesame Seeds
1 T. Olive Oil
1/4 c. Lemon Juice
1 Garlic Clove
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in blender container in order listed. Run machine for 1 minute or until smooth.
I sprinkled with Paprika for a little garnish (this was my brother-in-laws favorite).

TOMORROWS MENU:

Zesty Beef Pot Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Green Salad

DAY 8: Speaking of Pumpkin Muffins....

2012-01-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Without my hubby home, we are totally going for an easy family favorite with Pumpkin & Spice Muffins!

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

From: An old ward cookbook...this is a break away from the 3 cookbooks, but it is worth it! These things are SO delicious and filling!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs
1 c. Honey
3/4 c. Canned Pumpkin
1/4 c. Olive Oil
3/4 c. Raisins
1/2 c. Walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all wet ingredients together.
Sift Flour and all the dry ingredients.
Combine wet & dry ingredients.
Cook in papered or greased muffin tins.
Bake at 350 Degrees for 20 min or until done.
Makes about 18 muffins.

TOMORROWS MENU:

Going to a Family Dinner. Taking Veggie Tray and trying a new recipe for Hummus.

DAY 7: Pumpkin Soup & Homemade Bread

2012-01-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Pumpkin Soup
Homemade Bread
Green Salad

PUMPKIN SOUP

From: Vita Mix: Whole Food Recipes

OUR RATING: NO GO!!

Well, we discovered that we are NOT pumpkin soup people. I've heard people say how much they like it and I have been curious. Turns out, we may be pumpkin pie people, we may enjoy a good pumpkin bread or muffin, perhaps even a few pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but pureed pumpkin soup....Nope! So this recipe is for those of you that can't get enough of the stuff! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1/2 c. unsweetened Coconut Milk
3 c. canned Pumpkin
1 c. Onions, sauteed
3 Garlic Cloves, roasted
3 T. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Paprika (optional)
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1 tsp. Nutmeg
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a Vita Mix or other blender in order listed. Secure lid.
Mix on high speed. Run for 6-7 minutes. (This heats the soup in a Vita Mix. I would imagine it would do the same in other blenders.)
Serve Immediately

HOMEMADE BASIC WHITE BREAD

From: Kitchen Aid Cookbook

OUR RATING: LOVE IT

Ok, so I haven't tried it. I am not a bread person! So, I left this one to the bread critics and this baby is passing with flying colors! It is super soft and moist and one thing that I really appreciate...it is easy and smells DIVINE! Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c. Low-fat Milk (use coconut milk for non-dairy)
3 Tbs. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
3 Tbs. Butter or Dairy Free Margarine (Safflower or Earth Balance is best)
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 c. Warm Water (105-115 degrees)
5-6 All Purpose Flour

DIRECTIONS:

Place milk, sugar, salt and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.
Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 c. flour. Mix with a dough hook on medium-low for 2 minutes.
Continuing on medium-low, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time (dough should clean the sides of the bowl. Add a bit more flour if needed), and mix about 1 1/2 minutes, or until dough starts to clean sides of bowl. Knead on same speed about 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.
Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in a greased bread pan. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min., or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

TOMORROWS MENU:

Leftovers
On the brightside....Pumpkin Muffins for breakfast...and they are DELISH!

2 Years Ago Today......

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today our little man finished his mission here on earth. His mission was abnormally difficult. He suffered more than most and more than I am sure we know. His life's purpose was to remind each one of us, and the hundreds of thousands that have read about him, that God lives, that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is vital to each one of us, both in it's power to wash away our sins and in it's ability to lift our burdens and comfort our weary hearts. Families are forever. Temples, and the sacred and beautiful ordinances performed there are vital to the eternal nature of our lives.

The list could go on and on!

Today I am grateful that our son came to our family. I am grateful for the 4 1/2 years we had with him. I know it was meant to be much less, however, our noble boy chose to stay for us.

I have had Jake on my mind a lot. How difficult this has to have been for him. His faith is remarkable! He trusts the Lord. He misses his brother, and while he doesn't have an adults ability to try to wrap his mind around the purposes in all of this, he trusts and he seeks the Lord for comfort. He inspires me! I am so proud of him!

Mallory speaks of "Dawsy" all of the time. She writes him letters and draws him pictures. In random moments she comes for a cuddle and expresses her love for Dawson and how much she misses him. I ask her things that she remembers about him all of the time. I desperately do not want her to forget, although, I know she will over time, I hope she holds on to enough to keep the close bond she feels with him now.

Ryan is not as open about his grieving as we are. I respect that. He loves Dawson so deeply and I know he misses him so much. He grieves and processes much on his own. There are moments when I catch him with puffy eyes after a good cry, mostly after we watch a video of Dawson, and I love him all the more because of it. He is such a good man. His faith strengthens ours. I am eternally grateful for the way he lives his life. It is important to him to live close to the Lord so that he may be worthy to use the sacred priesthood power that blesses our family. At his hands, and through the power of the Lord, through that sacred priesthood, miracles were realized and strength given to each one of us. I wonder how I will ever express adequately how much I love and appreciate him for the way he loves us and sets such an example. He is the greatest blessing in my life! I remind him of that daily!

Today I can almost feel the soft puffy palms of Dawson's hands and his chubby little fingers, one of my favorite things about him. I remember once lying next to him on my bed studying his features and feeling my heart break over the thought of ever living without them. It felt impossible. Still does sometimes. Oh, to feel him press his body against my shoulder, trying to get just a little closer to me, feeling his contentment as he said "ma ma" over and over, with his little face turned into my neck. I can almost feel his lips moving on my neck and the hardness of his cheeks against my shoulder when he smiled so big, so proud of himself for mastering such a big word. I sit in church most weeks and think what I would give to lean over and unbuckle his seat belt on his fluorescent green wheelchair and lift him out so that he can snuggle with me. I can almost feel his abnormally flat back on my fingertips as I scratched it and tickled his little ribs. I can almost feel his bony little hiney on my forearm.

These, and so much more, are the things I miss on a daily basis. Today in particular. It's funny how sometimes I can truly almost feel him. Oh, to have just 20 more seconds, but it wouldn't be enough!

These moments are the moments I am SO grateful to KNOW that I will see me sweet boy again! I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of the Resurrection. One day my 4 1/2 year old boy will rise in his perfect little white suit, and we will continue where we left off....just without all the pain, and with a whole lot of walking and running around! What a blessing!

D, thanks for the gift of your life! So many love you and honor you today! You are a gift to many and we love you so very much! Thanks for the moments when you reach through the veil to let us know you are always with us! Above all, thank you for teaching us to have an Eternal Perspective! You are ours for Eternity. Nothing this world has to offer will ever be more appealing than that! We love you Bubba! See you soon!

(Want to honor Dawson with us today? Check out yesterday's post to find out what we will be doing today and what you can do to join in and share the love!)

Tomorrow is "Dawsons Day"

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is a special day for our family. A day that would normally be a difficult one for us, however, because of a dear and wonderful friend, it will be a day of sharing....a day to honor our little Dawson and his life on the 2 year anniversary of his death.

My friend Maryon came up with with the concept of "Dawson's Day" last year. Since we were not living close to each other she decided that instead of bringing flowers to me she was going to take flowers to a mother in the hospital with her child, with a tag attached that gave the parents a way to learn more about our little man.

She challenged others to join, and they did! All day last year I received emails, texts and calls from people participating. They could feel Dawson's love as they walked through the halls of the hospital on the way to make the day for a person they had never met, but who they knew would need a little pick-me-up. What a gift to our family! What a tribute to Dawson!

This year Maryon and her Young Women group in Arizona, whom I spoke to in a fireside not to long ago, will be getting together in the evening to deliver flowers for Dawson's Day. I am so glad that these girls have had the opportunity to get to know him a bit before this activity. I am sure he will let them all know what this means to him!

Maryon and I want to challenge others to join with us and continue this tradition this year. Tomorrow will be 2 years from the day Dawson passed away. Our family will be out delivering flowers, most likely at Primary Childrens Hospital. Will you join us? Go to your local hospital and find a family that could use a little love to brighten their day. Maryon made this tag to print and attach to the flowers:

Feel free to click on the picture and then right click and save to your computer and print as many as you would like! And please feel free to share this challenge with friends and family! They don't need to know our family to participate. It is simply a day to reach out and lift someone up by sharing a little love and all the Hope and Faith that Dawson's story has to offer.

Then please let me know how it goes. You can email me or leave messages here. Whichever. Just please share your experience with me. It really helps us get through such a hard day with a whole lot of gratitude and love!

If you have any questions, please let me know! I can't wait to hear how it goes for you!

(Oh, and on a side note, this spring, when it warms a little, we will be doing a little extra something for Dawson's Day, which may continue as a tradition. We will be doing a 5K run, 1 mile walk. It will include silent auctions, music and much more. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Fish Family this year! Watch for more details, they will be coming soon!)

DAY 6: Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry

2012-01-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry
Angel Hair Pasta

TERIYAKI PORK STIR FRY

From: Pampered Chef: It's Good For You

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!!

Oh the flavor! I love something that is packed with flavor! This did not disappoint! We were all singing my praises while we devoured this meal! :) This one DEFINITELY makes the regular list! Delicious and as a bonus it was super quick and easy to make! ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 c. Soy Sauce
1/4 c. Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 tsp. peeled, finely chopped Fresh Ginger root
2 Garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 lb. boneless Pork Loin Chops, cut into 1/8" strips
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, cut in 1/4" strips
6 oz. fresh Snow Peas
1 bunch Green Onions with tops, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp. sesame oil, divided (I used olive oil & it was fabulous)
1 (8 oz) can Bamboo Shoots, drained

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch; whisk until well blended.
Add ginger root, garlic & red pepper flakes.
Cut pork into 1/8" strips (if you place the meat in the freezer for a bit before slicing it will make it easier to get the really thin cut without mutilating the meat :) ).
Add pork to soy sauce mixture (either in covered bowl or gallon size Ziploc bag). Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat 1/2 tsp. oil in skillet over high heat until hot. Remove pork from marinade. Set marinade aside for later. Place pork in skillet and stir fry for 1-2 min. or until pork is no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Heat remaining 1/2 tsp. oil in same skillet. Add bell pepper, snow peas and green onions. Stir fry 2-3 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Return pork to skillet. Stir in reserved marinade and bamboo shoots. Bring to boil. Cook and stir 1 minute or until sauce is thickened.
Serve over rice or noodles.

TOMORROWS MENU:

Pumpkin Soup
Green Salad
Homemade Bread

FHE {Losing Ourselves In the Service of Others}

2012-01-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to think of ways to help my kids understand the importance of opening their eyes to the needs of others, and developing the ability to focus on ways they can recognize things they can do to serve others. This little object lesson popped into my head one day. I think the message was received! :)

We did this lesson with cousins and enlisted the help of aunts and uncles, just for a bit of added fun.

OBJECT LESSON:

Roll a piece of paper starting at the corner. Form a funnel with a dime sized hole in the end. Cut off the tops so that the wider opening is all the same length. Tape paper so that the funnel will stay wrapped. Make enough so that each child has two.
Have the children hold their funnels up to their eyes. These are their new glasses.

Give the kids an exact course to follow. I told the boys to walk from where they were standing to the Christmas tree. It isn't easy to see through such a small hole. They can only see what is directly in front of them. Make the course obstacle free and in a straight line. Tell them to walk slow and be careful.

When they arrived at their destination they were pleased with their ability to easily perform the task. This is when I had them remove their "glasses" and turn back to look at the path they had just followed. As they turned they could see a few things they missed a long their path.

Without knowing they passed Aunt Anna who was struggling to keep young Chloe entertained. Perhaps she is like a young mother in church with young children and full hands.

They also passed little Mallory. Her backpack had fallen and all of her things were scattered. She was trying to put them back in all by herself.

They passed Brigham. He had fallen down and his leg was hurt.

They also passed by Uncle Kevin....who needed a refill on his drink! (Pictured above) Oh Kevin! :)

Had they noticed any of these things as they passed? Or were they totally focused on their own path/needs/course?

I explained to them that these glasses were a representation of living our lives focusing only on ourselves. When we can only see our needs it makes us blind to all of the things we can be doing to help others. Simply opening a door for Anna, or sitting with her during sacrament meeting to help keep her young children quiet so she can listen, stopping to help Mallory refill her bag, making sure Briggy is OK, or even refilling Uncle Kevin's drink...all of these things would only take a little time, but they would all make a big difference.

LESSON:

President Monson said,

"Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our own lives."

We discussed how important that is. That means that if the end goal was to make it to the tree, making it to the tree had very little purpose, IF we failed to notice those along the path that we could have helped, so that they could continue on the path to their goal, as well. That is a really big statement. I hoped that it would impact their minds, as it did mine.

We Read Luke 9:24 & discussed what it meant.

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it."

We read and discussed the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. We talked about the first 2 people to pass and how they were wearing their "Selfish Glasses". Perhaps they were "too busy" or had something they had to hurry and get to. Those are both probably the most common excuses we give for not serving others. Again, there is little purpose in all of the things we accomplish, unless we are willing to serve others along the way. We talked about how the Good Samaritan did more than just what was necessary by leaving money for the man to be cared for and then asking them to let him know if it cost more than what he gave so that he could give them what was required when he came back through.

I told them about a special experience that happened to me recently:

I told them how I have the opportunity to travel to a lot of different places to speak about Dawson. I have spoke to the youth, the youth and their parents, entire wards, groups of women, groups of adults, small groups and large groups. When Dawson passed away it was something that I knew the Lord would want me to do. His story and his special life and all of the miracles that were a part of it were meant to be shared with many people.

I told them that when I am asked to speak I go, no matter how far away, and I would never ask the ward to pay any of my expenses. I have always felt that the Lord would provide a way for me to go.

I recently went to speak in Southern Arizona. Our budget was a little tight when it was time to go. I withdrew $200, which is exactly how much the trip would cost, from my grocery budget and trusted that the Lord would help us stretch the rest to meet our needs.

The spirit was so strong at the fireside. I knew that the message the Lord wanted to share with this group was received. It was such a great experience.

As we pulled back into my friends driveway we noticed another car pulling up. A man got out of his car and walked over to me. He handed me an envelope, told me thank you, gave me a hug and then left. Later I sat in my room at my friends home and opened that envelope, thinking I would find a note. In the envelope was $200, the exact amount it would cost for my trip. To me this was a message from Heavenly Father. He wanted me to be sure that He was constantly aware of every little need and that He would work through His faithful and willing children to fill those needs, as long as we are willing to continue with faith.

We talked about how the man certainly could have used so much money, but he was a man that listened to the promptings of the spirit and was willing to watch for ways he could help others along his path. This man set an example for me that day! I was blessed by his faithfulness, both financially, and more importantly, spiritually.

We closed with a poem President Monson quoted in his talk "What Have I Done For Someone Today?" in October 2009 General Conference:

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.

