Last One

I went to my last school costume parade today.  

At least the last one in which my own child will participate.  

I'm not sure if there was a mix-up, or if it was intended, but there were some kids coming, and some kids going.  It made it a little tricky to spot your own little pumpkin (haha), but lucky for me, Mar had a nice gap between her and the person in front of her.  Can you see her?

With all the crazy busy schedules going on around here, I nearly forgot about Halloween.  We were going to carve pumpkins this weekend, but didn't get around to it.  Maybe I'll try to help Mar knock one out after she gets home from school.  Or maybe I'll just pull out the trusty paint (possibly some glitter), and let her non-knife-wielding artistic side shine.  I heard that if you mix glitter with modge podge, then paint your pumpkin, you get a lovely result.   I will have to try and convince Mar.  HOWEVER, it really wouldn't feel like Halloween without the smell of burning pumpkin flesh.
Hmmmmm...

I've already eaten my pre-determined self-imposed wedding-times-two-diet amount of sugar {I like candy} for the day.  I hope I can resist the variety I'm sure Mar will procure this evening.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

FTF - 30 Minute Meals

(FYI: FTF=Favorite Things Friday.)

Last night I started making dinner at 8:07 pm.  I was tired from the busy-ness of the day, and feeling very  much like forgetting dinner altogether.  I knew, however, that my family would not appreciate that.  I had just returned from carpooling to dance, running to Costco and Sprouts, then picking the girls back up on my way home.  While running my errands, I had the presence of mind to grab a rotisserie chicken, thinking that, if nothing else, it would provide a simplified option for dinner, eliminating the usual lengthy defrosting and cooking process (I never plan far enough ahead to have meat out of the freezer before 5 pm).

Then I turned to my trusty pantry.

Three pots of boiling water.  How easy is that?

My freezer provided the veggie:  frozen corn 

(in those pre-portioned bags that you just throw in the microwave -- delicious AND easy).

The whole meal took me 30 minutes, tops.

Yes, I even served it on paper plates, since it WAS so late in the evening.

My family loves this kind of dinner, which makes me think I should serve it at least once a week.  Although, with the holidays approaching, I'd better hold back, lest they want something different on Thanksgiving.  It's good to know that, in a pinch, Thanksgiving dinner in 30 minutes is doable, if you don't mind subbing chicken for turkey.  All you would need to add is some sliced up jellied cranberry sauce, and maybe a green bean/fried onion casserole.  

Yum-o. 

I love a good, quick meal.  Especially when it makes everyone happy, fills their bellies full, and reaffirms to them that I am the best mom ever.  No fancy-schmancy, decked-out, made-from-scratch, looks-so-good-it-should-be-on-Pinterest, homemade meal necessary.

Trunk or Treat

Tuesday night was our ward Trunk-or-Treat.  This is not my favorite activity of the year, but it IS Mauri's.  Luckily, this year I talked Mar into a low-budget costume (thanks to my diligence in storing past costumes of the older kids), which also requires very little time and effort to get ready.  LOVE.  After last year's valiant effort to pull off the requested costume, I needed a breather.

Tay had the night off of work, so he was excited to dress up too.
Another one of momma's special low-budget, easy fixes.

That's my boy.

I tried to capture the hugeness of our ward, without luck.  Our "cultural hall" (gotta love that term), Relief Society room AND Primary room were all filled to the brim with tables, chairs, and people.  After helping cook and wrap hot dogs (Tay and Bill - I can't take any credit), Tay and I found a spot to eat on some chairs along the edge in one of the rooms while Bill did door duty.  I had a pork/lime/white bean chili that was de-lish... I need to get that recipe.  Whoever organized the activity did a fabulous job considered the logistics of such an event in a building the size of ours (on the smaller side, but not the smallest I've seen) with a ward the size of ours (extremely large and ready for a split any day).  Shilo hung out with the youth for a little while, who were playing parking-lot hockey and mingling in the great-and-cold outdoors, before joining Tay and I in the trunk.  Kids traipsed through the rain-almost-snow, eagerly braving the elements to collect their teeth-rotting treats.

The whole thing was over and done in an hour-and-a-half (perfect), and the fam all met back at home to graze on Mar's candy.  Except for Lex, who was a working girl.  

(BTW, Lex has acquired a SECOND job... at Britt's old employer, Justice.  We are hopeful that her schedules will coordinate, since neither job on it's own offers enough hours, and the two combined would be just right.  Our first test will be tonight when she is scheduled to train at Justice, and has a call-in at B&BW.  Wish her luck.)

Before we called it an evening, I had to snap a pic of father and son.

They both commented on how most of the little kids at the Trunk-or-Treat were quite scared/interested/timid/fascinated by their "costumes."

I just patted myself on the back.  I wish every year could be this easy.

I Love Fall

And I love having a child in a photography class,
because then I am {pleasantly} surprised to find beautiful pictures on my camera.  

These are courtesy of Shi, taken in our yard just the other day:

I {honestly} can't believe that October is almost over.

Oh my.

Old Post + New Gratitude

**I just can't waste a post I spent precious time writing, so here it is.  A little delayed.
This was {obviously} written prior to our dog-sitting debacle.**

We are having an awesome Fall Break around here.  Sleeping in.  Hanging out.  Dog sitting.

Believe it or not, we are sitting TWO dogs this week:

 Sadie (a Havanese whose owners plan to breed soon -- we would love one of her puppies)

and Pogi, a mini dachshund like Ace.

We have found both dogs to be extremely enjoyable (leading us to believe that our beloved Ace was either the puppy from h-e-double-toothpicks, or we were terrible, horrible, very bad, no good puppy trainers -- most likely the latter).

The girls have been very responsible in their dog care.  A paycheck doesn't hurt, though.  They even ventured into the world of grooming.

I'm wondering, however, if dog sitting is kind of like grandchildren-sitting:
easier to spoil them rotten and then send them home than to have them around ALL the time.
Food for thought :-)

**Back to today.**

Things I haven't previously mentioned about Sadie:

a) She is an expensive dog.  Like $1400 expensive.  Like we-can't-afford-to-replace-her expensive.

b) Her family is planning to breed her next month, with proceeds from her puppies helping offset the cost of the first of their possible 6 missions.

c) She is the only other female presence in their home other than the mom, who is very attached.  (In one of Taylor's attempts to lighten the mood as we were discussing the possible implications of losing Sadie, he said, "You know, Sister Booher will find out some day that she is NOT sealed to Sadie.")

d) The Boohers are our home teachers, so no avoiding contact in the event we contribute to emotional devastation in the family.

I know, I know... why rehash when it all turned out okay.

I just can't resist counting my blessings.

What Once Was Lost

At 12:08 this afternoon my phone rang.  

Someone had seen our lost dog posters, and while out walking his own dog, had a man from a neighborhood he was walking through approach him and ask if he knew anyone missing a dog.  He and his wife had a dog who had camped on their back porch for two nights.  They had left food and water out for it, but couldn't get close enough to read it's tags.

This particular neighborhood was a bit more distant than we anticipated, and, although we had searched the area several times, we had not posted flyers in the immediate vicinity.  The homes are spread out, and surrounded by large areas of open space.

"It may not be your dog,'' he said, "the guy said it was a black dog, but I have his address and you could go take a look."

It was Sadie.

We were absolutely ecstatic to find her.  We are so grateful for the prayers offered on her (and our) behalf.

We are grateful for the answer to our own prayers, even when we doubted the individual feelings of comfort and peace we had received.

We bathed her, fed her, and sent her home with her joyful owner.

Phew!  The pit in my stomach can go.

I'm not sure if we'll be asked to dog sit again, be we are so glad that this story had a happy ending.

Favorite Things

My friend Steph introduced me to Pinterest.  She's assisting me with wedding plans, and suggested I use it as a good place to find ideas AND keep them... neatly pinned and organized on my boards.  It is {AWESOME}.  And addictive.  I'm forcing myself off for today... and into blogger.  But this is going to be a darn quick post, and then I'm off to really important things like dishes and laundry.

