Huckleberries? Easy as 1-2-3!

Dads can be tough to shop for. There's not a whole lot they need and usually if they want something they just go out and get it (women are different...we think to ourselves, "Hmmm...Christmas is coming up, I'll wait and see if someone buys it for me first!"). Plus, fathers are the type of people you don't want to get just anything for...they're special. They're one in a million and after everything a father does during his lifetime for his children, most gift ideas seem trite, simply not enough for someone who deserves so very much!

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My wonderful dad is diabetic and works very hard to manage his blood sugar through his diet. Unfortunately, that means usually cutting out sweet stuff, including jam and jelly. He is fond of huckleberry jam and syrup in particular, maybe it's because he grew up near the Tetons in Idaho where huckleberries grow wild and abound. I searched and searched, but struggled to find sugar-free huckleberry jam. What's a girl to do other than make some from scratch? A month ago, I got online to see where I could purchase huckleberries as they are not in season in November. I found a website (Wild Harvest) that does one-day shipping for frozen huckleberries. I was so excited at the thought! It did in fact arrive in only *one day* in an insulated package loaded with dry ice - good thing I was prepared with all the other things I'd need to make the jam!

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Here was the process in 3 easy steps:

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1. Order 7 pounds of huckleberries and jump

for joy when the delivery man leaves them on my doorstep!

(Step 1 1/2. Sneak a few frozen huckleberries before officially starting! We once drove to Idaho to pick wild huckleberries. I had a small tin cup but hardly any berries were making it in there. My dad offered me $10 if I could just fill my cup. I couldn't do it - they were just too tempting!)*

2. Mash berries by hand and add sugar-free pectin (you should have seen how purple my fingers were after holding the messy masher!):

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3. Pour jam into jars and seal in hot water.

Look at those beautiful purple-red bottles! And there you have it: "No Sugar-Added Huckleberry Jam". Can't wait for Dad to open his gift tomorrow morning - maybe he'll have it on some toast!
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Love you, Dad...you're the "BERRY BEST"!!!

milestones.

Last month brought the realization of a couple milestones.

One being the fact that Alison and I have been

best friends for 28 years.

I can't say that about too many people.

Syd

Brett, Al, Morgan: 3 of my favorite people ever
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Another favorite person: Grandma

And the big milestone (the reason we drove to Vernal in the first place)
is the fact that my father has been on this earth for * 80 years *.
So of course we had to celebrate, but because it's DAD, we kept it low-key, just like he'd want it. A family potluck dinner with pie for dessert - because that's what Dad likes: Pie and Family.
For his birthday, everyone in the family submitted their favorite memories of Dad or what they like most about him. We put them in a book and presented at the dinner. Reading the entries brought tears and laughter - the cornerstones of a life thus far well-lived.

Danielle & Eliza

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Kimball and "Harry Potter"

Halle (with a funny face) and Parker

Mark, Brett, Cassidy, & Kael

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Fawn, Wendy, Paige, Calvin, & Natalie

Dad, Josh, Cal, & Carson
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The day before the party, Nicky and Kye welcomed baby #2, sweet Liam.

I told her how thoughtful it was for her to time his birth so perfectly with my visit!

Halle loved the poop.

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But not as much as holding him.

what i love most about going home to vernal...

1. I love waking up early and stepping out on my parents west porch to see the blue, blue sky -- is it just me or does Vernal have fewer clouds than most places? -- and sucking in a long, deep breath of sweet-smelling air! 2. Mom & Dad's backyard -- I love how big it is, how much grass there is, that my kids have so much fun playing in it, and that it's surrounded by pretty fields (and horses!)

3. Mom's sewing room -- she's incredibly gifted. Many beautiful quilts, dresses, and other fine projects have come from this room and her talented hands.

4. Brett's favorite spot: the recliner!

5. Mom's Peonies...when we were there in June they were in full bloom. I couldn't stop walking by them!

6. the KITCHEN - Comfort food = Mom's food!

7. The sound of their back doorbell - we always know it's family when it's the BACK doorbell that rings. I love the out-of-tune "PING" it makes! I especially love the duet of "PING/RECLINER RELEASE"...that means Mom or Dad is getting out of their recliner to see who's here. Those two sounds go together like Steineker & Reservoir.

8. The Kitchen Table -- I associate this sight with lots of laughter, story-telling, game-playing (Arizona Rules, of course), and family togetherness.

