Christmas

It is so frustrating that I ALWAYS upload my pictures in the wrong order. Oh, well. Here is our Christmas -- backwards. We decorated our sugar cookies on Christmas day because we wanted to deliver them to the fire station and the hospital for those who had to work on Christmas day. Kind of our way to thank them for serving our community even on the holidays. It ended up that we just made it to the fire station, but it was still a good experience and the rest of the cookies were delicious.

We had such a fabulous Christmas. The whole season was just wonderful. We really don't have normal kids. They are just too good. We did an entirely homemade Christmas, and they said it was the best Christmas ever. They really didn't get toys, but it still took us quite a while to get through opening presents. It was really cute to see what they had made for us. I think that was really why they enjoyed it so much. They each had made several presents for everyone in the family. When Ryan found the M&M's in his stocking (no, I didn't make those, but I didn't buy them either -- they were given to us) he had no interest in anything else.

Our gingerbread house. I saw a kit in the store for a gingerbread Christmas tree that looked really fun, but Nikki still wanted to do a house. So I made both. Yes, I made the gingerbread and the icing. It was a project for an entire day, but we weren't shopping and wrapping up until Christmas Eve so it was okay to spend a little extra time on one of our fun traditions. I thought the tree turned out really well! And I was proud of myself for stepping back and letting them decorate it. You can see the contribution Ryan made.

And finally, our celebrations started the week before Christmas when JW & Alli kept all of our kids for four days. Did I say in an earlier post that JW was our hero? I was remiss -- I didn't mention Alli. I don't know many other women who would take on 7 seven kids while 7 months pregnant. This is a picture of the dinner and cake Nate made for me on my birthday that weekend. It was really good, Nate. Thanks! We didn't go anywhere. We just stayed home and enjoyed a house that stayed clean, some peace and quiet, and the time to finish up a project or two. It was fabulous!

2009 in Review

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I already emailed this to anyone who views my blog, but I thought I would post it here for my own sake.

Chocolate Cake Truffles

Kellee, I was going to include this recipe in your Christmas box as an idea for a gift for neighbors, teachers, and friends (although it's probably not Luke-friendly), but I hadn't tried it out yet and didn't know if the recipe would work. Hannah and I made them yesterday, and they are delicious! So, even though it's a little late, maybe you can tuck it away as an idea for another year. Chocolate Cake Truffles

1 devils food cake mix
1/2 cup apricot or peach jam (or any jam as long as there are no seeds)
1 square chocolate
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
more chocolate to melt for dipping (I used Almond Bark, which was the cheapest I saw and it tastes good)

1. Prepare cake mix as directed, let cool.
2. In sauce pan melt butter, add cocoa, sugar and chocolate square, stir until smooth. Add jam and vanilla. This makes a chocolate syrup.
3. In another bowl crumble cake, add syrup and mix until blended and moist. Roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate.

It made a little over 60 truffles for me.

This is Nikki's face when she couldn't eat any truffles -- but don't I see chocolate on her face?

And even though I forgot to plan for any kind of packaging, a little plastic wrap and tissue paper later, I think they turned out rather cute. Even if not, they at least taste good!

A little more from last week

Also last Friday, Nikki was a huge helper as we were getting ready to go to the recital. I made Mexican wedding cookies (or ladyfingers) for the reception afterwards and Nikki rolled them all in powdered sugar for me. She did a great job!

Kellee had this link for these cool snowflakes on her blog. Hannah loved it! I think she did a great job.

Lots Going On

I haven't had a chance to post about last weekend yet, and this is why. Here is my journal entry from last night. It's nothing notable for anybody else, but for me to accomplish this is very noteworthy.

"I was so busy today, and it was wonderful. I got up and read scriptures with Nate and by myself. I exercised, got the kids to school, cleaned the kitchen, dressed Ryan, showered and did my hair, cleaned the bathrooms, changed the sheets, did the laundry, vacuumed, made yogurt, granola, tortillas, and dinner, cleaned the kitchen again, checked homework, helped Nikki prepare and give our family night lesson, read scriptures and said prayers with the kids, made fudge for Hannah's Activity Days party tomorrow, and even sang a few Christmas carols. Wow. I don't have the capapcity to do that all on my own. I know the Lord has strengthened me today and I am so grateful that He helped me do all of that for my family. Oh, I also crocheted a mitten for Nikki's Christmas present, and took three kids to the post office and library."

If I hadn't been so busy I would have posted about Hannah's piano recital last Friday. I was so proud of her. I got to play the duet part with her on her two songs, which was really fun. On the first one, she had her left hand in the wrong spot, but I didn't figure out what was wrong until she was about halfway through. She totally lost me but she kept going and acted so calm about it. Nikki got the video, so it's kind of hard to watch, but I am just so happy she is learning to play the piano that I can't resist posting it.

