A Treat During a Ride...

We packed a box of donuts in our backpack for a ride. When we took a break, I ate the apple fritter, and the Bavarian cream one, and dad ate the other ones. It's really nice that they didn't get too squashed in the backpack, and it was a fun treat!

Monster Cookies

 

Monster Cookies are the best! I love the double chocolate oatmeal, peanut butter flavor. LeeAnn made these and gave me a bag of dough. They're the best!

Dads Fish!

This is nearly the smallest fish dad has ever caught. We're at the river, trying to find what's in the water, and dad catches this little guy. It sure makes us appreciate the fish we catch at the lake, which are 5 times larger! 

Spring!

 I totally LOVE springtime! Flowers blooming, little bees pollinating everything in sight, and fresh smells! Such beautiful colors, and such a variety of plants. And best of all, the weather is ideal!

A New Bike!

 This is really a GIANT bike! (pun intended!)

We invested in bicycles to enjoy the outdoors, but I couldn't keep up! So Joe bought me an electric bike with 5 power levels! Its such a great feeling that I can ride for 15 miles and not be totally out of breathe or totally worn out! What a lifesaver!

BREAD!

Tried making Artisan Bread, and it turned out Great! This is the first loaf, which may look a little rough, but its normal. And with no preservatives, it lasted almost a week! Tasty, too! 

New Growth Color Variation

I find it quite interesting that on some plants, like this one, the colors change as they grow.

On the left, there's a sprout growing. The next newest leaf is the tan/orange one. Then the bright green ones are next (in the center), followed by a striped green one (on the right below), which is then followed by the true plant color, which is darker green.

I love it!

 

Pizza Toppings!

The best pizza is the one you make yourself! The best ingredients for the best flavor!

We love making our own with the super easy prepared pizza crust from Pillsbury.

Then we use olive oil and minced garlic for the sauce. 

I like to put a thin layer of mozzarella cheese on top of that and bake it for about 4 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted.

The toppings go on next. That's where the fresh vegetables are layered on.

The final touch is another thin layer of cheese.

Baking at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes produces a great, quick pizza that's so delicious!

Bon Apetit!

Like Being in a Freezer!

 

It feel like this (above)...

...but looks like this (below)...

Winters are so nice!

Young Women's Lesson Prompt

In a Young Women's lesson, the subject of desirable characteristics of a wife relating to the document, The Family, A Proclamation to the World, was discussed.

In thinking about possible tangents that could be taken on this subject from a group of girls, I thought it a responsibility to share what I think is a correct direction for girls to ponder as they decide for themselves what characteristics they would like to acquire. Any in-depth conversation isn't discussed in a young women's class, and can be discussed at home, which we did.

All of these ideas presented are mine, and I would appreciate comments.

First, is the focus of what a wife's perspective should be. Her direction centers on her husband. Everything she does relates to him, his comfort, appearance, and happiness. She wants to take care of him to the best of her ability, because he takes care of her to the best of his ability. Other distractions are minor compared to her husband. She wants to be one with him, which she will learn more about as she grows up. She wants to be there when he gets off work, when he comes home from church meetings, and she wants to go with him wherever he goes. He is her everything! (more about this in other posts, as I remember...)

Another young women's lesson which our girls have heard deals with a question that is presented: "Are your parents perfect?" This question made me livid! I don't want any of my children thinking I'm not perfect. I know they are aware of my faults, (it's natural) but in their minds, I want nothing but perfection to float in their thoughts. And you, as mothers, should require the same thing. To think otherwise, invites young minds to question everything that mothers do, which, in turn, grants permission for undesirable behavior. That question ("are your parents perfect?") allows young women to wipe out everything their mothers taught them in the past, and replace it with what their friends currently believe.

Meeting Media Followers...

I've wondered what it would be like to finally meet my social media followers, and those I follow.

It's interesting that we follow people on instagram, twitter, facebook, and other media sites, and may not really know who they are. We just see their posts, their views, and their photos that tell us a little about their lives. 

More specifically, I've noticed that following several ladies on instagram, I like their posts; they are intriguing, their photos are stunning, and they share their personalities, somewhat. It was because of their photos that I started following them in the first place. As it has turned out, I follow ladies all over the world. And over time, as I've kept up with them, it occurred to me that it would be great to meet them someday. (not sure that would EVER happen, but a nice thought!)

Granted, what one posts on a social media sites may only be a microscopic peek into their lives, and on some sites, what's posted is far from accurate.

