Thanksgiving Favorites

-Read more of a GREAT book- "The Guernsey and Potato Peel Society" Love it!!!!
-Watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (my favorite parts were the Rockettes and the Sesame Street float-the characters have aged very gracefully, FYI!)
-Had an outfit (plaid skirt) that allowed me to wear my red patent leather heels! Love them.
-Watched the replay of the 2006 BYU/UT game, relived all the glory of the Beck to Harline touchdown. Just as good as it was live!

-Ate the frozen cranberry salad (mom's specialty)
-Other favorites: salmon dip, stuffed mushrooms,veggie tray,mushroom stuffing
-Making my pies: peanut butter chocolate chip (rich but very good) and apple. (I used premade pie crust and canned filling but I did make the crumb crust topping from scratch!!!)
-Sat at the teen's table with cousin Whitney, Addison, Jessica, Katie (who'd had her wisdom teeth out the day before. Rough). Fun to visit with them. Lotsa fun.

-Singing karaoke with the family
Mom (La Bamba and Hound Dog) Debo (YMCA) Allen (Here Comes the Sun- apparently he has a thing for the Beatles....) Faris (Surfer Girl) Jake (I am a Child of God) Wickman (Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam) Dave and Sabrina sang as well but I don't remember the songs.....
-We used Mom's roller hair brush for the micro"faux"ne (hahaha)

The Vacation Continues......

Wednesday morning I woke up and saw that my sister had called, she needed a babysitter and since I didn't have to work, I could do it! She brought Carter and Ashley over and Ashley helped me finish making breakfast, "Apple Toffee French Toast," yes, it is as heavenly as the title says it is but...... rather time consuming. Slicing bread into cubes (easier when it's a bit frozen), peeling and then slicing apples, chopping the skor bars, etc. But worth all of it!

The rest of the time, Carter and Ashley played (Carter had the fisher price hospital and the little people and a bad guy kept knocking people over. The police couldn't help because they were busy taking care of a car accident.) We also played "battleship" and I guess Carter doesn't have much confidence in my navigation/detection skills because whenever I found one of his ships he'd ask if I could see his board..... When Deborah came to pick up the kids I really wanted her stay and eat brunch with us (fresh out of the oven) and so I was very glad when she accepted!

Had grilled cheese sandwiches (no one can make them like my Mom) and watched "Myth Busters" Can milk stop a muzzle flash from creating an explosion? No. Is it hard to get out of a car in the water when it's upside down vs right side up? Yes.

Again, went to bed happy. Had my Mom come in and tell me/kiss me goodnight? Should I be concerned that I'm 30 and still like my Mom to tell me/kiss me goodnight?????

The Long Vacation (and Why I'm Glad for Snow)

I ended up having quite a nice, long Thanksgiving break with some help from school closure and..... snow!!! The school where i have my classroom was closed for that week, so Monday and Tuesday were prep days for me (no children). There was a half-day staff breakfast/meeting on Wednesday.

Here's how it began.....
Left work early afternoon on Tuesday due to the impending snow storm/blizzard. They sent staff and kids home. My mom was going to pick me up after my respite care job that night but the family was home-bound as well, so Mom came early! After getting settled in the guest room (my bedroom is currently a storage room) Mom realized we didn't have apple juice to make a special recipe for the next morning. Called my sister to see if she had any, she wasn't home, so we jumped in the car and went to the gas station store down the street, with a goal to get home by 5:00. The snow wasn't bad yet but the wind was awful. Shutting the car door was an adventure! But we got the apple juice.

Checked my work e-mail and discovered...... early vacation!!!! Staff meeting tomorrow canceled due to snow!!!! Watched the Jazz game, rubbed Mom's feet, went to bed very happy!!!!
Woke up in the middle of the night but no worries- I didn't have to go work so I could go back to sleep at my leisure and sleep until 9:15! Lovely.

Happiness Is......

Happiness Is.....

-Watching a snow storm from inside
-Chatting with my Dad about the new book he's reading
-Eating my parents food and watching their tv
-Half-day of work and work canceled tomorrow!!!! (Due to the snow)
-Having whole wheat tortillas to eat again (I've been out of them for awhile....)
-Big, soft pillows

-Sleeping with a teddy bear (I nearly ALWAYS do this because otherwise I sleep on my arms and they hurt in the morning!)
-Sleeping with Mailbox (my pink teddy bear I named when I was 7) or Rocky Jr (the light brown bear with a blue bow around his neck- a gift from Jenn and Jim from their honeymoon when I was 9)
-Watching a BYU mens basketball game
-Being home (where I grew up- OK so it's only 10 blocks away but it still counts!!!!)
-Going to bed with no immediate plans for when I wake up in the morning (I REALLY love this!)
-NOT HAVING ANY HOMEWORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heck of a Season Boys

The title comes from one of my favorite movies, "Remember the Titans" technically, I think it might not be "heck" but close enough, right????
Here are some of my favorite memories from BYU football this year. Yes, I know the season isn't over yet by a long shot, I'm talking about the home games I've attended this year....
-Having season tickets wtih Mom, Dad, brother Dave and alternatively nephews Faris and Errol
-Having my friend Kerri join me for 3 of the games and doing double high fives with her after touchdowns are scored
-Going to a game with our friends Kyle and Brian
-My 7.00 BYU t-shirt from Walgreens, worth it many times over. I love it!!!!
-Seeing the extreme tailgating parties in the parking lot
-Burgers and fries at Apollo Burger. So filling, but oh, so good.
-Trips to the Pita pita with Kerri. Whole wheat pita, with "extras" avocado and hummus

-Passes caught, field goals kicked, touchdowns scored
-Not getting lost in the stadium. Not once! And if you know me, that says a LOT.
-Waiting in line to fill my water bottle at the drinking fountain. (Funny story: yesterday I forgot I had half a bottle of water left in my purse and so I chugged it fast so the guy would let me in with it. And then..... all the drinking fountains were shut off for winter. So I can't bring it in with water and i can't fill it up, either. More money for concessions, I guess!)
-Accidentally drinking the whole water bottle of the stranger sitting next to me. So far, no diseases that I know of....

-Watching the game with my 7yr old nephew, Jake. Having him sit on my lap to keep me warm, asking me questions about Cosmo the Cougar and telling me his friends Dad worked for "Les Olsen Company" when he heard the commercial playing
-Hearing the song "I've got soul, but I'm not solider," and watching past clips
-Seeing the John Beck to Johnny Harline 2006 pass/touchdown replayed. I never get tired of seeing it.....
-Singing the fight song, and on-key! And I mean ALL the fight song, not just "Rise and Shout"
-Hearing "Sweet Caroline" and not knowing words beyond that.....
-Stomping by feet on the metal bleachers, yelling "Juice" for Joshua Quezada and "B" for when each section of the stadium yells B-Y-U-Cougars!!!!
-Sitting next to my Mom, chatting with her and eating Kettle Corn when the game gets tense.....
-A really, really good hot dog with ketchup and mustard
-Stuffing our pockets with halloween candy (hiding it) and eating it during the game.
-Asking my brother lots of football questions and him answering them

Awesome Day!!!!

-Went to Messiah rehearsal with my friends Anne and Mandy. Mandy played her favorite organ fugue for me, "Toccata in G" the organ music they play around Halloween time. But I learned there is much more to it than the opening chords!!!

-Breakfast with my cousin Marchelle at Denny's. We went to Denny's because that was one of his favorite restaurant to go to and it was his birthday this month. We split gingerbread french toast (talk about a fantastic smell!!!) and cranberry orange pancakes and they had a 4 item special so I also got hashbrowns with plenty o' ketchup, whole wheat pancakes (saved for later) and we each got a slice of ham steak, discovering that we both like ham over turkey. Huh. Who knew? It's probably because we're related.....

-We shared our favorite Grandpa memories. Marchelle's was putting up Grandpa's tree every year. Mine was how he always made you feel loved "just the way you are." For me, there is/was nothing quite like a Grandpa's love. :)

-Went with Kerri (we met my brother and sons there) for the final home game vs New Mexico, BYU won 40-7, with passing touchdowns, a fumble recovery and at least one interception in the end zone. Yeah!!!!! I got to sing the fight song a lot :)

-The day was cold and cloudy (with a 4pm kickoff) but I actually stayed warm with leggings and jeans, two shirts, a sweatshirt and parka. And mercifully, sitting in the south end zone we were protected from the wind. When I did get close, I would wrap my arms my nephew Errol to keep him warm, too!

-And of course, no trip to Provo with Kerri is complete without a trip to the Pita Pit! I got a chicken souvlaki pita this time. It was good, but I think next time I'll try something else or go back to black forest ham, the usual.

Other fun/grateful/memorable moments:
-My brother driving the car in a snowstorm on the way home, glad it wasn't me driving!
-When my nephews had asked lots of times, "How long till we get home?" Dad told them not to ask again, so later Errol said, "Dad, this isn't a time question..... how many miles until we get home?" Hilarious!
-Another stick of gum from Kerri and a bottle of water from her brother and sister-in-law
-Running on the treadmill while watching BYU basketball and/or SDSU vs UT football. Defiinitely kept me engaged and running longer and faster!!!
-How nice it looks from my window with white, clean, snow everywhere.
-Cheering for SDSU (never done that one before) while running, pumping my fist and yelling, "Go Aztecs!!!"

