Liam wanted to try to make peanut butter out of some dry roasted peanuts we had. I thought it would be fun to try. I didn't bother to find a recipe, I just recalled a memory of seeing a Peanut Butter Factory video on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
We ground up the peanuts using a small food chopper. But because they were dry roasted peanuts not much oil came out. So I added a little olive oil. I added a dash of salt and nearly a tbsp of sugar. I then used my immersion blender to finish the blend.
The result was delicious. The sugar made it a little grainy, and I'm sure if I heated it a bit it would smooth out. But it was so tasty. Liam loved it. He said "Now lets make jelly out of yogurt!" I said "oh good idea but jelly isn't made out of yogurt it's made out of fruit!" He asked how and I explained it to the best of my knowledge. He wanted to make it, he said it sounded so tasty! but I don't have any of the right fruit on hand. So he agreed maybe another time.
I did however make some homemade biscuits. I can't make dinner rolls, but biscuits are easy. We used our homemade peanut butter on our homemade biscuits with a little bit of store-bought blackberry jam. It was a nice lunch.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
FHE
So we have Family Home Evening (FHE) on Sunday nights. Typically, in my Church, people set Monday nights aside for FHE. It's a good idea, but with David's work schedule vs. the kids sleep schedule, Sunday nights work best with us.
I love how excited the kids get for FHE. I remind Liam it's time for Family Home Evening and his face lights up and he jets out of the room yelling to Violet "Violet! Violet! We are having Family Home Evening!" she yells "YEA!" and they both dance around the room. How sweet is that?
Tonight when we sang the opening song, a very simple one called "Love One Another". I'm usually the only one singing, this time I told everyone the words, sang the song once, then we sang it again. Everyone participated in the singing, even Daddy.
Liam volunteered to say the opening prayer.
I talked to the kids about how Jesus loves every one. Next I named differences people might have from each other physically. Several times I would describe some characteristics of a person... hair color, height, skin color, eye color, weight, any handicaps etc., and asked Liam and Violet if Jesus loved that person. Then daddy read some scriptures. John 13:34-35. Talked about how Jesus wants us to treat others. Then read John 4:5-14 and 39-42 about the Samaritan woman at the well.
Next I had cut out lots of different shapes in different colors that they used to make pictures. I pointed out how different the shapes and colors were, that when we use them together they make a really interesting/beautiful pictures. Just like how people are different, they all add something interesting/beautiful to our lives. (This lesson was put together by a friend btw, I didn't come up with this.)
We sang another song. Violet and I said a closing prayer together. Then we made some popcorn and watched the (new) Karate Kid movie. Liam LOVED it. After all movies Liam and I always dance to the music played at the end. It's always Liam's idea. He'll say "mommy! will you dance with me?". This time was sooo funny. The karate (kung fu) kid in the movie (Jaden Smith) dances a little in the movie. So at the end, Liam got up and did this dance move just like Jaden Smith. It cracked me up. Then we had a Kung fu fight which was a lot of fun. Now Liam wants to learn "Karate". Violet wanted to go to bed halfway into the movie. It was a great Sunday.
I love how excited the kids get for FHE. I remind Liam it's time for Family Home Evening and his face lights up and he jets out of the room yelling to Violet "Violet! Violet! We are having Family Home Evening!" she yells "YEA!" and they both dance around the room. How sweet is that?
Tonight when we sang the opening song, a very simple one called "Love One Another". I'm usually the only one singing, this time I told everyone the words, sang the song once, then we sang it again. Everyone participated in the singing, even Daddy.
Liam volunteered to say the opening prayer.
I talked to the kids about how Jesus loves every one. Next I named differences people might have from each other physically. Several times I would describe some characteristics of a person... hair color, height, skin color, eye color, weight, any handicaps etc., and asked Liam and Violet if Jesus loved that person. Then daddy read some scriptures. John 13:34-35. Talked about how Jesus wants us to treat others. Then read John 4:5-14 and 39-42 about the Samaritan woman at the well.
Next I had cut out lots of different shapes in different colors that they used to make pictures. I pointed out how different the shapes and colors were, that when we use them together they make a really interesting/beautiful pictures. Just like how people are different, they all add something interesting/beautiful to our lives. (This lesson was put together by a friend btw, I didn't come up with this.)