(I spotted this on Pinterest and couldn't resist adding it to my board.  That's how laundry gets done around here.)

In between my Pinterest mini-sessions, I have been making progress on plans for our {TWO} upcoming weddings.  Phone calls (ugh, I hate making them) and emails, tracking down venues and caterers.  Bill and I are meeting with Dan and Sharon (Lynnea's parents) tonight to figure out numbers and wedding-day scheduling details.  I have a list of items NOT to forget in our conversation, scrawled, discernible only to me, in a notebook.  I have scratched out notes and information from various phone calls on several random pieces of paper.  I have every good intention to collect all of my notes (which may require a reprint to be understood), email print-outs, and information in a neat and orderly manner.  That will be my goal for today.  To collect and organize the old fashioned way.

A notebook.

A 3-hole punch.

Dividers with pockets.

No, we have not located Sadie.  Yet.

Wedding plans and Pinterest are helping me cope.

A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The past 24 hours has been exhausting.

24 hours ago I was hopping in the shower to get ready for a temple session.  I had the blessing of a 30 minute nap an hour earlier, and was looking forward to a nice evening with Bill and Tay.

I made arrangements for Shi to get to and from swim practice.

I told Mar the plan for the evening, and let her know to contact Lex (at the neighbors) should she need something, as we would be unaccessible for several hours.

The chapel meeting and session were EXCELLENT.  It was such a great feeling to be there with Tay, whispering our excitement about the near-future visit we would be making with him and Lynnea.  Once outside, a few lingering friends suggested we meet for cheesecake.  I, of course, was all over it.  Then we walked to our car, and the evening changed.

I checked my phone.  Four messages.  As I was listening to the first message, Taylor was also checking his phone.  The first message was Mar... could her friend stay longer than the designated time?...  Then Taylor said, "Lex left me a message... something about looking for Sadie."  

Sadie is the cute dog we've been dog sitting this week.  We're actually sitting two dogs.  I had a post all ready to go today (typed it Monday... so smart) about our adventures with these two not-quite-buddies.

I immediately called Lex (or did she call me?  I can't remember).  Sadie had bolted when her friends were walking out the door.  They tried to call her, bribe her with treats, and stay by her, but she ran.  And it was dark.  They hadn't seen her for a good 15 or 20 minutes.

We started the drive home, texting our regrets to those who would be gathering for cheesecake.

When we arrived home, Bill pulled into the garage.  He wasn't in all the way, probably because our intent was to quickly change, then head to the park where Sadie was last seen.  I, out of habit, hit the garage door opener on my way into the house.  We ran upstairs to look for flashlights and to change.  When I came out of my bedroom, my neighbor Rebecca was in the family room.  "Your garage door closed on your car... it was making a terrible noise..."

Sure enough, that garage door made the mother-of-all-scratches down the length of the back door of the car.  The garage door had stopped, half closed, wedged against the door.  

"Open the door," Bill instructed.

I put in the garage code.  The door started trying to go DOWN, rather than the desired "up."  There wasn't any time to process the damage.  The door, once stuck for a second time, started back up.  Bill climbed in the car and drove to the park, while I walked the distance in between.

We prayed and looked and looked and prayed.  Walking, driving, calling, bribing, whistling.
Until midnight.

No success.

We've spent hours looking today.  In cars.  On bikes.  Searching.  Still no Sadie.

We made signs, and posted them on mailboxes.

This evening I am feeling sick.  About Sadie.  About the car.  A black-hole pit in my stomach. 

I am exhausted.  I thought for sure someone would find Sadie today and call the numbers on her tag.  Nope.

I am still optimistic and hopeful.

A New Season

Shilo had her first swim meet of the season on Saturday.  Since she has had a long swim break, is swimming in a higher age bracket, and likes to swim on the {fun} community team instead of in the intensely competitive year-round league for the summer season, I was anxious to see how she would fare.

She cut 3 seconds off of her 100 Free, and 4 seconds off of her 200 Free.  She missed her best 100 Back time by nanoseconds.

