Tribute to a Prophet

As I was picking Austin up from school today I noticed the school flag was at half-mast. I thought for a second and realized why. It warmed my heart to know that Austin goes to a school where people care that our prophet has passed. I felt overwhelmed for a second and found my eyes tearing up. I couldn't help but come home and make my own little tribute to such an exemplary man.

Things I learned from President Gordon B. Hinckley
1. Stand for Something
2. Be Positive
3. Love your spouse - my husband and I learned so much from watching the Hinckleys and their deep devotion to and respect for each other.
4. Don't be Ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
5. The importance of temple work
6. Stand a little Taller, Be a Little Better - nothing will seem overwhelming if we just try to be a little better each day. What great council!
7. Go Forward with Faith

As much as my heart is saddened that I won't be able to hear President Hinckley's delightful jokes or his inspired council I know how much he missed his sweet wife and am glad that they can be together again.

"All of us have to deal with death at one time or another, but to have in one's heart a solid conviction concerning the reality of eternal life is to bring a sense of peace in an hour of tragedy and loss that can come from no other source under the heavens." ~ President Gordon B. Hinckley

The Month in Pictures...

I have been pretty busy these last couple of weeks so I just barely had a chance to download the 115 pictures I took over the last month. Allie was sick most of the month with some weird things. She stepped on a tack-strip and it didn't even bleed but over the next week became severly infected. It went from the size of a needle poke to larger then a qaurter. I had to soke it several times a day and put polysporin on it and then bandage it up. Once we got that in control, one of her eyes became infected with some weird thing and after several weeks is just now going away. This mom thing can be really scary and stressful and times...:)

The rest of the month, I spent babysitting for several different family members. My kids love playing with their cousins and since they haven't been able to play outside at all, it is nice to have something else to do besides try and be entertained by mom. BORING! (That is a new word that Austin has been using frequently...any advice on how to quench that habit would be greatly appreciated.)

Allie's Infections



I love how this outfit brings out the color in Abigails eyes.



Abigail learned how to climb stairs...she is so proud of herself!


Allison dressed herself this morning...together thses clothes look a little risque but I promise that she doesn't usually look like a "street walker."


Allie loves to help make dinner...she helps every night!


Austin, Allison and Abigail with just a few of their cousins

Tagged!

Ok, I've been tagged and...if you're re reading this, you've been tagged!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
- Still growing up...I was only 18.
- Working as a telemarketer...yes, I was the one annoying you!
- Falling madly, deeply in love...Chris asked me to marry him almost 10 years ago exactly!
- Going to college (and almost failing because Chris wouldn't let me study)!
- Fighting with roommates (remember that, Stephanie!)

5 things on my "to do" list:
- Make hair bows for the girls
- Catch up on all my magazines I get in the mail
- Visiting Teaching
- Science project for Austin
- Go to Costco

5 Snacks I enjoy:
- Cookies
- Skittles
- Popcorn
- Brownies
- Peanut M&Ms

5 Things I'd do with a Billion Dollars: (wow that is WAY too much money!)
- Buy a home and pay off both our parent's homes
- Travel the world
- Start a business for Chris
- Become a philanthropist
- Definitely go back to school (Great idea Rebecca!)

3 Habits:
- Blogging
- Oprah (although I've been slacking...I have about 7 that I have recorded and not watched)
- Food Network

5 places I've Lived:
- San Bernardino, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Cedar City, UT
- Logan, UT
- San Diego, CA

5 Jobs I've had:
- Dance instructor
- Greenhouse worker
- Convergys: Telemarketer, Quality control, Command Center
- MOTHER!

Finally...a good reason to blog!

Several months ago, when I wrote my first post I wasn't quite sure why I felt so compelled to do so. I had been reading several of my friends blogs but I am beyond "peer pressure" and the juvenile desire to "fit in." After several months of thinking about starting a blog I finally jumped in, still not quite sure why I did but wanting to pacify the continuous feeling that I should start one. As much as I loved sharing recipes and pictures and news of my children I still felt like there was a bigger reason.

This past week I have had several things happen that led to the answer that I have been seeking. First, I have to tell you about my "missionary" experience.

