Sunday, March 30, 2008

Thyme-Saver!

Perhaps you are a culinary genius and I'm "old news", but I heard a tip on television regarding herbs and I thought I'd share it! * I love to use fresh herbs, particularly basil. But, as you know, it can be $$$$$ and goes bad quickly! So the tip I'd like to share is this: chop up your fresh herbs, then place inside the squares of an ice cube tray. One package of fresh basil filled half of an ice cube tray! Fill the "cubes" as high as you can, and then slowly add enough water to the herbed-cubes. Freeze. When ready to use, simply pop out the desired amount of cubes (for example, today I used two for my lasagna). Add the extracted herbed-cubes to your sauce or pan frozen. The water will melt and the herbs will be as good as new! This really worked perfectly. My lasagna got the "fresh" basil flavor I was looking for and I didn't have to worry about wasting the leftover. It was also convenient and fast since the basil was already chopped! The only situation I could see this not working for would be for something "dry", like a sandwich or something. But to add it to a soup, a sauce, etc., it's ideal!

Horsin' Around

We had a lot of fun while we were in Vernal visiting "Sergeant Dunder", Mark's newest horse. He's almost a year old and so sweet! I think he liked the kids as much as they liked him. He'd come over and smell them, then playfully run around the corral a few times before coming back to replay his little "game". We also saw Sisco and Lucky. The kids were a little nervous at first, but it didn't take long to warm up to the idea of being close to the horse. Carson especially loved it. At first he was blowing raspberries, trying to sound like a horse blowing air through it's nose, but after a few minutes of hearing Wyatt and Halle "nay" (or is it "neigh"?), Carson started making these winnying sounds. So cute! I can't wait until he's old enough to get on himself!







Friday, March 28, 2008

Great song! It's not what you think... Click on the link & listen to it. It must be too new to put on playlists.


P.S. It should be painfully obvious by now that I need someone to take pity on me and teach me how to put a youtube video directly on my blog. Anybody feeling merciful???

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

"Get it together, baby"

So the other night we went out to dinner. Wyatt has been begging us to go to Applebees, stated how much he "loves" it there. Interesting, since we're sure he's probably been there at some point during his 3 1/2 years on earth, but it's been long enough we can't remember when. What's the deal with Wyatt and Applebees??? Anyway, back to the real reason I'm blogging.

As we're pulling into the parking lot, Halle belts out as if she was a voiceover for a commercial,
"Applebees: Get it together, baby!"

The kids both bust up into laughter.

Astonished, I ask, "What did you just say?"

She says matter-of-factly, "Get it together, baby! I saw it on TV!"


Good grief!

I think we need to reconsider how much television she is allowed to watch!

Monday, March 24, 2008

DeSigns of the Times


This house is interesting. Even though technically it has more square footage than our home in Arizona, I seem to have less wall space. I have two large rubbermaid boxes full of pictures, etc. that I'd like to display, but don't have room to hang up. It's kind of bummed me out because I'd like to be able to decorate more specifically for holidays, but have been stuck as to where. So a thought came to mind. I decided I wanted some large wooden signs with vinyl lettering, all with the same hardware on the back so that I could interchange them on the same nails with each changing season. Knowing I had to find someone willing to offer me a good deal or else I couldn't afford it, I began the search. I checked around with some locals, but they either didn't do wooden signs, just vinyl lettering for walls, or they were too pricey. I checked on Ebay, but by the time I paid S&H, it was just outrageous. Then I remembered my sister Fawn had a friend who did a couple signs for her. They were beautiful signs and not too much $$$. So I contacted Becky and can I just say she was wonderful to work with??? Doing it long-distance brought a couple complications, but she couldn't have been more accomodating! I checked out her website (see below), picked my paint color and mailed her the swatch, and told her the quotes I wanted as well as the board size. She showed me her fonts, but me being the picky person I am, I wanted to see my quotes in her fonts. So the very next day she mailed me a paper sample with my quotes all typed in her varying fonts (so cute, by the way!). Within a week of finalizing my decisions, which she was patient to endure, she had my signs completed and even delivered them to my mom's house so I could pick them up when I came out for Easter. (She was willing to mail them, but thankfully it worked out that I was coming to Vernal anyway.) As you can tell I'm very pleased with the results! See pictures below. Over time I may decide to order more for other seasons, such as Halloween or Easter. But for now, I'll just stick with the 4 I've got (all at steals, by the way): "everyday", 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Check 'em out! And check Becky's website!


Here's what the sign from the beginning of the post looks like hanging up from zoomed out.



Here's the sign for December
And for July (Independance Day)
And finally, for November

We had a very "Hoppy" Easter Weekend!

I thought I'd share a slide show of the Taft family's 2008 Easter festivities. Like many families, our Easter Saturday and Sunday were jam-packed with fun activities with our families. Saturday morning found us in Vernal, where we enjoyed hunting for eggs at Aunt Laurie's house with Kristen's kids. There were over 70 eggs! It was especially fun to pet and hold Kristen and Josh's new "baby"...a genuine Easter Bunny! We drove back home Saturday afternoon, following a delicious spread of Mom's BBQ pork sandwiches, Laurie's fruit salad, Colette's green salad and strawberry shortcake. On Sunday, the kids seemed to have great lessons in primary about Christ and His ultimate sacrifice for us. Both of them brought home neat hand-outs or pictures and they each were able to share quite a bit from their lessons. So to their teachers, I say THANK YOU for helping my children develop testimonies about their Savior's love for them! After church we found we'd had a visitor while we were attending our church meetings...the big "hopper" himself! The kids enjoyed finding their baskets with all their goodies...surprisingly enough the favored "treat" were the new toothbrushes! Funny story for those that don't mind a bit of colorful language... Wyatt was so excited to get Peeps marshmallows. They were chicks. Well, he says his "k" sounds like a "T", so when he pulled them out of his basket he triumphantly held them in the air and shouted, "Yeah! I got schits! I got schits! Want me to share my schits with you?" Ya gotta love those "Schits" peeps! Zipping over to Grandma Dixie's for dinner, she had a special appetizer. A craft! The kids made egg-collecting baskets out of milk cartons (I remember doing this in 5th Grade with Mrs. Erskine!). Then they adventured into the back yard where they each found their eggs. They had to look for certain colors. For example, Halle had to find only pink eggs, Wyatt blue, and Carson purple. Sometimes the eggs had treats in them. Other times there was a special note from the bunny telling them they could pick a prize from Grandma's basket. John and Dixie made a fabulous dinner with Honeybaked Ham, Twice-Baked Potatoes, and Orange rolls. Later we indulged in carrot cake that literally melted in your mouth, courtesy of Lindsay! Halle had gotten Enchanted in her basket, so we popped that in. Grandma and Grandpa Bauerle even stayed to watch it and I dare say liked it! By the time we got home, the kids were sugared-out, egg-searching-out, and flat out tuckered out! Here's some pictures of our Easter Adventures:

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Easter!


Artist: Liz Lemon Swindle
(excerpt from a talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley in 2000)
"When all is said and done, when all the legions of the ages have passed in review, when man’s terrible inhumanity to man has been chronicled, when God’s great love for His children has been measured, then above all stands the lone figure of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind, the living Son of the living God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One.
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... He came to earth. He walked the dusty roads of Palestine, teaching the people, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, raising the dead, giving His life on Calvary’s cross, and rising on the third day to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (
1 Cor. 15:20).
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...Declared the Prophet [Joseph Smith], without equivocation, without uncertainty, but with the confirmation that came of actual experience:
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“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him,
this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice
bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created,
and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God”

Monday, March 17, 2008

Go Utes! Class of '98

Then.

Now.
(back row l. to r.): Marci McKee Ashby, Tonya Spencer, Emily Foley Clark, Sherilyn Kynaston Morgan, Ben Wood, Brett Boren, Mike Pedersen
(front row l. to r.): Luke Einerson, Hope Kremin Taft, Joleen Kremin, Sami Chivers Garcia, Emilee Bradley, Jon Muir
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Saturday night was a big night for the alumni of Uintah High School's 1998 Seminary Council. We had our TEN-YEAR reunion and it was a BLAST! 13 out of 21 council members were able to come, so I felt really good about the numbers we had, although the absences of the missing 8 and Brother Rowe were sorely felt. We wish you could have made it, but we understand that life and distance can get in the way sometimes! A fun factoid...did you know that Brother Rowe was 28 (our age) when he was our Seminary Teacher? Wild, huh? It was also fun to meet the wonderful spouses and of course I have to mention the two adorable newborns that tagged along! While we waited for our delicious meals to arrive, we enjoyed walking around the tables, mingling and catching up on the past decade. Here are some pictures from the fun night--and if anyone else there took pictures, I'd love to see them, so let me know via posting or email!

Andrew & Marci, MJ & Sherilyn, Tami
Ben, Chris & Emily, Joleen

Who is that ruggedly handsome man sitting at the end of the table???
Emilee & Tami

Chris & Emily, Jo
Tonya, Brett & Jenae, Luke

Jon, Mike & Bobbie Jo
Sami & Edson (Baby Romeo was asleep by mama), Luke & Amie (and Baby Desirae), Mike & Bobbie Jo

Sherilyn & Hope
Tonya, Brett & Jenae, Emilee

Amie Einerson & Whitney Muir

My co-conspirator, Jo

all about me in "abc"

A-Attached or single: Attached

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B- Best Friend(s): Brett, my kids, our parents, Alison, Shannon

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C-Cake or Pie: Tishamingo Fudge Cake, made by Mom, or Banana Cream Pie, also made by Mom!

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D-Day of Choice: Saturdays! Saturdays are sacred around our house. That's my time with Brett and the kids to enjoy together as a family. I especially love Saturday mornings!
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E- Essential Item: if I'm in the car, I have to have a stick of gum.
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F- Favorite Color: I'm a red girl. Favorite color to wear? Brown, black, or dark grey.

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G- Gummi Bears or Worms: I love gummi worms! A couple times a year my 3rd-Grade and 5th-Grade teacher, Mrs. Erskine (I had her twice) had a "reading day" where we could bring a snack and our pillows and we'd read the last hour of class. I always loved to bring gummi worms.

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H- Hometown: Vernal, UT. Great place to grow up!

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I- Indulgence(s): Getting my hair colored. It's $70 every 6-8 weeks if I can stretch it, but I feel so good afterwards, and let's face it...the color from the bottle looks better on me than the color from my DNA.

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J- January or July: I like that January feels fresh and like a new start. But...I love summertime, so I've gotta go with July. This 4th of July we're going camping in Southern Utah and I'm so excited!

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K-Kids: Only the best three ever!

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L-Life is incomplete without: my little family by my side.

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M- Marriage Date: July 28, 2000

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N- Number of Siblings: Seven

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O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges!

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P- Phobias or Fears: Deep water and Heights. I'm such a chicken. Or as I prefer to call myself, "Cautious"
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Q- Quote: "If you can laugh about it later, you might as well laugh about it now."

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R- Reason To Smile: Carson just learned how to "fake burp" (we're so classy at our house). It's hilarious! That and when Halle wants to "talk" about school, boys, whatever. Also, when Wyatt touches my cheek and says, "Mom, you make my heart happy."

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S- Season: I love early fall. When it's still kind of warm, but you have that hint of change in the air and the leaves have begun to evolve.

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T- Tag Six: Whomever would like to post their abc's is good with me!

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U- Unknown Fact About Me: I love to eat sauces. Like with a spoon. I can't resist if I'm cooking with a sauce, like Worcestershire or BBQ or steak sauce or wings sauce...I have to steal myself a little spoonful. I also like to eat Sweetened Condensed Milk with a spoon right from the can!
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V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I do like my veggies, but I could never give up meat! I'm a big meat-eater!

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W- Worst Habit: I'm a control freak and plan way too far ahead. But I like to get stuff done!

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X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I've had a lot of both. Probably ultrasounds because there have been lots of times with x-rays where I've had an IV with dye in it. I'll pass on the IV, thanks. And who doesn't love ultrasounds when you're pregnant???
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Y- Your Favorite Food: I'm not too picky about food. I just love it in general! I do tend to crave salty stuff more, though.

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Z- Zippers or Zebras: Ok, this question is just lame.

Friday, March 14, 2008

"What if?"

Okay, so this is a very long story. I don't expect you to read it. I can't imagine you'd want to read about this, but really this is more for me. I won't be able to sleep until I write it. I can't believe I'm typing this before 5:00 a.m. But I've just had the most terrible nightmare and I know I won't be able to go back to sleep any time soon. So, I thought it might help if I vented about it, making you all suffer through my subconscious' antics until the wheels in my head and the beat of my heart can slow enough that I can go back to bed.

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In my dream, I was home with the boys. Brett was out somewhere with Halle. A heavy fist pounded upon my front door. When I went to answer it, it was a policeman or someone with authority (now that I'm awake I'm a little fuzzy on the details). Anyway, I was told that I had ten minutes to pack up my family and leave. That we were being transported somewhere else. Now where, exactly, I'm a little vague on. And whether or not this policeman was nice or not, I am also unsure. At some points of my dream I feared him and in other parts I just did what he told me to. Anyway, I felt so anxious, trying to keep my babies calm while I rushed around trying to decide how to pack all the things that were necessary for our survival, as well as the anguish of choosing which items I am emotionally tied to could fit inside our one bag (I was told I could take a purse and one bag. For the entire family.)

My mind was going a million miles a minute, with thoughts such as:


Don't forget the motrin, in case one of the children gets sick.


Do I have diapers and wipes? Enough to last who-knows-how-long? I wish I had cloth diapers in case it is indefinitely.


What about food? Will I need food or will that be provided for me?


I should take a game or book or small toy to help keep the boys happy. Maybe some crayons and paper?


I ought to get the 1st-Aid Kit out of the car. And some blankets.


Shhh...don't cry, baby. Mommy will pick you up in a second. Please don't cry.


Our scrapbooks! Our pictures! Our memories! Why didn't I put together a CD of our favorite pictures so all I'd have to grab was that!???


Money! Will I need money?


Where is Brett? How will I contact him? How will he know where I've gone? (For some reason I knew that where we were going I could not use cell phones.)


Thank heavens I bought this mini-Book of Mormon.


Where is our address book? I'll need to contact family.


When I finally thought I had the bag packed, the final thing I had to do was dress the boys. Wyatt just had on a t-shirt and underwear and socks, and Carson had on only his pj's and a diaper that desperately needed attention (sadly, this is not too far from reality some days at our house). I told the policeman I was almost ready, that I just had to change my boys. He shouts at me, you don't have time. You'll have to grab their clothes and change them when you get there! My stress level is sky-high because I'm feeling like in even everyday tasks, such as fully-clothing my children in pants and shoes, or a clean diaper, I have failed! And then this is when I wake up.

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I know this dream seems over-dramatic and you're probably thinking, "What brought this on?" (By the way, ask Brett...I frequently have very colorful, very angsty dreams.) Actually, I know what brought this on. It's a combination of two things. ONE, book I've been reading (see below) and TWO, a lot of discussion in my head lately about my desire to get our family prepared for an emergency.
As for the book, it is called Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy.

It's actually a children's book (for older children, obviously) that I bought at Halle's book fair. It fits in my glove compartment and whenever I am waiting in the car, like at the bus stop, I like to get it out and read a few pages. This powerful work relates the story of Syvia Perlmutter, one of only 12 Jewish children to survive the Lodz ghetto in Poland during WWII. I'd highly recommend it, although be aware of dreams that may follow. Because I know that is where my subconscious got the idea of a policeman coming to our home and giving us a short time of preparation to leave. That's what Syvia's family experienced before being led into "captivity" in the Jewish ghetto. They had to be very careful and thoughtful when choosing what valuable possessions they would take with them, because they were limited on luggage as well as time. In many ways, their family suffered even more unnecessarily because some vital items were left behind.


Of course, they weren't as blessed as we are in this new century.

I'm sure they didn't have the idea of a 72-hour kit. Or the idea of having your important documents scanned onto a CD that can be grabbed in a moment of panic. Can you imagine if they'd had the convenience and technology of things like "Lifepills", pills that claim they can sustain your life in a time of food-depravity. I couldn't help but think of what a situation like that would be like. Similar to the tragedies some experienced after Hurricane Katrina. To be a refugee. Having only yourself to turn to, really, in the care of your family.


Brett and I have been talking a lot about how this is the year. This is the year we are going to make our families prepared for an emergency. The task can be overwhelming...stocking a year's supply, even 6-months of food storage is a bit daunting and takes time and planning. Preparing your documents and papers so that everything is in order. Ensuring you have a good water supply, as well as backpacks or a 72-hour kit available to grab on the go.

This dream only hit home to me how sweet it's going to feel when the burden of "I need to get this done" is removed and I have the relief of knowing my family is ready for anything. I need to get our 72-hour kits done. I need to scan our important documents and save our favorite family pictures to a CD, so that even by packing just that one, I have preserved our visual memories. Brett and I need to designate a meeting place should we ever be separated. I told Brett that for my birthday in May I want a backpack like the one below.

It's done by LifeGear. I know I can make our own 72-hour kits, but this backpack is designed to hold so much and give complete protection, including shelter and blankets, for a family of four. Wouldn't it be great to have something like this in addition to 1 or 2 backpacks other family members could carry?

I am curious about your ideas. What kinds of things have you done to better prepare your family in the event of an emergency? Maybe you've done something I haven't thought of that I could implement in our own emergency-plan.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

"Namaste"

(To help you get into the "exercising mood" as you read this, I have playing on my Playlist a little ditty called "Abdomens & Buttocks" by the one and only Debbie Reynolds. You'll have to scroll down to the very bottom of my playlist (it's the last song) and click on it. I think you'll get much more out of this post if you do! I'm not sure what it's from exactly...but it kind of sounds like she made an exercise record. Probably from the 50's or 60's. Hilarious!)
Last night I did yoga for the very first time. I have to say...I liked it! A woman in my ward teaches the class every Wednesday night for an hour, and I think I will be going again. I loved how it stretched my muscles! It was harder than I thought it would be. I'm not very flexible and could definitely be stronger! But I've made a commitment to myself that I am going to be better to my body. If God was kind enough to give me this miracle, the least I can do is help it be the best it can be, right? I have a Pilates DVD that I love to do and we bought an eliptical a couple years ago (it's like new, that's how little it's been used). So hopefully between the pilates, eliptical, and now yoga in my weekly routine, I can get myself into better shape. Do I want to be more toned and lose weight? Of course! But honestly, this is more about taking better care of myself, gaining more energy, and being there longer for my kids.
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So back to the Yoga! My least favorite pose was this one (don't know the name of it):
It kicked my tail! But it's probably the one I need to do most, since it was the hardest. Obviously, my derriere and legs are the fattiest parts of my body and most likely the weakest. So as much as my muscles quivered doing this pose, I will try it again and again, with the hopes that sooner than later it will become easier.

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This was my most favorite pose! I loved how my back and spine felt doing it. I think it's called the Cobra. It just felt sooooo good!
Thanks, Kelli, for being a great instructor! I'm going to try to come each week...be patient with me! * Namaste!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Missing Mesa & The Easter Pageant

We've found ourselves missing Arizona this month. March and April were much-anticipated months for us when we lived in Mesa, mostly for two reasons: 1) The weather. Averaging temps near 80 degrees, you just can't beat it! It's truly ideal! and 2) The Easter Pageant. It was so fun to pick up dinner and take it with us, munching on it as we sat on the huge lawn of the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center, waiting for the pageant to begin when the sun went down. We usually went with friends, which made it even more fun! Then the pageant would begin and it was truly for the entire family. Even our 2-year old was engaged in the story of Christ's birth, His death, and His resurrection. It didn't matter how many times I'd seen it, I'd always get emotional during the final scene. A choir of "angels" in white sang gloriously as the resurrected Christ ascended into heaven. It was especially touching to hear comments our children would make. I remember the first year Halle saw it, she was so excited during the first scene when you see the adult Jesus Christ. She innocently and so believingly shouted, "Jesus! It's Jesus! Hi, Jesus!" To see her so readily express her love and joy at seeing "Him" humbled me and I felt gave me a peek as to how we will all feel when we see our Savior again.

If you are in the Phoenix area sometime between now and March 22, you simply cannot miss this experience. It's free to everyone and a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the life, and sacrifice, of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here's a link if you'd like more info: http://www.easterpageant.org/.
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P.S. Funny story...last year we went with our good friends the Farnsworths and Dahlkes. Dave Farnsworth was on his cell phone as we waited for the program to begin. Actors mingle with the crowd during that time, and it's a lot of fun for the kids to have photo ops with them. 2007 was the first year that we'd seen the actor portraying Jesus walking amongst the crowd. When he reached our area, we could not pass up the opportunity to get a picture with him, especially since he so resembled paintings we'd seen done of Christ. I asked Kristin if she wanted me to get a picture of her family with the actor. She said, "Sure!" Then she motioned to Dave hang up and come pose. It was the most surreal experience to hear him say to the person on the other end of the line, "Hey, I need to go now. We're getting our picture taken with Jesus."

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Guess you had to be there...but it really did sound funny! We all had a good laugh.


Monday, March 10, 2008

Anne Elliot: A Kindred Spirit???

I found a quiz from Cassidy's blog that tells you which Jane Austen heroine you are. I was so pleased to find I was Anne Elliot! Persuasion is one of my all-time favorite "Jane" books, and I do so love Anne Elliot, especially played by Amanda Root! I don't know how true-to-character this quiz really is, but if that's the answer it wants to give me, who am I to turn it away??? If you'd like to find which heroine lies in you, the link is below the picture of Anne & (sigh) Captain Wentworth.

http://www.strangegirl.com/emma/quiz.php

Saturday, March 8, 2008

6-Week Meal Plan... for WW and Non-WW

I have been working hard this week at recommitting myself and my family to a healthier lifestyle. I really believe in WW (Weight Watchers)--I've had great success with it personally and feel it is the best long-term weight-loss plan, mostly because it isn't a diet. It's a lifestyle change. For those of you that are not familiar with the concept of WW's "Flex Plan", every food has a points value. The idea is you can eat whatever you want (even those tasty indulgences) as long as you stay within your daily points range and as long as the majority of the time you are eating foods that are more healthy than not.
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When you first join WW, I'll admit it takes a bit of effort calculating the points for everything you eat (eventually you remember food point values, but in the beginning you are looking everything up). Everyone is different, but for myself, I have to get all the "work" out of the way. For example, rather than calculating every time I want to eat something, I do it right when I get home from the grocery store in one big "marking session". It only takes about 10 minutes, but saves me lots of time in the future! It also helps remind me which snacks are lower in points if I've got the munchies. If you look in my pantry or fridge, every item has been marked with a magic marker. My cereal box has a big "3" on the side, indicating that 1 serving of it is 3 points. My milk is marked. My juice is marked. So are my salad dressings, canned food, cracker boxes, and all my frozen foods. It's all there. It makes life much simpler! But then you have meals. That's a completely different story. Combining different ingredients for a recipe takes some heavy-duty calculating. For example, for a chicken & broccoli casserole you'd have to look up each item (chicken, soup, mayo, cheese, stuffing, broccoli, etc) and then divide the total recipe points by how many servings.
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To keep my sanity at meal prep time, and to also help me know how many points I need to "reserve" for dinner each day, I have used Microsoft Excel to create a spreadsheet. It's 6-Weeks worth of dinners, along with their points values and ingredients. This makes preparation (and grocery shopping) so much easier! Living this healthier lifestyle is far less complicated and takes a lot of the daily "thinking" out of the equation. It's not perfect, but it works for me. And although I don't always follow it exactly, it gives me a good place to start each week with my meal planning.

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If you'd like to see a copy of the spreadsheet, I'd be happy to email it to you. Just leave a comment or email/call me. It won't be perfect for your family--I'm sure you may want to make a few adjustments, but perhaps it would be something helpful to get you started! Even if you're not doing WW, at least you'd know all the recipes were healthy (except 2, which I included because they were just to "yum" to give up and I didn't have lighter versions!). I'd be happy to share the recipes, too. Or if nothing else, if you have been looking for a way to be better organized at your mealtime or grocery planning, this might do the trick.

Friday, March 7, 2008

An SVU Comeback!

I'm probably the biggest dork for writing this post, and you're all going to think I'm a TV-junkie. But just ask Brett...I actually watch very little television. Except for my two favorite shows, The Office and Law & Order: SVU, I really don't care much about the big black box adorning our entertainment center. But when it comes to SVU, I admit it..I'm a little obsessed! I'm an SVU freak! I guess you could say that I-am-to-"SVU" like Brett-is-to-"24"!
So now, the countdown has begun! Just a little over a month to go! A new episode of my favorite TV Drama is airing April 15th. Like most of our favorites, Law & Order: SVU was put on hold due to the writer's strike this winter. I was really feeling cheated because my two favorite stars have only signed on to finish up thru next year, at which point I believe the plan is for them to exit the show. So here I am already bummed that our time with their characters is limited and then with the strike it was cut even shorter! As relieved as I was that the strike was resolved (for now anyways) I had assumed NBC was "done" for this season and that new episodes would not resume until Season 10 began in the fall. How happy I was to be wrong! So set your TiVOs and DVRs for Tuesday, April 15th at 9:00 p.m. MST for what seems to be a promising episode!
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(Maybe I should put one of those "countdown" clocks on my block, if nothing else but to verify how much of a nerd I am!)

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

My Boyz

Are these not the three most handsome guys on the PLANET?!
Everybody loves to cuddle with Daddy

Monday, March 3, 2008

Pet-Peeve!!!!

OK, I just have to get this off my chest. Every morning I have a mini-meltdown behind the wheel of my Sienna as I drop Halle off at school. It is a U-Shaped Drive in the Drop-Off zone, and there are also about 8 parking spaces (which are never, ever full) right next to the "U". I wish I had a picture to show you--maybe I'll take one. I'm so steamed over this! Can you tell??? If I am not already PMS-ing, THIS pet-peeve is enough to get me started on a daily basis. What has me so ticked off? Stupid parents who can't read the three (yes, 3!) signs that state "Please pull-forward" and "No parking in Drop-Off Zone". Yet inevitably, every morning there are at least 3-4 parents (I know you don't read this, but if you did, you'd KNOW WHO YOU ARE) that pull into the drop-off zone (not all the way forward, but right at the beginning, making it difficult for other cars to pull in) and put their cars in park while they walk their children all the way into the school and into their classrooms. HELLLLL-LLLLOOOO, people! There is an open parking spot with your name on it not even twenty feet away. Would it *kill* you to pull in and park there instead of inconveniencing every other parent? And does your fourth-grader really need you to walk them all the way in? Come on! Let's get real here. Your kid wants you GONE--you are their parent and walking into class with you wiping their nose only makes them the class NERD! If you feel the need to walk them in, or if occasionally you need to talk to the teacher...whatever...at least have the courtesy to leave your vehicle in the designated areas! Seriously, it's the same parents every day. And each morning I think to myself, "This is it. This is the morning I roll down my window and be a complete witch as I let them know exactly how they make me feel each day!" And yet I never do. Perhaps it's because I'm worried that if I let those flood gates open I won't be able to control exactly what comes out and I don't want to have a reputation for being the confrontational parent in the silver minivan. Until then, I'll have to settle for the disgruntled horn-blast now and then.

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PARK YOUR DANG CARS, PEOPLE!

IF YOU ARE STOPPING YOUR VEHICLE LONGER THAN IT TAKES FOR YOUR CHILD TO LEAVE IT, HERE'S AN IDEA: PARK YOUR BEAT-UP RED SEDAN IN THE AREA NEAR THE SIGNS THAT SAY "PARKING"!!!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Carson's first steps: February 24, 2008

(I'm sorry this pic is kinda fuzzy, and try to ignore the pile of laundry in the background.
Hey, at least it's clean and folded.)


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Last Sunday Carson took his first steps! About 4 of them. And who was he walking towards? Daddy, of course! His most favorite person in the entire world! I ran to get the camera and tried to get one of him "in motion", but the minute we whipped out the camera he no longer had a desire to do anything other than crawl to the high-tech device! Maybe we'll get more later...
"The democracy will cease to exist when you TAKE AWAY from those who are willing to work AND GIVE to those who would not."



Thomas Jefferson