cub scouter.

brady's first night as a cub scout happened to be the blue and gold banquet.  he earned his blue & gold segment, his cake segment and emergency preparedness segment.



for the cake segment, each scout needed to help their parent(s) design, prepare and decorate a cake.  brady chose a wolf using german chocolate cake and frosting (because he thought the frosting would look like the fur!)  we thought i came out pretty cute for not being experts! (and it was very tasty as well!!!) we added whipping cream to the cake mix and poured a little bit over the top before frosting it so it would soak into the cake.  it was very moist!

some of the other very creative cakes!  i was quite impressed!

we are so proud of our growing boy and his desire to participate in good activities!

zach. from 1 to 2 years

this post is all about my zachy over the past year.  the random pictures that i've been saving for a post just like this!

i found this picture that had gotten overlooked somehow.  it's of zach at around 7 months with auntie shawnae!!!  look at his bald little head and chubby cheeks!!!


1 year (things he can say...)
no, no
ball ball (he says it twice in a row)
mamma


       
these pictures were taken a few months after moving into our house in idaho falls.  zach took a tub in the kitchen sink one day, can't remember why.  when we got our piano he absolutely loved to sit and gingerly play on the keys, especially with auntie shanwnae!

                                   

sometimes we find zach wearing the funniest get-ups!  like all of our kids he loves to dress-up.

                                  
uncle bryce got zach "ernie" for christmas.  we often find him snuggled up in bed like this, and sometimes telling zach that it's time to get ernie to sleep is the only way to get zach asleep!

zach missed a nap on the day that we went to our friends' baby blessing and we caught it on tape that he was falling asleep in chris' lap!


21 months+
no way!
mine
no, now!
hat
car
wuter (water)
cup
schwin (swing)
nigh-nigh (night night)
hi
bye-bye
wivy (livy)
bady (brady)

just in the past few weeks Zach has really started talking and understanding so much more.  He responds to questions with "I do!" or "mm, hmmm."  It's so cute.


we got this ball for zach one saturday afternoon because brady and olivia frequently earn new toys when they cash in their fake dollars from our token system.  we thought zach deserved some fun things as well so he got this and a new basketball hoop and baby basketball.  he loves to throw and he loves balls.  he carried this ball around for days, everywhere he went until somehow it got punctured and died a slow death in our backyard

                                             

in may zach learned how to get out of his crib!  enter big boy bed earlier than i had planned!


a few random pictures from this past summmer:

zach's first ice cream cone

super messy face after a BBQ and eating tomato soup and grilled cheese

silly zach sometimes falls asleep in the "DARNDEST" places!!!

getting down and dirty with friend, max

zach and his cousin audrey enjoyed making music together!

                                           when we (meaning me) were refinishing the kitchen cabinets there were several days without cupboard doors.  the upper cabinets were off for several weeks but i got the bottoms done as quickly as i could to avoid zach doing this and getting poisoned!

 

uh-oh! one sunday afternoon zach woke up from his nap before mommy and daddy did and while bug brother and sister were "watching" him he found a sharpie and not only used his artistic skills on himself but also on our family room- he didn't miss the couch, the ottomon or the carpet.  after several attempts at getting it removed from the carpet via every pinterest and google search i could find, we were still left with a dark/off-colored ring.  so, i got the area rug i've been eyeing for several months! (new couches hopefully in the future...maybe in a year? would LOVE dark leather...and thank goodness i hadn't gotten around to recovering my ottoman yet!)

after a lot of scrubbing, one clean baby set to go!

                                                              always getting into trouble!

 yeah, i gotta say, we made a cute baby...crusty nose and all!!!

eating ice at brady's baseball game!

2 years old!!!  some of his favorite sayings are:
"I know mom"
"Hi mom!"
"I jumped!" (or "Can I jump?"- he stand and wait for you to tell him yes)
"I did it!"
"leave me alone!"
"I didn't do it....Brady did (or Daddy did it)"

he can pretty much say anything, it's just whether or not you understand what he's saying!!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy ZACH!!!

we love having you in our family!  you make everyday bright, happy and silly. you are developing such a fun personality that is all your own.  you love to jump, sing, hear daddy make "elmo" voices, run around and laugh.

christmas 2012.

getting close to being a year behind!  YIKES!!!

Christmas last year was wonderful as we in our new home.  even amidst the craziness of remodeling we settled down and enoyed the holiday season with our family.

shawnae and the kiddos decorated our patio doors with adorable reindeer made from their hand prints!

the first thing we always do is have the kids go get Santa's letter and come back to bed and read it to us.  they are allowed to open their stockings (a tradition we had in my family) while waiting for mommy and daddy to come down.

