Simplifying my Scrapbook Page

While I haven't been doing a ton of scrapbooking lately, I've been trying to scrap some of last school year's photos.  That way I won't feel quite so overwhelmed when I start to print this school year's photos!  When I was looking at the pictures of the scrapbook pages, I noticed a common design thread running through these pages:  Grouping my photos into a block.  

There are a few reasons why I think that look works for me:

1. It takes the guesswork out of trying to position my pictures in just the right way.
2. I can fit a lot of pictures onto one page or a two page layout.
3. I use a lot of 4x6 uncropped pictures, and I don't like to overlap them very often.

Even though these two pages can stand on their own, they also work as a two page layout.

One more thing I used a lot on these photos and pages was a thin line of white paint to make the photos or paper stand out without cutting extra mats.  In the Pumpkin guts single page above I double matted the finished Jack-O-Lantern photo, but grouped the three related photos together with a single mat behind.

As you can see, the Halloween pictures were out that day!

I'm linking here!

The sweetest gift...

During Primary on Sunday, the sharing time lesson was about Jesus, and what gifts we could give him.  The kids each wrote down their idea for a gift, which was service that they could do for someone else, and put the paper into a stocking with Jesus' name on it to remind them to perform that service.

One of the teachers helped Monkey with his paper, and I heard him say that he would make his bed every day because that would make his mom happy.  Wasn't that nice to think about me!

Fast forward to this Monday morning.  I took some clean laundry upstairs to put away, and in the midst of the rest of the chaos in the boys' room was a perfectly made bed.  You could practically bounce a quarter off of it.  It was that good.  Well, I couldn't let that bed go to waste, so I did a quick clean-up on the rest of the room so that it lived up to the beautifully made bed.

When I picked the boys up from school I asked Monkey about his bed.  I told him it looked great, and he said, "That's my gift to Jesus, Mom, remember?"  So sweet!  I thought about the video that I posted on Saturday.  If we all just do something, anything, for someone one else, we have also done it for Him.  Mario is working the real meaning of Christmas.

P.S.  I got a picture of the kids.  It's not the greatest, but it will have to do for the card since I've ordered them from Purple Trail and they should be on their way in a few days.  Now to get the addresses done!  Where did I put that darn pen?

Job Description

This is from an e-mail my dad sent me.

The cost of parenting 4 kids to adulthood? Priceless.

POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION : None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE : None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION : Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS : While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

GOLDEN PARACHUTE Grandkids!

Buy American!

Watch this commercial. I've always loved Mustangs.

Casseroles as a sign of an economic downturn?

I just heard on the radio that with the economy the way it is, more and more people are cooking casseroles. Because of that, cooking magazines are now featuring more recipes for casseroles. Hmm. Is it because a casserole is considered comfort food, or because they tend to be budget-friendly?

I like casseroles as well as the next person, but you can’t mention the word to Andy without him reminiscing about his mom putting a 1970’s crushed chip covered concoction on the table, and his dad then getting up to get the Cheerios out. Mention the word “casserole” to Andy’s brother John, and he’ll tease me about “Tater Tot Hot Dish”, which was a cheap and easy dinner my mom made for the family when I was growing up.

I like casseroles for a couple of reasons. 1. You can usually make it ahead of time. 2. Many recipes are actually a one-pot (or pan) meal; veggies, meat, and maybe a starch all in one.

This calls for a casserole recipe. I found this recipe in a Hoard’s Dairyman magazine waaay back when I was in high school. And I used the Hoard’s Dairyman to study for my Dairy Cattle judging team in FFA. But I digress. Here’s a yummy recession-proof chicken divan casserole recipe. I’ve tweaked it a little bit more to make it even easier.

Easy Chicken Divan

2 - 10 oz. Packages frozen broccoli
2 cups diced, cooked chicken (about three breasts)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Lemon juice
½ tsp. Curry powder
½ cup shredded sharp cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs
1 T. butter

Cook broccoli in microwave or on the stovetop. Drain and place in a 9x13 pan along with the chicken. Just jumble them all up in there. Combine all other ingredients except the crumbs and butter. Spread over chicken and broccoli in the pan. Sprinkle buttered crumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.

WHY???

It seems like every time I find a TV show I like, BAM, it's pulled off the air. Never fails. This season's victim is "Pushing Daisies". I kept looking for it, even though it was in a horrible time slot; Wednesday's at 7:00. (so maybe that's why it didn't take off!) So quirky and witty! Kristen Chenoweth was hilarious as Olive, and Ned and Chuck, the main characters, were so likeable. Guess I'll have to move to the UK to see the rest of Season 2, though. Maybe Monie will move with me.

