Many Posts

Many posts today...make sure you read all the latest...yesterday was a busy day so lots to share!!

YW In Excellence

After a 3 year long "battle"...Sis received her YW Recognition Medallion last night!! I am so proud of Sis for earning it. And so happy she did before she was 16!!!!!! I know it would have been that much tougher after 16! Truth be told...yes, we are those kind of parents that say you can't drive if you don't have your YW Medallion or Eagle! I know some really frown upon that kind of thing, but it really worked for us!! Way to go Sis! I sure love you!!


Sis with her BFF - Thanks for the support!!


The Big Moment!!


Proud Parents!!

Band Concert

He does clean up nice to make it to the band concert! Here is Jake playing his trumpet. Beginning Band is so much fun to listen too!!

WaCky HaiR DaY!

Need I say more?!?!?

No More Pain in the Neck for Necklaces!!

I was talking with my neighbor, Kathleen, last week and we were talking jewelry...I told her how I had created a clever way to store my jewelry, but then she wanted to see it!! That would mean taking a trip through my horribly messy bedroom to get to my bathroom to show her. So last night I saw her again and she said "why don't you just email me a picture of it". What a great idea!! And, as long as I had the picture I might as well post it on my blog, right!?!?!

These were really easy to make. I bought 4 12x12 "Scrapbook" Frames (I bought mine at Roberts and they were $2 or $3 a piece - sorry I can't remember). I bought 4 coordinating pieces of scrapbooking paper (purchased at $.50 per sheet). Wal-mart sales cork board in 12x12 pieces in a package of 4 for $5. All you have to do is take out the glass/plastic from the picture frames. Glue the paper onto the cork board using stick glue. Assemble together and use push pins to hang up your necklaces and hoop earrings. To make all four it cost me under $20!!

Simple and inexpensive...could make a great Christmas gift for any woman in your life young or old!! And now no one needs to see my messy bedroom!!

HaPpY 5th BiRthDaY

I can't believe my baby is 5!! How time does fly!!

The birthday boy asked last night "what time was I born?" This question came because his older brother told him he wouldn't really be 5 until the exact time of his birth and this caused a little panic! He was grateful to find out that he was born in the afternoon and his party isn't until tonight! **Whew**

This morning the birthday boy was crying (hence the wonderful picture I posted above) and I asked what was wrong. He told me that his leg was hurting. His oldest brother yells as he is walking out the front door for school "it's probably a growing pain". I tell him "it could be a growing pain after all you are 5 today". Birthday boy replies, "I don't want to grow up, I like my size".

Despite Jair Bear's or his mother's best wishes...my baby is going to grow up!! **sigh**

Wishing the best birthday to the best boy around!!

Another Fun Fall Recipe

Caramel Apple Pizza




I saw this recipe a few weeks ago and wanted to make it. I was going to take it as my "treat to share" at the Enrichment Activity last week, but that night when I started to make it, I realized I was short cream cheese and could not do it. Then I decided I would buy cream cheese and we would have it for FHE last night. While we are eating dinner my wonderful visiting teacher drops us off sugar cookies (yum, my favorite)! And I am thinking... "great, I won't have to make a dessert for FHE". After dinner and homework, we start FHE and Jair Bear asks "where is the Caramel Apple Pizza?" We had spoke about it several times at our house and he knew tonight was the night! When I tried explaining the situation and how we didn't really need a second dessert he breaks out in tears and yells "you lied to me!" I felt so horrible that I went ahead and made it anyway! And I am glad I did (it was delicious)...unfortunately, I don't think my weigh-in Saturday for the Biggest Loser is going to be very good...I had both a slice of Caramel Apple Pizza with ice cream AND a sugar cookie!! The funniest part about the whole evening for me...Keebler saying to me as he brings me the camera "don't you need to take a picture for your blog?" What have a created here?!?!?! I guess I should let you all in on a little secret...even though I am a big loser about getting posts on my blog...I think about it all the time and even take pictures of things with the greatest of intentions of putting it all on my blog!! So can the principle of "it's the thought that counts" really apply here???


Here are my little boys really enjoying the Carmel Apple Pizza!

The fun, easy, and fast recipe is as follow:

Caramel Apple Pizza
Pizza crust (unbaked)
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 brick cream cheese
1 t vanilla
1T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
2 chopped apples (any variety)
Caramel sauce
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Soften cream cheese and mix with 1/2 sweetened condensed milk and spices. Spread over crust. Spread chopped apples on top. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes (or according to crust directions). Drizzle with caramel sauce and 1/2 sweetened condensed milk before serving.

Passing on the Politics - Early Voting

I hope everyone realized that early voting started today! I was up at the County Courthouse tonight (for more election training) and Pat (our wonderful Elections Director) told me that there were over 3,000 people in Davis County that voted today! I am so proud of you if you did it today!! I would strongly encourage you to early vote. Why would anyone want to stand in long lines on November 4th (unless you are just dying to see me, of course)?? You have until October 31st to early vote. For a complete list of locations and times visit www.leaveyourprint.com or give me a call and I can help you out too :D

Martha Stewart Moment

Can I just say that I am so excited for Fall weather!!!!! And of course, this weekend got me to thinking that Fall temperatures were here to stay. I planned my dinners for this week thinking soup, soup, soup!! Then I remembered that I was watching a cooking segment on Studio 5 last week that showed how to make Bread Bowls. I decided to make those to go with my soup (because duh what goes better with soup than bread bowls?). So I put my apron on and Jair Bear decides he needs to help. I get him all washed up and of course, he gets an apron too... he is thrilled to help pour in ingredients and touch the dough...all up until he taste the dough, then he decides it is disgusting and he is now NOT interested in completing the project. Never fear...in walks Jake to take his place! Jake was all over kneading the dough with me and creating the dough balls. It all turned out great too which is the very exciting part of the story!! The disappointment was that it did not feel like a Fall day while we were eating our soup in delicious bread bowls! But that is okay...I still feel like I am one up on Martha because I've never seen her cook with her little boys!!

I thought I would share the recipe in case you'd like to try...it was really simple and very fast (for bread). So the next true Fall day whip up a batch!!

French Bread Soup Bowls

2.5 Cup Warm Water
3 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Yeast
1 Tbsp Salt
5 Tbsp Oil
6 Cup All-Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl or bowl of an electric bread mixer, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the top and stir. Wait 10 minutes until yeast mixture is frothy. Add salt, oil and half of the flour. Beat well in the mixer or with a wooden spoon. Add remaining flour and mix well until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead 2 or 3 times to coat with flour. Divide into 10 equal parts (makes a great kid sized portion). Form into balls and place in small foil pans (small pot pie pans work well). Allow dough bowls to rise for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans. Cut off tops and hollow out insides. Serve with soup.

Makes 10 bowls.

Nutritional Information:
354 calories, 8 g fat, 3 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 9 g protein