A Prize Winning Trip to the Fair

So Evan took a textile screen printing class at the community college this semester. He made several cool shirts, some tote bags and even pillowcases. He entered a couple of them in the fair and he won! He also got an "A" in the class to boot!  

The award ceremony was scheduled for a Saturday morning in June. Evan received tickets for free admission to the fair, but John and I weren't able to go because we were attending a wedding. Evan decided to take his two favorite girls to the fair and they were probably more fun than mom and dad anyway.  

They all wore the awesome shirts that Evan made for our family. Don't they look great?

Here is another shirt that Evan made. He also made tote bags with this design for the girls in my Eternal Warriors class.  Evan is an Eternal Warriors graduate who loves the program.

 This shows the certificates and ribbons he received. He made the white shirt behind him.

He also made the black shirt above him. It is kind of hard to see, but it's a cool design.  He shined a bright light through a glass blown vase and photographed it. Then he edited the photo to create his design.

Wish we could have been there with him on his special day!

Lavender was excited to get to feed the cow . . .

 . . . and the goat!

She had a great time walking hand in hand with her big brother and sissy. They rode down a giant slide, ate corn dogs and fries and had a great time.

So much fun that she and Peter had to take a nap on the way home! A big thanks to Evan for a great trip to the fair!

Two, Three, Four

The girls were drawing pictures the other day and I loved to see the difference in their artwork.

At two and a half, Lavender's picture looks like scribbles. And that was the face I got when I asked her to smile!

Leighton is three and she drew a round head and two round eyes. It may be hard to see because she covered it with scribbles, but trust me, the "person" is there.

Four and a half year old Brianne drew a complete picture of a person, and used different colors very intentionally.  She also got her favorite letter on there!

I love seeing the girls grow and progress and it is especially fun to see three different stages all at once with our cute little artists!

Trip to Utah - Bonus: Nordstrom

This isn't part 4 of our trip it just a little bonus I wanted to share.  One afternoon while we were in Utah, the guys went golfing, the girls went to City Creek mall in Salt Lake.  You tell me who made the better choice?  If you have any doubt, I suggest you remember two letters that are very important in the summertime:  A/C!  While we didn't buy anything at Nordstom, we were very excited to see a fabulous work of art by our niece Jennifer Rasmusson.  Jenny is the oldest daughter of John's sister Jean.  The painting is called "Current Reflection" and I love it.  You can see more of Jenny's work HERE.

Marianne wasn't surprised that I didn't buy anything at Nordstrom.  My kids probably think that I have never shopped at Nordstrom. They would be surprised to know that the Nordstrom employees once knew me by name.  Yes, it's true.  I was once a serious Nordstrom shopper.  I used to get a personal phone call when there was a sale or when something new that was "my style" arrived. 

These days I am not much of a shopper.  I buy my clothes at Costco, Kohl's or Old Navy.  But once upon a time, I loved shopping at Nordstom.  Starting the summer after sixth grade, I worked at my dad's temporary employment agency.  During high school I worked full time in the summer and part time during the school year.  During my senior year, I got out of school at noon and went to work for the rest of the day.  I actually got school credit for "work experience."  I had excellent grades and plenty of credits, so I didn't care about getting credit for working.  I did care about earning money and I was able to save enough to pay for much of my college expenses.  I also had enough extra that I could afford to shop at Nordstrom.  I still remember a beautiful ivory linen suit that I bought there. 

Do I miss being a Nordstrom shopper?  Well,  I miss the personal service I received and the high quality clothes I purchased.  But I have never regretted giving up my career to give my full time and attention to my children.  Now I could shop at Nordstrom regularly if I really wanted to.  But I'd rather save for travel and other experiences with my husband and children.  Besides, a Nordstrom Rack opens next month just a few miles from my house!

Six Months

Today marks six months since my Mom passed away. Of course I think of her and miss her every day. During this grieving process I have learned something important. Some things are harder to mourn than others.

Now I'm not trying to compare trials or say "my trial is easier (or harder) than yours". The adversities we go through impact each of us differently. You can't really compare them or rank them.

But I will say this: People expect you to be sad when someone you love passes away. They may not respond perfectly, but they are generally understanding and thoughtful. You can express your sadness and friends will listen.

With other trials it may be more difficult to mourn. Sometimes we can't discuss them openly because we have to respect the privacy of others. Sometimes the trial involves someone's weakness or even sinfulness. We can't talk about the situation openly even if we feel the need. In some situations, people are judgmental of choices that have been made or the way we are dealing with a trial. This makes it hard to grieve and heal.

I am grateful that I have been able to mourn the loss of my mother by talking and crying with friends and family. I am thankful to be able to write about my mom and share my feelings on my blog.

But I know that many people are suffering, mourning and grieving in relative silence. Other people don't realize the pain they are suffering. Friends likely don't understand why they are grouchy or unreliable or distant. I hope that I can do a better job of recognizing unspoken needs in those around me. I pray that all of us can be patient with friends, family and even strangers who may be going through "invisible" trials.

Henry B. Eyring said, "All of us will be tested. And all of us need true friends to love us, to listen to us, to show us the way, and to testify of truth to us."

Click HERE to learn more about this painting by Diego Rivera
and how it relates to the burdens we bear.

Creative Creations

Our Valentine's Day was full of creativity!

One of my students gave me an early Valentine's gift.
First he handed me a paper box.
Then he showed me what happened when he opened it.
It turned into this cool rose!

Evan was inspired . . .

and he filled our house with origami roses of all sizes and colors!


Besides her Valentine cookies, Marianne made some beautiful cards.


Here's what mine looked like inside.

John created a happy wife by bringing home roses
and a happy family by bring home chocolate covered strawberries
and taking us all out to dinner.

I made cards for my family and little gift boxes full of chocolate.
Here is the card I made for my mom.

I also made raspberry muffins. The recipe is so easy and delicious I want to share it.
I highly recommend eating them while they are still warm.

Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

1/2 cup oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour (I used half wheat & half white)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, not thawed

In one bowl combine oats and buttermilk
(Did you know you can make a easy substitute for buttermilk
by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk and letting it sit?)
Let stand 5-10 minutes

In another bowl mix other dry ingredients.

Beat egg, stir in brown sugar and oil. Blend.
Stir in oats mixture, then flour.
Gently fold in raspberries.

You can add a bit of brown sugar as a topping if desired.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

My Name is Melanie . .

and I'm a recovering pessimist.

First my sister blogged about how much fun I am. Then my friend Emily offered to be my sponsor at "Pessimist's Anonymous".

So, in an effort to be a fun and optimistic person, I am having a giveaway!

First, are a couple of things I blogged about this summer.

1. Holiday Smencils! The scents are gingerbread and cinnamon.

2. A fabulous book from the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series on Picasso by Mike Venezia. (Clicking won't really let you look inside, but it will take you to the Amazon page) This book is very informative, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. A very fun read! Somehow I ended up with two copies, so one can be yours!

3. The wonderful book, Pigs in the Pantry by Amy Axelrod. The llustrations are delightful! It is a fun combination of cooking and math. My kids are really too old for this book, but when I told them it was going to be a giveaway, they both asked to keep it. Don't worry, I said "No!" so it can be yours.So, if you'd like the Smencils, Picasso and Pigs in the Pantry leave me a comment by Monday, November 22nd. On Tuesday I'll randomly pick a winner and I'll bring or mail the items to you before the end of the month. Anyone and everyone (except my own kids!) is eligible to enter. Just leave a comment.

I'm feeling more positive all ready. Maybe I should go work on my "Things I Hate" post right now!

Rite of Passage

When Aaron was about 11 years old, he went through a phase where he LOVED to dig holes. He was at an age where he needed a physical challenge and he was literally digging up our yard. Finally, we decided we needed to help him find a purpose in all that work, so we made a deal with him. He wanted a trampoline and we told him that if he dug the hole so we could put it in the ground, we'd buy him one for his birthday. He was excited and got to work. Most people hire someone with a backhoe; we put our 11 year old to work.

Fast forward to 2010. Our trampoline needed to be replaced. We figured we could leave the old frame in the ground and replace the springs, mat etc. It didn't turn out to be that simple. John realized that we needed to remove the old frame, but saw what a huge project it would be. He wanted to just fill in the hole. That's when Evan stepped forward. "I can do it Dad!" He and John worked together, but Evan kept going even when Dad came inside for a break. At 12 years old he was ready for a physical challenge just like his big brother was 7 years ago. First he dug out the old frame and then spent hours widening and deepening the hole.

Swinging a pick axe isn't easy work. John needed a trip to the chiropractor, but Evan was excited to get the new trampoline set up. He broke it in with some inaugural jumps just in time.

