These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Babysitting Co-op
This was something I learned about when visiting my brother's family in NM. They told me all about their babysitting co-op and I got so excited about it that I took the initiative and started it up with a few friends in the neighborhood. It's grown to involve about 14 families, and more can still join. We're doing it a little differently than they did it in NM, but the basic idea is the same.

This is how it works:
Every family who joins the co-op, receives 10 blue coupons that are each good for 1 child for 1 hour of babysitting. So if they need 2 kids to be babysat for 2 hours, they will "pay" 4 coupons. Then, we also have 1 yellow "weekend date night" coupon that is good for the entire family for 3-4 hours on a weekend night. This makes it fair so that every time you babysit on a weekend night, you get a chance to get out the next time.

If someone needs a babysitter, they just email the entire group asking who can do it, and usually within a few hours, they have a willing sitter. There are no obligations, other than when you volunteer to watch someone's kids.

My favorite things about it:

• we save money from not paying babysitters
• we have always been able to find a babysitter when we've needed one
• it eliminates the awkward phone call to a friend or neighbor when I need their help
• it's even better than trading babysitting with one family because you don't have to keep track of who owes who, and you don't have to work around both family's schedules
  

So, if anyone in my neighborhood reads this and wants to join, feel free! Just contact me. And if you want to create your own co-op in your neighborhood, I can give you some helpful information.


Dinner Group
I've been hearing about this from another sister-in-law for awhile, so I don't know why it took me so long to get one going. We have 3 families in the group, and so we each take a night each week to make dinner for the other 2 families (the dinner includes the main dish and two sides). We make up a calendar ahead of time to make sure that we get variety each week. It makes for 2 blissful evenings when dinner arrives at our door, hot and ready to eat. Not to mention that our dishes after dinner are quick and easy. Then we have one day a week when I spend a lot of the day in the kitchen, and at about 5:00 I'm a little stressed, trying to get dinner ready on time for three families. On that night, we have a lot more kitchen clean-up, and I'm exhausted. But the pros far outweigh the cons. And I've found that it's become easier the more I've done it.

What I love about our dinner group:

• I personally enjoy the food more when I didn't spend the time preparing it
• The nights we get dinner brought to us, I don't have to think about dinner, and I can spend my late afternoon doing other things
• There is less time that I feel like I'm neglecting my kids while I prepare dinner
• We eat better (more variety, well-balanced meals, and more desserts!)
• I'm finding new meals ideas and recipes from my friends' meals
  
• Our monthly grocery spending has gone down
• I am more motivated and get more enjoyment out of cooking the one meal, knowing that my friends' families will be getting it too
  

Price Matching at Wal-mart
I may have already written about this on our blog, but since it's still one of my favorite things, I'll write about it again. We save SO much money each month on groceries by only buying what's really on sale, and buying enough to stock up for awhile. I get the sale details from a website www.dealstomeals.com, where they have it organized so well that I can quickly make my list of all the sale items from every store around. Then I head to Wal-mart. It took me a lot longer at first, but it's getting easier and faster each time. Sometimes I can't find the right item to match the sales, but most of the time I can. I leave the store each week with a huge grin, knowing I just saved a LOT of money!

To give an example of the deals I've been getting, I only buy grapes for $0.99/lb, sour cream and cottage cheese for $1.00, yogurt for $0.33 or less, cheese when it's $3.99 for 2 lbs., sausage when it's $1.00, pre-made salads for $1.00, ice cream for $1.00 and cereal for $1.50 or less. Then often, I'll get crazy deals, like a cucumber for 0.20, a pineapple for $2, Fuji apples for $0.33/lb, bakery fresh french bread for $0.50, kiwis for $0.20 each, etc.

I love that it's easy and doesn't have to involve any coupons. I love that I go to ONE store, instead of running around town from store to store, only to find that the sale items are gone. And I'm surprised how easy it is--you don't have to show the adds and most of the time, they don't even ask what store is having the sale. They trust your word, and this takes away a lot of the stress. In the end, it benefits Wal-mart too, because they are still getting my business, and I end up buying some other non-sale items from them each time as well.

Keeping the Love Alive

When we got married, Elder Featherstone counseled us to continue "courting" each other, with love notes, small acts of service, etc. Even the small things can mean so much. Thanks, Paul!

A Lazy Sunday Evening

We have to enjoy the good weather while we have it! There's nothing like an evening outside with our dad!


The dolly comes outside too, of course!

Why do kids love being naked?
We finally convinced her to get dressed

What a sweet girl!
Who has discovered the game of "hit." Not only can she hit really well, but she can do it while holding her Becca.

What would life be like without Abby? The day is not complete if we haven't had a chance to play!

In Search of Autumn Leaves

For a recent Family Home Evening, we took our much-anticipated hike in the mountains to find beautiful leaves. We got off to a late start, and the sun went down too soon, so it ended up being a 10-minute hike. We agreed it was the perfect hike for us this year! We just love being together as a family!

