If There's One Thing I've Learned...

some bandwagons are fun to jump on

2011-12-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Elf on the Shelf for example. This is one worthwhile bandwagon. So fun. I won't go into the details of how it works, you can find that a million different places online, but we got our own elf rather than the "official elf" and here's what he was up to tonight...

Sick Pillow

2011-11-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

Ty came home sick from school today. We're leaving for Texas on Friday. As soon as he started throwing up, I started panicking, and disinfecting. I want him to be comfortable, but I looked at his pillow and thought "What if someone else grabs that pillow later to use before I get a chance to wash it?" I needed to identify it as "the sick pillow" and leave no doubt that it's germy. I drew a picture on it and wrote "get well soon" on the side. Turned out cute and made Ty feel like he got a special present, while protecting the rest of the family. All it took was an old pillowcase, a google image for inspiration, some sharpies, and about 2 minutes. I'm sure if you did it when your child wasn't actually sick, you could spend more time on it to make it fancier.

it's nice to have talented friends

2011-08-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Chrissi took the best pictures of me and my girls while we were out together one day. I regret not having her take a family picture before she moved, but at least we got these! She's such a talented photographer.

Check out her other work at http://www.chrissirichards.com/

My Hallway Signs

2011-07-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

I copied this fabulous idea from Destiny at http://www.aplaceforusblog.com/ . I get so many comments on them from people who come into my house. I think they're adorable. And I LOVE everything on that blog! Not to mention, she loves everything I love! Her mom, Marshall's, TJMaxx, Ross. We're like "Sisters from another mister". Okay... I don't think that's a real saying, but you get the idea. I had to turn my wrought iron hanger things on their side and mount them to the ceiling because they wouldn't fit above my doors the other way. That was my mom's genius solution while I was standing there totally disappointed. :) I also handpainted the signs as I don't have a silhouette machine.

you need to get away with your spouse at least once a year.

2011-07-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

We went to San Luis Obispo and Cambria for our anniversary. What a great time we had. Wish we'd taken more pictures, but here are a few.

A gorgeous little garden right on Main Street in Cambria.

Would love to have this sign. Too expensive.

There were hundreds of elephant seals on the beach.

He didn't really have anything to give him. What a tease.

Not a great picture, but this is our view from our room in Cambria.

We walked this trail along the cliffs in a nature preserve. So much fun.

kids love to bake!

2011-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

So, it's a cold, drizzly spring break and my kids needed a break from video games, and I needed a break from the noise. I found this blog... http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/rainbow-cookies.html, and decided to try it! The kids LOVED it!

Not only were they pretty, but they were delicious! Great recipe link on the blog I got the idea from!

when you see a chandelier you love that costs $4000, make one yourself!

2011-03-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

My mom helped me duplicate a chandelier I saw online that I LOVED. Well, we didn't totally duplicate it, but we used it as our inspiration. Here is a link to the original... http://www.deannawish.com/ccbran_briarw.htm . I'm not sure how much it cost, but I've seen similar cost up to $4000, and I thought "I could totally do that!" So, my old brass chandelier got spray painted white, I cut some branches off the tree in my front yard, wired them on with the help of my mom and her designer eye, spray painted the whole thing and voila! I think I love the result and it cost me less than $20 (spray paint isn't cheap and I used 5 cans).

... I love to throw a good "themed" party.

2011-01-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Preston's 10th birthday party was today. He has the nicest friends and they had a great time. We started out handing out Birthday Bucks for the kids to buy food at the concession stand. We had nachos, hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and soda. All the best movie theater foods!

They walked the red carpet to get to our front door.

After stocking up on junk food, they settled in to watch a movie. Quietest birthday party ever! They were totally engrossed in the movie!

For the cake, I ordered a "transformers" cake from Sam's club, took off the mask they used for decoration, and added a popcorn bag with marshmallow "popcorn". Turned out pretty cute.

...it's so fun to have the whole family back together.

2010-12-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

We miss Paige so much when she's away at school. I can only imagine what it will feel like when all my kids are off on their own and come back together!

...it's good to stop to play in the leaves.

2010-12-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

I had company coming for dinner in 20 minutes, I had to go pick up Conner from his friends house and finish cooking, but when I heard my kids were playing in the leaves I stopped everything to go take pictures. I've learned that these moments are fleeting.

... Cub Scouts LOVE a raingutter regatta!

2010-08-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a little late in posting this, but Preston finished 1st place in his cub scout raingutter regatta, and earned 7 pins (merit badges? I don't know what they're called), but he had a blast! He and his dad spent hours working on that boat, and Travis had him working out all the math to determine the dimensions, etc. Didn't look like much fun to me, but Preston loved it!

...putting extra effort into a cupcake is worth it!

2010-08-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to make s'more cupcakes! I thought it was a brilliant, original idea, and then I found recipes for them! I did end up doing my own version though. Here it is...

S'More Cupcakes

Crust:

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

Place 24 paper cupcake liners in cupcake tin. Put a rounded tablespoon of crust in each cup, and press onto bottom of liner. I used a glass that fit in the tin to press it down.

Fill with devil's food cake batter (I used duncan hines prepared per box directions), leaving about 1/4 inch space at top of liner. Bake per box instructions, and let cool.

Filling:

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Pour chocolate chips into medium sized bowl. In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat until just boiling, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips, add vanilla and stir until chocolate is melted, and it's well mixed. Refrigerate (or freeze) until mixture is very cold. Put mixture into bowl of kitchenaid (or use hand beater with whisk attachment) and whisk until lighter brown and somewhat fluffy.

