Friday Night Fun!

Last night we got to have the missionaries, Elder Parker and Elder Kelly, over for dinner-something you don't get too often here in Utah. It was great to have them over and to feel of their spirit. It is amazing the spirit the elders carry with them-you could really feel it. Maddie and William displayed such excellent dinner-time behavior...I wish they could eat dinner with us every night! :D Knowing the elders typically eat lots of food,I made a huge platter of Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Cheese...delish. This Rachel Ray recipe is one of our favorites-I make it often.

Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes amd Cheese

1 pound penne or any short cut pasta

1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil

4 bacon slices-chopped

1 large onion-chopped

4 large garlic cloves-minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/2 c white wine (or white grape juice or just extra chicken stock)

1 pint grape tomatoes (I sometimes just use Roma tomatoes cut up)

1 ball fresh mozzarella

fresh basil leaves-I like to chiffonade mine (stack leaves, roll, and slice in long thin strips)

1/2 c Parmigiano-Reggiano

Boil pasta making sure to add salt to boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Heads up-you'll need to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before you drain the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the EVOO. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring every now and then, until crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the white wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and reserved pasta cooking liquid, then bring up to a bubble and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grape tomatoes and cook them for about 30 seconds, just to start getting them hot and ready to burst. Add the cooked drained pasta, toss to coat in the sauce, and let some of the sauce soak in, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off and add the diced mozzarella, basil, grated cheese and black pepper to taste.

After dinner we went to see Nims Island (of course without the elders)! We really enjoyed the movie...especially Maddie. It would be Maddie's dream to live on her own island with no one else and be friends with the animals. I had the most fun watching her. The story is so fun...adventure, comedy, scary...it has it all. I must admit, I got a little teary-eyed at the end. I don't want to spoil the movie, but the relationship between the father and the girl was so sweet. I have loved watching Maddie grow and become the young woman that she is and I have loved watching her relationship with her dad grow and develop...she loves to study with him, go on rides with him, play Nintendo with him, watch SpongeBob with him, ride scary rides with him...she loves being with her dad.

Nim's Island is just one of those happy movies-I love those kind! We would highly recommend seeing this movie-the whole family will enjoy it.

Yummy Cookies...

Last night we made a bunch of different treats for some friends and neighbors for Family Home Evening and I tried this super delicious cookie recipe from Picky Palate. Sometimes I just want to try something new in the cookie category! Well, these did not disappoint-they are very tasty and very sweet! And to top it all off...they're PINK! What could be better. And I need to say...they are super easy!

Strawberry Colada Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box strawberry Cake Mix, I used Pillsbury Brand
1/3 Cup coconut oil, melted in microwave until liquified
2 eggs, beaten

Frosting
4 oz softenend cream cheese
1 Tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoons milk
1 Cup shredded sweetened coconut toasted in oven until golden brown (350 degrees)
(I left the coconut off because Maddie made me...I WILL add it next time)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, oil and eggs until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Do not press down. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until cooked through. Let cook 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

2. Place cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy. slowly add in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth. Spread frosting on top of cookies then sprinkle toasted coconut over top of frosting.
Makes about 24 cookies

**I found the coconut oil at Harmon's in the Healthy Living section. It is great to bake with. I use it in chocolate chip cookies too.

We also made these Toffee-Crunch Cookies and Poppyseed Cake...it almost felt like the holidays!

Baseball with Dad

On Saturday, Bob and Will went to a BYU Baseball game and came home played a little baseball. Bob played with a few of the boys in the neighborhood. Notice how Will runs around the bases with the bat still in his hand (and he didn't quite touch 3rd base...oops)! We've got to get a little practice in because he starts t-ball in a few weeks!

Sushi?...Ya!

So last night, we had some friends call to go out to dinner and a comedy club...they wanted sushi at this fairly new place called Sushi Ya! in Orem-an all-you-can-eat sushi bar...not my idea of something yummy! I went hoping there would be something like tempura veggies and teriyaki chicken (boring, I know, but I was hungry and I DO NOT eat sushi!) Everyone else got the all-you-can-eat sushi...there were over 40 rolls to choose from! When they brought out this huge plate of rolls, I decided to try one-it was called the Godzilla (spicy, white tuna)! Heaven in a bite! It was delicious to say the least. By this time I had my chicken, but the waiter offered to not charge me for that and I could do the sushi instead--heck yeah! So, I proceeded to try all of them and they were soooo good! Godzilla, Crystal Shrimp, and the Happy Roll were my favorites and you have to put lots of wasabi in your little dish and then pour soy sauce over it and stir and then dip your roll...oh my goodness!. I even tried one with raw scallops on it...go figure...I like sushi! (And Ben, I can't wait to take you there when you guys come later this month!)

