I just need a moment

For all you mom's out their who just don't want to face dinner.

Enjoy.

Happy weekend.

Back to School Feast

Last night we had our back to school feast.

We invited both sets of Grandparents over, my kids have the best Grandparents.

The menu was suppose to be.

Fish Taco's with fresh pico, 

cafe rio style dressing, salad, rice and beans.

as seen here.

I was thinking of what I had planned for our feast and realized, it was all for me.

This night is all about my kids, so I changed up the menu.

Ribs, 

Mash Potatoes,

Salad, 

Hand Shucked Corn on the Cob 

(any what about bob fans?)

Watermelon.

For Desert I made 2 Slab Pies

an Apple and a Peach.

We pretty much always get our corn form this stand.

They have been selling for 49 years and really do have the best produce.

We got our corn and watermelon from here.

They are located on Main St in Kaysville kinda by Taste Doughnuts.

As a side note the lady who runs the stand is a firecracker and we love her.

I took this picture from my car, because I am sure she would have yelled at me for taking it.

 Don't tell.

After dinner Justin and the Grandpa's gave the kids a Father Blessing for 

the start of the school year.

You can find out more about blessings here.

This school years theme is 

Joshua 1:9

\

(source)

I hope it will help my kids remember that the Lord is always with

them and that they have no reason to fear the world.

Stand and be true my little ones.

p.s. sorry for the crappy phone pics its all I had time for.

Happy School Year!

Happy school year folks.

For me way more then new years, the end of summer is a time to reflect.

I decide to focus on five areas of my life.

1. Spiritual

"I don't have a soul, I am a soul..."

C. S. Lewis

2. Financial

This is my biggest hurtle right now.

Budget needs to become my new best friend

3. Family

I really kinda love these guys.

4. Health

The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful body

and it is my job to treat it as a gift from God.

Also to make it as rocking as I can.

5. Home

I want my home to be a haven from the world.

After all 

"There is beauty all around when there's love at home"

 (Mike took these pics at the 4th of July with my phone)

To help me reach my goals, I will be posting thing related on this blog of mine.

Here's to a new school year and new possibilities.

Best watch it, before you get Schooled

Monday my 3 oldest chicklets went back to school.

I already miss Summer.  Call me crazy but I do.

My kids are ready,  so off they go.

Dallin is now in 9th grade.  Holy crap.  

Now everything matters, grades! Holy crap.

It's time to prepare to get into a great college. Holy crap.

Breath!

Back to Dallin.  This kid is awesome.  

He is a tuba playing maniac.

He is one of the few 9th graders playing with the Davis High Marching Band

and is doing their field show.

Davis High is very proud of their Band and Football and being Davis High.

Mike is in 8th grade and is also awesome.

He is playing the baritone which my little ones call the baby tuba.

He loves to skateboard and pester.

He is great at pestering, its a true talent.

Dallin and Mike pose stoically.  Why yes that is doughnut on Mike's mouth.

Lauren is a big 5th grader now.  Crazy.

She also is awesome.

Lauren has the kindest heart.  She is super good.

She has a talent of making everyone around her feel loved, young and old.

She also is a great decorator, she rearranges her room like daily.  No joke.

I got the kids doughnuts for the first day of school breakfast (Mike's mouth is prof), because

I may have slept in and didn't have time to make french toast.

The boys left for KJH.

(I wish it was socially ok for me to walk them the first day, but such things are frowned upon) 

Curled Lauren's hair and luckily 5th graders are fine having their mother walk them to school.

Lauren and her bestie Mia.

It was a great day and so happy my kids loved it.

Even if someone with doughnut on his mouth said it was okay.

I know he meant amazing.

Menu Thursday

Here's the game plan for this weeks dinners.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs 

(Milo keeps asking for the large meatball meal)

I use panko bread crumbs instead of oats,when I make my meatballs.

Also if your by Trader Joe's,  I'll use the turkey meatballs in this.

Makes it super yummy and easy.

Crockpot Taco Chicken Bowls

This is a new one, can't wait to try.

Homemade Pizza with a yummy salad.

I'm thinking pepperoni with black olive.  

Maybe on french bread or Jimmy Johns bread?

(You can get Jimmy Johns day old for only 50 cents a loaf)

BLT'S with homemade baked potato chips and fresh fruit.

