9 Minute Cake

9 minute cake. well 10 minutes which included mixing using my Pampered Chef Steam Rice Cooker. It is moist and yummy!! Mixed up a cake mix and put in the cooker and microwaved for 9 minutes. Just wanted to share. (I didn't have any frosting)

Harvest Hills 6th Ward Clothing Swap

Are there clothes and accessories that you have stacking up that you are planning to donate to the DI or is there something you need for yourselves or your kids? Well then you are in need of a……

Clothing Swap

When: January 12, 2010

Where: Relief Society Organization Activity

Time: 7pm following the organization classes.

Question: What do I bring? / What do I not bring?

Answer: Please bring items that you would want to take home.

CLEAN**, unused, or gently used Nothing with holes or stains please!

Items for:

Babies, Toddler, Kids - Onesies, socks, shoes, shirts, pants, dresses, etc

Women’s Clothing

Accessories – jewelry, bags, scarves, hats

Coats and Jackets

**Please WASH your items you’d like to donate to swap.

Question: How does it work?

Answer: Drop off your items to Marianne Schmalz or Jill Turner any time prior to January 12. The earlier the better!! If needed, you can bring in stuff that night, 20 minutes before 7pm.

When the door opens then come in and “shop”. Please bring a bag, if needed, to carry your stuff in.

Use your best judgment. If you bring 2 things don't take 8 bags of stuff home with you :) If your kid is 2 years old don't take size 4 stuff just because it's "cute" or a brand name you like. Don't hoard stuff. Take what you need. Bring it back when you are done.

All items that are Not “bought” then we will donate to the DI. Or if this is successful save for another swap.

A slice of heaven

This is my first home made bread from an oven, not a bread machine.

Thanks to my wonderful friend Sherian for the invite to her friends bread making class.

I recommend this site for all easy bread making.....

www.breadmadeeasy.com

Love it!!

Zach is 2!!

Our Zach is now 2!

I can't believe that the time he has been with our family has gone by sooooo fast. He is a giggly smiley little boy. Who has the best smile and awesome eyes out there.

He still has his own language, although he understand what you are saying his responses are of his own. You can usually get the jist or just smile because he is so dang cute!!

Here are some things we love about him.

Zach is a good boy and is not into everything quite yet.

He loves Spongebob and laughs histerically when the music comes on.

He is an awesome sleeper and not only sleeps through the night but still takes naps!

He loves to spins around and get real dizzy.

He has the cutest laugh and mischeivious smile.

He likes to read. He looks at the book and "reads" to himself.

He loves to be held (which wasn't always the case). I am so glad that it finally is the case.

He loves going to grandma's and grandp's house. Both of them.

He loves his sister and brother very much and they love him. He is not too young to play with him.

Zach is the best little Zach any parent could want.

We love you very much!!

Thankful For -

Here are some things I am thankful for (in no order)

My family - Ben, Sam, Jacob and Zach

My family - Mom, Dad, Bros and my sisters

My sister - Denise and Debby whom I love very, very much. It's great to be able to have sisters who are your best friends.

For our home that we have shelter from the elements of the world. I hate the cold and Ben and I check the thermostat every night. Mosty him to check on me to see if I have turned it up. Apparently we are supposed to suffer at 68* in our home. (Only when he is home, hehe)

For food on our table. May not be homemade but definately made/bought with love. We try to instill in our kids that we need to nourish our bodies even if we don't always like what we are eating. Seriously last night was like pulling teeth and took a couple of hours to finish the meal. Apparently funeral potatoes and ham bring on dry heaves and crying fits (Ben and I not included)

For the opportunity we have to live in a country where we can have our own thoughts and feeling and be able to live by them. Again, we try to let our kids know how lucky we are and that we shouldn't take this for granted. Without depressing them we let them know that there are other people in other country that are living off the land and in huts and shacks and have very little food.

For good friends that I appreciate and love! (Poke, poke)

For a job that allows me to work from home and be able to be with the kids. Believe me, I work an 8-5p work day, while doing laundry and watching my Zachy grow. I have fond memories of my mom being home with me and I hope my kids will have the same fond memories.

I am thankful that kids don't alway remember when we (Ben) are strick and they love us even after doing chores that are so unfair.

I love Ben for being able to work to support our family. He is so good to us!

I love his family for the support they have given us and that they think their son can do anything. (Literally....construction, electronics, cars, etc.. he is a working machine)

I love that Ben has a passion for biking and also for cars. I know he is trying to get me into biking and I already watch F1 racing with him.

I love the fact that we can just sit and be together. We are bestfriends and this will come in handy when the kids grow up and move out. We won't be bored! We love each other.

I love that we get to take mini vacation and that we have the support of family to watch the kids if necessary.

I am sure there is more and I will try to write them down.

So there is my post. Hopefully I won't go months and months again without posting.

Update on www.alice.com

Well I tried out www.alice.com and I have to say it was a great deal on your non food items. I bought some Tide laundry detergent and I checked it against Smith's and Walmart and it was atleast between $1-$3 difference plus you get $1 off at Alice. You do have to pay taxes which you would at either stores and you get free shipping. I am impressed with this website and encourage all to take a look at it.

www.alice.com

I was on vacation this weekend and saw a news story on CNN about www.alice.com. It is a website were you can buy household items on namebrand stuff for discounted pricing and the shipping is free. I guess with the economy people have been buying store brands, which is ok, but it looks like the name brands are wanting to help save you money and the shipping is free. I signed up but haven't bought anything yet but I thought all you coupon shoppers would like it. Again, shipping is free! See what you think and let us all know. I think that the prices look good but I am definately not a veterian in savy coupon shopping. Again, shipping is free!Thanks, Marianne

Fun Summer Activities for Kids

I am looking to see if anyone knows of local summer camps, art programs, etc for Jacob and Samantha. Even though I am home during the day, I am also working an 8 hour job. I want to keep the kids occupied with fun activities. Any suggestions?

Happy Mother's Day

"Someone has coined a statement that has great significance:

'God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.' . .

"From my experience, it would seem that faithful mothers have a special gift that we often refer to as a mother's intuition. Perhaps with the great blessing of motherhood, our Heavenly Father has endowed them with this quality, since fathers, busy in priesthood callings and with the work of earning a livelihood, never draw quite as close to heavenly beings in matters that relate to the more intimate details of bringing up children in the home. It might be described in this way: Father is the head, but Mother is the heart of the family home" (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 291).

Happy Mother's day!

Zion National Park Trip - May 2009

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I love my http://www.gatheringgrub.blogspot.com! Ok, so it is not mine but I can post, so that's cool, right? I love feeling energized to get my butt in gear for food storage. Not just long term but stuff I can use everyday. I love hearing of new sites to help you out.

Some I recently found, ok, so I didn't find but I saw on my friends sites are http://www.dealstomeals.com. Awesome and practical ideas and pictures!

Next site for food is http://www.foodco-op.net. Again, another awesome site. You can order monthly on items that you can buy from the grocery store but half the cost. You just needs to pick it up from your area pick-up site and to join you make a donation. There are locations all over the SL and Utah Valley. Check out the site!!!

I shopped the Smith's case lot sale and didn't get too much. 4 cases of Speghetti O's, 2 cases of water, 1 case of canned tomatoes, 1 case of flour. Slowly but surely!!

My next item I'd want, which has been for sometime now is a freezer, either deep or standing. I have posted to my http://www.lehifreecycle.com and see what happens. That is also a great website for free stuff.

Anywho, enough of my ramblings.........

Gathering Grub

I am happy to post about a new blog called Gathering Grub. http://www.gatheringgrub.blogspot.com.

Sherian put it together, with prompting from a few of us friends and I love it. It is new so not alot of info yet but it is about food storage with ideas of how to get it started, what to add, case lot sales, recipes, etc. I am an author on it so if you have ideas let me know and I will add to it.

I am no expert but a few of us are and I love being able to see ideas and share anything I can or if you have ideas, let me know so that I can add to it.

Marianne

Well, I am back. Sorta. I just have not been in the mood to blog but I love reading blogs. Where to begin....
The holidays were great. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year...they were great.

We had 2 dinners this years, as we do every year. Thank you mom and dad, who are thoughtful enough, that with 8 kids, they schedule our dinner on the Saturday before so that those with in-law, won't be rushed from house to house. Thanksgiving was held at my house again this year for my side of the family. I always feel inadequate about hosting anything so I am glad that my family helps out with food and decor. I made the potatoes both mashed and yummy sweet potatoes. Both yummy thanks to Good Eats (the best cooking show ever!) and Ruth's Steak House which provided the recipe for the sweet potatoes. They should really be declared a dessert. That's it, I am declaring it a dessert. Almost all the family was able to come. 6 of 8 kids plus parents and a boat load of grand kids and spouses. We missed 2 brothers and sister that was not able to make it. I am sure all will be together next year.

We had a great dinner at Ben's parents house with great food and family games and time spent was wonderful as every year it is. A big bonus was that Ben could be there as well.

Christmas was fun this year because Zach was 1 and had fun watching the 2 other kids open gifts. He still didn't get the opening of presents for himself but had fun none the less. My sister Debby and her son Thomas and my parents and my family went over to my brother David's house for a yummy dinner. Dawn always puts on a great spread.