Cut a small hole in top center of each cupcake, not going all the way through the bottom of the cupcake. Put filling in a gallon sized zip top bag, cut corner, and pipe filling into center of each cupcake.

"Marshmallow" Frosting

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks. Slowly drizzle the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

Fill gallon sized ziploc with frosting, cut corner, and pipe onto cupcakes.

Use a butane torch to toast tops of cupcakes, and top with graham cracker piece.

...everyone looks forward to the first day of school.

2010-08-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

We had a big day today! Ty's first day of kindergarten, Conner's first day of junior high, as well as Preston going into 4th grade, and Madison starting her sophomore year in HS. The day started out well.
Ty was so excited to get on the bus that he let out a little shriek of excitement when he sat down. The bus driver whipped her head around, afraid he was getting upset, and said "Oh! That was a happy sound!"

Then I drove to the school to meet the bus, and get him settled, and he had fun playing on the playground. Then... the teacher said "Okay boys and girls, it's time to wave goodbye to your moms and dads!" Ty wasn't thrilled.

6 hours later, he reported that he had a good day "but it wasn't THAT fun."

Conner enjoyed his first day at junior high, and said it wasn't as hard to find his way around as he thought it would be.

...every teacher loves a gift.

2010-08-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is the first day of school for 4 of my kids, including Ty's first day of kindergarten, and Conner's first day of junior high! I wanted to make teachers gifts for the elementary school teachers (junior high and high school have TOO MANY teachers!). I found the cutest idea on http://www.howdoesshe.com/ ! Here's how mine turned out!

...cherries and chocolate CAN be good together... in these cookies.

2010-07-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, if you follow my recipe for Cherry Limeade Cupcakes, you'll probably have quite a bit of frosting left over, like I did. Here's my solution for how to use that leftover frosting! Paige made these cookies for Ty's primary class (she's subbing tomorrow). We call them Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies. Start with...

...Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

1 devil's food cake mix (prefer Duncan Hines)
1 stick melted butter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in mixer. Use a small scoop to scoop onto cookie sheet. ( We fit 20 per sheet). Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until tops are cracked. Cool on cookie sheet.

Fill with Cherry Frosting. YUM!!!!

...I love to try to copy the local cupcake shop.

2010-07-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I saw on facebook, that one of Nadia Cake's flavors of the day was cherry limeade. I couldn't stop thinking about that cupcake! I know... weird, but if you've had their cupcakes, you probably understand. I also got it into my head that I wanted the cupcake wrapper cartridge for my cricut. So, I called Nadia Cakes and found out they still had some today, and it became my plan to go buy one when I went to Palmdale to go to walmart for the cartridge. Then I realized I wanted to make my own cupcakes to try out the cupcake wrappers, so why not try to make my own Cherry Limeade Cupcakes? They turned out REALLY good if I do say so myself. Now to conquer the other Nadia flavors... This could be dangerous to my waistline. (You can see where the cricut didn't cut through and tore, but oh well, this was a practice wrapper).

Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
8 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pans with 24 paper liners. Whisk both flours together in a large bowl, and set aside. Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat to blend. Beat in eggs one at a time, then next 3 ingredients. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. (I use a large scoop). Bake until cupcakes bounce back when pressed lightly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack in muffin pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Cherry Buttercream Frosting:

2 (2 pound) bags powdered sugar
3 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon almond extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons juice from maraschino cherries
A little red food coloring
2/3 - 1 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
Maraschino cherries with stems, for garnish

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together half of the sugar and the butter on medium-low speed until well blended. Add the vanilla, whipping cream, and juice from cherries and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, then add about half of the remaining powdered sugar. Stir in a few drops of food color, and stir in the cherries. Add remaining powdered sugar a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. (I used it all).

When cupcakes are completely cool, frost or pipe cupcakes (I used a gallon sized freezer bag with the corner snipped). Top with a maraschino cherry with stem.

... I love to see my brother happy.

2010-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Did an engagement photo shoot for my brother and his fiance (and their baby) today. The wedding is in ONE WEEK!

Click to see more of the shoot.

...time goes by too quickly.

2010-06-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

...this is the Best BBQ Chicken Breast EVER!

2010-05-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've been making this chicken for years. I got the recipe out of magazine, and it's truly the best BBQ Chicken I've ever eaten. I go through spurts where I make it a lot, usually the beginning of summer, then I forget about it for a while. The cooking method is pretty specific, but if you follow it exactly you will have juicy delicious chicken!!! I'm making this Saturday for Paige's graduation BBQ, so I'll add a picture to this post later!

Oh So Yummy Barbequed Chicken Breast

½ c. soy sauce

¼ c. vegetable oil

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. garlic powder with parsley

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

6-8 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Glaze

¾ c. catsup

¾ c. honey

½ c. soy sauce

3 minced garlic cloves

¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce

In a medium size bowl, combine first 7 ingredients for marinade. Put marinade and breasts in Ziploc, refrigerate at least 3-4 hours or overnight. Combine all ingredients for glaze, set aside covered. Grill chicken over hot coals about 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken from grill, wrap in a single layer of aluminum foil, and grill for 5 minutes more. Remove foil packet from heat, brush each side with glaze, and return unwrapped pieces to the grill for 2 minutes more without turning. Serve immediately.

...I'm lucky I love my future sister in law.

2010-05-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

...teamwork is important.

2010-05-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Some of Madison's friends from swim team cheering her on during her first 500.

...pinewood derby is fun. So is winning.

2010-04-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Preston took 1st place amongst the Bears and 1st place overall in his 1st pinewood derby! Yay Preston!

...going to the temple with your kids is priceless.

2010-04-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Outside the LA temple after baptisms.

