Craziness

This past week has been super crazy. I have so many posts sitting in my drafts and I need to post them. So many exciting things: early Christmas dinner with the grandparents, our anniversary, record snowfall and no school for 2 days and also the season's first ski trip. Keep checking for updates.

Survival

The "Dream Team." I never could do it without this awesome group of people.


I survived another ward Christmas Party. This year's party was for the adults and the primary had a party for the kids the next morning. Since we didn't have to worry about having activities to keep the kids engaged we had a more serious program. Last year, at the last minute, I thought I should have incorporated our ward's annual giving tree into our ward party but it was too late to do anything about it. This year I made it the main focus of our activity. We asked the Elmer's and the Caviness's to find families that we could provide Christmas for in Peru and Kirtland where these couples are serving missions. Since we were serving a family in Peru we went with a latin theme for our decorations and food. We used white lights strung across the ceiling, made paper wheels out of construction paper for the walls and made tissue paper flowers for the centerpieces. It turned out so cute and was cheap and easy as well. The evening started out with dinner. We did Cafe Rio style pork salads. They were a hit--easy to make and everyone seemed to enjoy the dinner. After dinner we played a quick game of name that tune with Christmas carols. I made a little movie where I played 10 second clips of songs and then put a graphic up with the song number. It was easy to do and was a nice transition. After that we served dessert which was a choice of tres leches cake or cheesecake. After that our ward choir sang two fun Christmas songs and then we moved into our program which was awesome. The theme of the program was "Angels Among Us." I wanted the members of our ward to see how we were being real life angels for the families we were helping this Christmas. I asked Dawn Ann, who is recently recovered from breast cancer and Cheryl, whose daughter received a liver transplant several years ago, to share how angels had helped them through these major trials. I then told the story of the methodist church in Oklahoma who raised money that paid for Lily's surgery when she was a baby in China. Then we showed a video message that the Caviness's had made telling us about the family in Kirtland that we are helping out for Christmas. We ended the program by showing the Reflections of Christ video. Most of our ward had never seen it. It was amazing when it ended. The room was so silent. No one wanted to make a peep because the spirit was so strong.

I am getting better at managing these ward parties. They are a huge undertaking but luckily I have a big committee of people I can count on. We each had an assignment so it wasn't too big of a burden on any one person. The rest of our weekend was busy with a primary party in the morning, Christie's wedding reception in the evening,and volunteering at our Stake's Nativity Exhibit on Sunday. I took Monday to relax and get things done around the house and I'm feeling footloose and fancy free today. Nothing to worry about until my next big activity in about 3 or 4 months.

Eli guest post 3

44 things you may like to know

1. Do you like blue cheese?

No.

2. Have you ever smoked?

Heck no!

3. Do you own a gun?

I don't need one

4. What is my favorite flavor of Kool-aid?

I usually don't drink it

5. Do I get nervous about visiting the doctor?

No.

6. What do I think of hot dogs?

What's in them?

7. Favorite christmas movie?

The year without a Santa Claus

8. What do I drink in the morning?

Orange juice

9. Can I do push-ups?

I wish

10. What's my favorite piece of jewelry?

That depends. Do glasses count as Jewelry?

11. Favorite hobby?

Building legos, reading, writing my novel (I finished chapter one today!)

12. Do I have ADD?

No. On the contrary, in fact. I can stare off into space for 20 minutes, then tell you everything you just said, and comprehend what it means,

13. One trairt I hate about myself?

I'm a lazy person who forgets to turn in his work, But I'm curing myself of it

14. Middle initial?

Q. No kidding. Isn't that awesome?

15. 3 thoughts I'm thinking

1. Where's Jonah?
2. my music is up too loud
3. my mom would embarress herself on American Idol

16. 3 things I drink regularly

1. Water
2. milk
3. Juice boxes

17. Current worry?

I really should do my homework...

18. Current hate right now?

Mrs Wilson. WORST SUBSTITUTE TEACHER EVER. I think I have her tomorrow.

19. Favorite place to be?

In bed, sleeping in on the weekends.

