Deep in the Heart of Texas...

The stars are bright...in TEXAS! We are here! The kids and I flew down on the the Monday before Thanksgiving and Bucky was able to come down after, on Wednesday. My sister Amy and her family down in Tyler Texas. It is Thursday night and I am sitting with a full belly watching Hairspray - could life get better? I don't think so. I'll post pictures when i get back home. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A Storms a Comin'

I don't know what is going on in Utah. It is beautiful! It's almost like the calm before the storm. I think a cold front is going to come because no one should have to endure this kind of weather in November. The end of November even!

Just kidding.

I lived in Alaska too long not to take advantage of the weather. If we could just do something about the inversion...

For those of you who don't know(and be glad you don't) the inversion is a term that Salt Lake came up with instead of saying smog or pollution. It's really only in the winter when there isn't a lot of movement in the weather pattern. All the pollution gets trapped in the Salt Lake Valley and form this really sweet haze. The weathermen tell everyone to stay inside and not to exercise outside and those with asthma to stay inside as well. It's pretty fun.

So...it's beautiful today with the one exception that is the inversion. I guess I could be glad because it makes all my pictures seem like they were taken in a long ago era...

Busy, Busy, Busy, and Sick

So this last week has been REALLY busy. And let me just preface that statement by saying that I don't like to be REALLY busy. I don't like to have a packed schedule. I haven't started the kids in soccer or anything yet, because I don't like to be busy!

2 weeks ago Bucky's brother asked if we would babysit his daughter while he and his step-daughter tried out for a play at the local theater. Buck had this brilliant idea that he and Ethan should try out too. Well, guess what? They got cast. It's the Wizard of Oz. Bucky is a Guard and Ethan is in the Lollipop Guild. They are excited, although Buck got a little nervous last night reading through the script to see that he has a few solos! Ha that's serves him right.

1. Play practice is a couple of times a week.

My calling in our ward is Enrichment Committee and also the Sports Specialist for the YW. Enrichment is fun and not that big of a deal and neither is being the Sports Specialist.
We got lucky and had a forfeit the first game and won the next 2! Tonight they have a game, and if they win that, they have a game Saturday morning.

3. Of course Visiting Teaching was supposed to be last night, didn't get to it because of the games.




4. Last but certainly not least, I've been sick for 2 weeks. Off and on with a hacking cough at night thus giving me no voice the next day.

I am tired, anyone ever feel like they've had the week from hell?! Natalie I'm sure this griping has got you rolling your eyes!!!

Once Upon a Time...

A long, long time ago there was a rock star. He decided to go to massage school while pursuing his rock dream. There was a semi-crazed wild Alaskan just off the boat in Salt Lake City. She was also starting a new career in massage therapy.

The first day of school she noticed this rock star who sitting a few rows back. He didn't seem to realize that he was in the wrong classroom and so this girl politely informed him that he was. It seemed like forever to the first break and when the girl walked out she was immediately walking next to him. Butterflies ensued and that was the beginning of the rest of their blissful life together...

Flash forward 8 years, 2 c-sections, and 1 reunion show later the girl was still in love with her rock star husband. He rocked so hard it hurt. Literally, he was dying the next day, what can I say, he's an old man. :)

Getting ready for Halloween!

We went to Gardner Village 2 weekends ago and had a great time. We wanted to weather to be fall(ish) and chilly, but unfortunately it wasn't. It was 70! Not that I'm complaining, because I grew up in Alaska and I know what it's like to not see 70 the whole year, but I was not dressed for it! And running around with 8 kids and 3 adults, the odds were not in our favor.

Well...

This is my husband's heart in cheesecloth. I just get so fed up with him that I decided to make him into a nice jelly and you are all getting a tiny jar for Christmas!

Nahhh!!!!!!!! I have a great husband! A little lacking in the punctuality department, but he makes up for it in foot rubs! I am sorry to brag but he rocks!


I made grape jelly! I hope it sets up well. It was really fun to learn to do. Have a great day everyone! Recipe follows...

1. Wash about 3 1/2 lbs. of Concord grapes. Like so...


2. Blend the grapes in two batches in blender.


3. Wash the jars in hot soapy water. Wash lids as well. Keep the jars in hot water until just before pouring. Make sure you dry out jars so as not to mess with jelly.


4. Line a bowl with about 4 layers of cheesecloth. And I would recommend using a pair of latex gloves so you don't stain your hands, nails, etc. when you squeeze the juice through the cheesecloth.


5. Pour the juice from the blender into the cheescloth, this step is a little tricky. Looking back, I think I would have put a large rubberband around the bowl to hold it in place while I poured the juice. Pull the sides up and squeeze the juice out. Be careful not to squeeze to hard because I ripped through a few layers of cheesecloth from over-zealous squeezing!



6. You should have about 4 1/2 c. worth of juice. Pour into pot with 7 c. of sugar. Bring to a hard boil. Add one package of pectin. Stir for another 5 minutes.

7. Dry out jars now and ladle jelly to a 1/4 in. from the lip of jar. Put on lid and screw on top.

8. If you have a canning pot that's great, if you don't you can use a big pot with a grate on the bottom. You need to have water in the pot at a boil and enough to cover the jars by about 2 inches. Boil for 5 minutes. take jars out and let cool at room temp overnight. It will take about 2-3 weeks for it to set up properly. Good luck and email if you have questions!

Guess What?

Two things! Can you guess what this picture is? And the kids were being silly in the video clip.