To all my loyal fans...

Have you seen the t-shirt that says:  "More people have read this t-shirt than have read your blog" ?  HILARIOUS............ and so true.  De-Motivators nailed it with:  "Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few".  I feel like that.  Is there anybody out there?

I just sent out some Christmas letters.  I guess the reason I write an annual brag letter (besides the obvious perks of getting to talk about yourself and make everyone jealous about your trips, etc.) is that I actually LIKE reading them.  I know, it isn't logical.  It's like trying to explain why you like tofu.  I especially love getting the family photos, but people!.... you need to make the faces bigger.  Because some of us would like to go on pretending that we don't need glasses.

We went to a movie tonight.  The Blind Side.  I loved how bossy that woman was!  To tell you the truth I was a little jealous because my husband doesn't tolerate bossing very well and hey, who wouldn't want to get their way all the time and be that adorable doing it?  Probably, it only works if you look like Sandra Bullock.

Darn.

And now, with the click of the mouse I will send this post out into the cyber universe, knowing full well that once I do,  it will remain for all time and I can never take it back.  I must be careful to never say anything I would regret......... because I would never, ever want to offend the two of you!

I love to see the temple...

Here it is!  There are 121 windows, all made of candy glass.... 102 seperate pieces of gingerbread....  Several pounds of fondant and about 70 man [woman] hours of work.  A labor of love.  Thanks to everyone who helped:  Leslie, Becky, Nicki, Hay, Linds, Jen, Ben (for the army guy), Ann, Lexie, Nick (for the background music!)  And my young women, especially Megan, Shalece, and Allysa

It's that time of year.............

Hi everybody.  We just got home from the open house at Thanksgiving point for those who entered the gingerbread Festival this year.  It starts tommorrow!  If you can go, it's the biggest one I've seen in the seven years I have been entering.  As for the temple my sisters helped me build......... it looks better in person. It really sparkles so pretty and the photos don't capture that.

 [A BIG Thanks to my sponsor ~Security Metrics]

P.S.  Yes, only a crazy person attempts a thing like this for no $$$ whatsoever, and Brad is a patient man.

Dress design for Shabby Apple

 Here is my  Dress Design for Shabby Apple.  It is for a spring dress and the winner will get to make the pattern  and sew the actual dress and sell it on http://www.shabbyapple.com/  .  As many of you know, I have been designing dresses for a while now for my girls and extended family.  For years I have been sketching and sewing so this should be FUN.  Check out the original and modest dresses on their website.

My inspiration is from the Judy Garland movie I just watched called     In the Good Old Summertime.    If you can, rent it and watch the song she sings in the RED dress!  .....Amazing voice and so much stage presence!  There will never be another like her.

 I will sew it in a stretch poplin shirt weight with a satin white bow and trim.  Should be cute.  Let me know what you think and be sure to vote!

Thanks, Lisa

Family Photos

Besides weddings, we haven't had a family picture in sssooooooooooooooooo long. I forgot how darn much fun they are. You know, figuring out what everyone will wear so we don't clash, stressing about getting there on time, enduring complaints from those who are allergic to pictures (his name starts with a B).

Well, we finally got everyone together in between the Saturday afternoon session and the Priesthood session of conference. It was a rush but I like how they turned out [sigh of relief].

September 11th was our 27th anniversary!

We went to Moab for a motorcycle trip. I had been preparing to go by visiting the chiropractor a lot.... I thought maybe it was my back that needed fixing, but now I'm pretty sure it's the darn seat that's the problem! Julie, however, has it made in her 'barca-lounger'! I really enjoyed our anniversary ride though because we stopped a lot and it was a perfect fall day up in the mountains. I'll post some pics.

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Well, it has been one year since I began blogging. My posts keep getting farther and farther apart and I am forced to admit that this was probably a passing fad[?].

Who knows, maybe I will start twittering!

In the Good Ol Summertime

Labor day is come and gone. Thanks to the W-w. family, we had a great evening singing around the campfire eating dutch oven stew and smores! When we arrived, I said to Brad 'let's don't stay too late' but at 9 pm, he could hardly get me to leave. The fire hypnotized me, along with the guitar. Soooooo relaxing.

It's so awesome when your kids get married and then you have another family to be with and the love just keeps on growing.

I didn't write about our trip to Lake Powell yet. We went. The best part was three solid days with my grandson. Linds said that when they got home he said [at bedtime]... "grandma sing to Bit". I can't believe it!--there is one tiny person on the planet who likes my singing!

I never was one of those moms who cried when their kids went to school. I was the one with the big smile on my face! But it's different now. I have to admit that it's a little too quiet sometimes! So I went back to school too [subbing] and darn if I wasn't glad to see all those kiddies.

Here's a good one for you.... I was trying to get the first-grade kids to finish a little rhyme that went like this: May... It's the fifth month of the year, flowers bloom and bring us ________. Then I asked the class: "what is a word that means 'happy' and rhymes with year?" After a pause, one little boy shouts out: "BEER!" I had to wait until later to have a good laugh! The more I think about it though, I'm a little worried.

Here's to the beginning of FALL, my favorite season of the year. Let the colors begin!

Reunion Fun

For my birthday I got to surf... in Idaho.

Thanks to uncle Brad and his new super cool boat, I proved I am not too old for fun [yet!]. The Snake river is a great place to go boating because the water is smooth all day long! We camped at 1000 springs near Hagerman. Lots of family came and it was a good time. Those who were gutsy ate fried frog legs and jumped into the cold water of the Blue Heart Lagoon! Dutch oven gourmet cooking at every meal and swarms of mosquitos at night were just some of the highlights. We had time to get a little flea market shopping in and Hiedi brought lots of projects like making 'gloop'.

A personal favorite was the priviate docks we had and the lumberjack log in the pool was a challenge (I have the bruises to prove it!)

I love reunions! Those of you who were there know what a good time it was................... as for the rest of you, well you just better be there next year so you don't miss out!

cheap stuff to do in Salt Lake

Tuesday my sister Leslie and I hiked Ensign Peak above the Capital building in Salt Lake. It was really steep and my daughter and her friend came along. H. complained pretty much the whole time.

"It's hot, I'm tired, I'm hungry, this is dumb, etc....."

But my theory is that she was just trying to be cool. Like, I'm not into this hiking with a couple of middle-aged women, you know, [for the benefit of her friend]. It was kind of funny though because we left them in the dust and we're o.l.d.! I told them that's what you get for eating captain crunch for breakfast. Sugar high.................... and then crash.

Well, then we went to the capital building and snuck in some educational stuff. To reward them for their very presence, I then took them to the Gateway and bought them anything their little hearts desired from the food court. Yum- Orange Julius. We shopped and then played in the fountains [free stuff alert]. It was so funny watching the kids there. They would stare into the holes waiting for the water to shoot up and it would spray them right in the face. It's quite the carnival/park atmosphere there and I loved it.

New York pics

Everyone liked the Yankees game, even me (not a sports buff) especially those overpriced hot dogs.

Nicki and Haylie on the top of the Empire State building. Really, they got along most of the time!

On Sunday we went to Jones beach on Long Island.

On the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Brad and I in Central Park, it was beautiful and one of my favorite places.

This was a really neat little castle in Central Park, I think it was called Belvedeere Castle.

Eating our way through the big Apple!

I LOVE NEW YORK!!! I know, it's a cliche, but now I know why. We just got back from our visit to Blake and Whitney in Yonkers. Wow, it was fun. I love that place. So much energy and so many people and so many skyscrapers. The view from the Empire State building took my breath away. Cheering for the Yankees was a favorite of everyone and I liked it more than I thought I would (not being a fan). There were some wise-cracking New Yorkers sitting behind us and all I can say is... I am glad the home team was winning or that crowd could have gotten ugly! They take it very seriously.

Other notable sights: Central Park (it's so huge, we only saw a little), Times square, Broadway (didn't make it to a show-bummer!), Lady Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry, and Ground Zero. But my favorite thing about New York??? THE FOOD. What's a Knish, you ask? Mashed potatoes wrapped in pastry. How about Matzo soup? Chicken broth with noodles and cornmeal dumplings. Then there's the French bakeries, the pasta in Little Italy, and the chocolate shops. Hot dogs, gelato, fresh fruit smoothies... it was all good (except the Red Bean popsicle and the canned octupus). But our absolute favorite was the fresh mango that we bought from a vendor on the sidewalk. After that we looked for more but were dissapointed so we bought our own mangos and cut them up and it just wasn't the same.

Blake & Whitney's apartment is so nice, complete with a gym, media room and security guard. It has a view of the Hudson river and they have met some nice friends out there. Church was in a business complex so that was unique but the spirit was the same. Well, now it's time to unpack and go through the mail. It's good to be home, but I will miss New York... and the food!

Me and my girls on Mother's day

We are missing Whitney... she and Blake just arrived in New York on Saturday night!

Tell me if you agree... mother's day can be tricky. Not always the warm and fuzzy holiday it was intended to be. For many years, I felt that getting through it with a smile on my face was akin to walking through a field of land mines. If it wasn't the Hallmark commercials setting me up with false expectations, then it was the guilt of my obvious failings that would be my undoing. It's all so silly. We are what we are.

Being mom is like anything else in life; tough, messy, imperfect and a work in progress. It is NOT a Hollywood movie that you can edit, and do re-takes when you say/do things wrong (I wish!). But I will tell you the secret to being happy on Mother's day and any other day for that matter. Forget about yourself.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, for some reason I thought about my neighbor. She has three sons. Two have died, one in a tragic shooting accident and the other after years of illness. I wondered what mother's day must be like for her and how I admire her courage in facing life's challenges. She has developed a sense of humor and a lot of faith. That night we spent some time together talking.

It's not like I set out to be all self-less or anything. She just popped into my mind and all day I had a prayer in my heart for her. Turned out to be one of the happiest mother's days I can remember.

These pics are of me and my girls. Jake was the photographer and when our smiles got stale, he'd say something witty like "work-it!". Thanks Jake, you're the best!

So................... anyway, the weather on Easter weekend was pretty snowy at Mussentuchit. Maybe next year. Nicki and Haylie and I went shopping instead. I've really got to stop shopping. The money can vanish so fast at the mall! Or the bookstore... or the fabric store. But I did get to be with my beautiful grandson on Easter and so it was a wonderful day.

Spring is so beautiful now that the sun has decided to shine. Everything is so green. GREEN. Are you getting tired of that word? I MEAN IN ADVERTISING?! It's like the new marketing buzzword and soooooooooooo overused. Do the companies really think we are that gullible? Yes, they do. I'm going to actually start to boycott any company that uses the 'green' mantra, just to make my point. I know nobody will notice, but I will feel better. In fact, I want to go a whole month without buying anything but essentials like food and gas. Just to see if I can. In May. I'll let you know how the experiment goes. Definately, maybe, I'm going to do it.

~If someone dares me to I really will!

This Saturday we are planning to go to Mussentuchit. What a great name, huh! It is a little gem of a sand dune in the middle of nowhere, Utah. We went last Easter weekend so if we go this week it will be a tradition. I'm planning on making my 'famous by noon tomorrow' Asparagus Quiche for the picnic. Here's the recipe~

Whole wheat crust:

boil 1/3 cup water with 2 T. oil
then pour it into a bowl and toss in 1 cup
whole wheat flour and a bit of salt

Mix and roll out thin, put it in a pie dish.

Filling:
Saute some thinly sliced leeks
and a bunch of asparagus (trimmed & chopped)
until crisp-tender, let cool
In a bowl whip 4 eggs with 1/4 cup cream or 1/2 & 1/2
Mix in some grated cheese, any kind you like
Salt and pepper to taste...then add asparagus & leeks
Pour into pie shell
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes

YUMMY and totally healthy!

Happy spring everybody~

The happy couple are just leaving in this pic and my favorite moment was when Blake walked out and said "smells like ranch". Evidently, the kids who decorated the car didn't come prepared so they had to use whatever they could find in the kitchen! Very creative, I thought.

The wedding is almost here! I have been trying to deliver all the announcements but I have that feeling that I'm forgetting someone. If that someone is you, forgive my addled brain. Consider yourself officially invited (wedding crashers are also welcome, since like twelve people actually read this blog, I'm not worried we'll run out of food!) Note: the reception is the night before the wedding.... yes, that is Friday the 13th!

You are cordially invited:
Friday, March 13th, 2009
from 6-8 p.m.
at the Nephi North Stake Center
1125 North 400 East

Be sure to check out the beautiful bridal pictures Lindsey took of Whitney! They are amazing. This is her first chance to do a wedding and I definately think she has a great talent for it. When she gets her tri-pod I am going to put her to work as our family photographer!

Quote of the day:

"Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend..."
President Thomas S. Monson............... October 2008 general conference

????

I have no idea why that picture turned out so big! It is a recent art project... a mural on fabric for the kids' acting stage. I liked how the sky turned out with the 'brick' texture. The whole effect turned out fun when you took a step back from it.

