Last Wednesday (Dec. 15th), Tyler and I flew out to Utah to give the rest of the family a better chance to make the flights on Thursday. We made it through without any problems and Tyler found a friend to play with in Austin. His friend's dad took Tyler's seat on the flight to Long Beach so the two boys could sit together. I sat in front of them and the dad sat across the aisle from them. Tyler was so excited to get to have a friend fly with him :)
As soon as I got off the plane in Utah, I wanted to get right back on and fly to Florida. It was SOOO cold! I was glad the roads were clear though.
On Thursday, Troy and the rest of the kids attempted to make the same trip, but the flight to SLC was so full that the two girls got a chance to fly as unaccompanied minors for the first time. I picked them up in SLC and Troy and Jared stayed in Long Beach for the night at the crew hotel and then got the first flight to SLC in the morning on Friday. We were relieved to all make it!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
JetBlue Holiday Party
Friday was a crazy day because Troy was on the "Fun" committee at work and was responsible for planning the local holiday party at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee. He had to be there by 5:30 pm and I had a hair appointment at the Aveda college at 11 am and then had to go find a dress. The woman who cut and styled my hair was fabulous and I found out that she was graduating from the master's program the following day. I was so happy with the results this time :) Then I headed over to use my $50 Groupon to Nordstrom Rack for a dress. After trying on 13 dresses, I narrowed it down to three and had the woman working at the dressing room help me decide which one to buy. I was so excited to have a new MODEST dress to wear! It was really tough to find something pretty and appropriate.
I hung out an read a book while Troy finished preparing for the party. There were almost 500 guests in the ballroom and Troy told me that it can accommodate 1000.
The dinner buffet was delicious and I wish I had taken pictures of the food. My favorite desserts were the gingerbread cheesecake and the chocolate covered strawberries (I think I had at least 10!) The salad dressing was a cranberry vinaigrette - WOW! I want that recipe.
After dinner we danced a little and then were taken to see the ICE! exhibit downstairs. The resort had already closed the venue to the public, so we had a private tour. The exhibit is kept at 9 degrees F. I was glad they had huge jackets to wear and thankful for my slippers (I brought them to change out of my heels). The first part of ICE! is a colorful rendition of Twas the Night before Christmas.
Yes that is all ice! I want to read more about the process used to build the amazing sculptures.
I am thankful for a season to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends!
Katie and Jared's Voices Holiday Performance
This semester both Katie and Jared have been singing in Voices which is the after-school choir of over 100 kids. They presented a musical called "I Need a Christmas Vacation" and it was fabulous. Unfortunately it was the same night as Alyssa's concert (which started 30 minutes later) so I was only able to watch 18 minutes of the show before heading over to Alyssa's school. Troy and Tyler stayed to watch the whole play. Katie had a speaking part and was one of the Spanish dancers. Several other kids from our ward were in the play too, so it was fun to sit in the audience with my friends to watch the performance. I was so impressed with the comedic qualities of the show. There are a bunch of hams at Moss Park and I thoroughly enjoyed the part I got to see. Troy tried to tape it, so I hope to see the rest of it soon. Jared did a good job of paying attention and singing with the chorus.
Alyssa's Winter Chorus Concert
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sarasota Birthday & Thanksgiving with Mom
Last Tuesday, we picked up Mom and headed out to our vacation rental in Sarasota for 4 days of sun and fun. Armando's house is 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths with a pool, jacuzzi, basketball hoop, and treehouse. He remodeled the home and it is beautiful inside! We'll definitely stay there again.
Yummy Eats:
Our first night we went to Troyer's Dutch Heritage since it was Kids Eat Free night and we were planning on eating there for Thanksgiving. Our meal was FABULOUS - especially the beef gravy and chocolate cake. I enjoyed everything I ate and even tried some new foods like a mustard egg and a beet egg.
Wednesday night we went to El Toro Bravo since it was ranked third in Sarasota on TripAdvisor. Everything was very good and mom and I loved the fajitas. They gave us a free dessert since they knew it was our first visit to their restaurant.
We enjoyed Siesta Key (white sand) and Lido (shells) beaches.
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| The kids' foot jacuzzi |
The water was chilly, but they all braved the cold.
We watched sunsets on a beach every night we were there.
