The Leavitt's Lately

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:32:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas
from our House to Yours!

Parker Age 15

McKayla age 13

Jackson Age 9
Hope you all had a Great Day!

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T21:25:00.001-07:00

We are the ChAmPiOnS!

2011-06-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Richfield Father's Day Baseball Tournament

We went up to Richfield to watch Parker play in the Father’s Day Tournament. The Team only gave up 6 runs the whole tournament. The boys played so well together. We stayed at our friends Mom’s house. It was great as always. They make the best food too. It was a great weekend.

I have to say that it was such a fun experience to watch these boys come together and WiN the TourNaMeNT. They had only practiced one time.

CoNgRatUlaTiOns BoYS

The Buzz 2011

2011-05-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

How to move your Signature to the Right or Center!

2011-05-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is a Part 2 to the this post

Okay so if any of you are like me and you prefer your signature in the center
of your post or to the right of the post here is how you do it.

Center your Signature

This is how the code should look.

Right Justify your Signature

This is how the code should look.

Special Thanks to Paul Crowe over at spice up your blog for helping me with the different placements of the signature below the post.

How to create your own Blog Signature!

2011-05-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

How many of you have wanted a personalized blog signature, but you weren’t quite sure how to do it. Or you were afraid of messing up your blog with all the html changes. Well here is a simple way to do this.

How I made my own Blog signature?

First go to www.mylivesignature.com

Step 1. Enter the Name you are going to use. Click “next step”

Step 2. Next choose the Font you like. Please note that there are 120 Fonts to choose from. You can preview before you decide. Click “next step”

Step 3. Next choose the Font size. I used #5. You can choose always go back and make this bigger if needed. Click “next step”

Step 4. Click to change the background color. You can choose a color, or you can make it transparent so that your signature will only show, and not a colored background. I choose transparent because when I change my blog background it will work with anything.

Now pick a text color. I choose black. Click “next step”

Step 5. Set the slope. I am choosing #6. Pick the one you like. Click “next step”

Step 6. Now on this step you have to choose what you want to do with the signature. Click the choice that says Want to use this signature?

Then choose HTML. Click on Generate HTML Code.

Then on the next page click on Generate a code for my handwritten signature.

Step 7. Below the line that says “Generated HTML Code for your signature” You need to copy the HTML code. Now go to your blog!

Okay so are you following me so far. If so you should have your blog up on your screen.

Step 8. Click on dashboard, and go to the “Design” tab. Then click on “Edit HTML” tab. Then click the 'Expand Widgets Box' Find the following code in your blogs html.(Click 'CTRL and F' for a search bar to find this code)

Paste the code for your signature Directly Below or After the code you see above-

Note : If this code is in your template twice place it after the second one.

This is the Signature code!

Remove the code in Green and Keep the code in Purple!

Now save your template and view your blog. You can now look at your posts and the signature has been added.

Step 9. Now enjoy looking at your awesome signature!!!

Special Thanks to www.mylivesignature.com for having a free website
to help us build our HTML Signature.

Look What I did today!

2011-05-17T01:38:00.000-07:00

Today I finally created a signature for my blog. If some of you are wondering how to do this, I will be posting the tutorial tomorrow so stay tuned..

Pine View Fresh/Soph Baseball Team

2011-05-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

Parker playing ball against

Dixie 2011

9 YeArS oLd

2011-05-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

It's Offical, I'm out!

2011-05-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't make the cut, so I spent the night crying,
but all is well in the Leavitt Home.

I have decided to put my big girl pants on and start planning out my own makeover. Also, If I am lucky enough I might even be able to get Miss Mandi to give me some input since she lives like a mile from me. I sure hope so anyway. I need to get this done and I can do it. I have offically put my mind to work on it. I can't wait to show you all the changes and progress I plan to make. Stay Tuned for updated posts.

Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to vote for me. Seriously!!!

Also, Thanks to Mandi for getting my mind running and a spark under my butt.. Did I just say that.

Thanks Everyone,
Love ya

My favorite Meal Planner

2011-05-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a minute to share a website that I have been using for a few months. I am so sold on this because you can save time and money.

1. You can be a couponer
2. You get a shopping list
3. Only buy the things you need
4. Recipes are simple and tasty
5. No hassle meal time
6. Save lots of money
7. Show the estimated cost of the weeks meals

I urge everyone I know to try this program. It has so many choices to fit any family small or large.

I love that you can take this list to the store and only buy the things you need and not spend money on unwanted purchases.

I use the Walmart plan then just adjust as needed.

Give it a try!

Final Day to Vote! Please Help Me!

2011-05-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here is what Mandi over at Vintage Revivals has to say today...

Mandi says....

Voting is giving me an Ulcer!

Seriously.

"Do you guys have any idea how close this voting is?

Seriously.

Like 40 of you are within 15 votes of each other.

Seriously.

This is better than Days of Our Lives.

Seriously.

So go rally some more votes.

Seriously.

Or you might be heartbroken when you see that you were only 3 votes away.

Seriously.

And a serious THANK YOU to our sponsors!"

Jackie says......

I am begging everyone to please vote for me before midnight today. I am gonna be so sad if I lose by one vote. Seriously.. Please help me be happy and go vote for me. The link is listed below. Click on it and scroll down to the thumbnails until you see #46.

I am #46, I am #46.

Click here to vote!

The trick is to click on the star and wait until your page refreshes. If it says you have already voted for this person then your vote went through. Please Please Please do this.

I love you guys so much and Thanks for taking time to do this for me...

P.S. I love that my BFF and I use the same word all the time. "Seriously"

It's Time to Vote!

2011-05-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's time for the Voting to start. I can hardly stand waiting for 3 days...
I have added the link below where you go to vote.

I am number 46.

My link says Jackie.

Please Click Here to Vote for Me

I begging you to take the time to vote for me. I really want this. It would be so nice to have some help to decorate my living room. If I win, I will come to your house and help you decorate too. Since you know I love to decorate so much.
You might say I don't really need it cause I can sorda decorate a little, but I have a huge dilemma when it come to my own house. I also find the space I have so difficult because it is so wide open and you can see the kitchen, dining, and living room all in one bam!!

Please vote!!!

I would love to hear from you if you voted for me. I will love your gut's forever!!

Wish me luck Everyone!!!!

"Yo Yo! Vintage Revivals Epic Makeover"

2011-04-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Coolest Thing Ever is happening in my neck of the Woods. I am so darn excited, I think I could pee my pants except that I was fortunate enough to get that taken care of and no longer have to worry about wearing Depends! Awesome Right! Okay so on the the reason why I am doing this post okay! Stay with me here, this is going to be good.

This is an AMAZING GIVEAWAY
by Miss Mandi @ Vintage Revivals.
I love her guts...REALLY!

I love this Faux Fireplace!

Is this the coolest Living Room Ever? I love everything about it!

Get ready for my Room Reveal! I am offically admitting that I need help with my Living Area! The one thing I think that stands out about my house is that is just one huge open space. It has completely stumped me on how to decorate it. I need more seating in the room too. We are a family of 5 and so one or more persons always end up sitting on the floor.

I hope that you will all
help a Sista Out.
Vote for Jackie!

Living Room View

Kitchen and Dining View - Notice Plant Shelf.

Entry Way

Dining Area - I would love a new table with style. I love the ones with character and vintage style.

Another View of Living Room!

I love this ottoman!

I love this Board and Batten!

I would be in Heaven if I could have Mandi hang with me for a week. I can only imagine what she could come up with in my room. I just know it would be a true Revival. I love everything about her style. She is so talented. Please help me bring my open living space to life.
Thanks for Looking at my stuff!

I'm begging you all to
VOTE for Jackie!!

I love EasTeR

2011-04-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him..... He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. Re-post if you believe with your heart ♥

Baseball is our Life!!!

2011-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Cedar to watch the boys play baseball. It was a beautiful day with a awesome view. Parker is playing on the Fresh/Soph Team this year as the catcher. He is having a blast. As most of you know Parker loves baseball. So do I.. It was a good game, the boys are getting to know each others playing styles and bonding as a team. Its fun to watch. For those of you who have wondered if we dropped off the face of the earth, it's not so. We are probably at a baseball field somewhere watching baseball. Oh ya, in case you wanted to know Pine View won the game!!! You guys Rock!

All for the love of the Game!

"A clever runner steals a base." - James J. Metcalfe

Recognizing the Gifts!

2011-04-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up late for church. I mentioned to Parker that we could go to a ward that had the sacrament meeting later. He said yeah I want to do that because I haven't had the sacrament. It was a tender mercy that he was aware of what he needed. He knew of the importance of the sacrament and he bore witness to me. I am so grateful for a son who is trying to do the right things. We decided since we missed our sacrament we would go to the ward right by our house. It was so spiritual. While I often think change would be great, my eyes and mind were opened while sitting in this ward. I realized how blessed I was to have a loving and caring Ward. I am happy where I am at, and wouldn't want to change it. I am blessed with many people who care about me. I hope I can do something good for them. Happy Sunday!

2011-03-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Mckayla and Brilee having a great time. They were celebrating McKayla's 10th Birthday. They went and got pampered at Hot Nails with Pedicures. After Hot Nails, they went to eat at Applebee's. It was a great time. They laugh so much and just enjoyed the time.

The many Faces of Jackson

2011-03-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

Jackson Jason Leavitt
2010

A little Birth Story!!!

2011-03-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Jackson
I just realized that I never posted this to my blog.Its been sitting in the post box. Its only been 2 years. Its just in time for me to write a new one for his 9th Birthday so I figured what the heck just post it.
I will try to give the quick story on Jackson's life so far(of course leaving out the traumatic stuff). Since I have done a horrible job of writing it down. I went in for a ultra sound at 7 months to see how he looked. I was having horrible preterm labor. They wanted to see what to expect if he was early because of preterm labor. They found swelling around his skull and the rest of his body. It was serious. I was life flighted up the UofU later that evening. At first we were told it was Down Syndrome, then a chromosome disorder. Then finally it was that he wasn't getting enough blood in his little body. So they decided to give him blood transfusions through his umbilical cord. As soon as they did the first transfusion it was like I had a new baby inside me just moving around like crazy, which he hadn't done my entire pregnancy. They ended up doing 3 total transfusions on him, and decided it would be better to let me have the baby and treat him once he was born because of the infection risk. (due to the transfusions)
On April 22nd, Jackson Jason Leavitt was born up at the University of Utah Hospital. He was a beautiful baby when he came out. Then they quickly passed him to through the window to the NICU. He was there for 2 months. Yes, this was a long long time for us to have him there. We couldn't wait to bring him home. There were a few scares during his stay there, but we were able to get through them. I know that the Lord was actively involved in Jackson's life. He was so strong and such a fighter. We needed him here with us.

Jackson has been one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to our family. He is a special spirit in our home. Always making us laugh. Says spiritual things that we don't know where they came from. I could only be the spirit.

The first two years of his life he spent more times that i can count in the hospital with pneumonia, croup, high fevers, pneumonia, etc.

The day before his 2 birthday he choked on a Hot Dog! I really felt so helpless and could 't believe that it happened to us after all the things that we had already had to go through with this special little guy.
He ended up perfect and got his tonsils out and was as good as new. No more choking.

Now the fun and exciting part about our Awesome Little Boy!

Seven things I love about Jackson

1. His quick whit
2. His Freckles
3. His silly faces, and missing front teeth
4. He love his family so much(especially Mom)
5. He loves to learn about Jesus
6. He loves to play with friends
7. He loves to be active all the time..

This was extremely hard to choose seven things. So when he gets older I will make sure I list many more. Please feel free to share any that I may have missed.
I hope this post isn't to serious, I am using this blog as a journal so i wanted to write a little history on his life so far...

I love you Jackson
Happy 7th Birthday

Time out for Women

2011-03-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Time out for Women

We headed down to Las Vegas for TOFW. It was a blast we stayed at Treasure Island, ate at Cheesecake Factory, Marsala's, and asked a Stinken Cool Lady on a Purple scooter to let us cut in front of her to get to our Hotel faster. She said yes by the way... We stayed up almost all night and showed up on Saturday only 20 minutes late.. That's Pretty Good! I almost ran into the back of a Brown UPS Truck. I fell almost 5 times, but its all good. I was in great company with these ladies. We all had a blast and we loved the way we felt. We left with the best feelings and the spirit reconfirmed to us that we were doing the best things we could for ourselves and our family's in these tough days.. Love you Girls!
Thanks for letting me be apart of an awesome weekend.
p.s. Did I mention I tried to ride a Bull? Oops must have forgotten that part..

Picasa and I are in Luv!!!

2011-03-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Okay so I just might be the last person to hear about this program, but I am in love...
I have downloaded this before, but forgot about it and didn't use it. I also own PhotoShop too. I am one of those people who used to Scrapbook with paper and I use to do it all the time. I'm talking day and night. I was always caught up and I always spent more money on supplies than I did on food. Okay maybe not quite that much. Well you catch my drift. I have decided that I am no longer going to spend endless amounts of money on paper and embellishments. I am now going to commit to doing all my pages digital. They might not be as cute as a handmade Layouts, but I know with time I will have this baby down. I can't wait to catch up on Scrapping. I know my youngest will be so happy when he can look at a book and it is of him.. His pictures are all currently just stashed in a box and he is almost 9... Yikes, please don't judge. I am working on it.. Who digital Scraps, and who loves it? Let me know, I might need some help or maybe even a Digital Scrap Night is in order... Share your thoughts Ladies...
Hugs!!!

2011-03-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

“Women of God can never be like women of the world.
The world has enough women who are tough;
we need women who are tender.
There are enough women who are coarse;
we need women who are kind.
There are enough women who are rude;
we need women who are refined.
We have enough women of fame and fortune;
we need more women of faith.
We have enough greed;
we need more goodness.
We have enough vanity;
we need more virtue.
We have enough popularity;
we need more purity.”

- Margaret D. Nadauld

Okay, so I have been reading a lot of quotes lately. It seems I may be addicted. Addicted or Not? I think I'll go easy on myself with this one because it could be worse. I could be addicted to chocolate for heaven's sake.. I read this quote on another blog and I can't remember which one. If you know who's blog please do tell. I will give credit to them.
I glanced at this quote and then the authors name, wait, I know who this Women is... I cleaned for her a couple years ago. She is so nice and I can't believe how some are able to puts words together. What a great Quote. I love it Margaret.

I know what I'm doing...

2011-03-08T12:00:00.001-08:00

I'm the Man!!!
Recently I got to take a trip with my Dad and Mom to
Las Vegas Propane. I got to drive too. Okay not really, but my mom did take some pictures of me pretending to drive. We got to sit in the truck for several hours waiting so here are some pictures that my mom took of me. I got this!!!! When I grow up I want to be just like my Dad!
Sharp Turn Here!!
Keeping it straight on the road!
Who ever said trucking is fun? I was exhausted..

Knowing Who You Are.....

2011-03-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

“Noble and great.
Courageous and determined.
Faithful and fearless.
That is who you are,
and that is who you have always been.
Understanding that truth can change your life,
because this knowledge carries a confidence
that cannot be duplicated any other way.”

– Sheri Dew

Be Yourself

2011-02-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day 2011

2011-02-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up and went to work as usual. I walked into my classroom and my jaw dropped open. My mucho mucho nice hubby had pulled a fast one on me. As most of you know its pretty hard to pull a fast one on me..j/k

I walked into roses, and a huge heart balloon bouquet. Just a simple little note that told me he loved me. Awwwesome!!! Made my day.

Now that also made so many of the students days because I don't think they had seen such a huge balloon in the shape of a heart. They were amazed too.

I got to tell teachers and students that I was LoVEd!

I later cooked a dinner for our family and when we were eating, My hubby stood up and got something off the fridge. It was another hand written card. The mushy meaningful kind. I had my 2 sOn's watching me read it. It was so tender and so true, that I couldn't hold back the tears. I thought about what I had read, and I had a ThoUgHt pOp Into my HeaD. I made it throught the YeAr and I need to give mYseLf CreDit for that. And a lot of other LoVinG PeoPle tOo. What a year and my husband stills loves me and will always be by my side. He is so AmaZinG!!! Jason you are truly the BeSt example of love and compassion, loyal and non-judging. I am so lucky to have you in my LiFe!!!
Your the BeSt!

Yours Truly!

I want me a media console and I want me one now!!!

2011-02-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

I am desperately looking for an old record player media console. I am willing to pay for this also. I just haven't seen one in a while. If you have one similar to this please let me know... I have tried 2 different pieces of furniture so far and none of them work.

Cabinets #1 Were about and inches in width to short for the Dish Network and Stereo.

Cabinet #2 I got all the things I wanted in it except for the stereo. I had just got done spending about 20 minutes moving all the wires around. I go to put it carefully into the shelf and it is about 1 inch to tall for the opening.

I am so bummed. I really want something to fit all the media stuff we have.
So if you see something on your daily travels at the D.I. or Yard Sale or someone you know....Beg them to let you buy it for me.. Becuase I'm awesome and I deserve it. I am willing to pay up to $50 or more dependng on the size and quality. I don't care about the color of the console, just that it is in great shape.

Edited: Yes I edited this post this morning. It appears I was unable to type or spell when I wrote this. Maybe to late at night, Hint Hint!!

We Must See Past What it Seems…..

2011-02-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

I found this link (click here) off a friends blog and was touched by it.
You must read it and pass it along.
There are so many important lessons to get out of this!!
We must look beyond the part we think is so obvious. I have to think that we ALL have a sign!
What are your thoughts on this? Please share?

Big Dork Fish

2011-01-18T14:30:00.001-08:00

Jackson caught this BiG FiSh out at the Coral Canyon Pond. It was in October I believe.
It was a real whopper. An old man was watching him and he said here lets measure this baby and see how big it is. Hence the measuring tape. Almost 19 inches long, and that is after its tail and nose had been nubbed off due to rubbing on the sides of the pond walls.

Bowl ole' Cereal

2011-01-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

Okay so Parker loves his Frosted Flakes.

As I was sitting on the couch I turned and looked to see what he was eating. This is what I saw. I laughed so hard inside I could have died. Seriously, a metal bowl full of cereal. I wonder if he was full when he was all done? Shhh! He doesn't know I put this on my blog..lol Let's keep it our little secret okay.
If you see this Parker, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't help it!!!

Ever seen a Planter Wart?

2011-01-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

I know this is so gross, but its for real. My child really got one of these, and it is so unique to look at.... It is so crazy to see it up close. Its a perfect circle. It is about the size of a pencil eraser. I told my child that it was gonna fall out and leave a huge indent, and my child's eyes got bigger than you can believe. I hope in the next week or so it will be totally gone. No more Planter Wart! I hope!

Flood 2010

2011-01-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing flood this Christmas Break. It rained for several days straight. This is a picture of the Virgin River down where the kids usually Skim Board. It gave us complete chills to listen and watch Mother Nature!!

SNOW

2011-01-03T11:36:00.001-08:00

Jackson is loving the snow today. We woke up to several inches of snow in our area. Jackson, Jake and Austin are building a igloo at The Brown's House.

Please Read This!!

2010-12-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

I read this over at Mandi's Vintage Revival Blog. I am posting it here, and have added the link to Jessica's Blog too. Please pray for this little girl and her family.

They found out yesterday that their 4 year old daughter has Stage 4 cancer. They are at Primary Childrens right now preparing to operate. Get on your knees and pray for Jessica and her parents, and while you are there thank Heavenly Father for your sweet babies. I know with all my heart that the Lord hears our prayers so please pray for this beautiful family.

This was the email I recieved.

Hey Vera,

PLEASE PASS ON....

Bob has been making calls to the Elders in the ward to call all their home teaching families, and start praying for the Schmitt family. He is also letting the Elder's Quorum know that they will be having a fast as a Quorum on Sunday and anyone else who can participate would be great.

Here is the update. We just spoke with Chandra's family and things are pretty bad. Jessica was complaining of a side ache for a couple of days and when the pain intensified today, they took her in this morning to the doctor. She has been having tests done all day and the doctors here confirmed that she had STAGE 4 cancer. The tumor size in her liver was bigger than her heart. It is pushing into the lungs. Stage 4 means it has gone from one organ into another. Cody and Chandra are flying to Primary Children's tonight and they are going to run tests on Jessica all night. In the morning she will be having surgery to remove the tumor. Chandra's family said the doctors said they would be there at least a month. Right now the best thing we can do is pray that her little body will do good in surgery tomorrow morning.

Please keep all of the Schmitts in your prayers.

We will keep you updated. Cody is keeping in touch with Bob.

Thank You
Becky Burns

For anyone that would like to donate or to recieve updates I have set up a small blog

{jessicasmiracle.blogspot.com}

Please pass it on.

2010-12-08T12:11:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!
1 Old Farm Truck
2 Happy Parents
3 Awesome Kids.
= One TotaLly AweSoMe, QuirKy, FuNny, and CoOl PictuRe thIs YeaR.

This stuff is gonna be a perfect snack for the kiddos!!

2010-11-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

StoneGable Granola
Yvonne @ StoneGable Blogspot

6 cups of oatmeal

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 cups slivered almonds

2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup coconut (flaked)

1/2 dark brown sugar ( I use a little more)

1/2 cup non flavored vegetable oil

1 tsp cinnamon

2 TBS vanilla

1-2 cups assorted dried fruit (I use dried cherries)

1-2 cups of add-in (mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, cereals)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except dried fruit and add-ins in a large bowl. Mix well to coat evenly. I omit the coconut, not all of us are fans. Distribute on 2 large rimmed baking sheets.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

Stir in dried fruit and add-ins. I put dried fruit and add-ins in individual bowls and let everyone make their own customized blends if we have it for breakfast.

Therapeutic? Is it Really?

2010-09-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

***Keep in mind this is the first time I have ever shared my deep thoughts in the blogworld.

Have you ever wondered how much someone really cares about you? Well, today I got a little reminder when I went to get into my car today for work. My question is really, do we even realize how much others think about us, love us, or maybe even hate us. I know in my own life I often wonder if the people that I am around even know how much I think about them. Do we always say what we are thinking? Do we say what we want to say? Do we get scared to say how we feel… Did we think someone looked so darn cute that day and didn’t even tell them. Do you ever wonder if that could have changed there day? Ya know what I mean? Now I am just thinking how much of an affect it could have on all of us. Have you ever said something to someone and then later thought “oh my heck” I hope she didn’t take that the wrong way. Man I know I have done this stuff way to many times. I’m just sayin. And Each time I do this I beat myself up over it.

Okay so I guess those of you who do read my blog you might be wondering what the heck I’m doing. I have decided to start writing some of the random stuff that goes through my head.

I’ve been told its Therapeutic? Really is it??

Til Later

Jackie

Jackson's First Baseball Tourney

2010-08-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

Jackson's First Baseball Tourney
in Cedar City
3-1 Record
July 30, 2010

Jackson showing off his batting skills. He got a Home Run in his 3rd game. Even if it was by the other team making bad throws. It was still a Home Run Right!!!

Jackson was doing a great job on his throwing. He threw out 2 players from center Field in the last game. One on second base and one all the way over to first base. He is having a blast. The Coaches are so great with the boys. A big Thank You to the Red Rox Baseball Team.

Apricot Recipe

2010-07-20T00:32:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Sour Jam

I will let you know how this recipe turns out. It sounds yummy!!

Ingredients

1 habanero pepper
3 cups fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
1 cup shallots, sliced into thin slivers
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
6 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon butter
9 sterilized half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

Directions

Wearing rubber gloves and avoiding touching your eyes or face, seed and mince the habanero pepper. Place the habanero pepper, apricots, shallots, green and red bell pepper, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice into a large pot over medium heat, and stir in the pectin until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and mix in the white and brown sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Return the jam to a full rolling boil, add the butter to reduce foaming, and boil hard for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Turn off heat, and skim and discard any foam that forms on the jam. Pack the jam into the sterilized jars, and top each with a sterilized lid and ring.
Simmer the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then remove the jars and store upside-down on a cloth towel for about 5 minutes. Turn right side up, and allow the lids to seal (listen for the popping sound). Let jars cool completely.

Apricot Jam Recipe from Thought Palace

2010-07-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

This will be the recipe I use first thing in the morning when I start making Jam. I am still on the lookout for more recipes...

Apricot Jam Recipe

Here’s my family recipe for apricot jam, handed down through generations. One generation, really — my mom got it from a pamphlet put out by some local womens’ group, after we moved to an old ramshackle house in the middle of a huge but disused apricot orchard. The trees were old, but a lot of them still produced fruit, and it was no trouble to walk around and collect bucketsful. So we needed some way to make use of all that fruit…

This recipe is different from the usual one you find packed in a box of pectin, because, well, it doesn’t use pectin. Instead, you thicken the jam by cooking it a lot longer. This means it tastes less like fresh fruit; but it has a wonderful taste of its own, a bit like dried apricots, and a nice gloopy texture. As a bonus, putting an apricot kernel¹ in every jar gradually adds an almond-y aroma².

The Pep Talk

Making jam is much easier (and safer) than most people think. After all, 100 years ago everyone used to can food, unless they were millionaire financiers or nomadic tribesmen. If our primitive ancestors could do it, so can you! And jam is easier than canning vegetables because the acidity of the fruit inhibits microorganisms, so you don’t have to be paranoid about sterilizing everything.

Jamming basically boils down [sorry] to mixing the fruit with lots of sugar and some lemon juice, cooking it, and pouring it into clean canning jars. The heat of the boiling jam helps sterilize the jar, and turning it upside down at first gets the lid too. As the air at the top cools, it shrinks and forms a partial vacuum that holds the lid on tightly to maintain the seal.

The jam keeps for years, although unless you make a lot of it, you’ll run out long before then. We’ve eaten three-year-old jam that still tasted great. A very few jars go bad — maybe one in 20 — and a bad jar is pretty obvious because it’s either lost its seal or has mold on top, so you just throw it away and get another one.

It takes only about an hour of active time, it will make your house smell amazing, and you’ll end up with yummy jam and syrup that you can enjoy for years. Do it!

But: Read The Directions All The Way Through First. Some of the details are important.

Requirements

You’ll need to buy:

Apricots, duh. Firm and slightly under-ripe if possible. (As a rough estimate, it takes about 1 1/2 cups of cut-up apricots to make an 8 oz jar of jam.)
Lots of sugar. Get one of those big sacks. Don’t skimp on sugar or the jam won’t turn out right. NutraSweet™ is right out.
Several lemons.
8oz canning jars, usually made by Ball or Mason. Most supermarkets have them, usually in the baking aisle. Make sure the jars come with the screw-on rings that hold the lids on.
Jar lids. These are usually sold separately because, unlike the jars, they’re not re-usable. Make sure they’re the right diameter for your jars.

Your kitchen needs to have:

A big non-aluminum³ cooking pot.
A big stirring spoon, ideally wood.
A ladle.
Optional: A quart-size jar or sealable plastic container (for the syrup).
Optional: a hammer (to extract the kernels).

Preparing The Fruit

Cut the apricots in half and put them in a large non-aluminum cooking pot. Set aside the pits for later. For each cup of apricots, add 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice.

Let the mixture stand at least two hours, and watch as the magic force of osmosis sucks the water out of the apricots, dissolving them and the sugar into yummy goo.

Cooking

Now put the pot on the stove and bring the goo to a boil over high heat. At first you’ll just need to stir occasionally to keep it from scorching, then as it comes to a boil you’ll need to stir continuously. Once it’s at a steady boil, set a timer for 25 minutes and keep stirring…

When it first starts boiling, it’s going to produce lots and lots of pale orange foam, which you’re going to have to skim off with a ladle to keep the pot from overflowing. When I was a kid, we serendipitously discovered that, if you put the foam in a quart jar and let it settle, it turns into apricot syrup. Do this!! The syrup is awesome on pancakes or ice cream. Keep it in the fridge.

The foaming will stop, I promise, even though you’ll feel like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice for a few minutes. Then just keep stirring, stirring, stirring…

When the timer goes off, take a look at the mixture. If it still seems liquidy, let it boil another five minutes (but no more). The goal is to have reduced the volume by about half, and for what’s left to be fairly thick; sort of like boiling jam. When it’s ready, turn off the heat.