Since Shi doesn't swim on Sunday, often her favorite or best events are not an option (the 50 Free, 100 Fly, and 200 IM seem to typically be Sunday meet events).  I am proud of her willingness to swim the available Saturday events and give it her best shot.

In all, it was an excellent meet.  It's always good to get that first one over.

Nice job, Shi!

As Promised

Taylor made it back from Idaho on Sunday.
We were so excited to see him and hear how his week went --  it sounds like wedding details are well on their way.

Here is the camera-version of Taylor's proposal to Lynnea, as promised:

His friends have the longer, more detailed video-camera version, which I will share when it is available.
I still thought this was pretty darn cute, even if it's a little hard to hear over the wind.

The ring:

(I think Lynnea is having the edges rounded a bit, to alleviate ring-snag, so the final version may be slightly different.)

It was fun to sit around with Tay and talk groomsmen, suit rentals, and post-wedding plans.
He is excited and happy.

Life is good.

ANOTHER Announcement

Britta and Austin got engaged on Saturday!

Austin had called Bill that morning, so we had an {idea} it was coming, but he wasn't sure exactly when he would ask her.  Around 11pm (Bill was down in the basement-turned-temporary-man-cave watching a delayed BYU game, and I was near drifting-off-to-dreamland in the comfort of my bed), Bill came running upstairs with my phone.  He had heard the text jingle.

"Hey Momma! Are you still awake?"

"Si, señorita"

Then she called with the big news.

We couldn't be happier.  Again. 

They plan to get married here

(Mount Timpanogos temple)
in either late January or early February.

Britta said, "I don't want to overwhelm you with weddings."
Me?  Overwhelmed?  Never!

Bill couldn't contain his excitement yesterday at church.  In his Priesthood meeting, a brother made the comment that it had been a hard year for him because his oldest had gone away to college, and his youngest had started kindergarten... his kids were growing up way too fast.
Bill had to interject, "What about two engagements in a week?"

Both weddings will be the first in all families (technically Britt's would be the second for us, BUT the first daughter's wedding...), so it should be a {fun} and {exciting} experience.

Despite the impending craziness and financial strain, Bill and I
honestly,
sincerely,
truly
couldn't be more happy.

Favorite Things +

It's Friday already.  This week has literally been the blink of an eye.

Taylor called last night to let me know the date has been set:

Thursday, December 29th.  

That's like 10 blinks away.

Tay and Lynnea have been making major progress on some of the details... I'd better get hopping, too.  I've always wanted to make each of my kids a quilt for their weddings (a tradition passed down by mi madre).  I mentioned it to Taylor, imagining a beautiful pieced and machine-quilted masterpiece, and he said, "Yeah, just make sure it has a lot of ties on it."

Have I ever mentioned that Taylor is slightly OCD concerning yarn ties on quilts?  It started way back when he was a baby.  A kind co-worker had tied a simple baby quilt and given it to me as a gift prior to Taylor's birth.  It was one of those pre-printed panel, genderless kinds, with acrylic yarn ties.  Several years later, after babysitting Tay, my mother-in-law said something about how Taylor had been asking for his "doggie blanket," and could I bring it with him the next time she tended him.  I had NO IDEA what he had been referring to.  I felt like such a {bad} mom.  When we got home, I looked around for the requested blanket, and, with Tay's assistance, discovered that it was that tied quilt given to me by my co-worker.  I had never looked (in a carefully observant kind of way) at what was actually pre-printed on the blanket.  

A doggie.  In yellow, pink, and green accents.

I think that's when the tie-fettish began.  Those yellow acrylic-yarn ties were soft, comforting, and stress-relieving.  Ever since then, Taylor has always had a tied quilt, and speaks fondly of some of his favorites.  I made him a new one for college... then a mini for his mission (although before he even left the MTC he had requested that we send his big quilt to the mission home in Mexico City, which we kindly obliged).  He has callouses on his fingers from twisting those ties, which eventually get twisted right out of the quilt, necessitating a new quilt after a while.

Hey, there are worse OCD behaviors than that, right?

So.  A quilt with ties.  I might have to make TWO.  In 10 blinks of an eye.

On to my favorite things.  I've got to make it quick, since I've already spent {way} more time than I had planned posting today.

 I was given this cookbook as a gift a few years back.  I love it.

One of my favorite recipes is for The Worlds' Best Salsa.  I {love} a recipe that tastes fresh, but is made primarily from canned food-storage items, and this recipe does just that.  My kids love it.  I've made a few adjustments to the original, so hopefully you'll like it, too.

1 (4oz) can chopped green chiles

2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes (I drain just a little juice out, so the salsa isn't too runny)

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 onion

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic salt

2 Tbs. vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Blend or chop until desired consistency.  Done.

Another favorite cookbook:

 My mom gave me this for my first wedding anniversary.  It has been well used loved.  I have more recently (a few years ago) purchased the new, updated version, but have discovered that it does NOT have the same recipes.  I'm not even sure if I have used my newer one EVER.

This cookbook has helped me through countless meals over the years.  I pulled it out just the other day to make baked beans for our General Conference luncheon.  I don't think I can ever let it go, despite it's condition.

Note to Lynnea:  Taylor {hates} Ground Beef Stroganoff.  It has been one of my personal favorites (ya gotta love a good, quick ground beef recipe), but I have refrained from making it when Taylor is around ever since he vehemently expressed his dislike for it years ago.

One of my other favorite recipes from this cookbook is Rice Pudding.

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups milk

1 small can (6oz) evaporated milk (I usually double the recipe and just use a full regular-sized can)

1/2 cup raisins (I like them, most of my kids don't, so I usually just add them at the end to my own bowl)

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

In a small saucepan, scald the milks together.  Measure raisins into a strainer and set over boiling water just long enough to plump them (if you don't mind chewy raisins, you can skip this step).  In a heavy 2- or 3- quart saucepan, combine cornstarch, salt, and sugar, and blend well.  Stir in hot milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until thick and smooth.  Add rice; reheat to a full boil.  Remove from heat.  Pour a little of the hot mixture into beaten eggs while stirring rapidly.  Return egg mixture to hot milk and rice and stir until thickened (only a minute or two).  Remove from heat.  Stir in raisins, spices, and vanilla.  Chill (I like to eat it warm).  Makes 8 1/2-cup servings.

Happy Weekend!

An Announcement

(photo courtesy of FB)

Taylor and Lynnea were engaged on Tuesday!
I don't mean engaged in activity, or engaged in thought, but ENGAGED.
To be married.

I couldn't be happier.

Taylor left early Monday morning for the long 10-hour drive to Idaho.  He had met with Lynnea's father a couple of weeks ago (remember the very important meeting I mentioned here?), and, after receiving her father's blessing, developed his plan for proposal.

A surprise.

A scenic setting.

Two dozen roses.

A diamond ring.

It went as smooth as butter, according to Tay (despite the windiness of the day and the hugeness of the flowers -- I suggested he get two dozen, for dramatic effect -- his comment to me after picking them up from the florist:  "Oh my heck, Mom, do you know how much two dozen roses is?").  His friends recorded it all on video, which he has promised to share... when he gets around to it.
Right now he's spending his remaining few days in ID making plans.

Here's the info I'm privy to at the moment:

They will be married here

(Denver Colorado Temple)
in December.

We were excited to hear the news that my nephew, Josh, was also engaged, just 4 days prior to Tay and Lynnea.

(I snatched this pic from FB, too... I hope Josh doesn't mind)
Those two cousins continue the parallels (a refresher here).

Josh and Kayla plan to be married here

(Bountiful Utah Temple)

in January.

(None of these early plans are set in stone... yet.)

I am thrilled for Taylor and Josh (and Lynnea and Kayla).
I am excited for the impending extended family togetherness.

Actually becoming a mother-in-law has given me food for thought, however.  I hope I'm good at it.

Congratulations, all!

Rethinking, Rearranging, Reorganizing

I have an affinity for the prefix "re-".  I like it.  (I use it three times in the header of my Singing Time blog, too...)  It connotes endless do-overs, in which the done-over is better, more useful, or sometimes just different (for those of us who crave change every now and then).  

Renewed.  Refreshed.  Such happy words.

With the completion of our basement, I have been confronted with an overabundance of reorganization projects.  Even as I pause momentarily for a blogging break, I am overwhelmed with what to do with this... where to put that...  what project can handle brief spurts of effort in between the sporadic schedule of motherhood... how far can I get on any given task in 10 minutes?.. 20 minutes?.. an hour, tops.  

Everything had a place prior to the basement project (most of which was in the basement), but now I've had to rethink and rearrange.  Believe it or not, I think deeply over each object... it's value (do I want need to keep it?), and where would be the best, most practical place to store it.  Some things that were up, are now moving down; some things that were down, are movin' on up.

The main problem with household reorganization is that I am the only one who ends up knowing where anything is.  The secondary problem would be that, due to the newness of the rearrangement, I may have bouts of organizational amnesia.  There are also those occasional times when I realize that, even after the deep thought (which is difficult in my peri-menopausal state anyway), the new home of a particular object may not be as practical/accessible/desirable as I had anticipated, necessitating yet another rearrangement.

Sometimes in my efforts to simplify, I make things really complicated.

I've been rethinking bathroom cleaning supplies the past two days.  With bathrooms now on three levels, I thought I would make separate containers of cleaning supplies for each bathroom (kind of... the girls would share between their two).  That way, if someone (hopefully not always myself) has a minute or two to clean, they will not need to waste their precious little time hunting down supplies.  They will be handy.  No more excuses for nasty bathrooms, including my own.  I still need to add a thing or two, then TRAINING will be necessary.  Expectations set.  Procedures explained (like how to mix the cleaning solution from concentrate, since our current procedure seems to include pouring half a gallon of concentrate in the sink to wipe down one solitary toilet -- so we'll be saving money, too.  Bonus).

My next two projects to tackle:
the crawl space (major editing needed)
and the garage (still only room for a single vehicle).

I've been debating between a yard sale or just loading up here and there and dropping at the nearest Goodwill.  So late in the season, I'm leaning towards the latter.  I don't think I can hang on to all our crap edited-out items until Spring.

We have some schedule rearranging to do, too.  More on that tomorrow.

Quick Weekend Recap

Saturday:

After countless applications over a period of many months, a math test (Big 5), talking to various managers, and finally an interview, Lexee secured employment.  Hallelujah.  You can find her at Bath & Body Works at the mall for the next few months.  I know she will learn a ton and do an awesome job.  Go buy something from her - she starts tomorrow :-)

Saturday evening we had a Trek family reunion.

All of our "children," except for one who was out of town, actually attended.  It was awesome.  We ate pizza, played a game (Curses, which I guess was "super awkward" according to my sources), and watched the DVD Bill and I (with Lex's assistance) put together from the Trek.  It was fun to catch up with them all, and a great opportunity for the kids to interact, since they are from 3 different wards and go to 3 different schools.  The comment by Cheyenne, and later echoed by Lex, "We connected more tonight than we did the whole Trek."  I call that a success.  Unfortunately, I forgot to get pictures of the reunion.  Rats.

Sunday:

Bill had promised Mar that he would help her build a snowman on Saturday, to celebrate the first snow of the season.  But Bill got busy with this and that, Mar left to play with her friends... and at the end of the day, no snow friend had been made.  So after church on Sunday, Bill, Mar and Shi hustled out to round up the lingering snow for their creation.

Then we put up the Halloween decor.  Same as last year, minus those awesome white pumpkins (I'm trying to remember where I got those...).  Here is our only new addition this year:

Yep.  Bloody handprints.  (I tend to like creep over cute... am I weird?)

The only problem is the air bubbles visible from the outside.  So un-authentic.  It might necessitate a move to an interior mirror, unless I am just too lazy (or tired, since I am still feeling under the weather) to care.

Monday (not really the weekend, but closely related):

Our snow friend looks like this (after a few touch-ups including nose and button adjustments by Mar):

Makes me want to sing, "Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman..."