Snow Day

I just got an email announcing that tomorrow (my birthday of all days!) is a snow day for three of my children (I'm not sure about the High School).  They are going to be thrilled, they were hoping for one.  I have already turned off their alarm clocks so they can sleep in - who wants to get up at 5:30 and 6:00 am just for fun?  I guess we will have our own little snow/birthday celebration at home!

This picture was taken at 10:40 pm - after the picture I shoveled snow off the sidewalk to the front door.  I'm sure I was the only one out at that hour shoveling snow!  Tonight it is so light outside because of all the snow.  I told Paul that we could go for a walk but he didn't think he was up to braving the cold.

P.S.  I got a call early the next morning from our school district but the entire call was in Spanish.  I kept waiting for them to say press #1 for English, but they never offered that option.  All I could understand was Dec. 1st.  So I went to the computer to find that my sons HS has been canceled, in fact, all schools in our valley are closed today because of the weather and storm warning!

Smokey Sleeps under the Tree

Smokey is thankful for a warm house, especially after braving the cold nights during Thanksgiving Break.  This morning I put up our piece-of-cake 9 ft. Christmas tree (by the way I let go of my beautiful 12ft Christmas tree - it hasn't fit here and it won't fit in the next house...that was a big step for me because you know how I loved that tree).  Later I found Smokey sleeping under the tree on the skirt and a couple stockings.  We have the matching stockings hanging by the fireplace, but they are "just for looks".  Cats have the life of leisure.

I sewed!

I sewed six aprons from start to finish while I was at my Mom's house for Thanksgiving!  I haven't sewed in years, so this is a major accomplishment for me.  They turned out cute and took more time than I thought they would.  I made them my family for the guys and girls, both!  The girls chose their own fabric.  They probably won't be too surprised when they open them on Christmas.  (The boy's aprons are not pictured - I tried to make them manly).

Thanksgiving in Burley

 

This year we gathered in Burley for Thanksgiving, all of us siblings except Tonya (she lives in Texas).  The cousins had a great time playing with each other.  We enjoyed a delicious family Thanksgiving meal.  Tisha and David won the award for the "best stuffing" - they made it from scratch!  It was a hit. 

We visited my Clark grandparents (they live a mile from Mom).  We were also able to see Gordon/Janet, Charles/Dianne, Dad/Luanne, and cousins Brett and Jared.  Dad brought a couple dune buggies that the kids road around the house.  Corbin had to take me for a ride, too.

They were finally able to play in the snow after it warmed up a bit.  They worked on making an igloo and taking turns being pulled by the four-wheeler on a sled!

4 Dozen Rolls

I made homemade rolls yesterday for probably the second time in my life...and they worked!  My family ate them up like they were candy.  One day later, there is only a dozen left when I started with four dozen!  If I can bake these beautiful rolls, then you can, too!

I multiplied the recipe by three to get four dozen rolls!  Click here for the recipe.

Inflation and Rising Food Prices

 “Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year’s supply of food … and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year’s supply of debt and are food-free.” President Thomas S. Monson

I hope you take this seriously and watch these videos and research this for yourself.   We as Latter-Day Saints have been commanded for many years to prepare ourselves physically, spiritually, and financially.  I have taken this counsel seriously.  Over the past week, I have been to the cannery and to the grocery store buying items in bulk - especially flour and sugar.  Right now you can still take advantage of good prices but I don't think that will always be the case - judge for yourself.

 At my local Winco, I was able to buy sugar for something like $9.00 for a 25# bag (that beats the cannery price of $14/bag) and white flour for $6.50 for a 25# bag (beating the cannery price of $9.35).

Here are the current cannery bulk prices.

Print this out so you can shop around for the best price.  Prices vary greatly from store to store.

