Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Back to Vigilante-ism


What I mean is, back to being more vigilant about Jared's diabetes! I took him for one of his regular check-ups today, and his A1C, which is a measure of his diabetes control over the last 2-3 months, was not good. The last A1C he had was at 7.5 three months ago. 7.5% is a good number. Today's was 8.6%, which is NOT good. He went up a whole percentage point!! I was, quite frankly, shocked by this. I knew it would go up A LITTLE, but a whole percentage point?!

Another shocker....we found out that a boy in Jared's class was diagnosed with diabetes just before Christmas. On one hand, Jared feels sad for him, because he definitely wouldn't wish it on anyone. On the other hand, Jared feels happy to have someone else around who will understand exactly what life with Type 1 diabetes is like. So he has strict instructions from his doctor, who also happens to be the doctor for the boy in Jared's class: BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL. And two, NO EATING ANYTHING WITHOUT INSULIN.....OR ELSE. :)

Doc told Jared that he'll leave it for him to figure out what the "or else" will be. When Jared laughed at this, he said to me, "He looks scared, doesn't he?!" We all laughed over that. We LOVE Jared's doctor...he is AWESOME.


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

It's the Annual Under-the-Tree Slumber Party!

Every December 23rd (or as the kids say, "the night before the night before Christmas!") the kids sleep under the tree. This came about when they were littler (ever since Jacob was about 4) and Nicole and Jake wanted to sleep under the tree on Christmas Eve. We told them that they can't sleep under the tree on Christmas Eve, or else Santa can't come! So we decided on sleeping under the tree on the 23rd. We've done it ever since; it's one of our lasting traditions. I think this is one that will get handed down to the next generation.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Neighbor Gifts


I finally came up with something for the neighbors! I visited the craft store today, and found all the Christmas stuff 50% off. I bought these glass balls, confetti, and gold ribbon. The whole thing cost me only $16 to do 24 gifts. Worked out pretty well....hope they all like it!

Friday, December 19, 2008

It's the week before Christmas

And here at Our House,
Walking pneumonia's been spreading. (Hopefully, it killed the mouse!)
I've been wearing jammies and staying in bed,
While coughing and swallowing lots of lots of meds.
We have hung the stockings by the chimney with care,
In hopes that by Christmas, we'll all be well.
But no baking has been done!
No cooking of any kind! And as Christmas draws near,
I am falling behind!
As I contemplated the question,
"What can we do for our neighbors and friends?"
An idea came to me so I grabbed paper and pen.
As I wrote, I remembered quite well
That Christmas isn't about the treats, the wrappings,
Or the stuff the stores sell.
Christmas is about love, our Savior's to be exact,
And if we want to show him ours, we just need to act.
So this story comes to you full of love, joy, and more
And the message it brings is one we adore.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Time for the cards

Okay, I admit it. I'm a procrastinator (about some things). I've had these cards for about 10 days, and I've finally decided that now (10 days til Christmas!) would be a good time to get these things done and out of my hair. *If you haven't tried ordering photo cards from Costco, I highly recommend it! This is the 2nd year I've done it. They turn out awesome, and you can't beat the price!*

Friday, December 12, 2008

Watch out!

Last night's full moon was fully circled by a halo! It looked so neat we took a picture...we just couldn't get the whole halo in the frame. Watch out, because this means a storm a coming. We are forecast for a biggie tomorrow! (Now go to the right of the page and play "White Christmas!)

Sunday, December 7, 2008

A House fit for Santa!


The kids worked together and made this cute gingerbread house. I think it turned out awesome!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Christmas is such fun for little girls!


This table in our living room has 3 different little nativity scenes set up on it...but they don't stay set up for long! I told Libby she could play with them as long as she's careful and she puts them back when she's done. Today she has chosen one of the nutcrackers to be the king of the smaller nativity scene people.

On a side note, today she is asserting to everyone that she wants to be called "Elisabeth Rose," which IS her real name. It just surprised me because since she could talk she has asserted that her name is "LIBBY!" if anyone tried to call her Elisabeth. So this is an interesting little about face. I wonder how long it will last? :)

Nutcrackers






We have been collecting nutcrackers since our first Christmas together. We're up to 28 now! Here are some pictures of them, with some of my personal favorites. The puppeteer was painted for us by Jeff's mom. She painted the birdhouse maker for us too (top picture, 4 over from the right) and they are both more special since we no longer have her here with us. The magician I found on ebay a couple of years ago and thought it was unique. The Scottsman with bagpipes holds significance to me because my Grandpa who passed away a few years ago loved bagpipes, and bagpipes were played at his graveside service. This nutcracker reminds me of him.


SENIOR PROJECT


Nicole has been working hard on her Senior project--which involves researching a career path. She has researched Elementary Education, and has even been doing an internship at a nearby elementary school. Today and tomorrow she is presenting her project to other students, and then to a panel of parent judges. I get to be a judge, but I will not get to judge Nicole's. ;)

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

All systems are go


Now she thinks she needs a new dress! :)

Nicole's date got her good. (Well, he tried). He gave her this gift bag with 3 ornaments inside. I was expecting there to be a Y in one, E in one, and S in the last. Well...one had nothing, one said "Look" and the third said "In the bottom." Hidden in the bottom of the bag under red tissue paper was the "yes." The only catch was, that Nicole found the yes in the bag BEFORE she smashed the ornaments. She only smashed them because she was curious about what was inside. :) Smarty pants!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving and the Best Lemon Pie EVER!

This is Angel Lemon Pie. I found the recipe this week on kutv.com. Lemon meringue is one of my favorite pies, so I was intrigued by this recipe, which has the meringue for the crust. I made this pie yesterday, along with the traditional pumpkin. It was pretty easy to make, and turned out absolutely, positively, DELICIOUS! This is now my favorite lemon pie. I like it more than traditional Lemon Meringue. *One note: the filling calls for grated lemon peel, but I didn't have any lemons laying around, so I substituted 1/2 t. of lemon extract for the lemon peel. I wouldn't make it any other way! This pie is very light, refreshingly lemon, and melts in your mouth! YUM!

Angel Lemon Pie

Crust:
4 egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 c. sugar

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar, and beat until stiff. Gradually add sugar, and beat until stiff and shiny. Put into a greased 9-in. pie pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the oven up to 300 degrees and bake for 40 minutes more. Cool.

Filling:
4 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. lemon juice and grated lemon peel (I used all 3 T. of juice, and added 1/2 t. extract)
1-2 T. water
1 c. whipping cream

Beat yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Add lemon juice, grated peel (Or extract) and water. Cook over a double boiler until thick, stirring constantly. (This step doesn't take long, and I cooked it until it was the constistency of yogurt). Chill.

Whip the cream. (I added 2 T. sugar, and 1/2 t. of vanilla even though the recipe didn't call for it). Spread 1/2 of whipped cream over cooled crust, then spread the lemon custard over that. Add the rest of the whipped cream on top. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Here's to a SMASHING good time!


Nicole decided to ask someone to the girl's choice Christmas Dance this year! Way to go, Nicole! She put together this cute gift bag, filled with red and gold glass ornaments. Each of the ornaments is filled with confetti and one letter of Nicole's name. The letter tied on top says, "I think it would be SMASHING if we went to the Christmas Dance."

When she gets her answer, I'll take a picture and post it. Hopefully, it'll be "yes!"

Sunday, November 23, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMELIA!




Our little princess turned 7 today! It's so hard to believe she's growing up so fast. Here are some pictures of her with the gifts she opened this morning. Her Sleeping Beauty video game, new shoes, and a cute shirt that describes her perfectly! We love you, Mia!!

Nicole's Little Obsession



Nicole and her friends got together and made special shirts to wear to the new movie, "Twilight." Nicole's read all the books; some of them SEVERAL times!

UTAH 48--BYU 24


UTAH GOES UP 12-0
LOOK OUT, BCS! :)

Saturday, November 22, 2008

THE (OTHER) BIG ONE


Nicole is going to miss the game (GASP!! Didn't we raise her better than that??) to go with her friends to see Twilight. Later, I will post a picture of her in the shirt she made specially for this big event.

THE BIG ONE



TODAY IS THE DAY.
I don't think I need to say another word.
:)


Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Root Canal....done!

Okay, my first root canal is over and done with, and it really wasn't that bad. The hardest part was keeping my mouth open for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, with a rubber dam hanging out of it. Otherwise, it was a pain-free peice of cake. I'm still pretty darn numb, and it's just now starting to wear off. Hopefully the root canal will settle right in and I won't have much residual pain....we'll see!


Monday, November 17, 2008

Creamy Tortellini Soup--for the slow cooker


I am a subscriber to Better Homes and Gardens magazine, which I LOVE. I got this recipe from their website, and made it for tonight's dinner. It was easy and really delicious! I like to cook something meatless a few times a week, and this fits that criteria as well. I thought I might need a few more servings than the recipe specifies (we are a family of 8, after all) so I upped some of the ingredients.

1 1.8 oz envelope white sauce mix (I used 2 envelopes of Alfredo sauce mix because I couldn't find plain white sauce mix)
4 c. water
1 14-oz. can vegetable broth (I used 2)
1 1/2 c. slice fresh mushrooms (I had a 7 oz. can, so I used those)
1/2 c. chopped onion (I used 1/4 c. dry minced)
3 cloves garlic (I used somewhere between 1/2 to 1 t. of granulated garlic)
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. oregano
1/8 t. cayenne (I don't like this, so I used 1/2 t. black pepper)
1 7-8 oz. package of dried cheese tortellini (I used about 12 oz. of tricolor cheese tortellini)
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
6 c. fresh baby spinach leaves, or torn spinach (I used some frozen, and less than the recipe cuz I'm about the only one who like it! Ditto on the mushrooms above)
Finely shredded parmesan cheese

Place dry sauce mix in 4 qt. slow cooker. Gradually add the water and whisk until smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high 3 hours. Stir in dried tortellini. Cover and cook on low for one hour, or high for 45 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and spinach. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and parmesan cheese. 4 servings (per original recipe). I got enough for 8, with 2 servings left over for tomorrow's lunch. I also made some french bread and we ate it with the soup.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Husband Tag

This is the Husband Tag. I tag whoever wants to brag up their DH.

1. Where did we meet? In Sociology
2. How long did we date before we got married? We dated 6 weeks, got engaged, then we were engaged for 6 months.
3. How long have we been married? 20 years
4. What's my favorite feature of his? I love when he's freshly shaved!
5. What's my favorite quality of his? I can trust him; his integrity.
6. Does he have a nickname for me? honey bunches
7. What's his favorite color? That would have to be red
8. What's his favorite food? He's a steak and potatoes man.
9. When and where was our first kiss? On my front porch, I think on our 2nd or 3rd date.
10. What is his favorite sport? Definitely, no question, football! Unless you consider hunting a sport. In that case, it might be a tie.
11. What is our favorite thing to do as a couple? Hmmm....how about home remodeling?
12. Do we have children? Well, the blog title tells you we have 6!
13. His hidden talent? He CAN sing, even though he says he can't. He just can't read music.
14. How old is he? 42
15. Who said, "I love you" first? I waited for him to say it first. :)
16. His favorite music? he probably likes country best.
17. What do you admire most about him? That he can do anything that he sets his mind to doing! He doesn't get overwhelmed looking at a task like I do.

Oh, my aching tooth!


That should answer any questions about the status of my tooth. It hurts! STILL! But I am managing to stay sane. Somehow.

I do have to go to a specialist for a root canal. Next Tuesday. The 18th. Not soon enough, but what do you do?

Meanwhile, I'm alternating a few Advils with extra strength Tylenol every 3 hours. Still, it gets a little hairy. When it flares up, it's more like a whole-left-side-of-my-face-and-neck ache. Yeah, my dentist offered Lortab, but I can't take that stuff. And I'm allergic to codeine. Besides, I can't afford to be loopy with 6 little people running around. Who knows what they'd get away with? ;)


80's Redux

This is Nicole before a stomp at school...the new thing in stomps is to look at crazy as possible. Those bright, shining pink things are mine, and NO, I do not wear them anymore! I actually forgot I had them until Nicole went rummaging through my drawers and found them.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I have a TOOTHACHE!


OUCH!!
I have to go to the dentist in a few hours. Even though I used to be a dental assistant, it's still not my favorite thing being on the other end of that vacuum! :)

However: 2 Advil, together with 1 Tylenol PM didn't do the trick last night, so I will "gut it up" as my hubby would say, and go see what's going on with my tooth. It's a tooth that had a large filling put in about a year ago, so if it needs a root canal, it'll be my first root canal ever. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

What every wife of a hunter needs (?)

I'm in the market for a new crock pot....and I found this interesting specimen at walmart.com. This is called the Eastman Outdoors Wildgame Slow Cooker. It's a whopping 7 quarts in size, and come with special seasonings meant just for wild game. Just what I need for cooking that deer meat in, eh?! I think Jeff would be surprised if I actually bought it, but I think I'll stick with a smaller stainless version.

Update: I emailed the link for this slow cooker to Jeff, and he answered back that anything with camo has to be better than a $5 rebate! That's how much he loves his huntin' stuff.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Newly Sealed Cracks:1 Rain: 0


After all the work Jeff did on Saturday patching cracks in our driveway, SUCCESS! It rained Sunday night and most of yesterday, and there was NO LEAKING into our storage room under the garage! YESSS!

That means, after Jeff patches the cracks around the stairs in the garage, we can park in there again EVEN IF IT SNOWS, and there won't be any leaking into the storage room. I am so happy about this thought I can't even tell you. :) Cleaning snow off a suburban is definitely NOT one of my favorite things to do.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Step on a crack, break your mother's back!

It wouldn't be too hard to do on our driveway! :) I posted a few weeks ago about one of our new projects being the repairing of cracks in our driveway. Jeff's been working hard on it! First, he has to take a concrete saw and cut the cracks--widen them and clean them up. Then he painted a primer inside the cracks that will make new cement (called "patchcrete") bond to the old cement. Next a "rope" made of foam goes down in the bottom of the cracks. Then they get filled with the patchcrete. Once the patchcrete is hard enough to cut, you actually re-cut the cracks, only now they are nice and clean cuts. This allows for expansion and contraction of the cement along these new cuts, and will keep the driveway from getting new cracks. After re-cutting the patchcrete, these new cuts are filled with a self-leveling polyurethane-type of filler that seals the crack but moves with the cement as it expands and contracts with the changing seasons.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Thursday, November 6, 2008

THIS IS IT!



Only the BIGGEST game in the season so far (BYU-UTAH will always be THE biggest game in any season around here!) :

TCU VS. UTAH
Tonight! 6:00pm