NEW YORK - AGAIN!

Until a few years ago, I had never been east of Colorado and, now, look at me! I'm a traveler! Thanks to my daughter, Candice, who works for Jet Blue, I've been to New York City 3 times in the past year! This time I felt like wearing a shirt that says "Don't Hassle Me - I'm Local!" (What movie did that come from?)

There were 5 of us who went - Andy, my husband, Andy, my son-in-law, (yes, it does get confusing at times) Candice, Camille, and little ol' me!
Just a few highlights of what we did in 24 hours.

Outside of the Today Show on Rockefeller Plaza.

The day was so misty! It took hours before we could see the tops of the buildings. Kind of looks like something out of a doomsday movie.

This was the first time Andy B. and Camille had been to New York City. So, of course, they had to see the Statue of Liberty.

We didn't get off at Ellis Island but saw it from the ferry.

After eating a hotdog from a corner vendor, we hiked around in Central Park.

We went to Times Square to see a show at the Gershwin Theater. We're sitting here, bleary-eyed, tired, but excited to see the show.

Do you recognize it yet?

Oh! Yes! We saw Wicked! Fantastic!

We got on the plane at 8:30 and we were back home by midnight! (There's no place like home)

THANKS AGAIN, CANDICE!

Celebration X 2

June 9th is the day we celebrate the birth of 2 wonderful girls/women,

Candice and Camille!

They were born 34 years ago. ..my first pregnancy- but - not my last! My water broke while at home and by the time we got to the hospital, Candice's foot was hanging out. They were both born breech. (Times have changed- you can tell by the picture! Yikes!)

They weighed 7 lbs 4 oz. and 7 lbs 14 oz.

Candice has blue eyes and curly blonde (it eventually turned dark) hair.

Camille has brown eyes and dark brown hair.

They've been a joy from the beginning. (notice the house, it's the same house that's in the last post only without the jungle!)

I'm sorry to say, they were my built-in babysitters. They did a great job at it though, and I appreciated it. I'm surprised they even wanted children of their own after dealing with younger siblings but they do have adorable children and they're wonderful mothers!

I used to dress them alike until Candice asked if they could dress differently at the age of 4. We've tried to treat them as individuals but they still have to share - even now, they're sharing a blog post! (BTW, this wasn't how they dressed everyday. They were in a Pioneer Day Parade and they took their "Snake Buster" brother with them)

Candice played sports in junior high and high school - basketball, softball, cross country. She works hard at everything she does. It didn't matter if she was feeling sick, she still would go to practice and couldn't understand the girls who complained all the time and sat out because they had a cold. She probably spread lots of germs but she was there! She served an LDS mission to Monterrey, Mexico. She has a wonderful husband and 3 beautiful children.

Camille took to music like a fish to water. She was playing duets on the piano with her grandpa at the age of 3. She took piano lessons for years and played piano for jazz band in high school, for the ward choir, for soloists and to entertain. She served a mission to Puerto Rico. When she and Candice came home from their missions, they talked Spanish to each other so that I couldn't understand what they said! She has 2 beautiful daughters!

You can tell that we have a very artistic family. Cyrus, Candice's 4 year old son, drew this lovely picture of his mom for her birthday.

Emily, Candice's 6 year old daughter, drew this picture of Camille and herself.

Happy Birthday Candice and Camille, WE LOVE YOU!!!

Field Trip

Here I go...another trip down memory lane.

I went up north to see my parents and along the way, decided to stop in the old neighborhoods to see how things have changed. The first place I stopped was at my grandparent's home. I pulled up front and saw 2 men out front. I asked if it was OK for me to take a picture of the house since it used to be my grandparents. One man asked me who my grandparents were and when I told him, he said, "That's right!" Turns out the man used to live next door. This house brings back memories of cousins, Christmas eve parties, the smell of dilled green beans, a collie and 2 special grandparents.

A mile away is the home where I grew up. This was a World War II house that was moved to this location back in 1954. It was remodeled and bricked and cost $9,000.00! I lived here until I was married. My parents lived in it until 1994. This brings back many fond memories. Just a few are: my awesome family; mom, dad, brother, and sister; the water tank (where we threw rocks just to hear the ping sound) that was across the street and up the hill, sledding down that hill in the winter, the large garden and the big swing set in the back yard, going on picnics with red Kool-aid in a glass mason jar, my good friends, the many pets we owned, the delicious food my mom made, I could go on and on.

I stopped by the house where we had lived for 15 years and raised our children. It's for sale and very neglected! What an eyesore! It was devastating to see it in this condition. The real estate ad calls it a "handyman's dream" and I'd say it's a dream (nightmare) inside and out!