Gathering the Courage

After an entire summer of us suggesting that Gracie try the slide, she finally overcame that fear! And of course, she did it by herself. One thing you must know about Grace: She does what she wants to do when she wants to do it.

"I so brave!"

Halloween Happenings

Wheeler Farm & Pumpkin Patch
Grace got to dress herself. It was her lucky day! She got to wear her sunglasses and the coveted green skirt!! I've learned my lesson not to buy something just "for fun" because it might end up being worn almost everyday. But I have to admit, there was something so cute about her combo that day! We just adore her!


The Hayride was a blast!


Who would have guessed that the kids would be so entertained in a pumpkin patch? We could have spent an hour there, just running from pumpkin to pumpkin, picking them up and then dropping them again!

Making the Best out of a Bump
Our porch was pumpkinless for most of October (probably because I didn't want to lift one more heavy thing at the store), so we were glad when our nice neighbors gave us this pumpkin that they got from their uncle's garden. But I kind of got the feeling that it was the one nobody wanted (who wants a strange growth on their pumpkin?). If the gardener could see this now, I'm sure he'd be wanting it back! What personality, without a minute of carving!

Halloween Costumes

Yorgason Family Halloween Party

Joyschool Halloween Party

The "Nesting Stage"

5 weeks to go! The due date is December 6th.


I feel HUGE! I'm already bigger than I've been when I delivered the girls (my OB confirmed my suspicions!). I'm so glad this baby is coming out soon! I'm a little more anxious than I've been in the past, so I really wouldn't mind if he or she came early. Lately, the baby has been pushing up against my ribs and it's been really painful. I don't think I could endure this for another month. At this point of discomfort, I have to remind myself how blessed I am to be able to get pregnant, and how excited we are to have another child. We can't wait to meet this baby!

Every pregnancy, I have major goals to finish things before the baby comes. But I think this time, it's been more extreme. I started earlier (as soon as I knew I was pregnant, I started thinking of all the things we need to do before we have three kids--but then morning sickness hit, and I was out of commission for awhile), and I'm hoping my energy and motivation will last up until the day before the baby comes.

So, here's what we've done to our "nest":

Decorated the Basement and Millie's Room

We found the bookshelf on KSL for $50 and painted it. The lanterns were $5 at a garage sale! And I finally forced myself to get some things up on the walls. Even though I LOVE to decorate, I have the hardest time doing it in our own home!


Millie's bedroom should have been decorated a long time ago, and now that it's finally looking "done", we may have to change it into a boy room! Maybe this is one reason why I don't want to know what we're having yet!



Organized the Closets/Drawers/Cupboards

I was inspired to do this after visiting Dave and Holly in NM. They gave me new meaning to being organized. I realized what a mess I was in, and I had a vision of how I could fix it. Thanks, Holly! I love having "a place for everything and everything in its place." I think it makes it easier to keep a clean house.



More Food Storage Space

Our unfinished basement bathroom is now officially a food storage room. It's so nice to have more shelf space. I think this is my favorite room of our entire house!

(before)
(after)


Organized the Garage

There is nothing like a clean garage! For some reason, we get it clean and then a few months later, it desperately needs another big cleaning. But it always feels good when it's done.

I don't know why it took us so long to discover that this area of the garage was PERFECT for shelves! Paul is such a "handy-man!" He always impresses me with his shelf-making.



New Transportation

With the baby coming, it was time to make the plunge into being a minivan family. We looked around a lot, and test-drove some really nice vans. But in the end, we went with something more affordable. Dave Ramsey's "financial peace" principles have really sunk in. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the van, but we were sure we liked not having a car payment. Now, we really like the van too! It's been surprisingly fun to drive a mini-van.

Good-bye "Blackie"

Hello Minivan!

Millie's in Preschool!

I can't believe Millie's old enough to go to preschool! Sometimes it feels like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. She goes to "Miss Kristi's" school called "Oceans of Learning" while mommy and Gracie play with Brooklyn (the teacher's daughter). This works out great to have a friend come home with us, because Grace gets sad to leave Millie behind.

Miss Kristi says that Millie is one of her best singers in the class. Millie is growing up so fast and loves to learn! We're so glad to have her in this great preschool. Millie already knows more about bees than I do!

"Happy Birthday Dear Gracie!"

It's hard to believe that our baby is two years old! We've had fun singing "Happy Birthday" all week long to Grace. She never tires of hearing it and singing along. Every time we finish, she reminds us to blow out the candles too.

The girls have been working on a sticker chart all week long in order to go to Chuck-E-Cheese. We conveniently helped them to earn enough just in time for Gracie's Birthday. We had such a fun birthday together as a family at Chuck-E-Cheese's and then at Grandma and Grandpa Yorgason's house with cousins. I can't believe we don't have a picture of her blowing out the candles--only video!


Grace's Favorite Things to Do:

• taking care of her baby that she calls "my Becca"


• going potty "all by myself," which really means just sitting on the toilet for a few minutes, like a big girl


• having a tea party and pouring the water herself

• saying prayers--she insists on saying most of the prayers in our home, and she'll begin without anyone asking her to say them. And after a sentence or two, she'll stop and complain that "Millie Mae not saying prayer" (Millie isn't folding her arms!)

