TAGGED BY MINDI :)

A- Attached or Single? 100 % Attached

B- Best Friend? B/F/F Rolo

C- Cake or Pie? Ice-cream Cake

D- Day of Choice?. If I could choose I would like my Husband to stay home with me everyday and all day but thank goodness he is a hard working Engineer and providing for our family

E- Essential Item? Deodorant ;)

F- Favorite Color? Yellow

G- Gummy Bears or Worms? Gummy bears (I love Bears)

H- Hometown? Grew up in Wenatchee, currently in ID

I- Favorite Indulgence? Anything with Chocolate! Last night after my husband came home from mutual he brought me chocolate. I need a chocolate fix at least once a week, he brought me chocolate milk and a twix candy bar! He is so SWEET!

J- January or July? January – I love the first of the new year and setting new goals

K- Kids? 2 little monkeys

L- Life isn't complete without? Religion / Family

M- Marriage date? December 21,2002

N- Number of brothers and sisters? 1 Brother 3 Sisters

O- Oranges or Apples? Apples

P- Phobias and Fears? Phobias - germs /I especially do not like handling raw meat / Fears - not living until I am 99

R- Reason to smile? Simple Pleasures

S- Season of choice? Spring – When I fell in love with Rolo / In the Summer we courted / In the Fall he proposed and in the winter we were married - So, all seasons bring great memories!

T- Tag two people? My Mom and Dad ;)

U- Unknown fact about me? I do not like Static!!!!!!!!!!!!

V- Vegetable? Broccoli, Lots of Spinach lately

W- Worst Habit? Perfectionist, I need to learn to relax

X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound

Y- Your favorite food? Italian Food with chocolate for dessert

Z- Zodiac Sign? Cancer and I fear ever having Cancer is that a sign?

The ABC ' S about me :) Have a Great Day! Mom and Dad your it!

Welcome Friends and Family.....

With a seasonal wreath for your front door!

Weeds Already! It's way to soon!

My weeds are growing faster than my daffodils! I have had a six month break and now it's time to get busy gardening! I have mixed emotions!

A Package for Penny! Hooray!

A Dora Sit-N-Spin

Penny was thrilled to get a PACKAGE! She was dancing with joy! Thank you (i have a bad habit of turning my camera the wrong way for videos OOPS :)

This book made me smile

Synopsis :
Momma Chicken tries to tuck in little Lulu, but Lulu is worried: What if a bear comes into the room? Or a tiger? Or an alligator? Will her momma scare them away? Will she protect Lulu from everything, even the friendly pigs? Well, she's a pretty powerful momma, and she sure enough can scare away any bad creatures. The ultimate goodnight book for every bedtime, whether in the barnyard, your own yard, or somewhere in between.
Publishers Weekly:
After Momma Chicken tucks Lulu into bed and pecks her on the head ("gently of course"), the worried chick calls out, "What if a big, brown bear comes in while I am sleeping?" Momma reassures Lulu that she will "flap and cluck and scare it and chase it all the way back to the forest." Similar reassurances about tigers and alligators follow. Undercutting the sweetness and light is a hilarious visual subtext. Readers see two silent, wide-eyed pigs eavesdropping on Lulu's fearful musings and creeping ever closer to the security of the Momma-guarded bed. When the duo hides with comic ineptitude under Lulu's blanket-their pointy ears are a dead giveaway-the chick asks, "What if the pigs come in while I am sleeping?" Momma promises to "tickle them and squeeze them, and kiss them all over their faces"- and she does. Bogan (Spike) has a ball illustrating this barnyard crew. She wields ink and watercolors in lush reds, purples and blues, but her triumph is in the creatures' highly animated expressions. Momma's wings-on-hips annoyance and her single, angry eyebrow as she takes on a cowering tiger are not to be missed.


We checked this book out at the library. I want to add this book to our collection! The Momma Chicken is a perfect resemblence of how we are as Mothers with our chickadees! I took some photos so you can see the animated looks of the two little pigs in the story. (I had poor lighting for the pictures SORRY, they don't do justice)

Oh' the pigs are so cute! It reminded me of how my mom use to tuck me into bed and give us love (She called her goodnight kisses XOXO goodie kisses)

2012 Family Vacation

Hopefully in 4 years when we will have another extra day of the year to celebrate, we will be going on a family vacation to.......we can't decide! It is fun to plan and think of all the possibilities!

Dream Baby Dream!

So, we found a vacation beach in Jamaica! Family Oriented, they have a lot of activities for kids. Our kids would have a blast with all they provide.
'Beaches Resorts are the only Caribbean destinations where you'll find a colorful cast of characters from Sesame Street :) Through out the day, kids can enjoy the Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street with a full schedule of events.' They dance with Zoe, bake cookies with the Cookie Monster (I would do like to do that ;) They go on a scavenger hunt with Grover . . .water slides. .etc. I would also love to be on a sandy white beach with the crystal blue water taking lots of pictures.

Someday I would love to go to France or Switzerland but that will have to wait ;) I know, I am a big dreamer! But, you have to dream to make your dreams come true.








