Silent Night, Holy Night

All is well, all is bright. The night of Las Posadas (Spanish word meaning lodging or inn) is a traditional, festive celebration that first introduced to the native people of Mexico by European missionaries, and is the reenactment of the story of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem. This is a picture of our luminaries on Christmas Eve.
My husband took this picture at about 2 in the morning after we were nestled all warm in our beds and I had wished we had taken a picture of the luminaries.

Playing in the snow

I love Utah. I love living in a place that has all four seasons. Here are the kids playing in the snow over the past couple of days. (We learned how to get Sterling to smile...when he says please he smiles and says "cheese")

Christmas tree

We have a new tradition (since a couple of years ago) to go cut down a real tree. We go up to Manti Canyon and find the perfect tree. Okay, there is no such thing as the perfect tree, right? It's like saying we have the perfect family. The first hour is fun and enjoyable as we look for the "perfect" tree. We are picky and selective. But then we get tired of climbing and looking. Kids get onery. We just need to pick a tree. This is the "perfect" tree for our family. It's not perfect but we like it.

Fishing with my husband

I really didn't want to hold the fish but I guess it's protocol to show off your prize

Paul caught the largest fish.

This picture was right after I caught the fish.

My husband likes to go fishing. I consider him a pretty good fisherman. I like it when he goes fishing because he usually brings home fish for us to eat after he goes fishing. He has a friend who takes him fishing with him on his boat. In October this friend invited me to go fishing. Wow. I felt special. I have never been fishing with them before on a boat. This is high tech. This friend has a fish finder GPS! This is serious business. I was a little nervous. It really was a lot of fun. I enjoy fishing. It is relaxing and exciting when you get a bite. It was probably a little too cold for me when the wind was blowing but I ended up catching a large fish. BTW: This friend calls it "catching" not fishing. He's great.

Satoshi

Every year in October we have had a japanese student come and live with us for a week. It is one of the highlights of our year. The kids really look forward to it every year. Satoshi was so nice and respectful and gracious. He actually could speak better English than our previous Japanese student which was so wonderful to be able to somewhat communicate rather than playing charades. I am always amazed at their proper manners, something my family needs a lot of work on, and trust. I am sure it is scary to come to a strange country and live with a strange family and be at their mercy, eating their food, having to speak a different language, doing their activities. He was so willing to do anything with us and trusting us completely. Usually it is a week of non-stop going but this year we didn't do as much and it seemed more enjoyable and less exhausting.

What we did (this is more for me to remember than for all you readers):

Halloween party

Kids learned how to make origami

Bowling

Horseback riding with scouts

BYU game

Sunday dinner with sisters and their Japanese student

Eating at JCW (note the picture above, he couldn't believe the size of the hamburgers in America)

Walmart (we spend hours and hours there...they loved it!)

Closing ceremony

Japanese sushi (we didn't want to take him to someplace he can experience in Japan but he wanted to go so Paul took him at 9pm the last night. He said is was "very delicious")

As I reflected about this experience something that made an impression on me is that even though we didn't speak the same language we did communicate. We communicated with our actions. What did he think of our family? Our rituals? Saying prayers before meals? Going to church? Reading our scriptures as a family? I wondered if he felt peace and calm in our home amid the chaos of children. Did he feel the Holy Ghost? Did we plant a seed for him? (it is illegal to preach to him because he is underage but we could do our normal routine) Brad mentioned that it would be cool for him to go on a mission to Japan and preach the gospel to our students. Actions do speak louder than words. We may say we believe but do our actions show that we believe. Is there any doubt in other's minds that I am not ashamed to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ? That I take it seriously and take the opportunity to bear my testimony and live the gospel fully. One of my most favorite quotes is from David O Mckay: "What you sincerely in your heart think of Christ, will determine what you are and will largely determine what your acts will be."

On the way to the closing ceremony, Satoshi said he is sad and we asked Why? Because he will miss our family and loves us. We love you too Satoshi and miss you. The morning he left (very early, mind you) he went into each of the kids bedroom and told them Goodbye. It was a very sweet moment.

