Trying to win!

There is a great giveaway bonanza going on and I am trying to win a Silhouette machine from one of the following sites!

Tatertots and Jello

Southern Hospitality

Oh Hello Friend

Thrifty Decor Chick

Giver's Log

Today's Creative Blog

Southern Savers

Dollar Store Crafts

Tidy Mom

V and Co.

Sugardoodle

Idea Room

Infarrantly Creative

A Soft Place to Land

Mom Advice

Oooh I hope I win one! I have so many projects in mind! I think I would start with some vinyl wall art. I've got a couple of quotes I would like to put up. Then I might do some t-shirt transfers to go with the skirts I have been making for the girls. It would be my new favorite toy!

I am trying again as I discover some other GREAT sites:

Grosgrain

Kara's Party Ideas

Shabby Nest

Under the Table Dreaming

Crap I've Made

Making it Lovely
Prudent Baby
The Shopping Mama
Amy's Finer Things
Shanty2Chic
Moms Review 4 You
Love Stitched
The TomKat Studio
Be Different...Act Normal
House of Hepworths
Crazy Coupon Mommy
Colie's Kitchen

Taking time to capture "a moment"

This was one of those moments that I am grateful to have captured together as a family. We all dropped everything we were doing to go out and marvel at this incredible rainbow, discussing where it ended, leprechauns, what rainbows are made of, and whether we could make it to the end. You can't see it in the picture, but it was a double rainbow, so we talked about the reverse order of the colors. When it had faded, we all went back to what we were doing but felt that much happier from sharing the moment together. This worked for us.

Our Summer Bucket List

I saw this idea on a blog and decided it would a good way to keep us motivated to do fun things together this summer. It also gives tangible evidence contrary to the "we never get to do anything fun" comments. We began with the disclaimer that this is an idea only list and by no means a guarantee! We have already checked off a few items. Although it is somewhat childish, this also helps me feel a little better about being the "mean mom" who makes their kids do chores during the summer.

We have been talking about "team Bruderer" and how we need to work and play together as a team. Last night for Family Home evening, we had a short intro and then went out to work in the yard. While Dad mowed, the kids and I weeded and replanted peppers that were destroyed in the worst wind storm last week. Because it was light for so long, we were able to work until 9:30 or 10. After we cleaned up, we took a couple of blankets out on the lawn and did some not so serious stargazing. We also did plenty of squirming and giggling. (Gardening, check. Stargazing, check. Summer fun, check.) We talked about constellations, and the possibility of other solar systems with planets with people on them. It was interesting to talk to my 7 and 10 year olds about the nature of their Heavenly Father, that we are His children and that any other children He may have on other planets would probably look like us rather than little green men. Christian then went so far to suppose that Heavenly Father would want them to know of the plan of salvation too and therefore they would probably have scripture too. Scripture written by different prophets. It's amazing where a conversation can lead. Paul and I have decided that this will be a fun, productive summer solstice tradition.
We will be making this list work for us and having a lot of fun doing it!

Spring Break in pictures

We went to Snow Canyon in Southern Utah for spring break. It was absolutely wonderful. I didn't want to come home! We did run over to Zion for one day because it was so close.

Here is a picture of Paul and the boys on Angel's Landing. It was one of the most nerve wracking 3½ hours of my life!

Mother's Day

For me Mother's day is a love/hate relationship. I love that my sweet hubby works hard to make me breakfast in bed, my kids make cards and pick dandelions and other wildflowers and smother me in "I love you"s and kisses and hugs. Paul is also a master at picking just the right card to make me cry and manages to find the perfect gift for me. Some years it's jewelry, some times it's a carpet cleaner or miter saw (hint, hint), but whatever he gets it's always just perfect. I know without a doubt I am loved. Who wouldn't want to celebrate that?

I guess the hate part comes in when I reflect on my idea of the kind of mother I wanted to become. The Norman Rockwell picture of warm chocolate chip cookies in a tidy house. The listening, sympathetic ear and hugging arms readily available at all times. Fun educational crafts and projects always waiting in the wings, ready at a moments notice. Infinite patience and good advice for every heart break. Knowing just what to do in any given situation. Enabling them to participate and experience every sport, every instrument, educational opportunity while still managing to find balance to play and have a carefree childhood. To have an unending source of energy, and never be "too tired". Somewhere deep inside, past all logic, my guilt says I am less of a mother than I could be, not the mother I should be, not the mother my kids need to help them reach their full potential. As Paul and I discussed this, he told me to think of it this way... I am the perfect grandma in training. I think being a grandparent would be great! Have them when you want them and when your patience or energy runs out, or they have a dirty diaper, send them home.

I think the most amazing thing about motherhood is when you realize why the Savior asked us to be like little children. By design, they are forgiving and offer unconditional love. A child looks for reasons to smile and laugh. They choose to be happy. When I ask my girls if they are happy they always say yes. When asked why the answers are always, in my mind, small and simple things like "It's sunshiney outside" or "I'm drawing a picture" or "Cause I'm with my mom". It is only as we reach adulthood that we put on the blinders of drudgery, focusing on the "have to"s and losing sight of the "get to"s. Inately, children don't feel guilt but as a mother, sometimes I let it consume my life.

Oh, to be more childlike. To want to dance even when there isn't any music. To laugh because I can't hold it in any longer. To blow dandelion seeds without the guilt of unfinished chores. To find shapes in the clouds. To not only forgive but forget so completely. To love without judgement or expectations. And to play, to really play.

Family favorite recipes!

I thought I would post a couple of our family's favorite dinner recipes. The first recipe, I adapted from one I found on a blog that I have since lost track of. If anyone knows which it came from I would love to find it again. It is quick, it's simple, it's healthy, and (drum roll.....) we ALL like it! It is rare that dinner gets a cheer from every member of the family. Usually there is at least one family member rolling their eyes, moaning, gagging or some combination thereof.


Veggie Sausage Skillet

1lb pasta (we like penne)
1 package sausage (we used Hillshire Farms smoked, the oval one)
1 pint grape tomatoes (cut in half)
minced garlic
olive oil
grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
any add ins, we enjoy broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, mushrooms etc.

pasta and veggies

1. Start by cooking pasta according to the directions. I am lazy so I add my veggies about half way through so I only use one pot.

sausage, garlic, tomatoes

2. Meanwhile, slice sausage into discs and brown in a large skillet
3. Slice grape tomatoes in half and add them to the skillet with minced garlic.

4. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and then add to skillet. Pour in some extra virgin olive oil and stir well.

5. Serve with grated cheese on top.  This recipe is different everytime I make it depending on the ingredients I have on hand.  The only thing that has to be constant is the sausage and some kind of pasta for it to be a hit.Paul likes to season his with Tony's seasoning to add a little kick.

The second recipe comes from my good friend Alaina. She is an amazing cook that just makes things up as she goes along. As a result she doesn't deal with many exact measurements, so my stuff never turns out quite as good as hers. I think, just maybe, she likes it that way. ;) I want to be like her when I grow up! (Even though I happen to be older than she is).

Chicken Penne Pasta

Penne pasta

Rotelli's Alfredo sauce

1-2 c Italian cheese blend

enough chicken to feed your family

I add veggies as well. Some of our favorites are chopped asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach.

1. Marinate chicken over night or all day (don't cut short, the marinating time really makes it tender and flavorful) in:

virgin olive oil, teriyaki sauce, Italian dressing, black pepper, Cajun seasoning (we use Tony's) and a little meat tenderizer.

2. Cook pasta according to the directions. I add veggies to the pasta for the last half of cooking time.

3. Grill chicken and cube.

4. Drain pasta and veggies. Add chicken and stir in Alfredo sauce and cheese. Warm and serve. You can also add a little chopped cilantro too.

This recipe is also met with "Yummm, we're having that chicken pasta stuff again." As I mentioned before, I much prefer this response to "Ewwww, how much do I HAVE to eat?"

Here's hoping your dinner menu receives rave reviews from your family. I know mine are my most difficult critics.

Tender moment...

A couple of weeks ago, Paul and Jenna were snuggled up on our bed talking. Paul had named each member of the family by name, asking if "they love Jenna" to which she answered yes. Then she wanted to ask him questions so she went through each member of the family by name asking if he loved them. Then with all the seriousness a two year old can muster, she stroked his face with her little hand, looked deeply into his eyes and asked, "Daddy, do you love your armpits?"

Jail Break!

We had our first Jail Sale today (say that five times fast). We have been gathering toys or other items not put away as they should be, generally after multiple warnings, and putting them in "jail". Jail is not fancy, just a box in the furnace room. They can buy their things using the money in their allowance and job account at any time. We keep track on a big white board which is much easier than trying to find exact change to pay them. At the end of each month we will have a jail sale which is their last chance to buy their things before they are donated or sold at our discretion. Things were priced from .10 to 1.50. We figure that if it's not worth paying for, it's not worth the storage space.
This idea came from a memory Paul has of a friend that came to school one day wearing two different shoes. When his friends teased him he explained that one shoe from each pair was in "jail". We have taken this idea and adapted it for our family.
Ultimately, we are hoping to teach our children to care for, and appreciate their things. We also want them to realize the value of what they have. Not to mention being able to clear out some of the toys they really don't care about.
We also award "Get out of Jail Free" cards for good behavior such as cleaning up without being asked, being kind or thoughtful, being first to the dinner table or other desirable behavior. Each card is good for one free item. If the same item gets put in jail 3 times, it is no longer available to buy back. They are getting better at remembering to put away the Wii controllers. They have already lost them once!
They bought everything today and had fun doing it. I tried my best to remind them that they are having to spend their money for their own things and that if they had taken care of them they wouldn't be there in the first place. We'll see how this month goes. They have been warned that we will be more consistent in putting things in jail and that prices will likely go up. It's always fun to have a new system to change things up a bit.

New weight loss program!

Paul and I have lost some weight since last fall. In fact, about 20 lbs. each. We still have more to go but I can say that we aren't burnt out, our cravings aren't out of control and we aren't eating weird food. We have discovered our own weight loss program and guarantee that I will work for anyone who needs to get to a healthy weight. People are noticing and I have to admit it feels good. Many people have asked what diet we are doing. In the past we did South Beach but the cravings took us DOWN after the initial 2 weeks. We've join gyms with circuit training and other "guaranteed" programs. And let's face it, some of the stuff out there is down right dangerous and unhealthy.
I believe everyone has to find what works for them. Just get healthy! Sooo, do you want to know what has worked for us? Do you really want to know our secret? Lean in close, closer, closer... I can tell you the acronym to make it sound official
GAG ESEC (no gag does not refer to any type of eating disorder). Are you ready for this earth shattering new idea? Here it is:
Get
A
Grip

Exercise and
Stop
Eating
Crap

That's it! It's not a new idea, it's a lifestyle changing one. It's not fast, but after a while it is addictive and your body feels so much healthier. We all know what needs to be done, we just lack the will power to do it. And you have to do both exercise and eating right for it to work. Some programs claim you can eat anything and everything you want and still lose weight, there's a lie in ther somewhere! We live in a world of quick easy fixes, but we all know that lasting change takes time, effort, and will power. We decided it was time to change our present and our future. Paul ran a 10k last week and is gearing up for a half marathon on Memorial day. I am so proud of him. We want to be able to keep up with our kids and enjoy being active. We want to teach them healthy life habits. For the future, we want unlimited possibilities for travel. We want to be eligible for missionary service in any part of the world without health restrictions. We want to plan for and enjoy the future.

Echoes of myself

Listening to Emma downstairs playing:

"Time for dinner everyone"

"K guys, come to the table"

"Why are you not here?"

"People, it's time for dinner and I still see empty chairs here!"

My decade old boy

My chubba bubba baby boy

Christian had his tenth birthday today.

When I mentioned to him that he is now a decade old, he thoughtfully said, "I don't want to get old" Unfortunately, and luckily, it is inevitable. I wouldn't mind visiting ten again, but never want to stay there. Experience is just too precious.

Christian is an amazing boy. He loves all things science, magic, fantasy, and doesn't mind that his imagination usually insures that he is dirty and smiling. He comes up with the most elaborate schemes. If he's not mixing potions, he's creating a magical fairy kingdom for his little sisters.

Christian really enjoys being a part of the Spectrum program and his friends at school. He loves being in the dramas (no stage fright for him), playing chess, winning Krypto (math) tournaments, studying nature on field trips, and playing chimes.

Christian is loving and thoughtful. He frequently expresses gratitude and love to our family. We love him and realize what an important part of our family he is!

In the deep, deep part of Daddy's pocket...

One day, Emma was looking in the pocket of Paul's dress shirt. She said, "that's a deep pocket". Evidently, this fact got her thinking about what could be in the deep part of that pocket. It all started with the bunnies. She told us that there are bunnies that live in the deep, deep part of his pocket and...

they "have chubby cheeks like this" "and big eyes like this"

"and eyebrows like this"

"and ears like this"

Then she proceeded to tell us about the walking refridgerator that gets food from the restaurant and then walks around giving out food.

She talked about this imaginary world in the deep, deep part of Daddy's pocket for about 20 minutes, describing all the details. Unfortunately, I didn't take notes imediately and when asked about it a couple of hours later these were the only parts she or I could remember. What a fun cute imagination she has. Often times it is not fun to have VERY dramatic kids, but when they have a good story to tell, it is hilarious!