My Enchanted Musings

Do you like my hair-do?

2012-01-22T17:46:00.000-08:00

I did my hair like this today for church.
I love new hair-dos.

Source: elisajoy.com via Darilyn on Pinterest

Looking forward to this...

2012-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Staying at the Overleaf Lodge in Yachats.

in 7 more days....

I seriously can't wait. It's my birthday present from my sister. I am feeling so spoiled. I've been counting down the days since we decided on doing this and you know how something you are really excited about seems to take forever to get here? That's how I feel. I've never been to a resort spa before and I'm going to enjoy every second of it. Yessiree!

I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Snowed in, in Seaside

2012-01-16T10:58:00.001-08:00

Last night we made a 4 1/2 hour drive to Seaside. It's supposed to take 1 hour. Snow everywhere. There wasn't snow when we left Portland but as we climbed the coastal range we saw more and more. We eventually had to chain up but as soon as we got going again we encountered a 12 car pileup on a two lane highway. We then proceeded to sit there for 2 hours as the sun went down and emergency vehicles arrived.

Eventually we got moving again and made it into Seaside slowly. A nice dinner awaited us at the Bigfoot Pub and Grub and life seemed a bit better.

Our house we are staying in is lovely. We are a block from the beach and we took a walk this morning to see the snow on the beach, a rare Oregon encounter.

It is still snowing and the sky is gray. We extended our stay another night so that we wouldn't have to drive back today.

Makenzie is not happy with being here. She didnt want to come. We take these trips to provide family memories and it's frustrating when you get teenage antics. She did this in Mexico last summer as well, not wanting to participate in anything. And it's not like she's four anymore. I don't feel like making her.

Today we are going to the arcade, get some salt water taffy, and visit a used bookstore. At least most of us are having fun.

A Love Affair

2012-01-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

My love affair with the Oregon Ducks started in 1989. The spring to be exact. I was living not too far from where I live now and most weekends I would make the two hour drive south to spend time with my boyfriend who was attending the University of Oregon. As soon as my Dodge Challenger rolled onto Franklin Avenue and I caught that whiff of Bread baking from the factory, I felt like I was home. I became a part of campus life Integrating into whatever my boyfriend was doing. And I loved every minute of it.

I watched Trailblazer games from the basement of his dormitory. I ate grilled cheese sandwiches from the cafeteria. I went to math classes and I went away on weekend trips with people from his dorm. I was an unofficial Duck.

The next fall I moved to Eugene to be closer to my boyfriend. And although I lived a good 20 minutes from campus I found myself there a lot. Football season was huge for us. There were the pre-game parties, the post-game parties, and the game in-between the two. He would sneak me into the student section and for two years that's where I watched the Oregon Ducks get stomped on.

I was caught up in the mania of wishing for a winning season.

Then it happened.

In 1995 the Oregon ducks went to the Rose Bowl. By this time I was married but not to the duck loving boyfriend. At least my husband was from Eugene so I could continue with my love affair. He at least understood it. We were living in Provo, Utah going to school at Brigham Young University. I remember going home to Oregon for Christmas and freaking out about how much my Rose Bowl sweatshirt was gong to cost. But it had to be bought. Had to.

The Ducks didn't end up winning that year despite the mania in Eugene of wishing for it.

Then 15 years later they got another chance.

But lost.

The Ducks haven't won a Rose Bowl title since 1917. That's a long time.

Today I wish them the best. I've come a long way from those early college dorm days being snuck into the game. Today I will watch the game in my family room surrounded by three teenage daughters who love the ducks because their momma loves the ducks. And a husband that will probably play on his tablet during the game but sit by me in support nonetheless. My girls don't have any first-hand experience with them like I do but they know I love them and that's enough for them. For Christmas this year they all got Oregon shirts and sweatshirts and unlike 17 years ago, I could afford them.

Good luck, Oregon. You deserve this win.

And so do I.

All About Emma

2011-12-31T08:57:00.001-08:00

I've Told y'all about Heidi and makenzies musical abilities but I haven't mentioned Emma yet.

Here you go.

Emma has an amazing lyrical voice. She loves to sing the most out of the three girls. She is patiently waiting until she is old enough to audition for encore, the choir Makenzie is in.

In the meantime she is an active member of the 8 th grade choir at her school as well as a member of the select women's middle school choir.

I love her choir teacher, ms. Klatz. She is really dedicated to the music program and even wrote for a grant to get a much needed piano for the program. Well, she got the grant and the school was given a gorgeous grand piano.

Here is Emma as part of her women's ensemble. And also her with her best friends.

Encore Christmas fireside

2011-12-29T00:57:00.001-08:00

Tonight as a family we had the privilege of hearing the Encore choir of which Makenzie is a part. I felt the Spirit very strongly. I believe that the spirit of our Father in Heaven can be felt through music. I've always felt the closest to God through music and nature. I am so grateful that Makenzie gets to be a part of something so incredible. She also accompanied the choir on the piano for one of their songs.

The first picture is of the 2011-12 Encore choir

The second picture is the current choir with all alumni.

The Time I Drank Rotten Milk.....The NASTY

2011-12-28T09:54:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I made a protein drink I had drunk quite a bit before my surgery. It was a chocolate powder mixed with skim milk. It always tasted good. So yesterday I made one and was really disappointed that it tasted NASTY. But I drank it anyway. I figured my tastebuds had somehow changed. A lot of things haven't been tasting so great. I made enough for two meals so I drank the NASTY again for dinner.

Sometime around 10:00 pm Heidi goes in the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal. She pours the cereal and then the milk and then takes a bite expecting the sugary sweetness of Trix cereal. Instead she got NASTY. She brought it to my attention where we realized it was indeed expired. We even had a new one in the fridge sitting next to it.

So now I'm laying here this morning in bed with the foulest taste in my mouth. It doesn't matter that I brushed my teeth. I guess that's what happens when you drink 8 oz of rotten milk!!!!!

I hope she doesn't read this.

2011-12-27T08:13:00.001-08:00

I found these feety pjs last year after Christmas. There were only 2 and I have 3 girls but I decided to get them anyway because they are just so awesome. Heidi assured me she was just fine not getting a pair. Well, Emma loved them as I suspected but makenzie?

Nope.

She humored me with just one picture then promptly took them off. She also made me promise not to post the picture on Facebook.

I kept my promise.

Heidi's 6th grade winter concert

2011-12-25T22:33:00.001-08:00

It was barely eight weeks ago that we were sitting there on the bleachers for her fall concert. I was quite impressed with how well they did for only having a small window for preparation. A wide variety of holiday carols and three of the choirs were fantastic.

I love having music programs like this in the schools. The sixth grade choir is a before school program that cost only $20 for the year. The teacher instructs all three choirs and is energetic and thoughtful. I'm glad Heidi can be a part of a program like this in middle school.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Ah, it's Christmas. The best day of the year. The house is quiet because everyone is at church. I'm not with them because I'm recovering from Gastric Bypass surgery. I've set up a new blog to keep those that are interested in my progress or just about the surgery in general, updates as to how I'm doing. It will be candid, forthcoming and may or may not include the words "passing gas". There may also be squeamish pictures. Just warning you folks. So that website is www.greatgains.blogspot.com

I will of courses mention things here about my progress on occasion but it will maintain this site to be an ecletic mix of randomness. Yep, randomness.

Speaking of randomness, today is Christmas and I feel like crap. I haven't had enough protien. I looked over my doctor's sample menu for me and it's clear I did not do a good job today. I just took a protien shock of 42 grams. It tasted nasty but i'm already feeling better. whew. And I watched the finale of survivor tonight. I was out of town when it aired so we DVRd it. Can you believe how mean Brandon's family is? I mean, yeah, he didn't play the smartest game but he really was trying his best to be a decent person. I can't believe his family has deserted him like that. Anyone like to comment on that?

Merry Christmas to all. I am grateful for the birth of my Savior. Without Him we would not be here, pure and simple as that. I love this life I live and I'm grateful for all those that get to live it with me.

So Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.....

Ready, Set, drink up

2011-12-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

Today is day 1 of my liquid diet. One week from today I am having Gastric Bypass Surgery. Am I nervous? Yep. I couldn't say that until I received the paperwork that told me death is a possibility. That along with heart attack and renal failure. I keep telling myself that anytime you have anesthesia that is a possibility. It still freaks me out.

I've had two other surgical procedures in my life, my foot when I was 22 years old and my tonsils about 5 years ago. Never anything where they "opened me up". FREAKY.

But I figure I'm gaining years onto my life by having this done. And I'm excited about the future. A year from now I should weigh 100 pounds less. Whoa, Nellie, that's a big number.

I'll keep y'all posted on what's going on.

Zoo Lights: A Portland Tradition

2011-12-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

We had family from out of town arrive for a visit. We knew the perfect place to take them, Zoo Lights. It's not so much about the animals as it is all the lights and how they do them there. You can see a caterpillar grow into a beautiful butterfly, a gingerbread cottage and a lion who roars. Being prepared with a warm coat and a mittens is a must, especially if you ride the train.

I wouldn't say that zoo lights are a tradition of ours as much as I would say some type of holiday light show is a tradition for us. Last year we did Peacock Lane. Several years we have done the Portland International Raceway. Christmas lights are beautiful. They just are. They are a symbol of Christmas just like a Christmas tree and gifts under the tree are. The lights are, simply put, light. They remind me of the stars that clear night on the eve of the Savior's birth. They remind us to reach toward all that is good and true.

A friend of mine has a family tradition I love. They pick a neighborhood and then drive around and choose the house that has the best light display. Then they knock on the door of that house and award them with a prize. I love that idea.

Do you have any holiday light traditions? I'd love to hear about them.

Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-11-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for December to begin? It kind of feels like it already to me. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, BAM, you are rolling towards Christmas. I love it. I love driving down the streets and seeing the taillights of the cars and and the green streetlights and having that even be Christmasy.

Lately while driving in the car I've been listening to two new albums. I'll tell you more about them next week. I have a reason for not doing it now but let's just say that they are AWESOME.

Today I need to do some grocery shopping. We are out of deli meat and milk which = no food to some members of this family.

I also plan to make a stop at my local Goodwill outlet to rummage through the bins in hopes of finding more cashmere sweaters. I want to make this. I have two so far and they have only cost me a quarter each. Love the Goodwill Outlet.

I am also moving furniture back in place after having my carpets cleaned. That is a great feeling, seeing clean carpets. You know the feeling.

Dear Jon....

2011-11-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Jon Schmidt,

I wanted to let you know how much it meant to my daughter to meet you. She had a fabulous time and keeps saying, "Jon said this and Jon said that." I love that she's on a first name basis with you. You asked her about her piano playing. She loved that. She loved that she got to sit next to you at dinner. You had chicken, she had fettucini alfredo. Apparently your chicken was really good and you tried to get her to eat some. What a nice guy you are.

You also gave her one of your CDs and although it was a hard decision, she went with the hymns version so she could listen to it year-round. She still wants your Christmas CD....badly. I am so grateful as her mom that she had this opportunity to meet you and see what can come from one's talents. You are talented, and thank you for sharing that talent with the world. I am also grateful that you are so nice.

The front of our piano is scattered with various music pieces of yours. When I walk by the piano and see it, I am still in awe that she got this opportunity to spend the day at both of your concerts being an usher and spending time with you.

It was one day and evening she will never forget.

Sincerely,

Darilyn May

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 1993, Springville, Utah

My earliest memories of Thanksgiving are of us gathered around a really long table at my aunt and uncle's dairy farm in rural Oregon. So much love was around that table. Not to mention grand looking food. I was surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins and Grandma and Grandpa Johns. After my mom married my stepdad we started going to my Grandma Levan's home. She lived in town and I remember being rebellious and probably a bit snotty to my mother about going there. I wanted to be out on the farm with everyone else. But even though our time 'in town' was different, i grew to love it just as much. I remember Grandma Levan being a good cook and I loved her kitchen because it had these huge windows that overlooked her beautiful backyard filled with trees and bright green grass. After dinner Grandma Levan would play the organ.

When I got married and was attending BYU we hosted Thanksgiving at our small 2 bedroom apartment. There were about 15 of us, all friends from my hometown of Coos Bay, gathered together to enjoy the holiday. What memories.

Over the past 20 years we have done various things for Thanksgiving. This year we will be up in Longview Washington spending it with my mom, several cousins and their children. I am looking forward to it.

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of memory making moments, because that is something to be thankful for.

A little less food in my life which isn't necessarily a bad thing

2011-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

Do you have a little place that you like to call your own? Maybe a little coffee shop where they don't cringe anymore at your double extra hot skinny4 pumps of syrup instead of eight butter rum steamer? Or a restaurant that feels more like a refuge instead of a place to eat.

I love these places. When I find someplace I love I will frequent them as my money permits, tipping generously to the people who become almost like family to me.

So when I arrived at my favorite Thai restaurant one night looking for solace with a book in my hand i was shocked to find it dark inside with the doors locked. Huh? Well maybe they had a family emergency. But as the days wore on I found that they had indeed closed their doors for good. Sadness.

Then I went to have lunch one day at my favorite Mexican restaurant. It's right down the road, it's local, the people are friendly and the food is really good. This is a place that I love to go to with a friend or with my hubby. So I was very sad to see a sign on their door letting all of their loyal customers know that they had been forced to shut down for good. Sigh.

My last shock came this morning as I went to get my favorite morning treat at the local drive-through Coffee Station. No more butter rum syrup. What? I can't have a butter rum steamer without butter rum syrup. That's why this place is special, they have butter rum syrup. "Can I buy some for you to use here?" I got a lady-you-are-crazy-look. I explained that I don't drink coffee. I drink butter rum steamers and only butter rum steamers.

"We have butterscotch."
"It wouldn't be the same."

And it's not. So I drove off without a steaming cup of warmth in my hand and was left wondering what this present economy has done to my places I call special. No more late night retreats in the darkness of a corner booth sipping Tom Kah Gai, No more lunch dates with my husband over sizzling fajitas, and no more butter rum steamers. I'm just hoping that Monkey's Subs stays open.

Portland Food Review

2011-11-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

I've been to a few restaurants lately and thought I would give a review of each one.

I had heard that Por Que No was a place not to be missed. That their tacos were incredible and would be a sure favorite?

My verdict? Just okay.

I loved the chips and salsa, definitely worth a return visit for. But the tacos I was not terrible impressed with. Not a ton of flavor and for $3 I expected a little bit more than what I got. At least a double corn tortilla like you get in Mexico. I probably won't return to this place. The line was long though and it is obviously a very loved place. You should check it out for yourself.

Mothers Bistro

I have been here for dinner and breakfast but never for lunch. I had a daily special of a pulled chicken quesadilla and my sister ordered the crab cake sandwich which is a regular item.

