Holiday Cheer, Muppets Style

Thank you Muppets!
I have already found some of my lost Christmas cheer thanks to you and all your silly silliness.
The kids and I were driving home last night and I turned on the radio station that plays Christmas music starting the day after Halloween.
Guess what was on?
John Denver and The Muppets singing The 12 days of Christmas.
Somewhere around the 6th verse Dubs let out a little giggle.
Then Dubs and Beano both laughed a little louder.
By the ends of the song everyone in the car was belling laughing, even Baby Cakes.
It felt so good!
Thank you Muppets, I knew I loved you for a reason!

Celebrate

I heard Christmas Music on the radio today.
The holiday season is upon us.
It used to be that the first Christmas song on the radio was a celebration.
It brought happiness and peace to my soul and made the whole world feel right.
Now when I hear those same sweet tunes part of me aches.
December 19, 2007 my mother-in-law passed away, just 9 days after Baby Cakes was born.
Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday.
The whole holiday season was rough that year. She had been sick long before Thanksgiving.
We buried her the day after Christmas.
We heard songs like Oh Holy Night and What Child is This on the radio on the way to the cemetery.
We tried so hard to celebrate that year, but no one really felt much like celebrating.
All we could do was turn on the radio.
Those songs were playing during, hands down, the saddest, hardest days of my life.
Now whenever I hear them I hear the memory of that mourning.
Last year was no easier. The pain of just one ever so brief year gone by was still so strong.
As the holidays grew near the whole family just wanted to hibernate, how could we have a normal holiday season without her?
It did not seem real or possible.
Last year was so bitter sweet.
The songs were laced with sadness once again.
I long to hear the music the way I did before.
I want to hear the joy, but somehow it has gotten lost behind the sadness.
How do I get past this?
I want to love the Holidays again.
I want to hear the music and get excited about Christmas trees and eggnog and lights and snow and Santa cookies and mistletoe.
I want to hear the laughter again, my own laughter and I want to play with my kids and anticipate that wondrous day.
I want to feel the peace of the Savior on the anniversary of His birth.
I have had lots of realizations lately.
One of which is that Christ will not rescue us from our problems and fears and hurts.
But He will help us through them.
He will take our hands and hearts if we let Him and stay with us while we go through the hard times. He does not promise us a struggle free life, but He does promise His peace during those struggles.
This year I will celebrate. I will celebrate the love of a wondrous Savior.
I will celebrate the love and life of a mother who accepted me and loved me like one of her own.
I will celebrate tiny hands and sweet babies.
I will see the magic of Christmas through my children's eyes.
I will let Christ heal my heart and make this part of me whole again.
I will love those around me more fully.
I will carry on traditions and keep my dear sweet mother-in-law a part of our memories and celebrations.
I will celebrate and laugh and sing.
I will sing those songs and I will let the melodies and sweet messages penetrate my heart once again.
I will let the warmth of the season heal my soul.

Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill

Where are you Christmas
Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me
Why can't I hear music play

My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too

Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go

Christmas is here
Everywhere, oh
Christmas is here
If you care, oh

If there is love in your heart and your mind
You will feel like Christmas all the time

I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love

Where are you Christmas
Fill your heart with love


This year I will let Christmas fill my heart with love once again!

Do Something

Have you ever had a day when there is nothing really pressing on the agenda, yet you know you have a million things to get done at home?
Have you ever had a really hard time getting going those mornings?
Do you ever feel like all you want to do is sit with a good book and cute kids and read all day long?
Have you ever felt like there's just too much to do and you don't know where to start, so you just don't start at all?
You don't?
Oh, good, Me neither!
Most mornings I'm rearing to go, not enough hours in the day so I just get down to it.
But some days are like today. I just can't get my motor going.
It's just too cozy in the nice warm house with the wind howling outside.
It's all or nothing, right?
WRONG!

I am trying hard to fight that all or nothing mentality. Instead I'm going for all or something.

A few weekends ago I went to a mom's retreat with some really good friends.
We went to a lodge in Park City and had a fabulous dinner followed by inspiring presentations, followed by chatting with dear, dear friends until 2 am,
followed by trying to sleep on the top bunk of a very high bunk bed without freezing or falling off, followed by waking up by 7am, followed by showers and breakfast, followed by even more inspirational presentations.
Basically, it is a grown up version of a slumber party.
I loved every minute.
One of the poems that was shared in one of the presentations is still with me.
And trust me, I need it this morning.
I don't know who wrote it or the title, but I know I need it.

