Christmas Pictues at the Mesa Temple

I know the Honey was to happy but I just always wanted to take this kind of photo! He was a great sport about it all!
Here's my honey and I.

All my boys...the larger one kept talking and moving so this was the best one of 3.

My beautiful girls with their mom

Here's the whole crew....They are pains sometimes but I am so thankful they are ours!

I want to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas!

I wonder what Santa is bring me this year....I was very good!!!

Already December....

(This is our family Nativity with all the grand kids minus one....It is in utero so it's not expected to attend until next year....That one automatically get the role of Baby Jesus!)

This year has flown by so fast....As a kid I can remember wishing for Christmas-time to come!!! As a parent I am excited for my kids but totally over welled with the process of buying the gifts and the hardest part is finding places to hit the treasure I have purchased.....My older kids know whatever they find I will take back! So just that thought is scary for them.

I am working on a family letter but still haven't found my stationary to print it on :( So needless to say our letter may be posted on Facebook and my blog! I still love getting Christmas cards in the mail so if you want to send me one go right ahead.
So until I post again....which might be after Christmas!
Merry Christmas!

Cousins....

The Angels
The Family Nativity

(with candy to bribe the little ones)

Our Cousins came to visit from California and we had our annual Christmas Nativity picture
taken....Then the kids got to go to the Zoo. My children had a blast with their cousins...Especially Miss Ella who stayed attached to Kate the whole day!!! We sure love them and wish they could come to visit all the time!

Family Foot Rodeo---Oct 2010

Every year the Goodman's have a reunion known as the "Family Foot Rodeo". The activities of the day include: Three Legged Race, Egg Toss, Horse Relay Race (using stick horses) and the Magic Carpet ride....This is when a person sits on a carpet and is pulled by an ATV.

We had a blast with our kids and will be back for some more action next year!

A real Party...

My Anna turned 5! I am not sure when this happened?!?!

When she was younger we always had family parties....This year she requested to have a friends party!

Daddy made her cake and she helped design it.
As you can tell she was over the moon about it!!!

All who came had a fabulous time...

Now I have to start planning something for Ella...Who wants a party similar to Anna's!

M&M Cookies

After 3+ years of searching for my recipe....I found the same recipe in a different cookbook. This recipe is for perfect cookies. The M&M's are interchangeable with Cho. Chips or any other type of candies. Here it goes....

1 C. Shortening/ Butter flavored Crisco
1 C. Brown Sugar
3/4 C. White Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Water
2 eggs

Blend all together
Sift all dry ingredients together and then mix with the wet.
2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt.

Blend all ingredients and Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes( this time depends on elevation and your oven)

Enjoy!!!

Happenings in September 2010

September flew by...Things that happened where broken finger, birthday, orchestra, midterms and finals.

Well Grant broke his finger on the 13th of Sept. in his second wrestling match of the season. So he was benched...but we let him wrestle in the district tournment on Oct. 2nd.

On the 23rd of this month, I turned 36 and feeling better than ever. I thought when I hit the higher ages I would feel like crap. But I feel the same as I did at 35....SO It isn't so bad.

I am still going to school....Don't know when I will be finished. I had midterm in my Jazz class and I got a B on the test. My finals I got A in Children's Lit and B in History 103. So my grades are getting better. Next semester will be Sign Language 201 and Math. Mathew has joined orchestra and is playing the bass. He also joined Choir at school. So for a 4th grader he is trying to be as involved at school as possible. Ella is loving Mr. Curry's class. She is learning so many new songs and the cutest thing is that she is teaching them to Anna.

Anna is loving preschool and she is slowing coming out of her shyness. So it is wonderful that she is growing both physically and emotionally.

Caroline....well what can I say....She finds trouble around every corner. At least once a week, she gets into huge messes or destroys something. Now that the weather is nice she would live outside if I let her. One minute she's a menace and the next so stinking cute....SO she does get her way quite a bit.

Forrest is one class away from graduating...Hopefully we can get it done by christmas. But we are very excited about it!!!!