His cousins arrived that evening and thanks to Evan's persistence, they were able to jump on the brand new trampoline. We loved having our nephew Kevin and niece Jenny and her family here. She even brought us some prints of her awesome art. Evan got a break from his hard work when they invited him to join them at Sea World and the beach.

A couple of days later, Aaron arrived home for a short break before BYU fall semester. He was impressed with Evan's hard work. It was easy to see that little brother was growing up and following in big brother's footsteps.

Lifelong Learning

I love to learn! In an effort to help my kids have that same love, I am always on the the lookout for products that help us find the joy in learning.

I have a certain child who isn't too fond of math. So I bought something that helps make math a bit sweeter. Have you heard of Smencils? They are pencils made of recycled newspaper infused with wonderful aromas. They even come in individual tubes to ensure that they don't lose their flavorful scents. I bought them HERE, but they are available at various places and they even have a fund-raising option. So now while you're doing your math, or any other writing, you have something yummy to smell.

I have slowly been collecting Mike Venezia's Getting to Know The World's Greatest Artists series through PaperBackSwap. A couple of weeks ago a few more books arrived in the mail. I got out the rest of the books to see how many we have now. The kids and I spent an hour or so reading them and trading them with each other. The writing is engaging and the cartoons make you laugh. These books are a really fun way to learn about art. They are available in most libraries or on Amazon at 4-for-3 prices.


For the past 10 years, we have started our day with family scripture study. We've done it many different ways, but one that was a favorite when our kids were younger was Penny Gardner's "Storied Scriptures." Penny has gone through the scriptures and found all the stories that will capture your kids' attention. She gave them all titles and complied the references so that you can use them for your daily scripture study without getting bogged down in parts that are too tough for kids. This is a FREE online resource that I highly recommend. It is easy to get started too. Just print it out and put it with your scriptures. It even has a place for you to record the date you read the story with your children. HERE is the link. It's a great way to help your children have the scriptures written on their hearts.

Here's hoping for a great school year and an eternity of learning!

Fasting on Independence Day

What a wonderful day! Fast Sunday on the 4th of July.

It reminds me of what Abraham Lincoln said in 1863 when he issued a proclamation declaring a national day of fasting.

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

These are harsh words. Words that are certainly truer today that they were in 1863.

On this Sabbath day, I am grateful that I can fast (as Lincoln requested) and remember the words spoken more recently by President Harold B. Lee.

This nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail . . . I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America. If we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May you have a happy 4th of July, full of fasting, faith and family.

That We May Be Redeemed,
the founding fathers and Wilford Woodruff.
Painted by Harold I. Hopkinson
(The original, beautiful, full-color version is in the St. George temple.)

My Status

Here are my Mother's Day gifts. I love them all, but the one on the far right really boosted my status from "aunt" to "most favored"!

This colorful heart-shaped extravaganza was created by my 6 year old niece Cammi. The message she wrote said, "Thank you for being my teacher." I think this refers to my teaching as Primary president, but I'm not entirely sure.

I was impressed with my gift and I couldn't help laughing when Cammi handed grandma a very small, simple card. She explained, "Sorry it's so little Grandma, but I spent so long on Aunt Melanie's card that I ran out of time." Apparently Cammi told her mom the same thing when she gave her a rather small card.

I was surprised to have merited such a wonderful Mother's Day card from my niece, but I'm not asking why, I'm just feeling grateful! I hope my Mother's Days are always filled with little children and homemade cards.

Upside Down

Life is full of ups and downs!

For instance . . .
Down: I haven't posted to my blog in several weeks!
Up: Now I'm trying to make up for it with a mega-post about last week.

Disclaimer: While all of the events contained in this post are true, they did not necessarily happen on the day listed. I'm not trying to lie, I just can't remember!

Sunday
Down: Took John to the airport. He's flying to Philadelphia for training for his new job. I hate it when he's gone. I don't sleep well and I worry more than usual.
Up: I came home to watch General Conference. It was inspiring and uplifting. I loved Elder Oaks' talk about service. "Acts of Service" is my Love Language you know!

Monday
Down: The missionaries never showed up for dinner. I fixed a nice dinner with lots of food and then we sat around and waited . . . for nothing.
Up: While we were waiting, I spent a few minutes outside with Evan. He found the coolest little leaf bug and we had a great time observing it.
More up: My house is picked up and my frig is full of leftovers!

Evan's new pet (see that tiny green spot?)

Here he is up close

Tuesday
Down: Marianne has been really sick for over a week now.
Up: She's now on antibiotics and finally seems to be improving. Plus she's let me snuggle with her a little bit--something she usually resists!
More Up: I went out to dinner with some friends from church and my kids had plenty of missionary leftovers to eat.

Wednesday
Down: It was almost noon and I still hadn't taken a shower or gotten dressed when the doorbell rang. (In my defense, I had exercised, read my scriptures and taught my kids all morning so I'm not completely lazy, just a slob)
Up: When I answered the door, it was my friend Kim with this adorable little box she made as part of her Pay it Forward post. As a bonus, it was filled with chocolate!


Thursday
Down: My kids do their own laundry (yes I know this sounds like an "up", but just wait!) and they tend to drop or forget a stray sock, shirt or washcloth. All of this added up to my garage floor being completely covered with laundry. So I took matters into my own hands. We discovered that Aaron has TWELVE white t-shirts and he only wears one once or twice a week. I also ended up with about 30 unmatched socks! How is this possible?! I finally trashed them.
Up: Our homeschool friends organized an Easter party at the park. I was sooooo grateful because I really needed an escape from hours of laundry! We had a great time decorating eggs (and even learned some new techniques), playing games, hunting for eggs and even holding chicks!
More Up: John's flight came in around 9 PM. I slept well!

With next year's egg layer.

Friday
Down: The weather was cold and rainy. It looked like we were in for a dreary Easter weekend.
Up: We headed to a park with a nice covered pavilion to keep the rain out. We met some new friends and traded some amazing art cards.
More Up: I got to go out to dinner and shopping with my husband. Sushi for him & California roll for me. Yum.

I was brave and attempted another set of art cards.
Theme: Seasons of Joy

Here are the cards I came home with.
My favorite is the millipede in the middle!

Saturday
Down: Marianne and I discovered that making Bakerella's cake pops is harder than it looks. We ended up with chubby chicks and lumpy eggs. It didn't help that our edible ink pens weren't working.
Up: Aaron was heading out on a ice skating date and was in charge of bringing the snacks. We found our best cake pops and they didn't look too bad once we wrapped them up and added some ribbon. The girls thought the cake pops were adorable.


What ups and downs have you had this week?

Hearing Voices

Do you ever hear voices?

The kind that say:
I could never do that
I'm not as talented as she is
I'm way too busy for that
I can't think of anything interesting to write
I'm boring
I'm just not very good at that sort of thing

Does this sound familiar? I'll admit I've heard these voices, but I do my best to change the channel! It makes me sad when I realize that one of my children or a dear friend is listening to and believing these voices.

One of the best ways I've found to tune out these voices and the lies they tell is to replace them with voices that speak the truth.

So here's a serving of uplifting voices, music and images. Best of all, it will take less than two minutes of your time. No one's too busy for that!



And if you are one of those "mean moms" (like me) who has Youtube blocked,take a minute to allow it, at least long enough to watch this video. Go ahead, I'll wait!

When you've finished watching, go CREATE! And be sure to share your creations with us in your next blog post.

Saturday Night

How did you spend your Saturday night?

We all had a chance to try something new.

John and the boys went to a
MONSTER TRUCK JAM.
(It was so exciting I thought it deserved all caps)
They were invited by a friend of ours who had tickets to this sold-out event.
He wisely advised everyone to bring earplugs.
The highlight of the evening was the demolition derby,
but the remote control cars were also very popular.
Evan said,
"The best part was when Gravedigger lost a wheel and
when El Toro Loco flipped over and lost a horn."
Aaron described the crowd as,
"Raucous, drunk and less educated."
I admit that I may fall into the "less educated" group
because I had to use my dictionary to figure out how to spell "raucous".
I decided to double-check the definition as long as I was there.

*******

Marianne and I also spend the evening trying something new,
although we didn't use earplugs.

We decided to try making "Art Trading Cards".
Marianne's are all cute and mine have a Shakespeare theme.
If you've never heard of these cards,
you can read a little about them on my very creative friend Shonda's blog.
My kids and I were invited to try making these cards
by a friend of mine. She is a great artist and a fabulous art teacher.
We're going to have a trading day in a couple of months.
Let me know if you want to join us, it should be really fun!
You can see some of Angela's work here.
You might even want to check out the rest of her site, she's got some great stuff.
Hopefully it will inspire you to try something new
(Earplugs are optional!)

Christmas Classics

The Nutcracker ballet is a Christmas tradition. This year my sister Jenny organized a field trip with some homeschool friends and my Mom and Grandma came along too! It was especially fun because we knew some of the dancers. We went out for lunch afterwards and made a day of it.

I have several picture book versions of The Nutcracker, but my favorite is illustrated by Renee Graef. Her warm and wonderful illustrations are the perfect complement to Hoffman's classic story. This is the version to buy because it also includes a CD with the story and Tchaikovsky's music.


Another classic illustrated by Graef is Santa Comes to Little House. This story always humbles us when we read about the joy and gratitude the girls feel when they receive their simple gifts. This is the perfect soothing story to read after a busy day of Christmas shopping or baking.


Both of these books will put you in the mood for an old-fashioned Christmas!

It's Not Too Late!

Two great picture books were published in 2007. They both tell the stories of little girls who are brave enough to make a difference in the world.
If you missed these books last year, be sure to check them out this Christmas!



Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt is great fun to read aloud, especially if you can pull off an Irish accent! Who can resist the story of little Angela who steals the baby Jesus from the nativity display in St. Joseph's church? She only wants to warm him up, and if he'll cooperate she'll let him rest in her bed. This book is the perfect balance of sweet and funny. Your teenagers and maybe even your husband will listen!



It feels like Christmas the moment you pick up Kate DiCamillo's Great Joy . The metallic gold endpapers let you know this book is something special. This is the story of Frances who really understands the meaning of Christmas. The lovely illustrations take you right into 1940s. As you see the world through Frances' eyes, you'll want to decide what you can do to bring "great joy" to others at Christmas time. This story will remind you of the power of one

It's A Holiday!

Did you know that this Saturday is World Card Making Day? It began in 2006 as National Card Making Day but has now expanded to global proportions!

How do I know this? Well I have a card maker living in my home! Be sure to check out Marianne's card blog at: Cardz4U She has some great new Halloween & Fall cards!

Cardz4u

My sweet Marianne has started her own blog featuring her handmade cards.

Check out the cute cards she has for sale HERE

She will be adding some fun Halloween cards soon.

There is Beauty All Around

My children constantly bring beauty into my life!

Evan finished his temple masterpiece.

Here are some lovely self portraits of my beautiful girl!

She assures me that she is not really sad, but just posing for a more interesting picture.

Things are pretty, graceful, rich, elegant, handsome, but, until they speak to the imagination, not yet beautiful. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tell them dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then beauty is its own excuse for being ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pied Beauty

Glory be to God for dappled things

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;

Landscapes plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;

And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

Praise Him.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Artists in Training

I love homeschooling my kids and I am fairly confident in my ability to teach them. There are lots of things I don't know, but with the Lord's guidance I have been able to learn and prepare myself to teach my children. And I am especially grateful for teachers and mentors who bless the lives of my children!

Although I am not an artist, I want my children to have an artistic education. Over the years, I have been able to learn quite a bit about art history. We have many art books in our home. I give my children lots of opportunities to create with all kinds of art supplies. We have visited many art museums and galleries. I even got out of my comfort zone last summer when I took a fabulous art workshop for parents from my talented friend Angela. I can support, encourage and inspire, but I know that my children need an art teacher!

All four of my children have taken art lessons from another wonderful artist named Kara. This week Kara gave her students an amazing opportunity. She took the kids to the temple for some on-location art lessons. Kara is not a member of our church, but she surely sees the beauty in this holy place.

Here is Kara and her class in front of the beautiful San Diego temple.

Here is our hero John! On Monday, the temple was closed. That meant the kids were trying to draw from outside the locked gates. It wasn't the best view, but then John came along. He unlocked the gates and invited the class to come and draw on the temple grounds.

Our artists are hard at work. Notice that Evan is sitting apart from all of the girls. I guess he just wants a different point of view. We all have different perspectives and that makes life exciting!

Now the kids are busy painting their drawings. I can't wait to see Evan's finished work of art, but I know that the lessons he is learning along the way are just as important. He is developing a love of learning and working hard to do his best. Most importantly, he is becoming aware that as children of the Ultimate Creator and Author of beauty, we are all artists.