Dear Fellow Visiting Teachers,

These images are Visiting Teaching quotes for all those Mormon gals out there. Feel free to print it out and use it for your visiting teaching pleasure. Use it to share the love.



This is the last day of July! I can’t believe how fast time is flying this summer! I blink and weeks have gone by. I go to bed at night completely exhausted and my to-do list is just as long as it was that morning, sometimes longer. But in reviewing the Visiting Teaching message this month, I am feeling a bit of relief and allowing myself the rest of a job well done. If there’s one thing I’m focusing on, it’s my family. I have been tirelessly thinking of my children and working to make sure they feel loved and protected. I have been trying to teach them the beauties of having a personal relationship with God and show through example the rewards that come through living with integrity.


Obviously I’m human, so I make mistakes all the time. But. It is in my thoughts and intentions and I am trying. And it is a LOT of hard work! The most important things are always a lot of hard work—the things that bring the most joy, that give me that sweet sense of peace, that allow me to look myself in the eyes and not waver. So all the grumpy moods and forgetfulness, all the negatives that I have swirling around me and myself don’t matter anymore. I’m teaching my children. I’m doing my best at bringing them up in light and truth (along with myself as well). I’m showing them my version of love and we’re finding out what service is all about. What a crazy blessing motherhood is in my life. There are moments when I think I might go mad! But then there are moments I can stand back and recognize the truth: Family is the best, the most, the biggest. It is the most important thing. And I am so blessed that it scares me.

Always,

Brittany


For more information on what Visiting Teaching is, go here.

For this month’s message, go here.




On a different but related subject, I’ve gotten lots of good feedback about these messages from my fellow Mormon gals, but some people are having a hard time downloading the images. I’m thinking of starting a VT mailing list for anyone who is interested in receiving the images directly in their inbox. If you would be interested in that, leave a comment of shoot me an email at brittany [at] cottageroaddesigns.com and we’ll work on making it easy peasy puddings’ pie.

it's a Fuzzy world

Remember the Fuzzies?  The kids spent hours making a Fuzzy world in the back yard.  Well last week there were hours spent on making a Fuzzy home from Playdo and clay.  These are pictures of the Fuzzy dwelling that was created by my six year old.  It was on the counter for several days and after these pictures were taken, there were even more things thoughtfully created and added to Fuzzy's comfy home.

Before we begin, I just want to give you some perspective on how big this particular Fuzzy is, so you can appreciate the mini-ness of my daughter's creations:)



Are you ready for the big home tour?

Here we go...









warning:  if you are at all squeamish about nudity, you should look away now.  We're headed to the bathroom...

post cards

Crazy week?  Make a post card.






I swear that making these for Mindy's post card swap brought me sanity.



Funny how life works.

she's growing up

Those little vintage heels that grammie got her for dress up clothes last year actually fit...and they look cute with her red dangly earrings to boot. Watch out, middle school, here she comes.

fair warning

Exhaustion?

That’s right, you.

You can’t get me down. I will still get up and live.


Heat and humidity? You won’t beat me.

You beat my make up, but not me.

18 month old twins?
In the middle of summer vacation with three older siblings who want to play?

That’s right. Bring it. I. will. prevail.

Car trouble? That’s tough. We will make it work.

Swarm of ants on my kitchen counter?

You disgust me.

You just gave me the extra bit of adrenalin to stand up and take the power back!

I am woman! This is MY domain!

I will make it!
And be happy about it!


Chin up and back straight.


Got something to try to push me over the edge?
Go ahead, I dare you.

I just need to give you fair warning:



I’m tougher than I look.

happy monday

looking forward to another happy and busy week!
swimming lessons
berry picking
playdates
beach
general summer-ish type things...

time is flying by!  flying!! 

what are you guys up to?

We've been beaching it.  It was SO HOT yesterday.  The good part about that is that I got into the ocean with my friend and our kiddos and swam my little self cold.

Here's a little video of the babies at the beach.  The cool thing is that I took all the pictures and video on my iphone and then put the video together with my imovie app on Sunday morning while I was feeding the babies breakfast.  Everything was done on my iphone!  And then it said "upload to youtube" and so I did. 



okay, I'm off to do what a mom of five little ones does on hot summer days.

happy 4th!

Red velvet cupcakes
(the best pinwheel tutorial here.  I thought, I bet there's a pinwheel tutorial online; I googled it; I made them.  (but I used pins and jewelry making plyers and twisted them around skewers.))

Hope your Independence Day was a good one! 
Here are a few pix of the end of our day:













They were amazed.


I'm going to sleep well tonight!


Post Edit:
Sure, I'll post the recipes!

I used Martha's red velvet recipe and for the frosting I used America's Test Kitchen's recipe for vanilla frosting.  Most of the time cream cheese frosting is used as a companion frosting for red velvet, but we have some folks who don't eat cream cheese, so I thought I'd substitute vanilla.

Quick and Rich Vanilla Frosting

Makes 3 cups
start to finish: 10 minutes

2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together in a small bowl until the salt dissolves.  Beat the butter with an electric mixer on med-high until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds.  Reduce the speed to med-low, slowly add the confectioner's sugar, and beat until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.  Beat in the cream mixture.  Increase the speed to med-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, 4 to 8 minutes.

(I love my America's Test Kitchen cook book.  I would highly recommend it!  They give very clear instructions and lots of tips and variation ideas.)

incriminating

(Really, it's not what it looks like!  I'm just showing a fellow twin mom how to position her babies on a nursing pillow - honestly, my hands are like a foot away from her actual baby feeding receptacles.)



a running joke with my girlfriends and I;)


and an old favorite: