The Home Stretch

I seem to have been on an emotional roller coaster lately with all these pregnancy hormones (hence the minimal attention to the blog), and as we enter into this last little stretch of the pregnancy, I now find myself battling feelings of insecurity one minute, experiencing excitement the next - only to end in a mini freak out session about the fact that in just six short weeks, I will be the mother of FOUR kids. Yikes. How has the time gone by so quickly?!

The chaos all started with an abnormal test result that came back after I had my prenatal blood work done in January. That had me pretty messed up for a few weeks until we had some confirmatory testing done and everything came back normal just a few weeks ago. I'll get into more detail where that is concerned in a later post, but talk about dealing with some unnecessary stress. Good grief. I was pretty much an unproductive basket case for the duration of that trial. Thank heavens it is over, and I can focus on this pregnancy and getting prepared for the delivery.

Now that the end is in sight, though, I must admit that I am feeling a little ill-equipped for baby #4. I remember when I was pregnant with L-Bear, we had the nursery finished and even re-painted MNM's room MONTHS before he was due. I even made both of them cute little quilts to welcome him into the world and to help her feel not-so-left-out. When I was pregnant with B-Boo, I bought all the material to make her a quilt, but never got around to it, and it is still sitting in a bag next to my sewing machine almost two years later. lol. Now, we have another baby coming and we still don't even have a vehicle big enough to fit all of us in it. Sheesh.

Maybe one day I will get it together. Maybe one day I will have the babies out of my bed and into a room of their own. Maybe one day I will even go through all of B-Boo's baby clothes and re-organize them for the new baby in her new dresser (which we have yet to purchase. lol).

We did decide to have another baby shower, which will transpire in a few weeks, and I am really looking forward to actually celebrating this great blessing. Hopefully, after all is said and done, we can start to settle down a bit and get a little more organized. Go ahead and say it. I am a disorderly mess. I won't hold it against you. ;)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Reflecting on Education

Gems of Reflection, #51

I absolutely loved school - both in high school and college. In high school, I played several sports, including volleyball, basketball, and track. It allowed me to have some amazing life experiences and meet some incredible people. I also played in the marching band my freshman year, and that was a blast too. I think all of these activities helped me to stay focused on getting good grades and making choices that would help me to maintain eligibility status, thereby having a positive high school experience.

College was a bit of a struggle for me, only because I was a single mother working full time AND going to school full time too. M, who was only a toddler at the time, went from daycare to daycare, often not seeing me but in the morning and at bedtime, and looking back, I think she may have really suffered from the lack of one on one interaction with me.

I don't regret getting my education; though, and I had many awesome experiences that shaped my thinking and molded me into the person I am today. College is where I really started to hone my love for English grammar - where I first started thinking that one day I might want to be an English teacher. I also really gained a love for the Spanish language in college, and it was this point in my life when I really started to become fluent. It was partly due to the several (five) semesters of Spanish classes that I took, but it can also be attributed to the opportunities I was given outside of school (at work, for example) to speak the language and communicate with others on a regular basis.

I got my AA in English in the 2005, and I am grateful for the scholarships I received, and the numerous family members who supported me through the process and helped me to accomplish that goal. I only hope that one day I'll be able to go back to school to complete my Bachelor's Degree - possibly with a minor in Spanish. Maybe by then, we'll be living in Utah, and I can get my BA from BYU. That would be awesome! :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

The 12 Days of Service

With the official kick-off of the holiday season this past weekend, I have been pondering a lot lately on how I might invite the real spirit of Christmas into our home, instilling a sense of charity in my children's hearts, and teaching them about the true meaning of Christmas. The first thing that came to mind, was service.

How can I implement this lesson in a way that will appeal to their impressionable minds; though, without the situation seeming pre-meditated or preachy (they seem to learn certain life lessons more profoundly when they are delivered in a natural, easily-relatable way)? Then it hit me: The 12 Days of Christmas. Instead of giving gifts to someone each day for the duration of 12 days, however, maybe we could perform little acts of service for others instead.