Then, I just have to say that if I could choose two people out of this world to be my brothers, there couldn't be any better choices than the ones I've got. On Saturday, Nate went to Goldsboro to do some repairs on the house we are selling. JW is our hero, and that is all there is to it. Nate said he watched while JW went to town fixing a whole list of things that were not all that simple. Jay, we can't thank you enough! And on Sunday Mike called to check in on us. I just really appreciated that he is still watching over me and is willing to help us with whatever we need. I really do have an amazing family.

The Christmas Spirit

24 degrees?

Running outside when it's 24 degrees? I don't think so. So this morning I did this instead. Hannah was watching for a little bit, and she said, "Mom, she has something right here (pointing to her abs). What is that?" Those are muscles, sweet Hannah. It's always humbling to get an innocent reminder from your children that your body doesn't remotely resemble that of a fitness expert. I will say that Cindy Whitmarsh is almost too chiseled, but then I really shouldn't because I don't have room to say anything.

Nikki's New Look

Handel's Messiah

Last night Nate and I went to a Messiah sing-in at the Edenton St. Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh. It was so wonderful!! I have never been to a Messiah sing-in before, but it will definitely be a new tradition we will continue. Next year I think we'll even take Hannah and Nikki. I don't have my own copy of the music score, but I will by next year. We stopped in at Krispy Kreme with some friends from church afterward, and you just can't beat a night like that. What a wonderful beginning to our Christmas season!

The Tree

Here is our tree. It's just really simple and I love it.

Well, I discovered there is no need to make more popcorn chains. Not when this is what will happen to them. Why is it that he was cyring and I was laughing when I caught him eating it?

On to December ...

We had a great Thanksgiving, and we are now totally in Christmas mode. I thought maybe we would take a little longer getting our Christmas tree up this year because of Ryan, but none of us could resist. We set it up Saturday and then decorated it last night for our family night activity. I'll have to get a picture of it soon. I love it! Everything on it is homemade. We made cinnamon-applesauce ornaments, dried orange slices, a tree topper made out of twigs, and pipe cleaner candy canes. The girls also put on the ornaments they have made in school in years past. I also learned why no one makes popcorn chains anymore. I put on what we had made, but it might not be finished before Christmas! The tree makes our whole house smell good.


This was a quick and easy craft the girls and I did Sunday afternoon while the boys were napping.

And here are my little decorators getting our orange slices ready to dry in the oven.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am looking forward to a wonderful day filled with family and food and football! Hope no broken bones are thrown into the mix.

I am also thankful for

cute turkeys

holidays

electricity

air conditioning/heating (I remember hauling wood as a kid)

baby laughter

hot breakfast

Christmas music

literacy

digital cameras

my hair straightener

freedom

good books

my talents

letters from Nate

when Ryan sleeps in

a clean kitchen

the gospel of Jesus Christ

all 5 of my senses work

my glasses (okay so that sense needs some help)

homemade strawberry jam

My Children

I can't believe I have gone most of November listing things I'm thankful for and haven't mentioned my children yet! I am so grateful to be a mother! Hannah, Nikki, and Ryan are three of the greatest blessings in my life. I am very grateful for my children. My beauties!
Our little genius

After school today, the girls just couldn't seem to get along, so I sentenced them outside to play and take care of Ryan together. What do you know -- all three of my grumpy kids got happy really quick.

(By the way, in the background is the little blue sporty car that I squished backing out of the driveway earlier this year. He's still parking in the same spot on the other side of my driveway -- doesn't seem too smart to me!)

Cooking Skills

I'm grateful for the ability to cook. My grandparents were amazing cooks. Granddaddy White served as a cook during WWII. Those were some lucky soldiers. And we were lucky to be served every Sunday afternoon by him. Grandma White made the desserts and fruit salads and sides. Oh, such good food! I loved Grandma Bass's chicken and dumplings, apple pie, potato salad (and I didn't even like half of the ingredients she put in it, but I loved her potato salad), strawberry shortcake, and she always had homemade bread and strawberry jam. I loved that! My mom was a good cook too, but she was so busy that eventually she would have Kellee or me make dinner before she got home. We ate a lot of Hamburger Helper, tuna casserole, spaghetti, and even Spam casserole sometimes. But I did learn how to cook the basic things to be able to take care of a family. I have since learned how to make bread, pies, more complex meals, and a variety of other things. I absolutely love the Everyday Food Storage website. If you haven't checked it out, it is definitely worthwhile. I was going to go to the store tonight to get a couple of things we are running low on, but then I decided I really didn't want to, so that meant I needed to make graham crackers to make a graham pie crust instead of buying either the crust or the crackers at the store. I got the recipe from that website. It's really not that hard since I've done it a couple of times before, and it's fun to be able to make it. In other pinches (can you tell I hate going to the grocery store?) I have made my own cream soups, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and cool whip. That's just what I can think of from the top of my head right now. Oh, we made milkshakes for our family night treat last night with no ice cream -- and they were really good! I have a lot of fun in the kitchen, and I'm grateful for that, too because it seems like I spend a lot of time there!

