update on us

It has been about five months since I last posted in this blog.  I am sorry. I don't have any pictures either because I am posting on Kindle but I will be sure to get a computer soon and  post some pictures of my kids funny antics.  Recently, we have gotten a picture of Hannah after she completely covered her hair in avocado.  And one of her when she decided decided to hop in the tub with Taylor fully clothed.  They also have fun dressing up in costumes and I got a cute picture of her dressed up as a fireman.  We actually get to go to the fire station down the block in a couple of weeks, it will be fun to see what they both think of it this time, especially Taylor.  Taylor just had his preschool graduation a couple of weeks ago and was so excited he got the official diploma and hat.  He even ended up sleeping in it that night and I got a picture of that.  He was glad his Dad was able to take some time off of work to be there and told Brian thank you a couple of times.   So we won't be doing preschool until fall but we will continue what we call Little Harvard through the summer.

One Word

I was reading one of my favorite blogs www.moneysavingmom.com and was led to this blog http:/myoneword.org.  I loved the idea they had of facing the year with one word in mind.

First, you are supposed to think about what kind of person you want to be at the end of the year or more importantly the kind of person God is leading you to be.
Second, you are supposed to think about words that describe that person.
Third, you pick one word that you will personify this year.

My word is: Charity

 All these other goals are well and good but I am excited to do all that I do this year with this one word in mind.  What would your one word be?

New Year 2013

Ok, so this post will not have any pictures because I am writing it on my kindle fire.  I have been thinking about my new year resolutions and I thought it would be a good time to make some goals.  Just as Christ "grew in wisdom and stature" I need to be continually improving myself.

Marriage
- 2 dates a month.
-  Pack Brian a nice lunch and note once a week.
- Talk about about budget monthly and week plans every Sunday.
- Make a list of 15 things I can do to show Brian love and do them.
- Read two books about Marriage.

Personal
- Have a summer and Halloween craft class.  25 total kids
 -  Complete 12 sewing projects.
-  Learn to mend and shorten clothes.  Complete 30 items.
- Read 36 books this year.
- Become a better teacher, seek to improve my Sharing Time lessons and start preparing 2 weeks ahead.

Be a more patient and loving mother
- Blog at least once a week about my kids and family, throughout the week write down the little things and the big things that make me smile in wonder and the things that make me want to scream.
- Play with my kids everyday.
- Take more pictures, make a picture book of Hannah. and one of the whole family.
- Laugh More.
- Read the Book of Mormon with my relationships with my kids in mind.

Physical
- Track calories and weight.
- Eat a sit down meal with my family at least 5 Times a week.
- Can at least 100 quarts of fruit, 50 quarts of tomatoes, and 50 quarts carrots/green
beans.  Make Green Tomato Curry 12 pints, freeze a couple more bags.
- Make rice-a- roni mixes in jars.
- Can 36 pints of chicken.

So that's it, now to put the plan into action.  I will try to look at this monthly and report my progress.

Taylor's Birthday Interview

Birthday Boy

How old are you?  Two , no three.

Who is your best friend? Madeline

What is your favorite thing to eat?  Cake

and Carrots, and hot dogs (even though he hardly ever eats hot dogs)

What is your favorite movies? Cars

What is your favorite toy? Rabbit (the toy he just happened to be holding in his hand, he calls it Nicholas even though it's a girl)

Who is in your family?  Mommy, Taylor, Daddy, and Hannah

What is your favorite thing to do? Walk (translation: go on walks)

Pumpkin Patch

 Our neighbor invited us to go to the pumpkin patch in Springville with them.  It is owned by Harward Farms and has lots of free activites.  A petting zoo, a hayride, a corn pit, and two hay mazes.  The weather was a perfect 70 degrees.  It was a GREAT day!

 Taylor, Hannah, Luke, and Thomas

It's kinda cute, Thomas and Hannah play really well together.  And when Thomas saw me with the kids the other day he asked, "Hannah?"

These kids all get together at least once on a week.  On Wednesdays, Nicky and I work on quiet books for the kids while they play.  And than we all have lunch together.  And on Thursday mornings we go over to her house again for Toddler school.  Nicky took these pictures and she also has another little boy who is 9 months old.

This handsome devil just turned 3

BROTHER AND SISTER

Taylor and Luke exploring the hay maze.

 PRETTY GIRL

 Here we are modeling my new hair 

King of the Pumpkins

So much for warm weather, winter has officially hit and we won't see the 70's again until next year.

Home Cookin'

Lately, we have cooking up a storm making Applesauce Muffins, Apple Butter, and Hamburger Vegetable Soup.  My house smells amazing and needless to say with the cold front I haven't ventured outside much the last few days.




Thanks, MoneySavingMom!


I still have a laundry basket full of apples on my side porch and about 4 pumpkins to process.  I really have become super housewife.  But when you have more time than money you get creative and it can really be fun.  Except Applesauce muffins don't last more than a few days around here (:

I have gotten into canning more this year. Tomatoes grew with a vengeance this summer and I had at least 6 bushels between our plants and some from Brian's parents.  I canned about 28 quarts of tomato sauce, 5 quarts of tomato juice, and about 20 pints of diced tomatoes.

And than there are the green beans, 50 pints later we are fully stocked.  We borrowed my mother-in-law's  pressure cooker and now my Grandma Payne is going to let me keep hers at my house.  The next couple things I am going to try pressure canning are chicken and beef/venison stew.

I almost forgot ,with all those tomatoes there were still a bunch that never ripened before the first frost.  And this is how we discovered Green Tomato Curry Sauce on Rice, the kids and and I really love it with just some cheese and coconut on top.  We are now out of it and I am so sad.



Thanks, Mavis from One Hunderd Dollars a Month!

I hope you are all eating well.  Please, share any yummy and healthy resipes you have cookin' up this fall.

Happy Pioneer Week

I will start posting more but for now here is our menu plan for this week.  There is nothing fancy just making do with what we have without having to make a big trip to the store. We are going on a family reunion trip the second week in August and need to eat extra food we have in the house.

UPDATE: WE TRIED TO MAKE THIS OX AND WAGON FOR TODDLER SCHOOL AND IT WAS A TOTAL FLOP.  I GUESS YOU COULD HOT GLUE IT SOMEHOW BUT I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE WHEELS TO STAY.




Here is a link to Fun Pioneer Day activities like the one above.

Monday
Lunch - French Dip sandwiches and carrot sticks
Dinner - Sloppy Joes, corn, and fruit cobbler

Tuesday
Lunch- Sandwiches and fruit smoothies
Dinner - Broccoli, cheese, seasoned plain yogurt(with a little bit of garlic salt) on baked potatoes

Wednesday-
Lunch- Taco Soup and salad
Dinner - Hot dos with J-Dawg Sauce and watermelon

Thursday
Lunch- Leftover Taco Soup on potatoes
Dinner- PB&J and peaches

Friday- 
Lunch - eat out
Dinner - Ward Campout dinner

Things to make:
Brown meat for Sloppy Joes and Taco Soup
Bake potatoes
Cut up carrots
make cracked wheat
Lemon Zucchini Bread
Pumpkin muffins (minus chocolate chip :(
waffles
homemade french bread

I haven't always been good at following a plan.  But even though I'm not I always do better when I plan something out.  So we will see how it goes.  Looking at other people's menu plans, I am amazed at how simple most meals really can be.