Christmas Cards

Christmas cards are a lost art these days. I grew up with the Christmas season not being complete without my mom taking the time to buy the cards, sign them, address them and mail them out all before Christmas. It was wonderful when I was little to see the Christmas cards arrive at our home. My mom had and still does have the tradition of hanging the cards on a wall in the house that would make a card Christmas tree. It would be filled from floor to ceiling. Now, I am all grown up and from the moment I left on my own I have continued to send out Christmas cards every year. I feel that it is an extension of our family to others. We don't have the money to buy all our family and friends Christmas gifts but we certainly can take the time to send out a Christmas wish to let them know that we are thinking of them. That's how I view the sending of our Christmas card. In return, I love getting cards in the mail with the same thought that our family was on their mind when they sent it to us.

So, with that, thank you to all who are reading this blog that sent us a Christmas card this year. We want you to know that we read everyone of them and they are hung with great pride in our kitchen on the cabinets for all to see. At the end of the season, when we take down our decorations, I carefully place all the cards in a large ziploc bag and it is placed in the boxes with the decorations so that I find them next year and read them again. Thank you for taking the time to think of us this holiday season.

Mark celebrates his 40th Birthday!

Mark making a birthday wish on Christmas day!

Been Busy....

It's been awhile since I blogged something. The kids got out of school on Friday the 21st and we haven't stopped to take a breath. After the kids had a half day of school and all the sugar they could eat we headed to my parents house for Christmas dinner and gift exchange with them. It was a wonderful evening! The kids enjoyed spending time with their grandparents and opening presents. The weekend before Christmas was filled with last minute shopping. Mark and I just had a few more things to get before the big day. Monday was a day of finalizing the gift wrapping and making sure we had everything set for Santa's arrival. Monday night was a late night for Mark and I....staying up to let Santa in. Tuesday, Christmas arrived and we were off. All 8 kids were up at 4am looking at their stockings. Mark and I rolled out of bed around 6am. I made breakfast for everyone and then it was time to unwrap the presents. Let's see.....8 kids....a huge pile of presents....and three hours later!!! Yes, it took 3 hours to open our presents. My big challenge of the day was preparing Mark's birthday dinner. Mark is a Christmas baby and in our house you get to pick what you want for dinner on your birthday! Mark picked Prime Rib. OMGosh! I have never made prime rib! When I went to get it out of the garage fridge. It was frozen. It has been so cold here that the fridge in the garage is freezing all the food. Let's just say we didn't eat until about 730p that evening. Would you believe it actually was pretty good. It must be because Mark is still eating it in a sandwich. :) After dinner, we celebrated Mark's birthday with a song and a cake. The day after Christmas, the girls had gift cards and money to burn so I took them to Target. We spent about 2 hours there. Today, Thursday, I again took the girls out to the mall to finish off their Christmas money. I am just thankful that is out of the way! I won't be hearing the girls bugging me about going shopping. It is complete! Anyway, that is what has been happening around here. I will try to blog as much as possible. But, bare with me. I hope all our friends and family had a wonderful Christmas day! Looking forward to the new year......

Happy 10th Birthday, MEGAN!

STEPPING UP ON MY SOAP BOX!

So tell me, is it me or have the retail businesses really have gone cheap! Customer Service has gone out the window! How many of you reading this actually got FREE gift boxes with your purchases this Christmas season. NONE? I wouldn't be surprised! This has turned out to be one of my top 10 pet peeves in life. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away....oh, wait, that's another subject....I'll keep on track. A long time ago, I worked in retail. Actually, I was the Executive Secretary to the General Manager at May Company Department Stores. I know what I am talking about regarding customer service. Anyway, I am out shopping this holiday season and buying clothes is on my list. When I get to the register, pay for them, I ask for boxes for the clothes that I just bought at their store and they tell me we SELL them for "yada yada" a box! WHAT?????!?!?!? Are you kidding me? After spending my time and money in your store you are going to expect me to BUY boxes. This just gets under my skin. There was a time where every store you went into and bought something they would actually PUT them into your bag WITHOUT asking! Can you believe that? Now you have to buy them. Boxes, stupid cardboard boxes! And to top it all off, the price for the boxes is outrageous! When I worked in retail, it was mandatory that ALL registers in the store had PLENTY of boxes to give out to the customers. If you couldn't find the size you needed at the register, you could go to the GIFT WRAP department (which, by the way, don't exist anymore either!) and find the size box you are looking for. What great customer service! SIDE NOTE: In the stores that had a gift wrapping department, they would offer FREE gift wrapping with purchases over say $50.00. What about that people? Shop, and get all your presents gift wrap for FREE!

Now, I have to say, there is one store that I came across this holiday season that DID have boxes for FREE!! It was KOHL'S! I don't know what their parent company is or where they are located but we have one here in town. I love KOHL's. I shop there a lot! But, they especially have my business after the GREAT customer service they showed a few weeks ago. As I was checking out, I asked for boxes, they said turn around and help yourself. Oh My Gosh! There standing in back of me were HUGE boxes of boxes in every size imaginable. They said, help yourself! Help yourself? Are you kidding me? I was estatic! I helped myself to boxes and left a very happy woman! What ever happened to customer service!

SHARING THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Do you know someone that needs a little lift during the holidays? Have you spread some holiday spirit this year? Yesterday, I did. Mark and I know a couple that are struggling to put their lives back together after struggling and losing everything to drugs. After learning the hard way, they realized that drugs were not the answer to their problems. They live in a very small space with very little money. The wife shared a special Christmas cookie recipe with me last week and wanted me to try it with the kids. I invited her over to our house on Sunday to use my kitchen and I supplied all the materials so that she could make the cookies this year. She cannot make the cookies at their place because they have no oven. The girls really enjoyed making the cookies and she shared stories of her and her mom making them while growing up. She constantly told me that it really feels like Christmas to her today. She says she dreads the holidays and wishes that she could just just sleep right through them without celebrating. That really makes you think about how lucky I am to live where I live, have the children that I have, the husband, the Christmas presents, etc. She really tugged at my heart and I asked that her husband and her stay for dinner last night. They were thrilled. I made a huge pot roast with potatoes and carrots. Who knows when the last time they had a home-cooked meal. My heart was filled with the holiday spirit after they thanked me over and over again for their special day. It made me realize, it's not just presents for the holidays but putting a smile and warmth into somebody elses heart. What a great time of year to share in the holiday spirit!

THE POLAR EXPRESS by Chris Van Allsberg

Do you have a special Christmas book? Most people pick "Twas the Night Before Christmas!", but my favorite Christmas book is THE POLAR EXPRESS. It isn't a very long book but it has a wonderful message. The book has been out quite awhile and has now been turned into a movie. But like all books, the movie isn't as good as the book. If you don't have this book, get it from the library, borrow it or go buy it.

The book is set on Christmas Eve after the town has gone to sleep, a little boy boards a train bound for the North Pole. When he arrives there, Santa picks him to receive the first gift of Christmas and he can pick anything he desires. The simple request from the boy is a silver bell from one of Santa's reindeer harnesses. Santa grants his wish. On the way home from the North Pole the bell is lost. The boy is so sad. On Christmas morning the boy finds the bell under the tree with a note from Santa. The parents admire the bell and how beautiful it is but discuss how it doesn't work. Only people who believe in the magic of Christmas can hear the bell.

Do you believe in the Magic of Christmas? Do you hear the bells on Christmas Eve? I do. The magic of the holiday season is one that delights me every year. Take the time to listen for the bells. It will warm your heart. Take time to enjoy this time of year....it comes and goes so fast.

FOOLPROOF FUDGE

3 cups (18oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
dash salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Place in microwave for 1 minute, take out, stir until chocolate chips are melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread evenly into wax paper lined 8 or 9 inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off wax paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in fridge.

ENJOY!

