I am Katie-Beth

Being tall doesn’t make you good at basketball

2012-03-03T15:17:00.001-08:00

I enjoy running. I am a decent volleyball player. I am not a basketball player. Growing up I would occasionally play a game of HORSE with my brothers or dad. I played in PE when we had to. I like watching basketball if it is a team that I care about, but since we don’t have TV that doesn’t happen very much.

Despite my lack of basketball skills I joined our wards women’s basketball team. It gives me a chance to get out and socialize and we have a fun team. When I joined the team the other women assumed that I would be a good player. I think it is because at 5’ 10’’ I am the tallest lady on the team. It didn’t take long for everyone on my team to realize that height does not equal basketball skill. Fortunately they didn’t really care if I was any good and were all just playing to have a good time.

It’s a good thing everyone on our team has that attitude because the only game we won was the one where the other team had to forfeit because they didn’t have enough players. Officially they forfeited the game but we scrimmaged against them just for fun. They still won even though they were playing with only four people and we had a full team with a few extras to sub in.

When I first started playing with the the ward I was pretty clueless about the finer points of the game. Basically I knew you tried to get baskets and you can’t double dribble. But the details like, not staying three seconds in the key, what a jump ball is and the various ways you could foul someone were a mystery. Often players from the opposing team would give me pointers. I think they figured they didn’t have to worry much when they were twenty points ahead. I have learned most of the rules out but I still don’t always know what is going on.

The hardest thing for me in basketball is being aggressive. I am just not really a in your face kind of person. Cross-country and track aren’t really the most aggressive sports. I must have made some progress in being aggressive though because I actually got a foul called on me in our last game. I’m not sure what I did.

Last night was our stake tournament. Since we were seeded last we played the teamed that had the best record. Which meant we didn’t really have a chance. It was a fun game though. The final score was 18-48. And amazingly enough 8 of those 18 points were scored by me. Maybe being tall does have some benefits.

Bread and computers

2012-02-08T11:06:00.001-08:00

I have been thinking about some things that were a treats or luxury to my parents generation that are taken for granted now, like baby wipes and computers. There are so many things now that make my life easier and help me save time; microwaves, Easy Mac, email, onsies, Wikepedia, Wal Mart, disposable diapers, cell phones, vacuums, Google Maps, Magic Erasers, really the list could go on and on. Yet even with all these helpful, time savings devices I am still always busy and barely able to keep up with things.

I have also been thinking about things that my parents had that my generation and my children’s generation would consider treats now. Homemade bread topped with home made blackberry jam. Being able to let kids wander around the neighborhood with out worrying about them. No lines to go through security at an airport. Chicken soup with homemade noodles. Being able to put a significant amount of gas in your car with the change found in your pocket. Receiving a hand written letter in your mailbox. These are things that some of my generation and eve more of my children’s generation have never experienced.

The tricky thing about all the wonderful time savings inventions and technology is if they are not used wisely they can suck up our time and make life less enjoyable. Smucker’s will never taste as good as home made blackberry-peach jam made from berries you picked yourself. It is much faster to research and write a paper on a computer, but countless hours can be wasted on the internet. Watching Diego won’t ever be as fun as building a blanket fort or playing hide and go seek in the dark. It is all about balance. There has to be a way to use technology to make life easier without being consumed by it.

To help find this balance I started making my own bread last month. It is the perfect balance of technology and simplicity. I use my fancy new Bosch to knead the bread in just a few minutes, instead of having to crank a bread bucket for what seemed like forever as a kid. But I use my great grandpa’s recipe that has only 6 ingredients in it. My family has been using this recipe for over 100 years. I shape the loaves myself and about once a week my kids get to smell the aroma of fresh bread wafting through the house. They eat peanut sandwiches on slightly uneven slices of bread, and every once in a while we can have scones for dinner.

My great grandpa Wight who used this whole wheat recipe his whole life.

Hopefully my kids will learn that the best food isn’t bought in stores, and the best memories aren’t made from playing a computer game. I know it will take some work but I want my house to be more unplugged, for me and my kids. I want to take advantage of technology and use it to enrich my life and simplify it. So here is to more puppet shows and less Netflix re-runs. More red light green light and less video games. More books and less flash games.

How do you balance technology in your life?

Goodreads

2012-02-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have known about Goodreads for a long time. I like the idea of keeping track of books you have read and getting recommendations based on what you have already read and what your friends like. I have been relunctant because like facebook, and pinterest, it is one more than that become a time sucker. However I have been getting a lot of recommendations from friends of books to read lately and I couldn't remember them all. So I decided to try it and got an account today. After spending about 15 minutes putting books that I have read in and setting my preferences I already have 22 books on my to-read list. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

I love reading and I do a lot of it. I read to gain learn things and just for entertainment. I would rather read a really good book than watch a really good movie. But that doesn't mean that I can't waste time by reading. It is important to be able to put a book down and do things like, cleaning the kitchen and playing pillow plop with kids.

I am hoping that having an actual list of books that I want to read will be a good thing. Theoretically ( it took me a few minutes to decide if I spelled that right, it still looks funny to me) I can spend time reading only books that I really want to instead of just what happens to be in at the library. Or I could spend all my time trying to read all the books on my never ending list and not get other important things done.

