Thank You Candee

My friend Candee has an amazing talent with sewing! She made this DARLING dress for Penny. We are going to dress up our little girls tomorrow and take some pictures :)

I looked thru this book yesterday at the craft store and it has some fun ideas for miniature treats! You can make mini donuts with cheerios, dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. I especially loved the idea of making a tiny birthday cake. You cover two oreo cookies with frosting and the book had a few different ideas on ways you could decorate it! Very Creative! It would be a perfect cake for a first birthday, just the right size! Fun Foods!

My Son . . .

He is trying not to smile :)

My poor son went to the dentist today to have a cavity taken care of on the bottom right. He was such a good boy! I brought him home and made him some chocolate pudding. He is not a messy boy so when I checked on him to see how he was liking his pudding i started to laugh because he was drooling out the pudding on his numm side. Cute Kid!!

Cinco de Mayo

It is 6:30 am - I had a nice easy run in 5o degree weather SO NICE! Had a GREAT 12 mile run on Saturday! Have been eating a ton to make up for all the calories i burned ;) We had a fun ward activity on friday night, coached soccer, weekend errands/chores, date night, relaxing Sunday! We had a good weekend! I think I am going to wake up my kids this morning to some SALSA music! They have a blast dancing to this Salsa CD we bought a couple years ago. We haven't listened to it for awhile. Since it is Cinco de Mayo we will have a latino culture day! Any good ideas for a Mexican dinner? Mexican food sounds good right now, maybe i will make a breakfast burrito. Have a good day mi amigos!!!

May Day Song:

Dance Around the Maypole In and out, in and out, Weave the ribbons tight; 'Round the Maypole we will dance To the left and to the right.

We made our own May Day pole and the kids had a great time dancing around the pole with the crepe paper streamers.

They Danced, skipped, ran to the left and to the right and had a good time!

Before the kids went outside we made King and Queen crowns covered with paper flowers and then I gave them a paper sack to gather lots of bright, yellow flowers. My Dandelions ;) They did really well picking a lot of flowers so they could throw them around the May pole while they danced!

We have never celebrated May Day before. This is a tradition I hope to be able to continue! I love flowers and what a wonderful way to celebrate a day with giving people flowers and doing fun activities outside and enjoying the fresh/crisp air of spring time.

The kids were excited when someone surprised us with a Ding-dong dash and they found a yummy treat and lots of flowers on our front porch. I really like this tradition of May Day :)

Heaven Sent

I took a picture of my friend's baby 'Morgan' Babies look so sweet when they are sleeping!

Happy May Day

. . .every time you see another person - you see another oppurtunity to make someone's day brighter!

Tomorrow is May Day

This picture is from a cool blog called Crafty Crow. Leave a Happy May Day basket for your neighbors and friends tomorrow! Have fun with your kids and Ding and Dash :)


"The celebration of May Day is a great time. The time to welcome Summer, and celebrate new beginnings. Celebrating May Day gets its best with flowers. Flowers of bright colors that adorn the season of spring.''


"The tradition of May Day Baskets is a fun way to let your friends and loved ones know that you think of them. So get ready to craft a special basket. Fill it with a bunch of summer flowers and leave it on a friend's front door knob. The door bell is rung, and you run and hide so they won't know who has left the greeting."


For more fun ideas and information about May Day go to this link: Activities Have Fun!

ONE MILE AT A TIME :)

I have 17 days left until the Great Potato 1/2 Marathon :)

I need some good ideas for energy boosters for a long run? I have noticed a lot of energy bars have chocolate in them! Our Society is addicted to Chocolate! Researchers do say a little Dark Chocolate is good for you! I was just looking up some info. at the Runner's World Link I have on the side of my blog. They have some good ideas for performance training foods. I need to really focus on my diet for the next two weeks! I want to prepare the best I can physically, mentally etc.! One step at a time!

My backyard :)

Whoever lived in our house before us worked hard and created a beautiful backyard. We especially have a lot of purple flowers, that must have been a favorite color. We had dinner on our picnic table under the willow tree last night. The kids love climbing up the willow tree, it is perfect for there size. Then we played a little softball and then soccer. And my hobbie is taking pictures of all the blooming flowers. When there is no more frost in the morning we will plant some more flowers, snow peas (i need to do that today) carrots, strawberries etc. I love this time of year!

Gross/Bad/Good News Everyone!

Our sweet little innocent girl found a dime on the ground Saturday night while we were at Wal-Mart. While she was playing with it, all of a sudden she said "MOMMY MOMMY" pointing in her mouth, "THE MONEY, THE MONEY" and i said "Penny, did you swallow the dime" and she said "DIME IN MY TUMMY" WHAT! I panicked for a few seconds. What do you do when your child swallows a coin? So, when we came home i looked on the Internet. Which was not very helpful, it just made me more paranoid and grateful that she didn't swallow a toy or something larger! SO, approximately 41 hours later the dime was digested .

Here are two pictures of the cleaned off dime ;) We will put these pictures in her SCRAP book! The Dime was a shiny silver color before she swallowed it. Yikes! The acid in her system definitely changed the coloring on the coin. Moral of this story 'Do not ever let your children play with coins' Even if they should be older and wiser, they just may swallow the money! Then you will have the gross responsibility of waiting and looking for the processed coin.

P.S You will think twice now about where your money has been, where it has come from.. . .. Sorry, that is a gross thought! I will stop blogging now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last weekend of April 2008! Time Flies!!!

• Friday night Rolo went camping with the scouts and it was just me and the kiddoes. I was still recovering from my ten mile run. We ran against the wind for 5 miles and that made the run really tough!
  
• Saturday morning - Coached the Soccer Team - Solo :)


• According to Dallin he made 4 goals :0 Two of them were in the wrong goal :)


• Started getting my garden ready to plant some veggies! Yeah!


• Had Date Night with my Husband :)


• Penny swallowed a Dime :) So we're having to inspect her you know what :(


• I have gone seven days without treats & chocolate! This has never happened! I am always making something sweet, at least once a week. This is quite an adjustment. I have even been dreaming about trying to keep myself from eating sweets. And the question is 'Why am I doing this? My main reason for doing this is to be a better example for my children. Penny is having more withdrawals than I am. CHOCOLATE ! MOMMY! CHOCOLATE!


• I found Penny in the kitchen the other day eating . . . .

BUTTER! (Notice the teeth marks :) There is never a dull moment with my little girl!

Have a Good Monday! It's a Beautiful Day here in Idaho!

Butterflies :)

I love butterflies and I would love to make a smaller version of this collage for my house! I was blog hopping the other day and found this website :)

creative

Some of my favorite things about this spring!

Basking in the morning sun! I like sitting in the chair by maggie! The warmth of the sun shining in feels so good.

I ran 10 miles yesterday! The weather is slowly warming up!

I love listening to the birds in the morning!

April Showers Bring May Flowers! Nature Walks

Watching my kids grin ear to ear playing on toys!

Lots and Lots of bike rides





Being Dallin's Soccer Coach

Fresh flowers in my living room :)

What are some of your FAVORITE things about Spring?

Haircut

Yes, I went to Fantastic Sam's last night and cut my hair! Do you think I did something Drastic?
If you thought 'No' you are right. It is against my nature to do anything drastic. It FEELS so much BETTER!. I had a few inches taken off and had it layered. Ah' it feels refreshing. It is one of those things you just need to do more often, to give yourself a boost.



This morning I had a great run! I am starting to pick up the pace and it gives me more of a challenge. I am starting to feel the runners HIGH. It's awesome! I get the good chills and I feel like I can keep on going like the energizer bunny. The training is well worth experiencing a runner's high!



I have not metioned yet that I have taken a challenge to have no treats/chocolate for 21 days. I am at my 2 day mark and so far so good. Hey, I know you are laughing thinking it has only been two days but taking this challenge is a struggle for me every minute. I have not had the ........

YET . . . but it will be coming and I am preparing myself for it. My twenty one day mark will be the day I run my 1/2 marathon and my treat is going to either be ice-cream or a candy bar. Actually, make that both! Vanilla ice-cream with a candy bar crushed on top. Mmmm that sounds good. If anyone would like to take this challenge we would like to have a get together and go bowling or something that does not involve food to reward ourselves. So far our group consists of Rosie and Me :) Please join! The more the merrier :) This challenge is to help us be Healthy and to cut back on the sweets, everything in moderation :)

Making Peace with your hair :)

We all have days when we scream "I've got to do something with my hair" I am having one of those days, I have unruly hair and I am ready to chop it off and do something drastic. I have not grown out my hair for a long time and I am trying to let it grow long. I don't know if i will make it!

Sarah Breathnach has this written in her book " A woman's hair has for centuries been called her "crowning glory," but every woman I know speaks of her intimate relationship with her hair as a nightmare. I don't know any woman personally who really loves her hair, just women who cope. Hair is a living, powerful, mercurial, metaphysical energy force to be respected, reckoned with, and reconciled to, but it can not be controlled any more than atomic fusion. Occasionally, it can be cajoled into becoming conduct (we refer to these lapses as "good hair days") but it can never be coerced. Think of all the money, time, creative energy, and emotion we invest in our hair. Yet most of the time it insists on expressing its authenticity, not necessarily ours. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from the mini skirmishes I wage with life every day, and the battle with my hair is not the least of them. . . .above all, learning to accept your hair is part of the process of learning to love yourself. The poet Marianne Moore believed that "Your thorns are the best part of you" and she was right.


I don't know if i agree with 'our thorns being the best part' but I am going to try and make peace with my hair today and hopefully I won't take a pair of scissors to my hair :)

I could eat donuts for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner!!

And yesterday I did just that! Donuts for Breakfast and Dinner! Man O Man!

I must confess that I am a food junky. I know that this is not surprising for some to read but I am taking the first step for myself and admitting it. Now, I need to do something about it. Is there a sugar/chocolate rehab for people that are addicted to sweets? I need to look it up and see what i can find. Maybe i can find some baby step guidelines to wean me off of junk food.

Well, anyhoo I think these donuts are scrumptious and my husband said they are a heart-a-tack in a basket ;) Last week we had a recipe exchange group and one of the ladies gave this idea to do with your kids. Super easy donuts: Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits! stretch a biscuit out like a donut, the kids can have fun doing that part and then fry in a pan of oil and then dip in cinnamon and sugar. This can be a good treat for family home evening tonight :)

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Dad :)

This picture was taken when I was eleven years old and I was with my Dad on a Daddy Daughter Date! It is one of my favorite pictures taken with my Dad. O' the cherished memories! I wish we could be with you to celebrate your birthday. We had a lot of fun with you last year when we made you a pinata! Fun Memories! We send you our love!

DAD - I must tell you one trait that you have passed on to all of us kids. And that is the eyebrow wiggle. Marnie and I were discussing this when she just came to visit. She didn't think she does it but she does! Penny actually does it too! I remember when I returned home from my mission I was sitting at the table with you and we were eating breakfast and we both looked up at each other and wiggled our eyebrows up and down. I realized at that point I had gotten that from you! It's amazing to see what little characteristics we can pass on.

This may not make sense to others but the Penhallegon kids know what I am talking about. It's hard to explain :) Instead of a smile or saying something we just give an eyebrow wiggle and we all got it from our Dad :) Did you know we all do that? This is something I just realized ALL of us do when we were together at our family reunion! Thanks for being you Dad! LOVE YA

God's World
O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!
Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!
Thy mists, that roll and rise!
Thy woods, this autumn day,that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag
To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!
World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!
Long have I known a glory in it all,
But never knew I this:
here such a passion is
As stretcheth me apart, -- Lord, I do fear
Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year.
My soul is all but out of me -- let fall
No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.
Edna St. Vincent Millay

Every day brings something beautiful!

SWEET VIOLETS

Yesterday, I was thinking about what kind of poem i would like to discover, so i thought to myself 'i will take a picture first and then have that inspire what kind of poem i would like to find' so . . . . here is my picture . .

When I looked up poems about violets there is a whole society that has been inspired by violets and have written poems about this flower. These little flowers are beauties. I pick some every day and put them in my kitchen window. Have a Beautiful Friday :) Love to all :)

The Violet


Down in a green and shady bed, A modest violet grew; Its stalk was bent, it hung its head As if to hide from view. And yet it was a lovely flower, Its colour bright and fair; It might have graced a rosy bower, Instead of hiding there. Yet thus it was content to bloom, In modest tints arrayed; And there diffused a sweet perfume, Within the silent shade. Then let me to the valley goThis pretty flower to see; That I may also learn to grow In sweet humility. Jane Taylor

I ran for two hours! 30 more minutes to go! I think i can . . .I think i can . . .

My goal for this morning was to run for two hours and I did it! I started running at 5:10 am and finished at 7:10 am. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning. The moon was a golden, reddish color and it was going down right above lake lowell and reflecting on the water. I tried to take a picture with my cell phone but all you can see is a black screen with a white dot in the middle. O' it was a brilliant moon set. I can't say I have ever seen a moon set. Then when I finished my run there was a beautiful sunrise. WOW! What a way to start the day!

My husband just bought me some ear pieces so i can listen to music while i run and that helped a lot. There was a song playing with the lyrics "how far we've come" and it was neat to reflect on how far i have come! I never thought i would be running a half marathon and I am doing it! Bring it on Baby :) The joy comes in the journey and training for this run is teaching me so much! Thanks for letting me share my progress and thank you for all of your encouraging words. I couldn't do this run without my friends and family supporting me!

Celebrate with a Poem

Did you know April is National Poetry Month?


My husband is probably nervous reading the title of this post, no need to worry honey ;) But, i must say that he is an amazing writer and I have a good collection of love notes ;) Anyhoo, I have been spending time lately at the Dentist office and I saw an article that gave some great ideas on how we can celebrate this month with a poem and i thought how neat it would be to have this for a tradition with my family.

• Memorize a poem - Getting a poem or prose passsage truly "by heart" implies getting it by mind and memory and understanding and delight. (Our Prophet is a great example about memorizing poems!)


• Take a poem out to lunch - Adding a poem to lunch puts some poetry in your day and gives you something great to read while you eat. Slip a poem in your child's lunch box!


• Recite a poem to family and friends


• Put a poem on the pavement - Go one step beyond hopscotch squares and write a poem in chalk on your sidewalk!


• Put a Poem in Your Pocket Today! - I would like to discover a new poem today and I will share it with you tomorrow morning! Have a good day everyone and share a poem with your children, friends or spouse today :)

A poem I often think about is one my mom has told me many times. . ."I'm rocking my Baby"

...The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow, for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow. So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep. I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep. from "Song for a Fifth Child" by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Penny is two now and I still think she is my little baby! I am learning to my sorrow that she is growing up way to fast. I love taking a few minutes everyday to rock my baby! She is so precious and sweet!

April 16th A DAY TO REMEMBER

Six years ago today, I had one of the best days of my life! I had a boyfriend (now known as my husband :) that planned a breakfast date with me. I have all the details written in my journal but that beautiful sunny morning after we ate at a one-man-band diner, he took me back to my apartment and he needed to get ready to go to class but we paused for a few moments and he gave me a KISS! I can still remember that moment as if it was just yesterday. A paused moment in time that created a forever bond. Now, six years later I am still in love!

I surprised Rolo this morning and took him out for breakfast. My sweet friend let me drop off the kids at 7 am so we could enjoy a meal without the little ones. (THANK YOU) We went to I-HOP and our waitress asked us what we were up to and we both looked at each other and smiled, then Rolo said we are celebrating our first kiss. I wasn't expecting him to say that but it was true and the waitress thought that was so sweet. We were the only couple in the restaurant! I wonder how many times the waitress has heard that line before? I am so glad that we took the time to remember a special occasion. We had mentioned our two kids to the waitress, then it hit me, WOW! six years ago we were just dating and look what that one kiss started. I am blessed! Thank you my love! I love you!

I would also like to share a poem Rolo wrote for me a couple months ago. I have it posted on the wall by my kitchen sink and I read it every day. He is so good with expressing his love in words and in his actions ;)

"To love well is to live well - ere not love is but husk and shell. Treasures obtained with greed, serve naught but your worst to feed - while the treasure obtained through selfless desires transforms, exalts, and inspires" By Rolo February 2008

Scatter sunshine!

Scatter sunshine all along your way; Cheer and bless and brighten, Every passing day!

I made some cupcakes for my young ladies in primary. Our ward was split on Sunday and I am going to miss the girls that I have had the oppurtunity to teach. They always brought a smile to my face.

I used a recipe from Kraft Foods for Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes. The lemon flavor is a great treat for spring time. I especially liked the cream cheese in the frosting, and I did the simple version and just used a lemon cake mix. You can click on this link and you can get the recipe :) kraftfoods. 0 My oldest sister also had a good idea to top the cupcakes with crushed lemon drops. I think that would add a nice little crunch :)

Dallin had fun decorating his own sunshine cupcake :)

Penny liked the frosting the best ;)