This and That

The Nutcracker

2011-12-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

This is Megan in her costumes for the Nutcracker performances. We dedicated some evenings and Saturdays to her practicing and performing. She has loved every bit of it. Her favorite costume was the "Little Cousin" outfit for the party scene. She loves to twirl around and around as it fans out around her. She was also a "Snowbird" in the snow scene. This was her first year dancing in in it and you can always find a big smile on her face while she is doing it. I was surprised that nothing about performing in front of a lot of people bothered her at all. We loved watching our little ballerina and it was a great way to start off the Christmas season.

My husband

2011-11-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

My husband doesn't know I am writing this and putting it out there in the blogo-sphere but more people should know how great he is. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for him. He is very considerate of me and never takes much for himself. I thought I would list just a few of the little things that he does for me.

1. He always gets up first in the morning unless he is sick. I get to sleep in every Saturday and Sunday morning. Many times when he gets up, he pulls the covers that he has taken back over to my side.

2. He checks out books about maternity fitness because I asked his opinion about it.

3. He knows that when I am grumpy I either need a nap or a good workout at the gym.

4. He is the saver and I am the spender. As a result, we have little debt.

5. He hides my clearance candy so I don't eat it all at once. I love being surprised later, when I really need it and I had forgotten about it!

These are just a few things why I love my husband so much and am so grateful for him.

My Marine Animals

2011-11-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Costumes on my kids is the only part of Halloween I really enjoy. I could do without the cheap belly-ache from too much candy and the kids bouncing off the walls from too much of that same candy. This year, Family Fun magazine and Salvation Army Thrift Store were great places to help with cheap, diy costumes.

Jacob couldn't stop talking about being an octopus and he made sure everyone knew he had eight legs. Sometimes he would get down close to the ground so he could look like a real octopus floating in the water.

Megan (upper right picture) wanted to be a jellyfish. Nothing a cheap sombrero and bubble wrap couldn't fix.

Anna was a fish, complete with glittery scales on the back.

They all had plenty of opportunities to show off their costumes even before trick or treating on Halloween night. Gordon even dressed up as a fisherman looking for a deep sea catch. I don't have a picture of his or mine yet. For my costume, I took a fun idea I had seen on the internet. Since I am about 4 months pregnant, I stenciled a skeleton on a black shirt and then painted a little baby skeleton lower on the shirt where it really is. All in all, we had fun in our costumes.

Anna's birthday

2011-10-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Pizza-making fun for Anna's birthday party! She turns eight today and she had a fun party. We only do parties every other year so this is a party year. The girls showed me their best pizza dough tossing skills and then they each created a personal pizza. Their skills were of course improved by the poofy, white hats and silly black moustaches. Anna helped sew the aprons for each girl to take home. We completed the menu with lemon cake and ice cream. We also had beautiful weather so some of the party was spent outside.

We love our Anna and we our so glad she is ours. Eight is a special age and she has chosen to be baptized. The date is set for November 12th. Her teacher had nothing but excellent things to say about her in parent/teacher conference. Anna's reading skills are way above the second grade level too. She scored a 787 and the second grade reading level is 300-600 on the Lexile scale.

Eight is off to a good start.

Summer Fun 2011

2011-08-18T10:55:00.001-07:00

The kids rode on a train with Gordon from KC to Independence. Short ride but a train nonetheless so Jacob was super excited.

We rented a pontoon boat with some friends. Megan was the only one who wanted to go by herself on the raft.

Anna and Gordon

Gordon and Jacob

Megan's birthday party. She turned 5 years old.

Anna had her face painted at a party sponsored by Gordon's work.

Round and Round

2011-05-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Anna decided she wanted to be part of the talent show for her first grade class. If you didn't already know, Anna is an excellent hula-hooper. She doesn't get it from her mother though. The song she hooped to was Selena Gomez, "Round and Round" and another little girl in her class did it at the same time. The song was 3 minutes long but Anna can go on forever without messing up. We are so proud of her future in the circus! Just kidding, but we are so proud of her for getting up in front of a group of people, especially a group of her peers.

(This is one of 4 posts)

Pre-K graduation

2011-05-30T19:00:00.001-07:00

Megan had a great year in preschool. Loved her teacher and learned lots of new songs. She graduated from preschool Thursday night. I had them move her name to the front of the alphabet so I could wisk her away to her ballet recital that happened to overlap on the same night.

Our little troll

2011-05-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

Megan had her first ballet recital last Thursday. She danced three dances total. In one of the dances she played a troll. It is fun to watch here dance and have fun. At this age they aren't judged for technical skills so they get to just have a good time.

Haircut

2011-05-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

A boy's world

2011-05-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Jacob is fascinated and crazy for trains. Especially Thomas the train but any sort of train moving or standing still, sends him into a happy frenzy. He also really likes bridges and overpasses and is always on the look out for one. Just imagine what it is like when a train is passing overhead on a bridge while we are driving underneath!

As a tribute to that fascination, his Happa (Grandpa Downs) has created the ultimate magnetic board to display it and Jacob throughout his young years. Jacob loves it and names the trains on it every time he enters him room. It is fun to see his face light up!

Our ballerina

2011-04-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

Megan has started taking a ballet class. She loves it and even slept in her ballet slippers the first night. She loves to twirl and move around in her new clothes. At this age they mimic the teacher and move about the room. Every day she asks how much longer until Thursday.

Burns and McDonnell Prom

2011-04-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

We got all dressed up the other night for a fun night with each other and about 2600 other people from Gordon's work. The CEO joked about it, welcoming us to the Burns and McDonnell prom. The company was celebrating 25 years since it became an employee owned company and to honor the original 10 men who put their own money into it. It was nice to have something to dress up for and enjoy ourselves. I had a friend do my make-up for the special event and she even talked me into fake eyelashes. SO FUN!

The company went all out with a great dinner, entertainment and dancing. The club style dancing wasn't exactly for us but we danced a little or should I say dodged happy, intoxicated people. I was more than happy to visit the dessert bar instead.

Pride in ownership

2011-03-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

I don't think I ever posted a final picture of the front porch addition. Some of you have already seen it in person and some have just not seen it in its completed beauty. My dad and I built this together with no prior deck building experience. We both did our research and asked a couple professionals for advice but otherwise we did it with our own hands. It adds so much to the house.

Sandra over at Sawdust and Paper Scraps is highlighting safety gear that goes along with projects like these. I'd rather you admire the beauty of the porch but she wants to see some safety gear pictures out here in the blogosphere. Here's mine, nothing fancy and pretty basic~The gloves use to be for gardening but the fingertips wore out and I needed some woodworking gloves anyway.

Speaking of which, why isn't safety gear a little prettier? There seems to be a lot women building out there so where can we buy the girlie stuff? I'm not talking ruffles and lace but maybe a little pink or pretty colors wouldn't hurt.

Time for the twos

2011-03-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Jacob had a birthday in February so we celebrated with some cake and ice cream. When he is older he might understand the prince like power he could have on his birthday like no chores and first choice on the tv. For now, we just tried to keep him out of time-out a little less. Jacob could be compared to a tornado with teeth. (Just ask Megan about the teeth part and oh yeah, that little boy at Toddler Town last week~Sorry, I just wasn't quick enough!)

