Friday, September 30, 2011

MHS 2011 Cross Country Team

 This year Coach Aaron Olswanger wanted the team to wear nice clothes for the picture - no team uniforms 2011.
 Brady's individual picture.
Coach Aaron is on the grass in the front of the team.
Coach Brice and Coach Heidi are on each end of the 3rd row.

Brady is on the 2nd row right side.

A bunch of great looking kids!

Recipe: Zucchini Casserole

Zucchini Casserole

Preheat oven 350 degrees

6 cups sliced zucchini
1 onion, sliced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (or use homemade)
1 box Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional) - I didn't use

Slice vegetables and place in a large pot filled with water.
Bring water (with vegetables to a boil).
Let boil for 3 - 5 minutes until the zucchini looks cooked and then remove from heat.
Drain vegetables.
Season vegetables with salt and pepper.
Set aside

Mix together the sour cream and the cream of chicken soup.

Melt the butter and pour on the top of the Stove Top Stuffing mix. Combine until the stuffing is moist.

In a 9 x 13 pan, pour 1/2 of the stuffing mix on the bottom of the pan.

Pour 1/2 of the drained vegetables on top of the stuffing.

Spread 1/2 of the sour cream and soup mixture on top of the vegetables.

Place the rest of the vegetables on top of the soup.

Spread the rest of the soup over the second layer of vegetables.

Sprinkle the remaining stuffing mix on top of the soup.

(If you choose, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of the Stuffing Mix - I didn't)

Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until soup begins to bubble and stuffing mix is browned.  
This is such a yummy casseroles. It is one of our favorite.

When I make a casserole, I freeze half of the casserole for a later meal. Our family is too small for regular size casseroles. This freezes great and is a great freezer meal to pull out on busy days. I don't bake the one I am putting in the freezer until I pull it out and then I bake it longer or let it defrost first.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

September Visting Teaching Handouts

I'm finally getting around to my visiting teaching assignment this month. It has been such a busy month, but we are getting it done today - at least it's not the 30th *wink. There were lots of cute ideas for a visiting teaching handout this month, but I settled for this one:

It came from inkablinka.com which used to be SeeMeVT, but she combined all her sites under one.

This cute radio is on a box of Junior Mints. I love how you can "tune" the radio with the items we do to "tune" into the spirit.


I also wanted to give the sisters a General Conference Kit that I usually do. Since these are all new sisters on my route, they haven't received one from me yet.

The lotion is full size because it was the same price on sale as the travel size. It was a great deal and I know they will LOVE it.

I thought I would share these cute ideas, even though the month is almost over.

Wayback Wednesday - Jason and Sharon Childhood

These are the childhood pictures displayed on the entry table to the wedding of Jason and Sharon.

Sharon didn't have very many pictures from her youth and not very many of them with a smile. We came up with the best one's we could find. She didn't have a great childhood and ended up in foster care - so we were lucky to get some pictures. Now she's part of our family for a happily every after with LOTS of smiling pictures in her future.  :-D.
Sharon Baby Picture
Jason 6 weeks old.
Sharon in a park
Jason in a park
Sharon on a merry-go-round.
Jason on a merry-go-round.
Halloween Sharon.
Halloween Jason.
Sharon
Jason
Sharon
Jason
 Jason's Senior Picture
Sharon's Senior Picture.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Children Conference Ideas from the Friend

I am excited for the upcoming world wide General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this weekend.

As I work on lesson ideas each week, I often come across great children conference ideas. I wanted to share a few on my blog.

All ideas came from the Friend.

Illustration by Elise Black

Linda Olsen, “Conference Reverence Tent,” Friend, Oct 2008, 36–38
(Based on a true story)
Hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand (Mosiah 2:9).
“We left off last night at the beginning of Mosiah, remember?” Dad said.

During family scripture study, everyone usually had a turn to read. Nine-year-old Elise read from the Book of Mormon very well. Braydon was six and needed just a little help. Josh sat on Dad’s lap, and Dad whispered a few words for Josh to repeat.

It was Mom’s turn first tonight. After Mom read, Elise began reading with Mosiah 2:6:

“‘And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which King Benjamin should speak unto them.’”

Elise stopped reading. She didn’t turn the page even though everyone else did. Dad looked at her as if to say, “Go on, honey.” A big smile came over Elise’s face.

“Dad, was King Benjamin kind of like a prophet?” she asked.

“Yes. We read the other night that he was a holy man who reigned over his people in righteousness.”

“Mom and Dad, do you think since tomorrow is general conference, we could pretend to be King Benjamin’s people and make a tent to listen to the prophets on TV?” Before her parents could answer, Elise was excitedly dancing around the room.

“Yeah!” Braydon said, brightening.

Josh crawled off Dad’s lap to skip with Elise.

Mom and Dad looked at each other. “Do you mean a tent made of tables and blankets and chairs?”
Mom asked.

“Yes, a really big tent,” Elise said. “But there has to be a door to watch conference on TV.”

“Hmm,” Mom said. “We need to be listening to conference, not playing and making noise.”

Elise sat down.

“We could pretend it was hard to hear and we’d have to be really quiet to listen,” Braydon said.

“Just like the people trying to hear King Benjamin from the tower,” Elise added. “We promise we’ll be quiet and listen.”

“We could even call it a ‘reverence tent,’” Braydon said.

“Our conference reverence tent!” Elise beamed.

“That’s starting to sound like a fun idea,” Dad said.

“Hurray!” Josh cheered.

“Let’s get some things ready tonight,” Mom said.

After scripture study, Dad, Elise, Braydon, and Josh got busy setting up the “reverence tent.” They started with the long table that was used for big family dinners. They added the card table, some chairs, and lots of blankets, and connected it all to the couch. There was plenty of room inside for snacks and supplies for taking notes.

Most importantly, there was a big wide-open door facing the TV so the children could hear and watch general conference.

Elise, Braydon, and Josh helped color a sign that read “Reverence Tent.” “It’s to remind us to be quiet and listen, Dad,” Braydon said as they pinned it onto the blankets.

“Let’s bring in our scriptures,” Elise suggested.

“Great idea,” Braydon said.

They crawled in to look around. “Mom,” Braydon called, “come and see!”

“Wow!” Mom said as she came into the room. Mom had been busy gathering last year’s conference Ensigns, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks, pens, and crayons. She took out the General Authority charts from the old Ensigns and said that during conference Elise and Braydon could cut out and glue onto their notes the picture of the person who was speaking.

“I’ll help Braydon take notes,” Elise volunteered.

“And I’ll help Josh color a picture of the prophet,” Braydon said, smiling at Josh.

“I’m really excited about the talks,” Elise said.

“And the music,” Braydon added.

“General conference will bring a wonderful spirit into our home,” Mom said.

“This is going to be a great conference,” Dad agreed. “I know the Spirit will speak to each of us as we listen.”

After that great story, I thought I would add a hidden picture of King Benjamin to my conference idea list. It is from the April 2008 Friend here:
I manipulated the bingo card and changed President Hinckley to President Monson. :-D
A coloring page with our dear Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson from the April 2008 friend here: 




Enjoy a wonderful conference with your children!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Homecoming Dance Photos

The group shot of Brady's friends who went to Homecoming Dance. They took the pictures in Eagle near the river.
 The cute couple, Brady and Kara
Peek a boo!

 Brady's comment on facebook: Sometimes when I teleport, I'm not exactly on the ground...
 Ready ... Set ....
 JUMP!
I believe I can fly

Look how high Brady and Danielle jumped. Brady is on one end and Danielle is on the other.
Amber, Kara and Brady

Rock Climbing...
Kara, Brady and Amber
They were trying to create the silhouette effect, but the sun had gone too far down already.
Kara, Danielle, Brady and Amber
Kara and Amber 
Danielle, Amber and ??
Danielle .. who was the CAT
Best Friends.
Brady and Kara
Dinner at Big Jud's.
Brady with his best friends, Kara, Danielle and Amber.
Big Jud's serves HUGE hamburgers. They shared.

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