Day 5: White Chili

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

White Chili
Green Salad

WHITE CHILI

From: Worldwide Ward Cookbook

OUR RATING: LIKE IT

Ok, I have to admit that I need to try this again! I would double the broth...and maybe even more. There is a limey green chili-ness about it. The flavor is great...it's just the lack of broth that left me wanting. I will have to say...I had some family over and everyone else totally loved it. Ryan said he wants it to make it back to our table again. So....it will! By the way, I doubled the broth and it's seasonings & made a couple other little changes for you below! Your welcome! :)

INGREDIENTS:

5 c. Water
2 tsp. Lemon Pepper
2 tsp. Ground Cumin
3 1/2 c. Cubed Chicken Breast (Season with an additional 1 tsp lemon pepper & 1 tsp cumin. Cook thoroughly) or replace with Tofu for a vegetarian version.
1 c. Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Butter (can use a dairy free version)
2 (19 oz) Cans of White Corn (can use frozen)
2 (4 oz) Cans Diced Green Chiles, undrained
2 (15 oz) Cans White Beans, undrained
5 Tbsp. Lime Juice

DIRECTIONS:

Bring Water to Boil with Lemon Pepper and Ground Cumin.
Add Chicken to water.
In a frying pan, cook onion and garlic in butter until tender; add to soup.
Stir in Corn & Green Chiles. Bring to a boil.
Add Beans & Lime juice. Cook until heated through.
Can serve with chips, sour cream, and cheese.
Makes (8 Servings)

TOMORROWS MENU:

Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry

DAY 4: Eclairs (with dairy free option)

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

YOUR WELCOME!

I mean, lets just start there, shall we? You are going to LOVE me for these!

Today is leftover night. Busy busy! But there must be a post, so let's give you a treat! I whipped these up for a scout meeting Ryan was having at our house. BIG HIT! They always are! And as a bonus, I put my wheels into motion and figured out a way to make them dairy free for my hubby! He loves me more now...and he thinks I am a genius! :)

I have to be honest. I kinda broke the rules on this one. This didn't come from the cookbooks, it was an old favorite. However, I did have to re-invent it to make it dairy free....and they are divine, so I let them in! :)

ECLAIRS

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!

Oh, and perhaps I should mention that these babies are RIDICULOUSLY easy! A little more involved than chocolate chip cookies, but not much and I would turn to these first because of how delicious they are!

Let's start with the puffs.

Just a note....follow these directions EXACTLY. Puffs can be finicky.

In a small sauce pan boil 1 c. water & 1/2 c. of butter (for dairy free I used Safflower Butter. You can use another brand if you can't find this one by the butter at your store. Just make sure there isn't any dairy.)
When the water is boiling and the butter is melted, remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl.
Add 1 c. of flour, mix well.
Microwave the bowl and mixture for 30 sec. Remove and stir. Repeat for 30 more seconds in the microwave.
Add 4 room temperature eggs. Beat until creamy.
Spoon batter onto lightly sprayed cookie sheet. 12 large or 24 small....or whatever you feel like.

I usually get a little bowl of water and wet my fingertips just a little bit and form the puffs a little. Seriously, go easy with the water. You want just enough to keep your fingers from sticking to the batter.
Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 min, or until starting to turn golden brown. Start watching them at about 20 min. Warning...only use your oven light or slightly crack the oven open for just a moment. Cold air will make these puffs collapse and then you will have to start over....you don't want to do that.

Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Leave the puffs in the oven to cool until it cools completely. Every once in a while 1 or 2 might collapse a bit. You can try to salvage them with the cream. Sometimes they are just a loss, but most times you can get them to fill up.

This is how they should look when they are done. YUM!

While the puffs are cooking, let's make the filling!

Dairy Free option for filling & frosting, with pictures, at the end of the post.

Mix 1 large box of Vanilla pudding mix with 1 1/2 c. milk. (coconut milk for dairy free)
In a separate bowl mix 2 c. of Cool Whip with 1 Tbsp of Sugar until stiff peaks form.
Mix cool whip mixture with pudding.

Creamy or Rich & Creamy Milk Chocolate frosting, either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines, is the best frosting for these. It combines perfectly with the puff and filling. SO GOOD!

This is what I use to fill the puffs. You can use any frosting bag sort of thing. You just want to make sure that you have a pointy tip to stick through the side of the pastry.

Like this!

Fill each puff. If you have left over filling go back through and make sure that each is filled all the way.

NOTE: Another option is to cut the puff in half and fill the center. Kinda like a roll. Then close it and frost the top. This is slightly more messy for the eater, but if you are doing a lot of these, this might be a good option. Just make them smaller.

Frost the top and chill for at least an hour, more time is better.

Serve and enjoy the happy faces! These babies are PERFECT!

Now, for the Dairy Free portion.

Ghiradelli makes semi-sweet chocolate chips. That makes chocolate anything SO much easier!

I didn't measure this out. Just eye ball it. Depending on how many you are making. I also added a bit of coconut whip cream to thin out the chocolate. Adjust your amount of chocolate, if you would like to add the cream. Otherwise, melt the chocolate for 30 sec or so in the microwave and stir until it is all smooth. Microwave a little longer, if needed. Frost the eclairs and the chocolate will harden during chilling process.

To make the cream open 2 refrigerated cans of full fat coconut milk. (do not shake) Skim the thicker cream off the top of the milk. Turn the mixer on medium high. Add sugar and vanilla to desired sweetness.

Mix a little bit of this cream with the chocolate, if desired. Mix remainder with the pudding, instead of using cool whip. This will keep your filling dairy free. Fill according to above directions.

My cream turned out pretty thin. Coconut milk cream is finicky like that. Sometimes you get a lot of thick cream and sometimes it is thinner. When I mixed that with the chocolate it made it thin. I spooned a bit over the top of the puff and immediately put it in the fridge. The cool thing about coconut milk is that it hardens in cold temperatures. This means that by adding it to the chocolate it becomes magic shell!

After the chocolate hardened, I took it out of the fridge spooned more chocolate and put back in the fridge. These were seriously beautiful! They looked so good!

Alright, I know the instructions make these seem super involved. They are actually very easy. I just wanted to make sure to be VERY detailed! Let me know if you have any questions!

ENJOY!!

TOMORROW'S MENU:

*White Chili

DAY 3: Parmesan Chicken, Italian Rosemary Bread, Strawberry Limeade and Apple Cherry Crisp!!

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Chicken Parmesan
Strawberry Limeade
Italian Rosemary Bread
Green Salad
Apple Cherry Crisp (DF)

CHICKEN PARMESAN

From: "The Pampered Chef: "It's Good For You"

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!!

Oh, I wish I had my new camera going for this one! The picture DOES NOT do justice! I have to say that every single bite my hubby took was followed by an "Oh my gosh babe!" Yeah, I'll take that as success! This is SO going on our permanent menu!

INGREDIENTS:

8 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 egg whites
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 c. seasoned croutons, grated (1/2 c. crumbs)
1/4 c grated fresh Parmesan Cheese (I skipped this for dairy free)
1 tsp. dried Oregano leaves
1/8 tsp. black Pepper
2 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
4 oz cooked Angel Hair Pasta
1 Jar Prego (or other favorite marinara)
1/4 c. shredded Mozerella Cheese (I skipped this for dairy free)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Beat egg white until frothy.
Press garlic into egg whites using a garlic press.
Grate croutons and Parmesan cheese (I used my blender). Place on a plate or in shallow bowl.
Add Oregano & Black Pepper to the crumb mix, mix well.
Coat chicken with flour. Dip into egg white mixture. Coat both sides of each piece of chicken. Shake off excess. Discard any remaining mixture. Place each piece of chicken on a lightly sprayed pan. Bake for 20-25 or until chicken is no longer pink.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
Heat marinara sauce.
Plate pasta. Top with chicken and a small amount of marinara. Top with mozzarella.

STRAWBERRY LIMEADE

From: "Worldwide Ward Cookbook"

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!!

Totally just like Sonic! So so good!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Liters Lemon-Lime Soda (Sprite or 7 UP)
1 qt. Frozen Strawberries with syrup
6 Limes

DIRECTIONS:

Pour lemon-lime soda into a punch bowl or large pitcher. Stir in frozen strawberries (I had to chop at them a bit for them to break up). Squeeze 4 limes into punch. Slice the 2 remaining limes and add to the bowl.

ITALIAN ROSEMARY BREAD

From: "Worldwide Ward Cookbook"

OUR RATING: LOVED IT!!

I know! We have a lot of "LOVED IT"s so far! But that is good! We are trying to add things we would like to have and I made my list based on things I thought we would like!

I am not a bread person. However, I tried this and it was good! Ryan ate almost the entire loaf! He absolutely loved it! I set out a plate with olive oil, balsamic vinegar & cracked pepper! YUM! And super easy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. Water
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary
2 1/2 c. Bread Flour
1 1/2 tsp. active Dry Yeast

DIRECTIONS:

This recipe is designed for a bread machine. If you have one, place ingredients in the machine in order suggested by manufacturer. Select white bread and press start.
I do not have a bread machine. I proofed the yeast mixing the warm water, yeast & sugar in a bowl and setting aside. I mixed Oil, salt, Italian Seasoning, Pepper, Dried Rosemary & 1/2 of flour in my mixer until well blended. Then I added the proofed yeast and the remainder of the flour. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl. If it doesn't add a little flour until it does. When it does, set a timer and allow to mix for a few more minutes. Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm spot in your kitchen. Once it is risen form it into a loaf and place on a sprayed pan. Cover and let rise again. Once it has doubled it is ready to cook.
Bake @ 350 until done. (I can't remember, but I think it was about 30 min)

APPLE-CHERRY CRISP

From: "The Pampered Chef: "It's Good For You"

OUR RATING: LIKED IT!!

Ok, Ryan actually loved this. I really liked it. It was seriously good. I didn't jump out of my seat, but it was delish! I will totally make this again!

FRUIT FILLING:

6 medium Granny Smith Apples, sliced (About 8 cups)
1 can (21 oz) Cherry Pie Filling
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1/4 c. 70% Vegetable Oil Spread or Crisco, melted
1/4 c. Sliced Almonds, chopped
1 c. Old Fashioned or Quick Oats
1/4 c. Flour
1/4 c. Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples.
Combine apples, pie filling and cinnamon in large bowl. Mix gently.
Place chopped almonds, oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well.
Pour melted Crisco over the top and stir until well mixed.
Spread fruit mixture over the bottom of 9x13 pan. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the top of the fruit.
Bake 35-40 min or until apples are tender. Cool slightly. Serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream, whip cream or for dairy free option, make whipped topping out of coconut milk. Open a can of refrigerated coconut milk (do not shake), skim the thick cream off of the top. Place in mixer and blend on high until it thickens. Add a little cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and vanilla, to taste. YUM!

ENJOY!

TOMORROWS MENU:

*Leftovers

*ECLAIRS! Don't miss it!

It's The Chance to Paint

2011-12-15T10:49:00.002-07:00

Thanks for passing this quote along Mom! Love it!

"I've come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint our greatest hopes -- imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it's not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude -- it's the chance to paint."

-Richard Paul Evans

"Finding Noel"

DAY 2: Sweet & Saucy Meatballs & Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream (made in a blender)

2011-12-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Sweet & Saucy Meatballs
Mashed Potatoes
Green Salad
Dessert: Strawberry Ice Cream (DF,SF)

SWEET & SAUCY MEATBALLS

From: "The Pampered Chef: It's Good For You"

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!!
Oh, were these ever delicious! They were seriously fantastic! The combination of spices with the cranberry sweet sauce is out of this world! This is definitely making it's way back to our table, and soon!

MEATBALLS:

1/4 C. Chopped Onion
1 Package (1.25 lbs) Lean Ground Turkey
1 Egg White
1/4 Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs (I used Panko Crumbs and threw in about 1 tsp or so of Italian Seasoning).
1 tsp. Dried Thyme Leaves
1 Garlic Clove, pressed
1/2 tsp Salt

SAUCE:

1 can (8 oz) Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1/4 c. Ketchup
1/4 c. Orange Marmalade (I had apricot preserves on hand and used that. Worked great!)
2 T. Brown Sugar, packed
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a bowl combine turkey, onion, egg white, bread crumbs, thyme, garlic & salt. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Shape mixture into small balls; place in a single layer over the bottom of a deep baking pan (9x13). Bake 15 min; drain.
While baking, combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. After meatballs are drained, pour sauce over the meatballs; mix gently to coat them evenly. Return to oven; continue baking 15 min, or until cooked through. Stir gently before serving.

And for dessert:

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

From: "VitaMix Whole Food Recipes For Better Living"

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!!

I wish I had a picture of my husbands face when he tried this! See with his whole dairy allergy thing, and the fact that he doesn't really like soy or rice ice cream, this is the first ice cream he has had in a long time! And what a way to come back! This is super creamy and full of flavor! It was seriously delish! Add to that there isn't any sugar and WE HAVE A WINNER! Warning: Ice Cream Headache ahead! Go slow and control yourself please! :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. liquid lite non-dairy creamer
1 lb. frozen strawberries
1/2 c. Stevia or other natural sweetner
1/2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a heavy duty blender in the order listed above. Blend on high until the sound of the motor changes and 4 mounds form in the mixture. Don't overmix or the mixture will begin to melt. If you want to thicken the mixture, or if it is more the consistency of a shake, add another cup of frozen non-dairy creamer cubes (freeze in ice tray). Other fruit may be substituted.

TOMORROWS MENU:

*Parmesan Chicken & Pasta

*Italian Rosemary Bread

*Strawberry Limeade

*Dessert: Apple Cherry Crisp

DAY 1: Almond Chicken Stir Fry & Dairy Free, Sugar Free Fresh Pineapple Shake

2011-12-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

ON THE MENU:

Almond Chicken Stir-Fry over Brown Rice
Perfection Rolls
Garden Salad
Dessert: Fresh Pineapple Shake (Dairy Free-DF, Sugar Free-SF)

Here is the low down.....

ALMOND CHICKEN STIR FRY over Brown Rice

From "VitaMix Whole Foods Recipes For Better Living"

OUR RATING: LOVE IT!!

This was seriously YUM! We are off to a good start with this one! This is SUCH a great stir fry! The almonds, the sauce, the red peppers, they all make this so fabulous! And it was super fast and easy to make! Huge hit and a definite for the family cookbook!

Spray or heat a little olive oil in a large pan or wok.
Stir fry 2 c. diced chicken breast until thoroughly cooked. (Skip the chicken for a vegetarian option. You can add tofu instead, if you would like.)
Add 1 c. chopped broccoli and stir fry for approx. 3 min.

While chicken & broccoli are cooking prepare and dump in a large bowl:

*1 Garlic Clove, Minced

*1 C. Carrots, Grated

*1 C. Celery, Chopped

*1 C. Red Bell Pepper, Chopped

*1 C. Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

*1 C. Green Onions, Chopped

*1 C. Mushrooms, Sliced (Optional)

*1 C. Sliced Almonds

Add all items in large bowl to the chicken and broccoli. Add a little more oil or spray, if needed. Cook until Crisp-Tender.

Mix in blender:

*1/4 C. Lite or Regular Soy Sauce

*1 1/2 C. Water

*2 Tbs. Cornstarch

* 1 T Cooking Sherry (water may be substituted)

*1 tsp. Stevia (or other natural sweetener)

*1 tsp. Chicken bouillon

*Red Pepper, to taste

When Veggies are Crisp - Tender, Pour sauce over stir-fry.

Cook until thickened. Serve over steamed brown rice.

BEST. STIR-FRY. EVER!

PERFECTION ROLLS

From "World Wide Ward Cook Book Mom's Best Recipes"

OUR RATING: 3 out of 5

Don't take my word for it. I do NOT like most breads. Oh the yeast! It almost kills me! The smell, the taste! Oh my! My hubby said these were great and I don't really feel like the rating is all that fair since this was my first roll baking experience EVER! Not to mention, I made them with heavy duty whole grain wheat, instead of the flour it calls for. I will try the again with flour and see if they get a higher rating. I will keep you posted on this one!

Ingredients:

*2 Pkgs Dry Yeast

*1/4 c. Lukewarm Water

*1 c. 70% Shortening (this is the lower fat version)

*1 c. Sugar

*2 Eggs

*2 tsp. Salt

*1 C. Boiling Water

*1 C. Cold Water

*6 1/2 - 7 C. Flour

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Set aside. Using electric mixer, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, salt, and boiling water. Add cold water and yeast mixture. Sift in half of the flour and mix with mixer. Add rest of the flour and mix by hand. Place dough in greased bowl. Brush top of dough with shortening. Cover and let rise 2 -3 hours or until doubled in size. If you live in a dry and arid climate, cover the dough with a warm, moist cloth with the bread rises; in more humid climates, use a dry cloth. For rolls, place in greased pan, and cover. Let rise for 1 hour. Place pan of rolls in cold oven. Back at 400 for 25 min. Makes 9-12 Servings.

FRESH PINEAPPLE SHAKE

From "VitaMix Whole Food Recipes For Better Living"

OUR RATING: LIKE IT

The lower rating is because this was supposed to be ice cream! :) It just didn't want to set up like the recipe said. That being said, we loved it as a shake. It was fresh and light instead of heavy and over sweet. We will have this again!

INGREDIENTS:

*4 C. Frozen Liquid Lite Non-Dairy Creamer (pour into ice cube trays and freeze ahead of time)

*1 Fresh Pineapple. Remove skin and core. Cut in large chunks.

*1/2 tsp. Vanilla

*Stevia (or other natural sweetner), to taste.

DIRECTION:

In a heavy duty blender place all ingredients in the container, in the order above. Blend until the sound of the motor changes and 4 mounds form, or until blended thoroughly. You may have to stop the machine and press the ingredients down, if you are not using a VitaMix or other heavy duty blender. If the mixture is thick, you can eat it as an ice cream, or add liquid creamer or coconut milk to thin out a bit.

TOMORROWS MENU:

*Sweet & Saucy Meatballs

*Mashed Potatoes

*Green Salad

*Dessert: Strawberry Ice Cream (DF,SF)

My New Project: "3 Cookbooks In 90 Days"

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the deal.....

I have been in a major slump! My poor hubby's stomach growls at me from across the room! "I'm too busy to make dinner tonight", I answer it's complaint as he, without a single utterance of annoyance, fires up the microwave for yet another thrown together meal. Truth is....it's not that I am busy as much as it is that I am COMPLETELY lacking inspiration....and I N E E D to be inspired! I want to be creative in the kitchen! I don't want to whip up another bowl of same-ole-same-ole or slop another spoonful of blah on a plate. I want to sit down to a bunch...(Ok, let's be realistic, my kids don't eat ANYTHING like EVER, so I don't really mind if their faces don't shine with excitement) or at least one other happy smiling face!

My other motivation.....

I AM in fact busy a lot of the time. Days just slip by without even letting me know they are coming, let alone going! Life gets crazy! When life gets like this, the only way for me to truly find sanity among all of the crazy is organization. Otherwise, each day feels like a blur of "need to get done's", instead of a day packed with "look what I can do's". Let's face it....if we are lagging in our day to day responsibilities, it doesn't matter how productive we can be outside the home, because we will always feel like we are falling short. I hate falling sort!
So, in all of the organization, I have decided I need a meal plan....and a food storage, but let's start with meal plan.

I am not interested in filling up a 30 day menu with meals that repeat themselves over and over and all seem to taste about the same so that at the end of the week we all feel like we have been eating the same thing for days. So, I busted out my supply of cookbooks. I have A LOT! I may have tried a recipe here or there in a couple of them, but for the most part, their potential is untapped. So, I decided to pick 3 of them and start there. I went through the entire book. I wrote down every beverage, appetizer, salad, soup, dinner & dessert that looked like it might interest my family. It had to fit a couple of requirements. It must be either dairy free or easily converted to dairy free, it must be healthy or allow for healthy substitutions, and it must be delish!

By the end of my list I had a list of a handful of snack & breakfast recipes to make and 90....uh hem NINETY days of delicious dinners! Now, I can't really say delicious. I mean, we haven't even tried them, but they look yum and I am willing to give it a go!

For the next 90 days I am going to post the days recipes. This will likely include, at the very least, a main course, possibly dessert, sides, breakfast, who knows! But each recipe will be posted along with our overall review of the recipe!

The winners will make it to our family cookbook, which will be packed with recipes that we all know we love! Four 30 day menus will be created for each season from this cookbook, with a few days for trying new stuff. The 30 days menu will be repeated for 3 months each, then filed for the next year. This will help me get my food storage. For example, if I know that I use 6 cans of black beans in a month I can watch for a great sale on black beans and then stock my shelves with 18 cans! If I do this for each of the items, I end up with a 3 month supply. At the end of all of the seasons I will have a year supply and I will go to the store to replenish the items we used, when they are on sale, of course.

Sounds great, right?! I am excited to try it out! Tomorrow starts the first recipe! I am also going to start trying to make bread! I haven't ever learned! Wish me luck! :)

Now, just to let you know, the cookbooks I have chosen to use for the next 90 days are........

Are you excited?! Man, I am! I hope to give you some FABULOUS new recipes to throw into your rotation! We will try them out and give you our honest opinion as we go! Let's get started, shall we?!

First stop.....

Almond Chicken Stir Fry

Brown Rice

Perfection Rolls

Garden Salad

See You Then!

PLEASE HELP!

2011-12-12T01:26:00.001-07:00

I learned over this last weekend about a sweet family that is in need of some serious help! I grew up with going to school with a few of Lisy's siblings. Lisy is a good friend of my little sisters'. This story just breaks my heart!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if there is anything you can do to help, even if you only have $5 to give, it will be greatly appreciated by this family!

I can't imagine what it must feel like for them to face the prospect of possibly losing 2 of their children and on top of that dealing with the finacial difficulties that will come as Tyler will be required to quit the jobs he has been working in order to help with the over 6 months time of intense isolation and quarantine that will be required as his little girls go through chemo, bone marrow transplants, etc.

Not only will they have the typical expenses of day to day living, they must also get rid of their vehicle, which, because of it's age, could be carrying spores that would get the girls sick. Move into a newly built home that would offer a less risky environment, and then deal with the worries of giving their other 3 children the best situation while their parents have to be away in order to help their girls fight for their lives.

Those that know this family are jumping at the opportunity to help them! They are wonderful and amazing people. They are devoted parents and we can't even imagine how difficult this situation is for them.

When others are faced with such extreme situations, isn't our opportunity to "Share the Load"? We can lift them up and help them by carrying the burdens that they don't have to carry. So many of us can give a little we all give a little, it will add up to one of the greatest blessings for this family!

Below is a picture of their family and a letter from a family friend explaining the details of the family situation, as well as ways to donate! A paypal account is set up for the family. You can get that through the blog link below.

If there is anything you have questions about or a way that you may be able to help, please contact Wendy through her info below or shoot me an email at yourlifeuncommon@gmail.com

Thank you SO MUCH!

Lisy and Tyler have 5 wonderful children - 3 girls and 2 boys. Their ages range from 8 to 4 months. Two of their daugthers, Natalie (8) and Alice (2) have spent much of their life at Primary Children's Hospital battling for their lives with what they originally through was an auto-immune disorder.

Natalie's condition was first noticed at 18 months, when after receiving her battery of immunizations, she had kidney failure. She later developed Acquired Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia after receiving a flu shot at age 2 1/2. Her little sister Alice, six years younger, has always had similar symptoms when exposed to common childhood illnesses.

Natalie has had several blood transfusions just to keep her alive.

3 months ago, after years of waiting and wondering and battling for their lives, they received a diagnosis. Both Natalie and Alice have an extremely rare gene mutation, called "Leaky SCIDS (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency)" a form of the "bubble boy" disease.

In the US, there are only 2 people diagnosed a year with this rare disease and their little family has just filled the quota, the odds two children getting the disease is just as rare.

Although grateful for a possible cure, bone marrow transplants, they are coming to grips with all that will entail: chemo, transplant, a child donor, quarantine and isolation, risk of infections that could lead to death, all the while, trying to still care for their other three children and their needs.

Their little boys, ages 6 & 4 are courageous in allowing so much blood work to be done to find a donor match. The 4 year old brother is a perfect match for Natalie, and will be her donor. As for Alice, luckily, a perfect match as been found via a donor bank. Both girls are getting prepped for their bone marrow transplants happening in the next week or so.

Their 6 year old was heartbroken he couldn't "give his bones to Natalie and Alice to help save them."

Tyler has an MBA and has been working 2 jobs to make ends meet. He has to quit his jobs to be there for the 2 months of intense hospital recovery, and then to help with the intense care needed for an additional 120 days post-hospital quarantine.

It is unbelievable what must be done to keep the sterile environment needed to prevent infection which may lead to rejection (list of items needed coming soon.)

This is where we all come in. They need prayers, they need words of encouragement, they need a ridiculous amount of specialized food (see list) as well as sanitizing materials needed. Money donations are welcome, too, in order to curb some of the cost of diagnostic testing and things like that. I add, they will need new, wrapped media or games or things to help during quarantine. They need you. Your talents- your generosity, in more ways than just dollars.

If you can help, please contact Wendy Shaffer (Facebook Page Administrator), to find out more.

(LINK to the Facebook Page)

You may donate to any of UCCU's (Utah Community Credit Union) 18 locations under "2 FISH MARROW WISH FUND" (LINK to UCCU's Contact Page), or email Wendy at 2fishmarrowwishfund@gmail.com

Please go to Lisy's personal blog at www.fishesformarrowwishes.blogspot.com. There are also links there detailing other ways to donate.

Sincerely,

Wendy Shaffer, friend of Lisy and Tyler

I Was Told I Needed To Hear This.....

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

I found my self nodding through the whole thing! These words are so beautiful to me! They are my testimony! I love, love, love this song! (Plus you can see a few people you might recognize!) This is such an important and beautiful message!

GUESS WHAT I MADE?!

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love Pinterest! Have I told you that lately? Well, I do!

The other day we had a party in the Lindstrom Fam and I was in charge of a treat! I started to look through some of the things I had "pinned" to my "Yum" board and found a picture of these. So, I jotted down a quick grocery list (large & small marshmallows, green, red, blue & yellow sprinkles & food coloring, green & red jelly beans, black licorice pieces, black frosting & orange jellies) and headed to the store!

Look what I created.......

In the Lindstrom Fam there is way more than one fan of the Angry Birds! These were a hit!

And to really seal the deal, I cracked out a few of these......

Minions Cupcakes! Again from a picture on Pinterest!

I used the left over licorice pieces for hair, black frosting for the eyes & smarties for the glasses, and half of a twinkie and some blue frosting for the base! How fun is that?!

Man alive were they ever fun....and surprisingly easy, to make!

Eternal Perspective & Failing Hearts

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you have seen this video floating around. Maybe you have already watched it. Maybe you were like me and thought you will watch it when you have a few extra minutes. Now that I have, might I suggest that you either watch it again, or don't put it off any longer.

Before you watch, I want to tell you 3 things:

1: Trials and adversity are not only a part of this life, they are THE MOST IMPORTANT part of it! Through them we learn the true characteristics of God, His love for us, our strength with Him & our purpose, IF we choose to overcome the fear and cling to faith.

2: Wendy Nelson, Elder Nelson's wife, gave a talk at a meeting I was at. She said that if we could only glimpse just 10 seconds of our life before this one, all of our stresses that burden us in this life would simply melt away. I believe that it is not that they would go away, but our ability to put them in proper perspective and manage them efficiently would be increased because we would look at our problems with Eternal Perspective in mind. Eternal Perspective changes EVERYTHING and helps keep us focused on our purpose, eliminates fear and provides the courage to move through anything we may face in this life. No matter how difficult.

3: I know I have told you this before, but it feels appropriate to share again what I heard over and over from Dawson the day after he passed away. This was something he meant for me to tell you. You as in any person that should ever happen upon this blog and see anything about him and his courageous and faith filled life. He said:

“If you could only see what is waiting for you, you would do everything you could to get here. You would not just simply go through life, you would work as hard as you can to serve the Lord so that when you arrive, you arrive to the same kind of celebration I did!”

And he did! I will never forget the moment his spirit slipped from his broken body. He had finished all he

wanted to accomplish in this life and he had done more than was required. The celebration was sweet and

powerful. Those that received him, had watched his sacrifice and mission and now it was time to receive the

reward!

I hope this video inspires you, like it has me, to have more faith and a whole lot less fear. Who knows what tomorrow will bring for anyone of us. Fear is not a productive emotion. It cannot stop things from happening, but faith and Eternal Perspective can help us make it through it!

FHE OBJECT LESSON {Sharing the Burden}

2011-11-27T15:33:00.001-07:00

Easily one of my favorite object lessons! It is really such a great visual! I have used it with Young Women lessons, RS lessons and at home!

SHARING THE BURDEN

OBJECTIVE:

Teach the kids how important it is to "share the load" and how the entire load is too much for just one person, but if we all pitch in to help it makes the burden easy to carry. This lesson is also a great way to teach the importance of recognizing our limits and that it is important to ask for help. Through the course of the lesson you can also talk about the ability we have to help others with the burdens they bear through service and how the ultimate relief we can experience is the relief that comes to our burden of sin and sorrow through the Atonement.

SUPPLIES:

Scriptures for everyone.

10 bags of brown or powdered sugar ($10-15 @Walmart *Count it as food storage! :) or borrow from friends. They will not be opened.)

(Sorry some of these pictures are a little blurry! Hopefully Santa's loading a fabulous camera on his sleigh just for me!)

We started our lesson by having our 11 year old son stand with his arms out in front of him. My husband placed 1 bag of brown sugar on his arms. The rules were, keep your arms out in front and don't drop anything. The most important rule.....if you feel like you need help, ask for it!

Slowly Dad continued to pile on the bags of sugar.

It was getting heavier and heavier.

And a LOT harder to hold on to all of them. Help was called for. It is very important to stress to the starter of this game that they need to ask for help when they need it!

Little sister stepped in and placed both of her hands under her big brothers. He could immediately feel the relief. More bags were piled on until they both called for extra help.

Dad stepped in and the difference was immediate. They could have taken much more. The load wasn't too heavy for any of them. I was called in for back up as well. Unfortunately this required me to put down the camera, but you get the picture.

While we were all sharing the load I talked to everyone about how the sugar represents all of the different responsibilities that come with running a household. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, bills, yard work, etc. Just like it was impossible for one person to carry the full load of sugar bags without dropping them, it wasn't possible for one person to do all the responsibilities in the home without leaving things out or falling short.

This is why it is important for us to share the load and the reason why the kids have job charts. (Check these out! The only thing we have found that truly works! The kids are AMAZING at jobs and the "Motherboard" does all the nagging! All I have to do is say, "have you checked the motherboard?") When we are all working together the burden is light and easy to bear. It makes us all happier!

We talked about how there are times in life when we are busy and feel like we are stretched to our limits. It is important to realize that it is good to ask for help, and sometimes we must ask that nothing else be added to our pile.

