Sunday, February 28, 2010

I'm Reading This


I bought this set of books for Christmas for our family. I have enjoyed them and am now on book three, The Second Sun. If you need a good book, I recommend this set. Here is a link to all the books he has written.

Here is what Desert Books says about the books, "This thrilling series by national bestselling author Chris Stewart takes us from the beginning of time to the final hours of the last days. Filled with rumors of wars and political intrigues, deadly epidemics and economic disasters, uplifting twists and inspiring miracles, the volumes in the Great and the Terrible series reveal the greatest secret of all: The children of God can defeat the adversary, for we have fought him before.

This set includes all six volumes in the series:

  • The Brothers: In the time before Creation, before so many of the children of God turned away from their Father and walked knowingly into the dark, there was a choosing, a sifting, a contest of ideas and a battle for souls. In that great premortal war, each of us learned the first lessons of life: The great ones may fall. The wicked can change. The weak and the foolish can become the strongest of all. And the battle between good and evil is the same regardless of the time or place.
  • Where Angels Fall: The war that began before we entered mortality is escalating into the final battle for freedom, liberty, and the hearts and souls of all men. Into this world filled with turmoil, our Father will send some of his most valiant servants. A child is born who may have the power to change the course of history. But will Elizabeth remember the covenants she made in the premortal world? Will she and her brothers have the strength to withstand the terrible forces of evil that reign in the Last Days? Against the backdrop of Middle Eastern conflict, the story of war and intrigue will have you riveted!
  • The Second Sun: The old king struggled, lifting his had again. The prince smiled at the motion and placed his mouth to the old man’s ear, feeling the heat of his skin on his lips. As he spoke his voice changed, as if another man were there. “It has started, my father,” he whispered in a soft, evil hiss. “There is no turning back. You might as well lift your hand to stop the sunrise as to bring an end to this plan. Like your own death, it is inevitable. A new day is dawning, a day of secret alliances and powerful men, an age of dark miracles, dreadful rumors and a red sinking moon, a day of a bright flash on the horizon that does not come from the sun. It will be an age of power and oppression far greater than has ever fallen on the earth. Even as I whisper to you, Father, even as my breath touches your ears, the great battle has started. The sun is setting on the frail world you have known. It is passing, and with its passing, the greater kingdom shall come. A world poised at the brink of a disastrous war is unaware of the evil forces that will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. But in the midst of turmoil and impending doom, some of the Father’s most valiant servants are in place – sons and daughters who may have the power to change the course of history.
  • Fury & Light: The world waits in suspense as America struggles to survive following the attack on Washington, D.C., but who remains to run the government? Who will make the world-changing decisions that must be made? As King Abdullah prepares for the final attack that will bring America to its knees, the characters are trapped in a desperate fight for their lives. Sara Brighton and her sons, Luke and Ammon, head west in a doomed attempt to reach Salt Lake City. Sam returns to the States in anticipation of a U. S. retaliatory strike, but finds his home abandoned, with no trace of his family there. In Chicago, Azadeh Pahlavi meets her adopted mother and little sister, who are enmeshed in their own crisis with life-or-death consequences. The end is near now.
  • From the End of Heaven: The battle of good against evil intensifies in the darkness of an EMP-devastated America. For Sara Brighton, the time is fast approaching when she must face the frightening realities her husband, Neil, warned her about before his death. Sam's problem is more immediate: How can he get his family to a safe place? Bono is still trying to get to his family, and Azadeh is struggling to find her role in the family that has reached out to welcome her in. Meanwhile, the followers of Satan plot to take over the government of the United States and remake it to fulfill their own greed and lust for power.
  • Clear As the Moon: The nuclear explosion over Washington D.C. and the subsequent EMP attack have left a decapitated government and 300 million helpless citizens. In the ensuing chaos, a dark and powerful cartel steps forward to claim power. The Constitution of the United States hangs in the balance as the eternal struggle between good and evil spreads through the government. After Sara Brighton agrees to help a shadow government rise to power, Sara and Bono are sent on the most dangerous military mission of their lives. Azadeh agrees to guide them through the mountains of Iran as they seek for the key that could save the world. Struggling against overwhelming odds, they realize the most important lesson of their time: Faith is the only thing that matters as the final day draws near".

