So the kiddos had another piano recital - hence the reason we hung around for Easter instead of heading down to Moab for Easter Jeep Safari week.
I tried but can't find the cord to upload the video I took. During J's performance N made a move to go out the Emergency Exit door so it was a little jumpy. They all graduated to the next level of piano books. And of course, J has already played ALL the songs in his new book... in one day.
Other than that life has been busy with my calling and I re-painted our living room, kitchen and family room in one week. The trim & doors look so much better in a semi-gloss ultra white. I love it! I had my neighbor help me finish it up since I had a craft night for some church women. We made birthday and baptism explosion boxes. I love the store Pebbles in my Pocket! They have some cute ideas for Young Women as well. http://www.pebblesinmypocket.com/ Check them out!
P.S. I finished the Book of Mormon challenge - Six Weeks Closer to Christ. It was so much fun marking up my new scriptures and it's become a wonderful habit for me to carry them around and read whenever I have a free moment. This book changed my life and every time I read it I get new insights. It has brought more peace into our home and I am thankful for that. Now I'm starting the Old Testament and am going to try to read about 13 pages a day.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter!
We made some yummy Easter Breakfast rolls this morning and they were so easy. This would be great for a FHE lesson on the Resurrection!
1 package Rhodes Texas size rolls, thawed
1 package large marshmallows
1/4 cup melted butter
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Flatten each roll and place marshmallow in center of roll and wrap the dough around, sealing the seams really well. Brush top with butter then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Put in warm oven to rise for 1 hour with shallow pan of HOT water underneath. After one hour, remove the water pan, turn on your oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes. Just like Christ's tomb on Easter Sunday, these rolls will be empty inside!
Makes 24 servings. We usually only do a 1/2 recipe, then use the rest for dinner rolls that night.
*I would've included a picture but they were so yummy - we ate them all! :) Z says this is his favorite recipe now.
1 package Rhodes Texas size rolls, thawed
1 package large marshmallows
1/4 cup melted butter
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Flatten each roll and place marshmallow in center of roll and wrap the dough around, sealing the seams really well. Brush top with butter then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Put in warm oven to rise for 1 hour with shallow pan of HOT water underneath. After one hour, remove the water pan, turn on your oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes. Just like Christ's tomb on Easter Sunday, these rolls will be empty inside!
Makes 24 servings. We usually only do a 1/2 recipe, then use the rest for dinner rolls that night.
*I would've included a picture but they were so yummy - we ate them all! :) Z says this is his favorite recipe now.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Scouts and Biking
So much has happened this past week that I'm starting to forget it all:
Our oldest graduated from Cub Scouts and had his Arrow of Light ceremony. We're so proud of him. We worked really hard to get all those activity patches and pins. He loves Boy Scouts now that one of his friends came in.
My daughter learned how to ride her bike! She had seen her friend outside learning to ride her bike with her dad so she grabbed my husband and told him she wanted to learn how to ride her bike... right now. So out they went and we got lots of pictures of the two of them trying. Troy said she kept leaning against him - it didn't matter which side he ran along. So the next day she sees our boys out riding their bikes and so she asks Daddy if he'll come help her. "Not right now" since he was a little tired from yesterday's learning experience. So about 10 minutes later I went outside to get something from the car and I glance down the street to check on all of them and she's at the end of the street just riding along all by herself! So I ran inside, told Troy and grabbed my camera. Z had coached her through it and it was all just so amazing.
Our oldest graduated from Cub Scouts and had his Arrow of Light ceremony. We're so proud of him. We worked really hard to get all those activity patches and pins. He loves Boy Scouts now that one of his friends came in.
My daughter learned how to ride her bike! She had seen her friend outside learning to ride her bike with her dad so she grabbed my husband and told him she wanted to learn how to ride her bike... right now. So out they went and we got lots of pictures of the two of them trying. Troy said she kept leaning against him - it didn't matter which side he ran along. So the next day she sees our boys out riding their bikes and so she asks Daddy if he'll come help her. "Not right now" since he was a little tired from yesterday's learning experience. So about 10 minutes later I went outside to get something from the car and I glance down the street to check on all of them and she's at the end of the street just riding along all by herself! So I ran inside, told Troy and grabbed my camera. Z had coached her through it and it was all just so amazing. 
