Give away and Happy Birthday to...

US!!!!

Today is Andy's birthday! Today is my birthday! This picture was taken on my 20th and his 23rd. We had been married 4 months. That was 36 years ago! You do the math. The kids asked why Andy looked so mad. He said he was trying to look tough. I think he succeeded..I wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley!

Here we are today! I know what you're thinking...we haven't changed a bit! Right?

We have a few more people to celebrate with us!


3 daughters and 2 daughters-in -law. That's 5 daughters (minus our missionary daughter)

3 sons and 2 sons-in-law! That's 5 sons (minus our missionary son) (Andy's included in this group, I know, he looks so young it's hard to tell he's the father! :-) The reason their hands are up is for Jacob's protection. The poor kid was getting a wedgie from both older brothers!

That doesn't count our 9 grandchildren and Andy's parents who were with us today! What a fun day for me!





I decided to have a giveaway for my birthday. Nothing spectacular - just a few things to show my gratitude to my friends and family...and you're all my friends!


Here is my size 11 shoe box filled with apricots! That was my first choice to give and I think I have enough apricots for each and every one of you but I realized by the time you got them, they'd already be jam so that's not a good idea.




So here's the first thing. I know you all want to know what keeps me looking like I'm 20 years old! (tee-hee) Here you go...MaryKay cleanser and moisturizer with sunscreen! These two products together are anti-aging and so am I! Heck, who wants to grow old! Not me..woops, too late! You 20 something friends of mine, this will prevent you from looking like me when you're old!

Another item up for grabs. This beautiful wrap around bracelet is made from crushed seashells. My friend, Joan, has been going to China for the past 4 years and buys beautiful jewelry. She brings it back and sells it at boutiques. This is one of my favorite bracelets. If you wear a bracelet, the focus is on your wrist and not the wrinkles on your face. See...another anti-aging product! (click on the picture to see the details)

Who can do without a pair of good tweezers! Not only eyebrows need tweezing but chin, upper lip, you name it...there's probably a stray hair on it!

A little dark brown eyeliner helps to define and shape the eyes.

An emery board is a good way to keep nails shaped.

Hand soap with soothing aloe vera not only keeps our hands clean but keeps them soft.

I also have some hand cream that goes along with this but I don't have a picture of it.

Remember, hands tell our age too so let's keep them looking nice.

Last, but certainly not least - 2 jars of apricot jam. Nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber.

Apricots are so good for you especially when they're surrounded by tons of sugar!

Like I said, I need to get rid of these apricots any way I can!

One more added bonus...my favorite candy, peanut M&M's Each winner will get 2 pkgs of these delicious, colorful, candies! Yum!

Have I convinced you that you want to win?

So as you can see there will be 4 winners!

Here's what you have to do.

Leave a comment. How easy is that?

If you want a 2nd chance, you can follow me.

For a 3rd chance to win, you can blog about this fantastic giveaway! :-)

Since July is my birthday month, all comments through July 31st at 11:59 pm will be accepted!

Good luck!

I WON!

Look at this beautiful bracelet I won from April at Sweet Life in the Valley! It came today and I'm so excited! This bracelet is from Sweet Shoppe Jewelry. It's called Jungle. It has buttons, beads, and trinkets of all different textures and sizes! I love it and it looks beautiful on my wrist! (but what doesn't look good on me?) Look at the cute bag it came in! Beckie Griffiths is the talented lady who makes this jewelry. She has lots of different styles! Give her a visit! Thank you April. Thank you Beckie.

Looking ahead...I'm going to have a giveaway in the very near future. I've got to get rid of these apricots somehow!

Apricot Abundance

We have a massive apricot tree in our back yard! My husband "trimmed" it back last month in hopes of thinning the crop! It made the surviving fruit bigger and more beautiful! Too bad apricots aren't my favorite and too bad apricots are despised by most people in my family!

I picked a 5 gallon bucket of apricots on Saturday. It didn't even make a dent! I made 3 batches of jam. I sure hope my neighbors like apricot jam because that's what they're getting for Christmas!

I pleaded with the women in church to come get some apricots. So far, I have one taker and the box that she picked won't be missed!

I made this apricot cake. It is really good! I'll post the recipe here. But first I have some questions:

Do you live in Utah County? If so...I know a great place for apricots! (seriously)

Do you say apricot with a long a or with a short a?

Did you ever dry the pit in the apricot and break it with a hammer and eat the middle of it?

Just wondering.

Fresh Apricot Spice Crumble Cake

CRUMBLE TOPPING:

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter, softened

CAKE:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh ripe apricots
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla

For topping, combine 1 cup flour with brown sugar, cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is moist and crumbly. For cake, combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in apricots. Mix together to form a batter. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle top evenly with topping. Bake 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. You can serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipping cream or just eat it when its cooled.

Trampoline Fun!

We were looking at some different options for our car and home insurance. I talked to an agent on the phone as he asked about our home:

"Do you have a pool in your yard?"

"No!"

"Do you have a trampoline in your yard?"

"Yes..." I said reluctantly, wondering what that bit of information will do to our insurance premiums. Is having a trampoline in the yard really a threat to others?

As you can see by the pictures below, we take great precautions!

Where else will you see children jumping while wearing bicycle helmets?

One at a time...that's our motto!

Look how much fun they have with "projectile" jumping!

Pay no attention to the "Trampoline Monster" lying in wait to project an unsuspecting child in to the air! (pay no attention to the garbage surrounding the trampoline)

It IS in the back of a fenced yard! The neighbors can't get in to use it unless invited!

I'm sure we'll be just fine!

Do you have any hair-raising trampoline stories? Should I take this contraption a bit more seriously?

COUNTDOWN! LESS THAN A MONTH!

AUG 11th!

AUGUST 14th!

These words from a Michael McLean song sums up my feelings.

In the wink of an eye I’ll be home.
Just you wait it won’t take all that long.
Though I’m not very sure
What’s behind this new door,
I’ll cling to your love while I’m gone.

In the wink of an eye I’ll be home.
And I’ll show you the treasures I found.
And I hope that you see
That the changes in me
Are ones that will make you proud.

And as I’m leaving I feel sure
I have gone through leaving home before.

In the wink of an eye I’ll be home and
And we’ll laugh and we’ll hold and we’ll cry
For this veil of tears
Isn’t measured in years
It’s all in the wink of an eye…
The wink of a Heavenly eye.

Running Through the Lavender

Saturday morning, Camille, Rachael and I, went to Mona to run a 5K through the lavender fields.

( This picture taken off the website)

(I use the word “run” very loosely) I felt like I had prepared myself for this race. I wanted to do a good job since our running time will be posted on the website. I got plenty of rest last night, got up early to stretch and get warmed up.

Knowing that it’s easier to run with a “beat” I asked my 18-year-old son, Jacob, if I could borrow his Zune. Sitting in the passenger seat on the way to Mona, I had some time to figure out the Zune and see if there were any songs I would want to listen to as I “ran”. Colonel Claypool’s bucket of Bernie Brains… ahhh…. no thanks, Murder by Death, - I think I’ll take a rain check. Then I found The Beatles, Cake, and Dave Matthews Band. I put them on a play list, thinking in my mind how much easier it will be to run to songs that have a good beat and that I actually know!
We arrived in time to get a lovely shirt and our numbers. Then it was off to the restroom, drink some more water, stretch and to the starting line.

We were informed that since there were about 1,000 people who signed up, we would start the race 15 minutes later. We walked around to get more warmed up and I was feeling good. The guy with the megaphone said that all serious runners were to move to the front of the line, the casual runners move back. I moved a little closer to the front, after all, who wants to be at the end of a thousand person line when you know you want to have a good running time!

I put in my ear buds, ready for some music, and the gun went off. I hit play and started to run…Imagine my surprise when I heard Spanish music! I had no idea how that happened (Jacob later informed me that it came with the Zune) and decided to figure out how to get back to my play list. People were passing me and I realized I needed to forget the Zune and kick it up a notch or two. So I ran the whole race listening to Spanish music. It had a decent beat but I wasn’t emotionally tied to it.
I have a question. Isn’t lavender supposed to be relaxing and soothing? How can I run quickly through the lavender when I’m so relaxed? That must be the reason so many people finished before me! I thought in my mind, as I was panting, sweating, and barely moving down the home stretch, that maybe my time won’t be so bad when I’m put in with my age group! When I got the card with my time, I read that my age group is 40 – 99! Quite a span!
Oh well, we all had a great time, it was good exercise, the lavender was gorgeous and the weather was perfect. What more could I ask for? (Maybe a younger bladder - but that's another story.)

Happy 32nd!

Daniel was born on a HOT day in Arizona. (what day in July in Arizona isn't hot?) He weighed 10 lbs 9 oz and was 23 inches long.

He was a good baby...but then he came right after the twins and I was amazed at how much easier it was to take care of only one!

He was always a sharp dresser and knew how to wear the styles!

Look how he'd get in to the holidays!

He has always had a good sense of humor and is fun to be around.

He's very artistic. Started drawing when he was just tiny.

He restored this Corvette.

He has a business as a custom airbrush artist. He paints Harleys, cars, trucks, walls, toilet seats, anything that has a smooth surface.

(restored Corvette)

Dan started out tall and now that he has stopped growing at 6 ' 8", I can say he has ended up tall.

He and Nicole got married almost 3 years ago. We now have our own personal physician in the family!

We celebrated his birthday a little early. How many people does it take to blow out his birthday candles?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAN!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE LOVED!

Fishin'

On July 4th we went fishing!

Every one had a great time...

... except the fish.

Happy 18th Birthday!

Jacob's birthday is July 5th.

He's the youngest of 8 children. Does that mean he's spoiled...or picked-on?

He has always been a fun-loving child

When he was in kindergarten, there were 5 other Jacobs in his class.

He enjoys music and we've had "band practice" - with me on the drums! Oh yeah!


He drives an old Toyota Tercel that is always needing work.

He's good natured and is tolerant of his old parents!

Notice my grip on the 4-wheeler!

He shares his birthday with 2 nieces, Emily and Keiti.

Jacob works at a theater as a projectionist.

This is always his food of choice or should I say choice of food? Poor, malnourished boy!

It's hard to believe my baby is 18!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACOB! WE LOVE YOU!!