We sang another song. Violet and I said a closing prayer together. Then we made some popcorn and watched the (new) Karate Kid movie. Liam LOVED it. After all movies Liam and I always dance to the music played at the end. It's always Liam's idea. He'll say "mommy! will you dance with me?". This time was sooo funny. The karate (kung fu) kid in the movie (Jaden Smith) dances a little in the movie. So at the end, Liam got up and did this dance move just like Jaden Smith. It cracked me up. Then we had a Kung fu fight which was a lot of fun. Now Liam wants to learn "Karate". Violet wanted to go to bed halfway into the movie. It was a great Sunday.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentines 2011
The kids and I gave cards to David along with breakfast of egg burritos and turkey bacon, David's favorite breakfast, before he left for work.
Liam had a school party. And to clear it up for my sister Kileen... her description of Valentines parties growing up sound exactly like mine. That was my point, a few meaningful conversation hearts. Yes the teachers had decorations, we made mail boxes, cupcakes and cookies abound. But the difference here is at Liam's school every kid made a goodie bag for all the other kids (we even made them because I knew it would be like that), so Liam came home with 14 goodie bags, all filled... not with a few candy hearts, but one goodie bag would contain, for example: A box of conversation hearts, chocolate hearts, cake ball, sucker, small toy, stickers or tattoos and some bendybandz. He got 14 bags all filled like that. Did you get that Kileen? Because I did not. They also had pizza and decorated/ate cupcakes, which is normal, I know.
Then David's parents called and offered to come over here to watch the kids if we wanted to go see a movie. It was tempting. But I know David doesn't like going out on nights he has to work the next day. SO instead I continued with my plan of making egg rolls and panko breaded chicken with rice, but decided to invite my in-laws over as well. I did not promise dinner (in case I screwed it up) so they were pleasantly surprised to find that I had made dinner for everyone. And I got lots of compliments. David helped me roll/fill/cook the egg rolls, and he helped cook the chicken as well. His dad commented on how much he was enjoying the egg rolls, and his mom said she really liked the chicken, then David added " Yeah, Diana is a really good cook"... Yay! Not a compliment David hands out to anybody. It made me happy to hear.
David had also bought me a dozen lovely roses in a gorgeous vase. He bought Violet a rose, I wish I got a picture of her reaction. She hugged the rose and smelt it and walked around holding it like she was a beauty queen. He also bought her a beautiful "Violet" orchid.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Adventures in LOVE
Just kidding. Well kidding about the extra corny title.
I am feeling a surge of love for David lately. I don't really know why. I don't think it's just because it is Valentines Day. I just look at him and I love him so much more everyday. Sounds trite. And to be honest, when I hear a person go on and on about how in love they are, I always wonder if they are actually trying to hide something. Except, if you know me, you know I'm an open book. And I'll tell you anything you want to know about me and my life...heck, I'll tell you even if you DON'T want to know ;)
Right now I want to talk about David.
Let me make a list:
1)Smart. Smart is sooo hot to me... well as long as you aren't making me feel inferior because you are smarter than me, which David doesn't.
2)Hot bod. I know any readers reading this probably stopped reading by now lol. David has very defined muscular legs and behind. Probably because he paces around constantly, especially when he is on the phone. He was very thin when I met him but he has put on over 20 lbs. since I met him, so he looks better than ever.
3)He still makes me feel beautiful (even though I am also 20 lbs heavier).
4)He respects my beliefs. But not only respects, he is supportive. For example: Sunday his father or brother called to invite us out to dinner. Which is so nice and I love his family very much. However I take the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" to mean the whole day. I also believe what it says in Deuteronomy 5:14 "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou." Also says this in Exodus 20:10. I personally (not judging others because I am FAR from doing everything perfect, just explaining myself here) take this to mean that going to dinner and causing someone to wait on me, or the movies or the grocery store etc. breaks that Commandment of causing the "stranger within my gate" to work. One can justify this however they want, this is just what I happen to believe. It's not always easy. But David knows how I feel about this, he doesn't question it, he doesn't try to get me to break the Commandment, he himself doesn't break the Commandment. So without checking with me first, he explains that "we" don't go out on Sunday. That kind of support makes me so happy.
5)He goes to Church with our family
6)He encourages our children to pray
7)He teaches our children
8)He plays with our children
9)He works hard.
10) He supports my being a stay-at-home-mom.
11)The first few years of our marriage, it was sooo hard to get David to go out to do anything. Now he's up for (almost) whatever I feel like doing as a family.
12)He'll clean the toilets. He doesn't do very many of the chores... He won't wash the floors. He won't fold clothes. But he will do a load of dishes (once in a great while), he will WASH the clothes. And he will clean the toilets.
