The Kinghorn Clan

Oscar the Grouch Impressions by Ellie and Mikey

2012-01-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

Ellie's First Talk in Primary

2012-01-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

Leah's Mormon.org Profile

2012-01-10T21:51:00.002-05:00

http://mormon.org/me/7X75/Leah/

Hi, I'm Leah

I am a SAHM. I love adventures. You might as well because everyday is a new one. I'm a child of God. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am a Stay-at-Home-Mom. I have four children. My oldest has 1p36 Chromosome Deletion. My goal is to raise them as self sufficient, respectful, and caring members of society. My children are a big part of who I am but not all of who I am. They will leave my home some day and I want them to be proud of the woman I am.

I am married to a wonderful example of a Priesthood holder. We were married in the Laie, HI temple for all time and eternity. We love to serve as a family.

I have an online business that allows me to work from home sewing crayon & jewelry rolls and making other home crafts. I am college educated. I love to travel. Sadly I don't have any stamps in my passport yet. I have lived most of my life in America's high five (aka Michigan).

I love to celebrate! We have a lot parties at our house, both pretend and actual. My house is not always spotless. We are too busy making memories.

Why I am a Mormon

I grew up in the church. My parents were great examples to me and my siblings. I had a strong testimony and knew that the church was true. When I was in my teens, I started to fall into peer pressure. I made choices that were contrary to the high standards of the church. I felt that the commandments were restrictions and I felt trapped. At sixteen I was excommunicated. After that I personally went into a dark place. My mother always made sure that I had home teachers and visiting teachers. She also made sure that I received the church magazine, The Ensign. I didn't always appreciate that effort, but I allowed it.

While I wasn't a member of the church I had a girl and got married. In that order. When my daughter was one, we realized there was something wrong. She wasn't meeting the regular milestones. For many years after that there was a lot of testing. It wasn't until she was six that we got her diagnosis of a 1p36 Chromosome Deletion. Being her mother was hard in those early years. I desired something more for her and me.

I prayed a lot during these years. I still knew that Heavenly Father was aware of me. I tried going back to church many times. It was always hard getting in the door. I tried to go unnoticed. I did not get the support at home that I desired. It was a very difficult time in my life. Most of my memories from that time come to me in a darkened light.

After eight years and feeling really low, I knelt down at the end of my bed and prayed for my Heavenly Father's forgiveness. Between the tears, I felt the warm embrace of the Spirit. Something I had missed for so long. I knew after that night that I needed to change my life. I was baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost by my brothers.

I have been going strong ever since. I know that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for mine. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and will always bless me if I keep his commandments. I know now that they are there to protect us and I know prayer works. Try it

How I live my faith

I live my faith by serving in my church. I teach the youth every Sunday. I have worked with the children, taught in the women's organization, taught early morning seminary, and attend Sacrament. I visit women every month to make sure their needs, both physically and spiritually, are bring met. I go to the temple as often as I can (which is hard with little ones).

At home, I teach my children to pray. I teach them to love the Lord and each other. We have Family Home Evening every Monday. We read the scriptures together. Right now it is only a verse at a time, but we read.

I keep my standards high. I keep friends with those same standards. I have learned that this is very important to me.

I pray with my husband every day. I support him in his callings at church and as the Priesthood holder in our home.

I pay tithing. It has blessed us in ways we are aware of and unaware at the same time.

I live my faith by keeping the commandments. They keep me safe and free.

I am a Mormon because the Gospel is true. This church is "the" church Christ organized when he was on the Earth. This church has His priesthood. The Atonement is real and I can not deny what Christ did for me.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Glory to the Newborn King

2011-12-23T02:19:00.005-05:00

Leah had an ingenious idea for decorating our home for Christmas. She cut out the words "HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING" and strung them in a banner behind a wooden airplane just like the ones you see at the beach or ball games. It was difficult to get the entire thing into one camera shot, but here are our best shots.

Brian's Mormon.org profile

2011-12-12T15:50:00.002-05:00

I posted my profile on Mormon.org today. I guess I'll put it all on a blog post here too. Leah submitted hers too. We'll link to it as soon as it is officially posted.

Hi I'm Brian

I'm a PhD candidate in Educational Psychology. I'm a husband, father, traveler, photographer & science educator. And I'm a Mormon.

About Me

Hi I'm Brian. I'm finishing a PhD in Educational Psychology with an emphasis on how to help teachers learn and teach science better. I am passionate about teaching science and have taught elementary science programs through out the U.S. and abroad and do science assemblies at elementary schools. I love exploring and photographing the world (urban and natural) and have visited all 50 of the United States and 20 countries. I married my best friend and sweetheart for eternity in the Laie, Hawaii temple and now I am a proud father of 4 (2 girls and 2 boys) including a step-daughter with special needs. Being a father is the best job in the world, but it also gives me daily opportunities to develop patience, charity and other Christlike attributes. I love my wife and children more than I can express. Most importantly I love the Lord, I'm grateful for His atoning sacrifice that allows me to return to Him and my Father in Heaven, and I'm thankful that He restored His church to the earth. Because of that, I'm a Mormon.

Why I am a Mormon

The oldest of 8, I was raised in the church by wonderful parents who are both descendants of early Mormon pioneers. Yet, I still had to go through my own conversion process. As a teen I was happy living the gospel and preparing for a mission, and I gained the bulk of my testimony of the gospel simply by living gospel principles and reaping the peace and blessings that followed. However, during that time I also decided that I needed to know for sure that the church was true. Since the Book of Mormon is physical, tangible evidence that Joseph Smith was indeed the prophet of the restoration, I determined to follow Moroni's promise in Moroni 10:3-5 (namely to read the Book of Mormon, ponder its teachings and pray to know of its truthfulness). After I finished reading the Book of Mormon I knelt to pray and asked Heavenly Father if it was true. The answer I got was a bit unexpected, but exactly what I needed to hear. Instead of a burning in the bosom or a lightning bolt from heaven a simple thought came to my mind: "why are you asking IF the Book of Mormon is true when you already KNOW the Book of Mormon is true?" It was true that I was asking a question I already knew the answer to. For me it was as President Hinckley once said: "No one, I am satisfied, can prayerfully read the Book of Mormon without coming to a knowledge that it is what it purports to be, and that is another witness of the Lord Jesus Christ speaking out of the dust to those of this generation concerning the Redeemer of the world." Through reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible I came to know, understand and accept my Savior Jesus Christ. I also had tangible evidence that Joseph Smith was the Lord's mouthpiece and that we have living prophets and apostles today who speak the will of God for our times. As I served the Lord as a full-time missionary my testimony was strengthened and became unshaken through the experiences I had serving others as an ordained representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How I live my faith

Some have wondered why I give so much of my time serving in the church or how I survive three hrs of Sunday meetings. The answer is simple: being a Mormon/Latter-day Saint/disciple of Christ is a 24/7 gig. Striving to follow Christ, serve Him and become like him is a lifelong endeavor, not just a holiday or once a week thing. The person I am at church on Sunday is the same person I strive to be every other day of the week. Yes, I am imperfect and I make mistakes, but I have taken Christ's name upon me through baptism and there are no vacations from my obligation to keep that and other sacred covenants I have made with the Lord. Part of that is sharing the gospel. I don't force it on anyone, but the gospel means so much to me in my life I can't help but share it with the hope that it will be as precious to someone else who is searching for truth.

