Cause and Effect

First of all, I need to report that friend Joe Baer came home from rehab yesterday! After 2 months of ICU and a rehab center! He's looking good....still has to wear the turtle shell to walk for another month hoping his back will fuse correctly. Boy, this has been a long haul. Took dinner tonight so I got to visit for awhile. I've missed my friend Brendalyn this summer. No water aerobics. No pool therapy. But hopefully they'll soon find a new normal.

That's what we are all seeking,isn't it? Gone are the days when life was predictable!


I've been having tooth problems for about 1 1/2 years. I don't know of anyone who loves the dentist...I actually love my dentist but I HATE going. (My dentist is actually my friend Jan's son.) He did a root canal on one of my molars about 6 months ago. Frankly, the tooth hasn't quit
aching since. And not only that tooth, but it seems my whole mouth has been alive. It isn't constant but almost. It will ache in one area or several areas then calm down. When I went back for my 6 month cleaning, I told him that my mouth was in trouble. He thought it was the tooth next to the one he fixed...and thought it needed a root canal...and suggested I might want to go to an endodontist.

So....I went yesterday planning on another root canal. Just shoot me.

He asked what was going on with my mouth. He took x-rays. He asked me questions. He fiddled around with my jaw and my cheeks and my head and my neck. He was quite entertaining (I liked him alot)

Then he told me he wasn't going to do a root canal. I didn't need it.

It said....

my problem wasn't with my teeth....it is with me!

My jaws are in stress! I said, "You mean I'm working them too much eating and talking?"

He laughed. No, apparently (what a surprise!) I'm stressed and it is affecting my mouth. I'm clinching and it is causing problems.

So, no root canal! Yeah!

Instead, this is what I get to do:

Attractive, isn't it?

And guess what? It doesn't cost a thing!

(My endodontist is my new best friend!)

"Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet." Anonymous

Surprise

Yesterday was BFF Cathy's birthday. She HATES surprise parties. Well, surprise parties for her.


Well, SURPRISE!!!





Her daughter Erica and DILs Julie and Lori called me with the party in mind. I just smiled since technically "I" wasn't the one responsible. But it was at my house. And I did make yummies. But if she was going to be mad, certainly I wasn't the one who would incur the wrath.....








The menu:


Tuscan Bread Salad


Lime Cilantro Avocado and Chicken Salad


Savory Breads


cherries in pouches


both lemonade and raspberry lemonade





Dessert:


Lemon ricotta cookies


Lemon cream cupcakes


Lemon bars


(are you seeing a pattern here?)


and ta-da- Almond Joy Cake cut in bars

The decor was lemon-based (surprise!) Lemons filled jars on tables, held food identifying sticks. Jars also held lemon-colored candies. All in all, truly wonderful. Delightful.

Cathy was surprised and loved every minute of it! The invitations came with a special card for the recepient to fill out with special memories of Cathy. They will be made in a book with pictures of the party so Cathy can always remember so many that love her. (and what we look like since we're getting so old we're starting to forget!)

Lemon sugar scrubs were the party favor. Yum!

Recipes on the cooking blog!

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them but that they seize us!" Ashley Montagu

Sports Day!

Saturday was truly a sports day. I was off early across the valley for kiddos games. I thought I could hit 3 in a row but unfortunately, Hallee Babe's schedule was in error and she ended up playing during Addi's first game so we divided and conquered. But here is cute Hallee Babe. (I missed her game but still jumped up and down when I heard she made a goal!)

Little Miss Addi-tude was excited to play in her first game. She showed the boys what she was made of and even scored a goal!

Still ever the princess, she insisted on girlie flourishes to her soccer socks.


Parker's game was next....a much further field...and dang! No picture of him. Picture the goalie with wild shirt and gear. The goal is HUGE at this age group so being a goalie is always stressful. They should think to ask the moms if they want their child to be a goalie! Gracie also had a game later in the day that I had to miss. I'm sure all of T and T's kids had games as well.

Love these kiddos!

Saturday night was date night with Cathy and Kirk. We are still celebrating Cathy's birthday and just planned dinner but the guys wanted to go see the big rivalry game between two of our local high schools. (Alta vs. Bingham) (Traditionally call the Black and Blue game...since black one of Alta's school colors and blue is Bingham's) One of the boys in the Ward plays on Alta so we saw lots of the neighborhood there for support. It was held, not at the high school stadium but at Rice Eccles stadium which is the stadium for the University of Utah and where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics took place. I bet there were about 20,000 people there! Quite the party! Good thing I had Cathy there to chat with (because you know me and sports....) We clapped and cheered when we were suppose to, reminisced about high school. Brandi was a high school cheerleader for Alta and we attended most of the games for those years and Travis played his first year in high school....so this was kind of fun to go back in time. My cousins Sharon's daughter Nicole dances with Alta's drill team and they performed at half time. One of the stars of Alta's football team (he made two of the touchdowns) is a boy that lives in son Travis' ward and he has worked with forever in Young Mens'. Travis was there at the game with his two little guys. The game really riled up the last few minutes with Alta pulling into the lead for the first time. I thought we had it in the bag but with 17 seconds on the clock, Bingham scored. Dang! (Didn't get the picture of the final score...)

This is how Nash viewed the end of the game. Oh wait? Was that snoring I heard?

Boston didn't end with much enthusiasm either! They both must take after their grandmother!

What a good dad!

Sunrise

Yesterday when I got up, this is what greeted me out my front door. Instantly it filled my soul with gratitude...and hope.



"To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it." Mother Teresa





"Hope is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativity, confusion , and of course fear. " Dieter F. Uchtdorf

What's Going On

Travis got interested in bow hunting a couple of years ago. Watching Travis with a new hobby is always interesting. He never does anything half mast but jumps enthusiastically into whatever crazy thing he's doing at the moment. He hasn't had much success (but a lot of fun and stories) until this past week. Tenille finally told him to just GO the mountains and don't come home until he got his elk. I think she's been tired of him constantly wanting to go. So he did....and two days out -success. The cool thing about this story is that Travis landed his elk late at night....made phone calls to his buddies (his mules...) and they headed up and found him to help get the dang thing out of the mountains and into the truck. They got home about 2:00 a.m. I was impressed.

Thursday night BFF Cathy and I went out for dinner and errands. Her birthday is coming up but she's going out of town next week...so it was our pre-birthday celebration. Our husbands were on a scout activity so we were alone. I love how easy and enjoyable it is to have great friends. No drama. We have so many years of friendship, we're like wearing comfy jeans or old slippers. Just great. I feel blessed to have Cathy in my life. Blessed to be surrounded by good women, great friends.

So, our hubbies did get to go up in this huge fueling plane Thursday night during a refueling exercise with a fighter jet. I think the dads were more excited to go than the kids.

Speaking of scouting, I'm pretty sure that when David was asked to be scoutmaster, no one mentioned to me that I WOULD BE ONE AS WELL! Actually, I'm just the KP help. ANOTHER camping trip this weekend. The camping merit badge requires some insane number of campouts in one year. It is monthly. I cooked pork roasts all night in yummy spices for pulled pork burritos for Friday's camp dinner. Each campout I'm out shopping and packing food. I'm pretty sure I should be getting a merit badge for something! (probably for whining and complaining!) (though I really don't mind.)

The day before yesterday I made a batch of apricot jalapeno jelly. It turned out great. I didn't burn myself up handling the jalapeno. All in all, success. Yesterday I went to Valene's and we made pepper jellies out the wazoo. Pepper jelly. Cranpeno jelly. Blackberry pepper jelly. Mixed berry pepper jelly. I laughed and said if the world comes to an end soon (with the economy)- at least we'll have jellies for fabulous appetizers!







This morning up early to head to kiddos soccer games. Brandi has 4 kids playing today-whew! Addi is playing in her first game. I got her a little t-shirt last week (she's the only girl on her team so far) that said, "Yeah, I kick like a girl. Jealous?"




"Enjoy life. This isn't a dress rehearsal."

Wed.

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer." Albert Camus




Our winter this past year was brutal....and our spring and summer have been discombobulated. (Did I make up that word? I love it!) Everything is coming late or later. We were having spring in June and now, the real summer and heat has just begun as the kiddos are starting back to school. This year has taken its losses and I'm trying to not concentrate on things that are gone, but the lessons that I've learned. Everyone seems to be having difficult things going on in their lives, usually more than one hard thing at a time. I'm thankful for wonderful friends and family that sustain during the lows. During difficult times, I think we learn how strong we can be, where weaknesses lie, what to let go of, when to hold on tight.




I've been missing my funny friend, Kathy with a K. She and her hubby are serving a mission in Africa. I love getting her emails each week sharing her African experience, the highs and the lows (and the dang scary things- like policeman that are corrupt, the poverty, driving chaos) (but she is in love with the people, the music, serving.)

As Kathy teaches English classes, she often resorts to music. (which she doesn't do!) She said it is hysterical teaching them body parts with the song, "heads, shoulders, knees and toes." I bet it is even funnier since Kathy gets confused. Easily. How I miss her antics!

Canning is on my mind (although I really hate to can.) Friend Valene and I are getting together on Friday to make some pepper jellies. I'm also thinking of making some caramel apple butter in a crock pot to can. Does that even sound good? If anyone out there is canning, what are you canning?

This week for neighborhood meals I served ham and cheese quiche, watermelon (I'm gonna be so sad when watermelon season is over!)...and this yummy custard pie which I top with fresh berries. The pie is called an impossible pie...made with a little Bisquick and is truly one of our favorite desserts and so easy. You make it in a blender, pour it into a pie plate and bake. (I cooked this one a titch too long...the top should be just golden brown. I would make another to photograph but it is too big of a temptation. I kept cutting slivers and David ate it for breakfast and dinner.) Recipe on the cooking blog.

Saturday was Miss Rylee's birthday. I was so excited that she was finally turning 10...only to learn she was really turning 9. (my brain drives me CRAZY!) She is actually 9 going on 16. I love this beautiful girl. She had a soccer tournament all weekend (Adidas Cup)....and Saturday they took the tournament. Here is the team afterwards singing her happy birthday.

"The more we express our gratitude to God for our blessings, the more He will bring to our minds other blessings. The more aware we are of things to be grateful for, the happier we become." Ezra Taft Benson

Photo Meme

This is a meme I did several years ago and thought I would repost-

Who are you?

What Do You Do?

Plan Easter/Spring Egg Hunts

Eat Like a Horse

Dress my girlies up and take them to Gardner Mill in October...

Ride herd on a bunch of kiddos (and buy Christmas jammies!)






sometimes write......





but paint much more.......

hang out with girlie friends.....and laugh.


funky shopping- like at the Farmer's Market

Who Do You Miss?

My father-in-law

and certainly not in the same way, but I miss Jenny the Dog stories...

What Do You Love?

My Savior....and anything spiritual


snowmen


nummy stuff...


and...what I need is a new picture of our family. Now!!!
I love my husband and kids and kiddos!

What You Are Not-

Buff

Organized

a liar ...I don't believe in fibs either.

Where Have You Been-


Well, here are just a few of my favorite places-

Lake Powell is our family sanctuary

to Garmish, Germany with David and Kirk and Cathy

Jamaica- our first Big trip as young marrieds

Guatemala...to pick up our son from his mission

to Hawaii and Mexico with family and friends....I want to plan another family trip somewhere awesome....

to Paris....with girly friends

Costa Rica with David and Kirk and Cathy

(I wish I could step back into all of these pictures and just experience the sweetness of the reality of them...)