There is beauty all around when there's LOVE at home!

Family Vacation to Utah

We have been gone for the last nine days visiting family! We had a great time! And we are happy to be back home ;)

Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase!

It means no worries for the rest of your days!

It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna Matata!

17 weeks - Baby update :)

My little baby inside is starting to get strong! It's an active little guy. I sure hope it's a boy, because from the day I started getting sick I have predicted that it's a HE. With Dallin and this baby I can't eat red meat, eggs, cheese etc. and it is just miserable to eat during that first trimester. I have been over that for about a month now, thank goodness. This pregnancy is following in the same path of having a boy. So, I will be really shocked if they tell me it's a girl :)

My due date is Cinco de Mayo! I am really excited to have a May baby! The past two have both been winter babies. And hopefully the baby will come in May and not the end of April because my eight pound babies come two weeks early! If I went past my due date I would have ten pound babies! Yikes! Who knows? Every pregnancy is different :)

It's beginning to look a lot like. . .

CHRISTMAS at our house! I can't believe I am already starting to listen to Christmas music, we have our Christmas tree up and ready to be decorated. Christmas never last long enough so we decided to start early this year :) We have been doing a little at a time and the kids have loved it! They get so excited with every box we open. We did a lot of shopping yesterday, my list of things to do and make has been written down, projects are being finished and it feels great! It's a wonderful time of the year :)

Here is a new favorite poem of mine - Better than Gold

Better than grandeur, better than gold, Than rank and titles a thousandfold, Is a healthy body and mind at ease, And simple pleasures that always please. A heart that can feel for another's woe, And share his joys with a genial glow; With sympathies large enough to enfold All men as brothers, is better than Gold.

Better than gold is a conscience clear, Though toiling for bread in an humble sphere, Doubly blessed with content and health, Untired by the lusts and cares of wealth, Lowly living and lofty thought Adorn and ennoble a poor man's cot; For mind and morals in nature's plan Are the genuine tests of an earnest man.

Better than gold is a peaceful home Where all the fireside characters come, The shrine of love, the heaven of life, Hallowed by mother, or sister or wife. However humble the home may be, Or tried with sorrow by heaven's decree, The blessings that never were brought or sold, And center there are better than gold.

Abram J Ryan

Pile on the Fall fun!

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL

The Ultimate Gift

I have been thinking of gift ideas a lot lately and the Christmas season is getting closer! I have mentioned this before but the Movie 'The Ultimate Gift' is a great story! If you haven't seen it, it's a great holiday movie and it helps you remember what the true gifts in life are!!!

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

This poor gingerbread boy couldn't run very fast from Dallin! Dallin loves the story about the Gingerbread Boy and he loves eating them even more! Mmm Mmm Good!

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
a pinch of ground cloves
6 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
4 Tbsp. Honey
1/2 c. butter

1. Grease the baking sheet. Preheat oven @ 375
Melt the butter, sugar, and honey together over low heat.

2. Beat the egg. Sift the flour, spices, and baking soda together, then stir in the butter mixture and the beaten egg.

3. Mix everything together, then knead it into a ball of dough. Put the dough into a plastic bag and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

4. Roll the dough out on a floured table. Flour the cutter, then cut out dough shapes and place them on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes - until firm - Put cookies on a wire rack to cool - Have fun & Enjoy!

This morning I actually woke up at 4:45 am to go see the Morning Mob (Running Group) It was great to see everyone and I really miss running. I took a new gal with me this morning that called me on Saturday and said that she wanted to start running. She did awesome and ran 5 miles and O' I maybe walked two :) At least I am trying to stay in shape ;) It felt great to wake up early and enjoy some fresh air. The past few months I have just not felt well to go running and I have been way to tired! But, it has all been for a good cause!

A big surprise for my Mom's 60th birthday!!

