Bon Appetit on Steriods!

Last night we had Bon Appetit at the Cook's.  Valene cooked an amazing Mediterranean dinner (from a Bon Appetit 2004).  Just over the top!  Just look at these pictures!

White Bean Puree with Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Pita Slices

 Skewered Rosemary Shrimp with Mint Pesto

Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Herbs and Asparagus

 

 

 Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Gratin

 

 

  My offering for dessert paled in comparison.  Magic Layer Lemon Cake with Raspberries

 

Recipes forthcoming on the cooking blog!!!

It's Spring!

Just to bring a smile to your face.  Did I mention it is SPRING??????

Paradise Pie (Chilies Knock-Off Recipe)

Dinner Saturday night at Olsen's.  Kirk smoked then grilled steaks and veggies.  I took Blue Cheese Clowslaw and bread and this killer Paradise Pie (like the one you get at Chilies)! a- coconut and caramel and chocolate and hot fudge- Oh My!   Recipe on the cooking blog!

 

 

Waking Up to Spring!!!!!

Happy St. P-day and Stuff

 

It's been a busy week kid watching.  Well, not so much watching as being with.  Brandi and Doug got to go to New Orleans for a conference for school so each day, after school, I got to go hang out with the kiddos.  We played a million games, decided on what take-out for dinner, ran errands, had scripture study (which I soooo love with the kids!) and tuck-ins for bedtime.  (Addi is the only one that lets me tuck her in.)  Each day I was just filled with love for these kids. I'm a lucky grammie.

 

Monday night some of us got to go out and celebrate Peyton's birthday.  Can't believe this little guy (used to be Chubba Wubba but he's not chubba anymore...) is 6!  I got him such cool balloons- unfortunately they came untied at the pizza place and got hung up in the fans and ceiling and he never really got them!  Bummer!  We were so happy that Cousin Casey and Megan and Aunt Pat could come!  We've missed them!!!!!

 

 

 So, right when I'm about winding up with Brandi's kiddos, Tenillie calls to see if Sadie can come and stay a few days!  Fun!!!!  They all had ball tournaments in St. George and Las Vegas- and Sadie had a dance performance here tonight and then she'll join them tomorrow.  She loved going to hang out with her cousins and we loved bedtime on her sofa....then a scavenger hunt to find her lunchables for school lunch, then celebrating her birthday early (it's tomorrow, the 19th) and of course, St. Patrick's Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Too tired to turn the picture upside.  Love you Sadie Jo!!!! With everything else, we had dance class and gymnastics and I was a running fool. So last night, at 10:00- we're finally home and Sadie panicked!  Would the Leprechaun be able to find her at our house?????  I asked her what the Leprechaun did.  She said he scatters confetti all over and hides their green buckets and gold coins are everywhere plus treats.  I said....."No, pretty sure he's showing up in St. George!"  Ha!

 
Sadie and I did have fun making some St. Patrick's Day gifts for people I visit/ home teaching friends.  We got green nail polish and put it with confetti in a little bag with a tag that said "Anti-Pinch Polish."  We also filled another basket full of "green things" for another friend. 

Tonight I made an impromptu St. Paddy's day dinner.  You can't make it quick and easy although it is easy.  The corned beef took 90 minutes in a PRESSURE COOKER!  I've  never cooked anything that long!  Corned Beef and Cabbage and Red potatoes and Carrots.  Pretty good but I'm looking forward to tomorrow and a fabulous Reuben Sandwich!  I also made a Blue Cheese Coleslaw that was easy and delicious!  Recipe on the cooking blog.

 

 

I love (not) this Snapchat with gold coins for St. Patrick's Day.  They have BudLight stamped on them!!!!

Quotes

Quotes I printed for my RS lesson:

Know Ye not that ye are in the HANDS OF God?  Mormon 5;13

 

Each FAITH- filled step will be MET with Help from Heaven.

                                                                                  Randall K. Bennett

When you do your Part, the LORD adds HIS POWER to your efforts. Henry b. Eyring

 

We can DO hard things.  Elaine Dalton

 

We need WOMEN who teach fearlessly.  Russell M. Nelson

 

You are not CALLED to serve in a place.  You are called to serve in PLACE of the Savior.

