I've decided...

Beginning today, I will celebrate my families birthday's and not let them slip away like any other day.

What would you like to do a little better?

First Presidency Appeals to Church Members to Help People in Haiti - LDS Newsroom

To read the entire article, statement from the First Presidency, and news release on relief efforts in Haiti, please click this link:

First Presidency Appeals to Church Members to Help People in Haiti - LDS Newsroom

In a statement published on the Church’s official Web site, Church President Thomas S. Monson and counselors Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf said they are “keenly aware that many in America are dealing with economic challenges brought on by the recent recession.” Many Church members have made substantial contributions to Church Humanitarian Services, but more is needed. Church members and others wishing to contribute to the aid efforts may do so by using the Donation Slip they normally use for Church donations or by logging onto lds.org and clicking on Humanitarian Services Emergency Response.

“Money is not the only need in Haiti,” the statement continued. “People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people.”

Sleeping Like a Baby

I must say, I've never seen a living person sleep this way. (Actually, I've never seen a dead person sleep this way either).

Alex, you never cease to make me laugh!

Way to Go, Man!

Oh boy, I've got joy. I do, I do, I do! I'm so EXCITED. Just thought I'd share my happiness with all of you wonderful people who I love. Have a wonderful day!

Muffin Mix and Recipes

Here's a tip: For freeze-ahead muffins, line muffin cups with paper liners, fill with batter, and plop pan in freezer. When frozen, remove muffins from pan and transfer to a freezer container. When your ready for warm fluffy muffins, place frozen muffins in pan and place in preheated oven. Increase baking time 3 to 6 minutes and enjoy!

Muffin Mix

8 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. sugar

3 Tbs. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I use 3 tsp. cinnamon)

2 tsp. ground nutmeg (I omit nutmeg)

In a mixer or large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Put in a large airtight container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Makes about 11 cups of MUFFIN MIX.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Muffins

2 ¾ c. MUFFIN MIX

1 egg

1 c. milk

½ c. oil, butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease muffin pans. Mix all ingredients. Lumps are o.k. Fill prepared muffin pans ¾ full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 10 large muffins. (I’m a lazy muffin maker. I poor batter into two prepared 9x5 bread pans and bake 30 minutes).

Variations

Cornmeal Muffins – Decrease MUFFIN MIX to 2 ¼ c. and add ½ c. cornmeal.

Butterscotch-Pecan Muffins – Melt 6 Tbsp. butter in saucepan. Stir in 6 Tbsp. brown sugar. Place 1 T of brown sugar mixture and 2-3 pecans in bottom of each muffin cup. Fill cups ¾ full with batter.

Dried Fruit Muffins – Add 1 c. chopped dried fruit (apricots, cherries, peaches, blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, etc.) to batter.

Fresh Peach Muffins – Gently fold 1 c. diced fresh peaches into batter before filling muffin pans.

Banana Muffins – Mash 1 banana (1/2 c.) and add to batter before filling muffin pans.

Blueberry Muffins – Gently fold 1 c. fresh, frozen, or drained canned blueberries into basic muffin batter just before filling muffin pans.

Cranberry-Nut Muffins – Gently fold 1 c. chopped fresh or frozen cranberries, ½ c. chopped nuts and 3 Tbsp. sugar into basic muffin batter just before filling muffin pans.

Molasses Bran Muffins

2 c. all- bran cereal or 1 c. all-bran plus 1 c. bran flakes

¼ c. melted butter or vegetable oil

¼ c. molasses

1 c. milk

1 egg

½ c. raisins, optional

1 ½ c. MUFFIN MIX

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine cereal, butter or oil, molasses, milk, and egg. Let stand 5 minutes. Add raisins, if desired, and MUFFIN MIX. Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Fill prepared muffin pans ¾ full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until edges are brown. Makes 10 large muffins.

Variation

Chocolate Nut – Omit raisins and substitute ½ cup each mini-chocolate morsels and chopped nuts.

Apple Muffins

1 ¾ c. MUFFIN MIX

½ c. chopped nuts

½ tsp. ground cloves

2 c. grated apples

1 egg

¼ cup oil, butter, or margarine, melted

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine MUFFIN MIX, nuts, and cloves. Add apples, egg, oil, and milk, mixing until just moistened; batter should be lumpy. Fill prepared muffin pans 23/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 10 large muffins.

Gran Muffins

2 C. MUFFIN MIX

¾ c. granola

1 egg

¼ c. butter, melted

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425F. Generously grease muffin pans. In a bowl, combine MUFFIN MIX and granola. Add egg, butter, and milk. Stir until moistened. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 9 large muffins.

Cranberry Cakes with Butter Sauce

1 to 1 1/3 c. raw cranberries, chopped

¼ c. sugar

2 ¾ c. MUFFIN MIX

1 c. dairy sour cream

1 egg

¼ c butter, margarine, or oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine cranberries and sugar. Let stand a few minutes. Add MUFFIN MIX, sour cream, egg, and butter. Blend well. Batter should be lumpy. Fill prepared muffin pans ¾ full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with Hot Butter Sauce. Makes about 10 cakes.

Hot Butter Sauce

½ c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. cream or evaporated milk

dash of nutmeg, optional

Combine butter, sugar and cream or evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Add nutmeg if desired. Serve warm. Makes about 1 ½ c. sauce. (Also good on Apple Pie).

Zucchini Muffins

2 c. MUFFIN MIX

½ c. sugar

½ c. chopped nuts

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 c. grated zucchini

1 egg

½ butter, melted

2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine MUFFIN MIX, sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. Mix zucchini, egg, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened; batter should be lumpy. Fill prepared muffin tins ¾ full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Makes 10 medium muffins.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

2 ¼ c. MUFFIN MIX

1 package instant lemon-pudding mix

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

¼ tsp. lemon zest

1 c. milk

2 eggs

¼ oil, butter, or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine MUFFIN MIX, lemon-pudding mix, poppy seeds, and lemon peel. Add milk, eggs, and oil. Stir until moistened. Fill prepared muffin pans ¾ full. Bake 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Prepare Lemon Glaze and drizzle on warm muffins. Makes 10 large muffins.

Lemon Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix well and drizzle on muffins.

Go Baby, Go!

Dan.

Bat.

Dan at bat.

Dan ran.

Pat.

Pat at bat.

Pat ran. Dan ran.

Pat! Dan!

Mercedes read her second book today! I am so excited for her!

Something New, Something Blue

So...I've discovered I have a secret crush on blue. Yes, I still love yellow, and Kim over at Dear Daisy Cottage has totally inspired me with this beauty; but, blue just keeps popping up. Our old door, the shed, and now....

Before

Do you see this yellow? It really was, no is, aweful! The picture does not do it justice. Neon with green undertones is NOT pretty in this bathroom. Luckily, it was only a $5.00 miss tint from Lowe's.

And then, flying over head...is it a bird? A plane? What is that?! It's mom! She swoops in. She sees. She gags. She pities the poor eyes that have to look upon this bathroom every day. And guess what we found on the Christmas tree?

Paint!

Mercedes wanted to take a picture but I told her "Be careful. I don't want to get paint on you." And then, BLOP! Paint falls off my roller right onto her arm. After wiping it off, she stepped out of the bathroom, reached around the corner with the camera, and took a picture. Pretty good for a blind point and click.

I only had one clean roller, so Mercedes made her own.

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for! Dun...dun...dun...

After

All that's left to do is paint the celing white, and it will be done! Just don't hold your breath until I do it, because you wont make it.

Thank you Mom! I love you!!!

72 Hour Kit

I saw this 72 hour kit at Safely Gathered In. It has some good suggestions.

1 sturdy bag or container per person
1 change of clothes per person
1 set of scriptures per family
1 flashlight per person
Batteries
First aid kit
Personal documents
2 gal. water per person, minimum (3's better)
$100 cash (small bills)
Ax and shovel
Utility knife
Bucket
Battery powered radio
Small sewing kit
Food
2 light sticks
Hand warmer / canned heat
Blankets / sleeping bags
1 small toothbrush per person
Toothpaste, soap, and shampoo
Silver foil emergency blankets
Mosquito repellent
Small entertainment (crayons, card game, etc.)
Camp stove or portable BBQ and fuel
2 pair work gloves
Mess kits or disposable plates, cups, bowls, utensils
Pet supplies
Candles, holders, matches
Aluminum foil
Can opener
Disinfectant
Garbage bags

BASIC Food Storage

What is BASIC food storage?

Water

Wheat
Oats
Rice
Beans
Pasta
Sugar
Oil


Water is so important and we should collect it as often as possible - even if all we do is fill our empty milk jugs. Remember: rotate milk jugs yearly to prevent leakage.

My Brim Heart

I am so excited I couldn't sleep all night! So what's the cause of all my lost sleep? Good question! Last night Jake told me we can adopt two children - a little girl and boy! This is what I wanted, but I was trying to reconcile myself to only having four children. As Ammon puts it "My heart is brim with joy." (Alma 26:11) I might have to change the name of my blog now. Hmmm...

Are you ready for a secret? O.K., it's not really a secret, but almost. Jake has put me under strict orders not to tell anyone, at Arby's, that he has succumbed to me again! Haha.

Guess what? Jake received an A on one of his papers. GOOD job, Dear! He needed a boost. School's not going so well. He's trying, but 13 credits is really draining him. You can do it! I believe in you!!!

When I put Alex down for his nap yesterday, he plopped down on the pillow, pulled the blanket to his chin, and began snoring! He is such a goof!!

And, here's a couple pictures of the girls from our trip to Arctic Circle with my parents, Melanie, Doug, and Spencer. The picture of Christina here was also from this same trip.

This little boy was hilarious! We hadn't been there more than two minutes and he was already telling Mercedes he loved her.

Check this out! Proof that Spencer still hangs out with us!

And last, but not least...

MELANIE!

Decisions Decisions

I've been doing a lot of research lately. One of the things I read said I need to let the cat out of the bag. Really, it told me that - in slightly different terms. We've had this thought, something we need to do about our family. I told Jake I wasn't going to bug him about it any more. Then, he decided to have this crazy dream. He woke up in the middle of the night and said "not in this life" and went back to bed! Can you believe that? This is Jake we're talking about after all...

So what is this all about?! We're going to have a baby! Well, it might not be a baby. We've decided to adopt. We don't know who or when it will happen or how it will happen; but, we know we're going to do it. Remember that crazy post I wrote about a week ago about having faith? It had to do with this whole decision.

I called LDS Family Services the day I wrote that post. We pretty much have no chance at adopting through them. Joan said that because of our specific circumstances, "[we] have better chances going through a different agency." That's O.K.. I didn't feel like they were the right agency anyway.

On to the research. Lots of research. Are we going international, domestic, what agency, fundraisers, grants - I mean, how are we going to pay for this?! It's a good thing it felt so right before we saw price tags!

So, what have we decided? International - absolutely! Jake was excited about Brazil, (I was too) but some of the countries requirements will be a little hard to meet. O.K., a lot hard to meet. Haiti would be awesome but we're not old enough and have too many children already. So that leaves us with the one that I keep coming back to. Ethiopia.

Water, Water, Everywhere!!!

Splash! Water was every where! When I caught Christina, she had almost covered the entire bathroom floor with it! I put my hand on my hip and said "Christina, don't get the floor wet!" Stina looked up at me whith her big inocent eyes and asked "What? What do you mean? What'd I do?" I couldn't help but laugh. :)

Go Forth with Faith

Do you ever feel like you need to do something, and you want to do it, but don't know how to accomplish it? And then, to top it off, without the Lord's help, it would be impossible. And you know the only reason it will work out is because you have His help?

That's where I am, and I know I'm not the only one. I was reminded of a quote by President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973). It says, “You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and perhaps a few steps into the darkness, and you will find that the light will appear and move ahead of you.” 2

Rely on the Lord, follow His promptings, and "Go forth with faith."

Wondering...

The other day, I picked up Alex, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and all of the sudden, he says "Eew, CACA!"

What is up with that?

Surprise in the Camera

My dad bought Jake The Undaunted for Christmas. It's about a Pioneer expedition in Southern Utah. Jake loved it! He couldn't put it down! He was sick, probably a lot longer than he would have been, because he kept reading till the wee hours of the morning. During the day, I'd tell him to go sleep; but, he'd just smile and say "I want to read my book more." I'm glad he liked it, and so is my dad!

Happy Anniversary! On January 3rd, we celebrated our six year anniversary. I made peach cobble and we ate it with the kids. Call us boring, but it was fun!

This photo was the surprise in the camera! I didn't know it was there until I uploaded the photos to the computer. Mercedes must have taken it of herself, or Christina took it. It's a little fuzzy, but I love it! She looks so sweet and funny at the same time!

This is our family. Mercedes always draws three girls and three boys. Hmm...

You can't catch me, Mom. I'm quick!

Alex can't get enough oatmeal! He's crazy about the stuff. He's good for three bowls almost every day of the week!

Mom, it's early. I'm in my "I don't like pictures" phase, and I'm eating breakfast! What are you thinking?! This is all you get.

You can't see me...

I love my little family!
(Thanks for the camera, Melanie and Doug! And thanks for the memory stick, Dad)!

French Toast

The kids really enjoyed this French Toast! Even I liked it, and I don't like French Toast. The banana wasn't really strong but it added a nice flavor!

4 large eggs
2 T. banana, smashed (I used 1/4 c.)
1/4 t. cinnamon
4 slices of bread (I used 8)
butter for skillet
syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit for topping

Beat eggs. Add banana and cinnamon. Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture and turn to coat evenly. Cook in hot buttered skillet until golden brown - 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit on top.

This recipe came from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. She recommends using any of the following purees: banana, pineapple, sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash, or canned pumpkin.

Chicken and Rice

We had this for dinner last night and it was scrumptious! You can substitute one pkt. onion soup mix for the dehydrated onion, onion powder, beef bouillon and most of the salt

1 c. rice, uncooked
6 boneless chicken breasts (I used 5 thighs)
3 T. dehydrated onion
1 t. onion powder
1 T. + 1 t. beef bouillon granules
1/2 t. salt
1/16 t. pepper
2 c. milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rice in greased 9x13 pan. Place chicken on top. Mix dry onion, onion powder, beef bouillon, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over chicken. Mix milk and cream of chicken soup together and pour over chicken and rice. Cover with foil and bake two hours. Uncover last 30 minutes to brown chicken. If this appears to be drying out, add more liquid.

I cooked it in a slow cooker for 3.5 hrs. on high. Worked great!

Awesome No-Bake Cheese Cake

I just wanted to share an awesome Cheese Cake recipe with all of you! Crystal Godfrey, of everydayfoodstorage.net, demoed this on the news the other day. The texture is very smooth and the flavor was great! Make sure you use a blender because a mixer will not puree the cream cheese.

No-bake Cheese Cake

1/2 c. hot water
1 c. sugar
1 c. non-instant powdered milk or 2 c. instant powdered milk
1 T. butter

Blend in blender until it looks like sweetened condensed milk - about 30 seconds. Then add:

1/3 c. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese

Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust and refrigerate until set - about 2 hours. If desired, top with your favorite topping. Enjoy!

*One can of Sweetened Condensed Milk can be substituted for the first four ingredients.

Meet Chicken Nugget

Meet Chicken Nugget, our short-haired tortoise. (Tortoise refers to her coloration). I had originally named her Sienna; but, a few days ago we were playing when Christina saw her and exclaimed "Oh! My cat, Chicken Nugget!"

We love Chicken Nugget's energy! She's so fun! She jumps, she runs, she tries to climb the walls, and attacks us all randomly throughout the day. She is also an EXCELLENT mouser! I can't tell you how many times I have seen her try to catch the mouse courser as it moves across the computer screen, lol :)

And...I'm so excited!

We're going to get a dog! (But not right now). After testing, and a brief study of the many dog breeds that fit me specifically, I have discovered the one I want. No more of this buying a dog on a whim and not understanding it's specific breed needs. I tried this once. It led to too much stress! (Luckily, Sunday now has a good family where everyone loves him - not just the kids). So, what dog have I picked?


This is a Newfoundland (Landseer, which is what I want) puppy. The Newfoundland is sweet, gentle, patient, and love their family's very much! When full grown, average height for a male is 28 inches at the shoulder and 130 - 150 pounds. I've seen them referred to as the "born babysitter" many times; and, "Nana" from Peter Pan was based on a Landseer, not a Saint Bernard.

I've been having lots of fun reading about Newfoundlands and hope we're able to have one in our family someday.

Christmas Time

We had so much FUN this Christmas! The Friday before, we headed to town to visit family. It was pretty crazy, but we LOVE seeing all our family!

While at my parents, we went to Sacrament Meeting on Sunday and heard beautiful music, played games like Little White Lies and this other game about useless information. For example, "In 2006, how many brand new SUV's were sold?" And then you have to guess. I put 3,000. Try 3,000,000. Boy was I WAY off! Mom made yummy ham, funeral potatoes, and rolls. I loved it! Later, we saw The Princess and the Frog - which scared Mercedes and Christina pretty bad "'cause of those bad monsters." To make up for it, we went to Arctic Circle after and let them play and eat. Spencer even went and ate with us. I'm glad he decided to grace us with his presence, hehehe... (I think the last time I went out to eat and Spencer was there, he was flirting with girls on the other side of the restaurant. I'm not lying. We were at one wall, and they were clear across the room at the other wall. They even gave him their phone numbers, which a waiter eagerly handed him! Can you believe that)!?!

With Jake's family, we had a couple Christmas parties which were fun. At the Adult Christmas Party we ate Sour Bratten, which I don't know how to spell, homemade noodles and rolls, Green Bean Casserole, and this Fuchsia cabbage stuff. It's all German. I thought last years was weird, so I only ate noodles and UN-Sour Bratten. (Sour Bratten is meat soaked in vinager for about five days. It's zippy, and that's a BIG understatement). Supposedly, this years wasn't as bad as last year's. I can't say for certain 'cause I didn't try it. Maybe I'll give it a shot next year...

We had lots of fun with everyone!

And guess what?! Melanie and Doug so graciously gave us their extra camera. So, I have pictures to share! But we'll have to wait until I have time to add them. Love to you all!