My "Molly" Moment

Molly Mormon: definition-Molly Mormon is a term for the popular stereotype of a female member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A Molly Mormon is thought to be the "perfect Mormon woman"

Now I have never claimed to be a Molly, and in my life there really haven't been many moments. Therefore, I had to put my 2 moments in life on record.

Last fall apples went on sale for $.49 a lb. I bought about 35 lbs. of apples and started a big project. I ended up making cinnamon apples in the crock pot (thank you thrifty mom) and freezing them, dried apples in the oven, and canning applesauce and pie filling. I had been saving for a long time for a canner so I went down to Wal-Mart, bought everything I needed and got going. This was definitely crazy to do my first big canning project by myself. Not only did I have just an inkling of an idea of what I was doing, but I bought a canner that is too small to can the large jars in. The rebel in me did it anyway and let it boil over and leak a bit on my floor and they turned out just fine. I was calling my friend Shannon ALL day and bothering her because she had just finished doing all this up in Idaho, the land of the true MOLLY.
The applesauce and the cinnamon apples came out great, the pie filling not so much. I knew immediately when I pulled them out of the canner that I hadn't put in nearly enough apples. A learning experience for next time.
After this first experience I decided to try my hand at canning meat, yes that is a roast on the end in the picture. Looks disgusting I know. However, it cooks the roast and you are able to store it for food storage for your protein. We open them up on Sundays sometimes, shred it, warm it in skillet with BBQ sauce, onions and apricot preserves and have BBQ beef sandwiches. It takes about 15 minutes which is great when you are starving in the afternoon after church.

If you have been wanting to can and haven't started because you don't know how, believe me if I can do it ANYONE can do it.



This isn't all I canned, I'm not sure why this is all that is pictured.

This picture is my second Molly moment ever. In October our friends who we love dearly were in a situation where they needed meals. Now, I have taken meals to people before, easy right? But, this was for 20 + people. I can cook, but I don't like to so this was definitely a meal that came from love. 3 homemade lasagnas and the rest was definitely not something I thought I could pull off. Thanks to my husband keeping the kids busy for a day and a half this was the end result. I am so glad I was able to do this for them in their time of need and I also proved to myself that there are things I can do even when it is not really my talent.

Friends Visit Hotel Hansen

Our friends the Olson's came to visit us from Washington during their Spring Break. Ok, let me be honest, they didn't really come to visit us, they came to visit Mickey, Minnie, Princesses, Shamu, Clyde and Seamore, and Laguna Beach. We were just lucky enough that they stayed at "Hotel Hansen" named by my sister-in-law many years ago and graced us with their presence a few mornings. They even treated us to dinner out one night without the kids.
I have been friends with Kevin and Amy for over 10 years now and since we moved to California I really haven't had much of a chance to visit with them. This was such a treat for me as they are some of those friends who "knew me when." Those friends that I will always keep and can go for months without contact, but yet everything is always the same.

It was so neat to be able to have their children in our home and interact with my boys. Jacob the oldest boy so easy going and kind, Kayla the middle girl posing for the camera so fun and outgoing, and little Kelsie so shy at first and sweet and loving. Tyler loved having them around of course. Nathan started calling Kelsie his sister by the middle of the week, but she was having none of that title as she crept over beside him on the couch, put her arm around him and kissed him on the cheek :) We love having friends visit and it was so fun to catch up and get to know the kids!

We never get pictures of Kevin!

Spring Break Vacation 2010
Phoenix, Arizona

Let me just preface by saying that our family RARELY gets to go on vacation for two reasons, one being that Trent really doesn't take time off due to his rigorous schedule, and two because we are really cheap and hate to spend money on something that is not tangible. Vacations kind of seem like money just slipping out of our fingers and then it is over. We were able to get past both of these things this year for Spring Break. We were lucky enough that Trent and Tyler's Spring Breaks fell on the same week. With them being in different school districts this is truly a miracle. We took off for a few days to Phoenix, Arizona. We stayed at the Arizona Grand Resort which is right across the freeway from the Arizona Mills Mall. We spent the first night walking around the temple grounds.

After the temple we went to our favorite Phoenix place, the Native New Yorker. When we first got married Trent introduced me to this place and we used to go with his aunt and uncle. They have moved and we ended up driving by their old house after we ate. We miss seeing them!
Anyway, we love this place because you can order wings in any amount and in various different flavors. On Tuesday nights they are 35 cents so it was even better.

The second and third day we spent out in the pool. This was the kids wave pool. It would make giant waves for about 15 minutes at a time. Fun for the kids, not so fun for party pooper mom, but they loved it!

This is how we found Nathan on the second night after we were finally ready to go to dinner :(

Little Nathan in the Hotel

Baseball Season is in Full Swing

I have had people asking, "What happened to your blog?" Well, mostly 3 boys, but when baseball comes around it is that much crazier. We started baseball in February with practices 3 days a week to get ready! Opening Day was at the beginning of March and we haven't slowed down since. Tyler is on the Cubs this year. He has a great coach, I would say the best in the league. If you saw the way that these boys make plays and cover the areas they are supposed to cover you would not believe that they are 6-8 years old! The way they move and the way they have been coached is head and shoulders above the others in the league. Tyler is the smallest and youngest on the team and near the bottom of ability for now, but he is improving every time he steps on the field thanks to his coaches. He is batting 8th and playing Center Field. His team is 6-0 winning games as dominantly as 13-1!!
We have learned all the names of the boys on the team and love watching them and cheering for them. Tyler has quickly become friends with many of the boys. Any of you that know his personality know that this is not hard for him. He is very social and talkative. I wonder where he gets that from :)
After each game we gather around for coach to give out special stickers to the boys for their batting helmets. Tyler has earned several hit stickers and paw stickers for being alert and hustling in the outfield. We are so lucky as no other coach does this part and it means a lot to the boys. Next season will be sad without this part. Coach will be moving up in divisions with his son. We are so grateful to be a party of Pony Baseball and the growth that it is providing for Tyler.

Getting his first sticker for his helmet.

Tyler is 7!

Happy Birthday to our 7-year-old Tyler! It's always hard to believe that
another year has passed and the kids are getting older!
Tyler took his sweet time entering into this world. 7 days late and 20 hours of labor this
9-pounder was born by emergency C-Section. Let me tell you, that should have been a sign of things to come, he still takes his sweet time. Drives me crazy :)

Tyler took some treat bags to school for his birthday. California schools do not allow homemade or sugar items to be brought to school for treats. We cheated a little and he took fruit snacks along with granola bars. What a bummer to not be able to take cupcakes on your birthday to school. But, Tyler is usually a good sport and true to form he didn't care. He was so PROUD to take his big box of bagged up snacks for his friends.

He had a baseball game on the night of his birthday (Tuesday, April 13). He has been having a hard time hitting and all day I was just praying asking Heavenly Father to help him get just one hit. I know that's probably not the best use of his time, but I rarely ask for little petty things like that and I just hoped that Tyler would have a little help :) He had the best up of his little career on his first time up. He fouled 3 balls, which he has never done before and had a full count when the pitcher threw a 4th ball. At this age when you are walked the coach comes up and gets to pitch 2 balls. If you don't hit either than you are out. Tyler hit the first pitch farther than he has ever hit right between second and third base. It went all the way to the grass line. Tyler is so small that this was such a great hit for him, probably his best ever. I had to say a little thank you when he got to first base. Not only did he get a hit, but he came all the way around and scored after a few batters. He doesn't often make it all the way home. Batters after him get out and one time he was tagged out. Because of his hit he got one more hit sticker added to his helmet after the game. They won 13-1 and it was a great night. The team sang Happy Birthday to him while the coach had him stand on his lap over everyone. I don't know if I have ever seen a brighter smile on his face.

After the game we came home and had Tyler's favorite dinner, chocolate cake and he opened his present-a Star Wars Lego ship. All in all I think he had a pretty good day.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Dr. Suess Parade

Dr. Suess Parade

Tyler was given an assignment to make a Dr. Suess float for a parade at school this week. He and Trent spent all day Saturday printing, coloring, gluing and cutting. Monday night was painting and finishing touches and this is what they came up with. The ham is my favorite part. They cut it out of an old foam football and painted it.

I like green eggs and ham I do
I like them Sam I am

I would eat them in a boat
I would eat them with a goat

I will eat them in the rain
and in the dark and in a train

and in a car and in a tree
they are so good so good you see

so I will eat them in a box
and I will eat them with a fox

and I will eat them in a house
and I will eat them with a mouse

and I will eat them here and there
say I will eat them anywhere


When we got out of the car to take his float into school the plate and ham fell off. I did my best to help him, but in the parade it was all askew and almost falling off. This didn't hinder him one bit. I was so proud of him, other kids floats were falling apart and they were crying and really upset. At another time he might have done this too, but he was just so happy to be in this parade, you can tell by his giddy grin!

This was seriously one of the funniest things I have ever experienced. I had NO idea that this was so big. The first graders made the floats and the whole school came to watch. The kids were clapping and cheering so loud you would have thought it was something really big. It was so cool that they were so supportive of the younger kids!!

Don't forget to pause my music player before pushing play.