Friends and Family Traditions

It's getting late, and I want to read a little more before I go to bed. I actually got into a book today that I've been trying to read for a couple of weeks but haven't had time to sit down for it. And after I got into it I put it down to finish the laundry! I was so proud of myself. Anyway, yesterday I didn't get to post because we were pretty busy during the day and then some friends invited us over for dinner. It was really fun, and I am grateful to have good friends.

I am also grateful for family traditions. I'm too tired to make the post that I really should about this one, but we think a lot about traditions during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. However, they are important throughout the whole year. We have traditions surrounding birthdays, summertime, Sundays, Halloween, snowfalls, vacations, and thousands of other occasions. They are all important and help define who our family is and what we do. My aunt Nell sent me an email of my Grandma White's potatokin (sweet potato/pumpkin) pie, which is one of my all-time favorite holiday recipes. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving and Christmas without that. I'm even going to try to cook my sweet potatoes this year instead of using the canned stuff. I've only done that once before and I ended up with lumpy pies. Here's crossing my fingers. We might have to take a quick trip to Nell's house Thursday night if it doesn't work out!

Answered Prayers

After almost three years, we may finally be saying goodbye to our yellow house. That's how long we have been trying to sell it. As of today, we have a signed contract. Of course, nothing is final until closing and there actually are a couple of issues to work out. But, this is the closest we have come to a sale, and it seems like we have been trying to sell it forever. I took this picture a few months after we moved in. I can't believe how little the girls were. We really loved living there, so surprisingly this feels kind of bittersweet. Well, okay, it's more sweet than bitter. We have prayed long and hard for this because it is what is best for our family. Today I'm grateful that the Lord answers our prayers on His timeframe because His plan is so much better than ours. We have learned many things in these years that we wouldn't have learned if we had sold it when we first put it on the market. We're going to have milkshakes for lunch to celebrate!

Dessert

I'm grateful for yummy desserts! Tonight will probably be popcorn, but I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner next week. Of course I love the turkey and potatoes, but I can't wait for the pumpkin pie. And I'm going to make a No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake, too. Haven't ever made it before but it sure sounds good. Here's the recipe I've had for years but haven't ever tried. I'll let you know next week how it turns out.

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
11 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups whipped topping
1 graham cracker crust

In a small microwave-safe bowl place chocolate chips. Microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Set aside to cool. In large mixer bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and butter until smooth. On low speed blend in melted chocolate. Fold in whipped topping until blended; spoon cheese mixture into crust. Cover; chill until firm. Garnish with whipped topping and some shaved chocolate.

Gratitude

"Like the leprosy of yesteryear are the plagues of today. They linger; they debilitate; they destroy. They are to be found everywhere. Their pervasiveness knows no boundaries. We know them as selfishness, greed, indulgence, cruelty, and crime, to identify but a few. Surfeited with their poison, we tend to criticize, to complain, to blame, and, slowly but surely, to abandon the positives and adopt the negatives of life.

A popular refrain from the 1940s captured the thought:

Accentuate the positive;
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative;
Don't mess with Mr. In-between.

Good advice then. Good advice now.

This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues." (Thomas S. Moson, "An Attitude of Gratitude," Ensign, May 1992, 54)


I think I have been blessed even more just by this act of writing down something I'm grateful for everyday. My attitude has improved, and I have felt happier over the past couple of weeks. No trials have disappeared, I don't have roses magically growing in my flowerbeds. But the more I look for things to be thankful for, the more I see them all around me. So today, I'm thankful for the blessings that come from gratitude.

Temple

I am grateful for the temple and the many tender blessings it has brought to my life and my family.

That's Pretty Big

Yesterday got a little crazy, and I didn't get a chance to post, so here's two things I'm thankful for today. Nikki and I found this leaf on a walk a few days ago. A leaf bigger than my head?! It was pretty impressive. I'm grateful for Heavenly Father's creations. They are amazing.

And, those are some pretty big shoes to fill, Little one. I think I've already said I'm grateful for the husband Nate is, and I'm also grateful that my children have a father whose shoes are worth trying to fill. And of course, I'm grateful Ryan didn't break his neck trying to walk in these.

Mom and Dad

I am so grateful for my parents. I love them, and I am still learning from their lives even after they have been gone for all of these years.

Sunny November Day

I'm grateful for a beautiful afternoon today that came after a long cold and wet week. And it came on a Saturday afternoon when Nate was home to play with Ryan outside for hours!

Disposable Diapers

I don't need to explain why I'm thankful for disposable diapers today. I just really am.

Quick and Easy

I didn't post anything yesterday, but I was thankful for an easy recipe last night, Tex-Mex Lasagna, that my family ate. I did have to lay down the law before I brought it to the table because you could see that it had tomatoes in it. I told the girls it was impolite to ask for something else to eat without even tasting it, and if they did that they weren't getting anything to eat until breakfast. They decided they liked it. :)

Laughter

Tonight I'm thankful for a sense of humor. I remember Sister Hinckley said something to the effect that there are times in life when we can either laugh or cry, and crying gave her a headache. Well, I don't feel like bringing on a headache, so I'm just going to laugh at myself.

This morning, I cracked my egg over the counter instead of the frying pan, so it dripped down in the burner as I was trying to get it to the pan. Then I got caught in the thick of things, and I never cleaned it up. So tonight when I started preparing dinner for our company I remembered it when my boiling water started to smell like it was burning. Oh well, just open the kitchen window. Then I went to pick up the sister missionaries while the rice finished cooking on the stove and Nate oversaw the last minute preparations. When I got home with the missionaries, something was much more burnt than just what was on the burner. Well, there went the rice -- at least the bottom layer of it. A few blackened grains in the bowl never killed anybody. Then I went out visiting with the missionaries, and as they didn't have any specific appointments set up we just tried to find someone home that we could stop by and chat with for a few minutes. At the last house, the nice lady told us no thanks and we tried to leave. But it was dark and raining and I'm a terrible driver. I drove over this huge log that was lining the driveway and got it wedged under the car. We had to go back to the door and ask the woman if she had maybe a broom or something to push it out with (we didn't know at that time how big it was). Since it wasn't moving I got the jack out of the trunk and she took over and got the job done. I pulled it out from under the car, and a few wet and muddy minutes later we were on our way. That woman must surely be shaking her head in her sleep tonight. Just another chain of events to add to my long list of most embarrassing moments.

Planning Ahead

For a couple of different reasons this year we decided that we want to have a homemade and service Christmas. Carrying two house payments is one of those reasons, but we also just want to have Christmas be what it should be about this year. There is no way a kid is going to be more excited about the Savior's birth than the magic of Santa. Having said that, our girls still expect him to bring roller skates. I tried to reason with them that roller skates aren't homemade, but they said if the elves make them then they are homemade. I still have some work to do there. I'm just not sure how to handle that. If we didn't have aforementioned second house payment I'm sure I would just get them. But Nate and I agreed that we're not spending anything on presents this year. And then I also keep thinking that this is our chance to be done with Santa forever. Ryan doesn't ever need him. We can put presents under the tree on Christmas Eve that the kids have never seen before, and we can fill stockings, and we can claim that it all came from us because we love them more than any fluffly old man hidden in the Arctic. But anyway, besides the Santa issue Hannah and Nikki are really excited about it. They have made their little lists of things they are going to make for everyone else in the family and service coupons that they are going to give. It is really sweet watching them get excited about making things for others. We have Kellee's family to get presents for this year on my side of the family, and it has been so fun coming up with ideas of what we can do for them. Kellee, just don't let your kids be expecting too much because we all know how crafty I am! Except I did just make a tree topper out of twigs and branches that I hotglued into a star shape, and I think it looks pretty good. We have plans for making cinnamon applesauce ornaments for our tree. I have made lists of decorations and food and gifts to prepare, and I'm grateful I started before Halloween. It's going to take a while, but I think I can really have the bulk of the work done by the end of November and then enjoy the month of December. So, today I'm grateful that for once in my life I didn't procrastinate. I have planned ahead! And I think we can make this a beautiful Christmas season that will fit perfectly into our holiday budget that went MIA.

Washer and Dryer

I am grateful for my washer and dryer. As much as I hate laundry, it could be SO much worse.

Sundays are such a wonderful day of renewal. Church was so great today. The focus in every meeting was on the Savior's atonement, and I am so grateful that His sacrifice is for me. I love this picture because He loves each of His sheep, lost or found. I can so easily picture myself as that little sheep needing His protection and care. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for His suffering, death, and resurrection. I am grateful that He extends so much mercy to me. I am grateful to know that the Atonement covers our sins, pain, sicknesses, afflictions, and can make right everything that is unfair in this life. I am so grateful.

Naptime

I am thankful for Ryan's naptime. I got my wall of family pictures rearranged and updated today without having to worry about him taking off with the hammer or getting into the toolbox while I worked. He even gave me enough time to write a quick post on the blog! "There is beauty all around when he's fast asleep."

Family Tree

This was a cool project I got from a lady at church. It's our family tree, and I'm quite excited about how it turned out -- even with my lousy handwriting. I think it will look nice with our family pictures in the living room. I just have to get a frame for it now.

Cleanliness

I am thankful for my shiny sink today. A couple of days ago I looked at the FlyLady's website which Brigette mentioned on her blog, and I learned how to clean my sink. And it's pretty neat because my kitchen has been clean for three days now. The FlyLady was right, the shiny sink really has made a difference for me.

Encouragement

Back before the sun took so long to come up in the morning, I used to go jogging at 6 am. Sometimes this guy would come flying by me as I puffed up a hill. As I struggled to manage a "Hi" during one of my dramatic exhales, he would give me a "Good morning" as if he was sitting at the breakfast table rather than sprinting through the neighborhood. He always amazed me. Today I was beginning the ascent of the last hill of my run (we live at the top of the neighborhood so no matter which way I go the end is always uphill) when I saw him waiting at the bus stop with his kids. I didn't realize it was that same guy until he called out as I went by, "Keep running!" I kind of laughed and said, "This hill is killer." He told me, "You'll get used to it." Then I managed to run up the very hill that I have walked up all week long.

I have been surrounded my whole life by people who lift me up and encourage me to do more than I think I can. I am grateful for Mr. Sprinter and all the other people who have ever believed in me along the way.

I Am Thankful

Today I am thankful for Nate. He is so patient with me. A lesser man couldn't handle the job. Well, this morning he was pretty frustrated with me, but I think it's amazing that he doesn't get upset with me more often. I better go read with the girls and get the house cleaned before he gets home!

I Am Thankful

I have so much to be grateful for. Yesterday when we were in the grocery store the girls were surprised that Christmas decorations were replacing the Halloween things. What about Thanksgiving, they said. My thoughts exactly. And since we had so much fun with our Halloween chain we are doing a Thanksgiving tree leading up to Thanksgiving. We'll add a leaf everyday with something we're grateful for. Here's mine today:

I'm grateful Ryan hasn't been to the ER, or that we haven't had to call poison control yet. Nate considered it yesterday when he got out of the shower to see him eating deoderant, but thankfully he had just started.

Doesn't he look so sweet and innocent? He is really sweet.

I'm actually not just trying to be funny with this one. I do think that he has had extra protection beyond what I have given him. He has had some scary falls and scrapes and has been into more cabinets and drawers than I have really been prepared for. Whoever it is watching over him, I'm very grateful.

Halloween

I have neglected the blog lately, and there is a lot to catch up on. But for now, since family night is on the way, I'll just put this up. Halloween was actually really fun this year. It's never been a holiday I really cared for, but our Halloween chain gave us lots of good times.

***So now that I have a few more minutes, I'll try to list out some of our Halloween activities. Everyday we would do an activity that we had listed on our countdown to Halloween chain.

decorated gingerbread haunted houses (with graham crackers instead of gingerbread, and I forgot to make the icing chocolate, so they thought it looked more like a Christmas activity than Halloween)

Caramel apples

Orange Rice Krispy treats

ghostly marshmallows

spider pops

ghost pops (since we already had the lollipops)

witch coloring page

Halloween shaped Jell-o jigglers

painting pumpkins

carving pumpkins

read a spooky ghost story (it was a children's story, but it made me pull my toes up close to Nate when I went to bed that night -- it was called The Tailypo)

made paper scarecrows, but they never finished those so this was a flop

decorated Halloween cookies

were going to go to the pumpkin patch, but that day ended up a little too crazy

made paper Halloween decorations to hang up

tie dyed jack-o-lantern T shirts

Halloween-themed paper dolls (I thought they might be bored by this but they had fun making Frankenstein into a princess with skeleton legs and other crazy ideas)

Halloween lunch -- pizza mummies, apple bites, and a melon brain

and of course, trick-or-treating!

There were a few more things, but I can't think of them and don't have pictures so they must not have been all that exciting. It made the holiday so much better. I never have liked the scary decorations and costumes. The cute pumpkins and ghosts are fun, but I just don't get why people like to be scared. Well, I do like the story "Where's my Golden Arm." I found that on the internet because I couldn't remember all of it, and Nate keeps saying "You've got it!" all the time making me laugh. We had a record of that story when I was little. Anyway, I think we may have to make this a tradition because we all had fun with it.

Stinker

So, I notice that Ryan is hanging out in the pantry and being rather quiet. Oh, please tell me he didn't find what I think he found. Of course, as I walk over to him he turns around with gooey ant bait all over his hands with a few upset ants running around his feet wondering where lunch went. Come on, that was in the very back corner strategically placed to be where he wouldn't see it but the ants would. Okay, at least it's not on his mouth. I wash him up, place him on the floor and go to wash up the mess where the ant Terro was on the floor in the pantry. When I finish I turn around and notice him once again playing rather quietly on the floor with his back to me. Now he has one of the girls' tubes of lip gloss, and I guess it's good to know that now he can get it open. I run grab a wipe to clean off his hands and he proceeds to run to the door and wipe them off himself. Today he also learned how to climb onto our kitchen table chairs.

I'm just blown away that this is my child. I feel like maybe I have now on my third kid really entered motherhood. Why didn't I appreciate Hannah's toddlerhood while it lasted? I just didn't know how lucky I was. Or how merciful Heavenly Father is. Ryan and I wouldn't have survived together if he had come first.

Family Pictures

Ryan's birthday was a couple of months ago, and one thing after another has happened so that every time I tried to get his one-year pictures taken it just hasn't worked out. But today there was no stopping me. And since Nate took a little time off in the morning so I could go to a teacher conference and the girls are tracked out, we decided to just make it a family affair.

And I just have to brag on my kids a little bit. We had to wait like 20 minutes for them to print out the pictures, and there is a Toys R Us next to the studio, so I asked them if they would like to just walk around the toy store and have some fun instead of sitting and waiting. They knew we were NOT buying anything, and they were great! How many kids can you take into a toy store and play for 20 mintues and then walk out without them asking even once if they could have something?! I love my children.

Oh, and I said to them, "It's a lot of fun to take pictures of good-looking kids. Thanks for being so cute." And Hannah said, "Well, I think that was Heavenly Father's idea to make us that way." :)

Nikki's Journal Entry

I am happy when I go to the park.

I am happy when I ride my bike.

I am happy when I see my mommy.

I was reading through Nikki's school writing journal this morning. Wow, I really needed that one today. This parenting thing is really hard, and I'm not sure sometimes, okay a lot of times, how I'm doing. Thanks, Nikki.

Halloween fun

Kristen, thanks for a fun idea. I really needed it yesterday when Nikki came home from school early with a fever, but it was just slight enough that she wasn't laying around acting sick. We're making Halloween shaped Jello jigglers today.

On my mind

• General Conference is always wonderful. Nate was gone over the weekend on a scout leadership training campout, so he missed all but the last 45 minutes of the last session. I'm looking forward to watching it over again with him in the evenings. Elder Bednar, Elder Holland, President Monson's talk Sunday morning, Elder Scott, the one that talked about heart surgery (I don't remember his name) -- and there were more that really stood out to me. I was just praying Saturday morning about recognizing the Spirit more easily and then Elder Scott was the very first speaker who spoke about exactly that. Such a great weekend.
• Everyone in our family has now come down with our miserable cold/virus/?. Being able to sniff is really a great skill. I can't wait until Ryan learns how to do it rather than let it just run down into his mouth.
• Today's weather makes me want to curl up on the couch with a good book and a nice bowl of soup and homemade bread. I guess that means today would be a great day to hit Panera Bread. :)
• My oven has a light inside but no window through the door. I think that is incredibly stupid.
• Does anybody else like paying bills? It gives me a sense of security to get it done and know that it is all taken care of.
• Last night as I was falling asleep I realized that Christmas is coming and I want to go ahead and get all presents taken care of now. Nate and I have talked about making this a homemade Christmas. We've never gone too crazy and gotten loads of presents for the kids, but it always seems like we end up with more than we had originally planned. I wonder what the girls would think if all the presents were just service or things we make for each other? Actually, I know what they'd think. Hannah would be so excited and Nikki would be so disappointed.
• Ryan lost our cordless mouse yesterday. He has also lost the memory card reader that we use to download the pictures off of our camera since I dropped the camera one too many times, and it won't connect directly to the computer. We watched conference on the internet and he turned the computer off three times while we were watching it. He's a mess. I guess it's my fault because I'm the one that's supposed to be supervising him.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I keep thinking about this book. First, I feel like I need to give a disclaimer. There was a scene in the book that I wish wasn't there. It's not a love scene, but it was disturbing. I understand that to the author it would have been an important part, though, because it is the first time Minny ever experienced a white woman step out of her place of comfort and do something for her. And then there is some language in it. Why did she wait until I was sucked in a few chapters before she did that? It makes me tempted again to justify that I see why the author did it in trying to tell the story in the voices of the characters, but I still don't like to read that and feel like I should mention it before someone picks up this book because I said I liked it -- and then they'll think I don't mind books with language and a disturbing scene when I do. I just don't know how to explain to myself that I didn't like that, but I did like this book.

Anyway -- on to the book. It is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s, and it is told through the viewpoint of three women. One is a young white woman who wants to be a journalist, and the other two are maids to the rich white women of Jackson. They are "the help."
In an attempt to have their voices heard after being silent and frustrated their whole lives, these maids agree to tell their story to a white woman who wants to write about what it's like to be a colored maid in Mississippi from the viewpoint of the maids.

It was such an emotional book. I laughed right out loud, and I even got real tears in my eyes. I was afraid of what the white people were going to do to them. I felt such contempt for the white women who were so calloused and rude. I was moved when Skeeter and Aibileen really became friends, a white woman and a black woman crossing lines and breaking rules that their society said would always be that way. How frightening to try to change something that is ingrained not only through violence, but taught to the minds of innocent children by their mothers from before they even enter preschool.

It made me think about my own ancestors living in the south. My mom and dad were in the high school class that first integrated about 9 black students into the white high school in Edenton. I remember asking Mom about it one time, but she didn't have too much to say about it. She said they were pretty quiet and she didn't really know them. I think that's probably typical of high school students to be in their own world, but then coming to the same high school didn't bring them to the same neighborhoods and after school hangouts. Those lines were still drawn when I was in high school in that same town, maybe not as strictly adhered to but they were there. My grandparents used the term "colored people," but I know Granddaddy was friends with a black man named Sambo. I would like to think that my family members that I love would have known even back then that black people were not diseased, dirty, and immoral just because of their skin color. Even if social lines were drawn so they couldn't associate too much with people who were different. I would like to think that I myself don't think of stereotypes first and question them secondly.

Anyway, this would be a fun book to discuss with somebody. There is so much in it.