I am only one
But I am one
I can not do everything
But I can do something
What I can do,
I should do
And with the help of God,
I will do!


OK, heaven help me, here I go!

Just Horsin Around

We keep having these nice sunny October days.
We keep thinking everyday might be our last good horse riding day of the season, so we keep going on awesomely gorgeous rides.
This week we went out to Antelope Island.

My baby was just too precious on that mare so I just could not stop taking pictures of him.
I took pictures of the rest of us, too, but let's face it, we're just not as cute as the littlest Weaver.

I hope there are many, many more days like this before the snow comes.
Oh, my heart just can't take all this cuteness!

Science 101

Did you know that if you put a Skittle in a glass of water the 'S' will float off all in one piece?
Tonight we saw it with our own two eyes!
And it was fabulous!
About a month ago I saw an article in Family Fun magazine about a family that does fun experiments with their Halloween candy.
I have been patiently waiting all month long to try it myself.
Oh ya, and I let the kids watch, too.
Let's not kid ourselves here, we all know I home school my kids and do these fun things for myself.
Sure, they can come along for the ride, but I am the one who wants to do these crazy things.
I really wanted to know what would happen if we filled a tray with candy and put them in the oven.
I'm the one that wanted to watch two atomic war heads bubble over when we dissolved them in water and added baking Soda to the mixture.

I wanted to see the rainbow colors melt away and leave fantastic colors in cups and bowl and dishes.
This activity did not disappoint.
The magazine listed a website with many different activities to try with different candies.

Baby watched and ate chocolate covered raisins as Lemon heads and suckers were being smashed to smithereens and sprayed my newly cleaned kitchen floor with tiny shards of sticky candy goodness.

We were not surprised to see that the Atomic War Heads and the Sweet Tarts were the most acidic candies in the mix.

I loved watching the cool patterns and shapes the molten candy made on the cookie sheet.
We loved watching them harden into cool shapes.
It was really cool to see what oozes out of those sugary treats.
For example, Air Heads and StarBursts had pools of oil floating on top of the candy puddle. We touched it with our fingers (once it had cooled of course) and our fingers were totally oily, way worse than eating a basket of french fries.
That really surprised me.
But I think the most surprising thing was that the Twizzlers did not change its shape in any way.
What is that made of?!?!
It did get tiny little blisters on the bottom, but it would not melt, even in a 350 degree oven.
Weirdo Billy!

My favorite part was those sexy hands wielding a hammer.
Yup, that's my man.

This photo cracks me up. Who needs a television when you have a bucket full of candy and an oven? I love my cute fun loving family!

Misunderstood

I think my post yesterday created a few ripples.
I think some of you may think me un-American for not liking trick-or-treating.
Don't worry, I'm no such thing.
I really do love all of our pagan ways, all of them!
I'm here today to show you just how much I love them.

First off, let me assure you, I have not sworn off Halloween altogether.
My house is living proof.
Anything that is standing still is filled with pumpkins, gourds, leaves, corn, and so on and so forth.
We have done many fun traditional Halloween activities with the kids and there are more in store before now and Saturday.
Here are my favorite things about All Hallows Eve (and fall).

I love our annual fall leaf hunt up in the mountains.
I love bringing the leaves home and finding fun crafts and ways to decorate with them.
(Yes, I mod podged pressed leaves onto blocks of wood. It made a great general conference activity)
I love picking apples and making quart after quart of apple sauce and apple cider.
I love chili and rolls.
I love the first homemade pumpkin pie custard of the season made with a fresh pumpkin just picked from the field.
I love the annual trip to the corn maze with fabulous friends who bring home made kettle corn by the 5 gallon bucket.
I love picking our own pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.
I love sliding down the huge slides assembled from humungo stacks of hay bales.
I love the bittersweet goodbye of the falling leaves.
I love seeing my 1 year old try to rake the leaves with a rake that is at least 3 times bigger than he is.
I love the last fall horse ride at Snow Basin, so bitter sweet.
I love all the piles of leaves that are created and destroyed every single day.
I love the warm smell of chunky apple muffins in the chilly mornings.
I love the colors.

