Sentiments by Sophia

A revisit: Christmas or Krismess?

I've decided to start blogging in the mornings again and since tomorrow is December 1st, I want to start with this requested "blast from the past" today.  Stay tuned for a fun month of holiday blogging!  I'm so excited!

PREVIOUSLY POSTED, BUT A GREAT TOOL/REMINDER!

Way back when.... when I taught the home management and organization classes, the Christmas class was my favorite!  Being on top of the holidays allows you to enjoy the season, not just blur through it. I'm sharing some of the things that have worked for me over the years! As excited as I am about decorating, I need to be about preparing!

THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO TO PREPARE FOR THE HOLIDAYS (for moi!) Even if you don't make yourself a fancy book, like I suggest here, you neeeeeeeed  a  Holiday NOTEBOOK!

The holiday notebook! Create a section in your planner or buy a small 5x7 notebook for the holidays and attach it to your body. For the next two months, don’t let it leave your side, for two reasons... 1) you need to have instant access to it to record your thoughts as they happen and 2) you don’t want any sneaky peeks to see what’s in it! Create page headers or tabs in your notebook for all of the lists your be keeping. Lists, lists, lists!! This way, they are all together, where you need them! Two other important additions: A) Attach an envelope to the inside back of your little notebook and place EVERY receipt for EVERY purchase IMMEDIATELY into the envelope! B) A calendar of everyone’s events... from school recitals to when to see Santa at the mall to holiday get-together to last mailing dates.

And on to the list of lists! My notebook includes:

A few pages for each person in my immediate family or recipients of more than one gift. On this page, I note little hints that are dropped by each family member. We give a week’s advanced notice and then hold a family counsel (where each year, Doug always says that this will be a small and humble holiday season that we’ll focus on the reason for the season and I agree completely until I go shopping and fight the "give them everything they ask for" demons!) Each person makes a "want list" asking for whatever they want. As the big kids were older, I always asked.... "Tell me five things you want in each category: $5 or less, $10 or less, $25 or less, $50, $100, and your ultimate gift. This gives me an idea of what to shoot for. The less expensive items end up being the stocking stuffers and it’s always amazing to me how practical the things they ask for.... new make-up, specific toiletries, school supplies that are lost already or need replacing....things that I might otherwise not have bought but wound just end up having to buy anyway later. Over the next weeks, after the family counsel, they think of more things that they want or need and I add them to my list.

As I shop, I note the prices of items on their individual sections of my notebook and where to get the best bargains. I also note the ads and discounts so that I can save wherever possible. Ex: Last year, Smiths had games on sale for a STEAL. It was buy one, get one free. I bought one Scene It and got one free. That beat the heck out of Shopko’s 30% off. Walmart will honor any other ads if you can prove it, so put this one to use as often as possible!

A page listing those others that you will be giving a gift to... extended family, friends, teachers, co-workers....

A section for cooking with food ideas, menus, treats, recipes. (Note little things like "I doubled the batch for the family party." so that next year, you can refer back to last year’s notebook and not have to second guess your memory this year!)

A section for clever gift ideas (you know, like the 2Liter of Sprite with the "May your Days be Merry and Sprite" tag on it. I ask everyone I know during the holidays, "What’s your favorite neighbor gift so far?"  Then, record them!

A page for people who will get treats

A page of people who will get small homemade gifts

A TO DO page for listing things that are out of the ordinary such as getting something special dry-cleaned, scheduling hair appointments, getting the dog groomed, when to order flowers and so on.

A page listing where I hid certain gifts.  Have you ever found a gift in July that was meant for Christmas morning?  Here's a great idea.... hide them all in the same place.  Buy a storage bin and label it something like "Canning Jars" or "Cleaning Rags".  No one would ever look in those.  Then, whenever you buy an item, make sure to record that it's purchased, wrap and label it and store it in the bin.  They'll never think to look in there and you won't be frantically searching for it on Christmas Eve!

A projected budget. This way you can check it often and try harder to keep on track.  Remember, a budget is keeping track of the money you will spend, not what you already have.

A page listing the gifts purchased and wrapped. Wrap as you purchase! This eliminates staying up til 4AM on Christmas morning. You don’t need to put the bows on yet. But, as you shop and bring the gifts home, wrap them immediately and write a number on each gift in the same location. (I write the number on the center piece of tape on the bottom of the gift.) Then I keep a list in my planner that is formatted under these headings: #/ GIFT/ FOR / WHERE PURCHASED / PRICE. If I need to exchange or even open before the holiday, I know where it is. By not having names but only having numbers on the gifts, this keeps away peekers.(More on gift-wrapping later)

A list/section of expenses. Not just gift purchases. Write down everything you buy for the holidays from gift-wrap, tape, batteries, house decorations, postage, gas for shopping. It’s amazing to look back later and see EXACTLY how much you spent. And there is something about writing it down that makes you feel more accountable for every dime spent.

A list of things that you would like to do next year for the holidays. We always hear of fun things that sound like great projects but it’s too late to do it this year. Keep a list and get started early next year on whatever it is that still "flips your trigger".

A list/inventory of holiday DVDs and CDs is also good to keep on hand. I often see a CD and think I NEED THAT when Liza reminds me that we already have it. An inventory allows you to keep track of what you own and what you loan!

A list of thank you’s to write. Lots of gifts are received before the big day. Keep track of who gave what and when so that thank yous are not a nightmare in January.

A list of things that YOU would like for YOU! Then if your sweetie or kids ask, you can say, "I just happen to have my own list right here!"

You get the idea. Use this notebook to keep it all together. Make it work for you. Create lists that fit your needs. This list becomes your "Holiday Brain" from now until January 2 when the kids go back to school! And when the holidays are over, you’ve got a great record to keep on hand for further use. It really can make an immense difference in how well prepared and organized you are for the holidays ahead! So, get that notebook today, alter one if you feel the need, or just use it as is, but start getting it all together for the holidays!

 For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.

ugh

Denise called just before her bedtime last night and I remember telling her that I felt a little nauseus.  At 5AM, it wasn't a little.  Long day.  Praying that I've kept this one to myself.  This was one painful bug!  Wondering why I got that equally painful flu shot a month ago?  Enough said.  Back tomorrow, hopefully feeling like myself again!  It's the last day of November and I've got a big month ahead!

ETA:  Woke up feeling a ton better! 

I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived the length of it.    I want to have lived the width of it as well.

funny

Doug announced last night as we were winding down that he'd taken the day off so that we could have a day alone after four days home with the children.  I was thrilled!  We had a great day date!  We did a few tasks around the house, headed to town to do a little holiday shopping, had lunch at Costa Vida and then saw Breaking Dawn.  Perfect date!  After the movie, we picked Zaylee up and brought her home just in time for Gracie to come in from school.  This afternoon, Doug put in new ballast in my kitchen lighting, worked on a few odds and ends around the house.  We had a yummy dinner of Taco Soup and corn bread, ZJ taught our Family Home Evening lesson and then it was bedtime.  A perfect day!  Love it!

Now,  a few funnies.  This first one, I want to first and foremost state that this is not meant to be offensive.  It's just one of those cases of " kids say the darnedest things".  A few nights ago, ZJ was in the room, listening intently, as always, to a conversation between Doug and I.  ZJ not missing a beat, asked, "Mom, what's a hypocrit?"  I then explained that a hypocrit is a person who says that they are one thing but they really are another thing or a person that says that they are not something that they really are.  She accepted that and then said, "Oh.  I thought that was a Democrat."  They sound similar. I could see where the confusion came from, but it made me cackle!  I would have laughed just as hard if she's said Republican.  And again.  I come from a family of southern Democrats.  Please don't take offense.  It's just a cute misunderstanding from a ten year old.  And for the record, I set her straight.

Zaylee was overwhelmed with all of the fun things to look at, now that the house is decorated for Christmas.  I explained that we "look with our eyes, not our hands or we get time out".  Gracie came home and touched something.  Zaylee came running, "Gwammie!  Gwammie!  Gwacie needs time out!  She touched the twee!!!"  So, Gracie got a ten second time out to teach Zaylee that Grammie meant business.  A few seconds later, ZJ had her turn. Then Quayd.  Zaylee never touched a thing.  She's now the "jello sherriff" of holiday decor at Grammie's house!

And last.  The belt.  On Thanksgiving morning, as Doug was getting dressed for dinner, I noticed his belt, which was too big from the Christmas Day that I gave it to him.  Remember that Doug is a farmer and farmers don't buy new.  They just "fix" things.  The black belt had torn at the buckle holes and he had taped it with electrical tape.  SERIOUSLY???  I said,  "Please tell me that you've never worn that belt out in public."  He snickered, "I wear it to work but it's under my smock, so no one's seen it."  I teased, "Babe.  You can throw it away.  We're not poor!"  He shared, very matter-of-factly, "Babe, it's a weapon."  He, then,  showed me how he could whip it off his waist and swing it around like a weapon, explaining the entire process.  Trying not to laugh out loud, I looked at him and said, "Doug.  How old are you?"  "Fifty-seven."  "And in your 57 years of life, how many times have you had to pull off your belt and use it as a weapon?"  As serious as a heart attack, he proudly responded, "None.  They saw the belt."  This man.  I do love him.  And he does make me laugh.  A. LOT. 

A good time to laugh is any time you can.

a great weekend and a good start...

It's been a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!  Dinner and company was perfect.  Then, on Friday morning, at 4AM, since Doug is used to getting up anyway, we went out together to do a little Black Friday shopping.  We were able to purchase all of the big items and now only have the small things to complete.   But, here's the best part of it... Doug loved it!He really enjoyed it.    We arrived at one 5AM event with the crowds.  The rest of the time, we spent hitting the other places after the big rush.  So, it was quiet and peaceful and actually pleasurable.

We came home by 9 and spent the rest of the day and Saturday, getting the Christmas decorations up.  Three trees are decorated and I think that's all I'll be putting up this year.  I've got twelve bins of Christmas decor and have only used three so far.  The downstairs isn't done yet, but we're keeping it simple this year too.  Too much "stuff" means more cleaning and more mess.  I've got enough other things on my mind.  My goal for this December is to simplify!!  And as Doug says, "There's still a ton!"

On Friday, I did manage to slip away for a quite visit with Denise at Chili's!  We also sqeezed in naps, movies and lots of eating.

Saturday, I spent some time gathering the things I'd need and reviewing my lesson for Relief Society.  I've never done this before but it was President Uchtdorf's talk on "Forget me Nots".  This talk has to be the best talk I've ever heard at a Women's Broadcast.  Every word of it is pertinent.  So.  I decided to actually play the talk for the ladies on DVD since many of them had never heard it.  I played the 22 minute talk and then recapped the highlights.  I can easily say that this was my favorite lesson ever because President Uchtdorf did the talking!  Loved it!

We spent the afternoon with the babes, discussing our lessons from Church and then watching Home Alone.  Omelets for a late Sunday dinner and an early bedtime for them.  While we were cleaning the kitchen, Doug surprised me with the news that he had taken tomorrow off!  We get to have a day date!  Love that!

A perfect Thanksgiving weekend, a perfect Sabbath, a great start to the holidays.  Life is good!  Very, very good!

We tend to live up to our expectations.

 

Bring it on!

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! 

the day before...

A lovely Thanksgiving Day, but the day before was my favorite.  ZJ helped immensely with dinner and wanted to learn how to make the pretty edge on the pies. 

Zaylee was adamant that we have a "crockwit" pie...until she tasted the apple pie.  Once she'd had a bite of it, she wanted nothing to do with her chocolate pie.
 

Gracie helped with setting the tables and keeping up on dishwashing while I filled the sink as fast as she could wash them! 

    The kids table, below. 

 I love the day before Thanksgiving!

Only love lets us see normal things in an extraordinary way.

another season's end...

Strength is a matter of a made up mind.

Happy Thankgiving!

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

YUM!!!

The kids are home for the weekend.  Doug will be home at 3 tomorrow!  The food's all bought, the meal's all planned.  The weekend looks to be filled with lots of fun, family and food! Here's three of our Thanksgiving Favorites!  (None of the photos, except this one, are mine!)

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.  I bought one of those Pillsbury Cookbooks at the Check- out stand in the grocery store years and years ago.   I shared this recipe with the baker at Juniper Inn and it became a fast favorite on their dessert menu.  Seriously, the best apple pue I've ever tasted!  A perfect twist to a very traditional Thanksgiving dessert!

 

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Crust

1 Box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1 1/4 cups sour cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg

6 cups 1/4-inch slices peeled baking apples

Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

Heat oven to 400°F. Unroll pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie. In large bowl, beat sour cream, granulated sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and egg with wire whisk until well blended; stir in apples. Pour into crust-lined pie plate. 2 Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 30 minutes longer. 3 Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix all topping ingredients except butter. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs; refrigerate until ready to use. 4 Sprinkle topping over pie. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.  

These came from friend Heather.  There's only one word for these sweet potatoes  ~ sinful!  They are a gazillion calories, tons of grams of fat and enough sugar to require a dental visit, but, worth every single bit of it!

 

Aunt Jan's Sweet Potatoes

3 C. cooked sweet potatoes mashed (approx. 2 large potatoes)
1/4 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs beaten
1 C. butter melted

1/2 C. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 C. chopped walnuts
1/3 C. flour 

Combine potatoes, sugar, 1/4 C. of the brown sugar, salt, eggs, 1/2 C. of the butter, milk and vanilla.  Place in buttered 2 quart casserole dish.  Combine remaining butter, brown sugar, walnuts and flour. Spoon over potatoes.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Note: I usually  do this recipe and a half to fill a 9 x 13” baking dish.)

Mom’s Raw Apple Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups oil
3 cups flour
3 cups shredded apple
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Cream oil and sugar together. Mix dry ingredients in. Add eggs, apples, vanilla and nuts. VERY thick. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350̊. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when completely cool. Store loosely covered.

Looking back, we see with great clarity, and what once appeared
as difficulties now reveal themselves as blessings.

latenight rambling...

I spent a beautiful snowy day at home alone...no wedding planning to do, it actually felt a little bit like the day after Christmas.  I filled the day studying my lesson for Sunday, cleaning the house, doing some online shopping, catching up on a few other things at home and looking outside my window!  It was a productive day but not nearly as fun as last week!

A few ramblings before I hit the hay:

• I just walked in from seeing Breaking Dawn, Part 1.  Wow! Loved it!  Was excited to see where it would end.  I'm definitely excited to see it again with Kelly and Liza when she comes!  We're planning girls night out already. 
• Wendy and I thought about turning around and going home before we left the neighborhood.  It's so foggy out right now that I can't see across the street!  This photo was what I saw out as I drove down the street from Wendy's tonight!  (Idid stop to take the picture!)  Welcome to Cache Valley winter!
• Liza also informed me that since there is no Wingers in Phoenix, we need to eat there while she's home.  Funny thing is that she didn't care that much for Wingers when she was here.  It's because she can't eat there now!
• Mom and Rick came by for an hour this afternoon.  I still can't believe my brother lives five houses away with my mother.
• The Christmas decorations go up on Friday.  Final decision.
• Black Friday Shopping will not be a part of my weekend.  Final decision.
• Online shopping will.
• I loved Dancing with the Stars tonight.  I really don't care who wins because they are all great!
• It's cold.  Very cold.  And foggy.
• Have I mentioned that I'm excited for Liza to come home?

I'm sleepy and that's all I've got today!  But tomorrow, some nummy Thanksgiving recipes!

Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there's always something we could be grateful for.

 

lovely, lovely, lovely!!!

I think that the whole past two weeks has caught up with me tonight!  At 9PM, I was falling asleep!  The weekend has been fabulous. I honestly couldn't or wouldn't change a thing!  On Friday, I spent the day loading the Expedition with half my house and all of the things needed for the reception.  I left, just as the snow was really starting to come down.  It was a beautiful and perfect storm.  I actually was following a school bus into Logan that fishtailed all over the highway, making me think twice about the safety of all those traveling to the reception.

The reception, in spite of the storm, was well attended.  There was more than enough food and it was lovely.  Utah wedding receptions are very different than what you would find in most parts of the country.  They are simple and most of the focus is on the actual wedding ceremony inside the LDS Temple and then followed by a dinner for the immediate families and closest friends of the bride and groom.  So, compared to the Kardashian wedding, this was "kibbles and bits".  But, on a scale of Cache Valley wedding style, Tessa's was definitely lovely and beautiful, if I do say so myself.  A traditional Cache Valley affair involves the guests arriving, signing the reception book, standing in a line until your turn to greet the newlyweds and their families, then being seated for a small refreshment and leaving.  I've known people to go through five receptions in one night ... especially when it's the end of a college semester or the day after USU graduation!

Back to the reception... the only concern anyone had was the weather.  The linen company didn't arrive until 45 minutes before the reception began with the tablecloths because they'd had to drive through Logan Canyon and it was a nightmare!  Personally, I felt that the storm enhanced the entire evening.  I was too busy to take photos during the reception but the snow outside on the trees and the huge window with the Logan Temple in the backdrop was breathtaking!   Tessa was beautiful!  Kellan was just beaming.  And I have to say that equally beautiful, was my sister-in-law, Aleece, who I always think is gorgeous, but she looked fabulous!  Everything was just perfect.  And.  The people came!  And continued nonstop through the evening! 

The refreshments served and decorations were my responsibility.  We served a very tasty Old Grist Mill pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and a very fun Hot Chocolate bar.  The hot chocolate bar was a huge success because everyone was coming in from the blizzard.  It was something that was new for the guest, apparently, because, everyone said, "WOW!! This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!"  It was pretty fun.  We served Hot Cocoa and the guests could pick and choose their toppings, including:  Chocolate Dipped spoons to stir them with, Hazel Nut Creamer, Caramel Syrup, Chocolate Syrup, White Chocolate Syrup, Red Hots, Orange Sticks, Raspberry Sticks, Peppermint Meltaways, Candy Canes, Peanut Butter Chips, Crushed Butterfingers, Hershey's Kisses, Orange and Purple Vanilla wafers, and of course, marshmallows and whipped cream.  The guests seemed to just love it all!  For the record, the orange sticks were the most popular!

After the reception, Wendy and Denise, who were my trusty right and left arms for the event, and I went to Chili's.  We'd eaten lunch there on our way to the Riter Mansion to set up for the reception and hadn't eaten anything since.  So, at 10:15, we waltzed in, still in the blizzardy snow, and collapsed into table #41 for a late night supper.  We all laughed because, the longer we sat there, the more our bodies ached!  We were so tired, but felt so good about how smoothly the entire evening had gone.  We ended up getting home just around midnight and it took me two hours to unwind!  It was over.  Now, I can start thinking of the holidays.  I've loved every single minute of helping with this wedding!

On Saturday morning, we woke up to almost a foot of snow.  And COLD.  As in EIGHT DEGREES of cold!!  It was so dang cold!  This storm had come as a surprise and Tessa, who's very positive and optimistic, said, "Oh well!" even though she was wearing a short sleeved wedding gown outside in it for pictures! (This reminded me of Liza's wedding when we got the late March snowstorm!)  We didn't have to be at the temple until 2:30 in the afternoon, so I got up and set up the kitchen to make 29 quarts of pear sauce.  The goal was to be done by 1:30 and we made it!  Doug and I got ready and headed into town for the wedding, making it just in time.  Talk about cutting it close!  The traffic in Logan was a nightmare!  You'd have thought it was the week before Christmas, not Thanksgiving!

The ceremony in the temple was beautiful and touching.  Watching Kellan just beam as he looked at Tessa made this aunt's heart swell.  They are so perfectly matched.  I just love this boy!  Tessa was gracious and beautiful, as always.  I loved watching her parents as they watched on.  Perfect, I tell ya.

Traditionally, the entire family gathers outside the temple and waits for the bride and groom, then family photos are taken.  The photographer was respectful of the fact that we were all freezing!  She kept things short and sweet.  This is always one of the happiest moments of the day.  Seeing the younger siblings who are not old enough to enter the temple yet, watching the couple exit together as "husband and wife", the cheers, the tears.  Lovely.

Here's on of my favorite pictures of the day:  This is Tessa and her youngest sister, who's just twelve years old.  (She's actually only hours younger than Gracie!)  One thing I've always loved about Dee and Aleece is watching their children interact.  I've never seen four children who were such good friends!

Following the photos at the temple, there was an empty hour and a half until the family dinner.  Doug and I headed into town, ran a few errands and then went to Chili's for some chips and a Coke.  (I teased Doug that it was cheaper than killing 90 minutes in Best Buy!  I was right.  It was on the house!  They do take good care of us at Chili's!) 

We arrived at the Riverwoods for the dinner and oh my!  The food was amazing.  A "turkey chop", which was an inch think turkey breast "steak", wrapped in bacon, like filet mignon.  I have no clue what that had been marinated in but it was mouthwatering.  We enjoyed the meal, the time sitting with two of Doug's brothers and their wives and his mom and step-father.  But, the highlight of the entire wedding day to me, were the little impromptu "speeches" given by the parents and Tessa and Kellan.  Such gratitude was shown to all who were and are a part of their lives.  Dee spoke tender words about giving his daughter away to Kellan and of his confidence in him.  Kellan and Tessa were humbled and appreciative.  It was just beautiful.  LOVED IT!  PERFECT!

Doug and I got home at about 9:30PM and I had pears to finish pressure canning.  We gathered the kids together and told them of the entire day.  I wanted them to hear how special of a day it was for Tessa because she's made good choices all of her life to bring her to that point of marrying in the temple to such a wonderful man.  Gracie's eyes had tears and she sighed, "I want to get married in the temple too!"  I was so appreciative of Tessa's example.  It's amazing, but our decisions and choices affect those around us in ways that we have no clue! We just never know!

I stayed up until 1AM finishing off the pears and when I awoke this morning, eleven of the jars had not sealed.  I was so not amused.  So, today, I've poured them into my crock pot, thanks to my trusty canning queen Anne's advice, and am making "pear butter".   I'll report on that tomorrow!  It does smell good though!

Today, we went to church, came home and I made a yummy lasagna dinner, including the recipe for Macaroni Grill's Rosemary Bread and then we enjoyed playing games at the B's for a bit before bedtime.  It's been one busy, busy weekend.  And again, perfect.  I wouldn't change a thing!  Tessa and Kellan are off to begin their new life together.  My own life is now turning to the Thanksgiving meal I'll be preparing over the next few days, the house that I get to decorate, the gifts that need to be purchased and wrapped and all of the other fun traditions that will fill the next six weeks in celebration of the birth of our Savior!  The best six weeks of the year!  Life is good!  Very, very good!  And have I mentioned that Liza is coming home?  Enough said! 

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing
is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

perfect!

The fullness of Joy is to behold God in everything.

First big storm of the season! And it was a doozy!

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and
laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!!!

I LOVE THIS DAY!  This afternoon, I bought Liza's ticket to come home for a few days in December!  Since Liza told me that she had the few days off in December, it's made me insane that she'd be sitting at home all day there alone and I'd be sitting here at home alone when we could be together!  Today, things came together for her to be able to come home and we can be together.  I highly doubt there will be much sitting.  I've already got every minute of the time here filled!  That will be my best Christmas present of all! 

I wanted to record this for my own memory and keep forgetting to... We stopped at Target on the way home from Uncle Lu's funeral two weeks ago.  The kids love shopping at Target as much as I do.  As soon as we walked into the store, they were all anxious to go off together and "look" while Doug and I grabbed the things we needed.  As the girls were walking away (to the toys, as always, I assumed), I heard Gracie saying to ZJ, "Let's go look at the clothes!"  I was stunned.  Clothes before toys?  Seriously?  Then, a few minutes later, after Doug and I had grabbed what we needed, we went back to the toy department.  When we got there, we found the girls, but Quayd was not there drooling over Transformers.   We walked up and down through the toys twice. No Quayd.  It made me nervous for a minute.  Doug stayed back at the toys and I said I'd go to the front to see if he was looking for us.  I found him in the electronics!  He'd not even gone to the toy department!  SERIOUSLY!?!?!?  They are growing up far too quickly!

Another sign...Tonight, for dinner, we stopped at Subway, since I've was finishing up little last minute details for the wedding.  Normally, Doug or I order the food and we usually bring it home.  Tonight, since the kids were with us,  I told them to come in and order their own sandwiches. I always get them Subway Clubs with lettuce and mayo.  Period.  That's what kids like, right?  Surprise! Gracie ordered pickles and olives.  ZJ ~ olives, pickles and tomatoes.  And Quayd.  Seriously?  Olives and ONIONS??????  As Zaylee would say, "Are ya kiddin' me?!"   TOO FUNNY.   My kids are not babes anymore!

The wedding reception is all together and ready to load in the truck in the morning. It has come together quite smoothly.   I'm feeling good about everything and hope that the actual festivities fall into place as well!  I've loved doing every minute of this "project"!  I hope that Tessa will be thrilled too!  And as of tomorrow night at about 10PM, my brain will turn to Thanksgiving, Christmas and LIZA COMING HOME!

Tonight, I was supposed to be going to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn, as well as a huge "wedding reception" party for Bella and Edward at the Marriott Hotel in Logan.  My body has not been co-operative today, so I opted to stay home and sleep tonight instead.  I didn't dare risk feeling so drained tomorrow.  It's all good. I'll go next week and I'll go again with Liza and Kelly when Liza is here.  (Have I mentioned that I'm excited about that!?)

One last thing... About 13 years ago, on Thanksgiving Eve, I happened onto a recipe for a pie that sounded like it was to die for.    I "whipped it up" at the last minute. It was divine...the favorite of that year's desserts!  However, after it disappeared, I happened to look at the recipe and noticed that I'd done it all wrong.  I'd "whipped it up" alright.   "Whipped it up all in one step, instead of creating the pie in layers as instructed.  GRRR.  BUT, still.  It was sooooooooo good!   I remember Kelly's ex-husband saying, "WRITE THAT ONE DOWN!"  I tucked the recipe someplace waiting to put it into the back cover of my amazing and wonderful recipe system.  The next Thanksgiving when it was time to make it, I discovered that, somehow, the recipe was never filed.  And it has never resurfaced.  And I've wished for it every year since.  This morning, Liza emailed this recipe to me and it was the one!!!!  SO.  If you follow the directions, it will be divine.  BUT, if you're too lazy or busy to take time to read them, and you whip it all up together, it will still  be divine!  I'll be making this one in five days!  Woohoooooo!

DOUBLE LAYER PUMPKIN PIE  

8  oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cup whipped cream (whipped stiffly)
4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1 prepared graham cracker crust

1 cup cold milk
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2 ~ 4 oz packages vanilla instant pudding
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. giner
1/4 tsp. cloves 

 Mix cream cheese, 1 TBSP milk, and 1 TBSP sugar in bowl until smooth.  Gently stir in whipped cream (add 1 tsp vanilla and 4 TBSP sugar to whipped cream when beating).  Spread on bottom of crust.  Pour 1 cup cold milk into bowl.  Add pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices.  Beat well.  Mixture will be thick.  Spread over cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.  Garnish with additional whipped cream.  Serves 8   (As I said, I mixed it all together and poured it into the crust.  No fuss.  No layers.  SOOOOOO GOOD!)

HAPPINESS!  Liza's coming home!

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them,
is the true measure of our thanksgiving.

talkin' turkey

This morning, I put the wedding on hold and went grocery shopping.  I bought all of the Thanksgiving necessities and the next few weeks groceries.   Here's a few of my best Thanksgiving tips...

A few years ago, I typed up my Thanksgiving menu, with the recipes for each item on the menu.  Below that, I made a shopping list, including everything down to the salt and pepper.  Now, when it's time to do the Thanksgiving shopping, I print off the list, go to the pantry and refrigerator and check off what I don't need to buy and head to the store.  This list has been so handy!  I always serve the same traditional feast.  I do not have to wonder if I have remembered everything on my shopping list.  Add up the amounts of repeat items and list at the bottom "five pounds butter, 3 dozen eggs".  It's been a great way to simplify holiday shopping!  I started this the year after we had to run to the grocery store to buy sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving morning!  (I knew something was missing!)

Speaking of sweet potatoes, I have simplified my time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day immensely with this one little tip: Prepare half the meal the day before.  The only things I actually cook on Thanksgiving Day is the mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls.  Oh, and I heat the frozen peas and corn in the microwave.  Everything else is cooked the day before.  We cook our turkey overnight.  (see below)  I also tried a few years ago, at a friends suggestion, making the mashed potatoes the night before and keeping them in the crock pot overnight.  It worked but, there's something comforting about whipping up those potatoes just before serving them, so I'll make them at the last minute.

Here's my menu:  (The pies are the only things that change each year.)

 

The Menu:
Roast Turkey and Gravy
Ham (Last year, this was a first and it's a keeper!)
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Stuffing with Mushrooms
Peas and Corn (now served separately because Buddy's allergic to peas)
Cran-raspberry Salad
Cranberry Sauce (Chilled, opened and poured out in the shape of the can and sliced, just like Mom did it, just because Mom did it that way.  No one eats a bite of it but me!)
Homemade Rolls with Butter and Strawberry Jam
Dutch Apple Pie
Blueberry Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Raw Apple Cake
Pumpkin Crunch
Apple Juice carbonated with Sprite

As you can see, with this menu, the stuffing, salad, sweet potatoes, desserts are all Wednesday items.

The Turkey.  Or as we call it, in our family, "Mr. Gobble".  First of all, buy the biggest turkey you can find.  The bone structure, I was told in a class at USU once, is the same size regardless of the weight of the bird, so you get more for your money, the bigger the bird.  Buy freezer ziploc bags to store the extra and use it for casseroles and soups over the winter.

This, next to the babes, was the best thing that came out of Kelly's first marriage.  Her awesome ex-mother--in-law, who cooked for ten children, taught me how to cook the most wonderful, moist turkey ever!  Buy Reynolds Browning Bags (by the aluminum foil in the grocers).  Open the bag, dust it with flour and seasonings.  Put the thawed turkey into the bag upside down.  As in breast side down.  Here's why:  The juices from the dark meat, which are usually on the bottom of the pan, will drip through the breast, making it the most moist turkey ever.  Cook the turkey on very low temperature... as in 250-285 degrees or as low as your oven will go.   Place the turkey on a baking sheet or a foil pan and bake it overnight.  (I always get lots of emails when I mention this.  I can't answer all questions but seriously, this works.  It's never failed us ~ not once in the past 14 years. I couldn't say how many hours per pound???  We just put it in at bedtime and it's cooked when we wake up.)  If I wake up at 4, I check it.  If I wake up at 6, I check it.  It's usually cooked by then.  

We take the turkey out of the oven, debone it and put it into a roasting oven on low, low, low with all of the drippings poured back over it until serving time.  At serving time, I lift the turkey pieces out, make the gravy and serve it all piping hot.  This method of cooking won't bring the beautiful turkey to be carved by Grandpa at the head of the table, but it will taste a lot better!  I promise!

Another "the older I get, the wiser I get" tip:  Delegate the desserts!  I prepare the entire meal.   We always have company.  Always!  I can remember only one Thanksgiving in my life that we didn't have company.  Guests always ask what they can bring and since we are fanatic about the "exact" same meal each year, I always say, "Bring a pie or dessert."   Simply stated:  You can never have too many desserts!  And if I feel like making two instead of six pies on Wednesday, I know that there will be pies brought to the meal by our guests.  SWEET!  (No pun intended!)

Have a kids table and a grown-up table, if you're serving lots of people.  Everyone can enjoy conversations at their own level.  Much less stress!

And last but not least, and I never dreamed I'd say this... BUY PRETTY PAPER PLATES!  I've used china for decades.  Last year, serving 23 people (and I do have enough china to do it), I went to Hobby Lobby and bought beautiful paper plates, put them on chargers and served Thanksgiving on - tsk-tsk - paper plates!  And it was lovely!  And clean-up was so simple.  And I didn't worry one second about my inherited Grannie's china!  Lovely!

Those are my best Thanksgiving tips.  What are yours?

Last, I can not let this day go buy without expressing my joy/pride/gratitude for Liza today.   She and Buddy are inviting the LDS missionaries for dinner, if they don't have a place to eat on Thanksgiving.  (Apparently, no one had signed up to do it yet last Sunday.)   Today was her day off.  She called and told me that she was going to attempt a "practice run" making my homemade rolls without a Bosch or mixer!!!  She called with a few questions, texted several times and sent me a few videos to see the texture and how much they'd risen.  And then, the final photo... the rolls!  She was thrilled with them! After they were baked, she texted me, "All they need is your strawberry jam!"  How I wish I could send some jam through the Skype screen!

Liza said that  Buddy made sandwiches for tomorrow lunch with them after eating several.  Liza was so proud of herself!  I told her that this was a proud mommy moment for me!  And without a mixer.  WOW!!!!  I've never even done that!  I make rolls often.  Sometimes three or four times in a week.  Liza had become my "rollmaker", as in shaping the dough into rolls.  But, she'd never seemed too interested in actually making the dough!  I'm so happy!  A homemaking daughter makes this mama proud! 

Life is good!

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.

too late to think straight!

It's midnight!  Here's a short ten rambling list and I'm l it a night early and going to try to actually get some sleep. 

1. For the past hour, Go-Go has been growling and staring at the door with the hair on his back standing up.  I had to wake Doug to make sure we were safe.  He continues.  What's up with that?
2. Spoons are done! It was actually quite a fun project, mostly because of the company who helped!  Denise and Trisha, my friend/neighbor/amazing Young Women's president came to the rescue.   I kept track and to make 400 of these spoons took 4 hours for the three of us and then another hour tonight, during Dancing with the Stars, I finished wrapping them. 
3. Carol made these spoons and gave them with cocoa mix for gifts a few years ago.  It's a great Christmas idea for the neighbors or office co-workers.  Details coming soon!
4. Tomorrow, I'll be grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner!
5. I've got two more wedding to do's.  I'd expected that the end of the week would be pretty wild with the wedding but, I'm pretty much prepared!  HAPPINESS! 
6. My brain has actually started thinking about holiday decorating.  It's almost time to put up the tree!!  My next decision is before or after Thanksgiving.  I'm considering going back to the old tradition of the day after.  Doug loves this idea.
7. Zaylee comes tomorrow!  YAAAY! I've missed her!
8. It's official.  My brother now lives five houses away with my mother.
9. What is up with Go-Go?  He's still growling and staring at the door.
10. Here's a very funny photo of Liza and Buddy.  They skyped on Zaylee's birthday and when they came to the screen, they had on these birthday hats.  Very cute.  I love that they are staying so involved with the family... even  from a 1000 miles away.  I miss them.

Take full account of the excellencies which you possess,
and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them,
if you had them not.

a few good things

Well, we sent our little Zaylee home tonight with her mama.  She was ready to go home and yet, I could sense that she was sad to leave Grammie's too.  She had extra hugs and loves for me tonight.  As a matter of fact, she called me about ten minutes after she was home to tell me goodnight again.  I love that little girl.  I love being a Grammie.  And I really love being Zaylee's grammie! After they left, as Doug was getting ready for bed, we talked about how good it felt to be able to be there for her and help her.  Our prayers in the family this past week have been that we would know how to best serve Zaylee in her recuperating time.  I felt our prayers were answered and her recovery has been so flawless.  Tender mercies are wonderful!! 

Oh, and I had to take a picture of her this morning, practicing "three" with her fingers.  She was still celebrating her birthday today. Celebrate everyday, not just the ones with an asterisk on the calendar. 

Now.  To the wedding.  This morning, I woke up at 3:55 with the alarm and my brain would not slow down.  I almost went into panic mode thinking, "Have I done enough?  Have I missed something?  What if Tessa isn't happy with it?"I started to rethink the entire plan.  Apparently, this was exactly what I needed to shift into high gear and complete the things on the to do list... except of course, the chocolates.  That's tomorrow's big project.  After a practice run on my dining room table this afternoon, it all came together and I loved it!  Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right.

Today, before leaving to meet Denise at Chili's and do our running, I turned off the furnace and opened every window in the house, before leaving, hoping that when I returned, every germ inside would be gone when I returned.  I stripped the beds and washed the last of our bedding at 9:30 tonight.  So, tomorrow, the house can be germ-free when we dip chocolate spoons!  (I could just imagine myself passing the flu along with 400 germy chocolate spoons at Tessa's reception!  NIGHTMARE!  But, that won't be happening!) Confidence is preparation.  Everything else is beyond your control. 

Another thing that I have not even given a thought to was the wedding dinner.  Of course, Aleece knows that we'll be there but I'd not even had time to open the wedding announcement until tonight, when I was wondering exactly when the reception begins.  I'd already seen the photos and knew everything else about the reception.  Then, tonight, when I looked, out fell the little card for the dinner.  I've not formally RSVP'd for the dinner!  That is my pet peeve in the world!  People who don't RSVP!  And then what did I do!?  Oops!  My face is red!  Good manners are just a way of showing other people that we have respect for them. 

As I was doing laundry, he noticed as I pulled a pair of Quayd's jeans out of the dryer.  EVERY time that I wash his jeans, the pockets are fullof candy wrappers.  TONS of them!  He uses his pockets as a trashcan.  Hence, whenever I do laundry, I end up with a floor full of wrappers, which I promptly have Quayd clean up. Tonight, after crushing a caseof giant siz Butterfinger candy bars, I had a bag full of wrappers ready to go outside to the trash.  Doug saw the wrappers and said, "I'll take those."  He then went down to the laundry room and filledQuayd's jeans with the wrappers... in the pockets, down the legs, through th beltloops.  We took Quayd's laundry into his room and asked him to put them away.  When he got to the jeans in his stack, he was flabbergasted by all of the wrappers and wondering "Where did all these come from!?!?"  We laughed and laughed!  Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. 

One last thought tonight... Family Home Evening.  Tonight, everyone gathered together and I asked the family to share words that we think of during the month of November.  Of course, the words were "Gratitude, Thankful, Praise..."  I had asked everyone to bring their scriptures to the living room and then we used the topical guide to find scriptures about those words.   (Double purpose - practice using the topical guide and also thinking about Thanksgiving.)  Even Zaylee had scriptures (she insisted).  So, I found a verse for her to repeat.  She's such an independent little girl!  We discussed each scripture then I had ZJ read one of my favorite quotes, "Breathe with grateful acknowledgement to Him who grants each breath."  Doug shared a story about his brother, Danny, expressing gratitude to their day when they were young and then expressed gratitude for many things.  What started out to be kind of crazy and wild, turned into a lovely discussion.  Family Home Evening is worth every second of time, energy, thought and effort. Like iron links in a chain, this practice {Family Home Evening} will bind a family together, in love, pride, tradition, strength, and loyalty.

Enough said.

Happy Birthday, Zaylee! one, two, fwee!

We celebrated Zaylee's birthday tonight with Kelly and Kevin in the kitchen and Liza and Buddy on Skype.  It was short and sweet.  Zaylee had just woken up from her nap and for the first time since the day of her surgery, she cried.  But, if you've ever had yours or anyone near you's tonsils out, you know that day five - seven are the worst.  She was fine once she was awake. 

Kelly bought her a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake with, as Doug calls it, "that toxic spray painted food coloring frosting".  No one seemed to mind.  It was pretty tasty.   (I confess, I scraped the frosting off!)  But, Zaylee loved it. 

I can't believe that she's three.  And she's such a smart cookie.   One more sleep at Grammies and she's going home.  So, tomorrow, she'll finish off all of the meds and sleep at her house.  Kelly's work schedule will be more accomodating this week. And I have a wedding to prepare!

Doug and I decided to keep the entire family home from church this morning because we've all, me included, been struggling with this bug.  We thought that rather than expose the entire ward, we'd keep our bugs to ourselves for one more day.  Tomorrow, however, bugs be gone!  We have no more time for them! I've got chocolate spoons to make, a wedding to finalize and Christmas to finish!

By yesterday's photo, you could see that we had quite the lovely storm.  Waking up to snowcovered everything this morning made me soooooo happy!  Zaylee's been sleeping on a cot next to my bed and she woke up, looked outside and said, "Grammie!!!!  It's snowing!!! You LOVE snow!!!"  And she's so right!

This week ahead is what I've been focusing on for about two months now.  It will be fun to see it come together. I'm excited for Tessa to begin her life as a wife!  I'm excited for my sister-in-law to become mother of the bride (for the second time since August) and to get her own life back a bit.  I'm excited for the holidays to begin, which officially, at our home, will happen the minute we come home from the wedding!  Trees to decorate, calendars to fill in, gifts to be purchased and wrapped, food to be prepared, December blogging to do .  And I'm hoping by some miracle to pull off a trip home for Liza in December.  We're not sure how, but we're praying that it will come together!  In the meantime, we'll be Skyping and texting around the Christmas tree!

Today, I'm thankful for a cute little three year old who loves "crockit" (chocolate), ZeeDay (ZJ) and her "Gwammie".  Life is good!  Busy, but good!

Blessed be the ties that bind generations.

 

the weather outside was frightful!

But, ever so delightful!

11 at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11

Eleven words on my mind today:

1. scriptures
2. health
3. wedding
4. spoons
5. germs
6. Castle
7. weather
8. thanksgiving
9. gifts
10. gratitude
11. pepsi

Eleven things I cooked (or reheated) today:

1. scrambled eggs
2. toast
3. chicken noodle soup
4. creamy veggie chowder (homemade)
5. chicken and rice soup
6. pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
7. chicken alfredo
8. pasta
9. poppy seed salad
10. hot cocoa
11. cornbread

Eleven things Doug and I discussed today:

1. Dale
2. Kelly
3. Liza
4. Quayd
5. Gracie
6. ZJ
7. Zaylee
8. scriptures
9. Christmas
10. food
11. Lawnmowers

Eleven things I have to do before the wedding:

1. Make chocolate spoons
2. Wrap chocolate spoons
3. Double check the cups
4. Pick up the napkins
5. Pick up at the florist
6. make the wreathes
7. Gather all of the glassware
8. Wash and shine the glassware
9. Buy the remaining last minute foods
10. Put the foods into the glassware
11. Create a "practice table"

Eleven things on the calendar before the end of the year:

1. Tessa's wedding
2. Tessa's reception
3. Breaking Dawn
4. Thanksgiving
5. shopping with Carol
6. donut night with Carol, Jamie and familes
7. Christmas
8. Corbridge Christmas party
9. Friends gathering
10. Teach Relief Society in November
11. Teach Relief Society in December

Eleven ways to love your family:

1. Tell them!
2. Hug them!
3. Write a note.
4. Listen to them
5. give them a nickname
6. leave a hidden note
7. do a random act of kindness
8. surprise them with something they love
9. let them choose something that you'd normally decide on
10. apologize
11. Say thank you.

Eleven minutes of tasks to keep your home clean and clutter-free every day:

1. Put things away as soon as your done with them
2. Make your bed as soon as you get up
3. Clean your toilet and bathroom mirror just before you shower
4. Don't go to bed with dishes in the sink.
5. unload the dishwasher in the morning and fill it throughout the day. 
6. do a five minute walk through just before bed
7. have baskets for each person's dirty laundry in their rooms
8. do a walk through with a feather duster in the high traffic areas
9. keep magazines and books stored neatly
10. open mail in only one designated space
11. empty the trash

Eleven things that make me smile:

1. being called Grammie
2. babies 
3. puppies
4. kittens
5. Christmas trees
6. hearing "I love you"
7. compliments
8. weddings
9. snow
10. lots of snow
11. more snow!

Eleven Christmas Songs I can't wait to hear every day all day long:

1. Mary, Did you Know?
2. Carol of the Bells  (ever version possible)
3. Breath of Heaven
4. Little Drummer Boy (by Collin Raye)
5. Let it Snow
6. Jingle Bell Rock
7. I'll be Home for Christmas
8. Winter Wonderland
9. Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
10. Silent Night (by Mannheim Steamroller)
11. The First Noel (by David Archeleta)

Eleven things every kitchen should have:

1.  a dishwasher
2. a Bosch mixer
3. a good blender
4. a good stainless steel wire whip
5. paper towels, lots of them
6. a hand mixer for quick jobs
7. an omelette pan
8. a spider (a cast iron skillet, like a dutch oven frying pan)
9. a good electric griddle
10. a small food processor for chopping jalapenos and onions
11. a family!

Eleven things about 11/11 that I'll remember:

1. making cookies with the Gracie and Zaylee at 11:11:11AM
2. posting this my blog at 11:11:11PM
3. Zaylee giving me tons of loves and hugs after her nap because she feels so good!
4. the whole family hoping we're past two weeks of flu bugs
5. a talk that Doug and I had
6. a car chase taking place in Phoenix on the SLC news and texting with Liza about it
7. not being as ready as I'd like for the holidays, the wedding, and a few other things  because I've been so busy being a nurse
8. my brother is really moving here today
9. ZJ and I saying "Scrumpdillyicious!" because it's 11/11/11 11:11:11:11.....
10. the world didn't end, no one blew up any buildings and no major catastrophes occurred
11. Laughing at this thought... where I was on 10/10/10?  I don't remember, so why do I think I'll remember this? 

Enough said!

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought;
and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fixing it

Zaylee had a great day.  She only woke up twice during the night and I was amazed, listening to her sleep.  Before surgery, every two minutes, literally, she'd wake up gasping for air.  Last night, she lay still through the night.  She woke up at about the four hour intervals in time to get another dose of medication, but other than that, she slept peacefully for the first night in her short little life.

Today, she woke up and said, "Grammie, I feel better today!"  And she did.  She was quite active all day long.  Only at naptime, did she need pain meds.  As she got tired, she said it hurt.  She ate well, played well and did fine until bedtime, when she went straight to sleep. Sweet.  We've set up a cot next to my bed because I need a night in my own bed!

Here was the big surprise of the day.  Quayd woke up feeling "like there were four bodies inside him and all four were throwing up."  And he did.  Then, when Doug called from work, he informed me that he, too, was doing the same.  He came home from work and went straight to sleep.  Fortunately, he has tomorrow off.  So.  Quayd spent his day downstairs with his dad, Zaylee was upstairs with me and the girls were my helpers tonight until bedtime.   ZJ's still getting over her bug.  Gracie's back in business but afraid she'll get it again.

After everyone was tucked in, I took a deep sigh and thought about how crazy life has been this past few weeks.  So much going on. I'm need to stay healthy so that I can finish up the wedding, take care of the kids, the grands, the husband and myself.  Funny how that last one usually takes last place when you're the mom!  I've decided that I've earned some sort of reward, when we're all better and things calm down.   If Doug were up to it, he'd be laughing at that!  "Well, that's gonna be a while, isn't it?", he'd say.  And he's right.  But, I'm determined.  I've decided to claim one December day as "my day" ...even if it's just an afternoon with a good book and some wassail!

In thinking about all of this, I have made another decision.  It's a big one.  I've decided that this Christmas, I'm going to strive for the most simple of simple holidays this year. I've worked on the wedding and taken care of Zaylee and hosted and canned and planned and organized for the last three months.  So.  Therefore and in behalf, as we say around here... I'm going to go for simple.  Liza and Buddy won't be here.  My brother and nephew will be with Mom.  So, we're going to keep the holidays as simple as can be.  I'm thinking that I'll even be keeping my December blog simple.  We'll see... after the wedding, I may be all gung ho to do something insane again. Who knows! 

I talked with a friend tonight.  (We just hung up, as a matter of fact.)  It's always amazing how things happen in our lives.  Sometimes, big things happen that affect us in huge ways when we have no control of them at all!  We discussed how those things are there for our growth and learning.  So.  Tonight, as I crawl into bed (in just a few minutes), instead of decorating a room or party planning (my version of counting sheep), I'm going to think about the lessons I'm learning right now in my life.  And there are many!  I just hope that I'm capturing them as the moments go by.  Enough said!

Once you fix it in your mind that life itself is a gift,
you begin to find happiness in just about everything.

ouch

Zaylee was so excited to go to the hospital this morning, but she was even more excited to come home.  I actually got to watch the surgery on a closed circuit TV with Doctor Wood talking to me as he did the procedure.  It was so fascinating to hear his reaction... following the tubes in each ear and then the tonsils, he said, "Okay, let's take a look at those adenoids.  We'll just slip this tube through the nose and this mirror in through the mouth and we can see those ad-WHOA!!!!  LOOK AT THOSE ADENOIDS!!  THEY ARE HUUUUUGE!!!"  He then went on to tell someone "Take a picture of those, that's the biggest ones I've seen in a lonnnnng time!"  AFter that, he said several times that she's going to feel so much better, breathe so much better, sleep so much better now.  And it was amazing to hear her sleep today.  MUCH better already!

She had a rough time coming out of the anesthetic.  She immediately noticed the IV in her arm and freaked out.  As in tried to remove it herself.  Then, she'd pass out and sleep again for a few minutes and we'd have a repeat of the same.  Not pretty.  Doug's sister is a nurse at this hospital and for some time, had worked in this area, so she came by twice to check on us, which I appreciated.  (It's Aleece's daughter who's wedding I'm knee deep in right now.)  It was good to have a familiar face.

We left and were home before noon.  I'd let the kids stay home today because I knew that having them around would help Zaylee once we returned.  (Bad mom, I know, but GREAT Grammie, today!)  When we got home, she was still sort of out of it and not sure what was going on.  Kelly was here just a few minutes after we got home.  (She worked all night long and came when I called to say we were on our way home.)  Kelly cuddled and loved her until it was time to go back to work tonight.  She only worked a half shift and came back to stay the night until she goes back to work. (I've had a few close friends say it, so I know that others are thinking it... why did I take her in for the surgery and not Kelly.  Because I offered.  Kelly works and supports their family, so why have her take off?  She was there as soon as Zaylee needed her.  So, it was very fine with Doug and I.) 

Buddy's mom came by to visit her and she was very shy.  She loves Buddy's mom, I knew that she was out of it.  By evening, she was pretty whiny and irritable.  She's taking her meds well and has a good 30 minutes out of every four hours.  Tomorrow will be a better day.  Gracie had given her a little silver purse to take to the hospital.  Inside it ~ two new pair of Dora panties and my iPod, which she took right into surgery with her.  Too cute.

It's been a long day.  We're all tired and we're calling it a night.  Kelly and I are sleeping with her in the family room.  I was thinking about it while holding her today.  We love these babies of ours and the grands more than our own lives.  They can bring us more joy than anything in the world and more pain than anything in the world.  Two extremes.   But, we wouldn't trade those pains or joys for anything.  Life is good.  Even on days of tubes, adenoids and tonsillectomies.  Enough said.

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture.

ten

Ten rambling thoughts before I call it a night.  I have to have Zaylee at the hospital very early.  Kelly will come straight from work to meet us there. 

1. I checked off almost everything on the wedding list today!
2. This week, 400 chocolate spoons to dip while Zaylee recovers.
3. Zaylee's surgery, bright and early in the morning.  Prayers appreciated!
4. Zaylee is snoring like a BEAR...hopefully last time ever!
5. ZJ woke up at 3AM.  Flu.  We kept Zaylee far away.
6. Gracie's YW in Excellence was awesome!  There are no better leaders!
   
   
7. Denise's granddaughter is having same surgery, same time, different hospital!
8. My brother is moving to the valley.  Immediately. Go figure.
9. Crockpot loaded, ready for roast.  Dinner will be waiting!
10. I'm nervous, anxious, happy & worried for the next two weeks!|
    Joy is a heart full and a mind purified by gratitude.

self-preservation

ZJ gave me a little info about Zaylee's story that I posted yesterday.  Apparently, ZJ had just told her the story of the Princess and the Pea and also a story about ghosts in the leaves on Halloween.  Apparently, Zaylee combined the two stories and shared them with me.  I still don't know where the "Poop" comment came from.  She's silly but so cute!  I don't want to see her miserable and hurting this next few days.  But, she's going to be so much better off after the surgery!

Today, I spent the day working on the wedding, doing some wedding planning with my sister-in-law, the mother of the bride and then a crazy Family Home Evening.  Tonight's FHE was the kind that you hear in General Conference talks... the kind that you wonder if they got a thing out of and hope that they, at least, remember that you had it.  Can you say, "Calgon, take me away!?!?"

Gracie got home just before I did today.  That doesn't happen often.  She called to tell me that she was home.  I was almost home.  I asked how her day had gone and how she was feeling.  (She's fought this flu bug, on again, off again, for a week now.)  Yesterday, she asked Doug for a father's blessing.  Today, she answered my question with, "Mom!  Dad's blessing made me all better!"  Then, she continued with a shocker.  "I'm so glad that I didn't die."  I asked her why she would say that.  She said, "I really thought I was going to, Mom.  That's the sickest I've ever been, even when I had my surgery."  I was stunned.  I had no clue that she'd been feeling that ill and evenmore, that worried!  I felt awful that I'd not been more in tune or attentive to that concern, as well as her achey tummy.  Next time.

Tonight, during Family Home Evening, the very wild conversation turned to a direction not intended.  Another family who are on vacation currently was discussed... the fact that they are on a very big vacation, they have a very lavish lifestyle and as ZJ put it, "They are filthy rich!"  (Where'd she learn that phrase?)  One of the girls asked, "Why are theyso lucky?"  I, being snarky and sarcastic, said, "Yeh, they are sooooo lucky."  Quayd then piped in with his two cents, "Oh yeh?  Well, we are lucky too!!  We're lucky.  See!"  and he pointed to a family photo of us standing near the temple.  He continued, "And SEE!!", as he pointed to our large family photo in the entry.  "We're really lucky!"  Family Home Evening redeemed by the 14 year old man.  I heart him.

ZJ has been begging me for sewing lessons.  I work "fire to fire".  The wedding, Zaylee, the house, laundry, life, the funeral, my Relief Society lesson, Halloween, the shower, the Witches Brew, canning,the wedding, Zaylee's surgery, tomorrow's Young Women in Excellence project for Gracie to be finished, the apron we had to sew, my next lesson and some other seriously stressful worries.  Tonight, she asked, "Mom, do you think that after Christmas you'll have time to teach me to sew?"  GUILT.  BAD MOMMY.  I'll be making time to work on that sewing project with her sooner than later. 

Today, I was studying my next Relief Society lesson while waiting for someone.  It's President Uchtdorf's analogy on "forget-me-not" flowers. I carry a copy of my upcoming lesson in my planner for those short minutes in between fires. I was able to read through the entire lesson and make a couple notes.  I had no idea that tonight, after a stressful few hours with buzzed childrens, a discussion of Christmas wants and needs followed by a discussion of finances with Doug, feeling overwhelmed a bit by life, in general, that small reminder from President Uchtdorf was a tender mercy for me, indeed.  I was reminded of what really matters and that "it's all good". 

It's that time of the year.  We are not even full speed ahead into the holidays.  Life is crazy and wild.  Crazy and wild are going to happen.  But, we need to remember to be compassionate and patient with ourselves.  So, tonight, I quote President Uchtdorf and share one of the best "gratitude" quotes ever and a great reminder to do so ".  This most wise counsel saved my day.  Enough said.

Be thankful for the small successes in your home, your family relationships, your education and livelihood, your Church participation and personal improvement.  Like forget-me-nots, these successes may seem tiny to you and they may go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and they are not small to Him.  If you consider success to be only the most perfect rose or dazzling orchid, you may miss some of life's sweetest experiences.

Weekend update....

Friday, I did a little wedding shopping, had lunch with Connie at Chili's, brought Zaylee home with me to tend her for the evening.  So much for date night, but we had a good time.  I made another 20 quarts of applesauce.  Zaylee was an amazing little helper.  This little girl is wise beyond her years.  As I cleaned up the mess, my brother, Rick and his son, William, who were up visiting Mom, came by for a few hours.  So, I baked some chocolate chip cookies for Will.  We had a good visit.

Saturday, we were up at 7 and off to Salt Lake City for the funeral of Doug's Uncle Lu.  We've always loved Uncle Lu so much and both learned so much about his life during the funeral.  I always come away from a funeral feeling uplifted and wanting to live my own life much better.  This was the case, for certain.  A good man, who several times during his life stories, reminded me much of my husband.  In the thirty-five years that we've been married, I've never walked away from a family gathering of any event with his extended family, in which, I don't feel even more blessed to be married into these amazing people. 

I have to mention that the first musical number at the funeral was the hymn, "Oh, My Father", played by Uncle Lu's daughter and five teen age grandchildren... two cellos and four violins.  I've never in my lifetime heard a more moving and beautiful rendition of this favorite hymn.  It literally took my breath away a few times, sounding like a whole orchestra!  BEAUTIFUL!  Also beautiful was the three men dressed in their Navy uniforms to play taps and perform the flag ceremony at the cemetery.

One big question of the day was why did Uncle Lu choose to be buried in Bountiful, Utah.  Until we walked up to the gravesite, I had not ever realized that Doug's grandparents were buried there.  So, this was the first time I'd ever been to their gravesites.  Uncle Lu's warm smile and even warmer hugs will be missed immensely.  We were both so happy that we had the babes with us.  They had lots of questions to ask about the stories told at the funeral, so our ride home became a learning experience.

On the way home, we stopped at Target and Taipan.  The Christmas Trees are at Tiapan,which was fun for the kids.  Even Quayd admitted, when he was asked if Taipan was fun, "Ish". 

Carol had invited us for dinner on our way home, so we spent the evening with them.  The kids always consider that a big event.  A great Saturday evening.

Sunday... Gracie has still got this bug.  I kept her home from church and listened to Micheal Wilcox on CD, while Gracie read.  Kelly called in the afternoon to ask if we'd tend Zaylee while they celebrated a birthday with a friend.  Zaylee wanted to talk with Liza, so we Skyped and enjoyed a little time "together".   Later tonight, Zaylee picked up a book from the living room and read a story about pretzels, popcicles and crackers and all sorts of food.  It was adorable...until the last word. Where did that come from?  Perhaps, it's from turning three this week!

 

This week is insane.  Zaylee has her surgery on Wednesday, so I'll spend the next two days finalizing the wedding prep.  I'm just about ready!  HAPPINESS!  It's really been quite a fun project, this wedding. I'm so excited for it all to come together.  So, this week, Zaylee's recovery, pear sauce, one more batch of applesauce and some serious holiday planning.  Next week, Tessa's wedding.  Then, the next is Thanksgiving.  I've actually started thinking ahead to that and OH MY!  That's the week that the Christmas tree goes up!  At some point and time, I might want to get some more things to go under that tree!  For today, I'll be Scarlett Ohara... "I won't think about that today. I'll think about that tomorrow!"

Oh.  And have I mentioned that if feels like January!?  We've got snow, wind and cold!  And more on the way!  Life is good!

It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.

 

first snow

 
The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.

Let it snow! First signs of winter!

Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do.

 

ramblings, a recipe and a lot of ways to save over the next 51 days

Kelly had the day off and wanted to "Do something fun".  So, we went to lunch at Chili's and then to check out a house that they are considering moving to.  It's really cute and has a great yard, a place for Kevin to drum outside of the house and a fence to keep Zaylee safe.  However, more money and a few miles further away from us than they already are.  SO. good and bad things to consider.  One thing that I've learned with Kelly over the years is that she'll do what she wants to do.  So, I gave her my input, told her what her dad's thoughts were and left it up to her.  We'll see.  But. We had a fun time together, teasing and joking.  Zaylee was Chili's lunch entertainment today. It was a fun afternoon. 

Best news of the day:  Gracie made the honor roll!  She's so excited!  AND Zions Bank starts paying a dollar per A into her savings account, so how cool is that!

The 80's called.  They want their hair back.  Today was 80s day at her school.  This morning, we gave her some serious 80s hair.  I laughed so hard at Liza's response to the photo I texted her. I sent only the photo with no text.   A few hours later, she responded with "Please tell me it's 80s day."  She guessed it!  Or she had very little faith in my sense of style!  LOL Gracie loved her hair. Her face look just shocked when Doug suggested that she wear it this way every day.  "I don't think so, Dad!" Too funny!

Another Gracieism:  Go-Go was digging around in his bed.   She looked at him and said, "Go-Go, stop digging that hole.  Do you think you're a muskrat?"   

I got a ton done on the wedding prep today!  Things are coming together!

FYI:   While on the phone with my cellphone provider today, I double checked to see if they'd made an adjustment to my bill because two months ago, I discovered that my cellphone plan had been changed without my knowledge and we were $100 over in minute usage.  In eleven years, other than the time that Kevin took Kelly's phone (Don't get me started), we have never gone over our minutes.  Come to find out, our "plan" had been changed inadvertantly by the salesguy when I bought my new i-Phone last spring.  Once discovered, I asked them to put it back to the correct plan immediately and insisted that they credit my account for the $100, since I'd never changed my plan.  (Obviously.  Why would I have dropped my plan to less minutes than I use every month?)  They agreed.  A month later, I got a call from them asking if I still wanted to change my plan? A month after I requested the change? 

SO.  Tonight, when I called the phone company to ask about phone service for my dad, I asked about that balance and it was $238!  LONG LONG story short... before all was said and done, they credited my account for the money that hadn't been done yet AND they changed my mother's plan back to the minimum $9.99 plan that it was supposed to be.  Somehow, Mom's phone, which is also on our account, had been changed to a $96 a month package...for her phone alone!  Mom used her phone for exactly twelve minutes last month.  With taxes, those twelve minutes cost $104!  Big mistake on their part. All is well now. 

My purpose in telling all of these details... with the holidays upon us, and with the economy as it is, we need to be watching for ways to save every penny possible!  There's only51 days left till Christmas.  That's seven weeks and for most people, a few paydays left  to finish up (or start, for some!).  Here's some ideas on how to save a little here and a little there for the holidays:

• Check your phone and cable bills.   Mistakes are easily made.  The woman who helped me today was efficient, apologetically and pleasantly.  I'm amazed at how often little mistakes like that can be made and if we don't pay attention, we can really lose out on lots of money.  That $100 credit will be most helpful this next few weeks!
• Check your receipts.  Watch the cash register monitor for prices to be what they were advertised for or the signage said.  If you are using coupons or store flyers, all the more reason to make sure the register gives the correct prices.  Mistakes can add up quickly!  Last year, during the holidays, Denise and I went shopping...  Out of five receipts, four of them had mistakes that added up to over $50. 
• Shop after the season... Hershey's Kisses in Halloween colors will taste the same in those peanut blossom cookies as the Christmas foil wrapped Kisses.  Check out "regular" products for prices that are more affordable than the fancy holiday package items...same product, different packaging = savings!
• Shop sales and buy bulk!  Food is better priced this next few weeks of the year than at any other time of the year.  Stock up on canned pumpkin, powdered sugar, pop, anything that's a "steal of a deal" !
• Use coupons!  Weekly ads offer many "Buy one, get one free" items!  Take advantage of those! 
• For the next two months, don't eat out!  A friend of mine does this every November and December and saves tons.
• Instead of going out, entertain at home.  Dine in with friends.  Have potluck.
• Set your goals today.  Make a holiday budget.  Plan what you will spend and stick to that plan!  Don't succumb to impulse purchase over the next two months.  If it's not written down and planned on and you don't need it, don't buy it!
• Shop alone.  Shopping with friends lends to buying something just because "they" bought one.  Again, if it's not on your list, don't buy it. 
• If you feel tempted to impulse shop, write down the item and price.  Wait 48 hours before making the purchase.  You'll be surprised at how many times you realize you really didn't need it after all.  This works just as well on a cute holiday decoration as it does for a new flatscreen tv that just happens to be on sale.
• Make an inventory list.  What have you purchased through the year that's hiding in the closet already?  Don't forget those items and buy duplicates or "instead ofs".  Again, stick with the plan!
• Shop online.  Even if you don't buy online, shop online. Check the prices before you spend the gas money driving from store to store to shop.  Know the prices before you leave home.
• Lots of stores price match these days.  You can save time and gas money by getting as much as possible in one store!  (Remember, as Doug says, "If you don't A-S-K, you don't G-E-T.")
• If you find a gift that would work for multiple people on your shopping list, buy several and then personalize the gift with a note.  This saves time, energy, gas and stress!
• Host an open house for the neighborhood.  Have everyone bring a few treats to share.  Rather than exchanging neighbor gifts, have a "Christmas Jar" for donations to be deposited instead, then give the jar full of donations to a charity or family in need.  (Our old Bunco group did this and my neighbors do this as a "block party" each year.  You'd be surprised at how much you can donate as a group, and yet, it saves individual family funds as well.)
• If you're entertaining, have everyone bring a favorite dish or dessert.  There'll be plenty to eat and you don't have to spend two days in the kitchen before the party or a week's worth of grocery money on the event.  (Have them bring recipes along!  This is how I discovered some of my favorite holiday foods!)
• Use a Christmas version of "the envelope method".  Leave your credit cards at home in a drawer.  Shop with cash only.  Designate an amount for each recipient and put the amount in cash in an envelope labeled with their name on it.  This gives new meaning to "robbing Peter to pay Paul". Don't do it!  By using cash in the envelopes, you'll be more likely to stick to your budget!
• Make a promise to yourself to not buy for yourself while shopping!  (This is one of my weaknesses.  Not that I buy myself gifts, but I could spend my entire Christmas budget buying new decor each season!)  Again, the envelope method would come in handy here.  And if you must, have a "holiday decorations" envelope.
• Again, plan, budget, plan some more, budget some more, use self-control!

And here's what we'll be having for Sunday dinner! 

French Pumpkin Soup

1 8-10 pound Cinderella pumpkin
1/2 cup butter
3 leeks, white part and 2 inches of green part, cut into 1 inch rounds
12-15 slices of baguette, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces, toasted for 5 min in 350 oven
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Salt & pepper
2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded
4-6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut a round hole in the top of the pumpkin, and clean the seeds out of the inside, patting it dry. Rub one tablespoon of butter around the inside of the pumpkin, then salt and pepper well.  In a large pot, melt the butter and add the leeks. Cook until soft, then add the bread cubes, sage and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, and toss until well-coated. Taste, and add more salt & pepper as needed. Put half the leek and bread mixture in the pumpkin, followed by a layer of half the cheese. Add the rest of the bread cubes and finish with a top layer of cheese. Fill with broth, add bay leaves.  Replace the top of the pumpkin, and put it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until broth is bubbling.  When you serve it, get a scoop of soup, then scrape some pumpkin from the inside into the bowl, too.

Life is good!  I'm excited just thinking about the upcoming weeks!  And last but not least, today is our son, Dale's 33 birthday!  Happy Birthday, Dale!  We love you!

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.
Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

Wednesday musings and a treat or two!

I had to stop and take a shot of the creek just up the street from us.  Beautiful!  Fall is just the perfect time of the year!

• A productive day with hours on the phone trying to make final arrangements for Tessa's wedding.  Tomorrow, I'm hoping to finish up shopping for all of the food.  It's coming together!
• It was so cold today!  Eighteen degrees when we woke up this morning!  EIGHTEEN!  Crazyness!
• Tending Zaylee is my happy thought every day.  She's so dang cute and so far, she's been an angel.  Tonight, as I was getting her to sleep, her tummy rumbled. Loudly.  I said, "Do you have a tiger in your tummy?!"  She said, "Noooo, Grammie.  That 's just me!"
• Speaking of tummies... I was awakened by the words, "I threw up."  And did she ever.  Gracie spent the day carrying a bucket in hand.  ZJ had headaches, no tummy ache.  Gracie had tummy, no headache.  I'm hoping the Quayd wakes up feeling healthy tomorrow!
• I made another 8 quarts of applesauce tonight!  It only takes about fifteen minutes to prepare the apples and then it takes longer to assemble the Vittorio Strainer than it does to churn the apples through.  Besides letting them simmer until they are cooked, it takes less than 45 minutes time.  And the house smells so nummy!  I think I'll make applesauce every day!  It's better than burning candles.
• Speaking of candles, I'm loving my cake batter, oatmeal cookie and pumpkin spice Scentinel waxes in my burner.  One of my favorite things about fall... candles and waxes!  MMMMM!
• There's pumpkin cake in the kitchen screaming my name as I type.  I hate it when that happens!  Especially late at night!
• I found this pumpkin recipe last month here while surfing.  I've not made them but can't imagine any way that they won't be fabulous! I think that this will be a Thanksgiving weekend tradition at our home!  We can't wait to make them!

Pumpkin Doughnuts
Yield: about 16 doughnuts and doughnut holes

For the doughnuts:
3½ cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree

Canola oil or peanut oil, for frying

For the cinnamon-sugar:
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the spiced glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
2 tbsp. milk

To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl.  Whisk to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter and beat until well blended.  Stir in the egg, then the egg yolks, and then the vanilla until incorporated.  Combine the buttermilk and pumpkin in a liquid measuring cup and whisk together.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Once the dough is mixed, cover and chill for at least 3 hours or until firm.  (The dough still seemed quite soft so we did an additional 30 minute chill in the freezer.)  

On a well-floured work surface, roll or pat out the dough to a ½-inch thick round.  Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour.  Using a 2½ to 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough.  Use a smaller cutter (or a wide pastry tip) to cut a hole out of the center.  Reroll and cut the dough scraps as necessary.

Add oil to a large saucepan or Dutch oven to a depth of about 2-3 inches.  Attach a thermometer to the side of the pan and heat the oil to 365-370˚ F.  Add the rings of dough to the hot oil so that they are in a single layer and not touching.  Fry, turning once, until both sides are golden brown and doughnuts are cooked through, about 3-4 minutes total.  Use a skimmer/strainer to remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined rack.  Bring the oil temperature back up to the target range before repeating with the next batch of doughnuts.  Use the same process for the doughnut holes, frying for a shorter time.

To make the cinnamon-sugar, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish and whisk to blend.  When the doughnuts are just cool enough to handle, dip half of them in the cinnamon-sugar to coat completely, shaking off the excess.

To make the spiced glaze, combine the powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl.  Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed.  If necessary, add a bit more milk to thin the glaze out.  Dip the remaining half of the doughnuts in the glaze.  Allow the glaze to set before serving.

• I have loved Sarah Jessica Parker since Footloose, the original. I've never seen an episode of "that show" in the city.  But, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah?  Seriously? And no, it's not photoshopped.  I guess I'm just not a fashionista. 
• I am love, love, loving this season of Survivor!  This week's episode is one of my favorite episodes ever!
• Tonight, I was invited to a wedding... Bella and Edward's wedding.  Complete with a huge party, raffles, auctions, prizes and a privately rented theater for the first viewing of the film... at midnight...the night before Tessa's wedding reception!  I'll be taking a nap before, for sure!  Can. Not.  Wait!
• My brother is coming to town this weekend.  I'm grateful that our relationship has been improving.  With age, does come wisdom. 
• 72 day marriages?  $10million weddings? 20 Karat diamonds?  This makes me so sad... sad that media pays more attention to things like the men and women who are risking our lives while serving our country, than children who are all sorts of risk, than people who are homeless and jobless.  Shaking my head.  Enough said about that.
• A "worth trying" treat.... Add a teaspoon of creamy peanutbutter to a your next cup of hot chocolate.  Mmmm!  Just saying!

Today's gratitude is for the thoughtulness of friends.  I am so blessed and there is rarely a day that goes by without some random act of kindness offered by at least one of my friends!  I am blessed!

The hardest arithmetic to master is
that which enables us to count our blessings. 

Novemberizing

First, I took this photo on Sunday on our way to Katie and Dave's.  My favorite site in the valley, from just off the USU campus.  The Logan LDS Temple.  Beautimous, yes?!

I created a new word today when I "Novemberized" my house.  Got the tablescape changed, redecorated the corner cabinet, put away the Halloween stuff and started thinking about the holidays bigtime!   Denise and I didn't go out for lunch to Chili's because her sister Mickee had surgery and Denise is out of town being a good sister.  (Get well quick, Mickee!  For your sake and mine... I miss Denise!) ZJ stayed home from school.  She didn't wake up feeling any better than she went to bed, so I kept her with me.  We sang "Let it Snow!" and Jingle Bells, which technically are "winter" songs not Christmas songs.  The furnace is running full speed ahead.  It was a cold day and we have fresh snow in the mountains.  Lovely! LOVELY! 

I also made bread and 12 pints of applesauce.  This was my first attempt at applesauce and I think I'll make some more tomorrow!  And the next day.  And the next.  We have a lot of apples!  (When I tried to take pictures, the camera batteries were dead and the charger had been unloaded so no fresh ones were ready.  Thank you, Mr. Nobody.)

I took doug's mom some soup and rolls for tonight's dinner, this morning.  Mom lives across the street from the Logan Temple on one of the steepest hills in the valley.  I parked facing down the hill, hit the park/emergency brake, shifted into Park and turned my wheels toward the curb like I remember learning to do in drivers ed, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.  When I came back out to the truck, it wouldn't start.  As in the key wouldn't turn, the steering wheel was locked up, nada.  I couldn't shift.  Nothing.  I knew that it had to have something to do with the steep hill, so I played with it for about ten minutes. 

ZJ was with me.  Finally, I called a locksmith, who told me that I was right and he could come out for $45 to start me, but if some pin were broken, it would be $140.  I told him I'd get back to him.  Then, knowing Doug wasn't near his phone, I called one of our oldest friends, DeMar, who is a mechanic.  He didn't answer.  ZJ said, "Mom, we could pray."  And so, she offered a prayer that we could find the problem and go home.  As she was finishing the prayer, literally, my phone rang and it was De calling me back.  He told me that I'd have to force that steering wheel to move before I could turn the key.  I did exactly what he said and sure enough, it started and all was well.

Two lessons learned from this experience...

1. Follow the example of your ten year old daughter! Pray!
2. Don't turn your wheels toward the curb on a steep hill unless you are driving an antique car.  Today's cars have emergency brakes and good brakes.  AND if you do and it locks up, just force the wheel to turn.  Don't just sit there.  Ya learn something every day!

I wanted to share a pumpkin recipe.  I've not made these yet because I was out of cornmeal.  But, this sounds divine.  I make a lot of cornbread and had never heard of this one. I'll report back this weekend, for sure on these.

Pumpkin Cornbread

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup oil
1 Tbsp. molasses

 

 Preheat oven to 400°.  Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal. In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.  Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes (just until blended- don't over-mix).  Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.

 

 

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.