Pi Day and a Basket full of Blessings!

Yesterday was Pi Day!  3.1415 (3/14/15)
So, we decided to celebrate by eating pies!  I kind of went pie crazy, but in a mini way.  I made mini chicken pot pies, mini shepherd pies and mini banana cream pies.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Mini Shepherd Pies

Mini Banana Cream Pies

Here are Daddy and Kate enjoying their shepherd pies!

I made a total of 72 pies!!!!

Blessing Basket:

I read a talk the other day by Bonnie D. Parkin, "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness". It was a great talk. I've really been trying to focus on being grateful and I really liked this story that she told. 

Let me share a sweet story with you. A family was going through a difficult time. It was hard for them not to focus on their challenges. The mother wrote: “Our world had completely crumpled, so we turned to Heavenly Father for guidance. Almost immediately we realized that we were surrounded by goodness and were being cheered on from every side. We began as a family to express our gratitude to each other as well as to the Lord daily. A close friend pointed out to me that our family’s ‘blessing basket’ was overflowing. From that conversation came a sort of game, which my children and I grew to love. Before family prayer each night we would talk about how our day had gone and then share with each other all of the many blessings that had been added to our ‘blessing basket.’ The more we expressed gratitude, the more there was to be grateful for. We felt the love of the Lord in a significant way as opportunities for growth presented themselves.”
What would a “blessing basket” add to your family?

I've pondered her question and decided that I should start a BLESSING BASKET on my blog. 

My Blessing Basket

1. As of a few weeks ago, I am the new Compassionate Service Leader in our ward.  I really don't know what I'm doing, but I am very excited for this calling.  I am excited that it will help me look outside of my little basement "bubble" that I live in and help others around me.  I have already had two opportunities to serve, or at least work on my calling.  A lady in our ward needed rides to a medical facility once a week.  I was a little nervous that we might not get enough people to sign up for this service because it meant that one person would have to get up at 5:30 AM on a Saturday and drive her to the medical facility and another would have to pick her up at 11:00 AM.  I sent around the sign up in Relief Society and kind of gritted my teeth and said a silent prayer that someone would sign up for these slots, especially the 5:30 AM one. To preface this just a little, you need to know that our Stake boundaries were realigned and a small portion, including my family, were moved from the 2nd Ward into the 1st Ward.  This happened in July and needless to say, we, the newcomers, still don't know everyone.  So, back to my story, while the lesson commenced and the sign-up sheet went around, I kept peering at the sheet to see if anyone had signed-up.  As it came to the lady two seats away from me, I heard her lean over to her neighbor and ask if it was okay if she only signed up for the drop-off in the mornings and not to pick her up at 11 AM.  Luckily, I was there and turned to her and told her that would be wonderful.  I had put two Saturdays on the sign-up sheet and this wonderful lady signed up for both of the 5:30 AM slots.  And then, this is the part that almost brings me to tears as I write it, but she turned to me and said, "Do you know what this lady looks like?  Could you point her out to me?"  The sister who was so willing to give up her Saturday mornings didn't even know the sister who was in need.  The lady sitting next to me, like myself, had come from the 2nd Ward and didn't know the lady that needed help.  I was amazed at the charity that this sister was showing to someone she had never met.  Needless to say, the other slots were also filled up.  It is such a testament to me of the mission of the Relief Society.  "The errand of angels is given to women."    I feel so blessed to have this calling!  I am excited to get to know the women in my ward and to help them in their time of need.

• My daughters are a huge blessing in my life!  They bring me so much joy!!!

1. One more blessing that I have to mention tonight is the blessings of my sisters!!!  My sister Lexia called me the other day to just check in and see how life was going.  Then, Annelise called me today to see how I was.  I love talking to my sisters!  They make me feel so important when they take the time to call and show that they care and were thinking about me.  Thank you sisters!

Annelise, Jolene (Mom), Lexia, Karissa (sister-in-law), Christina

Swarming Duckies, Talking Horses and Baby Sheepies!

Today I decided that since our friend Terence is in town for his spring break we should do something remotely fun.  So, we went to Wheeler Farm.  I don't remember this being one of my favorite places to go when I was little.  I actually remember thinking that it was kind of lame, but my opinion has completely changed!  Kately and Emberly LOVE this place!

So, I have tons of pictures to share with you (with a little commentary on the way).

Terence, Kately, Grandma Dew and Emberly

We feed the duckies lots and lots!  It was incredible!  My mom just happened to have two packages of saltine crackers in her car and the birds were delighted!  I have to say birds and not just ducks because we fed ducks, Canadian geese, normal (or mean American geese as we were calling them), and pigeons.  It was remarkable to watch.  We fed them once at the beginning and once at the end and we would start out with just a few ducks and then before we knew it we were swarmed!  You could see them coming from "miles" around, more like half a football field away.  It was fun to see how they all knew drill.  

You could definitely tell that there was a "pecking" order.  The "American" geese first and then the Canadian geese, then the ducks and finally the pigeons.  Each of these birds would move for the one that was higher up in the cast from them.  It was kind of funny to watch.

The white geese are the ones that I keep referring to as the "Americans".  They were mean.  One of them even attacked Kately after the first feeding.  I was amazed.  I think I was more scared than Kately was!  Thank the Lord, she was fine.

The second time that we fed the birdies, we were sure to scare the "American" geese away.

Here is a cute video of Kately trying to feed the ducks.  First, she crawls under the table and and then tries to chase them down.  Will she get them to eat her cracker?  

Grandma Dew and Emberly

Thanks to Google Plus image enhancing:  I have this really cool looking pictures of these two cows.  It was funny, the brown one kept nibbling on the other's ear.

We learned that Emberly is far better "cheeser" than Kately.  Ember will smile at the camera; Kately will not!

Kately with her cracker that she chased the ducks around with.

I actually got some of the ducks to eat out of my hand.  Totally fun!

 

What a beard!  Chris is trying the same thing right now, sorry Hunny, but Billy's here is better!

We came to Wheeler Farm on Presidents' Day and for several weeks after that every time I would ask Kately if she wanted to go to the park she would says "with the sheepies?"

Kately got on my shoulders so that she could see the "cock-a-doodle-doos" on top of the coops.

Yes, Mommy did get inside the little tree house, but I came out complaining that I might be short, but that house was stretching it a little!

Kately really enjoyed the horses!  One of them was really loud and we told Kately that he was talking to her and saying "hello".  She then proceeded to tell him "hello" several times.  It was darling.  We could hear him calling to Kately all over the farm.  She kept wanting to go back.

here are the swarms!

I kind of wonder what's going through that cow's head right now?

Kate loves all the animals!

Peek-a-boo little Pixie

We LOVED Wheeler Farm and recommend it to everyone.  Its FREE, unless you want a wagon ride or to tour the farm house.  

Of course, I want to end with the Lord's hand in my life today!

1.  When we got to Wheeler Farm it was cold, but it ended up nice and sunny and beautiful by the end!  (when we got there I even thought to myself that this was going to be lousy because of the weather and then said, "no, look for the hand of the Lord!"  and I did and of course, I found Him smiling down on us!!

2.  The goose did not hurt or scare Kately.

3.  Terence is in town and was able to help me babysit our friend Reed this afternoon.

4.  I found a great new Chicken Casserole Recipe.  Yummy!  (if you are interested, I doubled the recipe and used one can of tomato soup one can of cream of mushroom)

5.  My mother was willing to drop whatever she had planned today and take us to the farm.  Thanks Mom!

6.  Both of my girls are asleep!  That truly is a blessing.  I suffer from depression and the evenings are my hardest time.  Especially when Chris has to work until 11pm, like tonight.  I believe it to be a tender mercy from the Lord when He gives me some alone time to rest and relax and ponder the  The beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments and prepare for another beautiful and sweet day ahead of us tomorrow!

Well, the Lord really does bless us!  I feel so blessed to be the mother of my two beautiful pixies!!

Thanks for reading my blog.  I am loving writing to all of you and searching out the Lord's hand in our little family!

the Social Security Office and Brownies!

Today I had to go to the Social Security Office.  Needless to say, I was dreading the experience.  I do our taxes every year.  A task that actually I rather enjoy.  I enjoy tinkering on TurboTax trying to get the largest refund that I can.  Well, this year I decided that I wanted that several-thousand-dollar tax refund early this year, so at the beginning of February I finished our taxes, but within the move to and from my mother's house we lost Emberly's social security card and I could not put in her number.
We are, and have been for many years, a one-car family and trying to get places with 2 pixies and no car is rather tough.  Well, finally, a month later my mom was kind enough to watch Kately and let me use her car to take Emberly to the SS Office.  I had looked online and was told that if my child did not have a photo ID, then that child would have to come with me.  So, with multiple prayers being said days in advance and many the day of, Emberly and I first ran to the doctor's office to pick up her immunization record to show that she lived past the hospital.  They won't accept her birth certificate for identification.  They say that it will prove birth and citizenship, but they want further proof that the child has lived past the hospital.  So we drove to the doctor's then back home because I had forgotten her birth certificate and then finally to the SS Office.
I really was nervous that we would have a 3 hour wait ahead of us and that Emberly would scream the whole time!  BUT!!!! The Lord stepped into our lives yet again!  We were there for 30 minutes, I had all of the documents that I needed and Emberly was PERFECT!  I was even able to write her SSN down so I don't have to wait to finish my taxes for 5-14 days, waiting for the SS card to come in the mail.
Yes!  The Lord really does answer prayers.

We made brownies for Daddy, who has been begging for them for sometime now.  Here is Kate and her yummy brownie face:

Our friend Terence is here for his spring break from Utah State University.  I told him that we weren't doing anything cool this week.  Chris is gone lots and the girls and I stay home all day.  He told me that it was better than staying at his home, by himself all week.  Today, I apologized to him that we really are boring.  He responded saying that at least he was getting away from home and he might even get a chance to see Chris for a few minutes!  We are flattered to know that he would consider us Spring Break worthy.  

It is very true that Chris is gone all the time!  Tuesdays and Thursdays he leaves around 7:30am and doesn't return until 11:30pm.  He has even had to pick up a shift on Saturdays.  I am so blessed to have such a selfless husband!  Thanks hunny!!!

I told Chris that I wanted to take a picture of him eating his brownies.  This is what I got!

Freezer Meal Frenzy!

On Saturday 4 of my friends and I all got together to make freezer meals.  I told you a bit about it in my last post.  I just wanted to add my pictures.  Here are the pictures from the beginning.

Now these pictures were taken before 2 of the girls showed up.

The meals that we came out with are:

Minestrone Soup

Meatballs and Ravioli Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Chicken Noodle Soup

Green Chile Enchiladas

Chicken Divan

Turkey Stuffing Casserole

Chicken Noodle and Veggie Casserole

Lasagna

Breakfast Burritos

Chicken and Wild Rice

It was crazy but none of us took a picture when it was all said and done, but I did take a picture of my freezer for you.  It has my friend's and my meals.  

 Of course, we ate one casserole Saturday night and there is a Lasagna in my oven right now, so just imagine that there were 2 more casserole dishes in that freezer.

Here is one more picture to help paint the picture of the long 5 hour day of making meals.

Ember zonked out on the couch after the whole thing was done!