When our son Dawson was still with us, he required everything I could give...and more. His medical and physical needs required constant help. During that time in my life I was also working from home full time to try to help with expenses. I was involved with several different things and in the RS Presidency. Then I also had friendships, a marriage & 2 other kids that required my attention to keep them healthy. Life was full. I had a hard time asking for help and thought I could balance it all. I started to feel like I was failing at everything because I couldn't give enough of myself to each part of my life that needed my attention. I was asked at that time to join a group that would design a NICU for the new hospital in Twin Falls, ID. I had spent A LOT of time in different hospitals and had somethings that I thought would benefit the hospital and the parents that would spend time there with their little babies. It was something I wanted to be involved in. However, I learned that it would require frequent trips to Twin Falls for meetings and fundraisers, extensive time on the phone trying to coordinate fundraisers for my area, etc. I was at my limit. I tried to balance it all, but I could feel the fall out. So, as much as I loved having this opportunity, I respectfully declined. It was hard to do, but I felt so good about drawing the line for myself and accepting what I can and cannot accomplish. It was better for the group to have someone that could give the project the attention it deserved and it was good for my family that I was not willing to sacrifice their needs in the process of stretching myself too thin.

We talked about how we are able to have our burdens lightened by asking for help, and we are also able to lighten the burdens of others. Discuss different ways you can help. (Visiting the sick, sending cards to express sympathy or gratitude for the person, helping people move, rake leaves, do yard work, holding the door open for someone, etc.)

Then we discussed how the Lord can lighten our burdens, if we ask in humility.

Read Mosiah 24:14-15, 21.

"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God."

When we pray the Lord can take the burden of our trials and make it feel like it is a lighter load to bear. If we press forward in faith, we will be strengthened and we can chose to be cheerful and patient with our trials. Eventually the trial will be over and we will be able to look back at the experience and see that the only way we could have made it through this trial was with the help of the Lord. As we bear testimony of that we will be able to share hope with others that may be going through trials in our lives. It is like the Lords hands holding up ours with the sugar. Then when the sugar is removed from us we can go and help others by lifting their load with our hands and helping them have hope and persevere.

The other way that this object lesson can teach us is through thinking of the sugar bags as bad choices or sins. As those choices add up, or even just carrying one for a long period of time, the weight becomes too much for us to bear. When we turn to the Lord for help He can relieve us of our burden through the Atonement. Likewise, when we are feeling sad or upset about something, or in need of comfort, because of the Atonement we can feel the loving support of our loving Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ as they help us carry our burden.

In Loving Memory....an additional tribute to our Dawson

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

At last weekends fireside in Arizona I decided it was time to make a special addition to the OTHER VIDEO I play at the firesides. I wanted to include a special tribute to Dawson, especially since I made the video before he passed away.

The song played with this video was composed by my Brother in Law, Brian Cook. He is AMAZING! He composed this for Dawson and played it at his funeral. I sang the song "A Child's Prayer" maybe a million times to Dawson. Every single time it put him at ease. He could go through any amount of pain as long as he could feel the spirit and the best way to do that was through music. In the second verse there is a line that says, "You are His child, His love now surrounds you." There was never a time that I didn't sing those words without the spirit testifying to me that they were true. I could feel the spirit flood over my entire body like someone had just dumped a bucket over us. Every single time we experienced this. This song was absolutely Dawson's song. It brought him so much comfort in his life.

Brian also added a little "Each Life That Touches Ours For Good" in there. I didn't know he would going to do it. I remember sitting at Dawson's funeral and listening to him play this. When he got to that part I could just feel the truth in that. Our little man's life touched ours for good, and I have a feeling he has touched yours as well! How blessed are we all for having such an experience?! Knowing this sweet little guy has certainly been the greatest part of all of our lives! Man alive, am I ever glad he is our forever!!

Enjoy!

Spreading the Word

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week has been a great one! It has been one filled with my sweet boy!

My friend Elizabeth asked me to come to ward just about 2 months before Dawson passed away. I spoke to the Relief Society in her ward about our experience with the twins and all of their hospital adventures. The fireside was called, "Gratitude in the Face of Adversity". Everything seemed to have taken on that title after that point.

Right after Dawson passed away I was asked to do a fireside or come and speak to several different groups. All of them bore the same title. I have shared Dawson's story of faith with many different groups since then. His story changes lives. If you have read it, you know this already. It is a blessing in my life to get to do these firesides. It keeps me focused on what all of this has really been about. It reminds me of Eternal Perspective.

Right after Dawson passed away, just moments after the mortician took Dawson from my in-laws home, I felt my entire soul splitting in two. It was such a powerful wave of grief. I didn't know if I would survive it, it felt like it would consume me. As I cried and clung to the pillow Dawson had slept on for days I asked my husband for a Priesthood Blessing.

As my husband delivered the words the Lord wanted me to hear through that sacred blessing, there was a strength and a power beyond my own reaching through the veil to lift me up. The end of Dawson's life did not mean the end of this chapter of my life, in fact, it was just the beginning. Dawson's departure was a necessary part of me being able to now go forward with my purpose and mission in this life. Dawson's life and message was and is completely intertwined with my purpose here.

There were many other things in that blessing that were just for my husband and I. By the end of the blessing I felt a new energy coursing through my body. The grief, although incredibly heavy a lot of times, was not consuming. I felt such energy and desire to tell everyone I possibly could what I now KNEW was true! I feel a desperate desire to help others understand just how much the Lord loves us! How REAL He is! How much He wants us to endure the hard things in life and allow Him to work through them to remind us of who we are and why we are here. That is their purpose!

It has been amazing to me to have so many opportunities to share this message! I would go anywhere, anytime. All anyone has to do is ask! (Especially if it was somewhere tropical! :)) This week I got to speak to a ward in Lehi, UT. Today I am heading out on an 11 hour drive to Pinetop, AZ. My friend Maryon has asked me to speak to the youth and parents in a couple of wards on Sunday night. I know I am headed to Idaho sometime soon, as well.

It has been a blessing to me to share Dawson with so many through this blog and now through these firesides! He is always close to me while I am preparing for and speaking to each group. It will be fun to see how many other places we will get to go!

What a Lovely Sight To See!

2011-11-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

First the sound of the buzzer. Then the sound of running little feet. Then I walk around the corner to find this......

We are getting settled and back in to our regular routine!

Can I get a HALLELUJAH?!

Our "MOTHERBOARD" has returned and that means life is good!

This little Miss is IN LOVE with doing her own laundry and I am in love with the site of her doing it all, right down to the hanging, folding and putting away!

I LOVE JOB CHARTS!!

By the way, you should head over to OurLifeUncommon, that is if you would like a tour of our new digs!

Living With Loose Ends

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

The other day I read the most beautiful post on MormonMommyBloggers.com.

Such a powerful and healing message! It must be shared! It is short, to the point and beautiful! It is HOPE...for everyone!

Go HERE to read it! You will be glad you did!

Looking Back

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Jake and I were laughing about pictures we found of us when we googled our names. One that I was thrilled to come across was this one...

It lead to the newspaper article that was done about our family. I loved reading it again. This time I was totally struck by the fact that we lost our Dawson just over 2 weeks after it was published. Oh my! It's things like this that just blow my mind. Revisiting myself before I knew what it was like to live without our Dawson. No wonder it was easier to be calm about knowing his life was coming to an end. There was peace, that was for sure, but there was also not knowing the gravity grief brings when your child is gone. I think that is why we have said over and over that before they pass, and you know it is coming, you try to prepare. First you think you are ready, then you think you are ready, then you think you are ready...and then you are not. There is no way to prepare yourself for this.

Anyway, I am SO grateful for this article. It reminded me of things that I needed to be reminded of.

Wanna read it?

Here you go.......

"Lindstrom Family Keeps Positive Through Preemie Births, Years of Surgeries"

FHE {Choosing Good Friends}

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

My oldest son is getting closer and closer to Jr. High. OH MY! Does this ever give me heart palpitations. Jr. High was a rough time for me. I felt lost through quite a lot of it. I didn't have a lot of confidence and found myself seeking whatever friends would take me.

I have learned throughout my life that friends can have a profound impact on our lives. The people we choose to spend our time with contribute to molding our character. L. Tom Perry, in the February 1993 New Era said,

"The friends we choose to associate with are main contributing factors in the formation of our character. We form social habits by association with our friends. These habits can be useful when directed towards the formation of a wholesome personality.

I have found that the right friends have a powerful influence on your life. Choose your friends wisely. Make certain they will help build within you the right standards with which to govern your life."

I wanted to impress upon my kids minds how vital choosing good friends would be in their lives. This was the object lesson we came up with.....

(I have to apologize for the picture quality. My camera was out of town with my hubby and the cell phone was all we had. Not great, but better than nothing! :) )

These 4 bowls of water represent different interests people may have. I had the kids name a few interests that different people may have. We had a group that liked video games and movies, a group that liked driving and race cars, a group that like sports and a group that liked games.

We filled each bowl with pre-cooked pasta. The noodles were representations of people, or friends. We talked about how usually we make friends based on having similar interests as they do. We talked about how it was good to be kind and friendly to everyone, not just those that we spent the most time with, because of our similar interests.

Then we started talking about what happens when a person or two in our group of friends start to make bad choices. As I dropped a few drops of blue food coloring in one bowl we talked about how one of the friends in this group started using cuss words to express himself. Little by little, others started making this same choice.

Before long these choices started to affect, or change the character of each of the friends in the group. There was a little guy that didn't like the cussing, but liked spending time with his friends. We talked about how he decided he was going to stick with the group, but he wasn't going to get caught up in the same bad habits his friends were involved in. Before long, he too was starting to get stained from the bad choices being made in this group.

We talked about how perhaps because the boy was surrounded by these words all of the time, they were the words that came to mind when he got upset and before he knew it a few of them had made their way into his vocabulary.

This group was our video game & movie group. These guys got caught up in playing video games that were violent and movies that were filled with inappropriate language, violence, etc.

Our red guys were getting caught up in drugs, smoking & alcohol. (You can, of course, adjust each groups "sins" based on your feelings and your kids age. Remember, kids are exposed to things MUCH younger. Go bold with this. Bold, but appropriate. If your kids don't hear this from you first, where would you like them to hear it from? Their peers?)

This group is our group of friends that have committed to each other to not allow these sort of bad choices to define them. They lovingly encourage each other to stay clean. They have found that life is MUCH more fun without the cussing, drugs & inappropriate games and movies.

I took one of the noodles from the "good" bowl. He decided he wanted to hang out with the blue group. They had similar interests and he was certain he could spend time with them without getting trapped in the same bad habits. In fact, he thought that he could actually become good friends with them, hang out with them all of the time and maybe they would choose to follow his example and stop making the choices they were making.

Little by little their choices started to define his character. As he was in the center of it, the things they were doing didn't seem so bad and little by little he started making similar choices.

Before long, those choices became a central part of the definition of his character. He was blue.

This was a great opportunity to talk about helping others and setting a good example. It is SO important to do these things. So how do we do it without getting caught in it ourselves. I asked the kids if they thought it would be easier to help a friend out of a deep pit from down in the pit with them, or from the ground above. They chose the ground above. We talked about throwing them a rope, a ladder, etc. The were so many options, but from inside the pit, our only option was being stuck and needing to be rescued ourselves.

I told them that I once had a very good friend that I loved so much. We had been good friends for most of our lives. She was always a good example to me. One day I met a boy that I really liked. I started to date him. My friend knew that his friends weren't the kind of friends she wanted to spend time with. I knew it wasn't a good choice, but I liked the boy I was dating. I promised I wouldn't make any of the choices they were making and kept spending all of my time with them. A while later I could see that my life had changed. I wasn't making choices that were allowing me to stay close to the spirit. I wanted out.

I didn't see my friend much during that time of my life. She didn't want to get involved with the new friends I was spending my time with. When I did see her, I could feel how much she loved me. She helped me remember that these choices weren't the real me. I felt sad about the choices that I had made and I wanted help to get out of them. My good friend was getting married soon. She invited me to her bridal shower. I remember how happy she was to see me. She was about to get married in the temple. I could see the example that she was setting. She didn't know it, but that night was an answer to my prayers. I was in the pit. She was casting me a ladder through her love and example. She helped me out. I let my friends know that I had to change my life and that I couldn't spend time with them anymore. It was hard, because I enjoyed them personally, but the choices we were making all together couldn't be a part of my life anymore.

Although it was a hard thing to do, it was the best choice I had ever made! I was so thankful for such a good friend that set such a good example to me! If she had started coming with us and got down in the pit with me, we both would have been lost. But she didn't. She kept trying to send down help. That is the kind of friend WE need to be.

I gave the kid a noodle and told them that it represented them. They got to pick the group of friends they wanted to be with.

We also discussed how sometimes in our lives it will feel like we are alone. Maybe all of our friends are making bad choices and we feel like we don't have any friends. We talked about how no matter what, we always have our family and we always have the Lord. Those are the important relationships that last forever. They said that they would rather be on their own than getting stained in the other groups.

And then my son Jake took this whole lesson to the next level. That is what he tends to do.

We talked about how we can always repent and have these sins washed clean from us. We read,

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

-Isaiah 1:18

Jake asked if we could spray bleach on the red noodle to represent the Atonement cleaning our sins. I didn't know that it would work, but I thought it would be worth a try.

It totally worked! It wouldn't work on the green or blue, but totally worked on the red! Great! It goes with the scripture perfectly! :)

The Atonement is the most important part of all of this lesson. We all make choices that we wish we wouldn't have, at one time or another. Some more severe than others. The important thing for our kids to understand is that there is ALWAYS a way out and a way to be washed clean and it is only through the power of our Saviors Atonement.

I am so glad we did this lesson! Mallory talked about it for days after! It will be something we repeat often. Perhaps each year just before school starts!

Let me know how it goes for you, or if you come up with any variations. I always love hearing other ideas!

Gethsemane, Jesus Loves Me

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

Mallory has been walking around our house singing "Gethsemane, Jesus Loves Me-ee". It is the line of a song that she sings over and over in the most beautiful tune.

My kids sang this song in the primary program in our ward. This song totally stood out to me. I had never heard it. The tune was different from any other primary song I had heard. It's message is so powerful! The words are a testimony that I hope my kids learn to adopt as their own!

I found the song on YouTube so you can hear it! Enjoy!

Fully Commited

2011-11-02T02:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago I heard such a great lesson on commitment. The teacher told about his soon to be brothers in law trying to get him to take the leap off the high dive at Lava Hot Springs. He wanted to impress them and the jump didn't look THAT treacherous. So he agreed. Once he reached the top of the 33 foot tower, his fear had fully kicked in. Looking over the edge of the tower was enough to make anyone weak in the knees.

As he thought about backing out and the way it would look for him to make his way back down the ladder, he reminded himself that he said that he would do it and not wanting to face the humiliation of backing out.....he jumped!

He talked about how up to that moment he had made a commitment, but at the moment of take off, he was committed. How do you back out half way through your descent?!

He encouraged us to view the commitments we make in our lives in the same way. He tied this whole analogy to the way we live our lives and especially the way we live our lives as Christians and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The things we choose to do or not do each day reflect our level of commitment. Are we still peering over the edge, the promise of performance still lingering in our minds, the delivery leaving a bit to be desired?

I think in my life there are definitely a few areas where I can say yes to that question, if I am looking at it honestly. There is no halfway in commitment. There is no way of coming just short. As with the jump from the diving board, once you push off you are in it 100%!

That lesson has stuck with me. It has given me the perspective I need on how to view promises made. It has also given me a gauge to judge my actions. I can ask myself if my actions show that I am still standing on the edge or if I am fully committed. If I have not taken the leap, what do I need to do to get there?

I just love a good analogy!

I love this picture! You can see a full hearted, fearless commitment in her jump!

How great would it be if this is how we faced all of the commitments we make?!

I've Been Spotlighted!

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of PowerofMoms.com?

