The Art Exhibit and FHE

Today after our running around the girls decided to make an art exhibit for the family to go through tonight. So I thought I would share some of their works of art. These are using things that could be recycled or items we had around the house.Notice some of the exhibits are displayed on the latest items from the Costco trip. First the pictures by Gabby.The the "TWIN TISSUE" (representing the Twin Towers.) Faiths adobe house. The big Floppy Flower because it wouldn't stay up. and the last is so funny! It is Bob the Chicken (Gabby's stuffed chicken) dressed in a bathing suit with hat & sunglasses, titled "Eat Me Fried!" I thought that was very clever. The just love being creative and having people come to see what they have done. A couple of weeks ago they had a carnival in our living room with games and things you could win. It was very interesting.
I then taught a lesson on the Sacrament. It went pretty good. So grateful for having been in the Family Home Evening Groups in the past. If there is anyone that wants to start one in their ward and needs help knowing how let me know I will be glad to help you. It is time consuming and sometimes a little pricey but so worth it. Going home once a months with 6 to 8 FHE lessons. Big help! So off for a bath and reading then early to bed.
Meredith I am really!!!! I hadn't told anyone due to people would have thought I was crazy!
Have a great Monday night. Talk to you tomorrow. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Menu Monday

I decided to do a new post every Monday of my week menus. So here goes for the first one.
Monday: Mom's Homemade Hamburger Helper, peas, watermelon.
Tuesday: Italian chicken, cheesy crook neck squash, cantaloupe wedges
Wednesday: Shish-ka-Bobbi’s, corn on the cob, fresh limeade.
Thursday: Italian salad, cucumber dressing, garlic bread.
Friday: Cook out with family
Saturday: Cook out with family.
Sunday: Pork chops, broccoli w/ cheese, dinner roll.
Friday and Saturday we will be out of town to celebrate the 4th of July with family so not sure what we are having. I am looking forward to getting away from the heat for a while. It has been hitting 109 or so and I don’t like it to be honest with you.
Today Coco, Kyle, Talmage, Dallas, Faith and Gabby went with me to run errands. We had fun spending time together. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

This Weekend

After recovering from a fun Birthday I woke up at 10 till 5 am. I felt good and ready for the day. Coco went with me to the neighborhood Bountiful Basket Co-op at 7:45 to get my fruit & veggies. I got to watch Talmage a good portion of the day while Coco and Kyle went out looking out houses. They seem to be getting really excited about moving down here. (I am too!). When they got home we had dinner. I made healthy homemade lasagna with garlic bread & spinach. Dallas had gone out with friends for the evening so Alan and Kyle watched a movie in Dallas’ room. Coco and I were so tired we ended up talking for a while, getting ready for bed and went to bed before 10. It felt so good!
This morning was our no alarm-clock day. YEAH! We really slept in. We have not been getting to bed early enough but getting up early still so I think we needed it. We made eggs, bacon and toast and I had left over pancakes from yesterday’s breakfast for those who wanted it. We had a restful morning. Alan had Home Teaching then came home. We went to church. Our ward is a lot of very young families with children so it is kind of noisy. Coco, Kyle, Talmage and I came home early. I got dinner prepared. Tonight we had Easy Chicken Cordon Blue, French style green beans and applesauce. For dessert I made a giant chocolate chip cookie in a pizza pan with peanut butter icing and M&M’s on it. YUMMY!! Usually we have Family Home Evening on Sunday but there is a Fireside for the youth so we are doing it tomorrow night since Dallas and E’lyse won’t be here. Coco & Kyle were going to leave today then this morning they were going to stay till tomorrow and leave. Now they have decided to stay until Tuesday morning. I am glad, I love having them here.
This week I will be working on some simplifying of our home. I want a simpler life and I have been reading on this and reading blogs that deal with this. I have felt the need for this since we have moved back to the valley. My first plan of action is to do more de-cluttering I read that everything that we have is something that has to be maintained and these all take time to do. So now the journey begins! I am also working on the menu and plans for this coming weekend. Don’t forget it is the 4th of July! Love this holiday. So for now I will go and hang with my sweet hubby.
Hugs, Bobbi Jo

MY Day June 27th, 2008

Today was my 44th Birthday. Funny I don’t feel like I am that old but, I know I am a lot wiser than I was last year. I had a good day being with my family. As I said in the last post we did a little shopping and hanging out talking. We had the Birthday dinner of steak, hamburgers and hot-dogs, with baked potatoes. Nothing more due to the chance of too much to eat before cake and ice-cream. I made my cake; it was the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake with peanut butter iceing. I don't like the taste of store bought cakes.
So after dinner, scripture reading we had cake and ice-cream. I opened my presents and much to my surprise I got a new printer from Alan, a book that should be great called, "New Light on the Atonement", from Coco, Kyle and Talmage. I then got a brand new camera!!!! Scrap-bookers dream come true and it is PINK!! (It matches my phone). Gotta love that w/ and SD card. I am too exited about this. My other camera was fine but I missed a lot of great pictures due to it taking so long to take the picture. This one is snap and it is done. WOW! I have to read up on it tonight so I am ready for action tomorrow. I cheated and took pictures tonight though. he he!! So the only thing that was missing was our E'lyse being gone at Girls Camp, I miss her not being part of the action and to talk with. I know she is having a great time though. I am looking forward to hearing all about it when she comes home tomorrow. So I am off to take my bath, read instruction on my pretty camera and start my new book. Thank you all for your sweet heart felt wishes today. I love you all and feel so blessed to have such wonderful people as a part of my life. Hugs and sweet dreams, Bobbi Jo

Guess Who Is Here?

If you guessed Coco, Kyle and Talmage you are right! Isn't he the sweetest little guy? I just love him. He was having fun with the ribbon Coco put on his head.

We went shopping this morning to Wal-Mart and then to Michael's. My MIL gave me some money for my Birthday and I went and bought items to make homemade soap. I am very excited about doing this. Hope you all have a great Friday. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

HELLO MONSOONS

Can I tell you how much I love the monsoons in Arizona? This is so awesome! I was just talking to my brother Mark, who lives in Taylor and he was saying how it was 84 degrees and of course I was complaining about the heat. A little while later Dallas calls me to tell me of some dust and rain that is headed our way. My family knows I LOVE the rain it motivates me so much. So I am sitting here at my computer and all of the sudden I hear rain drops. The rain started sounding like the drops were huge. Then crackling started from the thunder. This is a picture from our front door it smells so good and fresh. What a great way for God to clean our earth. Thank you so much Heavenly Father for the fun way of doing this. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

I am Snow White

You Are Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

A little while ago I noticed some bananas that were looking a little scary and a couple apples too. So I did what anyone would do. I made banana nut bread and a loaf of apple bread. They smell so yummy! The recipe is from the cookbook "Not Just Beans", love this book if you want to know where to find it let me know. I then remembered Alan requesting about 2 weeks ago some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies so I made his some. Hope he likes them.
Tonight we are going to have some fresh picked corn on the cob that our sweet neighbor Sis. Wright brought us with some pitas filled with yummy chunks of turkey, veggies and dressing. For dessert we will have some of the bread. The house smells so good now! Hugs, Bobbi Jo

The Last 4 Days Doings (LONG)

