Storm's a Coming

More than any other time in my life, I feel an urgency, an urgency and responsibility to prepare, to be ready for what may come. I wish I could explain how I feel, I wish I could make you all understand the need to be ready. I want all I love and care about to be safely gathered in.

Please be prepared. Get your Food Storage. Prepare your 72 hour kit.

The Prophets and Apostles didn't say,

Wait until you have a huge house with a large room to store it all in,

nor did they say, Wait until your married, or Wait until you think you can afford it.

Make the choice, sacrifice if necessary, get the basics today.



Please don't wait. There is a storm a brewin', I fill it in my soul.

Margherita-ville

To change things up a bit today I would like to introduce you to something I love.




"Meet Margherita Pizza."








"Margherita Pizza, meet Blog People."


















"Um, on second thought...."..






My favorite pizza in the whole world is at Firehouse Pizza in Logan, Utah. The Margherita Pizza (you're surprised, I can tell).

You'll have to splurge because It's a tad pricey, but mouth-watering.

Okay it's way more than a tad pricey, but it is truly delicious, it won't fill you up, but it will comfort your soul.

Here is my recreation:

A Flattish Crust, (mind you, not cracker flat), made with Basil and Parmesan, brushed with Olive Oil.
Fresh Crushed tomatoes blended with Salt and Pepper and Olive Oil for the sauce, or skip it all together.
Large Tasty Chunks of Buffalo Mozzarella
Fresh Basil torn into pieces
Sprinkled Parmesan Cheese.
Sweet Sun Dried Tomatoes

Cook at 450 10 minutes or so until crust is cooked and cheese is bubbly.

That's all. So Simple, So Delicious.

Make it, Try it, Love it!

At 1 year, 1 month and 12 days, my sweet James has slept through the night,

and for the first time in more than two years so did I. Wo ho!!!!!!!!!

Sleep makes life so much better. We were up by 6, exercised, showered and eaten breakfast by 8, Ah life is good.

Guess it's time for another one. ;)

Simple things, like hot dog roasts in the back yard make the best memories.

**Large pink marshmallows(Ellie's request) are nasty, nasty.

**Falls Brand Hot Dogs are yummy

**Eating more than one hot dog in a sitting is a mistake

**Garden Salsa Sun Chips are yummy, spicy but yummy. Still like Cheddar better though

**Dry dead hot dog roasting sticks burn, as will your hot dog attached to it.

**James is adorable in his hat.

**Ellie looks beautiful with her golden curls blowing in the wind

**Barry shouldn't kneel down in the pasture.



Details coming soon of the winners of the annual bi-ward Karaoke contest. Oh MY!

Bumper Cars

When we lived in Twin, Ellie would stare out the window of our apartment and beg me to let her go outside whenever Charity and Caleb(her son) were outside playing. They would ride their little toy cars up and down the even littler hill between our apartments, and Charity and I would do laundry and talk.



Almost two-years have passed, Ellie and Caleb have both grown like weeds, and both families have long since moved from our little apartments.
Yet, when Charity stopped by for a visit, James and Annika were there and ready to take their places as the new race car drivers, or more like bumper car drivers since we couldn't play outside.



Watching them with a little tug on my heart brought a poignant reminder of how quickly years do pass and of how short the time is that we are given to enjoy with our little ones. I can't keep my kids small, but I can keep the memories I make with them when they're young. My goal for 2010. Make the Moments Count. Be there for my children, not a distracted 25% or 50% of me, but 100% of my attention as often as possible.

**More on this subject in my Less is More Blog coming shortly.





Guess we should have taken pictures before lunch.

My First Blog Survey

Now this is my first Blog Survey, so I want it to be a success. So everyone participate now. ( I made it easier to leave comments)

In hopes that I can gain some justification (don't let this sway you ;) ) for something I've been neglecting, I've decided to reach out to my fellow woman out there and see what they think.



Ironing Husbands' Shirts.

Must I?

