Coen the Cleanup Crew

OK. Well I figure I might as well do a post about Coen since I've done one on each of the other boys. It just amazes me how smart little babies are. They learn so much every day. More than you realize. You don't have to "teach" them most things because they just absorb and soak up everything around them. For instance...cleaning. I can't say that I've really spent a lot of time teaching Coen how to "clean up" his messes. He's only 14 months old after all! But lo and behold, the little sponge has soaked up some good "clean" qualities. (heh, heh) I had him on my lap the other day as I was eating my breakfast of oatmeal. He grabbed my spoon when I was in between bites and it spilled all over the floor. I figured I'd clean it up as soon as I was finished...since I already had the one person who would actually get into the puddle on my lap. Well soon he jumped down and off he went about his business. I didn't think anything about it until I heard a drawer open and then back to the table he came with a dishcloth in tow. He wiped up the mess, brushed his hands together, and threw the cloth in the laundry room! How cool is THAT!! Amazing little people! Then today I was sweeping up the kitchen/dining room and he followed me around as usual. (He loves it when we sweep or vacuum.) I looked over at him and he was taking handfuls of the contents in the "dirt pile" and throwing them in the trash. Guess I wasn't moving fast enough for him! What a fun little helper boy. I gave him the dustpan at the end to "help" me and he swung it over his shoulder and off he went. I love little helpers!

Fire Ants-Dallin's Worst Nightmare

One of the downsides of living in Texas is the fire ants that seem to come with the territory. They have actually not been quite as bad for us this year-not that they are GONE just that we haven't been repeatedly bitten in our own home. In fact I don't think we've had any bites inside. Maybe it's all the rain we've had this year? I'm not sure. But we still have them outside. Especially in our backyard. And poor Dallin seems to get the worst of them. I think Austin's only had maybe 2 bites the entire time we've lived here and I've seen him standing right on an ant hill with them swarming up and down his legs! Dallin's lucky to get away with ONLY two bites EVERY time he goes outside it seems like! Poor little guy! Well last night we were all asleep when all of a sudden he just starts screaming! Tory went to check on him and he wouldn't really say what was wrong. So Tory tucked him in and went back to bed. Well I could hear Dallin still crying and then he started screaming again. I knew something must be wrong. When I got in there he was huddled up in the corner of his bed up against the wall. I pulled him onto my lap and asked him what was wrong. He was just shaking! I could tell he was either hurt or really scared. I finally got him to talk and he said ants were biting him. I had just changed his sheets that night before he got in bed. So I thought maybe they were in the sheets or blankets. I turned on the light and checked everywhere and not a single ant to be seen. And no bites on him anywhere. (Believe me...when he gets bitten you see it immediately!) It turns out he was just dreaming about them. I tucked him back in and told Tory and Tory said, "That's not a dream...that's a nightmare for that little boy!" Poor Dallin! I haven't seen him that scared in a LONG time!

FYI: If you do live in an area with a lot of fire ants make sure you have a bleach pen that you carry with you. (Just because it's a little "handier" than a gallon of bleach and a q-tip!) As soon as you feel an ant bite you just rub the bleach on the bite and it won't ever itch! It has to be RIGHT after it bites you. It's wonderful! And if you have ever had an ant bite you know how they itch terribly! Miserably! Horribly! (I'm second only to Dallin for ant bites in our family!)

What's Fast Food?

Funny thing today. I picked up Austin from school and asked him how his day was. I've got to ask a lot of specific questions to get specific answers from that child lately. So I asked him if they sang today. (They have on previous days.) He said they kind of did but it was a wiggle exercise to get all the wiggles out. He proceeded to sing the song. It went something like this:

McDonalds McDonalds
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut
McDonalds McDonalds
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut

I don't know. Maybe they were in a different order. I've never heard it. And I could tell by the way Austin was singing it that he didn't really know what he was singing either. You know like if you were to sing along to a foreign song that you don't necessarily know the meaning of but you just say the sounds you hear? LOL That's kind of what he was doing.

I asked, "Austin do you know what Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonalds are?"

He says, "No. What are those things, Mama?"

I had to laugh. I guess that's a good thing! He doesn't even know what those places are. I told him that McDonalds is the place with the yellow "M" that we pass by a lot and the other two are other restaurants that people eat at. It's not like we NEVER eat out...but if we do it's usually Sonic. How funny. They can spot a Wal-Mart or a Home Depot or an Albertson's (and we all know they can "read" the signs to Michael's and JoAnn's by the horrible sounds I hear from the backseats) but they don't know some of the most popular fast food joints! Cool!

San Antonio-Our Mini-Vacation

Last weekend we were able to squeeze in one last fun vacation before school started. It was quite spur-of-the-moment. We've been wanting to go to San Antonio for about a year now and thought maybe we'd do it while we had a chance. Tory mentioned our plans to our friends, James and Rachael, and they said THEY were going there that exact same weekend and had a time-share and asked if we would like to stay there with them! It was perfect! They left the day before us but the next day we met them at Pedernales Falls in Johnson City.

If you ever have a chance to see these falls you HAVE to go! Beautiful! It's a beautiful State Park with lots of hiking trails, fishing, and swimming! There is a huge section of the river that they designate for swimming. We spent some time hiking around the falls first and then went for a swim. It was great fun!

The river was very swift in some places though. We really had to watch the boys. Tory and James rode the rapids and had a blast!

That evening we went and freshened up at their condo and then headed into San Antonio to check out the River Walk. We got there and didn't have a clue where we were going. Unfortunately we chose the wrong direction and followed the river until it dead ended! So we turned around and seriously...right around the corner from where we started was the main section of the River Walk. Oh well! We did get in a very nice walk, saw a lot of the river without any people around, and got poured on by an unexpected rain shower!

It was really fun to see. What a beautiful place! One recommendation for any of you who bring children...do NOT bring a stroller! Carry them on your back, in your arms, whatever you have to do. The River Walk is NOT meant for strollers! Lesson learned.

We rode on the boats in the evening and the boys just loved that. It would be fun to go again and take the tour in the daylight, too.

We didn't get to see everything we wanted so the next morning we went back and saw the Alamo! This is what I was the most excited to see! I think everyone was glad when we got there so I would stop saying, "Remember the Alamo!"

I don't know why, but I just LOVE historical sites and monuments. Maybe because growing up, we stopped at every single historical site we ever came across on our vacations. I think it's fascinating to be where actual people used to live and work and make their lives. The Alamo was great. It was so small! It's funny the pictures you have in your head about things you've never seen! And I pictured it dusty and dry. It was lush and green. The most beautiful landscaped gardens everywhere! We had lots of fun exploring just the grounds!

We got to drive through Austin of course. The Texas state capitol. We tried to get pictures of the capitol on the way there and didn't succeed. So we thought we'd try on the way back. Didn't happen. Between troubles getting the camera open, trucks in the way, and bushes and trees...we missed the good shot. This is the best we got. We decided it wasn't meant to be. Oh well. Guess we'll have to come back through again! I LOVED that area of Texas! From Austin down to San Antonio it was gorgeous! Love, love, love it! We plan to go back again some day since it is so close and since there are so many things to do. We'd love to go in the fall and go camping. And with all the trails we'd love to bring our bikes with us. It was a great trip. A fun weekend getaway. Just what we needed to start up our next round of schooling.

Caramel Apple S'mores

Holy Cow! I just found these online and thought I'd post the "recipe" here...for me...so I can remember...just in case I want to make them someday! But you can make them, too! Wowzers! I think I like the sounds of these more than the "regular" s'mores...OK...maybe just differently!

CARAMEL APPLE S’MORE
1 marshmallow
2 chewy caramels
2 green apple slices, about 1/2-inch thick

Skewer the marshmallow followed by the two caramels on the same roasting stick. Roast until golden. Slide concoction onto one of the apple slices, top with remaining slice.

Austin's First Day of School

Today was the day. Austin started Kindergarten! This is a new adventure for us. We've never done preschool or anything. I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I feel like a new parent all over again...only I think I knew more about what to do with him when he was tiny! I'm telling you-I think they need to write a manual on "How to Be a Parent of a School-Age Child". I go to all of these orientations, enrollments, and meetings and I still don't have a clue what I'm doing! Where do all of the other parents learn? I don't know. But on to the STAR of the DAY...

