Pay It Forward!

(I was supposed to post this over a month ago, hopefully I didn't disqualify myself from the one I commented on, Sorry Emily!)

Read closely...this is how it works...

The Rules

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Floored!

I have one heck of a story to share...you won't believe this!

About a week and a half ago, while Nelson was home, we took advantage of our employees to finish putting the floor in our attic. They had been in and out of the house, leaving the door open, like men do, and I was worried the cat would get out.

Later that night, I noticed I hadn't seen the cat for a few hours. He typically hides when there are strangers around, so I didn't look to hard.

About and hour after I had gone to bed, which was late, I still hadn't seen him, and the noise had been quiet for quite some time, he should have come out of hiding by now. So, I get up and start looking in all the usual hiding places.

No cat.

I check the porch to see if he is waiting to come back in. He has gotten out before, but he's so dang spoiled he usually is quick to come home.

No cat.

I am concerned at this point, I am quite attached as many will tell, I get attached to pets easily. I get this awful feeling he is in the attic, IN THE FLOOR! I go upstairs, turn on the light, call for him, listen, it's dead silent.

No cat!

I go back to bed, get the same feeling, and repeat the attic check several more times before morning.

No cat!!

By morning I am really starting to get upset. I start telling myself, if he got out, he must not be coming back for some reasons I won't detail, or he may just randomly show up a few days from now, our Dog Ginger did the same thing once. I check the doorstep every hour, and the attic twice more, because I still have this feeling. But I never hear anything.

Around 1:00pm I call Nelson and teasingly ask him what he did with my cat...they don't exactly see eye to eye. He asks if I check the attic..."Yes, several times!"

Hang up, get this feeling yet again, so I go back up in the attic, go over to the newly laid floor, and knock. I hear the faintest "Meow". Oh My Gosh! The cat is in the floor. My heart is racing because I can't believe this is really happening. Silly Critter! I race back down and call Nelson to see how to get him out (i.e. ask permission to cut up the floor he just put down), get the saw, cut a 6 foot by 6 inch hole across the floor, missing only the last floor joyce because I can't get the saw to cut that close to the wall.

NO CAT!!!

Now I think I must have wanted to find my cat so badly that I have gone crazy hearing things. Go downstairs.

Feel like I should check again. Knock on the floor. Nothing. Try one more time to cut the last floor joyce.

Go downstairs. Feeling again. Now I am feeling awful and embarrassed that I cut the floor for no reason. But, I figure I need to get that last joyce open just to make sure he's not dead in there I don't want to smell him a week from now. Can't get the hole bigger, so I go get a mirror thinking I can see down to the other end. Doesn't work.

Do you see where this is going?

I 'm driving myself crazy with this silly feeling I have, and I still can't find the cat. I don't hear any more "meows".

Finally, I have to leave to go get Ronnie.

When I get home, resigned to the fact that my cat is gone...Casadee is in the attack. I ask her what she is doing, she's trying to get the cat out. I tell her he's not up there, but she tells me she has seen him in the hole, now she is just trying to persuade him out.

While I was gone, it got quiet enough he tried to get out but the hole wasn't big enough, and when she went upstairs to change Ryland's diaper, she heard him scratching.

End of story, we got the cat out, he was only traumatized for a few hours...he spent almost 24 hours in the floor!

Can you believe it?

The best part...I wasn't crazy, and I learned the spirit can tell you just about anything if you listen hard enough!

Have a Cookie!

No really...have a cookie, it's my Valentines Gift to you.

Seriously...you know you want one, don't they look good?

Have a cookie already!

Oh, that's right, you can't.

I wish I could send everyone I love a cookie for Valentines Day. There are so very many people in my life that I am grateful for and I wish there were ways to adequately display my love. Please know that you are near and dear to my heart and I love you(friends and family - not strange stalker people).

The boys and Casadee and I made cookies for Valentines. The boys had too much fun making them(and after you see the pictures, you probably really won't be sad you can't have one), and we all got messy...especially Ryland.

Ryland taking his turn rolling out the cookies!

Cutting out his own heart, because he's such a big helper.

Helping brother cut out his really big heart!

The really big thick cookie, like 5 cookies thick cookie!

Flour...flour...everywhere...on his face, bum, hands and feet.

"Let me do it! By myself! I'm not done yet!"

After the boys were in bed, therapy began, and Casadee and I frosted them. I love this kind of stuff and find it totally therapeutic. After the day I had, I needed a lot of therapy! They turned out so cute, at least I thought so!

Enjoying the fruits of our labor!

So, again, from my heart to yours, I love you! Happy Valentines Day! (Unfortunately, it would take far too long to name all the people I love, so just know you are included...again, no strange stalker people though!)

Priceless

Silly Critter

Baby Shower Cake

This is my latest creation...for a baby shower. I was quite pleased with how it came out, and there were tons of people at the shower so hopefully it will get my name out there a little so I can start getting some business. The inside was what I am calling "Chocolate Covered Strawberry". It was chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, strawberry cake, and strawberry frosting layers. It was a hit! I also set a name for my new company..."Iced Occasions".

I decided I really, really enjoy making cakes. I was in a slump all week, didn't do much, didn't feel like doing much, and was pretty depressed. Surprisingly, making this cake totally brought me out of it. Who would have guessed?

Why the obsession with school lunch?

I remember bugging my mom for hot lunch all the time when I was a kid. But to be honest, I don't know why, most of the time the food really wasn't very good. Now, as a mother, I am faced with the same annoyance my mother tolerated so many years ago. Ronnie is obsessed with school lunch. Why? What is so special about hot lunch that he needs to ask if he can have it every day?

Stuff!

I have really been wanting to blog lately, but haven't really known what to blog about. So here goes a bunch of randomness from the last month or so. Try to keep up!

Broken!

We have been having many, many discussions with Ronnie about making good choices and being obedient, he loves to challenge us. He learned about sins in primary a month or so ago and so he kept telling us his sins made him make bad choices. We spent a lot of time trying to teach about what sins really were and that they can't make you make bad choices, they are your bad choices. Then, one day, he informed me "I can't make good choices, my Holy Ghost is broken!" Hmmm.....Love that boy!

Where once a little boy's hand was.

Ronnie has this one glove he loves to wear. He wore it so long this particular day, that when he took it off, it was so stiff it looked like his hand was still in it. It made me smile!

Super Bowl

Nelson came home for the super bowl, because there was the promise of loads of food, he is still just a man after all, and he loves food, especially because he never gets home cooked meals anymore. So, I asked him for the grocery list of things he wanted, and of course his eyes were much bigger than his stomach, so I had to put my foot down. But that's not really the point of this story. I also asked Ronnie what he wanted..."Wee Beanies!" Can you guess? Not what I would have guessed. Tell me what you think they are and I'll update with the answer later! I know...the suspense is killing you!

Baking

We love sweets and baking, but unfortunately, I don't do it that often, because as much as I love enjoying the fruits of my labor, I don't enjoy the aftermath of where those sweets stay on my body. We made a yummy pudding dessert for FHE a few weeks ago and the boys had fun licking the beaters. I got few pics of Ryland, but they don't do the experience justice, because he was actually slurping the pudding off the beaters, not licking, slurping. And then in an exclamation of deliciousness, he would say "MMMMM!" (Yes, I make up words, haven't you figured that out by now, nothing I ever say really makes sense). Priceless, if I ever figure out how to get my videos from my video camera to my computer (dang software), I will post the real deal!

Trapped...and loving it!

We had our first ice storm of the year last week, of course school was cancelled all week. These folks just don't know winter. But, we couldn't leave the house for a day and a half, and I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the trapped feeling of knowing I didn't/couldn't go anywhere. I don't know why, but it was just what I needed. I loved it, but it drove Cas and John crazy! They can't handle my rowdy boys for that long. It's okay, there time is nigh at hand! Wink, Wink!

RS Blog

As one of the Secretaries in the RS I have the privilege of maintaining the blog. I love this responsibility, because I love blogging. This is a great idea for anyone to suggest to their RS, our sister's love the resource it provides. Check it out at http://www.letusallblogon.blogspot.com/

The Duggar Family

About two hours from where we live in Fayetteville, AR there is a large family that is featured on TLC in the show 17 Kids and Counting. I love watching this show. I love that their children are well behaved, responsible, and that this family practices, not just preaches, some very conservative values much like ours. It gives me courage to stand out in a world where these values are not accepted. I wish I could be more like them in many ways. There most recent episode was one in which their eldest son was married. They have such strong family values and beliefs about marriage, it made me very sad to see such commitment to something that they believe to be until death. I am so grateful for the knowledge and opportunity that knowledge brings for me to be with my sweetheart and family for eternity, and not just till death! I couldn't imagine all this work and commitment and thinking it would end as soon as I died.

The Hat

Nelson bought this hat in Las Vegas many years ago as a work hat to keep the sun off his face, neck and ears. It became iconic. It was Nelson and that was how everyone knew and recognized him. Until the sad day that it became so old and worn, he couldn't wear it any more, and he had to throw it away. He has been lost with out his hat identity, searching relentlessly, with no success. But I found it online and got it for him for Christmas, now he has that "Nelson Vibe" back! Isn't he hot?

10 Things I Love

1. Nelson

2. Ronnie

3. Ryland

4. My Parents

5. My Family - Every single one of them!

6. Chocolate

7. My House

8. Babies

9. Nature

10. Sleep