Have you tried a fried egg on your BLT?  Supper good.  

I also love to add cucumber to mine.

Black Bean Burritos with salad and corn.

I like to make these how my dad always makes burritos.

Your grill them in a little oil and make them supper crispy on the outside and warm and melting on the inside.

Sweet Buffalo BBQ Chicken with baked potato and veggies.

I'll share the recipe later.  My kids love this.

Fish Taco's with fresh pico, 

cafe rio style dressing, salad, rice and beans.

This is our back to school feast and I'll have more on it later.

What's up with You

My kids love them some you tube.

Here is a little taste of what they are loving right now.

Kim Possible.

She can do anything, but get to school on time. 

Baby Monkey.

I really don't get this but they love it.

The Duck Song.

We only watch this version, I guess there is one that scares Milo.

It is called the mean duck song in our home.

Shape Song

We're all about learning here.

Animal Sounds.

My fav is "the people go blah blah blah"

Once Upon a Jacket

I have wanted a leather jacket since the fist time 

Emma Swan strolled across my TV in Once Upon a Time.

(Ok before that, but she really made me want one more).

(source)

So today when I was wandering round Zulily,  look what I found!

Some Kick Ars faux Leather Jackets.

Best Part of all, they're only $22.99 or less.

Amazingly fab, I know. 

(Did I just write amazingly fab?  I might have to kick my own ars.)

(source)

This black faux Leather is only $19.99

(source)

Don't you love the Olive Green.  I almost bought this one.

(source)

Classic Brown.  Love where it hits on the wast. 

Don't worry for those of you who are a little Mary Margaret,

I've got you cover for the same price.

(source)

Who doesn't love a Camel Hooded Toggle Jacket?

I love the detail around the pockets.

Are you maybe feeling a little Wicked?  Here's

my Regina inspired pick.

(source)

Okay this jacket I love.  The black with the grey color blocking.

With such an awesome price, well I see nothing wicked here.

If only I could have them all, but alas I live in a itty bitty home,

so I went with the black leather and the grey and black color blocking.

Which do you love?

Just to make you want fall a little more, here's a sneak peak at the new season.

Here's a new show.  Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.  Looks promising.

I Wonder

Dear Levi,

         Your due date was the other day and with it came a longing.  I thought of the first and only time I saw you and held you.  So small and so perfect.  It has now been a year and a half since then.   You should be turning one.  Would you be walking?  Would you of said mama by now?  I wonder what your sweet little face would look like.  Would it light up when you saw me?  I wonder if your hair would be dark or blond. What your eye color would be.  I wonder who you are my little Levi. 

           Mostly I just wonder what it will be like to hold you again.  Levi I know someday you will be handed back to me in all your perfectness.  My heart aches for that day.  That joy.  I can almost feel it but then it slips away.  You make me grateful that our family is sealed for this life and the next.  I am so grateful for Temple blessing.  I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father and for our Savior. 

          Levi you are so loved.  You are so missed.  You have changed me forever,  you my son have taught me so much.  I am now more understanding,  I now see how much a heart can break and be put back together by the matchless love of our Savior.  I see how depression affects you and how you can hurt so much that you wish you could escape your own body.   How it can make you question that their is a loving and kind Father watching over you.  How the spirit can pull you back and see the miracles in your life, that our Farther is their watching and caring for each of us.   

        You have helped me fight for what I believe in and there were times that I felt like I was losing that fight.   Now a year and a half latter I am so grateful for that fight.  Without it I could not stand here and be certain of who I am.  We truly are Levi, children of God.  With his help we can come out the other side whole.   Thank you for the hardest year and a half of my life.  I truly mean it with all my broken heart.  It one day will be whole again, and you will be in my arms.

Love Mom.  

Somethings really are just yours.

So theirs no denying I have a big family.

Which I love but comes with its challenges.

Like when your in the living room and here one of your kids

say to the other "Why are you using my toothbrush?"

and then the other sicko say "what this is my toothbrush".

(source)

Say what?

So naturally I promptly threw out all the old toothbrushes and bought new.

I also never ever want to ever overhear that conversation again, I got my trusty sharpie out.

I put each kid's initial on the bottom of the toothbrush.