The church has no paid local clergy so every member gets to pitch in and help. In my recent service in the church, I have been a leader for the adult men in my congregation. In this capacity I coordinate philanthropic, instructional and community service efforts for a group of more than 80 men. One important aspect of this calling is organizing the men in pairs as home teachers who go monthly to the homes of different families in our congregation to lend a helping hand and teach the gospel. I've also had the opportunity to organize and lead groups of Latter-day Saints to volunteer at community events like Battle Creek's World's Longest Breakfast Table and clean up after a Tornado that hit our community. We worked hand in hand with the members of another Christian church to help clean up after the roof was blown off their building of worship. In other callings I have worked with the teenage young men in scouting, service and spiritual development activities. Other callings I've had included emergency preparedness coordinator, teacher and coordinator of the local missionary work.

BYU-H Alumni Association Spotlight

2011-10-04T00:23:00.005-04:00

The BYU-Hawaii alumni association spotlighted me this month. How cool is that?!?! The last 10 years have sure been quite a ride.

http://alumni.byuh.edu/s/1085/05-hawaii/index.aspx?sid=1085&gid=3&pgid=3358

Brian Kinghorn (Psychology, 2001) transferred to Brigham Young University-Hawaii from Ricks College when he was recruited to sing in the concert choir and tour Singapore and Taiwan with them. While at BYU-H, Brian worked as a tutor in the Reading/Writing Center, served on the Honors Council as editor of the Hokuloa, and served in the presidencies of the English Circle and Kiwi Club. One of his most memorable campus experiences was being able to perform with the Kiwi club at culture night. While his classroom education was invaluable, much of Brian’s BYU-H education came from outside the classroom as he developed lasting friendships with individuals from across the globe and learned about their backgrounds and cultures. He was quoted in the September, 2003 BYU-Hawaii Alumni Association e-newsletter saying “I may not remember most of the formulas I learned in organic chemistry or physics, but I will never forget the people who so dramatically and positively touched my life.”

After graduation, Brian moved to San Francisco, CA, where he began teaching science programs for Science Adventures. He quickly moved up in the company to become a multi-regional curriculum trainer and site-coordinator at day camp sites in San Francisco and New York. The corporate office then asked him to conduct science camps and staff training at nearly 30 U.S. Air Force bases and other locations. One of the locations was Hong Kong, where the initial programs were so well received that he was hired in December, 2004, as the founding General Manager of the Science Adventures franchise there (www.activekidshk.com). He played an integral role in building that program from the ground up, and it is still running strong today.

Brian is currently finishing his Ph. D. in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at Michigan State University. In 2008 he presented research which focused on how elementary teachers learn science content from their own teaching practice at the annual conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. His dissertation is a continuation of that line of research with early-career middle school teachers. In addition to teaching undergraduate courses at MSU, Brian helped develop on-line tools, curricula and professional development for science education and worked on a multi-year National Science Foundation funded project focusing on the needs of early-career secondary science and mathematics teachers.

In 2009, with the help of a university fellowship, Brian founded his own science education company: Junior Science World. He currently presents interactive, inquiry-based science assemblies at elementary and middle schools and is developing educational programs for traditional and home school environments. Brian has a deep love of learning and childlike passion for exploring the world around him. He can teach sometimes difficult scientific concepts in fun, exciting, engaging and accessible ways for children and educators alike. In fact, his students in Hong Kong loved his classes so much that some of their parents literally threatened to keep them home from science club if they did not behave, and his science assemblies always have rave reviews.

For Brian, the greatest blessing of graduate school was meeting his beautiful wife Leah. They were married in 2007 in the Laie, HI, temple and have 4 wonderful children, Alexis (13), Ellie (3), Michael (2) and Daniel (4 months). Family is extremely important to Brian and he spends most of his free time playing at home with his kids or taking family road-trips to explore the Great Lakes, Chicago, or church history sites. Brian’s passion for photography fits quite well with his love of travel and he always has a camera in hand. He was thrilled when some of his prints sold at a local art center this year.

Brian and his family love the Lord and have served faithfully in the church. Since college, Brian has served as Ward Mission Leader, Ward Executive Secretary, an ordinance worker at the Oakland, CA temple, and Young Men President and is currently serving as the Elders Quorum President in the Battle Creek Michigan Ward (where he also served as a full-time missionary in 1996). In these capacities he has organized volunteers to help with the annual Battle Creek Cereal Festival and has coordinated efforts by the church to help clean up after two major storms that hit Battle Creek. He also supported his wife in her calling as early morning seminary teacher. Brian is very missionary-minded and often shares his testimony or links to General Conference talks or Mormon Messages on Facebook. After hearing of Elder Ballard’s BYU-H commencement address (Dec. ‘07), the Kinghorns started a blog (http://kinghornclan.blogspot.com) to share their adventures with their family and friends and to share the gospel. Last October, Brian was blessed to baptize one of his fishing buddies, who was able to baptize and confirm his own 8 year old son this summer.

Brian is currently searching for university faculty positions including applying to teach in the Education Department at BYU-Hawaii. He hopes to join the many other members of his immediate family who have become part of the BYU-H community since he graduated. While his ultimate desire is to be where the Lord needs him most, Brian would love to return to Laie, because, in every sense of the word, BYU-Hawaii is truly Ohana.

So Funny!

2011-06-25T11:10:00.002-04:00

This is for everyone who loved "I'm riding a turkey!"

Featured on a Craft blog

2011-06-04T01:41:00.003-04:00

The Scrabble board gifts we made for our moms for Mother's day were featured on Shannon Makes Stuff ...the craft blog. Pretty cool.

http://shannonmakesstuff.blogspot.com/2011/05/features-you-friday-round-four.html

Sunday May 29th Storm in Battle Creek

2011-06-03T12:05:00.003-04:00

For some reason all my slideshows are going backwards. Can't seem to fix it.

Daniel Edward Kinghorn arrived April 19th

2011-05-27T00:04:00.022-04:00

I can't believe how behind we are in blogging. Daniel is over a month old and we still haven't put pictures up on here. I don't have time for a slideshow, so I'll just put a few up here right in the blog.

He was born at 10:02 PM and weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and was 21 inches long.

The other kids were excited to meet their baby brother and Ellie and Mikey were equally excited about the cups of water the nurses brought them.

Ellie and Mikey both moved to the back seat of the van to make room for their baby brother to come home.

A big thank you to Grandma Kinghorn who came out to help with the other children and to Grandpa Kinghorn, Nana and Poppy who came up to see their newest grandson.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Rackham and Uncle Jordan and Aunt Cindy and Aunt Jenna came for Daniel's blessing too. We're so glad they all could make it.

Exciting times will continue with the Kinghorn Clan!

Ultrasound image of our soon to be arriving baby boy

2011-03-30T16:01:00.002-04:00

He's due on April 15th. We're excited about his pending arrival.

Mikey Eating Spaghetti and Cheesing it Up

2011-02-22T21:20:00.002-05:00

Trip to Disney World December 2010

2011-01-27T21:28:00.009-05:00

We had the first Kevin and Karen Rackham family reunion this year and did it in style. Lexi has always wanted to meet Mickey Mouse at his house and so we'd been talking about taking her to Disney World to celebrate her 13th birthday for the last few years. Nana and Poppy loved the idea, rented a house for the week down there and took all of their kids and grandkids to Disney for a week. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This trip would not have been possible without their generosity in funding the majority of the trip for everyone. We've finally picked out some of our favorite pictures so here are the slide shows. For some reason the slideshows are backwards in spite of numerous attempts to fix them. Sorry
TRIP DOWN AND DAY 1 @ MAGIC KINGDOM

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS & EPCOT

ANIMAL KINGDOM

LAST DAY @ MAGIC KINGDOM AND TRIP HOME

Ellie's nuffins

2011-01-27T08:04:00.004-05:00

Ellie: "Daddy may I please have more nuffins [muffins]?"
Daddy: Gets her one muffin (because she's already eaten 3 this morning) and hands it to her. When she doesn't say please, asks "What do you say?"
Ellie: "I want four nuffins!"

At least we found something she'll eat. This little girl has the oddest appetite. She loves chicken nuggets, hot dogs, avocado, mini muffins, and chocolate.

Snowman Party

2011-01-25T16:10:00.003-05:00

Leah is very creative. The kids are still too young to have much fun playing out in the snow... or maybe Mom and Dad just don't want to go out in the snow with them. Brrrr. It is probably a bit of both. So Leah decided to have a snowman party. The kids made snowman hats, ate melted snowman soup and melted snowman cookies, and made snow globes out of baby food jars.

Kevin and Karen Rackham Family

2011-01-17T13:04:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time in Florida with Leah's parents and all of their kids and grandkids. This picture was taken after an African dinner at a restaurant at the Animal Kingdom resort. Thanks so much Poppy and Nana for a wonderful trip and awesome memories! More pictures to come of the kids meeting their favorite characters.

It's So Hard to Say Good-Bye

2010-12-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

We had to say good-bye to our OBGYN Dr. Hoekstra. He and his wife are moving their practice to Oklahoma. Dr. Tim delivered Ellie and Michael and I had intended for him to deliver all of our babies. Oh well. He will be missed.

Our Resident Elton John

2010-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Poor Ellie

2010-12-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

We went to an appointment and they had to check Ellie's iron level. The first poke didn't work so they had to it again. She did great but was concerned after the band aids were put on.

Sweet Mikey

2010-12-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Tiny Ellie

2010-12-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Silly Mikey

2010-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ellie: "I'm riding a turkey!!!"

2010-12-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

Ellie and Mikey went on their first carousel ride together. Ellie got on an ostrich and was so excited to be riding the turkey that we didn't have the heart to correct her. We were with some friends and she is yelling to Mommy, Auntie Shanoa and her friends Noah and Nea.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-12-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos from our Thanksgiving Dinner. We had the Cusick family over and had a great time.

The turkey brine from The Pioneer Woman. This recipe is on Food Network's website.

SO Golden. It was super juicy! Brian was weary of the brine but approved after wards.

Brian's Mom's homemade stuffing with Brian's touch, the cranberries.

Green bean casserole. This was the worst I have ever made.

Gravy from the drippings. Brian had to rescue them before they burnt off.

MMMMM! Sweet Potatoes. Brian said that there should be equal parts brown sugar to potatoes. I stopped him.

Happy Birthday to my Love!!!!

2010-12-10T00:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Brian!!! I love you with all of my heart! You are a great father, friend, and Priesthood holder. I hope this next year is filled with many great blessings. (Is that selfish since I will be benefiting too?)

Silver Bells

2010-12-09T21:01:00.002-05:00

Before Thanksgiving, we went to Lansing for the Capital's Silver Bells celebration. My Uncle is in charge of getting the tree. We got together with him and my Aunt to watch the parade. Because he is in charge of the tree, he puts out chairs for the family that donated it. There were enough chairs for all of us to sit in front of the barriers along the parade route. It was awesome to be right up front and in chairs. We didn't have to worry about where Alexis was or how her legs were doing. It was perfect for Ellie and Mikey to see as well. Thank you so much Uncle Steve!

Mikey didn't like being in the stroller.

He had a better time when he was out.

Brian helped take down the chairs. What a boyscout!

This is Alexis at dinner after wards. She just kept doing this over and over. I guess what ever keeps you entertained and not bugging your siblings is fine with me.

The kids really liked the parade. We were glad and got really excited for Disney World.

Our Front Door - Christmas

2010-12-08T17:03:00.000-05:00

Don't mind the diaper pail, we live here.

I just kept it simple. I used one of the center pieces I made for the Ward Christmas party and put it on the front porch. I really like it. It makes me happy to see it when I drive into the driveway.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T10:30:00.001-05:00

For Family Home Evening last week we made a grateful garland. I had Brian print pictures of things that we are grateful for and we talked about each one with the kids. It was fast and simple and had a gospel message. We are so grateful for all of our many blessings and all of our family.

Burp Rags

2010-11-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

I made Burp rags for my one of my girlfriend's baby showers the other day and was commissioned to make some for another friend. She was going to give themas a gift as well. The first ones I ever made I had given this friend and she said that they were the best she has used. I was so pleased. So I added them to my store.

Ellie's Firsts

2010-11-22T12:00:00.003-05:00

The other day Ellie went to the dentist for the first time. She did great!

Then last week Ellie got her big girl bed and put herself to bed for the first time. My heart about broke when she told me that she didn't need me or Brian to tuck her in. "I do it myself." oh boy...I made Brian take a picture of her sleeping that night.

She did fall out of the bed the next morning. I have since rolled up a blanket and put it on the edge. That has seemed to have kept her from falling since.

Grateful

2010-11-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

I was looking through pictures and just wanted to share a couple that I really love right now. These photos also make me grateful for my family. I am grateful that my children get to know their Great Grand Parents. I was lucky enough to know all but one of mine and I got to have my Grandma Betts until I was an adult.

I love this one! It is so sweet! I love that Brian captures great moments.

This one makes me crack up.

This is my Grandpa Robert Doty. My mother's father. I see him in Mikey sometimes. I know that Ellie and Mikey might not remember this but I am glad we have pictures. I hope My family is around for my children until they are adults.

Learning to Love Michigan

2010-11-20T12:00:00.004-05:00

Like I said before we are finding ways to love Michigan. Also like I said before one of the cool things of Battle Creek are the balloons.

We were switching bedrooms around and I heard a very familiar sound. I heard the roar of a balloon engine (that is probably not what it is called but oh well). I hollered  for Brian and he and Ellie ran out side. Boy we get excited easy. Right away Brian put the kids in the car and we were off for a balloon chase. That is fun. Ellie was so excited and was always looking for the balloon. We followed it all the way until it landed.

Fun times!!!

