Holiday Season

Favorite Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe

Frosty Pumpkin Dessert

Source: The Pampered Chef

32 gingersnap cookies, finely chopped (1 1/3 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (1/2 gallon) container vanilla ice cream, divided
2 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
2/3 cup toffee bits
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Pantry Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend (I use pumpkin pie spice)

Chop cookies with Food Chopper, Place butter in Small Micro-Cooker; microwave on HIGH 30 to 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in crumbs. Firmly press crumb mixture onto bottom of Springform Pan. Place in freezer.

Scoop half of the ice cream into Classic Batter Bowl using Ice Cream Dipper. Place in refrigerator 10 minutes to soften.

Fold 1 cup of the whipped topping and toffee bits into softened ice cream just until blended. Spread evenly over crust using All-Purpose Spreader. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Place remaining ice cream in refrigerator 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, mix pumpkin, brown sugar and spice blend in batter bowl. Scoop softened ice cream into pumpkin mixture. Mix just until blended. Spread evenly over ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, place dessert in refrigerator 20 minutes for easier slicing.

Fill Easy Accent Decorator with remaining whipped topping. Run Utility Knife around outside of dessert; remove collar from Springform pan. Smooth sides with spreader. Cut dessert into wedges. Garnish each serving with whipped topping and sprinkle with additional spice blend, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings

Wonderful Weekend

Saturday, Rich and I were able to go down to the Louisville Temple. It was so nice, and we had a wonderful time. It almost didn't happen. Friday afternoon I had a feeling to check my recommend and lo and behold...it had expired. AAAHHHH!! So, I called Bryan (a counselor in our bishopric) and I called the stake counselor and by some miracle they were both able to fit me in last minute Friday night! THANK YOU!! I guess we were meant to be there that day! :) Rich, thanks for being there with me and for the wonderful day! I LOVE YOU!!

While we were at the temple, Brittaney got to spend some time with her boyfriend, Austin. He lives down in Louisville about 15 minutes from the temple. Here is a picture of them at his house. He really seems like a great young man and his family seems great too. They were so nice to have Brittaney and let her spend the day with them. The best part of all of this was that Austin didn't know that we were bringing Brittaney down. His parents knew and so they had him answer the door. His face was...PRICELESS!! They had a great day together. He let her bring home his football sweatshirt (which his parents said is a BIG deal)! She is wearing it in the picture. Thanks to Austin and his family for letting Brittaney spend the day with you!! A BIG thank you to my parents also because they watched all the other kids ALL DAY!!
...what a wonderful weekend!!

Cheri's Birthday-a week long celebration!

Ok here we go now...my computer was being dumb, but it's fixed. Now for the text...
My wonderful hubby surprised me with a special day last Saturday. First, we went to the movies and saw The Secret Life of Bees. Then we went to the mall and walked around. After that, we came home and he told me to get dressed up. Then he really surprised me by taking me to dinner at this restaurant called Peterson's. It was the best food we have ever had...EVER!! It was such a nice surprise. I felt bad for him though, because he had planned on surprising me by taking me to the driving range and teaching me how to golf. Then we were suppose to go to Ft. Ben State Park and go for a nice long walk through the trails. BUT---it was freezing that day! His plan B turned out fantastic, though!! We had a wonderful day together. Brittaney was wonderful and watched the kids all day for us and the kids behaved for her! :) Thanks kiddos!!
Then on Wednesday (my birthday was Thursday, the next day) Rich came home from school and he had stopped by the store on his way home and picked me up this card and peach roses (my favorite). It was very sweet of him and a nice surprise for me.
Then on Thursday, he surprised me by coming home for lunch (he never does that). It actually kind of scared me when I heard the front door open. After work, he surprised me by bringing me a Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino from Starbucks. I LOVE that drink!!!! Brittaney (with the kid's help) had made me my texas sheet cake after school and then Rich iced it when he got home. YUMMY!! Christopher made me french toast for dinner (he makes the best french toast)!! In our family, the birthday person gets to pick the dinner meal. French toast sounded good that day. haha Later that evening my visiting teachers brought me a bright, beautiful bouquet of flowers. That was so sweet and thoughtful of them.
I had a wonderful week and I really appreciate the effort Rich and the kids put in to making this birthday very special for me. I love you all !! Thank you!!

My beautiful roses and my card from Rich!

Brittaney "enjoying" the cake...

All the kids making my cake!

I Love this!

I Know That My Redeemer Lives!

I have some people very special to me that are going through very tough times in their life right now, and I just wanted to share this. This video (the images and music) sum up my testimony of our Savior without me saying a word. I, too, have gone through some tough things in my life. I didn't always handle everything the way that I should have, but I never lost my testimony. That is what got me through my trials. Through faith in Christ...

