The indi 400?

So I don't know much about racing, and this title may be evidence of that, but it sounded good to me. 400 strips still sitting waiting to be sewn into a braided border. I am sure it will get done eventually. Maybe if it were a race I would be motivated to finish it. Then again, the weather is so nice, who wants to sew?

Miracle Buns

- no, no, this is not a miracle cure for saggy behinds. Sorry to get you all excited, but it happens to refer to food. By the way, the picture above was not staged. Lando was poking Stephen's belly and I happened to have a camera in hand...heh, heh.

Now, for the miracle:
1. I used yeast that was pretty old and I was unsure of it working in the first place.
2. I inadvertently dumped the milk in with the yeast and flour before it was warmed.
3. Yes, I persisted. I warmed the butter and water - o.k. boiled - impatiently let it cool (not long enough I am sure), and dumped it in with the rest.
Why did I keep going? I don't know. I have this thing with food.
It made me sick to throw it out, so thinking it would never work, I still made rolls, set them aside to raise, and wha-lah (is there really a word spelling for this term?) they did! Good thing too. I probably would have made everyone eat heavy, flat, unraised rolls if they hadn't. Anyway, this recipe (off of a bran cereal box, it is really good actually) makes fifteen rolls.
What a weird number. Muffin pans that are used for this only have 12 cups. Not wanting to bake twice I made the last three into a mini loaf that turned out really nice. I should have given it away because when you intend to share food it never turns out right.
I couldn't though. As soon as I put it in a basket Lando fell in love and it was his "Easter egg" (must have been one giant hen). And finally, the miracle buns enjoyed.

Happy Easter Y'all!

Oh, and if you have any leftover ham this recipe is awesome. Dang easy, fast, and uses leftovers -and survives the changes I make.



*Note: I used only dried mangos (because that is what I had), no walnuts (I didn't have any), mozzarella cheese, sesame seeds, and "Never Fail Pie Crust" (Mom's recipe, because I had some in the fridge waiting to be used- how lucky is that?).

Spring peeks through here and there

"Rainy days are full of fun. But Harry Monster likes the sun."

this weekend was interesting...

It's a trip to urgent care! Something like 6 stiches. Kids just messing around trying to balance on a ball, and one kicks it so the other falls. Thankfully he didn't get a concussion (hard head I guess because he didn't hit a very sharp edge so it had to be the sheer strength that he hit it with that split him open). Of course Stephen wasn't home and hadn't taken his cell phone with him (this is almost never the case), once again thankful I have an "oldest child" to leave the others home with in such a case. Funny also that it happened between conference sessions...


Can you tell what this is?

Yep. An attempt at a fried twinkie just because Stephen got some free with King Kong and it crossed my mind. Bad stuff. It soaked up oil like crazy. It was so disgusting. I ate it all. I don't know why, I am just a weirdo when it comes to food.
As for King Kong. I enjoyed watching it. I loved the retro comedy of it, but I couldn't sit through it again I don't think. Especially the bug part. There was just so little anyone could do at any given moment it made me crazy. Yes, I admit I cried at the end. Poor, poor, King Kong... misunderstandings, lack of control and an insane greed. Yep. It will be a long time before I watch that one again.

There was something else but I can't remember. Hmmm...
Oh! I finally read The Davinci Code. I really enjoyed it. I know it is probably PG-13 for violence (or so), but it was really interesting and kept you jumping ahead trying to solve the puzzle before them. I stayed up late last night reading. I haven't done that for a while. I really like my sleep. Just before that I read Til the Boys Come Home by Jerry Borrowman. I really enjoyed this. It is about a young priesthood quorum and a couple of them go to World War I. I want my boys to read this when they are a little older. It is a good picture of misunderstandings that come between parents and children, of turning to the gospel,and of the Lords hand in our lives that is so often unapparent until after the trial. Of repentance and emotional courage. Really good.

Conference was awesome don't you think? It was interesting some of the topics touched on things I have been pondering about and trying to understand better.

**by the way. Check out this article about a found Hmong item. The link at the end of it (thanks to Karin or something like that) takes you to the picture of it. The material for the border is exactly like the one Kyle gave to Mom!

A little do-dad

It's a finished Unina!



(well, except for the mini rice warmer bag because I like the idea of it being scented, but where do you find a small affordable amount of something like lavender?)

Best of "Color Shading" in crayon

B's masterpiece

me

S's only attempt

T's

A1's favorite

A2's

A Little of Everything, and Too Much of Me I'm Sure

The children are all off track for three weeks. It's been kind of nice to laze in bed for 15 minutes or so after I wake up rather than jumping up immediately to get them up for school. It's been a lot noisier, but as the weather improves I am sure they will love to play outside (Landon rides his bike snow or shine, however).

I've become hooked on a puzzle of sorts. It's on the Lego website (ahem) where you move legos around in a certain number of moves to get a robot to where it needs to be. Last night I became so frustrated with one level (I could only do it in eleven moves, not the 8 that is said to be possible) that I was grumpy putting the children to bed. Sheesh.

We're finishing up the color shading, I think I will post the best page from each person when we are finished. Some are pretty good; Amm-'s are all monochromatic, Ad's all have some purple, Big T's are supprisingly good and vary in color, and the two youngest have rainbows of scribble, but they sure have fun. One of my best impulse buys and cheapest continuing family activities I have to say.

I've finished up the last row on my second Mystery Quilt. Pictures soon!

We went skiing with EarthTouch again Friday. Mann, it was too long since my lesson. My first few runs were hilarious! I was so nervous. Amm- and Ad' took a lesson this time and when I saw how fast Amm- was going I decided I was being silly (and had made enough turns on my snowplow-almost-the-entire-way runs that I trusted myself a little more) and I was able to go pretty dang fast my last two or three tries- of course then it was time to go, and by the time we go again (next year) I will probably start out hilariously slow again, especially at the "top" (yes, I am talking about the baby hills, ha ha ha ha) because I am afraid I will accidentaly turn too hard and end up going down the steeper looking baby hill. Hee hee haw. I think if we don't go again until next year I had better start with a lesson again. We had better go again, though, I love it once I get over my initial psycho fears, and I really want to graduate from the "Little Cat".;)

We have a quilt group started up in the ward and it has been really fun. I enjoy visiting (o.k. so maybe listening to the visiting is a more apt description of my involvement), it really is refreshing to have contact with adults in an unrushed atmosphere (and having a reason to be together besides just visiting is also a little less stressful for the conversation breaks and all). The children have the run of the gym and we bring toys to share. So far that has gone really well. We've tied one quilt and we're quilting a baby tricot quilt, it is going to be so cute. We will probably tie the next one again. Some ladies want to learn to piece, so it has been a little bit of a dilemma to me on how to fit that in. I think next week I'll try to have both going on. Piecing and tieing (spell check doesn't seem to think that's a word?), see how that works. Maybe every other week do piecing and the other weeks do quilting/tieing? Or would people be more likely to forget if they come to only one or the other? Or should we do another day altogether so those that can't come at the time it is now could come? (Someone make a desicion! Who- me?).

Crayon color shading "class"

Big T suddenly loves coloring and I realized we were low in the crayon department so I headed to the store for another craft stocking mission (woot! I love paper, pens, notebooks, crayons even)for crayons, coloring books, tape and glue, and also came away with a kit that teaches "the magic of color shading" with crayons. Here is the result of the first two lessons:

Everyone except Amm- was enthusiastic and want to do more. Amm- says he doesn't like to color. I remember in Kindergarten he would refuse to do the color the picture part of his homework. He does, however, love freehand drawing. Which side of the brain was that supposed to come from?
We had conferences for school today and the children are all doing really well. Big T's teacher, however, says if he doesn't stop reversing letters and numbers before 2nd grade we will need to worry and maybe do a tutor thing. Anyone have ideas to work on this other than repetitive writing that might bore him to death and thus possibly be ineffective?
Maybe it is the snow, but I am totally in the mood to do a difficult puzzle. I should have gotten one while at the store, dagnabbit.

Those suckers!

o.k. so we wrapped them in the plastic just for the picture. The children ate them up immediately afterward. It was pretty fun to do, although without the hovering, impatient, younger children it would have been less nerve wracking, but considering that, it really went amazingly well.
We are, however, not candy artists and this is the best we could do. They were yummy though.

What fun!

We had a nice visit with megglee the other day. It was so quiet and peaceful, even the boys were fairly well behaved. Lando- with his forays into the pantry (he has a thing for food, this one), Byc-ie in and out to the 'park' (the playground in front of their condo), and O' so mellow, it all went smooth.
Megglee sent us home with some treasure! For my birthday this cute little doggie in my window...

And just for fun this weaving kit from Klutz. Ad' took off with it the first night (I think she will post pictures of her finished purse on her sight):



So the next morning I had an excuse to go to the craft store to find more loops (the Klutz ordering wasn't working and I am impatient), and Bryce and I had fun making this:

Even Lando- got in on the fun!

Big T became a potholder fiend:

And Amm' thought the checker board was clever - he wants to do another so I need to get some more already :).

If that isn't enough for you I bought a strawberry shortcake sucker kit (melt the colored chocolate sort of thing) when I came across it at the craft store, and Ad' and I are going to do that today. What fun! Guess I better get crackin' on those dishes...

Well Said.

Adrift! A little boat adrift!
And night is coming down!
Will no one guide a little boat
Unto the nearest town?

So Sailors say—on yesterday—
Just as the dusk was brown
One little boat gave up its strife
And gurgled down and down.

So angels say—on yesterday—
Just as the dawn was red
One little boat—o’erspent with gales—
Retrimmed its masts—redecked its sails—
And shot—exultant on!

--Emily Dickinson

The Trip

It was neat to see Yellowstone in winter. And a lot less crowded. Snowmobiling is a fun way to see the park, although, from what our guide said, it may usually be colder and so possibly not as fun. It was a beautiful day, hardly any wind, and we stayed warm in our lovely rented suits and helmets.



I would recommend driving your own snowmobile, though. It was more comfortable to drive than to be the passenger.
We saw a beaver, river otters, elk, eagles, a coyote, a fox after a rodent, and, of course, buffalo. There were also bears and wolves in captivity. Here are some pictures - I'll try to limit myself to a few...

















We were so worn out when we got back to the hotel, funny since we were on our butts most of the time. Stephen had made dinner reservations for that night so we couldn't laze about, though. I wish I had pictures of dinner! Seriously, the courses were arranged beautifully and in complementing dishes - different styles for each course. The colors were amazing. The food excellent. I didn't know a chef could really make that much of a difference, it really is an art form. The food became an experience in and of itself. Oh, and stuffed as I was (I couldn't eat all of the main course), I couldn't stop eating the dessert. Divine.
By the way, we ate at the Bar N Ranch. I don't think I would ever stay there, just because it was so, I don't know - over the top? It was uncomfortable in it's extremes of comfort and decor or something. I couldn't put my finger on it. The rooms even felt erie to me. Hard to be down to earth and be yourself in that atmosphere.
Anyway, I recommend this experience to you all. Something different to do with people you enjoy.

Balaclava finale

Here are the pictures of my balaclava. I used worsted wool-ease. It wasn't done in time for the snowmobile tour- I had a couple of inches bound off the last row of 480 stiches when we left Saturday morning.... It wouldn't have fit under the helmet anyway. It will get it's debut skiing Friday!










*o.k. so I haven't sewn in my ends yet. I don't want to. Maybe I never will....

Balaclava

In lieu of Stephen setting up snowmobiling in Yellowstone for our anniversary, I thought I would knit myself a hat and scarf. Time, however, is getting short, so I decided on a balaclava, which is kind of both items in one. So I picked out this bright purple (no the picture doesn't do it justice), and I think it will be warm and hilarious to wear. Besides, I can also use it for skiing on the 3rd. So far it has been slow going. Can I finish in one week? Maybe. If you include drive time on the way to Yellowstone (about 5 hours?). I wonder how bad Stephen would be bugged.

Happy late Valentines!

First thanks to Oliver and his mom! Cutest Idea!

So here was Valentines dinner (Stephen improved it later- he brought sparkling cider and flowers home with him):

One curtain mostly finished (I need to figure out the tie and decide wether or not change the bottom - when it is tied it will pull up the rod on the bottom if the curtain isn't wrapped around the side brackets). Hopefully I will get to the other ones sooner rather than later.

***thanks to Stephen for hanging the curtain rods!***

And, of course, a shot of 'the babes':

Hope you all had a wonderful valentines! Also, hope the shower goes well, and all. I'm afraid with the weather the way it is and Stephen out of town (no babysitter, esp. when you add drive time) I won't be able to make it.

On the positive side

After finishing getting ready for the day, I came out of the bathroom to this.

Makes a mother's heart warm.

And we came up with this cute idea for Ad's valentines.

Originally came up with these in order not to buy valentines (I don't know, sometimes when it comes to 'saving' money I'm an idiot). They are free (from scraps), only now we need to buy a treat to go in them... Anyway, at least she will have something original and hand made, and they are so easy and fast to make. I think they would also be great to put a gift card in for other occasions. Only seven or eight more to sew!
The boys? They get storebought Scooby Doo or something. There is only so much you can do, and these ended up really feminine cute like.

some links

I just love this pillow. Of course she has the best place to display it.
My neighbors have this website, I love their clocks. I am going to get one sometime.
Also I found this great curtain idea. I am going to do something similar (I hope) in the family area off the kitchen using the same fabric as in the kitchen for the valance with the sheer white behind it.

Feeling better already

Today I was in a total slump (first excited to do curtains, only to find I really couldn't and will have to wait until Stephen has the time and inclination- so then slumped), and I couldn't bring myself to do anything. Just cleaning all the time seems so pointless and makes me wonder why- what is it we are supposed to learn from never ending laundry, dishes, 2 year old messes, getting after kids to clean up only to find it messier, peed beds and missed toilet seats... o.k. I'll leave it at that (oh, not to mention dirty diapers and stained brand spanking new clothes). Anyway, sometimes I wonder at my point of even existing when this is all I ever do. However, I took a minute to read blogs to quit wallowing and do something(!), and I am feeling a lot more 'good to go'. Thanks for your distractions, thoughts, and fun you share.
Anyway, here's the latest 2 year old mess (o.k., with help from the 4 year old), and I couldn't bear (so how do you spell that kind of bare, bear?) to take a picture of the kitchen, and family room, and chairs, and footprints, and cupboards....how they can do it even, I don't know.

It's o.k. you can laugh. At the time I did too. Thankfully. The other choice was go red in the face and blow smoke out my ears, yet that accomplishes nothing.

In case you were wondering it was baking cocoa - an entire can of it.