Austin did great! He looked so handsome in his school clothes (His shirt is not really dirty-as it looks in the picture. Mom just dripped water all over it while combing his hair...) He was a little unsure as we walked down the hall to his classroom but as soon as we went in and found where his seat was and he saw that there was a school box full of crayons, pencils, scissors and a coloring page waiting just for him...he never looked at me again. He was in heaven! Good thing I hugged him before we got in the room! There was one little girl having a hard time. Well, OK, that's putting it mildly. She was running out of the room when we walked in and still screaming when I left. I was a little worried this could upset him. I still remember sitting in my third grade class on the first day and a BOY was crying. I thought, "If a BOY is crying, this must be really bad!" (heh, heh) But luckily it didn't even phase Austin. He couldn't get to that school box fast enough.

Three hours later I picked him up and he had stained hands and a happy face! And his teacher, Mrs. Gamble, told me what a good helper he was. I'm so glad he had such a great day and is excited to go back again tomorrow. I keep finding out a few more tidbits of information from him throughout the afternoon. You know how it is...they never tell you the WHOLE story all at once! I did find out that all the kids except for him and one other boy had snacks to eat that their moms sent. Oh, man! I felt terrible! Snacks?! Where did they get THAT memo? This is what I mean! If I had a manual I could have looked that up. Maybe that's what they did in preschool? I don't know. It's a mystery. But tomorrow my child will have a juicy plum and snack with the rest of 'em. At least he wasn't the only snack-less child in the class I guess.

As for the rest of us...we got along fine but I can't say it's been a normal day. With Tory on break now it just feels like I have no schedule and we're just doing a practice run at Kindergarten! Ha! I'll let you know how it REALLY is when I have to wake them all up and load them in the car to drop Austin off! Without Tory's help! That's when it will really kick in I think. For instance, Dallin slept until 9:00 this morning! Austin only had 2 hours left of school at that point! It will be a change! But it will be good! I do miss my little man while he's gone. He really is such a good helper! At least it's only for 3 hours! We moms need a "breaking in" period, too! So I guess I'm now a "mom with a school kid"! Crazy!

3...2...1...BLASTOFF!

The boys have been wanting to get rockets for a VERY long time. Their favorite store is Hobby Lobby. But that's not what it is called in our family. It is affectionately known as "The Rocket Store". We go here a couple times a month just to look at the rockets and see if they are on sale. (OK...so sometimes I use it as a way to get the boys IN the store so I can look at other things, too. It happens to be one of my favorite stores, too, but for different reasons! They throw a fit as soon as they see the sign to Michael's or JoAnn's. So for now...Hobby Lobby is safe.) Well, last week we went and the rockets were finally on sale. This was the prerequisite. We weren't buying a rocket unless they were on sale. We made a special trip to the store with Daddy and the three of them picked out the perfect rocket. And it happened to have two in the package. Well, today was the big launch. After Tory's finals this afternoon we all headed to the park. After a few calculations and measurements made by Tory, they were ready for action. Both were successful launches and landed almost directly on top of us! Way to go Tory! They were all so excited! Who knew a rocket could produce such happiness for three...make that four guys! They are looking forward to the next time they can launch them.

The Finished Product

OK. Here's the finished product. Tory built me a frame and I finished painting and sanding it this afternoon. I love the frame. He always does such a good job. I'm still trying to get used to the painting though. It's one of those things...I've got to live around it for awhile. Every time I see it it kind of takes me by surprise. And I did it in a different style than I normally do. So that's different for me, too. As for some of your comments about how "creative" I am...I can't claim all the credit. I'm not very good at just sitting down and thinking up a picture and then actually getting that picture on the canvas. I have to see something with similar colors so I can get the colors right. So I usually browse around on the internet or in stores. So now you know my secret...

A Message for Dadda

A little message the boys sent to their daddy this morning. He'll be online a lot today studying so we thought we'd send him our wishes via cyberspace.

Happy "Real" Birthday!

and

Good Luck on Finals!

Coen's First Haircut

I have a new customer at "Brooke's Barber Shop for Boys". Coen joined the ranks tonight. I love, love, LOVE his precious curls but they were getting a little long especially on the sides and top. And yesterday our friends came over and their little girl, Kaitlyn-who is Coen's age, has hair exactly like Coen's only darker brown instead of red. Same exact curls, length, everything. I thought I should probably make him look more like a little boy since he did just turn 14 months old a couple days ago. So tonight he had his very first haircut. He was a great customer and held very still. He looks so handsome and like a big boy now. CUTE! I finished off with Austin and Dallin and then they all three took a bath. We'll have to squeeze Daddy in another night. I'm just thankful I have a good set of electric clippers! A tool you must have if you're in the cutting business for 4 boys!

Celebrating Early

Happy Birthday Tory...3 days early! Yesterday we decided to celebrate Tory's birthday. It's not really until the 20th but that is his first day of finals. No fun. So since he is done with classes for this trimester we packed in a whole lotta fun yesterday! I have lots of pictures! Beware!

(Click on pictures to see larger image. They're pretty small here!)

We went on a bike ride at our favorite spot. We haven't been there in a few months due to all of the rain. Good thing! It was still flooded and we haven't had rain for a month now! This spot was at the very beginning. Needless to say we got a little wet. Coen and Austin stayed dry. Tory carried them across. Then he followed behind me and held the bike trailer up while I rode so it would stay dry. On the way back he let them stay in it and the water poured in. They loved it! I have to say it was pretty fun to ride through the water! There were hundreds of fish in that little pond!

This is what some of the trail looked like. Obviously not at all made for bike trailers. But we made it. Unfortunately we don't have pictures of the parts that were REALLY bad. That's because Mrs. Photographer Lady was busy pushing the trailer up or down steep hills and rocky terrain. We only had one spill. Again...no pictures because I had to run to the rescue!

Once we found a good stopping point we all played and gathered wood for a little campfire. The boys had lots of fun. We haven't been camping in years (since we moved to TX in 2004) and sadly it's been that long since we've had a campfire. So this is the first one the boys really ever remember. Austin wanted to stay until dark soooooo bad. But we had a hard enough time on the trail with the sun shining!

We roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. It was the first time they had ever roasted ANYTHING. So of course they loved it! The only downside...without the fire it was already in the 90s. With the fire it was in the upper 100s...at LEAST! Not the best thing to do in TX in August! We promised we'd do it again in the fall when the temperature was a little cozier. Of course we might have to wait until winter for that to happen!

When we got home we had Cream Cheese Turtle Cake (thanks Amy for the winning recipe!) and Caramel Turtle Fudge ice cream (Blue Bell...it's the BEST!) and opened presents.

Tory got a new pair of dress shoes for clinic and I painted him a picture. Lately it seems I've been giving away more paintings than keeping. He's always asking me when I'll make HIM one. So I thought I'd surprise him. I only had one day to do it. He was at school and working until about 7:00 pm so I had plenty of time to buy the canvas and paint it. I actually got it done during the boy's 2-hour nap! So it worked out perfectly. And that way they never saw it so the secret could be kept better! (They are NOT the best secret keepers!) It was a very fun day! We're so tired today though! Happy Birthday Tory! 29 years old!...Well...almost!

Thursday 13-Crafting Supplies

I haven't done a Thursday 13 in awhile. So today I'm going to do my top 13 crafting supplies I can't live without. Are you ready? OK, here goes:

1. Scissors: A good pair only for cutting fabric and another pair for paper. DO NOT cut paper with fabric scissors!

2. Acrylic Paints: A whole collection is nice but start with the basics-red, yellow, brown, green, blue, black, white, etc. I paint everything from wood to fabric to actual paintings with these!

3. Paint Brushes: You've got to have at least one 1" foam brush and then some good bristle brushes in various widths. Don't forget the tiny one! It's my favorite for all those details! Make sure they are not the floppy watercolor brushes. There's nothing worse...

4. Blank Newsprint Paper: You can buy an entire bundle for soooo cheap at a paper store. We have had our same bundle for years and used it for packing through two moves, repacking several holidays, AND crafts galore! Good for kids to draw on, wrapping paper in a pinch, table covers for really messy projects (like dying Easter eggs, carving pumpkins, painting...). The list could go on and on!

5. Glitter and Sequins: Whether it's the dry kind or in the form of glue...you've gotta have these! (Both kinds is even better!) Get some good basic colors like silver, gold, and clear and go from there.

6. Buttons: The more variety the better! I always clip mine off any clothes I'm throwing out. And save all those "extras" that come with new clothes.

