NeverBored

Menu - Week 4

2012-01-29T04:32:00.000-05:00

Sunday - Super Simple Pork Chops, butternut squash, peas, salad and ice cream

Monday - leftover Ajiaco

Tuesday - "This Combination Works" Chicken with Company Potatoes

Wednesday - more leftovers (Ajiaco and spaghetti)

Thursday - Macaroni Casserole (Spinach Lasagna Style)

Friday - New England Clam Chowder

Saturday - eat out between stake conference sessions

Five Things for Friday

2012-01-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

For a while I've been reading Heather's Five Things for Friday posts, and today I thought I'd play along. My five things aren't nearly as profound as hers, but the beauty of having your own blog is that you can write whatever you like! So here are some things I learned (or re-learned) this week.

1. Indexing is fun. I actually had this as a calling one summer between college semesters. Things have changed quite a bit in 30 years! Now you can do it at home whenever you want. Go here to give it a try yourself.

2. Family night lessons can be short. Discussing a newly-discovered quote doesn't take long at all, but learning something new and feeling the Spirit equals an effective family home evening. Here's the one we discussed this week.

3. I still hate making phone calls, although I'm always relieved when they're done. Of course, I'd probably be more likely to make them if I could actually complete the purpose in a single call. This week's "main" phone call was to make an appointment for an oil change. It just so happens that we received a recall notice for that vehicle a couple of days ago, so I figured I could take care of both things at once. I can, but I have to wait for them to order the recall part which will take two weeks. We'll see if they really call me back or if I have to add it to the list again.

4. Cleaning out computer files is tedious and time-consuming. However, I'm really grateful that I'm finally finding the time to do this! It's been on my list for years.

5. When you're only cooking for three people, things like milk and margarine and Miracle Whip don't have to be replaced quite so often. Leftovers stay in the fridge long enough to actually grow mold (not a good thing, but it has happened a couple of times lately). And it's totally possible to turn Candy Bar Pie into mini tarts by using cupcake liners in a muffin tin.

Bonus #6 (because posts without pictures are no fun). Girls are great. They won the boys vs. girls tug-of-war at the stake youth activity last week. And they did it so quickly I didn't have a chance to take a picture of it, so you get this one instead.

A Day in Our Life

2012-01-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

It's been over three years since I've done "A Day in Our Life" post (see it here), and so when this assignment popped up on Wordful Wednesday (over here), I thought it would be fun to participate. Of course, I didn't remember while the day was progressing yesterday, so there aren't as many pictures as there could have been, but we actually did take some!

Most of the routine stuff was fairly typical, but it was "the day before a big project is due" so a lot of our activities were not typical. Is it too much to hope that this was actually the very last major project? After over twenty years of these, I'm ready for the next generation to take over! Anyway, here's what we did yesterday:

5:00 AM - alarm goes off, throw on some clothes, make sure Michelle's awake, turn on computer, heat leftover spaghetti for her breakfast, prepare two sack lunches

5:40 AM - family prayer, say good-bye to Michelle, check email/blogs/Facebook, read scriptures, have breakfast with Wayne, say good-bye to him

7:15 AM - throw sheets in the washer, tidy kitchen, write a couple of blog posts (here and here), take a walk, move sheets to dryer, shower

10:00 AM - Tuesday is Errand Day. Fortunately, the list wasn't too long (actually didn't need groceries!), but along with the usual "cleaners and post office," there were some unusual items on it (teeny-tiny china set, sticker of a British constable, sparkly gold cardstock, and non-colored toothpicks). Can you believe I found everything?

12:45 PM - watch tv while eating lunch and working on the current crochet project

2:00 PM - Michelle's home - time to get to work! She decided she wanted more display tables, so I sewed some more red covers. If you look REALLY hard, you can see the teeny-tiny china set on the one at the center bottom of the picture. Then she wanted help matting various quotes and pictures. You'll notice the shiny gold cardstock covers up the previously ugly red railing.

5:45 PM - Decide I should probably start dinner, so cut up some vegetables and toss them in the oven. (Find the recipe here.) Remember to put the sheets back on the bed and check the mail.

7:00 PM - Wayne's home. He suggests that we add a few ingredients to the plain sautéed chicken I had planned, so we quickly created a new recipe and ate dinner together.

7:25 PM - Michelle has 25 minutes of computer time before Wayne needs it, so we work on formatting some more quotes and print them out.

8:00 PM - Wayne has a webinar (part of his church calling), Michelle showers and does her other homework, I rest my weary back while reading a magazine and doing more crocheting.

9:00 PM - family scriptures and prayer, "tuck" Wayne into bed (our tradition that lets us keep our goal to go to bed together when the kids still need help from Mom)

9:30 PM - help Michelle with final touches on project - more cutting and matting and creating a little book - take pictures and load them on a flash drive to give to the teacher (the actual board doesn't have to go to school until the History Day competition on Friday or Monday)

11:00 PM - It's finished! Time to go to bed.

So, that was our day. It was long, but productive and enjoyable too.

P.S. Come join the blog hop :) It's always nice to know we're not alone with our crazy schedules.

Menu - Week 3

2012-01-22T07:19:00.017-05:00

Sunday - Chicken and Pasta, Salad and Vegies, Chocolate Profiteroles

Monday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tuesday - Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Wednesday - Cabbage Soup and Multi-Grain Bread

Thursday - leftovers (spaghetti and fried rice)

Friday - Thai Restaurant Chicken

Saturday - Ajiaco

Utah Vacation Week - Saturday

2012-01-21T05:05:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve was more of the same!

It's always nice when you share family traditions. One of the traditions I grew up with was putting together a jigsaw puzzle on New Year's Eve. Cody's family did that too and we had a great time working on one together this year, complete with the prankster Brad hiding one piece in his pocket so he could put the last one in place.

I can't remember the name of this game, but apparently it was a good one!

Poor Michelle, it was her turn to not be feeling well.

Unfortunately, none of us made it to midnight to ring in the New Year. However, we ARE east coast residents, so we were just fine with doing our celebrating on east coast time! Happy (belated) New Year to you all!!

Utah Vacation Week - Friday

2012-01-20T05:07:00.003-05:00

Friday was football day! David has trained his daughter well, and he had plenty of support from his dad and brothers as well to make sure she didn't forget how to watch football.

However, she is only six months old, so did get distracted by toys on occasion.

Wyatt showed his independence too!

It was a fun day, filled with games of all sorts.

And even a bit of physical labor.

Dinner was served at Aunt Julie's where there was more football,

fun and games,

and even a couple of snakes!

The snakes can stay at her house :)

Utah Vacation Week - Thursday

2012-01-19T05:07:00.013-05:00

I'm not sure whose idea it was to have a "girls only" activity, but it was a great one. We decided to go to the pottery shop. It was a good non-caloric option, and fortunately we all enjoy creating. We had a blast and truly enjoyed just relaxing and being together. I think we'll continue this tradition as often as possible!

Oh, and the end results turned out great as well, and even include the start for more traditions - the Birthday Plates.

The "boys and babies" survived just fine without us, but it was great to be all together again for another evening of fun, food and games.

Utah Vacation Week - Wednesday

2012-01-18T05:06:00.032-05:00

This was Christmas vacation, so I need to post evidence of another Christmas tradition. We didn't do gingerbread (or graham cracker) houses like we have in the past, but Brad and Cody kept that tradition. Here's Brad's rendition of their apartment. Note all the activity that is happening - somebody sleeping, brushing their teeth, getting something from the fridge, practicing the piano, and admiring the Christmas tree from the couch. Except for the fact that only two people actually live there, I was impressed with the accuracy of his portrayal.

While in Provo, we also photographed evidence that Steven is a student. Here's his dorm building.

And here's where he works.

We also had to check out the CougarEat and Bookstore while we were in town. Too bad I didn't get a picture of them buying textbooks. That would have been better proof that he's a college student.

This is what the boys thought of having to wait around for a bit.

But then it was time to meet the photographer and try to get everyone to smile at once. We're still waiting to see if that was successful!

It would have been nice if the sun had decided to appear earlier in the afternoon, but at least we got a glimpse of a beautiful sunset on the mountains as we were leaving.

Utah Vacation Week - Tuesday

2012-01-17T05:14:00.000-05:00

Fortunately I woke up feeling better on Tuesday, because this was the day I'd been looking forward to for months. It was the day we were finally going to complete the sealing ordinances for the stack of family file names we've been collecting for two years. It was wonderful having all of our kids (except for Steven and Michelle who babysat Wyatt and Evelyn - someday they'll be there too), and Wayne's parents, with us in the temple. And we made great progress, but ran out of time before we got everything done. I guess that means we'll just have to go back another day!

That evening my cousin hosted a Beckstrand gathering so we could have a chance to visit with family we hadn't seen in years. Thanks so much! We had a wonderful time.

Family is important.

Utah Vacation Week - Monday

2012-01-16T05:03:00.023-05:00

We knew that after the excitement of Christmas Eve and Christmas, we would want to relax a bit on Monday. However, we also have a family that likes to "plan" things so that they don't end up sitting around doing nothing. So, we decided Monday would be a good day to go check out the lights at Temple Square. And we decided to go a bit early so that Wayne could "do" the South Visitor's Center. (That's where he left off on the downtown tour we started one summer.)

That's what we did. We got there early enough to find an empty parking lot, with no attendant, so it didn't even cost us anything. Then Wayne read all the signs and watched all the videos. The rest of us read some of the signs and watched some of the videos. We're not quite as thorough. My favorite was the model of the Salt Lake Temple under glass, with little cutouts of some of the rooms.

It wasn't quite dark enough once we were done looking at all the exhibits, and it was too cold to wander around outside, so we sat and watched the Mormon.org profiles that were playing on one screen. We were there for two hours and didn't see a repeat! I was impressed. I was also not feeling very well; it was my turn to catch the flu bug that Steven had when we arrived. I'm grateful there was a nice warm place to just sit and do nothing.

As soon as the lights came on we wandered around for a few minutes before heading back to Grandpa's house. I went to bed, so you'll have to ask someone else what they did for the rest of the evening!

Menu - Week 2

2012-01-15T11:27:00.003-05:00

Here's the last one for today!

Sunday - Soy-Marinated Chicken with rice pilaf and Strawberry Bavarians

Monday - Zucchini-Clam Linguine

Tuesday - Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Oven Fries

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - Unstuffed Cabbage

Friday - more leftovers (we're a small family now!)

Saturday - Fair Food
(Can you believe we've never taken our children to the fair? We figured we'd better rectify that before the last one leaves home.)

Menu - Week 1

2012-01-15T10:50:00.000-05:00

I did that last post as a warm up; here's the real beginning, and since I'm getting a late start, we'll add one more to catch up. You'll notice there are no desserts planned, except for Sunday. That's how January usually starts! I'm also not going to add the side dishes unless it's something new and/or special. Just know that we do eat our vegetables.

Sunday - New Year's Day
marinated chicken breasts, Cheesy Ranch Potatoes, salad and vegies, brownies and ice cream

Monday - traveling
airport food - chicken wrap

Tuesday -
Chicken Minestrone (from the freezer)

Wednesday -
Party Kielbasa over rice

Thursday -
Hearty Cassoulet

Friday -
Chicken Enchiladas

Saturday - Dutch Oven
Chicken with Vegetables

Menu - Week 0

2012-01-15T10:34:00.010-05:00

One of the things I struggle with on a regular basis is trying to decide what to have for dinner. I thought it might be a good idea to keep track this year. Maybe it will give you ideas, but I sure hope it gives me ideas! And since I also want to try new recipes, I'm hoping this will help me with that as well.

I've just scheduled a week's worth of posts describing our Christmas vacation. A big part of that was food (surprise!) and so I figured I'd start the week off with our dinner plan. Remember, this is a "vacation" dinner plan, but those happen occasionally, and it would have been better for us if we had done this in advance, rather than at dinner-time each day. Learn from our mistake!

Sunday - Christmas Day
(This one was planned in advance; tradition sure helps with planning!)
Standing Rib Roast
Potato Casserole
Green Peas, Salad, Rolls
Chocolate Layer Cake (from Costco)

Monday - leftovers

Tuesday - various soups and rolls (hosted by my cousin)

Wednesday - Chinese take-out

Thursday - tacos (hard and/or soft), black beans and rice, frozen corn, ice cream

Friday - ravioli (3 types), salad, garlic bread sticks and brownie sundaes (hosted by my sister-in-law)

Saturday - New Year's Eve
Seven Layer Dip with tortilla chips and Shrimp Dip with crackers
(These are traditional "football" snacks, and I just realized they haven't been posted on the recipe blog. We'll have to have them again so I can take pictures!)

Let the Festivities Begin!

2012-01-13T07:44:00.001-05:00

We arrived at the Salt Lake airport "bright and early" on Christmas Eve. Actually, it wasn't necessarily bright, because it was pitch black in the middle of the night. We got a few hours of sleep, then hit the grocery stores, this time really "bright and early," to do the the last minute shopping. Fortunately, it wasn't bad at all. (I have a life-long goal to avoid all stores on Christmas Eve, but this year it couldn't be helped. So, it was nice that it was still a pleasant experience.)

