Homemade Everything

Yesterday I was informed that the Missionaries dinner plans had been canceled. The family they were suppose to go eat with was sick. So being how I love volunteering and being the Ward Mission Leaders Wife I decided to offer my services.

I wasn't planning on doing anything to great and grand, I was thinking more like hamburger helper, but when I talked to my husband about it.....well for once he didn't want it :) Instead I thought I could do hamburgers, of course it would be my luck that 1. We didn't have any hamburger patties 2. we didn't have any hamburger buns 3. we had all the fixings for them (totally unusual to have them) and 4. I didn't have a working car to run to the store. Oh well, who needs to have those things right? I have flour and ground beef.

That's right I made them!! I found a great recipe for hamburger buns! I'm always a little nervous to try a new recipe because you never really know if it is good or not. So many other people think things taste great and wonderful and it just doesn't get my taste buds jumping for joy. I was brave though and as everyone knows if you want to try something new, try in on the missionaries because they have to eat it! It took a good 2 1/2 hrs or so to make them, but that was do to almost 2 hours of rising time. I started early enough that I timed it perfect.

I have never really made hamburger patties either. I was afraid of those too. I didn't want just a meat patty with no flavor and I didn't want them to shrink down to a hockey puck size and I didn't want to make them to big that they would break and fall apart when I tried to flip them. I found most recipes called for the same things, but the one thing they all called for that I didn't have on hand (it was a theme for the day) was Worcestershire sauce. I improvised again and no I didn't make any of that :) I used bbq sauce instead. I also put some garlic, onion powder and an egg for each pound of meat. As I was doing this I was thinking and praying that my patties didn't turn out to taste like meatloaf.

Everything ended up turning out great!!! Elder Rynne asked if I was going to open up a restaurant and Elder Martinez said they were the best buns he ever tasted.

Needless to say I thought they were pretty amazing too, especially when I toasted the buns on the grill as well. YUMM!!! James wasn't home until we had finished eating so his burger wasn't as hot and fresh, but he still really enjoyed it too.

I wanted to take a picture of my buns and burgers but James took the leftovers with him to work and I didn't get a chance to snap a photo when I was doing it. I guess I am just going to have to do them again....darn it :) There is a photo of what they should look like and the recipe below.

Hamburger Buns

1 1/4 c warm milk

1 1/4 tsp yeast

1/4 c sugar

1 large egg

2 tbsp soft butter

3/4 tsp salt

3 3/4 c flour

Mix yeast, sugar, and warm milk. Set aside for 15 minutes. Scramble egg and add to yeast mixture. Next add soften butter and dry ingredients. Knead for about 3 or 4 minutes, until dough becomes a lighter color. Let rise until doubled, about an hour. Roll out dough to 1" thickness (give or take) cut 3 1/2" circles (I used a wide mouth plastic cup). Place on greased sheet, ( I was able to fit 8 on there staggered) Let rise until doubled again, about an hour. Bake at 350 for 9-15 minutes. Should be a pretty golden color.

The recipe said it makes 12 buns, but I only got 8 and I think it turned out perfect.

Lower Class

On Sunday James asked me to find a babysitter for Tuesday. He wanted to go and play basketball or volleyball at the church. Well I found one, and a great one at that! Becky Clark is my visiting teaching companion and she and her daughter came over and watched the girls for us. Not only did she watch the girls, but after taking her home I realized that she had done my dishes!!! I was so touched by her thoughtfulness.

So we go to play ball at our stake center with the missionaries, my brother Trevor, a guy from our ward Ritch and his friend. There ends up being some guys from the frenchman hills ward already there that were getting ready to play too. There was a total of 12 of us and so we split up into 3 teams of 4 so we could play half court games. The missionaries are only allowed to play half court, which is fine by me! One of the boys from the Frenchman Hills ward did not want to play with us, you could just tell that he didn't want to. I can't blame him because James was raining 3's on him. He seemed to be the one that had planned for everyone to come and play.

To understand a little background on the Frenchman Hills ward they are a more wealthier ward than ours. They live up on the hill close to the temple and the rest of us don't. There are two wards that meet in the stake center. One is the Frenchman Hills and the other is Beverly Glen. Both of these wards youth seem to think that they are Upper Class while the other 4 or 5 wards that are in the stake are all lower class. They don't like to mix and mingle with our youth and they sometimes make it so obvious that our youth don't care for them at all. Most of the parents aren't this way, but no matter where you go there are always some sour grapes that think they should be different and make it known that they are different as if different is better.

There ended up being 2 more people that showed up and so after they finished the game they were in this one boy starts calling people to come play at the other end of the court and leaves us 6 to play where we were. We didn't care, we were there to play. James made a comment about segregation, and we all (the 6) laughed about it. One of the guys that had come late was sitting next to me and asked what was going on since his name was called to play at the other end. I told him that his friend thought he was better than us and so he didn't want to play with us. He looked confused like what's so wrong with playing together.

After we finished playing James was a little disturbed by the whole situation still. He couldn't understand how he thought he was better and how within our stake there was such a feeling of upper and lower class.

We took a walk around the block to finish off our night because it was nice outside. As we walked around the block and saw all the big houses (that were really nice looking) he made the comment that even if we could afford to live in a neighborhood like this that he doesn't know if he would want to because he wouldn't want to be in a ward were people thought they were better than others. I told him that there just aren't enough down to earth people in those wards to help everyone realize that.

All in all if I am lower class to that kid I sure am glad that I am! I'm glad that I don't look down on others, that I don't think myself better than another and that I don't think I am too good for you. I hope he has a rude awakening and realizes one day that God is no respecter of persons. That to God we are the same, and when the time comes to live the law of consecration no one is better off than the other.

End of Time

With all of this talk about the End of the World today I thought I would put my 2 cents into the bucket.

"Isn't it great to be alive and in the Gospel today!" My Grandpa Coker's favorite line to start his testimony. Isn't it really great to know that the same priesthood power that was on the Earth when Jesus Christ was alive is here again today! The same blessing and healing powers are restored to the Earth! But on top of that the great gift of a prophet, seer and revelator are also here.

There is much confusion on the Bible and the teachings in the Bible here on this Earth. There are many different practices and many different opinions. It is a very sneaky thing how Satan has turned mens hearts to see certain truths and to turn and twist it a little. How things that are meant to be for our benefit are construed and turned into things that can in the end be harmful to us.

Lets take a look at Baptism by water. (* There are many forms of baptism and many diff reasons on why they do it and how, I am speaking from my knowledge and what I have read and heard from members of different Christen groups) There are some that believe there is no need for water to be baptized. It is a belief that to them that all that is need is a renewed faith in Christ, for by which they become baptized through the spirit of God. Another form of baptism is a sprinkling of water on the head. This can be done as an infant, a new born child, or as a converting adult. The holy water is blessed and put on the head as a symbol of the washing away of the sins of the parents, for an infant. As another form there is a complete immersion into the water as a washing away of the sins of the person who is being baptized. All of these baptism's have a leader of sorts who is either conducting or dealing with the water and the person that is to be baptized. Some say they have been chosen of God and other says they have priesthood power. All baptisms are pieces of truth that are for our benefit, but Satan has gotten a hold of man and thus turned their perception of how baptism is to be done. This is why there are so many different types and forms of it. I believe there is one true form and that is the way that Jesus Christ was baptized. For he came to show us the way to return to our Father in Heaven. It was through the priesthood that we are to be baptized and the priesthood is to be ordained through the laying on of hands (as talked about in the Bible) by one who has the priesthood power already, which has been handed down by the laying on of hands through time. I also believe that there is no need for infants to thus have a baptism for did the Lord himself not say to the multitude about children Matt 19:14..."For of such is the kingdom of heaven." If this statement be true then there be no need for baptism for children. There are other versus that talk about how we must become baptized, and maybe just the fact that we are to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Now as we see Man has changed this thing and there are many other things that man has changed. Man now thinks that he can change the scripture that says "But of that ^aday and ^bhour knoweth no man, no, not the^cangels of heaven, but my Father only." Matt 24:36.

Wow oh wow, Satan sure does work hard. Now I am sure that these people that believe the end of the world is upon us are not bad people. They are people who believe in the Bible, but they are a people that have been turned by the enticing of man and the flattering words of man who have been influenced by one who has power to turn the hearts of men away from that which is pure and holy.

No I do not believe the end of the world is today, or next year. I believe there is much more evil that will be spread upon the world before the end comes. We all will be tested and we all must make a stand for that which is pure and holy and for that which allows us to have our freedoms! There is no grey with God. You can not stand sit on the fence with most of your body for that which is right and still have your butt hanging over into that which is not. We can't have our home in Zion and a summer getaway house in Babylon, even if its just for a weekend :)

Nap Time?

Monday and Tuesday the girls went the whole day without a nap. I didn't think I would like it, but they were both asleep by 7:30 and I LOVED THAT!!!!!!

Wednesday Julie took a nap around 3 and Emjae stayed awake.

It was nice to have some one on one time with Emjae. She got to be just herself without having someone else to tell what to do. She played pretend and got out all the lids we had and set the table and then got all the spoons and gave each lid a spoon. She then sat down and pretended to eat :)

It was adorable. We also had a nice rain storm that day and we watched it rain outside together.

She then fell asleep around 5 and 2o minutes later Julie awoke. Julie helped with dinner and then I was off to young womens.

I came home and both girls were still awake

. Julie stayed awake until just before 11 when I was going to bed. I have no idea when Emjae fell asleep since she stayed down with James.

Do I like naps? Yes I do, and I sometimes get to either sneak one in too or watch a movie in silence :) But then they usually stay up later. Do I like when the girls don't take naps? Yes I do! They go to bed earlier which means more time for just Me and James. But James doesn't get to see them awake and be with them for a long time at all.

Treasure Hunters

This morning the girls found James' Touch again :) He said the girls should be treasure hunters and I just laughed.

They are only good treasure hunters because they are great treasure hiders!!!!

Hands

I think my overused phrase to Julie is, "GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!!!!" For some reason she loves to put things in her mouth. She loves to chew on blankets, shirts, her dresses, her stuffed animals and her hands!
I don't know what in the world is going on! It's the worse when she cries or is throwing a fit. She loves to put her hands in her mouth then. And it is not just one hand, but both hands as far as possible. Then she pulls them out completely swimming in spit and saliva and either rubs her face to dry the tears or comes at me with those hands. It is disgusting and I just don't know what to do about it.
She is way beyond the oral fixation stage and I am about to be way beyond the patient and understanding stage with it! When ever she does it I just want to yell at her to get her hands out of her mouth, which I know doesn't help any situation because she starts crying louder and its over nothing!!! ARGH!!!!
Please grow out of this quickly!!!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day started off with this

French toast, hashbrowns, eggs, and heart shaped blueberry muffins. YUM YUM!!

My hubby also got me a flower lei to wear to church.

I was only able to get a picture with Emjae and I was even lucky for that. Neither one of the girls really wanted to take a pic with their mom :(

I did however get a handprint flower from Julie.

The poem says "A piece of me I give to you. I painted this flower to say "I love you." The heart is you the hand is me. To show we are friends-the best there can be. I hope you will save it and look back someday at the flower we shared on your special day."

I think Emjae didn't want to do it because the paint they used look red like blood. She has gotten some cuts and bled and now thinks red liquid is that and she is somewhat scared of it.

My Scare

I am catching up on a few posts that I planned on doing last week. Monday, Emjae's birthday, I was feeling pretty good and got up made her breakfast and put in the title of Emjae is 3 on my blog and that was about as far as I got. I was pretty tired and the girls were down for their nap at the same time, so I took advantage of that!!!! I woke up not feeling well, I had flu like symptoms. Later in the afternoon my arms started to go numb and then my right leg went numb after which my face and mouth went numb. And when I say numb it was that my foot fell asleep tingling feeling over my whole body except my left leg. I could not find my phone but the computer was up and open to facebook. I was able to get somewhat of a message out on the internet that I needed help! And to my rescue came Kate, her sister Shelby and they were followed by brother Millette. Soon after they got her, the numbness was coming and going, but my body started to twitch and I could not stop. Kate and Shelby called their step dad Gary and he got here right after Nate Bartholomew. I knew I needed a priesthood blessing!!!! I knew that if I got that then I would be okay. We couldn't wait for James to get here so they gave me a blessing. I knew I would be okay, and I truly knew it! They called the ambulance and the fire department got here first and when they checked my vitals everything was normal, they could not find one thing wrong. They even took my blood sugar level. We ended up going to the E.R. and we got in pretty fast, but it took forever before we got anything done. They did a CT scan to make sure I hadn't had a stroke or heart attack or anything else. That can back negative for anything. They next did some blood work and urinary work. The only thing that seemed to show was a small urinary infection. They still had no clue as to what caused my symptoms. We still do not know, but when we get some insurance we will be going and getting some more work done, just to be on the safe side.

How grateful I am for the priesthood though. I wish everyone knew how important it is to be worthy to hold the priesthood power and how important it is to believe and have faith in Jesus Christ! I know I will be okay, and I know that I will be whole!! Thank you to all worthy men who honor their priesthood!!!!! Thank you!

Emjae's Party

http://fromtwotofourandcounting.blogspot.com/2011/05/emjaes-3rd-birthday.html

Click on this link and it will take you to my Sister-in-law's page were she took pictures for us for Emjae's party. It was a Toy Story 3 theme, since she was turning 3 and since she has been watching it a lot lately.

Emjae is 3!!!

Emjae turned 3 May 2nd. She is growing up to be such a good big sister! She loves all her disney movies and any candy she can get. She is starting to read the Book of Mormon with her family and loves singing. If she sees anyone in a dress she thinks they are a princess :)

The other day I

walked down the stairs in a dress to go to church

and she saw me

and said you're a princess mom. James and I like to

play around with her and tell her she's a bad guy, her

reply is always "No, I not bad guy, I Ems mae." She doesn't have her name down yet, but its the cutest thing ever.

We love Emjae so much and are so proud of who she is becoming. As she continues to grow our hope and prayer is that she will continue with faith and become one of God's great Daughters worthy of all that her Heavenly Father has.