• brushing anyone's hair who will let her
  


• pushing her dollies on the swing


• dancing in her purple polka dot princess dress
  


• taking off her diaper and throwing it onto the floor before she falls asleep (and then wetting the crib before we discover it's off!)
  


• coloring with markers, gluing with a LOT of Elmer's glue, doing play dough and any other craft she can get her hands on
  


• helping to make Mac'n Cheese or or orange juice or any food that allows her time up on the counter


• singing songs solo style--as shy as she can be, she still loves to perform!

Gracie's Favorite Foods:

• frispies (rice crispies)
  


• fruit (she eats more fruit than anyone in our family)
  


• chicken dinosaurs


• mac 'n cheese
  


• juice


• hot dogs
  


• cheese

• toast that she butters herself

• fishes, crackers, pretzels, etc.
  

• rice that she salts herself


• "torn" (corn)

Cute Sayings:

• As I pick her up, she'll say "ahhh...I so heavy!"


• "um...sure...yeah, sure!" (this is her main way to say, "yes")


• "why?"
  


• "otay" (she hasn't got the "k" sound down yet)

• "amen" when finishing a book or ending a pretend phone call

• "tan you pease help me?" (she is very polite!)

• "tome on, otay?"
  

• when anyone takes a bite of food, she'll ask, "you lite it?"


• "I get mateed (married) in da temple" (and every time she sees a princess, she mentions how they are getting married too!)


• "Mommy,...wha doin?" (she loves to talk about what I'm doing)

Things We Love About Grace:

• her complex personality that keeps us wondering
  


• she can be sweet and cuddly, reserved and shy, hyper and fun, strong-willed or agreeable
  


• her constant jabbering that is getting easier to understand all the time

• she's always talked in sentences! She is smart girl!
  

• her cute nose-wrinkle when she laughs

• she shrugs her shoulders after she makes a comment
  

• she makes the biggest frown with her lower lip out and turning down
  

• her innate mothering nature--she has a need to care for her babies everyday
  


• how she can concentrate for a long time on things like drawing, books , puzzles, etc.

Hot Summer Days

I love having a blog, except when I don't write! And that seems to be every month! Then I try to catch up, and after getting caught up, I let it go for another 4-6 weeks. So sad, but life is busy!

So here's my attempt to cover for July and August:

Good Times Outside

Trip to New Mexico
It was so fun to visit Dave and Holly's family. They were great hosts! We were spoiled by them the entire time. Now we love Albuquerque too!


Millie's Drawings
One morning while Paul and I were trying to sneak in a few more minutes of sleep, we asked Millie to go draw us a picture. She came back with one, and then she'd leave again and draw someone else. So, here's the perspective and skills of a 3-year-old:

Grandpa

Daddy
Mommy
Grace
Abby (her friend)
Lagoon
We talked about this place all year long, and the big day has come and gone! But I don't think the girls were disappointed. We thought they might last for 4 or 5 hours, but we stayed ALL day long (that means no naps!), and they loved it!

The Ladybug Drop is one of our favorite rides to talk about still. It goes up and down!
Paul's favorite ride: the wild kingdom train.

We made the mistake of taking Grace on a couple "scary" rides at the first (you can see the fear all over her face!), so she had a few hours where she refused to go on any rides.
But we finally decided to get our money's worth, so we forced Grace to go on the mildest ride there (the boat one). She was so mad at us. But after a few times around, her smile came back and she started enjoying herself again.

We went on the Merry-go-Round too many times, but the kids just don't get sick of this one!
Mommy is STILL afraid of heights, so the Ferris Wheel was not a relaxing experience. I tried to hide my fear from the girls, but they could sense it. Now every time we pass by Lagoon, the girls see the Ferris Wheel and say, "there's the one that you got scared on!" I wish their memory wasn't so good!

This is the Place Monument--Fairbanks Family Reunion
We look forward to this family reunion every year because it's so much fun for the kids. We loved the petting zoo area. The girls just went right up to the lambs and goats with no fear. And they loved the train rides too. We highly recommend this place for anyone who hasn't been there lately. They have new things every year!


Oquirrh Hills Temple Open House
We're so blessed to have another temple in our valley! We loved touring the new temple, even though the girls were a handful. Hopefully they aren't too young to remember it and to gain an appreciation for this special place. We went with the Angela and Michelle. It was great to be there with them!


Gracie insists on holding Millie's hand almost everywhere we go. I can't get enough of it either! I'm so glad they are "best sisters" as Millie put it today!

Anniversary Celebration

4 wonderful years of marriage
3 years living in North Salt Lake
2 beautiful daughters
1 December baby on the way...

endless memories already made together
and eternity to look forward to.

Looking on the Bright Side of Things

Yes, it's been a pretty gloomy, wet June. But there are many reasons why I am grateful for all the rain we've been getting out here in Utah the past few weeks. The reservoirs are pretty full, the mountains are still green...and, on a more personal note, I haven't had to hand water our gardens!

