Skiing

John loves to go skiing for his birthday. It is all he has asked for since he was like 14. This was my second year going with him and we had so much fun. We left Glen with Grandma Hansen and we took off for the slopes. We got to Alta at about 9:30 or so and it was freezing. The temperature at the time was -2, but with the suns help it warmed up a lot after only a few hours. We stopped for lunch at Alf's lodge before heading back to the mountain (which incidentally we never left)

I took a lot of scenery pictures because it was absolutely gorgeous up there.
As you can see the sun was shining and it mad the snow sparkle.Breathtaking is all I can say.It wasn't windy where we were down on the slopes, but you can see the wind picking the snow up off the summit here. I think this looks really cool. This picture was taken right after we got there and I am standing next to the car, gotta love the zoom.Aww, the ski lift, the view, the terror. The place to rest sore muscles until the next run down.This is the view from our table in Alf's Lodge. It looks so peaceful and serene, no one would ever know that waiting just out side lurking in the shadows are sore muscles, soft snow drifts to plough into, and the chance to go a million miles an hour down a steep hill.

Lunch break, mmm...my husband. What a great man. I sure do love him.

Gadianton Chili

My next brilliant Idea... Gadianton Chili. I will be rich and famous, the next "Bush's baked beans guy." You know the one where the dog is always trying to sell the recipe, except I would have a ferret. And instead of being a family recipe it will be a secret combination.
Then when I take it to Relief Society people will call me and ask for the recipe and I will have to tell them all that I can't give it to them because it is a secret combination and then after tons of people ask for this fabulous recipe I will finally decide to publish it but it will never taste the same because I will have had to publish a fake recipe like the Lion House cook book and their rolls. The possibilities are endless. Any one who wants to be rich and famous with me let me know, but don't ask what the recipe is or I will have to kill you....

Spoon?

Who needs a spoon?

Testimony

As I sit here watching Glen play with is feet and hear him talk to me, I cannot help but smile. I have been thinking today about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ I must follow the commandments of the Lord to be found worthy of receiving His blessings. As I think of all He has blessed me with I cannot imagine wanting to live any other way. I am eternally grateful for the sealing ordinance that has allowed me to be sealed to my husband and family for time and all eternity because I could not picture life with out my sweet son or my wonderful husband. In the words of President Monson, "heaven would not be heaven without [them]"
I have found nothing but joy in this gospel. Sure there are times of sorrow and heart ach that we all must pass through in this mortal realm, but knowing that through the Atonement of Christ we can all be healed makes those times of sorrow seem like mere moments, which they are in the eternal spectrum.
I love the Lord with all of my heart. He has given me so much, all that I have is from Him. He led me to my husband, gave us a child, a home, families, and more blessings and opportunities then I could ever count. After all that He has given me keeping His commandments is such a small price to pay.
I konw that God lives. He has a body of flesh and bone, He has a son, and His Son died for us. I know that He loves us, He hears our prayers, and He knows us each by name. He is mindful of us, our wants, needs, and desires are known to Him. And I know that He wants us to have joy.

Skiing Giraffe?

Anybody who knows John has probably been invited to go skiing with him for his birthday. John loves to ski. This year for his birthday I wanted to make his cake so here is the cake I made with LaChelle's help. Didn't she do great on the trees? They are sugar cones that she has piped frosting onto. For decorations I grabbed some of Glen's toys, and borrowed one from my nephew Elijah, and put them on Popsicle skis. Then I made little stick people and put our pictures on the sticks so that it would be a family skiing trip. The cake will have to do until Glen is older. Even though the cake didn't turn out how I had imagined, John really liked it. Although no one ate the yellow snow by the Elephant. Oh, well.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

How can the flowers grow if it never rains? I am grateful for the rainy days in my life from which beauty has sprung. Without going into any detail let me share with you one of the darkest, cloudiest days I have had, and how the clouds and rain brought forth something very precious. Just out of college I met someone and we planned to get married. Then one day out of irritation he told me that I needed to choose between him and the Lord. I made my decision and I have not seen him since. I also decided that if I cared enough for the Lord to break off an engagement, I cared enough to dedicate my life to him. From this simple decision my life has transformed into something I only dreamed of. I have a husband who is as dedicated to the Lord as I, and a son we shall raise to be dedicated as well. The Lord sends us rain so that we may grow, and after the rain we will bloom.

