Helping Hands

I have been thinking about my children; what blessing they are to me. I have been wondering what I needed to be doing more of to teach them. How to become closer to them. I have observed the world moving so very fast around us. I have noticed my children become withdrawn when they spend too much time watching TV or playing their electronic games. I have contemplated how to help them learn of their worth. I have noticed children in the community who seem to lack self esteem and simple values. I have wondered what I needed to do to prevent that from happening from my little ones. I have knelt in prayer and asked for guidance. Sometimes the answers are not huge. Sometimes you have to listen very closely to hear.

Today I got it.

My son was at football practice with dad. I was cooking dinner. Morgan watching watching pbs kids. That's not too bad. Then I heard one of those shows that I don't really love. I said "Morgan, that show is not appropriate, please change the channel". She pointed out that ALL of her friends got to watch it. I said you are not ALL of your friends. She was unhappy with me, I was certain she was not learning anything worthwhile from watching that show. Then it hit, that sweet soft answer I was searching for.

Ask her to help.

Sure it would take longer. Sure it would be messy. Sure it would be perfect. Morgan peeled the carrots, she was quite pleased with herself. She peeled a ton of carrots, we all had carrots and dip in our lunches today. Best of all, we talked. We talked about school, friends, and dance class. She told me the things she was excited about. She told me the things she was sad about. She told me about a girl at school that didn't have any friends. She told me about the new magic trick her Sunday school teacher showed her class. We had some important things to discuss. I listened and thought these are precious moments.

I am thankful we turned the TV off and spent the time together. She was so pleased to be able to tell her dad and brother that she helped cook dinner. I realized I need to make more of those moments with my kids. It does not need to always be play time. My friend pointed out that in the mundane tasks of life you have time to talk to your kids, and that is why they are valuable.


I am thankful I listened.

Cookie of the Week

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

the before put into the oven picture

the after picture

1 81/2 oz package yellow cake mix

2 Cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked

3/4 Cup veggie oil

1 egg, beaten

mix together and spread half in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan

you will have to spread this with your hands

12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping

1 Cup chocolate chips

1/2 Cup chopped nuts

Drizzle the caramel over the mixture in pan

then add chocolate chips and nuts

crumble remaining cake mix of the top

bake at 350 degrees for 28 -30 minutes

These are really rich so cut them on the small side!

Simple Sunday

Lord, I Would Follow Thee

1. Savior, may I learn to love thee, Walk the path that thou hast shown,

pause to help and lift another, finding strength beyond my own.

Savior, may I learn to love thee Lord, I would follow thee.

2. Who am I to judge another when I walk in perfectly?In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see. Who am I to judge another? Lord, I would follow thee.

3. I woulld be my brother's keeper; I would learn the healer's art. To the wounded and the weary I would show a gentle heart. I would be my brother's keeper Lord, I would follow thee.

4. Savior, may I love my brother as I know thou lovest me, Find in thee my strength, my beacon, for thy servant I would be.Savior, may I love my brother Lord, I would follow thee.

Text by: Susan Evans McCloud

Music by: K. Newell Dayley

Embellished Bag

I saw this super cute bag on Martha Stewart yesterday. I was so excited to try it! My friend has a birthday today so I made her one!

First thing is buy a canvas bag in the size you want, or you can make one. I actually bought this one, but I found canvas in cute colors at Walmart so the next ones will be made. You also need wool felt in the colors you want. OK...so you seam rip the bag open on the sides and turn it inside out.

Next trace a word or letter "backwards" on the inside of the bag. You do it backwards because it shows correctly on the front!! You can print something out or just get crazy and freehand it! Which is what I did.

Then you pin 2 layers of wool felt to the front side. You only need them to be large enough to cover the word or letter you choose. I just did one initial for the 1st time.

So then its kind of like tracing with your sewing machine...they said to use a special foot, but it worked fine with my plain old one, nothing fancy. (SORRY NO PICTURE) After you sew over the word you traced on the inside...you turn it right side out and remove your pins.

Next you first cut away the top felt, close to the seam about 1/8 an inch, I think smaller scissors would have been better but who knows where those are... I will have to check the dogs bed or the barbie box! Then you cut around the second layer 1/8 inch from the first cut!

And the finished project! I think it is pretty cute.. I would not choose such swirly letters next time; it was kind of hard to cut around. On the show they made simple flowers, words, names and initials. I have grand plans for my family!

It's All Good!

About 6 months ago I went for a routine mammogram, where they found a small lump. Scary! So...about 10 days later I went for a ultrasound, where they were not able to find it. So back for more mammograms, about 12 to be exact. Better safe then sorry I always say. The lump, they were fairly certain was nothing but a lymph node. Today I went for my 6 month check up. This time I went to the Huntsman Cancer Center. They were so nice and friendly, but the best thing about Huntsman is that they do it all the same day. So if they were concerned about the mammogram they would send you for the ultrasound, then on to a biopsy and so on. Well today they looked at all the mammograms, old and new, and said all is well. I still have a lump, it is still a lymph node. YIPEE!!!

So today I am thankful for health, advanced screening, my nephew Chris because he took Morgan to dance class, and a husband who took the afternoon off to sit by my side and in the waiting room for the whole time. Plus he sent me funny text messages while I was in the back waiting...just to keep me calm.

Last of the Season

This one is for you Chad!!

Chad loves my strawberry freezer jam. In fact he will not eat

any other type of jam. Combine that with the 3 sandwiches a day

he eats and you can see why I need to make so much of it! Truth

be told this is the third batch I have made this season!

Well that and it is so pretty, isn't it pretty?