Our vegetable garden and flower garden are insufficiently watered by the sprinkling system, so every summer, we plant with high hopes, but then after a few weeks of summer weather, they start to dry off. We begin to water by hand each night, and pretty soon we get tired and neglectful. Our garden never produces like it should, and half the plants we buy end of dying.

So, at least for the month of June, I'm really enjoying our gardens!

Meet Templeton

Well, we finally became pet-owners. We don't really know how to just play in the backyard anymore. Now, whenever we are outside, we take turns holding the bunny or watching it hop around. Templeton has become part of the family!

In the week that we've had it, the girls have come a long way in learning how to treat a pet. They help daddy change it's water and give it more food. They like to open the cage and let it out. But of course, it tries to avoid being picked up by them. Gracie has always been pretty sweet with it, but Millie has had to learn to not pick it up every other second. Templeton seemed so scared of the girls those first few days, but now he (or she) will sit calmly on their lap.



We put together a little cage that it can sit in with the girls so we don't have to worry about it getting away to far. The poor thing probably hates this thing. It loves to run to our garden and hide from the girls.

1st Place Matchmakers 2009

Paul has won many trophies in his days of sports, but this is my first one. I think we better show it off a bit!


And now, the story behind the trophy:

(a little background) Paul and I were set up on a blind date, so one of the goals of our marriage is have successful set-ups, so that others can enjoy the happiness of marriage that we enjoy.

In 2006, Paul tried to set Kent (his brother) up with Sara (an intern from his work). However, she was leaving on a mission, so it fizzled out after just one phone call. We thought of her a couple times while she was gone, but she didn't even remember the phone call with Kent. Then after her mission, she returned to working in the same department as Paul. So last Summer, Paul talked about trying the set-up again. (Now this is my important role) I kept reminding Paul to get her number while he was busy at work. He got it. She was willing. And Kent called her up. They started dating, and the rest is history!


Aren't they a happy couple? It's been so wonderful to see them fall in love, get engaged, and then married last week. It couldn't have been a happier day! They are such a perfectly-matched couple. Elder Holland performed their wedding, and that was a memorable experience for all of us.

At their wedding breakfast, they surprised us with this trophy. Don't ask me how they had time to think of a trophy with all the other wedding plans!


Gracie is kind of fixated on the whole thing. MANY times a day, she brings it up. The conversation goes something like this:

Gracie: "wa...wa...wa...Sarah?"
Mommy: "Where's Sarah?"
Gracie: "ehh...ehh..daa...Tent (Kent)"
Mommy: "Where are Sarah and Kent?"
Gracie: "umm...bu-bye...ehh...home!"
Mommy: "Yeah...they went bye-bye, and where did they get married?"
Gracie: "Temple!"


And just for the record, we are still VERY much in love after almost 4 years of marriage!


UPDATE: We just got news that another couple we set up are now engaged! We are so happy for you, Eric and Lisa! Congratulations!

An Attempt to Catch Up!

Big Girl Bed With New Jammies!
Millie officially graduated into a "big girl" bed, and got some new PJs the same night. Now that makes for one happy 3-year-old!

Visit To Grandma Lucy in Fountain Green
It's always nice to get time with Grandma, especially when we get a sleep over and ride the lawn mower!

Day to Day Life
Someone knows she is beautiful!
And must get her beauty sleep
Grace CANNOT eat yogurt without turning it into art at the end

How can we resist granting her what she wants when she gives us this face?
Still wishing it was Halloween so she could be like her big sister

Some people can pull off these sophisticated glasses :)
Millie is "girl" through and through! She loves getting new clothes and smiling for the camera!
A spring picnic out on the deck--our favorite way to have lunch!

So glad we have neighbor friends to play with!
Gracie's perfect grip that she figured out on her own

Grace LOVES to draw, and can spend a very long time working on her drawings. We wonder if she is a little artist in the making!
Millie's letters...and pictures...

Playgroup at the Park

Temple Square Outing
Fishing in Paradise
It only took 3 minutes to catch her first fish...now that's a great place to fish! Grandpa Thatcher's pond!

An Official Announcement:
(read her bib!)

She's telling the truth! We are having a baby in December!

We feel so blessed and can't wait to find out who will be joining our family. Well... I guess we can wait, since we aren't going to find out from the ultrasound what the gender is. But we are excited for the surprise!

Marvelous Millie Mae

Millie's Favorite Things To Do:

• swing
• color
• ride her bike
  
• play dough
• take care of dolls
• pretend to be a Dr.
• perform impromptu songs with made-up words

Millie's Recent Accomplishments:

• learned to pump (she can start alone, and get it up and going high!)
• caught a fish at Grandpa Thatcher's
• figured out how to climb in and out of her crib
• learned to ride a "big girl" bike
  

Millie's Favorite Foods:

• oatmeal
• mac'n cheese
• chicken dinosaurs
• smoothies
• and milk, milk, milk!
  

Millie's Favorite Treats:

• popsicles
• gum from Grandpa Y.
  
