The big 30

Guess what I did this weekend...other than watch a WONDERFUL General Conference?!?!

Give up?

I entered a new decade of my life!

Now, I am well aware of  the feelings of grief, sadness, pity, disappointment, and depression that some people have felt on this milestone, entrence to a new decade, birthday. However, I do have to say, I   didn't feel any of the aforementioned feelings.   

I am completely pumped up about being 30! I have this feeling that my 30's hold greatness for our little family, and I really think I'm going to enjoy what the 30's have in store. You know what they say right? ...30 is the new 20.

 I know Mom is rolling over in her grave right about now, but I have ALWAYS wanted a TV in my bedroom (sorry Mom, I know you've always hated the idea, but I still love & respect you), and my wish finally came true:) I don't know if you can tell in the below picture, but I was so excited that I may have gotten a little teary eyed. I just Love the idea of falling asleep (which I ALWAYS do) to a movie, and not having to get up and walk to my bed. YAY for me, I guess dreams really do come true. hahaha.

In between Conference sessions, we went for a drive/walk in the mountains. I LOVE going up there this time of year, and seeing vibrant colors that abound as the leaves Begin to turn. I had a hay day taking pictures, but I'll save those for another day. I'll just say, it was rejuvenating and perfect.



That night Dad came  over for dinner. One of my favorite things to do is cook dinner with my hunky husband, so we did that:) It was Delish! Once we got dinner all cleaned up I started to make cupcakes, and Dad didn't feel like I should make my own birthday cake, so he joined me. It was so fun baking with him.

When it comes to birthdays, I guess it really comes down to one thing for me. It's better to have them then not to!

Happy birth month Preston, Jeff, and Becky. I hope you have it, rather then not:)

Favorite Friday

About a year ago I had a chunk of hair that suddenly went curly...very curly! I'm talking, super tight, Afro style, curly. It was the weirdest thing. I tried to use a flat iron on it, hair wax, curling iron, oil, and about 10 other things, but nothing seemed to help. I told my Friend that does hair about it, and she recommended this blessed product to me.

 It was love at first try. It's called "it's a 10"

It says on the front "miracle leave-in product", and it's not a kidden. I use this stuff every day after I take a bath, I spray it on while my hair is still wet, and it works it's magic. "it's a 10" can help with:

repairing dry, damaged hair.

Adds shine.

tangles.

controls frizz.

seals and protects hair color.

prevents split ends.

stops hair breakage.

creates silkiness.

enhances natural body.

flat iron spray & thermal protector.

I don't get any kind of kick back or anything if you  buy this stuff, I just thought you might enjoy having luscious locks:)

Happy Friday.

Today is picture day for Layla at preschool.

I had 3 outfit choices out for her to choose from...and none of them were the right one.

She kindly informed me that she already knew what she wanted to wear today, so I dressed her in the one she picked herself.

She wanted to wear her brown uggs, but she didn't like the way her jeans felt in her boots, so she had to change into a skirt.

 Then her shirt didn't look right to her with the skirt, so she had to change her shirt too.

But, she didn't want to wear a brown shirt with a purple flower in her hair, so we re-fixed her hair.

Then, apparently, the whole outfit wasn't what she had envisioned herself in, or something, so we worked through that.

Eventually, Layla went off to preschool wearing pre-selected outfit #3.

ahhhhhh! What are we in for with this one?  I love her to death, but really?!?! I mean, come on. Isn't that just way too much worry coming from a 4 year old? Most days she couldn't care less what she is wearing, but maybe she had somebody to impress today;) I didn't think about that.

It takes me back to when I was a girl, probably about 4 now that I think of it. My Mom was going to lunch with the Aunties, and she invited me to come along. I was so excited! I usually never got to go to  lunch with the Moms, so that was a pretty dang big deal. Mom told me I needed to hurry and get dressed so we could go, so I ran to my room, and yanked my drawer out.

All of the sudden, all my shirts just looked so CUTE (the opposite problem then I have now), and I just couldn't pick one.....so I picked 6. I came running out to the horn beeping car, with all six of my favorite shirts on. One on top of the other, and the other, and the other, and so on.

Mom looked at me and smiled. She said "wow susie, those sure are cute shirts you have", and off we went.

I love that she gave me the freedom to wear 6 shirts to lunch with the aunties, even though I often looked like a little orphane child, I always felt loved. So, it seems now, that's really the most important thing isn't it? Just to make sure my little angel always feels my love.

Favorite Fridays

I've decided I am going to be a little more dedicated to my blog, and post on a little more regular basis. I know you (yes you, the one that reads my blog:)) deserve better from me, so to show my appreciation, I am going to share a few of my FAVORITE things. Let's call it....Favorite things?!? um...no! That will make me sing the song from the sound of music every time I post on Friday, and then I'll have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day, and that's just no good. So, how about "favorite Fridays"?! Is that one good? Ok, lets keep it.


For our very first ever Favorite Friday item I wanted to go with something magnificent, something whimsical, with a little fluff, and a little zing all at the same time. Last week as I was helping Dad unpack Mom's things I came across a little treasure.

Moms little green recipe box!

Now, if you were so blessed as to have known my Mom, then you know she wasn't exactly known for following a recipe....she was just too creative for that:) She did, after all, write her own recipe book! But one thing Mom always loved was Lemon! If I had to pick just one recipe that she actually followed it would be her "Luscious Lemon Bar cookie" one.

Finding this little treasure made my soul sing, and my heart happy. This little goody is written in Mom's hand writing on the back of an old, Robbin egg blue, Smith's pharmacy envelope, with Uncle Stobbes name on the front. hehehe, just so Mom, I love it! I can see her and Aunt Cleo standing in Cleo's kitchen in UT, 38 years ago, laughing, and eating "Luscious Lemon Bar cookies", and Mom grabbing the closest piece of paper saying "This is HEAVENLY! I must get the recipe!".

So, my dear friend, this recipe is passed once more:) I hope you love it.



                                                           Luscious Lemon Bar Cookies
                                                           makes 3 dozen 11/2" squares

Crust1C. soft butter
dash of salt
1/2 C. powdered sugar
2C. flour

Combine all ingredients- mix well. Press mixture into 9x13" pan. Bake at 350' for 15 min. (or until browned)

Filling
4 eggs beaten
2C. gram sugar
1/4 C. flour
6 Tbs. lemon juice

if desired, add 1C. shredded coconut (I highly recommend it). Combine flour and sugar. Mix in beaten eggs and lemon juice. pour into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350' for 25 min. Or until set. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. cut into squares, and enjoy.


*I'm heading to Utah for the weekend to visit my Judy, and I know it will be fabulous. I hope you have a wonderful weekend too:)



 Time for a good old fashion game of bowling for the Hall gang! We realized it had been over a year...maybe even two since our last bowling outing, so we had to show the kids our skills.

It didn't take long for me to realize our (Myself and the Craigsters) skills aren't so impressive these days...especially when Layla had a higher score than both of us!



That's about when I decided it was time for a little Crazy bowl! And we all (me and the one person that reads my blog) know that's something I totally rock at:)

We had the backward through, the spin toss, granny roll, granny roll backwards, left handed, boogy bowl, and eyes closed. It was epic, hahaha.

 

This round we had to do a little dance after we chucked the ball down the lane, and the kids dances were so funny. I'm glad I got them on tape:)

I LOVE laylas' dance! This little lady has got herself some moves, hahaha.
Check back in tomorrow for my FIRST EVER Fridays Fav...you are NOT going to want to miss it:)



play time

Every day after school Carter comes home and says "Mom, I would like to have------- over to play!", and I always seem to have a reason why that won't work out today..."but maybe another day" I say.
After this same conversation took place 357 times I started to feel bad, so we invited his new school buddies over today.

It is basically the first time I have invited children I don't know very well over to play with my children, and parents I don't know at all to tag along. It was the craziest thing, the way I was nervous. You know the way you feel when you're having a birthday party, and you worry no body is going to show up? That's how I was today....so weird!

Layla and I cleaned the whole entire house, swept and hosed down the back porch, cleaned up the yard, arranged the patio furniture just right, prepared fresh carrots out of the garden, grapes, crackers and cheese, punch, side walk paint and brushes, got the Geo Trax out, and waited! We waited and read, and waited and played a board game, and practiced the alphabet and waited until we heard Carter come home. The look on his face was priceless! He looked around as realization set in. He knew all this was for him, and for the magical moment, I think he might have felt the depth of my love for him.

What a day:)

The friends did come. The boys played in the castle outside, had a berry war, painted, ran, built a train track, had some snacks. At the end of the day Carter will remember all the fun he had with his friends, but mostly (I hope), the feeling of his mamas love.

This weekend I helped my Dad unpack some boxes....special boxes.

2 years ago my Mom and Dad thought they had sold their home on S. 19th Ave, so they packed almost all of their things and moved them to a storage unit until they had a new house. Sadly, the sell didn't end up working out, and they had already done all that packing.
Can you imagine? I would be livid if that happened to me! Rrarrrrr, tiger woman would make herself known.

Anyway, Mom Started getting really sick right after all that....and, you know that rest.

The boxes in storage took a big back seat to everything else (Like, they were clear back in the trunk, and the trunk popped open, and they totally came falling out of the vehicle kind of a back seat). We finally went to the storage unit a couple of weeks ago to haul some of the essentials back to Dad's house for him. I was putting some things in the closet, and saw some of Mom's clothes hanging up.

A rush of emotions over took me, and I suddenly missed her again with the same fierceness I felt the day she passed. My chest hurt, it was physical. I felt a something drip onto my hand, and realized they were my tears. However, as suddenly as the overwhelming emotions overtook me, they were replaced with deep feelings of Love. I have so much love and gratitude for my Mom, the things she went through, what she taught me, and the legacy she left.

Mom continues to play a very large role in my life. Not a day goes by that I don't think "what would Mom have said to me in this situation" or "would Mom approve of my parenting style right now?". I have flash backs of my childhood, and things she has said to me. I try to emulate her with my own children, and pray that I will do half as good of a job as her.

Love you mom.