The verdict? Both plates were AMAZING. Yum, yum.

Oh, and my sister also got the Cordon Bleu which was their fancy mac n cheese. It was delish.

The Country Cat

This restaurant was on a list my sister had. It's in a part of town that I was not familiar with and there wasn't really anything much around it. They do not have an extensive menu. That is okay with me. In fact, I prefer it that way. It makes it much easier to narrow down your choice. The place was not busy on a Monday morning so we were given a seat by the window where the sun was able to bathe us with her light. I ordered the Autumn Hash and my sister ordered the Eggs Benedict with the eggs scrambled.

The verdict? I will return there tomorrow. And if not tomorrow I will dream about that food until I can return. So, so, so good.

The Autumn Hash was not only beautiful and tasty but healthy. I felt like I was eating exactly what a breakfast should be. Full of vitamins with the swiss chard and spinach and squash and a punch of protein with two poached eggs on top. And for a dose of energy there were some home fried potatoes sauteed in with it. All of this was sitting on top of a light mustard sauce. My mouth is watering thinking about it.

Then there was Krista's meal. Eggs Benedict on a biscuit instead of an English Muffin. You take a bite of it and it literally melted in your mouth. I have never tasted Eggs Benedict as good as that was. And the hollandaise was so bright, creamy and lemony. Yum.

As 2011 is drawing to a close I am thinking back on the best meals I've had this year. Right up there at the top would be my breakfast at the Country Cat. And although it's not in Portland, Olives at the Bellagio in Las Vegas is probably in my number one spot. I'm dying to go back to that place. If I did i would order this flatbread again:

rosemary crust, sweet & sour fig jam, Gorgonzola, prosciutto di parma

And I would sit on the balcony with friends and enjoy every bite. I wonder what my friends would order because I don't think I'm sharing.

Hallo mate....oops, is that Irish?

2011-10-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were invited to a party. One of those murder mystery parties where you play a character. I'm really excited about it because it's just my kind of thing. My character is an author from England. So in preparation for my role I was looking up English accent tutorials on Youtube.

There were all sorts of tutorials but this one really got my attention. I"m thinking I will try it!

Introducing Kanani

2011-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Heidi with Kanani, Eliza with Elizabeth

No, not a new child. An American Girl doll. Just when I thought I was safe from the American Girl craze my youngest approaches me this summer and says she wants to save her money for an American Girl doll. My response was, What?

Aren't you kind of old for that? .....She's 11. Apparently not. The other two never once mentioned those two words in our house and I'm grateful for that, they are expensive. But true to her word, Heidi saved her allowance and just this week Kanani arrived via Fed Ex.

Kanani is from Hawaii, has beautiful hair and is the doll of the year. That means at the end of this year you will no longer be able to buy her.

This morning Kanani was invited to a Halloween party. It is a brunch and then apparently they are doing some trick-or-treating. The dolls, not the girls. This is all very new to me. But I'm glad she's happy. And I'm glad she's not done growing up.

All Hallows Eve

2011-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

This year in the May Casa we had an assortment of characters.

We had a pirate

We had a princess

We had Luna Lovegood

And then we had a renaissance lady

At our church activity it was said that we had the most popular carnival game. Chris made swords out of some $1 plungers at the dollar store. You hold onto the end that has the plunger part and then he attached a tiny pin to the end of the handle. So then when you lunge forward you could pop balloons with the sword. It was quite popular and the perfect game for my pirate husband.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

2011-10-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am making this today

Source: favfamilyrecipes.com via Darilyn on Pinterest

My new obsession

2011-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Pinterest? I am obsessed. I love it way more than Facebook. Honestly, Facebook gives me a rash sometimes. I mean, there are those that post every single thing they are doing throughout the day and then there are others that state what they are thinking or doing without thinking of how that will affect those that read it. So i find that I don't spend a ton of time on there. But then I found out about Pinterest. I love me some time on this goody of a site. I can peruse lovely things to bake, to make or to simply dream about. I love that I don't ever have to tear pages out of magazines anymore. I can just find the picture or article online and "Pin It" directly to my bulletin boards.

Like these acorns made out of Hershey kisses.

I made this Autumn Brittle to give to neighbors.

Or, I pinned this outfit today. Oh, my, i'm in love.

Or do you just want a picture that will make you laugh?

Join up and then search for me on there so we can be pinning friends!

It's awesome.

Thank you, Wendy

2011-10-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

We have had teenage heartache around here today.

It's been one-of-those-days. The morning was spent facing some of the problems that have been plaguing our household lately. I don't know if we were very successful. I spent so much time on that, that I got a late start to my packed workday.

So I worked and worked all the while hoping that there would be a break to our pacific northwest gloomy sky so that the sun could peek it's sunny head out.

It hasn't happened.

So then I was hungry.

I went and asked the heartbreak girl if she would like something from Wendy's.

Thankfully a hunger strike was not in force and she said, yes.

So a few minutes later I entered her room with a bag full of

Bacon cheeseburger

fries

chili

frosty

Sprite

She gets to eat in her room today because today is Day 1 of "Getting Through A Break-up" She gets to sleep all day and when she isn't sleeping she gets to listen to sad music of her choice. The song that most reminds her of the relationship.

I got this from my very smart friend, Julie. She has a teenager too. Several of them in fact.

You can find her list of what to do for a teenage girl break-up here.

Tomorrow she will face the world like a queen and feel all better.

(I'm telling myself this so that hopefully it will happen.)

Today I'm trying this

2011-10-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Source: skiptomylou.org via Darilyn on Pinterest

Baked potatoes cooked in low in a slow cooker. I'll let you know how it turns out.

8:26 p.m. IT WORKED GREAT. I will definitely be doing this again.

Feis-n

2011-10-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Portland Feis sponsored by our school, the Murray School of Irish Dance. Chris was in charge of tabulation for the feis, I was over hospitality (all the food) and Emma was in charge of dancing. We all did well in our prospective duties! Emma took first place in her Reel Trophy Special. She typically does well in this trophy dance. She got a nice big trophy for that which made her really happy.

She got 1st in her Treble Jig which is what she needed in order to have all her dances in Prizewinner. she is there now and it was a great goal for her to have achieved. I think she was the most excited about that achievement for the day.

She also got 2nd place with her partner, Marcy, for their Harry Potter dance. They looked adorable in their costumes and their routine was awesome. Emma was Luna Lovegood and Marcy was Hermione.

As soon as Harry Potter was over Emma had to make a quick costume change for the Lada Gaga costume special. Some of the costumes were outstanding. Murray School swept the competition taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Emma and her partner, Kylie, took 3rd. Way to go Murray Irish Dancers.

Emma and Kylie are in the bubble wrap skirts.

Musings of a Thursday afternoon

2011-09-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

Things on my mind today:

Glad that we found a doctor for mom and that she is happy with her.

Got in a car accident this morning and it really sucks. I was driving and of course I was driving mom's car which is in near perfect condition. And of course her insurance deductible is more than ours so now we have to come up with $500 to get it repaired. I could tell Chris wasn't thrilled with the news. But I guess to be fair, neither am I. But you know what sucks the most that makes me want to cry? I want to go see Merilee so badly. And of course today, more than ever. But now with the accident I feel like it's getting further and further out of reach. I'll stop about this topic. It only makes me feel worse. Oh, but the bright spot in all that is that at least my mom has rental car insurance so that we won't be down a car. So that is good.

Heidi isn't happy. I mean like she really isn't happy. She is having difficulty at her new school and is just really sad and depressed. I hate it. I hate seeing her so sad. It breaks my heart. But there is some good coming out of this as well. I told her last night about praying and studying for answers to life's difficult questions. So this morning when I got up for family scripture study at 5:45 (which is no easy feat) she was already awake and studying her scriptures on her own. I love this girl. And then she asked me how to get answers to her prayers. It's funny, because I'm sure that all along she has been giving the sunday school text book answers to that question but when it comes right down to it and life is in her face, she REALLY wanted to know how to go about it. So we talked about that. She's gonna be okay.

My neck hurts, the muscles in it, on the left side. Oh, but that is due to the car accident and I said i wouldn't talk about that any more.

Moving on....

I am in charge of all the food for the feis this weekend. It's a big undertaking and I wonder why i get myself into these things. I have been cooking for it for a couple of weeks and it is finally here. It will be great to get it over with. I am also excited to see Emma dance, hoping that she moves out of her treble jig. That means we hope she places first so that she can move up a level in that dance. That would put her in prizewinner in all her dances.

Homecoming is next weekend for Makenzie and she has nothing to wear. The theme is 80s Neon. Really? Who chose that? How in the world do you get a dress around that theme? We are going to hit a second hand store today. I am completely out of money and there is no time to make anything. I'm hoping to find something at the second hand store that she will fall in love with. Hmm, we will see how that goes.

Wish me luck on all this!

Old-Fashioned Bran Muffins

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the very first recipes I remember making as a kid was bran muffins. The recipe had you use regular bran flakes that were put in a bowl along with some milk and letting them soak together for a few minutes until you had this soft brown mush. Sound appetizing? Stay with me, people.

A few years back I was havin' a hankerin' for a bran muffin. Not one of those overly sweet kind you find in bakery shops but one that I remembered from my childhood. It didn't take long to find one on the internet that seemed just about how I remembered it. I made a couple of tweaks to it and ala, here you have Old Fashioned Bran Muffins, just like I remember them. I made these this morning and my mom and I sat there, basking in their warm goodness just like 30 years ago.

Old Fashioned Bran Muffins

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups bran flake cereal

1 1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix cereal and milk in a medium blow and let stand for five minutes. After 5 minutes stir egg and melted butter into cereal mixture. Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Soon batter inot greased muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 15-18 min or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Yes, I am Mormon

2011-09-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

Our middle daughter wrote this poem for school. She forgot to print it out for school so she had me print it and now Chris is on his way back to get it to take it to her. But since I got to print it I got to read it. She rarely has us read her school work so I thought I'd just take a little peek. English is her best subject so I figured it would be decent. But Wow! I am not only impressed with her writing skills but that she would write so openly about this topic. I am impressed.

This is my face (RD)

Yes, I am Mormon

How could you tell?

Oh. That.

You know, not all Mormons have pale skin

We’re not just American

Were Chinese

Indian

French

Japanese

Italian

You get the idea

What?

We don’t hate lesbians!

“Love thy neighbor”

We don’t hate anybody

It’s not like we recommend it

But we don’t hate them

Yes, we get baptized for dead people

Crazy much? No

Not at all

If you had a chance to send everyone back to heaven

Wouldn’t you do it too?

We really do love everyone.

Yeah, sure, it was terrible what you guys did to us

Nice of you to apologize.

Oh wait.

You didn’t.

Not really.

But thanks anyway for changing that law

Nice touch for all those people who died for what they believed in

No don’t take me wrong

We forgive you

We still love you

Everyone makes mistakes

I just personally think you should’ve at least said “I’m sorry”

Yes, I read the Book of Mormon

No, I read the bible too

We read both

Wait, what?

What would make you say that?

We ARE Christian

We DO believe in Jesus Christ and God

Please don’t judge by what you hear

It’s called Stereotyping

And it isn’t nice

But it’s okay, we forgive you

We still love you

This is my face and though it may seem obvious I am mormon

It may not be so obvious on others

Please don’t stereotype

This is my face

-Emma, Latter day saint/Mormon

Welcome home, mom

2011-09-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

Picture mom, me and Krista with our family in Ukraine, 2010

It's official. My mom has moved in with us. The final move was this past weekend and although it was a slow trip pulling a huge trailer behind our minivan it went very smoothly loading and unloading her. Now we are faced with many boxes stacked all over our house because we have no where to put the things inside. Seriously.

We live in a 1600 square foot home and there are now six of us. It's a tight fit. All three of our girls are now in one room but I'm not complaining. I'm just stating the facts. We are, in fact, very happy to have my mom with us. Not only do we get to enjoy her company but it is very helpful to have another adult to help out with things around this crazy home of ours. For example, as I sit her writing this my mom is in the kitchen preparing some plums to be dried.

I am facing the realization that our lives will never be the same. My mom is not going anywhere and could be wiht us for the next 20 years. I hope that is the case and she lives a long life enjoying being surrounded by her family. I realize that date nights with my husband will become even more important from here on out. Chris and I talked about that and that we need to be consistent with it. Also, he and I need to get away for a weekend here and there while we can. The day will come when she will need a full-time caregiver and 'getting away' will become a much more difficult thing to do or become non-existent all together.

The girls seem to be taking it in stride. I know that having all three of the in a room together is not ideal but ultimately it is only for two more years until our oldest goes off to college.

That is what we have been up to, the throes of a move-in. Starting a new chapter in our lives!

p.s. Sorry to all of you who got my September posts in your Google Reader again. I have no idea why that happened.

Calgon, take me away

2011-09-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

It's only 7:20 a.m. and it has already been "one of those days." I had to deal with the sulleness of our oldest due to a talk we had with her last night about not spending as much time with her boyfriend. Then she went in her room and cried and talked on the phone with her boyfriend. I'm sure it was all about how mean we are and they "just don't understand." At this point I'm starting to get used to her thinking that. Sad.

Then this morning our youngest comes to me and says that her middle sister is being mean to her at school. Well, I can imagine this is probably true based on past experiences. So I go to have a chat with our middle daughter and it ends up with her saying that we think she is a bad person and she's not a bad person and why would I think she is a bad person. I told her that she is not a bad person but that we just want her to be nicer to her sister at school. She then went to the bathroom, locked the door and cried. Ugh...

Why can't they just all get along?

I'm sure my own mom probably thought the same thing.

This is probably about me getting my just reward for being so mean to my own sister. Did you know that I locked her in a closet once? Uh-huh.

Well, i'm off to paint a bedroom today. My mom is moving in with us on Saturday and I'm trying to get things ready for her. My kids may think I'm an evil mother but my own mom thinks I'm pretty great. I'll focus on that today.

Good Day

2011-09-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

I went to the temple
I met a friend that I had not seen in a long time (hi, Amanda) I loved seeing her again. She is a real person. I love real people. You know what I mean, right?
I ran into tons of other people I rarely see which was so awesome.
Then I went to Desert Book to pick up something for my mom for Christmas
When I was there I saw two more people I knew. One of them I hadn't seen in over 4 years. Double Awesome.

On the way home I grabbed turkey sandwiches and went over to my friend Camila's house.
She just had a baby and so we sat there and watched Novellas in Portugese (brazilian soap operas)
I got to hold the new baby Julia. Oh, man, she is a cutie.
Then we ate our sandwiches and talked about how good the bread was from Monkey Subs.
Now I am working. Well, I'm about to anyway.
It's been a good day so far.

What has your day been like?

A not-so-good-friend moment

2011-09-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight I found out that a dear friend has cancer.

My heart is breaking for her because she has to go through all that nasty chemo.

And her hair is falling out.

I wish I could give her an ounce of my strength to help her get through it. My strenght isn't much but I would give it to her.

And it makes me even more sad how I reacted when she told me she had cancer. I ignored it.

Weird, huh? And I acted like my problems were just as big. But they aren't.

I know it sounds crazy but I kind of thought she would want me to act like it was no big deal. So that's what I did.

But then she told me that I really hurt her feelings.

And then I told her that I'm glad she trusts me enough to tell me that I hurt her feelings.

And I apologized.

I can be a real idiot sometimes.

Now I am thinking of what I can do for this friend.

New Single By Mindy Gledhill

2011-09-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Miss Mindy has a new single out.

You gotta get it.

Only .99 on iTunes.

Go here to hear and buy.

I just did.

Indian Mary 2011

2011-09-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our annual Indian Mary camping trip. It includes not-so-white-water rafting, plenty of sun, good food and most importantly, lots of family time. And as I sit here this morning sipping my hot tea and writing this blog post I am left thinking, "God is good." He let me row through my first rapid and make it through safely despite the hysteria of my sister. He gave us plenty of sunshine to drown our sun-starved skin. He gave us giant marshmallows to roast over a fire stoked with pine logs. And he gave us the most amazing view from the window of our campsite. A view that literally takes my breath away and that shushes me into reverence with the awe that it invokes.

God is good.

Makenzie's 17th Birthday Interview

2011-08-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite TV show? Psych

What is your favorite movie? Scott Pilgrim VS The World

What is your favorite color? Blue

What is your favorite food? Pad Thai

What is your favorite thing to do with mom? Shopping

What is your favorite thing to do with dad? Playing games

What is your favorite thing to do with your sisters? Dance

What do you want to be when you grow up? Professional dancer

Do you have a favorite friend? No

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at home? Ballroom dance

What is your favorite toy or thing? iPod

What is your favorite book? The Hunger Games

What is your favorite animal? Cat

Do you want to go on a mission? Maybe

Do you want kids? Sure

Raise money for ballroom dance

What have you learned from your Sunday School and YW teachers this year? That everyone is a different color in the crayon box.

What do you love to do? Play piano

Ah, to be 17 again. What a magical age. More so than 16 I believe. You are really becoming your own person with your own desires and wishes. You know what you like in life and those things, such as dance and piano help guide your life. I am so excited that you made Encore choir this year. I am looking forward to your many concerts and hearing you sing. You are always willing to help out around the house when asked and you are a good example to your younger sisters. They look up to you and your treatment of them has become more kinder and gentler as you've gotten older. Thank you for being an amazing daughter. I am privileged to be your mom.

Decorating advice

2011-08-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Oh my, I just read the most awesome post by Emily Henderson here. It is going to make me think today.

What is my favorite feeling?

I just don't know. There are so many feelings to choose from.

But whatever my favorite feeling is then I should amplify that feeling and decorate my house centered around that amped feeling.

Love it.

It's brilliant, Miss Em.

I'll be back later after I've mused over my feelings!

What is your favorite feeling?

Lost keys, A rental car and Mexico

2011-08-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

We had spent a lovely day in the sun and sand at Isla Mujeres just off the coastline of Cancun. As we got off the ferry we were anxious to get back to the car and into some air conditioning. Because although we love our time in the sun there is also something to be said for that shock of cool dry air when it hits you through the vents of a car. It's like a bit of relief from the monotonous screaming sun rays. When we got to the end of the boat ramp we waited as Chris looked for the keys. After a few minutes of searching he declared to all of us that they weren't there. As he ran back onto the ferry to look around I ran out to the parking lot to catch Ross and Nora and let them know what was going on. We didn't want to be stuck there without them not knowing where we were. We did not have use of our cell phones there in Mexico so it would be very difficult to get in touch with them. I managed to catch them before they left and they were able to take the girls with them back to the hotel. They also left Carmen's cell phone with us so that we could get in touch with them if we needed to.

With a sigh of relief that the girls were being taken care of I headed back towards the ferry to see if Chris had had any luck finding the keys. He hadn't. I looked through his backpack in hopes that I would find what he had missed. Nothing. We thought back through the events of the day trying to remember when they possibly could have fallen out. We remembered a time on the beach when Chris went to put something in his backpack and decided that was when it happened. The problem was that it was a 45 minute ferry ride over to the island and there would not be another one leaving that day.

Chris decided to go out to the parking lot and look through the windows of the car to see if they were in the ignition, on a seat, somewhere. As he went to the car I sat next to the beach and prayed. I asked Heavenly Father to help us. To help us find the keys if it was at all possible. I told him that it would be very difficult to get the rental company to help us since they were difficult to rent from in the first place. That I knew they would charge us the $500 deposit they insisted we put on our credit card before we could rent the car. I asked the Lord for help in helping us solve this problem we had. And I ended the prayer in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I opened my eyes and Chris was walking swiftly towards me. I could feel that he had some good news although I wasn't sure what it was. He told me that he had tried the doors of the car and that the car was unlocked but that the keys were not inside. Although our problem wasn't solved I felt for some reason that we were closer. I mean, hey, we got inside the car. I also thought it was interesting that the car wasn't locked because Chris never forgets to lock the car, never.

So as Chris reaches me at the beach he tells me what he has discovered and asks me to come look inside also in case he missed anything. I go and start looking in every nook and cranny possible. As I'm doing this Chris walks around to the back of the car. About a minute later he says, "hey, darilyn, guess what I found?" And he shows me the keys in his hand.

We had learned when we first rented the car that there was no way to open the trunk from the inside of the car like there is on most cars nowadays. But for some reason Chris felt prompted to walk back to the trunk and lift up on it. It came open and there sitting all by itself in the middle of the trunk were the keys. It was a miracle!

I immediately bowed my head and thanked my Heavenly Father for his mindfulness of us and for his help in finding the lost keys. Then we called Ross to let them know that we were on our way.

That miracle as we would soon find out, ended up being an even bigger showing of the Lord's hand in our life.

The next morning as we went to get into the car for our day's adventure Chris wanted to show the girls about how the trunk would open by just lifting up on it. He went to open it and it was locked tight. Then as I approached I tried the same thing, nothing.

It was then that we realized that indeed we had not been given a car with a faulty trunk but that we had been witnesses and recipients of the Lord's hand in our lives.

Miracles really do happen in this day and age.

I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who knew that we needed help and was able to help us. This experience strengthened my testimony that he is aware of each of His children and loves each of us deeply. I am grateful that I was taught at a young age to call upon the powers of heaven through prayer and that I have a husband who is worthy of the priesthood he bears and able to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Mamma Mia!

2011-08-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

I think the year was 2000. I was sitting on our couch in the living room watching the Today show and they did a segment about a new musical called "Mamma Mia." I immediately knew I had to see it. More than any other broadway show, my heart desired to see this one because I Love ABBA!. It was one of the first three albums I ever owned. It may have been the first but I'm not really sure. It's in the company of Grease and Barbara Mandrell, Live. Interesting assortment, huh?

Anyway, I wanted to see this show but knew it would be a along time coming because New York City is far away. Last night my dream came true. I got to see Mamma Mia and it was absolutely everything I wanted it to be. I went by myself and stood at the end and danced and sang at the top of my lungs. The music was AWESOME. The acting SUPERB and I LOVE ABBA.

Did you know that once I even planned an entire Relief Society Homemaking around Abba? Yep, I did.

I've been on a Broadway show extravaganza lately. Just a few weeks ago I saw Les Mis with Chris for the first time. I walked away from that one thinking, "huh, it was okay. Expected it to be better with all the hype and devotion it gets." And I know, people say, "But the music, the music." To me the music of Les Mis is the same music that they just keep recycling with different lyrics. It all sounds the same.

But ABBA, Ah, now that speaks to my soul.

You can just call me a hippie chick rather than an opera chick. I'm fine with that.

I'm not her best friend

2011-08-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had some time to think during a 30 minute drive to pick up my oldest daughter and some friends of hers from EFY. I was thinking about how our relationship has changed over the past six months. She used to tell me that she didn't mind being around me and she never showed that embarrasment of being around me like my younger two have. I thought we had a pretty great relationship, i was really happy that I had made it through some core teenage years and I thought we were in the home stretch before sending her off to college. She turns 17 in two days and I couldn't have been more wrong. I found out a few months ago that she thought her dad and I hated her, she thought we were mean and she wished she could die. Wow, talk about shocker, because this was all news to me. And like any parent in that situation, I was left wondering, with my jaw dropped open, "what has happened?"

When my children were toddlers I envisioned them getting older and me being the cool mom on the block. The home where they knew they could come for freshly baked cookies and a movie night on weekends. They would say to my children, "wow, your mom is so nice."

That hasn't happened.

I don't like to bake.

We learned early on that our middle daughter liked to tell her friends how mean her parents were. A lot of it being made up in her head. Wow, the stories that girl could tell. And then she wondered why her friend's parents would not let them come over to our home. That really backfired on her and she learned a valuable lesson. I'm not sure why two of our daughters feel a need to make us into monsters to their friends. Are they looking for reassurance, understanding, love, acceptance? If the answer is yes to any of those it makes me sad. I guess I envisioned a great relationship with my daughters. And honestly, since i'm speaking honestly, I am very sad that I don't have the relationship that I see my friends have with their daughters.

And this is what I don't get: We don't have any stricter rules than any other Mormon family I know. Some are more lenient in some areas than us and we may be stricter in others, but we all have rules. The difference is that for some reason those teenage friends of my daughters still speak highly of their parents and express their love for them and appreciation. Sure they may have their moments of disagreement but there is still love and respect there. Yet I am wished to disappear and not be a part of her life.

I've never been someone who feels that they need to be best friends with my kids but I do want to talk with them and know what is going on in their lives. I thought I had that with our oldest but found I was wrong.

If I had known how painful it could be I'm not sure I would have signed up for this gig.

Today I got a pedicure

2011-08-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

And I'm feeling really good about that decision.

Calling all Harry Potter Fans...hilarious video

2011-08-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Traveling the Yucatan -Day 7 - Celestun and back to Merida

2011-08-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

After a rough night of sleeping because it was so hot we slept in and then packed up our things to get ready for check out at 11. After we checked out of our room we ended up sitting in the breezeway of Celeste Vida and talking to Ken and Karen and playing with their 5 dogs for a couple of hours while waiting for our family to come meet us. The plan was to go see the pink flamingos at their breeding area. You can see hundreds of them and apparently it's really something amazing to see. We unfortunately did not get to see them. I had read that after 2 in the afternoon it's not work paying for the boat ride because the flamingos move in the afternoon to escape the heat. Since the rest of our family was late arriving and didn't get to Celestun until 1 we decided we shouldn't do it. That ended up being a really smart decision because about 30 minutes after a tropical storm moved in. As we were leaving town we could see all of the people tht had paid for the flamingo tours being brought back in. I'm sure they did not get a refund of their money either.

Chris and I took the girls down to the beach in front of Celeste Vida where Makenzie immediately started gathering shells. She has always loved shells and has been a collector of them for some time now. I have brought her shells from Thailand and from Puerto Rico and now she has some from the Gulf of Mexico.

Since it was lunch time we decided to get something to eat at one of the restaurants along the beach. This time we went to La Palapa and it was even better than the one we went to the day before. What I liked about this one is that it was really cool inside and had a nice breeze going through it. The service was 5 star and the food was really good. A lot of the same dishes as the previous day and just as tasty.

On the way back we had quite the tropical storm to drive through. I guess that's why it's called the rainy season!

Traveling the Yucatan - Day 6 - Celestun

2011-07-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

This was Chris and I's getaway day. We threw a change of clothes and a swimsuit in our backpacks and headed off for the town of Celestun. It is described as a sleepy fishing village and I think that is a fairly accurate description. I loved our drive there.

We drove through 3 small towns, Uman, Samahil and Kinchil. Uman had a good size market in their town square. I wanted to stop but was also anxious to get to Celestun as well so we didn't stop. Samahil and Kinchil were working villages. These were towns where the people had to work hard for their money. I loved driving through them because there were lots of people out in the streets. We also got a lot of stares. I don't think they get many tourists coming through.

I noticed the women wearing beautiful white dresses with a lacey underskirt. It is the traditional Yucatan dress called a Huipil and in these small towns most of the older women wore them. They are made out of white cotton with flowers and geometric designs being cross stitched around the collar and the bottom. We stopped at a little stand at the edge of Kinchil to try one on. It fit but wasn't exactly what I was looking so we didn't get it. These traditional dresses haven't changed much since the pre-hispanic area. Mayan women for hundreds of years have been wearing them and it was a priviledge to see first-hand their handicraft.

Our directions to Celeste Vida were perfect and we arrived without any problems. We were greeted warmly by Ken and shown to our room where we put our things away. We soon met Karen and loved her as well. They are from Canada and 5 years ago moved to Celestun and opened their small resort, Celeste Vida. It is a lovely place full of heart and I would definitely stay there again.

We had two meals in Celestun and both were outstanding. Celestun is on the Gulf of Mexico and so it's main trade is fishing. There are several outstanding restraunts right on the beach. On the day we arrived we ate at Restaurante' Avila. Chris had a seafood stuffed fish and it was amazing. I had Cerviche and it was super yummy as well. I wasn't feeling so great this day so being out in the heat was taking it's toll on me. After eating we walked around the townsquare where I found a stand that was selling sunglasses. I bought a pair of Chanel sunglasses for a whole $10. Knock offs? Of course.

After grabbing a coconut popsicle we headed back to Celeste Vida to get changed into our swimsuits and a swim in the ocean. When we walked onto the beach we were shocked at how many shells there were. Hundreds of gorgeous perfect shells. We would pick up one shell and immediately see another. I have never seen so many gorgeous shells in one place before. Since there were so many shells it made it a little hard to walk out into the water. Tiny jagged edges poking into your feet doesn't feel so great but once we got past about a 4 foot edge there was really soft sand beyond that. I noticed that while the Caribbean Sea is blue, the Gulf of Mexico is Emerald green. A gorgeous green color. It was so nice to swim in. While in Cancun we enjoyed the sunrise, but Celestun is on the western side of the Yucatan Peninsula so we enjoyed the sunset here.

Traveling the Yucatan - Day 5- Cancun and travel to Merida

2011-07-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

On our 5th day we spent the morning packing up and getting our stuff in the car. Once we were all checked out we walked out the back door of our hotel and walked next door to the J.W. Marriott. Chris and I had been there a couple of days earlier to check out their pool area. I had read online that it was impressive and the reports were correct. Awesome awesome pool. It's like four pools that are all connected and you can swim under foot bridges. It has an infinity pool that you can hang out at and it overlooks the caribbean. Gorgeous view and tons of fun. We swam there for about an hour and then got out to go meet Carmen and Abel in a town a little bit to the south of us before heading to Merida.

