Southwestern Casserole

This favorite breakfast casserole is easy and healthy.  I make it at least twice a month for a yummy breakfast before school.

Southwestern Casserole – Jenn Halverson 

Mix:  

9 eggs  

¼ c melted butter  

½ c flour 

½ t salt 

¼ t garlic powder 

Mix into:  

1 pint cottage cheese

1 c cooked sausage 

1 small can green chili 

1 c cheese

-Pour into 9x13 dish and top with chopped tomatoes.

-350 degree – 30 to 40 minutes

Autumn Decor

I love decorating our home with seasonal sensation.  I don't go over the top (although I secretly would LOVE to),  I try to keep it simple and elegant.  I enjoy making all the decorations to grace our home, it makes it 'us'.  Here are some of my past fallish goodies that come out every year to spook our home.

-Autumn Wreath - 2009 -  I totally cheated and bought this fall goodie. I love the colors, the acorns and the pine cones.

-Boogie Monster - 2001 - I was on a tole painting spree in 2001 - right before my third little one joined our family.

-Pumpkin Welcome - 2001 - This is my favorite of all projects that year.

-Falling Leaves Sign - 2001

-Spooky Ghosts - 1996 - My three older kids were actually quite distraught over it's new look.

One even had a tear in his eye.  Sniff.  I felt bad.

-Updated Spooky Ghosts - 2010

-Batty Bat - 1995 - I was going to give this little guy a makeover, however, after the kid's reaction to the Spooky Ghost's makeover, I couldn't do it.  Who knew kids were so sentimental.

-Scarecrow Hat - 1994 - I made this cute scarecrow as a brand new newlywed.  It will always grace our kitchen door.

-Witchy Pillows - 2009

-Fabric Pumpkins - 2010 - 6 little punkins sitting on a gate.....

-Tissue Paper Halloween Jars - 2009

-Painted Pumpkin Jars - 2010 - If this were a dessert.......yum!

-Twig Vase - 2010

-Trick or Treat Plates - 2010

-Witchy Spells - 5 cents.... hexes extra - 2010

-Halloween Plates - 2010

-BOO Pots - 2010

-Pumpkin Eye Candy - 2010

-Paper Bag Pumpkins - from 2001 to 2009.  These paper bag pumpkins have become my prized autumn decor.  Each one is made by one of my little punkins when they were in kindergarten.

-Autumn Ledge - 2010

-Autumn Mantle  -  2011

-Pumpkin Candle Lantern - 2011

-Green House - 2010

-Cinderella Pumpkins - 2011

-Fall Rosette Wreath - 2011

I. LOVE. AUTUMN.

All Thumbs

Day 1:
Bad news - Jarin pops his right thumb out of joint at the end of football practice.  His coach popped it back in.

Day 2:
Good news - Jarin skips practice to go to the Utah Football game.  His coach now knows the truth of Jarin's plan to get out of practice.

Day 4:
Bad news - Game time.  His thumb is wrapped poorly due to parents who don't know what they are doing.  He ices it all weekend.

Day 9:
Bad news - Thumb is still hurting after several practices.  Hmmm, fracture?

Day 10:
Bad news - Thumb x-rayed.  Fracture on growth plate and the on-call doctor says Jarin is out for the season.

Day 11:
Bad news - Jarin watches the game on the side-lines.

Day 13:
Good news - Sports Medicine doctor casts thumb and gives Jarin the thumbs up (ha ha) to play football.

Day 13:
Good news - Jarin pads up and plays.
Bad news - no playing piano and writing is difficult among other things.

Lesson learned:  Parents -  next time skip to Day 10 and be done by Day 2.
                           Jarin - think of an easier way to get out of practice.

(sigh)

One Family and One Mission

Cam in a cute nerdy way is a big fan of Stephen Covey and has several of his books enriching our library.  I jumped on board and only read through half of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families when I started thinking of our family mission statement.  I never did finish the book, yet we did create a mission statement that has worked for our family the last five years.   Upon searching online (yes I did), I found a  statement using "FAMILY" as an acronym.  I loved the idea so we changed the phrases a bit to fit our family.  It rounds our family out nicely.  

I ordered the statement on vinyl lettering and placed it on the wall.  Then I painted around it and framed it with simple floor boards.  It's great!

F   aithfully trusting Heavenly Father's Plan and staying true;

A  ttitude of love, gratitude, respect and learning;

M  aking a team effort, pitching in, and cooperating;

I    nvolvement with each other, having fun, and celebrating;

L   iving a healthy lifestyle, maintaining order and cleanliness;

Y  esterday...today...our family is forever!

Imagine the FHE lessons this statement covers!

We even have a silly cheer the kids made up a few years ago that we say with much enthusiasm (ahem) in the morning...

Jensens are Cool 

Cause Jensens Rule 

Choose the Right!  (Around football season it's  Choose the Red!)

We also like Professor Dumbledore's nuggets of wisdom.

Mission Statement Blog Hop at The Redheaded Hostess

Beautifully Modest

Allyse's Bridal invited over 100 girls to participate in a fashion show held at the University Mall to model their beautifully modest prom dresses.  Makayla and a group of her friends where star models.  All the girls were stunning and their faces glowing.  These girls know who they are and what they stand for, they are modest by choice.  Beautiful inside and out (sniff and tear wipe).

Meet Fred

Meet Fred, the newest member of the Jensenites.  We were thrilled to find Fred, the sole survivor of two planted pumpkin seeds, in the middle of a spaghetti squash patch.  We scooped him up and fell in love right away.  Being the only pumpkin in the family, he is the favorite pumpkin in the family.  He now sits in the honorary place of the entry way of our home.  We love Fred!

Ride Around the Lake

I never enjoyed biking until Jen Halverson introduced me to road biking after the twins were born.  Of course I didn't know what a 'road bike' was then either because I rode my old Fred Meyer mountain bike on Washington roads and bike trails.  I hauled three kids for miles and felt my legs grow stronger each time I rode.  Jen gave me a pair of biking gloves for my birthday and it was all down hill from there - well some of it anyways.  I started using Cameron's old Schwinn mountain bike and felt the power of speed.  I used that bike for a couple of years.  When we moved to Utah I signed up for my very first triathlon and bought my very first (used) road bike.  I felt like I was flying pulling two kids behind me.  I love 'road biking'!

A few years later Jen moved to Utah and her family started the annual 'Ride Around the Lake' ride.  Cam and I joined this year to ride 50 miles around Bear Lake on Labor Day and love it.  Cameron bought a brand spankin' new road bike, not because he loves biking, but because he loves to spend time with me.  He is soooooo sweet.  Now we ride together.  My only fear is that next Spring I plan on riding his bike to test it out and I'm afraid that I won't give it back.  :)  

Update:  Rode the Wonder Women Ride (62 miles) in Payson on September 17th with Jen.  It was an awesome ride!

Oompa Loompas

Besides being a great 7th grade Lehi football team, they look great in Oompa Loompa socks!