Random Stuff

Mike made fun of me last week at Bryce's game as I tried to take a picture of the 2 of us standing together ...I had to stretch my hands up so high to get him in the shot too. lol!

Denisa and I took her son Tyler to the SF airport last weekend and the guy in front of us paid the toll for us and Denisa had this look on her face for I dont know how long so I decided to take a picture of her. I love it!

This is Stephen's leg.....I found this picture on my camera Stephen had taken it after he jumped over the fence trying to get a baseball.  He loves anything that has to do with being rough and tough...pain, blood...but he wont watch a scarey movie lol!  He wore shorts to school the next day to show it off....weirdo!

 

Here's Mike with his favorite toy!  The Big Green Egg!  We got it a couple of years ago instead of a gas BBQ.  It cost much more though.  It's a charcoal bbq that is ceramic and in the shape of an egg...it's supposed to heat much faster, and hotter and more evenly than the gas ones...I have to admitt bbq does taste better when grilled on the Big Green Egg.  He loves that thing!

Here's the chicken Mike last cooked on the Big Green Egg....Stephen thought he needed a head.

Bryce thought it was pretty awesome that he found this heart-shaped chip in his bag last week.



Just some fun things to make me smile today....I needed it!

Life is crazy in a good way...

Well, I have to say that I am happy that spring has sprung!  I have been enjoying the sunshine and all.  But at the same time that means that lots of new things are happening too.  For instance now is that time that we get closer to performance time with "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella".  Since I am working backstage I now get to attend all of the rehearsal's with Bryce which there are 3 of this week...  and then of course continue to drive Stephen back and forth to all of his.  Then on top of that Baseball season has started with both boys playing this year.  I absolutely love to watch my boys play sports.  I think it is amazing to see them in action and I love team sports!  They really learn to push eachother and all that competitive stuff it so invogorating!

( Here's Bryce at opening day playing 1st base on the Diamond Backs Team).

(Here's Stephen waiting for his game to start....playing freshman ball at Pleasant Grove High School)

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So, that's the fun stuff going on these days.  So, we are always on the go as you can imagine.  But we love it!  Of course there is always Scouts,  School, and church activities.

 Since Bryce has been back on track again, I've been enjoying having the house to myself during the day.  But, then Mike asked me a question on Monday, "so how are you doing on finding a job?"ughhhhh!  Now, why did he have to ask me that quesiton?  Well, I just tried to kind of ignore that one, even though I knew I shouldn't.  So, yesterday I was going about my day just trying to take care of everything and running some errands and I had to stop by my auto insurance company and make a payment and guess what?  My insurance guy offered me a job!  Okay, so is this a sign or what?  Actually, he is a good friend and we had spoken previously about employment.  The best part about it are the hours.....9-2 M-F...I mean it cant get better than that can it?  I feel extremely blessed right now.  So, I am busily working on getting my home in order and ready for me to go back to work on Monday.

I also did something else exciting yesterday...I purchased my airline tickets for a trip to Utah in May to see my sisters for a "Sister's weekend retreat" where my sister Dorothy will be coming out from Virgina,....Yay!  We havent seen her in about 3 years.  Can't wait!  And my airline tickets cost me $10 since I was able to use my rewards points on my American Express.  I love free stuff...dont you?

So yes, life is crazy right now but in a good way.  Lots to look forward to including the blessings that seem to always come when we most need them (someone is watching out for us) and spring is a great time of year to enjoy it!

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4oz) instant pistachio pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
7 drops green food coloring

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
2. In a large bowl mix together cake mix and pudding mix.  Make a well in the cener and pour in eggs, water, oil, almond extract and green food coloring.  Blend ingredients, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
3. Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan.  Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed.  Cool in pan 15 minutes.  Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

This was a hit last night but the boys said I should have frosted it.

Lucky?

I was "lucky" to have some extra time on my hands tonight and so I got creative and made cards and a Pistachio cake for my guys.

I feel "lucky" that Michael is serving so well and enjoying his mission so much. We missed not having him here to celebrate St. Patricks Day with us.

And I feel "lucky" to have these 3 handsome men still hanging around in my life to liven up each day. 

 But as i sit back and think, i realize...luck really has nothing to do with it:)  

It's a great day to be alive!

Have you ever been so sick that you cant wait to be well so that you can just enjoy being alive?  Well, that was me yesterday.  I was so sick that I sat inside my messy house all day feeling sorry for myself and anticipating the time that I would feel well again.... And thinking about all the things I would do with my good health to just appreciate being alive.  So, there I sat all day.  Then later that afternoon there was a knock on my door and there stood  Lanette and Taylor Masters from the Sheldon ward with a plate of very warm...fresh out of the oven cookies.  Wow, I was so touched that it made me cry.  They didn't know that I was sick in fact the reason they brought the cookies was because they ended up with my mother in law's famous homemade strawberry jam that she had brought from utah with her last week and of course they couldnt resist eating it....I dont blame them...so they brought us some special recipe cookies, that were extremely good by the way, and they were just what the doctor ordered.  And that started a brand new day for me.

I did sleep good last night and today was a welcome sight to wake up to not feeling like I was going to die, like I did yesterday.  Then I had a breif conversation with a dear friend who has been going thru some trials lately.  My heart went out to her and I just wanted to embrace her but I couldnt because she lives in another town.  But I started thinking and this is what came to my mind....We are spiritual beings living in a non spiritual world....and the reason we are here and the reason we have trials in our lives is to remind us who is in control, so that we will turn to him and surrender our will to his and in this will we find comfort, solace, and peace in the midst of these truly worldly trials we are given.  The spirit is the greatest source of strength, comfort and healing that there is.....and today is a great day to be alive!

For Good

(from Wicked)

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason,

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led to those who help us most to grow,

If we let them, and we help them in return.

Well, I dont know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes the sun,

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood,

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.

It well may be

That we will never meet again in this lifetime

So, let me say before we part;

So much of me is made of what I learned from you,

You'll be with me

Like a hand print on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end,

I know you have rewritten mine by

Being my friend

Like a ship blown from it's mooring
By a wind off the sea,

Like a seed dropped by a sky bird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness for all the things you blamed me for
But then I guess, we both have blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun,
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood,
Who can say if I've been changed for the better

I do believe I have been changed for the better

Because I knew you
Because I knew you
Because I knew you

I have been changed....for good!

Wicked!

Well, we finally did it!  Mike and I went to San Francisco yesterday and saw Wicked!  And let me tell you it was amazing!  We both absolutely loved it!  So, Mike took the day off and we had a very leisurely morning together after the kids went to school and it was just nice.  Then we left at about 10:30 to head out to SF.  We got there early enough to have lunch.  Then we headed over to the Orpheum Theatre for the play which started at 2:00.  There were lots of people around to help take pictures.  We sat in the first balcony first row right in the middle....awesome seats!  After the first half during intermission Mike and I started talking aobut how much we were enjoying the show and we proceeded to talk about what it represented for each of us.  Of course for Mike it was all symbolic of Politics and the Gospel and for me it was all about People and Relationships...lol!  We had a good laugh about how you can tell what we each think about.  After the intermission and during the second half we just completely got caught up in it and just fell in love with all the characters, scenery, music and the story.  It was awesome and a great way to celebrate our anniversary:) 

 We thought we would have a tough time getting out of the city since it ended at about 5:00 but we decided to try anyway.  We got out of the city at about 5:30 and we arrived back in Elk Grove at 7:00.  We stopped for dinner in Elk Grove and then headed over to get Bryce.  All in all it was a very enjoyable, leisurely and entertaining day with just my sweetheart and I!