All prices are for a 25# bag

Black Beans $14.50

Pinto Beans $16.30

Nonfat Dry Milk (non-instant) $35.40

White Rice $8.45

Granulated Sugar $14.00

Hard Red Wheat $6.35

Hard White Wheat $5.80

Apple Slices $54.75

Carrots $52.25

Macaroni $12.10

Quick Oats $8.15

Regular Oats $7.60

Dry Onions $69.15

Potato Flakes $22.20

Spaghetti $14.35

Refried Beans $25.95

Hot Cocoa Mix $23.10

White Flour $9.35

Fruit Drink Mix $23.10

Of course, all these products can be put in a #10 can with an oxygen packet for long term storage.
  If you are interested in dry packing any items, please feel free to ask questions.

"From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lord’s counsel, wheat should have high priority. … Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent. The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”  Prepare For the Days of Tribulation  (great counsel in this talk from President Ezra Taft Benson Nov. 1980 General Conference Address).

I have been trying to encourage everyone I know to work on their food storage.  We need not fear the future if we are prepared and follow the counsel of the prophets.

Things That Matter Most

This is a fantastic talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the most recent General Conference.  In this he talks about:  the pace of modern life, the solutions to the problems this pace brings, the power of getting back to the basics and what they are, and rejoicing in the gospel.

I feel like my life is always busy just with keeping up with the mundane daily chores.  But it is also very easy for me to get caught up in the unnecessary things of life.  When I think about prioritizing my life I like to refer back to my favorite talk by Sister Julie Beck (click here for link).  It gave me a new perspective. And this talk just builds upon that one.

He says, "it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list."  He continues by saying that wise people "resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life. They follow the advice (from Gandhi) “There is more to life than increasing its speed."  In short, they focus on the things that matter most.

       UAdd a Note

And why does this all matter?  It is summed up in a quote from Elder Oaks from a recent general conference, taught, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”

Mixes, Beans, and Hummus

Today I decided to put some things together (inspired from my Sunday night Stake Provident Living meeting) to help me be more prepared and organized.  So I cooked beans for the freezer, made 5 batches of hummus to freeze, and put mixes together from my favorite muffin recipes (3 double batches of blueberry muffins, 3 double batches of banana muffins, and 1 double batch of gingerbread muffins with lemon glaze) and now I am in the process of making a wheat master pancake mix....just have to grind the wheat!

Here is the link for the Wheat Pancake Mix. 

Raking up Leaves

 Andy even came over to help!  Thanks Andy.

Last night for our FHE activity we raked leaves!  The kids had a great time helping and then making a big pile to hide Corbin!  Raking leaves reminds me of our first home in the southeast part of the valley.  There we filled 30 leaf bags - the brown recyclable bags.  I hated leaves during those six fall years because it was so much work.  I think last night we had 3-4 bags in all.

Thanksgiving Daily

The past two Sundays I have had the privilege of being taught in Relief Society from President Monson's talk, The Divine Gift of Gratitude (our ward and this week in Burley).  It is such a wonderful talk, please take the time to read it.  It has opened my eyes in so many ways.  Pres. Monson said, "Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love."


I am thankful for:
My testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ
Good friends
Inspiring music
Family
A living Prophet
Temples all over the world
For those brave enough to speak the truth and stand for righteousness
The Holy Ghost, knowing that I will be guided if I listen
For missionaries who share their testimonies with my children
Our Founding Fathers
Church leaders, who serve tirelessly
Smokey, our daily visiting cat, who brings me happiness
Food
Scriptures
My families' health
Paul's employment
....just to name a few

Jason Coleman shares the legacy of Floyd Cramer

Floyd Cramer is one of the most admired and beloved instrumentalists in country music history.  His distinctive style at the piano, which he called the "slip note," is so uniquely his that is has become instantly identifiable and widely imitated.  Although Floyd's life was taken by cancer in 1997, his unique touch at the piano is still alive and powerful today- not only in the hearts of countless fans and followers, but also through the music of his grandson, Jason Coleman.  Jason was only 12 years old when his grandfather passed away, the relationship they shared during their short time together fueled Jason's innate passion for music and formed a foundation upon which he is building his career.

