Ray and the camera

One more for the post

What a fun idea- come on, join in.

TGIPIFF!
Thank Goodness it's Pay It Forward Friday!!!


A good friend (yes, you know who you are!) had a "Pay it Forward" challenge on her blog. I gladly raised my hand to receive a lovely gift from her and in return agreed to do the same right here! So...the first three folks to leave comments will get something handmade from me. I can't promise what it will be - maybe something sewn, scrapbooked, papered, baked, typed, printed, etc but it will definitely be from the heart!
The rules:
1. leave your comment with a link to your email or blog
2. you must agree to pay it forward by doing the same on your blog, or if you don't have a blog on Facebook or email
3. wait patiently for your handmade item
4. pay your own item forward!
Isn't the domino effect grand!? Happy paying!

A great discovery

Today we celebrated Aubreys birthday since she was SO busy yesterday. We met at Kneaders for lunch. Kim was actually working while we were there. We had a great time. I snapped a few pictures, but then little Rachel came over and hijacked my camera. She started snapping pictures. Guess what? Her pictures turned out really great. People are happy to smile for a cute 4 year old with a camera, where they might duck away from an adult with a camera. I think you can guess which pictures Ray took.
It was a fun day and we got fun pictures to boot!

19 years ago today

I walked, crying, into Orem community hospital. I was 4 days over my
due date. I was so worried they were going to send me home saying I
was not really in labor. Happily, I got to stay and had my third baby,
my third daughter. I remember thinking -now for sure I had to be a
great mom- cause I had THREE little girls that needed a great example.
Aubrey has been such fun and is always full of surprises. She is
making great decisions in her life.
Happy birthday baby girl! More of wonderful life is right before you.
Much love and laughter to be found. I'm sure you won't miss a minute
of it. I love you so much.

My three girls

Ballerina baby

A favorite shot. Sorry it's so fuzzy

All grown up

The Valentines Day Date

Tonight ds #1 goes on his first date. It's to the high school girl
ask guy dance. He is going with a very fun young lady. I hope she
wears a modest dress. He looks so handsome and is bound to have a
great time. I do have pizzza and rootbeer for later. Then maybe he'll
tell me all about it when he gets home.

Valentines Day eve

Tonight I am alone and sad about it. David is at the blasted clondike
campout. My valentines day plans for one of my sons backfired, so
that's a downer too. Not long after they left this afternoon I got a
delivery. I got some beautiful roses and some chocolate, and a very
awesome love note. (I have a pretty cool V day gift for him, but I'll
write about that in a few days.)

I am thankful not to be sleeping outside tonight. Poor David

Cafe rio sweet pork

Cafe rio

Cafe rio sweet pork
3 lb boneless ribs, cook on high in crock pot for five hours
drain any liquid after 5 hours

Add 1 jar salsa
1 can coke- I figure 12 oz.

I have tried caffeine free diet and I think the artificial sweetener made it not so good. Today I am trying cf pepsi cause I couldn't find cf coke.

2. C brown sugar today I just used 1 1/3c cause I think its too sweet.

cook in crock pot three more hours

Wrap this in costco tortillas - the ones you cook yourself. I think we just add cheese and don't mess with the rice or "black or pinto beans". IMO fresh lime could only help make things better :)

I got this from my married daughter. Let me know how you like it.

The power of good ice

Anyone that knows me well, knows I am a lover of good ice. When I get a drink, it's a bonus to get good ice. I always fill good ice all the way to the top. Once I down the 12 oz of soda I could fit in my cup, I refill with water all afternoon and the ice lasts.

Sadly, fantastic ice is hard to find in Utah county.

Never to be tight lipped in important info like this, I will share. Here are my top good ice places. Please tell me if you know of others.

Sonic and Holiday gas stations are easy to find and have pretty good ice. Also common cents gas station off 800 north, near I-15 is good.

Cafe Rio on center street in Orem has pellet ice, and its a little smaller then sonic or holiday.

The best ice place is in American fork. It's at a tiny little gas station near the old Deseret book, by albertsons. It's a tosoro station I think, just north over the train tracks from Deseret book that is no longer there. Get your cup and you have to ask the lone employee there for the crushed ice. It's kept behind the counter. Ya got to say how full you want it. It costs .10 more, but that's a steal.

My best workout so far

Saturday we had some littles at our house. Today when I started up the treadmill, I found a few snacks they left me. Pretzels and gold fish. I have to admit, it was my best workout ever. I stayed on extra long ;)

The naughty-ist soup I ever made

I was asked to make some soup for a wedding this weekend. I made half a batch for the family tonight to make sure I was doing it right. It is very delicious, but has very naughty ingredients in it. The original calls for fresh tomatoes, not a good idea in February in Utah. So I used canned and adjusted the recipe from there.

4- 28 oz canned tomatoes I used half Italian style and half stewed tomatoes
4 c tomato juice
28 leaves fresh basil
2 c heavy cream- I used half and half for the family batch
1 c butter, melted but not hot
salt and pepper to taste

blend tomatoes and basil leaves in a blender to chop them up. Pour into a large soup pot and add juice. stir in cream and butter and heat through while stirring. My family loved it. We didn't even need the salt and pepper. I sent a quart over to Laura and Steve, 5 of us had some for dinner here in Lehi, and I have about a quart left in the fridge. Too bad they liked it, I don't think I can feel good about making this soup very often.

a needle in haystack

Today has been so busy! I was up at 7 getting ready to go to a cleaning assignment at the Mt Timp Temple. I didn't feel right wearing pants, and ended up cleaning in my church clothes. It was harder work then I thought. It was like finding the needle in the haystack, or hide and seek. How do you clean a very clean place? I did a lot of glass and marble 'cleaning'. It was very peaceful really.

Then I met Dave in Payson to choose cabinets for our basement bathroom and laundry room. Seeing how detached I am from the project, I didn't really have any strong opinions on the selections. We are both like the same basic style, so making a final decision is tough. But I really don't care too much. Surprisingly, I did get a charge out of some of the hardware so those will go in the laundry room :) Is that a confusing paragraph?

On the way home, I remembered a new store that has just opened in Provo. I have been looking at the website

http://www.thesweettoothfairy.com/

and realized I would be going right by the new store, so I stopped by. So so cute!! The lady I spoke with was the owner I think. I should have asked.. but she was so cute and kind. All her goods looked good. I bought a few cookies for home evening. She has some really cute cupcake themed gifts there too. Check it out if your going through Provo after a busy day!

The American Red Cross (ARC) and me

I have been friends with the ARC for awhile. I go in usually once a month and donate platelets. I have my own reasons for going, but it doesn't hurt that I have the universal type of platelets. They can go to anyone. I have been told mine go right up to primary children's hospital in SLC when I donate. How can I not go donate? Really! Here's a few shots of the event. I pump my blood out from the left arm, and they put all the stuff they don't need back into the right arm. A machine does all the dividing but makes all the stuff coming back into my arm room temp about 72'. I usually run about 97'so its easy to get cold in this process. They usually have to tuck an electric blanket all around me. Yes, please turn it all the way on. Then I watch a movie. Today I got through 3/4 of "just like heaven". It's one i have I'll finish watching it tonight while I miss my dh.

Now, if I can just get these monthly visits to count for my visit teaching I'd be set!!

My view

They set me up with movie of my choice and a warm electric blanket

I squeeze from the left side

THIS is what they want

All that hassle for a tiny bag of plateletts

Grandpa 09

Last night right before the family reading time I snapped this picture
of David. He's easing into this grandpa thing. Awesome shirt laur and
steve!

Will sew for surprises

Look what came for me today!! I was so surprised I almost started to
cry. So so nice of the dress mama and young lady to bring me this.
The outter darkness dress pays off!

I've been making cinnamon rolls and bread sticks today, thus you get
to see the Bosch

My boy turns 16

A week and a half ago my oldest son turned 16!! Wowow !! He's a good
boy and I am so glad he is mine.

My lunch date today

I had some business in Orem and Provo today so arranged lunch with my
sister. Her two litle girls warm my heart. All four of us enjoyed
our lunches and two drinks. I took my drink with me when I left and
by the time I got to AF I was near the bottom of the cup. I actually
strawed up a little piece of rice that had *somehow* gotten on my cup.
Very suspicious. It made me laugh out loud.

Another one of her hanging out while I fold clothes

Another cat post

So, we have cats. I am allergic to cats, kinda. Meaning that if the
scratch me or the dander gets in my eyes there are obvious reactions.
Whatever
Nonetheless, Sweetie Kitty is really a good little pal. She hangs out
with me. She waits for me when I shut the door to the bathroom. If she
meows I let her in and she'll sit on the edge of the bath. She is very
interested in looking at all the water in the bath. She really loves
to watch it to down the drain.
Here she is sitting on some humanitarian quilts I volunteered to bind.
She came to hang out while I was finishing another nightgown for the
play. She thought the quilts were her spot.
She is my favorite kitty.

Just to give it a try

Dave had to go to dinner with some uppity ups at work tonight. They
are going up to Sundance, poor fella ; ) . We at home are having
leftovers. Tasty leftovers though. Actually one of dh's favorites. So
just for the heck of it, I thought I'd try a new way to make rice
crispy treats. I read about it on a blog. To kind of make dinner
exciting, ya right.

It worked out! The recipw, not making dinner exciting. I laughed
at this technique since making the origional recipe is sooo
difficult... Just kidding on that. A change my mom always makes to the
origional recipe, and now I do too, is to double the sauce part. I
call um "double marshmellow"

I was tagged

I cant believe how funny/weird this is.