Happening on the Homestead include: Breeding Rabbits, Buying Baby Chicks, and planting our Fall garden. We really want to by a goat but we aren't sure how much space it would take up in the yard. So that idea is still on the back burner for now.

We will keep you updated on the happening at our house....Bye for now!

xoxo,

Jodi

Happy Birthday Terri Lynn!

1. My children love her but forget to feed her and pick up her droppings.

2.She snores louder than Forrest....

3. She loves me the most even though most of the time I refer to her as "Stupid Dog"

4. Doesn't like to stay at the dog-sitter house....She ran away from there and found her way home all in under 2 hrs.

5. She loves to chase the chickens I believe she practicing to be a sheep dog

6. She know what we talk about....If Grant mentions W-A-L-K....She will bark and follow him until he takes her.

7. Her down fall is chicken bones....she will eat them if we don't watch out and take out the garbage.

8. She doesn't like to stay outside to long....If I forget and leave her out there to long...She will bark and scratch the door until some one lets her in.

9. She tolerates a 2 yr old who loves to pull her tail

10. She also loves to be a door stop for the front door.

Despite the crazy things and quirks she has proven her self to us...

There's the time when she protected me from stray dog and chased him off when they were going to attack.

And then that time when she did the same for my Children....but this time she stood right in front of them to protect them.

So Terri Lynn....Happy Birthday and I hope to have you with us a long time.

It has been an enjoyable ride so far......

Apricot Chicken

Tonight I am making Apricot Chicken

Recipe includes:

8 boneless chicken breast
1 jar of apricot preserves
1 envelope of Lipton soup mix and
1 8oz bottle of Italian dressing

Cook at 350 for 1 hour.

I am changing this recipe and cooking in the crock pot for 8hours on low. So we will see how it goes.
With my chicken I will be serving over rice with a green salad.
Will keep all posted on how the family likes it!

My happenings today include cleaning the house, pack night for cub scouts, and trying to read a book for my Children's lit. Class. We will see how far I get with it all!

Have a blessed day!
Jodi



**** Update on Recipe****
Family loved it! Even my picky eater!!!!

Summer fun....

For Caroline's 2nd birthday....Grandma B bought her a swimming pool. The little girls have loved it they play in it almost everyday. Since school has started it has been less. But everytime they go in it Caroline freaks and starts screaming with joy.

Miss C turns 2

Forrest made Miss C an awesome doll cake!

Miss C playing with her presents!

Her new toy phone was the biggest hit out of all of it!

It is hard to believe my sweet babe is 2! Miss C is such a blessing to our family. She has the liveliest personality. She keep us on our toes all the time. Happy Birthday Caroline!!!! We love you!

Look at what I found.....

A few nights ago...Ella woke up and had a bad dream. So being the awesome mom that I am I told to go watch T.V. and she would be okay. So needless to say she must have had a good time watching late night T.V. ! We aren't sure how long she slept like this but she was happy in the morning.

This and That

On this Saturday July 3rd, I am teaching a class for Whole Wheat Bread....I am a little scared! I feel that a lot of people think of me as this thrifty, tidy, super homemaker. But I am not. I have my moments of greatness and also moments of defeat. I enjoy baking and trying new experiments when it comes to food. I sometimes feel so inadequate to be teaching these women about food storage and how to cook! But wish me luck on my venture of teaching.... Took a new photo of the kids today!!! What do you think....

Jodi

EZ Wheat Bread Recipe

EZ Wheat Bread recipe

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combination white/wheat you like I use 100% hard white wheat)
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp nonfat non instant dry milk
1 Tbsp butter/margarine/oil
1 Tbsp vinegar1/4 cup potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.If you are making this recipe in a bread machine, follow your bread machine’s directions for wheat or whole grain selection and add the ingredients in the order listed for their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)
If using a Bosch cut the mix time down to 6 minutes!

Food Storage

In my ward the Relief Society asked me if I would start teaching what I know about Food Storage...My favorite Website that I get my recipes and ideas from is www. everydayfoodstorage.net. Crystal posted a really good video about foodstorage and how to start!
Here is the link you should check it out. Plus she also has a pdf file that you can download!
http://everydayfoodstorage.net/

Expect more posts.....

