Vickie Hacking & Family

Valentine's Box

2012-02-09T19:56:00.003-07:00

Tonight Hunter wanted to get his Valentine's Day box all ready to take to school. I asked him what he wanted to do and he explained vaguely what he wanted. I said okay. He found a box, asked where the purple paper was, and away we went. I had NO influence on this at all. I simply did what he told me to and put stuff where he needed. I did help with the logistics of a few things - like how to make it look like it had legs, without having to actually hold it up with the flimsy foil legs. But he apparently he had it all thought out in his head. The valentine's go in the top of the robot's head.

Swim Team Pictures

2012-02-03T14:51:00.002-07:00

For the Lehi High School Swim Team.

To order your pictures of the swim team this year, please email Carl Hacking BEFORE Wednesday, Feb 8th with your order. We will be printing them on Thursday, Feb 9th

Sizes available:
5"x7" = $5.00
8"x10" = $8.00

Send email to: cvhacking@yahoo.com

We need the following information:
1. Swimmer's name
2. Which picture you want (choose from TEAM, SENIORS, or CAPTAINS)
3. Which size you want of that picture.

In the email subject line, please put: SWIM TEAM PICTURE ORDER
*We will let you know how to pay after you email us.

If you plan to order, please do so before the deadline. Thanks!

TEAM:

SENIORS:

CAPTAINS:

Hot Cocoa

2011-12-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love hot cocoa. I buy it in 25lb bags. My kids love hot cocoa. We go thru it almost faster than NesQuick chocolate milk mix. We even have hot cups and lids on our counter that the kids can have their hot cocoa in. My two high-schoolers love taking a nice hot cup of it with them on their way to the bus stop in the mornings to help keep them warm.
On Christmas Eve my mom brought me some Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa mix that she had gotten as a gift. My first thought was - of course, thanks mom! But then I thought - pumpkin spice? Hmmm!?!?!
Well, this morning - not really in the mood for a big breakfast, I just had toast with hot cocoa. MMMMmm. One of my favorite things. I was brave and had the pumpkin spice hot cocoa. WOW!! Loved it!!

So for all you hot cocoa lovers out there - this is what I had. You may want to try it yourself. It is very good - it is still chocolaty, with a hint of pumpkin spice to it. It was very good.

I am not sure where you can buy it locally....wait just found where. Here are the locations from their website. But you can still buy it on their website here.

And the stockings were hung....

2011-12-11T14:56:00.001-07:00

We finally got the stockings up!

Temple in El Salvador

2011-12-02T08:17:00.001-07:00

My Aunt and Uncle are serving a mission in El Salvador as my Uncle serves as the very first Temple President over the San Salvador temple. Here is a fun, touching, inspirational video on the youth there and how having a temple close to them has inspired and helped them.
My Aunt keeps a blog of their adventures in El Salvador - and it is fun to see the culture, experiences and people of this country. I hope they don't mind me sharing their blog with the world. You can see some fun pictures of their adventures here.

Our new Nativity Scene

2011-11-30T08:39:00.001-07:00

This year I really wanted a new Nativity Scene. I have one that is like the one my parents had growing up - ceramic figures, with a wooden stable. It is cute, but not really my style, and a lot of the pieces are now broken, so it is on its last leg. I didn't really know what kind of Nativity I wanted - but I felt when I saw it - I'd know it was the one. Well, I saw it (and if you know my house at all, you are well aware of the metal theme...dinner table, huge clock, etc...) and immediately knew I had to have it. Here is the Nativity Scene I got (except mine has a few more pieces in it than what is shown in the picture). Isn't it just gorgeous?! I absolutely love it! I got it from Bishop Built - they do all sorts of metal items - one of my fave companies!

The Plan of Salvation, a.k.a The Plan of HAPPINESS

2011-11-16T11:55:00.001-07:00

Today I was able to attend the viewing of a friend of mine, from Oklahoma, who passed away last week. When we lived there, I was able to serve in the Relief Society Presidency with her, side by side for many months. Her name is Diana Hawks, and she was a friend to many. Non-judgmental, caring, uplifting, just a wonderful lady. In fact, I think she was one of the first people to introduce herself to me when we first moved to Claremore, OK.
Diana and her husband, Ralph, just recently moved to Utah - just 3 weeks ago. He retired from his lifelong occupation and now works for the Church. I was able to talk with Ralph today. He said the most comforting things. The first thing he said was that he *knew* Diana's urgency to move to Utah was so he could be close to his family during this hard time. All of his daughters live here, so that was a great blessing to him. He would have been all alone in Oklahoma. The second thing he said that made a huge impression on me was - when asked how he was doing by one of his daughters, he simply answered "I'm at great peace".
What a blessing it is to KNOW that he will see Diana again. That she is in a far better place than here - doing what she loves best - serving in the Church.
I, too, am so grateful for the knowledge of heaven and that there is a loving Heavenly Father watching over our every move. He has a perfect plan for us. I see the little miracles happening in the Hawks family, and know that they are tender mercies from Him.

General Relief Society Meeting

2011-09-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

The General Relief Society Meeting (not Women's Conference....this is what's held at BYU each Spring) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held on Saturday, Sept 24, 2011. It was a fabulous meeting. I attended the meeting in the Conference Center with my friends Jill and Pam. If you missed it live - be sure to watch it now. You can view highlights from the meeting, watch the whole meeting, or read the talks here. If you only have time for one little highlight right now - watch the clip from Pres Uchtdorf entitled YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. What a great uplifting meeting to get us through the next few months as women in the Church. And I had a great night out with the girls.

Salt Lake Connect Pass

2011-09-19T09:09:00.002-06:00

So - I just found out about the Salt Lake Connect Pass. If you are planning a trip to SLC or you are a resident of Utah, and want to explore Salt Lake, the CONNECT PASS may be the way to go. It is a pass you buy - then you get in to several attractions free with the pass. What a great deal! Be sure you read about the pass and understand how you use it before purchasing, but what a deal!

Yellowstone Park

2011-09-06T18:12:00.007-06:00

Over the Labor Day weekend, we packed up the family and took a road trip to Yellowstone Park. Our kids had never been there. I went (so my parents claim) when I was little, but I didn't remember it. Carl went when he was around 8 years old, but didn't remember too much of it either.

We took off on Friday and drove straight to my Aunt Judy's house in Rigby, ID. They were gracious enough to open up their home to us for a night. It was great seeing them again.

The next morning - Saturday - we drove to Yellowstone (about a 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive from Rigby).

We stayed at this GREAT place called Mack's Inn, in Island Park, Idaho (about 30 minutes from West Yellowstone). They are open year around, and offer hotel rooms, cabins, etc... We rented a cabin - we thought it only appropriate to stay in a rustic cabin while visiting Yellowstone. We loved our cabin. We did mainly just sleep there, but it was so much fun and adventurous. It had a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, and a little kitchen. It was just perfect for us.

Here are the pictures from Yellowstone. They can explain what we saw better than I could try to describe it. They are all pretty much self-explanatory, but if an explanation is needed, it's there.

We liked this geyser because of its name: Spasm Geyser

This geyser is on a little trail up from Old Faithful. It is called Solitary Geyser. This is a must see. It goes off every 4-6 minutes. Few people make the short hike to see it. Well worth it!

Old Faithful - to me, kind of cool, but not what I had anticipated. The steam from the hot water blocks your view of the water - so to me, not too impressed. I was more enthralled with the angry elk.

Carl showing some of his mad camera skills:

So, this is our angry elk. When you enter the park, there are signs everywhere that warn you about the wildlife. Warning you to keep a safe distance. Their recommended safe distance is 25 yards from animals like elk, bison, moose, etc... And 100 yards for bear, and wolf.

We passed the meadow and saw this elk on our first night in the park headed back to our cabin. The second night, he was there again - it must be his home. Well, this time, people were inching closer and closer to the thing! Right before Andrew took this picture, the elk stomped his hoof, and blew air out of his nose, and lowered his antlers toward the group of pine trees on the right? Why? Because there is some idiot with a camera right in the group of trees. As you can see, NOT 25 yards! That elk was not happy about some dude invading his space. We were hoping to catch an elk attack on camera - but luckily enough, the elk's warning was enough for the guy to high-tail it out of there. Duh!! But, it was one of the most memorable moments of the trip. We were just laughing at the stupidity of people.

More of Carl's mad photography skills.

There were 2 fatal bear attacks in the Park in August. This sign (although blurry) was one that closed off the area trails heads where both of them happened. Scary!!

We did a lot of this:

On our way home, we drove thru Teton National Park, and down thru Jackson Hole. Boy am I glad we did! We didn't see a bear the whole time we were in Yellowstone - and we were in posted bear country more than once! Within 10 minutes of entering Teton, we saw a bunch of cars pulled to the side of the road. Sure enough! It was a mama grizzly and her cub!

You can see the mama middle left of the picture. The cub is middle right, right above the top power line. Can you see them?

Andrew is going to China!!

2011-08-30T15:17:00.007-06:00

Andrew (handsome young brute on the far left): 17 years old, a swimmer, a big brother, a great son, a senior in high school, I could go on and on and on about Drew.

This year he is taking a CHINESE class. He has been yearning to learn Chinese for quite some time now. He even "Google translated" his name and cut it out of vinyl to put on his bedroom wall last year. He is the proud owner of a Chinese Book of Mormon (although he cannot read it quite yet).

His Chinese teacher - who is an American who grew up in Hong Kong, is taking a group of people on a 2 week tour of China in June 2012. Andrew is on the list to go!! We are so excited beyond belief what a great opportunity this is for Drew. He has had a desire to go to China for a while now, and now he has an opportunity to go.

The trip is $3,000.00.

If you also remember - this is the time of year his swim team does their swim-a-thon to raise money for this years swim team and all the meets they go to and equipment they buy. Well, Andrew's swim money has been donated by an anonymous donor - so that is covered.

So, we are asking for generous donations to GET ANDREW TO CHINA! Carl and I are going to save every penny we can to put toward this trip for him. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Andrew and we want to make it happen! We are asking for money donations. Any amount will help! You can donate to Andrew's CHINA fund by:

1. You can mail a check to us (email us for our address - cvhacking@yahoo.com)

2. We can take credit cards. Just call us (we have SQUARE on Carl's iPod).

3. You can send a payment to Vickie's PayPal account: ywbooks@yahoo.com

We know this is a HUGE expense for our family - but we want to make it happen for Andrew. And I think we can with everyone's help.

In the case that - for some unforeseen reason - Drew doesn't go on this trip, all money already donated will be applied to his first semester of college (at BYU-I), and/or to his mission fund. So either way, the money donated will go to Andrew - 100% of it.

If you want to see/hear first hand how excited Drew is to go on this trip, give him a call. You'll be able to tell within seconds of asking him about it.

Thank you friends and family for your generous donations to get ANDREW TO CHINA!!!