 

As YOU draw nearer to the Lord, He will GUIDE you to become the best version of yourself.  M. Russell Ballard

 

The Lord will reward and richly bless you as you humbly and prayerfully serve Him,  more happiness AWAITS you than you have ever ExPERIENCED as you serve among HIS children.  Preach My Gospel

Your faith will grow not by chance, but by choice.  Neil L. Anderson

 

President Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth president of the Church, said, “When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed. . . . The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature . . . , and changed men [and women] can change the world.”⁶ 

Years ago, Elder M. Russell Ballard issued a clarion call to the sisters of the Church when he said: “Between now and the day the Lord comes again, He needs women in every family, in every ward, in every community, in every nation who will step forward in righteousness and say by their words and their actions, ‘Here am I, send me.’   “My question is, ‘Will you be one of those women?”  Linda K. Burton

The Lord knows you. He knows your heart and is pleased with your sacrifice. He smiles upon you each day. He will uphold you and prepare the way for you. He will send His angels before you. You will feel their presence. And with the help of heaven, your talents will be multiplied. Deiter F. Uchtdorf

By helping OTHERS come UNTO HIM, you will find that you have COME UNTO HIM yourself.  Henry. B. Eyring

Don't worry about how inexperienced you are or think you are, but think about what, with the Lord’s help, you can become
Henry B. Eyring

 

You hold in your hands the happiness of more people that you can imagine.  Henry B. Eyring

 

Keep trying.  Keep trusting. Keep believing.  Keep growing.  Heaven is CHEERING you on today, tomorrow and FOREVER!  Jeffry Holland

Catching Up

Wow- this past week or so has just flown by.  Here's what's been going on:

- David has too much time on his hands.  He gets checking interest rates and decides we need to re-finance AGAIN.  Although he loves a lower interest rate lock-in. I think he secretly likes seeing me frantically kick into action and start CLEANING!!!!  Oh my.  Just exhausting.  Luckily it got called off but I did get several rooms and closets under control.  Not everything but it is a start.  I always work (only work)(work best) under pressure.....

-went and watched our Sadie Jo-Jo in her first dance competition at Thanksgiving Point.  She is such a fun dancer and Miss Personality- and they took first in all their categories.  It brought me back to young mom days- ALL the millions of hours at dance/drill performances. 

- T and T gave me two tickets to see the Broadway show of Matilda!!!!!  Niece Mallorie got me hooked on Matilda- and I love to call her husband Sam a "twit".  We have the movie in the car and when we've gone on long trips with the kiddos, we play Matilda over and over.  David has heard every word and never seen the film.

Anyway, Tenille and Rylee saw Matilda on Broadway so I got to take Brandi.  We had a great date with dinner afters (Oh Mi)  (not Oh My delicious, but Oh Mi- a favorite Vietnamese restaurant that Vietnamese people think is yucky.  It's sooo good.)


- celebrated my birthday over a month late with Funny Kathy and Valene. Valene has been on a cruise with other friends and Hawaii with her girls.   Funny Kathy on a cruise with all her kids and spouses, then several "other friend trips.  Me?  I'm just a slug/nurse that gets to stay home.  We went to a fun corner deli that has great reviews called The Straw Market.  We loved it!  I love our time together- we laugh and share and uplift.

-worked at the temple a ton.  Besides my Wednesdays, I have subbed another couple of Saturdays.  I had some amazing spiritual experiences that I will share later. 

- date night with Brendalyn and Joe.  Dinner at Bonsai then a movie at their house. (Inferno).

- date night with Cathy and Kirk.  They made a wonderful salmon dinner at their home (my home) and then we played Qwix. 

-David is recovering.  Today he taught Sunday School.  He began with- "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  He clarified by saying the best of times is that he is out of his sling.  The worst of times means he is back in a tie.

One of my favorite scriptures from today's lessons:  And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.

I think that is the challenge for all of us- there are so many fun and distracting things in the world- to choose those things that lift and edify and serve.

- and Yes! Yes! Yes!  I finally got a new dryer.  I have been doing upstairs/downstairs laundry for a year.  My big wonderful new washer upstairs floods the floor when it drains.  We have had the drain pumped but there must be another issue.  The dryer downstairs has been broken, so I wash the clothes downstairs and lug them all wet and heavy (isn't my life so sad) upstairs to dry.  But now!!!!!  Life is grand.  (I was telling my Filipino friend about when we were first married and in school so long and had a water bed and a card table and 3 mis-matched folding chairs and that was all.  I said, "We were so poor and yet so happy"  to which she thoughtfully replied, "And your poor would have been rich to others."  So humbled.  And that is so true. )

- taught Relief Society last week- I love to study and prepare.  It was a great day! (quotes from lesson posted separately) 

- lost my Weight loss challenge.  Talk about off the band wagon.  Need to hop back on....

-lots of other good stuff.  Fun visiting teaching lunch with Elsa and Gayle.  Fireside at Lynda Raddon's about the miracles of printing of the Bk. of Mormon.  Fascinating. 

- made plane reservations to visit my dad at the end of the month.  Miss him!

-also booked the next Charm Girl trip in September.  This year we are going to Gearhart Oregon which is north of Seaside.  Nothing like a week of craziness to look forward to!!!!!

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I'm so lucky I have such friends in my REAL LIFE!  So blessed!!!!