Unforgettable...Day 6 of 31 Days of Creating with Meaning

Memories are a powerful thing.  They're one of the reasons why I scrapbook.  I'm not great at keeping a journal, and my scrabooking is a little bit of here, there, and everywhere.  But I want to keep those memories alive and front and center if I can.

Last month I went back to Missouri for my Grandpa's wedding.  My grandpa and grandma lived near us for most of my childhood, and so much of my growing-up memories include them.  Last year, after a long time in the hospital with my grandpa staying with her every day, my grandma passed away.  I was honored and humbled to be there when the Lord took her in His arms.  It's so hard to say good-bye, even though it's only for a while.

While I was in Missouri I went through some of Grandma's sewing things and grabbed a pack of needles, a thimble, crochet thread, and some buttons.  These are things that were never far from Grandma's hands, since she was an avid quilter and sewer, and created beautiful quilts and made clothes for herself, too. 

I wanted to take these things and include them in a little shadowbox to remind me of my grandma, so I painted a wooden box that I'd gotten at a garage sale for a quarter, measured out the spaces, and basically made some mini scrapbook pages to fit them.  I added a picture of Grandma and Grandpa in front of their house that I stayed with them in for a few months before I got married.  I stayed away from too much pink, even though it was Grandma's favorite, and signature, color, just because I wanted something still muted but a little bit brighter like the oranges, blues, and greens.

Here's a picture in progress.  I can't find the other camera where I took the pictures of the plain box, though!

Some things that I will always associate with my grandma are the TV shows Dallas and The Dukes of Hazard, and Nat King Cole.  I would play her Nat King Cole albums on the record player and sing along.  That's the reason for the title "Unforgettable".  And the smudged up, dripped on,  much used recipe for Toffee Bars is the one she made every year for the holidays.  It just wasn't Christmas Eve without Toffee Bars.

The finished product. 

 See the 3D elements?  That little thing on the green ribbon is an old fashioned black sewing machine.

 And with a grunge filter...

The reason that I wanted to do 31 Days of Creating with Meaning is so I could create things that are functional, or preserve memories, or maybe do both.

Staying Healthy this Fall

It never fails. As soon as school starts the kids get sick.  I realize the classroom is full of walking petri dishes, sharing scissors, crayons, and bacteria.  Here are some things we do to try to combat those days of sniffles, snot, and sicknesses:

• Wash hands FREQUENTLY!  Before and after eating is the best way to do it if possible.  Washing before eating will obviously clean off the germs before they get on our food and in our mouths, but washing afterward will keep from spreading our germs to others.
• Get enough rest.  If our bodies are run down we are more susceptible to all of those germs around us.  A good night's sleep will recharge our battery and help us stay healthy.
• Take vitamins.  I'm a firm believer in taking vitamins, especially plenty of  vitamins D and C to fight off the colds and the flu.  If we
• Eat plenty of fruits and veggies.  If that's hard to do, make them into smoothies.  We drink smoothies every day, and include:  Spinach or Kale, and an Orange or Apple, a Carrot, Frozen Bananas, Frozen Berries, and some Flax Seed Meal.  My kids drink them up without a problem, and I'm happy that they're getting fruits AND veggies - in the raw.
• Drink plenty of water.  It will help keep you hydrated, especially if you feel something coming on.   It's good to drink other fluids, but water is so important, so make sure to keep sipping on it all day long if possible.
• Keep things clean.  Especially the frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, faucets, remote controls, telephones, and the computer mouse.  A cleaning wipe like Lysol brand cleaning wipes makes this easy as can be.
• If and when the kids do get sick, we usually have a garbage can, box of kleenex or roll of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, their blanket or pillow and stuffed animal, and their own glass to drink from.  Switch out the glass every time there's a refill and run the old glass through the dishwasher or wash with hot soapy water to thoroughly sanitize it.  Then make sure the blanket, pillow, stuffed animal and get a good washing in the washer and dryer. 

Staying healthy is can be a struggle when we come in contact with so many people every day, but being proactive and having a plan when members of our family get sick really helps in dealing with it. 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

My Grandpa got re-married. For real.

The Bride and Groom.  It's a little bit blurry because the two of them were CONSTANTLY on the move!

