Angels Among Us

You've heard the saying "there are angels among us". There is even a song called Angels Among Us. It's beautiful. And when I hear it in the right setting it usually brings tears to my eyes!

Personally, I believe this is true. For SO MANY reasons.

Today, I was thinking about the "Angels" in my life. I have many. But there are certain ones that I am thinking about today.

Specifically two friends.

I have these pretty amazing friends in my ward. Both are moving. A lump forms in my throat whenever I think about it.

Cyndi is leaving this week. I am really happy for her and I know we will stay in touch through blogging. But it's not the same. Pretty soon her cute, darling, wonderful little girls will forget they ever lived in good 'ole Arizona! They won't remember us or how much we loved having them in our home!

Cyndi is one of those amazing women that you wish you could be like. I am constantly amazed by her creativity, her thoughtfulness and her wisdom. She is young enough to be my daughter but most of the time I feel like her pupil as I have observed her with her kids, heard her bare her testimony and witnessed the way she lives her life. I am so grateful that this Angel came into my life. She has touched my life - made an impact that will always be with me.

Thank you Cyndi for helping me be a better person! I love you and will miss you SO much! Thank you for being an amazing Young Women's leader to my girls. They love you. I know you have made a positive difference in our family. Give your girls a hug for me! I hope you will feel welcome to stop by and say hi if you dare to travel back to Arizona someday!

My other angel is Caroline! I have learned so much from working with her in various church callings. I love getting advise from her. She is so wise.

The economy has played total havoc with her life and her husband is working out of state while she is holding down the fort here at home with her four children. For as long as I've known her she has been a stay at home mom & worked part time teaching dance classes. But she has gone back to work. Not something she wants to do, but does with an amazing attitude and great courage. Watching her and talking with her has helped me with my own "economic havoc". She always has a smile on her face and positive things to say! I know it's not easy - we've talked about the hard stuff too, but her faith is strong and she just keeps moving forward.

We've cried together, laughed and cried some more. She has helped me through one of the hardest years of my life. She loves to tell me I've helped her, but I haven't done anything compared to what she has done for me. I don't know what I would have done without her this year. It was so nice to talk to someone who knew and understood all the dumb things I've gone through this year. I really can't imagine life without her and her family!

I LOVE her kids! They are so fun! They put up with me teasing them and giving them a hard time! (sorry Kate!) I wish I could stop time so that May wouldn't come! That is when they plan on moving. After graduation.

Thank you Emily & Kate - for making me feel loved in Young Women's and after! It has meant the world to me! You are such good examples and amazing Young Women. Thank you Caroline - for seeing me as the person I want to be and forgiving me for being the person I am. For always listening to my whining and showing me through word and action that you really care about me! It has meant so much to me!

I still refuse to believe you are really moving and until you actually pack up and drive away I am holding out hope that something changes and you will stay! But regardless I hope you know how much I love you. I really can't do enough to show you!

My life is blessed by these two angels. Thank you so much Cyndi and Caroline!

When life dealt troubled times and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone there to come along and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend just to say I understand
Ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road
Someone light the way with just a single ray of hope

Oh, I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love

My Favorite Christmas Memory of 2009

Christmas week was so much fun! It started out with our Durfee Family Christmas get together. It was fun visiting and eating. Everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoy one another.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are a blur of finishing up all the odds and ends, marathon wrapping sessions and delivering treats to our friends. Every time I think of "cutting back" I realize that all of this is what makes Christmas special to me. There isn't anything I would rather do than "give gifts." I LOVE it!

Thursday night we had our Moore Christmas Eve gathering. It doesn't seem to matter how early we say we are going to start, it NEVER starts on time. If anyone has a suggestion on how to get your family all in one place within 30 minutes of starting time, please share! We finally started our festivities 1 1/2 hours after starting time and enjoyed YUMMY food! Mexican of course! There was food a plenty! We ate until we couldn't eat any more and then we had our talent portion of the evening. Each family does something. Or nothing. It is whatever you want to do. Our family sang a song. Can I just say that it is actually starting to sound pretty good! We have another male voice and the girls can harmonize and everything! BEE U TE FUL!

After trying to get my children to bed for Santa...(you think it's hard with little ones? Try big ones who stay up past midnight on a regular basis!) I finally went ahead and did my Santa helper thing and finally got to bed at 2:00am.

The girls were up and ready to go by 7:00am! There was lots of laughing and hugging as hopes, wishes and dreams were fulfilled!

This year I had a very special gift for one of my girls! This gift has been LONG waited for. She hasn't said much about it, but I knew it was important to her when she asked if I would get it for her for her birthday (which will be in February).

So in October I started working on this gift. I drove to Phoenix, I made phone calls, I visited the bank (twice), I searched high and low for the things I needed. Finally, everything was just right. I decided NOT to wait until her birthday, but to give it to her for Christmas. So after everyone was done opening gifts I asked them to wait in the living room because I had a very special gift for Holli.

I will NEVER forget her face. Everyone sat down again full of anticipation. Hillary had already been briefed on what she needed to do and was busy getting that ready in the kitchen. I handed Holli her gift. She looked very confused and nervous about opening it! But she did! Inside this special box was Holli's birth certificate.

Finally.




After 14 +years she now has a birth certificate. She lifted it out of the box, total confusion on her face and as she started reading it the light dawned and the biggest smile lit her face. Then Hillary came in with a cinnamon braid wreath with birthday candles and we all sang Happy Birthday To You.

And she cried.

Yep, she did. She cried and laughed and cried some more. It was the sweetest thing ever. It makes tears come to my eyes to remember. It couldn't have gone better. It was just what I had hoped. I don't know if I realized how much it would mean to her, but I do now! I hugged her and told her welcome to the family! You're Born!


So crazy I know, but it feels so good to have this silly document! This legal piece of paper!

And that is what I will always remember about Christmas 2009. This sweet girl who we have teased about "not existing" because she didn't have a birth certificate. I'm sure she will need counseling in the future, but I hope she knows she has always existed and been a special part of our lives - with or without that silly piece of paper! I love you Holli dolly!

(I know someone is wondering "Why didn't she have a birth certificate?" The simple answer is that the midwife who assisted in her birth didn't file it! And yes, I have worked on this off and on for years. I just kept dropping the ball, so I would have to start over. Well, and in the beginning I actually thought it had been filed. It took awhile to get the puzzle put together! But now it's done! YAY! It makes for a good story anyway!)

Baking Memories

Last Friday started our baking day- one of our 12 days of Christmas. I spent last week planning what we would bake and making 6 different cookie doughs. I love to make candy, so that was planned for too!

As I would mix each cookie dough I would remember who I got the recipe from. I would remember the different times I've made the cookies and all the memories that surround each one. My thoughts turned to my MIL who has been gone for over 15 years now.

I remember as a young bride, trying to merge two family Christmas traditions into one, I had gone over to Vaughan's parents home and asked his mom for some recipes of cookies that Vaughan liked. I hand copied several. One of those recipes is "Holiday Fruit Cookies" I haven't made these forever. Vaughan and I love these, but my kids don't. So, I quit making them. But for some reason this year they were calling me! So, I bought the dates and candied cherries and included these in our baking day! These were the first cookies I started baking on Saturday! They smelled heavenly and tasted better than I remembered!

I thought of my MIL the whole time I was baking. What an amazing woman she is! I miss her. I always see her smile and hear her laugh when I think of her. I hope in sharing some of her recipes with my girls I am sharing her with them also. Only Hillary and Heather have any memory of her.

I think that is why baking at Christmas time is so important to me. It is so full of memories. As I mix up the Russian Teacakes I think of my Grandma Moore and going to her house on Christmas day. She always had a gift for everyone. I don't know how she did it on her meager income, but we all got something. Then she would pass around the treats she had made! When I first got married she gave me a bunch of recipes she had typed up. Russian Teacakes was one of those. I also think of *MY* mom, I remember her teaching me how to form them just right and putting the powdered sugar on them. (They must be formed in little log shapes, not round or square! But little log shapes. They just don't taste the same otherwise!)

I always think of my mom when we make our annual Peanut Butter Blossoms or Spritz cookies. I added the spritz cookies back to the menu this year. I found a recipe online that sounded good! It was! My mom taught me how to make these when I was little. Then one year she gave me an electric food shooter for Christmas. This makes making these a snap! The girls had fun making these for the first time! (How could you not have fun using a *food shooter*? Just the name sounds fun!)

