Christmas Goodie Plates

Yes, these Christmas goodies are
coming just a few weeks late,
But my kitchen is finally done,
and my baking is going great!
So enjoy your cookies happily that
you found outside your door,
hoping that your
Holidays were grand
and that we’re friends
forever more!

So, yes, I know that it is silly to be handing out Christmas goodies in the middle of January, but I had everything bought, ready, and waiting in the beginning of December, but didn't have a kitchen to cook anything in. So now that the kitchen is up and running, and I am now getting back into the routines of life, I did my Christmas goodie plates, today.

I got myself in the holiday mood by putting on a little Christmas music from Ben and Amy (thank you!!), and I started baking this morning, right after Nathan left for school (8:00 am), and finished all my plates just a few moments ago, and it is now 3:00 pm. It took a little longer then I thought, but everything is plated, bagged, tagged, and ready to be passed around. I am waiting for David to come home and help me drive around the ward, and town to pass them all out. I had a lot of fun, the girls enjoyed helping a little bit, and I am happy to say that I enjoyed myself more then I thought I would. The kitchen is a tornado right now, and I need to get it cleaned up so I can mess it up again, making dinner! David "ordered" biscuits and gravy tonight, one of his favorite meals.

Along with the kitchen getting a good using today, the house is officially trashed too. I now realize just how messy it gets when I am not running around, keeping it picked up. It makes me feel good to know just how much I do accomplish in a day, and actually kind of excited to clean it up, so I can get my house back in order. I have about 2 hours before David gets home, so I better get crackin' and clean up a bit, and get those biscuits on the table for my guy. =)

So, a belated Happy Holidays!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Addicted

It has been quite a few seasons since I watched American Idol. I saw the first and second seasons religiously, loved it, and then life took over, and I lost interest. I listened to other people rant and rave about it through the last few years, and even watched the last couple shows of last season. This year, I tossed the idea around in my head as to if I wanted to get hooked this year. I watched it last night. I know that I may be a little partial, given that the first show was taped in Phoenix, and I found myself scanning the crowds, to see if I recognized anyone. Nope. But even with that, I really was entertained, impressed by some great talent, and laughing my head off at a few of the crazies that walked through the audition process. I am really liking that Stevie girl, and really disgusted by the bikini chick. Hello, and we say scank?!?! She doesn't have the talent, what the heck is she doing "going to Hollywood"? Oh yeah.... the guys were drooling over her body... well, at least we know that sex sells. Yuck. I did not watch tonight's show. I figure I will tune in again after all the silly audition shows are over, and the real talent and finalists are on stage.

Now, on to other things... tonight we had a few people over for dinner, dessert, and a bit of babysitting. Try and follow.... Davids brother Ben's old roommate from NAU and his wife and their 5 month old baby girl came to Snowflake to do a session at the temple. We were asked through Ben to watch their baby while they went, and I agreed. They are really nice people, funny, and conversation flowed well. Eva, Mathan and their girls came too. It was a good night. So, you guys are always welcome anytime you come back through Snowflake!

Dinner was a success. I don't know why I get all stressed out when I host things. I have never been much of a hostess, and would prefer not to be one. I enjoy going to parties, not throwing them. But, tonight was different. I planned, prepared, and pulled off a pretty good evening, if I say so myself. I borrowed a very good chicken enchilada recipe from my friend Stacie's blog, and it turned out fabulous. I made brownies, had ice cream, and Eva brought some yummy cookies. The kids had fun, the babies were well-behaved, and everyone left happy. Although stuffed animal Curious George will be lonely for a few days without baby Gwena to hold him! =)

I feel like I am finally taking control of my life a bit. I am feeling more organized, in control, and more at peace lately. It is a good feeling. I am happy that 2009 has brought with it, some reasonable resolutions. I am feeling great about my progress. Life is good right now, and I can't complain, it would be very ungrateful.

When....

I realized this morning that I hadn't blogged for a few days, and that I would like to. Yet, I also realized that I had nothing to say. I really enjoy blogging, reading up on every ones happenings, and giving updates on our crazy bunch, but what if I have no interesting things to say?

So with that little predicament I got myself into, my thoughts turned toward the fact that things will be more interesting when a few more kids are in school, when I have time to make a few closer friends, when I get back into scrap booking.... the list continued in a similar fashion.

Now that made me think about just a few years back, when I thought that my life would be more interesting when I got my drivers licence, when I got married, when I had a couple kids. Do you see a pattern?????

Why must we all be unsatisfied with our current situations? Always looking to the future with hope that it will be more interesting/ better/ fun? So why do I find myself searching for more? The fact of the matter is, the grass is almost always NOT greener on the other side.

I have many blessings. A wonderful, talented husband, five great kids, a home, a finished kitchen =), a warm wood stove to keep us comfortable, a good extended family, and on and on.....

So there you have it, my attempt to make a post, without anything fabulous to say, just a lot of inner, a little-to-deep ponderings, and a hope to find joy in the moment, and not waste my time looking toward a "better, more interesting" time. THIS can be that time.

Re-visiting the Gila Monster

David, and his younger sister Eva just took off for a day trip to Thatcher. I am more then a little jealous, and wish I were with them, but alas, I have five children to look after today. The reason they decided to go is that two cousins were just recently married, and so they are attending both receptions tonight. They should have a blast together. David is more excited to spend some "bonding time" with Eva again, then he is about going back to Thatcher. They get to spend some time walking down memory lane together, even though they went to EAC at different times. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Individuality

Thought I would treat you all to an update. One thing I have learned lately, is that those few resolutions I made known a few posts back take up a lot of time. Not that I am a lazy person, but, keeping the house picked up all the time seems to fill up my time more then I thought it would, especially the kitchen.

So, yes, the plumber came, hooked up my sink, disposal, and dishwasher. YEAH!!!!! I now have a completely functional kitchen, and I have loved it. Never take advantage of a working sink, that is for sure! Tuesday, my parents came for a visit/work fest, and ended up hanging my vent hood, flipping my fridge hinges, painting all the cabinets, cleaning my bathroom, among other things. They took us all out to dinner at a great Mexican restaurant in Heber (a 35 minute drive), called Los Ramos. YUM! It was good to see them, and always a productive treat when they come. My kitchen looks so good, and I am super proud to say that I have kept it clean and sparkly, as of yet! It feels so good to have my life back on track, and a sense of normalcy again. My bathroom is now a bathroom again, my family room is a family room again, my laundry room is back to being a laundry room, and most importantly, my kitchen is a kitchen again!!!

Nathan has made a smooth transition back into the swing of school again. It is nice having that pattern of routine return after the Christmas Break. He brought home his grades from last semester yesterday, and not surprisingly, he is doing great. I am so proud of him and how he just loves to learn. What a great boy, I am a very lucky mommy to have him.

Davids work is picking up again, which we are grateful for. It was a pretty slow, scary December, but looks like it will be a pretty good January. So, it has been nice having him back to going to work on a regular basis again. It will help with my sanity. =)

Lately my four year old Emily has turned into quite the T R I A L. She doesn't listen well, talks back often, and otherwise drives me crazy on a regular basis. She sure can be a sweet little thing, but has such a tender, sensitive personality, that ANYTHING will set her off. I don't know what to do with such a personality, I have never had that type of personality. It is a learning process every day to see "what will work" for her. EVERY child is different, especially in this home. Case is point:

1. Nathan is a laid back, easy going kid. Loves to learn, curious, cooperative, happy.
2. Aubrey is a wild ball of fun, pent up energy. Independent, stubborn and loves to be touched, held, and moving at all times. (she gets that from me =) )
3. Emily is quiet, tender, sensitive, and surprisingly has a defiant side.
4. Betsy is just happy, all the time. Pretty laid back, and very content.
5. Jay is a good kid. All around great little boy. Very curious and into everything lately.

And it is my job to figure them all out and adjust my parenting skills every second, for each individual child. Being a mommy is tiring work, no doubt about that. I sure love it though.... especially bedtime =).

Let it snow...

This morning we woke up leisurely, and found that it just starting to SNOW! Now, just so y'all know, Snowflake has had terrible luck with snow this winter. It will dust us with a 1/2 inch or so and then melt off quickly and leave nothing but lots of mud to be tracked all over my carpet. So, I thought to myself, "This won't last long", and well, almost 8 hours later and it is still coming down. There is now at least 6-8 inches on the ground, and more falling every minute. I thought for sure it would be freezing outside as I bundled my kids up for our trek up the hill to church, and yet, it is warmer then you'd think. I love the way that it looks and makes me feel. Fresh, quiet, clean snow...all the possibilities.

BUT, I am not looking forward to the early morning drive tomorrow (if they don't end up canceling school) getting Nathan back into the swing of first grade again. He keeps asking me if he will be in second grade now! He has really had a hard time being away from school for so long. He is looking forward to tomorrow. So am I....but for other reasons....

We finally decided to call in the big boys, and hired a plumber for the kitchen sink. We ran into some problems that tend to come with 60+ year old kitchens. And so tomorrow, the plumber is coming, and hooking up my sink and dishwasher. And then, WE ARE DONE!!

Well, not exactly (we still have the vent hood to hang, cabinets to paint, walls to touch up, fridge door hinge flipped, and a spice rack cabinet to build), but I will have a 100% functioning kitchen again. And I can't wait for my life and home to get back to "normal" again. No more dishes in the tub, tools all over the place, furniture re-arranged.... I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

Church went really well today. We got there on time, (thanks to the fact that our meeting is now at 11 am!--yeah!) and got the kids all arranged with their new seating assignments (best idea EVER). The spirit was strong, the kids were really well-behaved--- minus a little episode from Emily ={, and primary was a good time, like always. I really like my calling. It is great to be back in primary, but be removed from all the work it involves. I go, sit, and play the piano, which I love to do anyway, and let everyone else just tell me what they want to hear me play. All this practice has done me good too, because I feel like I am getting better every week. Plus a bonus, I have caught up on my scripture reading, because during sharing time when I don't have to be playing, I sit at the piano and read my scriptures, lesson manual, Ensign, etc. I has done me really good.

David's parent's are up in Utah right now at the baby blessing of Ben and Amy's baby boy. I sure wish we could be there. I have missed having them around to hang out with. David and I miss all those game nights, brownies and funny stories! And I want to see my nephews, Isaac and new little Hyrum too!

On to other news... David took me out on a date last night. We dropped the kids off at Eva's and headed into Holbrook and ate at El Rancho, and then went over to a store and bought me a calender for next year. I got a Arizona Highways one, with some great beautiful pictures of the best state in the USA! It was definitely better then the other options, scantily clad women hanging all over motorcycles or kittens (I HATE cats). Yuck.

David is SO proud of his new toy. He bought himself a late Christmas present; a gun. He got the SKS. It looks pretty cool,with its bayonet and everything. And he is happier then a school boy and ready to fight off anything or anyone. He loves that gun! He has been cleaning it, reading up on it, talking about it, and just smiling across the room at it for a few days now. So we are now owners to three guns, A BB gun (if that even counts as a gun), a Henry .22, and a Russian SKS. Who would have ever thought that I would have guns???!!!??? Not me.

I have a pretty busy day tomorrow. I need to get the rest of my Christmas down, do about 15 loads of laundry (yes, I meant to type 15-fifteen), and get my kitchen cabinets primed. My parents are planning on coming on Tuesday to help with the final touches (yeah!), so that inevitably means that I need to clean my entire house too. Busy, busy, busy... no blogging tomorrow or Tuesday, I guarantee it.

Ushering in 2009!!!

I can't believe it is 2009 already! To bring in this New Year we all went over to David's parents house and had lots of fun! My camera is yet again having fits, so no pictures, sorry. We had sandwiches, lots of snacks, and even a fondue pot with melted chocolate and caramel. YUM! We all played games; Scum (I was the president, the whole time!!!), Apples to Apples (David's sister Anna won that one!) and Trivial Pursuit (it was girls against boys, and the girls won!). We all celebrated the new year a few hours earlier, and got all our kids back home and in bed by 10:30pm. It was a late night, and a nice morning, since they all slept past 8 am! By the way, that is unheard of in this house!!! I figure that I am going to post a couple of New Years Resolutions, so I have the motivation, since the whole world wide web has access to them... =)

So here goes nothin'---

1. Read my Book of Mormon cover to cover at least once this year.
2. Say my morning and night personal prayers.
3. Be a more patient, loving, involved mommy.
4. Get this darn house organized.
5. Be better at keeping up on my usually messy house.

Now, I realize that only like 2% of people accomplish their resolutions past about 6 weeks in, so that is why I have kept it short and sweet, and given myself some breathing room. Wish me luck!! Have a great year, with a great start!