tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18780210571739692042012-02-14T13:00:03.347-06:00Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.comBlogger981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-85460010886058402482012-02-14T11:22:00.002-06:002012-02-14T11:28:09.913-06:00

Sisters,Happy Valentines Day!  I wanted to share some of the things I love about Valentines. I know I've shared this before, but at our home Valentines has become a family event...and one the kids look forward to and love.  We always have a family dinner complete with using the nice china and crystal.  We always have steak and shrimp...which we never have except for on Valentine's Day.  I also

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-73984351808410751902011-12-20T14:46:00.001-06:002011-12-24T17:58:18.292-06:00

As many of you already know, Dave and I are big fans of The Killers. Well, despite the temperatures outside, our love does not wax cold during the Christmas season. May I present to you reason #77 we love The Killers: Annual Christmas Singles.  Oh, yes. You read that correctly. Annual Christmas singles. Beginning in 2006, The Killers began releasing a Christmas single each December. A

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-87457645847379525352011-12-07T13:44:00.001-06:002011-12-07T13:44:07.136-06:00

Dear Sisters, I have a variety of bread pans. Some are SUPER old and some are somewhat newer. However, I was so displeased with them all, that I went in search of better pans. Enter the Norpro 10-inch non-stick bread pan. I LOVE THESE PANS. Your bread slides out effortless, no need to grease your pans! They bake perfectly without burning. And I love the size…long and narrow. The size and shape

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-55226496444099569072011-12-07T09:33:00.001-06:002011-12-07T09:33:50.722-06:00

So, I’ve been busy putting my new Bosch mixer to the test. I’ve tried Dayna’s favorite bread recipe (which is delish and I hope she’ll share it here with everyone!) and a few others in search of a good standby recipe. I came across this recipe and made a few changes. It is really, really good. The bread is light and soft…great texture and not too dense. Best Bread 1/2 c warm water

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-67810677185745126992011-12-05T17:39:00.001-06:002011-12-05T17:40:20.456-06:00

Hi sisters, Have any of you ever heard about the art projects that the Home Depot does for kids on the first Saturday of the month? I'm pretty sure that it is every Home Depot that does this. So fun! It is free and the kids get to take home an apron and what they make. Alex took the girls for the first time in November and has decided to do it every month. They really have a blast. They went

Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658407454630953380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-10314342818815526212011-11-30T12:00:00.001-06:002011-11-30T12:24:40.821-06:00

We arrived home late Sunday night from a fun week down in Utah with a lot of you. The time flew by even though we were down there for about five days. That's a longer trip than we've taken in a long while, but it went quickly as it always does. This trip the boys had a fantastic time dressing up in Grandma Gadd's dress-up clothes. They are mostly all "girl clothes," but the boys

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-88380787599372569742011-11-15T17:10:00.001-06:002011-11-15T17:10:15.314-06:00

Dear Sisters, I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted. Between my ongoing frustrations with blogger and our spotty internet connection, I’ve wanted to pull my hair out! We had a wonderful Halloween and two fabulously fun birthdays. We are now the parents of a 3-year-old and 4-year-old. The time goes by crazy fast when you have kids. I can’t believe they are so big already! Anyway, I’m a

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-74861734656511843452011-11-12T09:09:00.001-06:002011-11-12T18:59:41.709-06:00

As I've mentioned before, the babes are crawling all over the place now. They seem to have an innate sense of where they are not supposed to be, and those are the places they are most interested in playing. The fridge, the pantry, out the front door. The moment one of those doors is opened, or heaven forbid left ajar, they can seriously hustle. It's funny seeing any baby do this, but there's

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-28070641271801879442011-11-08T11:46:00.000-06:002011-11-08T11:46:04.080-06:00

I know I just posted something similar to this, but I looked up the talk Mothers Who Know this morning. It had been a while since I read this talk, and I think it's one of the great talks that I need to read regularly. It was a good reminder to me and has given me the shot in the arm I need this morning. Maybe it'll do that for you, too.

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-33344287843838244152011-11-04T20:25:00.000-05:002011-11-04T20:25:05.607-05:00

Have you guys checked out the Mormon Channel? I love to listen to it while I'm doing the dishes or canning, or whatever it is that seems to keep me in the kitchen all day long. I have especially loved their program Conversations. I recently listened to the conversation with Virginia Hinckley Pearce, and it was fabulous. I have loved so many of them, so you simply MUST check them out. Others that

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-13202070281826795292011-10-26T10:20:00.002-05:002011-10-26T10:22:48.494-05:00

Good Morning, Nate started preschool yesterday and it's time to get him into a morning routine.  In order to get him started we made a chart on Monday to help him remember his “morning basics” that need to be done after breakfast.  He wanted a picture chart, which I normally do at this age, but instead of doing the basic clip art we decided to actually take photos of the jobs he needed to do.  I

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-16442720972716901672011-10-24T16:46:00.002-05:002011-10-24T16:53:39.886-05:00

Sisters, Even though I was a couch potato (quite literally!), it was a great weekend. Alex took the girls on several different outings, one of them to a pumpkin patch. They picked out a huge pumpkin that they carved Saturday night. They named him Jackson and were absolutely delighted with the entire carving process. It was such fun to watch them sit on the table, reaching their hands into the

Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658407454630953380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-59893803073687521432011-10-17T11:03:00.000-05:002011-10-17T11:03:22.042-05:00

I know, I know, all I've been writing about lately is food! Well, that's what my life is all about right now. I love living in a bigger house so that we have room for some food storage! FINALLY! As most of you already know, Rit and I bought a new refrigerator a couple of months ago. I LOVE THIS THING! I know it's silly to fall for an appliance, but it seriously makes my life so much easier. I

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-79261508204597174132011-10-14T18:41:00.002-05:002011-10-14T18:57:22.457-05:00

Sisters, I don't have anything real substantial to post about, just a few random thoughts: * Isn't this a great quote? “The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”― Marjorie Pay Hinckley * I just found this recipe on a blog I like to follow and I can't wait to try them. Pumpkin + Ginger =

Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658407454630953380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-12114803692035344302011-10-14T17:10:00.000-05:002011-10-14T17:10:09.276-05:00

Dragons. I don't have a picture that relates to my post today, but here's a picture of Ethan with "Legend," the stuffed dragon he got to take home from class today. He gets to keep him all weekend and write in a journal that has followed Legend each weekend over the past 10 years that Ethan's teacher has been teaching. He is super excited. Legend is a very well behaved dragon. I think Ethan

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-12039650271325906572011-10-12T05:00:00.009-05:002011-10-12T05:00:02.475-05:00

I thought I'd share some of our fun this past weekend with you.  Nate turned 5 on Saturday and he really wanted a party.  After a brainstorming session, we decided a pirate party would fit.  We had a great time planning and then partying. The invitations were scrolls with a treasure map background.  I soaked the papers in herbal tea after printing them (you need to use a laser printer) and then

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-81462844027761556942011-10-11T10:34:00.000-05:002011-10-11T10:34:39.339-05:00

I LOVE this time of year. Seriously, LOVE. I can't get enough time outside. I love when the air starts to turn a little crisp, a little cool. But the sun is still shining, the sky is still blue. And the leaves...THE LEAVES! They are stunning this year, breathtaking, the colors startlingly vivid and vibrant. I LOVE IT! I guess it's the part of Dad I have in me, but I long to jump in the car and

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-74748317505361886852011-10-07T22:38:00.001-05:002011-10-07T22:46:45.020-05:00

It feels like we've been having one party after another around here lately. First, we celebrated Sam's 3rd birthday once Dave got back from Wisconsin.  True to form, I made a Spider-Man cake at his request only to have him tell me once it was done that he wanted a dinosaur cake. Wonderful. Ah well, he got over it and seemed to enjoy himself just fine.   Then last Friday night I hosted the

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-73582406589561725972011-10-06T10:03:00.002-05:002011-10-07T14:21:57.814-05:00

Sisters, I had a great weekend with you and Dave in Wisconsin.  It was so fun to have adult time.  It is always nice to have a break from the constancy of normal life as a mother.  It is also a good time to be reminded of the little things I love.  As I sit in the chaos of my home, I'm reminded that I love being a stay at home mom that lives in the crazy fast lane.  I love listening to Jon sing

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-35568872692708114172011-10-04T09:03:00.000-05:002011-10-04T09:03:07.962-05:00

Sisters, Last night for Family Home Evening, our activity included taking an inventory of our 72 hour kits and replacing the food.  I find it interesting that 72 hour kits were first encouraged by the government and after some natural disasters in  areas of our country, we can see the benefit.  The kids loved this activity.  They were excited to be reminded of what they had in their kits and then

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-34492721767630085952011-10-03T17:32:00.000-05:002011-10-03T17:32:21.151-05:00

Dear Sisters, I realize that I may be a little late catching this wave, but I'm glad I finally caught it nonetheless. We try to drink green smoothies with every meal. Because, seriously, YUM. And because in my opinion, there is no better way to get so much nutrition so easily. My only complaint about making green smoothies is the cost. When available, I try to buy local at the farmer's market

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-58199528229940803302011-10-01T10:56:00.002-05:002011-10-01T15:55:56.622-05:00

We've lived in our house for about 4 months now, and we now have finished (almost) curtains over the front bay window! Progress! Unfortunately, the neighbors no longer get to see me nursing the twins on the couch whenever they pass by. Shucks. I'm sure they're heart-broken.  One of the reasons it took me so long to get curtains up is that it takes me a while sometimes to

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-38810916870452896182011-09-30T10:06:00.000-05:002011-09-30T10:06:22.482-05:00

Dear Sisters, I don't know how many, if any, of you have discovered Pinterest, the online pinboard site. I am in love with it. The internet is so full of fabulous photos, inspiration, tutorials and insights, it can quickly become daunting to find the things that really speak to you. Enter Pinterest. You sign up (for free) and create your own virtual bulletin boards. You can see anyone else's

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-75198126461201209182011-09-26T21:50:00.000-05:002011-09-26T21:50:34.924-05:00

Dear Sisters, I can't believe that you have already come and gone! I've been looking forward to your visit for over a year and now it's over. Hard to believe. We had such a good time and I'm so grateful that you were all able and willing to come. I truly loved spending the time together with you and Dave and mom and dad. Molly, we so missed you. Here are a few photos of our memorable weekend:

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-81236665533493065222011-09-25T12:01:00.000-05:002011-09-25T16:43:44.900-05:00

Sometimes I feel like when I talk to my kids about their behavior, it's always to talk about the things they have done wrong. When I saw this post on 71 Toes, I knew I wanted to make up our own awards that we could hand out once a week. On their bedroom door, we have each child's name and then a space below where they can display the award for the next week until they're awarded again. We usually

