Christmas Traditions D-fam Style

I swear Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year because of all the great family traditions. We have so many and we keep adding on! Like some of you have mentioned when J and I first got married we traveled (and still do) a lot. And that was one of our biggest conversation topics while on the road...family traditions. We pulled a lot of traditions from what we both had done as kids (after all, isn't that where we get a majority of our traditions...from our predecessors?) So here are some things we do:

Each year each member of our family gets a new Christmas tree ornament. It is uaually specific to something significant that year (ie, a family trip, a favorite character, etc.) This has been a tradition since my parents were married. After each child got married they got to take all their ornaments with them and I decided to keep that tradition in our family.

Since we have families in 2 different states, we do the every other year thing. On the years we travel to Arizona our Christmas usually gets bumped up a day. We wake up early Christmas Eve morning and open presents...then after breakfast we jump in the car for a 12 hour road trip.

We get new pajamas every year that we are given the night before Christmas to sleep in. I try hard to make them match, but it is really hard to match adult and baby pajamas! So we do our best.

On my side of the family, my mom started a tradition that along with each gift we write a note to each family member following this starter "If it were in my power, my gift to you would be..." It can get really funny and very thoughtful.

We make it a point to get to the temple to see the Christmas lights each year. It's such a great atmosphere walking on temple grounds, hearing the Christmas story, and feeling the wonderful spirit that is there! (The last 2 years it has been on T-Rex's birthday!!)

These are only a few of so many I could list!

I realize that as the kids get older and more in number things have to change, bend, stretch...and I am flexible. But it is exciting to have a family of my own to have our own traditions that they can remember from their childhood and even take to their new families.

Merry Christmas to all of you and Happy New Year!!

A Great time of Year

Up until this coming Christmas, I've always done Christmas morning with my parents. Just lucked out that way, I guess. So this year will be a whole new start to our family’s Christmas J

Upon getting married, I asked my husband what traditions he did that he would love to continue, and combined it with my favorites.

These are some of the things we like to do:

-         We decorate the day after Thanksgiving (if we didn't go anywhere) or the Sunday after (if we did J), which we let our kids do some of the hanging of ornaments, as they are able. This year we even got a train for the tree!

-         We make treats to give to our friends, and my oldest gets to help.

-         We go caroling. We’ve always done it with Ed’s “2^nd Family”, but since we don’t live in Colorado anymore, we will just have to find new friends to go with!

-         We open one present on Christmas Eve, usually something like a book or pajamas.

-         We have a large breakfast on Christmas morning and a simpler dinner. We only look at our stockings before breakfast, and unwrap our presents afterward.

-         My girls are into Hot Wheels, which is a toy we think is pretty gender-neutral, so we give them a new one in their stockings J

-         There’s always the ol’ “Take a picture with Santa”  which we do at our ward Christmas party (Santa at the mall is a rip off)… this year’s is rumored to be Hawaiian… imagine that…

Mele Kalikimaka Everyone!

christmas traditions

I love to listen to christmas music, and also sing it. As for traditions we get ornaments in our stockings every year. Its something my parents started in 1988. So they have continued it on with our spouses or significant others and our children. She also has quilted a stocking for them every year. Another thing I like to do is go driving around looking at christmas lights. Also for the last few years since we are now alumni of institute choir I like to go visit and sing some of their songs they are learning. Its such a wonderful time of year. One last thing I like to do is watch the fun movies they put on Fox family they call it the 25 days of christmas.

Since this past week was probably busy (myself included), we're going to continue the current topic for another week :-)

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I tend to listen to Christmas music all year long, I love to make gifts, so I start planning what to make fairly early in the year, & I put up my tree this year the first week in November. There are just so many things that I love about this time of year, & I don't think it hurts to be reminded of everything just a little bit early.
My husband & I don't have many traditions of our own aside from going to spend Christmas with my family, but I'm sure we'll do more now that Sharon is around.
One of the traditions that my family started when I was young was instead of having the "traditional" Christmas Eve dinner of a turkey or ham (because we just did that for Thanksgiving), we chose a different country each year & then had a meal of authentic food (or as close as we could make it) & watched a video tour of the country checked out from the library or learned about their Christmas/major holiday traditions. We also make or buy an ornament to represent that country on our Christmas tree. It is always so fun to try new cuisine, & especially fun to find out what things you do and don't like. Some of the countries that I've enjoyed the most (or remember the most) are Australia when we had humongous steaks for dinner, Native American (not a different country, but definitely a different culture) when my husband & I brought squirrel and elk for my family to try, Hawaii (again, different culture) when my mom made bowls from a chocolate shell filled with homemade coconut icecream topped with fruit, to look like a real coconut, Ecquador when we had avocado soup & shrimp cocktails, & there are so many more that were so much fun!
I asked my mom last night if there had been discussion as to what country to do this year, & she is leaning toward India. Bring on the curry!
I would have to say that this is one of my favorite Christmas traditions, because it is so different from anything else we'd ever done & it always produces wonderful & lasting memories!

Topic: Nov. 28 week

What a great week of posts we had! Thanks again to Diana for posting a topic... I was having a zombie weekend* and as I half-heartedly checked the blog, my whole body breathed a sigh of relief when I saw she had taken care of the topic. 

So since it's now finally the wonderful Christmas season:

What fun traditions do you like to do as a family this time of year?

What activities do you like to do with your kids?

P.S. If you would like to post a topic, email me at paula.leavitt@gmail.com to let me know. Otherwise, I may post when you had something much better, and that just won’t do! J

*definition: spent the time I should've been sleeping dealing with kids that also should've been sleeping, but weren't... for 4 days in a row... 

Why I'm Thankful

I am thankful for my husband for more reasons than I have room or time for on this post! I am thankful for his worthiness to take me to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity. I am thankful for the two beautiful children he has given me. I am thankful for what a good daddy he is and how he makes my babies laugh! I love his work ethic. He sacrifices so much to make sure I am at home with our children. He can do anything. Seriously. I am thankful for his "fix-it" nature and his skilled hands. I am thankful for his fun personality and how he can make everyone laugh. I am thankful that he can make me smile at him when I am mad and can help me see past the little insignificant things that make me mad. I'm thankful for his priesthood and that he has blessed our family MANY times with it. I am thankful that he loves music and helps keep music a big part of our lives. I am thankful that he encourages me and strengthens me and helps me become a better person. I love you J!

thankful for my hubby

because has given me two beautiful wonderful children. he also helps me so i can get things done. he is entertaining and he comes up with wacky crazy ideas for halloween costumes which we use for our christmas cards. he reminds me its time to send those out. he works really hard at his job. i could go on and on forever for why i am thankful my husband.

Why did the Moose cross the road?

Just a short post on this week’s topic, I pinkie-swear.

I am so thankful that six years ago I agreed to dance with my husband at a Hawaiian-themed Welcome Back institute dance. I ended up only dancing with two guys that night: my future brother-in-law and my future husband.
Michael had been attending our ward for three months and all I ever heard anyone call him was “Dave’s brother.” Not Michael. Not Mike. And especially not Moose. Just Dave’s brother.
Being the youngest child myself, I many-a-times have had my identity reduced because of my birth order. Yep, that’s right I’m Angela “Tommy or Jody’s sister” Kappes, nice to met you. Ugh. It is one of my pet-peeves.
Anyways, as we “danced” (you know, shifting our weight from foot to foot, Book-of-Mormon-apart, while Chicago played) I attempted to make small talk, “So,” I asked jokingly, “how long have you been Dave’s brother?”
And without missing a beat Mike replied, “Since the beginning of summer.”
We laughed. And I’d like to say that since then we haven’t stopped laughing.
I cannot express the importance of humor in a marriage. Being able to smile as we labor together is the greatest relief we can have.

As they say, Come what may and love it.

I am grateful for my husband’s wit. It truly assists me in loving our circumstances, and enjoying the journey.

To a good man

I definitely got lucky when I met this wonderful guy. Not only did he wear cowboy boots & wranglers, but he totally swept me off my feet & continues to do so still. In trying to think of one of the top reasons why I'm thankful for my husband there are just too many to choose just one. The list goes on and on. So, I'm going to tell you one of the reasons that I think sets him apart & makes him the perfect guy for me. He is creative. I know, you're thinking, "Creative. Really? That's all you've got?" Let me explain. If you don't know me, then you don't know how much I love to make things. Being creative & crafty is what gets me through the day to day. It's what takes my mind off my troubles & problems. As my Stake Relief Society President always says, "Everybody's got stuff." You may not know it by looking at me, but I've got stuff, too, & being creative gets me out of my head where I tend to obsess over my stuff. So, to have a husband that also loves to be creative is a huge blessing to me. He doesn't think I'm crazy when I say, "Hon, can you help me with a project?" or "I want to make this, can you help?" He helps out, & sometimes even offers ideas to make it better.

Aside from not thinking I'm insane for all the projects I take on, he also does one of the things I do. When he sees something in a magazine, or online, or on TV that he would love to have, he says, "Wow! That's cool! I bet I could make that!" He builds things, fixes things & makes our home beautiful by creating things that we want or need. I think he can fix pretty much anything & I love it when he makes something specifically for me! So, you may not think being creative is something to be thankful for, but I thank Heavenly Father every day for blessing me with a man who loves to create & make things, because it is exactly what I need!

