Reunion Ladies Picnic

We are having the yummiest, most beautiful and fun family reunion!! Teton National Park is incredible! It truly is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. We are staying in a fun 3 story condo with 2 babies, 2 kids, and 12 adults. Each time all the family gets together we plan and have a "Ladies Picnic" that one of is girls plans, this year it was on Paige. She did an AMAZING job! Her theme was "Around the World."

The table was decorated so fun and Paige thought of every little detail possible,

Adorable little suitcases were made for each of us with mini altoid boxes.

She had a country for each of us to "travel" to with a ticket, passport with facts and in flight nuts and water bottles.

Paige thought of everything! The food we enjoyed was from all over the world. My favorite were the decadent desserts she created. She needs to start a little cafe, cause this was the most special picnic ever! And the view was spectacular of Jackson Lake and the Tetons!!

The Garden

Oh how fun a garden can be!!! We have been so blessed to inherit garden boxes and drip system materials to do our first garden together! My sister Lara and her husband Jayson are moving (which still saddens me greatly!), and they were so thoughtful to think of us! We've planted tomatos, cucumber, zucchini, beans, peas, carrots, lettuce, okra and peppers. James had never done a garden and it has been so fun having him help me and learn with me. My mother is an amazing gardner and my dads not too shabby with the green thumb! Growing up watching them enjoy tending the garden has always left an imprint on me.

Planting little tiny seeds into the ground and seeing them become something is absolutely incredible! The whole process really is awesome when you think about it. I hope that our little plot of land produces lots so James can feel proud of his hard work with me and so we can stuff our faces with veggies :). I carved a sign to mark our garden and love looking out my kitchen window at the lovely site.

For the Love of a Child

Jane has a talent of keeping herself up even when she's super tired. She'll make the funniest noises, toss her head, arch her back and spit her binky out. So the nap/bedtime routine includes lots of rocking, singing and holding that binki in. I think she must have a lot of Mama Cahoon (Grammy) genes :). She loves to stay up with her mommy and daddy.

Before....

After ;)

She also loves to hold our fingers! She'll grip her little hand on tight as to say, "you better not try and sneak away!" It's so cute. One thing I've learned being the mother to this sweet girl is how much love a child needs. Not just the feeding and rocking...but real, deep, patient unending love.

Children grow up in a world of hustle bustle when all they really want is YOU. They want to sit and stare in your eyes, lay on a blanket with you and observe the blue sky and trees. Listen to your voice talking and singing to them. Building with blocks or playing with toys. They have a yearning to be close to the one they love and trust.

How many times have you told your little ones you love them? Are there moments you stop all the errands and things YOU want to get done and sit to play or talk with your child? Can you remember the last time you had a tickle fight or read a board book? There is great joy in the simple life...the way life's meant to be lived. Our children aren't only a blessing sent from Heaven, they are what make earth a piece of Heaven. Become like a child. Slow down. Take part in the simple things in life. And make your children feel like they are the tops and that they are so special! Cause they are!

I loved this great Bloggers article on helping your children feel built up an confident in who they are:

http://www.handsfreemama.com/2014/05/20/to-build-or-break-a-childs-spirit/

Water Baby Day

Jane got invited to her first swim date! It was so fun to get her dressed in her suit and sun bonnet. She was a good sport being in the hot sunshine and dipping her little piggies in the cold water. I love being in the water and it made me really miss swimming :) and being closer to lakes, rivers, waterfalls, the ocean...I love the sound of water and how it livens my soul. 

Janes little elephant suite and hat just made me smile! She looked so sweet! I love little girl clothes so much and we've been greatly blessed to get so much from family and friends! What fun it is to dress a baby!

Gardening 101 happened this week! James has never planted a garden so it will be exciting to see what we can produce! We've got tomatoes, peas, beans, peppers, okra, lettuces, cucumbers, carrots and herbs. I also got to plant a few flowers and such in our front window boxes. Hopefully I can keep everything alive in these hot Idaho summers! I love the sunshine but the heats not my friend or Janes I'm discovering. No AC is going to be a challenge with helping her to rest. Hurray for summertime! The outdoor time, gardening, swimming, and sweat :).

Tutu & Dulce's

Interesting words you might say. My Great Grandma and moms Grandma was named Ethel. But her first grandchild called her Tutu and the name stuck. For the longest time I had no idea she had another name, it was always Tutu. This amazing woman grew up in the time of history that experienced the most changes and modern inventions. 

She watched cars come into the world, airplanes, computers, phones....and lived when the Titanic sank and two major world wars happened. She lived through the Great Depression, the Stock Market crash. She learned the jazz dances of old and wore 30's clothes. 

So many historic moments in life were lived by her! And then in her older age she traveled all about and was an asset to her community. When my mom was growing up she recalled Tutu coming out on the back porch of her large yard and letting out a loud roll of her tongue to tell all the grand kids to come in from playing. 

I remember her cookie fairy tree she would string fudge striped cookies on. And she was a party girl. She would throw big fun parties for our huge extended family that were incredible. The only one I quite remember was when I received a carousel music box as my Tutu gift. I still cherish it. The very last time I remember seeing Tutu was after her leg was amputated from a sickness and she was laying in bed. She gave all of us grand kids jelly-bellys out of a little glass bowl on her bed stand. And that's my last memory of this sweet woman.

Each year I look forward to May 22nd when I get to honor Tutu and her love of tradition and family. Another fun thing she did was Dulce's. This basically is vanilla ice-cream on a cone then rolled in sprinkles/dulces. It's such a fun memory of doing this when we were little with my mom. It's one of those moments I look forward to each year! There is such a legacy left by a life, one life, your life, my life, Tutus life!

Energy Bites are a Delight!

These little round bites of goodness are addicting! I made them twice this month and we are in love. They are such a versatile treat/snack that you really could add anything to. We may start some fun variations like using mini m&m's instead of chocolate chips and crushed almonds instead of flaxseed...I might start adding a sprinkle of cinnamon as well! These are a quick and easy treat to make and you can say they are healthy and just call them a snack to give you energy :). That's what I say after I've eaten 3 or maybe 4 in one day....yes I'm confessing! They are just that good! Make a batch today!

Recipe found here:

http://smashedpeasandcarrots.com/no-bake-energy-bites-recipe/

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo was the dish of tonight! And let's face it....you can't go wrong with Alfredo (and mix it with our favorite vegetable, and wahlah... perfection!). I switched/added a few things differently to the ingredients. Since I had fresh basil I snipped that into the mix rather then the called for herb. Plus basil is always my herb of choice :). Then I didn't have red pepper flakes so I used several sprinkles of crushed red pepper. I had mozerella cheese left over from a previous meal so used that in place of Parmesan. Then I also sprinkled a little bit of Italian Seasoning on top as well. My squash cracked too much while cutting it open so I didn't get the pleasure of serving them in the shell. I used a pie pan instead. Which frankly was a bit easier to mix it all together anyway. If I had sausage I think I would have cooked some up and added that to the mix as we'll cause we felt it needed some meat. But yet again, another easy, delicious and pretty spaghetti squash meal. Yum yum! 

Recipe Link here;

http://www.tenacitysolution.com/2014/01/spaghetti-squash-alfredo.html?m=1

About Us

About the Dish

Everyone has a story. We, each of us, have wonderful adventures and events in our lives that make us interesting and unique. Let us introduce you to our little dish.

First off Mr. James. He is a Canadian born gentleman who did lots of moving in his early years of life, FL, OR, WA, UT and now ID. This mister is a hot sauce lover, cheese connoisseur, adventuresome river man, gifted pianist, forever student (loves to learn), talented photographer/filmographer and a stellar chef. He served a two year mission in Geoegia where he learned to love the South and preach the gospel! He is an Apple genius and a computer whiz! Currently creating computers, getting an IT degree and working hard to provide for our little dish. He is a man of faith and is dedicated to the things that are best in life!

The mother of this dish is me, Carolyn. My biggest goal and desire was to become a mother and now it's a living reality. In my early years in life you'd find me pretending and oftentimes as the mom of out little cluster of pretending friends. Utah born but Washington raised I grew to love the outdoors! Camping, roadtrips, playing in the neighborhood (the BEST neighborhood a kid could ask to grow up on!), cooking at campfires, stargazing, hiking, collecting wild flowers, sleeping on the trampoline...I have always loved being outside. I studied design at Brigham Young Universiy Idaho and graduated in Graphic Design. Then served a full time mission for the LDS church in Pennsylvania. I love being a wife, mother, designer, gardner, maker of meals, party planner, singer, tradition setter and family defender.

The newest addition to the plate is little Jane! You can read her birth story here. She's an alert and adventuresome little lady and steals our heart everyday. Her favorite thing in the world (currently) is her butterfly mobile above her changing table. We are excited to add more Littles into our dish.

So there you have it. The Spencer Dish is a tight dish, hoping to share with you some of the happenings of everyday life as a family, recipes from the family dinner table and standards of faith and endurance in this beautiful life! We hope you enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Margherita

We love spaghetti squash!!!!!! It quickly climbed the charts of favorite foods in our little household. We've cooked it in so many ways: Asian, Spanish, meaty, simple saucies, spiced with vegetables.... it is an extremely versatile food. I have found 3 new recipes to use this delightful squash with and the one we cooked up tonight is a keeper!!! Margherita. We both LOVED the delicious flavors and it was fun eating it right out of the shell! If you have never cooked with spaghetti squash, repent now! Go buy one and make this great meal!!!! You won't regret it!

Recipe found here:

http://www.hoopfinityshappenings.com/2012/07/gluten-free-goodness-baked-margherita.html?m=1

A house into a Home

Love at home. This is a phrase I've always treasured. The home is such an important place, I'll say boldly...the MOST important place! When the homes of a society fail, communities crumble and nations fall. There is a great tumult of opinions in this world and homes are bombarded with messages that society deem "right" and "necessary". Within the walls of a home Children should feel safe, loved, welcome, cared for and alive. Parents should feel respected and loved in turn. And Spouces should feel connected and confident. Let your family dictate what fills your home, not the culture of our day. You are the keeper of the standards of your home and what fills it. Choose to fill it with Love!!

Growing up there were a few very distinct things that helped my house to be a HOME. The smells of Cooking! The sound of the piano as my mother taught each afternoon! Kneeling in a circle as a family for prayer. Laughter when stories were told. The smell of new wet paint from my mom and I painting nearly every room. The sound of my dad's huge sneezes! Dinners set up on the deck on summer eves. There are so many moments that made my childhood house a home of love.

Now as I have my own family and house there are similar things that make it a home of love. Tickle fights with James. Late night talks together. Having Jane being born in the back bedroom. Cooking in the kitchen. Squeaky wood floors. Raking leaves and mowing lawns. Feeding Jane. Popcorn movie nights. Remembering our mattress on the floor.....and the list goes on. There truly is joy when there's love at home!

Ps. We finished my Mothers Day window boxes today!! And I did some needed weeding (wish I could replace the weeds with some great plants!). And Jane wore her first sun hat :)

Read this great article that discusses what makes a house a home, here:

http://www.countryliving.com/_mobile/homes/house-a-home-clone-ghk?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1453_52842136

Continue in Patience

Today I have felt like sticking my tongue out at life!!!

Last night and this morning I have been troubled. Thoughts such as: I am not a good mother, I am not a good wife, what am I doing with my life, why am I so inadequate....kept rolling through my mind beating me down. I am one who expects a LOT of myself. I am strong and I feel I should be able to handle everything on my plate. But then when the bitter thoughts of failure creep into my mind that plate seems unbearably hard!

I know there are many of you out there who feel this way as well. Many who feel, "I'm not worth much." And today's post is for you! While feeding my baby girl and getting frustrated that she's not gaining as much as she "should" I watched this sweet Mormon Message. I focus on Jane all day and night and strive to help and support Mr.James with all he's doing and then strive to do all the other stuff I'm supposed to be doing. And this little video reminded me of a very important principle to keep in my life: patience. 

Patience truly is one of the most needed attributes of our era. And with those of you plagued with what I've been feeling this week, have patience with YOURSELF. There is greatness in each and every one of us but it often can get overshadowed by the cloud of dismay and what we have not accomplished. But each and every day is an opportunity to strengthen patience and strive to get a little done and be a little better. I love this life and little reminders like this sweet message remind me of that joy I have deep down inside for LiFe!!! For life is beautiful, treasure it with its ups and downs. Find meaning in the simple things. For, patience and joy through life will truly bring the greatest happiness of all!!

View the message here:

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911104781001

Spread the Love

I love beautifying homes, inside and out. And this week has been a great one helping the outside of our home get a little attention and love!

