Mad Libs in Motherhood...

A few days ago, I left a comment here  for a Motherhood Mad Libs. 

This is what came about using my answers..... 

Job posting: Motherhood

WANTED:  One sharp lady to work full time as mother in a magnificent household.  Job duties include:

Doing laundry softly for at least seven people in a washing machine the size of a sock

Coming up with something to cook for dinner every night even when you only have rye, butter & bananas  in your cupboards.

Cleaning the house until the floor’s so clean you could shine on it.

Bathing and dressing children.  (Experience working with sea lions is very helpful.)

Creating and maintaining a discipline plan to ensure that children talk, sleep & travel promptly.

You don’t have to do it all alone.  You could also make a gorgeous chore chart and sit back and watch while the children love.

You should probably be paid about $ 4 an hour for this work, but you’ll do it for free since it makes your heart say “seriously! ”

Big people need not apply.

Oh, and remember that in heaven, you’ll get lots and lots of books.

There are days some of these 'job requirements' feel that way in real life... thankfully not everyday. Even with the hard days that come along, I am grateful for the opportunity. 
  I love being a Mom! 

Salt and Pepper

Today felt like a marathon, but we got so much done. We went to the local library for a family event that ended up being a LOT of fun (and confirmed that DS is really, really good at playing checkers against whoever wants to play), we went shopping for groceries, some clothes for the kids, joy school materials, fish oil for the kids, and 4 more fish for our tank.
But a moment today, has left me thinking and pondering...
We were having lunch and our kids took form the table the salt and pepper shakers... they were ready to play with them and a sudden question came out my mouth... "Hey kids, do you know where salt and pepper come from?"  Then silence for a moment....
So, DH and I had a very good chat with them about salt and pepper... playing at the table was then channeled into a nice talk and a reminder that 'teaching' children can happen anytime, any day and I do not have to have a formal time to teach. I can take any opportunity and turn it into a moment where I can connect with my family and feel joy. This is not new and already obvious... but today was a time to reflect on that and relish on the moment.
The moment turned out to be the 'salt and pepper'  in our busy day and a chance to have a simple moment we will all remember. 
What are some of your "salt and pepper" moments?

35- 40 minutes that save my pregnant belly days! Yahoo!!!

Never thought that pregnancy would be a nice period of time in my life... but I love feeling a little one inside me moving and enjoying his/her tenancy there.  I honestly cannot even complain about morning sickness (thanks to my awesome chiropractor doctor, I got just the right prenatal vitamins that take my stomach uneasiness away if I ever start to feel it).  However, pregnancy it's not an easy time for me some days though, so I meet my great friend every (or most) days:

My totally awesome husband got this video for me when I was pregnant with my first child. It helped a lot. Then with my second child, it helped even more. But this time around it's a life-saver! That's the truth!  Tiredness is a constant for me the first 10-14 weeks and then it returns my last trimester, and several aches that for me start around month #5, seem to fade away as long as I spend the 35-40 minutes toning my body and taking some time for me. DH makes sure I have that time every day and to him I am extremely grateful. I have not been able to hear/see/or follow till the end of this video. The relaxation section at the end, puts me into dreamland every single time and even laying there on the floor, I can rest and don't feel a single ache. Maybe one day I will be able to watch it until the end, but for now I am happy to drift to sleep every time... which I so need.

I can't wait to be in labor and to have this baby in my arms and be a mother to a new child in our home. Can't wait!

So, what do you do or have done when you are expecting your babies to help with the nuisances that come from pregnancy? 

Filling our cup...

We sure did!

It looked like this:

Oh, it was sooooo good. 

Bluberry-Almond real  "good to your belly and soul - need to share it"  milkshake.  There have been many days in the past 4+ years that we have thought.... 'Oh, how would you like a milkshake from Granny's'? And we would just dream....

But you know! getting older it's not so bad.  It wasn't my b-day, but Aaron had one and we got a day while visiting UT,  all for us.  My dear sisters and brother and their families kindly and happily took our children and we went on a day-long date to:  IKEA ( I know, it might sound lame... but buying glasses (finally, since all the ones we had pretty much have disappeared (aka broken) and we were in desperate need of glasses) at IKEA without children was really great and relaxing.  We visited Park City, and a quaint Mexican Restaurant which was followed by this cup of heavenly Milkshake at Granny's in Heber City. And we ended where we started.... seven and a half years ago.... our first date. We went walking by the river after having failed (me) miserably at rollerskating with a pair of roller-skates that nearly killed my feet. But we walked this time around the same river holding hands, kissing, and realizing that many things have changed (for the better). It brought a sweet feeling of gratitude for MANY wonderful things that have happened and gratitude for the many challenges we keep on encountering. We got our cup filled ...

We then got back home to my sister's house, only to find our son suffering from a stomach flu. We thought the night ahead might turn into a very long one... but thankfully we had  with us (really on accident) homeopathic tablets of  Ipecacuanha and he was able to stop his constant throwing up pretty quickly,  to be able to rest for the night and recover. All in all, it was all good!

Whole 8 grain flour

Whole grain flour... delicious.  I've found that the secret to baking with whole grains is to get the right mix of grains--then my baked goods come out light and fluffy instead of heavy and hard, with no white flour needed.  I've received questions about the mix of grains I use and so I want to share with you my method of doing things.
It is a great feeling to whip up a batch of rolls for dinner, or muffins for breakfast, etc. and know that you've done it for at least 1/10th of the cost than at the store--and that you've done it with fantastically nutritious and delicious results!
So... here we go.

8 grains: Wheat, Spelt, Triticale, Barley, Millet, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Oat Groats.

The approximate amounts I use are listed below with the pictures. 

1 cup Wheat

3/4 cup Spelt

3/4 cup Triticale

2/3 cup Barley

1/2 cup Millet

1/3 cup Brown Rice

1/2 cup Quinoa

1/3 cup Oat Groats

I mix them well and place them in my wheat grinder (aka grain mill) and voila! Out comes the best flour I have had the pleasure to bake with. I only grind what I need at any given time preserve the grains' nutrition.

Grain mix in my Wolfgang Wheat Grinder

(available at www.bestwheatgrinder.com)

Note:  If I am making muffins (which usually carry some kind of fruit) or dinner rolls, I add 1 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum to the batter/dough to help it bind together. Those items still turn out great without the Xanthan Gum, but might be a little crumbly.  For other items I've found it's not necesarry.

Best of luck in all your whole grain baking adventures!  And once you've given it a try, please come back and leave a comment to let me know how it went (or to share some baking secrets of your own)!

One sweet moment in time

I had the chance to be in the classroom where my son had his class at Church today. It was such a treat for me to be there and see my child there. My heart was filled with love for him and specially for our Savior Jesus Christ. Christmas is all over now, so it was so sweet for me to have that feeling today. That He lives and that He loves me, He loves my sweetheart and my children in a PERFECT way that I cannot even begin to comprehend. I wish that I could have seen Him blessing the children and shedding tears for those He loved. But I get to have other experiences in my life that can help me to get to know Him better as if I would have been there. I want that in my life.

About to welcome a new friend!

I grew up in a big city and having a dog was not much of an option.... plus I have not been much of an animal person. Well that's about to change.
See, Aaron is a dog advocate and has wanted to have a dog at somepoint for our family. Has mentioned it before;  but knowing how I have felt about the issue, he has not put ANY pressure on me. Wise man!!!!

Well, these past couple of weeks have changed me. There's just this sweet feeling that my children and me for that matter, our family.... we need a dog. I have felt how it can benefit my kids and I am grateful for these feelings. I am even exited about it... so in the next couple of weeks we will welcome a beagle puppy.