Merry Christmas!
December 21, 2007 
My parents were planning on arriving tomorrow but have decided (because of weather) to come early, and will be arriving today. Which means that I have a huge list of things to do today (with husband out of town, working; and three kids home ALL day and a playdate coming over at 2). I have a talk for Sunday to prepare, cinnamon rolls to make, a house to scrub, sheets to change, a sink to fix (it broke yesterday and sprayed me right in the face, soaking me completely), cookies to frost, and journals to make for my primary kids.
But I really wanted to say:
Merry Christmas!
I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing, fun Christmas with peace and happiness.
Treat Recipes
December 12, 2007 
Julie is hosting an online cookie-exchange so I thought that I would play along and post my cookie recipe. I got it from my mom, and it is excellent. It tastes just like those big pink-frosted cookies that you can buy in gas stations.
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cup softened butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sitr in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill overnight. Roll and cut cookies. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Makes about 40 cookies.
Behka asked me for my easy caramel recipe so I thought I would post that at the same time. First, if you want to start making candies you need to buy this book. It has so many good recipes and tips in it . I pull it out every year when I am making chocolates.
30 Minute Caramels
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
Butter a 9″ square baking pan and set aside. In a heavy 4 qt saucepan, combine milk, corn syrup, sugars, butter and salt. Place over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil.
Clip on candy thermometer. Stir constantly to prevent scorching, cook to 240F or soft-ball stage. Pour into prepared pan. Cool until firm. Cut into 1 inch square. Makes 81 pieces.
Tips: Use a HEAVY knife to cut the caramels. Place an ice pack underneath to keep them cool while cutting. Waiting 24 hours will help make cutting them easier.
Tradition, Tradition
December 11, 2007 
My good friend, Behka, who is new to the blogging world, asked this question on her blog and here are my answers. What are your favorite Christmas traditions? What do you make sure you do each year? What do you love about the holiday season?
*A favorite tradition for me has always been cutting down the Christmas tree. It was always so much fun growing up and it is so much to go out with my own kids and see the excitement in their faces too.
*I love sending out and receiving Christmas cards, too. I almost always make them (for the last 6-7 years anyway) and normally I have them made, addressed and stamped by Nov. 15. And there they wait until after Thanksgiving when I mail them out, but it was Dec. 7 before I had my cards out this year. And I still have a stack I need to finish. Augh!
*I love making the goodies for Christmas. My mom always made homemade chocolates, just like her mom, and now I do too. I love to make sugar cookies and decorate them with the kids and last year I started making caramels as well. And the caramel recipe is super easy.
*Christmas Eve was always the best at my parents house. We would start the festivities with an odd assortment of food for dinner – cheese fondue, li’l smokies, veggies, cheese ball and crackers, chips and dip, turkey and rolls for sandwiches, etc. There was always a Christmas puzzle up to work on during spare time. We play our home-made Christmas bingo until everyone had won a prize or two. We use M&M’s as place markers and try not to eat them all before the game is done. We read the story out of the bible, although now we read it from this book. It is a beautiful book, and it quotes the King James version of the bible. And we always get to open a gift on Christmas Eve. It is always pajamas. Growing up, my mom made the pajamas for everyone. As a married woman, my mother-in-law does it for the grandkids but she didn’t this year, so they will open the pajamas that I got at Wal-mart for $5 on “black Friday.” After that we put out chocolate milk and home made chocolates for Santa and try to go to sleep.
*Each year my mother-in-law buys an advent calendar for the kids that has a chocolate for each day leading up to Christmas, and my kids look forward to this every year. When Oldest commented that his cousin was lucky (being the only child) because he didn’t have to share his chocolates with a brother and a sister, we talked about how he doesn’t have to share but he also doesn’t have a someone always there to play with.
*Christmas music. Growing up my mom always played a lot of great music at the Christmas time and I do as well. I have probably 12 cds that I just love to listen to so we listen to Christmas music non-stop from the day after Thanksgiving until New Years.
*A few years ago our Bishopric gave all the families in the ward these beautiful little white felt stockings, with a poem inside. Each year we put a personal goal, and family goals in the stocking as our “gifts” to Christ. The following Christmas Eve we pull out last years “gifts” and start again. My kids are getting old enough to do this now too and I can’t wait.
Your turn. Tell me about your favorite Christmas traditions in the comments or on your own blog.