Wayne's parents are in the process of moving. That wasn't the plan when we made arrangements months ago to stay with them. We really appreciated their willingness to add the chaos of out-of-town guests to the chaos of moving, not to mention the chaos of the holidays! But there were some perks. We got to go through the pile of cast-offs and they had lots of muscles at their disposal.

Too bad the crutches won't fit on the plane and that there's no room to store giant bells in a student apartment.

How many of you remember The Game of the States? I played it when I was a kid. We took it from the D.I./Goodwill pile so the next generation could have the same experience. It was fun, but couldn't compete with the current crop of games. Back to the pile it went!

Then the next wave of travelers arrived. They traveled with Santa hats! Why didn't we think of that?

Michelle was THRILLED to finally meet her niece! Evelyn was just tired.

After a quick nap, it was time to gather everyone together, for the first time in 5 years!.

There were toys and games galore.

And relaxing and just visiting too.

The highlight was pulling out the Nativity Story, hearing Weston bear his testimony of its reality to his own son, and then having our traditional Christmas Eve sing-a-long. We were a bit rusty, but still made it through Brother Farnworth's cantata, a couple of selections from Handel's Messiah, and a few favorite Christmas hymns.

It was the best Christmas Eve ever!

Christmas Morning

2012-01-13T07:40:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

We followed our usual traditions, although it was a bit more fun with a baby around again.

First came getting dressed and breakfast - thanks Brad and Cody for the traditional cinnamon rolls,

then pictures in front of the stockings - although we had to improvise on that this year,

then time to open the stockings - David had to convince Elizabeth that this is an integral part of the Christmas traditions and I think he did,

before heading off to church, to worship and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

The Rest of Christmas Day

2012-01-13T07:30:00.049-05:00

After church, the first order of business was to snap a photo while everyone was still dressed up. I think we succeeded!

And I think we've changed just a bit since the last one was taken five years ago. Maybe not so much in looks, but the five new additions are just awesome, and we can't imagine life without them. And we look forward to meeting the future additions that we're positive are coming!

Then it was time to open presents. You all know what that's like - lots of love and laughter and wrapping paper!

And Christmas Day wouldn't be complete without yummy food and lots of relaxing. Thanks for the wonderful memories!

What You've All Been Waiting For (part one)

2012-01-12T13:09:00.000-05:00

We took a trip last month!

And on that trip I took 500 pictures, in spite of having a malfunctioning camera. Thank you for being so patient while I got them uploaded and fixed the red-eye. (We don't want our angels looking like devils!)

Wyatt already knew how to go up and down the stairs, but Grandpa had to make sure he was doing it correctly.

"Do cousins really have to like each other?"

It's so heartwarming to see that they love their vegetables!

Look at that perfect crawling form!

Christmas Eve was exciting, and Wyatt did a great job at helping tell the Nativity Story.

There's more than one way to carry a child!

Playtime can be quiet . . .

or not so quiet!

Here's more of the infamous box!

Togetherness is a good thing.

Evelyn wasn't sure she wanted to be the guinea pig, but Uncle Brad is happy to know this is the type of carrier they want in a couple of months.

That's it for now! We'll get to more memories later.

Time for Another Project

2012-01-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

One of the things we've wanted to fix since we moved in was this dip in the driveway which turns into a huge puddle when it rains. It finally made it to the top of the list, and last Saturday we got to work.

First we removed the necessary bricks, then we put down more sand (9 bags worth), and replaced all the bricks. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for an outside project!

Ta da!

All done, although I guess we have to wait for the next rainstorm to see if our fix really works.

While You're Waiting

2012-01-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to decide which direction to take with this blog this year (which will definitely include posting about our wonderful Christmas vacation), but in the meantime here are a couple of pictures showing two reasons why we left warm Florida. The other reasons will have to wait for the next post!

Cute grandson (no time to edit out the finger in the corner)

and darling granddaughter.

Hope you're all having a great start to the New Year!

"You need to post something on your blog."

2011-12-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

"We haven't done anything blog-worthy this week."
"That's okay. Just find a funny old picture to share."
"Will these do?"

Actually, I don't think they're funny; I think they're cute.

Just so you know these were taken about ten years ago on the way to the Stake Christmas Music Fireside. The younger kids were singing in the Primary chorus and the older boys were in the adult choir.

Taking Advantage

2011-12-14T16:58:00.005-05:00

of #1) this beautiful piece of paradise we call home,

#2) a good deal,**

and #3) the opportunity to let someone else do the cooking for 24 hours!

I love waking up to the sound of waves crashing, and a windy day just makes them more noticeable. We had a wonderful little weekend getaway, and now we're excited to finish preparing for Christmas!

** Wayne's company's holiday dinner was at the Ritz-Carlton and they made arrangements to have a group discount for any employee who wanted to book a room that night. Since that hotel is on our list of "places to stay in Palm Beach County" we decided to take advantage of the offer. It was still expensive, but at least less expensive than if we had decided to wait for it to come up in order. I'm still impressed that my wonderfully systematical husband decided to skip down to it and still let it count. Maybe I am rubbing off on him just a bit.

Patience and Hope

2011-12-05T18:33:00.003-05:00

It took a couple of days but Michelle gets her countdown chocolate - and so do I!

December has Arrived!

2011-12-01T06:15:00.005-05:00

We're excited, although I don't feel ready. That's normal. Last year I tried focusing on "Joy and Peace" (see here), and this year I'm going to try to remember these quotes:

"As I think about our time constraints, I conclude that God has not intended that we should be able to do everything we would like to do. If there were not more to do than we are individually capable of doing, we wouldn't have to make choices, and we would never realize what we value most." (You'll notice it's been over there on the sidebar all year long, but I really need to remember it this month!)

"A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do." (Julie B. Beck) My heart does yearn to do more than I can physically accomplish, and I need to accept that.

The key, and my goal for this month, (as it has been for a while) is to follow this counsel from President Uchtdorf: "Don't let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit." That will bring me closer to my Savior, and that's the best way to celebrate Christmas.

So, Michelle came downstairs this morning and asked where her little Twix bar was. Last year it would have been in drawer #1.

Unfortunately, poor Santa didn't make the cut when we were trying to pare down this summer.

A couple of weeks ago I tried finding our old advent calendar (the one I had put away to "fix" because the ornaments kept falling off). I figured we could use that this year to hold her little candies. I couldn't find it, so I'm assuming it didn't make the cut either. I may never know if the tip I found (to use sandpaper on the back of the felt) would have worked.

So, I had to come up with another plan. And a simple one! This puzzle/activity countdown came from the December 2000 Friend. I had grand plans to make a stocking garland to put the little pieces in, and I still may, but right now it's just sitting on the counter. And that will have to do. It's already brought joy and happiness to us this morning which is the whole point, right?

So, enjoy the first day of December, whether it includes Twix bars or not.

Michelle did say that Ghiradelli squares - which she noticed are on sale at Costco now - would be an acceptable substitute. We'll see!

Thanksgiving Trip

2011-11-28T07:10:00.004-05:00

Last year, we had to take a break from our traditional trip to Virginia for Thanksgiving because we needed the vacation days to lay tile and get our house ready to sell. We were grateful to restore the tradition this year.

The temperature dropped a bit as we headed north, but that just made it seem more "autumn-y." Despite the seemingly dreariness and starkness, the scenery was still breathtakingly beautiful. Don't we live in a beautiful world?

Wayne doesn't like to be idle, even on vacation, so he asked Dad if there was a project he could do. The answer was yes. As soon as we arrived, he got busy!

The new door is a vast improvement over the old door. (Note to builders: Don't use an interior day on a shed where it rains and snows; it results in warping and other damage.)

Grandpa decided he could use a couple of shelves in the laundry room, and these shoe shelves were the perfect solution, because he wanted to be able to move them around. Isn't it nice that Michelle's already an expert at putting them together? Holly has perfected the role of supervisor!

Holly also demonstrated her "amusement park ride" contraption. Wouldn't you like to get a swinging ride every time you went to bed? (Actually, I'm very grateful that I can crawl into bed all by myself, but I marvel at the technology that is available to help those who can't.)

On this trip, 1) Michelle helped Grandma update her Facebook "friends" list, 2) we played a few different games, 3) Michelle drove on the freeway with Dad as a passenger for the very first time, 4) Holly did some cooking, and 5) the men moved the freezer to make the ice cream more easily accessible.

Because my parents have never tried deep-fried turkey, we decided to haul the turkey fryer north and share that delicacy. It was delicious. Once again, Holly did a great job of supervising!

Our "Black Friday" tradition doesn't include shopping, it involves hiking. So, Dad dropped us off at Foster Falls and picked us up at Buck Dam, and we enjoyed 10.7 miles of the beautiful New River Trail. The weather cooperated and we didn't have to bundle up in hats and coats and scarves as in previous years.

This trail follows an abandoned railroad, and along the way we saw a few interesting things, including a tunnel, some abandoned mines, an old "shot tower" (where the made musket balls or something), and a poor mannequin that rode his bike into a bale of hay. We even passed 55 people (not quite the crowds of the malls, but still quite a few people), a deer, a rabbit, a squirrel, a few dogs and horses, and a flock of wild turkeys.

There's one of them flying off into the sky.

We had a beautiful trip, and hope you had a wonderful holiday as well. We are so blessed.

Last Minute Thanksgiving Decorations

2011-11-23T06:15:00.002-05:00

We're off visiting family for the holiday, but I wanted to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

And just in case you're looking for a VERY simple decoration, I have an idea for you. I'm sure I got inspired from looking at pictures on the internet, but this is my variation. Take a votive glass (or really any glass dish or bowl) and fill it with raw popcorn kernels (or dried beans). Tuck in a candle and there you go! If I had had a ribbon that matched, I would have tied one on, but I didn't. Quick and easy!This one takes just a bit of time, but not too much, and then it lasts year after year. Cut two turkey heads out of brown felt and sew them together. Attach the eyes and wattle and slip over a pineapple. Then, when Thanksgiving is over, you can eat the pineapple and imagine your son enjoying his Thanksgiving pie at the beach in Hawaii!

WFMW - Food Chain

2011-11-16T19:11:00.005-05:00

Works for Me Wednesday

Food Chain

I wrote about this idea a while ago (see here), but we had another round of "recycling mistakes" and my husband came up with a much nicer name. So, I figured it was time to share again. He called it "Food Chain" because I took something from one meal and it evolved into something entirely different for the next. He wondered if it was possible to keep it going for 365 days! I don't think so, but now maybe I'll keep track.

Last time it was under-cooked toffee that went into cookies that in turn became part of a pie crust. This week it was stuffing (which really wasn't a mistake at all) that became part of a stuffing casserole (see here).

This is actually a pretty regular occurrence. The next night was a 3-stage food chain:

Peach sauce over whole chicken breasts with rice on the side
Some pre-cooked chicken from the freezer mixed with the leftover peach sauce, again served over rice
The rice and sauce combined with some stir-fry vegetables for quick and easy Fried Rice

Not wasting food Works for Me!

Productive Saturday

2011-11-14T09:24:00.004-05:00

The very first thing I noticed about this house, while waiting for our realtor to unlock the door, was the broken/missing brick at the front door threshold. So, it's been bugging me for almost a year. However, once we actually owned the house, there were other things that needed attention and the broken brick wasn't a top priority. When it finally made it to the top of the list, I figured it would be a fairly easy repair - take out the old one and put in a new one. That's actually all it really needed. However, FINDING a replacement one was a hard work. Apparently thin brick pavers aren't a highly sought-after commodity. We couldn't even find an internet source.

The problem was finally solved when we attended a home show at the fairgrounds and a landscape architect there mentioned a supplier in Pompano Beach. So, after a few phone calls, a drive of an hour each way, and $30, we had our two replacement bricks. (Well, actually, we had 30 replacement bricks, because the minimum order was $30 and they only cost a dollar each.) Since we had to choose from their "loose" piles, the colors weren't perfect, but that's okay. It looks 100% better, don't you think?

Before:
During:After:Since the brick project didn't take all day, there was time for a picnic at the park -
as well as time to go shopping for our bedroom ceiling fan. We even got someone else to install it. (Amazing! but it was included in the price). We probably won't be using it too much until next summer, but now at least we're prepared for the hot weather to return.

So, we got several things checked off the to-do list on Saturday, and that's always a great feeling.

Fun Group Games

2011-11-09T09:49:00.004-05:00

I really enjoyed our Relief Society activity last night. It was the perfect mix of giving and receiving, with a nice balance between fun activities and spiritual feasting.

Anyway, I thought I'd share what we did just in case you're looking for some good ideas. The theme was "Gifts of the Savior" and the evening started with our Relief Society president sharing some thoughts on the subject. Then we played "Choose Your Side" which I thought was the perfect way to get to know new friends. Many of you are probably familiar with it, but I'd never heard of it before. Basically you're to choose one of two options; option one is on one side of the room and option two is on the other. You just stand as a group and share why you picked that option. After a couple of minutes, a new category is given. Here were some of our choices:

Do you prefer your Christmas (A) cold and snowy or (B) hot and sunny?
Do you have (A) turkey/ham or (B) something else for your big Christmas dinner?
Would you rather have just (A) the main meal or (B) the dessert?
Can you keep the gifts you're giving a secret? (A) yes or (B) no

There were a few more but that's all I can remember now. The next activity involved dividing into two equal groups. The first group formed a circle facing outward and the second group formed a circle around them facing inward. (Basically, we paired up in a circle.) We took a couple of minutes to share a family tradition that brings Christ into Christmas. Then the outer circle moved to the next person, and we repeated that a few times.