Here's hoping that I use my list wisely and that goodreads turns out to be a time saver and not a time sucker.

And if you want you can be my friend on goodreads.

Exciting things in my life lately

2012-01-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

1. I successfully made rolls with my new Bosch mixer. They were a big hit.

2. My freezer’s ice machine no longer spits out blue gogurt chunks when you put ice in your cup.

3. I got to watch Stephen win his first grade spelling bee. The winning word was sparkle.

4. I put batteries in the clock in the hutch in my living room that has not been working in several years. It is no longer always 11:30.

5. I made delicious brown cow drinks in my ice cream machine.

6. I think I have settled on colors for the new king size quilt I am going to commission my mother-in-law to make for my bed. I want a quilt that is big enough to hang over the sides of my king size bed.

7. William actual sat on my lap long enough to to fall asleep today. He never does this and I love holding sleeping babies.

8. I am about half way through naming and organizing all the pictures on my computer.

9. I got to touch a really big alive snake at the Monte L. Bean Museum.

10. I discovered the Marketfresh green beans Wal Mart sells in there produce section. They come in a bag and are fresh and taste so good.

11. I made an impressive (at least impressive to a 3 year old) Lightning McQueen birthday cake as well as a chocolate cake with a picture of an apple on it.

12. I have gotten back into the groove of personal scripture study.

13. I got my annual hair cut and realized again that I should probably get haircuts more often.

14. I discovered kettle bells and have began working out regularly.

15. I read Darcy’s most updated version of her book and can’t wait to see how it all ties together.

It has been a good few weeks. What have you done that was cool lately?

Say Lettuce

2012-01-11T11:15:00.001-08:00

I don’t have very many good picture of Michael and I. Mom took this one of us while we were visiting for Christmas. I really like it so I thought I would share.

I just realized that I can make pictures bigger after I put them in the post. Cool.

Organization bug

2012-01-11T10:51:00.001-08:00

I really like to organize and put things in order. Whenever I go to my mom’s house she has me organize the canned food in her pantry. I am not however, especially good at keeping things organized. So I go through cycles. Organize, slowly build up clutter and get unorganized and then purge and reorganization.

The last few months I was in the build up clutter and get unorganized part of the cycle. I knew something was going to have to be done about it especially after trying to find homes for new Christmas presents.

So when we got home from Moses Lake for Christmas I went on an organization and stuff purging binge. I started with the game cupboard and got rid of a big box full of games and puzzles we never used anymore to make room for a few new games we got for Christmas.

I also cleaned out my bedroom closet, Kathryn’s closet, the dining room closet (which I suppose is a weird place for a closet) and most notably the kitchen. Instead of watching TV or reading after we put the kids to bed I have been cleaning things out (Michael has been helping too.) I have a few areas I want to clean out but I think so far I have been very successful.

Here is one example. It would be much more impressive if I had remembered to take a before picture. You will just have to trust me that it is a vast improvement.

This is the area above my cupboards in my kitchen. It used to be full of stuff; vases, Halloween candy pails, otter pops, big bowls, ice cube trays, etc. I was able to get rid of a enough stuff and move things around enough to get everything off the top of my cupboards except for my biggest stainless steel bowl and a breakfast tray that won’t fit in my cupboards. Having all the empty space up there makes my kitchen look very white. I think I am going to but something decorative up there.

Last night I brought six boxes of stuff, a TV and a computer monitor to our Relief Societies bring and take table. All of it came from reorganizing my house. The best part was that anything nobody wanted got taken to the DI, so I don’t have to have it around anymore.

Christmas odds and ends

2011-12-19T09:53:00.001-08:00

Christmas is in 7 days. Six if you don’t count today. Even though I made a big effort to do my shopping early this year there always seems to be a few random things to get and errands to run. I need to do that today.

My brother Tyler is coming over for Christmas day. I can’t remember the last time he was there on Christmas day. I am really looking forward to it.

The past several years I have thought of really awesome gifts to make for my mom. Once you get into a pattern of cool home made gifts it is hard to go back to just buying something. I made her a cool calendar for her birthday this year and but could not think of something to get/make her for Christmas. Everyone else was shopped for but I still hadn’t figured out what to get her. I finally thought of something and I think she will like it. But I was a little sad that it wasn’t as cool as the past two years.

We had been planning on driving up to Washington on Friday so we could be there all day Christmas Eve. This has been the plan for a while. I am positive that I told Mom about this plan. Then yesterday I was talking to her on the phone.

“ I was talking to Dad and we both think it would be awesome if you could drive up on Friday, instead of Saturday.” Mom said.

“We are driving up on Friday. We should be there by dinner time.” I say.

“Really?”

“Yep”

“I am so excited! I thought you wouldn’t be here until Saturday evening. Now we will have all day on Christmas Eve. Dad will be so happy! It’d like an early Christmas present! I’m glad we talked today, now I can look forward to you being there on Friday!”

That’s pretty much how the conversation went, except I don’t think my mom would ever use that many exclamation points in one paragraph. So I might not have gotten her an amazing homemade gift this year but I did make her happy by coming up Friday instead of Saturday.

