Julia's musings

Long Thoughts

2011-09-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts are short
They enter our minds and are gone
Barely registering
Glancing off our consciousness
Before flitting away

Other thoughts stay awhile
Some for a day or week
Others for a time determined by the needs of our lives,
The problem that must be solved,
The project that we want to finish,
Or the season of our lives.

A very few thoughts stay
All our lives they haunt us
Or they support us through thick and thin
Inspired by the essence of who we are
Or who we want to be.

Long Thoughts mold who we are,
Who we will become
But they are not indelible,
We can change those that hold us back,
And nurture those that bring out our best,
As long as we take the long view,
Of who we want to be.

Shout Out to Cake Wrecks

2011-05-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

You know how some mornings it is hard to get going? Or you wake up in a funk and you just aren't sure if it is worth getting out of bed, never mind taking a shower, brushing your teeth, blow drying your hair and presenting yourself to the world? (No this morning wasn't like that, but I certainly have my days.) Well, one of the things that helps put a smile on my face, and pushes me into the absurd world that has become my life, is Cake Wrecks.

What you may ask is Cake Wrecks? It is a collection of the craziest and most beautiful cakes ever. But mostly it is a collection of some really bad mistakes made by cake decorators, that can give English teachers nightmares, and make the rest of us smile. I don't think Jenn will mind that I stole a few pictures of my favorites, since really I think you should go to her blog and look at the hundreds, maybe thousands of really badly decorated cakes there. She also tells great stories and has witty comments to go with them. For my favorite, click here.

One more plug, so that she hopefully will find this a good thing and won't sue the pants off me is that I also own her book, (you can buy it here or at any really classy bookstore) which not only I have enjoyed, but it is a good way to keep children entertained on long car rides as they laugh at some, and then ponder over why others are funny.

The Craziness of Moving

2011-05-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Instead of whining about all the craziness, mishaps and frustrating things that come along with moving, I figured I would share some of the sillier moments of our move over the last ten days. In the picture above you can see me just home from church, we are in a new ward which so far we love, in shoes that had a heel break about halfway through church. Of well, I made it through church and still had a smile on my face. (The shoes went in the trash right after this picture!)

Unpacking boxes that you didn't pack took on special fun for Scott when he ended up with a bunch of hats and scarves he didn't know he owned. In a fit of laughter we took pictures, and then decided to create a "snow stuff" box that we can pull out when the snow starts to fly next fall/winter.

All of the kids have been a big help during the time that we have had them. Kat especially wanted to check the top of the basketball hoop to make sure there weren't any items that had been missed. They also were a big help with picking out gloves to help move wood. So far the gloves are still in their packaging, but I am sure they will get plenty of use over the next year.

Michelle, at the end of a long packing day let me put pigtails in her hair while she was talking to Lanie. Lanie gets huge "best friend points" for keeping all of us sane as we each needed a sounding board when things got frustrating. I only wish he got to be here for more of the hilarious giggles that erupt when we are all tired and something strikes us as funny. We will have to save up lots of funny things for July when he is here!!

So, yes it has been a long, hard slog to get everything from three houses sorted and moved and we are still working on integrating all of the households. Today though, I wanted to focus on the fun that can happen, even in the middle of long days filled with stress. I think that is where we truly find moments of pure joy!

Sweet girl.....

2011-04-24T03:39:00.001-07:00

Maddy loves eating sausage as long as she can dip it in ketchup!!

While she was there we went shopping for some new shoes. She is now a super-fast runner, which is why the only good picture I have of them is when she is in her car seat.

Here you can see the shoes, kind of, and the sun glasses she fell in love with on our shopping trip.

More Maddy.....

2011-04-23T11:07:00.001-07:00

Maddy mugging for the camera! (Sorry it is a little blurry,)

For her birthday, I got her a puzzle that is putting together shapes that fit together to make cupcakes. She is still figuring it out, but we had lots of fun playing with them.

The group family gift for Maddy's birthday was a wagon so she and her daddy can go for longer walks together than her short legs would usually be able to go on. This is the first time we tried it out and we went to the park to swing. (You can see a picture of her on the swing in the previous post.)

A week of Maddy....

2011-04-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

(Doing stickers with Maddy.
We made lots of posters that Maddy put up around the house.)

Okay, over the next week I am going to put up some of my favorite pictures of Maddy from my recent visit with her. It was great to see her, and just get to spend time hanging out, playing with puzzles, swinging on swings and singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

(Maddy loved to swing at the park by her house.
We tried swinging together and Maddy also was brave
and tried swinging by herself.)