He is full of sillyness, kisses, and is a jumping machine. He loves to watch the Swedish Chef on YouTube (the popcorn one, look it up if you haven't seen it), play with trains, watch for trains, listen to trains and sleep with as many stuffed animals as he can get away with. Jacob loves to brush his teeth and eat the toothpaste. Eating snow and playing in the mud is big time entertainment for this guy. He loves to dress up for church, including a bow tie and is always running. We love this guy. Watch out for the rough and tough but the sweet kisses can't be beat. (The birthday crown was compliments of his sister, Anna)

Christmas 2010

2011-02-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

The kids had a great time opening all their presents. With some family farther away I wish I could have taken better pictures to capture their joy as they opened the presents from you. Everything was a big hit! I hope everyone got their snowflake thank-you notes.

I wish all this snow we have would melt away but maybe that makes okay to still post Christmas pictures.

Feel the Love

2011-02-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is the pillow formerly known as a dishtowel.

I had most of the supplies already for this cute heart made out of buttons.

I am way behind on my posts. I know Thanksgiving and Christmas are somewhere in my camera. Until then, let's start with the holiday of love and friendship. I needed some Valentine's Day decorations so I found a cute striped dishtowel at the thrift store and then another project I found on-line that was easy and fun.

Handy Hubby

2011-01-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

Gordon has been really earning his keep around here lately! I thought I would brag a little for him since he is not the bragging type. He successfully changed the spark plugs on the car, unplugged a major pipe coming from the bathtub, spackeling here and there, paint touch-ups , hanging a drapery rod, and lastly he installed a new kitchen faucet. I can tell he loves to learn how to do new things and save money in the process. Jacob likes to help right along side him too. He has his own set of toy tools but he has been found with the real stuff once or twice. YIKES!

The bathroom drain works so well now that Jacob is scared when the water goes out be. It makes a very loud gurgling sound which is music to our ears, but to him it means fast water going out and trying to take him with it.

Elf on a Shelf

2010-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

We have a new Christmas addition to our house this year. Hanna Downs gave the kids a Christopher Pop-In-Kins. He is a fun, flexible, elf that hides every morning in a new spot. Apparently Christopher's job is to report back to Santa before Christmas Eve to let him know how the kids in our house behaved this year. It is a really cute story and the kids love being the first in the morning to find him. One time Christopher stayed in the same spot to trick them otherwise he remembers to move to a new hiding place. In our small house he is running out of places up high to hide. He has to be up high so the kids don't touch him or he loses his magic.

We are looking forward to a little snow and Gordon has Thursday and Friday off so we are going to make it fun!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lots of Halloween fun this year! Anna, a.k.a. "Lucy" the Dalmation. Megan, a.k.a. "Fluffy" the Poodle.

After the girls chose their costumes it was only natural that Jacob should chase them. Jacob, a.k.a. "The dog catcher" with a net to capture them.

We have way too much candy but we had a lot of fun getting it. We visited Gordon's work, the church had a Trunk or Treat, and then we visited our neighbors on Halloween.

Books (note the other three posts)

2010-10-15T20:00:00.001-07:00

My husband has a memory book from when he was a child and it is called, "My First Eight Years, a Record of the LDS Child". It is a great book that includes the usual pages to record milestones and important dates. But it also includes pages for important Latter-Day Saint milestones like baptism and Primary. I wanted to recreate something like it for my own children since they don't make books like that anymore. Thanks to the help of my friend, Carrie, I finally finished them and now I just need to fill in the important stuff. I am so happy with them. Carrie is brilliant at the computer and creating things like that so I definitely couldn't have done it without her. Three cheers for Carrie!! I gave up on scrapbooking some time ago so Anna is the only one with a scrapbook of the first year of her life. I hope this a simpler way to record all the important stuff and I won't get so far behind.

There is a page for geneology.

There is also a page to record who was the prophet at the time of their birth along with the counselors and Quorum of the Twelve. I love it and hope to be a little better at recording important things in the lives of my children.

A re-do

2010-10-15T19:49:00.003-07:00

I was able to check off a couple things from my to-do list this past week. I bought a couple of chairs off of Craigslist for $10 each. They add a few more seats in our already small living room. I did not like the outdated fabric so I decided to give slipcovers a try. With my sewing skills and a few books I thought I could figure it out. I finished them but not without a few curses of frustration along the way. I took out many of the seams out at least twice too. I cut off the original skirt of the chair and then painted the legs black. I am just glad to check them off the to-do list, they were definitely a challenge.

First haircut

2010-10-15T19:42:00.001-07:00

Before:

After:

Such a big boy! I do miss the curls, though.

Hate that Missouri hail, AGAIN!

2010-10-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

In September, we had a hail storm here in Missouri. The girls were fascinated by it while their parents worried about the car outside (we have a one car garage)

For the second time in 5 years, hail broke out a window on our Chevy Malibu. No one else on the street had car window busted out. After the first incident in 2006, the insurance company totaled it and so we took the money, fixed the windows, and kept the car because it had low mileage. Fast forward five years, there is no comprehensive coverage left on the car and we cringe when we hear about storms heading our way. It may just be our lot in our life or the life of this car to attract the big ones! We got the window fixed pronto and spent $3 to vacuum it out at the local car wash. It's crazy, I know.

A great time in Utah

2010-08-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Jacob and his cousin Eli finally got to meet each other. They are about a month apart in age.

Mirror Lake~so pretty, water was so cold

We enjoyed some fun times with the Shaw side of the family last week.

So proud

2010-08-01T19:10:00.001-07:00

The Before:

There wasn't much space and we always felt like someone might fall off when the door was open. I spent a lot of time reading deck books and talking with Gary at Home Depot. My Dad spent a lot of time on his end talking with an engineer friend. So between the two of us, or I guess really the four of us if you include the engineer friend and Gary, we drew up the plans. We learned a lot and after three days of sweat and hard work we built this (minus the railings, which Dad added later):

AFTER:

My brother and my Dad came while we were gone to Utah and finished up the railing. It isn't completely done but I can't wait any longer to show off what we, and especially my Dad, has done. I am so proud of this and the greatest part was doing it with my Dad. All that is left is to stain the railings and put some toppers on the posts. We are still looking for just the right skirting to go around the bottom too. Isn't it great?! We are the envy of the neighborhood.

A very Happy 4th Birthday

2010-07-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

We love our sweet Megan and she turned four years old in June. The birthday was highly anticipated for months before and she knew that hers was after Mommy's. So once Mommy's birthday was out of the way she kept asking how much longer for hers. A simple request of cupcakes with M&Ms on them was her one desire. Anna was happy to help Megan make a birthday list of toys she would like for her birthday. Anna was VERY helpful and became her advisor on what would be a good choice. Megan was so great at sharing with Anna once the presents were opened. Thanks to all of you who helped make it extra special for her. It is hard to believe Megan is four years old. She is so brave and willing to try so many things. She doesn't have any problem singing or giving scriptures at church. We love to see her sweet smile and her eyes light up when she is happy. She loves to snuggle in the morning when she first wakes up. Megan inherited my curly hair which can be a curse and a blessing. She is patient as I have to cut out knots that refuse to be brushed out. Dancing is one of her favorite things to do and she is very graceful. We love you Megan.

Ready for Pre-K

2010-07-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

Megan's preschool had a fun program to highlight all of the songs they have learned throughout the year. It was fun to watch her do all the actions and participate in the program. Anna went to the same school when she was younger but had a big case of stage fright when it came to an audience so this was really our first year to see a child of ours in the program. The songs are so cute and each one has actions to go with it. "Going on a bear hunt" and the donut song were a couple of our favorites

Megan's teachers were great and will be missed. Megan never had a bad day and never shed the tears like Anna. By the end of the year they even convinced Megan to paint, which was a big thing considering she wouldn't go near the stuff at the beginning of the year. The only thing we could figure was that she didn't want to put on the paint smock and socks on her sleeves to protect her clothes. Megan is ready for Pre-K this fall.