7. A rotary cutter and self-healing mat: I actually use my rotary cutter ruler the most! But the hand held rotary cutter is a must as well. And of course the mat...it's magic! Very easy to use. Mine is VERY well-loved.

8. Hot glue gun: HOT is the key word. I get burned every single time. But the sacrifice is worth it. Someone just suggested having ice water close by. Now why didn't I think of that? Geesh!

9. Fabric glue: So useful.

10. Needle and thread: White and black are a good start. And lots of embroidery floss in an array of colors!

11. An old iron: Don't use your nice iron that you use on clothes! Trust me on this...

12. Felt and/or fabric scraps: It's nice to have a few colors of felt squares on hand. I also like to keep some white or cream muslin around for projects.

13. JoAnn Fabric Store’s 40% off coupon: Sign up for a mailer on their website or at the store. Fabric is pretty expensive these days. That's what I usually use mine on.

So there you have it. A few of my "must-haves" for crafting. Of course there are more (there always are on these lists) but these are the ones that came to mind first. And then there's my list of crafting supplies I WISH I had...paper cutter, laminator, serger, embroidery machine, craft room........

Easy Dinner-Jambalaya

You gotta love those dinners that are so easy to put together and taste great when you're finished. I made one of those tonight. The longest part is waiting for the brown rice to cook but if you had it cooked in advance...wow! This recipe is "Brooke's Jambalaya". I call it that because...well I made it up myself! I felt like something "jambalaya-ish" one night and this is what I came up with. (Whenever I make something up I always write down what I'm doing just in case it's a keeper!) It is one of our favorites. Here goes:

Brooke's Jambalaya

2-3 c. cooked brown rice

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced (You know those sausages that are shaped like a horseshoe? I use the Turkey Smoked Sausage such as Louis Rich. Less fat and better for you. Tastes just as good.)

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice (I like to use the Italian flavored ones)

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. liquid smoke ( I like the hickory flavor.)

1-2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/4 tsp. dried leaf thyme

1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (More or less to taste. This is as far as I can go with my kids.)

2-3 whole bay leaves

1 can red beans (or kidney beans), drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce + 1 can water

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper in olive oil until tender. Add all ingredients except rice and simmer about 25 min. (I usually simmer it then entire time the rice is cooking.) Add cooked rice. Add more water or tomato sauce while cooking if needed. Can also add cooked chicken and/or shrimp and a few drops of hot sauce if you want more heat. Remove bay leaves before serving. My kids LOVE this meal. It is very adaptable, too. For instance...sometimes I don't have the sausage (like tonight) but the liquid smoke still gives it that smoked flavor. I've also made it with leftover bratwurst. Anything goes! After all...this is Jambalaya! Let me know if you try it! Enjoy!

Recycling

Ever since I can remember I've wanted to recycle. I know...strange thing for a kid to think about let alone do! I don't know if it was the "organizational" me wanting to separate everything into nifty little paper/plastic/glass/metal bins or if it was the idea that I could help make the earth a little better in my own small way. At any rate, I never lived in a place that recycled until we moved to our home here. I was so excited! I've got to tell ya, it was one of the things I looked forward to the most! And I am still amazed at how much we can actually recycle. The city gives you a huge recycle bin for free and we downsized to the smallest "trash" bin available for everything else and it still works for us. Not bad considering we're a family of 5. I even catch Austin & Dallin searching out the recyle symbol on things. Almost two years later and we're still going strong in the recycling department. In fact, I feel so guilty now when we visit our parents and there aren't any recycling bins! All that perfectly good trash going to waste...literally. OK, so it's just one of my weird little quirks. But check out the benefits:

· Enough aluminum is thrown away to rebuild our commercial air fleet 4 times every year.

· Recycling 1 glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours.

· If we recycle every plastic bottle we use, we would keep 2 billion tons of plastic our of landfills.

· We use enough plastic wrap to wrap all of Texas every year.

· Every year enough paper is thrown away to make a 12-foot wall from New York to California.

Wowzers! Pretty amazing! Glad I can help run a few more light bulbs at least! Does anyone else get this exited about recycling? Tell me!

Mmmm...Pears

Now here's a boy who loves fruit. A couple days ago I saw Coen sitting all by himself by the front door. When I went to investigate I found that he was eating a pear. One of the boys must have given it to him. I give them free access to the fruit bowl on the table. But the funny part is what was LEFT of this pear! He ate it down to the core...well...past the core! Must have been a good one! Mmmmm...