And now I can't remember the rest... lol I just know... Life is good.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Great deal on Humanitarian Kits
We've done Humanitarian Kits before for church. Spent lots of time looking for the best prices and had to shop at several different places to get the best deals on each item. This year as a family we plan to do a couple different kinds of kits for Family Home Evening since a few weeks ago I took the kids and toured the Humanitarian Center downtown and I almost cried when I heard about how babies are being sent home from the hospital wrapped in only newspaper, that children can't attend school if they don't have their own supplies, and that because people lack basic hygiene items in disaster circumstances illness spreads too quickly.So I was very excited when I saw that White Elegance has kits that you can buy, assemble and then deliver back to their store or a Bishop's storehouse - all for less than wholesale. I can't come close to their prices! So I thought I would share: http://whiteelegance.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=29
It takes about 2 weeks (sometimes less if they already have it in stock) till they ship you the kits, or you can pick them up from their store and save yourself S&H. You can order just a few for FHE or large orders for church service activities. I'm so excited! This means we can do more kits and help more people. Check it out and do some good!
School Kits $7.08
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Food Storage Challenge update
I should have chosen a shorter month not to shop for food... like February. I never, ever thought I would crave salad. Last week, my neighbor, who knew about my challenge, was so sweet and brought over a head of lettuce and a tomato. I ate them w/o dressing! Tasted so yummy. That satisifed me for a few days.
Saturday we went to the temple and drove with our neighbors and the wife asked my husband, "So Troy, how are you liking Food Storage Month?" He didn't even know what she was talking about. I explained what I had been doing and he said he hadn't even noticed! Wa-ha-ha. Of course, he goes out to eat for lunch every day and honestly, he's not so good at noticing changes. Still love him though. :)
Then today I started CRAVING salad again. That and crunchy cucumbers, carrots (which we had just run out of) and what I wouldn't give for a fresh crisp gala apple... Guess it didn't help that I was watching Twilight. So I thought, "why am I doing this again?" I KNOW I have enough to survive but do I have to deprive myself? No. So I decided to jump into April early. Too bad I don't have an indoor garden. I bought some fruit trees and plan to start another square foot garden this summer. I think I'll try the challenge again in the middle of the summer. It was making me nervous having a fridge that was only 1/4 full. I learned I have a bit of OCD when it comes to having things stocked.
I love Costco... *sigh* So what food do you think you wouldn't be able to live without?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Good Goal
Recently our Relief Society Presidency gave out personalized letters that invited every sister to come closer to Christ by reading the Book of Mormon in just six short weeks. I've never read the Book of Mormon that fast before and I have to say that this first week has been a challenge. Things come up and I'm sure Satan is trying very hard to discourage us from finishing together. Don't worry - I won't let him do that to me, I'm too stubborn. LOL I know that only good can come from this.
I'm up for the challenge, are YOU? You can choose to read a certain number of pages or a certain number of chapters each day. There are many sites online that offer calculators and on http://www.hinckleychallenge.com/ you can get a little blog tracker for fun.
Only good can come from reading the Book of Mormon. You can do it! If you're hesitant, ask yourself "why?" Sure you might have to give up watching your favorite show every night. But what good is that TV show in your life... seriously. It's always good to evaluate your priorities every now and then. LMK if you're up for a good challenge and we can have a cyber party when we finish! :)
"Don't you wonder what would happen if we treated our Book of Mormon like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the "text"?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
Oh, and a few more things- Unlike our cell phones, one Plan fits all.
Unlimited usage.
No roaming charges.
You always have reception.
No weak signals AND we dont ever have to worry about our Book of Mormon being disconnected, because our Savior already paid the bill!" --Author Unknown
I'm up for the challenge, are YOU? You can choose to read a certain number of pages or a certain number of chapters each day. There are many sites online that offer calculators and on http://www.hinckleychallenge.com/ you can get a little blog tracker for fun.
Only good can come from reading the Book of Mormon. You can do it! If you're hesitant, ask yourself "why?" Sure you might have to give up watching your favorite show every night. But what good is that TV show in your life... seriously. It's always good to evaluate your priorities every now and then. LMK if you're up for a good challenge and we can have a cyber party when we finish! :)
"Don't you wonder what would happen if we treated our Book of Mormon like we treat our cell phones?What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent an hour or more using it every day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the "text"?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
Oh, and a few more things- Unlike our cell phones, one Plan fits all.