I just was not quite ready to admit it was fall so one last

summer goody!

Cookie of the Week

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I thought that these cookies would make a good choice as today is the first day of fall!

1/2 Cup Butter 1 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 Cups Sugar 1/2 tsp salt

1 egg 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 Cup canned pumpkin 1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract 6 oz chocolate chips

2-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together, add egg and pumpkin. To that add vanilla, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and flour. Fold in chocolate chips. Use a big scoop (1/2 Cup) to scoop onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-16 minutes.

I doubled this recipe with no trouble. Also you can add chopped nuts instead or in addition. Also you can make them smaller but be sure to decrease the time you bake them!

Simple Sunday

Mark 5:25-31

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather was worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.

29 and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of the plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31 And his disciples said unto Him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth.

34 And He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

The REAL Me

OK..This is very scary! Recently some old friends pointed out that I was all Molly now. Where was my crazy life from the past? Was I one of those super freaky clean, stay up all night sewing and crafting people now? No! Most definitely NOT!

So in an attempt to keep it real and to motivate myself to "put my house in order" I will post the before pictures right now! The after will follow shortly, maybe even tomorrow! But with football and teaching Ivette to make salsa it may not happen until Monday, Sunday being a day of rest and all!

Some Family (as in a portion of)

This is a picture of my children, Chad and Morgan and my brothers children. My brother and his wife has been blessed with a couple more children then we have, can you tell which belong to who? See the big one in the corner? He is now a missionary! We met up with my brothers family the evening before my nephew entered the MTC, Missionary Training Center. He is serving a mission in Mexico for the next 2 years. He will be in the MTC for at least 9 weeks to learn Spanish, then he will go and serve the people of Mexico.

I recently received two separate correspondences from him. The first was an email sent to his parents, and they kindly forwarded to family. What a great way to keep us all in the loop. That very same day we received a hand written letter in the mail. The kids like that one even more. Elder Wertner asks about them specifically and shares some fun thoughts with them. What a blessing to have a cousin influencing them in such a good way. This is only the second missionary in our family so it is still so fun and exciting for all of us.

Well in the email he asks for prayers, because they are having trouble getting visas to Mexico. He not only asks for prayers for himself, but for his whole district. So please do that for him and his companions if you are inclined.

He shared "his favorite" scripture with us. I think he is studying his scriptures so much these days that his favorites changes from time to time as the spirit influences him, because each letter had a different favorite in it!

Alma 29:9

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God t bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

I think Elder Wertner has caught the spirit. He is anxious to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.

Making Salsa out of Tomatos

OK, I can not get these pictures to post in the order I want them to! So these tomato's are from our garden. Really it is Chris and Rockets garden. They are the ones who spend most time in it. So we had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. I canned a ton of salsa from them. Right now it is just a pain, but come January I will be thrilled to have homemade salsa. It only takes 3-4 hours and a sink full of tomatoes. No Big Deal!

Cookie of the Week

Old fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is the same one that my mom made for me and my siblings. I remember that you could always count on a goody on rainy days. A really fun tradition! Since we grew up in Southern California it is actually amazing that we got chubby! It really did not rain much at all. Here in Utah we get a bit more "weather". I still try to keep the tradition alive. These are simple straight forward cookies. I often call them the man cookies because men like them much more then women, but I think most people will enjoy them.

1 Cup butter, softened

1 Cup shortening, Crisco (not buttered flavor)

1 Cup dark brown sugar

1 Cup white sugar

4 eggs, added one at a time

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

5-6 Cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 bag milk chocolate chips (guittard is my favorite brand)

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the ingredients in the order listed. Be sure to mix the butter and shortening for a couple minutes before adding the sugar. Also add at least 5 cups of flour, but then add just enough more to make it so that you can hand scoop the dough. It is sticky to the touch, but you can handle it with out a spoon. Does that make sense. I used to have a cookie scoop but it broke, I think I bake a bit more then the average person. So I just hand roll them now, and that works fine.

Bake at 350 degrees for between 11-14 minutes.

I live in a higher altitude now so I have to bake mine for 14 minutes, but when I lived in CA I only baked them for 11-12 minutes. Enjoy!

First Day Of School, A Little Late

First days are always a mix of emotions. We are all so very excited to start a new year. New friends, new teachers, new clothes. Everything new. But it does mean summer is over, and that is always a little sad. This is the one picture of both kids on the first day. Chad will no longer allow pictures with his teacher in the classroom. Thank heavens for Morgan! Morgan has Mrs. Borden this year. She is very happy to be starting 2nd grade. The first week Mrs. Borden let the kids pick their own table mates. Morgan of course sat at a table with all girls. She loved it, the other little girl in the picture is a friend from 1st grade. Morgan is so excited about this year; her teacher has lots of fun plans for the class.

Chad, who I have no classroom picture of LOVES his teacher, Mrs. Reed. Now if you happen to have a boy child you understand when your son comes home and will not stop talking that is a good sign. His teacher this year was the science teacher of the year for the state last year. She has done some sort of science every day so far. The first major project the class had was to make an archaeological dig about themselves. Take a box fill it with 5-8 things that represent yourself add rice or beans to cover. Then another classmate "digs" for the stuff and determines who he is learning about. Chad loved it!

It may be to soon to tell but I think this year may be a good one at school. Lets hope so!

A Surprise

So the last table runner was so fun I made another one. This one is for a friend. A very good friend. Who will be getting a surprise package in that mail in a couple days! She better love it! She knows I do not quilt so well. She also knows I procrastinate. Anyway when she gets if she is nice she will comment about how much she loves it and me!!