Chapters

Tossed about 90% of the craft stuff, scrapbook stuff and sewing stuff in the downstairs closet today. Pretty much that chapter of me has past.  I like that life happens in chapters.  Sometimes the chapters are exhausting and overwhelming and I hope they are short.  Other times they are peaceful and bliss and I don't want a page to turn in case the chapter is over.
We've had up at night with babies chapters and potty training chapters and chapters and chapters (at least it felt like multiple chapters) and teenage chapters.  I had a crafty chapter and now I'm in a cooking chapter.  I'm not even too sad to see the chapters pass.  I'd love to revisit them for an hour or a day but I don't want to go back.  I'm wiser and nicer as the chapters go on.  Thank goodness for photos and video and diaries so that I can revisit those chapters and smile or cry and remember.  I love that Heavenly Father gave us memories that often sift the bad out and only hold tightly to the sweet.  It's nice that we live the reality of dirty diapers and total exhaustion, of heartbreak over children's choices and feelings of despair but we get to remember the sweet laughter of babies, those quiet rocking chair moments when you know you are doing what you were meant to do.  We get to remember those teenagers turning to amazing, wonderful adults and those feeling of despair turning to joy over righteous choices and the reality mostly fades to just leave the sweet.  Yes, I like chapters to let the sifting begin and to move on to the place of sweet memories.  I've tried very hard in my life to enjoy each chapter, to remember this will never happen again and I've loved every chapter.

"I wish I had her mirror"

Posted the following on facebook but I'm posting it here too, it goes along with "Wow I wish I had her mirror." 

and just so you all can laugh as hard as I did, mom posted the following on Alexis's post of I hit a raccoon, "think about the poor orphan kittens since the raccoon tore their mom apart." I laughed so hard and then I was thinking this is one of those "mom" sayings that I"m going to remember forever and when we are all old grannies and reminiscing about our mom I'm going to use this saying. It's my new favorite, in fact I might just randomly say "well think about the poor orphan kittens" Funny funny mom

You're Not Alone

I'm simply posting this so Tara doesn't feel all alone on our sister blog.  I looked at the last 3 posts and they were all Tara with no sister additions.  Nothing adventurous for me, I'm drowning at home because I"m still working. Today is my Friday, no more Pettingill's this week.  I love my job but canning, being a mom, baseball every Saturday and volleyball Tuesdays and Thursdays is totally kicking my butt.  So that' probably one reason (mine) that Tara's lonely here.  But I want you to know Tara, that as Micheal McLean so aptly sang, "You're Not Alone." (well you're mostly alone except for this wimpy post but mostly alone is not the same as alone)

Oh baby

Brad was out of town last night and today so last night I got the kids fed and ready for bed, put Spencer to bed, played basketball with Braden, did a core workout with Braden which was hard and fun! The kid can be a crack up! Then did my workout and got the house picked up before I finally went to bed. Got up at 6am this am with Spencer and then at 7am I was trying to get breakfast ready and pears and apples in the dryer and make lunches. I asked Ty to watch Spencer for a while and then when Braden came up I asked him to grab Spencer but neither one listened to me and the next thing I knew Spencer was rolling down the stairs. I freaked out and went running after him. After all the talks in conference about children dying I might be a little more paranoid. He seemed to be okay but it's been 4 hours and I'm still not calmed down inside. How do you know if they are okay? Later today I was taking his 9 month picture since I hadn't taken it yet and he went flying off the mini chair he was sitting on. Luckily I caught him but still I just thought are you kidding me? What is up with today. I told Spencer he's not allowed to get hurt or anything on Braden's birthday.
I took Braden to harmons today to pick up doughnuts for his class for school. He has 28 kids, that's a lot of doughnuts to take to school and a lot of kids for 1 teacher. Ty had a field trip today and unlike last year he actually brought his entire lunch and not just a half of a sandwich. He was reminding me of last years field trip where he brought half a sandwich in a bag and where he was supposed to go get a school lunch but didn't. It made me laugh and he was cracking up. Today he took a half a sandwich, an apple sliced, pretzels, and his favorite part a doughnut, and milk as well. I'm sure he'll come home with all of it except the doughnut. LOL
Planning to pick Braden up for lunch today and then take him shopping. It's crazy that I have a 12 year old but it's also nice to have more mature kids around.
Abby I hung your banner up, as soon as I load the pictures I'll post it on here. I LOVE it and you did such a good job.

Abby- I just barely read this. Poor Spencer. That stuff happens with all of them but it's scary every time. Can't believe he's 9 months already! You should post one of the pics you took. Glad the birthday banner was cute, where are the pics on here? And Braden passes the sacrament now huh? So weird! Love that kid.

Squash

I have never made squash in my life, wasn't sure I really liked it and so I never bought it.  Well the other week I got a butternut squash in my CSA basket so I asked friends on facebook for a recipe to cook it.  I got two recipes I wanted to try one was butternut squash soup and the other was a parmesan roasted acorn squash.  Well I never ended up using my butternut squash but when I was at the store I bought an acorn squash and tried the roasted recipe.  My kids apparently don't like squash but my baby loved it and I thought it was okay.  I guess I will be roasting the rest of the squash for him and him alone which means I probably won't need any parmesan on it or thyme for that matter.  Mellonee I was thinking maybe you would like this recipe and you could pick the thyme out of your garden instead of using powdered like I did.

Mellonee:  I don't really like thyme, even though I grow it.  :)  I really want to like squash and I do like it for the first couple bites and then blah.  I want to buy a bunch to decorate with and then I'll keep them and try to cook them so I would like the recipe, just to keep trying.    Spencer is a trooper, especially about food.

Tara: I added the link for the recipe, hopefully when you click on squash it will work, if not I'll find it for you.  I'm the same, I like the first few bites and then the texture is just gross.  Dacia told me about the soup so maybe it will be good.

Cooking

It's so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of when it comes to cooking healthy.  Today Mellonee called me to tell me she was so excited to actually have a second to cook something just for fun.  She had found a blog she loved and the recipe for no bake granola bars.  I was excited when she told me the ingredients and had her send me the blog.  I was in my car driving at the time but new I needed to go to the store so I grabbed a few things for the granola bars while I was there.  I found chocolate chips that are soy, nut, and dairy free and yum they taste good too (no GMOs baby).

Dairy, Nut, and Soy free chocolate chips

I also found this coconut and decided I had to try it.  It's pretty tasty!

Unsweetened coconut flakes

Finally the finished product and yum they are delicious.  I loved them and can't wait for my boys to try them in the morning.  The recipe can be found here

The finished product, yum!

Look what I've become

I never thought I'd get to this place.  This week I've pears, apples, and applesauce.  This fall I've dried tomatoes, peaches, and apples.  I've froze peaches and raspberries.  I still have the quart jars of applesauce, pears, and apples all sitting on my table  because I'm so proud of myself . . . . or wait is it because no one has bothered to take them down to the storage room.  :)  After I cleaned up the kitchen from canning I decided I would make the pumpkin muffins that Ty and I wanted to try.  The first batch was good but I thought it could be better so I quickly made another with a few changes.  I sat down and thought, wow how did I get here.  I was the girl that hated to cook, wanted to have a career not stay home with my kids (that was until they were born), struggled to be a "fun" mom, etc.  Now I love being a mom, I adore my boys, I love to listen to them chat away and hear about their day, I love their humor and find such joy in it.  I love going to their baseball games, track meets, and soccer games.  I love watching them play together and laugh together.  I don't really enjoy when they fight but luckily it's not that often.  I feel so lucky that I got to start over with Mr. Spencer and just enjoy him while the others are at school.  I don't love to make dinner every night but I do love having fruit for my family that I canned, knowing what's in it and where it came.  I enjoy finding healthy snacks for my boys and just all around health.  I love having their lunches packed and ready for them each morning, trying to figure out things to put in them so they aren't boring. 
I'm grateful for the examples I've had in my life of great mothers!

From Mellonee:  I agree, look at you!!  I think my sisters are amazing at all they learn to do. I think it's a Grandma Ma and Mom legacy to figure out how to do something when you know it's possible but don't know how to do it.  This also reminds me of that quote about how the more you do something the easier it gets, not that the nature of the thing has changed but our ability to do increases.  That's what happens when we become mother's, our ability to do increases and it's a good thing because there is a lot to do!