Dinner, anyone?

I have very little kitchen access with the minimal remodeling, not to mention that if I don't prepare it the night before, we eat Mac 'n Cheese (not that the kids mind).

So, I've decided I need to get myself organized. Yup. I need to make a schedule for every aspect of my life in order to get through the day. Let me rephrase: productively get through the day, i.e. balanced meals, laundry where it needs to be (folded, put away), messes cleaned, grimy bathroom/kitchen taken care of.

This shouldn't be difficult, considering I've been making lists and planners my whole life but since having children, the lists become harder and harder to stick to. Like the grocery list: great idea and big help, but not when you leave it at home or even in the car!!

Answer? Chore Chart :)

One for everyone. I'll let you know how it works...

Eliza said Lily needs one. Okay, sweetie.

Summer Favorites

My summer favorites include anything cold, mostly ice cream with chocolate sauce, or root beer floats. Those are the kids' favorites. Lydia just likes anything sweet. I do enjoy a yummy snow cone, and I'd have to prefer raspberry or Tiger's Blood. :) Daryl says his favorite EAT is watermelon and Tiger's Blood snow cones, too!

As for summer cooking? Summer is for dutch oven cooking! I haven't done it for years but sure enjoy my Dad's and brothers cooking, too! I'd really like to get back into it more. We even have one! Seasoned and ready! Oh, the shame! I just ask Daryl to grill something. Less clean-up.

Oh well, my Dad doesn't read this blog often enough to catch that part. But, just in case he DOES happen to read (i.e. my sister tips him off), I WILL cook something in it before Labor Day. That's a promise for myself.

Cool drinks and good eats.
Love summer cooking!

P.S. Props to my Sis for telling me about the AWESOME background!! :) xoxo

Daddy daughter week

Oh boy did I miss having Eliza this past week but it was also nice to just have some one on one time with Lydia, I need some suggestions on inexpensive things to do with kids...anyway i was trying to catch Lydia growling like a tiger while she was eating dinner but she wouldn't do it when i pulled out the camera phone but this is what i got...I thought it was cute, what do you think?

Sorry it is turned not sure how to fix it.

I will try to get one of Jordan on here next time I have him and put one of Eliza on here as well maybe try to sneak one of Rachel on here as well...we shall see how this goes!

Memoirs of Rachel

I've seen this a few places and thought it would be fun


1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

If you see this your tagged, you have to do it!! Have fun, and don't be shy!

And then the Pioneers wore Hiking Boots...

"Who was the first to graduate from college, first to join a new religion or move away from family. Use this definition to share a piece of your family history."
(I tried to get this posted on Tuesday, alas my schedule gets away from me!)

I guess I was the first to move away from home. Technically, Mack went on his mission first, but that doesn't really count. But, even though I moved out, I was living with another family as their Nanny...but I was on the other side of the country, in a small town in Nowhere New York, Walkabuck, NY. Big house, though. :) It was a tough but great experience and really strengthened my relationship with my family and also my testimony. I was so utterly alone and was forced to rely on the guidance of the Spirit and felt so blessed for do so! I learned so much and made great friends. It was a personal pioneer experience and set the stage (and foundation) for my life so far.

When I hit a low spot in my life due to poor choices, I was able to reflect on my past in New York, how it prepared me for my mission, and my mission and how it prepared me to lean on Christ, helping me through it all...Line upon line...

All so very personal, something I'll probably only share with my children when they need extra strength from the crazy world we now live in.

Anyway, some fun pictures from our Primary Pioneer Hike the last weekend in June

Updates

Busy, busy week. So busy that if I didn't get a start on dinner the night before, we'd have to eat out. I haven't gone to the store this week, I haven't done any laundry and I've just cleaned things up enough to not get out of control. But I've survived my first week of my operating room internship!

We've been doing class work (reading, watching videos, learning about equipment) this week, but we were able to observe all day Friday. It was awesome, just having different responsibilities and being able to be surrounded by a team of very competent people, all working for one objective -- keep the patient safe. Plus, everyone was (doctors included) so nice and accommodating and involving. I'm pretty sure I made the right move (few!).

Hopefully I can get some laundry done and groceries bought today...

Best wishes for a great weekend!!

TTA...really?

The TTA topic this week is "Do you workout? What is your routine? What are your must-haves?"

Honestly, I've been trying for 6 years to get a "routine" but even if I did have one, would you really want to read about it? Besides, I'm still working on it. I'll let you know when I've mastered it.

Jordan's Karate

How about a fathers pride in his sons achievements in Karate?....

here he is receiving his orange belt first degree!.....wish i was out there practicing with him!

Way to go son! I am so proud of you! I just hope it is not the bad kind of pride..hehehe!

Grandma's 90th Birthday

Well i did this blog once already then the computer took a dump lets see if I can do it again.

This was grandmas 89th birthday

and this was her 90th birthday this year...I was surprised to have last years pics on my camera still

here are some other pics from the party

Lydia was like screw just looking at thew horses i am going to climb in with them! Lydia our gymnast...and Lydia in the sandbox...takes after daddy!

Eliza is swinging here hope you can see her. Nothing better then saying cheese with your eyes closed

Watts family reunion

Well it was awsome to be able to see all the family members you only see once a year and sometomes not even that often. My cousin Eric married a wonderful woman from Japan awile back and she played her koto japanese harp for us and i hope these videos work....here goes....

I will try this other shorter video too...

all that work and 3/4 of the blog doesnt show up....that sucks!

In the Spirit of Capitalism...

...What if we dumped barrels of oil into Boston Harbor???

...maybe if they were empty and it was done out of symbolism? Naw, that wouldn't make any statements. But tea...now that's an idea!

Thing is, people would probably jump in and try to lift the barrels out, not out of protecting the environment but because they'd want the oil for themselves!!

I really think the only way to bring the price of something down is to NOT BUY IT. But how do we do that and still get ourselves to work? I, personally, can take the train, and D now has his motorcycle, but if it rains or when it snows he'll have to take the car, so we're still dependant. Last month we spent almost $400.00 on gas. Crap! No wonder things are tight. I'm sure everyone feels that way!

So what do we do? Not a clue. :)

I'm betting the average family cannot afford gas AND cannot afford to buy a new hybrid car or equivalent. So, I'm just throwing out ideas and seeing what comes of it. We can't buy a new car, so we are just trying to use less gas. That's all we can do right now. How about you?

But I really would like to throw the barrels into Boston Harbor...

Tuesday Tell All

What makes me PROUD to be an American:

So many things, how do I even start? I loved the video my sister put on her TTA for today. I agree, seeing the service men and women is truly heartwarming, knowing what they are doing for our country.

What else?

Being able to go to school and choose my career

Being able to vacation, at all, where ever I darn well feel like it

Being able to marry whomever I choose

Being able to pray to whomever I choose

Being able to own a gun (if I so choose) and protect my family

Being able to vote for the leader I feel is most capable to lead

Paul Revier, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and so many others who were influential in the building and protecting of our country's religious freedom

But how do I ever say "Thank you" to a bunch of people who are no longer alive?

I can show my gratitude by living how they would want me to live, in our country of freedom, by utilizing the tools of voting they gave me, by supporting our military, by teaching my children to respect the laws of the land and the flag of our country, by enjoying the beautiful land and all it has to offer, and by praying to the God who made it all possible.

And shedding a tear or two every time I sing the "Star Spangled Banner" or say the Pledge of Allegiance (my own personal touch).

Happy Independance Day

To show my pride for my country, I'm going to do something special...post something selfish and all about me! :) Just being sarcastic. Even though this is a photo mosiac about me, I gleaned the idea from my sis and another friendly blogger. Enjoy!!

P.S. You can do one too! Just follow the directions at the bottom!

1. Rachel and the Lake, 2. cheeseburger with onion rings, 3. Pocatello High School, 4. yellow hill (a.k.a. find the bee), 5. christian bale, 6. Diet Mt Dew Machine Panel, 7. Sorrento, Italy, 8. we fell in chocolate over love, 9. mom n baby, 10. Family Hands, 11. Day 102 Florence Nightengale We salute you!, 12. 2115

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?

Paying Homage to Lumber and Sheet Rock...

...well for now, it's just lumber. Actually, these pictures are from the demo project that started last week, or was it the week before that? Anyhoo, my kitchen is torn up, there is a fine layer of white dust over the whole house and even though I painstakingly taped down a drop-cloth, I'm taping up holes daily. Non of this I mind, however, and was determined to not complain about it from the beginning. D was literally dying for something to do with his tools, so when I mentioned repainting the kitchen, it all just snowballed!!

Seriously, it all started with getting paint for the kitchen, then..."Crap, the disposal isn't working. Wouldn't it be easier to just install a new one in a new sink...I found a great counter top that would look so great with the new wall color...it would be great to just take the old ones off, let me paint then put the new ones on...good thing we're getting a new sink to go in the new counter top cuz the old faucet has a corrosion hole on the underside and is spraying water all over...might as well make the pantry bigger...if we made the door to the new pantry come out at an angle, we could move the fridge over and add another cupboard...I found a new backdoor that matches the pantry door..."

That's about where we are right now. :) I hope to have most of it done by next week, at least so we can paint the main color while my family is down from Idaho for Eliza's B-day party. Keep your fingers crossed. :)

P.S. He got the current garbage disposal working again, but he had already started the demo, so no going back now!! :)