To be extra sure I put their name on the side.

Large family problem solved!!!

Take protective measures now don't let all that nastiness happen to you.

NYLT

My handsome Mike just finished up National Youth Leadership Training 

with the Boy Scouts.

Honestly I know about nothing when it comes to scouts and scouting.

His leaders tell me stuff and other parents talk about things and

I smile and nod.

I am Charlie Brown and they are the adult.

Whaa wah Wah wa. 

(Mike looking rugged and needing a shower)

So the way I know that NYLT is amazing and something to be proud of completing.

Is the fact that said leader and parents give approving smiles and nods

and a job well done pat on the back.

All of which is foreign to me when it comes to scouts.

I am use to the Dallin should be working on his Eagle project  or

the you really should sew on some rank badges on your boys shirt looks.

I am sure most people could careless that I am mediocre when it comes to scouting.

To those of you trying hard to help my boys out with all things scouts, a huge thank you.

 (Awards Ceremony)

Mike spent a week up at Camp Fife learning and growing.

He loved it, which what more could I ask for.

On Saturday we got to pick him up and see the camp.

I love driving to places I have never been, especially when its just me and my man.

 I love catching up with no kids distractions 

and on the way home hearing Mike's stories from the week.

My fav is the kid who got mad, flipped over a picnic table and then sat on the ground next to it.

No one seemed to know why he was mad.

Also the water taste like eggs, yuck.

This stop sign was on the way to camp and oh how it made me laugh.

Great job on the spelling my young friend.

I love that I also got this cowboy in the shot.  He was chasing a horse that had

gotten out and wasn't likely to give up his new found freedom easy.

P.S.  Just to prove my lacking when it comes to scouts. As I was writing this I put down NYL.

Mike came up behind me and said mom you have that wrong it's NYLT.

Whatever. 

Pantry Taco Soup

Don't you just love a meal that is budget friendly,  super easy, and lick your bowl clean good?

Then you my friend are in luck!

I first had this Taco Soup a few years ago at a home warming luncheon. 

It became a fast favorite.

So when a friend of mine had her 3rd little boy,  it was a no brainer what to make.

Pantry Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 can Diced Tomatoes 

1 can Corn

1 can Chili 

(I do 2 cans Chili)

1 can Black Beans

2 T Taco Seasoning 

(you can add more or less if you like)

Dump all cans with liquid in to your crockpot, add Taco Seasoning and stir.

Cook on low 6 hrs or high for 4 hrs.

So easy but yet so good.

Sometimes or all the time you have a 3 yr old, who the second you start cooking or anything, needs you to stop everything and be her minion.

So as the great mom you are, you snap a somewhat fuzzy picture of her prefect patheticness.  

Because no meal is complete with out desert.

Apple Crisp 

Ingredients

1 can Apple Pie Filling.

Or make your favorite Apple Filling.

1/2 stick Butter, soften 

1/2 C Brown Sugar 

1/2 C Oats

Cinnamon to taste.

Poor apples into a greased backing pan.

Mix butter, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon together.

Sprinkle mixture over apples.  Cover with foil.

Place in a 350 oven until bubbling, around 30 min.

Altogether I brought 

Taco Soup

Watermelon

French Bread

Apple Crisp

Vanilla Ice cream 

Almost everything I had on hand, so this meal fits in prefect with the save $100 challenge, I am doing.

Just goes to show you don't have to spend a lot to make a wonderful meal.

A great way to save some mullah when taking a meal to someone is to team up.

This what I usually do.  Sometimes I bring the main dish, sometimes the sides.

Why not share the work and the joy of serving with a friend.

Camp out (almost)

The plan.

Have a super family camp out, with my super siblings and parents.

What actually happened.

My mom and dad where so stinking nice and took my 5 kids up the night before

to save an extra spot at the campgrounds.

Having no kids = perfect date night with a side of food poisoning.

Lame I know.  I was so sick all night.

Knowing we couldn't leave my parents with 5 kids.

We made the trek up to the Unitas.

(About 2 hrs away) 

This place was so pretty.  Wish I could of had the energy to explore more.

Oh and this handsome boy had a fever off and on,  sorry mom for sending you

with a sick little boy.

Playing that throw the golf ball thing on the pvc pipe thing game.

So needless to say we didn't camp out.  My brother who's little girl hurt her

arm right as they were leaving to come up, didn't camp out.

Way to tough it out to my sisters and parents.

Better luck to us all next year.

We stopped by an old cemetery  in Poea (sorry if I misspelled Poea)

The story of this bolder in a nutshell, is that Brooks was pretty much

a jerk and took from everyone and never gave back and bragged about

helping in the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.

When he died and was lay to rest this bolder rolled down the hill and landed

on top of his grave.  

You put the lime in the Coconut

When we put our house on the market, we decided to make

one small room not feel so stinking small buy good willing 

Evie's toddler bed.  She shared with whoever she felt like that night.

Which usually was Lauren or Milo.

That was fine for Little House on the Prairie (big time fan)

and for while our house was on the market.

Thanks to KSL, I was able to find some

used bunk beds for only $75.  Awesome!!! 

 

I love the shelf and have dreams of banners and books.

The only problem and its kinda a big one.

They were super old looking.

I wanted to paint them but wasn't sure

what color?  I haven't figured out what bedding

or art or really nailed down anything for this shared room

just yet.  Lots of ideas but nothing in concrete just yet.

Knowing I want to paint them, I didn't want to hassle with stripping and staining.

All was lost I had nowhere to go.

Wait a moment.... PINTEREST

My friend Heidi had just pinned something about refinishing wood with coconut oil.

It works amazing!!!

It is super easy.  Just rub it in and then just wipe off.

 Before.

After.

The best laid plans

Breakfast for dinner, one of the best ideas

mankind has ever had.

Needless to say I love it and I had planned an

amazingly yummy one for dinner the other night.

French Toast made out of sweet Challah Bread

Orange  Julius 

(I have the best recipe for this, will share)

Super Fresh Mellon

 Scramble Eggs

Fresh Strawberry Syrup! 

Wait no fresh strawberry syrup?

The kids had eaten all but 2 strawberries.

By kids I mean Milo.

My first thought was to run off to the store and by more and curse the

little Devils for ruining my amazing breakfast for dinner.

Then I remembered the fcf $100 challenge. 

This was the perfect way to save money.

I have syrup and I am trying hard to not run to

to the store everyday for little things that I really don't need.

I am so bad at going to the store almost daily for things that I should have planned for.

I tell myself its not lack of planning, its just I am European at heart.

This also what I tell myself when I don't shower everyday.

Thank you little devils for helping me out with 2 of my goals, you rock.

Mi!o gets an invite

Milo went to his first birthday party..

Wait for it....

All by himself.

No little sister, no big sister

and no big brothers. 

Us walking to his friends house.

(Milo says his hair is magic because its both light and dark)

Wish I had magic hair.

Milo and his friend.

Milo's gift. 

As you know from here, I am doing the FCF $100 challenge.

Here's how I was able to rock the challenge birthday party style.

We usually have a $5 - $15 friend birthday budget.

Older kid stuff just cost more so we give our teens more to spend.

Back to what I spent and what I saved.

Milo would usually have right around $5, but

Target had a bunch of toys on sale for 70% off.

(Thank you Megan for the Call)

Which made it so we didn't sacrifice on the quality of gift, but

still only spend slightly less then $2.

The raping paper is actually scrape booking paper that

we already had.  So no money spent.

Which means I was able to save $3.

You only have to save $3.25 a day to make it to your goal.

Easy Peesy 

Why not save $100 smackaroos in August?

Why not save $100 smackaroos in August?

I love this challenge and also Fun Cheap or Free blog.

I have gotten so many great ideas from Jordan, 

and this is perfect timing with my 3 oldest starting school.

I am jumping into this challenge with both feet.

 Why? You ask.

Because I seem to bleed money!!!!

I don't mean to. I have great plans but for some reason I find myself

completely ignoring my budget.

I am trying hard to be more of a planner.

I am naturally a go by the seat of your pants and hope everything works out kinda gal.

Not so anymore.  I have finely realized that I have to make my life

what I want it to be. 

Putting our house on the market taught me this.  

(I'll go more into this later on).

I am going to try and post all about my ups and downs with this challenge and I'll

post thing related on my Instagram.

This will be fun!!!

21 days to break a carefree are you still a child habit.