Maddy is a happy, wonderful little two year-old!! I am so glad to get to be her momma!

A look back and forward

2011-03-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem a while ago, during a migraine that happened during one of the hardest times of my life. Today was a difficult day, and I went back and edited this poem. I am sharing it more as an anthem for others who may be struggling right now, and who need to know that they are not alone. We all have times when we feel that there is little we can do but survive. After a long winter, when the flowers start to bloom, sometimes surviving is enough. In looking back at that time, and forward to seeing Maddy in less than two weeks, I offer this poem.

Constant blinding pain

Flowing through your veins

Building up in the capillaries

Flowing through the synapses

Stopping for a while to pressurize

Creating blockages of the mind and heart

Cascading views bring the colors of agony

Flooding along the energy lines

Meridians of darting, slamming, drudging pain

And none of it is mine; it all is simply my legacy

To the children I love more than life

And to whom I leave nothing but the slaughter of their nerves and minds.

I love you, and hope that my pain will somehow shield you,

Or at least teach you how to survive it.

Uneven ground

2011-03-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

Daisies side-by-side,
Triplet flowers of darkest blue.
No one would mistake them for nature's work,
And yet they are natural in this dream world
Where daisies turn navy, to make matches
Red hair and brown mingle in whispered secrets.

Twin nymphs smile their excitement,
Hoping to catch a glimpse of fairy dust,
Wondering if the fog hides pixies, magic and butterflies,
Winking at the solemn guards
Who hide nervous dreams of their own.

Hiking boots tromping along a trail,
Longer than the lives of those living.
Connected to generations of those who have walked the uneven ground,
Following dreams that were mere wisps when they started,
Solidifying into lives of earnest endeavor,
That create impossible flowers against brown hair;
So four more wood sprites can find their way out of the woods
On this morning's hike.

A Soft Morning

2011-02-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

Mists rising then dissipating over time
Birds sleeping, then singing as they slowly wake, then take flight
Runners passing me in their pursuit of sweat
Dogs walking their owners
My feet stepping one in front of the other
On my way to peace.

Constant left and right, moving me through the park
Stepping forward through my life in small jumps
Sometimes backward, but always learning
Who I am, and who I can be
If I am just brave enough to take the chance.

From Hell to Happy - A Journey

2011-02-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

I am finding that this is very true. Sometimes you just have to keep going, no matter how hard it is at the time. Somehow God always makes unexpected blessings just when you are sure that you are never going to smile again.

This weekend I had a great hike with the kids in the Gorge. We hiked Oneonta Trail up to Horsetail Falls, and we hiked Bridal Veil Falls. We also had a bunch of time just hanging out and snuggling. Having an entire day together was pure bliss.

Working has been an adventure, and while there are challenges, it has been nice to feel useful and to have a chance to use a more of my skills. I don't know how long it will last, but it is the right place for me for now.

So, if you are struggling today, know that tomorrow there will be something you don't expect, and it will help you smile.

My inner nerd

2011-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

I have an inner nerd. She likes to read science fiction. She likes to read medical journals and science articles. She does long division out by hand, just to stay in practice. She prefers smart, nerdy guys to jocks. She would rather have a little chaos theory in her life, rather than spend each day doing the exact same thing.

What I hadn't realized before yesterday is that there is something called a Julia set, that may explain a lot about me. In a Julia set, even small changes can make a radical difference is what happens.

I hope that applies to me too. I hope that making small changes, one at a time, will help change the entire outcome of my life.

(If you want to find more beautiful nerdy things, like the one in the picture above, just go here.)

An up and down few weeks

2011-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

Some days/weeks/months are just crazier than others. I haven't posted much because it seems that every time I think I have a handle on things, they change again. So, while this post will be a little disjointed, and it won't cover everything, I wanted to make sure I was posting again.

I made several goals for this year. One of them involved hiking. I originally wrote it: Go for a hike at least twice a month. Try to take a friend with me on each hike, and use this as a way to meet new friends or reconnect with old friends.

I have been doing really well with this. I have been on at least two hikes a week since late December, and have made several new hiking buddies. It has been great to get outdoors in the middle of the other chaos of my life, and it has helped to be able to talk through some of that chaos with new friends who aren't judgmental.

Last Wednesday was the final hearing about the kids and custody stuff. The last 7 months have been brutal for our entire little family. Michael and I have decided to separate, and Maddy will be staying with him so she can get the medical care she needs. I will get to see her as often as I can get back to NJ, and she will come out here at least once a year so that she gets to see her older siblings. Michael and I remain friends, but the process was too much for any marriage to survive. I am glad we can still work together to make things as positive for Maddy as possible.

I am starting a new job on the 1st. I will be doing half security guard work and half sales/marketing for the company. I am grateful for the chance to use a variety of my skills. In a job market with very few jobs, I am glad to be working, even if the pay is quite a bit less than I have made in a long time. Being a stay-at-home mom for the last 5 years made a lot of employers antsy about hiring me. The company I am working for is looking for results, and as long as I can produce them, it should be a good fit, and a place I can make a difference.

I have now lost so much weight, that I am wearing a size 10 in pants, and a large in shirts. I bought one skirt, and it is a size medium. I still haven't gotten brave enough to go dress shopping to figure out what size dresses will fit, but only one of the ones from before looks okay. On one hand it is great to be down to the size I was as a sophomore in high school. On the other hand, I wish that I had lost it without quite as much stress in my life. I am now trying to not lose weight so fast, and making sure I am exercising enough to maintain this weight over time.

I have my own place! I am renting a basement apartment in Milwaukie. I have two great roommates. All three of us are in transition periods in our lives, and having two other women who are around to talk with at the end of a long or frustrating day is great. Both of them get along well with the older kids, and Josh especially loves that one of my roommates has a very friendly cat. We all agree that is it nice to have friendly voices and people around, and I feel so blessed to have found a place that is not just a room, but an entire basement so that there is an extra bedroom for the kids and their stuff, and a huge living room for us to all play in. Now I just need a DVD player that actually works. ;-)

As you can tell, there has been a lot going on. A lot of it has been hard and painful, but I see the hand of the Lord guiding me to places and people who are good friends and supportive situations. Every time I start wondering how I am possibly going to survive, the Lord send an opportunity or a friend to help me figure it out.

The last goal I wanted to share is that I am trying to go to an author reading or signing at least once a month. I went to one this week, and it was good to get down to Powell's and hear the questions of other readers and writers. I haven't started making writing goals yet, but I am hoping before the year is out to start writing short stories again.

Corporate Clothes

2011-01-07T07:15:00.002-08:00

It has been so long since I had to work, that it is a little intimidating going on job interviews. Maybe the hardest part for me is coordinating outfits, out of what I have left that fits me. All of my suit jackets still fit, but most of the pants I used to wear with them are too big, if I can find them. I have a couple of skirts that match, but really don't want to wear skirts when it is cold out, at least not more than I have to.

So, other than buying a bunch of new stuff, which I can't afford, anyone have any great ideas how to look more "corporate" on a budget? Do I just buy one new pair of pants and try to mix it with everthing else? Does fit really matter and should I try to get the old pants "resized?"

I have five interviews in the next 6 days. I am excited, but also a little intimidated. Hopefully not being too confident will be an asset, since I really do need a job!

Wheels on the Bus - Babies on the Bus

2010-12-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

This is for Maddy, who loves this song. I hope she is enjoying her first big snow storm!

I started a journal for Maddy recently. I won't give it to her until it is older, but it helps me feel closer to her when we are so far away from each other.

It isn't exactly this pattern but close.

They Gave Up Their Christmas

2010-12-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

May we keep the Spirit of Christmas going all year long!!

Tutorial: How to make Pie Crust Cookies

2010-12-24T17:29:00.001-08:00

Things you will need for this project:

Ingredients:
1) Pie crust - Use your own recipe, or go here for a basic recipe that is yummy.
2) Melted butter
3) Cinnamon
4) Brown Sugar

Supplies:
Baking sheet
Rolling pin
Brush (for brushing butter on your cookies)
Plastic bag
Cooling rack

Don't you hate it when you make beautiful pie crusts, they are all ready to go, and you look in the bowl, and there is still pie crust. You don't need it for your pies, but you really don't want to throw it away. Well, the perfect small treat to make with it is: pie crust cookies.

Take the last of the pie crust dough and roll it out. You want it about the thickness of a regular pie crust, or maybe a little bit thicker.

Once it is rolled out, get out your cookie cutter and cut out the shape(s). I suggest a smaller shape so that the crust is less likely to crumble or fall apart on you.

After you have them cut out and put on a baking sheet (I lightly greased it with butter flavored baking spray), then brush a fairly thick coat of melted butter onto the crust.

You then can start putting on the cinnamon and sugar mixture. I don't put it quite out to the edge, since the butter will help it spread out as it cooks.

To make it easy I mix the cinnamon and brown sugar in a bag, and then just shake it up. This is a snack size bag. For 13 cookies I used 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.

Once all of your cookies are covered with the brown sugar and cinnamon, you are ready to bake them. Depending on how hot your oven is, you may want to play around some with the cooking time. In my old oven it took 5 minutes at 400 degrees, but today when I made them in my mom's oven, it took 7 minutes at 400 degrees.

When you pull them out of the oven, let them sit on the pan for about 5 minutes before you move them. Moving them too early tends to make them crumble and fall apart.

Once the cookies have cooled for 5 minutes, you can transfer them to a cooling rack. Another 5 minutes and they are ready to eat!

I think it goes without saying that you do not have to make pie crusts first. You can make a whole batch of pie crust cookies, instead of making some of the dough actually into pie crusts.

If you aren't going to eat these cookies the same day, I suggest putting them in a Ziploc bag, about an hour after they come out of the oven. If you put them in sooner, they tend to get soggy.

Happy Holidays to all! I hope you enjoy making these. Feel free to link up with your pie crust cookies, or just leave a comment to tell me how they turned out, or what shapes you and/or your kids made!

Tribute to the Missionaries of the church!

2010-12-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is a in honor of the thousands of missionaries all over the world who are serving in the true Spirit of Christmas. Many of them are far from home and will not be with their families.

Last year these two wonderful young men spent part of their Christmas with us, and we made this video for their families. Their service as missionaries helped influence several people who we were close to in their decision to join the church. We love them, and even though they are both home now, we are grateful that they took two years of their life to service in the Portland Oregon Mission.

In this season of Christlike service and love, remember to open your homes and hearts to those who may be "wandering in a strange land." They just might be bringing gifts of great worth, and those gifts may change your life.

What is Love?

2010-12-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

What is Love?

Love is not romance.

Love is not flowers and chocolate.

Love is not feelings of giddiness.

Love is strength through weakness.

Love is standing with someone
whose pain is unbearable.

Love is tears from a broken heart, wiped away.

Love is soft words for a beaten heart and body.

Love is the words "Come Unto Me" spoken
to those who are unloved and who feel unlovable.

Love is Christ, calling to each of us,
to leave our sins, our prejudices,
our heartbreaks, and our intolerance,
and instead to reach a hand up to Christ
and down to those who need our help.

Tutorial: How to make a Pomander: Easy holiday fun with your kids!

2010-12-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

If you want the full back history of pomanders, then click here for the wikipedia explanation.

For everyone else, I will just say that as kids we made these, mostly to be used as ornaments or decorations, and that I always loved the smell. I was trying to think of something fun to do with the kids, that wasn't too expensive, and would help us get in the holiday spirit, and this is the project came to mind.

I was inspired, partly by the Fred Meyer ad this week, which had the mandarin oranges on sale, right next the the half price spices. (Yes, my brain works like that. The two main ingredients are on sale, so maybe we should do this.)

Here is what you will need to get started:
Whole cloves
Mandarin oranges (or other citrus fruit)
Something sharp to cut/poke with (We used the skewers we use for making barbecue shish-ka-bobs in the summer.)
A baking pan
Preheated Oven (200 degrees)

I also suggest having some little bowls to put the cloves in and a tablecloth that can easily be washed after the project is done. (Read here that I mean: juice is going to get on the table cloth, so you really do not want the beautiful lacy one that your grandmother gave you on the table when you are doing this project.)

Depending on the age of your kids, you may want to put aprons on the kids as well.

Since we were intending for these to be decorations, which do not need to last beyond New Year's, we were pretty lax in how we decorated these. Some of the instructions I have seen tell you to keep the holes you poke approximately 1/4 - 1/2 centimeter apart. With 8 and 10 year-old hands, we did not attempt that. I let the kids each have a skewer, which poked a hole the perfect size for inserting a clove. The kids made a variety of designs.

Two things to note at this stage.

1) This gets juicy. You may want to warn your kids that they do not want to poke towards their eyes, or get their eyes too close, and that having a way to easily wipe or wash hands (like baby wipes or a damp towel) can be important if you have kids who are picky about their fingers being sticky.

2) The holes "disappear" after the skewer has been pulled out, especially if the rind of the orange is fairly thick. Making a few pokes with the skewer, and then filling them with cloves worked far better than trying to do the entire decoration worth of pokes, and then going back and finding all of the holes to insert the cloves into

Each of the kids did about five oranges in half an hour. We used the entire five (5) pound box of mandarins, and almost the entire 1.12 ounces of cloves. If the kids had wanted more elaborate or clove intensive designs, we would have run out.

After the designs were finished we put them on the baking sheet. I preheated the oven to 200 degrees, and we tried to space the oranges out so they weren't touching.

We baked the oranges for an hour. When they came out the smell was wonderful, just like I remember from when I was a child. They took about an hour to cool down to the point where the juices weren't oozing out when you picked them up.

When I looked up ideas online, there seems to be a heated debate about whether you need to do the cooking part in a paper bag or not. As far as I can tell, you either need to let it cure in the oven like we did, or cure in a paper bag for two weeks. Since I didn't have two weeks, we opted for the oven. Curing in the oven had the added benefit of making the whole house smell wonderful while they were cooking. If you want to join the "purists" and use a bag while cooking them, just be aware that a few comments about trying this method included warnings about bags catching fire. That was enough to steer me away from using a bag in my oven.

This is Joshua with his now cooled Orange Pomander. My kids decided they just wanted to have them as "yummy smell" decorations, and not turn them into ornaments, but it would be easy to add some ribbon (make it like a basket to hold the orange with a loop at the top) and make ornaments to hang on your tree.

**A quick reminder that it isn't too late to get in on the drawing for the button purse. Just go here, and tell me about what you are doing to serve this season!!

Remembering Christ at Christmas

2010-12-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

It has been a very hard week for me. The music at church helped to lift my spirit, but not to stop the headache that has been developing for the last few days. I stuck it out at church, and was richly rewarded with the Spirit of Christ. We had a lesson on the sacrament, and how each week we are given the gift of Christ's atonement. At this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in the rush of the season, but it is the gifts of the Spirit that change lives.

I "found" this story on another blog, and my heart was touched. I hope that it touches your heart too!

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it-overspending...the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.

It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."

Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.

That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me.

His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal it's contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.

The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember each other, and the Real reason for the season, and His true spirit this year and always. God bless---pass this along to your friends and loved ones.

--- Copyright © 1982 Nancy W. Gavin
--- Submitted by Edwin G. Whiting
The story first appeared in Woman's Day magazine in 1982. My mom had sent the story in as a contest entry in which she subsequently won first place. Unfortunately, she passed away from cancer two years after the story was published. Our family still keeps the tradition started by her and my father and we have passed it on to our children. Feel free to use the story. It gives me and my sisters great joy to know that it lives on and has hopefully inspired others to reach out in a way that truly honors the spirit of Christmas. --- Kevin Gavin

Put your Russian dancing boots on!

2010-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

I saw the Russian version of this on Bridget's Blog, but didn't understand it very well. So, I looked for it in English. It is not that much easier to understand, but it is a catchy tune. Apparently this group is pretty popular in Russia.

More good memories....

2010-12-18T15:50:00.001-08:00

Need chocolate chips?

2010-12-17T14:47:00.001-08:00

I never seem to have enough chocolate chips during fudge making season. If you like Nestle's chocolate chips, here is a great coupon!

Happy baking!

Good memories

2010-12-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

It was a busy week with Maddy and Michael here. Not all of it was great. There were some hard times, and some that were even painful, but overall it was wonderful to have them here. I will share more pictures over the next few days, but here are some favorite memories.

Maddy loved seeing all her family, especially her siblings. It was great that my grandparents were able to make it down for two days. We all enjoyed opening some early Christmas presents, Maddy especially!

The visit wouldn't have happened without Mark Kelley being willing to come out and join the family for the week. Thank you so much for all your love, support and service, Mark!

Fudge Winners!!

2010-12-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, drum roll please.......

The winners are Emily Robinson, Sariah, Donna M., and Anne Marie M.

I need email addresses or a way to contact Sariah and Anne Marie M. Please email me your snail mail address so I can send you your fudge. Let me know what "flavor" you want!! koponick@comcast.net or leave a comment here!

Here are your flavor choices:
Triple Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Peanut Butter-Triple Chocolate
Mint Triple Chocolate

and for anyone allergic to chocolate: White Chocolate Maple

You can choose all of one flavor, or up to three flavors!

Thanks to everyone who followed the blog this last week. Don't forget you can still win a button purse by commenting on this post!

One Pretty Thing

2010-12-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

I was featured on One Pretty Thing, which is one of the coolest craft blogs around. I am pretty excited. To check out One Pretty Thing, and see the link to my blog post which references my blog post on how to create your own votive menorah, click here.

Or, if you just want to see the original post on how to make your own menorah, and to see how it turned out, you can see them on my here and here.

And don't forget to enter the fudge giveaway! Today is your last day!! Click here for all the details!

Don't Forget the Fudge Giveaway!

2010-12-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, you know you love fudge. Whether you have just finished Hanukkah or are heading into the Christmas season, we all love a little chocolate in our lives.

So, click here to find out the rules and enter the fudge giveaway, sign up as a follower on the blog, or comment on any post between November 30th and December 9th for your chance to win!!

Oregon City Elders singing

2010-12-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

Love these missionaries. They have both gone home by now, I am pretty sure, but we really enjoyed when they were in out area.

This is the Portland Oregon mission song.

Thanks for singing it so well Elder Garner and Elder Gray!

Hanukkah Activities

2010-12-05T19:39:00.001-08:00

The kids and I made these cute paper menorahs. They had fun coloring the version that was a coloring sheet. You can find it here.

We then made Hanukkah necklaces, out of blue and silver beads. Josh and Kat made theirs on silver ribbon, and Sarah used blue ribbon for hers. I used both ribbons, which I thought was brilliant, but made it take much longer than it should have. (Sorry, I didn't get pictures, but will try to get some later.)

We lit our menorah, and then had dinner. In a very non-traditional dinner, we had eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, and hash browns. After dinner we had a family testimony meeting, by the light of our beautiful menorah! It is wonderful to share the light of the gospel with each other by the light our our menorah! It is a blending of traditions and images that bring all of us closer to the Lord!

Happy Hanukkah to all!!

How, and Why, to Make Your Own Menorah

2010-12-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

I am not Jewish, but one of my grandfathers was, before he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His family hadn't been very observant when he was a boy, and he married a nice Catholic girl, so there were not a lot of Jewish traditions that were part of his adult life. However, he did tell me about how much he liked Hanukkah, especially the menorah and the presents they got each night of Hanukkah, when he was a boy.

Even though we don't celebrate all eight nights of Hanukkah, I do try to light a menorah with my children each year, and share with them the miracle of the oil in the temple that should have lasted for only one night, and instead lasted for eight. I used to have a very nice menorah, but alas, I did not get it in the divorce settlement. I bought a cheap one when I was living in Bend, but after the second year we used it, it was broken. When I as pregnant with Maddy, I forgot all about celebrating Hanukkah with my children, and last year we played dreidel for Hanukkah, but we didn't light a menorah.

This year I decided that we needed a menorah, and to celebrate both our Jewish and Christian roots. I spent a good part of the day looking for a menorah, but couldn't find one. After visiting eight stores, and calling several others, I gave up trying to find one, and instead decided to make one.

My mom went with me to Michael's, a local craft store, and we came up with this DIY menorah. Before we went I looked up what the essential parts of a menorah were. Wikipedia had a good basic explanation that you can find here.

The basics for a menorah are that there are eight candles that represent the eight days of the miracle, and then a ninth candle, called the shamash that is used for lighting the other candles. The shamash should always be at least slightly higher than the other eight candles. Traditionally you would start the first night by lighting the shamash and one other candle. Each night of Hanukkah you light an additional candle, until on the eight night, all nine candles are lit.

Here you can see that I got a nice (and on clearance) set of silver tray, and placed four votive candles on each one. Some blue ribbon draped around gives it a Hanukkah flair, but is easy to take off and use for other projects later. The shamash candle holder have a blue ribbon tied in a bow and a silver candle that will be relative easy to light the other candles with.

We are only going to celebrate Hanukkah for one night, so we will light all nine candles on the same night. We will do it as night falls, and the candles will burn for at least an hour, as tradition dictates. We will also say the three Brachots, or blessings, as we do it. (This is the simplest website I found for explaining the brachots. I especially like that this site has recordings so that you can hear the brachots being sung.)

As you can see from this "aerial view" we have nine candles, and the shamash sits higher than the other eight. I enjoyed seeing a variety of non-traditional menorahs, when I was researching on the web, before I tried making my own. (To see a few of my favorite "unusal menorahs, click here or here.) The variety of designs was pretty amazing. My menorah is not nearly as creative as many I saw, but I think it will do well for our family, and I will be able to use the elements of it in Christmas decorations, and throughout the year.

For all of my friends, family members, and readers who are celebrating Hanukkah, I hope that we will all remember that we still live in a time of miracles. After all, isn't Hanukkah about the love of God, making sure that His holy temple would stand as a light to the Jews when they had just defeated an oppressive ruler, and were trying to rebuild their nation? If we apply this to our lives, we can know that God is always there, even as we fight against Satan and his attempts to destroy us. Perhaps the greatest miracle we can receive is the love, hope and peace that God gives us as we pray to him, even in times of great stress or trial.

Happy Hanukkah!
May the love of God bring you
peace, love and the blessings
you most stand in need of!

** Don't forget, it isn't too late to enter the fudge giveaway!

Update on Free Money - What I got....

2010-12-04T08:43:00.001-08:00

I went to two different Hallmark stores yesterday, and used one of the coupons, found here, at each store. I went with two friends, and it was a lot of fun to browse through the stores and see all of the things they had on display for the holidays.

At one of the stores I got wrapping paper. I got 2 rolls that would usually be $4.99 each, for $.98. How did I do it? Well, until Christmas Eve, Hallmark is running a special of buy one roll, get one for $.99. So, with my $5 off any purchase of $5 or more coupon, I only owed $.98. I thought this was an especially good deal because they really did have a good selection of wrapping papers and the paper was heavy duty, not like the stuff I got at a Black Friday sale that rips when I try to wrap anything with sharp corners.

At the second store I got hallmark holiday stickers (2 packs at $2.00 each) one of "last year's" ornaments that was marked down from $5.99 to $1.00, a gold and silver bag with leaves and acorns on it that was in the 50% off section because it was officially a Thanksgiving item (making it $.49), and a handmade hazelnut truffle ($1.75 and so worth the price). My total after using the $5 off coupon was $2.24.

I am taking a friend and her children out today to use some coupons, and then my mom and I are going out this afternoon so we can get more of the wrapping paper. We might even talk my dad into going with us, if we are lucky, and get 6 rolls of paper for less than $3.00.

Gotta love a good coupon, especially when you can combine it with a good sale!!

Did you use the coupon? What did you get?

Also, don't forget any comments on any blog post between November 30th and December 9th will enter you in the free fudge drawing. For more details, go here! I tried out a new triple chocolate/peppermint combination this week, and so that will go on the list of choices for the winners!

Free money - For you and your kids!!

2010-12-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

Well, almost as good as. If you go to Hallmark, or have something you like at their stores, this is your chance to get something for nothing. They have a coupon that lets you get $5 free, and you only have to spend $5 or more for the coupon to work. When you print this out you can print as many copies as you want, so print one for each of your kids, and let them do a little Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa shopping while you are at it! This is the link to the coupon.

Leave me a comment telling me how you are going to spend your "free money" and you will get another entry into the fudge giveaway. Don't forget you can still enter to win the button purse giveaway by commenting here, and that if you become an official follower, you get another entry too!! If you blog about this post, or put it on FaceBook, be sure to leave a comment so I can add that entry to the fudge giveaway!

A season of service - More giveaways - Fudge and a Button Purse

2010-12-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

I think that an integral part of the holiday season is service. Many years our family has adopted another family, and then anonymously delivered presents, food and other items to that family. This year our budget is so tight that we had to ask for help getting presents for our children. We were blessed that the church helped us to have two toys for each of the kids, and I have been able to make a number of presents for the children from left over fleece and other fabric.

Even with all of our struggles, the kids have asked who we are adopting this year. We can't afford to do as much as we did before, but we will be taking used toys and other items in good condition to a homeless shelter in our area. There are two families in that shelter, and they have children. I am glad that we will be able to make their holidays a little brighter.

I am going to make hats for each of the children in the families, and for the younger girls, I am going to make a button purse. So, in addition to the fudge give-away, everyone who participates today will be entered in the fudge drawing, and be entered in a drawing for button purse for you or your little one.

To be entered in the button purse drawing, leave a comment telling about how you are serving in your community, and/or how you are going to get your kids involved in serving this holiday season. You can also get additional entries by sharing this on your blog, facebook, or tweeting. Anyone who donates to help us with our small mission will get an extra entry too.

If you would like to donate items that we can deliver when we take items to the homeless shelter, email me at koponick@comast.net. If you are local I will arrange to pick the items up. If you live farther away, I can give you my address to mail items. From talking to the manager of the homeless shelter, they especially need warm items, personal care items (especially soap, razors, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant), and small toy items that are easy for them to move around when they have to switch shelters.

We will be delivering the items on December 23rd, and I will do the drawing for the button purse that night, so you have lots of time to get your stories and comments posted, or get items to me. If you are local I will get you your button purse to you on December 24th. If I need to mail it, it should be there by New Year's Day!