This is the Godilla Roll...see the yummy tempura on it and the scallions DELISH!

Then we went to this comedy club in Provo called Comedy Sportz. So funny! I can't wait to take Maddie there...serious fun for the whole family. They don't even allow off-color jokes...perfect for a bishop! :D

The Memory Keepers Daughter

I just finished watching the Lifetime Movie, The Memory Keepers Daughter, based on the book by Kim Edwards. I had read the book a while ago and I really liked it...for me, unimaginable events. I cannot imagine giving away a child because of a physical disability. In fact, it's difficult for me to imagine giving away a child for any reason. I find this so ironic for me because both of my children are adopted and someone gave them away to me-four remarkable people being completely unselfish. I was at the hospital for Maddie's birth and witnessed first-hand the physical and emotional pain of her birth mother. Watching her birth mother experience deep sadness was very trying-I was torn...I wanted Maddie sooooo badly, yet, I struggled with the pain her birth mother was going through. And I struggled with being so incredibly happy-I wanted to sing and tell everyone our news and I could not stop smiling...and her birth mother was so incredibly sad. Yet, in the end, she took me aside to tell me...Don't be afraid to be happy. Maddie was never mine...she was always your daughter.

At the end of the book and movie, Phoebe's birth mother (Norah) and mother (Caroline) meet-I found myself really emotional-Caroline wanted so badly to explain everything to Norah...but what hit me so hard was the look on Norah's face that said. "thank you for loving my daughter". I like to think that maybe Norah realized Caroline gave Phoebe the better life.

Family Home Evening

I'm going to share, what I think, was a wonderful FHE lesson. We did this last night and it was a great success. I retold the story of the Anti-Nephi Lehies, found in

The Book of Mormon, Alma 24.

15 Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.

16 And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.

17 And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.

18 And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

I explained to Maddie and Will that these righteous people would rather die than sin so they buried their weapons in the earth. I really emphasized their desire to be free from sin and to be clean. I likened their weapons to weapons we have today: anger, name-calling, using bad words, telling secrets, teasing, ignoring, impatience, gossip & rumors, etc. I laminated pictures of weapons and wrote these things on the back. Maddie and Will took turns choosing a weapon and we talked about how we could "bury" these weapons as a family. This lesson is perfect for all ages and for all families (unless you have one of those perfect ones). It would be great in Primay too as a Sharing Time. I love the lessons that use stories from The Book of Mormon.

I have been impressed with how both of the children responded to this lesson. It really "clicked" with them. And today, when Will starts to do something undesireable, he says "I'm sorry Mom, I'm burying it." Sooooo cute. We finished the night with Neopolitan Shakes-YUMM-0!

Friends and Neighbors

This weekend we had our friends, Darryl and Nannette, from California come and stayed with us for a couple of days. It was so great to see them-we stayed up late (2:30 am...that's late for old people like us) talking and laughing-and eating at The Cheesecake Factory :). Bob has been friends with Darryl since he was a very young boy-they grew up together. And when we were first married, they lived here in Utah, but moved to California about 12 years ago and we have missed having them here. We spent lots of time together with them and their children before they moved. But...they are moving closer...Rexburg. Darryl just got a job teaching accounting at BYU Idaho and will be starting in the fall. We are so excited for them and this new endeavor their family will be experiencing. They will be so much closer and I hope we'll see them more often. However, I will miss the yummy "California treats" they bring when they come and stay with us! :D

One of our neighbors, Doug, had a terrible accident yesterday. Bob and the kids had left for the BYU scrimmage and football clinic, when a neighbor knocked on my door asking for the Bishop. I could tell something was wrong and she told me that Doug had fallen off a ladder from the second story onto the cement. The paramedics, police, and fire department came and took him to the hospital. (Our sidewalks are all being replaced, so everyone's cars are parked in the streets...I'm sure getting those big vehicles in the cul-de-sac was no easy feat!) He broke his pelvis in three places, broke a couple of ribs, injured his lower back, slightly punctured one of his lungs and his bladder is messed up. They ended up life-flighting him to SLC where he will have surgery on Monday. So after our dinner last night at The Cheesecake Factory, Bob and I stopped at the hospital to see them. They seemed to be in good spirits. And Patsy, Doug's wife says Doug is no longer allowed on a ladder!

