My Joy: The Lamp.

My parents went to Jerusalem while my brother Adam was there last year. They brought back one of these oil lamps for each family. I then tucked it neatly away. But this week we are sitting each night as a family and reading in the New Testament about what was happening in Christ's life each day before the Resurrection. Which we will be celebrating on Sunday. Easter. We really wanted to have a more Christ centered Easter this year.

For Wednesday, the scriptures are silent about what Jesus did. So I used the parable of the 10 virgins tonight. AND! I got the oil lamp out. Perfect. The kids and I lit the lamp at 6 pm tonight. Then we watched as it burned. We sat at the table for dinner at 7:30 with all the lights off and the lamp burning. I filled the lamp just a little more so we could let it burn until mom and dad go to bed.

As we sat eating and watching the glow of the oil lamp, I taught the parable of the 10 virgins. We talked about the meaning for us today. That we are waiting for Christ to come. We need to keep our lamps filled just like the first 5 virgins so we will be ready when He comes. We talked about all the things we can do to keep oil in our lamps. Then my Isaac taught us something. He said, "The light will keep burning all the time when you keep filling it with oil. And it will shine forever...

just like an eternal family."

A moment of pure Joy! I love my eternal family. And I love the oil lamp. We will light it again tomorrow night while we eat unleavened bread and learn about the Last Supper.

A Day In The Life.

Monday...Ruthie had a tummy ache, which kept her home from school, but didn't keep her from flitting around the house all day. She now understands that, unless she is puking, she goes to school. She took this picture herself. It's just so hard to describe all that I see. She cracks me up!

Tuesday...Ruthie showing off her mad yo yo ing skills. Went to lunch with some friends and talked until just before the bell rang at school. Poor kids were standing by the curb wondering where their mother was.
Wednesday...Sam turned in his Cereal box book report. Turning it in means giving an oral report. He read Dinosaurs before Dawn (Magic Treehouse) and called his cereal Din-os. It's a fruity O cereal with lots of protein.
We all went with the Webelos to the Air Museum for a field trip after school. 10 year old boys are pretty funny. I only had my own kids on the way home so we stopped by a new 7-11 to get a treat.
Thursday...Pack meeting. Isaac has an amazing Webelos leader. He earned his Scientist and Traveler badges. He also got his Colors to put the badges on.
Friday...No school for the end of the quarter. Daniel was home working so I took the kiddos out to lunch. This is Ruthie showing off her blanket.
Daniel and I went to dinner and the temple for date night.

Saturday...Bountiful Baskets in the morning with Daniel. mmmm. Good stuff. I sewed this blankie for Sam because the one I made when he was born is shredded. But he still won't give it up. Silly boy. Movie night...Willow.

Sunday...Busy Sunday. Home teachers came and dinner consisted of mac n cheese, tots and asparagus from Bountiful Baskets. Gotta love a tired momma on Sunday night when every one's hungry. At lease we ate!

Have a wonderful week!

Cute Quips.

One night this week I was laying in bed with Sam. I like to lay down with Sam and Ruthie every night while Daniel reads to them. It's cuddly fun.

As we were laying there, Sam asked if I was asleep. So I snored. Then this happened...

"Mom, guess what?"

"What?"

"You snore."

"That was just fake snoring."

"No. One night I came into your room while you were asleep and I could hear you snoring."

"You did? What did it sound like?"

"Like this...*insert heavy breathing*"

"Oooh. Did dad hear it?"

"No he was asleep."

"Shh. Don't tell dad that I snore."

"*Giggle* Okay."

"Thank you."

"I won't ever tell him..."


It's nice to keep some secrets from dad. So now that I've shared that with you, please don't tell Daniel that I snore! I really don't want him to find out!

Moon Boots And Knee Holes.

First of all, pay no attention to the mess under the bed. I will take care of that when the little people are at school and can't complain when I throw stuff away.

Instead, notice the hole in the knee. Sam the Man pulled his sock up so it can be seen through the hole. Holes in knees mean one thing and one thing only. Spring. It's time for warm weather. Shorts wearing weather. Otherwise they would just be cold with those big holes in the knees.

Isn't he cute? Sam is silly. He loves his socks to show in the knee hole. He also loves his boots. He has a rule about those boots, too. He wears them for Winter and Spring. Summer and Fall he will wear tennies. Actually he wears sandals all summer. Flip flops, too. But he just made this rule up yesterday when I told him to wear his tennies to school instead of the boots.
"Take another picture mom. I want to see what the flash does." So I did. The flash filled the whole room and made him super happy. Silly boy!
One day he'll meet a beautiful girl who he wants to spend eternity with. When I show her these pictures and tell her it's hereditary, she better still love the heck out of my Silly Sam.

Make A Treat!

This would normally be Make A Meal, but treats just aren't meals. Well, not technically. I do like treats for meals. But that's just me. And even though much about life is all about me, I decided to just make a new post name.

Thus....


Make a Treat! With a ! .

Lemon Bars

You'll need...

1 stick butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

Mix it all together with your hands. It won't bite. Just wash your hands first. Then lick them after.

Pat it into an 8x8 pan. (No need to coat the pan with anything. Did you notice how much butter is in it? mmmm) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

While that's yummin' up the kitchen, prepare the lemon filling...

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice.

Mix together and pour over the baked crust. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sift a little (or a lot) of powdered sugar over the top. Cool completely before cutting.

My mom made these all the time while we were growing up. Much better than the boxed stuff you can get now. We had a HUGE lemon tree in our backyard and used those lemons to make these. We also used to eat the lemons with sugar poured over them. yum. The lemons were as big as cantelopes. Then my mom got all weird and said we couldn't eat them anymore because it was eating our tooth enamal. Who needs tooth enamal?! Seriously. They were yummy lemons! When real lemons aren't available for these tasty treats, lemon juice from a bottle works just fine.

Enjoy!

P.S. Ruthie was just looking for something to watch while eating her lunch. Guess where she stopped? Food Network. We're now watching the Barefoot Contessa. She's making something Greek for her hubby. Ruthie is enjoying every minute. Gotta love that!

A Day In The Life.

First! A moment of "AWE". Just a moment.....















Thank you.



That was for how I have kept this particular string of posts going for over a year. Yep. We should all have a moment of "AWE" for just the fact that I've done it.



Thank you.

Monday...Went shopping for a frame for the temple picture for my family room wall. They were 30% off at Roberts. So $34 for the frame. My brother in law Sean took the awesome picture of the Ogden temple. Just a slow and simple day at home!

Tuesday...Sam is learning about sedimentary rocks at school. He wanted to do an experiment where you put tons of peanut butter between 2 pieces of bread and squish them between heavy books. You should be able to see "layers" like rock. Umm.. I think we didn't put enough PB. Darnitall.

Wednesday...Put the picture up on the wall. Isn't it gorgeous?! Thanks Sean. I think you should sell your prints. Popcorn day at school. Piano lessons. Presidency meeting. Webelos. beyond that, I don't recall anything.
Thursday...Isaac got all the rocks we've collected from various trips and laid them out and then started chipping away at them. He's learning about rocks and soil, too. These rocks stayed on this little table all week until I told him to please put them somewhere else. They then got knocked off the table and chipped my wood floor. Darnitall!
Daniel wasn't gonna git home till 8, so we ran to the store and got donuts for a treat. Were you where I was today at 11 am? Yep. We enjoyed those donuts and all the crumbs and I drank soda, too!

Friday...With piano lessons, I have seen a wonderful phenomenon at our house. When one of the kids doesn't know how to play a song and another kid has already passed it off or practiced it, that other kid will sit and help the original kid with notes and finger placing. When I heard Sam say, "Place your fingers where mine are and then I'll point to which ones you need to play..." I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I love it!

Daniel and I needed a night out. We got a sitter and went to dinner and then saw Percy Jackson. So fun! So nice to be out for fun by ourselves.

Saturday...Haircuts for mom and Ruthie. Ruthie has been talking about cutting her hair short for about a month now. I didn't know if she would really do it. Then as we got closer, I looked into Locks of Love, but she would need to grow another 2 inches. She didn't want to wait that long. So.....

We had a movie night and watched the Princess and the Frog. So cute!

Sunday...This is how I feel today, but this nap was taken yesterday. While sitting on the couch, I fell asleep and then Ruthie got her pillow and blankie for me. Busy day at church. Primary kids are so fun!

Have an terrific week!

A Thought For Thursday.

My thought for today is just what I am feeling very specifically today...

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Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

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Mostly because I have been running amuck everyday all week and this morning was the first chance I've had to clean my house.

I love the order and smell of a clean house.

No more feelings of chaos this week.

Thank you very much.

A Mark.

Last night we had a Relief Society dinner/Stomp. Does that scare you? Stomp. High School. Yikes. We brought our yearbooks and had taco salads and talked and talked. Then we had our lesson. Jen talked about making our mark in high school. Sports. Choir. Band. Cheerleading. Debate Club. Chess Club. Nerd. Druggie. Throwing up on someone. Etc.

It's been 21 years since I graduated from high school.

I went to my first 3 years of high school in California. That's where I grew up. And we started high school as freshmen in 9th grade. I'd show you my 9th grade picture, but...I won't.

During my 17th summer, right before my senior year, our family moved to Utah. Oh dread.

I hated it.

My point here is that while thinking about the mark I made in high school, I realized something.

I left a hole.

A deep dark hole.

I left my high school in California without graduating. So I wasn't remembered when planning reunions.

I only spent one year in high school in Utah and didn't talk much.

I hated it.

Remember?

I graduated, but am not remembered when planning reunions.

I didn't leave a mark large enough anywhere to be on a mailing list.

But you know, I don't mind. I wouldn't go back to California to a reunion because leaving that school was a huge blessing for me.

And I wouldn't go to a reunion here in Utah because I don't know any of them.

You see, about a week after graduation, I left. I moved to So Cal and started working and going to school.

When I did come back to Utah I was getting ready to go on a mission.

To California.

When I got back, I just moved on to other things.

So in thinking about leaving a mark in high school I had my eyes opened to having not left a mark at all. And I'm okay with that. High school is just a short and really awkward stage everyone has to go through. I would rather leave my mark as a wife. A mom. A teacher. A friend. A woman.

And I think I am doing just that.

My Joy.

Whenever I have moments of Joy, I just simply enjoy them. I don't blog them. But I am happy and Joyful today. The sun is shining and it's warm and my kids are all healthy and school is going well and I get to go to Relief Society tonight and Daniel and I have a date this Friday night.

Have you felt Joy lately?

A Day In The Life.

Monday...While getting ready in the morning, these two whippersnappers filled the sink with soapy water and then made beards. Silly kids. It was also Isaac's birthday!

Tuesday...Isaac showed Sam how to play Risk. That isn't as easy as it might seem. They finally called it quits. See Isaac's knees? The holes in all the jeans means warmer weather should be here soon. It's time for shorts.
Wednesday...Isaac was officially a Webelo. He went the week before, too, so he could do all the fun stuff for this month. This is the 4th chocolate cake mix of the week. The first was for cupcakes on Sunday night. Second was for Isaac's cake on Monday which stuck to the pan and then fell to the floor. Third was a more successful cake for Isaac on Monday. And this is just a middle of the week I want some chocolate cake for breakfast tomorrow cake.
Thursday...My mom called from a Master Gardener class she's taking close by to see if I would be home. She came by to visit for a little while. This is a picture Isaac drew for me. It's titled Last Day Of Winter. There is a pier with people watching the water, fishing and swimming. I think he's ready for winter to be over, too.

Friday...One thing Daniel and I have been lucky to be able to do is go on field trips with our kids. I went with Sam and all the other 2nd graders on Friday to the hospital. They got to learn all there is to know, in a very frilly way, what would happen if they came to the ER, had surgery or broke a bone. We then saw the LifeFlight helicopter. We went to a park for lunch where there was beautifully written smut on the bathroom doors. Right where we were eating. Too bad 2nd graders can read. Too bad I can read. This is Sam the Surgeon.

Saturday...Another Bountiful Basket run. Mmm. 2 Primary kids got baptized and I think that even if the sun had come out that day, those girls outshined anything that old sun could shine out. We had movie night and watched Planet 51. The one line that I heard while passing the boys' room was "So that's where he keeps his antenna". Funny. Really. Funny.

Sunday...I walked out the door to go to church to wind howling at 50 below. Okay. Not really, But, dang, it was cold! Primary kids were cute. And this guy here wanted to make brownies. So he did. They were good! That's him eating one!

And just in case you were wondering, because I am so sure you are wondering, today marks 12 weeks until we are on a cruise ship sailing to Alaska. And 13 weeks until we are flying home to our kiddos. Who I actually miss already. I know. Dumb. But really. I do.

All In The Name Of Love.

In preparation for dinner tonight I found myself doing something. Something odd. Something insanely curious. You see, I needed a bag of these.

Mixed veggies.

But the recipe needs them thawed and drained. So I put them in the thingy here to thaw them. And to let them drain.
Then I started picking stuff out. You see those things in my sink? Every single one of them came from that bag. In fact, if you were to look more closely at the picture above, you wouldn't find a single one of those things in the bowl. But if you do, please let me know right away. I'm gonna add those to the casserole soon!
What are they? I call them horsey beans. That's what my grandpa called them. We had to eat them at my grandparents' house when we were young. I think they may have even come from his garden. We always had to eat the horsey beans. And I can even hear my grandpa saying Horsey Beans.
And Happy New Year.
And Hey Cookie.
So why do I pick them out?
These little people.
It's all in the name of love.
Or
It's all in the name of I don't want to hear any complaining about what's on your plate tonight so just go right on ahead and eat it!!
And love.
(And I DO know they are lima beans. We were just told they were horsey beans at grandpa's house.)

A Perfect 10!

It's official. Isaac is 10! I started to look for a baby picture and just couldn't stop myself! Can you blame me? Look at him! So cute! The purple dress picture just goes to show that I used to be thin. But see how my head looks too big for my body? Uhuh! I have to balance it out! That's at 12 weeks. Yes, I showed right away. The dark blue thing that was the only thing that fit me is from 34 weeks. Shortly before the cutie was born. Enjoy the cuteness!

Isaac is my only child who ever got black eyes. He would fall while getting out of the tub. Silly boy!
He has grown into a handsome young man! And who could blame him? Have you seen his dad?

The gifts that had to sit on the table unopened until dad got home.

Torture!

The cake that had to sit on the counter until after dinner was eaten.

Torture!

Blowing out the candles! Look at the cheeks!

The gifts were finally opened.

He is finally 10.

Happy birthday, Isaac. Mom and Dad love you and are happy you are in our family!

A Day In The Life.

Monday...One week to go. Which means today is the big day. Love my Ikey Bikey!

Tuesday...Grape juice is dangerous. Especially before school or going somewhere nice. Purple mustaches are hard to get rid of. Mom was getting better, even though a bit tired and weak.
Wednesday...My kids watch Avatar the Last Air Bender. When I put Ruthie in the tub, she has all her water bending students come to learn from her. I caught her here as she scolded her students to stop being lazy and get up and bend!

Thursday...Ruthie took this picure. Just another slow and lazy day at our house while mom continues to recuperate.

Friday...Isaac asked for a paperclip. Then he attached it to a string. Then he put a pencil in the paperclip and held one end of the string. Then he made a perfect circle. He's so smart. He made this hazard sign. I think it's to warn people away from the acid.

We had a Family Movie Night and watched Bolt. (again)

Saturday...Not only did Isaac need to do his Saturday jobs to go to Chuck E Cheese, he had to type his Pioneer Essay. So this boy sat at my laptop and typed. And typed. And typed. Just like the pioneers Walked. And walked. And walked.

We went to Chuck E Cheese for dinner (yuck) and fun. As Daniel and I sat while the kids ran amuck, we likened our experience there to the gambling halls. Kids and adults alike walking around with their cups of coins and tickets. Kids and adults walking around with dazed looks on their faces. Sounds of dinging bells and clinking coins. It's like gambling training at a young age.

Sunday...After church we got cupcakes ready to take to Aunt Marylynne's. We celebrated all the March birthdays and enjoyed each other's company. Uncle Mark and Aunt Marylynne had gone to Africa a few months ago and showed a DVD they made with pictures of animals and the children in the orphanage they visited. Yes, I cried. They talked about their experiences in South Africa. What an amazing experience!

As they were talking and we were listening intently, my sweet daughter was blocked out of a room and while pounding on the door, yells loud enough for the whole house to hear, "I AM SERIOUSLY GOING TO FREAK OUT!!!!"

Funny girl.

My bod is back to normal. Which means I'm only tired from lack of sleep. Normal.

Have a terrific week!

Counting Down...

2 more days.

This morning I woke up to Isaac's CLEAN room.

A CLEAN playroom.

And when it was time for stick jobs, Isaac just started doing jobs without the sticks.

I think he's excited about going to Chuck E Cheese tonight for a family fun night!

We should have birthday celebrations more often!

A Thought For Thursday.

Ruthie recently watched Pollyanna. Good flick!

This is on Pollyanna's necklace that her father wore before he died. She shows it to the minister, who later realizes he has been led astray.

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When You Look For The Bad In Mankind Expecting To Find It,

You Surely Will.

Abraham Lincoln

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Why not simply look for the good in people and expect to find it.

Surely we will!

It's Getting Closer!

Here's a Thursday morning joke courtesy of Ruthie...

Why did the chicken cross the road?

I don't know. Why?

Because his nest and eggs and children and wife and house and and and. Well, you know that his children are little baby chicks that came from the eggs? (Yep) He had to get to them....

The purpose of today's post is to remember this little guy-

He'll be turning 10 in just a few days. Isn't he just super duper cute?! No doubt about it! His smile still makes me smile and his laugh! Oh his laugh is to die for!

On Monday my baby will be double digits. So let's take a picture. Um. Not enough light!

Whoa! Way too much light. Turn off the flash!
And here is a nice in between. But for some reason he just won't give me a straight face. Oh! Wait. That is his straight face! Silly.
Isaac-I love you and think you are amazing. I can't wait to celebrate 10 years of being your mom!

2 years ago I was making tons o taco meat in preparation for his baptism lunch!