Making It Work

Martin Luther King

2011-01-22T02:32:00.001-08:00

Brady: We learned about Martin Luther King at school this week.

Me: Oh, yeah?

Brady: Yeah, what's his initials? BFX?

Me: You mean MLK?

Brady: Yeah! That's it!

Hilarious!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I did it!

2010-11-10T20:42:00.001-08:00

In early September, Ken and I started a Couch to 5K program. We have an app on our ipods that tells us when to start running and when to walk. The program started us out with a 5 minute warm up and then run for 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds repeated several times followed by a 5 minute cool down. I felt pretty good on the first run. The second one was hard. That was so long ago.

I ran the last workout in the series tonight! The program was 9 weeks long with 3 workouts a week. This last week I was running 30 minutes with no walking or stopping. I feel really good.

I have never been a runner. I hated it in school. I always assumed any running I would do as an adult would involve getting away from a bad guy. I have always loved the idea of being a runner though. I would like to casually mention in conversation: "_____ on my run", or "I gotta go for my run now." etc. I was mystified by the runners high that I had never (ever) felt. I think maybe I have felt a little of that now.

Things I learned:

Never put more than two days between your runs. Preferably only one day.

The first mile is the hardest.

You CAN do it.

Sometimes you will hate to run.

EVERY TIME you will feel great after.

You can tone your torso by running.

Next time I do a program like this I will not do it while nursing and getting up at night with a baby.

Runs are easier with some food in your belly (preferably carbs)

If you run at night, like I do, eat something before bed or awake ready to eat an elephant.

Latest Family Picture

2010-10-01T23:34:00.001-07:00

I am posting this from my iPod, hopefully this looks ok. Last family picture Sara wasn't born. We need to take pictures more often :)

I love watching fun things on the internet:

2010-09-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

I might like this cheese :)

I also think I may know a few women like the one in the video. Why do we try to one-up each other all the time???

Frugal lifestyle... Multi-Post Day

2010-09-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that times are tight at our house. We have never had to cut so many corners and we are working on a plan to ease our budget. After much sincere prayer we have been making changes slow but sure.

When things were first difficult, after Ken started his new new job we felt sure things would work out fine. We were paying our tithing and we were certain the Lord would provide. After all, HE told us to take the job with the awesome benefits and the less than awesome pay. I prayed that we would make more money. I prayed for promotions. I then prayed that our child support would be less with the birth of our baby and then it looked like the child support might end with the kids mom moving out of state. NONE of these things happened. In fact, Brady's dad stopped paying most of his child support! This whole summer I have just prayed what to do. Once I got an answer "Ye have given it no thought but to ask me". Yeah, that wasn't what I was hoping to hear. I thought and thought. I had a stupor of thought. I did not know what to do.

Notice how many times I said "I" in the above paragraph? That is cause I was managing the bills and dealing with the stress and not uttering a word of it to Ken. I was so sure that it would work out and there was no sense in two people worrying about it right? Wrong. The Lord wants us to work as partners (he told me). I told Ken how things were. I was tired of carrying it alone.

The next answer I got was a quote that many a wise man have said: Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you. So WE came to the conclusion that the van and it's payment need to go. It won't fit us after the next baby anyway. We have been looking at a Suburban or a large van. Neither gets great gas mileage but we kinda don't have a choice.

I applied to work at Weight Watchers. I am a lifetime member and I am within my goal range so I could work there. They have no openings at present so I figure I will keep looking for part time work. I have a paid training with WIC to train to become a breastfeeding peer councilor and that could lead to a job. I have considered a paper route and watching a child in my home. I have emailed various people about their child care ads on craigslist but none have panned out yet. Something will happen if working is what I need to do right now.

There was a small safety net account that I had prior to marrying Ken. It is the type that I had used to support myself in the early days after my divorce. I kept this small account and always looked on it as my escape hatch. If you have been though a divorce, you know, that there is a small part of you that always has a plan, just in case. So I had this small amount of money and it was only for an emergency, the kind I hope I never have to go through again. Ken suggested we use that money. It was very hard for me to decide but I am going to use my safety money. It will help in the mean time while I am working my hardest to make ends meet.

For so long I wasn't doing anything but praying. Now I am doing. We had a yard sale and made $236.00! I gave my elliptical to Play It Again Sports on consignment. That could net me another couple hundred bucks (and a cleaner garage). I am selling some of my used kids stuff and old kids movies at a consignment sale that is coming up. I probably will just spend the money I make on more kids stuff that we need, but that is ok too.

Interesting things to note: I thought I had nothing for Sara to wear in the 6-9 months clothing size and I was preparing to have to go shopping. I didn't know where the money for that was going to come from. I decided to get organized and I found things I had no idea I had. I prepared the boxes of stored things for 18 months and 2T and 3T. I have full wardrobes for Sara in those sizes, thanks to my sister and a dear friend in the ward. I have enough things for Sara to wear until the aforementioned sale happens. I will stock up on things to get us to 18 month size and I shouldn't have to spend and money. Such a miracle!

Kayla ripped out a pair of pants recently. The others in her drawer (except 2) were all the same size and clearly weren't going to work out once pants weather came back. I thought to myself, where am I going to get some pants? The thought came back: in my skinny clothes box where the two nice pair of size 6 Old Navy pants live. I may not see that size until after the next baby. It is sad for me to give them up, I do love them. Kayla needs them. Maybe I will get to buy more as a reward when I get to that size again. The way is not always easy. I would love to go buy some new ones for her. I can't right now, but at least there is a way.

I have scored tremendous deals by using coupons and hitting sales. I buy diapers for $2.49 a pack. I bought toilet paper for $1.99 for a pack of 12 double rolls (not prison grade paper either, it was Cottonelle). This week I got 14 packages of free cheese, 20 containers of free Cool Whip and 6 packs of free hot dogs. I do not pay more than .80 for packages of baby wipes.

Miraculously, our shelves, fridge and freezer seem to still have food and plenty of it. I still have a great cereal stash not as much as before but plenty. I was well stocked up on most household things from last year. It seems like every time I really need something there is a good sale and I am able to get it.

I have learned to get along without many things. I learned to make my own laundry soap, dishwasher soap and I have instructions on how to make wool dryer balls that are supposed to eliminate the need for dryer sheets (I am skeptical on this one). Did you know that you don't need to buy expensive plastic trash bags? I now get the paper sacks from my local grocery store and they fit right into my plastic trash bin. If I have to throw something away that is wet I put it in a plastic grocery sack first. I learned that vinegar works BETTER than Jet Dry in the dishwasher. I do not buy paper towels or paper plates. I have a recipe (thanks Mom) to make my own rice pilaf instead of using the box mix that is ever so handy.

I am lucky I have my own photographer too. Ken takes awesome pics of the whole family. He recently took some pics of my doula (childbirth assistant) in exchange for part of her fee for Sara's birth. Maybe some referrals might come out of that. He loves to take the pictures and he is really good. We don't know what to charge. Seems like when he has charged in the past he did the one photo shoot and that was it. I know things are tight all over but we hope somebody out there wants family pictures and would give him a try. What would you pay for two hours with your very own photographer that would take whatever pics you like, and give you a CD?

Anyway, I write this more for a record of how life is right now and a record of the way the the Lord is taking care of me. He has truly shown me the way. I have seen many miracles. Things that shouldn't have worked, have. Things that should have run/worn out long ago, are still plentiful and useful.

Many things are amazingly sweet in my life. I have a great family, everyone is healthy, we have a nice place to live, food to eat and clothes to wear. I have such happiness in motherhood right now. I adore my new little baby. I love being home. I love seeing the older kids grow and learn at school right now. I have many wonderful things to look forward to. I have peace in my life and in my heart. I have great friends.

So, I may be FAR from being wealthy, but I sure am rich.

Well the summer is over and the kids are in school...

2010-09-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Time to update the blog...

Several of my family members have been sad that I haven't posted pictures of Sara Jane in awhile. One even claims that they couldn't pick her out of a line-up. Come on, just pick the one that looks most like Ken and Bingo, that is my girl :)

So here are the pics starting with the oldest ones:

Sara Jane can sit up with out support, clap, giggle, roll over, army crawl, yell, go to sleep by herself and is working on sitting up from laying on the floor.

Sara eats 3 meals a day with plenty of nursing in between. Sara has a DEFINITE preference for mom or dad over anyone else. She screamed the house down at Grandmas when we dared leave her. As soon as she is in mommy or daddy's arms she is fine. She hates most everyone else. Sara loves meat and whatever we are eating. Sara loves the bath and the shower. She doesn't love the car seat.

Sara has 4 bottom teeth that sprouted (bottom right 6/17/10, bottom left 6/21/10, side bottom right 8/1/10, side bottom left 8/8/10). We anticipate the arrival of the top two front teeth soon.

In the past day or so Sara has taken to acting really funny when she sees someone she loves. She throws herself around with arms and legs and body back. She smiles big and makes noise so they come closer. When daddy comes home he must come to her or she gets really mad. If he comes and says hi and then walks down the hall she protests. She is really funny. Sara is really sweet and a joy to our whole family. We are sure happy she is our baby.

What I have done since...

2010-07-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago today my sweet mother slipped out of this existence and now waits for me on the other side. I know she keeps tabs on everything I do but I thought I would make a list of times I really missed her:

September 11, 2001. I wanted us all to gather and be a family again. So many people died and I prayed that maybe you could go be with those who were trapped or dying and comfort them.

That first Christmas, it was so awkward and hollow, sorry Dad, but it was.

The following summer, my marriage was crumbling and I cried more that summer and fall than I ever had before or since. I separated from my husband and lived with Tee, I cried every day on the way to work. I sure missed you then.

When I found out I was pregnant with Brady, you were the one I wanted to call. I was so excited and scared all at once.

When I finally gave birth, I had no one to be my mom and come stay and help. No one to coach me through the hard times of breastfeeding and ear infections.

I would have loved to share the joy of being a new mom and quiz you about all I was going through.

I got divorced and moved three states away. I went to work full time and struggled to figure out who I was now.

I dated a few guys and then met Ken. Things were changing in my life and I missed your thoughts.

I moved to a town where I knew no one but Ken and became a newlywed stepmom of three, full time mom of one. I did things all wrong and I missed telling you all about it.

I got pregnant with my own little girl! She looks a little like you now and I sure wish you could meet her.

I went through the hardest birth experience imaginable, I hired a Doula to help me but I wish you had been there instead.

I have missed you many more times, almost daily in fact, the great and the tough times.

You did leave behind the best help for me, I have three of the most wonderful sisters on the planet. Every time I am missing you more than I can stand, I call one of them and things are better. I will be jealous if any of them get to see you first because I can't wait to sit on your lap and tell you all about my days while we were apart. You can stroke my hair and call me your Cindy Ree and tell me you love me.

See you soon mom!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One last post before I head off to bed. (Multi Post Day)

2010-05-26T22:36:00.001-07:00

Last month I received a package from Sandi (my step mom). Sometime ago she asked me for my favorite scriptures and I told her of a few that I loved. Some are really long. Some are verses to church hymns. Sandi (and I assume Heather too) crafted me this beautiful blanket that is filled with love. It has blocks with all my favorite scriptures carefully written out (they were so long, sorry!). Some of the blocks have messages from loving family members. The quilt is done with the soft pastel colors that I love. I refer to this quilt as my love quilt. It is really snuggly and was made with such care.

One of the keys to step families (I have found) is love and service for each other. Many times since I have married Ken I have been on my knees in prayer trying to find out how to bind our families. I have struggled with personalities (mine and theirs) and searched for ways to make it work. Loving someone is (should be) an action, it works so much better than just feeling it. It is also a constant thing to keep the family strong. Constant reassurance and constant service, many times without any thanks.

Thank you Sandi for loving me enough to make me this beautiful love quilt. I will treasure it.

Crossed... (Multi Post Day)

2010-05-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

I should have known... This is out ultrasound pic of Sara's feet. I was just 12 weeks pregnant then. Look! Feet crossed at the ankles.

Lo and Behold! Sara prefers her feet this way. She does it all on her own.

I have been remiss in posting about my baby.

2010-05-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics in no particular order.

Sara and Brady at snuggle time just before bed.

I cannot get enough of the cute face.

Such a pretty girl.

She likes to scratch her face with her nails that seem to grow out long every day.

We have been working on getting her to smile more. So far Ken has caught some pics of the smile but not me (yet). She also laughs, just not when the video camera comes out.

I am trying to give you a few angles so you can see her expressions. I don't want to forget a minute of this phase.

We think Sara is destined to have daddy's blue eyes. They are such a nice shade of blue.

She also has daddy's coloring.

In the car, Sara looks at this toy hanging from her car seat. She seems so fascinated.

Snuggling with Sebastian.

Patchy McBaldspot...

2010-05-26T21:58:00.001-07:00

Sara was born with some hair. Unfortunately, some is falling out...

Here is a side shot of the patchiness that is going on.

Most days we accessorize with bows glued to Sara's head. That way people know she is a girl. Sometimes we wear that hat too. I think she looks cute with the hat!

Weight Watchers

2010-02-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. I have three months (six with a doctors note) to return to my goal weight after having a baby. If I am not back to goal I have to pay 9.00 a month till I get there.
I started attending my weekly meeting a week and a half ago. The first week I lost 4.6 lbs. This week I hope to lose 1 or 2. I have to eat often and more because I am nursing but things are going well so far. I have about 14 lbs left to lose. I would love to have half of that gone before we have the baby blessing the last Sunday in March.
I love the Weight Watchers plan because it is real. Real food, portions I control and flexible enough to allow treats.
This time at WW is special to me. My three sisters are all attending WW with me in their towns. I get inspired by their progress and I get to share my losses with others who are in the same boat. My parents are also losing weight. I read a couple of blogs of women who are doing it too. I love watching the tv show The Biggest Loser. Seeing others success helps me feel like I can do it.
I would like to be motivational for others. I don't have lots of weight to lose but I have to put forth the same effort for each pound. I have to be inventive with cooking and eating out. I will try to post some things that have helped me lose.
I want to be healthy and feel good. I want the same for you. I don't want anyone I know to have to deal with the consequences of being overweight. The most painful death to hear about is the one that could have been avoided. I want my family around for years to come. Please keep losing so we can all be at family events when we are old and grey. I will bring the soda pop cake and light ice cream.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sara Jane

2010-02-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

One month ago today our little girl was born. She is perfect. In the month since, I have been so happy! She is such a good baby. She sleeps and I am getting enough sleep. She nurses PERFECTLY! I had such a hard time trying to nurse Brady and it has been a night/day difference with Sara. I know what I am doing and my body is doing all that it should. Sara is picking up weight better than average.

I am so happy and I appreciate motherhood so much more. I am older and wiser and a bit more experienced this time around. Sara and I are starting to figure out a schedule that works for her. Yesterday she stayed awake for longer than she had so far. She also noticed the mobile on her swing and she stared at it for several minutes.

The birth I had been planning for did not happen. Instead we had a cesarean section and I have to admit it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. At the time I made the decision to have it, I did not care about how it would be, I was just ready to be done.

My water broke at 10 in the morning on the 16th. We had all the kids and we got them ready to spend the next couple of days (and longer for Brady) with Grandma and Grandpa Wilcox. I cleaned up some around the house and baked some brownies for my labor and delivery nurse. I was not having any signs of labor and thought that things would pick up later in the day. We finally decided to go to the hospital at 4 in the afternoon.

Upon arriving and the hospital we learned that I was at a 5. We were excited and thought things would get going soon. We up to our room and tried to get things going. We tried all ideas to get labor going but nothing happened. After midnight my doctor called and the call did not go well. Our conversation consisted of her being quite abusive and mean. She wanted me to start a labor inducing drug. I was a bit hesitant to do so. She called my parenting skills into question and let me know whatever I decided that she would overrule me and that I could be killing my baby if we did things my way. I was very upset and after talking to Ken and my Doula, I fired my doctor.

So here I was, in the hospital without a doctor, labor or a plan. I did begin the drug that every medical person thought I needed to be on. Apparently if you are term and your water has broken they want that baby out in 24 hours or less. No exceptions. Sara was not ready yet. I was on the drug at ever increasing doses until 1 pm on the 17th. When it hit it hit like a ton of bricks. I went from a 6 to a 10 in less than a half an hour. I pushed for 3 1/2 hours trying to get Sara out. The pain was unimaginable. All my preparation had not given me enough knowledge or tools to help me though this kind of labor. I think the drug made labor much more intense than it would have been had my body been doing what it should.

Sara was born at 5:29pm. Ken was not allowed in to witness her birth because on top of all that had gone wrong, my spinal did not take full effect and I had to have full anesthesia. This is Daddy and his girl meeting each other.

Here I am, fighting my way back to consciousness and meeting my little girl. I was exhausted and drugged and I was supposed to nurse as soon as I could. Fortunately, Sara knew just what to do. It felt like she was not really mine because one minute I was pregnant and the next thing I know they are handing me a baby and telling me she is mine. I was not aware of things when she was born and that has been hard. The doctor that stepped in to deliver me was great. She was a complete professional and did a great job on the surgery. I found out later that she is friends with the doctor I fired.

There are things that I wish were different with the birth but I feel like the last month has more than made up for it. Things could not be going better for Sara and I.

It has been great to see a different side of Ken. He is completely smitten with her. The kids are very sweet and everyone wants to hold her and take care of her. Sara is such a joy and a wonderful addition to our family. I can't believe that she has been here a month! Last Sunday was her first day at church. Sara wore a sweet little red and white dress, perfect for Valentines day. It was also our first outing as a family. I felt such happiness sitting together on the pew.

I have felt more like a family with Sara being here. Ken and I are working together like never before. I have had so much help from my dear mother in law. She has been perfect and has helped me so much. Ladies in my ward brought food over after we had a week of meals from Ken's mom. I didn't have to cook for almost 2 weeks! I am so pleased with how things are going. Life being what it is, I have other things to deal with. If I had choices on how my life goes I would not change things. The trials help you to appreciate the sweet times. Things right now are very sweet! :)

Christmas Past

2009-12-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

It was over before I knew it. It seems as though this Christmas season was faster than any others I can recall. Perhaps it is because I am pregnant and spend a lot of my spare time sleeping or practicing my birth preparations. Perhaps it is because I spent my days busily preparing for Christmas and it all just went by in a blur.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at Ken's parents house. A couple of days before that Ken and I got the bulk of the shopping done and then we reevaluated some of the gifts and had two more trips back to stores to get thing just right. We had a nice Family Home Evening at home on the 30th when we decorated the tree. We had the missionaries to dinner twice and we attended a couple of parties. We enjoyed the company of friends and family. On the 24th we spent the evening with Ken's parents and siblings. We enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner and a reading of the Christmas story complete with dressed up grandkids and presents and lots of singing. It was perfect.

We came home to bed and awoke to a house full of presents and excited children. I think in the future we will not recall the presents (there were many) but we will think of the fun and the chaos. We did sing in the ward choir this year (Ken, Kayla and me) I will remember that. We sang Oh, Holy Night and I was to emotional to sing during part of it. It really made me think of how special this time of year is. The line in the song says "Behold your King, before him lowly bend" and "He knows your needs". I felt at that moment that he truly does know me.

Today things are getting back to normal. I bought some storage tubs for the new toys that need to be put away. The tree was taken down and the decorations carefully wrapped up for next year. I vacuumed the whole house and moved all the leftover treats to one spot where I have since been pushing them on my kids to eat before they are inedible.

I feel the need (probably pregnancy-related) to clean and put away everything. I have just a few things left to get ready before it is time for the baby. Today marks one calendar month left till my due date. I spoke to a good friend at church that will loan me her bassinet for the few months I will need it (woo hoo! Something else I don't have to buy). I am borrowing a (new) car seat from my sister in law and that should be over here soon too. That marks the end of my physical preparations. I don't know if we are ready emotionally yet.

Much of this week will revolve around the kids. They are out of school this week and while Ken is at work we have many things planned. I have many candy canes that need to be made into cookies. I thought we should make at least one batch :) We also plan to attend the children's museum before our pass expires. Brady's actual birthday is on Friday so I have a cake to make.

I have no doubt that this week will pass as quickly as the last and it will be the past soon. I plan to try to savor as much of this time as possible. This is my last few nights of decent sleep and my last week with my kids home before the new baby. This is the last few days of the year and the last few days of the decade. I will have to give some thought to my resolutions.

Today we learned about reverence in class at church. I have some ideas to make a more reverent house and more reverent children. I am not sure why but Sunday mornings are hard for our family. We have lots of conflict and strife some Sundays. Today was also a change day for the kids and that is hard too. Today was the last day on 11 o'clock schedule. Next year we meet at 1:00. I think I will prefer church from 1-4 with a new baby.

In the picture above (taken on 12/20) I am wearing my Christmas outfit and my hair that needs a cut. It is the most recent of my belly pictures. It probably won't get much more dramatic from here on out - I am unable to eat much due to a tiny stomach space and horrid heartburn. The upside is less gained weight on my part. Kinda takes the fun out of holiday eating when I dread the after-effects.

I hope that all of you had wonderful Christmas-times. How bright the new year appears from here :)

My Tee-Bee

2009-12-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

Today is my sister Tracy's birthday. She is still a twenty-something (lucky!). Tracy was born last in our family and I remember when she came home. I recall how tiny she seemed. I remember thinking that she was too perfect to belong to our family. She was a very tender hearted child. Often she would empathize so much with others she would cry on their behalf. Mom always made us cut her slack on that. Tracy had to grow up early. With our mom's illnesses, someone had to be caretaker. Most of the older ones were out of the house and off living our own lives and Tracy got to be the one to help out the most in her teen years.

Tracy lived with me 4 times other than when we were growing up. She has always been rock solid in her testimony and her devotion. She is so loving and caring of others. Tracy made choices in her life that have made me look up to her. She has shown me the way to be instead of the other way around. Most of the times I lived with Tracy after I was an adult was when I was going through great personal trauma. She always had a listening ear and had great insights into my dilemmas. We have been roommates through thick and thin.

We worked together at my last job and she grew that little job into the career that she now flourishes in. One of the things I have always admired about her is her persistence. Many times I would have quit on things had I been in her shoes. She keeps on going and stays positive about the future. Somehow she balances a huge workload and service with church and time with friends and family.

Tracy is the best auntie on the planet. She remembers birthdays and Christmas for her many nieces and nephews. She attends all the events that she can from soccer games to dance recitals.

Tracy is also supportive of me when secretly she thinks I am making a crazy choice. She loves me unconditionally and never says "I told you so".

We don't live close anymore but I am confident that someday we will again. We share a love of rodeo and purses, shoes and fashion and people watching. We also share a sense of humor and a love of Jane Austin and book reading.

It is amazing the sisterhood that we share. We all (4 of us) came into the world so different yet there are not any 3 other women I would want to be with forever. May we all live on the same block in heaven!

I love you Tee Bee and I hope your day is awesome. I know you have many goals for the new year and I want you to know that this is the year that you conquer your foes and have one of the best years of your life. Cool having a birthday at the end of the year, you can set all of your resolutions at the same time! Last year at the end of the year we talked about our goals for 2009. I remember our conversation. Aim high for 2010. It is a new decade and you deserve the very best.

Love, Cindy

Getting Ready for Baby

2009-12-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

On November 14th, my good friends Katie and Emily threw a baby shower for me. Emily is on the left in the picture, Katie is on the right.

There were plenty of gifts from my good friends.

Emily made this cool baby carriage cake from scratch. So cute!

L-R: Jennica, Carolyn, Olivia

Sheila, Cristeen

Rachel, Carmen

Catrina and me

We had a light lunch that was delicious.

Kathleen, Anna, Laura

We played Candy Bar Memory.

I opened aforementioned gifts. They are so cute and I can't wait to put her into them.

Cristeen is due one day after me and we compared bellies. She is having #5 and mine is #2. We look great!

I put the crib together and a few days later my new mattress came from my dear sisters (Thanks Collective!). I made the bed with the new crib bedding that I got shortly after I found out I was having a girl. I love it. I prefer simple and clean to characters and loud colors. This set was made for me.

I still need to find a bassinet and I have been looking on Craigslist for just the right one. I haven't found it yet. I have the dresser/ changing table refinished and ready to go:

This piece had a former life as a china hutch. Someday I will use it for that again. For now it works perfectly as my changing table and the cupboards underneath have baskets for her clothes. I am a little superstitious so I have not washed anything except a few items that are newborn size. I keep thinking that I will find out she isn't really a girl after all.

I would love to find a recliner or glider of some kind to go in that room. They are all really expensive and so I don't think we will get one for now. The room that we have the crib in will have a divider of some sort to shield the baby room part from the office part but I have not yet found the right screen or divider. I keep looking and hope that we can put something together before she actually sleeps down there.

I toured the hospital on Thursday evening to see how things are there. The nursery had a new arrival just as we were looking in the window. The nurse was efficient but not loving as she diapered and wrapped him and washed his hair. Poor thing cried the whole time. Who knows where his mom or dad was. I have requested to have the baby kept with me for the first hour (on my chest) and then Ken or I will bathe her. We are not planning to be separated from her unless there is some urgent medical need on her part. I pray that things will go as I am hoping.

Well I should have posted this a month ago...

2009-11-28T20:48:00.001-08:00

I had Ken take this when I was 6 months pregnant (10/28) when I was 27 weeks pregnant. I am now 31 weeks pregnant and I should have him take another picture. My belly had fully popped out and others (who live far away) were curious how I looked.

I am really looking forward to this little one's arrival. I have tormented Ken with my endless nesting and preparing. I think I have it all together now. I don't have a nursing chair yet but they are so expensive I may just use the couch.

Ken got a job with a neighboring county and we have loved the stability of the employment. It is less money that he made before and that has been a real challenge for us to adjust to. We are still trying to make it work. Through it all our Heavenly Father has shown us what to do. It seems that we gained the stability of having a job but lost the stability I felt in paying for all the things we need. I just traded one tight rope for another. We felt like this was the job for him so we took a leap of faith. We have yet to see how it will all work out. For now, I pray and wait.

I am trying hypnosis for my birth preparation. I have a home study class that I am taking and I listen to a CD track every day for a half an hour and another one at night when I am going to bed. I want a different experience than I had with my first child's birth. I would rather be in control of how things go at the hospital and I am learning that some of the things I did not like last time could have been avoided. I come more prepared this time - watch out nurse, if we don't see eye to eye, I will fire you.

Thanksgiving is over now and I just have a few last minute gifts to get from the store. One of our children has proclaimed hate for things that we thought they would love. We have to return and re-buy for that one. We found our tree on the 27th and it is in the garage soaking in a bucket. We plan to put it up for Family Night on Monday.

We had several family things this week and have something almost every night next week. The weeks really pass quickly when we are so busy. I have some holiday baking and candy making planned. I usually make dresses for the girls for Christmas but I don't know if I can do that this year. I have a few sewing projects between the baby and Christmas presents so the dresses might not happen. They do not need them anyway, we have well stocked closets.

We were the recipients of others generosity this week and Kayla (who needed new clothes) got just what she needed. We are grateful of others kindness that heed the promptings of the spirit to help is in ways we did not know to ask.

To the best big sister in the world

2009-11-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is my older sister Julie. Today is her birthday and I meant to post this earlier in the day but my life has been in the way all day.

Julie has always been the best example of a sister. I remember when I was very young and I knew that she would never lie. She used to babysit us and (sure enough) we would do something wrong. We would beg her not to tell on us when the parents got home but she always said "I won't lie if they ask me." She has lived her life in a way that I wanted to emulate.

She wasn't the most popular girl in school but she had her group and always did well in her studies. She went on to college and the served a mission. She married in the temple and got her degree. Her doors have always been open to the children of her heart. She would take them however they came. Many came, only one has been able to stay, but I am sure many of them will be hers in the end.

She has always had the best advice for me, even when it is not what I want to hear. She knows the answers to things I haven't thought of yet. She is really smart. Julie doesn't get intimidated with little things like homeschooling and tons of children. I think she thrives on a challenge. Even in the midst of the trials of Job she has found the way, staying strong and choosing the right. She is happy for me when I get to have things that I know she would cut off her own arm to get to have. She is patient and kind and loving. If she doesn't know the answer she will look it up or mine her very rich field of friends for someone who has been there.

Julie lives far away from me and we don't get to see each other very often. She works during the day when I have the most time to talk on the phone and we have tried to make the most of time that we have to keep up on each others lives. She is a treasure and I love her so much. I hope that someday she gets all of her dreams to come true. She deserves it.

I don't have the money to buy her the presents that I would like to for her birthday. So this is what I have for her. A note to tell all of you (and her) how great she is and thank her for being my sister.

Love,

2 of 4

It a Girl!

2009-10-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Shortly after my last post I had the "big" ultrasound that told us our baby was doing great and that she is a she. We are thrilled!

Now if we only had a name :) I have been making a few girly purchases and I found these cute newborn socks. I stuffed them with cotton balls so Ken could take the picture and it only took 3 cotton balls per sock. They are SO tiny.

Another big purchase was the crib bedding set. I chose this one that has tiny pink daisy embroidery on it. It has white eyelet lace and pink satin bows. The contrast fabric is pink and white candy stripe.

This last photo is her profile. She appears to have all the right parts (two sided brain, 4 chambered heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder...) All of these things were visible to us. Very important too: all of her vertebrae were covered with skin. No Spina Bifida.

Lately, she has been moving a lot. She kicks and squirms and wiggles enough for me to feel comfortable that she is still there and doing well.

I am currently working on refinishing a china hutch that I purchased second hand a few years ago. I will place baskets in the bottom cupboards to hold her clothes. The top portion is perfectly sized to hold a changing pad and the upper hutch shelves will hold diapers and wipes and hair things and nail clippers and all the little things she will use. I will post a picture when the piece is finished.

I have hit a few sales lately and found a few things here and there. I have a large stack of things for the nursery when the space is cleared out. I feel some urgency to get that spot ready for her. Perhaps this is all "nesting" instinct. I prefer to think I am being smart to get it done now before the holidays and business eat up the last part of the pregnancy.

Halfway - 20 Weeks! 140 down 140 to go

2009-09-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today is the halfway point in my pregnancy. I am officially 20 weeks. Usually at this time we find out what we are having. My appointment isn't until next Monday. Here is what my belly is looking like now. I feel some kicks but they are pretty light. What I think is funny is when the kicks happen: laying down, eating M&M's, when I first put my tummy in the spray of the shower and after drinking cold water. The little one in there is aware :) This week the baby is about 9 oz and almost 8 inches long. I know (from a dear friend that delivered her stillborn baby at 19 weeks) that my baby looks every bit like a tiny human. It has eyebrows and fingernails and maybe even some hair. The remaining part of the pregnancy (for the baby) focused on weight gain and maturity of several organs. My niece Ryelee was born at 26 weeks and was perfect but very tiny. I can't even imagine having this one in 6 weeks.

I will post again next week with the results of the ultrasound. I did get the results of the quad screen and the baby is negative for Downs and neural tube defects. Being that I am 34, I am statistically more likely to have a child with genetic defects.

OSMR - 2nd Post of the day (go me!)

2009-08-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

In my family we have an inside joke about two duck hunters deciding whether or not they see ducks.

I think it goes like this:

Look Ducks.

M R Not

O S M R

C M Wangs?

O! M R.

M R Ducks

Anyway, for my birthday a couple of years ago Ken got me a subscription to a cooking magazine (cause I like to cook not cause I can't). That magazine went under so they sent me a replacement magazine to fulfill my subscription. The magazine is called Looking Back and it is for the 65 + folks out there. They do have a small recipe section and I look at it. There was an article with a new joke in it. I was excited to share it:

Waiter: What will you have, sir?
Barney: FUNEX?
Waiter: SVFX.
Barney: FUNEM?
Waiter: SVFM.
Barney: OKMNX.

It was a comic called Barney Google that I have never heard of before that was reprinted in this magazine. All credit to whomever wrote that comic strip. Enjoy!

Miracles

2009-08-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

This year it seems that many miracles have occurred in my life. We are having a surprise baby, the timing is great! This year Ken has been furloughed for many weeks. Our income has been more unsteady than ever.

The first furlough was in April and we had some income from our tax return that we were able to use to get by while we had no income. The second furlough was in July and we were better prepared for it. We had planned and we were ready. It was then that the miracle of couponing came in so wonderfully. We were able to cut our budget to bare minimums and get by just fine. It was also with this furlough that we found out I was pregnant and we had no insurance. A HUGE miracle occurred when we qualified for Medicaid. We have coverage for me and the baby. About this time we also qualified for some other programs due to unemployment. Those have been miracles!

During early July we were able to go visit family and stay at a beach house- miracles made possible by generous family members. We had a man out to look at our noisy air conditioner and while he was here he checked out the furnace. Miraculously both are doing great and are mechanically sound enough to keep on going. Both are so old that they should have been replaced years ago.

I applied to get Brady into the school where the older kids go. I didn't find out until about the last minute but he was accepted to attend that school.

We had a problem with our bank and it was clear we needed to find a new bank immediately. I worked hard to find a new bank and we wanted to move our credit card too. With Ken's reduced income this year we didn't qualify through the new bank for more credit (even though we just wanted to transfer an existing balance). I didn't know what to do. The answer to my prayer came in the mail the next day. Everything worked out perfectly.

I needed some new parts to my wardrobe to fit my growing body. I had been looking at thrift stores but there are somethings that are best purchased new. I also needed a maternity winter coat (re: expensive). My angel of a mother in law gave me enough money for my birthday to purchase all the needed items :)

We have survived MANY weeks of no income yet somehow there is enough money to pay for the things that we need. I have kept a spreadsheet showing income and expenses. Most of the time to total has looked red in the future. Somehow by the time that day comes, we are not negative. Something always works out.

We have even had bonus things that have allowed us to pay for things we had not expected. Ken scored some over time that will allow us to take care of a couple of old bills that had been lingering due to our limited means. We have been so blessed! Every time I have asked for something it has been answered. Many times the answer is more than I asked for. We have been afforded luxury in our times of unemployment instead of hardship.

We were given a pass to attend the YMCA through the end of October. Not a need but a really nice blessing. I had a major test done on my blood because I am an older mom. The test was for abnormalities in our baby. The results were negative for all the things they were testing for. Our baby appears in perfect health despite it's "elderly" mother.

More times than I can count I have gone to a store looking for something and miraculously it is there (thrift shopping can be hit or miss sometimes) or on sale (at a regular store).

Ken started a new monthlong job today. We do not know what he will be doing as of Oct. 1st. He has hated what he does since I have known him. Today he was actually excited about the stuff he will be doing for this month. He has also had many people tell him how amazing he is at work. It is hard for him because the contract work he has been doing keeps ending and he keeps getting laid off. It is hard to endure such lows. The praise of his superiors is really nice to hear. We are hoping that something opens up for us in the coming weeks.

Ken has also been watching his weight since the first part of August. In his family heart disease and high blood pressure are sure killers. He has been walking and watching his diet and is down 21 lbs so far. Miracle.

I am sure that I am forgetting at least a few miracles that have happened. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who knows my needs and answers my prayers. He has worked so many miracles in my life (not just recently either).

New Baby

2009-08-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

On June 3, 2009 Ken and I found out that we are expecting! I have had my share of morning sickness but I am feeling much better now. About 2 weeks ago I had my first ultrasound visit. Here are some pictures:
Our baby will be born the end of January.

This picture is of the tiny feet, crossed at the ankles

We may be able to find out if we are having a boy or girl in about 5 more weeks. I am feeling fine now except I am extremely tired, I sleep at night but sometimes it is not enough and I have to nap during the day. I do not crave anything in particular but I eat plenty. One surprise: I do not want chocolate. I love chocolate but it appears this baby is not a fan.

I have another appointment on the 20th and I hope to hear the heartbeat again. I think I feel some flutters but nothing strong yet.

Some have wondered why I wanted another baby when I have 4 children to raise. The thing to remember is that I have only gotten to have one baby so far. Every other week when the three older kids are with their mom I have one lonely child. That, and I can't shake the feeling that there is someone missing at our home. We are excited to meet our tiny stranger :)

May 28th 5th Grade Program

2009-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

MaKayla plays in the orchestra at her school. She has for the past 2 years. She is really good and loves to play. Last week she had a performance at school. Her teacher insisted on standing in the way of great pictures but we managed this one:

After the orchestra played the 5th grade sang songs and the last one was a goodbye to the school. They all move up to middle school next year. It was a little sad :(

Every time Kayla has a performance I bring her something. This time I made this:

I put two chocolates together and wrapped them with gold wire. I attached that to a floral stem and added the leaves. I bought the pot/foam/moss for a few bucks and I had the ribbon already. She loved it.

There is not room enough to receive it...

2009-05-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

In January Ken and I discussed getting more food storage. We only knew of traditional ways of doing this like buying extra at the store and going to the church cannery and storing basic ingredients for survival. We felt like we needed to be better prepared in these economic times so we tried.

When I came upon the idea of couponing I thought it could help save us money every month. Now that I have been at it for a few months I have been astounded at how much I save. I have enough household items to last our family a year. I have so much in the freezers (we have a huge one in the garage too) that I recently had to eat the last of the ice cream to fit in the purchases that I had just brought home. My cupboards run over. I have things everywhere. My kids rooms are the only place left for the stuff to go. I feel so blessed. I find things at such a cheap price on sale and then save more with coupons/rebates/promos. When I find something at a really good price I stock up.

This has saved us. Ken was furloughed for 3 weeks in April. Unpaid. Fortunately we had tax refund money to make up the difference. I was still perfecting my couponing skills then so we had normal spending then. Ken was told 2 weeks ago that he has to take another furlough by July 17. 21 more days off without pay. He has had such a reduction of hours that he doesn't qualify for paid holidays anymore so there goes Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day too.

In preparation for the next furlough I have been able to cut our grocery spending and we are living off of what we have here, some great deals at the store, and a few dollars worth of produce. We have to be very careful but we will make it due to couponing and stocking up. I am so grateful for the Law of Tithing. We have paid our tithing faithfully and we have been so blessed. I feel like I have been given a new skill. Here are some pictures of my shopping trips lately. It may seem like a strange assortment of items but I shop differently now. I have enough of most items that I do not need to shop for them weekly like I did before. I only get things that are a great deal and add them to my stash.

This isn't all that I have shopped for but it does give an idea of how I am doing things now. The first amount under every picture is what the store said I should have paid before their sale and my coupons. HOWEVER, this is at Albertson's and Walgreens and we all know they jack up the prices there. I prefer not to look at how much they say I am saving but rather how much these same items would have cost me at Wal-Mart or Winco.

$14.79 / I paid $0.55 / I think that this would have been around $6.00 at Wal-Mart.

I had to buy the banana on the one transaction because the receipt showed that the store owed me money.

$28.15 / I paid $0.91 / Maybe $15.00 at Wal-Mart

Had to buy that candy - another coupon "overage"

$24.87 / I paid $2.25

This stuff was all free except the frozen meals and those were less than $1.00 each

$80.26 / I paid $10.09

That is 10 pkgs of hot dogs there

$90.39 / I paid $18.16

$9.03 / I paid $2.03

$172.59 / I paid $38.65 / ?? at Wal-Mart?

Chex Mix Turtle Bars ROCK!

$84.51 / I paid $25.47 / maybe $50.00 at Winco

$14.07 / I paid $2.57

Couponing Deals of the Day - Third Post Today

2009-04-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

I am getting good at this coupon thing:

I went today to use my double coupons (they double any coupon) because they expired today. I read up on the websites I use and discovered the deals that were to be had. We needed toilet paper (I had previously bought Scott one-ply and we have discovered that that brand of TP ought to be reserved for people in prison). Today I made up for it by getting 2 -12 packs of Cottonelle. The Scott package you see in the picture is paper towels. The soup, deodorant, granola bars, mustard, gatorade and juice were all free except tax. The lotion was $1.74 and I had $1.00 off coupons making that .74 cents plus tax. The TP and paper towels were on sale if you spend $20.00 on them you get a $5.00 coupon to used on your next shopping trip.

I spent a grand total of $20.92 ($2.13 tax) for all my loot, plus I still have a $5.00 coupon for next time.

Shoshone Falls - Second post of the day

2009-04-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Stake Conference and we had church from 10:00-12:00 we were done with lunch by 1:00 and had the whole day ahead of us. Ken had heard that Shoshone falls was supposed to be at it's highest that day so we hopped in the van with snack and cameras to go look. When we got to the beginning of the road that leads to the road that goes down to the falls we realized that many other Idahoans had a similar plan. We waited in line for about an hour to get all the way to a parking space. It was bumper to bumper the whole time. Eventually we got to walk around and enjoy the falls. It was stunning!

I love the rainbow!

The kids all in a line were looking over the rail at a lizard and a ground rodent.

Brady and Lisa posed for me.

Ken was in heaven taking pictures.

Brady Loves Soccer

2009-04-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Ken and I took Brady to the park. As we were walking home Brady spotted some cones and ran around them. Then a soccer ball bounced out to him and he kicked it back to the kids that were playing with it. He kicked really well and seemed to have fun kicking the ball over. A guy walked up to Ken and I and asked if Brady wanted to join a soccer team. We had just been discussing that when he mentioned it. We stayed at the park another hour while Brady practiced with the team. The first game was the next morning. I got some cleats, shin guards and socks before the game and Brady is now on the team.

Brady was wearing jersey number 8 but he will get his own jersey soon. He loved it. Brady is not shy of the ball and seemed able and willing to kick it anytime it came his way.

Brady practicing with the coach, learning to kick into the goal.

Couponing

2009-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

I found a new hobby recently. I read a blog called The Consumerist. I love the things they have to say about my rights as a consumer and the stories they tell of the consumer triumphing over store/company. I find links to other blogs there and I usually follow links that tell about money saving ideas / frugality. I found two great sites a few weeks ago and began to follow their advice about collecting coupons and then using then in combination with the store's sale price and /or store coupon. Many times this ends up with the product being free or really cheap. The problem I have had in the past was that I never new how to match things up the right way to make all the effort pay off. I found a site by a lady that lives around here. She told me exactly what I needed to do and where I needed to go to get the deals. Through that first site I found others like this one , this one and this one. I now read several blogs and I usually know about a sale before it is going to happen. I also learned how to get those coupons that the register seems to spit out randomly. In my research I have found blogs that talk about stores that I do not have locally. Apparently a store in the midwest called Aldi's is amazing. There are also stores throughout the country that double and triple coupons.

A few of my recent deals was getting four bags of Hershey's Kisses for free, 62 boxes of Post cereal for .67 cents a box (yeah we like cereal), four containers of body wash for free, and just today two full size Kraft salad dressings for .08 cents each. I also have had the total of the receipt be less than the amount of coupons used.

There is a little work involved. I spend about an hour clipping the coupons each week. I organize them into a binder and I print out blog posts of where I need to go and how exactly I need to work the deal. In the past month I have gotten our years supply of mayo, pasta sauce, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, bar soap, peanut butter and air freshener. I probably have at least a year's worth or cereal too.

This pastime may not be for everyone but I have time at this point in my life and I enjoy finding the bargain. I know many other are searching for ways to live on less. The economy is terrible and everyone is suffering. Some of the frugality blogs make me laugh. They recommend shopping at second had stores and consignment shops and clipping coupons. Many tout the benefits of doing things that you once paid someone else to do (i.e.: yard work, housekeeping, cutting your kids hair). I think I have done all of these things for years. The couponing thing is new, I used to look at all the ads and then go to Wal-Mart and make them match the lowest advertised price. I must say that getting things practically free/free is better.

Halfway (Multi-Post Day)

2009-04-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

The weekend of March 20th I knew we would be kid free so I planned a little get away for Ken and myself. I packed up a bag and surprised Ken when he got home from work that Friday evening. I had planned to get away that night to Ontario, Oregon and stay that night in a bed and breakfast. We had a computer problem and couldn't leave right away and the Inn in Ontario never called me back about my reservation. We ended up leaving early Saturday morning. We drove out to Baker (2 hours away) and ate brunch and the Sumpter Cafe. I love that place because of the miniature train that goes by every table. If you are ever traveling through there stop, you won't regret it. After that we shopped a little (tax free) at the Bi-Mart nearby. We drove north after that to the town of Halfway, Oregon. The town was so tiny that I think the cows outnumbered the people 10 to 1. Everyone waves to everyone else. It was a very nice little town. We stayed at the Inn at Halfway. This is a picture of the outside of the place. We were the only guests. The inn has about 10 rooms and all were lovely. We chose a room on the second floor that would face out to the left of the above picture. We toured the whole property.

This thing was attached to the barn and it appears to be some kind of phone.

This is a cast iron cow and just behind it is a pond that is stocked with fish for the guests to fish for. In the winter the pond can be skated on. We arrived at a time that the pond was available for neither.

The house on the property is over 100 years old. It has been completely renovated to at least the year 2000 standards. The inside is 100% modern in every way. In the rear of the home is an outdoor kitchen used to keep the house cool in the summer months and was used for all the canning and cooking. They still use it some today. Inside the home is a huge professional kitchen that they make their own preserves/jams/jellies out of. They also cook meals on demand for guests. These pictures are of the barn just behind the house. It has really rugged rooms that the owners are fixing up for people who want to rough it. They would be more camp style.

Dad- What are those?

This picture is what you see out the west side of the house. It really is out in the middle of nowhere. They have their own fruit trees and berries that can be picked in the summer. They also had a room that would fit our whole family for $150.00 a night. We want to go back in the summer with the kids.

After checking in we drove up to the Hells Canyon Recreational Area.

It was beautiful there. I had never been there so I was awed by the depth of the canyon.

That evening we had dinner at a small cafe and went back to the inn for cookies and hot chocolate. There is no television there so Ken and I read and sat in front of the fire before heading off to bed early.

The next day we enjoyed a yummy breakfast of bagel and yogurt then left the inn. We tried to drive north to Joseph and Enterprise but the road isn't maintained in the spring and it was snowy. We turned around and went back to Baker. We toured historic downtown Baker and the Geiser Grand hotel. (I want to stay there next time). We then drove south to Sumpter and scouted out some things we want to do in the summer. They have a railroad we want to take the kids on and in the summer they have a flea market that is cool (we heard). We tried to drive beyond Sumpter (further south) but it began to snow again so we headed back to Baker. After that we drove home. It was a really nice getaway. We celebrated (early) for our anniversary (April 14).

Wow, I didn't post at all last month... Multi-Post Day

2009-04-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Brady has been attending a preschool this year. It was two days a week at my friends house and in exchange for him going I watched her youngest daughter. The school ended on the 17th of March and I took some pictures of the group. He really loved going. To keep Brady entertained now we do a trading play group with the same kids and one other. I have play group at my house every third time and we do that twice a week.

Just after the preschool ended Brady flew (all by himself) to Salt Lake to visit his dad for two weeks. He had a ball and he even missed me. Usually he doesn't. This was Brady's first time flying on the plane all by himself and he did great. I am sure he talked to the person(s) sitting in either side of him the entire flight. Hopefully he wasn't too annoying.

Just after Brady left I attended another of my monthly food classes. This time I learned to make Gluten. It can be used as a meat substitute and made into cereal. I learned how to make it (from wheat). I tried many things that were made from it and I can't say I would make it at home (with two exceptions). I learned to make it ground and it can be used in two ways. One way was baked then used as a cereal and it was really good covered in chocolate or butterscotch chips as a dessert. The other way was baked and ground up and added to cooked hamburger to extend it. When I had it this way I could NOT tell it wasn't real beef. If I was in a crisis situation I could eat the gluten made in other recipes, it would fuel my body just as well.

I have my food class again tonight and I will learn how to make my own yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, whip cream, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese spread and many other things made with nonfat dry milk. Apparently these things can be home made for way cheap. I will report later.

Signs of the Times/Free is good!

2009-02-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

Ken took this photo of Brady's hand and piggy bank and it kind of symbolizes my thoughts on how things are going lately with our economy. A few things that happened recently:

Bastian has not brought homework home for weeks. Not since mid January (I think). He told me his teacher wasn't doing homework anymore. I was a little skeptical so I emailed her. He was right, due to budget cuts they no longer have the paper to copy and send home homework packets weekly. Wow. I think they should email them and I could have him do the work online or I could print them off.

I tried several of the recipes that I mentioned in last weeks post. I am trying to cut my food bill down. I made the granola (which was yummy), I added up calories and fat and decided I need to modify the recipe before I make it again. I made Pita bread and that was simple, cheap, yummy and low cal, low fat! I made granola bars that are similar to Nutrigrain bars and they turned out awesome. My kids love them.

Tonight is our pizza/movie night. I am thinking how to cut the cost on that. Usually we order 2 large pizzas to feed our family of 6. We need to be more healthy so I was thinking to order just one pizza and make a big side salad and some homemade bread sticks. We will see how that goes over...

I buy the 93% lean hamburger and we eat that with a meal 1-2 times per week. The other day it occurred to me that we don't need to use an entire pound of hamburger (like most recipes call for). When I bought the last hamburger I divided it into 3/4 pound bags and made a casserole with one portion already. I really couldn't tell a difference. This will save money and I don't have to cut back to the cheap hamburger. (When I was a kid my mom bought ground turkey for 29 cents a pound because it was undesirable at the time, we didn't love it but it is sure a contrast to how things are now)

I was mentioning my meat cutbacks to my sister and she said one recipe that she modifies is Hamburger Helper. She uses one box and only 3/4 lb meat. She follows the directions until it is ready to simmer and then she puts it on a really low heat instead of medium heat. The result is much more soupy. She then adds some other cooked egg noodles that match what came in the box. After a quick stir the whole thing makes more servings due to the extra pasta and the sauce covers it all. I sometimes make Hamburger Helper so next time I do I will try this.

I saw a video online today featuring a 91 year old lady cooking depression era meals on the cheap. She made a meal out of chopped, peeled potatoes fried in oil with onion and cut up hot dogs. She called it poor man's supper. I think you could feed my family for less than $2.00 on that meal.

I read some other blogs that recommend that you go to your favorite restaurant websites and sign up for the email lists. Most of them offer something for free when you do. I am really looking forward to getting my free Coldstone ice cream (on my birthday) and my free blizzard from DQ. Ken and I went to Shari's restaurant the other day and found out that kids eat for free with the purchase of a 99 cent drink on Saturday nights. Ken and I could eat there for $15.00 + $4.00 for the kids and we could eat out for less than $25.00. We rarely eat out with the kids anymore because we just can't afford it. Ken and I both were raised in families that didn't dine out. I remember when I was really little my dad took us to McDonalds for ice cream cones and we thought that was a real treat. I cannot remember a single time that we went to dinner when all of the kids were at home. The most we had was papa whatever's take and bake pizza with a movie rental. My kids are spoiled by comparison.

What are ways that you are cutting back? Anyone have ideas for me?

Wheat is for Woman

2009-02-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that I like to store food and other home items away for the rainy day. I enjoy finding out how to make things cheaper and more nutritious/ healthy/ less processed. Tonight I attended a class with my mother in law that was FABULOUS! The class was taught by a lady named Mary Ann. Mary Ann does classes once a month for 5 bucks per person. She demonstrates some of her recipes and has a sample of every recipe she talks about. All of her recipes are tried and true. Everything I tasted tonight was sooo good!

The class was two hours long and we ran a half an hour beyond that. Some things that she taught about were: Breads, pie crust, crackers (saltines, wheat thins & graham), muffins, cereal (wheaties, grapenuts, granola, bran flakes & gluten crunch), rolls, tortillas (corn & flour), pita pockets, granola bars and bagels. She gave me recipes for all of these things and a few others too. ALL of her recipes but one were made with ground hard white wheat.

She also talked about some products that she uses like canned butter that has an indefinite shelf life. She talked about what kinds of grinders she likes and why. When she passed the samples of her cereals she passed some of the milk that she uses. It is a mixture of the dry milk that you can buy at the cannery and a product called Country Cream. She makes it for about $.50 cents a gallon less than the stuff you buy at the store and I HONESTLY could not tell a difference (this coming from a girl that is somewhat scarred from a childhood of powdered milk and goats milk (neither of which taste anything like cows milk from the store.

I am so thrilled to learn all of these recipes. I stay at home and I have time that I can make my own bread and crackers and all of these things. I am positive that they are far superior (nutritionally) than anything I could buy and (I would bet) way cheaper as well.

Next month the class is about making meat substitute from gluten and other gluten products (like the aforementioned gluten crunch cereal). I learned that gluten is the protein part of the wheat. April is a milk class where Mary Ann teaches how to make cheese spread & cream cheese from dried milk. I think there will also be recipes for making other things with dairy. I am thrilled that I found this resource! If any of you would like the recipes leave a comment and I will forward them on to you. I plan to add my notes onto the typed recipe. Mary Ann sent some of the dough around on some of the recipes so you can see what it looks like in the process. Sometimes the recipe doesn't accurately describe how it should feel/look.

I wish I could convey to you how yummy this stuff actually was. It is super healthy too. I was shocked. I never thought that whole wheat would taste so good. I never thought to make my own wheaties or crackers either. I think my mom tried to make wheaties once and the outcome was not the best. The grapenuts I tried tonight tasted good (I hate the ones at the store because they feel like I might chip a tooth while chewing).

I will post when I try out some of these recipes on my own. I think first up will be homemade granola and homemade bisquick mix. I can't wait. I don't own a wheat grinder yet so that is now at the top of my list of things to buy ASAP. Anyone out there have a grinder that they love? Mary Ann's grinder is 40 years old and works like a champ. I kind of want one that is going to last.

Stepmom - multiple post day

2009-02-13T21:22:00.001-08:00

With my personality type, I like to do things myself. I feel (generally) that you will not do it as well as me and that you will not do it the way that I want it done. Please don't take offense. I think this about everyone. It usually takes a long time to explain how I want it done and even then - it could be misunderstood. I don't like trusting coworkers to do things for me because (invariably) they will make me look bad. I don't delegate. I pack our entire family for trips. I think I am this way because I have been let down a lot by others. I know others in my family are afflicted with this also. I know that this is a flaw of mine.

Becoming a stepmom has been my Heavenly Father's way of teaching me to let go. I have children that don't listen to me the way that Brady does. I have kids that like to cook in the kitchen and I know that they aren't going to do it how I would. The other day Kayla wanted to make cookies. I dread things like this. Having been though this same thing once before with a bad outcome, I said go ahead and I stayed in the living room reading my book. Kayla found the recipe and all the ingredients and put the cookies together. She then made balls and put them on the pan. All of them. The entire recipe. This was the result. I called them Kayla's Famous Honeycomb Cookies. I told my husband that he should be proud of me because I stayed out of it the whole time. I could have prevented this. I could have made beautiful round cookies all the same size and color. Instead Kayla learned a lesson about reading the recipe carefully when it says to place the cookies 2 inches apart. Today when she was making cookies she asked how far apart that was. I told her it was about three finger widths and showed her. She made cookies today that were perfect and round.

Brady's Haircut - Multiple post day

2009-02-13T20:39:00.001-08:00

Brady watches others play Guitar Hero. The characters on that game are all rock stars with extreme hairdos. Brady needed a haircut recently and we went to the mall. He told me and the stylist that he wanted his hair to stand up in the middle like a mohawk. I convinced him that it was called a fauxhawk. The stylist began to cut and asked Brady at the end if that was what he wanted. He said no, that he wanted less hair on the sides. I think he wanted the real mohawk. Since we don't go for extreme hair at our house, Brady settled for hair on the sides and a spiky top. He is so cute!

Ken's Pictures - multiple post day

2009-02-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

Ken is a photographer. He loves it. He has a blog that is linked on my blog page. He made a goal to take (at least) one picture a day for the entire year. So far he has not missed a day. Last night he spent over 2 hours taking pictures of my friends twin baby boys. His first infant photo shoot. I had fun watching the whole thing. He is really good. He said he might not update his blog and just keep his photos on Flikr. If you click on any of the photos in his blog it will take you to his Flickr page. He will continue to post in there.

I have been so busy living life I haven't posted in a while...

2009-02-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I thought I would just make a big post to get you caught up on what I have been up to.

My last post was on Christmas and the day after I put all the Christmas crap out on the table. This was the amount of food that is not normally in our home. It was delicious but as you can see it is way more than we need. I thought a lot about how much I have as compared with other less fortunate people.

The Sunday after Christmas we drove to Washington and spent a couple of days with Sara and family and Tracy. We had been planning the trip for a part of our Christmas present. The weather was so bad the days just before and just after Christmas we were sure we would have to cancel the trip. Ken went to get the kids that Sunday morning and there was a break in the weather... so we decided to go. We were packed and on the road within 3 hours. (a pretty mean feat for a party of 6). We drove straight through (via Portland) with a quick stop in Hermiston for lunch. We arrived a little after 8 pm local time. We spent the next day recuperating and then we drove to Port Angeles, Washington and took the ferry to Victoria, BC CANADA!We visited all the sights including Butchart Gardens (which was pretty even under all the ice) and the Parliament Building. This picture of Butchart Gardens was taken though a viewing window to a greenhouse. It was 32 degrees out and we walked all over the place. We drove out to see The Aerie (a really cool place that we might have stayed if we did not have the kids). We stayed at a lovely hotel called Harbour Towers. We had a room larger than just about every apartment I have ever lived in. Our room had a harbour view and 2 bedrooms (with doors) and 1 1/2 bathrooms. We even had a balcony, kitchen and dining room with a table and chairs. The first evening we shopped for groceries and proceeded to eat all but our last meal there at the room. We enjoyed all the things at the grocery store that we don't have here. Ken took a photo of two things we don't have:

Smarties called Rockets and M&M's called Smarties. We also got Dill chips and tiny Lindt truffles, each of the kids got to pick something Canadian at the store that we don't have here. Some of them were good things others...not so much.

We returned to Washington on Brady's birthday (Jan 1) and drove back to Sara's. We hung out there for another day and then drove home. It was a fun trip. We also learned that our kids are old enough that we can survive in the car all day with just stops for gas and one stop to eat lunch.

Since returning home I had planned to post about my new years resolution and other thoughts. I did think about the new year and some goals that I want to accomplish. So far, I have worked most on Ken & my goal to prepare a larger food storage for our family. I have done pretty well at this goal. I purchased shelves and rearranged our home to bring the storage we had in from the garage. I have organized more and put so much more out in the garage. I wonder if we truly need all the things that we have. We moved all the kids toys into the back room at our home and they have been earning them back at a rate of one a day (if they are good). I think whatever is left on the 5th of March should go to the DI. Clearly we don't need so much. Funny thing is - the kids haven't missed the majority of the things in there.

Tomorrow is Kayla's birthday and I am making her an Oreo cake. Two layers of chocolate cake with vanilla custard in the middle and frosted with vanilla frosting with crushed Oreos on the top. It should be yummy. She is turning 11 this year. That is a little jarring to me. She is nearly as tall as me and we have the same size shoe.

This week I have been doing some spring cleaning. I cleaned my carpets. Whomever decided to put carpet in the dining room should be shot. That is the worst area to clean.

A couple of weeks ago I visited a friend of mine that bakes all of her own bread. I had previously discarded the idea as too much work and not any value for my time. After all it is just 88 cents a loaf at Winco. She informed me that she bakes for 12.5 cents a loaf and it isn't full of preservatives or high fructose corn syrup. I gathered all the recipes I have and I have baked my own bread for the past three weeks. It is delicious, if I may say so myself.

Last year I was called to work with the Cub Scouts in our area. I have not really looked forward to this job for the most part because it is a real challenge to get all of my kids taken care of and pick up 4 other boys and make it back to the church on time for things to start. It ends up being a lot of work. I have learned that I usually just learn to love something and things change. I do not love this thing yet so it remains.

Today the kids were out of school for some reason. It seems they are out of school a lot on days that are not holidays. Kayla had the idea to make valentines and cookies and deliver them to the nursing home down the road. We drove over while dinner was cooking in the oven. We arrived just as the residents were gathered in the dining room. We went around to the tables and offered cookies and the kids distributed valentines with Disney Princesses and Transformers and Madeline, made out to Grandma and Grandpa. The people were so happy to see us. One lady asked Bastian for a hug. One guy had me wheel him down to his room so he could get stickers for all the kids. They were really sweet.

Happy Valentines Day to all of you! We went out on a date last week and we have the kids all day tomorrow. We will be celebrating at home. Plus we have Kayla's birthday party and a special dinner planned.

I am really excited about 2009. I am not thrilled about the state of the world/government/economy/and our future kazillion trillion bazillion dollar national debt. I am happy with my family, our home, our future. :)

Christmas Day Part 2

2008-12-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas All!

We have had a great day filled with presents and Asian food. Why Asian food you ask? Because we had traditional Christmas dinner last night at Ken's parents house. We loved it but wanted something different so we got an assortment of dishes and prepared them including: lettuce wraps, yakitori chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Sesame Ginger Chicken, Pad Thai Noodles, Spicy Peanut Noodles, Pork and Seeds and Pumpkin Pie. Ok the pie wasn't Asian but we didn't have pie for dessert last night and we need pie for Christmas.

Santa was very generous with us this Christmas and we all had lots to open. Ken said he didn't know what to get me. He said I am picky (really?). We went to Target together and I put several things I liked into the cart. I told him I would walk away and he could choose things from the basket and I would be surprised and he wouldn't have to guess. He just bought it all. No complaints here, I loved all of it :)

I think I surprised Ken with a few things and the kids had enough presents that they didn't know that we have been on a Christmas Diet this year. We spent less overall than in years past.

I think a good time was had by all. I have enjoyed talking on the phone with many of you and I hope that you have had a very merry Christmas. Best wishes to all of us in the New Year. Hopefully we will be in better economic times next Christmas. We love and miss our extended family and wish them all the best. We would love to see you in the next year. Who knows what 2009 will hold for our families.

Much Love, Cindy

Christmas Day Part 1

2008-12-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago my family and I were invited to two different White Elephant Parties. Ken dreads these because he said he always comes home with junk. I love them. The first party we went to Ken scored this cool "immunity idol" knife. I got the Reindeer Poo (whoppers). The second party Ken and I both got HUGE size chocolate bars and the kids all got something that they liked. It was fun at both parties.

Most people I talked to wanted to know what to bring to these things. I will tell you some of the things that showed up at the parties we went to so next time you get roped into going you know just what to wrap.

2 live gold fish swimming in a mason jar with a bottle of tartar sauce and a fork.
2 plastic ice cream bowls and a scoop in a hideous bag
a water filter system and an extra filter
an old Shirley Temple VHS tape
a flu test
Love Darts game for your spouse
BBQ set (fun in the dead of winter)
2 HUGE stuffed animals
a set of coasters
1 large can of baked beans and an air freshener
a Toiletry Kit
an iTunes gift card
VHS learn to read tapes
free stuff with company logos on it
extra diapers
a puzzle that has been opened
an exercise band

These were all fun gifts that I saw. So next time you get the White Elephant invite come to my blog and look over what others have done and hopefully you come home with something fun.

'Tis the Season

2008-12-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last night the kids decorated the gingerbread house. I hate them so they are not a temptation to me. I do, however, love almost all other holiday foods. I think of them throughout the year and long for the pumpkin pie and snack mix and homemade carmels that symbolize the Christmas time for me. I have many days blocked out for parties and other events that will have delicious opportunities to eat. It is only December 4th. I even have the candy for the stockings purchased. All my favorites are waiting in the closet for their turn. I love food!

My husband doesn't get excited about food the way I do. He has no concept of how much I look forward to the yumminess. I think of events and look forward to the food almost more than the people I will see, that is how much I like it. I secretly think I have a different DNA strand than others because I enjoy food so much.

I went to my Weight Watchers meeting today (I have been a member since spring of 2005). I am at a healthy weight and I plan to balance my food love with my desire to have my clothes fit next month. In the meeting there are other food lovers like me. We try hard to eat the right amount of food and support each other. The most important thing I get out of the meetings is the accountability. I have to stand on a scale and look at the number. I can go for weeks in denial, eating too much, and not face it. Weight Watchers taught me that I need to face reality if I had any plans of changing things.