Bread recipe

By popular demand (okay, request of 2 people), I am putting the recipe for homemade bread on my blog. I have a Kitchenaid so you can double it if you have something bigger (ex Bosch)

3 c whole wheat flour (freshly grounded, within a months time)

1/3 c vital wheat gluten

1 1/4 T instant yeast (I use SAF yeast)

2 1/2 c very warm tap water

Mix all four ingredients and mix for a minute. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging)

1 T salt

1/3 c oil

1/3 c honey or 1/2 c sugar (honey is better!)

1 1/4 T bottled lemon juice

Add the next 4 ingredients. Mix for a minute.

2-2/12 c WHITE (bread) flour (you can use wheat but we like the taste of both flours)

Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup. Add enough flour so the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Mix for about 6-10 minutes. This should make a soft dough that when you touch it, it springs back and dough is not left on your finger.

Preheat oven to lukewarm. Put dough onto oiled counter top and divide and shape into loaves and place in bread pans. I usually spray my bread pans with pam so it comes out easier. Put dough in the lukewarm oven and let it rise. Once the dough reaches the top of the pan, turn oven to 350 degrees. Do not remove the bread. Bake for 30 minutes (start timing when you turn the oven to 350 degrees). This recipe makes 2 loaves. Enjoy! Yummy!

Feeling prepared=priceless

This year we had a plentiful garden so I have used many items to can to store for later. Here's the breakdown:

14 qt bottles of pressure cooked chicken (it is so moist and tender!)

5 pint bottles of tomato sauce

2 qt bottles of marinara sauce

4 pint bottles of marinara sauce

12 qt bottles of sweet and sour sauce (so delicious with chicken nuggets!)

5 pint bottles of sweet and sour sauce

15 pint bottles of stewed tomatoes

8 qt bottles of apple pie filling

5 gallon freezer bags of apple pie filling

12 qt bottles of sliced apples

11 qt bottles of applesauce

22 qt bottles of peaches

10 quarts of grape juice

Halloween

I HATE Halloween. Okay hate is too hard of a word. Nope, can't think of anything else but hate. This year was actually less stressful and less busy than most, I think because it fell on a Saturday and I could do all the school parades and parties the day before. I bought their costumes months in advance (on sale, of course) which elimated half of the stress associated with Halloween. Now it's what to do with all that candy. Did anyone see that Family Circus comic in the Sunday paper? I totally feel that way as my kids are asking for candy first thing in the morning, just wait until AFTER breakfast. Plus, I will probably gain weight from all the candy that I eat because I don't want them to eat it but don't want to throw away.

We went to a pumpkin weigh-in and saw HUGE pumpkins. The biggest pumpkin weighed in over 1000 lbs.

All of these pumpkins were grown in our garden (and the corn stalks, didn't get much corn but love the stalks for decoration).

Breadmaker in the house

Okay so I may not be the breadwinner of the house, but I am the breadmaker of the house! You may think I am bragging but I am not. I have finally mastered the making of bread (after years of failures, even rock hard rolls!). The key is freshly grounded wheat. I have a great recipe. It is soft and delicious and the kids love it! I think I will have another slice now.

Fall Break-Goblin Valley

I grew up in Utah but most of my vacations with my family were outside of Utah so I decided to show Utah to my own kids (as well as myself). This fall break we went to Goblin Valley (by Green River). Never been to it but heard great things about it. We took my sister's camper and camped for free (no reservations, first come basis) at a great campsite a mile past the entrance. We had a lot of fun for 2 days (and could have stayed longer). The weather was great and even hot at times. It was a fun play area for the kids as they were finding new openings and entrances to caves. Next time we want to bring a GPS and go Geo-caching. Good times and good memories.

Pacifier(s)

Does my son love pacifiers or what? He is such a crazy boy!

Story to melt your heart

Sterling had a bad day on Sunday. Church is now at 1:00 which I thought I would like, more time in the morning, no more rushing and being late to church BUT now it is right when Sterling takes his nap. I was hoping he would sleep at church but it hasn't happened yet. Sunday was Sterling's first time in nursery. Yeah! his parents exclaim until an hour later when they bring him to us because he his bawling uncontrollable. Who is this child? He never cries like that. Doesn't he know that nursery is fun with lots of toys, full on attention by adults, and awesome snacks? What is it about nursery that kids freak out about? I was afraid my son would have separation anxiety because he is wrapped around my little finger. So Sterling had no nap and we paid for it all day. When it was time for him to finally go to bed he fought us. For the first time in his life, I put him in his crib crying and walked out.
Now comes the sweet part. He shares a room with Preston. Usually it works out but sometimes Preston will play with him so he won't go to sleep. When I put Sterling to bed, Preston was asleep but he must of woken up by all the crying. He kept telling Sterling to stop crying and shush. But, he just keep screaming and crying. So, Preston decides to sing to him. Suddenly we hear The wheels on the bus being sung by Preston. He starts singing The baby on the bus goes sh-sh-sh, sh-sh-sh, sh-sh-sh all through the town. I was amazed. Preston never seizes to amaze or surprise us by his capabilities. He seems to continue to have progression and we are so pleased and grateful for his achievements. Preston has so much love to give and I hope he feels our love for him. I am grateful that he functions so well, just one tender mercy from our Heavenly Father. I know I have had many spiritual experiences because I have an autistic child. And I have relied on the Lord more because I have an autistic child. Sterling eventually fell asleep and the house was peaceful. Good job, Prest!

7 hens, 1 rooster

Our chicks are all grown now and the final count is 7 hens and one rooster. We have our own little polygamy ranch. He seems to enjoy being the boss and keeping those hens in line (and doing his thing, you know what I mean). We are getting 7 eggs a day. So if you are in need of an egg or two, come get some farm fresh brown eggs (you may be lucky and get a large egg that has two yolks!)

Summer 2009

I know this is a little late but I wanted to document what we did this summer. I think we hit every pool in Utah. We went to Seven Peaks, Raging Waters and most of the local community pools. We did many other things but these were our highlights. Enjoy!

Stung by a wasp

Sterling was stung by a wasp 5 times-that's right, 5 times! He kept hopping around and slapping his leg until Paul pulled his pants down and the wasp fell out. You better believe we destroyed that hornet. A little bit of melaleuca oil and ice and it healed very quickly. I hate wasps!

What I did today...

I made 4 loaves of bread, banana-oatmeal-chocolate chips muffins (very healthy until you add the chocolate chips!), canned sweet and sour sauce with our garden tomatoes, and made dinner for my neighbors. What a productive day!

Need to save some money, go to Smith's

I scored at Smith's yesterday! I haven't been able to do a lot of deal/coupon shopping this summer because of limited time but I finally took advantage of the double coupon day at Smith's. I took ALL my coupons and headed to the store. I think I was there for over an hour but I walked out with $100 of groceries and only ended up paying $40! That's 70% savings. And on top of that, I am going to send in a rebate for $10 back. That means I got $100 of groceries for only $30. Yippee! I wish you could see my excitment. The man in line (who had to wait for each coupon to be scanned, I think I about 40 coupons) said he had heard of people like me who lowered their grocery bill with coupons but never seen it. He was throughly impressed. To be honest, I was impressed too.

Trek 2009

Paul and I had the amazing experience to go on Trek with the youth to Tabiona, UT (I did not know there was a city Tabiona in Utah, and I have lived here my whole life). It is over the mountain from Heber. Our kids were all over the state and into another, the girls went to Idaho with Paul's brother and sister-in-law, the boys went to Riverton with my brother and sister-in-law, and Sterling was in Provo with my sister. We were Ma's and Pa's over a group of 3 boys and 3 girls (most "families" had more, ours was the smallest) reinacting and experiencing the pioneer stories of crossing the plains to get to Salt Lake. I have ties from my side of the family from the Loader family who came in the Martin's Cove company so I felt a genuine connection for the pioneers. I won't bore you with the details of each day but I want to write down my feelings and emotions I had on Trek. The most memorable experiences were the Women's Pull (Faith Hill) and the last day.

Faith Hill (aka Women's Pull)

The men left to go fight in the "Mormon Battalion". This was an actual event. The men left and the women had to continue pulling the handcarts by themselves. The hill they chose for us was soft dirt and it just kept going up and up and up. It was so hard, probably the most physically demanding. We had a devotional before we started. We sang Sister in Zion and Sister Twiggs (the young women president) spoke to us and motivated us by saying Satan will try to make us believe we can't do it, it's too hard, to give up but WE CAN DO THIS! What this taught me about myself-I have more strength and endurance than I thought I did. I thought I was in good shape but I was breathing so hard plus it didn't help to be hot and at a higher elevation. But, at the end I did and the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.

I can't do it alone, I need others to help me push and pull. We all have our own "handcarts" we are pushing. We need to each other. We are very powerful TOGETHER against the evils of Satan.

We all walked by the boys and they couldn't help but just look at us and encourage us. It was hard for those boys to do that but it taught them valuable lessons as well-respect for the women, the capabilities of women, and that women can do hard things. At the end of the hill, the boys could step in and take over. What a relief! And it seemed to be at the perfect time when I didn't think I could take another step. Sister Twiggs spoke again that night and told us that is like the Savior. He had to let us do it on our own watching us, encouraging us but it isn't until we can't do it anymore that He steps in. Powerful!

Angels among us (the last day)

Unlike previous days that were physically draining, this day was emotionally draining. The previous day our rice baby died. But, this day one of our siblings died which happened very often in the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies. Each family on trek had a sibling die. Ours was sweet, little Kimmie. As we were packing up she had to leave and go with the Stake. Our family walked down the trail without her. At a certain point on the trail they told us it was sacred ground and we needed to be quiet and reverent. As we turned the corner we saw the most magestic, beautiful, awe-inspiring sight I have ever seen. Against the red rock were the youth who had been chosen to die holding the rice babies we buried the day before. The spirit was so strong. I saw our sweet girl and she gave a little, discreet wave and then I saw her holding the baby. I lost it. I thought of my own family and I missed them. My emotions were at the surface because I was physically drained and then the spirit touched me so much I became emotionally drained. My love for those saints grew, my love for the youth grew, and my testimony of the plan of salvation grew. Death is not the end and I know heaven will be glorious as I felt a glimpse of it in Tabiona, UT. We all have angels among us-helping us, cheering us on, and praying for us.

There is no other place stronger than when the youth are gathered together. I feel blessed and privileged to be with the youth in my calling as a counselor in the young women's. I also feel extremely humbled to have been a part of that wonderful experience on trek. It was a moment in there life they will say they KNEW the gospel was true. This experience once again testified to me that the church is true, that Christ is our Savior, and Joseph Smith restored the gospel here on earth. It also reaffirmed by faith in the plan of salvation. I am grateful to have this knowledge and to have the gift of the Holy Ghost testify to me.

July

Summer has been busy (as always) and it has been going so fast. I have so enjoyed doing specific activities with the kids each day. July is a hectic month. We spent the 4th of July with family. We did wake up early to go look at the balloons but missed them. I guess they start at 6:00 not 6:30! But the nice thing was we went to breakfast at Macey's in Provo (of course it was free) and a balloon landed right in front of us. It made it all worth it. It did have to take off again because there was no room for it. We did go to the parade, who can miss the Freedom Festival parade? It has to be the best one. Especially if you arrive at 9 and get bleacher seats in the shade.

We opted out of Stadium of Fire because my parents aren't here and it's not the same without them. I regret not going but look forward to it next year. There is nothing like the Stadium of Fire and it brings about so many emotions of love for my county and being with my family. I have so many fond memories of past Stadium of Fire. We did sent Brad to Stadium with cousins (he so deserved it!) so he represented our family. He took some good pictures and video of the night.

Paul and I went on Trek with the youth July 8-11. Unbelievable experience and deserves it's own post. Life changing! Brad is at scout camp this week and I have girl's camp at the end of the month. I feel summer is slipping by but we have enjoyed the pool and all the fun with summer.