And I had the privilege of attending Jason's concert last night and hearing him share the legacy of his grandfather through beautiful music.  He is currently on his first tour of 70 stops, in which Saturday night we were his 25th stop in Burley, Idaho.

Check out his website here for his concert tour, he may be coming near you.  I know that he has a stop in my city in the near future!

Olivia turns 9

Last night we (Chad & Marne's family and Tisha/David) celebrated Olivia's 9th birthday along with Tisha's 26th birthday!   We enjoyed brownie sundaes as requested by Olivia.  (The brownies were extra yummy because I added the leftover caramel from the apples and 1 cup of melted chocolate to the batter.)  She loves her new Webkinz puppy, Gracie, and her new Zhu-Zhu hamster pet, Jilly (which goes online at Build-a-Bear).  Olivia's siblings were extra generous this year.  Corbin made a thoughtful card with $5 attached to it, Porter gave her an envelope stuffed with $9, and Vivian gave her a card and chocolate kisses.

Saturday Olivia opened her birthday cards and used the money she was given from grandparents (along with a $5 coupon) to purchase a new animal from Build-a-Bear, one of her favorite stores (it's up there with Costco).  She chose a horse which she named Hershey, after Trinity's horse. 

Caramel Apple Cravings

 

I have been craving a caramel apple for a few months, especially after viewing some fantastic caramel apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  They looked fabulous, but they cost a fortune.

So I waited until we dipped our own at home with friends.  The apple in the top left corner was my creation.  We had several toppings for the apples, including:  Kissables, mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut (my favorite), chopped nuts, Butterfinger Crunch, and crushed oreos.

 

 We all had a great time!

Faith and Service

Bountiful Baskets

I just heard today that Bountiful Baskets has come to my town, I can't wait to try this out!

So this is what it is - you pay $15 to get a ton of fruits and veggies, typically 6 kinds of each and a bunch of them. Each time they vary. One week you might get things like potatoes, carrots, grapes, and bananas and then the next time around you might get asparagus, corn, cherries, and limes (plus more of course). You pay on their site and then you have to come pick it up at a certain time, typically at a park or something like that. If you don't come on time or at all they will give your basket to a local fire station. You also have to bring your own container to carry your things home. It will fill up an entire laundry basket of fruits and veggies!

There are a ton of locations in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Texas (one), Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. I hope some of you get a chance to try it!

Anyway, if any of you are interested you can check the site out HERE.

Here are some other examples of what you might get:

Fabulous Friday Craft Night

Last night was our Fabulous Friday (also known as Super Saturday) at the church making all sorts of fun crafts.  We had a great turn out and the ladies had a great time visiting, eating, and creating. I helped with the magnets, the stamped mini-cards, the pendant banner, and the hot chocolate cones.  Many ladies made cute girls skirts and aprons - I even saw many of them completely finished!  They also made adorable hair accessories, and etched glass pans. 

Fun in Galveston

We had a great time on the beach in Galveston - it was perfect weather.  Not too hot for a girl from a cooler-than Texas-state!  The boys raced back and forth in the water, dug in the sand, searched for shells and had a ball.

 

 We had our own little photo shoot (prompted by a photo-shoot we watched of an engaged couple).  Wow, look at my jump- it was harder than I thought to get all the body weight up into the air.  Then we have Jesse and Jaren, my two little buddies! 

 We parked our selves right under/next to the Murdoch's store that extends over the water.  It was totally destroyed in Hurricane Ike - it has been rebuilt since then.  

 Here we are making a souvenir penny at Murdoch's store.  We also took a look through the telescope to see the huge barges way out in the Gulf of Mexico.

 After our fun at the beach, we took a stroll through the touristy area of Galveston.  We found solar panel parking meters, a yummy candy store, on over priced Army surplus store, and lots of historical markers talking about the history of each building (we didn't have time to soak that in).

