Pumpkin Patch

Last Saturday, Derek and the kids went to Johnson's Pumpkin Farm in Greenbrier. It was windy, cold, and really muddy. Not the best conditions, but the kids had fun anway.

Once we got home all the tennis shoes, and coats had to be washed..lol

fall festival

Kids and Derek went the fall festival at the Primary school last night. It was nice of Derek to take them out for a bit, as I have not been feeling well the past 2 days(nope, no pregnant, just exhausted).

Here are some pics of the lovely face paintings they came home with..lol

You cant see Lydia's sunset, but it was shaded very well, and of course Jacob smeared his car..oh well. Kate got a rainbow with clouds.

this and that...ramblings.

Been pretty busy here lately. With Orchestra, church callings and never ending small crisis' that pop up, it seems I never have time to stay on top of everything. See, I'm a perfectionist. It's a terrible curse. I feel like I always have to have my house clean, and in order, and presentable, but then there are other areas of my life that stay in chaos. I guess I just place more importance on certain things. Lately some things have happened that have caused me to reflect on what really is important.

Without boring you to death, I wont bother you with the minute details of the story.
You ever felt really threatened? Like how someone who you thought knew, you, accused you of doing something you didn't do? How do you convince that person? It's a difficult thing. People are stubborn and prideful.The scriptures keep telling us not to be prideful, but the meek get run over by the prideful everytime. Do we just lay down and take it? My parents raised me to be independent, and sometimes that means fighting back . I do agree there are times, you must just turn the other cheek. Doesn't mean its always easy...especially when it involves your family.
I love my family, not just the my own immediate family, but my family I grew up with, the Harrison clan. We didn't say it much then, but we love each other , but yet somehow our relationships remained a bit strained. Sometimes I wish we could just remove all the pretense, maybe we need some therapy. Maybe we just need to let some things go of the past, and start over.
Anyhow, didnt mean to turn this into Psych 101 this morning..lol
Just want to let my friends and family know how much I love them, and I'm so glad that I'm not alone in the crazy mixed-up world!

give away

for all you scrapbooking fans, this website is giving away a free Gypsy machine. If you dont kno what it is, go on over to Provocraft.com.It works in conjuction with the Cricut machine....go enter at the site for a chance to win.

cuttingabove.blogspot.com

Houston, we have instruments...

We have finally purchased out instruments for Orchestra. I have spent hours online doing research on brands, New vs. Used, Chinese vs. European, buying vs. renting, and I'm exhausted.

I was looking for a 1/2 size violin for Lydia. I didn't want to buy a cheap beginner brand for her, but I wasn't willing to shell out 800$ for a decent one either. I suppose I probably could have rented, but I knew in a matter of 6 months of rentals fees, I could have paid for one. I finally settled on a used Sheryl and Roth, a copy of a Stradivarius. I think its good enough for a beginner student, and then some. I'm planning on keeping it for the other children to use at a later date.

Last weekend we went up to Springdale to look at a used Cello for myself. I didn't realize how hard it is to find a used 4/4 Cello, that doesn't cost an arm and leg! Anyhow, I got up to Springdale and the instrument had more blemishes that I thought. We left, without purchasing it, and it bothered me all the way home.

Yesterday, I decided I still wanted to buy it, so after calling the owner and leaving 2 messages, he called me back and told me he still had it for sale. Then like a God-send my friend called me, and told me her husband was actually up in Sprindale on business,and would pick the instrument up for me. He did, and later that night, I showed my instructor the cello. I was afraid she would say it was a piece of junk, but she said with a trip to a luthier(sp?), and a few minor adjustments, it would work just fine.

I was so relieved. We purchased 2 instruments, and stayed with the budget we set. Whew!

falling off..and country music.

Fell off the blogging wagon for a while. Been super busy with school, showing our house, and life in general.

Do you remember when you were a teenager and you would be riding in your car with friends and you would hear a song on the radio, that one you just loved? "oh I love this song!" Your friend replies, "you love every song!" Well that's simply not true. I hate country music.
Now before you all start bashing me, let me prove my point. Yesterday while cleaning my bathroom, I actually put it on a country station. We have a local station here called KVOM. I listen to it because, quite frankly, it cracks me up. Every day at 8:30 am they have this show called Trading Time. You can call in with your items you have to sell or trade. Some of the calls have had me on the floor. Some examples"
"I have a goat I need to mate"
"I'm looking for a free car"
"I have a donkey for sale"
Are these people for real?????

Anyhow, back to country music....I'm listening and a song comes on by Jessica Simpson. Is she still around? Well, apparently she is a country music artist now. I use the term "artist" loosely.....anyway, she is singing a song to a guy about how she needs/wants him now, and don't worry about putting your shoes on, just slide on some flip-flops and get over here.
Well, let's not beat around the bush shall we? This was such a lame song. Maybe I just picked a bad day to listen...lol

Friday Night Fun...

Tonight the kids decided to set up the dome tent downstairs and what naturally goes with camping? Smores! I broke out a can of sterno from our Food Supply, and fired it up. Jacob was obsessed with blowing out the flames on the marshmallows. He's such a boy....

learning new tricks

I didn't know 4o would come with so much reminiscing. I look back on my life and see I accomplished some good things in the first 40 years. I found my best friend, and married him. I have 3 great children.(some days I might question that) I try to do the right thing, and be kind to those around me, even those that are sometimes hard to love. Ive learned patience, what determination is, and learning to do what the lord wants, and not my will. Some of these "life lessons" have been hard for me. I'm always afraid of what people are going to think of me. Why do I do this? It really doesn't matter in the long run.

Ive decided to turn over a new leaf. I'm tired of carrying negative thoughts around in my head. I know who I am, where I come from, and know what I can become, if I just be obedient. Shouldn't that be enough for me or anyone else?

One of my temporal goals has been to learn to play the cello. As a teenager I was fascinated with the sound of it .My small High School did not offer Orchestra, only Band. I eventually decided to play the Trumpet.
I know, that's a far cry from strings, but I chose it because most of the girls were playing the flute or clarinet. I still wanted to be a bit different. It was a good experience, and I learned how to read music from it.

Fast forward 25 years later. Lydia has been begging for music lessons, any lessons for a couple of years now. It never worked out for us, either didn't have an instructor, the time, or extra money for it. I was really hoping to find a program locally, but as you know Morrilton is very small. One day I was reading our local paper and found a article about music classes for home schooled children.(one of the things they miss out from public school) I couldn't believe my eyes! I had to reread the article, then I called my friend Amber to tell her about it. I thought, surely there is a catch. I called the director and visited their website.
You guys, it is so awesome. The have so many programs, not just Beginner Orchestra, but Band, and Vocal training. I was like"this is it!"
I was so pleased to find out the cost was minimal and the lessons were going to be in Russellville. I feel like my prayer/desire has been answered, and the best part of all Lydia and I will be able to take the lessons together! Lydia has decided on the violin, and I, my beloved cello.
I just cant wait!

Broken Bow weekend

We finally went on vacation this year! We were so excited to get a way from it all. After a 4 hour car-drive, we met our friends at Beaver Bend Cabins in Broken Bow, OK. It was so peaceful up there.Our cabin(really it was a large house) was great. the upstairs had a huge loft where all of the children slept. On Friday night, we just hung out and got settled in.Saturday morning we headed out to the lake and rented a party barge. The kids had fun tubing, and the lake was just the right temperature. If you know me, I'm not really a water kind of person, especially not lakes, but I found myself enjoying it! The lake is man made but it is beautiful. I even rode the tube a bit. Here is some video of lydia driving the boat with Eric's help.

After the lake, we were all tired and came back and made dinner, and the adults watched 17 again. What a funny movie!( btw its NOT a kid movie)
I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Sunday came and we headed to Idabell to the LDS Branch, but realized it was their Stake conference after no one came to the building. We headed back to the cabin, and spent the rest of the day talking, and playing games. Monday morning we packed up, and said our goodbyes.
I so wish we could do this every year. Thanks to the Sonneborn's and Anderson's for a great weekend!

