To save you some time...

Just so you know, tub sealer is NOT a good replacement for hot glue when attaching flannel to cardboard.

Just go find the damn glue gun.

I (almost) finished a project!

I've been working on this little quilt (it's 21" square) for a little over a month now, and except for the binding, it's done!

It's called Five Cent Fairy Garden (because you trace a nickel for all the berries) and it's hand appliqued and made completely out of homespun woven fabrics--from my stash. I didn't buy any new fabric for this one, although Vanessa donated a few of her woven scraps to "the cause".

It really is square, it just looks funny in the picture because it's on the back of my fluffy couch.

Sadly, like all of the quilts I do for myself, I whipped through the quilting as fast as I could so I could get it done between customer quilts. It's not my best work...but, I don't sit around staring at my quilting all day, so it's just not gonna matter.

My visiting teaching partner/quilter extraordinaire says that the "mosquito meander" that I stiched in the borders around the applique is my "signature stitch".

I prefer to think of the swirls in the center pieced section as my "signature stitch" but oh well. Mosquito's seem to be more fitting for my life right now :o)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Bad: Waking up at 3:30 AM to the sound of my six year old gasping for air to breathe.

The Good: Living in a community with a wonderful doctor (who gave a great high-council talk on Sunday) and an on-call nurse (in our ward) who were willing to meet us at the local clinic in the middle of the night, since our hospital is so far away.

The Bad: Nearly hitting four bull elk in the middle of the next town over, while going 80 miles an hour, without contacts, trying to get to the clinic a little faster. (I should add that the speed limit is 65 going into the town, so I wasn't going too far over the speed limit...)

The Good: After a priesthood blessing and breathing the cold night air, Caleb arrived at the clinic still wheezing, but sounding a lot better, and able to talk.

The Bad: Throwing up during his x-ray (that would be Caleb, not me). Yes, the good ol' x-ray machine. I have issues with the x-ray machine at our clinic. I've sworn I'd never have an x-ray done there again because it's so fuzzy, I always have to pay to have it re-done in the hospital, but what do you do at 4:00 AM?

The Good: Finding the problem (Croup and tonsillitis) so it could be treated immediately with steroids and a breathing treatment. His trachea was so swollen it was nearly closed off. We are also very grateful that we don't have to pay for a tonsillectomy right now (and do it in a hospital that requires "permission" from Provo to do the surgery).

The Bad: All those payments I made two years ago on our nebulizer that Dillon used twice.

The Good: We actually HAVE a nebulizer and now we're getting our money's worth.

The Bad: The taste of the steroid medication that poor Caleb has to take for the croup, and the TEN DAY antibiotic for his tonsillitis.

The Good: I got out of making a quadruple batch of frosting for 19 kids to make gingerbread houses at school on Friday, AND I don't have to go to the school to help with the project... :o)

And don't forget The Ugly: Me, and the nurse, at the clinic at 4:00 AM with messy hair, bags under our eyes, and no make-up...it was NOT pretty.

Coming down with something...

In honor of my headache and sore throat, and Caleb's headache and nasty cough, I thought I'd post the "Mancold".



And now I think I'll take a nap.

And I thought I was good...

I thought I had this parenting thing down when I came up with my trick-or-treating FHE lesson. But let me tell you, my friend Vanessa wins the prize for this one:

When daylight savings time ended (or began) or whatever it did a few weeks ago...she set her clocks back so her family could have that extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning...and then, before bedtime, she moved them forward again.

Yup, you heard me. She changed them again. And not just once. My genius friend got a full WEEK of bliss when she put her kids to bed an hour earlier at night, and then secretly switched the clocks back after they were sleeping, so they'd get to school at the right time.

It is brilliant. And I can't believe I haven't thought of it before.

Way to go V!

Quirks

My friend, Trina, tagged me to write 7 or so quirks about myself. Since I already did that (here) I decided to write down a few of TODD'S quirks...with his permission of course :o)

1. He likes peeps, and he likes them a few days after the package has been opened (if they last that long). I think they are perfectly wretched.

2. Todd only reads non-fiction books. He likes therapy journals, textbooks, and doctrine. He says that fiction is a waste of his time. I thought this was just since he was in school for so long, but yesterday he was telling the boys about the books he read and re-read as a child (both of them) and they were about Squanto, and Helen Keller. So, I guess he's been a fan of non-fiction all his life.

3. He cuts his toenails with scissors. It's been over 10 years that we've been married, and I still don't see the benefits from this, but whatever.

4. Todd does not like day old bread. If he ever has to take a sack lunch anywhere, he'll make his sandwich on frozen bread, so that by the time he eats it, it will have thawed and will be as fresh as possible.