This time of year I really miss my mom. She loved Christmas and was always sewing and creating many gifts in preparation for the big day. She had many health problems due in great part to choices she made with food. I want to be around for MANY years to come. I want to see my kids have grey hair and I want to hold my great grandkids. In order for this to happen I am taking measures now to ensure my body's strength and health for years to come.

Maybe some of you are looking to make a change in the new year. I have some friends that are giving up on things until after January 1. They say it is too hard to diet in the mean time. I have learned I can do hard things. Starting now or starting next month doesn't really matter. Starting is the important thing. I want my family members and loved ones to live a long time with me. Please take care of yourself... I don't know how I could make it without you. :)

Cindy

15 Years ago yesterday...

2008-11-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

My baby Katie was born. She wasn't really my baby. I was 18 years old and I became her nanny. Katie was a tiny little thing when I first saw her. She was just over 6 lbs when she was born and when I met her she didn't seem much bigger. She was a delight to care for. I loved and took her places. We started out just hanging out and she slept a lot. Soon she got a little bigger and she we took a baby massage class. I learned to massage her to soothe her and we both liked it. A couple of months after that we joined a baby swim class and then a Gymboree class. We did everything together all day long. We both had light hair so when I was out with her people thought she was mine. I loved being a nanny.

I lived with Katie and her awesome parents for almost a year and a half. It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Over the years I have seen Katie some and we have talked on the phone. I still like to keep tabs on what she is up to. She has become a young lady overnight (it seems to me). I have a hard time believing that it was so long ago that I looked into her tiny face and fell in love. I have since gone on to have my own baby and I recalled my experience with Katie. She helped me to learn how to be a mommy.

Katie, I hope your birthday was the best. Hopefully you got some cool presents. I miss seeing you and I wish that you and I lived closer. I haven't been to you part of Oregon in such a long time. How I would love to get together sometime. I hope that school is going well and you are doing well with your friends and parents. You have two of the best parents in the world. I hope the best for you this year, as you are learning how to drive. Your life is wide open to wonderful possibilities.

Happy Birthday,
Love,
Cindy

Julie - You are the Best!

2008-11-29T18:22:00.001-08:00

I hope your birthday cake looked as good as this one! I spoke to you briefly on the phone yesterday to wish you Happy Birthday. You were gonna call me back... :) It is fine, I can call you on another day when you are less busy.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I love you. You are the best older sister a girl could have. You have always set the example of how I should live my life. I admire your strength and fortitude. You have had to endure some tough things in your life and lately things seem harder than ever. I wish that you could have everything that you ever wanted. I hope that in the next year of your life you are able to see beyond the mountain in front of you. There is an amazing view after the hard climb over. I know that it seems impossible from where you stand now, but you are so strong. You can move from the crazy work and the heartache that seems unbearable. You will move on to a new place in your life and it is going to be great! I love you tons and I am wishing the very best to you in the next year of your life. There is so much possibility and you will amaze yourself with what you can do! Thank you for always being there for me, you give such great advice.

There was an old sitcom episode where the character set out to have the year all about them. Let this be the YEAR OF JULIE! Make it count because you will never have another one like it.

Happy Birthday,
Love,
Cindy

I have been busy...

2008-10-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

We had SNOW last Friday! Can you believe it? I love the fall and I love the snow. It just lasted a few hours and then we went back into the 70's this week. It was a nice winter preview. I got out my pumpkin candle and began to think about Thanksgiving.

Ken got a job! Yay! He started 2 weeks ago but we just got his first check today so now it feels more real :) It is the same type of work - testing printers at HP as a Manpower Contractor. It pays almost what his last job did. We made some adjustments in our budget and we are making it work.

Do you remember these? My parents used to buy them when I was a kid. They were sold at Costco and they were cheap so we got to have them a few times. I loved them. Sunshine Cookies was bought by someone a few years ago so they stopped making Hydrox. There was a huge response from the public asking them to bring them back. They did but just for a little while this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the cookie. I bought some last month and ate them with delight. YUM!

Other cookies that might go away are Mothers Cookies & Archway Cookies. They quietly went bankrupt a few weeks ago due to the credit crunch. Buy your Animal cookies and Taffy cookies while you can (those were my favorite). I also like the Archway Mud Pie Cookies. I cannot believe that my kids might not grow up with these favorites as I have. How will I make mom's famous carousel cake??? I wish they had just put out a plea - I could have spared $10.00 to get them through and I am sure there are at least a hundred thousand others that could have as well. I seriously hope that someone buys them or they can come back from their financial disaster to make some more cookies. :(

The kids are all doing well in school. Brady is loving preschool and is reading 3-4 letter words now. Emmalisa is so happy most of the time that when she does have a bad day it takes me by surprise. She is writing more at school now and struggles with that. Sebastian had his 3rd grade singing program last Thursday. He is a really good singer. MaKayla is navigating the mine field that is the 5th grade social intricacies. Getting along with your girlfriends at that age is hard. Some are more mature than others and there are so many changes to face. We have long talks about what is right - there is a lot of pressure to behave in a certain way. Some of the kids in her class are "going out". That freaks me out. We talk about waiting to date until 16.

I think that is the update for now. :)

Last night I had a dream...

2008-10-01T09:07:00.001-07:00

I died. I woke up crying and I cried the whole time I was in the shower. In the dream I had a little time with Brady and I held him and cried that I would not be the one to raise him and how sad that was. I got to call one of my sisters and tell her how I wanted the funeral to be. That was it, I was gone.

I write to you about this because it is my way of making sure that the dream doesn't happen and if/when it does you will all know how I feel. I shall start at the top:

Dad- you have been the best father I could have ever hoped for. You have been an amazing example and have always had wise counsel for me in all my life adventures. You are the greatest and I am so grateful for the upbringing you have given me.

My dear sisters - you have made my life! You are the best of friends and I can't wait to go on though out eternity being as close as we are now. I hope they have phones in heaven so I can call you like I do now - or maybe we could live close (all 4 of us). Please dress me in my two piece temple dress. Even if I die later in life and the dress doesn't fit well, just zip the zipper as far as you can and call it good :) That is my favorite dress and if I only get one outfit to wear for a really long time I want it to be that one. Don't forget my bra either.

My dear brothers - Please make sure that you arrange your life in a way that we can be together in heaven. I know that both of you are not close with the gospel at this time in your lives. You both know that it is true. Do not let the atonement be a gift that you don't open. It is there for you, let it change your life as it has mine. Ed - who cares if there are too many hypocrites at church. Ignore them and go for yourself. No one is beyond redemption.

My wonderful husband - You are amazing! I love you and I want you to be so happy. Please find a way to locate me when you get there. There will be a lot of people and it will be hard but please keep looking. I will look for you too. Don't let your hurts keep you from being your best. I wish you didn't have to go through all the hard times. I hope that you get to work at a job you love sometime in your life. I hope you get all the camera stuff you want.

Kayla, Lisa, Bastian - you are my wonderful children - I hope I get to keep you for always. Your life is so hard because you are torn between two homes that are worlds apart. People who should be a righteous example to you are not. They will tell you to do what feels good and ignore the teaching of the church. Don't. Choose the Right. The Lord will not let you down. I love you!

Brady - I think I love you more than my whole life. I never imagined how amazing it would be to be your mom. I cherish every second I have with you. I want you to be a very strong boy and grow up to show others the way. I hope that one day you will attend a mission and graduate from college. Always stay close to the Lord, you will have nothing to fear if you do. I will be with you constantly to watch over you. Love, Mommy

Marnie - You are the my best friend. We have been together since 3rd grade through thick and thin. I love you and I will be waiting when you get there :)

Ingrid - the sister I never had. I can't wait to see you again. We can talk and eat French pasties together. I miss you in my life.

Katie McFall - You are like a baby I gave for adoption. I loved being your nanny. I still feel bonded to you like you are my child. It has been so cool to see you grow up. Live life to the fullest and be so happy. You have great parents - I love you all.

My step & extended family - there are so many of you and most of you are not living close to me. You are wonderful people. I am glad I met/got to know each of you. I can't wait to have a big family reunion in heaven to see each other again.

To my friends from the many wards I attended- Thanks for becoming my friends and showing be how to be a better person. It seems that most of the ladies I have met at church are so much better than me. Thanks for the example.

My friends at CMS - there are so many of you. I think working there was the best job I have ever had. I miss hanging out. I will look for you in heaven.

Sorry if this has been a downer to read. I feel better now. I plan to be at least a hundred years old when I die, I don't want to miss anything.

Love, Cindy

My Kitchen Cabinets

2008-09-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

I am back to work on our home. I mentioned before that I wanted to fix our cabinets. Here is a picture of why. They are stained darkly and they have wear marks where you open them. When I took this picture I noticed that I am also missing a piece of the upper layer of the wood in the corner.

I have 25 doors and 9 drawers. It is going to take a long time. Ken and I thought about what to do to fix this problem for nearly a year. I took one of the doors and stripped it with chemicals. That removed the outer varnish but not the stain. I bought a finish sander with a bottom that resembles a clothes iron. I sanded the one door that I stripped with 60 grit sand paper.

This is what it looks like now (in the pictures it looks darker than in real life. When sanded it looks much lighter than the stained doors. To get another door to this state it would take about 1 hour worth of my time. I am debating how to proceed. I NEED YOUR IMPUT! Even if you do not ever respond to my blog I need your thoughts and experience if you have any... PLEASE!

My problem is that when I sanded it did not get all the way into the crevices where the raised ridge is. I could get ahold of a Dremel type sanding tool and work on it to make the stain completely gone. I could sand some more with the 120 & 240 grit sand paper and get as well as I can into the crevices but leave some there. With both of these options I would then varnish with a clear varnish letting the light wood show though. The other option I have is to sand and paint the cabinets white. We are obviously going to get new knobs and do something about the gold hinges since the new knobs will be brushed nickel. If we paint the cabinets white we are also going to force ourselves to redo the cream colored counter tops and sink. We want to do that anyway but with the paint it is going to look like crap in the mean time.

Has anyone done this type of thing before? Do you know anyone that has? I need advice badly. If I end up painting do I need to sand with the finer grits of paper? How fine do you go? Anyone have thoughts on varnish? One coat? Two? More?

The last thing to mention is that we may not live in this house forever. It is too small and if the market were better we would consider selling now. I need the kitchen to look neutral enough for a buyer. That is why I worry about leaving a little stain in the crevice. Maybe someone else might not like the antique look.

Thanks in advance. :)

The Air Show

2008-09-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to the Air Show. It was at the Air Force base in Mountain Home about 30 miles from here. It was free to get in and I must say it was the best free entertainment I have seen (possibly ever). They had 20-30 aircraft that were on display for tours or looks into the cockpit. There was a helicopter and some tanks too. We had a blast. While we were touring the exhibits we took in the show in the sky. I can't remember all the names of the planes we saw but there were some old style "barnstormers", lots of F-whatevers, a thing called a thunderbird, some blackhawk helicopters, and multiple guys willing to parachute out of a perfectly good planes. The did a pretend war: bombs and smoke with rescues. Parts of it were really loud. It was amazing how fast they went. I loved the ones that went so high so quick that they stalled the engine and dived back toward the ground only to recover at the last minute. I loved all the patriotism that surrounded the whole event. I am so grateful for the men and women that serve(d) our country. To all of them: Thank You!