Well, they contacted me not to long ago to do an interview for a spotlight. I loved the questions they asked. I think they are good questions for each of us to ask ourselves on a regular basis! They remind us what we do and why we do it. I loved it!

Wanna read the interview?

Click HERE!

Enjoy!

FAMILY YAHTZEE! Super Fun Christmas Gift Idea!

2011-10-31T01:05:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that it is time to start really thinking about Christmas?! Where does the time go?!

As I was thinking about the gifts I would be giving this year it made me think of one of the favorites we gave last year. It was SO fun to make them and SO fun to see the reactions of those we gave them to! This was actually SUPER easy to make and totally easy on the wallet! I mean, I would say they were under $5 each! I made 10 or so! If you are looking for something super fun and original, you should totally try these out!

FAMILY YAHTZEE

This was the version we gave to Jake & Mallory. We called it "Daw-tzee". How fun is that?!

You will have to pardon the box on this set. I was on the tail end of paper and the front got a little scrappy.

Let me give you the break down......

My friend Maryon grabbed us a couple of lengths of 2x2 boards.

Technically, they measure 1 1/2x1 1/2. They were about 8 feet long. You can get a LOT of blocks out of one of those puppies and each board was like $1 - $2! Awesome!

Now for the cutting......

MyR's hubby has a fabulous saw that he agreed to let us use. Brave Man!

MyR first measured and drew lines every 1 1/2 inches for the length of the board. Once that was done, it was time to start cutting.

Now, if we only knew where the ON button was for this thing!

HAHAHA! We found it! After a little searching and then trying to push the handle down to see if we were missing something, we found out that THAT was the key to turning it on. The saw RIPPED into action!

See that look on MyR's face?

The only reason why I even got this pictures was because I was holding my camera up to be ready for the first cut. When that baby screamed into action, I jumped so stinking high! My finger hit the button and CLICK! I caught a picture of MyR that will FOREVER make me shake with laughter! I think it kind of freaked her out! Hahaha! Look at her neck! Oh my! LOVE IT!

Once we had it figured out, we cracked right through the boards. At the end we had over 100 blocks cut! SHEESH!

Just a note...When you get to the last couple squares of a board....SKIP THEM! Just toss the remainder! We tried to use every inch of that board and when we tried to cut the very last part something crazy happened and a block launched out of the saw and across the garage. I am SO glad no one was in the way. Perhaps all of this is why MyR's hubby was a little nervous about us using the tools! :)

After the blocks were cut, it was time for sanding. We held up a circular sander and held the on button while holding the blocks to the paper. It made quick work of each block. However, by the end, our hands were numb from all the shaking and our minds were jello from the tedious-ness of it all! :) Next time I don't think we will try to tackle so much all at one time! :)

After the sanding the blocks were painted, paper modge-podged on & picture applied, I modged podged the whole thing to give is a finished look.

As for the pictures, there are 6 pictures on each one of the blocks/dice. Find the pictures you want, add the numbers 1-6 to the bottom of each of the pictures & shrink to 1 inch. Maryon used Microsoft Publisher to do this. It worked perfectly. I have also done the same with the Microsoft Photo editor since then. You will have to know how many pixels are in an inch, and maybe do a little experimenting.

Maryon packed the pictures (5 copies of each picture, 1 for each of the dice) into a 4x6 size photo (fits 24 pictures each) then uploaded them to the nearest photo store and had them printed. 54 cents for every 24 pictures....Great!

We used a corner rounder on our pictures and the paper underneath, just helped to clean them up a bit!

For the boxes, I picked up a few unfinished wood jewelry boxes at the craft store. I painted them and modge-podged paper to match the dice. Then I made a title image for the game that included all the pictures on the dice. I modge podged this to the top and then gave it all a couple more coats to seal it.

The boxes were $3 each. Maryon found a lot of tins, the perfect size for the dice to fit in, at a thrift store for like 50 cents each! She spray painted them and they turned out awesome! Do whatever works for you!

Then we made the scorecard. It matches a "Yahtzee" scorecard almost exactly. The rules are all the same. The dice are just a bit bigger and a whole lot more fun! :)

When I printed the cards I chose the option of printing 4 per page. I cut them into individual small sheets that would fit in the box. Then after I gave the gift I emailed a copy of the file I had made with the specific scorecard so that they could print extras, as needed.

Really, such a fun gift to give and receive! We did a Grand kids set for my in-laws. 5 of their children had children at the time. Each little family had a side and the 6th side went to a picture of Grandma & Grandpa. I think I called the set, "Lindstrom Grands Yahtzee" or something like that. Another set was for my parents. They have 7 kids. We put a family picture for each of the children and their families. The last 2 kids aren't married yet, so we put a picture of them together on the last side. We also did individual families and found fun pictures of each family member or different combinations of family members. I did a set for my younger sister. A picture of each of her closest friends on each side.

Gathering the pictures can be the hardest part. I emailed and asked siblings, for the gifts for parents, and used a lot of Facebook or blog pictures. Thank goodness for those.

If you are interested in making this fun game and you have any questions, please let me know! I will totally help you! Your friends and family will LOVE these! The only problem we have now is finding a way to top this! :)

Science VS. Passion

2011-10-28T05:00:00.000-06:00

My hubby sent me this article a while ago....

Passion That Doesn't Play Out? Science Tells Us It's Real
By: Christine Wicker

"WOMAN UP" Section

"Scientists have long comforted those of us plodding through the tedium that long-term relationships can become by telling us that passion doesn't last for anyone. Within three months to three years, it has done its job of encouraging us to procreate. Perhaps it has kept us together long enough for a child or two to be born. Then, task accomplished, it fades.

People then break up or they don't, and passion changes into something calmer. Researchers call it attachment. It's deep, persistent, comforting. It doesn't keep you up at night.

We believed those researchers. Experience confirmed what they told us. Usually. I have a friend whose fiery passion for her man was the kind that you only dare dream about. The passion lasted eight years.

"Eight years," I squealed. "Who gets eight years?"

"Then it ended," she said, like I should feel sorry for her. I didn't.

And now it turns out that I have a lot more people not to feel sorry for. The scientists now say they got it wrong. Passion never plays out for a lucky 30 percent of couples.

Researchers discovered this when they put some young people who were recently and madly in love on brain scanners. The kids' brains lit up the screens with feel-good dopamine. Their brains looked like those of people on cocaine.

Then researchers did the same tests with couples who'd been married 20 years and claimed to be still passionately in love. These older couples' brains looked like they were on cocaine too, proving that they weren't just braggarts and liars, as everyone probably assumed. They really were passionately in love, just like the kids.

Where did they find these lucky couples? I certainly don't know any of them. If I do, they've had the grace to keep their mouths shut about it. Twenty years? I don't believe it. I think they were all on cocaine."

Well, this is just plain sad!

Ms. Christine Wicker, I would like to say....

14 YEARS and I still get butterflies!

14 YEARS and I am am even more giddy and passionate about my husband than I was at any other time since I met him!

14 YEARS and never a harsh word said or a voice raised in anger towards each other!

Yes, a good marriage...a good long marriage, eternal even, requires selflessness, good communication, forgiveness and service.

It requires seeing beyond only your own needs and doing what it takes to help your spouse become the very best version of themself possible, and vice versa.

It requires seeing each other as individuals with individual desires, needs, goals, etc. All of which contribute in making us, as individuals, the strongest we can be when we are united.

It requires that we hold our tongues when stress makes us want to lash out, because we respect and love the other too much to do anything that would tear the other down. We know, afterall that stresses are best handled as a team, because perhaps our spouse can see something we do not, or maybe just because we need someone who knows us best to remind us that we will get through it together.

It requires putting our relationship before any other role we play in this lifetime, and constant vigilance in nurturing and protecting our bond.

It requires putting the needs of our companion before our own and serving them, always seeking to help them find fulfillment and joy, because we know that as we do this, they will do the same in return. Both of our needs will be met through the others selfless service, and because of that service a stronger, Christlike love, that will help us see past each others faults, will strengthen our love and passion for each other, until even Eternity seems too short a time to spend together!

Yes, Ms. Wicker, for those that see long term relationships as "tedium" that must be "plodded" through, passion will be short lived. However, for those that are willing to fan and tend to the flames of their "fiery passion", constantly working to re-ignite the sparks that are always threatened to be dampened by the stresses of life....or even time, there is not a drug on this earth that you can compare to the sort of euphoria we experience on a day to day basis.

My name is Amy Lindstrom, and it's time to start believing, sister!

Will The "SWITCH WITCH" Be Swooping In To Your House This Halloween?

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

I love the excitement of Halloween! I totally remember trying to decide what I wanted to be months in advance! On Halloween night we didn't get out our plastic pumpkins...we got our PILLOW CASES! We were raised in Utah County, for petes sake! House after house after house...all lined up for blocks and blocks of candy getting pleasure!

When I returned home with my goods, my siblings and I would spread our treasures out on the living room floor and begin the sorting and comparing! My older brother ALWAYS had the most! I don't know how he did it! If my bag was more than 1/2 way full, his would be over 3/4 full. I always wanted to have more and year after year those dreams went unfulfilled (sniff sniff).

I WAS NOT one of those kids that would sample a piece here and there, keeping my treats as long as I could. In fact....I don't remember a single year when my candy made it past a day or two after Halloween. I'm pretty sure I have a sugar residual running permanently through my veins.

That sugar residual is likely the reason I cringe at the thought of my kids trick or treating. Ok, maybe not the trick or treating itself. My kids LOVE that. It is the sugar rushing and crashing that makes me want to find a trick to get rid of all of their treating.

THEN I FOUND IT!

My friend Michelle introduced me to the idea of the "Switch Witch". I LOVE the Switch Witch! Here is a sort of run down on how she works.

We send our kids out to trick or treat to their hearts content. Live it up! Enjoy every last sugar coated second of it! Then when they have had all the fun they can handle, they come home, dump out and sort their candy, if they would like. THEN, they pick 5 of their VERY favorite treats! Just 5! The Switch Witch will take no less than 5 short of your entire stash!

Then the kids set out their buckets, letting the Switch Witch know that they would like to make a trade. In the morning, where there was a full bucket of candy, there is now a TOY!

Now, this isn't some go crazy sort of toy. It is amazing what will suffice! For Mallory, this year the Switch Witch will bring her a few new pet shops. For Jake, some other nick-nack, should he decide to participate. $15 each, or less, is money well spent to avoid the endless wrappers and moody children for days following the shmorgishborg.

The kids decide if they want to participate or not. As for Mallory, this year Switch Witch is as exciting as the Trick or Treating and dressing up will be! She can't wait!

If you need a little back story on the Switch Witch, Try this.......

Did you know that Witches collect candy?! They love candy more than anything else in this world, in fact, most witches won't eat anything but candy! Well, there is one witch that has more candy than all the other witches. She is called the "Switch Witch". She is the nicest witch there is. She not only collects candy, she loves to share what she gets with all of the other witches.

Each year at Halloween after all the kids all over the world have had their fun with all of the tricks and treats, they go through their candy and choose their 5 most favorite treats. 5 is important because the Switch Witch knows just how many pieces each child gets. If the child leaves their candy on their kitchen table and she sees that their are 5 less pieces of candy, she knows that this is how the child has let her know that they want to make a trade with her. She swoops in on her broom, holds open her sparkly black candy bag and fills it with all the candy collected...minus the 5 pieces of course, and in return, as a way to say thank you, she leaves the child a new toy in place of the candy!

After all of the candy is collected, she heads home for the biggest party of the year for all witches everywhere. They dance and play games and snack on candy until they can't eat anymore. The Switch Witch divides every last piece equally among all of her friends, just enough to last until the next Halloween, when the Switch Witch will head out again to switch candy with new toys for kids all over the world!

Have a FUN Halloween!

What is it "Rated"?

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, while at a meeting, 3 of us were discussing education and how important it is to continually seek knowledge.

A friend of mine drew the chart above for us, while we were discussing seeking out the best books, etc. Here is how it works:

Think of a book you love.

Starting with the vertical line, place a dot where you think this book is most accurately defined. Is it something that brings you closer to God? Does it teach truth?

Now do the same for the horizontal line. Is it excellent? Does it increase your knowledge. It is well written? Etc.

Where does your book fit? Is it surprising to you?

One of the books she said she had someone do was Twilight. Rate that one. Where do you think it fits?

I found that this chart can be applied to everything in our lives. Movies, TV, Books, the way we spend our time, etc.

Having a visual way of rating keeps me more accurate. It is a great way to keep myself in check. Without the chart I would rate a book that I was totally entertained by as being a great book. However, with the chart, I can't seem to make myself put the book above the line that would say that it brings me closer to God. It doesn't. It entertains the socks off me, but it doesn't represent a wise use of my time. I totally get reading for entertainment, but I also think that anything that isn't taking you closer to the Lord, is taking you away from Him. There is no neutral ground.

Anyway, I wanted to share this chart with you. There are SO many good things offered to entertain us, and unfortunately it seems that their are 3 times as many not so good things. Hopefully this chart will help keep us on the right track! :)

Car Accidents & Boat Lifts

2011-10-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

{image source}

A month ago I pulled up on a horrible car accident. It had happened seconds before I got there. I remember being confused by the commotion ahead of me and wondering what in the world was going on. Then I noticed a young boy, about 9 or 10, being pulled from the back seat of the car. A woman had her arm around him and ran him to the sidewalk. I used to be an EMT and worked on the Ambulance in Pleasant Grove. It's been A LOT of years. I felt my heart start to race. The last time I came upon an accident near this spot I walked up to the window and found the woman dead. It was an experience I will never forget! Every detail is etched into my mind.

As I ran toward the accident, my car left in the middle of the road, a man who had witnessed the accident pulled his head out of the passenger side of the vehicle and spun around quickly with fear in his face. I was the first person his eyes found. "Do you know CPR?" He yelled with panic all over his face.

It is funny how quick your mind can have so many thoughts and feel so many emotions. In less than a split second, I swear I pictured the motions of CPR and ran through the instruction and experiences I have had in these types of situation. A sort of internal check to be sure it would come back. Did I remember what to do?! My answer was an immediate yes.

See, I remember calls where I knew we were walking into a scary situation. It was always the unknown. If you are called out on a chest pain call 10 times a week, every single situation will be different. You never knew what you be facing. One time in particular, I was on call during the day shift. No one else had called in to cover it. Just me. That happened from time to time. Although, members of our team were everywhere and when they heard the call, they would respond, if they could. I remember the "Code 3" being called across the pager. Code 3 = Lights & Sirens aka "HURRY". I got to the station. The fire chief met me there. He jumped in the driver seat. I jumped in back to get the supplies we would need while we drove to the scene. I remember my heart racing. I was alone. It seemed my brain was blank. Cardiac Arrest was the call. What did I need for that again?! I wanted to have Chief stop and let me out. This was too much stress. What if I did something wrong? I didn't have my captain with me. A woman that had WAY more experience and knowledge than I.

I ALWAYS PRAYED! I had the knowledge. I had been taught what to do. I always asked the Lord to help me to be calm and remember what I needed to know to help the person we were going to see. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without that help. And just like every single time I had ever responded to a call, the second I got to the patient, calm took over. The instruction and education I had been given was like 2nd Nature. I knew just what I needed to do. As I started to run through my checklist, my then captain arrived on the scene. She had been in the neighborhood when the call came in. We worked together and got this man the help he needed to get him safely to the hospital. I was always amazed how guided we seemed to be on so many of those calls.