Summer is here

School's out and it's summertime. YEAH! I actually do enjoy summer. I love the heat. I love being outside. I love going to the pool every day. I love picking up after my kids after they change their clothes from swimsuit to regular clothes and again to swimsuit (okay, THAT I don't like). Every year I think I need to have more constructive activities for the kids so they don't get bored. So, this year Brad (my 12 year old son) and I decided that we are going to a specific activity every day. Some will be fun, others not so fun. I am posting them because the probability of us doing it after writing them down goes up and telling them to friends, it even goes up higher (accountability).

Mondays-Cooking day (usually a dessert for FHE)

Tuesdays-Movie day (summer movies at the Cinemark in AF for only $5 a kid for 10 movies)

Wednesdays-Outdoor chores (weeding, mowing, harvesting the gardens)




Thursdays-Learn something new (new museums, academics, library)

Fridays-Fun day outside, sports, misc

Saturdays-Indoor chores

Sundays-Games and company

I am hoping that these activities will be in the morning before lunch and then we will time for swimming after lunch. Of course, with the summer comes flexibility. That is what is so great about summer! What are you doing this summer?

Life as you know it will never be the same...

That is what I have been telling my 11 year old (almost 12) all day today. Brad graduated from elementary school today. CONGRATS, BRAD! WAY TO GO! It only seemed fitting that they each had a balloon and sent it off into the sky. Goodbye childhood, goodbye play, goodbye recess, goodbye innocence, goodbye fun. Now it's all work and no play. Now it is responsibility and no relying on mom and dad. Now it's survival mode and no mr. nice guy. I would be lying if I didn't say that I am scared to death to have him go to junior high. I hate junior high. Everything changes in junior high. Brad is a good boy. He is smart and excels in school. He makes friends easily and is a good friend. He is very creative and likes to have fun. I think he will do just fine in junior high. LOVE YOU, BRAD

Brad with his teacher, Mr D. He is an amazing teacher!!!!! Thanks for the great year!

Memorial Day

This year we stayed in Utah for Memorial Day. It was so nice to relax and enjoy a barbeque with Paul's sister and family. We went to Patience Loader's (one of the pioneers in the Martin Handcart Company) cementary in Pleasant Grove. She is my great great grandfather's aunt. It is because of her family that we now live in Utah. I am so grateful for my pioneer heritage. The stories and experiences really uplift me. I know they made many sacrifices for me. I am in awe of their strength, perservance, and committment to the gospel.

My favorite deals to date

As I have said in earlier blogs, I love to shop with coupons!!! I have to show my new food storage room. Remember in March when we built these shelves? Now look at them. We are well on our way to a year supply of food. And I did it with coupons and sales. I even stayed on our monthly budget of $400 (includes grocery and household items and eating out) for a family of 7. It is true that if you follow the prophets, you will be blessed.
Here are some of my favorite deals so far.

All the cereal-$1.00 or less

B-B-Q sauce-free

Capri sun-free

Pace picante sauce-free

Soda pop-$1 each/12 pack case

Deodorant/Body wash/Toothpaste/soap-free

Diapers-$2

One of my favorite shopping trips (so far) was at Albertsons. I bought $81.92 worth of groceries but with coupons it took it down to $26.65 (savings of 55.27) but I sent in a rebate for $20 so the whole thing cost me $6.65! I did not take a picture of all of the food (too much) but I did take a picture of the receipt (picture below). The receipt is over 2 feet long.

The picture below was an AWESOME day. I bought all the items for only (drum roll, please) $13.00. If you can't make out the picture, I bought 4 easy macs, 4 capri suns, 20 mac & cheese, 3 chocolate bliss candy, 3 chex mix, 2 trial size sunscreen, 3 boxes of cereal, and 2 toothbrushes. Not pictures are 6 apples that I bought for free (at SuperTarget with coupon).

Everything in this picture was free except for the fruit snacks (50 cents each) and the juice was buy 1 get one free.

It is a different way of shopping than I ever have done before. I only buy what is on sale and usually with a coupon. It takes me a lot longer to shop now because I have to figure out what to buy and go to multiple shopping stores but I love the satisfaction of getting a good deal. It brings a smile to my face.