Brady is hilarious...

2008-09-15T19:15:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday I needed to go shopping. I took Brady with me and I needed to concentrate so I let him pick out a treat that he could eat while I rang up our stuff. He chose some larger Hershey Kiss things. At the next store we went to he was sitting in the cart and he held two of the kisses in his hands and licked the bottoms of them. He then proceeded to stamp his face with them. Less than 5 minutes later he informs me that on his next birthday I can call him Taco Bdoco. I was instructed not to call him that until then. Last year he wanted me to call him Tottis Sil Lettuce. I do not know why he is like this but it sure is funny.

Done!

2008-09-09T20:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I finished reading the book of Mormon. 531 pages read in 16 days. Today I did two sessions at the temple for our Stake Temple Day. It was good to feel closer to the Lord in his holy temple. Ken and I ran into his attorney while we were there in the evening. He is a really nice guy and gave us some advice on our current child support/unemployed situation.

This past Sunday was Fast Sunday and I appreciated the opportunity to add something more to my prayers for our family's situation. I had a deal with MaKayla that I would bear my testimony the day she got up the nerve to bear hers. Sunday was the day. We both went up and Sebastian came up too. It was a great day. I also had the opportunity to visit the Young Women and be a guest teacher for my old class the 12-14 year old girls. I sure miss working with them and it was nice to teach for a change.

New Hair

2008-09-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair off! It was shoulder length and today I was going to get a bob and it turned out a little shorter than I thought. The good news is that I will not have to go in for a trim in two months this should last for four :)

Yesterday, Ken wrote a list of things he wants to do. He is going to try to get his photography business off the ground. Yes, we know that it will be hard. This afternoon I asked him if he would rather work one job that he hated or two jobs that he loves. He chose two. He might get his wish :)

Sunday August 24

2008-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged lately and I have to tell you why. On the 24th my family and I attended the dedication of the Twin Falls Temple. This temple has become special to my family and I since we toured it.

The morning after I posted last about Ken's layoff I went to the temple in Boise. As I prayed and contemplated what to do now that we have no income I had a few thoughts. We will be guided though this. I know that. I wondered why we had just spent some of our savings on a family vacation. I wondered why we had just bought a van. It became clear to me that these things were supposed to happen now, before the layoff.

About a year ago in sacrament meeting our Stake President asked each of the members of our stake to prepare to gather in the temple one year from that date on September 9th. He challenged everyone to set the date and go. We were also challenged to read the Book of Mormon in it's entirety by then. My family and I had already started reading it so we have kept up. We should finish it by the end of the year.

After I left the temple on the 23rd I thought about how many days were left until the Stake Temple Day. I thought that if I started reading the BOM on Sunday at the dedication of the temple that would have 16 days to finish the book. I made a little challenge for myself. We arrived early (as we were supposed to) to the dedication and I read through 1 Nephi 17 that day. Since then I have averaged 35 pages a day and I am on track to finish reading it the morning of the 9th.

That is why I haven't posted. I tell you this not to brag, but to testify to you of the difference I have felt in my life. I am not finished yet but I have already gained so much. I have learned so much and I have placed so many other projects aside and focused solely on this.

Yesterday we all had the day off so we took our kids to help Ken's sister and her husband move. We are tying to teach our kids how to work. It was amazing. There was no contention among them the entire day! They all said that they loved the experience.

I had originally thought to sell some items on eBay to help with our financial situation. Since reading the Book of Mormon I have had thoughts to give these things away and I have been been impressed to give certain things to certain people. I have also felt moved to increase my fast offering. I kind of feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants but I feel sure that this will all work out. I just have no idea how.

The last time I read the BOM on a time schedule I received so many blessings in my life. It was a really hard time and at the end of reading the book that time (Sept 05-Dec 05) my entire life had changed. So MANY wonderful changes occurred. I am not expecting those miracles to happen again. I know they are possible. I know that the Lord loves me and my family. He has a way for our family prepared. I am hoping...

Ken says he feels like the Brother of Jared. He just has to figure out the way to light the ship. I challenge all of you to read the Book of Mormon. The greatest blessings of my life have come when I have chosen to draw closer to the Lord.

Last Sunday we also had an opportunity to attend a very special baby blessing. Sweet Ryelee Mae was blessed by her father at the home of her maternal grandparents. Ryelee was born May 14 at about 26 weeks gestation. The fact that she is alive and thriving is a miracle. We are so blessed to have her as part of our family.

It looks awfully dark ahead...please hold my hand.

2008-08-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today we found out that Ken no longer has a job after 9/19. :( We had no knowledge of layoffs in the past two weeks when we purchased a new (used) van and when we took the kids on a family vacation to Yellowstone (which we loved, by the way).

We are now looking for new jobs and amazingly I feel rather calm about the whole thing. We have a plan that we can stick with until unemployment runs out and then we will be in a real bind. We are prayerfully seeking the way to go. On the upside, Ken has hated that job for years and it did not provide paid time off or insurance that was affordable. I am trying to look at this as a positive move to get us into something better.

Since I last posted we had a great trip in Yellowstone. We saw so many sites and we stayed at some fun places and had a great time as a family. We visited both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We saw the new Temple in Twin Falls and I was able to revisit the Idaho Falls Temple. We went to the new Rexburg Temple too. I think our kids saw all the temples in Idaho in the same day. Our new van worked great and we loved the trip and time away.

Upon our return we have gotten ready to head back to school on the 25th. We met the new teachers today and we saw the new desks. I think the kids are excited. Brady may not be attending preschool this year. With the job loss I will only be able to send him if I can trade babysitting for his tuition. While we were at the school today I found several Preschool & Kindergarten books on the free table. The books contain enough that I could teach Brady at home if he cannot attend preschool.

We are excited to attend the Twin Falls Temple Dedication Ceremony on Sunday. Ken, MaKayla, Sebastian and I will be able to attend the broadcast at our church building. We love to hear the speakers dedicate a new house to the Lord. We were able to attend the open house so this temple has become very special to us.

We would ask for your prayers at this time of need. We really need to find another job for Ken. We have been paying our tithing so we know that the Lord will take care of us. We are really grateful that this is happening now and not in November or the holiday season. Hopefully by then we should be in good shape with something new.

We are truly blessed.

2008-08-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to go on a family trip to Yellowstone next week. Due to the fact that we had an old van we decided to rent a van to give us AC & to make sure it would get us there. We looked into rental prices a few weeks ago and it didn't seem to be too much. When we went to reserve our rental last week the cost had doubled. We looked into fixing up our van to make the trip. When the mechanic was doing a transmission service he found a disturbing thing. We had parts of our transmission in the pan. He showed me. There was chunks of metal and parts of gasket. The mechanic put it back together and said it would probably lose transmission function very soon. Ken and I drove it straight to the dealership. We were offered $700.00 for the van on trade. We were thrilled about this because we had only paid $900.00 for the van a year ago. We purchased a 2007 Toyota Sienna. Ours is like the one pictured only it is white. We will be making payments on it for some time :) We love it though and we hope to drive it into the ground 20 years from now.

The monthly payment made me think a bit and I was mental inserting it into our budget. As soon as we got home I received a message from a lady in our ward that is going to do preschool next year. I called her back and it looks like it would be free for Brady to go in exchange for me watching her 2 littlest children. That puts $75.00 a month back into our budget that I would have paid for Brady to attend the same preschool he went to last year. I also worked a deal with the kids mom to let me watch them on her weeks instead of having them go to daycare. That should give me another 120.00 per month. These two differences and some of our other money should cover the new payment. We are so blessed. The Lord truly knows our needs and watches out for our family. We felt guided in our decisions. We are so grateful that this problem was discovered before the van stopped functioning. We were able to get very good money out of it and get a great van that will last a long time and we should be able to go on this vacation and many others in it.

Home Improvement

2008-08-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Our home was built in the early 70's. It was outfitted with stylish fixtures for the time. They were mostly golden in color and are now out of fashion. Our light fixtures also had very little wattage. So it was unattractive and very dim.

Over the time that Ken has owned this home he has replace several fixtures and almost all of the door knobs. We really like the look of brushed nickel so we are switching to that.

We have two sliding doors on the rear of the home that had vertical blinds covering them. Our front window also had vertical blinds. Last summer Ken and I replaced the vertical blinds in the front of the home with some sheer curtains and a brushed nickel curtain rod. We loved the difference but decided to wait to do the back two doors due to the cost of acquiring something new.

A few months ago I purchased some table cloths in a pattern I really liked. They were about $5.00 each and they came with napkins. They were so large and so inexpensive I thought I could use the material to make drapes. I procrastinated for a while and the table cloths sat waiting for me to get started. A couple of weeks ago I decided to do it. We bought some brushed nickel curtain rods and some clip hooks and about an hour later I had completely changed the dining room. The next day I bought more supplies and did the family room sliding door too. I used the matching napkins to make small curtains for the octagonal windows in the family room.

The following weekend Ken surprised me when I came home with a new light fixture for the dining room. Together we selected a fan for the family room and a light for the entry way. The picture above is my new dining room light fixture and curtains.

This is a shot of the family room with new ceiling fan and curtains. This light has a remote to operate it.

This is our new entry way light. I love it because it has one bulb that shines into the hall closet. In this picture you can see some paneling and some spindles and that lovely '70's popcorn ceiling. We still have some jobs to do.

In our kitchen we have darkly stained cabinets. On my last trip to home depot I purchased some stripper. I have one door that I am experimenting on right now. I am going to strip, lightly sand and varnish them. That is my next project. I am waiting till the kids are back in school full time to really get going on it. I will take some before and during pictures on that one so you can see the difference.

Anyone with advice for my cabinet project PLEASE post a comment or email me. Even if it is just to pity me for all the work (24 doors, 9 drawers) place your bets now on how long the job will take to complete...

Multitasking...

2008-08-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have been encouraged to begin a blog. My sisters all have one and I have contributed to one but I have never sought to create my own. I guess I have been unwilling because it seems arrogant to think that what I have to say would be important to the rest of the world. My father recently encouraged me because he felt it would keep our family in better touch and I could show others an example of an woman who belongs to the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (I have no horns, my church isn't a cult, yes we are Christians, ect...) After considering these things, I thought of a few things I could accomplish by having a blog. This can take the place of a family scrapbook. I can keep in better touch with my family and friends wherever in the world they reside. I can post a Christmas message on the blog and not feel guilt over the holidays when I fail (yet again) to send a Christmas greeting by mail (think of the postage savings!). I can post pictures and document our life so my kids can see that we are an active family that goes on vacation and does fun things a lot. Since I love multitasking...here we go.