These memories and the knowledge I gained about "Divine Intervention" gave me the peace and calm I needed as I ran around the car and weaved by way between the smashed up drivers side of her car and the van that had just smashed into her at 50 mph. The horns from both vehicles were blaring and frantic people ran around, it was almost too much noise to be able to think through. Sound like that certainly can ratchet up the intensity of a moment! I prayed in my mind. I knew the Lord was there to help me. THAT is why I would know just what to do. It is amazing how the world can seem to hold so still and move so slowly that these thoughts seemed easy to process, but in reality, only seconds had ticked by.

As I stuck my head in the window of the car, the woman had just taken a large gasping breath. We checked her pulse. It was weak, but it was there. She was totally unconscious and did not look good. She was in need of constant supervision until the ambulance arrived and we could safely get her out of the car. This man that witnessed the van run the stop light, without even a tap on his brakes as he slammed into the side of this little old Subaru, and I stood by keeping our focus on this woman. Others arrived to help. Interestingly enough, an old friend of mine who was also my captain for a time, stepped in to assist.

When the ambulance arrived I stepped back to the boy that was pulled from the car. He was young. He saw the accident coming, then he saw his mom slumped over the steering wheel. He was terrified. One of my greatest fears for my children. Watching him began to really cause me anxiety. I couldn't get over how scared he must be. Then I turned to the woman that I had seen running with her arm around him. She also had watched the accident happen. She stood next to him now. Her arm still around him. She never left him. Then I saw the drops of blood on her shirt. She had gotten them from the small cuts from the glass on this boy.

Something about that small scene really struck me. I thought about this woman, her day and schedule forgotten as she kept constant vigil over this boy as if she were his mother. She was so gentle and loving. He clung to her as if they had known each other forever, instead of just moments. He found so much comfort in her presence. There was also another woman that was there to help in anyway she could. A police chief swept in to comfort the boy and help him track down his dad. Back in the car, there were several EMTs carefully cutting the car open from one side, and trying to get at the woman still unconscious inside, from the other. It was like I could see this entire scene from the outside looking in. The whole picture.

All of this came to my mind the other day when I watched a clip from 9/11, about the "Boat Lift". So many people racing to help others. No matter their status or situation. They could only see humanity & those that desperately sought help. Frightened people covered in ash were greeted by willing helpers. People that were willing to risk their own lives to save even one, if they could. They saved nearly half a million!

The combination of these two events shows the true nature of people. In our busy lives we quickly run from one thing to the next, without much attention spared for the day to day needs of those around us. Sadly. However, in moments like these we are all inspired, by the actions of others, to reach out and do more to lift the burdens of others. We can also find comfort in knowing that if we were in the situation of need, the goodness in people will shine on us, when we need it most.

Heaven forbid we should ever face my fears of being in an accident, like the one I witnessed. I hate to think of my kids experience the sort of fear I could see in that little boys face. That being said, bad things happen to good people all the time, everywhere, in any situation you can think of. We are mortal. We get sick. We get hurt. We get scared. I am not naive enough to think that I or my family will live a life of invincibility, where nothing will ever harm us or make life more difficult. I don't think that because we have all gone through such a difficult experience of losing our little Dawson that We will now live out the remainder of our mortality in some sort of bubble of immunity. Of course it won't. And I wouldn't want that to be the case. Experience, good and especially hard, can bring the greatest amount of change and growth into our lives. Losing our son & my kids' brother...certainly the most difficult thing we have experienced. It's impossible to put our feelings about grief into words that would do it justice. Likewise, it would be difficult to adequately explain the peace in our lives that has come through this experience as we have learned and gained a knowledge about the true Eternal nature of our souls, our purpose & our Heavenly Fathers divine plan of happiness and salvation.

We have learned that through every experience, the Lord is constantly vigilant. When we reach toward Him, He will expand our knowledge and faith. When we push away, deceived into thinking that hardship is a sure sign that He doesn't listen to or care about us, WE step away from the greatest opportunity for growth and peace in our lives.

In our moments of need....He will come and He will put in our paths those whom He trusts to help us through.

People are good, because there is divinity in all of us. We are His children! While we can't predict OR prevent the things we will experience in this lifetime, we can find a bit more peace in knowing that there will be others there to help us through.

Want to see the "Boat Lift"? It is worth your time! So amazing! So inspiring!

The Influence Of Good Friends

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

With my son Jake nearing Jr. High, I have been thinking a lot about the influence of good friends.

I know a little something about the influence friends can have on your life because of these girls.......

{Me, Brei, Caytee, Rachel, Andrea, Wendy & Stacey}

Last month our friend Deirdre came to Utah for a visit and we decided we needed to get everyone together. Oh, how I LOVE these girls!

{Rachel, Me, Deirdre, Stacey & Brei}

Having these girls as friends was a blessing in my life. I always noticed their kindness to EVERYONE. I always noticed the way that their values were what defined them and directed their choices. They set a great example for me and I love them all so much for that!

These girls have been a part of my life since Jr. High and I know they will continue to be for the rest of my life. I love that!

This is what I hope for, for my Jake. Good friends make such a huge difference. I have loved watching him make new friends, since moving to Utah. He has such a good little group of friends right now and I can't wait to see how that group will grow next year!

What are some things you do to teach your kids to BE a good friend?

"WHAT'S COOKING WITH RUTHIE?" Well how about some fabulous Banana Bread & Recovery Smoothies! YUM!

2011-10-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

Last week we had a "workshop" in Relief Society. One of the classes was about Menu Planning. I was totally inspired! I can't wait to get settled in our new home over this week. Next week, my goal is get MUCH better about it. I mean, it is the best thing for your budget and your waist line! I know, for me, if I have a plan, I plan healthy. If I don't, I eat whatever is easiest. Generally not the best choices.

Sometimes I get in a bit of a recipe slump. I have tons of great recipes, but it is always fun to switch things up and try new recipes. For this, I have to say, the internet is one of the greatest tools around! SO many amazing cooks post their recipes with step by step how-to's. I love that. What is real magic is when you find a blogger that posts recipe after recipe that just sings to ya. You know what I mean?

Well recently my friend Ruth started a food blog. It is called "What's Cooking With Ruthie". I love how personal she makes each recipe & post AND the fact that they are practical & realistic family meals, treats, etc. PLUS, she comes from famous cooking stock! Her grandma had a cooking show on TV in the 60's called, "What's Cooking With Louise Connolly". How cool is that?! Check her blog (the link above) to see a picture of her grandma from the TV Guide. Pretty cool!

Anyway, I wanted to share Ruth and her blog with you! What better way than to share a couple of her recipes with you, right?! So, I asked Ruth to do a little guest post for me and she was kind enough to obligue! Thanks Ruth! :) Here you guys go! Be sure to check her blog for more SUPER YUM recipes to try and then add to your next Menu Plan!

Take it away Ruth!

One of my most frequently used recipes of Grams is her Banana Bread. It's hands down the best I have EVER tasted! Gramma Weza was always happily busy in her kitchen. We have a large extended family and she frequently hosted dinners for all of us... one of my uncles has 13 kids! Anyway, I miss Gram. She died of Breast Cancer in 1996 at too young of an age. I wish my kids could of known her...maybe through my cooking, they do a little bit...

Gram is one of my hero's. She was a single mom of 5 in the 60's and 70's when people did not get divorced. I am a divorcee and at that time a mother of 3 young children, the example Gram set of strength and determination has helped pull me through some pretty tough times... as my Aunt Jinny reminded me, "We come from tough stock, we are strong women."

I'll share her original recipe and then my, slightly healthier version. I think both are really good and for some reason using fresh lemon juice makes it super amazing!

Louise's Banana Bread
In large mixing bowl, beat well:
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs

Add:
2 large overripe bananas

Add:
2 C flour

Hand stir remaining:
1 tsp soda (dissolved in 1 Tbls water)
1/2 C walnuts (optional)
1 Tbls lemon juice

Spray 1 glass loaf pan with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Toothpick in comes out clean when done. Spread butter across the top of warm bread and sprinkle with sugar.
Note: Gram lined the inside of the loaf pan with foil or waxed paper-- before cooking spray.

Ruthies Banana Bread
Blend:
1/2 C butter
1/2 C applesauce
3/4 C sugar
2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites (I use that combo for higher protein and lower fat/cholesterol or use 4 eggs )

Add:
2 2/3 C flour - half at a time

Add: 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
1 tsp baking soda
4 overripe bananas- add one at a time

Mix for 2 minutes on high to blend well, batter will appear glossy.
Pour into 3 glass loaf pans or lined muffin tins... my kids favorite part is sprinkling the tops of the batter with brown sugar. (a trick I learned from my mom)
Bake at 350 degrees.
Loafs- 35-40 minutes, muffins- 18-20 minutes. Poke with a toothpick, done when clean.
Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn them out on the rack to finish cooling.

Mix batter, add bananas (the blacker the better)

Sprinkle with brown sugar before baking

Oven ready

Cool 5 minutes on wire rack

Turn out to finish cooling

Banana Bread always reminds me of Gram. I hope when my kids make this recipe for their children, they'll talk about Gram, and this Banana Bread recipe will continue to connect the generations... Maybe this post will start some new banana bread generations out there?

And how about another.....

RECOVERY SMOOTHIES

I keep myself physically active... my family is too. For the past 12 years I've been a runner at almost every level. My first 5K meant as much to me as my first marathon... there was a period in my life when I was over weight, unhealthy, and out of shape. 12 years ago, I made some changes and started to learn what a balanced, healthy life style was all about. I learned to eat and exercise intuitively (a super great book, "Intuitive Eating" by Tribole and Resch talks about this concept). I have tried to teach my kids these principles in hopes that they won't struggle, as I did for many years. I love that my body can do almost anything I ask of it and I am so grateful.... really, our bodies are amazing!

Recovery after exercise is vital... part of this is adequate rest, the other part is good nutrition. This smoothie recipe is a favorite of our families. The kids like it in the morning for a quick breakfast! They also ask for them after football or basketball or dance practice (depending on the kid). There's a 30 minute window, after exercise, to get the best recovery nutrition to your muscles. I'm so glad that they are aware of their bodies and are learning how to take care of them.

Didn't I have glasses like that in the 80's?

Recovery Smoothie
1 C water
1/2 banana (I buy on sale, remove skin, break in 3rds, freeze in ziplocks)
1 scoop whey protein (I buy at Costco)
1 packet Emergen C (Costco, again!)
1 Tbls Flax seed (don't skip this one... it's so good for you)
1 tsp Glutamine powder (this is specifically for after intense workouts)
1 C frozen fruit (yep, Costco)
(optional 1 tsp lemon juice, if you like a sour twist!)

Blend the first 6 and then add the frozen fruit. (I have to triple this recipe for our family.) *I got this recipe from my Rockin Awesome trainer friend...

Add water

The ingredients

Add frozen fruit

Bottoms up!

Another really good and simple one to try is:
1 C Milk (even soy)
1 banana
1 scoop of whey protein Blend

Live, Laugh, Love.... to do that we need a balanced diet, exercise, and take good care of our bodies! After all we only get one!!!

"Everyday of Your Life He Gets Acquainted"

2011-10-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

My cute friend & honorary sister, Mallory Horch {soon to be Boren}, posted such a great quote on HER BLOG the other day. I absolutely love it! I just had to share it with all of you!

It is definitely something to think about for everyone. Young or old. I love the idea of the need for vigilance in daily inventory of our lives. I also LOVE the concept of commiting to the Lord to be ready spiritually, emotionally AND physically for whatever is required!

"Do not let one day go by…when you do not demonstrate to the Lord that you are reliable, that you are trustworthy, that you are dedicated...that you are on his side, for He is getting acquainted with the young men and the young women of the Church today….Every day of your life he gets acquainted…

Then, after he has watched you and after you have demonstrated your faithfulness by your service and by your ability to keep your priorities straight in your life, along comes a need for a high councilor, a Primary president, a Relief Society president, a bishop, or a stake president; and the Lord makes it known to the responsible priesthood leader that you are ready…

Resolve what you have to do to be better and live with this commitment: 'Heavenly Father, I will be ready in every way-spiritually, physically, emotionally—for whatever it is that thou wouldst have me do in the building of the Kingdom on the earth.'"

-M.Russell Ballard

How About a Little OrGaNiZaTiOn?!

2011-10-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, so it is no small secret, for those that know me well, that I LOVE TO ORGANIZE! Everything! My house, my schedule, my life, ANYTHING!

Here is the deal. If you are in a rut...you need organization! If you feel run down....hello organization! If you feel overwhelmed...um, do I need to say it again?!

Coming home to start a new life for our little family this last couple of months has required me scheduling my time. I have been really busy. However, I have found that it is not only important to schedule so that I get all of my tasks done, I need to schedule so that I make sure to set time aside for me. Creative Time, Time with Friends, Time to Read, Time to excercise...and so on and so on. Basically all the things that I used to put A LOT LOWER on the priority list! It is my goal to change that!

Another thing that I like to schedule is my cleaning time. I don't like to clean. There I said it! I don't like it! (Ok, I might sorta kinda like to put things away in their own little place and I totally dig straight carpet lines, but that's it!) HOWEVER, I do LOVE having a clean house! I can't focus on ANYTHING while there is a mess somewhere in my house. I am not obsessive, just lacking in the attention span department. The constant nagging in the back of my mind messes with me and makes things take MUCH longer than they should!

So, I have REALLY good news! I have found the SECRET to a clean house with MINIMAL effort on your part! Really! Give me 15 sometimes maybe 30 min per day and I will give you a CLEAN and thoroughly organized house! Are you excited yet?!

Over the next few days I am going to give you a short list of things to do for the day. All of it is part of getting yourself together and getting your schedule down. It is easy. And in small doses! Nothing will be stressful or hard, I promise! In fact...I would even dare use the word LIBERATING when explaining this process!

So, lets dig in...shall we?!

Today's task:

I want you to make a couple of lists!

Write a list of everything you would like to accomplish DAILY. For example excercise, read scriptures, family scriptures or prayer, read a book, get ready for the day, make dinner, check email/blogs, etc. If it takes more than 5 min or requires you to remember to do it. Write it down!
Write a list of WEEKLY items. For example on my list: Family Home Evening, Childs sports or activities, Church, Family History Library, Temple, Fun Friday, Make a Craft or Scrapbook, Date Night. Family Counsel & Goal check in Night.
Write a list of MONTHYLY items. On my list: 1st Tuesday is Enrichment, 2nd Tuesday is Girls Night Out, 2nd & 4th Saturday is Date Night Out with Ryan, 1st & 3rd Friday is Date Night with Kids alternating (First Fri. Me/Jake & Ry/Mally. Third Fri. Me/Mally & Ry/Jake), 1st Sunday is Kids Personal interview with Dad.

Now, if you want to make a Bi-Monthly List...do it! Whatever works for you!

Now, take all of these goals and assign a day of the week to them, not times, just days. When does it fit best? Make your days balanced and realistic. Spread everything evenly.

When you finish that you are done with Step #1!

Easy right?! Tomorrow we will get into a cleaning schedule and I will introduce you to the easiest laundry schedule EVER! Oh yeah! Laundry done and folded by 8AM! THAT is what I am talking about! :) Not to mention the joys of a family wide mandatory "10 Minute Clean Up" that will save your life and the definition of "3 Wipes in less than 3 Minutes". Oh, that one is PRICELESS!

See you tomorrow then, RIGHT?!

