We are Thankful

This year, we finally did it. Behold our Thanksgiving Tree!

Way back on November 3rd our FHE was on gratitude. I had prepared 40 strips of paper for us to write our gratitude on so we could hang them on our tree as a reminder throughout the month. I was not prepared, however, for the onslaught of thankfulness. The kids went on and on and on, they were grateful for each of their friends, all of our neighbors, every single family member, school, teachers, food, bodies, church, games, our home, clothes, water, candy, toys, unprompted they even said Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. This was one of my favorite FHE's ever, and a definite new tradition, next year, I'll prepare many, many more word strips.

Basic Bread

3 cups hot tap water
2 tablespoons yeast (I use SAF)
1/3 cup oil (I use lecithin)
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt (I use kosher)
2 tablespoons gluten flour
6-8 cups of flour
1 tablespoon Dough Enhancer (optional. Add during the last 2 minutes of kneading.)

Add ingredients into mixer in this order making sure to add only the amount of flour needed for the dough to form (too much flour makes dry crumbly bread). Spray the inside of bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. Knead dough 5 minutes for white flour, 6 minutes for ½ white ½ wheat flour, or 8 minutes for whole wheat flour. On an oiled surface, divide dough and form into loaves/rolls, (this makes enough for 4 small or 3 large loaves). Preheat oven to 350°. Let dough rise an inch or so above bread pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove bread from pans immediately and spread butter on top. Enjoy the bread that day, give it away or freeze it.

Tip: if you want to make hearty whole grain bread, you can mix in nuts, seeds, wheat bran, oats, dry milk, potato flakes, whatever you want really, in any combination amounting up to 2 cups just before adding the flour, making sure to still use at least 4 cups of flour.

This recipe takes only one hour start to finish when the kitchen is warm, only 10-15 minutes are hands on really. It's super easy, tastes wonderful, and makes the whole house smell fabulous. I make this once or twice a week while the kids are in school. I buy bread during the summer only cause I don't like running the oven and the A/C at the same time.

Dalton Played Soccer

Last time Dalt played soccer, he was 3 and he hated it. Well that's too strong. He loved practice when every child had their own ball, but when the game began and there was only one ball for two teams full of kids, it just didn't make sense to him. He sat out almost every game when he was 3 and we decided we were done with the whole team sport thing.

This year, his school friends, neighborhood friends, and Joseph were all into soccer so he thought he'd give it a try. As it turns out, he still doesn't like to be in the center of a bunch of kids all kicking at the same thing and mostly hitting shins, but he is a pretty good defender. Coach Isaac said that he understood the natural flow of when he should go up the field and down making sure to cover the whole thing. Progress.

The funny thing about this season was that so few 3rd-4th graders signed up that there were only two teams. They played each other every Thursday night, and the other team won each and every time.

It was a fun season to be with the neighbors, friends, parents and other siblings. Chatting, sharing snacks, and cheering for both teams was definitely memorable. If Dalton wants to, we'll sign him up in the spring.

I lost my girl the other day

We were at the grocery store and I was loading an enormous amount of food onto the conveyor belt. Milk and other cold items first, boxed and canned things next, and then the bananas and eggs so as to pack them perfectly into the bags and then into my trunk. I'm neurotic I know, I get hyper focused on organization all the time. Jennie was buckled in the cart amusing the workers to their total delight when I turned around and Sophia wasn't playing on the bars separating the check stands anymore.

"Sophia" I said without panic, but loud enough to be heard in all directions. No audible response was given, my heart sunk, and I knew that she was gone. "Will you watch my baby" heads nodded and I bolted left, the direction we had just come from. "Brown hair, pink pants, purple shirt" To someone willing to search with me. The spirit told me she was outside, I immediately turned around, ran across the entire storefront to the automatic door and looked out into the parking lot. I saw a grocery store worker next to my van holding the shoulders of my bawling little girl. I ran to her, hair flying, wrapped my arms around her and carried her back into the store to get Jennie, my purse, and our food.

Sophia had wandered off, and the magical doors opened as if to say follow me. Once outside, they wouldn't open again (you'd have to follow the "in" arrow for the doors to automatically open inward). Not knowing what to do, she wandered towards our van. Finding it locked, she just stood there and cried.

While paying, I just held her and tears streamed down my face. I couldn't make eye contact with anyone except to say thank you to the worker who watched Jennie for me. People weren't talking. Music was playing on the overhead speakers, and food was beeping across the scanners, but no one said a word. Jennie even knew to be sober. Another mother with a little girl came up to me and wrapped her arms around us tears also streaming down her face.

I think this all happened in less than 3 minutes.

I loaded the girls into their car seats, loaded our groceries into the van, buckled myself and before I turned the key I had to just sit and sob. I couldn't drive. I couldn't talk. I couldn't handle the idea that one of my children could have been lost to me forever. Everything I experienced Dalton's first bus ride home from school when he was lost to me for over an hour, everything I felt every time Joseph disappeared in a crowd (this has happened with him more often then I can recall), all the love a mother has for her children imploded and exploded on me that very moment. There are no real words to describe how much I love my children.

I am thankful for all of the people who saw a need and responded, she who watched Jennie, he who found Sophia, the cars that didn't run over my little one in the parking lot, the other people who doubtless were searching the entire store for Sophia. I am most grateful for the spirit who told me to turn around, and look outside. He knew where she was, and He knew that I would heed His voice, He likely protected her from harm as well. Thank you.

I Voted

Okay, so I didn't vote for my friends Amy and Erik, but aren't these the sweetest Halloween costumes ever! She's even got a baby boy just about the same age as Sarah's. Awesome!

Doug is 33

Here's a list of what he is and does have that makes him wonderful. Doug is sadly focused on what he doesn't have this year.
1. Doug's eye smile melts me.
2. He is so stinkin' smart.
3. His bachelors in Chemical Engineering makes him an Engineer NOW!
4. Doug will play games with me even though he'd rather do anything else.
5. He reads me to sleep anytime I'm having a hard time settling down.
6. He makes the best darn Chicken Crawford ever. (secret recipe, sorry)
7. He makes the best darn chocolate chip cookies ever. (secret recipe, sorry)
8. He loves the super easy no-bake cheese cake, and I only learned this after trying to make a real home made kind 3 years in a row for his Halloween birthday, (they all cracked by the way).
9. It makes him happy to see me happy.
10. He is goal orientated, and will always be working toward something hugely new.
11. Yeah, after getting a Nuclear Engineering PhD,
12. He wants to get his pilots license, just for fun,
13. and he'll someday learn how to play the piano,
14. and he'd like to be in the 2012 Olympics,
15. as an Olympic Weight lifter.
16. He only snores when he's sick.
17. He beats people up in his sleep, (professors and what-not).
18. He's ALWAYS in the mood for ice cream, even when it's -30 outside.
19. He loves free T-shirts, (and I HATE them).
20. He reads texts for leisure (finance, physics, nuclear, chemical...)
21. His feet, and only his feet, get cold, even in the summer.
22. The rest of his body is a freakin' furnace, which is nice for me in the winter.
23. He rotates all of his clothing for even wear.
24. Everything out of his mouth is sincere.
25. He's not a camper, but I am, and he endured a whole week in Yellowstone just because I loved every second of it.
26. His best friend, (besides me of course) is still his brother Lewis.
27. Dalton lights up when I tell him that he's good at math like his dad.
28. Joseph is proud that he is good at sports like his dad.
29. Sophia's favorite tea party guest is her father.
30. Jennie ALWAYS reaches for dad when he walks into the room.
31. He stands firm in his testimony of Christ.
32. He loves his family fiercely.
33. He is the most accomplished man I've ever loved.

The pumpkins are carved, and I'm all Halloweened out

I was mainly in charge of cleaning. Dalt and Joe did the designing and carving, Soph made lots of messes, and we all enjoyed doing it with our neighbors the Martins.
Here, Joe carves.

All of 'em in the dark


Dalt designed his own skull, Doug's nuclear cooling tower complete with steam coming out the top, and my bat. Joseph did his very own spider, and I did Soph's traditional jack-o-lantern. Jennie's never got carved, and might actually turn into a pie later in November.