The end of a decade...and this blog

I've pondered for a long time whether I should make my blog private or not.  I don't want Todd's clients to find it, and I don't want my kids' high school classmates to be able to look back at every embarrassing thing they did when they were young.

But, I also want to have the option to use my blog as a missionary tool, and to keep in touch with friends.  I wouldn't have found so many of YOU if your blogs were private.

So, for now, my decision is to start a new blog...one that doesn't have our last name or location.  If you have this blog listed on a blogroll, I would appreciate it if you would take it off.  You are welcome to put our new blog in it's place.

Also, please know that if you accidentally make a comment that includes our last name or our town/county, It may be deleted.  We'll have to see how picky I get. This change is going to be hard because my kids wear their school shirts all the time, so half of our pictures broadcast our hometown!

I will continue to monitor this blog to see how much traffic it gets, but I will no longer be posting here, and it will not be listed under my profile.

So, without further adieu, here's the address to our new blog.  Can't wait to see you there!  32spg.blogpot.com.

I've got my tinsel in a tangle...

Here's a re-cap of my morning, which began with just enough time for everyone to read two verses of Alma before breakfast. We didn't even bother to wake Dillon up.

The Scene:

Brayden and Caleb serving themselves a bowl of Lucky Charms, while I try to empty the dishwasher (working around a stroller and a cooler that are in the middle of my workspace), and Todd takes a quick nap on the couch (he's working 8am-8pm today and tomorrow in order to get all his phone calls in for the week).

Me: (noticing the hardened pea's and corn on the garbage can lid from yesterday) If I can gather up the garbage now, maybe Todd will take it out to the road on his way to work and I won't have to take it out and expose my "medusa hair" to the rest of the town.

~Stop emptying dishwasher, and start gathering garbage~

Why is there a wet Cabela's hat in the bathroom garbage can?

Random Male household member: "It was sitting in front of the toilet in a puddle of water so I threw it away."

Really? It can be washed you know. We can't just go out and buy a new hat because this one got wet.

~Fill the bathroom sink with water, add some oxi-clean and put hat in to soak...just in case it was sitting in pee. Realize there is a load in the washing machine that's been there since Saturday night and start it again. Turn off the lights in the boys bedroom, and the family room, and head back upstairs~

Dillon: (who's up now) Can I have some leftover coffee cake?

Me: Just a minute. I need to finish gathering the garbage. Caleb, stop talking and eat. Brayden, stop reading comics and eat.

~take the garbage out to the can and realize it's RAINING!?! and that our football is sitting in the middle of the road (?) Todd is snoring in the background~

Dillon: (shaking presents under the tree) I think this one is a giant lego set...this one is a lego hero factory...this one a CD...this one pajamas...pajamas...more pajamas...don't know...who is this one for? It doesn't have a name...

Me: Todd, can you take the garbage can out to the road?

Todd: Brayden, take the garbage out to the road.

Dillon: Mom, can you finish wrapping all the presents today?

Me: Caleb and Brayden come here so I can comb your hair. Brayden, go out and get the football out of the road.

~Todd takes the garbage out to the road. I get kids out the door and continue unloading the dishwasher. Baby wakes up~

Dillon: Can you get me some coffee cake?

Me: Just a minute. I've got to change Justin's diaper.

~Change diaper, and sit baby on a blanket on the floor. Get him a toy and a pacifier and return to work in the kitchen. Dillon is back to present inspecting. Todd comes back home to get his coat after realizing it's colder than it looks~

Me: (mentally reminding myself to say my morning prayers as soon as I finish with the dishes) How did this sink get so full of dirty dishes while we slept?

~start loading dirty dishes into dishwasher but stop early because baby is crying~

Grabbing a notebook and a pencil that desperately needs to be sharpened, I settle down into the recliner to feed the baby and make my to-do list.

-Fax Benesyst

-make up WIC appt.

-buy milk

-buy a $5 gift for 3rd grade gift exchange

-buy gifts for family Christmas party exchange (just found out last night)

-work on quilt

Dillon: Mom, can you get me coffee cake now?

Me: (why can't I think straight?) Just a minute, Dill...I'm feeding the baby.

-wrap presents

-mail pictures to Grandma's

-sew pajama pants

-plan dinner and FHE

What can I make using that leftover reindeer (I mean elk) roast from yesterday? The kids didn't like it, but maybe they'll like it in stroganoff...

-visiting teaching

-fold laundry

-teacher gifts

-neighbor gifts?

Dillon: Mom, would you like me to tell you the names of all the clones I know? Commander Cody, Rex...

~Set baby down on floor. Get myself a piece of coffee cake and sit down to eat it~

Dillon: Mom, you said you would get me some coffee cake.

Me: I'm sorry buddy, you left the room and I forgot.

~Leave my coffee cake to get Dillon a piece. Baby starts fussing and I discover he's pooped. Change diaper and leave it on the changing table since there's no liner in the garbage can. Wrap baby in a burrito and turn on the flying bears (mobile) for morning nap~

Me: (loading the dishwasher again) Realize I never finished my coffee cake and that I need some protein to go with it or I'll end up feeling sick.

Dillon: Can I play Wii?

Me: You know the rule. No Wii 'til after 3 and not until jobs are done....You know what? I changed my mind. Go play Wii while I think.

~Dillon out of the picture. Baby asleep. Microwave leftover potatoes and gravy and elk meat (gotta have my protein) and begin blogging for "therapy" before my head explodes~

Realize I never said my morning prayers.

Stop. Re-group. Pray. Realize it's time to feed Dillon lunch and get him off to kindergarten in 30 minutes.

I guess I'll shower tomorrow.

Oh wait! Medusa hair...

RS Christmas Party

I got my new calling as the Relief Society committee leader just three weeks before our RS Christmas Party. I was a bit nervous at first, but everything went smoothly. My board members stepped up and filled assignments so quickly that it ended up being easier than my kids' birthday parties that I have to plan and carry out by myself!

One of my board members had these decorations/tablecloths in her stash

Last minute program instructions before making the corn and gravy. I'm so grateful for my board members!
For our program, we had a narrator who read The Living Christ between various musical numbers and congregational hymn's about the Savior.

I ended up filling in (last minute) as part of a quartet singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" during the program. My sister blogged that she sang in her RS program, too. It must be contagious.

In conjunction with the dinner and program, we also had a "Take and Trade". Sisters donated gently used clothing and toys and then had the opportunity to walk through and "shop" for things they needed. Specific families were taken through the day before to get first dibs. After our RS party, we ended up bringing in two other wards to go through the stuff. I was amazed at both the quality and quantity of donations! It took five people over two hours to fold the clothes and set up.

Since I got to help take it down (and fill the truck that took the remaining items to DI), I got last dibs and was able to get enough (name brand, good quality) shirts to take care of Brayden for the next year!

Here I am with my board. I did not get to choose them, but I couldn't have picked any better. I am excited to work with these extraordinary women. I know they will teach me so much.

Left to right: Tammy, Felicia, Becky, and Esther

The way Christmas is supposed to be...

Dillon had a bad morning. He didn't want to play with his toys because he wanted his room to stay clean for Christmas (Santa doesn't come to a messy house, you know). I told him I'd help him clean up his toys, but it wasn't enough.

He was so emotional, and lonely, that he started to cry. I had him sit in my lap and we rocked like we did when he was little.

We started talking about the gingerbread man that disappeared from his kindergarten class. Aunt Melece and Grandma Graves have both seen him where they live. I told him that maybe we could make a gingerbread man someday, and he looked at me and said, "But it will run away!"

I told him that not all gingerbread men run away, and then I took the opportunity to prove it.

I'm so glad I did.

I looked up a recipe online, and discovered that I had exactly the 1/2 cup of molasses that we needed, as well as all the spices. We hurried to make the dough so it could refrigerate for an hour and still leave us enough time to bake and decorate cookies before afternoon kindergarten. (We did take time to smell the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, molasses, and vanilla as we added them). Dillon decided that molasses smells just like Rico's doggy treats. I think gingerbread tastes just like Rico's doggy treats...

We considered taping the refrigerator door closed, so that the dough wouldn't run away, but Dillon used his thinking cap and determined that dough doesn't have legs, so it wouldn't be able to run.

He did, however, sit right by the oven the entire time they were baking to make sure that none of them got away.

(Does anyone know how to clean the crud off of the inside of my oven door? I've heard you shouldn't use oven cleaner in a self-cleaning oven, but the "self-cleaning" feature doesn't do such a great job on the window...)

By a tender mercy from heaven, I came home from Walmart yesterday with a bag of gingerbread marshmallows. I don't even like ginger, or marshmallows, but for some reason I saw them and instinctively put them in my cart. Dillon was thrilled and they were the perfect addition to our little celebration.
Dillon and I had a nice little party together (he ate gingerbread cookies, while I took pictures of them :o). The baby slept the entire time (another tender mercy) and I was able to give Dillon the one-on-one time he needed.

This is the way Christmas is supposed to be.

Santa Baby

My dad bought this Santa suit 10 years ago, when Brayden was a baby. It was a little bit big on Brayden, but Justin fills it out quite nicely :o)

I can't believe that Justin is four months old already!

At four months, Justin:

-weighs somewhere between 14-15 pounds

-wears size 2 diapers (but not for much longer)

-wears size 3-6 mos. clothes

-absolutely LOVES pat-a-cake, and playing the "up down game" with Daddy

-is still sleeping in a pack and play in Mom & Dad's room--and neither of us has any desire to move him to his crib

-is starting to grab at the toys on his bouncy seat

-likes to be where he can see what's going on so he doesn't miss anything (I wonder where he gets that?)

-wants this for Christmas so he can match his boys

His nickname is Justinator-tater.

Family Proclamation Book for kids

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shhh....it's a secret!

Today at school, Dillon's kindergarten class is going to make a gingerbread man. When they go to get it out of the oven, it will have disappeared.

His teacher would appreciate it if some of you would send postcards to his class telling them that you have spotted their gingerbread man where you live. They will then find the location on a map and keep track of where their gingerbread has traveled. Right before Christmas, he will find his way back to their classroom.

Please mail a postcard to:

Ms. Davis' Kindergarten
Loa Elementary School
PO Box 130
Loa, UT 84747

Please mail postcards by December 14th, so they will get here before Christmas break.


Here is an example:

Dear Ms. Davis' class,
My name is Aunt Kim. I am Sally's aunt. I just wanted to let you know that I spotted the gingerbread man here in Texas. He was wearing a cowboy hat. He got away before I could catch him.
Sincerely, Aunt Kim

So many questions...

Dillon: Mom, how much days do I have to go to high school to be a toy maker.

Me: I'm not sure, but you'll probably want to go to five years of COLLEGE if you want to have your own business.

Dillon: Five days of college?

Me: No, five YEARS of college.

Dillon: How many days is that?

Me: More than one-thousand five hundred days.

Dillon: (wheels turning as he ponders): Mom, how much days of high school do I need, to work at Build-a-bear?

Me: Not very many. You can work at Build-a-bear while you're IN high school. But you won't make enough money working at build-a-bear to support a family, so you'll still need to go to college.

Dillon: Mom, where is that Build-a-bear that we went to?

Me: We went to build-a-bear in Salt Lake, but they are all over the country.

Dillon: Even in Wo-uh?

Me: No, not in Loa. But I'm sure there's one in Provo.

Dillon: That not very far...

"Mom, does Vanessa know Santa's e-mail address?"

And on...and on...and on.

Screamin' hot deals

Did any of you get any screamin' hot deals this past weekend?

I was able to get a shirt for Todd (regular price $36) for 68 cents shipped!

It was on clearance at Kohl's for $10.80. I had $10 Kohl's cash, and stacked two coupon codes for 20% off, and free shipping. With tax it came out to .68.

I also got fleece to make pajama pants for 2.99/yd, a $25 toy for $8, and 12 (hopefully good quality) washcloths for $4 shipped (I can hear my mother cheering right now...I only have three nice washcloth's for face-washing).

Happy Thanksgiving!

I thought I would take a moment while my boys are "otherwise engaged" (with sleeping, football, and the Wii), to acknowledge my many blessings. I'm not going to make a list, as it could go on all day, but it's been a good year for us. I'm grateful to have a few quiet moments to ponder all that I've been given.

We were on our own for Thanksgiving this year, since Todd is on-call this week. I've spent 10-12 hours in the kitchen over the past two days, and it took a whopping 15 minutes to inhale our meal!

Todd had to work all morning, but I managed to have almost everything ready by the time he got home. The boys helped peel the potatoes (until two of them peeled their knuckles), and Todd mashed them. Our gravy was the perfect consistency (only took 12 years to get it right), the turkey was moist and oh-so-good, and I found a great use for our over-abundance of parsnips (the white "flowers" garnishing the turkey).

I was talking to Vanessa this morning, and we both commented how every Thanksgiving we have forgotten how we did things the last time. Because of that, I'm going to write down all the boring details for my own future reference. Maybe one day I'll be able to pull off a Thanksgiving meal without calling my Dad 42 times.

I made Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage, Smoked Bacon, and Cornbread Stuffing. The grocery store didn't have fresh sage, so I used dried. I had a 13 pound turkey, and put it in the fridge to thaw on Sunday night. I probably should've taken it out on Saturday night. I followed the directions in the recipe, even though I was afraid the turkey would be dry without foil or an oven-bag. I basted it every 30 minutes, and it was every bit as moist as the ones I've done in a bag. It baked for about 3 1/2 hours at 350 degrees (did NOT stuff the bird).

I used my favorite cornbread recipe for the stuffing. I should've cut the sugar in half (or more) since you really don't need it for stuffing, but it was good anyway :o) I added celery and mushrooms to the onions, and sauteed all in sage butter. I sprinkled 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder over the dry ingredients before mixing it up to make it fluffier.

I cooked and sliced the yams yesterday, and re-heated them today with butter and brown sugar, before toasting marshmallows on top. I made them in a round dish like Grandma does, 'cause that's just how yams are supposed to be. I can't even fathom them in a square dish...

I made the fresh cranberry sauce yesterday. It was Dillon's favorite part of the meal. I didn't add the cinnamon or cloves because "the mood didn't move me". I think I like the recipe I used a few years ago better...but I have no idea where to find it.

I made the World's Best Dinner Rolls, and they were good, but not as light and fluffy as I expected. I'll try them again, but if they aren't "the best", then I'll move on to a new recipe. It's probably just me. Or the altitude. Or the weather. I've had lots of issues with bread making lately.

I made Aunt Anita's famous Orange Jello last night as well. It takes one large box of orange Jell0, and one large box of COOKED lemon pudding (not instant). You make each one according to the package directions, leaving 1 of the cups of COLD water OUT of the Jello. Then you whisk the Jello and Pudding together and refrigerate.

For dessert, after everyone has finished digesting, we'll be having this Pumpkin Roll. I changed the servings to 15 and re-calculated the ingredient list to make it in my large baking sheet rather than a 9x13 pan. It ended up being just the right amount. I made this a few weeks ago and the kids all loved it. I nearly made this Pumpkin Cream Trifle today, but Todd wasn't feeling brave enough. I have leftover pumpkin so I'll be making this in the next day or so and I'll try to remember to give a review.

I wish I would've made the pumpkin roll yesterday, but there wasn't room in my fridge until I had the turkey in the oven. I was in the kitchen yesterday from about 6:00-10:30 PM, and from 9:00-2:30 today. I think if I had to cut something out next time, it would be the homemade rolls. They took up a lot of space, time, and dishes. If only Dad's bakery were closer...

'Tis the Season

ONE week long wilderness first-aid training for Todd (out-of-town)

ONE new calling (RS activity coordinator)

ONE midnight call to the doctor/breathing treatment

TWO kids with fevers

THREE days of missed school

FOUR croupy coughs

FIVE new prescriptions

SIX quilts that need to be quilted

SEVEN long days for a "single" mom

{THIRTEEN pound turkey thawing in fridge and THIRTY TWO days 'til Christmas}

SIX hours between Motrin

FIVE dropped calls on a dying cell phone

FOUR hours between Tylenol and ear drops

THREE trips to the clinic

TWO times a day antibiotics

ONE ear infection

ONE sinus infection

ONE HUNDRED TEN ladies to feed at the upcoming RS dinner

I was up for several hours with a sick baby last night, and Todd let me sleep in today. He got one kid off to school, and did his first phone call from home. I got up just after he left for work, and found the following:

A candy bar on my nightstand, empty garbage cans (today's garbage day), and milk in the fridge (we were out).

He also made dinner tonight.

I am THANKFUL that Todd is home.

Free MP3 downloads for kids

Click on this link to download this VeggieTales Christmas album for FREE! (Offer good today only).

You can click on this link to download FREE audio tracks (wacky animal poetry) from The Tighty Whitey Spider by Kenn Nesbitt.

Our kids have been listening to these all day.

Cauliflower Soup and Brussels Sprouts

Tonight I made this Cauliflower Soup recipe from The Pioneer Woman, and it was excellent. We will definitely have it again.

When I took my half and half out of the fridge, it had gone bad (even though it didn't expire for a few more days) so I ended up using milk instead, but it was still really good.

I also made Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I would use less salt next time, but Todd and I both really liked them. The kids? Not so much.

Three Months

Justin is a Daddy's boy. Every night before bed they have a "playdate" and both Dad and Baby are all smiles. I found Todd's high school football jersey for the background here. I wish I had gotten a picture without the pacifier, but Justin wasn't about to give it up.

Here he is, next to one of his newborn pics. Oh how I miss his hair! Everyone said he would lose it, and they were right.

Dillon has a hard time understanding what it means

when we say Justin is 3 mos. He keeps asking if Justin is still zero.

I told him that Justin was 1/4th.

Todd thought we should celebrate with 1/4th of a cake.

Luckily, we already had that on hand.

Turkey Disguise

The kindergarten teacher here always sends home a turkey pattern that we are supposed to "disguise" before Thanksgiving. Brayden made a superhero turkey back in '06. Caleb made a Santa turkey, and Dillon chose to make this fire-fighting turkey.

I had everything we needed IN MY STASH! I usually get frustrated with projects like this because we don't have any craft stores around here. We used a wooden spool, silver paint, a pipe cleaner, and a blue feather for the fire hose. The fire hydrant is some kind of a jewelry box that I had in my craft bin--random, huh? I also had the reflective ribbon in my sewing room.

Dillon had a great time disguising his turkey.

The Winners

Thank you all for your help with Dinner Campaign 2010. We had a great time, and the boys are already thinking about their nominations for next year.

Our final ballot consisted of the top two (three if there was a tie) choices in each category, and the winners were:

Salisbury steak, glazed carrots, egg nog...

...and "Our Favorite Chocolate Cake".

Who won the election?

We all did.

Our Favorite Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. Devil's Food cake mix (is there any other kind?)

4 oz. instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup warm water

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/2 cup oil

12 oz. bag MILK chocolate chips

Grease and flour your bundt pan. Say the word "bundt" a few times (the way they say it on Big Fat Greek Wedding), tell your kids they can't lick the beaters 'cause there's raw eggs in the batter. Bake at 350 degree's for 45 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes, slide a small rubber spatula down the sides, and dump onto your favorite plate. No frosting needed. Enjoy!

"Held Hostage"

According to Todd, we are being held hostage by produce.

We've recently been able to participate in Bountiful Baskets.

Before we got our first basket, I already had a butternut squash, an acorn squash, five zucchini, a bunch of banana's, a fridge full of apples and carrots from Dad and Grandma, a box of tomatoes, a head of cabbage, four kiwi's, a pumpkin, and four peppers. (We were the lucky recipients of some leftover Bountiful Basket produce from a previous week).

For some reason I feel an overwhelming and uncontrollable urge to take a picture of my "haul" each week. It's kind of like Christmas 'cause you don't know what produce you're gonna get.

So, here's our first basket, which we added to the produce listed above:

The kids ended up loving pomegranate's, after I spent 30 minutes "harvesting" the fruit :o)

We have yet to try the parsnips. Everything else from this load was pretty "normal" at our house. (We only ever have yams for Thanksgiving, though).

We got our second basket yesterday, and we still had some leftovers from our last basket. Also, my Aunt Joyce brought ANOTHER load of carrots from Dad. I currently have a carrot cake ready to go into the oven, but it didn't even make a dent in our carrots. We made carameled apples for Halloween and didn't make a dent in our apples either.

I am determined to use it all up, although this week is going to be harder.

The kids LOVE having pears around, and can't wait to try the Asian pears from this load. Todd was excited about the collard greens and will prepare them the way he liked them on his mission. I'm a little leary about the brussels sprouts, but found a recipe online that I'm going to try.

Has anyone ever had a persimmon? I had to look it up online to find out whether it was a vegetable or a fruit. (It's a fruit). There are two kinds of persimmons. One kind can be used for pie or pudding which I wanted to try, but we have the other kind, and from what I can tell from all my research, we're supposed to core them, and eat them like an apple. I've read that if they aren't ripe, they'll make your mouth pucker up more than any lemon, and they'll take all the moisture out of your mouth.

I don't know how to tell if they're ripe. Do you? Most of the stuff we've gotten has needed to ripen for several days. I think we'll wait until at least next week before trying the persimmons.

Dinner Campaign 2010

This week we are continuing our annual election week tradition of campaigning for next Monday night's dinner. Since it is rare for anyone to vote for anything other than their own nominee's, we need YOUR help this year. I have put polls on our sidebar so that you can all vote as well. The polls close on Saturday night at 10:00 PM. The top two choices in each category will go on the final ballot, and our family will cast our votes on Sunday evening.

Take a look at the posters that are hanging all over our house, and then vote for whatever YOU would choose to eat if you were lucky enough to come to dinner at our house on Monday night :o)

Top left to right: Applesauce, Kool-Aid world

Bottom left to right: Ice Cream Tree, BLT machine

Feel free to take a "sticker" if you'd like one.

(No need to add a link...I'm not looking for extra traffic).

Lunch

This is a must-watch video! This lady had five kids in four years, and she made a time-lapse video of herself--feeding her kids their lunch. Every mother out there will understand.

Halloween 2010

Halloween on Saturday is a terrible idea.

Our trunk-or-treat started at 5:00,

which means that we had about 10 hours worth of time to kill today.

So, we filled up the time with work :o).

Todd rented a splitter, and he and the boys split all our wood for the winter.

They were good helpers, and when the work was done

we had a Halloween "linner".

I made this pizza with strips of ham for the web, and olives for spiders.

I wrapped water bottles with adhesive tape and added googly eyes for mummies.

And then I used cheese sticks to make some mini mummy pizza's.

And I added almonds to the breadsticks for "witch fingers".

(In the background you can see me and Todd's "normal" veggie pizza)

After lunch, the boys played while I worked on my blog book. I "slurped it up" with Blurb last week, and it was 800 pages long! I am slowly combining and cutting posts to try to get it down to 400 pages before I have it printed. It's been fun to review the last four years. I can't believe how many incidents I have forgotten--I'm so glad I wrote them down!

After what seemed like an eternity (for kids AND parents)

we FINALLY went trick-or-treating.

Then we came home and had hot chocolate.

Now I think I feel a movie night coming on...