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| Happy Birthday, mom! |
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| Thank you for being such a great wife, mom, daughter, grandma, and friend. I am so blessed to have you in my life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! |
1/31/12
1/30/12
Sometimes she's difficult...
But, on the other hand, she's hilarious.
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| Sure love my snaggle-toothed gal... |
1/28/12
Mouth-watering
My friend Jyl made me these cinnamon rolls & told me I could copy her recipe here.
They are to die for - the best I have ever had, bar none.
Jared agrees, and wants me to make some tout suite...
Thanks, Jyl.
They are to die for - the best I have ever had, bar none.
Jared agrees, and wants me to make some tout suite...
Thanks, Jyl.
The Perfect Cinnamon Roll
2 1/2 c. water warm (about 115-120 degrees F)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp powdered eggs + 9 Tbsp water or 3/4 cup eggs (you don't have to mix the powdered eggs and water together just add them to the bowl)
1/2 c. powdered milk
2 Tbsp yeast
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp salt
7 c. flour
1. Mix the water, yeast and sugar in the mixing bowl. Let sit five minutes. Add the powdered milk and flour. DON'T MIX. Add the butter, oil, powdered eggs, 9 tbsp water and salt. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed for 10 minutes.
2. Put in an oiled bowl and let rise for at least one hour until it has doubled in size.
3. While dough is rising make the filling.
Filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 c. butter melted
Mix together the sugars and cinnamon.
4. Roll the dough out into a rectangle. Brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar, leaving a 1/4 inch edge around the whole border. Roll up length wise. Cut into 12, 16 or 18 rolls.
5. Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise 30 minutes or until it doubles in size. Bake 350 degrees for 12-20 minutes depending on how big the rolls are. You will know when they are done, when there is a hint of golden brown on top. You never want to over bake cinnamon rolls. It is better to under bake them then over. Other wise the middle piece will not be yummy and gooey.
6. Let cool 5 minutes and frost with half of the frosting. Let cool all almost all the way and frost with the left over frosting.
Frosting
6-8 Tbsp evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
Mix everything together. You want it to be creamy not runny.
Hints:
1. There are two ways to make these overnight. The first is once you have mixed the put in in a well greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day take it out, let it rise to double its size (this will take longer since it is so cold) and finish with the rest of the steps.
2. The second overnight recipe is to make it up to the point were you put it on the cookie sheet. Once you have shaped the rolls and placed them on the cookie sheet cover them in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge. The next morning take them out and let them proof until they have doubled about 30-40 minutes and bake as instructed.
3. If you want a fast way to proof you bread. While you are mixing the dough turn the oven on to 200 degrees F. Once the dough in made cover it and put it in the oven. Turn the oven off immediately after you close the door and let rise 30-40 minutes until it is doubled in size.
4. If you would like your cinnamon rolls to look like the picture below cut the dough into one inch pieces and place them in a well greased muffin pan. Bake 10-15 minutes.
tender mercies
-baby still asleep, and it's 7:15. ahhh.
-husby not on call today. double ahhh.
-sweet amy brought me brownies yesterday, just when i was feeling sad. thank you, amy.
-warm house, enough food-blessed with so much.
am feeling thankful for the small things this morning.
-husby not on call today. double ahhh.
-sweet amy brought me brownies yesterday, just when i was feeling sad. thank you, amy.
-warm house, enough food-blessed with so much.
am feeling thankful for the small things this morning.
1/27/12
Sister in law
Sometimes I think I married my husband so I could be a sister to Melody.
She's so fantastic.
P.S. My own sister is equally awesome. (Even if I don't get my niece & nephew-pics fix on her blog anymore...sob.) But I'll save that for another post.
She's so fantastic.
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| Love you, Mel. |
Bath time...
...is so much fun.
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| toothy grin. |
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| cheese! |
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| i love that i caught her mid-happy squeal. i couldn't stop laughing at this picture. |
1/26/12
Weird month
-Pregnant - nauseated, worried about the timing, etc.
-Lost 10 pounds from morning sickness. (yesss!)
-Lost the baby/partial miscarriage.
-Took meds to help with the miscarriage.
-Grandma died (but wonderful funeral with lots of good memories).
-Horrid drive home (can't wait to move away from I-81!!!).
-Had to have a D and C. (Jared was awesome in waiting for me & Libbie charmed the pants off all the nurses.)
-Found out I am allergic to morphine (complete with hives & boils) & have a bad reaction to succinylcholine (owie).
-Worried about some family members & want to help, but don't know how. (Send chocolate? Flowers? Fun things to play with?)
-Get to throw a baby shower for a sweet friend (hooray!).
-Libbie is growing by leaps & bounds & is so fun to watch (my saving grace during this up-and-down month).
-End of the month brings my mom's bday & nephew Liam's first bday. Awesome!
Through all of this, I am reminded of these thoughts:
"Rather than simply passing through trials, we must allow trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify us."
--Elder Neil A Maxwell, "Enduring Well", April 1997 Ensign
"Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope."
--James E. Faust, "Hope, an Anchor of the Soul", Ensign, Nov 1999, 59
"The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptations, and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light."
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope", Ensign, Nov 2008, 21–24
"In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that lifts and blesses. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues from grace to grace."
--James E. Faust, "A Personal Relationship with the Savior", Ensign, November 1976, p. 59.
"No matter how difficult the trial, and regardless of how heavy our load, we can take comfort in knowing that others before us have borne life's most grievous trials and tragedies by looking to heaven for peace, comfort, and hopeful assurance. We can know as they knew that God is our Father, that He cares about us individually and collectively, and that as long as we continue to exercise our faith and trust in Him there is nothing to fear in the journey."
