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Friday, June 19, 2015

REPORT OF CUZINS KAMP 2015!!

Every year we say 
THIS WAS THE BEST CUZINS KAMP EVER!!

So guess what??
THIS WAS THE BEST CUZINS KAMP EVER!!



The theme of this years kamp was


Basically a lesson in obedience we can learn from the experiences of the pioneers and our ancestors that were trying to settle in Missouri in 1833-34. 
The mission was a failure....and there were GRUMBLERS! But there were lessons to be learned.
It was a fantastic Kamp theme.....our parents pick them every year...and every year they do NOT disappoint!! 
If you wanna read more about the actual Zion's camp....
click here


There was a special feeling at kamp this year....being in our OWN SPACE was so so SO SO great! Getting to enjoy the fruits of our labor at the Bear Lake Ranch House was just amazing!
We were so grateful.

OK SO....picture overload coming to ya!!
This is how kamp started...eeeeks....thankful no one was hurt...but there were quite a few deer in Emigration canyon on the way to the Ranch House... this one left its hair in Josh's windshield! #bootswiththefur




We took some time to get everything perfect and lookin good!!


This view tho....


Started relaxing with a puzzle...hahaha...don't they look relaxed???
Waiting for everyone else to come! 


still working on the relaxing puzzle......hahaha!

Finished up that night with a snipe hunt!!
This was funny and slightly mean...  watch the video to see the fear in Charlee's face....
She would bang her sticks so hard there was pieces of wood flying everywhere......phhttt...still funny....


Start of kamp!! 
Every morning we meet at the flag pole and get the day started with the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance.
Then we moved on into the barn for our kamp song and daily 
"grandpa visit"
He should write a book of every one of them....
AMAZING!!


Barn craft zone...so much room for activities!

making fleece blankets

boy's made improvements at the loop....
a new volleyball holder for the volleyball court...


nice job boys!!

and a new horseshoe holder for the horseshoe pit!

Its not camp without making rockets!


and more rockets!!!

Here's a video of us launching the rockets!!!

THEN.... wait for it.....
its Cha Cha time with GRANDPA!!
check out this video....wowsers...
 HILARIOUS....... it really happened people....


  Game night!!!


We can't stop watching this video...hahaha!


and then there's this.... yikes.....
we don't know either....


getting ready for the hike!!! Nice hat dad!! wow....
and yes he really wore it on the hike.

Bloomington Lake.....

absolutely beautiful!! 





here's a video of the crazy boys jumping in the lake...
this water was about MAYBE 40 degrees.....REFRESHING??? haha!!


we started a 
"We Not Me" wishing tree....
a place where everyone can come and make their wish for someone else! If you drive by sometime...feel free to stop and tie on your wish!!


Every night there was a movie....complete with yummy fresh popped popcorn!!
Like A LOT of it.....

We finished up kamp on Sunday with Church in Liberty Idaho....and a lovely family testimony meeting later that night...
Then closed it up with the yearly "feather ritual" for each grandchild that graduates high school.



Ton's of food.... ton's of laughing.... hugging.... crying.... a couple of pee pants.... working out with our "swolemates".... sharing.... snuggling.... playing.....a honk or two with an air horn...... talking..... singing....
It was some perfect family time....
We are trying to talk the parental units into doing it twice a year instead of just once...
WE LOVE IT....
and we are counting down the days until next year!!!


XOXOXOXO
from our family to yours!


Monday, June 8, 2015

CUZINS KAMP 2015!!

WE'RE OFF FOR FAMILY TIME!!

Every year..... in June... it's our annual CUZIN'S KAMP!!
This is an extra fun year for us because it's our first time holding kamp at our own

We'll be gone for a week but stay posted for picture overload when we get back!!

cuzin's kamp 2009

For more info about Cuzin's Kamp click

And for our last years Kamp posts click
and

cuzin's kamp 2010

cuzin's kamp 2013

cuzin's kamp 2014

cuzin's kamp 2010

cuzin's kamp 2012

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING!
#hugstimesfive

Friday, June 5, 2015

READ ME......

CALLING ALL READERS!!



We thought it would be fun to recommend a few of our favorite reads...past and present!

And for those who don't enjoy reading....there's a book or two below for you too!

There's a few different categories to choose from...

FAVORITE BIOGRAPHIES

~Eleanor Roosevelt- by Eleanor Roosevelt
~The Autobiography of Abraham Lincoln- by Abraham Lincoln
~Gordon B. Hinkley (Go Forward by Faith)- by Sheri Dew
~My Story- by Elizabeth Smart


CLASSICS

~Of Mice and Men- by John Steinbeck
~Pride & Prejudice- by Jane Austen 
~Lord of the Flies- by William Golding 
~The Great Gatsby- by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
~The Merchant of Venice- by William Shakespeare
~Much Ado About Nothing- by William Shakespeare


NERD ALERT

~Harry Potter Series- by JK Rowling
~The Dresden Files- by Jim Butcher 
~Ender's Game- by Orson Scott Card


LDS BOOKS 

~The Belle of Nauvoo- by Becky Paget (this is a book about our true ancestors!)
~The Kingdom and the Crown Series- by Gerald N. Lund
~Making it thru the Middle- by Emily Freeman
~The Light in the Wilderness- by M Catherine Thomas
~The Culinary Mystery Series- by Josi S. Kilpack
~Feelings Buried Alive Never Die- by Karol Truman
~What's on the other side- by Brent L. Top
~Happy Like Jesus- D. Kelly Ogden
~Let it Go- Chris Williams
~I knew their Hearts- Jeff Olsen


MISCELLANEOUS

~Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (for a clean romance series)
~The DNA of Healing- by Margaret Ruby
~Love Thyself- by Dr. Masaru Emoto
~Nourishing Traditions- by Sally Fallon 
~The Joy of Living- by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
~Molecules of Emotion- by Candace B Pert, PhD
~5 Love Languages- Gary Chapman
~Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey!- by Joanie Demer (Couponing)
~The Total Money Makeover- by Dave Ramsey
~The Help- by Kathryn Stockett 


YUMMIEST BOOK MEMORIES

~Junie B Jones series-  by Barbara Park 
~Charlotte's Web- by E.B. White
~Ramona Quimby series - by Beverly Cleary
~Stuart Little- by E.B. White
~Anne of Green Gables- Lucy Maud Montgomery

Feel free to contact us with questions about any of the suggestions above...and we would love for you to share your favorite book with us too!!

#HUGSTIMESFIVE


Thursday, May 28, 2015

Hasten Magazine....

SO!! I know we haven't posted in like FOREVA.....its been a busy busy time for all the SISSIES!!
PHEW!!

We wanted to share this AWESOME article that Sista #2 wrote and had printed in a magazine!!
Kim has some amazing gifts and she is so inspiring to each of us....
We are so proud of her!!
Not to toot her own horn...but
TOOT TOOT!! 

ENJOY the read!!

**************


The world we live in can be a bit harsh sometimes. We can experience deep heartache, broken dreams, powerless feelings, addictions, failures, troubled times, emotional scars, and diseases of all kinds. Our experiences can leave us physically wounded and emotionally disabled.  Soon doubt, despair and helplessness can settle in.  We wonder why we are going through these struggles in our lives. It is hard to find the answers we need to fix the issues that are before us.  Through Energy Healing and the different modalities offered, we can open a whole new way of thinking, understanding, developing and becoming.  In my life I have seen numerous healing methods but none that stem from the heart until I was introduced to Energy Healing. Through the use of Applied Kinesiology (aka. Muscle testing); we can discover the real source of our issues.  Muscle testing can lead us down the correct path in order for our bodies to heal. Tapping into our sacred bodies is a divinely inspired gift that can help us restore balance; receive harmony and awareness to our lives.

When we understand that we are more than a physical body; we are a spiritual, emotional, and mental body as well; with a wonderful atmosphere around us (our aura), we can find the imbalances that need shifting which can release the negative energy that is causing us “physical symptoms.” That is why it is so important to get to the root cause of our issues. If not, it just like putting a Band-Aid on the problem and no true healing can occur.
We have been given a gift! Our bodies know the exact order for us to heal.   We can have a happy life. We can live with intent. We can live with purpose! We can bring much happiness, joy and peace to our lives as we follow the principles for true healing, which stem from our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our Ultimate Healer. As we look to him in every word and thought, He will show us the path to true happiness and abundance.

There is a song in the LDS Hymn book that brings clarity to my mind regarding the things I’m trying to accomplish.  “Savior, may I learn to love thee, walk the path that thou hast shown, pause to help and lift another, finding strength beyond my own.  Savior, may I learn to love thee, Lord, I would follow thee. Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly? In the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can't see. Who am I to judge another? Lord I would follow thee. (and now my favorite verse) … I would be my brother's keeper; I would learn the healer's art. To the wounded and the weary I would show a gentle heart. I would be my brother's keeper—Lord, I would follow thee.  Savior, may I love my brother as I know thou lovest me, find in thee my strength, my beacon, for thy servant I would be. Savior, may I love my brother? Lord, I would follow thee.”
I believe in the healer’s art! We each have been given gifts to help other people heal. A mother’s touch, a father’s kind words, or a friendly smile can make a difference that no one else could do. In fact, James E. Faust has said, “ You can do something for another person that no one else ever born can do. You can be powerful instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. You are valued and needed!”
I feel we are looking for the cure; something that takes all our pain away. I wonder if we should be looking to be healed. Made whole. Sometimes having the “symptoms” completely taken from us isn’t the highest good for us at the time. But I feel as we come to understand our Savior and how he heals, we will be made whole. Complete. His healing is different from that of the world.  What a beautiful journey it is! Are we willing to take that journey?

An incredible result that happens when you are clearing negative energy is you become closer to your Savior. You rid yourself from the bondage of issues that have been keeping you trapped and heavy. By using Energy Healing you learn how to eliminate destructive patterns, which in turn, strengthens and increases harmony within any relationship. It truly strengthens family bonds and increases our ability to love and forgive others and ourselves.  I have noticed my relationship with my husband has only improved. I didn’t think it could get any better than it already was, but to see a transformation within myself and within him, has brought our marriage to a wonderful new level. And the same thing has happened with each of my children. It can truly strengthen family bonds and increase our ability to love and forgive.  Again, what a gift!

I feel in my heart that this is a sacred work and I feel that we each have an individual calling from God. Whether you choose to be involved in energy healing or not, each of us have a purpose to help and serve the whole human family.


Kimberly Watts is passionate about Energy Healing. She is an Holistic Health Coach, certified in Foot Zone Therapy, and a Lymphatic Practitioner.  She has created an easy foundational program called Synergetic Healing, helping you get to the root of imbalances and issues.  Kimberly feels her truest education began on her knees. That is where she learned how to use the tools she learned in class. Christ is our best teacher and instructor. She has such a reverence for energy work.  She believes that muscle testing is the communication of the spirit. Our spirit.  As we continue to learn that "language" it refines us to understand the communication of our Father's Spirit. It is a vehicle to guide us down a path of learning, of becoming and creating. Energy work is truly a gift from our Heavenly Father and as we treat it with respect we will learn beyond our expectations.
Kimberly Watts has been happily married to Darin for 25 years! She has loved every minute of it. She has 5 amazing children, an incredible son-in-law and one adorable grandson. She believes with all her heart that family, her Savior and her Heavenly Father are where true happiness is found. They are everything!
To find out more or contact Kimberly Watts, go to kimberlyawatts.com.


Posted in Hasten Magazine. A Christ Centerted Holistic Magazine Living for our Time. 
hastenmagazine.com



HUGS TIMES FIVE!!
xOXoXO

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Dear Momma....

DEAR MOMMA!

We are so grateful for the life lessons you have taught us. About love. Patience. Individual growth. Knowledge. You were always giving of yourself to others. And you still are.


 We remember when we were little.. Saturday nights were our favorite.  Memories of you making dinner, usually hot dogs - (which we still love today!) and we would sit around after dinner and watch Solid Gold (funny huh!) and eat oranges. 


And all of us sisters, one by one would have a bath to get ready for Sunday. We are sure that night stressed you out but we loved it so much. After we were all bathed we would pile on your bed and watch Love Boat
and Fantasy Island
(The plane the plane!)




It was just the little things like that, that made us always feel warm and safe. We always felt very comfortable and loved being together. You always gave your time and your heart. And from your example we have tried to create those same feelings in each of our homes.
Thank you mom for raising us girls. We know it wasn't easy with 72 loads of daily laundry, 27 cans of weekly hairspray and 92 monthly boxes of tampons....but we love you for it!

WE LOVE YOU MOM!!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM YOUR FAVORITE FIVE!
AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO EVERYONE THAT HAS A MOTHER!!!
#hugstimesfive

Friday, May 1, 2015

The load you carry.....

We all have loads to bear....

Backpacks filled with crap we pick up along the road called life....
Some loads are unnecessary for us to carry... 
some weren't ours to begin with...
and some -if we are willing-... 
teach us and define who we are.

I came across this video today...
I had heard the story told before...
but I loved it in video form and wanted to share.


Here are 2 questions Elder Bednar asked during his talk where he told about this story...
“Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck? Is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?”

To read his complete talk click here

LOVE YOU SISTERS!!
If the load you carry is not benefiting you....LOSE IT!
#hugstimesfive



Monday, April 27, 2015

MERCY RIVER.....

HEY....
Wanna meet some adorable ladies?



Click on the link above...and get to know the sweet gals from Mercy River....

We as sisters had the privilege of watching them perform at BYU Womens Conference a couple years ago...they were hilarious, uplifting and straight up adorable. 

If you haven't listened to their music you are missing out.
They have a four albums out and you can even sample their music on their website.

The blog is amazing...they have all sorts of fun posts and info.. music, health topics, recipes, parenting, infertility, blah blah blah...I literally got lost looking thru it all because there's so much to see!
To read my favorite blog post click here
and you'll love this recipe click here

Plus random Facts about each one of the girls, 
Click here for Soni
Click here for Brooke
Click here for Whitney

Mercy River is performing at BYU Womens Conference again this Thursday from 8pm-10pm at the Marriot Center.
for more information about BYU Women's Conference click here

If you have some time..it would be a fun girly night out. 

It's HAPPY MUSIC!

You can follow Mercy River on 
Instagram- @mercyrivergirls
Facebook- Mercy River
Twitter- @mercy_river
and
Pinterest- Mercy River

#UPLIFT
#INSPIRE
#DOGOOD
#HUGSTIMESFIVE

Friday, April 24, 2015

Chicken Enchiladas....

RECIPE TIME!!!
(yeah....I sang that)

OK so here's a simple recipe that is always a crowd pleaser....
And it's changeable for however you're eating right now...
low fat... low carb.. gluten free...
Just adjust the ingredients for what you need!

Its one of those recipes that I didn't really write down... I just made it ya know?
So this is my attempt to actually create a recipe for it...
for posterity reasons??? phht...

First of all...
Here's a list of ingredients:

4 chicken boobs seasoned, cooked and cubed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small can of green chiles
1 small can of sliced olives (not drained)
2 cups of monterey jack cheese
tortillas

*******************

ALRIGHTY THEN....
here we go...

In a large bowl combine the soup, sour cream, green chiles, olives, and 1 C cheese.


Take about 1/2 Cup of this mixture and spread over the bottom of your baking dish. 


Then add your cooked chicken to the remaining sauce and combine


Spoon about 1/3 Cup of filling into each tortilla and roll.
(Try to reserve about 1-2 cups of filling for topping)


Snuggle those suckers all together in your baking dish


Spread the remaining filling over the top of the enchiladas 
(I sometimes thin this mixture out a little bit with a couple tablespoons of milk before spreading)


Top with 1 Cup cheese
Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350* for an hour or until bubbly.
I uncover and broil the top for the last 4-5 minutes of cooking time. 

BAM!! Dinner is served...
(yes i realize its a different baking dish in this last picture...I was feeding the masses so I made two dishes and forgot to take an after picture of the correct one....whatevs)



#HUGSTIMESFIVE
#FEEDYOURFAMILY
:)