[the pilgrims & the indians]

sadly we were unable to attend sam's family's dinner due to illness, but thankfully we recovered in time to actually eat some turkey this year.

my mom's family traditionally gathers together every year for a great big feast!
my parents hosted this grand event at their home this time...
accommodating 40 family members isn't easy, but they did it!
.it was so nice.
thanks mom & dad!

.my cute aunt sue and her famous pies.

.aunt jenn's delectable green beans.

. and here is what i did today.

[all the little things]

i could name off hundreds, maybe even thousands of things i am thankful for, but this year i am especially grateful for all the simple little things that make my life happy, comfortable and special.

.this cute poem says it best.


all the little things
author unknown

oh, it's just the little homely things
the unobtrusive friendly things,
the "won't-you-let-me-help-you" things
that make our pathway light;
the "laugh-with-me-it's-funny" things,
and it's the jolly, joking things,
the "never-mind-the-trouble" things
that make the world seem bright.
for all the countless famous things,
the wondrous record-breaking things,
these "never-can-be-equaled" things
that all the papers cite
are not the little human things,
the "everyday-encountered" things
the "just-because-i-like-you" things
that make us happy quite.
so here's to all the little things,
the "done-and-then-forgotten" things,
those "oh-it's-simply-nothing" things
that make the life worth the fight.

happy thanksgiving friends!

vinyl sign by wallfrenzee

[sunny side up]

i'm smiling today!
the sun is beaming, snow sparkling, and i just sent one child off to school today!
i think we're on the mend, and that makes all of us very happy!

today i am extremely thankful for our health!

smile
author unknown

a smile costs nothing, but gives so much. it enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. it takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. none is so rich or mighty that he gets along without it and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it. a smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business and is the countersign of friendship. it brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature's best antidote for trouble. yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. some people are too tired to give you a smile; give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

happy monday everyone!

[kiddie cocktails]

giving and taking medicine just got fun!



as the flu has made it's way through our home for what seems to be forever now,
i used ikea's mini stemware to make medicine rounds a bit more interesting.
they all loved these "little elixirs" and couldn't wait to shoot 'em down!
with all the sickness going around this holiday season, maybe this will help your kids comply!

.YUMMY.

i just had to post this picture below... in honor of new moon today, this "desirous look" was all too hilarious!



sweet! the chances of her picking up the red one and making this face... perfect!
don't worry, it's not blood.

[the disappearing dish]

while laughing, chatting and carrying on like sisters do, katie and i sat on the phone talking about a dish.
this is not just any dish, this is my disappearing dish!
kate reminded me that she still had my baker i had used a very long time ago when i took her family dinner. as she tried to explain to me which one it was, i clued in and realized it was my white, shallow, oval baking dish with the cracks... my escapee dish! given to us as a wedding gift, i couldn't believe it had been hiding out in her home for as long as it had! we chuckled and she apologized for not returning it to me sooner. that is when i quickly explained how this dish somehow hides from me.

desperate dish!

she somehow always makes it home. i swear she runs away from me! she's invisible, she moves, sneaks around, i don't know what kind of magic clay she was made from, but every time i go to use her, i can't find her! she's GONE! i'm serious!
she eventually turns up... fashionably late of course.

kate and i rambled on and on about what this dish must be thinking. i believe we spent a good half hour giggling about the fact that this ceramic even survived one of her moves (apparently her packers didn't use enough bubble wrap, because many of her pieces perished along the way)!

we both agreed this story was bloggable - and while conversing, we dreamed up what this tired old dish might say:

"stop it, stop using me! i'm simply burned out! you've baked in me, dropped me off and just left me so many times, i am finished! can't you see i am decrepit and cracked! please leave me alone! please let me rest and hide deep in kate's cupboards where it's dark, cool and i never get used! please, i beg of you, leave me alone cruel woman!"

am i the only one, or has anyone else had a dish like this?

well, kate ended up sending her home, and much to her dismay she is now back in my possession. i plan to keep a good eye on her this time. maybe i will find a replacement and give this "down in the dumps" dish a break... we'll see :)

[scripture wear]

bree said to me the other night in extreme distress while reading her little Book of Mormon, "mom, mom, i don't like his outfit mom!"

i laughed and gave her a little fashion explanation on "scripture wear" and how this man is not just sporting an azure blue bath towel.
girls and their clothes!

have a great weekend!

[gift wrap]

here's a little tip we heard and thought you might like it too:



with all of the busy hustle and bustle of the holidays coming up, you may find yourselves needing some "alone" time with your spouse.
our new solution?
we tell the kids we'll be in our room wrapping christmas presents...
it does the trick every time! they leave us alone, or they know they won't be opening anything!



happy wrapping!

[serotonin]

did you know...
eggs can make you happy? how do you like yours?

i am normally not a giant egg fan, but i think i like hard boiled the best... i definitely plan to eat them more often after reading these cold hard facts!
ironically i happened upon this info while reading a magazine during our crazy family trip this last weekend.
i was with no question ornery - this is just what i needed to hear!

serotonin
is necessary for maintaining a happy mood, reducing anxiety and irritability, and helps us sleep. there are several things that can cause our serotonin to go south, here are a few examples:
a tryptophan-deficient or low-protein diet. tryptophan (present in many protein sources, like eggs, fish, poultry & milk) is the primary amino acid from which serotonin is created.
no tryptophan equals no serotonin equals a very unhappy mood.

interesting huh? i never knew this!

blood-sugar imbalances (insulin resistance or pre-diabetes). this condition comes from eating a processed food, high-sugar diet. the imbalance briefly spikes - and then depletes - your serotonin, leading to mood swings.

magnesium deficiency. this is an incredibly common deficiency in our society because of stress, caffeine, sugar and alcohol all deplete magnesium. the deficiency, in turn, prevents the body from making serotonin.

a severe lack of serotonin is why some people need drugs like prozac and zoloft. interestingly, one of the reasons many people crave refined carbohydrates and sugars is that eating them results in a serotonin surge. but the effect is only temporary: serotonin levels then crash, causing renewed cravings for something starchy or surgary. unfortunately, this same dynamic ultimately makes us feel more depressed.

have you been in a bad mood lately?
maybe this will help [grin]

facts and info from:
Comfort Food for Your Brain
by Mark Hyman, MD
Experience Life pg. 62|November 2009

[dishes after dark]

an art project by lulu

as the days grow shorter and light no longer lingers on, i find myself once again sloshing soap and water with the giant moon hanging outside my windows. i stand quietly scrubbing our dinner dishes while the children lay soundly asleep in their warm little beds.

i think about the time when i was the little girl lying in bed listening to my mom clean up the kitchen after dark. i remember wondering why she was up so late cleaning. the sound of dishes stacking, clacking and clinging ring on in the back of my mind.
now i fully understand, by the time everyone's homework is done and our nightly routine gets on it's way, it is time for bed.

frequently i find myself grumbling, tired and just "done" once the kids are tucked in, not wanting to lay a finger on the kitchen 'till morning. but the other night as i scraped and scoured, remembering my mom, i came to appreciate all the meager deeds she did for us; all somehow important and necessary, she did a lot for our family while persevering and maintaining a beautiful tidy home.
.i wish i told her thank you more.
so dear mom, thank you! thank you!
i will imagine you as i do the same for my family, presuming to happily enjoy the quiet moments at the sink and know by heart it's all worth it.

[thrive, not just survive]

f.y.i.: this may seem a tad long, but i promise it's worth your minutes.

when thinking about my "program" on sunday, the thought came to me,
.we need to thrive, not just survive.
i feel like we get set on survival mode as we get caught up in the mundane tasks of everyday living; but we want and need our family to thrive, be the best we can be and prove to each other how together, we can make anything happen! this may sound super cheesy, but it's true :)

the most productive place to begin developing a happy family is within the marriage itself: happy parents generally make happy children. In a home where parents put a strong emphasis on their own relationship, day by day working to strengthen the bonds of love between themselves, the children feel secure. They learn patience, tolerance, kindness, love, and forgiveness, not merely by hearing lessons about them, but in seeing the examples of their parents.

this article is SO good!

Happy Parents = Happy Children by Ed and Ann Lauritsen

i love this picture (above) because it just shows how happy this awesome couple's oldest daughter was to observe her mom & dad's affection for each other! she was so adorable, all grins and joy radiated from her sweet little soul! i couldn't stop thinking about how cute she was to watch.
this is what we all want for our children, right? peace, safety, security and the knowledge of happy parents.

our relief society lesson was all about marital relationships and how crazy important it is to take time for each other as a couple to cultivate, nourish and replenish our relationship.
this article was quoted much throughout the lesson speaking true to my heart... i just had to share!

what a very influential lesson, reminding us that we need to work on our marriages every day.
as recommended and i know for sam and i, going out together on dates is essential for our relationship. we try to get out at least once a week alone. whether we roam around costco (our friends like to tease us about this) with a hot dog and drink in our hands or simply a movie or a temple night, it has been so crucial for us.
now we are guilty of not taking our kids to disneyland yet, but we do spend money on babysitters and dates... our kids will live and be happy for it we hope - not really a big priority right now, eventually we'll get there! that's a whole other topic.
the important thing to remember is that dates don't have to be expensive... in this article there are ideas given for "taking time for each other" too.

be creative and plan something today!
i would love to hear any ideas you might have! thank you readers! love ya!

*spooky pics here

[push it]

do you

ever wish you could hit your own re-start button? magically become re-programmed? back to the perfect you?

i do!

we all know it's not that easy, therefore, today i decided i needed to "push it" the best way i know how and start a new program for myself.
with the holidays coming up and all the amazing treats that accompany such delightful events, i have got to buckle down and get back to regular exercise and better eating habits.
i've been totally slacking and it shows!
starting today, i woke up at 5 a.m. to meet my new gym buddy for a workout [thanks for agreeing to wake up so early buffy!]
i have started tracking my calories again...
annoying, but a must for me,
and i plan to go to bed by 10:30 at the absolute latest.

early to bed, early to rise, keeps a girl healthy, spunky and bright!

i am naturally a night owl, so this is really hard for me! if you see our lights on, call me and tell me to go to bed will ya?

thank you!