Linking here:  5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus, Fresh Mommy Blog

Our Summer Campouts

Summer and outdoors are pretty much synonymous.  What would summer be without the ability to enjoy playing and camping in the great outdoors?  After going on several camping trips this summer I realized that I needed a checklist; something to help me remember all of the little things that I thought would make sense to bring, but that in the heat of the packing moment got lost in the shuffle.

We have a fairly large family and did tent camping, so our list reflects both of those things.  I broke the list down into these categories:

General Camping Supplies:

• Tents and Tarps
• Sleeping Bags, Sleeping Mats, Airbeds and Extra Blankets (for cooler nights)
• Lanterns
• Flashlight for each person and extra batteries
• Firewood
• Folding Table
• Camp Chairs

Kitchen and Cooking Supplies:

• Camp Stove and Propane
• Matches and/or Lighter
• Large Kettle, Pans and Griddle
• Cooking Utensils-Fork, Spoons, Spatula, Tongs, Can Opener
• Paper Plates, Cups, Plastic Silverware
• Ziplock bags-Gallon, Quart, Sandwich
• Coolers For Cold Food at Camp and a Smaller one for Day Trips
• Large Bowl for serving
• Foil and Plastic Wrap
• Small Dish Drainer, Dish Soap and Sponge
• Garbage Bags
• Paper Towels and Napkins, Table Cloths
• 5 Gallon Cooler or container for water
• Our Must-Have Food Items:
• Salt/Pepper, Oil/Cooking Spray, Seasoned Salt, Cinnamon and Sugar
• Marshmallows, Chocolate and Graham Cracker for the ubiquitous and mandatory S'more
• Breakfast:  Cereal, Instant Oatmeal, PopTarts, Cereal Bars, Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Bread, Pancake Mix, Syrup, Butter, Fresh Fruit, Milk
• Lunch:  Lunchmeat and cheese, Mayo, Mustard, Catsup, Relish, Baby Carrots, Tuna, Salad Dressing, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Chips, Hummus, Salsa, Bread
• Dinner:  Hot Dogs and Bratwurst, Hamburgers, Foil Dinners, Chili or Stew
• Dessert:  S’mores, Brownies, Rice Crispie Treats, Cookies

Laundry/Bathroom:

• Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Shampoo
• Insect Repellant, Sunscreen
• Towels for Showers and Beach Towels
• Flip Flops for Showers
• First Aid Kit
• Toilet Paper (just in case)
• Small bottle of Laundry Soap
• Stain fighter for stubborn camping stains like Clorox2
• Personal Items:  (Each person is in charge of packing their own, or can have help from Mom)
• Clothes; enough for every day changes and extra socks in case of getting wet
• Swim trunks or bathing suit
• Appropriate shoes
• Extra toiletries, above and beyond the basics
• Books and games and Outdoor toys

We usually camp with other families and have a potluck or BBQ for our dinner, but I make pasta, macaroni, or potato salad and bring lots of fresh fruit and veggies for salads, too.   Having a list for what to bring has kept it a little bit less hectic and stressful, and allows me to have the kids take charge of some of it, too.

Playing outside together builds the family bonds and shows you what you're really made of.  And being prepared for it makes all the sweeter!  Take the Clorox2 Play 2Day Pledge and play outside today!   http://clorox2play2day.com

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.


I'm linking here:

If you would like a list to print for yourself, download one here:   Tent Camping Checklist

The temple is a House of God, a place of love and beauty...

The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

Front view of the Nauvoo, IL, Temple.

Nauvoo, IL, Temple

These pictures were taken by Natalia at age 12 when she was in Nauvoo for my cousin's wedding.  She went there with her Grammy, aunts and cousins.

I have a special place in my heart for the Nauvoo temple; my Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents lived adjacent to the temple. That Grandmother Nancy Naomi Alexander Tracy was present when the cornerstone was laid, and later had to leave behind the temple and her children who had died while they were living in Nauvoo when they were forced to leave and move West.  I know she took great solace in knowing they had an eternal family and that she would see those children again someday.

My sister Monie and her husband Kyle live in Nauvoo and she and my other sister Tara were both married there.  My sister Emily and her family were recently sealed to their adopted son in the Nauvoo temple.

 

This is the St. Louis temple.  Our family was sealed here in 2010.  It was a wonderful and amazing experience that I thought might never happen.  But it did.

Here are Joe's (the birthday boy!) thoughts about that day:

My brothers and sister and I went to the childrens rooms and played with some toys.  We changed into our white temple clothes  We had a snack and watched a movie about temples.  I explored the hallway, and then we went to the sealing room and met our parents.  There were a lot of people from church and my grammy and grandpa were there, too.  We were sealed as a forever family.  It was very special.