5. He hates pants and socks. After work, he wears shorts and has bare feet 365 days of the year. The funny thing is, the first time he asked me out, he was wearing new white socks (with his shirt un-tucked...something you NEVER saw...my roommates used to ask him if he had any "play clothes" because he was never casual) and to this day I still tell him how much I liked him in socks that night :o)

6. Todd has a spot on his back, that works just like the reflex in your knee. If I touch it while giving him a hug, he'll jerk back (completely involuntary). It's kind of fun...

7. He doesn't leave the house without Blistex. If he forgets it, he'll stop at the store and buy some. We even have it in his 72 hour kit.

8. Todd thinks of himself as a "fungus". He says he "has to grow on people". I disagree. I thought he was pretty nice from the first time I met him.

9. He knows what a bias binding is (although he's embarrassed about it). The other day, I bought an apron pattern that called for almost twice as much fabric for the ties, as it needed for the main part of the apron. I could not figure it out, and Todd suggested that the ties/trim must be cut on the bias...he was right. :o)

Thank You!

I am allergic to the post office.

I never go...unless I'm expecting something. So, a few days ago, when Todd emptied our box so that the poor post office lady could fit stuff in it again, I was completely surprised to get TWO packages!

My good friend Cami sent me this calendar (with room for making lists), and this absolutely adorable bottle of Heinz. We share our love of list-making, and the "right" brand of ketchup. She also sent two Idaho spud candy bars...but those are LONG gone, so I didn't get a picture. She will soon be moving from Idaho, to UTAH where she will only be three hours away, instead of nine. Hooray! Thanks Cami, for thinking of me. I miss you.

And then, my sister (who also happens to live in Idaho), sent me this cute little berry wreath to sit on the "shelf" of my lamp. It's perfect! She must've known that there wasn't a store within 200 miles where I could get such a thing.
My sister and I have never really fought. I think it's just because the six years between us didn't allow for us to have enough in common to fight about anything...but that's beside the point. Now she's expecting her second baby, and her husband is almost finished with grad school, so we're in the same boat.
I love you Char, and wish you lived closer so we could "play" together. Thanks for thinking of me.

Silverware gender

Yesterday, when I poured Dillon his bowl of cereal, he asked me to get him a boy spoon.

Until then, I wasn't aware that silverware had a gender.

But they do, and unfortunately, I seem to have a lot more girl silverware in my drawer (probably because when the kids set the table, they have been giving "boy" silverware to all the boys).

Since girls are in short supply at our house, I have all the flowered silverware I could ever need or want.

So, if any of you have any extra "boy" silverware that you want to send my way...feel free. We're running low.

Pizza Party

"Pizza, Pizza, ran, ran, ran!"

Tonight we made pepperoni and olive pizza, per the boys request

(Todd and I are not big fan's of pepperoni, so they rarely get it)

We also had barbecue chicken pizza.

We used my friend Mindy's famous pizza dough.

Pizza Crust

2 C warm water

1 Tbs. yeast

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. salt

5-6 c flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water (about 10 min.). Add salt and slowly add flour. The dough will be fairly stiff. Just add flour until it can be kneaded. Knead until smooth. This dough doesn't need to rise, but you may need to let it sit for 10 minutes or so if it is hard to roll out. I usually make 3 smaller pizzas, or you can make 2 large pizzas. I have found that it works best if I roll it out pretty thin... it raises in the oven, and can be doughy if you leave it too thick. Sometimes I use some of the dough to make breadsticks. Actually, sometimes I make this dough JUST for breadsticks. It's versatile. ;)

Spread sauce on crust. I just use spaghetti sauce. Add any toppings that you like (or can afford!) Sometimes I just make cheese pizza. This is also delicious with garden veggies, like tomatoes, peppers, onions, etc.

Bake in HOT oven... about 425-450 degrees until the crust is browned and cheese is bubbling. Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

3 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed

1 cup hickory flavored barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. molasses

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (we used dried cilantro)

1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (we used mozzarella, since our local store does not carry gouda)

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 cup julienned green pepper

In a sauce pan, over medium heat, combine chicken, barbecue sauce, honey, molasses, brown sugar and cilantro. Bring to a boil (or just nuke it).

Spread chicken mixture evenly over pizza crust, and top with cheese, onions, and green peppers. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

The taste of defeat

Well, we voted. And I lost. There was only one vote for broccoli.

The winners are:

Pizza
Grapes
Root Beer
No Bake Cookies

All in all, we've had fun. We'll definitely do this again. Next time we'll have primary elections, where we narrow it down to two choices before the final vote.

We had a debate, which was very exciting, and then we talked to the kids about taking their vote seriously. They were supposed to consider cost, the time it would take to make, and whether or not it was healthy (and we covered all these things in the debate).