Swine flu

My kids are sick this week. Am I the only one that wonders if it's the swine flu when my kids start getting sick these days? Last week a girl in Nikki's class went home with the flu. I just read a report today that said that the seasonal flu hasn't hit our area yet, so anyone with the flu here is being treated as if it's the swine flu. When I was little we called it the flu when we had a stomach bug, and I know that's wrong so it's hard for me to grasp what the flu really is. Nikki brought home a cough and sore throat from school, but other than her cough she's alright. Hannah and Ryan have a fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue. How do you know if it's just a cold or if it's something more? I can't tell you how miserable Ryan was this afternoon. It broke my heart. I was almost in tears right along with him because I could do nothing to help him feel better. Well, at least if it is the swine flu I think it's supposed to pass pretty quickly. I hope so.

Oh, the sweetest thing!

Day 1. I'm really going to do it. The sweetest thing I'm going to eat this week will be a piece of fruit. Nate and my visiting teaching companion said they wanted to do it with me. That makes me much more excited and much more likely to actually accomplish it. Especially since Nikki is in charge of the family night treat tonight, and that means we'll either have milkshakes or smores (made in the microwave). But I think I'll have an apple with some peanut butter.

Of course, I could never make this a long term commitment. I just want a little jumpstart as I get back into better eating and exercise habits. It was so hard waking up this morning to go running when it was so dark and cold outside. Kind of makes me want to be fat for the winter and then start exercising again next spring. But, ugh, how miserable would that be! Just going two weeks without jogging made me feel blah enough. I remember hearing someone once say that 90% of the fuel in a rocket is spent during takeoff. Only 10% is required to maintain flight. That's how exercising and healthy eating feel. It's so hard for the first little bit, but once I get into it, it doesn't take as much effort to continue. So this week I'm putting forth my extra effort, and then I know I'll feel the benefits and it won't be so hard to continue with good habits the next week. Besides, then I can eat my fat-free ice cream again. :)

Sugar, or No Sugar

Today I ate my favorite sandwich -- peanut butter and strawberry jam on soft white bread. Oh, it was worth every useless calorie! That's a comfort food from my childhood that I've never gotten over. This past couple of weeks since my back has been hurting I haven't been jogging, and I have enjoyed way too many delicious desserts that were delivered when the Relief Society sisters were bringing us meals for a few days. I thought about that as I sat on the kitchen floor this afternoon with Ryan chasing down my yummy sandwich with spoonfuls of Raspberry sherbet right out of the bucket. That's when I realized I need to jumpstart some healthy eating habits again. I'm not sick anymore, so I don't have any good excuses. Have you ever tried to eliminate sugar from your diet? I've never had the desire before today. As much as we tease Kellee about loving sugar, I'm really just as bad. I have no problems eating low-fat foods, but could I go a week without sugar? Hmm. I'm going to think about it over the next few days, and see if I can try it next week. Anybody ever successfully done that before?

On the Mend

I just felt like I should post something so that no one thinks I'm on my deathbed. I'm doing a lot better. I think it was just a pulled muscle because when I stopped picking up Ryan I started getting better. Mike & Sherrie and Jay & Alli helped us out last week and over the weekend, and several ladies from church have done so much for me this week. Today is the first day that I will have Ryan by myself all day. I have missed him so much while other people were babysitting for me! It is very humbling to see how other people have just jumped in and done so much for us. I'm so grateful to be surrounded by wonderful people who have so willingly served us.

Ouch

Kellee, you were right in your last comment -- it has been a while since I've posted, hasn't it? We have been busy with the details of getting our house sellable, school, gymnastics, piano, church, and taking care of a baby. But this past week I've been in a lot of pain. I've been to a couple of doctors, but I'm not convinced that they figured out what the problem is. I have pain in my right side and back, where your kidney is, and it keeps getting worse. I had a CT scan of my abdomen done, and I do have some small kidney stones in my right kidney. But the urologist didn't think that would be causing the pain because they are usually only painful when they start leaving the kidney. So now my regular doctor thinks it is probably and torn or strained muscle. I don't know. It's frustrating that it's just guessing, and they haven't done a test that says, yep you have this condition that is causing the pain and it will last for x amount of time. Not to mention how busy Nate has been this week. He has tried to take care of me, but there is just too much stuff going on. Anyway, maybe today will be better. I do have some cute pictures on my camera that I need to post, but I don't feel like doing it right now.

Ten Years Ago ...

• We made ONE really wonderful decision to be sealed together for time and eternity in the Mt. Timpanogas temple.
• We had TWO cars that you kept so clean with no crumbs or melted crayons in the back seat.
• We couldn't have imagined how beautiful our THREE children would be.
• We didn't know that the FOUR most caring words are, "We can't afford it."
• We didn't know that we would single-handedly support the DMV in FIVE states with all of our address changes on our licenses.
• We didn't need to sweep the kitchen floor SIX times a day.
• We didn't know that sleeping in until 7 am was sleeping in.
• I didn't know that you would be willing to do the dishes EIGHT nights a week because I didn't want to do them.
• We didn't know that playing made-up games like sock wars with the girls could feel like working a NINE-hour shift on the weekends. Why don't they ever get tired of that?
• I had no clue how much you would teach me and that my love for you would grow at least TENfold in the next TEN years.