Wow the days have gone by fast! Friday night the girls had their own little Camp Rock party in the living room. They had dinner, snacks and got to sleep in there. Elyse went to friends for a Camp Rock Party, Dallas was still on the Trek and Alan and I did a date night.
Saturday Dallas got home from the Pioneer Trek in our stake. He said he had a great time and had a wonderful spiritual experience. The place they went to was up past Forest Lakes. There were 22 handcarts. There were 12 of the couples who were to be Ma’s and Pa’s dropped out. They should have called me I would have been there in a heartbeat. Anyway I guess there is a major steep hill that they are to help the other families up with their handcarts, Dallas was so proud of himself he helped with 19 of them. He would strap the rope around his chest and pull them up the hill. He ended up with blisters and sore feet but said it was worth it. He told me he had never cried so much in the past 5 years it really touched his heart.
The second picture of Faith and Gabby is on Saturday night. I tried to catch them before they got changed and took a shower but I was too late. They looked so cute. Alan took the girls out for a date night. They went for pizza, then to Build a Bear Workshop were they became the proud mammas of the two critters in the picture. Faiths is a dog named Sniffy and Gabbys is a bear named Sarah. They love them so much. Then Alan took them to see Kung Fu Panda. Then out for some ice-cream before heading home. They had a good time.
Sunday we went to church. After being spiritually filled we came home. Ate dinner and had FHE, Faith taught the lesson and we played a game. Alan and Dallas watched a movie “The Road to Zarrahemla” (SP?) I read a book and the girls played and watched TV.
Monday the kiddos and I ran errands. We had a good day hanging out. We were gone a good part of the day and everyone was tired by the time we got home. I finally got my compost can done and started filling it. I am getting so excited to get the beds ready for fall planting the compost should be ready by then. I will have more to add to the compost tonight our sweet neighbor brought over 12 ears of fresh picked corn and some Granny Smith apples yesterday. YUMMY! The corn is in the menu for tonight.
Today I plan on working on some much needed scrap-booking pages and starting to teach myself how to knit again. I knew how to and I completely forgot from not doing it in so long. I want to make some dish clothes. If the mood is still in me I might start some sewing for Christmas projects I am planning for gifts.
Hope you all have a great day. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Fun Quiz 1930's

102 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Not much

Not much has been going on here.The weather is very HOT so I now feel like a prisioner in my house. I don't like the heat at all. Give me snow anyday. So I bought the girls a poll and Gabby has become a fish. She has been in it for almost 3 hours today and probably would have been in it earlier if I would have let her. She loves the water. I just got it filled up yesterday it took forever to fill, and she was in it from 12 to 12:30 then from 2 till 6:00pm. Her eyes were so pink from opening them under water but, she is becoming a good swimmer. Faith got water in her eardrum so she isn't so wild about it. I am going to get her some earplugs today.
Kyle came down yesterday and picked up his bike and went back up to the beautiful cool country. Boy do I miss the white mountains! I wish Coco and Talmage could have came down and stayed with us.
I am working on getting my compose container made and set up today. I am also planning on doing some cross-stitching and a little reading. Dinner is in the crock-pot(black bean chili) so I am taking it easy. I will check in later. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Happy Father's Day/Happy Anniversary Coco&Kyle

Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads! I am so grateful for my Father, Robert Rittenhouse Houser. When I was a little girl he always seemed like a giant to me. I was scared of him because of his loud voice. Now I know just to not talk about religion or politics with him an we are fine. He has always been a hard worker to provide for our family sometimes 2 or 3 jobs at a time to make enough for us. He has many stories and the memory of dates and things that were going on in the world at the time, he is telling the story about. The biggest thing he taught me was to work hard and be honest with your fellow man.
Now I have married a man who works hard and is an honest man sometimes too honest. Alan is a great Father to our children. He loves the gospel and does his best to be worthy to have the Priesthood and use it. He is the best friend I could have. We have never really gotten in argument or fights we don’t like contention between us. Alan has used the spirit to guide us in teaching our children and helping them to make the right decisions. I am so glad he is my eternal companion. I love you AL!!!!!
Coco, Kyle and Talmage left yesterday and made it home safe. Kyle left his new motorcycle here so hopefully they will be coming back soon to get it and visit again. He he Talmage is so sweet. The smile and that giggle just made me want to squeeze him. He was probably glad not to see me first thing in the morning today.
My Saturday was spent catching up on house work and a little shopping with the kiddos for items for our new compost bin I am making and dinner for Alan for Father’s Day tonight. He requested Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, fried cabbage and tomatoes. We have a giant cookie cake for him too. The girls made cards for his yesterday and they were so cute.Faiths is the green one, the bottom one is a gun. The other one that is blue with the mouse was done by Gabby. She said it is the mouse of love.
Today is also the one year Anniversary for Coco & Kyle. It is hard to believe that they have been married a year. So much has happened and so many changes in their lives. We love you two and may you have many more Happy Anniversaries in the eternities!
Today we are going to church and maybe to visit my Father depending on what Alan wants to do. On Mothers Day I just wanted to stay at home. What a party pooper I am.
The first part of this week will be busy getting Dallas ready to go on our Stake Pioneer Trek. He will be gone from June 18th to the 21st. Then E'lyse will be going to girls camp from the 25th to the 28th. Tomorrow will be running errands and getting the items needed for these 2 things. I am also starting to work on back to school things. So for now I should go feed the stragglers who just got up breakfast. Talk to you later. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Checking in

Coco, Kyle and Talmage came down to the valley on Wed. so glad to see them. Coco decided to change her hair from blonde to pink and brown. I asked Alan if I could do mine like hers and he said an absolutely NO!
As you can see Talmage is the chick magnet. He has such a wonderful disposition and smiles so much. What a happy little guy he is. I just love playing with him and kissing his soft little face.
Kyle, Coco and Talmage are planning on leaving on Saturday. Kyle had some testing to do for the Sheriffs department. He has one more test in July to take. We are praying that all works out for him to get the job and them to move down here. Honestly I would rather be moving back up there but, it will be good to have them near us.
I will check in later. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Guess what I made?

On Saturday afternoon I started my yogurt. It is sooo easy and good. It takes a little bit of waiting time to make but so cheap, healthy and yummy! I came out this morning and this was my yogurt! I was so excited. It smells so good. Tonight for dinner I added a can of peaches to some of the yogurt in the mixer and this was our dessert. The family all liked it. So I figure instead of buying the so called good for the kids (sugar loaded) yogurt and gogurts I will make our own and add the goodies for them. I encourage you to try it.

How to Make Yogurt from Candy at www.KeepingTheHome.com. She has a great blog full of wonderful information.

INGREDIENTS:

-1/4 cup of store bought, natural, active/live culture, full fat (not low fat or fat free) plain yogurt. (This will be your starter. After your first batch of yogurt, you can use 1/2 cup of some of your homemade yogurt as a starter instead.)

-8 cups of whole milk. Pasteurized and Homogenized is fine, but do not use ultra-pasteurized.

HOW TO MAKE DELICIOUS YOGURT

1. Pour the milk into a crock pot, and turn the crock pot on low. Leave it alone for 2.5 hours, cooking on low.

2. Turn the crock pot off, leave the cover on, and let the milk sit for 3 hours.

3. Take a cup or two of the warm milk from the crock pot, and put it in a small mixing bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup of store-bought yogurt, or 1/2 cup of homemade yogurt as your starter.

4. Mix the yogurt/warm milk mixture into the milk that's sitting in your crock pot.

5. Put the lid on the crock pot, then fold and put a heavy bath towel over the crock pot to insulate the leftover heat (leave the crock pot turned off), and go to bed.

6. The next morning, you'll have yogurt waiting for you in the crock pot. :-) Home made yogurt is thinner than store-bought.

7. Pour the yogurt into a container, cover it, and put it into the fridge. Let the yogurt fully cool down to the fridge temp.

8. Then, if you'd like to add fruit to your yogurt, put a few cups of chopped fruit (of your choice) into a blender, and blend. Then mix the blended fruit into the yogurt and return to the fridge to cool it some more.

9. When you're ready to eat the yogurt, take it out of the fridge and enjoy. :-P
Time to get ready for bed I have so many things I want to do this week and I have great news Coco, Kyle and Talmage are coming down on Wednesday. I can't wait to see them Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Stuffed Animal Meeting

Yesterday was a busy day of organizing and the pay off was big. The girls cleaned their rooms. Gabby was done with Faith and her room and helped E'lyse with hers. E'lyse took 7 hours to get her room cleaned and organized. She was suppose to pack away winter clothes 3 weeks ago and it didn't happen till yesterday. Dallas even cleaned his and got rid of clothes that no longer fit him. YEAH good job kiddos!!!
So last night I am putting Faith and Gabby to bed. They have bunk beds but very rarely sleep in their own bed. I kissed them good night and Faith says to me,"Mom, you might hear some little talking for a while. We have to have a stuffed animal meeting and so they will be talking." I asked what this meeting is for. Gabby told me it is when they get a new stuffed animal it has to be introduced to the others so they can be friends. I love their great imaginations! The big dog is the newest best friend, his name is Beethoven and the second picture is Faiths small elephants.