Happy New Year!

And thanks to Michelle for helping me get our new family picture posted right. I'm really excited and happy to have this.

Missing photo

I don't know how to put our NEW family photo in the header. I obviously figured out how to remove the old one. Let me know if you can walk me through it. Thanks!

Stars, Satellites, Meteors...and Mom

That's what I saw when I took Rusty out early this morning. I couldn't have timed it better. I usually need Mark to point out the Satellites but there it was heading south. The stars were amazing. The brightest ones are plants I think. Jacob will have to get his telescope out when finals are over and check them out. I love looking at stars, almost as much as I loved clouds growing up. When I look at stars I feel closer to my mom. I spent hours outside, in the darkness, looking up to the heavens wondering where she was and what she was doing after she died. I imagined that she was visiting Italy, or England, maybe Egypt. I also felt like she was teaching, ever teaching! This time of year when I think about my mom I also think about my Savior. The stars remind me of him too. I hope that I'm a follower like the Shepards and the Wise Men. I want to be watching and ready when he comes again.

Happy Birthday Pat!

Happy Birthday to Pat! We are so thankful for your smiling face and the smile that you keep on our dad's. We're glad you're a part of our family.

My funny husband

This is the email that Mark sent out to his fellow Rocket Scientists in preparation for his surgery. I bet the humor will only get better when he's doped up on pain meds. If you want to view the screw let me know and I'll send you the link. Yikes! :~
********************************************
I will be out of the office for surgery and recovery starting Dec. 16 until next year (Jan. 3).

I've apparently torn a muscle off the bone in my shoulder and it needs to be reattached. They will be installing the screw in the attached brochure(it's the plastic one). The do-it-yourself manual was too complicated and I could only use one hand during the operation. (If it was my knee then I could have done it.) So I found a veterinarian that would do the operation for a fraction of the cost. He said I'd be trotting around in no time.

Bless her heart!

My mom was a collector of many things. I am too and not nearly as organized as she was in many ways. One of duplicate things that I chose to bring home when we "cleaned" house after her passing was a pair of black nylons. Check out the expiration date on the cents off coupon that was in the bag. This explains why the top band was sticky and had no stretch when I put them on yesterday. Bless my mom's heart (no pun intended)! I'm thankful for these "put a smile on my face" memories of her. Happy Birthday this month mom! I miss you.

Artsy Derek!

We had paper table cloths for Thanksgiving dinner. Look what my nephew Derek drew while he ate. Pretty amazing huh? From the left...Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, and on the top you've got a Turkey and Derek himself. :)

Poor doggie!

It's plain mean what Jacob does to Rusty. This is "what Rusty gets when he barks" last Saturday. Poor doggie. I guess it's a good thing he loves Jacob unconditionally!

Thankful for...

FAMILIES. Sometimes I think I forget how wonderful it is to have a built in network of friends, co-workers, soul mates, etc. The world doesn't share this view but when someone close to you passes away it makes you think. You think about the person, their family, all of the warm memories, what they meant to you, and then you realize it ends. Well kind of. I believe there is an amazing happy reunion happening after our life here on earth full of brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, friends, mom and dad, etc. My prayers this Thanksgiving will be gratitude to be surrounded by most of my family and some dear friends. And gratitude to know that it won't end after this life. There will be one big reunion and it will be all about FAMILIES!

Enjoy the feast this week!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Hope you are surrounded by
lots of good food, good people, and good love. We love you!

HP #7 Part 1 continued

I thought the movie was pretty good. Had to cover my eyes a couple of times...no there wasn't as much "skin" as I had heard. There were spiders and snakes that I really didn't want to dream about tonight. Yikes!! Enjoy the show all you Harry Potter fans. I'm going to bed and it's only 10:05pm. Tee, hee, hee. :)

Trumping Mater on HP #7 Part 1

I get to go and see the new Harry Potter film TONIGHT at 6:30! I didn't think I could go since it's my day with the grand kids but Matt can come home a little early. Yeah! Thanks Matt for letting me go to a show with two friends from the ward. I'm giggling inside that I get to go do this...mostly that I get to spend some time with two neat ladies. I'll let you know what I think Mater. :)

Mojo and Facebook

Mojo for Mater! Today is "unfriend" day on Facebook. Sounds kind of mean to just axe someone from your contacts. The DJ's on the radio had a list of reasons why you might want to do it. Here are a few of them...the person comments on EVERY one of your comments, they only post pictures, they only talk about their kids (what wrong with those two???), they only post their game status, you only befriended them in the first place because they said they knew you when you were in Jr. High together, etc. I have been thinking a lot about Facebook lately and am seriously thinking that I might "unfriend" myself. Jacob already did it, Mark's company strongly suggests they don't get an account with Facebook, and Kevin says he's over it and wants out too. So in case I suddenly drop off the planet Facebook I'm not gone. I'm here and for those of you that want to stay in touch please do. Are you satisfied Mater? :)

Thanks to those of you that blog. Emerson and I are enjoying looking through pictures and videos today.

School's In!

Thought I'd change the background and update the colors. I was hoping to find sharpened pencils tied with a pretty bow. My boys started school on Monday and I'm feeling a little "fall-ish." I guess I'll have to watch "You've Got Mail."

Enjoy the rest of your summer vacation! I'll fill you in on mine in the next several months. Ha!

Shorn Rusty....

Everyone wanted Rusty's long hair off his neck and back so Jacob, avoiding homework and mom nagging him about computer usage, decided to become groomer for the day. He broke out the hair cutting scissors and a comb and went to it. I guess Rusty looks ok...still looks like a dog instead of a cross between a dog and a lion. Jacob is thinking about becoming a groomer now he had so much fun. JK! :)

Pie fiasco....again!

Once again I had a pie "mishap" during a holiday dinner. Unlike the Thanksgiving Pumpkin pies that I forgot to add the sugar to a few years back this Easter Strawberry pie was still edible. Here's the evidence for your viewing pleasure. Thanks goodness I made two pies and had already served everyone, including my dad and Pat, before this happened. Good grief! Thanks go out to Matt who cleaned out the fridge for me.

Easy "No-Rise" Wheat Bread!

Here's the recipe for the bread we learned to make last Thursday night. Thanks to April for hosting the mini-class and for sharing her recipe. I love that it uses food storage items and that it is "Jake safe."

Two things I learned...First, if you're using canned spray to grease the loaf pans buy the kind that has flour. Make sure it is evenly sprayed. Second, for nicer size loaves I think I will try to do four or five loafs next time. Half of the six I did were kind of small. Great for toast in the morning. :) Enjoy!

Easy Wheat Bread
From April Gould

6 cups warm tap water
¾ cup applesauce (for oil)
¾ cup honey
3 TBSP active dry yeast
10 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (1/2 #10 can wheat kernels)
2 TBSP salt (add last – it inactivates yeast)
7 cups white flour (or wheat) until dough no longer sticks to side of bowl

Optional: can add oatmeal or flaxseed before you add the last 7 cups of flour.
You probably won’t need the full 7 cups then.

Directions:
1. Add all the above ingredients in Bosh/Kitchen Aid, mixing sporadically.
2. Turn on over to 350 degrees (start when bread goes into pans)
3. Divide dough and place into 5-6 greased loaf pans (use flour spray).
4. Bake loafs for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8

In case you haven't seen what Google has done today...check out their "new name" by logging clicking on the Google search window. These are the kind of April fool's jokes I like!

What do you think?

Rusty is a barker! What dog isn't right? But he wakes the kids up, encourages the neighbor's dog to come over the fence, barks at every truck that drives by, etc. Rumors have been around that a "shock" collar would be purchased. I was told last night that I had to"approve" it before it would be purchased. I expressly said I didn't want anything to do with it, ANYTHING! I won't be in the house when it is put on. Now it's back in my lap. I DO want Rusty to stop barking at everything but I don't know...what do you think? We know one family that had shock collars for their dogs and it worked wonders. They don't need to use them anymore.

Taking back my identity

It seems the thing to do so I'm going private. Only Michelle and my sisters look at my blog and if anyone else is interested they can let me know.

Mom's wreath

Here's a picture of the wreath my dad chose for the one year anniversary of my mom's passing. It is beautiful. I'm glad he decided to go to Utah to do this. I think it helped him feel more at peace. It's been a good day for me. Talking to my family, reading blog posts, and going to the temple with Diana. It's all good.

Here is Michelle with the "grandkids" table she designed and set up. It was really cute and

comforting for the grandkids to see something about them and grandma. Good job Michelle!

I'm so thankful that I've had my sisters and dad to help me through this past year without mom. I know she's been watching over all of us. I miss her very much still. There's been a lot of care and concern from extended family and friends too. Thanks for all of the hugs!