13)When I hear him talk to his brother about what kind of girls to date, I hear David list qualities to look for, I know these are qualities he sees in me :)
14)If David eats out while at work, he'll bring me the leftovers
15)He kisses me on the cheek every morning. When I first married him this small act annoyed me... because I am not a morning person and I don't like to be spoken to or looked at or touched for the first few hours. But he still would do it. I decided to change my attitude about it. I started to force a smile and a good morning. Until one day I didn't have to force it. Now when my kids wake me up, I can smile and hug them and kiss them and mean it, all because David kisses me on the cheek.
16)He helps me prepare my lessons for my Sunday Young Women's class.
17)If I am burnt out, pulling my hair out, frustrated from our lovely children, David will either calm me down over the phone if he is at work, or he'll happily give me a night off.
18)He cracks me up. He tells super corny jokes, but sometimes they are really funny.
19)I love that he so rarely gets upset about things (I wish I could say the same about me).
20)He says "I love you" every day... sometimes it's "haha, oh Diana. I love you" because he is laughing at me overreacting to something, but I don't mind that response.
21)He bought me "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" as my first book on my Kindle because he knows me so well.
Man I could keep going... but I am tired. Good night.
I am feeling a surge of love for David lately. I don't really know why. I don't think it's just because it is Valentines Day. I just look at him and I love him so much more everyday. Sounds trite. And to be honest, when I hear a person go on and on about how in love they are, I always wonder if they are actually trying to hide something. Except, if you know me, you know I'm an open book. And I'll tell you anything you want to know about me and my life...heck, I'll tell you even if you DON'T want to know ;)
Right now I want to talk about David.
Let me make a list:
1)Smart. Smart is sooo hot to me... well as long as you aren't making me feel inferior because you are smarter than me, which David doesn't.
2)Hot bod. I know any readers reading this probably stopped reading by now lol. David has very defined muscular legs and behind. Probably because he paces around constantly, especially when he is on the phone. He was very thin when I met him but he has put on over 20 lbs. since I met him, so he looks better than ever.
3)He still makes me feel beautiful (even though I am also 20 lbs heavier).
4)He respects my beliefs. But not only respects, he is supportive. For example: Sunday his father or brother called to invite us out to dinner. Which is so nice and I love his family very much. However I take the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" to mean the whole day. I also believe what it says in Deuteronomy 5:14 "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou." Also says this in Exodus 20:10. I personally (not judging others because I am FAR from doing everything perfect, just explaining myself here) take this to mean that going to dinner and causing someone to wait on me, or the movies or the grocery store etc. breaks that Commandment of causing the "stranger within my gate" to work. One can justify this however they want, this is just what I happen to believe. It's not always easy. But David knows how I feel about this, he doesn't question it, he doesn't try to get me to break the Commandment, he himself doesn't break the Commandment. So without checking with me first, he explains that "we" don't go out on Sunday. That kind of support makes me so happy.
5)He goes to Church with our family
6)He encourages our children to pray
7)He teaches our children
8)He plays with our children
9)He works hard.
10) He supports my being a stay-at-home-mom.
11)The first few years of our marriage, it was sooo hard to get David to go out to do anything. Now he's up for (almost) whatever I feel like doing as a family.
12)He'll clean the toilets. He doesn't do very many of the chores... He won't wash the floors. He won't fold clothes. But he will do a load of dishes (once in a great while), he will WASH the clothes. And he will clean the toilets.
13)When I hear him talk to his brother about what kind of girls to date, I hear David list qualities to look for, I know these are qualities he sees in me :)
14)If David eats out while at work, he'll bring me the leftovers
15)He kisses me on the cheek every morning. When I first married him this small act annoyed me... because I am not a morning person and I don't like to be spoken to or looked at or touched for the first few hours. But he still would do it. I decided to change my attitude about it. I started to force a smile and a good morning. Until one day I didn't have to force it. Now when my kids wake me up, I can smile and hug them and kiss them and mean it, all because David kisses me on the cheek.
16)He helps me prepare my lessons for my Sunday Young Women's class.
17)If I am burnt out, pulling my hair out, frustrated from our lovely children, David will either calm me down over the phone if he is at work, or he'll happily give me a night off.
18)He cracks me up. He tells super corny jokes, but sometimes they are really funny.
19)I love that he so rarely gets upset about things (I wish I could say the same about me).
20)He says "I love you" every day... sometimes it's "haha, oh Diana. I love you" because he is laughing at me overreacting to something, but I don't mind that response.
21)He bought me "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" as my first book on my Kindle because he knows me so well.
Man I could keep going... but I am tired. Good night.
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