Month of Gratitude Thanks - Day 3

This is such a crazy world we live in.  So much going on and so many people and responsibilities pulling us in so many directions.  Today, I am grateful for the knowledge I have of my role in this life.  As a wife, mother, daughter, sister or friend.  I am especially grateful for my role as a Daughter of God.  I know my individual worth and my Divine Calling.  My knowledge of my roles gives me direction and purpose.

Month of Gratitude Thanks - Day 2

Today, I am so very grateful for Prayer.  My ability to speak with my Heavenly Father.  Feel of his love and know of his plan for me.  There are times in my life when I do better with prayer than others, but I know that at anytime I can go to my Heavenly Father no matter how long it has been!  he sure whew what he was doing when he put us on the Earth.

Month of Gratitude Thanks - Day 1

It is November.  I am not feeling very grateful for my life right now so I am going to be doing a month of giving thanks.  I a not just going to list the ones most common used.  My desire is to realize how much I really have, and I'm not talking $$.  Having said that...

Day 1 - I am so very thankful for my eyes. 

Even though I complain about my eyes a lot because of the constant need of assistance from glasses or contacts, I am still able to see.  While taking Kennie & Justin on an overnight field trip to the Seward Sea Life Center last month, I was in awe the entire 2 hour drive down of the beauty around me.  I snapped a picture. 

Can you see all those different colors?  Amazing.  I am so grateful for my ability to see all that is around me. 

Snickers Hot Chocolate

So, the one thing Alaska has done to me is hooked me on the drive through coffee shacks.  Before you go crazy, I get hot chocolate.  Different kinds.  I have found one that I LOVE and have learned how to make.  Hopefully you will enjoy my recipe.

Snickers Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
caramel syrup
hazelnut (or peanut butter) syrup
chocolate shavings


Directions:
* Step #1 Measure water, cocoa, & sugar in glass measuring c or large mug.
* Step #2 Microwave on high for 1-2 mins to make chocolate syrup.
* Step #3 Stir in milk & vanilla & microwave until warm.
* Step #4 Stir in 2 tsp caramel syrup 2 tsp hazelnut (or peanut butter) syrup.  Depends on what you can find.
* Step #5 Top with whipped cream & chocolate shavings.

Seriously, my favorite!!!  ENJOY!!

Long Overdue Update!

Sorry folks.  Here is an update.  I know it's long overdue and I could list all my excuses, but how about I just get to the update.

Aaron - He is sure glad to be with his family in Alaska.  Being deployed was a good experience for him for his career, but he enjoys his job here more!  He is slowly getting back to where he needs to be and feeling more a part of things.  He has a few business trips planned next month, both to San Antonio.  While there, he will interview for the fellowship he is applying to and if accepted (we find out in Dec.) then we would be moving in May.  Extra prayers would be appreciated that we get this spot.

He recently returned from a canyoning trip at Lake Powell with his dad that he really enjoyed.  He spent 5 days in the canyons and then got to catch up with his family. 

Sassy - What is there to say?  She hasn't scrapbooked in months, she spends her time teaching Kennie & Justin, cleaning the house, making dinner and trying to keep Maggie out of trouble.  Sounds really pathetic and only takes up 2 sentences, but it really takes all day.  UG!!!

Kennie - He is sure growing and learning at such a fast pace.  Kennie was baptized July 3rd surrounded by family & friends.  (We missed you Mark & Carli).  He was super excited for that milestone in his life.  He likes to read his scriptures and will also read anything he can get his hands on.  He LOVES dinosaurs and can tell you all sorts of crazy things about a whole lot of different dinosaurs.  Not just the ones we learned about when I was in school.  He can tell you more dinosaurs than there are letters in the alphabet.  He still says he wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up.

Justin - He has really turned into his own person.  He is still very interested in Sharks.  Will read everything he can get his hands on about them, but to get him to read a chapter book or ANYTHING else is like pulling teeth, until recently.  He started reading the Weird School series and is liking it and doing well.  Here's hoping!  He loves to torment his sister and also really enjoys driving his mother crazy!  Which he does very well.  He can still see the unspoken need in others and will offer to help or just help before they can ask.  One of my favorite qualities about him. 

Nate - Nate is loving being a big Kindergartner.  Today was his day to take snack for the whole class and he was over the moon!!  He basically bounced to school this morning.  He loves bringing home his green apples everyday (A way to communicate to parents their behavior for the day) and checking out books from the library.  He is making incredible progress there and everyone that works with him loves him.  They don't believe me when I tell them he is a holy terror at home.  He's just too cute.  Which is what everyone said about his Uncle Josh.

Maggie - Maggie recently decided she wanted to be a boy.  Okay, not really, but she cut her hair.  And not something that we could fix, she cut it to the scalp.  She is not sporting a short pixie cut.  She thinks she is beautiful and that's all that matters.  She (hopefully) understands that she is NEVER to do it again.  She is still the total princess and loves anything pink and glittery.  She dresses up constantly and loves to play house with her brothers where she is always the kitty.  Super funny girl.  She still has Aaron wrapped around her finger and uses that every chance she gets!!  We are very thankful she potty trained (easily) and is now a big girl!  No more diapers for us!! 

We are enjoying fall this year, not necessarily the cold, but the colors are amazing!  Snickers Hot Chocolate and cuddle time with a blanket on the couch are definitely the best!!  Slow cooker soups, White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheese cake and all kinds of pumpkin treats are the best!!  We are looking forward to our last winter in Alaska (Hopefully) and they boys are excited for the ski team.  Sorry for pulling the disappearing act.  Hopefully it won't happen again, although I can't promise.

Suffed Mushrooms

If you are ever looking for an appetizer, this needs to be your fall back recipe. Seriously - this is the best mushrooms recipe I have EVER had. I made them for our Favorite things party. Since it is my favorite appetizer. Even people that don't like mushrooms tried it (because they always like the things that I make.) She couldn’t stop eating them (as long as she didn’t look at them) and commented several times how good they were. You should try them!!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Mushrooms* 45-50

Cream Cheese (I use 1/3 fat free) – 8 oz.

1 lb Jimmy Dean bulk Sausage

½ cup Parmesan Cheese – shredded (I use fresh)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees.

2. Brown sausage in a pan until cooked. While sausage is cooking – remove stems from mushrooms.

3. Add cream cheese to cooked sausage and stir until well mixed.

4. Add parmesan cheese and mix well.

5. Using a spoon, add mixture to hole in mushroom where stem was. As seen in the picture, I add a little hill to them mushroom.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

7. Serve immediately.

Note: these can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge or put in the oven if you have an autostart oven. I like to make these the morning of an event or a party so that I am not scrambling around last minute trying to get this done on top of everything else.

*I use mushrooms that you can buy individually and I usually pick out the bigger ones because I LOVE these mushrooms.

HAPPY EATING!!!

Vincent van Gogh

So, for art this year, we are learning about 8 of the major artists in history.  We are just finishing our lesson on van Gogh.  So, tonight, we did a painting project.  Kennie and Justin had to pick one of the van Gogh pictures we learned about and try and paint it.  Easy, right?  They thought so!  Nate & Maggie just got to play with finger paints.

Justin decided he was done right after I took this picture.  He choose to do Starry Night.

 Kennie choose Starry Night as well.  He's my little perfectionist and so he only got half done by the time we needed to head to bed, so he is going to finish tomorrow.

 So, now I am wishing that I would have put a shirt on Maggie.  All I could think about was that I didn't want her pj's getting dirty.  Sorry!

Nate had the time of his life!!!

Sometimes I feel guilty because I probably learn more than the boys do.  That would be the case with Vincent van Gogh.  Kennie knew quite a bit.  I knew none of it.  Can't wait for Picasso.  We are also getting to the states.  Just have to finish up the pre states lessons!!!

Time Out!

Okay, I have been terrible about keeping this up during the last summer but I promise an update on everyone soon.  Right now, I need to record some feelings and emotions I am feeling. 

I just finished a Mommy Time Out!  Or, Time Out for Women by Deseret Book.  I was super excited when I found out they were coming to Anchorage.  I couldn't go when they came to Indianapolis because I was super pregnant with Maggie and I didn't want to chance being so far away.  She ended up being born on the first day.  But, I wanted to go so bad.  So, I got a couple of friends to agree to go with me and was super excited.

Trey, Sassy & Lyn

I took 6 pages of notes.  Single spaced and small handwriting.  As I think back over the last few days, I am truly lifted and edified.  The theme for 2011 is Choose to Become.  All things are possible...to those who believe.

The highlight of the event for me was listening to Brad Wilcox.  He is one of my modern day heros.  As the author of The Continous Atonement he made the Atonement real for me.  Explained and taught me the Atonement on a different level.  I took 2 pages of notes on his talk.  LOVED it!!!  I will share with you just a few things he said that touched my heart. 

• The Celestial Kingdom isn't the end.  It's a means to the end.  The end is becoming even as our Heavenly Father is.
• If our on.y goal is to get back home, why did we leave in the first place?  Our goal is to return better than we left.  At a higher level.
• God loves us just the way we are.  But he still wants us to learn and grow and make good choices.  Just as a grandfather loves his grandchildren just the way they are.  He still wants them to learn to talk, walk, read and play.  He wants them to become better.

And, the best line in his whole talk, If He always holds our head above water, would we ever learn to swim?  Simply amazing.  I got to meet Brad.  He hugged me and I felt the love and grace of my Heavenly Father fill me as I hugged him and spoke to him.  Such an amazing man!!!

Another fun thing for me was Mercy River.  Hello, where have I been.  They are amazing.  They sang a song that they are working on for their new album and can't wait to get my hands on it.  Laughed until I cried - seriously.  Bye Bye Bye.  Remember NSYNC?  It's a remake of their song but it's about putting kids to bed.  We were all on our feet.  They also sang a song from their CD coming out in February about being beautiful.  It was truly beautiful!  Just reinforces that if we could see what He sees, we would truley love ourselves. 

With Mercy River

If you can go to Time Out for Women, I will recommend it with my whole being.  I really needed this "Time out" to rededicate myself and be reminded of my divine potential.  We can always use a pick-me-up.  I want to share with you one more line.  It's probably my favorite line of the whole weekend.

Don't you dare be the one thing standing in your way!!

Strawberries and Cream Trifle

This is totally for me, so, sorry!  I need a place to record this recipe so I don't lose it.

Strawberries and Cream Trifle

1 14 oz can Eagle sweet and condensed milk
1 1/2 cup cold water
1 (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding and pie mix
1 8 oz container Cool Whip
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries (more for garnishing)
1 cup Smucker's special recipe Strawberry Preserves
1 large (9 inch) prepared angel food cake cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 T sliced almonds

Whisk sweet and condensed milk and water in a large bowl.  Add pudding mix and whisk for 2 minutes, until well blended.  Refrigerate for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping. 

Stir together strawberry preserves and sliced strawberries.  Spoon 2 cups of pudding mixture into bottom of a 4 qt trifle bowl.  Top with 1/2 the cake cubes, half the strawberries and half the remaining pudding mixture.  Repeat layers ending with the pudding.  Chill in fridge for 3-4 hours.  Garnish with sliced strawberries and almonds before serving.