Delayed snow pictures

President Monson

President Monson

President Hinckley

Thanks to PB for sending this video to me, and thanks to HN for giving me the idea to post it.

The quote below came from our ward newsletter, thanks to ALO for adding it so we could read it again.

Stand a Little Taller
President Hinckley
For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. ~Moroni 7:5

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others."

Doesn't that sound just like President Hinckley?

Chugging Chocolate

In response to KBB's challenge to post a picture a day . . . you're on!!

I found Josh wandering around the family room when he was 1 1/2 with this bottle of chocolate syrup. He was not a bit happy when I took the bottle away. That's our Joshie!

Giant Ginger Cookies Recipe

This is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that every newlywed couple should have. :) If you want to print a "pretty version", go here.

GIANT GINGER COOKIES
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
4 t. ground ginger
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
1/4 c. sugar

In medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls using a 1/2-cup measure or scoop. Roll balls in the 1/4 cup sugar. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are puffed (do not overbake).

Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

I don't make my dough balls as big as this recipe, and I don't let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before putting them on a cooling rack. If you make smaller cookies, adjust cooking times accordingly.

Good luck - I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

My FAVORITE Chocolate Cake!

This came from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and you can print a "pretty version" (complete with conversions if needed) here. Yes, this does call for vinegar and mayonaise . . . but it is sooo good! Top with chocolate frosting (home-made of course) and you are in heaven!

"Aunt Joyce's Chocolate Cake"
INGREDIENTS
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups warm water

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
Pour the melted chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the mayonnaise, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Slowly stir in the warm water. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Note: The cake batter looks like soup . . . . don't worry . . . . it will turn out very well!

SNOW 2008!

Catching the first snowflakes!

The car ride to church

Um, yeah . . . this is what I hear some Sundays on our way to church. I took this video and think I did a pretty good job aiming the camera; considering I was also driving.

The first video is just a video of SILLY BOYS - how Liv knew I had the camera I don't know, but you can see her trying to get in the picture, too!

The second is . . . just funny - crude, boy humor, but funny. Josh's laugh is so contagious.

Enjoy!

Silly Boys

Laughter . . .

Bowling

So, we went bowling recently (expensive sport for a family!) and I laughed each time the boys bowled - they were so funny hauling those heavy balls down to the lane. :) I am posting two videos.

#1: Josh wanted to use "the silver thing" that bowlers put their ball on and roll it down (instead of bowling by hand). We told him "one more time without the silver thing" . . . and he got a spare (thank heavens for bumper guards!)

#2: Calvin didn't get a spare, and became more and more frustrated - you can see him looking "down and out". Poor kid. ;) I think he had fun, though.

BTW, I won the game - two strikes (again, thank heavens for bumper guards!)!

Our own "Monets"

Can YOU tell which one is Monet? LOL.

After visiting the museum, I got the "bug" to bring culture and experience to our little family. I bought some acrylic paints (oils might be easier to work with), some canvas/paper and paint brushes. Greg gave us all a little painting lesson last night for Family Night and we tried to copy the painting in the middle. I finished mine late last night and have to say that I am impressed with myself . . . the fist time ever painting like this. It was really fun. In between taking care of Liv, that is. The boys started theirs but didn't get to finish before it was bed time. BTW, mine is the one on the bottom . . . if you know Bob Ross, you will understand me when I say that I decided to add "happy little mountains" to go with my "happy little clouds". lol. Oh, and - copying a painting like that is HARD! Greg's version (on the top) is good (of course), and his house is really cute.

Thanks for looking at our mini museum. :)

The Sophoclean

We visited the High Museum today to see the Impressionist Collection and also the pieces on loan from the Louvre. I fell in love with one or two pieces and am kicking myself for not writing down the name of the pieces!! I miraculously remembered the name of a little statuette I saw. The Sophoclean, 330-300 BC.

I wish thie photo was of a different angle, but here it is nonetheless. It is so pretty. You can't tell, but the woman's face has a drape around it and the delicate work it must have taken to make her face so pretty would be amazing to see. If I find another angle, I will post it - now I know why people steal from museums. :)


I know this second picture is small, but it shows more of the statuette.

I am thankful for...

This is odd, but...

I am thankful for spices and seasonings!

The following is a photo of one of my favorite sights. We make ginger cookies and it calls for cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. It is so pretty (I think) to see the different colors of spices together. Seperately, they don't taste very good, but together they make great cookies. I am a dork for taking this photo, I know. :)

Oh, and the molasses?? Someone gave us a gallon of the stuff and so I have to say that I am very grateful for that too - we use it for our ginger cookies.

Our Christmas and Traditions

So, here is our Christmas in a few photos. We did take many many more, but they all turned out blurry! Anyone who likes to scrapbook KNOWS how frustrating that is!
Anyway . . . it was a good day, nonetheless

Traditions for Christmas Eve:

Tradition 1: We PLANT candy canes! Yep, we plant the starlight mints for Josh beacuse he likes minty things, and we plant sugar water with food coloring for Calvin's sweet candy canes (one year we planted sweet tarts for him). This candy cane magic only works on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning brings candy canes! (usually we have better soil - I had to scramble around in the dark to find some dirt for our box - I ALMOST forgot this year!)

Tradition 2: We track Santa on http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.htm Our boys went to bed when Santa hit South America.

Tradition 3: We read the Christmas Story by the fire before going to bed (we hardly need a fire here . . . it is so warm sometimes!)

Tradition 4: Rudolph's nose is seen through the boys' bedroom window! We have a film of red plastic that works wonderfully well over a flashlight - add some jingle bells and we have a real Christmas wonder!

Tradition 5: Santa only brings three gifts to help us remember the three wise men and their gifts to the Savior . . . mom and dad fill in the rest.

Liv is still waking up ....

Greg is the one who woke us all up at 7:30 to open presents.

What a nice "brotherly" hug. I think Calvin was thanking Josh for his gift. :)

A lovely mess to clean up.

Now, let me explain our stockings....I LOVE or stockings despite their size . . . or should I say BECAUSE of their size? We have had these for the longest time and I have no plans to change any time soon. It doesn't take much to fill small stockings . Liv and I shared a hook because I couldn't find an inexpensive set of stocking holders . . . I should probably go shopping soon after Christmas to find one for next year.

Tradition 6: We buy a new ornament every year - this year's ornament is THE cutest thing! A few years ago someone gave us a player piano with two huge boxes of word rolls. We LOVE the thing. I found a player piano ornament! The pedals move, the roller "rolls" and the keys light up when it plays (the correct keys, too!) It plays 6 different songs. Check it out:

Tradition 7: (these are NOT in order) The very first ornament we hang each year is our "first Christmas Together". It is hard to believe we have been married 10 years this year. My how time flies.

Josh is on a magazine cover!

Yep, we were pleasently surprised to see Josh's picture on a local city magazine cover! He was in a "Start-Smart" baseball program for our local park and his group made the cover. His Uncle (Greg's brother) was on the cover of a game ranch brochure when he was younger . . . I suppose this little claim to fame runs in the family? lol.

Josh is the blonde on the far left. I took a photo of the cover so, this isn't crystal clear.

Ben Franklin

So, the boys and I have a "Holiday Homeschool" during our Christmas break.
We are currently studying Benjamin Franklin. What a fascinating man!
Anyway, I found a really neat quote ~ enjoy!

From Greg . . . is this him, or what??

Glitter Graphics

The Following Posts . . .

The following survey posts are a result of a sleeping baby and two boys who are intensely involved with new Legos . . . 20 points to anyone who reads them ALL. :)

What age are you?

You Are 28 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

At what age will I die?

You Will Die at Age 76

You're pretty average when it comes to how you live... And how you'll die as well.

What Age Will You Die?

What is your inner gender?

What the.....?
Well, this was a relief! LOL.

You Inner Gender is Female

You're sensitive, caring, and willing to connect with anyone who's open to you. You make friends easily, and you enjoy all sorts of conversations. You understand most people you meet - better than they understand themselves. You're totally a woman... or at the very least, your soul is female.

What's Your Inner Gender?

What does your handwriting say about you?

I gave a speech in college about handwriting . . . do you know, I didn't analyze my own at the time. So, as far as silly on-line surveys go . . . here is my analysis

What Your Handwriting Says About You

You are a fairly energetic person. You know how do pace yourself, and you deal well with stress. You are somewhat outgoing, but you're not a natural extrovert. You think first before you act. You tend to be independent, rational, and logical. You are balanced and grounded. You know how to get along well with others. You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are somewhat traditional, but you are also open to change. You listen to your head and your heart. You are a decent communicator. You eventually get your point across, but sometimes you leave things a bit ambiguous.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

How is your American English?

Greg would love this survey!
FYI - I pronounce "caramel" with two syllables.
AND, the word "horrible" is pronounced with a long "o", not a short one. :)
AND, AND, I try not to EVER end a sentence with a preposition (though sometimes there are exceptions) . . . "Where is it at?" and "Where did you put it at?" are NOT good sentences and I actually don't even know what they mean.

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English 20% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

For my English-teaching-sister-in-law (JHR), I am anxious to know what your profile is!

I also found out what animal I was "in a past life" (no, I don't think I was ever really an animal, but it is funny that it goes hand in hand with my "Linguistic Profile").

You Were a Parrot

You are a master of language, and you use your wit to mock and tease others. But you are also wise, and you often think carefully before you speak.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

GREG'S RESULTS:

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English 40% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern 0% Yankee

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Note: There is NO Yankee in the boy! lol.

Our Spectrum of Colors

Okay, so Greg and I think we have hit our spectrum of colors as far as hair goes. I was trying to get the boys into bed tonight but they were too "giggly" for any seriousness . . . so out came the camera. :)

BrainPopJr.com

Those who know me know that I am always on the lookout for new ways to teach my kids. I should have been a school teacher. :) Anyway, I found a little site that has neat videos for kids
http://www.brainpopjr.com/
Now, you have to pay to see most movies, but there are some freebies.
For older kids, try www.brainpop.com
Calvin watched a film on Ancient China and wrote a paragraph about what he learned. He had fun!

Ice Storm 2005

I thought I would post these for my cousin, BA, who is in the middle of an ice storm in Missouri!

This was our ice storm in 2005. What a storm! We still have trees lining the roads that were bent with the weight of the ice. They are a permanent reminder of what nature can do.

Of course, we had fun with our kids outside. For those non-southerners. . . we don't typically stock our closets with snow clothes. We use what we have and improvise the rest. Like any good mother, we duct-taped plastic bags to our boy's shoes so their feet would stay dry. I think we even put plastic bags over their mittens. Yup, this is living ! LOL.

Letters FROM Santa!

So, the boys are getting really fancy letters from Santa this year. These aren't your "run-of-the-mill" letters, though. The envelopes have a real postmark from "North Pole, Alaska" and a "real" stamp (used sticker paper).

We went a step further with the envelopes - these are hand-made creations our of cardstock. lol. the envelope seal has gold embossing on the flap (this picture was my practice envelope . . . the others turned out much better).


The envelopes also sport the initials SC with gold embossing as well. The letter content is pretty amazing, too! If you want to copy for your own kids, let me know! I am very excited about the boys getting these.

Thought you might enjoy. :)

FYI - I got my letter content ideas from here. Now, there are many websites that offer letters to your kid for a fee. I looked over some of the other letters, that this particular site has the best ideas I could find. I spent an entire morning doing this research. Yep, you get to piggy back off of my hard work.
Also, if you want to go a step further and print your own envelope with the post mark, go here.
Have fun!

Merry Christmas

Well, this season is fast approaching and we are very excited here at our house! As we put up our tree, we started a new tradition . . . put a turkey on, had a candle-lit dinner, made a fire, started the Christmas music and decorated the house. It was so much fun. After we were done, I decided to take a family photo. As we have creative children, we had to take a few photos. Um, I think we need to keep working. I am including some of them here for your viewing pleasure . . .
Merry Christmas, Take ONE, TWO and THREE

Sterling Silver Jewelry

In addition to my sister selling cute little girls accessories, my mom sells stuff for us "big girls". Oprah talks about Silpada Jewelry and I have to admit that the first time I looked through the catalog I wasn't in love with it. Now, however, my wish list from that catalog grows all the time. The jewelry is awesome! Unique, for sure. You can see their catalog here.
:)

DAINTYCOUTURE.ETSY.COM

daintycouture.etsy.com


These are the cutest hairbows, diaper bags, monogrammed linens and things! My sister runs this site and has become very creative. Check it out!