We love our friends and neighbors!

"I Don't Feel 5-I feel weird"

Last night Will went to bed sooooo excited. He must have left his bed 5 times before finally settling down and going to sleep-very unusual for him-he often asks to go to bed at night! He was as excited as if it were Christmas Eve! When he woke up (very early I might add), he came in our room and said "Am I 5 now? I don't feel 5-I feel weird." Bob checked his muscles and measured him from head to foot and told him he was a little stronger and a little taller so he must be 5. That did it for Will and he said, "well, I guess I am 5 then." And when I took Will to school he told me "I am so 5...I hate the number 4 now."

I spotlighted Will at school and he LOVED that-everything about HIM! His birthday party was right after school at Backyard Adventures (playground equipment inside-thank goodness because it was freezing outside) and he invited his school class and primary class. For William, it was the best day ever. For me, it was chaos-there were twenty 4-5 year olds! I am glad I'm not the type of mom who throws a b-day party every year. This was Will's first b-day party with friends and his next one will be when he's 8-I think I'll let him invite 8 friends! And can I just say how funny these kids were: one little boy thought each child there should open up the present they brought Will (I'm thinking to myself, which one would Will open?, this same little boy INSISTED on having a certain peice of cake and when he didn't get it (because it was in the dead center of this giant cake), you'd have thought the world was at an end. And almost all the children wanted to take the toys out of the package and play with them right there. Oh, and the drama from some of the little girls...reminds me of another little girl I know that lives right here with me! I must say though, Maddie was a huge help with all those children, she organized games and showed them to the bathroom and was basically a little party planner...I've taught her well. :D

The theme for Will's party was BYU Cougars! (of course). I made cute invitations, my friend made an amazing cake and cookies for the treat bags.

yummy sugar cookies!

this cake was amazing!


friends...

I realized at the end of the song I was singing...YIKES! Just ignore that!

It was a memorable day...I'm glad we were able to give Will such a special birthday-one he will always remember. And I'm glad Grandma and Daddy were there to help.

Almost 5!

We celebrated Will's 5th Birthday with the family today after General Conference. He will turn 5 on April 9th. For the past couple of weeks, Will has been waking up in the morning and his first words are "is today my birthday?" Yesterday I told him we would be having his little family birthday party tomorrow and he has been so excited he could hardly wait. And we kept making him wait until after Conference was over. He just couldn't keep his hands off his gifts...

Grandma and Grandpa gave him a Leapster which he loves and we gave him a bike! Larry, DJ, and Shiely were here to celebrate with us too! On Wednesday, Will is having his first birthday party with friends at Backyard Adventures! He can't stop talking about it.

Will with his cake that I made...I'll be buying the next one!

Opening the Leapster from Grandma and Grandpa

He obviously didn't know how to use the brakes (or turn the thing) and shortly after this, he tried to take a sharp turn and had his first fall and said "I hate that bike and I'm never getting on it again!"


His new bike!

Maddie on her scooter! I wish I had one of these!

He did get back on the bike and we couldn't get him off of it...he asked if he could keep riding it even during bedtime! (he figured out the braking!) Bob says we're taking off the training wheels in a few days! YIKES!

Spring Piano Recital

Maddie performed in her Spring Recital last Friday, March 28th at the Tahitian Noni building. She played with a violinist and a celloist. It was so beautiful. Maddie has an amazing talent for the piano. When she first started taking lessons, her teacher told me she must have played the piano in Heaven!

I must admit, practicing at our house can sometimes be a struggle! When she is first learning a song, she "hates" piano and wants to quit. But once she gets into the song, she can play it for hours. And I am so impressed at how quickly she picks up on the songs. Maddie's piano teacher is phenomenal! She has taught Maddie some really good habits that have, I'm sure, helped her progress to where she is now. This recital is our favorite because it is so beautiful to have the string instruments playing along with the piano. And the violinist actually stole the show! He was Awesome! (She has her Monster Concert in May where she is one of five pianists all playing at the same time on five different pianos! It's a fun recital)

Maddie and Deena Winters, her piano teacher