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-77836414692633927332011-09-24T18:24:00.000-05:002011-09-24T18:24:18.976-05:00

Dear Sisters, Most of you (minus Hillary and myself) are together in Wisconsin right now. I hope you are enjoying your time away and having a ball together. Wish I were there with you! We had a crazy trip to Ikea yesterday. Liz (Alex's sister) is here helping us for the week. She is amazing. She is nonstop energy and efficiency and is so sweet with our girls... and I just love being around

Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658407454630953380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-49213102230921073742011-09-23T05:00:00.002-05:002011-09-23T05:00:02.081-05:00

Sisters,Yes, I am finally contributing to the blog. Sorry I am so slow. Bear with me as I am still trying to figure out how to do this whole thing. Last week our family went to the "Healing Fields" and it was amazing! I wan't to share it with all of you. With the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11th tragedy, I found myself remembering with deep sorrow the events that took place. It was

Daynahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11159528670259029723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-10418004842465947792011-09-22T06:00:00.001-05:002011-09-22T06:00:07.623-05:00

My first blog post! Yeah! It didn't post on Saturday as I told it to. But hopefully we've since fixed things. It's been a busy month around our house. School starting means I have a first grader who is learning to read (a part time job by itself!), two daughters on soccer teams, a daughter playing her last season of high school tennis (very intense for two months) and a boy figuring out what

Unknownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03404856840120938474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-44726728665043970992011-09-21T05:00:00.001-05:002011-09-21T05:00:03.931-05:00

Good Morning Girls, I'm sure by the time you read this, I'll be in Wisconsin sharing a long weekend with most of you.  It should be a great family bonding experience. Last week I took Nate and went to State Fair with dad, Dayna and Logan.  It was so fun to bring our four-year olds and enjoy the smells, sounds and sights of the fair.  I love that atmosphere!  We also had to stop by the Vita-Mix

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-14416141388764660232011-09-16T17:51:00.001-05:002011-09-17T10:17:50.016-05:00

Our little ones are army crawling and rolling all over the floor. It's amazing and exciting seeing how these little guys have completely transformed in just 10 1/2 months. Peter and Benjamin chasing me as I try to snap their picture. Sweet Benjamin The first year of a baby's life is amazing, and the first year of our twins' lives has been pretty fabulous. It truly has. Having these two

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-85675064532226431642011-09-14T22:38:00.004-05:002011-09-14T22:49:12.936-05:00

Sisters, I'm so excited to share a new favorite at our home!  We started growing tomatillos a few years ago in the garden.  We only planted them the one year and they've faithfully returned each year since.  I grew them at first so I could make the tomatillo salad dressing we all love.  Then I started experimenting with other recipes, but haven't considered any of them "keepers".  I've finally

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-81049394883202822822011-09-12T22:19:00.000-05:002011-09-12T22:19:38.071-05:00

Dear Sibs, One thing I know for sure, my boys LOVE to be outside. They love to play outside. They love to sit in the dirt and dig in the sand. They love to pour water into various containers and make mud "coffee cake." They love to explore and discover. They love to pick flowers. They love the swing sticks. They love to gather treasures. They love to build various buildings and benches and

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-77025619107790780902011-09-10T10:17:00.001-05:002011-09-10T10:17:43.471-05:00

Fall is in the air here in Twin Falls...well, almost. The days are still warm, but the nights are cooler. This means our house still cools off at night even though our sliding screen door was sacrificed to the rowdy celebrations of Ethan and Jeff's "End of Summer Late Night." I don't know where Ethan learned about late nights, but Ethan wanted to have one with some of his friends to celebrate the

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-349601674775067402011-09-09T01:24:00.000-05:002011-09-09T01:24:24.562-05:00

Dear Sisters, First of all, I so enjoy reading all of your posts.  I hope we can keep this blog going because I love getting a different glimpse into your lives. I am slowly learning some things from being on bed rest.  I think I may have been given this experience for some very specific reasons.  Here are some lessons I am learning thus far: *Note: #1, #2, #3, and #4 lessons are from the 6

Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658407454630953380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-39381368931650669632011-09-08T13:56:00.001-05:002011-09-08T22:43:02.285-05:00

  Dear Sisters,It's that time of year again and just when I feel like I'm getting on top of the game, the garden and fruit trees are overflowing with abundance.  We really enjoy eating the fresh fruits and veggies that are a product of our summer long labors, but I also spend time canning, drying and freezing the extra.  I started all of that this past week.  It started with tomatoes on

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-58482118716729884042011-09-05T21:02:00.000-05:002011-09-05T21:02:54.485-05:00

Hi all, The boys and I decided to make lunch for all of the staff at Rit's school last week. I wanted to share the two yummy recipes we tried out. We made grown up grilled cheese sandwiches and the best cookies ever for dessert. First, I'd better tell you about the sandwiches. I used country white bread, each slice buttered on one side. On one slice, spread ricotta cheese. Here's the pile:

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-31404782261784376862011-09-02T11:57:00.000-05:002011-09-02T22:39:55.073-05:00

Ethan has been working really diligently on earning his Wolf for Cub Scouts. We lost his scout book somehow in the move madness, but now he has a new book and is planning on earning his Wolf in the next month or so. I think he just may do it. He's pretty motivated, so we're striking while the iron is hot. On Tuesday he planned all our meals and helped cook breakfast. This is what it looks like

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-91098614361966650722011-08-30T11:45:00.005-05:002011-08-30T12:51:22.784-05:00

A friend of mine suggested that I check out the blog 71 Toes. While I was there, I saw her family motto and fell in love with the idea of a few words that summed up our most important family values. I took the kids to Arctic Circle for ice cream cones and to play on the play equipment and jotted down my ideas for our words and mission statement. When I showed my ideas and the idea that

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-88237929983118895112011-05-16T11:26:00.002-05:002011-05-16T12:00:38.935-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I have been bringing treats for my sunday school class every Sunday. I am much happier with the idea that the kids "earn" their treats in some way, so I took your mom's advice and have been asking them to memorize some historical dates in church history. I loved the idea when she first mentioned it, but I felt a greater urgency when one of my kids talked about the

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-27598084079361680282011-04-08T16:10:00.009-05:002011-04-08T16:56:04.966-05:00

Spring is coming. I promise. She's been pretty elusive in Idaho, but we caught a glimpse of the shy gal last Friday. We reached a sunny 70 degrees, so we decided to take the boys fishing. The fishing was a bit of a bust, but it brought joy to my heart seeing our boys out in the sunshine, gathering worms, finding "perfect" sticks, digging in the dirt, trying to catch snakes, and throwing rocks in

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-79087362694023504982011-03-30T12:55:00.001-05:002011-03-30T12:55:00.894-05:00

Parenting is hard. Being a stay-at-home parent is particularly hard. I’ve had a hard couple of weeks with two sick kids. To be frank, I feel horribly guilty even mentioning anything that I may be struggling with short of life-threatening illness. Every day I view more images and read more stories about those impacted by the recent terrible natural disaster in Japan. So many have lost everything…

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-9569121678244707122011-03-29T10:44:00.001-05:002011-03-29T11:06:40.419-05:00

I've made two fabulous treats lately, which is a strange thing to do when trying to lose weight. Maybe my willpower will become stronger the more frequently I test it? Probably not. But I do enjoy making treats, and sometimes the occasion calls for it. On Thursday we were invited over to watch the Cougs and were asked to bring the treat. So being died in the wool blue, through and through. We all

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-15015714956944502692011-03-18T16:36:00.004-05:002011-03-18T17:19:33.370-05:00

Over here in Idaho we have been struggling in the afternoons. The hours between when the boys come home from school and when Dad comes home have been less than ideal. To be frank, they've been miserable. The walk home has often times been "freezing," or "boiling hot," or "SOOO long!" Battles have already been fought over "Jeff would only walk as slow as a tortoise" and "Ethan ran away and

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-30716110865101340032011-03-15T17:38:00.001-05:002011-03-15T17:41:37.899-05:00

Hi Sisters!  This is my first post on our blog.  I'm excited to contribute and hope I can think of interesting things to post about more often. My sister-in-law, Liz, informed me yesterday that it was national Pi Day.  That's right.  Not "Pie Day" but, rather, "Pi Day."  Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th (Pi = 3.1415926535…).  Well, we actually did make it "

Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06658407454630953380noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-20577320372292280142011-02-25T21:28:00.000-06:002011-02-25T21:28:43.736-06:00

Dear Sisters, I thought I would share part of my day with you.  It was a great day and was even productive to some extent; that's not always the case in my life.  My days seem to be full of interruptions and today was not an exception, except for the fact that the interruption came after things on the "to do" list were completed!  After dropping off a child at piano, I got a phone call.  The

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-22574014873390334832011-02-18T11:02:00.004-06:002011-02-18T17:01:12.960-06:00

For the past several months, our family has been tormented by a miniature menace. He is a mastermind of terror, employing a myriad of methods to bully us and rob us of any sense of tranquility. As a public service, I will list some of the tactics of this sort of domestic guerilla warfare so that you may possibly thwart any tiny terrorists in your neighborhoods.1)Sleep Deprivation. Our captor

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-41548237247919272082011-02-14T09:00:00.002-06:002011-02-14T19:40:41.868-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day.  I thought I'd share one of my favorite family traditions.  Years ago, when we only had one child, I was planning a candlelight dinner on Valentine's Day.  I got our 2 1/2 year old to bed early and started making a romantic dinner.  My husband was gone, so it was perfect...it would be a fun surprise when he arrived home.  On a student budget, I had planned and saved so we

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-73911093670930842802011-02-01T11:52:00.000-06:002011-02-01T11:52:02.028-06:00

To the fun women in my life, In little ol' Sheboygan, Wisconsin, mere blocks from Lake Michigan, there sits a lovely pizza place called Il Ritrovo. They serve authentic Italian pizza that is TO DIE FOR. And we are going there when everyone comes to visit this fall. But I digress... Rit and I went there last year sometime and had an amazing pizza full of flavor and topped with delicious fresh

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-21968989790619999652011-01-27T10:50:00.004-06:002011-01-27T12:28:25.870-06:00

I love our pressure cooker. I have mainly used it for beans and brown rice, but while my mom was here after the twins were born, she used it to cook some meat I'd had in the freezer for a while. She made some green chili pork burritos to put in the freezer, and they were mucho delicioso. I tried it out on my own a couple nights ago to make shredded pork salads, and it was a huge hit with the

Hillary Gaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08002528467994429278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-12058612292179837852011-01-25T10:44:00.000-06:002011-01-25T10:44:27.474-06:00

