Pine Wood Derby

Oh yeah!  We didn't win, but he did get to work hard on a project with Grandpa Jim and Dad.  And it turned out way cool!  

He also received his Webelos badge and his Religious Square Knot.  Yea!  So proud.

Last month for pack meeting they had a western theme.  Here he is angry because I made him wear cowboy boots.  When he was little he liked to be a cowboy.  Just not his thing anymore I guess.  They pinch his feet.

Tenderly

Sometimes going through hard things allows you to see more of God's goodness, and tenderly feel more of His love.  I am grateful for His power to heal and to bless.

A Few Days in Monticello

Climbing rocks at Lloyd's Lake (or Lloyd's Snowy Abyss).  

Our Valentine's

I had a lovely Valentine's Day.  It is crazy and loud and fabulous.  I remember in my younger days going to great lengths to try and keep myself from being depressed on Valentine's.  (I never had one)  But now I have 5 sweethearts and feel very lucky, even if our romantic dinner includes them all along with spilled drinks, barking dog, talk of tooting, sheer craziness and one child falling asleep in my arms.  I still enjoy spending it with them at home.  I made a Valentine playlist for the day and let the kids help me with our very fancy dinner:  Shrimp scampi, pear-walnut salad with maple dijon vinaigrette and blue cheese, (I know so fancy) asparagus and chocolate almond torte compliments of "Fresh Market".  It was fun.

Ty surprised me with gourmet cookies from Ruby Snap.  He couldn't decide so he brought home several.  I don't think he actually expected me to eat them all.  Ok I didn't eat all of them, but almost.  I really like that logo.  So sexy.

Making Valentines

Making valentines for school friends, and decorating heart shaped sugar cookies for FHE treat.

50's Day

Oh my!!  And so begins the age of guys and gals and hearts all a-flutter.  Sooo cute!

Swedish Weaving

I learned a new skill and a dying art.  LOVE when I find a dying art.  Last night at Relief Society, my cute neighbor taught me how to do Swedish Weaving.  It is really easy and fun.  Plus, I am Swedish so it is even better. I can see a lot of potential with this.  Very exciting!  The blue and white pattern is mine.  My first go at it.  The others are just some other fun ideas.

Oh Yeah!......Apple Pie.

My first attempt at my own pie crust, and apple pie.  Oh yeah!  I realize back in the day I should have accomplished this feat around the age of 10 - 13.  A couple decades late (or so) but still super impressed with myself.  So yummy!

It's A Pretty Sweet Deal

 Finnegan, I want to love you.  Please stop having accidents!  Then you can stay and wrestle with LittleC the rest of your life, K?  Deal? It will so be worth it because LittleC really loves you a lot!

Take note of my baseboards. ;) Chewing I can handle.  The peeing, getting VERY old!

Felt Pin How-To

This was a fun project.  It involves strips of felt in your favorite color, (the more skiwampy you cut it the better), a circle of felt the size you want your pin to be, and a hot glue gun.  Oh yeah, and the pin for the back.  Make a wad out of your strips and glue into center of the circle.  Then, keep going around and around, pausing periodically to glue down edges.  Make sure to twist or crumple now and then for good texture.  Trip off messes.  Glue on pin.  The end.  Wear it on your blouse or coat, pin it on a cute bag or pillow.

When contemplating bringing home a puppy, I was ok with getting up and taking him out to "do his business" in the night, but not happy about getting up and taking him out to "do his business" in the night.  Do you follow me?  I didn't go out at night.  I didn't like the dark and I always felt with some surety that the cougar who frequents the nearby hollow was in my back yard at that particular moment.  Since Finnegan came home, I have spent a lot of time with him out back in the dark (more time out in any condition really).  And, while I did invest in a powerful Maglite flashlight that not only illuminates the woods, but also can be used as a weapon, I don't feel that anxiety any more.  I enjoy the opportunity to look up.  It gives me a short moment daily to remember my own smallness, and wonder about the grandeur of the earth and the creator. 

 I am reading a book called, "Last Child In The Woods" that is about our and our children's nature deficit disorder, and how important experiences with and time in nature is.  It plays a major role in the development of so many aspects of life.  It is fascinating and scary.  I am reminded of words by Thoreau, "It would be well perhaps if we were to spend more of our days and nights without any obstruction between us and the celestial bodies, if the poet did not speak so much from under a roof, or the saint dwell there so long.  Birds do not sing in caves, nor do doves cherish their innocence in dovecots."  We spend way too much time indoors.  I will be looking for any opportunity to be out.  I started thinking back to my own experiences out of doors and how it has affected me.  I feel so much more like I am alive during these experiences, maybe because all of my senses are working for me.  I feel more on my skin.  Interesting that we try so hard to have the perfect conditions in our home.  We don't feel cold, we don't feel warm, we don't feel the breeze for sure!  If we don't feel anything, then it is right.  Anyhow, I am getting long winded.  The point is there is something about being in nature that is healing, that helps us cultivate our own creativity, that helps us focus, and listen.... and feel.

Fresh Eggs

Last time I did chickens I got no eggs through the winter.  It could have had something to do with how cold they were and that their water was always frozen.  However, it was still tons of work for no eggs.  This go around what with the newly remodeled hen house, they are laying great!  They have a better feed and water system, a warmer home and a light at night.  It still could be warmer, but hey...they're laying and that's a good sign.  They are much easier to take care of this go around and the added benefits of actually getting fresh eggs is so great!  My favorite thing is finding a clean, warm egg when out collecting.  I love that.  "Thanks ladies!" Could use maybe two more chickies.  Of course, I don't have room.  One of the chickens has her rear end hanging out of the doorway every night as it is.  Poor thing!  It's always the same one too.

Gman's Colonial Project

Scale model of a Colonial Home.  He was all over this, and I was excited to help him out because I felt like I was in design school again, which I mostly don't miss but only sometimes.  We had a lot of fun together!  Still so sad he had to miss Colonial Day at school because it sounded amazing!

We The People

Gman had his 5th grade program, "We The People" last night.  They put this on every year but as Gman is my oldest, I've never seen it before.  I didn't know really what to expect, but I knew he had been working hard on it and was very excited/nervous about it.  I was blown away how amazing it was.  They did a fantastic job with entertaining songs and parts that summed up the history of the United States (and before - Native American History) in an hour long presentation.  So proud of Gman for singing with two others his part for this packed auditorium.  That's got to be scary.  The highlight for many was the salute to the armed forces.  The veterans of each of the military branches and those currently serving were celebrated and honored and I know I was not the only one in tears.  It was great!  I love our school!!! And of course, SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!

Explanation

Ok, so I find this quite humorous.  My good mother after reading my "Suthern" post tried to make her very first comment on my blog (to no avail however- no google account or something).  What?  What was it she wanted to say?  She wanted to correct my spelling of the word Southern.  Now, I know how to spell Southern.  I realize I did not spell it this way.  Suthern.  It's slang.  It's pronounced, Suthun.  I looked it up.  So funny!  Also, I may also take this moment to admit the photo of the fried chicken wasn't actually mine.  I did not take the time to photograph our dinner, I had hungry kiddos ready and waiting!  I borrowed that image from the good old internet.  They did look nice though.  Thanks mom for being a good sport and letting me have a laugh.  Keep watching for typos though!  Love ya!

Wild Mustangs

Maybe because my little guy, LittleC watches The Man From Snowy River every day right now, but I am so crazy over horses right now!  That and images I catch on The Pioneer Woman blog lately.  I vow as my New Year's Resolution that I will in fact see wild mustangs sometime in the next 5 years.  I always have wanted to.  LittleC and I LOVE the brumbies!   Of course I really want to see them from atop the back of a horse, not from a bus tour.  Horses are and always have been my favorite animal.  Their beauty, strength and grace amaze me!  Last summer I tried to sneak up to my brother's ranch when I could and get horse riding lessons from him.  He is an amazing horseman!  My grandma was raised in cowboy country up in Idaho and her father was a rancher.  I figure it could run in the family, but I've been really busy raising my family and NOT in cowboy country.  So, I'm getting a late start.  Riding a horse is harder than it looks.  But I keep telling myself, lots of women ride horses and I think I'm just as strong as most, umm......well, I have a strong will...  does that count?   Kids even ride horses all the time.  I can do this!  Of course I probably won't get back on until spring, but can't wait!

Sportsman's Room

We have been debating what to do about our small, no storage home as of late.  Build on?  Move? A story for another few posts, but we did make some decisions to help out in the mean time.  We have been doing some reorganizing, adding storage units here and there.  The addition of the Sportsman's room just bought me a few more years I think.  If you have a sportsman in the family (mine is a biker and scouter - only the scouting was not really his idea) and don't have a garage or available shed, you can imagine how frustrating it might be to have to climb over backpacks, 72 hour kits, sleeping bags, snow shoes, coolers, bike pumps, etc. and not to mention all of my sewing and crafting mess to get to the washer and dryer.  A year or two ago we gutted the downstairs bathroom to remodel it, and then waivered and stalled on fixing it up.  It has sat empty for all this time.  We decided to turn it into a Sportsman's storage room instead.  Three bathrooms are soooooo overrated!  I am thrilled to have all this in one spot and out of my laundry/food storage/sewing room.  Plus, one less toilet to clean!  A win win!

Suthern

While the rest of the world are starting their diets and workouts with gusto, I am in the beginning phase of my Suthern Cooking Period.  One of my goals this year focuses on nurturing my family.  When we were displaced during the recent wind storm I think I mentioned my awakening to the importance of hearty, home cooked meals.  Not that I haven't known this.  And I do cook for my family, but I am now on a comfort food kick.  I started reading the Pioneer Woman blog.  By the way, I LOVE her!  I am trying out biscuits and gravy, biscuits from scratch and..............wait for it.........Fried Chicken!  I have never made real fried chicken.  I know it's not good for us and it smokes up the house, but I felt like I needed to try it.  The fact that my Grandma Dean made fried chicken every Sunday also spurred me to try.  I was not prepared for the response from my family however.  Usually when I spend extra time in the kitchen creating something new, it comes with the mixed responses from the kids.  "What is this?!?" is not an uncommon response.  They loved it!  They asked for more!  They asked to have it more often!  Now I'm in trouble, we're addicted to Suthern cooking.  I know, I am a rebel.  I don't like to do what every one else thinks is proper.  I'm also waiting for two more weeks to go to the gym to weed out the resolution nuts taking over.

Muscle Cars

One thing about Gman you may not be aware of, he is crazy about sports cars.  Lamborghini is his favorite.  Corvette, second favorite.  Then, Ferrari and Bugatti.  Our new neighbor is serving in Afghanistan so we hadn't seen his 1980 Corvette until his son pulled it out today to get it serviced and ready for his return.  He found out Gman is a fan and took him for a spin today.

Happy New Year

 It IS brand new!  Happy New Year!

Christmas Came

Surreal as it seems to me, Christmas came.  I am mentally still  somewhere back in June. "Really?  It's Christmas time?"  I keep asking myself.  This probably wasn't my best Christmas. I certainly wasn't on my game.  And yet, in some ways it was better.  I am trying to decide what I want my Christmases to look like in the future.  This year I didn't do any preparations until 2 weeks before the day.  Good in that I didn't drag the stresses out for months, bad in that I forgot lots of things like teacher gifts, sending anything to TY's work associates or bosses, and we didn't pull off any kind of Christmas service.  What do you think?  Is it best to send hand made, clever  Christmas gifts to your children's teachers or a cutie like I did this year?  Simplicity or thoughtfulness?  My biggest success this year was deciding that TY and I would not give each other gifts.  (He didn't totally stick to the rules, but he was pretty good).  He is a really good gift giver, but as nice as his gifts are, I always feel that we spend too much at Christmas, not to mention the stress I go through buying for him.  (He's hard!)  For me it was great.   I hope he wasn't too disappointed.  I think the kids were happy and that's the best part.

Homemade Christmas Gifts

There are 3 more days before Christmas.  I should be baking and delivering, keeping the house clean and nice, making gingerbread houses with the kids.  But I don't seem to have the energy.  That and I'm nursing a sore back.  I did however mention in a whisper to each of my kids that they could work on a little something for their siblings for Christmas, maybe a homemade item.  So they have been busy working on their gifts (with some help from mom, but not much).  I think it will add some sweetness to the holiday, but I know for a fact it has added a lot of mess I'm too tired to clean up.....hope I'm not getting sick.

Sitting Bull

Gman had a book report due some time in January, or so we thought.  He came home yesterday and informed me it was actually due tomorrow.  Ha.  Just what we needed to worry about this week.  But actually, it wasn't too bad.  He had already read the book, a biography of Sitting Bull.  The reports can be in any form.  So he decided since Sitting Bull drew pictures as opposed to writing his history, he would do the same.  He chose to make a tee pee and decorate it with pictures that represent important events in Sitting Bull's life.  I was impressed with his drawings.  I did not help him with these.  He will give an oral report and share more detailed information with the class.