And of course I think of my MIL when we make ginger creams! This is another recipe that was copied by me early in my marriage! They really aren't hard, but mine have never tasted as good as hers. But, I keep trying! They were better this year! Maybe she put her finger in the batter!

It was fun working along side my girls. Showing Hope how to measure flour and sugar as she made a special gift for Hillary. Teaching her how to *cut* in the shortening! ("This is hard Mom!")

I want to teach my girls all the things that will help them be good wives and mothers some day. I know I don't always have the patience and take the time to do what I should to help them.

I am grateful for two mother's in my life that have taught me what I know. I see them in my memory as I work in the kitchen. I hear them tell me little tricks and secrets to making the food and treats taste yummy. I am grateful for five daughters to pass this knowledge on to. I hope they realize the amazing heritage that they share. And how much LOVE is felt through *baking memories*!

Family Traditions

One of my favorite family traditions is doing the 12 days of Christmas with my family! I blogged about this last year, but I thought I would share again!

You can do it different ways, but this is how we do it now! We have three little trees set up in our family room. Hanging on the tree's are 12 tags. One for each of the 12 days of Christmas. My kids really look forward to seeing the tags get put on the trees! On December 13th we start the 12 days of Christmas as a family. The idea is to spend time as a family enjoying the Christmas season as a family! It's so easy to be stressed and busy and not take the time to relax and enjoy each other. I used to buy games, puzzles and movies as gifts for Christmas that we never played or had time to do together! Our 12 days of Christmas tradition stretches the fun and anticipation throughout the month! We have learned to adapt the 12 days to activities that we have like Ward parties, concerts and family parties, but we still take the time to do things with just our family!

This year we are spending our 12 days of Christmas like this:

1. Go look at Christmas lights. (It wouldn't be Christmas without a drive to see the temple lights and then a drive around town to see light displays in various neighborhoods! We like to sing Christmas songs and end up at home for hot chocolate and donuts!)
2. *New this year!* Share a favorite Christmas Memory. I thought this would be fun for FHE. We'll probably end with the Christmas Story from Luke.
3. Sing some Christmas songs around the piano!
4. Holli's Choir Concert
5. Story Night (I like to buy a new Christmas book every year. We have a very neat collection of Christmas stories. Some short, some for children, some longer! I put them out each year and we re-read them through the month.)
6. Game Night (I bought a new game...It is wrapped under the tree and ready to be played! We will spend the evening enjoying our new game together!)
7. Baking day.
8. Movie Night. (We love Christmas movies at our house! I try to buy a new one each year.)
9. Durfee Family Christmas Party.
10. Puzzle Night (Vaughan & I choose a new puzzle, I wrapped it and we opened and started putting it together yesterday! They are working on it as I type! This is fun because they will spend the rest of the month putting it together! The kids LOVE this one!)
11. Deliver Goodies. (We like to make treats for our neighbors!)
12. Moore Christmas Eve. (We will have our traditional FIESTA Dinner and gift exchange. We have a family talent show after dinner and then the cousins exchange their gifts! Our talent show is pretty low key - basically you perform if you want to and it's one per family! We have music, a story and singing! Sometimes it is pretty hilarious!

I found some other ideas on a blog I like to visit. I think I will try some of them next year! They looked like fun. Whatever traditions you have as a family I hope you are enjoying the holiday season! I know I am!

My Little Girl is All Grown Up!

When did time fly by so fast? How come our kids grow up in the blink of an eye? And how long before another change in our family??? These are questions I've been asking myself this past week! What prompted these thoughts? Winter formal...

My cute daughter Heidi went to Winter Formal on Saturday. Seeing her in her beautiful {borrowed} dress was exciting, yet scary! I couldn't help but think of her someday standing there in a wedding dress. *sniff sniff* I'm not ready for anymore changes in our family! I kinda like my kids around me! Oh well, you can't stop time, huh??

It sounds like they had lots of fun. They went to Golfland for their day date and had a picnic lunch at a park. Then they gathered at one of the girls houses for dinner. I heard it was very delicious! Then they went to the dance and took pictures. They ended up at our house for ice cream and played the Wii and some other games.