• ice cream cones
• fruit snacks
  
• any candy she can get her hands on

Millie's Three-Year-Old Mischievous Acts:

• Runs out the door with little or no clothes on
• Goes over to a friend's backdoor and asks to play (many times a day)
• Won't stay in her bed for naps or bedtime
• Wakes up Grace from her nap or in the morning (a couple hours early!)
• Rides her bike down the street, and sometimes just keeps going around the corner

What We Love Most About Millie:

• She loves Heavenly Father and Jesus, and knows that They love her (recently, when she has been sad or in trouble, she will say a prayer for help)
  
• She has a light in her countenance and a sparkle in her eyes
• She loves to share with Grace
  
• She tries to obey Mommy and Daddy
• She has a great imagination--she wants stories every night in bed, and lately she prefers the scary stories, like a bear hunt with her friends

"Is Me Three Years Old?"

"Yes, Millie, you are three now! You are such a big girl!"

We've had a very fun Birthday weekend for Millie. She had a swim party on Saturday with a few friends (and luckily, it didn't rain). Millie requested a chocolate cake, that she helped me make. She delivered the party invitations and helped stuff the party favor bags. She had a blast, as you can see from the pictures:


We played "red light green light" and "duck, duck goose."
Happy Birthday song and candles on the cake

Millie is a natural on her new "big girl" bike.


This dress was a "hand-me-down" gift for Grace, but Millie found a way for it to fit her. She was in heaven as she danced and twirled, and Gracie was just as happy to be wearing Millie's new shirt as a dress.
...and, of course, we celebrated a few times, so here's blowing out the candles again!


And here's a video of us singing "Happy Birthday."

Happy Smingus Dingus

I hope you are reading this post on Monday, April 13th! Because if you are, it's not too late to join in on a fun Polish Holiday.

The Monday after Easter is the craziest day of the year in Poland--Smingus Dingus (pronounced Shmeengus Deengus). It's a national water fight day. All day long, there are no limitations to who you can soak: friend or stranger, old or young, boy or girl. (Traditionally, the holiday started as a day for boys to soak girls that they liked, but it has evolved to an equal gender water fight).

I have vivid memories waking up that first Smingus Dingus day in Poland and looking outside to see the streets completely empty (everyone tries to stay inside that day). And then I spotted a young boy with goggles and a backpack full of water. He was walking around looking for his first victim. We begged the Elders to postpone district meeting, but they insisted we come to the meetinghouse. An hour later, that same young boy we saw ended up getting us as we jumped onto the public tram. Later, as we walked down an empty sidewalk in the city, we heard the alarming sound of water dropping a few feet ahead of us. We looked up to the tall apartment building and we could see some heads poking out of windows. We ran, but we were too easy of a target. By the time we got to the meetinghouse, we were horrified and wet. But of course our dear Elders were anxiously waiting there to soak us from the upper windows as we unlocked the main door. Oh, the fun of being in a new country!

So, that's one Holiday I have to hang on to.

Poor Paul!

He is my main target right now, because our girls wouldn't understand, and our neighbors wouldn't like it. The great thing is, I think he's forgotten about it! I try not to bring it up. I'd hate to get soaked first.

Last year, I almost forgot about it. At about 10pm, Paul was coming up the stairs for us to go to sleep. I poured a small amount of water from a drinking glass and got him good. It shocked him SO bad! He said that he was just thinking, "what was that for?" He thought I must have been mad at him or something. I can't wait for his reaction tonight as he is mowing the lawn (laughing).

UPDATE: some have requested to know how it ended. Well, he was too quick while mowing the lawn, but just before we ended our yard work, I called him over, saying, "do you know what today is?" and sprayed him a little. He had totally forgot, but he admitted that I was pretty nice to him to not soak him worse. I admit, I was afraid to get it back. But he just kept smiling, and I knew revenge would come sometime that night. Right before bed, he got me while I was coming up the stairs, when I was totally not expecting it! We called it even and went to bed on good terms.

The Blessing of the Resurrection for Cameron

I'm grateful this Easter weekend to have a real reminder of how wonderful Christ's resurrection really is.

A young man I knew, Cameron Merrill, just passed away on Thursday after battling cancer for over two years. I was Cameron's MTC teacher in 2001. Elder Merrill was kind, humble, friendly, and full of love. I was impressed by his maturity at a young age, and his great desire to do what was right in the sight of God. I knew he would be a remarkable missionary in Poland.

I only saw Cameron a couple times after his mission, but I noticed he was still a friend to all. He was optimistic about life and seemed to be doing well. He made me feel like a close friend, even though we didn't have much contact.

Just over a week ago, I heard that Cameron had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and had little time to live. I learned that he was married 2 years ago, but had battled with cancer for that entire time.

For a few days, I felt sick about the sad news. I couldn't stop thinking of all the pain and heartache he had been through. I kept thinking of his young wife who knew she'd be a widow soon. I thought of all the potential that Cameron had for his future--such a good man that could do so much good. But for some reason, the Lord was allowing him to have a shorter path on Earth. He was forced to prepare sooner for his return to his Maker. He had gone through a faster refiner's fire, that must have given him the chance to prepare.

