For my birthday Gromo sent me on a scavenger hunt through her living community to find clues for where my present was hidden. Emily thought it was a great idea so I decided to do it for her, I have always had a problem surprising her on her birthday but this time she really was. I gave her the first clue at our house and she had to find the place PeeWee Herman would buy his sweets. The place she was off to was PeeWees Sweets. There I had it set up that she had to figure the order of my preferred fudge, if she got it wrong she had to find people to sing her happy birthday...it just so happened the day I did it there was a parade so this wasn't a problem, here is some video from the first stop.
Next she was off to the most vain store in the mall. Vanity, I had purchased two shirts and a hoodie. They placed one of the shirts in a selection of other shirts and she had to pick the one I liked the most.
After that I sent her to Dave's apartment to play tetris, she has always told me how good she is but I had never seen it. I told her she had to get to level 5 but she kept going until she got to level 9.
After that I sent her up the canyon where we first kissed and then she went to Melanie Madsen's apartment to put together a puzzle.
On the back of the puzzle it had a treasure map. It sent her to look for booty in our garden where I had buried some presents. I think everybody involved had as much fun as she did.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Drew is Ok. Phew!
Today while I was at work Drew called me with this sobering news:
Drew: "Hama. I broke my foot."
My response: "How did you do that?"
D: It was an alligator! In the toilet. I tried to scare him off with my toes but instead he saw them as bait and bit it. BUT it was a toothless alligator and so instead of getting all cut and mangled he rolled and twisted it and broke my foot.
M: (Uncontrollable but quiet laughter) "I'm sorry I can't come home and hang out with you."
I love that my husband wants me to come home and spend time with him. I love that he is so imaginative and continues to make me laugh. I hope you enjoy this as well.
Also if you have an appropriate picture of a toilet alligator I would love to post it. (I know I may be asking for trouble so please note the word "appropriate")
Drew: "Hama. I broke my foot."
My response: "How did you do that?"
D: It was an alligator! In the toilet. I tried to scare him off with my toes but instead he saw them as bait and bit it. BUT it was a toothless alligator and so instead of getting all cut and mangled he rolled and twisted it and broke my foot.
M: (Uncontrollable but quiet laughter) "I'm sorry I can't come home and hang out with you."
I love that my husband wants me to come home and spend time with him. I love that he is so imaginative and continues to make me laugh. I hope you enjoy this as well.
Also if you have an appropriate picture of a toilet alligator I would love to post it. (I know I may be asking for trouble so please note the word "appropriate")
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Pioneer Day in the SLC
Drew and I headed to Salt Lake this past weekend to visit with family.
Brad and Tahnie have a new baby as of 7-7-10. I'm glad she has an easy to remember birthday plus she is super cute and cuddly. On Friday Drew got to go fishing with his dad and Brad fished with Brynner.
On Saturday we went to the Pioneer Day parade. My mom's family is kind enough to camp on the parade route to get us a good spot in the shade. Thanks Family!!! It was a ton of fun to get together and see the floats and marching bands and bagpipes. The rocky-road brownies were a big hit. Almost as big as the mustaches in support of the motorcycle cops who we love!
Brad and Tahnie have a new baby as of 7-7-10. I'm glad she has an easy to remember birthday plus she is super cute and cuddly. On Friday Drew got to go fishing with his dad and Brad fished with Brynner.
On Saturday we went to the Pioneer Day parade. My mom's family is kind enough to camp on the parade route to get us a good spot in the shade. Thanks Family!!! It was a ton of fun to get together and see the floats and marching bands and bagpipes. The rocky-road brownies were a big hit. Almost as big as the mustaches in support of the motorcycle cops who we love!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
New way of life = clown pants fitting like clown pants
Most of you are aware of the life style changes Emily and I have made... hence the last 6 or 7 posts about the low calorie food we are eating. I have been on a study for Icon H&F for the past 9 weeks. They gave me an elliptical and said eat right 6 out of the seven days and workout 5 days a week for no less than a half hour. We have really made a big effort in not eating out, avoiding soda and making my exercises count. I have lost 40 pounds in 9 weeks! And I really do feel a lot better. I am about ten pounds away from my high school weight and all the clothes I have left from high school fit again. I have really enjoyed all the healthy food we are eating and I look forward to reaching my goal weight of 260. I will try to keep you all posted on the progress!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Because My Mom Asks...
"Have you tried any new recipes lately?"
Well, YES we have. Thanks for asking. To be completely honest my mom only asked me once but it was in the lull of not trying new recipes and it made me think that I should.
Sunday morning I made Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes for Drew and I. This recipe says it will make 20 pancakes and they are really filling. The serving size is 4 pancakes for 296 calories and that sounds really reasonable but on my 3rd pancake I was thinking, "I don't know if I will finish this one." Good thing they are delicious and it really wasn't hard to finish it. This is listed as a recipe to freeze and we did have plenty of leftovers. I love homemade frozen pancakes and waffles. It means a warm breakfast in a hurry!
I used half all-purpose flour and half wheat flour. This may have contributed to the filling factor but I really enjoy the flavor of the wheat flour. Also, we don't have a standard size food processor. We were given a 2-cup capacity food processor for our wedding so I simply used it only for the one cup of oats and then whisked the chopped oats and dry ingredients together before adding the wet ingredients.
Sunday evening Drew made Pasta with Bacon and Peas for us. This made a lot of pasta and had a fresh taste. Growing up I didn't like spaghetti sauce and would eat my pasta with cheese only. Having this dish took me back to the delicious taste of naked noodles enhanced with a fresh lite sauce.
We used bagged pasta like every other day and we chose not to buy shallots and used half a yellow onion instead. If I were on my own I would reduce the quantity of all the ingredients and make it to my own needs but as is easily served 6 with 361 calories each serving. Drew told me the leftovers were tasty as well.
I'd love to hear if anyone tried these or if they can recommend any recipes.
Well, YES we have. Thanks for asking. To be completely honest my mom only asked me once but it was in the lull of not trying new recipes and it made me think that I should.
Sunday morning I made Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes for Drew and I. This recipe says it will make 20 pancakes and they are really filling. The serving size is 4 pancakes for 296 calories and that sounds really reasonable but on my 3rd pancake I was thinking, "I don't know if I will finish this one." Good thing they are delicious and it really wasn't hard to finish it. This is listed as a recipe to freeze and we did have plenty of leftovers. I love homemade frozen pancakes and waffles. It means a warm breakfast in a hurry!
I used half all-purpose flour and half wheat flour. This may have contributed to the filling factor but I really enjoy the flavor of the wheat flour. Also, we don't have a standard size food processor. We were given a 2-cup capacity food processor for our wedding so I simply used it only for the one cup of oats and then whisked the chopped oats and dry ingredients together before adding the wet ingredients.
Sunday evening Drew made Pasta with Bacon and Peas for us. This made a lot of pasta and had a fresh taste. Growing up I didn't like spaghetti sauce and would eat my pasta with cheese only. Having this dish took me back to the delicious taste of naked noodles enhanced with a fresh lite sauce.
We used bagged pasta like every other day and we chose not to buy shallots and used half a yellow onion instead. If I were on my own I would reduce the quantity of all the ingredients and make it to my own needs but as is easily served 6 with 361 calories each serving. Drew told me the leftovers were tasty as well.
I'd love to hear if anyone tried these or if they can recommend any recipes.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
"I feel so blessed..."
Recently I have heard many of my good friends use these words, "I feel so blessed..." I think it has stood out in my mind because I don't feel that I use this phrase very often. I know that I should try to express the gratitude I do feel, even if it is for little things. Thank you to those around me who do use this phrase and remind me that I have things to be grateful for.
I am so blessed...
I am so blessed...
- because I have people who love me. I love my family and friends. They teach me about all that is good in this life. Thank you.
- because I have a job that provides for our needs. Lately there has been a lot of talk about the economy and cutbacks and I have been so blessed that our needs have been met.
- to have a husband who works hard in his current profession, as well as in school for his future profession. He has been awarded a scholarship for next year and this evening we went to a reception to recognize those students who stand out. We met his benefactors and he had his picture taken on stage with his advisor and this benefactor. I was teary eyed because I was so proud. Thank you.
- because I have a body. I am reminded of this when I tear connective tissue in my back and have trouble walking, sitting, sneezing, etc. Once I have recovered I have all I need to move and function independently.
- because there are people around me who are kind enough to pick up notebooks from the floor or do my dishes or take me to the doctor/pharmacy when I hurt myself and can't do these things. Thank you.
- to enjoy the freedoms of this great nation. Many people have fought and died so that I could be here today. Thank you.
I am so blessed to have a knowledge of the gospel of Christ. This has given me strength and gratitude that nothing else could. I am so blessed to know that this is not the end and that Christ has redeemed me. The people that I love so dearly on this Earth will be with me always and life will move forward. Some days the routine becomes so monotonous and never-ending that I can't imagine life being any different but the reality is we can still be moving forward if we continue to have faith and rely on the Lord for hope. I am so blessed...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Easter Weekend
Drew and I headed to Salt Lake for Conference and Easter Weekend. Drew's dad, Dave, made a place for us at his home and let us stay with him. It was a first and it was a lot of fun. We had made plans with my brothers to have Friday night dinner at Gromo's and it was nice to get together and laugh.
Saturday between conference sessions Drew and I took Anna to lunch for a belated birthday celebration. She's a fun girl and man can she run! Drew told her she had 2 minutes to play before we left the play place and she was zipping between the slide and the stairs, making her way through the tunnels and down the slide as fast as she could to make the best of the last 2 minutes of play.
Mom, thanks for hanging out with me on Saturday night. You are a source of strength to me. Thanks for cheering me on.
For Easter Sunday Dave had purchased a turkey and I was informed on Thursday evening that I would be in charge of cooking said turkey. Thank heaven for the invention Reynolds Oven Bags. Drew helped me rinse the turkey and put it in the bag and in the oven and PRESTO delicious turkey! We had a delicious spread and great company.
I thought I had forgotten the camera but found it before leaving on Sunday so here are a few pictures from Sunday afternoon.
Julie is excited for the camera. Alden loves the wooden spoon and Anna has a new shirt.
WHAPAPOOIE!!!
WHAPAPOOIE!!!
Pronounced Wha-Pa-Poo-Ee and NO this picture was not posed it is an action shot.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Recipe Request
Drew and I started watching "Everyday Food" on public tv a few years ago and for our anniversary or Valentine's Drew ordered a magazine subscription for me. That's been a while ago and so I have about 2 years worth of their magazines and I really have enjoyed a lot of their recipes.
In January they publish light recipes because of the demand for "a new year, a new you" mentality. This seemed like a good place to start when Drew said he needed some low fat, low cal food. So many people asked for the pizza dough recipe that I figured I'd post the link.
As we find more recipes we like we'll post links or type it up to share with others. I hope you enjoy these as much as we have.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Approx 300 cal per serving. Bake 450 for 18-20 minutes. *We've made thinner crusts and baked for only 15 minutes.
Sweet and Sour Pork Stir Fry: 294 cal per serving before rice. I used fresh brocolli steamed.
Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast with Roasted Carrots: 425 cal per serving. The carrots were a big surprise. They turned out sweet and not too soft but SO yummy. The turkey was moist and even though the yogurt dip was good it wasn't needed.
If anyone trys the recipes let me know what you think or what you may have done differently. Also if you have a light recipe to share we'd love to hear it/try it. Thanks.
In January they publish light recipes because of the demand for "a new year, a new you" mentality. This seemed like a good place to start when Drew said he needed some low fat, low cal food. So many people asked for the pizza dough recipe that I figured I'd post the link.
As we find more recipes we like we'll post links or type it up to share with others. I hope you enjoy these as much as we have.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Approx 300 cal per serving. Bake 450 for 18-20 minutes. *We've made thinner crusts and baked for only 15 minutes.
Sweet and Sour Pork Stir Fry: 294 cal per serving before rice. I used fresh brocolli steamed.
Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast with Roasted Carrots: 425 cal per serving. The carrots were a big surprise. They turned out sweet and not too soft but SO yummy. The turkey was moist and even though the yogurt dip was good it wasn't needed.
If anyone trys the recipes let me know what you think or what you may have done differently. Also if you have a light recipe to share we'd love to hear it/try it. Thanks.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Roska Version 2.0
Recently Drew was chosen to participate in a "treadmill study". I place this in quotations because Drew is one of the few who is not using a treadmill but an elliptical trainer and while they call it a study it seems to me they are more of a test group or search for testimonials. But as long as Drew keeps up with the requirements we'll be able to keep the machine free of charge. Score!
So currently we are working on Roska Version 2.0. We are becoming more active and conscious of what we eat and in turn becoming more healthy. It's been a really positive change in our life. Because we are trying to eat more healthy it has us trying new recipes. One of our first healthy meals was a low fat, low cal sweet and sour pork. It was good and really filling. We've been using whole wheat pasta and homemade whole wheat pizza dough. It's a small change but the whole wheat makes it so much more flavorful. It's been fun to plan together and cook together.
These are our homemade whole wheat pizzas with grilled chicken, peppers, spinach, and a few artichokes. MMMMmmmm. These are personal size pizzas but we had leftovers for lunch the next day.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Roska Life
I have been thinking lately about how much I look forward to the weekends. But it hasn't really occurred to me why I look so forward to the weekend and why I dread them ending.
This weekend started off with dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We were first timers and apparently there is a right and wrong way to eat at the TRH. We showed up with out calling ahead (our first mistake). They gave us a number and told us to watch the number board and that would let us know when it was our turn to sit. The paper they gave us had an estimated time for being seated, and it said we should have been seated in 35-45 minutes (this was our second mistake). An hour and ten minutes later we finally saw our number on the board...at this point we were starving and couldn't get food fast enough. We went in and handed them our ticket, thinking all the while it was our turn (our third mistake). We were only on deck! We waited another 10-15 minutes to get our table and after we got some food in our stomachs we felt better. We had talked about not tipping because of what we went through but our waitress ended up being a girl in my major so that didn't work out so well. All in all the food was good and we did enjoy our time together.
We went home and I suggested we watch Star Trek. Emily was really excited about this but I knew as soon as she took the couch it was all over. She made it to when Spock does the Vulcan death pinch on James T. Kirk and she gave up and said she was going to bed. I thought alright the couch for me. I probably didn't make it past her getting in bed and I was asleep and woke up when Spock was meeting Spock.
Saturday we got up and read scriptures and I made chocolate muffins. We cleaned up a little bit and hung out until noon, we went out and we looked for a recipe organizer but to no avail. We then went to Big 5 and bought Emily some new shoes, me some punching gloves and sweat bands for my wrists (for mowing this summer). We tried to find our nephew Tyler a gift for his birthday and we really wanted to do something other than Star Wars. In the Madsen Family Star Wars is what Star Trek was for me growing up and they own just about everything when it comes to Star Wars and we have purchased many a Star Wars toys for them for their birthdays and Christmas but we wanted to do something new. But after contemplating many different things we ended up buying him Star Wars Lego's! (Shhh...it's a secret to him until Saturday.)
We then went shopping for groceries and decided we wanted to go to a movie. We called some friends and finally convinced Dave Burgess into going with us. We went and saw Sherlock Holmes again and wasn't disappointed. Afterwards we went to Best Buy and I bought a surround sound system! I had saved money for one and felt the time was right. Dave and Emily helped install it and as soon as we get a replacement for a missing wire I am sure it will be awesome!
Sunday we had Dave and our downstairs neighbors over for dinner and we made homemade pizzas! Emily found a recipe for homemade wheat crust and it was delicious. We sat and talked then we watched the amazing race and the undercover boss show.
We both had exciting news to share. Emily was called to be the assistant to the Girls Camp director (that is an Office reference for those of you who watch). And she is uber excited about it, she walked around the house talking about how she is going to Girls Camp. My good news was I received a scholarship that will cover pretty much all of my tuition and fees for the next year, so while Emily was walking around saying she is going to Girls Camp I was walking around saying I got a scholarship!
This morning I got up and was sad to have such a great weekend over with and I realized that all of the fun things that I did this weekend was with my best friend. She is what makes things so much fun. I wasn't sad that a great weekend was over but I was sad that she had to go to work and I had to go to school. I look forward to my weekends because that is when I get to spend my time with her. I would have never been able to get the scholarship without her and how much she has supported me through school. Thanks Hama for being my best friend.
This weekend started off with dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We were first timers and apparently there is a right and wrong way to eat at the TRH. We showed up with out calling ahead (our first mistake). They gave us a number and told us to watch the number board and that would let us know when it was our turn to sit. The paper they gave us had an estimated time for being seated, and it said we should have been seated in 35-45 minutes (this was our second mistake). An hour and ten minutes later we finally saw our number on the board...at this point we were starving and couldn't get food fast enough. We went in and handed them our ticket, thinking all the while it was our turn (our third mistake). We were only on deck! We waited another 10-15 minutes to get our table and after we got some food in our stomachs we felt better. We had talked about not tipping because of what we went through but our waitress ended up being a girl in my major so that didn't work out so well. All in all the food was good and we did enjoy our time together.
We went home and I suggested we watch Star Trek. Emily was really excited about this but I knew as soon as she took the couch it was all over. She made it to when Spock does the Vulcan death pinch on James T. Kirk and she gave up and said she was going to bed. I thought alright the couch for me. I probably didn't make it past her getting in bed and I was asleep and woke up when Spock was meeting Spock.
Saturday we got up and read scriptures and I made chocolate muffins. We cleaned up a little bit and hung out until noon, we went out and we looked for a recipe organizer but to no avail. We then went to Big 5 and bought Emily some new shoes, me some punching gloves and sweat bands for my wrists (for mowing this summer). We tried to find our nephew Tyler a gift for his birthday and we really wanted to do something other than Star Wars. In the Madsen Family Star Wars is what Star Trek was for me growing up and they own just about everything when it comes to Star Wars and we have purchased many a Star Wars toys for them for their birthdays and Christmas but we wanted to do something new. But after contemplating many different things we ended up buying him Star Wars Lego's! (Shhh...it's a secret to him until Saturday.)
We then went shopping for groceries and decided we wanted to go to a movie. We called some friends and finally convinced Dave Burgess into going with us. We went and saw Sherlock Holmes again and wasn't disappointed. Afterwards we went to Best Buy and I bought a surround sound system! I had saved money for one and felt the time was right. Dave and Emily helped install it and as soon as we get a replacement for a missing wire I am sure it will be awesome!
Sunday we had Dave and our downstairs neighbors over for dinner and we made homemade pizzas! Emily found a recipe for homemade wheat crust and it was delicious. We sat and talked then we watched the amazing race and the undercover boss show.
We both had exciting news to share. Emily was called to be the assistant to the Girls Camp director (that is an Office reference for those of you who watch). And she is uber excited about it, she walked around the house talking about how she is going to Girls Camp. My good news was I received a scholarship that will cover pretty much all of my tuition and fees for the next year, so while Emily was walking around saying she is going to Girls Camp I was walking around saying I got a scholarship!
This morning I got up and was sad to have such a great weekend over with and I realized that all of the fun things that I did this weekend was with my best friend. She is what makes things so much fun. I wasn't sad that a great weekend was over but I was sad that she had to go to work and I had to go to school. I look forward to my weekends because that is when I get to spend my time with her. I would have never been able to get the scholarship without her and how much she has supported me through school. Thanks Hama for being my best friend.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Anna, It’s your birthday. Happy Birthday Anna!
You don’t have a facebook page yet, at least not that I know of, so I’ll blog about you instead.
The day you were born I was attending Utah State University and I was so excited to have a niece. Sure James is the oldest but there’s something special about girls. I used a dry erase marker to write the date, your name, and weight on the mirror at the end of the hall so everyone would know you had arrived.
You are now 7 years old. You are spunky and I love that about you. You are bright and fun-loving. You are also very thoughtful. You draw pictures for Gromo and you tell me about funny things that happen. You’re quick to say thank you and include others.
The day you were born I was attending Utah State University and I was so excited to have a niece. Sure James is the oldest but there’s something special about girls. I used a dry erase marker to write the date, your name, and weight on the mirror at the end of the hall so everyone would know you had arrived.
You are now 7 years old. You are spunky and I love that about you. You are bright and fun-loving. You are also very thoughtful. You draw pictures for Gromo and you tell me about funny things that happen. You’re quick to say thank you and include others.
Happy Birthday Anna Banana! We can’t wait to hang out with you sometime soon.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Fun weekend!
So Emily and I decided we wanted to go down for the weekend to Salt Lake. It has been quite some time since I had been down and it was everything I remembered; a few bad accidents on the drive down with the disappearance of any kind of snow as soon as we hit Brigham City, the ability to walk around without a parka and spending time with our wonderful families.
Okay so I may have had ulterior motives for going to Salt Lake, namely an ice fishing trip with Brad and my Dad, which for me was the highlight of my weekend...that and In & Out Burger and our dinner date with Granny! So our fishing trip started off with a call from Brad asking where I was. I think for the first time ever he was waiting on me to go, I could tell he was very excited. When we started off for the day my dad told us a story of when he took 2 year old Brad to Strawberry reservoir probably sometime in November or December before the lake froze but there was snow on the ground. One may ask themselves why somebody would take a child so young to a place that is so cold with snow on the ground. It was all because my Dad wanted another pole in the water, you can have kids fish off of your license which allows you another pole. When my dad got there he parked his white pinto with two tires on the snow and the other two on the road allowing enough room for people to get by. After unsuccessfully fishing for a couple of hours he took Brad back to the car and as soon as Brad got in he fell asleep. My Dad tried to maneuver the car out of his parking spot but ended up sliding down a hill about 50 feet before almost ending up in the lake.
At this point he was stuck and wasn't going anywhere. He was worried about how he was going to get out especially since he had Brad with him. He decided he was going to walk to the marina to see if anybody was there. He left brad in the car and left the car running so he would stay warm. He got to the marina and nobody was around there wasn't a payphone so he couldn't call for help. So he walked back, he got back to the car about 45 minutes later and Brad was still asleep.
This is where he panicked and was getting desperate, about this time he looked down the road and saw a jeep coming down it, he said he has never felt so relieved in his life. He told the driver about his situation and asked for help, the guy in the jeep said no problem drove down to where the car was, attached a chain and according to my Dad pulled them out like a sack of potatoes. My Dad tried to hand the guy a 20 but he refused, my Dad then crumpled the twenty in his hand and threw it in the car and said you better take it, you just saved my life. Moral of the story: don't drive a ford pinto. He also told us a story with the moral being never run around in dirty chones!
We had such a fun time! As always there was a lot of horsing around, my dad and I had a foot race to my pole because he was going to huck a snowball at it. We laughed a lot and it got me excited for fishing this summer.
We Took Emily's Granny out for dinner on Saturday night and it was great to hear all of her stories, she has lived such a bountiful life and she has the best stories ever. We listened to her talk about working at Hill Airforce base and how her husband decided to become a dentist. She talked about living back east for a while and moving back to Utah. She showed us a book her brother illustrated and some of the paintings he has done over his lifetime. There was one I was particularly fond of, it was a painting of two codgers down by a river, she said her brother painted it when he was twelve! She is the most active 88 year old person I have ever heard of! She is an inspiration to the whole family.
Okay so I may have had ulterior motives for going to Salt Lake, namely an ice fishing trip with Brad and my Dad, which for me was the highlight of my weekend...that and In & Out Burger and our dinner date with Granny! So our fishing trip started off with a call from Brad asking where I was. I think for the first time ever he was waiting on me to go, I could tell he was very excited. When we started off for the day my dad told us a story of when he took 2 year old Brad to Strawberry reservoir probably sometime in November or December before the lake froze but there was snow on the ground. One may ask themselves why somebody would take a child so young to a place that is so cold with snow on the ground. It was all because my Dad wanted another pole in the water, you can have kids fish off of your license which allows you another pole. When my dad got there he parked his white pinto with two tires on the snow and the other two on the road allowing enough room for people to get by. After unsuccessfully fishing for a couple of hours he took Brad back to the car and as soon as Brad got in he fell asleep. My Dad tried to maneuver the car out of his parking spot but ended up sliding down a hill about 50 feet before almost ending up in the lake.
At this point he was stuck and wasn't going anywhere. He was worried about how he was going to get out especially since he had Brad with him. He decided he was going to walk to the marina to see if anybody was there. He left brad in the car and left the car running so he would stay warm. He got to the marina and nobody was around there wasn't a payphone so he couldn't call for help. So he walked back, he got back to the car about 45 minutes later and Brad was still asleep.
This is where he panicked and was getting desperate, about this time he looked down the road and saw a jeep coming down it, he said he has never felt so relieved in his life. He told the driver about his situation and asked for help, the guy in the jeep said no problem drove down to where the car was, attached a chain and according to my Dad pulled them out like a sack of potatoes. My Dad tried to hand the guy a 20 but he refused, my Dad then crumpled the twenty in his hand and threw it in the car and said you better take it, you just saved my life. Moral of the story: don't drive a ford pinto. He also told us a story with the moral being never run around in dirty chones!
We had such a fun time! As always there was a lot of horsing around, my dad and I had a foot race to my pole because he was going to huck a snowball at it. We laughed a lot and it got me excited for fishing this summer.
We Took Emily's Granny out for dinner on Saturday night and it was great to hear all of her stories, she has lived such a bountiful life and she has the best stories ever. We listened to her talk about working at Hill Airforce base and how her husband decided to become a dentist. She talked about living back east for a while and moving back to Utah. She showed us a book her brother illustrated and some of the paintings he has done over his lifetime. There was one I was particularly fond of, it was a painting of two codgers down by a river, she said her brother painted it when he was twelve! She is the most active 88 year old person I have ever heard of! She is an inspiration to the whole family.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tonight's Special
When I mess up a recipe by adding too much of this or too little of that or burning it all Drew helps me feel better by telling me, "It's just Hama pizazz."
Tonight we will be serving Pizazz de la Hama. I decided to try a new recipe from my BFF and beloved sister-in-law. I managed to burn bread crumbs, set off the smoke detector, not be able to turn it off, and fill the house with smoke. However unlikely it is, I will probably spill the sauce all over the oven, under cook the pasta, and give my family food poisoning.
All in all I think it's pretty funny and I'm glad I had some extra time to deal with all the Hama pizazz stinkin up the house.
Tonight we will be serving Pizazz de la Hama. I decided to try a new recipe from my BFF and beloved sister-in-law. I managed to burn bread crumbs, set off the smoke detector, not be able to turn it off, and fill the house with smoke. However unlikely it is, I will probably spill the sauce all over the oven, under cook the pasta, and give my family food poisoning.
All in all I think it's pretty funny and I'm glad I had some extra time to deal with all the Hama pizazz stinkin up the house.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
surrounded by great parents
So I must premise this with I know I am far from being an expert and with that said here we go.
After being in the schools for two weeks and really getting to be with the kindergartners I have really been able to see what a great job all of you are doing with your children. I always knew my nieces and nephews were smart (and this includes the Madsen kids) but I never understood just how smart. I have always been around kids that are able to sound out words written on a piece of paper OR work on a puzzle I would have thought too hard for them to understand. But after getting into the school and seeing them at the half way point of kindergarten I am truly amazed at what you have accomplished.
We were working on simple sentences last week and we were trying to get the children to tell us if they were complete sentences. We have one kid in my class who can read and the rest either ask him or one of us for help and that's OK, in fact they all, for the most part, are where they need to be. But with that said you all have managed to accomplish this before they ever started school. For me it has really been a testimony of the importance of a stay at home mom. I know that it's not possible in all situations but it really does make a difference for the children.
One thing that I learned this week was the power of silence. We talked in my psychology class about how teachers are quick to bail out the students. What I mean is when a child is asked a question and they look at us and shrug their shoulders hoping that we will bypass them or if they say "I don't know" totally anticipating us to move on. We talked about how if a teacher will sit in silence and not accept the "I don't know" response the students will answer. I was testing the students the next day on their math and would ask them to write a number. I found that even in kindergarten they have picked up on the shoulder shrug and they know it works. I stood my ground and sat there waiting for a response...sometimes waiting for several minutes until I got one, and I was really surprised at how often after waiting for a real answer the students would get it right. I am sure this is common knowledge to parents but it was an eye opening moment for me.
This is for those who are not on facebook. Last week I had one of the children come back and work on his alphabet with me and as he sat down he said, "I know who you are." I was a little taken back by this, so I said, "Oh yea, who am I?" He then said, "You are an actor." I was taken back a little further, I replied, "Really! What have I acted in?" he then said, "You are the guy in Toy Story Two who takes Woody away." For those of you who haven't watched Toy Story 2 in a long time, here it is I hope you get as big of a kick out of it as I did! I am Al from Al's toy barn!
After being in the schools for two weeks and really getting to be with the kindergartners I have really been able to see what a great job all of you are doing with your children. I always knew my nieces and nephews were smart (and this includes the Madsen kids) but I never understood just how smart. I have always been around kids that are able to sound out words written on a piece of paper OR work on a puzzle I would have thought too hard for them to understand. But after getting into the school and seeing them at the half way point of kindergarten I am truly amazed at what you have accomplished.
We were working on simple sentences last week and we were trying to get the children to tell us if they were complete sentences. We have one kid in my class who can read and the rest either ask him or one of us for help and that's OK, in fact they all, for the most part, are where they need to be. But with that said you all have managed to accomplish this before they ever started school. For me it has really been a testimony of the importance of a stay at home mom. I know that it's not possible in all situations but it really does make a difference for the children.
One thing that I learned this week was the power of silence. We talked in my psychology class about how teachers are quick to bail out the students. What I mean is when a child is asked a question and they look at us and shrug their shoulders hoping that we will bypass them or if they say "I don't know" totally anticipating us to move on. We talked about how if a teacher will sit in silence and not accept the "I don't know" response the students will answer. I was testing the students the next day on their math and would ask them to write a number. I found that even in kindergarten they have picked up on the shoulder shrug and they know it works. I stood my ground and sat there waiting for a response...sometimes waiting for several minutes until I got one, and I was really surprised at how often after waiting for a real answer the students would get it right. I am sure this is common knowledge to parents but it was an eye opening moment for me.
This is for those who are not on facebook. Last week I had one of the children come back and work on his alphabet with me and as he sat down he said, "I know who you are." I was a little taken back by this, so I said, "Oh yea, who am I?" He then said, "You are an actor." I was taken back a little further, I replied, "Really! What have I acted in?" he then said, "You are the guy in Toy Story Two who takes Woody away." For those of you who haven't watched Toy Story 2 in a long time, here it is I hope you get as big of a kick out of it as I did! I am Al from Al's toy barn!
Friday, January 15, 2010
And I thought I loved you then…
Six years ago today I married Drew in the Bountiful Temple. It was one of the best decisions of my life. He is my best friend. When we got married I thought I couldn’t feel more love for anyone than I did on that day but I have been repeatedly proven wrong.
It has meant the world to me to have him in my life and to share life experiences with. Each day brings new joys and new struggles but we enjoy them as a team. I love being a part of Drew’s team.
Drew you helped me finish college, you’re supportive in any challenge I take on, you’ve helped me become a better person, you are so patient with me, and you know how to read me like closed captioning. Thank you for being mine!
6 years of bliss, 5 Fiesta de Mayo parties, 4 bishops, 3 vehicles, 2 apartments, 1 happy girl.
I love you and Happy Anniversary!
It has meant the world to me to have him in my life and to share life experiences with. Each day brings new joys and new struggles but we enjoy them as a team. I love being a part of Drew’s team.
Drew you helped me finish college, you’re supportive in any challenge I take on, you’ve helped me become a better person, you are so patient with me, and you know how to read me like closed captioning. Thank you for being mine!
6 years of bliss, 5 Fiesta de Mayo parties, 4 bishops, 3 vehicles, 2 apartments, 1 happy girl.
I love you and Happy Anniversary!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Daily Thoughts: Tar
Jan 13 EDIT: I am experiencing this with some co-workers that are not in my department or have ever been friends with but they are within earshot. I hear their conversations and they create a negative environment and I don't feel like I am standing for something if I am sitting and doing nothing. Any help you can offer would be welcome.
Back in the day of photography and not digital creations there was a Mormon Ad that had approximately 3 sets of hands and tar flowing as the gossip is passed from one person to another. Why is this a popular practice? Why is it popular to speak unkind words of someone you may or may not know?
I know at times in my life I have been guilty of this practice and I will not deny that but it really bothers me. How can I remove myself from the situation if I can not physically move away from it? If it bothers me to hear acquaintances talk poorly about others I don’t know, what does this derogatory talk do to those who do know and love us?
Are others’ faults an easier topic of conversation than speaking highly of others? If we were to contemplate the positives about others would it be easier for us to think and speak kindly about ourselves?
These are today's random thoughts. I don't intend to be preachy and I do welcome any suggestions on how to remove myself from gossip.
Back in the day of photography and not digital creations there was a Mormon Ad that had approximately 3 sets of hands and tar flowing as the gossip is passed from one person to another. Why is this a popular practice? Why is it popular to speak unkind words of someone you may or may not know?
I know at times in my life I have been guilty of this practice and I will not deny that but it really bothers me. How can I remove myself from the situation if I can not physically move away from it? If it bothers me to hear acquaintances talk poorly about others I don’t know, what does this derogatory talk do to those who do know and love us?
Are others’ faults an easier topic of conversation than speaking highly of others? If we were to contemplate the positives about others would it be easier for us to think and speak kindly about ourselves?
These are today's random thoughts. I don't intend to be preachy and I do welcome any suggestions on how to remove myself from gossip.
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