We went back to the childrens rooms to change into our church clothes.  We met a family with 24 kids.  One of the sisters was getting married that day.  They had so many people in their family that they drove a bus instead of a car.  I'm happy that my family can be forever.

There are no words to describe what a special day it was, and I am grateful to my Heavenly Father to have my family gathered close around me for time and all eternity.

I'm linking here: 

 

Our family mission statement...

Several years ago we decided to write a family mission statement.  I have to admit that at the time I brought this up to my family we were really struggling with finances, jobs, and life in general, and I thought that this would be a morale booster.  It would be a guide to get us through our days and something to draw us closer together.  (Maybe I should have written a personal mission statement.  I'll put that on my to-do list. :) )

I was introduced to the idea of a Family Mission Statement probably 10 years ago by a friend in a Family Home Evening preparation group.  She had read Stephen Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families" and made up a FHE on how to create a Highly Effective Family which included how to write a family mission statement.

In the book, Stephen Covey suggests that each of us begin with the end in mind and create a clear, compelling vision of what you and your family are all about.  He says,

"A family mission statement is a combined, unified expression from all family members of what your family is all about---what it is you really want to do and be---and the principles you choose to govern your family life."

So we wrote our mission statement:

Our Family works together as a loving family and strives to do our best in all that we do.  We treat others with respect and speak lovingly to each other.  We value each others opinions, and we are patient and tolerant of each other.  We won't demean or be critical of anyone's efforts.
The members of Our Family are Honest, Courteous and Helpful.  We work together until all work is done.  We can be kind by sharing and we don't throw toys.  We are safe by driving safely and going to school safely.
Our Family has family prayers and eats dinner together every night.  We clean up our own messes.  Each member of our family has personal prayers before bed and expresses their thanks to Heavenly Father for their blessings.
We will live to be worthy to go to the temple and to serve missions.
We eat healthy things to keep our bodies strong.
We Choose The Right! (CTR)

Looking back at it I can tell what the dynamics of our daily life and relationships were.  And I distinctly remember there being a toy-throwing incident that day.

We typed our mission statement out, I mounted it on scrapbook paper and hung it on the bulletin board where it stayed gathering dust for a couple of years.  Then we packed the house up to move and the family mission statement was tucked into a scrapbook until I dug it out yesterday for this post.  Not really keeping it a priority.

After reading Anne's post on Chocolate on my Cranium I've realized that our Family Mission Statement needs to be prominently displayed and used in our home.  I love her idea of reciting it every day, maybe before family prayers.  I have noticed that our family has been really critical of each other, and I'm hoping that utilizing Our Family Mission Statement will remind us what it's all about!

"Where there is great love there are always miracles."  Willa Cather

I've always got room for miracles!

I'm linking up here:

Like the Bees...

We have been as busy as bees around here with baseball and softball season.  With usually 4 and sometimes 5 games a week, we've been running around trying to fit everything else in around them.  School is 3 weeks from coming to a grinding halt.  I shouldn't say grinding halt since it will be here faster than I can say "School's Out" five times fast!  I'm not going to even think about what we're going to do this summer.

Mother's day was lovely; we started out the morning trying to get the kids boys little boys motivated enough to get ready for church.  30 minutes before church started they were in bed and negotiating the terms for going to church.  "But it's not our ward, why do we hafta go?"

Amazingly enough, I kept my cool and explained that we don't go to church because they are "our People", but we go to church to take the sacrament and show Heavenly Father that we are obeying His commandments.  I walked out of the room, and Joe got up and quietly started getting ready for church while his brother continued to bellow.  Monkey finally showed wearing a lovely ensemble which consisted of his blue church pants and a green T-shirt.  Rather than argue, we told him to get in the car and put his shoes on while we were driving.

When we arrived at church we discovered that his "shoes" were a pair of Heelys. Oh, yes, tennis shoes with wheels in the heels.  Add to that the hair that he refuses to cut and you can just imagine.  LOVE-ly!

We stopped at the cemetery on the way home since we hadn't been there in a while.  That always makes for interesting conversation and brings up stories and questions, too.  Like "Why did Nonni burn Nonno?" since Nonno was cremated.  It's times like these when I really appreciate and rely on my testimony of Heavenly Father's plan.  "Nonno's body didn't have his spirit in it anymore, and we'll be able to see Nonno again in Heaven."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Highlights from the baseball game last night:  The boys played 3 innings and they both hit every time.  Joe hit a double, a single, and a TRIPLE, and made three outs in one inning playing first base.

Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance

Be Prepared.

Almost every time my family goes on a trip I am the last person out of the house. I stop and look around, just to make sure I am not forgetting anything. I want to be totally prepared for whatever we might encounter. Do I have extra water bottles? It never fails that a mile or two down the road Monkey will be "so thirsty!" Did I remember to pack the toothbrushes, the hairdryer, and extra socks?

Preparation is so important, no matter what we are doing. In order to do something right, we need to have all of the proper tools. One of my Grandmother's sayings was "Prior planning prevents piss-poor performance." If we didn't have something fully planned out and it showed, she would say, "PPP!" And we knew what she meant. And she really had a point!


I recently read an article that recommended starting with an emergency water supply and a 72-hour Emergency Kit.  That really is common sense stuff, so why hadn't I thought of it that way?  The most important thing we will need in an emergency is water, then food and other emergency supplies.

The earthquake in Japan yesterday just drove home that point to me.  If there was an earthquake, fire, or any other kind of disaster (Katrina ring a bell?), are we prepared to evacuate our home on a moment's notice?

We have 72-hour Kits.  They are stashed in the hall closet.  Each of the kids has a backpack with supplies, food, clothes, and water.  We go through them twice a year and rotate the food out, packing new items in their place.  There are ready-made kits available, but ours are morphed together from my original Emergency Kit that my parents had for me and things that we've added along the way.

Some things we have in the kids' packs:

• change of clothes and shoes (shoes can be tied onto the outside of the backpack to save room)
• small first aid kit
• toiletries including:
• small bottle of shampoo
• small bar of soap
• toothbrush and paste
• toilet paper
• whistle
• flashlight with batteries packed separately
• waterproof matches
• emergency blanket
• poncho
• food to last 72 hours*
• a book and a coloring book and pens or crayons
• multi-tool or pocket knife
• some hard candy or fruit snacks (in an emergency you need something feel-good, too!)
• several water bottles, plus two 2 liter bottles of water

*The food we pack is VERY simple.  I buy boxes of Protein bars at Costco and divy them out.  I'll also add things like trail mix, fruit leather,  regular granola bars and jerky.  I even have cans of peanuts, cans of sardines and small tins of beans and franks (they have pop tops to eliminate the need for can openers.)  I try to keep it to food that does not need to be cooked.  We've packed hot cocoa mix and oatmeal packets, but those would require hot water to prepare them properly, even though they could actually be eaten cold or even dry.  I don't think beggars will be choosers. I also like to keep a combination of carbs and protein to keep energy up.  If there is an emergency, chances are calories will be burned with the adrenaline that is pumping!

Some things I want to add:

• a rope
• garbage bag
• plastic spoons
• a paper or tag with contact information and phone numbers for home, cell phones, and family in another area that may not be affected by the emergency.
• travel pack of baby wipes (always handy, especially when you don't have a lot of water available)
• a couple of matchbox cars for the little boys

Other things to pack for young children (of which I have none anymore):

• diapers
• baby food/formula
• medications
• small toys
• extra extra clothes
• receiving blanket 

Can you think of anything else that should be added to a Kids Emergency Kit?

I hope we never have to use these, but I feel better knowing they are ready and available.  And I don't want my grandma shaking her head and saying, "PPP!"

Here are some more links for 72-hour Emergency Kit information:

Ready.gov

72hours.org

The American Red Cross

Article from TheProvince.com

What are YOU Thankful for?

I know this is a late Thanksgiving post, but it is never too late to be thankful. I am thankful for a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend which included, but wasn't limited to:

1. Tons of turkey.  Luckily we had some leftover to make Joe's leftover casserole on Friday; I thought that I might have to go buy a roasted chicken from the grocery store to stand in for the leftovers!  We also had some yummy ham and luscious crab.  It was delightful!
2. Nice, mellow time at my mother-in-law's home with the rest of that side of the family.  We missed those who couldn't be there!  And those we couldn't travel to go to be with.
3. Monkey's lovely centerpiece that added festive color to the dinner table.
4. Watching slides of Andy and his family when they were younger.  So much fun, and some laughs, too.
5. Black Friday shopping with friends...starting at 11p.m. Thursday night and ending at 10a.m. Friday morning.
6. Making Belgian waffles this morning with my new Black Friday waffle maker!
7. Seeing the next to the last Harry Potter film with the two oldest kids, and eating sunflower seeds through the whole thing to keep myself awake at the 9:15 show after staying up the night before and only napping during the day.
8. Monkey asking if they were going to get a "Lumpin Coal" from Santa for Christmas
9. Bri, Natty, Andy and I speaking in Church on Sunday...So happy that's over!
10. Hoping my Grandma is smiling down on us from Heaven this Thanksgiving!

