Life in My Mixed-Up Mind

Halloween 2009

2009-11-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

I definitely need to start blogging again!

It has been almost a year since I have posted anything. Where has the time gone? Too many things to do I guess that I don't take time to stop and write. One day I know I'm going to regret that.

As far as the pumpkins go, we were not even going to get there this year. Life was that crazy. Work had me coming in extra days in order to train for a system they aren't going to start for three months! And family life seemed crazy as well. The night we were going to carve, the Selah 1st Ward ghost came and gave us goodies making it mandatory that we delay our pumpkin plans and reciprocate. By then I was ready to not go there this year. No time and no money made the tradition seem impossible.

But then a bright light appeared in the form of Wal-Mart and their crazy mark-it-all-down deals. I innocently went shopping there and low and behold, the pumpkins were marked down to $1!!! Can you believe it? Who can pass that up! So my sentimental side caved in and I bought 5 pumpkins -- one for each child. I was a little hesitant because I knew we would have to carve them on Saturday morning which is the 31st. Leaving one day for the pumpkins to come alive. But for $5, it seemed totally worth it.

Which it was.

Christmas Cheer!

2009-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

OK, this post is for you Sketchy........

I have many things to post and no time to do it. Between a newborn, a toddler, two moves in the last 3 months, my energy is divided between changing diapers, cleaning up messes, packing, unpacking and other such obligations. No time for blogging.

YET I know Sketchy is dying for some Christmas pics and I have been dying to share them so here they are: (Besides I were rather blog than do any of the above items ANYDAY!)

Probably most precious though was watching Aubrey experience her first real Christmas. It was very fun, even though there were a fair amount of tears along with the joy. If you can't tell from the video, she is opening her gift of a baby doll, stroller, crib, etc. all in this box. She was torturing her siblings by tearing the wrapping paper off piece by piece, However, when she saw what it was she wanted it opened immediately and had no patience for set-up. (Mental note, next time build the stroller before Christmas morning!)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Aren't we glad for technology that captures these moments forever???

First smiles!

2008-12-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Payton just started smiling. The first smiles were cute, but we were unsure if they were voluntary. Yesterday she was smiling a ton and you knew it was her little personality starting to emerge. We had lots of fun!

The Toddler Chronicles

2008-11-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

Aubrey is growing so fast everyday. She is really becoming her own person. Although she enjoys being like her two siblings as you can see:

Being like her brother:

She got a hold of Ethan's Indiana Jones hat and whip and started swinging it around. It was clear she was trying to emmulate someone.

Being like her sister:

These little dolls are Grace's and before I snapped the picture she was hugging and kissing them. Of course she stopped when I pulled out the camera.

Being herself:

No comment needed

Her vocabulary is growing. She understands almost everything and loves to "talk" to you (although most of what she says is inaudible.) She has mastered some of the names -- she can say Grace ("RAAAASE!") and Ethan has become "De-Dan". Addie's name comes out "Da-di" and Hannah's name has not been mastered yet. Of course she says "Mom" really well. (MAAAAAAAA!) And she has mastered "Dad" although she doesn't say that as much. And of course she can say "NOOOOOO!" which she says with total conviction.

Fortunately she has very endearing moments also. Like when she goes #2 in her diaper, she comes to me waving her hand in front of her nose and says "I sti" (meaning I stink). Hopefully that will serve us well when we start potty training. She also tries to soothe Payton by saying "Sh, sh" even when Payton is not crying. I like that better than when she tries to lay on her and smother her with kisses.

She is also quite the dancer. Anytime music is playing, she starts boogy-ing down. Especially when the "Dora" theme song comes on. She does a mini-cheer jump and then starts dancing around. Very cute.

Having a toddler is not always easy, but it definitely keeps me young. Although you couldn't tell by my gray hairs..... Oops!

Pumpkins!

2008-11-12T10:10:00.001-08:00

Ok, this is a little late, but we had so much fun watching our cousins carve pumpkins that we had to post our carving experience as well -- even though this is 2 weeks old.

Sketchy, this is for you!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

And this was the end effect:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
We miss you, Sketchy family!

Six Weeks Later

2008-11-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how fast time goes:

Six weeks ago we had a tiny newborn, weighing only 6 lbs, 9 oz.

Look how much she has changed! She is bigger, more alert and starting to hold her head up. Soon she will start to smile!

We are all enjoying her, but especially Aubrey. It is very cute to watch her get very close to Payton's face and "talk" to her in a high pitched "baby" voice, when she is still so much of a baby herself.
Aubrey especially loves to hold her and was very mad at me when the photo shoot was over. But she was recovered quickly. Payton started to cry and Aubrey tried to sooth her by going "Shhhhh, shhhhh." Very precious.

Kids make life so much fun.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well I did it! I didn't think that with having a baby and moving we would actually get costumes accomplished for six children for Halloween. But we made it!!!! And I accomplished without sewing one costume (who could with everything in boxes??) With the help of Ebay, Goodwill, Amazon.com and hand-me-downs, we actually outfitted everyone for less than $50. I am so very proud of that!

First off is Grace. Her costume was very easy since she had this beautiful blue dress from being in her aunt's wedding last year. We knew it would make the perfect Cinderella costume and thankfully she agreed. As you can tell from the clock, it is 7:05 which means we were late for our ward Halloween party (again! I can never manage to get there on time.)

Ethan wanted to be Indiana Jones this year. I was very lucky to find a leather jacket for a boy at Goodwill in September before all the chaosis hit. It was black, but he looked the part. We ordered the hat and whip from Amazon.com for about 10 bucks and the rest of the costume was just his clothes. EASY!

Addie had the hardest time deciding on a costume. She considered everything from High School Musical, a babysitter, a chef, etc. Finally she decided on Junie B. Jones and it turned out really cute. Everything came from Goodwill and then we put a "Hello my name is Junie B. Jones" sticker on her so she could be recognized.

Hannah has wanted to win a costume contest FOREVER! Last year I told her "If you want to win, you have to get creative and wear a costume no one else does." Well, this year she found one, made it herself, and won a prize not only at the ward halloween party, but she also won at school where only two kids in her lunch period were given awards. Can you guess what she is??? Give up??? Ok, I'll tell you.... she's a cup of hot chocolate, Cute, huh? I was proud of her for doing it all herself.

The youngest two got the benefit of handmedowns. Aubrey was a mouse (came from Ebay)
and Payton was a peapod which was given to us. (I've always thought this costume is so cute but have never had a baby to put it in!)
Wade and I also dressed up as hippies and we should've made Aubrey a flower child and Payton a "love child", but of course I alway get these ideas after the fact. You'll have to wait for our picture however -- in all the bedlem, I didn't get our picture taken. Wade's brother took a picture of us, but I haven't gotten it yet. I'll post it when it comes -- Wade's looks hilarious with long hippie hair.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pics! Halloween is fun, but I'm glad it's over. Now it is on to Christmas!!

October 20th -- Day of Births

2008-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to blog this -- sorry I'm rather busy with six kids, what can I say?

October 20th is Ethan's birthday. He turned 7 this year. He was my first child to be born early and came all on his own, with no induction. He was also born on his grandpa's birthday which was a surprise to everyone! So every year, they spend it together. This year, Ethan wanted everything Indiana Jones -- cake, legos, etc. Grandpa also gave him the Batman racing set that he enjoyed also.

I made the Indiana Jones cake myself and really liked how it turned out. It is probably one of my favorites!! If you can't tell, it is a volcano with Indy and a warrior standing on the top. The candy symbolizes the lava. I'm not a professional, but it was fun to make.

All and all it was a very fun day. With six kids and five of them girls, it is refreshing to do boy things every now and again.

Welcome Payton!

2008-09-30T02:15:00.001-07:00

Our sixth child surprised us by breaking my water and coming 4 weeks early on Saturday, September 27th at 10:26 p.m. We named her Payton Marilyn Fe. (Fe is Spanish for "Faith") She weighed 6 lbs, 9.5 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. She did turn head down so no cesarian for us -- just a long drawn out day!

Unfortunately they took her to the NICU for some breathing issues and kept her ever since due to some blood tests that concerned them. They still have her and will hopefully be sending her home this week. We miss her, but know that she will be home soon. Seeing the sick babies in the NICU make you realize how truly blessed you are since she is one of the healthier ones by comparison.

Her siblings (and grandma) waiting to play with her. They only got to see her for a moment:

We'll keep you posted!

What goes up, must come down........

2008-09-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Breech! I learned two days ago that my baby is breech. The head is up top and she is sitting in a V shape with her bottom where the head should go. The feet are up by the head which sounds uncomfortable I know, but explains the tickling sensation I have felt in my ribs (little toes, I am sure). It also explains why I can only lay on my left side comfortably and not my right and why I am not running to the bathroom every 15 minutes since there isn't much pressure on my bladder. Crazy, huh?? Thus, she looks something like this:

I have never had a breech baby before. I found out at my doctor's appointment on Wednesday -- I was concerned the baby was transverse because they continue to hear the heartbeat on the right side. My midwife tried to feel my stomach to get a sense of where the baby was, but things were inconclusive so they did an ultrasound right there in the office. And sure enough, the baby was upside down (or is that right side up?)

I also learned that the baby is definitely a girl which was comforting since my SIL just found out her first ultrasound was wrong and after having her baby shower and buying everything, they discovered it is a boy not a girl as they were first told. (Her first baby too!!! How sad is that!) So for me, this 2nd ultrasound confirmed the first diagnosis of gender so there is no hope left for Ethan my only son.

(Yesterday he said to me, "You don't want to have another one do you?" I told him, "Sweetheart, if we did, you'd probably have another sister!")

Now the prognosis is to see if the baby turns by next week (I'm 36 weeks now.) If not, the OB will try to do an aversion to turn the baby and see what happens with that. (Yes, that does sound very painful) They are about 65% successful so I guess it depends on how stubborn the baby is. Because if it doesn't work, it will a cesarian for me.

My first midwife for a pregnancy and a possible c-section. Isn't it funny how life works???

SOLD!!!!

2008-09-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on our house................

We have sold it! It went fast once we listed with a realtor, and it should close on October 13th which is only 10 days from my due date! Needless to say, we are stressing some, but we found out we can rent a 4 bedroom house in our ward and school district from an LDS couple in Sunnyside. So we are hoping to start moving on October 1st and give ourselves time to move and get the house cleaned for the new owners.

It is a very strange feeling to think of someone else living here mainly because of all the work we have put into it, but we are excited to start building our next house and are hoping we won't need to rent for very long. We just need to decide where we want to build and if we want to be in a housing development or out in the country. Of course hopefully the banking industry doesn't collapse shortly and we are left with no house and renting for a long time, but that is just the pessimistic side of me talking.

