The Duggars 20 & Counting

I just got done reading "The Duggars 20 & Counting". First I want to give kuddos to this mom for having 18 kids. I have NO idea how someone is able to do this and still be able to keep her sanity..because not only do you have 18 kids but those kids are going to have kids and pretty soon your gonna have 100 grandkids! Jim Bob & Michelle (the parents) do have some great advice on raising kids ( I would think so after having soo many). I loved reading about how they were able to run such an orderly home with such a big family! What an interesting book with great tips!!

A New Year

Now that it is 2010...of coarse I would love to tell you about all of the New Years Resolutions I made...but I am never able to keep New Year Resolutions. Instead I will tell you of things that I would like to see happen for my family & I in 2010!

1. The first thing would be to draw closer to our Savior Jesus Christ...I get so caught up in day to day things that sometimes I forgot our whole purpose of being here...wanting to add more of him into my family & I's life. Hoping to do better with FHE, prayers, scripture study and of coarse for once would love to make it to church on time!

2. The second most important thing to me is our Health. I am hoping to make my families food intake a little healthier...considering starting a new blog with some yummy Healthy Recipes...and of coarse like every year...hoping to exersice more!

3. Wanting to save more money and become debt free...which probably won't happen tommarow...but take more steps to help us do this sooner then later. Simplify a little more!

4. Hope to be a better mom, wife, friend and everything else...hoping to spend more quality time with my loved ones, be of service to those who are in need, teach my kids the important things in life, and be more PATIENT! I really have to work on my patientce.

A better wife...

a better mommy...

and a better friend!

5. Last but not least...Being more ORGANIZED...it would be nice to have our lives run real smooth but in order to do that you have to be organized! If you are feeling the same... Lara Gallagher over at The Lazy Organizer really inspires me to do so. You will have to read her blog...such great advice!

I know there are other things but to me these are the most important! Like I said I am sure all of these won't happen but I will try and do my best! To live a Healthy, Happy, Organized, Gospel-Fed Life!

In case you didn't get a Christmas Card....

In case I didn't get a Christmas Card to you...here are some pictures that my friend took (thanks Bridgette) out at my Grandparents Farm. They really made our Christmas Card this year!

Sitting inside of a Tractor Tire...

Lauren loves her pink cowgirl boots...


she loves to pose for the camera ( I think she takes after me)...

Aren't they cute?

And Handsome....

Clay loves horses and can ride this one bareback, with my dads help!

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

This is for those who were wanting my Cinnamon Roll Recipe! First, I have to make a confession the picture that I posted of them were not actually mine. I posted that picture because they looked exactly like mine! Remember my camera is broke so I couldn't take very good pictures of them! Also this actually not my recipe, the recipe came from my mother-n-law. But I like to pretend it is mine. Here is the recipe: I put all of the ingredients in my Bread Machine and set to the dough cycle. I just let it do the dough. I layer it in the bread machine in this order:

2 cups water
2 pkgs of yeast (about 4 1/2 tsp)
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
6 1/2-7 cups flour

After the dough cycle is done. I roll out the dough, I pour 1 cube of melted butter on the dough and sprinkle a cinnamon-sugar mixture over the melted butter. Then roll the dough and cut.

I think my frosting makes them and here is that recipe:

4 cups powdered sugar ( I always end up adding more)
1 cube melted butter
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup HOT water
1/2 tsp vanilla

I always add more powdered sugar and a little bit a milk. Do it to your taste!

Our Busy Weekend

I am going to start with Friday...which I spent all day making my homemade cinnamon rolls...to hand out to some friends...which were soo very good...and now after eating more than I should of... you could say I have got bigger "BUNS"!

Saturday was an all day event and we started with a Christmas Party with Dallas's Family... we didn't get to stay very long... and was sad we had to miss the part when his sweet Grandma sings "Poor Jack". Then off to the Suns Game to meet my family. My Grandma gets boxed seats once a year so this year the "married grandkids" had the privelage of going. It was so nice to sit in our own little area and be able to mingle, watch the game, and OMG EAT! We had soo much food and a dessert cart with so many choices...again with the "BUNS". By the time we left the game, picked up the kids and watched a little bit of a movie we didn't get to bed till after one!

This was my favorite part of the game...watching "The Golden Grannies" they were a crack up and could really dance... I think my Grandma wants to try out next year!

Sunday had to be up to make it to eight o'clock church...didn't get there until 9:00...just in time to teach my class...had another Christmas Party with Dallas's other side of the family...finally we are home...my house is a wreck...this is what happens when you have busy weekend and no time to clean up... we have had so much hussle and bussle this weekend I look forward to having a break for a few days before everything starts again! So much to do still but am so looking forward to Christmas! Even though busy weekends are soo hard... I love that we get to be with our family and friends!
I showed Mr. Krueger's Christmas today in class. I think my little class enjoyed it. It has a great Christmas Message! To order a free copy of one click here

Reading, Reading & More Reading

We haven't had Cable for almost a year and I really haven't missed it. My kids and I are finding more productive things to do besides sit and watch TV. I am not opposed to watching TV and think its fine in moderation..but I was finding that all my kids wanted to do was watch TV all day. What have I been doing without cable? I have been READING & READING! One of the books I just finished the Book "The Undaunted" by Gerald N. Lund. Might I add it is an 800 page book. I highly reccomend this book! It has a little bit of adventure, romance and talks about all the sacrifices that these "Hole in the Rock Pioneers" made. What a great story!

Trying to teach your kids to work

I am always feeling overwhelmed with all the housework. It takes me all day to just get half of everything done. If I really wanted to get everything done... I don't think I would ever be able to go to sleep. I have really been trying hard to try and teach my kids jobs to do around the house. But it is almost more work to teach them how to work. I really didn't think I was getting anywhere and then it actually happened...my kids were doing the dishes...AND they were doing it the RIGHT way!

Since this was the first time doing it right they were so very proud of themselves! And what they don't know is now I know they can do it, they will be doing them everyday!

But instead of doing the dishes or any kind of work Lauren would rather be doing this.


And Clay would rather be doing this. I am such a mean mom not only do I make my kids work I make them sleep on the floor. No not really, Clay gets spooky going to bed upstairs when I am downstairs.. so I tell him he can lay by me while I am working in the office and he always ends up falling asleep.

In the end they are such cute kids and even if it takes time to teach them how to work..I think I will be glad that I spent the time teaching them. I am hoping one day it will really pay off and I will be able to sit on the couch and read a book while ordering my kids around!
I really need to invest in a new camera or fix my old one. The camera phone is just not cutting it!!