Grandma's Cooking

I have a grandmother who is an AMAZING cook! Everything is made from scratch, made with tons of flavor and made with plenty of LOVE! A few years ago she and I made a cookbook of all the best recipes for our family!

I am fortunate to have her live 2 miles from my house and so we get to enjoy her cooking alot! She is a very healthy young 82 yr old, but I realize that one of these days she will move on to a bigger and better eternity, then, I will be the one cooking all of her good recipes!

So the other night I was hungry for her yummy chocolate cream pie! So, I made one! It turned out great, and was delicious! My favorite part of her pies is the meringue! I like a lot of peaks on my pie, so I made 3 times more peaks than Gma Mae usually does! I had to take a picture it was so pretty and delicious!



Don't you wish you had a piece?!

Snow Day!

Rick came home from a very cold morning loading the big brown trucks, and said he was going to make Omelettes and wanted to take the kids to Pine Valley to play in the snow!

What a fun dad! We had breakfast and then I got them all in layers of clothes, then snow clothes, only to remind them all to go potty before we left, and ALL of them had to undress, go and then redress!

So we invited my Uncle to come, it is always good to have a more even adult to child ratio when going outdoors! We drove 2 Toyota 4 wheel drive trucks, which ended up being a blessing after Rick thought he was bigger than the snow and got STUCK! (I was dying laughing, but held my composure just long enough to take photos!)





My uncle insisted on taking a photo of Rix mishap and we all rubbed it in a little bit! Karma is a funny thing...on the way home as we drove over the icy roads towards home Rick saw in his rear view mirror the image of my uncles truck carrying myself, and 2 kids, fishtail slightly to the left, and then a correction caused a much larger fishtail to the right and finally the last correction caused his truck to spin completely around and faced the opposite direction landing us in the ditch. (For those of you who know my uncle it makes this even funnier...he is the slowest, most cautious, safe, over protective driver I have ever met! ) Rick wanted a side note that he did note JUMP out of the truck to photograph this mishap, rather he pulled over, turned on his flashers and made sure it was clear for us to get back on the road! Needless to say I screeched a little and was slightly terrified! Of course this all happened in the 5 ft. area where there was NO protection from the mountain drop off on the side :) Guess I should say an extra prayer of thanks tonight!

We took up sleds and extra gloves! Hunter could not stand on his own his layers of clothes were SO heavy! Therefore, he was grumpy a lot of the time!



Here we are moving from 1 sledding hill to another on the other side of Pine Valley



The adults spent a lot of time bringing sleds and kids up the hills!




This was our favorite hill, it is just past the historical LDS chapel in Pine Valley.





We finished off the day at home in new, warm, dry clothes and Hot Chocolate! Such a great day!

Christmas Morning

I grew up in a big family with a lot of FUN people! We are all our own people, have different personalities and all do things the same, but jut a little bit different...so we do Christmas BIG in our house, but that isn't always the case with many of my siblings. I remember growing up and Santa brought us that ONE thing we wanted more than anything and then we had a stocking filled with nuts, clementines and a few little things for fun and always some clothes or beautiful handmade things!

I loved the Christmas mornings from my childhood, but I also have to appreciate and respect the way Rick, as a father wants Christmas morning to be for our children. I have realized over the year that it isn't about the "things" they get, it is a deeper, emotional connection to his childhood that is the reason behind his desire to have a BIG, abundant christmas morning!

A lot of our family does the 3 gift theme, relative to the 3 gifts the wisemen brought to the baby Jesus. I love the idea, but don't know how to backtrack after all the years of big and grand! So, I choose not to post Santa's Loot photos on my blog, FB or our family site. But, I can say they all got everything they REALLY wanted and were very grateful and surprised that day!

This photo was taken at 4:59 am (which is the specified time they are "allowed" to wake everyone up and come upstairs) with them all gathered on the stairs waiting for the green light from us!



It was a great morning and they were all so happy and appreciative. By noon, it was a GREAT morning for me as all the trash was out of the house, all the toys were removed from their packaging and all put in new places in their rooms! Now, I can enjoy my family and our christmas day together! (Darn OCD!)

Parker helped me set out the treats for Santa and his reindeer!

Reason for the Season

So we did it! We survived another christmas morning with 5 kids who have a loving Santa who works very hard to make it a HUGE magical morning! I love this time of year with all the holidays back to back, but mostly knowing that Rick gets a few extra mornings off from the big brown truck is what I love best! Being home with our family and just watching great holiday movies and eaing yummy food is wonderful. Seeing the excitement and joy and gratitude on the kids faces is priceless!

So, we love the man in red but we DO know that the Saviors birth is why we find joy this time of year. Knowing that his life and death would mean so much to us and our faith is what we DO celebrate and that is why I will drag us all out of bed at 7am today so that we can be to church to celebrate his birth and that is why I will not go to the red store and load up on the 1/2 price holiday sale today...tomorrow all bets are off! I promised myself that I would always keep the sabbath day holy, I just hope the Lord blesses me and their is an ABUNDANCE of stuff left for me to buy tomorrow :).

So photos will come tomorrow, today we celebrate, just like the other 364 days a year, the birth the death and the life of our Savior Jesus Christ! Merry Chrismas.

Simple Gingerbread House Decorating

So, I love doing the gingerbread house thing but my plan for 5 kids is to buy 1 premade house kit and let them all do it together for a family home evening. No one actually eats it, because too many hands make for germs and then it collects dust, so it sits atop our counter and then gets dumped in the trash on Dec. 26!

I came across this cute Wilton's House Cookie Cutter and decided to do it all different! I made our family gingerbread dough and a double batch of royal icing! We cooked gingerbread men and houses. The kids each decorated a man and a house! I didn't put a lot of forethought into this and didn't buy the traditional candies to top with. So, I went to our candy bucket and cut open bags from all their halloween and holiday parties! (The halloween mats were from target last year and I use them all the time for cooking and craft projects!)

The kids had fun decorating and the cookies turned out perfect! They each got to eat 1 cookie and save the other for another day! This is my new favorite way to still keep a holiday tradition going without all the cross contamination and hassle :)

Cookie Plate

I can't take credit for this one, but just wanted to give a shout out to my friend Ilona for the cute christmas treat she made for us! Our friend Erin, showed her how to make them and I am sure they got the plates and candlestick holders at Hobby Lobby...they turned out so cute and the cookies were delicious!!!!

Rainy Days

We have been blessed with an over abundance of moisture...bad news is I have to come up with creative ways for the kids to get out their energy while being indoors.

Carter bought this new little craft kit at a yardsale for $1! I love these do it yourself projects. Rick came out to help with the nailing and gluing and even Hunter joined in with his Handy Many hammer. Here is the final project! We found a logo online of Carters choosing and printed it on a label sheet, then coated the whole thing with glossy spray! The kids have had fun using it...and Carter can sign off a Webelos requirement, too!

Imagination

I wanted to capture the imagination Hunter was showing one day while playing with this box (yes, it is a diaper box, and yes, we are slowly potty training!) I could see his feet peaking out so I grabbed the camera, but loved what else I saw once the photo was taken..."I see you!!!"

Growing Up

I enjoyed having my brother Stryder, his wife Ashley and their new baby Cassidy Mae stop over for the night as they headed to her family in So. Cal. I just loved these pictures! I can remember holding him as a baby and seeing him hold his own baby was special.

Here is our wonderful Gma Mae, (my mom's mother) holding the sweet great grandchild who was given her very special name!



And for those of you curious, seeing Cassidy and holding her...it only slightly peaked my baby hunger :)

After visiting Stryder told Rick, "Thanks, now my wife wants an ipad and a jetted tub!, Rick, said, well now I have to give mine a baby, guess we're even!" Brothers are funny!

Christmas Decorating

Here is my very special, always insistent helper! We setup the tree on Friday, it is now Sunday...and he has continually helped remove and replace my glass ornaments on my tree multiple times in each day! This is going to be a VERY long month!

Turkey Day Preparations

I love the holidays and reasons to cook and eat good food and visit with family and friends! I wish we lived close enough to my entire family, but we are lucky to live near my grandparents and uncle. We enjoy having them over for family meals!

It's a tradition that the boys go to play Turkey bowl at the park while we cook and get ready! Aubrey and her friend Dallas lasted as cheerleaders for 10 mins and then came home. (It was 20 deg. that am) Here they are enjoying their hot cocoa!



Here is my little helper that morning, with his very special cutting board and knife!



Here are my perfectly cooked rolls (gotta love Rhodes Frozen Roll Dough)!


Here is a sample plate of the meal that was prepared! Take special notice of the fancy plate, and silverware, but Rick wants you to notice the white trash plasticware! He is still talking about those cups! I don't have fancy pretty glasses that are a complete set, or don't have dishwasher water stains on them, so I opted to get these! He was seriously annoyed. Just yesterday, he said, "Hey, hon, on a serious note, next time you make a beautiful holiday meal with fancy dishes, use REAL glasses, we aren't camping!" I also noticed this person didn't get turkey, either, it was there, I promise!



One more photo I loved, while we were setting the food out, I asked Rick to take a picture of the boys before they got dirty. I love my boys, especially when they are CLEAN!




We feel very blessed to have a warm home, good food and family to share it with, a knowledge of the gospel and the plan of happiness, and an attitude of gratitude! It was a nice, quiet, peaceful Thanksgiving with TONS of leftovers!

There's a chill in the air

I love this time of year when the leaves fall and the chill moves in! I am not a fan of snow country, just enough to make the desert landscape look soft and cloudy! Here are a few reasons I love that we get some cold and snow...

Christmas Crafts

So, I have had these things on my list for months now and decided to burn the midnight oil and get them done last night! I'm so happy to check these off my list!!!! DONE!

My nephew is serving an LDS mission in the Philippines and wanted a missionary apron. I saw the ones they sell on line, but liked my idea better! Thanks to a great friend with an awesome embroidery machine I could make it happen! It only cost me $3 to make but $12 to ship! He's worth it!






Growing up I remember my mom had special Santa rugs for us. They were a little rug that told Santa where to put our specific gifts! I made some a few years ago, that weren't quite what I wanted! So thanks to Ilona, my embroidery master I was able to get the perfect look! Rick says I should sew a bow on the top of the black box to make it look like a present, I may still do that, but for now, the kids are really excited and love that they are personalized!

Grateful

I have always tried to recognize God's hand in all the blessings, joys, struggles and challenges in my life! I try not to let a day go by that I don't tell my husband how much I appreciate all the sacrifices he makes, or how hard the kids work at trying to do their best. Don't misunderstand, there are days when all I feel like I do is clean up messes, change diapers and yell! But when the house is all calm and quiet and I lay in bed exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally, I still "get it"! I am truly blessed! I have love in my life, I have an eternal perspective, I have an undeniable faith in Jesus Christ, I find joy in the journey!

I love this quote by Gordon B. Hinckley, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.”

I hope that those who know me and even those who don't see in me the spirit of thanksgiving, and that I always live my life as one with a grateful heart.
I hope that the outward me, shows the inward me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is the family at the local corn maze! I love these photos that really "show" their personalities. Yep, that's Hunter on the ground crying to get up on the top. I'm so mean!

My Trick-R-Treaters

In our neighborhood we (my friend Cheryl, myself and a handful of ladies on the activity committee) organize a community halloween party at the park that is always well attended! We have a chili/pie cookoff with prizes, game booths, and a cake walk it is a great time to just connect with our neighbors!

We usually do it the Sat just before Halloween, but some years it will fall on the same night as trick r treating. That makes the day very long! My family is always great about helping us prepare for it and setting up and picking up the slack when I can't. We had a successful carnival despite the wind, and then had just enough time to cleanup and regroup before it was time to head out to trick r treat!

This year we had a pirate, a leprechaun, a motocross racer, a power ranger and a very sticky turtle!



We used to all go out together, and now it has become 3 separate groups. Aubrey went to a friends house for a party, Ashton and a friend went out in a group, and Carter, Parker, Hunter and I went to another neighborhood where they have a trunk r treat and so car to car is easier than house to house! Rick stays home and hands out the treats. It was a fun night and everyone had a good time, got lots of treats and all were home asleep by 9! Church is at 9 am, so I'm glad it wasn't too late!

After church (yes, we get in pj's at noon!) they were all able to sit down for the traditional candy trading session! Notice top right of photo...this is the prime example of why my husband things that robes are USELESS! Notice the bare chest and the blue boxers?! Haha...this kid can never keep his robe tied!



It was a fun weekend, but I am SO relieved it has finally past...now to gear up for Thanksgiving!

Halloween Parties

I find myself always crazy, busy, around holidays, which, if I'm being honest, is really my own doing! I like to be involved at school, church and the community! However, being involved also means being busy and that sometimes can become very overwhelming!

This week I signed up to help in Parker's class for the Halloween party. I already had to bring treats since it was Parker's bday, so I figured just do it! I had some great moms who helped. We played halloween bingo and used candy corns as the markers. Then we made ghost tootsie pops (my friend taught at church the week before and they were her handouts to always have the "holy ghost" with us...cute), then we had rootbeer in a kettle with dry ice...the kids loved that part! It was fun to be a part of the class!

Parker (red power ranger) celebrated his bday with 12 of his friends after school that same day...once again, overachiever, just want to cram all the activities in 1 day and knock them out!

We had ghost cucpcakes, juice, pinata, treat bags, and played pin the bat and pass the pumpkin. Everyone had a great time and I was thrilled to have day 1 of our 2 day halloween plans over with!

Happy Birthday, Parker!

Can't believe my trick or treat 7 years ago was this special kid! Halloween is SO much better in this house by getting to celebrate his life on such a kid holiday! This picture sums him up in a nutshell. He is tender, cute, sweet, tempting ornery, and joyful!

He laughs all the time...you know that laugh that other people do when they are obnoxiously fake laughing, that bugs the heck out of us, well, it's like that but HIS laugh is sincere and you can't help but smile!

When he was 2 we decided to have another baby, but it took us another 2 years to have one. Looking back, I was so thankful for those 4 years that I was able to REALLY enjoy him and watch him grow and have so much mommy time with him! I have loved having him be a part of our growing family and have enjoyed the joyful spirit that he is!

Garage Sale Find!

So, my kids like going to the Dr's. office for 1 reason only and that is to play at the activity table, BUT, I am a MEAN mom and never let them!

Does it bother anyone else that we are at a medical office where people take their sick kids and then they let them all play on a community toy?!

I checked these out online and they were pricey! A price I could NEVER justify! So, I happened to be at a garage sale and saw this...they wanted $100! Which compared to what I saw they cost new was still fair, but NO WAY was Rick going to ever approve of the purchase (yes, I approve ALL purchases (with the exception of food) by him! It keeps us agreed so we don't fight about $)...It's a good thing! So, I mulled over it for hours, REALLY, I came across the table at 9 and by noon, I couldn't think about anything else. I talked Rick into going back, and hoping it was still there, offer them considerably less since the garage sale day was winding down.

Rick gave me strict instructions to stay in the car or I could blow the bargaining strategy. So I did, I watched him walk up, say something, she said SOLD and I jumped out of the car, cheering! Yes, I am THAT insane! We bought it for $50!!!!!! I was so stoked!

We contemplated saving it for the big holiday, but I had NO hiding places left in our house for it! It was in excellent shape. We brought it home and Carter and Parker and Hunter were so excited and said, "We never have to go to the DR's again!"

So funny....so here they are enjoying our treasure!

FYI, I have to have a yard sale next week to pay for it, but it is WORTH it!!!

Rachel's Dr's office is now open, and I promise it will be 100% sanitary!

Hunter's "Beautiful" Rug

So, I wish I could take credit for the tender sweet things my 2 yr old says. For those of you who really "know" me, you wonder where he learns these phrases, too!

Lately, everything is "cute" and "boo-tiful" to Hunter, he expresses himself so well and at the right places in conversation.

So today while I did my routine of checking the clearance end caps for anything fun, useful, or awesome that was 75% off at Target we came across this $80 rug, there was 1 left and it was only $19! I thought it might go great in the little boys room and got it, knowing that if I didn't LOVE it, I would return it!

Hunter woke up from his nap, saw the new rug and got SO excited and said, "Mommy it's bootiful!!" He then got up and immediately started dumping out toys and playing, all the while repeating how boo-tiful" it was!

I love my sweet, expressive, tender, funny boy and my NEW rug!

Shower in the kids room!

One of the things that agitates my OCD is to see bookshelves that aren't perfectly stacked by size, shape and color. When I walk past them I have to stop and fix them, this could be an endless task. So, I have had a dilemna with the bookshelves in the little boys rooms, the books are constantly read and put back in the wrong places and sometimes shoved in. I DO appreciate that they are "reading", but the aftermath is stressful! While my mom was here we thought of sewing curtains and using spring rods to "block" the chaos from my view, but I just didn't see what I liked or could afford!

Here was the solution I found for $2.48 thanks to my fav store Target! The print perfectly matches the colors in their room. Don't get me wrong if I had unlimited spending, this is not what I would have "dreamed" of doing, but it was affordable, functional and was an easy solution to my problem!

So, Rick doesn't understand it and says it looks like we have a shower stall in their room, especially with their robes hooked on either side. Hunter said "It's so cute, mommy, watch me hide!" and the older kids thought it was awesome! So I am at peace, shower stall and all!

Here is a view open, the shelves are on both sides of the cubby area:



Here it is while Hunter is hiding:



Here is the closeup detail, I love the design and colors!