My Handsome Dragon-Slayer!

I love the image of my husband being my intrepid knight on a white charger, riding in to save the day!

So much so that I think of it pretty much every day, every time my husband does something for me, especially something I don't want to do.

In fact, I've started renaming certain household tasks with "dragon" names, so that I can ask him to go slay them for him, then give him a hero's reward afterwards.

*swoon* "Oh D, I'm in danger of being ravaged by the wicked Poo Dragon (dirty diaper that needs changing), who will rescue me?"

*dun duhduhDAAAH!* (in a deep, manly voice) "Never fear, fair maiden, I will save you!"

Then, when the dragon has been slain, I throw my arms around his neck and cry, "My hero!" and plant a big one on him.

I think it will become a source of great embarrassment to my kids as they get older, but do I care? Not a bit.

It started out as a joke, and still is sort of, but it's a great way for us to keep up that sense of fun and plus, it gives him lots of chances to be my champion and gives me just as many chances to, well, be rescued. So:

I'm grateful for my dashing Prince Charming who routinely rescues me from almost certain peril. My real-life Bold and Fearless Galahad.

My Nerd in Shining Armor

I love my husband because he is just like what I imagined my husband would be like when I was little, dreaming of my "Prince Charming". A nerd. From the first time I met him, I was twitterpaited. I'm grateful that he's there for me through thick and thin. He always tells me I'm beautiful, whether or not I feel like it. He's fun to talk to about anything, and we love to banter back and forth, trying to say something more clever than the other. Kids love him because I don't think he ever really grew up himself :-) When he was still pursuing a firefighting job, the only thing holding him back really was a Paramedic certification. He couldn't work full time AND take the classes...they were a full time gig too. But every time I offered to work part time so he could do it, he said no. He knew how important it was for me to be home, and he could never let me do that. That's becoming less and less common among people today, so I count that as a blessing. He agrees with me on everything that matters: how we raise our children, financial decisions, the Gospel. And lastly, he loves to brag to others about me. It makes me feel special when his co-workers ask for my baked goods or blame me for them being in danger of failing their next PT test. :-) Sometimes I feel like my talents tend to go unnoticed, but Eddie makes sure that everyone knows how lucky he is. It's hard to have a low self esteem around that guy! Good thing he's mine for eternity, huh?

I am Thankful

I am thankful for my wonderful husband.  He has taken care of us a lot in the last 3 months.  I am thankful that Heavenly Father gave me the blessing of being able to carry, give birth and be the mother to 3 beautiful children.  I am thankful to my husband for taking the journey of parenting with me.  I am grateful for the gospel and the strength it has given my marriage and the foundation for our family.  I am thankful for my husband's job and the opportunities it has given him to further his education and the chance I have to also go back to school.  I am so thankful for life and the blessings that Heavenly Father has seen fit to give me.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Why I am grateful

My husband gives me so many reasons to be grateful. One of the top reasons is how he helps to change my outlook on life. He is very positive about things and looks for the best in people. He also is EXTREMELY patient. For example, we taught about 5 or 6 very active and lively 9 year old boys in Primary. At the same time I was pregnant and working with a couple of students with emotional disturbances. I had no patience for silliness. Fortunately, my husband had patience and was less harsh on the boys and had some pretty good lessons. The boys loved him. He also helps me be patient with my daughter. He is just so chill and good at looking at things from all viewpoints. He helps me to be a better person.

He's also a great dad.

Topic: November 21 Week

So, this week is Thanksgiving week, right? So we're all thinking of things we're grateful for. But I'm thinking it might be nice to dedicate this week to our husbands.
That's right, our husbands.
I'm finding that we talk a lot, almost exclusively about our kids and our households (which is all well and good, that's what most of us think about most of the time), but the husband-department doesn't get as much love as I think it ought to. After all, our husbands are what make it possible for most of us to spend so much time focusing on our kids and homes and the like as much as we do.
Without them, most of us wouldn't be able to stay home, or even have our children who we spend so much time thinking about. So this week, let's...

Share the top one or two reasons why you're grateful for your husband.


Or, if there's something else on your mind for which you are especially grateful this week that you think we ought to hear about, share that.

Picnics and Walks

There are a few things that I think I do pretty well- that help to save my sanity and keep me in touch with my children!
1. Picnics- I started doing these earlier this year- especially if it was gloomy outside. We just throw a blanket on the floor and set up our picnic. It's a great reward for my toddler- who absolutely loves being able to eat on the floor. She loves to help "set" the table by gathering all the necessary things for lunch. It's been a wonderful time that we can relax together over lunch. I do have a removable highchair- so I can keep my baby clicked in and he can sit with us!
2. Walking- Not only do I get some exercise in- but I use it as a chatting/teaching opportunity with my daughter. We live within a mile of 2 grocery stores- so we normally just walk there. I have her walk, which she enjoys, and I figure it gets her some good exercise! It's been really interesting to just talk with her and see what's running through her mind. Sometimes I think in the hecticness of life we neglect to really talk to our children- and this gives me a great outlet! My son normally sleeps during it- which gives him a great morning nap!

Little Things

I am not a master mother and have so much to learn. But here are some small things that seem to help...

1. T-Rex throws tantrums. They are not really bad all the time but he does and they can really get to me. Especially if I'm on my last nerve...which seems to be most of the time. I found that when he calms down I am more patient with him...but I have to get there first. My niece also throws big fits and cries and wails like you've never heard. What I have begun doing with both of them is picking them up or getting down to their level and saying "Ok, count to 10 with me" and the proceed to count out loud to 10, reminding them to help. More often than not by the time we reach 10 they have calmed down. At the end I say take a deep breath with me. And we both breath in deeply. This has been so helpful!
2. Sleep. If I don't have a decent amount of sleep under my belt, I am not a decent mother and do not make decent choices.
3. I know where my son gets his temper from by the way. it's no secret that I have a pretty hot temper (which has become very controlled through my life!) When I raise my voice at T-Rex or command him, that's when he most wants to do the opposite of whatever I say. Or that's when he starts screaming. As of late I have really been working hard on talking calmly to him and asking politely to do things. it really works!! i know most of you are probably already soft spoken gentle mothers but this is what helps me!!

Less Stress at Dinnertime!

I've learned I can't always have my days go as planned. Things always happen to put a wrench in my plans. But the stress of what I'm making for dinner doesn't happen anymore.

I used to make a list of possible dinners that I would put up on the fridge, and then cross them off as we had them. This list was so I made sure I had all the ingredients bought and ready. But we still had to decide on what we were going to eat each night from the possibilities, and when we moved here, I quickly realized I couldn't buy produce too far in advance to using it. (They arrive at the store ALREADY ripe...so you have to use them quick!)

Then I made this a few months ago.

A way to know what we were eating every night.

I wrote all the dinner choices (main dishes...the sides are just kept on hand) on small square pieces of paper and taped them to a "sheet protected" paper. There are some "Eat Out" options to take the place of holidays, like birthdays or this month, Thanksgiving. There's also some "Leftovers" squares after several bigger meals. This helps me to look at the menu right before making a trip to the store (I usually go every 3-4 days for milk anyway.) and make sure I have all the necessary ingredients for the next 4-5 meals. I also know if I need to take something out of the freezer before 30 minutes until it's time to eat! And I can arrange it any way I'd like it each 4 weeks without having to rewrite everything. Just move around the squares.

I also make sure that if I have a meal that could be a hit or miss with the kids, the following day is a definite hit. And I have some recipes that use leftovers from previous dinners, so I can plan accordingly to make enough to use in the next day's meal.

 And the clincher? 

It's so easy, I can hand it over to my husband at the end of the month and have him arrange the menu for the next month!

Morning/Night Stuff.

Okay, so this is not exactly an idea I can claim full credit for. My mom did it with us when we were kids, and she got the idea from one of her friends... beyond that I have no idea. Suffice it to say, it seems to be a good idea.

It's a little diddy I learned from my mom to remind me what I need to do every morning and every night. Say it rhythmically, pointing to each finger as outlined here:


What's great is that my son has taken to it really well, and now when I say "Morning stuff!" or "Night stuff!" he knows exactly what's coming and I can ask him, "Okay, what comes next?" and eventually he'll be able to do it himself. The other great thing is that because it's constantly being tidied up, his room is the cleanest/neatest one in our home. Go figure.

*Shameless plug alert* I wrote another article several weeks ago on another blog about this very thing, to read more about this, click here.

R-E-S-P-

My typing fingers, like probably many of yours, were rendered font-less at this week’s topic.
Words like “easier” “proud” and the phrase “actually works” would not (and should not) be used in regards to my parenting.
Like Paula addressed, “As moms, sometimes we come down hard on ourselves and become our biggest critics.”
I’m one of those moms that is all for lowing the bar of expectations to a point I trip over the darn thing. With that attitude in mind and hefty amounts of satire, I share with you
the one thing I can count on getting me from day to day-
the thing that makes my job as a mom easier-
the thing I am proud of because it actually works . . .

Breathing.
r-e-s-p-i-r-a-t-i-o-n

I know, it sounds simple enough, right?
But you’d be amazed at how many mothers suffer from dyspnea.
(Not to mention your houseplants will thank you.)

One thing I've learned is that this isn’t a sprint we are running, ladies. It’s a marathon.

Pace yourselves and

breathe.

It will get you through it.

Topic: Nov. 14 week

Sorry this is going up a little late... got a couple of sick children this weekend.

As moms, sometimes we come down hard on ourselves and become our biggest critics. This week, let's "turn that frown upside down" and...

Share something that you do that helps make your job as a mom easier. Something you're proud of because it actually works! 

I could be your own idea or something that you've learned from somewhere else...

let's see what successes we all are enjoying!

We call it... THE Pasta.

--THE Pasta--

1 lb penne
1-2 heads fresh broccoli (or one small package frozen broccoli, or however much will fit into your steamer)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cubed
1 whole bell pepper in the color of your choice (we like red, cuz it's pretty), diced/roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz (1 package) cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 c chicken broth/stock (we use double concentrated boullion, for added flavor, and cuz it's cheaper. Dissolve double the amount called for 1 cup, in hot water)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Boil enough water to cook the pasta, and cook according to directions on the box.
Steam the broccoli until it is bright, bright green and just barely fork tender. Take it off the heat and put both the pasta and broccoli in a large serving bowl together, to keep each other warm.
(Those two things should be going while the chicken is cooking, so that (ideally) everything finishes at the same time. I still haven't completely mastered it, but I'm getting better)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, being careful not to let it brown.

When it's cooked about 2/3 of the way through, add the cream cheese, sour cream, broth/boullion, and peppers. Continue to cook everything until the cream cheese and sour cream are dissolved/completely melted and incorporated, and the chicken is done, about 5 more minutes. Pour over the pasta and broccoli and toss to combine. Serve immediately with bread and butter and side salad. Makes great leftovers, haven't tried to freeze it yet.

Help!

Alright, I know that recipes are being posted this week and some of these found great! I have some I can share if we want more, but first, I could really use some advice. My name is Julia, I grew up in Paula's stake and I'm so so glad she stared this blog(great idea Paula!!). I have 2 kids, a nearly 3 year old daughter and an 8 month old daughter. My 3 year old is smart and has always learned things quick. She talked early, walked early and just is so crazy independent she learns things fast.

Or I should say, she learns most things fast. The one thing she won't let go of, her diapers! And oh boy is it driving me crazy. I had high hopes that she'd follow suite with everything else and learn quick but no matter what I try she just won't do it. I bought her her big girl potty, let her pick her own panties, offered candy rewards, toys. I tried cold showers when she had an accident and even took the advice of one friend and made her feed the candy she would have gotten to the toilet when she had an accident. Still nothing. I know that she doesn't understand, but I'm not sure what to try next to get her to understand.

It's been a few months now since the last time I tried and now I feel like I'm just waiting around until she 'makes the next move' I guess you could say. Is there something I'm missing? Is there more I could do to help her understand? She tells me she wants to go potty. She seems very interested. She hates having her diaper changed and hates needing a diaper change. I'm willing to try anything so if anyone has some advice, that'd be great!

My favorite recipes

When it comes to cooking, I am all about as easy & fast as possible. I love quick breads, I've canned my own pinto beans so that when I get a craving for chili, I can have it as quickly as it takes to heat everything through, and I love to use an easy recipe that I can change out ingredients to mix up the meal. One of my favorites that I'm sure will become a kid favorite is Spiral Pepperoni Pizza Bake. It is tasty, filling, and makes great leftovers.

1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) pizza sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pizza sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasoning; remove from the heat and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta; toss with egg mixture. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Top with beef mixture, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield: 12 servings.

Another favorite meal that we eat frequently, basically whenever I don't feel like cooking, is Chicken Tacos. These tacos are so simple, but they are our favorite meal because they are exactly like the ones we can get while in Mexico.

Corn tortillas
Cooked, shredded chicken (I use my home canned chicken breasts, but you could use store-bought canned chicken, or just cook your own & then cut it in small pieces)
Finely chopped sweet onion
Finely chopped cilantro
Green salsa

Chop your onion & cilantro & combine them in a small bowl. Heat up your tortillas inside a hand towel for about 20 seconds in the microwave. Top a tortilla with chicken, onion, cilantro & a bit of salsa & gobble it down. You can also add beans (black, pinto, white, whatever you happen to have, or use whatever salsa you want, these are pretty versatile).

"Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."

Hey all- My name is Ronnie. Paula and I have been friends since our daughters were babies. I have a 3yr old daughter and a almost one year old little guy. I haven't been able to post yet- but one of my favorite things to do is cook- so I can't help but comment!

We LOVE rice at my house. I know that if I want a sure-fire recipe that they will gobble down it's got to be something with rice! I figured I'd share two of our favs- Stroganoff- from my mission in Brazil that my daughter loves (it may be becuase of the shoestring potatoes!)- and Fried Rice. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

****Brazilian Stroganoff ****

1lb chicken/steak

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

½ small can of tomato paste

1 Tblsp ketchup

1 Tblsp mustard

1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1 can “Nestle Media Crema (Table Cream- you can find it in the Mexican section- about $1.00 each)

Salt/Pepper

Butter

Shoestring potatoes (You can get these by the chips or make your own- last time I fried up grated potatoes and it was great!!)

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Cook the onion and garlic in butter and then add the meat. Cook well. Add the ½ can of tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, salt & pepper and Worcestershire sauce to the meat. Let mixture boil over low heat. Take pan off heat, and add the table cream.

Serve with shoestring potatoes over rice.

****Stir-Fried Rice****

Rice

Oil

Green onions (chopped)

Meat (chicken, pork, ham) cubed or thinly sliced

Frozen Peas

Egg (optional) beaten

Soy Sauce

Cook desired amount of rice until tender.

Meanwhile heat a small amount of oil in pan. Add meat and cook until lightly browned. Add cooked rice, peas and oil; cook over med. high heat (stirring frequently). Add egg slowly while stirring. Add soy sauce to taste. Cook until rice is has browned and peas are cooked.

Swedish Meatballs :-)

My oldest has her days. Some, she eats 3 meals, maybe a snack, and she’s a happy camper. Other days…well, nothing I offer is what she wants. But when she hears I’m making “Meatballs and noodles”…she is ready to go to town when dinner is ready. And her sister is just as big of a fan. Good thing it’s also one of Daddy’s favorite dishes as well J

Swedish Meatballs

-          1 pkg. ground turkey

(but not Extra Lean…unless you enjoy the taste of cardboard)

-          Italian Breadcrumbs

-          Salt, pepper, dried onions, and nutmeg

-          Egg noodles

-          1 can cream of chicken soup

-          1 cup of sour cream

Using a fork (or clean hands)and a big bowl, combine the ground turkey with dashes of salt, pepper, and dried onion, with a pinch of nutmeg. (All to your tastes) Add approx. 1 cup of breadcrumbs and mix together all ingredients until proper consistency to make meatballs. (add more crumbs if needed) Form small meatballs and cook over medium heat in a skillet until browned.

Cook Egg Noodles as directed.

When meatballs are done cooking, add cream of chicken soup and sour cream and cook until heated, stirring with the meatballs. Serve over noodles.

Topic: Nov. 7 week

So... not as much response for last week as I would've hope. Thanks Amy for your post. I'm sure other newer moms wonder that too. 

(And the reason I didn't post? I don't think anyone could help me with my current dilemma...judging by the age of the kids of those of you who actually have participated so far. And it's also on the up and up due to some new ideas of my own. J)

OK MOMS... Everyone has an answer to this:

What dinner/meal do you make that is a sure fire

 winner 

in your home every time?

(Please share the recipes J)

I will also post this on Facebook… feel free to do the same.

This is too good

Paula, perfect timing for this. You are awesome!

Yesterday my little girl turned one (hooray!). I have been nursing her and am now ready to wean her since she is a year. Let's face it, I'm ready to stop and be able to leave her with a sitter for a decent amount of time.

So, all you moms out there, what kind of advice do you have for weaning your child? I'm dying to know. (well, not really, but you get the idea).

Topic: Oct. 31 week

This week is going to be a little different. My hope is to do this every 4-6 weeks, depending on how many people have weekly topics to contribute. Also, I think this will be something that all of us can benefit from (hopefully).

I want all of you to think of something that you would like help/advice about. It could be as simple as "What can I do to get my picky eater to eat more?" or "My child won't sit still for longer than 5 minutes. Any suggestions?" Anything you can think of that would be helpful to YOU that the rest of us may have been through and could offer help.

Just create a post with your question and other moms can leave comments of ways that they've found helpful.

And remember to spread the word to all your friends... the more minds, the better :-)

How do I share?

I've noticed that since I got married, and now have a child, I tend to stay home...a lot. I've also noticed that spending so much time at home has drastically reduced the amount of friends I have, especially ones not of our faith. In fact, I'm pretty sure the count is now at zero, unless you count neighbors, though, at this point, I don't. The only real interaction I get with other adult women is at church, where everyone is...well...a member of the church. So, since I pretty much have no friends who aren't LDS, how can I do missionary work? I've wondered about this for awhile now, and I think I've found my answer.
You may be surprised to find out just how many people in the church still need missionary work & fellowshipping. I've seen it first hand in my calling as the Relief Society 2nd Counselor. We go on weekly presidency visits to those who are less active, people we've never even met, or sisters we are just concerned about. The first visit I went on in my new calling was to a 19-year-old girl that we hadn't seen at church since we were moved into a new ward.
We knocked...she opened...we visited for over an hour & it seemed like she was asking all the right questions. Is there a singles ward here? I'd like to learn more about the gospel, are there sister missionaries that could teach me? Where is the church? It was amazing! She is doing so well, & all it took was one visit from sisters who cared enough to go!
I am constantly amazed (though you think I'd get used to it by now) that every time we visit we are guided to the right person at just the right time, when they really need us the most. I've seen lives changed by one visit. People just want to know that they are missed & cared about. Missionary work doesn't have to involve passing out Books of Mormon or Pass-along cards (though that is a great way!). It can simply be doing your visiting teaching, especially to less-active members. It can be sending a letter to a sister you don't know very well. I could tell story after story, just from the last 9 months of serving in the Relief Society of sisters who came back simply because someone took a few moments to let them know they are loved. It's a wonderful feeling to know that you are doing what the Lord wants you to!

Need A Jump?

Before getting hitched I served on the Compassionate Service committee for two years. My husband, when fresh off his mission, was called as our singles’ Ward Mission Leader. Surprisingly, we worked very closely together in our callings. We updated each other on contact information for less-actives, exchanged insights into the needs of members in our ward and went on visits together.

Our callings, extended and accepted a year apart, united us in purpose and prepared us for future responsibilities we’d share as husband and wife.

For the first three years of marriage we were called together to serve as: Sunbeam teachers, nursery leaders, youth Sunday School teachers (14-16), CTR5 teachers, youth Sunday School teachers (12-14), and ward magazine representatives.

There were a few months once we moved to Massachusetts we didn’t share a calling.
Then we were called as the activities committee. That was a year ago.
Now we have been released as the activities committee.
And my husband has accepted the call as Branch Mission Leader.

Full circle.

But, serving in a singles’ ward varies greatly from serving in a family unit. Not to mention every ward and branch has different demographics to work with.
Also, serving as a single varies greatly from serving as a family.

The hardest hurdle for this calling is being united in purpose. With a toddler, a baby-on-the-way, my calling, his calling, meetings, his work and school schedule, and the in’s and out’s of my duties, who really has the time, right?

Missionary work: bah, humbug!

However, last Tuesday the missionaries recommended a way we as a family can be united in missionary work.
They gave us the following list and asked us to generate a catalog of non-members we know. We were instructed to pray daily about the people we had written down, to ask about ways we can serve them or share the Gospel with them, and to follow the promptings we received.

-click the enlarge-

We’ve been doing this for almost a week now.
The results have been:
1) uniting us in missionary work as a family and
2) strengthening our faith that the Lord is preparing people to receive us and the restored gospel.
I have remained surprised as we continue to add people to our catalog whether because we somehow managed to overlook them initially or have just met this past week.

This exercise is a very easy way to jump-start
missionary work in your life.

-AND-

Baked-potato Bar
Bake-up some spuds, toss a salad, and serve with garlic bread.
Easy, cheap, feeds a crowd.
Possible toppings include:

• salsa
• mushrooms
• onions
• cheese
• chili
• cilantro
• bacon
• ham
• butter
• sour cream
• French’s fried onion
• chives
• cream of broccoli soup
• gravy
• any number of veggies

(what do you like on your baked potato?)


for Dessert:
Creamy Jell-O Pie

Topic: October 24 week

Share ways your family supports missionary work

in your ward or branch

(and maybe a missionary-friendly recipe for those dinner appointments)

Don't forget to e-mail Paula your ideas for upcoming topics!

Family Home Evening

I just want to start off with sharing a quote from a conference talk from Elder Bednar that I believe he gave last April. This sums up how I feel a good majority of the time about family home evening. 

"Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected."

"Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent."

I'm not one to say that consistency is a strong point of mine. In fact, I struggle with it often. But I can say that FHE is something that makes trying to be consistent a bit easier. Just like Paula said in her post, FHE can be short, simple, and still very effective. Most of us have seen the FHE boards where each person in the family has an assignment. Opening song, opening prayer, lesson, scripture, activity, treat, closing song, and closing prayer. With little ones in the home, all of those things aren't necessarily the easiest to do with short attention spans! What has worked for us is an opening and closing song, an opening and closing prayer, and a spiritual thought that usually uses some sort of object lesson or activity. Depending on how prepared we are, sometimes it takes 5-7 minutes and sometimes it takes 30 minutes. Sometimes we have FHE at the dinner table as soon as we're done eating (since we're already gathered there) and sometimes we have it in the living room. 

I think that there are two essentials for FHE when you have toddlers at home. First is the Nursery manual, which can be accessed online here, and second is Book of Mormon Stories, which can be purchased here. My almost 3 year old brings home a picture from Nursery each week which tells me what lesson they've learned. I try to follow up and have that lesson on Sunday to revisit what he learned the day before. When all else fails and we don't have a lesson, we have the Book of Mormon Stories to read as a family. My son loves the pictures and they are short and concise stories that summarize the Book of Mormon.

There are weeks, though, when my husband and I look at each other while we're eating and ask "who was supposed to plan FHE tonight?" Then "oops" is written all over both of our faces and we quickly pull something out of a hat. We're lucky that our kids are so young right now because it's easy to mask our unpreparedness! 

Last week we did a quick lesson on eternal families that I thought I'd share. I keep a few paper grocery bags on hand just in case I need to run dinner over to a family or bring them something in a bag that I don't need back. I pulled one of them out along with some puff paints and we decided to make a family picture. Matthew LOVES to paint, so while we were talking about eternal families he paid full attention! He knew that what I was saying was having to do with the activity that he was so excited to do and he was listening so attentively. After we talked about our family and how special it is, we all chose a color of paint and put our handprints on our picture.

 As you can see, my little guy sure did love it!

Another idea I had was to draw a picture of everyone in our family and we talked about how we love our family. Both kids enjoyed coloring the picture.










I put both pictures up on our wall in the kitchen so that we could see them every day. Maybe we will have a collection of them soon! The brown bag activities have been a hit so far.

Short, Simple, but Effective

As my brother once said, Family Home Evening is important, but it doesn’t need to be a big deal. Even if you just sing a song, say a prayer, read a scripture, and then eat a cookie! What’s important is the time together as a family.

My kids won’t sit still for long enough to have a “traditional” family home evening. At their age, they need something to keep them in their seats. Thus, we have family home evening in conjunction with dinner. We always have dinner at the table, and it’s the longest stretch that they will sit in one place. So for the time being, it’s the perfect time to teach them a lesson J Lately, we’ve been teaching the “basic” scripture stories, like Daniel and the Lion’s Den, David and Goliath, etc. We’ve also used Behold, Your Little Ones. If you don’t have this, I highly recommend it! It’s a great resource for teaching preschool aged children about the gospel, and even review the lessons they learned in Nursery.

I find in our family it’s very important to have the gospel teachings in the home, especially since our family has and will continue to move around a lot, and what each ward presents is sometimes different than we would teach it.

Family Home Evening, eh?

There are a couple of things I have done in the past as separate activities, but could be done together or separate.

Numero 1:
This was done as a married couple with no children, but can be modified to work with kids too. (Oh dear, my Special Ed training is showing).

Wes (my better half) came up with the idea. We each gave each other a topic. Our job was to take our topic and tell the other what it was, why it was important, and do it like we were talking to someone who knew nothing of the church. We wrote down thoughts, then talked. My topic was visiting teaching and his was the priesthood. I liked it because it made you think what you really thought about that topic and why it was important to you. We've repeated that one several times.

Modifications: For doing this with young children, you could give them a topic and have them draw, write, say, what they believe about it or state their understanding. Unfortunately, this is probably better for older kids than most of us have. It would be beyond my almost 1 year old for sure, but I thought I'd share one of my favorites.

Numero 2:
This one, fortunately, is family friendly but probably takes more time. I love the days when a holiday falls on a Monday, like Columbus day. We took the opportunity to go on a family hike. I love being outdoors and being outdoors together is awesome. My perfect idea for family time: a family walk or hike.

Topic: Oct. 17 week

Well, no one has volunteered a topic for this week, so here’s another one of mine J

What ways do you have family home evening with your little ones?

(This should apply to all who want to participate. I know no one is perfect in this area, and maybe you don’t even do it every week. Even if you’ve only done it once that went well, tell about that J You may be helping someone in a similar situation see options they never thought of before. And that’s the purpose of this blog. J )