Bloging for the sake of blogging

Oh what to blog? What to blog? I feel like I should blog for the sake of journaling cause I don't keep one at the minute. Cant think of much to blog about. Today is gloomy cold and raining, makes me want to make soup and curl up and watch movies all day, but no, the mom part of me never gets turned off so that means I cant just zone out and do nothing. Madden is getting a gunky nose and couldn't breathe last night so I was up with him, so gloomy day with no sleep equals feeling like I want to be a bum! And when I am tired I am way more sentimental then normal, which isn't bad necessarily, I was just reading this sweet gals blog and it brings me to tears every time, she and her husband survived a bad plane crash and now is getting back on her feet and dealing with life. And the way she goes about it makes me realize just how blessed I am with my life and family, I think my life is perfect I wouldn't change it. She thought her life was perfect and then it all changed dramatically and she still thinks its perfect, cause all you need is the people you love the most close to you and life is amazing! Even through all the trials we go thorough in this life, and believe me I've had mine, it's not what we have but who we have in this life to get us through. Thats why God gave us familys! So feeling like this is not bad because it makes me step back and look at my life and see that is truly wonderful and I want to savor every moment of it because it changes so fast. And the only person I have to thank for giving me this wonderful life is our Lord, and I try to do it everyday!

Recipes

I have a bunch of recipes to post, I just need a bunch of time! I am so behind on everything! Vacation is fun but getting back in the groove and caught up is not! Hopefully soon!!!

Most of the time

She gets them in the nesting box.

But twice she has layed them in the pen! She lays some big ones for just starting out!

The big brown one is Reds, the hen in the pictures, her eggs are huge compared to the others.

I should have one more hen laying quite soon. So eggciting no to have to buy eggs!

I didn't get sad until I got home

I thought going up to Utah would be hard this time, knowing that my sister was not there. But I guess we were so busy I didn't have time to think about it, I did get a tad sad at the reception, I felt like someone was missing. It wasn't until I got home that I felt like I was missing something from the trip, like I forgot to go visit her her something, then feeling like a horribly person for not going to see my sister while up there. And Justin didn't help with the feelings when I got to baggage claim. He mentioned it was different this time to, I asked how it was different, he said when I first see you after you get home you come down the escalator looking like a model with your hair all new and different from your sister doing it. This time you just looked like a model that just woke up, thanks love! You had no idea how long I was traveling that day with an 18 month old! At least he still thinks I looked like model! So coming home was a tad harder then the last times. I think there will always be that little void in this life of her not being here.

Utah 09

Pumpkin Patch

Baby blanket and apron

I mad a little blaket for my new little nephew Andrew. And an apron for my new sister in-law Tierra. Hope they like :)

brown

Is the color of Zanders chicken pox, he found some cork stickers, I have know idea what they are from, but he put them all over his face and then came into the office to tell Justin and I that he had the chicken pox. Such a funny little boy.
And the color of the eggs I am getting now! I guess they got the letter, I now have another chicken laying. Good job girls! I didn't see them cause they were not in the nesting box, they were on top of the bale of hay I have in there.

Leaving for Utah on Thursday, I might or might not post while I am up there, I might just make you wait till I get back to see all the pictures!!!! I just hope its cold, not freezing but cold enough to wear a sweater, I am sick of 90 degrees and 100 percent humidity!

Pizza

Remember when I said I was going to make pizza with the Artisan bread dough in the fridge? Well we did and I forgot to blog it! So here it is! Doesn't it look great? Tasted great. The kids rolled there's out and put the toppings on. I made mine into a calzone. I'm tellin ya, the bread dough in the fridge is a very cool thing!!!!

Don't lick the screen....

It's conference weekend so I made some cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I made most into cinnamon rolls and some into orange rolls, I just kneed ed in some orange zest and then for the icing I just used orange juice, some more zest and powdered sugar.

