Thanskgiving Trip....

This year we decided to rent a cabin at Daingerfeild State Park. Oh this was a great trip! The cabin was clean and cute! It came with bedding and towels, although we brought sleeping bags for everyone. We just laid them on top of the beds. The park was beautiful! There was hiking trails, playground and boat rentals. We did it all. So much fun. Here we are walking a trail.






















Here are the boys playing on the slide.




And boating.


We had a bonfire every night and ate smores. We also had a little testimony meeting one night too. We left Sunday and came home Tuesday. It was just long enough for us to have some family bonding and to do something fun over the break. We were home in time for me to make a big Thanksgiving dinner.

It's Fall...

Leaves are falling on the ground
On the house top on the ground.
Leaves are falling on my head
On my hands and feet and toes!

Chiron is loving this fall weather. He loves to be outside playing in the dirt or leaves. Every time the door opens he runs to it hoping to go outside. If the door closes before he gets a chance to run outside he cries. Poor Chiron. He would be outside all day if he could. To bad he burns so easily.

Babies...

Life has been very busy lately. Amiss all the hustle and bustle, a few sisters in my ward had babies. I made beautiful car seat blankets for them. In my rush to give them to these sweet sisters, I forgot to take a picture of the first blanket I made. I made the first blanket out of fleece. It turned out great. And the sister loved it. Here is the second blanket I made. They were alot of fun to make and it has helped me expand my talents.

New Pictures for Christmas

Yesterday we went to Frisco Square and had pictures taken. Yes, I did them my self. It was a little difficult as you can imagine trying to get everyone to look at the camera, especially Chiron. Most of the pictures turned out beautiful. Here is a small sample. It was so much fun. It was a great place to have them taken especially with boots and cowboy hats. I would love to go back and take more. I think they turned out beautiful!

Oh, the things we do....

So mother bear woke up one morning and looked at her house. She said "Oh, this will not do!! We need to clean our little den." So she got a plan together and she got it together fast. She made lists of things that needed her attention. She rearranged the boys bedrooms. She cleaned out their closets and drawers. She reorganized. She cleaned and scrubbed. She bought plastic bins and labeled their stuff. Oh, she was just getting started. On she went to the boys bathrooms. She decluttered, she scrubbed, she organized. Oh, it was looking good. She tackled her little room next. Cleaning. Check. Organized. Check. Decluttered. Double check. The kitchen was next on her list. Every cupboard was cleaned, reorganized and decluttered. Check and double check. On mother bear went cleaning and organizing everything in here little den. When the work was done, and oh was it work, she looked around and was so happy. Everything in the right spot, clean and organized and labeled. Then she wondered as most mothers wonder--how long will my house stay this clean?

Daniel..

I received this e mail from Daniel's teacher:

Today right before we took our Flashcard Test Daniel raised his hand and said, "I don't gamble, but I'd bet I get the highest score out of the class on this test." I laughed and told him that we'd see. And he did get a 100. Tell him good job for me.

Stephen Vrska
Stafford Middle School
7th Grade Texas History & Spanish

I just love this boy!

Batter Up...

I read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Covey a few years back. I was impressed that he suggested that we need to have a motto/ theme for our family. So I have been on the outlook for one for my family. I have paid attention to families that seemed to run efficiently and had love in their home to see what they used. I have looked for a long time and finally I have found one. I brained stormed alot of ideas such as Kindness begins with me, Obedience is key, We are a serving family, No empty chairs. Just nothing hit the spot. Conference was coming and as I prepared for conference I had decided to listen specfifcally for a motto/theme for our family. In this past Conference Eyring used Please no empty chairs in one of his talks. I liked it because it was concrete. You can visualize every member of the family sitting in a chair. But it lacked something for our family. A few days later it hit me what our theme/motto would be. I coudn't wait to tell my husband. When I told him he said "That's it". Our theme/motto is "Step up to the plate". You see, we are a baseball family. This is concrete to my boys. It's something that they understand. It's meaning is vast. It can be applied to so many facets of our lives. It's meaning is to be the best we can be in all aspects of our lives. We presented the idea to our boys for FHE. We are a team. The prophet it our Coach. He will not let us loose. Jesus owns the team. He is rooting for us. All we have to do is make it all around the bases. First base is baptism. Second base is honorable mission. Third base is temple marriage and Home base is the Celestial Kingdom. It's all for one and one for all! Now... Let's play ball!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

I know that I haven't blogged in a long while. Much has been going on around this house. To help me ease back into blogging, I thought that I would start with these wonderful cookies. These are my boys favorite cookies, especially Daniel's.