I enjoy reading about the lives of others. I feel like, for the most part, we are all God's children going through life, trying to find peace and happiness the best way we know how (whether or not you are LDS). I draw strength and wisdom from reading about others lives...their trials and accomplishments and how they deal with each. One day I stumbled upon an Evangelical blog that had a post titled - "Evangelicals vs. Mormons: The Great Divide." So, of course, my curiosity got the best of me and I read the article. In the wake of Mitt Romney running for president, the LDS church (known to the world as "Mormons") have had several articles written about them and I always find myself reading them and wondering what the world really believes about me and the beliefs that I hold so dear. As I read this article it had several misconceptions about the church. I read the comments in regard to the article and was also amazed at the misconceptions held by the articles readers. I have never felt compelled to comment or "debate" online about my beliefs but something just kept telling me that I needed to comment. So, as best and as unargumentative as I could, I tried to dispel the myths they had written about. I was actually kind of proud of myself for doing so in a way that was not offensive to anyone but got the point across that what they thought didn't match what we actually believe and I referred them to the church website if they would like more information. I am usually so timid when it comes to discussing my beliefs for all the usual reasons...rejection, fear, etc. After responding to the article I felt that maybe I shouldn't have. I showed Chris and he also had mixed feelings. On one hand he was really proud of me for stepping in and saying something but on the other hand he is always very "proper" and knows that "contention is of the devil." We were now both wondering if it was appropriate and it continued on both of our minds for several days until...I was reading an e-mail I get from LDSLiving.com. They were discussing an article by Elder M. Russel Ballard. The following are excerpts from it and the answer to the biggest reason I blog.

"How different your world is today. If you read newspapers, the chances are you read them on the Internet. Yours is the world of cyberspace, cell phones that capture video, video downloads and iTunes, social networks like Facebook, text messaging and blogs, hand-helds and podcasts. As many in my generation are just getting onto email, that’s already becoming old hat to most of you."

"This is your world, the world of the future, with inventions undreamed of that will come in your lifetime as they have in mine. How will you use these marvelous inventions? More to the point, how will you use them to further the work of the Lord?"

"The Lord over the centuries has had a hand in inspiring people to invent tools that facilitate the spreading of the gospel. The Church has adopted and embraced those tools, including print, broadcast media, and the Internet. While the Internet is often misunderstood and incomprehensible to many of my generation, it is second-nature to yours. Almost every career you are entering into will require you to utilize the Internet effectively."

"There are conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time."

So there you go. Finally, a good reason to blog. Not that I am going to give up posting pictures about my family or other random thoughts that I have but maybe I can also use this blog to share my testimony of my Heavenly Father and of his son, Jesus Christ. I cannot deny the feelings I get everyday as I feel my Saviors love for me. I know that Heavenly Father lives and has a body of flesh just like you and me. I know that he sent his son Jesus to set the example for us and ultimately suffer for our mistakes. He wanted us to all return to live with him but he knew that we would all make mistakes and that no unclean thing can dwell in the kingdom of God. I know that the truth of the gospel was lost with the original apostles of the new testament. But then a young boy who was humble enough to pray to ask which church was true and which he should join did eventually restore the truth to the earth. I know without a doubt that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God but that he was still just a man and no man, save Jesus, is perfect. Through Joseph the priesthood of God was restored to the Earth so that families can be sealed together for eternity and blessings can be given to the sick and needy. That same man was persecuted from the day he mentioned ever seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus. But he never denied what he saw even after being tortured, jailed and eventually murdered for he could not deny it because he knew God would know if he denied it and feared God more then man. We follow the same organization that existed in the ancient times, even the church that Jesus Christ himself established. It is through my beliefs in the gospel that I am able to have hope in our future no matter what else happens. My faith makes me a better mother, friend, sister and wife. It doesn't make me perfect but it gives me something to strive for and I know that when I do make mistakes that I can be forgiven and try harder next time. It is because of the Savior and his gospel that I no suffer from depression (which I was diagnosed with in High School). I could not deny the tender mercies from the Lord that happen daily in my life. I see miracles happen everyday.

So with that said, I hope that I can do what Elder Ballard has suggested and join in on the conversations that happen online and help, in my little way, define what "Mormons" really believe.