Ahhhhhhh, life. I love you.

I Like!!!! 11/19/10

-Seeing a late matinee with my friend, Amber. Despicable Me. I really like this movie for two reasons: (1)Gru (the villian) has a change of heart when he meets the girls. A total 360, sincere attitude. (2) Dr Nefario, who initially was really mad at Gru for being behind on the rocket plans, taking in the girls, etc still forgives Gru and comes to his rescue when he's in trouble.

-Watching an episode of CSI NY on primetime instead of online the next day

-Homemade hummus and pita bread (I love hummus) during a staff meeting, along with mint chocolate hershey's kisses and white cheddar wheat thins

-My appreciation/obsession with food! I joke that I should rename this blog- "Ode to Food"

-My white wicker chest that's full of blankets!

-My "chi"hair straightener

What Made Me Smile Today 11/18/10

-19th birthday of my niece, Jessica. Her birth was truly one of the happiest days of my life. Sounds cheesy, but true!!!!



-2 fruit slushies from the other classroom who was making them for a snack today and shared with us



-Waking up in the middle of the night and THEN going back to sleep for 2 more hours! That rarely happens to me-I stink at going back to sleep.....



-Turkey slices for lunch (and other stuff, too)



-Feeling rested and energetic when I woke up. This CAN'T be overrated......



-Mom who happened to be volunteering today and so she could change her child's pull-up instead of me.......



-Trying to role play with my preschoolers about what to do if you are lost in public. Some really got it..... some..... did not. But they were entertaining in the process! (Not that getting lost is a laughing matter..... but role play can be!!!!)



-Children who want to hold your hand

-Hugs from my "sombrita" ("little shadow" in Spanish)



-Tamales (1 pineapple and 1 pork) at Leatherby's. I liked it because I don't make tamales for myself. Plus, they're VERY cheap! $1.25 each.

-Saw Inception with friend Emily- LOVED it but totally makes you think..... (and can scare you when Emily was asking "Is this reality RIGHT now? Driving home from theatre at 11:00 at night. Yeah......)

-Taking a shower and washing my hair :)

Favorite Things 11/17/10

-I get free lunch! Well, free to me..... Today I enjoyed beef vegetable soup, frozen strawberry cup/thing, sweet potato fries, apple crisp. The lunch lady is very nice and gives us plenty!

-Attending the Jordan River temple with dear friends

-Within a minute of arriving at the temple, being greeted by 2 people I haven't seen in nearly 2-3 years. A lady I worked with at Terra Linda elementary and a girl who used to be in my singles ward. It was lovely to see them both! However...... the shock of it caused my brain cells to temporarily die and as I was changing, I opened/closed my locker 4 times within 30 seconds because I couldn't remember what to take out and what to put away. All for the best though.....

-Remembered to bring my temple reccommend

-BYU basketball won!!!!!!

-Ran an average of a 9 minute mile (for only 2 miles but still......)

-Hugs from my preschoolers

-Buttoning my good black wool coat and adding a colorful scarf- or is it scarve??? Anyone, I don't like a cold neck!

-Chocolate peanut butter ice-cream :)

-The sisters who play the organ at the temple

-Kerri sharing yet another piece of gum with me. Someday I will buy her the biggest pack of gum I can reasonably afford.......

-Nylons that don't have runs in them yet!!!!!

Things to Remember and a New Goal

Things to Remember- Tuesday 11/16/2010

-Had a Relief Society Meeting tonight- was surprised that not more people came- it was a night of Free Holiday Cooking and sampling. I chose to go with the group that made Toffee, Natalie taught us how to make it, simple and SO good with guitard chocolate chips and sliced almonds. MMmmmmmm.... Plus, it's sweet, salty AND crunchy! What more could you want for a holiday treat?!?!

-Standing outside cold in the church parking lot because no one had a key (it was freezing, but a fun memory, the different things you do to stay warm.....)

-Finished a book, "Why I Believe" stories from lots of people who are LDS- athletes, politicians, professors, businessman, etc. Very good book.

-Had/have hair that is long enough to pull in a ponytail and not look completely ridiculous....

-Visiting with my friend Amber C, and laughing with her

-Taking my turn to stir the butter and sugar for the toffee and realizing just how quickly my arm got tired..... I shifted positions a lot.... :)

-Texts from my cousin and friend, Marchelle and my dear friend Kerri. Thanks, Friends!

-Watched an episode of one of my favorite shows, Man vs Food, while on the treadmill

-Wrapping myself up in my Grandma's pink patchwork quilt on the couch

-How much I love to snack on plain, plain, plain Cheerios. Seriously. I eat them by the handful. And I usually take a baggie full with me to work for breakfast :)

-How blessed I am!!!!!!

It's my NEW GOAL to post something like this every day before I go to bed. For me, I can't think of a much better way to unwind before bed than reflecting on good, grateful things. So..... if you read this blog, and if you do, THANKS!!!!! Feel free to check regularly for updates :)

Monday

A rundown of yesterday's events: (I'm trying blog more to record events becuase blogging about it AND writing in a journal has proved to be exhausting)
-FHE: cornbread and chilli cook-off. Would have loved to contribute but unfortunately it didn't get announced until Sunday at church. Oh, well. Thanks to those many who made so many good things on short notice!

My favorites of the night: Red and white chili (made by Sister Barrow, the bishops wife) that won "best chili" it had chicken and white beans and red peppers and now I want the recipe...... My friend Mandy won the "best cornbread" award for her "Oh, my heck this is good" and I was also a fan of the "white corn" cornbread because it was different. At any rate, I ate VERY well.

Then we had a small surprise party for our friend Brian (who refused to tell us the date of his birthday until his sister ratted him out at dinner on saturday) We played catch phrase, watched the last quarter of the Jazz game- noting how the last seconds can take minutes, and in my opinion, why foul at the end of the game when you're behind? Yes, it stops the clock and gives time to get the ball back but the team almost always seems to make the free throw and this just racks up the score? But then, heaven knows I know all about NBA coaching!
More catch phrase, then ice cream and a rich but delicious chocolate cake- I made sure to eat the frosting FIRST. As I always do......

And there you have it, folks.

The Weekend

Here's how the last weekend went down.....

FRIDAY: Christmas Gift Home Show with roommate Kelsey. Awesome. I didn't buy anything but I did see lots of stuff I liked, some in the price range, some not. Tried out a fantastic massage pillow (ahhhhh..........) and sampled nearly every item there. I think I probably had about 15+ different pretzel sticks, 15+ different toppings, dips, etc. Jam, dips, salsa, etc. Had a truffle, soup, sausage. But the best was a square of chocolate bundt cakes- LOTS of chocolately goodness packed into just one bite. MMMMmmmmmmm.....

Then my parent stake had a patriotic program that night. Confession here- I mainly went because several immediate and extended family members were participating, I didn't expect more than the choir singing some songs. Well, I wrong. The choir did sing but there was a lot more to it than that! The choir sang Battle Hymn and When Johnny Comes Marching Home, they had a women's trio and a men's quartet singing songs of the post-war era (the trio was a HUGE hit with the audience) But my favorite part was the medely of Armed Forces songs. As per tradition, each man (or woman) stands when there branch is recognized. Some of these men were in their 80's + but seeing them stand proudly really moved me. I appreciated being able to put familiar faces to service. My Uncle Robert served in the army- news to me, or I just plain forgot......

One of the other highlights was a 90 year old fellow from my parents ward being honored for his years of service in, I believe the navy and the army? The emcee read a fitting tribute about his service and his whole face just lit up. Unfortunately, his wife fell earlier that night and cut/bruised her face, but she stayed, I believe she didn't want miss this honor of her husband's! Refreshments were cookies, the large packaged "grandma's cookies" variety.

That night I stayed at my parents and I as I was rummaging through the fridge (with my mom's permission) I found some cheese and tortillas and thought a quesadilla would be really good, with bacon bits and sour cream. I was prepared to just nuke it in the microwave but my mom thought a quesadilla sounded good and so she made them for all of us, cooked on the stove. Wow. Who knew a quesadilla could bring such a smile to my face:?!?!

After Messiah rehearsal the next morning, another grand food experience. Breakfast. With sauteed hashbrowns, kielbasa, fresh pomelo, SO good. Then we all took a quick nap so we could stay awake for the BYU football game and watch them crush Colorado St 49-10.
2 plays of note: a forced fumble picked up by a BYU defender without even breaking a stride, returned for a touchdown. Beautiful. And in the final minute of the game, a 2nd string running back for BYU ran the ball 20 (or more) yards to the 13 yd line. But instead of putting it in for another score, they took a knee. Classy.

Enjoyed dinner at Red Robin with friends that night- personally I thought the my veggie/garden burger tasted just as good as a meat patty, but maybe that's just me.......

Looking Out for Me

Saturday was a FULL day. Messiah rehearsal in the morning, BYU football game, Bohemian Brewery for dinner with friends, and karaoke night at Emily's with more friends. But I LOVED all of it- esp the 55-7 victory BYU had. It makes singing the fight song that much more fun :) And there was a lot more kettle corn left over after because we didn't eat it when the came was getting to tense or disappointing.....



Backtracking to the Messiah, I tried to get a hold of my friend the night before to make sure we were still going together because she wasn't sure. But she didnt' respond to my calls or texts (turns out she was at her parents and her phone was at home) so I called the next morning to ask my Mom for a ride. Here is how the conversation went down.



MOM: Are you OK? (thinking, why are you calling at 6:30 am, what's wrong?)

ME: I'm fine. Can I get a ride with you or Dad to messiah this morning?

MOM: Dad's already at the temple but I can pick you up if you're willing to go early.

ME: OK. What time should I be ready?

MOM: 7:30

ME: So... in 5 minutes (the time was 7:25)

MOM: No, in an hour

ME: Um, Mom. It's 7:25

MOM: (shock and panic)

Somehow her clock had gone to daylight savings on (friday night) and she thought she still had an hour. So, if I hadnt' called she would have missed the whole rehearsal! And she's one of the people in charge..... As we were driving there (after a mad dash to get ready and still look beautiful) which she did. She commented, "That phone call was a tender mercy. Heavenly Father was looking out for me." Indeed. Well said, Mom.



Then it was my turn. My brother dropped me off at home after the game and I called him about 5 minutes later when I couldn't find my keys and my roommate was gone for the day. My mom used to have a spare key but then i gave it to my roommate when she moved in..... My keys weren't in his car, but he was kind enough to take me back to my Mom's house, where we'd been earlier. I got my keys, they were right where I left them and then he was kind enough to take me home. Again. Again, Heavenly Father's hand was involved. And I'm so GLAD for my knowledge that He is involved in the details of our lives!!!!

Shopping with a Sister

The other day I had a chance to some shopping with my sister, Melanie. I love her. I'm the youngest of 7, she's the oldest. We are both the shortest in the family (she's got about an 1 1/2 inch on me...) we have similiar hair, coloring and taste in clothes. (I probably find several things I'd like to wear in her closet....) This was a really special experience for me because sometimes the only time I get one on one time with my siblings is when they take me home after babysitting!) And that's OK, it just made this experience that much more meaningful :)

But.... before we went shopping she gave me a makeover, to get practice for being a mary kay consultant. See the before and after pictures here. She did a great job and I loved having someone else put my make-up on :)

Then we went shopping, at Ross. One of my favorite stores. Except for the fact that the last two times I went I could only find a few shoes in size 5. Grrrr.... Usually I find at least a couple pairs that I like. And I didn't find what i really did need, a new pair of sneakers. But I look at it as God's way of helping me save my money, right? But I did get a 5.00 gray shirt

and had fun helping look for clothes for Melanie. Shopping with myself is fine, shopping with someone I know and love..... even better!!!!

Well, that was awkard....

Tonight I was making calls for visiting teaching appts (yes, it is the end of the month but in my defense I have no car and have had no solid companion for months. Anyway....)

This is how a conversation tonight went down...
After we got through the introductions, hi-how are you's....
ME: So, how is school going?
HER: (Awkard pause) Um, how did you know I was in school?
ME: Oh, I just remembered you talking about it before. I promise I'm not a stalker (yes, that phrase was a BRILLIANT choice) I just remembered.
HER: Ok
ME; So can I visit teach you on Sunday?
HER: Actually, no offense to you but I talked to the bishop months ago about being taken off the visiting teacing list. I'm surprised you didn't get the memo.
ME: Ok, thanks. Bye

I hung up the phone, trying to figure how I could have had a conversation with this girl on Sunday, about school, and now she doesn't want me to visit her? Weird. Then it hit me, I had an older number for a girl by the same name. THAT's who I called. Oops! I thought about texting her back to explain the mistake but then decided against it, as it meant having to explain that although I hadn't seen her at church in months and had never visit taught her before, yet her number was still in my phone.....

Funny thing is, this has happened before. Last summer I accidently called my boss (again same name) and tried to convince her that I was her visiting teacher and needed to visit her. We had a good laugh-thank goodness! And, no her voice didn't sound funny, it was just the wrong voice!

One situation that I thought be awkward today was attending a viewing on my own. The father of a very good childhood friend, family lives in my parent's stake, uncle's ward, etc. Haven't seen my friend for 12 years but I really didnt' want to regret passing up supporting the family. Leading up to it, I had butterflies! Would anyone know who i was? What would I say? It ended up being fine and I was glad I went. Extra thanks to my awesome roommmate Kelsey for picking me up and dropping me off!

Now to reflect on my visiting teaching trauma with the aid of some ice cream..... And to edit my list of cell phone contacts....

Much to Be Grateful For-Tuesday 10/26

Gratitude is something that has been on my mind a lot lately- especially as the father of one of my dear childhood friends just passed away it has really made me not want to take things for granted so...... here's a rundown of today



-My students behavior was OFF and subsequently my patience. It was one of those when I wonder if they go home and tell their mom's and dad's- "my teacher was just ornery the whole time......"

-But we did an activity that they loved- the letter this week is "e" and "E" so I hid several eE's on cardstock around the room and they could look for them. Most of them forgot the instructions (just leave them there and come tell a teacher-there's two of us- that you found one) and not all of them knew what letter they had found but.... hey! They were engaged and having fun! I'm going to try hiding "1'"s on Thursday......

-They also liked the "rhyming basket" I made for today. block/clock, car/star, bell/shell, you know. Again, the concept has not yet sunk in but I will take engagement any day!



-Tuesday I babysit for a friend, she has five kids including one with severe autism so I babysit for her while she's at choir and dad's at bishopric meetings. Dad happened to be driving home as I was walking from the bus so I got a short ride which was nice.

-I eat dinner with them. Tonight was fettucine with chicken- yum!!!!

-The kids all went to be easily at 8:00. They usually do-thank goodness!!!



-I left my bus/trax pass at home but thankfully had just enough cash on me to pay for a ticket on the way there. Had no ticket for the way home but dodged trax cops. Twice. Once as I one getting on a cop was getting on, and when I was getting off, a cop was just getting on. Very grateful for that one!

-Got to the trax station with just a minute or so to wait for the next train, and my ipod lasted for serveral minutes before it died......

-I'm not sick.

-Had a fresh banana with my school lunch today. I love bananas......

Nice Things that Happened to Me Today-Sunday 10/24

Nice things that happened to me today:



-Got to wear my new shirt and stilettos to church. Don't worry, I wore a skirt, too!

-Recieved a birthday gift from my friend Melina- a goody bag filled with some of my favorites: yogurt nutri grain bars, m&m's, choco peanut butter granola bars. Thanks, friend!

-Had a cereal bar for the "friendship dinner" at church today. If you have been out to eat with me before than you probably know that I am rarely limit my toppings. I go all out. Seriuosly. So if one kind of cereal is good, 3 is even better, right? I probably would have added another-making it 4 kinds, but I ran out of room in my bowl and was too lazy to go back for another one....


-Got a comment of my brain injury blog that something about my story had positively influenced. Gosh, there's just no words for how that kind of feedback feels..... Feel free to read and comment on it yourself!

-Found the missing tv remote (not for the tv but for the cable) found it after multiple couch searches. My rommmate found it alongside her missing sock......

-Watched an episode of extreme makeover home edition with my roommate. LOVE that show- I find it so inspiring because those who have so little, who need help with their home are arleady givign so much to family and community.

Fun Stuff I've Done Recently

Here's a sampling of activities from this past weekend- birthday post to follow soon......

-Recieved birthday/shoe shopping money from the folks and went shopping with Kerri. Got some shoes I needed, some that I didn't necessarily need..... But really, doesn't EVERY girl need a pair of periwinkle stilettos with a peeptoe???? And a pair of basic red flats in NOT the same as red patent leather heels, right????

-At any rate, we had a great time and then headed to Thai Siam for dinner. I love THAI food but am a wimp when it comes to spice,thankfully there were several non-spicy items on the menu, and I'm huge fan of their rice noodles. They look kind of elastic bands but taste ever so much better! It took us a few tries (and a few cruises down State St) to find it but we did, the service was fantastic and we got to the theatre (with just a small adventure in parking) just in time to join other friends in a showing of "Oliver." Our friend Adrien was starring as Nancy, and she and her fellow cast members were phenomenal! The ability to pull off a British accent so clearly and consistently amazes me......

-Saturday- Rainy Day and Game Day! Tickets were a bit of adventure, between my immdediate and extended family there was a handful of extra tickets so Kerri and I ended up sitting with my cousin Marchelle in her parents seats, and my sister Jenn and her family were able to use mine and my mom's and marchelle's seats. I was glad my sister and so many of her family members got to go to the game!

It was pouring until the game started (but we had trash bags to sit on so at least our bums stayed dry) but then miraculously the rain let up until the game was over. Hallelujah!!!! It was a close game (closer than it should have been) up until the final minute or so when BYU knocked down all of Wyoming attempted receptions. Then.....breathe! And sing the fight song! I don't like to leave the stadium until I sing the fight song after they win. (For real. I ask people to wait for me so I can sing it in the stadium)

One of the most fun parts of the game was having my nephew Jake, age 7, sit next to me. And keep me warm when I couldn't stop shaking.... I LOVE that kid. He is so inquisitive and perceptive. He took note of everything from Cosmo to the tv cameraman, and asked questions like if Cosmo could play in the game, and were the ropes that raised and lowered the field goal nets mechanical???? I taught him cheers such as "Go Defense! and Push 'Em Back!" And of course he joined in on the "ra ra ra ra ra Goooooooo Cougars!" Not a flawless victory but a gutsy one!

After the game, what is becoming tradition for me and my friends on any trip down south..... a stop at the pita pit! And they had whole wheat pitas this time! Yay! I decided to big this time and order the added avocado and hummus. I'm a fan of hummus :)

Then home, DI shopping for halloween with my friend Emily, e-mailed my mom and sister who are in Spain right now, and to bed with a big smile :)

What a good life I have! How blessed I am!

It was the Jalapeno's!!!!!

Yet another food-related blog post. Shocker, I know.

So this was my dream from last night. A local crime (murder?) has been committed. I don't think I knew the accussed, or the victim but I have a gut feeling that he's innocent. The story goes that he was making chili at the time the crime was committed and one day my immediate supervisor finds a new recipe for chili that involved jalapenos, the recipe that she beleives he used. Apparently once you peel, chop and saute jalapenos it takes up so much time that there's no time left to commit a crime.

So I set up a meeting with the school principal to plead my case (ask me about that in person sometime) because dreams have a mind of their own and WHY would you go to the police when you could go to the principals office????

There was some kind of food fair going on and I saw friends from my singles ward offering me lots of food samples. I dressed in my finest with my parents and we went to the office, I was clutching the wrinkled, written on recipe in my hand. And somehow in the middle of this my cousin Adam appeared next to me, replacing my Dad, talking about how his daughter Lizzie did have her live in animals in the school parking lot but they WERE supervised.

Then I begged/demanded that he let me talk for five minutes without interrupting. He agreed but I don't think I made it very far through the five minutes before he told me our meeting was over. Hence as I was being dragged from the office, crying, I yelled, "IT WAS THE JALAPENOS!!!!"

My dreams have a way of coming back the next night and finishing, I'm hoping this was one of the those.......

I'm sensing a theme here,,,,,,

I'm sensing a theme here, with the exception of "trapped in a bed" (you should read it-it's great for a laugh!) all the past 4-5 blog posts (going back to General Conference weekend) are about one thing. FOOD. And why not????

Happy Eating! (And reading :)

THIS is why I don't make Jello

I don't often make jello, (OK, so I've made it twice in the past 10 years. For real). I even called my sister to ask for directions yesterday. But our ward was asked to help make jello salads for an area zone conference. So I signed up.



All went well, until about 30 seconds into the 2 minute boil period when the pot started to boil over (note to self: IF there's a next time, use a bigger pan.) It splashed onto the stovetop and burner causing the smoke alarm to go off. The first time. Yes, the first.



I got into the dripper pan fairly well, but managed to spill more strawberry liquid on my white countertops. Then I was lulled into thinking all was well. Not so. The smoke alarm started to go off for the 2nd time. Yes, the 2nd. I had failed to turn off the burner so all the jello that had settled through the slats of the burner and onto the bottom of the stove...... was now giving off 2-3 inch flames. That would be the point at which I grabbed the box of baking soda and started pouring. And opened the front door, the sliding door, turned on two fans, you get the idea.



I did cut off a spoonful before sending it for missionary consumption and it tasted pretty good, but still...... Given the past events, THIS my friends, is why I don't make Jello.

It's my Birthday Breakfast and I'll be late if I want to......

So, on October 30th I bid farewell to my 20's and embraced the world of 30's. To help me celebrate, my awesome friends threw me a birthday breakfast the morning of my birthday. To show my gratitude I showed up late. Ummmmm...... 15 minutes late.



However, my lateness aside, the breakfast was fantastic. Breakfast casserole with ham,potatoes and cheese, punch/juice, canteloupe and honeydew, fresh cinnmamon rolls. Mmmmmmmm......



Then it was on to gifts which I am mentioning here for documentation sake- a camping/water backpack (you know the kind, right?) for any and all hikes intended for next summer. 2 original photos of pink flowers, framed and 2 kitchen dishtowels that were sorely needed.



Lots of talk, lots of laughter and lots of photo opps which I will post when I will get them off my friend's camera.



As a sidenote, I think some of the best moments were centered on the 2 1/2 inch stiletto, pointy toe brown boots I was wearing. As I was posing for pics wearing my new backpack I asked, "What about this pose says 'hiker'? Someone quipped, "I think it's the 3 inch heels!" OK , so maybe you had to be there but it was still very funny.



Bottom line- thanks, friends. You are the bestest and I totally felt the love!!!!!

Chocolate from Kind People

Last week for my employment my co-workers and I did home visits for 3 days. Here is how I sum up the first day. Chocolate. Mmmmmm...... At the first home we went to Mom gave us fresh brownies from the oven (2 very large brownies) 3 scoops of chocolate ice cream AND caramel apples. (OK, so not exactly chocolate but close enough :)



Ironically, the day also finished with chocolate. A parent works at a candy factory and gave us each a baggie full of choclates- my favorites were the cookie dough variety-doughy, chocolately and crunchy.



Thanks to all the nice people who feed me chocolate :)

What? French Toast is made from Bread????

Here is an interesting insight into a brain injury and..... french toast. You can read about it on my other blog: braininjurystory.blogspot.com



Good for a laugh AND a learning experience!



PS-how do I attach links to other sites within blog post? I would surely like to know!

Trapped in a Bed

Funny Story from this past weeks Relief Society Retreat- held at a ward member's family cabin, WAY up in Heber, not too far from the girls camp that resides there. Anyway..... because since when has geography been my strong point?????

I shared a downstairs bedroom with two of my friends, Michelle and Kerri. We were in one of those bunkbeds with a twin bed on top and a double bed on the bottom. The top bunk was "fenced in" with white metal railings on all four sides.

All was well until the next morning about 6:30 am when I really needed a restroom. Problem was, it was dark, I was in an umfamiliar place and the bed had rails all around. Long story short, I couldn't find my way off the bed/side where the was the ladder going down! I wasn't even sure if I was crosswise or lengthwise..... I started crawling around until I hit my head and a loud whispered "OW." At that point Kerri, who had awakened before me shined the light of her ipod towards me so I could find the ladder. And I escaped off the bed, all ended well.

So..... enjoy a good laugh at my expense, I don't mind.......!

Forgot One!

I forgot a culinary event from the past weekend: Friday afternoon. Lunch at the Pi. My first time there and I'm pretty darn sure I want to go back......

Scroll down the next post to read more about my culinary pleasures :)

Food. And Lots of It!!!!

I could probably sum up this past weekend in one word: Food. Lots of food. Here is the culinary recap.....
Thursday: Dinner at the folks. My mom's 5th cousin and spouse were in town for Conference from Norway. Delightful accents, lovely people. Treated our Scandinavian guests to Hawaiian haystacks and they were very well recieved! Coincidentally, that's also what I had for school lunch that day......

Friday Night: Saw Ramona and Beezus (LOVED that movie) and had dinner at Cafe Rio with a pork barbacoa tostada. I love pork barbacoa, the sweetness and softness of it :)

Saturday morning: Conference breakfast at a friends- she made Ableskivers, a danish puff pancake type treat. Reminded me of a cream puff-delicious!!! There was also loads of fruit, sausage and bacon. Can't remember the last time I ate sausage......

Saturday afternoon: Went out with some friends for a birthday to Kneaders- a place that is tasty for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Enjoyed my turkey and avocado salad. Actually, I like avocado in any form...... I picked out the purple onions though......

Saturday evening: Had dinner with girlfriends and my mom joined us as well! We ate at Rumbi Island Grill- devoured my carribean chicken salad, a new meal selection for me.....

Saturday night: Ice cream with my Mom at Leatherby's. Had cherry chip ice cream. Haven't had ice cream with cherries in it in a long time. It was a happy reunion :)

Sunday afternoon: Dinner at my folks and we invited my sister and family, too. Was unsuccessful in trying to convince my niece that I was not too old to go to preschool with her.
Used up excess chicken and sauce from Hawiian haystacks to make chicken enchiladas.

Made SO many good memories assoicated with food and the people I shared it with :)

And I was spiritually fed as well from watching Conference. Especially touched by President Packer's "being not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" and Elder Scott's admonition to "develop character."

Tale of the Too-Big Pants

A few weeks ago, I bought a pair of pants that were too big and that I initially had no intention of buying. Which begs the obvious question- WHY???? I'll explain.

A few weeks ago, I had planned to go to the movies with my niece, Annie, to see Despicable Me. Loved it. Anyway, on the bus on my way out to meet her, it started raining. Hard and Fast. I had my umbrella, but the rain and wind were so intense that it did little good. I hadn't been to Jordan Commons in a long time and had little idea where the movie theatre was but I could see a Walmart! So I ran as fast as I could there and called my sister (Annie's Mom) to please meet me there instead of at the movies because there was no way I was going to make there in this weather. Well, OK, I probably COULD have, but I had no motivation to do so!!!!

They were running late and the thought running through my head was that I did not want to spend 2+ hours in a movie theatre in soaked jeans. Ew. So, dripping, (and I'm sure drawing looks from fellow walmart customers) I set off to buy new pants. I figured I didn't have time to try on anything so I just grabbed the first pair of athletic/exercise pants on a "small" hanger. When my ride pulled up to Walmart, my brother in law said, "You could have bought new pants while you were waiting." To which I replied, "I already did!"

Made it to the movie theatre, changed pants, (AAAHHHHHH, RELIEF) noticed the new pants were a bit big but hey, they were dry. The next morning, I discovered why. They were large,not small.. Oops.

All in all a fun and memorable day. Annie is fun, creative, loving and I love her.

Oh, and it turns out that you really CAN'T get sick from wearing wet clothes from prolonged periods of time. Apparently the times when I vividly remember getting a cold the next day after being in wet clothes were just a coincidence, according to my mom. Well, actually I first heard it from another sister but I didnt' believe her so I asked my Mom. I was hoping to be right.

Did You Know........

I wanted to create a record, for mine and posterity's sake, of things that are unique to me. So......

Did You Know that......???????



-When I was in Kindergarten I sang in front of the whole school in the talent show? I sang, "I Enjoy Being a Girl" from the show "Flower Drum Song." Well, I sang a few stanza's anyway!

-I have a pink teddy bear named "Mailbox" I named him when I was seven.

-I don't like to sleep with my back towards the door, I feel safer knowing what's facing me.....

-Aside from sneakers, I don't like to wear, carry anything with a brand name on it-I even cut off/out labels. I just have this thing where I don't like people knowing where I shop!

-Until I was 12, I did not eat spaghetti with the sauce. Now I prefer it with sauce, but I will still eat plain, cold pasta anyday!

-My first paid job, outside of babysitting, was working at Fuddruckers in Great Falls, MT where I was living with my sister and her family for the summer.



-I prefer cookies with "stuff" inside them. Sorry, but snickerdoodles, not for me!!!! I do make really good peanut butter cookies, just not for myself.....

-when I was little I begged Mom and Dad for a real, white bunny. They gave me a very nice stuffed one, though! White with a pink nose. I named him pinky.

-After Pinky, I had a 2ft+stuffed elephant. My nephew named him "Frankie."

-I don't like washing dishes by hand. Not at all. I'll do it when I need to though......

-I will not eat: radishes, beets, grapefruit. Anything else is fair game!

-I love shopping but only on sales-I usually go to the clearance racks first!

-I used to be a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, but stopped doing it about 4 years ago

-When I was getting my BS- I had a job of cleaning the dorms. I loved that job because it was so low stress and I made some really good friends.


And more to come........

A Weekend In the Life......

Highlights from this weekend:
FRIDAY:
-Got my hair cut and highlighted. I used to be against highlights (I was proud of the fact that my hair did not have anything done to it). But now I am hooked on highlights!!!! I love how my light my hair feels after I get it cut, I love the smell of the mint flavored shampoo and how it feels to have my head massaged. I even love visiting with my stylist. I would recommend her to anyone!!!!!



-Went to a movie with a dear friend, got 3-D glasses for only the 2nd time ever and it totally feels like the objects are close enough to touch. Went to get yogurt at the BEST fro yo place, Yogurt Stop. It's very entertaining to get yogurt with me, I've been told because my "make your own yogurt" has no rhyme or reason to it. I will try up to 5 diff flavors, and pile on as many toppings as I can, whether or not they go together!



-Peeled, sliced, dried bananas in my food dehydrator. Bananas are my favorite dried food so far but grape tomatoes and pineapple are a very close second........



-Watched dvd episodes of CSI-NY 3rd season. Big fan of that show. Seriously.



-Spent a 1/2 hr plus looking for my cell phone before finding it in place sight on the windowsill. Seriously?! Though in my defense I have never left it there before....



SATURDAY

-Had traditional montly breakfast with my cousin. There is something SO good about meeting with a friend who knows everything about you so there's no need to backtrack or explain. And yet they know everything about you and still love you. We ate Blue Plate Diner, a first for both and the food did not disappoint! After we went to Nordstrom Rack, only my 2nd time there. Loved it! I commented to my cousin, "if there were a shoe and clothes heaven, I think it might look a lot like Nordstrom Rack!"



-Saw 2/3 of one of my favorite movies, "The Last Holiday" with Queen Latifah. The message of the movie is great, live each day to the fullest, make your possibilities realitieds, etc.

-Took a nap on my couch. Ahhhhh........



-Ate one of my all time favorite recipes- Vegetable Lasagna. Sooooo good!!!!



-Found out with about 15 min notice that my sister was singing in a free concert that night with Salt Lake Choral Artists. Threw on some clothes, brushed my hair, etc so I could go with her. Since I was going early, I brought a bag of cheerios- my sister did the same. Funny! Glad I could go support her, loved the concert but in truth, I would do just about anything to get to spend time with her. She's fantastic and one of the best listeners I know. Read a good book while I was waiting for the concert to start- more about my latest reads to come..... Ate mini candy bars on the way home-she had a bag full leftover from that mornings choir rehearsal.



SUNDAY

-Dinner with family!!!! I'm embarking on a new tradition- having my siblings and their families over to my apt for dinner. Most of the time when I see them it's because i'm baby-sitting or the entire family is together. So I thought this would be a fun way to connect with them. Today was the first and I look forward to more!!! Plus- i made a really good dinner. I can say that, right???

Salsa chicken in the crockpot (I love the crockpot smell plus salsa chicken is as easy as it gets), my sister brought rolls, cantelope (sp?) (that got kinda frozen in the fridge so I ran it under hot water) Chocolate pudding (who needs a mixer) and my favorite, a salad with spinach, shrimp, strawberries, cucumber and avocado. Mmmmmmmm....
After dinner we watched home movies on dvd and got lots of laughs. My brother in law downloaded songs he'd recently recorded for me and I'm glad to have them.

Awesome. Weekend. Loved. It. And if you made it/read it- this far. Thank you :) It was kinda long I know.....

A Friendly Reminder

Just a friendly remimder-

Just wanted to remind you about my other blog- braininjurystory.blogspot.com

I haven't updated in awhile but I have now! This blog is designed as inspirational and a guide to life and those who live with or know someone who live with a disabilty. So without the message getting "out there" it's less effective.

Not that this is all about me- just a hope that this a powerful tool to help those in those kind of situations......

Your support is appreciated!

American Reflections

I am GLAD and GRATEFUL to be an American!!!! The years I have spent overseas were fun, rewarding, challenging, amazing, etc. but all those emotions do not equal the joy of returning to American soil and knowing I can call it HOME.

I am grateful for the opportunities that I have here as a woman. I am grateful that I can choose my clothes, grateful that I can choose and apply for jobs. I'm grateful that I can be single and still a fully functioning member of society. I'm especially grateful that I can pursue an education!!!!

My favorite partriotic moment: during the 2002 Olympics in SLC, I had the chance to attend a concert with guest artists and choirs. The concert was held in the Tabernacle, already a place rich in heritage and spirit. I heard the Olympic Hymn started to play and children lined the aisles in international costumes and flags. Then the climax of the Hymn began and two children began to march down the main aisle. One was holding the Olympic flag, the other the American Flag. It may seem like a small moment to some, but for me, it was an unforgettable (and speechless) moment.

I also have great respect for families who have legally entered the United States, those who have left all that they hold familiar and dear to take a leap and make a better life for their families. I encounter many such families in my line of work.
I gained this respect from learning a lesson during my year in Taiwan. I came to Taiwan, financially being able to afford to do, coming from a good home, well-educated. But because I couldn't speak/write/read a word of Mandarin, I may as well been a middle school dropout, living on the streets. I learned that I was in no place to judge those who have come here to make a better life. For all I know, they were highly educated and affluent in their home countries. It was a powerful lesson and I hope I never forget it....... (not trying to stir up political opionions here, just remembering acceptance of others......)

And They Say Being Prepared is a Good Thing......

I have operated for many years under the premise that being prepared is a good thing. Well, the other I found an exception to this idea........

I had a girlfriend over for dinner for dinner of fajitas and fruit salad. I checked ingredients before I left for work that morning, what I didn't have I picked up on my way home from work so that once I did get home...... I could just get started cooking. Cut the chicken, pepper (courtesty of my parents garden-thanks Mom!) onion (without crying-thank you very much) saute, add seasoning and water, stir, simmer.

So while that was going I put out plates, silverware, etc. Washed blueberries, washed and sliced grapes, sliced bananas. Mmmmmmm.......

Usually at this time, just before dinner, I'm running around, sweaty, trying to do 3 things at once, etc. But this time, aside from grating cheese, I was actually ready! On time.

Which explains why when I did remember about the fajitas, (I was so prepared that I'd forgotten about them) they were burned. I'm talking scrape the bottom of the pan, black stuff on the bottom of the food, onions gone from clear to blackened, etc. Out came the knives and we scraped the black of the bottom as best we could. Then we ate.

Ahhhhh...... life. At least the grated cheese, tortillas and esp the fruit salad were unscathed!

INTRODUCING..............

Dear Family, Friends and anyone else who may read this blog,

INTRODUCING....... my new blog!!!! Rest assured, this is not a 3rd blog (I do have my limits), this is to replace the believe-ability blog. It has very much the same theme-sharing my experiences of living with a disability but instead of going solo I am doing this with support and collaboration with Dr Nilsson from the Neurodevelopment Center.

Anyway...... this blog means a lot to me, sharing my experiences (disability related or not) with the hope of helping others is something that I am passionate about. And collaborating with Dr Nilsson I believe will only enhance the quality of the blog- an opportunity that's kind of a dream come true for me, actually :)

However, one goal of the blog is to share it with as many as possible. Whether you have a disability or know someone that does, will you please share this blog with them? I believe that the circle of knowing someone with a disability is much smaller than we may think.......

Also, your comments are needed and welcome! Two reasons: (1) that more people are involved and we can ALL learn from each other (2) in the near future I am planning/hoping to take my blog posts and generate into a book for publishing. So any comments, feedback, like, questions, etc. would be great!

Oh, and for privacy sake, I am writing as "Claire" Just an FYI.
And since I forgot the address (seriously, I had to go back and edit this post after I published it)
here it is: braininjurystory.blogspot.com

OK- this e-mail is plenty long , but really since when I have been at a loss for words verbal or written?????
Happy Reading!!!!!

A Room Full of Memories, Part 1

For my own journaling purposing sake here are the memories from this past year of teaching preschool........

• "It's just SO hard to be good!"
• A computer game that plays that same rock/guitar song over. And over. And over. Sometimes I would go over and change the game for them. Mean, I know but after ten minutes.......
• Eating child-sized tv dinners with gems such as cabbage, white rice, brussel sprouts, meatballs and slabs of meat so big that they had to be cut. Perfect food for 3-5 year olds....
• Parents who wanted us to call whenever their child needed a bandaid or an equally minor injury
• Playing "robot" which was me chasing them around on the playground. Robot was their idea, not mine.....
• "Teasho, teasho" Teacher, teacher
• The child was began the year taking stuff home from school (toys, scissors, etc) One time he admired my earrings and he asked, "I bring them home? Give to my Mom?" Ummmmm..... NO!
• Gifts on Christmas and Valentines Day- lots of lotions and candies/chocolates. Feel the love!
• Babble, babble, babble..... "EVERYWHERE!!!!!" Never did figure out what the first part was supposed to be.....
• Girls going to "bal-ette" (not prounouced like ballet) class and showing us what they learned, and singing "Ole, Ole" in the bathroom
• A chld who wanted to gather up random art supplies like a full sheet of turquoise tissue paper "to give to my Dada!"
• "You no gude" (good) YOU listen to ME!" Kind of like a mini-Reverend Al Sharpton!
• "You just say blah, blah, blah, all de time." (said to me)

What's Next?????

I really do have an awesome graduation post coming but I'm still trying get pics from others cameras so until then, here are my summer plans, per request.....

Enjoying one of these (a graduation gift from the the folks) so that I can train for and do another one of these- Days of 47 10k. I was hoping for another 1/2 marathon but they don't offer it. Oh, well......

Doing more of this, for pleasure, not for school!!!!

Buying a new one of these so that I can record better pics and videos of time spent with people like them......

Other notes.... I have a month long internship working in the early intervention field during June, then I'll be working the same job for last summer doing respite care for a child with autism. I've grown really close to the family (Mom and Dad are close to my age and there's 5 kids) and I'm really looking forward to it!

Come fall I'll be back working at my current school, I love what I do and also I'm currently debt free and since my employer helped pay for my tuition this past year i have a time commitment and I don't really want to to go into debt by changing jobs.......

One of the things that I most excited about is writing about my experiences of living with a brain injury. I've done some before but ths time I am doing it with the support of and affiliated with my dr and his practice. I will have some posts to show soon..... It's a tremendous opportunity
and something I really care about.... Be watching for me to send you the new blog address!!!

And to directly and succintly answer the question "What are you going to do now?" Whatever I want!!!!!!

And a HUGE thank you for all those who have given me love and support/excitement in the past few weeks/post graduation via text, facebook message, cards, etc. There have been so many times when I feel SO loved by your kind words!!!! Thank you!!!!!!

Feelings Are......

Happiness is...... Waking up on a Saturday morning with NO thoughts of homework!!!
Success is...... Graduation!!!!
Endearing is....... My 4 yr old niece Ashley wanting to know when she can play the violin like Itzak Perlman- world class, fantastic violinist....
Beautifulness is...... seeing my spinach plants thrive

Touching is....... my 10 yr old twin nephews inviting me to their birthday party (A Bee's Game on Friday)
Relaxing is....... reading books solely for pleasure (Currently my favorite genre is culinary mysteries)
Pleasantness is..... listening to my Mom's Salt Lake Symphony Concert- Swing Music Theme!!!!!
Deliciousness is......... Eating my Mom's homemade rhubarb pudding. I don't know if anyone else make rhubarb pudding but hers is still the best!!!!!
Funnyness is- remembering late last night that there was a ward dinner today, getting up early to make cookies, only to get to church and discover I was supposed to bring chips instead........

More to come as soon as I can think of them....... I'm kind of a fan of this type of post......!!!!!

Salt Lake Children's Choir

One of the definite Highlights from this weekend was participating in the Salt Lake Children's Choir Alumni Choir as part of this weekend's 30th anniversary concert.
The choir and the Litster family go way back......

The director, Ralph B. Woodward, used to live in parent's ward when I was born. He lamented that there were no quality children choirs around and so he started his own. My two oldest sisters, Melanie and Jennifer were part of the first choir and concert. Since it was so new, funds were tight, and so instead of the white robe/shirts they wear today they wore their father's white dress shirts buttoned up and backwards. But the sound was fantastic!!!!
NOTE here- children in the choir start as young as 8 years old, how many 8 year olds do you know that can even sit still for a 90 minute rehearsal and for a concert, yet sing beautifully. Do a lot of 8 year olds come to mind???? Didn't think so......

In the past 30 years, all of my parents 7 children have been in the choir, 3 of my cousins, 1 of my nieces. It is truly a family affair.
Being in the choir gave me some fantastic opportunities: I got to perform in Abravanel Hall, Cathedral of the Madeline, sing for the Governer and Salt Lake City Mayor, at my elementary school, perform on tv with artists such as Kurt Bestor and Pete Seeger, record a cd, and more, all in just 8 years!!!!

I also made some great friends, got exposed to beautiful, classical music in a variety of languages from French to Spanish to Russian, etc. But I think perhaps most importantly it gave me a valuable connection to events and people that helped me navigate through me teen years. Even though I may not have been popular at school, had poor athletic coordination, etc. I still had a connection and tremendous opportunities. What every teen needs......

Here's to the SLCC!!!! check out the website at www.childrensing.com

Weekend Highlights

This weekend was FANTASTIC!
Beginning with Friday morning, here are the highlights......

• Slept in, didn't have to be at work until ten
• Got paid for an 8 hr workday but only had to "work" by attending a 3 hr work party
• Had a catered BBQ lunch
• Visited with lots of work friends at the party
• Had my favorite hygenist at the dentist office
• NO CAVITIES!!!!!!
• Had dinner with friends at Lonestar Taqueria to celebrate my recent graduation
• Able to reunite with friends I haven't seen in awhile
• Got a fabulous hand painted picture from a dear friend
• My pork burrito was incredibly good and I didn't even spill anything like I usually do :)
• Saw "Letters to Juliet" loved it!!!!
• Enjoyed some frozen yogurt at my favorite place, "The Yogurt Stop" I totally reccomend this place.....
• Had 4 kinds of frozen yogurt and 10 different toppings- there were just too many to chose from and you pay by the ounce so.........
• Had good hair days
• Since I had no homework I had time to watch a BYU/UT softball game
• Got a 2 hr nap
• Met up with old friend at the Salt Lake Children's Choir Alumni Choir rehearsal
• Got a hug from my nephew in public
• Got compliments on my pink purse and shoes at the concert
• Met up with more old friends at the concert
• My mom got a great parking spot for the concert
• My mom came to hear me sing- she never misses anything, thanks Mom!!!!
• Concert was fantastic (more about this in a later blog post)
• Enjoyed milk shakes with Mom after the concert (mine was the peanut butter cup variety)

Life makes me smile....... How was your weekend?????

How Sweet it Is......

Yesterday morning I was on TRAX going downtown, there was a group of Boy Scouts on the train as well. All of sudden, a very handsome 12 yr old boy calls out "Heather!" comes running up to me, and gives me a big hug. My nephew Bennett was the handsome, almost 13 year old who gave me the hug and then proceeded to introduce me in front of all his friends.

OK- seriously, when your near-teenage nephew gives you a hug introduces you in front of all his friends, how sweet is that????? Love you Bennett!!!!

For My Nieces

There are a myriad of reasons why I went into the Special Education Master's Degree Program- and I am working on post to give that in more detail, I REALLY hope to get to it before graduation on Friday. We'll see.......

But for now, my motivation, and what I think about as I see myself crossing the stage on Friday, is my nieces. I have a great life and I am extremely blessed to be in such a good position financially, spiritiualy, emotionally, education-ly, healthy, etc. I have no regrets!

However...... I basically broke the family mold. My sisters all went to college, met husbands, got married, and graduated either/and/or married, engaged, pregnant or with a child. I.... have not, will not have that kind of experience. And yet I would be lying if I said that there wasn't satisifcation in doing something that none of my siblings have done, being the first makes it kinda fun.

Life is great, but you never know what is around the corner. Maybe my nieces will meet and marry young. Maybe not. Either way they have my full love and support. But maybe they will be in my position, being done with school, still single, needing to make decisions about how to create a great life for themselves, to be the family "breadwinner." Maybe they could take comfort in knowing that someone else has been in that position before. Maybe there will be a benefit to them because of my experiences.

So..... when I hear my name called on Friday and I walk across the stage,..... Annie, Sara, Lexi, Jessica, Katie, Grace, Allie, Sadie, Madeline, Lauren, Emma, Cora, Ashley..... I love you all, collectively and individually, lots and always!!! And this one's for you!!!!!!

Brain Cells at Work

So, now that I have finished grad school and rejoined the human race- it also means that I can start blogging again! Yeah!!!! It also means that I will hopefully have topics to blog about other than my preschoolers, as cute as they are........

For anyone who is still interested in my life after my 3+ month blogging hiatus- here is the latest............
For the completion of my master's degree, I was not required to do a formal thesis, but still had to do a formal presenation where I talk to 3 professors for 45 minutes, then I leave the room and they decide whether or not to pass me.

My topic was "Supporting children with Brain Injury in the Preschool Classroom" a topic that I am passionate about professionally and personally, so it made it more motivating to prepare and less stressful to present.

So, I came, I presented, they asked questions, then I went out into the hall for what was ten minutes but felt like 100 minutes.... and....... I passed!!!!!!!!!!! Not only did I pass, I passed big!!!!! My professors liked my presentation so much that they want me to give it to classes they are teaching this summer, seriously how cool is that?????

I am grateful for many things. I am grateful that I passed, I am grateful that I can get more mileage out of my presenation, I'm grateful that it all went off without any problems, and I'm grateful that my sister and niece (Deborah and Ashley) were there waiting for me and we all went to Costa Vida afterwards.

It was a very happy day........

I'm glad I don't look like you....

"I'm glad I don't look like you." Yes, a coworker actually said that to me today.
Here's the story: Started getting congested today and hoarse. Pretty much felt miserable but apparently misjudged how I looked when a co-worker said to me, "Well, I'm just glad I don't look like you. I feel sick, but you look like you look sick." I think she meant it in the kindest way, I wasn't offended- and when my co-teacher and I got back to our classroom we shared a quick chuckle.

And in fairness, I had another co-worker today ask me if I was OK because I was wandering around in a daze. You know what it's like when you're congested, right, it's like you're living underwater. You can only half hear and you can't smell much.

Now that I am home though, I am feeling much better :)
And speaking of looks.... I just got a new one! I have bangs now!!!! In case anyone was wondering......

Are you glad you don't look like me, too????

Why it's a good thing Preschoolers can't sue......

I've mentioned "Colton" in previous posts. Never a dull moment with him.......

Yesterday he was riding a trike outside on the playground when he completely ran over each of the five toes on my left foot. I guess it got him off balance because after he passed over my foot he tumbled off the trike. Don't worry, he was fine :)

His reponse: He turned around and yelled: HEY TEACHER!!!! YOU MADE ME FALL OFF MY BIKE!!!! Sure. Never mind that my toes got trike rash......

My coworker and I believe that he has a definite future as a defense attorney. His favorite phrase at school is "But teacher........" Can't you see him in a 3 piece suit, standing before the judge saying, "But your honor my client......"

So yes, it is a good thing that preschoolers can't sue for causing them to fall off their bikes, refusal to let them exercise (doing pull-ups on a heavy filing cabinet) not being able to practice faux-karate. Oh yeah, and he also thinks he is fluent in Spanish after watching episodes of "Go, Diego Go!" My favorite phrase he uses is "wapido" (rapido)

Of course, I suppose it's not preschoolers I should be concerned with, but rather over protective parents. But in this case, I think I'm safe, too......

Lots of Random

Lots of random blog posts following this one- many of them things I've been thinking about for awhile but never got around to blogging about.... Don't worry, most of them are short and you might even read something nice about yourself!!!!

Signs of True Friends

Here are some signs of true friends I've enjoyed lately.....

• Will still sit with you at a restaurant even after you exclaim in the middle of the order line, "I just need a minute!!!!"
• Give you a hat for a Christmas gift just like the one you lost!
• Send you texts just to let you know they are thinking of you
• Go with you to family parties even if they (technically) not a member of the family
• Let you borrow their vacuum cleaner and wait patiently for you to return it
• Share their ice cream sandwiches with you
• Brave snowy roads to go with you to a concert
• Laugh at your jokes
• Listen to your stories even when you change topics mulitple times in one sentence :)
• Leave comments on your blog (but if you don't you are still totally my friend!)
• Give you hugs even when you just saw them the day before
• Lend you ingredients when you need to make something for the next day and it's too late to go to the store
• Invite you to do stuff just because they were thinking of you
• Inspire you to be a better person
• Share pictures with you from their awesome camera
• Mention you on their blogs
• Play the role of a personal fashion consultant and in turn ask you for your opinion
• Validates your feelings so that you know you aren't alone

I love my friends!!!!!!!

It's Endearing......

I've added a few random blog posts- stuff I've been meaning to blog about for awhile but haven't actually done it. Don't worry, most of it is short!!!

And speaking of random, I was driving home with my brother last night after babysitting his kids. Due to true Litster fashion, he started to tell me something, said 3 or 4 other things, before getting back to his original point. Anyone who has heard me talk for a period of time is probably nodding their heads and (hopefully) smilling.

Ahhhh....... someone else who talks the way that I do. I loved it. It was endearing.

And speaking of random, one more thing I wanted to blog about...... The MLK Litster family dinner. It was a pizza party, I think we had close to 10 kinds of pizza- yum! My favorite was the homemade pizza from Depot. It had sausage, pepper, mushrooms and a nice thick crust! I made the dessert: vanilla wafers and a dip with cream cheese, butter, sugar and chocolate chips. Again- yum!!!! My friend Kerri was awesome enough and brave enough to join me. After dinner we played Uno, with about 10 different people playing, (Jake and Jenn were a team) and Addison reading the rule book and holding us to accountability. I won after nearly going out thrice before then. Good times!

Substitions

A few substitutions I've made in the kitchen lately......
A food processor can double as a mixer, especially for creaming butter and sugar. And......... who needs a spatula when you can use a cheese slicer?!?! Note: a cheese slicer from Savers not an expensive one from Europe......

From the Mouth of Babes

Things I've collected from small children lately- relatives and those that I work with......

From Alberto Cuevas- not his real name, but whenever we do games or songs where they their names, he always says his full name "Alberto Cuevas" I find it too darn cute to correct him!

From A: picking her up one day, she patted my chest and asked in all sincerity, "Why are so fluffy right here????" I quickly put her down and suggested she ask her Mom. Fluffy. That's a new one....

From Beck: he and his sister were playing at Grandma's house one afternoon while their Mom stopped. Beck wandered upstairs while Mom and Grace were cleaning up. Gma asked Beck if he would go help clean up, too. He said with all politeness and sincerity: "No, thanks!"

From Alberto: carrying an armful of blocks to put away on the shelf. "Help is on the way!!!!!"

From Ashley: Went with her family to the SL Symphony Family Concert Yesterday where Grandma was playing. Mom had told Ashley that there would be little girls there playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" Ashley misunderstood and thought that she would be one of the little girls playing in the concert. Made sure to tell Mom to bring her violin. Confusion and tears ensued. Solution: Ashley gave a little concert on stage after. She gave a beautiful performance, looking up every few measures or to see who and how many people were watching her play.

From Colton: (the aforementioned child who uses gospel teachigns to justify his behavior) "I try to be good but it's just sooooo hard!" and "I wasn't trying to kick them, I was just trying to get away" and "I wasn't yelling. I was just talking loud!"

In Love..... With a Food Dehydrator

As previously mentioned, I recieved a food dehydrator for Christmas. And I absolutely love it!!! I love that it preserves fruit and veggies. I love that it is easy to clean. But most importantly...... I love that it is easy to use!!!! I just wash, dry, cut the fruit, put it on the trays, put the lid on, plug it in and let it go!!!!

Of course, there are a couple of catches: You have to have enough food to dehydrate or it kind of defeats the purpose because the pieces get smaller when they get dried. And.... I have to plan out time to dehydrate, (ie- be home in time to turn it off so that it doesn't get too dry......)

Still, I love it. So far I've done apples, apricots and tomatoes. Next up: bananas!!!!
I just don't see "canning" in my future, but I see lots of dehydrating!

I've Always Wondered.....

I LOVE the show, "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" Seriously, I do. Each week the story seems to get better than the week before. But I've always wondered something...... How do they manage to build such a large house/yard on what may have previously been very small property???
Do they buy existing/neighboring properties and tear them down? Is having a big property a requirement for the show in the first place? Do they build up really high to compensate?
Does anyone know the answer to this? Or want to venture a guess????

More Holiday Mems....

Here are more holiday mems for you blog reading pleasure......

• Playing the Wii. Dad gave Mom the entire Wii package and we had a lot of fun playing and a lot of time playing it! I'm best at bowling, Ok at baseball, stink at tennis but I'm OK with that...... Plus, it was a lot of fun to create our own "Mii"
• Speaking of the Wii, Carter was very entertaining to watch bowl. He has a very distinctive style. Wind the arm up several times, like pitching baseball, jump and down and back and forth before letting go..... But his style totally works! The ball gets just enough of a curve... My favorite Carter Wii moment was on New Years Eve, when all the adults were upstairs and I ran downstairs to get something and saw him playing tennis. One human, two players, one remote for each hand.... How anyone managed to serve the ball is a mystery to me...
• Actually sitting down with M and D and watching the entire "It's a Wonderful Life" on tv. Usually one of more of us is busy doing something and/or, I fall asleep :)
• Santa brought me a head massager this year. Ahhhhh...... It's basically built like a wire whisk without ends attached. We took turns passing it around, we tried on Sara's hair, but couldn't get it through her hair. Grace thought it would be fun to plop it on people head's her Dad's included, like a hat, clap her hands and say, "Oh, SO cute!!!!"
• Other fun moments: watching Mr Bean's Christmas (we're big fans of Mr Bean)my neices introduced me to "Black Knight" but I was too sleepy to stay engaged in it. Sorry, girls! Ashley wearing a matching outfit, Grace wearing her "swim shirt" over her clothes, Wickman trying to get Uncle Jim's swedish fish
• It was a culinary themed Christmas for me, with gifts such as food dehyhdrator, crockpot, Biggest Loser Cookbook, from M and D, worldwide ward cookbook from Ang and Dave. Gave the Susan Boyle Cd and real simple magazine subscription to Cristine and Shawn. All of the siblings got 2 books from Mom and Dad: the peacegiver (LOVE that book) and Joseph Smith Papers, volume 1.

• Christmas Eve breakfast with Marchelle. I love our monthly breakfasts!!!! We ate at Jason't Deli, shared a breakfast pizza, omelet and fruit. Exchanged gifts: a journal (with personality) for me and a Macey's grocery store gift card for Marchelle. Went clothes shopping for gifts for her Mom
• Watching BYU basketball, esp the game where Jimmer Fredette scored a record 49 pts vs AZ!!!!!
• Sleeping, napping, more sleeping.........
• Time with my friend Taresa, who moved to Midvale from BYU I to do her student teaching. We played the Wii, went for a walk, watched movies (Holiday Inn and IQ) and visited- the most fun of all!!!!
• New Years Eve with M and D and the Neerings. We played the Wii, watched the ball drop and had melted chocolate chips with marshmallows, apples, and pretzel sticks. And maybe more things that I forgot...... Oh yeah, and hot chocolate was involved, too..... Made dinner with my new crockpot and ward cookbook, made a chicken pot pie-type dish, except there was no pie crust.......
• Reading lots of good books from the library, including the 700+ pg "The Undaunted" (Lund) "Before the Dawn" (Hughes) "On the Street where you Live," (Higgins-Clark) and "Cream Puff Murder" (Fluke)

Happy Holidays, All!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holiday Mems...... Part 1

So, though, technically the "Holidays" have passed, the happiness of it all is still fresh in my mind and I wanted to make sure I recorded the memories. PLUS I have really missed updating! Granted, some of these you "had to be there for" but I hope you enjoy regardless!
Oh, and by Holiday's I mean "anytime in December" and the events are not necessarily in chronological order!!!! Again, it's long. Don't say I didnt' warn you......

• Mom and Dad's Nativity Open House for the neighborhood- I lost track of how many navities my mom has.... over 100? The majority of the nativities came from the Philippines (Christmas is HUGE there) but they also come from Germany, Israel, New Mexico, homemade, and Italy. There's also a collection of specially made Santas from place's anyone in the family has lived, served a mission, or where our ancestors hail from: the Santa's include: Norway, Denmark, Chile, Argentina, USA, Taiwan, Peru and Ecaudor. Plus the refreshements were fabulous: Costco muffins, cheese and crackers, Mom's special wassail, chocolate truffles, etc. MMMMMMMM..............
• 25th Annual Midvale's Handel Messiah: Mom directed, David and Deborah both sang solos, Dad, Aunt Suzan and I sang in the choir, David, Mom, Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Joe played in the orchestra. I really felt the message and spirit of the Messiah and the life of the Savior sink into me, especially singing about how he was despised and rejected of men and yet took all of our sins upon him. It was beautiful..... And, as has become tradition, Hot chocolate and toast with Mom and Dad and Depot at M & D's that night
• BYU football Las Vegas Bowl game: I really get into BYU football games. When they are playing well, anyway. When they're losing, not so much....... Thankfully, this time they were playing well early on so me and my stomach were completely relaxed and I didn't even have to wait until halftime to eat!!!! The guest of honor was 3 week old niece, Coralea Elizabeth Litster, baby sister to 3 older brothers. She is absolutely precious with lots of dark hair- but I didn't hold her too much because I tend to yell, loudly and a lot, during games and I didn't want to scare her..... Another highlight was seeing 14 month old Lexi walking and signing things like "please, more, and cracker" The best part, besides a dominating 44-20 over a PAC-10 team???? Having all the family together :)
• Another highlight from the bowl game- sending my nephews into hysterics! During halftime my sister and husband had to deliver neighbor gifts, they took Ashley, I told them I'd keep an eye on Carter. I went downstairs to the family room and found about 8 of my nephews ages 7-12 gathered in a circle on the couches, being led by Bennett, talking about...... something. I teasingly asked Carter if he was behaving himself, Bennett asked, with a glint in his eye..... what if he's not? To which I said, "Then I'll have to hug him and kiss him!" I then proceeded to go around the circle trying to hug and kiss each boy. Jacob and Errol were receptive, but the rest of them covered themselves, shrieking and curling into balls- but we were all laughing, too!
• Attending cousin Brent Morley's fabulous Jazz Christmas concert, "Not Forgotten Carols" Loved the music, loved see so many family there, loved it all!

• An AWESOME trip to Moab with my dear friend Kerri. She totally rocks! And we packed a LOT into a 2 day, 1 night trip. We went to the Moab temple, saw the sights at Canyonlands and met a straightfaced ranger who suggested we "drive down the road.....and look at the sights" , ate at an "off the beaten path" diner with good but very interesting clientle, got amazing ice cream cones and new Moab hoodies, saw tons of arches: double arch, shoe arch, delicate arch, the 3 gossips, survived a serious spray of salt from a snow plow on the road home. Seriously, I don't think more fun could have happened!
• AND..... I ran in the the Moab 10k and beat my previous best my 10 minutes!!!! My new best is 1 HOUR, 32 SECONDS! For real! It was freezing, though, somewhere in the 20's, I think.... Even though I layered it took me until about mile 3 to feel like my toes and fingers were not being pinched by lobster claws- how's that for a vivid description??? Kerri supported me and met me and the finish line- that's the kind of amazing friend she is!
• Christmas Eve Breakfast with Marchelle- we have a tradition of going out to breakfast together once a month to catch up. We take turns choosing the restaurants. So far we've been to Kneaders, Ihop, Village Inn, Denny's, Belgian Waffle, and this time, Jason's Deli. We usually get two breakfast entrees and share/split. I loved going out and catching up with her, love that she listens to me and laughs at my jokes, love her insights into the Gospel and Life. And, not to be sappy but.... everytime we do this, I like to think that Grandpa and Grandma Morley are watching and that they are happy we are together. Grandpa always seemed to be the happiest when his family was together. And..... got a fabulous new journal from Marchelle, she has such a knack for picking out one that I'll like- one with "style".

The end for now.... stay tuned for part 2!!!!