I don't think any of us will ever look at pizza again without thinking, "Pizza, pizza...ran, ran, ran".(Todd's poster said, "rah, rah, rah" but the font he used made it look like ran).The boys thought it was wildly funny.

We definitely made memories, and it didn't cost anything (we would've eaten dinner tomorrow anyway) so I'm calling it a success.

We won the battle...but the war rages on

I copied this entry from my brother, "pianoman's" blog. I hope he doesn't mind. I'm just so darn proud of all that he and his wife, and also my cousin, have done to help pass proposition 8 in California. I wanted this recorded in my "journal" too.

November 4, Election Day: I woke up before the alarm went off. I didn't sleep much. Weeks and weeks of phone calls, door-knocking, sign-posting and re-posting, blogging, Facebook-ing--and of course--praying, all pointed to this moment.

7:00 am. The polls open.

8:00 am. Our zip code coordinator comes by our house to deliver my poll-watching assignment.

9:00 am. I visit two different precincts trying to find where VD and I are registered to vote (recently moved after registering).

10:00 am. Empty ballot in hand, I walk solemnly to my private voting booth. Everyone in line conveys a similar attitude of reverence and respect for the privilege of taking part in the government of our people. I open the ballot to the Propositions page...there it is! I carefully square the ink-puncher over the "yes" on the eighth proposition. Albeit less grandiose an act, I cannot help thinking of Moroni raising the Title of Liberty: "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children" (emphasis added). I return my completed ballot. Little me, one out of nine million California voters who will hover their ink-puncher over the "yes" or the "no" spot. But I know my voice is heard, and I know where I stand. That's what voting is all about.

11:00 am. My poll-watching is well underway. I have three different precinct lists of registered voters who told us previously their intention to vote "yes" on 8. I compare my lists with the publicly-released street indexes of persons who have already voted. Each time I cross out a name, it's almost like punching another "yes" on the ballot.

12:00 noon. I report in to headquarters to provide the results of my most recently updated lists. (I still get a little choked up every time I think about what I saw.) There in the warehouse of Interstate Batteries were rows of tables lined with people in all the chairs, people my age, my parents' age, my grandparents' age, with cell phones in hand, lists of persons being called. Power strips for chargers, laptops and printers for up-to-date info, food and water bottles for the masses...Everything about the setup evoked images of a mobilized army, ready at a moment's notice to heed the call of the commanding officer.

1:00 pm. Phone calls take a priority over poll-watching from now until 4:00 pm. So, I grab a stack of names and start dialing. I speak with one woman who says she doesn't understand English. "¿Puedo hablar con Usted en español, entonces?" I talk with her about Prop 8. She says she still hasn't decided which way to vote. My heart racing--much like a young soldier in battle--I immediately wield my sword... I translate my prescripted thoughts into Spanish. By the end of the conversation she says, "Yes, I will vote 'yes' on 8." I hang up to a couple of cheers from neighboring callers who had witnessed my transition from English to Spanish to a yes vote. And so the day goes on. As I am preparing to dial a new number, I overhear the woman behind me: "I am a school teacher. I, and most of my friends are voting 'yes' on 8. Don't believe those TV ads..." When she hangs up, she crosses off the name, adding another 'yes' to the final count. We cheer the school teacher on.

4:00 - 7:50 pm. The pace accelerates. Amid my frequent trips from poll-watching locations to headquarters, the full-time callers move into the final phase: no more leaving messages on voice mail, only targeted calls to "high yield" areas (demographics where a "yes" vote would be most likely.) Joined by VD for the final stretch, we make calls and look forward to crossing the finish line together.

8:00 pm. The army disbands. The tables and chairs are put up, and we all return to our homes.

Every ten minutes for the next 12 hours. We watch as the numbers trickle in. VD sees the first results: "We're winning!" Those are perhaps the best words chosen to describe this ongoing fight. I wish there were a way we could triumphantly declare: "We won!" But deep down, each of us knows the war is far from over. I'm pleased to see the results of our efforts. I'm honored beyond measure to ever be part of such an army, defending truth and virtue. The days and years that lie ahead will surely present greater challenges still. But I take courage in VD's simple expression: "We're winning." May it ever be so.

My "campaign" posters

Thanks, Aunt "Viola Diva", for the broccoli slogan :o)

You might think I have too much time on my hands...
But we're building memories, people. Building memories.

Caleb saw my broccoli poster when he got home and announced

that he still didn't want to vote for broccoli...

This could be an uphill battle.

I need a slogan

Well, my friends, the nominations for the Dinner Party are in. Our little family will be campaigning this week to determine what we will be having for dinner next Monday night. We will cast our ballots on Sunday.