So, I have been racking my brain these last few days, trying to come up with some ideas for little acts of service that they could perform for The 12 Days of Service, and this is what I came up with:

1. Bake a plate of cookies for a neighbor. Place it on their front porch, ring the doorbell, and RUN!!! Hehe;
2. When going through the drive-thru, pay for the person in line behind you;
3. Put together little baggies of Hershey's kisses (or hugs) with a note that says, "Here are some kisses/hugs from someone who wants you to know you are loved." Then, attach the baggies to several random windshields in a parking lot (at church, for example);
4. Send "thank you" notes anonymously to a few people (teachers, or missionaries serving from your ward, for example) who have made an impact in your life;
5. Put together a few "care kits" in 1-gallon ziploc bags (with toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, gift cards for fast food, a spiritual message, etc.) then keep them in your car. Give them to homeless people who may be in need of these little necessities (I totally stole this one from a friend. Hehe). For some additional ideas on what to pack in the kits, I found this website. It had some really helpful info. :)
6. Make a tie-quilt (an easy DIY project that doesn't require sewing, and the kiddos can easily help out), and give it to a child or person in need. For those of you who want to learn how to make one, here is a cute tutorial that will show you how. The tutorial recommends using 2 1/2 yards of fabric, but you can make it smaller or larger, depending on the size of the child/person you intend to give it to. One thing I would also recommend (that the video doesn't address) is for you to make sure that you cut off the selvage edge of the fabric (usually has the brand of the fabric printed down one side) and then make sure both fabrics line up perfectly BEFORE you start cutting. I usually put a few pins through the fabric before cutting the strips as well to make sure the fabric doesn't slip;
7. Go to the dollar store and pick up a few boxes of crayons and a few coloring books. Wrap a box of crayons with each coloring book, then secretly leave each wrapped package anonymously on the door of a child in your neighborhood;
8. Leave a few extra stamps at the post office - I stole this one too, although I have to admit that I am ashamed for not thinking of it myself. A few days ago, I took L-Bear (my 3-year-old) to the post office to get a stamp and mail his letter to Santa. The lady that was in line in front of us had a bunch of packages that she was trying to mail off, but when she saw that I only had the one letter, she asked me, "Do you just need a stamp?" When I told her, "Yes," she offered to let me go ahead of her, but then said, "Ya know what? I have an extra stamp. Here you go." And she totally gave me a one of her stamps. I thanked her over and over, and knew that the experience was a call for me to pay-it-forward. So, I definitely need to do this one. This woman's kindness also inspired the next act of service:
9. Let someone cut you in line at the grocery store or post office;
10. Donate some books to your local library or to your ward nursery;
11. Leave a basket full of chocolates anonymously in the Relief Society room with a note that says, "Thank you for all you do"; and
12. Leave a plate of cookies in the office (for the office staff) of your child's school.

If you have any other ideas for acts of service that you would like to share, please leave a comment below. I plan to implement The 12 Days of Service initiative into our family home evening next week so we will have plenty of time to prepare for our acts of service in advance, and I look forward to hearing what some of you guys come up with. :)

Thank you all, and Merry Christmas!

"Sinked Isn't Even a Word."

A couple of days ago, my family and I were all piled in the car, heading to my mom's house for dinner when, somehow, we got on the topic of iPhones. My 13-year-old daughter, M, was complaining because my husband had had to delete some photos, videos, apps, etc. from her 8G iPhone a few days before in order to run an update - when they hadn't been saved to her laptop yet. So, I asked him, "Why didn't you back her phone up before you started deleting stuff? And when was the last time her phone was even synced?"

Before he could even respond, however, M interjected with "Mom, SINKED isn't even a word! The past tense of 'sink' is 'sunk'" Yes, she went there - trying to challenge the English major (not trying to sound arrogant here. It's just a running joke in our family. You don't challenge Mom when it comes to grammar, unless you want to get schooled. Haha).

So, that lead to an entertaining conversation about sync v. sink. Initially, I tried taking the responsible, logical  approach and use it as a teaching opportunity - explaining to my daughter's impressionable mind that "sync" is short for "synchronize" (then proceeded to give her a definition of the word), whereas "sink" is to become submerged (like in water) or to descend.  I then gave her an example, saying that I SYNCED my phone to the computer to back it up, but the last time it was SINKED (hehe) was when I was taking a bath a year or so ago and she accidentally dropped it in the water after I had just finished telling her NOT to bring the phone to me while I was in the bathtub. Doh! She didn't find my attempt at humor very amusing though. Hehe.

That's when my husband decided to be clever and add in his two cents. "Yeah," he said. "And do you know what it means to be "in sync"?

So I started to explain that it's when two people are on the same page or are working in harmony on something.

"No," He replied with a triumphant, sly grin. "It means you are a gay boy band from the 90's." Haha.

And there you have it, folks - a logical and descriptive clarification of sync v. sink. ;)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

I HEART books!

Gems of Reflection, #40

So, here it is November, and I am just starting the Gems posts that were pulled for October. I know - so lame!

Anyway, This is going to be a really difficult Gems post to reflect upon, simply because of the fact that I love books, and I have so many "favorites." It is extremely difficult to pick just one.

As a child, I loved to read The Babysitter's Club, Judy Blume, The Boxcar Children, Bunnicula, and many more. I can say without a doubt, though, that my all-time favorite book series as a child was The Bobbsey Twins, by Laura Lee Hope. I used to collect the books in the series and my mom would ask me every birthday/Christmas which ones I still needed because she knew what a safe bet those books were where I was concerned. Hehe. When M started reading chapter books and her own love of reading became evident, I gave her my collection and she plowed right through them. That is some good reading there. ;)

As a youth, my favorite book was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. I think it was all the adventures that were had that made that book so exciting for me. This book is probably what sparked my love of adventure/fantasy books.

As a young adult, I was introduced to The Wheel of Time series, and I totally fell in love. I had read other fantasy series, such as the Dragonlance Chronicles - and those were good, but The Wheel of Time was epic. Robert Jordan created a magnificent fantastical world in these books (much like that of Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings) where you come to love the characters as if they were your own friends. While reading these books, I laughed, I cried, I sat on the edge of my seat, and I endured every adventure with angst and anticipation for how the heroes would triumph. It is seriously such a great series that I would recommend for any young adult reader (some of the content may be a little mature for the younger readers).

After Zach and I got married, his love for the Harry Potter movies rubbed off on me - and soon, I just had to read the books. I would have to say that this series definitely holds a place in my heart, and quickly became one of my all-time favorites.

I also gained a love for regency romance novels early in my adult life. Some of my favorites where this era is concerned are Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. I recently discovered a new author that has released a few novels in this genre, with which I absolutely fell in love. Her name is Julianne Donaldson, and her books are Edenbrooke and Blackmoore. They are both absolutely enchanting, and I would definitely recommend them to readers of all ages. :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Related Link:

52 Gems of Reflection

It's just not a new school year without bus drama.

I don't know what it is with the bus system here in Clark County, or maybe it's just this side of town, but today is only the second day of the new school year, and we already had another encounter with the oh-so-reliable (hope you can sense my sarcasm there) bus system.

So, L (my three-year-old son) started preschool with the school district yesterday, and he is so excited about his new teacher, his new friends, his new classroom - but most of all, he is excited about the five-minute bus ride that he gets to take to the school. Maybe he sees it as a little adventure, a way for him to exhibit a sense of independence. 

Because the pre-school program is considered special ed (he qualified on account of his speech delay), they bus him to and from school, even though the school is only five blocks away. It's pretty neat too, because they come right to house to pick him up, they strap him into his little car seat, and then they hand-deliver him to his teacher at the school, who comes to the bus every morning to retrieve him. His pick-up time from the house in the morning is 8:51 a.m., so we've been going out front to wait for the bus at 8:45 a.m. to ensure we are ready when the bus arrives. 

This morning, we went out at the usual time and waited, and waited...and waited. But the bus never showed up. We waited around until about 9:10 a.m. (thinking maybe there was a delay because it's still the first week of school), and then tried calling the transportation line. I tried calling them several times, in fact, but the line just continued to ring busy. I finally called the school to alert them of the situation, and they informed me that they too had been trying (unsuccessfully) to get through to transportation. The office attendant asked if I could drive him to school, but I told her that I didn't have a car (Z took it to work today), but that I could walk him - it would just take me a half hour or so. 

So yeah...I got the awesome privilege of walking my three-year-old (and the baby, who is 15 months old) to school in 100 degree weather, and he was 45 minutes late. Yay. Not to say that I didn't need the exercise, but it would sure be nice to get through an entire school year without any bus-related drama. 

When we finally did get to the school, I popped into the front office to notify the staff that we were there, and the administrator who I had spoken to earlier informed me that she had finally gotten ahold of transportation, and that she was told the bus had, in fact, stopped by the house, but that we weren't there. What a load of garbage. I have half a mind to make a call into the supervisor tomorrow. 

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Related links:

Middle School Mayhem: The day my heart stood still!

Tales of a 6th-grade drama queen.

Blog-iversary Fiesta, Day 2: My Little Legs Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, today is Day 2 of our jolly, little week-long fiesta, and thanks to an amazing donor - who wishes to remain anonymous - we have an awesome giveaway today for some adorable leggings from My Little Legs. If you have not been hipped to these charming little accessories, you can check them out at My Little Legs, but here is a picture of the ones in the giveaway:

I am seriously wishing I could enter this giveaway, because B's chunky little legs look absolutely darling in these things. Haha.

Thank you to our donor for making this giveaway possible, and good luck to all entrants. Also, remember to check back daily for new giveaways this week, and to earn additional entries into previous giveaways.

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

A Step in the Right Direction

This past Mother's Day weekend was absolutely incredible. Thursday morning, my husband and I took our kids to Salt Lake to visit with his sister (The Purple Lady) and her family - and Friday, she and I attended a writer's conference together in Provo. We attended several writing classes that were given by authors and literary agents, and we were truly treated like royalty. Friday night, they served us an exquisit dinner (we had a choice between chicken or pork) that looked and tasted like it belonged in a fancy shmancy restaurant.

Photo by The Queen of Purple

Dessert was equally divine. I only wish we had thought to take a picture of that as well. You know me...everything has to be about food. Haha.

Anne Perry was the key-note speaker at the Conference, and she also held a master class on Saturday. The Purple Lady was only able to attend the conference with me on Friday, so I attended Saturday on my own. It was truly inspiring to be in an environment with so many talented, published authors and literary agents; though, and I feel like I have been given a rare gift for having been able to attend.

The whole experience kind of gave me my first taste of what to expect with the industry too. I submitted my writing for a first-chapter contest back in February, and since this was my first time really putting my stuff out there professionally, I felt a bit vulnerable. Still, I tried not to to allow myself to get my expectations up too high. There were sure to be a lot of entrants into the contest, and only a few winners would be chosen from each category - with one grand prize winner. My main attraction to this contest, though, was the fact that every entrant would receive a critique of their work by judges who had been chosen from the industry. The judges were anonymous, so I didn't know if they were authors or agents, but I did know that their critique would be gold, and I was anxious to hear what they had to say.

As expected, I didn't place in the contest, and the critiques came back evidencing that I still have a lot of work to do before I am anywhere near ready to publish. I feel like I really learned a lot at the conference; though, and now that I am over the initial shock of my first professional rejection (haha), I feel truly blessed to have the valuable critiques of the contest judges so that I can begin to make the necessary improvements to my work to prepare for publication. Many writers submit to publishers and get rejected without the slightest idea as to how they can improve their writing. But now, I at least have some direction as to where I need to go from here, and what I have to do to prepare for next year. I am feeling extremely motivated and inspired, and who knows - maybe I'll even be brave enough to sign up for a pitch session next time. ;)

Anyway, Zachary took The Purple Lady and me out to dinner on Saturday night for Mother's Day. He had already done so much for me in watching the kids for two days while I attended the conference, but the Teppanyaki was delicious - and we awesome ladies even caught shrimp in our mouths. Hehe. It was so much fun.

Sunday, we attended church with my sister-in-law, where her son gave a fabulous talk in sacrament. The Relief Society was later treated to a special surprise for Mother's Day too. The icing on the cake, however, was a turkey dinner we had back at the house afterward with my husband's siblings and their families. It was truly a perfect weekend, and I am feeling completely and utterly blessed. :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Delicious Strawberry Shortcake

I posted a comment on Facebook Sunday about a strawberry shortcake that I made from scratch for my family, and promised to share the recipe here on my blog. I had gotten a flat of strawberries on Saturday from a friend of mine, whose family gets them direct from California, so in an attempt to come up with some ideas on things I could make with them, I went on Pinterest to look up some fun strawberry recipes (after we ate several pints of these irresistible, succulent berries, of course. Haha).

Aren't these beautiful? They were so delicious, I hate myself. ;)

Instantly, I thought of strawberry shortcake, as these strawberries were so fresh, and tasted absolutely amazing - and strawberry shortcake just happens to be one of my favorite desserts. I happened upon this recipe from Personalrecipe.com, and decided I would try it out for dessert at my mom's house for Sunday dinner.

Sensational Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 3 pints fresh strawberries
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup milk
• 2 cups whipped heavy cream

Instructions:

Slice the strawberries and toss them with ½ cup of white sugar. Set aside.

Strawberries and sugar...sooo yummy!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease and flour one 8-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I used butter-flavored shortening, and it gave the shortcake a light, buttery flavor - delish!). Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.

I placed the partially-cooled cake on a plate before cutting it.

Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream. 

Yum!

And voila. There you have it - delicious, decadent strawberry shortcake. You're welcome, America. ;) It was a huge hit with my family. My mom even said that she liked it better than the store-bought stuff we usually make. ((pats self on the back)) Hehe.