New Year's was spent at home this year. Which hasn't been like that in a few years. We always go to my parent's during the day and then over to Ben's house for fondue and games.

This year Rebecca, Ben's sister, came over to our house for the night. We had crab legs, pasta and fondue or as Samantha called it donfue. That kept us laughing for awhile!! Then we pretty much played Rock Band all night and toasted in the New Year with sparkling something from Ikea. Which reminds me, we still have the bottle on the deck!

The year has been pretty fair so far. New President (Obama) in the white house. Expecting change and progress in our country. Hopefully! With all the down turn in the economy, I feel that Ben and I have been very fortunate with our careers and really haven't felt it nearly as much as some. I could say we were blessed but it doesn't feel right when there are others just like us who may have lost jobs. So all I can say is that we are very thankful!

I have a new calling at church. Not an every Sunday one but a calling just the same. I am on the Enrichment Board/Committee. It sounds fun but I hope that I am able to do a good job. Although I am home during the days I am working an 8-5 job so I just hope that I can help out where needed. With this, the kids and I went to church again. They are excited to go, well at least to primary, sacrament meeting is boring to them. Oh well at least they want to go. Anyways, our ward split awhile back and I am glad we did. It used to be that you couldn't really hear what the speaker was saying even if you were lucky enough to seat up in the pews. There are just so many kids, which is great, a few of them are mine but it was nice to go and be able to hear the speaker. Plus I feel like I will be able to know or get to know more people. We shall see :-)

Last but not least...my family, the Schmalz' have started a weight loss challenge with $25/person. Winner takes all. % loss, which is good and fair. No second place just first with a prize. We started on Sunday. I had to email my weight to my sister in law who is keeping them secret for everyone but it still was a hang the head down, red cheeks kind of moment. I am doing well so far. I decided to do The Biggest Loser workouts and diet. My quads are killing!!!! Every time I have to go up or down the stairs it is excruciating! But if it doesn't hurt or your don't sweat it isn't good enough. Today, I just rode the bike to rest my other parts. The bounty will be nice but the knowledge that I will lose and hopefully slim down is even better! I am just trying real hard not to revert to Atkins diet. Which I think is wonderful if you can stick to it. I did it after I had Jacob with great success but it seems to be harder and harder if you stop doing it and try again. But like a drug it is pulling me and I am really trying to just eat responsibly.
What are you doing to live healthy? Really, I don't cook and I don't have a lot of ideas on food. Good thing Ben cooks :)

Well I will leave it at that for now, until we meet again.

Year of the Zachers

Happy Birthday my little Zach! We have had such a fun time with you in our lives and love you very much. You were a heavenly suprise and wouldn't have it any other way. You are alway smiling and in such a good mood. Even when you begin to cry, you make us smile. My heart flutters every time I think of you.

You are such a smart little boy with your early crawling and crusing and walking. Who doesn't love a little baby walking. Luckily you pretty much stay in the area you are at but sometimes that darn bathroom calls your name, only a few times have a caught your hand in the water. Good thing it was clean and baths are always available.

Even with you teething you have been good about it. Not much crying from it at all and I am in awe because they come in basically by two's, starting at 4 or 5 months.

Your eyes are beautifully blue like your dad and sister. Any you have crazy hair, good thing grandma was able to cut it. Thank you grandma!! It really reminds me of your sister Samantha's hair, all straight and fluffy crazy. I wonder if it will turn curly too?

Thank you for putting up with me everyday. You are very content with playing with your toys in our make shift hall/play area or watching Aristo Cats. You wake up from naps with a smile on your face, bouncing up and down in your bed or talking (some would say babbling) to yourself until I am able to get in there. You also like to let me know you are wake by either banging the blinds or banging and rattling your bottle against the slats on your crib.

Your brother and sister and daddy and I are very happy with you in our family and just want to let you know that you are very loved all around.

Love you lots,

Mom

Halloween Fun

Halloween started off this year a church party and the kids loved dressing up. Then on Friday they had a parade at school to show off there costumes. I met Debby there and didn't recognize her at all. It was fun but long. I am glad my children were in the younger classes because there was a long intermission, like 15-20 minutes, between them and the older classes.

Who is this holding me? Mommy!

Then later we really enjoyed spending it with our family over at Ben's brothers house. We had chili and donuts and cake and the adults talked while Xandi too the kids out trick or treating while we ate and spent the time getting Zach to walk.

When the kids came back, I took Jac and Sam and Ethan over to my friends house next door. They totally love Halloween and it definately shows. When you walk up to the house there is eery music going. You knock on the door and it creeks open to a long hallway with fog and Frankenstein (Mike) coming down the hall with candy. It was great. The kids were right at my side. Awesome!!


Then Samantha wanted to go to her friends house on the other side of ours. I was walking a bit behind her and all the sudden she comes running back to me screaming and crying. She came face to face with this wonderful woman. Scary!!!!!

This took a while to take because Samantha would not look at her. Sherian made an awesome witch. To achieve this picture, she had to cover her face with a coat or something, let Samantha hear her voice, and then Samantha schootched back towards her and drop the cover. It was great! Is that bad to say? I mean, my little girl was sobbing tears and I am wanting a photo opp.

Then we went back over to the house and ate more and just had a good time. I think I loved and thought the most original costume came from Stacy's sister Kim. What do you think?

All in all it was a fabulous time, much better then just sitting at home handing out candy. Oh and by the way our neighborhood reall rocks out the candy. Full size candy bars. We never had that growing up. The older kids came back loaded with full size pillow cases filled to the rim. Luckily my kids only got less then a third and they were happy as clams! It cut down on the candy for Ben and I but oh well.

My absolute favorite pic this year was ..........

Seriously look at Samantha's eye!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Happy 11months!!

Our little Pumpkin

Today is Zach's 11month birthday. I can't believe he will be 1 next month. It seems like yesterday I was having him. I hope it doesn't go any faster. I love him so much!

He is doing well, walking, a couple of steps, but likes to cruise furniture and walls. He sleeps through the night and eats wonderfully. He has become to that stage where he cries when Ben and I leave him. It is cute. I know he loves both of us very much but Ben is sweet and says that Zach just wants me all the time. Probably because he is with me 24/7.

Happy 11 months Zach. We love you very much!!

Corn Belly's

Friday we took all the kids over to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. It was fun but getting cold. We bundled Z up and the kids wore their coats.

Everything was totally for kids. There was 3 corn mazes - A Frightmare one for night and a smaller one for kids and a David Archuleta face one. There was a pumpkin princess, which S just loved.

They had this big monster thing that you walk thru but only T wanted to go thru it, so Ben took him, but just after they walked in and got to the tonsils, they turned around. I think it was to show you in the insides of the monster. They had these bouncy pillows that you could jump on. and Car racing, tether ball, tons of slides, a maze museum and food stands. We were going to eat there but then saw the prices. Seriously $4 for a hot dog. Come on now! We thought it was nice for the kids but quite frankly not worth the price to get in $10.50ea. Whew! I know, ridiculous considering, but the kids had tons of fun and we did too watching them. We left about 8pm and went to Bajios. Yummy!!

Here are some pics of the day........

I'vE bEen TaGgEd

4 random things I like about my husband:
1. He is super smart and very loving to me and our children.
2. Ben is laid back and we can just be together. I can honestly say he is my best friend.
3. He provides for our family any way he can and needs to.
4. I love him so much and I know he loves me, even when I am a stinker, sometimes :-0

The BEST!4 movies that I can watch more than once:
1. James Bond
2. Grease
3. Dirty Dancing
4. Aristocats.. and I do, everyday. Zach thinks it is hilarious

4 shows that I watch:
1. Days/GH (secret addiction that is not so secret anymore:-))
2. The Office
3. The Biggest Looser (I love it)
4. House

4 places I've been today:
1. Work
2. Home
3. Home
4. and Home

4 people who email me regularly:
1. My mom
2. Kari
3. customers
4. my mom, especially now that the presidential race is getting closer! Forward of a forward of a forward :-0

4 places I've visited:
1. Canada
2. Bahamas
3. Mexico
4. Kansas

4 places I would like to go:
1. Switzerland
2. Scotland
3. A cruise with Ben (Stacy, shall we go together?)
4. Anywhere with Ben

4 things I'm looking forward to in the next year:
1. Deck
2. kids back in school :-o Did I just type that. Seriously, how many vacation days do they have. I don't remember that many growing up!
3. Finishing back yard with grass and deck
4. Basement

So there you go and I tag all who wants to play.....

Families are Forever

I love these people, I love this picture and I love my family. My parents were brave enough to have 8 kids and I was the caboose. I know, I know, I was cute, right?

Front Row (L-R): Marianne, Matt, Mike, Myron

Back Row (L-R): Dad (Don), Mom (Mary), Debby, Denise, Mark, David.

Serious, what year was this. We apparently wanted to be some sort of sport team. Ha! No really, I love my family very much and I just have the best memories growing up. My parents gave a lot for their family and I really appreciate that now that I am grown and have a family of my own.

I just love this picture. I got it from my Uncle John's Facebook page. It is of my grandpa McGilvary, he is the one kneeling on the left, and his buddy's in Germany while serving in WWII.

I don't know a whole lot about my grandfather but I am was so moved by this picture I had to post it.