I love that as soon as my kids see the first pumpkin or a spider on any neighbors porch they insist that we pull all of our decorations out so we can be ready for Halloween too.
I love it when I pull out the bin of Halloween costumes that my kids must each try on every costume in there.
Beano even tried the Belle gown. Don't worry he was out of it in a flash when he saw the astronaut get up.
I love it that as soon as they see the costumes they know exactly what they want to be.
I love carving pumpkins with the Bennetts.
Seriously, all the good food and good friends, it's one of my favorite traditions.
I love the family gatherings on chilly evenings.
So far that's all we've done this year for Halloween.
Halloween and fall get pretty mixed up around here.
I think we celebrate fall more that Halloween, but we still have tons of fun that day too.
I love our home school Halloween party and seeing all the different costumes everyone comes up with.
I really can't wait this year; I've heard some strange costume rumors.
So really the only thing I don't like is the huge amounts of candy.
And really the biggest reason I don't like it is because my kids do get so sick and I hate cleaning up puke.
Since we've changed our diet my kids are doing so much better, it works for us.
Isn't that what life is about? Finding what works for your family and sticking with it?
What is working for mine may not be what works for yours, and that's OK. In fact, that's as it should be.
So far we have found ways to eliminate most processed foods form Christmas and Easter and you know what? My kids are fine with it.
They still love Christmas and Easter, even without the candy.
They are not deprived of all treats, all the time.
The truth is, we've merely changed the treats we do give them.
They still feel like it's a celebration and that the day is special.
They are thrilled with the idea of a Halloween carnival Halloween night instead of trick or treating.
Truth be told, I don't think they really like it all that much either.
Sure they get candy, but they're usually frozen stiff by the end.
We like the idea of playing Halloween games indoors where our toes can stay nice and toasty and seeing good friends and watching clowns and unicyclers.
Fun will be had by one and all!

Ready, Set, Go!

I am really torn about Halloween this year.
I have always hated, hated, hated trick or treating, yet every year we end up doing it.
I hate knocking on strangers' doors begging for candy.
I hate freezing outside in the late Northern Utah October weather and trying to find costumes my children will not freeze in.
I hate trying to force some sort of healthy food in them before the onslaught of junk begins.
I hate that they never want to eat because the anticipation of all that candy is just too exciting.
I hate coming home with obscene amounts of candy for my 4 year old and 2 year old.
I hate feeling no self control as I gorge myself on chocolate after they've gone to bed.
I hate stealing from my children.
I hate sneaking candy when they're not looking, because I know if I got caught they'd all want a piece but I'm not willing to let them eat candy before breakfast.
Somehow it's OK for me, but not them.
I really hate that.
I hate trying to find someone to pawn all the candy off on so I can finally stop eating it.
All these are reasons I hated it before.
Now with our new diet of no toxic waste I am hating the idea even more.
Once again we have been invited to a trunk or treat.
Which, by the way, seems worse to me than regular trick or treating.
Let's see how much candy we can gather in T-Minus 5 minutes! Ready, set, GO!
The greed of it all makes me sick.
These are not characteristics I want honed in my children.
So what to do, what to do?
I don't know, I still have not figured it out yet.
Come to the event after trunk of treating is over? Skip the whole thing? Let them truck or treat, knowing they're not getting any of it?
It all seems so silly to me.
I know, I know, I'm weird.
I am imagining the hate mail already!
As a peace offering here is a 100% Whole Grain, All Natural, No Toxic Waste, 100% Yummy Fall Treat Recipe.
(Now I'm not saying it's healthy, but it is a million times better that what they'd get on the street)

Harvest Granola Apple Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 C Whole grain flour
1 1/2 C Rolled oats
1/2 t Baking soda
1 C Brown sugar
Pinch of Salt, optional
3/4 C Butter

Apple filling:
5 Medium Apples, cored and sliced ( I left the skins on for more texture)
1 C Water
Honey, to taste (No much at all)
1 t Cinnamon
Cornstarch and water to thicken, optional

Directions:

Start the apple filling first. Place the sliced apples and water in a sauce pan. Bring to boil then cover and simmer until apples are fork tender.
Meanwhile for the crust, combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix to combine. Soften the butter and add to the dry mixture. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter with the dry ingredients. Place 3/4 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Press to form bottom crust.
When the apples are tender add the cinnamon and honey to taste. Mix with a hand mixer until chunky apple sauce is formed. If this is too runny you can thicken it with corn starch and water.
Pour the apple mixture over the crust. Sprinkle remaining crust over the top. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

I want to share this with my family on Halloween instead of huge mixing bowls full of candy.