Yummy Pumpkin Seeds

 (Notice what a help Sam is being throughout...)

 (Helping out by striking a pose or two...)

 Doing what she really wants to do, getting her dad to help her with drivers ed.  One step closer to her license!

Pumpkin Seeds

2 C Seeds

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

2 T Butter

1-2 T Salt

Rinse seeds, set aside.  Melt butter, add worc. sauce, salt and seeds.  Mix well.  Bake at 250 for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.  Eat em while they're HOT. YUMMM.

Crazy Hair Day!

Brooke loves crazy hair day.  It's like a holiday!  I'd have to say sort of a "Whoville" holiday.  She wanted two of them to stick straight up, so while her ride was honking in the driveway, we threw some wire in to hold them up (I know, I'm very professional.  I do hair with my toolbox).  I'm pretty sure she was able to contact the Mother Ship with this "DO".

American Fork Canyon

What I like about YOU...

Stefani, Lisa, Kristen, Shelly, Emily, Me

These are some of my favorite people.  

Stefanie and I worked in RS together and she was an amazing counselor.  I couldn't have done it without her!  She's one of those people that doesn't have to tell you how good she is, you just know it because she is.  Sweet, unassuming, and CAPABLE.  Stefani is one of those blessings you get from serving and I know we will have a lifelong bond.

Lisa knew Terrence when they were just kids and was a friend of the Savage family that I got to inherit!  She was there for Kinsey's first birthday, we've lived in several neighborhoods together, and she's been a part of my life for over 20 years.  We even carpool for our elementary kids now.  Some people are meant to be part of your life and Lisa is one of those for me- I'm just lucky that way.  She's a great friend and always there when I need her.

Kristen and I have walked over a year now 3 days a week.  She's my visiting teacher and the best Compassionate Service Leader EVER.  I feel so blessed to be able to spend so much time with someone like Kristen.  She is wise, patient, a good listener and my confidante.  I am blessed to have her as my good friend.  Kristen is an all around AMAZING person and I love her tons!

Shelly was also one of my counselors in RS and such a great example to all of us.  She could have run the place herself!  She has a strong testimony and a deep love for those around her.  She's mean competition for skiing, snowshoeing and I also love to camp and hike with her.  She's a little mighty mite!  Everybody loves Shelly- how could you not?

Emily always has something fun and grandiose going.  She's the planner of the bunch and always has something fun in the works- not just fun but meaningful in a way that blesses others lives.  Emily has a way of knowing others needs and filling them.  She's also a great author and speaker but you wouldn't know it from her- she's very modest and will only talk about her endeavors if you ask her.

I'm so lucky to have these ladies in my life.  Thanks for the birthday luncheon- it was great to be with you!!

Southern Utah Weekend

We went to see Kacey's team for their homecoming game (beat Cal Poly 20-7).  It was so WARM and nice to get away during Fall break.  There was a great parade.  They threw out candy, frisbees, notebooks, t-shirts, otterpops, and all kinds of stuff.  Conner chased all the T-shirt people down and got himself a new wardrobe (good thing too- he's growing like a weed).

It was another great excuse for me to break out my Canon too- which I am soooo excited about.  After 5 years this past month I have finally taken it out of "auto" mode, read the entire manual and am learning to take semi-decent pictures.  See a difference?  I know, I'm just learning but maybe someday it will be noticeable.  There are about 10 bad shots for every good one- but it's a start!

We also saw the movie Secretariat while we were there.  LOVED it.

Gardner's Village

Every October we choose a Family Night to go to Gardner's Village and check out the witch displays, eat dinner, windowshop, and eat fudge.

Down Day?

Today I had nothing on my calendar until 2:30 which hardly ever happens.  I had a root canal (second one done on the same tooth) on Wednesday.  I thought- I deserve to sleep in.  Or maybe all day.  My high schooler who always buys school lunch, at 6:15 that's A.M. asked my tired butt that had taken a Unisom for the occasion if I would make her home lunch today.  This is the same child that asked me yesterday if I could take her flashdrive to school for her 15 minutes after she had gotten on the bus.  Feeling guilty that she was out of bed and on her way to a productive day at high school and I was planning a nice drool day on my pillow, I said sure honey!  She got a beautiful sub sandwich with lettuce, turkey, cheese and mayo.  I doubt I'll make that for myself today.  I have been productive enough.

I was out of bed now.  I made great lunches for my other two munchkins, far more than I had planned for the day. I wanted to climb back into bed after they left.  I got to the edge of my bed when all of the four cordless phones I finally collected from around the house began this awful ringing in double stereo from my nightstand.  It reminded me of when we brought our first kid home from the hospital- set up the baby monitor on our headboard and listened to her squeek all night long.  It was weeks before I learned that I wasn't being an awful parent if I shut the thing off at night and if she cried loud enough to wake me, THEN I could go get her.   Back to the phone- One of my college daughters.  Mom, guess what happened to me?  My wallet isn't in my purse!  Third time in a couple of years her wallets been missing.  First two were out of her car after the smashing of her car window.  This time someone decided to skip the oh so fun window smashing and just go right for the wallet out of the purse.  Oh honey, that's too bad.  What are YOU going to do?  Not sure.  Me either.  Love you.

As I finally got in my bed to indulge in a "down day for me" I felt the covers choking me and my kids bathroom scream out to me- come scrub me, come scrub me!  It was the worst nightmare ever.  I found my toolbox, unburied the putty knife and went to the tub where "IT" (the clown) could've been waiting for me in the drain and it would've been less scary.  I scraped all the $20 a bottle conditioner off the walls- how it got there I don't know- that's a lot of hair flipping. And it was somehow therapeutic.  The nightmare stopped.

Sleeping in is wasted on teenagers.  Enjoy it while you can guys.  I might be a little envious.  I need to plan my down days a little more carefully next time.

Grateful...

Today I am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me when I walk out my very own front door.  Today I am grateful for the love, wonder, and joy found in a child.  With all of this and more, how could I not be grateful?