20. How do I ring in the new year?

Stay up until midnight. How Else?

21. Where would I like to go?

Somewhere peaceful.

22. Three tagged people?

Nobody!

23. Do I own slippers?

No.

24. What shirt am I wearing?

A navy blue one, though 4 of 5 times, it's a BYU shirt.

25. Do I like sleeping on satin sheets?

Never tried it.

26. Can I whistle?

No. I can't snap, either. I have no talent for anything useful. :)

27. Favorite color?

Purple's pretty awesome.

28. Would I be a pirate?

Nah. Too dangerous. Besides, stealing is bad.

29. What songs do I sing in the shower?

I don't.

30. Favorite girl's name?

Don't have one.

31. Favorite boy's name?

Gideon. Be happy, my uncle.

32. What's in my pocket?

Ipod headphones, a pen, 4 jolly rancher wrappers, a paper boot, a dime, a massachusetts
state quarter, and a hair net (don't ask)

33. Last thing that made me laugh?

A random comment made by somebody at school.

34. What vehicle do you drive?

My feet.

35. Worst injury?

breaking my arm on a trampoline. Fun Fact: I never Jumped on that trampoline since

36. Do I love where I live?

It's got a great view.

37. How many TVs in the house?

2

38.My loudest friend?

Grey.

39. Do we have any pets?

A cat that adopted us

40. Does somebody have a crush on me?

Not to my knowledge, but who knows?

41. My favorite book?

Ender's game

42. Do I collect anything

Knowledge.

43. Favorite sports team?

BYU

44. What song do I want played at my funeral?

"There is Sunshine in my Soul" Just to lighten up the mood.

I'm done!

Beauty Parlor

A few nights ago I was up late and caught a showing on TV of Steel Magnolias. One of my favorite scenes is when all the ladies are in Truvy's beauty parlor chatting it up. Today I got my hair cut and turned my family room into my own personal beauty parlor. I had arranged for the gal who cuts my hair to do a house call since she recently moved to a salon that is 45 minutes from my house. I talked Carolyn and Kacey into joining me and we spent the afternoon moving in and out of the chair. We talked a mile a minute and it was fun to feel so productive, like we were killing two birds with one stone. If anyone local is interested in a fantastic cut at a great price the beauty parlor will be open again in about six weeks. Let me know and I'll add you to the list.

Our Traditions

I have always loved Christmas stories. I have great childhood memories of watching and loving Mr. Krugers Christmas and reading O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi." I also loved advent calendars and getting a little piece of chocolate every night. I've tried that tradition with my kids but the chocolate never lasts until Christmas. My favorite tradition has elements of both. Years ago, when Eli and Jonah were both little I read about an idea to wrap 25 Christmas books and then open one each day counting down to Christmas. They still love this tradition. We are on day two and to be perfectly honest the books aren't wrapped yet (but they will be). But we are still reading. Last night's selection was, "A Christmas Dress For Ellen." I love this story and was reduced to a puddle of tears as I read it with the children. All was silent as they listened to a beautiful story of service and more importantly hope. Tonight's selection was "Light of Christmas" by Richard Paul Evans which moves me as well. I'm realizing that we have finally moved into the phase where we can get rid of some of our little toddler Christmas books. I need a few new titles. What are your favorite Christmas books?

My Day

This little girl took a sick day today. It was a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to do this all day. For over five hours I stitched and finally delivered the finished product to the stake center. It is being used in an interactive children's area of our stake's Festival of Nativities. It was deceptive, looking so simple, yet it took so many precious hours. Now I get to move on to the ward Christmas party I'm in charge of on Friday night.

Snow Day

It has finally arrived--the day we've been waiting for--the fluffy white stuff coming down from the sky. Sure to bring lots of enjoyment in the days to come. The perfect way to enjoy the day after Thanksgiving.

We Gather Together

I saw this cute paper tablecloth on Martha Stewart's website. I thought it was adorable. I still have it on the table because I don't have the heart to remove it yet. Lily cut out all the turkey silhuoettes while the other kids made the gratitude tree.

The highlight of the day was inheriting my mom's china and silver. It is now put away in my cupboard and I can't wait to use it again.

Thanksgiving was spent in the company of some of our favorite people. We had my mom, Jason's parents, Jason's brother Loren and wife Lynnette, our niece Tia and her fiance, Dave, Tia's son Maverick, our nephew-in-law, Nate and Lucas. Cherise was home recovering from just having a baby. At the last minute we added the missionaries to the guest list. We had just enough room for an adult table and the kids table. We put the kids in the dining room and we were in the kitchen. I was spent by the time we finished eating and a little disappointed. How is it that a meal that took three days to prepare was over and done with in thirty minutes? I decided to light the candles on the kid table. Jack spent most of the meal roasting his food over the flames. Just as I was finally able to sit down and eat he decided to light his napkin on fire causing a little scare at the kids table. Everything went as well as we could hope for. The kids all had a great time with their little cousins. After everyone left we introduced my mom to the Wii fit and then we put the little kids to bed and watched and James Bond movie with Eli and Jonah.

We Give Thanks

For health, family, friends, freedom, and most of all our faith. We are so blessed.

SPT--Longing

Giving

A couple of months ago Jason called me from the car. He was listening to Glenn Beck, who was interviewing an author named Jason Wright. Jason Wright and his wife were our first friends as a newly married couple. They lived across the street from us in Provo. We had lost track of them as the years had passed and had no idea that Jason was now a New York Times best-selling author. We looked up Jason's website and read about his books. We purchased all three and I read "Recovering Charles" and "The Wednesday Letters" on the plane to and from a trip to Sacramento. Both were great little feel-good stories, easy reads and fast moving.

I just finished reading Jason Wright's first book, "The Christmas Jar" and it was so inspiring. Before I even read it I knew this is what I wanted to do for our family Christmas service project. This book perfectly captures how I feel about Christmas and how a small littl gift can make such a difference for both the giver and the receiver.

Deep Thoughts on A Sunday Morning

This is what we woke up to this morning.

For us the view was unobstructed.

I thought of those in the area below us who were waking up to fog while I enjoyed a clear view.

This is what my faith gives me: a clear view in a world that is clouded with confusion, uncertainty and instability. A perfect gift on a Sunday morning.

Weekend Update

• After last night's light show extravaganza I talked Jason into seeing Twilight. I don't know how I managed it since Jason was dying to see the new James Bond. Basically he was putting the kids to bed and I bought the tickets online so he never knew what hit him. I am glad I saw it before I heard too much about it. I thought it was good, better actually than I expected. Bella was just as I imagined and every one else was slightly different, especially Alice. My favorite part was when the Cullens walked into the cafeteria. I loved seeing them for the first time and it made me realize how much I've imagined them and what they are like.


• We spent all morning cleaning, doing laundry, cooking and raking leaves and we're still not done. I always struggle coming home from a trip and I got behind last week. It didn't help that the kids schedules were all messed up due to parent teacher conferences so I spent a chunk of my time getting everyone to and from school. I love Jack's school but the drive kills me. I'm used to the bus. They are getting out at 1:00 next week too.


• BYU vs. Utah--Today was the big game and Jason was so excited. We usually host several other cougar fans to watch the games but today Jason found a better place to watch it and took all his friends with him.


• During the game I made decorations for our upcoming Christmas party with Kasey. It feels so good to get them out of the way.


• We spent a nice quiet evening at home, just the way I like it after a busy week.

Kicking Off the Christmas Season

It's a little early but tonight was the grand kickoff to our Christmas season. A few years ago a very cool Christmas light show popped up in our neighborhood. You can park your car at the house and tune your radio dial to a certain station and there is music to go along with the lights. It's really amazing and the kids just love it. It's located at a house that we drive past multiple times a day and every evening we have to stop. When Jack came home three years ago he loved this light show and literally every time we would drive past the house, even in the summer, he would ask about the light show. It is such a good memory of his first months with us. Since the daughter of the man who created the light show is in our ward she arranged for us to have a private showing/preview of the show. It was a great night complete with festive holiday music and lights, hot chocolate and friends.

Teachers

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William Arthur Ward

Emma's drawing for her parent/teacher conference folder

Today we attended five parent/teacher conferences back to back. I look forward to this time every year. I love our neighborhood elementary school and know most of the teachers there pretty well. This year all the kids have teachers that a sibling has had in the past so conference time is fun and relaxed since these teachers know our family. Two of these teachers had Eli and Jonah the year we adopted Lily and they experienced that whole process with us and they are always so interested in our family. I left the conferences with a feeling of gratitude for men and women who work so hard to bring out the best in my children. This is one of those years where all the kids have teachers who inspire.

Anna has one of my favorite teachers this year. She does a class service project every year for the Ronald McDonald house. The kids provide all the supplies for a Thanksgiving feast. They are supposed to earn money and then use it to purchase the food. Anna and her friend Natalie volunteered to bring the turkey this year and they were so excited to do it. Several years ago when Jonah had Mrs. Peterson the Ronald McDonald house was such an abstract idea to me. Since then I have spent a total of four weeks staying there while Lily and Jack had surgery in Cincinnati and now I volunteer with our ward to prepare dinner for the guests once a month. I was telling this to Mrs. Peterson and then she shared with me how she had started this project as a memorial to the mother of a boy in her class years ago. She had died of leukemia and one of her designated charities was the Ronald McDonald house. She has been doing this for years and in the process taught her students lessons that go beyond academics.

Jack's teacher has been so awesome. The first few weeks of school were hard for him. He went from an action packed summer of swimming and boating to a structured classroom. His teacher thinks he's a "special boy" and she's been so helpful to Jack. He just loves her and has become quite attached to her. She does a lot with music and Jack is so focused on learning the songs and the movements that go with them. He has grown by leaps and bounds since he started school.

Lily's teacher is the same kindergarten teacher we have had for everyone but Eli. She reported that Lily is a natural teacher and did more for one particular student in a certain situation than Mrs. Smith could have done in two hours.

Emma's teacher had Emma lead the conference and she started out with a powerpoint presentation. Emma loved telling us about her class and how she was doing.

Jonah loves school and he loves his teachers. Last year he had a rough year with a teacher he didn't love and who didn't inspire. This year his teacher has taken Jonah's writing to a whole new level and shared with us a literary essay that Jonah had written.

I left the conference with such a gratitude for teachers who work so hard and care so much about their students.

Thanksgiving

Last year we spent Thanksgiving at Disneyland. It was a nice break from our tradition of hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house. But tradition calls and with only one week until Thanksgiving I'm starting to panic. I spent this morning compiling the menu and making my lists and I decided to post it here to help others who may be in a similar state of panic (Betsy, you know who you are) and to have it for easy reference next year. I have made all of these recipes for years and they are easy and my favorites. Everything can be prepared and refridgerated a day or two in advance leaving only the turkey for Thanksgiving day.

Here is my menu:

Sparkling cranberry juice (cranberry juice mixed with sprite)

goat cheese and crackers (costco)

jalepeno artichoke dip (costco)

carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, olives (served with dip)

turkey

mashed potatoes

dressing

gravy

green beans

Raspberry jello (Lynnette)

rolls (Rhodes)

sweet potatoes (Jason's mom)

green salad (Lynnette)

pies (Jason's mom, my mom)

Cranberry Glazed Turkey (Williams & Sonoma recipe)

1 fresh turkey, about 16 lb., neck, heart and gizzard removed (reserved, if desired)
2 cups sweetened cranberry juice
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. turkey herbs
Directions:
Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cranberry juice to a boil and cook until reduced to 3/4 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Add 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Remove the giblets and neck, if included, and reserve for making gravy, if desired. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard excess fat. Season the body cavity with salt and pepper, and place the herbs inside the cavity. If desired, truss the turkey with kitchen twine. Spread the remaining 2 Tbs. butter over the turkey breast, and season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper.Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325°F and roast for about 1 1/2 hours more, then begin basting every 15 minutes with the cranberry juice mixture. Add about 1 cup water to the pan to keep the glaze from burning. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F, and inserted into the thigh registers 175°F. Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 1/2 hours. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.

