Welcome our new addition!!!

It's finally here and we are so excited! We finally got shelves in our cold storage for our food storage and emergency preparedness.

Before pictures...

During pictures...

Yes, that is Paul just standing there watching Craig do all the work.

After pictures...

I know my food storage is weak but that is my goal for this year, build it up, one week at a time. I will soon have a mini grocery store. I have never been so passionate about something. Once Obama was elected, that was my wake up call. I need to be more self-reliant and prepared. Bottomline, I need to follow the counsel of the prophets. I finally get it and I can't express the joy and excitement I have felt getting my food storage together. It's exciting to plan and find the best deals around. I feel an urgency to remind everyone else that if you haven't started, start; if you have some, continue building on it; and if you have more than me, good job!

Kailene Storytelling

I entered Kailene into the Manila Elementary School Storytelling Festival. She had to memorize a story and tell it to her Kindergarten class. It took about a week but she memorized the book "My mother never listens to me", with actions, and was ready to do it in front of her class. Her class loved it and since she was the only one (not only in her class but in the whole Kindergarten) to enter she moved on to the next round. She then had to tell her story in front of 3 judges. She was so nervous her legs were shaking. When we left the room, she told me that she should have thought of the judges in their underwear and maybe she wouldn't have been so nervous (advice from her older brother). The winner of the lower (K-3) and upper (4-6) was going to be announced during a school assembly. But, first, they wanted her to tell her story in front of the whole school. I wasn't sure she would be able to do it because she was nervous just to do it front of 3 judges. On the way to the school, which is less than a mile, she was crying and telling me she didn't want to do it. "I can't do it" she kept saying which my reply was " You CAN do anything you say you can." I told her she didn't have to do it but it's  a cute story and she does a good job and everyone wants to hear her story. A little bit of bribery helped too. When they called her name she got up there and did the whole story all by herself. I only had to prompt her a couple of times. I was in shock. She did such an amazing job. I was so proud of her. I don't think I would have had the courage to do that.  She won the lower division. She got a cool trophy which she is proud of and shows it to everyone. She now has to do her story in front of the storytelling festival judges, which she is not happy about because she is tired of during it and doesn't want to do it  anymore. I only got her to do this video for Emma, her cousin in Texas. So here you go Emma. We miss you and wish you lived closer. Way to go, Kailene!

I'm a coupon clipper

I have never been good at coupon clipping. Either I don't use the item that is on sale or I forget to bring it when I purchase the item. Lately, I have been looking at different websites and blogs on how to save money in groceries. I have been very hesitant because I don't know how to use coupons or how to "work the system" to get items for cheap or even free. I have decided to try it so I am starting out small and with very few purchases. I ventured out to Target, with coupons in hand, and got 10 bags of goldfish. The final cost for each bag was .79. So I thought, I could do this. Next mission was Progresso Soup at Smiths. It's on sale this week for $1.33 (regular price $1.65) and with a coupon from online it's $1.10 off. I bought 30 cans with the total of $8.10! That made each can 23cents! I saved over $42.00. Can you believe it! I am so excited! Not only did I save money in groceries but I have added to my food storage. Now for my next mission...

The dog that never died

We have an apartment in our basement. The couple that lives downstairs own a dog, Max, a Texas Heeler. I really don't like dogs even though I grew up with many dogs, my favorites were 2 cocker spaniels named Canela and Sapo (Spanish names for Carmel and Toad...but that is for another blog). We own a dog as well. Actually we use to have 2 dogs but Stitch (a Golden Retriever) was too high maintenance so we sold him. Anyways, Max has become aggressive and barks at everyone. He also has learned how to jump the fence. So we told our renters that they probably better get rid of him. To our surprise, they told us they were going to "put him to sleep". Such a cruel thing, but then again I don't like dogs. The day they took him to the vet we told our kids that Max died. Kailene, who is so tender hearted, felt bad and wrote them a cute note for them (she is very creative and loves to write notes). We gave them cookies with the

note.

A couple days later, our renter came up and told us that he couldn't stand it any longer and had to go get Max. I guess they wait a couple of days before they put them to sleep. So now we still have Max (whose probably better off dead than alive) and have to explain to the kids that Max has resurrected from the dead. Good Grief!