I am Fruit

OK, OK...just one more...............

You Are Fruit

Healthy and sweet, you can appreciate a simple quality breakfast like fruit. You don't need to put a lot of processed junk in your body... you're happy with what nature provides. People have probably accused you of being a health nut, but you just like the best simple foods. You care about what you put in your body. And it shows!

What Kind of Breakfast Are You?

I'm a Dr. Pepper

And to go with that tiramisu...............

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you. People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

**Just a note...Tory took this quiz for fun and it turns out he's Root Beer. Guess we really are a perfect match! Too funny!

I am Tiramisu

Didn't you know..............?

You Are Tiramisu

Light and lovely, you pack a punch. You never overwhelm... but you always leave a lasting impression.

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

Tagged: Me and My Man

I was tagged! Here's a little about me and my man:

Basics
1. Who is your man? Tory
2. How long have you been together? 7 years on December 28, 2007
3. Dating/Engaged/Married? Dated 9 months, engaged 8 months, married for almost 7 years!
4. How old is your man? He'll be 29 on Aug. 20

You or your man?
1. Who eats more? Probably the same. Everybody tells me I need to feed him more though!
2. Who said "I love you" first? We are pretty equal on this one!
3. Who is taller? He is-6 foot. I am 5'7"

4. Who sings better? Depends on the song.

5. Who's Older? I am.

6. Who's smarter? Depends on the day...different ways.

7. Who's temper is worse? Totally me. This man has no temper.

8. Who does the laundry? Me. He'll help fold or sort if I ask.

9. Who does the dishes? Me. He helps if I get behind.

10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me

11. Who's feet are bigger? His

12. Who's hair is longer? Mine

13. Who's better with the computer? He is, for sure!

14. Who mows the lawn? He does

15. Who pays the bills? I write the checks, he does the online bills (see question 13).

16. Who cooks dinner? Me usually. He'll surprise me every once-in-awhile.

17. Who drives when you are together? He does

18. Who pays when you go out to dinner? He does...but it's all coming out of the same account...

19. Who's the most stubborn? Depends. Probably Me.

20. Who is the first one to admit when they're wrong? Him

21. Who's parents do you see more? Same-we usually hit everyone in one trip since they're on the way to each other.

22. Who named your dog? Don't have a dog.

23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me.

24. Who asked who out? He did...the night I reported to the High Council after I returned from my mission was our first date!

25. What did you do? Dinner at Grady's and then we watched "Prince of Egypt" at my house.

26. Who proposed? He did. At Grady's a little over a month after our first date there!

27. Who's more sensitive? Depends on the situation.

28. Who has more friends? He does.

29. Who has more siblings? I do-3 brothers, 3 sisters. He has 2 brothers, 2 sisters.

30. Who wears the pants in the relationship? It's an equal partnership.

You are all tagged.. Let's hear about you & your man!!

Thought for the Day: Two Wolves

I got this as an email and I found it with the picture on another blog. I love it and thought I'd share.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Fun In the Mud

"A perfect summer day to a little boy means, a scrape on the knee, mud on his face and collecting bugs in the garden." ~Unknown

Any Ideas?

OK...I was just thinking about Tory's birthday (which is in a couple weeks) and as I was looking through my recipes I just couldn't find a good cake for him. Check out the one he made for me this year! Totally outdid himself! Just went online and found this! Amazing! Now I gotta make a fabulous one for HIM! Just wondering if any of you have a great recipe or suggestion you'd like to share with me. Thank you! And in the meantime...you've got to try this one out! Pay no attention to the glow from the many candles!

TOFFEE CRUNCH CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

Gingersnap crust

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies (about 7 1/4 ounces)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Cheesecake

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel topping

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 1.4-ounce English toffee candy bars (such as Heath or Skor), chopped

For gingersnap crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Stir ground cookies, butter, and sugar in medium bowl until moist clumps form. Press cookie mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Bake crust until firm and beginning to darken, about 14 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.

For cheesecake:

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, then eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended. Beat in vanilla. Pour batter over crust in pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cake uncovered until filling is puffed around edges and moves slightly in center when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Place hot cheesecake uncovered in refrigerator overnight.

