Just a thought on trials and blessings

As I was writing about Mr.'s masters program I feared it might seem as if our lives are perfect. Please do not mistake a positive attitude and feeling grateful for a perfect life. I had several disappointments last week about finances, job things, me still not having another baby, messing up stuff with Eli's speech needs and a ton of other silly things (including my phone braking again). I gratefully acknowledge that I have many many blessings.
I was talking to my uncle Evan several months ago, he has had some very grave and painful health problems over the past several years, he commented on how he would not trade trials. I was surprised but I perhaps should not have been, the Lord loves those he tries. We can always overcome anything with the Lord. One of our trials is financial, it is very hard on me, some days I want to explode, but
I really know that others have it far far worse. In the grand scheme of things my trials are really small, to me they are large, but that is good too, that means they can help me grow and change. I am grateful the many blessings we have, because we have many, even if I in my frustration fail to see many of them. When I live with an Attitude of gratitude* I feel better about all the circumstances in my life.
 I want my kids to know, when they read this someday, that life is never perfect what is important is were we put our faith. Is it in having things work out the way we want? hopefully not, hopefully you kids will grow up realizing that having faith and the peace in your hearts that comes from living as Heavenly Father would have you live, is where joy comes from.


*May 2000 First Presidency message- Thomas S Monson "An Attitude of Gratitude"

Stairs

Our stairs double as a skee ball game, also as a car ramp. The kids will sit at the bottom and toss a tennis ball at the stairs trying to get it to reach the top. Its hilarious. Note: the tennis ball is question is also slept with- sometimes in accompany s him into his baths too.  The banister is lightning Mc Queens ultimate car ramp. 

 K is in the climbing age. He will pull out the different drawers of our dresser and climb up them like stairs to reach the top shelf in our closet - that is where we hide the potty training treats.

Another big problem has been that K will get a hold of our keys- usually by a climbing method- and unlock the garage,, unlock the car,, climb in the car and use the garage door opener. Then once the big garage door is open her will try to take out the lawn mower. We have to keep the keys hidden on a high hook!

Its like every task is mission impossible- I can just imagine a similar theme son gin their heads as they conquer

amazing feats such as these!

My kids are in such a fun busy stage! I hope I can remember these memories when I am older - it will probably give me a good laugh.

Summer Raspberries

Raspberries
Yummy! Our raspberry bushes are finally covered in berries ripe enough to eat. The kids will run outside any ole time they want to grab a handful of ripe berries.
My childhood home had TONS of raspberries bushes in the yard and I cant think of childhood or summers with out remembering the taste of picking and eating fresh berries. I am so glad my kids can have some of those same memories.

excuse the poor picture quality( but see how seriously he takes the berries?)

Memory:

The other day E came inside with a raspberry that was 1/2 ripe- as in red on one side - not red on the other. He told me it was because it was a baby raspberry and for at least an hour he toted it around in its "bed" (which went from being a washcloth to a large kitchen mixing bowl, oh and it also spent time in its "room" under the bathroom sink). He told me to pet and be nice to it and to be careful with it.  I tried to be very serious about the whole thing and not laugh.(good mama that I try to be)

Then after at least a hour of this, he came to me looking very philosophical ( I don't know if a 4 year old can look that way, but trust me he did) and very solemnly told me that it was  not a baby but that it was a raspberry and raspberries were food and so he was going to eat it " is that right mommy?" I (again very seriously) nodded and told him he was exactly right.  I figured it would take a few more sentences of discussion or minutes of thinking for him to move past this,, since he was so very attached to the little berry. But I was wrong.

Quick as a wink he ate the berry.  

Then with a large amount of joyful enthusiasm he declared  "yum its good mommy!" and ran off.

Well all I could do was try not to laugh and I cant help but think that the berry couldn't have been all that good tasting seeing as it was only 1/2 ripe...