Unlimited usage.
No roaming charges.
You always have reception.
No weak signals AND we dont ever have to worry about our Book of Mormon being disconnected, because our Savior already paid the bill!" --Author Unknown
Sunday, March 15, 2009
72 hour kits
N's excited because it's that's time of year again! I love listening to General Conference. That weekend we break open our 72 hour kits and gobble them up. We also assemble our new ones. I've been doing this for several years now and found that I like to put in things that require NO cooking and NO preparation. My kids won't eat MREs and the lemon butter squares would get boring after one day. Here's what we plan on putting in our kits:
6 people in our family times 3 days = 18 of everything except 32 granola bars and 180 candy
Breakfasts we have a breakfast bar and OJ packet.
Lunches we have beef jerky, 2 granola bars and fruit punch packet.
Snacks we have fruit leather or fruit snacks.
Dinners we have a small V8, protein bar (don't worry, I know the Twisted bars in my picture were recalled. We won't eat them) and grape juice packet. You could do a hot cocoa but then you'd need hot water. We have buddy burners in our backpacks but prefer not to use them.
Treats we have hard candy and gum wrapped in foil so the minty fresh smell doesn't spread to all your food. AND it keeps your gum fresh and soft. We kept ours a year one time and it was still soft
When shopping remember to check expiration dates!!!! It only needs to last 6 months (till the next General Conference). It would be a good idea to put in a prepaid phone card as well as some quarters. This all fits in a gallon size freezer bag. Don't forget to include a meal plan paper in there so they know when to eat what.
Breakfast: Breakfast bar, orange juice packet
Lunch: Beef Jerky, fruit punch packet, 2 granola bars
Snacks: Fruit leather/snacks
Dinner: V8, protein bar, juice or hot cocoa packet
Treats: 3 hard candy and 1 stick of gum
Put any leftover food in your car. This is great if you're stuck in traffic or the kids say "But I'm starving Mom!" We also keep a 2 liter bottle of water in our car as well as TP and trash bags. Extra outfit, diapers and wipes are under our baby's seat. Just in case...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Future Craft Ideas
I'm just posting this so I remember what I want to do. And it's always fun to share...
Here are my crafts/projects that I would like to complete this year, in no particular order:
Quiet Books – 6x6 sheet protectors tied really well with double colorful ribbons thru the hole punches
-My Favorite Colors – use that background color then take pictures of them wearing/ surrounded by that color.
-Temples of the World – include at the end picture of our family in front of the temple saying FCBTF or lyrics to I Love to See the Temple.
-Follow the Prophet – pictures of each prophet and what their focus was during their time.
-My Gospel Standards – Mormon Ads on patterned colored paper with Primary Gospel Standards at the end.
-Articles of Faith – Print of each AoF on clear paper w/ picture of what it’s talking about framed in background.
Jewelry - Make green button bracelet, earrings and headband for E for St. Patrick’s Day.
Pillowcases for E – I'm missing July, School and Halloween. http://www.mormonchic.com/ has the pattern under their Crafty section.
Glass Etching my name on the bottoms of my glass casserole dishes.
Neating/Cleaning Apron with pockets and handtowel sewn on.
Vellum picture and quote on glass block. Saw these at Quilted Bear and LOVE them.
Flannel Rice Bags can be used for hot/cold packs. Year-round versatility. Need the quote that goes with it if gifting it.
B&W Memory Plates to hang in my scrapbook room
Capri Sun beach bags, purses, wallets, sunglass cases, etc. http://www.mormonchic.com/ has the pattern for the purse. This makes a great recycled gift and it's waterproof!
Rag Rug – braid strips of old cotton fabric rolled like double sided bias tape, then whipstitch together thru braids.
Twin Size Denim Quilts for my boys
Flannel Rag Quilt for E
Quilted comforter OR duvet cover & tall bedskirt to cover food storage for Master bed.
4th of July themed picnic quilt
Modge Podge fridge magnets and more for the growth chart. Get the big round magnets.
FHE vinyl board
Use the 15 3x4 cards from Greg Olsen's “Beautiful Savior” at Deseretbook to make "The Living Christ" paper with Savior Pictures on the matting.
