MCP Project 12: Month 1

I am doing a photo challenge.  12 Months, 12 Themes, 12 Photos
I am very intimidated by this project.  I feel very under qualified.  I am a greenie.  My first DSLR and nothing but a manual to figure it out.


This month's theme=Resolution

These Green Hills

 I live in a postcard.  These are the hills and mountains that surround my house and they are pretty nearly free to explore.  This year I resolve to get to know these green hills like the back of my hand.

DT/LSNED/PP (i.e. I have to catch up)

Ok so I got off track.  I have no excuses.  I don't even know why but I am here now.

So deep thoughts....Aaron gave an excellent talk in church about revelation/guidance from a higher power.  For me that is the Holy Ghost.  

He said that psychologists have found that 99% of what we do in instinctual. That leave 1% for actual choices.  I was bothered at first because I feel like I make so many decisions every day, but as I pondered on it I realized a lot of what I do is just routine.  

I then realized that the 1% is when have to decide to put off the natural man.  When we have to choose to put off what we want for something greater.  For example, I really want to watch this T.V. show but I need to get to bed so I can get up at 6:00.  I guess I'll watch it tomorrow.  That was a 1%.  Anyway it was neat to think about.

Learn Something New Every Day:  I got a 100% on my fist week assignment for Human Growth and Development.  Things came naturally, I was able to work out a decent schedule for studying and I am no longer scared.

Parenting Practices...I am at a loss for that one.  This morning was one of those days where I was grumpy, everyone was whiny and I was WAY late for everything.  So I guess I need your advice.

Question:  The young lady I watch in the mornings stayed "home" with me today because she was sick.  She has a cold and a headache.  If she were my daughter I probably would have given her some ibuprofen and sent her to school anyway.  I am highly suspicious she stayed home because we have new puppies.

Anyway, shortly after Sophie discovered Jasmine was staying home (they are in the same grade), Sophie said she felt rotten and she wanted to stay home.  After much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth I made her go to school.  She and Jasmine love to bicker and I just didn't want to deal with it all day.  I did call the teacher and tell her the situation so that if Sophie was actually sick I could go get her.

So did I do the right or wrong thing by sending Sophie to school.  Was I selfish in making her go and having Jasmine stay?  

Until tomorrow...

Bust a Move: Motivators

I need a new motivation to run.  I think I may have found one.  I did what any sane rational person would do and adopted two husky sled dog puppies.

 

Meet Loki and Diogi.

Being that they are sled dogs, they like the cold and they like to run.  Good solution right?  Aaron and I have decided that we will both get up at 6:00 and every other day we have our turn to walk the dogs...all in the name of exercise or insanity...I am not sure which.

This is good for Bo too.  He has a cyst under his right front leg that makes his leg go to sleep if he lays around too much.

Family Friday: Cheating

I am cheating a little.  Not all of the pictures are from this week, but they are fairly recent so it counts right?  I have to take more family pictures and more of Aaron.  I guess I don't like the camera getting between me and his handsome face.

Life is not complete until you have a "pick each other nose" picture with your daughter or son.

Sophie decorated this loaf of bread gorgeously.  I think I will adopt it as my new design for crusty bread.

Ahhhh Tin Tin.  How I love and hate you.  Great entertainment and distraction all between two covers

Sigh....what a handsome thing he is.  And he has good Lego ideas too.

Jacob has really enjoyed Noah now that he is more fun to play with.  Noah ADORES Jacob.  He must get into bed with him before he will got to bed in his own bed.

These two have more of a competitive relationship.  Sometimes they play great together and most of the time they are in fierce competition over just about anything and everything.

Jacob's Duplo creation.  He insisted I take pictures from several different angles.  Here are just two of them

Noah made himself a bed under the kitchen carpet.  Don't look too close.  It is N.A.S.T.Y.

As is the dog bed where he frequently cozies in.

Boy we sure love our bread around here.

And that is the news from the Cornelius Chronicles at Craftsbury Cottage.

Reckless Recreation: The Moon

When I started liking photography I kept trying to take pictures of the moon.  I would go out. see the moon in all its glory, whip out the camera, frame the moon, then go to the LCD screen only to see a pinprick of light.  So when I got my new camera I made sure to ask what kind of lens I would need to take pictures of the moon

Look!!!!! Success

On the same night I took this picture of the moonlight sparkling on the snow.  So amazing

W.F.D.T.R: Pizza

Pizza Dough

2 cups hot water

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast 

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons olive oil

4-5 cups flour

optional

handful of ground flax seed

handful of wheat germ

Water, yeast, salt, oil, flax seed and wheat germ.  My trick here...hot water.  Recipes always say lukewarm water but by the time you add the water to the bowl you've lost a few degrees then when you add ingredients you lose a few more. 

Add 3 cups of flour and mix with dough hook.  Gradually add remaining flour until the dough just cleans the sides of the bowl.  My hint here...don't add too much flour.  This is a very sticky dough and you have to use a lot of oil on your hands so you can work with it.

Cover and set in a warm place to rise about 25 minutes

I made 3 pizzas out of this dough.  One cheese, one pepperoni and one barbeque chicken.  I was going to make pesto chicken pizza but Aaron wanted BBQ and I love him so....

This was the reaction the kids had when I told them we were having BBQ Chicken pizza.  Jacob is plugging his nose, Sophie and Jasmine are looking disgusted and Ben was too I just didn't catch his expression.

This was Aaron's reaction when I told him we were having BBQ chicken pizza.  I will admit I was a little skeptical but it was SOOOOO good.

This is what was left when I got home from Wednesday night church activities

A little camera fun.  Oh p.s. I diced the chicken, sauteed it with some salt and pepper and then slightly watered down Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbeque Sauce.  Spread it on the dough, top with chicken and cheese and bake at 425 until cheese is slightly browned.

Parenting Practices: Guns

We are a family that plays with guns.  There is a lot of controversy about letting kiddos play with guns so I thought I would give my two cents on the topic.


I am not personally a fan of gun play with children.  It is hard for me to see my sweet innocent children playing with things that are far from sweet and innocent.  There are two set backs with my feelings on the subject.

1. Kids seem to play guns no matter how hard you work to keep anything remotely gun like out of the house
2. My husband LOVES guns and we have to have some sort of compromise.

So we have rules.

1. Never point a gun at another person unless you are playing a game and they also have a gun.
2. If someone asks you to not point a gun at them you must respect their request.
3. Muzzle control.  Treat every gun, even toy guns, like it is loaded.
4. We don't have realistic looking toy guns.  Aaron carves guns out of wood and we keep them wood colored.  We also have Nerf Dart Guns.
5. When friends come over who are opposed to guns, we do not play guns.
6. The real guns that are in the house are unloaded, out of reach, locked, ammo in a separate location and keys hidden.

Our goal in all this is to help the kids understand that guns are dangerous things that can hurt and even kill someone.  In so doing we hope that they will learn to use guns properly and safely.

L.S.N.E.D.:First Day of Class

Tomorrow is the first day of my online class, Human Growth and Development.  It marks the beginning of my journey to become a nurse.  I am nervous to the point of mild nausea because of two reasons.

•   I can't believe I am starting this journey.  I have thought about it for so long and now I am actually doing it.
• How in the world am I going to be a student with four kids, a church calling leading 50+ kids, childcare and all the homemaking and crafting I love.  This causes me a lot of the nausea.  I know it is going to be ok, I just need to get started but man I am scared!!!

More news next week I guess.

Hey I just realized I haven't be signing with my signature!

Deep Thoughts: Attitude

I read a quote from the Ensign magazine our church publishes each month.  President Thomas S. Monson quoted the philosopher William James, 

“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."

Then a few days later I heard an interview with Andrew Weil on To The Best of Our Knowledge where he also referenced the fact that researchers have discovered that when we change our attitude our brains literally change, like scientifically, you can see a difference in the brain.

Andrew Weil was talking about non-medical ways to treat depression and anxiety, and don't get me wrong I firmly believe that there are cases and situations where you can't take a chance with not using medication.  There are very real chemical balances that it is safer to use medicine.  Trust me on this one, I speak from experience.  But it is amazing what we can do if we just have the right attitude.

President Monson  ends the section on Attitude be referencing a boat with a sail.  He says,

"We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude."

It makes me think of sweet Sister Hinckley when she said, 

“The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”

Bust a Move Saturday: Ballet

Awhile ago I took and adult beginning ballet class.  I loved it.  More than I would have thought.  I so looked forward to Thursday nights and I was so sad when the class was over.  They are having a

second session in March and April and I will be attending again.  It is like taking an anti-depressant.  I never would have thought dancing would make me so alive feeling!  Sophie and I will both be dancing in Ballet Wolcott's spring recital of A Secret Garden.  And no I will not be wearing a leotard.

                          

                       

Wasn't I so cute? I think my form might be better as an adult though.

Family Friday

A photo for each of us for the week and a brief blip about what we have been up to.

Sophie and her cousin have been taking pictures in this chair since infancy. 2012

2002

2003

Ok so I know there are more pictures but I am spending a lot of time looking for them and it is just time to move on.

Ben and his weaponry

Which reminds me of...

2007

I guess I am short on pictures of Jacob

Noah is so pious.  If he sees anyone kneeling or folding their arms he gleefully announces MEN! (Amen)

I need to take more photos of Aaron, but here he his being a good daddy.

And there is not a single picte of me so I'll add one more of Sophie with a very special talent.

And that's the news from the Cornelius Chronicles at Craftsbury Cottage.