We are a happy family!: 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

It makes me happy!

I was sure that last year would be the last year I would be able to put up my two favorite decorations. I love my Dickens Village and my Nativity but with a toddler around I didn't dare put them out. Then we got this lovely entertainment center and I have a perfect place for both of them - It just make me so happy. I know that is silly but it is just so pretty to look at. I love sitting on the couch with my cup of hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music and looking at the village and nativity - it is so cozy!

I love that the light on the entertainment center is just above baby Jesus like a star - cheesy I know but I like it.

I could spend hours looking at the beautiful details of the Christmas village. My favorite piece however is the newly wed couple in the horse drawn sleigh. Jared and I went on a carriage ride around Temple Square the day we were married (that was in May but I still think it is special!)

I love the smell and of course the taste of Gingerbread cookies! These little guys make me very happy. I have already made two batches and I am sure two more will be made before the end of the month. They are so tasty!!!! YUM!

I thought you might like the recipe:

Cream together 1C. shortening and 1C. sugar in a mixer.

Add 1C. dark molasses, 2T. Vinegar, and 1tsp. Vanilla then mix together

In a separate bowl mix 6C. flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. soda, 4 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, and 1.4 tsp nutmeg.

Add flour mixture to the first mixture alternating with 1/2 C. hot water.

Chill for 1 hour. Bake for 7-8 min. at 350*

ENJOY!!! I love this recipe because it makes soft chewy cookies instead of the crunchy ginger snap kind of cookies.

What are your favorite Christmas recipes, and what little seemingly silly things are making you happy this season?

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Grandpa Bowman turns 100!!

Jared's Grandpa Bowman turned 100 on the 12th of this month. What an amazing milestone and accomplishment!

This is part of what was printed in the local newspaper:

"Charles Taggart Bowman will celebrate his 100th birthday Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. Chuck was born Dec. 12, 1909, in a humble home in South Weber, Utah.. His mother Amanda Taggart and her husband, William James Bowman had 10 children. Finances were always a problem, but the family pulled together and worked hard at many different jobs. tow winters were spent in two cabin tents and food was often obtained by hunting and fishing. Chuck worked as a farm laborer, milk collection driver, apprentice cheese maker and semi truck driver. When he "retired," he went to work for BMC West as a custodian and fix-it man, where he earned the Employee of the Year award. He has been an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and has seen this church grow from 377.279 members and four temples to a world wide membership of more that 14 million and 130 temples. He lives with his wife of 67 years, Rodonna Bringhurst Bowman. He has three children, Maureen, Garde and Wyn. He also has 19 grandchildren. 44 great-grandchildren and 39 great-great-grandchildren."

It is so amazing to me everything Grandpa Bowman has lived through and seen. To think about all that has happened in the 100 years he has been alive. Makes me wonder if I ever live to be that age, or even close to it, what will I witness in my life? What amazing advances in medicine, technology, church, and government will I see?

We celebrated his birthday by having an open house with all his family and friends in attendance. People traveled from California, Utah, and Wyoming to Idaho for the big day. This is Grandpa with his wife and three children.

This is Grandpa opening up an album of letters and pictures from all of his children and grandchildren - it was so fun to look at this book and see all of Jared's cousins and family that I had never met.

We sure love Grandpa Bowman and the influence for good he has had in our lives. I am so happy that Brandon has been able to know this great man. I am also so happy that Brandon shares Grandpa's name. He, Grandpa Bowman, Grandpa Wyn, and Jared all share the name of Charles. I think that is pretty special! This is the four generations of Charles Bowman's Aren't they handsome! :)

I love this picture of Grandpa and Brandon. When Brandon was younger Grandpa would take him for rides in his motor chair, it would make Brandon so happy. :)

Happy Birthday Grandpa Bowman!!!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Thanksgiving Sleepover

Each year Jared and I rotate who's family we will spend Thanksgiving with, that year we will spend Christmas with the other family. Well this year it was my families turn for Thanksgiving. We had originally planned on spending the weekend at my in-laws cabin, so when that did not happen we decided instead to have a big family sleep over at my parents house. Thanksgiving dinner was at Aunt Kris' house - she is so super talented at decorating and making dinner special I LOVE it!! I also really enjoy watching everyone working in the kitchen together to get the food ready - so fun!

Brandon and Chandler did surprisingly well eating in their chairs on the floor. They shared and tray and probably all of their food - but they had a good time.

Friday morning Jared braved Black Friday while the rest of us slept and then went on a walk to the church to play. That night we went to dinner and then rode on tracks. The only reason for that many people to ride tracks was so that Brandon and Chandler could ride the train. They both really enjoyed it - but it was very crowded and a bit chaotic!

We rode tracks to the Temple Square lights. I love the way the lights and nativities are displayed every year, so Beautiful! Even Brandon enjoyed being wrapped in his stroller and blanket to see them!

On Saturday we enjoyed playing board games, and watching the Utah/BYU game - it was a house divided Jared and I walked away feeling pretty sad about the outcome of the game but everyone else seemed to be very happy. :) Then we decorated the tree. I love seeing all of the sentimental ornaments come out. I look forward to some day having a tree filled with special ornaments from children and friends like my mom has.

My mom even had special ornaments just for Brandon and Chandler to decorate with. They sure had fun! All in all it was a very fun weekend!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Cousin Chandler's Birthday Party

Chandler's birthday was a trucks and tractor birthday. Natalie was cute to have a dump truck full of brownies, doughnuts and worms instead of a cake - the boys LOVED it!

For birthday activities we colored construction hats, and filled dump trucks with cheerios, for the most part the boys liked eating the cheerios, but the pictures were cute just the same.

As you may already know I love card board, paint and paper for big project. For Chandler's birthday I found a large three part piece of card board. on two of the pieces I painted a large tractor for the kids to play in, on the third part I put these dump trucks up and underneath there were different things to feel - the next picture show better what I am talking about. I think the boys enjoyed it?

They each looked so cute peeking out of the tractors window! This is Will.

Here's the birthday boy Chandler!

Here is Brandon.

and Here is James.

The boys loved having Grandma Julie read them their favorite pop-up truck book!

But the highlight of the day was of course watching Chandler open his presents! His expressions are so fun!

Brandon gave him a train to go with his new train tracks - from his expression I do not doubt that he enjoyed the gift. :) He is so fun to give presents to!

This was a gift he received form Grandma and Grandpa Osborn the previous Sunday at the family party - this Fisher Price race track is probably one of the best toys ever made, Brandon loves his so much - we knew it would be a hit with Chandler - sure enough he loved it! If you have a boy this age that likes cars I strongly suggest it as a gift!!!

Happy Birthday Chandler - on a side note. Chandler broke his leg at the end of September, the poor kids was in a full body cast and could not walk for nearly six weeks. We were so thrilled when he got the cast off just in time for Halloween. It took a few weeks to relearn crawling and then walking but he got it. Then on his birthday he had to revisit the doctor because that morning he slipped on some standing water and hurt the same leg (different bone) again. They put him in a splint to wait and see if it was really broken enough to warrant a cast. Needless to say his birthday was not the greatest but he was a great sport! The following week he was allowed to take off the splint and now he is walking and doing just fine - YEAH!! I am so happy it was nothing to serious! HAPPY 2 YEARS CHANDLERS!!! Now no more broken bones!!! :)

BIG MESS!!!

A few weeks ago Brandon and I were planning on going to the aquarium with some friends. I was feeling really pleased with myself because it was only 9:30 in the morning and all ready I had done the dishes, washed the windows, done one load of laundry, made the beds, and picked up the little messes around the house. I sat Brandon in front of one of his favorite TV shows with every door in the house closed, and cupboards locked so that I could have a quick shower. Well 15 min. later when I come out of the shower Brandon greets me with very wet arms and a wet shirt, at first I thought nothing of it, and then I started to wonder how he could have possibly gotten so wet. With further investigation I found a dinning room chair pushed up to the kitchen sink, both stoppers in the drains, and the sink turned on high. The result was a flooded kitchen. I had about an inch of water on the floor of the kitchen and into the laundry room, my kitchen drawers were filled with water, and water was pouring out of the cupboards. Thankfully my dear friend who I was supposed to go to the aquarium came to my rescue with her shop vac. We had the whole thing cleaned up in about 45 min. What more I am so grateful that Brandon was safe and there was no damage to the kitchen. But why oh why do these things happen? From now on Brandon gets to be locked up in his high chair while I have my showers, hopefully this will keep him stationary for a while - at least until he figures out the buckles on his seat. :)

In addition to that mess he has also opened the fridge and dumped all the cheese on the coffee table, pulled the plants out of the fish tank (those poor fish!), stuck his hands down his messy diaper (I suppose it was an effort to prove to me he needed to be changed), and colored all over the walls and piano with pencil (thank goodness for magic eraser!).

I know every mom deals with these messes, and so far I have it good compared to my mom with both me and my sisters Lindsey. Lindsey is famous for peanut butter on the Christmas tree, finger nail polish on the piano, markers on the dressers, and oil on the couches, among many other messes.

So what are some of your BIG MESS stories? Please share, it will make me feel better about my own parenting skills. :)