Relationships

I was recently reading an article from the perspective of a single man in his thirties that longed for family life. One thing in the article that stuck out to me was how it pained him to hear men talk negatively about having children when it was something he desired so much. I remember feeling a similar feeling when I struggled with infertility. As I recalled that time in my life, I tried to put my finger on what it was about having children that I desired so much. I asked myself why is it that human beings long to have children. What are they longing for really? Children are expensive. Is it that we long to take care of something? No, at least not for me. Children require so much of our energy in raising them. Do we long to have a meaningful life and purpose to throw ourselves into? No, at least not for me. I think what I longed for was relationships. I wanted a someone little to love me as their Mama. And I in turn wanted to adore a child.

In our family scripture study last week we read a scripture from the book of John. I don’t even remember what the scripture was, but I remember us discussing the real purpose in life. M talked about one of his colleagues that wasn’t able to perform her duties at work because of a terrible sunburn. She was so embarrassed and kept apologizing. M said, “Hey, don’t worry. This is the purpose of life…to be kind to you. It is more important than even the work we all do as doctors today.”

All of M’s thoughts reminded me of my situation as a mother. So easily I can be abrupt with my children because I am trying to get a task done like cleaning or cooking, and in so doing I forget that being nice to them is the whole purpose of my day and the most important thing that I do. Em agreed with my thought and said, “We can be so callous and careless with those relationships when they are the most special things we have.” And there that word came up again…relationships.

I had a friend that commented to me that I can be so hard on myself in motherhood and asked me why. Was it that my Church teaches that we must strive for perfection? As I pondered her question I tried to figure it out. I don’t think it was the perfection doctrine, but maybe the doctrine on how important your work as a mother is. One prophet said, “No success can compensate for failure in the home?” What does that even mean to have a failure in the home? I wonder if it isn’t a failed relationship.

What does it even mean that the family can be eternal? I think the Proclamation on the Family states that it is the relationships that are eternal. As I have pondered that this week, I have felt so strongly that we preserve and pour energy into making wonderful relationships in our families. Maybe we will realize one day that making a relationship that you want to be eternal is as important as having the ordinance performed in the temple making it eternal.

All of these thoughts keep coming to me this week about relationships--how important they are and how such an emphasis should be placed on making them excellent. I have wondered if these thoughts were from a loving Father in Heaven that wanted me to direct my best efforts into the tings that would bring me the most joy.

Some Funny Things That Master I Said This Week

“Mom, do you know what’s kinda sad? All of my favorite movies are violent, like Kung Fu Panda and stuff. And it is the violent parts that I like. And the prophets said we shouldn’t watch violent things.”

Little Miss R was wanting to talk to me while I was saying my morning prayers. I usually am able to pray before they wake up, but this morning they woke me up at the shameful hour of 9:00!! Anyway, it was obvious that I was praying because I was on my knees and my eyes were closed. She started saying, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”

Master I stopped her and said, “R… Mommy needs time for Mommy right now.”

Zion's National Park

Two angels on Earth--Mom H and Master W. Master W has truly become an angel lately. His grandparents were so impressed with how easy and happy he was. He gives me such joy when I look at him and he immediately smiles and makes noises. I feel he loves me and that makes me adore him!


Master I’s only sorrow was that he didn’t get to do the long hard hikes. He looks forward to the promised hikes of the Narrows, Angel’s Landing, and Observation Point. Much to Grandma's chagrin, Grandpa even commited to doing Angel's Landing with him.

Little Miss R terrorized her Dad in that backpack, making it hard for him to fully feast on these surroundings.


I loved having Mom and Dad H there. They got us into the park. They thought our kids were adorable and they truly made the trip fun for them. They babysat while M and I had our own little hike. And, as always, we had wonderful conversations with them along the way and at night in our hotel while the kids were sleeping.


M is taking a little break from Miss R and trying to contemplate the beauties of nature while he can. If only it were that easy! Somehow it is difficult to feel peaceful and enjoy nature when you say to yourself, “Ok, I have three minutes without a child screaming in my ear to fully enjoy this. 1, 2, 3...Go!”


Our family at the Emerald Pools

Master W loved this trip. He got to be held all day long in the upright position. What could be better than this!




Master I scrambling around the sandstone

M and my get away hike while the grandparents watched the kids

Wheat Flour Tortillas

3 C Wheat flour
2 C white flour
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 C Crisco (butter flavored)
1/8 tsp baking powder (optional)
1 1/2 C really hot water (hot enough to melt the Crisco

1. Use the wisk attachment for the Bosch to combine dry ingredients with Crisco until the Crisco is the size of peas.
2. Attatch the kneading hook to the Bosch and knead the dough with the hot water.
3. Knead until smooth(apx 3 minutes).
4. Cut dough into 8-12 chunks
5. Let dough rest 1 hour
6. Roll dough into tortilla shape
7. Cook on a hot skillet until bubbles form and then flip and cook on the other side
8. Place into a plastic bag to keep moist and soft

Winning Their Hearts Through Nurturing

Recently I had a friend tell me that she could understand why many women choose to work in an office instead of the work in the home. “So much of what you do at home is so quickly undone or gone by the end of the day. You make a wonderful meal To plan, prepare, and serve it takes hours. When it is done you have nothing to show for it but a dirty kitchen!” After a few more of her examples I had to agree that is definitely a hard part of motherhood. It is easy to finish a day, or a year, or a decade and say to oneself, “What did I do? What do I have to show for my work?”

This week I was reading the account of Ammon, the great missionary in the Book of Mormon. I reviewed principles that I tried to learn as a full-time missionary. When Ammon determined to teach the Lamanites the Gospel of Jesus Christ before he ever began to preach there was a long-term, open-ended commitment to get to know the people that he wanted to teach (Alma 17:23). Then an opportunity naturally came where he was able to do something that he longed to do--“Win the hearts of these my fellow servants” (Alma 17:29). Once these people knew Ammon and he had won their hearts the Lamanites asked Ammon the questions and Ammon merely testified . And the results were unbelievable (Alma 18:14-42).

As I read the chapter my thoughts naturally started by thinking of my friends that I love and hope accept the truth, but then I began to think of my children who I daily lay down my life for and for whom I will do anything to have the truth written in their hearts. Aren’t our children really our best investigators? Isn’t that what I am trying to do… “win their hearts?”

I shared this verse with a friend that has nearly finished raising her children what she did to win their hearts. “Oh, I don’t know? What about you?” We both couldn’t think of anything to say because nothing we ever did seemed that spectacular. I sheepishly said, “Well, I guess I see it in my son when I prepare a really good meal for my family with lots of side dishes. He loves food. Or if I lay down by him at night when I am putting him to sleep and talk to him”

My not -so-grandiose example gave her more confidence to share hers, “You know, my kids just are going so fast in so many different directions that the only time that they are still is when they sit next to me in Sacrament meeting. And so I just sort of have my hand on their back and lightly move it back and forth. And do you know what I’ve noticed? When my hand gets tired and I put it down my son will put his arm around me.”

“You won his heart.” I tell her. It occurs to me that our seemingly inconsequential examples that we think of to share with each other are actually examples of the power of nurturing.

It is so easy to feel that it is waste of time to get to know and then to win the hearts of investigators through service. As a full-time missionary I wanted to barge into a home, ask 2 get-to-know you questions, and then present the message for them to accept and reject. Sometimes I find myself feeling a similar way now in my life as a wife and mother. I am tempted to deliver my proclamations of the Gospel to those I love in a matter of fact tone , declaring the way things really are, and laying down the law. I don’t see the connection between my bringing my family to the Lord and the dinner I cook or the bedtime routine…until I ponder the story of Ammon.

Then my grandma is “brought to my remembrance (John 14:26).” She was an Ammon to her wayward son when she was in her 80’s and he was in his fifties. He had left the Church in his youth, shortly after his mission. Like Ammon, she told her son through her actions, “I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.” She told him this by her repeated efforts to have a relationship with him with no Gospel strings attached. Like Ammon took the time to get to know her investigator son and she gave him the time that he needed to come to know her. Like King Lamoni, my uncle got to know his mother and reached a point when he marveled at her character and love and his heart cried, “Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this woman” (Alma 18:10).

Because Grandma was seeking for ways to connect with her son the opportunity to “win the heart” (Alma 17:29) came naturally--just as it did for Ammon. This intellectual son had a pastime of reading physics books. And so Grandma took up physics in her 80’s. Her son would lend her a book, she would read it, and they would discuss it once a week. Just as happened with King Lamoni, questions about God naturally came to my uncle and he asked them to his mother in their conversations. Their conversations revolved around science, God, and the cosmos. Grandma held his heart. I am sure that the testimony that she shared came as a short, gentle answer to the questions of his soul.

My grandmother’s love and nurture were not schemes to turn her children’s hearts to God. Her actions were a natural outpouring of the deep feelings of her heart. I don’t believe that she anticipated the power and influence that her nurturing has had in the lives if her children and grandchildren.

Nurturing can seem like a waste of time to us, like spending the time to get to know and serve the people could have seemed to Ammon. Actually, for hundereds of years the Nephites tried to preach the Gospel to the Lamanites. But the effect of their missionary efforts were that Lamanites wanted to kill the Nephites, burn their records, and wandered about the wilderness half naked eating raw meat (Enos 1:20). When you think about it, the true waste of time is trying to teach the Lamanites without doing first what Ammon did.

It can seem sometimes that there is nothing to show for our work in motherhood. After a day of work you can ask yourself, “What did I do?” After pondering the lesson of Ammon, I have an answer for you. You got to know them, they got to know you, you won their hearts. And now you wait for the time that your King Lamoni will ask you a question and you will testify with all of your heart, and because you have won his heart you might even have the power to convert a Lamanite king… “That is influence; that is power! (Julie B. Beck, “Mothers Who Know”).

Pionner White Bread Recipe or ...... Jalepeno Cheddar Bread

(Note: these aren't my loaves because my camera is broken)

Pioneer White Bread
4 C Warm water
2 T yeast
5 C flour
3/4 C sugar

Mix ingredients in a Bosch until smooth (1 minute). Let rest until doubled in size or until to the top of the bosch (1 hour). Add:

2 T sea salt
5 C flour (or enough until the sides of the Bosch kneed clean)

Let knead for 5 minutes. Shape into 4 loaves or 12 mini loaves. Let loaves raise until doubled in size. Mini loaves bake at 325 for 30 minutes. This makes exquisite french toast--thick and chewy slices.

Jalepeno Cheddar Bread
I like to take half of the dough (2 loaves) and mix in after the dough is ready to be shaped into loaves:

2 C cheddar cheese cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 C canned jalepenos

I shape these into 6 round loaves and put on a cookie sheet. I brush egg on the crust and sprinkle grated cheese (optional!). I let the loaves double in size and bake on a cookie sheet at 325 for 30 minutes.

I bake a lot of bread because Mark takes a mini loaf of bread, cheese sticks, and a piece of fruit everyday for lunch.

A Week in Review

Our Master Mind
"Master I" made a kookubura costume for his 1st grade school play

"Master I" lost a tooth. When I looked underneath his pillow I found that he used my one and only nice thank you card to write a message for the tooth fairy. The tooth was enclosed and this was the message of the note:

For tuth fary
I Hhve lost a tuth
ples give me $15
Love I.....

















Miss R
"Where are my grippers?" Grippers are scriptures and she claims as her own her dad's very small copy of The Book of Mormon. It fits perfectly in her hand and she loves to carry in arround the house.

"Miss R" loves playing with her older brother and keeping him awake. They stay awake for hours after we have put them down because she is always tring to playing with him and make him laugh. Playing in this way comes naturally to her in a way that wasn't true for him. He finds joy in her and so the cycle perpetuates itself. So, when his friends come over she thinks that they have all come to dote on her.


"Master W" with Zacky.

Mandy's Musings
When I went to Red Butte Gardens this week I was amazed at how quickly nature changes. I was disappointed when I found that the flowers that I had enjoyed so much in the previous week were already beginning to fade. And yet, I was suprised by the beauty of the flowers that were just starting the week before. I couldn't have guessed that the new flowers would have taken the center stage of those flower beds like they did. I wished that last week flowers could still be in the height of their glory along with the newly bloomed flowers of this week. Then I thought to myself, "But, that isn't how it works, is it? The beauty in nature is fleeting and always changing. We must enjoy the current stage because it will not last."

Something about that reasoning was so familiar to me--a lesson that I already have learned in a different context. Children grow quickly for better and for worse. Their annoying phases... fade, but so do the darling things that they do. It is perishable fruit in its perfectly ripened state, demanding to be enjoyed today. And so in this state of constant good and bad we must choose what we will focus on. We must learn to savor the good, even while there is much that needs improvement. We cannot wait until everything is perfect with our children to enjoy all that is wonderful in them because childern's stages are perishable.

It has been a simple and sweet experience this week to have the lesson come to my memory many times when I look at my children or when I look at the nature that surrounds me. I remember that I can't be mourning the loss of the daffodills or spending the energy of my heart yearning for lavendar that have not yet bloomed because today I must enjoy the honeysuckle. Tomorrow the honeysuckle will fade and the green hills will turn golden. Even more regretabley, tomorrow Master I will be more careful about what comes out of his mouth, and "Little Ms. R" will realize how captivating her happiness and beauty are, and "Master W" will stop coeing and scrunching up when he sees me. They demand to be enjoyed today!

So, come out and visit us darn it!

God Gave Us Families To Help Us Become What He Wants Us To Be…Sheep.

In the parable of the sheep and goats the Savior explains who will be saved by describing a final judgement scene in which the righteous are praised for how they served the Lord. The righteous seem surprised and say, “When saw we thee a hungered?”

Jesus answered inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these you have done it unto me.”

When I read these scriptures today I thought of my dad coming to a final judgement and being surprised at the Lord telling him that he had served him. I imagine my dad saying, “When did I see you hungry, thristy, or naked? I don’t remember being that good.

Then I imagine the Lord saying, “Well, Rick. You made a lot of money in your life. Where is it?”

My dad would reply, “Oh, that. My kids ate it.”

The correct response would actually be, “My 10 kids ate it, wore it, and slept under it.”

I loved reading this prarble today and thinking of how I saw my dad live it in our family life.

“For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat.” - I remember him waking up every morning at 5:30 am to make a warm breakfast for his kids before early morning seminary. There was always a pitcher of orange juice and a pitcher of grape juice that I took advantage of. I have to admit that sometimes I passed on the breakfast when it was paprika (he mistook it for cinnamon) oatmeal or cooked sausage in the pancakes.

“I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink.” -Hunger and thirst can be spiritual as well as physical. I remember many nights after dinner when my belly was full, but I had a spiritual hunger that I turned to my Dad to fill. It usually was a question about the Gospel that I had. We did dishes together as a family every night after dinner. My dad was my captive listener and teacher. I knew that I wasn’t interrupting his work or any other thing because he was washing the dishes we me. That is when I asked him about Roe vs. Wade, capital punishment. ERA, family planning, and many more topics that I wanted to understand

“Naked and ye clothed me” - I remember once not having any cute shoes to wear to school. My dad was yelling at me to get into the car because we were going to be late for seminary. The only thing I had to wear were some bright green elf-looking shoes that a grandma had given me. I held on to them thinking that maybe their uniqueness could be cute with the right outfit, but on the morning that I was forced to wear them I knew that was a lie. I looked ridiculous and the feeling of dread I had made me cry. My dad was irritated that we were late and now irritated that I was crying. He asked me, “What is wrong?” I told him. He softened immediately and asked if he could take me on a date after school to buy some new shoes. I was really surprised at how tenderly he looked at me, that he was willing to take off work when he was so busy at that time in his life, and that he was going to buy me shoes when I knew we were so poor. I will always remember how he was so touched by my vain plight.

“I was a stranger and ye took me in.” -Sometimes, as children we went through such drastic changes it was like getting to know a stranger and being willing to take that new person into your life. I remember that he used to tease one of my free-spirited brothers for being careless or irresponsible. But, that toe-headed boy grew-up to be a free-spirited, yet over-achieving and very responsible man. Beginning with my brother’s missionary homecoming my Dad had to get to know a different person--a stranger. I frequently hear my dad compliment my brother saying, “He will always have work. He is very talented and responsible about seeking those things out.” I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that my dad and that brother have a business venture that they are working on together because I have seen my dad get to know again and accept that brother for who he really is.

“I was sick and ye visited me.”--My dad cared for us in many ways when we were sick. He always bought popsicles for us and if we were really bad off he would take us to the hospital He loves to recount how he would go to the emergency room with whichever of us was injured and the ER receptionist would ask if we had ever been there before. My dad wouldn’t divulge how often he frequented the ER, but would tell the receptionist to look our family up. He loved hearing them say, “Wow!” as they scrolled through the many ER visits that we had.

“I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” I have never been in prison, but I have felt trapped and lonely. It was after I had my first child and the hormonal adjustment left me feeling like I had a bad case of anxiety. He came to take care of me. By this time in my life his breakfast skills had increased greatly. The pancake mix in was the left over berry pie from last night’s take-out dinner. Since then it became sort of a tradition for him to visit his daughters after they had a baby to take care of them. That has meant dinners from restaurants, his homemade signature breakfasts, and lots of spoiling of the siblings of the newborn.

My Dad has gone from generous father to an absolutely indulgent grandpa. His generosity is epic with his grandchildren. The toys and the restaurants have been very fun, but what I treasure most is to see my son copy the way that he has been treated. Isaiah has been saving his money for Jacob to come out. I ask him what he wants to buy for Jacob He says, “I am just going to tell him, ‘do you want a toy? Pick one out! Do you want to go out to dinner? Where do you want to go? Want some candy? Which one do you want?’” Those exact phrases are things that my Dad has told him. How grateful I am for a dad that is a sheep!

http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/25.31-46?lang=eng#30

"You are the trip I did not take; You are the pearls I cannot buy; You are my blue Italian lake; You are my piece of foreign sky." Anne Campbell

Miss R's cute words: "Tell me a dory (story) about Chrismas (Christopher) Robin."
"I wanna rubber (granola) bar."
"I wan some rola (homemade granola)."
"I miss my daddy! I need my daddy!"

Miss R's not so cute thing that she does: Makes messes. I have seen her get a contemplative, far-away look in her eye and smear oatmeal all accross her face. She is either possesed in those momonets or just fascinated with textures. She can't resist touching her food or drink and smearing it all over the table, herself, or the wall. When I was getting her out of our car the other day she was shaking the milk from her sippie all over her body. I think that everytime I have let her have a drink in the car she purposely spills it on herself. Why don't I learn?

Master I: He is thrilled with the prospect of his cousins coming to visit him this summer. Yesterday in the car he told me, "No one has ever had as much love as Jake and I do, right Mom?"

I had a hard day last Thursday. I was correcting my children a lot and felt very impatient. At the end of an exhausing day, after we put the kids to bed, I talked to Mark about it as we sat on the balcony off of our room. I felt discouraged mostly with my weakness because I felt like I couldn't handle the demands of motherhood without being impatient. Expressing this frusteration I cried to Mark, "I can't do it!"

Before Mark had a chance to respond I heard a voice coming from my bedroom say, "But Mom, you have been doing it for the past seven and a half years!" I didn't realize he was listening from my room until then. In his defense, I don't think he was intending to eavesdrop. We usually let him fall asleep in our bed because Miss R loves to play with him and make him laugh.

Prince W: His happiest time of day is in the morning. He coes and smiles when I make eye contact with him. If he is really happy he brings his feet up to his chest and pulls his head down to his shoulder at the same time.

Loves Hates
Being held all day Being put down
nursing When Mommy eats something with milk in it
sleeping by Mommy When Miss R pokes him
having eye contact with an admirer dirty diapers


He is much less fussy overall. He seems happy and interactive. But, he still loves to be held... in my arms while I work around the house, in the Bjorn while we are hiking, at my side while I sleeep, or on my lap between my out-stretched arms while I am typing at the computer (like right now).

So far the nickname for Prince W that has stuck is his name with an "s" at the end.

Wheat Waffles

My kids have been enjoying this recipe for waffles that I made. I make it with all wheat flour, though it tastes better with 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white.




Whole Wheat Waffles

2 cups wheat flour (I recommend 1 cup Hard White Wheat ground and 1 cup white flour)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar

Mix up these dry ingredients

Then add:

3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups milk

Blend.
Beat Egg Whites until frothy or stiff.
into batter.

Mandy's Wheat Potato Rolls

We have recently tried to make our potato rolls with wheat flour. We like it more than the white rolls.

1 ½ Cups of warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast

let mixture sit in Bosch while you work on the rest of the recipe

1 1/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup Church's food storage mashed potatoes (potato pearls)
after this is well mixed add:

1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup butter

after this is melted add:

2 eggs
2/3 cup honey (be generous here)
2 teaspoons sea salt

Combine potato mixture with yeast mixture in mixer the add:

6-7 cups of flour (use ½ wheat flour and ½ white)

Mix for 5 minutes (kneading hook)


Let rise until doubled in size. Punch down and roll out dough on a flat surface into a rectangle the size of a cookie sheet. Butter the dough and cut into 16 pieces.



Tie the pieces into knots and place on greased cookie sheet.




Let rolls rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for apx. 20 minutes until golden brown. Dough can also be refrigerated for up to 7 days and used when desired.

A Day in the Life

What does a stay-at-home mom do?
Monday-menu planning and grocery shopping

Tuesday-Laundry and Ironing

Wednesday-Baking

Thursay-library and fun outing

Friday-Deep cleaning and date night

Saturday-a family play day!!!!


Sunday- a family pray day

Happy Easter

I love Christmas because it is a month of celebrating the birth of the Savior through sharing, present buying, lights, music, family get-togethers, family activities, etc. I wish that Easter felt like as big of a celebration. In an effort to try to celebrate easter for longer than a day we have started the tradition of celebrating Easter for a week by doing an advent calendar. We count down the days until Easter by reading the scriptures of what Jesus did on that day and try to have an activity that corresponds.


8 Saturday
John 12:1-3 The last sabbath. Mary annoints Jesus' feet
Activity: Give each other foot rubs and pedicures

7 Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11 Triumphal entry and visit to the temple
Activity: Go to temple square. Make a temple craft

6 Monday
Mark 11:15-19 Jesus cleanses the Temple
Activity: Cleanse our own temple by taking anything out of our house that shouldn't be there or by just making it more beautiful somehow.

5 Tuesday
Matt 25:31-46 Jesus taught people the Mount of olives
Activity: Make bunny breads and share them with a friend

4 Wednesday
Matthew 25:1-13 the scriptures don't say what he did that day. I assume he taught.
Activity: Paint a picture of the parable of the 10 virgins

3 Thursday
Matthew 36:17-29, 36-56 Passover Meal
Activity: Have a Passover meal with a meatloaf shaped like a lamb instead of lamb

2 Friday
Luke 23:44-46, 50-56 Jesus is crucified
Activity: Dye Easter Eggs (When I asked master I what we could do for our activity for this day he suggested that we could go give blood. I thought that was a very sweet suggestion, but he is too young so we dyed Easter Eggs instead.)

1 Saturday
Matt 27:57-66 Jesus body lay in the tomb, but his Spirit lived and taught in the Spirit World.
Activity: Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Baskets

Easter Sunday
Matt 28
Actvity: Easter Dinner and a family home evening program (Master I suggested that we share our testimonies of when we have felt the Holy Ghost. He told me he had one to share, but that he wouldn't share it until the program.

Determined to Keep Hiking

We started hiking again in the mountains behind our house. It's more effort to get out of the door with three and it is definitely harder to get up the mountain because Rachel is determined to hike. However, we are undeterred.

Wheat for Man

Does anyone have any idea of what to do with 1000 lbs. of wheat? I bought a year supply when my husband began his residency because I was determined to follow living prophets. Now that we know we are moving accross the country in a year and we will we have to pay for what we move by the pound, you could say that we are sufficiently motivated to be eating a lot of wheat.
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls




Yes, those are wheat cinnamon rolls in the background. We heard that there was a community garage sale going on this weekend. I thought it might be a good time to try to sell what we won't take when we move. Isaiah thought it might be a great time to make some money. He loves money. We had the idea of making wheat cinnamon rolls and selling them at the garage sale. Isaiah woke up at 5:00 am with me to make them. The idea was that he would get all the profits from the sale of the rolls and the garage sale if he did the work. He made close to $100. We asked him what he wants to do with it and he said he wants to save it until Jacob comes out this summer.

Wheat Bread that can be used for cinnamon rolls
4 cups of hot water
2 tablespoons of yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
--let mixture sit in mixer (Bosch) until it is bubbly (a couple of minutes). Then add the following:
2 eggs
3/4 cup powdered milk
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup oil
6 cups wheat flour
6 cups of white flour
2 Tablespoons of salt

add enough flour until the dough is pulling away from the sides, but not so much that the dough isn't sticking to the bottom (it shouldn't be wiping the sides clean). Let the machine knead the bread for 5 minutes. Let bread rise for one hour. Punch down and form into 4 loaves. Let rise again for 40 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or for 43 minutes at 310.