FHE and the WWF

On Monday morning...usually after The Darlings have boarded the bus....

I begin planning our FHE (Family Home Evening), I have dreams of The Darlings singing

"This Is The Night We've Waited For..."

(does anyone remember that Primary song????)

I imagine how they will bounce into the house after a long day at school and ask...

"what time is FHE....we don't want to be late!"

I then think...."tonight will be the night that we will discuss gospel principles...and The Darlings will ask deep and meaningful questions to which The Farmer will provide the answers."

And then I feel fulfilled that we are doing what we have been asked to do.

Yesterday, I planned the perfect lesson....Lehi's Dream....and I even had

the visual aids laminated....and colored.....after all, The Darling deserve that, right???

A fire was roaring the the fireplace...

The treat was prepared...chocolate pudding with real whipped cream....

The Farmer called The Darling to the Family room...where we gathered to sing....

"Scatter Sunshine" the song Grandpa Charles had asked to memorize this year as a family. We thought it would be fun to call Grandpa and Grandma so that they could hear how well we could sing the song.....it was all going so well.....

until......

The Boy said..."how long is going to take??"

PreShie said....."can I have my pudding now???"

and

Rooster just started giggling.

And so I gave the evil eye to all of them, after all we were on the phone with the Grandparents...

and we needed to show them how awesome our FHE's are.

Then we began to sing.....

The Boy thought that opera style would be the best,

PreShie started laughing at him, and The Rooster just sang as loud as he could....and not on tune at all. By this time The Farmer is questioning the whole FHE event and suggests that we pray and end it all. But I said "NO! We are going to have FHE and we are going to ENJOY IT!"

How the next events broke out....is completely a blur....

The Boy stood on the hearth of the fireplace and took the Karate Kid stance...do you remember what it looked like....like a crane preparing to fly.....

so that meant that WWF was about to being.....and did it ever.

The Boy dug deep and found some of his old Tae Kwon Do moves....PreShie screamed, and slid across the wood floors, and The Rooster was jumping from couch to couch, laughing.

All the while....I sat at the piano playing

"Scatter Sunshine"

The Farmer just sat...with his hands over his face...shaking his head....

It was a pretty impressive FHE.

We are seriously considering taking it on the road.....

The FHE WWF Tour.

And so after a group hug....we prayed....and again I could hear the song....

This is the night we've waited for...

Always a treat we have in store...

We love each other more and more, With every family night!

Stories and games for everyone...

Learning the gospel can be fun...

Father and Mother, daughter, son...

Together on Family Night!!

And a great side note.....

the lesson is already prepared for next week!.....Lehi's Dream!

She Said I Would Miss Them....

When The Darlings were little, they were a bit of a handful.

Some of you who may be reading this.....who may be close to me...may consider this an understatement. Those Darlings came with an extreem amount of energy, and

some great creativity to go along with the energy(the got it from The Farmer). There were not too many

dull moments in our lives when they were small. Actually there aren't too many dull moments in our lives right now either....

Anyway.....so on one of those extra active days, I called Grandma Vicki, (who raised

7 active kids), and found myself feeling like The Darlings toddler-hood may never end...and I felt a bit overwhelmed...and this is what Grandma Vicki...in all of her wisdom said....

"You are going to miss those babies one day. You are going to miss your children...as babies and toddlers." And at that moment it didn't seem possible...

but,

I do miss my babies!

I can't even say it outloud....because I go into the "Ugly Cry!"

A few weeks ago we had the Young Women Evening of Excellence. Each of the parents were asked to share something about their daughters that they loved. One of our cousins stood and said that she often finds herself staring at her teenage daughter. When the daughter asked her why she starred, she said "I am trying to memorize you as you are today. I don't want to forget how your hair falls over your shoulders, I don't want to forget your smile...as you are right now. I am trying to burn this moment...right now in my memory."

That is how I feel! I want to memorize everything about The Darlings as they are now.... but I really miss my babies too! Thank goodness for photographs that capture moments and that captures them.

Last night The Farmer and I were discussing the events of the day. And then he said, "The Boy is going to the Jr. Prom this year.....I have a son that is a Junior, how did that happen?" We have some very special moments ahead of us in the next couple of years with The Boy...the one that we prayed so hard for.....he is preparing for some big events. Are we ready for those events...

NO!

But I guess we don't really have a choice. The Darlings came fast.....and now they are growing too fast. So everyday I pray that who they are now will be burned into my memory and that I won't forget. That I will remember everything about them. Not only do I love them as their Mother....I love the people that they are. They are so much fun and such a joy to me.


To My Darlings....

Please don't leave so fast....take your time. Don't rush, there is no hurry. And when you decide that it is time to go....don't go too far. And...ALWAYS....come home.

"For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him."

1 Samuel 1:27

Popcorn + Sunday = Tradition

If you were to ask The Darlings what Sunday evenings at Grandma C.'s is all about,

they would say

POPCORN!!

It is a tradation that has been going on for years. Every Sunday evening The Farmer's family

gathers for bowl of Grandma C.'s special popcorn. Some really lover her "special" recipe,

and others like it plain. Popcorn is enjoyed while great conversation is

had by the adults, and while the children are playing games or watching a movie in the next

room. It all sounds very civil doesn't it???

The kids have been known to get a little loud at times....

but what do you expect when 17-20....very active....

children are together??

Back to the adults.....we have certainly addressed all of the world's problems at one time or another, while eating a bowl of popcorn...and it is very possible

that we have solved a few too.

The Darlings begin Sunday morning with the same question each week.....

"Are we going to Grandma C.'s today???"

to which I answer...."Don't we always???"

but they still ask.

And, I love it that they ask!

And...I love it that she provides a place and time for us to gather as a family, to connect,

and to talk....

all over a bowl of ....POPCORN.


We have tried every popcorn popper known to man,

we actually own all of these poppers....currently.

I know....it is a little overboard....

but....it is serious business around here.

Here is my take on each.....

*Air popper - not a fan....too dry....but more healthy for you

*Whirley Pan - love it! it doesn't make enough to feed a crowd...makes awesome kettlecorn!

*Theater Popper - love it! It is a mess to clean...takes special oil....but it is yummy!

*Microwave Popcorn - great if you need something quick....great for the kids!

*Cuisinart Popper - love it! it is dang cute! it uses too much oil and mine broke pretty fast.

It is kind of difficult to clean too.

I thought for as much as I paid for it...it would become a family heirloom....Nooooo!

I do love everything else about it though...I cut way back on the oil that it suggests.

and it still makes great popcorn.


*Stir Crazy Popper - like it! easy to clean, uses less oil, makes a ton of popcorn

at one time. I recently purchased this, and so far so good....it is

holding up well.

The Farmer's only request on Sunday....is that he arrive home, in the evening,

(he can't usually join us at Grandma's)

to the smell of popcorn in the house and a large bowl for him on the counter.

It makes him happy.

Grandma C.'s Famous Sunday Popcorn

popped popcorn in a large bowl

olive oil

butter, (the real thing)

Brewer's yeast (can be purchased at a health food store)

salt

*melt the butter with olive oil in equal parts

carefully stir into the prepared popcorn....season to taste with salt

and sprinkle with Brewer's Yeast

(she says it is full of B vitamins, so it is good for you)

A Proper Introduction

Please meet...

Incarnacion...."Carne" the Longhorn cow

and her dear companion...

Ignacio..."Nacho" the Longhorn bull


While on one of our many trips to Albuquerque....we found these darling Longhorns...

we talked about one day purchasing one....."just for fun"...

And one day it just happened...The Farmer said...."today is the day" and he

pulled off the highway toward the pasture where the Longhorns were so peacefully grazing.

We met the breeders, who actually have their first Longhorn ever....

buried in their front yard....with a really fancy headstone....

Really!

The breeders interviewed us....deemed us mentally sound and capable of owning one of their Longhorns...and the check was written.

A few weeks later they were delivered to a little farm in Deming where they were so lovingly cared for. The family that kept them gave them special vitamins to help their lovely

horns grow fast and long.

Because of "border issues" they are currently visiting Uncle Dave's ranch,

where, he reports...they are gowing fast and doing very well.

It will be fun to get them home......

hopefully that will be soon!

This has got to be the most hopeful time of the year....

the planning and preparing of the garden!

The seed catalogs have all arrived....

the pages are well worn....corners carefully folded down to mark the seeds that I NEED

this year. The compost and organic fertilizer has been applied to the soil and a few

items have been planted....peas and chard.

For me the mental preparation is the best!

Organizing the layout of the garden....how it will be different than last year...

what flowers to plant to add a little beauty to the vegetables,

It is alot of fun for me....

so today....will be dedicated to the garden....

Some Call Him......

Coach....

some call him....

Uncle....

some call him....

Friend.....

and now we call him....

Sunday brought change for our community.

"Those" Sunday's are always full of emotions....

suspense....excitment....sadness....appreciation....questions....

The best part for me was sitting in front of the new Bishop's twin daughters, as they found out

about the new assignment that their family would take on. They really did find out at

church! It was great! First they didn't say too much, then I could hear them talk about

all of the many things that their Dad would now be responsible for. It was very cute to listen to them work through the suprise they had just gotten.

Our out going Bishop shared his thoughts, through tears.....

but he smiled too;) He knows what is ahead for the new Bishop.

The new Bishop shared a very sweet moment with me, that involved The Rooster....
and his infectious smile....it touched my heart.

I think that kids "get it" more often than we give them credit.

We will always be indebted to the new Bishop for arriving at the accident scene, where

The Boy nearly lost his life.....and caring for him when we could not.

The Boy, was in shock, and wouldn't let anyone near him....but when the new Bishop arrived,

a man he has called Uncle all of his life.....The Boy let him help.

The new Bishop has been PreShie's basketball coach this year....

we have appreciated how he has coached....taught.....encouraged with great love.

He taught her what she was capable of.

He will be a blessing to our community family.

*Did I mention that he has the greatest wife ever!!? She too has been a very dear

friend for many yeart. Love her!

The Darlings each wrote a little note to the new Bishop....combined with a big chocolate chip cookie ......offering their love and support. It was the perfect Family Home Evening.

p.s. in case Grandpa Charles is reading this....we did sing Scatter Sunshine....

all 3 verses! We are getting to know it well!

*A very special thank you, to our out going Bishop for his years of service for

our community family. Thanks also, to his wonderful wife...who also served us all so well!

We (heart) you!

Love & Cupcakes

You can really feel the love around here!

We started the "heart attack" a couple of weeks ago, for FHE,

It is so fun to see what The Darlings see in each other, and depending upon the day

they have to dig deep to share a little love with each other. Sometimes it takes some

serious thought and a little time, to come up with the right compliment.

Here are a few highlights......

"The Boy jumps high"

"PreShie has nice hair"

"Rooster is funny"

"The Farmer is prayerful"

They are really fun to read, and I have caught each of The Darlings....

looking for their names on the pretty hearts.

I makes them feel good to see the fun things written by their family members.

They think it's not cool to "care".....

but they do.

The spirit of St. Valentines day has stuck our home!

We celebrated with cupcakes today....It was the best!!

How can you not love a cupcake????

A group of friends stopped by for a little cupcake decorating,

some laughs.... sugar overload....

and everyone went home with some yummy.....beautifully decorated

Valentine treats for their families

Oh....I do love Valentine's Day....

now....

on to the 50 sugar cookies that need to be decorated for school tomorrow....

Our Rooster Does Tricks!

Skateboarding has become the "rage" around here....

especially with the cousins. They eat...drink....and breathe it.

It's a little tough...in a farming community...to find a place to skateboard, there aren't that many

places to practice. Thank goodness for Aunt S. and her tennis court, and

a couple of newly constructed skateboarding parks close by.



3 of the cousins...ready to ride....

When you are a young skatboarding boy...sometimes you take a few falls...

sometimes you sweat alot and get pretty stinky....

sometimes you practice for hours, and hours and hours

just....

for a moment like this.....

Rooster...you do great tricks!!

*p.s. for those of you who have been terribly worried about the fate of Linda the chicken

and her biddies....they have produced eggs....

and they can stay a while longer! Horray!!

Not As Easy As You Would Think.....

PreShie is taking Home Ec. this year. She is learning so many great things and having a

fun time too. Her least favorite thing in Home Ec. is to clean up....what a suprise!

Lately they learned how to make tortillas....she has been offering to make

some for the family, and so this is how it went.....

Through the process I heard things like....

"this dough is sticky-er (is that a word??) than I remember"

"it is really hard to get them round"

"stop eating my tortillas"

"seriously....stop eating my tortillas!!!"

"I think I just burned my hand.."

"hey...these are pretty good"

"get away from my tortillas!"

"who is going to clean up this mess (that was me)"


So the cousins decided that they too wanted to try making their own

tortillas...they were ALL shapes and sizes....a little thicker than a tortilla would

normally be...had it been made by a seasoned tortilla maker...

But they were yummy!

It was a fun afternoon of tortilla making.

Oh,

The Boy made himself a tortilla shaped like a Texas Longhorn....

It really looked like one too!

The Roosters' Fried Egg Sandwich...

per his instructions.....

toast 2 slices of wheat bread

fry an egg....make sure it is all the way cooked

put mayo on the bread

cut slices of tomato (without cutting your finger...)

put the tomato on the bread

put the egg on top of the tomato

put some onion on top of the egg (YUK!!)

then some avocado

then some cooked bacon

then some ketsup and mustard

then some ham (YUM!)

then some lettuce.

THEN YOU EAT IT!

I think it all started when I was expecting The Rooster....I became very addicted to the Food Network. And the boy loves to cook. And he is pretty good at it too. He likes to make "special sauces" and all kinds of other things. The Farmer is known to ask The Rooster to whip him up a little something.....often. And The Rooster likes to do things for that Farmer.

He makes a killer....Fried Ramen Soup.....Oh, I think we will save that for another day.

Here's to Chef Rooster....that is one tasty sandwich!

A family tradation continued.....the pudding dishes.

When The Farmer was a little man.....his Mom would lovlingly make puddings and other sweets

(healthy ones) like Carob Pudding, and serve them in these little dishes. They are

just the perfect size! Not too big, not too little. A few years ago she was

getting rid of some things and asked if I would like the pudding dishes. Along with

the dishes came some fun stories and some sweet memories. We have loved

and used the dishes....mostly on Family Home Evening night.

There's nothing like a family tradation!

*the pudding is a cooked pudding made with Grandma Vicki's secret ingredient...

canned milk.....oh it is pretty yummy!

Dear Linda (the chicken)

My Dear Feathered Friend.....

Hey there! Remeber me....yes I am the one who visits you daily, checking to make sure

that your water is fresh, and that you have plenty of food. In fact it seems to me that I

am constantly purchasing food so that you would never go hungry. Oh, also it was me that

cleaned out your coop, with the help of The Rooster, because it would be just terrible for you

to nest in something less than perfect. It was also me that searched for a few green weeds

that I thought you might enjoy, since the winter months are long and cold....and without

greens. Oh yes...one more thing....it's about the compost bowl....the one that sits on my

counter, which I fill with vegetable scraps everyday. Did you know that no one in the house

is allowed to throw anything away that you could possibly eat??? Did you know that???

The Rooster carries the bowl out to you every morning and night, and you are always so

happy to see him arrive.

Now, this is all that I ask of you......Just one little thing.....

LAY SOME DARN EGGS WOULD YOU??????

You have work to do...so get to it!!! I am loosing my patience.....Seriously!

and Linda(the white chicken) You act like you are in charge in the coop, so you better do

whatever it takes to get the ladies laying.......it's time!!!

(You know....chicken soup is sounding pretty yummy this cold winter day...)

With Love.....

The Farmers' Wife

Oh PreShie!

PreShie is playing a little basketball this year.

She makes watching a girls basketball game alot of fun.

She often has a huge smile plastered across her face while she is running down the court.

She is soooo much taller than the other players, that getting rebound doesn't require much effort. I am not so sure that playing basketball was part of her life's plan....atleast the plan

she had for herself...But....it was part of the plan her Mother had for her,

and gladly she went along with it.

Now I hear her making plans for playing again "next year"

and it makes me very happy!

Cute, Cute girls!

They seem to have a pretty great time together,

on the court....and off.

Thanks to Uncle Russell for saving the day....

He has been a fantastic Coach!

GO LOBAS!!!!