( My first attempt at homemade french bread!)

Since summer has hit I am trying to post at least once a week or more....So get ready! It won't be all about the kids....I am trying new recipes and more food storage stuff. So here I goooooo!

About 3 months ago...we downsized our flock of chickens. Forrest has been working on a chicken tractor for our backyard. If you don't know what a chicken tractor is...it is a portable coop that is on wheels that can be moved all over the yard. The brilliant hubby that I have came up with the coolest design! The coop is a long rectangle and has wheels on the back and then he cut up part of a bicycle and mounted to the front. So we use the handle bars to steer the coop around the yard.

Well I came out to move the coop and this is what I found......

Caroline had taken it upon herself to give it a shot. She was trying to help out with the chores on the homestead.

Anna graduated Joy School!!!

Since the beginning of September of 2009, Anna has been attending a Joy School with other kids from our church. All the moms would rotate teaching twice a week. So for me I taught one week a month. Anna loved it! She really came out of her shy shell......met great little friends and I got a nice break twice a week for 3 weeks at a time. We had all the families over for graduation in our front yard a few weeks ago. Each family brought something for the potluck...One mom made the cute graduation hats and Forrest made the diplomas.

Here are the kids with their diplomas and hats! Forrest was the MC for graduation night!

Here is Anna walking down the isle to get her diploma.


Anna with her classmates!

Here are some of the families enjoying the meal before the ceremonies!

Congratulations Anna!

What happened to May?????

Boy oh Boy the month has flewn by here are some snip its of what happen this month....

Made my first pink baseball cake!

Ella finish her second year of T-ball.

Anna got her first tropy ever...and finished 1st year of T-ball!!!

Mathew got more awards at school!

After 9 months of work his class finally got the revolving math trophy...So I had to bring cake and drinks since Forrest promised it to the class! We told them this promise in September and now we had to deliver.

Mathew's 9th Birthday....

Ohhh the waiting....he was up at 5:00am to open the presents...but we made him go back to bed! Aren't we mean parents...

Forrest made a Death Star cake for Mathew....if you don't know what that is it is the planet thing from Star Wars.

He really enjoyed his dinosaur wood puzzles! He had them put together by the end of the day!

Over all Mathew had a great birthday...he got his very own fish aquarium for his room along with all the accessories. Then he also got to go out to the movies with his best friend and see the Shrek movie.
Happy Birthday Mathew....We love you!

What is happening on the homestead!

Well for the last few weeks, Forrest and I have been attending a Family History Class. We are learning how to find people and how to get them all set up for Temple Ordinances. It has been very interesting and any time I go to class. I always think about my grandparents and how I have been holding up their eternal progression. I have everything set up to get them sealed...but haven't done it yet. So last week we got our temple recommends renewed and I am setting a tentative date for 1st weekend in June. I just need to talk to my mom and see if she can make it on that weekend.

Other happenings around our house is that baseball is done! Now we just have another week until school is done.....Hooray!!!! I am so looking forward to sleeping in and not having to keep a tight schedule for the kids. Our only commitments for the summer are...Scout camp...Day camp... possible a trip to Eagar....and lots of swimming lessons!!! I might be taking a class over the summer but not really sure about that yet.

My garden is growing....but to me it feels so slow...Here are some pic's of the garden about 2 weeks ago. It has grown some since then I have a ton of tomatoes but nothing is red yet. So hopefully this nasty hot weather will help with that!

This is my bed of Yellow Squash...by next week I should be eating some of it.
This is my tomato bed...I never got a chance to cage them so they are wild and we will see how it grows. The things in the back ground are my compost bins. For those who live in Mesa, You can order them through the city for $5.00 bucks each.

The garden bed that is closer in the photo has eggplant and cucumbers in it. The bed that is farther away has herbs in it....Basil, oregano,lavender, mint and stevia.

Well this a glimpse into whats happening on the homestead for the week of May 19Th. Hopefully next week I show off my backyard and what it is looking like since we have downsize the chicken coop and added a garden and shed.

Until next week....