3rd Time Is A Charm

Well, I finally did it!!!!!! A few days ago I was having a craving for some good cinnamon raisin bread. So I went searching for a great recipe. I found one I thought would work. But failed miserably. So I started experimenting. (Now, I know I am much better at baking cookies than bread but I just had that craving...)
After 3 attempts I got it!!!Here's what I learned from the whole process:
1. Use the right ingredients! I used a no name brand yeast and my bread didn't rise the first time.(It ended up in the garbage.)Your bread will not turn out unless you work with the right tools and ingredients.
2. Mix slowly! The second time I just dumped all the flour in as fast as I could. I was sick of spending so much time in the kitchen. You're supposed to add the flour slowly. Making bread requires patience and long suffering.
3. Watch what you're doing! I didn't pay attention to the bread cooking in the oven. So when the timer went off and I pulled it out of the oven it was all burnt on the top. Bread comes out the best when you keep your eye on it until the end.
(Not a bad recipe for life as well...)

Just a Few Things...

Here are just a few things I think are pretty cool..



Cole has started working out in the morning. He gets up as early as 6 sometimes.

Keri is taking all kinds of pictures. It's fun to see her enthusiasm for it. She talks about becoming an outdoor photographer someday.

Carson lost two of his bottom teeth. Yeah! One step closer to getting braces.






***Mark tried out boot camp with me. He's talking about maybe giving it a run sometime in March. I've missed several times over the past few weeks. But I'll get back on track soon...
***I'm reading a lot more now...I think Twilight did it to me...

Aunt Beth's Trip

"Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better."
Albert Einstein





"We need not wait for the world to become more mystical;the world is mystical."
Marianne Williamson




This past weekend my Aunt Beth came to Utah for a visit. She had gone to Montana for a business trip and planned a detour trip here before going home. This gave my sisters and me an opportunity to clear our schedules and spend some quality time together. (Thanks for being an angel Aunt Beth. It was just what we needed.)We talked, laughed, got some awesome pedicures, played Scrabble and much more. But my favorite part was the trip we made up to Sundance for Sunday Brunch. There was a storm that had come in that morning. It was just raining in the valley so we didn’t think anything of it heading down to Provo. But once we got to the mouth of the canyon the roads were pretty bad. (This storm brought in 18-30 inches.) We decided to make the journey anyway. It was well worth the trip once we got there. There is nothing more surreal than freshly fallen snow. Sundance was absolutely beautiful and the Foundry Grill served up food that was amazing…

Marley vs. Rocky

Last night we took the kids to see Marley and Me. I was a little hesitant to take them because so many people had suggested against it. (Because it was so heart breaking.) But I was not disappointed. And neither were the kids. We all laughed at how much Marley reminded us of Rocky. I put together a comparison list. Let us know which dog you think is the worst...

Marley vs. Rocky

Marley: Swallowed an answering machine. The next day came back for the phone. No doctor. No vet.
Rocky: Swallowed Mark's tube sock. Had to call 3 vets. Gave him hydrogen peroxide so he would throw it up...messy cleanup.

Marley: When he gets anxious he chews everything
Rocky: He just chews everything. Anxious or not. He's chewed our bushes down to 4 inches. Chewed all the corners of our deck. Chewed the wiring to our boat. Chewed numerous shoes. Chewed several of his beds no longer useful. Has brought countless stuffed animals to their death...

Marley: Tried and failed to jump out of a running car.
Rocky: Successfully jumped out of Mark's truck while he was going around a corner and broke his leg. Costing us $1200.00

Marley: Likes to jump on people.
Rocky: Goal is to pin people down. Has cornered several people and dogs against their will. (All in fun.:)

Marley: Barks when there's a thunderstorm.
Rocky: Just barks all the time. For no reason...

Marley: Found a babysitter while family went on vacation.
Rocky: We know better than to even try...


Even though we've had a tough run with Rocky we wouldn't change it for anything. He lights up when we come home. He plays hard. He's smart. He's a phenomenal guard dog. And his love is unconditional...

Better Late Than Never

Well, I finally did it!!! I finished the twilight series!!! This past year I've listened to numerous people rant and rave about how awesome these books are. (Even Cole got in on the action.) Then the movie, Twilight, came out. This was when I truly felt like I was missing out on the party. But could I really read 2444 pages? About werewolves and vampires? I eventually caved because I wanted to see what everyone else was talking about.
The verdict: I wasn't disappointed.

Life is Like Hot Chocolate!

Happy New Year Glitter Pictures




HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Looking back over this past year I realize how grateful I am for the friends and family I have in my life. I've thought about what kind of message I could leave you with for the new year. My favorite is a story that someone sent to Mark in an email.

ENJOY!!!

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.