More On T.V.

Crossroads Guitar Festival- Amazing! Derek Trucks Band - I though it was Beautiful South/Dead good mix. But better. I love watching old guys rock. Makes me feel okay to age or something. Makes me love and appreciate the guitar - hopefully one of the boys will pick it up.

On the Hills - I am impressed by your equally enthusiastic rhetoric on our favorite "reality" t.v. show. Are their writers' on strike or something?

Moron T.V. get it.

Justin Bobbie

What is the deal? What is your theory? Is he just an actor using Audrina? He is truly trashy, although really cute. Audrina obviously has very little, if any self respect or self esteem - poor beautiful girl. Seriously, what is the deal? Why do I care. If I had a picture I would post it, but I couldn't find one. Maybe I should have found one of Jack Sparrow. AK and I just finished watching the last episode if you can't tell. Okay, I am over it.

Wassail & Corn Bread

Wassail

8 cups (2 Quarts) Apple Juice or Apple Cider
3 cups Orange Juice (the original recipe call for 2 - I did 3 and we liked it best!)
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice

Combine, bring to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes, and serve.

Corn Bread Muffins
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
whisk together, add:
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding powder or 1 small instant vanilla pudding package
mix just until moistened, yet still very lumpy. Fill 12 sprayed muffin tins with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Yum! We mixed these up with taco soup tonight and they were delightful. We substituted the oil for melted butter we didn't have, and added the vanilla pudding powder ala AK's suggestion.

Grateful Tuesday

"Holden what are you grateful for?"

"Food. I am grateful for food." As he continues to play his leapster game (yes, AK found it!).

We made it to Phoenix. We left at 2:30ish on Monday morning and after an hour long stop at the Dam and another hour at Montezuma Castle (very cool, pictures to come), we rolled into Phoenix around 3 pm. The kids probably slept about 4 hours total. When we put them in the car at 2 in the morning, you would have thought it was Christmas morning they were all 3, so excited and chattery. Until I instated the rule of no talking until sunrise! Then no cookies before 10:30. We broke both rules by about an hour. We dined on PB&J and PB&H for breakfast (although I begged to stop at one of the many new "hip" eating establishments in Panguitch for breakfast, oh well) and skittles and M&M's for lunch. Darling Aunt Trev invited us for dinner, which AK correctly assessed we felt like we had pulled up in our carriage to Cove Fort and were welcomed with yummy taco soup, homemade corn bread, and chocolate cake for our long journey. We even had some pre-dinner piano entertainment in the "salon". It was purely awesome. The kids had a blast with their cousins, jumping on the trampoline, and just becoming familiar as Tessa chatted away and the boys showed off their things and talents (the Star Wars theme on piano was a huge hit! Thanks Bryan!). P got a kick out of Uncle Mark at dinner where she made her happy scrunch face and talked and giggled, it was hilarious and quite a show. We hit the sack and this morning breakfasted on 1847 sourdough-sourdough pancakes. I enjoyed a lovely and brisk pace walk with MS and Kirby and love seeing all of the desert trees and landscape. It is so beautiful and warm and oranges and lemons and grapefruit and dates are blooming all over. We are headed to Last Chance, wish us luck.

Grateful Sunday

"Owen what are you grateful for?"

"I am grateful for Penelope and Dad and my house. I know how to draw a dress now." (He drew P in a triangle dress today at church.) "You just go "zzzzt zzzzt zzzzt"' (as he air draws a triangle). He also learned how to write our last name today (H taught him).

I didn't get a chance to ask H what he was grateful for between looking for his leapster...aaargh where is that thing? P is grateful for food. She loves the stuff.

Photo taken a few months ago, in August I believe. Note the living room paint color has changed from sunny yellow to an awesome bluesy hue. And O looks so much older now. I can't stand it, I wish they would stop growing for like one minute!

Green Coats for Liz

J Crew Gramercy Coat $350 Bones.
$98 Brass Plum Coat

Green Velvet Coat

Check out BB Dakota brand, I found 2 cute $60 coats this season at Children's Hour. I have also seen the brand at Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom. BB Dakota hails from Laguna Beach (Shout out!). I don't think they will last long (they don't seem to have interfacing or something), but they are cute and trendy for the winter uniform.

Great Week!

We had a very happy, sunny, great weathered week. We can't believe the awesome weather we have been enjoying. We keep expecting it to end with a big snowstorm, but we haven't had a snowstorm since early September. I think it's the calm before like days of blackout, horrendous blizzard, snowstorm weather, but that's just the paranoid Mormon in me.

During the last week (specifically since last Saturday at the Midway Manse) P is officially sitting up on her own. It is heaven because she just sits there, perfect AK posture, and will play with toys in her lap. I have been able to prop her and shower, do dishes, assist Kate in setting up her Christmas tree, and other fun tasks, while she sits and doesn't move. I love it. I will enjoy it while it is certainly short lived. She also continues to deftly use the sippy cup (she loves her watered down apple juice) and loves feeding herself 'puffs' or bits of bread. She loves playing patty cake and even is really trying to clap, but doesn't quite connect, but gets so happy recognizing it as well as peek a boo and mirrors. She has an awesome spazzy smile. And is still using the "suck and block" when she is ready for bed. She loves her bed, thus does not sleep well elsewhere (like the port-a-crib at Midway or AJ's bed).

O and I had some good old hang out days, shopping and hanging out and lunching like the good ol' days with my little buddy. He continues to write, including his letter to Santa penned with AK's help today. He is still always trying to keep up with his big brother - who is a great teacher and helper. He's kind of obsessed with money right now (his Grandma like to give it to him in $5 & $10 increments) which he doesn't understand and like to lose or give away to friends.

H started Tae Kwon Do this week and started wearing a moustache since Friday. His TKD outfit is darling and I love to see his "kicks" after class. We will be missing quite a lot next week, so he'll have a lot of catching up to do. In class, he received tickets for good behavior which can be turned in for prizes. On Friday, he came strutting out of class with a grey moustache. He has since mastered eating and drinking and totally hamming it up dead pan style. He is very excited to trick Grandma and Grandpa when we arrive in Phoenix. This morning he was reading to P when she woke up, which we loved to hear and she loved it too. He is so sweet to always be reading to O. AK is reading The Hobbit to the boys, which H is really retaining and re-telling very well.

I didn't have any meetings. We hosted the EQ Presidency and families for a dinner, which was fun and easy and made me want to have more dinner parties again. Today, we all went to the zoo this morning & AK went to the Utah football game with Josh and John and had a great time.

Oven Baked Apple Sauce

6-8 McIntosh Apples, Peeled, Cored, & Quartered add
Zest and Juice of 1 Orange & 1 Lemon
Place into dutch oven, add
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
Add 2 or 3 red apple peels for color
Cook 400 degrees for 60 minutes
Remove apple peels
Whisk to desired consistency
Enjoy hot or chilled!

AK had it hot and fresh on ice cream last night. We had it cold on AK's crepes this morning. As seen on 'Barefoot Contessa's' Halloween party show, but with less orange and no granny smith. She recommended using 1/2 McIntosh and 1/2 granny smith, which sounds yummy and more tart.

Mike Mills

I am the way bigger R.E.M fan. I really like Mike Mills. Mikey Miller (Tustin/Foothill people might know him) was the name of the first boy I kissed, which fueled my like of Mikey Mills further. Dan Patrick has a great interview with Mike Mills that AK caught last week or so. I used to watch their "unplugged" after 6 am seminary and before school every morning in 1992-93. We have been playing our collection of R.E.M. over and over the last few days. I think I got turned off for awhile because Michael Stipe is kind of too freaky for me. AK told me about this awesome Mike Mills interview. And that 'Half a World Away' is our new song, since when I would watch this, AK was half a world away in Argentina. I don't know if this is a result of Radiohead's new album and amazing web-"concert" yesterday or that it's R.E.M.'s year of induction into the Rock 'n Roll hall of fame or what. But our ipods are certainly dialed in. Thanks to Jesse for a few of the albums. Loved that H was singing 'Superman' all morning, and I hope he sang it all day at school too. Do you R.E.M.?

Me and My Babe

Where did you meet your husband?
We met at 18th Street on Pioneer Day, 1995. I lived down the street (on 71st) and was home for the summer. He was selling deadly poisons to kill ants and living in Aliso Viejo with some college buddies. We played a little volleyball, but I was super T.C. since all of these inlanders were at MY beach!

Where was your first date?
Salt Lake Brewing Company (all non-alcoholic brews for us! seriously!) & then a funny folk band at a now closed bar/showplace on West Temple and 3rd South (neither of us can remember the name!).

Where was your first kiss?
In front of my apartment at 9th South and 11 East (diagonally across from East High, for all of you High School Musical or East High fans). We get to drive by often and always say "That's where it all started!". In the parking lot behind the complex was where I really told AK what he meant to me via the Cranberries song "Dreams" (sooooo cheesy and 1996! but still our song!).

Did you have a long or short courtship/engagement?
Short courtship - we officially dated from October until January engagement. We were married in June.

Where did you get engaged?
In back of the Bountiful Temple, after attending a very weird Sundance movie at the Tower 'SpaceTruckers' with Dennis Hopper. Tyler was in town.

Where did you get married?
The Bountiful Utah temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

How did your reception go?
I had 3. Well, one reception and 2 "open houses". The Newport one was my favorite (seeing old friends, being home, family friends). All were fun for different reasons though. I loved the band for the Farmington reception, but it wasn't totally keen for the "Utah reception crowd".

How was your honeymoon?
Awesome. Lots of ...cribbage. Santa Barbara.

Grateful Sunday

1. Forgiveness
   
2. Photoshop
3. My cute boys and their love and hugs and rose after my almost 24 hour absence.
4. Girls' getaways! My first with P and so fun to have Kate and AJ there too. (thus the 24 hour absence)
   
5. Naps.
   

The Sea

I have a story that I was reminded of reading this awesome blog. Since we lived between .1 and 2 miles at the most from the beach, and our school was about 3 miles from the nearest beach, many a class periods may or may not have been spent on the beach. Well one beautiful day my big sister Kate and I decided to high-tail it to enjoy and bask in the sun and ocean water. As we were enjoying our day off, we experienced about a 4.0 centered in Newport earthquake. We freaked out a little and then decided we were super busted since there would most certainly be roll call/emergency stuff going on. We did a drive by and decided that amongst the chaos and freakishness we were okay and headed home.

Many a days or nights were spent just sitting and watching and thinking at El Morro, CDM, or pick a street at Newport. Unlike my darling fair-skinned friend Leslie, we swam and surfed in the ocean all of the time. It's not too cold in the summer, but during the winter it would be a no-go (unlike Hawaii or the Caribbean I imagine). I love the feeling of body surfing and yes, occasionally with the dolphins (I forget how really common this is there). I beg Andy at least 2 out of every five days to move there...maybe someday.

I'm Just Thinking - Strength of Women

I've been thinking about this a lot, since reading it yesterday in Talmage's Jesus the Christ. This is occuring as Jesus and Simon the Cyrenian, bearing the cross of Jesus, walk to Calvary.

Among those who followed or stood and watched the death-procession pass, were some, women particularly, who bewailed and lamented the fate to which Jesus was going. We read of no man who ventured to raise his voice in protest or pity; but on this dreadful occasion as at other times, women were not afraid to cry out in commiseration or praise. (p. 653)

I mean it's not church doctrine, but as close as Deseret Book can get. Talmage being commissioned by the brethren and given his own room in the SL Temple to write this amazing book, and all. I think how sometimes it is difficult for men to express their feelings because they are judged so harshly by the world. And this is not just today, but 2,000 years ago too. We, women, are pretty much given a free pass in the feelings department. We can lay it all out. I get near the "committed" fine line all of the time, with Andy as an innocent bystanding witness can attest, and I am pretty "normal" as far as female mood swings go. Not just emoting wildly like the typical "poor me", etc., but also speaking out emotionally too. Maybe that's why women tend to "fight" more than men, and have issues with each other. Good and bad, we aren't afraid to let someone know how we feel we've been offended, or generally what we think about things or each other. I love that we can harness this and accomplish awesome things (as President Hinckley, President Monson, Presidend Faust and the RG Presidency have been telling us) as we fight for our families, beliefs, etc. Whether or not we are accepted or even listened to, I still think it's important for us to emote our true beliefs and feelings, specifically when it comes to the work of the gospel. I am sure that is why we are given this "free pass to feelings", so that we can defend our families these days. What do you think? (And don't just say, "Sister, you need AD's" unless you really think so.

Re-visit this amazing song from 'Savior of the World' here.

Grateful Sunday

A few snapshots from the week:Hooray for Maama and Baampa! We love when they come visiting from sunny and beautiful California!

My favorite skeleton and the donkey at This Is The Place (or T.I.T. Place - I wrote that once for a meeting reminder that was held here, and I looked at it later and shared a good laugh with AK!).

Ogden Dino Museum with cousins. Note how the T-Rex has a bloody leg in it's mouth, so the kids are cleverly feigning leg-less-ness.

1. Sisters - Because when I feel like nobody likes me, and I have no friends, my sisters are always, always there. And I dig them too. Every last one.
2. Relief Gang - For being an amazing organization that helps everyone and includes everyone.
3. Andy - For being intuitive and knowing how I am really feeling, without words. And for making delicious crepes, even when he's fasting. And for doing things so that everyday I say "Your daddy really loves me!"
   
4. Blogs/Journals/Prayer - Where I let it all hang out.
   

Cinnamon Roll Bum

These adorable children are my niece and nephew in California. Seriously gorgeous! We have some seriously gorgeous and smart genes if I say so myself.

I CAN'T FIND THE CAMERA CORD! AAARGH!

Tonight, I am sort of in blog heaven. I am in the 'bread maker kneading' process of these cinnamon rolls (which you must #1 make and #2 attempt to resist 'eating with wild abandon', which is futile) for my nephews baptism celebration in the morning. Oh and I love my awesome mother-in-law's play by play, don't you? Back to blog heaven. After a fun day volunteering for 'Mexican Cultural Celebration Day'/Day of the Dead Celebration at H's class (thank you Madre y Padre for the morning babysitting session - I truly would have been even more nuts without you), then lunch at Hire's, play at the park with the boys, "rest" at home, back to a different park with AK, mi Madre y Padre and more nephews, and the long board (very fun, I was even rocking it in my patent leather flats, helmet included of course), then back for Eggo's for dinner (for the kiddos with some PB for protein of course ;), I had the yummy remains of this soup), then seriously back to the park (we walk, it's down the street) for soccer practice, then home to baths. So I was looking forward to making the cinnamon rolls with AK (or really watching him make them), but it is now 8:11 and everyone but me is sound asleep. I was sad that Andy would be unavailable for Rummikub tonight, but then rubbed my hands together and realized I could blog and blog-stalk and blog and blog-stalk to my heart's content - no guilt, no eyes rolling, and I will even get all the credit for the cinnamon rolls! I think that was almost all one sentence! Take that English major people.

Halloween was awesome, I must report. Our house had been decorated for at least the whole month of October. We went to an awesome family-neighborhood Halloween rager (where if they gave out a prize for lamest excuse of a costume, I should have won it). We'd missed the school parade, which was held on Friday instead of Halloween, which was kind of weird. Owen had worn a different costume for every Halloween event. And he didn't even want to dress up for school on Wednesday. So it was starting out all anti-climactic bummer, and then I went out and about. First stop, Starbucks drive thru (yes, I am sooooo lazy, and yes I totally sometimes drive way out of the way for this too!) and our favorite 'Baristar' (is that for the male?) was totally dressed up as a pirate. Smile and giggle #1 of many to follow. Then P and I hit Wal-Mart, and there were crazy adults dressed up all over the place, not just 'wal-mart' dressed, but actual Halloween costumes. I had forgotten that adults dress up for work. Like at Pacific Life (my favoritist job ever) people were super wicked about Halloween. There was a huge contest and everything. And I freaking loved seeing all of the adults walk over to Fashion Island for lunch, I just loved it and thought it was so great. So that totally made my day, and that Wal-Mart was fun (I don't get out much and am very easily pleased when it comes to being able to buy Metamucil, cute bows, a humidifier, and orange juice in the same place - oh dear, I could have walked to Albertson's huh? Oh yeah, I really wanted Starbucks!). Then of course the trick-or-treating. For this I love living in Utah - We gave out 4 bags of candy, like 200 pieces people (sorry JoJo). Granted I gave out a candy body part and a chocolate candy, so 2 each, just so the love would be spread out amongst the gummy and chocolate lovers alike. And then we had to dig into the boys' awesome loot to give to additional trick-or-treaters! Dude, my kids scored. Andy took them around, and they had quite a gang going around with them. The kids were running from house to house and the 'rents could barely keep up. It was quite warm compared to every other year so the kids went as long and far as their little legs could take them (down 2 streets) or until their Spiderman buckets were full! Andy had a great time. I loved every bit. And not enough could be said of the kiddos' joy and excitement.

Today was another fall-time beauty. Andy came home for lunch so I could take a bike ride (my 2nd this week, yeah!). I went up Emigration. It was tremendous. Then O & P & I raked some leaves, threw the football around, and just laid around in the front yard. It was perfect!

Happy November

Happy November!