Disney Recap

What a great weekend. The weather was beautiful. It was 75 degrees and sunny the whole time. Almost too hot, since we didn't bring summer clothes. It was a great trip once again and probably our last one for the next six months. We met up with Chris' brothers once again and had a blast.

Some highlights of the trip.

1) During the parade, Arial stopped right in front of us and looked down at Hannah and said "Hello down there. Hi princess. Do you have a dream?" And Hannah waving back at her, saying "Hi Arial" and shaking her head "yes". It was so cute.

2) Meeting the princesses Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Hannah ran up to each of them and gave them the biggest hugs. She almost knocked a couple of them over. It was just like the commercials. Again so cute.

3) Ella met Eyore and Snow White and wasn't too sure about either one of them.

4) Ella loved the parades. Every time we stopped to watch them, she would wave her hands frantically and had the biggest smile/laugh. She would clap when the crowd clapped. You could tell she was definitely digging what she saw.

5) Hannah definitely didn't want to go on the Roger Rabbit ride. She ran away from us crying and we couldn't catch her. Finally we cornered her in Toon Town and told her we weren't going to go on the ride. She was very distraught and I am not quite sure why. I don't think she has been on the ride, but she definitely knew she didn't want to go on that ride.

6) We finally saw the Electrical Parade. Hannah knows the songs from it and always talks about it, but now she got to actually see it. I am pretty sure she liked all those lights.

7) We watched the fireworks and Hannah was so excited to see Tinkerbell in the fireworks show again. She wasn't there the last time we went. Her exact words... "It is so good to have Tinkerbell back."

I am sure there is more, but for now, enjoy some pictures from the parade. (My favorite part of the day).

Right Here, Right Now

I'm craving: the english toffee we bought at Disneyland

I'm crushing on: several things from etsy (I will show you later).

I'm feeling: stressed about all the things I need to get done this week (Valentine's Day, my sister coming, Ella's birthday, moving).

I miss: my family

I need to: the list is way too long. I won't bore you with the details

I'm looking forward to: receiving a dozen cupcakes I won from So Cupcakes. I can't wait to try them.

Weekly Dinner Menu #10

This is my last entry for the weekend. We are off to Disneyland for one last weekend before our annual pass blocks out. Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Sunday - Quesadilla Bar with homemade guacamole and salsa *****

Tuesday - Broccoli Soup with Ham-and-Swiss Toasts****

Thursday - Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches and french fries. I kind of made it up as I went along, but this recipe would be a good one to follow.****

Fancy Nancy

For Christmas, my sister-in-law Wendy, game my niece the cutest book called Fancy Nancy. I fell in love with it and vowed to get my daughter a copy. Well, I forgot all about it, until today when I was in Target and saw Fancy Nancy again.

It is seriously the most adorable girly book ever. Fancy Nancy is this cute little curly haired 6 year old or so. She loves anything and everything fancy and finds a way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. She uses fancy words and then tells the reader it is "a fancy word for dog or clothes." She loves French words because; of course they are fancy and to top it all off, there is always a lesson learned.

I love the writing, the illustration and Nancy herself. She reminds me of a non-orphan, fancy version of Annie (for some reason). I didn't buy it today, but it is on my short list of things to get soon!

Yummy Cookies

They look yummy, but probably wouldn't taste that good. Well, at least not to someone older than 12 18 months. My little one, seems to think they are just fine. I made these little felt cookies just because. No real reason and really they don't do much except sit there and look cute. But I wanted to see just how hard they would be to make and they weren't that bad. Some felt, thread, batting and sequences and waa-laa. They are super cute, just not sure how useful. But they add to the Dora Kitchen quite nicely.

ROP, Part 2

Here are the rest of the sledding photos. The next day we went out with the whole family and hit the hills. It was fun to see all the kids and adults playing in the snow and have a jolly old time. There are a lot. I couldn't stop, they were just so cute and fun.