Chicken Recipes galore!

I get tired of the same old chicken recipes so here are some nice twists on chicken. I have made each of these in the last couple of weeks and my family liked all of them.

Chicken Piccata (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 egg
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1/2 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl or dish mix together the flour, garlic powder and paprika. Dip the chicken in the egg/lemon mixture, then in the seasoned flour.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine and brown the coated chicken pieces.
4. Dissolve the bouillon in the boiling water, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Pour liquid into skillet. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, turning chicken pieces after 10 minutes, until chicken is tender. Garnish as desired and serve.

I served with a broccoli salad and buttered bread. You could also probably serve with rice or pasta.

Southwest Chicken Skillet
(courtesy of BHG.com)


Ingredients
1 1- to 1.5-ounce envelope fajita seasoning mix (I used taco seasoning because I already had it on hand)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Nonstick spray coating
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into squares
1 small zucchini, bias-sliced (I actually didn't use any because I didn't have any)
1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2/3 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
8 8-inch flour tortillas (optional)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Directions
1. For marinade, in a medium mixing bowl combine fajita mix, water, and oil. Add chicken to marinade. Stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Spray a large skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium heat. Add sweet pepper, zucchini, and onion; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet.

3. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet. (If necessary, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil during cooking.) Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until no pink remains. Return vegetables to skillet. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn, and beans to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve with warm tortillas and cheese, if desired. (To heat tortillas, wrap in microwave-safe paper towels; micro-cook on high power for 30 seconds). Makes 4 servings

I have had other recipes similar to this one but this was still good.



Slow-cooker Chipotle Lime Chicken Thighs with Jamaican Rice and Peas(courtesy of Food Network)


1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
4 pounds skinless chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with 1 teaspoon sauce from can
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for garnish

Arrange onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow cooker. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and arrange over vegetables.
In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce, and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve half of the thighs with this meal (topped with diced avocado and cilantro and garnished with lime wedges) and reserve remaining thighs for another meal.

Jamaican Rice and Peas:
2 cups instant white rice
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, beans, thyme, and lime zest. Set pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fold in scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I was a little worried about this recipe because it used a lot of new ingredients I have never tried before. It actually turned out good...even my kids ate it. It was a little spicy so if you are sensitive then you should probably use a little less of the chipotle chilies.

I got this from a friend...

You Belong in Spring

Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world... You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring. Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season!

What Season Are You?

Change...

I found this post on a blog that I occasionally read. It touched me quite a bit since our family has just been faced with huge change and she worded it so beautifully; I wanted to share it with the rest of you. (courtesy of mormonsoprano.com)

Isn’t life interesting? We build a comfortable “personal space” around ourselves. It is almost like our own mini world-within-a-world that we carry as an invisible shell. This protective shell is the sum of all our experiences, knowledge, hopes and fears. It shapes how we see the world. It defines ‘life as we know it’, and becomes our truth. We like to believe we now have all the truth we ever need to be happy and do not need anything else to come along and disrupt things. We have the best intention to live “happily ever after”. But, then the forces of nature and the grand design of the universe has a way of puncturing our small world. Invariably this happens just as soon as we get comfortable. It often feels we are constantly in the process of “mending holes” in our shell, and making space for new knowledge and truths to come in. We call this process Change. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow likened the discomfort of Change to the seasons.

“Into every life a little rain must fall”

Human beings alternately desire and fear change. It has the power to save or damn, to bless or curse, to mend or destroy, to improve or decay. In fact, Change lives up to it’s name: it is a chameleon. It offers both joy and pain each time it arrives, depending on where you are standing. We all know the trite saying “when life brings you lemons, make lemonade”. But could this be a truth? Can we actually benefit from what initially appears to be a disaster? Consider the rain that Longfellow mentioned. When it starts to fall, it will spoil the backyard party, but saves a farmer’s crops. It makes our shoes muddy, but our lawns green. It places the worm in mortal peril, but the bird gets a good dinner!

There are many philosophies about change, and how to handle it when it walks into our world and makes itself at home. It usually comes as an unexpected, uninvited and unwanted guest. But along with the discomfort it also presents new opportunities. This is a hard concept for any of us when we are experiencing something that is ending our world as we know it. The opportunities, or blessings of the event may not be seen for years. Sometimes, the full picture eludes us all our life. Most of our unexpected changes are just annoying daily occurrences. A detour in the road, an appliance on the blink, bad weather, a bounced check, or the traffic jam that delays our arrival time. But other changes come along that are truly heart wrenching and more difficult to reconcile; unemployment, divorce, poverty, illness and death, just to name a few.

We have all worked very hard to gain the knowledge, experience and truth we have today. Understandably, we hold tight to it and don’t want to lose any of it. When change comes along, it means we must relinquish our certainty. There is hope when we hear others who traveled an especially difficult path say they “gave up something good for something better”. But, we wonder, is this really possible?

This past year, my daughter was in the hospital for 9 weeks in a city hundreds of miles from home. I was taken in by the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital, and experienced many tender mercies. During that time, I discovered that I had joined a special ‘fraternity’ of sorts with the other parents and families undergoing tremendous life changes due to an illness, accident or birth defect of a child. Life as we knew it was forever lost. The uncertainty of the future was overwhelming. We all had our own unique story and grief to carry. And yet we were united in the common bond of suffering, and the effort of holding tight to the one thing left; Hope. Small victories were celebrations: A baby beginning to breathe without a respirator; a paralyzed son finding his voice again; a heart getting strong enough to remove the monitors; a successful surgical procedure; a wheelchair outing to the garden; and every single smile. Our lives were counted in moments and milestones instead of days. When my daughter eventually experienced the miracle of recovery, and we returned home, our hearts were filled with unspeakable joy. Our love for God and belief in His power was undeniable. As time passes we can see clearly that the blessings that have come from enduring this experience outweigh the sorrow and suffering. You would think that when someone experiences a large and dramatic trial of their faith such as this, that would be enough to sustain them for the rest of their lives. We fall victim to the “happily ever after” syndrome again. But the truth is that life’s victories must be won in the battle of daily living. The interesting phenomenon is how easily the miracles we receive fade once the intense pain of the moment is gone. Even with such dramatic witnesses to us of the Lord’s divine power, it is hard to maintain the intensity level of this Faith indefinitely. Our hardest test may be to remember the Lord when things get comfortable again. Perhaps this is why we continually undergo the changes that challenge us the most individually, so that we are reminded that our lives are not really our own. We live on borrowed time, and need continual divine help. We must learn to trust in the Lord and discern what He is trying to teach us in order to have true happiness.

I can honestly say that in looking back over my life thus far, and all the wondrous changes I have experienced, I have gained much more than I have lost. It stands to reason, that any of the changes I am currently experiencing or the future ones that come along, will also bring better things in their own time. Why this knowledge is so hard for me to keep a hold of is a frustrating mystery. It is so easy to forget, and to lose Faith. I suspect it was designed to be this way as a part of the human experience.

Today we celebrate the first day of the advent of Jesus Christ. He is our example in all things. His birth, life and death fulfilled God’s promise to each of us that our lives and suffering have a purpose.

The wisest among us learn to embrace change when it comes, trusting that it is part of a divine plan to bring us the most happiness. Longfellow had it right when he concluded;

“The best thing one can do when it is raining,

is to let it rain”

All settled in…sort of…

It has been two weeks now since we moved. I think we have everything pretty much in order. It has been a little crazy but we have been amazed at the help and support that we have felt both from family and friends before we left Las Vegas and immediately upon arriving in our new home. So we have to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who showed up to help us move, sent us warm wishes and then came to move us in and make sure we felt welcome. We already had the Bishop and Elders Quorum visit us just three days after the first time we attended church. Is that a record?

Chris has also started his new job. This is his third day. It is quite different then his previous job but he thinks he will learn a lot. We also got his test results from the P.E. and HE PASSED. YEAH! I never doubted he would. He is so smart. Now we just have to wait the required time (another year or so) and he will officially be called an Engineer…it’s only taken 9 years!

Despite the move, I think the kids had a great Christmas. They are absolutely thrilled to live closer to their cousins and grandparents. They are still unsure how much they like the cold. Today it is extremely windy…Austin keeps mentioning that a tree is going to fall on our house. I had to reassure him twice that we don’t live close enough to any trees for that to happen. But they do love being pulled on the sled by Grandpa Carter’s 4-wheeler. Here are some pictures of the last two weeks. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Top Eight Things I will miss about Las Vegas...

Beside the people of course, here are a few of my favorite things about Las Vegas. I will probably think of more once we are gone but these the the ones I remember now...they are listed in no particular order.

While living in Las Vegas one goal Chris and I had was to eat at a different place every time we got to eat out. We were able to accomplish this most of the time but there were a couple of places that we would always go back to.

#1 Roberto's Taco Shop (also known as Faustos in Henderson)- Best Steak Fries (they were on our speed dial)


#2 POP's - Best Philly Cheese Steak



#3 Rec Centers - As a family we were able to take at least a dozen different classes for really cheap prices. Austin took swimming, Art, tumbling, and Tae Kwon Do. It was awesome and definitely something I will miss.








#4 Peter Piper Pizza (I know this is the third food place but it wasn't for the food) We loved going to Peter Piper Pizza because it has a roller coaster for the kids and lots of games and even a simulated motion ride plus pizza all for relatively cheap. You could spend endless hours of fun there and Mom and Dad loved having it available to help the kids "earn" a chance to go.




#5 Water Parks - Being that Vegas is in the dessert and it is very (no - extremely) hot in the summer the parks have water toys for the kids. LOOOOVE ITTTT!!! It is really the only way you can be outside for longer then 15 (maybe 10) min.



Here is another fun park the kids like to go to.



#6 Our backyard - I loved walking down my stairs into my kitchen and the first thing I would see every morning is my green "Hawaiian like" backyard. It was so pleasant and relaxing to sit back there. Plus we had an apricot tree...oh how I will miss our sweet, juicy and fresh apricots. We loved making jam, pies, crepes, syrups, etc with all the apricots we got. I don't think you can even grow apricot trees where we are going. :(



#7 Our neighbors house - For any of you who have been to our house you know first hand the smile and the "What were they thinking?" look that comes to mind. It was kind of humorous to look at after awhile and provided a good laugh every once and a while. Plus it was a great landmark to tell people where our house was..."we live next to the glow in the dark florescent green house..."



#8 The Elementary School - We are zoned for the best school in the district...probably all of Nevada. I actually heard a rumor that it was featured on the Today Show because is has this amazing micro society. Here are some pics of "Going to Town Night" where the kids get to spend all their hard earned "Gold" at all the different stores. Each class has a different business that they run. They have to get a business license, advertise, sell, etc. It is such a great idea and the kids love it and learn a lot from it. Austin's class ran a Movie Theatre. They sold tickets and popcorn.





Here is Allie buying a book at the "book store."


And here are the kids getting their picture taken with Santa Claus at another "store".

How Sweet the Memories...

We have our pictures and video come up on our screen saver on our computer and this video of Allison popped up today. I hadn't seen it for awhile and I just thought it was too cute. I just couldn't help but share it with the rest of you. This is Allison's first birthday party. I think she is loving her first piece of chocolate cake...what do you think? Hehe!




Ok so here is the link. After several different tries I couldn't get the video to actually work on the blog so here is the link to Google Videos. You will have to cut and paste it into the web browser because I couldn't even get a link to work. :( There is still a lot to learn about this whole blogging thing...if any of you fellow bloggers have any advice I would love to hear it. Enjoy the video!

We've Been Keeping a Secret!

Our family is moving (Dec. 22nd)!...there I said it. For some of you, I know this isn't a secret but if you live in Las Vegas, it is. We had to keep it a secret so it didn't get back to Chris' boss who is also LDS. He also works with a lot of LDS people. We wanted to make sure he found out from us. I can give a lot of reasons to why we are moving but for some reason they don't make this any easier for me. I will miss so much about Las Vegas...things that no one can possibly understand unless they have lived here. You never fully appreciate what you have until I think it is gone. As we get closer to the moving day Chris and I have been noticing so many more things about life in Las Vegas that we will surely miss. Most importantly are the many great friends we have made. Although I have always lived in some great wards, I have never had so many people from one ward befriend me the way the Durango Ward has. I have had so many calls just to see how I am doing and "girls nights out," etc. The only thing I can do to fully say thank you is to hopefully "pay it forward." This truly has been the most difficult decision Chris and I have had to make in our short married time. We know that it is the right choice but it is still hard.

OK, enough blubbering...I will be sending out my new address info. by e-mail so you can either leave me a comment here if you want it, e-mail me at our family e-mail address or e-mail me at jennifer40@hotmail.com and I can send it to you. And we always have blogging!

Digital Scrapbooking

A lot of people have been commenting or asking about my scrapbooking pages that I have on my blog so I thought I would tell you a little bit about it.

I just started scrapbooking about three months ago. I never got into paper scrapping before that because it was too much money, too time consuming and took up too much space. Yes it is very cute and even a great journal method but I am, unfortunately, much too practical. Chris' cousin, Wendy, introduced me to a computer program called Scrapbook Max that does digital scrapbooking. There are a lot of other programs available to do digital scrapbooking on but this one seemed to be the best deal for the money and was also very user friendly, thus, very practical for me. Digital scapbooking solved almost all of the issues I had with paper scrapping...much less money (I have only spent $50 so far and have completed about 75 pages of scrapping), much less time (let me repeat...I have completed about 75 pages in about 3 months...I don't know any paper scrapper that could do that unless they did it full time) and less space...I keep it all filed away on my computer until I am ready to print and then it will be nicely made into a book (a littler one then you can even do paper scrapping) that I can display on my shelf.) There are a ton of freebies you can download and additional kits that you can buy. Once you have downloaded the zip file. You unzip it, and then you can drag and drop any papers or elements into Scrapbook max when you need them. FABULOUS! It took me about 10-15 hours (spread about over 3 months) to do all 75 pages. The first couple might take a little longer but once you get the hang of it you can go pretty fast. I give digital scrapping two thumbs up.

A Night without Pictures!

I am so bummed! OK, a little bummed. Our ward had our Relief Society Christmas Enrichment dinner last night and it turned out SOO beautful BUT I didn't get any pictures so I am bummed. I have to tell you about it though. All the ladies in the ward loved it and I was so grateful that we (the enrichment commitee and I) could provide such a wonderful service that made them feel like the Queens that they are.

The night was called "The Keeper of the Violin." This month is Christmas (of course) but it is also the birth month of our Prophet Joseph Smith. We had a guest speaker, Linda Isom, who happens to have a violin that is over three hundred years old! She tells the story of this amazing violin and how it traveled from person to person and how it ended up in the hands of her great-great grandfather who happened to be a great friend to the prophet Joseph Smith. There are stories written about how he would spend hours playing for the prophet and his family and friends and even what songs he played for them. Linda happens to be a concert violinist so she was able to take us back in time with a couple songs that were played for our Beloved Prophet. She then tells how the violin was mangled and musically abandoned and how the instrument litterally died. When she came to pocess the instrument (also a series of miracoulous events) it was in was in a box in several different pieces. She tells how the instrument was restored but that it has taken 60 years to bring it "back to life." Linda says that this violin has been played for about 9 of our prophets and she finishes this wonderful story by playing Joseph Smiths favorite hymn "Poor Wafering Man of Grief." What a wonderful story!

But that was just to top if all off. The Enrichment commitee was able to provide a 5-course meal completely served to the ladies. The tables were each assigned to be decorated by a different lady and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY! We have such talented sisters in our ward. Then we served a 5-course dinner...here is the menu...

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Parmesean Crisps
Mandarin Orange Salad with Orange Viniagrette
Ham, Baked Potato
Green Beans, Rolls
An assortment of bite-sized desserts

I don't think I could have recieved any more compliments then I did but the best part was just knowing that we made the ladies feel so special.

I HAVE to give a special THANK YOU to my amazing husband who stayed in the kitchen the entire night helping serve up the plates and then doing ALL those dishes while the ladies enjoyed the program. WHAT AN AMAZING MAN!

Our RS President took pictures and said that when she figured out how to e-mail them, she would e-mail them to me. When I get some I will add some to this post.

Holiday Recipes I

Here are three more recipes I tried in the last week or so. The first one has actually become a family favorite (and now a family tradition) at our Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinners. I made it a couple of years ago and it was the first thing gone and everyone wanted me to make it again thus a new family tradition was started.



This is the first time that I think the actual recipe comes out looking better then the picture. Here is the recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods...

Chocolate Passion Bowl
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: 16 servings, about 2/3 cup each
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each)
JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP French Vanilla Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 baked 9-inch square brownie layer, cooled, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5-1/2 cups)
1 pt. (2 cups) raspberries

BEAT milk and dry pudding mixes in large bowl with wire whisk 2 min. or until blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

PLACE half of the brownies in 2-qt. serving bowl; top with layers of half each of the pudding mixture, remaining whipped topping and raspberries. Repeat all layers.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Holiday Recipe #2 (courtesy of Kraft Foods, again)
This was good and it turned out similar to the picture...I was a little scared about that. This is not as hard as it looks...


Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 42 min
Makes: 16 servings, one slice each

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.

CUT each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.) Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Holiday Recipe #3 (courtesy of verybestbaking.com)
This recipe I didn't actually make for Thanksgiving but I had some extra cans of Pumpkin Pie Mix and decided I would make some muffins for an after school snack. I made some changes so that they would be healthier too.


Cumble-Top Pumpkin Muffins
Prep. Time: 25 min.
Cooking Time: 16 min.
Yields - 24 Muffins

4 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 cup raisins, (optional)
2/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (30 oz.) LIBBY'S Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
2 large eggs (I used 1 tbsp. flax and 3 tbsp. water in place of one egg)
Streusel topping (recipe follows)

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.

COMBINE baking mix, raisins, oats, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Combine pumpkin pie mix and eggs in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping.

BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool slightly. Serve warm.

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:
COMBINE 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (I used brown sugar) and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

I hope these recipes are helpful you...even though I didn't come up with the recipes I would still love to know what you think of them if you try any. HAVE A GREAT DAY!

My Little Boy is growing up!

Today my little boy got his first report card. I feel so sad...not over the report card (he actually got as perfect as a Kindergarten can get, even in behavior...WOW!) but because this is just another milestone he is passing. Who knew a report card could generate so many feelings. It just makes me want to cherish every moment I have as his mother (when he actually will sit down and still talk to me) even more. I feel like these moments are just flying by and I am not fully appreciateing any of it. I hope that I will look back at these years and have very little regrets. I am sure I will have some but I never want to look back and say that I wish I would have spent less time blogging and more time with my babies. So on that note I think I will go and play with my kids.

Austin's Kindergarten picture...isn't he so handsome!

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I love this season, don't you! Weather is beautiful! The yards are dancing in color and we have three awesome holidays one right after the other. Not just awesome because they just are but also because of what they represent. Thanksgiving - although should be celebrated throughout the year - is an amazing reminder to us of all that we truly are blessed with especially living in this amazing country which allows us freely to say, do and even think what we want despite of any other problems it has. I read this quote recently by Joseph F. Smith.

"The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out his life. Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man"

I pray that I can be a more "grateful and loving soul."

Austin and Allie also wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

This was a project we made during Family Home Evening. We talked about all the things we were thankful for and these are some of the things the kids said...

Austin said "scriptures, missionaries, Heavenly Father and Jesus" (without any prompting from his parents. :) He is so awesome!
Allie said "light sabers and Jesus" probably to try and impress her brother. She loves her big brother so much.

Family History

I have to admit - I have not always been that interested in my family history or heritage. I guess I had heard some bad things and figured I didn't want to know much about them anyway. I also thought it seemed overwhelming to trace back so many people and could never keep track of who's who. Then I was called to be an extraction worker (for those of you who aren't familiar with extraction work - it is the process of taking old records that are hard to read and inaccessible to most people and extracting them to a format that everyone can read and access easily). I started to become really intrigued with who these people really were as I typed their names and families names. Sometimes they didn't have any family listed and I questioned if there were people out there that thought about them. It made me start to study my own family history. I have since been doing family history work sporadically here and there when I get time between dirty diapers, driving kids around and preparing meals. So I recently found out that one of my Great Uncles was the first president of Brigham Young University. (I didn't really have a preference of Universities before this, maybe I do now:)) He was instrumental in converting the school from just an academy to an actual University. His name was Benjamin Cluff Jr. and he was the brother of my Great, Great, Great Grandpa. You can read his contributions to the university at this web address.

http://unicomm.byu.edu/president/cluff.aspx

Picture of Benjamin Cluff Jr.


I also just happened to run across a Cluff family website with some old contact information from 2005. I went ahead and contacted them with little hope of a response. Sure enough someone did respond, and in less then 24 hrs. even WOW! He has already sent me information on my Great x5 grandpa David Cluff who was the first to join the church in my line. What a legacy Grandpa David started! How excited I will be to read more about it! If any of you other Cluffs want more information please let me know. I will be happy to share what I have.

More New Recipes to try!

I made a new crockpot recipe last night that was probably a 7 on a scale of 1-10. The best part about it was that it was sooo easy. I love crockpot recipes for this reason. I made it after I gave the kids lunch and came back at dinner time. Perfect! Plus the recipe made so much that it fed us for two meals. If you don't like "left-overs" you can freeze them and use them later. We served the first meal with rice and the second in tortillas. Both good! Here is the recipe (courtesy of Kraft Foods).



Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 8 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 Tbsp. (1/2 of 1-1/4-oz. pkg.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix 2 Tbsp. flour
1 each: green and red pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
(I also added a half of onion)
1 cup frozen corn
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese (any will do)
(I added a can of black beans, rinsed, and some Hot Sauce)

TOSS chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the shredded cheese; cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours).
(I found the cooking time to be too long so you can probably shorten it to Low for 4-6 hours or High for 2-3 hours)

STIR just before serving. Top with the shredded cheese and green onions.




I also made this dessert for our family dinner this weekend. It was Yum-O! Everyone loved it. Chris, who really doesn't like peanut butter, even liked it a lot. It is the perfect balance of peanut butter flavor without the peanut butter mouth. Here is the recipe (also courtesy of Kraft Foods).



Peanut Butter Striped Delight
Total Time: 4 hr 40 min
Makes: 24 servings

35 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk, divided
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1/3 cup peanut butter

PLACE cookies in food processor; cover. Process to form fine crumbs. Transfer to medium bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press firmly onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate 10 min. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk in separate bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1-1/4 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Spread over crust.

POUR remaining 3 cups milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Add peanut butter; mix well. Spread evenly over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened. Top with remaining whipped topping; cover.

REFRIGERATE at least 4 hours before cutting into pieces to serve. Store any leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Aviation Nation

We attended Aviation Nation this weekend. It was an exhausting experience but it was also a good reminder of how much we need to support our current troops and our veterans. They had some awesome displays and "Air battles" including pyrotechnics to help portray actual bombing and shooting. That was the kids favorite part but I actually found it to be kind of gruesome and morbid. Nonetheless, it did give me a new appreication for all that continues to be at stake in Iraq and an increased gratitude for those who serve in the Military, past and present. The flying was so precise that it could even be described as beautiful and artistic. Here are the pics...they don't really do the expereince justice.

Finally...some pictures!

OK...so I haven't posted any pics on my blog yet because I thought there was a problem downloading pics from my camera...(long story). My husband sweetly pointed out that it works fine and so here I am finally posting pics of Halloween.

I have to tell you this cool little story about Allison. She has this amazing little personality...full of spunk, courage, passion, laughter and compassion. She is not afraid of anything. Anyway, we went to Chris's work party for Halloween and they had this animal lady there that had a tarantula she was letting everyone hold...if they wanted. None of the other kids, including the boys (all older then Allie) would go near the thing. Allie just walked right up to her and said, "I will." Now, for those of you who know me...you know that I HATE spiders. Can't stand them! I have bug spray in two very convenient places in my house so that I don't ever have to deal with them. Even posting this pic gives me the eebbie-jeebies but I just thought she was the koolest little girl around. Every time I look at it I just think about what a good example she is to me in all aspects of life.

Here are some more pics of the kids from Halloween.

I love these pumpkins because they fit my kids personalities so well. I didn't realize it until after we had carved them. And yes! I realize Allison's wings are on upside down...she took them off anyway :)