IN my Defense:
1. Ironing (A good job) takes me about 15 minutes per shirt. Yes, I know I'm slow. 4 Shirts Ladies that an hour. 8 Shirts that's two hours. I COULD get loads of OTHER stuff done.
2. No matter how many times I iron them, they just get wrinkled again.(These are pretty weak excuses aren't they?)
3. He looks really good in an ironed shirt. Too good, for all those college girls staring at him all day. (I guess I just assumed they stare, because I would)
4. HE DOESN'T CARE ANYWAY, AND SOMETIMES HE DOESN'T EVEN NOTICE.

On the Other Hand:

1. I really could make the time if I wanted to.
2. He looks like a Rag-a-Muffin, wearing wrinkled shirts to work
3. They make him look unprofessional at work
4. I want people to know he is in fact NOT homeless and someone does care about him.


Okay there it is.

Now Vote in your comments please. IN favor of ironing or NOT in favor.

*Yes I am aware of wrinkle free fabrics, which a lot of Barry's shirts are, but after so many washing, even those look like they need a good ironing.

*Yes I am also aware that I could've ironed one of his shirts during this time. Bleh

Motherhood has given these lyrics a whole new meaning to me.

Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through
Through this world
without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue
Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach out for me
Sometimes I wanna give up
Wanna give in
I wanna quit the fight
AND ONE LOOK AT YOU BABY
can make everything all right
can make everything alright


When I see you smile
I can face the world
Oh you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light
Oh I see it shining
right through the rain
When I see you smile
Baby when I see you smile at me

James and the Giant Pine

Because our land has been vacant since the beginnings of forever, we have found many unclaimed treasures buried beneath it's sand. Mostly thousands and thousands of pieces of brightly colored pieces of broken glass and porcelain, (all thanks to the juvenile delinquent who lived next door) some animal bones -mostly cow, old farm machinery, but today ..........today was the big find.





A pine cone. Not an ordinary pine cone, mind you. But a very very special cone, in fact, it rather had a strange look, the look of the magic peach seeds that James and the Giant Peach planted that grew that fabulous peach.




Taking no regard for the neigh sayers (pictured on the left) and happening to have a James on hand(critical to success).





James and I picked out a spot, not to far from the house. We marked our spot with a big X. (X marks the spot you know) Then we carefully positioned and planted our cone/seed and left for Walmart. (Now going to Walmart is not critical to the success of planting magic seeds, but that's where we went all the same.)










And Lo and behold on our return, what should we find, but our very own tree. James' eyes widened in wonder and amazement at the sight of it. (They really did)



We bequeathed it the name James' Tree in his honor.



*** Disclaimer: Yes, I know the cone looks more like a corn cob, (I said it was strange looking) besides it was magic, and who knows (besides me and James) what a MAGIC pine cone looks like anyway.

Temple Square

Over Spring Break we went to Temple Square. We saw the sites and went to the Joseph Smith movie in the Legacy Theater. Ellie was quite displeased with how the movie ended. James WAS pleased since for the last hour of the movie He and I were roaming the different floors of the Joseph Smith Memorial building letting him explore as he pleased.
We ended our outing with visiting Barry's Brother and Sister-in-law who live in Salt Lake. We had a jolly time until I got a migraine and had to take an emergency trip to the Olive Garden to get sustenance. YUM! They had my favorite, the tender steak with the delicious pasta and the three cheese sauce, it's a special menu item. Ohhh now my mouth is salivating, must get more soon.

More posts to come......

Well I didn't lose the camera cord, but I don't have any batteries for it. The rechargeable ones died, the regular ones are always sucked dry by our battery hungry camera.

So you get this picture via Youcam. Not the best quality.

Barry sometimes writes and leaves us sweet notes on the table before he goes to work in the morning.

Ellie likes to return the favor. Her vocabulary and spelling is more limited, but very sweet. (She did this herself, it's definitely a keeper) She left this note for Barry with some pretty heart stickers.