Cheap Entertainment

2010-11-19T14:58:00.000-05:00

We love cheap entertainment! Ellie and Mikey love the pony ride at Meijer. It is still a penny like when I was a kid. I love Mikey's smile! All of my children bring me great joy (amongst the craziness).

Shopping with Mom

2010-11-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Today I took Ellie and Mikey to the store. They were so cute. We got a lot of compliments on how cute they are. What can I say?

This is Mikey most of the time.

Then he realized I had the camera on him and had to cheese it up.

Then Ellie climbed the STOP sign. I am saving this one for later. She cracks me up and is still so tiny.

FHE

2010-11-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

On Monday we made a table square for the Thanksgiving holiday. I thought it would be nice to have as our family grows and fun to watch it change.

Learning to Love Michigan

2010-10-06T12:00:00.001-04:00

There are some cools things about Battle Creek. One of them is that we get to see hot air balloons. In July we get the Air Show and in August we get the Hot Air Balloon Competition.

The first two are at the balloon illume and the last three are above our house the morning of our garage sale.

Learning to Love Michigan

2010-10-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

It seems that we will be in Michigan for longer than we had anticipated. So we are finding new places that make us feel good about being here.

In August we went to South Haven. I had been there before but I was a teenager then and not really interested in my surroundings unless they involved boys.

Anyways, we got there and instantly fell in love with the town, the beach and the lighthouse. It is our new favorite spot.

We then went back in September when Brian had a delivery there. it was too cold for the water but not for the sand and a stroll along the lighthouse.

Daddy's Little Helper

2010-10-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Mikey loves getting into things. He is the most curious little boy. The other day Brian was cleaning his side of the room and Mikey came in to help.

He is so stinkin' cute! Here is another picture just to prove it.

Ellie is fun and TWO!!!

2010-10-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Ellie is a fun girl but she is also two which can be difficult at times. The other day she found my mini post-its and showed her how magic they were. I had to label her. She thought that was fun...until Mikey started to pull them off. She screamed and then pulled them off herself and threw them on the ground.

I labeled chicken because she said that it was in her tummy.

It's Autumn Time

2010-10-02T12:00:00.003-04:00

I love Autumn!!! I love the crisp air, the mostly clear skies, pumpkins, pumpkin goodies, apples, the beautiful colors of the trees. I am sad that this season is so short. 

I  was feeling in the autumn mood and decided it was time to take down my  summer decorations on the porch and put up more fall inspired decor.  Alexis loves pumpkins. So I took her to Horrocks to get her pumpkin. She  picked out a really pretty one. It is orange with white patterns on it.  I had never seen one like it before.

I made the numbers with my Mom's Cricut machine. I love that thing!

I  found the table at Goodwill and painted it cream. I love it!!! I have  enjoyed it all summer. I found the chairs at Salvation Army and have  enjoyed those all summer. The flowers I cut from my hydrangea bush in  the front. In the beginning of summer they are bright blue, pink and  purple. Then the closer it gets to winter they turn burgandy. I love  them and have plans to transplant some the rest of the front. They are  so easy to take care of and I need that in my life. 

Mikey is ONE!!!

2010-10-01T16:01:00.000-04:00

We had a lot of fun celebrating Mikey's first birthday! He is such a big boy. Every one thinks that he and Ellie are twins.

We kept his birthday low key. On the big computer we had Hawaii and on the net book we had Iowa. I am so grateful that technology allows us to stay connected as families so that my children can know their relatives and continue building relationships.

He are some photos...enjoy!

He's not so sure about the cupcake.

I just love this face he is making. He cracks me up all of the time!

Ellie got into her cupcake...

and had to show us.

That is Hawaii on top and Iowa below. You can't really see Iowa. Sorry.

You're What!!!?

2010-10-01T15:42:00.001-04:00

Okay world we will let you know about our not so secret...we are having another baby!!!

This is our little baby. When this picture was taken it was a blob with the beginnings of stumps which will turn into appendages eventually and hopefully.

We are due on tax day of 2011. The year Brian will graduate with his PhD. We are very excited! We were not planning for this one but we were not not planning either.

We love the adventures that we have been having with Alexis, Ellie and Michael. How could we not be excited to bring in another Brian-Leah combo?

Memorial Weekend

2010-08-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

This last Memorial weekend Grandpa Doty asked us to go and plant flowers at our families headstones. We had a tough time finding them so we called Uncle Alan and he got us to where we needed to be. We had a great time working and visiting.

Brian's Adventures in Hong Kong

2010-07-13T15:50:00.001-04:00

Sunny Days

2010-07-10T19:21:00.000-04:00

We continue to have fun on our Hawaiian adventure. Yesterday we spent the day shopping with Grandma and Suzie. We had a lot of fun and got to see sights that we have never seen before.

Ellie and Mikey like to stand at the back door.

Today we colored on the drive way.

Ellie got Grandpa to help too. He had just got back from working on the ward farm.

Mikey got really into the chalk. I am not sure how it tasted but he looks happy.

Ellie tried on Grandma's shoes and walked around a little bit.

It seems at any moment Daddy is going to walk in the door just getting done at the beach. We really miss him. Glad we get to see him soon.

Having Fun!

2010-07-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

We are having fun with family and enjoying the tropical scene. While we were here Grandpa and David put together a tire swing. Ellie got to try it out.

While we have been here Mikey has discovered that his body can be pretty flexible. He often goes into this pose and sometimes makes noises while doing so. Bodies can do amazing things.

We love you Daddy and are thinking of you often.

Tropical Island Hideaway

2010-07-03T02:11:00.000-04:00

The babies and I are have been blessed with the opportunity to spend a part of our summer with our family in Hawaii. We had a blast going through the airport.

Grandpa and Grandma met us at the airport in Honolulu. There were smiles all around.

We are always a little messed up when we switch time zones. We were up really early our first morning. So I took the kids to Temple Beach to watch the sunrise. The sun was hidden behind the clouds but the view was still breath taking.

We miss Daddy, but I think we will manage with all of the Aloha that surrounds us here.

Aloha!

Single Photo Saturday

2010-06-26T10:29:00.001-04:00

Reflecting river side.

Yummy Goodness...

2010-06-26T00:10:00.000-04:00

I am going to make Cinnamon Baked French Toast courtesy of The Pioneer Woman for breakfast tomorrow morning for my parents. I love this stuff and I didn't want to make it alone while Brian was away because it would be a very bad thing for me to eat all by my lonesome. I mean the kids can only eat so much.

I am going to make two batches for when I visit my In-laws so that there will be enough to go around. I will doubly be in Heaven then.

This is an extreme close up shot of the last time I made this because it was three quarters of the way gone before I remembered to take the picture. Darn. Maybe next time.

Mikey and GG Doty

2010-06-24T19:26:00.001-04:00

Chillin' with Great Grandpa Doty.

Peace.

Wipe that sweat off your brow

2010-06-24T19:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I drove to Iowa alone with the kids. For the most part it was smooth until we got closer to Iowa. My Mom called and told me that I was headed for bad weather but at the moment I had blue skies and sunshine. Then the closer I got the darker it got and then it was worse before it was bad. I couldn't see the truck in front of me or the road. I prayed out loud for safety. Eventually I pulled over. Then all was well but I was shaking. The picture is of the sky after we got out of the rain.

Giveaway

2010-06-22T07:24:00.000-04:00

Another giveaway...

This one is for a silhouette. The giveaway is over at Tatertots and Jello. Check it out. If you win, you have to share with me.

What I am Working On

2010-06-21T21:20:00.000-04:00

This is what I am currently working on. They are crayon caddies or rolls. I haven't decided what to call them yet, but they are fun. They hold sixteen crayons. I loved having a special carrying case for my crayons when I was younger. Organizing the colors is always fun. How much would you charge for these?

OOH LA LA

2010-06-21T19:42:00.001-04:00

Dreaming of a new sewing machine. I think this is the one I will get when I earn enough money from my new business. It will count as a business expense.

One day, some day soon.

2010-06-21T13:37:00.000-04:00

We spent Father's Day up in Belding with my Grandpa Rackham. After church we went to my Uncle Aaron's campsite for lunch. We were lucky to have Aunt Roxanne and Uncle Tim in town.

It was a nice day but I really missed this guy.

(His eyes twinkle and make me giddy...sigh)

Somebody misses Daddy...

2010-06-20T20:39:00.001-04:00

Ellie went in and layed on Brian's pillow yesterday. We miss him but are grateful he has this opportunity to work.

We LOVE you!!!

Father's Day

2010-06-14T00:15:00.001-04:00

I am so grateful for all of the Father's in my life.

I love my Dad very much and I am grateful for the example he set for me and the love and support he has always given. I appreciate his forgiveness. I love that he is creative, thoughtful and humorous. I love that he loves my Mom. He is an awesome example to his children. I am grateful that he went on a Mission, does his Home Teaching and respects his Priesthood Authority.

I love Brian's Dad. What a great Father-in-law! I love that he lives on a tropical island that I have been blessed to visit. I love that he is adventurous, loves all people and is very willing to serve. I love that he teaches and cares about his students. He is a great example to his sons and daughters. I am grateful that he went on a Mission, serves his callings well and respects his Priesthood Authority.

I love my Grandpa Doty. I am grateful that he joined the church and was sealed to my Grandmother. I am grateful that he served his country. I love that he is so passionate about Family History and involves me in the work. I love that he is a frequent Temple worker and that he respects his Priesthood Authority.

I love my Grandpa Rackham. I have always been impressed with his open heart. He really loves everyone. I am grateful that he set a good example for my father. I love his smile. I am grateful the he served his country I really appreciate his respect for the Gospel and his Priesthood Authority.

I love my Husband!!! He is my best friend. I am so lucky to be sealed to him for all time and eternity. I love that he went on a Mission and remains missionary minded. I appreciate his willingness to serve. He has been a great Father and I love seeing his joy in his children. I love that he has traveled and desires to show me the world. I love that he knows how to dance and never said no to a first date. I appreciate the sacrifices he makes to be a part of our family and for the time he puts into furthering his education for the betterment of our family. I love that he loves going to the Temple and that the Gospel is so important to him that it is just a part of who he is. I really appreciate that he brings the Priesthood into our home and that he understands and respects that authority. I really appreciate that he treats me as his equal and his partner in all matters. He is a great example for our children.

I have been blessed to have great men in my life. I know that this is early, but Brian will not be around for Father's day so we had a mini celebration today. We had steak, brownies and ice cream. We will miss him very much but are grateful that he recognizes answered prayers and the importance of following His will.

I love you, Brian!!!!

Battle Creek tornado Mormon Helping Hands cleanup

2010-06-07T00:32:00.002-04:00

A tornado tore through part of Battle Creek last night uprooting trees and ripping off roofs. After church we decided to go see what the damage was. While there Leah suggested that we should be helping rather than looking. She was absolutely right so I called Pres. Saye (counselor in the stake presidency), and Bishop Torrance to see what they thought about organizing some of the brethren to help with the clean up this afternoon. They both thought it was a good idea and Pres. Saye authorized us to use the Mormon Helping Hands jerseys for the project.

I called the mission president to enlist the help of the missionaries and he called the zone leaders in Kalamazoo who brought the jerseys with them. We also had the missionaries from Battle Creek and Marshall helping out. Others who helped out included Jake McNees, Torrey Hutchison, Tom Koopman, Eric Petty, Cheryl Anthony and her daughter Courtney and Carrie Quintano with her kids. We had a wonderful time helping our neighbors clean up tree branches and debris. If you watch the news link above you'll see Torrey and Jake on the news video. They went on ahead while I waited for the missionaries (and jerseys) to show up.

Tomorrow we will be meeting at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church (which lost a large portion of its roof in the storm) to help them continue clearing debris. It was wonderful to be out in the community helping our fellow brothers and sisters. Here is a slide show of some of the damage and some of our service efforts.

I Won!

2010-05-31T20:51:00.000-04:00

I won the Shabby Apple dress giveaway! I am so excited! I picked the Bon Voyage dress. I hope it fits. I get scared ordering clothes online. You can see the announcement on the Tattertots & Jello blog. This is a great blessing to get something brand new for free on our tight budget. WAHOO!!!!

Ellie quotes

2010-05-30T22:37:00.002-04:00

Ellie's vocabulary is growing so we are having more opportunities to laugh when she says something new. This morning at Sacrament meeting she ate her piece of Sacrament bread and said a bit loudly "Good bread! Mm Mm Mm Mm Mm!" It was difficult not to laugh out loud.

Lately she's been saying "Wowie Zowie" when she gets excited about something. Yesterday when we brought out the cupcake with the candles on it for the birthday party with friends she exclaimed "Wowie Zowie Birthday!" and then blew the candles out before we were even done with the song. It was so cute.

The other morning she pointed at her spoon and said "it's not working Daddy" because she was having trouble getting her yogurt onto the spoon. I think she just wanted me to put it on the spoon for her. She is so cute it is difficult not to oblige, especially when she is using her words instead of whining or crying to get something.

Shabby Apple Queensland Swimsuit Giveaway

2010-05-27T23:51:00.000-04:00

Shabby Apple Queensland Swimsuit Giveaway

If I win this one, will I get a body like theirs too?

I hope I Win

2010-05-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

A giveaway. I have been looking at the Shabby Apple website for awhile. I really like their dresses. So when this giveaway came up, I jumped at the chance.

These two dresses are my favorite: the Atlantic Fog and the Upper East Side.

The giveaway is at another one of my favorite blogs: Tatertots and Jello.

Ellie Dancing @ KUB YSA Dance

2010-05-24T14:45:00.009-04:00

For our date night we took the babies to the Kalamazoo University Branch to go swing dancing. We didn't get to dance much, but we did have a blast watching Ellie tearing up the dance floor.

