Families Helping Families

Over the Christmas break Dan and I went with (part of) the Parker Family to Rocky Point Mexico to participate in a humanitarian project building houses as part of "Families Helping Families"

The premise behind the organization which is patterned after Habitat for Humanity- is that you can't get a loan in Mexico- and we all know we would never be able to save enough money to be able to pay cash for a house. So families can qualify for a house by a) having a job 2) working a certain number of hours on helping to build the houses and 3) paying back the foundation over the next x number of years.

That's how it all looks on paper- but what actually goes on is totally different. You can see in the slide show above the innocent sweet faces of the children that live in the cardboard makeshift house next to where we are building. One of the boys Angel asked if he could have the house we were building because he liked it better than the one he was living in- and then he wrote his name in the cement front porch.

American families give up their Christmas presents and time off from school and work to spend 8+ hours a day laying block, working with messy cement, making new friends, and working together on what will become someones dream home. We eat at road side taco stands and offer our new mexican friends pizza through the barbed wire fence. Families brought with them old clothes and small toys to give away to the children and families they met. We forgot about ourselves for a couple of days and were able to change the lives of 3 families (yes there was a large enough group that we actually built 3 houses)

The first year we went to Mexico to build was in 2005. I didn't get to spend much time on the house because I was in the Condo with my little kids. I honestly didn't love the experience and didn't really understand why my parents insisted on going back year after year. Well this year I caught the bug- I actually got to work (really hard) every day and I truly felt like I was making a difference. So next year we will let Ash & John go and we'll watch their kids. And when our kids are a little bigger we'll take them too so that they can see how blessed they are, and what a great experience it is to help other people.

And speaking of blessed- although this is a lesson that I want to teach my kids, maybe it is really just a lesson that I need to be reminded of first. It is easy to always want more stuff- to fill our large houses with. But watching the mexican kids happy as can be riding their old 1980's bikes and wearing clothes you and I donated to the DI humbled me beyond belief- my kids will wear their shoes a little longer this year, and I will be happier with my old jeans. And I will spend more time helping that glow in my children's faces to be brighter!

want to come next year?? it will change your life!!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 lb bitter sweet chocolate

1/4 c. butter

1 3/4 c. brown sugar

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla

5 heath bars (1.4oz size) broken into pieces about the size of a chocolate chip

1 c. walnuts chopped

melt chocolate and butter together

beat sugar and eggs until frothy about 5 minutes

mix in chocolate mixture and add vanilla

add flour, baking soda and salt

stir in heath bars and walnuts

The dough will be extremely runny so refrigerate for about 45 min. (any longer and you will bend your spoon trying to get the dough out) then use a med size cookie scoop and bake on parchment paper for 14 minutes at 350. They should be soft and cracked on top. It's okay if they don't look quite done- they will set up on the pan and Don't forget the parchment- you will be really sad when they won't come off the bottom of the pan!!

makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Dedicated with love to AS who prefers a brownie! these are for you! hope you can find bars of bittersweet chocolate in NZ.

Draper Temple Open House

Tickets are still available to the new Draper Temple Open House

14065 Canyon Vista Lane

Open house dates: Thursday Jan 15th- March 14th.

get them here - it is free to the public you just need a ticket with an assigned time spot.

You do not need to be a member of the LDS faith to attend, before the temple is dedicated anyone can tour so this is a neat opportunity for families of all faiths!

Nativity

Christmas eve was spent at the Parker's and we acted out the nativity. It was so sweet- with Ashley's new baby laying in the manger and Sophie watching over her. After a quick reading of Luke 2 to accompany the nativity the girls sang us the Christmas songs they have been learning in primary. It brought a very nice, peaceful Christmas spirit.

(but the peaceful part didn't last long due to Hannah Montana guitars and a huge remote control car!)

I'm Back!

Yes! it has been a long time since I have updated the blog?? lots of excuses like running my own dance business from the corner of my kitchen, a trip to Mexico, Christmas and all of the events and parties that accompany that great holiday, looking for a new job (yes time for a change) and trying find an hour (and a half usually) to exercise. You would think in all of this I would have lots to blog about, but besides Mexico i haven't really taken a lot of pictures- nor is there much to tell yet. so alas- you did visit and you shall be rewarded:





Christmas 2008 (um did I mention I didn't take a lot of pictures?)

Meg enjoying the popcorn during our annual "night before the night before" dinner and a movie tradition.

Annie, Kate & Meg at the ward Christmas breakfast.

Meg dressed and ready in her new hat, gloves and backpack! thanks Aunt Debbie!!

Meg all bundled for a cold outing!

Check back soon: for my new favorite Tomato Soup, Cookie of the Month- Chocolate Toffee Cookies!! pictures of the house building in Mexico, and before and after pictures from p90x!!

Cookie of the Month

So, I have always wanted to be a member of the __________ of the month club - flowers, cheese, exotic fruits. I love to get packages and then this excitement is breed and fed by Red Envelope and Harry & David.

And to be honest I love to make cookies. (shocking I know) And I love to make GOOD cookies! And I love to discover a new GOOD cookie. And since I pretty much post a cookie recipie a month, I decided that you too might want to be a member of the ____________ of the month club too.

So here it is . . . . . . . the COOKIE of the MONTH CLUB!!

Now you too will get a little bit of goodness delivered to you monthly by someone who loves you- just to make you smile!!

Judy Brown's Soft Molassas Cookies ( aka supersoft gingersnaps)
(from Favorites)

1 1/2 c butter
2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c molasses
4 1/2 c flour
4 teaspoons baking soda (this is not a typo!)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Roll into balls with a cookie scoop and roll balls in sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 for 10 minutes.

These make wonderful holiday cookies!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

thank you snow- for making a late (but better than never) appearance to really get me into the Christmas spirit. i wish I could capture for you the amazing beauty of the white snow hanging perfectly on each branch of the trees as if it was painted there against a blue blue sky.

There is a great song the 12 pains of Christmas that whines about the "pains" of Christmas:

finding a Christmas tree- riggin' up the lights- yo ho sending Christmas cards- and spending time with the in-laws - helping charities

But these are actually some of the best moments of the season

On Saturday we took the girls to pick out a tree- they loved picking out there tree- (actually the tree picked us. we were walking down the aisle and it fell over right in front of us!) Then having it tied to the top of the car and bringing it home to decorate.

The girls helped me set out the other decorations while we waited for Dan to put on the lights and then they loved helping me put on the ornaments!

And I had to truly put Kate's little lesson about her Christmas tree (see post below) when I got to the basement. We have lived in many different places since we have been married- some years I have been overwhelmed by how many Christmas decorations I had. In Boston space was so tight that I could only put out a few decorations- and well this year I have a new entertainment system full of empty shelves waiting for the perfect Christmas decorations. And because I do not have the appetite or budget for Modern Display to come and decorate my house I was honestly feeling a little discouraged. One of the last things I got out was our collection of Christmas books. And I had a total awe ha moment and instead of just putting them in a stack- I stood them up and suddenly I had shelves fully of my favorite Christmas books. Thanks Kate for the reminder I do not need more, instead I need to be more grateful for what I have!

And yesterday we were blessed with a new little niece: Ruby Louise

Ash & John welcomed their sweet baby last evening. She is perfect and sweet, and like Ash said it is amazing that you can love someone so instantly. I am glad that I got to be there and witness the miracle of birth that I never tire of!

more pictures to come!

We have a fresh snow, a tree, house lights have been up for weeks (as we took advantage of a 60 degree Saturday) the Christmas shopping is done, the radio is already giving me a Christmas music hangover, we have decorated Christmas sugar cookies (don't worry- i too have about hit my limit- valentines and then I am done for awhile I promise!!) my Christmas cards are here- and I'll start addressing them today. And now with the safe arrival of a newborn babe fresh from Heaven to remind us all of our own vulnerability and dependence on our Savior, we are ready for Christmas . . . .