Good-bye Kindergarten

2010-07-18T17:27:00.001-07:00

If Anna and I had our wish, Mrs. Pierce, would be Anna's teacher for each grade throughout elementary school. It was great to see Anna develop socially and academically with her teacher's help. What a great introduction into the world of academics. She had a great year and excelled in reading and writing stories. She loved her teacher and never wanted to disappoint Mrs. Pierce. Anna never got in trouble and was always the first to volunteer to help out. What a great year.

PTA performance

2010-06-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

Anna was part of a kindergarten performance for the PTA. They practiced a lot for it and Anna did great. She didn't even hesitate go out there with her friends and performing in front of a room full of strangers.

This was a big deal for Anna. She loves her teacher Mrs. Pierce.

YUM!

2010-06-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

A little wet

2010-06-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Megan's preschool was originally scheduled to go to a farm but the roads to the farm were impassable due to all the rain and mud. Plan B was a local park which turned out to be just as messy. Luckily it was warm outside and the wetness didn't bother Jacob. He loved every minute of the ankle deep water. The pictures don't quite catch the absolute joy on his face. A little boy's dream come true.

Megan and her friends came well equipped with rain boots but we still stripped off everyone's wet clothes to get in the car. We had a van for of under-dressed kids on the way home.

He is part monkey after all!

2010-04-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

I knew it, I knew it! He is part monkey after all!!

(I am catching up on my posts, there are three others after this one.)

Snow

2010-04-07T19:09:00.001-07:00

I have grown up in Missouri and should be use to its tricks and changes in the weather. So my lesson learned this year is, don't put away the snow gear in March. I did put it away and then we got 11 inches of snow! It all happened on a Friday night and Saturday and then was gone by Monday morning. So crazy, but we had a blast with the perfect snowman kind of snow.

Easter

2010-04-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

The girls enjoyed (don't let Megan's face fool you) a private Easter egg hunt with our neighbor. Victoria's older brothers hid 96 eggs for the three of them around the school playgrounds. In fact, they hid them so well that nobody could find about 15 of them. The three of them still found plenty nonetheless and some lucky kids might find the other ones someday!

What is Easter without some good, messy egg dyeing?! This year I read about using whisks instead of those flimsy wire dippers. It was a success! After dyeing the eggs we glued on googly eyes, pipe cleaners and fuzzy hair. Lots of fun for the girls while Jacob graciously took a nap!

Easter was on the weekend of General Conference this year so we dressed up in our Easter best the Sunday before Easter, when Grandma and Grandpa were visiting. I didn't make the girls dresses this year. Instead, I made them matching flowers for their hair and spent most of my sewing efforts on Jacob's outfit.

Thanks for Grandma Shaw's helped on making the hat fit right. The pants and hat were made from an old pair of Gordon's dress pants. It was fun to re-purpose them. He looked so cute in his newsboy hat.

Family Fun

2010-04-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

We really enjoyed a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Shaw right before Easter. We played outside as much as we could but the weather didn't cooperate every day. Grandma is successfully passing on her love for collecting quarters to our girl, Anna. Anna spent a lot of time emptying her piggy bank (the only way for the money to get out is the same way it went in, unless you break it). She loved counting by fives, tens, and twenty-fives and putting her coins into rolls. Grandma sent her a book for them and now she is only missing 11 states. Anna is very proud of it and even took it to show and tell today. Thanks Grandma Shaw! Jacob showed off his walking skills while they were here too. Each day he would get better and better with a little less falling every day. Jacob is definitely our most social child of the three and he only had lots of love to give his grandparents even though he doesn't see them a lot. Grandpa Shaw helped with a few home improvement projects and I had a lucky streak in a couple games of Mexican Train. We had a great time. We look forward to spending time with all the Shaw side of the family in July.

The Little Man of the House Turns 1!

2010-02-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a full day of celebrating Jacob's first birthday. It is even better when a birthday falls on the weekend and everyone is home all day to enjoy the special person. Jacob didn't totally understand what was going on but he loved all the attention and the fun balloons. His big sisters were excited enough for everyone though. They are helping him break in the new toys too. He loved the cake but it was not his first taste of a sweet treat because he always wants what everyone else is eating.

Jacob is a fun addition to our family. We love him so much. He loves to make big, noisy, messes!! He always seems to be looking for something to tear apart or throw around. In between those messes though he enjoys a good snuggle with mommy. When we turn on the bath water he stops whatever he is doing, listens, and then crawls really fast to the bathtub. He loves to shake his head no and whenever the dishwasher is open he is ready to help by throwing the plastic plates on the floor. No trashcan is safe on the floor anymore so we have them all on top of something, out of his reach. He stands by himself and walks around the ottoman, holding onto the edge of it but he doesn't seem interested in walking solo yet. He is the first to greet Anna every day when she comes home, standing at the door with his face pushed against the door. Even at his young age he enjoys a good wrestle on the floor. He is all boy but with two older sisters I wouldn't be surprised to find him in a princess dress someday. Happy Birthday my sweet boy!

Chicken Gyros

2010-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pass on a good recipe. I made it for lunch the other day when I had some friends over but it works for dinner too. It comes from a book of recipes for rotisserie chicken that you buy at the store (yeah Costco!) but I used cut up chicken too and just cooked it in the marinade. I also buy the soft wheat flatbread in the deli section but you could probably used pitas or tortillas too.

Chicken Gyros

SAUCE:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber (I cut out the seeds, but not necessary)
2 T light sour cream (optional)
1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper

MARINADE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of salt
8 slices of rotisserie chicken or two chicken breasts, sliced

SANDWICH:
1 pkg flatbread
torn up lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped
red onion

Stir the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside
For the marinade, combine all the ingredients except for the chicken in a 12 inch non-stick skillet. Stir together. Place rotisserie chicken slices flat in skillet and spoon the marinade over the top or brown the raw chicken in the marinade until done. Remove from skillet when done and assemble your sandwich. Heat the bread and then top with chicken, sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Enjoy

Happy New Year!

2010-01-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

It is still January so I am squeezing in a post to wish you all a Happy New Year! We have been busy and trying to stay warm. The temperature has steadily stayed above freezing for almost a week now and all that dirty snow is gone! We anxiously await spring so we can spend some quality time outside.

Anna is enjoying school and did not like the fact that the schools were closed for a whole week after Christmas vacation. (Mommy wasn't too happy about that either.) She rides the bus to and from school now and has become friends with the bus driver, Mabel. The bus even picks her and her friend up in front of our house so Mommy doesn't even have to leave the house. Anna loves to read and tested at a second grade level of reading last month. A couple months ago she even participated in a special reading of "The sky is Falling" and she played the mouse. She has been especially helpful at home too. Sometimes when a babysitter is here for the night, Anna is the only one that can comfort Jacob. She takes her role as a big sister very seriously.

Megan is a Sunbeam now in Primary. She does so good and doesn't hesitate to go into Primary and take her seat every Sunday. She loves to sing the songs and be in the same room with Anna for part of the time. She is having fun at preschool too. Last week the lesson on hibernation was especially interesting to her and she came home and told me all about the snakes, frogs, and turtles that hibernate during the winter.

Jacob is everywhere and into everything. He will be walking before too long and would spend his whole day going up and down our stairs if I let him. He is a lot of fun until he sinks his teeth into your closest body part, so watch out! His favorite pastimes include waiting for the refridgerator or dishwasher to be opened so he can play on them.

Love these kids!

Photo Shoot

2010-01-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

2009-12-21T09:01:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanks China!

2009-12-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

So, this morning, Anna says to me..."We should thank China for all the things they make for us." It made me laugh, which is unusual in itself that early in the morning. But I decided to save my talk on how Made in the U.S.A. is better and cheap labor in a foreign country means a lot more to companies for some other time. Now that she is a reader, I might hear more comments like these.

A Star is Born!

2009-12-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

This is Anna. Look closely though, this is the new and improved Anna. She may look the same as the Anna that lived here yesterday but after church today she is a whole new person that you might not recognize. Many of you knew my very shy, very sensitive Anna. The one who would cry and protest at any sort of public speaking or performing. In the past, (even up until two months ago) she would be asked to read a scripture or say a prayer in Primary and I would end up reading it or saying it as Anna hid behind the podium with her arms folded, head down, and tears in her eyes. Two weeks ago out of the blue, Anna said to me that she is ready to read a scripture in Primary. I made a bee-line to a member of the Primary presidency to make sure Anna got an assignment for the following week. I didn't want the new Anna to miss her big debut just in case the old Anna decided to come back. The assignment was to choose and read a favorite scripture. She wanted to read something out of the book of Jacob since she has a brother named Jacob. We helped her narrow it down to Jacob 2:18. She practiced it a few times yesterday and felt pretty confident about it. She still wanted me to stand next to her and be there for moral support. Even as I sat in the back of the Primary room, I had my doubts that she would go through with it and back out at the last moment when she saw everyone in the Primary sitting in their chairs. But as I looked at her up in the front, I became a little emotional and tears came to my eyes. She was sitting up so tall and had such a confident smile on her face. Without any hesitation, and I mean no hesitation whatsoever, she went to the microphone when it was her turn. As her proud mama, I stood next to her as she clearly read the scripture by herself and even stated the reference first. Anna is an exceptional reader and didn't stumble a bit on any of the words. I am so proud of her! This is such a big step for her, actually this is such a big leap for her! Great job Anna. I love you.

Pastimes of our cute and mobile 8 month old

2009-11-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

Jacob is really good at making big messes. We need to work on the cleaning up part.

Jacob is putting everything and anything in his mouth. I don't remember the girls being this oral. Nothing is safe from this boy, especially paper of any kind. He especially enjoys the Ensign, "feasting" upon the word I guess. :)

Jacob is fun to dress up in clothes that make him look like a little man. He smiles at everyone he sees as long as he is securely and safely in his Mommy's arms. Definitely a mama's boy.

Fall photos

2009-11-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture at the church Halloween party with their friend Victoria. The girls had plenty of opportunities to dress-up in their costumes this year. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of Jacob in his tiger costume. He tolerated it all of 5 minutes. Gordon and I wore zookeeper vests with hats to keep the "animals" under control!

We have had such a wide range of temperatures in our area. Some Sundays it is really balmy and the girls can still wear their sandals. We finally had some fall-like weather and the girls could wear their corduroy jumpers without being too hot at church.

Have A Little Glitter With Your Birthday

2009-11-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Anna with her friends at her birthday party (some forgot to put on their party faces!). My friends, Marissa and Carrie, helped me paint 60 toenails and 60 fingernails. Then we completed the glamour and glitter look by styling (tried our best anyway) and spraying glitter in their hair. I think it was a success and Anna enjoyed all the special attention.

My Anna turned 6 years old at the end of October. Being my firstborn she is the first to do many things including the first to make me a mother. It is hard to believe she is in kindergarten and reading so well. The teacher gave her rave reviews at the parent and teacher conference. There are even plans to include Anna in an accelerated reading program that will include two kids from each of the four kindergarten classes. I am a very proud mama! I don't appreciate all the extra words she is learning on the playground though. I guess that goes with the school experience! I marvel at the amount of papers she comes home with, I have to be selective what I keep.

You know I love you Anna. I am so glad that Heavenly Father sent you to me and you are a part of our family.

Body by Jake

2009-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Almost 8 months old and already starting a fitness routine. He will crawling soon but right now he gets a little frustrated when he can't get where he wants to. Usually it is in search of paper or a piece of string to put in his mouth. He can be very entertaining. He gives his mama's back a workout too.

2009-10-09T08:11:00.001-07:00

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Preschool

2009-09-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind on my posts. Megan did start preschool at the beginning of September. I think she enjoys it for the most part. The teacher reports to me that she is participating but prefers to watch the other kids play inside and outside she does great. I think she will get use to it more and more. She is so use to Anna taking over and telling her what to play and how to play it. Now she has the chance to play by herself but doesn't know how to start. Sometimes she will bring home projects if they involve cutting or glueing but one day she came home with an unfinished project. The teacher attached a note saying, "Megan chose not to paint today". What the note meant to say was that Megan refused to put a smock on over her clothes, socks on her arms(to protect her sleeves), and paint with a toothbrush (they were talking about teeth and hygiene that day). It was all too foreign to her and she wasn't ready to try something new.

One day last week a policeman came to the preschool to talk about safety. I would have loved to have been a "fly on the wall", sort to speak, and watch her during the presentation. She preceded to come home and tell everyone about how important it was to wear a helmet when biking and a seat belt when in the car.

Stylin' at 7 months

2009-09-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

Before Jacob, I never thought I would enjoy dressing up a boy more than I did dressing up the girls for church. But seeing Jacob today in his first tie and vest just made me smile all day. My friend Corrie gave us this ensemble and I must say he looked so handsome. I sewed a pair of matching booties yesterday to complete the look. He did try to eat the tie but that is nothing new since he will grab anything he can reach.

1st Day

2009-08-31T13:18:00.001-07:00

Anna has already been in school for two weeks but these are her first day pictures. She actually had a substitute for the first week because her teacher, Mrs. Pierce, needed to be with her family as her dad had died the Saturday before. Anna really likes her teacher but is a little bored since she already knows how to read. Lunchtime is a little overwhelming for her but at least there is a kindergarten table just for her class. Her best friend Victoria is also in her same class so they have each other. I walk her to school every morning since we are only 6 houses away from the school. The bus is offered but the bus stop is farther up the hill away from the school, it is easier right now just to walk her there. I miss her during the day and I am always ready to hear about the fun she is having while she is away.

6 months old

2009-08-31T13:12:00.001-07:00

This is what 20 pounds of cuteness looks like. It is hard to believe that Jacob is already 6 months old and ready to sit up. He is loving his solid foods and full of smiles. He is such a sweet boy and always looking for something to put in his mouth.

2009-08-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Jacob is modeling a retro 70s sweater ensemble. Thanks to Grandma Shaw for saving Gordon's baby outfit. Now Jacob is wearing it but unfortunately I don't know how to scan in a picture of Gordon wearing the same outfit when he was young. Aren't they cute?!

Family Fun in Branson

2009-08-09T10:17:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we drove to Branson to spend some time with the Downs side of the family. We stayed at a place called StoneBridge and stayed in two cabins that have four big bedrooms in each one. We had a good time swimming and fishing every day there at the resort. The weather was great considering it was the middle of summer. We stayed three days and enjoyed visiting with each other since all of us are together only once a year. The cousins had a great time and played so well together. Our cabins were at the end of a cul-de-sac so we didn't have to worry about traffic and the kids went back and forth between the cabins a lot. We ventured into Branson once or twice but pretty much had everything we needed right there at the resort.

