Do You See What I See?

Just in case you're wondering...

2009-04-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

this blog was only for one year. I took the challenge to post one picture a day. It was really fun and I found that many days I posted more than one photo. I am still doing my other blog, so if you want to keep up with us go to:

http://kurlysplace.blogspot.com/

December 31

2008-12-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

December 30

2008-12-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

Waiting in line to enter Disneyland.

Ready to go in to Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes, the guy behind us was a dork. He never stopped talking through the whole ride.

The beautiful tree at California Adventure park.

A Photo of our California Screamin' ride. Everyone loved it but me, as you can see by our faces. Becca and Nick were in heaven. Rod kept saying I love it, I love it. I was just holding on for dear life and hoped I would not barf when I got off. I just don't do loops well.

December 29

2008-12-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

When we arrived in CA, we went straight to the beach. This was a "dog" beach in Huntington Beach, and there were tons of dogs frolicking in the waves. We enjoyed watching the dogs. The sun was setting, making long shadows and golden light.

Becca enjoyed her camera and took some really great pictures.

I loved this scene. The sun went down just seconds after I snapped this oil rig.

December 28

2008-12-28T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is what Nick and Becca looked like as we drove to CA.

December 27

2008-12-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

Rod made a rain barrell. He watched utube videos to learn how. He was very excited about this project. He plans to water our tomato plants with rain water collected.

December 26

2008-12-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Got a spiffy new mail box

Mary Did You Know

2008-12-24T16:01:00.001-08:00

December 23

2008-12-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

Wisemen still seek Him - one of my favorite Christmas decorations.

December 22

2008-12-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Adding to our storage.

December 21

2008-12-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Silent night...

December 20

2008-12-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Bye, kids. Have fun!

December 19

2008-12-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to a Christmas party where they played the "white elephant" game. I had Rod stop by Home Depot and pick up a $5.00 toilet seat. As I was seaching for a picture of a toilet seat on the internet for this post, I found one that was over $1000 (the bottom one). I mean really, people - who wants to sit on a $1000+ toilet seat!!!

Anyway, the point of the story: our white elephant gift idea was a HUGE hit at the party. I enclosed this poem that I wrote with instructions to read it after the gift was opened. The poor guy that ended up opening the gift and reading the poem kept saying "I don't know if I can do this!" and he was just laughing so hard! People were all asking for a copy of it. I did not admit that I was the author, but just smiled and laughed with everyone else. It was so fun to see people get such a good laugh! Here is the poem:

The Week Before Christmas

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the room,
There were goodies and candies and food to consume.

I drank and I ate ‘til I thought I would pop.
Then I ate and drank more and I just couldn’t stop!

So I went to my bed to try sleeping a bit,
But my stomach was hurting; it just would not quit.

It growled and churned and then it did rumble.
I rolled out of bed, to the hall I did stumble.

I ran like the wind - to the bathroom I flew.
I switched on the light - it was then that I knew;

I’d eaten too much. I knew I would barf.
It was all my own fault – too much food I did scarf.

It happened so fast that I could barely think.
Should I try for the john, or just use the sink?

I did not know which of my ends to use first.
So I sat with a trash can expecting the worst.

It wasn’t much fun. I hate being sick,
Especially the week we’re expecting St. Nick!

I learned my lesson and have slowed down the eating.
So I leave you now with my own little greeting:

If you don’t learn from my story and too much you do eat,
At least you’ll have comfort with your new toilet seat.

December 18

2008-12-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

We had Christmas Dinner tonight before Nick and Becca leave on Saturday. Allen and Ashley came over,too. Ash made this amazing chocolate dessert. We read the Christmas story in Luke 2 and opened all our presents. It's not about the date - it's about what is in Luke 2 and about families, that's for sure!

December 17

2008-12-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Packing up missionary boxes for KC and Jordan. We love our Elders and hope they have a Merry Christmas. It is hard for them to be away from their families!

December 16

2008-12-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

Studying for finals with a treat from Starbucks.

December 15

2008-12-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Damn!

December 14

2008-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight I played my Christmas music. I felt really good. I haven't played for a long time!

December 13

2008-12-13T17:47:00.001-08:00

Special K Candy, a special Christmas treat!

December 12

2008-12-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

Centennial High School won the state championship football game tonight! Go Coyotes! Becca has enjoyed going to Centennial. This is the third year in a row they have won state for Football.

December 11

2008-12-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

M-m-m-m-m! I love this stuff. I like it mixed with ginger ale or sprite. It is also good mixed with milk. How do you like yours? Sometimes I get brave and drink it straight, but it is just so rich!

December 10

2008-12-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

Can you believe how much trash we produce?? Sometimes it just makes me sick. I feel like the trash is eternally full, but I promise, we do empty it, and often!! We even recycle...

December 9

2008-12-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

Got to go to Becca's chorus concert tonight. Can't believe she is in high school and doing this stuff! What happened to my little Doobee?

December 8

2008-12-08T19:21:00.001-08:00

My niece, Heidi, had this on her blog. I liked it, so I took the quiz. this is my result:

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional.

You prefer things the way you've always known them.

You'll admit that you're old fashioned, and you don't see anything wrong with that.

Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style.

Those who like you crave security.

People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them.

You're loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin.

And because of these qualities, you've definitely earned a lot of respect.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

December 7

2008-12-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Hot Chocolate!

December 6

2008-12-06T14:53:00.001-08:00

We had our ward Christmas breakfast this morning. I got to see Santa Clause! I have always LOVED Santa!

December 5

2008-12-05T20:05:00.000-08:00

I love seeing the flag fly over our school. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

December 4

2008-12-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

December Birthday Visits for Relief Society. We made 23 Snowman soup mugs. We delivered 11 tonight and will do the rest next week. It is fun to make the birthday visits!

December 3

2008-12-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

I am missing this little girl today. We went to the park Monday afternoon before she had to go back to Utah. It was a beautiful day, and we had so much fun playing.

December 2

2008-12-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

I have always loved this nativity scene.

December 1

2008-12-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks for helping decorate the Christmas tree, Ava! It was so much fun to have you here. I was very sad to drop you and your mom off at the airport tonight!

November 30

2008-11-30T18:11:00.001-08:00

Remember the toe accident yesterday? This is what my toe looked like when I went to bed last night. It was throbbing and I was glad to get off my feet. I really think I broke it...

Well, it was worse this morning. I painted my toe nails anticipating wearing some strappy sandals rather than shoes cause there is no way I can wear shoes. They just hurt too bad. Well, when I put on the strappy sandals, they hurt, too. I had to end up wear a stinky old pair of sandals with no heels and walk (limp) very carefully. I had to speak in church today, and it hurt to have any kind of shoe on, even the sandal. So I explained to the bishop what I had done to myself and asked if it was alright if I gave my talk barefoot because the shoes just hurt too much. No one sitting out there even knew, but I did give my talk barefoot! I just wonder what I am going to do tomorrow about work and shoes... I may have to wear stinky old sandals and not walk around too much!

Pretty, huh?

November 29

2008-11-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

Time to get out the Christmas Decorations. I love putting up the tree right after Thanksgiving and getting out all the decorations. These are the little snowmen I call my "Joy Boys." This year I put them up above the doorway to the family room. I was standing on a chair, and was placing Mr. J. in his spot. He slipped off and fell, landing right on my baby toe. Let me tell you, that hurt so bad!!! I was doing a war dance for sure. I went about the rest of the day in a lot of pain. Had shopping to do, and lights to hang. You know how it is. You just go and do anyway.

November 28 - Black Friday

2008-11-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

Julie wanted to try roller blading. Becca offered support.

She was a little nervous...Nick is showing her how to skateboard.

This is what I got to listen to as I was going to bed:

We had a really great day. Did go shopping - never again on Black Friday! It was a good night to go to the movies, though. Becca, Julie & Ava went to 4 Christmases. Nick, Rod and I went to the 007 movie. I fell asleep... wish I would have gone with the girls. Oh, well.

November 27

2008-11-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This is how you put stuffing in the turkey...

Look mom... no hands!

November 26

2008-11-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

I know I already posted for today, but it was an eventful day, and each event bears remembering: Allen dropped in - Ava was fascinated with is uniform and equipment. He spent some time and explained the handcuffs to her. She was so interested in all detention officer stuff. She asked him if he worked for a policeman.

Becca and her friends were hanging out. They are such cute girls!

Becca and McKaela traded clothes. For some reason they thought this was something of note. I am glad Becca has good friends. I think I will call them "the Three Stooges."

I picked up Julie and Ava from the airport tonight. After Becca's friends went home, Julie paid her to rub her feet. Oh, brother!

November 26

2008-11-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

The sunrise was unbelievable today! I snapped these photos as I was driving down Grand Avenue on my way to work, so they are through the dirty windshield and as I was moving. I know that was rather dangerous, but I knew if I did not act, I would not get the photo. By the time I arrived at school, there was NO color left in the sky. The morning sky happens fast!

November 25

2008-11-25T18:13:00.001-08:00

Today was Rod's late day. He got to sleep in, so I did not get to make my bed. This is how he does it. Not quite like I do, but I do appreciate the fact that he pulls up the covers and throws on the pillows. I really hate walking into my room and not having the bed made. Thanks, Rod, for making the bed!

November 24

2008-11-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

Rod has been temporarily stationed back at his old office in Phoenix. This location was almost completely closed down last spring. Hundreds of employees were let go. It was the largest GMAC office in the nation, in fact the world, and now it is all but empty. He said it echos when you talk and it is a very erie feeling. He has a team of 19 people that are left there until the end of the year, and then they will all be out of a job. He is the supervisor of this temporary team, and is teaching them the art of collections. We are thankful that Rod is still employed and will return back to his collections office when all is said and done here.

November 22

2008-11-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

It's a lemon poppyseed muffin morning. Have fun a youth conference today, girls!

November 21

2008-11-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

Yeah. Becca, Nick, Miriam and I went at midnight. Got home at 2:45. Had to get up for Seminary, School and Work. It was worth it. We really had good time. Sometimes you just have to let your hair down and do something that is not quite practical. We will always remember going to the midnight show - but would we remember sleeping that night? I don't think so!

November 20

2008-11-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

Lunch with the office girls - Georgia, Katrina, Monica and Tina! It was a staff development day, so the kids got out early and the teachers had meetings. My principal called the district office to see if it was alright for us to forward the phones so the office staff could do so team building by going out to lunch. We went to the Golden Greek and had Gyros. We had so much fun! Thanks Mr. Gunn.

Now for the story of the day: I sat a cross from Georgia. Our drinks were in close proximity. I reached out and took my glass (or so I thought) and sucked on the straw. I thought my face was going to turn inside out and my body did a shudder. I did not know what was wrong with that last few inches of my diet coke, but it was BAD! I then took a look and realized I had picked up Georgia's iced tea. They all laughed at me for sure. I don't know how people drink that stuff! Yuck! I thought it was a bad lime at the bottom of the glass or something.

November 19

2008-11-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

Mr. Smiley turned one today. I was sad I could not be there, but very happy I could spend some time with you a few days before and enjoy watching you open your present! I love you, Luka!

Novemeber 18

2008-11-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

So what is this, you may ask? Well, I have heard a funny tap, tap, tap, on occasion. The first time I heard it, I thought maybe my neighbor was hammering something in his back yard. But I kept hearing it for several days. Today, I finally went outside to check because I thought just maybe.....

and I was right! It was a stinkin' woodpecker. He has made this lovely hole into our attic on the west side of the house and has started two other holes. I talked to my neighbor about it and she said they have been all over the neighborhood and that several other homes have holes, too. Now we are on the rampage to get rid of woodpeckers!

November 17

2008-11-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Ava! Can't believe you are four years old. I'm glad I got to see you a few days before your birthday, so I could get this picture of you. Always remember that Grammy loves you!

November 15

2008-11-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

The nut bowl. When I was a little girl, we always had a bowl of nuts during the holidays. I have never done this with my kids, so Rod and I bought a big bag of nuts and a cracker. We now have a nut bowl. I have enjoyed the hazel nuts, especially. Our kids haven't touched it yet, but maybe they will venture forth.

November 14

2008-11-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

Sporting our new Centennial High School Hoodie in brilliant red, white, and blue! What a cute model. I was very sad when I had to take this girl to the airport tonight. I thought about her all weekend long. She went to her Grandma Clark's funeral.

November 13

2008-11-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

Rondaleen sent me this recipe and it sounded good - so tonight, Becca and I decided to try it out. Make sure you stir it up good, Becca!

The first one was a little messy looking - I think we might have not put quite as much flour as we should have in it - it's not supposed to run over the edge like that.

This one looks much better! We served it with ice cream to "cut the sweetness."

Here's the recipe:

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug (microwave proof)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract. and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

the cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cook a little, and tip out onto a plate of desired.

EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)

And why is the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Personally, I thought it was quite rich tasting. It is also more like a sponge cake texture-wise. I think the next time we try this, we will pour on chocolate sauce with whipping cream. Mmmmmm!

November 12

2008-11-12T20:03:00.001-08:00

The sunset tonight was stunning. My heart has been heavy this day, and this beautiful sky was a balm to my soul. My dear sweet friend and second mother passed away this morning. She would have reveled in this evening sky with me...

I know that she saw it from the other side of the sky and was equally thrilled. And now she is no longer in pain. Her body is at rest and her spirit is free! Thank you for helping me become who I am today, Carol. I love you so much, and miss you.

November 11

2008-11-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

Skate boarding princess...

I love this boy!

Look how coy.

Mr. Smiley warms my heart!

Don't Eat Pete!

I got to spend some time with my precious grandchildren. I have missed them more than words can express. I had so much fun playing games with them, watching them ride bikes and skate board. They are brilliant and beautiful beyond description! When it was time to leave, Cooper and Savannah started crying. It was so hard to say goodbye. It made me cry, too!

November 10

2008-11-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

Lunch with my sisters, Janet and LaRue.

Surprise! Heidi came, too!

Julie and I got to have lunch with LaRue, Janet and Heidi. It was so fun to see my niece! I don't get to see her that often. I really love my nieces and nephews!

November 9

2008-11-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

LaRue and Mr. B.

Dad and Donna.

LaRue made Sunday dinner and we had such a nice visit with Dad and Donna. I have missed my family so much!

November 8

2008-11-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

My traveling companion...

November 7

2008-11-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

Packing for my journey...

November 4

2008-11-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Becca!

November 2

2008-11-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the preliminary competition for state for the band. They received a "good." This means they did not qualify for state. There were some very sad band kids. They worked really hard and they had a great time. That's really what matters after all.

November 1

2008-11-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

7:00 am we are at the Bishop's house to add to our storage. Nice action shot of the elbow macaroni, huh?
A trunk full of dry canned goods. Makes me feel a little more secure. I just wonder where we are going to put it all...

October 27

2008-10-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

The political sign in our front yard...

October 26

2008-10-26T21:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, at the early hour of 7 a.m. several members of our ward all met on Ironwood Avenue, which is about 5 blocks south of where we live. We brought our shovels, rakes, gloves, and other paraphernalia. In exchange for granola bars, drinks, and yellow t-shirts, we did yard work. We dug up Bermuda grass and raked gravel. Other members of our stake trimmed trees, put up fences, painted houses, and did other yard work similar to what we did. The effect was dramatic. Becca and I drove down that street later in the day, and about half the houses looked totally refurbished and beautiful!

October 25

2008-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

We had our ward trunk-or-treat party tonight. Becca asked me if I was dressing up. I asked her if SHE was dressing up and she said no, but I that had to because I am always a witch. She basically commanded me to dress up. So I did. Green face, and all. I wore these ridiculous tinsel eyelashes, too, and I couldn't get the glue to come off. I thought my eyelids were going to stick toether with my eyelashes for the rest of my life!

Here is Becca at the root beer stand. They put dry ice in there to make it look spooky, I guess. Cute little Carson comes up and asks what is that?

Me: It is Witches' Brew.

Carson: Witches' Brew? (His eyes get quite wide)

Me: Yes, and if you drink it it will make you fly.

Carson: Fly? I DON'T WANT ANY! (with a very wrinkled brow)

And then he runs away.

October 24

2008-10-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

I baked these up last night for our game night at Relief Society. This the best and easiest recipe ever! Who ever heard of "3 ingredient cookies" ??

Amazing Low-Fat Pumpkin Cookies
(from Essential Mormon Celebrations cookbook)

1 spice cake mix
1 29 oz. can pumpkin
1 11 oz pkg chocolate chips (optional)

In a bowl mix together cake mix and pumpkin until smooth. Add chocolate chips if desired. Drop by tablespoons onto greased baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Thanks to Liz Gunn, who shared this recipe with me.

October 23

2008-10-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my dear sister, LaRue!

October 22

2008-10-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Peggy (in the hat), the principal at the elemetary school on our campus, turned 50. Her secretary, Georgia (the one holding the plates), planned a whole "red hat" themed celebration.

October 21

2008-10-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

I know this is quite silly, but I got my "school pictures" from work today. I can remember my dad bringing home his school pictures and giving me one to keep, so I made some cards for my grandkids and I am sending them a picture of me. I love those sweet kids, and I miss them. I want them to know how much I love them and not to forget me because I live so far away.

October 20

2008-10-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

Becca has become enamored with playing the piano. She has had lessons two different time periods and has so much natural ability. She just hates the practice, though. So now she sits down and sight reads hymns. It is just amazing how well she does. She is very excited about this new skill. She has learned alot about reading music in her choir class and has applied it to her piano skills. Way to go Becca!

October 19

2008-10-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

Becca's legs STILL have a line from her sunburn last August. The girls in her PE class call her "Whitey."

Octcober 18

2008-10-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

Rod did the nasty job of taking out the caluking around the shower an replacing it with new caluking. We also got a new "shower caddy." Oh boy!

October 17

2008-10-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

Crazy Hat Night for the band at Cortez.

October 16

2008-10-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

This is a year's supply of shampoo and cream rinse, as well as the pasta we canned at our last ward canning day. We got some stepping stones to put the guest bed on so these cans will fit underneath. The guest room has become our secondary food storage room and there ar #10 cans everywhere!

October 7

2008-10-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Becca's first choir concert. It was very enjoyable, and she was excited about the whole thing. We had to leave home at 5:15 to get her there early. The concert was from 7:00 to 8:00. Afterward we stopped in at Carl's Jr. for a bite of supper. What a fun evening! I think my favorite story about this is that she was originally on the front row (the place for short people). She complained to the teacher that the girl behind her spits when she sings, and she didn't like being showered during choir every day. The teacher switched places with the girls, so Becca ended up on the second row. We had a good laugh when she told that story!

October 5

2008-10-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Soooo...this late afternoon we walked a trail at Thunderbird. It has been along time. It was a totally beautiful day - only in the 80s. It was late enough that the shadows were long.

To our surprise, here comes a guy on a unicycle.
I guess it is not popular to carry the unicycle up the trail and then ride it down. He did have a couple of spills as he was dodging rocks...

October 4

2008-10-04T20:26:00.001-07:00

Heidi, I made your enchiladas tonight. They were SOOOOOOO good!

October 3

2008-10-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Getting stuff to the bus for the "away" game at Dysart.

After seeing Nick off on his bus, we (Julie, Becca, Rod, and I) went to the Olive Garden for dinner and then to Barnes and Noble. I found a couple of cute Halloween books for my grandkids. I also got these darling Halloween T-shirts for them earlier in the day at WalMart. They light up when they move. That should be interesting! Wish I could see them with their shirts on. I think of my little guys every day. I miss them more than I can say. I try to send them stuff once in a while so they will know I am thinking of them.

October 2

2008-10-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Julie came to town! We went and got a pedicure - Even Becca!

Julie is "getting her groove," and Becca is wondering "what the heck?"

October 1

2008-10-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

Time for my little witch friend to come out of the closet. Got out all my fall and Halloween decorations tonight and put them up. I love the fall, and I love Halloween!

September 30

2008-09-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Just chillin'. These two sat at the table and just talked and talked tonight. No video games, no guitars or drums, no Ipods on. Just real conversation with lots of laughing. One of my favorite things.

September 28

2008-09-28T21:03:00.001-07:00

So this is Becca's choir dress. We have to hem it. I think it was made for an Amazon! (You know, those really tall people.) It will definitely have a deep hem, and she stands on the front row. Wish me luck. Oh, and by the way, the black t-shirt is not part of the dress.

September 27

2008-09-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the annual General Women's Broadcast. We had some really neat displays from each ward about things they have done for enrichment nights. The talks were so powerful. I enjoyed this time with the sisters in my ward and stake.

September 26

2008-09-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

It's football season! Nick is really enjoying his drum line involvement this year. He is the section leader. The football team has actually made some improvement over the last three years. They are scoring now, and have even won a couple of games! The band is playing selections from 4 Broadway shows - really great music!

September 25

2008-09-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Katie! This is the only shot I have of her by herself from this summer. She is even beautiful and photogenic when she is laying sod... I love you, Katie!

September 24

2008-09-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh, yes! This was so good...it's been a while since I had a cream filled donut like this - I absolutely enjoyed every single bite! (no guilt, either!)

September 23

2008-09-23T20:56:00.001-07:00

FIVE Stars! Rock on!

September 22

2008-09-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Becca wanted to make Miriam some cookies and decided to make her a giant snowman cooking instead. It turned out so cute! You should have seen Miriam's face when Becca took it over. (They have been obsessed with snowmen as of late.)

September 17

2008-09-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Nick found this little visitor in the bathroom. It was so small that it was nearly transparent. We have these little geckos from time to time. We try to remove them to the outside without hurting them. They are very cool to look at.

September 13

2008-09-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ethan had his first birthday today! Just look at that brilliant smile. We enjoyed going to his little party and watching him get his first sugar rush!

September 12

2008-09-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

We had a ward pie social. We also played Wii bowling. It was fun to visit and play with the adults in our ward. We have many amazing people who are so wonderful to associate with. I really love our ward.

September 10

2008-09-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

Becca was sick with the flu. I stayed home from my planned meetings and made here these cute little jammies. They have colored hearts all over them. I'm glad she is feeling better. She was sick yesterday and today. I had meetings from 6:30 - 9:00 last night and had to leave her. Tonight I cancelled my meetings to stay home with her because I did not want to leave her again, but she felt good enough to go to Mutual. So I had some time with my sewing machine. It was quite enjoyable.

September 7

2008-09-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is totally one of my favorite salads to make and eat. We had the McLean's over for dinner tonight and this is one of the things I made. I also made chicken cacciatore over brown rice and roasted cauliflower. (I learned all of these wonderful dishes from Katie.) Julie asked me how I had been losing weight and expressed interest in the weight watcher program when I explained it to her, so we had them over for a weight watcher's dinner. We had so much fun with them! Brother McLean played rock band with Nick and sister McLean hung out with Becca and me.

Here is the recipe for this salad:

Santa Fe Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing (Mix and Match Recipe)

light meals
POINTS® Value: 2 Servings: 8 Preparation Time: 25 min Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
6 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, finely chopped (I use more because it is so good!)
3 Tbsp water
1 medium scallion(s), minced
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I use more because I like it.)
2 tsp sugar (I use a sugar substitute)
1/2 tsp chili powder
15 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cup grape tomatoes
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), cut into thin strips (about 1 1/2 cups) (You can also used any colored sweet peppers. It makes the salad so pretty!)
8 cup romaine lettuce, cut into thick shreds (about 2 hearts)

Instructions:

To make dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, cilantro, water, scallion, lime juice, sugar and chili powder in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a jar or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large bowl or food storage container, layer remaining ingredients in order listed. Cover and refrigerate.
To serve, spoon salad ingredients into a bowl. Shake dressing and then drizzle dressing over salad; toss well to coat. Yields about 2 cups of salad and 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.

September 6

2008-09-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

6:20 am - we canned 22 cans of dry storage (flour and sugar) at the bishop's home this morning. We then stayed and helped some others do some of their canning, too.
9:00 am - using our "food saver" to prepare spaghetti for storage. It sucks out all of the air, then seals the bag. The finished product is hard as a rock. We now have 16 lbs. of spaghetti to add to our storage, along with several "bricks" of rice we did at the beginning of the summer.
7:00 pm - we were given some tickets for the ASU/Stanford game. We had a blast! It was so hot, thought, I could not believe it. It was 108 when we got out of the car walk into the stadium at 5:30. We sat there for 5 hours and literally melted, along with every other person in the stadium. Add in grocery shopping, cleaning, changing sheets, laundry, yard work, and a nice nap, it was a busy Saturday!

September 5

2008-09-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

THIS was the best batch of biscuits I have ever made! Nice and crusty on the outside, and fluffy, tender and tasty on the inside! It has been a long time since I made batch of these babies.

September 4

2008-09-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

Alfredo

Chicken Salad

Lasagne, alfredo and spaghetti.

Tonight I was making a batch of biscuits and some tomato soup for dinner because Becca has not felt good today. She requested this menu thinking it would feel good on her poor stomach. I got all of the dry ingredients for the biscuits in the mixing bowl and started it up. Then the mixer died. The power was OUT in the whole neighborhood, due to a traffic accident (we found out later). So I waited. I wondered if I should get out the Coleman stove to make the soup, and thought no way, fool! It's way too hot to try making dinner on the patio. So I settled down on to the couch with my book to wait for Rod. When he got home, we decided to go to Fazoli's. As we pulled into the parking lot at our friendly Peoria Fazoli's, we notice there were no cars. This location was closed for business and had a note on the door directing us to other locations. So we hopped on the 101 and headed a little bit north to find one. It was great and worth the drive! And when we got home, the power was back on. Yea! So I covered up the biscuit stuff to make tomorrow. The power was actually out for a couple of hours, the longest we have ever been without power since we moved here.

September 1

2008-09-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

We are looking down the length of a saguaro cactus here that had fallen across the trail we hiked today in the White Tanks. We went with our friend, John Hardy. John measured the thing, and it was 36 feet long! He said that with a maximum growth of 6" per year, it was at least 72 years old. I had never seen the roots of a cactus like this before. Very interesting. They cut the piece over the trail out, just like the do fallen trees in the forest, so we did not have to try to step over it. It was a beautiful day for a hike - stayed in the 80s and was overcast part of the time. However, it was very humid and my shirt was soaking wet with sweat at the end of the 6 mile hike. Needless to say, we drank a lot of water on the trail!

August 31

2008-08-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

Rondaleen called me one day last week and said that a long-time friend from Corcoran was going to be in town, visiting her daughter that had moved to Gilbert and would like to get together for a visit. I said how about all of us having Sunday dinner? Rondaleen made a phone call and got it all set up. Ruth and Mike Elison, along with their daughter Danielle, her 3 kids, and their son Robbie, his wife and 3 kids all came for dinner tonight. Danielle's husband is doing a residency in Scottsdale and was at work. Of course, Rondaleen was there too! We had such a great visit and it was truly wonderful to see these old friends. They had moved away in 1990, and yes it has been that long since I had seen them. You do the math! They had never even met Becca before. I am so glad that Ruth wanted to get together and made the call to Rondaleen. We really had a great time.

August 30

2008-08-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Becca and Miriam made McKaela a poster. They are all such cute friends. They had a "Personal Progress Picnic" in the living room.

August 29

2008-08-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, Allen graduated from Maricopa Sheriff's Academy as a Detention Officer. I have never seen him so excited about anything. We are so proud of him and this amazing accomplishment. He is pictured here with his Sargent.

August 28

2008-08-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the big day for Nick. He got his wisdom teeth out this morning. He was so funny on the way home saying how he felt good and normal, but he did not know that his speech was slurred and that he weaved when he walked. He would kind of look around and wave his arms to see how it felt. I think he knew he was just a little "high." He was texting his friends and saying he loves his "communication." He propped his ice packs (frozen peas) with pillows and settled back to recoup.
Pretty soon he was out. He slept really well for a couple of hours and then woke up for another chocolate shake. I had to wake him a couple of times to check his gauze to make sure he is not bleeding too much. He can only have cold, soft foods today. And no drinking with a straw for 5 days. So it's ice cream time around here. He is a good patient, and is now playing Rock Band. He is a little more coherent now. I just love this kid!

August 27

2008-08-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

An old friend that stays in the closet much of the time. I have spent many happy hours with this old sewing machine. I have had it for nearly 34 years. I cannot even count the articles of clothing, baby blankets, quilt tops, dolls, toys, and craft projects I have enjoyed making with this Bernina. I got it out tonight to mend my sheets, hem some pants and to leave it out anticipating a sewing project when I stay home on Thursday with Nick. (He'll be getting his wisdom teeth out, poor kid.)

August 26

2008-08-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Julie! (I know I did not take this picture today or yesterday, but it is the most recent "solo" one I have of her that I have taken.) She is certainly a joy to me and such a bright spot in my life. There is nothing quite like my feelings for this girl. It is amazing to me how we love each of our children individually - for who they are - and how we interact with them. I'll take it all, the bitter and the sweet. It just makes me know all the more how much Heavenly Father loves each of us individually, too. I love you so much, Julie!

August 25

2008-08-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Dinner at Jason's Deli. We had such a good time with our dear friends! What is on Becca's arms, you ask?
She was cold, so Trudy made her some "sleeves" out of napkins.

August 23

2008-08-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Friday night, Nick got home from work at 2:00 am. He startled me by knocking on the door quite loudly. He is supposed to let us know when he gets home, so I was glad he did. Just as I was settling back into la-la land, there was this CRASH! I though "what did he trip over?" or that may be something had died, fallen from the sky, and landed on the sky light. It was just really weird, but I just did not have the wherewith all to get up and investigate. About 4 1/2 hour later, when the sun was up and the morning was young, we decided to go on a hike. I grabbed my hiking clothes from the dresser drawer and got ready. As I turned on the closet light to step in and get my shoes, this is what I saw:Now I knew what the crash in the night was. My closet shelf had broken right off the wall and dumped everything on the floor, hangers still intact on the rod. What a mess! and it was broken badly enough that we had to totally re-build my side of the closet. I took everything out and put it in the guest room for holding. It certainly looked bare in there:3 trips to Home Depot and $150.00 later, we had all the materials needed to Spackle, paint, and put up the new closet interior. It took all day... something we had not planned on. While the Spackle dried, we did our WalMart shopping. While the paint dried, we did our Sam's shopping, and while I went to my "girl's night out" where we watched Steel Magnolia's and had great food, Rod put up the hardware. He did a great job! Thank you for doing all this on your precious Saturday off!

We tried to better utilize the space by making part of the closet a "double decker." I just can't believe that the whole thing fell off the wall! I do like the new look, though, and I was able to get rid of some stuff that I just couldn't let go before. So it's all good!