Adventures in Substituting

Well, I have been subbing a lot lately and that's always fun with a capital F! I talked to the sewing teacher at the Junior High about teaching for her since I know a thing or two about sewing. She was all excited to find me (that should have been my first clue something was up!) and lined me up for two days while she traveled back to D.C. with the winners of the Make it with Wool contest. Funny thing... she forgot to mention that the two days I was scheduled just happened to be the first day of sewing for these kids. Not only did they not know how to thread the machine or bobbin, many of the roughly 100 students (five classes - 25 in each) had NEVER SEWN BEFORE! Boy, oh boy! Suffice it to say that on both of those days I needed a nap when I got home from teaching. One girl didn't notice that when she was sewing the fabric wasn't moving at all... and she kept on pushing the presser foot till there was a gob of thread so big stuck in the machine it took me about 20 minutes to get it out!

The funny thing is that the next week I took a job subbing for the Chemistry teacher/Soccer coach at Salem High, and that turned out to be way easier than sewing. And I know NOTHING about chemistry except I do remember that water is H2O. Luckily, there were no soccer games that day!

I am trying to earn a bit of cash to help out with the wedding so I guess subbing is as good a job as any for now. It certainly is an adventure some days. I found a quote I really like:

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out!

1 Timothy 6:7

If you get time, look it up and read the whole chapter, I am positive that if you are a true cheapskate, you will love it. If my raiment comes from GAP and Banana Republic I will be content.

B & W

Here is the picture you asked for Becky. It's from our Christmas party at Debby's house. They always offer to do the dishes...............awwwwwww, sweet!

Inauguration Day... check out the fashions

I was glued to the TV all morning yesterday watching the happenings in DC. I just found it fascinating... and not just what Michelle Obama was wearing! Something strange is happening to me lately. I would rather listen to talk radio than music alot of the time and I care less and less about what Hollywood is up to. I am still mostly shallow, to be sure, but maybe some good changes are on the horizon. Maybe Mr. Oz can give me a brain!

Following the example of my Nicki, I actually read the whole I Have a Dream speach by Martin Luther King in it's entirety. I've never heard more than just a few of the often repeated lines. Good stuff. I was very proud of our country yesterday and happy that we have come far in recognizing the truth stated in the constitution that all men are created equal (see D & C 1:35-39). Obama is a magnificent speaker and said some good things. He made reference to the scripture in 1 Cor 13:11, saying it was time to put away childish things and spoke of "the God given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness." He's good at saying the right things so now let's see what he can do! One part of his speech was telling... the part about how it's not a question of whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it's working. Well, I have to differ! And you can bet I'm going to tune in to Rush Limbaugh to see what he has to say about it.

On the subject of fashion, I give Michelle's green coat-dress a 7.5 on the scale and the "gown" a 5. It wasn't that bad........ BUT, I saw some of the sketches of possible picks and she could have done better. Anyway, an immodest dress always gets docked 3 points regardless.

Brad said the $ spent on the inauguration festivities was something like 150 million??? That sends a chill down every true cheapskate's spine!

Good times!

I know this is out of sync, but I just came across this picture from halloween and it's funny so I posted it. I neglected to take a pic of the recently betrothed, but I will do that ASAP!

It's official!

I have to pinch myself but yes, Blake and Whitney are finally engaged. All through the Christmas holiday we had to keep our (my) big mouths shut so as to not spill the beans about THE RING!! Those who know me are aware of how difficult that must have been.

The shocking thing is the date for the wedding is March 14th! I was certain they would wait till school was out but because of a job opportunity immediately after the semester ends, they thought it best to have a short engagement. Two months, WOW! Martha Stewart would be appalled~but that's how we do it here in Utah. We are really excited about our new daughter, she is a peach. I feel so blessed.

The house is kind of quiet now that it's just Brad, Haylie and me (and Oscar!). Nicki says she likes her roomates and school but it's a bit tricky for me to get much info from her. Tonight she called but then was rushing off to a fireside so she couldn't talk much. Hard to believe that this phase of my life -the raising kids part- is winding down. Weird... people used to say that it goes by fast when I was up to my neck in play-dough and diapers, I had to disagree! At the time life was moving incredibly SLOW. But now that I am looking back on things, well it's a strange perspective. Good, in lots of ways ~ but strange. And now it does seem to have flown by. One thing I am really thankful for and that is being a stay-at-home mom. I followed my heart on that one and there was some opposition along the way but I know it was the right thing for me. That reminds me of one of my favorite movie quotes of all time:

"Girl, you gotta run your own life!" ... Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner's Daughter.

That's a good old classic flick, if you haven't seen it.
Happy New Year, ya'll