We also thought it would be fun to take a road trip in a R.V some where? Has anyone seen the movie RV? It will be an adventure traveling with a young family :)



So many places to go and lots of things we want to do! It will take four years to plan a special trip and four years to save for it!

A Pleasant Morning!

Out of the ordinary picture - unzip-a new-day

This morning at 5 am while a group of us were jogging there was an enchanting yellow sliver of the moon in the deep blue sky. The gal I was jogging with mentioned it looked like a smile. It was a perfect heaven-sent smile :) What a great way to start a new day with a smile in the sky!

Spread good cheer - Make someone happy today :)

Mystery Package

Dallin is one lucky boy to have his Ma-Key and Poppa. The other day Dallin was telling me he wanted a Yellow Transformer and I told Him that we are not buying him any more toys. So, his response was "I will call my Ma-key and she will get one for me" What a Kid :) He was right, his Ma-Key and Poppa love to SPOIL there grand kids! Thank You! He has loved it!

Sweet February Twenty-Nine!--
This is our grace-year, as I live
Quick, now! this foolish heart of mine;
Seize thy prerogative!
-Walter DE LA Mare

I finished my Sole-ful Slippers

Penny liked wearing her slippers!

"CUTE, CUTE"

I love rick rack and you could have a lot of fun with different colorful patterns!

Happy 'soon to be' Leap Day from the Rocha's

Leap Day 2008 - It only happens every 4 years, so it's the perfect reason to celebrate!

My favorite part about the candy wrapper above is 'Total fat: Who cares? You've got 4 years to work it off'!

Leap Day Activities:

Scatter multi-colored squirt frogs around the room. You can also go to a local party store or toy store and get plush or inflatable frogs to hide around the house. Make this into a find the frog hunt for the kids. They can keep the frogs they find, or trade them in for other small prizes.

Another idea is to bring blank cards (maybe green?!) and ask guests to write where they would like to be in 4 years when Leap Day 2012 arrives. You can save these cards and mail them to your friends at the beginning of 2012 or have your guests seal them in envelopes and bring them home. Just make sure to write "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL LEAP DAY 2012" on the front of the cards!

Above ideas found at party411.com

Here is a Great / Easy soup recipe to make for a group of family or friends

Taco Soup: Brown 1 lb hamburger & diced onion together. Add taco seasoning packet. Then add 1 can of kidney beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can kernel corn (all these with their juices). Add one (15 oz.) can of tomato sauce. Simmer together. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, tortilla chips, lettuce and tomato on top of soup. This recipe is from my sister J.J ;)

DOUBLE, TRIPLE, make a large pot it is M'm M'm GOOD!

Enjoy good food, play games and have a hoppin' good time!

We are going to plan a fun trip for 2012 and start saving $ tomorrow :)

I have never acknowledged Leap year before but hey why not make it a special day! So, in 2012 on February 29th we will have something to look forward to, we will be flying to . . .? I will keep you posted on what we plan :)

Make Leap Year's extra day something special you will REMEMBER four years from now!

I would like to brag about my MOM :)

My Mom is now an official Bus Driver! She has been working hard the past three months taking classes, tests, learning new skills . . . She has passed everything with soaring scores. I had no idea how rigorous it is to become a bus driver, it is not an easy task!!! My Mom has taken the challenge and has done a great job.

I am proud of you MOM :)

She has already had some fun stories to tell! One little kid came up to her and the first thing he asked was "Are you a Grandma?" "Can I sit next to you?" She will be the kind of bus driver every kid will remember. The kids will look forward to seeing her smile everyday in the morning! She will have a positive influence on the children's lives and we all know we need a lot more of that these days.

Way to Be MOM :)

Tonight for FHE we went up to Lake Lowell (we live only 3 miles east of the lake) and enjoyed a beautiful sunset!

Good Morning!

What is something you love to DO? In the book Simple Abundance she encourages you to discover your creative side 'An Artist Is Someone Who Creates'. She encourages you to find new insights to what you love, do and hope for.

"Every day we're given chances to embrace the new. It could be serving focaccia at dinner tonight instead of garlic bread. It could be choosing a pair of floral socks that make our feet want to dance, instead of the plain pair we automatically reach for. Psychologist Susan Jeffers suggests we "take a risk a day --- one small or bold stroke that makes you feel great once you have done it.." Start thinking of yourself as an artist and your life as a work-in-progress. Works-in-progress are never perfect. But changes can be made to the rough draft during rewrites. Another color can be added to the canvas. Art evolves. So does life. Art is never stagnant. Neither is life. The beautiful, authentic life you are creating for yourself and those you love is your art. It's the highest art. " Since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of time, you are incomparable." writer Brenda Ueland reminds you. Hold that thought.
Every choice, every day, you are creating a unique work of art. Something only you can do. Something beautiful and ephemeral. The reason you were born was to leave your own indelible mark on your personal world. Each time you experience the new, you become receptive to inspiration. '

I have found that when you experiment with new things you start to discover what makes you unique, you feel content with what you love and with what brings a smile to your face. :)

So, I had fun this past week going on some creative excursions! Browsing in a Craft Store, library, the Mall . . . It is fun finding new things that catch your eye. I enjoyed doing some things out of the ordinary.

