Friday, April 18, 2014
Congratulations and Reunions
My Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw's 11th great-grandchild was born today. Grayson was scheduled to be born on Maw-Maw's birthday. Although she didn't get to meet him in this life, because of Him I know that we will all be reunited with her again someday.
Maw-Maw with baby Mollie back in 2011
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Wannabe Vegan
I have been fired up about nutrition since I started the Maker's Diet (basically just whole foods, nothing processed) back in 2009. After recently seeing Netflix films like "Vegucated," and "Forks Over Knives," I am starting to steer away from meat and dairy also. The Word of Wisdom does tell us to only eat meat when we have to, and that we should mostly just stick to grains and fruits and vegetables. Anyhoo, today the kids and I decorated dairy-free, sugar-free Valetine's cookies. They weren't beautiful, but the kids actually liked them! They tasted like chocolate Pop Tarts(aka Heaven) to me.
Cookies:
1 and 1/2 cups soaked, chopped dates
1 and 1/4 whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
One huge swig of honey
Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. Blend the dates, cocoa powder, and honey together in blender until smooth. Add the blended mixture and the dry mixture together to create your cookie dough. We rolled the dough out and used cookie cutters. Bake cookies for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.
Frosting:
1 C raisins
1/2 C chopped walnuts
2 TBSP cocoa powder
Another huge swig of honey
1/4 C Almond milk
Blend together all ingredients until smooth. Spread onto cooled cookies and enjoy the wonderful taste of Pop Tarts minus carcinogens :)
Cookies:
1 and 1/2 cups soaked, chopped dates
1 and 1/4 whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
One huge swig of honey
Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. Blend the dates, cocoa powder, and honey together in blender until smooth. Add the blended mixture and the dry mixture together to create your cookie dough. We rolled the dough out and used cookie cutters. Bake cookies for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.
Frosting:
1 C raisins
1/2 C chopped walnuts
2 TBSP cocoa powder
Another huge swig of honey
1/4 C Almond milk
Blend together all ingredients until smooth. Spread onto cooled cookies and enjoy the wonderful taste of Pop Tarts minus carcinogens :)
Monday, September 9, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Heber Cabin Trip 2013
We just got back from the cabin yesterday and I couldn't wait to put the video together.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Harrison
Since Harrison has lived out-of-state for most of his short life, I had so much fun working on his video because I got to spend lots and lots of time with him. What a sweet little guy he is.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Good and the Bad
Here is what we are up to lately.
Devin
Devin ran his first marathon in February. He is a regular athlete now and can bust out 8 mile runs like nobody's business. Speaking of nobody's business, ours is still pretty slow. Barry Fresh is still relatively alive and kicking, although Devin does not have as many carpet jobs as he would like. He has been working for his Dad at good old GB Contracting to fill in the gaps in his time and our income. We are grateful for every hour of work that he has. We know that our Heavenly Father is providing for us.
Me
I am keeping busy with the kids as usual. I am trying to find the balance between taking care of the kids, the house, and myself. I feel like I am cleaning all day long and still have the messiest house on the street. I know this is typical of my stage in life. I am trying to focus on spending quality time with my kids and being in the moment. I am not good at this but I am trying. My goal is to make each day more prayerful so that HF can guide my hours and help me to make each one as meaningful as possible.
Sam
Sam is maturing every day. He is in the "why?" phase and asks questions repeatedly. A popular one lately is, "Mommy, what because tornadoes have so much power?" He is doing so well with his violence issues and usually only hits Mollie after she has hit him first (this is quite an improvement). He now does chores and it is my least favorite task of the day to do them with him. It takes a lot of motivation to get him going. I need motivation to do chores myself, so it really is not fun. He is a social boy and is constantly making new friends at the park. He is sweet and affectionate. He loves rules and routine.
Mollie
Mollie is our passionate girl. She cries on average 10 times per day. We are trying to figure out how to do this girl thing. You'd think I would know since I am one, but I think I was more of a grumpy girl growing up than an emotional one. Mollie is funny. She has killer dance moves. She has an attitude. She is compassionate and nurturing. She loves to be a helper and gets very upset (queue the crying episode) if we do a job that is usually hers (for example opening Taylor's door when it is time to get her up from a nap). She still screams every Sunday when we drop her off at nursery, but then when we pick her up at the end she says, "Nursery fun!!!"
Taylor
I am in the honeymoon phase with Taylor. She is so so sweet and so so happy. Her little eyes disappear when she smiles (which is all the time). She is chubby and sturdy. She is 8 months old now, crawling, and has her 2 bottom teeth. She and Devin have now bonded. I asked him today how he can possibly not want any more kids after having one as sweet as she is?? She is still constantly puking (even her baby food. Our carpet is lots of different colors now). She naps terribly (Usually two 45 minute naps) but goes to bed for the night at 5 p.m. until about 7 the next morning (waking up once or twice to eat). She is pure sugar.