GETTING ORGANIZED PART 2

2011-09-30T09:59:00.000-06:00

Alright, let me introduce you to my VERY best friends, when it comes to a clean house:

"10 MINUTE CLEAN UP"

Just before sending the kids up to get ready for bed I announce, "10 MINUTE CLEAN UP". Everyone scatters. We go from room to room each person participating. Everyone is picking up the things that are out of place, wiping down counters, sweeping floors, etc. Sometimes it take less time and sometimes more. However, it is a rule that EVERYONE participates. We can turn on music or whatever it takes to set the energy level high. We try to make it a positive so the kids are willing to really help out. It is important for us to set the tone for this. Be high energy about it and you will get MUCH more out of your time from everyone!

When everyone is done, the house is TOTALLY picked up. The kids are off to bed and you are left with time to yourself! No more spending the next hour or two trying to recover from the day and NO MORE waking up the next day already behind!

"3 WIPES IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES"

Go to Costco or your nearest store. Pick up a big can of Clorox wipes for each bathroom in your house. Each night, during 10 Minute Clean Up, pull 3 wipes from the container.

Wipe #1- Wipe down the door handles and light switches. Now run that wipe along the baseboards.
Wipe #2- Wipe down the sink and counter-top.
Wipe #3- The toilet. I hit the handle first, then the top of the tank, lid, then work your way down.

This is great for 2 things. I LOVE that I know that the bathroom is always clean. The second is that once per week, when I do my thorough cleaning, it significantly cuts the time spent in there down! I HATE cleaning the bathroom, but really, this makes it darn near bearable! :)

"KITCHEN SINK CLEAN-UP"

One thing I hate, probably more than anything else, is waking up to previous day dishes! Along time ago I read something about how you should clean your Kitchen sink every night before bed. I started doing that. I LOVE IT! I haven't been 100% since then, but I certainly LOVE the days I wake up and it is clean from the night before!

I have a white sink. I spray bleach in it, let it sit, grab paper towel and then wipe it all out! I shine up the faucet with a little Windex and VIOLA! In just a few minutes my sink is perfectly clean!

Why the sink? Well, in my opinion, the sink is the last thing I clean when I am done with the kitchen. That means everything else is done and I get to wake up to see my lovely "morning face" in my faucet the next morning! Lucky me!

While we are on the Kitchen....

Another quick little secret of mine. Each week, usually when I bring home groceries that need to find a place in my Kitchen, I do a quick clean-up in my fridge. You know how you hear about someone taking a huge amount of time to "finally" clean out their fridge? Well, I have learned that if I just slide things to a side then wipe down the shelves and re-organize, it takes about 5 min. and my fridge is always clean! LOVE THAT!

Alright, I think that is enough for today. Tomorrow is Laundry. Then I will let you have a few days to get yourself in the habit of doing a few of these things.

Next Wednesday we will talk about getting the family on board. Really, if you get help from them, everyone becomes more aware of their surroundings in the house and it becomes a team effort. This is the secret! This is how you go from occasionally feeling like a maid, to spending about 15-30 min. TOPS cleaning and STILL you live in a clean house! Doesn't that sound dreamy?! :) It is amazing how much time in the day you have to do the stuff you REALLY want to do when this shift happens. I will give you a great object lesson, show you the secret to job charts, etc.

Are you excited?!

Then on Thursday we will talk about de-cluttering and "everything in it's place" and make a step by step schedule that will help get your house totally de-junked with clean walls and windows too in a super short amount of time!

On Friday, we will put it all together in a schedule! We will take everything we have learned and make it all happen! You will be amazed at how much this will SIMPLIFY your life!

We are going to pound this baby out! We are dedicating (outside of Monday and Tuesday's post) the next week to getting our family to work as a team and getting our houses clean....and keeping them that way! YAY!

Getting Organized: LAUNDRY

2011-09-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

LOOK AT THAT LAUNDRY ROOM! Isn't is amazing? Doesn't it look so...so....so CLEAN?!

So unrealistic?!

I remember hearing a woman speak at a convention once. She was talking about the duties of a Homemaker. She was cracking me up. She had the best attitude. Slow to get overwhelmed.

She said, "After years of struggling with laundry, always trying to get it done, always trying to win the battle, I have finally come to realize...Laundry is only ever done for the Naked and the Dead."

It totally made me laugh! Trying to be DONE with laundry, while your family has the audacity to be walking around somewhere out in the world wearing clothes, getting them dirty, wiping their little grubby fingers all down the front of them, and each article will, at the end of the day, end up back in a pile, reminding you that your laundry is NEVER done!

Well, that is unless you change your definition of DONE.

I am all about a schedule. It takes a lot of things off your mind. You know what needs to be done. You schedule it and then it is off your mind. The feeling of being overwhelmed...gone!

I know there are many of you that have your own schedule. The thing that works best for you. I am going to share what has worked best for me. Then I want you all to figure out what it is that will do the trick for you.

Let's get to the run-down.....

Each day is assigned to a certain type of load or loads, depending on the need. I try to keep each day to 1 load, but every once in a while it ends up at 2.

Monday- Whites and Hand-wash/delicate items

Tuesday- Colors

Wednesday- Jeans

Thursday- Towels

Friday- Bedding & Whites

Saturday & Sunday- Off

In our house I am up by 5:30-5:45. I get up and start my laundry before heading downstairs for family breakfast and scriptures.

At 6:30 I transfer the laundry to the dryer, while the kids start getting ready for school. If there is a second load, I would start it now.

At 7:30 I open the dryer and fold the items as I take them out, then put them away. It takes about 10 min. tops. I transfer the 2nd load, if there was one, to the dryer at this time.

With this schedule I am "DONE" with laundry by 7:30am or 8:30 if there is a second load. Everything is put away so my laundry room is left clean....not as amazing as the picture above, but it is clean and off my mind. That makes me happy!

Another little jewel I have learned about laundry is that kids are more capable than we think! If we will teach them when they are interested in it, they do much better.

When Jake was 5 we started working on sorting for his math skills. This is when I enlisted him to help me sort laundry...before the discovery of presorted laundry baskets...which I love!

Then as I would load he always wanted to dump the soap in and push the buttons. Each time I would teach him what goes with what temp of water, how to determine the level of water needed, etc. THEN I started teaching him how to fold. He didn't do it perfectly and it took him FOREVER, but he was excited to be doing such a big thing and I always excitedly told him he was doing it perfectly. He got better with practice. In no time, he was totally doing his own laundry! Really...at FIVE!

Now that he is 9 I laugh when I go to put something in the washer and it is already going. It makes me happy! Then I will hear him put it all in the dryer. Then watch him carry his laundry basket full of clean clothes to his room to fold, hang and put them all away.

A lot of people worry that their kids will ruin something. I say, it's just clothes! I helped him sort and do all of that for a long time. He was totally into it. It made him feel big. I explained what would happen with a mixture of red and white, etc. If he ever ruined anything...what a great object lesson! He hasn't, kids get it more than we think they will. However, if he ever did, I would force myself to be calm :) and say over and over, it's ok, it's replacable and then let the lesson teach itself and keep letting him do it.

Alright, now make some plans. Figure out what would work best for you. Really, if you have anything that you do, please share it in the comments. That way everyone can read some different ideas and decide what would be best for them!

Now, you have a bit of a break. I want you to put all of these things into place and start working on it. Next Wednesday we will continue with the Organization stuff. FUN!

GOOD LUCK!

{MESSY PARTY} Sending Summer Out With A Bang

2011-09-25T23:41:00.000-06:00

{If you would like to see any of the images enlarged, click on them. Especially the collages! There is a lot of goodness there that you DON'T want to miss!}

A while ago my friend Brooke posted on her blog about going to a "Messy Party". Bubbles, body painting and lots of fun and then a clean up on the water slide. The idea was GENIUS to me! I LOVED the concept. I wanted to have one!

And so it started.

The ideas got bigger and messier as time went on. This Summer has been the funnest Summer we have ever had and we wanted to send it out with a bang! Pretty soon the date was set, the invitations were sent, over 75 people were on the "Going To Be There" list and we were on our way to the park with over 12 gallons of pudding, 50 pies, 20 gallons of paint, about 10 gallons of cooked spaghetti noodles & a whole lot of fun in mind!

First Stop.......Duck, Duck, Goose with a floury twist.

As the kids started coming we sat them down and had them play "Duck, Duck, Goose". The messy came in when my sister Lisa & I supplied them with a cup of water and a cup of flour to dump over the "goose's" head!

This KILLS me! This is my little brother Parker. Apparently he was nervous about the girl walking past him. He must have been SURE that she would get him, although it looks like she was just going to walk on by.

Hahaha! His worries were dead on! She made a quick turn and soaked him!

Next up.....Hands Free Chocolate Pie eating contest!

My son Jake and I make the PERFECT pair! I have ALWAYS wanted to "pie" someone in the face and he has always wanted to be pied!

We both sort of loved it.....A LOT!

As you can see....this was a TOTAL hit with all the kids!

Even Master Calvin got in on the action!

Now, on to the Battle of the Painted Spagetti!

Four 5-gallon buckets were filled with water & enough flour to make it nice and thick, then a TON of food coloring. We topped that lovely mixture off with as many Spagetti noodles as we could get our hands on. This was definately a fave of mine. You should have seen the colors flying when this mess started! AWESOME!

Oh, and where is the princess in all of this?

Well, she was about as dirty as she cared to get at the moment. See that bit of chocolate on her cheek that is causing her mild irritation? Yeah...she doesn't love messy. Never really has. Poor thing.

Now for the Slip N Slide.....

You didn't think we would use water, did you?!

Oh no! We came prepared with buckets of pudding!

AWESOME!

Can I just say that my hubby ROCKS! He made this a blast for the kiddos! Splatting a bowl full of pudding on a head here and there and keeping the slide nice and slick. Messy is NOT his thing and he was totally behind me on this whole idea! What a guy! Man, I like him!

By now these kids were good and messy and in serious need of a hosing off! But I am pretty sure they were loving every second of it!

And so it was time for our GRAND FINALE! Did I tell you I started dreaming really big with this whole idea? Well, I meant it! And thanks to a few connections, meaning the two guys in this picture.........

My little brother Kyle (on the right) just happens to be a Fireman/Paramedic in Pleasant Grove and my friend Brian just happens to be his Captain. So, I called them up, told them my idea and this is how they responded......

The ladder was raised 105 feet in the air. Brian was perched...and clipped in, thank you very much, and ready to give these kids about 1,000 gallons of water per minute, for as long as they could handle it!

Can I just say, the view from where I was standing, looking out over the valley was AWESOME! I can only imagine how it looked from 105 ft. above where we were! Maybe next time I will have to see if they will let me check it out! ;)

AMAZING! This was seriously the thing that pushed this party right over the edge! The kids loved every second of it!

I could not possibly thank my little brother, Brian and their team enough for entertaining the crazy thoughts in my head! They were AWESOME!

The obvious choice for a treat to top the day off (as if all the pudding and pie wasn't enough) was

DIRT DESSERT!

Now, this is the point where Mallory thinks that she is FAR too dirty to be anywhere near comfortable (mind you, she was the least messy of all the kids that participated), so what does she do?

OH MY!

This child of mine has NO concept of modesty. As soon as the majority of the kids were gone she figured it was over and she was out of that dirty suit and asking Aunt Lisa for a spray down, lickety split!

Luckily we found some shorts and covered up her hiney!

But Aunt Lisa couldn't get over her little "plumbers crack". Such a funny little girl with all the innocence in the world to make her think that running around naked is A-OK. We are going to have to keep work on that one!

Honestly, this was the funnest party! We all had a blast! A big thanks to all of you that helped me pull this off, especially my Ryan. He spent a lot of time raking spaghetti noodles out of that grass and cleaning up after the mess and not once did he ever curse me! In fact, he actually likes me even more, I think! He is the best! Like E V E R :) Thanks Babe!

I absolutely can't wait until next Summer! We are SO doing this again!!

{PGFD....you're in, right?!}

THE "MOTHER BOARD"

2011-09-24T04:00:00.000-06:00

Why the "Motherboard"?

It wins the title for two reasons:

1) It is the centeral place for all the things that keep this house running orderly, as far as the maintenance goes. It is the reminder, to each person in the household, of the responsibilities each person has in the home each day!

2) The Mother is generally the one that is pushing for the cleaning and jobs to be done. This wall does it for you! NO MORE "NAGGING"! I mean really. What an ugly word! Wouldn't it be great to have everything get done, but still keep that label far from you! I think YES! :)

So, here is THE wall. Right below the Family Home Evening board is where the job wheels with Mom & Dad's responsibilities should go. As it is, they are missing, but you get the general idea.

I believe that a job chart, that is effective, helps teach kids to be self sufficient. Isn't that what we are ultimately trying to teach?! I mean, the clean house is great, but having kids that can govern themselves when they are older is FABULOUS! :)

About Job Charts:

Make it fun! If they are simply checking a box, it won't be nearly as successful. The jobs aren't fun, but the feeling of accomplishment and being able to see that IS!

I made these job charts 1 year ago. They just kinda popped into my head. My kids have successfully done their jobs almost every single week since then! Our friend came over and his kids were begging him to get them a job chart like them, swearing up and down they would do their jobs if they had a job chart like this! I do have to admit....they make it SO much more fun! Plus, they are just over 3' x 3'. They DEMAND attention! :)

Let me give you the run down....

This is Jake's chart. He wanted to help with the quotes on the bat, bag, etc. It was fun to let him have a bit of input.

The baseball theme followed the theme that popped into my head, "Pitch in and Help". I also wanted to make sure that there was a lot going on so it was more interesting, but easy to follow. Everything is made out of cardstock from Stampin Up, other than the canvas material for the bag.

Feel free to click on any of the pictures to get a closer look.

The yellow boxes across the top have a baseball with the day of the week on it. Each week starts with Sunday and ends on Payday...Saturday.

The rows across the bottom and on the far right are reserved for "Bonus" jobs. These are the paid jobs. All of the the other jobs are known as "responsibilities". They must ALL be done on the right day in order to be paid.

Jake's "RESPONSIBILITIES" are:

Morning & Bed time responsibilities: which are listed here by the side of the chart. Jake has asked me to re-do these lists with 2 boxes by the side of each with a picture of a peanut (you know, because of peanuts and crackerjacks) in it so he can move it from one column to the next as he finishes each of the items to make sure he gets them all. In order to remove these two balls he has to complete everything on the list.

Act of Kindness: Each day the kids complete an act of kindness for either someone in our family or at school. This has been one of the greatest additions to a job chart! Jake and Mal make each other's bed's, get each other breakfast, or play a game with each other. Teachers are helped at school, help is given to friends, etc. One day Jake was especially helpful and sweet all day long. That also counted. An attitude of love can also be considered an act of kindness. We encourage them to pray for Heavenly Father to help them see the needs of others around them so they can help where they can. Just trying to develop good habits.

Scouts: During the summer this is an everyday thing. He either works on a project or passes off a goal. Last year after his summer break from scouts he returned to receive his Bear and a whole load of other awards. I have never seen a kid so excited! He worked hard!

Journal: This is a job that is only on Sunday. It takes the place of the household chores that need to be done, since it's Sunday and all.

Household Chores: These include Vacuuming, Yard Work, Laundry (whites one day, colors another), Mop, Vacuum Stairs. These are not paid jobs. These are just the everyday responsibilities. During the school year I remove them all from the chart, except for laundry.

When the "responsibility" is done, he takes it off the grid and puts it in the bag.