Christmas CD Collection
Here is my list of Christmas cd’s. It is a good variety, and I enjoy them very much. If you are looking for a new cd for your collection, try one of these:
Josh Groban - Noel – Really, he has one of the most perfect voices around. I enjoy most of the songs (I skip over the duet with Faith Hill though…I am not a Faith fan) even though there are some that unfamiliar to me. This just came out this year, and I am disappointed that it doesn’t have “O Holy Night” on it.
Anne Murray – What a Wonderful Christmas (2 discs) – She has such a pleasant voice and there is a nice variety of fun and hymn-like songs.
George Strait – Fresh Cut Christmas - From Hallmark last year. I bought the three cards…I don’t think that I ever used them, but I definitely got my moneys worth with listening to this cd. The perfect amount of “country” for me.
Holiday Traditions – Christmas Piano - I picked this up at ShopKo a few years ago for just a couple of dollars. It is sooo good. It is so relaxing. It is just the piano, which as I get older, I realize that I could listen to the piano being played all day. I should have kept taking lessons. This disc has the only version of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” that I like.
Johnny Mathis – Christmas Is… - Really, is Christmas really Christmas with out hearing Johnny Mathis sing “Ava Maria” or “Sleighride”? I don’t think so. This is a good cd. It is one that my mom always played when we were growing up so it is one of the first that I put in after Thanksgiving.
Mormon Hymn Classics – Christmas Classics with the London Philharmonic Orchestra - We got this cd for free when we bought our Living Scripture DVD’s, and it is very beautiful and very relaxing.
Bar J Wranglers – Home for Christmas - One of my favorite songs is on this cd. I even used it in my Christmas lesson for Young Women’s last year. The song is “Mary, Did you Know?” and no one does it better than them. It is a fun, upbeat disc.
Kurt Bestor – Happy Holidays - A gift from a childhood friend a couple of years ago and not in my top five but it is a nice, relaxing collection of songs.
Michael Crawford – A Christmas Album - I got this from my mom (he sings for the Phantom of the Opera) and it is good, if you are in the right mood. Some of the songs are kind of hokey though.
Cherie Call – Gifts – She is an LDS artist and she writes a lot of her own songs. This album has a few traditional songs that she does a wonderful job on (“The First Noel,” “Silent Night,” and “I Wonder as I Wander”), but the others are songs that she wrote. A few are kind of strange, but a few are sooo wonderful. I love “Behind the Scenes” a song written from the perspective of Joseph, and “I Just Knew” from the perspective of Mary and “One Star”. She has an amazing voice, and is very talented.
And last but not least a couple of variety discs:
Now That’s What I Call Christmas (2 discs) - Let me tell you this right now: If you buy this collection, throw away disc 2 right away. It is awful, but disc one? Love it. Don’t let anyone touch it but you so that it will last for years.
All Time Christmas Favorites – I got this at ShopKo too, and it has a nice variety of songs including “Silver Bells” and “Do You Hear What I Hear” which you don’t hear a lot.
Our tree
The rain broke long enough yesterday for me to get the lights hung on the outside of the house, so now we are officially decorated for the holidays. Last Saturday we went out to get a tree. My brother came with us and we went to a little tree farm about 15 minutes from our house. It was so much fun, and it snowed on us the whole time which was an added bonus! I love the snow. I miss the snow. Anyway, we got three trees for $25! My family got a Colorado Spruce that is very fat and about 6 feet tall for $15, and my brother got two Frasier Furs for $5 each. They said that they had a lot of them and it was easier to sell them cheap than to cut them down and chip or burn them. They were probably 8-9 feet tall.
We came home from tree hunting and had hot chocolate and donuts (from Alberston’s…I miss Krispy Kreme) before we decorated the tree. We had an odd assortment of ornaments because we buy ornaments on vacation so they don’t match. We have a saw blade from Sister’s, OR, a penguin from Park City, UT; a cowboy from Texas; a Scottish Santa that a visitng teacher brought me years ago, and a Santa holding the Eiffel Tower that my father-in-law brought us last year. And of course, we have all the handmade ornaments that the kids have made in nursery class and preschool. Under the tree is the snowman tree skirt that I made 6 years ago.
On the mantle, I have lined up seven of my nativity scenes, and the five stockings are hung there as well. My kids are thrilled because this year we have a chimney so Santa will be able to get in easier. We’ve been listening to Christmas music non-stop (which I think is driving DH crazy) and trying to convince youngest to stop touching the tree. Also trying to convince oldest and daughter that Christmas is still a few weeks away, so they don’t get to open presents yet.
I took advantage of preschool time this morning and went out and did a bunch of Christmas shopping while I just had one kid with me. Luckily he doesn’t pay attention to what I am buying yet, so he has no idea that I bought oldest’s present.
My parents are coming to Oregon for Christmas. I have a cousin that lives in a town about 20 minutes away and my aunt, uncle and cousin (and her family) from Canada are coming to town too, so we will get to see them. Even though, Christmas is not my favorite holiday, I am really looking forward to it this year. I guess I’ve caught the Christmas spirit!
Christmas Meme
1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper all the way.
2.Real tree or artificial? Real! In Utah, we went out on BLM land and cut a fresh tree for $5. It was the best way to do it! Here, I guess that we will go to a tree farm.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend in December
4. When do you take the tree down? Growing up it was on New Years Day, but in Bryan’s family they think that it is bad luck to leave it up that long. So it comes down a day or two before New Years.
5. Which do you prefer: Hot chocolate or apple cider? Hot chocolate.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my Nintendo. I don’t really know though.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several. Probably 8 or so.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Bryan
9. Easiest person to buy for? Oldest. He loves everything.
10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? I really can’t think of one. I guess that I have blocked them out!
11. Mail or email Christmas card? Mail. And usually homemade.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Maybe the Polar Express13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Some time at the beginning of November. One year I did it all before Thanksgiving but that made going to the stores and mall in December no fun, so I wont do that again!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. I don’t remember any specifically, but I am sure that I have.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Growing up we always had cheese fondue on Christmas eve and it is so good. Also, my mom (and now me) makes home made chocolates and they are so good!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I love colored lights but Bryan likes clear lights so we used to rotate so that there was clear outside and colored inside and vice versa. But, then in our old neighborhood everywhere you looked was clear lights so we decided that colored lights go outside and clear lights go inside. It works well.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Right now they are “Behind the Scenes” by Cherie Call and “Mary, did you know?” by the Bar J Wranglers.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. But I have always had my family close by so I haven’t needed to travel, and this year my parents are coming to us! Yay!
19. Can you name Santa’s reindeer? Yep – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blizten and Rudolph (but only because it was on Jamie’s answers!)
20. Do you have an Angel on top or a star? A star. Love it. It is tradition for us. We always had a star growing up. Ours is covered in silver glitter and looks nice with enough lights.
I found this at Jamie’s. Join the fun! If you do, let me know so I can be sure to read your answers!
Our holiday
Last week we played games: Skip-bo; Yahtzee; Blurt!; Imaginiff (so much fun!); Speed; Oh, Heck; Carolina Rummy (a personal favorite); Boom-O; and Freeze Tag
Watched movies: The Santa Claus 3, Hairspray (soo good) and Enchanted (very cute)
Assembled Puzzles: Eric Dowdle’s Portland puzzle (1000 pieces…took forever!) and a Christmas Santa one
Went shopping: Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and black Friday shopping at Wal-Mart and Target (up at 4 for this!- it was worth it though!) We stopped at K-Mart but ended up not going in.
Visited with DH’s mother, brother and sister and their families. Visited with friends. Played with my old volleyball team for a night (oh, how I miss it!)
Did haircuts – 11 of them!, plus I had my own hair cut and colored – love it!
Prepared food: I did the rolls, veggie tray, pumpkin pies, dip.
Enjoyed food: rolls, mashed potatoes, turkey, pie (way to much of this), veggies, eggs and more
Went on walks: to lunch one day and along the river by my folk’s house
Visited restaurants: Cracker Barrel, Panda Express, and Subway.
No wonder I am so tired! Although, I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I had a hard time saying goodbye and coming home. I loved being with my family and seeing some of my old friends. I could hardly stay awake on the way home, and now I can see why! It was busy, busy, but it was oh so good. We drove the 13+ hour drive in one day both ways. My kids did so good and I am so glad for this (thanks goodness for the dollar aisle at Target and portable DVD players.) We will spend the next few days getting back on a normal schedule, getting the house decorated for Christmas and cleaning out the car. It is covered in trash (despite my cleaning it out along the way), slinkies, books on tape, cds, movies, jackets, blankets, pillows and everything else that kids bring into the car, but don’t take it out.
Or maybe instead of doing any of this stuff, I will spend my time catching up on blogs.
Hey, I know what is important right?
Thanksgiving
Today we are with family in Utah, and we are having such a good time. I can’t imagine heading home and going back to the daily grind. I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and think about what I am thankful for until now, so here is my top five:
1. Hairspray on DVD. This movie just makes me happy.
2. Health – myself, my husband and my kids.
3. Family – I had no idea how much I would miss my parents and siblings when we moved…and I have three great kids and the best husband ever.
4. Mashed potatoes and my mom’s rolls. Really, need I say more?
5. Quiet. I just put A in bed, and he has entered a screaming/yelling phase and I might go crazy before it ends.
I hope that everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving day with family and friends. What are you thankful for today?
Changes
We have had a rough couple of weeks. There has been lots of yelling, threatening and tears (on my part and the kids). And I am tired of it. I don’t know if the kids are still adjusting to the move or what. I think they are lonely (no kids in the neighborhood), bored (fall + rain +cooler = less outdoor play) and testing us. The problem is that I feel like we are on the losing end of the struggles.
This brings us to changes. I have “brought the hammer down.” Before we were waking oldest (and hoping just he would wake up) at 6:45, and rushing out the door to get to the bus. Now everyone is getting up at 6:30 and getting dressed. After lunch is made and the kids have their breakfast, I am reading the Book of Mormon to them. Then, we are kneeling together for family prayer and calmly (hopefully) heading out to the bus stop.
I have also made job charts. I have tried this before and haven’t been able to get them to work but I think this will. I am a list person. So, I made lists. The kids each have one thing to do every day (we breaking this in slowly) and four things they must do each day. I put the lists in sheet protectors and taped them to the fridge so we can dry erase them and wipe later. After school, the kids can have a snack and then it is chore time and no playing or tv until the chore is done.
Last week, I considered letting my kids stay up later than our usual 7:30, but have since decided to stick to that bedtime. This way DH and I have some time together to relax, watch tv, play a game or whatever. So come 7:00 it is pajamas and teeth brushing.
Another thing that I have done: Posting the rules on the fridge. I find that I am threatening a lot. A lot. “Stop whining or you will….”, “Put that away or…”, etc. It is old. So, at FHE last week we made a list of rules and posted it on the fridge. If the kids break a rule posted on the fridge they get time out with no warning. 4 minutes for daughter, and 6 minutes for oldest.
This week, I am working on our Christmas cards. I have made them for the last several years, so I am working on ideas this week. Looking forward to turning on the Christmas music, lighting the fire and sipping hot chocolate. (Stealing this idea from Gab…if you want to be on my mailing list email me – sahmof3qts@aol.com) We are headed to Utah for Thanksgiving! Can’t wait for that. Praying for good weather. That means that the next couple weeks are getting things ready for Christmas so that I don’t have to ship stuff for later.
Labor Day
Labor Day was always one of my favorite weekends. Growing up, we always went camping. I have such wonderful memories of it. Now, it is a day that DH gets to take off work and we usually do something fun!
This year, on Saturday, we went to Home Depot. That may not sound exciting to some of you, but to me, it was fun. We got the pain for the boys room. T chose a color called Pepper Grass. I am a little worried about the color but he is excited! We got ceiling fans for the kids rooms, and a houseplant.
On Sunday, we went to church like normal and in the evening Bryan’s dad and step-mom came over for dinner. We gave them a tour of the house, and had a pasta bar for dinner. I made these meatballs. It was good. After dinner, we went to see the Crown Point Vista House and Multnomah Falls.
On Monday, we went to the Oregon Zoo. It was fun! We didn’t make it all the way through because the kids were focused on taking pictures with my FIL i-phone, so it took awhile. We did see the bears and the monkeys, fish, snakes, elephants, otters and others. We rode the zoo train out to the rose gardens and took some great pictures. A was so excited to be on the train that he was shaking. It was very cute. After the zoo we went back to my FIL’s hotel and swam in the pool. It was relaxing. Afterwards we enjoyed dinner at Outback Steakhouse. A fell asleep part way through his mac’n'cheese. All three kids were so tired, that they fell asleep on the way home.
A great weekend.
This week, school starts! And my MIL is coming for a visit. We get to preview N’s preschool that starts next week. What did you do over the weekend?
