My good kids!

My kids learned a lot by having their cousins stay

with us for a while. I have had very little arguement

with either of them. This morning, Kayden got

his school work done with only a little frustration.

When he was done, he disappeared, and I found

him sweeping the sand that the neighborhood kids

(mine included) have spread around. Then I found my

Kaitlyn cleaning the bathroom without being told!

What a way to a mother's heart!!! They are never

cuter than when they are looking for ways to help out!

Zucchini pasta

I have been waiting for my spaghetti squash to ripen in the garden. I love it!! I will top it with spaghetti sauce, or pesto, or mix with other fresh veggies, parmesan and italian dressing. Regular pasta is something I love that I should never touch...

I had an idea the other day based on Pizza Factory's low carb squash noodles. I took a large squash and cut it into manageable pieces then grated the flesh off leaving the seed core which I tossed.

Then all I did was saute the grated squash until it was soft. If you do that uncovered, there is less moisture that collects than if you cook it covered. Then I just treated it as if it was spaghettisquash! Yummy!!!

It worked!

I have had a small homemade 'no soliciting' sign on the door and it has always been ignored. I really struggle when it is the extremely pressuring ones selling cleaner, or magazines, or Living Scriptures. I feel bad, but I can't just but based on that fact. When I saw this magnet at Quilted Bear, I couldn't resist. The other day I happened to see one of these extremely determined types of sales people and quietly shut the door and waited for the knock...and it never came! In peeking out I saw them walk right by my door!! Phew...what a relief!!!

Wall removal Step 1

We have a plan to make our upstairs living area more open and useful. When our house was built in 1984, there was a different set of priorities. The rooms are rather small, closed in and...boring. It is hard to find ways to arrange things to my taste because there just aren't many options. We have a plan to open things up and make the kitchen bigger. We want to kick out a few walls and move the stairs, which would make it so we could push out the kitchen/living room wall and make the kitchen about 2-3 feet bigger. We have been talking about this plan for years. Now we are looking at making it a reality. We have to take it in steps and slowly for 2 reasons, 1)Money, 2)Shaun (and I) are starting school. Shaun seems to think we can start anyway.

Step 1--Remove the wall between the living room and the dining area. Before we do that, he will reinforce the beams in the attic to enforce support, even though the wall we will be removing is not a weight bearing wall. It will still be a few weeks before we actually do it because it is so hot in the attic. All I have to say is let me get my hands on a sledge hammer!

To be continued...

Making scriptures real for kids

I have been trying real hard to read the scriptures with my kids. However, I find I might as well be reading to them in another language. It really seems hard for them to glean the stories out of the formal archaec style that the scriptures are written in. So I went to the library and found a book of scripture stories...one positive thing about living in Utah. I have started reading that book out loud and so far they are enjoying it. After reading we try to discuss what we read and how we can apply it to our lives. We read about the brother of Jared today and how he and his family was led in the wilderness by the Lord, but they couldn't see him. They could only hear his voice. Kaitlyn wanted to know why Jesus can't let us see him, so we talked about faith on a level that she determined. It was a good reminder discussion for me. I need to constantly look for the hand of the Lord in my life. It is so easy to feel so alone, but if I look closely, it is plain that I am not alone!

Blogs are addicting

It's not like there is enough time in a day to do everything that I need/want to do. That was my Dad's favorite phrase growing up, "There's not enough time in the day to do all the wonderful things there are to do." Sometimes it feels more like a curse than anything!

I started exploring the world of blogs today. There is amazing stuff out there. If I want to figure out how to be creative, all I need to do is look at a few blogs and I've got it made. It makes my little blog feel so humble and boring. I want so bad to be creative, but it is a huge stumbling block. Sorry anyone out there who might be reading, if it is. I'm just getting going. But honestly, I am doing this for me. This is an outlet to share...Me with Myself.

I was really excited. A few years ago, I took the perfect picture of one of my pet rhodendron flowers, and I rediscovered it and it is just what I needed for my blog! Then I found the background with rhodendron leaves on it...it was meant to be!

Chore fun

It can be so hard to get my boy to help out, but the other day he did such a good job helping me mop the floor. I was really proud of the job he did and more importantly the attitude he had when he was doing it!

Cookie Dough

Cookie dough is evil!!! It is the hardest thing to resist. Every time I start to make a batch of cookies I tell myself to be strong and resist. Some cookie doughs are easier than others to be strong. This oatmeal cookie dough is especially hard. I really love the cookies too. They are a recipe that came from Shaun's Grandma Call. They really aren't too bad for you...compared to some of the things you can eat. I like to call them Breakfast Cookies. I feel better giving my kids a couple of these rather than a sugary bowl of cold cereal!!!

Here it is:
Mix:
1 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups (or so) applesauce
Add and mix
2 t baking soda
Add:
2 c flour
2 t cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
(instead of cinnamon and nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice works, put in 4 t)
2 c oats, quick or regular
2 c chocolate chips or raisins or a mix of both
Mix together. Dough will be soft and have a slightly fluffy texture.
Put on cookie sheets and cook for roughly 12 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees until middle is cakey (touch lightly with your fingertip), and light brown around the edges.

School for me may be closer than I thought!

I have been watching my sister who is going to Western Governors University, an online school, to finish her bachelors degree. I have researched it out a lot the last couple of months and want really bad to do it too. Yesterday I talked to an enrollment counsellor and filled out the FAFSA to get a pell grant. I thought I had to wait for that for a while, but it turns out I don't. Now to get all my many transcripts sent to the place to see where that all places me. The program I really am interested in is the RN to masters bridge program in leadership and management. Even if it takes 4-5 years to do it, that is okay with me. When my kids start getting to college, I want to be setting up my own clinic as a nurse practitioner, and this is a good step in the right direction!!!

The last 10 days...

I have not posted for a while. I have been kind of busy. Last weekend, Shaun drove to Las Vegas to meet up with his brother and his wife to pick up their 2 kids so I could watch them while they found a new house in a new state. Wasn't that so nice of him. Oh and he left my car with them too so they wouldn't have to pay money for a rental. It was a nice thought at first, but also a source of frustration. This week+ has been a very difficult one for me with lots of ups and downs. Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he only gave me 2 kids. They are good kids, better than some, but they are still little and take a lot of effort.There is a part of me that is happy to help, but there are other darker sides to me. I'm just trying to focus on the good side! They are still here, and my life is starting to try to pick up again.

Run, run, run...

No this post is not about running. Today is a day that feels like everytime I turn around there is something else I need to do or take care of that was not in the plans--not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels a little crazy. Oh, and my run today was my best yet. I ran/walked my 2.8 mile route in 32 minutes. When I started at the beginning of the week, it took me 40 minutes and I thought I was going fast. Besides my run, I did a birthday breakfast run for Shaun's Mom, made zucchini bread, coordinated a dinner for a friend going through a hard time, and went to the store to get fixings for that dinner, drove to Shaun's work twice, fed my family twice, and just barely finished making texas chocolate cake for tonight's birthday celebration. It feels good to sit and get a breath, but I feel pretty accomplished looking back at the day!

The easy way out!

I know what I am going to do for Kayden for a school curriculum. He will always have math and journal, but after that he is going to use the cub scout pin program. It is age appropriate, and the academic pins have wonderful interactive ways of exploring various subjects. Plus at the end, I can get him a tangible reward that helps. He is as excited as I am because he really loves cub scouts. This is a huge burden off my mind!!

One obsession of many...

I have now gone running 3 mornings in a row. There is no feeling like it. My quads and my abs burn and ache, but it is a good ache! I start out kind of cold, and return sweaty and hot and feeling like a million bucks. My current route is 2.8 miles. It starts with a good uphill which I alternate walking and running, and then I run the rest of the way which is downhill and flat. I wish the cold weather weren't sneaking up on us, but I figure I have a couple months left of running outside. I am addicted to music, but right now I am trying to go without being tuned out. It's actually a great time to pray, meditate, scheme, plan and process.

My Earth Child!

Shaun swears Kaitlyn is all mine, and I am proud to take responsibility for her. She is my free spirited earth child! It is impossible to be frustrated at her very long. All she wants to do is experience, explore everything with all her senses and incorporate the information learned into her huge imagination! She loves anything magical and mysterious. Here she is playing with sand, or as she calls it, pixie dust!

Squash Garden

Plants make me happy, and right now, my squash garden is making me really happy. I have 5 squash plants and they are filling up the hill in my back yard. Shaun wanted to put sod there, and I wanted a squash garden because I never have room to let the squash plants do what they do. They are very busy making lots of little baby squashies that are getting bigger. We have spaghetti, summer, pumpkin and a couple of winter squash plants that I just can't remember what!

Oh and as you can see I got my camera cord figured out, so now I just need to remember to use pictures here! After all a picture is worth 1000 words...right? =)

Running

I went for a run this morning...okay, it was a walk/run. I walked the uphills and ran all the downhills and flat parts. It felt so good!! It has been almost a year since I was doing that regularly. As I was going I decided to make a goal for running. I want to do the Seattle Rock'N'Roll half marathon next June. I think it would be AWESOME, plus it will keep me from getting too fat and lazy this winter which is always my tendancy. Now to see if I can find someone to join me... =)

Early Morning Ramblings

There is something so peaceful and serene during the time before everyone wakes up. My window is open and the air is cool. The sun is working on coming up and the sprinklers are on across the street. My kids are still in bed resting and I have just finished studying my scriptures. I feel peaceful and content with the world, and I just don't want to move and disturb the peace. I need to soak these moments in like a sponge and spread it on to my children because I want so bad to have a good day where everyone works together. That is a dream, that sometimes seems far from reality, but a good one to hold up as a shining standard. I can't figure out what makes children fight and quarrel? I don't understand it. Why do they have the need to get each other in trouble and get mad all the time? I have a feeling if I could figure it out one day, the next day the reasoning would be totally different. Oh well, I just need to pray constantly for guidance so I am not alone in helping them. I have faith that Heavenly Father sent these particular 2 down to me for a reason, and that he wouldn't set me up in a lost cause. We can do all things with His help...even raise the children He sent us!!

A Bit of an Issue...

Pictures will start coming soon...

One issue with reorganizing, dejunking, moving is that there is always SOMETHING really important that magically disappears. I went looking for the cord to connect my camera to the computer to start downloading images so I could post things and it is nowhere to be found...Guess I'm going to see if I can find a replacement here today. Argh!!!

Summer storms

I love summer storms!! We had a good one in the early evening yesterday, and I think I managed to corrupt my daughter into loving them too. The rain came on sudden and very fast. There was no thunder or lightning associated with it, but there was a lot of water. I called Kaitlyn over to the window and asked if she wanted to go out in it. She was hesitant, but I managed to persuade her that she would be okay...after all she wasn't the wicked witch of the west and wouldn't melt, would she? She got in the rain and at first stood there with her head down deciding it wasn't too bad. Then she slowly did a variation of the sun salute, and then took off running through the rain. Then she saw how full the gutter was of running water and took off running up and down in the running water. Next thing I know she is sitting in the gutter with the water running all around her. My child once she decides she loves something never does anything part way!!! As suddenly as it started the storm was over and my adorable earth child was on her way to the shower!!! =) Definitely the best part of the day!!!

Homeschooling--sometimes up sometimes down

I am homeschooling my 2 kids. I started last year with Kayden who is now 9. So we are getting ready for 4th grade, and just when I think it is starting to go good, he cops an attitude again. It truly is like a huge roller coaster with him. It's either great or I am at a loss because it is a fight to get him to do anything. Not really sure what to do at the moment. He has taken 1 hour to write 4 lines. I finally told him that he is making a choice, because he can't do anything until his homework is done. Probably it is going to be time to involve Dad because he started this attitude 2 days ago and it isn't getting any better. It's pretty discouraging. I just have to remember why I am doing this!
Kaitlyn on the other hand is having a grand time. We started using the white board to practice her ABC letters. Then we read a book together, and a couple times I stopped to help her work on sounding simple words out. It hasn't clicked yet, but it is coming...

My current direction...

My current main focus is building home and family.
I was going to start looking for another job, but HRTC wants me back. They have scrounged hours from various areas so I can come back. Honestly right now all I want to work is 10-12 hours a week. It feels good to be valued!
Life has been such a roller coaster lately that I feel like a bit of a homebody. Since coming back, I have done some major organization projects (and am eying more), baked, done house chores, worked with and played with my children. I am getting ready for the school year and this year Kayden and Kaitlyn are both going to be taught at home.
Shaun looks like he will be starting the University's Police Academy in September which will be really good for him. I feel that while he does that I need to be home more since he will be home less, for a good cause! He has had a pretty rough time of it lately, and I think that having the academy to focus his free time will be just what he needs!
I have several hobbies that I want to explore and work more on. The big one I want to start working on is woodworking...see www.ana-white.com. This should make some of my organization projects more affordable! =)
There is much to do and much to be excited about!

Choices!

It has been several days since I have been able to make an entry here. Much has happened that is just too exhausting to recap and would take way too long. So long story short...
Basically I decided with help from family (especially my Dad) and close friends and church leaders that I have a crucial decision to make. Am I going to choose to have this situation drag me down, or am I going to use it to make me stronger? I have chosen the later.
My Dad had 2 very important points that hit me strongly:
1. Heavenly Father takes a personal interest in my life...I need to look for evidence of His hand in my life
2. We are told to be in the world but not of the world. We may live in a telestial world, but our homes need to be sanctuaries. At the temple, all influences that do not draw one closer to Heavenly Father are left at the front desk. Our homes truly can be like the temple, the important thing is to only allow influences that draw one closer to God in.
I also was very strongly prompted in another way that I need to focus on my blessings, on using my talents and strengths to help my family and others, and not to run faster than I have strength.
Since coming back to Utah (we got back late last Wednesday), I have been welcomed with open arms by everyone. I have a good life here, and I don't have to rebuild that. Last time I moved to Utah, I knew no one, and I had to prove myself to everyone. I don't need to do that. I have friends, love and support. I have my wonderful children, and dear husband. I am thankful I don't have to go back to where I was 11 years ago.
I can truly say I am happy. I still have pangs of regret and loss for what could have been in Washington, but looking back is only going to hold me back, and that will only hurt me and my loved ones. I could not have done this without help from above. I definitely feel closer to my Heavenly Father through this experience.