When I heard of his tragic illness a week ago, I decided that I would call him. I figured out how I would get his number, but that's as far as I got. I didn't realize I needed to act fast. I missed my chance to tell him how grateful I was for his example and friendship.

But I know that beyond the sadness and loss that all who know him must feel, we can have hope to see him again. We can know that his spirit lives on, and is in Paradise. He has passed his earthly test, and one day his spirit will reunite with his perfect, glorified body--free of cancer and pain. This gift has been given to all people--good and bad.

On the first Easter morning, two thousand years ago, Christ overcame death and rose from the grave. He is the reason we celebrate Easter. He brings new life and hope to all.

Success in the bread department...finally!

When we got married over 3 years ago, I honestly did not know how to cook or bake anything. I'm still very new at it all, and I find myself pleased if I just do something creative in the kitchen before Paul gets home. I hope one day to be a great "mother" chef. Thank goodness for Paul's patience with my cooking skills!

My latest endeavor has been homemade bread. I've been making bread all winter long, but I've only been trying one recipe so that I could get it right (It's the recipe the church gives on ProvidentLiving.org). In fact, one day, I got a little confident, so I invited a friend over to teach her how to make it, and our bread turned out looking awful! She said it tasted okay, but I was a little discouraged.

Then a few months ago, I ended up with some awesome loaves. Every time we ate a piece, Paul and I would talk about how good it was. But I couldn't ever figure out what I had done differently, so I haven't seen anything like it again...until today!

Since I finally got my dream loaves back (and who knows if I'll ever get any like this again), I thought I'd take a few pictures and celebrate! I was so excited when I peeked into the oven to see these beautiful things. They are tall, light, fluffy, moist and delicious! I can't stop eating it!

I think the trick lies in using only 5 cups wheat flour and 3 white flour, and then letting it rise twice--once on the counter, and then again in a heated (but turned off) oven. Too bad they aren't as healthy as the 100% whole wheat.

Anyone want to make homemade bread with me? I'm becoming a big fan of it. Or, if you have a favorite bread recipe, send it my way. I want to branch out a little more.

My Little "Music Makers" Class

Last Summer, my friend (Gina) asked me if I ever teach a general music class to young kids. That got me thinking that maybe I should. I began to teach a couple group music classes to local kids, called "Music Makers." I did it last Summer, and then again in January. I've had a way better response than I could have imagined. I think the kids really had fun, and to my great surprise, I actually enjoyed it too!

Just think, I've found a fun way to get us ready for the day by 10:00 am, have friends over, be a fun, creative mom, keep my "foot in the door" with music lessons, and earn a little extra spending cash, all in one! Yea!

I teach a "Mom and Me class" for 18 mo. - 3 year olds, and a "Preschool class" for 3-5 year olds. We sing songs, learn about instruments, notes, the musical staff, dynamics, rhythms, and we make music on fun little kid-friendly instruments. They come once a week for four weeks, and then it's over. By then, I'm ready for a break for a few months, but I keep coming back to it. It seems to get better each time!

The best part for me is that Millie and Gracie have loved it. I love seeing them so content during the class, belting out the songs as if we've been practicing for this moment for them to shine--afterall, we do all their favorites! How long will they appreciate the fact that I'm their teacher? I know these days are numbered. So I'll just enjoy it for this small stage of my life.

But, as you can imagine, my hands are completely full, and I don't ever get a chance to take pictures. Here are a few I was able to borrow, and my goal for next time is to get way more. Just imagine a fun children's song playing in the background and a lot of additional noise when you look at them...


I'm gearing up to do "round 3" of my Music Makers class in April. If you or someone you know may be interested in signing up, leave a comment and I'll email you the class information.

My Latest Food Storage Kick

I struggle to get motivated with food storage until I see someone else's and I hear how they are doing it. So after debating whether or not to post this, I finally decided that if it could help someone else get excited about food storage, it would be worth it.

Our 3 month supply of food storage has been dwindling lately, and I didn't have much motivation to do anything about it UNTIL...I started reading this blog:

myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com

I completely agree with everything I've read on this blog. I learn something new every time I read it. She helps you see how easy it can be if you do just a little each week.

Plus, she explains how you don 't have to spend a lot of money to get your food storage. She knows the best prices for everything and helps you know when something is on sale for the lowest price and where to get it.

I love the excitement of getting a good deal, and I love the peace that I feel when I buy food storage.

Here's her method:

• Use her website (www.mealstodeals.com) to know what the best sales are each week (you can get two weeks free subscription, and then it's only $5/month after that)
  
• Buy things only when they are on sale for a really good deal
• She explains how you can shop at Walmart and do price-checking instead of going to all the stores just to buy the sale items
  
• Buy a year supply of each item when it goes on sale
  
• Use your food storage as a grocery store (except for milk, eggs, & produce)
  
• This way, everything you eat was purchased at the lowest sale price!
• Your food storage gets bigger each week as you stock up on the items that are on sale
  
• No or little couponing involved (I just can't handle one more thing to do each week!)