The Musical globe

I got this when i was about 4.
It was Christmas morning. I was told alot about how careful to be with it. An di was so happy about the music and the glitter.
Isn't it cute? My great-grandmother got one that is very similar instead of a moon her has a sun.
I have always liked this globe.
So much that a few years after the first one my sisters and i all got other ones.
I dotn know how long after that this happened but, one day my little brother (probably 2 1/2 or 3) cam outside with it because he wanted us to wind it up for him, and dropped it. Shattered pieces.
I am ashamed to say that i dont think i was a nice understanding sister, i think i got mad and threw a fit and cried.
A year or two later i got a "replacement" for the broken one.
The replacement i really cant remember what happened to it, i know i like it it had bird inside and sang a sound of music song. I only know i no longer have it.
Then eventually i got another one that lasted until my son Eli got to it. (it had a lighthouse init)
So the first one i got is still here and i keep it in my kids room on a high shelf and every night i wind it up so it sings them to sleep, just like my dad used to do for me.
The boys love the little boy asleep of the moon. They love figuring out how it works.
I love you boys

We are ill, and Bottle Caps

I have been sick since Sunday. Kayden (I found out yesterday) has a double ear infection.
I knew he was extra sick because he and Eli where sick with this awful fever cold flu thing the same time last week but Eli got better. Yesterday when Kayden woke up I called the doctors office right away and My very ,very nice mom (AKA the Best Grandma Ever Award winner) took Kayden and I to the doctors office and brought Joseph over to babysit. When the Doc said "Double ear infection" I felt bad for not catching it sooner.
Then my Mom (Grandma) took us to the store so I could pick up the prescription and get soup and crackers. I took Tylonal and hoped for the best. I was still fizzy though and when I was at the store I kept talking to myself, "okay why did I come to this isle? Soup , you want soup Melinda". Unfortunately I can't really hear right now (I am all Stuffed up) and I am pretty sure I scared a few people because they seemed to remember things they need in other isles. (oops (I guess   I was one of the creepy Wal Mart Shoppers Yesterday), as those silly people I knew in College would have said Awkward. )
Grandma babysat kayden in the car while I went into the store. It was like a 30 min stop. I know she is amazing, yes, I am grateful we live near by.
I can safely say the only thing that got me out of bed and to the doctors office was that I had to take care of my boys. One of the "joys of Motherhood" I think, must be , being sick or ill (if you like) yourself and instead of resting, taking care of your sick or ill children. Yep it is really fun (this tone is really sarcastic)
okay now I feel bad for that sarcastic tone,
But I know there is not a mom out there who truly relishes that experience. I think there are times as a mother when we just endure and try to feel positive  (but really when your sick, and your kids are sick, all that trying to be positive feels like a lot of effort (so I just fake the positive thing until the kids bedtime))
Last night the kids wanted to play with me so I thought of a fun game we could play.A game we could play that required less energy and movement then hide-and-seek. The game : Bottle Caps.

Yup, remember that game? remember those?
We had a great time. The fun thing about those simple toys are that the kids come up with numerous ways to play with them all on their own and I like those creative things.
My Super Man* and I had a Contest on who could flip one highest. He won. Of course ;)\
We sure hope all of you are Healthy and that those of you who are also sick (like my sweet niece Eva) get better very soon!

* My super Man= Mitchell my wonderful Husband. Who while I have been sick has: Gone to work, prepared dinner most nights (except last night, the crock pot made dinner) cleaned up the house, done dishes, taken care of the kids, made 100 cups of Herbal tea for me, gone to the store in the middle of the night twice, and taken care of the kids in the night, every night. AND been really nice and thoughtful.
If doing all that does not make someone a Super Man I don't know what does. (you know except that comic book flying thing).

The story of our Bosch

Yesterday I broke my not- making- desserts- I -should- not- eat streak.
Eli and I baked cookies
I think baking together is a wonderful thing to do with children, it teaches so much and makes memories that involve all of the senses. Feel, sound, sight,  taste and smell. (especially the last too).
I have many memories of baking cookies with my mother and I am so happy I can pass that tradition on.
Yesterday I baked the cookies using Greek yogurt instead of butter, and fresh ground sorghum flour instead of starches. (although I have to say making dessert more healthy seems pointless. Desserts are not healthy really no matter what you do, that's the point of dessert).
They turned out great and Eli and I had a wonderful time together.

Something special about me baking with my kids and my mom baking with me is the Bosch mixer we have.
The Bosch mixer is pretty special.
Here is the story:
My grandmother and my great aunt Marie purchased Bosch mixers at the same time, same order.
My grandmother used the mixer to make butter and mix cheese and all sorts of things.Grandma cooked alot so I am sure that Bosch felt very close to grandma. The the mixer was used and the mixer was happy and the mixer was busy.
Years went by and the Bosch stayed busy.
The mixer began to feel its age, but being an awesome "farm girl" mentality mixer, Bosch continued to work.
Over the years the kids in my grandmas family began to trickle out of the home and Bosch we can assume was less busy but still busy.
 Somewhere along the way it got a big crack in the side of its stand. But Bosch continued to work.
When my Mother graduated from college she came home and "home" was the house they where building at cinder butte (that's in the middle of nowhere, no really) here is a picture of that location: i think this area is it
My mom made cookies every single week for the guys that where there to build the house.
And to make these cookies she used the Bosch.
I think mom understood Bosch. They got along well together.
When it was time for grandma to get a new mixer, Bosch went to my mother. That was fine with both of them they both loved making cookies.
Bosch helped my mom and her kids (including me, of course) make cookies for many many years.
Bosch got more tired and more dirty and more broken I am pretty sure Bosch worked only on one speed anymore, but none of that mattered, Bosch was the perfect cookies mixer and everyone knew it.
Bosch had its own spot in the appliance garage. Every time it was used it felt happy because it was used a lot, it never had time to gather dust or become forgotten. Every good mixer dreams of living a long cookie mixing life you know.
I (Melinda) grew older and began to use it more and more on my own as I learned to bake. Nothing could mix like the Bosch. I decided somewhere along the way that Bosch mixers where superior to all others (at least our Bosch was) it was definitive proof that mixers do not have to look beautiful staged on counter tops to be good mixers. (no offense Kitchen Aids we like you too).
When I was about 17 something happened that deeply affected the entire family, even good Ol' Bosch mixer. No in all seriousness something very sad did happen.
Grandma passed away.
We where all deeply sad, we missed Grandma.
It was around this time , that the Bosch mixer finally gave out, and went to the big kitchen in the sky.
I think perhaps Bosch knew where grandma had gone and went after her.
Whatever the reason the timing was sad. I think it was just one more thing at an already sad time. It was not a "no big deal " kind of thing to happen just then.
Because the mixer had been grandmas before it was ours it had a special history to it that could not be replaced.
Here is where Great aunt Marie and her Bosch come in.
Now for those of you who don't know aunt Marie I will just tell you, she is pretty cool.
When my mother (I suppose tearfully but maybe not) told her aunt Marie about the Bosch from grandma giving out, Aunt Marie (in her awesomeness) knew what to do.
"Linda" she said "I have my old Bosch from the same batch as your mothers, just sitting outside not in use, if you want it, you may have it" (*just a note I have no idea exactly how she worded this conversation I just know the end result).
So my mom took the mixer from the same time, same order as her mothers, home and put the mixing bowl from her mothers set on the stand, and made cookies.
The End....

Wait I forgot to tell you how I got the mixer.
Well I'll tell you.
Sometime in the mix there my father and mother purchased a brand-spanking-new Bosch mixer.
So the old Bosch sat on the self and was not used very often.
Which was sad because as I mentioned before, you may recall, mixers like to be used a lot.
Well a few years after this point I (Melinda) got married to Mitchell. Mitchell cant eat gluten. Which means I had to make my own bread. every. single. week.
Gluten free bread dough is very dense.
My arms got tired mixing , since my "mixer" was my own two hands and a mixing bowl.
So my sweet mother gave to me the Bosch.
The very special Bosch, The Bosch with a bowl from Grandma and a mixing stand from the same batch as grandmas, given to my mother by great aunt Marie as a replacement for Grandmas original mixing stand.
And I use the Bosch almost every week to make bread,
And the Bosch is happy.
And so are we.
The end of the End.


*All opinions of the feelings and desires of mixing stands are my own opinions fabricated from my imagination. But the story of how I got the old Bosch I have is completely true.
I tried to be respectful in all the tones of this story but I know the topic is sensitive. If anyone is in any way hurt or offended please know that was not my intent. I wanted the story to be a fun way for me and my kids to have a record of the cool old mixer we have, and its history, but I wanted the importance of the bowl of it being my grandmothers originally to be clear. I was very close to my Grandmother and would never make light of her passing or be intentionally disrespectful. The reason I love the mixer like I do is that each time I use it I remember both my mother and my grandmother (and my great aunt Marie).
I know that families can be Eternal and that I will see all my loved ones again. I know that someday I will see my Grandmother again. To learn more about Eternal Families and the Plan of Salvation follow the included links or click here.

A rather romantic hat.

In the classic novel Anne of Green Gables a funny and embarrassing event occurs and the line "I suppose it is a rather romantic way to perish, for a mouse" is spoken. I thought of that line the day we saw the lower falls of Yellowstone's grand canyon.

There sat the hat, dejected.

A cheap seven dollar Walmart hat.

 Not unique,

not fine,

not particularly appealing.