On Halloween day all of my siblings and I flew to Washington state! We disguised ourselves in spooky ghost costumes and arrived at my parents house just in time for TRICK or treating! My mother was not quite sure what to say to five adult ghosts standing on her front porch. She was expecting my oldest sister and her family for the weekend and she had no idea all five of her kids were going to show up instead! We rang the door bell and she was hesitant as she opened the door and all we said was 'Trick or Treat' She looked at us puzzled, she didn't even notice our 'Guess Who' signs and she said "just a moment" as she went to go get some candy. She called for my dad and then all of us friendly ghosts decided to invite ourselves in, which spooked her even more. She said "Did I invite you in?" :) :) Then the instant laughter gave our disguises away!!
When my Mom realized who we were she started laughing and was completely tricked with our surprise visit! It was a lot of fun planning this trip and trying to be sneaky. We had a good time traveling together to my parents house and planning our strategy to try and enter my parents gated community. Mission successfully accomplished!

We celebrated my Mom's birthday at a nice resturaunt

This was our view out the restaurant window. It was overcast but it sure was green and beautiful in Washington!

We enjoyed all our meals together! That is an understatement. My family has a laughing gene that when we get together we find the littlest things to be HILARIOUS. So, we were easily entertained. My oldest two sisters made us our favorite family cookies. Peanut butter corn flake cookies Mmm Mmm Good!

The big 6 0! My Mom still looks young and beautiful ;)

It was once again another short and sweet visit. But, we sure had a great time together and created some wonderful memories. 2008 Halloween will be a day talked about for many years to come!

Halloween costumes

Pretty Princess!

BATMAN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Surprise!

My husband came home Monday evening with a new car! We now have TWO cars :) We have been looking for quite awhile and we finally decided to buy a Van. I love all the space in a van. The kids are in the far back seat and they love the NEW CAR! It's a 2008 KIA Sedona. We have been very pleased with our Kia car and the Sedona's are rated at the top for best Vans. :) :) :)

Miss Little Piggy

Some of you will remember a couple years ago when Penny was 9 months old, I made her a little Piggy outfit for Halloween. She was the cutest little piggy! Last night she found her pig ears and 2 years later she's still a cute, chubby piggy :) :)

These pictures below explain our Monday Morning :)

MONSTER CHILD :0

Uncle Bob and Aunt Linda came to visit

Dallin and Penny were thrilled yesterday to see and play with Uncle Bob and Aunt Linda. The kids wanted them to stay longer and they were sad to say good bye. It just breaks there hearts to only see relatives for a little bit. They had a good time though!


Rolo is taking his Professional Engineering Exam today. He has been preparing for this test the last 9 months/3 years and today is the day! We hope he will pass the test and this chapter in his life of having to study again will be done for awhile. He will be so happy and stress free around 8 o'clock tonight :)


Have a Good Weekend!


I'm planning on finishing some Christmas presents. We had a Super Craft Saturday last weekend and tomorrow hopefully I can finish some of the projects I started :)

Brew up some fun!

Betty Crocker Witch Hat Cookies

Martha's Broom Bag Favors - I was thinking that instead of using a stick you could use yummy Pirouettes instead, now that would be a yummy treat or you could use a cinnamon stick.

Here's a fun song we like to sing for Halloween . . . .

Three Little Witches
Tune: Ten Little Indians

One little, two little, three little witches
Fly over haystacks fly over ditches
Slide down the moon without any hitches
Hi Ho Halloween's here!

One little, two little, three little witches
Fly over fences and tore their britches.
Had to go home and get some stitches
Hi Ho Halloween's here!

HAPPY FRIDAY

i love my kids :) there smiles are contagious

My little rocket scientist

Dallin had a blast making his own ROCKET! Card board boxes are the best for kids imaginations!

Chicken soup for the soul -

. . . a smile goes a long way, but wouldn't it do a lot more good right at home?