I thought victim number 2 was going to be Medium, a show about Allison. She sees dead people. With a time slot of Monday nights at 9:00 (after Family Home Evening and putting the kids to bed) I could usually manage to catch it. I'm happy to say that it's back! I can get my laundry folded while I watch Allison and her family deal with everyday life while she helps the DA solve crime. She's such a multi-tasker.

I'm usually commitment-phobic when it comes to TV shows. Sometimes I get tired of them after a few seasons (Law and Order) or I like them but they're on at a bad time (Survivor) or it is just so stinkin' long and takes up two nights that I can't even think of wasting that much time on it (American Idol). So for now, it's Medium. And Numbers if I can get to it.

Busy Bees

Well, Sedalia made the news. Too bad it was the "Strange News"!

We've been way busy, and our schedules look like they won't be slowing down any time soon. Some things we have been up to are:

1. Basketball, basketball and more basketball. Brian had three games this week, and practice on the weeknights he doesn't have a game.


2. Valentine parties! I'm room mom in Natalia's class, so I planned her party then didn't get any pictures. I did get a minute to run down to the other end of the school to Joe's class and snapped a picture of him with his Valentine frame and picture he made for me.


3. Working the farm. Dad, Grandpa and I held down the farm while Mellisa, Adam and the three muskateers took a trip to see Adam's family.

Mom Bloggers

If there's one thing I know for sure, "Mom bloggers" are here to stay. Scribbit (one of my favorite mom bloggers) recently wrote a post on moms who blog, and Momdot.com put their list out of the Top 50 Mom Blogs of 2008. A few of my favorites were listed, too, including Rocks In My Dryer, the amazing C Jane, 5 Minutes for Mom, and of course, P-Dub.

When I first started this blog, I thought this would be an online journal of sorts. But it's turned into much more than that! Family, friends and acquaintances have called or stopped to chat about something I have posted on my blog. I have been able to network with bloggers I admire, writers I adore, and perfect strangers with common interests.

Now, our lives are not always peachy-keen. You're getting just a glimpse of us on the computer screen; our reality might horrify or fascinate you (or maybe even a little of both!) But I will continue to blog about those things. I hope you'll stay around to read about them, too!

2008's Resolution leftovers, warmed up and served again.

Happy 2009!



Last year's resolutions post was a bit tongue in cheek, since there was no way I was going to accomplish all of them. Not without retaining my sanity, that is. So, here we go again.



1. Lose 40 pounds

2. Never, ever, ever yell at Andy or the kids again.

3. Keep the house clean at all times

4. Read church lessons before they are taught.

5. Keep up with the laundry

6. Exercise every day.

7. Go back to school.



Why is it just when I want to get on with life, life gets in the way? There is always something to be done, but it's never what I want to be doing. Ok, that's my complaining for the day.

On to resolutions. As I was reading the local newspaper a week or so ago, an editorial piece caught my eye. I only had a minute to skim, but the author was basically saying that as a society we are not comfortable publicizing our new year's resolutions anymore. We are afraid to tell the world (and those closest to us) what our goals are for fear that we will not fulfil them, therefore looking like a failure, not to mention foolish!

Wow, that hits the nail on the head with me. I rarely tell others my dreams, goals, and wishes. Then I feel the pressure to be accountable for working towards or achieving those things. Who wants to be accountable? Not I! At least not after the first few days/weeks/months (depending on what the goal is).

My new goal is to work on improving all of those aspects of my life, and then some, and not feel bad when I fall short -- just keep looking forward and plodding along.

God Bless America

After the election results last night, my little corner of the country was not celebrating. I wasn't doing a victory dance or high-fiving Andy. I sat and watched John McCain give a very touching, dignified and gracious concession speech, calling for the support of his victor. I sat and contemplated what Barack Obama's election to the highest office of our beautiful country means to me and to my family, my community, our state and the United States of America, and I'm worried.

Don't get me wrong, I have hope-

I have hope that everything will be OK, that the economy will turn around, gas prices will stay down, and that we can grow and prosper. I have hope that President-Elect Obama will do what is best for this country, and not bring us to a liberal, large government, "don't you worry, we'll take care of you now" mentality. I have faith that my Father in Heaven is watching out for me and for this choice country, for which our forefathers fought and brought to freedom so many years ago. I am grateful for a democracy in which everyone has a right to let his or her voice and choice be heard, and I hope the right choice was made.

I guess I will wait and see, just like the rest of the world. I will wait to see if Joe Biden's speculation that the rest of the world will test President Obama will be verified.

I will wait to see if he will reach across the party lines and try to work together with those he views as the enemy.

I will wait to see if he continues to include in the circle of his associates William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and others on the left fringe of politics. Maybe he will keep his distance from them. Maybe he has learned his lesson. Kind of like the straight-laced kid in school who likes to hang with the dangerous crowd. He got in trouble for it (although most people don't seem to care much who he surrounds himself by) and maybe he'll toe the line from now on.

But, like I said, I am hopeful. I'm hopeful that this will stay the land of the free and the home of the brave. And I hope that my doubts will be unfounded.

Vote!

Did you Vote today?

If you haven't yet,

then what are you waiting for?

You can't complain about who is elected

if you didn't participate in the elections.

Blog World

So, this blogging world is something, isn't it? I was invited to a blogging event for next weekend in St. Louis at the Build-A-Bear workshop, everything free as long as I blog about it. Unfortunately, I'm not going, but isn't it neat to have the opportunity? I told them to feel free to invite me to anything anytime. Hee hee.

A lot of bloggers hold carnivals and giveaways, and 4 Reluctant Entertainers is having a giveaway on her blog for a cute Fall box full of seasonal stuff. You can enter by leaving a comment here.

Maybe someday I'll have a giveaway or contest, but I'm not sure I've got enough readers! And maybe you will all come out of the woodwork, then.

Where did she go?

No, I haven't maimed myself in the chicken barns, or fallen in a deep, black hole. My children have not tied me up, and I haven't gotten so deep into this book that I haven't resurfaced.



My computer is sick. So I haven't been on it. And you know how I feel about my computer!

But-

My very pregnant sister is here now. We've missed her.

It's been hideously, fiendishly, and down-right freakishly (that's for you, Tara) H-O-T here. I've been perspiring profusely. Or profusely perspiring. However you say it, I've been doing it.

I promise I'll be back soon. It's more than likely. Really.

So don't abandon me!

Pioneer Day #1

Pioneer Day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young, and the first group of Mormon Pioneers in to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois and other locations in the eastern United States.

In addition to being an official holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day is considered a special occasion by many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On Pioneer Day, some Latter-day Saints reenact walking the Mormon Trail or entering the Salt Lake Valley by handcart.

When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin, I loved Pioneer Day. We would celebrate in different ways, but one of my sisters and my favorite Pioneer Day was the year Dad built an actual handcart (to be used in the handcart races, of course!) We played endlessly with that handcart. Mellisa made Emily and I tote her around all over the farm in it.

Sugardoodle has a ton of fun activities to do the whole week. I think the kids and I will plan some fun things to do on Pioneer Day. We’ll let you know what we decide!

Catchy Ads

I don't really like watching TV commercials, unless, of course, they're Got Milk, or the Ocean Spray Cranberry commercials that I mentioned here, but I love to look at the ads in magazines. Not just the regular run-of-the-mill ads, but the beautiful, or clever, or pleasing to the eye ads.

An ad for dressbarn recently caught my eye. This is how it read:

I believe
The best things in life contain chocolate. I believe I'm always right (except when I'm wrong). The closer I get to it, the more I believe that forty is the new thirty. I believe in my unalienable right to the perfect pair of jeans. I believe if you really want to know how you look, don't ask your mother, your sister or your best friend. Ask your 4 year old.

Well said. I think I'll go shop there to look for that perfect pair of jeans. Then I'll ask my 4 year old how I look, and he'll tell me I'm beautiful, like he does every day. Then he'll poke my tummy and say, "Squishy".

Some Internet Fun!

I love the internet. I know, I know; I shouldn't spend too much time in here, but I try to keep it to a dull roar. But the internet is great for SO MANY different things. Like planning my Primary sharing time lessons. I go right here to LDS.org.

When it's time to cook dinner, and I have no clue what to make with what I have on hand, I visit supercook.com. You just type in the ingredients you have on hand, and they'll give you a list of recipes you can make. How cool is that? I tried this one last night, served it with rice and watermelon and got thumbs up all the way around.

My newlywed sister is now a blogger. You can read about her life as a new wife and BYU student at redallaboutit.blogspot.com.

Now, if you're crafty at all, you can find directions

and tutorials for just about any project you can

think of. Here's a cute and simple one (perfect for

the kids to make, too!) : sticky notes books.

Looking for a good book to read to your kids? Try Deliciously Clean Reads. They won't steer you wrong.

And finally, here's a little poem that could have been written by me.

Can't wait for this!

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Go here to see the Twilight Movie Trailer!

The Moon is Whole! (And other happenings in MO)

As we were driving to Brian's basketball game on Tuesday, this is what we saw on the horizon.









