Influential Women in Scouting Award

My mother was presented the Influential Women in Scouting award at a special dinner Friday evening.


Mom got to walk up on stage and they said nice things about her. She shook important peoples hands and was presented the medalian by the Service Master of the Utah National Parks Council President.

Jean A Stenens the First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency was the guest speaker. I tried to get a picture of her speaking but instead I got a really nice picture of the lady in the blond wig sitting in front of me.

My Aunt Marty called me out of the blue and asked if I wanted to accompany her to the event. I really wanted to go but I didn't have the money for the dinner or a way to get there. I couldn't afford to take all the kids and the gas money to get down there would put us over the budget. Luckily Aunt Marty was persistent and graciously offered to pay for my dinner. Then Mike mentioned that he was going down Saturday for an all day Aikido seminar at the Univ. of Utah. We worked it out and he decided to drive down early Friday and spend the night at my moms then I could hang out with her while he went with the big kids to the seminar, then drive home together.



My mom was also gifted these lovely Baroque Pearls.


It just so happens that Brent my younger taller brother was in town too. He didn't have his scout uniform so he found one in the closet at my moms. It didn't have all the patches in the right place and he was an embarrassment to all scouters so I tried to stay far away from him. He made sure that he always stood next to me so people would think we were married and then think that his wife wasn't very good at sewing his patches on. Really he could have worn one of his brothers complete uniforms instead of being so stubborn and silly. It was a good time hanging out with him. He drove me up to SLC the next day to meet up with my real husband that probably would have pulled the same uniform stunt if he could.

We ate pulled pork sandwiches, pork and beans, potato salad and brownies for dessert. MMM, the Boy Scouts in a local Order of the Arrow chapter served us. Since there were five at our table they would bring the plates by twos and always serve the older people and women first. Brent always got forgotten and we would have to flag down a kid to bring him his plate and dessert. Ha Ha.

So here we are. We are all so proud of our mom! She has been in scouting for over 35 years and still serves as an Eagle Mentor and Bear Den Leader in her ward.


My Dads last ticket for Woodbadge. (Goal or service project needed to complete WB training). He made this from scratch and finally finished it to show off the ranks of the boys in his Home Ward. It looks awesome!

Aikido Seminar At U of U in SLC

This is the last 1/2 hour of a whole day of tumbling, throwing and other things you do in Aikido. I think they ate Sushi pie Japanese style at the Village Inn for lunch. They all had lots of fun and learned new techniques. The girls were tired in the end to so the stick fighting.

Utah Renfest and Fantasy Faire 2011

We had fun at the Renaissance Festival again this year even though it rained a little. My uncle's magic group came down from Seattle to dazzle the crowd.
There fair had something for everyone. There were pirates and gypsies. You could buy clothing, trinkets and knives.

Lots of people dressed up. Here is Susan the Pirate, arrrggg.

Here we are waiting for Royal Magick, he is late. (he does that on purpose to be funny.)

Here he is with Virginia the Merchant.

I really like how you can learn about history and interesting facts about the Ren period as my uncle talks about what he is doing.

He is also pretty funny and you have to be careful because he is a master of illusion. This is his classic extra bottle magic trick. I won't tell you how he does it so don't ask.

My sister met up with us. They don't live too far away but he hardly ever see them so it was fun to hang out for a bit.

Royal Magick thought we needed to experience the Ren. food. He handed out Turkey drumsticks like candy. They were huge and it was so funny watching the little kids try to eat something almost as big as their heads. Too bad I didn't get a picture, I was holding a Turkey leg of my own. We had a great time. I can't wait for the next one.

To the Rescue-The Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi Swinton

I finished! It took 3 months!!! It is a big book.

I highly recommend this book to ALL of my friends. I think it is the best book I have read all year! I loved to hear stories about what President Monson's life was like. Especially what he was like as a little boy. His mother really had her hands full. She also taught him by example to reach out to others and be Christlike.

It is amazing how busy he is. I don't know how he manages to serve on so many committees and do all his church callings and still have time for his family. Somehow he has done it and I bet it was hard. I like how he takes time to do his part in the community and make friends with everyone no matter if they are catholic or baptist. He is such a jolly guy I bet he was easy to get along with and be a friend too.

He also goes to a lot of funerals. More then I will ever go to in two, no six lifetimes. He really bonded with the widows in the 6th 7th ward where he grew up and later served as a Bishop. He also reaches out to those that are inactive. He invites everyone to come back and rejoices with them when they do!

He is a Scouter! He is an amazing editor, spotting the mistakes that other miss to make things look their best. He worked as a printer like his dad for many many years. He also raises birds. He especially likes pigeons.

He has traveled the world. I like the stories about his influences in Germany. East Germany in particular. The miracles that happened to lead up to the Berlin Wall coming down are amazing.

I think it is interesting that he served with so many of the 12 apostles and learned valuable things from each of them to prepare him to be a prophet someday. He served with Pres. Hinckley and they were great friends long before he was prophet. They are like a power team. Now he has Dieter Uckdorf to be his right hand man. There is nothing they can't do with that much faith and energy spreading the Gospel all over the world.

I loved this book and the testimony shared by the accounts of so many touched by one man. My testimony as grown as I have come to love and respect this humble man as now a prophet of the Lords restored church on the earth today, The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!

I can't wait for the sequel.

Whole Book

Baking Bread

I was thinking about why I don't make bread very often even though I can. I love homemade bread. I almost ate one whole loaf by myself after these came out of the oven.


So here is why I hate making bread:
1. It takes too long.
2. If I use up all the ingredients then I have to buy more.
3. It always makes a big mess in the kitchen.
4. I hate the way the dough sticks to the sponge when you try to wash up the bowl.
5. I feel like the Little Red Hen and Nobody ever helps, boo whoo poor me.
6. I could be checking email instead of kneading.
7. All that work and only two loaves to show for it.
8. It gets eaten too fast.
9. It is never as good as my mom's bread even if I use her recipe.
10. A loaf of bread only costs $2.50-$3 at the store.

Okay, I know all of them are just lame excuses. At least I can if I ever really needed too. I'm just counting my blessings that I don't really have to right now.

Friendship Bread - A novel by Darien Gee

You might think I stopped reading because I haven't posted a book in a while. I am actually reading a few all at the same time so it kind of got bogged down a bit for finishing any of them.

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee. This book made me laugh and cry and it was hard to put down. I love books that come all the way around and fill in the parts from the beginning on the way to the end. This was one of those complete feel good books. No leaf was left unturned.

Amish Friendship Bread has been a fun part of different parts of my life through the years. You love it, you share it and you curse it. This was a fun book about all the parts of passing on The Bread Starter,remembering the starter and feeding it for a week or more, making the bread, sharing the bread and doing it all again. It started from the beginning and was tracked as it traveled through a small community, touching so many lives at so many different stages along the way. Friendships and enemies were made just like when I made the bread.

The stories of the people are creative and amazing. There is a small town that the friendship bread story gets interwoven with plus five main people and there individual stories. One lady is going through a terrible depression after loosing a child. My favorite character is her husband that doesn't give up on her despite many opportunities to just leave or have an affair. Another lady is going through a divorce, another is finally going to be a mom for the first time. Sisters that haven't spoken in years get an opportunity to make things right. An older lady starts a business and lends a listening ear as she reaches out to everyone through food and tea. In the story all of these people are separate at first but eventually are connected and in the end so many come together to help in a crisis. I just loved it!

The bad part of the book is the language. Sometimes you just don't notice it because it just goes with the situation but a few times it is not in character and completely extreme. I don't like books that use the F word when there are plenty of other colorful expressions to use instead. It lacks creativity. I think if you just fall back on the easy bad word it is just lame. Maybe sometimes it might be because someone thinks thinks the public likes this or it is cool to use these words, it isn't. It degrades the whole book to even have it one time. I can't even recommend this book to a dozen or more friends just because of this one word. They would be so offended and shocked. Too bad because the rest of the book is just great!

Falls in the category of : A Healing Book

Little burned hand

It was one of those days Friday.
Lucy had a bloody nose in the night. Messy, so we washed her pillow but the pillow somehow caused the washer to overflow into my pantry downstairs. Big clean up job. Then we went out to garden...good news, the rototiller works! Bad news, the little 2 year old, Edmund, wanted to climb on it after I took a break and turned it off. He put his hand right on the hot engine. Lots of screaming and lots of cold water.
Then Lucy stepped on a bumblebee and got her first sting of spring! Lots more crying.
Our tree died so luckily I had a warranty but it was going to run out so I needed to replace the tree. We did and the new one looks like it wants to live!
Nothing else got finished or started because children just needed to snuggle.

Friday

Sunday

Wed.


Here is our new tree, a Chinese semi dwarf apricot. The last one we planted died a miserable death last summer. We are determined to keep this one alive!

Here is the garden, as of today, Monday, we have onions, beets, lettuce, peas and potatoes planted! It should rain all week! I also got the blackberry starts in Saturday. Whew.

Tangled theme Birthday for the 9 year old

Posted on the front door.

The fabulous cake, decorated with the help of the B-Day girl.

You get to pick your own dinner on your Birthday and she picked Chinese food!


Pin the hair on the Rapunzel game!


Bash the Pinata with a frying pan!


The big kids finally got a few dents in it but it didn't break till the last kid hit it hard!


Getting presents is so fun. We didn't leave enough time for this and parents were picking up the kids before we were finished with Cake and Ice Cream.


We attached golden hair to the party hats! So cute!

I think it was a great B-day and I don't have to worry about another one till November! Spring is so much nicer to have a Birthday Party then Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe I should try to make a Turkey Pinata next!

May = Spring

We are having a Birthday party and of course we need a pinata!

It is a Tangled Movie Theme Party. So here is Pascal

All the girls have helped with the Pinata. They will do anything for candy!




How did he get in our flowerbeds?


My uncle Richard passed away. We went down for his funeral and since he was a bowler the whole family went bowling. Every strike was dedicated to Uncle Richard, especially if it was left handed.




Bowling


Motorcycle boy! Mike had a Birthday and the highlight was the super cooked hotdogs, the yum yum cake and the little motorcycle zooming around the yard!


We have our 4-H lambs! The Fair is a long ways away but the project starts now.

Three kids will be participating this year. We have two Rams and one Ewe.

Two are over 80lbs already and the other one is 65lbs. We hope he makes weight by the time it is show time!

Eagle eye Chicken-the chickens are not impressed with the lambs taking over their space. They are laying 6 eggs a day. I think it is time to make a quiche and a angel food cake and omlets everyday!

Warning the following two pictures are of a worm dissection for Biology class.

Peter and Susan thought they would be unable to do the job but they were very brave and it wasn't gross. In fact it was interesting and fun. The smell was of course worse then the morgue.

They also did a frog but since there was only one it wasn't as hands on as the worm.

The kids sang in two service concerts for choir. The people at the rest home really love to see the show!


They sure look sharp!