So, can you guess where our tax return money has gone? All I needed was the "go ahead" and I got going on our food storage again.

Emergency Drinking Water: I got this at the case lot sale for less than $18. It stores for a couple of years, and I would much rather drink this water than the old stuff in our 55 gallon drum.




More Shelves: My handyman did this for me as a late Christmas present (thanks, sweetie!) Back then, I promised him if I had this one shelf, I wouldn't need any more. Now I want three more! :)

A Lot of Food on Sale: I got most of this food at the case lots sale, and some at Walmart with price matching (see www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com). This is the last week of Macey's case lot sale. If you don't have a Macey's close by, you can get the same deals by price matching at Walmart.



More White Wheat: I bought this at the cannery last week. I still have work to do--I need to store it in buckets. For a while there, it was hard to get white wheat, but things have slowed down. I decided that I prefer the white wheat in my home made bread, because it makes it lighter and fluffier. I think it's good to have about 50/50 red to white wheat in the bread. Macey's sale right now includes buckets of white wheat for just $18.99. That is a little more than the cannery, but when you include the cost of what a good bucket costs, the difference is made up. The cannery sells 25 lb. buckets of white wheat for around $7.




An Upright Freezer: I Love it! We found this on Craig's list for $90. It's 20 years old, but these things can last forever! Used freezers are hot items right now. Good deals come up, but they go fast! It's already stocked with sale items from last week's sales. I saved $20 on orange juice alone!




If you want to get going on food storage, but don't know how to begin, I would love to be your "food storage buddy." I think everyone needs a friend who knows how to get started.

And please let me know if you have some more good ideas for our food storage.

A Good Lesson Learned

While visiting my parents' home the other day, their neighbor's dog, Sumee came over to visit. We spent at least 30 minutes playing with her. She let the girls give her hugs and pet her and sit by her. Since we will probably never have a dog of our own, we have to really get our "dog fix" from others' dogs. I decided to get some pictures that we can enjoy, so I ran inside to grab my camera.

When I came running back out, Sumee had led Gracie straight into the street. They were wandering down the middle of a somewhat busy street, while 2 cars waited for me to rescue her. Ahhh! How embarrassing! I felt like an awful mother!

I figure these pictures are worth posting, just for the reminder to myself not to take my chances with my girls out by the street. I guess that's how you learn!

Our Trip to the Emergency Room

Yesterday morning, Millie was acting normal, but tired. Still, she insisted that we go to playgroup at the church. So we went, but she wanted me to hold her the whole time and she fell asleep in my arms (the first time ever!).

When we got home, I noticed she had the chills and a fever of 1o2. 7, so I gave her some Ibuprofen. She just lay limp on the couch. I tried to talk with her, but I was getting no response. She was staring at me but wouldn't say a word. Then she just stared up at the ceiling. I got worried, so I called Paul to tell him that I was going to call the doctor. While I was talking with him, I looked over and Millie was foaming at the mouth, but lifeless on the couch. I hung up, ran over to her, and picked up her limp, pale body. Her eyes were back and over. While I called 911, her eyes closed and she wouldn't respond. She was still breathing heavily and I could feel her heart beating rapidly. 911 sent an Ambulance. Paul was on his way home.

It took the ambulance a few minutes to arrive. They asked a lot of questions, checked her out, and then said she would need to go for a little ride. She was still unconscious and shaking. Her heart rate was at 200. I was still in shock, and didn't know whether to wait for Paul or ride with her. I decided to wait for Paul, since I still had Grace. A few friends saw the ambulance and came running over. They told me to go in the ambulance, and that they would take Grace. But I refused, since the ambulance was pulling away and Paul was so close. I totally regretted this later! I wish I would have gone with her!

Our friend took Grace and we headed to Primary Children's. That ride took forever! It was so hard not knowing how Millie was doing. We had no way to contact her or the paramedics. All we could do was drive, pray and call our family to ask for their prayers. We imagined the worse, but hoped and prayed for everything to be alright.

It was such a relief to walk into the Emergency Room and find Millie with her eyes open. She looked scared and traumatized. The nice nurse and doctor were trying to get her to talk, but with no success. We couldn't even get her to talk for over an hour. She only said about 10 words the entire 5 hours at the hospital. She would only nod her head, and even then, it just didn't seem like Millie. Even when we talked to her about her younger sister, she just gave us a blank stare as if she didn't remember Grace. It was a little scary, but the doctor said that's normal for a little while after a seizure.

As soon as he got a chance, Paul gave Millie a Priesthood blessing. It was simple and brief. But we were so relieved as we exercised our faith once again in her behalf. We knew that Heavenly Father was watching over her. We also felt the power of the prayers being offered by family members.

We relished the time in the hospital with Millie. We felt so grateful to have her still! We read her books, told her stories, cuddled with her on that uncomfortable hospital bed, tried to explain what had happened to her, and comforted her when she was being "poked." We tried to get her to take liquids, but everything came back up. She went through 3 pairs of hospital underwear. Thank goodness for IVs!

