Little Ways to Bring Lots of Smiles

The littlest things are the ones that end up meaning the most!

• On Valentine's Day Read old cards and letters from each other to one another


• Leave love notes for them to find all over the house


• Play footsies


• Hug each other every time you are about to cross paths


• Everytime you walk through a door together, kiss


• Stage a progressive love dinner and serve each course in a different room. We are going to have a chinese dinner with chopsticks ;) Chopsticks will help my husband to not eat so fast!


• Rent a movie that you both agree is hilariously funny. Every time one of you laughs, kiss each other (What do you think Honey? That sounds like fun ;)

My Mission President gave Roland and Me a gift for our wedding and his written advice was: May your lives be filled with each other. Keep Kissing! -President Packer

"Kissing, so they say breeds germs - They kill us by and by. - But tell me honey, do you know - A nicer way to die?" Anon.

Alright, Alright are you tired of all my mushy ideas? This is the only time of the year that I can get away with posting this kind of stuff :) Hee Hee

Can you tell I love finding ideas for Holidays?

I think these pillowcases are adorable! The little girl is even blushing :) I am going to pull out some old white pillow cases today and have some fun with the kids decorating them with fabric markers. I just had an idea to do Dallins with colorful candy hearts with sayings on his. I will post a picture of how they turn out.

Homemade Valentine's Day Treats for Kids

"The quickest way to the heart of your children is through the stomach! Show your little ones you care: Fill their breakfast plates, lunchboxes, and dinner dishes with colorful, tasty Valentine's Day treats.

The "Be-Mine" Breakfast: A heart-shaped pancake feast will get their day off to a sweet start. Surprise your kids or let them join in the fun. Just add a few drops of red food coloring to pancake batter. Make large pancakes on the skillet. Then cut the cooked pancakes into little hearts using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Finishing touch: Instead of maple syrup, top with powdered sugar or strawberries and whipped cream. (A few years ago my parents made us a V-day breakfast with french toast and they sprinkled powered sugar on top using a heart cookie cutter to shape the sugar, very cute:)

The "Whole Lotta Love" Lunch: Pack a heart-shaped sandwich in your child's lunch box. Strawberry jam with cream cheese on white bread is a good choice. Or if your child loves cold cuts, bologna on white will still meet the Valentine's color criteria. Remove the crust and cut the bread into the shape of a heart with either a knife or a heart-shaped cookie cutter. You can also make a Valentine roll-up. Spread red jelly and cream cheese on a tortilla and roll. Then slice the tortilla into sections.Finishing touch: And don't forget the dessert -- a few Hershey's Kisses are a fun treat!

The "I Dig You" Dinner: Give that meatloaf a makeover! Mold your average meatloaf into a heart shape. Or if you're a perfectionist, pick up a heart-shaped pan at a kitchen supply store. When the meatloaf is cooked, frost it with mashed potatoes. A few drops of red food coloring in the potatoes adds a nice touch. You can top off this meatloaf masterpiece with squeeze-bottle ketchup X's and O's.Dessert anyone? Vanilla ice cream smothered in strawberry sauce or sprinkled with Nestle chocolate morsels (they're shaped like kisses!) is a great way to bring the day to a close."

How was everyone's weekend?

Friday night Rolo and I had a delightful evening of inspiration and entertainment! Our stake Relief Society organized a beautiful evening for all sweethearts. The visiting speakers spoke on Strengthening Relationships, then followed a fancy buffet (the strawberries dipped in chocolate were my favorite and the mini bites of cheesecake :) And the best for last I was able to dance with my sweetheart! We have not been dancing for a long time. I enjoyed every moment of having a fantastic evening with the love of my life!

P.S I am in love with Roland Jay Rocha

"Grow old along with me the best is yet to be"

Valentine's Day is a special day of the year to express your love and appreciation to many people in your life . . .

Tell someone special how "FORTUNATE" you are to have them in your life!

XOXOXOX Kisses 4 U! XOXOXOX Say it with a kiss! XOXOXOX

Hide Hershey's kisses around the house, and tell your sweetie to save the tags for real life redemption!