Sausage-Chestnut Stuffing

1-box stuffing mix (Mrs. Cubbisons is my fave)

Chicken broth

3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 lb. well-seasoned fresh bulk pork sausage
1/4 lb. ground lean beef
1 jar (14.8 oz.) prepared French chestnuts, chopped
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl.In the same pan, brown the sausage and beef, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the meat to the bowl with the onion mixture.In another large bowl, toss the stuffing with chicken broth (according to directions on the box). Add the onion-meat mixture, the chestnuts, parsley and thyme to the bowl with the bread. Season with salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and bake until browned and crispy, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Serves 10 to 12.

Creamy, Mashed Potatoes (Pioneer Woman)

5 lbs potatoes

3/4 cup butter

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup half and half

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-35 minutes. When they're cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost-but not totally-fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1.5 sticks of butter, 1 package of creamcheese and 1/2 cup of half and half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add lawry's seasoning salt and pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium sized baking dish and to top it off with butter. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350 degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through. (if making in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2-3 hours before serving time).

Gravy (Williams Sonoma)

Ingredients:
Pan drippings from roasted turkey
3/4 cup water
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey or chicken stock, lightly salted
2 Tbs. dry sherry (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Skim and discard any fat from the turkey drippings in the roasting pan. Add the water to the pan and set over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When it bubbles, add the flour and stir rapidly for a few seconds to cook the flour. Rapidly whisk in the reserved pan drippings and the stock. Cook until the gravy is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper. Pour the gravy into a warmed sauceboat or wide-mouthed pitcher for serving. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

Apple Orange Cranberry Sauce

1/2 orange
2 cups water
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, pippin or McIntosh
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Directions:
Squeeze the juice from the orange and set the juice aside. Remove and discard the membrane from inside the orange rind and cut the rind into small dice. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the rind and the water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. Peel, core and quarter the apple. Cut into 1/2-inch dice and place in a saucepan. Sort the cranberries, discarding any soft ones. Add to the apples along with the orange juice, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Or cover and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a sauceboat and pass at the table. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 cups.

Brown Butter Wild Mushroom Walnut Green Beans (williams sonoma)

Ingredients:
Kosher salt, to taste, plus 1 tsp.
2 lb. green beans, trimmed
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 shallots, thinly sliced
8 oz. wild mushrooms, brushed clean, stemmed and roughly chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water, add the green beans and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until the milk solids start to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the 1 tsp. salt and season with pepper. Stir in the green beans and walnuts and cook until the beans are warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately. Serves 10 to 12.

What have I got myself into?

I usually am pretty good at laying low and saying no but a few weeks ago, in the hall at church, I willingly volunteered to make some plastic needlepoint nativity set figures for our upcoming stake Festival of Nativities. What was I thinking? I am now sitting here stitching away. I think I am getting in touch with my inner Grandma Jones.

SPT--Teaching

Eli Guest Post #2: tag of 8s

I was tagged. so here we go

8 T.V. shows I Watch

1. Mythbusters
2. How it's made
3. Tom and Jerry
4. Dexter's Lab
5. Avatar
6. Aurthur (educational AND fun to watch)
7.The amazing race
8. AFV

8 things I did yesterday

1. Woke up
2. Ate yogurt
3. Went to church an hour early
4. Stayed at home with my grandma (parents out of town)
5. Became the president of the deacon's quarom
6. E-mailed
7. Ate leftovers for dinner
8. Watched the amazing race

8 Thing I look foward to

1. Christmas
2. Thanksgiving feast
3. My birthday
4. My mission
5. Retirement (a guy can think ahead)
6. when I can leave this hectic house
7. The day my mom finally stops pretending she's not old
8. When my novel gets published and I become rich (a guy can dream, right?)

8 of my favorite resturants

1. Subway
2. Pizza Rita
3. XXX burgers
4. Quizno's
5. Linnie's
6. PF Changs
7. Red Robins
8. Old European Breakfast house

8 Things on my wish list

1. Legos (I know you're proud, George)
2. A video game that had a million different endings, if such a thing exists
3. Money
4. For Jackson to move here
5. For all of my mom's awesome siblings to move here
6. Christmas thrice a year
7. More knowledge
8. A cool pet, like a rock

8 tagged people (that don't have to if they don't want to)

1. Kelly L
2. Lara Caviness
3. Sis. Zorich
4. Any body
5. Else
6. That
7. Wants
8. to

Home again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Home, sweet home! What a whirlwind trip. We spent yesterday morning with my sister Amy and her new husband. While Jason and my brother watched the BYU game Staci and I went to Ikea with my kids. CRAZY. We put them in the play area but had to take them with us to check out. By the time we got to the car all four kids were screaming, fighting and crying. I'm not sure it was worth it but I did find a cute desk for Emma's room.
We left last night at 7:00 and drove back to Dillon. We stayed in the same hotel and even got the same room. We dragged ourselves out of bed this morning and rolled into town around 2 this afternoon. It's so different coming home, the trip just drags on. We were all so happy to be home.
Eli saved the day and put together the new Ikea desk. All his years of lego building have paid off. I was so impressed with his skills.

Wedding Day

This was the purpose of our quick road trip to Utah. Today we had perfect weather, unbelievable for mid-november, a mini family reunion, and an incredible sealing ceremony in the Salt Lake Temple. Today it was reaffirmed to me, as I sat in the sealing room of the Salt Lake Temple, that marriage and family is the source of great joy. We have grown up with our niece Christie--she was only five when we were married and she has been a huge help to us as we have raised our kids. She has babysat, accompanied us to China to adopt Lily, taught our kids to swim and is a great example. I found myself quite emotional throughout the day as I watched her marry the man of her dreams. There are certain couples that you just know are going to have a great life. Congratulations to Christie and Mike.

Salt Lake City

Anna said, "I love this place" as we walked into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was our first stop when we arrived this afternoon in SLC. We had arranged to meet the daughter of a family we met while we were in Brazil earlier this year. She was delightful and it was fun to meet her in person. While we were waiting to meet her we took a tour of the Beehive house. This was one of my favorite places to visit as a pioneer loving girl so I was excited to take the kids. While Jason talked to our Brazilian friend I took the kids to the 10th floor to enjoy the view of the temple.

Temple square was very quiet today. I was actually surprised that there were no protesters over prop 8. But when we left this is what was taking place right where our car was parked. They had closed the street as the hazmat team responded to an envelope containing white powder that was delivered to an office adjacent to the temple. According to the Deseret News the LA temple also received a similar envelope today.

From downtown we went to visit some of our dearest friends. When we were fresh out of BYU we moved to Portland and lived in an apartment complex where several dental students were living. It was so fun and we all had little kids together. We have lots of great memories with Alan and Becci so it was fun to see them. Becci made us a great dinner and we had fun catching up.

Today just happened to be my Granddad's 86th birthday. We were able to surprise him by showing up for his birthday party.

I loved seeing my grandparents and several of my aunts and uncles too. We have a great family.

This is what is so great about a visit to Utah, lots of family, friends and faith.

On The Road

Having a good dinner to start off our trip

Oh, the joys of the road. We're on our way to SLC and stopped for the night in Dillon, Montana, our halfway point. We only have 6 of us on this trip. We left the boys home with my mom. They seemed pretty excited to have the house to themselves.

Emma all cozied up with her blanket and stuffy

We stopped for gas and dinner in Coeur d'Alene and it was the wierdest thing gassing up--I had to take a picture of it. Hard to imagine that just a couple of months ago it cost $125 to fill my tank. It feels almost free. This wasn't full, but about 3/4 of a tank.

The trip went well. Jack fell asleep about and hour into the drive and slept until the hotel. About 15 minutes into the trip Anna asked how much time was left and continued to ask about every 10 minutes until we pulled into our hotel. She was the only one who didn't fall asleep. Now the kids are nestled in their beds, resting up for our drive tomorrow.