The nominees are as follows (in no particular order):

Main Dish:

Pizza
Hot Dogs (on a bun)
Sweet and Sour Chicken over Rice

Side Dish:

Carrot Sticks
Potato Chips
Grapes
Broccoli

Drink:

Root beer
Water
Chocolate Milk
Orange Juice

Dessert:

Dessert Pizza
No Bake Cookies
Ice Cream

We decided that Dillon was too young to nominate (because we needed a tie-breaker in case no one changes their mind); Also, some members of the family chose the same items, so there are only three choices in some categories.

Does anyone have any great slogan's or idea's for my broccoli campaign? I'm afraid I'll need all the help I can get if I'm going to beat out potato chips.

It's almost over!

Since I've been completely annoyed by the presidential campaign/debates/bickering, this is a good day for me. It is almost over. Although neither candidate is my favorite choice, I believe it is my duty to vote, so I did.

You've gotta love living in a small town on a day like today. I think it took me 15 minutes to vote, and most of that time was taken up in visiting with the three ladies who verified that I was me (I visit teach one of them, and she said, "I know who you are, dear"). The remainder of the time was taken in voting, and eating the free chocolate that was provided to those of us who fulfilled our civic duty.

Heaven help the man who wins today, and heaven help all of us to step up and do our part to be less greedy, and more willing to help those around us.

I got the following FHE idea in my inbox this morning, and I love it so much that we just might do it next week. My kids came home from school yesterday, very concerned about the election today. I was surprised at what they told me about the candidates that they had learned from the kids at school. This sounds like a fun idea to teach them about the voting/campaigning process:

Pre-voting day FHE (or Post-voting day FHE, in our case)

For FHE this week, we're splitting it up into 2 nights. The FHE is based off of this from LDS living Mag: http://www.ldslivingmagazine.com/articles/show/1740

Tonight we are taking nominees for Dinner for each category: veggie, main dish, drink, dessert & side. Also tonight the kids are making "campaign" posters for their favorite candidate in the Dinner Party & hanging them up to influence voters. Tomorrow, we'll follow this up with a secret ballot at breakfast. During the day, Mom will tabulate the results and no one will know what they are until dinner is prepared later that day on Election Night. As a follow up, we'll watch some TV voting results and have discussion about it during snack/scripture time on the importance of election and following the prophets' council to protect the family. Have a great FHE!

Humbled

Yesterday morning, after I had done my hair for church, I stepped into the kitchen and saw the fast offering check that Todd had written, laying on the table.

I looked at him and said, "Do you realize that when this check clears, I will not be able to go to the grocery store this week?"

He said, "We need the blessings...how can we not?"

And I said, "I'm not talking about NOT paying, I'm talking about paying LESS...at least let me buy milk this week".

He said, "Do we have it in savings?"

And I said, "Yes"

And he said, "Then transfer it".

I knew he was right, so I let it go. I know full well the importance of paying tithing/fast offerings, so who am I to argue about the amount?

Then we got to church, and it turns out that our Area Authority Seventy, Elder Dan Jones, was presiding at our meeting. After the testimony portion of sacrament meeting, he was given a few minutes to speak.

He told us that as he sits in different wards, he receives inspiration and thoughts about the things he should say. He said that he felt impressed to stress the importance of paying our tithing and fast offerings. (At this point, Todd turned and gave me a smug look, which I deserved) Before General Conference, Elder Jones was in a meeting with Pres. Packer, who told the seventies that "the people need to be reassured during these difficult economic times". He (Elder Jones) promised us that as we paid our tithes and offerings, we would be given comfort and direction in the decisions we make. He closed by bearing his testimony that the ANSWER to the economic challenges that our world is facing, is in paying tithes and offerings.

Let me just TRY to tell you how grateful I was that I hadn't re-written our fast offering check for $5 less. I was at peace all day because of what I HADN'T done. If I'd paid less, I think I would've been stressed all day.

We have our food storage. We are going to be just fine this week without going to the store. I tried giving Dillon powdered milk this morning, just to see what he thought, and he didn't even notice. Some "sacrifice" this is going to be...

How grateful I am for my husband, and his vision....and his lack of looking at our checking account :o) Because he didn't know the numbers, he just wrote out the check. I worry too much about the numbers, but really the most important thing is faith. I know that we'll be just fine this week, because we've paid our tithing and our fast offering.

Above and Beyond

Our friends, Dave and Tina, went above and beyond the call of duty this year to create these AMAZING costumes! They are 100% homemade, using paper mache, foam, paint, etc. They've entered their costumes in a contest online, and you can click here to vote for them until Nov. 4th.

http://www.sugarloot.com/entry/953760721