I'm glad they had so much fun! Now, I will just have to start preparing myself for that inevitable day when she is standing there in her wedding dress!

Cute hair! Compliments of Hillary! (Thank you Sis!)

Isn't she lovely???

Here's Heidi with her friend and her date Aaron!

Homemade Bread Goodness!

One of my goals this year was to learn to make bread! I must admit that one of the reasons that I want to make my own bread is economics! Not because I can't afford to *buy* bread, but because I don't want to pay the price they want for *good* whole wheat bread!

In order to accomplish this goal the requirements are that the bread be moist, light and whole wheat! As opposed to dry and crumbly! Basically, it had to be as good as my Mom's! I had my bread making lesson in October at the cabin. The bread turned out amazing! YAY! Then it was time to do it on my own!

It didn't look so pretty, but it tasted wonderful! So, I'm counting the goal as accomplished! There is still room for improvement, but at least the taste and texture are what I was aiming for! I knew I'd hit the mark when I asked Hope if she minded having homemade bread in her lunches. She said no and that all her friends told her she was lucky! I believe she said it like this "luck-eee!"

So I now make 5-6 loaves of bread every two week and it nice to use my wheat AND know that my family is eating something healthy and nutritious and made by ME!

Can't you just smell the goodness? Mmmmmm

Happy Thanksgiving and all that stuff!

It's been WAY too long since I've posted anything. To be truthful, I haven't had anything "positive" to say! A couple of weeks ago I wrote this long "venting" post and then realized that I didn't really want to share that side of me with anyone - let alone people I love!

SO, I didn't post it. It did feel good to "let it all out" so to speak!

While there has been much stress and anxiety in my life lately, there has also been much to be thankful for. I have witnessed miracles and received many blessing. I am truly blessed, humbled and grateful for SO many things. I am blessed with a husband who works harder than he should have to. I can only imagine the burden that is on his shoulders as he tries to support and provide for our family. I have amazing children, who for the most part do their part to be obedient, righteous and helpful. I have the best of friends. They are supportive and loving. I have the love and support of a loving Heavenly Father and the comfort of a loving Savior. Yes, I am truly blessed.

We had a quiet Thanksgiving! I spent the day before making pies and rolls. We had our traditional pre-Thanksgiving dinner of hot scones with yummy refried beans, cheese and salsa! For dessert we had scones with raspberry freezer jam and powdered sugar!! YUMMY. We watched White Christmas, Holiday Inn and Going My Way! Yay, Bing Crosby! We were glad when Vaughan arrived home safe and sound from working in Flagstaff and joined in our pre-Thanksgiving festivities!

Thanksgiving day we went to my parents house. We had a yummy feast with my parents and my brother, Mike's family. It was relaxing and quiet! We took naps, played games and planned our Black Friday shopping trip!

Of course, Friday came way too early as Vaughan and I headed out to do some Christmas Shopping in the wee morning hours! Yes, it was still dark outside! We had success though and got most of what we planned. I continued the shopping till early afternoon! It is nice to almost be done with that part of Christmas!

We enjoyed our Durfee Thanksgiving that night. It was fun to visit and catch up with family. Vaughan played games and we enjoyed having Afton come over and spend the night with Hope!

Saturday we cleaned the house and put away ALL the fall decorations! I decided to DEEP clean, washing curtains, cleaning fans and even cleaning the glass light fixtures! It's feel good to be dust free for a few days!

Sunday we enjoyed our sacrament meeting, attended tithing settlement and then started decorating the cleaned rooms for Christmas. The girls helped tons! It usually takes me a week to decorate. I only have a little left and the living room to do! I plan on doing that tomorrow! Here's a *hint*. Take pictures of your decorations after you decorate. Then next year all you have to do is repeat what you did before! It made things so easy for the girls to help. I just pulled the pictures up on the computer and told the girls to pick a picture and start decorating. (I also pack my Christmas stuff away by room and label each container what room it is for! This helped too!)

Tomorrow I'll finish up the cleaning and decorating. For the first time ever I think I will be ready to start the Christmas season by December 1st! Pretty good for someone who just started thinking about Christmas a couple of weeks ago!

All in all it was a successful weekend and a wonderful holiday!