I was just thinking that these would be great seminary activities to help wake teenagers up in the morning. The choice of questions and ideas to share is endless!! Also, feel free to comment on what you'd answer, or what you think my answers would have been. I'll be sure to let you know if you're correct!

The next activity was to pair up with the person you knew the least and exchange gifts. (We had been asked to bring a nice, White Elephant type gift with us.) That was a brilliant way to pair up because we all got to make a new friend. And it didn't take nearly as long as the typical group gift exchange games do.

We ended by having a few sisters speak on specific gifts of the Savior (peace, example, guidance, and love) and visiting once again while nibbling on fresh fruit and nut bread. It was a great evening. The only thing that would have made it better is if YOU had been there!

November = Thanksgiving

2011-11-07T09:13:00.004-05:00

Last year in November I did a daily post of something for which I was grateful. Since this year I wanted to do something different, yet I'm still grateful for the same things, I figured I'd just post a link to those here: 2010 "Attitude of Gratitude" posts.

This year I'm doing the daily posting over on my other blog - Whisperings of the Spirit. I was prompted to compile 30 verses from the Book of Mormon that deal with giving thanks, so each day I'm expanding just a little on one of them. Here are the first seven:

This has really been an enjoyable little scripture study activity. I love the way that gratitude and worship are intertwined. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year!

The Magical World of PBC

2011-11-04T07:29:00.004-04:00

Homecoming Spirit Week at Palm Beach CentralMonday - Inner Child Day
Tuesday - Tacky Tourist Day
Wednesday - Class Theme Day (Peter Pan)
Thursday - Disney Character Day
Friday - Bronco Spirit Day

Can you believe the only thing we had to buy was a new black shirt (on sale at JoAnn for less than $3) and the helium balloons? Actually we have balloons, just no helium tank. There are some advantages to being the youngest with 25 years of "collecting" at your disposal!

And, just in case it's been a while since you've seen the pictures, here are the posts from previous years: Spirit Week 2010 2008. It's kind of fun when "Halloween" lasts more than just one day!

How things turned out -

2011-10-31T07:53:00.003-04:00

Spanish Corn Chowder - enough to last for a week! (and the perfect Halloween supper)
The garage is finished! There's room for a workbench, lawn mower, garden tools, hurricane panels, freezer, food storage boxes AND two cars, but, admittedly, not a lot of room for walking between everything.
"My room feels like 'me' now!"
Fun as "Boo" at the stake Halloween dance.

Shopping is Exhausting!

2011-10-21T16:49:00.003-04:00

But it is a lot more enjoyable with someone along to keep you company!

Candy for the trick-or-treaters - check!
Pumpkins for the porch - check!
Supplies for a costume - check!
Won't she be adorable? I think I'm beginning to get a little excited about Halloween after all. Have a wonderful week preparing!

Oh, and we even got a couple of Christmas presents - BONUS!!

Time for a Quick Update

2011-10-07T08:34:00.007-04:00

he past week has been nice and uneventful, my favorite type of week. The view out the back window is still breathtaking, and we're just fine with the snow staying in Utah.We took a picnic lunch to the neighborhood park in between conference sessions last Saturday. The only table was inside the dog-park fence - a little out of my comfort zone - but everything was fine and we had a great little break.For the first time ever (if I'm recalling correctly), all the boys got to go to the Priesthood session of conference together. They knew I'd want a picture of this historic event. Thanks Cody!We're still trying new recipes. Wayne made Collard Green Soup and we tried some bread from the book Elizabeth told us about. It would have helped if I'd read the "Day 2" instructions earlier in the day (let's just say the rising times were off) but it was still delicious. And there was plenty of extra dough to make a yummy pizza later.And, finally, all of the items on the garage workbench are hanging on the wall. There are even some empty peg hooks! Now it's time to open the next box and figure out what to do with it.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

The Never-Ending To-Do List

2011-10-06T05:06:00.000-04:00

As I started writing this title, a similar one popped up. I guess that just goes to show that having a never-ending to-do list is nothing new. It's comforting to know that items do eventually get crossed off. And maybe someday they'll get crossed off faster than new ones get added! (I'm not holding my breath for that magic day!!) To help keep me accountable, I figured I would post that infamous list. I can always delete it, right?

Make this list
Clear off the kitchen desk
Fix tab on Michelle's valance
Complete baby afghan
Hang the pedigree chart
Hang pictures in kids' bathroom
Hang "Finishers Wanted" plaque
Replace the broken brick
Use up the rest of the "reject" toffee
Attach gate transponder to car window
Attach gate transponder to van window
Find "Sirius" list and put in car
Get my hair cut
Complete 50th anniversary book
Frame completed cross-stitch projects (lots and lots)
Finish Personal Progress
Compile list of unfinished craft projects (then work on them)
Clean up email folders
Clean up "My Pictures" folder
Test/check sprinkler system
Send care packages to boys
Get rid of duplicate hex drivers
Get a new can of rice out of the food storage pile
Buy replacement strike plates for the doors (count them first)
Replace sliding mechanism on double door
Repair sink drain plug
Re-grout master shower
Find unusual hinges for front door replacement
Purchase and hang ceiling fan for master bedroom
Do something with all the boys' trophies
Update the emergency binder
Clean the blinds
Plan Christmas
Find a piano tuner
Find a trustworthy auto mechanic
Find a new dentist
Follow through on ordering key for laundry room cabinet
Follow through on new high school receiving Michelle's official transcript (before she needs them for her college application)
Trip to Goodwill
Figure out what to do with "extra" workbench shelves
Empty two boxes of music (means re-organizing the music cupboard)
Etc. (not even going to think about the boxes in the boys' rooms yet, or new living room furniture, or replacing the vertical blinds, or planting a garden, or . . . .)

If your list isn't as long, you can feel lucky. If yours is just as long, you can know you have company. If yours is longer, you have my sympathy!

One Wednesday I paused before the elegant show window of a prestigious furniture store. My eyes rested on a small sign that had been placed at the bottom right-hand corner of the window. Its message was brief: “FINISHERS WANTED.” The store had need of those persons who possessed the talent and the skill to make ready for final sale the expensive furniture the firm manufactured and sold. “Finishers Wanted.” The words remained with me as I returned to the pressing activities of the day. In life, as in business, there has always been a need for those persons who could be called finishers. Their ranks are few, their opportunities many, their contributions great. From the very beginning to the present time, a fundamental question remains to be answered by each who runs the race of life. Shall I falter, or shall I finish? On the answer await the blessings of joy and happiness here in mortality and eternal life in the world to come. --Thomas S. Monson

WFMW - Finishers Wanted

2011-10-05T08:23:00.005-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday

"Finishers Wanted"

In 2009 I had the goal to at least once a month finish something on the never-ending to-do list. I've felt the need lately to resurrect that goal, so this month we're starting again! I'm not even waiting for the new year (see this post which provided some motivation)! And I really need to make it a weekly goal, not a monthly one. Most of these tasks should take just a couple of minutes, and even those that take longer have intermediate "finishing" spots. It's really just a matter of taking the time to do them!

For example, we repainted the house this summer. After replacing the light switch covers, we noticed a half dozen that didn't quite cover the opening that had been cut out. So, for a couple of months I've had that "finishing" project on my list. I think part of the reason I procrastinated was that the job required a series of little steps (including getting out the ladder to reach a top storage shelf) with waiting time in between each one. This week I finally

got out the ladder to reach the joint compound
unscrewed the necessary light switch plates
puttied around the openings
got out the wood putty to fix a crack in some molding
waited a day for it to dry (and even put the joint compound back on the shelf!)
sanded everything
got out the ladder again to reach the primer
primed everything
did the regular errands while that dried
got out the ladder again to reach the paint
painted all the spots (six different colors, which meant washing the brush multiple times)
hauled out the vacuum to clean up all the sanding dust (which should have been done after the sanding, but oh, well)
waited for everything to dry again
screwed the light switch plates back in place
lost one screw so the job still wasn't finished!
found a replacement screw (actually Wayne did) so now it's done!!

I'm noticing that tasks that require getting out a ladder have a hard time making it to the top of the list! For example, last week as part of cleaning out the computer room I made a little pile of things that belong on the top shelf of one of the kitchen cupboards. The pile is still there. So, as soon as I'm done with this (and maybe even before!), I'll grab the step-stool and put them away properly.

How many "little things" do you discover that need to be finished? We bought Michelle's valance rod in August, made the valance last month, and also ordered her blinds. Once those come in we'll hang everything. However, she noticed yesterday that there's a small section that needs to be re-sewn. Another little thing to finish!

I finally went through and unpacked all the boxes with things the movers took off our walls. Now I need to decide what to do with all the pictures. We finally figured this would be a good wall for the circle pedigree chart. That was a couple of weeks ago. How long should it take to get a hammer and a couple of nails to get it hung?
Some things will definitely get finished, because they're fun to do! Here's the afghan I started so I'd have something to do while listening to conference and waiting for Michelle during seminary. Don't be surprised if it's completed before any of these other things!

Now that the switchplates are taken care of, replacing the broken brick at the front door is on the top of the "finish this" list. It's another multi-step project, and the first step is actually finding the replacement bricks. It would be easy (and already finished!) if Home Depot carried them, but they don't. Time to do some research!

Can you see that this list is just getting longer and longer and more overwhelming? No wonder nothing gets done! However, I'm trying to remember that Benjamin Franklin's wise saying, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" doesn't apply to everything. I shouldn't just "make do" when I have the resources to fix the problem correctly. And I also can't use the saying "A mother's work is never done" to rationalize not completing little chores. Yes, someone will inevitably track dirt over a clean floor or toss some dirty clothes into the hamper, yet I still need to mop the floors and do the laundry on a regular basis. I can definitely call certain things "done for now" and I need to do that daily.

There's my beautiful "Finishers Wanted" reminder plaque - hiding under another unfinished project (a baby quilt all cut out and ready to be tied) in the closet. I promise that it will be hanging up somewhere before the end of this week to remind me of my goal to not just start projects and tasks, but to finish them! Stay tuned to see what happens :)

P.S. If you're looking for ideas for projects to start so that you can finish them, you'll find a lot over at Works for Me Wednesday!

General Conference October 2011

2011-10-03T08:06:00.003-04:00

Remember the post just before this one? It's time to review another general conference, and once again it was awe-inspiring and wonderful. There are SO many things I want to do better. How about you? I'm going to post my answers over on my other blog, but here's a hint as to what one of my favorite talks was:

An Idea for General Conference

2011-09-30T06:33:00.000-04:00

Last April I discovered the "General Conference Book Club" and I've loved participating in it for the past six months. Now that we're preparing for a new round of studying the conference talks, some of you might enjoy participating as well. It's a great way to keep the messages of conference fresh in our minds until the next one comes along. And because it's supposed to be fun and enjoyable, along with uplifting and motivational, I'm going to be looking for answers to the following questionnaire as I listen this weekend. Feel free to join us!

(Oh, and I'm adding one more question, in honor of my cousin and her Primary - How many speakers wore red ties?)

This is a fun idea to let us all share our personal highlights from General Conference. A meme is a questionnaire of sorts that is a little bit “viral”– it gets passed around among several people online. Stephanie from Diapers and Divinity teamed up with Lesa from Notes about Music to create eleven questions that might help you pay more attention and learn more from both the music and the spoken words at conference.
Okay, so… instructions. Look for answers during conference (obviously, there are no “right” answers – this is all about your personal experience and thoughts.). When conference is over, post all your questions and answers on your own blog, at your leisure. Anytime after Sunday afternoon/evening, either go to Lesa’s blog or Stephanie's blog, and you will find some fancy-linky-collector-thing where you can share the link to your blog post. Then we can all read what you had to say and just have a big post-conference testimony-and-goals fest. I really hope that made sense. Without further ado, here is the meme:

General Conference Highlights, October 2011

1. Who were your three favorite speakers?

2. Which talk spoke to you the most?

3. What was your favorite Hymn and why did it move you?

4. Which speaker was the best dressed? (Come on, we can have a little fun.)

5. Were there any topics that you felt like were repeated often? Any conference “themes”?

6. Share a few of your favorite quotes from any of the talks (paraphrasing is fine).

7. Name something(s) that made you smile or laugh during conference.

8. Was there any evidence that your children paid attention?

9. What doctrine did you learn as you listened to the choir(s) sing?

10. Did the music enhance your General Conference experience? How?

11. What are some of your post-conference goals?

Preparing for Conference

2011-09-28T08:25:00.001-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday

Preparing in Advance

It's hard to believe we've been "moved" for three months now. One room that hasn't received a lot of attention was the computer room. Here's what it looked like on moving day:

In the weeks since then, it's been kind of a catch-all room and the boxes were just getting piled higher and higher. I realized on Sunday that it would NOT be a very peaceful room to sit in for 8 hours watching conference next weekend, so my goal this week was to make it feel more serene.

I still have some more things to do, but at least now we don't have to walk around a maze of boxes and the three of us will be able to sit comfortably while we watch conference on the computer. (Next time we hope to be able to get it in our family room with the really comfortable chairs!)

While making our physical space ready is important, even more important is preparing our minds and hearts to receive God's word. We're doing that through our individual and family prayers and study. A good place to start is President Uchtdorf's message here. We'll always be grateful to a home teacher who shared basically the same message years ago; it's really helped conference be more meaningful. We love general conference and I'm grateful our children do too.

We'll be content with just some note paper and M&M's, but if your kids aren't quite at that point yet, there are a LOT of ideas around to help make this weekend more enjoyable for you and them. My favorite is my cousin's "conference boats" but here are a few more:

"I Spy the Prophet" Spyglass

General Conference Treasure Box

"Something for every session"

Conference Store

Candy Lei Countdown

Stephanie's ideas - with links to conference packets

Being LDS link party

Redheaded Hostess link party

Ensign article

Preparing in advance, which includes helping your family get excited about something important - whether a meeting or an anniversary or the first day of school or whatever - works for me.

It's a good thing they have their own laundry rooms!

2011-09-25T07:55:00.002-04:00

How half our children spent their Saturday morning -- Successful families are built upon gospel principles. I guess "wholesome recreational activities" can include some mud. Mud or no mud, making memories is the key!

(Thanks Linda for taking pictures for us. For more information about the Dirty Dash event, go here.)

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

2011-09-23T04:20:00.000-04:00

Sixteen years ago today, President Hinckley presented "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" during the Relief Society broadcast. I'm so thankful he did. It's an amazing and prophetic document.

1985

I think two of the phrases that have stuck out to me over the years are "marriage between a man and a woman" and "gender is an essential characteristic." I remember thinking, "That's so obvious; why would it be included?" However, in today's society, those aren't obvious truths. Satan is working overtime to confuse people and it seems like he's succeeding. I'm grateful we have prophets on the watchtowers who warn us to be prepared for Satan's attacks.

1997

The proclamation was also confirmation that my husband and I were heading in the right direction. That's extremely comforting. One of the phrases in my patriarchal blessing mentioned always having love and unity and harmony in my home. Being aware of D&C 130:20-21, which states that any blessing we receive from God is predicated upon keeping the corresponding law, I knew that if I wanted the blessings of love and unity and harmony, there were certain things I'd need to do first - things like get married in the right place at the right time to the right person, keep the commandments and live worthy of the Spirit's guidance, teach my children so they would want to do the same, (doing the little things over and over like personal prayer, family prayer, and family home evening), etc. etc. etc. All of these principles are stated in the Family Proclamation. There IS love and unity and harmony in our home and that is an incredible blessing. It's an even greater blessing to see our sons use these principles to establish their own families and homes built on a foundation of Jesus Christ and his gospel.

2011 - the Utah kids and grandkids

None of these truths were new when President Hinckley presented the proclamation, but it's been wonderful having these doctrines all in one place. And I love that it's for the whole world. Families are important. Families are eternal.

In honor of this anniversary,

Cocoa from Chocolate on my Cranium,

Jaime from Welcome to the Madness,

Shannon from The Redheaded Hostess and

Jocelyn from We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ

have hosted a special celebration over the past two weeks featuring blog posts and link ups to spread the word that “the family is ordained of God” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Visiting these various sites is definitely time well spent. But even better would be putting into practice in your own family some of their wonderful suggestions.

Have a wonderful day enjoying your eternal family!

Using Waiting Time Productively

2011-09-21T09:08:00.000-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday

Productive Waiting Time

Maybe it's because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I actually enjoy the time I have waiting in the car for one of the kids. It gives me an opportunity to do some things that probably wouldn't get done if I were at home. Here are ideas for some things you might try if you're a typical mother/chauffeur with periods of waiting around in your daily schedule.

Read

There's a reason this is first on the list. I don't normally feel like I have time to just sit and read, so long ago I made it a habit to have something available for the inevitable waits. It doesn't really matter what it is. In the past couple of weeks I've read magazines, scriptures, coupon inserts, the occasional novel, and skimmed "the school-required reading books" so I know what they're being taught.

Write

Sitting in the car for a few minutes is a great time to plan the week's menu, prepare the shopping list, or write a quick note to send to a friend. On occasion, I've even used this time to write in my journal, or plan a blog post.

Sleep

Nothing wrong with taking a short nap!

Handwork

If I plan ahead, I can bring along a crochet or cross-stitch project to work on while I'm waiting. Those little bits of time eventually add up to a finished project.

Talk

I don't really do this often, because I'm not a regular cell phone user, but I imagine a lot of you use your waiting time this way and I think it's a great idea.

Family History

This doesn't really work in the car, although it could if you had a phone with internet access. However, some of my waiting takes place at the church (during Mutual) or at the library (next to our old high school) and that gives me time to work on family history. I loved, loved, loved the times I had to wait for an after-school practice to be over because I actually made progress in finding new family members.

Errands

Sometimes there's time to do a quick errand after dropping someone off for an activity, especially when it's not practical to return home before picking them up. Depending upon the time of day, and location of the activity, this could be the perfect time to run to the cleaners or the post office or the grocery store or to drop off a treat for a friend.

What do you do when you have to wait for something? What will I do when Michelle finally gets the hang of driving (she's just about there!) and I don't have to be chauffeur any more??

Remember that there are a lot more ideas of things that "work for me" over on Kristen's website!

FHE Lessons from the Family Proclamation

2011-09-19T06:07:00.002-04:00

It's another "Celebrate Family 2011" blog hop - this time with ideas for FHE lessons relating to the Family Proclamation. There are some wonderful suggestions, so if you're looking for new ideas for family night lessons (and I am constantly), I'm sure you'll find something that you can adapt. Have fun surfing!Here are the ideas from the four blogs sponsoring the party:

Plan of Salvation

Trivial Pursuit
Series of Lessons

Memorizing the Proclamation

Here are a few posts of family nights we've done in the past that relate to principles taught in The Family: A Proclamation to the World:
Repentance and the Atonement

Service in the Family

Serving Others as a Family

Building a Happy Home

Finally, while cleaning out the closets this summer I came across a little pamphlet that one of the boys brought home from his mission. It was something that the Murray Utah South Stake put together about 10 years ago - a series of ten family night lessons taken from the Proclamation. I've been wanting to go through it and adapt it for our family, and eventually I'll do that (probably on my Whisperings of the Spirit blog), but it needs to wait for the proper season. Each lesson contains hymn suggestions, scriptures, Ensign articles, quotes from general authorities and/or discussion questions. I'm looking forward to taking the time to study them. However, for those of you who want to do your own study now, here are the ten subjects:

Marriage is Ordained of God
Divine Nature
The Plan of Salvation and Happiness
God's Plan for Parenthood
The Sanctity of Life
The Responsibilities of Parents
Finding Happiness in Family Life
The Roles of Fathers and Mothers
Why We Must Fulfill Our Responsibilities
Promoting Measures that Strengthen the Family

One of the references used repeatedly is a talk that President Henry B. Eyring gave soon after the proclamation was given. (It can be found in the February 1998 Ensign.) I loved these thoughts:

The title of the proclamation on the family reads: “The Family: A Proclamation to the World—The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Three things about the title are worth our careful reflection. First, the subject: the family. Second, the audience, which is the whole world. And third, those proclaiming it are those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators. All this means that the family must be of tremendous importance to us, that whatever the proclamation says could help anyone in the world, and that the proclamation fits the Lord’s promise when he said, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38).

This is truly an inspired document, and definitely worthy of a few family night lessons. Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas. And have fun teaching and enjoying and loving your families.

The Birthday Celebration

2011-09-18T19:21:00.002-04:00

Saturday birthdays can be a lot more fun than Wednesday birthdays. Just ask Wayne. Instead of spending the day doing projects around the house, we decided to go to the beach. Our beaches face east, so sunrises are prettier than sunsets. And even though it meant getting up at 5 AM, Birthday Girl was okay with having a breakfast picnic instead of a dinner one. (Good thing, because stake conference and babysitting were on the evening calendar. Besides, since the seminary alarm goes off at 4:30, she still got to sleep in!) Nature cooperated and provided the clouds for a gorgeous sunrise, which we enjoyed while eating donuts and chocolate milk. Simple is good.Then there was time for some exploring and swimming and reading and relaxing before those beautiful fluffy white clouds decided to turn into ominous gray rain clouds. We got soaking wet before everything was loaded in the car, but that just turns an ordinary outing into a memorable adventure!At home it was time for presents and cake. Unfortunately, Princess really doesn't care for cake (a trait she inherited from her dad). Fortunately, we discovered a few years ago that cream puffs make excellent candle holders, because you still need to blow out candles on your birthday, even if all your brothers have left home and the birthday chorus has diminished in volume.

We hope she had a wonderful birthday! We're definitely going to enjoy the next year. We love you Michelle!!!

It's Her "Golden" Birthday!

2011-09-17T05:55:00.001-04:00

It's the 17th and she's turning 17. How did the time fly by so quickly? It was just yesterday that she was a newborn!

And now she's all grown up!

With a wonderful personality to boot!

Happy Birthday to Michelle!

I had grand plans to write a beautiful post in her honor, but instead we're actually celebrating her birthday! If you want more pictures, here are the past birthday posts: #14, #15, #16

A Sneak Peak

2011-09-15T10:38:00.011-04:00

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this month. I've been working on a project to honor them, and today as part of the "Celebration on the Family" (where the link-party is photo essays relating to The Family: A Proclamation to the World") you get a sneak peak at all the wonderful photos I've been discovering. Enjoy!

And don't forget to follow the links at the bottom to see what others have posted. Families are wonderful!

The quotes from the proclamation are out of sequence because I wanted the pictures to stay in chronological order.

"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God."

"Spirit sons and daughters . . . accepted [God's] plan by which His children could obtain a physical body . . .

and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection . . .

and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life."

"We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force."

"Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of . . . work . . . "

"and wholesome recreational activities."

"Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

"Extended families should lend support when needed."

"In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

"The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave."

"All human beings - male and female - are created in the image of God."

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness . . .

and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families."

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other."

The wonderful ladies hosting "Celebration of the Family"-

We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ

The Redheaded Hostess

Welcome to the Madness

Chocolate on my Cranium

Family Mission Statement

2011-09-12T08:07:00.004-04:00

Last week I came across some blog posts on "Celebrating the Family." Since this is a subject near and dear to my heart, I'm looking forward to reading what will be written, and participating myself. Today's subject is family mission statements. Sue gives an excellent example of how to write one here. And I can attest to the value of mission statements. Almost 25 years ago Wayne and I wrote personal ones and I still go back and look at mine on a regular basis. One of the things that makes it so valuable is it doesn't change; what was important to me then is still important to me now.

While we never officially sat down to write a family mission statement we did purposefully come up with a family motto, and I think it has done a marvelous job in helping us be successful in achieving our common family goals. Here's the story of how that happened (a repost from a couple of years ago):

Memorable Monday Moments
Family Motto

This weekend Wayne was assigned to give a talk on reverence and respect. That reminded him of one of our "memorable family nights." As he remembers it, the suggested family night lesson was to come up with a family motto. The kids were young (I'm thinking the oldest was about 8) so we wanted something short and easy to remember, and after much discussion we decided on "Show Respect". At that time we just posted it on a paper on the fridge, but several years later we made a wall hanging that was a bit more permanent.It's interesting, but I remember coming up with "show respect" a bit differently. I thought the idea for that early family night lesson was to come up with some family rules. The same parameters were in place - the rules needed to be short, simple, and easy to understand. We also wanted them to be positive affirmations instead of a list of don'ts, and we didn't want to have a giant list of rules. Sounds like a tall order! We talked about how we needed to obey Mom and Dad, we needed to be kind to brothers, we needed to keep our rooms clean and help with chores, etc. And we figured that that one phrase - Show Respect - covered all those things. Then later, one of the kids had a kindergarten assignment to make a family coat of arms which included a family motto. At that family night we decided our one family rule equaled our family motto.

It really doesn't matter whose version is correct. The important thing is we have a family motto and it really works!

Here are links to the blogs that are hosting this celebration. All of them share great ideas that will help you have the best family ever!

Chocolate on My Cranium

The Redheaded Hostess

Welcome to the Madness

We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ

A Quick Trip

2011-09-09T13:12:00.004-04:00

Just like Megan, I have way too many pictures that need organizing, but there was a little bit of time today to at least upload some of them, so now you can all have a taste of our quick weekend trip to Virginia.
First on the agenda was replacing a kitchen table, with one that would fit a wheelchair. The new "counter top" tables are perfect for that, and a nice bonus was swivel chairs for those that don't need wheelchairs! It's perfect for both game playing and eating breakfast.
Next was a trip to the local flea market. Michelle and Nicole had fun looking at all the fun trinkets, and we had fun watching them. They even each found something they wanted, and got a special surprise for Aunt Holly as well.
The purpose of our quick trip was to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, so we did that by going out to dinner. Any place that decorates the plates, and stands the cake on end, is "fancy" and we had a wonderful time, although we did miss the brothers and sisters (and grandchildren) who lived too far away come. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. Thanks for being a wonderful example to all of us. (And thank you, Louise, for being a terrific hostess!)
Finally, just for fun, we hit the milestone of 55,555.5 miles on the truck on the way home! (The brothers may be wondering why we didn't take the car. It hasn't reached 1,000 miles yet, so is not ready for extended freeway driving. Hopefully it will be by Thanksgiving, because that truck is NOT comfortable when you're sitting in it for 13 hours!)
We hope your Labor Day weekend was as much fun as ours was!

Our LAST "First Day of School"

2011-08-22T08:26:00.004-04:00

(because college doesn't really count - that's for adults!)

Ready to leave for seminary.Glad she didn't have to navigate the horrendous traffic with multiple cars stuck in the intersection. At least there was a pretty sunrise to enjoy during the 20 minutes it took to go the last half mile!
Have a wonderful year making a difference at your new high school!

(And for those of you who noticed the different shirt, this was taken at orientation; I've been around long enough to know that parents aren't necessarily welcome on campus on a teenager's first day of school.)

The Never-Ending List of Projects

2011-08-08T14:16:00.004-04:00

Didn't we just do this?

Yes, but we have to do the other side.

All moved over once again.

Now we can clean

And then paint.

While it cures, there are inside projects that want attention, like replacing all the door hinges.

And installing a speaker shelf.

But look at this - eventually you reach the point where the project can be called completed!!

Thank you Hard Workers!

Corners

2011-08-01T20:01:00.006-04:00

Memorable Monday Moments

Tonight's family night lesson came straight out of the FHE Resource Manual - "Avoiding Putting Children in Corners" - although we did tweak it a bit because I was afraid reading it straight through would be a bit boring. And I think we were successful. First we had a little action with "killer whale" trying to capture and eat "happy feet penguin" in their small ocean (the piano bench).

We also turned the examples given in the manual into little role plays, and they were acted out quite realistically. As mentioned before, we're slowly going through the section in the manual titled "Making Your Family Home Evenings Successful." We figured these contained good skills for our children to learn before they became parents. I'm glad we're reviewing these principles as well. Family Home Evening really is a lot of fun, no matter what you do!

Last Week's Projects

2011-07-29T08:14:00.005-04:00

Remember there's a good reason to have kids; it's so they can do all of the hard work for you. We've been taking full advantage of having a couple of unemployed college-age sons at home this summer. Last week they finished painting the daunting entry and stairwell.

While they were busy with that, Michelle prepped for Trek 2011 Round Two. (And she had a great time!)There was also some time last week before she left to make a little progress on her closet shelving. The supports and top shelf were installed.
Another project was replacing the mismatched front door knob, which meant repainting the door as well.Another several-day project was preparing the front yard for a new layer of mulch. That's hard work in the heat! But it looks so much nicer now.
Finally we had time to start preparing for the next major project - fixing up and organizing the garage. First, everything had to be moved to one side and then Jeff pressure washed the floor. You already know that it got painted this week. Now we have to wait for it to cure so we can move everything and repeat the process on the other side. But that's NEXT week's project!Today we're heading to the outlet mall to see how much success we'll have in updating the wardrobes of these excellent workers in preparation for a new school year which is quickly approaching!

This Week's Other Projects

2011-07-29T07:29:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was filled with projects, but so have the other days of this week. Monday's projects were in the garage. The floor needed "etching" in preparation for new paint.And the walls needed some fresh paint as well. We even painted the odd cement pole and the base for the air handler. (We also want to cover up the drips on the side with a new coat of gray paint - any idea on what type to use on metal?)Then while we left Jeff home on Tuesday to paint that garage door (he did a terrific job) and do some other miscellaneous things, Michelle accompanied Steven to Brandon so he could mow the lawn and she could sit in an empty house.Wednesday's project was painting the garage floor, or at least half of it.This was a job that had to be done before the temperature reached 85° so we were finished early.That left some time to check the computer and find cute pictures like this one. Evelyn looks like her daddy in this pose!And this week we finally finished doing something with all of these boxes in the kitchen.

It looks much nicer now!

We'll see how long we can keep it looking like this.

Today in Paradise

2011-07-28T17:37:00.003-04:00

I love the view out our kitchen window!However, we didn't spend a lot of time looking at it today; it was another work day, and today's project was the kids' bathroom upstairs. It's amazing what a difference a bit of re-caulking and some new paint makes.Even though we were working hard, there was still time for napping and enjoying the computer, and we even took the opportunity to re-enact screwing in the closet shelf! (Michelle was in her room doing some touch-up painting and I had the camera handy, so she thought that would be a good idea.)And because we live in paradise, we had some special visitors today too.Now the day is done, and the bathroom is all nice and shiny - all ready for whoever wants to visit!

Were you observant and noticed this isn't the same bathroom as earlier in the post? I couldn't get a good picture (small spaces and weird angles) of today's project, but last week's project is still nice and shiny too!

Rudolph Day - Budget

2011-07-25T13:09:00.005-04:00

Once again it's time for Rudolph Day. There are a lot of different aspects to having a successful Christmas, but one of the most important is setting a budget. I know it's not very glamorous, but no one wants to be depressed in January when the bills come in. There's a lot to be said for planning ahead and living within your means. After all, if you search for "my best Christmas memories" the majority of the stories will be about the spirit of the season, of friends and family and relationships and service, not about material gifts and money.

We set up a fairly unique family budget, for both Christmas and birthday gift giving, and I figured it was time to share it. When we got married we were full-time students with extremely limited income, yet we still wanted to give gifts to our loved ones. So we came up with a formula that worked for us then and was meant to grow with us as our family and income grew.

I had it all explained, but Blogger ate it, and now it's late and I'm tired. Maybe someday soon I'll try again to explain it. In the meantime, just know that it's never too early to come up with your own Christmas budget. Here's a form from a site that I've found helpful in the past.

Have fun enjoying your summer, no matter how hot and humid it is, by dreaming of, and planning for, a wonderful Christmas in just a few months!

The Infamous Hat

2011-07-22T17:40:00.002-04:00

There are hundreds of pictures on the computer and still in the camera that could, and maybe even should, be posted here for others to enjoy. The time for that organizing project will come someday in the future. In the meantime, here's a little something so you know we're thinking of you. "I have a brilliant idea!"
"I'll take Grandpa's hat."
"Oh, no you won't. That's mine."
"Ah, but I want it and I'm cute, so I know you'll let me at least borrow it. Besides, you don't want to hear me scream!"
"I love my grandpa."

Friendshipping with Love

2011-07-18T04:56:00.000-04:00

Memorable Monday Moments:

Friendshipping with Love

(a Primary sharing time activity taken from the February 1986 Friend which we used for family night several times over the years - it's on my mind because our recent Relief Society lesson was on missionary work)

There's No Place Like Home -

2011-07-15T21:11:00.004-04:00

and one is definitely plenty!

Can you tell I ran out of pre-planned posts this week? So, instead of sharing memories from our first home (as opposed to an apartment), you get a couple of pictures showing what we've been up to at our current two houses.

The week we moved I noticed one of the lovely huge oak trees in the backyard wasn't green like all the others, but I didn't worry too much about it then. Guess what? The first piece of mail forwarded to our new address was a notice from the HOA that we needed to remove that dead tree. So, we went back, had someone cut it down, and then the boys hauled all 8,000 pounds of it to the dump.

Of course it's not enough to have only one major project per week! We've also spent time washing walls and painting the living room, dining room, entry, and halls. I'm so glad Jeff isn't afraid of climbing to the top of the ladder, because it definitely gives me the heebie-jeebies! I'm fine with staying on the ground and taking pictures.

There's still more painting and organizing to do, so I don't know when we'll get back on a regular posting schedule, but I hope you're all having great summer fun with your own choice of projects!

There's No Place Like Home - Riverdale

2011-07-08T07:14:00.001-04:00

When I planned these posts a month ago, I thought I'd be caught up enough with the moving process to elaborate more on the memories associated with these next couple of places. Wishful thinking!

Anyway, once we were expecting our third child, we decided it was time to look for a 3-bedroom apartment. We found one in a four-plex at the end of a cul-de-sac in Riverdale, Utah. You'll notice that it backed up to the freeway, really just a freeway entrance where I-84 and I-15 meet. That provided the setting for one of the more memorable adventures that occurred while we were living there (you'll need to ask Weston for details). We moved in December 1987, just in time to celebrate David's 3rd birthday. Brad was born a few months later, and Jeff a couple of years after that.You can imagine the fun we had with four little boys, and the many teaching opportunities that arose. Here Weston and David are cleaning up the mess after spilling the sugar canister, and learning how to change the water in the goldfish bowl. I can also remember Brad helping can apricots, Wayne buying his first drill so we could repair the hole in the wall (and put in a stronger door stop), stopping the flood in the bedroom because someone wanted to help water the back lawn, and helping Weston create a "one-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple, people-eater" costume. If I took more time, I could probably fill a whole book with great memories.

The hill in the vacant lot next door provided hours of entertainment for little boys, all year round. We loved our ward and our bishop and the opportunities we were given to serve.

After three years, the time was right to be done with apartment living and start looking for a home to buy, so we did. It was tough leaving all the friends we had made, though, and we'll never forget our wonderful experiences in Riverdale.

Favorite Summer Desserts

2011-07-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Favorite Summer Desserts

Time for the fourth in the series of favorite summer recipes! This one is desserts, particularly frozen desserts. We're thoroughly satisfied with a scoop of ice cream (or two or three!) or a popsicle, but sometimes we want something just a bit fancier, particularly for Sunday dinner. Here are a few of the ones that we'll have over and over: Ice Cream Cake

Candy Bar Pie

Peanut Butter Pie

I hope you enjoy trying these! We all love them, and pulling a "fancy" dessert from the freezer is definitely something that works for me. What's your favorite frozen dessert?

There's No Place Like Home - Ogden

2011-07-01T05:22:00.001-04:00

Flashback FridayOur next apartment was another townhome, this time near the mouth of Ogden Canyon. This one had three levels: an unfinished basement with the laundry hookups and plenty of room for little boys to expend energy in the cold of winter, the main level with a nice-sized kitchen and living room, and a couple of bedrooms on the top floor. Because we had learned our lesson about expensive electric heat, we tried to find something we liked with gas heating. It turned out that wasn't possible, but at least this place had controls in every room. There were times when we'd "live" just in the boys' bedroom. In the warm summer months we spent a lot of time outside on the grassy field, and even planted a small garden outside the kitchen patio. We lived here for a couple of years; it was the perfect place for our little family at that time.

Favorite Camping Meals

2011-06-29T05:48:00.002-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Favorite Summer Recipes #3

We love camping. And we love eating. Combine the two and we're in heaven! One of our favorite camping meals is foil dinners. It must be some other people's favorite as well, because this old post - Foil Dinners - has the greatest number of hits for this whole blog. You can read it to find out all of our "tricks" but I'll let you in now on the number one secret - paper towels!

We also love to cook with Dutch ovens (yes, sometimes more than one) while camping. Our most memorable experience with that was in Yosemite, when someone came up to our campsite and asked how we got pizza delivered. We didn't realize the aroma carried! But, alas, there is no pizza delivery in Yosemite, we made it ourselves in the Dutch oven. Go here to find out how we did it.

Some of our other favorite meals to cook in the Dutch oven are beef stew, chili, and chicken wings. On the grill we like hamburgers or pigs in blanket. And sometimes we want the ease of the Coleman stove; spaghetti or even top ramen taste better outdoors than they do at home!

Head on over to We are THAT Family to see if anyone else posts camping meal ideas. We're always looking for new suggestions. What are some of your favorites?

Rudolph Day - Rest and Relaxation

2011-06-25T05:25:00.001-04:00

I guess before I can start planning Christmas 2011, I need to finish wrapping up Christmas 2010! One of the extended family traditions is to forego presents and spend time together on a cruise every few years. It's a great tradition! However, this time our vacation was stuck between house-hunting trips so I never got around to posting the pictures. Now we're in the middle of the actual move, but thanks to Blogger's scheduling feature, you can still have a Rudolph Day post. We've discovered that a cruise truly is a vacation - no cooking, no cleaning, no interruptions, lots of reading and relaxing. I highly recommend it. And the scenery is gorgeous, a beautiful reminder of the wonderful world created just for us.

This time we stopped at Puerto Vallarta where we strolled along the beach/promenade and enjoyed looking at the variety of sculptures.

In Cabo San Lucas we took a water taxi to"the end of the world" and admired the beautiful rock formations while relaxing on the beach.

Don't forget the food! As usual, it was gorgeous and delicious, giving us the temptation to eat way too much. We tried to be sensible, but still had to increase the exercise time once we got home!

Of course the best part of the trip was spending time with family, and particularly my wonderful husband. Fortunately, you don't have to travel to exotic places for that to happen. I can enjoy the wonder and message of Christmas year-round in my own home. I hope you do too. Happy Rudolph Day!!