There is no joy that compares to happiness in the home! And traditions in a home have a way of producing great opportunities for that joy to grow. One such tradition we have begun is to get a "pottery piece" each anniversary. This year we got a beautiful glazed pot for our porch. In the years previous we bought a tiny bowl with a bunny imprint in the San Juan Islands for our honeymoon piece, and a first year anniversary in Jackson Hole got us 3 mini handcrafted foil lamps. I'm excited to fill this pot with beautiful plants!

For Mothers Day this year I asked Mr. James if we could build window boxes, and he was excited to take it on with me! We have one done and one to go. I love growing things!! We plan to put flowers and herbs in them! I love them!

Lastly, I love having a weeding buddy!! Jane joined me outside in her new toy mania saucer (thanks, Fulbrights!). It was so fun having her out in the sunshine with me as I pulled weed after weed.

Grow love in and out of your home, it truly does spread joy throughout your life!

Mission Man

Elder James Spencer served in the Atlanta Georgia Mission

I came across these coming home photos of James' mission and they just made me smile! I am so proud of him for serving faithfully for two years of his life to share the gospel with the people of the south. He is a man of great courage and faith and I'm so thankful that he is worthy to hold the priesthood. What a great blessing it is to know he can bless my children and baptize them. What an honor it is to hold is hand in the temple. What a gift it is to be with him for eternity. I love my Mr. James the Mission Man so much and am so proud of the decisions he's made in his life that keep him faithful. Isn't he just a cutie!!

When he came off the plane my family and his mother, Lynn, were there to welcome him home. They all wore ties which was a fun tradition I had started when my brother Matt came home from his mission in Ecuador. I was blessed to serve a full time mission as well in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. I'm thankful for faithful mothers who let their "babies" go off on missions and not see them that whole time. Now having a little one of my own I feel a little of what that mothers sacrifice is like. Missions are amazing. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing. And this beautiful life that we each are blessed with is amazing!

To Learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 

go here, https://www.lds.org/?lang=eng

Becoming a Mother

Today I celebrate the day I became a Mother!!!!!!!!! And below include the birth story of our little Jane. What a special and amazing day that was. Birth is a miracle, it's the making of a new life and a new mother!!! Enjoy reading my journey into this beautiful stage!

Jane Elizabeth Spencer

{ January 10th 2014 } 

Dearest Baby Jane,

Oh what a joy filled our lives when you, little lady, came silently into the world. We were thrilled to see two lines indicating positive for a new life being given that spring day in May 2013. We had planned it just right and knew that our little was going to be such a great blessing in our lives. Our first appointment to hear your heart beat was so exciting for us. "Whoosh woosh" the little sounds began and Mom started to laugh. "WOOSH WOOSH" Mom made the machine go crazy with her laughter. It was such an incredible moment for us to hear your sounds for the first time. Your heart holds such power, always keep it soft and open.

The next big milestones came as Mom's bump grew with you in there. The first time feeling you move within was incredible. To know that you were growing and developing and working hard to get your body going strengthened our testimonies on creation. We took a bunch of photos with fruits in front of Mom's belly to show the growth that you would be experiencing those 9 months in the womb. Feeling you move for the first time was like meeting a little part of you. Sometimes you would kick or push when we would hug and dad would just smile. And sometimes we would just sit in bed with hands on the bump feeling you move about.

When pregnant, women can have some funny things happen and some not so fun things. Mom hated the smell of cooking rice and would oft times make a meal and then not feel like eating it. Her main cravings were hamburgers and smoothies. She loved going to Red Robin and getting the Bonzai Burger while Dad chowed bottomless fries. And Jamba Juice always sounded good! Mom was very blessed to not get really sick during your pregnancy. And even when she was she dealt with it very well because she knew there was a good reason for it. The biggest moment of feeling sick was a time when Uncle Spencer

came to visit. We made some amazing peach vanilla bean crepes for breakfast. Right on the first bite Mom felt super sick and ran to the bathroom just in time to throw up. She didn't eat crepes for a while, needless to say. The only other time she felt a bit sick was raking the dreaded leaves in the yard. Being blessed with lots of trees also means lots of work. She overworked herself making piles upon piles and fillings tons of bags with leaves and got quite dizzy. But for the most part Mom could do everything she normally did without a big hoopdy- do. This was a great blessing for it allowed her to ponder, prepare and focus on you!
The next big milestone was seeing you the first time. Scheduled on Mom's 26th birthday was your first and only ultrasound. We were so excited to see you and watch you. It was such a special moment to see your beautiful profile and watch your fingers and feet moving around. Just like when the midwives were attempting to find your heartbeat, as the woman searched around to see you, you were a wiggler and mover. She commented that you were going to be a soccer player. It was the most amazing birthday present to see you! Afterwards, dad took mom to the Snakebite in downtown Idaho Falls. Dad ordered a buffalo/beef/lamb burger, and Mom ordered a hock of pork. Afterward we walked around by the temple thinking of you in our future. We waited to find out if you were a boy or girl until the following weekend. Mom made a box and we took it to a party shop to fill it with pink or blue balloons. Then we had family over to open it and discover you were a sweet baby girl. Dad and mom had both been feeling that you would be. We were absolutely thrilled to see pink burst out and to know that an angel baby girl was on her way to us.
In the last few weeks during pregnancy mommy developed a condition that happens to 1 in every 200 women in pregnancy called PUPPS. It is a wretched itching condition that started on the belly, moved to the ankles, then the knees and hands. It was a rough time waking up from sleepless nights itching and itching away. To the point of bleeding sometimes. Mom tried everything to help it; pine tar soap (that smelled like campfire smoke), agape itch tincture (we named it cockroach casserole and would put it with warm water and honey), lotions, medicated creams....in the end all the Cahoon Family fasted with us and a miracle occurred. I was not 100% healed but the itching had ceased a great deal and Mom did not have episodes bad enough to wake her up multiple times a night. There is great power in faith and fasting and especially when a family unites in a purpose. Never had mom felt such strength from a fast from that united faith of her family. Putting trust in the healing power of The Lord is key to overcoming trials in this life.

On the night of January 9th Mommy had a rough night of sleep. There was a lot of discomfort that kept her up most the night. The next day dad went to work, mom cooked a bunch of meat, ran errands, cleaned the home and made dinner. Then at 7:00 they ran off to a town hall meeting at the court house on the subject of the Common Core curriculum. The meeting felt like we had walked into "To Kill a Mockingbird" with all the interesting and vocal townsfolk. There was an older white haired gentleman with a big mustache who had quite the opinions. He would stand and share his thoughts openly, like, "We need to talk about gun laws. It should be as easy to buy a gun as a doughnut." And "They teach sodomy in schools." He was quite entertaining. And the meeting was really interesting and important. It is a topic that we care a great deal about: education. But it went very long. Dad had a work meeting and Mom really needed a bathroom, so off we scooted out of the bench. When going down the stairs, "gush" mom felt something interesting. Running into the bathroom she discovered that her water must have broken. We talked to Dad's Grandma on the drive home and then ran inside when arrived at home. Mom was beginning to feel contractions but we both felt there was time. Dad ran off to his work meeting and mommy called the midwives and doula. "Rest" was the advice she was given. "It looks like things are progressing, but you're a first time mom and this can sometimes take a long while and you'll need your rest." So mom let dad know and she waited alone at home as contractions gradually began. When dad finally got home the timing began and the pressure waves/ contractions began to get closer and closer. By 10:30pm they were getting consistent and close. Mom didn't want to call the midwives too early and make them hang around the whole night, so dad helped her through them. After two hours of timing contractions and attempting to rest, it became obvious things were going really fast. Daddy made the call around 1am. Timing was incredible. Our Doula, Natalie, got their right in time to assist Dad in caring for Mom at 1:30am. Then our midwifes, Krista and Shayna, arrived and got the room ready just in time for mom to go into the final stages of labor around 2:00am. The second wave of water broke with a very loud gush and lots of liquid, things progressed very quickly from there. Pushing for the last hour and a half was the hardest thing Mom had ever done. But thinking of you safely arriving was clear in her mind. Dad was so calming and blessed mom in countless ways to keep her focused and strong. He even let mom put him in a headlock and pull his hair (which she was thinking in her head, "why am I doing this to him,"). There were a few moments there at the very end that mom just felt like she wanted to go to sleep and wake up in the morning to finish. But that is not an option at the late stages of labor. After a while your head crowned and everyone kept saying, "She's almost here, push!" Dad was crying and so sweet. When you arrived on the morning of January 10th 2014 at 5:09am you were beautiful!!! You had a head of dark hair and dad said you looked Arabian. You were so quiet and peaceful. They laid you on mom's tummy and we instantly fell in love as a family! Mom had made a cd of special songs to have playing and Uncle Kent was singing. It was a very special song and moment to hear his sweet voice singing to us all in the background of this momentous moment. You weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz and were a whopping 22 3/4 inches long! Everyone was shocked at how tall you were. You were healthy and so strong! Daddy changed his very first baby diaper that day on you. You had three very big muconium diapers full of a tarrish poop. Which dropped you 10 ounces! Aunt Lara came by to meet you and brought birthday cupcakes, ice- cream and dinner! That first day was incredible!!! We could hardly believe you were ours. What joy filled our hearts with you added into our family!

The First Week of life was very eventful and presented a huge learning curve for both of us. You had dropped in weight and temperature enough to worry the midwives and so there was a lot of stress and crying and trying to help you. Mom basically was getting no sleep and was still trying to recover herself from stitches and labor. And Dad was being so helpful. We gave you a blessing on night three when all of us were at our wits end. We cared so much about you and were so concerned to make everything alright. We had a chiropractor appointment for you, prayed lots and slept little. But with great diligence mom got your weight back up and you started doing so well. You also had us super worried for you did not have your first bowel movement till day 11!!! Grammy got the honor of changing it. Some favorite things we began to discover about you were; your smiles on day 7, holding mommy's finger as you nursed, holding fingers with everyone, curling your toes and legs, your hands loving to touch your face, giving lots of stinky farts which gave you the nick-name of toot-sweet, your many faces our favorite being the turtle face, co-sleeping with us in bed, enjoyed your first bath with no tears, tracking with your eyes really early....you were just so smart and so fun!

We love you so much Jane Elizabeth Spencer. You captured our heart from day one. Thanks for coming to our family!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Because of Her

MOTHERHOOD the highest and noblest calling.

Today I am grateful for Mary the mother of Christ. Because of HER we can all be forgiven and live with our Father in Heaven once more. What a woman, to except and fulfill the calling of being the mother of our Savior and Redeemer. When I think of how intimidating that would have been I am amazed at her strength and courage. Having just become a mother myself, I have learned how humbling it is to bring one of our Heavenly Fathers little souls into this world. When one raises a child there is a great humbling process that happens. I am so thankful we are blessed to be intrusted with this great calling; motherhood. Mary taught her tiny babe the most important lessons; knowing His Father in Heaven who sent Him and Why He was here! There are so many questions in life and ALL can be answered through the teachings of her son. Because of HER, HE came into this world. What a blessing Motherhood truly is! It saves lives!!!!!!!!! When I look around me and notice the great women on this earth I stand in awe. Every single woman, whether a mother or not, has inherent qualities to love and nurture. Womanhood is a celebration!!! And being a mother really is the most wonderful celebration of all! I love this sweet little video on mothers, take a minute to watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ4TPn8hjxI&feature=share&app=desktop

Also, Because of HIM we all can be in families forever!! I am so grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ and that he was born into the world to a righteous, nurturing and loving mother, Mary.

http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod?cid=social_20140509_23569764&lang=eng

Organic Names

Today James and I went on a Mother's Day Date! I've been wanting to make grow boxes for so long but they're expensive, take time and it's just been a bit busy with a newborn, school, work...life. So I decided on window boxes! A little less on price and a quicker project! I'm hoping to grow herbs and flowers in them! Then after the lumbar yard we decided to visit a new organic grocer in town and get each other a little something! It was super fun and we even found some treasures to represent the nick names we call each other in my family!!!!!

Daddio Brad = BOP

Matt = Uncle Matt

Lara = Larabarachocolate

Andrea = Chia Pet

Spencer = makes a "Monkey" face

Carolyn = care bear (bear on jam)

James just LOVES pepper&salt&popcorn so that was my treat for him and then he bought me an adorable drink called "Hello Beautiful". What a fun fun date!!!! I love my Mr. James so much, it was a special morning before he had to run to work!

Flower Picker

I love flowers. I always have. They make my heart light up and put a smile on my face. From a very young age I loved picking flowers, gardening with my mom and giving flowers to others. One of my favorite occasions when walking home from school was collecting dandelions and other wild weeds and bringing them home to mom! My little sister, Andrea, could collect a huge bouquet of dandelions! She was a pro! I was blessed to grow up in the beautiful green state of Washington. My favorite of all flowers thrives here!! The Hydreangea!!!! Oh how I love that ball of a flower! My mom would always find me putting hundreds of vases of flowers around our home! They are not a fragrant flower but oh they are so lovely!! As Mothers Day comes all the tulips, daffodils, and blossoms are out showing Spring in full burst! Mothers are the gateway that new life comes through. What an amazing thing! No wonder a gift of flowers means so much to us women, it can serve as a reminder of that nurturing, loving and beautiful role. Give a flower to a woman you love this week...and hey why not every week!!

Generations of Love

Grandmothers

I am so very thankful for my wonderful and amazing grandma's. They truly are two of the most amazing women I have or ever will know. Each one contributes so much to their families, the community and to the world! Grandma Leonora (Nonie) Sorensen and Grandma Priscilla Cahoon are two incredible women. I love and adore each of them so much and admire the lives that they have lived and continue to live. Nonie is a music genius and has written hundreds of pieces. One is in the LDS Children's Songbook and many are still sung in the mission field in Nauvoo Illinois. She is an amazing mother to 11 children who are all incredible. And she makes sure to be a part of her grandchildren's interests and encourages their talents. Also, she raised my wonderful mother whom I could never replace. Priscilla is also known as the "Flying Grandma". She travels far and wide to be a part of special family occasions and just to join together! She is the spunkiest and most hard working woman! She still takes care of her two story brick home all alone, doing the irrigating, gardening and housework. She has courage and is always trying new things. In her sweet home she has a collection of amazing hats which inspired me to collect hats as well. She is an incredible seamstress and has sewn hundreds of quilts and special gifts. Both women are just amazing and I adore them!

How blessed my little Jane and our future children are to come through such women as these! There is greatness in cherishing and learning of your ancestors. I come from a very blessed family tree that holds some of the most hard working, courageous, faithful and generous of people. Today I celebrate those generations of love!

Made with Love

While my mother was in town helping with my sisters new baby she cooked and cooked and cooked. No one cooks better than my mom! Except your mom of course...isn't that true!? Our moms somehow cook the best food ever! There's nothing quite like her crescent rolls, or lasagna stuffed with cheese. No one can quite match her salads, jam or breakfast cinnamon ring. Yep, mamas home cooking is a smell and taste that warms the heart. 

I can remember so often watching my mom whisk around the kitchen creating amazing meals. Family dinner was an every night occasion in our home and I loved it! My task was often setting the table (no wonder I have an obsession with dishes). One favorite memory of cooking with mom in the kitchen was chocolate chip cookie making. She would let my brother, Spencer, and I sit up on the counter with our BIG silver bowl and all the ingredients went in to make a big city. The packed brown sugar towers were my favorite. Then we'd dump all the chocolate chips in and they'd be the people. My brother and I were the giants! So we would come and squish all the city together with our hands. Oh what fun it was to make those cookies.

The true secret ingredient to all mama cooking is the same: love. There is such tender and sweet feelings that go into every morsel a mother touches. She makes the best food because it's made with that sweetest of all ingredients: love!

Read the article "Made with Love" here:

http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2014/may/tabletalk3.html

Motherhood

I am soooo thankful for my mama and my little girl!! There are truly not two lovelier ladies, who capture and strengthen my heart. I love them forever and ever!! This week I will post a little something about mothers each day! For the end of the week marks Mothers Day! I'm so grateful I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a mom! The strength it takes to be a mother is uncomparable! There is so much one learns about oneself from becoming a mother. I love the sweet words to this song by Mercy River! I was blessed to hear them speak at a Conference called "Time out for Women" this past year and I fell in love with these three great women. They are great mothers and write beautiful music about there joys and experiences of Morherhood. They encapsulate the early years of motherhood all the way through raising that little one to be on their own. What a great journey a mother makes each time a child is welcomed into her life! Hurray for Motherhood!

Watch and listen to the sweet words of this song:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kts-yFaSah8

"Ice-Cakes"

I am deeming our delicious breakfast this morning as "Ice-Cakes"!! We went to our local dairy, Reeds, to get $1 pancakes with a scoop of ice-cream on top. It was delicious!! And so fun!! They had all their new baby animals out and it was sunshiney (and windy of course, but hey that's ID). Jane fell asleep from all the excitement, and was so sweet being held by her Aunt Andrea.

We had to say goodbye to Grammy and Aunt Andrea & Molly as well as they head home to WA. I wish they lived close so we could make "ice-cakes" every Saturday morning! We love the Dairy!!