What's been keeping up busy around here lately....

• trying out the new tent in the backyard (while Dad and Alden worked to set it up, Lucy came over to pose for me :) ) the older two kids slept in our backyard with Regan one night and then in the backyard at G&G Steed's another night

• had a Pioneer Primary party where I took vintage photos of all the kids

and they enjoyed ice cream in costumes

• had 8 photo shoots in the last two weeks. Two weddings, a vintage grad shoot (which was AWESOME), an engagement shoot, a group of 6 girl friends and and 2 family shoots. (not including the pioneer shoot I did for the Primary)
• Regan finished his 1st year of residency (yipee - we are half way done!)
• enjoyed some time in Waterton as a family

where Reg mountain biked down a mountain where he almost rode right into a black bear. Yep just him on his bike in the middle of know where with a bear on the trail. So he moved to the side of the trail and the bear walked on by (scary!)


(waterton was SERIOUSLY windy when we were there)



• had a group of people over for Chinese Food night - and had some people not show up that said they were coming (which always makes me feel a bit bad)
• celebrated Eli's birthday with a little party where he did not touch his cake (second year in a ROW)...see Alden's hands trying to make Eli look at the cake

with his two bestest buddies - Sawyer and Owen (yes it was hard to get these three busy boys sitting looking at the camera)

• had three days of celebrations between Hill Spring and Raymond for first of July
• stayed up super late to many nights
• celebrated Grandma Steed's, Brooke's and Eli's birthday with a joint birthday dinner
• editing editing and editing
• Alden finished up grade one


• enjoyed having Regan around since he took off the last 10 days
• reading lots of books - finished the Percy Jackson one (The Lightning Thief and the second book in the series)
• baking cakes and other treats
• having lots of fun

i've been busy

as of late. And i have lots of photos and stories to share.... but for now just some shots of nature. I have been loving shooting trees and flowers lately.




ooh the light the light the light

Spiritual Sundays

“Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and Kingdom, take a righteous course, and strive with all their might never to do a wrong, but to do good all their lives; if they have one child or one hundred children, if they conduct themselves towards them as they should, binding them to the Lord by their faith and prayers, I care not where those children go, they are bound up to their parents by an everlasting tie, and no power of earth or hell can separate them from their parents in eternity; they will return again to the fountain from whence they sprang.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., 2:90–91.)

Photo Talk: Do you know what I love about photography?

I love the ability to capture a mood.

I love that you can capture a fleeting look

or a relationship between two people



I love that it can carry emotions


It's just so cool how you can manipulate the light to tell a story

I finished up my online photography class and I am so glad I took it. It really has helped me hone my ability to see the light and to know my camera more. And given me more confidence in shooting. And is driving me to tell stories more with my camera. And for that I am grateful. Cause I think that is what will share a story. And hopefully will for a long time.

Eli at 2

• notices when other kids are crying and he likes to comfort them when they are crying (mostly Lucy)
• gets up ridiculously early - sleeping in is 630am
• still naps 2 hours a day
• calls me Bum instead of mom

• has the sassiest no of any of our kids
• is a horrible sleeper
• can be quite happy in the morning
• is obsessed with the iPhone and digging in people's pockets for them
• is quite particular about his milk being in a certain cup
• has a special blanket that he loves to sleep with and cuddle when he is sad
• loves to book "Old Hat, New Hat" and holds his had out in the book and yells WAIT
• sings "Bob the builder"

• not a good eater, in subsistence or variety (not any worse than our others at this age)
• loves to eat fruit and cereal and granola bars and hot dogs
• cries at nursery (or wails and clings to you when you leave him)
• loves to follow Alden around whenever he is home
• will just run out the front door and keep walking making us have to ALWAYS lock the doors

• loves to push chairs up to things in the kitchen so he can get in trouble
• when really wants to get some where, he usually jogs
• loves to call OOOUUCHY for Lucy at the top of the stairs

• seems to prefer Grandpa's to Grandma's
• always loves to get out of the house
• when he cries for getting in trouble he always covers his face with his hands
• currently has a hitting problem
• will NOT sit still for pictures
• loves the game peek-a-boo

• doesn't like having baths
• loves ice cream
• has THE cutest bluest eyes
• thinks farting is hilarious (especially his own)
• tells me he pooped by saying "I POOP"
• cries when he goes to be every night lately for like 30 minutes
• always sleeps with his bear and likes to hold him when he is tired

• is OBSESSED with babies - as in all of church yells "BABY" over and over and holds out his hands to hold them, and loves to hold them on this lap and pet their heads
• helps say the prayer by saying "dear..... father... dad... dad... dad... jesus.. amen." no matter WHAT you are telling him to say

• raises his hand in the air and says "ME" when you ask him a question
• loves to wake up the other kids in the morning
• goes on morning rides in the stroller 3-4 times a week with Regan running
• loves the playground and has NO fear
• keeps us on our toes all the time
• he follows me around the house ALL DAY so I can do very little without him at my feet crying to get picked up
• loves to just walk up to us and hug us
• brings a lot of joy and spice into our family

I can't believe that he is two.
Happy Birthday Eli!!

Spiritual Sundays

"In our individual and collective quest for perfection, it is not the sprinter, the saint whose spiritually is only momentarily incandescent, who wins the eternal prize. Like running a marathon, to finish, to endure to the end is to win. Winning itself must, of course, be viewed from the eternal perspective. All too often we yearn for the praise and prize of being first rather than the mush more important process of completing the task itself."- Anne G Osborn, "The Joy of perspective", JOY

In the kitchen: Everday Meals

So my sister in law Jen called last week and told me she was sick of cooking. She wanted to know what my regulars were. You know, the regular fall back meals that you eat as a family. So over the next week or two I'll share some here and there. After all Jen said she'd love me more if I did it. So here's me... looking for love. :)
hahahahaha

I'd like to introduce you to Derek potatoes. Named after my brother in law Derek (well named hey?) and I have no idea what he calls them... Linds wanna shed some light on the subject??

Slice up a whole bunch of potatoes (as in how many you want to eat) and put them into a bowl. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. And add cubed margarine. Mix it all up nice like.


Then dump it into a piece of tin foil. Like make a little pocket for it.


And plop in on the BBQ. Let it cook for like 25 minutes or so. Til you can pierce a potato easily with a knife.


Add some grilled chicken


And a veggie and there is an easy meal. My kids call the Derek potatoes "circle fries." And they happily eat them. So I like to make them fairly often.And they can go with many kind of meat. Easy peasy meal. So you can all thank Derek.

Tuesday in photos

Well thanks for all the encouragement :) I appreciate it.
So yesterday I made this. Two recipes in one.
One for the pastry and one for the filling. I'm trying to think long term with it. I don't have to rush it. I've got lots of time!


And on another note.... when do girls stop doing this??


Guess they start out doing it too....


Sweet snuggle stop with dad...


And one more shot to share.
Just cause I love it.
One of these things is not like the other......

MSBH Challenge Update

Well I must admit I am feeling a bit like stopping my challenge.
Here's an updated list of the last few I've made....
116: French Almond Macaroons
117: Swiss Meringue Buttercream
118: Dobos Torte
119: Rubarb Tart
120: Cream Cheese Tart Dough

121: Summer Fruit Tart
122: Pullman Bread
123: Fruit Turnovers
124: Fruit Fillings

And I still have a few left to do. 208-124 = 84. That's still a few. And well I've made other things when I could have been making stuff out of here. Sounds like a need a serious bake-a-thon with just things from my MBSH.
But well I need a little encouragement to get it done. A little you can do it and stuff like that...... do any of you even care about this challenge???

Life is Friends

Lucy with two of her bestest friends Anise Wilde and Tessa Smith.



I just finished a great book. One that I think others should read.
Life is Friends by Jeanne Martinet.

"Most people are open to meeting new people and eager to make friends. Indeed, the pervasiveness of the Internet in our lives - and the staggering popularity of sites like Match.com, Facebook and My Space - shows just how much we hunger for connection. The Internet provides the ultimate pathway to other people. However, the miracle of being able to email (or video chat with) people anywhere in the world often blinds us to the fact that this technology is a means to an end, not the end itself. We now have instant access to an unlimited number of people, but how do we go from sharing our profile with someone to becoming good friends?..... Ironically, as we become more and more involved with communication technology, we seem to be communicating less and less. Out on the street, in the elevator, in the coffee shop, in the check out line at the store - practically everyone has a Bluetooth device in their ear and is talking to someone, but hardly ever the person right in front of them."

I have been thinking about this quite a lot lately. As I drive my babysitters home and they text to someone else while they mildly listen to what I am saying. As I talk to someone on the phone and I can hear they are in a store paying for something and not being fully present with me OR the person in the store. As I feel I need some outside contact with adults and instead of calling someone, I get onto facebook.

This book really encouraged me to take action. I am pretty good at having people into my home. I invite couples for games or food and I hold ladies lunches during the day sometimes. But I think we all need to do more.

She has a chapter on dinner parties and how sad it is that it is less common now to have dinner parties. Or book clubs. OR those kinds of events. Now I know quite a few people who do go to book clubs. But I know a lot more people who see the internet as their only connection to others. I think it is interesting to think that the technology we are trying to use to reach out to others for contact is sometimes the thing that is isolating us.

At the end of the book the author says this " The life you build with the people you love is your most important life project - one that sustains you, feeds you. Authentic connection with people is what matters. You can't count on wealth or health; you can count on friendship, whether the friends are your family or not."

Any thoughts on this from you all?

Spiritual Sundays

Old Fashioned Potato Salad and goofy kids

A few wanted the recipe so here it is...

Old Fashioned Potato Salad
from the Barefoot Contessa at home (one of my very favorite cookbooks!)
3 lbs small red potatoes
salt
1 cup good mayo
1/4 cup buttermilk or milk
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (fresh is best - but can use dried stuff)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium diced celery
1/2 cup small diced red onion

Place potatoes and 2 Tbsp salt in a large pot of water. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean dry towel. Leave potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, buttermilk, mustard's, dill, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Set aside.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves. Place cut potatoes in a large bowl and pour enough dressing over them to moisten. As the salad sits you may need to add more dressing. Add the celery, red onions and 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Toss well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend well.

Just try cooking the potatoes like she says. It makes them better. instead of those falling apart ones you get in most potato salads. I really like them this way. And I love this potato salad.

The fruit salad was as natural as the day it grew. (sans pesticides :) ) I like to make one with lemon pie filling cooked and cooled and mixed with cool whip - but I was feeling just the freshness of the fruit for dinner so that was what we had. And my kids are more likely to eat it with nothing on it.

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Today we went to a playdate at a friends house. Lucy was still quite worried about people seeing her eye, so she wore her sunglasses. I over heard this conversation:
M: "so those are nice glasses"
L: "So one night I went to bed and woke up and then walla (voila) I had a huge eye."
M: "Do you like that dress"
L: Looks at her like hello I just told a serious story here. But gets no response so just puts them back on and moves onto something else.


Last week:
Alden: "Mom did you know there are some people who are fat and some who are tall and some who are short and some who are skinny."
Me: "Yep. God made people in all shapes and sizes"
Alden: "Well if you are short you are fat and if you are tall then you are skinny"
Lucy: "Well mom's tall and fat"
Me: "HEY that's not nice to say. In fact that kind of hurts my feelings"
Lucy: "why?"


And Eli calls me "BUM" not "mum" but "Bum". he walks around the house yelling "BUM, are you? BUM are you?"

I've recommitted myself to exercise as of late thanks to the kids. Thanks guys... I guess.
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And the bean wreath that I was talking about is here at Dana Made it.


And any of you are welcome to come and eat any time :)

In the kitchen: Summer Meals

Despite the lame weather we've been experiencing, the grocery stores are showing the signs of summer. Fresh blueberries and melons, cheaper red peppers and lettuce. It's summer time eating. My favorite time of the year for food! (although I do love the entire season including harvest at the end!)

One of my favorite things to make that is easy this time of year are Shish Kabobs. I love that you can take any type of meat (or skip the meat), add all types of veggies and some fruits and grill away. To take them to the next level you add a little glaze or a marinade! mmmmm.

Last night we had Shrimp Kabobs with Apricot Mustard Glaze. I used red and yellow peppers, sweet onions, mushrooms and the shrimp. The glaze is a simple combination of Apricot Jam and Dijon mustard that you brush onto the Kabobs 2 minutes before they are done cooking.


If that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can try one of these other options:
Soy Ginger: 1/4 cup orange marmalade, 1 1/2 Tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger.
Chipotle-Lime: 1/4 cup orange marmalade, 1 1/2 tsp liquid from chipolte chilies in adobo and 1 Tsp fresh lime juice.
And if you don't like shrimp you could try any of those on beef or pork or chicken!

Add my favorite potato salad (no eggs please) An d I just noticed how messy that bowl looks! It's at the end of supper!


And a sweet fruit salad


And you've got an easy summer meal. That is super tasty!

And on another note, check out Lucy's crazy eye. It's not a bug bite. It's not an allergic reaction. It's apparently some sort of eye infection. That is FINALLY starting to go down. This is the most open it has been for a couple days! Poor kid!


Here it is the day she woke up and it was all crazy

Q&A

Thought it was time for a few Q&A.

About the photos...
Jennifer said... "Oh man that is AWESOME!!! Do you know who any of the actors/actresses are? What are you going to do with the pictures? Does Antiques Roadshow still exist?" Yep. I do know some of the actors and actresses. I only showed you a very very few of the pictures. There is a HUGE pile of them. Some of the people in them are Ava Gardner (lots of her), Clark Gable , Dean Jagger, Yvonne DeCarlo, George Brent, John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan, Fred MacMurray, Jean Simmons, Anthony Wagner and more. Crazy I know. No idea about Antique Roadshow, but we have found a FEW things that I think are worth a lot of money. (including a hand sewn American Flag from the Civil War.)

Megan said...Holy Cow Rhonda , that is one of the coolest finds ever , so whats next ... just keep them? Or lock them up I bet they are worth a nice chunk of money! My dad wants to sell them. He has absolutely no emotional connection to them. But I kinda wanna keep some of them. We'll see.

And a while ago...
Amy said... I see a jar of dried beans. Are you hoping to do a wreath too?
Totally!!They've been on my making list for quite while. And seeing Jen's made me want to do it even more! I have enough beans for a few other people who want to do one too! Anyone want them? (But you should come and make it with me.)

On Regan's guest post
Crystal said...Too funny about your friend not reading your forwards! So - why do you continue to send them if you know he won't read them? Regan says mostly he just sends things that he finds that are interesting. And most of the time it's an effort to encourage him to become a more well rounded individual. And even if he doesn't read them, he knows that Regan is encouraging him to become that way.

Any one got any others I forgot to answer?

And the photo I am sharing over on my photo blog today for the i Heart Faces Baby challenge this week. One of my very favorite baby ones I've ever taken of my nephew Finn.

6 things I am bad at

(or as positive Reg would say I'm working to improve upon)
Someone wanted a list of things I'm bad at. :)
So here you go.

1. Returning books to the library on time. Let's just say that I just paid off all the family library cards and it was more than $100 and less than $300. Ouch. Thank goodness for our recent tax return. (I'm helping the library. I'm helping the library. I'm helping the library. I'm helping the library. I'm helping the library)

2. Patience. Really. I am not that patient some days. Too little sleep equals crabby mommy. I wish I could just fake it and just be happy. But I have never ever been good at that. People usually can tell how I feel quite easily. Also something I wish I could change.

3. Keeping up with the laundry. I really just need to learn to do at least one load a day. Not just wash it - but actually wash it and dry it and fold it and put it away. While I should be doing laundry, I am crafting something instead.

4. Playing with my kids. I am really not one of those mom's who will lay on the floor and play cars. Or pretend play house. That's not me. I actually used to be racked with guilt on the whole thing - but I've talked to my mom a LOT about it. And she was never like that either. She always says that's why she had multiple kids. To play with each other. :)

5. Guilt. I have a good friend who once told me she didn't understand motherhood guilt. I am racked with it. Should I be doing that, should I have done that, and on and on. It is a terrible thing that I have tried to change. Just let it be. I am constantly reading parenting books and talking to my mom about it.

6. Often I feel like fitting in. When I was a kid I didn't fit in. I got teased. And I still remember coming home from school crying. I am constantly worried about what other people think of me. It's a terrible way to live. But it is how I live. Worried about how to fit in better with my SILs, with the women in my ward, etc. I have been placed in many situations where I am the one saying I don't want my kids to do that. Or that isn't okay and I've never wanted to stand out. I just want to be me and be okay with that and not worry about what others think of it.

I've got lots more but I like to keep the ol' blog a bit more positive. :)
Besides, who likes to see others' dirty laundry? Not me!
And speaking of cleaning supplies.....
here's a picture from my photo class for last weeks assignment. (something that was translucent.)

Spiritual Sundays

"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, “How might we achieve these goals?” I answer, “By gaining a true perspective of who we really are!” We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power. In our world, moral character oft times seems secondary to beauty or charm. But from long ago the Lord’s counsel to Samuel the prophet echoes: “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7)." - By President Thomas S. Monson