christmas songs

So this ended up being a pretty fun exercise.  I saw Katie's list and thought I would  make one of my own.  Here are 5 Christmas songs that I love... maybe not my top five... but at least way up there.


Christmas Song - Nat King Cole... nothing says Christmas like this.  Of course, Nat King Cole could sing just about anything and I would love it.

Christmas Waltz - The Carpenters... or anything off of their Christmas Album.  I grew up on this and I LOVE it.

Jingle Bells - Bing Crosby... again... I love anything of of his White Christmas album.  We had a record of this growing up and it equals Christmas.

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey... this one is just FUN.  It makes you want to sing loud and dance around.  James loves dancing with me to this one.

Baby It's Cold Outside - I really love her singing with Will Ferrell in Elf. In fact, that would be my favorite recording (if it existed).

**Now, I said Christmas songs not carols... that could be a whole other list... but my favorite hymn is Silent Night, (and you can't really go wrong with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and my favorite from the Children's Songbook is Oh, Hush Thee, My Baby (I used to sing this with my sisters and mom...)

These songs make me want to change the radio station every time I hear them:
Grown Up Christmas List - by anyone.  I don't care who sings it... I don't like it.
Here Comes Santa Clause -yuck.  I don't know why but I can't stand this song.
Christmas Shoes -Sorry to anyone who loves this... but I don't.  I think Michelle and I used to make fun of it in college.
Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney... seriously Paul?  You're my favorite Beatle and all... but this is just horrible.
Carol of the Bells - Trans Siberian Orchestra... I actually like Carol of the Bells but this version drives me crazy... it's too electric/synthesized for me.  Rich really dislikes Trans Siberian Orchestra and maybe his dislike has rubbed off on me.

What are your favorite (and not-so-favorite) Christmas songs?

frugal tip for today

The worst thing about bean bag chairs is when they get all flat and deflated. At that point they're not good for anything really. We have a bean bag chair that's over 6 years old and it has long ago gotten to that point. I looked for some more filler but I couldn't see myself paying 20-plus dollars for a bag of foam pellets... so it's been sitting in our play room looking rather pathetic. That is, until Wendesday. Wednesday Rich came home with a box full of packing peanuts. We used those to fill up the bean bag. Perfection! (and FREE)...

what to do?

Date nights are taken seriously at the Crane house. Friday night we go on a date--no questions. Even William knows that Friday night = date night. Just last Friday he said, "I want to go on a date to Grandma's house." (Translation: "I want you and Dad to go on a date so that James and I can go to Grandma's without you.") We are lucky that Rich's parents live nearby so we have free babysitters. But even if they are unavailable for the night we still go--with the boys in tow. Lately though, it seems like we are stuck in a rut. We do the same things over and over. Going out to eat (usually without the boys), window shopping, going to the bookstore, walking around Mitch Park... Obviously we like these things but we rarely change it up. Has our creativity gone the way of the wind? Are we just a boring old couple now? Or do we just need some new ideas? I like to think it's the last option. Which leads me to the question...

What do YOU do for date night?

for rachelle

My sister, Rachelle, needed us to do this experiment so she could get extra credit in her child development class. It has to do with "conversion"... you remember this from your days in child development right? Anyway, I tried to email it to her but it was too big... so now you all get to enjoy it.

accentuate the positive

I have been thinking about this for days. No. Weeks, really. Ever since I heard of the accident that changed this beautiful family's lives forever.

I don't know the Nielsons. Not personally at least. But as I sit and read the archives of this wonderful woman's blog I feel that I do. I love to see the adventures that this young family sets out upon. To see the fun she cooks up for days when they are cooped up in the house. I love to see their celebrations. Most of all? I love that she has found joy in motherhood and shares it with the rest of the world. When I read Stephanie's entries I want to be a better person. More particularly--a more loving wife and mother.

I love these words:

I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we “accentuate the positive.” I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort.... What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: “Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve." --President Gordon B. Hinckley

Her sister now keeps the world updated on the status of recovery and the lives of the Nielson children. She is so positive. She helps those children "enjoy more fully the sunlight" at a time when it would be so easy to "seek out the storms." Thank you nie and cjane for helping us to accentuate the positive.

To find out more about the Nielsons click here, here, here, and here.

In the spring William and I planted flower seeds. As the summer ends and we head into fall this is what I see as I leave the house.

i am a MOTHER

I borrowed the most wonderful book from a friend on Tuesday night and finished it by Thursday morning. Every woman should read I Am a Mother. So so so good. Enough said.

I recommend...

Whenever Rich is out of town I like to buy a treat for myself to eat after the boys go to sleep--a kind of reward for making it to the end of the day on my own. Yesterday I was running errands and listening to the radio. I don't even remember what I was listening to but they started talking about Twinkies. I thought to myself, "That sounds so good!" Weird. I don't think I've had a Twinkie in 10 years and I know I've never bought them in my life. Until yesterday. I don't know what overcame me but I couldn't resist that golden sponge cake with a creamy filling! I recommend eating them with some fresh strawberries. So, while I don't usually recommend Twinkies I thought I'd take the chance to share with you some things that I rather enjoy. It's quite a random list of things but here it goes:

Shaklee Basic H--since everyone seems to be "eco-conscious" these days this should be popular. Not only is it organic but you can use it for ANYTHING! Seriously. From cleaning windows and carpets to washing your produce. And it comes super concentrated so it lasts forever.

pinch bowls--I totally made fun of Rich when he added these to our wedding registry. Actually he only registered for one.... luckily we received more than that. They ended up being really useful. I love to put toppings in them. If we are having tacos or something they are the perfect size to put tomatoes, sour cream, olives, etc. in and don't take up much room on the table. Everyone should have a few pinch bowls around the house. (And if you're in a crazy mood you could use them like you're on a cooking show with all your ingredients pre-measured... ha!)


apple peeler corer slicer--In high school, before I ran off to seminary, I would use this baby for one last snack to eat on the way to the church. William loves to turn the crank to cut his own apple too! And in college when I made apple pies (and I made way too many my freshman year) it took me forever to peel and slice all my apples. This handy dandy contraption saves me tons of time! (Thanks mom for getting it for me!)



Organic Mother's Milk tea--For those of you who nurse their babies (and I know a lot of pregnant women right now) you might want to try this. My sister, Amy, recommended it to me who heard about it from her mid-wife. It's awesome! You only drink it for the first week or so. (It doesn't taste bad... a little like black licorice.) With William I produced way too much milk and was engorged.... Then with James I heard about this tea and never had a single problem. I hope that wasn't too much info... but I had to recommend it!




magic eraser-- I know just about everyone uses these or at least has heard of them... but for the few of you who don't this product is amazing! It really is magic!











Scripture Scouts--We used to listen to these all the time as a kid. They're all about Skyler, Sue, Baby, and Boo (the dog) and the adventures they have in their tree house as they discover the stories in the Book of Mormon. (They also have Old and New Testament and recently I've seen one on the Proclamation but have never heard it.) They sing songs and tell the stories in a way that kids understand them--and remember them. When I was in Old Testament at BYU I used to sing the songs for my roommate (who was also in the class). Wes, I think I sang a Scripture Scouts song on a tape for you on your mission--how embarrassing! I didn't even know you yet! Anyway, I got them for this last Christmas and have listened to them a few times with William. His favorite one so far is about heroes... Ammon, in particular. Be warned they might be a little cheesy for your taste--I don't think Jeff or Rich care for them.


Charlie and Lola--This is the cutest little show ever! My sister-in-law bought it in the $5 movie bin at Wal-mart. I love it! It's all about this boy Charlie who has this little sister Lola. She is small and very funny. He uses his imagination to help her in all kinds of things. And the theme song is so great that you'll be whistling it all day long.