New science education resources blog

2010-05-18T15:18:00.002-04:00

Last night a friend asked me for some resources for science curriculum because his sister home schools her children and has difficulty finding good curriculum. I've received other requests in the past from parents who home school. I've never really had much useful accessible information all in one place that I can give them. Leah and I were talking about it and she suggested that I could market science professional development to parents who home school. That sounded great, but I'm trying to get my dissertation proposal done and search for jobs at the moment so it won't happen right away. However it did get me thinking about putting a lot of the resources I have collected all in one place so I could send inquirers there and they could have access to a lot of varied help rather than just doing a dreaded Google search. So I started the Junior Science World blog. I'm excited to be able to share this resource and develop it in my spare time. Please remember it is a work in progress so I hope you won't expect too much at first, but I'm happy with the way it is turning out so far. Happy science trails.

April 2010 slideshow

2010-05-10T20:27:00.002-04:00

March 2010 slideshow

2010-05-10T19:59:00.002-04:00

Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-10T18:19:00.003-04:00

Happy Mothers Day to all our Grandmas!

Jan & Feb 2010 slideshow

2010-05-10T12:09:00.002-04:00

We didn't have working cameras for part of these months and some of the pictures from these months are already posted on the blog with different posts. But we wanted to get caught up. Happy Mothers Day Grandma and Nana.

Leah's talent

2010-05-05T15:04:00.005-04:00

Leah is very talented and has great vision for ways to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here is her most recent project.
Before & After

I am very blessed to have such a wonderful wife who makes our home and lives beautiful.
I love you, Leah!
brian

Happy Baby Mikey

2010-05-01T01:00:00.003-04:00

Mikey is growing and getting more mobile. He is also such a happy baby it is hard to believe. Here are some videos we wanted to share with you.

"Happy Mikey"

"Mikey on the move"

"Mikey with GM & GP Doty's dog Buddy"

Ellie Dancing

2010-05-01T00:18:00.003-04:00

We watched Disney's The Princess and the Frog tonight. Ellie was getting into the music and we just had to capture it on video.

"Daddy! Look at me!"

It was a beautiful evening so we went out on the front porch to enjoy the nice weather before putting the kids to bed. Ellie was still dancing up a storm so we took another video.

"Dancing, dancing. Wiggle wiggle."

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

2010-04-26T16:38:00.000-04:00

Wish List

2010-04-16T23:15:00.000-04:00

I really like this dress. I think I could sew it if I can find a pattern like it. So cute!

Diners, Drive-ins & Dives

2010-04-16T21:43:00.000-04:00

Brian and I like to torture ourselves and watch Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. I love the host, Guy. He is great and fun to watch and he does a great job selling the places that he visits. Brian's mouth always waters and he wonders how in our travels we can get to some of the places. Today we watched the tail end of the Triple D Goes Hawaiian episode. Oh my! There is a place in Honolulu we want to try the next time that we are there, Hanks Haute Dogs. You'll have to check it out. I posted this here so I could remember and recall it later.

Mom and Dad, if you decide to try it out please let us know what you think.

Wish List

2010-04-12T20:46:00.000-04:00

I checked this book out from the library and wished that I had the materials to try it out. I love fresh baked bread and I also love seeing Brian toss hot bread around trying to eat it. So I have researched the web to find a bread/pizza stone and a pizza peel. One of these days I will get them and try this bread and hopefully in the long run we will save money with awesome homemade bread. Can't wait!

Wish List

2010-04-02T23:23:00.002-04:00

I love this necklace! It reminds me of spring days and summer adventures. Very girly.

December 2009 Big Island Slide Show

2010-03-23T17:58:00.002-04:00

Handmade Home

2010-03-19T21:50:00.003-04:00

I made this purse over the last few days. I am pretty proud of myself. I made the rose out of trim. I just kept rolling it and sewing it in the back. Then I hand sewed it onto the purse when I was done.
I used canvas on the bottom from a drop cloth I got for painting. The other fabric is the same fabric I used for the Boppy cover and the nursing cover. I got the directions from the blog Made by Rae. My next sewing adventure is to make some clothes for me. I picked out some very exciting fabric. I hope it turns out okay.

On a side note. I am not happy with my hair. Brian doesn't see that I need a haircut because I am growing it out again. I disagree. I just want to fix it up a bit. So I am excited because in April I am going to my Sister-in-law's place to get my hair done!

Things That Make Me Happy

2010-03-18T21:40:00.004-04:00

I went thrifting the other day and picked up this old flour canister. Thrifting makes me happy. I put one of the zoo tools that I have in it. Now I can see it instead of it being hidden in a drawer. The green canister that Jenna made makes me happy too. I am appreciating handmade items a lot more lately. Of course the engagement pic my dad took makes me happy. I like having it near the stove.
My Mom made me this tile. I just put it up behind the stove where I can see it better. I love this little pig timer. I found it at TJ Maxx. It's made by the Joie people.
Mikey makes me happy. He was doing this the other day. Just hanging over the side. He is so funny. I know a couple of Mikes and they are very entertaining. Our Mike is following suit.
The sun has been shining and melted all of our snow. That makes me happy. It has been warmer outside so we went out. There have been a lot of cats around the house. The girls are looking for them. When they work together and are happy, I am happy.

Celebrating the Irish

2010-03-18T21:27:00.004-04:00

We celebrated St. Patrick's day with rainbow jell-o (which took me forever), Corned beef and cabbage (courtesy of Brian), and of course...

Green cupcakes. The cupcakes were very addicting. I asked Brian what it was and he said, "The frosting. The frosting. The frosting." It was the Betty Crocker Rainbow chip. Yummm!!!
I set the table with recycled brown paper for our guests to color on. I drew four leaf clovers under the glasses. Oh the small things that get me excited. The girls really liked the Jell-o. I think we have some new traditions.

Contest

2010-03-17T08:30:00.001-04:00

I am posting about a new blog, "Women Who Do It All" that has an awesome giveaway. I hope I win. You can go to the blog here.

My Talk

2010-03-14T16:12:00.002-04:00

Today I gave a talk in Sacrament. I had heard that the original speaker was ill so I volunteered. I prayed for guidance as to what Heavenly Father would have me say. I kept thinking about a question that someone had asked me. This friend had asked me why other people in other churches seem to be happier.

Here is the talk I gave. Keep in mind that all that I had said in Sacrament is not here because I was prompted to say other things and I did not write them down or remember what I said. I also write my talks more like notes instead of a word for word speech.

I felt the Spirit so strongly when I was speaking. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to speak. I know that some of the members were touched. I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that this is the true church and we get to enjoy the blessings of the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you Mom and Dad for not giving up on me.

What I have been doing

2010-03-14T15:23:00.003-04:00

I have been busy trying new things and developing talents. I made this mac & cheese concoction the other day. I made my own cheese sauce with half sharp cheddar and half Monterrey jack, added sweet turkey sausage, and some diced tomatoes. I served it with corn. Brian and I mixed the corn in and it made it just right. Sounds weird but I was using what I had on hand.

I seem to have an abundance of grocery bags. I use them for garbage bags in the bathroom and in our room. I also use them to dispose of Lexi's diapers. I got tired of not having a place for them so I made two of these holders. I used burlap and cut up woman's stocking. I also used freezer paper to make a stencil and then painted the word on them. I think they are pretty neat. I will be doing more freezer paper stencils in the future.

I forgot to take a before picture of this chair. This was a little metal folding chair that we saw at a thrift store. Ellie was taken with it and it was only two dollars. So I picked it up and then spray painted it and then mod podged a piece of scrapbook paper on the seat. Ellie loves it and I like it too.

I made this boppy cover all by myself. I took a cover that I had and used that for a pattern. I sewed my first zipper. It took me awhile to figure that out, but I did it and I was so proud. I gave this to a friend who blessed their son last Sunday. He is so beautiful!

I made this two days later. Another friend of mine had her first baby last Saturday. She really wants to work on breastfeeding. So in supporting that decision I made her a cover. I really like mine. I got the directions from this website.

I have a bunch of other things that I am working on. I will share them when I am done. Mikey is growing and just started clicking his tongue. Ellie might be on the verge of potty training. Alexis continues to love her grandmas and all the activities. We miss our family very much and we love you.

OOOh Weee!!!

2010-03-01T21:29:00.003-05:00

I was doing my regular blog reading and my name was on a blog that I love, Prudent Baby. I get a lot of my inspiration from them. Anyways, I got all excited. I didn't win the drawing but it was still cool. I made someone laugh on the west coast and I am not related to them.

On another note I won another contest. I entered over at Spors in the Desert for an art easel. I posted about it here. I got the email today. I am so excited!

Catching Up

2010-02-28T17:23:00.004-05:00

I got Ellie some sun glasses for the summer. She thought she was I mean is pretty hot stuff.

Brian was outside taking pics and Ellie got outside too. Doesn't she understand cold? I guess this is what happens when you are born in Michigan.

As a Hawaiian friend said, "That is how the locals do it." Brian was sweeping the snow off of our walk way in his shorts.

I made these Valentines for our mothers. I intended them to be bookmarks, but Mom in Hawaii said that she was going to make them into magnets for the fridge. Why didn't I think of that? Then everyone can see them. Mom's are clever.
We have had visitors at our bird feeder. Mostly squirrels foraging on the ground but this was a new bird we hadn't seen around our house before. We will definitely be doing this again next year. We like looking out our window and watching our visitors eat our treats except in the summer and it's our garden.

This is Alexis during a Family Home Evening. We were dancing and she didn't want to participate so she went into the kitchen but she couldn't stop the beat. There is more about Alexis at her blog. She got glasses and participated in this year's swimming Special Olympics.

All About Mikey

2010-02-28T17:12:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to blog about Mikey. He looks so cute naked. Poor baby got the bad Rackham dry skin genes. He loves it when I put lotion on him. He giggles a lot. I have been having trouble getting him to sleep through the night. He has gotten used to eating through the night and I give in and keep doing it. I don't like to hear him cry. It doesn't help that he sleeps in our room. I am ready for a bigger house, but that will come in time. This week I am going to get him to sleep. I will be sleep deprived and will probably end up on the couch. Oh well. Wish me luck.

He is so stinkin' cute!!!

Handmade Home

2010-02-28T17:04:00.002-05:00

I have seen on a couple of other blogs making leggings made out of woman's knee length socks. I thought I would give it a try. I found theses at Target in their Valentine Clearance section. So I cut them off right at the ankle and then I sewed a hem where I cut them off. Wha la! Leggings! Ellie loves them.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic. Our camera with working flash was out for repairs.

I WON!!!

2010-02-28T16:53:00.004-05:00

A while ago I entered a drawing on this blog. Well, you can guess by my title that I won. I was so excited to see my name. At first I could not believe that it was me. I had to read it a couple of times. I got to pick out a treat for Ellie from Stephanie's Wonderland. I picked the turquoise peony tutu with matching headband. Ellie loves it. I love that she likes to dress up.

Ellie is also wearing her favorite t-shirt. It has a monkey playing a guitar on it.

Celebrating Love, Snow and the Year of the Tiger

2010-02-14T22:37:00.006-05:00

For Family Home Evening last week we talked about the two greatest commandments. We read Matthew 22: 36-40. We made Valentine votives out recycled baby food jars, old tissue paper and mod podge. We put battery operated tea lights inside and then attached the scripture on a heart with ribbon. We gave them away today to Grandma Val (It's her birthday!), to a few of the widows from our ward and an older Brother in our ward. He was so giddy to receive a Valentine. He said that he hadn't gotten one since he was a little kid. Brian and I liked this service project and will be doing it again next year (a new family tradition).

Brian took me to see Leap Year. It was cute. He also took the girl's and made me this Valentine. If you click on it you can see it larger and read it a little better. It brought a tear to my eye and touched my heart. I love my family!!!

For the girls I made these felt cupcakes. My first attempt. I think it turned out pretty well. Lexi saw the box and asked if she could have one. I said go for it. She tried to be careful to take one out and then she went to take a bite and was sad to discover that they were fake. I then gave one to Ellie. She took a bite and glared at me with her signature pout. It was funny.

We took time to celebrate the snow. Brian really wanted to take the girls sledding. I stayed in the van with Mikey other than taking the photos.

We had company on Friday and of course I had to try a new recipe. I made Easy Raspberry Chicken with Coconut Rice. It was so yummy and our company asked for the recipe. I love when that happens. There wasn't any leftover because Brian kept piecing on it after we had finished dinner and our company had left.

Happy Chinese New Year!!! This is the year of the Tiger. Grace bought Alexis a jacket and Ellie an outfit that I thought would be great to wear today to celebrate. Thank you Grace. Brian and I wore red for the New Year and for Valentines.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!!

A contest

2010-02-12T21:08:00.002-05:00

I entered a contest over at Spors in the Desert. I found this blog through her other blog Walk Beside Me. She has Montessori info on there that I find helpful and inspiring. I was also excited to learn that she is a member of the church. I hope I win.

Burp Rags, Thai Food & The Black Plauge Song

2010-02-07T20:06:00.004-05:00

I made these burp rags for a friend. I gave them as a gift at her shower. I am going to try to give only handmade gifts from now on. It makes me feel good and accomplished. Plus I plan on recycling as many materials as possible. My next projects will be to make Brian some slippers and Mikey some bibs and blocks.

In our culinary adventures, I tried to make Pad See Ew. It is a Thai dish that we like to order when we go out to a Thai restaurant. It turned out alright. I would love to go to Thailand and have someone teach me how to cook some of their dishes.

Ellie was playing Ring Around the Rosey with some friends earlier in the week. She loves this dance song. She can get some pretty good air on her falls too. This was this evening while Brian was out and about doing his Priesthood thing. I sang the song over and over and over and over. Brian had a good giggle when he watched this. I hope you do too.

From Friday to Today...Hooray!!!

2010-02-03T19:59:00.004-05:00

On Friday while Brian was gone the kids and I built a fort. I was thinking to myself "you know, I haven't built a fort in ages" so I did. Ellie loved it!!! I called Brian (I don't remember where he was) and asked him to bring home some pizza and to have his camera ready. He so good. He did and started a new tradition. Once a month we will have Fort Friday.

For Family Home Evening we talked about how Jesus loved us so much he created the Earth and all it's creatures (lesson from Behold Your Little Ones). Then we made bird feeders. I cut out cardboard letters. I had everyone spread the letters with peanut butter and then we dipped them in a bird seed mix. We also made feeders by emptying orange peels and then putting seed inside of them. I hung the feeders up the next day on the clothes line and in the tree.

Ellie was compelled to grab handfuls of seed and drop it on the table and then swing her arms fast so that the seed went everywhere. When I decided to this activity I knew it was going to be a mess, but Ellie really got into it. I think that in the spring we will take a bin outside for a sensory activity that both Ellie and Alexis can enjoy (I guess the birds and squirrels too).

Today marks the halfway point of winter. We are so much closer to Spring now. Brian invited Justin Torrence and Eric Petty (my former Seminary students) over to play the Wii and to jam out to Weird Al's Greatest Hits.

So to celebrate us getting closer to Spring I made Melting Snowman Soup. Really it is just Potato Soup. I also made banana bread using this recipe.

Also today is my mother's birthday. It is so hard to be away from family. I am so grateful for the technology that has been made available to allow us to talk over the internet. Alexis looked forward to this all day. I made a Better Than Anything Cake, we got Nana on the computer and then we sang to her. It was great!!! We love you Nana!

Alexis and Ellie enjoying the cake for Nana.

December 2009 Oahu Slideshow

2010-01-31T20:52:00.002-05:00

What's For Dinner?

2010-01-27T19:59:00.002-05:00

I had Alexis work on writing while I prepared dinner. I got this exercise from Confessions of a Homeschooler. I have been getting a lot of great ideas on keeping Alexis busy and away from Ellie while I need to do other things. They are also challenging and fun. If you want to see more check out Lexi's blog.

Today I made Turkey Mini Meatloaves. This is the second time I made them. The first time Brian had no idea that there was zucchini in it. This time he knew and ate them anyways. I think he even had three. He says he doesn't like zucchini so I have to hide it some how. We are not bad about eating veggies. I just like to change it up and it gets Ellie to eat better and more varied foods.

You can see the steam coming off of the plate. Yum. Of course we had to have potatoes so I made pearls. Brian loves potato pearls even though he was raised in Idaho.

I thought that this was funny so I took a picture. This is Brian eating the rest of the pearls right off of the serving spoon wearing his Ricks shirt. Feel the Idaho love.

Family Home Evening Monday

2010-01-26T22:00:00.008-05:00

For Family Home Evening we made a Disney World savings bank. We did this to announce to Alexis that we are planning on going to Disney World this year and to start making our family aware of saving. This will probably be a mistake when we are tired of hearing about it later. Oh well. That is Alexis sorting her crayons. She didn't want to color or decorate. This kept her at the table and a part of the activity.

Mikey and Daddy going over the quarters to save particular ones. (I love my boys)

Ellie checking out our work before we put it on the oatmeal container.

The girls putting in the money. Ellie worked on this a long time. She really enjoyed putting the money in the slot. This is a great pincer grasp activity.

I made my own potpourri. It didn't turn out like I wanted. The scent is not strong at all but it looks pretty and reminds me of summer.

I was craving something sweet and salty. I went to the pantry and grabbed the stuff necessary to make rice crispy treats plus some extra stuff to throw in. I added crushed pretzel sticks, cashews, and chocolate chips. It hit the spot. I am happy just thinking about it.

Moments From Our Week

2010-01-24T20:23:00.004-05:00

I like to have Mikey in the kitchen with me when I am working in there. I think he likes it too. One morning when I was doing the dishes I heard giggling behind me. When I turned around this is what I saw. Ellie likes to make Mikey laugh and he likes to laugh at her. It is a good thing that they are close to the same size or Mikey would be having a hard time having his sister on his lap. (The little pieces on the floor are pinto beans from Ellie's pouring exercises.) This moment makes me smile and fulfilled as a mom.

I made a bunch of wheat berries to try to use our food storage. I found this recipe and I really liked it!!! Instead of milk I used Vanilla Almond Milk and omitted the almond slivers in the end. I also used golden raisins instead of regular just because I like them better. Like I said I really liked it. It says it serves four but Brian and I almost ate all of it ourselves. It certainly makes for a hearty winter's breakfast.

This is Ellie's new favorite spot in the house. It is under the table in our kitchen. She fits so well and it makes for a great hiding spot. She is coloring a baking sheet I got at a thrift store with chalk. I am going to re purpose it to be a little chalk board. It will work great for Alexis and Ellie. I am excited!

This is Brian grilling Hawaiian Teriyaki chicken for me and our guests on Saturday. It wasn't as cold as it has been in awhile. Sometimes you just need a piece of summer in the grays of winter and BBQ does the trick. It was tasty and our guests (who are Hawaiian) were impressed. They were also excited that we served rice. I was perplexed...why wouldn't we serve rice? It's plate lunch meat.

Hmmmm....

2010-01-18T21:13:00.003-05:00

I love to cook. It is soothing. However, I do not enjoy the sounds of a crying Mikey, a screaming Ellie and a laughing Alexis while I do it. I cook despite the chaos because I like to eat and I love to watch others enjoy my food. Today I tried a new recipe: Zucchini Rice Casserole. You can find the recipe here.

It calls for zucchini but Brian doesn't care for that vegetable so I used yellow squash. I don't like jalapenos so I used a different pickled pepper. I like this dish. It is a little spicy but it was just what a cold winter day calls for. Earlier in the day I made rice crispy treats with chocolate covered preztle fish for our Family Home Evening treat.

After dinner I didn't feel like a lesson and the kids were driving me crazy. So while I held Mikey and calmed him down, I sang songs with Brian. Then we ate our treat and watched Two Brothers. It's a movie about two tigers. It was a nice movie. Ellie and Alexis liked it. Alexis laughed at the tigers and for some reason it compelled Ellie to dance. It's been a long day and Mikey is crying again. oh well....

Trying to be Deceptive (Evil raised eyebrow)

2010-01-17T22:41:00.005-05:00

Last week I tried a Deceptively Delicious recipe. She is all about pureeing veggies and adding them to her dishes. I made the Mac & Cheese 1 recipe. Brian and Alexis liked it. Ellie not so much (but Ellie doesn't seem to eat anything lately). When I told Brian that there was cauliflower in it, he was surprised. Anyways, I will try some of the other recipes.

Today I made one of Brian's favorite dishes that his Mom makes: Sweet and Sour Baked Beans. He even had her teach me how to make it while we were in Hawaii. It turned out well. We had a dinner party for a family whose father was baptized today. I also made my Grandma Doty's Scalloped Corn as a side dish (Love you Grandma. Happy Birthday!!!). Good food and good company. (I cut my finger preparing the garlic. We have really sharp knives.)

Umm .... unfortunately our camera is out for repairs and the flash is not working on the one that we have so the picture does not do my dish justice and the one of my corn is really bad.

Nov 2009 Slideshow

2010-01-08T18:03:00.002-05:00

Oct 2009 slideshow (see post below for Halloween pics)

2010-01-08T17:08:00.002-05:00