Making plans

Today, November 8, we met with a cabinet company in Fairview and had so much fun designing our new kitchen.  Natalya was so helpful and patient.  We have some excellent basics figured out, and I am excited to move forward, work out more details, and see progress.  

After we went to Das Cafe in Spring City for a delicious German lunch.  I love spending time with my sweetheart.

We came home to our own lists of projects and worked hard all afternoon.  I got leaves cleaned up in the front and back yards and a few other needed items.  By the end of the day, we had a simple dinner and headed to the warm basement to watch a movie.  We settled on One Night with the King.  Partway through, I got that dreaded slight tingle feeling and passed out.  Little did we know that would be just the beginning of our night.

 

Kitchen

 After 25 years of good food, memories, family, and friend time in the kitchen, I am ready to remodel in a big way, and I am so excited.  We are gathering ideas, making plans, collecting bids, and taking pictures. 

I plan to accommodate and enjoy my large family.  I am so grateful for each of them and want them to enjoy being here and know they are wanted and have a place.

 

We are going to extend the kitchen onto the back deck, claiming about 8 more feet on this side of the kitchen.  I am also changing the style to a traditional farmhouse kitchen.  We will have painted cabinets that are an inset shaker style with glass fronts in the upper cabinets.  We will have a center island, but it will go long through the kitchen and probably be table height. I am having so much fun collecting ideas and pictures on Pinterest. I am praying that we can get the right people to help us successfully and affordably complete this job.  Right now, I really need someone to design and organize the cabinets and such in a way that helps me be efficient and creative in the kitchen. 

I choose wife and mother.

We went to see Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Hale Center Theater.  We love going to this theater where top quality performances with family values are always well done, amazing and fun.  It is a theater I would recommend to everyone.

http://story-monster.com/2015/09/cinderella-and-the-prince/

My disappointment came with the 'updates' that have been added to this classic story.  Because we are not suppose to think that a young girl should have plans that include ambitions of marriage and family, that a prince would not want to rescue such a simple girl or that she should hope for a good man that wants to take care of her and her take care of him and they have a family together, they have adjusted the story.  The idea that traditional roles are not valued or desired but put upon us by society, they changed the story.  They made the prince a man who was given something to do that came easy and sounded good but was more of a distraction because he was dumb and not capable of running the kingdom or recognizing the evil of another man that wanted the power.  Therefore men are dumb or evil and power hungry.  Then there is Cinderella who has a noble agenda that she introduces to the prince so that he will do something good and claim his position again.  She uses him to achieve her goals so now they can be happy together.  She is even the one to plan out the idea of a lost shoe so he could search for her.

I started listening to a book called The Burnout Cure for helping Mormon women who realize that motherhood is hard.  She begins by speaking of her mother who married at 19 before she had a chance to know who she was or what she wanted in life.  I find this so insulting.  As if a 19 yo woman can't possible know what she wants and obviously if she did, she would not have chosen to marry and have a family. Choosing to be a wife and mother is not the end of growth and development. It is the beginning of an amazing and rewarding path of growth, challenge, opportunity to love and serve and add value to the world and especially to the people you care most about.

Emily is a young mother of 2 daughters ages 3 and 1 that I recently visited with.  She is at home with her girls. She didn't get married until after she had her masters degree.  At that point she married and together they have chosen to have her at home to raise their children.  Still she wonders at times if she is doing what is best with her life. She has professional training that would be valued in the world and she could be paid well for it.  Instead they are making due on one income and things are tight.  The world, including some with the best of intentions, are suggesting that she settled and should do something more with her life. Surely she cannot find fulfillment or accomplish her dreams by being a wife and mother.

I find all of these examples frustrating in their limited understanding, lack of value of family, lack of belief in traditional roles and the ability to find fulfillment in raising a family and loving your spouse.

Burnout, exhaustion, doubts, levels of commitment to a chosen path are actually not symptoms of traditional roles only.  Anyone in any career path, life choice, relationship is going to have hard days, overwhelming challenges, highs and lows, feelings of not being appreciated as well as the rewarding moments when you experience joy, bliss, reward and accomplishment.  Anything worth doing takes effort, fortitude, energy, commitment, vision, goals.

I don't know why being a woman who chooses family is considered such an easy target for people planting doubt and belittling.  Wouldn't it be nice to support and value this essential and very hard role.  It is also not the end of growth and development.  I believe everything we bring to our family-our talents, interests, abilities and continued learning- add value to our family and the goodness that is family life as well as helping us grow and fulfill our dreams.

Wives and moms are the heroes of society the world over.  Every time we look down on the choice to be a stay at home mom we tear away at the foundation of society.  And what about men?  Let's value their choice to support a family, to work hard day after day.  What if we discouraged them? Told them they were wasting their gifts and talents by going to work every day and then giving all their earnings to support a family?  Think of the glamorous life they could have if they didn't tie themselves down to the traditional role of husband and father. Think of the shallow examples of those who do just that.

I believe that true joy comes in serving others.  I don't believe that if we lived all for our self actualization and fulfillment, always putting our dreams, our agenda first would make us happier.  I don't believe even the author referenced above's mother is regretting her choice to support and love her husband and have 9 children.  Was it easy? No. But which of the children does she wish were never born? Which of their life experiences would have  been guaranteed better if they had been born 10 years later? and had less siblings?

Each of us is given the responsibility as well as the gift to choose. Second guessing our choices is a waste of time.  We do our best when we make decisions. We do our best to thrive in those decisions and learn that every life experience will be half happy and half sad, half good and half hard.  There is oppositions in ALL things.  Stop doubting the value of traditional family and the joy that is a huge part of the sacrifice.

Let's support these women in the things they are able to do, help them where we can but never give them reasons to resent their choices or doubt the good they are adding to the world in a quiet way in the home just because it does not include a glamorous paycheck, nice wardrobe or travel benefits.

The benefits of being the best wife and mother you know how to be, of having the goal to keep getting better at it all the time, are immeasurable.  Even our mistakes along the way are still opportunities to learn, to seek help from God, to provide real life lessons for ourselves and our loved ones.  I know that God sees our heart.  As we seek his help and guidance, as we serve those he has blessed us with with a loving heart, what we accomplish is so much more than anything else the world would claim as adding value.

I know that as we set proper and good priorities, God uses us to add even more value to the world.  There are plenty of examples of wives and mothers accomplishing amazing and professional things.  I believe when we put our family first then the rest falls into place.  Because of our priority, we have perspective, experience, foundation that opens up doors in a most appropriate way.

We are not wasting our education, our talents, our time, our energy. We are spending it on those we value most. We are nurturing it and allowing it to grow in ourselves, in our families, in the community and in the world - one family at a time. I know for a fact that as we seek the Lord's direction in all that we do, He will multiply our abilities and our efforts and our influence.  Out of small and simply things comes that which is great because he touched us.  He gave us the plan of happiness. That plan is all about creating a family and raising that family.  He  gave us all that we have and are. The more we trust him, partner with him, follow his plan; the more we get to see miracles and be an integral part of those miracles.

I love the truths of phrases such as
- have courage and be kind
- In my own little corner I can be whatever I want to be
- impossible things are happening every day

The power of a mother's love is real.  Let it grow in you and share it.  As you do the best that you know how, you will be the mom each of your children need and in your own little corner you will be doing the impossible every day.

Though old, I like this version of Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella. They search for each other, recognize good and the prince doesn't choose her because she is beautiful just on the outside but he looks to who she is inside.  She has courage and is kind.
And my kids grew up with this version
And we have enjoyed Disney's versions of Cinderella.

PS
I just listened to this great podcast "Choosing Deliberately" and loved it.  We don't need to judge other's paths or second guess our own.  We need to focus on our core value of following Jesus Christ and then let that journey or path be led by him, knowing that we are not after the accolades of the world but to be useful in building His kingdom in whatever way he wants to use the gifts and opportunities he has given us.

Apple sauce

This last spring we had a big wind at apparently the wrong time.  I was so grateful that we didn't get a frost while our fruit trees were in bloom but I didn't realize the damage a heavy wind can do.  When your blossom get blown away, you don't get fruit.  No apples this year and we were feeling rather neglected.  Imagine my surprise when are little grocery store had big fuji apples at 2lb for $1.  It was an answer to prayers last week and I made applesauce.   Here is how I do applesauce.


We wash and then peel and core the apples.  Last year I had home grown organic apples so I didn't even peel them.  Just quartered and cored.  Then put them in the blender with some water or juice.  I'm trying a cranraspberry 100%juice this year.  Liquid added just so that the blender can puree the apples. I did about 1 cup per blender full.

Pour puree into pot and heat through.  At this point we added just a little sugar.  Our apples were sweet so I added about 1/2 cup to 6 quarts of sauce (it keeps my husband happy) and a teaspoon of cinnamon.

Put into prepared jars and then process according the recommendations in your area.  We got about 40 quarts of apple sauce from 60 lb of apples.  That was less than a $1 a quart.  Not bad when having to buy apples.  I'm feeling blessed and grateful.

grateful
300  apples do go on sale
301  My first born son turned 21 today.  I'm missing him.  I haven't seen him for 2 years but he will be home in 13 days and I will get to hug him again.
302  YW auxiliary training last night was great.  Curriculum is unchanged (truths are eternal) but they have some great new learning resources that will bless the young women, their leaders as we learn to prepare and all of our families as we grow in the gospel.
303   that when I feel like having some slower days and watching a movie in the middle of the day, I have the flexibility and freedom to do so.  Now I just have to overcome the guilt (or the need to have a lazy day).
304  that after spending all day at home with my children learning and having fun together they still don't want me to leave for an hour tonight to go to institute.

New gardening hopes

A blogger introduced us to this film called Back to Eden and we are excited to make some improvements in our garden.  On that web site there is a how to tab with a little more information.  I couldn't get it to embed but here is another woman with a similar method.

a close up of our peas.  We had tilled and don't really have the supplies to do the other method but we are collecting and doing what we can.  I really liked using the hula hoe on a daily basis.  You just spend 15 minutes in the morning going over a section of the garden, kind of like vacuuming, sliding it over the soil between the rows and the tiny weeds never get a good start and you stay on top of things.  I'll keep doing that on the ground that is showing but we will start to make the transition as we can.

 We have grass growing in our orchard.  I thought it was nice because it cut way down on the mud and weeds. No one was willing to mow it but that was okay until the nursery man came by.  He let me know that the grass takes a lot of water and is competing with the fruit trees for water.  That convinced me that we could kill the grass.  We pile up yard clippings and an old bale of straw.  The second tree we put down card board boxes first.  They will not only kill the grass but they will keep the soil damp and the water that is there will be much better used.  As it breaks down (composts) it will just add goodness to the soil.

 I am adding a little of the straw to the rows as they come up and am hand watering with a hose.  It has worked well.  Very few weeds have come up between the rows because they don't get water and the hand watering seems to be enough because the straw keeps things moist longer.

We also were able to get some raspberry starts.  Thanks J and L. and we planted them on the north side of the greenhouse but behind the sprinklers  I have not watered them for well over a week and the soil under the straw is still moist.  We like in the desert valleys of Utah and are in a bit of a drought. 

We had a very mild winter.  When we don't get enough mountain snow we don't have water for our gardens. I am praying this will be an answer to helping our plants grow healthy and well without the water that is traditionally needed.  This summer we will work on getting a source of wood chips.  We found a newspaper source from the local newspaper office.  They have leftovers of adds each week free for the taking.  Blessings are opening up and I am very grateful.

gold in the garden

The corn has done great this year, again.  And this year it tastes pretty good.  We are enjoying lots of corn at nearly every meal.  Mr. O. I think could eat just corn.  One a day is enough for me.  We did get some frozen, some given away, and some shared with the chickens.

 We freeze the corn by first shucking corn fresh picked that day.  That is the boys job and I prefer they do it outside near the compost pile.  They like working outside best anyway.  Then it is dropped in boiling water for blanching.  Once the water is back up to boiling, the corn is blanched.  Remove and put in cold water.  (over cooked corn never tastes good)

 Then we cut it off the cob.  I like a sharp serrated knife.  Be careful not to cut too deep or you get part of the cob.  It will taste tough.  If you don't want to do all the corn invite all the children and their friends in for a snack.

 Bag in freezer bags with amounts that will serve your family or meet the needs of a favorite recipe, date, and freeze.  Easy peasy.

Apricot Jam

I have been praying for apricots.  I wanted to make jam.  Found one tree but had few apricots on it.  While at the store buying sugar and canning lids the checker asked what I would be canning.  I told her I was hoping someone would give me apricots.  She offered her neighbors tree!  It worked out great and we have had plenty of apricots with enough to share.

To make apricot jam find apricots and pick them.

 Because we didn't know if we would get back that way again the boys just picked everything they could reach and we spread them out on a big table.  They have been ripening some every day.  Every 2 days I do a double batch of jam.

 Wash ripe fruit well. Take out pit and drop fruit in blender.  Puree.

 Measure pureed fruit into large pot.  Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stir occasionally.

Boil 12 minutes. It will foam, just watch that it doesn't go over.  After a few minutes of boiling, the foam goes away.  Ladle into clean jars then place lids on having brought the lids and rings to a boil.  I then steam process them for 15 minutes, label jars, and enjoy the beauty of freshly bottled jam.

Apricot Jam

9 cup apricots pureed

4 Tb lemon juice

8 cups sugar

Bring to full rolling boil for 12 minutes.  Pour injars.  Process 15 minutes.  Makes about 6 pints. (3/4 of an ice cream bucket for 1 batch.)

home improvement

At least I think so.  I am enjoying fresh color and paint.  Now I really want new sofas.  It seems like one thing leads to another.  If anyone wants my sofas, they are available.

 We got rid of some useless trees.  They were a flowering pear but they grew very pillar like, provided little shade and blocked my view of the backyard and the children playing.  My boys loved chopping them down.

I thought I had better before pictures of the kitchen but you get a basic idea for the before:

and now the after with newly refinished floors, architectural interest and fresh colors.  I really like it.

New look for the library

We made some bold changes in our library.  After 11 years of the same colors, very neutral and beautiful, we made some changes.  It feels clean, fresh, light and good.

I also got a slip cover for the love seat.  The floral print just did not match at all.

We have been enjoying some good books here.  We finished The Long Winter just yesterday.  We took all winter to read it.  We also just finished Swiss Family Robinson. 

Learning to read at our house has been a slow process.  We go through so many different resources.  After learning phonics with several programs and still not catching the love of reading we started Dick and Jane books.  Sunshine has loved them.  He is entertained and often shares the stories with the rest of the family.  They are sweet family stories.  What I thought were boring words tell just enough of the story to make the pictures come alive.  It is great practice for so many sight words that just don't stick to the phonic rules.  It has been a lot of fun.  We are looking for more wholesome books to move on to next.  The other recent discovery for Ike was Billy and Blaze.  He read every book in the series and loved them.  Wish I knew of more books of this caliber.

Canning in February

Yes I have been canning today.  With prices of food going up everywhere, it helps to be putting some aside at the current price.  I found bacon on sale.  Guess what.  Bacon no longer comes in a 1 lb package.  It is a 12 oz package.  Be aware of the subtle ways that your food cost is going up whether it be the price rising or the amount you receive shrinking.  I bought a 50 lb bag of farina (or Cream of Wheat).  That is a lot of hot cereal.  Because it will take a while to get through all that I decided to can it or more correctly, bottle it.

 I bought a food saver on recommendation from Lauri for this very purpose.  Then last year I found a woman selling her 2 quart jars.  They are truly a perfect combination.  I don't have a canner that could handle 2 quart jars but it sure is nice to be able to bottle some grains.  They are vacuum packed and sealed.  The result keeps them protected and fresh.  You can even open the jar, use some of the contents and reseal it with the same lid.

I have also used it for bottling nuts and popcorn.  We bottled walnuts earlier this week.  I store popcorn not only for popping but grind it for cornmeal.  It works great.

An inside day

We had some great family work time this morning.  It was time to catch up on some baking.  I got my best 9yo helper and we went to town.  It is amazing how much fun it is to bake together.  He said, "I like this kind of work".  We got to visit,  practice some math and reading my writing while we measured, mixed and baked.  We made bread and hamburger buns.

Whole Wheat Bread

4 cups warm water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

1 Tb salt

2 heaping Tb. vital wheat gluten

2 Tb. instant yeast

fresh ground flour (hard white wheat)

I love my bosch for bread.  Nothing kneads the dough as well.  Add all ingredients to the bowl with only 3 cups flour and yeast on top of the flour.  Begin kneading with the kneading arm and add flour until dough pulls away from sides.  Allow to continue kneading for 10 minutes.  Shape and put in greased bread pans or smash small balls on a cookie sheet to make buns.  Bake bread at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Buns cook faster.  I slice all the bread, bag each loaf and freeze the ones we are not using.  It keeps it tasting much fresher although we will use it up in less than a week.

We also made muffins.

Carrot Raisin Muffins

5 cups whole wheat flour (I use soft wheat)

2 cup sugar (or sucanot)

5 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ginger

combine in bowl.  In separate bowl combine :

5 beaten eggs

20 oz can crushed pineapple

heaping 1/2 cup shredded carrot

heaping 1/2 cup raisins

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Then mix all together just until moist.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes in paper lined muffin tins.  This is a big batch.  It made 36 muffins.  I 2 1/2 times the orginal  recipe so that I could use a full can of pineapple.  The freeze great.

Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup sugar or sucanat

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

1 1/2 cups whole wheat (soft white) flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately to creamed mixture with milk, stirring gently.  Fold in berries. Grease or us paper in tins.  Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

These are the books we are currently reading.  After a morning of projects some read aloud time is welcomed by all.  We recently finished The Lightning Thief.  I'm not sure how I feel about it but I do believe once was enough.  Do you have any opinions?

Signs of Spring

Jobs and joys of Spring include planting peas and picking up 6 months of doggy do do (now that the snow has melted.)

Also bike rides and mud on the tires.

Bulbs coming up, grass greening, and deer snacking on the tulips.

New church clothes and Easter decorations.

This year we found an apricot tree that had just been pruned.  We gathered branches for our decoration.  They are in water and are getting close to blooming.  I am excited to have "Popcorn popping on the Apricot Tree" right in our very own living room.  I love Spring.