Totally Tired Tuesday

(this is not me, it is my little sister Sarah, but this is what I wish I was doing now)

BTW: this is the dress she never took off and wore for days. She was such a sweet girl. I wonder what happened? J/k Sarah!

I have no idea why.
I got more sleep last night, then I have in a while.
I watched TV and read my scriptures and then took a shower and went to bed. I was in bed before 11:30. (which, yes, that is early for me)

I think I will try and go to bed early and try not to blog tonight. (yeah, right)
I have to go to Reno for our grocery shopping tomorrow anyway.

Yummy Monday!!!!

today's recipe is one I make at least once a month.

It is so easy.

I haven't thought of a good name for it yet.

So if you have any ideas on what to call it, post a comment.

Katie's dish....?

You need these 6 ingredients:

Hillshire farm Sausage ( I have used Beef alot before, but it is up to you)

1 1/2 cups of frozen peas

bag of Pasta (of your choice, I have used Penne, but bow tie is our favorite)

clove of garlic - crushed

2 tbsp of butter (real butter)

1/4 cup parmesean cheese (not pictured here)

Cook pasta and peas together.

Slice sausage.

melt butter in a skillet

crush garlic

After pasta is cooked to your taste, drain and add to skillet.

Mix well and add cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste. (sometimes I add onion salt...a sprinkle)

Add sauage and heat until sauage is hot and serve

Serves 6 people.

BFFive-ever Flashback

Okay, so on a friends blog, she was posting on friday's a flashback.
I mentioned, that I should find a real flashback and so here it is:

This is when our friendship began.

This is Elizabeth.

We were both at an Especially For Youth overnight activity in Manteca, CA at the Manteca Water Slides.

We were the best of friends since.

Unless I was involved with a boy. Then I wasn't a really good friend.

Dumb boys.... don't judge too harshly... I was a bratty teeenager.

A few more adventures later.... I think we were getting ready for a youth dance.

We would go almost every Saturday night.

She was way prettier than me.

This was in 1993. One of our last Grand adventures. I wanted to go to Apple Hill, CA for my birthday. We went up and took all day. We had so much fun.

I think we also met up with someone Elizabeth knew for a Halloween party the Young Adult ward up there was having..... Dumb boys.

Posers.....

This was one our last.

We all went together to send my little brother off on his mission. I had met Jeff already and I was already spending most of my days with him. I totally ditched her and have regretted it ever since.
(tee hee, I totally cut off Shanes ex-girlfriend)

In between all these pictures, we had the best times together. We loved going to the youth dances, and young adult dances.

We had a million sleepovers.

She liked my house, and I liked her house. (she had a really cute brother..sorry Biz the truth is out! lol)

We went to Dillions beach a hundred times. Mounatin Dew, pringles and amazing fruit was a must have on a beach trip.

Tennis Class!!!

$1 Movies!!!

Oh man, New Kids on the Block!!!!! Do you remember the story I wrote.

Didn't we go to Disneyland once too? That guy on the Safari Tour was hitting on you!

Almost all of my good memories of teenage and young adult years have Elizabeth in it.

We drifted apart after we both got married and had kids. We have seen each other, here and there, alot at my parents Halloween parties, in the years that have past.

But really, I miss those days. Most of my music on my blog reminds me of Elizabeth and all the fun times we had.

If you have any picture of those days, Elizabeth.... i would sure like to see them.

Anti-depressants and scriptures

I figured out something and i am so excited.
I have always have been a slow learner.
The normal average person takes a short or normal amount of time to figure things out, well, it takes me freakin' forever to figure it out.
I have been depressed off and on for 14+ years and I can finally say, I am not anymore.
I was seriously thinking of getting some medication from my doctor to help me and a funny thing happened.
I started reading my scriptures.
I know!!!!
Whodda thunk it?

In a previous post, I posted that I am addicted and I am trying to read the whole Book of Mormon before my birthday.. October 27th.

Since I started reading (and praying too) this wonderful (and highly recommended by me) book, I have realized that I am so happy.

I am not depressed.

I am someone I knew was inside but couldn't get out. I don't feel like myself.

I am way different.

I am a new me.

I like the new me.

I hate that it took me 14+ years to freakin' figure it out.

Reguardless of the countless hours and days, that I have been going to church and listening to my parents, and friends, and leaders in the church, I have been hard headed and had no desire to pick it up and read.
Oh, how I think of all the years wasted being sad and miserable...
My children have caught on and now are praying together in thier room, and wanting to read together before bed.
I think my regret is far worse when it comes to my children. The things I could have shared with them....
Now is the time.
Especially in this day and age.

As for my progress, if you are wondering..... I am at Mosiah 16!!!!

And as I said before in a previous post... if you want a copy of the Book Of Mormon, leave me your email address and I will send you one.

It is free.

If you want to know more about it , you can go here.

Check this out...

I stole this picture off my sister blog..... How'd you get this picture anyway....?

This is my family in 1993. I am the hot chick in the brown leather jacket.
I would love to look that cute again.
So here we go....from left to right...back row....Jeremy, Shane, Mom, Katie, Sarah, Aimee.
next row... My awesome cousin Allen (he lived with us for a while), my little sister Carrie, and then up front, with more hair then he has now... the best Dad in the whole freakin' world!!!!

I truly have the best family ever.
We really like each other and would do anything to help each other.
I hate being so far from them and not being able to help when help is needed.
I am so grateful to be a part of such a great bunch of people.
And if you don't agree..... I really don't care.

I love Friends!!!!

As I sit here tonight, I am listening/watching a re-run episode of friends.

It is the very last one.

I love to watch Friends.

I have my DVR set to record all the episodes every day.

I like to watch them late when the whole house it quiet, or when I am sad and need a little pick me up.

Sometimes, I wait for Jeff to watch them together and we laugh.

Friends came out the first year we were married, and I watched it every Thursday until it ended in 2004.

I have several favorite episodes.

Top three between Jeff and I are...

The One Where No One is Ready.....

The One with the Breast Milk....

The One with the Embryos......

Okay, so I tried to collect a few more of my favorites....and I couldn't.

I LIKE THEM ALL!!!!!!

If you know me at all, I frequently quote things from many of the "friends"episodes... sorry about that.

I can't help myself.

It is annoying..... I know!

Which one do you like?

Shut up...You know you do.

Music to my ears.....

I guess you have noticed that I have a music play list here on my blog.
I love every song on my list.
Each song was carefully picked.
Most of the songs have a connections with my past, my youth, the "growing-up phase" of my life.
I posted this picture a few weeks ago, but this is a picture of me right before a dance. A dance that most of the music on my blog was playing.

A few of the songs are from guitar hero. A game I love to play with my boys.

Some a the songs are songs that have special meaning between Jeff and I. (don't gag, it is romantical)
Whenever we clean the house I turn on my blog and I turn it up.
We listen as we clean...and most of the time we are in a really good mood.
Music is just something I absolutely love.
Not just any toe tapper will do.
A great dance beat with fairly clean lyrics is a song is just right for me.
Here's a few questions for you.....
Do you like my blog music?
Should I keep it?
Which one of my songs do you like?
If you want to take the time and listen, go ahead and pick one you REALLY like.
Let me know which one(s) and why.

Why am I doing this, you ask?
Because I am curious and well....'cause I can.

more fun..... for me.

Some day I will have a 12x12 scanner/printer and an awesome camera.
Then they will look better.
I have so much fun scrapbooking.
I just love it.

Also, the last 2 pages are made with help, by Page Maps.

Yummy Monday!!!!

Okay, I finally got to this today!
I realized that in order for me to really post a recipe I should post a picture. SO I had to make the cookies to show you. In between sick kids and a messy house because of the sick kids I am finally getting to post this.

The pictures aren't great.

Hopefully for my birthday I will get a really nice camera.

I can hope.

SnickerDoodles

(Doubled recipe)

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees.

1 cup margarine (softened to room temp)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Mix margarine, sugar, and eggs together until blended.

Add flour, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt, mix until well mixed.

In a separate bowl, mix 3 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp Cinnamon.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake 10 to 11 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

The cookie dough freezes very well and if doubled will make at least 7 dozen cookies.

So good and yummy!!

Enjoy!

Recipes

In the last few weeks, I have been asked for a recipe or two.
So, I have decided that I will be posting these recipes.
I think I will post on every Monday.
So you have to wait and see which of my recipes I decide to do for tomorrow.
Yummy!

I don't know what to say.

No, really.
I have been sitting here trying to come up with something to blog about.
Wait...... I think something is coming to mind......nope it is gone.

I thought I would share with you about my very long, very busy, and very good day.
But I thought a day in the life of me is just too boring.

I am seriously staring at the screen and thinking..... nope my mind is empty.
I think I am tired.
I have been scrapbooking or blogging late into the night and trying to function all day.
My youth is over, and I am thinking I can't do this anymore.

New Book I am reading

One of my favorite authors and my favorite LDS author has a new book out.
I have read all but 2 of her books.
I have all but 2 of her books. I am addicted to them.
I always get one for my birthday and one for mothers day. ( Cause that is when they release the books)
I have read most of them 3, even 4 times.
She is amazing.
I highly recommend this book.
Here is a little info she wrote about the book from her website:

I've had the honor of studying and writing about Emma Smith. I was asked by the Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society to write a biographical novel about this great lady in order to show her life (specifically the years she shared with Joseph) from a more accurate perspective, and to also illustrate the human experience in a way that is more appropriate and respectful than many books that have been done in the past. The myths, misconceptions, and prejudices about Emma are as endless as they are absurd. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help get the story straight on her behalf. Satan's vengeance on Joseph Smith has surely been to create such prejudice and discord in regard to his family, and especially his sweet wife. It has been a challenging and rewarding project, and a great honor. I've come to love and respect Emma deeply! A film on Emma has been made by the same society and will appear in many theaters through the spring and summer of 2008. It should be available on DVD in the fall. The release date of the book is still uncertain. I encourage you to support the film and the book and to spread the word, since all proceeds go to the purpose of gathering the posterity of Joseph and Emma and uniting them in the cause that Joseph gave his life for. Also, now available on DVD is "The Times and Teachings of Joseph Smith." (You will find my endorsement on the cover.) This is a sister project to the Emma film, and its proceeds go to the same cause.

If you do like to read "Romance Novels With a Real Life Edge" (Quoted from her site) and you wanna borrow some of mine. I am more than happy to share.
If you do get to read any of her books, please let me know.
I would love to talk about them to someone.

New name and a winner!!!!

Okay, I have this great new friend Nancy here in my town.
She is so nice and so awesome. She gets my sense of humor. Which, seriously, some people.... just don't. And she still likes me.
Anyway, she came over today to share with me some Mary Kay make-up catalogs and she told me she reads my blog, but didn't post a comment.
She had a great name for my blog.

She wins some scrapbook pages (3 total) done by me..... that is if she wants me too.
If not and since she lives in town then the movies are on me. (on Pay day of course) lol

Do you like it?
Well, actually....I don't care if you do or not, I like it!

I am thinking I need a cape.......umm....but what color.

Hello, you who....Anonymous reader....reveal yourself!
I have super powers now, so I can make you do it!!!lol

Am I the only one?

Who hasn't read these books?

and

Do you recommend that I read them?

I have been having fun!!!

I know you are jealous, but once you hear how much sleep I have given up for the art of scrapbooking, you won't be jealous any more.

I think the end results are worth it though.

I used page maps for all of these. It makes my scrapbook time easier.

Okay, off to try and squeeze in a few more pages

another page done!

I used aonther page map for help.

new title for my blog contest

Okay, so I am looking for a new blog title.
I am asking you for help.
Tell me what you think.
SO far, this what I like:
"Confessions of a ____________ Mom of 5"... but I am having a hard time filling in the blank.
SO help me please!
Please leave a comment to fill in the blank.

If I choose your title, expect a prize!!!

Going Private too...sorta.

I have decided to go private.
I set up a family blog, for my closest friends and family to see.
Because of Jeff's job, I can't post or talk about where he works. And I am so flippin' proud of my husband and what he does.
So with the family blog I can talk baout his days at work. (which sometimes are sooo funny.)
Jeff cna post messages and pictures and give input.
I am keeping this blog open.
This blog will be my blog. for my crafts and obsessions.
If you would like to be on the list for our private blog, just Please email me.

Changing rooms.

Jeff and I have been threatening the boys for months that if they did keep their room clean we would put them back in the small room.

Well, they didn't and we both went back and forth on if we should move them or not.

Well after a really bad day with the boys and trying to get them to clean their room I gave up and decided to move them.

So Emma and I are in the big bedroom.

My side

Emma's side
and the boys are in the little room.

The boys don't need that much space.

They never played in their room anyway.

It was always messy with shoes and clothes and toys they didn't really play with.

They play outside most of the day and now that school has started they aren't home most of the day anyway.

Their room is very small now, and I am feeling very guilty for taking up the space I do for with my scrapbook stuff.

But it is done.

We will try it and see how it goes.

How knows, we may be switching us back next month.

Nah, Jeff will kill me!

I've been playin'

Here are a few LO's that I have been playin with:

This is a completed challenge from a crop.
A close up of the title. Another challenge completed from a scrapbook crop.

Another completed challenge from the crop.
Joe and Jaquelle Dodge and girls

(part of a b-day present was some scrapbook pages)

It only took me since Friday to get them done.
I am hoping to get more of them done.

I have to mention, that these pages were not exactly my own design. I used "Page Maps" for all of these LO's from a book called "Page Maps"

I love this site. It helps me with my pages.

I am almost recovered.....almost.

It has been very busy these last few days.

Friday was a prep day For many things
I had a Relief Society Enrichment activity. A super Saturday.
We did the 5 piggies. You know, this little piggy went to market.... this little piggy stayed home..
Anyway, I was in in charge of table decorations and a class.
It was fun. For all our hard work, we didn't have a real good turn out, but we did okay. Especially for this time of year.

And I am co-hosting and Creator of a "Back to School" crop for my exclusive swapper group.
A lot of computer time for this one.
Then getting ready for church and making sure my house was not totally gross for when we came home.
It is official. I am the new nursery leader in my ward.
Yes, I am excited!!!!! I can go to church and take Emma with me and not worry about her being loud. And she gets to play with other little kids.
Today, the first ten minutes was a little loud, but we didn't have a lot of crying. Then one of them got her hand stepped on and she started crying , and then Emma, and then another little boy.
It was 20 minutes of crying.
As soon as snack time came around. we were all good.
I haven't gotten my manual yet, but I am excited to start. I have been subbing in there for weeks anyway.
I guess I should start doing the lessons now.

Dinner is in the crock pot, my computer time is almost done, and then I get to play along with this back to school crop I started.
Yay!!!
Jeff just got home, even better.

too tired.....

Too tired to spell correctly...
too tired to care if I spelled correctly....
too tired to stop myself form sitting here at the computer blogging.
Too tired to blog.

I will explain all tomorrow.

A few of my favorite things...

Today was a good day.
Jeff got the boys off to school and let me sleep in.
Emma is feeling a million times better and is her happy self.
Sammy can write is his name.
Caleb is reading everything he can read.
Nathan is helpful.
And Matthew is remembering to do 3 tasks at once.

But my favorite things of the day were...
Emma grabbing my neck and squeezing it tight and saying "mine".
Matthew helping his brother when he got hurt and telling him it will be okay.
Nathan grasping Math.
Me staying under my grocery budget and even being able to get dinner and yummy frosty's from Wendy's and then still stayed under my budget.
My boys fighting over who gets to say the prayer.
Life is good.
I am a lucky girl.

Reno or Bust

Today we are off to Reno, Nevada.
Well, where I live , if you want to go to Target, or Sam's club and hit the best Grocery store ever - Winco - then you have to travel and hour and a half to Reno,Nevada.
It usually takes all day and you really have to plan head.
'Cause if you forgot it - too bad.
If our Wal-Mart doesn't have it - too bad.

We go every month.
We have to wait to go when there are no kids.
And we have to wait for his days' off.

Today, just to save a few hundred dollars on food, we will go and only hit 3 places.
Sam's Club, Winco and the Deseret Book Store. My Caleb is getting baptized and we need to get him his very own scriptures.

Wish us luck. I don't want to wait until next week. I am almost out of food.
The boys have shorten days this week, so we have to take all the kids.
We are trying to use our car top carrier for help with the load. Hopefully it works.
Hopefully I will stay within our budget, too.
That almost never happens.

I am in LOVE!

Today i did something that I never do. I decide to clean my kitchen floors.

It isn't that I never clean my kitchen floors, I just never to it int he middle of the day and when Emma is awake.

But today I decided to try I new product that i found at Wal-Mart.

Mr. Clean with Febreeze!!!!!!!!!!! It seriously rocks!!

I love the commercials where everyone just goes to the room where the Febreeze is.

Well Seriously, after I cleaned every surface of the kitchen, I didn't want to leave the kitchen.

I just wanted to smell.

I highly recommend getting yourself some.

Now I WANT to clean my whole house!

It is freezing here!

I can't give you an exact temperature, but this morning I had to get sweatshirts out for the boys to wear to school.
I also had to turn on the heater in the van.
And I am wearing socks. And I hate wearing sock, unless I have tennis shoes on or it is cold.
And it is cold.
I think it is odd for this time of year to be cold.
I am too tired to really concern myself and actually take a minute out of the day to ponder on it.
Emma has a cold. and a cough.
Which means, I only got 3 hours of sleep last night. And none of the hours were together.
I am having the hardest time staying awake.
I can't take a nap while Emma is sleeping, that is if she takes a nap.
Why you ask....? Because it is half days at school this week. Parent teacher conferences all week.
So the boys will be home early.
Hopefully I spelled everything right and this blog post makes sense. if not I am so sorry.
I am really tired.