Mom, I got it.

Today was another first, T bone's first day of seventh grade. I woke him up at 6:10 (ouch!). French toast and the big decision of what to wear behind him, I asked if I could walk with him to the bus stop. He looked at me and said "Mom, I got it."

I looked at him for a long moment and said "Ok, have a great day." In my mind I asked - please, can I just hug you once and sniff your smell - searching for, but knowing I won't find that fresh baby scent or the playful little boy dirt smell, but the current one of cologne (!) and deodorant! Another little man out the door and I am praying like crazy that the world will be kind, he will remember to CTR and will always want to talk with me.

Another bandaid to the heart until it heals, again.

S.S. Gourmet

I served dinner tonight (8:40 pm) to my football boys after practice. Knowing that T bone has his "sevie" orientation at middle school tomorrow, I thought brain strengthening salmon was in order (mmm, salmon with lime dressing, fresh steamed green beans, red grapes, applesauce and chocolate milk). His response to dinner on the table was "WOW, this looks like S.S. Gourmet!"

I am not sure what that says about the rest of the food we eat since I have never had this title to any other dinner I have made, but I was glad he was so excited to eat. It makes this sometimes drudgery of cooking yet another meal worthwhile when there is so much excitement to dig into what is set out on the table.

It seems like my cooking enjoyment comes and goes in waves... luckily we are riding high on the cooking wave right now. Last night was a "strong 10" which is as perfect as any food will ever get around here - thanks T bone. I made the kids a strawberry watermelon smoothie. Trust me it tastes as good as the name sounds.

2 cups strawberries, cut in half
2 cups watermelon, no seeds
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cups ice (I used more, I like a thicker, icy drink)

Blend and serve. I froze the leftover for a slushie today for Patch after school.
That easy and that good!


I am looking to try an oriental beef and broccoli in my crock pot this weekend...

Cache County

Ky and EJ have a incredible view of the Logan Temple from their apartment.

(can't remember how to delete photos, so this one stays)

Patch and I traveled up north to Logan to spend a fun day with Ky on her day off. For the first half of the drive, we listened to a book on tape, The Magic Treehouse "Pirates Past Noon". This was a Wendy's Kids Meal prize - finally something worthwhile. Patch was anxious to see Ky and download some of her good music to her new ipod. Being the animal lover that she is, Patch hoped to see "Miss Kitty", the very friendly black cat that lives two houses down from Ky and EJ (luckily we saw her and petted and petted her!). I enjoy getting these two sisters together, the relationship that they have is so close regardless of the 11 year age difference.

We arrived in time to go to lunch at Chilis with the newly weds before EJ had to go to work. There is a new Hobby Lobby in Logan and so we shopped around that very BIG store. It seemed to me that everything was 50% off, so we had to take advantage of the good sales and purchase some cute picture frames. I walked quickly by the Christmas section, that is so wrong in July.

Ky took us to the Logan "mall" and we had a fun time poking around the stores there. We enjoyed sampling the smells at Bath and Body Works, ohhing and ahhing over the webkinz at Hallmark and checking out the latest back to school fashions at AE. A haircut was in order for Ky so we chatted with her while her hair was washed and cut - 4 inches came off!

While she was gone to take some dinner to EJ on his break, I washed up her dishes. Alas, no dishwasher. (When Patch first heard they didn't have a dishwasher she very seriously asked how they were going to be able to wash their dishes. Hmmm. My bad.) Ky said not to worry about doing the dishes, but, hey! their dirty dishes are FUN! Two cute spoons, two cute forks, two cute cups and plates. My dirty dishes are not fun. Too many and too many wander through the house.

Time flew by with watching some of the olympics, getting a Sonic drink, figuring out what wedding pics to choose for her wedding album, grocery shopping, chinese take out for dinner... by this time it was close to 10 pm and I decided to get a hotel room instead of driving home late. I didn't think too much about this but as it turned out, a hotel room, a motel room, any available room in and around Logan was not to be. The international satellite convention at USU was in town (I didn't know!) and all the rooms were taken.

We cozied down on the couch - unplanned sleepover for Patch, she was so excited - in Ky and EJ's apartment and slept the night away. Waking up, I skimmed the Rachel Ray magazine and saw the recipe for Apple scones... sounded good... something Ky had wanted to try... just needed some half and half from the store (and a toothbrush). Ky and I made scones and enjoyed quietly visiting over breakfast. Soon it was time to go... we loved our Logan adventure and can't wait to go visit again.

Glad for family

I dropped in to pick up some apricots (jam time!) from sister last Thursday. It was one of those days where the wrongs of the world lay heavily on my shoulders. Physically, my feet were dragging and my heart was heavy. So glad I stopped by... she had Five 5 gallon buckets of apricots to can herself and she was with out help. I sat and began to help pop them open and soon became calm with that repetitive movement. I could sit quietly, nice when conversation is not required and you don't feel wierd about the silence, and think and ponder and deal with the stuff churning through my mind. She had her wok out and cooked me up a delicious stir fry with garden fresh veggies that were very tasty.
It was a good ending to the day and I am so glad she lives close by.
Thanks.

Glad the day is over

Whew, finished teaching a Relief Society lesson today. I feel drained now and mentally 10 lbs. lighter. Tomorrow I will be able to pick up my life where I dropped it in preparation for this lesson (although Saturday evening I was making a batch of apricot jam knowing those apricots were no going to stay good until Monday).


The lesson was called "Living a Christ-Centered Life". This is something that I think about a lot, those refining points of the gospel that can, at times, be tough to hold onto during the week when life is coming at you with both guns blazing. Isn't it true how the teacher always seems to gain the most from the lesson? I did.

Some of my favorite thoughts and quotes...

For most of us, trying to be Christlike is a lifelong process and comes "line upon line, precept upon precept"

At any point in time the changes are almost imperceptible; indeed, many of us worry we are not becoming more Christlike even though we are.


2 Nephi 31:18-21


"Christ knows us and is the source of the Spirit’s promptings. He knows how to help us become Christlike. He knows if the lesson needs to be on faith or love or patience or diligence. The Savior’s power is also sufficient to help us grow from grace to grace and to receive grace for grace until we become perfect in Him." (Elder Bateman, 99)


"To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: "Keep the commandments"—nothing more, nothing less." (Elder Uchtdorf, 95)


The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives—as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business, and in our recreation.