9. Mom's super-annoying Bird Clock - I hate but love it at the same time. I'd totally miss it if it were gone. A different bird sings to you at the top of every hour. My favorites? The Woodpecker (4:00), Goose (5:00) and Owl (12:00).

10. This view. I love to see Anderton's horses running in the pasture. And in the winter time, a cool frosted oval greets you every morning in the middle of the bay window. Many a grandbaby has stood against the back of the couch excitedly watching the horses gallop by.

I miss Vernal. It's changed in so many ways, and I've changed in so many ways, that the Wasatch Front feel much more like my home now, but there's something about where you grew up, the house you were raised in, the people and memories you cherish, that make going back feel like "home", too. I may never live there again--in fact I'd be very surprised if I did--but I'm so grateful I get to go visit. It's like...it's like you walk in, sit down, put your feet up, and exhale a huge "Ahhhhh". You can be yourself, you can feel safe, and no matter what, there's unconditional love waiting for you there.

update on Dad.

Much to our relief, the angiogram showed that there was nothing wrong with Dad's heart. I'm so grateful, as I'm not sure what the future would have brought had there been complications with the ol' ticker. That still leaves the question, however, of what is causing his arm to be in pain. He's got an appointment with his family doctor in Vernal, who will hopefully run some more tests. I suggested he have an x-ray, thinking perhaps he's done something to it without realizing. Dad seems to think there may be some nerve damage or the likes. As frustrating as it is to not have answers, and as painful as it is to not have relief from the discomfort in his arm, I feel blessed and so very thankful it's not heart-related.

praying for Dad...

Me (with brighter, shorter hair) & Dad in Alaska, 2003

standing in front of the house that is next to

the house his parents lived in 60 years ago

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Today my dad is having an angiogram to investigate

pain he has been having in his left arm.

I find myself distracted, unable to focus

on my to-do list today.

I'm worried about him, about my mom.

I'm anxious to hear the results.

Thank heavens for prayer.

welcoming in a new decade with nothin' but good ol' fashioned fun!

Spending New Years in the Basin was relaxing, fun, and soooo wonderful!

Mom and Dad were brave and took on Halle in Kings in the Corner, with the Arizona rules, of course. (Dad, loved watching the western with you, and Mom, thanks for the scrum-diddly-umptious food, particularly the PORK CHOPS WITH GRAVY!!! Do you still have leftover rice? Next time I won't make the mistake of doubling the serving size!) There's something about going home that is so relaxing. You just feel so comfortable and at ease. If the kids were entertained, you could find Brett, Mom, Dad, and Myself reading our books. I finished "The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie", and it did not disappoint. Brett finally wrapped up "The Lost Symbol" and Dad enjoyed John McCain's autobiography. Last time I checked, Mom was working her way through about 3 different books! Maybe she'll finish sometime before Easter! ha ha

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We also enjoyed watching "A Christmas Story" on the big screen at the Vernal Theatre (great idea, Nickole!).

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This was our second time spending New Year's Eve at the Red Canyon Lodge with Mike & Fawn--that place is so great and fun! It's like having the accomodations of a simple motel in the rugged backdrop of the mountains next to a wood-burning stove! We laughed because two years ago when we did this, Fawn and I totally overdid it--the food was delicious but WAYYYY too much in quantity (shrimp, crab, steak, you name it). This year we decided to simplify and just do fajitas, but both Fawn and I forgot so much of what we needed (OK, she forgot one thing, I forgot everything!). Still, we managed to have an abundance of great food and an even better time! We even found the perfect sledding hill--fast enough the older kids had fun and mild enough the smallest kids felt brave enough to go by themselves!

Thanks guys, for another wonderful New Years!

See you in 2012???

This was so nasty, disgusted, and just plain WEIRD.

Natalie cut into the tomato only to cut a spider that was INSIDE the tomato in half! The spider was still wiggling it's leg even after it was cut. From the outside the tomato looked pretty much unblemished, except for the teensy-tiniest little healed-over pin-size hole that no one would have even noticed had we not been looking for an entry point. Talk about heeby-jeebies!

Nice face, Bert!

kind of hard to see, but can you make out the baby to the

right of the doe? so sweet! and the mama stepped in front

of the fawn after this picture was snapped to protect her

baby. i loved that!

Paige & Natalie gave Halle a little makeover

just in time for the countdown.

Hmmmm...