A House Without a Mom

2011-08-25T09:07:00.004-06:00

A house without a mom can be devastating. I totally understand why God made women - so children can have moms, and husband's can have wife's. There are so many things that mom's do that no one else does - or even attempts.

This past weekend, I had a booth at the Utah County Fair selling lemonade - The Lemonade Stand. Basically I was gone from Wednesday afternoon to Saturday night about midnight. Needless to say - my house suffered terribly while I was gone. Even though I am still in the process of cleaning it, I did get my kitchen done....this morning.

Here is what I came home to late Saturday night:

Here is my clean kitchen as of Thursday morning (after numerous loads of dishes and keeping up with the everyday messes of life):

I think I can go on with life now that I have a clean kitchen. (If you know me at all, you'd know I can't do anything unless my bed is made and my kitchen is clean.) The rest of the house - well it will have to wait.....until all my kids have moved out.

BYU - I bleed blue

2011-08-10T13:31:00.002-06:00

Saw this on FB and had to share:

A BYU fan, a U of U fan, and a USU fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves their team the most. The U of U fan insists that he is most loyal and then yells, "This is for the U!" and jumps off the mountain. Not to be out done, The BYU fan next professes his love for his team. He screams,"This is for the Cougars!" and pushes the USU fan off the mountain...

Internet coming to LDS Meetinghouses

2011-08-09T09:22:00.007-06:00

Finally! We all knew it would come eventually. But by the end of 2011?!? YAY! You can read articles about the internet being available in 85% of LDS Meetinghouses by the end of 2011 here, and here. I can't wait until we can pay tithing online - oh, you know it's coming, too. Just a matter of time. Think of how much time this would save the ward clerks? Love modern technology - and how the church is keeping up, if not ahead.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

2011-08-01T12:32:00.005-06:00

I love Chocolate Molten Lava Cake - always have. If you have never had it - it is a soft chocolate cake with a gooey fudge center. To me, it is like having hot fudge sauce in the middle of my chocolate cake. Yummy!! I always serve it with fresh whipped cream (use the real stuff - none of that Cool Whip stuff!)

I have not, however, always loved every recipe I have tried making it from. Well, yesterday, I FINALLY found the perfect recipe for it while browsing the internet. I made it - and WOW! My kids gobbled it up. There were even a few tears shed over *not* getting the last bite. This one is a keeper! You can find the recipe here. If you need a step by step tutorial, that is here.

My tweeking of the recipe (if you know me - I am always changing something in a recipe):

*Instead of the 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate, I used 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

*Using the chips - I only had to microwave the chocolate and butter about 50 seconds.

*I cooked mine in two 5" round pans (2" high) for 14 minutes. I only used 2 pans (since they are a little bigger) instead of the 4 custard cups suggested in the recipe. Each pan was enough for 2 people to share.

*I did not invert mine onto a plate. I ate it right out of the pan.

Now - go make a sweet, sweet, heavenly dessert right now! Go!!

Church Website Tutorial #3 - Upload a family picture

2011-07-06T16:14:00.005-06:00

In Tutorial #2 I said I would be doing more on Mormon.org. Well, I decided that a quick tutorial about the new membership directory would be so much more fun!

When you go to lds.org to view your ward website (you did know that your ward has an official church website, didn't you??), you will notice off to the right, there are two links with pictures, under the heading CHECK OUT THE NEW LOCAL UNIT TOOLS. One says New Calendar, and one says New Directory. This new directory is what I want to focus on today - specifically uploading a family picture to this directory..

Click on New Directory. This will take you to a sign in page. You will need an account to access this. You can easily create one. You will need your membership number - which you can get from your ward clerk, or off your temple recommend.

Once you sign in, it will take you to the main *new* directory page. Once there, click on HOUSEHOLD in the left column. Then scroll down to your name and CLICK on it. This will take you to your family's information (other ward members can view this info, too).

Now click EDIT PROFILE. This will take you to a page that you can edit your information and upload your family picture. To upload your family picture, click on the button that says CHOOSE FILE. This will pop up a box of uploading guidelines (copyright info), click CONTINUE. Click SELECT PHOTO to get to the file of your photo. Find the file you want and click UPLOAD NOW. When it is done uploading, it will show you the picture with the rest of your information.

If you ever need help with these new tools, click on the help button on any of the pages and it will help you tremendously!

Now that you have uploaded a picture of your family, view it in PHOTOS (in the left hand column beneath households). This will bring up photos of your whole ward. Scroll down to your name - and there you are!!

Here is what my ward's looks like - I am only one of two families that have taken advantage of this cool new technology in my ward as of today. I am sure it will get filled with photos soon.

Family Picture in Sunny California

2011-07-06T14:23:00.005-06:00

Over the Christmas break, we spent most of our time at my dad's house in San Diego, along with all of my siblings and their families. While there, we decided to take a family picture on the beach. Can I just say...disappointed. We didn't get a "real" photographer, just used family members. We got one semi good picture (see beach picture below). My hair is being blown by the ocean breeze, but other than that, it is printable. What a let-down. I was so much hoping for a nice little photo album of cute beach pictures. Oh well. You live and learn - and Carl and I have learned to hire a professional the next time we travel 12 hours to find a nice backdrop for a family picture.

I just ordered my 24x36 print of this picture to hang in our living room to replace the cool family picture we have up right now of us by a helicopter. It is a few years old, and the kids have changed so much. I ordered it from MPIX. If you haven't discovered them yet - you need to! They are great and very inexpensive and such high quality if you are ordering large format prints, like I do.

So my advice for the day - hire a professional photographer when traveling to sunny California for a family picture.

Growing a Lily Plant

2011-06-24T10:22:00.021-06:00

Last summer I planted a lily plant. I wasn't sure if it would bloom. About August I had a lily! Only 1. Then came winter - I didn't do much to the plant except cut it down a little. Well, this spring the plant came back to life. I admired it as it grew nice, big, dark green leaves (this is why I originally planted it in the first place). Then I noticed a strong shoot coming up out of the leaves. My lily! I am guessing these plants only produce one flower each year? Here is the lily coming to life. It is now in full bloom - and beautiful - in my flower garden in front of my house.

Church Website tutorial #2 - Mormon.org PART 1

2011-05-25T09:23:00.010-06:00

**This tutorial is part 1 on Mormon.org (of at least 3 or 4 parts). I am only covering a few features of the website today. Take time to play around with these features. More will follow...**

If you haven't visited Mormon.org yet, you are really missing out! This is one of the Church's many websites that can be a valuable teaching tool for members, and non-members alike. My favorite part of Mormon.org? The videos of "I'm a Mormon" statements - I especially love Sheryl's video - what a powerful influence for good this woman is doing - especially in the lives of those sweet kids she teaches every day! And she is proud to say I'm a MORMON. Are we that proud? Do we exemplify our beliefs like Sheryl does thru her service and association with others? I sure hope we all do. And I firmly believe that she is planting the seed in many of her students to follow her example and to make a difference in this world. Everyone knows the influence of a favorite teacher - and what it can do in ones life.

Ok - onto the "tutorial - part 1". When you first get to Mormon.org, you will see lots of fun colorful things. Down below the main big picture, you will see 5 small boxes of pictures of people. If you click on one of those, that picture will pop up as the main big picture on the page. Click on the big picture, and you can watch their video about them being a Mormon. You will want to watch these! They are so inspiring. So many different and unique people all over the world who are making a difference thru their belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When you first visit the site - at the top of the page there is a CREATE A PROFILE link. Click on this to start your own profile on Mormon.org. Once you create a profile, others can view it and learn from you. You can even link your blog to your profile, so investigators who visit Mormon.org can read about you and learn from you. Why create a profile? Well, let me show you.....

When you get to Mormon.org, you'll see a link that says OUR PEOPLE. If you scroll over this, a drop down menu will appear. Click on MEET MORMONS. This will take you to a page that will help you discover Mormons who share your personal experience in terms of where you live, age, gender, etc.... You can narrow the search by selecting a few more details. Start by just selecting a gender and age. This will pop up all the profiles by this group you selected. Why do they have this feature? Say you have a friend who is a single mom, age 30, who lives in Australia. She doesn't think anyone else is in her situation. She can search for a female, age 30, in Australia. She will find many profiles that she can read that could inspire and teach her about the Gospel - from women her same age in her same area. WOW! What a powerful group that can help her. Go -- create your profile!!

Try playing around with this feature- see who you can find - this could be used to help youth, and adults. Share a profile of someone from another country in your next Family Home Evening. Learn from these people! They have much to teach you.

So, you have now started to create YOUR profile, and you have read several profiles of others (and watched a few video profiles). Now what?

Did you know that you can talk to a missionary right from this website - or refer a friend or investigator to this feature? You can!! When you first arrive on Mormon.org, there is a link that says CHAT WITH US (on the side, angled sideways, next to text by the big picture on the main page - it is currently HOT PINK). Did you know that missionaries are called to serve as this chat group? It's true. I learned (from the class I took on these church websites) that there is an average of 3 baptisms per WEEK due to these CHAT online communications? How wonderful is that?!?!

Last item for this tutorial PART 1 (you'll have lots of homework from these few features you were taught today, so I think we can stop here). Be sure to visit the FAQ's page. You can get to the FAQ's page from any page on this site. Now, this isn't your normal Frequently Asked Questions about a website - no, these are not answers to how Mormon.org (the website) works. These are questions and answers to the most asked questions about OUR CHURCH. When you click on the FAQ link, you'll be taken to a page that has many, many topics, questions, and answers. When you click on a topic, the questions pertaining to that topic are next to it on the right, and next to the questions, if you click on one of the questions, the answer is to the right of that. And want one better? You can also read answers to these questions from people who have profiles on Mormon.org, and who have taken the time to answer these questions (you'll be able to provide answers, too, once you get going on your PROFILE). Can you see now why it is so important we all create a profile? Think if you were investigating the Church - wouldn't it be helpful and comforting to get real answers to your questions from real, everyday people? That is what our profiles do!

Next tutorial - Mormon.org PART 2. Look for it in 7-10 days. Be patient with me if you check back in 7 days and I haven't posted the next tutorial - as I work from home, and I am still a mom
and wife... :-)

Church Website tutorial #1 - The LDS Church Websites

2011-05-10T12:36:00.018-06:00

I attended a class at BYU Women's Conference in April 2011 about the LDS Church websites. WOW! I learned so much in the class. It was probably my favorite class I attended. I want to share with you what I learned. I will be posting tutorials every 7-10 days of what I learned. Each time *hopefully* you will learn something new as well. The church has dedicated hours, upon hours to their online presence. I felt like I was pretty well versed in the church websites - since I do frequent them often. Boy - was I wrong! Here is my first tutorial of what I was taught in this class - and what I have learned from playing around on the sites on my own, after attending the class. I hope you like it. If you have any questions about it - leave a comment on this post and I will see if I can answer it.

THE LDS CHURCH WEBSITES
Did you know that the CHURCH has over 100 distinct websites? The three main ones are:

lds.org - mainly for members of the church

mormon.org - mainly for friends of the church (investigators, friends of members, etc)

familysearch.org - family history

Other CHURCH websites include:

radio.lds.org - these broadcasts and shows are soon to be available on NetFlix

ldschurch.jobs

mobile.lds.org - the church is encouraging the YOUTH to get the youth website app for their phones and iPads, etc...

newsroom.lds.org - official source for media; by public affairs department

josephsmith.net

store.lds.org - online distribution center - the church REALLY wants you to use this! Free shipping.

Combatingpornography.org

vinyard.lds.org - BRAND NEW! Quick online service opportunities - great for youth.

media.lds.org - Coming soon! This will have the church media on it (lesson manuals, etc...right now it takes you to the newsroom website).

news.lds.org - mainly for members of the church

friend.lds.org - a website for children

These are a few of the church websites that you may not have known about. They currently have a new website in the works for the Primary age kids of the church similar to the youth website. It will include mormon messages just for kids, music, etc... They didn't announce an official date but they hinted late summer or fall.

I will go into more detail about each of these websites in later tutorials. We'll work on one at a time so you can really play around on the websites and get to know what a tremendous resource each one is!!

You will know you are on an official website of the LDS church if the church logo is at the bottom, or you will see this:

Next tutorial - Mormon.org - watch for it in 7-10 days....maybe sooner.

Update

2011-04-26T10:00:00.003-06:00

It has been a few days since my last post. Here is what we have going on this week. Lots to talk about! I am going to Women's Conference Thurs and Fri with Kathi (my sister in law - Erick's wife). I have never been before, so it will be fun to see what all the hype is about. Hunter turns the BIG 8 on Wednesday (27th). Hunter gets baptized on Saturday - all friends and family are welcome to come. I have a few vinyl orders I need to get out by the end of the week - including an order for Deseret Book. Carl has lots of skate boot plates to mail out - they are taking over our kitchen counter at the moment. My brother Mike and his wife Candace had their baby on Easter Sunday. Justin Michael Robertson - a big boy coming in at over 9 pounds and lots of blonde hair. Exciting week indeed!

Robertson Family Reunion Crafts

2011-04-22T13:33:00.026-06:00

These are the crafts available for the Robertson Family Reunion, June 10-12. There is something for every age.

If you are interested in making any of them, here is how you "order":

1. Email me telling me which ones and how many you want (cvhacking@yahoo.com).

2. I will then send you an electronic invoice via PayPal (sent to your email) that you need to pay from. I will not bring crafts for someone who has not paid by June 1st. I need all the $$ BEFORE June 1st, so I have plenty of time to get them ready for you.

3. I will then bring your craft kit to the reunion. Under each craft it will specify what I will provide, and what you will need to provide. Please make note of these items that you need to provide and bring them with you to the reunion so you can complete your project(s). I will not be bring any items that "you need to provide".

**If you are not able to make it to the reunion, but would still like to make any of these items, please let me know and I can ship the items to you - I will add shipping to your final price. The foam swords are NOT available for shipping.**

Here are your choices:

1. KIDS SWORD - made from foam noodle and pvc pipe (with duct tape to secure in place for those hard-playing boys). My kids *love* these! They play with them all the time - even my 17 year old - in fact Carl even gets in on the action occasionally.

Sizes available are 18", 24", 30" (this is the size of the foam sword part - not including the length with the handle). There will not be color choices on these. If you want to include a few color choices when you email me, let me know and I will see what I can do, but no promises. :-)
Prices are:
18" - $3.50
24" - $4.00
30" - $4.50

I provide: everything
You provide: nothing

2. ETCHED JAR LANTERNS - made from glass jar, vinyl decal, and frosted glass spray, wire for handle.Prices are:
$3.00 each (you need to tell me what you want as your vinyl decal - this can be a shape, wording, anything. Just let me know.)

I provide: vinyl decal, etching spray, metal for making handle, tea light for inside
You provide: jar (this can be any jar from a spaghetti sauce jar to a small pizza sauce jar to a mason canning jar - any GLASS jar will work - even small baby food jars. Be sure they are clean and all labeling has been removed.

3. Wood signs - made with wood, paint, and vinyl lettering
(I will try to make these signs and put a picture up of what a finished sign would look like)
You can see the vinyl colors I have here.

CHOICE #1 - Welcome vertical sign - 4"x15"; hangs with key hole on back
Price is: $10.00 each
I provide: wood, vinyl, sand paper, stain

You provide: Paint, paint brush (you will need to decide what color of paint you will be bringing, then coordinate the vinyl lettering color with that. Let me know the vinyl color you want for your lettering).

CHOICE #2 - I can do hard things wood block -6"x6"
Price is: $6.00

I provide: Wood, vinyl, sand paper, stain
You provide: Paint, paint brush (you will need to decide what color of paint you will be bringing, then coordinate the vinyl lettering color with that. Let me know the vinyl color you want for the swirls and the wording - they need to be different colors).

Remember - you must order and pay no later than JUNE 1st. The sooner the better. Email me what you want - cvhacking@yahoo.com. We will be doing these crafts Saturday morning after breakfast.

Tornadoes in Tulsa

2011-04-14T19:04:00.011-06:00

As you can imagine - now that we have lived in Tulsa, OK, tornadoes are a fascination of ours. It was a way of life there - as it is still and in the entire mid section of our country. Today - there was an outbreak of tornadoes in Oklahoma. Some of the cells going right over our old house. We have friends posting on Facebook that they are all safe, and pictures of them in their storm cellars - so glad I do not have to deal with THAT anymore!! Here is what we look at and see on the radar when we suspect a tornado is headed our way (this was the actual radar of these storms taken 30 minutes ago):We know exactly what this radar is telling us. And if you are really good, you can actually see the hooks on some of the cells that indicate a tornado (hard to see in this low res picture). Every Fall on the Discovery channel there is a show called Storm Chasers. We are faithful watchers of it. All of my kids gather around the TV and watch what storm chasers have documented during tornado season. They are filming right now! We can't wait to watch the footage from this storm and the Iowa outbreak a few days ago. What excitment, even though we are not there, it is still exciting to watch the radar. If you want to watch some footage from one of the chasers from the TV show, here is there website.

Hunter's Baptism

2011-04-12T15:23:00.007-06:00

I just got done making Hunter's invitation to his baptism which will be on Saturday, April 30th. I think it turned out great. All friends and family are invited. Hope you can make it!

Adult Dates - my favorite!

2011-04-06T09:33:00.009-06:00

We had another group date last Friday night. We decided to make it simple and stay home. We played games and just laughed, and laughed. We were joined by Mike & Pam, Mark & Jill, and Johnathan and Deneen. We played: Phase 10 and The Celestial Companions Game. Carl and I love having our friends over. They are so fun to be around and such a blessing in our lives. We love you guys! And Mark - be glad that Pam and I held back our urge to toilet paper your house.

Quote by Sheri Dew

2011-03-24T08:33:00.003-06:00

I love Sheri Dew. I love how she teaches with such true doctrinal statements, yet the way she says it is just so pure and easy for anyone to understand and apply to themselves. One quote that I recently came across that I just love:

"We no longer have the luxury of spending our energy on anything that does not lead us and our families to Christ". This is from the talk We are Women of God.

I have a lot to work on, but now I know that what I try to do each day in my own life, spiritually and temporally, needs to be focused in the right direction.

Commercial FLUB during NCAA Tournament

2011-03-18T14:26:00.003-06:00

Last night as we just finished up watching BYU barely win over Wofford in their first game of the NCAA basketball tournament, the commercial break was weird. Either the people in the control room were playing a joke on us viewers, or some kid had the controls. This is the video I took of the commercials. I have not edited it in any way - this is how it played on live national TV. The fast cheerleaders were Jasmine's favorite. It was just weird but funny!

St Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T08:46:00.004-06:00

Useless holiday if you ask me. Ok - so I get to wear my favorite color today, but I wear green often so not really a big deal. It gives total strangers a chance to pinch someone if they are not wearing green *stay clear peeps!*. It gives the people in Chicago a chance to have some fun with green dye and a river there. Other than that - pointless really.

With that being said, my kids wanted to have green hair for school today (I hope I do not get a phone call later this morning asking me to come get my kids due to "extreme hair styles" which is against school policy). That is sort of fun for them.

Happy GREEN day everybody.

House Cleaning Tips??

2011-03-16T11:07:00.004-06:00

So, I am ready for a deep cleaning and organizing of my house. After moving so many times - and still having boxes taped closed from when we lived in Spanish Fork, I really need to open all these boxes up and start throwing things away. I do not have a ton of closet space. Any suggestions/hints on how to declutter and fun ways to store items?

My Favorite Mouthwash

2011-03-09T08:47:00.004-07:00

So - I have found my new favorite mouthwash. I just finished off my first bottle of it this morning. Not only does it make my mouth fresh - it whitens my teeth. You may be thinking - really? But - YES! This one actually works. I also love that it has flouride so it makes my teeth stronger. You may want to try it out yourself. But be warned - you *will* foam at the mouth once you spit it out - I usually have to spit 3-4 times to get most of the foam gone, but you learn to deal with it. That is the payment for getting really white teeth with peroxide and flouride. LOVE IT!!! Carl has been using it lately and you can tell by his brighter teeth. You look great, babe!

Rembrandt +P plus Peroxide. I bought mine at Target for around $7.00. Totally worth it.

Making your own "Instant Oatmeal"

2011-03-08T08:52:00.004-07:00

Everyone knows how important it is to eat oatmeal. I actually really enjoy it. It is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I also like all the fun flavorings that you can buy in the little packets of Quaker Instant Oatmeal. However - I do not like how much those little packets cost. They are really quite expensive ounce per ounce compared to plain oats.

I figured out how to make my own instant oatmeal, without spending all that money. And - those little packets are full of sugar. Way too much for my liking.

How to make your own instant oatmeal:
In a microwave safe bowl, mix together 1/4 cup quick oats, with 1/2 cup water. (If you eat more than that, just use twice as much water as oats....1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, etc....). Add a little sugar (to taste). I usually only add about 2 tsp of brown sugar. Then to make it "maple and brown sugar" I stir in about 2 tsp of maple syrup (I make homemade syrup from scratch, but any syrup will do). Cook in microwave for about 1 minute (or longer if you use more oatmeal). Then I add milk to make it the consistancy I want. All done. And for probably no more than about 10 cents...if that much.

To make other flavorings, before microwaving, add dried fruit like Craisins (dried cranberries), apples or blueberries. You can even add fresh fruit like peaches, strawberries, etc... Use what you like. You can use any type of sugar - brown, white, splenda, etc... Ta dah! Homemade instant oatmeal, that is so much heathlier than store bought and cheap!

Really?

2011-03-05T16:21:00.002-07:00

REALLY??

Adult Group Date - Pizza and Laser Tag

2011-02-25T13:13:00.006-07:00

I finally got up the nerve to ask someone in my ward if they had Trafalga passes, and if they'd want to go play laser tag with us sometime. Come to find out, she wanted to do that with someone, too (Thanks, REVA!!). So, we made a plan to see if other couples would want to join us. Guess what? They did! So we made the plan, set the date, and went. It was so much fun! I got to know some people better from my ward, and started new friendships. These people are amazing. Fun, talented, easy going, spiritual, and much, much more. I also found out that one of the couples we were with, he served with my cousin Dave Petersen on his mission. Go figure! Here are the pictures from our adult group date. We (well, I) plan to -attempt - to do this adult group date every 5 or 6 weeks. It is so much fun, and I love getting to know my neighbors better - and in a casual environment (quite different than at church).

Presidents Day

2011-02-21T15:19:00.005-07:00

No school today. Slept in. As a family, we went to the Legacy Center (can I just put in a shameless plug for the Lehi Legacy Center - it is an amazing facility) and walked around the track, then swam for a bit (in the very comfortable 89*F pool) and sat in the hot tub. Came home and had left over turkey dinner from yesterday. Took Hailey to get her free kids meal at Chick Fil A. Carl is currently napping. Jasmine is probably reading. Andrew it at a friends house. Hunter is watching me type this and wondering why I blog. In just a bit Hailey has her last basketball practice of the season, then we will be headed to Orem to Stella's baby shower. I still need to find her a gift. I better head to Target. Hope you're enjoying your vacation day as much as I am (ok, so I have answered a few "work" emails today, but ....).

Hunter's Space Story

2011-02-13T17:36:00.004-07:00

Hunter brought home from school on Friday a story that he and a friend of his wrote for an assignment at school. Quite imaginative for a 2nd grader. Thought I would share it with you.

The Family Proclamation Vinyl Home Decor Board

2011-01-26T10:14:00.010-07:00

I just made another home decor item that I just love! Putting vinyl on ceramic tiles is the latest craze in home decor. Honestly - I am not a fan! I much prefer a board over a tile for several reasons. But my main three reasons are: tiles are breakable, wood boards are not; I can paint a board any color I want, I can't paint a tile (as least not easily); and lastly - I do not own easels - I can have a board display either on the wall or on a shelf/table with the peg hole and peg in back of the board.

I love the Family Proclamation. I always have. I wanted a plaque that I could rotate with my other home decor items throughout the year. Here is what I came up with:
Here is what my finished project looks like:

How to make:

1. Order the vinyl lettering from We Cut Vinyl. You can also order the KIT which includes the wood board, vinyl and a wood peg for the back to be able to put on a table. There is also a key hole in the back of the board as well so you can hang it on the wall if you'd like. The vinyl decal itself is only available in the 11"x11" size - so you could still put it on a heavy breakable tile, if you so desire.2. Paint wood desired color. I painted mine black. Let dry.
3. Sand painted board to smooth, and to "rough up" the edges.
4. Wipe off all the dust from sanding with a paper towel or rag.
5. Apply vinyl decal. To get your vinyl decal straight and centered, follow these instructions: Measure and line up decal on board so it is the same distance from all edges. Be sure to measure from the vinyl decal itself NOT the backing sheet it is on. Once in place, tape a big piece of masking tape across the entire top of decal. Don't be afraid to really tape it on well - all the way across.
With a smooth edge object, go over entire decal to make sure the vinyl is going to stick to the top clear transfer sheet.

Starting at the bottom of the decal, peel the top clear transfer sheet off white backing sheet. The vinyl decal needs to be coming up with the top clear transfer sheet. Keeping the clear sheet attached and "hinged" at the top with the tape, remove white backing sheet out from under the vinyl.

Carefully place vinyl back down on board, scraping as you go to keep air bubbles out. Start at the top (the hinged part) and go all the way down to the bottom.
Now carefully but firmly, press and scrape over entire decal with a smooth edge object - like a credit card. This should press the vinyl onto the wood so you can remove the top clear transfer sheet.

Now peel back top clear transfer sheet, leaving vinyl decal on wood.

If some of the vinyl sticks to the clear transfer sheet, simply put it back down, press down so the vinyl will stick to you wood, and hold it in place with a finger while you continue pulling away transfer sheet. You may have to do this several times, in different places, if the vinyl wants to stay on the transfer sheet instead of going onto your board.
Once the entire decal is on the wood, and the clear transfer sheet is completely off, press with the palm of your hand over entire decal to firmly press the decal onto the wood to be sure it is all adhering fine.

Last step - I always spray all my wood projects with a matte finish photo finishing spray. This helps protect the wood and vinyl. I also like how it "finishes" the project. This is the kind i use.

This would be a *perfect* Relief Society craft project. Remember, you can order this LDS vinyl decal and many others, including temples, on the We Cut Vinyl website: http://www.wecutvinyl.com/

2011 Mutual Theme projects for Young Women (YW)

2011-01-25T12:45:00.012-07:00

I wanted to make some cute home decor items for the 2011 Mutual Theme - which is the 13th Article of Faith. I love this theme. There is so much you can do with it. No need to rack your brains to come up with girls camp themes, or themes for youth conferences. It is all right there in the 13th Article of Faith. I love these signs because they are small enough that these could actually be a craft at Girls Camp or another YW activity. They can be hung in a bedroom all year. They would also make a cute table decoration for YW opening exercises on Sunday's.

My favorite one is the blue one. I made it blue by request from my daughter - whose favorite color is blue. She asked me the other day why everything to do with young women was either pink or purple. She doesn't like that since she is not a pink or purple type of gal. So, Hai, here you go. You can hang this one in *your* room. Love you, babe!

Here is what I came up with:
Here is how you make them.

For the green vinyl decal on a ceramic tile:
1. Buy a tile. I used a 4 inch white one because I had it already. But you can use any size, really.
2. Buy the vinyl decal, available here. The decal color I used is "forest green".
3. Apply vinyl to tile.
4. Hot glue ribbon on the back to hang.
5. You're done!

For the blue vinyl decal on the dark blue board:
1. Buy the decal here. I used the "KIT" that is available. It is a 6"x6.5" board, with a 5 inch decal. The decal color I used is "powder blue". (This color is not listed on the website, but you can still order it).
2. Paint wood desired color. Let dry.
3. Sand wood lightly to smooth out and to "rough up" edges just a bit.
4. Wipe off all the dust from sanding with a thick paper towel or cloth.
5. Apply stain. I used MinWax Wood Finish Stain, Special Walnut color. Quickly wipe stain off with a paper towel so it does not go too dark. You may want to wear plastic gloves for this step. Let dry completely (or else vinyl will not stick to wood).
6. Apply decal. You can also apply the vinyl decal then stain the wood, wiping the stain off quickly from the wood and the vinyl.
7. I always spray all of my wood projects with a photo finishing spray. I like how it finishes the project and it protects the wood and the vinyl. I use the MATTE finish one. I know they do have other types like glossy, and semi-gloss, but I prefer matte. You can see what I use here.
8. Tie a ribbon thru the holes. Hang.
9. You're done!

For the pink and green sign:
1. Buy the decal here. I used the "KIT" that is available which includes the vinyl decal and the wood. I used the key hole board so I can hang it with that. It also comes with holes for ribbon. The decal color I used is "pink".
2. Paint the wood. Let dry.
3. Sand wood lightly to smooth and to "rough up" edges a bit.
4. Wipe off dust from sanding with a thick paper towel or cloth.
5. Apply decal.
6. I always spray all of my wood projects with a photo finishing spray (as you know if you are an avid reader of my craft projects). I like how it finishes the project and protects the wood and the vinyl. Here is what I use. You can also get glossy, or semi-gloss, but I prefer the matte finish.
7. If you order the "KIT" and you order the board with holes for ribbon, tie ribbon thru holes.
8. You done!

Tuesday

2011-01-25T08:11:00.002-07:00

Well, today is Tuesday. What's going on today? I have my Visiting Teachers coming over. That's good. Mutual tonight for Drew, Jaz and Hai. They all love going to mutual. Last night for FHE we wrote our testimonies/feelings about the Church to Maria who will be leaving the Provo MTC for the Nashville, Tennessee mission next week. Her mom is compiling a book of as many people that she can get to submit their testimonies so they will be waiting for her when she arrives at the mission home in Nashville next week. What a great idea, Marsha!

I do not have many orders to get out this morning. Maybe two. So, most of my day will be very spontaneous. Maybe I will clean my office....but then again maybe not. I know I do need to do my books for the last three months of 2010 so we can get our taxes done and paid. Can you believe it - we will have to pay this year. We made about 1/2 of what we did last year, and we got a refund last year. This year, we are going to have to pay. What is wrong with that picture? We can't figure out what we are doing wrong. We are doing it all electronically, so it figures it on its own. We must have entered something in wrong. But - if not, we owe lots of money. Anyone want to give me some free money? I could really use some right now.

I better go eat breakfast - my stomach is growling at me. Happy Tuesday, everyone.

My Top 10 Thoughts of Today

2011-01-08T18:11:00.005-07:00

1. I love the snow still on the ground from our Christmas vacation storms. We still have easily four inches or so. It has been below freezing for the past two weeks, so none of it has melted away.

2. People in Utah are stupid. I see people walking around in short sleeves - it is 20*F outside. Idiots! And they are the ones who complain that they hate Utah because it is so cold here. Well, duh! Dress appropriately for the weather and you may enjoy it more.

3. Sometimes your spouse can get on your nerves.

4. I like seeing the "Ice Tree" on 1200 East in Lehi everytime I leave my house to drive somewhere. It is lit up at night in random colors. Very cool!

5. I really like - no, I LOVE - being a Mormon.

6. My mom is annoying me right now.

7. Having teenagers is hard. Enforcing rules, punishing when rules are not obeyed, etc... is hard!

8. I have a messy office that really needs to be cleaned up. But when my time is spent working all day earning our only income right now, then making dinner, doing family activities (B-Ball practices, mutual, B-Ball games, swim meets, you get the idea....), trying - but failing miserably at being a good mom and wife, cleaning other parts of the house, laundry, etc, etc, etc,...my office gets ignored. Maybe next week will be the week I clean it.

9. I really have enjoyed (probably too many) Cowboy cookies (chocolate chip oatmeal cookies) today, with a tall glass of cold milk.

10. I changed the background on my blog from a Christmas one. Today was a success!

Fun Relief Society Activity

2011-01-07T09:02:00.003-07:00

I just read - on an email list I am on - about a fun RS Activity. It is called - My Favorite Things. What it is - each person brings an article of a favorite thing. This can range from health magazine articles on yoga, or a favorite recipe from a magazine, a favorite scripture topic from a church magazine, etc.... It can basically be an article on ANYTHING that is one of your faves, from one of your favorites magazines (or printed off the internet). Then at the activity - those who would like - share what they brought and why it is their favorite. Then everyone puts their articles on a table, and each person takes someone elses home with them - something new to learn. Doesn't that sound fun? I think it does. You could learn so many new and interesting things at this activity - and really get to know the sisters in your ward better. If only I had a RS calling that I could implement this with.....

Summer in New Zealand

2010-11-29T12:36:00.003-07:00

Carl and I have some friends who are serving in New Zealand for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On Thanksgiving, we received an email from them with a picture taken from their front door - it is summer there (or just about to be summer). Carl and I think we need to visit New Zealand because all the pictures these friends post on their blog and send via email are all so gorgeous. We love you Marcia and Brent - keep the great pictures coming!

Custom Tissue Box Cover

2010-11-22T15:26:00.017-07:00

This is such an easy craft! The hardest part (once you have all the supplies) is deciding which pictures to use, and what color of vinyl will coordinate the best. Seriously! You'll love how easy this is to make.

You will need:

1. Paper mache tissue box cover - 5"x5". I bought mine *in store* at Roberts Craft in Utah. They are also available online here, and here (I do not guarantee any item from these websites since I did not purchase mine from either of them. Please make sure you are ordering the proper item before paying for it). Or just search "paper mache tissue box cover" and you may find other websites that sell them.

2. Paint and sponge paint brush (since you are painting "paper" the sponge brushes work best). I use regular house paint that I buy in the gallon at Home Depot. I use this paint because it is much more cost efficient than buying those little containers of paint at a craft store. But I do a lot of these kinds of crafts, so I go thru a gallon of paint faster than the average person, I guess.

3. 4 - 4"x4" pictures. These are cropped from 4"x6" pictures. If you do not know how to get your picture just right in photoshop, ask an employee at your local photo developing store. You can also just cut a 4"x6" photo to fit in the space. It will look best if you order the MATTE or LUSTER finish on your photos. Not glossy!

4. Spray adhesive. You can buy this almost anywhere - Wal*Mart, Target, office supply stores, etc... (You can also use glue sticks or mod podge to glue your pictures onto the box, but with adhesive spray you will not get any rippling effect like you do with glue.)

5. Matte photo finishing spray. You may be asking - what for? You will actually use this twice on this project, so it is worth the investment. If you do not have any already, you can purchase it at most photography stores. I use this kind, here.

6. The Family Picture Block vinyl words from We Cut Vinyl. Available here. I used light brown vinyl lettering.

How to make:

1. Paint paper mache tissue box cover. I used black paint. You will want to paint it twice. Let it dry completely inbetween coats of paint.

2. Once paint is dry, spray lightly (do not puddle spray) with the matte photo finishing spray. If you do not do this, when applying the vinyl lettering, you will peel the paint and part of the box off. This protects the painted box. You will want to spray this inside of a box to protect your kitchen table.

3. Once matte spray is dry, spray back of photos (one at a time) with the adhesive spray, and place your photos on your box where you want them. Be careful, once you stick the pictures onto the box, they will not move, so place carefully.

4. Once all four pictures are glued onto box, apply the vinyl words (according to the directions that come with the vinyl). You will over lap the pictures with the vinyl lettering - this is ok - and actually looks best.

5. Now spray the entire thing lightly again with the matte photo finishing spray. This will protect everything - and protect the photographs from finger prints, etc... (again, spray in a box to protect your kitchen counter or table)

6. You're done. See how easy that was?

With your leftover items from this craft (adhesive spray, matte photo finishing spray, and *maybe* your gallon of house paint) make other crafts. You can also protect all your photographs with the photo spray.

These make great gifts for in-laws, grandparents, teachers desks, bishop's, and others.

My Bishop in Salt Lake Magazine

2010-11-18T16:21:00.009-07:00

I recently received my Nov/Dec issue of Salt Lake Magazine in the mail. As I'm skimming the pages I come to an article on the lights on Temple Square. Well, my eyes perked up! My Bishop (Eldon Cannon) is the main honcho over the gardens/grounds at Temple Square. I was thrilled to see him in that magazine! I wasn't expecting that! Since - if you know anything about Salt Lake Magazine - it is kind of a liberal magazine. You may be asking - well then, Vickie, why do you get it? I get it because since Carl and I go on a date weekly *without fail*, I get some great ideas of places to eat and places to go from this magazine. No, I do not read all the articles in it, since they always seem to throw in some jab against the church. But - to each his own. Anyways - it is a great resource for Carl and I.

If you are interested in reading the article, you can pick up a copy of Salt Lake Magazine at Smith's grocery store, or you can read it online here (you may have to create an account by giving them your email address and creating a password to read the entire magazine - and to get to page 53 to read the article on the lights at Temple Square.) You can see the pages below, but I doubt you can read them. You can see Bishop Cannon's picture though, on the last page of the article.

Camera Phone Fun

2010-11-12T08:21:00.004-07:00

On my phone's camera, there are templates that you can take pictures with - like thought bubbles, multi picture options, etc.... As I was scrolling thru my pictures this morning, cleaning it off, here are two that I found. I wonder when Hailey and Hunter got a hold of my phone to take these? Silly kids - I love ya to death!

Carve your blessings in stone

2010-11-09T11:30:00.006-07:00

I found this great saying that I wanted to make a vinyl sign out of for my website. Here is how it turned out.
How I made it:
1. Painted my wood piece white. Allowed to dry.
2. Sanded it so it looked a little "roughed up". This also gives it a natural border.
3. Apply vinyl. You can get this decal on my vinyl site here. Be sure to measure and level wording so it is straight and then tape across entire top of decal so it holds it in place. You can see how to do this on my website, here.
4. Stain wood with stain. I used Minwax stain, Special Walnut color. Wipe off excess stain from wood, and from vinyl lettering (I stain my board after I apply my vinyl since it is easier to apply vinyl to it before it is stained). Also - you may want to put on rubber gloves and use a paper towel to apply stain. This (the gloves) helps it so you do not have brown fingernails for the next three days!
5. You're done.

This would make a great easy craft for Relief Society, family reunions, girls night out, etc... Also makes a great gift.

Our Trip to Southern Utah

2010-10-19T13:56:00.042-06:00

As some of you know - we like to vacation "outside of the box". We like to do local favorites, and little known adventures that only locals may know about. (We are going to San Diego soon and we have some amazing things planned "outside of the box"). Over UEA weekend, we went for a little vacation to Southern Utah. We have friends who recently moved back there from Twin Falls, and we wanted to see them! They were so gracious to let us invade their home for a few days. The kids had a blast, and we had a great time as a family. We also enjoyed learning how to play the card game "Crap on your Neighbor".

The Wilson's were so busy - just moved back so they were still among boxes, Kurt was being called into the Bishopric that Sunday, Liz had to prepare a Gospel Doctrine lesson, and Chris even gave up his bed for Carl and I. Can I just say - WHAT A FAMILY!!! We love you Wilson's! They live on a bluff in Hurricane, Utah. This is the view from their living room:

Kurt and Liz took us on four-wheelers up their mountain. This is what we saw (The Hurricane Valley):

While we were there, we saw and did so many fun things. We drove the short distance of 20 miles and went to Colorado City, AZ. Yes, this is the polygamist town. Yuck! What an awful town it was. Dirty, trashy, homes only half done (but being lived in), etc... But, we did go to a park they have there that is HUGE! We're talking acres of old metal playground equipment. It was quite fascinating. We didn't see many Polygs, they must have all been in church since we did go on Sunday morning. But we were able to see "The Compound" (not shown below). There were so many homes with barricades built around them - I guess they don't want anyone knowing what they are doing in there...thank you!! I am not kidding. It was an adventure in and of itself.

The highlight of our trip - HANDS DOWN - was hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park with the Wilson's. Can I just say - A-MAZ-ING!! The pictures do not even come close to doing it justice. The Narrows are so amazingly beautiful. You are in the water about 75% of the time. We each had a buddy while we were hiking. Hunter was my buddy. We had so much fun. He was quite the trooper. We almost made it to the fork in the river (which we are told, is where the walls start to become really narrow - as in you can touch both sides of the canyon at the same time). This was our goal, but Hunter just couldn't go any further. Andrew, Carl, Kurt and Chris Wilson all made it to the fork and beyond. These are only a few of the pictures we took - if you want to see them all, you'll have to come visit us and we will show you! If any of you get a chance to hike the Narrows - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Even for little kiddos. You can carry them across the river at most spots without trouble.

When our vacation had to come to an end, driving home we took the SCENIC route. Now usually the scenic route is a short drive around the town instead of thru it. Well, our scenic route was an extra 2 hours of driving, but can I just say - we had a great time. We saw things that we would have NEVER seen unless we took the scenic route. We saw BEAUTIFUL fall leaves, we saw parts of Zion National Park that many do not see because it is on the West side - which is FREE, by the way - on a road that leads to Kolob Reservoir. We got trapped inside of a herd of sheep, and saw the Cedar City Valley from an unbelievably high mountain road. Here are a few pictures from our Scenic Route:

We had the time of our lives on this little vacation. We are so glad we took the opportunity to show our children just a small part of our glorious state of Utah.

Maria's Mission Call

2010-10-19T13:36:00.005-06:00

My niece, Maria, got her mission call. She is going to be serving in the Nashville, Tennessee mission. January 2011 - July 2012. We were able to go thru the temple with her. What a wonderful experience it was! We wish her the best as she prepares to share the Gospel with someone waiting just for her in Nashville. We love you, Maria!

Halloween sign - Witch, cat and brew

2010-10-08T13:29:00.009-06:00

I made this new Halloween sign from a graphic I found while searching for another Halloween graphic on my computer. Hailey loves the purple sparkly glitter I put on it.

Here is how to make it:
1. Order the vinyl decal from We Cut Vinyl (WeCutVinyl.com). My decal is brushed silver.
2. You can get the wood from us at We Cut Vinyl, too. You'll need to email me for information on that.
3. Paint or stain the wood. I only stained my mdf wood with ebony (black) stain. I wanted to try it without paint and I like how it looks. Allow to dry.
4. Apply vinyl decal. **On my sign, the way it looks is by default. I thought I messed up on mine so I had Carl try to sand off the vinyl decal - well, it didn't sand off, it just roughed up the vinyl a little bit - so I decided to just go with that and it turned out great!** I will have to remember that "technique" for future projects.
5. To get the glitter effect, spray board with a photography matte finishing spray. This is the one I used. But working quickly - sprinkle glitter lightly all over board (before matte spray dries). The glitter will stick to the spray and hold it in place.
6. Wrap wire thru holes and curl with needle-nosed pliers. I bought my wire at Metal Mart (be sure to ask for Mark Helean...he is the best one there!!) but I am sure you can get it at Home Depot or Lowe's, or other home improvement store. I don't remember what gauge the wire is, but it is pretty thick. Mark at Metal Mart would know if you called him - tell him you want the wire that you can hang pictures and craft items up with.

Happy Halloween!

Craft - Christ etched on glass

2010-10-06T11:44:00.006-06:00

I have been wanting to make this for a while now and had a little time today so I tried it. I love it! What an elegant way to put Christ in so many things. It is so slight to see, but you do see it and it is so great! You may want to try it, too.

How to make your glass etching of CHRIST:

1. Order the CHRIST head decal from We Cut Vinyl, here. If you want just the head etched (like in my examples), be sure to type in the vinyl color text box: INVERT. If you want to etch everything else but the Christ head, then order it as usual. I used the INVERTED one, so just His head was etched onto the glass.

2. You will need glass etching cream. Available at some craft stores, and also online here. I apply it with a plastic spoon.

3. Glass to etch onto. I used a 5x7 frame. You could use any size frame, really. Or even a glass block.

4. HOW TO MAKE:

*Clean your glass.

*Apply vinyl decal to glass where you want it (you may want to measure and lightly mark where you want it to go), or you can eyeball it.

*Remove transfer tape.

*Lightly apply glass etching cream so it covers all the open vinyl/glass areas where you want it to etch (you can see an example of this here). Be sure to NOT get any of the cream on the outside of vinyl where you DO NOT want it etched. It will etch that glass too if it touches it. You may want to tape up around vinyl decal with masking tape to protect the glass where you are not etching.

*Let sit for about 5 minutes

* In as hot as water as you can stand, rinse etching cream off of glass. While still holding glass under water, peel off vinyl decal (the warm water will make the adhesive under the vinyl easier to remove).

*Dry off glass. You're done!

Any questions? You can email me! ywbooks@yahoo.com

Andrew and his swim team fundraiser

2010-10-04T11:15:00.015-06:00

Andrew did it. He swam all 200 laps in under two hours. He actually finished in 1 hr 22 min 33 sec. He did great. He wasn't even winded when he got done. If I ever hear anyone say swimmers aren't real athletes I think I would just laugh in their face. I was so impressed. Swimming for that long STRAIGHT without any breaks...my, my!!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored Andrew with his fundraiser. We need to have the money turned into the school by THIS FRIDAY (Oct 8th), so if you haven't sent your money to us yet, please do so right away. Email me if you do not have my address: cvhacking@yahoo.com

So proud of you Drew! You are AWESOME!!

Here are some pictures from that night - he swam from midnight to 2 am. We got to go and count his laps so he knew what number he was on. It was a FUN night!

New Halloween Sign

2010-09-27T15:37:00.005-06:00

I just got done making my latest vinyl craft design. I love how it turned out!

Here is how to make it:
1. You will need the vinyl decal, available here. If you have wood already, great. If not, you can order that too with the vinyl.
2. Paint the wood orange. Allow to dry. Sand edges to make it look "roughed up" (you'll also need to sand the edges so the stain can turn the edges black).
3. Apply vinyl. Be sure to measure from the same letter on both sides (measure the p's or the k's, for example).
4. Quickly rub stain all over wood and vinyl. Then rub with a clean paper towel to wipe off access stain and to lighten the stain on the wood. I used ebony colored stain (black), so it looks more Halloween-y.
5. Hang for Halloween.

Andrew - SWIM TEAM FUNDRAISER

2010-09-16T13:40:00.003-06:00

FUNDRAISER - Andrew is on the Lehi High School swim team. They are having a fundraiser on Friday, October 1st. They will swim laps for 2 hours - going after 200 laps. This starts at 10 pm and goes on throughout the night. Andrew needs pledges (donations). You can pledge a per lap amount or a set amount. For example: If you pledge - say - 10 cents a lap, that would be a $20 donation to him. Andrew uses this money to buy his swim team apparel, gear, and it pays for the trips they take to race in invitations (they are all over Utah - including the biggy in St. George). If you would like to help him earn money and make a pledge for Andrew, let me know. He is hoping to raise about $300. You can send your pledges to me and I will get them to the school. Thanks everyone for helping Andrew!

LDS Downloads

2010-08-22T15:48:00.003-06:00

I just came across this site that has amazing downloads for the LDS family. One is a packet of FHE lessons for a whole year. Where do these people come up with the time to do things like this? I am taking advantage of their generosity to share with you and me.

Portions Plate

2010-08-19T15:08:00.006-06:00

When committing to eat healthier, portion control and the proper foods are key! I made a plate to help with this. It can be made on any size glass plate, but remember, the smaller the plate, the less you will eat automatically!

You will need: A plain glass plate (it can be colored, as long as it is still transparent), the portions vinyl decal here, and glass etching cream.

Apply vinyl to back/underside of plate according to the directions that come with the vinyl. The decal will come mirror image so it will be readable from the front/top of the plate. Apply a thin layer of glass etching cream over entire decal, making sure all open spaces are covered so it will etch completely.
Wait 5 minutes (or however long according to the etching cream directions). Rinse under warm water. Keeping the plate under as hot of water as you can stand, peel vinyl decal off (the warm water will help keep the vinyl adhesive soft - making it easier to remove). Once all the vinyl is peeled off, rinse plate and dry. Done!

Garden/House Lantern - Night Light

2010-08-19T12:25:00.015-06:00

I've seen on a few websites these etched glass lanterns. I thought they were so cute, so I decided to try it. I love it! These would make a great night light in a baby's room. Here are the instructions on how to make one.

Gather items you need: Glass jar (any size ranging from a baby food jar to a full size Mason jar), glass frosting spray paint (at any home improvement store), vinyl decal either in shapes or you could do a name (available at WeCutVinyl), tea candles - either battery operated or flame, wire or ribbon for hanging.

Clean outside of jar so vinyl will stick to it. Apply vinyl to jar:
In a well ventilated area, LIGHTLY and QUICKLY spray jar with frosting spray paint. You may want to do 2 LIGHT coats:Once paint is dry (it will dry pretty quickly, usually within 10 minutes or so) peel vinyl decals off of jar.
Wrap wire around top of jar and tighten down with needle nose pliers so jar does not fall out of wire while holding.

Put candles in bottom of jar and light carfefully with a long match. Or use battery operated tea lights.

Have fun....and craft more!

A movie NOT to see

2010-08-18T13:49:00.002-06:00

So, I rented a movie from RedBox last night - THE BOX. I do not recommend this movie. It creeped me out! And, I hated the ending. I had to watch a full episode of WIPEOUT before I could go to bed because I was so creeped out. Not recommended!

The Lemonade Stand

2010-07-10T12:04:00.005-06:00

It has been an amazing summer so far. We have done several fairs and boutiques with our vinyl business. We have met amazing people and made several business contacts.

Carl and I have decided that it was time to stop what we were doing with vinyl because it is hard to haul all of our equipment and supplies all over Utah - and keep it to the office and our website. We have taken on a new venture. The Lemonade Stand. Yes, that is correct. Lemonade! We love it. We have perfected our recipe and now we get to share it with others.

Check out our little website The Lemonade Stand. We are very excited at what this may bring to us in the future.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

2010-06-18T12:03:00.005-06:00

Yesterday for breakfast I made whole wheat pancakes and topped them with blueberry syrup. Yummy! Here is the recipe if you want to give them a try. I added pecans to mine - not in the recipe - but I love the added crunch they give to these pancakes.

Whole Wheat Pancakes:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn meal (I use cream of wheat instead)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (1 T vinegar with milk to equal 1 1/2 cups)
2 eggs
2 T honey

Mix dry ingredients together. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended, but not mixed smooth. Cook on hot griddle. Top with syrup. To make fruit syrup, mix 1/2 cup berries or cranberries with 1 1/2 cups maple syrup and heat. Makes about 10 pancakes.

New Vinyl projects

2010-06-18T11:56:00.005-06:00

Today I completed 2 vinyl designs I have been wanting to do. The first one is a Live, Laugh, Love sign that I saw online somewhere and thought "I can do that!". So I made my version of it. The other one I FINALLY got done today was our family job chart. I have had this on my craft to do list for about 6 months now. Now that summer is here, I *really* needed it to be done. My kiddos are so bored and restless - now they will have at least a few things that they will HAVE to do each day. Yippee for me! And an added bonus, I get a cleaner house. Both of these vinyl designs can be ordered from We Cut Vinyl.

Summer in full swing

2010-06-16T09:34:00.010-06:00

Summer is in full swing at the Hacking household. Swim lessons, playing in the water, swim team practice every morning at the crack of dawn, gardening, road trips, camping, family reunions, etc...

We've done some fairs this summer with our vinyl booth, met David Archuleta, roasted marshmallows and eaten s'mores, and acted crazy (feet picture).

We have only just begun. Many more fun things planned. I can't wait!!

Rainbow over our neighborhood. It was actually a full double rainbow, but you can't see the other half in the picture. I didn't have a wide angle lense on my little pocket camera. If you noticed- the "double" rainbow, the colors are opposite of first one. Weird huh? If anyone can explain this to me of why this occurs, please let me know.
My mom eating a smore at our Memorial Day BBQ at Canyon Glen in Provo Canyon. Yummy!!

Road trip - feet hanging out the window in the middle of the night. Silly kids!

Hunter playing with the ball in Provo Canyon. This ball did not make it home with us. This was a picture of its last moments. It got kicked into the fire and melted away. We'll sure miss you big blue ball.

My girls hanging out in the canyon.

One of our first summer craft projects - Hailey's fish in water. She taped the fish in the inside of the cup with Scotch tape. The fish are made from construction paper. It is still in tact today - she will not let me clean it out yet. So cute and fun!
We were able to attend a book signing for David Archuleta at Deseret Book in Orem. He sang a couple songs, then came inside to sign books. I waited inside for my girls to get thru the long, long line. I found a spot right next to David to wait. Check out that picture! Ok, I must say - not that exciting to me, but my girls loved it. I stood there next to him for at least an hour. I was bored. But - my girls we SO HAPPY to meet him. Although he was chatting with some kid on the side of the table as it was their turn, but you know, I would have snapped my fingers at him and said - Hello! it is my 5 seconds with you. But they just stood there and giggled, handed him their books, and moved on. It was very fun for them!
Our booth at the boutique in Eagle Mountain for their Pony Express Days celebration. If you see something in the picture you want - let me know and I could make that happen. :-)

Freedom - Memorial Day

2010-05-29T10:42:00.003-06:00

Remembering those we love who have passed on is a great tribute to who they were and what they taught us. I am also thankful for those whom I do not know who have died for me. Freedom is not Free. America - Land of the Free because of the Brave. Have a great Memorial Day weekend - hopefully spending it with loved ones.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2010-05-24T09:05:00.004-06:00

CHRISTMAS! Yep, this morning we woke up to snow - it is May 24, 2010! You wouldn't know it was almost summer vacation. The big white snow flakes are what every kid dreams about Christmas morning. So beautiful...but hello Mother Nature - we are ready for SUMMER!!!

Hanging Jar Lantern

2010-05-20T16:15:00.002-06:00

I found this very cute craft called Hanging Jar Lanterns. They are so cute. Now, I just need to find a place I could put them in my yard so I would have an excuse to make them. Would be fun to make at a summer camp of some kind.

Cool website by BYU

2010-04-30T14:47:00.004-06:00

I found this great website that is produced by BYU for their students to help them eat healthier, learn about nutrition, etc... You will want to check it out here. You can check your BMI (fat on your body), heart rate, calories you should be eating, etc... Click around the site and learn something new today.

Spring Yard Work

2010-04-17T15:51:00.005-06:00

It was such a beautiful day today. High 60's - low 70's. I really wanted to get some flowers in around the yard. I had to go to Lowes, Home Depot, Wal*Mart, and Costco to find all the flowers I wanted. I thought I had plenty to come home with. After planting the flowers I had - I still have over half of the space available for flowers to fill. I think I will go find some colorful ground cover type plants and plant those everywhere else. Here is what I have so far.

I would tell you the names of the flowers I planted - but I honestly don't have a clue what kind they are. I just liked them. I know I did get some daisies because they are my favorite, and I planted a lily - which I am not sure if it will grow because after I got it planted I read on the little plastic insert that comes in the pots that tells you how to space them, their height, etc, that it needed to be in shade. Well, as you can see it is right smack dab in the middle in the back and will be in full sun all day - so we'll see how that goes. I am not a green thumb at all, but here is my attempt at it.

Hunter and his Manly Appetite

2010-04-15T08:51:00.003-06:00

So, Hunter is a blackhole right now with food. He can eat, and eat and eat - and yet he is still as skinny as a bean pole! Here is his breakfast today - a sausage, egg, cheese, and hashbrown sandwich (ya, I know - what the heck are hashbrowns doing on a sandwich??) Well, that's Hunter for you.

Get ready for EEWWwwwwwwwww!!

2010-04-15T08:40:00.005-06:00

This is old information, but I wanted to get it up so I can GROSS ALL OF YOU OUT!

I was shopping at Costco in Twin Falls and just doing my regular thing. Buying my regular stuff. When I get home, I start putting all the groceries away and then I go to unwrap the Top Ramen Noodles and there is was.........

Berries, Berries and more Berries

2010-04-09T09:37:00.003-06:00

I found the perfect Berry site if you are a fan of berries. Recipes, ideas, tips, and information.

Great article on WALKING

2010-04-07T10:09:00.001-06:00

Want to start an exercise plan that includes walking? Here is some great information on why walking is so good for you and how to start a plan. You can do it!

Peach Cobbler Oatmeal

2010-04-07T09:37:00.001-06:00

This morning I had - what I call - Peach Cobbler Oatmeal. Simply add (heated) canned peaches to your oatmeal that has been seasoned with cinnamon. Delicious - and nutritions!

Hunter's Tooth - Part 2

2010-04-04T21:31:00.004-06:00

Tonight Hunter wanted to play the Wii. He asked me - and since it is Sunday, and the Wii isn't considered an appropriate Sunday activity - I told him *NO*. He accepted that answer and went on his merry way. A few minutes later, Carl is asking me where the thread is. I'm thinking - what in the heck does he need thread for? Then - ready for it.....? Carl is about to pull Hunter's tooth out. Hunter went to Dad to see if he would allow him to play the Wii - after I had told him no. Carl's answer...."If you let me pull out your tooth." I cannot believe it. So, Carl hooked up the tooth to a piece of string and walla. Tooth is out and the Toothfairy will be coming tonight. Oh, my. What a kid won't do to play the Wii.

Hunter's tooth

2010-04-04T13:07:00.004-06:00

So, Hunter has a loose front tooth. He has been playing with it for days. He can turn it, wiggle it, you name it - he has done it. Carl and I want so badly to just yank the darn thing out, but Hunter gets all teary-eyed if we even mention pulling it out. So, we let it stay. We're hoping this tooth will be out in the next few days, but who knows - it could hang on for a few more weeks. Here is a picture of his smile with the tooth in its somewhat normal position, and when it has been turned. It makes my stomach twitch when he turns it like that. Eewwww!

Funny picture

2010-04-02T15:18:00.002-06:00

I just had to put this on here. It just cracks me up!

Fill-in Diabetes information

2010-04-01T11:35:00.002-06:00

I am just putting this here for my own reference so I can find it again. Diabetes fill-in personal guide

Diabetic Food Pyramid

2010-03-25T11:58:00.003-06:00

Here is a great version of the Diabetic Food Pyramid. It even has food suggestions and serving sizes.

Diabetic information

2010-03-23T10:07:00.006-06:00

I have been helping Carl's mom and her husband make lifestyle changes that will improve their health. Mel is a diabetic so I have had to learn a lot about how diabetics need to be eating and exercising. It has been amazing! I think everyone needs to eat like diabetics need to. The diet still includes sugar, fat and other craving-type foods, except it is how we eat them, when, and how much.

I have had several people want this information I am finding. So, I will try to post most of it here. It will mainly be links to the information I find online from the American Diabetes Association, or other sites dedicated to helping those who have diabetes. I will label each post that has to do with this topic as "diabetes", so you can easily find all of them by clicking on the topic in the list.

Here is a great recipe for a Peach Crumble Tart. It is diabetic friendly. HOWEVER - remember that you should only be eating ONE serving. It serves 10, so be sure you are only eating your share!!

What a pool!!

2010-03-15T08:35:00.010-06:00

Since being in Lehi for one week now (has it only been one week? It seems a lot longer than that!) we have really found this town to be great. Not only are we less than 10 minutes from Costco, Lowe's, Kohl's, Target, and Texas Roadhouse - and only about 15 minutes from SLC, Lehi has an unbelievable Rec Center. It is called Lehi Legacy Center. Of course - we had to buy a family pass to it with our children being fish out of water - and always longing to be in the water! Here are some pictures of the pool:

They also have a track, weight room (not that we need this much - we have our own weight bench in our family room to work out with), rock climbing wall, and so much more!!

Lehi, Utah.....what a great town we found!

Moving this weekend to Lehi!!

2010-02-28T19:03:00.003-07:00

Yes, we found the perfect house. It is in Lehi, Utah - right by the border of Lehi and Highland. If you want the address, you'll need to email me - or facebook me. I will post pictures of the packing up in 5 days process after we are moved and in Utah. Wish us luck!

Hailey's $3 dress

2010-02-21T11:21:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday we were at Wal*Mart and found this *way cute* dress for Hailey. It was on clearance for 3 bucks! I am not a "shop at Wal*Mart for clothing" person. In fact, I try to avoid buying clothes there, but this dress was so cute and cheap - I couldn't pass it up. Hailey loves it!

Scentsy - Top 3!!

2010-02-20T10:58:00.003-07:00

I made the Top 3 sales consultants in my group for the month of Jan. I was shocked! But so excited!

If any of you want to have a party - even you Utah folks (I would come down for ya), let me know. Scentsy ROCKS!!!

Visit my Scentsy website - everything is 10% off in FEB. What a deal!! And the new items coming in March - so cute!!

Out-of-this-world Recipes

2010-02-20T10:53:00.003-07:00

So it seems like I am on a health food kick right now - maybe because I am! I am so tired of not eating healthy. Not that I ever really splurged on unhealthy stuff - I'm talking about eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Since I started my "life-style" changes in terms of food - I have felt so much better - and I've lost weight. Of course - exercise has helped with this, too.

I found another recipe site that specializes in healthy recipes. It is on the Prevention Magazine website. Here is the link.

By sharing these I hope that all of us can be more responsible with our health. I want to live to be 102. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want a full active life. And in order to do that I need to be at the top of my game health-wise for a very long time!

Super Recipe Site

2010-02-03T18:21:00.002-07:00

I received a "junk mail-order" catalog in the mail a few days ago. I about tossed it out - but didn't. Later that night I saw it sitting on the end table so I picked it up and thumbed thru it. WOW!! So glad I did. The items inside were pretty great, but what I found more amazing were the recipes they had snuck in on a few pages.

It said to go to their website to find more recipes, so I checked it out. This will be one site I visit often! The catalog is called Country Door. The recipe page is here. I have already found numerous recipes I want to try. I'll let you know when I do and if they are good or not. They sound and look yummy! Start cookin, my friends!

Funny!!!!! Sheldon smile!!

2010-01-24T19:24:00.004-07:00

I love the TV show The Big Bang Theory!! Carl started watching it when he worked in Texas. He tried to get me to watch it, but for some *crazy* reason I never would. Now that he is home, we have most of them on DVD so we watch them. I must say I think this is one of the funniest shows on TV. Sheldon just cracks me up. Here is one of the funniest parts ever on TV. Enjoy!

Scentsy Party!!

2010-01-18T16:24:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is my first Scentsy party! It is at my house in Twin. Anyone can come on by if you are in the area. So excited! See you tomorrow.

For those who may not need any Scentsy now, I will be having an Open House every month - I'm planning it to be in the middle of each month. So, you can come by next month or order *anytime* on my Scentsy website: http://vickiehacking.scentsy.us

Scentsy

2010-01-07T12:32:00.004-07:00

Yes, I am now a Scentsy Consultant. I wanted to find something to do in my spare time - so I joined. I love all the scents they have and the warmers are flameless - I love that they are safe to use anywhere - even at a church function!

So, if any of you need any Scentsy items, give me a call - or better yet, you can email me - or even better than that - you can order directly from my Scentsy site!

vickiehacking.scentsy.us

I plan to have a Scentsy Open House in a week or two, so if you want to come, let me know! I will actually be having a Scentsy Open House once a month so stay tuned for those dates!

Hawaiian Chicken

2010-01-07T12:16:00.004-07:00

I just made the most incredible lunch for myself! As the new year started, I wanted to try to eat healthier by eating more fruits and vegetables. I found the website: http://www.dolebananadiet.com/ which has a two week pdf file that you can download that has several recipes that are made with loads of fruits and veggies. One of them was this recipe. They called it chicken kabobs or something like that, but I call it Hawaiian Chicken. And - I didn't cook it on a kabob. I cooked it in a pan.

Here is what it has in it:

Chunk pineapple

Green pepper

Zucchini

BBQ sauce

Chicken tenders

As for the recipe exactly - I just added how much I wanted of each item. I was only making it for me, so I just added one serving size of each item. I used 2 chicken tenders, about 1/2 cup of pineapple pieces, about a fourth of a green pepper, and about 2 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce. I chopped all the fruits and veggies up into pieces so they would cook faster. I also cooked my chicken with a N'Orleans Cajun spice to add a kick, and added about 1/4 cup pineapple juice to the chicken while it was cooking to sweeten it up a bit. Once the chicken was cooked, I added the raw fruits and veggies, BBQ sauce and mixed. I let that simmer for 4 minutes. I served it on brown rice (don't get too excited for me, I use Minute Rice Brown Rice...much faster!!). It was very good! And so good for you. The only fat in it is the chicken, and that is minimal. And a little fat in the brown rice, but over all - very low fat - and full of fruits and veggies.

To make this for a family, just use more of the items - like a whole can of pineapple bits, a whole green pepper, maybe a 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce, etc...

I'm feelin' healthy today!!

Christmas - a WHITE one!!

2009-12-25T16:51:00.002-07:00

As always we woke up at the crack of dawn to open presents. The kids were up at 6 am (maybe even earlier, but I didn't hear them until then); they finally bugged us enough to get up at about 6:45 am.

The kids woke up to full Christmas stockings - stuffed by the big man himself!

They also woke to a white Christmas! Not on our front lawn (we all wanted the real stuff...but not this year), but in the house. We filled a big play box full of fake snow. They loved it! (Okay, here is a plug for the stuff - Carl and I are going to be selling this Snow in Seconds beginning in January. You can buy your kids this great fake snow on both of our websites: www.lds-yw.com and www.wecutvinyl.com ) Stay tuned!

Anyways - back to Christmas - All the kids got their 3 presents from Carl and I, and several more from each of their siblings, and grandparents, along with a present that each of us were able to open on Christmas Eve.

It's been a great day. Everyone is now dozing in and out of naps, playing games and with new toys, reading new books, and admiring new clothing.

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year. We look forward to an exciting 2010.

Pinochle with Carole and Jim

2009-12-17T13:04:00.003-07:00

FINALLY - after living here in Twin Falls for over a year (I know, you can call us losers!), we made a point to stop at my Aunt's house in Gooding. So glad we did! It was great to see Carole and Jim. And, of course, we were asked if we wanted to play a game of Pinochle. What were they thinking....we might turn them down? No way! It was so much fun! Playing double deck is even more fun - and more points! We drank pop (a slurge for us, as most of you know), and had fresh off the stove homemade Ribbon Fudge (chocolate and peanut butter fudge together). What a night it was. Great fun, great company and great treats. We better not wait too long until we visit them again.

Battlecreek Boutique - THIS WEEKEND!

2009-11-30T08:20:00.002-07:00

We are - for the first time - having a booth at the Battlecreek Boutique in Pleasant Grove, UT. We are so excited. Come on by to get some of our newest vinyl designs and pick up some YW products - for those who are serving in YW. Fun, Fun, Fun! And we get to spend a few days in Utah having fun, fun fun!!!

Weekend in Utah

2009-11-23T08:17:00.006-07:00

We went to Utah to participate in our first booth-type craft event - the Rocky Mountain Christmas Fest. It was disappointing to say the least. Not many people came out for it and even less were buying anything. Our neighboring booths were all disappointed in the outcome. One booth that had way cute homemade frames didn't sell one single frame! We found that very hard to believe. But we had many who do these type of events often tell us that this wasn't normal and to not give up on them. So, we still plan to do more. Our next one is Dec 3-5 in Pleasant Grove, Utah at the Battlecreek Boutique. We'll see how this one goes.

While in Utah, we did have some fun though. Jasmine and my mom were able to go to a CD signing for David Archuletta. He was signing his new Christmas CD - which is awesome, by the way! Jasmine was so excited that she was able to meet him. She commented on how small he was, but he is *way* cuter in person than on TV.

We also made the drive to Orem to go to the new In-N-Out Burger that just opened two days before. It was PACKED - but we had our food within about 20 minutes of getting in the line that was out the door - so quite impressive on the service! It was very yummy - but I must say that Chaddars in American Fork has nailed In-N-Out! They taste very similar. I do like In-N-Out's sauce that they put on their burgers better than Chaddars though. Chaddars is too sweet for me. But the fries were the same. But overall with taste and SERVICE - In-N-Out wins, hands down.

It was great to be back in Utah! And the snow capped mountains - gorgeous!

Crock Pot Cooking

2009-10-21T15:32:00.003-06:00

I love to cook in my Crock Pot. I use it quite often. I just found a great blog of Crock Pot recipes. It is called Crock Pot 365. Check it out. There are some *yummy* recipes there!

After Fire Pictures

2009-10-13T16:33:00.007-06:00

Beware, these will make you sick - I was! These pictures are hard to look at. I hope grandma never sees these pictures - they would literally make her ill. Carl and my mom went over there on Saturday to check it out one more time - and to take these pictures.

The end of an ERA

2009-10-05T16:10:00.013-06:00

About 10 am this morning we received a phone call from the Gooding City Sheriff. He told us that my grandma's house at 917 Wyoming Street was on fire. My first initial reaction was - no way! Then I thought...OH MY GOSH!!!!

So, Carl and I got in the car and went right over there. When we got there, this is what we saw. It is sad that my grandma's house that my grandpa built for her is gone. I feel so sad to whom ever it is who gets to tell her the sad news. She is living is Salt Lake City, so she wasn't in the house at the time. And Carl and I had cleaned out the house completely, so it was entirely empty - so no possessions were lost in the fire - just a home that my grandma LOVED!!

Snow Day!

2009-10-04T09:35:00.003-06:00

Sunday, October 4th - Conference Sunday - We woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow on the ground - what a glorious site it is. Looks like it's time to put the pool away. It is still coming down now (9:30 am), although I am sure it will be gone by afternoon, but we are sure enjoying it while it is here. All the blinds are wide open so we can see it in every room we go into. The Hacking family sure loves the snow!

Feather Rolls

2009-09-27T17:25:00.005-06:00

Today I tried a recipe from a Ward cookbook from the ward I grew up in (my favorite recipe book, by the way!). They turned out pretty good. Carl said they were the best rolls ever, but I don't believe that. Anywho...here is the recipe if you want to give them a whirl.

My directions below are for use in a Kitchen Aid mixer. But you can make this recipe whichever way you make any other roll recipe and it should work fine. It does call for a lot of yeast, but I had these made, from start to dinner table, in under 2 hours because of the yeast, so if you don't need them right away, you can use half the amount of yeast. (The amount below was the amount in the original recipe).

Feather Rolls

Mix 4 T. yeast, 1/2 c. water, 1 T. sugar. Add 1 c. warm milk, 1/3 c. shortening, 1/3 c. sugar, 2 tsp. salt, 2 c. flour, and 2 eggs. Mix with dough hook JUST until flour is all absorb. Turn to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add 2-3 cups more flour - until dough barely starts to pull away and clean sides of bowl. Turn your mixer to the speed recommended for mixing bread dough on (mine is speed 2). Mix for 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased bowl and coat all sides of dough. Cover with plastic wrap (greased) and let rise in warm kitchen until double in size (if you use the full 4 T. yeast called for in this recipe, this is only about 20 minutes). Punch down and roll out like cinnamon rolls. Spread a little bit of butter over dough and roll up like for cinnamon rolls. Cut in 1-in thick slices. Place each roll in a greased muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap (greased) again and let rise until double in size. Remove plastic wrap and cook in preheated oven at 425 F for 10-15 minutes. Makes roughly 20 rolls.

LADIES NIGHT - October 3rd, 5:30 pm

2009-09-25T22:16:00.003-06:00

On the night of October 3rd, while all the men are at Priesthood Session, I am hosting a LADIES NIGHT at my house for all my lady friends and family members. We will have lots of fun.

I have also made available - if anyone wants to make a vinyl sign of some kind, look around my website: We Cut Vinyl and find a sign you want to do - let me know by WEDNESDAY so I can tell you the cost and I can gather the materials by Saturday. Vinyl signs are just *one* of the things we will be doing, so come anyways even if you do not want to make a craft.

We'll be having a campfire, roasting marshmallows, watching a *women* movie, and just having fun with each other. Come and meet some new people.

See you on Saturday!

Peach Pie

2009-09-09T13:29:00.003-06:00

I was given a bag of fresh-from-the-tree peaches this weekend (thank you, Joel!!). I decided I wanted to make a Peach Pie - except I tweeked it a little bit - I took two recipes and formed them into one. I made it with a homemade shortbread crust, and I made it in a square pan, instead of a pie pan. I can't wait to taste it. I know it will be yummy. Here is the recipe and a picture.

Shortbread Crust:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. butter, soft

1/4 c. powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Firmly press into an 8-in square pan. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees F until light golden brown. Cool before adding pie ingredients.

Peach Pie:

1 baked pie shell (recipe above)

4-5 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (puree 1 c. of these peaches, leaving 3-4 cups in slices)

1/2 c. water

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. cornstarch, mixed with 1/4 c. cold water to dissolve

1 T. lemon juice

pinch of salt

1 T. butter

Mix the 1 c. peaches that have been pureed with 1/2 cup water. Boil in a sauce pan for 4 minutes. Stir in sugar and cornstarch (that has been dissolved in 1/4 c. water). Cook and stir until clear and thickened. Stir in lemon juice, salt and butter. Stir. Cool. Place remaining peach slices in cooled pie shell (in square pan). Pour cooled peach/cornstarch mixture over peaches. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill until firm. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Update Temple Tuesday

2009-09-09T13:19:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I over estimated how often I could make it to the temple - realistically. I guess having two internet businesses that always BOOM in the fall, I can't go every week. I just got way behind. So, I am aiming for once a month. I know I can do this. Anyways - have a great September everyone!

TEMPLE TUESDAY

2009-07-30T17:11:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone - I am trying to start this new thing called Temple Tuesday. This is where everyone who can, tries to attend a temple on Tuesday's. It can be every Tuesday, or once a month, or once a quarter, or twice a year or even just once a year - whenever you can, according to your own personal schedule. I am going to try to go every week, but we'll see once school starts how it goes.

Anyways - come join me! I will most likely be at the Twin Falls, ID temple. Where will you be going? I want to know!

July 4th, 2009 - STADIUM OF FIRE

2009-07-21T15:45:00.023-06:00

This year we were so excited for the 4th of July because we had Stadium of Fire tickets!! And not just any tickets - FIELD seats - just so we could see the Jonas Brothers up close and personal - and boy did we!!! We were right by the stage - we could practically touch the Brothers. We had such a great time! So, instead of just telling you about it, here are about 40 pictures of that night. The performers were: SHeDAISY, Jonas Brothers, and hosted by Glenn Beck. What a night it was. We still get excited about it when we talk about what we saw and did. WOW! What a night it was. It was one of the best nights of our lives in a long long time - it was just pure fun and excitement - pure awesomeness!

Some quick notes about the pictures: The first one of SheDaisy is from outside the stadium when they were doing a little meet-and-greet. The first few pictures of the night and performers are from our seats. The majority of the pictures of the Jonas Brothers are from when they let us come around the stage as they were performing - and since our seats were so close anyways, we got right up there, right next to them. Enjoy:

Jasmine right close to the stage as Joe makes his way towards her!

Carl's brother Erick and his wife Kathi and Vickie in the background enjoying the Brothers.

I held Hailey up most of the concert. Being so close to the stage, Hailey could hardly see - all she could see standing up were the backs of people's heads. So as one of them came out on the edge of the stage, I had to hold her to be able to see almost straight above her.

In this picture even Carl had one of those "star-struck" moments when Kevin looked right at him as he took pictures. Like I said - WOW what a night it was - that is how close we were!

This is the picture that Carl is going to enlarge to poster size for Jasmine's wall - yep, Carl really took this picture. Nick is her favorite.

They had to say goodbye sometime. When that time came everyone was sad, but wow - we had just been a part of a great show.

The amazing fireworks display towards the end of the night.