--M. Russell Ballard, "You Have Nothing to Fear from the Journey", Ensign, May 1997, 59
-Lost 10 pounds from morning sickness. (yesss!)
-Lost the baby/partial miscarriage.
-Took meds to help with the miscarriage.
-Grandma died (but wonderful funeral with lots of good memories).
-Horrid drive home (can't wait to move away from I-81!!!).
-Had to have a D and C. (Jared was awesome in waiting for me & Libbie charmed the pants off all the nurses.)
-Found out I am allergic to morphine (complete with hives & boils) & have a bad reaction to succinylcholine (owie).
-Worried about some family members & want to help, but don't know how. (Send chocolate? Flowers? Fun things to play with?)
-Get to throw a baby shower for a sweet friend (hooray!).
-Libbie is growing by leaps & bounds & is so fun to watch (my saving grace during this up-and-down month).
-End of the month brings my mom's bday & nephew Liam's first bday. Awesome!
Through all of this, I am reminded of these thoughts:
"Rather than simply passing through trials, we must allow trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify us."
--Elder Neil A Maxwell, "Enduring Well", April 1997 Ensign
"Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope."
--James E. Faust, "Hope, an Anchor of the Soul", Ensign, Nov 1999, 59
"The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptations, and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light."
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope", Ensign, Nov 2008, 21–24
"In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that lifts and blesses. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues from grace to grace."
--James E. Faust, "A Personal Relationship with the Savior", Ensign, November 1976, p. 59.
"No matter how difficult the trial, and regardless of how heavy our load, we can take comfort in knowing that others before us have borne life's most grievous trials and tragedies by looking to heaven for peace, comfort, and hopeful assurance. We can know as they knew that God is our Father, that He cares about us individually and collectively, and that as long as we continue to exercise our faith and trust in Him there is nothing to fear in the journey."
--M. Russell Ballard, "You Have Nothing to Fear from the Journey", Ensign, May 1997, 59
Funny kid
Lately, Libbie is attempting to say "good girl," because when we tell her to say "please" or "thank you" or not to do something & she stops, we say, "good girl!"
So yesterday, she said something similar to "good girl" & then pointed to herself.
She's so funny sometimes.
So yesterday, she said something similar to "good girl" & then pointed to herself.
She's so funny sometimes.
1/21/12
Pretty Grandma M
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| How I remember my grandparents. |
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| Look how beautiful Grandma is! And how dreamy my Grandpa is, too! |
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| Sweet, sweet couple. I'll bet she's so happy to be back with him. And for fun... |
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| Me & my cousin Jared at what was then Grandma & Grandpa's house. Gotta dig the 80's clothes. |
1/19/12
P.S.
My sis-in-law said that she was glad I had Libbie during this whole miscarriage thing, so I could focus on staying busy with her & such. (Libbie certainly is a busy bee, so that has helped.)
But today, I am filled with an overwhelming love for my daughter. As much as I have been sad over losing this baby, I am so thankful to have a spunky little girl who is walking up a storm, talking to herself when she "reads," who is social & fun...I'm just grateful to be her mom. (And choosing, today, to ignore the occasional tantrums, picky eating, & flailing arms.)
I feel so blessed.
And while I still don't know the reason we go through certain trials, I am blessed, and feeling thankful to know that today.
But today, I am filled with an overwhelming love for my daughter. As much as I have been sad over losing this baby, I am so thankful to have a spunky little girl who is walking up a storm, talking to herself when she "reads," who is social & fun...I'm just grateful to be her mom. (And choosing, today, to ignore the occasional tantrums, picky eating, & flailing arms.)
I feel so blessed.
And while I still don't know the reason we go through certain trials, I am blessed, and feeling thankful to know that today.
Grandma Myrtle
My grandmother (dad's mom) died last night.
She was 88, spunky, intelligent, spiritual, musical, and feisty.
She enjoyed serving people, loved babies and children of all ages, and was fiercely devoted to her family.
She loved to tell old stories about growing up on her grandparents' farm with her 20 aunts & uncles (and a myriad of cousins, too!).
Grandma never met a stranger - literally. I remember her talking to quite a few when we went out (especially if they were children).
When I was a child, she loved to dye her hair, so I'm still not quite sure what her exact hair color was.
She always had a smile, hug & kiss for me, no matter my age.
I am so thankful that she lived long enough to see me married & that she got to know Libbie a little bit. I can't express what knowing that has meant to me these past few days.
I am thankful grandma isn't in pain anymore, and I hope she is loving being with my grandpa Frank again. She's missed him so much for these nearly 20 years.
But I sure will miss her.
She was 88, spunky, intelligent, spiritual, musical, and feisty.
She enjoyed serving people, loved babies and children of all ages, and was fiercely devoted to her family.
She loved to tell old stories about growing up on her grandparents' farm with her 20 aunts & uncles (and a myriad of cousins, too!).
Grandma never met a stranger - literally. I remember her talking to quite a few when we went out (especially if they were children).
When I was a child, she loved to dye her hair, so I'm still not quite sure what her exact hair color was.
She always had a smile, hug & kiss for me, no matter my age.
I am so thankful that she lived long enough to see me married & that she got to know Libbie a little bit. I can't express what knowing that has meant to me these past few days.
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| A four-generation picture when Libbie was probably a month old. I'm so, so happy I have this. |
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| A knowing look, shared between two very spunky ladies. |
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| Me & Grandma. I think I was pregnant with Libbie in this picture. |
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| I love this picture because it's typical grandma. Whenever we do crazy family shots, she always looks like she can't believe what a bunch of nuts she's related to... |
I am thankful grandma isn't in pain anymore, and I hope she is loving being with my grandpa Frank again. She's missed him so much for these nearly 20 years.
But I sure will miss her.
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| Myrtle Jewel Toler Leake September 28, 1923 - January 18, 2012 |
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