-other news-
Devin's sweet Grandma Barry passed away last month. For the first few years of our marriage I wasn't aware that you only called her "Grandma Barry" when she wasn't around, and that when you were actually in her presence you just called her "Grandma." One thing I will always remember from our interactions is from when I was pregnant with Mollie. I told her of my concern that I could never love a second child as much as I loved Sam. Grandma said that she felt the same way when she was pregnant with her second, and that I shouldn't worry. "Your heart just grows," she said. It wasn't until after I had bonded with Mollie and now Taylor that I understand what she meant.
Devin
Devin ran his first marathon in February. He is a regular athlete now and can bust out 8 mile runs like nobody's business. Speaking of nobody's business, ours is still pretty slow. Barry Fresh is still relatively alive and kicking, although Devin does not have as many carpet jobs as he would like. He has been working for his Dad at good old GB Contracting to fill in the gaps in his time and our income. We are grateful for every hour of work that he has. We know that our Heavenly Father is providing for us.
Me
I am keeping busy with the kids as usual. I am trying to find the balance between taking care of the kids, the house, and myself. I feel like I am cleaning all day long and still have the messiest house on the street. I know this is typical of my stage in life. I am trying to focus on spending quality time with my kids and being in the moment. I am not good at this but I am trying. My goal is to make each day more prayerful so that HF can guide my hours and help me to make each one as meaningful as possible.
Sam
Sam is maturing every day. He is in the "why?" phase and asks questions repeatedly. A popular one lately is, "Mommy, what because tornadoes have so much power?" He is doing so well with his violence issues and usually only hits Mollie after she has hit him first (this is quite an improvement). He now does chores and it is my least favorite task of the day to do them with him. It takes a lot of motivation to get him going. I need motivation to do chores myself, so it really is not fun. He is a social boy and is constantly making new friends at the park. He is sweet and affectionate. He loves rules and routine.
Mollie
Mollie is our passionate girl. She cries on average 10 times per day. We are trying to figure out how to do this girl thing. You'd think I would know since I am one, but I think I was more of a grumpy girl growing up than an emotional one. Mollie is funny. She has killer dance moves. She has an attitude. She is compassionate and nurturing. She loves to be a helper and gets very upset (queue the crying episode) if we do a job that is usually hers (for example opening Taylor's door when it is time to get her up from a nap). She still screams every Sunday when we drop her off at nursery, but then when we pick her up at the end she says, "Nursery fun!!!"
Taylor
I am in the honeymoon phase with Taylor. She is so so sweet and so so happy. Her little eyes disappear when she smiles (which is all the time). She is chubby and sturdy. She is 8 months old now, crawling, and has her 2 bottom teeth. She and Devin have now bonded. I asked him today how he can possibly not want any more kids after having one as sweet as she is?? She is still constantly puking (even her baby food. Our carpet is lots of different colors now). She naps terribly (Usually two 45 minute naps) but goes to bed for the night at 5 p.m. until about 7 the next morning (waking up once or twice to eat). She is pure sugar.
-other news-
Devin's sweet Grandma Barry passed away last month. For the first few years of our marriage I wasn't aware that you only called her "Grandma Barry" when she wasn't around, and that when you were actually in her presence you just called her "Grandma." One thing I will always remember from our interactions is from when I was pregnant with Mollie. I told her of my concern that I could never love a second child as much as I loved Sam. Grandma said that she felt the same way when she was pregnant with her second, and that I shouldn't worry. "Your heart just grows," she said. It wasn't until after I had bonded with Mollie and now Taylor that I understand what she meant.
Monday, December 17, 2012
12 Days of Christmas
Someone is doing "The 12 Days of Christmas" for our family. It is day 5 and we are anxiously awaiting the knock on the door.
Yesterday, our secret Santas dropped off a Christmas tree gingerbread kit. Tonight we made it for family night. The kids were the most quiet they have been in months as they were sampling the frosting while Devin and I decorated the tree. Devin was quite bossy when it came to the application of the frosting. I never knew he wanted to be an interior designer. When I told him he was being too controlling, Devin responded with, "What would Greg King think?" For those of you that know my dad you will find that joke funny.
Thank you to our secret Santas for making our Christmas extra jolly!
Yesterday, our secret Santas dropped off a Christmas tree gingerbread kit. Tonight we made it for family night. The kids were the most quiet they have been in months as they were sampling the frosting while Devin and I decorated the tree. Devin was quite bossy when it came to the application of the frosting. I never knew he wanted to be an interior designer. When I told him he was being too controlling, Devin responded with, "What would Greg King think?" For those of you that know my dad you will find that joke funny.
Thank you to our secret Santas for making our Christmas extra jolly!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Hooray for Pee!
When Taylor was less than a month old I decided to start potty training Mollie. If it sounds terrible, it was. Trying to deal with newborn Taylor (whom I was still nursing) and following around Mollie to make sure she didn't pee her pants was more than I could handle. Most days I ended up crying, and I started to doubt my beloved "Potty Training in 3 Days" method. Mollie would use going potty for attention. One night she pee'd her bed three times in 30 minutes just so I would go in and check on her (my theory at least). She would wake up in the night just as often as Taylor would because she had wet the bed. No one was getting sleep around here. After a week of misery I gave up and put her back in diapers.
2 weeks ago Mollie decided she wanted to give it another go. She started asking for her "big girl potty" and said she was all done with diapers. I was hesitant at first and even tried to talk her into wearing diapers again. I know that is terrible but I really was not interested in dealing with the pee drama again just yet. Anyhoo, here we are 2 weeks later and diapers are just a thing of the past! Mollie did it all on her own. I am so proud of my girl!
2 weeks ago Mollie decided she wanted to give it another go. She started asking for her "big girl potty" and said she was all done with diapers. I was hesitant at first and even tried to talk her into wearing diapers again. I know that is terrible but I really was not interested in dealing with the pee drama again just yet. Anyhoo, here we are 2 weeks later and diapers are just a thing of the past! Mollie did it all on her own. I am so proud of my girl!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Taylor is 4 months old.
Love this girl. Love her chubby cheeks and her easy-going personality. Sam and Mollie already had a plethora of videos by the time they were 4 months old, and this is Taylor's first. Yeah, life is a little busier these days.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
I'm Going to Describe Sam's Poo
I love my Sam. He just turned 4 this past Saturday. I can't believe how fast his little years are flying by.
Tonight we decided to walk to the park. Walking to any park from our (relatively) new house is quite a trek, at least 1 mile each way. I packed up the double stroller and had Sam beside me on his scooter. About 1/4 mile into the walk, Sam told me he had to go poo. I asked him if he could make it to the park and he told me yes. About a block down the road Sam alerted me again that he was feeling the urge. I told him he could try to hold it until the park or we could find a bush somewhere to go in. He assured me he could make it to the park. A few seconds later he changed his mind and told me it was time!
We walked to a big stucco sign that says the name of our neighborhood, surrounded by cactuses (It feels too weird saying cacti even though I know it's the right thing to do) and bushes. I positioned the stroller so that it would block Sam's bum from the oncoming traffic and dog-walkers. It was a very funny thing to me to hold onto his little arms while he squatted and pushed with all his might. The poor thing must have been constipated (this is the part where I describe Sam's poo) because not much was happening. After a while I asked him if he was done and he told me, "I just have a little one left." What came out of him was definitely not little. Way to go, buddy.
After a great time at the park, including running into the Boden triplets (those kids are always at the park), having a little missionary experience (I had to shout out loudly and proudly that I'm a Mormie when some cute ladies offered me coffee. It was all of 65 degrees outside. I could have frozen to death due to my convictions), and having a reunion with my beloved Jessica McDowell, we headed home.
Of course Sam wanted to stop and admire his poo on the walk back. By this time it was dark, so finding the treasure was hard at first. When we spotted it, Sam got so excited that he ran up and down the sidewalk, kicked a cactus, and immediately started screaming. The cactus had poked him through his shoe.
Only a boy would kick a cactus.
Tonight we decided to walk to the park. Walking to any park from our (relatively) new house is quite a trek, at least 1 mile each way. I packed up the double stroller and had Sam beside me on his scooter. About 1/4 mile into the walk, Sam told me he had to go poo. I asked him if he could make it to the park and he told me yes. About a block down the road Sam alerted me again that he was feeling the urge. I told him he could try to hold it until the park or we could find a bush somewhere to go in. He assured me he could make it to the park. A few seconds later he changed his mind and told me it was time!
We walked to a big stucco sign that says the name of our neighborhood, surrounded by cactuses (It feels too weird saying cacti even though I know it's the right thing to do) and bushes. I positioned the stroller so that it would block Sam's bum from the oncoming traffic and dog-walkers. It was a very funny thing to me to hold onto his little arms while he squatted and pushed with all his might. The poor thing must have been constipated (this is the part where I describe Sam's poo) because not much was happening. After a while I asked him if he was done and he told me, "I just have a little one left." What came out of him was definitely not little. Way to go, buddy.
After a great time at the park, including running into the Boden triplets (those kids are always at the park), having a little missionary experience (I had to shout out loudly and proudly that I'm a Mormie when some cute ladies offered me coffee. It was all of 65 degrees outside. I could have frozen to death due to my convictions), and having a reunion with my beloved Jessica McDowell, we headed home.
Of course Sam wanted to stop and admire his poo on the walk back. By this time it was dark, so finding the treasure was hard at first. When we spotted it, Sam got so excited that he ran up and down the sidewalk, kicked a cactus, and immediately started screaming. The cactus had poked him through his shoe.
Only a boy would kick a cactus.
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