Then there are the bonus jobs:

Mow Lawn
Yard Work
Wash Car
Baseboards Upstairs
Baseboards Downstairs
Vacuum
Mop
Act of Kindness - FREE (for Sunday)
Clean out pond
Downstairs bathroom
Kids bathroom
etc.

Each ball has a picture of the job to be done and the amount to be paid for the job on it.

The bonus jobs have to be done on the day they are listed under, or before, in order to be paid for them. The jobs in the far right column can be done at anytime. We try to encourage him not to save them all until Saturday. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. It's totally up to him.

The paid jobs are placed on the Mitt. Each Saturday all of the jobs on the Mitt are added up and we pay him. During the summer he makes about $12.50 per week. During the school year it is closer to $5 because the yard work jobs are gone, plus others, to leave more time for school & family stuff.

If he didn't get the job done on the right day or at all, we just remove it from the chart and put it in the bag.

Each day, once all of the jobs are completed, he moves the ball with the day of the week on it, up to the bat. This let's him know that he did everything for the day! Kind of a big check off the list!

Now for Mallory.....

She is only 4. Her jobs are a bit different. And she is a girl, so she gets a cutsie girlie chart! I love it!

This pot is actually the first thing that popped into my mind when I started inventing charts for them. It was SO fun to see it come together! It is so cute and SO fun!

Mally's grid is full of backward flower pedals. On the back of each pedal is a picture of the job that needs to be done.

Each yellow circle at the top represents the day of the week. This will be the center of the flower. As she finishes her responsibilites she attaches the pedal to the back of the "day circle" and puts it back on the chart.

Mallory's Responsibilities:

Say Prayers
Scriptures (she usually watches a "Living Scripture" video and we do the fun little quiz at the end. She LOVES that!)
Get Dressed & Do Hair
Brush Teeth
Make Bed

Then she has her Act of Kindness....that one is on the little green leaf that goes on the stem of the flower.

Mallory's Bonus Jobs:

Free Act of Kindness (Sunday)
Dump Garbages
Help with Dishes
Yardwork
Help with Laundry (sorting and loading)
Organize Toys
Help in the Garden

These are the cute little Lady bugs at the bottom of the chart.

Once all of the jobs are finished for the day, Mallory puts her newly made flower on the top of a stem in the flower pot. The leaf, for her act of kindness, goes on the stem. Then the ladybug for her paid job get's it's place to crawl around on the pot, until Saturday when the earned amount is added up and paid out.

Mal makes $1.50 per week.

In order to make this successful you MUST pay every Saturday. We have gotten behind a week here or there, but I totally see the difference in the kids' motivation the next week. It is always great for them to see the reward for their work. If we are consistent in pay, they are consistent in working.

We, thanks to Dave Ramsey, don't give "Allowance". He firmly disapproves of it. It encourages a sense of entitlement. Instead, give little jobs and pay what you can. Call it commission. The kids will understand the importance of working hard for what they want.

We have also learned that by paying our kids we get to teach them vital lessons in money management. Both of the kids pay tithing (10%) on everything they make. They know that everything we receive comes as a blessing from the Lord, so by donating 10%, as the Lord has commanded, according to our faith, they are able to feel the blessings of obedience and understand the concept of charity. Also, we are able to help them understand the need to save money for college, cars, etc. and we teach them to avoid debt like the plague.

Oh did we ever get a lecture when we bought our last vehicle a few years ago. We did not pay cash! :) He was a bit disappointed! We have taught him that taking on debt limits options and choices you can make. Ry and I learned that first hand years ago. We are both glad that we can teach our kids to make better choices than we did! :)

So, add to that wall 2 job wheels that have the day of the week around the top, a triangle cut in to show the job to be done on that day for Ryan and I. The wheel is turned to the next day when the job is complete and you have one full MOTHERBOARD! You are happy because you don't have to "Nag" to get things done, everyone knows what is needed, they never have to ask, and you have kids that are getting a good lesson in Governing themselves!

VIOLA! It doesn't get any better than that! :)

"For My Soul Delighteth in the Song of the Heart......"

2011-09-23T05:45:00.000-06:00

A few Sundays ago I was reading my favorite hymn, "Be Still My Soul". Remember when I posted about why I love that song so much? The third verse is going to be on the back of Dawson's headstone!

Anyway, I have always known that there are scripture references at the bottom of each of the hymns, but I have never really looked them up. I wanted to know the scriptural inspiration behind this beautiful hymn. I am so glad I did. Check this out:

Psalms 37:3-9:

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Doctrine & Covenants 101:14-16, 35-38:

"And all they who have mourned shall be comforted. And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.

And all they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory. Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full. Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul. And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life."

Aren't they beautiful? I absolutely love the second!

"All they who have mourned shall be comforted"

That is a line that spoke to my heart. I trust in and KNOW that I will be with my little Dawson again. I can't wait for the day! And yet, I can't seem to fully grasp it, or comprehend it. In moments of contemplation of an Eternal Perspective, I can almost imagine, but I am certain and have faith that although there is joy, and the mourning and pain of grief is not quite as bitter or consuming all of the time, and the moments of pure heart ache are fewer than in the past, the pain remains at bay, always just under the surface. Always will. But I can imagine and hope that when I pass through that veil and I am reunited with our son, THEN will true and complete understanding come. I believe I will understand why all of this had to happen, as part of my journey on Earth. It will be clear. I am sure of that. So for now, that is what I have. Hope in things to come and a desire to submit to the plea from our loving Father in Heaven to "Be Still and know that I am God."

Just this singular moment of peace offered by this small moment of song and scripture has inspired me to continue to look up the scriptures that go with the hymns. If song truly is an expression of worship, then I love the idea of gaining a testimony & a better understanding of the words we sing.

What are your favorite hymns? Have you read their scriptures? Please share! If you want, find your favorite hymn, look up the scripture and share both song title & scripture reference in "comments". I would absolutely love to hear them!

If you don't have a hymn book at home, check THIS link out! You can see the music and even listen to your favorite hymns. Such a great resource!

Organization: Let's Get Everyone On Board!

2011-09-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

I AM FINALLY BACK!

How are you doing so far with what we have covered (review HERE, HERE then HERE)?
Oh I am LOVING the feedback on all of this! I am SO happy to hear how these simple little changes are simplifying your lives! How great is that?! I love sharing!
Please feel free at anytime to share some of your secrets in comments!

In order to make all of this new plan successful we are going to have to get everyone in your home on board! Could you do it all by yourself, well....yes, however, when the family works together as a team the load is lighter on everyone and everyone becomes more aware of their surroundings and they tend to clean up after themselves A LOT more!

So, how to let them know just what is needed in a positive way? We want to provide a team mentality. Not a mentality of you dictating what needs to be done.

Plan a family counsel or "Team Meeting". Before you start be sure to have about 6-8 bags of brown sugar (let's chalk it up to food storage, shall we?!).

BROWN SUGAR GAME:
{See this as an FHE lesson (with pictures)HERE)

Have one of your kids come to the front of the room. Have them stick both arms straight out in front of them. Place one of the bags of Brown Sugar on their hands. Tell them to keep their arms out in front and hold on. After 2 or 3 bags the load is unbearable or impossible to bear. Call someone else to come up and put their hands under the first childs hands. Add another bag or two. When it is heavy, call someone else in to place their hands underneath. Add all of the bags. Call each member of the family (adjust for family size) up to place their hands on the bottom. When all bags are on the hands and all members of the family are participating, discuss how the load is too hard to carry for one or two people, but when everyone works together, carrying an equal share, the load is easy for everyone.

If you want to have a dramatic or SHOCK start to the meeting, if you feel like you really need to drive the point home, after dinner announce, "(Child's Name) you are in charge of cleaning up after dinner. Then you need to make sure that the entire house is clean before you can go to bed."

I say dramatic or shock because you can almost HEAR the response to this, right?! Do it lovingly, not using manipulation. Don't throw out the, "How do you think I feel", because it will make it negative. After the reaction have everyone get up and help do a quick clean up and let everyone know there will be a fun game after they are all done. The game will be the brown sugar game.

Here is the thing about the Family Counsel/Team Meeting. It is supposed to involve everyone. My hubby is so great about reminding me not to lecture. He is so good about getting the kids involved in any discussion we are having. When they are involved it is always SO much more pleasant...AND PRODUCTIVE!

After the brown sugar game is done you will start a discussion on what jobs need to be done around the house. The more you involve the family, the more success you will have. Come prepared with a list of jobs that need to be done. Write down other jobs that family members mention, then throw out any of the jobs from your list that haven't been mentioned, to make sure they are included in the final list.

Among our jobs we have personal jobs/responsiblities for kids:
Morning Responsibilities (Make Bed, Clean Room, Say Prayers, Brush Teeth, Get ready, Scriptures), Scouts, music practice, laundry, Feed & Play with pet, Act of Kindness, Bedtime Responsibilities (10 min. clean up, PJs, lay out next days clothes, clean room, say prayers, set alarm clock).

Now make a list of household responsibilities: Vacuum, dust, sweep & mop, dust baseboards, vacuum vehicle, clean vehicle, mow lawn, pull weeds, clean garage, bathrooms, kitchen cupboards wipe down, windows, etc.

Now, ask the kids which of the jobs they would like to do. Obviously some of them need to happen more than once per week. Some need to be done by parents.

Here is the deal, if your kids volunteer for a job, LET THEM HAVE IT!
Jake wanted to learn to clean his own bathroom when he was 5. So, I taught him. Of course at first I needed to go back over the whole thing and make sure that it was all clean. However, I never let him see me doing that, because I didn't want him to think he wasn't doing a good job. As long as I praised him A LOT after he was done, he wanted to continue to get better and better. About once every 2 months I would go in with him and help/watch him. I would lovingly give a suggestion (make sure you clean the base of the toilet, etc.), and eventually I stopped needing to clean behind him. He does a really great job at it!

As everyone is volunteering for job, you and your spouse should also say what he can do. I learned this from Ryan.

I hate asking Ryan to do anything when he gets home from work. I am thinking a "Welcome Home Babe, by the way the garbages are waiting for you to dump them" isn't the most pleasant thing to come home to. However, in order for the kids to get the whole "TEAM" thing, it is so good for them to see that everyone is on board. This is when my perfectly perfect hubby came up with the idea that spiraled into the full on schedule and ended up simplifying my life tremendously!"

He asked for a schedule with jobs he could do everyday throughout the week. That way I don't have to ask, and he already knows what needs to be done and can do it when it is convenient for him. I was thrilled with the idea. The kids already have great job charts, how great would it be if I threw one up for Ry and I also. What would drive the Team mentality home better than that?!

Here is an example of Ryan's run down:
Monday: Vacuum
Tuesday: Dump Garbages
Wednesday: Dog Pen (YUCK!)
Thursday: Sweep & Mop
Friday: Dump Garbages & Downstairs Bathroom Deep Clean
Saturday: Garage (touch up organizing & sweep)

Now, with everyone sharing the load, I am ready to give you my weekly schedule.
This is the SWEET SPOT of this whole scheduling business!
I do my daily laundry schedule, which is done by the time kids head to school. Then I participate in the "10 Min. Clean up" by doing the "3 wipes in 3 minutes". Other than that, I live in a completely clean house by contributing just 30 min TOPS each day! REALLY! I mean TOPS! Some days...just 10 min! Here is my run down:

Monday: Single Room Wipe Down (you'll learn about this in the next few days)
Tuesday: Vacuum
Wednesday: Sweep & Mop
Thursday: Dust
Friday: Vacuum & Master Bathroom Deep Clean
Saturday: Window check (clean the ones that need it)

THAT'S IT! Between our schedule and the kids the floor is vacuumed 6 days a week. The floor (all of our downstairs is hardwood) is swept and mopped at least every other day & all the little jobs that you don't normally have time to get to (windows, baseboards, garage, etc) are done weekly, which means that it takes less time to do them all!

Ok, this is ONE LONG POST! Are you still with me?!

I am going to cut off here. I want you to process all of this and get your plan put together. I am going to show you the secret behind all of this. It's all about the job charts! :) There is a wall in my house that I am going to lovingly refer to as our MOTHER BOARD. It is the work horse in the home. It keeps us all on it with our schedules. AND it's fun and super cute! That is a big part of the secret for our family!

For now...Let's just get through this post! :)

The perfect "MOTHERBOARD" for smaller spaces!

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

My kids start school next week....FINALLY! Not because I want their sweet little mugs gone from my side, but ORDER! I want ORDER at my side...desperately.

This Summer will easily go down as one of the most fun and most relaxed Summers of all time. We had so much fun in our trailer....in fact, so much I can't bear the thought of leaving it for the Winter. Another battle for another day. A day when I decide to go looking for another option. For now...I AM FIGHTING IT!

So you all know about my MOTHERBOARD right?! Needless to say, the darling things didn't fit on the walls of the ole RV. BUMMER! My kids went chore-less for a Summer...DOUBLE BUMMER! Really, I can see the difference in the little turkeys. Not just the excessive messiness, but also in the attitude a bit. Work is good for kids...and don't let them tell you any different! :) Hahaha!

So, today I begin work on these lovely beauties. My friend Michelle, a woman of MUCH talent (I want to be her when I grow up), the mother of the wise Stockton that made the statement "I would rather have a small house and a big life, than a big house and a small life", is the maker of such fine ideas. I love them! I love that they are way functional and take up a very small amount of space even more! Check them out.....

Ladies and GentlemAn (for my one male reader) the job clipboards......

How is that for combining a Family Home Evening and Chore Chart for the whole family, all into one little clip board! I told you she is amazing!

A pocket for each person. An interchangable tag for each job!

I LOVE those cute little clothes pins!

As a reminder , a little something to think about while grumbling about the jobs mom "MAKES" you do.

And of course embellishments to make Mom happy!

I can't wait to get mine done! The kids can wait....but who asked them?! :)

Next week Mallory is my buddy for half days. She starts her first year of "real" preschool this year. The next week she continues in the afternoon with her Developmental Preschool. The one she has been in for 2 years. The one where her therapists and teachers can't get enough of her. The one where SHE rules the school! Morning Preschool, then afternoon monarchy!

Which leaves me to RULE the house/trailer/whatever is next. Yes my friends...I will be on my own Mon-Fri from 8am - almost 3pm. YIKES! What shall I do with myself?!

Time for A Little Endorphine Releasing Lymphatic Massage, People!

2011-09-21T05:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard of LAUGHTER YOGA? No? Well, check this out.

I LOVE to laugh! I laugh all the darn time! I love to make my hubby laugh and I love that he ALWAYS makes me laugh. My favorite sound in the WORLD is the sound of my kids laughing!

My friend Jeni found a Laughter Yoga class and I SO wanted to go with her. As it is, we are a few weeks from ONE GINORMOUS downpayment on our new home. The budget is TIGHT! Real TIGHT! So I had to forego! I was so sad! I think Laughter Yoga with Jeni would be one of the funnest experiences EVER! Probably because we both could sit for hours with each other and bust up over everything! I love that about her!

She just posted about her experience in the class. I really loved it! Wanna read it? CLICK HERE. Now THAT sheds a little light on why laughter is so darn good and makes you want to try to laugh a little more, doesn't it?!

Well, I am here to provide! Let the endorphine releasing & lymphatic massage begin!

There is nothing like a laugh that makes you laugh harder, which makes them laugh harder, which makes YOU laugh harder! LOVE THIS! The guy in the middle KILLS me!

And now for the 14 year old boy in me. I don't know why, but these totally crack me up! :)

Alright, now get back to your day, and for the love of Pete, laugh a bit more, would ya?! :)