Jam - Ready set ... lets hope it sets!

Summer fruit has got me excited to make jam ... that and the fact that we just ran out of last years jam : )  will start with the leftover frozen berries and peaches.

Make your own pectin?
I think I might try it from these instructions.

oh, and lavander - How do you preserve it?
Check this out - I had mine hanging in the sunroom - will move it to the storage room!

Learning the gospel from little boys

Their favorite you tube video at present is Elder Anderson speaking about Sid Going who gave up his Rugby career to serve a mission in Western Canada back in 1963 only to return home and be named Super sid with an awesome rugby career.

I love learning with these wonderful boys.

Favorite activities for learning and FHE:

- we acted out Daniel in the lions den, Joseph smith's first vision ( with the picture of Heavenly Father and Jesus and a large falshlight, a "grove of trees" - a green blanket over a chair

- Prayer - the 4 parts of praying written on strips, they taked about them and sang

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Easter

April is a busy month full of wonderful things, General Conference. The words of the living Prophets streaming easily into our homes and, we pray it flows as easily into our hearts. This outpouring of light came this weekend and on palm sunday and for the first time I understood it as this and took it in. I have tried to read the gospels in preparation for easter and have felt renewal and strength in the life and minestry of the Saviour, through listening to His words and learning of His life.

Noah turned 6! What a wonderful birthday. I can't believe he is 6 already. My little boy 2 years away from eight. And he chose to have his birthday with his family friends. all his best friends. I am so happy that he is happy and content in our family. We have many moments that don't sound like this. He is a good boy and will yet teach me so much. He is a wonderufl example. He has a black eye from bumping the table while we teased each other and tickled. He didn't like all the attention he was getting from it and said he wanted it to be healed by sunday so people wouldn't ask about it. We talked about things he could say so that he didn't have to tell the whole story again. Ah its "old news" is the phrase he liked and has used since. It is fun to so him use it. I do wonder what people think it is a nasty black eye. I thought he had even missed the table as he hit the ground dashing away from tickling fingers but his shrill cry made me know immediately that he was in pain! he is such a good trooper. When his eye first turned bright blue and purple and It looked like he had been using my makeup he decided it looked less like makeup and more like "boy tough".

Easter has arrived. With sunshine and fresh air. Jarom sick and vomiting. My poor boy tucked himself in wiht a blanket on the couch and let me know he was going to have a home day because his tummy didn't feel good. Hudson is a little out of sorts and clingy or throwing kicks and punches to try and convince the rest of the lazy gang that it is time we went outside to play hockey! or share that dart gun. Noah was thrilled with the presents of a nerf gun ( mom finaly caved with a strict set of rules around use) and lego, a backpack, some toonies, to name a few. Jarom was so thrilled and happy for him he gave Noah more hugs and pats on the back hten I can count. Good Job Noah! or Noah look what you got! It was wonderful. Jarom had asked me to buy Noah some Ninja lego from the store for him to give Noah. Noah had asked during the day to look at lego and Ninja lego specificaly as we looked at the website Noah found a particular set that he wanted to look at I got it wrong no that one he siad pointing to the screen and it was the set Jarom had wrapped for him. Jarom loved telling this story over and over again. About how he wanted to get Noah this special Lego because he wanted him to be happy.

My testimony of the saviour and His life and Ressurection burn in my heart today. I have visited the church website and watched some of the bible movies and talks from the leaders surrounding easter. My favorities include:

Plus I have plants and hope to make a grace garden with the boys later today. I saw it on the blog I like called Holy Experience writtings by Ann Voskamp a mom. I also saw this hymn listed by Fernando Ortega "Stricken, Smitten and afflicted" on her site and found it on you tube as well as I need thee every hour, and Come thou fount of every blessing . I am enchanted by the music on her web page though it takes me to such a nice palce in my head and heart. The Gift by David Nevue.

I start writting and get on so many different tangents Like the you tube video of a woman who auditioned in England and blew the audience away with I dreamed a dream. What a moving song! I love music and performance. How it moves me!

New Years Resolutions

I'm giving myself a month to set them.

Things Boys want to know

At the aquarium on tuesday they told the boys they have started feeging the octopus by putting its food in a jar so it has to hunt for food. They said to check out youtube. Here it goes.

They have loved the Christmas Drummer boy song performed and filmed by Sean Quigley of winnipeg

Stories of our season - parents to three active boys

On Saturday, Jeremy and I both felt unwell with colds apparent in our sore throats, headaches, fatigue, and a chesty cough. Although what we really wanted was to curl up and sleep the winters day away, this is not our season for doing such things. Our three active boys bounced, pounced and lept through the house, coliding with each other, walls and furniture. Although they had had a full day they still had not expended sufficient energy to make quiet time enforceable. So we all bundled up and off we went. I tried to tell myself I really wasn't feeling that bad. As I push Hudson up the little hill on our street I felt like it was everest. Had someone re soled my shoes with lead? I could barely lift my feet. While at the park in the cold with night drawing near the boys still played with enthusiasm and tried to learn new stunts they could do on the playground including, back bends on the ladders, spining in the swings so they looked like they were spining while skydiving, and launching boots randomly while swinging; to name a few. Noah's favorite was the upsidedown headfirst approach to riding the tall slide. Dismounting the slide on his back head towards the ground looking at the dark sky. It did look like a good thrill especially as the slide had a good angle to it. I am so scared of hieghts but these boys have no fear!! Jeremy encouraged Noah that headfirst, although fun was dangerous because if he was to hit his head he could break his neck and his legs and arms could stop working. "You mean like be in a wheel chair?" Jer "Yes, not just for a little while but forever" Noah "Well just here on earth because after I die and go to Heaven I will get a new body that will be perfect and an NEVER get hurt!" Jeremy "Yes, but it would be a long time to wait for a healthy body" --After this followed a lengthy discussion about nerves, brains, boadies and how they work.

- What else can you say?? If fear tactics don't work on him at age 5 how will we ever convince him to do anything when he is a teenager? He is an excellent problem solver. No obstacle is too big. He is determined. If there is something he wants to do he will find a way to do it.

Noah had seen an ad about an IMAX of the everest Expedition and was full of questions. Insesently infact. "Dad are you going to climb it? "

Jarom loves talking, pretending, telling stories and acting out fighting, killing, stabing and hurting. It always amazes me how he is able to take any conversation and have it include this awful subject. I gathered the boys at Breakfast to try and get us back into the routine of morning scritptures, prayers, devotional since we moved (Last month this seemed to disapear in all the chaos) So, with it being december I started to Read from Luke, they were surprisingly attentive and we described and discussed words they did not understand. As I read of the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, Jarom pounced! "How did they protect sheep?" "What weapons did they have?" "Did they stab the wolves?burglers?" And this is where I lost them! Really this is where my favorite carols are coming to mind and my heart is sofenting, and my heart full but not today as they began enacting deffending sheep from various threats. I tried to pull it back with the idea of protecting sheep frieghtened because of lightening or thunder in a storm. They humored me and let us try an experiment to see how the shepherds knew the voices of each of their sheep and they knew his voice. They closed their eyes and we took turns saying hi and they saw they knew us by our voices. But as soon as the guessing game was done there was kicking and jabbing at the air once again. Yes a perfect start to the day!

I have to be honest that although I want to encourage a love and excitement for the scriptures this isn't excatly how I pictures our scripture study going. Was this the perfect start to the day - SMILES I am reminded of Elder Bednar's talk - it is the pattern that counts right!?

JArom is a darling boy, So generous, kind, willing to share. He is gentle with Tessa and adores her as much as she adores him. He is a good little snuggler. He is a great stroy teller and is loving his first set of swiming lessons at the new pool. He still loves books and being read to. He is very easy going and is willing to do whatever plan Noah suggests. He doesn't like negative feedback and will seek negative attention just to get more attention. He took on the job of orienting Hudson to nursery heplping him find all the best toys. At first he didn't want Hudson to come he has always had the space to himself but once he had this job he was so kind and generous. I love watching him manuever the little wagon down the driveway stearing it from inside the wagon as it rolls down the incline. He is so happy and full of life. He still knows how to scream and throw a good fit but more and more he is learning to talk when he is mad or frustrated. He went to the dentist for the first teeth cleaning this last week and he did great. He screamed and cried in the waiting room when they wanted him to go through the doors. I held him and hugged him and told him that we had come for the dentist to look at his teeth and that was what we were going to do, that having a fit would not change that but if he wanted to tell me if there was something that he wanted that would make it better or done different he just needed to tell me what it was. He rallied and went in to look at the new office as the assistant suggested. We sat on the chair and I told him I had a surpise " Can you lean this chair back ? I asked and sure enough they could we lay all the way back and then he could see the tv. We had a little hug and then I slipped out from under him once he had his sunglasses I sat at his feet and watched him happily have his teeth cleaned and insepected! Noah did great too. " The best kid all week by far" his assistant had told me. "Mom we should do this regularily" Noah said as we left thrilled to have been to the dentist and no cavities just 2 6year old molars for our 5 year old boy - He is convinced that they are 5 year old molars as the dentist said the ycould re-name them.

I wanted a few moments to myself this afternoon and thought a little journaling would be good. As Noah tried to lure me away and engage in an art project with him he came over and sang with a very sweet voice up close to me " Go do what the Lord has asked you to do. Do it for the Lord" I couldn't help myself from giggling ' What Noah?" Mom do the right thing that the Lord has asked you to do. " Well Noah I am listening to church music that helps me think of Jesus. I am writtig in my Journal and thinking about you" .... If I hadn't been so tired and lazy I would have chossen the better part and followed him as he was right playing with him to make a hardcover book from recycling, paper and staples and pens was worth engaging for. How come Children are so wise. Yet I am still so tired and now he is upstairs playing Lego while I type in a blog I never intend to publish. I just don't sleep enough to store anything in long term memory so I want to write pieces down yet on the other hand how much better to make one more memory as this time will pass so quickly. Balance is key.

My little electricians!

The other night we told the boys that saturday was going to be a special day, pancakes for breakfast and decorating the Christmas tree. Jeremy promised to set it up the night before and then we would all decorate it when they woke in the am. Well That night mom arrived and surprised us be giving us a couple hours to go on a date. We went out for appys and enjoyed the quiet and company. Going to bed late we ddin't get the tree up but I am usually up at 5am these days with Hudson so I figured we would do it together before the others boys woke. WEll sat am arrived. I woke to hear happy boys downstairs. I knew they would b anxious to get started but they sounded like they were palying happily. When I came down they had decorated the small dying Fig tree plant in our living room with decorations and little white lights. They had also riped open the outdoor light boxes ( I had thought to return them -old-glass style) well now they were ours. And they were wrapped around the kitchen, dinning room, living room diving wall. WE praised them for the beautiful job they had done and Jeremy reminded them that using the plugs was for adults only. A little while late as I was thanking them for working together and helping each other make sucha nice surprise Jarom informed me that Noah was so kind to help him know the right way to turn the lights " Leftie loosie, Righty Tighty" !!!! They had startes with plain cables that they had screwed every bulb on the 50ft of string into. Wow Good Job! YIKES Scream! What if they had pluged the cord in first before trying to put in the bulbs? What if.... the ideas run... Noah the questions start and noah clarifies "Mom we didn't plug them in until the lights were ALL in or that would be playing with electric and that would be dangerous!" Yes that would but ....

I am so glad they have proved to have good instincts or vigilient gaurdian angels, or both.

The week we moved was busy boxes stacked in our living space, the kitchen in disarray, the boys needing more attention and having less space to play in and less toys to play with. I had a technician trying to tlak to me about a complicated quote for fencing in the coop units backyards. To get away from the noise I went on the back steps and shut the door to finnish the call. When I was done. I turned to go in the house only to find the door locked and Noah and Jarom no where to be seen! I knocked without any response - no giggles or attention of any kind. They had disapeared well all but Hudson Icould see him clearly, he took a chair from the table and pushed it to the stove and proceeded to dismantle it. Removeing all four elements and then strated on the drip trays! As he was doing this I began to pound on the door. I knew the stove was off and he was unlikely to hurt himslef but his fear of the stove was quickle fading. I NEED him to be scared of it. Quick boys Quick open the door. I banged, knocked, hollered, and fianly one of them appeared and I motioned to them to unlock the door. They seem perplecked at my urgency. As I reassembled the stove I noticed both the boys putting on their boots and heading outside. "Where are you guys going" they responded " Ot help Jared build" "He isn't outside" "Yes he is we heard him hamering" " NO, that was ME trying to get you to let me back in because YOU LOCKED ME OUT!" Well needless to say the kitchen is no longer an okay space for Hudson to be in, I don't talk on the back steps ( I don't have any) and the boys know not to lock me out of the house.

It's Begining to Look a lot Like christmas

Christmas crafts

Snowflakes of Borax Crystals!

see link