Thanks Mom!

For Valentines my Mom sent each of us some Valentine cards and some money for a treat. Thanks Mom! Everyone was pretty excited about that. At home she was making everyone else this way yummy dessert that she calls "Ice Box Dessert". It is my very favorite, so I thought I would make it for us. Growing up she would make this for special occasions. I thought you better have the recipe.

Ice Box Dessert

2 1/2 cups. graham cracker crumbs
1 cube margarine (softened)
1 package of dream whip or lucky whip
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8oz. cream cheese
2 Tablespoons milk
Mix margarine into crumbs well and press into 19x13 pan.
Fix dream whip according to the directions on the package. Then mix in powdered sugar, softened cream cheese & the milk. Then spread over the crumbs. Top with crushed pineapple or a can of cherry pie filling, or blueberries. Then refrigerate.

Also, for Family Home Evening we played this game. It is such a blast. We actually borrowed it to give our teenagers some ideas on ways to keep the conversation going on their dates. I also take it with me when I sub at the high school. They love it. One of the questions is, "Would you rather be the circus person that the knife thrower throws knives at or the one who puts their head in the lion's mouth?" It's a crack up. My children from 8 to 18 play this together.

Well, I hope you had a nice Valentines, big or small.

Dance Night

Here they are waiting for their dates. Don't they look handsome.

G's first date.

T's third time to sweethearts with her. They have a lot of fun together. Both boys went with different groups and both had a great time.

Battle Plan #1 - Homemade Bird Feeder

Me vs. the Grasshopper mob

The past few year have been horrible in my yard. Summer comes, I plant my garden, and those little beasties come and ruin everything. I thought about getting chickens, even borrowed some once, but have decided that would add one more thing to take care of and that would just push me over the edge. So...plan #1(because I'm not giving up) is bring on the birds. I've read a bunch of different ways to eliminate the grasshoppers and this is one of them. The kiddies and I put together this bird feeder, and I'm praying it will work.

Have you got any ideas that have worked for you?

Sweethearts dance

Uhhh...not ready for this one to turn 16 and be dating. Here he is checking out his room that was decorated by a cute girl asking him to the Sweethearts dance. He had to find the balloon with her name on to find out who was asking. He responded with a tub of ice cream and re-labled it saying, "Ice screamed when I saw my room. I would love to go to sweethearts with you." What a fun time of life. Wonder if he'll mind if I tag along:) JK!

Awe and Ahhh!!!

I think it's time for another post on gratitude. This is what I see out my windows on January mornings. Those mountains are awe - inspiring! They give me hope somehow. See the gray dull down below. Good to look up sometimes. The light on the peaks are eye candy in a sometimes mundane day. Ahhh...everything will be ok.

Cards

Each year I give out between Thirty to Forty-five birthday cards. That does not include Thank You's, Christmas, etc. The cost is huge for a stay at home Mom, so throughout the years I've come up with this idea to save me literally hundreds of dollars. Throughout the year, I take photos of random things, mostly nature, and then I attach them to pre-cut cards from the craft store. A pack of 50 cost between $5 to $8, and the photos on a good day cost 10 cents. So far I haven't found anything else to beat the cost...besides e-mails...or not doing anything at all. My mother is great at keeping touch with people snail mail and I think it is awesome to get something in the mail. So...I will keep up the tradition as long as I can.

I would love to hear your ideas of what you do. This is the time of year I get them all ready to go, so any advice would be useful.

Ice Cream Cake

I know, I know, we are all on diets right now...but, it's my dear husband's birthday today and he loves his ice cream cake. So...because blogging is all about sharing, I'm sharing the recipe with you. And, yes I'll be having a small piece. Here is the recipe for...

Ice Cream Cake
1 bag oreo cookies crushed and combine with 1 stick a butter or margarine
Save a little of this mix out to go on top.
Press this mixture in the bottom of an 9x13 in cake pan.
1/2 gallon box of ice cream - soften and spread on crumb crust
*Freeze
1 cup hot fudge cooled - drip over ice cream
Remaining crumbs - spread on very top
*Freeze
Hot fudge (recipe at bottom) or I used Hershey's

Optional - we have added on occasion, caramel, or peanut butter cups.

Homemade Hot Fudge
1 can evaporated milk
12 oz. bag chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
*Heat these to a boil remove from heat then...
*Add
1 Tablespoon margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla

Klondike 2011

It pretty much amazes me that anyone would go sleep out in 8 degree weather. Anything lower that 65 degrees makes me freeze clear through. But, here we have the scouts annual Klondike and no one complaining. It does look like they had fun, and I do appreciate the leaders who put up with it all.

Sled racing (fastest time!)

Fire starting (not:)

They didn't have time this year to do a snow cave, maybe they'll have to do one in the back yard.

New Years Resolutions

I know for most people this is a dreaded event. Most people last about a week and go back to their old ways, but I feel like it is important to believe that we can change and we can improve. Yes it is difficult and takes considerable effort, but it is important to always evaluate how we can become a better person. Baby steps is my motto (just like the movie). Very small changes drawn out over long periods of time work the best for me. I usually work on a month to month system, instead of a year to year system. I'm re-evaluating that often. Some months I have to just survive. I don't count those. I hope we all choose at least one thing to work on and just hang in there. Any encouragement from you will be appreciated.

Here's a start(I copied this from someone...?):

I resolve to laugh every day,
eat more chocolate,
sleep in on Sundays,
make dinner an event,
breathe more deeply,
and spend more time with the people I love.

They Gave Up Their Christmas