Twin size basic tied quilts to donate to Humanitarian Services. Check out their Current Needs list on http://www.providentliving.org/
And...Finish the denim tiered skirt I started many months ago... lol
I'm seriously thinking of making one of those old-time quilt frames that you used to see at Quilting Bees. I found a pattern online and have a jigsaw so I think I can do it. Right now I have a small PVC type one and it's OK but I have to move it often.
What are some things YOU want to make this year?
Here are my crafts/projects that I would like to complete this year, in no particular order:
Quiet Books – 6x6 sheet protectors tied really well with double colorful ribbons thru the hole punches
-My Favorite Colors – use that background color then take pictures of them wearing/ surrounded by that color.
-Temples of the World – include at the end picture of our family in front of the temple saying FCBTF or lyrics to I Love to See the Temple.
-Follow the Prophet – pictures of each prophet and what their focus was during their time.
-My Gospel Standards – Mormon Ads on patterned colored paper with Primary Gospel Standards at the end.
-Articles of Faith – Print of each AoF on clear paper w/ picture of what it’s talking about framed in background.
Jewelry - Make green button bracelet, earrings and headband for E for St. Patrick’s Day.
Pillowcases for E – I'm missing July, School and Halloween. http://www.mormonchic.com/ has the pattern under their Crafty section.
Glass Etching my name on the bottoms of my glass casserole dishes.
Neating/Cleaning Apron with pockets and handtowel sewn on.
Vellum picture and quote on glass block. Saw these at Quilted Bear and LOVE them.
Flannel Rice Bags can be used for hot/cold packs. Year-round versatility. Need the quote that goes with it if gifting it.
B&W Memory Plates to hang in my scrapbook room
Capri Sun beach bags, purses, wallets, sunglass cases, etc. http://www.mormonchic.com/ has the pattern for the purse. This makes a great recycled gift and it's waterproof!
Rag Rug – braid strips of old cotton fabric rolled like double sided bias tape, then whipstitch together thru braids.
Twin Size Denim Quilts for my boys
Flannel Rag Quilt for E
Quilted comforter OR duvet cover & tall bedskirt to cover food storage for Master bed.
4th of July themed picnic quilt
Modge Podge fridge magnets and more for the growth chart. Get the big round magnets.
FHE vinyl board
Use the 15 3x4 cards from Greg Olsen's “Beautiful Savior” at Deseretbook to make "The Living Christ" paper with Savior Pictures on the matting.
Twin size basic tied quilts to donate to Humanitarian Services. Check out their Current Needs list on http://www.providentliving.org/
And...Finish the denim tiered skirt I started many months ago... lol
I'm seriously thinking of making one of those old-time quilt frames that you used to see at Quilting Bees. I found a pattern online and have a jigsaw so I think I can do it. Right now I have a small PVC type one and it's OK but I have to move it often.
What are some things YOU want to make this year?
Friday, March 6, 2009
Clarification
I meant "no shopping for food" in my last post. Not shopping at all might push me over the edge. LOL
Especially since I got Robert's 50% off coupons in my email box. Hooray!
Especially since I got Robert's 50% off coupons in my email box. Hooray!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
I'm the crazy wheat lady in my ward
Wow! This Crystal is one amazing woman. She's even coming out with a book in March that's filled with wonderful recipes that use mainly food storage items. I'm now a huge fan of whole wheat cookies, blender wheat pancakes and cookie clay dough. Check out her website at http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/ You gotta try these recipes! I taught part of a Wheat 101 Enrichment and it was a piece of cake thanks to this website.
I was so inspired that I've been working really hard these past 2 weeks and I can now say that we finally have our year supply. (This includes long-term and short-term food items as well as basic necessities like TP, soap, laundry & cleaning stuff, shampoo, etc. ) We could live off our food storage for 6 months and my kids wouldn't know the difference... I don't think they'd ask "Hey Mom, where's the salad?" Unfortunately some things only have a 6 month shelf life like fruit snacks and graham crackers. :(
My challenge this month of March is to NOT shop. Well, only once and that's because Macey's is having their annual sale starting Wednesday and it includes powdered eggs that are $6 off their normal price. So other than one #10 can, I'm not shopping. I challenge you to work on your food storage and see if you can go one week, then one month w/o shopping. This is a great way to see what you're missing in your food storage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
