first time blogger

Classic

2012-02-03T18:20:00.001-08:00

These are my favorite classic vanilla and chocolate cupcake.

I like using a vanilla boxed cake-mix for the dry ingredients , then adding:

-3 eggs

- 1/2 cup butter (really soft, almost melted)

-1 cup water

Then , mix all the ingredients until combined. Next beat on med/high for 1 minute. Put them in the cupcake liners and pop then in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This is what I do for the chocolate cupcakes too, but I like using a devils food cake cake-mix.

2012

2012-01-15T16:28:00.000-08:00

wow, it can't believe it is 2012 already!
I have been inspired by some many blogs out there and realized I totally neglect my little blog that no one reads....
One of my new years resoultions will be to invest more time and energy into this blog. It can be a great way to express some creativity, especially in the cupcake department. Ryan got an awesome SLR camera so I am looking forward to baking and borrowing his camera to take some pictures to load up on here.
I hope 2012 is full of creativity!

Tammy the Historian?

2011-12-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

I am finishing my fall quarter with some educational questions. I have a lot of History creadits from my Liberal Studies degree and I could take a few more classes and have a history degree too. I really enjoy history and I am sure Ryan is tired of hearing about some random person or event in history that I ramble on about. I don't know if it will really help me in the future, and maybe I should just take classes I need for a Masters degree that will help me in the future. Ah, it sure would be fun to explore more history ......

Fall has arrived in Southern California!

2011-11-05T21:47:00.001-07:00

The high for today was 57 degrees, and it was sunny and beautiful.

Last fall my friend introduced me to the white hot chocolate at Starbucks,

so yummy and creamy.

Last Sunday was our Ward’s Primary Program. My niece got to participate for the first time; she is one of three Sunbeams and the only girl in her class. She was so excited, we had been practicing her line, and singing the songs every morning on the way to preschool. The whole program was so spiritual and super adorable.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:05:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween !

I am disappointed that I cannot take my little nieces out to trick-or-treat tonight. I have a midterm scheduled tonight from 6pm-8pm, what a bummer! I did get to go to go to there school and watch their costume parade, and I got the day off from work, the school district I work for does not allow costumes anyway.

Ryan and I went to pick apples and enjoy the cooler weather up in the mountains.

It still a nice 82 degrees here and it has been beautiful!

Is it Fall yet?

2011-10-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

It has been quite warm here in Southern California.

I have been sweaty walking around campus, everything is uphill at Cal poly too!

I am also taking a class about Physical Education for Elementary Teachers.

We have be running doing all kinds of soccer drills, and base ball practice

and all kinds of other fun games to play with groups of kids. I am getting a nice work out so far.

I also got a new fun hair cut! I have never had bangs like this before, so it has been fun.

I also got a really fun photo app for my phone called instagram, so this is me trying to be artsy.

Back to School with Kaia

2011-08-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

August has been a back to school month for me.

I started back to work for the same school district. I have 18 precious kindergartners all to my self. It really is a shame that the heat wave decided to hit California mid august, those poor little kids just sit and sweat in the shade for their free play time.

My niece started Preschool the same time I went back to work.

She was so excited and she loves it. One threat we use to get her to pick up her toys is saying she can't go to school. She is so funny.

We spent a lot of time together before our schedule got busy.

I love doing anything artsy with her.

This is just us making silly faces. I miss the carefree summer days already !

Balboa Island

2011-07-23T09:11:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I went down to Balboa Island and peninsula for his birthday, we had so much fun!

Pilgrimage to Utah

2011-07-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

We started our trip in Zion National Park.

The canyons were amazing and we had fun swimming in the river.

We made it to Cedar City for the Morgan Family reunion. We played tons of games and ate lots of yummy food. After the reunion we drove out to Bryce Canyon on the 4th of July.

We went on a hike and saw the stunning hoodoos.

After driving for ever I finally made it to Salt Lake! This was my first time ever!

I wanted to visit some friends that live in the area, but some of them move out of state during the summer (Brittany!).

I was able to take a tour of the Conference center,

now I can't wait to go to a session of conference here.

Temple Square was so fun and I learned so much about the pioneers and the history of the church.

We went to the Joesph Smith Memorial Building

while they are celebrating they're 100 year anniversary.

I had a great time in Utah and hope to visit again soon.

Redlands Temple

2011-06-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today I finally kept my promise to my Dad.

He was baptized in the Redlands Temple as well as my Grandparents tonight. I know that families can be together forever, and blessings come from choosing the right.

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have, for the plan of happiness, the people in my life that love and care for me, and that are always an example to me.

Spring Time

2011-06-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hi, I have been hanging out,

busy finishing my Spring quarter at school,

and enjoying the last days of work .

Ryan and I at a Dodger game.

We helped out with Mormon Helping Hands

project in our city. We went to all the elementary schools

to improve the landscaping and some painting.

I took my niece to the Cal Poly Strawberry festival. We got to pick our own organic strawberries and they had a petting zoo.

Ryan took me to see the Phantom of the Opera, it was absolutely amazing.

For those of you that watch the History channel's show

Pawn Stars, we went to the store to check it out.

This Summer I have already had so much fun. I was able to attend Girls Camp for my stake, it was so fun and spiritual, those young women are amazing,

and we had an exceptional Girls Camp Director too!

I am looking forward to a trip to Southern Utah, the Zoo, and one last trip to Universal Studios before I go back to work and school !

Happy Birthday Keira!

2011-03-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures I took

of my niece Keira for her first birthday.

I was baking for three days getting ready

for the party. I made icecream cone and cupcake sugar cookies.

I also made chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow

filling (like the ones i made for tiffy )

and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting.

I had so much fun decorating them, I can not

wait for another excuse to bake some more!

A new frosting tip!

2011-02-24T22:59:00.000-08:00

I got volunteered to make cupcakes for my nephews cub scout blue and gold banquet.

I bought a new frosting tip to try out for the occasion. It is a star tip 1m , and It was really easy and fun to frost the cupcakes with it. I don't know what happened to the blue frosting, but the yellow came out great. I think I added too much of the blue food coloring and it thinned out the frosting . I really liked the metallic gold sprinkles on top! I also bought some cub scout scrap booking cut outs and glued them to tooth picks and popped those in. And of course blue and yellow cupcake liners, all the supplies I found at joanns.

Cupcakes!

2011-02-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

Kaia is enjoying this cupcake from my birthday,

it is decorated with chocolate rocks and a dinosaur!

These are one of the best cupcakes I've ever had, seriously you should try them!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Cupcake Ingredients:

3 sticks of butter

1- 1/2 cups of light brown sugar

4 eggs

2-2/3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting :

3 sticks butter at room temp.

3/4 cup brown sugar

3-1/2 cups powder sugar

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp milk

2-1/2 vanilla

Directions:

Basically mix dry ingred. in separate bowl , cream wet ingred. then add altogether. Fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 18-20 min.

Frosting - beat butter and brown sugar until smooth, add powder sugar, then flour and salt, lastly add milk and vanilla until smooth.

yummy!

Adapted from annie's eats

Happy Valentines Day !

2011-02-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to check in to my blog since it has not been updated lately. I had hundreds of photos on my camera from Chirstmas, Disneyland Trip, New Years, and other fun stuff. So I will post some more pictures once they are edited. I also had a birthday too! Here is a picture of me straight from my new iphone!

HAPPY VALENTINES TO ALL MY FRIENDS I LOVE YOU !

Happy Birthday!

2010-10-22T22:58:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Kaia!

I knew from the first time we saw

each other that she would have

me wrapped around her little finger!

Is there a cuter ballerina Kitty ? I don't think so.

Last bit of fun before School Started

2010-09-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Having fun with the new underwater camera!

Last BBQ at Corona Del Mar

Last Angels game and we went to our last Dodger game on Tuesday.

Ryan and I went to see Elton John in concert.

We had lawn seats, but the concert was fantastic!

Ryan and I both started back to school at Cal Poly last week,

so we will have these fun summer activities to look back on fondly.

Now I am looking forward to the fall and winter festivities.

I would also like to start wearing some cozy sweaters

but so. cal is in a heat wave with the last five days in triple digits!

i love taking pictures of this baby!

2010-08-16T09:04:00.001-07:00

I like to pretend I am some fancy photographer on a photo shoot !

I had a great time taking her pictures, she is such a happy little baby.

Summer Fun

2010-08-05T23:35:00.001-07:00

kisses and kayaking

2010-07-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have been having some fun getting out of town.

We came back to Carpenteria, a beautiful beach

where my sister got married, and we found the rock that

they painted with there names and anniversary date.

We took a little day trip to Solvang which is a

Danish-American community.

We walked around the shops, went to the

Hans Christian Andersen museum/book store and

ate a yummy danish.

We also visited the Santa Ines California Spanish Mission.

Next we ate lunch at Andersen's Pea Soup restaurant

outside of Solvang, it was the best food I've had in a long time, delicious.

We spent a couple of days camping at Lopez Lake

with a few friends. It was really fun kayaking, swimming, hiking,

and of course smores!

My favorite picture of me and my niece Keira

at Corona Del Mar.

Night at the Museum

2010-06-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

I got the opportunity to spend the night

at the Page Museum- La Brea Tar Pits.

