Team DaVinci's Secret Weapon:

Yes, that's right.
We have something you don't have.
We have Brandon Hodge.
Hair net and all.
He is our neighborhood authority in all things "food".
His taste buds are connoisseurs in the field of flavor.
After sampling several of our Burger Prototypes,
he offered his invaluable wisdom and expertise.
Watch out, Iron Chef Teams.
Rivals, heed our warning and prepare yourselves.
We've been counseled by the Yoda of Burgers
and are ready to accept our trophy of superiority!
(Last Thursday we tried out various recipes our team
had been considering. It was a BEEF-FEST at the Taft house.
A recipe was selected, a glimpse of glory revealed.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Incidentally, on this night of "Burger Sampling",
who do you think it was that conveniently
appeared at my doorstep?
AN IMPOSTER!!!!
A SPY!!!!
Some people will stop at nothing in their desperation.
This charlatan arrived just as I
was preparing our smorgasbord of hamburgers.
To be polite, I let her cross my threshold but not until
I'd hidden any clues or information that she may
have tried to take back to her team's headquarters in
an attempt to thwart our expected victory on June 20th.
PLOT THWARTED!
SECRET RECIPES SAVED!
Nice try, fancy pants...

pinata? why notta? cinco de mayo 2009

our family has something wonderful.
our family has something unique.
our family has an Aunt Heidi.
an Aunt Heidi does stuff like buying a
Dora pinata for her niece and nephews to bust
open on the 5th of May.
just 'cuz.
just 'cuz she knew they'd have fun.

just 'cuz she knows they love candy.
just 'cuz she's cool.
super cool.

Carson loves George of the Jungle. And he's gotten prettty good @ his Tarzan-like yell.

Is it Belgium or Belgian?

Alright, I know the anticipation has been mounting.

May I formally present to you all my beautiful,
shiny, YUMMY birthday gift:

TA-DA!!!!!!Isn't it gorgeous? Isn't it divine?
I've wanted one so desperately the past couple years
and now I have one of my very own!
And just to brag a little here...this is the
kind of waffle maker you see at hotels...
the INDUSTRIAL kind!

Here's the inaugural waffle (after this one I learned I needed a little more batter to make the waffles complete, rotund circles). But look how GOLDEN brown it is! Look at the deep pockets! If you could have tasted them...oh, my goodness...so crunchy and sweet on the outside, but heavenly fluffiness on the inside. And one of the best parts? It gives an audible "BEEP" when the waffle is ready, so the multi-tasking "chef" (I use that word lightly in reference to myself) does not get distracted and burn breakfast.

You want some, don't you?

Thanks, Mom & Dad!

I love it!!!

(So much that I think Brett
may be getting jealous.)

P.S. It's a BELGIAN waffle, which is the most common

type of waffle found in the country of BELGIUM.

birthday celebrations, mother's day, & reflecting upon a tender mercy...

I'm so late posting about this stuff but I was trying to figure out some technical issues with my camera. Now that I've finally got a bazillion pictures downloaded from my camera to the computer (thanks, honey!) I have a ton to post and brag about.

* First...MOTHER'S DAY *

Brett and I are excited about the new tradition he's started. This year, he wanted to spend some one-on-one time with his mom and grandma, so he took them out to dinner. I got to thinking about this new tradition and how I'm sure I will love my children's spouses and my grandkids, but that I hope I will have opportunities here and there to have some quiet conversation, alone with my grown children. Anyway, Brett loved it! He mentioned it at least once for every one of the several days following. We hope LaRee & Dixie had fun, too. (That frame Dixie's holding is what we got her for Mother's Day. Her father, Hugo, passed away earlier this year (February). Back in September when Brett's brother, Tanner, left for his mission, I overheard Hugo & LaRee saying their goodbyes to him. Hugo used to be such a talker, but as time had gone on, he became more and more quiet. Sometimes he forgot people or conversations. So maybe it was wrong of me to eavesdrop (kind of hard not to when I'm sitting right next to him at Tanner's setting apart), but I couldn't help but wonder what Hugo would say. His memory had become so poor, did he even really understand what was happening? Instead of being confused, Hugo had never seemed so clear and I experienced a tender mercy as I observed him hugging his now MISSIONARY-grandson as he said so wisely, "Make us proud. Work hard. Do your best. Have no regrets. We love you." And that was it. That was all he said. But something within me said write this down. I took out a gum wrapper from my purse and scribbled it word-for-word, thinking someday Tanner might want a reminder of Hugo's advice and final goodbye. Later, when Hugo passed, I was so relieved I'd listened to the spirit and written it down. We sent a letter to Tanner, telling him the story and the quote. I don't know if he remembers Hugo saying that, I suspect he does. But I hope hearing it again brought comfort at a time when a missionary would long to be with family. When Mother's Day rolled around, we wanted to share this story with Dixie, this experience that had been so close to our hearts. We had Hugo's words engraved on a metal plate and attached them to the green frame. Inside the frame is a picture of Hugo, looking handsome and smiling so warmly. I couldn't help but think that Hugo's words may ring similar to what we as spirit children may have heard as we left the pre-existence: "Make me proud. Work hard. Do your best. Have no regrets. I love you." Such simple advice, but I think very profound and all-encompassing.

Here we are outside after a delicious (and filling!)
Mother's Day dinner:

the kids LOVE their cousins!

trying to get a shot of grandparents & grandkids
was a bit of a joke! the kids wanted to play rather
than hold still and "smile"...

Earlier that day, I'd awakened to the smell of something yummy coming from the kitchen. Brett treated me to his killer FRENCH TOAST (seriously, you've got to try it sometime...soooo good!) and a beautiful bouquet of pink roses that lasted for a very long time. My husband is incredibly thoughtful and romantic!

You can see in the picture below the remnants of the kids' surprise: homemade Mother's Day cards with stickers and crayon drawings.
Is there anything better???

* Second: My birthday*

Then, as if the month of May hadn't already started out so sweet, I had this fanTASTic birthday! It was all the more special because my parents came into town for me and I had my piano recital. I was completely on CLOUD 9!!!

I love my dad. He's the best hugger.

We went out to dinner with Joey (nephew), Cal & Wendy (brother & sister), and Nathan (another nephew) to Outback Steakhouse. I look so smokin' hot in the above picture because during afternoon hours before this I'd been in the middle of baking cookies for my recital refreshments when a pipe upstairs began to leak. After dealing with that fiasco (I now know where to turn our water off...would have been nice to know that beforehand...) and finishing up with the cookie mess (thanks again, Mom (and Halle)! You're still finishing up my cookie-making!), I was to a point where I just did not CARE how I looked and I'd run out of time to clean up really. So yeah...this is me saying, "I'M 29 (for the first time, mind you) AND A MOTHER OF 3 AND A PIANO TEACHER GETTING READY FOR A RECITAL AND MY FLOORS ARE TORE UP GETTING NEW TILE AND OUR HOUSE IS LEAKING WATER, SO IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE WAY I LOOK WHEN I GO OUT TO DINNER, STUFF IT!"

Nato-Potato

Wyatt was hungry and ready to eat.

The best thing about my parents is how much
fun I have when I am with them.
Suffice it to say we laugh.
We laugh hard.
And a lot.
They're the best!

* Next up: my totally awesome, use-it-every-week birthday gift from my in-laws. (It deserves it's very own post. Coming soon to a blog near you.)

who says???

What do you MEAN putting your hair into a ponytail isn't the same as taking a shower???

ouchie.

I hurt. Pretty much all over, but mostly in my thighs and abs. I couldn't sit up to get out of bed this morning. I had to roll off the mattress in as much a dignified way as I could muster.

Ouchie!!

But the good kind.


P.S. Thanks to sweet Em, who was super-duper nice and custom-made my little sig that you see below just for me. Isn't she great? Isn't it cute?

case in point:

the little neighbor boy just asked me when my baby was coming out.
(Yes, Tiffany, this was your son.)

Time to pencil in my workouts. (In permanent marker.)

So today was my first day Gold's. I met with a trainer to consult my goals and develop a plan to meet them. It was pretty insightful and actually almost emotional to share the desires and goals I have for my physical body (I know...I'm a dork...I almost started crying. Twice.). But you know, learning to take care of our bodies as well as learning to accept them and find joy in them, despite what we feel might be flaws IS an emotional, and often difficult, journey. So yeah, I feel like I'm not too wrong feel all emo about it. Anyway, after talking we did a little workout. All I can say is that I did the right thing joining a gym... I had such a difficult time doing what the trainer asked me to do, and they were really quite simple things, that I'm more convinced than ever that my body is crying out desperately for me to help myself. I'm excited to see where the next year or two years is going to take me. The trainer asked me what I thought the hardest part would be? What would be the biggest roadblock for me to reach my goals? Hands down I said, "TIME." I don't have a hard time getting motivated, I just have a hard time finding time to exercise. The biggest change I have to make is how I look at the time-factor. In the past, I tried to FIND time. This time around, I have to MAKE time. I think I'd consider myself a pretty busy person. I'm a mother of 3 young children. I'm a wife. I take care of a home and yard (I'm not saying alone, of course...I'm in a partnership here. But nonetheless, even when you're doing it with somebody, these things are major components of what "takes up your time"). I have a church calling that is pretty demanding. It's definitely the highest-maintenance calling I have EVER accepted in the church. I teach piano. I visit teach. I write a missionary. I have family members and friends I like to take care of when I see a need. Blah, blah, blah, I could go on and on, and I know that every single woman out there is in the same boat I am. Maybe our list of "to-do's" varies, but I know the fact that I have many things pulling for my time is not unique to me. If I don't MAKE working out a priority--something I'm unwilling to sacrifice; something I'll schedule AROUND instead of cancelling or changing; something I'm willing to tell people, "I'm sorry, but I'm unavailable" if they ask for my help during the time I've set aside for my body. That's the biggest adjustment I'll feel in my life--I need to constantly remind myself that it's worth it. That * I * am worth it. And that I don't need to feel guilty about it. So yeah...changes in my schedule are in my future. But so are changes in how I feel about myself and how healthy I am. It's penciled onto my calendar and I'm ready to do it!
*
*
P.S. Sorry this is all underlined. Blogger's being weird today and I can't figure out why it's doing it. Annoying, I know.

Burdens or Blessings?

I just read the most amazing article online at Light Refreshments Served. It was a reminder to me that each person on this earth is a valued, even treasured, human being. And especially that for those mortal beings who are afflicted with mental disabilities and special needs their physical bodies are not an accurate reflection of who they are inside--their spirits are whole and complete and most likely much more righteous and "magnificent" than the rest of us. This article gave me perspective, reminding me that their presence here on this earth may very well be a sacrifice on their part in an effort to bless our lives. It's not enough for me to simply share the link--I feel a need to share this entire article...so I've copied/pasted it below. Thanks, Emily Watts, for your insight and the courage to share your tender mercy. Now it's become a little bit mine, too.

"DISABLED:

I missed our ward’s sacrament meeting today, as I do approximately every third week because that’s how often our turn comes up to spend the weekend with my husband’s severely disabled sister, who was born with Down Syndrome. She is not one of those high-functioning Down’s kids who can get on a bus and have a little job and participate at least somewhat in real life. She understands a little, talks even less, and basically eats, sleeps, and enjoys car rides and going to the swings. Her mother, sole caregiver, died a year ago February, and my husband’s magnificent sister-in-law stepped in, quitting her job and taking the weekday shift to care for this girl in the mother’s home every single week. The rest of us trade off on weekends. This was to be our temporary solution until a suitable group home could be found, but with funding for such things pretty much dried up in today’s economy, we’re realizing that may never happen. So we do the best we can and carry on.

Because I teach Gospel Doctrine, when it’s our weekend, I take the early morning shift and then my husband rushes over right after sacrament meeting so I can dash out and teach Sunday School. Then I generally attend a later ward’s sacrament meeting long enough to partake of the ordinance.

And that’s how it went today. Except today I got a little verbose in Sunday School and we didn’t get out in time for me to get to the 11:00 ward’s sacrament meeting, so I went back over at 1:00, to a ward I hadn’t attended before. It’s one of those wards in which the youth program is small, and there was only one Aaronic Priesthood kid helping; the rest were elders and high priests. I realized from watching him that he too was suffering from some sort of disability. But not until they said the prayer on the water did I get the severity of it. An older man (I’m assuming it was his dad) knelt beside him and whispered the words in his ear, and he repeated them in that kind of blunt voice that is characteristic of kids with Down’s or other similar problems. I wouldn’t have understood his words, but as he said them I knew that Heavenly Father did.

It was a sweet experience. I thought, “This is a young man who probably didn’t even need to be baptized, much less ordained, but someone recognized the worth of what he could give, limited though it might be, and gave him the chance to give it.” All our lives were blessed by that decision, by what that boy brought to the table with him in a pure and undefiled spirit.

THAT thought took me back about 15 years to the one year I went to girls’ camp as a leader. We had a disabled girl in our group who suffered with both physical and mental challenges, but her mom was coming to camp and they decided she could come too. It was so precious to have her there. No one could be catty or mad at each other; the usual squabbles disappeared in the innocence of her concerned, “Don’t be sad. I love you.” I was especially moved when one of the girls, seeing that we might not be able to take this girl on our “flashlight hike” devotional, hoisted her onto her back and carried her the whole way. Our entire camp was blessed that year because of the girl who might have been seen as a “bother.”

And that brings me full circle to my husband’s sister. Is she a “bother,” or is she the catalyst that has allowed her brothers and sisters to continue to work together, to sacrifice together, to unite in a common goal? She is nearly 40 years old–a long life for one with her condition. Could her lingering here in mortality actually be a sacrifice she was willing to make for us, to help us learn things and gain experiences we could not have gotten any other way? I don’t know how that works, exactly, but I DO know this: Her life counts.

And our responses to her life count. The willingness of her siblings to defer their own inheritance (they will not sell her mother’s house until their sister no longer needs it) and a significant portion of their own lives to see her safely through–it may end up counting more than they know. It’s about as close to doing it “unto the least of these” as it gets, and the Lord is pretty clear on how He feels about that.

I look forward to meeting my little sister-in-law someday on the other side of the veil. I expect her spirit is quite magnificent. I hope I’ll be worthy to look her in the eye, unashamed of how I treated her here, and thank her for what she brought to our family. Her burden was our blessing, I’ll tell her. A sweet young priest reminded me of that today. I hope I’ll remember it always."