My girls wanted to fish every day and luckily they have a couple of uncles that love to fish too. Even when the girls weren't fishing down by the water, they spent a lot of time just casting their fishing poles in the grass. I never knew how much fun they could have just doing that over and over and over.

Thinking about it now I don't remember any of the kids having a meltdown, just me. Lack of sleep at night and hormones are a dangerous combination. Yikes! I am sorry about that and feeling a little embarassed.

We were sad to see everyone go their separate ways at the end. Anna was going through Sophie (her cousin) withdrawal for days!

Swing Time

2009-08-09T10:09:00.001-07:00

Once again Craigslist came through. We found a swingset on Craigslist that had been bought but never put together. I offered them half of what they paid at Lowe's and with a some help from my Dad we now have a swingset. The girls love it! I few bumps and bruises but they are still having a good time. The only problem is when a friend comes to play and then they have problems sharing two swings between three people. Megan loves to run down the hill and jump into the swing on her tummy like in the picture. Fun times in the summer!

Turtle Power

2009-08-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Meet Savage, the turtle. Adopted by our family for a day. Gordon found it Saturday morning while he was mowing the lawn. Anna instantly fell in love with the turtle while Megan chose to keep her distance (this is the way Megan feels about every moving creature). The turtle's shell was pretty scratched up and missing some parts from a previous encounter with a dog or other animal.

Anna had found a new best friend and as far as Anna was concerned every turtle enjoys countless trips down the slide into a box, leaves of spinach and a nice newspaper covered home with walls too high to climb. Anna enjoyed her day with the turtle but we convinced her it would be better off with its own family. After dinner she let it go and then insisted on checking to see if it had left 10-20 times before she went to bed. He may decide to stay and live in our tasty garden. (Maybe it is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in disguise!!)

5 Months Old

2009-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love this little face! Jacob is another month older and having a great time in the exersaucer. He doesn't enjoy laying on his back as much anymore now that he has discovered this new world of sitting up. Sometimes I find the girls playing with the exersaucer even when Jacob isn't using it.
He is eating cereal and veggies now and likes them for the most part. He thinks it is pretty funny to blow it out of his mouth and onto Mommy's shirt though. I think he weighs about 17 pounds now and sleeps through the night. His day naps could be better but I'll take what I can get.

Blueberries

2009-07-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite times of the year is here again. Every July we go and pick blueberries as a family. There is a place in Lone Jack, Missouri that we go to every year. The girls really enjoy it and are pretty good at picking the blue berries and not the green ones. It took us about 40 minutes to pick almost 5 pounds of blueberries. It was especially nice this year with the skies a little overcast instead of the usual suffocating heat and humidity. We are looking forward to many blueberry treats, starting with muffins tomorrow.

4 months old

2009-06-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Just saying hello!

Pass the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Please, It's My Birthday!

2009-06-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Megan, You are 3 years old today! Happy Birthday sweet girl! For your birthday dinner you asked for Macaroni and Cheese, red jello, broccoli, and chocolate cake with chocolate icing (definitely my daughter when it comes to the cake part). I can't stand Macaroni and Cheese from a box but a birthday wish is a birthday wish.

I can't believe you have been mine for 3 years already. I love your silly songs about ravioli and spoons. Your curly hair is way out of control most of the time but strangers will stop us in the store to say how much they love your curls. I love them too, but from my own experience I know that someday you will want your sister's straight hair. You will always be a middle child and your sister is bossy but you know how to hold your own. You give great hugs and kisses. I love how you marvel at your own swiftness as you run down the sidewalk but always rush back to hold my hand. Sounds like a good analogy for life. Be your best friend and don't let anyone tell you what you can't do, but don't forget to come back to me once and awhile.

Love, Mom

Way down in Mexico

2009-06-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

We tried this Mexican Rice recipe last night and it is definitely a keeper. We though it was very much like what we remember from our missions. Now we don't have to go to Mexico after all. It was on the Homebased Mom blogspot so I can't take credit for it. Enjoy!!

Mexican Rice

Ann Bowman

2 Tbsp Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 C long grain white rice
2 C chicken broth
1 small can tomato juice
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the rice. Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice (more like, make it tan) over a medium high heat. Add the chicken broth. Add the tomato juice. Add some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid. (I ’stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.) Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so.

A Sunday Afternoon

2009-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

How Sweet It Is

2009-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

I barely got this picture before the strawberry was eaten. I know the first strawberry of the season would have been more symbolic but that one is long gone and was eaten before I had a chance to take a picture of it. We planted about 20 plants last year and this is the first year for them to bare fruit. They are the sweetest, best tasting strawberries I have ever had! Store-bought does not even compare to how sweet they are and how red they are inside. If you have never had a fresh strawberry, let me tell you, you are missing out. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by, you might get lucky and taste one. But you might have to fight a couple cute little girls for them.

Two and a half months

2009-05-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Jacob is starting to smile and sleep longer at nights. I feel like he rewards me in these small ways. I wouldn't say we have much of a routine yet but there is hope on the horizon and I don't feel like I will lose my mind due to my lack of sleep.

WANTED: PUDDLES

2009-05-01T18:54:00.001-07:00

After much searching, we found the perfect rain boots. So cute! The boots were rewards for different things that have happened in the girls' lives recently. Anna endured her pre-K shots really well and chose the sassy pink set. Of course Megan wanted a set when Anna's came in the mail. She opted for the purple ones since she is a big girl now and doesn't even wear pull-ups to bed. We are so proud of our girls! Now we are ready for the rainy season.

Family Fun with Grandma and Grandpa

2009-05-01T07:58:00.001-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Shaw came for a visit. We went to the Liberty Jail on one rainy afternoon and then stayed at home most of the time. It was great to have extra hands to hold a fussy baby and play with the girls. We enjoyed having them and it was sad to seem them go.

Jacob's blessing

2009-05-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

Jacob was blessed this past Sunday. He slept as his Daddy gave him a beautiful blessing. We enjoyed having some family with us and missed those that couldn't be with us to celebrate. The girls were tired and a little grumpy in the bottom picture so that is why there are no smiles on their faces. Grandma Shaw made Jacob's beautiful blessing outfit. He looks so handsome.

Easter dresses

2009-04-19T19:21:00.001-07:00

Anna

2009-04-15T14:26:00.001-07:00

Anna was so brave this week as she faced the pediatrician for her pre-kindergarten check-up. She knew ahead a time that she needed 4 shots to go to kindergarten. She cried a little but had mentally prepared herself somewhat so she didn't jump and we didn't have to hold her down. I am so proud of her. As far as I am concerned the nurses have the hardest jobs because they have to administer the shots. Anna decided as her reward for doing such a good job she wanted a pair of rain boots. We have begun our quest for the perfect ones. I was surprised at what she would and would not let the doctor do during the exam. I consider shots to be the worst by far but she wouldn't open her mouth for the doctor and she wouldn't do the eye exam.

Anna's legs were a little sore that afternoon. The following morning they were really sore and Anna needed help hopping around on one leg. She had shots in both legs but the leg she had the booster shot in really was painful. She still wanted to go to school and I had a hard time convincing her that her teacher wouldn't be able to help her hop around all day. I know she was in pain but I had to hide my smile sometimes when she hopped around or scooted on her bottom to the bathroom (I was feeding Jacob at the time). Her Daddy came in handy in the evening as her personal taxi service. Luckily, today she is almost 100% and feeling like a survivor!

Jacob

2009-04-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Jacob is starting to smile but it is too fleeting to catch on film. He is awake a lot more during the day and a little less at night. Hard to believe he is almost two months already.

Faces I Love to See

2009-04-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

Tomato drill

2009-03-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Anna had a tornado drill at school so we decided to continue with the severe weather theme for F.H.E. We practiced what we would do if a tornado was coming and we were at home. Eventually we would all end up in the bathroom downstairs but we tried out a couple different scenarios. One of them was as if we were all sleeping. Gordon made the siren sound and the girls jumped out of bed. Megan runs down the hall shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, a tomato is coming, a tomato is coming!" I was laughing so hard we had to do it a couple times just so I could hear Megan say it again. Kids are great for a little comic relief!

Big sister

2009-03-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Anna loves to hold Jacob any chance she can get.

Labor and Delivery

2009-03-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, for the sake of posterity and those who are interested...Jacob's arrival. Jacob's original due date was March 14th. On the morning of Friday, February 27th, I was having some cramping and some early signs of labor. I took the girls to a playdate about 10am and when we came home, the contractions were more noticeable but nothing consistent. I wasn't ready to admit I was in labor yet. Then the harder contractions, the ones that stopped me where I was and I couldn't talk, started about 2:00. But they were still inconsistent, sometimes 10 minutes apart or farther. Gordon left work at 4pm, we took the girls to my friend's house, and then checked in to the hospital about 5 pm. I was dilated to a 6 by now and they wisely chose to admit me. The nurses tried, unsuccessfully and painfully, three times to start an IV. Finally, the anesthesiologist came in to do my epidural and put in an IV line. He was much better and things could get under way. The unsuccessful needle sticks hurt more than my epidural. After the epidural was in, the OB came in to break my water. Soon after that, I realized I could still feel my right leg but not my left. This was not good considering the contractions were coming harder and faster. I asked the nurse to call him back and he readjusted the epidural in my back. Finally some relief and then the contractions were only felt by a little pressure down low. After about 15-20 minutes the nurse checked me one last time. I was dilated to a 10 and 100% effaced. Showtime!! Everyone got set up quickly and a few good pushes later, Jacob made his debut at 8:16pm.

And baby makes five...two weeks early!

2009-03-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

Jacob Gordon Shaw

8.1 lbs, 20 inches long

February 27, 8:16pm

F.H.E.

2009-02-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

F.H.E. started out with a puppet show and ended with a dance-off.

For those of you who missed the live performance....

See Anna Read

2009-02-23T11:26:00.001-08:00

We have a new reader in the house! Anna has recognized small words for a while but it is all coming together now and she loves to read. For most of us it is hard to imagine a time in our lives when we couldn't read. Anna is our firstborn so it is so fun to see her discover reading and make sense of it all. To think, all those alphabet letters make words that actually describe a person, or a place, or an experience. It is a whole new world and she feels so good about it! (Thanks for the book Carrie.)

On the merry-go-round

2009-02-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

The girls and I enjoyed a visit from my Mom last week. She came on the train Sunday night and stayed until Wednesday morning. I picked her up after the girls had gone to bed so we enjoyed seeing their surprised faces when she came upstairs for breakfast the next morning. By chance, Gordon had to go out of town for a two day trip so I was really grateful for the extra help and the girls enjoyed having an in-house playmate. Monday was full of fun stuff. We went to the mall to ride the carousel and to do a little shopping. Anna wanted to ride on the top level of the carousel, so we did and the adults left feeling a little dizzy. We enjoyed a dinner of pizza at Costco and rounded it out with ice cream for dessert. Thanks for a fun time, Mom!

Unsuccessful

2009-02-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this blog post may just turn into my rambling thoughts put in print. This seemed to be a day full a way too many unsuccessful attempts (more than one is way too much for me).

First, the girls were anxious to get Valentine's Day started so this morning they gave us their Valentines that they made last night with the babysitter. Cute, creative, and of course lots of glitter. At the same time I gave Gordon his "sweets for the sweet". I had managed to shape licorice into hearts for my love, tied with embroidery floss. (He doesn't like chocolate as much as I do so I try to go the sugar route.) When I pulled them out of their hiding place today, they had broken into several pieces. Of course he will still eat them, but the symbolism was lost. Unsuccessfully creative.

Secondly, as a family we decided to go feed the ducks at a local water spot. The girls were excited and willing to put all of their winter gear on so we could spend 10-15 minutes outside without freezing. We arrived safely, with bag of bread in tow. Unfortunately, no hungry ducks to feed. A few floating decoy ducks to attract wildlife, but they didn't want our bread. Unsuccessful decoy ducks.

Lastly or Thirdly(the day is not over yet), thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Shaw, the girls each had a dollar to spend. Anna has been begging to spend it as soon as she got it in the mail yesterday (she gets that from me, not a saver like her Daddy). So a trip to the Dollar Store was in order. We get there and let the girls look for the perfect thing to spend with their money. 20 minutes later, after much deliberation and one tired mommy, we are checking out. Anna decided on an outfit for her stuffed dog, Lucy, and Megan was happy with her wind-up car. The cashier scanned the outfit, put it in a bag for Anna, Anna paid with her precious dollar. Next up, Megan with her car. She was very excited about it. The cashier scanned it, it beeped several times back at her. Apparently, Megan's new toy has been recalled and could not be sold. Okay, explain recalled to a 2 1/2 year old. Unsuccessful purchase.

I am just glad Gordon is making dinner.

Cute things for baby

2009-02-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Every Wed-nesday morning for a couple hours, the girls and I go to our friend Carrie's house for craft group. The girls enjoy her cable TV while I enjoy a few hours of chatting and working on a craft. Marissa, Carrie, and I are the regulars in this group even though anyone is invited to join us. We have attempted many projects so far and today was one of my favorite ones. We used iron-on transfers to make cute onesies for the little ones in our lives or future little ones, as the case may be. Given the fact that none of us had ever done iron-on transfers, I think we had great results. Next week, we are going to attempt potato stamping with fabric paint and then on to tie-dying. Fun!

Taffy Pull

2009-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Our last Family Home Evening night, we decided to pull taffy the old-fashioned way. After a lot of cooking (45 minutes) and then adding just the right amount of food coloring (Anna chose pink, of course), we let it cool to where we could start the actually pulling process. I understand now why someone invented a machine to do this part. After pulling, pulling, trading with the girls, and pulling much more, we ended up with something resembling one of our favorite treats. The resulting taffy could have been a little firmer, but that would have meant more time at the stove, or more time pulling the taffy and the girls were done waiting! Fun times for fun treats!

For the Sake of Posterity

2009-01-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

The things I swallow for the sake of my posterity. I know there are smaller pre-natal vitamins available but this was a sample my OB gave me. Fortunately, thanks to the blue coating, the pill is easier to swallow than a quarter. On the other hand, I have never tried to swallow a quarter.

8 more weeks!!!

Our new addition!

2009-01-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

No, our baby boy is not here yet, but they are both very expensive! We are now part of the minivan club. Our initiation was all the hours spent thinking and praying about this purchase, not to mention actually writing the check! We bought a 2008 Kia Sedona yesterday and feel pretty good about. March will be here soon enough and we will need more room.

On a sad note we traded in the Ford Ranger. Gordon had that Ranger for 8 years and put many miles on it. It holds a lot of good memories too as it was the transportation for our dates before and after marriage as well as Gordon's daddy-daughter dates with Anna. Anna already says she misses the truck and how she can't sit up front with her Daddy. But I don't think she minds something new as well!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

A new year was quietly brought in here at the Shaw household. We celebrated it by letting the girls stay up and watch "The Jungle Book". I forgot how much I love that movie. Anna and I are still quoting the vultures at the end of the movie in our best British accent:

(1st vulture) "So what are we going to do?"

(2nd vulture)"Uh, I don't know what do you want to do?"

(1st vulture) "Now don't start that again!"

A five-year-old's best British accent sounds a little hillbilly, but funny nonetheless. We made a pallet of blankets on the floor with extra pillows for me, the pregnant mama. We snacked on popcorn, a juice and soda combo drink, and cookies on a stick. Anna had been begging to make the cookies on a stick all week after spotting the recipe in a cookbook for kids that Aunt Amy sent for Christmas. As you can see from the picture, the cookies were almost as big as their heads! My kind of new year's eve, eating good snacks with my favorite little people!

Happy New Year!

Pumpkin Pie

2008-12-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I am a little late for this year's holiday dinners but here is our favorite Pumpkin Pie recipe. It is a big hit in my extended family and a friend has asked for the recipe so here it is:

Pumpkin Walnut Pie

1 9-inch pastry shell
1/2-1 c. chopped walnuts(depeding on your taste for nuts)
1/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 (15oz) can pumpkin
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 eggs
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small bowl, combine nuts, sugar & 1/2 t. cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over bottom of pastry shell. In large bowl, combine pumpkin, sweet cond. milk, eggs, remaining 1 t. cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, & ginger; mix well. pour filling over nut mixture in pastry shell. Bake 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Cool. Enjoy. Refrigerate leftovers.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T14:21:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

"Mommy, my finger is stuck!"

2008-12-22T10:43:00.001-08:00

These are the words I heard this afternoon from my Megan after I had put her down for a nap. Without seeing why her finger was stuck and in what, many thoughts went through my head as I headed to her room. As many of us know, a child's finger can fit into many things and get stuck. A nose, a door, an electrical socket are just to name a few. So I open Megan's bedroom door to find her sitting up in bed crying because her finger has become stuck in her hair to the point that it was cutting off circulation. She has a bad habit of sucking her thumb with one hand and twirling her hair with the other. Sometimes like today, there is a little too much twirling and the hair gets wrapped so tight that I have to cut her hair to free her finger! I doubt she has learned her lesson today but she may run out of hair before she gives up the habit!

Good Times

2008-12-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Two dollars well spent at the after Halloween sales!

Holiday Favorites

2008-12-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

I think we all have a favorite Christmas time treat. The kind of goodie that only comes out once a year. But because it only comes out once a year, that makes it all the more special and even more tastier because you can't get it anytime you crave it. So just in case you don't already know about these two, I will show you a picture and tell you where to get them.

The chocolate oranges are fun too. You whack them on a hard surface so that they break into individual slices inside the wrapper. I found them at Target but if you live near me, I may have bought the last of the milk chocolate flavor. My sweet husband found some more for me at the CVS Pharmacy because I am giving them out as gifts to Anna's teachers. "'Orange' I glad your my teacher."

The peanut brittle is the perfect consistency and has lots of peanuts. The brand is Old Dominion and I bought it at the Wonder bread Hostess outlet store, of all places. I like Peanut Brittle but it is one of those things I would rather buy than make from scratch.

So there you have it and if you haven't tried them yet, your time is running out!

Moods

2008-12-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

Mood(noun)-"A state of mind, emotion. An inclination; disposition."

Oh yes, I have many moods and very seldom am I in the mood to clean. It is just not in my disposition to want to clean a lot. So today I actually had the inclination to clean my kitchen top to bottom. It may have something to do with the Pine-sol smell while I am pregnant or maybe just the fact that my husband has been gone all week and I need at least one room in the house presentable when he gets home. I started right after lunch, finished up and enjoyed the clutter-free countertops and clean sink for about an hour before I decided I was in the mood to make gingerbread dough. Not as clean but I can still smell the Pine-sol. Another moment, another mood.

I used the recipe from the Scovil Bakery in Nauvoo, Illinois for the first time. I love their cookies and I am not usually one to like a gingerbread cookie. Hopefully they are as good from my kitchen as they are from theirs. If not, I will know it is the extra bit of history and years of experience there in Nauvoo that make them the best. They must sit in the refrigerator for a little while so when the time is right they will begin new lives as little gingerbread girls and boys.

Here is the recipe if you are interested, the recipe makes a lot of dough:
1 cup sugar
1 cup sorghum or molasses
3/4 c oil or lard
1/2 cup hot water

Combine the above and then add:
2 eggs

Mix together the following:
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
6 or 7 cups of white flour

Combine everything together and form dough.
Refrigerate dough overnight
Roll out and cut with cutters
Bake 350 degrees for 10 minutes

To roll out the dough we (the bakery) use Pam in place of flour

Cookies freeze well and are softer and more flavorful after freezing/

Fall jackets

2008-11-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

I finally finished sewing Megan's fall jacket. I finished Anna's awhile back but wasn't able to get Megan's done until last week. I had bought the fleece fabric at the same time in different colors when it was on sale. So Megan knew that she was getting a jacket eventually in the green fleece. She even resorted to wearing the unsewn fabric around the house saying "my jacket, my jacket". It was a subtle hint to her Mommy to sew her a jacket too.

I found the pattern on Ebay (Butterick 4908), unfortunately it has been discontinued. My mother-in-law, Dianne, helped me scale down the pattern for Megan's size. Overall a good sewing project and easier the second time. It has a good-sized hood and fun pockets for little hands. So cute or maybe it is just the cute girls!

Leaves Update

2008-11-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

I am adding to my last post but it requires a post all its own. I was complaining about the leaves in my last post and how my yard was a magnet for all things falling from any tree. Anyway, we came home yesterday from church and all of the leaves were gone! My mouth dropped open because I hadn't seen the grass in my front yard for a while. It was such a big contrast compared to how we had left it three hours earlier. I know my neighbor doesn't read my blog but maybe he felt sorry for the pregnant mommy next door whose husband is out of town way too much for this time of year. Our neighbor owns a landscaping business so I think he had the equipment to do it quickly but very thoughtful nonetheless. We are gone for over three hours to church as well. What a nice gift to us and it wasn't even his tree that had given us all the leaves in the first place. I haven't had a random act of kindness done like this for me for a while and just reminds me I should be on the lookout for more opportunities myself to do unto others.

Thank you neighbor!

Too many leaves, So little time

2008-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we made a small dent in the huge amount of leaves in our front yard. Anna and Megan have become expert leaf jumpers thanks to the huge oak tree across the street that continues to lose its leaves. I agree that it is important to be neighborly but sharing leaves is a little extreme! If I could somehow get our one tree to send its leaves across the street, then it would be even. Anna loves it when we make big piles and gets mad when we try to bag them up. The girls had a good time hiding in the huge pile.

It's a Boy!

2008-11-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

We are happy to say baby boy Shaw will be here around March 14! The ultrasound was done this morning and without a doubt we are not having another girl. We love our girls but there is nothing wrong with mixing it up a bit. He looks healthy so, God willing, bring on the trucks and the dinosaurs! Anna is very happy and Megan is still a little perplexed at the whole idea.

November, really?

2008-11-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, I can accept the fact that the year will be over in about two months. But with temperatures reaching up to 75 degrees today it is hard to feel like it is actually November 2nd. The trees are beautiful here in Missouri as they change into their fall colors and apparently I put away the short sleeves and sandals a little prematurely.

We saw Grandma and Grandpa Shaw off at the airport this afternoon. We had a great time with them and toured a couple cider mills that are not too far away. Unfortunately neither one of the mills gave a presentation of how the cider is actually made so I was a little disappointed.

Halloween

2008-11-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

I can't say that I enjoy Halloween a lot. I definitely avoid the spooky, scary side of it as much as possible. I have noticed some houses in the neighborhood go all out and there yards are filled with as much as they can fit in every square inch. There is a house not too far down the road that has a lot skulls and dummies hanging from the trees. Definitely a morbid sense of humor and I say to each his own.

I enjoy watching my girls in their costumes and there wide-eyed discovery that yes, strangers really do put candy in my bag if I ring their doorbell. Last night, Anna was the experienced one as she raced ahead. We had a hard time reigning her in and had to ask her many times to just wait for Megan before she rang the doorbell. Both of the girls were on there best behavior for the most part and said thank you to almost everyone. Gordon and I walked with the girls and we all stayed out about 45 minutes. The weather was perfect and no jackets were needed here in Missouri. Megan was pretty funny to watch. As soon as she was finished at one door and before it was even closed she would yell out "Let's go to the next one!". The stars were out in the sky and every time she looked up she would sing out the song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". She was the most excited when someone gave her a sucker and she was sure to let me know about it.

Here are the girls in their costumes. Anna was a bunny and Megan really liked being a flower. The costumes were really easy to put together with stuff we had on hand with a few things we bought at the craft store. Grandma Shaw helped sew a fleece tummy on Anna's pink top and pants. Martha Stewart helped out with Megan's flower collar. Felt squares cut into petal shapes, backed with craft-fuse and glued into bias tape to tie around her neck. I used RIT dye to change the color of her white shirt to 'Sunshine Yellow'. Anna has already told me she wants to be a banana for Halloween next year so I better get started on that one because I have no ideas!

How can it be?

2008-10-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

My Anna turned five years old today. How can it be? Five years has gone by way too fast but fun nonetheless. We have made it this far with only one broken arm and one tooth knocked out after a short dancing career. We love our Anna. She has always been so compassionate and is always ready with a hug when I am having a bad day.

Anna wanted a princess castle cake and she was very specific about the design details. (Future architect?) Purple icing with pink windows of course! I did my best and must say it passed her inspection. Definitely the best princess castle cake I have ever made. Okay, okay, the only princess castle cake I have ever made. Happy Birthday my sweet Anna!

(A couple people asked how I made the cake. I used a 9x13 pan for the bottom and then a circle pan for the top layer with a cupcake on the very top. The sugar ice cream cones are easy to find at the grocery store and then I used wooden skewer through the tops to hold the cake together. I microwaved Starburst candy for 11 seconds so I could flatten them easily and cut them into pennant shapes or used a small heart cookie cutter for shape. Not hard to make at all.)

Mommy's Time-Out

2008-10-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went to Omaha with three friends to a Time-Out for Women. For those of you who aren't familiar with Time-out for Women, it is a two day event with several speakers and music. Topics range from relationships with your spouse to your own relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I learned some new things but also remembered a few things I had forgotten. Nothing wrong with a refresher course once and awhile, especially while my children are absent so I can concentrate! Thanks to my loving husband I enjoyed myself thoroughly without my children there. Gordon stayed home with the girls and I missed them all by the time I returned late in the evening on Saturday.

Anja, Mandy, Carrie, and I had a great girls' out weekend. I highly recommend the hotel we stayed at in Omaha. The Magnolia Hotel is an older building renovated into a hotel. The rooms were right out of a travel magazine with blues and chocolate brown, very modern and I never saw one child the whole time! After we returned Friday night from Time-Out they had milk and cookies in the lobby. We lounged next to the fireplace and could of fallen asleep there but the hotel didn't offer any kind of shuttle service to our room. We made it back to our room to enjoy the chocolate stash we had all brought to share. There was definitely no shortage of chocolate but after the milk and cookies downstairs, we only made a small dent in our pile of chocolate. We had a great time laughing and just enjoyed each other's company. So nice to enjoy adult conversation without a little one demanding something at the same time. Good times!

One of the speakers on Saturday was Elie Gourgouris. I think he had a Ph.D in family relations or something like that. Anyway, he talked about the language of love. Everyone has a love language or how they like love expressed the best. He explained them as being in the form of:
~gifts
~words of encouragement or appreciation
~physical touch
~quality time
~or acts of service
Especially in a marriage, one person may prefer one over the other. He first asked, "What is your love language?" and then he asked, "What about those you love?" I thought these were great questions that I am still finding the answer to. Good questions to ask about any relationship in our lives, no?

F.H.E.

2008-10-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

The other night for Family Home Evening we made a special treat with apples. It could have turned out a little better but with a few changes they would be great. The girls had a great time dipping them none the less.

You will need a melon baller/scooper, apples, caramel wrap, toothpicks, and wax paper. Use the melon baller to scoop out bite-size balls of apple. Then stick a toothpick into each apple ball. We melted caramel squares and dipped the apples into the caramel but the caramel would not stick to the wet side of the apple. I think the caramel wrap that you can buy already flat would be better to wrap around each piece. I have seen them in the produce section of our grocery store. Just follow the directions on the package but you will need to cut the big piece into smaller pieces for each ball of apple. Have fun!

What would you do with an extra $100?

2008-10-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Melissa and I am addicted to fabric.
Okay not really so much addicted, but I if I had an extra $100 for just myself, I would probably buy fabric. I know many of us don't know what having an extra $100 is like, including myself, but what would you do with it? Don't think about your unpaid bills or the clothes your child is outgrowing. Think about what you would buy just for yourself.

My husband and I were out enjoying a dinner alone the other night thanks to my mom and dad visiting. Gordon mentioned how a co-worker had some money problems due to his wife's fancy taste in purses. I couldn't really relate to a collection of expensive purses or shoes but then we talked about what we would buy a lot of if we had the money to do so. I was really surprised by my husband's answer but good to know none the less. He doesn't like to shop at all so when he said he would buy really good shoes, I was shocked!

Some of you may even share my love for fabric. There are some really neat, unique fabrics out there that I can't find at my local fabric store. Amy Butler and Michael Miller are just a few of my favorites. So until my boat comes in I will just take my coupon for 40% off up the street to Jo-Ann's.

At the beginning

2008-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

At the beginning, a very good place to start.

I have enjoyed reading the blogs of so many friends and family so it was only a matter of time before I would join them. I have even read blogs of total strangers offering helpful tidbits. It is a great way to share the things that I love and enjoy. Don't expect any a-ha moments or profound inspiration, not on purpose anyway. I am not out to change the world. I don't know quite what to expect yet from this new adventure but I hope you enjoy the this and that of my life and that of my family's.

This past weekend, I witnessed another beginning. My baby brother, Josh, was married and sealed to Jessica in Nauvoo. I am not a great photographer but here is a picture of them. The pretty little girls in green our mine. Congratulations Josh and Jessica. We love you. What a great beginning.