Speaking of my mom, a few weeks ago we got a package from her with about 50 small wrapped presents with my kids names on them. They were numbered up to 16. So each of my four kids and occasionally Michael and I to have gotten to open a little present for the 16 days before we go to Moses Lake. The kids have been loving it. And the presents have been fun, reindeer rubber ducks, popsicle stick snowman crafts, a kaleidoscope (this was a big hit), hacky sacs etc. Then today they opened these.

The kids loved them. But I don’t think mom was thinking about what would happen if you give paddle balls to three kids 6 years old and under all at once.

“Mom what’s this, how do I do it?” One of them asks.

“Like this.” I demonstrate how to bounce the ball on the paddles. They all start waving them wildly about.

Within about 10 minutes all three kids had been whacked with a paddle or ball about 20 times. There were tears of frustration, because it “wouldn’t work right.” One ball had a chunk bitten out of it and another was broken. The Christmas tree had a close call as well as my favorite nativity. Soon another paddle ball broke and during that 1o minutes I don’t think any of them were able to successfully bounce the ball two consecutive times on the paddle.

So overall they were a big hit. I think the paddle balls will find their way to the recycle bin before lunch today.

I can’t wait until Christmas.

Roca

2011-12-13T09:12:00.001-08:00

We made a lot of treats at Christmas time in the Creviston household. Fudge, sugar cookies, molasses cookies, soft toffee, cheese ball, chex mix and others. I love them all but my favorite is roca. I’m not sure when we started making it, but it is sooooo good.

It has become the treat we give to our friends at Christmas. It is easy to make and I have never met someone who doesn’t like it. I decided I should share the goodness and post the recipe. The only problem was the recipe that my mom gave me goes like this.

1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup butter, chocolate chips, saltines.

Yeah, Creviston’s aren’t real big on recipes. So I took pictures while I made it yesterday and paid attention to how much of what I used. Here is a more useful version of the recipe

Roca

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

Saltine crackers (enough to line a 9 by 13 pan about half a tube)

Semi sweet chocolate chips ( I used about 2/3 of a bag)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400. Line a 9 by 13 pan with tin foil. Cover the bottom of the pan with saltine crackers. I round the corners of the crackers that are in the corner of the pan so they will lay flat.

2. Melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Pour toffee mixture over crackers and stick in the oven. Bake until the crackersfloat. This takes about 3 1/2 to 5 minutes. It takes 3 1/2 in my oven.

4. Once the crackers float take it out of the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on it. The heat from the toffee will melt the chocolate chips. Once the chocolate chips are melted spread them around to cover all the toffee.

5. Stick in the fridge and cool until chocolate is hard. Pull the tin foil off and break apart into pieces and store in the fridge or eat it before the chocolate gets melty again.

I didn’t get a picture of the final product because we gave most of it away and ate the rest before I thought about taking a picture. So you will have to make it yourself to see how it turns out.

What’s your favorite Christmas treat?

Favorite Christmas songs

2011-12-13T08:48:00.001-08:00

It was a lot harder to make a small list of my favorite Christmas songs than my least favorite. I divided it into two sections, hymns and not hymns.

Hymns.

1. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day- I had a nice little paragraph written about why I love this song and then I found this video by Ed Herman and the Mormon Tabernacle choir and decided that they did a much better job. The only problem with this song is when people only sing the first three verses and end at the saddest part of the story.

2. Oh Holy Night- Darcy wrote a great post about this song. I will just say that I agree.

3. Joy to the World- I think song pretty much sums how I feel about Christmas and it is fun to sing. Here is one version.

Non Hymns

1. Snoopy and the Red Baron- Apparently the actual name of the song is Snoopy’s Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen. Here is a good version of it. I listened to this song growing up and still love it.

2. Thistle Hair the Christmas Bear- Here is a version that comes with a light show too. Thistle Hair is another Christmas song from my childhood. My dad has a big shelf full of CD. A shelf probably as tall as me. He probably has at least thirty different Christmas CDs. Alabama’s Christmas CD was one of them and this was on it. Listening to this song makes me think of my Dad.

3. Feliz Navidad- A fun song to sing along to in the car. It has a good beat.

4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas- My brother-in-law just made his own version of this song.

Apparently I like Christmas songs that tell stories. Also I like feel good songs. Find some Christmas songs you love and listen to them. Not much makes me happier than listening to good Christmas music at Christmas time.

What’s your favorite Christmas song?

My least favorite Christmas songs

2011-12-07T10:31:00.001-08:00

I was listening to the radio the in the car and a Christmas song that I really don’t like came on. So I started thinking of all the Christmas songs I don't like. Which made me feel a bit like a scrooge. Here they are in no particular order.

1. Little Drummer Boy- It is annoying. Where was a drummer boy in the Christmas story? And why was a little boy out at night by himself to be able to play for baby Jesus? I'm not sure why this song bugs so much but I always change the radio station when I hear it.

2. Santa Baby- This song is completely opposite of what Christmas is supposed to be about. Christmas is about love and giving. Santa Baby is all about selfishness and flirting with Santa. And you shouldn't be flirting with Santa, he is a married man.

3. That Christmas shoe song- I don't even know what the name of the song actually is but you know the one I am talking about. It was ok the first time I heard it. It has a good message, you can feel the love the little boy has for his mom. But really it is the most depressing Christmas song ever. A little boy trying to buy some shoes for his mom, who is going to die, so she can look nice when she goes to heaven. What could be more depressing than that? The song is a tear jerker and I don't like tear jerkers. I know that sad things happen even around holidays and I do my best to help people who have a difficult time during the holiday season, but I don't want to hear sad stories in Christmas songs.

4. Grandma got ran over by a reindeer- I know this song is supposed to be funny. But really, a song about a grandma getting killed by Santa's reindeer? It is morbid.

That's it. I guess if I can only think of four Christmas songs I really don't like then I must not be a Scrooge after all. Coming soon, my favorite Christmas songs. I have a feeling it will be a much more difficult list to compile.

What are your least favorite Christmas songs?

Laundry soap

2011-12-05T10:34:00.001-08:00

I haven’t bought laundry soap since 2006. When we got our water softener they gave us a bunch of different soaps that were suppose to work well with soft water. And because of a happy mistake we got twice as much laundry soap as we were supposed to so I didn’t run out of it until this summer.

Once you have gone that long with out having to buy laundry soap it is hard to go back. Fortunately my mom had a homemade laundry soap recipe she wanted to try out so we made some this summer. It is really easy to make and keeps our clothes clean.

With the help of Michael I figured out that you can make enough laundry soap for 300 loads for $10 or less (usually less) depending on the price of the ingredients. And you will have leftovers of some ingredients.

I have made twice now on my own. Once to show my sister-in-laws how and once because I ran out of the small batch I made with my mom.

I use the first recipe from this site.

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated) (1 bar Fels-Naptha)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

2 gallons warm water

1 bucket (big enough to fit 2 gallons)

Also you can add an essential oil of your liking if you like scented laundry soap.

Use your cheese grader to shred your Fels-Naptha. It looks like shredded cheese, but don’t be tempted to eat it. Parker can tell you it doesn’t taste good.

Shredded Fels-Naptha is what clean smells like.

Dissolve the Fels-Naptha in the boiling water. Once the water boils put it on low. . It will take longer to dissolve but prevents a bunch of froth from forming. The froth isn’t bad I just like it better with out it. If you want to add an essential oil add it at this point.

Pour 2 gallons warm water into your bucket and mix in your Borax and Washing soda. Stir that until it is dissolved. Add your water and Fels-Naptha mixture and ta da! your done.

The soap will gel up so don’t worry if it is really thick. Use 1/4 cup for a regular sized load.

Bonus- it’s a very earth friendly recipe for those of you who are into being green.

Happy Endings

2011-11-15T09:34:00.001-08:00

I don’t like books with sad endings. I don’t like tear jerkers. Romeo and Juliet is not my favorite Shakespeare play. I did not enjoy reading Lord of the flies, or The Great Gatsby.

You know that one movie that movie that made you cry and the main character died at the end? I didn’t watch it. I still haven’t seen Episode 3 of Star Wars because I know Anakin is going to turn into Darth Vader.

Growing up my mom sometimes called me her Pollyanna. I prefer to look on the bright side of things. Life is much more enjoyable for me when I look forward to all the wonderful things in life and try not to dwell on the negative.

Even though I am an eternal optimist I know life isn’t always perfect and that people have gone through horrible things I couldn’t even imagine. Life is full of struggles and trials that I will have to deal with. Hopefully I will come through a better person and help other people a long the way. Some of my favorite books and stories are ones about people enduring and over coming great difficulties. These are the types of sad stories I like to read and sad movies I enjoy watching.

Stories about people overcoming amazing things or sacrificing to save others. If I am going to cry in a movie I want it to be for a good reason not because a teenager killed themselves because they thought thought their one true love had died.

One of my all time favorite books is Mrs. Mike. It is the story about a young women who moves to Canada to live with her uncle and hopefully improve her delicate health. She ends up falling in love with a Mountie and living in the Canadian wilderness. Her life is not easy and there are several parts in the book that make me teary. But the story isn’t about how hard her life is, it is about how she overcomes hardships and becomes a happier, stronger person because of it.

The Great Escape will be my movie example. It is based on the true story of a mass escape from Stalag Luft III, a prisoner of war camp in Poland during World War II. While many of the men in the movie die, they die fighting for what they believe is good and right.

Stories like To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Giving Tree, Charlotte’s Webb, and The Scarlet Letter all have something in common. They are not sad just for the sake of being sad. They are the stories of overcoming challenges. They stories of triumph of good over evil. They are stories of people choosing to do the right thing even if it means being persecuted or even loosing their life. These stories remind me that while some times the story of a person’s life seems to be a tragedy if you keep an eternal perspective you can know that it will have a happy ending.

Masking tape

2011-11-07T09:36:00.001-08:00

As I was using some masking tape this morning I was struck by the thought of how useful it is. Back in August I was shopping for school supplies. One of the things on Stephen's list was masking tape. So I got him a roll and figured since I didn't have any at the house I would buy a roll to keep. It had been several years since there was any masking tape in the house and I think I had forgotten how awesome it is. It has come in handy many times since I bought it.

If I could only pick one type of tape to use for the rest of my life I would choose duck tape. But if I could pick two the second would definitely be masking tape.

There are three main qualities that masking tape has that make it so fabulous. You can easily tear off a piece, it is easy to peel off of things and it doesn’t leave a residue behind. So not only can you quickly use it to attach a pirate hat to a child's head you can remove it with out much difficulty.

The following is a list I have created of possible uses for masking tape.

1. Tapping newspaper to the table to use as a drop cloth for painting.

2. Taping paper strips to a chalk board.

3. Taping artwork to a wall.

4. Taping pirate hats to heads.

5. Taping flyers to doors.

6. Wrapping presents.

7. Writing names on the tape and using them as labels.

8. Various art projects.

9. Making a pass-the-parcel.

10. To stop paint from filling the groove at the top of the can cover the rim with masking tape.

11. Making a straight line on paper.

12. Dividing a room into two spaces.

13. Making a cat crawl.

14. Keeping a diaper on a one year old.

15. Homemade wallets.

16. Turning a piece of paper into a telescope.

17. Put beads on it to prevent them from rolling.

18. Wear a roll of it as a bracelet or if you have a small head a hat.

19. Marking off areas you want to paint.

20. Substitute lint remover.

21. Taping someone’s mouth shut.

22. To use a vacuum bag twice cut the bag open on the back, empty it and tape it closed with masking tape.

23. Matting artwork.

24. Taping things to windows.

25. Giving your forehead a surprised look.

Masking tape. Isn’t it wonderful. Now go and use some masking tape today.

Best pancakes in the universe

2011-11-02T10:36:00.001-07:00

At my house we have pancakes more often for dinner than we do for breakfast. They are easy and my kids all like them. Lately I have been trying to mix it up a little bit and do different kinds of pancakes. We have done applesauce pancakes and pumpkin pancakes. They are a little more filling than just a plan pancake and taste good too.

So when I stumbled across this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancake recipe I thought it would make a perfect Halloween dinner. When I showed Michael the recipe he asked me if it was for dessert or dinner.

They were with out a doubt the best pancakes I had ever eaten.

Yes, that is a swirl of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon baked into the pancake.

Mine weren’t as pretty as the ones pictured in the recipe but they were so tasty. It made a lot of batter so I had some more yesterday for lunch.

Instead of syrup it has a glaze made with cream cheese.The pumpkin I used came from my garden. Can you think of a better pancake? No? That’s because there isn’t one.

Sitting in a cubicle

2011-10-24T20:00:00.001-07:00



 When Michael and I were dating he worked as a TA for a computer science class at BYU. His birthday is on Wednesday and I thought I would post this poem he wrote for me while we were dating to show how talented he is and how lucky I am. I doubt many people who know Michael would guess he is actually quite a good poet.

Sitting in a cubicle

I was sitting in a cubical,
Nothing much to do,
But think and dream and wonder
if Katie-Beth was thinking too.

Does someone need help?
"No, not today."
Another student passes by.
So I sit and wait with nothing to say.

Is Katie-Beth smiling?
Is she happy or sad?
Is she laughing and clapping?
Or has the weather been bad?

Perhaps she is playing,
And singing, and dancing.
Maybe she is praying,
And pondering, and listening.

Whatever it be,
Wherever she's gone,
Whomever she's with,
Whatever she's done.

Remember that Mike
Thinks your worth's beyond rubies,
And your simplest smile
Without compare in the movies.

And so silently I sit,
And my cubical fill,
Thinking and dreaming
Of Katie-Beth still.

Now who wouldn’t fall for a guy if he wrote them a poem like that?

Presents

2011-10-17T13:40:00.001-07:00

Michael’s birthday is in about a week and I have been thinking about presents. He is very hard to shop for because there isn’t much he wants. The things that he likes (books, piano books, computer games) take time that he doesn’t usually have. I think he just finished a book he got for Christmas last year. The only thing he could think of what going out on a date so we are going to do that. While I think I do better at thinking of things he can get me for birthdays and Christmas I can sympathize with the difficulty of thinking of a good present. It is much harder to think of something as an adult.
I still have two of the first presents I remember getting. A blue snuffuluffulgus ( I completely guessed on the spelling) and a cabbage patch kid. I got the snuffuluffulgus on my fourth birthday, which happened to be the day we moved into our house in Dupont. I remember sitting on the stairs and telling the movers that it was my birthday and that I was four.

I’m still not exactly sure if it is a mouse or a bear. But it was squishy and silky and perfect to snuggle with and use as a pillow.
I think got my cabbage patch doll that same year for Christmas, possibly the year after.

The actual doll is a box that is hard to access right now, but this is one of it outfits. It also has a swimsuit (that I think it is currently wearing.) I remember holding it with my arms out stretched and spinning around.
When I was about 8 or 9 I got a skip it for my birthday. It counted how many times you could jump over it. I think it was the perfect gift for a very energetic girl.

This girl is not me but if she put some glasses on could play the young Katie-Beth in the movie about my life.
When I was 13 my parents gave me bead/jewelry making kit. It had a bunch of beads, hemp to weave into bracelets and necklaces and about 10 different colors of fimo clay to mold my own beads. I loved it. I still have the cool container it came in although all the original supplies were used up long ago.
When I was 16 my Mom took me to a place fancier than Supercuts (It might have been JCPenny’s) to chop off my long hair and get a completely different style haircut. She also took me to a make up place to learn how to do basic make up. We went to out to eat afterwards and I got an omelet that had avocados in it. That night there was a stake dance. I wore contacts for one of the first and only times and there were a few people who didn’t recognize me, I loved it.
I still love birthdays and Christmas as an adult and a mom but my excitement is for different reasons. I love to think of what to get people and try and find the perfect present. Especially my kids. It is so fun to see them open a present and want to play with it right away. It usually takes most of the day to get through presents at Christmas. They are still in the "look at this awesome new toy, I should stop and play with it right now” phase which I love instead of the “let’s hurry and open all my loot so I can see everything that I got phase.”
From years of receiving gifts as a child and now years of giving gifts as an adult I have learned a lot.
1. It really is the thought that counts. The gifts I have loved the most have been ones that people put thought into or were made especially for me.
3. You never know which present kids will love the most, and it usually isn’t the one you would expect.
4. Kids don’t need a lot of gifts or expensive gifts to be happy. If a kid would be happier playing with a plastic hanger than an expensive toy, go with the hanger.
5. It is much easier to pick out gifts for kids than adults.
It is Only October but I have already gotten a few Christmas presents and am excited to find just the right thing for everyone on my list. Coming soon, How to give the perfect gift.

Things I don’t care about

2011-10-11T09:28:00.001-07:00

1. Who won the Super Bowl or World Series or NBA play offs.

2. Having a smart phone.

3. Always wearing make-up.

4. Designer shoes (designer anything really).

5. Driving a fancy car.

6. My daughter’s outfit not matching at all.

7. Eating organic food.

8. Being trendy.

9. Getting a hair cut more than twice a year.

10. Having a spotless house all the time.

11. Having super powers.

12. Being super skinny.

13. My kids being really in to sports.

14. TV

15. Seeing movies in the theatre.

16. Big birthday parties.

17. Designer kids clothes.

18. Celebrities or their babies.

19. The Oscars, Grammy’s or any award show.

20. The Easter bunny.

Lucky me

2011-10-03T16:04:00.001-07:00

I remember looking for four leaf clovers as a kid. The search would last for about fifteen minutes and then I would give up. Or I would pick two leaves of of one clover and try and hold the remaining leaf next to another clover to make it look like a four leaf clover, it didn’t ever fool anyone for long.

Yesterday I found a real one. And I wasn’t even looking. I was just sitting in the grass at a park, I looked down and there it was. A perfect four leaf clover. I think this means I get at least one year of good luck.

The craziest part is that about one minute after I found a four leaf clover my six year old son said “Look Mom, I found one too!”

And he had. Here we are with our clovers.

My sister was with us and told me that you get one wish if you find a four leaf clover. Stephen wished that he would find a leprechaun. What would you wish for if you found a four leaf clover?

September weather

2011-09-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

When it comes to weather September is without a doubt my favorite month. Most of the month is still technically summer but you don’t get very many really hot days. It is better than May or June because it is not as rainy.

There is no better month to play outside. It is warm enough that you don’t need a jacket but cool enough that you can run around and play for a long time without melting. I find myself trying to spend more time outside and going to more parks in September than I do in July or August.

My the end of the month you can feel a touch of fall. You can see leaves begin to change color and the nights start to get noticeably longer but it is still warm enough to wear flip flops for a few more weeks.

It is also the month that peaches are in season. My favorite breakfast ever is a bowl of sliced peaches frozen just enough so that the milk you pour on it freezes to the peaches but they are still soft enough to eat. Sprinkle a little sugar on it and enjoy.

Enjoy this wonderful September weather while it last. Now I think I will get the kids and go to the park.

Forget-me-nots

2011-09-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

I’m guessing that most people who read this blog know that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Once a year in September there is a meeting for all the women of the church. We had the privilege of of hearing from some of the women leaders in our church as well as Dieter F. Uchtdorf who is a member of the first presidency of the church. I always enjoy listening to what the leaders of the church have to say. I always feel uplifted and happy at the end of the meeting. I think because women are often hard on them selves that the people who are chosen to talk focus on positive things.

All of the speakers did an excellent job but President Uchtdorf’s seemed to be addressed just to me. I’m sure many women felt this way. He began his talk by saying that he loved forget-me-nots. They are not the biggest or most showy flower but the when put in a garden the small blue flower adds greatly to it’s beauty.

He told the German legend of the forget-me-not. When God was done naming all the animals and plants there was one little blue flower that had been forgotten. It quietly said “Forget me not o Lord.” God told the flower that it its name would be forget-me-not. The forget-me-not has five petals. President Uchtdorf went on to talk about five things that we should not forget. The five things seemed to match up perfectly with a lot of what I have been thinking about lately and trying to focus on.

1. Forget not to be patient with yourself. Perfection is a long term goal, its ok if your not their yet. Be thankful for your successes and find wonder in the little steps.

There are so many things that I know I could be better at. And I am working on them. But I am improving everyday.

2. Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a bad sacrifice. Ask yourself am I committing my time and energy to what matters most?

I worry sometimes about getting everything done. I want my house my house clean, laundry done and dinner made. It is rarely all done at once. Right now I have dishes in my sink and laundry that needs folding. Not to mention all the other house related projects I want to get done. I also want to spend time with my kids, help them learn, teach them to be independent and play with them. And I need to find time to study the scriptures, fulfill my callings, support Michael in his.

Maybe the fact that the dishes aren’t done and the laundry still needs folding shows that I spending time on one of the things matters most to me, my children. I think I have been interrupted at least five times so far while writing this post to help a kid do something.

I know I won’t be able to get everything done in a day that I want to. I just need to try and make sure that the most important things aren’t forgotten.

3. Forget not to be happy now. In the story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory everyone is looking for a golden ticket in their candy bar. People set their happiness on getting the ticket. They focus so much on the ticket that they forget to enjoy the candy bar. It is good to hope for and seek after good things, but don’t put your happiness on hold while doing so.

It is easy for me to fall into this trap. Things will be better when I have my dream house, or when my kids learn to not be picky eaters, or after Parker is potty trained or when they are all in school and I have some time to myself.

It will be nice when some of the things I look forward to happen but there are a lot of things to be happy about now. I got to go out to lunch with Michael on Friday. Stephen loves to learn, it is fun to hear what he has to say. Kathryn draws me a picture nearly everyday and loves to help me with William. I love to hear Parker sing songs to me, Itsy Bitsy Spider and and Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam. When William sees me walk into a room his face lights up and he reaches for me.

I know that the things I am looking forward to might not seem important to other people. I also now that no matter what you feel like you are missing in your life it is possible to happy where you are. I hope and pray that the people I love and care about are happy in their lives right now.

4. Forget not the why of the gospel. The gospel is not an obligation it is a pathway. When we remember why we difficult things they are not a burden.

Michael and were talking about a religion last night that claims there is no life after this one. My first thought was what is the purpose of even having a religion if you don’t believe in life after death? Nearly everything I do in life is affected by my belief that life goes on after we die. How I treat others, how I raise my children the things I try to learn and study, the ways I try to improve myself. I know that the actions and choices that I make in this life are important.

I know that families can be together forever. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who cares about all his children. I know that everyone will have the opportunity for decide for themselves if the gospel is true.

5. Forget not that the Lord loves you. The same person who created the universe as well as the simple forget-me-not flower knows me and loves me. He loves us with an infinite love.

He loves me even when I am forgetting the first four things. No matter where I am in life or what my struggles are I know that my Heavenly Father loves me.

Ice-cream

2011-09-22T08:25:00.001-07:00

Monday afternoon a person from our ward knocked on our door and asked if we wanted any ice-cream. If he had known me at all he wouldn’t have needed to ask. Apparently he used to work for an Tillamook and still has connections. He is retired now and likes to give ice-cream to a different family each week as a treat for family night. I think that is a great way to serve people.

He gave us a few different options and I chose mint chocolate chip. It was delicious. I love to eat ice-cream. I don’t think I have ever eaten a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in four separate servings. One of my favorite things to do is to sit on the couch at night, eating a bowl of ice-cream and watch a good show with Michael.

I have many wonderful memories connected to ice-cream. Never ending ice-cream cones at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, service projects at Dairy Queen, Friday ice-cream with my friend Amanda, Baskin-Robbins after band concerts, home-made ice-cream on the Fourth of July, Phish Food with Darcy, I could go on.

If I had to chose between breaking my leg or never eating ice-cream again I would go with breaking my leg.

Put Jimmer In!

2011-09-20T08:47:00.001-07:00

I am not a sports fan. The two sports I did in high school (cross-country and track) aren’t really spectator sports. My husband doesn’t ever watch sports and probably doesn’t know the difference between a touchdown and a grand slam. Basically watching or following sports are not a significant part of my life, at all.

There are two exceptions to this, the Olympics and BYU sports. I love watching the Olympics and I kind of follow BYU sports. I am a BYU alum so of course I always want them to win. My Dad is a huge BYU sports fan. If you want to know about the latest game or what the pros and cons are to BYU football going independent just ask him.

This year my Dad decided to drive down to watch the BYU-Utah football game. Drive down from Washington. The night before the game. He was in Provo for less than 12 hours. I think that shows the level of his commitment to BYU sports.

He had gotten tickets for my sister and I to go with him to go to the game. Going to a BYU football game with a huge BYU sports fan is like watching a movie with someone laughs and makes jokes in a all the rights spots, it makes it a lot more fun. I had been looking forward to going to the game with my dad for a few weeks.

So Saturday morning I put on my BYU shirt and get ready for the game. My dad and sister show up and we head over to the stadium.

We were totally pumped. The BYU-Utah game is almost always a close game. BYU had the advantage of being at home and we were sure they were going to win. Darcy and I thought we would be funny and make a sign that said “Put Jimmer In!” to wave around just in case they got a point behind.

I’m sure glad we made the sign because it got a lot a laughs as we held it up while BYU was being hammered.

When there was about 8 minutes left and BYU was behind 10 to 40 my dad turned to me and said he couldn’t take it anymore, it hurt to much. So we left. The final score was BYU 10 Utah 54. They probably would have played better if they put Jimmer in.

I think I am glad I’m not an intense sports fan. It hurts much when your team looses.

Curry

2011-09-16T10:35:00.001-07:00

Growing up there were three dinners that my Dad would cook. BBQ, fish sticks and Rice-a-Roni and Japanese style curry. When he made curry it was always on Sunday and it was always a big production. He would spend at least an hour chopping up veggies, when we were old enough he would let us do it. But not before he had given us a lecture on the proper way to cut a carrot, or celery or whatever veggie he had you cut. He would use a blend of medium and hot curry.

I remember always hanging around for when he added the curry to the veggies and water. I love how you could slice the curry like a big block of chocolate. The curry would slowly dissolve and turn the water into a thick sauce. You knew it was ready when you could smell it all throughout the house.

Dinner was always pretty quiet on the nights we had curry. Everyone was busy enjoying their curry and trying to eat fast enough to get seconds.

We always looked forward to the Sundays that Dad made curry.

Shortly after Michael and I got married and decided to make him curry. He loved it and I learned something about making curry. It is really easy. Because of the big production Dad always turned it into I had always thought it was hard. But basically you just cook some chicken. Boil some chopped veggies, add the curry, mix it together and pour it over rice. I guess when your dinner repertoire only includes three things you have to make them look more difficult than they are.

Yesterday was one of my best friends birthday and I took her out to lunch. I got someone to watch my kids which meant we didn’t have to go to a restaurant with a play place attached. My friend chose to eat at Thai Mango and Thursday’s special happened to be Massaman curry. As I was eating my lunch it reaffirmed my love for curry. Japanese, Indian or Thai, any type of curry is delicious. Mmmmmm curry. Go eat some for dinner tonight.

French braids

2011-09-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

When I was about five my mom cut off my hair and gave me what my dad called a pixie cut. Basically a very short bob. It was cute and easy to take care of, but I couldn’t wait for it to grow out. Because there is one big downside to short hair. You can’t braid it. I remember asking about every week when I was eight if my hair was long enough to French braid yet.

By the time I was 11 or 12 I had taught myself to French braid my own hair. I remember braiding all the girls hair at my first year of girls camp.

I loved French braids then and I love them still.

I love how they look. I love how they keep all your hair back with out feeling to tight like a pony tail can. And I love that Kathryn finally has long enough hair to French braid and the patience to sit still long enough for me to do it.

Doesn’t it look nice?

I can grow zucchini and eat it too

2011-09-12T15:34:00.001-07:00

I remember going to the store once with my sister and trying to buy some zucchini. She told me that you didn’t buy zucchini you waited for a neighbor or relative to give you some.

This summer I decided to finally have my own garden. It isn’t very big but it is doing great. I have made salsa with my own tomatoes and peppers. I have five pumpkins sitting on my kitchen counter and at least fifteen more growing.

And I have zucchini. So far my family and I have been able to successfully eat all the zucchini we have grown without pawning it off on our friends and family. My favorite way of eating it is in chocolate zucchini bread.

Just to prove how good I am at growing zucchini here is a picture of one I picked this morning.

The cute baby in the picture is to show how big the zucchini is. This zucchini is destined to be in some lentil soup. I think my first year as a vegetable gardener has been a success!

Cream of Wheat

2011-09-12T15:19:00.001-07:00

I woke up at about 3 o’ clock this morning because I was a little cold. I quickly pulled up the blanket and fell back asleep. The nights are getting colder and there is a chill in the morning. And that means I can start having Cream of Wheat for breakfast.

Oatmeal is ok, but Cream of Wheat is so much better. It has a nice smooth texture. I love the way brown sugar melts perfectly into it. I love how when I take a bite of it I can feel it’s warmness move down my throat and into my stomach. I love taking a drink of ice cold milk right after a spoonful of hot Cream of Wheat.

I know school has started, apples are beginning to be is season and leaves will soon start changing color, but to me one of the first real signs of fall is when I come downstairs in the morning and have Cream of Wheat for breakfast.

I am Katie-Beth

2011-09-12T11:12:00.001-07:00

Occasionally I meet new people and have the typical introductory conversation. I like to talk to new people, the conversation usually goes something like this. Of course I generally ask the same questions to “new person” but their answers aren’t important right now.

new person: Where are you from?

me: I grew up in Washington state.

new person: What brought you to Utah?

me: I came to go to school at BYU and ended marrying a Utah boy.

new person: What did you study at BYU?

me: Family History and Genealogy

new person: I didn’t know that was a major. Do you work?

me: nope I am a stay and home mom, and I love it.

new person: That’s great. What do you like to do, what are your hobbies?

This is where I get stuck. I do have hobbies, and I like to do a wide variety of things. But I always end up saying the same thing.

me: I love to read, spend time with my kids and husband, and do things outside. Really, I am much more unique and exciting than I sound.

new person: That’s nice.

I may or may go on to get this person better and they might realize there is much more to me than a love of reading and my family. But lately I have felt like their aren’t very many people who really know me. Who know why I am an interesting person. What makes me happy and why I would be an awesome person to be friends with.

When I was a teenager I had no problem putting myself out their and meeting new people. I was good at drawing out shy people and befriending the loner. I was always busy, doing new things and loving life. Now I spend most of my time at home, with my kids and husband. I am still always busy and I love my life but I don’t want to be defined by just my role as a wife and mother.

This blog is to show (myself) who I am. What I love to do, what I am good at, what I actually accomplish in a day. It’s to show that I have hobbies other than reading and that I am more than just a mom to four amazing kids. While my family is without a doubt the most important part of my life and I’m sure will show up in this blog they are not all that defines me. I am woman. I am a wife. I am a mother. I am Katie-Beth.