Birthdays

In our family, we have birthdays non stop, each month, starting in May, and ending in August.
Yesterday was Lydia's 11th birthday. Gosh, she will be starting Young Women's next year. I took her earlier this week to get her hair cut.
She informed me she wanted the same cut I had. Wouldn't you know, she looks better with it than I do! Unfortunately she looks older too.
I caught a boy staring at her in the store the other day. She is so oblivious to boys..lol..I'm kinda glad :)

Of course all of this makes me feel older, but what can you do?

changes on blog

If you are reading this blog, you have been approved by me to read our family blog. I have been having some strange traffic lately, so I have decided to go private for awhile....thanks

Amy

summer and other non-important drivel..

Wow, it doesnt feel like summer in Arkansas today. It is so beautiful. No humidity and low temps. A girl could get use to this! We had a thrilling day of outdoor chores today. Derek got up on the roof and repaired some shingles that were blown off in a windstorm, followed up by cleaning out the gutters. Meanwhile, I was vaccuming out the car and shampooing the mats. I wish cars would just stay clean. I always feel so grimey after cleaning out the car!

Anyhow, not much to report here. Five more weeks before school starts. Guess I better get that Intent to Homeschool form into the School District before they hunt me down.For those of you that dont know, I had a little run-in with them last spring( long story)
Kate will be starting K this year. Only 2 more years, and everyone will be in school. I thought that would never happen! My kids are growing up way to fast. My almost 11 year old decided this would be a good week to start being a smart mouth. Oh, the joys of parenthood...

weight loss part 2

Well, its been a couple of months since my last weight loss report, so here it goes. I haven't been as successful as I wanted, but I'm still happy to say Ive lost about 15 lbs. I started going back to the gym, stopped drinking caffeine, and basically am just watching the amounts I eat, and allowing myself 1 free day. If I want a brownie, I can have one on my free day :)

It's really weird to me, once I can trick my mind into thinking that I don't want something, I
can lose the weight. I guess that means I'm an emotional eater.
I was watching Oprah, last week , and they had some overweight teens on. I found myself in tears watching some of the stories. Some of these kids wanted to die, instead of being overweight. I just wanted to reach through the TV and give them a big ole hug.
Being overweight does not define who you are! Anyone who has ever struggled with weight, will tell you that your emotions play a huge part in the weight loss game. I have been a teenager and struggled with self-image, in a some-what normal body. I just couldn't believe some of the stories these teens were telling of people teasing them, it was shameful....it's so sad that the world is so focused on our outward appearance.

So you still hanging in there with me? 20 more pounds to go..let's get healthier...we can do it!

the results are in...

As many of you know, we embarked on a new journey this past year, the world of home-schooling. I was given so many opinions on it, I decided I just needed to do what I knew was right for Lydia.

I won't lie to you, it was tough. Having your child home all day, and being their teacher is an exhausting job! We were able to get Lydia into a tuition-free state program, called
Arkansas Virtual Academy. Although the curriculum is set for you, the amount of time needed to complete the daily course work, didn't allow me to spend time with my other children.
After much deliberation, we withdrew from the program after 6 months.

The last 2 months of the school year, we finished on our own. We both were relieved, and excited when the school year was done! In Arkansas, the law states that homeschooling families must complete a standardized test at the end of the school year. I suppose they do this so they can compare the scores with that of the public schools.

I was a little nervous as the testing day approached. Fortunately for Lydia, she was able to test nearby, and with a group of kids she was familiar with. After a two month wait, we finally got the results this week. They were very good. I am so proud of her. Her reading is on a 8th grade level(she's in 5th now) and her Math skills were on a 6th grade level. This is a huge accomplishment for her, as math is her most difficult subject.

Lydia, Im so proud of you! We made it, together!

The big four-zero

Its official! I can no longer say I am in my thirties. Where did the time go?
I have to say, I'm handling it pretty well. That's probably because someone hasn't asked me my age yet..lol
It was a little weird this morning to wake up and realize my 30's are gone. I checked the mirror carefully for any more wrinkles or lines. Nope, I look the same as I did yesterday.

Here's a definite reality check. I have to start having mammograms now! Luckily I get out of it this year....ahh.. the benefits of nursing :) I seem to be caught in some weird netherworld.
I've decided I'm just not going to worry about. I can freak out at 50...

tantrums

When I finally had a boy, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that girls cried easily, screamed often, and whined quite a bit. Nothing had prepared me for the terrible two's with a boy.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Something happened to my sweet Jacob on his 2nd birthday. Suddenly, someone flipped a switch in him, that said "rip apart anything you can find", and "have a fit, then you can get
your way".

Here is prime example. We just got a new camcorder, and I captured this in the car on the ride home.

birthday boy

Well it's offical! Derek turned 39 yesterday! One more year closer to the big 40! He took the day off from work, with the intention of hitting a few golf balls, but changed his mind, and hung out with the family( enter the awwww here)

The girls and I had been busy getting together his gifts(Lego Star Wars game from the girls)

and a gift cert. to the local golf course. He's not really a cake kinda guy so we decided on getting him those little mini eclairs and stacking them up on a plate to look like a cake. I needed another box to make it look right, but I just kept thinking of all those extra eclairs that would have to be eaten...lol.

We decorated the dining room with a Happy Birthday banner, and balloons.. Later on in the day we went out to our garden spot to plant sweet corn and cantaloupe.(It's been so wet here I am glad we waited to plant)

It was a total family affair, and even though a little work was involved too, he had a great time. Happy Birthday Derek!

Gone Pickin'

I have been wanting to get up to Guy for a couple of weeks now, to pick strawberries, but something would always come up, and prevent it. My Mom stayed a few days with us, so we decide to try again. The night before had been really rough, with lots of bad weather, and rain

so I wasn't sure if they would be open for picking. Luckily they were, but boy was it humid!

If I didn't love Strawberries so much, I would have stayed home!

We got to the patch about 10am. Most people had come earlier, but we were lucky and they let us pick from a completely different area, that hadn't been picked over. It took us a little over an hour to fill up our 4 buckets. The rain has reeked havoc on the berry crop. Most were just mushy and discolored, the product of too much rain and not enough sun. I think Jacob had the most fun running around in the dirt and mud!

Kate kept yelling "I found one" and come and look at this one", every other second, and driving

us nuts. Lydia was very helpful, and efficient with her picking. Once we got home, we made a fresh strawberry pie, made freezer jam, and froze the rest as strawberry topping for desserts...Yum.

making weight

I really love the springtime, but it always reminds me that summer is around the corner. Even though I have been in Arkansas for 14 years, I still detest the humidity. The only way to keep cool here in the summer, is to be in the water. Unfortunately, to be in the water, you have to be semi-undressed! lol..

As a person who has struggled with her weight most of my life( as a kid I was way skinny) and often sick. As an adult, diagnosed with Celiac disease, I have learned to cook wheat-free, and for years I was making up for lost meals! So now here I am 39.5 years old(and holding) and still 30 lbs overweight! Children, nursing, all of these things have affected me. I decided around Christmas that I was ready to start treating myself better. I started by cutting out caffeine(bye, bye, Cokes) and started putting less food on my plate. I quickly lost 10 pounds. But with the stress of a new year, moving and other things beyond my control, I gained some back.

Well, here we are a month before the big 40, and got back on the wagon again. Again, I'm not doing much, except no sodas, no eating between meals, and just making healthy choices. Ive lost 11 lbs so far and plan get rid of the other 20 over the summer. I bought a really cool piece of workout equipment from Bally. Its basically a sculpting bar, that has resistance. I'm am not the jogging/StairMaster type, but this little workout bar is great! I can really fell the strengthening of my muscles.

I noticed today on Oprah that Kirstie Alley will be on. Remember her? She was the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, and lost all that weight , then gained it back? I feel exactly like her. Oh, I suppose I could beat myself up about gaining some back, but what does that really do for your self-esteem? So if any of you out there are like me, and struggling, I'd love to hear from you. Maybe we can make it together!

feeling hot, hot, hot

Jeez, it's only April and almost 90 degrees! I went out today to plant some flowers in the beds, and I was so sweaty. Luckily the heating and air guys came yesterday an installed a brand new unit in the house. The old one was 30+ years old. Hopefully we will save some $$ on the electric bill too! I'm trying to avoid turning the air on until June. I say the same thing every year, but about mid- May, I cave.

Anyhow, I am prepping for a crop on National Scrapbook Day. Yes there really is such a thing! I'm attending one in Russellville. I'm excited to get away, and try to get caught up. I'm so behind!

Easter was quiet around here. The Easter Bunny came and hid baskets. The kids had a little trouble finding them this year, with the new house and all.

We also had Bro.Stover and the Moll Family over for Ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, asparagus, salad, and dessert. It was a nice evening. We didn't get a picture of the kids in their Easter finery, but Derek did snap this casual post, before the hunt began. Don't you just love Kate's outfit?

Yes, she did have a skirt on, but you cant see it..lol

rainy day Egg Hunt

On thursday we had a Egg hunt at Cami G's house. We had planned to hunt outside, but the rain came early, so the hunt moved inside. I think the kids really enjoyed the playroom and all the goodies we had! There are some great cooks in the 1st ward. I thought I would share a few pictures. Thanks to the Conway gals for inviting me!

moving-epilogue

well, we made it over to the new house. We didn't even break anything this time! Our printer did suffer some. Someone (I won't mention who) put it upright instead of laying it flat in a box, and well the ink cartridge leaked everywhere. Derek spent quite some time cleaning it out.
It still doesn't work right..ugh.

I have been able to un-pack quickly. All of the upstairs rooms are done, Living, Dining, Kitchen, are unpacked too. Now to tackle the basement, and our bedroom. Then I will be done Yea!

The kids are really enjoying having the big screen TV in the basement. They can watch whatever they want, or play video games. All their toys are down there in bins. I just love all the space.

Anyhow, I'm off to clean up the old house today...oh joy! Til next time...

move part 2

Well, the official move is 1 week away. I have been packing now for almost 3 weeks.

Gosh, we have so much stuff! How much stuff does one family need? Granted, a lot of it is my scrap booking stuff. The children have just as many boxes of toys and books though!

Derek is the winner on the least amount of stuff to be moved. Must have been all those moves

he did as a child.

I counted it up this is our 14th move! What is a matter with me? You would think I enjoy this or something? People often think we are in the military. I tell them, "No, we are just insane!"

I know our friends have stopped asking why a long time ago. Guess we are just nomads.

Some of you asked for pics of the new house, here it is. Looks like a Utah house huh?

the move

Yep, we are moving again. We are thrilled, but along with it comes a lot of chaos! I hate when my house is messy with packing boxes, rolls of tape, and newspapers. I have just realized how much scrapbooking supplies I really have. Im not joking-10 boxes of supplies alone. This does not include my scrapbooking tote bags, or any of my Cricut stuff, or my completed albums. ugh...


Im having one of those days I dont want to pack, I just want to clean. That's futile though with this mess. Guess I will take this time to do something else. Hmmm..I still have that un-used massage from Valentines Day. Time to go find a babysitter..lol

I'm a Barbie girl...

Lydia loves Barbie. Most 10 year olds have outgrown this past-time, but not my child. Today she grabbed my camera and starting taking pics.

Here's the group on a double date. Don't they all look great? Well, Except for Stephen, he forgot to dress-up for the occasion. Guess he's pretty confident, since hes out with Beyonce..

And don't forget the guys: metro-sexual Ken , with his Matthew McConaghey look-alike friend, Stephen.

Here is Barbie and Ken on their date, she's totally checking him out!

Hope you enjoyed this Barbie theater..lol

courtesy of Lydia..

Scrapbooking anyone?

.....Well, I finally got to scrapbook yesterday. I did 6 pages! That's a lot for me. Poor Jacob has maybe two pages completed since his birth..I'm just so busy! I did manage to get his 1st birthday photos done( see below)

I don't seem to have time for scrap booking anymore. It's too bad because, I love it so much, and it's a great hobby that benefits my family at the same time :)

Thank goodness for my Conway friends I scrap with once a month! I thought I would share a few pages....

My TV addiction...

You know I once hated TV. I hated the noise, flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. That was all before TIVO.

Oh my gosh, now I can watch the shows I know I love, but I can also tape those ones that I keep hearing about. You can often find me (after putting the kiddos down for the night) watching my fav. new shows:

Trust Me on TNT

90210 on CW

John and Kate plus 8 on TLC

and my old standbys:

House

American Idol

Ugly Betty

Moonlight on Sci Fi

When did this happen? I swear, I have enough to do in my life, do I really need to watch that much this TV? I guess I can think of it as an escape. Yes, we can even call it therapy, and everyone can have it for about 40$ a month..lol

til next time...

Love is in the air

February is here and love is in the air.

When I was a kid I often dreamed about the man I would marry. I had no idea who it would be, just someone that made me feel special. As I got into my teen years and early 20's, I dated a lot. I made some really cool friends, but I just felt that something was missing. I knew I wanted someone who kind, caring, and someone who lifted me up. I didn't plan on marrying my best friend.

See, I've know Derek since I was 17. He moved from Utah, to Arkansas, in 87, the year I graduated from High School. He was a geeky kind of guy, long, thin, had glasses, but this geek had a really cool personality. He kinda intrigued me. We became friends as I headed of to college in Idaho in 88'. We kept in contact by letters mostly, still just friends. Then he got his mission call, and was sent to Japan. I think I wrote him 3 times, that was pretty good considering I had a boyfriend at the time. He reminds me " You always had a boyfriend!" I couldn't help it I was needy..lol Funny story: when I was 17, probably the second time I saw him at a church dance, I was with my then boyfriend, Joel. Derek asked me to dance, and my boyfriend answered for me

" she doesn't want to dance with you. Being the gentlemen that he was, he walked away without incident. Looking back, he says, I should have said something smart like "I didn't ask to dance with you", but he didn't want to start a fight.

We kept in touch a little bit through his mission, and by the time he came home, I was needing to get out of Arkansas. I had a dead end job at Harvest Foods, and my boyfriend Joey was on his in mission in Utah. I packed up my small Civic and moved to Utah to live my brother and his new wife, Becky.

On my trip to Utah, my stopping point was Albuquerque, NM. I had booked a hotel to stay at, but I got a call at home, a couple of days before I left on my trip. It was Derek and he informed that he was now home,and that his family had moved from Arkansas to New Mexico while he was on his mission. His family was inviting me to stay at their home over the weekend.

I reluctantly agreed, ( i hated meeting new people)but, his family was so warm and welcoming. We went to a single adult activity at the State Fair, and met a bunch of his cool friends. This was new for me, a guy I could be just friends with.

Now for the serious part, sometimes the transition from friends, to more than friends, is not always easy. I was torn. I had a boyfriend at the time. What should I do? I did a lot of thinking, and contemplating. I don't like to hurt people. I have been hurt many times, and its no fun.

Because I was young, and stupid, I didn't break up properly. Left my boyfriend just hanging, stopped writing altogether. It was a terrible thing. I know it happens all the time, but that doesn't make it right.

Meanwhile Derek and I were still getting to know each other, he living in NM, and I in Utah. I was so busy in Utah, working, involved in a singles branch, and helping watching my niece Whitney, while her mom worked. It was a good time for me. I was on my own, and able to take a step back, and take stock of myself. I knew there were some things I needed to change about myself. I needed to find out who I was, and what I wanted.

I wanted to be happy. I wanted to wake up everyday being positive, and not dwelling on what could have been. I wanted to get married in the temple, and change my life. That was Fall of 1991.

Derek finally moved up to Utah in August of 1992. Two days later he totally surprised me, by asking me to marry him. I said yes. It felt so right. We were married Decmeber 23rd 1992.

So how is it being married to your best friend? It's wonderful. I don't have to act a certain way, or put on a show. He loves me anyways. We just ceebrated our 16th year together. Although there has been many trials, and hardships, in our married life( that post would be really long!)

we made it through. I feel so blessed to have found him.

I hope at this time of year you, will take a look at your spouse, and remember the reason you fell in love with them. Forget their faults. We are all human. Some of our friends who married around the same time are divorced now. They say they fell out of love. I don't believe it.

They just forgot the reason they loved them in the first place.

So Happy Valentines Day. til next time...

who do you look like?

I found this neat site, through my friend Tiffany. It shows you what celebrity you look like.
It's pretty cool, although I look like someone (Bridget Fonda) who most people have never even heard of !
Take a look at the side bar ...go try it!
http://www.myheritage.com/celebrity-face-recognition?morph=1

You all know how much I love to cook. Well, recently I have been taking a look at my favorite meals and converting them into healthier versions. A lot of you are familiar with the Sneaky Chef books where you hide pureed veggies in children's food. I recently found another book by the same author, called How to Cheat on Your Man in the Kitchen. The title intrigued me, and of course it's for men who are picky eaters. You know who you are, you only eat one

vegetable - potatoes! I had to laugh thinking, okay, we have to even treat our men like children. lol... Anyhow here is one of my favs, we have tried at home....

Brawny Brownies

- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped (or use 3/4
cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #1)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe #13)
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- One-half teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Butter or non-stick cooking spray
- Optional extra boost: 1 cup chopped walnuts
> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
> Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 13-by- 9-inch or 9-inch square
baking pan.
> Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler or metal bowl over
simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat
and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs,
vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled
chocolate mixture.
> In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, oat bran, cinnamon, coffee powder, cocoa
powder, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the
chopped walnuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
> Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely
in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered
sugar, if desired.

You really cannot tell that there is spinach in it. They are so moist! Of course I modify the recipe using rice flour, and leave out the oats, for my gluten-free friends.

books and more books

I don't know what has gotten into me lately! Since we have had a break from home-schooling, i have some time to do one of my favorite things, Reading! I just cant seems to get enough. On our vacation to Utah, I read the last of the Harry Potter series, Deathly Hallows.
Now those of you that know me, I usually like to read about believable things, not fantasy or make believe, but last year after going to see Order of the Phoenix with Derek, I knew I had to start reading the books. I think I was the only one on the planet who had never read a Harry Potter book. I started in January and finished the series in December. We made a deal, if I read the Potter series, Derek would read all the Twilight series. He actually enjoyed the books(except for some crazy parts in the 4th book)

In our branch we have book club also. I love getting together and discussing the finer points of a book. Last year we read: The Deerslayer,Les Miserables and Little Women, just to name a few.
I love to escape with a good book, so this indulgence is purely selfish on my part.
This past weekend I read 2 books, Jacob Have I Loved(my selection for Book Club in January), and Sonia O Brien's Epicenter. I really enjoyed her book, kind of departure from her usual storyline.

Today is Monday and the end of Christmas vacation. Back to more 5th grade reading text. Not
that I'm complaining, I'm learning so much too. I must have been asleep in 5th grade Science, because the assignments are so interesting to me now.
Well, I'm off to wake up the sleepy-head, so we can get started....

Happy New year and Family part 2

Hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and Day. We spent ours reading, eating lil. smokies, baby carrots, cheese and crackers.We watched football and folded mounds of laundry. I hate coming back from a trip becasue we usually have a pile of clothes to wash!

All in all, it was pretty quiet here, except for the neighbors popping off firecrackers!

I cant believe it is 2009. It s kinda scary, Kate will start Kindergarten in the fall, leaving me and Jacob at home.That will be different.

Dereks contract runs out at Saint Anthonys this year, so we will be shopping around probably for a new job by years end. Lots of changes on the horizion for our family.

Anyhow, and now onto our Utah trip..part 2 the Harrison Clan. As I said before, my parents were in Utah too for Christmas, and it was nice to be around my brother and his children. Well, they really arent children anymore, they are teenagers. Whitney is 16 and Curt 14. They are good kids. When I am around them they remind me so much of thier Mom. It was still hard to be in their house.I kept expecting to see Becky pop around a corner. She's been gone 3 years now.

Anyhow, we had fun Karoke-ing, Steve and I did some duets from the 80's- we both love to sing. My parents put up with our antics, and our noise. Christmas Day we had a big meal, and watched a lot of TV. I only wish that my sisters could have been there too. Here's a shot of the family on Sunday before Christmas. Thats my mom on the left, Whitney, my brother Steve, my dad and Curtis. What a good-looking bunch!

I got to meet my brothers girlfriend, Stephanie also. She seems pretty nice. I wish we lived closer so I could get to know her and her family better. As usual the mountains in Utah were beautiful. Derek snapped this picture outside my brothers front door:

Utah cetainly is beautiful, but there are so many people there! I'll stick with my littel po'dunk town here in AR ;)

family..family..and more family..part1

One of the best thing about our trip to Utah, was visiting with various family members.

All of Derek siblings, and his parents, live in the valley. My brother, and niece and nephew, live in Spanish Fork. My parents were even in Utah for Christmas visiting too! We spent a major amount of time driving in the car to every ones home, but it was well worth it.

It snowed every day we were in Utah. In one day, in West Jordan we had almost 9 inches of snow. Nine inches would shut down Arkansas for 3 days..lol

The children had fun tromping around in it and having snowball fights! Notice the street sign!

On our wedding anniversary we celebrated Christmas with the Thueson Clan. Here's the whole family!

The dinner was hosted at Diane's house with her husband Steve, as Chef of the evening. He is quite the cook.

We had cedar planked smoked salmon, spiral sliced ham, and turkey. All of the siblings brought side dishes, and there was even homemade rolls. They smelled delicious. We also took quite a few pictures, and had a cookie decorating contest. My creation won most professional looking (I was a cake decorator at one time) The kids had so much fun rolling out the dough, baking and decorating. Some of the creations were quite colorful!

All of the cousins cracked me up!The boys spent most of time downstairs in the den playing video games, and the girl cousins upstairs playing barbies. They only joined together for food and pictures..lol

That was not all the family we visited - the next post will be devoted to the Harrison Clan.

Till next time....

christmas lights

On Christmas Eve we went up to Temple square and saw the Christmas lights. The kids were thrilled with the ride up on the Traxx, we even got to see someone get arrested on our ride up-thrilling!

The kids really enjoyed the lights. Kate's comment about the annex was "look a princess castle!"My favorite part of the night was walking around the corner of the Tabernacle and seeing the huge white Christus statue. It always takes my breath away. The temple was also especially beautiful. We finished the night off with a stop at the Joseph Smith building, for a restroom break, and to get some snacks for our ride back down to Sandy.

What a nice way to spend Christmas Eve...

winter weather

Why is it, in Arkansas, we can never have normal winter weather? I swear, we are cursed.

The dreaded stuff started falling yesterday morning, and finally quit sometime during the following night. Everything is just covered. The ice is so heavy, our downspouts fell off the gutters. No, that is not our Mountain dew bottle left behind in the car carnage. lol...

Of course Derek was expected to be at work. It was so bad, his boss had to stay the night, in the Rehab Dept at the hospital! Derek did get his little Mazda hatchback stuck in the ice, so I had to give him a push to get him onto the road. That was fun!

School is out, so the neighbor kids are making the best of it. I kept hearing screams and discovered our teenager neighbors sledding down the hill tandem style on a plastic sled. It doesn't look it, but the hill is pretty steep. It runs along the side of our house.They cracked me up!

Of course my kids think it's so unfair that they aren't out in it. I keep explaining its just ice , not snow, and all they can do is get wet. I just don't want to chance anything since vacation is around the corner! I know, I'm such a terrible Mom....

Merry Christmas!

It's here, only a couple of weeks until Christmas and I'm not even ready! It seems every night we have some place to be, or go, I haven't even had much time to enjoy the holidays!
Luckily for us, our vacation is coming up. Cant wait to see the lights at Temple Square. Derek and I were sealed in the SLC temple, so it holds a special place in our hearts. While in Utah, we will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. Crazy..it has flown by.
So grateful for such a sweet husband who listens to me, and help me sort out the chaos when needed.

This will probably be my only Christmas post, but I wanted all of you to know, you have touched our lives, and we are so grateful for your friendship. Merry Christmas!