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!!

Friday Night Softball

Just in case you wanted to know what Dallas & I do on Friday nights, well we play softball. This is of coarse is something that Dallas enjoys & looks forward to, I think because he was such an athlete in High School. But for those of you who REALLY know me, know that this is totally not my thing. If it was Volleyball then yes it would be my thing, it is more Dallas's thing. Instead is more of a fun thing for Dallas & I to do together! Kind of like a Friday Night Date Night! This Friday we had take are kids and then it ended up being a Friday Night Family Night! This is a picture of my kids and the other parents kids that are on our team. I think we are one of the only teams that brings their kids and I think the other teams think we are weird because of it! I have to say our kids were behaving very well! (Sorry about my picture quality but I took it from my cell phone, Lauren and Clay are on both ends.)

Cranberries in Season

Clay & Lauren helping. Please excuse the messy kitchen in the background!

The finished product.!

I love fresh Cranberry Juice especially because it is the real thing! As you can see in the picture Clay & Lauren love to help me do this it is fun for them to put the ingreidents in the juicer and watch what comes out. Usually it is full of diffrent vibrant colors depending on what fruits or veggies are used and they think this is pretty cool! They love to drink what they just made and I don't feel bad about letting them because it is FRESH! At Costco right now they have some nice looking cranberries for a reasonable price. For those of you who have a juicer this is my recipe

for fresh Cran-Apple Juice:

1 cup cranberries

2-3 apples (depending on how sweet you like it)

Juice the cranberries and apples and you've got Cran-Apple Juice!

If you are looking for another good recipe with Cranberries here is a healthy one from Elana's Pantry (One of my favorite places to get recipes). Tart & Tangy Cranberry Bars click here to view it.