On our way out of town Ross got motioned to pull over by one of the police at a checkpoint. We couldn't figure out why he had gotten pulled over. He spoke with him for a good 10 minutes and then let him go. He apparently had been speeding. Ridiculous since we were all going with the flow of traffic. I am certain that the cop saw that it was a rental car and pulled him over to intimidate him. Fortunately Ross has excellent Spanish skills and had his Mexican wife in the car with him and was able to talk him out of the 2000 peso ticket. Yikes, that was our first of 2 encounters with Mexican police.

By the time this was over we had heard from Carmen and Abel that we should just go ahead and meet them at a quesadilla stand in downtown Cancun and then we would go to Merida from there. When we arrived at the location we could not find Heidi's bag that had her camera and all her money in it. We realized that Heidi had asked her dad to put it in the trunk, he said okay, and then Heidi sat it down next to the car. Well, it didn't make it in the car. We sat at the quesadilla place while chris drove back to hopefully find heidi's purse. He was able to get it from the hotel front desk thankfully and all was well. That was a definite blessing and prayers were answered that day. Each of our girls had to take their own spending money. Heidi hadn't spent any at that point so all of her money was in there, $100. She was very relieved to get it back.

The trip to Merida went smoothly. There are two roads that you can take from Cancun to Merida. The cuoto (toll road) or the non-toll road. It costs 400 pesos or $35 to take the cuoto but it is well worth it. It takes 3 hours to take versus 6 hours on the non-toll road.

When we arrived in Merida all three cars pulled over to get filled up on gas and when we were done we had our second encounter with the Mexican police. We were sitting at the gas pump getting ready to leave. Chris was out of the car paying for the gas and I was in the driver seat. All of a sudden a policeman pulls up in front of me, blocking us and he is talking into his radio and staring at our front license plate. He then pulls forward to the exit of the gas station and just sits there. Chris gets in the car and we are the last of the three cars in our group to exit out of the gas station. As soon as I pull out this cop pulls out right behind me. His lights are on but in Mexico that doesn't mean anything because they all drive around with their lights on. It's like an intimidation thing or something, not sure. So he follows us for awhile and then pulls to the left of me and I can feel him staring at me. I just kept looking straight ahead, acting calm (i wasn't) and following the rest of our group. He eventually turned around and went back the other way leaving us alone. From this point on during our trip Chris and I were both a little paranoid of the Mexican Police.

July 20th

2011-07-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

July 20th is a special day. It's the day I married my sweetheart in the Portland Oregon Temple. This is the second time we've spent an anniversary in the Caribbean. I count that as a blessing. We didn't have any romantic getaways planned for the day of our anniversary, that would be coming a couple of days later. But what we did do was get up before the sun broke the horizon and go down to the beach to capture it. Here is what we saw...

Traveling the Yucatan - Day 4 - Tulum

2011-07-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

When going to Tulum, wear a swimsuit. I wish we had known to do this because if we had known then I wouldn't have had to change into my swimsuit between a couple of palm trees off a less traveled path with the fear of someone coming down that path. Luckily no one came and I was able to get into my swimsuit. Tulum is one of the best preserved coastal Mayan sites. It was one of the last inhabited Mayan cities and is picturesque in it's setting.

Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we have special interest in these sites as being cities of the ancestors of a group of people in the Book of Mormon known as Lamanites. There are many carvings and drawings and buildings at Tulum that are recognizable from The Book of Mormon. We had a guide named Abinadi who was a member of our church and gave us a tour in both English and Spanish as we had both languages in our group. He did an excellent job and shared his testimony with us at the end.

Did I mention it was hot there? So hot. I remember it as being the hottest of all the days. When you finish wandering around the grounds you are able to go down to the beach they have right there and cool off in the sea. That's why you need to be wearing your swimsuit.

There is no where to change. The beach is crowded so if you want a truly amazing beach experience then exit the park and turn left to walk to the public beaches. It's about a 1/4 mile walk and you will see a sign to your left letting you know you've arrived at a public beach.

This was the best beach we swam at. Almost empty and there was a little house serving drinks and food. Bathrooms there as well where you can change for 10 pesos. I didn't take any pictures at this beach. Upon arriving there I was so hot I dropped my backpack, kicked off my shoes and ran for the water. Then I got out and reapplied sunscreen that had surely been sweated off me during my time at Tulum. Then I got back in the water. I stayed in the water for about 3 hours. No joke. It was lovely. The sunburn I got from it? not so lovely. But it was still worth it.

Traveling the Yucatan - Day 3 - Isla Mujeres

2011-07-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

There is an island off the coast of Cancun called Isla de Mujeres and one day we took an excursion over there. For 250 pesos each we boarded a ferry with a bunch of other people and were given all the pineapple or orange juice we cared to drink while they took us over to the island. Once we arrived there we were able to get a snack in a buffet line which was really like a lunch. There were hotdogs, nachos, beans and some other stuff as well. All quite tasty. You could then spend the day there on their private beach and kayak or go on a walk to see the sea turtles.

Heidi really wanted to drink coconut milk from a coconut and for 20 pesos she was able to do that here. It made her really happy. Emma got one too and they carried their coconuts around with them everywhere that day.

We chose to walk out to the road and catch a taxi to Dolphin Discovery where we had booked a dolphin encounter for each of the girls. We had been told by some friends that this was a highlight of one of their trips and that if we ever had the chance we should do it. So we did. I felt like it was a lot of money paid ($79 per person) for the 30 minutes they got in the water with the dolphin. There were about 12 people in their group and they each got to give the dolphin a kiss and let the dolphin jump up to touch their hand. They also got to toss the ball around with the dolphin. The girls enjoyed it and I guess they can say that they got to "swim with dolphins" but I thought it was extremely overpriced for what we got, the girls agreed.

After the Dolphin Encounter we hopped back in a taxi to go back to our ferry's beach area for lunch. Lunch was included in the price of our excursion and was quite good with an assortment of mexican dishes including fish which I really enjoyed.

Then it was back on the ferry where they took us to the shopping section of the island. We got off here and headed to the point of the island where we found a nice beach to swim in. It was pretty crowded here and we only ended up having about 20 minutes in the water before we had to be back on the boat to depart for Cancun.

This day was Heidi's favorite day of the whole trip. It was probably my least favorite day because I didn't feel like I got to experience the island. We are not prepay excursion people but when traveling with a group of people you have to be flexible and go with the flow. We did that and although it wasn't a total waste of time we would have enjoyed it better doing it a different way.

How would I do it differently you ask? Well, I would take the speed boat over to the island and then rent a golf cart for $45 for the day. That would get me wherever I wanted to go. I'd go find the beach that is famous for it's sea glass. I would not swim with dolphins and I'd find some good local food on the streets and then just spend time on the beach. I'd spend all day and then take the car ferry back which leaves at 9 p.m., costs $3 per person and star gaze all the way back. That's how I'd do it differently.

Traveling the Yucatan - Day 2 - Beach day

2011-07-22T19:51:00.001-07:00

We really had no reason to go anywhere else. The beaches in Cancun are gorgeous, white sand, aqua warm waters. Emma really liked the pool area as well where they had a swim up bar. she came to me and wanted to know if she could get a smoothie from the smoothie machine. She was disappointed to find out that they had alcohol in those smoothies.

Celeste loves the sand. She must get it from her dad because he still loves being buried in the sand.

Emma stayed outside all day without a break while Makenzie went back to the room at lunchtime and then was on the computer all afternoon. Ugh, teenagers. i had to reminder her that it was a "family vacation". Heidi spent most of the day outside but eventually needed a break from the sun.

I also learned not to dive into a wave with your sunglasses on. STUPID. don't know what I was thinking. I promptly lost them and we had to go to Kulkukan Mall to get me another pair. They were not nearly as nice and did not work as well.

The Kulkukan mall is really close to the Casa Magna and there is a bank behind the mall where you can exchange your money.

Traveling the Yucatan- Day 1

2011-07-21T06:39:00.001-07:00

First of all, don't rent from Payless car rental. By the time they put all of their mandatory insurance on there you will end up paying the same amount as the rental agencies in the airport. I thought we would be saving money by going away from the airport but i was wrong and it ended up being a big headache.

Our trip started with us flying into Cancun and spending four nights at the Marriott Casa Magna. we got a great deal using our AAA rate and going in the American off-season. Not sure what is so "off" about it since we had gorgeous weather. We have seen very few Americans and a whole lot of Mexicans though so it is apparently true.

What I love about this hotel.

our room - the 3rd floor is the best in my opinion. It is the only floor that has an extended balcony and this is true for the entire hotel. We also have had an ocean view. All the rooms are ocean view though with the exception of the first floor, this is because it is on ground level and so they cant see beyond the pool to the ocean. Those first floor rooms though have a very lovely garden terrace to walk out on. The beds are awesome, very comfy with fluffy pillows. lovely. i also love the Bath and Body works amenities in the bathroom. What can i say, i notice these simple things and they make me happy.

it's clean

The Pool area
The beach There are stairs leading down to the beach and the Marriott provides lounge chairs and Palapas for your use. Since we were there in the offseason it was not difficult to get a Palapa to use. There were plenty to go around. When you are done at the beach there are outdoor showers at the bottom of the stairs for rinsing off.

The free fridge......like any resort hotel everything was expensive. So we drove to Walmart and stocked up on supplies and put it in our fridge. There is a mini fridge in the room but it's stocked with the mini bar stuff so we asked for another fridge at the front desk upon check in and they had it to our room within 15 minutes. I was surprised to see that it was a large fridge, between 3 and four feet tall so we were able to put sandwich stuff in there, milk, yogurt and of course plenty of diet coke. It saved us a lot of money.

The crazies of summer

2011-07-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Today Makenzie gets home and it will be the first time since school got out for the summer that all five of us have been home at the same time. Crazy, huh?

here is the break down of who has been home.

Week 1 of summer break: Dad and the youngest
Week 2: Dad, oldest, middle
Week 3: Dad, mom, youngest
Week 4 (current week): Dad, Mom, Oldest (gets home tonight), middle)
Next week? All of us as we are flying to Mexico on Sunday and they will not be able to escape the plane!

It didn't used to be like this. I used to schedule out activities for each day of the summer just so that we would have something to do each day and they could look forward to something. Now, they make their own activies with friends and camps and all sorts of things. I have been thinking that when Makenzie gets home today we are going to sit down as a family and talk about this week. That nobody is going anywhere this week. We are all staying home and spending time with EACH OTHER. I knew it would be like this. The funny thing is, when you look at August, it's empty!

So, do your summers get crazy like this? How do you ensure that family still comes first?

Santa Cruz, How I Love Thee

2011-07-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Myself, my youngest daughter and a friend of hers packed up the car and took a road trip to Santa Cruz, CA. We went through the Redwoods to get there and it was truly beautiful. I had no idea how old those trees were. Crazy old. I mean some of them were here at the time that Jesus was here on the earth. That is really old.

When we arrived Heidi's friend Sidney ran out to greet us. Eliza was hiding under some blankets and in gasps of words because she was so excited, Heidi told Sidney some story about how we picked up someone off the side of the road. When Heidi said this Eliza popped out from underneath the blankets and to all of their delight Sidney's face beemed and she said, "ELIZA!!!!" It was a great moment. Sid knew that Heidi was coming but we kept the fact that we were bringing Eliza too a secret. From that moment on it looked like this:

I was also happy to see Merilee. I have really missed her. My life has really changed since she has been gone. Not in a dramatic way but in small ways that are noticeable to me. Like for instance, I have nobody to call at the last minute to do things. I have tried a couple of times to call different people and I just get the, "well, i'm busy right now but maybe next week" answer. But what they don't understand is that I want to come over to their house and have them make me lunch NOW. Not next week. I mean, is that too much to ask?

I would post a picture of Merilee and I together but, yeah, don't have one. Never took one. I'm kind of in an anti picture mood at the moment. And Merilee never wants her picture taken so I avoided that.

What I loved about our Santa Cruz Vacation

The boardwalk with the rides, I felt so California-ish

The beach in Carmel

Finding Sea Glass in Monterey

Watching the porpoises in Monterey

The sun on my face

Making strawberry Lemonade with the girls

The fairytale houses in Carmel

Lush

Merilee's house

Seeing three sweet adorable girls reunited

Watching Mason on the skim board

Spending time with Merilee

The fruit stand

Phil's Fish Shack

As I mentioned in a previous post, I got a new camera. I've been desperately trying to figure out how to take good pictures with is. This was my best one of the week. I like how it turned out.

2011-07-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to find this picture sent to me in my email. It is so awesome. It is a picture of my cousin's son, Connor. He is in the middle, the one that is tall with dark hair. We attended a church meeting where he spoke about the Gospel of Jesus Christ a few weeks ago. I was so impressed with his knowledge and preparation. He will be an outstanding missionary. This picture was taken when he arrived at the MTC in Brazil. I cried when I saw this picture, that picture signifies a beginning of a chapter of his life he will NEVER regret and love possibly more than any other. It's a beginning to learning what true love is because he will love those people with a fierceness that he has not experienced before. I miss that time in my life. I was able to become everything I wanted to be. There is a mantle of authority given to the Lord's missionaries and with that mantle you can do some pretty incredible things.

Connor will be serving in the Brazil, Manaus mission. That mission used to be a part of the mission I served in, the Brazil, Brasilia mission. He will love it and will come home weighing about 25 lbs less because he will walk and sweat so much. Can I go on another mission? That weight loss plan might actually work for me!

Boa Sorte, Connor. Amo Voce!

The feelings of being human

2011-06-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is one of those posts where I'm glad certain people don't read my blog. I've been struggling lately with feelings of jealously, anger and disappointment. All feelings from satan, yessiree. It all has to do with a certain ballroom dance trip to Hawaii. You see, our oldest, Makenzie was invited to go to Hawaii with a small group of kids to teach ballroom dance and perform for a church youth group there. Of course Makenzie was ecstatic. The problem? We found out about it 4 weeks ago. And a week ago the dates were finalized, they will be leaving July 1st. I thought to myself, surely parents don't have that kind of money to be sending their teenage sons or daughters off at the last minute. Or even if they did have the money, would they spend it on something so last minute? Surprisingly the answer is YES. Everyone of the 8 kids invited will be going EXCEPT for Makenzie. We were hopeful that Chris' aunt would help out but she did not. That is her choice and I am okay with that. Today the dance teacher called and needed a firm yes or no because she needs to get tickets. I had to tell her no. It broke my heart. I hate that we don't have money in a savings account that we could send her like the other families do. I know that she will be very sad that she doesn't get to go. It would have been such a neat thing for her to put on her college application since she wants to be a dancer and teach dance as well.

I keep telling myself that it isn't meant to be. Right?

Summer Lovin'

2011-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

I love summer for all the sponaneity it brings. So you'd think that my summer would be one big open slate, right? Wrong. But I'm okay with it because I'm super duper excited about what is on the agenda.

First up, Girls Camp
This is a week long church camp where girls ages 12-18 go for a week without cell phones, make-up or listening to music. Not that we think there is anything wrong with those things. It's just a time-out from the world where friendships can be made and spiritual growth occurs. It's super fun and I love being a part of it.

Next....Trip to Cali
I will be taking off with undetermined number of daughters for a visit to see my girl, Merilee. I miss her like crazies! I need this trip like a tomato plant needs sun. It's just got to happen. I for sure am taking my youngest so she can see her bestie, Sid.

And next we have MEXICO.
I put this in capital letters because I am really really super stoked about it. We are all going, the whole family. And while I have traveled outside the U.S. a few times, this will be my husband's first stamp in his passport as well as our daughters. We will be living the Mexican life as we visit family and eat tacos from street vendors.

Then we have a weekend camping trip
This just came up this morning and boy was i excited about it. We are going camping with several families that we are friends with. What a blast it will be.

Then our summer is pretty much laze around time because cheerleading and soccer start up the beginning of August. That is the time I will get some canning done, tuna for sure this summer. I am completely out and that just cannot be.

Oh, and there is also 4th of July. I love this holiday. What a fun time. Last year we did something a little different and went to a rodeo. I'm glad we did it but I sure missed the small town 4th of July feel we get by going to Harrisburg. I love it, and don't want to be anywhere else. This year Chris' sister and her family will be here as well for the holiday and we are going to make a GRAND float. (secretly, I want to win) I'm seeing a champion ribbon in our future!

Well, that's my post for tonight. Sorry no pictures. I still don't know how to put pictures on here from my new camera!

Too busy to blog

2011-06-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

I just don't feel like blogging because I am so far behind on blogging. Does that make sense?

Here are some of the things I would like to blog about:

Heidi's dance recital
Makenzie's showcase
Emma's Feis
Emma's choir concert
Heidi's field trip to state capitol
Heidi graduating from elementary school
My trip to Coos Bay and the estate sale
My new camera
Our summer plans

Let me just tell you about the camera for now. A week ago my husband bought me a Nikon D3000. I am very excited about this because it's on my List of 50 Things. Now I need to take a photography class and learn how to use it. I haven't taken a single picture with it yet but I am going to today. There is an awards ceremony this afternoon at Heidi's school and she is receiving 2 awards. She is P.E. student of the year and she is receiving the Presidential scholar award. Plus I think she will be getting a few other awards and certificates as well.

I can't believe my baby is done with elementary school. Wow! The other night she was very sad because she will be going to a different school next year and won't be seeing her friends. That is a hard thing. And it's difficult for her to imagine making new friends, but I know she will. Everyone likes Heidi. She is kind to everyone and always has a smile on her face. Those are two very likeable qualities and I'm sure she will have friends in no time.

Well, I'm off to an awards ceremony!

Right now....

2011-06-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

I am listening to Makenzie play the piano and it brings joy to my soul!
I am preparing to go out of town for a week...a last minute trip to help my mom out with some things.
I am grateful for good friends that don't mind picking up the pieces of my life in order to help me be there for my mom.
I love my husband for being the incredible caring man that he is....I could not have chosen a better person to spend my life with.
I am rejoicing in the fact that Makenzie made Encore choir...an audition choir made up of five different stakes in our area.
I am happy that Emma did so well at her Feis yesterday. Highlight was 6th place out of 29 for her Treble Reel and Treble Jig, placing above much more experienced dancers!
I am sad at having to miss Heidi's field trip and Emma's choir performance which she is singing a solo at.

I will be gone for a week....happy sunny days (hopefully) to you all!

Let's Dance

2011-06-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

My girls dance.

All of them.

And I love it.

Last night was Makenzie's showcase with In Motion Dance and it was amazing, same as last year.

I especially love to watch Makenzie's arms. She makes beautiful lines and looks so graceful.

The first two pictures are of the Square Dance they did. It was very well done and I loved their costumes. The video of Makenzie's Cinderella Waltz. They took first place at the Columbia Star Ball with this dance the beginning of May.
When the video starts, Makenzie is in the front right. Sorry there are some technical difficulties with the recording. I was helping my sister-in-law locate Makenzie and didn't hold my camera still enough.

Makenzie is in the front here.

Waltz For A Ball, In Motion Showcase 2011 from Darilyn May on Vimeo.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2011-05-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Rhubarb is one of those things that come spring, I dream of using. I have probably four or five recipes in my to-do collection of whom Rhubarb, is the star.

Yet I have never made a single thing with Ms. Rhubarb....until today.

The other day Elissa posted on her blog, 17 and Baking a new recipe, one for

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.

Those pictures, oh, those pictures.

I had to have some.

So I made it today.

Let's just say, I like Ms. Rhubarb, she is a mighty fine gal!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

(taken from 17 and Baking)
An I- Family Original
Makes a 9×9″ pan

Crisp Topping
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup oatmeal

Fruit Filling
6 stalks rhubarb
1 1/2 pints of strawberries
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and almonds. Mix the softened, room temperature butter into the flour mixture with a fork or with your fingers until crumbly.
Peel off outer skin of rhubarb and cut off the ends. Cut stalks in one-inch pieces, enough to make three cupfuls. Hull the berries, cut in half. Toss fruit together with the sugar and flour until evenly coated. Place the fruit in a 9×9″ baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly, brown and crisp.

Moving on

2011-05-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

All right, I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not feeling the creative juices flowing through my veins, or at least the juices that cared about being creative. I have not really cared. I have too much stuff on my plate right now. And although the stuff on my plate is going to be sitting there awhile it doesn't mean I need to wallow in self-pity. Ugh. I think I need to put it out there. Just state it loud and clear. The reason I haven't been blogging very much lately or at least very well is this:

I received a phone call that my daughter was "a very troubled girl" and that was news to me.

My mom is selling practically everything she owns and moving in with us (this makes me happy but stressful, you know what i mean)

We don't know what we are doing with our house.

I would love to be able to cry on someone's shoulder

I feel large and not in charge (that's something my sister and I say)

I feel under accomplished

I feel unappreciated by my children

I am not getting enough sleep

My room is a complete disorganized mess

I can't seem to get caught up on dishes

I am getting bored with work for the first time in 4 years

I can't seem to get the time or motivation to take care of all the home projects we need to do

I haven't been eating very well

I am not exercising.

I feel invisible at church

All right, there we go. Now I am attaching this list to a helium balloon and letting it fly away.

No, they will not disappear from my life but perhaps I can get on with my life?

Raise your glass to better days!

Flashback to sophomore year

2011-05-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

Comrades-in-Cars (sophomore girls) take revenge on The Commandos (Senior guys) by attempting to T.P. 8 houses in one night. This is just half the comrades...

Can you guess which one is me?

p.s. on this night we picked the lock at the local mall and took industrial rolls of TP.

What was I thinking?

Flashback to the 70s....

2011-05-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am lovin me this picture right now. My sister is scanning old pictures that she is finding at my auntie's house and putting them on Facebook. This is me and my grandma Johns, my mom's mom, at the farm. What I noticed almost immediately, right after the awesome knee-highs, is that I have her hands. Meaning the hands i have right now look like grandma's do in that picture. I also noticed my Cabbage Patch Doll, Sheila Wendy. Yep, i remember her name. And I have finger nail polish on. I love the couch we are sitting on. But what I love the most is just seeing my grandma. I sure miss her. She was an integral part of my life and if you would have asked me at that age who was grandma's favorite I would have most definitely said, "me". This is according to my Auntie Pat who says that I apparently went around telling everyone that I was grandma's favorite. I'm sure I couldn't help myself. I was taught to never lie!

Best Coupon Day Ever

2011-05-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

I started to get serious about couponing 4 weeks ago. In that time I have learned a lot, more than I thought I would actually. And all that knowledge in my brain and with the help of some coupons led me to my BEST SHOPPING TRIP EVER.

Are you ready?

Here it is.

The total at the register before we started doing any coupons or discounts was

$28.45

And the total after all coupons and discounts?

$2.31

Yeah, that's right.

Pretty good, huh?

.....sorry, i am just so excited about it.

A friend asked me today if I was buying things I wouldn't normally buy.

Well.....yeah.

But I'm not buying things I wouldn't use.

For example, those Hormel Compleat meals?

I would never buy those.

But they had a healthy version of them (if you can call it that) and it's just the kind of thing that i know my 16 year-old would love for an after-school snack. And when it's going to give you money back at the register

.......you buy it.

And those Viactiv chewable calciums? I would never buy them because I couldn't afford it. I've actually wanted to try them for a long time and now I can!

Oh, I bought all this at Rite-Aid. When starting to do couponing it is suggested that you pick one store and get familiar with it really well before moving on to another store. You may see that there are some good deals out there at, let's say, Walgreens or Target but it's better for the first month to just stick with one store and learn the couponing. I followed that advice and it led to my shopping trip today.

I will be adding Walgreens next. I've heard there are some fantastic deals to be had there.

So, do you coupon? If so, what stores?

Spring has arrived

2011-05-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling like spring is here....finally.

not that It has stopped raining or anything crazy like that.

But it does have more of that 'spring' feel to it. You know the feeling I'm talking about, where you don't have to pull the winter coat out of the closet when heading out the door, a sweatshirt will do.

That's the feeling.

But there are some things I'm looking forward to with the arrival of spring.

Farmers Market

We have an awesome one. It opened this last weekend and although I didn't get to go this week, i will be there for sure this coming Saturday.

Planting my garden

I'm going to pick up my plants at the Farmer's Market this week. I'm going to plant

Corn

Green beans

Potatoes

Cucumbers

Lettuce

Tomatoes

I can't wait!

Summerizing my back patio

which this year will include refinishing my redwood picnic table.

I'm also really excited to have a S'mores Buffet ever since I saw these in the grocery store.

They will make a nice addition to graham crackers.

What are you looking forward to this spring?

Merry May Day

2011-05-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

We love May Day in this family. This year for our annual celebration we had a picnic at the park. We invited some friends along to enjoy it with us. Here's a few pictures from this year's celebration. Notice the sunglasses? Yep, that's right, we had sun!

Ashley and Camila, two ladies I adore

Two darlings, Makenzie and Laura

Anton, he belongs to Miss Ashley

Visit from the in-laws

2011-04-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Chris has two sets of parents. One of those sets is visiting today. They don't live nearby and rarely, i mean rarely visit us. In fact, this will only be the second time they have ever been to our home in the 18 years we've been married. And for about eight years of our married life they only lived two hours away.

When I was a kid our grandparents came to see us as well as us visiting them, it went both ways. I loved the time spent with them and even though they have all passed away now I have memories of time spent with them that will forever stay with me.

So i guess I feel a little sad for these grandparents of my children that are coming today. Chris' parents are excited to see our girls. Our girls don't know if they are excited or not because they barely know them. And you know how kids are, that is going to come through loud and clear when they see them. Awkward embraces, one word answers to their questions, fake smiles. I can see it happening already.

But I am glad these parents are making an effort. It's the most effort they have made in probably forever and I hope that they see how important it is to stay connected. I believe in family. I believe in putting forth the effort to keep family close. I also believe that you can spend wasted time trying to keep that connection alive. I reached a point about eight years ago when I decided that I was done trying to keep the bond strong between my husband's parents and our nuclear family. It wasn't coming from Chris and it wasn't coming from his parents so why was I trying? I was trying because of our girls. But then I realized one day that it was really the adults in the picture that were going to lose out. I mean, my girls have three other sets of grandparents besides the ones showing little to no interest. They were not going to miss out from me taking a step back and letting that relationship take it's course. So i did. And now they barely know them anymore.

It's not very often that I speak candidly about personal things relating to family. But today I felt like I should. If you have a family member that ten years from now you will regret not being closer with, then call them. Pick up the phone and call. You will probably be glad you did.

Kitchen blunders makes for kitchen wonders

2011-04-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that I make kitchen blunders. I suppose it's because I am religious about following recipes. Even things that I have made dozens of times. Yesterday I wanted to take some homemade chicken soup to a friend that was sick. I know that this friend loves bread so I thought that it would be nice to make something to go with the soup. I didn't have time for rolls that take time to rise but I thought I could whip up a batch of biscuits. I decided on a new recipe from a source that I trust and went to work.

I knew it looked wrong, very wrong. But since I trusted this recipe source I went ahead and poured it onto the baking sheet. Ten minutes later when I looked in the oven, this is what I saw.

I laughed out loud when I saw this.

They were cheddar cheese pancakes!

So I went with the theme and switched to a pan on top of the stove with a little bit of butter in it.

When the butter was melted and just about to turn color I gently poured my batter in and cooked them up.

After they were golden brown with crispy edges I brushed some melted garlic butter on the tops.

I never took a picture of the final product but it looked much better than what you see above.

And they were tasty too.

I put a few on a plate for my friend and took them to her with some Chicken noodle soup.

And I decided that it was kind of nice to make a mistake and discover something new.

oh...

p.s.

The reason they turned out like that is because I filled my milk to the wrong line in this.

I don't like this...

2011-04-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

You know what I don't like?

When you are really trying to do a good job at something and all that others see is the occasional blunders and mistakes that you make in life. Why can't people be more positive and point out the good in others rather than always pointing out the mistakes? If we would all give more praise in this world then maybe it would inspire all of us to be better people. It makes me want to drop-kick some people.

Amen.

Easter Spirit

2011-04-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

You know how it feels in those final weeks before Christmas when you don't feel like you have the Christmas "Spirit"? That is how I have felt the past week leading up to Easter. My focus hasn't been what it should be, it hasn't been on the Savior. So of course in those final days leading up to Easter I wasn't feeling it. I was feeling like it was just going to be another Sunday.

But then things changed.

Because I attended a funeral.

This funeral was for a girl who had been on Makenzie's ballroom dance team. She was 18 when she passed away from liver cancer. I went to the funeral out of support for Makenzie. I didn't really know Risa all that well. I had only spoken with her a couple of times. But the impact her funeral had on me will remain with me for the rest of my life. I am still in awe at how an 18 year-old girl could teach me about what having a testimony of the Savior is. Her funeral was not a telling of her life. Rather it was the telling of her testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, His atonement, his resurrection and the life he led. Her brother read from her journal and in-between passages the choir that she had been a part of would sing songs about what she had wrote about. All songs about Jesus Christ. I was moved to tears during most of it.

So when I woke up on Sunday morning I was very grateful for having attended Risa's funeral. I was grateful to her, and the example she set for me. I paid closer attention during church and listened more intently to the words that were reverently spoken about my Savior. And my Easter was wonderful.

Thank you, Risa.

Making important decisions

2011-04-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today I read this from food blog, "17 And Baking".

I cried.

I was so genuinely happy for her and also a tad bit envious at the same time. If there was a time in my life I wish I could do over it would be from age 22-24. After getting home from my mission I think I was anxious to define myself. I had been a missionary for 18 months, a role I loved, one I didn't want to leave behind. And when I got home I was left thinking, what now? I mean, I had a boyfriend I was waiting for while he completed his mission but other than that I did not have a clue of what I was doing. I jumped into school because that's what you do. And that was all fine until I ended up at BYU. From there I made choices in my education that to this day I wonder if I should have done differently. I've often thought it's a little unfair to expect young 20 year-olds to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

So this blog post by Elissa made me so happy for her. So happy that she is young and figuring out what path she should take.

She is already very talented. Those of us that have been reading her blog for a while know this. And it's good to have direction, congratulations, Elissa.

Heidi's 11 year-old Birthday Interview

2011-04-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite TV show? Good Luck Charlie

What is your favorite movie? Despicable Me

What is your favorite color? Light green or dark blue

What is your favorite food? Chili

What is your favorite thing to do with mom? Shopping

What is your favorite thing to do with dad? I like to go to his work

What is your favorite thing to do with your sisters? Playing

What do you want to be when you grow up? Cheerleader

Do you have a favorite friend? Sidney & Eliza

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at home? I like to go swimming in the summer and I like to do cheerleading.

What is your favorite toy or thing? iPod

What is your favorite book? Fairest

What is your favorite animal? Lion

Do you want to go on a mission? Yes

Do you want kids? Yes

What's hard to do? Math

What have you learned from your Primary teachers this year? Respect others

What do you love to do? Hang out with friends

I am blessed to know you. I have learned a lot from you in this past year. I have never seen a girl your age be able to withstand peer pressure like you can. You are never one to "follow the crowd" if it something that is wrong. I love that you stand up for those that are being picked on. People want to be your friend and for good reason, you treat them with respect and love. I know it was hard to have one of your closest friends move away this year. You are a great cheerleader and dancer and take it very seriously. Work hard at developing your talents. I can't believe you will be in middle school next year. I know you are going to do great things in the years to come!

Love,

Mom

P.S. I love your magenta streaks in your hair!

First Date

2011-04-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Pioneer Heritage Academy formal dance. Makenzie went last year and had a great time. This year, since she was 16, and old enough to date she wanted to go with a date. She asked Ashton Hamm to go to the dance with her and then he suggested they go to dinner as well. Woah, a full-fledged date was on the horizon. Her and her friend, Mica, planned the evening. It started three weeks in advance with shopping for dresses. Then the night before the dance they had a "dress rehearsal" where they put their dresses and make-up on and made sure they all looked okay. Then the day of the dance they got together and did each other's hair and make-up and made the boy's boutinneires. When the boys arrived they went to Red Robin for dinner and then on to the dance. Here are some pictures of the evening.

Makenzie had a great time. This next weekend is the Priest/Laurel prom for our church. I know she wishes that someone would ask her to go. And i have to say that I'm a little disappointed that no one has. I mean, hello, she is gorgeous. Why would they NOT want to ask her? But I am a little biased I guess! I think she is going to go without a date which I think is a great idea. And the great thing? There will be very few people at this upcoming dance that were at the last one so she is planning on wearing the same dress!

Stuck Like Glue

2011-04-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Since the first time I heard the song, Stuck Like Glue from Sugarland I loved it. I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard it. Driving in the car at the intersection of Murray and Farmington Road with the 7-11 on my right. When the Reggae part started to the song I sat there, driving, mesmerized, thinking, what the heck? But a huge smile spread across my face. Leave it to Sugarland to do something totally unexpected but that works.

Fast forward 4 months later and I'm cooking in my kitchen with GAC on the TV in the other room. It's been on a lot for the past 5 days. Ever since I talked the Mr. into getting cable in order to watch General Conference this past weekend. We only get it for 30 days and then we are shutting it back off. So that means I have to watch a lot of country music videos in order to get caught up! Anyway, I'm stirring at the stove and I hear Stuck Like Glue come on. I have never seen this video so I peek around the corner to watch. Once again Mes-mer-ized! Love this video!

And of course I can't help but think of my best friend Merilee and our many concert going trips to see this hunk of a guy. I think we went to 3 of his concerts in a 12 month period once. A little obsessed? Maybe. We once snuck through a gate and fence in order to hang outside his tour bus and wait for him to come out. He did and although our encounter with him was a little disappointing (i guess we thought he'd invite us to stay for awhile and hang out) we were thrilled with our bravery and actually getting a picture with him. I wish I could find the picture. I've been looking.

Here is a picture of Merilee and I. Two more days until I get to see her!

To Mourn

2011-03-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

A year ago a member of Makenzie's ballroom dance team was diagnosed with an aggressive liver cancer. Tonight she passed away.

It's so hard to see your child mourn for something they have lost. It's difficult to imagine how Risa's family feels at this moment. My prayers and thoughts are with them tonight.

Someone posted this quote on Facebook in reference to Risa's passing. I liked it too.

Mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love. It is a natural response in complete accord with divine commandment: “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die.” ... we can’t fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life. - R. M. Nelson

Creamy Rice Pudding

2011-03-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

I had rice in my rice cooker leftover from dinner last night. So I whipped up a batch of my favorite comfort food, Creamy Rice Pudding. It's so easy. It's best when eaten warm...trust me.

Creamy Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

*2 cups cups milk, divided

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup raisins

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

First put your raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them sit there and plump up until you need them. In a medium saucepan combine rice and 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 10-15 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and drained raisins. Cook 2 minutes more stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla and serve warm.

*This is a great recipe to use that dry milk in your food storage with. I did and it tastes great.

The beginning of Spring Break started like this.....

2011-03-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

I remember well the day I had my wisdom teeth removed. I laid in the dentist chair listening to the whir of the drill. I could hear bone being chipped away and even worse was the spray of the blood and saliva and who-know-what-else on my face. I was sixteen at the time and it was a different experience than what my oldest daughter experienced today.

I went home and felt horrible. There were no pain pills for me....only Advil. I remember using ice packs but they were in the form of ice pounded with a hammer and put inside a plastic bread bag. It worked. I'm not complaining.

This morning Makenzie had four teeth removed by an oral surgeon. She was put out for the procedure and not only had a well qualified dental M.D. she had a nurse that attended to her as well. So when she passed out from the IV going in her they were quick to react with cold compresses. Makenzie came to quickly and they then gave her the gas she needed to drift off to slumber land. Afterwards they put her in a recovery room with a warm down blanket, a pillow and monitored her vitals. Wow, things have improved I thought to myself as I joined her in recovery. The nurse was super nice, Amy was her name. She gave us the lowdown on what we were to do and not to do and then when we were ready they helped Makenzie walk out to our car which was waiting in the special assigned parking spot by the back door. Nice.

Getting the pain under control this morning was a bit difficult. I ended up talking to Amy (the nurse) twice on the phone while we got things figured out. In the end Makenzie ended up taking a Demerol, 4 Percocet and 4 Advil by 4 p.m. Crazy, huh? I would only post this on my blog because I know that you, my dear readers, know that I am a good mom. And all these pills were obviously not at the same time. What happened is that the numbness wore off sooner than they expected and so we didn't end up giving her the Demerol in time. Then we ended up playing catch up for a few hours. By 3 we had the pain under control and found out that our dear Makenzie needs not a 1/2 Percocet for pain but a whole 2 pills at a time for pain. The nurse assured us that it is fine and she will most likely only need it for 2 days. So as we pump our daughter full of narcotics I am left thinking, Thank Goodness. I mean, what if we didn't have access to this? What would her experience be like? We have nice flexible reusable ice packs and milkshakes flavored with Moonstruck Chocolate.

Yes, she is spoiled.

I even went to Costco to buy her a new blanket. Then I came home and made meatballs and mashed potatoes and smashed them up with a fork and hand fed her.

Yes, she is being spoiled.

Interesting how we all turn into babies and want our mommies to take care of us when we feel bad.

Update: It has now been six days since she had her wisdom teeth removed. I have been holding onto this post in hopes that I could get a picture of her with her swollen bruised face...but no can do. She does not want that posted on here. I guess I can't blame her.

Corned Beef & Cabbage - St. Patrick's Day tradition

2011-03-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

As I've stated before, St. Patrick's Day is a big deal around here.

And it's not because we are Irish.

I mean, we do have some Irish blood in our veins but that is not why it's a big deal.

It's a big deal because of a wee lass that does Irish dancing.

So here are some pictures for your St. Patrick's Day enjoyment (a wee bit late, sorry).

Goood News

2011-03-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I heard a beeping sound. But this beeping sound didn't make sense because I was in a church and was getting ready to sit down to listen to a speaker. The chapel was full with people I knew well and some I didn't know so well but they all had friendly faces. Beep, Beep, the sound continued. I was looking around and wondering if it was stuck in my brain from the episode of Lost I had watched last night. Perhaps I was imagining it like I sometimes could hear my bird squawking when he is no where around just because I've heard him do it so much. But then I remembered I was asleep. That I had laid down to get rid of a headache that I had this morning. And then, in the recesses of my brain, I climbed out of the dream and realized it was the answering machine in the living room.

Reluctantly I got out of bed, not able to sleep with the beeping sound any longer. I shuffled into the living room and pushed play on the red blinking button.

It was my mom with a cheerful voice. "Hi, honey, I just got the results of the biopsy and it was goood news. Oh, and I think I would like to come up tomorrow after all if you haven't already given away that ticket."

Notice the extra O's on good? That's exactly how she said it, drawing out the O sound to make it extra Good. Ah, I love my mom.

And I love that she doesn't have breast cancer.

I think the headache I've had for a week has finally gone away.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2011-03-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Spring has arrived. Or has it? It's sometimes difficult to tell around here in the Northwest. But I do know that these spring rolls make me happy. And that's part of spring, putting a bounce in our step. I hope that these spring rolls do that for you.

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2 ounces rice vermicelli (rice noodles)

8 rice wrappers (8.5 diameter)

8 large cooked shrimp (26-30 count size)

16-24 fresh Thai basil leaves

Fresh mint leaves

fresh cilantro

green leaf lettuce

1 carrot

1/3 cucumber

Preparation

boil rice vermicelli 3-5 minutes or until al dente, drain and let cool.

Peel shrimp deveined and cut in half

wash basil and mint, keep whole leaves

Chop cilantro and lettuce

Julienne carrots and cucumber

Directions:

1. Fill a large bowl with warm water. dip one wrapper into hot water for 1 second to soften.

2. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the front of the wrapper, place 2 shrimp halves, a couple of basil leaves and a handful of vermicelli,

3. Add carrots, cucumber, mint, cilantro and lettuce leaving about 2 inches on each side

4. Tightly roll the wrapper around the ingredients. After about halfway rolled, fold uncovered sides inward, then finishing rolling the wrapper.

Rolls should be prepared close to serving time as they may dry out. If preparing ahead of time cover with air tight container and keep cool. Makes 8 rolls.

(Thanks, Bro. Cox for being my hand model )

And my favorite sauce to go with them:

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup water

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions.

1. In a 2 qt. saucepan combine water, peanut butter and minced garlic

2. Cook over medium-low heat stirring until mixture bils nad thicketns

3. Remove from heazt and stir in packed brown sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce and red pepper.

4. Serve hot

If made ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, stir over low heat until hot; if necessary, add more water to restore to original consistency. makes about 2 cups.

A little too close to home

2011-03-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

So some of you may have seen this already. This is for those of you that haven't.

I post this in honor of Emma going to a the Pacific Northwest Championship Feis tomorrow. Because I could not help but think of this in relation to Irish Dance. I have two words for you....THE WIG. I have got to make an Irish Dance version of this.

Tom Hanks is brilliant as is his daughter. What do you think?

Hail Caesar!

2011-03-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

picture courtesy of Pioneer Woman

Remember my cheerful tablecloth? Tonight I made a cheery salad to go with it. I made Pam's Simple Scrumptious Caesar Salad from Pioneer Woman's cooking website. As I was slurping up the last piece of romaine on my plate I declared it to be one of the best salads I've ever made. It's all in the dressing and the croutons. And who would've thought to make the homemade croutons that way? You first blend up 4 cloves of garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil in the blender. Then you sieve the garlic out and toss your cut up french bread pieces in the garlic/oil mixture. Then you throw it in your hot skillet. I used my cast iron one and they crisped and browned up very nicely. Then the dressing for the salad is made by throwing that garlic you saved from the oil mixture in with some mayo and fresh lemon. Oh. My. Gosh. delicious. It's very garlicky. So if you don't like garlic don't even go there. But, the lemon is bright and strong and paired with the garlic it is a sensory experience for your taste buds.

A table good enough to sleep on

2011-02-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

Recently my sister gave me this tablecloth. It was love at first sight. And then, when I put it on my table, I wanted to lay on top of it and wrap myself up in it, pretending it was a new sheet on my bed. You know how new sheets are, glorious and lovely, you want to stay in bed forever. Well, I want to sit at my table forever.

I just love it.

Thanks, Krista!

Great Day = today!

2011-02-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have been so excited the past couple days.

It's because I get to do one of my favorite things....ever.

I get to research airline tickets to CANCUN.

Yay!

Not that i haven't spent time researching it already....

because I have.

But this time it's different because when I find just the right price/schedule....

I'm BUYING it.

And to top it all off, it's a sunny day here in Oregon!

Oh, and to doubly top if off, my mom is coming to visit me!!!!!!

Anchor

2011-02-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

This weekend Krista, heidi and I walked the docks in Charleston, Oregon. As I stepped carefully along the rickety boards I noted the different boats. Some were big, some small, some in better condition than others. There were some that seemed they had had their anchor in the water for a bit too long. Covered in rust, garbage piled up inside and on the deck, ropes that had been sitting stagnant for far too long. I wondered who owned them and why they weren't being used. The anchor, it seemed, was good for keeping the boat secure. But if the anchor was never lifted up every once in a while then the boat became so worn out it would be difficult to navigate the waters of the ocean.

This is a metaphor for how I feel.

It seems that every time I return from going out of town or blog about it I get the comment that I "travel a lot" from at least a couple people.

This President's Day weekend I went to Coos Bay to see my Momma and Sister because it seemed like the right thing to do. It wasn't a trip I planned way in advance. In fact, I planned on being home because Chris was going to be out of town and Makenzie had a ballroom dance performance. But then, last Sunday, I was laying on the couch in that Sunday stupor of laziness and thought to myself, you should go to Coos Bay. I talked it over with Chris and Makenzie and they agreed, I should go.

Fast forward 7 days to this past Sunday and I am sitting in sacrament meeting when a friend I have known my whole life, turns around and asks me "why" I was in Coos Bay. Huh? I looked at my mom, back at her and then said, "well, it was a three day weekend and I wanted to come see mom." It just seemed obvious to me. What came next was, "you leave home a lot."

I was telling my sister that I can't quite figure out what people mean when they say this to me. There have been times that the comment seems almost like an accusation. The first time that occured I brushed it off. But since it has happened more and more frequently in my life I have to wonder if there is something to this.

But this is what I know: I am a better person because I travel. A better mom. A better wife. I need my breaks. And I need them more than once a year.

There was a time, when my children were small, that I only got to go on one weekend trip a year to visit a friend. This has changed as my children have gotten older and are more independent.

This is also what I know: We all have our priorities.

People that have asked me how I afford to travel. Simply, look at my house. I have the same original 70s (albeit in good condition darn it) vinyl on my floors. Many a person would have "updated" by now. Not me, I spend my money on gas to visit my mom. Or on gas money to take my middle daughter to an Irish dance competition in Utah. My priority is providing experiences for myself and my family during this time here on earth. The money that I spent in Ukraine last spring could definitley have provided the pergola I want on my back porch. And some people would have chosen that Pergola. That's fine. I did not.

Perhaps people are making the comment to me because they are jealous. That was my sister's thought. If someone is jealous of that then maybe their spirit is telling them to take flight every once in a while. It's okay to do, you know.

I also know when to say no to traveling. Chris and I were supposed to take a trip to Mexico City last spring. It was planned, we were excited. But for some reason we kept putting off the purchse of those tickets. So I finally said to Chris, "Let's pray about it." And we did and we got the answer to not go. Chris' brother was disappointed to not have us there at their pre-wedding party but understood. You know what happened? The Swine Flu broke out and they were barely able to leave the house and they almost wouldn't let my brother-in-law into the temple for his soon-to-be wife's endowment. If we had gone it would have equaled = stuck in the house and no temple for us. We were also supposed to go to Rexburg this weekend for Makenzie's ballroom dance competition. Last week some things came up and we had to decide if we were going to go or not. We decided to not go. Or at least I decided. I think Chris still may not agree with that decision. But yesterday I found out that my cousin's son will be receiving his endowment on Saturday at the temple. We love him and it will be really nice to be there for that.

My point is, going places is part of who I am and my personality. The Mindy Gledhill song, Anchor, resonates with me on this very topic. She sings,

When all the world is spinning round
Like a red balloon way up in the clouds
And my feet will not stay on the ground
You anchor me back down

I am nearly world renowned
As a restless soul who always skips town
But I look for you to come around
And anchor me back down

The anchor of a ship keeps it from moving too far. It can still move a little but it's not going to drift away. My family is like that for me, they keep me grounded, keep me focused on what is important. Yet, they let me go every once in a while to explore new things and have experiences that will enrich their lives when I return. I love them for that.

And I love to see the world.

Emma's 13th Birthday Interview

2011-02-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Emma with her Aunt Sara and cousin, Celeste

What is your favorite TV show? I like Survivor

What is your favorite movie? Despicable Me

What is your favorite color? Anything Neon

What is your favorite food? I like the Thai Curry dish we had for my birthday dinner tonight.

What is your favorite thing to do with mom? Go shopping

What is your favorite thing to do with dad? Snowboarding

What is your favorite thing to do with your sisters? Goof off

What do you want to be when you grow up? An architect

Do you have a favorite friend? Not really

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at home? Hang out with friends

What is your favorite toy or thing? My cat and bird

What is your favorite book? Maximum Ride

What is your favorite animal? I like all animals

Do you want to go on a mission? Yeah

Do you want kids? Depends on who I marry!

What's hard to do? Science

What have you learned from your YW leaders this year? The values

What do you love to do? Irish Dance

Emma, I see so much potential in you. Potential that you have yet to even discover. My hope is that you do discover it because once you do you will be unstoppable and unbeatable in whatever you do in life. I'm proud of you and all the things that you do to help those around you. You are going to be an amazing Beehive class president, you are a leader even though I think you would rather sit back and follow. You are a beautiful Irish dancer and I hope that someday we get a chance to go to Worlds together. That would be amazing. But, for now, keep working hard at school, that should be your first priority. I also love how much you love young children. You are such a good babysitter and will be a very good mom someday. You are so sweet with your nieces and nephews and they adore you for it. I love you, Emma.

The Pros and Cons of Valentines Day

2011-02-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

I got this idea from Pioneer Woman. If you have never checked out her blog....you should.

The Pros: Creative, fun, diligent, beautiful, graceful, committed.

The Cons: She'll leave me some day

The pros: Sense of humor, thinker, gentle, loyal, always barefoot, gorgeous.

The Cons: She'll leave me some day.

The Pros: Friend, loving, wild, loud, eats whole tomatoes, pretty

The Cons: She'll leave me some day.

The Pros: Wild hair, rustic, Keens, likes me, uses professional hair products, smart, likes chocolate and sushi.

The Cons: Doesn't like pastel bed sheets or pillowcases.

But he'll never leave me!

The Pros: Likes to ride horses, is a good boy at the boarders, good kisser, goes to bed on time, sings to me.

The Cons: Goes potty in inappropriate places

But he'll never leave me either. He doesn't have choice though, I clip his wings!

In honor of Emma's birthday

2011-02-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

Single and Sex....the conversation continues

2011-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

There has been quite the conversation going on lately in the blogger world. A conversation about being a single Mormon woman and premarital sex. The conversation started when this article was posted in the New York Times. And then C. Jane of C. Jane Enjoy It got on the band wagon and posted her thoughts here. And then there was perhaps my favorite response here.

After reading Ms. Hardy's article I felt sad, sad for her that she didn't seem to get it. She couldn't see the big picture that Ms. Dyer could see. We are daughters of God. We are not defined by a man's touch or by the fact that we are married or not. There may be some of you out there that would say I just don't know. I don't know what it's like to be a single woman in the LDS church. And you're right, I don't. But I do know that I didn't get married so that I can have sex which is what C. Jane purports is the cultural norm of our religion.

She writes, "The lie wasn't being fed to me in the doctrines of Mormonism. This was a cultural deception, full attack on all sides. It told me sex was all there was and if it came with a price--a bad marriage stuffed into a small apartment--it was worth the cost. It told me that no man would care about intelligence when there was a warm body to touch. It told me that a woman was only as good as her successful husband and children. I was disillusioned--in attempting "the dream," I discovered the tragedy."

My dream was and is to spend my life with a good companion. Someone to talk to, share with, laugh with and yes, love with. And I'm pretty sure that was the reason that my husband wanted to marry me. It wasn't for the warm body (or was it? wink, wink) That is a benefit to be sure. But I'd like to think that intelligence had something to do with it. The last I heard the motto at BYU was Enter to Learn.....Go forth to Serve. NOT Enter to Marry....Go forth have sex. I suspect that most men want to marry someone that is bright and intelligent.

Ms. Hardy suggests in her New York Times article that the reason so many Mormons get married young is because they can't wait to have sex. Surely this isn't the case. I hope not. I believe the reason that many people get married young (early 20s) in the LDS church is because there is a strong sense of family.

In the face of all this I have been thinking of my girls and wondering what their perceptions are. I want them to know that they are first and foremost a Daughter of God, heirs to all He has. I believe in teaching young women (and young men) about temple marriage. I also want to teach that they are more than a temple marriage. I hope that all teenage girls have a self-esteem that is strong enough to withstand a potential break-up of a marriage. Or what if marriage does not happen for them? Will they have a strong enough sense of who they are that they won't feel defined by whether they have been married in the temple or not? I want them to want a temple marriage. But not wallow in it if it doesn't happen for them right away. I want them to live life and become the best person that they can be. Amen.

Valentine Nostalgia

2011-02-09T20:44:00.000-08:00

When I was in elementary school Valentines Day was a day I looked forward to with anticipation. Art time would be spent decorating pouches or boxes for our various red and pink cards. There was the trip to the store to pick out just the right box mass produced cards to give to your friends (and non-friends). Your teacher always gave you a list of student names and then you would spend forever pouring over the box of valentines to decide which one was just right for each person. I would separate mine into piles, the pile that were cuter and sweeter would go to the girls I liked and the occasional boy I thought was cute. The other pile would go to the snotty girls and the other boys. They were filled out, put in envelopes and names put on them. Then the day of the party would come. Oh, we could barely stand it, the waiting. When our teacher gave the go-ahead we would walk around the room delivering our valentines to the lucky recipients. After the delivery was completed we would get to open our mailboxes and read our mail, secretly searching to see if you got one from the current crush in your life. Occasionally there would be a lollipop attached to the valentine which was super cool. Homemade treats would be delivered to our desks by sweet room mothers and we thought it was the best day of the year.

That was the extent of our parties. Not something grand in scheme or sacrifice. Simple, sweet and what I would consider now, old-fashioned.

Let's fast forward 30 years......

In grades K-3 my girls have had parties for Valentines day. After that, nothing. Why? It seems to be a combination of being "fair" to all students and teachers not wanting to bother with it. Sad.

Luckily, Heidi had a cool teacher last year and she had a party in 4th grade. This year, in her final year of elementary school I was not to be deterred from having my daughter experience one last youthful Valentines day. She was going to make some valentines and give them away, party or not. So off to the craft store I went, gathering felt in the colors of love. There are no class lists because that would be hindering student confidentiality. Nor will there will be store-bought treats (lest they be laced with poison) on Friday distributed by room parents. But Heidi will be handing out a valentine to the kids in her room.

Heidi's home-made valentines

And I hope it brings a smile to their face like it did to mine 30 years ago.

Trust, Hope & Love

2011-01-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have felt a lot of sadness over the past several days. An ache in my heart that I am trying to erase with the power of hope. It's difficult when you feel that you are at a loss to know what to do for a child. Have there been prayers? Yes, many. Have there been professional appointments? Yes, those too. Have we tried reasoning? You bet, until we feel like we are running in circles with our words. Have we tried punishment? Yes. Have we tried a reward system? Sure, I thought that was working only to find out....nope.

I have been trying really hard over the past few months to put my trust in God. To not rely on the strength of my own arms too much. I have a tendency to do that and I realized that by not trusting in God I was missing out on some of the signs and answers he was giving me. So i've been trusting more. I have to wonder though if I was missing the point, did I "trust" too much and not do enough on my own? Or is this just a trial and I need to keep trusting in God that all will be well?

When I am consumed with my own thoughts I have a difficult time reaching out to others. Today is the last day of the month and in LDS terms that means your Visiting Teaching needs to be done. One visit per month to the sisters you are assigned. Not difficult, and something I love. But it's been hard for me this month to get out of the house and go. But I need to and that's why I am going this morning. It will be an impromptu "hello" with a treat. Not much but hopefully they will at least know that I love them.

And so I guess that's what I need to do for my children as well. Let them know more that I love them. I told a friend a couple of weeks ago that the most important thing in life is not what college our kids get into or how successful they are as adults but that they learn what they need in order to return to live with their Father in Heaven. And I believe this. So for now, I'm going to keep on Hoping and Trusting and Loving.

16, NF, EH, 4pump

2011-01-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

Confused?

That's my recipe for the best Butter Rum Steamer.

Let me translate:

16 oz, Nonfat, Extra Hot, 4 pumps syrup, Butter Rum Steamer

That's exactly how I order it. There is typically 8 pumps of syrup in the 16 oz but it still tastes great with 4 and makes me feel very health conscious. I'm oh-so-very health conscious.

Oh, and notice that stack of VHS tapes behind me?

Chris says I can finally get rid of them.

And

The VCR that plays them.

This is a sign that it is indeed the 21st Century.

p.s. if you want to make the steamer at home, you can. Steam your milk in a pan (just BEFORE boiling point) then add your flavored Torani syrup. I go *glug* *glug* with my syrup to get the right amount. Got it?

Escape to California

2011-01-25T07:55:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month Heidi took a trip with Chris to California to visit Aunt Sue. Heidi gets her middle name from Aunt Sue and also was very excited about getting to fly in an airplane. She loved her plane ride and also her visit to California. Aunt Sue got her and Heidi VIP passes to Universal Studios and they were treated like royalty according to Heidi. They had a personal escort that led them to each ride where they got to cut to the front of the line and get the pick of any seat they wanted. They also got special backstage tours where other guests do not typically get to go. Heidi said, "we got to see a TV show being filmed." To which I replied, "really, which one?" "Oh, some show I hadn't heard of, Desperate Housewives." Ha! It made me wonder who she saw but she couldn't tell me because she had no idea who these people were. That cracked me up.

They also got fed breakfast and lunch and for dinner they had a personal chef come out and tell them to ignore the main menu and that he would fix them whatever they wanted. What did Heidi order? Yep, Macaroni and Cheese. But, she said it was the "best macaroni and cheese EVER." All in all it was a kids dream day. Something that I have never experienced and probably never will. Thanks Aunt Sue!

Later in February it will be Emma's turn to go to California with her dad and they will be going to Magic Mountain. Emma is a thrill seeker roller coaster lover and if you like that kind of stuff then Magic Mountain is the place to go. Did you know that by the end of this year they will have the most roller coasters in the world? They are building three this year just to get that coveted title back. And one of them, The Green Lantern, looks like it would kill you. No Thank you. But poor Emma is sad that it won't be done by the time she goes. I, on the other hand am happy that I will still have a middle daughter when the trip is over. Because by looking at that thing, i have my doubts.

What do you think?

I ♥ YouTube

2011-01-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to learn how to crochet for years. In fact, it's on my list of 50 things. But it seems that no matter how much I have tried, i end up failing miserably. I will do fine for a few moments and then have to have help of the person teaching me. And then, just when I think i've "got it" I try to do it on my own and it ends up looking like something the cat got a hold of. And it's not just once I have tried, I have tried several times. I think I have had 4 lessons over the past five years or so.

On Saturday I was perusing some magazines to get some ideas for Valentine's Day. I came across some crochet hearts that I had seen before and loved so much I tore them out to save. Oh, I really wanted to make those hearts, if only I knew how to crochet. Darn that crocheting!

But then I had a thought, I wonder if there is a "Crochet for Dummies" out there on the internet. So I googled just that, "Crochet for Dummies" and it led me to a tutorial on YouTube by Bethintx1. She is amazing. It's like I have a new friend. It's kind of weird that she doesn't know me because I feel like she knows me really well. She is so sweet and patient with me! I was so excited about the prospects that I grabbed a skein of yarn and my crochet hook, put my headphones on and sat transfixed as she taught me how to crochet. And the beauty of it is that I can rewind as much as I want and to just the part I need to see again. Nobody has to sit with me and explain it over and over and over again. The first thing she has you make is a scarf. And in making the scarf you do different types of stitches in hopes that by the time you are done you will have a good overall basic knowledge of crocheting. I am loving it. I would show you what I've done so far but I will save that for the when I am done.

I may get #34 on my list crossed off after all!

The Sun Has Been Out Today......

2011-01-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

And it is lifting my soul.

It's My Birthday and I'll fly if I want to......

2011-01-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

Me, on my 41st birthday

I was singing this on our way to the airport last Friday. It goes to the tune of "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to." But before I get to that, I know that some of you are just dying to know if I got everything on my to-do list done.

Drumroll, please...........

No.

But before you all get sad and bummed out for me I need to let you know that I got everything done (including the pedicure, yay me!) except for the Diet Coke from Sonic. That wasn't good for me anyway, right? So it's like it turned out even better.

So i got all the stuff on my list done by 12:30 a.m. the following day. And then I went to bed.
\
And then I woke up 3 1/2 hours later to shower and get ready for my flight to Las Vegas. I mean, normally i'd skip the shower and say, "who cares" but it was my birthday after all and a girl needs to look h-o-t on her birthday, right? Yep!

When we arrived at my friend Sarah's house at 5:15 in the morning i was all giddiness. School girl, giddy. I just get that way when i'm going to fly on a plane. Seriously, it was the best birthday ever all because of the plane ride. Well, and the fact that I was going somewhere about 20 degrees warmer and i was seeing friends and that I would probably get to see a fake Elvis.

I did see a fake Elvis.

And I also saw the Hoover Dam, at sunset which was even more awe inspiring and beautiful than normal.

Making a wish while throwing our coins over the side on the Nevada/Arizona border

And I saw two Chihuly glass sculptures. Amazing!!!!

Chihuly glass ceiling at the Bellagio

I ate at Cafe Rio.....twice and in doing so filled up my frequent diner card so that the next time I go I will get a free Pork Salad. It's taken me three years to fill that card. Not bad considering the closest one is 10 hours away.

Sarah, outside of Cafe Rio

I went to Freed's Bakery, a Las Vegas legend. I got a slice of the wedding cake and some assorted cookies. The cake is as good as Rachael Ray claims it is.

Wedding Cake is upper right-hand corner

I had a bite of my sister's cheesecake (middle left) and I think it was the best cheesecake I've ever had.

For dinner one night we went to Serendipity 3 and although my barbecue chicken pizza was tasty, it couldn't compare to the icy goodness of their signature treat, the Frozen Hot Chocolate. Wow!......

I have a cousin that lives in Vegas and so a visit with her was imperative. And since my sister was with me as well it was really fun for the three of us to laugh over stories from growing up. I didn't remember that I had shown my young cousins such scary movies as "Nightmare on Elm Street" that apparently gave them nightmares for years after. Sorry, Alisa.

Oh, and my favorite meal you ask? "Olives" in the Bellagio. It was the one place we ate at that wasn't planned. We got off the plane on Friday and we were hungry so we looked up some places to go on Krista's iPhone and this place looked promising. It didn't disappoint any of us, it was a sensory experience for our taste buds. I really wish I would have taken pictures of the food but we ate it all up so fast there wasn't time. We sat on the balcony and it felt like we were in an italian cafe. They did some testing of the water show while we were seated which was really cool.

And speaking of the Bellagio, that is one amazing hotel and casino. We are talking high class, gorgeous, shiny, and amazing deals in the gift shop! I bought Adidas exercise clothes there for cheap. I guess plus size women don't go to the Bellagio to exercise. There is also the world's largest chocolate fountain, the botanical garden, the Chihuly glass sculptures, the water show in front of the hotel and people watching. And this is all the stuff you can do for free.

Chinese New Year - Year of the Rabbit at the Bellagio Botanical garden

And no, I did not leave Las Vegas without gambling. I spent a whole dollar at the Flamingo playing penny slots. Did you know Donny and Marie have a show there? And then when I was at the airport flying home I spent $2 more playing "Wheel of Fortune" slots. I'm a big spender!

Tiffanie hosted us and was so generous in driving us everywhere and supplying Diet Coke for Krista and I. If it weren't for her we wouldn't have had this amazing weekend. I can't wait to go back!

The Daily List

2011-01-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

My oatmeal this morning at South Store Cafe

My computer is slow today. I hope that's not an indication of how the day will go because i have a list a mile long. I need to work speedily and I need things to get done.

I love a good list. I am a list maker, I make one sometimes two lists everyday.

Today, my list looks like this.

in no particular order

Dump all the garbage from the garbage cans inside the house

Sign Emma's immunization form

Sign Heidi's school project form

Finish packing for Vegas
Print boarding pass

Read a conference talk

Go grocery shopping

Find my Croc flip-flops (see finish packing for Vegas above)

Work

Buy a baby gift

Teach Art Literacy
Go to breakfast with Chris
Go to Aveda store with Krista (to get my birthday present!)
Pedicure?
Vacuum
Unload dishwasher and load it back up
put money in girl's lunch accounts
Get silver dollars at the bank
Write email for Activity Day

Get a Diet Coke at Sonic!!!

Baby, it's cold outside.

2011-01-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

It's cold today in Portland. Really cold. I mean if you live in Alaska you may not think it's cold but when I was folding laundry in the garage this morning my fingers went numb. That is cold. It was time to drive my youngest the one block to school. (Yeah, I know, she could walk but that is another story for another time.) I threw on some crocs and grabbed my keys like I typically do. As I opened the door and stepped outside the cold hit me and I groaned that I had not put my coat on. At least I don't have to defrost the car was my thought. Think positive right? I got in the car, started it up and then waited for Heidi to join me. As she opened the side van door another burst of cold came in and I asked her in the midst of it if she had remembered her lunch box. "Uh, no." Why can't they remember their lunches? So in a huffy state that all mothers know I told her to go get it. But as I said that I remembered that the door was locked and the garage door was still not fixed. That meant that the key in the ignition of the car would be needed. The key to the lifeline of warmth, the heater. I turned the key into the off position and hurriedly got out of the car to get her lunch myself.

When I entered the house a blast of warmth hit me and I was immediately glad for it. I couldn't help think of a recent conversation with someone that told me that she keeps her house at 56 degrees. I remember thinking that I had heard her wrong. "You mean 65?" "No, 56." I paused for one second and blurted out, "why?" Normally I would filter my thoughts before speaking but I was so overcome by shock. She told me her reasons and then she asked me what temperature we keep our furnace at. "Well, this year we turned it down to 69" I said with a smile. "Would you like to come over?"

Heidi made it to school and we laughed at the kid standing outside directing traffic with his shorts and sweatshirt and lips turning blue. Heidi said that he always wears shorts. His poor mom, I thought. I bet she tried to get him to wear some pants today.

And as I returned home and opened my door to feel the blast of heat in my home I went straight to my phone to invite my friend over. After all, it's 69 here, it's practically the tropics.

What temperature do you keep your house at?

A lot of light in this house

2011-01-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

The drive down I-5 to Eugene yesterday was a bit lonely since one of my girls was mad at me and the other one was 'plugged ' into her iPod. So as my ears took in the tunes of Mindy Gledhill my mind thought about why I was making this drive. I was on my way to my in-laws, Chris' parent's home, to celebrate birthdays and Christmas with three of his siblings, their families and his parents. But something important was missing....Chris. He forgot about this family gathering when he bought his plane ticket to L.A. But family is important and I knew that it would be great to take Makenzie and Emma down there anyway so I had decided to go. But then teenager things happened, like a dance practice that wanted to be attended at 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

"Sorry, you can't go."
"Why?"
"Because we are going to Nana's and Grandpa's house."
"Can't I drive myself down to their house after practice?"
"No, we are not driving two cars down to Eugene."
"But I already told them I could practice."
"Well, tell them you made a mistake and that you can't."

Then the silence ensued, the silence you get when a teenager isn't happy with your response.

But I knew I was right.

Family is important.

And as I drove home today along I-5, this time with the Motab in the background, my eldest daughter and I talked most of the two hour trip home. Family has a healing effect, it's amazing what the teasing of a beloved uncle can do for the teenage mind. We had a wonderful time spent with family. My family. After 18 years they become that, they become something that you can claim.

I got to love all over my two nieces, Luna and Celeste.

I got to play games with my brother and sister-in-law.

I shared lemon cake with my mother-in-law and oohed and ahhhed over their new home being built.

I talked in length with another brother-in-law about an upcoming international job fair he will be attending and what that will mean for he and Sarah and babies.

I laughed with Ross, Nora, Emma and Makenzie as we barricaded a Box Elder Bug inside a city we created in the game we were playing. And laughed even further when my sister-in-law told me the story of her sister staying on Mt. Tom and the "bird" that was flying around in her bedroom at night. All of us that have been in the family for any amount of time know that "bird" is code for B-A-T.

When the games were put away and we let our tired selves retire to bed, Makenzie and Emma and I went downstairs in search of the right light switch to light up the bathroom.

"Why are there so many light switches?" Emma asked.

"Because there is a little bit of crazy and a whole lot of light in this house."

Heidi is gone to Cali

2011-01-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

Heidi in the airport waiting for her flight to California. Her very first airplane ride (that she can remember).

My youngest went with her dad to California riding on a jet airplane. Chris has been away from me lots of time in the past. Most recently he has taken a few trips over the past couple months down to California to help his aunt out with some projects. His aunt wanted to pay for each of the girls to take a trip down there as well. Individually so she could give them undivided attention and buy all of their favorite foods. Seriously, you'd think Heidi was going for a month with all the food Aunt Sue has told us she has bought. Every child in the neighborhood could feed for a week with the amount of hotdogs and macaroni and cheese she has bought. So Heidi is gone and it is weird. It felt strange last night and it wasn't until this morning that I figured out it was because she is gone. As I thought about it I realized that I have left my children to go on trips, always in the care of a trusted adult and sure, I miss them but since I am having new adventures and I know they are in their normal routine at home I don't have much time to dwell on it. But this is the first time that I have been home and Heidi has been away. Wait, that's not true. Heidi has spent a week with Chris' mom before as well as time with my sister. Okay, so what is it? Seriously folks, as I'm typing I'm trying to figure this out. Maybe because she is an entire State away? Maybe because she is gone and Chris? Huh, not sure.

I went to bed at 9:00 last night. There wasn't anything to do. I mean, there were things to do but it's not like I wanted to scrub the bathroom at 9 o'clock at night. So, I decided to go to bed and see if some extra sleep would relieve the tension in my back I've been suffering with for the past two days. It didn't. Darn. But, i had a good workout at the gym which means the extra sleep was good for something. Oh, and the fact that Emma slept with me last night and as I made her tickle my back she talked and talked and talked and talked. That is not like Emma so I ate up her words with relish. I listened very intently and made all the right comments back. I think i'll have Makenzie sleep with me tonight and see what she says!

My focus on forgiveness

2011-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

Everyone is gone. Well, almost everyone. Makenzie is sick in bed but she is quiet so it feels like everyone is gone. Ahhhh.....I love the sound of silence. Not all the time, but in the mornings when everyone leaves for school or work I feel like the quiet refuels me for yet another day.

This morning, in the quiet of my home, I am thinking about what I want to focus on for this year, 2011. I have a few things that have been on my mind lately, all involving the word, Forgive. My husband I were having a conversation recently about forgiveness and about seeing the best in people. I realized it's a hard thing for me, this forgiveness stuff and I want to be better at it. Then yesterday, my good friend, Brenda, taught a lesson at church about not finding fault and not gossiping. It was really well done and there were lots of insights. The word that kept popping into my head the whole hour was Forgive. I felt like all the things that were being said went back to that word. There is no better exemplar of this than our Savior, Jesus Christ. So this year will be the year that I read and finish (this time) Jesus The Christ by Talmage. It's been on my list of 50 things right from the first day I started creating that list. And now almost 10 years have gone by and I have yet to cross that off my list. Why? I know the reason, it's not a "fun" read. I like fun things. I read about half of this book while serving my mission for the LDS church in Brazil. I learned so much while reading it and vowed to finish it when I got home. That never happened. This will be the year.

I was recently inspired by this post over at my friend Emily's blog. Fear. It is what stops us from creating our best lives and being our best selves. Our Father in Heaven created us to have Joy and meant for us to use our talents to bring happiness into the lives of others, including ourselves. So I encourage you to take a look at your life and see what it is that is holding you back from doing something that you desire. Is it fear? If so, take the first step to eradicate this feeling so that you make 2011 your best year ever. Seriously folks, read Emily's blog post about her 2010, it will inspire you.

I hope to revisit the word "Forgive" each month on my blog, it will be titled "Forgive & Live." Here is to a prosperous, healthy and forgiving year!

Oh, the possibilities. One girl's dreams for 2011.

2011-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited about this upcoming year. In my mind I've planned 6 trips, possibly 7. How many will I actually take? Well, at least one, because I have a plane ticket for that one already. Who knows about the others. But they are all possiblities and I'm all about possibilities. This is my list for the upcoming year.

Las Vegas
Rexburg (don't laugh)
Santa Cruz, CA
Merida, Mexico
Germany/Ukraine
Los Angeles, CA

Pretty crazy list, huh? They won't all be happening unless we win the lottery or something equally crazy. I do know that #1 is happening for sure.

#2 will happen unless Makenzie's dance competition gets cancelled.

I'm planning on #3 and it seems feasible because Chris won't have to actually take any time off of work. We will need money for gas to get down there but once we are there it will be just groceries, which I would buy here anyway. Our entertainment would be playing on the beach which would be free and we would have a place to stay.

Ah, #4, that is supposed to be our "family vacation" this year. We have a free place to stay (definite plus) but other than that we need some money to make that one happen. We will see what the next couple of months bring. We are hoping to make this one happen since it may be our last summer to do a family vacation before Makenzie goes off to college and she will have completed her third year of Spanish at the end of the school year.

#5 is supposed to be a trip for Chris and I to a reunion in Germany and then a trip to Ukraine to see family. The likelihood of Chris going is about 'nil. He has High Adventure this summer and will need vacation days for that plus our trip to Mexico and that will take just about all of his vacation time. So I will possibly go to Germany alone and then on to Ukraine or I won't go at all.

#6 is due to my thoughts of moving our family vacation time during the girl's winter break at Christmas.

Chris gets 4 days off between Christmas and New Years holidays and it would be a more efficient use of his time off. The problem with going on a vacation then is that we will (hopefully) already have gone on one during the summer and thus, will have no money for a vacation. But, since this list is all about my dreams and wishes and possibilities, it's on there.

Do you want to go anywhere this year? Tell me where.