Free Zoo Day!

The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake has free zoo days during the winter. This past week we went and they had some things for homeschoolers. All though we didn't find them until we were leaving the zoo. They had fun scavenger hunts for the kids. I picked up some and we will just do it next time. We got to the zoo just as it was opening, and it was cold. It was nice because there were not a lot of people there yet, when we left at noon, it was packed!

We have just started our new science book. We are studing Zoology, what a great way to start off the new book. We had the kids draw what animals they liked and they had a great time.

Ellyn was drawing a monkey.


Andy (wearing dad's plaid jacket) drawing a rino.

My favorite part of the zoo is the big cats. I want one.

They had set up at the homeschool table all kind of things for the kids to look at and feel. Ellyn is feeling some kind of animal fur, I don't remember what it was, I just remember that it was soft.

Mom, Ellyn and Andy having fun together!

Something to think about

I have been reading a great book "Trusting God, Even when life hurts" by Jerry Bridges. It has been a life changing book. When I am done I will share more. But, I wanted to share what I read today it made me think...

Chapter 11 "Trusting God for Who You Are"

"The fact that God ordained our days for us should also give meaning to every day, not just the special or exciting days of our lives. Every day is important for us because it is a day ordained by God. If we are bored with life there is something wrong with our concept of God and His involvement in our daily lives. Even the most dull and tedious days of our lives are ordained by God and ought to be used by us to glorify Him."

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."

New reading

Here is a new blog (new to me anyway) to read. This is Steve's cousin Greg and his blog. I enjoy it, hope you do also.

A Pact With Chaos

Pictureka!

We have a new favorite game. Pictureka! It is fun for the whole family. We got it for Christmas and love it. The kids even get into it. It is kind of a take on the Where is Waldo? Where you have a card with something on it and you have to find it, or 6 of them before the time runs out.

Saturday Grace

Here we are, another Saturday Grace. We received our food from the Utah Food Bank on Thursday and got three pallets of food. We are so thankful to be able to get food from them. We are hoping to be able to get more food, more often. I am so thankful for the men who went to get the food and unload it. These are just some of the great hands and feet of Jesus who are part of this ministry.

Justin Jeffs, GT Rasband, and Pastor Ben Cline

Andy- Grill Master

Andy has learned how to cook on the grill now. He does a great job.

Why is it that all boys love fire?

I was going to finish the post here, but I just can't. I have to tell the "grill story." It all began three years ago, Christmas to be exact. We received this very nice grill (some assembly required.) And there it sat, our very nice grill in the box, for three years. That is three years and three houses. Yes, we move the grill and it still stayed in the box. I wanted a grill, not in the box, a grill that I could grill. But, no, I had a grill in a box. Now I was telling my friend Ashley about this and she had a good laugh. We just both didn't understand why the grill wasn't set up. Well, she had this great idea, that we could put it together. She had some great steaks that she would bring over, the girls would set up the grill and the boys could then cook the meat. Finally I would have my grill, not in the box. So, we are all set for the Elder family to come over, we thought they would be over earlier and then I got a call they would be over later. So, Steve says to me "Why don't we set up the grill?" I don't remember if I responded to that or if I was just too in shock. But we got it set up. And guess how long it took? Maybe 15 minutes. I will never understand men. It was so simple. But he told me the more I nagged, the less he wanted to do it. I don't think I learned my lesson. I still nag, but I think I am over my bitterness about my grill in the box.

Ellyn the photographer

This is what happens when our five year old takes over the camera:

self portrait:


ellyn's art:


andy playing a video game on the wii, that you can't see:

We may have another photographer in the family, she might just give michelle some competition .

From my love

Steve knows me so well.

He knows just what to get me for Valentines day.

I am a simple girl, don't need much to keep me happy.

Flowers + Sleeping in + Breakfast in bed = Happy wife!!


18 long stem roses

Heart shaped french toast (made with raisin bread yum-o)

Valentine Cookies

Grandma, (steve's mom) invited the grandkids over to bake Valentine Cookies! I think Grandma was more excited and had more fun than the kids. After the baking, decorating and snacking on toppings was over, we went and delivered them to Aunt Michelle (steve's sister) at work. She was very surprised. And I wonder if any of the cookies made them home to her husband.


Grandma was a little excited!


Steph and Jocelyn

Andy, Ellyn, Grandma and Jocelyn

Even Uncle Josh got into making cookies.

Grandma had lip cookie cutters.


Ellyn was very proud of her cookie.

Jocelyn would like the icing off her fingers and then continue to work on the cookies.

Andy with his finished cookie.

Andy (now sad face) with his finish cookie after grandma bumped into him and it fell on the floor.

It was hard to keep from snacking on the toppings.


As fun as baking and frosting the cookies are, eating them is the best.

Steph, Jocelyn, Joy, Ellyn and Andy eating cookies.

Don't they look good?

The kids with Aunt Michelle at her work. She was very surprised.

Now I know...

Croup is a common respiratory problem in young children. It tends to occur in the fall and winter. Its main symptom is a harsh, barking cough. Croup causes swelling and narrowing in the voice box, windpipe, and breathing tubes that lead to the lungs. This can make it hard for your child to breathe.

Symptoms of croup are caused by narrowed airways. They include a barking cough; a raspy, hoarse voice; and a harsh, crowing noise when breathing in. The cough is very distinctive, so you'll know it when you hear it. It is often compared to the sound of a barking seal. Sometimes children breathe fast and need to sit up to breathe better.

Symptoms of croup often improve during the day and get worse at night. Sometimes children have croup attacks that wake them up in the middle of the night for a couple of nights in a row, but the illness usually improves gradually in 2 to 5 days. by webmd.com

We went to see the doctor today and guess what Ellyn has? She has croup. Neither of our kids have had it, so I didn't really know what it was, how it was treated or how long it lasts. But thanks to webmd.com I now know, and so do you. You may have just learned something today.

Shopping List

Advil
Tylenol
cough medicine
Gatorade
jello
Popsicles
Vick's Vapor Rub

Can you guess what we have been up to over the weekend? It first started with Andy, he had a cough, then I got it, then Ellyn. I thought that was the end, but it was only the beginning. Ellyn ended up getting a fever, on Saturday it got up to 101.8! She looked so sad, just resting on our bed watching SpongeBob. Then on Sunday I got it (thanks Ell for sharing.) We missed church on Sunday and just crashed all day. Sunday night Ellyn was up almost every hour on the hour. I am hoping for a better night tonight.

LaShon and Treysen

LaShon has updated Ralph's blog. Check it out and look for the cute pictures of Treysen on the slide show.

Fudgy Make Your Belly Pudgy Brownies

Oh my did I make some yummy brownies. Just take a look at the ingredients

Cake layer:
2 sticks butter
1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Second layer:
1 1/4 cups Skippy Chunky Peanut Butter

Third Layer (The genius frosting):
1 stick butter
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/3 cup whole milk
8 large marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 16 oz. box powdered sugar, sifted

Fourth Layer:
Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Sauce, heated
Chopped toasted almonds

Click here to print this amazing recipe

I work at Weight Watchers and try to watch what I eat. Not too much sugar, not too many Cokes, more fruit, well you know the drill. But let me tell you that all goes out the window with this recipe. I don't normal eat a lot of sweets, but to make my life easier, I left a fork in the Brownie pan. You know, for easier access. For those of you that might know Weight Watcher and their plans I went online and put this in and found out how many points one brownie is. Like to know? Most people when they are trying to lose weight eat about 22-27 points per day. One Fudgy Make Your Belly Pudgy Brownie is 13 points. That could be half your days worth of points. But it is so worth it.

Get out!

I have been reading a new book. "If Mama goes south, we are all going with her!" It is about the importance of taking care of yourself. It has been pretty good. The author breaks the book into tree parts, The Spirit, The Body and The Soul. She talks about how we "go south" when we don't take care of all of us. I have seen that happen in my own life, where I start to suffer then the whole family suffers. Two big things that I have gotten out of her book is about exercising and the need for fresh air and sunlight. I do enjoy exercising, but I can find every excuse in the book not too, and well she put things a little different. We normally think of needing to exercise to lose weight, where that is one good reason she said that we should look at it as needing to exercise to be healthy. Now, I am sure I have heard that said a million times, but sometimes it just hits you at the right time in your life. And I am hoping this is that right time. I feel better when i work out, I sleep better, I have more energy, the list goes on. So why wouldn't I? Well talk to me in two weeks when my motivation has worn off and my excuse list is super long. The other thing is the need to be outside. Now winter in Utah can be a little hard to get out. If we don't have the snow storms that make it hard to walk around the block it is freezing cold or an inversion day. On the bad air days you can be outside, but see no sun. Well, we have decided to get out of the house. Even if it is just 15 minutes a day. And it has been great. On Monday Ellyn wanted to go for a walk around our block. So we did, twice. On Tuesday I took the kids sledding. We were out for about an hour that day. I can see that we all feel better when we just Get Out.
Ellyn ready to go on her new scooter she got for Christmas.

Andy likes to try to do tricks on his scooter. In the summer we go to the skate park and he is getting pretty good.


You can't really ride a scooter in the snow.