But to entertain the idea, I think it'd be great to meet the lady from France who travels around the country taking pictures of the beautiful landscape. I'd like to have a tour from the lady who lives in England. She has an estate and takes pictures of the inside of her home and garden. It's so model-home-ish. She also gives advice on how to properly entertain. One lady from Australia lives near the ocean and takes pictures of the fields around her house, with glimpses of the ocean in the background. She also has animals that roam around the house and fields. I'd also like to meet the ladies who crochet - they show their projects on instagram, which I LOVE to see! Then there's the flower ladies: they always share their arrangements whether inside on a table, or outside on a porch. Always beautiful with an array of colors! Oh! And there's the man who creates miniature houses complete with furniture, room by room. He takes close ups of each piece, then how they all fit in a room. If you didn't know it was miniature, you'd think it was full size pictures of rooms he decorated. There are a few who simply concentrate on composition. They'll artfully place a pair of scissors with ribbon, lace, and a book in a geometrically pleasing way. I love those!

Maybe someday, maybe not. Meeting people from across the world on social media, who have such great talents may have to be only way to get to know them. And if that's how it has to be, I'm good with it!

Cookie Monster Cupcakes!

Made with love by granddaughter, Jessica, these chocolate cupcakes are so cute, you'd want to eat every single one!

Lifelong Salad

Absolutely delicious looking salad made with lots of love by Christi!

Large Family Logistics (the long, and incomplete version)

In every family, there are rules, standards, and expectations. In large families, the schedule gets a little simpler, yet more time consuming. Therefore, a mom and dad spend more time managing the system, and making sure no one gets lost in the crowd.

According to my experience and observations of other large families, I'd like to share some insights that many people aren't aware of with respect to large families.
Two things change with large families: 1. the children may adopt the crowd mentality; meaning, they can hide behind someone else, and nothing pertains to them individually, and 2. parents may think of their children as a group, and always count them when going somewhere all together. (in and out of the car, in and out of the store, at parks, Disneyland, theaters, etc.) It's a necessity and nearly everyone does it.

On a day to day basis, there a number of necessities required to make life smooth. As a family, these are the usual physical things like: get up in the morning and make your bed, brush your teeth, brush your hair, get dressed for the day, clean your room including the floor, etc.  Then there's the interaction things between brothers and sisters like: be considerate of who needs to use the bathroom next, finding shoes that match and are yours, gathering laundry and putting it where its supposed to go (wherever that might be), and getting supplies out for meals. Now this might seem ordinary for one or two children, or even maybe three, but add seven more children, and the situation compounds. Kids being who they are, with their different personalities, there will inevitably be a little conflict here and there, that requires a mom or dad to step in and provide direction. If not, chaos ensues and escalates very quickly.

In a smaller family, these usual things might not take very much time. But in a large family, simply because of the number of bodies that are needed to accomplish these simple tasks, it takes a lot longer. Hence, simple schedule, more time needed.
Baths, for example, must be pushed through in a quick and timely fashion so that everyone can get in and out, because there is always someone needing to use the bathroom. The same with making school lunches and laundry! (however, laundry is in its own world) They must be done quickly and accurately.

A dad who works everyday to provide necessities and the occasional luxury is essential to making a large family work, along with the "buck-stops-here" attitude which is rarely questioned.
A mom who stays at home to manage the everyday chores, status of the home, finances, and well being of each child in the home, is also essential to making life run smoother for all.
The two work together (and constantly talk to be on the same page) to provide a standard of love, consideration, and an independence-building place for their children to learn, play, and feel secure.

Everyone has a job to do, or a chore, which 1, helps make the system run more smoothly, and 2, teaches the children responsibility and accountability. Lessons are learned in acquiring a high standard of cleanliness (meaning, you can't leave your dirty socks on the living room floor), integrity (being honest when asked if you washed your hands before making lunches), social appropriateness (meaning, you should be polite when responding to your sister, and not calling anyone names). All this and more, are learned in a large family (and in almost any other size family, as well).

The mother accepts the responsibility of the keeping of the home, and its running smoothly. In a large family, it quickly becomes apparent that simple rules need to be enforced to keep a high standard. There is no slacking, no taking your time and day dreaming in the shower, or watching the water run down the drain while beginning to doing the dishes. A mom learns quickly about time management, and teaches her children how to be the best time mangers, sometimes with an argument, sometimes without. And experience has taught me that keeping one step ahead of everyone else, allows me to give direction and be prepared for the day; this means getting up a bit earlier, getting myself ready, and knowing how the day is to go, before the children wake up. Trust me, it saves time.

Because of the time constraints of running a home with a large family, and helping children individually, there isn't much time for other outside interests. Meaning, there isn't as much time for being head of a committee, or serving as a classroom parent (for more than an hour), or even going on all-day field trips.

At this point, I would like to toss in an observation, that not all moms stay at home and do nothing but housework and change diapers. With teamwork, some moms swap babysitting with friends, and go and do everything they want to. But by and large, moms with lots of children concentrate on the efficient running of their homes, and the happiness of their husbands and children, (with some hobbies on the side, when they have literally, a few minutes here and there!)

As a mom of many children, it is keeping on track, on time, and being happy, that influences your family. It is just what you do, as a normal part of life. So a mom can feel great about teaching a class, if she has the time, or helping at scouts, if she has the time. But if she doesn't have the time, that's okay! Conversations about the activity with her children, keep her involved and close to her children.

When I was young, there was a woman I knew who had ten children. She wasn't in any prominent positions, or wasn't at every activity I was at, but she did occasionally teach a class at church. At the time, I often wondered why she wasn't more involved. Then I had twelve children, and realized that my focus and attention was on my children, not so much on being seen at, and involved in, every activity at school or at church.

One of the most important aspects of being a parent of many children, is being close as a father and mother. When the children see their parents sitting next to each other watching tv, or helping each other cook in the kitchen, and when they see their father opening the door for their mother, it builds a secure foundation for them to feel part of something grand. Mom giving dad a little kiss, the two of them holding hands, smiling, and laughing, are things that set the example for children to not only know that their parents love each other, but also sets the example for them to follow when they get married.

Scents

Have you ever walked through a department store, passed the perfume section and nearly been bowled over by the strong scents, and then finding yourself nearly running through that department?
I agree, it can be quite overwhelming, however, I just love smelling different scents.
Walking into the house after being way for a while, it's nice to smell a hint of flowers. Getting into the car, the scent of cologne; going into the mall restroom, the smell of clean linen; being in the forest, the pine tree smell.
I'm so glad there are room sprays in so many different scents because I like to spray them everywhere. Some hit me with a sourness, others are too woodsy. But I think my favorites are the strong florals, like jasmine and gardenia. My family can handle those scents, only in few and far between occasions, so I use lighter scents. My favorites right now are lavender/vanilla, apple cinnamon, and clean linen.
I love smelling some kind of scent everywhere I go.

Clam Chowder (or is it?)

You've not seen a recipe like this! 

I've tried searching for a clam chowder and even a potato soup recipe with added ingredients, and didn't find anything suitable for my idea, so I created my own recipe.

It has the usual clam chowder ingredients, like onion celery, potatoes, and the sauce making stuff like butter, flour, and cream.

But this one has a dry potato soup mix that already has the flour, milk, flour, and spices in it. It's cheating, I know, but it saves time and we like the soup mix spice blend.

So to this, I added the vegetables: celery, carrots, red potatoes (because I like the texture better than russet), fresh kernel corn, clams, and bacon bits. 

Made in a large stock pot, then refrigerated overnight, and transferred to a crockpot the next morning to gently heat up for lunch.

Holy cow, was it good!

I love clam chowder, but this was the great!

We will definitely be making this again!

Here's the recipe:

(and it makes enough for a crowd)

4-1/2 cups Augason Farms Potato Soup Mix

9 cups water

1/2 lb of baby carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced diagonaly, about 1/2 inch

8 medium sized red potatoes, peeled, chopped in 1 inch cubes

kernels sliced off 2 ears of fresh sweet corn

4 T bacon bits

2 cans minced clams, drained

drizzle or two of olive oil

Boil the potatoes until half done, or until a fork can go half way through a cube. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

In a large stock pot, mix the dry soup mix with all of the water, stirring til smooth. Heat to nearly boiling, then reduce heat to low. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, corn, and bacon bits. Stir to keep blended. Add clams, and drizzle olive oil over surface, mix well. Heat for 20 minutes,

stirring occasionally to blend. Remove from heat and allow to cool, covered, about 2 hours.

Transfer to large covered container, and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, pour soup mix into large crockpot. Heat on high for an hour then turn to low heat for 3 hours. Serve hot with crackers or bread.

Store soup in refrigerator.

Lovely Double Crochet Blanket

I love this color yarn. 

It's from Red Heart and is called Williamsburg! 

With variegated colors that are closer than usual. And what I mean by that is, the amount of dye on a strand of yarn are shorter than what is most common. 

Its one of those colors you don't find in a store. But I found it on the Red Heart website while scrolling through all of their colors, looking for something unique.

The skein is a bit smaller (5 oz), though, so when I decided to make this blanket, I needed twice as much yarn as with other skeins. (of course I didn't realize that until I bought the first batch of yarn - 10 skeins, And then I saw that I needed to order another 10 skeins! And then another!) 

Luckily, the yarn was on sale - 1/2 price!

This one will be about a full size blanket, or large enough to cover just the top of a queen size bed, but at the moment, I'm about half way finished, and I can't wait till its done!

(because I have another project blanket I want to start!)

A Soft Spot for Sweets

It's no secret that I LOVE sweets! Especially when there's chocolate involved!

Just look at this!

And this!

It looks so delicious!

Soo good!

Pinterest is the perfect place for mouth-watering, tempting desserts, and even the recipes for making them.

Gee, I wish you could order foods from the Pinterest menu!