The Nevada Kids

Elder Jesse Wadsworth update

2012-01-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

Jesse is doing well on his mission. He is loving every day and enjoying the challenge of it all and of helping people come to the knowledge of their Savior. He says it's the best thing he's ever done. These pictures are long over due, but they are starting with the most recent (their mission Christmas party) and going back.

Apple Crisp

2012-01-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here is my favorite recipe for apple crisp:

4 cups sliced apples (or any other fruit-we love it with canned peaches)

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup butter
-------------------------
Layer fruit in bottom of greased pan. MIx all other ingredients together, cutting in butter at the end. Sprinkle on fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for aobut 30 minutes or until golden & crispy.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T22:42:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. I think the most enjoyable thing for everyone was getting to Skype with Jared and Jesse. It's so wonderful to hear their voices and see them. We are so lucky to live in a time when Skype is available. We are also enjoying having Sariah home from college with us.

December 2011

2011-12-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful visit from some of the wonderful misisonaries that have served and are serving in Fallon. We also were privileged to meet Elder Down's parents and enjoy some time with them. It was a very fun day.

Marriage Joke

2011-12-19T01:06:00.000-08:00

Shortly after the honeymoon the new husband noticed a small box on the closet shelf. He asked his new bride what was in it.
She said, “Promise me you will never look in that box.” Reluctantly, he agreed.
On their 50 wedding anniversary, he again noticed the box.
He asked, may I now see what is in it?” "Yes" replied his sweetheart of 50 years.
He found 3 doilies and $2,000 dollars.
“What is this?” he asked.
She replied, “My grandmother told me that every time I wanted to argue to crochet a doilie.
He was so relieved there were only 3. “What is the money for?” He asked.
"From selling doilies," she replied.

Elder Jared Wadsworth

2011-12-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

Elder Jared Wadsworth is doing great. He is serving in Canaman.

Dear Family,
Life is great! I am still serving in the Canaman area and probably will for the rest of my mission. These last few weeks have been some of the most spiritually powerful and motivating of my whole mission. For the only time in 3 months we were able to work for an entire week in our area because there were no mission-related meetings scheduled. We saw miracles in that week as we were able to find the ---- Family, as well as teach a father of a family that we'd already been teaching but hadn't been able to teach the father because of his schedule. Both of these came as direct answers to our prayers over the past several weeks, and was an evidence to me of how much the Lord really cares about each and every one of his children. We have also been working more and more with less active members as the focus in the Philippines changes from conversion to reactivation, as more than two thirds of the members here are inactive, it is a powerful tool and we are seeing the results as several have already come back. I love this work and I know it's true,
I love you all,
Elder Wadsworth

St. George, Utah Temple

2011-12-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

We love visting the St. George Temple. It is so beautiful and such amazing history there.

Gratitude

2011-12-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

"We can lift ourselves and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude."
President Thomas S. Monson

"in some quiet way, the expression and feelings of gratitude have a wonderful cleansing or healing nature....Gratitude brings a peace that helps us overcome the pain of adversity and failure."
Elder Robert D. Hales

James E. Faust

2011-12-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

"If you have done your best, which you usually do, your humble offering, whatever it may be, will be acceptable and pleasing to the Lord."

Ensign, March 2010 pg. 15

"Quiet your fears with Faith in the Lord"

2011-12-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

President Boyd K. Packer:
"If you are helpless, he is not. If you are lost, he is not. If you don't know what to do next, he knows. It would take a miracle, you say? Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?"

Ensign, March 2010, pg. 14

St. George 11-11

2011-11-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful trip to St. George. We got to visit my parents on their mission, see lots of neat scenery, and Nathan and the older kids got to go on a family history tour with his Dad. We also stopped at the place where Nathan proposed to me and showed the kids. It was a lot of fun.

Corn Combining Harvest 2011

2011-11-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jane, we have some pictures of Nathan combining corn. In this case, the combine cleans the kernels of corn right off the cob and leaves everything else in the field-unlike chopping. The kernel looks so beautiful in the bin.

Angels

2011-11-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

I sure am thankful I get to live with angels!
Just look at the size of those halos! :)

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

A cow, a butterfly, and 2 random ladies.

What 2 1/2 years old will get you-

2011-10-26T21:42:00.001-07:00

AN APPLE-EATING MUNCHKIN

"Mommy, can you cut me up an apple and take the thing out?"
Yes, you want me to cut the CORE out?
"No, don't cut FLOOR out-just take the thing out"

A COW-BUTTERFLY

"Mommy, can you help me go outside and fly away up in the sky?"

After jumping off the couch- "It didn't work!"

A SHERIFF

AND A "THAT'S NOT FAIR" RECORDING
Jed's favorite line is "that's not fair".
If it's time to put on his seatbelt, he screams and says, "That's not fair to wear seatbelts!"
If he's been naughty and needs a spank, he screams and says, "That's not fair to get spanks".
If he needs to get dressed, then it's not fair to get dressed, and on and on. He makes us laugh-where does he come up with this stuff?

Favorite bedtime stories for the week: Hiawatha and Jesse Bear's Birthday.

I do love being a mom and feel very blessed to have these children in my life.

Corn Earlage

2011-10-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

This last week Nathan and the guys have been busy doing "earlage" with the chopper. They took off the chopping header and put on the combine header and an earlage attachment. When chopping, the stalks are cut off at the bottom and everything is chopped into little pieces. When doing earlage, the combine header pulls the cobs only off the stalks and chops the cobs into little pieces. This way it is mostly grain and it does not have to go to a roller mill to be milled.

Jed "reads" Brown Bear

2011-10-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Ada's learning to read:)

2011-10-03T13:29:00.001-07:00

Temple in Star Valley, Wyoming!

2011-10-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am so overjoyed with the announcement this morning of a temple to be built in one of the most beautiful places on earth: Star Valley, Wyoming! I thoroughly enjoyed growing up there and the thought had crossed my mind a couple of times that it would be neat, but I never thought it would really happen! I am so happy for all those who live there and will be able to go to the temple much more often! Yea!!!!!!

I am also excited that those from Star Valley will not have to travel the sometimes treacherous winter drive to Idaho Falls. The drive can be dangerous and fatal. One year three couple were killed in an accident on bad roads on the way to the temple. The winds get blowing and strands people on one side or the other. My parents said they have had times where they have to turn around and go back and get a motel because they can't get through. If you had small children waiting at home for you, that would not be good.
So, Hurray!!!!! A temple in Star Valley!

Chopping

2011-09-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day today and we got to spend time out in the field with Nathan chopping corn.

Sariah goes to college!

2011-09-10T22:42:00.001-07:00

Hurray for Sariah! As she puts it, this is the day that she "gets out of jail"! :)

We took her to her apartment by LDS Business College. It was fun to walk through the college building and see what it looks like. I was seriously considering going there when I was a teen. It's a neat place. Then we went grocery shopping, visited some relatives, and said goodbye.

She's living an older home with 8 other girls, so I' sure there will never be a dull moment.

Nathan and I really enjoyed our time together and got to go to the Salt Lake Temple, which is where we got married 21 years ago.

Natalee's Baptism

2011-08-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

Natalee turned 8 and was baptized in June. Thanks to my sister-in-law Pam, we have some fun pictures of the event.

What is a mommy?

2011-08-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today Ada cracked me up as we were walking from the garden with a couple of carrots I just picked, and she was so happy about them-she had her hand in mine and said,
"You are so a mommy, because you have a baby, and you are tricky".
I thought to myself, yep, that's what mommmies are-they have babies, and they sure have to be tricky to get through it all!

Flowers & Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

2011-08-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

Annual Community Clothing Giveaway

2011-08-07T17:50:00.001-07:00

The Clothing Giveaway went really well. We had tons of help and things got done quickly. It was fun to see so many of the good people in our community and to meet new people. About 350 came to get clothes. We are happy with how it turned out and are already making plans to make it better for next year. Thanks everyone that helped!
Set up and hanging clothes

We had lots of help and it went much faster than we expected!

Elder Downs and Mathis were a huge help!

2011-06-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

I walked by the window the other day and saw this hummingbird perched and watching the kids in the dining room. They were making lots of noise and some unhappy ones and I was very surprised that it would stay. That is until I tried to sneak out to get a closer shot-then it left.

I love Shasta Daisies! I think next year I'll plant them EVERYWHERE!

Watermelons, canteloupes, and tomatoes waiting to be planted.

Jed turns 2! Thanks to a nice neighbor, he got a pretty awesome tractor!

Jesse in Brazil!

2011-05-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Jesse with his mission president (President & Sister Clark) and other new elders and sisters.

Pictures of Jesse before he left the MTC (Provo):

Elder Wadsworth & Elder Squires

Update on Elder Jared Wadsworth

2011-05-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Tie burning ceremony after being out for 1 year.

Elder Jared Wadsworth has been serving in the Guinobatan 2nd ward. He is doing well and is now serving in the first ward.

The great Mayon

2011-05-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Yea! Jesse got his visa on Friday and will be leaving for Brazil on Wednesday. We are so happy for him!

Elder Jesse Wadsworth

2011-05-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Jesse is doing great in the MTC and learning lots. He is waiting for his visa to go through so he can go to Brazil.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

We had a great day-the teenage girls made a delicious ham dinner while I played the m&m games with the primary kids and took pictures of our cute little kiddos. To top it off, we got to talk to Jared on Skype. I love it! He's doing great.

Easter 2011

2011-05-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

2011-05-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

On The Farm

2011-04-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Jed saw me mopping and so he went and found his own "mop" and came to help me. When I left for a minute, he decided to try out my mop.

Happy Birthday, Ada!!!!

2011-04-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Gotta smash that spider on the wall :)

Spring Blooms

2011-04-17T16:22:00.001-07:00

Jesse enters the MTC

2011-04-10T14:55:00.001-07:00

Jesse was called to serve in the Brazil Brasilia Mission. He was going to go to the MTC down there, but since his visa hasn't gone through yet, we took him to the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC) to start his mission. He said others that were in the same situation were coming to the Provo MTC and got their visas that very day. So, he is excited to get his hopefully soon. We are so excited for him to be able to serve the Lord on a full time mission and are confident he will be a great missionary.

Make Homemade Yogurt

2011-03-27T22:33:00.001-07:00

Want to save money and know what's in your yogurt? May Grandma always used to make her own, and my sister reminded me how to do it. It's pretty easy to make your own. Here's how:
1. Pour milk (I use 1 gallon) into large pan. Set yogurt starter-"store bought" yogurt out to warm on counter top (I use at least 2 cups).
Bring milk to scalding point-it will get a bit of a "skin" on top.
Remove from heat and add sweetner. I like to use Splenda and it only takes about 1/2 cup because milk is already sweet. You can experiment with the amounts and sweetners that you like. Stir well and then let it cool to room temperature.

2. Once the milk has cooled to room temp. it is time to mix in the yogurt starter-stir well. If you do it too soon and the milk is too warm, it will kill the starter and the yogurt will not set up. If it is added too late, after the milk starts getting cold, it will not activate the starter, and it will not set up. So, this step is important. Timing will depend on how much milk you are doing and how hot it got, so just keep an eye on it. It will probably be at least 30 -60 min. to cool. Then, comes the fun part. You can add whatever flavorings and colorings you like. Some that we like are vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, peach, blackberry. We buy the big bottles of syrup (they also make sugar-free) at bulk places, like Winco or Smart and Final.

Ya, this picture is out of order. When will I get it? It should be second.

3. Put newly mixed yogurt into clean, dry containers and set on a cookie sheet in the oven. My grandma always just turned the oven light on overnight to keep it warm enough to set up. If you don't have a light, you can slightly preheat the oven but be sure to turn it off before you put the yogurt in. Too much heat is bad! About containers-I use glass jars and plastic containers and they all seem to work equally well.

This is what the yogurt will probably look like after it has set up overnight. After it is stirred, it will look "pretty".

Savings:
1 gallon or 4 quarts of milk: $2.70
1 quart of yogurt: $2.49
Homemade yogurt is less than 1/3 the cost of storebought.

Organize Chaos

2011-03-27T22:23:00.001-07:00

1. Find a pile of junk (you know, the kind you're goin' to need someday.

2. Move Pile of Stuff

3. Put up shelves or some type of organizing unit.

4. Organize "Stuff", clean up, get Ada to help sweep.

5. Take a well deserved nap! :)

Refill an ink cartridge

2011-03-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my mother-in-law for showing me how to do this, I have saved a TON of money on cartridges. We go through lots and lots of ink for homeschool and church stuff. There are some days that I refill the cartridge twice, if I am downloading and printing preschool books, etc. I ordered this large container of black ink online several years ago for $13. It is only about half gone, and I have refilled the cartridges MANY times. Love it!
1. Open the lid on the printer. On my cartridge, I push down as I am pulling it out, but others may be different. You may want to buy an official cartridge refilling kit to begin with to have what you need. But, all you really need is the ink and a syringe.
2. Put the syringe in the ink and trying not to take up air, pull it out with the ink entering the needle. For the black, if the catridge has begun to run out, it takes about 6 cc's of ink. When I am refilling the color catridge, I try not to get more than 2 cc's of each color. If I put too much in, (which I have) it overfills inside and mixes the colors. NOT good! That means it's time to go buy a new cartridge.

3. Carefully insert the syringe needle into the cartridge. If it has not been refilled before, you may have to poke around abit to find where the opening is. If it has hard plastic instead of a hole, you can make a hole with a nail or screw. When the needle is in a little over half-way down the cartridge, start to SLOWLY push the ink in. If it is pushed too fast, it will come out the top. If it pokes in too deep, it will puncture the bottom of the cartridge and then it will all leak out and have to be thrown away.

When the cartridge is refilled, snap it back into its place in the printer (I push in and up on mine). And, then, try it out to make sure it's working.
Tip: Don't let the cartridge run all the way dry. Once it does that, it's really hard to get it to work well again. The longer it is dry, the lower the chances of getting to perform well. It's best to catch it when the ink starts to fade on the printed page. Good luck!

Keep those towels on the racks????

2011-03-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

Can I just say how tired I am of towels in a pile on the bathroom floor, every. single. time. I walk in there? I cut a square piece of fabric that doesn't fray, and using my sewing degree, sewed like I would for a welt pocket in tailoring. It's pretty easy-just sew a rectangle, and then cut a slit with angles at the corners.

Then turn the square through to the other side, and topstitch. Since I did this a couple of months ago, and it's taken me this long to post it, I can tell you how well it works. Well, let's just say that at least they stay on when I hang them up. The kids? still need more training on how to hang towels up. But, if you've got some really bright kids, they might be able to "pick it up" quicker:)

Replace an ironing board cover..

2011-03-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well-I got the pictures out of order, so start at the bottom if you like.

I put it on and the string worked great, and being lazy, I was glad I didn't have to find any new string for it. I am happy with the way it turned out.

I saved the drawstring out of the old one and sewed it into the serged edges, being VERY careful not to let it get caught-even one stitch could prevent it from moving. Of course, getting caught on the other side with the knife wouldn't be too pretty either.

Ya, I think so. Took off the old one and pinned it to fabric to use for the pattern.

I've had this ironing board since we got married...21 years...think it needs a new cover?

Happy 19th Birthday, Jesse!

2011-03-06T18:21:00.000-08:00

2011-03-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

Jed is saying, "up like a rocket...round and round like the great big sun"

Awesome 21st Anniversary!

2011-02-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

Nathan and I got to go on a fabulous trip to Hawaii for our 21st Anniversary! We had a blast and really enjoyed the time together. We were met at the airport by Sue Wohle, who took us to their place and gave us our first taste of what Hawaii is like. It was fun to see Jamie and Lilly, too!

Then we were off to the big island, to stay at my sister's house. Their family made our trip wonderful because they already know all the good places to go, fun things to do, and of course, food and lodging was free:) Big Plus! They took us snorkeling, boogie boarding, hiking to see the lava, just to name a few.

This is Nathan's pain face. He had an extreme sunburn on his back, and our muscles were also sore from all the swimming and from boogie boarding. It was painful just to move. But, we were still having a good time:)

On our last morning there, Hank and Sue Wohle met us at Pearl Harbor and showed us the Missouri. We really enjoyed our time there, seeing the sights and the memorials.

On The Farm

2011-02-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

A lovely visit from Grandpa and Grandma :)

Finishing the Shed

2011-01-30T22:23:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Brent for climbing up on a high haystack to take this picture for me:)

building up the dirt under the barn to keep the rain off the hay

Jesse painting the poles and trusses-ouch, that would kill me!

2011-01-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

Happy 16th Birthday to Rebekah!

One of our favorite people in the world!

A desperate attempt at a belated birthday picture-Happy 14th Brent!

Cutie Pie!

Shed update

2011-01-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

Putting up the Purlins

Starting to put the tin on

Kids

2011-01-16T16:31:00.001-08:00

Love'em!

Working on the shed #3 1-11-11

2011-01-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

Time to weld the trusses and put them up!

Working on the shed #2 12-10

2011-01-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

--Putting up the poles and packing cement around them

Working on the shed #1 12-10

2011-01-16T14:11:00.001-08:00

After lots of thought, calculations, and studying, the guys were ready to drill the holes, lay out the poles, and pour cement in the base of the holes with rebar in the middle of the holes to help guide the poles to the center.

Ada's First Day in Primary

2011-01-02T22:25:00.000-08:00

Today was Ada's first day in Primary. She is in the Sunbeam class. She was worried about going and didn't want to go alone, but afterwards she decided it was fun. She likes her CTR ring, which reminds her to "CHOOSE THE RIGHT". She says she's not little like Jed anymore.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Christmas. Missed Jared, of course, but are glad he's where he should be. The morning started pretty early, as the sunrise shows in the bottom pictures. Little Jed was a little sleepy:)

A wonderful birthday

2011-01-02T21:20:00.001-08:00

My favorite part: we got to talk to Jared on Skype. He is doing well in the Naga, Philippines Mission. He just got a new companion and is moving to a different apartment. Apparently the last one didn't meet missionary standards. Now he will have to commute to his area. He sounds and looks very happy. "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:17 This truly is the way to happiness.

My family was very good to me and spoiled me with gifts I didn't deserve.

I am grateful for a wonderful husband who also spoils me and is so good to me. Thanks for a wonderful birthday!

Kid's Play

2011-01-02T21:11:00.001-08:00

Time to Plant Bulbs?

2010-12-19T23:00:00.001-08:00

Fun things to do before Christmas: Haul cornstalk bales, combine, and plant tulip bulbs. :)

Ya gotta love the variety in the weather here. One day there is fog. One day we're hauling bales. One day there is snow. The next Nathan's out combining and we are planting tulip bulbs. Keeps life exciting, for sure! It's not the same as those cold but beautifully white winters I grew up with in Wyoming, but I'm loving gardening the week before Christmas!

The bigger the boy, the BIGGER the toy.

2010-12-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Dear! Nathan was very excited when this package came in the mail-or should I say on the truck? The guys are going to be building hay barns this winter and will be using this gradall to work on them.

Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010

2010-11-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

This was an exciting day at our house! Jesse got his misison call and we all got to be there when he opened it. He has been called to serve in the Brasilia, Brazil Mission. He is to leave April 6, 2011 and report to the MTC in Brazil. We are so excited for him and happy that he has his call. He is already working on learning Portuguese. Congratulations, Jesse!

Sariah went to the prom. I was proud of her for fixing up her dress and making her own jacket. Way to go, Sariah!

Also, Johnny turned 12 and will be ordained to be a deacon tomorrow. He gets to pass the sacrament for his first time! I'm glad I get to be there for that. Congratulations, Johnny!

Combining 11-2010

2010-11-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

Reno Temple

2010-11-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Dec. 2010

Nov. 2010

Salt Lake Temple

2010-11-06T21:32:00.001-07:00

Time to work on the house!

2010-10-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

What to do with the soffit and facia sitting on the back porch? Best thing I could think of was to put it up where it belonged. So...after rounding up the boys to help with the service truck and air-tools, we went to work. Jane and Natalee helped hold things in place and handed us the things we needed. Jed wanted to know if he could come up and help. Negative.

It does feel good to get a project accomplished. Thanks, kids for you help!

Corn Harvest 10-10

2010-10-31T21:32:00.001-07:00

2010-10-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

The other day, Ada was riding with Nathan in the chopper. She looked at the corn going on the sides of the chopper, and said, "Look Dad, the corn is tickling the chopper!"

Play till you drop!

2010-10-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Graveling the driveway

2010-10-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

The kids had the best time playing on the gravel piles.

Jed helping me transplant a cosmos bigger than he is.

Conference Oct. 2010

2010-10-12T23:37:00.001-07:00

Chair Recovering

2010-10-12T23:22:00.001-07:00

I bought this set of chairs at the trift store about 5 years ago, and of course I knew I would do something with them right away, because they looked so gross. Well, after 5 years, some kind words from my husband (I wonder if so&so was grossed out when he ate at our house and sat on that chair), and finding some fabric on clearance for $1.20, I was ready to go. I had 2 chairs to do, and it didn't take long, and I was wishing I really would have done it sooner.

Banana Sqaures

2010-10-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

My roommate at Ricks gave me this recipe-I absolutely love it! Not healthy for the figure, though, I'd say.
Banana Squares
1 yellow cake mix
½ cup soft butter
2 eggs-----------------combine these 3, press half into greased 9x13” pan.
3 ¾ cups marshmallows-melt
2 ripe bananas-smash
1 box instant vanilla pudding-------combine these three and spread over dough in pan. Crumble remaining dough from first mix over top, bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. These taste better when cooled, if you can wait that long. (one of my favorite recipes)

Awesome Family Reunion!

2010-08-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

The second day dawned sunny and warm and we were very thankful for that. We had a couple of days of all the horse riding we could want, good company, good food, and gorgeous scenery! Nathan, Jesse, Sariah, Rebekah and Brent went on a long and exciting ride to the top of a mountain. Of course pictures never do it justice, but here's a try!

We went for a ride on the first day out, and got hailed on. Ada and Jed were not happy about that! The ground was wet and muddy, and we were a little concerned about what kind of reunion this was going to be!

We took 2 horsetrucks with trailors on back. Rebekah was a huge help with the horses and loading and saddling. She's an old pro, now.

We got to help Grandpa change sprinklers-help in a city-dude kind of way.:)

Just a little bit of spare time

2010-07-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Nathan had just a bit of spare time last week and got his old cad running. The second shot is just after he floored it and the greenery is whizzing by. Of course, he is making some kind of mishievous laugh.

We encourage our children to be anxiously engaged in working hard and finding something productive to do. B & J fixed up a roller creeper and painted it for one of their projects. Good job, boys! I love Jed's smile-he is a happy boy when he gets to go to the shop. SOOOOOOOO many things to explore!

mid July in the garden

2010-07-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've never had corn grow well before, but now I'm wishing we would have planted more! The tomatoes and peppers in the tires seem to be doing well, but not necessarily any better than the ones in the garden. I filled the tires with homemade compost, peat moss, and vermiculite, according to the "Square Foot Gardening" guy's suggestion. They are easy to water and weed.

The melons are finally starting to take off. HOpefully it's not too late. The pumpkins are putting out some blossoms and I think we're going to have plenty of them! What I'm waiting for is my first bite of sun-ripened homegrown tomato!

mid July

2010-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, again!

2010-07-16T11:35:00.001-07:00

Blondie turned 10! She is a huge help to me. She plays with Jed and helps in the kitchen and enjoys learning to make new things. We are so glad she is in our family!

Easy Granola

2010-07-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

We love granola! But it has to be just right-no nuts, seeds, or any of that stuff. And preferrably no big clumps. So, here is my recipe for plain granola. My kids love to eat it warm, especially if there is yogurt to put on top.

12 cups rolled oats (I prefer the old fashioned)
1 cup of oil
1 cup water (sometimes I substitute some mapeline syrup for some of the water)
1 Tbl. vanilla
3 cups brown sugar
2 Tbl. cinnamon
I put the oats in my mixer bowl. Then I combine the oil, water, and vanilla and drizzle it over the oats while the mixer is on low. Then I slowly put in the brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing as little as possible to avoid clumping. Put in greased pan(s) and bake in preheated overn at 425 degrees, for about 25 min. stirring after about 15 min.

Happy Birthday!

2010-06-27T22:19:00.001-07:00

As this picture shows, our birthday cakes are getting fancier and fancier! Icecream sandwiches was a good idea to start with, but that's as far as it went. The candles wouldn't stay standing long enough to light. Better luck next birthday!

Jared mission June

2010-06-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

Super Quick Whole Wheat Buns

2010-06-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

It was time to try out the wheat we bagged, so I looked on the internet to find a good recipe for whole wheat buns. I like them so much more than the white ones. Here is a recipe I found on recipezaar.com. I really like the way it turned out. The buns were soft but held up well. Here it is:

1 cup warm water
3 Tbl. warm water
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar or honey (I used mostly honey)
2 Tbl. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1. combine water, yeast, oil, and sugar or honey; let rest for 15 minutes (I didn't have that much time-5 worked for me)
2. add salt, egg, and flour to yeast mixture and mix well.
3. Roll out 3/4 inch thick and cut into 10-12 rounds.
4. Place rolls on cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake at 400-425 for 8-10 minute or until lightly browned.

Pretty easy, and nice recipe! I want to use it often.

Bagging seed in Winnemucca

2010-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Little Jed gets a ride on the forklift with his uncle.

Last year we grew some hard white wheat for making bread here in Fallon. After it was harvested, we hauled it to Winnemucca to be cleaned and bagged.

Me putting insecto in the wheat as it goes down to get bagged to kill any possible weevil.

Nathan sewing the seed bags shut.

Jonathan fixing the filled 25 lb. bags onto the pallet.

Still trying to make the desert blossom as a rose...

2010-06-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

I am very intrigued with this flower. I still don't know it's name and it takes forever to get a good picture of it, because the wind is always blowing, making it blurry.

Girls Camp

2010-06-19T23:26:00.001-07:00

Nathan and I went up for the last night of camp. It was nice and the kids all survived without us. We saw some beautiful scenery on the way.

A ride down memory lane-Sierra Valley

2010-06-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

On the way to girls camp, we passed the farm we put up hay on a few years back. It was fun to see it again. It is a very beautiful valley.

2010-06-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

2010-06-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Flowers

2010-06-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

The irises bloomed nicely this year. We planted a wildflower pack of seeds and I am wondering what the 3rd and last flowers are called. Does anyone know?

2010-05-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day, thanks to a wonderful husband and children!

As we were planting fruit trees, we found one way to keep a toddler out of the water and out of trouble!

Marriage-by Benjamin Franklin

2010-05-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

"Marriage is...the most natural state of man, and therefore the state in which you are most likely to find solid happiness....It is the man and woman united that make the complete human being. Separate, she wants his force of body and strength of reason, he, her softness, sensibility, and acute discernment. Together they are more likely to succeed in the world. A single man has not nearly the value he would have in the state of union. He is an incomplete animal; he resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors."

Creating

2010-05-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

“There is a great work for the Saints to do. Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ.”
President Brigham Young
The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage”

Chopping and irrigating May 2010

2010-05-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Jared's Mission

2010-05-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful husband and children, I had a great Mother's Day. This was definitely one of the highlights-talking to Jared and getting to see his face at the same time. What a treat that was for me!

Wow! What an incredible view! Good shot, Jared!

Above: Jared went on a service project to gather buko's, from which they drink the juice.
Below: A rather large "resident" in Jared's apartment! Yikes!

Cabbages and lettuce are beautiful, too!

2010-05-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

These are cuttings taken from a friend's garden and put in moist soil with rooting hormone. Jane helped me cut some bark off the twigs so they would have more space to grow roots. I was surprised when I saw them one day and there were little blossoms on the lilacs. I have since moved them outside and have yet to see if they will actually grow into plants.

I tried something new this year. I planted these cabbages and lettuces in February or March. I got some old wire hangers, cut off the hook part and bent the rest into a "u" shape. I put these over the plants I wanted to protect, and then covered the bed with plastic. In this way, the plastic didn't smash the plants, but was still able to keep them warm and cozy. It seemed to work good-the plants are doing really well (except for the basil, it was not cold-hardy enough to survive it's first frost).

The chicks are getting bigger!

2010-05-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

Family

2010-04-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Nathan & Jed- a couple of months ago.

Jane and Natalee are really enjoying the chickens-thanks Amy!

Jediecakes loves pasta:)

Don't smile, Jane!:)

Highlights from school

2010-04-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ada trying to find the Philippines on her map book. She wanted to go to the Philippines with Jared, but being a little nervous, asked if I would go with her.:)

Jed playing with puzzle peices.

Math is not always a favorite subject around here. Or language, for that matter. But, if you're going to say your school is dumb, shouldn't you learn how to spell "dumb" first? lol

Spring field work

2010-03-10T22:24:00.001-08:00

Nathan using a 7-schank ripper and 9400 John Deere tractor to tear up the old stand of hay and get the field ready for a new crop. Ada and Jed had fun riding with him.

The stackyard has been pretty wet this winter. We had to do quite a bit of 4-wheelin' to get in and out of our driveway.

Happy Birthday Jesse!

2010-03-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some awesome friends at college,
Jesse had a great 18th birthday!

Out of the mouth of a child...

2010-03-06T22:20:00.001-08:00

The other night we were saying prayers, and I was helping Ada. I said, please help Ada and Jed get over their colds. She said, please help Ada and Jed to get cold. It was so unexpected and funny that we all burst out in laughter and had to end the prayer.
Today, Ada got hurt and said that the wall hit her.

Jared leaves for his Mission

2010-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

dropping off at the MTC

Saying Goodbye