...Madison appreciates a fancy cake!

2010-04-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the version on the Martha Stewart show, I took shortcuts to make my own. 2 white cake mixes, batter carefully divided by weight into 6 equal portions, then dyed with paste food colors and baked 2 at a time for about 20 minutes each. THEN... instead of making swiss meringue buttercream (which I absolutely LOVE, but didn't have the time or patience to make that day), I went to smart and final and bought a quart of "Pastry Pride" and whipped to stiff peaks, with some added vanilla, and frosted it with that instead. I'm not a huge white cake fan, so I think it would have tasted better with the swiss meringue buttercream, but everyone said they loved it. I like my cakes sweeter though.

...nature makes the best backdrop.

2010-04-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

...Beverly Ann Ellis (my grandmother) could rock a band uniform!

2010-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

...my mom loved her daddy. (1954)

2010-04-15T14:07:00.001-07:00

...my daughter is beautiful.

2010-04-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

...it's fun to get dressed up for prom.

2010-04-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

...you CAN boil too many eggs.

2010-04-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

I boiled 5 dozen eggs. There is always a fight over everyone wanting more eggs to color, so I did a dozen for each child. Well... I have 2 dozen left over. Paige and Madison were too busy with homework, etc., and honestly they really just weren't interested, and the boys were happy with their dozen. Just another sign that my family is getting older. So sad.

...ziplining is AWESOME, but not scary.

2010-03-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

Flashback to January and Travis upside down on a zipline in Puerto Vallarta.

...lunch is sometimes the best part of a shopping trip.

2010-03-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Paige and I went prom dress shopping today and while the highlight for her was finding her prom dress, mine was eating my favorite salad. It's the "Hawaiian with tri-tip" at Cousin's Burgers in Valencia. So good.

...my son is growing into a handsome young man.

2010-03-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Conner is 12! He's growing up so quickly and it's so amazing to watch him pass the sacrament and attend Young Men's activities. He's loving, and kind, and smart, and funny, and I'm excited to see the man he becomes.

...homemade donuts are better than store-bought.

2010-03-28T19:38:00.001-07:00

Well, I think fast Sunday just demands a decadent dessert, so I thought I'd try my hand at donuts! They were delicious!!!! Maybe not perfectly pretty, but delicious!

Donuts

2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening

5 cups all-purpose flour
Shortening for frying

1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons milk or as needed
Directions:
1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured donut cutter. Let donuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in milk one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
5. Heat shortening in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slide donuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn donuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip donuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.

...scouts love a field trip.

2010-03-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

We had our cub scout pack meeting at the Lockheed Aviation Park in honor of "Aviation Month". Preston had fun looking at all the jets. Too bad it was SO cold and windy! It was forecasted to be 80! What happened?

...a family annual zoo pass is cheaper than individual tickets (for my family).

2010-03-26T23:09:00.001-07:00

Went to the LA Zoo today with the kids and my mom and grandma. We were trying to protect "Mams" from the sun, but she ended up looking like a visitor from a foreign country. Cute. You can't tell, but Ty's in his "Jr. Zookeeper" shirt. He'd also just made a 3 point landing and scraped up his nose on the asphalt, but he is the toughest little guy and recovered quickly. The scab took a while to show up, so he still looked fine in this picture. We got a "family membership" so we can go back for a year for free and it saved us $13 today! What a deal!

...making your family larger is better.

2010-03-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

My brother is getting married on June 13th, and the whole family is thrilled. We couldn't have picked anyone better in the world for him to marry. We absolutely love Natalie, and already consider her part of the family. Of course, I also love that they've trusted us to be their wedding photographers. What gorgeous subjects we'll have!

...we love our California beaches.

2010-03-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Santa Monica Beach today. They played in the water, built sandcastles, flew a kite, played with a ball, and a frisbee, and ate, and had a great time.

Know why I love my kids? Well, one of the reasons? We were SO close to the pier with all the amusement park rides, and we even walked over to an ATM at the pier and not one of them asked me if they could go on a ride. It's like it never occurred to them. They were talking about who could get to the water first, and what kind of sand castles they wanted to build. Love it.

Destroying each others creations is all in good fun of course!

My laundromat

2010-03-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Travis just finished installing my mom's "old" washer and dryer, so now I have a laundromat rather than a laundry room. I LOVE IT!!! I can hardly keep up with the folding!

Griffith Park

2010-03-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

We went with the Richards' family to Griffith park today. Can't post just one picture, so here are a few...

Sunday Activity

2010-03-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

After Church today Paige decided to play a "game" where we each wrote down 10 questions about ourselves, and re-distributed them to each other and the family member who got your questions had to try to answer them to see how well we knew each other. Other family members could help if they got stumped. I was pleased with how well I knew most of the answers about my kids, but actually learned a few things too. The kids had fun as well.
And I never would have taken a picture of this if I weren't blogging a "picture a day"!

Ty's introduction to team sports

2010-03-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

Ty's first T-ball game was today. Pretty embarrassing when he can't stop picking his nose long enough to watch the ball, but he actually blended in really well with the other 4 and 5 year olds. No one knew where to run, some ran to first then back home. Hilarious. Gotta love t-ball. At this after-game huddle the coach announced the MVP of the game and awarded the game ball, and when Ty was asked later if he won (meaning the game of course), he said "No, the coach gave another kid the ball." Pretty competitive honor to bestow in t-ball if you ask me. This picture captured the look of envy Ty was giving the kid who was holding that "game ball".