The initial diagnosis was a seizure, but it was hard to know how severe it was, and what caused it. After many tests, including a CT scan, they concluded that she had a febrile seizure (fever induced seizure), and that no harm was done. We knew nothing about these seizures before this, but they are fairly common in children. Here's a link to read more about them

It was so nice to come home and find that Gracie was happy at our neighbor's home, a meal had been prepared for us, "get well" balloons were hanging on the porch, treats were delivered by caring neighbors, and many friends and family had contacted us to see if everything was okay. We felt so loved and cared for by everyone. Thank you!

Today, Millie is doing so much better. She was able to keep all her food down, and she ate a lot! I had to bribe her to take a bath (to get rid of the throw-up smell) because she didn't want any of her "special" band aids to come off. She had to wear her green swimsuit all day because it matches her green band aids. She and Gracie both insisted on wearing the yellow balloons around their wrists all day long. Oh, the simple pleasures!

Happy to Be Outside...Even in the COLD!

Millie's Cute Sayings

It's amazing how cute a toddler can be. She makes us laugh everyday! Here are some of her latest phrases:

• A lot of double negatives, like, "Do you can't catch me?" and "Did you didn't tickle me?"
• Referring to nail polish "Do only Millie's don't touch this?"
  
• After hearing my explanation of the difference between toenails and fingernails, she said, "Oh! You have a good memory, Mom!"
• I'll say something like, "Millie, I think it's time for a nap." She'll quickly reply in the same tone that I used, "I hink not!" and continue to argue about it for awhile.
  
• She's picked up on the phrase, "Oh, that's in...stirring!" as a good comment to something I say
  
• Without fail, when I spray hairspray on her hair, she'll say, "a yittle bit more...a yittle bit more...a yittle bit more."
• The other day when I let her use my lipstick, she held it up and said, "Oh, that's nice of you to share with this, Mom!"
• I'll say something like, "Millie, do you want to come sit in this chair?" and she'll say, "No...but thanks for aksking!"
• "Oh...my...gosh!" "Oh my goodness!" "Oh my darlin'!"
  

What Big Sisters Are For

Date Night Is NOT Supposed to be Like This

Why do we have to keep re-learning this lesson?

We had a good reminder that we need a date every week. Thanks, President Coleman! It was my turn to plan our Friday night date. "Let's just take the girls with us to dinner...It will be fun for them to get out" We've tried and failed with that before, but they are so much more grown up now.

China Star sounded good. Never been there before. They had beautiful big fish for the girls to look at. Everything went well until we had to sit at our table. Luckily there weren't many people there yet. The girls were squirming, screaming, and begging to go see the fish again. The water and wantons keep them happy for a few more seconds, but we quickly gave in and went to visit the fish tank again. This is where Paul and I actually got in a quick "love you so much...so glad to be on a date with you, sweetheart!" conversation (which turned out to be the only conversation we got with each other).

The food came and we sat down to eat. Gracie ate a little. Millie didn't like it--big surprise? We tried all our tricks to get her to eat, but with no success. Paul held Grace and tried to keep her happy while still managing to eat. My task was to keep Millie sitting down and somewhat quiet. The restaurant had a lot more people now. Millie kept leaning over to the table behind us. I thought that was harmless until she said loudly for all to hear, "I need to go poo-poo!" (over and over). Then there was more whining, crying, and a loud plate crashing down. I was SO happy to finally be leaving that place and SO embarrassed by our children.

Maybe this is why we struggle with date night. So, I've realized we either need to get a babysitter, get take-out, or go to Arctic Circle where the girls can play while I enjoy my hubby. Any other suggestions?

First Day in the BIG Nursery

We've experienced some rough drop-offs to nursery the past few months, so we were hoping she would grow up quick when she switched to the "BIG Nursery" class.

So, we talked about it for weeks, getting her excited for the switch. She loves the cute little potty in there, so that was the main attraction pulling her in.

On the big day, she got her hair curled like a princess, and she got to wear her beautiful new Sunday dress.

And as you can see from these pictures, it was a good day!



After nursery, we asked her what she learned about. She said, "Jesus." So I asked, "what did your teachers say?" (referring to the lesson) and she replied, "Millie, your hair is so beautiful! I like your pretty clothes."

It's true that we remember compliments and kind words.

Gracie Girl

Is 16 months old
Has a cute blond mullet
Still has some baby fat
Decided to walk on Christmas Eve
Has a bull-legged strut
Is teething in 4 places this week
Jabbers on and on to anyone who will listen, all the while shaking her head and pointing her finger
Makes a new friend each week in Relief Society, and probably disrupts the entire class
But if someone says "hi" to her, she usually makes a mean face and gives a rude grunt as if to say that she only wants to be held by her parents
Is a "daddy's girl" through and through
Whispers the word "dadda" with wide eyes, as if to beg for him to come home
Loves to read a book, cuddle, dance, wash her face, and watch shows
Can't get enough time talking on the phone
loves animals, music, and dollies
Is a treasure in our family.