We survived a YW Klondike!

The first weekend in Feb, the YW went on a Klondike-like winter campout. Our bishop is great and thinks the YW should experience the same thing the scouts (YM) experience. We agree!, until we went on this campout.

We went up to Mutual Dell Friday night. We were sleeping burrito style (if you don't know what that is, just ask a scout) which we made the night before. We set those out and started dinner--burrito surprise. It actually tasted good but everything tastes good when you are camping. We sat around the camp fire telling scary stories and ate dessert (delicious peach cobbler). Then it was time for bed. I had been dreading this the whole time. I don't like camping, even in the summer time, so I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up to camp in the winter! It was really cold but the bishop promised us we would not get cold in our burritos. You first have to take all your clothes off and change into new dry clothes. Sweat will make you cold and usually you are sweating throughout the day (or what women do..."perspire"). That was a chore just to take all your layers off and then put on dry layers. Then getting into the your sleeping bags was strenuous. Let's just say it was a tight fit. Have you ever breathed you own air? It's not all that it's cracked up to be. It's like a coffin (picture below). I just layed there, breathing my own air, in the pitch dark trying to go to sleep. I couldn't breathe, so I would put my head out of the bag and get cold, go back in my sleeping bag and breathe my own air. Repeating this the whole night. I felt like I was suffocating to death! As you can imagine, I got no sleep and finally ended up (around 6am) going to my car. I LOVE HEATED SEATS! I couldn't sleep even though I was exhausted so I got out the Book of Mormon in the car and caught up on my reading.

Breakfast was good the next morning if you like eggs, bacon and cheese melted in butter! Look out high cholesterol, here I come. We packed up and went home after the kids got in some sledding. Talking to the girls, I don't think we will be doing this soon...or ever. But we were so grateful to the bishopric for giving us this opportunity. Let's not forget about bragging rights. It almost makes it worth it. Next time my suggestion will be a resort with manicures and pedicures. Maybe the young men should do that for an activity. Now I understand why boys should be boys and girls should be girls. I love being a girl!

I like the bathtub

We went to the Draper Temple on Monday, Feb. 2. The kids were already out of school so we thought it would be a good time to go. It actually was a great time to go! Not too many people. We could walk through slowly and actually stay in each room a long time. What a beautiful temple! The woodwork is incredible. I think temples just keep getting better and better. What a blessing to be close to temples and to witness so many temples being built on the earth. Here are some pictures of our day at the temple...

The best part was afterwards we asked what the kids liked about the temple. Kailene said "I liked the bathtub!" Aren't kids adorable!

25 random things about me!

1. I am a night owl
2. Most of my thoughts and ideas come in the shower
3. I LOVE playing games, and WINNING!
4. I love deep conversations and asking the 'hard questions'
5. I have to make my bed first thing in the morning, even before morning prayers
6. I love weeding, to show off the flowers. I love flowers in my garden
7. My family calls me Heavenly Father's child
8. I still have a tan line on my legs from an 80 mile bike ride I did 2 years ago!
9. I do not handle stress well. I to plan every detail and like to be in control
10. I look like my mom, when she was my age
11. I hate being the center of attention
12. I love surprising others but hate being surprised
13. I love a good sale
14. I hate shopping but like online shopping
15. I DVR Oprah every day (but haven't had the time to watch it. I think I am up to 10 episodes recorded)
16. I love hot chocolate. I even drink it in the summer time. I would rather be hot than cold.
17. My favorite holiday is the 4th of July
18. In Mexico City, I was 6th grade president of the American school. No one knew me but I had a great speech.
19. Least favorite chore: emptying the dishwasher
20. When I was 5 or 6, I sang with my mom at a women's convention honoring Sister Kimball. She gave me a kiss. I still have the dress I wore.
21. I do not cry in public. Don't know why. My husband can probably count on one hand the times he has seen me cry. I like to cry alone.
22. I hate driving in the car on long trips. It is boring and I get tired and stressed. And I hate stopping for bathroom breaks
23. I love seeing how people live.
24. In 7th grade, my ear piece from my glasses broke and I had to go to school for a couple weeks without it. Only one boy teased me but I just think he liked me.
25. I like a good back rub