For caramel topping:

Stir sugar, water, and lemon juice in large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until mixture turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes.

Spoon caramel over top of cake just to edges (do not allow caramel to drip down sides). Garnish top edges with chopped English toffee. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

*HONK*

This afternoon the boys and I went to run some errands. Everywhere I went there seemed to be people honking! Honks at stoplights, parking spots, left lane, middle lane, even the right lane...it made no difference. Every time it happened I would check to see if everything I was doing was OK. Speed...check...in my lane...check...light still red...check...clear to back up...check. It was so bizarre! Then we stopped at the last light before our corner and this huge eighteen wheeler right next to us blared his horn! Geesh! Austin was so excited about this! He said, "Mama! He honked at me! I waved to him and he waved back and honked!" Hmmmm...sounds suspicious!

"Austin, have you been waving at all the cars today?"

"Yes! I love to wave at people and be nice to them. And everyone is happy to see me!"

Yes they are child. And that explains a lot of honking today.

How Addicted are You?

I found this quiz on Amy's blog. I was too curious to pass it by. So I took it for myself. Looks like I'm addicted...but not too far gone yet! Of course don't look at what time I'm posting this...

75%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Tampa Singles from Mingle²

Family Home Evening...Austin Style

Last night Austin really wanted to do the Family Home Evening lesson. So he gathered us all to the living room, had us sing a song with his very own lyrics, and then taught us his very own lesson. He was very serious about it and did a great job. He told us about how we can help each other around the house but most of it was centered on things HE is going to do once he starts Kindergarten. So funny! He says, "When I go to school I'm going to come right home and help you. Mama, if you have clothes in the washer and they are wet then I will put them in the dryer. And I will help Dada do the dishes. (Nice!) And I will help Dallin with his bath. And when I get a little older I'll help change Coen's diapers." I love it! He even added, "When I get home if I have homework I'll do it first and then do as much as I can to help you. I know you will miss me and need my help. And sometimes maybe I can take a day off to help you." What a sweet kid! So much responsibility! I don't know where this is coming from all of a sudden! Not that he's not a good helper in the first place, he just usually doesn't go out of his way to assign himself chores to do! I think he's feeling awfully grown up right now. I know that's how I felt in Kindergarten! We finished FHE with a game and then the boys wrestled with Tory before bed. This is the nightly routine for them. They wrestle and then get a horsey ride to their room. Coen has just recently started riding the horse, too. Tory says the horse is getting old. He's definitely slowing down! Especially with 3 riders now!

Neglected Children

My poor neglected children. I say neglected because they certainly aren't starving! While I was "busy" changing the look of my blog, my boys were ready for lunch. Austin kept telling me he was hungry. I kept saying, "I'm almost finished then I'll get you something." I really was...almost finished...but he decided to take matters into his own hands. I heard some chomping and crunching and turned around and found this! Austin had made salads for both of them! Now what 5 year-old do you know who makes his own salad with all the fixins for lunch? I'm so proud of him! And at the same time I feel a tad bit guilty for not feeding them sooner! But they did a good job! By the way...where's mine?

A New Look

So...how do you like the new look for my blog? I was getting a little tired of the old one PLUS I had these cute pictures of my boys' feet that I just HAD to use! I love the closeup picture of their feet. Cracks me up that Coen's ankles are crossed. He always crosses his ankles like that. And Dallin's missing toenail...such boys! Love it!

Fun Summer Activities

A couple weeks ago the boys and I had a little adventure that I haven't posted about yet. We were going to go to one of the free summer movies for kids at the movie theater but 15 minutes early was not enough. There were no seats left! So we went for an improvised Plan B and went to Cabela's or "The Animal Store" as the boys call it. It's only about 5 minutes from our house but we don't go very often. Usually just when family or friends are visiting. We had lots of fun looking at all of the "stuffed" animals and huge fish aquariums. Austin loved the beaver and its dam. He is very into dams right now. So he was in heaven asking lots of questions. Dallin loved the bears. And Coen was just happy looking at everything. We stopped in their candy shop and sampled some fudge. It was lots of fun. And the next day we started a little earlier and got to see the free movie after all! They could choose between Clifford's Really Big Movie or Flushed Away. They chose Clifford. They really enjoyed it. Can't say Coen did...but we made it through!