EVERYTHING is possible!!

One thing I learned through my trials was that the Atonement isn't only for our sins ( I "knew" that, but I didn't KNOW that). Christ suffered for every feeling that we would feel-every tear we would shed, every ounce of fear, sadness, frustration, loneliness, heartache we would ever have---he suffered for it ALL!! All we have to do is allow the Atonement to work for us in our own lives. It truly is miraculous!! I know our Father in Heaven and our Savior love us beyond description. They are mindful of our needs and our feelings. They know what we need to endure in this life to reach our Celestial potential. Trust in Him, have faith, and remember to pray. If you can't pray, know that I am praying for you!! I love all of you dearly and you are all in my prayers! I hope and pray that each of you can find the peace and joy in your life that I know the Atonement can bring you.

I KNOW THAT OUR REDEEMER LIVES!!

This has been my favorite scripture since I was in high school.

Alma 26:27

Now, when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

This is one of my favorite poems that has helped me also.

Prayer

I know not by what methods rare

But this I know God answers prayer.

I know that He has given His word

Which tells me prayer is always heard.

And will be answered, soon or late,

And so I pray and calmly wait.

I know not if the blessings sought

Will come just in the way I thought.

But leave my prayers with Him alone

Whose will is wiser than my own.

Assured that he will grant my quest

Or send some answer far more blessed.

Eliza M. Hickok

Living With Type 1 Diabetes!

***Pause the blog music first***

I saw this video and it brought out so many emotions! I loved it, yet it made me so sad! I wish the world could realize what it is like to live with Type 1 diabetes or to have a loved one living with it. The DAILY struggles, the frustration, the elation when the numbers are good, the worry when they aren't, the sleepless nights, the feelings of being alone in this (when you know you really aren't), the empathy and compassion, the anger, the why me/them, the admiration of his strength and persistance, the fear, the wishing your son didn't have this disease, the pride and love when you see him fighting this disease, the heartache when you see his eyes well up with tears but won't let them fall in order to be "brave" even though the needles really DO hurt, the roller coaster of emotions, the excitement for new treatments but mostly the HOPE for a cure!

Today when Christopher gets home from school I am going to have him watch this and come up with a word for his hand and take pictures. I will have the rest of us do it also. Here's my favor: for anyone reading this, would you please do the same and email me your pictures (pass the word along too). Our email is: mickelsens@sbcglobal.net I would like to do up a video similar to this just for Christopher with all the hands of people who love him and care about him and his struggle! Thank you for helping me do this!

For Christopher: Bud, thank you for being so courageous in this fight! Thank you for teaching me what it means to trust in Heavenly Father and his plan for us. You are doing so well with living with this disease rather than being this disease. I am so proud of how you take care of yourself. No, you aren't perfect in your control, but I know you are trying your BEST and noone is ever perfect. I watch as you test and have to inject yourself with your pump site and especially your sensor site (that needle is pretty big and hurts) and I watch your eyes. You always try to be so brave. You have come a long way...from 5 shots a day to having a pump and now you have the continuous glucose monitoring system. How blessed we have been with this technology. Keep fighting hard and keep hoping hard-I know there will be a cure one day!! You are such en example and inspiration to others, not just because of your diabetes, but because of who you are as a person. Continue to be that young man. Make the right choices and you will be eternally blessed! I love you Christopher!!

Happy Halloween!!

We went trunk-or-treating last night at the church! It was fun...cold, but fun! They had hot dogs, chips, and drinks for dinner and then the trunk-or-treating started. The kids actually got to make about 4 rounds so they really made out with the candy...yeah!! Rich had school last night, so he didn't get to go or even see the kids in their costumes, but we took some pitcures and emailed them to him at school so he could see them. He always misses Halloween because he has to do month-end at work on the 31st, so Iwas excited when they were going to do trunk-or-treating on a different night. However, it wound up being on our mutual night instead, which Rich always has class on Wednesday nights, so it didn't work out any better for us! Oh well! We missed you Rich!! All-in-all I would say the evening was a success and the kids had a blast!

Happy Halloween!!

Mom and her little "lady" bug!

Brittaney as herself! :)

Christopher: Skateboarder

Kehli: Hermione (from Harry Potter)

Brenden: Iron Man

Katelyn: Baby

Tayler : "Lady" bug

Here are some pictures of the pumpkin we let the kids paint on. We let the boys do one half and the girls do the other half. They had so much fun and it turned out great! We did this Tuesday night so Daddy was able to be here and fun with us doing this! YEAH!! Here it is:

Girl's Side...

Boy's Side...