tickled my funny bone

Have you ever thought about the top ten reason’s why Pres. Uchtdorf is cooler than the rest of us?

Or the ten reason’s you shouldn’t mess with Elder Nelson?

While looking at ideas for general conference I came across the blog of a Middle-aged Mormon Man and I couldn’t stop laughing, or reading his posts.

Here’s his plans for conference weekend that were very helpful.  Especially the benadryl + kids idea.

Also, this post which is an imagined council of the Adversary with his minions which was funny, but chilling.

Just one more to share. Why the men won’t be hearing about flowers at priesthood.

i am a builder

Two years ago the primary sang this song, “I am a builder” for the primary program. It’s all about building a family.  It actually might have a different title, but that is the first line.

It is a song that sounds like you should march and wear a hard hat while you sing it.
Our family got to sing part of it as a little solo together for the program. I would have liked a hard hat. And maybe a little hammer.

Natalie is still working on her "builder" training.

Can you spot Ian in this picture? He thought maybe you wouldn’t.
Cali is a builder. In every sense of the word.

forget-me-nots

Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk on Saturday night at the Relief Society Broadcast was one of those that will surely become a classic. 

While I was fixing breakfast on Sunday morning I looked up at my calendar and saw this:

It was like getting an extra little hug from my Heavenly Father.

countdown to conference

I may be the last person to see this, as is the case with many things on YouTube, but I wanted to share it.

We are starting our countdown to conference for Family Home Evening tonight, and I think we are going to have this song stuck in our heads for a long time.

Also: Here is a link for some cute general conference packets to, hopefully,  keep the kids busy this weekend.

summer leftovers

It technically isn’t Fall yet, (though I saw Walmart had some of their Christmas stuff out on Saturday) so I figure I can still catch up on a post from the summer.

One day, really not so long ago, we had a trip to the zoo with some cousins.

The statues and fake animals were the bigger attraction for my kids, even though they were in the middle of a zoo. Sometimes I felt like saying, “Look! That animal is actually alive!” They were happy though, so that’s all that mattered.

Natalie loved them as long as they weren’t moving.

There were some dinosaurs that did move. Those statues freaked Natalie out.

Luckily, we had Indiana Jones and his trusty map as our guide.

Measuring up.

This last picture is about the closest I’ve come to capturing a photo of Natalie with a full-blown grin so I have to include it in all its blurriness:

No, she’s not in pain. That is one very happy girl.

cut it out

Ian and I have had a lot more one-on-one time thanks to school starting and Natalie’s afternoon naps.

A few days ago to keep busy we got out some of his Lego magazines to cut things out and make some collages. Little did I know how much he would enjoy this.

We had to peel him away from it to go to bed and then he was back at it as soon as he woke up.

He also had a mysterious little bald spot on the back of his head now.

Those pesky scissors.

Yesterday afternoon the Polly Pockets were out and Ian was getting them dressed.

Then he told me they were going to “girl’s night out.”

I was thinking this was something I would not be able to blog about, so as not to embarrass him in later life,  until the Polly’s all tackled each other, and one yelled “touchdown!”

I admit I was relieved.

I’m glad I have my little buddy around.

a good cobbler and a good book

I have a few reasons I like book club.

First, I enjoy reading something new and talking about it with other women.

Last month we read These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner.

It was a fabulous book. One of the best I’ve read in a long time. I just finished the second book in the series.  I recommend it as well.

Another reason I love book club, is that it gives me a reason to make a treat to share. I am always looking for excuses to do that.

A peach cobbler went nicely with this book, and I found a recipe that may be the only peach cobbler I ever make again.

It wasn’t super light because of the amount of sugar, but I did make mine with whole wheat flour, and served it with light cool whip so it was a low-fat dessert.

It’s preparation is also different from most cobblers. You mix the flour mixture in with the peaches and then pour a boiling syrup over it before you bake it, like a pudding cake recipe. It all comes out like magic in the end.

Here’s the recipe from Taste of Home:

Peach Cobbler

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

3 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches

 

Topping:

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tblspoon butter

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Ground cinnamon, optional (I used it)

Half-and-Half ( I used light cool whip instead)

 

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined; fold in peaches. Spread into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
• In a large saucepan, combine water, sugars, butter, nutmeg, and cinnamon if desired.  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugars are dissoved. (I boiled it for a minute for good measure) Pour over top of peach mixture.
• Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or until filling is bubbly and a toothpick inserted in the topping comes out clean. Serve warm or cold with cream. Yield: 8 serving

through rose colored goggles

If ever you need to put a smile on your face, buy your kids some goggles.

I can’t help but giggle at things like this.

It’s like the other day when I made Natalie tell me five times she wanted to watch “Moka-honkus” (Pocahontas).

I just liked hearing her say it.

My job definitely has it’s perks.

sisters on the fly

So at the beginning of this month all my sisters and I took a little vacation in Oregon. This town seemed liked the appropriate place for that.

It didn’t take us very long to get into trouble,  or at least to act weird and take pictures of it. There’s plenty of that when we get together.

My sisters also tried to help me branch out on my culinary conquests. I’m not used to eating somewhere where “extra cheese” or “4 piece chicken nugget” is not on the menu.   I am glad they didn’t make me go back to the car when I convinced them I really didn’t know how to use chopsticks.

Seriously, I believe this is why Japanese women stay so skinny.

You see that? That is what it was all about. Being together to sit with your feet up and relax for a few days. Thanks to the hubbies that kept the forts down, and to Shellie for getting us all together. Lets do it again. Like, maybe next week.

back 2 school

School has started for us again.

I still have a big list of things to do before school starts, including blogging about summer, but time marches on.

So far we have nothing to report except that we have two, very happy girls, one wistful mommy, and a little brother and sister who may or may not learn to get along.

a warning

One should always be careful when laying down on the grass.

Children always see this as some kind of invitation to tackle.

It happens among their own kind as well.

if you’re happy and you know it

We are in a rush to get through all things "summer" before time runs out. Last Saturday we went to the park to ride the carnival rides.

This year Natalie was big enough for the little rides, and this purple plane was calling her name.

While waiting to ride the ferris wheel, Ian told me he was going to do an excited dance. I was glad he let that excitement out and shared it with me.

It’s never hard to guess what Ian is feeling on the inside.

I’m not a fan of heights, or falling from them, so I was happy to watch the stroller and take pictures.

As soon as Natalie saw the carousel she went running for the tickets and called back over her shoulder, “I’m coming right back horsies!” I think the purple horse was calling her name too.

My kids are cute. What else can I say?

important credentials

Recent conversation at lunch about my lawn mowing skills:

Me: Daddy is better at mowing the lawn.

Cali: That’s because he’s a professional.

Ian: And he’s hairy!