I'm More than Enough!

Tonight we were reading in the Book of Mormon as a family. We came across a section in Jacob where the men are being rebuked for their whoredoms and concubines. After talking about this, Paul said, "One wife is plenty!" We all laughed and laughed! I guess he hands his hands full with me. What do you think Paul is implying?

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Cat Mystery Unravels


Written last Wednesday:

Smokey left our home this afternoon to never return for bed (Paul even bought a nice cat bed at Costco Monday). Then I thought for sure Smokes would return this morning like he usually does, right around scripture study at 6:15 am. No sign all day, it was making me nervous. Vivian and I even drove a loop around the neighborhood to see if we could spot him, no luck.

Then my visiting teachers came to visit this afternoon. One of them walked to my house, so I asked her if she saw the cat on her way over. After describing the cat to her she said, "Oh, that's the So-and-So's cat (a family in our ward)."

So I immediately called the family. I learned that Smokey was adopted by their family when he was four weeks old. They thought the cat was a girl, but later learned that the cat was actually a boy. They later had the cat "fixed" - so that made it very difficult for Paul to identify the gender. Craig also tried to identify the gender saying he was 95% sure it was a girl, but he was 95% wrong!

Smokey's owners learned that Smokey wanted to be a cat to roam around the neighborhood. They tried to keep it home but the cat waited by the door and longed to be outside. They learned that the cat stayed in the neighborhood and was happy and well fed. I guess Smokey found a few homes with pet doors and made it self at home at many different homes, while eating their pet food. So I told her the story about how Smokey came into our lives and that he is here almost every night. She was happy to know that he was well and we are happy that they have shared their cat with the whole neighborhood. Smokey is well loved by all!

It is so crazy how I found this out - by asking my visiting teachers to keep their eyes out for the cat. The mystery is now solved for the most part. I just wonder who else he visits.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Chocolatety Goodness!


I made Molten Lava Cakes from Our Best Bites last night. They don't follow any diet guidelines because they are loaded with butter, sugar, eggs, and chocolate! Check out my post on the recipe blog. They were delicious!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad


I made this last night for dinner and thought it was delicious. It is an easy salad to prepare! This recipe is posted on Our Best Bites, click here for the link. The salad dressing in this recipe would be great for other salads, too!

P.S. Here are my changes to the recipe. I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil in the dressing. And I used precooked bacon (from Costco) instead of regular bacon slices. It's so much easier when it's already cooked for you - plus it's less expensive!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Vivian Talks to Smoke - Shake Your Booty!



This is so funny! I found lots of little videos she recorded all by herself using the Flip Video. I think this video is more of a scolding than an interview.

I Love Sleep


Last night I had a full nights rest from 10:30 pm to 6:00 am and I woke up feeling okay. The past week I have coughed and coughed all through the night, getting minimal rest and then waking up feeling groggy and my head hurting. I also got a nap this afternoon - I need to catch up on my beauty rest. Oh, it feels good.

As you can tell, my blogging declined with my lack of sleep and energy. I hope to get back to myself!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Cannery - But no Goods!


Okay, I think Jody will be proud of me. This is the first time ever that I have been to the cannery (with the ward to dry pack) that I haven't purchase a single item! You probably think I am crazy because isn't that why we go to the cannery? Yes, but no. Tonight I went with a group from church because that is part of my Provident Living calling (I have been slacking here). I thought I should go because most of the people had not been there before or at least not very often. The cannery for a time was another one of my home-away-from-home places, at least it felt like it.

While I was there, I looked over the price sheet a couple times, wondering if there was anything I needed. Come on, there has to be something that I can bring home for all my effort. But for once it felt good to come home empty handed! I like to help others learn about the cannery and build their food storage - that gives me satisfaction. I'm already up to my ears in all this stuff!

Jody, I think I just earned a gold medal for self-restraint! What do you think?

Hot Chocolate and Big Decisions


The only time that I enjoy hot chocolate away from home is when I visit the title company, Title One. So today was one of those days that I signed a document (Paul signs all of them and I just show up to sign a single document - he tries to make it easy on me). Today we sold our home, the one we are currently living in. We purchased this home back in September of 2009, just a few months ago. It has been such a crazy journey since last June when we first moved out of our home that we built 3 1/2 years earlier. I know most people don't understand why we have moved - sometimes I have to remind myself the wisdom in it all, too.

Okay, so you wonder where we are going now? No where! That is the beauty in all of this. A lady was very interested in this house when we first purchased it and has shown a continued interest in this home. So we sold it to her and she is leasing it to us for a year at great terms - it will beat home ownership. Then after that time we will re-evaluate our plans and go from there- as far as continuing to lease or building our next home (not leaving the ward).

Our whole plan from the beginning was to build a home (with basement) just up the street in a different neighborhood, but still within the ward boundaries. That lot is just waiting for us - we purchased it this past summer. This sale will give us more flexibility to work toward our end goal, if that is what is meant to be.

I have to admit that the past 9 months have been a little crazy. Some people have wondered if we were forced to move because of a job loss or foreclosure - the answer is no. Fortunately Paul works for himself so he can't be "let go" or fired! And no we haven't lost any homes to foreclosure or short sale. This was all of our own choosing. Instead we have prayed for a lot of guidance with these big decisions and things have continued to work out in ways that we hadn't foreseen. We truly have been blessed and I hope that we continue to have the faith to be guided where He wants us to be.

I know this has been confusing to some because we really didn't have a good reason to move in the first place - but just felt it was the right thing to do. We are still in the same area, just a new ward and new stake (we only moved about 2 miles away)!

I enjoyed the hot chocolate and we will see what awaits us!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Five Love Languages


Recently Paul talked to our family about the different love languages and had us each take an assessment to identify our love language.

Here are some study guides for the books if you are interested.

My test results showed that my love language is:
30% words of affirmation
27% quality of time
20% acts of service
17% receiving gifts
7% physical touch

I was surprised by the results - because acts of service and thoughtful little things (cards, chocolate, etc.) go a long way with me!

We learned that Corbin's love language is identical to mine. Porter's top language is physical touch - that might explain all the hugs and kisses he wants! Olivia is totally balanced -except she doesn't need gifts. Vivian on the other hand prefers gifts at 40%!


The concept of this book is that if you know the other person's love language then you can show love to them in they way they need and want to be shown love.

Here is the Love Language test!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine Breakfast - Crepes



Yesterday I made a double batch of crepes with my two crepe makers. We are going to have them for breakfast with berries, syrup, and whipped cream! This is one of our families Valentine traditions. Check this post for the recipe and directions.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Porter's Rainbow Cake

This is a slice of Porter's birthday cake (not a great photo) - our first attempt at a colorful rainbow cake. I simply made a white cake mix - however I used apple sauce instead of most of the oil and then I added a vanilla pudding mix. It turned out moist and delicious. Porter said it was the best cake ever and that he wants it again next year!

Here are the directions for the rainbow cake (excuse some of the language).

Wow - isn't that colorful!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Taste of Home Magazine Offer

Marne (my sister-in-law) sent me a note about how to get a years subscription to Taste of Home for only $3.75. I just ordered my subscription. You can now get Taste of Home Magazine 1 year for $3.75 when you use coupon code WKLYSPEC. This offer expires on February 14. (This deal is circulating on the coupon blogs).

Since you know I like to cook, I couldn't resist this offer.

Honey Lime Enchiladas


I made this recipe for my family and we all enjoyed (everyone except Vivian) it. It's a nice twist from the usual recipe. It's a keeper! I found this recipe at Let's Grow Together - here is the recipe.

Principal Meeting Regarding Kindergarten


Okay, so you have all been waiting to hear how my meeting went with the principal about the Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. W. The meeting went well I thought. I felt that the principal gave me ample time to explain my concerns and she was kind and willing to listen and understand my perspective.

I explained to her that the whole chair incident was the catalyst for me visiting the classroom. I wanted to know if Vivian was given her chair back. The principal tried to explain the love and logic reasoning of how the chair incident was handled but I told her I didn't think there was any logic or love used in this scenario. I explained that perhaps a short time without the chair would be more reasonable, but according to Mrs. W - the chair is gone for the rest of the day regardless of when it happens, meaning it could be the first five minutes or class or the end of class. According to Vivian the chair was just gone when she returned to the room (after a recess or special class) and she wasn't told why it was gone. According to the principal the teacher should have said, "Oh, Vivian I am so sorry that your chair is gone. I feel bad that you forgot to tuck it under your desk. I am sure you will remember next time. So for now you can choose to stand, kneel, or sit on the floor - the choice is yours (I'm not really quoting her - but that's about how she said it)." However, I don't think the teacher even explained the situation to Vivian or showed any compassion (like love and logic stresses). The principal agreed that the length of time needs to be addressed.

As I was telling my story, the principal took notes. She did tell me that this was all hard to hear as an administrator. I explained that although I haven't been around Mrs. W a lot, through the little contact in person and emails she has come across very cold, hard, and abrasive. The principal knows that Mrs. W. has a hard time communicating with parents. She is even providing the opportunity for Mrs. W to attend a class to address this need. I told her she needed more than a two day class - she needs to learn how to love and show compassion to both the students and the parents! I'm sure she was really surprised when I said that this school should be able to hire "cream of the crop" teachers - especially in this economy when many excellent teachers are without work. There is no sense (to me) to keep teachers that lack some of these important skills.

I shared with her my story of visiting the classroom. She didn't say anything except..."hummmm, well I have now heard both sides of this story and they are both very different". I didn't ask her what Mrs. W thought of my visit. I know I didn't exaggerate my story, nor was I ever unkind to her during that visit or my few questions to her. I explained that when a parent comes into the classroom, they should be welcome and introduced. Mrs. W could have simply said, "Class meet Mrs. So-and So, Vivian's mother. She will be here for a while visiting our class." Later Mrs. W. could have personally thanked me for coming in, for coloring the packet, etc. A little kindness goes a long ways!

Of course, there is more to all of this but it takes so much of my time and mental energy that I will just leave it at that (unless you have specific questions). I don't know what will be done with the information that I shared with the principal. Hopefully she will take it to heart and realize that I am not the only one that shares many of these same feelings and concerns and that I only want the best for the kindergarten class and parents.

P.S. When I was in the classroom, I wish I could have taken pictures of the kids saying the pledge of allegiance - I just think that is priceless!

Porter's Friend Party




Porter had a great time having nine other friends over for his party. Oh, they had a great time playing air hockey - they had their own little tournament. How can you go wrong with pizza, dessert and a movie? Happy Birthday Porter!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

What was today like?

Today was a full day! First it started at 5:00 am when my phone rang it's chime sound to remind me of some event! I like the calendar feature but does it need to remind me that there is no school tomorrow at 5 am this morning? I need sleep!

At 6 am as I was awaking the girls, Corbin asked if I had a box of chocolates that he could have. I don't just have boxes of chocolates hidden, if I did they would be empty with only the wrappers remaining! So with no chocolates around, Corbin asked if I would help him make a giant sugar cookie for his valentine. So together we made a giant heart with pink frosting and conversation hearts. I still don't know who was on the receiving end of this special treat!
Okay...then we had scripture study. We are glad to have just finished up the chapters in 2 Nephi that reference Isaiah - way to hard for us this early in the morning! (Our bishop asked us to finish the Book of Mormon by Oct. 1st which means we upped our reading to two pages per day. Occassionally we miss a Saturday and that means a killer four pages on Sunday!)
So then I take Corbin to the bus stop to barely make it there as the bus pulls up. I'm glad we make it. So back home I go to the others. They get ready for school and then we bake and decorate the remaining sugar cookie dough for their teachers and bus driver. (We still have frosted cookies from a few days ago, but these are fresh).
Then I take the next two to the bus stop and away they go to school. Okay, so now it's down to just the two of us! I return to the house and tidy it up a bit.

Then we head to the gym for a couple hours - to catch a Pilates class (I'm just beginning this) and a Group Power class. I usually don't attend two classes a day. Vivian asks why I was gone so long!I'm trying to strengthen my core muscles because they are the weakest, plus I think it will help my knees and back.


Then it's:
  • home for a quick shower and feed Vivian lunch
  • pick up two more children for kindergarten
  • meet a friend for lunch at my favorite, Costa Vida
  • shop for birthday party supplies (balloons, party favors, etc.)
  • go home with an hour to decorate for the party and get the house all in order
  • kids arrive home and birthday party begins
  • Porter's birthday party until 7:30pm (they had a great time)
  • I'm wiped out with no energy and dry throat - I hope I'm not getting sick!
  • clean up house again
  • get kids to bed and tell them to please sleep in!
Not to mention that I even had help! I wasn't thinking when I scheduled Porter's party for tonight during the same time that Corbin had a school basketball game and Olivia had ballet. Luckily a dear friend picked up Olivia and Marne gave Corbin a ride home. Thank you for making this all work!

Tomorrow is Porter's birthday. He gets to celebrate by going to the doctor for his annual check-up and a shot. He's not thrilled that this is planned on this birthday.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Relief Society Meeting - Finding Joy

Last night we had a Relief Society meeting (formerly known as Enrichment) - it went well. Andrea did a wonderful job putting the program together. The theme was "Joy in the Journey" - does that sound familiar? It was taken from the idea that I got from a ward a year ago...do you remember our 31 day journey?

We took that idea and shortened it to seven days. I thought the message was beautiful and it was nice to listen to several different women and their different journeys and perspective.

Here is how we broke it down:

Day One: Read President Monson's talk: Finding Joy in the Journey
Day Two: List 100 things you are grateful for.


Day Three: Re-read Jay Hess's story and write your family a note in 25 words or less.
Day Four: Re-read Borghild Dahl's story, and write down a difficult experience you have had and how it helped you.
Day Five: Life is short. Replace an unimportant thing today with an act of service.

Day Six: President Monson thoroughly enjoys musicals. List 5 things you enjoy and schedule to do one of them in the next month (make time for your interests).
Day Seven: Write a note to a family member you have been neglecting.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Valentines Cookies





Here is Corbin's creation!

We made Valentines cookies last night - they were delicious and fun. Check here for my all time favorite sugar cookie recipe (it's a keeper)!

BYU Independent Study- Learning to Love Learning

There is a great article in this month's Ensign titled "Learning to Love Learning", by Elder David A. Bednar. He explains how learning to love learning is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. So with that thought and words of wisdom from Elder Bednar, here is a source for more learning. I have given the link to this before but as I just found out today- that link no longer works! So here is the new link to the free courses provided by BYU Independent Study. They have even more classes available! Check it out.

Maybe you want to spice up your life with a dating course (married couples could use this, too), or perhaps you want to learn about gardening, parenting, personal finance, astronomy, spelling, or have help studying a particular book of scripture. It's all listed below!

Recommended Free Courses


Family History/Genealogy - Introductory

FHGEN 69 — Providing Temple Ordinances for Your Ancestors
FHGEN 70 — Introduction to Family History Research
FHGEN 75 — Writing Family History
FHGEN 80 — Helping Children Love Your Family History

Family History/Genealogy - Record Type

FHREC 71 — Family Records
FHREC 73 — Vital Records
FHREC 76 — Military Records

Family History/Genealogy - Regional and Ethnic

FHFRA 71 — France: Immigrant Origins
FHFRA 72 — France: Vital Records
FHFRA 73 — France: Reading French Handwriting
FHFRA 74 — France: Genealogical Organizations and Periodicals
FHFRA 75 — France: The Internet and French Genealogy
FHFRA 76 — French Research: Paris
FHFRA 77 — French Research: Alsace-Lorraine
FHGER 71 — Germany: Immigrant Origins
FHGER 72 — Germany: U.S. Sources and Surname Changes
FHGER 73 — Germany: Jurisdictions, Gazetteers, and Maps
FHGER 74 — Germany: Reading German Handwriting
FHGER 75 — Germany: Calendars and Feast Days
FHGER 76 — Germany: Vital Records
FHHUG 71 — Huguenot Research
FHSCA 73 — Scandinavia: Jurisdictions, Gazetteers, and Maps
FHSCA 74 — Scandinavia: Reading Gothic Script
FHSCA 75 — Scandinavia: Church Records and Feast Days
FHSCA 76 — Scandinavia: Census Records
FHSCA 77 — Scandinavia: Probate and Other Records

Family Life

FAMLF 71 — Strengthening Marriage and Family: Proclamation Principles and Scholarship
FAMLF 72 — Building a Functional Family: Essential Elements
FAMLF 75 — Dating: Romance and Reason

Family Life--Parenting

PARNT 74 — Rearing Responsible and Righteous Teens in a Wicked World
PARNT 75 — Developing Self-Reliant People

Gardening

GARD 71 — Planning and Preparing Your Garden
GARD 72 — Growing Vegetables, Fruits, and Nuts

History and Government

CIT 70 — The Citizen's Guide to American Politics

Mathematics

MATH 71 — Basic Arithmetic, Part 1
MATH 72 — Basic Arithmetic, Part 2
MATH 73 — Basic Arithmetic, Part 3
MATH 74 — Basic Arithmetic, Part 4

Music

MUSIC 71 — Organ Performance, Level 1, Self-Study
MUSIC 72 — Organ Performance, Level 2, Self-Study

Peoples and Cultures

PCUL 75 — Peoples and Cultures of the Holy Land

Personal and Family Finance

PFIN 70 — Marriott School of Management: Personal Finance
PFIN 75 — Student Finance

Personal Development

ESL 71 — English as a Second Language--Chinese Speakers
PDEV 75 — Self-Discipline
PDEV 76 — Honesty
PDEV 77 — Trust
PDEV 80 — Study Skills

Professional Development

BYUPF 71 — Student Employee Orientation and Training

Recreation

REC 76 — Bowling
REC 77 — Intermediate Swimming

Religion--LDS Temples

TMPLS 71 — Temples Past and Present
TMPLS 72 — Responsibilities and Opportunities

Religion--Missionary Preparation--Youth

MISS 71 — Preparing to Serve the Lord
MISS 72 — Making the Most of Your Mission
MISS 73 — Teaching Basic Gospel Principles

Religion--Teachings of the Living Prophets

PROPH 71 — The Role of Prophets
PROPH 72 — Leadership of the Church
PROPH 73 — Purposes of General Conference
PROPH 74 — Following the Prophets

Religion--The Book of Mormon

BM 71 — 1 Nephi 1 through 1 Nephi 22
BM 72 — 2 Nephi
BM 73 — Jacob through Words of Mormon
BM 74 — Mosiah
BM 75 — Alma 1 through 29
BM 76 — Alma 30 through 63
BM 77 — Helaman through 3 Nephi 10
BM 78 — 3 Nephi 11 through 30
BM 79 — 4 Nephi through Moroni

Religion--The Doctrine and Covenants

DC 71 — Sections 1 through 12, 14 through 17
DC 72 — Sections 13, 18 through 36
DC 73 — Sections 37 through 56
DC 74 — Sections 57 through 70
DC 76 — Sections 71 through 87
DC 77 — Sections 88 through 101, 103, 105
DC 78 — Sections 102, 104, 106 through 117
DC 79 — Sections 118 through Official Declaration 2

Religion--The Joseph Smith Translation

JST 71 — The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, Part 1
JST 72 — The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, Part 2

Religion--The New Testament

NT 71 — Christ's Birth and Preparation
NT 72 — Christ's Early Ministry
NT 73 — Christ's Later Ministry
NT 74 — Christ's Final Days, the Atonement, and the Resurrection
NT 76 — Expansion of the Early Church
NT 77 — The Work and Testimony of Paul
NT 78 — The Final Epistles and the Apostasy
NT 80 — The Writings of John: The Gospel
NT 81 — The Writings of John: The Epistles and the Book of Revelation

Religion--The Old Testament

OT 71 — Genesis 1–50

Sciences

SCI 71 — Astronomy: The Solar System and Beyond
SCI 72 — Astronomy: Stars and Constellations

Spelling

SPELL 71 — Contractions, Capitalization, and "ei/ie" Words
SPELL 72 — Word Endings and Plurals
SPELL 73 — Word Pairs

Monday, February 8, 2010

Thai Chicken Wraps and Egg Drop Soup - yummy!

I made two delicious new recipes yesterday that were both delicious and that I will add to my recipe collection. Both were very easy to make!


Sunday, February 7, 2010

Smokey & Corbin Update


Smokey is being loved up after Corbin's return from church. Smokey brought us another dead mouse (in two pieces) along with a pile of feathers today (but no sign of the bird yet).

Corbin returned yesterday from Klondike winter camp out. I guess he had fun but I'm still trying to pull stories out of him. Corbin's leader, Brother Cook, got up to bear his testimony. Which helped prompt Corbin and two other young men to share their testimonies - which was a pleasant surprise. It's always great to see the Young Men leaders be a great example for the youth.

The Stuffed Animals Get Their Ears Pierced!

Olivia and Vivian before church with their pets.

Vivian is helping Midnight (the cat) with earrings!

Olivia pierces the purple cat's ears, she is still not named.


How cute - who would have ever thought of this?

I like how the pink earrings coordinate with her outfit! This panda Webkinz just joined our family yesterday, her name is Sophia. She is special because she can enter the "Caring Valley" along with Webkinz world.


This morning we successfully changed Olivia's earrings - without a fainting spell! She found an assortment of earrings yesterday at Fred Meyers 50% off (along with the fun of shopping, I am teaching them how to stretch their money- never pay full price).

The girls decided to pierce their Webkinz ears. They both carefully choose which pair of earrings would go with each animal!


Saturday, February 6, 2010

Institute Manuals











Are you looking for a source to help with your spiritual studies? I just found a link that has all the manuals (in pdf format) for the various Institute of Religion courses - check it out!

I am interested in reading the Eternal Marriage manual, it has been so long since I took this class.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Loving Sarah Palin's Book

I am over 3/4 through Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue. It grabbed my attention from the beginning as she was talking about her up bringing in Alaska. Some of the images that she describes in the book are some of my faint memories. I remember Wasilla High School, the school gym with track above - Chad played many basketball games there along with our school concerts. I remember the city library, one of Sarah's favorite places - she loves to read. Oh, it brought back so many happy memories: seeing moose in our yard, sledding, watching the Northern Lights, driving across the frozen Wasilla Lake, fishing for salmon, carrying in firewood, ice-skating at recess, etc.). I would love to return to Alaska with my siblings to take a tour of our childhood memories! Anyone want to join me?

I love this book because I love Sarah Palin's strong sense of who she is and her mission her in life. The book brings to light all the great things she accomplished as mayor for Wasilla, the scandal she uncovered within the AOGCC, her time as governor, her love for her family, and her strong determination to serve her country. I wish we had more Sarah Palin's in our world - people that have a strong sense of right and wrong and who weren't afraid to act upon those beliefs. I recommend this book to everyone!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

1st Craft Group Event!

We had a great time at Amy's house doing the three projects that were listed a few days ago. Here is a picture of the start of a hat! I didn't think I could pick it up, it's been a lot time since I crocheted (way back when Grandma Anderson taught me).


If you are interested in the soup recipe for Zuppa Toscana - click here. It is now my signature potluck dish because it's so easy to make and it's always a hit. This is a fail proof soup - I have made it at least four times now.

Earring Removal Incident

This morning Olivia wanted me to show her how to change earrings. We got her ears pierced back in November and has not taken them off yet. I thought this would be easy and no big deal. But those first set of studs are a little harder to remove. And needless to say, I was having a tough time getting them off.

I had her hair out of the way and I used my fingers to gently grip the small earrings. Finally after a few attempts I got one earring off! Yeah! I was about to try the next ear when Olivia melted to the ground. At first I thought she was teasing me - but then I realized that she was passing out. She fell completely to the ground at my feet. It happened so fast that it caught me off guard. I knew something was wrong when she hit her head and her arm was twisted strangely by her side.

I yelled her name and then quickly scooped her limp body into my arms. I then laid her down on the floor in the next room. I quickly ran and got Paul and by then she was awake again. She cried because her head hurt. I had her stay put for a few minutes - then her head felt better again and she was fine. While she was laying down, I removed the second earring (I didn't want that to happen again).

Crazy! I guess she got a little nervous or something.