Where did I go wrong?

I love to bake. I have several tried and tested recipes that I love to use. This year I am trying to perfect those I and add a few more to my collection. I found a recipe a few years ago in a supermarket magazine for some delicious cranberry and ginger muffins. I made them a few times and they were delicious. I felt like a good cook, they tasted, and looked really great. This Christmas I pulled the recipe out again and tried it. They tasted awful - they were dry beyond dry and rock solid. Where had I gone wrong? Not to be beaten I tried again, this time with slightly different ingredients. Surely apricots and ginger would be a lovely combination for a muffin? Unfortunatly I ended up with the driest most unappetising muffin creations on the planet. (Maybe a slight exaggeration - but remember I'm a perfectionist and I love to bake, I'm feeling a little miffed).

Could it have been the apricots?

Or maybe one of the other ingredients? Was my baking powder just a little past it's best?

Was it the way I mixed it? Too much, too little?

Could it have been the silicone mould I used? Could it have stripped the moisure from my little cakes?

Well, whatever it was I feel a little beaten. This pathetic little cake has me beaten. I'm not sure I will ever try that recipe again. I'm going to look out for other tried and tested recipes, I crave a yummy moist muffin that I can say proudly that I made myself.

Getting crafty...

I love a cute and easy craft project and this one is both. I have loved the sweet flowers that have been so fashionable to wear over the last few seasons. I've looked at them in the shops, but not wanted to pay the crazy prices, so I own very few. However I recently found the easiest tutorial and decided to make my own. Simply cut poly-satin into decreasingly smaller circles, heat edges with a candle so that they curl, and then stitch together. How simple. The process of heating the poly-satin is also quite satisfying - be careful it doesn't burn if you fancy giving it a go. So what am I going to do with my little flower - well I could turn it into a broach? Maybe it would look cute on an alice band in my hair? Or maybe i'll attach it to a necklace? One thing is for sure I'm slightly addicted to how easy they were to make.

Today's snapshot...

Tried to go for a cool retro 70's feel with this one (apart from the hat). Nathaniel was not playing ball today, and this was all I managed to get from my little stinker. But it's a cute one. He's wearing the hat we have put aside to be part of Tayler's WWII evacuation day costume - next week's special school activity day. Thought I'd get the hat out of the dressing up box, dust it off, and put it in Tayler's room so it's ready to go.

5 minutes of portrait photography ...

Tayler's Homework...

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday are Tayler's homework days. He works so hard. He usually has reading, spellings, times tables and a work sheet to do over the three days. He will spend an hour on his homework. In comparison Jarom does very little homework. Spellings and times tables are so easy he only needs to glance at them once and he'll get 10/10. He reads at night before he goes to sleep. And homework sheets usually only take him half an hour - any longer and he moans unbearably. I have started setting him extra maths homework recently.

Tayler works 10 times harder then Jarom does. My boys are so different in so many ways. I feel positive that the support I give Tayler each night helps to push him forward academically. I'm proud of him. And I look forward to helping Jarom with homework from secondary school in September!

Extreme sports...

Yesterday Jarom and Tayler went to play at the skate park with their cousins. Not to be outdone Nathaniel wore his knee pads and helmet round the house as he scooted around.

Lunch...

This is such a typical snapshot from our lives as a family. Nathaniel and I sit each day at 11:45am and have lunch together - sometimes it's a jam sandwich, sometimes ham, or our favourite cheese. We always have a piece of fruit and a bag of crisps. Nathaniel never east a whole bag, so I make a bag last a couple of days. If we're really lucky we have a piece of homemade cake or a cookie. This particular lunch was a sausage for Nathaniel. He loved it! He even asked for more several days later, but it was all gone, daddy had eaten the last one!

A mother's musings...

Today I don't seem to be able to get anything done, though my list of 'thing's to do' grows bigger by the second. I often seem to measure my progress in life by the things ticked off on the list. What I should probably consider are the things I accomplish that are never written down - today I :

1. Read my scriptures, it was a really nice way to start the day.
2. Wiped Nathaniel's 'snotty' nose more times then I care to recall.
3. Kissed my husband and told him how much I love and appreciate him.
4. Stayed calm when my oldest son recalled his bad behaviour at school.
5. Pondered the effectiveness of a YW activity I ran yesterday evening, and determined that I would make some changes within myself to make it better next time.
6. Did some washing and carefully made dad's bed with new sheets.
7. Patiently corrected my two year old when he shouted at me.
8. Tidied a little.
9. Looked after my daddy.

I guess I have accomplished something after all. And the day isn't over, there is still time to get back to the other list.

Just practicing...

My boys were very good last night for family home evening. I needed willing subjects to practice my new lights on, and they were very obliging - for all of 5 minutes. Thanks boys. At least I know they work when I plug them in.

MIA.... Sorry

Hey Howdy Hey, I'm back. Last week was such a crazy busy week - Grandpa had a birthday, then Jason and then we had fun family time over the weekend. It all ended in me becoming exhausted (still suffering a little), and not taking pictures. Darn it - I had such big plans for a photograph a day! So may be I won't manage a photograph a day, but I will manage several each month.

So today's snapshot is from my game of Scrabble yesterday with my 11 year old - Jarom. I often call him my genius, and yesterday was no exception. He won our little game by over 60 points with an incredible score of 273. Genius. And it was his first ever game. Have I already mentioned that my son is a genius? So how did he manage this? With words like - Hilarious and Valhalla (he had to explain the definition to me). Genius. Enough said! So I'd like to think that because I'm his mother that I can take a little credit - maybe the genes, or maybe the love of reading I instil in him, but not I'm really not sure I can take any credit at all!

My personal goals 2011

I have been writing new years goals or resolutions for as long as I can remember. A Few years ago, in order to be more organised I decided to give more structure to my goals. My goals are now based upon my roles & purposes at this stage in my life. The scriptures inspire me to stay on track.

Mother - Proverbs 31:27-28 ‘She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed;’

1. Prepare Tayler for baptism, continue to support him with swimming & school.
2. Help Jarom to complete ‘Faith in God’ program & receive the Priesthood. Prepare for secondary school.
3. Help Nathaniel to settle in nursery & potty train during the summer ready for preschool 2012.
4. Read the Book of Mormon this year - as a family & as a personal goal.
5. Prepare healthy & nutritious foods for the family - sprout beans & use wheat.
6. Set a good example by exercising.

Wife - Proverbs 31:11 ‘The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her’

1. Spend quality time with Jason regularly.
2. Listen carefully to him & support his ideas as patriarch of the home.

Daughter - Exodus 20:12 ‘Honour thy father and thy mother’

1. Patiently care for Dad’s needs.

Sister - Colossians 4:6 ‘Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.’

1. Communicate with my brother & sister regularly.
2. Do not set high expectations for them.

Calling’s - Isaiah 54:13 ‘All thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children’.

1. Encourage the YW to complete their personal progress - use Fast Sunday’s to inspire.
2. Use reminders to encourage the YW
3. Plan and conduct monthly activities that will encourage the YW complete their personal progress.

Photographer -Philippians 4:8 ‘Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.’

1. Improve my skills as a photographer.
2. Grow the business - use facebook & charity events.
3. Use ‘love’ to motive the decisions I make to help the business grow.

Today's picture - my crazy boy - sitting on the desk in the office pulling faces. A face only a mother could love?

An important date for our diaries...

Tayler turns 8 on the 6th February. Birthday party plans still to be arranged, but one thing is for sure, he'll be getting baptised. As a parents, we just can't express how wonderful it is to have each of our boys turn 8 and choose to be baptised. We are so proud of them for the decision they have made.

Tayler and I worked on a baptism programme on Sunday and checked the details with Bishop at church. Here's a copy for you to see -

We haven't asked anyone to actually do any of the assignments yet - better get to that quickly!

Here's Tayler's baptism invitation too. There are so many friends and family members to inform, it's always easier to send an invitation.

We will of course take pictures closer to the big day.

Daily Snapshots 2nd & 3rd of January

Sunday Evening after church we made homemade soup for dinner. It was fun to make together and Tayler enjoyed extra helpings of bread & butter. Making more homemade soup is one of my personal goals for the year. I'm hoping to help us to be healthier and then start making my own bread to go with it. Yum!

Today's picture is of Nathaniel in his new 'Big Boy Bed'! Wow wee! This was a bit of a spur of the moment decision for me today, but he's proven that he's ready for it. He loves getting comfy in everyone else's 'big beds' in the house, even Grandpa's - Nathaniel jumps in as soon as Grandpa get's out. So I thought why not take the side off of his cot-bed? He is 2 now after all, and not a baby anymore. We've had a few tears from him, but only because he knows he's not allowed to get out of bed and play with the toys. Hum, we'll see how long his good behaviour lasts.

Our family goals for the New Year!

We have two major goals for 2011 as a family

1. To take a photograph a day of our family life - some call it project 365. We're going to call it 'Daily Snapshots'. At the end of the year we'll gather all our photographs and put them in a photobook, then we'll have a wonderful record of all we've done and how we've grown.
2. Read the Book of Mormon. Each of us will read the Book of Mormon by ourselves this year. We'll continue with our family study at dinner time, but each of us will read in our own time. Nathaniel has been let off a little, he can read the Book of Mormon reader. We're so excited about our goal - the boys are off to an amazing start competing to see who can read the most in one sitting. We downloaded some really cool charts to measure our progress. Cute huh!

Rocking in the New Year...

The very talented Nathaniel Beale held his very first rock concert to entertain us all on New Year's Eve. We were all very impressed! We also spent some quiet time playing with Nanny's gift of Play-dough! Thanks Nanny, Nathaniel loved this! When Nathaniel was rocked out and in bed, Daddy, Jarom & Tayler went out to the ward barn dance and New Year's Eve party. Thay had a great time - Tayler let Daddy know he was only there for the food, but surprised him by dancing the night away. Grandpa and I stayed in to babysit Nathaniel and watched a movie. We have certainly had a wonderful 2010. We have enjoyed every minute of being together as a family and look forward to the events 2011 will bring. Happy New Year to all our family & friends.