Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Neighborhood Treats

Pretzel Rods wearing 3 Coats:

Homemade Caramel, White or Milk chocolate, Cute Decorations

Seriously, my favorite part of the holiday season is the neighborhood treats. I like thinking up something unique and wow! I still remember as a little girl delivering neighbor treats and my favorite ones were the variety of colors & flavors of almond bark my mom made.

I like to try to outdo myself every year and have to say...in my years, I've done pretty good. When the kids were little I sewed count down calendars for all the neighborhood...probably about 25 and delivered them before Dec. 1st. That was one of my favorites. An old standby favorite is our beautiful red raspberry huckleberry jam with a gold bow and a warm loaf of bread.

Another family favorite was the year we found pineapples on sale for $1 each and the kids wore Hawaiian shirts with a leigh and delivered them with a poem about the pineapple representing friendship.

Here's this year. I think last year's was prettier but I decided last year I wanted to do these for this year and it was a lot of fun!

Senior Pics at the Mall

So, while Christmas shopping at the mall....we discover that one of the bunch is a celebrity. A very popular photographer displays some of his best Sr. pics. Handsome....

Christmas Dance

Our last High School Christmas Dance.
The invites says: "I would be Ex-TREE-mly happy if you would go to the Christmas Dance with me. The letters of his name were written on the back of the little ornaments...and, he thought it up himself...good job!
And...she said "YES"

The group had a fancy dinner at our house.

Merry Christmas!

December - emoticon free month

An interesting article I read on CNN got me thinking:

"A poll of about 500 was taken to discover which emoticons really got them glowering (in real life, not emoticon-effigy). The most-hated emoticons, in descending order (at time of writing):
:P (46%)
>:( (39%)
:) (8%)
:/ (6%)
:( (2%)
That's why we're putting forth the following challenge to you, dear readers, as the year drags its sorry carcass toward the grave: Spend the rest of this month emoticon-free. We're doing it, too, so you don't have to go into the abyss alone -- at least not this time.
The parenthetical purge begins now. If you feel like an emotional cripple come 2011, then, fine, smile, wink, scowl and "meh" away."

So, I'm taking the challenge for a December free emoticon month....Can you do it too?

Addicted to Jazz

An upside about living in SLC is going to the Jazz games especially the last minute cheap tickets...and when the seats are good it's extra cool...

Mr. Kevin O'Connor himself just across the aisle....

Christmas Party in SLC

A company Christmas Party at Desert Star - Christmas Vacation on the Bi-Polar Express, Temple Square lights with rain, an amazing Christmas program of Music & the Spoken Work on Sunday topped off with Christmas shopping and a really nice time with the big guy (Santa).

My "Rocky" in training

"Yo! Adrian"

(click to hear some great Rocky music while viewing the awesome pics)

Where did November Go?

I'm pretty sure we skipped right over November!

Considering the date you see on this blog, I've definately got some catching up to do. But seriously...where did November go? We've had the most beautiful fall with temps in the upper 60's...almost 70 all through October & November! Sadly you know the snow must eventually come....here's our first snow fall. Thank you snow for waiting til almost Thanksgiving!
The 3 amigos enjoying some pumpkin cookie batter. Sadly "Cat" went to another home. He was trying to rule the house by terrorizing the dogs & me!

You know those old fashioned traditional Thanksgiving pictures. Well, I wanted one for my family...They all had the giggles so... here's the best I could do. Thanksgiving Dinner 2010 with my bunch. It's so fun to have the missionary home for the holidays. My parents braved the funny bunch.... Thanksgiving break....yep...hear comes the facial hair!

Of course my mom makes the most beautiful & delicious 2 crust pies. She learned it from her mom who was also a fantastic pie maker too. Of course there has to be a family that loves to eat pie...that's us! Here we have a fresh apple pie with apples from my brother's orchard. I adore the floral "Cat Tails" design on top. It's been handed down for 3 generations. When I was little I always loved watching my mother cut the design on top. I'd ask her how she knew how to do those and she said from her mother. I try to do the same design but of course, mine isn't as pretty. I refuse to do any other design...it just wouldn't be right. And here we have the latest fad at our house...yes, Toilet Paper origami. Don't be surprised if you see it in other public places...... ...and an amazing Court of Honor and guess who had the most merit badges? Yep! And the best part, these are the "money" merit badges because they are the last ones to finish up before the Eagle (coming soon)... YEAH!!!

Happy Halloween

Halloween is a lot different when your kids are big.

• They carve really cool pumpkins
• They make their own costumes

• You can go on a date that night because they go on dates too
• They answer the door and pass out treats and have so much fun scaring the little kiddies
• But sadly.. the big guy and I really do miss the years when we took them trick or treating. I think he misses their good candy.

Meat Loaf monster hands & strawberry brain jell-o

This year we took my parents to a Halloween play: Arsenic & Old Lace. It was very cute. I fixed a scary pre-show dinner and the weather was absolutely perfect for Halloween...beautiful dark skies, no wind, rain or snow!

In Loving Memory

Happy Birthday!

Jade, 23

Boo!

We got "Boo-d" this week in our neighborhood. It's a surprise delivery of treats from someone in your neighborhood. So lacking time & talent, I tried to be creative and try a new halloween cupcake design. Here's my feeble attempt at mummy cupcakes for us to BOO our neighbors. Devil's food chocolate cupcakes, Cream cheese frosting and little chocolate eyeballs.

Along with these little surpises, we had surprise visits from our friends in Grants Pass. We love surprises!

Katie, Karli & Mary

and...Rachel now a RM back from Brazil

One week...3 new recipes

In one week, I tried three new recipies! What has gotten into me? Is it the gorgeous fall weather we've been enjoying? Surprisingly!! they all turned out pretty good but I did have to rank them.

#3 Pumpkin Swirl Bread

I've always wanted to try a pumpkin bread using yeast.

#2 Chili Rellano

I got a box full of wonderful peppers from Lori and got a wild idea. Making and eating them reminded me of a dear friend Kris who I actually got to see again this week after 10 years!

#1 The winner!!

Caramel Apples

with fresh picked apples from my brother's orchard

orchard apples + homemade caramel = fall!

What a weekend!

The bunch travelled to Salt Lake City for the weekend for a wedding reception, visiting mission comps who've just returned, dating, eating out, shopping, and spending time with family....and we ate our first deep fried turkey..yum! See what we did.......

Tom...who?
One of our favorite aunts and the best cook in the world! Seriously!
Cuz...
the BB game...

A view of Paradise...Literally

Mrs. Peterson

a beautiful bride with a spicy little "maid-of-honor"

Congratulations!

A Big Surprise!

So Friday at work I received a special deliver from very special friends in Grants Pass, OR. Thank-you!!!!

to my VERY Special Friends!!!

You really made my day.

You brought tears to my eyes and sweet memories...I miss you all so much.... hey! let's go on another cruise and all get some

key lime pie!

Happy 200th Birthday Chopin!

Hats off! to Del Parkinson for his amazing concert in celebration of Fredryk Chopin's 200th birthday. Chopin has always been my most favorite composer and he played almost all of my very favorites! I love them because they're ones I've played too: Military Polonaise, Etude in E major, Revolutionary Etude, Nocture in C sharp minor, Waltz in C sharp minor, Minute Waltz, Fantasy Impromptu, Heroic Polanise. I was just a tiny bit dissapointed he didn't play the one I currently have memorized which I LOVE! Waltz in E flat minor but that's OK because it was one of my favorite concerts ever!

Ando con el diente largo...

What?

You have one

Large

tooth that sticks up because your permanent retainer broke... and some cruel little chilean girls were making fun of your large tooth?

Oh no! does that mean braces....again?

Yep!