1 c peanut butter
1 c butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Cream peanut butter, sugars, eggs, and butter. Add the powder, salt, soda and vanilla. Mix. Add flour. Bake 350 for 12 to 15 min.
*variation: Double the recipe and add 1 cup of rolled oats and a bag of chocolate chips.

I always add chocolate chips and oats. These are very yummy and makes a lot. Perfect for my family. I hope you all enjoy it too :)

Friends...

Today I was totally shocked and saddend to hear of Sister Branch's passing. I loved that lady. She was quick to laugh and easy to be around. We went to many movies together. I loved spending time with her. She was a dear friend. We lost contact after a while since we were in different wards. You know how that goes. Her husband home taught our family for a couple of years. He administered to Nathan when Nathan had his traumatic brain injury. I know that she is in heaven now. I will miss her. I pray for her husband and daughter. I know that it will be hard for both of them.

Losing a dear friend, makes me think of my own life. We never know how long we have. We must make our minutes count. Friends and family is what it's all about. How I wish I could have talked with her one last time. I hope that we will meet again. Until then goodbye sweet friend. You were so dear to me and were there when I needed you! I will miss you.

Chess or Chest...

A very popular game in our family is chess or chest as Qualan says. Everybody loves to play this game, but there is one problem. Nobody knows how to lose gracefully. Today Qualan wanted to play me a game of chess, but Chiron was not letting me so Dad took over for me. Qualan played a good game, but lost. What a sad moment.

Apronistic....

Richard and I decided that we needed some new aprons. So I made us up one. Here we are all in our aprons! Aren't they cute :)!!

Summer Learning...

The number one question that my boys have asked me this summer is "Does this stain?" After saying yes hundreds of times and trying to soak and scrub stains out of my boys clothes, I had an epiphany. I was going to make my boys some aprons!! I took them to the store and had them pick out their own fabric. The boys decided that they wanted to sew their own aprons. I thought that would be a great idea. Everyone needs to learn something new. The boys did a really good job! They love their aprons! And I am glad to say they have already been stained saving their clothes :)

July 4th

This year we went to LA for the fourth of July. In LA you can shoot off your own fireworks. This is the best part. My kids love to go buy and then set off the fire works. Can you see the sweat on Chiron's face? While we were there Daniel Darnell came to administer the sacrament to Richard's father. This is the man that Richard gets his middle name from which leads to Daniel getting his name.

Oh What Do you do in the summertime?

This summer has been so fun. We have spent hours reading stories, eating Popsicle and making yummy homemade icecream sandwiches.

Boy Scout Camp...

Monday morning, bright and early, (3:00 am) Richard took the boy scouts to camp. It was a week filled with fun activities. Nathan took archery. He has a great eye. He was the only 11 to qualify for the merit badge. Daniel took rifle. Richard and the Bishop stayed the week. It was hot. Hot! It was 108 for the first three days and then cooled off to 107. (That's not including the heat index which was 112) It rained a few nights as well. Richard said that it was so hot and humid that he could see his breath as he breathed out. They had a testimony meeting amid all the fun. Nathan already knows what he wants to do next year. The food was subpar. Richard didn't eat very much, but the boys didn't seem to notice. While they were having fun, I stayed home with Chiron and Qualan. Gwen and her two boys came and visited. We had a great time making bread and talking.

Talents...

This summer I haven't had a lot of computer time. But in the few moments I have had I have come across some very cute blogs. Some people are so so talented. What happend to me? Anyway here are some adorable blogs http://projectsforyournest.blogspot.com/
http://kari-youcanmakeit.blogspot.com/
Each of these blogs will link to more cute blogs. So go ahead. Spend sometime looking and find something you love and want to do. Let me know what you think!

Baseball...

Richard took Daniel, Nathan, and Qualan to a Rangers game. They had the time of their lives.

Memorial Weekend

For Memorial week end my second cousin came to visit me!! I was so so happy to see him and meet their new little one James and their two year old Jeffery. We had a great time with them. I hope to see them soon:)

We also went to the Arboretum. The flowers were beautiful. There were tons of people there taking photos. They also had a bunch of exhibits for the children to climb on or go in. We need to go there more often.

Granola...

I have tried many granola recipes and this one is the BEST!! It is my mom's and I make this often. We eat granola with yogurt or with sliced apples with a little bit of peanut butter spread on them and dipped in the granola. I eat it like cereal with milk poured over it. Anyway you eat it, it is healthy, tastes great and is filling.

5 c old fashioned oats

1 c sunflower seeds

1 c coconut

1 c sliced almonds

1 c powder milk

1 c wheat germ

1 c honey

1 c oil

Mix the first six dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix oil and honey together. Pour over the dry mixture and stir until well coated. Bake on large cookie sheet stirring every 10 minutes at 250 for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Day's...

We all have our days. I guess today is mine. The day that you don't feel yourself, your mind is filled with self doubt and negative thoughts. I think things that aren't really true, but feel true. Sometimes feeling can over rule reality. Or is it, that there is some reality to it and I normally just ignore it. I have to remind myself that I do matter and the Lord is watching over me and He knows the desire of my heart. Cheer up It's going to get better...maybe?

Thank you

So the story goes... Last year I wanted Daniel to sign up for band. I talked about it alot and he kept telling me that he wanted to do the elective wheel. I kept talking about band and he stuck to the elective wheel. One day he finally said "That's what you and Dad would do--BAND! I want to do the elective wheel." That stopped me talking about it. I decided to let him do what he wanted to do. He turned in the paper with the classes he wanted to take for 6th grade. I never said a word about the elective wheel. A few weeks later, I picked him up from school and he said in a very loud and excited voice "You need to sign this pink paper. I am taking band next year!! They go to Six Flags!!" He picked his instrument;the ephonium. The first day of school he came home and said that he loved band. I heard this often through out the year. He talked about band alot. He often thanked me for encouraging him to go into band. The first band concert he was elated. He came home after practice and said that they sounded "AWESOME". And I have to admit that they did sound really good. Daniel has learned to play his instrument despite his broken elbow. He has worked hard and practiced alot. I decided to write a thank you note to his teachers. They have made all the difference to Daniel. Here is the email I sent them:

Mr. Holzer and Mr. Kelly and Mr. Bruce

I just wanted to tell you how much Daniel Bradford has enjoyed band this year. He has absolutely LOVED it. It was his favorite class. He would come home and want to practice first before he did anything else. You guys have truly blessed and enriched his life. Thank you Thank you Thank you!! He is so sad that the year is almost over but looks forward to seeing you guys on Wednesday. I hope that you guys enjoyed teaching him as much as he enjoyed learning from you. Thanks again :) Jennifer Bradford

They replied:

The pleasure has been all ours. Daniel is a great young man, if they were all like him I would do this for free! I have enjoyed getting to know him this year. He is a very witty guy and has a great sense of humor. We have labeled him the 5th band director. His playing has really caught on fire as well. This is due to his hard work and support from you. Thank you for this and all of your help this year. I can't wait for next year and look forward to seeing Daniel grow as a musician and a person.
Thank you,
Christian

Done...

Well, we finished the book The Last Olympian. It was fantastic!! It was intense, action pack and suspenseful. Oh, it was good. I read most of the book. Richard read a few chapters too. I wish I could do voices like books on tape. That would have made it even better, but I lack that ability. My boys don't seem to mind though. I am looking forward to reading to my boys this summer. I already have the books picked out. Hopefully they will be as good as this one.

Nine Months...

Chiron is now 9 months old. Oh, How my heart hurts to see him grow! Although, it's fun to see him explore the world around him and interact with his family. I love this little man!! What a cutie he is especially with that hat!!

Nathan participated in a chior festival. They went to Wakeland High school and sang two songs which were judged. They received high marks and had a great time.

Gone Fishing....

A few years ago, I was at a cemetery. One of the headstones read "Gone Fishing" . It had a picture of an early 20 year old man holding up a big fish. There is something to be said about the past time of fishing. Richard can tell some great stories of him and his Dad and/or Grandfather fishing. They make you laugh til your stomach hurts. Richard said that it was high time that he took his boys fishing. We have taken them in the past, but it had been a while. They so so enjoyed themselves.

Good Books.....

My boys have been counting down the days for the last Percy Jackson book--The Last Olympian to come out. It came out May 5. We put it on hold at the library way back. They called May 6 to tell us the book was in. My boys are so excited. I will be reading the entire book out loud--381 pages to my boys. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Bread...

There are two bread recipes that I tend to use over and over again. I love making bread. It is a hobby of mine. The first recipe my brother gave me. You can make 4 loafs in about an hour. It is a light bread that is very good for sandwiches and toast. The second recipe is a more hearty bread. And it is good!! I make this for soups and stews and toast. It takes a bit longer to make but so well worth it. This recipe makes two, so you may want to double it.

One Hour Bread

5 c. white flour
5 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. gluten
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 TBS salt
3 rounded TBS of SAF yeast
1/3 c oil (or lecithin 3 half dollar size globs directly in the flour)
4 c. hot tap water
3 eggs (optional but adds flavor)

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil, water and eggs. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix then five minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with dish towel. Let raise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Honey Wheat Bread

1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c warm water
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 c water
1/4 c melted shortening
1/4 c honey
2 tsp salt
5 c wheat flour (I prefer hard red wheat)

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 c warm water. Combine milk, 1/4 c water, shortening, honey, salt and 2 c flour in a bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add 3 more cups flour and mix for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a big buttered bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until double. Punch down, and divide dough in half. Form into loaves and place in a greased bread pan. Let rise in a warm area until double. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Butter crust while warm.

Sweet Things...

I love the sweet things in life. The sweet things in life make me feel happy and loved. They uplift my soul and help renew my spirit and keeps my focus on what it important.
Here is a short list of things that I enjoy.

*I love laying in my bed Saturday mornings listening to my boys laughing and giggling with each other.

*I love the sound of sprinklers. It means that summer is on it's way and everything will be green again.

*The gift of friendship. I love spending time with good friends who cherish me. I love to laugh with them. I don't have very many friends, but the ones I have I cherish them and want the best for them. How I love my friends!

*Fresh cut flowers

*Taking/looking at pictures of my boys

*Surprises

*Good books and Great movies that are up lifting

*The beauty of the Earth. Isn't it beautiful? It is absolutely breath taking!

*I love when my husband walk through the door and says he is home!! What could be better than that?

*Good,good food

I will add more and more to this list. It is important to me to recognize gifts that the Lord has given me. I am thankful for all he has given me. I hope that I can always treasure the gifts and show my gratitude.

We went for a walk the other day and took some pics. Here are just a few. I love pictures of my family. I wish that I were better at taking them.

Daniel participated in District Solo & Ensemble Festival on April 25, 2009. The festival was held at Staley Middle School. Daniel's time was 10:40. He arrived 30 minutes early to warm up. He then went before a judge and played a solo. After hearing Daniel play the judge gave Daniel a few pointers and then rated him. Daniel received the highest rating. Boy, was he happy!! We celebrated with ice cream. Congrats Daniel on a job well done :)

Nice...

Yesterday I asked Daniel to do something for me. Something that I knew he wouldn't enjoy, but none the less still needed to be done. He replied "I will do it immediately Mom!" I stopped and said "What?" He said again, "I will do it immediately!" He said it with gusto and smiled at me. He meant it.

I got to thinking about that. I thought of Nephi and how he had to go get the plates. It was not an easy task but none the less they had to have them and so he went; immediately. Am I like that when asked to do something that isn't fun or exciting? Do I jump up and say "sure I will go and do that right now!" When thoughts of service come to my mind, do I act upon it immediately? How does the Lord feel when I get promptings of service and then I delay because I feel foolish. Maybe the person won't like the service I am providing and so I don't do anything. Would the Lord feel less burden if I follow those promptings immediately?

I thought of Chiron and how he had wrapped the blanket around his head. What would have happend to him if I didn't run when I felt those promptings?

When Daniel said that he would do that chore immediately I felt my burdens lift a little. It's always nice to have a little help without having to beg or nag someone. I want to lift the Lord's burdens too. He has done so much for me and I hate to have to burden him. I will go and do it immediately!

Make a Smilebox recipe