Don't forget that each comment also counts towards the fudge giveaway....so keep telling your friends! I have decided that each time we have another 100 entries, we will add two more people who will win a fudge package. We are up to a total of 56 entries, so in the next nine days, we could easily have tons of fudge to send out, and lots of holiday spirit shared throughout the world! So, please help spread the news!!

Anyone want fudge? - Giveaway!!

2010-11-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

So, as I was cutting fudge last night, to send as a birthday present to my son-in-law, I was thinking about how much a little fudge can influence lives. I have taken a small package of fudge to hundreds of people over the years.

Most are people I know and want to let them know I am thinking about them, or to thank them for being a wonderful part of my life. Some are homeless people that I have taken fudge to because I believe in serving those who are struggling. Most years I make a lot of fudge, and while I do eat some of it, most of it I give away.

So, dear readers, are you hungry yet? I hope so! I have decided that I want to give away some of my fudge to those of you out in cyber-land. I will let you choose the flavors you want. I will let you choose if you want two half batches, one whole batch or a quarter batch of three different kinds. They are naturally gluten free, and if you have a nut allergy or need chocolate free fudge, I can accommodate that too.

I know you are thinking, what crazy thing do I have to do to get some of that fudgy yumminess. Well, there are a number of ways to get entered in the drawing.

1) Become a follower of my blog. (If you are already a follower you get one entry automatically.)
2) Post about this on your blog or put a link on facebook, and then leave a comment telling me that you did that!
3) Do some kind of service, bonus points if it includes food, and leave a comment telling me what you did.
4) Comment on any post on my blog between now and December 9th to get extra entries.

I am ending the contest on December 9th for three reasons,
1) It will definitely get to you by Christmas. (I am pretty sure this is true even if you live overseas.)
2) I have to make a bunch of fudge that night for a ward service project.
3) The next day Michael and Maddy will be coming, and I will be much busier for the next week, and I want to make sure everyone gets their fudge.

So, I will pick 3 winners at 8 pm PST on December 9th!!

Hallelujah Chorus - Getting into the season

2010-11-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

We always love flashmob videos that are well done. I like this one because there is no fancy choreography, just great singing. I also love that the average age of the people singing is above 40, which is unusual for most flashmob videos I have seen.

Mindy Gledhill- All About Your Heart ( Nie version)

2010-11-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

Lisa, who is my sister's sister-in-law, shared this song on her blog today, and I really like it.

I am not as cool as Lisa, but at least I can recognize cool music when she leads me to it. lol

If you want to see more of Lisa's coolness, then check out her blog here.

What Shall We Give?

2010-11-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

I love this video too....the MoTab (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) always has beautiful music, and the beautiful pictures of the Christ child truly speaks to my heart. I am glad that we have such good reminders to find ways to serve one another.

Christmas Spirit

2010-11-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my sister Katie for posting this on her blog, and reminding me, and lots of other readers, how important keeping Christ in Christmas is. It is the Spirit of Christ that brings us closer to each other, and that makes Christmas the life changing, and potentially world changing time of the year.

What are you going to do today, to bring the Spirit of Christ into your home?

Playing in the snow on Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving morning the kids and I went up to Government Camp to play in the snow.

The kids made an elaborate snow tunnel with their arms.

Sarah made a snow angel.

So did Kat!!

All of us had fun throwing snowballs, and then hugging afterwards.

By this point Josh was cold enough he was getting in the car, and the twins were not far behind. We stopped on our way down the mountain for hot chocolate, and then made it home in time for turkey sandwiches at Grandma's house, before they had the afternoon/evening with their dad.

Thanksgiving Poem -2010

2010-11-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

In our family we have a tradition of writing poems on Thanksgiving, and sharing them. This is my poem this year!

Gratitude in the midst of turmoil,
Humility while the storm rages on,
Thanksgiving for the tempest raging,
Carrying me along.

Faith in the Atonement of my Savior,
Acting in the ways that He would,
Gives me the strength to continue-
Longer than I thought I could.

Confidence in Heavenly Father,
Leads me to sink to my knees,
Blessing the name of my Savior,
I, whom am, the "least of these."

Looking backwards and forwards,
Blessings I see all around me,
Even in deep tribulation,
Service, hope, and charity.

What I am thinking about tonight.....

2010-11-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Nearer my God to Thee

This song has been going through my head today, reminding me what is important. If you want to hear the tune, you can go here. These are the words: