Year End 2011

So, we haven't updated our blog in a while. I thought it might be time now, with Christmas just past and the end of the year around the corner. We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It is so much fun now that our little man is big enough to really enjoy it. We are so thankful for our wonderful friends and family that made it such a special day. We had a couple of surprises this holiday season. Early in the season one night we received a gift card from an anonymous neighbor, which really helped with some of the holiday expenses. Then, on Christmas Eve, we received another package. Inside it was a little gift for Gideon and stuff for Mom and Dad. What a special thing to feel that loved, especially when Bruce is still unemployed.

Our other exciting news is that we are expecting a little girl in April. We are excited to have her join our family. It is a little bit stressful to be facing this without a job, but we know that Heavenly Father will help us in this wonderful opportunity. Gideon will be such a great big brother and Daddy is excited to have a little girl to spoil!

The Legacy Left Behind

I have often thought about what kind of legacy I want to leave behind. This question has come more to my mind these last two weeks as we celebrated my grandmother, who passed away on August 27, 2011 at the age of 88. So I get to share a few of my fondest memories of her and how I hope that when I have reached that age, I can leave the kind of enduring legacy she has.

My grandmother was a farmers wife. Even in the years when they didn't farm. I hear stories of how thrifty she was, how she loved life even when life didn't seem to love her back. She was the proud mama of 10 children, 48 grandchildren, and 85 and counting great grandchildren. I am so sad that my children won't get to know her, but I am so grateful that I have some pictures of her and Gideon. Her funeral was a celebration for all of those people. My father says that he suspects the number of people celebrating her on the other side was probably a lot higher, and I tend to agree. After ten years, she gets to join her sweetheart on the other side, plus two of her boys who preceded her in death.

My memories of my grandma are simple. She was the most amazing cook. I really believe that her motto may really have been "Only cowards cook on low!" When we would visit her farm as kids, she would make the most amazing breakfasts. The kind that as a kid make you so excited. Pancakes, homemade syrup, oatmeal, cold cereal, eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice, fresh milk, and all of the other foods you could possibly hope for. To this day, I miss those breakfasts. She also made these amazing Christmas tins for the holidays full of her fudge, brittle, and all of her wonderful candy. I will admit that her fruitcake is the only fruitcake I have ever cared for. At her funeral, though, I found out that even though this was her specialty, she never really cared for it. She made it because she knew her family loved it.

She was a woman of faith. I remember her playing the piano and singing. She was always singing. I remember kneeling down for family prayers with her and the way her hands felt when she would hold mine while we prayed. I remember the wonderful birthday cards that she sent me every year, with their words of encouragement. Her promises that if I kept living faithfully all of my righteous desires would happen. She was right. Maybe not when I wanted things, but she was right.

I hope someday that I can leave behind the same legacy she leaves. I hope someday that people will look at me and say "You remind me of her." As I raise my children, I hope that I can have that same strength of character and conviction that she had. It's funny how much a funeral can make you reevaluate your own goals and desires. I hope that I can be the same kind of wife and mother that she was!

Life Ain't Always Easy...

My goal in starting this blog was to tell about our little family. All of our ups and downs (with more ups, preferably). We have had a wonderful summer. But interlaced with all of the good things came the hardest part of our summer. Bruce is still looking for a job. With graduation in May came the hard part of him finding a teaching job. He still hasn't found one and most schools start in a week. I am so grateful for my husband, for his hard work and his willingness to do whatever it takes to take care of our family. Unfortunately for him, this may mean not being a teacher for a while as he has not received any job offers. I hate the fact that he has to give up his dream a little. It is not what we planned for our little family. I know that Heavenly Father is taking care of us, though, so I have to trust that there really is a reason behind this. We have had so many prayers offered from family on our behalf in the search for a job and we really appreciate this. Keep 'em coming. Hopefully the Walther household will be gainfully employed soon and Bruce can get back to doing what he wants to do!

Gideon turned one at the end of July. What a fun time! It's hard to believe its been a year since this boy who is so full of energy came into our lives. We've spent two weeks partying for him. He had a party at Grandma and Grandpa Walther's house, cupcakes at camping, and another party for my mothers family (the Cressall Clan). Now we can post all of these fun pics and celebrate what a wonderful boy we have. We also got to go on several camping trips this summer. It was more of an adventure than I imagined. Taking a one year old camping requires a lot more packing than I knew was possible. But we had a blast. We went to Moab, to the Olpin reunion, and to the Loveless reunion. I am excited and sad to say our camping season has pretty much come to an end.

Gideon got to experience a lot of firsts this summer too. His first trip to the zoo with Mor Mor. His first train ride. His first fireworks show. How fun it was to see it all through his eyes. I was positive that he would be scared at the fireworks. Nope. He just sat in his dads lap and watched with wide eyes. No scaredy cat at our house! It reminded me of what a great thing it was seeing all of that when I was growing up. I hope that our kids (future one's included) can really learn to enjoy life and find wonder in the experiences. Thank you, baby boy, for reminding me of that.

Last- the cookie count. After taking cookies to every major family event this summer, our cookie count is now at 906. I am well on my way to my 2000 goal. I have a couple of major cookie events (yes, that is how I calculate events by; can I bring cookies to that?) coming up, so hopefully that number will jump above 1000 by the end of August. Again, any recipes would be welcome!

Big day!

We have had a great couple of weeks. This Friday, Bruce graduates from the U with a degree in Elementary Education. We are so excited to celebrate this wonderful event. He has been such a great husband and provider and we know that he will continue to do great. There are certain people that are made to do a certain profession. For Bruce it is teaching. I am so pleased with him. We will take lots of pictures and be sure to share them with all of our family and friends.

We also had our first Easter with Gideon. While we tried to focus as a family on the Resurrection, it was a special day. What made it even more special was the opportunity to spend time with our family. We got to spend the day with Bruce's parents. Gideon got to go on his first Easter Egg hunt thanks to Mor Mor. We are so thankful for our little family. We are thankful for this wonderful time of year, for spring renewal and for Easter and the wonderful promise that it brings to us.

My cookie count for the year is 341. I have made several different types of cookies, but I wanted to share two of my recent recipes with you. I have to admit that my favorite one has been the carrot cookies. However, Bruce is more fond of the traditional. One of these days I'm going to find a super great recipe that is new and exciting and that he will love.

The carrot cookie is a citrus flavored cookie that is light and super moist. I made them fairly small so that they could be almost a one bite cookie. Yummy. It is a little time consuming due to having to cook the carrots and mash them as well as having to frost the cookies, but so worth the effort! The recipe is courtesy of food.com as well as my grandma. She used to make these cookies and they remind me of my wonderful Grandma Loveless. So, Dad, this cookie recipe is for you. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

2 lbs carrots
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
2-4 Tbsp. orange juice

1. Prepare carrots: wash, peel, and coarsely chop about 2 lbs of carrots. Boil in water until tender, usually about 20 minutes. Drain water from carrots then mash. Allow to cool to room temperature or refrigerate if you are going to prepare the cookie batter later. Measure 2 cups of
carrots for recipe.
2. Preheat oven to 375 f degrees.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Cream together sugar, shortening, eggs, vanilla, and lemon extracts with a mixer in a large mixing bowl
5. Add in combined flour, baking powder, and salt
6. Add cooled mashed carrots and mix in, being careful not to over mix
7. Drop cookie dough by tablespoons onto ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheet, at least one inch apart.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the surface looks dry. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting.
9. Mix the powdered sugar with the butter then add the orange juice a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
10. Frost cookies and store in the refrigerator with layers separated by waxed paper.

Enjoy these cookies. They are amazing. I will post my recipe from today for Zucchini Cookies in the next several days.

Cookie Count

189 cookies for the month of April. We're getting there! Now all we have to do is make 61 sugar cookies for Easter and we'll be set. Such a hardship to make all of those cookies. ;)

My New Goal

Bruce has finished his student teaching. Happy day for us. He was blessed to be with a wonderful teacher and had an awesome experience. Now he's trying for substitute teaching jobs and still working his part time job. This week he should get his final letter of recommendation and hopefully will finish his applications for all of the school districts in our area. Let's pray that something comes up quick so that our family can be gainfully employed!

I am loving being a stay at home mom. It has been so much fun to watch Gideon grow and develop. He has two teeth now! In one week, both of them came up. At this rate, he will have a whole mouthful within a couple of months! He is such a sweet, happy boy. I hate to see him in pain with teething, but it has been so nice to have him cuddle up to Mama. It's the best part of the day. We went and had pictures taken with the Easter Bunny at the mall and I'm already planning on how to scrapbook them. Unfortunately, they are copyrighted, so none of you get to see them. But I have some other fun pics to add today.

As part of being a stay at home mom, I have had the opportunity to spend more time doing the hobby I love; cooking! I have had a blast trying out new recipes and having my nephew help me make cookies. He is going to be one heck of a cook by the time he is three! :) This got me thinking. Last year I had a co-worker who made a goal of making 2000 cookies in a year. She didn't quite make it, but I rather enjoyed tasting the fruit of her labors. So this year, I'm doing the same thing. And I'm trying all sorts of new recipes. For the few people who actually read my blog, and would like cookies, here is the rule: I'll make cookies if you provide me with a new recipe to try. But let's be honest. Even if you don't provide a recipe, you may still end up with a plate on your doorstep. I would just like to try new recipes. And I'll share the recipes on here that I've tried and my family has enjoyed.

Today's recipe is Applesauce Chocolate Chip cookies. They are super moist and have a fluffy texture. So far, I'm a fan. Thanks to my mom's ward cookbook for providing the recipe!

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. applesauce
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. shortening or butter (I made it with butter)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

In a small bowl, combine applesauce and soda. Let stand. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in applesauce. Add sifted ingredients along with chocolate chips and nuts. drop from teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 8 to 12 minutes. (I have a convection oven and found the magic number on my oven to actually be 7 minutes. So watch them carefully!) Makes between 4 to 5 dozen small cookies.

Total count for cookies for the month of April is 93. I'll update it at least monthly, but with Easter this month, I think I can easily double this number before the end of the month. My goal is about 250 cookies a month to reach the goal for the year!

Staying Home

I made the greatest decision of my life at the beginning of the month. After some thought and prayer, Bruce and I made the decision for me to quit my job and become a full time stay at home. It is one of those moments that I was absolutely terrified for. But it has been the best two weeks since I have been home. I get to spend all day with my baby and I get to have my nephew with me. My sister, Cheree, has been wonderful to let me watch her little one to help earn some extra money.

When I had told someone that I was quitting to be a mom, I was asked if that wasn't wasting my education. I honestly believe that my having an MBA is only an asset for my children. The more you educate a mother, the better it is for the children. The best job I could ever do is be a mom and I find myself feeling so blessed to have this opportunity. No matter how tight money is or how little our house will be (when we finally get one), it will be worth it to be there for my children. I want to be there when first steps are taken, when knees are skinned and need to be kissed better, and all of those special moments that I couldn't get if I was working.

Bruce is just finishing up his student teaching for the semester. He has been working so hard and I get to watch how he has developed into such a great teacher. I am so excited to see him in a class of his own. When April comes, he gets to work on his licensure and then on to finding a job. I am so grateful for him. He has worked so hard to finish this degree and he has such a love for education. If all of our teachers loved what they did as much as Bruce does, we would be in great shape. The truth of the matter is that I think most teachers choose to teach out of a love for kids. They couldn't possibly do it for the pay! Thank you for all of the teachers out there who devote so much time to doing lesson plans and grading papers and so many other menial tasks.

As part of that, I have gotten back into the habit of cooking dinner. I love cooking and I have had such fun finding new recipes and ways to use ingredients in my house. So, hopefully, this recipe will be as popular at your house as it was at mine. To be fair, the original recipe came from Paula Deen, but I did make some minor changes to fit with what I had in my fridge and because I hate fake cheese! So here it goes:

Stuffed Red Peppers
4 large red bell peppers
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 c cooked rice
1 c shredded cheese
1/2 c salsa
1/2 c sour cream
1 c. diced tomatoes.
1/2 c. chopped green onion tops
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 c hot water

Preheat oven to 350. Start by cutting the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems intact and halving them also. Remove the seeds and ribs inside the peppers.

Using a hot skillet, saute the ground beef, pork, onion, garlic, 1 tsp bouillon, and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute until onions become translucent. Drain the fat off. Add the rice, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, soy sauce, and salsa. Mix well and stuff the mixture into the peppers. In a small bowl, mix the hot water and the remaining bouillon. Pour this mixture into a shallow casserole dish large enough to hold all of the peppers. Place the stuffed peppers in the dish, cover with foil, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Remove the foil and spoon the juice from bottom of the dish over the top of the peppers. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

These are so yummy! Now I just need to make dessert.

New Years Resolutions

I think every person in the world has uttered these words: "I'm going to be more patient." I honestly believe we are all trying to be more patient. For me, this is an area I have struggled with for years. Bruce laughs at me because I regularly say "I don't want to wait." I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning. Life seems to dish up a whole bunch of things that require patience. Patience until I can be a stay at home mom. Patience until Bruce graduates from college. Patience while my son is screaming because he's teething (yes, he is already teething. Yay for Walther genes!). I have made as my resolution something that may not be measurable but is something that I need to do to make me a better person. Part of this resolution is counting the blessings that I currently have instead of looking forward to what is to come. I want to enjoy the moments in life as they are happening. I have a wonderful husband and son and am so immensely blessed.

Our son really is teething. I have never heard of a five month old teething. But it happened today when I felt a little mouth chomp down on my arm. Everything in our house goes into his mouth. This makes a mom rethink where she sets a baby. It is fun to watch him, but his cranky little cry makes me smile too. These are all moments that I want to cherish. He will grow up and someday I will look at him and wish I could do the teething again rather than have him be a cranky teenager. I don't want to even think about that! He is such a sweet boy and it is a wonderful thing to watch his little arms reach for his Momma to fix everything. He reaches for Bruce too, but I would like to believe that secretly, I am the one who fixes everything. Which is really more to do with my wonderful mother-in-law sliding a container of orajel into the diaper bag. Yay!

Happy new year to all of my wonderful family and friends. I appreciate all you do to help my family and the strength you are in our lives. You are our greatest blessings!