Talented kids

Talk about serious talent. These kids are good! I bet you didn't know your kids were so good.

Mission Impossible

My mission is to fit this entire toy in my mouth. Impossible you say? I don't know the meaning of impossible...seriously.

Balanced Diet

I have had another brilliant idea. (Some day one of my ideas will make LaChelle, my partner in crime, and me rich and famous.) So here it is. Babies learn eating habits from parents, but if you are like me it is more of a "do as I say not as I do," type of thing. I have a plan to help. We will invent a product that helps parents give their kids a balanced diet baby food style. I'm not talking about all those gross baby food combos like mac and cheese and chicken dinner, I'm talking good stuff. We will take the child's portion and separate it into two or three parts. In each compartment we will have a different food group. For instance here is what Glen would eat if my genius plan were in action now. Breakfast, open container one and you have peaches and oatmeal. Lunch- Chicken and tomato soup, Dinner- rice, apple sauce, and carrots. Not a completely balance diet, but hey maybe LaChelle and I can find a pediatric nutritionist to help plan the menu. I think it is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Any one want to sponsor this new amazing product line? Anyone...come on, it is way better then the Darn It sock store.

Bouncing Baby Boy

I have always wondered why people use the term "bouncing baby boy," now I know. Glen is a bouncing baby boy. At first I though he was just getting used to supporting him weight on his legs, but after months of standing I was wondering what was he was doing. Then my neighbor who loves to watch him was telling me how much he loves her bouncing swing, so after Christmas I went and bought him one. He has no problem supporting him weight, we want to jump. He will spend half an hour in his swing bouncing, no bouncing is the wrong word, jumping up and down laughing and not get tired of it. I jumps really high too. It reminds me of the astronaut training no gravity training. Boy can this kid jump!

Fruit Pizza

John was having a guest over for dinner one night a while ago and asked me to make a special dessert. I wanted to try my hand at a fruit Pizza. I love to make the patterns on fruit pizzas. I made a batch of sugar cookies, rolled it all out into one giant, lopsided cookie and baked it on my trusty baking stone. Then I made a cream cheese frosting and began the fun. What do you think?

Funny Coincidence

LaChelle and I thought it was funny when she showed up with Peter dressed in Levi overalls just like Glen. but it was even better when Angelina came down to say that Enoch was also wearing Levi overalls. Typical mom's, we couldn't resist getting a picture or two, or three or four. How funny that we all dressed our kids the same without planning it. Two is cool, but three is great.

Experiment 626

I would never make...more then one

Tonight John asked me to make something "really healthy and really filling" for dinner. I had planned on pizza, I needed a new plan. Not having a plan B I set out in search of a suitable meal to throw together. Thus began the experiment. I threw together ingredients I hoped would make a passable wheat dough, boiled some chicken and broccoli, mixed up an Italian white sauce, rolled it all up with a bit of cheese, and sprinkled Parmesan and parsley over it. Then I slipped it in the oven on my trusty baking stone and hoped it would turn out. 30 minutes later my creation came to life. I call it CBC Stuffed Bread. (Chicken Broccoli Cheddar) Now the taste test. On a scale from 1-10 John gave it a 9.98, you don't think he is biased or anything, do you?

John did say that he would prefer the crust soft, but I prefer it crunchy so that is a difference of opinion. I also think I should have used less Italian seasoning and it little more salt.
The problem with throwing together an experiment is that I didn't really measure...anything, so I do not have the recipe anywhere but my head. I have a lot of recipes like that. There are so many that I make until it looks right, or I add ingredients until it feels right, others that I season until it smells right. And that is the mark of a true genius...or a real weirdo, your choice.