photos captured by Jim Bob, how I love that man.

We once again tied two quilts and had a wonderful evening.

I decided to enter a new kind of chili (because I was feeling dangerous, spontaneous and decided – what’s to lose? – except the candy bar prize I suppose.  Luckily it paid off.  ;) ).  Introducing:

Buffalo Chicken Chili

I heard about Rachael Ray’s recipe and checked it out.  I’m sure it’s yummy, but I didn’t have some of the ingredients and I wasn’t too sure about lots of celery in a chili – although I do love bleu cheese.  And no beans?  I just couldn’t do it.  So instead I took my basic recipe:

Chili

Put four cups of beans in crock-pot.  Fill water to within an inch of the top of crock-pot.  Add palm-ful of salt, 3 oz. chili powder, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 liberal shakes Chicago Steak Seasoning by Weber, small handful dried onions and a dash of crushed red pepper.  Cook for 6-7 hours.  Throw in 1/4 lb. browned ground beef and tomatoes or salsa.

…And then substituted using 3 kinds of beans (white, pinto and red kidney) instead of just pinto as usual.  I then added a whole bunch of hot sauce, chicken chunks, and a little more hot sauce.

Ready for my award?  (we won’t talk about the fact that about half the pots of chili there win prizes.  ;) )

That’s right!  Thankfully I didn’t eat but a small nibble of my chili that night – there were too many other yummy ones to taste!  Not sure I would have wanted that result.  :)

And the inside of the prize:

yum.

Maybe I’ll have to try a dessert chili next year…

Happy Anniversary Mister!

{credits here}

Sorry it took a little while to get it over here.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this year and are still celebrating in the afterglow.  :)

Much love from us!

{credits here}

In Jessica’s words:

“Every year, I take the opportunity to give back to the community by offering a free class. Not only does it give you a chance to make a cute project and record some special holiday memories, but it will also give you a chance to take a look inside the online class environment available in ALL of the classes here at JessicaSprague.com.

In our class, we’ll be using cardstock and digital patterned paper to create a stunning, but EASY and REPEATABLE garland you can hang from your ceiling, drape around your tree, or hang on the wall. Each year as you create December memories, you can create a new garland. Even the storage box is a keepsake!

In addition to our amazing project, our week-long class will be filled with ideas to make your holiday memory making, and memory-keeping a little brighter and a little more fun!”

Go here to register and join in on this merry-making.  :)  I *love* the memories/photo aspect along with the beauty of the holiday crafting.  Merry-making and memory-keeping.

More happy news over at JessicaSprague.com:

To read more about the specifics of the sale go here.  I love that the classes are on sale too – the one I am most looking forward to (that starts on January 9th) is the Digital Art Journaling class.  A creative, introspective format… I’m going to love it.

{Post written on October 24th – only about a month later am I getting around to putting the photos with the text and getting it published.  Not too bad considering some of my drafts.  ;)}

Sunday night was interview evening while Jim Bob was Home Teaching.  We usually take turns with interviews – a few for each of us – and it goes fairly smooth.  Last night though it was all me – and the four youngest determined to get their interviews.  It worked.

We discussed what they learned in church (this time it was all about the Autumn songs they sang and family trees), how school is going, any stories/anecdotes/concerns, etc. to share, and then we set a few goals each.  I’ve been having them select one spiritual goal and then an anything goal.  This can be expanded as they grow.  For now it works great.

Here’s a peek at the goals the young ones selected.

Katey (3):

*  Be nice to baby brother during preschool.

(Katey says this is a spiritual one because Jesus was nice to everyone.  Works for me.  :) )

And Katey’s other goal:

*  Help do cooking three times this week.  (I’m thinking bread, apple pie – we have lots of yummy apples from Grandma Wilson’s tree, and … a surprise – cuz that’s how we roll.)

*This is what we did Tuesday  (the 25th of October) – off to a good start:

And my apologies – you do have to imagine the result, because the camera didn’t make it’s way to the kitchen after the bread was baked.

