Seedlings

As soon as the snow melts in Idaho, it's time to start planting seedlings! Connor and I are getting a jump start on our garden this year by planting starts in the solarium. We want to can a lot of salsa this year, so we started with tomatoes and sweet peppers. Then we added some flowers for beauty and some broccoli for nutrition! Then we had to plant a surprise...We're going to have a *great* garden this year!

The surprise seedling is sprouting!It's getting bigger... And bigger....POP! Just look at that Cute connor plant! Thank goodness little boys grow more slowly than plants!

Conference at the Heber House

When Connie and David invited us down to the Heber House to watch General Conference, how could we resist? Combining good friends, good food, a gorgeous house (with all of the amenities) and a change of pace for conference; we had to say YES! Even the 4 1/2 hour drive couldn't hold us back!

Dave Baker and his family joined us at the house. Dave, Alex, James, and David heading out for Priesthood session.

With 20 people in one house, you have to have some activities to keep the young-uns entertained! I brought some sugar cookies and frosting for the kids to decorate. Since most of them were girls--well, actually ALL of them were girls except for my 3 boys--they really got into the decorating. I have to admit though that the boys enjoyed it just as much as the girls! Meagan, looking more like a pro, decorating like crazy!

Little Chloe Baker was the youngest of the group, but managed to get the most frosting on her cookie!

Big Emily having fun!
Little Emily decorating like a maniac! She is so proud of her work!

I couldn't resist putting this second picture of Emily up for you, Connie. She is so adorable!

Connor with his sugar-crazed expression.

Ashlyn (who loves James) and her cookie.

And...what do you think the older kids were doing during the conference decorating?
Alex was napping (or faking it),
Connie and Kayla were making really cute bags,

...and later...Alex shows Kayla something interesting on one of his many electronic devices (they also stayed up with Emma B. until 3 am talking!,

Hannah and the older girls crocheted. Of course, I was sitting dutifully taking notes. It really was a wonderful conference! It's amazing to me how a change of scenery while watching conference can really help you focus and listen.

James and David, who were childhood best friends, got a little emotional at seeing their children playing together and having such a great time.

At the end of the last session, Hunter came to me and asked if I would help him pull his tooth. Each time I tried, he chickened out. I listened to him whine for over an hour. I told him that it had to be his choice, but he just couldn't handle it. Finally he leaned his head back and opened his mouth. I quickly reached in and grabbed the tooth. I significantly loosened it, but Hunter started screaming bloody murder and James who had been watching conference upstairs, ran to his rescue. He made me let go of Hunter and scowled at me for a while. His reaction was pretty funny to everyone who had been listening to Hunter for the previous hour! About two hours later, Hunter happily pulled his tooth out in the car on the way home!

We were able to stop and see my parents on the way home.

It was such a fun trip and we're looking forward to visiting the Atkissons again soon!

Happy March Birthday!

March Birthdays: Emily 24th, Susanna 31st, My Dad--Emery 16th, Hannah 18th, Alex 16th!

We invited my parents and my brother and his family up for the road shows and to celebrate all of the March Birthdays. It was a crazy day, but what could be better than a house full of family?

I made (another) giant cake with checkerboard insides and we partied like it was Christmas!

It was sooo much fun! We love our family!

Road Show

Drum Roll Please......The Road show has come to town!

We had so much fun preparing for the roadshow. It was a family event. Everyone was in the show except Hannah--who has debilitating stage fright! She did help fill in with the "pipe band" during practice when they were short handed.

Our Stake's theme was Music Through the Decades, and our decade was the first; the 1890s. "Daisy Bell" was chosen as our song, and James and I were chosen to be Daisy Bell and her beau. They knew we would ham it up--and we did!

We were simulating an 1890s parade complete with waving flags in the back ground!

Alex was selected to be in the barbershop quartet. They sounded really good! I was excited that they convinced him to do it! It was a nod to James' youth when he was in a barbershop quartet directed by his dad.

Next came the dancers. Emily was involved in this part (see her in the front?). The girls did a cheer using the lyrics to the song.

Hunter and Connor dressed up in their best suspenders and bow ties and decorated their bikes for their role in the show. They were so cute! And they were really good little actors!

And here we are in all our glory! We had a great time. I fell in love with the dress that I wore. It happens to be an original Gunny Sax dress! I have yet to give it back to the owner!

The road show was a lot of fun. The wards came up with some fun skits! It's so much fun being a part of something like this, but it's always a relief when it's over and you can move on to the next big thing!

March 24, 2009 Happy 11th Birthday Emily

Oh, the frosting, Oh, the cake, Oh, the balloons, Oh the Parties!

It was a big year for us with Alex hitting his sweet 16 and Hannah becoming a teenager, and Emily hitting double double digits!

Chubby Bunny! I found some bunny shaped marshmallows for this game. Those girls can really pack in the food! They also made happy face pizzas using all of the Pillsbury Grands I bought on sale at Albertson's!

Last minute, Emily decided she wanted a slumber party! So much for keeping things simple! I made flannel totes with notes inside for the invitations to join us for a late-over/sleepover, and Emily handed them out at school (probably not the best idea).

I threw together some quick games and a quick cake and we were off! The decorations just happened to already be up (wonder why).

It happened to be a fairly warm night (okay, slightly above freezing), so the girls went out in the neighborhood to play night games. After a little cake and ice cream and some presents, most of the girls headed home. It was nice that two girls got to sleep over (a much nicer number than eight!). And it was especially nice because the next day was the road show (see next post) and family was in town for another party!

On Emily's actual birthday, she was pampered with breakfast and presents in (my) bed.

March 18, 2009 Happy 13th Birthday Hannah

Miss Teenager!

It was a very strange year with birthdays. Neither Alex, nor Hannah wanted anything special done for them on their birthdays (at least, that's what they originally told me), so I didn't plan anything "much." In fact, on Hannah's birthday, James and I were planning on attending our Financial Peace University class at the credit union. Hannah's friend Mikaela mentioned that she was throwing Hannah a party on her birthday, so I left it at that. I thought it was a perfect plan! Last minute I found out that Mikaela wasn't throwing Hannah a party. She said that she and her mom were going to bring Hannah some cupcakes. Now I felt bad because she would get stuck babysitting on her bday. Mikaela ended up pulling through and invited Hannah over to help decorate cake and cupcakes with her. They ended up decorating each other! I need to figure out how to get those photos from Mikaela's phone to my blog...hmm. She ended up having a lot of fun!

Then on the weekend, Mikaela's mom graciously consented to having Hannah and another friend over for a sleepover! It just so happened that Emily decided to have a sleepover the same night (see next post for more info).

I happened to be up late with Emily's party, and after tucking all of the girls in at 1:30 am, I decided to check my facebook. My friend Chelsea who lives down the street was online and had just gotten home from WM with 9 copies of Twilight! Since Hannah only wanted Twilight stuff for her bday, I decided to get a copy from Chelsea and take it to her. I texted Hannah at the sleepover and asked her if she was up for a movie. She couldn't figure out what I was talking about (a common occurrence with her lately), so I sent a text for each letter in the word T W I L I G H T. She finally got it and they begged me to bring it over.

I picked it up at Chelsea's house and had to go in and visit her two boa constrictors and huge dog and we sat and chatted for a little while. In the mean time, Hannah and co were outside in skimpy pjs in the freezing cold waiting silently (so as not to wake mom and dad) for me to drop off the movie! (sorry Hannah)! I finally dragged Chelsea off with me to deliver the goods! The girls were up all night long drooling over Edward! I still haven't watched it again.

All in all I think Hannah had a great birthday!

16 Candles March 16, 2009

Yummy Ice Cream Cake! A few days before Alex's 16th birthday, he told me that he didn't want anything spectacular done for his birthday. No party. No celebration. No decorations. I was sad, of course, because birthdays are my favorite things! Then Friday, before his birthday, he told me that he guessed I could do whatever I wanted for him on his birthday (gee, thanks). Oh, and by the way, can a couple of friends come over Friday night? I'm ALWAYS okay with his friends hanging out. It doesn't happen often enough! I told him that he'd have to help me clean up the basement, but other than that, no problem.

After school, Alex came through the door with his friend Brent on his heels. It was a happy surprise to see Brent, especially because I had already cleaned the basement! Later we were discussing what time we had to go to Road Show practice the next morning. We decided on 8:30 am. Brent piped up and said that he had to be home by 8:30 too! OH! I didn't realize it was a sleepover. Next came Chazz to the door with present in hand! Impromptu party? Well, although I wasn't able to be involved in the planning of the party, I'm glad Alex threw a last minute party for himself! I quickly threw together some junk food and baked up a huge batch of chocolate chip cookies, and they had a great time playing wii and Halo.

On the actual day of his birth, he had breakfast and presents in bed. That night, we met the Buskas and the Leggs at Craigo's for a pizza party. Sarah shares Alex's birthday! We thankfully had a private room. It ended up being chaos with kids running around the room screaming and yelling. Alex got up and left and went out to the van for some peace and quiet. Next, Hannah got up and left, then Hunter, holding his ears, begged to also be allowed to sit in the quiet van.

Alex's favorite present was his retro yellow tweed guitar case. He also got a watch that stopped working and shoes that were too small. Ah, the memories!

I tried my hardest to get Alex to go on his first date on his birthday, but alas, he is not ready to date!

Happy Birthday to my sweet 16 year old!

March 2, 2009 Happy Birthday Dr. Suess!

Hunter is one cool Cat in the Hat!

Bear World 2009

Have you ever seen a baby bear cub?
We have!

We had the privilege of seeing the cutest little fella a couple of weeks ago. Yellowstone Bear World, here in Rexburg, ID, was hosting a "photo with a cub" event, so we packed up the van and headed that way!

Truthfully, I was expecting to see several cubs crawling around on the floor, but when we got there, just one little cub was being cradled in the keeper's arms. In order to have the full hands-on experience, we paid the $15 for the photo. I think it was well worth the money for this chance of a lifetime!

Emily stayed home sick, so we filled her spot in the van with Hannah's friend, Mikaela.

Hunter was the first to hold the little cub. Doesn't it look like a stuffed animal? I was so afraid that it would scratch him and he would drop it! It did scratch and claw him, but he held it firmly. The keepers must have been a little afraid too, because they took the bear and handed it to Mikaela for the actual photo.

Just look at that little face. It was so cute. The keeper's were pretty protective of the little cub. Everyone had to sanitize their hands before touching it, and the kids were only allowed to pet the bear as it was being held by the keeper (after the photos, of course).

Connor came up to me and asked if bears were afraid of sharks. I thought it was a strange question until I noticed his shirt. He didn't want to scare the cub with the photo of the shark on his shirt. He was very concerned. I thought the bear cub looked like a mole in this picture!

After the photo, Connor stayed on the bench. He had a pouty face because he hadn't gotten his turn to hold the cub for his own photo. The keeper was really good about it though and let Connor hold the cub by himself.

I was behind the video camera, and James was behind the camera, so we didn't get to feel the bear's fur. The kids said it was so fuzzy!

What a fun day!

The Crazy Life

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I have blogged! I've been very busy. We've been in and out of multiple dentist and doctor appointments, I did the craft show (flea market) and there is another one on the 28th, we're getting ready for a few birthdays, the road show is next Sat and our entire family is in it, and the list goes on and on! Hopefully I'll be posting lots of pictures and maybe even some video of the next several days soon. The camcorder which is only 2 years old got dropped this morning in our rush to get to the road show dress rehearsal. If it is ruined, it will have been a very costly rehearsal! I'm trying not to get too upset about it, because it is just a thing, after all (albeit a very expensive thing).

Wish me luck on this crazy month!

When Pre-Schoolers are Left Alone

Normally, I pride myself on how independent my children are. For instance, if I leave the house for a longish amount of time, let's say, like ,for a major grocery shopping trip, I have faith that their basic needs will be met . . . they will meet them themselves. Even the little boys are adept at PB&Js. But when I'm home, I just expect them to ask me for help--especially my pre-schooler.

Connor has always been a very independent child. He likes doing things for himself. So when he saw this awesome Disney camera offer on several boxes of cereal, he decided to cut out the tokens all by himself! He didn't realize that you are supposed to eat the cereal first (see the cut out holes under the R camera)!

Without opening the boxes, he carefully cut around the tokens. He also cut through the sealed cereal bag, exposing a mouse sized hole in each box.I followed a trail of cereal to the storage room and found about 15 boxes of cereal that had been opened or cut into. Connor also collected 5 lego race cars from several other boxes of cereal.

Connor was so proud of himself, that all I could do was laugh and grab the camera. We sat down together and filled out the form for the camera. We put in the tokens, sealed the envelope, and popped it into the mailbox. Now all he has to do is wait. That is the hardest part!

I think it was very resourceful for Connor to have done all of this by himself.

I don't know if I am ready for my "baby" to be growing up so fast. I'm realizing how quickly childhood passes and it's a great reminder for me to enjoy every single moment!

Spring Tease!

This is what I saw this morning when I looked out the kitchen window! GRASS! I've been thinking that spring is coming to Idaho. It's been in the 40s a couple of days this week. I got so excited that I actually boiled eggs and made an egg salad sandwich!

Right after I took this picture, the heavens unleashed a flurry of fresh new white stuff! It is now nearly a white out. Oh, mother Idaho, you are such a tease!

Getto Van Gets Getto-e-er

My 1998, dark green, hub cap-less, scratched, slightly dented, Plymouth Grand Voyager with 150,000 miles on it.

It has been an amazing feat getting both the car and the van into our small-ish garage at the same time, however, due to the frigid, arctic-like weather, and James' car's inability to heat itself, it is a necessity.

All winter long, I pull the van as close to the R hand side of the garage as possible, and still have to squeeze myself out of the driver's side door when James' car is in the garage. When I back out, I watch the side of the garage and my L rear view mirror so that I don't scrape James' car, and carefully and slowly back out with much finesse.

A couple of days ago, I was backing out and didn't get far enough over, and clipped the edge of the mirror on the garage. The mirror popped forward, as designed, but because of the plastic being so cold, it cracked and pieces popped off. GRRRRRR!

I checked the motor part of the mirror, and it still works perfectly, thankfully, but now it has a very visible broken side.

Hmm, to duct tape--or not to duct tape. Magic marker would make it almost non detectable! Hmm, does it come in black? Is it worth the effort, or can my pride handle it?

For now, I will raise my head high and feel the pleasure of not having a car payment for a while longer. I am grateful for this old girl. She has done us well, and I shall not be so quick to abandon her.

She was getting pretty dirty, so I took advantage of the nice weather and dry roads yesterday and gave her a shower. I opted for the more expensive $5 wash, knowing that it would look cleaner a little longer. I hadn't anticipated that Rigby's trusty maintenance men would be out in force ( one almost backed into me with a backhoe) moving the snow from the sides of the road to the middle of the road to accelerate melting (an ordinance was passed restricting home owners from doing this, but the city is allowed). I discovered on the way home from the car wash; slushy, wet and dirty roads. Again I say GRRR. Never before have I been so obedient to the speed limits! I drove slowly down the road and cursed at each car that passed me that was spraying slush my way! Ya gotta make $5 stretch as far as possible these days!

My 1998, dark green, hub cap-less, scratched, slightly dented, Plymouth Grand Voyager with 150,000 miles on it, and a broken mirror.

Granola Bars

Once you house has been purged of all things pink and sugary, you can ease your way back into healthiness with some yummy home made granola bars. They are healthy and kid friendly, and if your house is like ours, they will be gone moments after the bus drops off the kiddies!

Granola Bars
2 1/2 C Rice Krispies
2 C oatmeal

1/2 C brown sugar1/2 C corn syrup
1/2 C peanut butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, etc.

Spray a large bowl with Pam and pour the Rice Krispies and oatmeal in it, and set aside. In a sauce pan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth, and pour over cereal mixture, stirring as you go. Mix in ad-ins of your choice. (I like to sprinkle mini semi sweet chocolate chips on top after it's in the dish so they don't melt). Press mixture in to 13x9 dish and press flat with waxed paper. Cool. Cut into bars and wrap in plastic wrap.

These don't last long around our house!

Valentine's Plans

I just love Valentine's Day. I'm sure it's because it makes my eyes so happy! I love looking at all of the happy, cheery magazine covers with smartly decorated cookies and cupcakes in hues of pinks and reds. I love the brightly decorated grocery stores with hearts and cupids adorning the ceilings. I'm drawn like a magnet to the Valentine's aisle. I don't need to buy anything. I'm content with the thrill of just looking at everything and squeezing and smelling all of the cuddly stuffed animals.

Around the beginning of February, I get a craving for homemade sugar cookies and fluffy buttercream frosting made with real butter (recipes to follow). I hold off for as long as I can before baking them, because I can count on the fact that I will lose all self control once they are in sight!

When it comes to my kid's Valentine's, I get giddy! The creative juices start flowing, and I start crafting. One year I covered about 50 ink pens with pink heart fleece and wrote each child's name on the pens with puff paints. The next year I did the same, only I used denim instead. They were a big hit. Once I made personalized fridge--art--holder magnets by gluing foam hearts to clothes pins with a magnet on the back. Another year I covered glue sticks and glue bottles with cheery paper and the message "Valentine, I'm stuck on you!" I have also made a lot of felt projects; such as pink envelopes with heart enclosures filled with chocolate hearts. The list goes on and on. I mourn when my children graduate on to middle school, and no longer have kiddie Valentine parties. It's a good thing I have 5 kids! Although with boys, it's much easier to just purchase the changeable 3D Spiderman cards. It also seems more appropriate for a boy to send this, than a girly, crafty valentine.

This year, I ended up making two huge batches of sugar cookies! I have the best recipe ever! Each teacher will get a large cookie. I secretly made large cookies for my family too, but i think they have all seen them. So much for my stealthiness! This year I have toned down my craziness and I'm taking it a little easier. The little boys are sending out purchased Valentines, and Emily is handing out sweethearts with the message already on the candy. Easy! Hannah is at that awkward age where she is too old to hand out kiddie Valentines, but too young to have a real Valentine (thankfully). She is, however, participating in a dance at her school today. She was up late into the night trying to find something to wear. She settled on her same old comfy clothes. And Alex. . . well, he is still too young to have an official girlfriend, but he is in love. He purchased a red rose and a box of chocolates to hide in his "girl" friend's locker from a secret admirer. It was so much fun watching him worry and stress about putting it all together in just the right way. It's fun having kids in all of these different stages of life.

My Yummy Sugar Cookies

(This makes a very large batch)

1/2 C butter

3/4 C shortening

2 1/2 C sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp lemon juice

5 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream the wet ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients (I find it works best to mix the dry with a wooden spoon before adding to the wet, especially if your wisks are broken like mine are and you are only using one!). Add dry and mix. Roll out 1/4 to 1/2 inth thick on a generously floured surface and cut into fun shapes (I use this recipe for shamrocks in March, too). Bake 6-8 min. For the giant hearts, add a couple of minutes. It is difficult to tell when these are done. They should not look wet any longer, but should not get brown. I prefer them to be undercooked than overcooked. If you are using a baking stone, add a couple of minutes. *ENJOY*

My Yummy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C Butter (you can use margarine, but it won't be as yummy)

1/2 C Shortening

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Almond Extract ( I like this in Valentine cookies, but on cakes, I like it better without)

3-4 Tablespoons water (add to desired consistency)

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

Cream the wet ingredients and add the powdered sugar. Whip until very fluffy. Caution: eating an excess of this frosting adds to the thighs and hips!

For the past several years, we have had small adult Valentines get-togethers--planned by the men. We have previously done a progressive dinner, but since it's sooooo cold her in good old Idaho, the men decided that we should just all stay at one location lest we all freeze to death between courses. We will be hosting, and a few friends will be bringing different courses. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I must say that the very best part of Valentine's Day is celebrating the one I love! I was so lucky to have been swindled into marrying James 17 years ago via his stalking ways! I had no idea how wonderful it would be! I made James a wonderful handmade card which can be seen at sunnyexpressionscards.blogspot.com. For my gift, I have been receiving many cards in the mail from romantic locations all over the country from such places as Valentine, TX; Loving, NM; Loveland, CO; and Kissimmee, FL. I have received six cards so far, and he won't tell me how many he's sent in all. Can you imagine the for thought that went into that, especially for a guy? He had to mail the cards to the Post Master in each location , to then be sent to me. It has been one of the most thoughtful Valentine's ever!

I hope you are able to share you love with someone special this year whether it's a lover, a friend, or someone in need!

Whirl Wind Funeral Weekend and Goat's Milk Memories

After flying home from California, I spent the day doing a mountain of laundry and repacked for a brief trip to Utah to attend my good Friend, Betsy Moore's father's funeral.

About 13 years ago, James and I lived in a tiny apartment in Orem with our little baby, Alex. We had someone move into the apartment above us whose last name was also Moore. Betsy and her daughter Madison quickly became great friends. Betsy and I would trade babysitting for massages and hair cuts. It was a great trade-off and our friendship grew, until one day when Betsy called me and invited me up for an amazing dessert. I was skeptical as Betsy is an avid health nut. But I humored her anyway by tasting the warm custard she had made. I immediately began gagging as I realized that the pungent taste in my mouth, sliding down my throat, was that of GOAT'S MILK!!!

I had told her on a previous occasion how much I disliked Goat's Milk! I had mentioned how I was traumatized as a child because my mother would pour fresh Goat's Milk from my grandma's goats into regular cow's milk jugs and store them in the refrigerator.

The milk looked exactly like cow's milk and was so cold and delicious going down, and then the aftertaste would hit! The gagging and barfing would begin, and the awful taste would refuse to dissipate! These experiences would leave me feeling betrayed and empty.

So, of course, I felt betrayed by my good friend. After tasting the Goat's Milk custard, I immediately ran out of her apartment and vomited and (being young and naive at the time) told her I hated her (I don't remember that part). To this day, we laugh and joke about that experience.

One day while talking, we discovered that our fathers knew each other. They were both into wood carving, and had taken classes together.

In his last days, my dad would visit Betsy's dad while in Hospice care. Betsy's dad entrusted my dad with the repairs of a fish that he had carved out of wood that he had previously dropped and broken. The fish was ornate and extremely detailed. It must have taken him years to complete. The fish was on display next to the casket. I was proud of my dad for taking time out of his schedule to repair the fish as an honor to John Emory Moore. It really meant a lot to Betsy's family.

My dad and I attended the funeral together. I found out at the funeral that not only woodcarving shared our fathers' interests. They had many similar passions, including nature, being out doors, wildlife, etc. They also share a common name. My father is Emery George, and Betsy's father is John Emory Moore, and his father was George Emory Moore. What a coincidence!

After the funeral, my dad took me to lunch at one of my favorite places--Bajio. It was a great father-daughter date, and an experience that was rare.

Although I only got to see Betsy for a brief moment, it was worth the effort in being there to comfort her and know that I was there for her. It was also a special bonding moment for my dad and I.

The next morning we packed up and prepared to head home. My van was making a strange clicking sound and my parents were very concerned for me. My mechanic uncle happened to be in town, so he checked the van and thinks that the tensioner may be going out. He thought it would hold out until I got home. He put some oil in the van and wished us luck. After a brief prayer, I felt confident that we would make it safely home.

The van is a trooper! She made it all the way home without stalling (thanks to a little help from above). What a good van. I can say that today, but don't ask me tomorrow after I've been to the local mechanic!