Scratching

As a Californian, I was inundated with the "whole foods" craze. Now that I'm connecting with my pioneer roots here in Utah, I find myself doing some real life whole food cooking. The results aren't always what I thought they'd be but I feel good for trying. In addition, I've been attempting to recreate some of our favorite things at home from scratch to be more provident shall we say. Let's just call this process "scratching".

Here are some of my scratching projects...

• I never buy any premade cookie at the store. Using only whole chocolate chips, and a whole lot of sugar and flour, I make plenty of cookies from scratch.


• In lieu of premade chocolate milk, we had been using carnation instant breakfast chocolate packets mixed with milk. To bring it down even more, we started buying cans of hot chocolate mix. Then, I found a recipe to make our own hot chocolate mix using cocoa, creamer, powdered milk and powdered sugar so I sent Scott to retrieve me a can of our never used powdered milk from our food storage supply and whipped us up a batch. The jury is still out on whether this is passing muster with the kids. I gave some to Emma this morning who exclaimed, "this tastes we-od".


• The Creamery on 9th Street makes the yummiest hamburgers. Scott was the cleverest one day and watched how they make them. I got him on the job of making some at home. Using an ice cream scooper, put a scoop of raw and unspiced hamburger on the stove. Cook it for a minute, squash it down with a spatula and salt and pepper. After it's fully cooked, serve on a homemade roll. I used a Rhodes roll from my freezer that I had let raise for the prescribed time and baked. It was perfect!


• Scott and I have never bought premade maple syrup. We only use mapleine with lots of whole sugar. I don't use Bisquick either. I have the best recipe for waffles and pancakes.


• Our microwave still is outside because of the popcorn incident which stunk it up big time so everything gets heated on the stove or in the oven these days. It's very wholesome not having any of those micro-waves breaking down plastic or giving us cancer. This may change when it gets warmer outside. I use a lot of whole dishwashing soap to clean all of the extra dishes this requires.


• Speaking of popcorn, we only pop popcorn on the stove now using whole popcorn kernels and whole melted butter on top.


• Scott uses only organic grapes homegrown on the vines from our yard (and a whole bunch of sugar) to make jelly. No pesticides people.


• Sundays are Cinnamon Roll Sundays around here. I usually buy frozen Rhodes cinnamon rolls from Costco but I decided to give it a try myself. This weekend was my third try at the matter. I'm glad to report that the third time is indeed a charm. Thanks to my cousin with a really good (& easy) recipe along with some excellent tips, it finally worked!


• People, hold onto your hats here but I will confess that I have made my own laundry detergent. I'm obsessed with the Duggar family (the ones with 18 children and now a daughter-in-law...yes I keep track and secretly wish I could live with them or have that many children) and in their book recently released (which I highly recommend), they shared their recipe for homemade laundry detergent. We are still studying whether or not this is an acceptable 'scratching' event for us. The cost savings is so huge I'm very hopeful but I want to be sure that the Jacobs family doesn't smell before I can fully recommend the experience to others. I made the mistake of confessing this to a couple of my California friends--the first laughed so hard she couldn't speak and the second said she needed to get me out of here if I'm going to start doing stuff like that.


• When we have a true hankering for ice cream, we have homemade it using whole cream, whole milk and pouring melted chocolate chips at the end to make chocolate crackle. It's very wholesome.

Just in case my Weight Watcher friend reads this, please note that just because I make it doesn't mean I always eat it. I do feel it's a major bummer that when eliminating processed foods, I may be healthier but I'm not necessarily skinnier. I still have to eat in moderation. What a jip!

Recently, Scott needed a new picture in order to renew his passport. Remember the days you had to go get your picture taken at like Kinko's or someplace? Not anymore! I took this picture of Scott from scratch.

I'm always up for new "scratching" ideas of anyone wants to share them with me!

Katie Scissorhands

One of the upsides of being the youngest of such a widespread of ages in my family is that I have the coolest nieces that are closer to my age than my siblings that birthed them. Nothing was cooler than being 10 years old when I became an aunt. These cute girls were the little sisters I always hoped and dreamed for. Now, many years later, it is even more fun to have nieces (and nephews too but there aren't so many of those in the Curtis family) who are awesome, interesting, and smart adults and are truly my friends and teach me so much. How lucky am I?

Katie is the oldest child of my big bro Rich. As my oldest brother, Rich is 16 years older than I and oh how I love this guy. He does stuff like sing Happy Birthday to me in Vern-like style on my voicemail. He and I probably look the most alike with our matching chins although not so much anymore because he is getting skinny. I talk to him regularly. He didn't get the least bit rattled when he called recently and caught me in a mini-breakdown and I couldn't help but bawl on the phone when I heard his voice. He has a wife and four girls, he knows what to do with a few tears. Okay, but this isn't about Rich, this is about Katie. Here is a more current picture of her with Papa. Papa was never happier than eating a greasy treat at a fair of some kind. Mixing in a grandchild to the adventure would only make it more pleasurable to him. He adored his grandchildren.

Oh, right, right...this is about Katie. Here are a few fun things about her:

• Katie can scrapbook like nobody's business. She runs circles around me and is my sounding board for all scrapping projects. She is so creative, organized and so caught up that she does albums for other people. I'm glad she will still speak to me even though I've gone mostly digital. She is a truist and must touch the paper still.
• One time I e-mailed a recipe to Katie per her request and by accident I made a typo on the oven temperature. It took her HOURS to bake the cheesecake bars. Oooh, I felt bad!
• She is the adopted mother to my parent's dog, Toby. He is crazy and she deserves an award for taking him on. This is the same dog who under my watch nearly drowned in my parent's pool. She dresses him up for the holidays and everything.
• Not only do Katie and I talk about and analyze books we read, we are really good at talking about blogs and blogwriting as we all know it's just another kind of reading material.
• Katie is a school teacher along with five of my other nieces. I would pay a million dollars if any of our kids could have one of them for a teacher. Teaching just runs in their veins.
• Katie has a great sense of humor. She has put up with many of our family dinners which can resemble attending a circus. I remember laughing so hard once with her that we could hardly catch our breath. I wish I knew what was so funny that time.
• Nobody can pinch a penny like Katie can. I've never seen such restraint. She can seriously go into a store and if it's not exactly what she is looking for at the price she will pay, forget about it!
• Katie is so smart plus she is nice enough to not use very many big words that I can't understand. That would make me feel bad. She is so considerate that way.
• I love that Katie (along with my other nieces as well) is very talented musically. I love that Granny has left a little bit of her talent and love for music with each of them.

This is not an all-inclusive list but suffice it to say that I think Katie is pretty darn cool. This has been so much fun for me, maybe I'll make this an ongoing series...I could write volumes on my appreciation and love for all of my nieces (and nephews too, of course.).

Go, Dog. Go!

Many of you (particularly with kids) have heard of the children's book titled Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman and may have even read it. It is a quick read--

Regardless BYU's theater department presented an adaptation of the book on stage. I took the three older kids and had a fun time. The program consisted of simple sets and six actors. They played Red Dog, Blue Dog, Green Dog, Yellow Dog, Hattie/Spotted Dog, and MC Dog. There was a lot of running, singing, dancing and howling in harmony. The dogs were working, driving, running, eating, sleeping, and of course singing. We had lots of fun-- the kids and dad loved it and had a good time out on the town (if the HFAC is out on the town.) For the non-BYU-Alum the HFAC is the Harris Fine Arts Center. I am continually amazed how many events are available and affordable on campus. We have decided to try to take more advantage of the enriching activities on campus in the short time we are here at BYU. After the show we waited around and got to meet the "Dogs" on stage. The kids thought it was fun to meet the actors-- however having spent their growing up years in the Theater (Thanks to Pam and DCMT (Danville Children's Musical Theater)) and Nancy's involvement with the theater, being on stage was a familiar feeling for them. If you may be wondering about the "dogs" in the picture, they just came from a "Dog Party" so they are all wearing party hats with their ears pointing up, or hanging down. Thanks BYU theater department for a fun night out.

School Volunteer

I've logged a number of hours volunteering in the school classroom. It's not my absolute favorite thing to do but my sense of duty (thank you Gilbert & Sullivan) helps me to feel rewarded in this endeavor.

I kind of had a "hall pass" for the last 18 months since Grace was born. It's a well-known fact that if you have a newborn, you are absolved of classroom volunteering responsibilities. Does 18 months classify as a newborn still? I guess not. Time to get busy on that but in the meantime, I got caught in a teacher's snare. Before the holidays, Ben's teacher called and said, "were your the parent that was asking about volunteering opportunities in the classroom?" "Ummmm, well...[what in the heck do I say to that? If I say, 'nope, not me' I sound like a jerk. This is a trap, people.] I would be happy to volunteer if you need. What are you looking for exactly?" I took the bait.

(By the way, I have been volunteering at the school for the second grade team. I just am not in the classroom but I exchange books for the kids. My brother said that in California, they call that the library but this is something different I assure you.)

So, simply ignoring the assignment did not work. Indeed the parent I am to share with called me up in January and confirmed we are sharing every other week. Today I went for the first time. I begged and pleaded with Scott to come home and stay with the little girls as they are not invited to help.

It was reading centers. Ack! Please start removing my fingernails one by one to alleviate the torture. The kids are split up into groups, they either go with the teacher or a BYU volunteer (could you not find another one???) whilst I wander the room awaiting a hand to go up or more importantly, I police the children so that they will actually do their work independently.

Wander, wander.. Look like you are doing something. Oh good, a hand goes up. In whispered tones, "Hi. What can I help you with?" "What did Albert Einstein do?" "Well, he was super smart. Umm, he didn't invent the lightbulb. I know that was Edison." Luckily a kid pipes up, "he cured the common cold." Did he really? Well, what do you know. Not but a few minutes later, "How do you spell Donatello? Like the artist? [dumbhead]" Luckily I can spell. Why can't these kids ask me the main characters of Jane Austen's classics? Or how about talk about each of the Bronte sister novels? It's my current fettish. How about Elizabeth Gaskell? Let's talk about her. Any music question? Whatever.

So, then I go about my wandering and notice a child not doing anything. "May I see your treasure journal?" "No." "Ummmm....please may I see your treasure journal." "No, you wouldn't understand it." Probably not, kid. This wasn't the first kid that refused to let me see their written work. After a discussion with the teacher afterwards, I realized this was their number one tactic for getting out of doing anything. Perfect. The highlight was of course seeing handsome Ben who has no qualms about showing his enthusiasm for me being there. That's why I do it.

I can't wait until two weeks!

Inauguration

Many would say that today is a historic moment. I have had a religious experience in regards to that but not necessarily for the same reason many others in the world would say. With the ending of President Bush's 2-term presidency and the swearing in of the 44th president, Barack Obama, I was moved by the ceremony and traditions our country has to officially render the change. The hype of the world is that Obama is a black man and a democrat. The country seems very happy about both of those things.

My religious experience was related to witnessing the actual process our country goes through to change a president. I couldn’t help but feel as I watched the “end-to-end” coverage on TV how magnificent our country is. I am proud to be an American. It wasn’t completely unlike what happens in the church in terms of callings, oaths and covenants. There are procedures, traditions, oaths, that take place to signify the “blessing” or rather "sustaining" of the new president. It’s not like someone waves a wand but rather the sacred oath takes place with an arm to the square and the other hand on the bible. I'll admit it was pretty neat that Obama chose to place his hand upon the bible of Abraham Lincoln.

Even though Obama was not my choice in candidates, I felt an overwhelming presence that this is an important of the democratic society. The people voted and chose this democrat. I must be a good loser because it’s a part of freedom. We are blessed in this country and God had a hand in its beginning and I believe He absolutely still does. That cannot be forgotten. Even in this wicked day and age, I still felt that spirit that resides in America today while watching the ceremony.

Watching President and Laura Bush be escorted to the U.S. Air Force Helicopter that would take them to Andrews Air Force Base and then off to Texas where they will reside, my heart was warmed. I found it equally cool that accompanying them on this ride was the other former President George Bush and Barbara Bush. People can make all the jokes they want. For me, I will always respect this family for the service combined they have given to our country. And they are Republicans. Enough said.

Of course, I have to do a little name-dropping because I am a Jacobs and that's just what Jacobs do. Senator Bob Bennett along with his wife appeared in all the pomp and circumstance and I've met and spoken with them in person, thank you very much.

The country is in hard times and it appears to be headed into continued hard times. The time is ripe to have a lot of faith and stick close to commandments. I'll be a good sport and support our newly sworn in president and hope he is everything everyone seems to think and believe he is.

As for Ben, I think he wants to be a Scotsman.

A Good Deed

A week ago Sunday, I was in Relief Society enjoying a moment hands-free without Gracie (it was Scott's turn to wrestle with her as we await the blessed nursery day that won't come soon enough). A sign-up sheet went around that turned out to be for the stake adult women's basketball league. After realizing what it was, I quickly passed it to the newly-married-with- one-child-already-back-t0-her-pre-pregnancy-weight-cute-girl beside me. She turned to me and said, "wouldn't you like to sign-up for basketball?" Ummm, [chuckle, chuckle] yeah right, I don't think so." [raise eyebrows, roll eyes].

I quickly realize this gal is in charge of the adult women's sport for our ward as evident by the follow-up conversation. She says, "really, I think you'd have a good time. It would be a lot of fun. I think you should sign up." Deer in the headlights. I mean really, girl, look at me. My feet are hardly touching the ground and I'm quite certain my right booty cheek is lopping over onto your chair. You can't be serious. "Well...uh....hmmm....I'm just not that athletic. I'm not....really... in the best of shape right now." LOOK AT ME!! I really wanted to explain to her that despite my appearance I do exercise nearly everyday but I'm just not the basketball type and frankly I've been eating too much, because you see I'm really stressed and I eat when I am stressed and food is love and, and, and....No time to have a heart-to-heart excuse session with this nice girl who is trying to magnify her calling. She says back to me "well, the more people we have, the less everyone has to do and I think you'd be surprised how fun it is. You could totally do it." I reply, "when are the games, I would love to come and support. I'm a really good cheerleader." She gives me the details and I tell her I'll think about it.

As I thought about this nice girl during the rest of the Relief Society lesson, I realized what a good deed she did for me. She actually made me feel very good. She didn't take the stereotype and assume. After the amen was said, I turned to her and thanked her for being so kind to me. I got her name and told her she actually just about convinced me to give it a try. I promised, way more sincerely, that I would seriously consider it and get back to her.

I'm not exactly sure of the moral of the story but I do know this totally unknown person to me made me feel good. That is a good deed.

I don't have a picture of me playing basketball or anything bloggy like that but I do have some photos from a recent sledding engagement.

It's all fun and games until someone wipes out...

Semester Grades

I am pleased to report that Scott received his grades for his first semester. I'm even more excited about his marks to use the Little House on the Prairie venacular.



P MGT 632 Quantitative Decision An A 3.0 Fall 2008 MAJOR
P MGT 662 Communication in Public A- 3.0 Fall 2008 MAJOR
P MGT 684 Administrative Environme A- 3.0 Fall 2008 MAJOR
P MGT 612 Econ Dec Making for Mana A- 3.0 Fall 2008 MAJOR
P MGT 641 Organizational Behavior A- 3.0 Fall 2008 MAJOR
P MGT 642R Executive Lectures in Pu A 0.5 Fall 2008 MAJOR

Hooray for Scotty! Way to go! Now how exactly should husbands be compensated for such good grades? That will take some further thought.

In addition, I received my own set of grades. My marks are as follows:

• HM MGT 632 Cooking for Scott's team on the fly - A
• HM MGT 662 Budgeting - B+
• HM MGT 684 Special Editor for Scott's Papers - A
• HM MGT 612 Buyer of Proper Snowgear - C-
• HM MGT 641 Holding the family fort down in all aspects - A
• HM MGT 642R Being Scott's number one cheerleader - A
• HM MGT 681 Laundry - D

As you can see, I need to repeat a few courses to pull up a couple of grades. At least I have a few more semesters for that.

When do you call the fire department?

I wish I could say I was busy cleaning the toilet or something but actually, I was busy at the computer when Emma and Grace decided to pop some microwave popcorn. Grace is the instigator and Emma the "go to" gal. With combined efforts, the bag of popcorn made it into the microwave and the timer set. I got updates from Emma like, "Mom, I pushed the wight buttons!", "I can mell the popcone cooking." Great, I respond, type, type, typing away. Suddenly, Emma runs to me and says "Mom, come he-o quick." I run to the kitchen to see smoke billowing out of the microwave and this number on the microwave screen.

Emma then says, "oh, dang. I pushed the wong numb-o." Don't worry, I say. Good job for trying! Smoke is now stinking up the house, the bag of popcorn is now smoldering in the garbage can outside and all the doors in the middle of a welcomed snowstorm are open. My fire-alarm guard cat, pumpkin, is meowing to make sure I know that the smoke is burning all of our throats and Emma is yelling for me to shut the doors because it's too cold. I don't think anyone can be harmed from popcorn smoke inhalation. The throat burning is dying down, thank goodness. I'm sure it will ultimately be to blame for some sort of cancer I'll get later in life. Nice to have another excuse besides all that eco-friendly stuff I refuse to believe in.

The other thought that went through my mind at the height of the emergency: Oh great, what if I have to call the fire department and there are rice krispies spilled all over the floor! That would be embarassing.

My sweet cohorts...

The Tale of the Twenty Four Pound Tom Turkey

I chuckled to myself when people would ask me, "are you going home for Thanksgiving?" My mental response usually was, "umm, we've been married for 12 years, home is where we are living which is here." I'm proud to report that I didn't let myself get melancholy once this week in thinking about how many Thanksgivings we've actually spent totally alone as a family. (A majority of them) It's a badge of honor. I love my little family and glad I get to share the holidays with them.

We were pleased to be able to help Scott's cousins adjust to their first Thanksgiving without their parents (Scott's aunt and uncle are on a mission). We are pros. They were kind enough to invite us to their Thanksgiving dinner and our contribution was the turkey. Wait, did I say "OUR", I meant to say SCOTT'S contribution was the turkey. I cannot take credit for the spectacularly cooked turkey Scott pulled off. Did I marry well, or what? Scott is a fabulous chef and he did an awesome job. Don't worry, I contributed in the things I do best: worker bee in the final hours of the meal preparation, setting the table and documenting the day with photos. I'm really good at fawning over those who did cook. Really, it's a gift I have.

Here we go, the pictorial tale of the 24 pound tom turkey:

Preparing the brew to brine the turkey for 18 hours prior to cooking. Thanks "myfoxutah" for the recipe. Think a lot of salt, some honey and spices in a lot of water and broth.

Scott removing the sacred neck and gizzards. When Scott asked for something to hold them in, I responded with, "how about a trash can." No go. The organs stayed. Luckily he boiled them while I was away at Twilight with Becca. I'm also refraining from posting the close-up shot of the turkey neck. You're welcome.

Scott wrestling the bad boy into the oven roasting bag that would eventually hold the brine. When he called me to assist, I did what I do best, "hold on, let me take a picture first." Luckily, the turkey didn't end up on the floor due to the delay.

Onto the next day, THE day. Scott trying the initial roasting pan.

I feel like I'm going to bust out of my britches once in a while too. Have to move on to PLAN B: run home and get the other roasting pan that my dad gave me a few years back. My dad did not chintz on kitchen wares. Thanks Big Vern! We were thinking about you and know you would be so proud!

Unfortunately, an amputation was still necessary. Off the wings came but don't worry, we are provident livers here, the wings got tucked in underneath the bird so they wouldn't go to waste. I mean, really, we have to keep the dumb gizzards for heaven's sake. You think he was going to let the wings go? No way, jose.

All dressed (massaged, spiced, and who knows what else) and ready to go!

After a few hours (and a full choreography of turning the oven up and down, putting on the foil, taking off the foil, stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight)....

The cook's job is never done. Here he is pictured with the hostess with the mostest, cousin Julie. (By the way, those are construction paper turkey feathers on the door behind Julie, not a special cap she made for the occasion.)

Carving away. Glad a 24-pound turkey can feed 13 adults and 12 kidlets.

We were especially lucky to have Becca and Kyle (niece and her hubby) to share in the turkey glory. They were kid entertainers extraordinaire! Such a handsome couple!

Grace enjoying some mashed potatoes.

With Scott's cousins, we change the song from "grab your partner" to "grab your baby"! We were so lucky to be included with such a festive group.

What I haven't photographed are the ziploc bags full of turkey bones and leftover meat that Scott dreams about making turkey stock and sandwiches with. Although he has made a couple of sandwiches, he is almost up on his turkey stock-making days. I have an internal clock that informs me when it is politically correct to toss them.

Awesome job Scotty! You made one of my least favorite foods so yummy!

Provident Living

So, I guess my darling child does not inspire comments. So sad. I'll move onto another subject that has been brewing in my head. With this economy combined with being "starving students" now, we, like many others, have had to tighten the belt. Here are a few things that have saved us some pennies so that hopefully the dollars will mind themselves.

1. Do a load of laundry a day. A load a day makes it so that the kids don't need as many clothes. I'm sure an economist out there would say that doing a load a day could be less cost effective on the energy bill but in my house, we just don't need as many outfits, socks, underwear etc.

2. Unsubscribe to retail e-mails. Out of sight, out of mind. I don't think to click onto a retail website unless I get an e-mail first.

3. Don't go out to eat. This one is obvious and self-explanatory.

4. Drive the speed limit. This helps on many levels. Besides avoiding paying ridiculous fees on speeding tickets, I actually do get better mileage. Trust me, I know.

5. Eat in portion control. Shocking that a box of triscuits can last me two weeks if I eat them in suggested serving sizes. Hmmmm....

6. Although food is cheaper at Walmart and Target, all the "extras" that end up in my basket certainly make up for any savings on food.

7. The above applies to Costco except that I have been able to exhibit control and only buy FOOD that we actually do EAT before it expires from Costco at a cost savings.

8. Use the library. Another no-brainer. I just hate borrowing but it's working okay.

9. Throw away the volumes of catalogs that come in the mail especially before the kids see them.

10. Only drink water or milk. Soda speaks for itself and juice just doesn't do anything for us. We're better off eating the actual fruit than its juice.

11. Don't buy cold cereal. Sounds crazy but it's so expensive, increases our milk bill unnecessarily, and unless it's Fiber One or Kashi (or something like it) it's just not that good nutritionally. Everyone is hungry not more than an hour later if eaten for breakfast. Scott's note: Fiber One is colon care not nutritional care.

12. Do Flylady instead of hiring a housecleaner. This one is a bummer and is still not proving to be a replacement but I'm trying. This one is coming back to the budget as soon as I can manage it.

Wait a minute, half of these things are from my "how to lose weight" list. What's up with that? I hate it when things are so inter-related.

This is just a small sampling but I'm amazed that for once in our married life, we are able to stick to a budget successfully. That feels kind of good!

Now What?

I took this photo in raw, without a flash, played in Photoshop but now what? It's nothing fantastic. Obviously, I have more learning to do.

These are a few of my favorite things....

Eat your heart at Oprah! Here are my most recent favorite discoveries:

1. The Pioneer Woman...http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/. (Thanks Becca for the tip!) Not only is she so interesting and brings you into her world of modern-day ranching but she is so free with her own hints and tips. Here's what I came up with after searching through her photography section:

Can you tell which is the original? Will I be brave enough to shoot pictures only in raw and never with a flash as she suggests? Oh my!

2. $.17 stamps as well as $.59 stamps. Who needs to mail things these days with e-mail and internet? Well, I do. I've been wasting money on stamps when I'm over one ounce. I've been putting two $.42 stamps. Did you know that each additional ounce over one ounce is only $.17? I'm a provident liver now!

3. Facebook. I love this fast way to have two-way communication with friends and family.

4. Rhodes frozen rolls for homemade pizzas on the grill. Take the frozen dinner roll dough out to thaw for a bit and then anyone (including kids) can stretch it out. Put a little bit of olive oil on one side, cook on the grill to cook that side, add sauce, cheese and toppings to the cooked side and put it back on the grill. Fast, easy and yummy! I've used wheat rolls too...mmmm.

5. Double burner griddle for the stove from Pampered Chef. I leave it on my stovetop and use it for everything. Who knew it would be so handy?

6. The soundtrack for Hairspray. Not sure what turned me back onto this music but I just love these songs. The true question is whether or not it will outplay the Mamma Mia soundtrack. Something to watch for.

7. Scrapbooking on Photoshop. My love of photoshop only increases as I continue to discover all it's potential but scrapbooking on Photoshop is just so fun, I can hardly stand it! I can get caught up on scrapbooking even though I may not necessarily spend the money to print out the pages at Costco yet. My finished pages are just in a queue waiting to be let out. The possibilities are endless!

8. Printing 12 x12 pages at Costco. Obviously related to the above favorite thing. Costco is the cheapest and handiest place so far to print out 12x12's. I'm waiting for the prices to be reduced even more but that hasn't happened yet. The only risk is protecting the pages from being crushed by flats of chicken broth and raw hamburger juices.

9. Having the kids conduct family home evenings (not lead the music but actually conduct). This has brought new life to our FHE gatherings. To hear the kid in charge 'welcoming everybody' and 'turning the time over to so-and-so' is so funny and endearing all at the same time!

I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them right now. On another exciting note, I have to take Ben after school to a recording session where he is singing in a school choir that is recording a new primary song for the church. Why do I think this is so cool that I am almost getting emotional about it? I'll post more details when I hear more.

New Favorite Author

I rarely recommend books. I love, however, when I am recommended a book that I instantly adore. This is what happened when a good and trusted friend gave me the book Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. (Can I mention your name trusted friend?) She happens to be friends with the editor who recommended it highly to her. It's a unique tale and truly magical! It's pretty clean and just a sweet story.

Imagine my glee when Sarah Addison Allen's second book, Sugar Queen, was just as delectable if not more so than her first! Oh joy, oh rapture! I can't wait for her next book to come out in May of 2009. Check it out for yourself on Amazon.com or wherever you like to shop for books and see if it's something that would suit your fancy too!

I just tried to "friend" Ms. Allen on facebook. I hope she wants to be my friend. I'm determined to get her to Utah for a booksigning.

In Need of an Actuary

Isn't an actuary a person who measures risks? I need my risks calculatecd on my chances of getting a speeding ticket. I just got my 2nd speeding ticket in only two months and all in the same city! What on earth is going on? Well, besides apparently I don't know my speed zones, I am starting to believe that Provo Police has me under surveillance so on the rare chance I actually leave my house, they've got me covered. During most of a week, I exist in an area that includes short of a 2-mile radius. What are the chances of getting a ticket when I am on the roads so infrequently?

Just a helpful note, the speed limit on University Parkway between the stadium and the baseball field is 30 mph. I made sure and questioned the schoolboy, allegedly a police officer, who pulled me over about this. Why is it 30 mph when there isn't a house or neighborhood in sight? His answer was that it was because it was a school area. Yeah, a school full of ADULTS you ding dong. Just get your backpack on little boy, hop on your bicycle and scoot along. (Don't worry, I refrained from saying the latter.)

So, if you happen to be behind me getting very impatient as I'm following absolutely every speed limit...TOO BAD! You'll have to take it up with the officer who is likely not far behind me.

Scott, have fun watching the kids while I go to traffic school. Apparently I need it since studying the DMV booklet hasn't seemed to help in the slightest.

Some photos from a day playing in the leaves to end on a good note...

The Sock Round-up

Today I have spent an inordinate amount of time finally facing that laundry basket that has all the leftover stuff in it. Stuff = mismatched socks, clothes I don't know if should be tossed, doll clothes, etc. As this isn't a favorite task, as indicated by my procrastination of it, my mind went adrift asking many rhetorical questions.



Why....

• don't waffle irons have power switches?
• does my cute little baby insist on climbing on top of the dining table? Or the piano, for that matter.
• is it that when I do laundry, my 4 year-old has 15 pairs of underwear and my 7 and 10 year olds only have maybe 1?
• do I think my PC is much easier to use than Scott's mac?
• does our cat insist on sleeping in Grace's crib?
• am I so excited about seeing a flock of 20 California quail in my Utah backyard?
• doesn't it snow already? We are ready!
• does Scott drape his pants on a chair only six inches from the closet instead of hanging them?
• is Emma so cute when she looks at the rain turn to snow outside and says "the sky is all out of rain"?
• is it when I tell Sarah that I wish the laundry lady would come, she answers in a not so nice tone, "THAT'S YOU!!"?
• didn't Scott run my photo through Photoshop before posting it on our blog?

Well, there are many more but that about covers it for the moment. Here are some unrelated photos for fun....