Cookie of the Week; with a twist!

This week the "cookie" I made was especially simple. It does not even have a name.

It is what you make when you are desperate and happen to have pretzels and rolos laying around. The basic idea was to unwrap the rolo and place it on top of the pretzel, being sure to spray the cookie sheet with a cooking spray first. Then "bake" the "cookie" for about 5 minutes at 300 degrees. After taking them out place a second pretzel on top of the rolo, which is now squishy and warm. Let cool about 5 minutes and enjoy!

This cookie was an effort to clear my home of extra Christmas Junk! I sorta bit off more then I could chew. No Pepsi/caffeine, weight watchers and up before 6am is really hard. Top that with a nasty cold, I won't mention names (Tara, Trevor, Cameron, Mitchell!) and keeping goals becomes really hard. So I made a decision. I would keep with the no caffeine this week, and add on one more each week. So this is really the last week of cookies at our home. Poor, Poor kids! Watch for the healthy family recipe of the week from now on!

A Brand New Year

This past year my family has been very blessed. We have enjoyed many fun and exciting adventures. Mostly simple little adventures but adventures none the less! For the coming year we have set a few family goals. I myself have set a few goals. Truth be told I am not great at keeping goals. These goals I have made are so important that really I can not stand to be flaky. I have decided that the best way to keep my goals is to share them out load...can you say SCARY!! OK in no particular order....

FAMILY GOALS

1. Establish a house of order....hhhmmmm neat and tidy? Sure..but more! We want to have a year supply of food we will actually eat. Set a routine to keep us from being over burdened with busy stuff! Make a home where the Spirit can reside...so that would mean less contention...softer replies from mom and dad; and less unkind words to and from siblings!

2. Right along with the first goal...we are trying to save more money....and to do that #1 is make do! Sometimes in this life we forget that it is OK to do without. We have shared a car for over a year...somehow we have survived!! Our children both have some fun opportunities this summer and we want to pay cash for them or not at all! YIKES!!

3. Be healthier...ride bikes as a family more...walk the dog as a family more...not eat so many super yummy cookies!! That one will be hard! And....no more caffeine! OH MY! Charlie and I knew it was not good for us, both swearing off from one time or another...but when the leaders of your church publish an article about it in the Ensign we decided to give it a little more effort!

FOR ME

1. I have always been heavy, I really don't like that and now I have high blood pressure. That is not good at all. So my goal is to go to the gym 5 days a week. I commit to walk at least 2 miles each day!! First and foremost the plan is to lower my blood pressure....next is to shrink my bottom!!!

2. No more PEPSI!! This one will be tough!! I know I can do it..it is just going to get ugly around here for a little while!! I drink way too much and well to go without it will help me reach my first goal.

3. Wake everyday at or before 6am...and read my scriptures, pray and workout before the kiddos wake!! That saying "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" is too true in our home. And momma needs a little alone time! Right along with this is to go to bed earlier, everyone!! There is a reason there are all those little sayings about early to bed and early to rise..it is true, at least for me...so to bed before 10pm and up by 6am.

4. And just for fun....this year..I want to paint all 3 bathrooms...finish my laundry room and food supply rooms...triple the size of our veggie garden...and sew and scrapbook more....so to accomplish all this I have set rules for computer/TV time for myself....1 hour on the computer each day...and 1 hour of TV....hold on to your hats...of that 1 hour TV..no more crap..by that I mean...Desperate Housewives, Real Housewives of OC, Big Brother..or anything else that I can not watch with my kids in the room!! Thank goodness for Little House reruns!!

Some of these goals will be hard for me to keep and for our family...but 2009 is the year the MacQueens prioritize!!!

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.

Apron Swap

Here it is! My first real apron! Not too bad I think. It was so fun to participate in this swap. My girl sent me a cute watermelon apron. It is quite tiny, it fits Morgan perfectly. Oh well still super cute and fun! Thanks to Sarah for the sweet hook up to this swap!

Delphiniums, Daisys, and Petunias Oh My!

Last year our sprinklers broke and my lovely husband "had to" tear out all of my perennials. I was not happy. So I "had to" buy $100 worth of new perennials. I was not sure if they would bloom this first year. I was so happy to see so many flowers coming out to show off their colors. Some years have not been so good but this year I am very happy. I am anxious to see the summer blooms start.