My Fabulous Four-Star Mother's Day

I am so grateful for my sweet children and a wonderful husband who always make Mother's Day special for me. 

This year it all began with breakfast at the world famous...

"Elmer Restaurant"!

The elegant table, complete with a floral bed sheet tablecloth, held a bounty of edible treats...

The menu featured all of my favorites, including an egg white omelet and chocolate dipped strawberries!

The restaurant was all decked out with family photos and...

one-of-a-kind artwork!

Of course there were gifts, and yes,

that's a tea bag resting on my eye!

It's my spa treatment and it supposedly works miracles on tired eyes!

Are you guys trying to tell me something?

Anyhow,

It was a wonderful, wonderful Mother's Day!

I am grateful to have such beautiful, loving, and mostly well-behaved children!

{Smile}

Weeds, Work, & Love

Samuel and I participated in the state-wide,
"Mormon Helping Hands" service project
alongside tens of thousands of members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California. 

Weed-eaters in hands,
we took to a lengthy section of Roseville's biketrails
and cleared the over-growth. 

It was an invigorating experience,

and my favorite moment was hearing of how a local neighbor

 saw what we were doing and jumped in to help out. 

The spirit of this gospel is catching,

and I am grateful to be apart of this great work

and to share it with others.

After the project Samuel and I were starving! 

We headed to Togos for our favorite:  The Number 24. 

And laughed at the number of odd looks we garnered

for being covered from head to toe in remnants of wild brush!

Even though we talked very little during the project-
the noise from the weed-eaters made it virtually impossible
to hear anything!-
I felt close to my sweetheart.
 
It was definitely an experience that drew us closer together.

Service has a way of doing that.

Reading Rewards & Stomach Cramps!

Each of my beautiful daughters was awarded a dinner certificate for reading at a local restaurant.  They were super-proud of their accomplishment, and it was fun to take them out for a night on the town!

The upside:

We always have a great time together. 

Tonight was no different.

Also, the signature monster chocolate cake was a hit with the kids. 

Who wouldn't love 7-layers of incredible yummy goodness?

The downsides:

Owen decided that now was the time to

 launch crayons way high up in the sky during dinner.

Hello!

He never does that!

I was APPALLED!

And then, an hour after leaving, Samuel became super, super sick.

He vowed never to order fish from a restaurant again!

All in all, it was a typical night for the Samuel Elmers:

There's the good, the bad, and the UGLY!

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Samuel might though.

{Smile}

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!!!

In May our ward held their second annual

Mother & Daughter Relief Society Event

with a

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

It was a huge hit and we had the largest turnout ever!

We had incredible sisters serving on the board,

and together the event ROCKED

with authentic Mexican food, colorful decor, & fun!

My Grandma Irene was kind enough to allow us to borrow a number of her artifacts and they were beautifully displayed around the room.

Would you believe that a sister in our ward, Shana, MADE this? 

It looks AMAZING-and far and away better than anything you'd buy at the store!

What better way to conclude then whopping a pinta until candy spills to the floor?  These girls can power swing!

What a night! 

Our ward had just recently split the Sunday prior, and this evening gave the sisters from both sides of the new boundaries an opportunity to reminisce and cement friendships despite the changes.

Buenos Noches!

{Good Night!}

Sunshine!

This is what it's all about.

Simple sunshine!

Bright.  Cherry.  Fiery.  Bold.  Warm.  Light.

Iris,
thank you for being my ray of sunshine. 
You truly do brighten everyday,
and I love you!

XOXOMom

Garbage Duty

Ava took it upon herself a few weeks back to take over garbage duty!  She's done a great job and Samuel loves the help!

Thank you Ava!

Ta-Da: A Mother's Day Tea!

This year we were so excited to create an elegant Mother's Day Tea for Clista, my mother-in-law. 

Together, the daugthers and daughters-in-law fussed in the kitchen to our hearts content, then donned our pearls, and arrayed the table with the fruits of our labors!

{Note how talented my sister-in-law Elizabeth is. 

She made that incredible floral print dress!}

The Menu

Petite Turkey Crossaint Sandwiches

Sun-dried Tomato & Feta Puff Pastry Crisps

Classic Scones

Chocolate Orange Squares

Chocolate Truffles

Fresh Fruit

Parmesean Twists

Crackers & Fresh Herb Cheese

Herbal Teas

She arrived under the pretenses of helping Samuel with a Mother's Day Gift for me, and was delightfully surprised!

Clista and her beautiful daughters (from the left: Rachel, Leah, & Elizabeth).

We had such a great time, and it really was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this great woman who has helped to influence us all for good.

We love you!

{Note:  Jessica, my sister-in-law wasn't able to attend but we sure missed her!}

Mother & Daughter Tea

The girls school held their first annual Mother & Daughter Tea.  I volunteered to dress a table, and it was so fun getting out the nice dishes to create a whimsical setting for my daughters.

After setting up, there was a mad dash for home to get ready for the event.  This was real dress-up affair, and the girls and I had fun getting girly and posing for pictures on the lawn.

The tea party itself was amazing!  And I wish I took photos of all the delicious treats.  I don't think anyone managed to snap a photo though, in the blink of an eye they were all gone!

We had some great mother-daughter time, and this tradition is something we'll surely continue!  I especially can't wait for my youngest daughter, Iris, to join us.  She played tea-party at home with dad, but I know she'll be thrilled to join our table next year as an honest-to-goodness kindergartner!

Until then...

One lump or two?

Dr. Heartthrob is in the House!

Okay, we'll Joe isn't a doctor,

but he is officially a NURSE!

CONGRATULATIONS JOSEPH! 

We couldn't be happier!

Here's my brother-in-law with his saint-of-a-wife Jessica.

This accomplishment really was a united effort,

and together they made this happen.

The heartthrob reference comes from his days as a youth when he was voted hottest guy in his stake.  Jessica was basically the only girl who DIDN'T swoon all over him, and of course, that's who he married!

Now that the party's over,

roll up those sleeves,

slap on those gloves,

and tell someone to bend over!

Love,

The Samuel Elmers

 

Milestone: Suction Cups

Don't you love it when they can finally sit up in the tub?

Yes, their older.

And they have more balance.

But it's mostly because those cheekies act as suction cups!

I love you Gabriel!

Cinnamon Spiced Spanish Rice

I love this dish, and the combination of spices, especially the cinnamon and garlic, make the house smell amazing!

Cinnamon Spiced Spanish Rice

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

Pam Cooking Spray

1 1/2 c. white long-grained rice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

2 c. chicken stock
1 c. water

Directions

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and spray liberally with Pam Cooking Spray.

Add the rice and all the spices and stir to combine.  Allow the rice to toast for several minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning.

Lower the heat and slowly pour in the chicken stock and water.  

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Then lower the heat to it's lowest setting and cover for 20 minutes.

Fluff with a fork, add additional salt if desired, and...

Enjoy!

A Boy and His Dad...

This is something I cherish.

A First.

A Rite of Passage.

Tradition.

Chocolate Orange Squares

If you're a chocolate lover like me, you'll like this recipe with fresh oranges which give the chocolate a rich depth of flavor. 

Chocolate Orange Squares

Makes 24 squares

Ingredients

One Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Family Size Brownie Mix

1/2 c. Applesauce

1/4 c. Water

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 tbs. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

 2-3 tbs. Orange Zest (the zest of 1 1/2 large oranges)

3 tbs. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice (juice of 1/2 an orange)

1 1/2 c. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, divided

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 in. glass pan with Pam and set aside.

Mix all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a large mixing bowl.

Pour into the pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/2 c. of chocolate chips, and with a rubber spatula, press gently into the mix and smooth the top layer.  All the chocolate chips should now be just below the surface.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until set.

Sprinkle the remaining chips over the top and turn off the oven and close the door for one minute to allow them to melt.

Remove the brownies from the oven, and with a rubber spatula, gently spread the melted chocolate chips into a layer of frosting.  Use a light hand, so as not to tear the top of the brownies.

Let set, cut into small squares, and...

Enjoy!