Jared turned 8 on Wednesday and we spent time playing at Urfer Park near the house and then went to the beach after lunch. The kids got to explore with Troy on their bikes there too. I was just thankful for the shade since our weather was above 80 every day of our trip.
Our first night we went to Troyer's Dutch Heritage since it was Kids Eat Free night and we were planning on eating there for Thanksgiving. Our meal was FABULOUS - especially the beef gravy and chocolate cake. I enjoyed everything I ate and even tried some new foods like a mustard egg and a beet egg.
Wednesday night we went to El Toro Bravo since it was ranked third in Sarasota on TripAdvisor. Everything was very good and mom and I loved the fajitas. They gave us a free dessert since they knew it was our first visit to their restaurant.
Thursday we didn't cook for Thanksgiving this year. We headed back to Troyer's for our feast and it looked like the whole city had the same idea. Luckily we had books to read while we waited an hour for a table. The buffet was 1/2 the size of the first time we visited. They included sodas and pie in the buffet price too. I enjoyed having time to relax with the family and still have a tasty meal. After we ate, we headed back to the beach :)
Friday morning we played and took pictures and headed home. Before taking mom back to the airport, we stopped for lunch at Anh Hong for fresh spring rolls and bun (Vietnamese noodle salad).
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| Katie's RipStik |
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| Alyssa has loved basketball since her BYU sports camp this summer. |
Our 16th Anniversary
I can't believe that Troy and I have been married for 16 WHOLE YEARS already!!! I am one lucky lady! We haven't had all smooth sailing, but it has been worth it. You all know how difficult I can be :)
Last Monday, Troy called from work to tell me to be ready to go out at 4:30 and wouldn't tell me where we were going. He took me to http://www.farrisandfosters.com/Chocolate_Parties.pdf and we got to dip/make our own chocolates to take home. It was so much fun! And I've always enjoyed eating dessert first :) They had a cookie sheet with ready made treats to sample while we were there since they weigh all the chocolate that you make at the end. We made all of our treats out of dark chocolate, but they also had milk and white chocolate to choose from. They had truffle fillings, fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruits, marshmallows, licorice, rice krispy treats, caramel, Oreos, coconut filling (my favorite), and so much more. I definitely want to take the kids and do it again! What a fun date! This was 1.2 lbs of tasty bites we shared with the family later.
Our dinner portion of the date was at Chatham's Place and it was so wonderful I had to do a review on TripAdvisor! http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34515-d657397-r87945471-Chatham_s_Place-Orlando_Florida.html The chef sent out several free tastings even though we only ordered entrées and a side of mashed potatoes for dinner and creme brulee of course for dessert. The sourdough bread with feta cheese spread was heavenly! They brought dessert out with a candle and flower to celebrate our anniversary. I used a Restaurant.com $25 gift certificate that I bought for $2 to make the meal more affordable. The restaurant is very small and only had two other parties eating while we were there. I enjoyed the chance to be able to have a conversation without repeating myself :) We also had enough leftovers for a snack the next day - yay!
Last Monday, Troy called from work to tell me to be ready to go out at 4:30 and wouldn't tell me where we were going. He took me to http://www.farrisandfosters.com/Chocolate_Parties.pdf and we got to dip/make our own chocolates to take home. It was so much fun! And I've always enjoyed eating dessert first :) They had a cookie sheet with ready made treats to sample while we were there since they weigh all the chocolate that you make at the end. We made all of our treats out of dark chocolate, but they also had milk and white chocolate to choose from. They had truffle fillings, fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruits, marshmallows, licorice, rice krispy treats, caramel, Oreos, coconut filling (my favorite), and so much more. I definitely want to take the kids and do it again! What a fun date! This was 1.2 lbs of tasty bites we shared with the family later.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Notes from "Seasons of Marriage"
Troy and I attended a BYU Alumni fireside Sunday November 21st by Mark H. Butler, Ph.D., Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, BYU. The title was "Seasons of Marriage---The Journey of Love Between Our First and Second Honeymoons." We took classes when I was back at BYU and haven't done any since, so it was great to have some time to analyze where we are right now and where we want to be. I really enjoyed the presentation and thought the movie clips that he used were perfect to illustrate his points.
He said that "marriages aren't wedding day sculptures... Each marriages is a living, vital, ever-changing life in need of constant nourishment."
Consider Pres. Spencer W. Kimball's quote: “Two people coming from different backgrounds soon learn after the ceremony is performed that stark reality must be faced. There is no longer a life of fantasy or of make-believe; we must come out of the clouds and put our feet firmly on the earth. …
“One comes to realize very soon after marriage that the spouse has weaknesses not previously revealed or discovered. The virtues that were constantly magnified during courtship now grow relatively smaller, and the weaknesses that seemed so small and insignificant during courtship now grow to sizeable proportions. …
“Yet real, lasting happiness is possible … [and it] is within the reach of every couple, every person. ‘Soul mates’ are fiction and an illusion; and while every young man and young woman will seek with all diligence and prayerfulness to find a mate with whom life can be most compatible and beautiful, yet it is certain that almost any good man and any good woman can have happiness and a successful marriage if both are willing to pay the price.” (Marriage & Divorce, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976, pp. 12–17; italics added.)
The four stages of marriage are the Visionary, Adversarial, Dormant, and Vital stages. He compared it to the creation, the fall and the redemption. Marriage begins in Eden, but a Fall comes to our marriage, too, in consequence of marital hurts, large and small. Without Redemption, our marriages remain in a lost and fallen state.
During the Visionary or Creation stage, there is high energy, high hopes, and a deep reserve of goodwill. The love is innocent, blissful and wonderfully naive. He showed a clip from Sense & Sensibility illustrating how the couple behaves. During courtship, both individuals put on their best behavior and try to look as attractive as possible.
As seasons change, the marriage relationship changes to the Adversarial or Becoming One stage. We look at it as a deterioration, but it is a sign of progress. The wife's willingness to wear a bathrobe around the house or the husband's socks on the floor shows that they feel safe and secure in their relationship. During this stage we try to "fix" our partner which leads to problems like complaining, bickering, etc. We figure we have married a "fixer-upper." He showed the scene from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers where the husband says, "What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife." This period is one of negotiating. He also showed a cartoon that said "Happiness is finding that one special person... you can annoy for the rest of your life." What brings about the Fall from grace in the eyes of our partner? Couch-potato manners, carnival mirrors, a season of indulgence in secure attachment.
He had us read D&C 121:46 and substitute marriage for the word dominion. 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant acompanion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of brighteousness and truth; and thy cdominion [MARRIAGE] shall be an everlasting dominion [MARRIAGE], and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
All associations in the kingdom of God are VOLUNTARY.
Entitlement traces a predictable path to misery... Entitlement leads to frustration which leads to resentment which leads to anger.
Seasons change again and the marriage enters the Dormant stage which involves stonewalling and parallel relationships. This stage opens with belligerent resentment and antagonistic separation. One partner realizes that they can't fix their partner, so instead they withdraw from the relationship. This is the most likely stage for divorce to occur. There is often nostalgia for "single life." It gradually resolves into a quiet malaise... Over time, the malaise can become almost benevolent or good-natured. This is the harbinger of good things to come.
A spouse realizes that they haven't been easy to be married to and starts changing themselves for the better because they appreciate their spouse. The other partner reciprocates that love and gratitude. The idea is that the partners decide to change on their own because their spouse deserves it or has earned it.
The final Vital stage involves marital synchronity. It involves our choices and Christ's atonement. He showed a clip from When Harry Met Sally where the spouses are talking over each other:
Man: We were both born in the same hospital.
Woman: Nineteen twenty one.
Man: Seven days apart.
Woman: In the same hospital.
Man: We both grew up one block away from each other.
Woman: We both lived in tenements.
Man: On the lower east side.
Woman: On Delancey Street.
Man: My family moved to the Bronx when I was ten.
Woman: He lived on Fordham Road.
Man: Hers moved when she was eleven.
Woman: I lived on a hundred and eighty third Street.
Man: For six years she worked on the fifteenth floor as a nurse where I had a practice on the fourteenth floor in the very same building.
Woman: I worked for a very prominent neurologist. We never met.
Man: Never met.
Woman: Can you imagine that?
Man: You know where we met? In an elevator. In the Ambassador Hotel, in Chicago, Illinois.