 Destined to be bought on sale by a Walmart shopper (not always the classiest crowd) and inevitably to be stepped on in the bottom of a closet, 

forgotten,

 until eventually the hat would be thrown away or given to DI where it would sit for years on a shelf and never be re-purchased. 

But not this hat.

This hat was bought, not by an average shopper wanting a gardening hat, but bought last minuet (by someone who makes every hat look worthy of Audrey Hepburn) as a hat to keep the sun off on hikes in the great National park of Yellowstone.

That's right, I bought this hat especially for our trip.

I could sense right away that this hat in the middle of the stack (because it had never been tried on before) was a rather romantic hat,

 and that totality a style I can handle.

The hat sat in a car for hours before it was worn outside, and then,

 oh the beauty this hat saw.

 For the first time the hat felt hope for a life that didn't end on the shelves of thrift stores or garbage cans.

The rather romantic hat felt a deep connection with the wild and rugged beauty of the National park,

 No mere playground could compete.

 The hat knew that for the rest of its hat life

 it would wistfully look back on these days at the national park as defining and freeing.

Hat began to form a plan.

Hat sat gracefully on the head of it classy owner through many sights,

 until at last at one fateful stop;

 it happened.

The hats fake straw heart lept with joy

 as in the windy rainy afternoon it overlooked the lower falls of Yellowstone canyon.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Empowering.

With a graceful leap so quick it could not be stopped,

the hat lept into the wind and storm 

and with wings of golden (fake) straw

flew over the cliff edge

tumbling poetically down to the frothy river below.

Hat rode down the river,

 to lakes and valleys

 of the beautiful and exciting

 Yellowstone National Park.

I suppose it was the most romantic thing any hat could do. 

As I said I could sense from the beginning that this was a rather romantic hat.

                                                                   the end

Yellowstone and other great sights

As you all know we went on vacation this week.
 We left Monday and intended to return home today (Friday) but ended up driving back late last night. The kids where so homesick and both of them had caught some little flu bug and had low fevers, they kept crying that they wanted to go home so home we came. They are all better now, and Mitchell had a few things to do at the school and district office so it worked out well. Today we are going to do laundry and relax at home and right now I am SO excited for that. Sometimes a vacation can make you tired!
So here is how the vacation went down
(dont I sound hip when I talk like that?)
Monday- we drove to Idaho Falls and basically got the kids ready for bed right away.
Tuesday-we woke up early and loaded up the big black suburban my in laws where kind enough to rent, and headed out to Yellowstone National Park.
So all I

an say about that are words like wow and beautiful. None of us on the trip had ever been there before except Mitchell so we all shared in the excitement. It was so beautiful and amazing. I certainly felt a deep sense of wonder and awe as we saw so many of Gods creatures and creations.

Eli loved that there was snow.
The other things of the trip including the rest of Yellowstone and the other 2 days of the adventure will be in separate posts.
Also coming soon : the story of a rather romantic hat. (i know, now that you have heard the tittle you are overflowing with anticipation right? Good.
happy Friday i hope you week was inspiring , if not just stare at this waterfall picture of listen to this song and that feeling of inspiration will come!(the first few min of the video for the song is Elder Holland speaking but wait, the song comes soon and is beautiful)

Sugar

so yesterday I mentioned the desserts I have tried.
Here are two of them.

I used the recipe by baking  beauties found here for the fruit dessert pizza crust (I did not use their frosting or glaze recipe).

I used the crust/cookies recipe and was VERY happy with how it turned out.

The brownies where not my favorite so I will not share the recipe , it was on of my own mixtures it was good but too crumbly which I don’t like in a brownie. The white chocolate chips and milk choc chips in them where delish though.

Also this week we went to sonic for ice cream someone brought me a snow cone and I will probably make dessert tonight too.

I have a problem.

I don't normally crave sugar this much, at least when I am not pregnant. 

I probably just need more self discipline,, its hard though (that is a whiny voice) just typing this is making my mouth water because I am starring at the picture of the brownies, that are still on my counter.... oh dear.

Eating healthy can wait until tomorrow right? (that should be a line in "famous last words" books)
Anyone have good ways they stop chocolate cravings? Please share, my waistline will thank you!

MR. Fix it

Mitchell fixed the garage door yesterday night!
Big deal. (no really, that is NOT sarcastic)
The door has been broken for months and was going to cost around $300+ to have someone fix it.
We where dealing with it all winter (seriously like since November at least) but as spring has now come and the last 6 to 7 or eight weeks have been a pain when it was gardening day (since we had to manually open the very heavy door ourselves) I think he became motivated to get the door fixed sooner.
So my amazing Hunckules of a husband ordered parts and looked up how to videos and fixed the door himself.
It was this exciting people (this exciting meaning I had to make a blog post about it).
I am grateful for this man, he is my hero!

TV shows-and more importantly, snow cones!

You know TV sho3wes?

I wont wait for your response I will just assume you do know of them.

Well I am not your typical TV viewer. I am quirky in the ways I do thing.

For example do you remember friends? )Everyone seems to) –Get this I have never watched one single episode.

Wait there’s more… Reality shows? Don’t watch them, I have seen a few episodes of “so you think you can dance” but not on TV more like seeing a few routines off of you tube.

Don’t even ask about those hospital shows. Not interested.

I do have a few shows that I do watch though…. But not in a “normal way”

I hope you all recall (and surly you do)  “the office” yes that show was big when I was in high school and mostly college (people would have “the office parties” –I went to BYUI (an LDS university)-they have nice clean party’s at those places) the “peer pressure” to watch the office was great. However the excitement everyone else had for the show did not encourage my participation, it might have even fueled my –I am so not going to watch that show-attitude.

But life is a funny thing. I was so cocky about my lack of TV show watching –ness.

The office ran from 2005-2013 (I had to google that because I honestly didn’t know)

I didn’t watch any of it until every single season became available on netflicks- and then for a reason I have quite forgotten- I watched them all. (over a good few month period) mostly while I folded laundry during naptime.

Yup. After everyone else was done and moved on I finally decided I liked the show and watched the whole thing.

So a few years ago I heard about a British show-a period drama called (you guessed it) Downton Abbey.

Sounded like my type of show I am after all a lover of classic British literature and period shows in general.

But I did not watch the show-or feel intense interest in it-after all-it was a TV show, and a drama at that.

My sweet husband has suggested several times that I try watching it-its on amazon prime- so last night I did.

That was a dumb idea, 3 hours later I realize its eleven thirty and I didn’t even fold my laundry while I watched. I was hooked and wanting to watch another episode right then.  

You are guessing where this is headed right?

Nope you’re wrong.

Sorry (I could not resist) See the problem was that I sat up and felt annoyed- I don’t  want to feel like I have to watch to find out such and such because all of the plots and sub plots are ridiculous. So I got up this morning and wasted my time reading spoilers finding out what happens in the next seasons (up to season 5 which I can only presume is going on now) and its all out of my system. To tell you the truth I am quite relived it seems like an incredibly annoying show to be really into-all of the stupid plot turns and sordid junk.

I think I am just the Seinfeld type- I love that show-its about nothing.

Other shows I Like that are “current” are:

Psych –except not now the year long break and the so-so last season lost our interest –but we own the first 6 seasons

The big Bang Theory- Got the first 4 season for Christmas-watched them all-Tried watching each week, again lost interest.’

That’s all folks

 

FHE at Lake Lowell

Skipping rocks together-my boys

I love this cute pie

the first snowcone

I want more

Also here are the pictures from the kids Very first Snow Cones!

(I worked in a snow cone shack during my summers in high school- so this was fun for me)

The masterpiece.

The masterpiece.

Do you remember that show? It was one of those seminary movies (seminary is an LDS class for youth often taken in the morning) . It was about a dying girl who said she would not live longer then the winter struck leafy vine outside her window. And the elderly artist upstairs saw the night the leaf died and fell so he went out into the winter night and painted a leaf onto the wall, it was so lifelike that the girl  (who spent her entire day looking out the window at that vine) could not tell that it was just a painting, She was so excited that the leaf withstood the winter and felt that she could too. The painter saved her life- I always cry at the end because it’s so sweet; and then cry some more because (of course) the elderly painter died (probably from age and exposure-you know standing on a ladder at night in the winter to paint).

I thought about the beautiful influence art can have.

*Sigh* -I think we should all pause right here and picture a great work of art

… Go ahead….. Think of something….. or if you cant come up with anything google The Last Supper by Divinci or something……Got it?   Okay  great.  I Hope that gave you an uplifting moment.

My kids and I painted this morning and I am sure that the art they made is a masterpiece –at least to me, their mother.

Happy Friday-before-Mother’s Day to everyone.Happy friday before mothers day

*Note: To learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Often we are called Mormons-Click here to go to our information website were there are Frequently asked questions and information of our beliefs. You can also go to our church website here.

www.lds.org

www.mormon.org

Another side note this show is NOT on youtube.