 

Here are more pics of us.  I just loved the red phone booth and the giant chess game!  Also I took a picture of the stone sculpture which explains that the building of a sea wall after the devastating hurricane of 1900, which killed 6,000 residents.

  Beach Bums for a day. I copied (stole) this from Tonya's blog -  she has some pictures that I don't.

Here's what she says:
Tiffani came to visit and we did a day trip to Galveston. The weather was just right for a Idaho Girl. At 10am, there also was no crowd on a week day. The boys loved running in the water and getting sea shells. Tiffani did some hunting and found a 2 nice crab shells and an inhabitant too.

We watched a couple get their engagement pictures taken. We had no problems people watching! Then we had fun doing our own photo session (when they left). Tiff did some shots running in the water, initials etched in sand, jumps, etc. Here is one of my jumps.

When the boys changed shorts, sand was everywhere. So I had them rinse off in the water with just beach bums. Tiffani was shocked by the cuteness! (or embarrassed of bareness) The boys have no problems in skins. Again, no people around except for 1 sunbather / 1 dog.

Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration

Last week when I stopped at church distribution, I found that they have now released the movie,  Joseph Smith:  Prophet of the Restoration (shown in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and in visitor's centers.) This set of three DVDs also contains over 300 visual resources: interactive charts; quotations from latter-day prophets and apostles; paintings; music videos; the DVD Doctrine and Covenants, which is a non-animated video recording of the illustrations and narrated text from the book by the same name; and videos to assist in study of the doctrines and events found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

It is now available at Desert Book stores or online for $4.88 (it's on sale from the regular price of $6.50 for the next 48 hours - click here.)

I have watched this movie several times at Temple Square, a couple times at the Idaho Fall's Visitor Center, and once at the Hawaii Visitor's Center.  This movie is a must see for your whole family.  It absolutely captures my heart each time I watch it because I feel the love that our prophet Joseph had for the Lord, for his wife Emma, for his family, all for all of his community.  Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God.  Because of him, the heavens were opened when he prayed as a young man asking which church he should join.  I love the prophet Joseph.  I am thankful for his life of sacrifice, for his testimony of the Savior, and for his unwavering example of standing for truth and righteousness regardless of the price. 

The Dog House

I just love this advertisement by JCPenney.  It is so clever and well done.  I frequently reference this video.  Saturday night Paul found himself in the doghouse - oops!  Later that evening we both attended a meeting (arriving separately due to other circumstances).  I quietly asked him if he was out of the doghouse.  He assured me that he was.  I continued by asking if he went before "the board" - he again assured me that he had passed and was released.  Humm, I think he crawled his way out, just barely!  This was all in good humor, of course.  Paul just wonders why women are never sent do the doghouse.  I have never thought of that...but then again I have never seen a pink doghouse, have you?

Two New Great Fall Recipes

I tried two new recipes (both from Our Best Bites) Sunday and they were fabulous.  Try this Candied Walnut Salad, perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.  Your family and friends will enjoy the wonderful flavor and goodies in this salad, especially the caramelized walnuts!

For dessert I made a Carmel Apple Bread Pudding for the first time.  It passed the test.  The recipe was delicious, especially with the Buttermilk Syrup (takes like caramel) and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!

(Today I had a yummy lunch because there were left overs of both dishes along with glazed ham, baked potatoes and corn- sometimes it pays off to cook!)

Halloween Fun

Saturday morning Olivia reminded me that we were going to make Apple Cider Doughnuts.  So after a quick trip to the store, I had the kitchen in a huge mess and was pumping out lots of doughnuts and doughnut holes (my favorite).  Everyone enjoyed them so it may become an annual Halloween tradition.  Here is the recipe. 

Later that day, there was a neighborhood trick or treating in the park.  This was our first time attending this annual event - it was a lot of fun.  The kids just walked around and around the park until the candy was gone.  That was all the trick or treating we did.  I was happy because I was sick with a burning sore throat and cold.  It was quick and easy, plus fun to see so many friends.