As far as the rest of life goes, I love my new work schedule, but it has depleted our finances so that is an adjustment. Fall sports have begun and Hannah is playing school volleyball and Ethan & Grace are doing soccer. So far, I haven't managed to get Addie interested in anything, but still trying. The baby is coming soon and some days (ok, most days) I feel completely overwelmed and depleted, but I know God won't give us anything we can't handle, so I have faith in that. Plus, the maternity leave will be nice and having a new spirit in the home is always a blessing. This is the last child so I have to enjoy every part of it.

Just an update for you all!!! I will share again soon.......

SNL Has Done It Again

2008-09-16T13:10:00.001-07:00

No matter what side you are on, this is hysterical!

Change, change, change.....

2008-09-09T09:53:00.001-07:00

A new school year has begun.

So many changes happening around here.

Four out of my five children started back to school this fall. Mornings are rather quiet now with only my 19-month-old. I have to say that I am enjoying it. (Does that make me a bad mother??)
It is nice to have 3 hours in the morning to clean the house, enjoy the computer, and get a good start on the day.

I am however now in my 8th month of pregnancy. A major change is coming to our family next month. I'm not sure if I am ready, but then again, who is??? It is doesn't matter what number of child it is, you are never quite prepared. They say it is another girl -- you think after 4 girls and 1 boy we would've tipped the odds, but God must want us to take stock in wedding announcements.

I changed my shift at work so no more night shifts! I'm now on swing shift, still part-time (10 shifts a month) but much better for my physical well-being. It is hard because I am working every other Sunday and every Monday evenings, but it is so much better for my sanity. I know that when the baby comes, I need to be able to function during the day instead of just lying on the couch waiting for nap time.

We got another offer on our house (the second this month). We countered and are waiting to hear back. This could mean some major changes soon -- packing up, moving to a rental and starting to build. If I think about it too long, I start to hyperventilate, so I just have to have faith and be patient. I can't decide if it is better to sell before the baby comes or after. Either brings challenges and blessings. I just have to leave this one to God's hands.

Last change: I have a new calling at church. I was released as the Primary President at the end of August and am now the secretary in Young Womens. I am very excited about this calling which is another reason I'm not sure I want to move. The only affordable land we have found is in the other ward. I'm afraid to change wards because I'm sure they would put me back in Primary! I guess I just need to have faith on this one also.

So September has brought many changes for me. What about you? Are you changing too?

Vacation..... All I Ever Wanted

2008-08-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

Vacations! I love them! The time to get away from life and reality and be together as a family. I love every part of them. And I'm always sad to come home again despite the stress of being away from home. It's just so much fun to be in another town doing things just for fun and of course, visit family.

Our vacation this year was to UTAH! We have never been together as a family before and I really have wanted to take the kids to Salt Lake City and do the whole Utah toursit thing -- go to Temple Square, BYU, etc. etc. So this year, Wade's family reunion was in Preston, Idaho which is only 2 1/2 hours from SLC so we decided to take advantage of spending that much money in gas ($500 by the way) and take 10 days to go to Salt Lake after the reunion, stay with my aunt and see as much as we could. We had a great time.

FIRST STOP: Preston, ID for Family Reunion

Because Hannah had Girls Camp, we didn't get to the famly reunion until Sat afternoon and only had 1 day to see everyone. It felt very rushed, but it was still great to see people we hadn't seen for a very long time. And it was very fun to enjoy the pool at the lodge although unfortunately that was the cleanest part of the facility.

SECOND STOP: Salt Lake City, UT

We then traveled to SLC where my aunt lives and spent 5 days there. We had a wonderful time. We went to Temple square and both visitors' centers there.

We also went to the Church History Museum which is one of my favorite places. I have been before, but have not taken my children. It was neat to see their reactions to things. My second daughter who is 9 was in awe and stated "I can't believe they have saved all these things from the pioneers!"

We also went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and saw the new Joseph Smith movie. Aubrey (my 18 month old) conveniently took her nap during the movie so that worked out just fine.

Our favorite place however was the This is the Place Heritage Park.

We spent two days there and had a blast! If you haven't been, it is a park by the "This is the Place" Monument where they have recreated SLC from the pioneer days. Some of the buildings are the actual buildings/homes/cabins that were relocated to the park. Other buildings are recreations of the buildings. There was a large train that takes you around the park because it was tiring to walk from one end to the other. And a smaller train to ride around the pond. We enjoyed both as well as many other things. The kids got to wash clothes, pull a handcart, ride horses, tie rugs and make candles. It was much better than an amusement park. I highly recommend it.

After five nights with my aunt, (does she look tired to you?) we left Utah for our third and final stop--

THIRD AND FINAL STOP: Boise, ID

This was a perfect stop on our way home and we got to see my brother, sister and cousins at the same time. We stayed for 2 days and had lots of fun. It was the perfect end to our vacation.

So that is our vacation for 2008. Gas was outrageous, but what can you do? Gotta create those family memories. What did you do this summer? Or is it still to come? I have to admit that I now have vacation blues -- facing reality until the next vacation comes along.

Okay....maybe every two weeks

2008-07-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

See, I'm already behind. I said once a week and already it has been two. My life just goes by way too fast. BTW, I'm experimenting with photo profile so you'll have to bear with me until I find the right one. Input is appreciated.

We have been busy getting our house ready to sell. What a headache! I never thought it would be this hard. (Cute hubby painting house:)
We had the first people come to look at it this last weekend, and boy were we stressed out. Of course we wanted everything to be perfect so we were yelling at the kids to help clean up and then stressing as we saw every last minute detail we had forgotten about. Finally, 15 minutes before they were supposed to show up, I threw the kids in the car and we went to the park and my hubby stayed to show the house. (we figured 5 kids might be a distraction). It went well, but they haven't called back so obviously not well enough. But it was only the first visit. Tomorrow another couple is coming and all of the 12 flyers we put out in the box are gone. So things are moving along. But can you feel the pressure?????? I just feel like my life has become "La Casa" and getting it sold. After this, I'm moving into one house and staying there forever. I never want to sell a house again.

My beautiful daughter turned 9 this last Sunday. Darn kids -- they grow up too fast. She especially is starting to look older everyday.
I don't think I'm ready for two pre-teen girls. Right now she is just as sweet as can be, and a huge help with the younger kids. But in another 3 years, she'll probably be rolling her eyes and sighing heavily when I offer suggestions. Asi es la vida!

My eldest daughter (hence the one who's given me experience to know where the others are going) left for her first Girls Camp this morning. That was very strange to know that I am old enough to have a young woman headed off to Girls' Camp. She was excited, but very nervous as she still has some trouble sleeping at night. But she was with her best friends so I'm sure she didn't want to look too frightened in front of them (saving face). I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time, and we may even get a phone call or two before the week is over.

Speaking of over, I think my brain is done. I worked a night shift last night and went back for swing shift today. So I think i'm pretty well toast. It's a wonder I can even type anymore. i feel my pillow calling me so i will sign off now. maybe i'll blog again before we leave for utah on friday ...........but don't count on it. ;)

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-06-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have been terribly lax about blogging. In fact, I have not posted at all. For more than SIX months! So if there is anyone out there who will still read this, let's just say that I am shocked and amazed.

But my two sisters have inspired me, so I decided to try once more. Hopefully it will be like riding a bicycle -- I'll be able to get right back on.

Don't expect miracles -- I hope to post once a week just to let you all know what's new with us. Sometimes it may be more and sometimes it may be less, but hopefully never again will it be SIX months.

We are once again out for the summer. And unlike other moms, I love, love, love it mainly because my husband is home on summer vacation from teaching high school. It's great to have him here. He helps so much and motivates me to do more. Plus, I get to sleep after working night shift and I don't have to come home in my drunken stupor to get kids off to school. So while other mothers are dreading their kids home all summer, I am the opposite and look forward to June just as much as if I was going on vacation myself.

We are almost ready to sell our house: the bathrooms are finished and we are working on getting it painted. Hopefully by July 1st it will have a FOR SALE sign in front of it. We decided to try it without a realtor, just for the summer. Just to see if we could save that extra $11,000. If nothing happens by September, we will list it since I will be too pregnant and exhausted to do much of anything.

Yes, we are expecting our sixth and definitely last child in October. This one I totally knew was coming, but had not been able to convince my husband so I never stopped taking "the pill". Needless to say, God wanted this child to come and surprised us both . It seems as I have gotten older, I have gotten MORE fertile, not less, which is quite astonishing to me. I was so sure it was a boy, but the ultrasound stated probably a girl although they could not see very well since the cord was in the way so I'm not going to be convinced until the baby comes. Then we'll know for sure. Either way, this is LA ULTIMA because we are buying a Suburban to fit us all and I don't want to move up to the 12 passenger van (no offense to those who have one -- I just don't like to drive them).

This is car we are getting:It is a 2001 with 75,000 miles that we got for a good price. We feel guided by God in finding it, perhaps to ease the shock of the two positive pregnancy tests. The gas will be a killer of course ($4.11/gallon the last time I went to Costco), but any big vehicle has low MPG and right now we need big. I am adament that we have a car we can all fit into and a table we can all sit around. The table is the next purchase item besides the house.

Speaking of the house, after we sell this one, we will move into a rental while we build our new one. This is a drawing of the outside:

If you want to see the floor plans, check out this site: Merriwood House
We are going to convert the bonus room into a 4th bedroom. We almost went for the 5 bedroom, 2800 sf house, but since it was $20,000 more, we decided to go for something smaller. Plus, I love the bottom level layout better than the 2800 sf house. We feel good about this so hopefully it will work out for us.

Well that is about it. Six months sure stores up a lot of information. If you are reading this you are a good friend and I'm so grateful to know you!!!

10 More Days..... Start the Countdown

2007-12-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

It is 10 more days until Christmas! Can you believe it???? I am so not ready. I wish I were one of those prepared, planned-out shoppers who had everything down by December 10th, but I am just the opposite. Usually I am finishing up things up until Christmas Eve and and there are some things I plan that never get accomplished. Like every year I plan to make my kids PJs for Christmas Eve so they will have new ones to wear on that special night, just like my SIL. But somehow the flannel still sits on my shelf waiting to be sewn. I always plan on doing the "12 days of Christmas" for someone special and I have again missed my opportunity for the 5th year in a row. And I always plan on reading a special Christmas story to my children every night leading up to the big day. And I have not even read one. You see, I am not a Super-Mom, I am not even her sidekick. I am only an Average Mom trying to stay sane during this hectic Christmas time.

So to honor all you other Average Moms out there, I've decided to catalog some of the things I have accomplished this holiday season, to distract me from my thoughts of mayhem and discouragement.

1) I have decorated the house, including putting up the inherited Christmas village from my mother who passed away two years ago (see previous SIL post on same subject)

2) I have hung the Christmas lights outside, including convincing my hubby to get on the roof so that we can have lights on the side of our house for the first year ever.

3) I have ordered the photo Christmas Cards to be sent soon to all our family and loved ones (they are not sent yet, but they have been ordered.) AND the stamps are bought.

4) I have taken my children to see Santa although the first two got on his lap and off again so quick that I couldn't get a picture.

5) I have placed the Hallmark Nativity story in a prominent place (above the sink) to remind me each day of the true meaning of Christmas (each day it tells a different part of the Nativity Story just to keep your mind in the right place).

6) I have attended and videotape all 4 of my children's holiday concerts, including the elementary school's ambitious attempt at the Nutcracker that required my 8 year old to be at all four performances since she was a "dancing flower" and I guess those are in high demand.

7) We have drawn names in our immediate family so each child has someone to buy for and do nice things leading up to Christmas day. Grace has me and draws me pictures everyday just to say I love you. (You can't buy that magic.)

8) On the flip side, I have tolerated a moody 4-year-old who one minute, is so cute and excited and happy about Christmas, and the next minute is throwing a fit because she wants to look exactly like Mary for the ward party "Christmas in Bethlehem" (and the outfit I made doesn't fit the mold). Why again do we do this to our kids?

9) I have taken my oldest daughters to see the Nutcracker Ballet at the Capitol Theatre, including having a much need girls night out complete with dinner at the Chinese restaurant.

10) I have eaten more Christmas candy than I should have up to this point (is this a good thing?) and watch the Santa Clause movie twice..........just because.

All and all, it is turning into a truly wonderful holiday season.

Yeah DSL!

2007-12-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

Today is a red-letter day at the Erickson household because we finally have DSL! After years of staying with dial-up for $9.95/ month, we have finally switched to DSL because we just could not stand it any longer. It was starting to seriously drive us crazy. So when our phone company offered a package of DSL and home phone for a reasonable cost -- we jumped on it.

So this summer we remodeled our kitchen and ever since then I have been promising my siter Sketchy pictures how it all went down. But uploading pictures on dial-up is torture so I have been waiting for this day -- the DSL day -- to show my sis (and everyone else) what it all looked like so here it goes:

BEFORE THE REMODEL

Note the blue countertops and the dingy white cupboards. Not to mention the flowered wallpaper. It was a kitchen straight out the 1950s.

DEMOLITION

Sorry we have no pictures of the actual demolition, but here is what it looked like afterwards:

DOWN TO THE STUDS

Before the window:

After the window:

Uncle Bill came up to help us with the drywall with his hurt leg and all.

And then it was on to painting and installing the cabinets we bought from Home Depot. Uncle Brett helped with that part of the process.

TILING

We decided to tile not only the floor, but the countertop also.It turned out we could get granite tile for cheaper than the cheapest linoleum. For the floor we went with something dark -- to hide any dirt. The tile we liked was 16x16 which we weren't sure we would like, but we really liked how it turned out, especially with the countertops using 12x12 tiles. We chose the 12x12 for those because I don't like all the grout lines. They are granite tiles which is wonderful when you want to cut something or put a hot pan on them. Uncle Jason help with all of this, but was smart enough to stay out of the pictures.

FINAL PRODUCT

After 2 months and several stressful days of microwave dinners and pizza, the end was well worth the means. I love my kitchen so much sometimes I don't want to leave it. My hubby did an awesome job. We are still planning on putting a microwave over the stove top area and replacing the appliances (except the refrigerator.) Still, he came a long way in 2 months and I'm very proud of him. (Although I don't know if I could ever go through this again.)

Well, that's about it! It was so much easier with DSL. Here's to more blogs in the future!

Halloween Fun

2007-11-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am actually creating a post. Aren't you all shocked and amazed????? (All 2 of you.) To tell the truth, it is difficult for me to blog on dial-up. Yes, I am one of the 10 people left in the world who doesn't have DSL. And when it is time to blog, it is a nightmare!!!!!! But soon we will be getting DSL and I will be off in blogging heaven. Until then, it must only be reserved for special occasions, like.......................................Halloween!

I have always loved the Stitch costume at the Disney Store online and this season it was on sale, 50% off! (Plus free shipping) Who can pass that up? With the help of an agreeable son who gave up illusions of being a superhero and a daughter who insisted she was being Lilo and no one else, not even Cinderella, we had a great looking pair. They even won a prize at the Church Halloween Carnival for being the most original costume in the 0-6 age group. (Not hard when everyone else is either a princess or Spiderman).

Hannah and Addie had their own ideas for their costumes, being the tweenagers that they are. Hannah gave up her idea of being a pirate a week before Halloween in favor of being a "Spa Princess". She loved it especially because she got to wear slippers to school. Addie decided on the all-famous Hannah Montana. It sounded like an easy costume, but the uncooperative wig and finding the right clothes turned out to be harder than I thought. Still, it worked out in the end after the second attempt at it (the first try imitated a street walker, I'm sad to say!)

Aubrey was the easiest because frankly she didn't have a say! I found this Eeyore costume at Goodwill for $4 and loved it. (Just the right size too).She looked so cute in it and like playing with the ears as you can tell! Goodwill is my new love for costume shopping. Great bargains if you can convince your kids that it is what they want to be.

All in all, it was a fun holiday and I am thankful it is over so that we can move on the to less stressful ones like Thanksgiving.......... Oh then it will be Christmas so I guess stress-free is not in my future anytime soon. Anyone for Groundhog Day?

The Worst Blogger Ever

2007-08-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

I have to proclaim myself the WORST BLOGGER EVER. I am just as bad at getting this done as I am journal writing, fixing up things, scrapbooking and ironing the clothes. I have hugely procrastinated the day of my bloggi-tance and I fear I will no longer be able to measure up to those who excel so greatly. I know I should forsake my sins of procrastination and start to blog again so that I can tell you all about many wonderful things such as:

* My daughter's baptism
* Our trip to Silverwood
* My baby's wonderful new laugh
* Our kitchen renovation

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Until next time, my fair bloggers. May you be truer to me than I have been to you.

Miniature Golf on Memorial Day

2007-06-03T22:50:00.001-07:00

Last Monday we wanted to do something together to celebrate the holiday. My first idea was a picnic -- you know out to the lake, complete with games and good food and relaxation. It was a great plan, but I didn't think how tired I would be from working the night before and thus, was in no mood to make the food or plan the games. All I wanted was easy. So we decided to try something new -- we took the kids miniature-golfing.

It was very inexpensive. Since we needed 6 clubs, one of the games was free. Thus for our whole family it ended up being less than $20 ($16 to be exact). Much cheaper than bowling or the movies -- those easily cost us over $30. And we had a blast doing it.

Grace on Hole #1

Dad Helping out the Kids

Addie Lookin' Cute on Hole #9

Hannah & Ethan spottin' the green

We started out keeping score, but by Hole #4, it was a free-for-all. Especially my 4 year old. She kept putting the ball really close to the hole and then tapping it in and exclaiming with glee "I got a score!"

Of course, I could not be left out even with a baby. It did take some creativity to get the ball in the hole sporting the child on the front of me, but it was worth it!

All in all, we had a great time. The only drawbacks were the very hungry mosquitos that greeted us around Holes #5-8 and my camera battery dying at Hole #18. Their picnic area was called the "PAR TEE Area". I so wanted to blog that, but the camera did not cooperate.

To end the outing, Wendy's gave us our Picnic Food:

Gotta love those Frostys!

Some Favorite Pics

2007-05-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

My friend and I organized a craft night in our ward just for fun! And this is what we made. If you can't tell, it is vinyl lettering on a tile and it has President Hinckley's 9 BE's around the outside (Grateful * Smart * Involved * Clean * True * Positive * Humble *Still * Prayerful) It was my first experience doing anything like this so sometimes it felt like sheer chaosis (I take my hat off to all you Enrichment Leaders out there!) But in the end, we had a lot of fun and the projects turned out great. Now the other ward wants to make them too, so I'm not done yet!

My daughter is TONS braver than I am or ever was. It was Spirit week at school and for the "Team Logo" day, we painted her face with BYU as you can see! She went around like that ALL day never washing it off. I have to say I was very impressed. I never had the guts to do that in middle school. She has a wonderfully strong spirit which will serve her well in life.

This was one of my Mothers Day presents. I have wanted this picture for a long time and my DH got it for me for this day. It is my all-time favorite picture of the Savior. It was a complete surprise because I had no idea. Underneath it is the scripture in Joshua that reads "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Vinyl, of course. There's no way I could paint that.) I love it so much. I feel the Spirit everytime I look at it.

This is a very favorite pic. Just taken today! Our newest child is now 3 1/2 months old. She is starting to smile more and coo and laugh. It is very very fun. I have always loved this stage of life, from now until when they start walking (and running) is just a lot of fun. They take such pleasure in just being talk to. I love it.

Just some favorite pics to share with y'all!

"Because I am a Girl"

2007-05-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

Oh the funny things that kids say...........................

Grace, who is 4, is especially nimble with the words. It is hysterical what she comes up with sometimes.

For months now, she has been saying "forgot" backwards. Even though she has a huge vocabulary and likes to talk nonstop, she can't get the concept of "forgot". So all day it is "Mom you got-for my snack", "Mom we got-for to play the game", "Mom I got-for my doll" etc. etc. It is grammatically hideous, but so very cute. I try to correct her, but it is also makes me smile.

She says other things that make me smile. The other day she told me that she didn't want to be a doctor when she grew up anymore. She wants to be a horserider. So we went driving to look at horses. But she was not entertained. Anytime I would point a horse out, she would say "No Mom, not that one. I have already picked my horse out." Who knows where it resides.

But the other day she took the cake. I was taking her brother to the doctor for a checkup. The subject came up about shots. She told her brother "You're going to have to get shots, Ethan!" He answered back, "so do you!" To which she retorted, "No you have to get shots because you are a boy. I don't have to get shots because I am a girl."

Who knew life could be explained so easily?

Two Thumbs Up!

2007-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

I wasn't very excited to see this movie. I mean, the commercials look wierd, right? Tall, skinny villan, large dinosaur, strange lady with caffeine patches, etc.... My kids were very excited though so we gave in and took them on Monday night (Easy FHE). About halfway through, I was thinking, "I can't believe we paid $36 for this, it is so wierd."

But by the end, I loved it! It has the greatest moral to come out of a Disney movie for a long time. That you life is never as bad as you think it is. That you control your own destiny. That there is always daylight at the end of the tunnel. That failures will lead to success if you "keep moving forward."

I highly recommend this movie. Every child (and adult) should see it and remember:

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” - Walt Disney

Why I Can't Do Daycare

2007-04-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I think about running a daycare about once a month. I mean, it seems like the perfect solution to our financial difficulties.

I don't enjoy going to work. I never have. I would much rather be at home with my children than out on the job. That is why I got a Psychology degree in college. I mean, what better degree to have to help my children succeed in life! I was never actually going to have to use it. Or so I thought...................

We have tried to have me stay at home full time and eventually we need more money and our credit cards soar. We are unable to do both things at once: 1. Mom stays at home and 2. Stay out of debt. So eventually I would go back to work thinking "if only there was some way to run a business at home". Well, there is the most obvious way -- daycare.

I tried to do daycare early on it our marriage. I watched two little boys for a friend of my husband's while he was in graduate school. Even though it was part time, I was stressed out and frazzled most of the time. I dreaded the days they came over and began to resent having them there. And if they did anything toward my child, watch out! The mother bear in me came out and I had to be careful not to literally growl. Not good qualities for a child care provider.

My husband encouraged me to quit which I did and not do it again.

I didn't listen. I tried it again 3 years later when I was home with our children and he was getting his teaching certificate. This one should have been easy because it was a friend of my 5 year old who came out everyday before kindergarten and then went to school with her. I mean, how hard is that? Sounds simple, right? Not for me. Same feelings came into play and I have to admit, at times I wasn't very nice. This time it was better because the girl was older, but I still resented the fact I was tied to being home every day.

Fast forward to present day: I have been on maternity leave for 10 weeks now and am set to go back to work on Sunday night. And let's fact it -- I am not looking forward to it. I love my time at home with my children, and I dread going back to being tired all of the time. My friend who watches my kids has been encouraging me to do daycare which I have been halfway considering, despite my history.

So Tuesday and Wednesday, I took over for her (she had a class to go to) and watched one of her daycare kids who is this adorable 2 year old. At the beginning of the day, I'm thinking "yeah, I could do this. No problem" But by the end of the day, I knew there was no way. I was exhausted!!! It took all my strength not to crawl into bed at 7:30 p.m. She was so cute, but she wore me out. She is very active and constantly on the go. On Tuesday she climbed out of her play crib after her nap destroyed my eldest daughters' room. On Wednesday she fell off the top bunk of the bunk bed onto the bottom bunk (luckily) but then bounced into the dresser. (Miraculously she was OK.) She took naps no longer than 90 minutes both days and she loved to be outside which required me to be out there with her. My 4 year old was tolerant, but by the end of the day had enough and became whiny and tearful, adding to the mayhem. I swore I heard the "Hallelujah Chorus" when her mother showed up at the door.

Yes, this was definitely a lesson to me that I am not cut out for daycare. The sad part is that it doesn't pay enough. To make the money we need, I would have to watch three kids, FULL-TIME! That I'm sure would drive me batty. No, I'm afraid I'm not daycare material which means I have to return to work. Maybe if I would have chosen a different degree, learned to budget earlier, had less kids, I wouldn't have to work. But since I can't go back in time, I can't change any of that. I'll just have to grin and bear it. After all, there are worse things in life than working, right?

I could be doing daycare.

My New Hobbies

2007-04-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry the last post was so short. (I had to start back slowly) That was what Aubrey looked like 2 1/2 months ago when she was brand new on this earth. This is how she looks today:

She is certainly my most favorite new hobby although she is also the most time-consuming. I feel like I cater to her 24/7 which is fine by me because she is so adorable. So far I have been on maternity leave from my job which is fine by me! I love being home with her and all my other children. Next Sunday, I return to working 3-4 nights a week and I have no idea how it will work out. I hoping it doesn't drive me or my husband crazy! I would love not to return to work at all, but unfortunately it is a financial necessity. Maybe in my next life, I will be rich!

My other new hobby is home renovation. My husband and I are striving to fix up our home so we can sell it this summer/fall. The house has become a little cramped at 3 bedrooms for 7 bodies so we are hoping to sell it and buy something larger. But that requires lots of changes. So far we started on the living room and have now moved to the dining room. I thought I would show off some of our progress:

Old Living Room:

New Living Room (note new trim and paint job):

Old Dining Room (with yucky flowered wallpaper):

New one in progress (not finished yet, but wallpaper gone!):

Not bad for the month of April, eh? And I owe a huge part of this to my hubby for he is the work-horse behind it all.

After the dining room, it is on to getting rid of the 1950's kitchen, blue countertops and all.

I can't wait!

What I've Been Up To

2007-04-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Is this a good reason for not blogging? I know I can't make many excuses, but maybe this one will fly. She certainly has me hoppin'!

Getting the Christmas Spirit

2006-12-08T04:21:00.000-08:00

I love the Christmas season. It is definitely my favorite time of year. Yet every year it goes by faster than the month before. December seems to fly by and I am left with a pile of wrapping paper and worn-out, sugar-filled children. Every year I start out with a list of many things I want to do: bake, serve others, decorate the house, entertain the kids, watch every holiday movie I love, give of myself. And by the end of the month if I manage to accomplish those things, I feel worn out and wasted away, wondering how it all could go by so fast.

Not this year.

This year I am vowing to do things a little differently.

This year I vow to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and spend each day thinking about the Saviour.

I vow to slow down and not rush and simplify the holiday traditions.

I vow to enjoy my children instead of wish they were back in school. And help them remember the gift of the Saviour instead of the gifts from Santa.

I vow to give up holiday baking, unnecessary Christmas cards to people I never hear from, and taking back gifts because I've found something better.

I vow to get my children one fun gift a piece and not go over board buying presents that they play with for one day and ends up under their beds.

I vow to follow Elder Ballard's advice as told so eloquently by Dean Hughes in the Deseret Book Devotional. I vow to read this talk often to remind myself of the cause and urge you to do the same.

I vow to reach December 26th calmly, rationally and closer to the Saviour than I am today.

A Crazy Couple of Days

2006-11-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

I have had a crazy couple of days. It all started on Friday when we left to drive to Idaho for my father's wedding. We were driving along comfortably and right on schedule I might add, when we heard a thump and a bump and a bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump-bump. My husband pulled the car to the side of the freeway and this is what we saw:

Yes, it was a blown-out tire, the first one of my entire life. Luckily, we had a spare on the car, but tire was on the driver's side, right by the speeding cars rushing past my DH as he tried to get the useless tire off and the spare on. Most cars were courteous and moved to the left lane as they went past, but one motorhome pulling a speedboat came so close, I thought I was going to be a widow for sure! (We later saw it pulled over by highway patrol -- Aw, sweet justice!) We did make it to our destination that night and $55 later, we had a new tire.

The next day was my father's wedding. It was beautiful yet emotional at the same time. He married a wonderful lady who seems kind and generous and in love with him. But it is strange to have him married to someone else besides your mother. (Anyone who has been though this can attest to the dual feelings!) Still it was a beautiful day and they were very happy.

We got to stay for dinner and then had to hop in the car and drive home again because Sunday was the Primary Program. If I were anything BUT the president, I could've skipped it. But since I had one counselor gone and the others had never done a program before, I felt I had to rush home. So we traveled the six hours back home again, with me in the van with 3 children, and my DH driving my father's red sports car alone with one child. Luckily the kids with me were good otherwise we may not have made it back alive!

The program on Sunday went well despite a couple of surprises (aren't there always?????) By the end of church I was exhausted but happy to have to over with for another year. Sunday and Monday nights I had to work which made Monday and Tuesday go by very fast so it felt like we went right from the program into....................................

Halloween!!

Yes, we have one spider witch, one Sleeping Beauty, one knight (with a sword and one Dora the Explorer. I even made the backpack although you can't see it in the picture. It was a very fun night. I even dressed up although I couldn't get my DH to go nerdy with me!

He had to go as the dashing Indiana Jones. I think he looks a little embarrassed to be seen with me, what do you think????????

Anywho, it is November and I am exhausted and I can't even think about what is around the corner. Maybe I can just go into hibernation for a couple of months.

Witchetty Rhabdomantist Funambulator Snood

2006-10-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Can you tag yourself to do a MeMe? Gabriella asked for volunteers for the Crazy Word MeMe and I jumped at the chance since I am relatively unimaginative and needs lots of help knowing what to blog about. This was much tougher than I thought so I'm seriously thinking of never tagging myself again. But here goes my best effort at creativity:

Witchetty: Although this is often confused with a Halloween theme, it is actually the word commonly used in the South to determine which direction one should go down the road. "Witchetty way should we go to Vern's house?" (My apologies to anyone Southern-bred)

Rhabdomantist: An expert in the field of "Rhabdoman". (And if you know what that is, I'd like to know.......)

Funambulator: The person everyone wants to hang with at the party, the one who gets the crowd going, the one who has the liveliest conversations and everyone keeps looking at thinking "I wish I were at her table", the Daring Young Mom of Real Life.

Snood: Unlike its cousin word "Snoop" who is a person who gets into everyone else's business except their own, a "Snood" is a person who thinks their business is more important than anyone else's and hence why snoop at all?

And since I was challenged by this activity, I'll tag my SIRL: Shelly and Ranell. Your mission should you choose to accept is to take these real-life words and make up your own definitions. No peeking in the dictionary!! Your words are:

blastomycete
eurylzaline
hosta
polyposis

Bonus Word: zyzzva

Have fun! May you be more creative than I.

The Birthday

2006-10-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my son turned 5 years old. He shares this day with his Grandpa who was turning 60 this year. He chose this day to be born all on his own, no induction, no Cesarian. In fact he is the only one of my kids to be born earlier than his due date which was three days later. What a way kiss up to your grandpa than being born on his birthday!

Even though there were two birthday boys, we still had a traditional American No-Pinata party (due to lack of funds and a pregnant, non-motivated mother.)

Even the decorations were minimal.

In fact, the most festive I got was making him this "rocket" cake. (If you can't tell, that is a number 5, not an S, and there is an astronaut on the top that was promptly removed and misplaced.) I'm not much of a cake decorator, but he seemed to like it exclaiming what every mother wishes to hear:

"Oh Mom, that is so cool!"

Still, I don't think he minded since he was showered with gifts. Maybe if we wouldn't have bought so many presents, we could've afforded a pinata???

BTW, the hat comes from pre-school. He wore it all day long.

FELIZ CUMPLEANOS A TI, MI HIJO!

(Ya queremos pastel, aunque sea un pedacito, Ya queremos pastel!)

I've been MEME-ED for Halloween

2006-10-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

RaNell at Total Chaos, my SIL, tagged me to do a meme about Halloween. Of course, I love to play along especially since it gives me something fun to blog about! I also thought I would play along with Nettie and her Fall Celebration by posting pictures of my Halloween decorations now that I have my new camera. (Sorry they are only holiday related -- I'm a very poor decorator!)

1. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen?

OK, I am the biggest wimp so the scariest thing I ever watch is "Lost". But when pressed for my scariest movie pick it would have to be Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn. She is a blind girl who stumbles on a murder plot and then the murderer comes after her in her apartment. It was terrifying for me although remember, I am a wimp.

2. What was your favorite Halloween Costume from childhood and adulthood?

I don't remember many of my costumes, but I do remember my mom making me an Indian girl costume that I loved. Not sure why, I think because I got to help paint the design on the front of the costume.

As for an adult costume, I rarely dress up. Usually I am so exhausted from getting my kids ready that I can't think about dressing up myself. (I'm not good at multi-tasking.)

3. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your Fantasy Costume be for this Halloween?

Mrs. Potts from the Disney Store. It is regularly $79 but it is "on sale" for $39. Still way out of range of my budget, but I love the costume. I think it is great!

(The skeleton reads "Saturday Night Femur". I know it is corny, but I love it!)

4. When was the last time you went Trick-or-Treating?

Middle school, 12 years old, 1980. I was a roller-skater girl.

5. What's your favorite Halloween Candy?

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. But that I love all year long! At Halloween, I make a point to chow down on the candy corn. As long as it is fresh.

6. Tell us about a scarey nightmare you had.

One night I dreamed my husband and I got a divorce and he was married to someone else. He no longer loved me and I was full of regret for not holding onto him. That was the worse dream I ever had.

7. What is your Supernatural Fear?

Like aliens, ghosts, goblins? Or just fears in general? I am always fearful that some madman pedofile will get a hold of one of my children. Hence I drive my oldest to school everyday........

8. What is your Creepy-Crawlie Fear?

That a madman pedofile will get a hold of one of my children. (That and giant cockroaches like the ones in Honduras.)

9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost or hear something go Bump in the night.

I don't know about a ghost, but once a China-man came to our window in the middle of the night and woke us up because our "fan was too loud" (he lived below us). He scared us both to death.

10. Would you ever stay in a real Hanunted House overnight?

Ummmmmmm....... I'm not quite sure how to answer this. Maybe if my husband were with me and someone else was watching the kids.

11. Are you a tradionalist (just a face) Jack O'Lantern Carver, or do you get really creative with your pumpkins?

For years, we just did the standard face. Then last year for the first time we bought the knives and pattern book at Wally World. And the pumpkins turned out awesome! Maybe it is cheating, but we had so much fun. We'll probably try the patterns again this year.

12. How much do you decorate your home for Halloween?

Not much. Some fun stuff on the fireplace mantel and decorations on the front window. I heard one lady say she didn't want to decorate as much for Halloween as she did for Christmas because of what the two holidays signify. I don't know if that's why I don't do much or if I'm just plain lazy. (Probably lazy...........)

13. What do you want on your Tombstone?

"To live is to fly"

Who to tag? I only know about six bloggers so I guess I'll just tag No Cool Story and anyone else who is in the mood.

The Ultrasound

2006-10-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

I had my ultrasound yesterday. Everything normal, nothing out of the ordinary. But the big question on all of our minds was, what is it? A
brother for my little boy to bond with? Or a sister to add to the other 3 to torment their brother to no end? What does the Lord have planned for our family?

At first, it seemed as if the baby wanted to keep it a secret and make us practice patience and wait until February.

But in the end, it was cooperated and relented to share its secret.

So can I have a drumroll please?????????

The last (and I repeat LAST) member of the Handiemom family will be a .................................................................................

GIRL!

Yes, that is right. We are having another girl. Much to my son's displeasure, he will have to battle another sister instead of getting a little brother.

I of course am happy no matter what, as long as it is healthy. But I did dread telling my son. It turns out he took it rather well. Here went the conversation:

Me: So today, the doctor told us this baby will be a sister, a little girl

Son: AHHHHHHHHHHH! I really wanted a brother!

Me: I know, but look at it this way! You don't have to share your toys or your room.

Son: Ok. (Pause) Mom, can I take my robot to Baily's house tomorrow?

Hence he was quickly on to other concerns and there were no tears or crying fits. I think he was happy he will continue to be Dad's travel partner to Home Depot. The whole dreaded conversation went rather well.

Hopefully the next 19 weeks go the same.

"Can I go to Ella's House to Play?"

2006-10-08T03:29:00.000-07:00

My 3 1/2 year old daughter has found a friend. Her name is Ella and she likes just about everything my daughter likes. She lives in a big house past the school where only kids can come, "no mommys". My daughter wants to spend the night at her house and Ella will feed her pancakes in the morning for breakfast.

As you might have guessed, Ella is not real, at least to my eyes. My daughter has developed her first imaginary friend. None of my other kids did this so although I've heard of it and know that it is normal, it is my first experience with it.

I try to listen and acknowledge most of it. The only stickler is that she wants to go play at her house almost everyday. She constantly tells me that she is going there and I need to drive her. When I tell her that I don't know the way, she tells me it is by "my school" just around the corner. One day as we were driving to the babysitter's house, she pointed to a house on the hill and exclaimed "there's Ella's house!" She wanted me to take her there and knock on the front door to "see if Ella is home".

What are your experiences with imaginary friends either with yourself or your kids? She is a very vocal child so she is very explicite about her friend and her desire to go to her house. I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons not to go.

HELP!

Fall is in the Air

2006-10-03T02:16:00.000-07:00

Nettie at Singing a Verse of My Song posted a beautiful blog about fall which has wonderful pictures of her home and decorations. (She is so talented!) Although I don't have any pictures to share due to my love/hate relationship with digital cameras, I did have some thoughts about why Fall is my favorite season:

Leaves Falling

I love to watch the leaves change color and fall off of the trees. Red, brown, burnt orange -- I love all of those fall colors. And I love to watch my kids as they jump into the leaves after my hubby has just raked them! (Of course, his face is not so joyful......)

Holidays

Thus begins the holiday season! And I am a sucker for any and all holidays. I like planning costumes with my kids for Halloween (this year we hit the Goodwill -- what a bargain!) and I get just as giddy as they do as the day gets closer. But my favorite holiday has got to be Thanksgiving. Even though Christmas is a close second, I love how Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude and has not become a commercialized, gift-giving frenzy. It is just a day to be with family, have good food and reflect on our blessings. I love that.

WSU Football

Let me first clarify that I am not a sports fanatic. The only sports I ever watch is WSU football (that's Washington State University). My hubby went there for his degrees, but we didn't even watch then. It all started once we moved away and somehow that made us feel more connected to our college days. Now we are addicted. Whether they are doing well, poorly or somewhere in between, we love it. I am always estatic for fall because that is when it all begins. (By the way, they did awesome on Saturday, almost beating USC, the #2 team in the nation! GO COUGS)

Conference Weekend

For those of you not LDS, this is a weekend that the prophet and apostles speak to the members of the church and it is wonderful. I love hearing all of them speak. This year was especially meaningful because we had cable, including the BYU channel, so we got to watch it all on TV instead of merely listening to the Internet broadcast. It was awesome and I enjoyed it all. But I have to agree with Mormon Millie -- Elder Bednar and Holland's talks were classic. Of course, they always are.

So what about you? What fall festivites do you look forward to and enjoy? Join in with the fall celebration party at Nettie's house.

Top 5 Reasons I Haven't Posted in Two Months

2006-09-29T03:14:00.000-07:00

As you can see, it has been a long time since I have posted anything. Here are the 5 excuses--I mean, reasons, why it has taken me this long to log on........

5. In July I found out that I have the same problem that Gabriella has. starting with a B and ending within 9 months. That's right, I'm expecting our 5th child, which we are very excited and terrified about at the same time. (We thought we were done! Silly us!) This pregnancy has been an interesting one because I am still working my 4 nights a week, which leaves me pretty much exhasted the other nights (and days) of the week.

4. Speaking of work, I used to blog constantly at work because the girl I worked with loved to do her homework on the computer during our "slow" times. When she left around the end of July, I started working with people who love to talk......all night long! So needless to say I didn't get any blogging done.

3. In August, I got a new calling -- one that shocked me and scared me all at the same time. I went from being the casual, teach-on-Sundays Sunbeam teacher to the Primary President all in a matter of two weeks. Not only did it take me a while to get back on my feet after the surprise, I have been crazy busy getting ready for the Sacrament Meeting Program. Thus, when I'm not at work, or sleeping, or spending "quality time" with my kids, I'm working on Primary! Instead of blogging.

2. Let's face it -- I'm a pretty boring person. I do pretty much the same things everyday, none of which is all that newsworthy. I'd love to make it into whimsical, interesting blogs, like sketchy and nocoolstory, but I find myself at a loss for words. So I began to doubt my blogging abilities and ran out of things to blog about, even recipes. So I just didn't try..........

AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON IS:

1. I'm a huge procrastinator! I admit it! I'm finally out of the closet about it. I procrastinate everything -- scrapbooking, cleaning the house, reading a novel, scripture study, exercise, going back to school. EVERYTHING! So why should bloggin be any different? The only thing I don't procrastinate is eating and watching The Amazing Race Sorry, but it is the cold hard truth and the #1 reason I haven't blogged in 2 months.

To anyone who is reading this:

You have my utmost admiration for having stuck by these 2 long months. I will honestly try not to disappoint again.

Life in the Slow Summer Lane

2006-07-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

It is sad but true..............

Summer has killed my blogging habit. I am having definite trouble finding time admist the summer sun to keep up with blogging!

Maybe it is having all the kids home during the summer. Maybe it is the summer sun calling my name. Or maybe I have just gotten lazy. My blgging has been seriously neglected!!!!

Naddin J tagged me to do a childhood meme. I had good intentions. I was going to put up something really great. As you can see, the summer air clouded my blogging vision and I was unable to live up to the challene.

Each week I think of many different things I could blog about. "Oh that was cute, I should put it on my blog!" Does it get done? NOOOOOOOOOO! Along with Spring Cleaning where everything gets done, I think there is Summer Procrastination where nothing gets done, including my blogging.

So I apologize to you my blog readers. I hope I have not discouraged you from visiting my blog by seeing the same dull post day after day. I will try to do better, but rest assured that in the fall, I should be back to normal blogger mindset again.

I do feel the obligation to follow through wtih my Friday recipe. Who knows why? Call it a compulsion, an obsession, a sense of blogger obligation. So here we go:

This week's recipe is yummy and we use it a lot as it is all ready in about 30 minutes (which I love!). However, it does require one to turn on the oven in the summer heat so I apologize in advance to all those in warm temperatures:

Oven Fried Pork Chops

4 pork chops, cut 3/4 thick
2 T. butter, melted
1 beaten egg
2 T. milk
1/4 t. black pepper
1 c. Stove Top stuffing mix, finely crushed.

Pour butter in 13 x 9 pan, tilting pan to coat. In a shallow pan, mix together egg, milk and pepper. Place stuffing mix in another pan. Dip chops in egg mixture, then dip in stuffing mix. Coat both sides. Place in 13x9 pan.

Bake uncovered at 425 for 10 minutes. Turn chops and bake for another 10 minutes until juices run clear.

If you really don't want to turn on your oven, you could probably cook in the stove. Just fry in a skillet. I haven't tried that one yet, but it would probably work just as good.

Do not fear fellow bloggers, I will be back in full blogging force soon! Of course, then I will probably be in a state of depression because the summer will be over.

To Go Or Not to Go (With a Salad)

2006-07-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have a dilemna..................

In August is my 20th high school reunion. It is scarey to admit it, but yes, I am that old. I don't know where the time has gone and I am not sure I want to contemplate it because it has gone by fast. It just seems like yesterday I was wearing that black gown with the orange sash and getting my diploma (well, my diploma cover -- the real goods came later.) Where has the time gone?

My dilemna is whether or not to attend. I haven't gone to any others. I didn't go to the 5 or the 10 or even the 15 (if they even had it.) In fact, I was consider "missing" by the reunion committee for quite a long time. Now that they have found me, I've discover that it is someone I know heading up the committee. Well, we were friends back in 7th grade, which right now seems like a long time ago.

I have several reasons for not going. I was pretty shy in high school (still am) and didn't know that many people. There aren't that many people that I could carry on a conversation with. I did do "drill team" but that was after a horrific try-out as cheerleader so I went to the next thing. I was far from "popular" and I'm not sure if I will be able to connect with many people there. Or if they will even remember me..... I'm afraid it will be like "and you were who???"

It also costs quite a bit of money. For my husband and I to go, it would cost $100 for the whole weekend. There is a Friday Mixer, Saturday Family Picnic and a Saturday Dinner/Dance. We could split it up and just go to one event, but it doesn't cut down the cost a lot. The picnic would cost $46 for our family to go and the Saturday Dinner/Dance would be $60. I guess it isn't that much when you consider the cost of a date night with a babysitter, etc. etc. But my birthday is the day after and I'm worried if we spend a lot of money, that will become my present!

The reason for going is I'm afraid this is the last opportunity of my life basically. I mean after 20, there are no more reunions right? It is rare that anyone attends a 30 or 40 year reunion. This is basically it.

So what would you do? Are you in that situation? Is it coming up soon? Or has it already past? Would you go if it was next month?

On the flip side......

This recipe is an oldy but a goody. It is very summery and if you have the chicken already cooked, requires no time at all. We made it last weekend and everyone except my 3 year old liked it. (She won't eat anything besides hot dogs anyway).

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 lb. shredded cabbage
5 chopped green onion
Chicken chunks

Mix all together. Prepare topping as follows:

2 pkg. Top Raman noodles, broken
1/2 c. almond slices
1/4 c. butter
2 T. sugar

Saute and continually stir together until lightly brown. Mix into salad and mix together dressing (seperately first, then add to salad):

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. oil
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. sugar

Enjoy!

Why I Love Mexico (Especially The Food)

2006-06-30T04:51:00.000-07:00

I am pure gringa. I don't have a drop of Latina blood in me. My ancestry comes from Norway, Sweden and above all else, ENGLAND. I couldn't lay claim to Spain if I tried.

Yet there is something in me that yearns for Mexico.

Call it a phase, a fancy, a crush. I love all things Mexicana. I love the ruins, I love the culture, I love the food. I am a closet Mexicana-wannabe.

Where did this fascination come from? I didn't start out with it. In fact, growing up in southeastern Washington state, Hispanic people were intimidating to me. I didn't bond with them at all.

Then came my mission which took me not to Mexico, but south of it: Honduras and Guatemala.

This got me immersed in the culture and knowledgeable of the language, but I don't think I felt the strong devotion then that I do now. Although these countries have a special place in my heart, there is one whole valve that is dedicated to the country of Mexico.

My first experience in Mexico was in 1998 when we jet-setted off to Puebla to attend La Universidad de las Americas. Since I was pregnant and trying to care for my almost 3 year old daughter, I didn't appreciate the country as much as I could have. There were obstacles to overcome and I was very homesick. I don't think I was appreciative of where I was living or the experience I was having.

At the end of our 6 month stay, we decided to tour around (as much as our finances would allow. We went to Mexico City and then to Oaxaca. Oaxaca was where my first love affair began to develop, particularly Monte Alban.

In Monte Alban I could actually see the Book of Mormon stories come to life. I could envision the Nephite people living together after Christ came to the Americas. I fell in love with a world I never imagined existed outside of the pages of my scriptures. The people were wonderful, the food was delicious and the ruins were amazing. I was in love.

After that, I longed to go back. I was insanely jealous when my husband took a group of students down in 2005. But later that year, I got my big break.

My mother who had ALS wanted to go see the ruins of Mexico before she died. Since I am the only member of my family who speaks Spanish, I was invited along for the trip. We went to the Yucatan which allowed us to see as many ruins as she could stand in 8 days. We saw them all. We went to Chitzen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum and all the little ones in between. I was smitten. Uxmal was definitely my favorite. But my biggest love was with a city. The city of Merida. Here I could stay forever.

If you've never been to Merida, these are children who dance the traditional Yucatan dances on Monday evenings in the Zocolo. It embodies everything I love about Merida: the traditions, the culture, the beauty and the people. I loved every minute there.

My husband loves to tease me that we are going to retire to Mexico. I could never imagine it until I went to Merida. Then I came home and told my husband that if he wanted to retire in Mexico, it would have to be there! Although I also might be persuaded to live in Playa del Carmen if I could just do something about the hurricanes and the stupid tourists!

Now I have ganas to return even more than before. I keep dreaming of the day I can one day go back and swim in the ocean, shop at the Mercado, climb El Castillo and cheer on the Yucatan dancers. My husband and I are planning to go for our 25th anniversary, but that is 12 years away!

The one thing I can enjoy is the food and I have to admit that I can't get enough of it! I love the spices of cumin and cilantro (not together of course), and I yearn for the taste of jamaica and guayaba (also not together). So this Friday, I'm offering a fast and friendly recipe with some nod to all things Latina. Although it is not authentic, it is still tasty and one of my favorite recipes. (I hope I do not offend any true native Mexican cooks out there.)

Super Burritos

1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced

Brown together in a pan until cooked. Add the following:
1/4 c. water
1 Tb. chilli powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder

Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 c. rice, cooked and 4 oz. green chiles (si gusto)

Warm 8 flour tortillas in microwave. Place 1/2 c. filling in middle of tortilla and grated cheddar cheese. Add chopped tomatoes if you wish. Fold in standard burrito format and place on greased cookie sheet. Finish folding other 7 burritos and place in 400 oven for 15 minutes until crisp and golden.

It takes a little longer than 30 minutes to make, but it is well worth the extra time. I try to have the rice on hand since that cuts down on the time. I don't usually add the chiles, but if you like it spicy that is the way to go.

And don't we all like it spicy once and awhile?

All I Need to Know I Learned From Sunbeams

2006-06-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Last December I was called to be a Sunbeams Teacher in Primary at Church. Although I've been in many areas of Primary, this is my first experience teaching Sunbeams. I am learning a lot.

* Your neighbor can be your friend or your enemy depending on which chair you are sitting on.

* Goldfish, fruit snacks and peanut butter crackers can fill you up for a long, long time.

* The best part of the day is sharing what is good in your life.

* Lessons about "I'm Thankful for my Eyes" and "I Love my Family" are always good to remember.

* When creating a masterpiece, make sure you have lots and lots of crayons.

* You can always find something interesting by looking under your chair.

* Life is complete when a sticker is considered a prized possession.

* Jesus does truly want me to shine for Him each day.

* Sharing and taking turns are things that everyone, even grownups, can learn.

* Every now and again, we all need to get a good hug.

I'm a Slacker sigh

2006-06-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

For all of you who checked my site on Friday looking for a recipe, I apologize for my lack of follow-through. Due to forces beyond my control I was unable to post a recipe on that day. But since you are being so patient and continuing to check back, I have a wonderful recipe to share with you today. I lament it is not quick, but it is well worth the time and preparation for it is delectable.

I have to credit my sister-in-law for giving me this recipe. Once we tried it, it has become a favorite in our house. My husband said it reminds him of some of the dishes he had on his mission in Argentina. I just think it is wonderful.

Drumroll, if you please.......................................

Chicken Milano

6 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless and flattened)
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. Italian Bread Crumbs
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. marinara sauce
1 c. half and half or milk (I use milk)
1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded + 1/2 c. Swiss cheese, shredded (or you can just use 1 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded, like me)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Roll each chicken in flour; dip in beaten egg. Roll in bread crumbs to coat well. Melt butter in pan. Add chicken pieces. Cook until browned on all sides. Mix marinara sauce and milk in small bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons. Pour sauce into baking dish. Arrange chicken over sauce. Mix cheeses in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken. Top with reserved sauce. Bake loosely covered at 350 for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serves 6.

Enjoy!

Enrichment Night with the Rich Folks

2006-06-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

We moved to Apple Valley about 9 months ago from the coast. We were in a small ward (church congregation)with people of very humble circumstances. People live in modest homes, drive ordinary cars and some are even downright poor. My hubby and I in our rental home with our teacher's salary, were definitely middle class.

Now we are in a very upscale ward. Let's just say that out of the 4 sisters that I visit teach, not one has a home worth under $200,000. Some homes are downright mansions massing over 3,000 sf with a family of 4 living in it. I have been awestruck. Our home is nice, but it is small by comparison only 1700 sf. We have now gone from middle class to blue collar.

Enter Enrichment Night, that once-a-quarter meeting that all of the sisters attend. This quarter's meeting was a Service Auction which was going to be held at the church, but alas the gym floors were being redone and reaked of polyeurothaine. So the event was moved to one of the sister's house who's husband is a dentist, AKA RICH! They live in a beautiful home with a beautiful view of the valley and above all else, an indoor swimming pool! That's right -- not just a pool, but an indoor one. How many homes do you come across like that? The meeting was held outside right next door to the pool and it was hard to concentrate without thinking "Man, I'd love to jump in the water right now!"

Don't worry, I'm not struggling with the 10th commandment. It is just different to be in a ward with such affluence after coming from a ward with so much need. It has caused me to ponder why do some people have so much and others so little? Why are we in the States blessed with such abundance while people in other countries struggle to live day to day? And have we gone overboard with what we see as necessary home sizes and furnishings? In 1952 when my home was built, it was spacious and roomy at 1700 sf. Now it is considered small, modest or even cramped with most homes reaching well over 2,000. I love my home and I am grateful, but as I look around me I wonder, How much is too much?

Fast Food Friday: Beef Taco Skillet

2006-06-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

How do you like my new look? I decided I needed a summer facelift!

I'm still looking for ideas on summer activities with children so please visit my previous blog School's out for Summer and let me know what you think!

This is a recipe from the Campbell's Soup Kitchen that I love. It is fast and easy, plus it has a good ole spicy Mexican flavor which I love. Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes. SWEET!

1 lb. ground beef
1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 cup salsa (they recommend Pace, but I've used everything)
1/2 cup water
8 flour or corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch pieces (I like corn)
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat. Add soup, salsa, water, tortillas and half the chesse. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until hot. Top with remaining cheese.

That's it! It says it only serves 4, but I've fed my family of 6 on it. Of course all my kids are under 12.......

Have a great weekend!

Schoooooool's Out For Summer!

2006-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

The sky is blue...............

The flowers are blooming................

The kids are out of school............

It must be summer!

Can I admit that I am a little frightened? I do love having them home and getting to sleep in without rushing everyone out the door. And we have a lot of activities planned this summer. But I'm still racked with anxiety. How many days do I have before I start hearing "Mom I'm bored, there's nothing to do!"

One idea I came up with is to keep them from too much computer, video games, and television, I'm going to give them each some play "TV and Video Game" dollars which count for 1 hour of each activity. They can spend up to two a day, not counting if we as a family sit down to watch a movie together. At the end of the month, if they have any left, they'll get a piece of Bubilicious Bubble Gum or some other candy for each one they have remaining. Hopefully that will challenge them to find other activites to do such as read, ride bikes, draw, paint, use their imaginations, etc.

What are you planning this summer with your kids? Do you have them enrolled in lots of activites or are you spending the summer traveling? Or are you blessed with highly motivated kids who entertain themselves? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Fast Food Friday - Royal Chicken

2006-06-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Friday is here! YAY! It is the weekend and I am very happy. Aren't we all? This Friday won't be the same without a recipe from our "Comida Leader" Gabriela, but I will try to carry on in her absence.

The recipe I picked to share today is one I just came across called "Royal Chicken". It was given to me by a lady from Korea and I just made it the other day and it is delectable! And it is very fast to cook. It goes something like this:

*First get your rice cooking, unless you have Minute Rice, which I don't because I have never developed a taste for it.

4 chicken breasts (3 lbs total)
1 yellow onion
1 c. carrot, cut in bite size pieces (I used baby carrots)
4 T. soy sauce
6 T. ketchup
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
1 c. water

Cut chicken into pieces. Cut the onion into bite-size pieces. Heat the wok, then add 3 T oil. Stir-fry onion until fragrant. Add the chicken pieces and stir to mix. Add the carrots and the remaining ingredients. Bring them to boil. Turn the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Mix together 2 tsp. cornstarch + 2 Tb. cold water. Add to wok mixture and stir until thickened. Transfer to serving plate and serve with rice.

I hope you enjoy it. My kids just ate it up! I hope yours will too.
Buen provecho!

The first swim of the summer

2006-06-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

Oh what do you do in the summertime when all the world is green? Do you swim in a pool to keep yourself cool, or swing in a tree up high? Is that what you do? So do I.

Ah, the first outdoor swim of the summer! This is a big event for us since we just moved last August from the cold and gray coast to the warm and sunny desert. For 3 years, we hardly ever swam outside. Now everyone is anxious to do it again.

Even though the weather was only 75 degrees and the skies were somewhat gray, the kids convinced us to accept their uncle's invitation to swim in his pool. Their dad was supportive enough to jump in with them.

They were not as lucky with their mother! But they had fun just the same, and I was on the sidelines taking pictures to document the happy event.

Just look at these smiling faces! We were even able to find the all-crucial goggles from last summer!

There was one in the party who was not thrilled. This is my 3-year old, standing by the side of the pool, not wanting to get in the water (as opposed to Gabriela's 3 year old who does flip dives into the pool!)

In the end, she decided it was OK to put on her new Care Bears swimsuit, as long as no one got it wet! I think I just spent $12 on a bathing suit that will only be used as a fashion statement.

MLM -- My Picture

2006-06-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Smokey Light
Originally uploaded by handiemom.

Rachelle asked this week for us to choose a picture of something that was specific to me, but wasn't necessarily of me. This was hard as I kept wanting to post a picture of Diet Cherry Coke (not sure why, maybe because I'm addicted to it). But then I went back to nature and chose this picture.

It symbolizes me in a couple of ways:

1) It is a beautiful picture of nature which I LOVE. I am a nature girl and I love the outdoors, mountains, woods, lakes, etc. etc. I love to go camping, although we have not been for awhile due to having young children (Kids Under 3 + Camping = Natural Disaster).

2) I am truly "o'natural" girl. No frills here! Little to no makeup, 20 minutes on my hair if I'm lucky, and I would live in sandals if the winters weren't so cold.

3) This picture reminds me of the Sacred Grove where God and Jesus Christ appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith and started the restoration of the gospel. This is also a huge part of who I am and why I do some of things I do.

4) There are dark spots in this picture and light ones as it is with my life. I have many blessings and periods of joy. But I have also had my share of dark and trying moments, like everyone. Sometimes I am happy and optimistic and other days, I feel cloudy and gray. I always eventually turn myself to the bright light above (don't we all?) but every moment of my life, good or bad, has made me who I am. I wouldn't change a thing (except maybe my dress size.)

So there you have it! I hope it was worth the read. Then again if you would rather see a picture of Diet Cherry Coke, let me know.............................

How does my garden grow? (Along with Fast Recipe)

2006-06-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

Iris plants
Originally uploaded by handiemom.

We just moved into this house last August and up until now, I have had a black thumb. Everything I have attempted to grow has died. This is the first house we have owned and we are attempting to try our hand at planting things. And I'm so excited because things are growing! So I wanted to share them with you all.

These are iris plants that were left over from the last owner. The only thing we had to do was trim them back last fall and they are growing strong! They are so pretty. My picture doesn't do them justice.

These plants also just appeared. Apparently the previous owner had a love of perenials.

I planted these petunias myself and I have to say I am the most proud of these because I didn't kill them! The planter box was pretty sad and sorry looking when we moved in so this spring we cleaned it out and put the plants in. They were very small at first and now they are overflowing. I am beginning to love gardening!

Tune in next week to see my small but flourishing vegetable garden.........

And now on to this week's Fast and Friendly Recipe. Only I'm sorry to say this is not Friday. Friday I was having trouble posting to this site so this will have to be a Saturday meal. But it is still quick and easy!

This week I'm promoting Taco Soup introduced to me by my sister in law. My kids won't eat chilli, but they LOVE this and it is 10 times easier.

1 lb hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped (or 2-4 Tb minced onion)
1 can tomatoes (I like crushed, but you can use diced, whole, etc.)
1 can corn
1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 4 Tb if bought in bulk)
2 cans pinto beans (or kidney if you like better)
1 bag tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salsa

Brown hamburger with onion. Drain grease. Add next 4 ingredients. Stir and cook until warm. Serve over tortilla chips. Top with sour cream, cheese, salsa al gusto.

That's it! It is tasty and my kids eat it up. Here's to a great Saturday!

I've been Tagged!

2006-06-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm kinda slow at blogging so it took me awhile to figure out that I had been tagged by Nettie to do a se7ens meme. This happened almost a week ago, but I was thrilled to be asked so I definitely wanted to play along (even though I am slow to respond.)

7 things I want to do before I die:

Take my children to Washington DC
Learn to make cream-filled chocolate candies
Climb the ruins of Tikal
Ride the Eurorail through Europe
Learn to play the guitar
Swim in the gulf of Mexico (again!)
Go through the Honduran temple (which is not built or even announced yet, but I have faith someday will be)

7 things I cannot do:

Stop eating sugar
Bungee Jump OR Sky Dive
Give up my Costco card
Abuse a child
Scrapbook (lack of talent, lack of motivation)
Call my mother on the phone (I miss that!)
Give up on the people I care about

7 things that attracted me to my spouse:

His loyalty to everything he believes in
His eyes
His ability to listen
His motivation to do right
His taste in music
His wit
His love for me

7 things I say often:

Oh my gosh!
Use your words!
Have you seen my keys?
How many times do I have to say ____________?
(Yawn) I'm so tired
Just Kidding
I love you (I hope I say this often)

7 Books I Love

Piggie Pie
Series of Unfortunate Events
Five Secrets a Millionaire Taught Me
Jesus the Christ
Fast Food Nation
A Room with A View
A Good John Grisham Thriller

7 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over

Pride and Prejudice (A&E version)
Mobsters and Mormons
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Runaway Bride
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Parent Trap (New Version)
The Bourne Identity/Supremacy

7 People I'd like to hear Se7ens From:
Gabriela
No Cool Story
Rachelle
Soleclaw
Lei
Shelly
YOU! (Anyone else who wishes to play along)

Fast Food Friday

2006-05-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

Here it is Friday again! It seems like the the time is flying by and soon it will be summer. I like this recipe because it cooks fast and on the stove so you never have to turn on your oven in the heat of summer. It is also a very healthy version of this Chinese favorite!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

4 chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
1 can pineapple tidbits (or chunks)
Red or yellow bell peppers (optional)

Sauce:
1/2 - 1 c. vineager (depending on your taste preference)
1 c. ketchup
1 c. sugar
2 c. pinapple juice (or 1 c. juice from canned pineapple + 1 c. water)
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/3 cornstarch mixed with water to be slightly runny

Cook chicken and cut into chunks. Meanwhile heat sauce ingredients. Add cornstarch mixture when sauce is warm until sauce has desired thickness. Add chicken, pineapple and peppers if desired. Heat through. Serve over rice. Serves 6.

Enjoy your weekend!

MLM -- What's in My Name?

2006-05-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

I know that it is not Monday, but I'm new at this so I'm a little late. This post is a response to Rachelle who gave the topic "My parents named me __________ because........"

As you may have guessed, my real name is not Handiemom. It is Stephanie and unfortunately I don't have an exciting story about why I was named that. My mother was 7 months pregnant at the time and didn't have any idea what to name this baby if she had a baby girl (she had a boy's name all picked out-- shows what they were rooting for!)

She was driving along the streets of San Jose, California, and there she came to a "Stephanie Lane". She thought to herself (and I'm paraphrasing) "That would be a good name for a girl." And so it stuck.

I was originally supposed to be name "Stephanie Michelle" but my mother claims that a girl in her ward overheard the name my mother had planned and when her baby was born just a month before me, she named her baby "Michelle Stephanie"! That sounds pretty unbelievable, but that is how the story goes. My mother, being embarrased to name me the reverse of someone else, gave me no middle name at all.

So I wish I had a more exciting story to share, but this is it! Apparently the street sign is still standing if anyone wants to check it out.

Banana Bread with Crumb Topping Recipe

2006-05-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

OK this post is especially for Gabriela who loves banana bread like me and was looking for a recipe with a crumb topping. I'm taking this recipe out of the Better Homes and Garden cookbook, but I've tried it and it is really good.

2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (5 medium)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil, melted butter or margarine
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 recipe Streusel Topping

Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5 or two 7x3 loaf pans; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until moistened. Add nuts, if desired. Spoon bater into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes for 9x5 pan, or 40-45 minutes for 7x3 pans or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If desired cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent browning. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove.

Streusel Topping:
Mix together 1/4 c. packed brown sugar and 3 T. flour. Cut in 2 T. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/3 c. chopped walnuts if desired.

I hope you enjoy it!

This blog is brought to you today by the letter R

2006-05-22T02:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to play the alphabet game too so Stephanie gave me the letter "R". For the 5% of you who haven't heard of this activity, it is where I give 10 words that start with that letter and explain why I chose them. If you want to play along, just let me know!

Now on to the letter R!

1. RACE as in The Amazing Race which I am totally hooked on. I especially liked this season as finally a team I was rooting for won! Go BJ and Tyler!

2. ROJO -- the Spanish word for Red which is my little boy's favorite color. Luckily he has red hair and red freckles to match which I think is the cutest thing in the world! Here's to having a boy -- everyone ought to have at least one.

3. R.E.M -- I guess this could stand for the music group but right now since I work 4 nights a week, it stands for something more infinitely important: SLEEP! I treasure it those 3 nights I get to sleep through the night in my own bed. Priceless.

4. READ which I love to do whenever I get a chance. I'd have to say it is my favorite thing to do when I have nothing to do at all (and even when I have something to do.) Here's what I am reading now which is a great book for anyone with a daughter (or a mother):

5. REPLENISH -- Ok, I don't get this word when it relates to Multiply and Replenish the earth. Multiply I get, doesn't take too long, two people have four kids, that's multiply. But Replenish? It seems like a small word for an awfully big job. It signifies 18 years of blood, sweat, and tears trying to raise children into competent, respectful, mature adults. REPLENISH sounds like we are trying to stock a produce section in a grocery store.

6. ROO -- I don't know why. Most people like Piglet. Even more like Tigger. Eeyore can also be a favorite. For me, I just like Roo. 7. ROLO -- I love this candy. Perfect blend of chocolate and caramel together and comes in 12 bite size pieces. It's truly lovely.

8. RHODE ISLAND-- I don't know why but I would love to visit this state. Maybe because it is at the total opposite point of the continent from me. Maybe because it sounds a little exotic. Maybe because I'm curious about a state that would choose a chicken as its state bird. Hmmmmmmmm...

9. RIDDLE (I picked this one just for fun.)

What did the Mexican weather report say? Chile today, hot tamale

10. REALITY -- In today's world, facing reality is seen as a bad thing. But I feel differently. I want to face reality and love it. I have a husband who supports and loves me, four beautiful children, a comfortable home and a wonderful knowledge of the gospel of Christ. My reality isn't perfect especially when it comes to finances (I hate money!) but it is mine and I wouldn't trade. It is where I belong.

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings with the letter R.
Rat's rall, rolks!

Fast Food Friday -- Beef Stroganoff

2006-05-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm done ranting and back to my normal calm self. All ready for another Friday recipe! After all with a face like this, who could be mad for long?

This is a favorite creation of mine with the help of BHG Cookbook. If you make it with egg noodles it takes 30 minutes or less to make:

Brown 1 lb hamburger with 1/2 cup chopped onion. Set aside.

In small bowl mix 1 8-oz. carton sour cream and 2 T. flour. Add in 2 tsp. beef bouillon granules, 1/2 c. water, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.

Pour sour cream mixture over meat/onion mixture in pan. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup. Stir until blended and hot.

That's it! Serve it over egg noodles (my kids' favorite) or with rice which takes a little longer to cook depending on how good you are with cooking rice!

Enjoy your weekend!

Just a moment to complain....

2006-05-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I want to be as patient with life as I can. But can I honestly be expected to hold it together in the face of shear irony?

I got up this morning knowing that I needed to do the dreaded tasks of cleaning the bathroom. Even though I abhor this task, I attacked it with zeal. I cleaned every inch: the sink, the mirror, the counter, the tub and especially the toilet. I even washed the floor! It smelled fresh and clean as Orange Pine-Sol. I was basking in the thought that this task was finished, and the bathroom was ready for a new week.

That is until my three-year-old got to it.

Mommy!

What? I say half-heartedly engaged in another project.

Mommy!

This time I don't answer until I hear the dreaded phrase.............

Mommy, I'm poopy!

Into the bathroom I run, only to find that not only is my child "poopy" having messed in her pants even though she is fully capable of using the toilet--BUT she has attempted to clean herself up as well. Her dirty underwear is on the clean floor, feces is smeared all over the clean toilet and once-white-now-stained T.P. is strung around the room. Instead of a wonderful clean and fresh scent, all I can smell is one thing and it doesn't smell pretty!

I did the only thing I could do. I filled the tub with bubbles, put her in the bath, cleaned up the mess, let my hubby deal with her, and left the house. After all, I could not be expected to be patient and calm after my beautiful creation was destroyed! (I did have a meeting to attend, for the record.)

Now I want to be a mom who can face everything with a smile, but isn't this just a little too much to be expected to bear?

A Post-Mother's Day Tribute

2006-05-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I wanted to post this on Saturday, but let's just say that life got away from me. Everything was planned that day (do you ever have days like that?) Hubby gone to youth conference, Primary Activity at 10, then quick trip to store to buy gift for birthday party at 2 pm, then home to pack to leave town at 5 pm, etc. etc. Somehow in the middle of all that, I thought I would get this done, but I was dreaming.

I wanted to write a tribute to my mother who left this life last August at the young age of 62, a victim of ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. I will miss her forever (or until we meet again). Her faith and dedication made me who I am today. She was a great example of loyalty and obedience to the laws of the gosepel. Although we butted heads at times, none of that matters now. I even miss the lectures and I long for her to urge me to better myself. She was a wonderful grandmother to her 11 grandchildren and doted on them endlessly. I regret that they do not remember much of her before her illness as the oldest ones are only 10, but I know she is watching from above. How could she not? For love transcends death, of that I am sure.

I also must recognize my mother-in-law who has been as much of a mother to me as she ever could have been. I really lucked out for none of the jokes are true about her. She has taught me more than she knows: how to make a mean apple pie, how to be patient in impossible situations, how to love everyone even pre-teen girls and how to perservere and endure with dignity. She is wonderful and I love her dearly.

Finally, a tribute to all you mothers out there who tire endlessing day after day. May God bless you in your endeavors and hear your constant prayers. And when you feel like you aren't "good enough", remember Jeffrey R. Holland's words:

"...[M]ay I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient.... [I]f you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do."

Happy Mothers' Day!

Fast Food Friday

2006-05-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

OK -- I admit it. I'm taking an idea from Gabriela about "Freezer Food Fridays". Great idea and I thought I'd share too, but change a little to maybe be something different (Although who's fooling anyone. All of my ideas I steal from other sources!)

So I'll entitle mine "Fast Food Friday" and share a meal that is quick and easy and ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. After all, the weekend is for fun, right??????

This week's meal is Chicken and Broccolli Alfredo from the Campbell Soup Kitchen. It is is fast and easy and tastes good too.

Ingredients:
1/2 pkg. linguine (8 oz.)*
1 cup fresh OR frozen broccoli flowerets
2 tbsp. butter
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:
COOK linguine according to pkg. directions. Add broccoli for last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain.
HEAT butter in skillet. Cook chicken until browned, stirring often.
ADD soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture and heat through. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
TIP: *Or substitute spaghetti for linguine.

Enjoy!

1st Blog Attempt -- Readers Beware!

2006-05-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

I'm new to blogging so I'll start my first post telling you about my life. (Boring, right? Sorry but it's all I got right now................)

I am a mother of 4 wonderful children, 3 girls and a boy. 1)A pre-teen girl (10) who is driving me crazy daily with her mood changes although I'm still trying to love her "unconditionally". 2) A first grader who has an incredible memory remembering everything I ever said or thought I said and reminding me daily. 3) A 4 year old boy who is trying his best to develop a masculine side despite getting his nails painted -- and I'm afraid that he likes it! 4) A 3 year old girl who was an adorable two year old until the day she turned 3 and developed her own "identity" that I'm trying my best not to strangle.

I live in Washington state where I work part-time at night at a hospital keeping my nights active and my days bleary. (This will also explain the reason my post is happens at 4:00 AM!) I have lived all over this state and like the tranquility and beauty around me. However, I am also prone to the Latin side as I speak Spanish and have been to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. I love Mexican food and seek to cook it as much as I can. I can make some mean enchiladas, empanadas, milanesa and picadillo, but I can't seem to cook some decent beans!

I like to read, but find myself immersed in non-fiction more than fiction. Books like Fast Food Nation and Nickel and Dimed tend to captivate my nerdy mind. I also do love a good thriller, like a John Grisham novel or The Davinchi Code and my 10-year-old has got me hooked on the Lemony Snicket books which are the best around if you have a warped mind like mine.

I'm starting this blog to reach out to all you nerdy moms out there who love to chat and share. Maybe my thoughts can be understood by someone else and we can compartir juntos.

Hasta luego!

Life in My Mixed-Up Mind

Halloween 2009

Christmas Cheer!

First smiles!

The Toddler Chronicles

Pumpkins!

Six Weeks Later

Halloween Fun

October 20th -- Day of Births

Welcome Payton!

What goes up, must come down........

SOLD!!!!

SNL Has Done It Again

Change, change, change.....

Vacation..... All I Ever Wanted

Okay....maybe every two weeks

Back in the Saddle Again

10 More Days..... Start the Countdown

Yeah DSL!

Halloween Fun

The Worst Blogger Ever

Miniature Golf on Memorial Day

Some Favorite Pics

"Because I am a Girl"

Two Thumbs Up!

Why I Can't Do Daycare

My New Hobbies

What I've Been Up To

Getting the Christmas Spirit

A Crazy Couple of Days

Witchetty Rhabdomantist Funambulator Snood

The Birthday

I've been MEME-ED for Halloween

The Ultrasound

"Can I go to Ella's House to Play?"

Fall is in the Air

Top 5 Reasons I Haven't Posted in Two Months

Life in the Slow Summer Lane

To Go Or Not to Go (With a Salad)

Why I Love Mexico (Especially The Food)

All I Need to Know I Learned From Sunbeams

I'm a Slacker *sigh*

Enrichment Night with the Rich Folks

Fast Food Friday: Beef Taco Skillet

Schoooooool's Out For Summer!

Fast Food Friday - Royal Chicken

The first swim of the summer

MLM -- My Picture

How does my garden grow? (Along with Fast Recipe)

I've been Tagged!

Fast Food Friday

MLM -- What's in My Name?

Banana Bread with Crumb Topping Recipe

This blog is brought to you today by the letter R

Fast Food Friday -- Beef Stroganoff

Just a moment to complain....

A Post-Mother's Day Tribute

Fast Food Friday

1st Blog Attempt -- Readers Beware!

I'm a Slacker sigh