Tadoodles--These are the coolest little stampers. I found these on clearance at Target a few months back. William has a great time stamping away and I don't have to worry about ink getting all over his hands or my house!







freezing meals--Some days you just don't feel like cooking. That's when it's nice to have some frozen meals. We don't eat a whole ton at our house and recipes often make more than we want for dinner and/or leftovers. Sometimes I'll freeze them. It's so nice to have a quick, easy, homemade meal.



cookie dough balls--We can never eat a whole batch of cookies at our house before they start to get stale. So I usually bake a few and then freeze the rest of the dough into balls. That way we can pop in a few balls whenever the mood hits us and we have fresh from the oven cookies!


If you are a salt lover like myself then you have to try Real Salt. It is so much better than your regular table salt... and healthier too. Trust me.

What do you recommend?

go cougars!

My blood runs true blue, through and through. It's no wonder though--my sisters and I represent a third generation of BYU graduates. My Grandpa Allred loves BYU. I have numerous memories of him watching BYU football. If I remember correctly, he earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from BYU. My parents also attended, met, and graduated as Cougars... as did several aunts, uncles, and cousins. And although Rich loves OU more and Dad perhaps loves UT we still all love BYU. Why wouldn't we? For one, we all met our spouses there! William, at age 2, already knew the fight song. (I'm brainwashing him... and proud of it!)

My mom and I were talking about the hardships and sacrifices that went into making Brigham Young University what it is today. It's pretty amazing. I'm proud to be part of that legacy.

And this past weekend another sister joined the ranks of family members who are proud to be Cougars.

Congrats Elise! We love you!

jeanine at random

I've taken up the challenge for random thoughts about myself. We'll see how many I can get.

1. Rich was my first kiss.
2. Rachelle has never seen us kiss and we tell her that we only do it once a year on New Years.
3. I love to read... if I really get into a book I'll finish in a week no matter how long it is.
4. I enjoy reading young adult fiction.
5. On a whim I entered a pie contest a few years ago and ended up winning first place.
6. I've had the "roommate switch" pulled on me... (love ya Tanya and Brandon!)
7. I've had 2 emergency c-sections.
8. The best job I've ever had was working for HR at the MTC.
9. In high school I once drove toward oncoming traffic in the shoulder of the freeway.
10. I enjoy putting things together. If I can use a screwdriver or hammer I'm pretty happy.
11. I like to read (and follow) directions. When my in-laws get a new game no one will play until I read the directions and tell them how.
12. Getting mail (real mail) is one of my favorite things in the world!
13. There are three Jeanine's in my ward (I was the first). The first thing we all asked each other was how we spelled our name. We each have a different spelling.
14. My lease favorite chore is cleaning the bath/shower.
15. I love to scrapbook, although I haven't found time to do it lately.
16. My secret shame is that I like Ace of Base.
17. I love lists--sometimes I will write things on my list that I've already done just so I can cross it off. If I don't write something on my grocery list I will forget it.
18. Often I can't form a sentence without using the word "like". It's a horrible habit.
19. I'm cheap... but let's call it frugal.
20. I love to be organized but still find my house in a constant state of clutter... partly due to my pile habit.
21. My hair has always been straight but since I've been pregnant it has a little bit of wave to it (at least when it's wet).
22. My favorite color is purple.
23. I play the flute.
24. I wish I could play the piano.

Well, that's all I can think of right now... Katie, I don't know how you thought of 50! Here are some that Rich came up with about me:

25. Your second toe is longer than your big toe. Freakish
26. You are the fastest reader I’ve ever met.
27. The only vegetable you like is corn. (Okay this is NOT true)
28. The only time you enjoy listening to my music is on the iPod when you’re running because it’s fast.
29. You talk in your sleep sometimes.
30. You have a secret crush on Chuck and Jim, with Jack (Johnson or Dr. Jack, your choice) coming in at a distant third.
31. If you were to fight an American Gladiator, it’d be Crush.
32. The whole youth program in our ward drives you a little crazy.
33. Your weapon of choice is your foot in my face.
34. You don’t love William and James more than me, but you love them differently (what does that mean?).
35. If you could visit anywhere in the world, it would be England (at least that’s what I think).
36. You’re still in denial that Michael Buble is gay.

If anyone wants to take up the challenge... feel free!

welcome to the 21st century

Well, it's about time! Rich and I finally bit the bullet and decided it was time to pay for the internet. That's right, in our almost 5 years of marriage we have not had the internet. I always just went to the library and used their computers or hopped on if we were at my in-laws. It's just getting to be too much with the two boys. For a short while after James was born we were borrowing my sister-in-laws laptop which picked up on a wireless signal but that's as close as we've come to having the internet in our home. I'm so excited to be able to hop on whenever I want now! Hurray!

walking zombies

For the past several weeks we've been surviving on little and much interrupted sleep. Now I think we've been turned into walking zombies. Rich can't even remember conversations we've had now. James, who used to be the best sleeper around, has now pulled a 180 on us. He wakes up every few hours and sometimes will wake up as soon as we set him in his bed. And then he cries. Not just a "I'm sad" cry... more like a "I'm-angry-and-won't-stop-until-you-come-get-me-out-of-this-crib" cry. So, many nights we sleep, uncomfortably, holding him on the couch. And as if that's not bad enough. William, our "I-finally-learned-to sleep-through-the-night-without-waking-up" three year old decided he needs to wake up several times a night asking for cups of milk. And he always waits till you are back in bed, comfortable, and about to doze off. It's the pits.

James has had several double ear infections and has been teething up a storm. We're hoping that once the teeth come in (please come in SOON) that his sleeping will get back to normal. William, however, has no excuse.

So here's to a nice restful night of sleep... or at least the hope of one.

deceptively delicious

It seems that whenever a kid is a picky eater or doesn't want to eat his veggies you always here an adult comment, "Oh, it's okay, they'll grow out of it." Well, I don't want to be discouraging to any of you who are going through this with your own kids but they might not. I know from firsthand experience. You see, I hate veggies. Growing up I always seemed to avoid eating very many. I must be the black sheep in my family or something because everyone else liked them except for me. They attribute my short stature to my lack of veggie eating (since my sisters are all several inches taller than me--and they ate their veggies). The family rule was "try everything"... so I would often end up with some minuscule portion of squash or spinach or whatever other vegetable was being served. And when I talk small, I mean small... so small most normal people wouldn't be able to taste it. But I could. I remember having to sit at the table until I ate my tomatoes and then, after everyone left, throwing them in the trash or down the sink. Things haven't changed much--except that no one forces me to eat my vegetables anymore. Sometimes Rich will convince me that they aren't that bad so I give them another try... but my face still contorts into a horrible grimace every time broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus touches my lips. I just can't help it. I say nothing has changed but in reality some things have. In college I learned to like salads. I will, on occasion, eat cooked carrots. I at least try veggies now (except for tomatoes... I will never like tomatoes).

Now, I know that my family needs to eat their veggies. I think I'm doing an okay job... that is, until we go somewhere and I hear Rich say, "Ooh, I love broccoli." Oops, guess I'm not serving that enough. I just don't even think to serve something that makes me gag.

So this is where this wonderful new cookbook comes in. Some of you may have heard of Jessica Seinfeld's (yup, Jerry's wife) new cookbook Deceptively Delicious. The idea is to puree vegetables and occasionally fruits and "sneak" them into your dinners. You still have to serve a veggie at dinner but at least you know that one is being eaten unknowingly. In the few weeks since I've had this book I have eaten spinach, cauliflower, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Some of the recipes are better than others and some I probably won't make again. I like the idea though and will use it in recipes that I know that I already like. I think it's a great idea... and if you can get ME to eat veggies it has to be good.

and visions of sugarplums danced in their heads...

Okay, so no sugarplums... but I have been a busy, busy baker. I love to make sweet things at Christmastime. For the past several years I've made goodies for Rich's co-workers and my visiting teaching sisters. Here is a sampling of this years creations:

Pretzels,

and more pretzels, snowdrops,

fudge,

cinnamon strussel bread,

and my all time favorite...

oatmeal carmelitas.

What are your favorite Christmas treats?

(p.s. I've added recipes to the comments section)

ice storm 2007

Really it should read "Ice Storm 2007--part 2." See, we already had Ice Storm 2007 at the very beginning of this year. Sunday we continued the saga though. Everything is covered in a nice coat of ice.

When something like this happens in Oklahoma everything comes to a halt. Church was cancelled on Sunday. Schools and businesses are closed. And this morning I was awakened by William's sobs of, "I want to watch Clifford." Nothing is more tragic than the power turning off your show in the morning. We are so lucky to have Rich's family nearby so that we have a warm place to spend our day (and night, if the power is still out).

happy happy birthday William dear

William had a fabulous birthday this year. In fact, everything is more fun this year because he understands it a little better. So he is a big THREE years old now. I really can't believe it! Not only that, he seems to have grown up so much in the past month or so. He's just growing up way too fast! Here are some highlights of his birthday:
He loved all his presents...

(It looks more like Christmas! Thank you everyone! And you gotta love that "smile". )

He loved his cake...
He loved to sing Happy Birthday (to himself)...

Happy Birthday William!

And speaking of birthdays... Friday was Oklahoma's 100th birthday! We were able to go to the Redhawks Ballpark and watch the Centennial Celebration. The best part was singing "Oklahoma" (you know the one...) with a stadium full of people.

Happy Birthday Oklahoma!

days of thanksgiving

So as this is the month of Thanksgiving (and often gets overlooked because it falls between two fun sugar-filled holidays) I thought I would give it some attention. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays--family, friends, great food, yummy pies...

I got to thinking, "What's something fun that I could do with William to teach him about Thanksgiving?" And then this canning jar kept calling to me from my cupboard. So we made this: William tells me what he's thankful for or what makes him happy. I'll write it and then he draws a picture of it and decorates with stickers. Then we put it in the jar. (I haven't quite decided what to do from there.) Here is a sample of his work as of yesterday.(He's really starting to be a careful artist. He tells me what he's drawing--"this is the head" "here's the eyes" etc). It's been a fun project and William likes to add things to the jar.

This past week was also our stake "Days of Thanksgiving." I've heard this also called "fill the temple." But I find "Days of Thanksgiving" so much more appropriate. Showing our gratitude to our Heavenly Father by filling the temple and doing work for those who have gone on before. So for two full days our stake does everything at the temple. It's a neat experience. This year though I wasn't given an assignment. To tell the truth I was a little disappointed. So I decided the next best thing was to babysit the kids of women who did have assignments during the day... especially since we are conveniently located 5 minutes from the temple. Whoa. I don't know what I was thinking. At one point I had 7 kids under the age of 4. It wasn't all that bad--William had a fun time with friends--and I'm thankful that I could help. I'm also so thankful for being extremely close to a temple.

And then one of the ladies in the ward found out that I didn't have an assignment and offered to give me one of her four sessions and she would watch my two boys--in addition to her own eight. I was grateful to her for her generosity and the opportunity to be in the temple during these "days of thanksgiving."
And while I'm thinking of things I'm grateful for...

I'm grateful for healthy boys. Especially James. Sometimes, when watching him crawl all over the place or wrestling with William, I forget that James had such a rough start.

It's pretty amazing.

I'm grateful for a wonderful husband. A husband who loves and takes care of me, who is a wonderful dad, who works hard at everything he does, who honors his priesthood and who still dates me.

I'm grateful for family. I'm grateful for phones that allow me to call my family far away. I'm grateful for cars that allow me to visit Rich's family who are a little closer.

I'm grateful for wonderful parents who taught me the gospel and a million other things...

I'm grateful for friends... friends from growing up... friends from college... friends from more recently... even friends through the great blogosphere. And I'm grateful for the internet that connects us all even though we are scattered across this huge country.

Speaking of this country. I'm grateful for the USA and the men who founded it on righteous principles.

And lastly (at least for now) I'm so very grateful for a knowledge of the gospel and all that it entails.

I hope that you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving and don't forget to be grateful during this season!

kindness begins with me

Is it too simple a thing to wish that all of you might live lives filled with kindness? We live in a harsh and mean world. It is spoken of as "the jungle." It is often so ruthless, so heartless, so mean, so vicious. What a marvelous thing is a little human kindness.

Today will never come again. "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?"

--President Gordon B. Hinckley

Today as I walked into the store, ready to begin my weekly grocery shopping I was greeted by the madness that is Wal-mart. I couldn’t even get to a cart--it felt eerily like “The Truman Show”. As much as I like my weekly excursions to the grocery store one of my pet peeves is SLOW people. I hate getting stuck behind slow walkers, drivers, or decision makers (but the last one only if I have already made up my mind.) Just as I was about to begin impatiently tapping my foot, a man—who had been waiting just as long as me—must have seen little ol’ me standing there holding my 100 pound weight (otherwise known as James sitting in his car seat) because he asked, “Do you need a cart?” I was about to say “No, it’s okay, I can get it myself” when he pulled out a cart and pushed it in my direction. All I could do was smile and say “Thank you!” That was a great start to my shopping trip.
So the rest of the trip went off without a hitch. I picked out my food (and special treats for our “picnic” dinner tonight) and James talked to the friendly shoppers. (William was playing at grandma’s house).
And then when I got to the register I told the cashier—one of the few that recognize me there—that I had some “price matches” (any of you who don’t know the beauty of Wal-mart’s price matching are sadly missing out). I told her which items I was “matching” and she asked me if I had brought in a particular ad. No, I hadn’t. “Well,” she says, “I have it.” And then proceeds to discount my grapes to half of what I was planning on paying for them! So nice!
So here two strangers made an alright shopping trip into a great one! As members of the Church we should be doing this every day! WE should be the ones handing out shopping carts and passing along deals and smiling at others and baking cookies for a new neighbor and any number of other things—little things—but things that will brighten someone else’s day.

Have you done any good in the world today?

Rachelle's celebrity connection

A few weeks ago I wrote of listening to Colors and the memories it triggered. Well, my youngest sister, Rachelle, recently started her senior year of high school. And with the commencement of school comes with it the early mornings of seminary. Now, Rachelle is a superb student both in school and seminary (she is, of course, Mr. Phillips' scholar). This year though she doesn't mind waking up at the crack of dawn to make it to the church building because she gets to see the smiling face of Bro. Merrill--aka Ryan Merrill from Colors. She tells me that not only is he a great teacher but not too bad to look at either! She cracks me up. So there you have it... my little sister and her celebrity connection.

America for me!

Friday night Rich and I were able to attend a potluck and fireside of sorts. A man in our ward who has a PhD in History gave a speech about America--possibly the best I've ever heard. He spoke of God's hand in the discovery of America and the founding of her government. He quoted scripture and recited speeches from founding fathers such as Patrick Henry and quoted from Thomas Paine's Common Sense. By the end you couldn't help but feel patriotic! What a great country we live in! How blessed we are to live in a country founded by great men. As President Wilford Woodruff declared, "those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits … [and] were inspired of the Lord." Wow. At the conclusion of his speech, Bro. Christensen recited the words of Henry van Dyke:

'Tis fine to see the Old World and travel up and down

Among the famous palaces and cities of renown,

To admire the crumbly castles and the statues of the kings, --

But now I think I've had enough of antiquated things.

So it's home again, and home again, America for me!

My heart is turning home again, and there I long to be,

In the land of youth and freedom, beyond the ocean bars,

Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars!

Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air;

And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair;

And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome;

But when it comes to living there is no place like home.

I like the German fir-woods in green battalions drilled;

I like the gardens of Versailles with flashing foutains filled;

But, oh, to take your hand, my dear, and ramble for a day

In the friendly western woodland where Nature has her way!

I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something seems to lack:

The Past is too much with her, and the people looking back.

But the glory of the Present is to make the Future free,--

We love our land for what she is and what she is to be.

Oh, it's home again, and home again, America for me!

I want a ship that's westward bound to plough the rolling sea,

To the blessed Land of Room Enough, beyond the ocean bars,

Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars.