How I know it's Christmas Time:

My mom gave me this a few years back. I lost it. I asked her for it again. She said, "I never gave you a recipe like that. " But, she did. I luckily found it in my recipe collection- and it's perfect for this time of year.

Martha's* Hot Fudge Sauce

2/3 cup half and half
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all (in microwave safe bowl). Microwave for 4 minutes on medium. Stir half way through. Stir again. Eat it with a spoon. Or on Peppermint Ice Cream.

*from Martha Stewart my mom said. But then again, she can't remember she ever had this recipe. So maybe it's not Martha's after all.

It was T for Turkey

Brooklyn

Our house had a bout of strep/strep-like symptoms last week for 2 of my kids. But I was ready for the "T" day and so hosted this past week in place. I rounded up a helper (thank you dear friend!)- she was seriously abused. Turkey Blessing Mix for the snack and Turkey hats and Pizza for lunch. I kept the mom's over for soup. Don't you love good moms and good mom talk?

Speaking of mom talk. I know us moms wish we could add more moms/kids into the mix. But 7 toddlers plus the sibblings of the host adds up to a lot of "organized" chaos. I know I can speak for all of us moms and say there is no intention of exclusion. Really.

By the afternoon, and after the last friends left, I turned on a show. Landon asked me for pumpkin bread, I handed it to him, picked something up, turned around and found him sound asleep. Not a bite gone- the sweetest part of the day captured with my camera. :)

Precious Cargo

I spent the weekend in Nashville to attend Time Out For Women. For some reason they let me drive (and book the somewhat ghetto hotel- sorry ladies, but it had the continental).) I kept telling myself since I had a carful of 7 mammas, I needed to be extra extra careful- our prayers of safekeeping were heard. I mean, who could ever replace a mother?

Perhaps a father?

Close second I'd say. And I believe they all did just fine.

27 children were left. Twenty-Seven. There were no meals to cut up or diapers to change, no mid-night call-outs from children. No dress-up changes, or cereal messes. Just good moms that I grew to know better and the bonds of sisterhood in the gospel strengthed evermore.

As for sisterhood. It's a real thing. It lets you cry at "worship-like" music, (you go Hilary Weeks, and my local favorite 104.3 FM), be chatty cathy's til the wee hours of the morning on shared queens, weep a tear in Baja Fresh, and really hug that long-ago-college roomate. It says it's okay to pump for the baby back home and laugh at the 10 arby sandwhiches (who eats 2 each?). It forgives the 30 minute turn off the wrong road (I blame Tom-Tom GPS, Melissa ;) ). It makes you remember that before the mom calling and wife name, a girl you were first.

And yes, Time Out For Women is a bit cheesy. But I really did enjoy it- I would gladly go again. Especially to come home to a sweet nursing baby, a bunch of wound up kids, and an almost happy husband (that applogized about taking the stain off my not-so-old kitchen table and confessed that he felt like he had big shoes to fill while teaching gospel doctrine.)

It was a good place to be this past weekend- and equally nice to give all my attention to this video. Because really, sometimes, I need to be reminded that we are all precious- even me. Especially to Him.

ps- I love you mom cargo. All of you.

(Reflections of Christ.)

Tanner

said he thought he had Tuesday, Veteran's Day, off. Ryan had it off and so we assumed it was a holiday. But it wasn't a school holiday. The bus came and went. Ryan said we were duped. (we were).

I love Tanner. But he's had a bad attitude lately. Enough was enough. I put him in a cold shower with his clothes on last night. Ryan and everyone watched. I eventually turned it warm, but reminded him that as much as he doesn't like a cold shower, we, I, don't like listening to his whining and complaining. That he needs to be quick to obey and do things joyfully (like brush his teeth which he wasn't, which was just a series of events that he wasn't happy about doing yesterday.) He felt awful and embarrassed and I loved him better and he got his happy back and was happy this morning and Ryan said I was too harsh and you know what, I think Ryan might need a cold shower too :)

The final visitors

Cincinnatti, Newport Aquarium

Ryan's parents have come and gone now. They met their newest grandchild, number 16, Jackson. We hit the Zoo and Newport Aquarium and climbed a rock wall at Dick's. We took Ryan out for his birthday dinner and played corn hole with the neighbor. The kids took advantage of their grandparents incredible levels of patiences. The next visit will be to help us move, a move somewhat dreaded but hopeful that it will place us nearer to family.

I enjoyed the time to catch up and talk with them. I laughed when they told me they left a car for a week somewhere and when they realized a week later that it was not in the driveway, they thought it was stollen. Oh, the panic! And then the realization that the car had not been stollen, just left. And forgotten. (I think there is a genetic gene for forgetfulness.) We talked about all Ryan's siblings and they asked about mine. We talked about there work with Prop 8 and read the current news and felt sad. We talked about Ryan's brother serving in Brazil. Football was watched and kids were rocked. We had hot chocolate almost everynight and Family Home Evening together on Charity. I watched my father-in-law put air in Ryan's truck tire because it was low and because I know he loves him and wants him to be safe. I watched my mother-in-law read and read and read with Tanner, because he struggles with reading and she loves him. The sweet time spent together we always love.

Being called

About 6 weeks ago Ryan was asked to help give a blessing. He'd been gone most the week. He needed to catch up on sleep. The lawn needed mowed. Tanner was asking if "Daddy was ever going to stop working" and I heard myself ask Ryan when he called to check in "how his other home" was. It was a bad rotation and that's how it goes. But, when I got a call asking if he would help give a blessing, a couple things went through my mind. First, they must have tried others and Ryan must have been on the bottom of the list so they needed him, and secondly, I felt like saying, "Not tonight, I just got him home!" But I didn't. I accepted the invitation on his behalf, because I knew he would have said yes. That's how he is- just like all the other good men I know who understand their sacred duties.

He helped to give a blessing to a young mother of 2. She was not a member. She was sick and struggling. I've thought about her and her acceptance of this faithful gesture of love- her seemingly willingness and ease to accept an offering of a blessing. She was struggling more than I think many understand and took her life 4 weeks later. We were both so sad when we heard. I am grateful that Ryan was able to stand in and assist when his name was called. I am grateful that the gospel teaches us about our purpose and that we are divine and eternal beings of our Father's. I hope that when my name is called to help I may be quicker to help and less to murmur.

Tate or Jacks?

Note to Sanger

Hi Ang-
Don't worry, if you're missing Tater, we have him.
miss you all,
Mom & Dad



(fyi note- my in-laws are here for a few days. They just left there daughter's baby, Tate. He's two months older than Jacks and supposedly his missing twin.)