Yes, I'm a slacker...kind of. Last year was a WHIRLWIND. Our adoptions for the boys finally went through after months and months of court appearances. The sheer volume of paperwork involved was overwhelming to say the least. Then we fell in love with a house...quite unexpectedly. Then we went to Utah for a month. Then we closed on our new house. Then we worked nonstop on the new house. Then we

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-39261251458091751302010-06-03T07:20:00.000-05:002010-06-03T07:20:10.770-05:00

Dear Amy (and our blog readers), Although I have been gone from our blog for far too long, you have not been forgotten. We had a very busy May--paperwork, crazy legalities, Memorial Day, the boys' adoption, adoption party, offers on houses, preparing the move. It was insane! Well, the adoption was finalized, the home sale fell through, we're not moving, and we still have tons of paperwork to

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-85023304871840514742010-05-18T04:00:00.001-05:002010-05-19T08:58:38.778-05:00

Kate,It's been such a busy time. School ends next week and then we are on to summer! I love this time of year. We had company until last Saturday and had a great time. I do really enjoy having my in-laws come and visit. The kids think it's a special treat as well.Today was going to be a catch up day, but instead I had a sick child and two pairs of glasses that got broken over the weekend and

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-26705458705339034352010-05-11T16:38:00.004-05:002010-06-18T18:12:25.254-05:00

Kate,Sorry to hear about the terrible fate of chippy. Keep those five gallon buckets covered! ;) It was such a nice weekend, busy but good. We had a great time at our girl mother's day luncheon, but wish you would have been there. It has been so nice to have my in-laws visiting. I really enjoy having them here.Yesterday I made this recipe and I wanted to share it with you. I frequently have

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-47279027552519296232010-05-10T07:58:00.003-05:002010-05-10T08:02:18.246-05:00

Dear Amy, Happy Mother’s Day yesterday! I hope your day was filled with fun with Pat and Tom and lots of special gifts and favors from the kiddies. Oh, and good food. I know what you were planning for dinner…and YUM! We had a very relaxing day and even enjoyed some sunshine…a marked difference from the rest of the week. It was nice to get a break from the rain and wind. With leads me to a story…

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-82230730901673593542010-05-04T19:34:00.005-05:002010-05-04T19:58:19.558-05:00

Kate,We are still hoping for a little spring here in Utah. The weather has been crazy...70's one day, snow the next. I never know what the weather will be!! The kids get out of school on May 27, so summer is coming whether we've had spring or not! I love having the kids home in the summer, but it is very different that just having N. home. So I'm starting to plan for it now. Besides doing

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-37667575013155900782010-05-03T08:26:00.003-05:002010-05-03T09:12:12.276-05:00

Dear Amy, We’ve been talking about this for months. And yes, IT IS FINALLY FINISHED! When we first agreed back in January to take our tiny house off of the market and stay here for awhile longer, I was forced to find some creative space-saving solutions. We had just moved our bedroom from upstairs to the main floor. Although we now have an attached bathroom, which is nice (even if it is the

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-91883888054271021672010-04-30T08:15:00.000-05:002010-04-30T08:15:18.771-05:00

Dear Amy, Happy Friday! I'm don't think I've looked forward to a weekend this much for awhile. What an exhausting week it's been. And I feel like I've hardly seen Rit all week. It will be so nice to simply be together as a family. We're heading down to Milwaukee early tomorrow morning for the Foster Family Walk/Run. We're meeting some family and friends there and we're really looking forward to

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-30013993021386075122010-04-29T07:35:00.000-05:002010-04-29T07:35:41.117-05:00

Dear Amy, Thank you so much for sharing the rhubarb cake recipe. YUM! I can't wait to try it. I absolutely love the bitter taste of rhubarb. And if Dad gave it two thumbs up, it must be divine. With that man's sweet tooth... I'm sorry I haven't written lately. It's truly been due to a complete and total lack of time. Things have been crazy around here lately. We are just about to finalize our

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-24117403891381670052010-04-27T08:58:00.003-05:002010-04-27T09:14:21.829-05:00

Kate,It was so fun to walk around the yard on Saturday and notice that our rhubarb is ready. We only have two things we are harvesting at the present...rhubarb and spinach! I do love this time of year. I love thinking about yesteryear and the memories of rhubarb pie, rhubarb sauce and rhubarb cake.For our Sunday dinner, I decided to break out mom's rhubarb cake recipe, healthify it and make it

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-78425956511912966602010-04-22T15:11:00.003-05:002010-04-22T15:25:16.099-05:00

Kate,Life has been so busy lately and I haven't found time for blogging. Things are settling down a bit and I'm feeling very similar to what you've described in your previous post. I can't decide if it's spring, knowing the kids will be out of school in a month or just life. I also want to organize and declutter our lives. I need to reread "How to Organize Just about Everything" so I have a

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-91379830220143726132010-04-21T06:47:00.001-05:002010-04-21T06:47:34.173-05:00

Dear Amy, It’s been a long couple of weeks. We’re in the process of making some very significant financial decisions right now and I admit, I’m overwhelmed. Unfortunately, Rit and I both fall into the endless cycle of becoming paralyzed by indecision because we’re so afraid of making the wrong decision. The absence of my usual jolts of caffeine and sugar racing through my system is making things

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-72113610540021232702010-04-20T04:00:00.000-05:002010-04-19T23:48:43.642-05:00

Kate,What fun things you are doing. I hope to have a little more time after this week. Last weekend was great and very full. We had a birthday party, delayed family Easter party, scout campout, wedding reception and birthday dinner, let alone the other basic items that happen to keep a family running.I wanted to show you the cake I made for Em. She wanted another princess cake, but after

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-46903275995495915382010-04-19T08:02:00.001-05:002010-04-19T08:02:39.245-05:00

Dear Amy, Happy Monday! We had such an enjoyable weekend. We got so much done. We spent Saturday with friends, which is always fun. Rit finished cleaning out the Hudling in preparation for the closing this Wednesday. That house has been a thorn and a blessing. We bought it cheap and run-down, but we could see it’s inner beauty. It’s blossomed now, and we will miss it. I also spent some time

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-78909749254268369762010-04-15T04:00:00.003-05:002010-04-14T23:54:22.027-05:00

Kate,I have a website I want to share with you. This site has given me encouragement and some healthified recipes that work for children. I enjoyed reading about Tammie's journey. You'll have to see what you think!I have really liked learning more about healthy eating alternatives. I have a long way to go, but have found that I have come a long way as well. I would still like to do something

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-26626062065870711832010-04-14T10:41:00.001-05:002010-04-14T10:41:31.764-05:00

Dear Amy, Sorry I didn’t check in on Monday. Our Internet was down and it rocked my world…and not in a good way. More like in the “We just struck an iceberg” kind of way. I didn’t realize how reliant I was on my friend the Internet until it was no longer there. I missed it…in a deep and meaningful way. I love you, Internet. There I said it. Now let’s move on. We all know how hard it can be to

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-48780109727393995032010-04-13T04:00:00.000-05:002010-04-13T04:00:00.614-05:00

Kate,As you know, birthday season has started in our home. We are fairly consistent with birthdays from the end of March to the first of October. Fitting 8 birthday's in during that time is crazy, but fun. There are times when we don't even take down the crepe paper and balloons before the next celebration. I thought I'd share with you the cake I made for B. a couple of weeks ago. It is

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-28858392922997368402010-04-09T14:15:00.003-05:002010-04-09T14:33:53.843-05:00

Dear Amy,So, the food revolution. I’m not known far and wide for my remarkable self-control, so I’m sure you’re dying for an update. If not in a supportive manner, then at least for a good laugh. The plan was to begin Tuesday with trying to eat better—more whole foods, fewer processed foods, fresh when possible and no sugar. The plan was to forgo caffeine as well, however there has been a

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-91070512300507153622010-04-08T04:00:00.003-05:002010-04-08T04:00:02.013-05:00

Zions National ParkKate,You sure do have a lot going on...potty training, a lot of sewing so you CAN do the potty training, the eating revolution, etc. I'm amazed you are willing to tackle it all at once. I'm anxiously waiting for updates.Well, we're on Spring Break this week and loving the time together. We just returned from a few

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-12441924858067136572010-04-07T07:31:00.001-05:002010-04-07T07:34:02.545-05:00

Dear Amy, We are fast approaching potty-training ground zero here in Wisconsin. D is now 29 months old and he’s expressing interest in the potty. With Michelle’s five kids, your six, Dayna’s five and David’s 2, I have heard countless horror stories. I’m scared….REALLY. SCARED. I’m trying an approach that has garnished rave reviews online. It’s called “Three Day Potty Training” by Lora Jensen.

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-55590373662238919952010-04-06T04:00:00.003-05:002010-04-09T14:39:01.370-05:00

Kate, I finally finished a little skirt for E. She loves it. It twirls a little and she has a hard time standing still when she wears it. She loves to twirl! I took some jeans of hers that were a bit short and had a hole in the knee and this is how I reused them. I used the basics from this website. It was very easy and turned out cute. I did let her pick the fabric, so it is very E.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-82217610501322951612010-04-05T18:41:00.001-05:002010-04-07T07:33:28.254-05:00

Dear Amy, Happy Easter (just one day late…)! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and a peaceful and joy-filled Easter holiday. We had a very nice weekend packed with a trip to the zoo, a drive through the countryside and spending some much-needed time outside. The weather is warming up here and I could not be more thrilled. BRING IT ON! I finished the bunnies for the boys Easter baskets. You

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-72621131011648054862010-04-02T09:14:00.002-05:002010-04-02T09:30:23.908-05:00

Dear Amy,I’m disturbed. Let me clarify that statement…yes, I am disturbed in general (wink), but I am particularly disturbed about the eating trends of the general public. And although I’m vigilant about what we eat in my own house, I need to do better.There’s a new show on TV called Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. I’ve seen Chef Jamie Oliver on the Food Network before. He’s entertaining to watch

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-4056660023851874052010-04-01T08:52:00.002-05:002010-04-05T11:10:52.286-05:00

Dear Amy,Happy April! It’s getting warmer here,but not quite warm enough. So, we spent Tuesday night at a nearby resort with a huge indoor water park…a little spring break vacation to get us ready for upcoming summer trips. We only stayed one  night, but we had a wonderful time. The boys loved it. The water park was a huge hit. Eric, age 1, was fearless and his 2-year-old brother, D, was much

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-55858596859505607122010-03-31T04:00:00.005-05:002010-03-31T04:00:00.486-05:00

Dear Kate,With April Fools Day being only a couple of days away, I thought I'd share a tradition we have. Our kids love the dinner we typically have that night. It's nothing special... usually just spaghetti, salad, bread sticks and dessert. The different part is how it's served. I rename all of the menu items and also rename all of the utensils (we include very unusual ones). The children

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-80912111970385332962010-03-30T15:48:00.001-05:002010-04-02T09:17:35.767-05:00

Dear Amy, So yes, another pair of D’s pants has bitten the dust. The boy plays so hard! These were especially tragic for me to lose. I LOVED these pants. I bought them off eBay…Mini Boden brand, a little baggy, SO CUTE! Inevitably, D’s hectic play schedule has claimed this casualty. Sad. Fortunately, though, this particular pair of pants lends itself perfectly to becoming a cutesy pair of

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-66725324465377904462010-03-30T04:00:00.003-05:002010-03-30T09:16:28.899-05:00

Kate,I wanted to share one of the things I love doing for Easter. It's fast, east and always turns out! It's a fun one to have little hands help with. If you start now, you'll have a great Easter centerpiece just in time. Here's what you do.Line an Easter basket with plastic. I used a plastic basket as well so that if I do have a little dirt on it that I want to rinse off when Easter is over

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-43100331939249593622010-03-26T04:00:00.002-05:002010-03-29T14:57:10.711-05:00

Kate,I decided that we needed to make some fun Easter decorations. N. wanted to help. I remembered the string eggs from years ago and decided we'd make some. After a little research I decided that we'd bag the sugar-water approach and use thinned glue. It was a fun project and N. liked the outcome, but he said it was too hard for a 3 year old. I think it would work better with the older kids.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-78328966323286618342010-03-25T04:00:00.003-05:002010-03-29T09:33:43.152-05:00

Kate, Today I decided to be the perfect mom and have chocolate chip cookies waiting for an after school snack. You know I am always trying to make things a little healthier, so I tried it with my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have always used whole wheat flour and even sucanat, but this time I made additional changes. They turned out very yummy. I even took some to my neighbor and

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-85656289069122108952010-03-24T08:11:00.001-05:002010-03-24T08:13:33.136-05:00

Dear Amy, Good morning! So, this is our first Easter with the boys. I’m so excited. Remember how much fun we used to have as kids searching for our baskets? We couldn’t look for eggs until we’d found our basket. Mom and Dad always included such fun things in our baskets. In sticking with our determination not to BUY, BUY, BUY, I’ve been pondering different things to include in the boys’ Easter

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-65891039880997857472010-03-23T03:00:00.001-05:002010-03-23T03:00:02.076-05:00

Dear Kate,I've decided to share with you one of the ways I live on a little less. As you know I really enjoy cooking and have found that I like to use my freezer when it comes to saving money. I found limes last week for 12 cents each...what a bargain. I bought 8...should have bought more. Tonight I am juicing them with my little antique hand juicer and then freezing the juice in ice cube

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-20888714170533710572010-03-22T08:44:00.003-05:002010-03-22T08:49:29.438-05:00

Dear Amy, Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed the sunny (but chilly) days bundled up and playing outside. We had our first fire in the chiminea over the weekend. We played and went on walks and dreamed of summer. Contrary to what most of our townsfolk were wearing last week when it reached 60 degrees, it’s still not warm enough for shorts (and/or tube tops, people. Take

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-82597759773396623092010-03-19T08:00:00.002-05:002010-03-22T08:50:23.488-05:00

Dear Amy, Good morning! We both know how hard it can be to get enough veggies into our kids’ diets. i know that you’ve been interested in green smoothies for awhile now, so I thought I’d share one of our favorite green smoothie recipes. We have this practically every day for lunch. The boys love it and anticipate it. And it’s super fast and super easy. Of course, the recipe is not exact since I

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-26887806295291360902010-03-18T13:10:00.004-05:002010-03-29T09:30:13.315-05:00

Dear Kate, As you know, I love making recipes a little more healthy. For some reason I love learning about healthy eating and healthy living. I have a recipe that I've tweaked for Banana Flax seed Bread that I want you to try sometime. Banana Flax seed Bread 1/2 cup sucanat 1/2 cup milk with 2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice added (let sit 5 min.) 2 eggs 3 Tbsp. applesauce 1 1/4 cup whole wheat

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-29659697957348017462010-03-17T07:55:00.001-05:002010-03-17T07:55:58.145-05:00

Dear Amy, I have found a new love. And as with most new loves, I am full of eager anticipation…the possibilities are endless. I want to spend all of my free time with my new love. I can’t wait for you two to meet! Last year, I bought a book that sounded fascinating, Kanzashi in Bloom by Diane Gilliland. In sticking with my goal to use up scrap fabric, find uses for old clothes that are not

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-2402637295739293212010-03-16T04:00:00.003-05:002010-03-29T09:33:06.964-05:00

Kate, I love the bag. I hope you get the iron thing resolved as well, most frustrating! Well, it's time to transplant my seedlings. We transplant to provide more room for the root system and to move them into separate containers so they will be easier to plant in the garden. We usually don't transplant all of the plants, but pick the strongest ones. As you can see in the photo, they've

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-38327175576741951212010-03-15T15:06:00.002-05:002010-03-29T09:29:47.404-05:00

Dear Amy, The iron situation is finally resolved…I wish. I made a special trip to the store this morning and came home with a new iron (and several other things for the boys…darn those 50% off toys! Don’t worry…I’m saving them for birthdays and other special occasions…our budget is still intact.). Only the new iron is so narrow that it won’t stand upright because the heat-proof pad on my ironing