I slept right by a Mastodon skeleton with a

bunch of Tiger Cub Scouts, giggling all night!

We got to go on a night tour, uncover some fossils,and

put together a Sabertooth Tiger skeleton.

This is my Nephew holding one on the teeth of the Sabertooth Tiger,

we had a great sleep over experience with the scouts.

Star Wars in Concert

2010-06-02T12:11:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I went to the Star Wars in concert show

at the new Citizen Bank Arena in Ontario.

Ryan was able to visit Tantooine,

he couldn't resist seeing the binary star system.

This was the set up, the Orchestra with the screen

playing clips from all six of the Star Wars movies.

It was hosted by Anthony Daniels which was super cool to see him.

My second favorite Jedi, Yoda

(first being Obi-Wan Kenobi).

Through out the arena they had original

props and costumes from all the movies.

We had a great time, if you get a chance to see it do it,

and if your a Star Wars fan it is a must!

Keira at two months

2010-05-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I took Keira, my second niece to get her first professional pictures taken.

It has been really excited to see her grow because she was born four weeks early

weighing only four pounds. Now at two months she is a whopping eight pounds and is looking more beautiful every day.

2010-05-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

working in anaheim again for the summer......

Sisters

2010-04-30T18:39:00.001-07:00

Today is my big sisters birthday, happy b-day sis!

I have always looked up to my sister in so many ways.

She has always been the rock in my family, I am the emotionally distraught one, and she has always been their to be strong for the both of us.

She has shown me what unconditional true love is from my amazing nieces and nephew.

She is one of my best friends even though we are so different

and live different lifesyles.

I am looking forward to seeing how our lives change and grow, and

I am grateful that she will always be here for me.

tiny baby

2010-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just love this little girl!

Keira

2010-03-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

We are not going to talk about this Keira anymore.

This is who I am going to think about now when I hear the name keira.

Kiera California

Born 3-11-10

I love being an aunt.

I will not tolerant any slack jaw from this little girl.

Favorite Dessert- right now

2010-02-07T22:44:00.001-08:00

This is the best ice cream sandwich cookie ever.

I have been eating this brand since I was a wee little girl.

You could only find them at the "mom and pop" convenience stores.

Alas I have found them in Stater Bros. and they have a new flavor.

If vanilla ice cream sandwiched between soft oatmeal cookies

dipped in chocolate sounds good to you, try one you'll fall in love.

Back to School

2010-01-08T14:16:00.001-08:00

Well after many tears and talking to different departments

I am finally back to school at Cal Poly!

I am very excited about my classes and my teachers

are all pretty good so far. I love it when I find a professor

who is totally passionate about their subject. The only

bad thing is I get super excited too and want to

change my major and get all into it.

I have been an Art , Biology, Child Development, and Liberal Studies major.

So lets hope I can stay on track this quarter!

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions this year is to be happy in the moment I am in.

So much I find myself saying I'll be happy when (fill in blank)...

I will try to say I am happy now because (fill in blank).

So good luck in your new years resolutions

and remember to be happy even if we fail at them.

Ornament Mini Cupcakes

2009-12-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

The holidays always put me in a baking mood. So when I saw this book "Hello Cupcake" at the library I knew I wanted to try one of the designs. I made mini cupcakes and decided to do the ornament design, so I bought all kinds of different candies, red hots , dots, sprees, laffy taffy etc.

As I was finishing up my vanilla frosting my sister brought over my six year old nephew.

Right then I knew I had to abandon my idea of making these look like the pictures in the book, and made the decision to just have fun and let my nephew use his imagination to make the cupcakes look however he wanted.

We really had a good time, I only wish I had taken more pictures

of the great designs we came up with.

Yum.

2009-12-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

I recently checked this book out at the Library, Martha Stewart's Cookies.

It has her whole collection of cookies, arranged by texture. Light & Delicate, Soft & Chewy, Crumbly & Sandy, Chunky & Nutty, Cakey & Tender, Crisp & Crunchy, Rich & Dense.

They all looked and sounded so delicious.

Whoopie Pies.

These little beauties came from the

Cakey & Tender section of the book.

They are basically a chocolate cookie

sandwiched with a fluffy peanut butter filling.

If you love the chocolate/peanut butter

combination this is a must try.

I had Ryan yelling Whoopie!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T16:59:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to send out a message saying

that I am so grateful for everything I have in my life,

great friends and family

I love you all!

Apple Country

2009-11-10T15:33:00.001-08:00

Ryan and I went to Oak Glen a couple a weeks ago with his brother Todd and sister Tammy with her son Reef ,we had a great time.We missed the season to pick our own apples, but we still had apple cider and went on an awesome nature hike.