REALLY RIPE BANANAS

Do you ever find yourself with a bunch of REALLY RIPE BANANAS and the kids look at them and make that face that says "YUCK....I"m not going to eat those?" You know as a mom they are still good. What do you do so you don't waste the bananas? With the size of my family, wasting food is NOT an option. I try to use everything as much as I can. Bananas is one thing that I had to come up with something to do with the REALLY RIPE ones. The following is a great recipe just for those bananas. I will make these muffins and they won't stay in the house very long. Andrew will grab them for a quick breakfast as he heads out the door. It makes a healthy after school snack. Please take time to make this quick recipe.....

BANANA MUFFINS
1 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
1 c. sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil OR 1/3 cup unsalted butter **NOTE: If you want to use 1/3 regular butter omit the salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, mash the bananas; add egg, oil or butter and vanilla. Mix well. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

YIELD: 1 dozen

My Letter To Santa

Dear Santa:
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned, listened, and cuddled my eight children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, took some to sporting events, gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, etc. I have made enought lunches through the year to serve an army. I have made my share of class projects. I have cooked many dinners which are more like a nightly dinner party. I have washed one too many dishes. I have washed and folded many pieces of clothing. I have officially helped with homework too!

I was hoping you could spread my list out over many Christmases, since I had to write this letter on the back of a receipt I found in my husband's pant pocket while doing the laundry, who knows when I will find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids and arms that don't flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you are hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music and a built in car cleaner that cleans the inside of my car while we sleep at night so the car is sparkling clean in the morning. I would like a television in the house that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy!" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a tape recorder that plays "Don't eat in the game room!" and "Keep your hands to yourself!" and "Finish all your food!" and "Wash your hands" and "Close the door!" because my voice seeems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it is too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth, take a shower, get dressed, style my hair all in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature or to have more quality/quiet time with my husband and maybe I could have a uninterrupted time in the bathroom doing "you know what".

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten my holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children into helping around the house without asking them to do so; or if my toddler didn't look so cute when he called me mommy while getting into something he shouldn't be.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on my dryer is ringing and my son heard me in the laundry room talking to myself. I think he wants to ask me another question.

Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the front door and come in and dry off so you don't catch a cold. Help yourself to some cookies on the table, but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the floor.

Yours Always,
Mom

P.S.
One more thing.....you can cancel all my requests (except the time with my husband) if you can keep my children young enough to believe in you.

The Mendenhall Elves

Please take a moment and click on the following sites.....have a laugh on us. MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE MENDENHALLS!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1230256214 Mary and Mark

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1230404780 Nettie, Andrew, Ryan and Tasha

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1230885426 Megan, Bud, Jade and Briggor

"SHINE THE LIGHT" Chorus Concert

Last night, the family headed to Tasha's school for her chorus performance of "SHINE THE LIGHT". It was incredible. Tasha did a great job! The chorus opened and closed with beautiful candles lit in the dark. It was a really memorable scene. After the concert, we went out for Cold Stone Ice Cream. Yes, even in cold weather you can't keep the kids away from ice cream.

A Poem By My Dad

Dust

I'm a little speck of dust floating thru the air,

And I'm gonna land soon, but I don't know where.

They say that dust is good for us it keeps the sun at bay,

It filters out each hot and sunny ray.

So, next time dust you must, keep me in mind,

I'm a little speck of dust, the best of any kind!

by Joe Thomas, my dad

Skyler "BUD" earns his YELLOW belt!

Bud started Tae-Kwon-Do in September for the very first time. He absolutely loves it! He started out as a 'white' belt and now has been awarded his 'yellow' belt! Congratulations BUD! We are proud of you!

HOLIDAY FAMILY TRADITIONS

Holiday Family traditions....when you sit back and think about it. What do you recall as family traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation. I bet if we all think hard enough we can remember quite a few. Well, for those of you who don't know, I am 100% Hungarian. Yes, both sides of my family are hungarian. But, we will get into that on another blog. While growing up, my mom used to make these traditional hungarian cookies at Christmas time. (I"m sure my grandmother made them also - my mom will probably confirm that). In the Hungarian cookbook that I have the Hungarian name for the cookies is Kifli tur`obo`l or Cream Cheese Cresents. I used to watch my mom make the dough. It took so much time to roll that dough out just right, add the right amount of Prune Lekvar (hungarian for prune butter), bake them and add the powdered sugar when they cooled. Side note here - there is a Hungarian Store in Burbank, California that sells this Lekvar which is imported from Hungary. Not cheap! If my mom couldn't find Lekvar she would use a knock off version from the grocery store. Still hard to find but works just as well. I couldn't keep my hands out of the bowl. Every Christmas, my mom would make these cookies. They didn't last very long. So, here I am married with a copy of the same Hungarian cookbook that has been past down in the family. How many recipes do you think I have done out of that book? Not many. :) But, the recipe for this cookie is in it. I tried making them a few years ago with instructions from my mom. Didn't do so well! Got frustrated, the cookies turned out all wrong. Tasted ok but not like mom's. You think after watching her all those years, I could do this with my eyes closed. Yea, right! It's a craft, it's an art. It takes time and patience. The only other person in the family that I know of that has tried making these cookies is my niece, Kim. She will atest to the fact that they are NOT easy to make. Well, this morning I decided to give it another try. I have a jar of the Lekvar in my pantry. I took my time. Turned on the Christmas music, floured up the cutting board, grabbed my rolling pin and dug in and they came out just like mom used to make. I called my mom this morning practically screaming my head off that "I did it!" The trick is you have to get the dough see-through thin WITHOUT breaking itand use the right amout of Lekvar. Again, I couldn't stop eating them this morning. I had to push myself away from the bowl. After making the cookies for 3 hours this morning, I am final done and have a bowl full of my Family's Traditional Holiday Cookie, just like mom used to make. The final test will have to be made by my mom and dad because she requested that I save some for her so they can taste it. **WORRIED** LOL - So after I get some of these cookies to my parents. I will pass on the verdict! Crossing fingers, saying a prayer. I just would like to accomplish ONE family tradition.

Boys and dirt.....

Boys are attracted to dirt like magnets are attracted to iron. Briggor couldn't stay away from this HUGE hole the dog dug in our backyard a few days ago. First, he just stood there and looked at it. Then he started to play with his cars in it. Finally, he just jumped right in. He played out in the backyard for over an hour. He was covered in dirt from head to toe. As a mom, I totally believe in letting kids get dirty. That's why we have bath tubs! Getting down and dirty lets him explore and use his imagination. I loved watching Briggor just smile as he got dirtier and dirtier!

So I cheated a little.....

Ok...so I will admit it. I cheated a little on the Sugar Cookie dough today. I have to plug this product. I found this kit at Target. It is KRUSTEAZ SUGAR COOKIE kit. Now listen, even with 8 kids running around a girl has to make some short cuts some where. :) The kit comes with sugar cookie mix that you only have to mix with water. The icing packet which also mixes with water, sugar crystals, food coloring and cookie cutters. Now, I did buy extra decorating stuff and I already had some cookie cutters. But this mix was great! The cookies tasted great and the icing tasted like homemade. If you are looking to make sugar cookies for the holidays I recommend this product.

Our Annual Christmas Cookie Decorating

Today was our annual family holiday cookie decorating day. While Mark was out with some of the kids Christmas shopping, Megan and I were busy baking sugar cookies in the kitchen. I believe we baked about 70 sugar cookies, all waiting to be decorated. The kids arrived home with excitement knowing that they were going to decorate cookies. The kids really get into this activity. They are NEVER too old for it. It makes me really happy to see the kids taking their time to decorate their cookies. Briggor enjoyed eating them! The cookie to the right was done by Nettie. She did a great job! Besides our kids, we had two additional guests here to decorate. Brandon and David joined the group (Andrew and Ryan's buddies). These boys are always at our house. It wasn't as messy as I thought it was going to be. The kids decorated and listened to Christmas music. It really was a nice start to December and the fast approaching Christmas Holiday.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?

CHICKEN RICE DISH makes 4 servings

1 cup cooked rice
10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
4 chicken breast or thighs

1. Combine rice, soup, chicken broth and chicken. Place mixture in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 4 to 5 hours.

3. OPTIONAL: During last hour of cooking time, stir in frozen broccoli or mixed veggies.

MENDENHALL NOTE: I have to double or triple this recipe in my house. If you don't have a slow cooker (Crock Pot), please invest in one. It is well worth the money. Dinner cooks all by itself. YEA!!

TASHA

T oo Cute
A ll Girl
S pecial
H appy
A mazing

Kid Tested Recipe

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

Recipe shared by Lexia Rahmn (My mother-in-law)

1 cup sugar
1 cup Light Karo Syrup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 cups corn flakes

In a large pot, bring the sugar and Karo syrup to a boil. Remove from heat just as it starts a full boil. Add the peanut butter, vanilla. Stir. Add corn flakes. Shape into balls and place on waxed paper until cool. Store at room temperature in ziploc bag.

MENDENHALL FAMILY NOTE: These peanut butter balls only last a couple of days in our house!!! :) Please take the time to make these. They are fast, easy and YUMMO!

Bible Verse

Hebrews 11:1
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

from "The Living Bible"

Mark

I love the quote "to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world". I love it because it describes my husband Mark. He is my best friend, my lover, my confidant, my umbrella, my world. He is my best friend because he is someone I can always count on to be there for me or to listen to me. He is someone who I feel completely comfortable with. He is my lover because is someone I can share my dreams, hopes, desires, wants and sorrows. he is someone that cares for me as no other person does. He is my confidant because I know that when I share intimate details of my life with him he really wants to know everything and will keep them tucked away in his heart. He is my umbrella because he has so much strength to get us through life's tribulations. My favorite saying to Mark is "You hold the umbrella and I'll hold you!". For all the reasons above, Mark is my world and how lucky am I to know that he is all mine!

Happy 11th Birthday Tasha!

Briggor & Kids video link

Here is a quick video of Lil' B and one from the other kids from Thanksgiving Day. :) Experimenting a little with some of the video features of our camera.


.... Briggor 'Thanksgiving' click here....


.... Little kids 'Thanksgiving' click here....

My Short Order Cook Apron

Breakfast for 10, anyone? Let me put my short order cook apron on! 2 or 3 days out of the week, I make pancakes for the family. Now consider this....10 people to feed! I make on the average about 48 pancakes for one breakfast. So, let's do the math....48 pancakes for one breakfast. 96 pancakes for two breakfasts and possibly 144 pancakes for 3 breakfasts. That is 144 pancakes A WEEK for my family! That is a whole lot of pancakes! Usually, one day on the weekend I make a HUGE breakfast for everyone. That would include: eggs, sausauge, bacon, and country potatoes. I am not going to give you all the details of how many of each, but I'm sure you can imagine! :) I run my own IHOP in my own kitchen. LOL It's important to me to make sure that my family is fed something hearty in the morning. Think about this....every dinner that is cooked in my house is a small dinner party for some people! Breakfast is no different. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would someday cook on a daily basis for so many people.

Blessings!

Today I have a blessing! My dad came home from the hospital and was able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my mom. He would rather recover at home then in the hospital. My parents are both tired from the last few days. I am very thankful for my parents! They are wonderful people!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am thankful for my friends and family - near and far away! I wish we could be together but know that you are in my heart and thoughts as we celebrate this Thanksgiving day! Love to all - Enjoy your day everyone!

Dad Hospitalized!

Did you ever get a phone call early in the morning and you knew something was wrong? That happened to me the Tuesday Morning before 8am. I was busy getting my husband and kids out the door on what was to be a "normal" day. I heard the phone ringing but put it off to make sure everyone was out of the house for the day. When I went back in to listen to the message, my mom was on the machine telling me that she took my dad to the Emergency Room around 4am with what they thought was a heart attack. My mind was racing. I started crying! My mom kept telling me that I didn't need to come. It's my dad, my mind kept saying. My dad and I are VERY close. Something inside me said I had to get there. I had to make sure for myself that my dad was ok. Mark had just left the house and was on his way to work. I called him first. I told him what had happened and he said let me get things started at the shop. I will be home quickly so you can go to your mom and dad. Mark got home within the hour and shoo'ed me out the door.Mark reminded me to pack a bag just in case I decide to spend the night. Mark comforted me with - I will take care of things here. Mark's mom just happened to be near the coast and was able to come help Mark with the kids while I was gone. Tears were running down my face. I was sacred not knowing what I was about to encounter. I called my mom and told her to stay at home, I was coming! I think I heard a sigh of relief in her voice. I had to drive to the San Fernando Valley, which from our house takes about 1 1/2 hours. I took a deep breath, said a little prayer, turned the radio up and just drove! I arrived at my parent's house to the arms of my mom and just hugged her. Her nerves were frazzled. I knew I made the right decision to be there. After arriving at the St. Joe's Hospital ER in Burbank, I took one look at my dad and knew that he was hurting. On a scale of 1-10 and 10 being the worst, my dad told the nurse he was at a 7! My dad has gone through so much over the last 10 years. You just don't know if this is going to be it for my dad! He laid there on the gurney but I have seen him at his worst and this was NOT his worst. I knew he was going to be ok. After many tests from the ER, they admitted him. He was joking and absolutely annoyed that he had to stay at the hospital. The final diagnosis was Congested Heart Failure. It was confirmed that he did not have a heart attack. That I was thankful for. Congested Heart Failure can be taken care of with medication. After a long and exhausting day, I stayed with my mom through the night just in case we had to return to the hospital. My mom and I had dinner together, enjoyed some mother/daughter time. We woke up Wednesday morning and headed back to the hospital. My dad was a bit groggy after a night of sleeping pills and morphine. But, he looked better than the day before. He was off for more tests! I decided it was a good time for me to leave. I kissed my dad and told him that I loved him. After saying good bye to my mom I started for home to prepare for Thanksgiving. My mom is doing better. The worst was over! My dad is still in the hospital but we are hoping he comes home soon. My sister and her husband are arriving on Friday to help my mom! Thank God, I made the right decision to go!

Girls Night Out with Dad

Tonight Mark took the girls and I out for dinner and Christmas shopping at the mall. Mark and I try to encourage the kids to buy for others and not just make this holiday an "all about me" affair. The kids earn money doing chores so that they can spend it on their siblings. Mark and I made another dent in our shopping for the kids. It takes us several trips to finish our shopping. Can you imagine shopping for 8 children? We did do some major damage tonight. The girls took off in another direction searching for the perfect present for their brothers and sisters. We had a great evening out together. Waiting for the next shopping adventure.....

My Favorite Tangible Treasure

My Favorite Tangible Treasure is my hope chest. My father made my hope chest with his two hands. He is incredible when it comes to woodwooking. He made it in our garage at our house. He has made several things over the years. But I treasure my hope chest the most. He lined it with cedar so nothing would get ruined. I remember having to wait for my 16th birthday to receive it. It took my dad a long time to make it. Many of my childhood friends will probably remember it sitting in my bedroom. So, here I am 39 years old and I still fill it with things. It holds memories of years past both good times and bad. Treasures that I hope will be passed on to future generations. It holds yearbooks, awards, pictures, scrapbooks, letters, etc. I guess by it's contents it's all about me. Thank you, Dad, for an amazing heirloom.

SNEAKY SANTA

By being the parents of 8 children, my husband and I are out numbered. When it comes to buying Christmas presents and wrapping, we have to get creative every year. Everybody at one time or another, while growing up, has peeked to see what they are getting for Christmas. We have even gone as far as finding where the hiding place is BEFORE they get wrapped. We have even sllllooowwwly taken the wrapping paper off to reveal the label of some sort to give us a clue to what we are getting under the tree. Well, our children are NO EXCEPTION! We have to be one step ahead of them. Each year we come up with different ideas as to how we can trick the kids and to try and keep them from finding out what they are getting. One year, we just put letters ("A", "D", "F", etc. not corrresponding to their name), another year we mixed up their names, so for example, Andrew got Buds or Nettie got Tasha's presents, another year we color coded them and we were the only ones that new the colors until Christmas morning. But this year, I think we came up with the best of all. Mark and I have been thinking about this for the past few days. How to trick our children? We get a kick out of this. This morning, we came up with something new. We have decided to put different character names on the presents. The names we picked are these: Hanna Montana (Disney TV Show) , Capt. Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Carribean) , Tinkerbell (Peter Pan) , Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) , Legolas (Lord of the Rings), Princess Fiona (Shrek) and Gabriella (High School Musical). We announced this morning, for the moment, who has the most presents so far, with the character name. The kids were totally confused. They all started guessing who was who and they were all wrong. Looks like we have fooled them again! For those of you wondering, Briggor is not included in the deception. LOL So, I wonder if any of you reading this can guess which name belongs to who? Please take the time to guess and answer in the comments.

Mountain Dew Cake

This is by far one of my kids favorite cakes. When I make this, it doesn't stay in the house very long. It's moist and delicious! Please try it. I keep the ingredients on hand at all times.


MOUNTAIN DEW CAKE
Makes 1 Bundt cake.
1 (18.25-ounce) box lemon cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) box lemon flavored instant pudding mix
1 (12-ounce) can Mountain Dew soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add soda, oil and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Simply delicious!

Being a mother of 8

Many people ask me what it is like to be a mom of 8 children. It's many things really, rewarding, frustrating, challenging, amazing, crazy, etc. You never know what the day is going to unfold for you. It's a balancing act of so many different personalities. At times, I want to scream. Other times, I just look around me and smile. These 8 children are looking at Mark and I to guide them into the future that to them is so scary and so unknown. I guess that is why I wanted to start this web blog. It will hopefully keep me centered. Let me express my joys, sorrows, frustrations, laughs, loves which all involve my family. I'm so proud of each and every one of them. They each bring to our family so many different views, opinions, creativity, so much love, understanding and it all makes up the Mendenhall family. Being a mom of 8 really pushes you to the limit. There are time constraints, menus to plan, tons of laundry to do, boo boo's to heal, hearts to fix, lunches to make, homework to do, a husband to love and spend time with, dr's appts, family events, visitors and many more things to juggle. To me the reward is at the end of the day, when the kids go off to bed and you take one last look at each one of them. They are safe, loved, and warm in their beds. I love my family very much and I wouldn't trade any of them for anything!

MEGAN MADE HONOR ROLL!

High School Muscial on Ice

Here are the hottest tickets in town, if you have a pre-teen girl in your house of family. You know what I am talking about, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Disney has made two movies and everywhere you go there is merchandise, merchandise, merchandise. Last year, I took the girls to see the High School Musical Concert. This year, I purchased the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ON ICE. On Saturday, November 10, 2007, Tasha, Megan, Jade and I went to the Rabobank Arena here in Bakersfield to see the ice show.

First we did a little shopping. The girls couldn't decide what they wanted. Or should I say, they wanted EVERYTHING! So, Tasha and Megan decided on a BLING-BLING necklace. They necklace was huge and it had flashing lights. Jade got a pink hat which she is wearing everyday.

We found our seats. We were 5 rows up from the ice. We sat on the side of the arena but you could see everything. After I placed the girls in their seats, I went for food. We all had pepsi's, popcorn, pretzels and cotton candy. YUCK, I know. But, it was a girl's day out! SPLURGE a little!

The ice show was great! The cast sang most of the songs from both High School Musicals. They danced, played basketball and did tricks on ice skates. The girls sang along to all the songs. It was two hours of ice skating fun, screaming, singing and just enjoying an afternoon out.