OK, so I didn't actually take this picture. Not that I couldn't have, since, you know, my photography skills are so awesome {snort}. I stole this picture from Wikipedia. But this is exactly what the moon looked like Tuesday night, hovering right above the horizon, a huge, orange orb suspended from heaven. Joe spotted it first and said, "Look! It's a Whole Moon! Wow, the moon is whole!" We all agreed that, yes, the moon is whole. And it's FULL, too. He then said, "Yeah, and it's shaped like a 'suh-phere' (sphere), too." The things you learn in Kindergarten. And from kindergarteners.

So, in know-it-all Mommy fashion, I told him that a sphere is a circle. Then my know-it-all 4th grader had to correct me by saying, "Technically, a sphere is shaped like a ball."

I really need to go back to school. Am I smarter than a fifth-grader? I don't think I want to find out.

According to Wikipedia we were seeing a Wolf Moon, not just your regular, run-of-the-mill whole moon. The Wolf Moon is a full moon that occurs in January. Its name comes from hungry wolf packs that would howl outside the villages of Native Americans. Cool. Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

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We woke up this morning to a balmy 7 degrees Fahrenheit. It's cold. I'm glad the wolves aren't howling outside our village. Brrr.

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The know-it-all 4th grader just won first place in her grade for her Smoky the Bear poster contest. Then she won first place in the district competition. 6 dollars total. She shrugged and said, "Cool, I'll add it to the rest of my money." The girl has more money than I ever did at her age, and more than I do now. She saves every cent. Her cousin talked her into spending some on a shirt and jeans one day. Cousin said, "Aren't you tired of my hand-me-downs?" Natalia said, "Nope!" I had to return the clothes a couple of days later, since Natalia decided she would rather have the cold hard cash in her hands than non-hand-me-downs. She's so practical.

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Brian's in the middle of basketball season. I would post a picture, but every time I take one of him on the court, it's like a picture in a great big cave. The lighting in gymnasiums is not ideal for photos. It's so fun to see how much he has improved each year that he's played basketball. Andy was kind of disappointed when Brian was told he would be a substitute. On the "B" Team. I said,"What do you expect? There are only 2 seventh graders playing on the combined 7th and 8th grade team, and the 2 seventh graders are substitutes." And he's played at least half of each game, and played well at that. I keep telling him he needs to be a little more aggressive, though. Maybe it will come with age. Or maybe he will just take after his Auntie Tara. hee hee. I'm hoping he grows into his size 11 feet, though. He's taller than I am now, although Andy likes to say "That's not saying much." So I'm vertically challenged. You wanna make somethin' of it?

Cousins!

The latest and greatest "Cousins" picture. We're just missing Austin in this one. Tara took it this Sunday before flying back to BYU on Tuesday. sniff sniff. We miss you, Auntie Tara!

I'm getting ready for a lovely weekend away! Not that I won't miss the kids and Andy, cuz I will, I sure will. But I'm headed to Lake of the Ozarks for a weekend scrapbooking retreat! Yay! I'm planning on getting a ton done, so wish me luck!

Happy 2008! Now get working on those resolutions!

In 2008 I resolve to:

1. Lose 40 pounds
2. Never, ever, ever yell at Andy or the kids again.
3. Keep the house clean at all times
4. Read church lessons before they are taught.
5. Keep up with the laundry
6. Exercise every day.
7. Go back to school.


OK, who am I kidding! I’ve already broken 2,3, and 6 and the year has barely started!
If I try to stick with these, I’ve just set myself up for a fall.

At church this past Sunday the talks were on “Goals and Resolutions.” I’ve been having an internal dialogue running through my mind for the past few weeks on just these things. I’ve failed at my resolutions every year as far back as I remember. How can I make goals and resolutions and not disappoint myself when my grandiose plans go awry?

I’m a planner. I love to map out the day exactly how I want it to go. Then I remember that - Oh, yeah, I have 4 kids and a husband who can’t read my mind and will not cooperate with anything I DO plan. Then those feelings of frustration get the better of me, and we’re all miserable.

So this year I am drawing up an outline; something less specific, a little more general than those resolutions listed above.

1. What general areas do I want to focus on?
A. Intellectual
B. Physical
C. Social
D. Spiritual
E. Familial {OK, I really don’t use this word, but I wanted it to go with the others. This will be goals to do with family life.}

2. How do I keep myself motivated?
A. Little things count!
B. Enjoy the journey.
C. Don’t spread myself too thin.
D. Don’t think “I’ll be happy when this or this happens.”
E. Make a conscious effort at all times, but don’t stress the setbacks.
And, to quote from this article:
I will appreciate what little progress I make despite my shortcomings.
There, that little disclaimer should cover me!