It's Jenny's Birthday, Shout Hooray!

Before Lavender came along, I always felt bad that Marianne didn't have a sister.  Marianne assured me that she had cousins and friends and would be just fine.

I couldn't imagine life without a sister because I have been blessed with such a great one! This year my one and only favorite sister celebrates her, well I'd better not say, but it's a milestone birthday! I am excited because once again we are in the same decade, agewise.  To celebrate my wonderful sister and her wonderful life, here are a few fun facts about Jenny and me and our sisterhood.

• I am almost 7 years older than Jenny.
• We have been mistaken for twins.
• I have also been mistaken for her mother.
• We shared a room and a bed for many years until I left for college.
• We both met our husbands at BYU and got married in the Los Angeles Temple at age 20.
• We wore the same wedding dress and it didn't even need alterations!
• We have walked together (almost) every morning for 16 years.
• If one of us doesn't go walking, the other one rarely goes.
• Our husbands have both mistaken our voices for each other on the phone.

A few things you may not know about Jenny:

• She has sizeable collections of: smurfs, baby slings and exercise videos.
• She loves musicals and used to sit on the counter singing while my mom cooked or cleaned.
• She is good at doing research and has done lots of family history.
• She wouldn't eat peanut butter even if she was starving.
• Her name is not Jennifer, just Jenny.  It says so on her birth certificate.

If you want to see my favorite picture of Jenny and me and find out how old she is click HERE

In the meantime, here's another fun picture of Jenny rocking some red suspenders and curly bangs!

Christmas 1982 - Jenny, Grandpa Jerry and Melanie

Happy Birthday Jenny!  I love you!!

This and that

Elder Aaron and his companion found an apartment, so he doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore! They had to move in with other elders at the last minute to make room for all the new sisters serving in Toronto.

I had a date with my sweetie to the symphony.  It was one of the best performances ever.  We enjoyed Bach, Schumann and a Concerto for two pianos by a modern composer, Poulenc.

Brianne started ballet lessons. She is the cutest little ballerina ever.

I went wheat-free this week after reading this book recommended by a dear friend. I had been praying about my health and wondering what to do.  Just a few hours later we were finishing a conversation when she said, "Wait, I have to tell you about this book."  The results have amazed me.  I have much more energy and none of the cravings for snacks and sweets.  We shall see how the weight loss goes.

Lavender took her very first steps just a month ago and now she is running around everywhere.

Marianne and Evan dissected a sheep brain with their cousins as part of their biology class. Their Uncle Brian is a great lab instructor.

I got to go the temple this week!

A Classic

Back in 1994:

*We had Homemaking, rather than Enrichment or RS meetings with the sisters at church.

*I was the Relief Society Counselor over Homemaking.

*I never missed a monthly Homemaking Meeting.

*Every month we called every sister in the ward to remind her of Enrichment meeting.

*We had a dinner every month because it got the sisters there.

*We made tons of crafts!

*I did lots of (lousy) tole painting.

*I had two adorable little boys ages 2 & 4.

* I made a teepee out of wooden dowels and denim-like fabric. It was tackily decorated with unauthentic Indian symbols written in puffy paint.

1994 - 2005:

*We added two more children to our family.

*My kids loved the teepee and played with it often.

2005 - 2009:

*My two little boys became men and my other two babies grew up.

* The teepee lived in the back of the closet under the stairs. I contemplated getting rid of it every year.

2010:

* My first granddaughter was born and I decided to save the teepee for my grandkids.

2011-2013:

* I was pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful little girl.

* I completely forgot about the teepee and was too busy to think about getting rid of it.

Today:

*Evan pulled out the teepee for Lavender to play with.

*She loved it!

*I decided that this may have been the best Relief Society project ever!

4th Birthday

It isn't what you think. No one is turning four years old. Rather, this was the 4th week of birthdays in our immediate family. John got us started on February 16th and then exactly a week later was Lavender's birthday. Seven days later was Evan's birthday. And this week was Ryan's turn!

Since Ryan had to work on his birthday, we celebrated in the morning at the Original Pancake House. Marianne was going to order the small size German Pancakes, but Ryan insisted she go for it!

Marianne and Evan bought Ryan these giant "23" balloons which he loved carrying around, especially in the restaurant.  Nothing like embarrassing your brother! They also got him a package of caps, which he immediately started setting off during breakfast using his fingernail.   He's still a kid at heart! Here he is with his two favorite kids.  Three, if you count Lavender!

But just so Ryan didn't feel too young, they also got him this "healthy" birthday card.  Can you guess what it says on the inside?

 . . . with every fiber of his being. 

John and I were happy to get to spend a little time with our #1 son on his birthday!

On another day, we babysat so that he and Molly could spend the day at Disneyland.  We are glad they got some fun time together and we love any excuse to be with our granddaughters.  I was especially surprised when Ryan and Molly gave me a gift.  My birthday isn't until August!  I love the beautiful Willow Tree mother and grandma figures, but Ryan gave me the best gift of all 23 years ago when he came to earth and I became a mother. And now he has blessed me with a wonderful daughter in law and two precious grand babies.

  Happy Birthday Ryan!

You Never Know

When you might need to make a giant cupcake.

A few weeks ago I never would have considered making an oversized cupcake.  But today I am the proud baker and decorator of not one, but two giant cupcakes!

As an experienced giant cupcake baker I feel obligated to share what I've learned.  Besides, by the time I make my next giant cupcake, I will most likely have forgotten all the important details. Since the pan came without instructions I had to glean my knowledge from youtube videos, online forums, cake mix boxes and limited personal experience.  So here we go:

Mix together:

2 cake mixes (same flavor)

2 small boxes instant pudding (similar to cake mix flavor)

8 eggs

2 cups water

2/3 cup oil

This makes a heavier, pound cake type of cake that is sturdy enough to become a giant cupcake.

Spray large side (cupcake base) of pan with PAM.  Pour in 3 1/2 cups of batter.  Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.  Pull pan out of oven and spray small side (cupcake top) of pan with PAM.  Pour in 2 1/2 cups of batter. Continue baking for 50+ minutes.   Turn pan around halfway through baking time. Bake until center of both sides tests done.  (If the tops get a little over-browned don't worry because you will cut them off.)  Make regular or mini cupcakes with leftover batter.

Let cake cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove to cooling rack.  Let cake cool completely and then cut off the tops so that they are flat.  (Top of base and underside of cupcake top need to be flat so they fit together.) Feed cut off cake pieces to your starving children.

To decorate:

Spread frosting on underside of cupcake top. Bring frosting up around the edges about an inch. Gently set the cupcake top on the cupcake base, being sure to center it.  Frost top of cupcake. I used a large open star tip .  I started piping near the bottom of the cupcake top and spiraled around until I got to the center. Since you already frosted the edges you don't have to worry about covering them with piped frosting. Decorate with sprinkles of your choice.

There is no need to frost the base of the cupcake.  Instead, make a decorative "cupcake liner" with a 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper.  Cut strips about 3 inches high and then pleat them with small accordian style folds.  Tape or glue the edges together so that it will reach all the way around the cupcake. (I admit that Evan did this part for me. Next time I will get Marianne to pipe the frosting and then it will look much better!) Serves 8-10.

Favorite Books

I made this list of my favorite books back in 2006.  I kind of forgot about it until a friend asked me for a copy a few weeks ago.  I thought I'd share it here.

Melanie’s Favorites

Picture Books

See the Before Five in a Row Book List (for ages 2-4)

See the Five In A Row Book List (for ages 4-8)

Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco (Fabulous author!  All of her books are great!)

Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar D’Aulaire  (Read all of their beautiful biographies!)

Miss Twiggley’s Tree by Dorthea Warren Fox

Any book by Margaret Wise Brown

Series you won’t want to miss:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Short & Easy to Read:

The Box-Car Children Gertrude C. Warner

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

The Chalk Box Kid and The Paint Brush Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla (great author!)

Great Read Alouds:

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (also a math classic)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (my son’s favorite author)

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (don’t miss his other great books)

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (this is a series of 5 books)

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (writes great historical fiction)

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (sweet story set in WWII)

Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling (Wonderful illustrations. See his other books)

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (also a math classic)

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt

The Secret Garden and A Little Princess  by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Strawberry Girl  by Lois Lenski (teaches neighborliness, homesteader vs. squatter)

Treasures in the Snow by Patricia St. John (beautiful tale of  forgiveness)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (great author, look at her other books)

For teens & adults:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (read her other books too!)

The Chosen and The Promise by Chaim Potok

The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Poetry:

Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, Illustrated by Christopher Bing

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Favorite Poems by Emily Dickinson

Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neill (Lovely poems about color)

Mammalabilia & Insectlopedia  by Douglas Florian (Great paintings & funny poems)

A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky

Poetry for Young People by Edward Lear (kids love his funny limericks)

The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi (based on the tale by Mary Howitt)

Tales from Shakespeare by Mary and Charles Lamb

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Art:

Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt

Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork

Science:

The Cloud Book & The Quicksand Book by Tomie de Paola

Pagoo, Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling

History:

See Let the Authors Speak by Carolyn Hatcher

Childhood of Famous Americans Series

The Declaration of Independence Illustrated & Inscribed by Sam Fink

Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving  by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling

We the Kids Illustrated by David Catrow

Homeschooling related:

Dr. Seuss’ Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! By Jack Prelutsky & Lane Smith

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

Math:

www.livingmath.net is a great resource for math literature!

http://www.stuartjmurphy.com/index.html The Mathstart Series by Stuart J. Murphy is fabulous!  These books aren’t just math problems disguised as stories; they are real children’s literature.  Kids will read these beautiful books over and over and the math concepts become part of them.

Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

One Grain of Rice by Demi

The Man Who Counted by Malba Tahan

Mathematicians Are People, Too (Vol 1 & 2) by Luetta Reimer & Wilbert Reimer

The Number Devil by Hans Mangnus Enzensberger

Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Evan is Fifteen!

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY EVAN!

Party with his friends

Family Party

Interesting Things About Evan:

• He first learned how to ride a unicycle in 2009 and he now knows how to do jumps and tricks on it.
• When he was 18 months old he got into some diabetes medication and had to have his stomach pumped and stay in the hospital for a day. He entertained all the nurses and everyone loved him! 
• When he was 11 years old he got bacterial meningitis and was in the hospital for almost a week. When he came home he had double vision, a softer, gentler voice and he suddenly loved word searches which he previously hated.
• He used to have a pet fish named Phelps that he trained to swim through a hoop and do other tricks.
• He has flown a Cesna 172 airplane.
• He makes incredible, intricate origami creations.
• He is a very good Shakespearean actor and has performed in 8 Shakespeare plays.
• He is an expert on Doctor Who and even has a Doctor Who blog.
• He got a slack line for Christmas and now is really good at slack lining.
• He dug a hole in our backyard for our trampoline. (His big brother dug the first hole and he dug the replacement hole when we got a new trampoline.)
• He has solved a Rubiks cube in 1 minute and 13 seconds.
• He was once a Rubiks cube for Halloween and he made his own costume.
• He knows a lot about birds and can identify many wild species.
• He is allergic to bee stings.
• He has a goal to be taller than both of his brothers.
• He loves music and is a talented musician who sings and plays the piano.
• He could sing before he could talk. At a year old he could sing the melody of several songs like Happy Birthday, Old MacDonald even though he couldn't sing the words yet.

Things we love about Evan:

• Evan is easy going and fun to be around.  
• He is helpful and is a good problem solver. 
• If you need something done, Evan can figure out a way to get it done.  
• He is very creative and clever.  
• Evan is usually calm and patient. 
• He is a good leader. 
• He is really good with babies, especially his little sister.  He is better at getting her to sleep than just about anyone.
• Evan is such a hard worker and doesn't complain.  

We are so grateful to have him in our home and family.  

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