OR

Have A Big Kiss Treasure Hunt For Your Kids - Do a scavenger hunt around the house with a giant Hershey's Kiss at the end. Send them each on their own hunt and they have to track down several clues before they get to their prize. You can write clues, plus have a clip art picture to help them solve the clue. (Pictures are especially helpful when they don’t know how to read yet.) If the weather is nice, send them outside or to the garage for at least one of their clues. Kids love the hunt and the reward!

HUGS VS KISSES

:) 'Kiss'eltoe :)

7 Days left 'til Valentine's Day

Give a daily dose of affection straight to their heart!

Please, excuse my Potty language :) I need to vent :)

O.K in the last twenty minutes while I was typing the previous post(which is on an extreme opposite topic). My little girl went upstairs and fed our fish Nemo a FULL container of fish food. Poor Nemo, he looked pretty full, and it looked like he was swimming side-ways, is that a bad sign? Can over eating kill a fish? Then, while I was trying to help Nemo, Penny pooped in her panties and smeared it everywhere. I told Penny "That is gross" and all she kept on saying is "WHY" "WHY MOMMY." Then, to top all that off, I was cleaning out her underwear and I need to add a little side note here . . . I DO NOT like to clean out POOPIE underwear! In the past I would just throw the underwear away :) but I have tried to be better and just get over my germaphobia of poop. Well, I was rinsing out the poopie in the toilet like my Mom :) did way back when and while I was flushing the toilet, I accidently dropped the underwear and it was FLUSHED away. GREAT! Is my sewer going to back-up now? I was having a good, productive morning until now :) I need to start to repeat a postive affirmation in my mind. I need germaphobia therapy!

Experience the Sacred in the ordinary

I would like to share with you some thoughts from 'Simple Abundance' :

It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth-and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up-that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. -Elisabeth Ross ' In Thorton Wilder's play Our Town a deeply poignant scene takes place in a graveyard. (I am currently reading this play) Ghosts comfort the young heroine, who has recently died in childbirth. Emily, still longing for the life she has just left, wishes to revisit one ordinary, "unimportant" day in her life. When she gets her wish, she realizes how much the living take for granted. Eventually her visit is too much for her to bear. "I didn't realize," she confesses mournfully, "all that was going on and we never noticed. . . Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover's Corners. . . Mama and Papa. Good-by to clocks ticking . . . and Mama's sunflowers. And new- ironed dresses and hot baths . . . and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you."

On our new path we seek everyday epiphanies---occasions on which we can experience the Sacred in the ordinary --- and come to the awakening, as Emily finally does, that we cannot longer afford to throw away even one "unimportant" day by not noticing the wonder of it all. We have to be willing to discover and then appreciate the authentic moments of happiness available to all of us every day.
As we become curators of our own contentment on the Simple Abundance path, one of the great payoffs is that we start to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities. Little things begin to mean a lot to us. Joyful simplicities nourish body and soul by engaging our senses. They teach us how to live in the present moment. Life comes together when we seek out the Sublime in the ordinary.
We all have days in our lives that are marked by great moments of rejoicing and celebration and there is also a lot of drudgery to most of our days: sheets to be changed, laundry, dishes, garbage to put out . . . To keep our daily round from being all drudgery, we've got to savor the art of the small: discovering diminuitive delights that bring us peace and pleasure.'

These words from Sarah Breathnach have really made me ponder on the joys of our every day lives. I have been putting these thoughts into action and you can truly experience the sacred in the ordinary.

Our kids need lots of love XOXO

Penny will ask for a million kisses before she will let me or daddy leave her room at bedtime. I need to cherish these days that they will let me give them kisses!

P.S Major accomplishment for Penny and me - She is potty trained! Yahoo! Little girls are much easier than boys :) Dallin was soooo stubborn. I learned a good lesson from a friend :) and that is her husband would get mad at the poopie and not the child. That has worked very well for Penny, and it allows me to vent some frustration and not feel bad about it.

Kindness is Contagious

I DID IT!

I jogged 7 miles this morning. I went with my Husband and I would not have been able to do it without him by my side. It felt great having a purpose for my run. It was neat to reflect on the life of our dear prophet. I pondered on the 9 B's. Be grateful, smart, clean, true, humble, prayerful, postive, still and involved. This run will always have a special meaning to me. I can not even begin to express what I have learned today. It will be a day I will remember forever! My heart is full!

"A song may end, but the melody will linger on..."

A Dedication Run

I have found two wonderful blogs! They are encouraging a challenge to run or walk this Saturday in honor of our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley.

You can sign up at www.marathonmommies.blogspot.com and everythingispink.blogspot has some good ideas for your run. A gal gave a comment saying 'our dear prophet was a man who was constantly on the run himself'

So, How far will you go?

I signed up for 7 miles. I have yet to run more than 5 1/2 miles. I hope to dedicate a meaningful run this Saturday morning to a Prophet who has taught me some very powerful, life changing lessons.

Happiness shared is happiness doubled!

Thank you Candee for sharing your talent of sewing and for sharing your fabric!

Today Candee and I started making those soul-ful slippers that I posted a few days ago. Making these slippers remind me of my G-ma Penhallegon. She is an old-fashion, proper lady but she has silly things about her. She will wear a pretty outfit with bright lime green shoes. She calls them her "happy shoes." This is a fun little sewing project. We are also making some for our little girls.

Joyful Simplicities

I am grateful for my cheesy baby, beautiful sunsets, love notes, the smell of bread, winter, my playful dog, and my adventurous son!

Holy Cow :)

We have over a foot of snow outside, it has been snowing non-stop since this morning.

It is a perfect day to go sledding! Hopefully Rolo will come home early and we will go play in the snow. I have just stayed inside today, I organized my pantry, and baked some home-made white bread. This recipe is super easy: 2 cups of warm water, 1/4 c. sugar or honey, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp. oil, 2 tbsp of yeast dissolved in 1/2 c. of warm water and 6 cups of flour. Mix. Knead. Rise 1/2 hr. in bowl. Punch down, shape into 2 loaves. Put in greased pans. Raise 1/2 hr. Bake for 20 minutes @ 400 and then enjoy some warm bread with butter on top :)

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie

Let's begin today with gratitude. Today I would like to write down my blessings. I will see if I can get to a hundred. Do you think it will be an easy or hard task? I will make a collage for the day and post it this evening. "One of the most valuable lessons Simple Abundance has taught me is that it is in the smallest details that the flavor of life is savored."

Luv these!

These look nice and comfy for all of us stay at home Mom's. I am sitting here typing and my feet are cold. These would be fun to make, i am a soul-ful individual that does not like to wear shoes, i am bare-foot whenever possible. My elderly neighbor always gets after me for getting the mail in my bare feet, especially during the winter :)

Instructions:http://www.homecompanionmag.com/hands_on/handmade/sole-ful_slippers.asp

Women are repeatedly accused of taking things personally. I cannot see any other honest way of taking them.

It was snowing in Nampa this morning while I went jogging. My first run in fresh snow. It is a another beautiful winter day.

Simple Abundance

I would love to have a blog book club. This book is a day by day book of inspiring stories, quotes etc. the author takes you on a personal inward journey. Who is familiar with this book? Each month she gives some ideas for you to do as you begin the Simple Abundance path. She has thirteen ideas at the end of January titled 'Joyful Simplicities.' For example you can find a beautiful notebook and start a gratitude journal or create a collage, write down the aspirations of your heart, go through your personal papers at home and organize your desk to get a fresh start on the new year. Discard as much as you can. That sounds like fun :) I love this one - Prepare for a winter's idyll. Stock the pantry with real cocoa, tiny marshmallows and a bar of good chocolate. When snow comes and school is cancelled, stay home with the kids. Lounge about in your pajamas. Build a snowman, go sledding, then have tomato soup in mugs and toasted cheese sandwiches for lunch. Take a nap. Luxuriate in an unexpected day off. (I would like for my Husband to take an unexpected day off of work.) Once a week I can post a highlight, ask a question about one of the days of that week and we can all report our insights and experiences while reading it.

Who's interested? I have been stewing about whether to do it and I would love it if my sisters :) and friends would join in and we can all share our comments.

"We thank thee O' God for a Prophet"

"Willow Tree hand-carved sculptures speak in quiet ways to heal, comfort, protect and inspire. Susan Lordi identifies emotions so important for us to convey, and renders them in simple, pure gestures." About Willow Tree, Susan says, “I try to keep the interpretation of Willow Tree open. I hope this makes it more personal, and allows the viewer to decide its meaning.”

These sculptures are so beautiful and this one expresses what I feel today. I am sure there are countless prayers being given today for our Beloved Prophet Gordon B Hinckley.

Friday night - Date night

We are a part of a group where we take turns watching a total of 8 kids once every four weeks. It has been AWESOME to go out with my hubby every Friday night.

What are some fun dates you have been on lately? Any new discoveries?

Cold Stone Creamery - Cheesecake flavor ice-cream with graham cracker crust and raspberries is fantabulous! Highly recommend ;)

We enjoy going to borders and discovering new music together ie. We found our favorite song 'Better Together' by Jack Johnson

Last Friday we discovered a Christian bookstore. They had some live guitar music while we lounged in some comfy chairs next to a fire place, sipped some hot cocoa, had a brownie with fudge frosting and played checkers. My husband wins every time:) I let him win ;)

My husband said to me tonight as we were driving home from the temple "anything for you sugar, sugar" I was wanting some ice-cream with chunks of Reese's cups. O' he is so sweet!

My thought for the day: Take time to enjoy the SWEET things in your life

I am a runaway Mom

I never thought the day would come that I would jog more than 1 mile. Deep down I have always wanted to be a runner but never thought I could do it. Well, a few months ago I started running with a group at 5 am in the morning. The invitation to join a running group was an answered prayer and has been a great blessing to help keep me healthy. I needed to get myself moving and nothing interferes with getting up that early except maybe my lack of not going to bed early enough. I am now trying to follow the counsel of 'early to bed, early to rise.' I runaway in the mornings and give my body a good workout and some time for myself and I always come back more energized, and ready to conquer the day. I have set the goal to run a 1/2 marathon in May. Yikes! If I can run anyone can! :) It makes a huge difference to have a group! I have enjoyed running with Cindy, Candee, Deana, D.J, Rachel, and Amanda. Once you start you can't quit!

I love Cookie Monster

I must confess! Some Days I feel like the Cookie Monster :) What did I eat for lunch today? Well, a good friend Wendy D. taught me how to make Brigadoros a couple years ago and I have been addicted to eating sweetened condensed milk since then. You heat the s.c.milk to a taffy consistency and let it cool and roll it into balls etc. If you would like more info. on this I can send you the recipe. Yummy to my tummy. So, I should have nutritional things to report on for what I had for lunch but I don't :) I enjoyed a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk. It was good! Good thing I don't have any more cans in the pantry.

P.S When is the last time you watched Sesame Street? I do not recall watching it as a child. I have seen a few :) episodes within the past couple of years and the cookie monster makes me laugh. I think I can relate to him, more than I would like to admit!

Family and Friends

The reason for this blog: I want to know my family and friends better! So, what did you have for lunch today? Some people don't care to know, but I would love to find out! :) Have you had a good or bad day? What makes you happy? My hopes are that thru this blog we can stay connected better by viewing and responding to my posts. I have wanted to do something like this for a long time. I will journal some of my thoughts and I would love for one and all to contribute. Thanks!

Have a Blessed Day! This saying I learned from my inner city experience in St. Louis Missouri

Penny Dyann Rocha

O' the sweetness of our children! When you tell Penny "I love you" she is not able to say "I love you" back so instead she says "I'm Happy Mommy I'm Happy." I love it when she says that because it's truly something to ponder on.... I am happy too Penny.

Here is a quote from our Prophet: How much more beautiful would be the world and the society in which we live if every father looked upon his children as the most precious of his assets, if he led them by the power of his example in kindness and love, and if in times of stress he blessed them by the authority of the holy priesthood; and if every mother regarded her children as the jewels of her life, as gifts from the God of heaven, who is their Eternal Father, and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “These, Our Little Ones,” Ensign, Dec 2007)

'I thank thee O' God for a Prophet' President Hinckley loves us and Guides us with beautiful words of inspiration! Last night I had the opportunity to go with the Sister Missionaries and teach a lesson on the Restoration. I have not done that for a long time, being with the missionaries brought back some sweet memories. I know that God continues to speak to us today through a living Prophet and I am grateful for the Prophets of Old and that we can continually study from the scriptures and learn from there examples.