March 19, 2010 - Ty's Preschool Easter Party

2010-03-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

Blogging Challenge

2010-03-09T06:54:00.001-08:00

I've decided to follow in my friend Bethany's footsteps and accept a challenge to blog a photo a day. I can tell you right now, I'll probably miss a few, and I'll probably have to go back and add a few from previous days, but I'll do my best. My blog has been sorely neglected and maybe this will inspire me to do better. Today's picture to follow...

Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

2009-10-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

We went to General Conference for the first time this year! We got to attend 2 sessions, plus Travis got to go to the Priesthood session. What an amazing General Conference! We had such a great experience!

Ty's bat face

2009-09-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Ty fell asleep on the couch "reading" a book...

2009-09-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

I was questioning a decision that I made today. I had to decide whether to stay home and "take care of" my sick 17 year old daughter, or go to take care of a Church responsibility. Well, I decided that the other thing could be done without me there, but no one could take my place taking care of my daughter. Yes, she's 17. But, in 8 months she'll be leaving for college, and when she gets sick, I won't be able to be there. Now, I can. Still, I felt bad "shirking" my other plans. Then I came across this video someone posted on facebook. What comfort it gave me that I'd made the right decision.

72 hour kit drill

2009-09-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last night my family did a "72 hour kit drill". We told the kids we needed to evacuate in 10 minutes. We grabbed our kits, sleeping bags, etc. and left for Apollo park to have dinner from our kits. We learned A LOT! First we learned we didn't have utensils in our kit. Oops. Then we learned that much of the food expired a year ago. Oops again! Also, a lot of the food I'd picked for shelf life and for the fact that I thought it would be palatable hot or cold, didn't blend well together when combined as a meal. I guess if we were starving it would be fine. But I think we're going to switch to MRE's. May not taste great, but there will be a longer shelf life at least. If anyone has any suggestions for what the best MRE's are, let me know! Has anyone tried the "bucket o' MRE's" from Costco? Okay, that's not what they call it.
So... what are the pictures all about? Apollo park is located right next to Fox Airfield and we got to watch water dropping helicopters and airplanes take off and land the whole time we were there. Since they're saying it will be 2 weeks before the fire's contained, we may go out another evening and try to get better pictures.

Don't they look thrilled? Actually, we had fun, you just can't tell here...

Station Fire

2009-09-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting time lapsed video of the Station Fire as seen from LA. We've been getting a lot of the smoke in the AV.

Conner's first court of honor

2009-08-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

Conner had his first court of honor last night! Travis got a badge for attending Scout camp as a leader, and Conner got... drum roll please... 3 rank advancements, tenderfoot, 2nd class, and first class, and 13 merit badges including 4 eagle required! He and his leaders worked very hard this summer. If he keeps up the pace he'll be an eagle scout at 13!

Mormon night at Dodger Stadium

2009-08-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Mormon Night at dodger stadium. Of course, no one brought a camera. Don't think that's ever happened! But it was fun to see M. Russell Ballard throw out the first pitch. We had tickets in the All You Can Eat Pavilion. I had heard the seats were bad but we loved them! We were only 3 rows up from the field and yes, we were out in right field, but we could see great, and players kept throwing their warm up balls out the fans, and there was the constant danger of home run balls hitting you on the head, so that was fun! We definitely got our money's worth! Tickets were $25 each, and those seats are usually $15 without the food. Dodger stadium food is EXPENSIVE. There were 8 of us (us and my mom), and we ate... drumroll, please... 15 dodger dogs, 12 nachos, 6 bags of popcorn, 7 bags of peanuts, 11 bottles of water, and 13 sodas! If you figure everything cost an average of $4 each, which is low I think, we consumed $256 worth of dodger snacks. What a bargain! To top it off we went to get nachos for Preston at the top of the 7th, (they only serve food through the 7th inning), and they were piling all the hot dogs on the counter and the lady gave us a big stack and said "Here... bring these home"! We ended up bringing 16 hot dogs home! Guess what my kids had for breakfast today? Is there such thing as nitrate poisoning? How about sodium poisoning? Anyway... it was a fun night. Too bad we left early with the Dodgers behind, (We had to drive about an hour and a half home, then Travis had to get up at 4 to drive back to LA for work), and we missed the grand slam that won them the game. Just our luck...

Big Bear July 2009

2009-07-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ty and his cousins

2009-07-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

This was after Gammy's funeral, and the boy cousins all ended up playing in the water in the backyard. Ty loved being in control of the hose.

Jason and Christie

2009-07-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

It may not have been under the best of circumstances, but we still loved being able to see Jason and Christie when they came for a week for Gammy's funeral. We miss them!

Love this quote...

2009-07-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

"There is a great work for the Saints to do. Progress and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations." - Brigham Young

Microwave Lemon Curd

2009-06-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I discovered "Microwave Lemon Curd". Lemon curd in the grocery store is kind of pricey, and regular lemon curd made on a double boiler is pretty time consuming. This technique makes absolutely delicious lemon curd in just a few minutes. I used it to make "Country Cake with Lemon Curd, Cream and Berries" from the Sisters' Cafe Blog. ( http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2008/04/country-berry-cake-with-berries-and.html ) Although, I added an extra layer of lemon curd under the whipped cream. It was heavenly, and I have lemon curd left over for biscuits, to stir into Greek Yogurt, to fill cupcakes... the possibilities are endless!

Microwave Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Whisk all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute on high. Whisk well, microwave for a total of 3-4 minutes, whisking well every 30 seconds, until the curd becomes thick. Let cool, and refrigerate.

Apricot Jam

2009-06-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, after picking 29 pounds of apricots off the tree in my yard I had no choice but to make jam! And, man... is it good! I'm not writing a food column for the newspaper anymore, but I had such an urge to take a picture and share the recipe! A friend of mine had said she'd like me to put recipes on my blog since she misses my column, so maybe I'll do this occasionally.

