Little Wife On the Prairie





When you are everything to everyone, well, you had better act like you have it all together.



Monday, February 22, 2010

Company clean

Have you ever though, "Gee, I need to host a jewelry party"? I don't know what possessed me but I am sooooooo glad that I did! We had a blast. All of the cleaning and cooking and kicking my family out of the house was totally worth it. And after the fact, I have reconnected with friends, got some really sweet bling and my house is really company clean. You know company clean don't you? It's when you clean things that no one is going to look at because we women think that people (other women) are going to judge us if we have a cobweb in the corner of the attic closet or dirt under the mudroom rug. Crazy? Maybe. What is funny is that most everyone that came to the party has been to my house on a regular day and has seen how we really live. What made me think that my house had to be perfect for a group of my friends that know the truth about me? I am a closet slob. I really love to have a clean house but just can't seem to find it more important than the rest of life! So I will reside in my fairly clean house. And if some of you would please come and visit sometime so that I can get my house company clean a few times a year, that would be great. Thanks.

Here are some pics from my party!


That is Amanda. The most fab jewelry lady. And so sweet too!

This is the part where we eat.

This is the party's college beauty, Mandi!

Ms. Jaylene

Ms. Cathy

Ms. Manda

Ms. Jill

Ms. Michelle

Ms. Lindsey

Ms. Kate

Ms. Pammy

Ms. Rachel

Ms. Marlene

And finally...

Monday, February 15, 2010

Icky Sicky

Dinner tonight included one of my favorite things to eat. We had some leftover roast from our Sabbath meal, (which we got to share with some very dear friends!) So I cubed it and let it warm in a sauce pan. I had popped 2 potatoes into the microwave to bake. (How else do you bake a potato?) I cubed those as well and threw them in with the meat. Then I took some red chili that I had made earlier in the week for Huevos Rancheros, and poured it on top. I let it simmer then served it up on a flour tortilla with some cheese and chopped onion. Matt had sour cream on his. Remind me to tell you sometime about my husband's unnatural obsession with sour cream. It's a sickness.

Speaking of sickness, I have just completed a marathon week with a sick baby. Oh how I dislike those days. I have such a hard time watching my sick baby struggle. They just don't know what's wrong and get very cranky about it. Now I realize that my son was very mildly sick compared to what some babies have to suffer. I am extremely thankful that my son's illness was temporary. But the scary thing for me is always wondering how bad it's going to get. I have had a child in the hospital with lung issues. It is so scary to be out of control of what happens to your baby.

I have experienced the healing power of my Savior. In my own life, and in the life of my child. Let me tell you, it is a real thing! So naturally, every time my children get sick, I pray for their healing. This past week, I spent hours asking God to heal my son. I just knew that the next time he woke up, he would be his normal non-sick self. It didn't happen. And in the middle of the night, when my sweet little baby was wheezing and coughing and crying, I was asking my God, "Why won't you heal him?" I felt abandoned in my sadness and exhaustion.

In the days after Levi got better, I felt relief. I was so happy to have my sweet smiley baby back. And suddenly, our everyday existence seemed, well, easier. He wasn't crying all day or coughing and struggling. I was actually able to sleep in my own bed, no longer afraid I wouldn't hear his cries. And then it hit me, sometimes God has to show us what our reality could be, to make us appreciate what our reality is. In my reality, I am incredibly blessed with typically healthy children and a very worry-free life. But there are times that I let myself become disenchanted. I complain about being bored or overwhelmed with my daily tasks. I believe that there are times that God needs to reset my perspective. I need that spiritual slap in the face.

I pray for my brothers and sisters who have real struggle everyday. I pray for the Burns and baby Sarai, I pray for Jeffery and Noelle, I pray for Janet Brown's family, I pray for the mamas sitting in the hospital rooms with sick ones. I pray for those who have lost things they can never get back. Adonai, your ways are not are ways, but though you slay me, I will hope in you. Let us be blessed by your grace and mercy.

Love you all. Be blessed today. -chelle

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Family Fun

Dinner tonight was Tortilla Soup which my kids were not happy about. So, I was very surprised when they asked for seconds! Here's the basics. You boil a cut up chicken with the skin, bones and all. You use the broth as the base of the soup and add all sorts of yummies like zucchini, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. You shred the cooked chicken back into the soup and you have a tummy-warming dish. We always tear up a corn tortilla in the bowl (Matt has used Fritos!) and also add cheese and avocado. If you really want to walk on the wild side, top that with some fresh chopped cilantro. Aaaaaah. So good.

I get a magazine called Family Fun. They always have very cute and easy projects to do with the kids. Matt found this one and tried it out. It involved food so everyone was excited to give it a go. They are called squid dogs. You will see why! I recommend that everyone try them at least once. They are kinda gross but kids love gross!

I know it looks weird, but you cut a hot dog into 4 pieces. Then you jab dry spaghetti through the dog and out the other side.

Some of the spaghetti breaks so you have these funky little squid arms. You can just pretend this guy had a bad accident.

This is how they look before they meet their demise.


"I'm not dead yet", says the squid-dog.


AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! That's the sound of a squid-dog dying.


Ever think you would see a 4 year-old eating squid?


We dipped 'em in ketchup and mustard.

This has nothing to do with squid but is hilarious. My two children dressed up for 80's night at church.

And because it wouldn't be my blog without a pic of my little fatty...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Winter Herbs

Tonight for dinner, taco salad. Boring but delicious. Simple seasoned ground beef and beans, greens, tomatoes, avacado, cheese, salsa and tortilla chips. It's a good way to get lots of veggies into the kiddos.

So I think I have mentioned this before but I will mention it again. The middle of winter is a perfect time to remind yourself of the coming spring by using dried herbs from the garden. The smell of herbs is like summer in a little green package. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear my kids screaming at each other from the backyard and see them squirting each other with the hose.
I had pretty much used up my first batch of herbs but still had several bunches hanging in our sunroom. Today I decided to process the bunches to use in cooking. I documented this in pictures for all of you! This is not all that interesting to most but I am unusally in love with all things that come out of the garden so to me, this is beautiful.

These are the little tiny jewels if goodness called thyme.


This is oregano!


I love little jars of yummy home grown things.

And my life is complete,(well maybe just my spice cabinet but trust me this is big!)


This is what happens when you are a not-so-neat do-er of things.

And this is what happens when...


I try to take close-ups...


of a very handsy 7 month-old.