Haircuts and cutie pies.

So who seriously came up with the term "cowlick"?

I just hope our daughters don't have them, and maybe they will considering both our boys inherited Ike's.
I gave Jackson a haircut this morning. I actually like his hair a little longer but because he has a massive cowlick on the front of his head, when his hair gets too long it starts to look crazy.

Although, he does look pretty schnazzy with it short, if I do say so myself.

Hopefully if I ever have a daughter, she will inherit my hairline.

Sleepy Time!

It's only creepy when they are older. Right now taking pictures of my children sleeping is perfectly acceptable and can I say, ADORABLE!!!

Poverty Today.

I just read an article on Yahoo news ( here )about a family that decided to live for a month like they were in poverty to raise awareness for hunger and poverty in America. Fine, that's cool. I am all for trying to eradicate hunger in America. The only problem is what they considered poverty. They said that they were going to live by spending only $4 per person per day on food for their family of 4.

Wait...what???

$4 per person per day for a family of 4 is $112 a week. That is $448 a month! Poverty? Really?

Mind you, Ike and I are very frugal. I make almost all our meals from scratch. We price match and shop sales. Overall, I do not feel like we go hungry at all or that we are undernourished or underfed. I spend $280 a month on groceries for my family of 4. Out of that comes not only all of our food, but also all our household products and baby formula AND diapers. The funny thing about this article is that it says people in their idea of "poverty" are also supplementing their food budget with food stamps, which we are not. So all in all, if $4 per person per day is poverty, what does that make me? Destitute? Practically homeless? The social equivalent of a leper in biblical times?

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that there isn't poverty in America or that childhood hunger isn't an issue that is very sad and serious. All I am saying is that if $448 a month on food is considered "poverty" in America, I think there is something wrong in our society.

Peter quickly learned that certain regular grocery purchases became impossible. The family still ate proper meals -- no one went to hungry -- but while beans, rice, vegetable-laden stews, and homemade pizza were inexpensive and easy to prepare ("Especially if you skimp on the cheese," he says) other family favorites -- like raspberries, seafood, slow-cooked brisket, special desserts, and anything with a brand name -- were out.

Heaven forbid us average Americans can't have our slow-cooked brisket.

I love to see the Temple!

We went to the Winter Quarters Temple this weekend.

As for my accessories, I think I make this baby look good! (Can you tell the sun is directly in our faces???)

Do your best! Forget the rest!

I stole this poem from  The Evan's Express .  I just really liked it and it made me feel better about all my perceived short comings (of which I  feel I have many many many.) Sometimes we feel like we have to do everything and we just can't. I am usually lucky if I shower in a day let alone do half of the things in this poem. So this made me feel better and I hope it helps anyone who reads it feel the same. Do the best you can and keep going!!!

The Girl in a Whirl         by ‘Dr. Sue’ (a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)  
         Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
         You could do what I do
         If you only knew how.
         I study the scriptures one hour each day;
         I bake,
         I upholster,
         I scrub,
         and I pray.
         I always keep all the commandments completely;
         I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
         I help in their classrooms!
         I sew all they wear!
         I drive them to practice!
         I cut all their hair!
         I memorize names of the General Authorities;
         I focus on things to be done by priorities.
         I play the piano!
         I bless with my talents!
         My toilets all sparkle!
         My checkbooks all balance!
         Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
         I attend all my meetings (on time!  Never late!)
  
         I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
  
         But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all .
         I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
         Our t-shirts are ironed!
         My toenails are polished!
         Our family home evenings are always delightful;
         The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
         I do genealogy faithfully, too.
         It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
         I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
         I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
         I read to my children!
         I help all my neighbors!
         I bless the community, too, with my labors.
         I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
         My visiting teaching is done the first day!
         (I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
         It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
         I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
         I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
         I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
         But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all .
         I write in my journal!
         I sing in the choir!
         Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
         My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
         My kids get straight A’s!
         And their bedrooms are clean!
         I have a home business to help make some money;
         I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
         I go to the temple at least once a week;
         I change the car’s tires!
         I fix the sink’s leak!
  
         I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
         I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
         I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
         My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
         These things are not hard;
         ’tis good if you do them;
         You can if you try!
         Just set goals and pursue them!
         It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
         If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
         It’s easy!” she said
        and then she dropped dead.


 Arbitrary pictures of my children!!!! 

Notice the bruise between his eyes? Let's just say I was a fool for thinking I could try to work out with weights while my children were awake. Running full speed through living room+ Mom doing hammer curls= goose egg head trauma.

These Kids

I am always trying to get pictures of the two of them together and this was the best I could get yesterday. One kid looking is better than no kid looking right?

 A typical scene: Brady eating Jackson's toys and Jackson trying to get the toy back. Multiply times 100 and that is pretty much my day.

 Look at that smile!!!! 5 teeth baby. All super sharp and this kid loves to bite. Times like these where I wonder what would have happened if I had nursed him until now.

 Jackson's precious cars, all recently cleaned by Brady's drool.

 What a cutie patooty!

I love my boys.

Egg Noodles!

So when you have a limited grocery budget ( Like every dollar counts limited.) you find ways to make it stretch and one of the ways I found was by making some things homemade that I used to just buy. When I first tried to make egg noodles for soup they were disgusting. Think tape worm? Soggy, gooey, gross. But I have come a long way and now I feel that the ones I make are just as good if not better than store bought.
I thought I would share my egg noodle wisdom with all of ( like 4?) of you that read my blog!

Egg Noodles
1 cup flour
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk (you can always add more flour if the dough is too wet.)

Mix them up until you have a ball of dough. Then split your dough into three or four small balls to roll out for noodles. Roll out your dough as thin as possible. Paper thin is what you want. Then using a pizza cutter (I use a ruler as well to get straight lines but you don't have to.) slice your noodles. Then hang them to dry for 4-5 hours. If you don't have a pasta drying rack (who does???) I find a hanger or two works great!

When they are nice and crispy throw them into a pot of boiling water or broth and they will be done in about ten minutes. They are excellent in Chicken noodle soup or as pasta. Enjoy!!!