~~~Food For Thought Friday~~~

After a little (ahem!) hiatus... it's back!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday

A little feast without the calories!!! Feel free to play along for some yummy fun! I will post a new one each Thursday night for those that are on a different time zone. JOIN IN!!! Food 4 Thought Friday ~ This week's questions:

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Breakfast What is your favorite board game?

Lunch Are you a people watcher?

Dinner What do you have too much of?

Midnight Snack What was the most frustrating thing that happened this week?

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?)
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MY ANSWERS

Breakfast What is your favorite board game? Life! I always try and get as many children as I can! I also love to play Boggle and Guess Who? and Taboo is also a fave.

Lunch Are you a people watcher? Yes! I could watch people for hours! My favorite place to watch them is at ball games, the airport, church, and the mall. I never get bored if there are people around to watch. I find it very entertaining.

Dinner What do you have too much of? Dishes. Mostly purple! I love buying dishes even though I am out of room for them, but I love them! I also have way too many clothes and books!

Midnight Snack What was the most frustrating thing that happened this week? Getting hacked! Someone hacked me on Facebook and then my email. They sent out a message to everyone in my contacts saying I was stranded in London and was mugged and needed money so I could get home. I had a few people think that I was actually asking them for money and all alone in London trying to get home! They also erased ALL my contacts! Grrr........ Why don't they just get a life!!!!

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?) Take time to enjoy the little things. I found this photo and just couldn't stop looking at it for the longest time because it is so beautiful and it really touches my soul.....must be the color, but how can you NOT think this is a gorgeous scene? It calmed me when I needed it to and it made me really happy, I need to stop and "look" at the roses or wildflowers more often!





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Friday Fill-Ins










1. I can't believe my son Taylor was named Defensive player of the year on his JV basketball team! I mean, I CAN believe it, I am just so excited, I can't believe it! You know what I mean! =)

2. SUNSHINE (finally!) for everyone.

3. How can I ever restore all my email contacts?!!

4. BBQ ribs and cheesy potatoes was the last thing I cooked.

5. Six of one bite of chocolate is NOT enough!

6. Snow again? ; nonono!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hmm...not sure - this is the first Friday night in months that we don't have something planned. Maybe go to a movie and dinner!, tomorrow my plans include running down the canyon with Jen for my 11 mile run, watching conference, watching a video (When in Rome) while the guys are all at General Priesthood Meeting, and Sunday, I want to eat our traditional German Pancakes with Orange Suzette Sauce while watching conference and chillin'!
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CLEAN *CLEAN* CLEAN!

1.What’s in need of a good cleaning? My closet!

2.What’s your idea of good, clean fun? Staying up all night craftin' with my high school girlfriends. I did that last Friday night until 2:30 a.m.!

3.How clean is your driving record? Um... well right now, pretty clean! If you want my life history, well, let's just say I have only got pulled over once for being under the influence. Those that know me, KNOW I was NOT drinking! I had taken some cold medicine and it made me a little loopy. After he pulled me over he decided I was not drunk, but he followed me for quite a distance even when he knew I was NOT a UI driver.

4.What was the last big thing you cleaned? My linen closet, master bath shower, game closet, computer room and I have a hundred more to do! It never ends! Especially when you get behind. Lately I have not been living by my motto "It's far easier to keep up than to catch up!". Ugh...

5.How much does your husband help you clean? Well let's just say I have trained him well! haha When we were first married, he didn't do much at all, but now sometimes I wonder if I married Mr. Clean! He does dishes, laundry, cooks, toilets, and anything I ask him to do if he has the time. I am very blessed that way!

~~~Food For Thought Friday~~~

After a little (ahem!) hiatus... it's back!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday

A little feast without the calories!!!
Feel free to play along for some yummy fun! I will post a new one each Thursday night for those that are on a different time zone. JOIN IN!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday ~ This week's questions:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
BreakfastWhat is something that has changed about you recently?

LunchWhat is on your mouse pad?

DinnerWhat are you listening to right now?

Midnight SnackWhat talent do you want to develop?

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥MY ANSWERS

BreakfastWhat is something that has changed about you recently?

My eyes. I have a really hard time reading any small print now. I am needing to use my reading glasses much more often and it is driving me crazy!

LunchWhat is on your mouse pad?

A picture of my son Tyson.

DinnerWhat are you listening to right now?

The buzz of the computer and the snow gently falling outside.

Midnight SnackWhat talent do you want to develop?

I really want to learn to play the harp.

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?)

You can't force people to feel a certain way so why waste your time and energy in the pursuit of doing that.

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1. Why does it have to SNOW on March 25th?
2. Chocolate is equal to heavenly bliss .3. My favorite breakfast includes crepes with orange Suzette sauce, crispy hash browns, and hot cocoa.

4. One Small Step Can Change Your Life was the last book I read and I am not finished, so I'm still reading it.

5. I am SO glad for friends that love me for what I am.

6. A real hug would make me feel better right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a crafting party with my high school buds, tomorrow my plans include attending Taylor's track meet, my long run, a baptism, lunch with friends, a high priest party, and painting and Sunday, I want to somehow chill !

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Inspiration

Most inspirational quote for you.
"I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances." ~ Martha Washington

Another of my favorites is:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson

Favorite inspirational film?
Too many to pick one. It's a Wonderful Life, The Blind Side, Spirit of the Marathon, Sound of Music, The Notebook, Dead Poets Society, Rocky, Chariots of Fire, Pursuit of Happyness....and so many more!

Who has inspired you, and why?

There are so many people. Currently it would have to be each and every person who gets up in the morning that has been over-burdened with the beating trials of life.

If you were to die tomorrow and would have ONE saying that would live on forever, what would you leave behind?

~Cherish the Moments~

What inspires you to continue, when you feel the least motivated (in whatever goal you are trying to accomplish)?
I have learned that I just need to BEGIN. Once I can make myself begin, then it's so much easier to continue.

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Friday High Fives

1.When did you last have occasion to march anywhere?

Hmm... I guess when I was the Majorette at Weber State and we marched in a parade in London across the Tames River Bridge.2.What kind of hula-hooper are you?

It depends on the day. I have won a hula hoop contest once though. =)
3.What kind of madness is most likely to infect you this weekend?

March Madness of course. So sad BYU lost yesterday though.
4.Under what circumstances this past week might you have had reason to shout, “SCORE!”

When my orange rolls turned out and when the paint I chose looked better on the walls than I thought it would.
5.When did you last feel accomplished?

Define accomplished. haha I guess last night when I re-organized the linen closet that has been needing it for a while.

Magically Delicious!

Once again I went GREEN!

















Anything to have an excuse to have some fun with the fam! Last year we were on a plane heading to Puerto Rico on St. Pat's Day and so we missed this tradition. I have to say this year I was feeling a little sad that we only had the two youngest boys at the table. In two years, there will only be one. I think it should be mandatory that college kids return home for each and every holiday! Even if it is just one to celebrate a bunch of Leprechauns. Okay, I know that was NOT politically correct and I will probably get hate mail, BUT...

...never mind. ☺













The green rice is always the highlight for me. I think it is just so pretty! I think it should always be green. And yes, those pesky little Leprechauns STILL turn all the milk green. They will probably still be doing that even when there is just the two of us.












POP TART POPS!These scrumptious little pops aren't green, but they are definitely MAGICALLY DELISH!

















These are called POP TART POPS. At least that is what I call them. Aren't they just the cutest? And so easy to make too.

The basic recipe is to roll out your store bought crust (YES store bought!- they wouldn't be as fun if you had to make your own crust!) and then using a pizza cutter, slice them into 1 1/2″x 2″ rectangles (I used a ruler to measure mine into equal sizes. Just use a butter knife to score your pie crust before cutting).
Place a wooden popsicle stick (I only had sucker sticks and they weren't supportive enough, so use popsicle sticks) on top of one of the cut rectangles, then spoon a small amount (about 1 1/2 tsp.) of cherry pie filling (or any other flavor!) into the center of the pie square, taking care not to get it near the edges. Gently lay a second rectangle over the top of the cherry filling. Press the edges of the rectangles together with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake pop tart pops in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges begin to brown.

FOR THE GLAZE
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
food coloring and sprinkles

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make glaze. Tint with food coloring, if desired. Spoon over cooled pop tart pops, sprinkle with colored sugar, and allow to the glaze to harden slightly before serving.
ENJOY!!!


HAMBURGER GRAVEL

Definitely magical AND delicious!

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

I wanted to share this little magical gem with you because it has made my life so much easier as a busy mother. If there is one tip I would give a new mom, this one is it. For the past at least 20 years, I have been doing this and it has been something that I will never stop doing...short of being put in a nursing home and having someone else prepare all my meals for me. Then I would gladly give it up.

Where did that come from?

Sorry, the big one is just around the corner and I have been kind of consumed with thoughts of my OLD age fast approaching. But, back to the beef...

Anyway, I buy ground beef in bulk when it goes on sale and then come home and brown it with an onion until it is thoroughly cooked. I then let it cool and divide it out into 1 to 1 1/2 lb. measurements and put it in a Ziploc Freezer bags (quart size) and store it in the freezer. I can't even tell you how convenient it is to be able to (at the last minute if necessary) pull out a bag of pre-cooked hamburger ready to go for Tacos, Spaghetti, Stroganoff, Hamburger Soup, Tator Tot Casserole, Lasagna, Taco Salad, and on and on and on... No more worrying about having to remember first thing in the morning to get out that frozen solid beef so it will be thawed out in time to make dinner in the afternoon. No more last minute dashes to the store and paying top dollar for it. No more stress about wishing there was something to throw together fast on those busy nights. The best part of all is I can throw dinner in the crockpot in the morning in almost no time at all because I already have the beef browned and ready to go.















When it goes on sale, I usually buy at least 20-25 pounds and cook it up in a 9 x 13 pans with about a half an onion (chopped up) per pound. If you're gonna do it, you might as well do it! I cook it at 350° and stir it frequently until evenly browned.















Adding sausage to it is also another way to make it. One part sausage to two parts ground beef. That really adds to the flavor and is great in everything I use it for.

THERE'S the beef!

Yeah, I know most of you are too young to remember that commercial, but let me just say, it was a good one!

This works great for chicken as well. The easiest way to do that is in the pressure cooker. I don't do that as much because frozen chicken tenders are super easy to use in the crockpot.
Now that having been said., we all know the REAL question is:

WHERE'S THE CHOCOLATE???

Change Is On

This is a sight I captured the other day...












Yes, that is a shot of a limo passing the ongoing construction of a new temple. A new temple that will soon be close to my heart.

As is this one...


















Sadly this one is closing in a week or so to be "re"- constructed. It will never look like this again.

We were able to give it a farewell and goodbye this past weekend for the last time.

Change is inevitable... not always easy to accept, but a necessary part of life.

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.”
~Arnold Bennett

Change is happening rather quickly on the construction of this ↓ brand new temple. Here are some shots of the process.

Click to enlarge

I thought it was going to be pretty small as I've watched it progress until I saw these shots. ↓






























It has been fun watching it become all that it will one day be.

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." —John F. Kennedy"Change is not merely necessary to life—it is life." ~ Alvin Toffler
"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us." -Alexander Graham Bell
Change IS the only constant... embrace it.

~~~Food For Thought Friday~~~

After a little (ahem!) hiatus... it's back!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday

A little feast without the calories!!!
Feel free to play along for some yummy fun! I will post a new one each Thursday night for those that are on a different time zone. JOIN IN!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday ~ This week's questions:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Breakfast
What is your most favorite thing about Spring?

Lunch What is the last good movie you saw?

Dinner Do you own an iPhone or a smart phone? If so what is your favorite app?

Midnight Snack Do you like Daylight Savings Time?

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?)
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ~MY ANSWERS~

Breakfast

What is your most favorite thing about Spring? Lilacs!!!

Well those, AND of course these ↓

Lunch What is the last good movie you saw? We saw UNKNOWN last weekend and it was a good movie, though intense.

The last one I watched on DVD was Tristan and Isolde from 2006 and I would highly recommend it. It was action adventure but also very romantic. ♥♥♥

Dinner
Do you own an iPhone or a smart phone? If so what is your favorite app? Yea! I just got an iPhone and I am loving it! My favorite app to date has to be RunKeeper. It is an app that keeps track of my running miles, time, pace, etc. It is better than a Garmin and it was a free app! Saved me a good $200-300!

Midnight Snack Do you like Daylight Savings Time? Well at this moment, NO! I hate the adjustment to it, but in the long run I love that it stays lighter longer. It is such a respite from the dark days of winter! I just don't enjoy being tired for so long until I recover!

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life what is it just for the week?) I read a great article titled, "Are You Running the Hill or Is the Hill Running You?" It asks if the obstacle we are facing is running us or are we running it? It makes a difference in how we look at it. We should be telling that hill (aka the challenges in our lives) "thanks for the workout, because of you I'm getting a real run that will make me stronger. You may put a strain on me but I'll be in better shape for you next time. If it wasn't for you, I would be weaker." If we can view our challenges as gifts that will ultimately make us better in the end, then that attitude helps make those hills much easier to climb. You can read the entire article here.

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1. I love to go to lunch with friends because it renews my soul!
2. When it comes to chocolate, it’s the quality!

3. The last thing I had to eat was green stroganoff with green rice, green punch, green bread, green salad, broccoli, and Key Lime Yogurt Pie.

4. For some people common courtesy is no longer essential.

5. Please take a moment to pray for those currently suffering in Japan.

6. Your strength and fortitude have brought you this far.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to ward temple night and dinner with friends tomorrow my plans include a long run, attending a women's conference, making orange rolls, attending a dinner theatre at our church (wonder if it I will fit it all in!) and Sunday, I want to teach a good Sunday School lesson, see my son Bryce, and actually squeeze in a nap!

Know and Tell Friday

Question 1How often do you get real sick? Luckily (knock on wood) not very often. I have been blessed with great health. I always seem to get a bug here and there but usually can kick it quick. This year, however, I have had some lingering congestive crap that has really affected my running. I do however, seem to get a migraine every couple of month's usually after some huge stress in my life.

Question 2Do you usually send serious or humorous greeting cards? Why? IF I send a card, which is rare, it is usually serious. I do like to give away humorous ones if it's not a serious occasion though.

Question 3
Are you a person who has a whole lot of acquaintances, or just a few very close friends? Neither really. I am a very social person who loves to have a lot of friends and many close friends as well. I prefer to be friends rather than just acquaintances.

Question 4
If you could cure a disease, or heal a sickness, which one would you choose? Well, that's a no brainer! Hands down, Cystic Fibrosis!!! To make a donation to help find a cure go HERE.
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1. What’s something you have an unreasonable fear of?
Cockroaches, snakes, and spiders. Though I don't consider it to be unreasonable!!!


2. What’s something you have an unreasonable fondness for?
Purple and chocolate. Once again, I don't consider it to be unreasonable!!! =)


3. What’s something you have an unreasonable disliking for?
FISH! Anything that swims will not pass through my lips! Okay, this one may be unreasonable!


4. Who’s most likely to bring out the unreasonable in you?
Other people that are unreasonable. My husband can also put me there at times.


5. Who’s the least unreasonable person you know? My son Taylor. Nothing ever gets under his skin. I wish I were more like him.

And Yet...Life Goes On

Shortly after my son passed away, I remember sitting in a meeting of some sort, where everyone was fully engaged in a discussion that was filled with laughter and mirth, when suddenly and unexpectedly it hit me...everyone was carrying on with their lives as if nothing had happened.

I had to get up and leave the room to gain my composure. The realization hit me like the power of a tsunami as it washed over me the cold cruel fact that yes, indeed, even though my world was at a stand still, life does go on.

How could this be? Why didn't the world stop turning after such a great loss? I know mine did, what was the matter with everyone else?

I was still filled with these thoughts as the meeting ended and I left to go spend some time at my son's grave. It was then that I came to accept the fact that life does go on even after a devastating event. It doesn't matter if it's the death of a mother's beloved child, or if it's a tragedy that affects an entire nation and thousands of people. Sooner than not, everyone is back to their normal lives of laughing, shopping, working, celebrating, and the day to day-ness of life, as if nothing ever happened.

Five years later, and after witnessing a few other friends bury their children, I now know that life must go on. If life were lived in constant sadness and grief, we would miss out on all the joy that surrounds us in mass each and every day from just simply being alive. We would forget what the plaque hanging in my home quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley says, "In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."
I am so grateful to those who understand that I still love to talk about my son as they express to me that he is still remembered and always will be.













We will soon stop talking and hearing news reports on the tragedy in Japan long before the people have recovered. As always, life will go on. But that doesn't mean we ever have to forget what happened. I vow to remember and pray for those whose lives will never be the same again.

I am also praying for them to waken to the realization, while in the midst of their despair, that one day they too will shop, work, celebrate, laugh, and talk about the trivial things and the dailyness of life again. I did!

Know & Tell Friday (Saturday this week!)

1. Do you have fake plants in your house? Yes...if I lived alone ALL of my plants would be fake! Like I said before I have a brown thumb. Dave keeps the ones alive that we do have. I never buy real ones, they are always gifts. Do you like them? Yes, I like my artificial dry and silk ones. They look so real now days. Keeping them dust free is the only thing I don't like about them.

2. What is the oldest piece of furniture you have that is not an antique? My piano. I took piano lessons for 10 years while growing up and when I got married (since I was the only one that played), my parents gave it to me. Describe it. It is a natural oak color and very pretty. It does have two broken pedals though from one day when I was about 13 and bored with practicing...I did a back bend over the bench and somehow I fell off and the bench crashed on the pedals breaking them.

3. Do you have any antiques? Not now, because we got rid of a TV we had since we got married. THAT was an antique!

4. What type of dishes do you use? China, stoneware, Corelle, Tupperware, paper plates? I use Corelle (purple and white) and my Mary Engelbreit plates that I LOVE!!! I also use Snowman plates in the winter and I have an eclectic collection of various purple ones that I use if there aren't a lot of people eating since I only have a few of each.

5. What is your favorite thing in your house? My family!

6. Do you like to use lamps or overhead lighting? I use both but I really like soft lighting that comes from lamps the best unless I need to really see what I am doing.

7. Are you a pristine white wall person or do you love color? I love COLOR!!! I painted my basement walls an eggplant purple. Surprise, surprise! All the walls in our basement have of color. I am going crrraaaaazy because I want to paint our entry way and family room but they are 18 foot ceilings and that little detail has deterred us from getting it done! They are gray because gray was "thee" color when we built the house. I can NOT wait to get those walls painted! I have re-done my boys rooms with lots of color as well and still have one more to go.
Head on over to Kayren's for more great Know and Tell Friday fun!

~~~Food For Thought Friday~~~

After a little (ahem!) hiatus... it's back!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday

A little feast without the calories!!!

Feel free to play along for some yummy fun! I will post a new one each Thursday night for those that are on a different time zone. JOIN IN!!!

Food 4 Thought Friday ~ This week's questions:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Breakfast What are you most looking forward to right now?

Lunch What do you do to celebrate St. Patricks Day?

Dinner What is something you can't stop thinking about?
Midnight Snack What is the most exciting thing that happened this week or month?

Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?)
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ MY ANSWERS
Breakfast What are you most looking forward to right now? Spring! Warm weather! Running without so much clothing! Tulips! Lilacs! Not freezing all the time! Winter has worn out it's welcome this year- can you tell?

Lunch What do you do to celebrate St. Patricks Day? I make a very green dinner each year where every single dish has to be green without exception. Even the butter and salad dressing has to be green.

Dinner What is something you can't stop thinking about? Whether or not I will be able to exchange my full marathon registration for a half. Not looking good.
Midnight Snack What is the most exciting thing that happened this week or month? Hmm... I guess going to Capitol Hill with the State Board of American Mother's and meeting with the Governor. It was awesome.
Recipe of the Week (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?) Life is too short to worry about things I have zero control over. I have been trying to get that in my brain for years now. I am getting better at it though!
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And...here we go!

1. Oh gross! I thought it was a basket of clean socks, not unwashed ones.
2. Visiting the moon... well THAT's off my bucket list!

3. No, winter is no longer welcome!

4. I love life with all my heart and soul.

5. And then suddenly it was SPRING!

6. I can't forget to post Food For Thought Friday from now on!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some chill time - maybe going out with Dave, hoping my Skyler or Bryce comes home for a visit, tomorrow my plans include a long run (10 miler), getting together with my high school pals for some fun crafting, going to the high school Promenade and seeing Taylor and Allie!, then going out to dinner with some of the other parents, and Sunday, I want to enjoy a week off of not having to teach Sunday School, make sonething yummy to eat, and visit with the fam!