Roll Recipe
• 3 T. yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup shortening**
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 9-10 cups flour
Add yeast and sugar to warm water & set aside. Combine scalded milk with shortening, salt, and sugar. Cool. Add yeast mixture and eggs. Mix in 8 cups of flour. Knead until smooth, adding 1-2 cups flour. Raise 1 hour. Shape in balls and place in greased casserole dishes. Let rise until double. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Makes 4 dozen rolls.

**We don't buy shortening so I checked a few online resources which said you can substitute it for butter. 1 C shortening= 1 C + 2 Tbsp butter. I'm now realizing I completely added the wrong amount of butter. 2/3 is = to 11 Tbsp and I just halved that by adding 5 1/2 TBSP, which is wrong...but it still worked out...Also, we halved the recipe and it made just under 2 dozen rolls.
This is what someone online wrote, I actually used lard cause I don't use shortening. They came out really light and tasty!!!

Just a few short letters

Dear Children,
While I love you to no end, would you please just once let me sleep til at least 7am? I am in such a better mood and get so much accomplished with just an extra hour of sleep. This getting up at 6am is killing me!!!! One more thing my loves, if you could pick up after yourselves mama would have to clean house all day and let you do more fun things.
Love your Mama

Dear House,
I love you too! You have been great to us, a real home where we could gather and share special moments. But only problem is that I am so tired of keeping you clean!! I try and try and it seems like I am running in circles, if you could be self cleaning I would just melt. I'm sure its not all your fault, the three little children living here, I think contribute quite a bit to the never ending pile of clutter. So don't take it to personal. Also I would love another room if at all possible, just asking.
Cara

Dear Chickens,
What the heck!?! Why are the rest of you not laying? You are more then ready and defiantly old enough, so what gives? I need more eggs, did I tell you I bake, a LOT! So if you 3 could start laying, and I know you know who I am talking about! Amy and Mary..good job, keep 'um coming! Oh and I have noticed that they are getting bigger, they still make me smile to go collect them everyday. Sorry one more thing, take care of yourselves while I'm gone to Utah next week, I don't know how often Justin will check up on you, he really didn't want you guys in the first place. But I will leave you lots of water and food so you should be good for 3 or four days!
Love ya! Your owner

Dear Pretty black horse,
What in the world were you doing running all over a busy country road? You could have been killed! You look great, like black beauty. And while I loved looking at you, you made me late to pick up kids and had 20 cars waiting for you to get back into your yard. So what ever your reason for running all over the road its better that you stay behind your fence so you will be safe.

Dear two people that nearly ran me off the road,
WATCH where your going!!! Stay in your lane! Good thing I was watching come towards me. I know I have 4wheel drive and could easily drive on the side of the road, I have precious cargo and would rather not take that chance. So wake up and stay on your side of the road!!!!!
Thanks, your neighbor.

Dear children again,
I can hear you just fine! I will be there in a minute too fix dinner!!! Mama's blogging!!!!
If you stop yelling at each other I could finish sooner!
Thanks, Mom

Dear Thursday,
Did you switch with Monday? I ask cause it sure felt like it! The stars are all messed up or its going to be a full moon. Don't do it again I would rather have a hard day at the beginning of the week not near the end, and not before I have guests tomorrow. It was not nice to make the double stroller flat so I had to use the cheep one and bend over on my walk, and then to make Zander fall and me carry him on my back for a mile, so cruel! OH and don't forget the trip to the grocery store where I had to carry Madden the whole time and stop a fit for a toy. the only good thing was Madden slept for an hour and half and I was able to weed eat the font and back yard. But I think he slept so well was because he got up at the butt crack of dawn! And you knew that Just has physical therapy on Thursday nights and wont be home till late so I would have to feed and put the kids to bed, you knew it all day didn't you? I'm sorry if this has become a rant letter, but dang! And all I want to do is take a hot bath, oh wait, water heater is not working, thanks on that one to! Quicker I get the kids in bed and then me to sleep the quicker I get rid of you Thursday! I will never think of you the same. I hope this is the last time things like this will happen. Take care and enjoy life.
A very very exhausted Cara

Dear bed,
I will visit you as soon as I can get these kids in bed.
Love you, miss you! Cara