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Friday, November 13, 2015

Grandpa's Birthday

Yesterday was my dad's birthday.  Mom is gone to Utah with Kendra's kids. Dad doesn't really like to receive gifts so we invited him over for dinner.   Cauliflower soup from the Pioneer Woman with freshly baked rolls.  And I baked my first solo apple pie.  Yum. 

Here are a few things about my dad that most people don't know:

*He doesn't like to receive gifts.  It is stressful for him.  He actually prefers to pick out his own gifts.       I'm kind of like that!
*His dresser drawers are perfectly organized.  Every item is neatly rolled. 
*He does the dishes every Sunday. 
*He LOVES missionary work and is especially good with meeting new people. 
*His dog Bernie turns him into a softie.  Bernie loves my dad and my dad loves him.

One of the best parts of living in my home town is getting to spend time with my parents in an ordinary day-to-day setting.  
Happy Birthday Dad!

And here's the soup recipe:
I add a few tablespoons of Better than bullion chicken flavor paste along with the broth. And I make a bigger batch than this because I have a house of hungry folks!

Cauliflower soup--Ree Drummond

  • 1 stick Butter, Divided
  • 1/2 whole Onion, Finely Diced
  • 1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
  • 1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
  • 1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley, Chopped
  • 2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
  • 6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
  • 2 cups Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Half-and-half
  • 2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
  • 1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. 

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. 

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. 

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary. 

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Snuggle


Jackson can sleep anywhere. 
And he does.  
Even when he was a tiny baby he would nap at a church or Grandma's house or in the grocery store (with me holding him in a sling). 
There is really only one place Jackson doesn't sleep well--alone in his bed!


Jackson goes to sleep with Rustin almost every night.  He will just brush his teeth and run in to snuggle up when he gets tired.  




Jackson also comes in to snuggle with us every morning around 5 or 6.  I used to make the other kids sleep in a bed on the floor next to my bed when they came in during the night.  I think I was worried about them getting used to sleeping with me and not sleeping alone.  Now I don't know why I was so worried!  With Dallin and Landon just a few {nine or so} months away from leaving, I suddenly want to clasp every second I get with the kids home.  When I was younger people used to tell me that they would grow up too fast but I really didn't get it.  Now I do.   I love seeing the kids grow and do fun things and make good choices but I love having them near me! Those moments when Jackson insists on snuggling with his face just inches from my own will go away in no time at all.  
And I will miss them. 


Friday, August 21, 2015

Look who's twelve!


We have a young woman in the house!

For Jenna's birthday this year Rustin took her to Franklin for an overnight horseback ride.  
It is pretty hard to beat the beauty of Cache Valley in the summer.


They packed food and camping gear and headed for the mountains.  They slept on cots and cooked over the fire.  Jenna confided to me when she came home that she thinks boys definitely have an advantage in the convenience department when it comes to the outdoor bathroom situation... 
I agree.  










The flowers were beautiful. 

Jotham and Hannah came up and joined them for a day. 
Cousins are the best!




Jenna loved her trip.  Maybe I will talk them in to taking me next time!



Spuds

Summer is the best time of the year.  I say that every summer. I also say that when its Fall, Winter and Spring but right now it is a toasty 95 degrees and I'm completely loving every minute. 

This year Dallin decided to to the Spudman triathlon for his senior project.


First he put on his super hero costume. (wet suit)



Then he packed up his bike and running shoes and headed to Burley to spend the night with the other super heros (my siblings in this case).

We only have a few pictured here but Spencer and Emily, Becki and Jeremy, Juli and Tom all did the whole race.  
Landon, Bryce and Emily (a.k.a. The Robin Hatchlings) worked together as a team: Emily swam, Bryce did the bike portion and Landon did the run.  



They did one mile swim, 25 mile bike and a 10K run.  Phew.  Exhausting!


 
It helps to have a cheering squad...



And of course a medal makes all the pain worth while.



Good job everyone!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Goals


Sometimes it takes me a few weeks into the new year to really figure out what I need to change/accomplish.  I love the start of a new year because it is such a clean slate!
There are a few things I am working on.
Here we go:

Do something hard every day.  I have been writing these things down each day. One day I made my bed before we got in it to sleep even though I really, really wanted to just lay down on the bedspread that was on top of the mattress waiting for the sheets to get dry.

One day I took the kids skiing and did that one last run with Jenna.  I couldn't walk up the stairs without wincing for three days but I am going again this Friday!

One day I loaded the dishwasher.  Even though it was 9 o'clock which is in my 'I am off duty after dinner' time.  Who's kidding who though.  Mom's are never off dinner.  But I have had a habit of ignoring those few dishes left in the sink way too often.  

So my hard things aren't really that hard.  But for me they are a huge accomplishment and 'by small and simple things are great things ' accomplished.  Right?!

Do something with the laundry every day.  Socks count.  Five minutes counts.  Organizing one drawer of clothes counts.  I think part of my laundry problem (BIG problem) is that I always think I have to do ALL of the laundry if I start.  The clothing situation is getting better.  A little bit at a time.  And the kids are helping.  Once we get things a bit more organized then they can all do their own.  But that's a whole other goal in and of itself!

Do something with the bills/mail/finances each day.  Again this is going along with my aversion to anything uncomfortable.  I hate facing finances so I put it off which only makes is worse.  It's not so bad in little 5 minute intervals.  I don't have to plan our entire retirement and funding of the three missionaries that we will have in about two seconds every time I sit down.  

Kiss Rustin every day. Sometimes we forget to kiss.  And man, that boy of mine is one heck of a kisser!  What more can I say...  :)

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Here we are! 2014 family pictures

We took these at the very end of December so they barely count as 2014 but its all we have!  We will have to make sure to take more in 2015! 
I printed off all our family blog books for Christmas this year.  Well actually I didn't print them all but I printed what I had finished... I'm working on it!  
Any way there are two things I realized.
I need to take more pictures.
I need to take a real camera once in a while!
2014 is going to be remember as the year of the crappy photos!
But as my Aunt Kay always ways--done is better than cute.
I'm going with that philosophy!












Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Year End Rhyme

Our family keeps growing
They're all getting higher.
It's hard for us all
to fit 'round the fire!

But Christmas was nice--
we sang in the choir.
And with snow and some ice
we all sat round the fire!

Christmas Eve is exhausting
as all parents know,
but a looong winter's nap
our kids did bestow! (so nice!)

Hot chocolate and toast
for breakfast we had.
A big prime rib roast,
for dinner was rad! (do people even say rad anymore?!)


Our family and friends
are the favorite for sure
we love Christmas time
for the love that endures.

Merry Christmas 2014!