There's No Place Like Home - Clearfield

2011-06-24T05:19:00.002-04:00

Flashback FridayA couple of weeks before David was born, we moved to an apartment in Clearfield, Utah so Wayne could start work at IOMEGA. Because we didn't know whether we were having a boy or girl, we found a three bedroom townhome. The stairs to the second level were open and without a railing, which was a bit scary, but at least they were carpeted; fortunately, they didn't cause any emergency room incidents. Because the apartment had washer and dryer hookups, we were able to buy our own; it was great not having to make the trek to a laundromat with two babies. We learned the hard way that electric heat is expensive, so one of our not-so-memorable memories of this place is being cold! We were in a ward with lots of young families in their first homes; noticing the trials caused by home repairs and large mortgages helped convince us to wait a long time before buying our own first house. One other neat thing about living in Clearfield relates to family history; my mom was born in Clearfield and attending Clearfield High School before moving to California. She was baptized in the same building where we attended church each week. And as I'd do errands, I'd drive by my great-grandmother's house. However, in spite of those fond memories, we had a terrible landlord, so when our lease was up, we started looking for a new place. By this time Weston was two and David was standing and beginning to walk.

Favorite Summer Salads

2011-06-22T06:00:00.004-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Favorite Summer Salads

Summertime = Salads. Who wants to heat up the kitchen when it's already hot? A lot of our favorite salads don't really have recipes - like Chicken Caesar Salad, Taco Salad, and Chicken BLT Salad - but here are a couple that do:Spinach Tortellini Salad

Creamy Chicken Salad

Salads for dinner works for me! However, I'm always looking for new ideas. What are some of your favorite summer salads?

Our Eventful (Extended) Weekend

2011-06-19T20:04:00.007-04:00

We've had an eventful few days, and there's a lot that could be said, but I'll refrain and let the pictures do the talking.the first surprise at the airportpreparing the "welcome home" sign participating in trekexploring the beach while waiting for the next flight to arrivethe second surprise at the airporton the way to an honorable releaseeasing into life after a missionan early Father's Day surpriseone last hike in the Tampa areatrek is over - more reunions

saying good-bye to wonderful friends

Happy Father's Day!

a new elder in the family

I'm continually amazed at the number of red-letter days on our calendar; we are truly blessed. And there's still more to come. Stay tuned, but don't expect anything for a while, because the next big event includes lack of internet access for a while!

From the Mouths of Children

2011-06-19T05:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day!

While cleaning out the file drawer, I came across a booklet that the Primary kids put together for their dads in 1998. I thought you might enjoy remembering what was said! My dad really loves to

read

do what he loves to do

camp

go to Scouts

The best time I had with my dad was

on a two mile hike just me and him

the last time I went camping

when he tickled me

on a trip

My dad's favorite food is

artichokes

salad

everything

potatoes

My dad even let me

know that he wanted to name Jeff Poindexter

have fun

play Nintendo and GameBoy when my chores are done

have gum

The funniest thing I saw my do was

eat a whopper egg that was in his belly button

put a whopper in his belly button

make a funny face

My dad is sooo smart he even knows

my name

how to make a back yard

how to fix a car

A special thing my dad taught me was

how to swim

how to work hard

to read books

I can hardly wait to see what wonderful things your own children say about you!

Happy Father's Day!!!

There's No Place like Home - Provo #2

2011-06-17T17:13:00.001-04:00

Flashback Friday

After a year in downtown Provo, a spot in Wymount Terrace became available and we moved to 10B-574 in North Wymount in August 1983. Our apartment was on the top floor, up a flight of concrete steps, memorable because Weston fell down them once and I felt like an absolutely terrible mother for allowing that to happen. Another day, after a rainstorm, I remember letting him play happily in the puddle at the bottom; that got quite a few comments from our neighbors, but it's a fond memory.

Here Weston had his first birthday, took his first steps, and helped us with our homework. I guess the walls were thin, because I also remember his nightly crying bothering the neighbors. It's a good thing he eventually outgrew that. After a year living here, both Wayne and I graduated and it was time to move on just after Thanksgiving in 1984. Weston had a blast "helping" move by climbing in the empty cupboards!

Welcome Home!

2011-06-16T18:10:00.004-04:00

Another "Best Two Years of My Life" is history. Already we've had tidbits for Steven (get white flip-flops and something else I can't remember ) and we're learning the secret of how to always wash the dishes immediately (get a sink that only has hot water - you have 2 minutes before it becomes scalding). We're looking forward to a summer of story-telling and are going to enjoy the extra energy in our home!

Favorite Summer Beverages

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Favorite Summer Beverages

This is the first in a series of favorite summer recipes. When it gets hot, we get thirsty. One of our favorite things to fix is what we call "No Ice Cream Milk Shakes." I can't remember where I originally got the recipe, which you can find here, but it was years and years ago. This is something we have a lot! Give it a try; hopefully you'll like it too.Here's the recipe for Sherbet Punch, our staple for open house gatherings.

No pictures for the rest, but we also like either Root Beer Floats (everyone knows how to make those, right?) or Sherbet Floats (made with Sprite). Have you ever tried Orange Floats (orange soda and vanilla ice cream)? What's your favorite soda/ice cream combination?

We also like smoothies, and I don't have a real recipe for that. Basically we just put some water or milk in the blender (1-2 cups), and throw in some yogurt and some frozen fruit. I have one child who insists it's not a proper smoothie without some frozen orange juice concentrate added. Blend it all together and serve. Once again, experiment with different combinations.

Writing this post reminds me that I need to make some Orange Julius and take a picture, and also some Lemonade Slushie. (Mix up regular powdered lemonade, but do it in the blender and use ice cubes for part of the water.)

So that's what works for us currently. Of course, especially now that summer's here, we're always looking for additional ways to keep us hydrated and cool. What works for you?

Graduation - The 1980 Version

2011-06-13T06:46:00.001-04:00

Memorable Monday Moments
High School Graduation

Technically this event occurred on a Friday, but today is Monday, and today is the anniversary of this definitely memorable event. We've been planning for and celebrating Steven's high school graduation. It was inevitable that I'd recall my own. One of the advantages of trying to go through old boxes is that you find treasures; these pictures were hidden away in the back of my closet. I thought it was fitting that I discovered them the week that Steven got to give his valedictory. I had the same opportunity 31 years ago. (It doesn't seem possible that it's been that long!)

San Benito Joint Union High School

Hollister, California

13 June 1980

1 - giving my speech 2 - standing by the flag during the processional
3 - receiving my diploma 4 - after the ceremony

There's No Place Like Home - #1

2011-06-10T08:27:00.004-04:00

Flashback Friday
Our Homes - #1

Because this summer we're moving again, I thought it would be a neat Friday Flashback series to remember each of the places we've lived. Our first apartment was in Provo on the corner of 500 North and 500 West, a little bit of a walk to the BYU campus, but still definitely do-able. We had an end unit on the middle floor. Trying to find someplace to live was one of our first challenges as a couple; this was before the days of internet research, or even inexpensive long-distance phone calls. My mom and I took one day out of our family vacation to Utah and did all the legwork to choose this one-bedroom apartment. It didn't have air conditioning (which led to our receiving the gift of a "necessary luxury" - a fan), but it did have running water. During the year we lived here, we went to school, worked, started our family traditions and welcomed our first baby. Needless to say, it was an eventful year and we have a lot of fond memories of the time spent here.

Graduation - The 2011 Version

2011-06-09T08:45:00.004-04:00

It's official! We have another high school graduate. We're so proud of Steven. We wish you all lived a little closer so you could celebrate with us. I tried all day yesterday (in between all the other chores and activities) to upload the video of him walking across the stage. Blogger didn't cooperate. (It was shorter than the last video I uploaded, so I'm confused.) Anyway, here are a few of the pictures we took to commemorate the day. Before the ceremony
During the ceremony After the ceremony

Congratulations Class of 2011!

Works for Me Wednesday

2011-06-08T05:00:00.001-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Planning ahead We're going to be having a busy few weeks, yet I still want to participate in Works for Me Wednesday. So, I'm planning ahead and am going to take advantage of Blogger's "scheduling" feature. In case you aren't familiar with it, it's a wonderful tool. At the bottom of each "new post" window there's a button labeled "post options." When you click on it, the window expands to show the "post date and time." You can change the current setting to some time in the future. Then click to publish the post. It will show up in your posting list as "scheduled" and it will automatically post when that scheduled time is reached. Isn't that amazing?

So, for the next few weeks I'll be sharing some summer recipes that work for me, yet I can choose them all right now. And THAT works for me. I hope it works for you too :) Don't forget to hop on over to We are THAT Family for more ideas to help make your life easier.

P.S. For my sister: this explains why a post can be labeled as being written at 3:00 AM. I'm really not awake at that early hour!

Another Red Letter Day!

2011-06-07T21:28:00.004-04:00

This will definitely be a day to remember.

Reason #1

Reason #2

(I wanted to post a couple of videos, but it's taking too long and it's bedtime. I'll try again tomorrow.)

Have I Done Any Good?

2011-06-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

Memorable Monday Moments
A Lesson on Service

This evening our lesson was to fulfill a Personal Progress "Good Works" assignment, and the source material came from President Eyring's conference talk, "Opportunities to Do Good." We had a great discussion on the topic of service.

Principles to guide us in service:

People are happier when they are able to provide for themselves and also reach out to others.

There is a power in unity that brings blessings.

Work together as a family to serve.

It's a commandment to seek out the poor and needy.

Although we are often stirred with feelings of sympathy that cause us to act, we decided another emotion that can be a catalyst for acts of service is gratitude. And since it's the end of the school year, we ended by writing thank you notes to teachers. Oh, and we didn't forget the perfect closing hymn: "Have I Done Any Good?"

I'm so grateful for Duty to God and Personal Progress; they make planning and preparing for family night a lot easier!

Golden Spike National Monument

2011-06-03T18:38:00.004-04:00

Flashback Friday
A Memorial Day Trip

Was Memorial Day really just this week? I'm having a hard time believing it. It may only be June 3rd, but May seems a long time ago! Anyway, our son and his wife decided to spend their Memorial Day at the Golden Spike National Historic Site in northern Utah. We were trying to figure out how old he was when we took him. We checked our Family Almanac and found that we went on the Memorial Day (I guess that's a good time of year to visit!) when he was 6 months old. There's no way he could have remembered the experience, yet he thought he did. Guess what? Today I was flipping through the photo albums and discovered that we took a second trip to the site. That time he would have been 6; that's old enough to remember. Yay for family photo albums! May 1991 - Golden Spike Monument - The site where the transcontinental railroads met on May 10, 1869

"Mom, I'm Bored!"

2011-06-01T07:58:00.004-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Annual "Mom, I'm Bored!" Edition

Actually, my kids knew they weren't allowed to use that phrase in my presence, but the idea of having plans in place to prevent it is a sound one. I love all the ideas that everyone shares, and hope mine are helpful to someone. Be sure to check out "We are THAT Family!" for a plethora of possibilities for a productive summer!

If you don't have time to visit a lot of blogs, I'd recommend this one for sure - "My Mix of Six" - her ideas are fantastic, and reminiscent of things we've tried doing over the years.

Maybe it caught my eye because of the Dr. Seuss reference; that's what I was going to suggest for this summer's "boredom buster" tip. (Sauna had lists titled "Oh, the Food we will Eat" or "Oh, the Crafts we will Make" along with "Oh, the Places we'll Go!") My titles in previous years weren't quite so creative; simply a list of fives - five books to read or recipes to try or letters to write or movies to watch.

I love to read! Summer's the perfect time to curl up in a cool place, or relax on the beach, with a good book. I love to have a list to guide my reading choices. A couple of weeks ago, Steven's teacher presented him with the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss, a book I've never read. One evening Michelle was annoying him while he worked on an assignment, and I tried to distract her by sitting on the couch and reading this book together. It worked! And it was so enjoyable that we decided we'd read ALL of Dr. Seuss' books, something we've never done.

Here's the list we're using (taken from this site):

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins

The King's Stilts

Horton Hatches the Egg

McElligot's Pool

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

Bartholomew and the Oobleck

If I Ran the Zoo

Scrambled Eggs Super!

Horton Hears a Who!

On Beyond Zebra!

If I Ran the Circus

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

Happy Birthday to You!

Green Eggs and Ham

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

The Sneetches and Other Stories

Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book

Dr. Seuss's ABC

Fox in Socks

Hop on Pop

I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

The Cat in the Hat Song Book

The Foot Book

I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories

My Book About Me

I Can Draw It Myself

Mr. Brown can Moo, can You?

The Lorax

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff

Great Day for Up

There's a Wocket in My Pocket

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

The Cat's Quizzer

I Can Read with My Eyes Shut?

Oh Say Can You Say?

The Butter Battle Book

You're Only Old Once!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Daisy-Head Mayzie

My Many Colored Days

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!

So that's our goal for this summer, along with moving and getting settled. I don't think there will be any time to be bored! What are you doing to make your summer memorable? Whatever it is, have fun!!

And if you're still looking for ideas, here are my previous posts on the subject: 2010 (I just realized that I never completed some of my "bucket list" plans; I guess there's more to add to this year's list!)/2009/2003

Rudolph Day - What's Stored Where

2011-05-25T08:02:00.005-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday/Rudolph Day
Keeping track of Christmas decorations

You get a two-for-one post today! It's the 25th, which is a good excuse to do something to prepare for Christmas 2011. Since we're gearing up to clean out the attic and go through our storage boxes, I figured I'd share how we keep those organized. Our system is a compilation of several different ideas I've heard over the years, and I'd like to give credit to those author/creators, but I can't remember who they all are. Just know that this isn't an original idea.

(sorry for the blurry picture)

Basically, I label each of our holiday storage boxes with a number. I then make a 3x5 card for each box or bin where I've listed the contents. This is done in pencil so it's easy to erase when something is thrown out or changes boxes. Then those cards are filed behind "December" in my file box. When a "Christmas in July" activity comes around, and I want to share a particular nativity, or I want to pull out the wrapping paper in November, or I want white lights to help decorate for a wedding, I don't have to go through every single box; I just scan the cards in the file and know exactly which box to find. Of course, that's still an adventure, but at least it's an easier, less time-consuming one. And that Works for Me! Have fun seeing what works for others over at We are THAT Family!

Our First First Birthday

2011-05-20T08:57:00.003-04:00

Friday Flashback
Son #1's First Birthday

Someone had a birthday a few days ago! And I thought he might enjoy the pictures we took on his very first birthday. As you can see, you weren't quite sure what to do with the cake (most one-year-olds aren't), but you knew that the toys belonged in your mouth! I should probably pull out old journals and scrapbooks to give you some more details, but I won't right now. However, the pictures tell us you started walking one week before your birthday. And it's good to remember that your dad was a student; you were such a thoughtful study partner.

You've grown up into such a wonderful person. Now have fun celebrating your own first "first birthday" in a couple of weeks.

(I love this picture too!)

Happy for No Reason

2011-05-18T04:00:00.001-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Happiness and Joy

Note: This post was started 2 1/2 years ago, yet I never finished it. Last fall I got an email from my aunt who had stumbled upon the handout I created for myself. So, I moved this post up in the drafts folder, yet still didn't complete it. Today I stumbled across a post myself - The Happiness Journal - and decided to look at my thoughts once again. These bloggers were actually motivated by a different book - "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin - yet I'm sure there are many similar thoughts and experiences shared. It's important to be happy, and not only is it important, it's possible! So here are some inspirational thoughts and scriptures that I found while reading the book "Happy for No Reason" by Marci Shimoff. Maybe they can be motivational to you as well. Searching for help and support on my journey towards joy is something that Works for Me!

Focus on Solutions -- “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” Maya Angelou,

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” Philippians 2:14

"Do not murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner. Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” D&C 9:6-8

I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: “The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.” We should honor the Savior’s declaration to “be of good cheer.” (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, “Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow.” Jeffrey R. Holland

Incline your Mind toward Joy -- “What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” Colette, French novelist

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

“Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.” 2 Nephi 2:25

"Joy is more than happiness. Joy is the ultimate sensation of well-being. It comes from being complete and in harmony with our Creator and his eternal laws. . . . Our Creator wants us to be happy in this life. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “happiness is the object and design of our existence.” The things of the earth were created for our happiness. . . . There is no lasting happiness in what we possess. Happiness and joy come from what a person is, not from what he or she possesses or appears to be. Dallin H. Oaks

Additional note: There were 21 sections in the book, which means there are 21 sections of quotes, so I'm not adding more here, but feel free to go to the link above to find the additional ones.

Another Memorable Monday Evening

2011-05-16T22:47:00.006-04:00

Memorable Monday Moments

The next thing on the "end of the school year calendar" was Academic Awards Night at the high school. Just like last year we turned it into our family night activity. And it was a good thing Princess went, because even though she didn't receive an invitation, she heard her name called:

Steven heard his name a few times, which was expected because he's worked hard, but we did capture the most meaningful one on video just for his dad and brothers and grandparents who were thousands of miles away. We missed you!

Congratulations!!! We're proud of you.

Making Progress - A Study in Before and After

2011-05-15T16:21:00.015-04:00

The first thing we learn from this study is that I need to do a better job at taking "before" and "after" pictures. They don't all match up very well. In fact, this first pair doesn't even have a "before" and "after," just a couple of "during" shots.

Can you tell what happened last week? Yes, the old carpet was ripped out and new carpet installed.

the upstairs hallway

the spare bedroom

the master bedroom

Michelle's bedroom

the stairs

And since I couldn't sit around for two days doing nothing, it was the perfect time to paint the family room/kitchen.

Now we need to decide on the next top priority!

Two Week Menu Plan

2011-05-11T00:34:00.000-04:00

Works for Me Wednesday
Menu Planning
My days always go more smoothly when I know in the morning what I'm fixing for dinner! Princess and I are working on our Personal Progress, and since we both needed to "serve your family by planning, shopping for, and helping to prepare" two weeks worth of meals, we decided to do it together. And since the hardest part of meal planning is coming up with ideas, I figured we'd share it. Maybe some of you will like our choices as well.

Ham Bone Soup

Stuffed Shells

Pork Egg Rolls

Enchilada Casserole

Hamburgers

Pizza with Stuffed Crust

Pork Tenderloin in Gravy

Cheesy Ham Braid and Broccoli Soup

Burritoes

Spinach Manicotti

leftovers from the freezer

Chicken Caesar Salad

Taco Soup

Chicken and Pasta in White Sauce

You can definitely find more meal ideas from the Works for Me Wednesday links!

Weekend Update

2011-05-09T12:45:00.007-04:00

Yearbooks were distributed last Friday (another end-of-the-year event!) and the kids had fun going through it with their dad. You can just imagine the crazy comments they made.Saturday it was time for another work day! Michelle got the fun job of painting her room.Steven got the distasteful job of painting the frame for the air handler. Thank you for doing it without complaining!And then it was time for our future electrical engineer to learn some electrician skills. Although I've been told they're two totally different fields, I'm sure the knowledge will come in handy some day. And now we don't have painted-over (from the previous owners) outlets in the bedrooms.Sunday we enjoyed our Mother's Day traditions. Steven (who looks an awful lot like Jeff in this picture) scrambled the eggswhile Michelle set the "table" and heated the cinnamon rolls. Everything was delicious!We came home from church to discover the sheriff's car parked on our front lawn.

And not just one, but two! What kind of a neighborhood is this?? Steven and Michelle got to practice their cooking skills again, and fixed a lovely dinner, with help with their dad. And after talking with Elder Jeff it was time to drive back and get ready for another week of AP exams.

There you have it - just another, typical family weekend. We hope yours was nice as well. Have a great week!

Ten Motherhood Lessons

2011-05-06T06:36:00.002-04:00

I read a blog post this week on "unexpected lessons I learned because I'm a mother" and decided that was a great topic to ponder on my walk. So, although this isn't an all-inclusive list, here are ten of the lessons I've learned over the past 28 years, which makes it a perfect "Friday Flashback" post!

Teenagers are delightful.

This was the first thing that popped into my head as I pondered, probably because I was so surprised when I realized this years ago. For some reason I thought I'd dread having teenagers. In fact, while we were engaged my husband and I decided that since he didn't care for babies, I could be in charge of our children until they were twelve, and then he'd take over. I was fine with that arrangement. Then our kids got older, and I changed my mind. (Parenting babies and young children was also a cooperative effort, but that's a post for another day.) Teenagers are wonderful. They're witty and smart, fun and imaginative, helpful and encouraging. I'm continually in awe as I watch my teenagers discover themselves and mature into amazing young adults.

There's something special about seven year olds.

This may seem odd having just stated that I love teenagers, but if I had to choose a single favorite age for my children, it would be seven. There's just something magical about seven-year-olds. They've conquered the basics - eating, talking, walking, reading, obeying, helping, etc. They can understand the difference between right and wrong. Yet they're not jaded and cynical. Everything's new and wonderful and it's just exciting to be around their innocent enthusiasm for life.

Interruptions are part of the job description of motherhood.

I went through a period of time being annoyed by all my children's requests. They seemed to be always interrupting me, either they needed help getting a drink or putting on shoes, or I needed to referee squabbles or prevent accidents. Then one day I was reading a time-management book and the author noted that an effective manager will use his secretary wisely to prevent interruptions. It's her job to be interrupted so that the manager isn't. And the light bulb turned on! My job as a mother is to be interrupted. That's exactly why I chose to stay home with my children. I wanted to be there for them. Being interrupted is no longer annoying and irritating, and that is a wonderful thing. It also helped to analyze some of the more prevalent, bothersome interruptions and try to eliminate them. For example, I made it a habit to keep a filled drink cup in the fridge where my four-year-old could reach and get it himself, and other things like that.

Mothers never feel like they're getting enough sleep.

The other night, at 9:40 PM, (remember my brain stops functioning at 9 PM), Michelle asked for help with studying her vocabulary words by saying, "My seminary teacher says that mothers can go days and days and days without sleeping if they're shown great love and appreciation. I love you and appreciate you. Please, please, please help me!" So, how could I resist? And actually, we only spent 15-20 minutes reviewing before she felt confident she could remember the definitions.

As a new mother dealing with waking babies, I remember vividly wondering when they'd sleep through the night so that I could also. That day finally arrived, only for me to discover that while teenagers sleep through the night, they stay up late and wake up early! I still wasn't getting all the sleep I wanted. So, I figured once they were grown and gone, I'd be okay. Guess what? Now it's my own body that's the traitor, waking me up at 3 AM and refusing to go back to sleep.

Fortunately, none of these are every night occurences and I learned a long time ago that Heavenly Father is well aware of my limits. Invariably, I'll get a good night's sleep, not when I think I should have one, but just when He knows I need one.

Heartache is a real physical symptom.

The pain you feel when your children are hurting is real, even, and maybe especially, when their hurts are emotional in nature and not physical. The memory that brought this to mind was sitting on the gymnasium floor crying with a son who had just loss a district wrestling match, meaning his dream of advancing to the regional, and then the state tournament, was no longer possible.

Mothers really do have eyes in the back of their heads.

How else would they know who's poking whom while keeping their eyes on the busy traffic in front of them?

Showing respect needs to go both directions.

A child is not going to love and honor a parent who is belittling and mean. Quiet voices, not taking offense easily, assuming that everyone's doing their best, following the Golden Rule, and just being kind go a long way towards producing love and harmony in the home.

A mother needs to take time for herself.

Wise philosophers have come up with some true sayings: "Sharpen the saw." - "You can't fill an empty bucket from a dry well." - "Take some time and be with yourself. If you don't you may miss meeting the most important person in your life." - "Be your own best friend."

No matter how much we love our children and want to be with them, we need to do something just for ourselves. At the top of the list should be personal prayer and scripture study, but it's also important to find the time to do other things we love. The amount of time we spend doing so will change during the various seasons of our lives, and we can definitely involve our children in some of these activities, but it's important.

In each passing mortal hour
All around me there is need
There are hearts that yearn, and tears that fall
And hungry souls to feed
I must seek the Spirit's wisdom
Learn compassion's gentle art
For I cannot give with empty hands
Nor love with barren heart

I will serve my Savior gladly
Seek his little lambs who stray
But if I would lead them safely home
I must know the way
I must seek for understanding
That I may serve his children well
If I seek to fill the soul athirst
I must first be filled

If I would bear my brother's burden
If I would share my sister's grief
Extend the hand of sweet compassion
Offer the weary ones relief
If I would ease the thirst of strangers
And serve His children heart and hand
I must drink of heaven's wells o'erflowing
I must learn to fill the well within

by Sally DeFord Fill the Well Within

There truly is "no greater joy than to hear that [your] children walk in truth" (3 John 1:4).

What can I add to that? It's the truth.

Motherhood is an incredible gift and opportunity.

It's an overwhelming responsibility to be entrusted with sweet, innocent and dependent spirits, yet I've learned that as I work in partnership with God and my husband, just trying to do my best and continually striving to improve, the blessings that come far outweigh any inconveniences, discouragement, and even pain. Watching them grow and mature, and then start the cycle all over again with their own children, really is an incredible gift.Thank you, my dear children. I love you.

It's Only Just Beginning

2011-05-05T08:31:00.005-04:00

It's the beginning of the end of the school year. I've often wondered why it lasts so long, but I guess it's so you have a bit of time to breathe between each event. Anyone have any other ideas?
Anyway, we're in the middle of AP exam week. That means I have to look at my calendar each day to see who goes to school for how long! (It reminds me of the Year of the Crazy Schedule. If I could do it for a whole year, I can definitely do it for two weeks, right?)

Last night the Mutual activity was the Senior Send-Off. I didn't do a very good job of picture-taking (the only in-focus picture I got of Steven was right after he'd taken a bite of cookie) so I'm sorry about that. But it was a wonderful night and we enjoyed honoring our seniors. Refreshments were their favorite desserts. Steven's favorite dessert is actually ice cream cake; however, we figured that would be too messy and melt too quickly, so we went with jello cake. We should have chosen his favorite "finger food" dessert! Maybe we'll remember that for Michelle.

The Laurel in charge did a great job of putting together Steven's slide show. I don't have a copy of it but thought you still might enjoy seeing his pictures through the years. Here's one version:and here are the same pictures shuffled around. I could probably hit "shuffle" a dozen times and still be unable to decide on a favorite. But there are other things on my to-do list so I'm exercising self-control :)
One thing I noticed as I watched them last night is that he's grinning in practically every single one. We're so glad to have such a happy personality (and someone who is kind and patient and smart and obedient and willing and on and on) in our family! We'll miss him next fall.