The Humble Pear Crumble Pie

If you hadn't realized it yet, Thanksgiving is next week.  Next week.  NEXT WEEK!!!  I KNOW!!!  And you're welcome for the reminder.  Because in my world, Thanksgiving feels like it should be two months away still.  That being said, I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving dinner at Nonni's house.  We'll be celebrating there, and it will be a collaborative effort, with the turkey, potatoes, some pies and a jell-o cranberry sauce as my OUR responsibilities.  I'm putting the kids to work!

The rest of the menu includes ham, green bean casserole, yams and apples, salad and bread.

Heaven on a plate.

I've been the turkey roaster for the the past few years, including The Thanksgiving that almost wasn't, and I really enjoy it. 

I also really enjoy pie.  Any kind of pie.  And it's not because I love the crust, because I'm more than willing to give the crust up to Andy.  I think it's because Pie equals Love.  Homemade, comforting, gather round the hearth love.

This is one of our favorite pies.  It is similar to a Dutch Apple Pie, but mad with pears.  Any variety will work, but I used some locally grown Bartletts for this pie.  The pears take on an almost buttery flavor and texture.  Of course, that might also be from the stick of bUtter in the crumble topping.


Pear Crumble Pie

Use your favorite pie crust recipe.  I used Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust recipe from Pioneer Woman, and it got rave reviews from the pie testers.
I am obviously not a pie crust perfectionist.  I don't have the patience to expertly flute the edges, and I usually have to do some patching after lifting the crust in, but the pie tasters care not about the aesthetic appeal of the crust as they're wolfing it down.

Filling:

3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
dash of salt
1 teaspoon of shredded lemon peel
3 Tablespoons lemon juice (basically the juice from one large lemon)
6 to 8 pears, peeled and cored, then thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon peel and juice.  Toss with the pears and arrange in pie shell.

 

I do not spend my time arranging.  The pears are dumped in and shoved to fit.

Topping:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)(I cube it up while it's cold and let it sit in the bowl til it is room temperature.)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I grate from a whole nutmeg and it's delish!)

1 cup flour

Combine the topping ingredients until it's crumbly.  Sprinkle over the pie filling.  Make sure you don't pat it down, it will make a crust and not a crumble.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 425.  Wrap the crust edges in foil for the first 1/2 hour then remove and cover just the crumble for the last fifteen minutes to prevent overbrowning.

 

Homeless

We made it. We’re here. Whew! Now we’re getting settled in at Nonni’s, just to (hopefully!) find a house in the area that we need. Summer break is so much fun, but the kids are just darn worn out from the lack of schedule and being late to bed and early to rise. Mario had a skinned up knee that needed attention from the keeper of the band-aids (that would be me) and I set him on the edge of the bed, bandaged him up, gave him a kiss and headed back to the kitchen to finish making dinner. In all of the commotion, I didn’t realize that he wasn’t back out with everyone else until we were sitting down to dinner 15 minutes later. I walked back to the room and he was literally passed out, flopped back onto my open book that was laying on the bed, and snoring away. We tucked him into the bed, still wearing his swim trunks, and he was konked out for 12 hours. Wish I could do that!

We’ve been visiting with friends and family, and eating tons. Why does any and every get-together involve food?

I’ve seen some really interesting (read:crazy) things since being here.

1. There are more Prius’s here than I could even begin to count.
   
2. While spending a nice evening at Lake Mendocino with friends, the neighboring group, which included children in the group, kept lighting up their “medicinal marijuana” while letting their pit bull, who was sporting a nice studded choker chain, run rampant all over the area.
   
3. Strange Missouri-ish weather: clouds, rain, cool weather
   

I’m sure there are more, but I’m not remembering them at the moment!
Grandpa has an AMAZING patch of lettuce in his garden and we cut a whole garbage bag full. It lasted all week, and I even gave some away to a couple of people. YUM!

The cousins here are all having fun hanging out, but we miss the Missouri cousins a ton.
I talked to Abrahm on the phone last week and he says, “Aunt Annie, you’re not my best friend.” Sounds mean, but he just cracks me up!

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!

I'm a lone, lonely loner.

We quote Sid the Sloth a lot at our house. The kids and I went to see this movie on Friday. They love Ice Age 1 and 2, and even though we rarely go to the theater, we had to see what those crazy pre-historic mammals were up to. It was pretty funny, but the best character was crazy Buck. He cracked me up. Maybe it was his underbite.

Anyway, Sid was feeling bad because Diego wanted to move on and Ellie and Manny are expecting a mini-mammoth, so Sid says, "I'm a lone, lonely loner." That's my new Sid line.

We miss you! Happy Anniversary.

Grandpa is a cowboy. Grandma is a teacher. They met 58 years ago on the fourth of July, and went on their first date the next night. The problem was, they were paired up with other people.
Grandpa was working on a ranch near the badlands in South Dakota, and the ranch owner also owned a restaurant. He told some of his cowboys that he had three new girls coming in to waitress there on their break from college, and he would make sure that these cowboys got the first dates with his new waitresses.

So, Grandpa and Swede, who was an older (thirties) ranch owner, took a couple of girls out in Swede’s old Ford. Grandpa was driving, and he came up to a river, and Swede told him to go right through it. Grandpa gunned it, and promptly got the car stuck in quicksand. They all got out, and Grandpa said to Grandma, "Come on, let’s go to the next ranch to borrow a jeep to pull the car out!" (Actually, when Grandpa told the story he said, "I said, ‘Rose Ann, let’s go—'" and Grandma interrupted him with "Oh, no, you said to me,‘Come on!’ because you didn’t even know my name!")

The rest is history. Guess Grandpa knew a good thing when he saw it. And Grandpa eventually remembered Grandma’s name.

Clean is a dirty word

When the chickens are shipped to be turned into the chicken nuggets that you may have just ordered at your local Mickey-D's, it's time for clean-up at the farm.

Adam has spent the last couple of days power washing the fans, etc., in the barns. But in order to do that, he gets covered in water and dirty feathers. So, the fans might sparkle, but the washer looks and smells like a wet chicken.

And apparently I've gotten a little bit of a reputation around the farm. I was looking for the thing-y (that's a technical term, you know) to put on the drill to raise and lower the brooders, and Adam asked if I knew how to use the drill to wind up the winch automatically. He said, "You have to be careful, though." Then he looked at me and just put that drill bit away. Hmm.

I did a little bit of mowing yesterday. Andy's been working long hours, and now that Brian is big and old, he's working on another farm full-time this summer. That means, with Grandpa gone, the mowing is falling behind. I like to mow, and I would help Andy with it sometimes, but Grandpa is definitely the resident mower. I miss looking up or out the window to see him bouncing around on the mower and then I would sometimes send the kids out with a tall glass of kool-aid, since he doesn't drink water straight, you know.

Watch out for this crazed bunny

Oh, I guess she might be OK.

Looks like trouble just hatched.

She even likes a Monkey.


Got Eggs?

New(ish) books for the youngsters

The kids will be having a week’s worth of testing starting the 30th, and the school is suggesting that each family live TV-free for that week. I think that’s a great idea, but it will take a lot of selling. We don’t watch a lot of TV since we only have an antenna but the kids like to come home from school and do their best couch potato impersonation for a little while. I’m on the lookout for some ideas for activities, especially since summer break is coming up so fast. I want the kids to be reading, working, etc. this summer, not spend those weeks tuned out of life and tuned into the television.

I spent last weekend at a conference for Early Childhood Educators, and a couple of the sessions I attended were on books and literacy. So, when we have the TV turned off, hopefully we’ll be doing a lot of reading.

Here is a list of some new(ish) books that I’ve discovered:

1. Wave by Suzy Lee
This is a wordless book that has beautiful illustrations covering the two-page spread. It’s lovely as a picture book, or the reader can make up a story to go with the pictures.

2. Potato Joe by Keith Baker
A take-off of the rhyme “one potato, two potato”, with simple but cute graphics.

3. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Don’t babies just love to look at other babies? Even though these babies aren’t photos, they’re illustrated, they are so cute you can’t resist! Mem Fox has a style all her own, and it shows up in this sweet book about those ten little fingers and ten little toes that babies all over the world have in common.

4. Puff, The Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton
Yes, it’s the Peter, Paul and Mary song as a children’s book. (Will this finally dispel the rumor that it’s about smoking weed?) I’ve always loved this song since my Grandpa Hall would play it on the guitar and the rest of us harmonized our way through it. Again, the illustrations are awesome in this book, too!

5. On The Farm by David Elliot
Of course, I can’t resist a farm book! This one consists of short poems about farm life. The woodcut and watercolor double-page illustrations are, not to be redundant, awesome.

6. Playtime Rhymes for Little People compiled by Mary Finch
This book includes classic rhymes, and again, the illustrations are amazing. The artwork was prepared in antique fabric and felt collage, and have to be seen to be appreciated. Have I mentioned that I love fabric?

7. Here’s A Little Poem collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters
Over 60 poems are included in this huge volume. And, of course, great illustrations, too!

8. The Boy Who Wouldn’t Share by Mike Reiss
Edward is stingy with his sister Claire. He hoards toys in a heap so mountainous that he gets stuck under it. Good book for siblings who don’t share. Maybe they’ll get it without having to nag? Would be great to read while eating a plate of fudge. Come to think of it, wouldn’t every book be better with fudge? Funny illustrations done by the same artist who did the great illustrations for I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More.

9. Truck Stuck by Sallie Wolf
When a truck gets stuck under a low-hanging bridge, quite a scene develops as the traffic backs up. This is a rhyming book, and is perfect for truck lovers.

10. The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
Other leaves turn red and flutter around the little yellow leaf and down to the ground, but he’s not ready to let go of his branch. Love the collage art illustrations!

11. To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson
This is a great “Spring” book, and includes a packet of seeds if you buy the book, and not check it out of the library like I usually do.

13. Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

Ramon loves to draw: "Anytime. Anything. Anywhere." When his older brother laughs at one of his pictures and points out that it does not look like a real vase of flowers, a dejected Ramon crumples up all of his efforts. However, he soon learns that his younger sister has hung the discarded papers on her bedroom walls. When he declares that the picture of the vase doesn't look like the real thing, she says that it looks "vase-ISH." The child then begins to produce paintings that look "tree-ish," "afternoon-ish," and "silly-ish." His "ish art" inspires him to look at all creative endeavors differently. I love this book! My kids have always had a hard time accepting that they can't make the "perfect" art, or drawing, or whatever, on the frist try.

Spring is Around the Corner

The kids and I planted some starter seeds for the garden. Grandma and Grandpa are in California, and because of Grandma's health they will be staying there longer than they thought. That means if we want a garden it's up to us! ( We need positive thinking on this one!)

We planted the herbs last week, and are getting tiny little shoots showing.

This week it was tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and peppers. The basics.

Cuteness times three

Dear Brian,

The other night you climbed onto my lap, and you reminded me of the little 2-year old you who would do the same thing. Only now you are 12 years older, tower at least five inches over me, and your feet touch the floor. I can’t believe that it was fourteen years ago today when you made your entrance into the world. It’s no wonder that you still want to sit on my lap; I don’t think you were put down in the first few months of your life. If Dad or I weren’t holding you, then there was always someone else around, you know, “just coming to see how the baby is” and holding you, too.

Then I think about when you were “Bubba”, and hung out with Ro all the time, and woke up at 6:00 in the morning, and then we’d be out in the backyard playing baseball at 6:30. Alicia from next door said that she didn’t need an alarm clock because she knew it was time to get up when she heard us out there. You had that morning schedule, and I know you don’t like to deviate from the plan.

Now, you’re almost grown up. And you have to shave. And your smile still gets you out of trouble nine times out of ten. I’ve been so impressed with how you’ve kept your grades up, even though you don’t like to read OR do homework. You are at school for ten and a half hours a day, with 2 hour practices, and you don’t complain. More and more I am seeing glimpses of the man you will become. I know you think I am way too hard on you, and maybe I am. But I want you to succeed! I want you to be strong, yet compassionate; steady and true. I want you to strive for excellence, but still learn from your mistakes. I want you to continue to grow in the gospel and to be a good example and a leader to those around you, including your brothers and sister.

Happy birthday, Brian!



I love you!