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-6331290636337967722010-03-15T07:23:00.000-05:002010-03-15T07:23:57.774-05:00

Dear Amy, AARRRRGGGHH! Remember when I bumped my ironing board sending my beloved iron to crack and clatter on the hard wood floor? Well, it broke...forever. I loved that iron. For those who love to sew, a good iron is essential like a toothbrush is essential...and chocolate...and sunshine...um, and fleece. I love fleece. Anyway, I ordered a new beautiful iron. AND IT DOESN'T WORK. It's so

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-46820241749728000132010-03-13T21:45:00.002-06:002010-03-29T09:32:41.420-05:00

Dear Amy,So, my BFF Tina came over this morning to spend some time with the boys, join us for breakfast and cut our hair—even the boys’. She has a salon here in town, but she’s kind enough to come over to cut our hair here at home. So sweet!You know how much I love to cook, so I tried out some new recipes for breakfast this morning. I’ve made scones before, but never breakfast scones. I found a

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-87823731829342667092010-03-11T06:00:00.001-06:002010-04-06T07:44:56.087-05:00

Dear Kate, I love the clothing adaptations you have made to make them work. I will have to try it. As you know, having a three year old under foot all the time is wonderful, but can also impede some of those basic household tasks. I have found over the years a great way to get my kitchen clean and keep the younger children occupied. When I do a good clean of the kitchen, N gets to play with

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-34112977872316253282010-03-10T09:42:00.003-06:002010-03-29T09:32:07.141-05:00

Dear Amy, I LOVE the seedlings you’ve started. It makes me realize how close summer is and how I need to get a jumpstart on our garden this year. I’ve bought some books to help us plan better, utilize our garden bounty more efficiently and use our garden space more effectively. I’m so excited! The first signs of spring make me so happy! Here’s one more idea for how to reuse kids’ stained clothing

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-48782741956514059872010-03-09T06:00:00.002-06:002010-03-29T09:31:49.177-05:00

Dear Kate, It's time to start thinking about the garden, so that is what we did last week! We decided to plant our seeds indoors so that they'll be ready to move into the garden in 6-8 weeks or possibly the hoop house sooner than that. This is how we did it. I started with a flat planting tray, potting soil, seeds, a pencil, and Popsicle sticks to mark my rows and label the seeds. Some of the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06912273880024179189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-46189840517407159642010-03-08T09:50:00.005-06:002010-03-29T09:31:32.809-05:00

Dear Amy, As you know, our two boys arrived very suddenly last spring. They were five months and 17 months old at the time…just babies. When we made the decision to take the boys and commit to making it work, we were instantly thrown into a whirlwind of preparation. We didn’t have the usual nine months to prepare for their arrival…we had a few days. We didn’t have a room set up. We didn’t

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-82381259687292358742010-02-03T14:19:00.000-06:002010-02-26T13:35:14.694-06:00

Dear Amy, “For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice.”  John Burroughs I truly believe that anything worth having is worth waiting for and working toward. Remember that saying we had on the kitchen tile growing up? “What we achieve too easily, we esteem too lightly.” So true. And so apparent in my life. I have found that I

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-68464314280420223742010-01-22T09:22:00.001-06:002010-03-29T09:31:10.890-05:00

Kate, We decided it was time to make some decorations for Valentines...so,  N (age 3) and E (age 6) joined me in making hearts.  We decided that stained glass hearts would look great when the sun shines through our west windows!  Here's what we did... You will need: Wax paper Pink, red and white crayons potato peeler scissors an iron a couple of old rags I started with a couple of

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-27700137060935274742010-01-19T15:24:00.001-06:002010-03-29T09:30:50.816-05:00

Kate, Making butter...how fun! I am anxious to hear how the budget thing goes.  That will be challenging, but you are always up to a good challenge!  I will check out the cookbook you recommended.  I always love new cookbooks. Well, we decided to cook in our kitchen today as well. As you know, I love to cook and part of that is tweaking any recipe to make it better for you. N, age 3, has been

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-54303751695349190042010-01-18T10:12:00.001-06:002010-03-15T09:22:25.312-05:00

Dear Amy,So, a lot is going on here. R and I have made some significant decisions regarding how we want our next couple of years to unfold.We have committed to living on half of R’s salary for one year—HALF! Ouch. Although R doesn’t make a lot of money, she makes a good salary. And we feel that we spend more than we need to each month. Okay, let’s be honest, I spend more than I need to each month

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-25692244839912282932010-01-15T10:57:00.000-06:002010-02-26T13:35:14.765-06:00

Dear Katie,It's a beautiful day here in the West. The air is cold, but dirty. I just heard that we have the worst air quality in the nation; I guess that happens when you live between mountains. Hopefully that will improve! This year I am excited to start some fun projects. I really hope I can get on top of scrap booking and doing a history for my children. I wish that some of our ancestors

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878021057173969204.post-42017769416702017982010-01-13T12:31:00.000-06:002010-02-26T13:35:14.778-06:00

Dear Amy,Birthdays and New Year’s, they both do it to me. I take a step back, I become more introspective. I once again take a look around at my life, at myself. I take stock. Am I where I want to be at this time in my life? Am I living the life I want to live? Am I the person I want to be? I’m so easily caught up in the riff-raff of life, of things…the superfluousness, the excess. My target for

Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348212288622865817noreply@blogger.com0