Woman: I was visiting family. He was on the third floor I was on the twelve.
Man: I rode up nine extra floors just to keep talking to her.
Woman: Nine extra floors.
Woman: Nineteen twenty one.
Man: Seven days apart.
Woman: In the same hospital.
Man: We both grew up one block away from each other.
Woman: We both lived in tenements.
Man: On the lower east side.
Woman: On Delancey Street.
Man: My family moved to the Bronx when I was ten.
Woman: He lived on Fordham Road.
Man: Hers moved when she was eleven.
Woman: I lived on a hundred and eighty third Street.
Man: For six years she worked on the fifteenth floor as a nurse where I had a practice on the fourteenth floor in the very same building.
Woman: I worked for a very prominent neurologist. We never met.
Man: Never met.
Woman: Can you imagine that?
Man: You know where we met? In an elevator. In the Ambassador Hotel, in Chicago, Illinois.
Woman: I was visiting family. He was on the third floor I was on the twelve.
Man: I rode up nine extra floors just to keep talking to her.
Woman: Nine extra floors.
Then he showed a clip from Fiddler on the Roof where Tevya asks Golda if she loves him. "After 25 years, it's nice to know."
The final quote was from Mark Twain's comedy Eve's Diary. The story ends with Adam's speaking at Eve's grave, "Wherever she was, there was Eden."
Hollywood Studios
We spent Saturday November 20th at WDW's Hollywood Studios and although we were only planning to stay until 2, we ended up staying until the park closed. Our list of must do's included: Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, Indiana Jones' Stunt Spectacular, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, Muppet Vision 3-D, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (Tyler's first time riding since he's finally tall enough), Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey, Studio Backlot Tour, The American Idol Experience (twice so we could see who won the front of the line pass to an audition), the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Me, Jared and Katie), Toy Story Mania, and the Osbourne Family Festival of Lights.
We ate our granola bars that we brought from home and then bought a turkey leg to share so we could wait until 9 pm for our dinner at California Pizza Kitchen for Jared's free birthday meal. We tried the Pear & Gorgonzola and California Club pizzas... California Club is my favorite! The tomatoes and avocado on top are delicious :)
We LOVED the Toy Story ride, but you have to get FastPasses first thing in the morning or wait in really long lines. We got our FastPasses at 10 am and they weren't good until 5 pm!
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| All the lights on all the buildings came from the Osbourne's house! What an electric bill! |
They play Christmas carols and the lights are choreographed to some of the songs. Occasionally they make "snow" out of bubbles for the winter effect - poor Jared learned his lesson when he tried to eat some "snow."
We ate our granola bars that we brought from home and then bought a turkey leg to share so we could wait until 9 pm for our dinner at California Pizza Kitchen for Jared's free birthday meal. We tried the Pear & Gorgonzola and California Club pizzas... California Club is my favorite! The tomatoes and avocado on top are delicious :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance Auditions - Brooklyn
I was excited to find out that SYTYCD is allowing a live audience to watch the audition process for the first time this year. On Monday, 2000 dancers tried out in front of a producer who whittled the list down to 250. Yesterday 125 of those tried out for the panel of judges including Mary Murphy and Nigel Lithgoe. Thankfully Mary wasn't screaming yesterday :) I flew out on the 6 am flight to JFK and was glad we arrived early so I would have time to make it to BAM in Brooklyn for the taping. The tickets were free from www.on-camera-audiences.com so I got tickets to both the 10 am and 2 pm tapings. They let us in to the theater in the middle of taping the group auditions around 10:40 and we stayed until they dismissed for lunch at 1 pm. We had to be back by 1:30, so I just waited outside in line again.
The second taping was by far the best. I can't tell any information about the contestants, but I LOVED some of them!!! Those who made it through the group freestyle auditions were given a chance to perform their solos with their own music in front of the judges. One of the dances was AMAZING! I can't wait to see it when it is on the show in May. The 2 pm taping lasted until 8 pm. Then I ran to grab a bite to eat before being back for the final part of the audition. Katie and Will from a previous season taught the dancers who were selected for choreography. It was so fun to see how quickly some of the kids picked up the routine. Of course, Katie and Will were amazing to watch too! We were asked to leave the theater before the judges did their final selections, so we waited outside to see who would come out the door with a ticket to Vegas. I finally headed back to the airport about 11 pm after a wonderful day.
My flight home was this morning at 6 am, so I managed 90 minutes of sleep on the couch at gate 14 after the airport opened up at 3:30 am. I made it home this morning by 9:30 and went to sleep. So much fun!!! And I got to meet so many interesting people too :)
The second taping was by far the best. I can't tell any information about the contestants, but I LOVED some of them!!! Those who made it through the group freestyle auditions were given a chance to perform their solos with their own music in front of the judges. One of the dances was AMAZING! I can't wait to see it when it is on the show in May. The 2 pm taping lasted until 8 pm. Then I ran to grab a bite to eat before being back for the final part of the audition. Katie and Will from a previous season taught the dancers who were selected for choreography. It was so fun to see how quickly some of the kids picked up the routine. Of course, Katie and Will were amazing to watch too! We were asked to leave the theater before the judges did their final selections, so we waited outside to see who would come out the door with a ticket to Vegas. I finally headed back to the airport about 11 pm after a wonderful day.
My flight home was this morning at 6 am, so I managed 90 minutes of sleep on the couch at gate 14 after the airport opened up at 3:30 am. I made it home this morning by 9:30 and went to sleep. So much fun!!! And I got to meet so many interesting people too :)
St. Augustine 4th Grade Field Trip
Katie and I spent Veterans Day on a field trip to St. Augustine and had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect and the bus ride was amazingly quiet for 2 4th grade classes traveling for 2 hours each way. I had Katie and 2 other girls in my group. We stayed together with the class for most of the trip. The school rented comfortable buses for the trip - yay!
Since I didn't grow up in Florida, I don't know much about the states' history. I appreciated the amount of information that was shared and the fascinating stories. I am thankful we live in a country with religious freedom today. The stories of massacres due to religion were heart breaking. After our stop at Ft. Menendez, we took a tram tour around town to see the interesting buildings in the area and learn more about Henry Flagler and the history of St. Augustine. It is the oldest city in the United States since they don't include San Juan, Puerto Rico. When we finished our tram tour, we headed to an old military hospital where we learned about red food coloring (http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp) if you're interested in the details - ugh! They also explained in detail how amputations were performed - not my favorite subject :(Our small group had about 90 minutes to shop on St. George St. I didn't bring cash or my Visa, so Katie was out of luck for shopping. It was fun to window shop and see some of the architecture in the area. We found a pretty garden at the back of a glass store.
Our final stop was Castillo de San Marcos where we learned how soldiers lived in the barracks and protected the port. http://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm
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| I am thankful for my comfortable mattress after feeling these that were filled with straw. They were so tiny due to the small stature of people back then. Ponce de Leon was considered tall at 4'11". Wow! |
Thanks to all of those who have labored and fought to keep our country free! I loved this shot of our flag.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Rainy, Cold NYC
Guess what I did while I was in NYC...
My first stop was Troy's office in Queens and a shop next door for an umbrella since it was so cold and rainy. I took the subway into Manhattan to begin my quest for the best DESSERTS. I did some research on Yelp before my trip and narrowed it down to two shops.
My first stop was Two Little Red Hens and I tried a mini red velvet and mini pumpkin cupcake. They were delicious and just the right size for a snack. I had read reviews of the Brooklyn Blackout cupcake, so I took a large one to go to share with Troy later. My umbrella disintegrated while I walked and left me with only my hood from my jacket. I've learned my lesson from buying a cheap one!
My friend had posted pictures of her PB&J doughnut from Doughnut Plant and I had to go try it for myself. Of course, when I arrived at the shop, I met this lovely display that urged me to try several of the tasty treats :) So, my favorite was the creme brulee, followed closely by the PB&J. The pumpkin and tres leches were pretty tasty too! I shared a bite of everything with Troy except the creme brulee because you can see it was just too small to split...
Friday, November 5, 2010
School Update
On Wednesday I finished parent teacher conferences:
Tyler is working at a 1st grade level in reading, writing, math and spelling, but he is missing some skills like small hand coordination and turning some of his numbers and letters backwards. He passed pre-screening for gifted placement.
Jared is ready to work on 7th grade math and his teacher suggested I get him a workbook to do here since they can't go that far in 3rd grade. I'm going to have my hands full! It's a good thing I like algebra. He was disappointed to see a B on his report card because he forgot to study for a science test. Hopefully he will be more careful this term. He is so far above grade level in reading and math that we need to find new ways to challenge him... I'm wondering about space camp or engineering camp this summer.
Katie has straight A's this quarter and is above grade level in reading and math. Her writing has improved dramatically this year but she still hates to do it. She is the top student in her class. Her teacher had no complaints about her behavior - yay! I wish she was as well behaved at home as she is in her classes...
Alyssa didn't have parent teacher conferences, but she brought home her best report card in years! She only had one B. Her math class isn't challenging to her but she loves her classes this year. After passing her gifted screening this summer, I think she realized that her brain works better than she thought it did. She has been very responsible about staying on task and finishing her homework.
Tyler is working at a 1st grade level in reading, writing, math and spelling, but he is missing some skills like small hand coordination and turning some of his numbers and letters backwards. He passed pre-screening for gifted placement.
Jared is ready to work on 7th grade math and his teacher suggested I get him a workbook to do here since they can't go that far in 3rd grade. I'm going to have my hands full! It's a good thing I like algebra. He was disappointed to see a B on his report card because he forgot to study for a science test. Hopefully he will be more careful this term. He is so far above grade level in reading and math that we need to find new ways to challenge him... I'm wondering about space camp or engineering camp this summer.
Katie has straight A's this quarter and is above grade level in reading and math. Her writing has improved dramatically this year but she still hates to do it. She is the top student in her class. Her teacher had no complaints about her behavior - yay! I wish she was as well behaved at home as she is in her classes...
Alyssa didn't have parent teacher conferences, but she brought home her best report card in years! She only had one B. Her math class isn't challenging to her but she loves her classes this year. After passing her gifted screening this summer, I think she realized that her brain works better than she thought it did. She has been very responsible about staying on task and finishing her homework.
Election Day
I voted for the first time in Florida on Tuesday. I was surprised how few people were in line when I got to our voting precinct. After researching the candidates and the proposed amendments, I felt torn on some of the options. When you have two candidates that you don't approve of, it is hard to vote for either one. I hope that our elected officials will remember that they are supposed to represent their constituents and not their own pocketbooks. I am so thankful that I am able to participate in the process of government and have a voice in policy that affects myself and my community.
Our Scary, Wonderful Halloween Trip to Utah
The whole family ventured out to Utah for Doug's ordination and Halloween last week. The weather was chilly but nice and we loved the chance to visit some of our family out there. Our kids had the Friday before Halloween off school, so we flew out on Thursday evening and headed back on the red-eye flight Sunday night.
Our trip went smoothly until we landed in SLC around 1:30 am Eastern time. When we fly, Troy stays on the plane to clean after we land and I take the kids off by myself. After I got the kids settled, Katie wandered away from the other kids and when I came back from the bathroom we couldn't find her anywhere. I was panicking! After Troy got off the plane, I took the rest of the kids past security to the baggage claim to see if she had gone down there. Since we couldn't find her anywhere, Troy contacted security and they helped us look. No one could find a trace of her. After about 30 minutes, they went through the security camera footage and were able to track her as she walked away from her siblings and went into the middle of a crowded gate and curled up under her dad's leather jacket to sleep. She was so tired that she wasn't thinking very clearly. I'm so thankful for the technology that made finding her easier. Once we got our missing Katie, we picked up a minivan and headed to our Lindon house. It was snowing earlier in the week and I'm so glad it all melted before we got there.
We fit in a stop at the Nightmare Express, The Sweet Tooth Fairy, California Pizza Kitchen (free kids birthday meals), Tucanos (free birthday meal for Katie), and IHOP for their free scary face pancakes Friday morning. The kids had a blast decorating their pancakes with mini Oreos and candy corn.
On Friday, we got to meet Gretchen and the kids loved playing with her and taking her for a walk. Janell's Carillon bread twists and corn chowder were delicious - of course! I want to try making the bread twists myself. I couldn't eat just one... Now I'm craving them.
CARILLON BELL TOWER BREADSTICKS
24 frozen dinner rolls, thawed but still cold (Janell used her bread recipe with lecithin)
24 wooden chopsticks
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Roll out each roll about 6 inches long and then wrap around the chopsticks, leaving 2 inches at the bottom for a hand hold. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a light cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake twists for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. While they are baking, combine the butter and spices. Remove breadsticks from oven and brush with the butter mixture. Serve breadsticks warm. For a fun presentation, stand the breadsticks upright in a vase. Makes 24 breadsticks. — "Brigham Young University Cougars Cookbook"
The leaves were just turning colors and most hadn't fallen yet. That meant our yard work at the duplex was much less time consuming than I had anticipated. It was nice to have more free time to enjoy our favorite places in the area.
We fit in a stop at the Nightmare Express, The Sweet Tooth Fairy, California Pizza Kitchen (free kids birthday meals), Tucanos (free birthday meal for Katie), and IHOP for their free scary face pancakes Friday morning. The kids had a blast decorating their pancakes with mini Oreos and candy corn. |
| Yummy Fudge Sundaes at CPK |
I love that Utah celebrates Halloween on Saturday when the actual holiday falls on the sabbath. Unfortunately the forecast said it would rain that evening. We enjoyed a yummy dinner with Scott's family and our kids enjoyed trick or treating with their cousins (and they shared their Almond Joys with me!). The rain stopped around 7 pm so they didn't get soaked :) Thanks to Jolynne for taking them around with her kids.
Sunday included church, Doug's ordination, cards, more yummy meals, and visiting with family. I was glad that the kids were able to witness Troy ordaining Doug to become an elder. We are so proud of Doug for the choices he is making and are looking forward to hearing where he will be called to serve soon.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Primary Program
Our 2010 Primary Program had the theme I Know That My Savior Loves Me. I linked a video that shows some of my favorite pictures of Jesus. I can just picture all of the children sitting at Jesus' feet. The leaders helped the kids present their parts and songs beautifully. Katie sang a solo for the 7th verse of Follow the Prophet and I was amazed by how lovely her voice has become. She didn't even seem nervous at all. The whole primary signed two of the songs that they sang and everyone had a speaking part. Our ward here has ASL missionaries and they are teaching ward members how to sign. We have several hearing impaired members and I love watching the translations of talks and music. The whole meeting was wonderful and ended to quickly.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
May Trip to Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica
This May Troy and I belatedly celebrated our 15th anniversary. Lee and Bonnie came to stay with the kids and we were able to take a much needed week long vacation sans kiddos. JetBlue flies directly from Orlando to Montego Bay, so our flights were nice and short. When we arrived in Jamaica, we were taken to the Sandals lounge for some snacks and drinks while we waited for our ride out to the resort. The drive was 1 1/2 hours of windy, narrow mountain roads with some crazy drivers. I was glad to leave it to our driver and enjoy the scenery. I was lucky enough to sit in the front row so I didn't get too carsick. The resort was gorgeous and very clean. My favorite thing about Sandals is their all-inclusive is more inclusive than most: scuba, snorkeling, water toys, glass bottom boat rides, food, and transportation to and from the resort. We were able to learn how to sail a Hobie Cat (SOOOO Fun!!!), take a sea kayak to the reef and peddle an aquatrike. They also had a free couples' massage class. The food wasn't the greatest, but one meal stood out as the best. It was a steak/prawn main course with a cherry creme brulee - WOW! I had that meal 3 times :) They also had a crepe restaurant, so of course I went there often. One day they had chocolate covered strawberries there too, but I checked back after that and they never had them again. There was a man on the beach who made the best jerk chicken served with delicious rolls. One night they had a chocolate buffet that was fun to try.
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| Our Room |
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| The View from Our Balcony |
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| This Peacock is Very Forward (He hopped up next to me to share my food!) |
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| The Wedding Spot |
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| Conch Shell on Glass Bottom Boat Trip |
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| Jellyfish Held to Avoid Stinging |
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| Giant Startfish Everywhere |
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| Chocolate Buffet :) |
We came home with mosquito and sand flea bites and decided we'd rather go to our lovely Florida beaches, but for fun activities and relaxation Sandals was great. We had rain daily, but it was usually short and then the weather was more comfortable the rest of the day.
We had a wonderful time and will go again...
Maybe next time we'll try Beaches which is for families and not just couples.
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