Anyway, hope you get a chance to try this amazing recipe. In the meantime, check back on the blog tomorrow for a yummy strawberry jam recipe. <3

**Recipe found on PersonalRecipe.com.

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

"I'm Gonna Wreck It! "

I was watching Wreck It Ralph with my kids yesterday (for like the 100th time since my 2-year-old got it in his Easter basket. Haha), and it occurred to me what an incredibly amazing movie it is. I mean, when I first saw it in theaters, I fell in love with the characters and thought the storyline was super creative, but I had a little epiphany while watching it this time around. I don't know - maybe seeing it again for the 100th time triggered something new in my mind, which is usually otherwise preoccupied with dinner menues and to-do lists. ;)

So, for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, let me warn you in advance that there are some spoilers in this blog post. I don't want to be accused of ruining the movie for anyone who lives in La-La Land and hasn't been subjected to the AWESOMENESS that is Wreck It Ralph. Who knows - maybe you don't have any kids, or maybe you are just opposed to puppy dogs and rainbows - and basically all things happy. lol. Seriously though, if you haven't seen the movie yet, SEE IT! Then come back here and read this post! You're welcome, America. ;)

Anyway, Wreck It Ralph is about a "bad guy" character in a video game that suddenly, after 30 years of being the bad guy, has an existential epiphany and begins to wonder if there is more to life than being bad. The opening scene in the Bad Anon meeting is absolutely hilarious, but it's also when we first get a glimpse into the heart of this big, "bad guy" named Ralph. In the meeting, Ralph is surrounded by bad guy characters from other classic video games, and he begins to express his doubts about being a bad guy. He communicates a curiosity for how life would be if he could just once experience life through the eyes of the hero, which in his game, happens to be the oh-so-revered Fix-It Felix, Jr., who follows behind Ralph fixing everything he wrecks with a magical hammer that he received from his dad. Fix-It Felix, Jr. is loved and adored by all of the "Nicelanders," who are constantly praising him and bringing him pies.

Upon hearing his desires, the other bad guys in the meeting express their concerns that Ralph is losing his mind - and perhaps that he is "going Turbo." They just can't seem to fathom how any bad guy in his right mind would WANT to be good.

“Turbo? No, I'm not going Turbo! C'mon guys! Is it 'Turbo' to want a friend? Or a medal? Or a piece of pie every once in a while? Is it 'Turbo' to want more out of life?” 

Aww...poor Ralph. We're sorry, Buddy. We feel ya on that score - especially where the pie is concerned. ;)

So yeah, Ralph sets out on a mission to win a medal in order to prove to the Nicelanders that just because you're a "bad guy," it doesn't mean you have to be a BAD guy. He eventually wins a medal in a game called Heroe's Duty - which he in turn loses to a ridiculously annoying, and oh-so-hilarious character, Vanellope von Schweetz. They then join forces to try and win a race that would be their ticket to a new life. Together, they overcome the evil "King Candy," and in the process, Ralph discovers what it is to be a true friend - and ultimately, that anyone CAN be a good guy.

It was a heart-warming film (yes, I shed a few tears - in more than one spot during the movie), which shows the human's potential to love and to sacrifice of oneself. It also serves as a great example of how each of us can overcome the "programming" and the obstacles we are born with in order to rise above what is natural and choose the right. I know that our society wants us to believe in this enormously annoying idea that we have to accept what we are (the natural man), and give in to our innate desires - because, "Baby, I was born this way." Well, I am sorry, but that is a load of garbage - and thankfully, the gospel teaches a higher law.

As children of our Heavenly Father, we have such amazing, divine potential. And yes, we ARE born with certain obstacles - some more severe than others. But as His children, whose desire in coming to this Earth was to prove our faith and return to Him, we are each expected to overcome the trials which we are dealt in this life.

It's nice to see a movie in this day and age that has a good, powerful message for once. So yeah - Ralph, you are my hero. ;)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Crash and Burn

Yesterday, I had quite the experience. I was taking the babies for a walk in their new double stroller and stepped right into an uncovered utility hole in the sidewalk a few blocks away from my house. The stroller rolled right over it without so much as a bump (the wheels must have been spaced just far enough apart). Not me though. I went crashing down into the hole with my left foot, my right knee crashing down onto the pavement. 

As I sat there in that position for a few seconds, trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened, some "not-so-nice person (trust, that is not what I wanted to call them)" went zooming by in their car, honking their horn at me. "Yes, everyone look at the dumb lady pushing the stroller that went tumbling to the ground." I swear, some people are so rude.

Anyway, when I initially pulled myself back up to my feet, my foot and ankle were throbbing pretty badly. All I could think was, "Great, now I am gonna have to have Z drive me to a quick care to get an x-ray." I was also pretty bummed that our walk would be cut short. I noticed pretty quickly; too, that there was a huge gash on the outside of my left ankle. I tried walking a little ways further, but every time I put pressure on that foot, it would throb. 

It took two bandaids to cover the gash on my ankle. :(

A friend of mine from church lives a few doors down from where I fell (thank goodness), so I thought I might have to stop there for some help. Z was home sleeping and I had his phone; of course (L wore the battery down on mine, so I left it at home charging), so I knew there was no getting ahold of him. After a few minutes; though, the throbbing started to subside a little, so I thought we might be able to finish our walk after all. Yeah - not so much. I barely made it past my friend's house when I started to feel nauseated. 

I knew I wouldn't make it home, so I doubled back and knocked on my friend's door. I tried explaining what happened, but I was barely able to finish the details when the darkness started closing in around me. I could feel myself beginning to lose consciousness, so when she invited me in, I sort of collapsed onto her entry way floor. Not my finest moment.

Anyway, she bandaged me up and let me recover on her couch. After a little while, I was feeling a little better, and was actually able to walk home. I am just grateful for good friends - and for the fact that no serious damage was done to my foot. Now, if only I could learn to control my lame nausea reflex. ;)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Oh Ye, Defenders of Truth!

Wow, I feel extremely empowered. I just sent letters to both of our Senators here in Nevada, as well as to Congresswoman, Dina Titus, regarding the proposed gun ban. I encourage you all to do the same, for there is currently a threat being unleashed on our Constitutional rights. This is for real, people! Albert Einstein said:

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." 

So, if you are wondering how YOU can get involved, to make a change and get your voice heard, THIS is it. 

Here is a video that pretty much spells out a potential letter that you can write. You can change the letter, or voice your opinion in your own words, but the important thing is that you take a stand and DO IT!  Make sure that you follow TNP on YouTube too. This guy is hilarious...AND right on point! Watch the video below and then send your letters asap.

Check out www.senate.gov and www.house.gov for contact forms for your own Senators and Congressmen. If you have any questions about the suggested letter in this video, comment below and/or contact me on Twitter. Good luck, and may the force be with you. :-P

P.S. You can also go to ruger.com for more information on protecting your rights, and for additional ways to contact your legislators. There is a short form letter you can send out simultaneously to all necessary parties. It makes the process super simple, so check it out. :-D

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

2012 in a Nutshell: Blues Clues, Tubas, and Babies, Oh My!

Wow - 2013! I can't even begin to express how quickly this last year has flown by. So many amazing things happened though. Our oldest daughter turned 12 and started the Young Women's program. She also started middle school (I am sure you remember all of her interesting 6th grade drama. Haha), began playing the tuba, and also joined the Civil Air Patrol. She has become quite the busy, little gal. Our two-year-old son started speech therapy and has been increasing his vocabulary and interacting skills by leaps and bounds. We also welcomed a new addition to our family this past year. Our beautiful baby girl is now 8 months old and is already pulling herself up to her feet, trying to walk along the couch. I seriously feel sometimes like you blink and time just flies right on by. They are all growing up way too quickly.

My husband opened up The Smith Center with The Las Vegas Philharmonic to Mahler 2 back in March, 2012. He also successfully coached another student through the audition process of the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Said student was his first tuba student to audition and be selected for the program. He continues to attend classes at UNLV, and plans to graduate with a Bachelor Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in the spring of 2013.

Aside from giving birth to my third child (a Vbac, I might add - it was absolutely amazing) back in April 2012, and doing the whole mom thing - all while trying to adjust to how different life can be with three kids, I have spent these past several months of 2012 building my baby - The Luckiest. Though my blog is still in its infancy, I have had such a stellar time learning the ropes, sharing in some incredible blogging experiences (the Thirty Days of Gratitude Challenge, Slice of Life, etc...), and exploring the inner most reaches of my soul in order to share my thoughts, dreams and aspirations with my readers. It has been an amazing journey thus far, and I look forward to all that 2013 has in store for my writing ventures, ;)