I love you, Nate! Happy 10th anniversary!

Tooth Fairy

Hannah lost a tooth a few days ago, and when the tooth fairy kept not showing up she decided that it was because their room wasn't clean. Maybe we'll pull another tooth next week when it's time to clean the room again. Both girls asked yesterday after school if they could go clean their room. Umm, I guess so. I actually think the tooth fairy didn't come because Hannah left this note with lots of questions that deserved some really good answers, and how can the tooth fairy really be on her toes enough to give really good answers in the middle of the night. This morning Hannah was excited about the money, but I don't think she was too impressed with the tooth fairy's reply. Maybe she recognized the handwriting? I can only hope.

Phone Companies

AGH!! Does anyone else get as frustrated as I do dealing with the phone company? Maybe I'm the only one who gets lucky enough to speak to the most incompetent customer service providers around. I would go to almost any length to avoid calling AT&T. So, we're changing phone services because AT&T doesn't provide a decent long distance plan for us -- we don't need unlimited long distance, and anything else they're offering us is highway robbery. So we're trying out Vonage, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it turns out to be a good service. I must say that speaking to their customer service agents hasn't been nearly as painful as AT&T so far. That's encouraging to me. But the pain is that in the process of transferring our number over, we haven't been able to receive phone calls this past week, and probably won't until next Tuesday. And you guessed it -- it's AT&T's customer NO service's fault. However, when it comes right down to it, I don't really mind not having the phone ring.

Oh, I also figured out why I haven't been blogging much lately. I left my camera at Alli's last weekend, but when I get it back I'll have to get a picture of my youngest computer genius. It's much easier to avoid the computer when he's around, or he thinks it's his turn to control the mouse and keyboard as well as the fascinating blue power button.

My First Blanket

I actually did it! I crocheted this blanket. It was really fun learning how to do it. Hannah asked if she could have it, and I'm really glad that she can so easily overlook all the mistakes in it. She is so good for my ego as she thinks I am amazing to have made it. Now Nikki wants one, too and I have to figure out what pattern to do for hers.

Walking

We got this of Ryan last week. He was tired and grumpy, but he is doing such a good job walking these days! How is it possible that today is his birthday?!!

I posted this one because he sounds like a duck. What is it with boys and their sound effects? He is always making some funny sound.

Homemade Granola and Granola Bars

For a while now I have been trying to fix a problem I first noticed in the grocery store. When I shop, I buy groceries for Nate and me and then I buy some things for the kids that I don't eat because they are not healthy enough. That just kind of bugs me. Shouldn't I be just as concerned about what they eat as I am about what I eat? Don't I want them to grow up enjoying healthy foods and making healthy choices? Meals aren't really a problem because there is no way I'm cooking two different meals. They've just had to deal with it and have learned to like pepperoni-free whole wheat pizza and grilled salmon, etc., etc., etc. But what about snacks? How do you get your kids to eat healthy snacks when they are used to other stuff? I don't think goldfish and cheese crackers are bad snacks for kids, but can I really call them healthy? Granola bars are healthy, right? Well, the ones I usually buy for the kids are full of high-fructose corn syrup and almost protein-free. So, is there a better way? I found a granola recipe that I really like, but the girls aren't big fans of just granola, so I went looking for a granola bar recipe that I could make. I found a recipe online and changed it up a little bit today, and they were really easy to make. I need to make a few more adjustments to it, or find a different one because they ended up a little crumbly. Tasty, though. Has anybody ever had success with making granola bars? I'll try those again another day, but here is the recipe I have for granola that I really like.

Homemade Granola
from www.everydayfoodstorage.net

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I don't like coconut, so I don't add it)
dried fruits, if desired (tropical fruit is good, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, cherries are all great)

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Combine brown sugar and water in a 4-cup microwave safe cup. Microwave on high 5 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, mix oats and nuts. Add the brown sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for a total of 45 minutes or until golden brown. After 25 minutes, stir and put back in the oven for the rest of the time. When granola has cooled completely, add dried fruits.

Miscellaneous Photos

We had Lydia and Eliza over for a sleepover last night. We couldn't believe it when everyone was asleep within 30 minutes of putting them to bed. Didn't even have to go back in their room once. Eliza had her first week of kindergarten last week -- it really must have worn her out. :) We broke out the pool for them this morning, and even Ryan got to play for a little bit. The sky was overcast and he turned blue, though.

The yard maintenance guys trimmed down a bunch of limbs on trees throughout the neighborhood last week. The one in our front yard was really getting overgrown, so they trimmed it way back. After they were done we noticed this robin's nest exposed, but the robin wasn't leaving. She now has three babies in there, and it has been really neat to watch her feed them. They're starting to get really big. I'm afraid they are going to push each other out of the nest. It would be so neat if we could watch them learn to fly.

And then we have Ms. Crazy. She wanted me to take a picture of her hair. She actually did a really pretty up-do, but the whole outfit kind of stole the show from her hairstylist skills.