Hands by the year

I love this idea from Becky's blog. I have decided that I am going to do it too. I purchased the canvas in different sizes and will be doing Ella's this month (and Hannah's too, since she will want to participate) and then Hannah's again in May. I plan on hanging them on their walls along with other cute things to create a collage of some sorts. I will show you how they turned out in a couple of months.

Weekly Dinner Menu #9

A lot of chicken this week. Sorry honey!

Sunday - Horseradish Mashed Potato Shepherds Pie with grapes and rolls.****

Tuesday - Tarragon and Cream Chicken and Polenta Pot Pies and crusty bread. *****

Thursday - Chicken Cacciatore with Orzo and Spinach Salad with mangos and candied almonds.****

Saturday - Southern Stuffed Rosemary Chicken and roasted Red Potatoes****

Young Women Lesson #4 - Preparing to Become an Eternal Companion

Okay, I got this up earlier for many of you out there. Hope it helps.

LESSON

Explain that women today fill a variety of roles. Ask the girls to name the many roles we as women play. List them on the board.

There is one role, however, that most women will take on at some time in their lives and that is a wife. How a young woman fulfills this role will determine to a great extent her own eternal happiness and the happiness of those close to her.

QUOTE:
President Spencer W. Kimball said: “Young women should plan and prepare for marriage and the bearing and rearing of children. It is your divine right and the avenue to the greatest and most supreme happiness” (Ensign, Nov. 1978, p. 103).

I passed out a mock resume for "A. Future Husband." The sections on the resume are career objective, spiritual preparation, education, talents, hobbies/interests, and physical traits. I'll give each of the girls a copy at the beginning of the lesson and have them fill in the sections with qualities they want their future husbands to have. We'll go around the room and share ideas when they are finished, and then I will tell them to cross out the word "husband" at the top and write in the word "wife" so the top line reads "A Future Wife."

Then we will discuss the fact that guys are looking for "qualified" women, too, and that now is the time to prepare. (Idea by Heidi in Oregon)

Let’s be clear, this lesson is not about finding a husband, it is about preparing you/yourself to become a good eternal companion.

Q: How many of you feel prepared right now to be a wife?
Q: For those of you that said no… what do you think you need to learn to become more prepared to be a wife and mother?

GUEST: STEPHANIE CLEVELAND (she was a YW in this ward about 1 ½ years ago and just got married. I asked her to come in and share now that she is married, how she might not have been prepared in some areas of life to be marriage. What came as a surprise to her.

QUOTE: “I tell Young Women… that they should do all in their power to make themselves attractive physically in dress and grooming, mentally in being knowledgeable on many subjects, spiritually in being responsive, emotionally in being genuine and worthy.” Spencer W. Kimball

So, today we are going to discuss how to start being prepared in 5 areas.
1) PHSYICAL 2) MENTAL 3) SPIRITUAL 4) EMOTIONAL 5) SOCIAL

PHYSICAL

Q: What are some thing you can do to become more physically ready as an eternal companion?

Shower, be healthy (eat and exercise), dress appropriately (well groomed), do you hair.

MENTAL

“being knowledgeable in many subjects”. Do well in school. Learn new things (music, arts, books). Learn how to sew, iron, cook, etc.

Q: why is it important to be knowledgeable in many subjects as a wife and mother?

SPIRITUAL

Be temple worthy and ready! Daily Scripture study, close relationship with your Heavenly Father and Jesus. Obedient to the commandments.

QUOTE: “Young women, may I admonish you to participate in a program of daily reading and pondering of the scriptures. … The Book of Mormon will change your life. It will fortify you against the evils of our day. It will bring a spirituality into your life that no other book will. It will be the most important book you will read in preparation for life’s challenges. A young woman who knows and loves the Book of Mormon, who has read it several times, who has an abiding testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its teachings will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and will be a mighty tool in the hands of the Lord” (Ezra Taft Benson Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 82).

EMOTIONAL

Have a strong sense of self-worth/self-esteem. Fully understand that you are a Daughter of God and what that truly means. Boys/men love a girl women who knows herself and is confident in herself. It is one of the biggest attractions (I think for most people). Work on loving yourself and seeing yourself the way Heavenly Father sees you. Be proud of who you are and I promise you life will be so much easier and you will pass that trait onto you kids.

I pray often that Hannah will be confident in herself and she will always know that Heavenly Father and parents loves her. I truly believe that YW wouldn’t give into temptations and make stupid mistakes if they loved themselves more and really KNEW and FELT that their Heavenly Father KNOWS AND LOVES them.

SOCIAL

(For some of you, when you are old enough) – date many people. Learn how to have good conversations. Be a good communicator and listener. Date so you can find out what your likes and dislikes are in the opposite sex (they will change as you get older). Make lots of friends (you want your husband to be your best friend). Dating gives you practice on each of these things.

Someone once said, “There is no time to wait, only time to prepare.” This is especially good counsel when it applies to marriage. Too often young women just wait for marriage instead of preparing while they wait. Explain to the young women that if they are prepared, they will be the kind of people who are attractive to worthy young men.

Each of the young women will marry at a different time. Some will marry shortly after they leave YW and some might take 10 years or so. Use whatever time you have wisely. Share how I was 29 years old when I go married. But that I made the best of those years. I went to college, got a MBA, traveled all over the world, had a blast in the singles wards, made a lot of lifelong friends. And because of all this, I feel I am a good wife, mother and women because I was constantly bettering myself and preparing for that day when I would marry in the temple to a wonderful, righteous man.

If you will prepare yourselves in the areas discussed in this lesson, you will increase your chances of having successful and happy marriages and being a happy, fulfilled daughter of God.

HANDOUT: I created paper fortune cookies with a message inside that says “There is no time to wait, only time to prepare.”

A New Thursday Night

Okay, last night was all that I had hoped for. The return of Lost... .which was good, not spectacular, but good and of course I will keep watching. But the real surprise was Eli Stone. They marketed this show to death, so I thought why not watch it. The teaser with George Michael made me curious and I like the song, so I watched it and really, really liked it. It was clever, witty and Eli is very likable. So if you ask me ABC was just taken over Thursday nights!

ROP, part 1

Bringing back, Random Old Photos. They aren't that old, but they are from christmas. Hannah had such a fun time sledding and playing in the snow. The first time down the hill, she had to go with me, but about after 3 runs down, she was doing it all on her own. She loved it and even liking lugging the sled up the hill by herself (or at least trying). It was a blast, even I like playing in the snow and being cold. I realize I have become a wimp when it comes to the cold. I am definitely a Californian in that aspect.

Check that baby OFF!

I have been working on my Thanksgiving Countdown calendar for 3 months now and I am happy to say that it is completed. And even happier to say that I love the way it turned out. Especially considering I made the whole thing up. Well, I have to be honest I copied Pottery Barn almost exactly, but I made up the construction of the whole thing as I went along.

I can't wait to use this in November this year. Inside each pocket will have the following activities to help us countdown a month of thankfulness. I have to thank my friend Jen's mom for getting me inspired to actually do this. Hopefully it will be an item treasured by my kids for years to come.

NOTE: I am not sure what my camera was doing, but the colors are all off. The oranges are not that bright and some of the squares are a forest green, brick red and dark blue. Just wanted to share that bit of information.

Next Big Project

I am almost finished with my thanksgiving advent calendar (see post here). I am so excited about the way it turned out. I just have to finish the top and I will post pictures.

So, of course I had to think of another big project to take its place and this is what I came up with. I have always wanted to make a quilt and so that is exactly what I am going to do. I found this tutorial and it looks simple enough, so I am going to do it.

I would again love your opinions. There are so many adorable fabrics out there that I can't decide which one to do. How do you narrow it down. I guess I could always make more than one, but for now I want to start with one and see if I can get it done.

So, please let me know which fabric combination you like. Help, I need some direction.

Thanks and Goodbye

I probably watch (have feeds) to about 110 blogs and in the last 12 hours about 20% of them have commented or posted something about the passing of President Hinckley. It feels good to be surrounded (at least cyber-ly) by so many that have my same beliefs. So, now for my tribute!

It is amazing to think that this one, little, jolly man did so much and had such an impact in so many people's lives. I would love to leave this world, knowing that I did all that I could to make it a better place.... and Gordon B. Hinckley did just that. Every time I see his picture I just smile and say "He is so cute." I wish I could personally thank him for all that he did to lead the church and for being the example of goodness that he was.

PS - Notice his signature item... that wonderful walking cane, he would use mostly as a "waving cane."

Back to Basics

I love blogging! It is so fun to connect with people you would have never gotten to know because they live thousands of miles away. It is fun to share ideas and get ideas from other talented people that live thousands of miles away. It is fun to keep family and friends updated with our lives. And most importantly for me it is a journal of sorts for our family. But I have realized lately that I haven't been taking as many pictures or writing as much about our family, so I need to get better at that again.

So, that is why I need to take this time to share some funny things that Hannah and Ella have done.

1) The big news, we just bought a new home and have been touring different homes in the area. Each time we talk about moving, Hannah very adamantly says "I don't want to move. I like our house, it is super cute." She feels very strongly about not moving.

2) Ella loves to squawk. She is constantly letting out a squawk to get our attention. Last night, she probably did it for 15 mins. She wanted to participate and be a part of the conversation.

3) Ella loves Patty Cake. Whenever I do it, she loosely folds her arms and hits one hand on her other arm. It is her way of clapping. Also, anytime we walk in front of our big mirror, she waves at herself. She really does it anytime I get near the mirror.

4) Hannah got the game Pretty Pretty Princess for Christmas and we play it daily. She plays it once with me and usually once with Chris. It is so funny to see him all dressed up in jewelry (earring, tiara and all) while playing with his daughter. Then at the end of the game, Hannah always says "Now I need to dance with my prince." And Chris and Hannah dance around as pretty princesses all glamorous in their jewelry.

5) This morning Hannah asked Chris why he goes to work to make the money. He said "So, we can pay for the new house." Hannah then added "and so we can go to the Cheesecake Factory." This of course is her favorite place to eat.

6) Hannah listens to this collection of Disney songs and one of the songs is "Femininity" from Summer magic. It talks about acting feminine in order to catch a boy. She sings songs all the time and it so funny to hear her sing very loudly "that's the way to catch a beau."

and just to know how funny this song really is... here are the lyrics. I don't know that they would make a song like this today.

You must walk feminine
Talk feminine
Smile and beguile feminine
Utilize your femininity
That's what every girl should know, if she wants to catch a beau

Dance feminine
Glance feminine
Act shy and sigh feminine
Compliment his masculinity
That's what every girl should know, if she wants to catch a beau

Let him do the talking
Men adore good listeners
Laugh, but not too loudly (Haha)
If he should choose to tell a joke
Be radiant, but delicate
Memorize the rules of etiquette
Be demure, sweet and pure
Hide the real you

You must look feminine
Dress feminine
You're at your best feminine
Emphasize your femininity
That's what every girl should know
Femininity, femininity
That's the way to catch a beau

Young Womens Lesson #3 - Living the Gospel Daily

I drew a food pyramid on the chalkboard. I brought different foods from my daughter’s little kitchen. I had the girls help me fill out the food pyramid. We discussed the important of eating food from all the different food groups in order to have a healthy body.

I brought jars of vitamins and discussed how sometimes we take vitamins to make up for the food we didn’t eat or just give our body extra nutrients.

I drew another pyramid on the board and asked the girls to list some things we need to do each day to help our spirits be nourished and healthy. I filled in the pyramid.

Have the following quotation read: “The sure way to peace and happiness in this life and life hereafter is to serve the Lord today and EVERY day” (Marion G. Romney, “Serve the Lord Today,” Ensign, June 1979, p. 3).

Explain that if we are to feel the peace of Christ in our lives, we must make efforts to draw close to Christ each day.

QUESTIONS:

• What can you do to feel close to the Lord in our daily lives?

• Why is it sometimes difficult to stay close to the Lord each day? Encourage the young women to give specific answers.

• What are some of the challenges and problems that you face each day? Write the young women’s answers on the chalkboard.

Then I suggested that there are spiritual vitamins that we can “take” that will help our spirit get extra nutrients. And we discussed the six points given in the lesson manual. Some of these are spiritual foods we need to do each day and some are extra vitamins to help us draw closer to the Lord.


LOVE
“God’s children need to be loved, and to have someone to love. … We have two great challenges, you and I, and the challenge never ends as long as breath lasts: to choose him and to love each other. Then we may be sure we will know him in this world and at last in that kingdom which is not of this world” (Marion D. Hanks, in Conference Report, Apr. 1980, pp. 42–44; or Ensign, May 1980, pp. 30–31).

Q: What can you do on a daily basis to show more love? Who can you love more?

PRAYER
“Sincere prayer is the heart of a happy and productive life. Prayer strengthens faith. Prayer is the preparation for miracles. Prayer opens the door to eternal happiness” (H. Burke Peterson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 13; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, p. 19).

We need to be sure that we are praying morning and night.

Q: What can you do to be better at praying twice a day?

And always have a grateful, prayer heart. Pray when we need it (anywhere, anytime), but also pray to give thanks. (Share example of something I lost and then found and my prayer of thanks.)



SERVICE
“To serve others willingly and unselfishly should be one of our greatest virtues. It is not even a matter of choice. It is an obligation, a sacred command. …

“Therefore, let us serve one another with brotherly love, never tiring of the demands upon us, being patient and persevering and generous” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Your Charge,” New Era, Sept. 1979, p. 44).

Q: How can we serve more? Share my effort to keep a “service journal” for several months.

OBEDIENCE
“One goal that most of us share in this life is the desire to achieve true joy and lasting happiness. There is only one way to do this, and that is by being obedient to all the commandments of God. … ‘When the Lord commands, do it,’ was a rule in the life of the first prophet of this dispensation. May that be the motto and practice of each of us” (Delbert L. Stapley, in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, pp. 26, 30; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, pp. 19, 21).

STUDY
“When we follow the counsel of our leaders to read and study the scriptures, benefits and blessings of many kinds come to us. … Where could there be more profitable use of time than reading from the scriptural library the literature that teaches us to know God and understand our relationship to him?” (Howard W. Hunter, in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, p. 91; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 64).

Q: Are you reading the scriptures daily? Are you studying the scriptures? Why aren’t you? What can you do to start reading/studying the scriptures better?

WORK
“Energetic, purposeful work leads to vigorous health, praiseworthy achievement, a clear conscience, and refreshing sleep. Work has always been a boon to man. May you have a wholesome respect for labor whether with head, heart, or hand” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Your Charge,” p. 44).

Q: Do you consider yourself a hard-worker? Do you try to do a good job when you have something to do? Do you take pride in a job well done? How can you start to do this?

Remind the young women that if they are to draw close to the Lord, they must make these principles part of their lives all the time. It is not enough to live righteously only on Sundays or only occasionally. It needs to be each and every day.

HANDOUT: I tried to get the cute red prescription “bottles” from Target to make a little bottle of vitamins, but I couldn’t get them. I was going to go to a medical supply store and just get simple prescription bottles, but ran out of time, so I made these cones with “vitamins” (really candy) inside and the tags says “Daily Dose of Righteousness”. These “vitamins” are to remind the girls to feed their spirits daily by living righteously. I also included a one week plan to choose one of the six principles to live each day and write what they will do or did that day to exemplify that principle in their daily life.