I discovered new quotes that I like and wrote them down in a notebook. This month I found a new cologne for my husband, it was fun just taking time to find something new and irresistible ;) I made a pineapple smoothie for the first time. I have realized how much I enjoy receiving letters in the mail and I want to be better about sending letters and packages. I went to a book store ' B. inspired ' and bought cute 50 % off Valentine's books. For a few years I have wanted to buy things after the holidays and be prepared for the following year and I actually did it for the first time. I have already bought 75% off stuff for the kids next year. I rediscovered old childhood songs to teach my kids. Found some fun activities to do with the family. . . and I loved browsing in a craft store, I have a list of projects to do for the next ten years :) I need to pick my favorite ones! I have written all these ideas down and I hope to expound on these new things and be able to DO some creative projects. I want to create beautiful art for my family, some bold and simple stripes on our canvas of life.

I'm Back :)

This past week was eventful :)

• We put new flooring in our house Yahoo! We needed to unplug the computer and put our armoir out in the garage. We are slowly putting our house back in order.
• I stepped on a nail while helping my husband remove the old carpet :( My bad! I don't like shoes, some day I will learn that I need to wear shoes. I actually put some on after I had to pull the nail out of my heel.
• Got a tetanus shot (double frown :( :( )
• My children were teasing me about having a big bum, (yes, you read that correctly) HEE! HEE! I actually had my cell phone in my back pocket of my jeans and I forgot about it and Dallin came up to me and asked me why I have a big bum. Then penny pointed to it and said "bad mommy" "poopie in your pants" O' my dear children!
• Penny is digressing in being potty trained. She went potty in a cup in her bedroom, the cup looked liked the one in her potty chair. She learned how to climb out of her crib. She strips down naked to take a nap. There is never a dull moment with my little girl. She is a Ham! Don't let her sweet looks fool you!
• I had a good week. I love, love our new carpet. I will post more tomorrow :)
• Later alligator

YUMMY :)

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinna-Bun Pull-Aparts
20 Rhodes Bake and Serve Rolls, thawed
1 lb. light brown sugar
2 sticks butter
Cinnamon & sugar mix (4 Tbsp. Sugar 2 Tsp Cinnamon)
8oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)

Instructions: In a bowl, combine cream cheese with 1/4 cup brown sugar and combine well with spatula. Cover and place in refrigerator. Lightly coat bottom of bundt pan with cooking spray. Melt butter, then add remaining brown sugar and stir well. Bring to a light boil to caramelize then pour 1/3 of the butter/brown sugar mix across bottom of bundt pan. Remove cream cheese mix from refrigerator. Take one roll at a time into your hands and pull outward on sides to increase size slightly. Place approximately 1 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into middle of roll. Fold dough around the mixture, pinch closed, then roll into a tight ball. Evenly place 8 balls across bottom of bundt pan. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of sugar/cinnamon. Pour second 1/3 of the brown sugar/butter mixture over 8 buns. Repeat process with remaining 12 dough balls for second layer. First the dough balls, 2 Tbsp. sugar/cinnamon and finally the remaining butter/brown sugar mix. Let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour then bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees F. You may need to lay a piece of foil over top of pan after 40-45 minutes if buns start looking well done. Remove from oven then immediately turn over onto large plate. Remove bundt pan. Serve warm or room temperature.

I made these for the Baby shower on Saturday, this recipe is delicious with the cream cheese in the middle! Enjoy :)

Here is a poem from a talk given in 2006 by President Monson 'Treasured Gifts'

A bell is no bell 'till you ring it,
A song is no song 'till you sing it
And love in your heart wasn't
put there to stay -
Love isn't love 'til you give it away

"All that we hold dear, our families, friends, our joy, knowledge, our testimonies, would vanish were it not for our Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The world has witnessed no greater gift, nor has it known more lasting love!"

Some Highlights Of My Week

 

Tomorrow I am hosting a baby shower for a friend. I made some candy bar invitations :)

I had fun decorating some brownie bears for a Birthday, Penny's friend :)

Dallin started swimming lessons :)

We had a sweet-heart breakfast for Valentine's Day, and ending the day with a 'whole lot of love' dinner. Heart shaped pizza's :)

My wonderful Husband gave me chocolate ;) and beautiful flowers :)

The kids had fun taking turns hiding there Valentine's candy. Except, while we were having a treasure hunt Dallin wanted to take a turn to hide the treats and well he got distracted and forgot where he hid the candy :) OOPS :) We found it two hours later!

I also enjoyed making those pillowcases :) I think the couple one would make a fun wedding gift.

Blogthing QUIZ -My Candy heart says -

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out.
Your heart is open to where ever love takes you!

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out

Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking

What turns you off: fighting and conflict

Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What does your candy heart say?
www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourcandyheartsayquiz/

I thought this quiz was very fitting for me! I actually have even planned out our Valentine evening tonight. I definitely do not like conflicts! I think my husband would agree that I was fearless about falling in love with him and the first time he gave me a HUG I knew that he was meant for me! ;) AND i am all about life taking me where ever the heart leads!

My Sweet Little Girl

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"