Moday in the kitchen

Today I am going to use my brand new Apple peeler my mom bought me when I went home in September. Our neighbors gave us two dozen apples yesterday. Half of them were goldens, they are so fresh and delicious. So, today if all goes well I am planning on drying some apples and making an apple crisp. And hopefully some home-made noodles for Chicken noodle soup. So, that is my Monday :)



P.S Have you looked at Tip Junkie blogspot lately? She has posted some cute Halloween ideas. I especially like the witch hat cookie :)

Dallin's Drawing

"This is a picture of Dallin driving in the front seat of a rocket and his Daddy is in the back seat with his arm's in the air, with a BIG smile on his face" :)

Pink Christmas

Today I was excited to see a pink envelope in my mailbox :)

I am participating in a girlfriend give and get Christmas this year. At the beginning of this year I discovered the world of blogging and one blog that I have enjoyed is EVERYTHING PINK. This gal is amazing and she has started this Pink Christmas. If you participate you can donate money for a good cause and in return you receive a pink envelope with lots of special little goodies and a girlfriends name and you have the opportunity to make a Christmas gift to give to a new friend. The pink envelope we all received was full of wonderful discounts and ideas from many sponsors. I will share more about what was inside the envelope later. You can click on the Pink Christmas link on the side of my blog to see all the sponsors who are participating. I'm having fun already trying to think of some good ideas to do for the gal that I received. It's a secret, I can't tell who I have. But, I am excited that she will have a pink Christmas this year. And the best part about all of this is that because there are so many participants this year some great donations are being given!!! A big THANK YOU to EVERYTHING PINK for organizing all of this, it's nice to be able to be a part of it!

Relief Society

Last night a group of woman from my local ward/church got together. There was an expert lady that came and taught us how to reduce our food bill by using powered milk. We had quite a feast of all the food she made with powered milk - cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice-cream, she showed us how to make sweetened condensed milk (this recipe was just like what you would buy in the store and the plus side is that you save a couple dollars making it yourself), evaporated milk etc. Everything was pretty good, it's not fair to compare it to what we are use to. With my family alone we spend a lot of money on milk products and it was so neat to learn how to make it from scratch. A good home making skill to know if ever needed. I am going to try and experiment with some of the recipes she gave us. I love knowing that i would be able to make these things on my own and not have to be dependent on the grocery store. You just need to collect some essential items and you will do just fine. The world is struggling financially, the cost of living is sky rocketing and I am so GLAD that our church teaches us how to be self sufficient. I love that even though I don't have family close by members of the church are my family and we can gather together with all ages and help each other grow and learn. No matter where we go in life we always have the church and it is the same everywhere! And everyone is so willing to serve in a heart beat. It's a great blessing!


If you are interested in having some of these recipes I can e-mail you the packet she gave us. Let me know :) Next week this lady is doing a class on using your beans in food storage to make soups and for sprouting to use for a salad. She had some sprouts for us last night with homemade oyster crackers and ranch dressing. It was really good and you can sprout your beans in the off season of gardening and have a fresh salad. All of these recipes are much healthier for you than what you would probably buy in the store. Lots of Food for thought :)

Dallin loves SKELETONS

Today Dallin and I had fun making a Paper Plate Skeleton :) He wanted to color the bones green, "do something different other than the plain white" that's my boy! Whatever makes him HAPPY!

This idea was found from an old 1982 book my Mom would use a lot with us kids! The picture below of the Ghost chocolate pie looks good too! And notice the oranges colored with black marker for jack-o-lanterns. Creative ideas from "TODAY'S TIPS FOR Easy Living - Dian Thomas"

Trick or Treat?

Give me something good to eat :) I would like to share a treat with you that i love at this time of year . . . This treat was my Grandpa Penhallegon's favorite and he passed it on to family and i would like to share it with you ;) Do try! It's a yummy treat!!

CANDY CORN

+

CASHEW NUTS

a perfect combination with sugar, salt and a nice crunch :)


I can't believe I only blogged once last week ;) What is happening to me?, I have been slacking in my reports. Well, we had a relaxing weekend listening to General Conference, we got out our fall decorations (thank you HONEY!) We have had fun decorating, enjoying the joyful simplicities of October. I hope all are well! I will post again real soon :)