Spring Break - the 2011 Version

2011-05-02T10:06:00.003-04:00

Time for some catching up! Spring break started with Easter this year, and although we scaled back our celebrating, there were a couple of traditions that couldn't be omitted - hunting for Easter baskets and creamed eggs for breakfast.Then it was time for some no-school fun!

Michelle enjoyed the week at girl's camp. Apparently being a YCL (youth camp leader) is a lot of fun, and even allows time to take a shower every day (something that didn't fit into her schedule last year). I'm sure they did a lot more than decorate a cake, but these are the only pictures I have, and it is a beautiful cake. (The theme was the Old Testament and they chose to make a Garden of Eden.)While she kept busy doing camp activities, Steven and I spent the week with Wayne and painted, and painted, and painted. There's still more to do, but we're pleased with our progress and think it looks a lot better - no more dark brown wall or messy gold paint job. The new carpet's going in next week. We figured we should take advantage of not having to be so neat and particular and paint baseboards before that happened. That was our goal for spring break, but that part actually went fairly quickly and so we did a couple of the bedrooms as well. I didn't feel like posting individual pictures, but there's an after and before of one room in the top right corner, and a before, during, and after of another in the bottom left.

We even got to see a beautiful sunset on the way back home. The past few years we've gone hiking over spring break. Wayne didn't have the vacation time to do that this year. I wonder which is better - hiking or painting? I guess both of them could be considered breaks from the normal routine, and both of them give you a sense of accomplishment. I suspect, though, that if the vacation time is available, hiking will win next year. Besides, all the painting should be done by then!

Rudolph Day - Pictures

2011-04-25T07:54:00.005-04:00

One of our traditions on Christmas Day is to take a picture of the kids before they're allowed to open any presents. It's the one day of the year where little kids at least try to stay still and smile for Mom's camera!

And it's a lot of fun to go back and see the changes that have occurred over the years.

In 2006 we realized it was the last time for a long time that our family would be all together, so we had a friend come over and take a family picture during Christmas break. Taking an updated picture is in the plan for this year as well. Elder Jeff sent us his copy this week. As you can see, he needs a refresher course on what his family looks like!

We're glad he still has his unique sense of humor!

Week in Review

2011-04-22T18:03:00.009-04:00

Hi Big Brothers! We wish you were here to help with all the celebrations and milestones. But since you're busy and happy leading your own eventful lives, here's just a taste of what we've been doing.Monday: National Chemistry Olympiad (qualifying test at Tampa University) followed by NHS Spirit Night at Beef O'Brady's.Wednesday: Steven missed his first day of school this year due to a miserable head cold. Sad.
Thursday: National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

Friday: Junior/Senior Prom with a finished dress.

Saturday: Chores, followed by a picnic at the park, followed by a wonderful Eagle Scout Court of HonorThanks to Grandpa for making the trip down to help us celebrate!
(More details on the Court of Honor will be coming later - after Spring Break.)

Happy Graduation!

2011-04-22T07:45:00.003-04:00

Flashback Friday
Happy Graduation! It's been a while since I've done a "flashback" post, mainly because we've been working hard preparing for the future. However, while I was cleaning out a box yesterday I discovered this picture taken when my younger brother graduated from BYU twenty years ago. I thought it would make the perfect post for today, when one of those young boys is graduating himself. (And another one will be cheering on his wife who's graduating. Aren't you glad he outgrew the thumb-sucking!) Congratulations graduates! We wish we could be there.

However, stay tuned to see what eventful things have been happening over here.

WFMW - Recycling Mistakes

2011-04-20T09:02:00.003-04:00

I have a friend who is a master at making English toffee. One of the very sad things about moving away from them is that we were no longer the recipient of their wonderful Christmas gift. (Actually, one year she did mail us some. Isn't she a great friend!) So, last fall when I saw a no-fail recipe for English toffee, I had to give it a try. You can try it too - Almond Roca from Tasty Kitchen.

This first batch was a success! So I tried a couple more batches. Not so successful :( Practice makes perfect, so I tried a few more times. Some worked and some didn't. However, I couldn't just throw away the reject toffee; it was still good food - yummy butter and sugar and nuts and chocolate! I stuck it in the freezer until I could figure out what to do with it.A few weeks ago, I decided to add the toffee crumbs to our normal chocolate chip cookie recipe, in place of the chocolate chips. They actually turned out fine. The cookies were super sweet, but still edible. However, that day I overcooked one of the batches. Once again, I couldn't just throw the crispy, yet not black, cookies down the drain.So, I turned them into crumbs and made a pie crust out of them. This Peanut Butter Pie was delicious, and no one knew one of the ingredients was over-baked cookies. Trying to find different uses for kitchen catastrophes, so as to avoid wasting food, works for me! I'm linking this to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

Family Home Evening at our House

2011-04-17T10:06:00.009-04:00

Memorable Monday Moments

Heather at Women in the Scriptures is doing a series of posts on "FHE at MY house" and it's wonderful. It's been quite motivating reading about how other families do family night. Each family is unique, yet there are so many common experiences as well. I love the universality, yet individuality, of our church. I'd encourage you to do some blog-hopping. It will really get your own creative juices working.

Family home evening for us has definitely changed over the years (see Evolution of Family Night) yet the principles have remained the same. We gather together on Monday night and start with our regular daily family scripture study and opening hymn and prayer. Then we go through the upcoming week's schedule and share any announcements that need to be made. For several years we had a "talent" portion of our family night where one of the kids would share something, either sing a song, recite a poem, draw a picture, or show a model/creation:

Then comes the lesson, which usually doesn't last very long and includes any activities or games if that's on the schedule that week. Finally we sing another hymn, have family prayer, give each other hugs and kisses, and then eat refreshments. When we're using a "chore wheel" (see Assignment Wheels), our refreshments are much more exciting. There's something to be said for planning ahead.

For the most part our lessons are quite simple, although not always. I guess I try to work on the "I'm always preparing so I can pull something together at the last minute" theory, yet I'm frequently amazed at how much preparation our children put into their lessons when it's their turn. In addition to the scriptures, Duty to God, Personal Progress, For the Strength of Youth and Preach My Gospel have all furnished great ideas for lessons, particular those given by teenagers.

Over the years we've also enjoyed doing a series of lessons - like focusing one on of the ten commandments for ten weeks in a row, or doing the same with the 13 Articles of Faith. This year we went through the Teacher Development Course and that was a great experience. Next we plan on adapting our lessons from the Temple Preparation Seminar. Often our stake president or bishop will issue a challenge and we use family night to accomplish that goal. Of course, the official "Family Home Evening Resource Book" is invaluable.

Some of our favorite lessons include everyone finding a scripture from the Topical Guide (usually on the same subject) and then sharing them with each other (see Vacation Planning), doing the same thing with a game like Boggle (see Letters and More Letters), writing "I Love You Because . . ." notes to each other (usually around Valentine's Day, see I Love You), family service projects (see Service with a Smile), and even attending Monday night school events as a family (see Rewarding Family Nights). Many years ago I participated in a FHE group (see the explanation here) which was a wonderful experience and helped me develop a file of ideas to make the weekly preparation time easier. I'd also collect ideas as I read the scriptures, listened to conference, and paid attention in church. Many times sharing time and seminary lessons were recycled as family night lessons. Often the most difficult part of family night is coming up with an idea. That's why I appreciate the wealth of possibilities that are available. As I flip through books or files or websites, the Spirit can whisper to me what our family needs and how I can adapt it. Go to A Year of Family Nights to see some of what we've tried. (You could also click on the FHE label below.) Early on my husband and I decided that we wanted Primary and Sunday School and seminary lessons to be review classes for our children, that we wanted to be their main teachers. Family Home Evening helped us achieve this goal. We love FHE and know it's an inspired program. Try it, you'll like it!

Sharing Saturday

2011-04-16T15:56:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, so I figured it was about time to give you a glimpse of our daily life, at least the Saturday version. The older boys are all getting together to help one of them move. We wish we lived closer so we could be a part of that. However, we did decide to keep them company by being productive ourselves. The day started with a ward service project - part of the Great American Clean-Up combined with the Regional Day of Service. This picture is actually from last year, but we did the same thing - raking leaves at the local park. (For those of you unfamiliar with the Florida climate, the leaves fall in February/March, not September/October. And technically, the day started even before that with a quick trip to get the car's oil changed, but I didn't take a picture of that either.)

Then it was time to do some chores at home - mow the lawn, wash the cars, laundry, etc.

We took a break to have a barbecue at Lowry Park. It was a gorgeous day!

And the plan now is to do some grocery shopping, finish Princess' dress (can you tell what part that is above?), and relax by making progress on the project of moving our VHS tapes to DVDs. It will be the perfect Saturday! We hope yours is wonderful too :)

WFMW - Napkins and Noodles

2011-04-13T20:07:00.009-04:00

It's time for the Junior/Senior Prom, so last weekend we went shopping. Here are a few of the dresses Princess liked. See a problem? You're right - no sleeves. We knew we weren't going to find a modest dress in the mall, so the last stop was the fabric store, and today's project was to turn this pile of "sparkly" fabric into a beautiful creation.I'm not a fairy godmother, so it's going to take more than one day! But I can still share the story of the napkins and the noodles.

It's been years since I've sewn a rolled hem on my serger, but armed with a new spool of wooly nylon (although now it's called bulky nylon) and my long-unused instruction manual, I made the attempt. After the frustration of several broken threads, which meant re-threading the serger multiple times (another thing I haven't done in years), I decided the hemmed tulle would pass Princess' inspection. However, I wanted to be sure I had enough practice, and I happened to notice some pretty Easter fabric in the closet, so it was time to add another project to the day's list - oversized napkins. They were quick and easy - just go around each of the four sides with the rolled hem settings, trim the threads at the corner and dab with some fray check. Now we have something to make our Easter meal festive, and I got enough practice so I shouldn't ruin the dress. When I'm busy in the sewing room, I don't have much time to spend in the kitchen. So, today we pulled out an old standby - Chunky Spaghetti. It took less than 30 minutes to put on the table, and in between stirring I was even able to do a couple little steps on the dress.So, making progress on projects while reviewing long forgotten skills Works for Me. And keeping a list of easy-to-fix dinners is a good idea too!

The all-important sleeves are done!

We only THOUGHT we were done!

2011-04-08T08:57:00.004-04:00

Oh, the excitement of the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby! Time for creativity and competition and parent/son bonding and just plain fun!5 boys x 3 years in Cub Scouts = 15 pinewood derby cars. See, we're all mathematicians! And while it was an enjoyable activity, it wasn't without stress and I'll admit we were fine when the 15th race was over and all we had left were memories. However, it turns out it really wasn't our last one! The Mutual decided that a pinewood derby race would be a great combined activity, and it was. The youth were put in groups of two or three, given the box, and told to be creative. One week they designed and cut out their cars. The next week they painted them. And the third week they raced them.

The kids must have learned something over the years. because they each helped produce a winning car. Congratulations!

WFMW - Favorite Cleaning Tips

2011-04-06T09:59:00.002-04:00

It's always easier for me to think of something to post when I'm given a subject, and today's is favorite cleaning tips. So, here are some of my favorites:

1) Keep a paper towel in the bottom of the produce drawers of the fridge. This makes cleaning up after squishy fruit much easier. (Of course, you could always eat the fruit before it becomes squishy, but that's not a cleaning tip.)

2) Clean the microwave immediately after the spaghetti sauce spatters. Don't wait for days. A couple of seconds now saves minutes of scrubbing later. (Once again, you could remember to cover your spaghetti and prevent the problem in the first place.)

3) Store cleaning supplies in multiple places. This prevents the "Oh, I would scrub the sink right now if only I had a sponge handy" procrastination. Two vacuums in a two-story house is a wise investment.

4) Make things easier to put away than to get out. For example, our kids had shoe baskets, not shoe shelves. Although it took a couple of minutes to find a matching pair in the morning, they could just toss them in at night instead of having to place them neatly on a shelf. That way they were less likely to leave them in the middle of the room.

5) Put a coat of car wax on the shower door and then wipe it down after each use. You'll remember from this post a couple of years ago that keeping them sparkling is something I struggle with. Your advice was great, and I tried all of it. However, I'm not very good at remembering to scrub every week. When we replaced a faucet under warranty (and the customer service rep saw a picture of my non-shiny, spotted faucet), she suggested that I keep a coat of wax on the new one and it would stay shiny. She was right! And it works on shower doors as well. So, once you've scrubbed and gotten it clean, keep it that way by drying it off daily. (I just keep a spare hand towel next to my bath towel. The kids' shower door still gets spotted because I don't go in there every day to dry it off and I haven't taught them to make it a habit!) So, this is another tip that shows that taking a few seconds now saves hours later.

What are your favorite spring cleaning tips? There are some good ones over at Works for Me Wednesday. For example, try here and here and here. Oh, and here's one of mine from a while ago.

Today . . .

2011-04-04T15:34:00.003-04:00

was county math competition day - the favorite day of the year, at least for someone - and it wasn't a disappointment.First place would have been nice, but second is still the best he's ever done, and they both helped the school take second place as well. Yeah for math! Now what will he do with all his free time after school?