This recipe calls for Apricot "Almonds", the little almond like seed inside the pit when you crack them open. They DO have a little natural occuring cyanide in them, just like apple seeds, but you'd need to eat pounds of them to do you harm. These "almonds" are what is used to make almond extract actually. Not only do they impart an almond flavor, but supposedly they help set the jam, and they also have a high concentration of vitamin B-17, B-15, and laetrile which some claim can treat cancer (some say that's a quack treatment, what do I know?) Anyway, a couple in your jam jar won't hurt you.

Also, you'll want to scrape the foam off the top of the jam while it cooks. If you put it in a jar or glass and let it settle overnight, there will be apricot syrup that settles in the bottom. Scrape the remaining foam off the syrup, and it is absolutely heavenly on top of pancakes! It's like the reward for the person who did all the work on the jam!

Apricot Jam

Ingredients:
4 and 1/2 pounds apricots

1/2 cup water

7 cups sugar

Method:
Wash, stone and chop the apricots, retaining 1/3 of the stones. Place fruit into a large pan.Crack the stones and add the kernels to the pan along with the water.Boil until soft.Add sugar and return to the boil, stirring constantly. Boil until thickened about 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Carefully pour into hot, sterilized jars. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to remove any jam. Top with a lid that has been softening in warm water, and screw on the jar ring. Turn jars upside down and cool. When turned upright the lid should be indented or stay indented when you push it down.

Notes: Don't omit the kernels from this recipe. They help the jam to set.

Breakfast after Graduation

2009-06-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Lately people ask a lot if Paige and Madison are twins.

Madison's 8th grade graduation

2009-06-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've gotta brag... Valedictorian (4.0 all 4 semesters including Spanish 2 years, Algebra, Geometry, Advanced English, etc.), a special science award, Presidential Education Award, CJSF award, and going into high school pre-IB, with IB Spanish, Algebra 2, among the courses. She's such a smarty! And gorgeous too!

Prom 2009

2009-05-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

Take your child to work day

2009-05-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Travis took Madison, Conner, and Preston to work with him for "take your child to work day". (Paige had a test at school that day, so she couldn't miss). This was up on a mountaintop. I still don't really know what he does exactly, but maybe the kids have a better idea now.

Baby Belly Cake

2009-05-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

I made this cake for a friend's baby shower. I've never decorated a cake with fondant before. I made a homemade marshallow fondant, because I heard that it tastes much better than storebought. The cake is white chocolate lemon, and the filling is raspberry and the frosting is a lemon buttercream. It took 3 1/2 cake mixes for the recipe. It's HUGE!

My food rating system

2009-04-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

I found this old picture on our computer. Must have been 7 or 8 years ago since Conner looks to be about 3 or 4. I remember them rating my food, but I can't remember what it was on this particular occasion.

Exotic Feline Breeding Compound - Rosamond, CA

2009-04-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ty had a preschool field trip to the exotic feline compound today. The cats were amazing. I really wish I'd remembered my camera! As it is, I had to use my cell phone...

Ty was obviously not pleased with his encounter with a bird...

There were also a lot of peacocks all over the compound. You can see one in the bushes behind Ty. He wanted to "pet" one so badly, but he restrained himself wonderfully!

Ty's embarrassing antics...

2009-03-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, my mother's always telling me that I need to write down the funny things that my kids do so that I don't forget them, and I am sadly terrible at keeping a journal. So, even though this will be out there for all the world to see, I'm going to go ahead and blog ab0ut it, so at least there's a record somewhere.
First, the other day I was at the scout shop and the man working behind the counter was a nice, but rather stern older fellow. He asked to see my photo i.d. and I told him it was on the back of the card. He said that since I hadn't signed it, he needed to see my driver's license. I explained that I did that on purpose so cashiers would ask, but no one ever did. He explained that he was a retired (general/ seargant/something I don't remember) and that he follows the book. I told him I appreciated that, and then Ty, who had been studying him quite intently loudly said to him "You're weird!" Both the gentleman and myself tried to ignore it, and then he gave Ty the little rubber bracelet I'd bought, and I said "Say thank you, Ty". He just kept staring at the man, and the man looked at him and said very sternly "Your mother said to say thank you!" Well, I thought, no way is Ty going to say a word now. But, very sheepishly Ty said "Thank you." I was relieved for that, but boy was I embarrassed about the "weird" comment!
Then yesterday I was buying spices from the bulk bin at Winco and inhaled some of the stirred up pickling spices in the air, and suddenly felt the need to sneeze really bad. Not wanting to sneeze around the spice bins I started waving my hand in front of my face and said "Whew! I inhaled something! I need to sneeze!" Ty looked at this lady standing next to me, pointed at her, and said (oh I hate to even type this...) "Maybe she farted!" Holy.....cow..... Luckily, the lady had a very good sense of humor and said "Oh no I didn't! Maybe you did!" I apologized and said that he's 3 and still has no clue about what to say when, and she laughed and said boys who are a lot older than him would still say something like that. That'll teach me for not reprimanding my children more at home for saying the "f-word".

Conner's 11th Birthday

2009-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

This was on Conner's birthday which was on Friday. The next day was supposed to be his party with his friends and he got sick less than 2 hours before the party and we had to cancel. That has got to be the worst birthday ever. We'll be having the party this weekend instead... hopefully.

Knott's Berry Farm

2009-02-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

Our friends, the Owens, gave us Knott's Berry Farm tickets on New Year's Eve. We had a great time! Took me a while to blog it!

