LOVELY LOVE

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE this guy?

Well I do and it isn't just because he makes me laugh.  Real hard sometimes.  He even made me laugh until I cried the other night and that hasn't happened before.  

It isn't just because he waited to kiss me (in public) until our wedding day.  Just because he knows that I am a private person.  He is also an AMAZING kisser!  

It isn't just because he is a great dad to this little MAN.

It isn't just because he tells me that I am beautiful.  See he is shouting it to the world 
right here I am not making this up...

It isn't just because he works real hard for Thomas and I.

It isn't just because he is so manly and strong.

It IS ALL of these things... and mostly because he is the only person that has ever made me feel this way.  You know IN LOVE and I know that he feels that way about me too... that is why I LOVE him.  You can see the LOVELY LOVE in my eyes 3 years ago, and it is still here today.  

Diet

It seems I am in a constant battle with myself to be BETTER.

I love food and nutrition

BUT

today I want to be BETTER

So here is the deal I am making a goal of ADDING something to my diet

Sounds like my kind of a diet... getting to eat more!

note: when I say diet I am not talking about the kind where you eat strange items for a few weeks to drop a few pounds and then go back to your old ways only to gain it ALL back

When I say diet I mean EVERYTHING that we eat, a PATTERN in which we eat 

or a LIFESTYLE.

Now that I got that out of the way 

I want to add something to my diet...

(at least) 5 fruits and vegetables each day.

Some of you are thinking that I am crazy because you eat at least 10 a day

That is fabulous for you... just ignore this post and go on with your life

BUT, for those of you who aren't sure what you eat I want to 

CHALLENGE you to join me in my journey

RULES: 

1. Eat a total of 5 fruits/vegetables combined each day

2. Make it a variety from day to day (I find myself eating apples, carrots and bananas ALOT)

3.  Don't be afraid to try new Fruits and Vegis

4.  Aim for "5 a day the color way" 

5.  Introduce new foods by looking up new recipes

Oh how we LOVE pomegranates...

* As mothers with young children don't be afraid to introduce new foods.  If they don't take to them the first, second or tenth time... KEEP TRYING because I think I have hear that it takes at least 20 times. (don't quote me on that)  Thomas will devour something one day and not touch it the next.  I just have it there and let him decide.

I am so excited and I hope some of you will join me in my journey.

Just think of it as a healthy support group or something.

Now that I have bored you all (since you already do this, I am sure)

Just like I bored this little fellow while he was eating his snack

I will leave you now.  

But not without a little reminder... This diet is all about ADDING more and more

that is why you can go ahead and make my cinnamon LOVE rolls 

from my last post and NOT feel guilty. 

Go ahead and check it out!

Cinnamon Love

This recipe has been requested by many...


I hope that this recipe brings happiness to all and maybe even a few kisses from the Mr.


Cinnamon Roll Love.... Recipe from the Kitchen of Mary Ann Dunn (She is the Queen)




in a large bowl combine 


1 can evaporated milk
1 can (same can as the evaporated milk) hot water
3/4 cup oil (any kind... vegetable or canola)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp yeast


keep the above ingredients warm until it reacts completely... may take up to an hour (I sometimes fill the sink with HOT water and place the bowl in there to keep it warm)


Then add 5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt


mix it all up then add

4 eggs
2 more cups of flour (add more if needed for the right texture.  SOFT dough, not glossy, not too sticky)  This is key you don't want to over mix and make the mixture stiff.  You want them light and flaky.


Let rise for 1.5 hours or until dough has doubled
Then Roll out on a buttered counter top into a rectangle depending on the thickness desired
Spread soft butter over the dough
Add as much cinnamon and sugar as desired... quite a bit
Roll up dough and cut
Let rise again in the pan (buttered) until doubled


Bake 350 for 20 minutes (I over cooked mine in this picture so maybe go a few minutes less and then do more if needed)


* I use this recipe for regular rolls as well
* I use regular all purpose flour... never tried anything different don't know how adding wheat would turn out
* For frosting I just mix powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla (but the other day I did a caramel topping and they were divine)
*these take a lot of time because of all the rising... but if you have the time they ARE worth it.  They also can be made in advance and then frozen to be used at a later time.  
*DON'T laugh because I like really detailed recipes... so when I give them that is what you get as well.  

Listen

I'm listening to these two....

Dance to music, father, play ball, try to get into doors, read stories, play guitar, try to talk, encourage and laugh....

All while I am supposed to be napping.

It is just too much fun LISTENING

so COOL

Yesterday I tried to be "COOL"
Some would say that I am a nerd for doing what I did.
But, I thought it was a fabulous idea.
Alisa, Mom and I jumped in the car and headed to SLC for a book-signing.
Not just any book signing... Pioneer Woman's NEW cookbook signing.
(I am sure you all think I am real "cool" now)
Well I think I am, and I was excited.  I wanted to meet this lady that cooks up a storm and has hilarious stories to go along with everything.  I really wanted to meet her and just breathe some of the same domestic air she breathes.  I wanted to be on her blog...Daniel even said he would pay me 50 dollars if I could be that cool.  

Oh how I thought we had it all planned out. 
Pick Alisa up from work, check.  Map Quest the bookstore where the signing was to be held, check.  Chocolate for the car, check.  Girly, Girls Just Want to Have Fun music, check.  Make sure someone is watching the man child at home, check. Cute shoes, check. We had it all right?
That's what we thought until we showed up at the quaint bookstore and saw a HUGE line.  
People had been lining up since the night before to hear her speak and get their books signed. 
WE HAD NO IDEA this woman was so famous in SLC.
After lining up for a few minutes and getting the scoop, we learned we could be there until 1 in the morning with still the possibility of her leaving as soon as it became our turn.  I know that would be just our luck and so we did what any other "COOL" person would do.... we left.  
Our dreams of meeting this woman extraordinaire were dashed.  Now we would never be as "cool" as she is.  At least that is what we thought until we started driving around Sugar House and all of our thoughts were turned to these beautiful original houses that I WOULD DIE to live in.  (is that a bit extreme?)  Then we ate fish tacos are Rubios and we were completely happy with the decision that we had made.  (plus I got to see the Yankees win the World Series and that definitely wouldn't of happened if we had stayed to see P.W)


Plus the trip wasn't a complete waste because today we were able to spend some time in my favorite store of all times....ANTHROPOLOGIE.  Just being in there makes me happy.  The colors, the fabrics, the dishes oh the dishes, the smells, the books, and today I was able to purchase some knobs to go on a hutch that we just inherited from Daniels Great Grandma.  I love the sentiment that comes with things you inherit.  That is why I didn't want to completely redo the whole hutch.  I just felt that it needed a slight face lift.  Here the beauty is (I didn't dare show the whole thing because it is messy, can you believe that?) I figured this would help you get the idea.

Here is a close up on the handles.

Here is the final product.  Nothing fancy.  It still has it's timeless beauty but a little more color and maybe a more modern look.  I bet you can't tell that I don't have a ra-ra on and that I have a face mask on in this picture, can you?  Well both of those things are true, as well as the fact that I have my birds (that Thomas loves) in there from my Great Grandma that are one of my favorite aqua colors.  

As far as me being really cool and meeting P.W. I wasn't very successful.  As far as me having a fabulous time with two fabulous women that I Love.... I would count this girls trip a success.  Even if I did miss my Man and Man Child like crazy.   

HOME

The word HOME to me means so much more then just the place that I live.  

Today as I gathered with many woman and discussed this matter there was a list that was drawn up.

This list compared and paralleled our HOMES to TEMPLES.  

Some of the principles we learn about in the TEMPLES that should be applied in our homes are:

1. A place of GATHERING. 

prayer.. learning...counsel...work....play....dinner...

2.  The pace should be set by the slowest member in the group.

 no need to RUSH everything we do (and become stressed because there is always someplace to be and something to do)

3.  The JOY of REUNION.

 we all need a little after work smooch and a "honey how was your day?"

4.  What we do with our hands is as important as what we say with our lips. 

I have a HUGE thing with HANDS and I think that our HANDS tell a STORY and should tell a patient, hardworking, loving story.

5. A place to LEARN our TRUE IDENTITY.

I LOVE this one.  I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have that I am a child of GOD.

That I am LOVED.

That I have a family that can be together FOREVER.  

Below is a picture of a favorite temple of mine.

The temple in Hawaii.

It was there that I gained a greater testimony of these things that I was taught in my own HOME.

As women it is our place and calling to be the CREATORS in our homes.  

I am excited to CREATE this feeling of sacredness in my home for my family by doing

a few other things that were discussed today that I loved and hope help others.

 As WOMEN we can

1. ORGANIZE our homes

2. SEPARATE the LIGHT from the DARK

3. Bring BEAUTY and VARIETY into our homes

4. Bring LIFE and then give NOURISHMENT to the life (both physically and spiritually)

5. REST

6. COMMUNICATE with the Lord by returning and reporting

HaLlOwEen...

WITCHY WITCHY
SCREAMY SCREAMY
HAPPY HAPPY
HALLOWEEEENY

A few of the hard core TRICK or TREATERS
Sadie (music staying warm)
Thomas (guitar)
Brady (SCARY skeleton that Thomas was fascinated by)
TY( himself)


THE STAR of the show


the MUSIC note (had to be there to cover a stain)
Not the easiest place to pose for a picture.


Thomas and Daniel
Looking so photogenic walking down the street


A cool in motion picture


Buddy with Grandpa and Grandma
Grandpa (soldier... who actually retired after 30 years of service)
Grandma (just with sweet hair/anything you think she should be)


THe Best part of the night.
Checking out the GOODS


I hope that everyones Halloween was as enjoyable and SPOOKY as ours was.

This year our theme (daniel excluded he was too cool to dress up) was MUSIC. Thomas was a guitar that I made for him and I thought I could be the music and so I just lightly stitched a black felt note on a white shirt that I had.

We went to a Carnival on Friday night in West Jefferson. We played a lot of fantastic carnival games. Daniel's favorite was throwing sponges at the principal, I was extremely frightened by the spook alley, and THomas just LOVED being there.

Saturday night we went TRUNK or TREATING which was perfect for us. NOT too much candy and we weren't out in the cold for too long either. He was dancing in the streets for everyone. After someone put a candy in his bucket we stopped and took them all out to examine each piece before we moved on to the next. By the end he had it figured out and was running to the next car and grabbing multiple candies at each place. WE enjoyed some tacos up at my families house and then went TRICK or TREATING at Grandpa Packers house. Thomas enjoyed holding the bowl for all the the kids that came around.