Flashback: Preparing The Jars

You will have first prepared⁴ a bunch of canning jars. The jars will have just gone through the dishwasher (even if they’re new). The lids will have been soaking in a bowl with boiling water poured over them. The rings will have been just sitting around.

(If you didn’t first prepare this stuff, while the apricots were dissolving in sugar, you’re in trouble now. Serves you right for not reading the recipe through! All you can do is let the jam cool a bit, pour it into any clean containers you have around, and put it in the fridge. You’ll have to eat it all in a few weeks. Get friends to help.)

As an optional but recommended bonus: Extract enough kernels from the pits so you have one intact kernel per jar. To do this, get a hammer and put the pit on a clean cloth on a very hard surface like the sidewalk. Whack the pit with the hammer, hard enough to crack it open but not hard enough to mush the kernel inside, which looks like a little almond. This takes a bit of practice, so it’s a good thing you have dozens of pits.

Filling The Jars

Now fill each jar as follows: Take it out of the dishwasher, turn it right-side-up (very important!), drop in an apricot kernel, and ladle jam into it up to about 1/4” below the rim. Try not to get jam on the rim⁵. (The right amount of airspace is important for getting the jar to seal.) Put a lid on top⁶, then screw a ring over it tightly. Turn the jar upside-down (very important!) Go on to the next jar. Repeat till you run out of jam.

You’ll probably end up with a half-full jar at the end. This won’t seal properly, so keep it in the fridge. Or if you run out of jars first, you can put the remaining jam into any other closeable containers you have around, and put them in the fridge. Either way, the refrigerated jam will keep for a few weeks.

When the last jar is filled and flipped over, set a timer for 5 minutes. When it bleeps, flip all of the jars back upright and let them stand for a little while. You should soon hear a little metallic “ping!” sound as each jar seals shut — the cooling air shrinks and forms a partial vacuum that pulls the lid tight and makes it flip from convex to concave.

If any jars haven’t popped shut by themselves in 15 minutes, they’re not properly sealed, so put them in the fridge and eat the jam soon.

Tighten the sealed jars’ rings some more, and label them with the type of jam and the approximate date. In a reasonably cool place (basements are good) they’ll keep for at least 2 years.

(Before you open a jar for the first time, press on the lid to make sure it’s still sealed. If you can pop the lid down, or if you can pull it off without a fair amount of force, it’s lost its seal and you should throw the jam away. But this happens really rarely.)

Notes

[1] As a child, I knew that apricot kernels were full of deadly cyanide, and felt sort of nervous about using them in the jam. (But not too nervous to eat it.) It turns out, though, that the concentration is really pretty minimal.

[2] I am told that almond extract is often made from apricot pits, and that marzipan sometimes is too.

[3] The acid in the fruit would react with the aluminum, giving the jam a nasty metallic taste.

[4] I’ve always wanted to write that!

[5] A canning funnel, which is a squat wide-mouthed funnel, is helpful here. Your better cooking-supply stores, like Williams-Sonoma, should carry them.

[6] Don’t forget that the water the lids are in is still hot! Tongs are one way to get them out. Even better, we have a nifty magnetic-tipped wand we got from Ball a few years ago.

2010 Pioneer Trek

2010-07-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

Jason and I sitting at the lookout over the Grand Canyon at the End of the Trek.

Making homemade butter from cream. This stuff was amazing. I love butter

President Wilson and his cute wife. Taking a quick break.

Don Hayes and Robbie Gleave watching the Food...

Jake and Jen loving the Trek.

Parker and President Wilson making moccasins. Parker was the lucky guy that got to walk for 2 days in these. He was such a good sport. He actually wore them til they fell apart. Now he still wears slippers, I think its a simple reminder for him of the things the Pioneers had to go through.

Ma and Pa Young...

Our Trek Family. They were simply amazing.

Here is our Trek Family. Aunts and Uncles and all...
Pa Leavitt

Ma Leavitt and Ma Young

Bishop Webb

Ma Leavitt and Aunt Gleave

Our Daughter Hallows, and Pa Leavitt

Our Family Flag

Our Trek Son's

Jen Green and her cute smile!

Jackson's Baptism

2010-07-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

Jason, Jackson, Parker, McKayla, and Jackie

Yes I am a little late in getting this on my blog. I have a few good excuses that maybe we will discuss at a later date. I am just glad to finally be able to share this special day with all of you.

Cameron, Buff, Lauren, and Gracie
These are some of our great friends and the kids are only about 2 weeks apart in age. We were so excited to be able to have them be baptized on the same day. Congrats to all three of them on there baptism.

Parker and Jackson

Jackson smiling because his big brother is so proud of him.

Summer Cooking Class Anyone?

2010-07-11T22:53:00.001-07:00

McKayla decided that she wanted to have a cooking class with the kids in the neighborhood. She thought she was gonna have about 4 kids, but when it was all said and done she had double. She was amazing (of course I am biased) and she had a blast and was so darn cute with the kids. Here are some of the pictures I was
able to get when I came to check in on the class.

McKayla showing off her balancing skills as well as cooking.

Kylee

Bree

Gracie, Bree, and Hannah

The whole gang!

Hannah thought I should take one more picture! How cute is she!

Of course Jackson couldn't miss out on a cooking class. He borrowed the hat
from one of the other chef's.

Gracie, I tried and tried to get a big grin, this is her, she is always happy.

Do they look like they are having fun or what. I am sure they will be back for week 2. I mean who doesn't want to learn how to cook cupcakes and decorate them. Oh yeah and eat them when they are done.

Fourth of July Baseball Tourney

2010-07-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July Baseball Tourney in
Heber City!
These 3 boys are inseparable!!!

Parker, Hunter, and Braden

Parker and Braden are getting ready to mow the Baseball Field Lawns. I sure hope they don't get caught.

Parker is stealing from First Base to Second Base.

Parker is getting a little lead-off.

He is now getting ready to hit a triple. He sure can hit the ball when he wants too..

He is asking the Coach what he wants to do on the next pitch! What sign is that again!!

Hunter was doing all he could to keep a straight face. I was able to get a smile on the first picture of this post. Ha Ha Hunter!!

The boys all played really well. The all did some amazing things in the games they played. We hope to get into the Championship one of the tourney's.

Kids Bathroom Update!

2010-07-06T02:20:00.000-07:00

They have decided on a color for the hallway bathroom. It will be painted red. It is called Cranberry Zing. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I will post pictures soon. My friend has this same red in her bathroom and it looks great so I am excited for the new change. Wish me and the kids luck on finishing this project soon!!

Blogspot Address???

2010-07-06T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
I changed my blog background and I lost all of my friends and family, and the blogs I follow. I am trying to find all the ones I am missing. If you see that yours is missing from my list please leave me a comment with your blog site.

Thanks so much everyone.....

Happy Father's Day 2010

2010-06-20T21:42:00.001-07:00

Here is the Kitchen Table. McKayla set the table and helped get all that ready.
Parker made the scrabbled eggs, and I made the sausage patties. We also had some awesome wheat bread that we had left from the trek we went on the day before. We made toast with it. We had so much fun making him breakfast.

Here is the most current picture I had of Jason. I love it!! He was just chillin' on the 2010 Trek we were on the last three days. We were chosen to be Ma and Pa for a family. He was amazing to the family we had on the trek. All our kids loved him.

This is the frame that McKayla and I made for him on Saturday night. We love Jason so much. He is an amazing Dad and would do anything for his kids. You Rock Jason!

Hall Bathroom Remodel!!

2010-06-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

What do you think? Any suggestions? I want to paint the walls, but I'm not sure what color yet. My kids want it to be a bright bathroom. I'm open for suggestions.

Publish Post

Here is a few pictures of the redo of my hall bathroom. I wish I could find a picture of what it looked like before. My computer crashed. So what the cabinet is made out of is oak. I then just painted the cabinet black. I also added a black frame on the builders mirror. It looks so custom.

I added the simple silver knobs to the cabinet. I think it makes a huge difference. What do you think? You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

This pictures shows how I framed the builders mirror. I had lots of scrap trim from when we remodeled our house. I love the results. It changes the whole look of the bathroom.
I love the progress I have made on it so far. I have to take pictures of the cute little towel rack i made. It has three hooks on it and the kids have to hang there towel on it each time the use it. They only get that one towel a week. It has been working so far. They each have a different color so there is no confusion.

Banana Bread Delight

2010-06-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

McKayla made Banana Bread for the first time. She got the recipe book out and choose the recipe. She made this all by herself. It turned out amazing. I think she surprised herself. She even shared some the the Varsity Scouts later that evening. Jake H. loved it so much that he had seconds.

I think her bread turned out almost better than mine does.. Great Job!!

McKayla's Birthday Haircut!!!

2010-06-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yes I know the pictures are out of order... So start at the bottom and move up.. It was fun to watch her get her hair done. Buff did an amazing job as usual.. McKayla loved her hair and felt like a beauty queen. Thanks Buff your the best...

Young Womens 12th Birthday Welcome!!!

2010-06-13T23:20:00.001-07:00

McKayla is finally going to be in the Young Women's Program. She is so excited. They came and decorated her windows on her birthday. Who can believe that she is already 12!! Does she look happy or what?

In-n-Out Birthday Surprise Lunch Party!!

2010-06-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

McKayla's 12th Birthday Party! My Friend planned this surprise party for her. I am so grateful to have people like this in my life. You know who you are!!! Love ya!

She love going to In n Out, and the Girls that came with her. They were all so sweet to her. She loved all the gifts they gave her. They all knew the perfect gifts to give. She love it! Thanks girls for being a part of her birthday.

Happy Birthday Fondant Cake!!

2010-06-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here is McKayla's Birthday Cake. I asked her what kind of cake she wanted this year and her reply was I hate frosting. So my next question was well there is Cheesecake? No I don't like that either. She hates to much sugar. So I thought how about a Fondant Cake. Well to my surprise I learned alot.... I have never made a cake like this until now. I asked a few people if they had made them and only 2 people had done it. So I googled as I usually do.

Here I am with a great big smile on my face! It was so fun to make this with McKayla. She loved it even thought it was far from perfect. We both learned a lot about fondant. Next time we make one it will be much prettier..

Here is McKayla proudly holding her cake that she loved to pieces... Happy Birthday Kayla.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

2009 Family Christmas Tree

Here is our Tall and Skinny Tree. Yes it is real. We love it.

Here is the place where Santa gets to leave little goodies in our stockings. I'm hoping for something good this year, and I'm not talking about coal...

Close up of the top of the Tree~
Here it is!!! Our 2009 family Christmas Tree. This is a real tree from the forest up in Richfield. It smells great and is every cheerful at night when the lights are dimmed down. Only 16 days of shopping left til Christmas. I better get busy..Here is our Child Tree. The tree is decorated with all the ornaments that the kids have made in school. This year McKayla put this together all by herself! It turned out very cute..

2009-11-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

Carmeled Apples

McKayla has been wanting to make Carmel Apples. Here is the finished product. She had so much fun making them. She learned that its not so easy to cover the apple with Carmel. After she did that she dipped them in White Chocolate and then sprinkled some Brown Sugar and Cinnamon on them. They were yummy!!! You did great McKayla!

McKayla wanted to make Carmel Apples. She is growing up so fast. She was able to make these and they came out looking amazing. They tasted awesome too..

Here they have been dipped in the carmal. Then next they were drizzled with white chocolate and cinnamon and sugar.. The are so yummy!

This is the final product and She was very proud of herself for making these. It was a little challenging becuse I was making my jelly at the same time, but nice to be able to cook together.

2009-11-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Pomegranate Jelly Belly

I can finally say that I made jelly now!!! Our neighbor gave us a bag full of Pomegranates about a week ago. I had them sitting on the kitchen table, then on top of the washer, then on the bench. Well, after looking at them for a week and wondering what in the world I would finally do with them. Eat them, give them to my mother-in-law, or throw them away after letting them sit around to long. I finally decided to give making one of my favorite jellies a try. I bought the jars, a nifty little funnel, and some Certo Pectin and off to the kitchen it was. After conferring with my neighbor Laurie, I decided to do the inverted process. I am here to say that it looks like it turned out okay. I am in the process of making fresh bread right now so I can see how well the jelly tastes. I will let you know how it all turns out.

Here are the final pictures of my Beautiful Jelly! I can now say that it turned out awesome. I have shared some with friends and they all loved it. I can’t wait to make more. You can enjoy this on fresh bread with real butter and then add the jelly! It has an amazing taste.

2009-11-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

I just want to say recipe is from Ourbestbites.com They have amazing recipes and very easy to make. All the things I have tried are delicious...

Are you ready for a serious confession?

I don't like pumpkin pie that much.

That may come as a surprise since I'm obsessed with things like this and this and this. Also a surprise when considering that this time of year, I spend about 85% of my available brain power trying to discover new ways to incorporate pumpkin flavor into everyday foods. See, while there's something about mushy orange pie that kick starts my gag reflex, there's also something entirely intoxicating about the combination of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, all strung together with sweet brown sugar and delicate pumpkin in just about anything else. So the other day when my 4 year old and I were looking for a pre-bedtime treat, I reached in to grab the vanilla ice cream and knocked my frozen pumpkin puree off the shelf. One look at my kiddo and his cute little mouth covered in graham cracker crumbs and I knew exactly what we were about to create. That was a week ago. We've had these shakes about 6 times since. So yeah, just about every day. Go ahead, call the diet police. I dare you.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/3 C pumpkin, canned or homemade
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
1-2 graham crackers

Pop everything but graham crackers in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all. I used somewhere between 1/4-1/2 C.

A note about blenders: Here's the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home: A lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushie instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand (well, with a hand. Holding a fork or spoon :) If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency.

Sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs before serving. It reminds me of DQ's Pumkin Pie Blizzard!

YUM! I could seriously have this for every meal. When I made this shake, I actually took the time and made fresh homemade pumpkin, instead of canned. I have tried it both ways. Its really good with fresh, but very tastey with canned also.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did..

Thats's what happens!!!

2009-11-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well last night we were all laying around and the door bell rang!! Jason gets up and checks it out. He says its the Bishopric! I was laying on the couch sleeping in my PJ's. Well how could this get anymore embarrassing. My hair was sticking up all over. I just rolled with it.. I must admit though when Jackson started telling them about his frozen marshmallows I had to laugh. Jackson asked Bishop if he wanted one, and then his
counciler(our good friend)says I think the Bishop wants to try one. So the Bishop ate one. It was so darn cute. You could hear it crunch. After this I wondered how many times these guys would do this to each other. Offer something to each other while they are out visiting. Thanks guys, and I hope you don't have to eat to many interesting things while your out doing your visits.

Love, The Leavitt's

Acorn Snacks!!

2009-10-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is from the Lipstick and Laundry Blog!!!
I think it looks so cool. I can't wait to try these little acorns. If any of you try these before me let me know how yummy they are..

You will need:

box of mini Nilla Wafers
bag of Hershey Kisses
Chocolate Frosting

Place a dab of frosting on the bottom of the Nilla Wafer and attach to the bottom of the Hershey Kiss. Then add a dab of frosting to the top of the Nilla Wafer forming a "stem"

A bowl full of YUM!
These are MOST wonderful using mini Nutter Butter's for all of you Peanut Butter Chocolate LOVERS...

Is it worth it???

2009-10-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

I saved 175.32 today!!!

I got 50 items
23 boxes of Cinnamon Life Cereal
10 boxes of Granola Bars
10 jars of Emerald Peanuts (the best tasting)
5 bags of Chocolate Chips
2 boxes of Popcorn

I spent a total of 20.22!!

I am not done with this sale yet either... I have to wait for them to get some stuff restocked. I love Albertson's Sales

I love Fall!!

2009-10-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air
You can feel it everywhere Apples, Pumpkins, Falling Leaves
It's that time of year Cozy up to ones you love Snuggle close and tight
Let's go on a Hayride on this very special night.

Sunday Quote

2009-05-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

"Tomorrow's joy or tomorrow's despair has its roots in decisions we make today. Perhaps some people think to themselves: 'I know I need to change some things in my life. Maybe later, but not now.' Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land. Today is the day of decision."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin

After I read a quote on my good friends fridge last night,( I would have used it, but I can only rembember the first part of it.) Everyone has trials and tribulations. Misery is your Choice. I couldn't remember the end of it. So I was reading a bunch more on the internet. I have been thinking alot about the way I have been in the past and how I have been such a fence sitter and just not really here or there. I'm not talking about my testimony, just life in general. My goal is to really get out and be more open and aggressive and not so worried about everything. I wanna make more decisions. Okay not really, but I hope whoever is reading this knows what I am talking about. Happy Sunday

School Programs and Talents Shows!!

2009-05-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was running is circles yesterday two programs on the same day!!!

McKayla had one awesome 5th grade school program about the states and freedom. They sang about 10 songs and talked about voting. Our rights and freedoms. We are all not really that different after all .. I almost started to cry at that point. It takes me back to old days and new ones too... It is so true for each one of us at all times in our lives that we are really not that different after all. We all have one heart that beats the same.. They sang a song about this.

I went to Parker's Talent show and I was over taken by the talent these teens had at this age. The singers, musicians, drummers with buckets, gymnastics, comedians, Hawaiian dancing, and then my son on the unicycle. He sure love to ride that for people to watch him. He loves to see people smile. He just loves to do it. In fact, he is having a new one delivered in by UPS today on the front door step as I type this. So Laurie, If you see it get dropped off make sure it stays there..lol.. I just had a really fun day watching my kids. I was happy to see them so happy and enjoying life as a pre-teen and pretty much a teen... I am a proud mom today, I love you guys... Keep it up.. Love Mom *Ü*

4 More Days

2009-05-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Okay I'm having my own little party right now. There is only 4 more days til Summer is here for our little family. I can't wait. Its been great working at the school, but now I can't wait to sleep in and have my little boy Parker make me breakfast and McKayla clean-up after him. You have to agree that this sounds so great. Okay I'm just kidding about the kids. I won't take advantage of them. I am very excited to be able to have a break though. Yippee.... Hurray!!!!

Sunday Song

2009-05-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well I have decided to post a song I am thinking about on Sundays. Today I am thinking about this song. I hope you enjoy it!!! Click on the link for the sheet music and turn your volume up.

Come Come Ye Saints!

Master Bathroom Pictures

2009-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tub Surround: How do I decorate this? Any have any ideas?
This is the true color of the walls on this picture. Creamy Tan!
Another mistreatment. I really love the way this turned out. Its my favorite. What do you think? I need decor on the walls... Help me someone. Comments Welcome.
I guess I need to move my clock down after looking at this picture. That is a total no-no!

Both windows in my Master bathroom have Mistreatments on them. I totally love them. What do you think? Should I leave them as is or change them up a bit. The one by the shower curtain really makes me nervous? Does it look good. I switched it out with a smaller piece of fabric and so it just has little pokey outs now and isn't draped. What do you think???Thanks so much to the Nester and the linky on mistreatments....

Everything Etsy

2009-04-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a post that has all the information about how to use etsy. I they are having a drawing for an awesome tassel that would have a wonderful home in my bedroom. Its perfect, blue, and creams, golds. I'm totally in love with it. As some of you know I have struggled on how to accessorize my bedroom.

Now on another note... For those of you who would like to make extra cash, all you have to do is make it and sell it on etsy. I am thinking I might have to start using this. I have always been an ebayer, but maybe its time to call myself and etsyist(not a word I know..)

Read post at The Nesting place on Etsy to get all your info..

Feather and Egg Print Mr. Linky Party!

2009-04-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Check out these blogs!!!

The Nester is having a linky party over at the Nesting Place. Check out her blog. She is awesome and so is lherbertdesigns. This girl is awesome. I love her eggs, feathers, and nest pictures. I hope I win!!!
This is my bedroom, I redid it last year. The picture above my bed is not real, I was trying to see if a big art picture would work. Also, the headboard is drawn on in the picture. I actually have a real life brown padded headboard and it looks just like that. Sorry no updated pics, my camera's out of life..lol I would be so honored to put the prints in my room, or my master bath that is painted the same color and has a u-shaped wall area around the tub. I am really struggling with decor. This would solve my problem. I love the prints. They are beautiful. Oh by the way, everything is either second hand or redone, except for the bedding. I got that for a christmas present.

(Oh the curtain panels are both the same fabric in real life, its the one on the left side.)Bedding is from Target, sure wish I could find that shower curtain that everyone is looking for with the birds on it. I would be perfect in my bathroom.

Plant Shelf
(see the bird cage!!)

This wall to the left is totally empty no art. It is about 15ft long. I will try to upload a picture of the bathroom too. I would love to know where I should put the prints. Bedroom or bathroom?? Wish me luck everyone...

LoW MeIn UpDate!!!

2009-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a little update on the ChickEn Lo MeIn!!
I made this last week as I mentioned in my last post. To My surprise and my families, we all LovEd It. It was GrEAt! I encourage all of you to give it a try. The one thing it didn't have listed on the recipe is Hot Sauce. It's a new found love of mine. Its very hots so just a couple drops will do for most of use. Its in the asian or chinese food isle. Its a clear bottle with a GreEn Lid. I can't even ReMemBer how to say the word. So check it out and BuY some...
GoOd LuCk!!!

Chicken Lo Mein

2009-04-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am going to try making this yummy looking recipe this week. I will post back on how it turned out. If you have ever used this recipe or have one similar will you share it. I love Chinese and Asian food. I would love to try some great recipes.

1/2 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen bell pepper and onion strips, thawed, drained
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts

Make It

COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 min. or until chicken is no longer pink. Add peppers, onions, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry 3 to 4 min. or until chicken is done.

DRAIN spaghetti; return to pan. Add chicken mixture and soy sauce;
mix well. Spoon onto platter; sprinkle with cilantro and nuts.

Kraft Kitchens Tips Variations
Spicy Chicken Lo Mein: Add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper to the hot dressing along with the chicken and garlic. Pork Lo Mein: Substitute 1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into strips,
for the chicken and reduced-sodium beef broth for the chicken broth.
Note
To make the lo mein easier to serve and eat, break the spaghetti in half before cooking.

2009-03-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well today I have to admit that I finally took my children to the Public Library. I haven't taken them since they were very little. We all got our very own Library Cards. The kids were so excited. Parker got 3 movies and a comic book. McKayla was looking for the book Number the Stars. It wasn't in so she got 2 books and the audio to Number the Stars. She needs this book for Activity Days. If anyone out there has this, let us know. We would love to borrow it. She is a very quick reader.. It turns out he Audio tapes aren't working.. Oh well we tried.

So for all of you who haven't been to the new library I would highly suggest going and checking it out.. Also, next week the new Washington City Library is opening. Sweet Huh...

2009-03-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

To the HoOp TwO!!

Last weekend Parker had his first tournament. We drove to Cedar City. Well lets just say that in all my years of travelling on the Freeway to and from Cedar I have never seen so many cars slide off the road. I was only scared once on the drive up. My hubby is a great driver and he makes me feel safe most of the time. Everyone should know that I'm not allowed to be in the driver seat if he is in the car anyway. Right? Which is not really fair, because until last year I was accident free.. Oops!!! Oh well, Now I am back to setting my new accident free streak.. I sure hope it never happens again.

Well back to the basketball game. We have some really athletic boys on the team. It was their first game so they were a little uneasy I guess. Bless their Hearts. They really played hard. I am sure that this next weekend they will be amazing.

It is so exciting and scary to see Parker growing up. I love to watch him play sports. He has such a good attitude. Go Parker~~

Love, Mom

2009-03-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

Yes I am finally

posting the recipe!!!

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I did.. One suggestion is to buy the Pork Roast when it is on sale. It can be quite pricey! Stock up on a few of them when they are cheap..

Pork Barbacoa

3-4 lbs pork roast or pork loin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
water, to cover

Sauce
1 (14 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 can Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper cola
2 cup brown sugar

Cut pork in large chunks. Put in large crock pot and add water just to cover. Add seasonings. Cut onion in 4 large pieces, crush garlic and add to water. Cook pork on low all day or on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until tender and pork pulls apart easily. Drain water and remove onions and garlic. Pull pork and return to crock pot.
In a separate container mix enchilada sauce, soda and sugar. Add to pork in the crock pot. Cook 1 hour longer. (Can cook less if you don't have time.).
We like to eat this with the Costco raw tortillas that you cook at home and serve the pork in a tortilla with beans and cilantro lime rice. The pork freezes well and can also be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge.

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 cups water
4 t chicken boullion
4 t garlic-minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles
3/4 t salt
1 T butter
3 c rice
juice from 2 limes

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion in food processor or blender. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes (or until rice is soft).

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayo
1 cup copped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 chopped tomatillos (peel paper off)
1/3-1/2 cups buttermilk, to consistency
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Put all ingredients in blender and mix.

2009-02-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well what is a Concussion Anyway?

Well my son Parker thought he wanted to find out.
I received a phone call from his friend Parker saying he had wrecked on his bike. So I was just thinking it was no big deal right. He failed to mention that he went down 3 flights of stairs and hit a pole at the bottom. That would have meant something more to me.. Boys crash on their bikes all the time right. So I go there to pick him up and he was frantic. He had no idea what was going on and was freaking out to say the least.. He kept saying this is a "dream" as I thought to myself I wish it was too..

I rushed him to the hospital cause I was so worried. I couldn't believe how he was acting. He was asking the same questions repeatedly. Here is list of questions he asked:

1. What is today?
2. This is a dream right?
3. Did I go to school today?
4. Is today Saturday?
5. How did I get this (injury) on my face?
6. Am I friends with Braden?
7. What is today?
8. Why is today a holiday?
9. Do I have to go to school tomorrow?
10. Can I take a shower? ( 3 showers later he stopped)
11. I am hungry. ( 2 huge plates of spaghetti later)
12. Can I go to the bathroom?
and the number one asked question is......
13. Do I have to get a shot? No.. his response. Yes, sweet I hate shots.(with a clinched fist)

So he decided to ride his bike down 3 sets of stairs. He then proceeded to hit the wood post at the bottom. He hit the post with his head and had a nice roughed up check area. A few hours, a cat scan and a bed in the hallway at the ER, because they were completely overflowing that day. The Dr said it was on target to be the busiest day of the year. We were able to come home and relax later that evening, and get some free entertainment too...

He has assured me that he doesn't know what he was thinking.. and he will never do that again.. Should I believe him? Just another day at The Leavitt's...

2009-01-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Cafe Rio Here I come!

Well yesterday I had the day off so I thought I would put my cooking skills to the test. It turned out okay. I made a mock Cafe Rio Salad. You might be wondering where I got this recipe, Well I found it on MyFoodStorageDeals.com. Thanks to a friend for referring me to this site. I made the wonderful PorK, Green RicE, and Tomatillo DressInG. It was pretty good if I say so myself. The FamiLy liked it. I should have taken a picture of how much ParKeR piled on his plate. It was bigger than the salad they serve at "Rio". He ate the whole thing. Well I will be making it again soon to make a few teeks.

2009-01-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

Can You say FOoD StoRagE???

I would like to say that I have a good supply of food, but I really don't know how long it could possibly last with all five of us eating it. It is my goal to start cooking with the things I am storing. Last Year I decided that I would start storing things that we would eat rather than just WHeAt and FLouR and SugAr. I had heard so many times that we should store things we are going to eat. Now, I LoVe WheAt BrEAd, but could I make it???

Well I have been following this wonderful blog http://everydayfoodstorage.net/. She uses everything she stores. It is my goal to be more like her. I am so inspired, that I already put a bin in my fridge. I cleaned out my pantry by the fridge and moved stuff to the hall closet to make my kitchen more functioning. As most of you know, I don't have a big kitchen with lots of cabinets. Well I used to love to cook, and I think if I try some of her ideas It will bring the love back into cooking.. Well maybe..
I will post pictures later to show what I have been up to..
Have a great weekend...

Happy Birthday To Jason!!

2009-01-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

1 balloon with sign out front.
9 balloons in a bundle inside waiting.
A Great Mexican Dinner (his favorite Meal).
Gift Certificate to purcahse the Hand Gun he has requested.
Several Birthday Cards.
A few Phone calls..

add it all together and what does it make??

"HapPy BirThDaY to JaSoN"

Today IS my deaR HusBanD's B-Day. I just Want to GiVe Him A BiG ShouT OuT. He deseRveS to HaVe the Best DaY EveR.