Tammy & Reef

Ryan & I

Reef, Todd, Tammy, Ryan

Good Times!

Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the Cal Poly pumpkin festival last weekend. It has become a tradition and I love it!

We start the day pretty early getting there around 8 am for the pancake breakfast. Then off to look at the craft tables and the huge pumpkins that the Cal poly farms have grown. Then a little lemonade and kettle corn and were off to pick out our pumpkins.

Ryan and I over by the Sunflowers that they plant every year, my favorite.

We just piled on the pumpkins!

I took my niece into the petting zoo, I thought she would like it because her favorite song right now is Old Mc Donald had a farm e-i-e-i-o!

It was a great day!

whooo's is up for quilting?

2009-10-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

Well CRAFTHOPE is on to their 5th project. They are making quilts for homeless children in the Grand Rapids Michigan Public School system during the Christmas season. The only requirement is that it has squares, it can be any size and it can be quilted or tied, or whatever. They have a couple of patterns on the website but they sounded totally confusing. I only know they way Amanda and Rachel have taught me. So if your interested in doing one let me know!

p.s. My sewing machine died, the nice lady at upland sew and vac said I could use her dumpster... ......so if we do this ................. i thank you in advance for letting me use your sewing machine ,sarah :)

Halloween Time

2009-10-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I took our friend karen to Disneyland with us last week. We were excited to see all the new Halloween decorations and new firework show. When we got there we new we wanted to go on space mountain. For the first time ever they changed the theme to ghost galaxy for a limited time during halloween. We waited in line for an hour because they were not doing the fast pass tickets. The ride was super scary! I could not believe Disney would put a ride like that in his park. It is definitely a pg-13 ride, and most first graders are tall enough to ride this attraction! way too scary. We had a great rest of our time, I am glad we did that first so it didnt spoil the rest of our day. We finished the night with splash Mountain, my favorite and a tradition of Ryan and I that we usually do last.

Auntie again!

2009-09-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my sister is pregnant again! She is due Spring 2010, I am excited to be an Auntie to a new bundle of joy!

Harry Potter

2009-09-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Check out what going on at Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando Florida !

so I have been crafty

2009-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Working two jobs all summer did not give me much time to do anything creative. So now that I am back to my normal schedule I have had time to satisfy my craving for crafting !

Baby tie quilt for Emily Morgan scheduled delivery late November

Flower headbands for my niece Kaia

Sock Monkeys for Crafthope,

and yes the brown one stills needs an arm,

and the white one is from a regular pair of tube socks!

Ryan helping me sew after I got frustrated , sewing these guys have not been easy!

and a pretty little Tutu for Kaia ,

this was so fun and easy, now I just have to get her to wear it!

end of summer fun

2009-08-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

sock monkey

2009-08-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted a sock monkey, but I never got one as a little girl. I thought they were so cute with their little hats and long skinny limbs. As I was browsing crafty blogs I came across this one called crafthope. It picks a needy cause from around the world and sends them handmade items.
For example their 1st project was pillowcase dress/shorts, that they sent to Pan de Vida Shelter in Mexico and the Davis Lar Orphanage in Brazil. Project 2 was soft-bodied dolls for an orphanage called Casa Bernabe, the pictures of the children with the dolls are adorable. The 3rd project was supplying blankets, booties and beanies for newborns in India.
So now they are on to their 4th project, this is were sock monkeys come to play. They are asking crafters to make a sock monkey for the smallest of burn victims through the Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento, California. September 25-27, the institute is holding a camp for the kids and their families called Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp. The deadline to send in your sock monkey is September 18th.
So, who wants to get together and make some awesome sock monkeys??

summer is almost over...

2009-08-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a very interesting summer. In 3 months I managed to work alot and have some fun too.
4 baseball games, wohoo go DODGERS!
1 really busy trip to Disneyland, winter season is much better time for Disneyland.
1 awesome day at the spa
1 Play at the Pantages, Fiddler on the Roof
2 trips to Huntington Beach
1 trip to Laguna Beach to see Pagent of the Masters
1 trip to the Orange County fair

sushi

2009-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago on Saturday Ryan and I were feeling adventurous. We decided to do a little 2 mile hike (this is little to Ryan , not to me) in Claremont and was very nice. Then after our hike we (me) were very hungry. We drove by a local sushi restaurant and decided to give it a try!

I am not a big seafood lover but I was brave and dove in.

Ryan genuinely enjoyed the food, must have been that Mission to the Philippines!

Evidence that I tried it !

We had a fun experience and also had a chicken teriyaki bowl.

Bibliophilia ?

2009-06-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

I was intrigued about the book worm that Rachel found,so I searched it in Wikipedia and it directed me the Bibliophilia page. It states that the classic bibliophile is one who loves to read, admire and collect books, often amassing a large and specialised collection. As I was moving my book case from one room to another last night and realized that I had filled three laundry baskets three large bags and a plastic storage container full and over flowing with books. I may have a little Bibliophilia... how is your Bibliophilia?

Bathroom construction part 1

2009-06-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ryan installed laminate flooring in my bathroom a while ago and it looked great! But after a while it was hard to keep it from getting to wet and it started to get bumpy.

So while I was at work he put in brand new tile for me! I love it, it looks so much better.

We still need to put up the tile moldings and the floor will be done.

Next we are going to install a new sink and vanity.

Yea Ryan !

2009-05-29T22:26:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Would you drive to Disneyland everyday?

2009-05-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have started my summer job as account manager for a security systems company. This company is from Orem utah, but they open up temporary offices in California for the summer to sell door to door. When I worked for them last summer, it was in Ontario and I thought the drive up Euclid was bad. This summer it is in Anahiem 2 miles from Disneyland. I am a Disney weirdo but I would not like to drive there everyday. The first week was kinda fun.... thinking I was driving to Disneyland... but no after fighting the traffic I end up behind a computer and talking on the phone to really immature 19 year olds from Utah !
I don't get to end my day with a ride on "Its a small world" but massaging my poor tailbone from sitting so long. Is summer over yet ?

My favorite Artist

2009-04-25T15:12:00.001-07:00

Ryan entered the Ontario open art contest in downtown Ontario. He made it into the show but no cash award this time.
This is a close up of the flowers. The whole piece was done in Graphite and Acrylic!

This is another piece Ryan did for the Church art contest of Gordon B. Hinkley. He did not make it into the show in Utah but I think it is amazing .
This is a close of the President Hinkley. This was also done in just graphite and acrylic !

Easter with my niece and nephew

2009-04-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Spring Time

2009-04-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

I my niece Kaia came over, so I decided to take some spring pictures of her. We went to my front yard with some flowers and beanie babies. I just love taking pictures.

blue man group

2009-03-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

I just got back from seeing the blue man group in Las Vegas. It was pretty awesome, it was so much more than I expected. I thought it would just be them drumming on weird stuff and that would be it. I was wrong, it was a performance art piece. It had humor and strong messages about our society. It was a worth while experience and I recommend it to anyone.

Wear Pink !

2009-03-03T19:21:00.001-08:00

I am sure many of you have herd about the budget cuts that are happening in the California schools. This affects us all whether we are Teachers or other employees in the education department,or have children that attend public school and friends and family here in California. You can help show your support by wearing the color pink on friday March 13th.

Valentines Day

2009-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Ryan took me to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway ! It takes you up the side of Mt. San Jacinto, giving you an amazing view of Palm Springs. At the top they have two restaurants and a gift shop. We ate a very yummy dinner with about another billion other couples. We got to walk around the trails but they were very icy and slippery. I can't wait to go back in the spring!

Here are a few pictures of our date!

yes we can

2009-02-07T17:50:00.001-08:00

These pictures of my niece are so cute I had to share.

i heart Majong

2009-02-03T15:34:00.001-08:00

Ryan I knew the Wolfe sisters were put into our lives for a reason, to revive Majong back into our life. Ryan fell in love with this game while serving his mission in Cebu Philippines. Once he got home no one in his family was very interested in playing this game. He had spent a lot of money on a set, especially for a poor elder. He couldn't round up the four players needed to play so the poor Majong set was left un-played for many moons. By the time I had found the set he had forgotten how to play and never wrote down the rules. Then we came over to the Wolfe sisters apartment for a birthday party. Ryan was reunited and everything came flooding back into his memory, and now were hooked. We rounded up two of his family members to play but once again they were not impressed. So, friends watch out were coming over to "chow" and "poong" you !

Wicked

2008-12-16T17:14:00.001-08:00

Ryan and I went to Wicked ! It was amazing, it lived up to everything I had herd about it. The music was outstanding, I couldn't believe that sound could come out of one person. The acting was so good and I loved the comic relief of Glinda (with a ga). We had a great night out on the town, can't wait to see more shows!
The Map of Oz
A really cute shirt I wanted.

My Nephew and Niece

2008-12-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Art

2008-11-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

After reading Rachel's Blog about cleaning her room she mentioned her love of Crayons. I too share a love of crayons. I have many boxes of them stored in different drawers in my house. I have copious amounts of art supplies (seriously if you need paint, brushes, etc. call me). I have lots of fancy artsy stuff but nothing beats a fresh box of crayons. Pictured above is Kaia enjoying one of my boxes of crayons.
While on the subject of art, this is the pumpkin Ryan and I carved for Halloween. (really Ryan carved most of it!). I picked the design because owls are one of my favorite animals. I thought it came out fantastic, I love it, thanks Ry!

Prop. 8

2008-11-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

I found this video and I feel that it explains the issues in a way that even I can understand.

Please check it out, and VOTE tomorrow your vote counts!

2008-10-28T14:36:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

oh I LOVE the magic of Disney

2008-10-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Fireflies

2008-10-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Can you explain ?

2008-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was slow to get on the Harry Potter craze but once I did I never looked back. I have never enjoyed a cast of characters so much. I could write a whole blog on why I love Harry Potter but that is not what is on my mind. Let me say first, sorry to anyone who may not agree with my opinion (not that anyone really reads my blog), but I just finished Twilight(sorry Sarah I did not get a chance to tell you yet I finished it in two nights) and it was horrible! I just don't get it. Why on earth is everyone comparing it to the Harry Potter series? Really I would like to know, because they are nothing a like. I am getting a little frustrated because all this Harry Potter vs. Twilight stuff that I being posted on Harry Potter web sites. I would just like to peruse my muggle.net and leaky cauldron without having to read about how awesome they think Twilight is. Why are they even posting on Harry Potter sites anyway? Can anyone help explain?

Work

2008-09-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ryan started Sub. teaching this week for Etiwanda School District. It is kinda cool that we both sub. for the same school district even though it is different dept. we can still compare notes on some kids and teachers.
This is the Lunch Lady from The Simpsons. This is currently my new job (minus the cigarette), I was a sub. lunch lady but recently I was promoted to a regular shift at Golden Elem. in Etiwanda. It is really easy, pays good, and I have the weekends and holidays off, it matched most of my requirements. I am just happy to be working....

Oak Glen

2008-09-17T19:48:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I decided to go to Oak Glen a little early this year. Previously, when we get there all the apples are gone or mushy on the floor. We planned ahead got there ready to pick some apples and eat apple pie. To our surprise the orchard that we go to, the apples were not ready to harvest, we got there too early! So a little disappointed we decided to do the scenic loop. We came up on this Orchard that was picking apples, strawberries, raspberries, and watermelon, huh ray! I thought I had found my dream home. Ryan and I had a lot of fun and can't wait to go next year! Oh and the fruit was amazing, I made caramel apples that were prefect crispness and tartness. I am ready for fall!

Hiking

2008-09-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today Ryan and I went to the Claremont Wilderness Trail. Normally we just do a mile in and back out again. I have gone to this trail for a number of years and know it pretty well. I have never tried to do the whole 5 mile loop, I always felt too out of shape to handle it. Today when Ryan picked me up to go he suggested that we do the whole thing. I was "what we did not plan for this , I am not mentally prepared for this, can I do it?!" He assured me that I can do what ever I put my mind to. So I threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it! I was amazed, it was so fun. I love being out side, observing nature, looking at our Mountains without all the haze. We packed a picnic so when we got to the top there was some benches we could relax on and have our lunch. I was a great experience and I am so happy Ryan pushed me out of my comfort zone, that is when you grow the most!

I Love taking pictures!

2008-08-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Updated picture

2008-08-19T23:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post an updated picture of Ryan and I. This is at my house during Ryan's Birthday dinner. To those who have not seen me in a while, yes I have not seen a salon in over a year, so those who were wondering what my natural hair color is refer to the top six inches of hair. Also I got a new pair of glasses that I love, and promise not to break or lose them (well I can try ). If you were wondering how Ryan's recovery from the December car accident, it is good. He still suffers from constant pain in his shoulder as his collar bone did not heal right. He has just started to do some strength training on his upper body to help with the discomfort. He has done amazing considering the impact of the crash. We are both looking forward to school starting in September and were both working at Etiwanda School District. I am very excited for cool fall weather, bring on the cuddly sweaters!

States I have gone to

2008-08-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

Where I have visited

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

The West coast has been well represented, I don't know why Washington has been left out, I need to plan a trip! I would love to eventually visit all the states. I have always dreamed about a Church History road trip, that would be amazing.

A new fun photo feature I found

2008-08-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Corona Del Mar

2008-08-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

As requested by Amanda to get out of Dodge Ryan and I took my Mom, my nephew Kobe, and niece Kaia to the beach.We had a great time,can't go wrong with bbq and chocolate dough boys yum yum!

Meteor Shower TONIGHT!!!

2008-08-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a great show this year, peaking in mid-August with a display of dozens of shooting stars each hour.
The Moon will be out of the way, leaving dark skies for good viewing as Earth plunges through an ancient stream of comet debris. Little bits, most no larger than sand grains, will vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, creating sometimes-dramatic "shooting stars."

This year the Perseid meteor shower could deliver one or two visible streaks every minute during peak times, the meteors in this shower all appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus. The best times to watch will be late night Aug. 12 through dawn Aug. 13.

Sisters

2008-08-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

My Sister sent this e-mail to me. I wanted to share it with all of you, who are all my Sisters.

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, “Don't forget you’re Sisters”, she advised, “They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then, do things with them”.
Remember that “Sisters” means ALL the women...your girlfriends, your daughters, and all you’re other women relatives too. You need other women. Women always do. “What a funny piece of advice!” the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!
But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about.
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

Philippines

2008-08-07T10:17:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I have decided to represent the Philippines for Rachel and Katies Oylmpic Opening Ceremonies party. As requested their will NOT be any dog in the food we are bringing, although if you want to know what dog tastes like feel free to ask Ryan at the party. He was able to try a wide variety of interesting dishes while serving his Mission in the Philippines. We will be bringing some of the most common and yummy dishes that can be found.

I am so excited

2008-07-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

My eyes are watering just thinking about it !

Fun things you can find in my room

2008-07-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

This is a painting done by my nephew Kobe age 4. He did this painting the night his sister was born. I was babysitting while my sister was in the hospital. We had a fun time painting and I think he did a great job. When I asked him what we should name it he simply said "Ocean". This is my red-ear slider water turtle. His name is Morla (the anicent one, from neverending story). I got him when he was just a little baby , only abot the size of a half doller. He is mostly grumpy and likes to hang-out under his floating rock. He will only give me attention when he is hungry, but I love him and force him to love me in return.
This my Little Mermaid pin collection. I am a Disney dork I admit it, but so is Ryan. He has an amazing Goofy pin collection. We starting collecting pins when we got season passes to Disneyland. We thought it would be a fun activity to do there, and then we really got into it.

This is my very own Ryan Morgan original. I have been wanting one ever since he made one for his niece. So this Easter I got my own Rose in my favorite color purple. All done in colored pencil!

SO THANK YOU LIZ FOR INSPIRING THIS POST.

My Noble British Name

2008-07-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

Your Noble British Name Is:

Lady Joyce Cordelia Beresford

What's" Your Noble British Name?

update

2008-07-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Since my post on June 10th I have lost 11.5 lbs. I am happy but I have to admit I am sick so that has made an influence on the scale. I will try to not gain any back when I am feeling 100% better. What I have liked about this program is it has helped me realize portion control, and keeping a log of what I eat. I might think I eat veggies but when really look at what I eat not so many veggies. Drinking enough water has been a battle for me, 8 glasses of water at least should not be so hard, but I just gotta keep forcing it down and going pee every 5 min. ! So it is a process and I have to take it one meal at a time.

2008-06-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

You Are a Jam Cookie

On the outside, you project a straight-laced, innocent vibe.
But on the inside, you're complex, exotic, and full of flavor.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

My reality check

2008-06-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am hoping by posting this it somehow makes me more accountable for my sucess in my new diet plan.I have always been a more full figured girl, but as I have gotten to my late 20's I have found it much harder to lose weight. For the past year I have been really struggled to stay on a healthy diet and regular excerise. This has made me feel really depressed. I don't want to buy clothes, I don't want to be social, I really don't want to do anything. Finally this weekend I knew I needed to sign up for weight watchers..again. I did find sucess there before with one of their plans, this time I am going to try a different plan that I think will be better for me. So I am letting you all know that if anyone would like to join me I would love the support. So I will post and let you know how I am doing.

p.s. Sarah, sorry I didn't eat your cookies last night , but now you understand,but it was a good test to my will power :)

Star Wars

2008-05-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie poster I was a little hesitant about it. I am a huge Star Wars fan, and so is my whole family. We have every kind of Star Wars paraphernalia that you can think of. It is a bit crazy but we love it. It really is a great story about Anakin Skywalker and his journey as a Jedi and a Sith. Anyway , this new movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars has me pretty excited about the new television series, and this movie is kicking that off. I am excited!!!

So who of you love/hate Star Wars??

What does the sorting hat say for you?

2008-05-16T00:31:00.000-07:00

I took this Harry Potter sorting hat quiz ,and it sorted me to Hufflepuff. Take the quiz (it is 122 questions long but it goes quick) and let me know what house your in.

House Painting

2008-05-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today and yesterday we started painting the exterior of my house. Sigh, it is a lot of work. We did wrangle some Elders to come for a couple of hours and I was very grateful for all their help. Ryan did all the detail work of caulking all the cracks and everything. I tried to do as much as I could but I also had my niece and nephew to babysit. I has been a fun project, almost done.....

Baby Hedwig

2008-04-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

This is baby Hedwig, that I made for my sister's birthday. I am officially Rachel's

Protégé in hand stitching felt, it is very fun and relaxing. I even managed to give Hedwig some attitude in the beak. I am curious to know what you think Hedwig is trying to say with this expression?

Earth Day

2008-04-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day!!!

(I was hoping to have a picture of my niece wearing a onesie that said "lil' tree hugger", but my sister forgot to put it on her, whatever )

I was remembering past Earth Day events Ryan and I have been to. We were so motived to save the planet and felt very passionate about vegetarianism. We were both dedicated to the cause for a couple of years, becoming president and vice president of a environmental action group. I thought I would never lose that way of living. But as years went by we slowly drifted back to some of our old ways. I thought about those who had inspired me and wanted to take action again in my own life. I am very happy to see that society has taken a more active role in living "greener". Their is so much more support than their was 5 or 10 years ago. So here is a list of things I am trying to do in my daily living again:

1. Recycle all that I can (if it is not garbage it can probably be recycled- do research)

2. Use re-useable shopping bags

3. Wash and re-use the same water bottle (or buy a nice durable plastic one and fill it up)

4. Use energy saving light blubs

5. Car pool (ride a bike short distances that you travel)

6. Turn off unnecessary lights

7.No red meat - at least cut down

8.Buy from local farms

9. Reduce fast food

10. Buy Organic

11. Plant a garden ( I started one)

12. Reduce chemicals (use natural cleaning supplies, and a lot of cleaning products are safer now just read labels)

13. Wash your clothes in cold water (cold water tide is great)

14. Love your planet, we were given a beautiful gift , please do not litter.

15. Participate in local clean-ups (or just do it on your own, if you see trash pick it up and throw it away).

16. USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITH OUT

Please share with me some of the things you do to make our earth a better place, and I will keep you up dated on my goals.

Chalk Festival

2008-04-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I entered a chalk drawing contest at Cal Poly yesterday. We were excited to do this art project together. When we got there we received a free t-shirt that said "Cal Poly's 2nd annual Chalk Festival" , and a 52 count box of sidewalk chalk. We started at 11 am and had to stop drawing at 12:30 pm , we used every minute! We were anxious to find out who was the winner. They said they would announce it at 12:45 pm , so we walked around looking at our competition. So, 12:45 went by and they had not announced anything, we started talking ourselves out of the chance of winning. Finally at 1 pm they announced the winner.....RYAN MORGAN & TAMARA WARD!!! Yea, we have never won first place at any art competition. We celebrated with chili cheese burgers; what a great day.

My Bearded Man

2008-04-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

This is Ryan a couple of summers ago with his full SEXY Irish red beard. Ah my bearded hippie boyfriend! Maybe he will grow it again someday....

Splash Mt.

2008-04-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Ryan and I on our latest trip to Disneyland. We have had annual passes for a while now. We have such a fun time together, it is a great date night. Ryan and I love the rice crispy treats, umm yummy. Our usual itinerary consists of strolling down Main Street, taking a relaxing ride on the Mark Twain river boat, having a picnic on Tom Sawyers island, Small World, that kind of stuff. But our favorite adventure is Splash Mountain. We get scared every time!! These are our usual expressions when plummeting down , I think to our watery graves. We love it and it is almost always the last ride of the night.

My little fairy princess

2008-04-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I took my niece to get her picture taken in this fairy costume. She looked so cute, but as you can tell the dress was too big for her so it has to be clipped in the back. She does so well at the picture studio, and smiles for the camera. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to see my niece and nephew so often.

Having Fun

2008-04-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is Kaia my 5 month old niece , she is so sweet and smiles and laughs all the time. She has just started eating rice cereal and really likes it,she already wants to hold the spoon and do it herself.

I am aunt again

2008-03-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Well I am an aunt to the most wonderful nephew and niece ever !

But Tammy, Ryan's sister had a baby on Feb. 9th, he came 2 months early and has spent his first months in nicu. Happily they came home a few days ago from the hospital! So they were able to celebrate Easter out of the hospital. This is Reef Winston. I think he has a morgan chin for sure. I am very excited for a new baby in the family.

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Today was a very busy day. Started class at 7:30 am , went to a work meeting, then back to another class. But I made time to go vote. I have always been encouraged by my mom to vote. She instilled in me what a wonderful privilege it is. I am proud to be an american and very grateful for all the freedoms I enjoy.

2008-01-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

This my first time blogging. I am excited to write what is on my mind. I wonder if I should print my blogs, my ancestors might find my blogs cool.