theme of the year

fantastic bun recipe...

Just came across this...it is SO easy and the buns are SO nice and fluffy!!!

( i doubled this)

5c. flour (add some multigrain if you want) 1/2c. veg oil

4.5 tsp. dry yeast 1/4. c white sugar

1 c. milk 1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. water

Stir together 2 c. flour and the yeast (in a large bowl if doubling). In a separate bowl, mix milk, water, sugar, oil, and salt. heat in microwave until lukewarm. Add all at one to flour mixture and beat until smooth.

Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough...2-3 cups. mix well. dust flat surface with flour, turn dough out onto floured surface, let rest under bowl for 10 mins.

Shape dough into balls...place on greased sheet and let rise till doubled in size.

400 deg...12-15 mins

I got an idea from my cousin Rachel...put a bit of dough in the bottom of a greased muffin tin, add pizza sauce, a slice of pepperoni and cheese. i tried these last night...they were a hit! then you put them in your freezed and take them out for lunches. anything that makes lunches easier is a good thing!!!!

all double digits!!!

3 kids...all in double digits. WOW...how did that happen so fast?!!!

anyhow, 10 year olds are awesome, so this will be such a fun year!

Ayden is hilarious, full of scientific tidbits, cute, smart, sensitive, caring, and loves to have fun!!

love ya Ayden!

ridiculous...

wow...i just had to take a picture of everything i was taking for my young women's lesson today...it was an amazing pile of stuff!!! on the top you see "regrettios"...yes, the lesson was on chastity. good times!

bday partay!

Yesterday Ayden had his party...since his actual bday was on a sunday.

SOOO...we went into a movie "despicable me" in 3-D. it was awesome the second time too!!! then the kiddies played mini golf...we grabbed some pizza and headed home.

then they played hard! after all was said and done it was a 10 hour party. oh yeah.

10 years old = 1o hour party!!!

bday paint

Tessa's bday painting project is...complete! more pics after the room is put together...

ZOWEEEEEEEE

another teenager....

in the house!!! woohoo!!! yup, Tess is 13 today...looking good for being so old eh?

opening her teen care package...

reading the card that gives her a new duvet cover and bedroom paint color!!
YEAH!!!!

Tessa is...intelligent, kind, beautiful, clever, funny, headstrong, sensitive, wonderful!!!!!

love you Tessa.

To The Sky (From The Soundtrack For The Original Motion P...

love owls...love "owl city" and this movie looks cute!

old school picnic!!

cute balloons eh? they didn't last very long. two words. teenagers. helium.just imagine "blue skies" blasting in the background. awesome.
some beehives had to go together...to avoid some drama! way more drama with this activity than i needed.
let me just say that the girls went all out and made the cutest baskets of food!
Ethan on his own, till another girl showed up! good thing i brought an extra picnic...whew!
can't beat burgers and fries...
the boys had to bring blankets...
kind of a big group! hehe
i just love this group of kids


Last night for young men's/ young women's...we had a picnic party!!!
Every young woman brought a picnic dinner...and put them in the middle of the gym...we let the boys in and they randomly (some planned) chose a basket. then they ate...surrounded by balloons and 50's music they have probably never heard in their lives. it was actually really really cute. we have a FABULOUS group of youth. there were some that didn't make it, and some that left early to volleyball games...but the ones that stayed seemed to have a great old time!
i love my calling.

Just for Fun: Tom Cruise Shares His Thoughts on Home Teaching

Just for Fun: Tom Cruise Shares His Thoughts on Home Teaching

the crew - in blue

the best pic of us together in years....

lessons of the day...

1. the harder i try, the harder it is

2. many people deal with bigger problems than i do

3. you cannot please everyone

4. some days- you cannot please anyone

5. some shapes cannot be divided into 40 pieces

6. kids can be taught to do laundry

7. working the day after a long weekend = craziness

8. vegetable soup with milk is much much better

hunger games...

seriously one of my favorite set of books EVER.

I loved the whole series...so intense...

My favorite of all 3 books was the third..."MOCKINGJAY" ...just came out. I won't give away any spoilers other than to say it was fantastic!

Suzanne Collins is a great author...she is so intense and there is never any overkill of details.

love her!

if you haven't read this series, READ IT!!!

lessons in mowing...

yeah, it's been YEARS since we had grass to mow!! but it's looking good...and fun to mow.