Treats!

My sister Meg posted on her blog a couple weeks ago about some cookies she had made with her new cookie press. They were so cute and topped with peppermint frosting. Delightful! My other sister bought me the same cookie press for Christmas! Delightful, once again! I have a New Year's Eve party tonight and thought it would be fun to make some treats to snack on. I used Meg's sugar cookie recipe, my cookie press, Mint Hershey's Kisses and VOILA! Here's the result. I could get very addicted to the cookie press. I'm going to have to pace myself!

Changes, updates and musical selections

As you can see, I've been doing some remodeling while watching The Sound of Music tonight. There's several new posts and lots of new pics. New music selections- and- as always, the musical selections are there for a reason. I love how music takes you to memories or moments. If you don't want to listen to it, click on the off button and it will stop playing while you read.
One final thought before I go have a brownie sundae and listen to why Julie Andrews has confidence...
Can ANYONE tell me why The Sound of Music is a holiday movie?

For my 3rd oldest niece

Meg said my niece has been wishing for snow...come to my house! There's plenty!

My mismatched socks

My sister Meg had me for Christmas. She always find the perfect gifts. Suited perfectly to the person for whom she is buying. This year I received a pair of handwoven mismatched socks from her coastal adventures and a lovely and "sophisticated" conversation game/table decor piece. I LOVE MY SOCKS. They keep my piggys warm is such style and fashion. They remind me of her and help me not miss her so much. Thanks, Meg.

Christmas with the Fam...or as much of it as was here!

My Little Santa Story

The school I work at does a Sub for Santa each year for some families that live within our boundaries. Sometimes I know the students and sometimes I don't. I've been heavily involved with this project for just about 10 years now. Some years we have families that are so grateful. Other years we have families calling in October to see how soon we can help them out and while we're at it can we bring an electric guitar?
I used to be able to take some of my students with me to help deliver presents. They could really see the fruits of their labors. That had to stop abruptly when I delivered to a mom who was so high I'm not really sure she knew I was there. So now pretty much its me and the SBO advisor who get to see what happens after Penny Wars is over. Penny Wars is how we raise money for our project.
This year we had a girl who lives with her dad. Its just the two of them. He works round the clock pretty much. She takes care of shopping, cleaning, meals, laundry, being a kid, being a student.... :) We called to ask dad if we could help out. His response was "I haven't had a *&%^ Christmas in 10 years! If you want to help out, you talk to my daughter." Well- alrighty then! We did.
In talking with her, she found out some of the things we had done in the past. Everything from groceries and underwear to microwaves and vacuums. When we asked what she would like, she asked if we could get her dad a bed. Apparently he sleeps on the couch or the floor, as he doesn't have anywhere else to sleep. I made a couple phone calls to some business partners we have and a local furniture company agreed to donate a queen size mattress set. :) And not only a queen size set- a $1300 set. Wow.
On the day of delivery, we called dad and he let us go over. He noticed the bed but didn't say much. It wasn't until the SBO advisor told him that was what his daughter asked for him to receive that he started to tear up and cry. :) Bless his heart.
I don't post this so it can go everywhere- just so you can have a little Christmas warmth that I don't get to share due to privacy issues. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Better Late than Never!

So.... a little more about the night we saw Twilight haha. The girls have been bugging me for pictures since that evening (or rather really early morning). So here they are! The top photo was in the theater and we were seeing how many of us we could squish into the lense without someone else taking a picture for us. haha- Rachel and Bernadette are the two vampire-looking individuals hanging over our heads. Seriously- LOOK at Rachel's eyes! lol Oh my.

The next picture is us at IHOP prior to the movie. We were laughing at ourselves because we really aren't that young anymore...staying up late to see a teenage vampire movie at 30 something? lol hilarious! So maybe we look younger with our hoodies on flashing signs...probably not. But we had a great time! This definitely one of those "had to be there" moments. :)

Tradition! Tradition!

As many of you know, we have a big tradition in our family of making gingerbread houses the weekend of Thanksgiving. My grandma started it years ago and has passed it on to my mom and I. My sisters join in occasionally but not that often. As you also know, my parents have been gone for the past two Thanksgivings. So my mom wasn't around to do houses. I did one last year by myself. But this year my sister and I decided to surprise our mom. See- she got home yesterday so she barely missed making houses. She knew when she got home she would be too busy with the holidays to bother with one so she was just not going to have one. UNacceptable.

The two of us got together and made her a surprise house, along with mine, the first weekend in December. It was there to surprise her when she got home late last night!

This one is mom's.

This one is mine.

Support yourself?

Every winter I try something. And every winter I fail. I try to "support" myself by wearing hosiery. Not just knee highs.... full hose, ladies. I've tried every brand, every size, every style. I hate them. I hate trying to get them on. I hate how they run. I despise the feeling of them. So this year while shopping at LB, the manager, Steph, suggested I try Spanx. Maybe you've heard of them? Supposedly revolutionary hosiery that every woman will love because of its miraculous ability to shape and support and not roll or inch down your leg until you have rolls of nylon fabric gathering at your ankles. Very attractive.
So I bought a pair. Just traditional black. They're more like tights, rather than sheer hosiery. Steph assured me I would love them and I trust her judgement! She's the reason I keep going back to that LB location. Anyway, yesterday was cold enough that I broke them out. It was still an annoying thing to get them on while trying not to let other articles of clothing roll. And they do shape and support all that they should. They didn't roll or gather in places there shouldn't be rolling and shaping. However, I still hate them. I really think I just hate hosiery. So after all that, I took them off again and wore my regular knee highs.
Try out the Spanx. If you're a hosiery fan, perhaps they will revolutionize YOUR support. :)

Doctored or not- its funny :D

Jumped ahead of myself... as usual

I meant to post this first for my orderly brain BUT, it didn't work out that way so it will have to bug me for awhile and then I'll get over it.

I spent Thanksgiving at my sister's in-laws home in St. George. Sounds kind of odd, but when all your family is gone, you just go with it. Plus, I knew going down there wouldn't be awkward. Her in-laws have to be some of the nicest people ever. Their home is your home and you are part of their family. They made me a little room of my own in their office and included me in late night pinocle, although I'm stink at it. Bidding always gets me. I was included in the family gifts (seriously- nicest people ever) and asked to go with them for family sealings at the temple. I was so grateful and that's what Thanksgiving is all about!

Welcome to Christmas at my home!

I'm all decked out! Ready for Santa... minus my gingerbread house. I'm working on that- later. But it will have a separate post all to itself. :0) I love my home at Christmas. I love my snowmen- everywhere. I love my little handicapped lights that you can't see very well in the picture. Love my nativity. Love my Noel that I made in elementary school with Grandma's silly little Santa's. Love my Santa that sits on my shelf that I made with Mrs. Phipps in 5th grade. Love having all the lights out in the house but the tree and candles. Can't beat it. Come visit!

Ok, already!

So. I've been asked what I think of THE movie (Twilight). For the sake of time and length, I'll keep my opinions to 5 things.
1. Didn't think I was going to like Edward, but he's grown on me and his hair is fantastic.
2. You can only do so much with 2 hours..... so sure, they had to condense a few things. Learn how to separate books from the movie, people.
3. Nope- its not going to win any Academy Awards but its a fun movie and I enjoyed it and will probably watch it often.
4. Failed to buy any form of Twilight apparel and probably won't however there WERE two shirts that I liked: "Blonds may have more fun but Edwards prefers brunettes" and "You never know who you'll meet in biology class."
5. Loved the baseball scene with the Muse music. PERFECT!

FYI- 15 of my closest friends and I (haha) went to a midnight viewing. It was complete with screaming girls and was hilarious. Isn't that the fun of opening night? Then I went the next day with more friends and more screaming girls. And am going tomorrow night with Dani... and probably more screaming girls.
I'll be ready for dad and some James Bond. :)

My visit from the fire department :)

3:30 this morning I wake up to hear this weird little beeping noise. I'm thinking it might be new phone that I don't quite know how to use yet. Nope. Not the phone but my fire detector downstairs in the living room. It kept beeping every minute. Two little beeps in a row. ALLLLLLL night.
I tried to disconnect it before I went to work. Nope.
I left it all day, thinking it would just stop somehow. Nope.
I cut the power. Nope.
Replaced the batteries. Nope.
Called my sister who fixes everything by herself. Nope.
Turned off my heater (just in case it was CO, but I wasn't dead yet so I figured why not?). Nope.
Aired out my house while I went shopping for the orphan Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. Nope.
FINALLY! I called the non-emergency number for the fire department, thinking they could give me some advice. They sent over a truck. One of the big ones. With two hotties and an old man who looked like Paul off Extreme Home Makeover.
They changed all the batteries again. Nope.
Checked for CO (still not dead). Nope.
Disconnected the entire thing from the ceiling and suggested I buy two new ones. Why? Because apparently the CO detector is a living cell and when its dying, it beeps. You should replace your CO monitors every other year, ya know. So they think I need new ones. Good thing I live down the street from Home Depot.
Remember that epidose of Friends where Phoebe can't get her smoke alarm to stop beeping? Yes. I just lived that. But the cute fireman wrote my number down on his hand... said it was his notepad. lol

Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?

There's a reason I live in modern times. I enjoy modern conveniences and would miss many things, should I had to have lived in another time (pretend I'd know the difference). However, I was blessed to live in this time period where, unlike the Jaredites, I am not being cursed with poisonous serpants because of unrighteousness. Poisonouse serpants that, when I tried to get away from them, would CHASE ME DOWN and not let me back into the land I lived in! Poisonous serpants that killed just about everybody! And everything in the pathway. Poisonous serpants that didn't get killed off for many generations later! As you can tell, maybe, I've just read (or listened to, I should say) Ether 9. You would think after that chapter, you'd be done with the poisonous serpants, but NO! It makes a point of mentioning two chapters and about a thousand begats later that the snakes have finally left. I'd have never of made it. I would have died a horrible death- probably more of fright than poison.

Too bad I'm already at phase 5...

6 Phases of Teaching
Phase 1
You are listening to jazz -- Your first day at work is great. Your fellow teachers are wonderful, your classroom is cute, you love your students, and your principal is the best!
Phase 2
You are listening to pop music -- After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you're coming or going anymore.
Phase 3
You are listening to heavy metal -- This is what you feel like after ONE month.
Phase 4
You are listening to hip hop -- You become bloated due to stress, you're gaining weight due to lack of exercise because you are so tired and have so much school work to do and, when you do get home, you feel sluggish and suffer from constipation. Your fellow teachers are too cheerful for your liking and the walls of your classroom are closing in.
Phase 5
You are listening to GANGSTA RAP -- After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch and you forget what a 'good hair day' feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.
Phase 6
You are listening to the voices in your head -- You have locked your classroom door to keep people out. You wonder WHY you are even here in the first place and WHY you became a teacher!

And now for movies- one of my other favorite topics

My last post was about music. Now its time to talk about movies. I thoroughly enjoy a good movie and my sisters will tell you I'll watch anything. THAT is not entirely true. :) Most of my family members enjoy movies as well, and we quote them all the time. Some of our favorites happen to be:
"These mashed potatoes are so creamy."
"My mother hadn't had a hot meal in years..."
"Why you stuck up, scruffylooking, nerfherder!.... Who's scruffy lookin'?"
"We're all fine here... how are you?"
Anyway, I find that sometimes you really just need to sit down and enjoy a good flick. My girls and I will do movie days, every so often. We start at the early show, schedule the remainder of the day at the theater, and then go home after the last show. We go in comfy clothes, take our mugs, wear our baseball hats and eat gross theater food all day. If you can't make the entire day, we schedule you in for what you can make. Cheaper and better than a therapist, so I hear.
So since I've talked about my some of my favorite tunes, here's some of my favorite shows of all time. The shows you can watch and quote and still find funny or tender; the shows that make your day better when nothing else can.
The Man From Snowy River (number 1 of all time)
Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea (when she comes home from school and runs to Marilla? gets me every time. and matthew dying? 0hhh- weep.)
Under the Tuscan Sun (mostly just because of the cinematography and the idea of moving to Italy and having a great adventure- story line is alright)
The Holiday (iris simpkins- love her)
White Christmas (i've already watched this like 4 times in the past two weeks)
Pillow Talk (talkin' to you is like being next to a potbelly stove on a cold mornin'.... Why Rex!)
The Slipper and the Rose (tragically found out that I DON'T have it on dvd AFTER i gave my vhs copy to the DI. i haven't recovered yet.)
The Notebook (wow- makes me a weeper, that one)
Hatari (when I can get through it. its not a sad movie at all, just the last movie i watched with pop and uncle bill :D )
Those are some of my favorites, just to name a few. I've got to figure out how to get them onto my ipod! And yours would be?

Music- one of my favorite topics

I've just finished uploading all- and I mean every ONE- of my cds to my ipod. Wow. That's been a task. Especially when you see the number of mixes I have made, been given, stolen, etc.... Sometimes you just can't remember the song title or who sang it. So I've got some music on my ipod that just says "Track #1, Carter's hard rock" or "some song that reminds me of Snow, Loren's dj music." Yep- it makes for finding things quite exciting because sometimes I forget that I have a copy of something or that I really liked that one song. lol Now I've got to go through the 3000 and something songs and remove duplicates. *sigh* Anyway, it got me thinking about the power of music and movies. Aren't there just some songs you could listen to all the time? Or those that remind you of someone or somewhere? Its truly like living the song by Trisha Yearwood called "The Song Remembers When." Not to take away from the fun post my sister did about Christmas tunes, but on kind of a different note (haha, no pun intended there), here's some of my all time favorites that are on my ipod. You may not like them, but they remind me of something and really, that's all that matters! lol
BBQ Stain- Tim McGraw
Gotta Be Somebody- Nickleback
Every Time I Hear Your Name- Keith Anderson
Uninvited- Alanis Morisette
Clearest Indication- Great Big Sea
Jesse's Girl- Rick Springfield
Summer Nights- Richard Marx
Bluest Eyes in Texas- Restless Heart
Thunderstruck- AC/DC
You'll Think of Me- Keith Urban
If you leave- OMD
Winter Wonderland- Kenny and Dolly
5:19- Matt Wertz
Joking- Indigo Girls
Electric Blue- Icehouse
Think About Me- GooGoo Dolls
I will find you- Evanescence
What's on your ipod that you can't live without?

My Friends...

What would I do without them? They are a huge part of my life. I was told at one point that I'd have good friends surrounding me throughout my lifetime and its so true. So here's a little shout out to them! As I'm doing this, I find that I'm missing pics with some of my dearest friends- Jenn, Dani and KJ. I know I've got pictures of me and Jenn somewhere as kids... that could be scary. I'm sure there's something of me and Dani somewhere enjoying some tennis action. And KJ- well, I guess I'll have to come back again and do some more pictures soon.

At Kris' birthday- front- Marie, Me, Nicole; back- Liz, Sherrie, Kris and Kristen

Bernadette and Me- love this girl! She brings all my "skills" out.

Wait- how'd HE get in here?!?!

Maryanne, Rachael and Me- Real soccer here we come! (We'll get Aimee in here next season.)

Ali, Derek and Me- lol- my own adopted children. How much sleep I'd get without them- how much I'd miss them if I slept!

Being a Light to the World

I was reading a talk by Elder Cook entitled "In the World but Not of the World" from the Ensign, Feb 2006. He quoted a story from 1969, which is curiously related to the happenings of today and California. Here it is:
"In early 1969, at the height of the "flower children" period in San Francisco, California, the Bay Area was a magnet for drug use and all manner of promiscuous and sinful conduct. A concerned stake president asked the leadership of the Church if Latter-Day Saints should be encouraged to remain in the Bay Area. Elder Harold B Lee, then a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was assigned to address the issue. He met with a group of priesthood leaders and told them the Lord had not inspired the construction of the Oakland California Temple only to have the members leave. His counsel was for members to create Zion in their hearts and homes, to be a light to those among whom they lived, and to focus on the ordinances and principles taught in the temple."
Even back then... :)

My Grandma

I'm not really sure why I was feeling so sentimental today, but my Grandma H has been on my mind all day! Maybe it was because I got up and made rolls....maybe I made rolls because I was thinking about her! One can never tell, but I thought I'd write about her for a minute. I know my sister blogs her memories very well and is an amazing writer with a great memory. She recently wrote about our piano lessons when we were younger. Along with walking the path to the back door, I remember walking home to grandma's to get our ride home. Sometimes it scared me to walk past a couple houses- the duplexes at the end of the street. I'm sure there were very nice people living there, but being younger and not in the most familiar of neighborhoods I thought it was scary.

Grandma's house was always really comfortable. We would literally place ourselves strategically in the car behind the passenger seat to be able to get out of the car faster, jump the hedge and up the stairs to get the prized seat next to Grandma on the couch! We never knocked at the door, usually barged right in! If you moved the rest of the night, someone would for sure take your place.

My grandma was amazing at a lot of things. I remember her always taking care of someone or listening to them on the phone. Her phone cord stretched through the entire house, I'm sure. I remember being in the living room, with the card table set up and genealogy being spread from here to kingdom come! Her bathroom cabinet with Avon lipstick trials in it, Tabu perfume and toothbrushes. I was lucky enough to receive her "emerald" teardrop jewelry when she passed away. I remember that set about her the best.

Grandma sewed like no other. It wasn't a piece of grandma's without having a pin left in it. She made everything from school clothes to square dancing dresses. I still have my jumper she helped me make for the very first time. I am now in possession of her sewing machine that she used and it still runs like a champ. :)

Cooking was always a big deal with Grandma. Or it seemed like it. Sometimes when we'd sleep over, we would get to make cookies with her. She made sandwiches for grandpa every day for lunch with chips and olives or pickles. She's the reason I still do gingerbread with my mom. Her rolls were heavenly... which is where this started in the first place! I always think about Grandma and am so proud when I can "feel its a good batch." Today's were ok. :)

Meg and I would get to sleep over and help with the Christmas tree and wrap everyone's presents but our own. We were under strict instructions about how to measure wrapping paper and how much tape to use. I'm very good at wrapping presents with only three pieces of tape. Talent like that- well, its hard to come by.

My favorite memory with my grandma was going to the hair salon with her on Thursdays. Grandma didn't drive so Grandpa would drop us off at the bus stop by the 7-11. We'd ride downtown to the salon and walk down the long hall. In the back were the spaceship hairdryers I could sit under. There was a little Precious Moments sign on the wall that said "I know I'm somebody, 'cause God don't make no junk." I'd sometimes step outside and look in the store front window next door at the puppies for sale... so cute! After Grandma's hair was done, Grandpa would pick us up in the sticky dashboard Chrysler and we'd make our way to the Coachman's for lunch. I tried some of Grandma's liver and onions once.... still haven't recovered.

Anyway, there's my ramblings about my grandma today. I attribute most of what I know about cooking and sewing to her. Sure miss her some days. :)

8 Things- Tagged from Sherrie

8 Shows I love to Watch
1. The Hills
2. NCIS
3. So you think you can dance
4. American Idol
5. Prison Break
6. The Amazing Race
7. America's Next Top Model
8. Alias (miss that show...)

8 Favorite Restaurant
1. Chilis
2. Su Casa
3. Biaggis
4. Skybox
5. Wendys
6. Chick fil A
7. Landry's
8. Seagrass Steak House

8 Things that happened yesterday
1. I voted (took about 30 minutes)
2. I called my siblings to sing Andy Williams to them
3. It snowed
4. Jay, Taylor and Derek all showed up at my room...awkward
5. A new president was elected
6. I slept a full 6 hours
7. I finally gave in and wore socks
8. I started missing the tennis season

8 Things I'm looking forward to
1. Making gingerbread
2. D's assessment being over
3. This busy week being done
4. Decorating for Christmas
5. Sunday and church
6. Thanksgiving at the Gooch's :) Thanks!
7. Twilight movie
8. Spring

8 Things I love about fall
1. The colors
2. The crisp air
3. Hoodies
4. Sweats
5. wrapping up in a blanket so you don't have to turn on the heat quite yet
6. The first hot chocolate of the year and Andy Williams
7. The leaves
8. Layering

8 Things on my wish list
1. A more consistent work out schedule
2. A generous savings account
3. Paying off my house someday
4. A rich uncle/ sugar daddy
5. Centre court Wimbledon seats
6. Jazz season tickets (i know- weird for me)
7. A ticket to Connecticut
8. A ticket to Houston
I tag Beej, Emi, Ang, Melisa and Wendy

Halloween

If you know me very well, you know I'm not a big fan of Halloween, which is odd considering how very much I DO love a good scary movie. However, I don't find much entertainment in dressing up and all that jazz. However, my friends do. Sherrie especially. :) She threw a lovely "intimate" Halloween party, as she put it. I was glad to FINALLY make the exclusive list! She made some awesome chili, Balderdash ensued where we found out what Zugswang really means and good times were had. Thanks, Sher, for being such a great host!

This is Sherrie and her manly man, Jeremy.

That's Nicole and Sherrie's manly man, Jeremy.

This is Melanie, the butterfly; Kris the Goth, Me, the paranoid cast member of Signs (or Hershey's kiss- you're call), and Kristen the sassed up kitty. :)