Texas...

The land where 3 of my 4 children were born, is our spring break destination. We lived in San Antonio for 7 years and we are headed back for a visit. While planning our vacation I am reminded of all the things I love about San Antonio and Texas.

1. Spring wildflowers, especially bluebonnets!
2. The food!!! Papasitos, Rudy's, Zio's, La Maidleline, Taco Cabana...etc. (It's so good that I'll probably gain back the 10 lbs I've just lost.)
3. The missions. Everyone tells you to see the Alamo, which is awesome, but you would be remiss if you didn't see some of the other missions in the area.
4. Family and friends I have there.
5. Lost Maples State Park--amazing in the fall!!!
6. Sea World, Six Flags and many other amusement type parks.
7. The Hill Counrty and Fredrickburg--beautiful and charming.
8. South Padre Island--a great place to swim in the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico.
9. Canyon Lake. You can dive right from the rocky shore into deep, pristine water.
10. The Riverwalk. While it's especially humid, the unique and and colorful ambiance is inviting and fun to experience, especially on a riverboat tour.

I can't wait to leave this rainy, cold weather and take in the 80 degree sunshine that's waiting for me... Yee Ha!

Olivia's Baptism

Olivia was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on February 4, 2012. She was nervous when she got up to sing "When I Am Baptized", with her friend Jada Loganomoce, but Jada reached over and held Olivia's hand throughout the song. It was so sweet! They looked and sounded like little angels!

Olivia was also nervous when she stepped into the font, but when she stepped out she said, "Mom, it was so great! I want to do it again! I thought it was going to be scary, but it wasn't. I felt warm and happy!". I'm so proud of her for taking this important step in Heavenly Father's Plan. Together, as a family, we will return home to our Father in Heaven. We are His children, and He loves each one of us!

Food in Jars

I thought it would be fun to make soup in a jar for Christmas gifts this year, so searched long and hard for good recipes. When I finally found one that looked good I decided to do a trial run before I gave it out to all my friends. Well it's a good thing I did, because it was awful!

So then I decided to do cookies in a jar. They are not as healthy as soup, but that failed, so I had to move on. When I finally found one that looked good I didn't have time to try it out. So I only gave a few jars out and crossed my fingers that they would be good. Fast forward a few weeks and the reviews came in: they were fantastic! So I had to try them myself, and sure enough, they are wonderfully delicious! So here is the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cowboy-cookie-mix-in-a-jar/detail.aspx .

Try them and see what you think.

A Little Reminiscing...

This is how big my sweet Olivia was when we moved to Oregon in July 2007! She was just a little baby!

I also found this absolutely delicious little jem of her sleeping on the stairs, of our then brand-new house.

And this is her now... Happy 8th Birthday Olivia! I CANNOT believe how time has flown in the past 5 five years!

Here's a bonus pic of the 3 kids in 2007. Why, oh why, do they have to grow up soooooo fast! It's really one of the great cruelties of life. But, I guess I do want them to grow and learn and be the fantastic people that they are. I LOVE MY KIDS!

Christmas Fun

We love to swim in the morass of wrapping paper and bows (that always get chucked across the room, as tradition).

This was the first year that Daphne got into the excitement, and took her turn opening presents with pure joy. We all take turns so everyone gets to see what everyone else gets (and so it lasts longer).

Olivia was so excited to get a Fijit Friend from Santa!

Best of all was the last 2 presents, one for Savannah and one for Liam. They were each wrapped in 4 different boxes, and when they got to the last one it was an iTouch! They were obviously thrilled!

The very last gift was marked "From Jesus". Inside was a sheet of paper that said, "Eternal Life". This is the greatest of all the gifts of God. I am so thankful for my Savior and His humble birth. Because of His life we can return to live with our Father again. Mery Christmas!

A full November...

Daphne had her third birthday!



...Complete with bounce house, crafts and games!



Savannah turned 14!!! She and Daphne celebrated together.



Olivia sang in her school talent show!!!!!!! I'm so proud of her!



We went to Shore Acres in Coos Bay to see the fabulous Christmas lights. It was so beautiful!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Oh yum!!!! A friend of mine put this recipe on facebook a while back and I finally made them today. If you like pumpkin at all, you will love these. I ate like 6 or 7 of them today. I kept saying, "ok, this is last one", and then I would walk by them in the kitchen and eat another one.

1/2 c softened butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger (I actually used cloves--I like cloves better with pumpkin)
Cinnamon Sugar for dipping

Mix in order. Mixture is very sticky. Drop balls into cinnamon sugar and then to pan. Flatten a little with the palm of your hand. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.

(I put in chocolate chips in half of the batter and baked them without the cinnamon sugar. Very yummy too!)

Enjoy the taste of Autumn!