I want him to know what A WonderFul Man and FaThEr he is to Us. Thanks for being You Honey. (Yes, He will read this sooner or later.)

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to You.

Happy Birthday Dear Jason.............

Happy Birthday to You!!

Today iS his 21'st Birthday...Hee Hee.. Everyone make sure to wish him a great one!

2008-12-24T22:21:00.000-08:00

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. ~Harlan Miller

2008-12-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

MeRRy ChriStMas to All Of You!!

I hope The ChrIsTmAS SpIRiT finds everyone. I love this time of year. I can't believe it came so fast. My Kids and HubBie are all asleep. Only Problem is That HubBie needs to hELp with a few things.. I guess He Is geTTinG woke up in a little Bit. I Told him not to GO To Sleep!

Well I hope to get back to a regular blogging ScheDule next year!!

Have a HappY NeW YEaR...

Love ya all,
JaCkiE *Ü*

2008-12-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well It's been quite sometime since I posted. I realize I should be doing better at this. I check my blog each day to see if I have posted. Nothing. I guess I will break down and share another post with you.

Well Sunday we spoke in church as a Family. It is always such a neat time for me to watch my kids and see what a testimony they have at such a young age. I also love to hear "My Dear Hubby" speak in a setting like this. He is such a great man and I am so lucky to have him. I definately feel blessed. Our topic was on Gratitude and after all of us gave our talks I have to say that we all have much to be grateful for. Perhaps Jackson's talk put it the simplest. This is a little poem he read.

I’m thankful for …
Two eyes that see,
Good food to eat,
Two ears that hear,
Two walking feet,
Two busy hands,
My family,
A beautiful world God made for me!

(I'm sure when Jackson grows up he will see just how much we are all so thankful..)

As Christmas draws near, My wish is that all of us could just think of all the wonderful things we have around us. I am so thankful for family, a great bunch of friends, If we weren't surrounded by people who truly cared about us, I think life would be a lot more difficult. I think it would be a sad place. I'm thankful for Food on my table each day. A house to live in. I am thankful for a place to work. Yes I am newly employed at the Elementary school!! I have so much to be thankful for. I know that its hard for us not to get caught up in the gift giving, but I want to challenge each of you this year to buy a little less and spend a little more time with those you love.

Well I'm know I have rambled a little in this post, but I do that from time to time. I'm sorry. I hope to have more exciting things next time. Maybe some pictures and stuff.. Have a Great Week!!

2008-11-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

Thankful Thursday Quote

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving ...................for my friends, ............................the old and the new.

.................................................................Ralph Waldo Emerson

2008-11-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Lindsay...
10 Things I Can't live Without!

I know this is gonna be hard, because who could live with only 10 things in there life. Come on lets be honest.
1. Our Heavenly Father! I have been through a few trials in my life time. I know we have all had a few. I have to say that he is the one that I always fall back on to help me through. I know with him I can get through anything, no matter how tough it might seem. He loves us and cares about us. I am so thankful for Him!!!

2. My Husband!!! I am so thankful for my hubbie. He is everything to me. He is always there for me. He takes care of our family in so many ways. He is a hard worker. He goes to work each day and never complains. He makes sure that we have the things we need. I am grateful for that. He is the perfect example to our children. He is so forgiving. I love him for always being there for me. I have given him a run for his money so many times and he is so patient.

I love you "J". Your the best! I am thankful for you.

3. My Children!I love these 3 little kiddies so much. They keep me busy, but they teach me so much in life. I just hope I can teach them all they need to know to become responsible adults and contribute in a positive way. They love endlessly. They are so full of life. They keep going each day even if it gets hard. I am thankful for the bright lights that they are in my life. They are so lucky to be surrounded by great friends. They all help each other to be the best they can be. We live in great neighborhood.
4. My Friends!! Well I wish I had a picture of every friend I had, but I don't. I am not putting any names for fear of leaving someone off. I love everyone of you. I am so glad I have friends that I can laugh with and just hang out with. I am grateful for all the love and support you give me. I couldn't do it without you guys. I only hope I can be half the friend that you all are to me. I love my friends! What would life be without them..

5. My Computer!!I don't think I could function without my Computer. I am so thankful to be able to have one of these bad boys in my house. It has a world of knowledge on it. From medical help to craft ideas to Decorating, to Kid games. (For the kids of course) You won't ever catch me playing a game on here, I spend to much time surfing blogs. I know what some of you are thinking right now too. Maybe I should read up on my English skills. We'll this is what you get. I've tried to work on my writing skills many times..

6. Thrift Store!!I totally love the Thrift Store. I am addicted to this place. I know lots of people don't understand it, but come and hang out with me sometime and you'll see why. Even if I had an endless supply of money I would still love this place. I love the feeling of reusing something. Its amazing what one man's junk is to another woman. I know a lot of you might be changing your opinions of me right now., but I really love the D.I. 7. Yummy Food! Okay who can't live without food. I love food! I love all kinds of food. I can eat just about anything. I don't like canned peas! Anything else. Bring it on!!8. Water....... If you don't believe me you can call My MOM.....Seriously, I love Ice Water... But I have to have a Pepsi now and then!!!

9. Sushi!! I have loved Sushi for a long time now. I have to admit I have been known to sneak out get some all by myself. I just recently admitted this to my husband. He never acted to interested in this stuff. I crave this all the time.. I wish it were cheaper.. I could eat a hundred of them I bet. If you are in the neighborhood and like sushi, check out "Samuri 21" It is a little pricey, but well worth it. 10. Blogs!! Since I have started blogging, I have to admit that I have spent way to much time stalking peoples blogs. I love to look inside other peoples lives. Everyone has so many interesting ideas and great families and values. Its just awesome to be able to meet people through a blog and not even know them in person.

This was tons of fun. Thanks Lindsay! I am so thankful for a ton of things. I could name a million more.

2008-11-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged!!(Thanks Erin)

I am supposed to post the 4th picture from the fourth file.

Here it is.

This is McKayla and Abbey on Christmas Day 2001. They were so little. I can't believe how BIG! Little ole, kayla is now! Hope you enjoy this tag as much as I did. Now I tag Cyndi, Rennie, Lindsay, Andrea, and Kristin M.

I can't wait to see all your cute pics..

2008-11-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

Sneak Peak Pictures

Last weekend we had family pictures taken by one of our friends sister. I must say she did Awesome!! I am so excited to get these babies on the walls, in picture frames, in the Christmas cards that will be coming in the mail for sure this year.. This is just 2 of the almost 300 shots she took. She was so patient with us. Its always hard to get everyone looking great at the same time. I requested this picture of the kids holding hands. I saw this on someones blog(can't remember who) and I loved it immediately. It works so perfectly with Jackson.

We haven't had family pictures in soooo long that I feel like our family is growing up way to fast. I am setting a goal to get a family picture taken each year from now on. I hope you all can get a family picture this year too!

2008-10-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Girls 1st Annual Halloween Party!!

Brillee is in the big pink glasses, Emilee is from Star Wars, Stefani is a Hippi Girl, Megan is a Dance Girl, McKayla is Clown, and Maddi is a Hippie Girl. (Left to right Top to Bottom.)

I bought scary teeth at the Dollar Store. We were gonna do a Tooth Bobbing game kinda like Apple Bobbing. WELL, lets just say a few of the girls started getting a little freaked out. So they just ended up putting them in their mouths and we took pictures.
"The Bone Hunt"Brilee, Stefani, and McKayla posed for a picture just waiting for the rest of the girls to come to the party!! They all had a blast!! Okay so toward the end of the party the Costume Box came out. All the girls started changing up their costumes. It was so dang funny to see what they would come up with. Well Stefani came up with the funniest by far. Her hair matched this wig she put on and it looked like "Uncle Earl" as they called it. It was the perfect mullet. Brilee had the mask on and the red cape. I wish I had the pictures that I took on Brilee's camera too. I got a ton of cute one on hers.
This was Stefani in the pink Hippi costume, Then Stefani in the Black Dress Coat, so you can see the Difference!!! So Funny!

Stefani, Come on Girl you wanted your picture taken "Can you at least smile for me"

Can you "Roll your Tongue"?? Everyone could except one girl..

Emily definately makes a great Star Wars figure doesn't she. She is so dang cute!!! Look at those ear muffs!

Happy Halloween Everyone! I hope you had a Boo-licious time!

2008-10-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

McKayla's New Do!!!

I have been spending a little bit of time blog surfing this past week and found a few that were reallly cool. They show exactly how to do these cute up do's..

This is a picture of the one she wore to school. It looked much cuter in person. I have to tell you that she has very thick hair for all of you that don't know. So we did the best we could.

French Braid Headband

(with a ponytail twistup in back.)

We will be sure to post pictures of the next one she is wanting. We tried it last week one evening to see if it would work and it was so darling. The problem is we have run out of little black hair bands. Soooo, as soon as I get some we will do it.

We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did.

It was a fun little Mommy Daughter time for us..

Love ya Kayla*Ü*

2008-10-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

PTA Meetings

Raptor Romp Dance

Elder's Quorum Party's

Annual Primary Program

----------------------

Lets just say that its been a crazy few weeks around my house. Sooo this week is really quiet now. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Well except get back on the job hunting track. I am actively searching for a job. I really need something to get me out of the house and keep me busy. Well as most of you know my youngest son is in 1st grade this year. I am now completely free..not really. I know it sounds like I am probably living the life, but as most moms know its not really easy being a stay at home mom.

I do alot of these things... Carpooling, Homework, Reading, Grocery shopping, House Cleaning, More Carpooling, more Homework. Dr Appts., more Carpooling. Sometimes I feel like all I do is run the cute little kids around.. Well I think you get the picture. Oh did I add Laundry in there too..

I love my kids. It has been such a blessing to be able to stay home with them these last couple of years. They are growing up so fast. I find myself looking at them alot more now and just wondering where the time went. Before I know it they will be all grown up, but wait there is so much more I want to do with them still. So slow down and give me some more time.

I sure love my hubbie and my family. They are great to me. I am lucky to have them.

2008-10-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Okay I need all your Halloween Party ideas!!

I am really excited for the Halloween Party, However... I have drawn a blank at what I am going to do for these cute little kiddies. Well I am hoping that some of you fellow bloggers can help me out. I am looking for a few ideas for my daughters 5th Grade Class Party. If you have any really scary or gooey or down right haunted ideas please share them.. Do any of you have a great website that you like to use for ideas when it comes to the class parties?

Well I know this is a lot to ask for, but I know someone out there in the blogworld has to have some really great ideas.

Thanks and I look forward to your comments.. PLeasseeeee!!

2008-10-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Guess Who was Star of the Week???

He was born about 2 months early...

He had Hydrops...

He loves Frisbee...

He loves Ice Cream, Pizza and Cake...

He loves blue and red...

He loves football...

His favorite book is The Bear gets sick...

Yes it's Jackson!!

He had a great week and loved everyone being so interested in him. He loves school so much. We talked about how he was born early and showed pictures of his little feet and hands. The kids then got to ask him all of his favorite things. Jackson got to choose a treat to bring for his class and of course it had to be store bought. So we decided to do little baggies of candy. The kids were all excited when they saw how many little candies were inside the bag. Maybe six but thats a lot to them. Jackson seemed like such a great helper and he passed them out to each student and made sure they all got one. What a great little guy. I can't help but be so proud of him. Its so amazing to watch him to this day and realize what a blessing he is in our lives. I know its not Thankful Thursday, but I am so thankful for his blessing in my life. He has taught our family so much and we don't know what we would do without him.

Love, Mom

2008-10-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

Can I say Heaven!!!

Today I was treated to a full body massage. This was my first massage ever! I was so excited to get one. I have posted before that I have always wanted one. Well it was everything I had hoped for. Isn't it funny how we think things might be and after we go through it we realize its not that bad. I should have gotten a Massage a long time ago. The girl who did it was so great. She made me feel so comfortable. Her Name is Tiffany, She works at Red Mountain Spa. She has been doing this for a long time and she knows what she is doing.

Well okay you might be asking yourself how I got treated?? Let me explain! My sooo cool sister in law Jaclyn asked me to watch her little boys over night this coming week. I agreed of course. They are so cute. They also love me!! Well Tiffany is Jaclyn's sister in law. So she mentioned treating me to a massage in exchange for watching the boys. I was like "well alright then" of course there is no need to twist my arm on something like that.
I have been wanting one for so long. Well now I know where to send my husband to get me a gift certificate for all special occasions.. Yippee!!

2008-10-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Why would you Vote?

There are some bleeps in the video, so please don't be offended. I hope it just helps us all to realize how important it is to get out and vote. We can make a difference we just need to vote our conscience. If we all vote whats in our heart how can we go wrong. I think now more than ever we need to register to vote. There are only a couple days left to register so if your not registered get registered!!

I know I know I'm not one you will hear talk about politics hardly ever, but I think now is the time more than ever.

Fall Link-a-thon

2008-09-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Fall Link-A-Thon Has Begun over at Lemon Annies.

These are the pictures that I took this afternoon. I hope you enjoy them. I have enjoyed looking at everyone elses fall decorations. It gives me so much inspiration. I hope to see more.. Thanks again to Lemon Annie!! Ü

I just made this Barn Star last week. Edit: I just realized that the skeleton hanging from the shelf is turned around backwards so just use your imagination.

This is the top of my Armoire
This shelf is right by the front door entrance!This plate rack is in the dining room!
This is my favorite Fall Wreath! Look at the Yummy Candy Corn! Okay after I put the turkey out I realized its a bit early still, but he gets to stay I guess. He is so cute.. This picture is a thrift store find all the way. I repainted the little buffet black. It was originally just stained wood and cost just $8 bucks if I remember right. I got the awesome clock at the thrift store also for $5 bucks just as it looks now. I always shop on a tight budget and with a very open mind. I love to repurpose things.

Just for Fun!!

2008-09-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

I found this article while I was blogging around at http://tammystimeflies.blogspot.com

{For those of you living in Utah and get the SL Tribune, you probably have seen this already.}Robert KirbyTribune columnistSalt Lake Tribune"A Reorganized Church"Most Sunday mornings, you'll find me on a pew in the Rosecrest 1st Ward chapel. It's where I'm supposed to go to church. Lucky for me, it's also where I want to go. Technically, Mormons don't have a choice. For church, we're bound by the geography of the ward. We worship where we live. The only time Mormons can switch wards without also contacting a Realtor is when we attend specialty wards. For example, I went to a Spanish-speaking ward in West Jordan for a while.Specialty wards allow members with specific common needs to worship together and support each other in their exclusive part of the Lord's vineyard. There are (or have been) lots of LDS specialty wards, including singles wards, college wards, deaf wards, ethnic wards and nudist wards. OK, I made up that last one. There are even seasonal 'snowbird wards' in places where Mormon RV owners congregate. I talked it over with my friend (despite a restraining order) Ken Wallentine. We think the specialty-ward idea needs to be improved on in our ever-changing and increasingly divided culture.For example, there needs to be a late ward, a ward Mormons who are perpetually late for church could attend and not feel bad about dragging their herd in 15 minutes late. The only problem with a late ward would be showing up late for a meeting that was supposed to start late in the first place. Eventually, you would end up with a ward that ran out of time before it started. 'Welcome to the Tardy 3rd Ward, brothers and sisters. We will close now by singing hymn No. 145.'Given the high birthrate among Mormons, I thought about the need for maternity wards. Except that we already have those. They're called married student wards.A Star Trek ward might do well. The bishop would preside from 'the bridge' instead of the stand. High-council Sunday would be referred to as a 'Klingon Sunday.'Harley riders congregate to the exclusion of just about everyone else. Why not an LDS biker ward? White shirts and neckties go well with black leather.Ken really wants to attend a concealed-weapons ward. He says church would be a lot more interesting if real personal risk were involved in disagreeing with a lesson.There could be a texting ward for teenagers. Bear your testimony with your thumb. In 25 years, they'll all belong to carpal-tunnel wards.At the less-active ward, maybe there'll be a meeting and maybe there won't.Testimony meeting in an anger-management ward might be interesting. Nobody's going to sleep through, 'Hey! I know the church is true, you stupid #*&@s!' A big hit would be the MLM ward, also known as a 'Gadianton robber ward.' With all the financial scamming that goes on in this culture, it would be nice to have them in one place for a three-hour block.I think a Democrat ward is a good idea, although in Utah the best we could probably hope for is a Democrat branch

A New Toy!!

2008-09-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Parker's 12th Birthday Present

A UNICYCLE!!!

I have to admit when he asked for a unicycle I didn't know if he would stick with it. It has been almost 2 months and he is doing awesome. He spends a lot of time each day practicing new tricks. He loves to ride this cool new toy. I love to watch people smile when they see him riding it. He had a friend named Braden that got him interested in it. They are now able to go riding together and do tricks for people. They will ride these things forever!!!

Just what the Dr. Ordered!!

2008-09-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

2 Seperate Doctor Appts
2 Co Payments
One busy Mom
2 Tired Kids
8 x-rays McKayla
1 hospital cafateria lunch (shared)
3 Booster shots Parker
2 Really sore legs Parker
1 Unhappy Child= 1 Big I Owe You

McKayla had a appt with Dr Marsden to have her feet checked. She has a really knobby bone type knob thingy on the outside of her foot. They did X-ray's to make sure nothing funny was going on with her feet. Dr. M called us tonight and let us know that the pic's looked great.. We were relieved. They also did a bone age on Kayla and that was great also. She is 10years 3months old and her bone age is 10 years. So we are very grateful tonight that all of her tests came out normal. We will watch McKayla's feet for the next couple of weeks and if they don't seem to get any better we will taker her back in again for further testing.

Parker had a appt with Dr Nygaard. He needed his shots, and so he had to get his well checkup too. He was so tough, I know that shots are painful especially the tetnus shot. He did great. He also had to get the ole "cough" test done. Dr Nygaard asked him if he wanted his mom to leave the room and of course he said no. He was thinking it would be just like last year. lol.. I thought so too. However, I do have to say I was a little embarrassed and told them both that I think I would wait outside the next time he(Dr. Nygaard) did that because I don't remember him doing that last year. He then lets me know that he doesn't do that exam until they are 12. Sooo, I then realize I have just been embarrassed and caught off guard..By this point we are all laughing and I'm sure my face was probably pretty red. Sorry Parker I didn't know! I'm sure this isn't the first or the last time right! I still can't believe my little guy is 12. Time really flies doesn't it. Parker also has a slight scoliosis and Dr. N. wants us to help keep an eye on it. So we will do that. Well I am grateful for such a caring Pediatrician. He truly cares about my kids and takes the time to make sure they get the care they need.

I just want to say how grateful I am to have healthy kids. I know what a blessing it is to have children who are healthy. I am grateful for a husband who loves me. I am grateful for my parents teaching me so many things. I am so grateful for friends who help me to realize all the wonderful things around me. I am thankful for my testimony. In case you are wondering, I am going to try something new that I found on one of my friends blogs. I am going to try to list several things that I am grateful for each time I post.