Now for the apple pie baking – mini pies for friend’s day treat:

(Thank you for the dress Aunt Christina!  Katey does adore it!  She didn’t want to wear it for Halloween – her little heart was set on being a princess in regular clothes??  I know.  She loved the princess-y hat with ribbons, but did not want to wear a fancy dress.  Kinda cute – and a bit warmer, so no complaints.  She has gotten A LOT of wear out of the cute Dorothy dress and she just might wear it next year… if it’s not threadbare by then.  ;) Love my quirky little one!)

And the surprise:

Owl cupcakes – found here.  They are even cute with chocolate frosting eyes if you happen to eat the Reese’s Pieces on your plate before sticking them on.  I’m a little pleased that candy-eating Katey came up with that solution all by herself.  Now that I take a peek again on Pinterest it would make it sooo much easier if the cupcakes are flat on top.  oops!  Next time.  And there will be a next time…  ;)

Goals for Drewby (5):

*  Pray every night with lots of thank thees

* Learn to bake an apple pie.

Autumn (7):

* Read 10 verses a day in her scriptures.  (She’s been reading 5, so I was also pleased she decided to stretch a little.)

* Change Caleb’s diapers many times this week.  (hmmm… that one didn’t pan out.  We’ll have to revisit that one.)

and because she wanted an extra:

* Learn cooking with Katey.

Caleb?  Maybe I’ll have to set his.

* Say the sweetest prayers (with a little help).

* Take amazingly good naps every day.

Looks like a good fall week to me.

Interview treat?  M&M’s in 22 different colors – courtesy of the M&M store in Las Vegas.

Sweet.

Autumn:  I like when Andrew is willing to help – when he comes along with me to sell cookies and cookie dough (school fundraiser time).  {They are a very cute sales couple.}

Joshua:  I like that whenever Nathan comes over, the three of us always want to play pirates.  Magician pirates, ghost pirates, skeleton pirates, any kind of pirates… even spy pirates.

Jacob:  Andrew likes pretend gun fights.  Nobody gets hit because we have bad aims.  Andrew used to always call bananas, banana boomers.  I’m glad that he is always willing to play if I need to play with someone.

Mommy:  Drewby-do is an excellent reader.  His comprehension is amazing too.  When we do reading lessons he can tell me all about the story before I even start asking the questions.  He also rocks the dishes.  Daddy:  I love how throughly entertaining Andrew is – all the things he says and does and the funny faces he makes.  His quips and quick wit.

Andrew:  I love how fast I run.  (He says as he demonstrates and then proceeds to suck on his big toe – ??)

We love our multi-talented, fun-lovin’ boy – and my best twitter material at the moment.  ;)

Some of my favorite stories growing up were family history ones.  I loved hearing about John Tanner, my fifth great-grandpa and his conversion story.  He lived in upper New York and was one of the area’s leading entrepreneurs.  He probably would have stayed there permanently  if he had not met the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  John was a Baptist lay-minister who went to hear the missionaries speak – from what I understand, he wanted to protect his Baptist brethren from false doctrine.  ;)  He had open sores on his leg that could not be remedied, but was stubborn (a family trait – perhaps? maybe we’ll go with strong-willed…) and told the doctor that he would rather leave this world with his bad leg than have it amputated.  So, that evening, he propped his leg up in his cart and went to hear the missionaries speak.  John left that evening with a Book of Mormon and a desire to know the truth.  A few days later one of the missionaries (Jared Carter – the other missionary was Simeon Carter) visited his home.  Jared “administered to John, and commanded him to rise and walk in the name of the Lord.  [John] never used his crutches again.”  He was baptized that very night, along with his wife.  He walked three quarters of a mile – after months of not walking on that leg.  (all quotes from “The John Tanner Family” by  Leonard J. Arrington, Church Historian, March 1979 Ensign)

John’s story is full of generosity and consecration.  He sold his farms, hotel, orchards, thousands of acres of timber and an island and proceeded to give his all to the church.  Some in loans, some in donation.  The large things he helped with were the Kirtland Temple and the church-sponsored bank, the Kirtland Safety Society.   Before he left on a mission in 1844  he met  ”Joseph Smith on the streets of Nauvoo, he gave the Prophet his note for $2,000, signed in Kirtland in 1835 to redeem the temple land. The Prophet asked what he wanted him to do with it, and Father Tanner said, “‘Brother Joseph, you are welcome to it.’ The Prophet then laid his right hand heavily upon Father Tanner’s shoulder and said: ‘God bless you, Father Tanner, your children shall never beg bread.’”

I remember my mom claiming that blessing and prophecy – knowing it was intended for generations.  And it was fulfilled – many generations over.  We never went hungry growing up.  We had a bountiful garden – my grandparents a flourishing orchard and farm – and a whole section of our basement always filled with food.  We were and continue to be so very blessed.  I have to wonder if perhaps this promised blessing is not one of the reasons my family so throughly loves food.

When I was younger I imagined what it would be like to be wealthy.  To have our own island (because, of course, we would have inherited it) and to live a rich life.  Especially when I found out that the property John Tanner owned back then is now worth more than $250 million dollars – that’s a huge sacrifice.  Then I thought about the blessings we would have missed out on if John Tanner had never heard the missionaries.  The abundant life that the gospel brings.  To know the joy of family and the purpose of our life here.  The knowledge of eternal families, a living prophet on earth today, temple worship and the peace it brings.  To experience serving and loving others – there is no comparison.  Once again I thank my Heavenly Father for a generous, big-hearted great-grandpa that knew where real treasure lies.

{Gedeborg Family – July 2011.  We’re in the middle.  ;)}

I adore this quote:  ”As you read the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind, the Lord will tell you how to live up to your priesthood privileges. Don’t let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit.”

Personal revelation is a blessing we can all seek.  Lauri asked us to each finish this thought:

“If you want a spiritual experience  _______________________________ .”

We then shared ideas and I loved the variety!  Here are quite a few:

* go to the temple

* pray

* go for a long run

* read and study the scriptures early in the morning

* really listen to your children

* do something hard

* ask for a Priesthood blessing

* bear testimony

* act on a prompting

* listen to beautiful music

* stop being busy – just stop…and listen

* read your Patriarchal blessing

* do Family History

* ponder

* acknowledge the goodness of our Heavenly Father

* pray after reading scriptures for truth

* express gratitude in prayer

* give service – especially to the handicapped

* notice beauty and be uplifted

* create something beautiful

* be still

* have more faith and less fear

* remember why challenges are there

* spend time with your children

* create harmony in your home

* sit by a campfire alone

How would you fill in the blank?

The sister closing the meeting mentioned how wonderful it is that the Lord knows us and can reach out and communicate with us individually.  I agree.  What a marvelous blessing!

There are so many thought-provoking ideas – and more out there.   Definitely enough to do at least one daily – and many are things I do daily or would love to do daily already.  I just need to remember to look for those opportunities and then act on the promptings that come.

“The words written in the scriptures and spoken in general conference are for us to “liken them unto [ourselves],” not for reading or hearing only. Too often we attend meetings and nod our heads; we might even smile knowingly and agree. We jot down some action points, and we may say to ourselves, “That is something I will do.” But somewhere between the hearing, the writing of a reminder on our smartphone, and the actual doing, our “do it” switch gets rotated to the “later” position. Brethren, let’s make sure to set our “do it” switch always to the “now” position!

…Let us earnestly seek the light of personal inspiration. Let us plead with the Lord to endow our mind and soul with the spark of faith that will enable us to receive and recognize the divine ministering of the Holy Spirit for our specific life situations and for our challenges…” – President Uchtdorf

I saw a similar pose on Pinterest and knew I wanted to try it out -hoping to get a good shot of her peepers.  I think we did pretty good.  :)

A CD of photos – senior photoshoot and graduation.  All in one place.

This hybrid project of CD label and case by Carina is easy to make – and so versatile.  It can be used for CDs full of photos, an adorable circle card and envelope, organizing family DVDs, a very thin cookie… oh the possibilities.

{Carina Gardner:  Hybrid Project Friday No. 5,  Daisy Jane borders & papers (solids and v. 6 – Bath Time), Ink blots from DESIGN 365 – Color Kit 1, frame by Rhonna Farrer}