Sweetness

Sometimes I just need to sit down and get a few things out. Today, I'm going back to my original format of "sections". Several years ago when I started this blog, I did "home cooking" "home styling" "home schooling" "home life" and "woody". Yes, "woody" like from Toy Story. That was fun. A few friends and family seemed to enjoy it. I enjoyed it. So, why don't I do it more? I'll tell ya...never mind, I don't know, I think I just get caught up in the rat race and forget some important stuff. For example, I really do enjoy blogging, writing about my wild donkeys, laughing, reflecting, just documenting about our little bit of everything, hence the name of this blog. Doing this helps me sift through photos, events, and thoughts to find sweetness. I need some sweetness. I'm gonna find some sweetness now....

Home Cooking

Lucy, my sister's third Princess baby.
I also make pancakes on demand

So this is what I'm gonna do for you. I'm going to walk to my kitchen and write out an easy, no fail, amazing chocolate chip pancake recipe that my sister and I use so much that she claims once her kids leave the house she will NEVER make them again. I don't believe her, that is, that her kids will ever leave the house. The reason? She will make these pancakes anytime any one of her five princesses request (even if she's already made eggs). That's the kind of on-demand risky pancake-making behavior that will eventually lead to a 25 year old in your basement screaming up for pancakes. Be careful with this recipe. Be careful Kristie.

Mix the dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 teaspoons baking powder

Mix wet ingredients then mix into dry:
2 eggs
6 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 cups milk.

Add chocolate chips once the batter has settled into it's final circle formation but before batter firms up.

Boom, pancake mixture that didn't come from a box. Be careful not to get all puffed up that you are so awesome you don't use a box...that's pride people. Pride. Pancake Box people are cool too.

Also, this recipe feeds 10 kids. You can halve it, unless the Duggars are coming.

Oh ya, another important note, use baking powder without sodium aluminuum phosphate otherwise you risk a metal tasting pancake. I learned this from my mother-in-law who knows all things cooking.

That was a public service announcement.

Home Styling

I find that I feel like a better mother when I hang a "happy birthday" banner when my children have birthdays as evidenced by feeling crappy on October 15 (Sam's birthday (no banner)) and feeling not as crappy on October 29 (Presley's birthday (banner hung)). But, it's important to mention the banner isn't about me, it's not about you, it's about the birthday girls. Here they are...


Home Life

Sam turned 4. We clearly did not have a banner or friends or a surprise visit from a real life princess or balloons or a jumpy house. We didn't have any of those things for Sam this year. But, we love her and we bought a cake last minute, put 4 candles in it, and sang really happy-like in hopes that she wouldn't think of what she was missing. Hope you felt the love Sam. I would have liked to do a little more for you, but your family was really sick for 5 weeks straight and we needed a HazMat crew more than a jumpy house. Next year babe! Let's celebrate you with a few pics.

Totally appropriate time and place for yoga

You still have a way with little creatures and almost killing them.

Happy girl.

Tough girl

Lovely girl

I no longer consider myself the only "multi-tasker" in our family. 

No words here.

Sam rocked the trick or treating this year. She got confused a couple times and upon knocking on doors would excitedly yell, "Tickle Tickle" most people didn't know that was synonymous with "Trick or Treat". duh. 

Presley turned 10. Double digits dude. So again, no big whoop-ti party. But, we did have a banner and a grandma and some pumpkins to carve. Presley didn't seem to mind. She was in the moment.

Busted. I didn't have enough candles. But I did have a zero left over from Mark's 30th cake. Perfect 10. 

Coca Cola thief.

I'm seeing that sweetness.

Not the best picture, but captures my precious princess Elsa. The tank gives her freezing powers along with the ability to breath. Presley has shed her enterovirus and pneumonia, but not the oxygen yet. Hopefully soon! I couldn't persuade her into an "old person" costume. Might have exploited her illness but would have been hilarious. 

Zoe girl is gonna have to wait till December for a birthday blog. But, since it's been so long since my last blog I can't help but put in a few summer pics.

Swan Princess 

Loch Ness Monster

Beach fairy creatures saying goodbye to summer. 

Home Woody

Pneumonia

Just kidding. I'm fine. It's dad and the toad necklace that's concerning. 

Home Flash Back
to Presley's first Birthday party 

I can die happy now.

Yes Naomi, that's the costume Presley needed this year.

Singing Happy Birthday to our Special Pumpkin. 

Christmas Letter

Why hello. I meant to write a Christmas letter this year. Didn't happen. So, I thought I'd write a Merry Christmas/Happy New Year blog that mainly consisted of a Christmas letter. It is still January. I'm fine. Here goes.

2013 is over. I've never written a Christmas letter. You'll have to excuse me. Not sure what comes after "2013 is over". It's just over. What happened in 2013? I don't know. I barely remember yesterday. I'll find some pictures to refresh my memory on the happenings of 2013. You know what? That's another reason I should keep blogging, so that I'm reminded of my own life. What a vapor. Seriously, that's what it is. The bible even says that. My sister was right in nicknaming me, Vapor 2 (the original meaning of that nickname can be found in one my previous blogs)

Crazy Lady. Look at me. See why I can't remember anything? Because,  in 2013 I struggled with occasional bouts of spazoutitis (inflammation of spazzing out). My friend says that I make coffee nervous. Well, I make myself nervous. This picture makes me nervous. I repent. I do. I did. I will. No more. I will no longer spaz. I will no longer flip out.  Hudson Taylor (in the book They Found the Secret was a huge help in this most compelling epiphany of 2013. Here is what he wrote about his previous self, "Mine is a peculiarly nervous disposition, and with a busy life I found myself in a tremor all day long. I did not enjoy the Lord as I knew I ought. Nervous agitation possessed me as long as there was anything to be done." So as you can imagine, I was thinking. Yep. Me and you Hudson. I tremor too. But, it turns out this great man had a transformation that turned him into "an object lesson in quietness...Whatever did not agitate the Savior, or ruffle His spirit was not to agitate him...He knew nothing of rush or hurry, of quivering nerves or vexation of spirit." What? I quiver all the time! I'm vexed! Oh yes I'm vexed! See my above smile. Make no mistake, that is not a smile. That is vexation. That is hurry. That is agitation. That is me, gonna flip out. No more! By the grace of God, I'm gonna take Hudson Taylor's advice. Here it is. Ready? Listen. Katie listen.
"Are you in a hurry, flurried, distressed? Look up! See the Man in the Glory! Let the face of Jesus shine upon you-the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is He worried, troubled, distressed? There is no wrinkle on His brow, no least shade of anxiety. Yet the affairs are His as much as yours." Dear God, can you please get my kids to be still and smile? No? Okay. I will show them your peace instead of my vexation (next year). I will reflect your face, instead of mine (next year).  We will just photo shop the Christmas card this year....and we did!





Mark photo-shopped Presley right in there! So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Mobergs. Yes. 

 

Presley's 2013, (I don't know how to operate BlogSpot. Why is this still in the white. AAAHHHH) I'll keep going anyway. I'm not worried. God's not worried. See? Truth works. I'm free. Free to keep going even though my format is ruined. Not even gonna try to fix it.  



She knows where to keep her eyes!



Bike Camp. The magic began with the donning of the gloves.

Magic gloves give Presley special powers.

Like riding a bike!

The power of the Redbox. Makes Presley peddle faster.  

We thought Presley might take her biking more seriously with Jesse as precious cargo. Not so much.

Kinda sick.

 

 

Won a trophy at bike week! Presley likes to inappropriately bow. Didn't we have a president that did that too? Obama. Everything is his fault. It is. All of it. Just kidding, No I'm not. No, just kidding.  

Presley's favorite July 2013 activity.
 

Her favorite spot. Her favorite drink. Life is good for this girl.

Reminds me of this
 

I'm a total feminist. I'm for all those unborn women.

 

Presley's other favorite place, surrounded by cousins. Love you all. I could cry.

 

 

 

 

Back to school.

I know, Zoe, a mind of her own.

 

 

Sam, don't get any ideas.

 

 

A little dirty work.

  





 

Birthday girl got excited! Whaz  uuup?

 

 

Friends helping her read birthday cards. Bless it! I want to cry again.

 

Witness the fruit of classroom inclusion for kiddos with Special Needs.  

My beautiful ballerina. Love you Presley! (and you other two) 

Zoe's 2013 (oh now it is right)

 

 

Little Mermaid Recital 2013

 

Zoe loves the boat too.

Is Zoe missing something? Why the intensity guys?

No, don't do pony dancing on the tube.

Yes, Lucy. It was a halleluiah kind of day.

Learning sophistication from cousin Ava.

 Dance party above.
 Below is a little Zoe creation. 2 tacks. 1 string of dental floss. 1 jar lid thingy. Scarf holder. Duh.



 

Zoe finished the last mile of a marathon! All with a broken arm. She broke her arm at the cousins' house the day before she knocked her front tooth out on the counter, which was the day before family pics. Whatever.

We pulled that jacket right over that cast.

Love you.



Love you.

Sam's story

 

Somebody please help me. I don't know what I'm doing with this one. I think she is smarter than me.

 

 

Seriously, help me.

 

 

 

Pound it.

She has a way with cats! She knows just when to release before death.

This girl is on fire. I'm singing an Alicia Keys. Don't call social services. It is just a song.



Yep, you are awesome!

 

 

 

 

Sam is also awesome at picking keys off the laptop. 

 



Okay, that's enough. Seriously. Somebody's gonna get hurt.

We're dancing in the streets. Dancing in the streets. Yeah Party. Fort Pierre style. You bet.

That's enough.



Somebody got hurt.

Speaking of getting hurt. This is a sad story, I hope you have time. Over this little summer break in South Dakota, something bad happened. Something real bad. My mom's 7 chickens along with this goiter bunny got massacred by two evil minks. So sad. I will never forget waking up that day. Mom "Katie, Katie, get up. Get up now. I'm gonna give you an axe. We are gonna go kill weasels!" Me "okay mom" You can't make this stuff up. It just happens.

 



Sam made it another year!

She found this helpless kitty at the photo shoot.

 

Kitty on a leash. Again, kinda sick. Have I mentioned I don't like kitties or cats. Little naughty creatures that creep around plotting human death. I'm certain of it.

She chases this one during Presley's riding lessons. I bet she has worms. Both of them.



Best picture of 2013. Mark took it!  I too like to chirp little birdie! 



 

Here is to you 2014! May you be a year of continued blessings. May you be a year of Katie (that's me) finding a more quiet spirit. May you be a year full of Cheesecake Factory and cousins for Presley. May you be a year that protects Zoe from having to abandon her innocent beautiful fantastical perspective. May you keep Sam alive and safe and worm-free. And may, you, 2014 be a year of awesomeness to my husband, who is awesome and wonderful and completely random. Keep it tight 2014.