I was afraid to walk in the grass for fear of getting bit by something lurking there. The cat seemed to enjoy the over-grown jungle. This brings back many memories of children, husband, friends, neighbors, learning to me a mom, remodeling, scraping by financially, and saying goodbye as we embarked on new adventures.

When you finally go back to your old hometown, you find it wasn't the old home you missed, but your childhood. -Sam Ewing

Reverie

I've been reminiscing today.

When I was first married, I worked in the office of a trucking company and, to put it bluntly, I absolutely hated it! I quit that job and worked at the University of Utah Hospital in the Physicians Billing Office. I really enjoyed that job and that's where I met my good friend, Noreta Staniszewski. She was very kind and patient as she trained me in my new job. It was later that I realized what a smart, creative, and compassionate person she is. Many of the women working in the office were newly married with no children and with husbands going to school. Noreta would organize a "craft night" where we'd get together on an evening at someone's home and make something that would be treasured for years to come. (Since I'm all thumbs, she would end up helping me with most of my projects) I quit the job at the U to have my twins and shortly after that, moved to Arizona. Noreta and I kept in touch for the 4 years I lived in Arizona. When we moved back to Utah, the craft nights continued with the ladies from work. Noreta and I would have lunch once a month. She always gave wonderful gifts - birthdays, baby, Christmas, or just because. The gifts were ALWAYS homemade and ALWAYS spectacular and greatly appreciated.

She served in her ward and stake in the Relief Society Presidency and was always busy. With her creative juices flowing, the activities were beyond compare when she was the person in charge.

She had breast cancer that spread throughout her body. Even when she was in excruciating pain, she served in the church and served her family and even served her friends.

11 years ago, on Memorial Day, she passed away. I was able to get from Meridian, Idaho, to her bedside in Salt Lake, just a few hours before she died.

I've just been thinking about her today with a smile on my face for all the great memories I have of her. I am more blessed because I knew her.

All these pictures on my post represent just a portion of the gifts she has made and given to me over the years.

I hope that I can be a friend that will be fondly remembered. I know for sure my friends won't have great gifts to help remember me.


Thanks for joining me in my reminiscing.

Cut The Fat!

It's June!

That means summer and swimming and wearing swim suits! If you're anything like me, you're still wearing your winter padding. I don't want to put on a swim suit with my extra roll, or two, or three, Ok, so I won't be wearing a swim suit BUT if I was going to - I would need to be more careful what I eat. I admit, I have a sweet tooth and it's hard to completely cut out sweets so I decided to post a recipe for cookies with less fat. I've made cookies using applesauce instead of shortening and they're OK but you can still taste the applesauce in them and they're flatter than the other cookies. Now I use white beans! You can substitue the beans for all the fat if you want but I like to do half and half.

First, open the can and with the lid covering the beans, pour off as much liquid as you can. That still leaves some liquid in the beans and that's what you want.

Pour the beans into a blender and blend until smooth, about the consistency of shortening. Word to the wise, don't put your rubber scraper in the blender while blending. Turn the blender off then stir. (I think I still have a few pieces of plastic in my cookies...just don't tell my family. That will be the secret ingredient in this recipe!)

Now you're ready to use it in your recipe. I use half a cup in the cookies and the other half cup left in the blender is put in a baggie and placed in the freezer for future use.

Here's the recipe with my "low-er fat ingredients in parenthesis:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup shortening (pureed white beans)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs (I used 3 egg whites - a little less fat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 cups flour ( I like to use half whole wheat and half white. In the recipe today, I used only white)
1 1/2 cups choc chips
Mix butter and beans together until smooth. Add sugars and blend well. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. (I used half chocolate and half cherry chips) Mix well.

Place on baking sheet (perhaps you can find better looking baking sheets than mine. I'm sure it won't be hard to do) and bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Let cool then eat! Or don't even let them cool, just eat them. Now be careful, don't think just because there's less fat, you can eat more. You can share these cookies or bag them up and put in the freezer for later.

By the way, I baked these cookies for 14 minutes. Too long!
I don't have the nutritional value of each cookie but using the beans instead of shortening and egg whites instead of the eggs, you cut the fat content of the entire recipe by 99 grams. Not a big whoop - but it's a start. Does anyone have ice cream to go with these cookies?

Friendship

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same." Anonymous

I love this quote. I have had many people come into my life and leave footprints on my heart. No matter what path I take or that friend takes, we are always connected through experiences, emotions, and a common ground.

I have worked with Joan for 8 years. For the first 2 years, we worked with a wonderful teacher, Jill, as technicians in a transitional kindergarten class. Jill left footprints on my heart and we still keep in touch even though she's been living in California for 6 years. (Note my Disneyland post) Joan became the teacher and I have worked with her as her technician for 6 years. I have learned alot from Joan -probably because she's Canadian! :-)

For the past 3 years, Karen has been in the classroom with us. We make a great team and we're good friends. There are some changes brewing that will mix things up at school. Joan is moving to China for the next 2 years! Karen is going to school to get her special ed endorsement and will become the teacher. I will be her technician in the afternoon and a speech technician in the morning!

Karen and I wanted to do something special for Joan. I asked my amazingly talented son, Dan, to paint a picture of the 3 of us! This is what he did!

Changes have come but we will always be connected. We have to be...

... We've been immortalized!

Graduation Day!

"We'll remember always, graduation day"

This picture was taken with a polaroid camera 100 years ago...ok, 38 years ago. The year was 1971, to be exact. Brenda and Kathy are in the picture with me. Do you remember your graduation day?

Let's fast forward 20 years.

I am pregnant with my 8th child. My twins, who were almost 16, made comments as to how old my husband and I would be when "this baby" graduates! "Dad might even be in a wheel chair!"

The day has arrived. "This baby" graduated today. There were no wheel chairs - both Andy and I were able to move on our own.

It kind of makes me feel empty. Almost like I have post-partum blues. My baby, Jacob, has reached a milestone in his life that represents independence, adulthood, responsibility, and great opportunities.

I'm sure I feel the same way many mothers feel - have I done all I should have done for him, have I taught him well? Will he be successful? I can't keep him in a chrysalis, unable to fully experience life. I need to let him spread his wings and try life on his own. It's hard, but that's what he's been preparing to do for the past 17+ years.

There he goes.

Cooking Tips

There's a widow in her 80's who lives down the street from me. Every time I go to visit her, she has tips for cooking and saving money. The other day, while visiting, she had more great ideas. This is how our (her) conversation went:

"Do you want to save money and fix a quick dinner? Here's something you can do". (She leans forward in her chair and as she tells me this great tidbit, her voice gets louder and she talks faster)
"You go to the store when the weenies are on sale...like 89 cents a package. Don't get the ones with 10 in them, they're too skinny and you have to eat two, get the ones with 8 because they're bigger. Don't just buy 1 package, get several because they'll keep for a long time in the refrigerator! When you're home alone, or if you're home with Andyortheboyandyou'rehungry...."(at this point she sits back and folds her arms as though she's going to reveal a real treasure)"...cook a weenie!"

I'll be going to see her again. I know you'll be anxiously waiting for me to post more cooking tips. In the meantime, I need to gather up my cross-stitch supplies. I have a wall hanging to make! "Cook a Weenie!"

Namesake

Happy Memorial Day!

This is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that has been made by people before us to keep liberty in our country, a time to remember loved ones who have passed away, and a time to read or hear stories of ancestors we have never met. This head stone is on the grave of my husband's grandfather. He lived in Delta, Utah, had 2 wives, (not at the same time) and 10 children. He was a good, hard-working, God-fearing man. He died young, only 55. His first wife died when she was only 32 years old, the second wife, my husband's grandmother, died 3 years after Jacob Alma, leaving my father-in-law an orphan at the age of 15.

This is our Jacob Alma.

He is the youngest of 8 children and was purposely named after his great-grandfather. I think he will make his grandfather proud of what he's done with his name.

Behind the Scenes

I like to be "behind the scenes" in most things.

A few weeks ago, we had a program with our school class. The children did a fantastic job with their singing and speaking parts. The teachers did a song and dance at the end. It was fun to do, but, if I had my way, I'd rather be doing something that no one knows about but helps the end result be better. Let me type up a program, put up scenery, or do a power point. I like to let those who are younger, prettier, smarter, or more talented, be up front.

I realize that my own children are the same way. They do lots of things "behind the scenes." Our kids made a birthday cake at 3:00 in the morning, out on the deck so they wouldn't wake my husband and me and they could surprise us in the morning with a cake for our shared birthday!
These pictures show more "behind the scenes" with my kids. Here, Jeanette got a little "goose" from her big sister!

In this family picture, Jordan just received a nice wedgie before the picture was taken. Big brothers are the best!

At Keiti's blessing, while taking a picture of Jill, Vili, and the Travis fam, Jordan popped into the picture to share the spotlight.

And last, but not least, Jeanette decided to spice up the picture by taking a bite of her brother's leg.

Nothing like doing things behind the scenes to make the end result better!