Everyone knows that I will only post on the blog if it is important. Well, this is important. Ladies, go get your husbands and tell them this is something to blog about! I had nearly given up on the elk hunt years ago just after my mission because it became much harder to draw a big bull elk tag. I went a long for the company and time spent with family for several years after that on the general spike hunt with my brothers, brother-in-law, and dad but due to a lack of time and a more devoted fly-fishing hobby, the hunt took a back seat. I am proud to say that this year, I got my spike! And though at one point in my life I would have rather slayed a huge bull, we are actually pretty happy with the good meat that this will provide through the winter.

I am supposed to add, for my dad's sake, that I killed it late saturday night, and Sunday--with the ox in the mire--we had to retrieve it almost as close to the top of the world you can get.....200 yards from the Idaho/Montana border/continental divide at 9000 feet above sea level. Thanks to my dad and 2 trusty steeds, we got it off the mountain just as it got dark Sunday night. Also, credit has to go to my brother for helping me clean the thing out as I haven't done it since I was 17 or 18. So with me, my brother Randy, my brother-in-law Jared, and my dad successfully harvesting elk, we had quite the meat processing party butchering and freezing 4 elk.

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Here are some of the recipes for my kitchen concoctions that keep my kids busy - Jordan likes to say that I am going to blow something up, all that corn starch and all...


Homemade Slime

3/4 cup water and 1 cup white glue
mix together and add food coloring if desired

4 tsp Borax and 1 1/3 cup warm water
mix together in a second bowl

Pour the contents of the first bowl into the second bowl and let sit for 1 minute.

Time one minute and remove your slime from the soapy water mixture, if you let it sit longer in the Borax mixture it get firmer. There is no need to mix the contents of the 2 bowls, just pour and time.

store in a zip lock bag in the fridge.


Snow Paint

4 Tbsp corn starch
1 cup warm water
food coloring

Mix in a small spray bottle, and turn your pretty little snow angels blue, or your snowman pink. Yesterday we just had a purple backyard.


Homemade Finger paint

4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
2 cups cold water

Mix over medium heat until thick (will thicken more while cooling) devide into 4 or more containers and add food coloring. Let cool and paint away!


ok, so there they are, but I want all of you to post fun things that you are doing with your kids too so that I can get some more ideas.

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Hey, all....yes, it really is Mandy! I am finally posting after a few weeks of silence. We had a great trip to Utah and Idaho. However, it went by way too fast and now we are hurriedly organizing our house and avoiding the holiday rush so we can enjoy what time we have together as a family.

In Utah, we spent most of our time with Matt's family in Brigham City and a little time in Idaho with his dad and brother and then our favorite college friends the Allen family. (If you want to see some really cute pics of our girls, be sure to check out the Allen Family blog!). Lacey and I went fabric shopping and to one of my favorite places- Costco! We visited and ate lots of yummy food and then I oogled over her food storage. You wouldn't believe how awesome it is! Way to go, Lac!

We were able to spend a day up at Matt's family cabin in Island Park and that was very cozy and relaxing. Grace continually climbed the stairs and was told "No" due to the gas fireplace. She left there with another word in her vocabulary...you guessed it- "NO!" She's too cute when she does it! (I'll get sick of it one day I'm sure, but for now I find in adorable).

We played a lot of dominoes with Matt's mom. She loves to play games, even more than we do if that's even possible! We often were up until midnight playing Mexican Train. Even though we were exhausted....we had way too much fun to complain.

We went on a date night to see Quantum of Solace, which we both very much enjoyed. That's only the second date night we've been on in the last 6 months. Yikes!

We also got to go to Maddox and have a nice quiet dinner with his family. Then we went to Salty and spent a bit of time with my family. We had a great family home evening with my Dad's family and spent the next day with my grandparents learning about their trip to Mexico and my grandma also sat down and taught me how to Index names for family history. Very cool!

My mom's family came next and we had a FULL T-day dinner and were able to spend some time scrapbooking, visiting and most of all watch Grace climb the stairs and show all of her "tricks" to the family who haven't seen her since she was crawling. Again, so stinkin' cute I could bite her.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving...I know we did. Matt cooked all but one side dish for us! What a chef. He's the greatest....and he's all mine!

This has already been a pretty long post and we did a whole lot more while we were away, but I think I'll stop there. I will try to post more regularly.

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We ended up leaving at half-time since we figured the kids had about enough. NU was losing and they never turned it around. It was still fun to go. It was my first BIG 10 game, but it still failed miserably in comparison to SEC games. What's up with this football season? This is the worst football season I can remember since before I became a UT fan. Tennessee is having an off-season to say the least. C'mon Coach Phil, let's get this thing turned around. I'm getting pretty tired of fans from teams that generally do mediocre that happen to be having a good season talk about a national championship. Yes, good for you that you are finally winning. Enjoy it! However, one decent season a decade does not make you worthy to compete in a national championship, especially when your conference consists of teams like San Diego State. Be forewarned, I don't want to hear anything out of you and I will delete any of your comments that make me feel like vomiting. Hey, this is my blog, my rules. This is completely and totally ORANGE.

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In the Old Testament God likens his relationship to the House of Israel as that of a bridegroom to his wife. In the New Testament, the Church is described as the bride of Christ. The choice of the image of marriage, it seems to me, is hardly accidental. It provides, I think, the background for the commandments against speaking evil of the Lords anointed and by extension I believe the Lords Church.
Belief and membership the two ideas that we use most commonly when thinking about our relationship to the Church are, it strikes me, far too thin to capture what is really at work in it. Belief implies that what is primarily at stake is assent to a set of propositions. Membership is a bit better in that it nods toward the social dimension of the relationship, but membership tells us nothing about the level of reciprocity or commitment involved. I am a member of the Oman family, a member of the Virginia Bar, a member of my HOA. These are very different sorts of membership.
Marriage is a much richer concept. To be a member of a marriage is to have a very thick set of obligations, affections, and relationships. It is also to have a fierce commitment to the maintenance of the relationship with its obligations and affections. We go on dates with our spouses, but not our HOA. We entwine our lives and souls and (no twittering please) bodies with our spouses.
We also hold our tongues.

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1- Start off with putting your family in a circle. Squirt some chocolate sauce in one childs hand, ask them to grab hold of another member of your families hand. When everyone in the family has chocolate sauce on their hands, explain that this is similar to talking about someone. It can start out as innocent or only telling the truth, but the more people that know, the more the store can get changed and become dirty.

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When I was in my late seventies I decided to write a book about my life and have it ready to present to family and friends on the occasion of my eightieth birthday. Though I had allowed my daughters to read the text before publishing, no one had seen the completed book until the evening of August 22, 2008, when we gathered for a special family ritual honoring my birthday. I had sewed special cloth coverings for each book I handed out, so everyone waited until I had finished with my presentations to remove the casing. These are the remarks I made to my family:

This book is my gift to all of you. It is dedicated to my daughters, my grandchildren, and to all their children and grandchildren yet to be born, that they may know something of my lifemy interests, my values, my beliefs, and my loves.

I have lived an extraordinary life, blessed and enriched in ways I never could have imagined as I grew up during the Great Depression on a farm in North Carolina. That poor, often sad and deprived, little farm girl still lives within me, but she now has the company of many other happier, more fulfilled, and more loved sisters in my psyche. The title, Leafings and Branchings, represents the abundant, spreading limbs on the tree of my life, and the subtitle, Memories of My Many Lives, reflects the multitude of sub-personalities that reside within this one bodily frame.

On this, a celebration of my eightieth birthday, I am especially grateful to all of youmy familyfor you are, and have been, the central core of my life. When I ran away from home at age eighteen I essentially cut ties with my original family, losing touch for many years with my parents and my brothers, and never really feeling a part of their world again. In some ways, that was freeing, especially given my parents often hostile feelings toward Norm and me, but then I had to figure out how to create a proper emotional and caring environment for my own family. Since my mother did not provide me with a good role model for mothering or for family unity, I had to improvise, and although I had help from Norm, I often got it wrong. I made too many mistakes to enumerate, and for all my false ideas and faulty judgments over the years I ask your forgiveness. I must admit, however, that in spite of my frequent blunders, things have not turned out too badly! All of you instill in me a sense of deep pride and joy. I never imagined that I would be so fortunate or that I would end up with such an accomplished and loving family.

Before I address each of you, I wish us to take a moment to remember Norm. Needless to say, none of this could have happened without him. I wish he could be here with us in person, so I could express to him my appreciation for all he gave us. I have confidence that his spirit hovers around us this evening. To you, Norm. Thank you for helping guide and nurture this wonderful family of ours.

Laurie, since you were our first child, you were perhaps the one to suffer most from my lack of experience and expertise. It has been said that birth and death allow for no rehearsals, and I would say the same for motherhood. One enters into it with no prior knowledge, and since I did not have a mother to turn to for help, I was especially ignorant. I sought guidance from books, a rather poor alternative, especially since they offered little in terms of how to deal with such fundamental issues as how to provide love and comfort. I wanted desperately to be a good mother, different than my own, but too often I failed to meet my own standards. In spite of my failings, however, you have done extremely well. You are an educated and proficient woman, a loving and attentive mother, and a talented writer. You were a skilled lobbyist for charter schools, and continue to be a well-informed (though highly opinionated!) political junkie. You faced a serious illness with grit and courage. I am proud of all that you are and all that you have done. I especially wish to thank you for your patience with my missteps and for your kindness in including me in your life. This book is for you.

Jenny, you were next. There is an old joke that says if you want a perfect child, have three and throw the first two away, another illustration of how little we as new parents know and how much we learn from each child. You arrived so quickly after Laurieless than two yearsthat I really did not have much time for developing great insights into child-rearing. But your placid nature helped make it easier and your entirely different way of being added to my learning curve. I was made aware of how each child has her own distinctive characteristics, from the day of birth onward. You too managed to overcome my shortcomings as a mother. You were determined from an early age to be independent, so you made your own way through graduate school, and made your own decisions with careful thought and planning. You arranged your career so you could be at home with your children. In your writing, you focused on your lifelong interest in family issues. Later, you created the nonprofit organization that represents much of your outlook on lifedoing good for others. I congratulate you for your accomplishments and thank you for all you have given me and taught me. I also ask forgiveness for the times I have hurt you. This is for you.

Dan, though you arrived in our family relatively recently, you have surely become a most valued member of our little group. You faced some formidable challenges when you married Laura. Becoming an instant step father to two young women who already had their ideas about how to do things had to have been a confusing, demanding, and sometimes frustrating role for you. But you adjusted admirably, even, it seems, eagerly, and you have been accepting, accommodating, and generous in helping guide them during some of their most formative years. As if that werent enough, you were then faced with the trauma of Lauras illness, a terrible time for all of us. We are all grateful for your professional advocacy and for the personal devotion you displayed during those difficult times. In addition, I wish to thank you for the expert advice and technical information, as well as the muscle power, you so kindly provide me when I need help. I am especially appreciative that you are willing to live only a few blocks away, for that gives me a great sense of security. This copy is for you.

Rocky, just as I can say of Dan, you have a special place in my heart because of your love of and devotion to my daughter and to my grandchildren. You have taught them skills and exposed them to experiences they would never have had without your interests and your guidance. That is especially true regarding sports, from ice skating to baseball to tennis to golf to water skiing. You were an excellent teacher and set a good example for them, not just in how to become good athletes, but also in how to be good sports. You also chose a life style that allowed you to spend valuable time with your family, a great gift to them as they were growing up. My one complaint is that you chose to settle in Minneapolis. It is indeed a beautiful city, and I realize it was always home for you, but had you lived closer I would have had more opportunities to take part in the lives of your family. I did not get to see all you as often as I would have liked. Still, I know that I can call on you when I am in need and for that I am grateful. This book is for you.

Now to the next generation.

Carolyn, we were thrilled when you arrivedour first grandchild. I remember going to Philadelphia to stay with your parents for a couple of weeks, helping reassure them, doing household chores so your Mom could get some rest, and also on occasion offering advice, though I tried hard to wait until I was asked. I also was then just getting involved with photography so you were a perfect subject. I thought your fingers and toes and belly button and bottom, not to mention your sweet face, were the most exquisite and perfect ones every to appear on this earth, and I wanted to capture every part of you on film. I was delighted when your Mom and Dad moved to St. Louis, for then I got to watch you grow into a highly intelligent, generous-hearted, loving, socially aware, gifted young womanthe latest achievement being a PhD from Harvard. Being witness to all that has given me great joy. Thank you for being such a beautiful soul. This book is yours.

Rebecca, luckily your parents lived in St. Louis when you were born, so you have been a part of my life from your first days. Your Mom was so exhausted after your birthshe did not remain in the hospital for some much needed restthat I was the one to take you back there for something related to your bilirubin count, either testing or treatments, Im not sure which. Anyway, we were bonded from the beginning. When you were little we had what you called our when we would play or do special projects, and though of a different order now, I still treasure our times together. You have put your wide range of organizational talents, innovative energies, and aesthetic tastes into an extraordinary global endeavorthat of helping women in developing countries establish themselves in their own businesses. I applaud you for the hard work you have put into creating Nest. Thank you for your vision, for your dedication, and for your love. Here is your copy.

Jessica, I went to Chicago to help your parents when you were born. They lived in this bug-infested apartment, and I slept fitfully on a pull-out couch with the springs poking through, so I was a bit alarmed when your Mom said she would be happy to live there forever! Nevertheless, I loved getting acquainted with you, and by the end of my stay had taken youat all of two weeks oldto the Greenhouse at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, thus introducing you to one of my favorite spots in Chicago. When, a couple of years ago, you went with me thereas well as to other top quality restaurantsyou had developed a highly cultivated taste for wholesome food and good wine. That gastronomical interest is one you have pursued on many levels, including preparing some lovely meals for me, and most recently in your work with the slow food movement. You also have great artistic talent which you have demonstrated with your creative projects and with your book art. I am especially grateful for your help with my book. Your cover design is what makes it the beautiful volume it is. Thank you very much. This is yours.

Rachel, you were Minnesota born and Minnesota bred, and you certainly exhibit the values and training so lovingly given you by your parents. Having recently completed your undergraduate degree, you are now pausing before you take the next step into your adult life. What is obvious is that you have a highly developed social conscience, a love of children, and a deep empathy for those less fortunate than you. Your studies regarding womens issues and your work with disadvantaged families demonstrate your dedication to causes that receive all too little attention in our culture. Though I have not seen nearly as much of you as I would like, the times we have spent together have been delightful. You are an excellent conversationalist, for you have not only the ability to ask good questions, but also the capacity for active listening, a rare skill. And you have that most welcome of giftsa marvelous sense of humor. In that way you remind me of Papa. I look forward to seeing how your life continues to unfold. This copy is for you.

Nick, being the youngest grandchild and the only boy gives you a special place in our family. But, since those were not conditions chosen by you, they are not really the reasons that make you special as a human being. During this past academic year, while you were a student at Washington U., I had the joy of getting to know you much better and of observing your interaction with others. I was greatly impressedwith your maturity, with your discipline, with your intelligence, and with your integrity. Unlike many young persons, you are able to transcend barriers, relating with ease to others regardless of age, or gender, or social standing, or outlook. Having you here in St. Louis last year was not only an enormous blessing for me but also for Norm in the last months of his life. He had a strong connection with you, and I hope that will always remain in your memories and in your heart. I know that whatever your future holds, he would have been proud. This book is yours.

Raven, I do not have quite the same history with you that I have with my grandchildren, since I did not know you from your early childhood, and yet you are firmly ensconced in our family circle. We love you of course because of your love for Carolyn, but you have also brought us other gifts. I especially appreciate that you have widened my literary horizons with your writing and your poetry. I also find your playfulness a marvelous attributeone that counters my own more serious nature. The time we had together traveling through Italy, and the visits I have had with you and Carolyn provide me with many wonderful memories, of which some of the greatest are our engaging and stimulating conversations. I feel privileged to benefit from your wide-ranging knowledge and interests. I also am deeply impressed with your courage and tenacity in overcoming a potentially destructive addiction. You deserve enormous credit for that, and I salute you. With my love and respect, this book is for you.

In closing, I wish to thank all of you for this special occasion. You have warmed my heart, made me proud, replenished my soul, and filled me with joy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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I am thankful for family home evening. Last night Lauren, age 3 conducted the meeting. Emily conducted the music, and Eric gave a short lesson. I said the prayer. Afterwards we played a game. It was just simple. It reminded me how life can be just simple, even if its only for 20 minutes.
When the world around us, seems to be getting more complicated we need to remember the simple things that can refocus our lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am going to try to get back in the habit of reading my scriptures, saying my personal prayers, and trying to enjoy simple things.

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My girls look forward to family home evening each week. They love to help me prepare the lessons and activities and make the treats on Mondays. We love the Hatch Patch Creations packets. I order my packets through my ward but I know you can also get them at Quilted Bear. Each packet comes with a whole outline for family night and they even have a fun activity or game along with a fun treat! Last family night, it was Andelyn's turn to lead the music and she did a wonderful job.

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