God Be With You

In memory of my mom
Lois Braunschweiger
March 20, 1922 to December 30, 2009
You loved to host a party
You never turned anyone away
Everyone was always welcome
You showed me what it was to be a Christian

I love you
I miss you
God be with you

Christmas

Well Christmas has come and gone. Our daughter and her family arrived a day early for a surprise. We were very glad for that. We celebrated on Christmas eve with all of our family except my son and his wife. They were greatly missed. We had a wonderful dinner and opened presents and played Dads version of lets make a deal.

It was the first time since 1977 that Del and I didn't have any kids here on Christmas morning. We slept in until 10, had a wonderful traditional breakfast. Blueberry muffins with sauce, eggs, hash brown and bacon. We went to the movies to see Sherlock Holmes. (Wonderful movie). Came home and laid around the rest of the day.

We didn't have all of of kids climb into bed with us on Christmas morning. Things are changing. It is hard. Many changes in the last few years have been really hard. I really don't foresee things getting easier either. I guess my learning curve has just changed also. I had better start figuring things out.
But it is what it is.
Merry Christmas

Angels Among Us

I spent the night last night finishing up our wards angel tree. Thank you so much Jessie and Mykala for all the work you did. It wouldn't have happened without your help. Everything was so nicely organized it made my part so easy to do. Thank you Tiana and Rian for helping me be silly and acomplishing what i needed to do. And more that that I want to thank everyone who contributed as well as those who were willing to let us serve you. I haven't been feeling to Christmasy this year. I don't know if it is because i got everything done early for a change and there isn't that last minute push. Or if it is because of my mom's situation. Or recent current events. But last night I finally think i found my christmas spirit. I knew it was in there somewhere.

So as i write this my one daughter and her family are embarking on their journey from Albuquerque. My oldest is coming up probably tonight to spend the night. My youngest will be in and out. But we will miss my son and his wife. I am glad they are all happy. I couldn't ask for much more.

As to all my friends
thanks and Merry Christmas

To Del I love you. Thanks for 32 wonderful years and counting.

Trying Harder

I was just working on my lesson for Church Sunday and thinking about the events of the day. Some people may wonder why members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints do some of the things they do. Why do we agree to do the things the church asks of us. Sometimes it could be hard to understand the reason for the rules and guidelines we follow.

But i for one am grateful for that guidance.
I have been given a bad time by people because i try to follow the rules as close to exact as i can. They use the excuse that it might just be a little thing and it doesn't matter. Little things matter.
I am the first to say that there are times i falls short, but i try to use those as learning experiences. Even though i may not understand why certain rules have been given, i am grateful that i am willing to try my best. There are so many unforeseen things that can happen in life. So many problems that might occur that i may never think of, that i am so Grateful to a Father in Heaven that saw fit to ask me to live my life in such a way that i might have joy. It is not blind faith the things that i do, it is trust in a Loving Father in Heaven who know all things and is trying to protect me basically from myself.
So with that in mind i recommit myself to the things that i know to be right and true. Knowing full well that stuff happens. But as long as i try my best i will be Blessed.

Beauty in the winter

All my life my mom always had house plants. Actually at times it looked like we lived in a rain forest. But they are life in a home. When i got married we were grateful for the basics. But we really didn't have much more than that for many years. I found that i could decorate our home and bring in life by adding house plants. I could buy a 2" potted plant for pennies and nurture it. I even have a plant that i got when my son was about 2. He is now 29. I also have a plant give to me on my birthday by my visiting teachers about 20 years ago. But by far my favorite is a plant that i took a start from my mom. She took a start from her grandfather. So my plant is a start from my great grandfather. It is a christmas cactus. I have had it for over 10 years. If any of you know anything about christmas cactus, they will bloom beautifully at christmas time if you baby them for the 12 months prior. This plant has only bloomed twice. The last time was probably 7 years ago. But after much babying and fussing WE HAVE BLOSSOMS THIS YEAR! I hope to post pictures another 1st for me. I have one bloom now and can see 8 more buds. When it is in full bloom i will try more pictures. I think it is Gods blessing on a cold winter day.

The Check List

Hi I am back. Sorry I have been gone so long. It has been one of those weeks. Let's see how I am doing

Decorating for the holiday. . . Done . . . well at least i thought i was done now i want to decorate the basement tomorrow
so probably not done

Shopping . . . Done . . . well I thought i was done but i thought of a couple of more things and i picked them up tonight but there are still a couple more i want to get
so probably not done

Wrapping . . . Done . . . well may be not because i just bought that stuff tonight and the couple of things i will pick up tomorrow and oh yea i have a couple things to wrap for the grand kids
so probably not done

Visiting Teaching . . . Done . . . Well i have one more to visit because i have picked up a second route temporally
so probably not done


Grandma's family Christmas party planned . . . Done . . . invitations out, games planned, prizes wrapped, food planned,
so probably done

Cookie baking , , , Done . . . I think 1400 cookies are enough
so i think i can count that as done YEA

Christmas Cards . . . Done . . . I actually i cut back this year I only sent out 35 instead of 60
I hope you are proud of me that i know how to cut back.

I may not love Christmas as much as my sister but i am working on it.

Merry Christmas!! I hope you have as much fun as i do

Safe travels

if you are on facebook you may come to understand how big cookie baking day is for our family. Thanks deb for starting the tradition. this year portland came in with 3079 cookies, idaho falls 1426 and albuquerque 36, all in all it was a very good day. Now we only have one more thing to finish and that is to get my daughter and her family home safe tonight.

Today is MCBD. Albuquerque checked in with 36 cookies Idaho Falls checks in with 1426 and Portland is still baking. It is not the same when we are not together. We love getting together. Every year is different. But i have to admit i was glad i had to quit at 3 to get ready for our ward party. My kitchen is clean and all the cookies are boxed up and it is only 9 not 3 am. I guess i am just getting old. But i will miss the sillies we get around 1 am. If any one has a cookie craving tomorrow i have plenty to share.
HAPPY MEGA COOKIE BAKING DAY TO ONE AND ALL

Saving a Traditions

I have been doing a lot of thinking about MCBD (mega cookie baking day)
Just because I can't go to Portland this years doesn't mean MCBD can't happen. As my sister and my daughter are baking in Portland on Saturday. I will be baking in Idaho Falls and Beth will be baking in Albuquerque. Some years it is what it is. We will be together in Spirtit and talking on the phone all day. This way I can share this experience will my friends here as well. So if you happen to have a little time tomorrow and want to be a part of MCBD, remember no eating dough, no eating cookies, and no whining. My door is open.

Flaming Turkey Wings

A few years back Pizza hut came out with a commercial that gave you ideas on how to use up your left over turkey. The point being pizza would be a nice change. 

One of their suggestions was flaming turkey wings.

That is kind of a joke at our house. Luckily we didn't make it that far this year. I sent a lot of turkey home with my daughter. 

But I should have ordered Pizza tonight. 

I tried a new recipe

But seriously I should have ordered Pizza

Ahhh winter

Today we got a little skiff of snow where I work. It really was a little bit, not even enough to shut Portland down (which really doesn't take much). As I was scraping the window for the drive home memories of winters past came flooding into my mind. 

Like back in the early 80's. We had a pretty severe winter that year. I was going out to my car to go to work. As I stepped out the front door the moisture in my nose immediately froze. (did you like how gently I wrote that hee hee) I turned the car on and got the windows scraped. I got in the car, put it in gear and started to drive. It was making a thumping noise and was more bouncy than usual. My tires had frozen out of round. I went a little farther and drove over a small mound of frozen snow. Just enough to make my car tip just a little. Just enough to crack my dashboard  in half because it was frozen solid. 

Or how about the time I thought it would be a good idea for my husband to have a bonding experience alone with the kids. I sent them off to the forest about a half hour from our home to cut down a Christmas tree. They were gone a lot longer than I thought they would be. When he got home I found out he spent most of the day digging our little Datsun hatchback out of a snow drift they were stuck in. 

If that wasn't good enough I had them try it again the next year. We had a truck this time. They spotted the perfect tree. But instead of hiking up to it with 3 little kids he decided to drive up to it. Half way up the hill he lost traction and started sliding backwards down the hill toward a group of people standing there. (and of course my kids didn't have cars seats or seat belts) Luckily he was able to stop the car before hitting the people. 

When he got home we got back into the car and drove to Kmart to buy our first artificial tree. 

But then there are those days. You are in the house, fire in the fireplace and you look outside and it is snowing. Not that tiny beady snow. But the good snowman snow. Huge flakes heavy with water. Falling every so quietly. Insulating the ground so you can no longer hear any cars. The ground is evenly covered to perfection. The trees have long lost their leaves but are covered in the most magical frost. Maybe you can hear a far off whistle of a train. If you are truly lucky you can just stand there for just a minute and just be. 

I am grateful to be able to say at those times. 

Ahhh winter

MCBD

In our family we have a tradition at Christmastime. It is called mega cookie baking day or MCBD for short. I was trying to remember when it all started or when it all got out of hand. 

Growing up we always had cookies at home. Grandma lived with us and did most of the baking. At christmas I remember little round balls of dough wrapped around a cherry and other special cookies that were only baked at Christmas. She would have to put them in tins and hide them in her closet so we wouldn't eat them so fast. 

Then we grew up. My  sister was baking cookies at her home and i was baking cookies at mine. Sugar cookies in various shapes, spritz, pinwheels and so on and so on. 

We can't remember which year it happened but i decided to go out to Portland and help my sister bake. She had a lot of people she cared about and being on a thin budget a tin of cookies was the most economical gift she could give. 

And i needed a vacation from being a mom. I had 4 small kids at home. My mom would send me money for plane fare and I would go home. I would get rejuvenated, get my christmas shopping done and bake cookies. 

In talking to my sister we think things kind of got out of control about 1994. that is when we introduced video cameras.  We started getting organized if you can call it that. Rules were formed. No eating dough, no eating cookies and no whining.

We started counting. Maybe we could bake one cookie for each year that would be 1994 cookies.

In 2003 we baked 3080 cookies. 

Then one year my oldest daughter announced that she had enough money saved to pay her own way to MCBD and then it became a family affair. The cookie numbers increased. 2007 was our biggest year. 5344 cookies. Last year we baked 4901. We have been on TV and in the newspaper. My sister has been interviewed on the radio. Some years we try to get celebrities to come. Debbie (my sister) invited Rosie Odonald, and the Pillsbury doughboy. Katie (my youngest) wants to invite Paula Dean.

Each year is different. It has been pretty difficult to match schedules and come up with the money to go. Some years I felt it was totally impossible but we went anyway. I am glad we did. MCBD is a day my sister looks forward to and plans for all year. If you ask my kids what their favorite memory is it will be MCBD. 

Some years all of us go. Some years the boys stay home. Some years I stay home. 

Saturday is this years MCBD. Sadly I will not be going. But we will be represented well because my oldest daughter Nicki and her family will be there. Four generations working together. Even though mom is unable to understand or participate it is still 4 generations. I am sure the numbers will be lower this year. Less hands to help. But as my kids got older they realized it wasn't how many cookies we baked anymore, it was being together. It was creating family.

It hurts in a way not to go. But I really feel  that this is not my year. I don't know why, maybe Dave Ramsey has ruined me for life. Who knows. It is what it is.

But I will be baking cookies here. Maybe not this weekend but I will be baking. You are welcome to come join me. 

Because we don't just give cookies to our friends we give love and share a tradition. 

getting started

I am sure that everyone who starts a blog has a million things to say. Then after a while the newness wears off. But for now I will enjoy the ride.

I have thought of doing a blog for a while now. My sister has one and is a wonderful writer. Many of my friends have one and they are very artistic. Some are great photographers. I can't even figure out how to get the pictures off my camera. 

So if you read this blog

It is what it is. 

So here we start.

I just what to know 

* why it is that when you spill something on your shirt you can go clean it off with a wash cloth and some water. . . except toothpaste

* why do you use your vacation time faster than you can earn it

* how come no matter how much money you have it is never enough

* why do they call a tug boat a tug when it pushes

* at what point is the toothpaste tube really empty

* why is it when the alarm goes off for work you can't drag yourself out of bed, but on Saturday you are up and ready to go at 7am

Well that will give you something to ponder for now