I was tagged by my friend Nikelle to do the picture thing. But just before this, I was catching up on the blogs and read Tabby Gray and Lorna Doones blogs. They both had this picture tag thing going on which I loved reading. I then went to read Nikelles blog and she had the same picture tag going on, AND she tagged me. So I dutifully log in and look for my fourth folder, and fourth picture and here it is.

Last spring Dave and I went to a wedding reception of a girl that grew up with our girls. Our daughters couldn't make it to the reception, so I brought my camera, so I could bring them home all the pictures of her dress and cake and all that info girls like to see. This is a picture from that reception. So sweet.

This bride and her family have lived near us since we moved here. They are such a great family and great examples. We never really got close to them, but I consider them great friends anyway. I know they are always there if I need help.
One day the mom of this family noticed that we had some strange people coming in our house. She can see around my house area from her home. She called to make sure I was home and that everything was okay. (it was workers finishing our basement) She' a good sister that way.

The reception was beautiful and we saw lots of people that had been in our ward but had moved. It was a good time.

I am so happy this little bride found her prince charming.



So, now on to tagging. you need to post the 4th picture from your 4th photo album on your computer and blog about it :)
I only know of two people that follow my blog so of course its

Laura
Sylvia
and how bout Robin

How dh makes me forget he was away

Dh came home late last night :). After nightmares and worrying about the dress all night, I got the demon dress back and made it look somewhat better. Today we took the family to the Draper Temple Open House. It is beautiful, and a beautiful experience with my dh and kids. Later David took me to Thanksgiving Point for a wonderful dinner. They had butternut squash soup! Yum! I could have soup and bread all winter. We shared one soup, one spinach salad and one entree of halibut. I then force Dave to share a creme brulee with me. It was very good and he did not regret it. It was a beautiful meal really. The picture shows Daves raspberry lemonade too.

It was a quiet lovely dinner to end a busy and satisfying day.

The dress from outter darkness

Well I guess you could say I finished the dress. It did not turn out acceptable in my opinion. But after a week of working on it, I am ready to just make do. Here's a picture of Kim trying on the dress for me. Its a "maiden dress" for the Pirates of Penzance play at the jr high. Jacob is a pirate but his costume is provided. I volunteered to sew for others if they needed me. The dress is a regular pattern, but with some alterations and add ins. That part was tricky. I did put in an admirable zipper though and I was impressed with that.
Hopefully the gal that asked me to sew for her will be okay with it. It's time for a warm bubble bath AND for dh to come home from his business trip!!

While Dh is gone

I sit and sew and the sweetie and the visiting kitty hang out with me.
It's pretty awesome.

I asked Jacob to take the lights off the tree. We had moved it to the
death trap garage so the dry dropping needles would not be all over
the house. He wasn't happy to do the job, but he sure did it!! The
garage smells like Christmas and the beat up tree makes me laugh every
time I see it.

Winter 08 & 09

This winter has been pretty intense. I know it's not over, bit here
are a few shots of December and Januarys winter glory. First an
impressive icecicle by our front door.

The sidewalks and street. Thankfully it does not stay ice packed
forever.

During the altering

I forgot to post this picture of kim trying on the pants as I was
trying to figure out the saggy bottom. She was the only one in this
house that was close the the person I was sewing for, so she had to be
my model. We laughed and laughed at this "alteration". Was not what
we were going for. Don't worry. I fixed it.

Pirate pants AND sailor pants

Last week I was asked to sew some of the costumes for the upcoming Jr
high school production of pirates of penzance. The mom of one of the
leads isnt a big sew-er. I was happy to take the challenge. The two
patterns were a little tricky but I was able to figure them out. We
even altered the brown pants a bit so the bum wasn't so saggy. Kinda
difficult but I DID IT!! And yes I'm rather surprized and shocked :)

The pants

The sweet reward

A favorite place to pick up a sandwich

Many days, when I am out getting things done, I have to bribe myself
to get the most annoying things done. My very awesome dentist told me
about this great little place in American Fork. That is where I stop
in for a sandwich now and then. At peak times parking is a little bad,
and there is a line but the food is yummy. They are open late and I
keep thinking I will take dh there on a date. They also have some fun
hot chocolate going on there. It's the mouse type kind, steamed milk
with a mound of chocolate mouse stirred in. Kinda fun.

An odd cure for a headache

Today I got a huge headache from being teased so much by ds#2. The teasing was a form of annoying terrorism and "the 12 days of Christmas " song. Please don't ask... Anyway, as a way to forget the said torture I volunteered to go get stuff at home depot for dh. (for the ever fun of finishing the basement fun) I started listening to Brian Regan on my iPod, and before I knew it, my pains disappeared. I was actually enjoying home depot. It was very strange and mysterious.