2015 Blue Jeans Week 47

 Busy week--a couple basketball games, cross country awards banquet (Miss A's last one!!!), piano recital and life in general.  Only going to have one post this week.  Going to limit computer time and be grateful for all I have and spend time with my family.  We are hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow and will have about 25.  Friday we have the tradition of getting all the Christmas decorations up and Saturday we have nothing, so looking forward to a wonderful end of this week.  We have so much to be thankful for!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Here is a look at our past week. . .

Miss E #12 in a huddle during one of her basketball games this week.  She is doing great and loves it!  

Once a week I volunteer in Mr J's class.  Today they were working on softening "buffalo" hides (they were just brown pieces of paper, but the kids sure loved it!) to get ready to make a teepee.

Mr J and Miss A enjoying some trampoline time together. 

My three girls and their amazing cross country coach who was also my cross country coach.  He has been around a long time and is just the best!

Awards banquet--Coach likes to do funny awards--Miss A got the "My mom hugs me too much award doll" and Miss O got the "I'm jealous of my sister award doll."  It was pretty funny.

Miss E and her 8th grade girls cross country team.

Piano recital was this week.  Always a lot of work, and they kids did awesome!  Miss O didn't perform in this one.  Her song wasn't ready, so she gets to play at the spring recital.  Miss E did a great job!

Miss A in her probably last group recital.  She will have her own senior recital in the spring.  Crazy!  She played an amazing Chopin piece so beautifully!

And these two cute boys did a duet together that was awesome!  They also each did a solo which was also very, very good!  Lots of smiles that it is over :)

Have a blessed Thanksgiving and see you next week!

Friday thoughts. . .

Life is just a little too busy right now. . .just my thoughts at this moment.  Have a great weekend!  Getting ready for Thanksgiving here!

2015 Blue Jeans Week 46

A great week with a super fun weekend!  Our BYU Cougars were in KC to play the Mizzou Tigers.  We went up Friday and went to the team devotional, the tailgate party and enjoyed the game with great friends who drove down from Iowa.  Super sad they didn't win, but not because of our lack of cheering :)  It was a fun weekend, a great way to end the week.  Take a look. . .

Ben was so good to help Miss O study for her major history exam.  The girl rocked it!  Probably because her awesome Dad helped her study :)

Love this shot I got of my two oldest just being silly and enjoying time together.  It is going to be hard for Miss O when Miss A leaves next year.  Love this moment.

For young women's tonight we tied fleece blankets.  Took up the whole gym to get them done.  The girls were so excited to have a nice warm blanket to snuggle up in that night because it got cold!

The BYU football team Friday night devotional.  It was awesome!  What other college football team do you know that on a Friday night before a game they do a free devotional?  So glad we got to be there, and it was a packed house!  They are singing "Armies of Helaman" here. 

After the devotional they had some time to meet the players and get autographs and pictures if you could find the players in the mob--well Miss E found quarterback Tanner Mangum and was soooo excited!  

At the BYU tailgate party getting ready to head to Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on our Cougars! 

Rise and Shout!

Our dear friends from Iowa who we met at our first BYU married student ward almost 20 years ago drove down to enjoy the game with us!  So fun to see them again!  Crazy to think that next year our oldest will be at BYU together!

And the crew before the game started.  It was a lot of fun even if they did lose.  Just being there was fun.  A great weekend!

Thanks for visiting!  Come back soon!

Friday thoughts

Got the Thanksgiving menu planned out today, now I just need to assign everything. . . sounds so yummy!   I can't wait!

And wanted to start sharing my "ponderize" scripture each week.  "Ponderize" is a made up word combining the words "ponder" and "memorize."  The idea is to pick a scripture, print it out and put it where you will see it often during the week (I put mine on the fridge), read it, think about it and try to memorize it or at least memorize what it means to you.

This week my scripture is 

"Look unto me in every thought; 

doubt not, fear not."

Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

What's up Wednesday--some favorites

On this Veteran's Day, as we honor our military who work so hard so we can be free to blog, cook, and live our lives how we want, I wanted to share two favorite recipes at our house lately.  They come from none other than the famous Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  Love that place!  I make something of hers at least 5 times a week if not every day.  Good stuff there let me tell you!

This first one we have at least once a month. Super easy, quick, and so yum! This ham and pasta skillet dinner is the best!  It calls for red peppers, but we have used yellow, green, or whatever color we have on hand.

This cake decadent chocolate cake with whipped chocolate frosting was an experiment.  It is made with quinoa--no flour, so I wanted to try it.  Oh my yum!  And it looks so good too!  You look like a gourmet chef as you bring it in.  My family was very impressed.  I made it just for fun one day and then Ben requested it for his birthday cake this year, so you know it is good.  It does take a while to make, but it is sooo worth it!

Hope you enjoy these favorites of ours!  And a HUGE THANK YOU to our Veterans and the men and women serving us today!  God bless you and your families!

2015 Blue Jeans Week 45

Basketball has officially started here.  Two games last week, and we are having fun.  I enjoy just one child doing one thing instead of all 4 doing 4 different things.  So I am enjoying these 2 weeks I have of that rare occasion before Miss O starts high school basketball and then we just endure :)  but it is fun.  I have 2 basketball loving girls, and I have no clue where that came from.  I am beginning to appreciate the game more with each season, but I never would have called myself a fan before.  It's all good.  So here is a look at our week. . .

Frosting, decorating and eating our pumpkin sugar cookies tonight.  Didn't get them done before Halloween, so we enjoyed them the day after.  It is all good!  Better late than never!

First basketball game, and there she goes our #12!  Looking forward to a great season!

And Miss E with a little friend of ours who is so cute!

Miss O and I sporting our cross country t-shirts.  Sure love this girl of mine!

They did a special devotional before school, and Miss O played her guitar while her cute friend sang.  It was a neat program.

Saturday they had the veteran's day parade in our town.  So very grateful for the men and women who have and do serve our country to keep us safe and that allow us to have the many freedoms we have.  Thank you!!

Come back soon!  Have a great one!

Friday thoughts

Sometimes I have a hard time getting motivated.  Anyone else have this problem?  I make "to-do" lists.  I should get those things done that day, but man my morning list making enthusiasm does not equal my afternoon "I need a nap" attitude, so many things just get moved to the next day's "to-do" list and many things stay on that list for a long, long time until they either become irrelevant--like I missed the deadline/holiday/party/birthday/event or they just disappear from the list and are replaced with many other things that may or may not get done.  Oh well.  I try.  I guess that is the point, right?  We are down here to learn and grow and keep trying.  I try not to be too hard on myself which is another thing I fluctuate on how well I do.  At times I can be very forgiving, but others very harsh.  I am sure most can relate to this too.  But we just keep trying, right?  So as we head into this beautiful fall weekend in this month when we are to be remembering how many, many things we have to be grateful for, remember to just keep trying.  Don't give up and don't be too hard on yourself.   Enjoy the blessings God has given you because you are His child, and He loves you.  Have a great weekend.

What's up Wednesday--whole wheat applesauce cake

This is a super easy, snack cake that my mom made when I was growing up.  One bowl, one pan and you are done.  I like recipes like that.  Mix it by hand, no mixer necessary.  We call this whole wheat applesauce cake.  I have made it with homemade chunky applesauce, unsweetened, cinnamon or just regular applesauce, and they all turn out great.  It is a perfect fall treat.

Chocolate chips are supposedly optional, but not in our world, so load them on.  They make them extra special!  Enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Applesauce Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour (and if you don't have whole wheat, just use white, that is fine, or any combination of both if you like, but 100% whole wheat is really good)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup canola oil

Chocolate chips to sprinkle on the top

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except chocolate chips and mix well.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake 25-30 minutes.  

2015 Blue Jeans Week 44

Marching band is officially over, and I don't have a single band picture to share this week after 2 competitions where they rocked!  I was recording the band performances instead of taking pictures, buy it is all good.  First basketball games are this week.  Woohoo--here we go, but in general November is usually a slower month for us.  Had a fun Halloween and enjoyed a sweet 16 party with some friends at a super fun place.  So, here is a look at our week--goodbye October, hello November!  Gulp!

Precursor to Halloween was a trunk-or-treat at church.  Miss E had fun giving out candy with these 2 helpers :)

Had a family road trip, and my kids love to sing and dance in the car to their music--so much fun!  Ben and I are very entertained :)

Played some GaGa ball this week.  Have you ever played that or seen it?  Pretty intense, but fun!  

Miss O and Miss E tried some rock climbing.  Pretty brave.  I couldn't do it.  

And Halloween we only had one trick-or-treater.  He worked his magic though as a master magician.  Miss O and he made the costume together.  Pretty cool!

My sister and brother-in-law were in town and took him around our street.  Lots of fun and candy!  

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you have a great week!