O Christmas tree

we like to set out special presents under the tree that remain unwrapped.  this year we gave zach the refinished rocking chair that was mine as a child and olivia got the dollhouse i refinished for her.  brady's big gift was a Lego set but we wanted to save that for later.

i thought olivia was going to be SO excited when she first saw her doll house..her reaction was, well...a little less enthused...

later we went down to grammie and grandpa's and they kept the kids for a few days so we could go home and work on house projects, which was great despite me being down for a day with the 24-hour bug!

we went in on a gift with nick and nickie for mom and dad- some snow shoes for them to use up in Sun Valley!  they loved them!

zach and brady loved playing with the train

grammie and miss livy.  

zachary the little red-nosed reindeer!

baked bacon. the only way to go.

been frying bacon for years? yup me too.  until i discovered baked bacon (i hate to say it, via Martha Stewart).  sounds silly and redundant.  but it is soooooooooooo good and easy and mess-free!

pic via

baked bacon
cover cookie sheet with tinfoil (easy clean-up). preheat oven to 375, bake for 20-24 minutes, turning halfway through.  the fat will render out and drip through the rack onto the foil.  the bacon all cooks at the same time and rate and cooks flat.  awesome.

homemade chili seasoning. & chili. & amazing corn muffins.

someday i'm going to catch up on this blog (i'm almost a whole year behind!) and someday i'm going to write a book.  a cookbook.

here's to frugal and easy.  me likey both. and the best part was that when i was out of chili packets the other day i didn't need to run to the store.  oh no, just consult my besty pinterest and use things i already had stored in my cupboards.  did i happen to mention how CUTE my spice cabinet came out!  ah in love.  with my spice cabinet.  that's right.

              before (blah!)                               after (ooh lala!!!)

  

onto the recipes:

pic {my baking addiction}.

homemade chili seasoning: 3 T. = 1 store-bought pkg.
1/3 C. chili powder
1 T. salt
1 1/2 T. garlic powder
2 T. cumin
1 T. dried basil

1) combine well and store in an airtight tupperware.  

i like to use a pint-sized mason jar with an adorable label of course! they make plastic lids that screw onto canning jars.  i loooove these things.  they are anywhere (usually) that sells canning supplies.

pic {hgtv}.

homemade chili: serves 8.
1 lb. ground beef or turkey (optional) you all know i have a man that loves his meat, but sometime i make this veggie-style
1-2 green peppers (or any other color), diced
1 small-medium onion, diced
1-2 tsp. minced garlic
2 pints (or cans) kidney beans
2 pints (or cans) black beans
2 quarts (or large cans) diced tomatoes (with the juice)
2 small cans tomato paste
3 T. of homemade chili seasoning (or 1 store bought packet)

1) fry meat with garlic, peppers and onions until well-browned and cooked through.  i like my meat to be browned really well.  i think it gives it more depth of flavor.  

when i don't use meat i'll "brown" 1 can of each of the beans along with the garlic and veggies to deepen the flavors.  

2) drain meat in a colander.  i do not rinse it; just let it drain really well and shake it around some to let the fat drip out.  when you rinse it your rinsing away a lot of the flavor.

3) add meat mixture to a large soup pot and stir in seasonings, tomatoes, and paste.  let simmer until flavors combine well and chili is warmed through and thick.  easy.  

and one of the best parts of this fall comfort food for me is that i can use almost everything right from my garden or canning. it's inexpensive, especially  if you omit meat and it's super duper yummy with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, a handful of crushed tortilla chips and a corn muffin of course!

you could get all fancy with this and add macaroni or ditalini noodles, corn, avocado, cilantro, black olives, chives or green onions or any other variation of Mexican flare. you could serve it over potatoes, french fries, nachos, rice... i like it simple. just like my mom served it. although when we were kids we loved a melted piece of American cheese on top.

you can also make up several batches and can some for a quick healthy dinner to grab right off your pantry shelf!!!

pic {kitchen trial and error} and recipe {i found happy}.

amazing corn muffins. a.k.a. jalapeno bacon corn muffins: makes 12 muffins.
1 1/4 C. cornmeal
3/4 C. flour
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. parsley
2 T. diced pickled jalapenos
4 pieces cooked bacon, blotted and crumbled (i bake mine in the oven, see here)
1/2 C. shredded cheese
1/2 C. creamed corn
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 C. milk (i use powdered)
2/3 C. buttermilk (i use powdered)
2 T. canola oil

1) heat oven to 425.  

2) mix all dry ingredients.  

3) mix wet ingredients, other than the canola oil.  beat eggs and milk and add wet to dry.  

4) fold in jalapenos, bacon, corn, cheese and add oil. 

5) stir until just combined.  

6) spray muffin tin and fill muffin cups ALL THE WAY to the brim.

7) bake at 425 for 6 minutes and then reduce heat (without opening the oven) to 350, continuing to bake for an additional 6 minutes.  (this allows muffins to rise fast and then bake through; leaving a taller , fluffier muffin!)

8) remove when toothpick comes out clean in the middle. 

sweet and spicy- so good you can't just eat one!

the sacrament. a few thoughts from journaling.

-in remembrance of Christ's atoning sacrifice- which we mock when we sin and are not worthy to partake of the sacrament

-the sacrament is our time to commune with Christ, to recommit ourselves to Him

-Christ instituted the sacrament on the Eve of his crucifixion because it was going to be a gift, a vital way for us to stay connected to Him.

-someday Christ will sit down with us and partake of the sacrament when he comes again on this earth.  He instituted the sacrament during the First Supper and he will end it when we no longer need it when He is once again on the Earth during His millennial reign

-it is through His atonement and power through the sacrament that we find our own personal salvation

-the covenants we make with God involve covenants to DO, not merely refraining from doing things God does not want us to do/that are not good for our spirits.  We are to work rightouseness as well as to avoid evil.

Christmas activities.

some of the activities that went on during the Christmas season....

brady had "crazy hair day" at school so we tied his hair up into a ton of pig tails and tied them with red and green ribbons.  he really wanted to have crazy hair this year because last year he didn't do it, but when he got to school he didn't see as many kids as he hoped with crazy hair so then he was embarrassed!

school concert with one of his best buds in his class, Daeson.  they had an adorable performance!

brady's hair looks silly in this picture (not gelled) , but isn't his life-size toy soldier so cute!!!???

making gingerbread houses and a gingerbread train.  we thought we'd be a little creative this year making the train, but we'll stick with gingerbread houses.  the trains' wheels didn't stay on very well and we had a lopsided train!  the kids sure had fun though, they love doing this every year!

another fun surprise was that my friend Rachel from college stopped in to say hi while visiting for her sisters' wedding.  we got to catch up a little and it was great to see her smiling face.

scripture thoughts.

01/02/10- Alma 1:
(27) "They did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely."
(29) ..."because of their steadiness...they began to...have an abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need."
(30) ..."they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore, they were liberal to all...having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need."

01/03/10- Alma 2- Prayer strengthens and preserves us!

01/07/10- Alma 3:26 "And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one." (27) "For every man receiveth wages of Him whom  he listeth to obey."

01/08/10- Alma 4: 3 ..."they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty."
(why is it that so often we are reminded of what we SHOULD be doing when trouble afflicts us?  We need to remember God and stay true ALWAYS!)

We walk a fine line between wordliness and godliness.  We must not become prideful of our possessions and seeking only temporal things.  When we become so focused on ourselves we fail to see the needs of others!

(19) ..."That he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull them down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among His people, seeing no way that He might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in PURE TESTIMONY against them (A CALL TO REPENTANCE!)

Alma 5: 7 ..."They were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word."

(12) ..."according to His faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart." (TRUE CONVERSION means CHANGE!) Can people tell when they look at me that I love the Lord?

(14) ASK MYSELF THIS: "Have I recieved His image in my countenance? (15) Do I exercise faith in Him who created me? Do I look forward with an eye of faith?

(16) "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth? ...(18) "...Can you imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?"

(26) "Have ye felt to sing the song of redeeming love?"

(27) "Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, ...that ye have been sufficiently humble?"

(28) "are ye stripped of pride? ...if ye are not, ye are not prepared to meet God.  Behold, ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of Heaven is soon at hand..."

(29) "are ye stripped of envy?"

(33) "Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards [you]...repent and I will receive you!"

(34) "Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely."

Alma 5: 37 "A shephard hath called after you and is still calling after you!  ..."if ye do not hearken unto the voice of the good shephard...behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shephard.  (39) And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shephard, of what fold are ye?"

(45) ..."Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true, And how d ye suppose that I know of their surety?" (46) "Behold, I say unto you that they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God.  Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I MIGHT KNOW THESE THINGS OF MYSELF.  And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by His Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me."

(50) ..."the Son of God cometh in His glory, in His might, majesty, power and dominion.  ...Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men."

(53) ..."will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel ad setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?"

Alma 6:6 "The children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."

01/10/10 Alma 7: 10-14 Talking about Christ- "And behold, He shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a PRECIOUS and CHOSEN VESSEL, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." (11) "And He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith that He will take upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people." (12) "And He will take upon Him death, that He may loose the bands of death which bind His people; and He will take upon Him their infirmities, that His bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that He may know according to the flesh how to succor His people according to their infirmities." (13) "Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that He might take upon Him the sins of His people, that He might blot out their transgressions according to the power of His deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me [Alma]." (14) ..."have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, WHO IS MIGHTY TO SAVE AND TO CLEANSE FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS."

01/24/10- Alma 9- those who have the light and knowledge of the gospel will be judged more harshly.  We have been given more responsibility and accountability.  God does have matchless love and mercy.

1/26/10- If the wicked do not repent and if they cast out the righteous from among them then the Lord will visit them with famine, wars, and pestilences.  We must be prepared so that we can ride out these "storms."

women's conference may 2007

-be unto others what Christ is to you.  Charity and friendship never faileth!

-protect your home environment.  the home is our sacred place! monitor television, movies and music.  make your home a beautiful haven that your family wants to be in.  temple pictures, Christ, family photos, soothing music, order in the home.

-technology has weakened families. decide together what you're going to allow and not allow in your home!

-when a mother has healthy self-esteem she will be able to pass that on to her children!

-as a mother, take time each day to fill your own well.  read good books!  choose good women as role models and try to adopt things that they do that are good and righteous.  learn lessons from others.  be good to yourself!

-teach your children to be confident in ALL of their abilities in life.

-You have to be IN balance.  balance yourself on a daily basis.  Be a doer of what you say!

-Be a woman of integrity!  Have my thoughts, actions, words and feelings consistent with each other and the principles of the gospel and eternal truth.

-The opposite of integrity is hypocrisy; you can preach the gospel but if you're not living it, it's all for nothing.  (Matthew 5:48)

-We do not always see the fruits of our labors immediately or in this life.  "Stay the course!"

-

conference thoughts- 2013.

-have a grateful heart in life and with your spouse and children
-satan is working HARD to break up marriages
be on your knees- be seeking for wisdom and guidance
-you have to prepare your mind so that the Lord can pour His spirit into your vessel and aid you
-to succeed in this endeavor (your marriage) your model must be Christ!  He taught us characteristics that we need to join a society of Celestial people where couples love each other. How could a marriage fail if each spouse possesses these qualities?  Such attributes would make us nore attractive, loveable and competent marriage partners. IF we follow Christs' example and counsel, our marriage will be strong and our children will accept our values.

-Prepare BEFORE sacrament.  Prepare BEFORE attending the temple.

-Mosiah 3:19:  Become submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love.  Yield to the enticings of the Spirit, put off the natural man, become like a child, become a saint.

-Be aware of our worldy appetites/tempations, power & wealth (turn your back on the things of the world, overcome pride and humble yourself

-Be aware of:  trying to do TOO much, being vain, wanting worldy things, not seeing my full potential and the potential of others.

The Temple:  If we understand our covenants than we will be protected all of our lives!

-Have your will be God's will

-Your marriage needs nourishment!  If you don't feed it, like anything else it will die.

-Key Practices:  Prayer, Trust, Virtue, divine presence (the presence of the Divine in your marriage), tithing, parenthood (brings the greatest of all happiness.  Fathers learn how to take care of families; mothers learn how to forget themselves).

-marriage is the joint quest of the beautiful, the good and divine.

-our greatest gift that we can give to our children is a strong marriage.

-sometimes in our lives we have to endure some "bumps" before we can have the greatest joy

-to have constant enrichment in marriage: think about your spouse first!  support them!  love them! serve them!

-how deep is my commitment to my companion aside from my other interests?

-Is Chris my best friend?

-When the hard things come you must lean on each other!

-Do I have respect for the dignity of my spouse as a person of worth and value?  How do I speak to my spouse?

-Keep selfishness out!

-Work as a couple.  Think like a couple.

-

thoughts.

i have papers, papers everywhere!  I am a note taker, a list-maker...but then i end up with piles and piles of papers!  i am sorting through, trying so hard to clean up this mess and i don't want any more piles to file, or notebooks filled with random notes from random places...so i'm starting to add them into my blog.  then i can look them up whenever i want, they will be organized, and i will have no more papers!

in ward council a few weeks ago we were talking about missionary work and catching "the spirit" of sharing the gospel with others.  this is not the missionaries' job, they are here to assist us, in sharing with our people and strengthening our people.  why didn't i ever look at it this way?

the work of salvation is given to all of us to harvest the Lord's souls until the day of His coming

the most effective missionaries serve out of love

Pres. Monson- "when we act in faith, the Lord will show us HOW."

livy-isms.

july 2013-

olivia- "i need a drink of water" (as we are driving home from a BBQ)
mom- "we are almost home, you'll have to wait a few minutes"
olivia- (holding a kitchen timer in her hands) "well then i'm going to set this timer and if you don't get me a drink by the time it goes off then i'm going to put you right in time out missy"