Conner, Preston and Ty panned for gold. But since I was helping Ty, I forgot to get pictures of him!

My Doppelgangers.

The Feerris wheel terrified Ty, but we got him to smile long enough for a picture while it was stopped. He still talks about the scary Ferris Wheel!

We had a really nice day because it wasn't crowded at all! This is on the train at the end of the day.

Also on the train. Travis was in a goofy mood.

Further proof of his goofiness... his Zoolander face.

Preston tries the Zoolander face.

Create

2009-02-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

I loved this talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. And I really loved when I found this video clip with the music and graphics added. What a wonderful message to the women of the world to use the talents that the Lord has given us to bless others.

More from Preston's baptism

2009-02-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

These were the pictures we took after most people had left, and we finally realized we hadn't taken any pictures! Top is with Julie, next is with me, next with his great grandma Beverly (Mams) and Gram, and then with Grandma and Grandpa Harvey, and last with all his brothers and sisters.

Preston's Baptism

2009-02-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Preston was baptized today! It was such a great day. We had downpours of rain and hail, so we didn't get family photos outside the Church and when we got home everyone was so busy eating and visiting and having fun that we forgot to take pictures altogether! I couldn't believe it! I was so mad! We did manage to get a few pictures of the few who stayed late. Thank goodness! Anyway, I'll probably post those tomorrow. But it was so nice that Grandpa and Grandma Harvey were there, and Gram and Grandpa Kahmann, and his great grandma Beverly, and Great Aunt and Uncle Traci and Robert, and his great cousins (is that a term? They ARE great!) Amanda and Robby and Amanda's fiance Sean, and his Uncle Chris and his girlfriend Natalie and his great Aunt Tracy, and his "feels like an aunt" Julie. So he had a lot of support, and we appreciate and love our family so much and feel so blessed to have a family that loves each other so much.

Ty's field trip to Red Lobster

2009-01-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, preschoolers enjoy field trips to such exotic and educational locations as Red Lobster. They got to "pet" a lobster, then put on hair nets and gloves (which they wore for about 1/2 an hour before they entered the kitchen, and about 1 hour before they helped make biscuits, so I'm sure their hands were cleaner because they were protected by the now dirty gloves, but whatever...) and got a tour of the kitchen and got to color, and help make biscuits, then got to eat some biscuits with lemonade. Luckily, I don't think anyone ever actually ate the ones they made. The ones served were nice perfect mounds of biscuit; definitely not the misshapen masses the preschoolers were so proud of.

Preston's 8th Birthday

2009-01-29T18:21:00.000-08:00

We always try to celebrate our kids' birthdays ON their birthday, and they always get to pick what they want for dinner, and it's usually just our immediate family with grandparents, great grandma Beverly and usually Uncle Chris (and of course Natalie now too). Just the family who live in town. Then they have a "friends" party the weekend before or after. And this year Preston gets an extra special party with about 30 close friends and family members invited to a dinner and "party" after his baptism on the 7th of February. 8 is definitely a special birthday!

Madison's Science Award

2009-01-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Madison got an award at school today for highest average percentage in her Science Class. She's so smart! She's in advanced English, geometry (which is advanced math for 8th grade) and Spanish as well as the regular 8th grade history and PE, and she's got a 4.o. She's had 4.0 for her first 3 semesters of Junior High, so just 1 more semester to go until she can get Valedictorian at graduation. And she's cute too!

Preston

2009-01-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

This is the photo we sent out with Preston's Baptism email invitation! He'll be baptized on February 7th! We're so excited for him!

Chris's Birthday

2008-12-29T11:27:00.001-08:00

Chris with the new puppy he got Natalie for Christmas.

Christmas!

2008-12-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

Ty's Preschool visit with Santa

2008-12-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

Ty's preschool class had a visit from Santa, and Santa gave him a new toy. He wasn't sure about sitting on his lap at first, but just like a typical Harvey child, he will do just about anything for a photo op.

Rocky's new sweater

2008-12-26T22:33:00.000-08:00

Rocky got a new sweater this winter after he got a haircut and was shivering all the time, and wanting to sleep under our covers in bed.

My December 2008 AV Press Food Column

2008-12-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

I've never posted one of my food columns before, and I've been writing them, and doing the food photography monthly for over three years now! So, for the first time online, here it is...

Cookie Exchange

I was invited to a cookie exchange today. We’re pretty well into December now, and I was getting a little worried that I wouldn’t be invited to one. I love cookie exchanges. Making a lot of different cookies takes so much more time than making a ton of the same ones. I have to be honest though and say I have been disappointed by cookie exchanges a time or two in the past. You know what I’m talking about. You spend hours making these particularly labor-intensive cookies, and excitedly show up, cookies in hand, anxious to see what everyone else brought. What do you find? Rice Krispie treats, and no-bake chow-mein noodle concoctions. I’m not saying everyone needs to exhaust themselves slaving away in the kitchen for days, but c’mon… a little effort please. I like a quick and easy cookie recipe as much as the next girl. All that matters is that it’s delicious. But when these “no-bake” treats arrive, I feel like implementing a new cookie exchange rule… “If someone wants some of your cookies, only then can you get some from someone else.” Then when no one chooses theirs, they can go back home with their puffed rice creations. Okay, I’d never have the nerve to do that, but we all have bold imaginations. Just remember that if you show up with some half-hearted cookie, people may be all smiles and Christmas spirit on the outside, but don’t count on an invitation next year. I want to help you avoid that social stigma. Here are some cookie recipes that probably won’t even make you break a sweat, but they’re delicious, and will win you accolades rather than embarrassment. Now, we’ll see if I get a call revoking my invitation to the cookie exchange for fear of my judgment. And, people will definitely be expecting me to put my money (or cookies) where my mouth is, so I’d better get to work. Merry Christmas!

Cowboy Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
¾ cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined.
Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Let cool. (Cookies can be stored up to 3 days.)
Makes about 5 dozen.
-Adapted from Martha Stewart

Cranberry Orange Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate (undiluted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in orange juice concentrate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and if using, pecans, until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
In a small bowl, make glaze by mixing together 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, milk and confectioners' sugar until smooth. You may need to add more confectioners’ sugar or milk in order to reach desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over the tops of cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

Ginger Cookies
“To make these a little more festive, you could drizzle with an icing made from confectioner’s sugar and a little milk. Even people who don’t think they like gingerbread cookies rave about these.”

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons fresh (or jarred) crushed ginger
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture. Use a 1 ½ inch scoop or shape into walnut-sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they appear dry and begin to lightly brown on the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 2 dozen.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
“My grandma, Beverly, made these cookies every year for as long as I can remember. They were perfect for Christmas since they looked like little snowballs.”

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces
Extra powdered sugar for coating baked cookies

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional powdered sugar. Cool on wire racks. Sift more powdered sugar over the top before serving if desired.
Makes 2 ½ dozen.

Hawaii Family Portraits

2008-12-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

These are our kids costumes this year...

Why Proposition 8?

2008-10-27T21:52:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Kahmann's Birthday!

2008-10-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

It was really nice that all the brothers were able to be together.

Grandpa and his beautiful wife Madeline, boy were we lucky when she came into our family!

Isn't my brother cute? So's his sweet girlfriend.

We had such a nice day when we all got together to celebrate Grandpa (Don) Kahmann's birthday! Tony and Karen were here from Idaho so it was extra special. In the front of the family picture from left to right is Preston, Don, Madeline, and Ty. Standing in the back are Conner, Paige, Travis, Tony, Kim, Karen, David, Jody, Eric, Natalie, Chris, and Madison. Hope we all look that great when we're 84!

Ty's Bowling Field Trip

2008-10-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

This field trip actually preceded the pumpkin patch by a couple weeks, but I never blogged it. Ty loved bowling! The only frustrating part for a 3 year old is waiting for his turn! It would be perfect if he were bowling alone! ;-) Isn't sharing a tough concept to learn?

Ty's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2008-10-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ty had a field trip with his preschool to Lombardi Ranch. We've been there at least once a year for about 6 years now with at least one of our kids field trips. They get a tour where they get to see cows, a horse, a donkey, turkeys, geese, ducks, rabbits, llamas, sheep, and goats, and they get to go to a petting zoo, and ride a "train" (a tractor that pulls covered trailers), and there are a bunch of photo ops, and they get to take home a pumpkin. There's also a wagon ride and a corn maze that we've never paid extra for. And a little farmer's market. Then we ate a picnic lunch and drove the canyon all the way home, which is a fun drive. It's always a really nice day.

My Bread Baking Feat!

2008-10-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

That's "feat" as in "act of skill". Don't worry, I didn't bake bread with my feet! I finally tried the famous "no-knead" artisan bread recipe from Jim Lahey. Wow. How can something so simple look and taste so impressive? I saw Jim Lahey on a youtube video saying that it's so easy that a 6 year old can make better bread than any bakery. I'd say he's right! For those of you who have been living in a cave somewhere and haven't seen this recipe, I'll include it here. You have got to try it. I delayed because I've always seen it baked in a Le Creuset pot, and I don't have one (sigh). But I improvised and used some stoneware that I have. One is a covered pampered chef piece, and for the other I took two stoneware bowls and used one as the lid. Both were significantly smaller than 5-6 quart by the way, but they came out beautifully. I also didn't use instant yeast. I used regular yeast and mixed in into the water and let it sit a few minutes then mixed in the flour. Also, on the youtube video he said to cook it at 500 degrees but every recipe I found said 450. I compromised and did 475. Next, Paige wants to try adding garlic and rosemary, her favorite bread combination, ala Costco. Let me know if you try/have tried this recipe, and how you liked it!

No-Knead Bread

Yields one 1 1/2 pound loaf

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I used flour)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

News

2008-10-12T10:58:00.001-07:00

First Graders Taken To San Francisco City Hall For Gay Wedding

October 11, 2008
Contact: Chip White/Sonja Eddings Brown, 916-215-4392
SAN FRANCISCO, October 11 – In the same week that the No on 8 campaign launched an ad that labeled as “lies” claims that same-sex marriage would be taught in schools to young children, a first grade class took a school-sponsored trip to a gay wedding. Eighteen first graders traveled to San Francisco City Hall Friday for the wedding of their teacher and her lesbian partner, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The school sponsored the trip for the students, ages 5 and 6, taking them away from their studies for the same-sex wedding. According to the Yes on 8 campaign, the public school field trip demonstrates that the California Supreme Court's decision to legal same-sex marriage has real consequences. "Taking children out of school for a same-sex wedding is not customary education. This is promoting same-sex marriage and indoctrinating young kids," said Yes on 8—ProtectMarriage.com Campaign Co-Manager Frank Schubert. "I doubt the school has ever taken kids on a field trip to a traditional wedding," Schubert said. When asked by the Yes on 8 campaign, The San Francisco Chronicle reporter said she did not know if the school had ever sponsored a field trip for students to a traditional wedding. Telling the Chronicle that the field trip was "a teachable moment," the school's principal believes it is perfectly appropriate for first graders to attend a same-sex wedding. Officials in other school districts disagree. "Prop. 8 protects our children from being taught in public schools that 'same-sex marriage' is the same as traditional marriage," said Santa Ana Unified School District board member Rosemarie "Rosie" Avila. "We should not accept a court decision that results in public schools teaching our kids that gay marriage is okay. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It shouldn't be forced on us against our will," Avila added.The lesbian teacher's wedding was officiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Newsom is featured in a Yes on 8 television ad, released last week, in which he arrogantly declares of same-sex marriage: "The door's wide open now. It's gonna happen, whether you like it or not."The Yes on 8 campaign's ads explain that if the voters do not overturn the California Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling, teachers will be required to teach young children that there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage. “It's totally unreasonable that a first grade field trip would be to a same-sex wedding," said Chip White, Press Secretary for Yes on 8. "This is overt indoctrination of children who are too young to understand it.” The field trip underscores the Yes on 8 campaign’s message that unless Prop. 8 passes, children will be taught about same-sex marriage in public schools. “Not only can it happen, it has already happened,” White said.

Protect Marriage

2008-10-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to the Church broadcast tonight, and pretty much re-iterated what we already know, that marriage is ordained of God and that we are compelled to stand for what we know to be right. We are also to understand that tolerance isn't a synonym for condone, rather for love. Just as Jesus Christ loved the sinner while decrying the sin, so should we. We have friends who are gay, and we love them. That won't change. And we aren't trying to take away any of their civil rights or benefits. But marriage is a sacred institution, and is between a man and a woman. Furthermore, tolerance is a two-way street, and we could see a day when people are intolerant of those of us who believe that, which would put our own freedom of religion at risk. That may sound extreme, but it's completely possible. I'm including links to some great information from our Church. Please pass these on to those who are like-minded whether in the Church or not, as well as to those friends who may be undecided. The first is a news release from the Church on where we stand on the issue. The second is a video of a discussion that some young adult students had with Elder David A. Bednar, who holds a leadership position in our Church.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

"Pushing Daisies" Season Premiere Celebration

2008-10-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

My family loves the show "Pushing Daisies" and we've been waiting for months for it to come back. In celebration of the season premiere, I made 3 pies to eat while we watched the show. Lemon meringue, Caramel Apple Crumble, and Pumpkin Pecan Crunch. They were all soooo good! Of course, 3 pies is too much even for our family, so we invited neighbors the Norris' over, and Lindsey had some when she came to pick up Madison for Young Women's. Still, we ate ourselves sick. Well, I did at least. For those who don't know the show, the main character owns "The Pie Hole", an adorable pie shop. Maybe this will be a Wednesday night tradition! Just kidding.

Ty's First Day of Preschool

2008-09-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ty loved his first day of preschool. He had no problem with me leaving, just said "Bye Mom!" Probably because of his nursery experience at Church. Though he never cared when I left him in nursery either. He's just a very confident little boy. One of the mommy helpers told me that he was great, and that he had the "most energy" of all the kids. Could that be code for obnoxious? I hope not. When I arrived to pick him up 2 hours later I asked him if he was ready to go home. He replied "You go to your house, and I'll play." He wasn't ready for the fun to end!

Zuma Trip 2008

2008-08-07T11:58:00.001-07:00

Click on photos to see them full-sized.

2008-08-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

2008-08-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

2008-08-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at the beach with the Chronis family. The waves were great, the water was clear, and the temperature was perfect. Our kids all have someone who "matches" in age, except for Ty but he's very self-occupying. It was a great way to end summer vacation.

Family Portrait August 2008

2008-08-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well, this was pretty good considering we only took 2 shots. It was an impromptu family photo shoot when we were at the Los Angeles Temple for some friends who were being sealed. Too bad Kim's eyes are closed!

Our visit with the Dixon family

2008-07-20T20:36:00.001-07:00

We sure had a great time meeting Elder Dixon's (Brandon's) family. He and Elder Hoyos were our favorite missionaries of all time and they were the most amazing companions. He's been home for over 2 months now, (back in Utah), and he and his family were on their way to a family reunion near San Francisco, and we got the chance to have them over for dinner and a visit. What a wonderful family!

More Photos from Paige's Sweet Sixteen Party!

2008-05-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Paige's Sweet Sixteen Party

2008-05-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well, with all the car accident drama, I never got around to blogging Paige's sweet sixteen party. We had a dance floor outside with a disco ball, fire pits around the pool, balloons in the pool, lots of streamers, lots of food, Guitar Hero on the wii, and LOTS of Paige's friends, and family. It was a great party, and I think everyone had a great time. Paige has a lot of good friends.

"Mormon" Prom

2008-05-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

Paige with a few of her girlfriends before going to "Mormon" Prom. For those who don't know, it's like regular school prom, but there's a dress code, and rules of conduct, and even though it was at a nice place, a local golf course with a nice dinner, it was a lot cheaper than school prom. They've been having it for a few years now, and it seems to be a hit.

My Cub Scouts' Mother's Day Project

2008-05-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I wanted to come up with something original for my cub scouts to make for their mothers for Mother's day this year. I decided to make "posey pins". First, I bought a box of mini bubble wands at Michael's. They are intended for weddings.

Next, I had my husband cut them down with this little saw he has, down to about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.

Next, we stuck on an adhesive pin-back, smeared tacky glue all over the rest of the bottle, rolled it in tiny glass seed beads, then rolled it in a good quality glitter (Martha Stewart from Michael's), and let them dry.

After they dried, we tied ribbon around them, and on Mother's day, the boys are instructed to go cut a flower from their yard (or have Dad buy a bouquet), and you put a little water in it with the flower, and Mom has a wearable vase, rather than corsage!

The boys had fun making them, and I think Mom will actually like to wear it!