Blues Clues...Yay! :-P

Unfortunately; however, New Year's Eve 2013 was not all that exciting around our house. My husband worked a 12 hour shift at his "day" job, and I was home sick (with walking pneumonia) with both of the babies. {M} is in Oklahoma visiting her dad, so the babies and I basically just lounged out in the living room all night, flipping back and forth between episodes of Blues Clues and Army Wives on Netflix. Haha. {L Bear}, my two-year-old and I had an understanding - an episode for an episode. That's how we roll. hehe. He's hard core too, I tell you. The minute the credits start rolling on my show, he jumps up and down, popping his fingers open and closed shouting, "Blue Blue." For a kid who doesn't talk a whole lot, he sure knows how to get what he wants. His cuteness factor plays a huge roll in that too, I am sure. ;)

I hadn't even planned on staying up to ring in the new year, but because of a late nap (L Bear didn't wake up until 8pm yesterday evening), he was still wired at 11:30 p.m. when I was starting to crash out. I ended up just turning off all the lights, bringing him into bed with me, handing him my iphone, and crashing at about 11:40 p.m. lol. I have no idea what time he finally went to sleep, but he was quite the party animal, and partied on way past midnight without me. :-P

Anyway, there are some fun and exciting things to look forward to here on the blog in this new year. I hope everyone had a safe and awesome New Year's Eve, and I wish you all a happy 2013! :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

Cake Balls!

I started my Christmas baking about a week ago and had a batch of chocolate pecan fudge and a batch of vanilla nut fudge finished and chillin' like villains in the freezer. They didn't make it through the week though. Haha. I swear, keeping yummy treats in my house is like keeping an open flame and expecting a moth not to be drawn to it. ((shrugs)) Oh well. I guess that is just a reflection of how good they were. ;)

So, a few days ago, I made chocolate pecan fudge batch #2 and threatened my husband and children with their lives. Hehe. Then yesterday, during F.H.E., my 12-year-old and I started cake balls. Now, I don't know if you know what these delectable, little bites of heaven are, but OH MY GOODNESS! They are like my favorite things in the whole world right now ((winks at The Purple Lady. I've made them for her a few times and she too has become a fiend. Hehe. I can't help but think of her every time I make them now)). A family friend introduced me to them a few years ago, and I am officially hooked. Basically, they are made from cake that you bake and mix with frosting to roll into small bite-sized balls, then you roll said balls around in dipping chocolate. They taste like little truffles, and are absolutely amazing!

Peppermint red velvet cake balls with white dipping chocolate. YUM!

Trust me - they are absolutely sinful! :P

I also made some german chocolate cake balls, but forgot to take a picture of them before packing them away in Ziploc bags in the freezer...oops. It's all good, though. The red velvet ones are prettier. ;)

Anyway, these succulent, little balls of yummy goodness are just too delicious to keep to myself, so being the giving person that I am, I thought I'd share the love - in recipe form, of course. ;)

Cake Balls 

Prepare and cook 1 cake mix as directed on box

Let FULLY cool for several hours

Mix cake and about ½ of a 12oz. container of frosting (about ¾ cup - 1 cup) with your hands in a large bowl until it holds form when squished together (don’t put in too much frosting or the balls will be too wet and won’t set up properly). Form into bite sized balls and freeze to set (about 15 to 30 minutes – this step is optional, but makes the balls easier to dip). Dip in desired chocolate (recipes below) and freeze to set again (about 10 minutes). Serve immediately or freeze in gallon sized Ziploc bags.

Dipping Chocolate

Equal parts Chocolate Almond Bark and semi-sweet chocolate chips melted in the microwave for a minute or so until melted.

White Dipping Chocolate

Equal parts Vanilla Almond Bark and white chocolate chips melted in the microwave for a minute or so until melted.

Variation Ideas

1) German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting in dipping chocolate 

2) Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting in white dipping chocolate 

3) Chocolate Cake with 

-1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping 

-1/3 cup condensed milk 

-1 bag of Heath bits o’ brickle 

-Dip in dipping chocolate 

4) Chocolate Cake with 2/3 cup Nutella dipped in dipping chocolate (can be made with a vanilla cake as well) 

5) Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting in mint dipping chocolate (substitute Andes mints for semi-sweet choc chips) 

6) Orange Cream Cake with Vanilla Frosting in white dipping chocolate 

7) Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese

Shannon’s favorite variation: carrot cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in white dipping chocolate. 

Note: For the red velvet ones I just did, I made a peppermint white chocolate cream cheese frosting to mix in with the baked cake. I also crushed up some candy canes (nearly to powder) and sprinkled them over the balls after dipping them in the white chocolate. You have to do this immediately after rolling them; though, as the chocolate dries really quickly. Combined with the peppermint in the frosting, this adds a perfectly subtle peppermint flavor. Delish!

Anyway, hope you enjoy. :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

I {heart} Christmas!

Can I just say that I LOVE Christmas time! Everything about the season makes me absolutely giddy; from decorating the Christmas tree to shopping for Christmas presents, listening to Christmas music, sending and receiving Christmas cards, driving around and scoping out all of the Christmas lights, decorating gingerbread houses, watching the classic Christmas movies (some of my favorites include Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street, One Magic Christmas, Elf - there are really too many to name), drinking egg nog, singing Christmas songs, etc. I mean, it's barely the first week of December and I almost have all of my Christmas shopping done - and tonight, I actually got most of my Christmas presents wrapped AND started my Christmas baking. :)

Now, I don't know if you guys know this or not, but since my husband and I got married, he has gotten both {M} and me into collecting Christmas ornaments. He usually only collects the really nice ones (swarovski, waterford, etc.), but we've procured some fun, cheaper-end ones too. He has one with Goofy playing the tuba, one of Jack Skellington (The Nightmare before Christmas), and many many more. This year, {L} even has his own little collection going. He has his beautiful "Baby's First Christmas" ornament from two years ago - courtesy of The Purple Lady, and here is the newest addition:

Not bad for a two-year-old, eh? Hehe. Anyone who knows him knows how appropriate this really is. He has been obsessed - and I mean OBSESSED - with Spiderman pretty much since his second birthday. ;)

Anyway, hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. <3

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

The Not-So-Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

So, things have been a little out of sorts lately, and I haven't been able to get my mess of a brain together much in the last few weeks. Hence, the lack of blog posts.

In my defense, I do have a monster of a toddler who keeps life extremely interesting (to say the least), and a five-month-old baby who is teething - both of which have been extremely high maintenance of late - not to mention my now 12-year-old and her 6th grade drama, AND the fact that (counting this weekend) my husband has had three concerts with The Las Vegas Philharmonic in the last month. I have thereby basically been left to my own devices in trying to maintain control of my sanity. I simply can't stress enough how thankful I am that I have managed to keep it together well enough to ensure that my my poor children have been bathed and fed properly. ;)

Anyway, I digress. Tomorrow is Halloween, and with my husband's crazy schedule, he wasn't able to join us for Family Home Evening (FHE) last night (he had to do a make-up lab class that he usually has on Thursday night, which he can't make this week due to a rehearsal with the Phil).

I realized yesterday morning that we still hadn't carved pumpkins, so I picked up a few at the grocery store so that the kids and I could carve them for our FHE activity. Also, I had decided that for dessert, I would make Zachary's favorite fall treat (chocolate pecan pie) and would have it ready early so that he could eat it with us when he woke up before going off to school.

For dinner, we had homemade Zuppa Toscana soup, which turned out super yummy (I've made it several times before and it's one of our family faves). Everything was going as planned. My family was fed and dessert was a hit.

After my husband left for school, the kids and I busted out the pumpkins and chose the pattern we wanted to carve from the kit I bought at the store. Madison chose one that says "Eek" and I chose a pattern that said "Wicked." I know that neither of those patterns seem too ambitious, and Madison and I were both talking about how awesome our carved pumpkins were going to look once we were finished and the candles were lit inside.

In hindsight, I am realizing that there must be some sort of Halloween amnesia that kicks in as soon as I get the idea to carve pumpkins. There I was with all of these ideas of grandeur, but once I started in on the cutting process, I was quickly reminded of the reality of how horrible I am at carving pumpkins.

Usually, Zach is there to help us with the really difficult sections, but since he was at school, I had to really focus hard on not cutting the letters too closely, or pushing the wrong part of the words through the pumpkin.

So...

This is how my pumpkin was supposed to look:

A pic I took of the sample on the carving kit.

Cool, right? Yeah...

This is how MY pumpkin turned out:

Haha. As you can see, it does NOT say "Wicked." I got so frustrated after pushing both the "i" and the "c" through the pumpkin on accident that I turned the pumpkin to the backside and just carved out a simple face (which I drew on first with a black marker. haha). I know. Epic fail.

The night wasn't a complete bust, though. There was enough Zuppa Toscana soup left over to freeze for another night's dinner, AND the chocolate pecan pie was super yummy. And Madison and I did have a ton of fun carving the pumpkins, even though she ended up following suit and carving a face in the back of her pumpkin as well. Haha.

This just goes to show how valuable Dad is in our pumpkin carving endeavors. Hehe.

This debacle does put me in the mood to watch The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown though. Oh, how I LOVE this time of year! ;)

Happy Halloween!

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest