A very berry filled day

Last Friday Lincoln took the day off

so that we could go and take advantage of 

the u-pick strawberry patch 

that is currently in season.

Lincoln recently had shoulder surgery and took off his sling to pick the berries,

he didn't like that I could pick faster than he . . . . 

but he really only had one arm!!

No, these aren't Shari's Berries!!! 

like the box says . . . . . 

The berries were big and yummy.

I didn't eat one until we got home.

Lincoln couldn't say the same!

We took the Miata . . . . 

So we filled the trunk with strawberries.

They were EXPENSIVE . . . . 

99 Dollars worth of berries in that trunk!

McKay arrived home from school just in time to help us make

freezer strawberry Jam.

It would have taken me forever to put up these berries on my own.

Thanks McKay and Lincoln!

We put up 25 containers of Jam.

Almost an entire shelf in our freezer.

Just as we finished the jam,

my sister and her daughter Stevie came.

We left Stevie with Lincoln and McKay,

and went and got pedicures.

Just recently my Sis and I have been having

sister-night-outs.

I have loved every evening out with her

and hope we keep up the 3 month old tradition we have started.

FAIL!

One of the things I struggle with about blogging

is that life can seem kinda perfect on a blog.

How do you keep it real,

and not hurt the people in your life?

Which is why I've decided to post this failure.

I don't think I can hurt an ipod's feelings!!!!

McKay purchased a new latest and greatest ipod.

He gave me his old, cracked one as a goodwill gesture to me :)

It worked great, cracked and all.

I had some games loaded on it that I liked.

I had even loaded my entire library of Christmas music on it

and had logged several hours of listening enjoyment.

It worked like a charm,

UNTIL,

I decided to fix it and replace the screen!

Actually, my son Justin offered to replace the screen.

All I needed to do was order one and take it to him at Christmas time.

WELL,

I LOVE to do stuff like this,

so when the ordered screen appeared on my doorstep,

it wasn't even hours later that I given in to the desire to

 DO IT MYSELF.

(Lincoln did help me quite a bit in the process)

After watching a youtube video several times,

we cracked open, the even more cracked screen.

Cleaned up the glass and began our surgery.

Little itty, bitty screws needed to be removed.

Little ribbon connections needed to be carefully protected.

Those are Lincoln's hands, by the way.

After a long process of connecting/reconnecting,

Figuring out which screws went where,

(still couldn't get one of them to fit right)

We got the new screen on . . . . . . 

Only to FAIL!

It powered on, 

but has a stripe,

and no Apple icons at all.

(don't you LOVE the color of the new screen?!!!!)

I took it apart several more times,

watched the video several more times,

Googled to see if others had the same problem,

tried to reset it,

tried to reload the apple software,

took it apart some more,

AND took it to Justin to see if he could rescue me.

All to no avail.

I left the screen with Justin,

and he'll try to get it to work on his cracked ipod :)

In an odd way, I still enjoyed the process.

It is fun to have a puzzle to solve occasionally

Even though I didn't solve it

and have no ipod to boot . . . . .  

LOL!

Mormon Helping Hands

Yesterday we participated in a tri-state/interfaith day of service to fill the shelves of many of the food pantries around the area.  We were given empty boxes to fill and bring to this day of service.  Lincoln took charge of our family's donations and took boxes to work and around to our neighborhood to be filled.  He was able to fill 12 boxes . . . . . I thought that was a good donation.

In this picture are some of the boxes of food waiting to be sorted.

This was the table I worked at . . . . The peanut butter and jelly table.  We checked the expiration dates and then boxed them up.

Here is a view of some of the other tables, with cute little Riley helping us out at our table.  LeeAnn and I needed her young eyes to see some of those expiration dates!

LeeAnn DID have her reading glasses though.  She was so sweet to offer them to me, but decided it was best if she kept her own glasses!  Hey! You could almost have a lesson about the wise woman who brought her glasses to the party and the unwise woman who left her reading glasses at home . . . . LOL!

Here is a picture of most of the boxes that were donated . . . . the boxes go all the way to the edge of the cultural hall.  One of my piano students (the blond haired boy) is in this picture, along with one of our bishopric members in the foreground.

The human chain that loaded the donation truck.  Even the little ones got involved!  (another piano student is in this picture, the blond girl in the pink . . . . sister of the blond boy!)  I was working in the kitchen and so I got to wander and take pictures of the "working" people!!

A closer look . . . . . too cute!

Me and my table partner . . . . ours was the slow table. . . . not much peanut butter and jelly when compared to the other donations!

Didn't get any picture of my hubby or my son, who mostly worked outside.  When I tried to get a picture of McKay he offered to take my picture, a sneaky way to get out of a picture.

It was a fun . . . fulfilling day!

PS . . . Thanks Kiersten for this picture of Lincoln!

Sunday doings

Yesterday we had a very interesting day at church.  Instead of our normal Sunday block, the public affairs department of the church had a different plan for us.

We had sacrament meeting as normal, then a 10 minute break, and then a "mock" sacrament meeting to follow.  I guess with Mitt Romney running for president, and the interest about Mormonism there is out there in the world right now, the church has decided to have "stock" photos and video on hand to give out to news agencies when they ask for it.  (WOW, I'm not sure what a run-on sentence looks like, but that last sentence is probably one of them!)

Our ward is pretty diverse and so we got the pleasure of being filmed yesterday.  I'm not sure if this (diversity) is the reason our ward was picked, I'm just assuming.  It could be that the stake public affairs director lives in our ward?!?  :)

Our "mock" meeting was pretty interesting.  We started out, not with prayer, but with the ward choir doing a encore performance of what we had sang in our "real" sacrament meeting.  Then we sang an "opening" hymn which was one of their choice "I Believe in Christ."  A good selection!  We sang four verses and then the 1st verse again.   Our speakers then each got to give the first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds of their talks. 

I felt so sorry for our youth speaker . . . . only 3 takes and he got it down.  MAN, I'm glad I didn't have to speak yesterday in church!  I did, however get to play the piano for choir and the organ for the opening hymn . . . . so if you see any videos about Mormonism in the news, look for me!  Look for Lincoln, myself and McKay in congregations also . . . .

We switched out organists for the sacrament hymn.  I think the young 16-year-old girl I've been training to play the organ REALLY wanted to play!  There was a lot of emphasis on the actual sacrament ordinance, which I'm a little conflicted about . . . but, it is what it is I guess.  Powers that be know what they want and why.

When all was said and done, we had 7 minutes left for our final block of the day.  We got filmed in our last 7 minutes in Relief Society . . . . . . and then they went and did a "mock" early morning seminary class, which McKay conveniently forgot to tell us about so he could go home.  I guess the kids changed into "school" clothes for that shoot.  We were home eating dinner by that time I'm sure!

A change in the norm is always interesting and exciting . . . . doubt this will ever happen again (at least to us)!

Need a laugh?

If you ever doubted that Mormons have their own language listen to this . . . .

I got this from my neices blog .. . . . even though it is geared to a younger crowd I understand Every Word!  Why?  Because I'm a mormon!

Be careful what you blog about . . . .

A little while ago,

I mentioned on my blog that I had offered

in the past to help my mother complete the Sunbonnet Sue quilts

she is making for her granddaughters.

She didn't take me seriously at that time!

I guess she was ready for the help,

because the next time I saw her she gave me

an embroidery square . . .

then another,

then another,

another,

Yes, and another,

another,

And finally the last one.

 You know?

I didn't realize I had done this many

until I just posted all these pictures.

If she had handed them all to me at once 

I would have looked at her bUg EyEd!!

"By an inch it's a cinch, by the yard it's hard!"

as the saying goes.

I really enjoyed doing these.
I hadn't embroidered for YEARS!

Mom loved the help, (competition)

and was able to complete this quilt

a year earlier than planned!

Let's play a game . . . . .

I've been blog stalking tonight and came across this funny game . . . . . Let's play!!! And I mean EVERYONE!!! What you do is leave a comment on my blog, and your post has to be a definition for the "Word Verification" word that you have to type before you leave the comment . . . . . . . for example:

"depantri" - Mama, where's the crackas . . . In Depantri!

"dartic" I bet Cook saw lots of penguins when he was s'plorin dartic.

"spauer" Last night when we went bowling, I got a spauer.

"blyse" The lies we tell when we blog, because we realize the truth isn't as funny as the stuff is in our head.

Get It?

Ready . . . . Set. . . . Go!

History in the making . . . . . .

For the first time in my life (in my remembrance) I actually sat down and watched the Super Bowl! Our tradition for the Super Bowl in the past few years has been to go to my sister's house and the guys watch the game while the girls do anything BUT watch the game. It is always a fun time when I get to spend time with my mom and sister and nieces. WELL, this year we were snowed in and had to change our plans (though plans were never made this year for some reason!) To show you how much I "love" the Super Bowl, when Isabelle, (our neighbor) asked me who I wanted to win . . . . . I had to ask, Who's playing?!!!! ROFL!

As a result of being snowed in (I'm sure) we actually got invited to our next-door-neighbor's house with their 50-some-odd-inch-high-definition TV, to watch the game. I've been in their house, but that had been when the people before them lived there! I didn't even recognize the place! They have transformed it into a thing of beauty! and miracle of miracles, I could almost have a semi-intellegent conversation with someone about what happened in the game, WELL MAYBE . . . . . I don't think we will get invited back, because I kept carrying on conversations during the game and the ohhhhh so funny commercials :)

On another note - - Andrews AFB is closed today! CLOSED! There is so much snow that they haven't been able to clear the parking lots . . . . no parking lots . . . . no cars . . . . no work . . . . . . Lincoln has no excuse but to stay home and cut up the tree that fell down during the storm! (poor guy!) (If we were still in SL, Lincoln would probably be in on the snow removing!!)

Freeze-Out!

Last night we had a small-itty-bitty ice storm. Why is this notable? My poor youngest son is on a scout camp appropriately called "The Freeze-out!" I'm at home, snug and warm and he is in the mountains freezing his tush! Poor kid! It'll toughen him up, do you think?

On another note, Lincoln and I went to a movie last night. Blind Side. I think it is the best movie I've seen in a long time. I cried from the beginning to the end, very touching . . . and makes you reevaluate what being a "Christian" is all about. SEE IT, if you feel so inclined, I don't think you'll regret it.

Crafting it forward

My sister-in-law Lora posted this craftiness link on her blog. I read it very carefully before responding to it. I didn't see anything that said "I" would have to do a craft, just that she would do something for me. Knowing how crafty Lora is and how wonderful her projects turn out, I jumped at the chance for her to make something for me.

I came home from vacation to find a package from her! And this was what was inside. My pictures aren't that great. It is a recipe book and it is sooooo darling! My picture taking does not do it justice. Here are a few pictures of it. (click on the pictures to see more detail!) There are already recipes in the book and blank pages that I can add my own. It is so wonderful, I hardly dare use it, but I've been wanting to create something like this for a while.

THANKS LORA!!!!

Power tools

Working on our little townhouse has given me a LOT of opportunities to get out of my comfort zone. When our house, our actual house needs any kind of paint or repair it automatically goes onto the "honey do" list. I hardly ever participated in "honey do" type items. The paint would "cause me to cough," so I couldn't paint, or "I don't know how to do that" would come out of my mouth to save myself from the work. Well . . . I think paint fumes must have reduced in years past because they don't seem to bother me much anymore. I've painted more in the last two weeks than I've ever painted in my entire lifetime. Everything needs paint, and it is a cure for everything.

Power tools . . . . Lincoln bought me a "little mouse" sander several years ago because I just had to have one, heaven only knows why. My little mouse bit the dust last night while I was using it and I am in mourning. I have to go get a new one, it sure is a handy dandy little tool. It has been used to sand down mud used to fill holes in the walls (which I'd never done before either) to sand the mold off of the deck, to sand the dog chews out of the molding in various places in the townhouse, and to sand the kitchen cabinets which I am painting, it has been a jewel and has saved lots of time.

Another power tool I got introduced to last night was the drill. Yes, I don't remember having used a drill before. I still haven't gotten the knack of getting those darn drill bits in and out of the drill, Lincoln very patiently tried to teach me, but I'm sorry, the way those drill bits go in and out of that machine has to have been designed by a man! Nonetheless, I NEEDED to start drilling holes for the new knobs I bought for the kitchen cabinets and Lincoln was busy doing other stuff and so after he put the designated bit in I took off on my own! After breaking a bit, and a few more lessons from Lincoln they look so great! and I drilled the holes myself! I know you are thinking I've lost my mind and gone crazy, but doing stuff like this and then standing back and seeing the results is kind of neat!

In our humble way

My boys and I have been working on our little townhouse we acquired for just about two weeks now. When we first started working we carefully selected the clothes we would wear that we didn't care about ruining. We don't really have very many of these types of clothes so we have been wearing the same ones over and over again. I know this sounds gross, but you just can't ruin your whole wardrobe with paint. We have looked increasingly worse as the days go by. Yesterday while working my capris blew out a knee and I'm going to have to choose another pair to sacrifice to the project . . . . . . .

One of the serendipities of doing this job for my children is that we have eaten out for lunch every day. They take turns picking where we are going to eat. It has been hard for me to walk into fast food joints looking like we look. You have to swallow your pride and just do it. I notice we aren't the only hard working people in the places, I'm just not used to being one of the hard working ones!

On the Sabbath . . .

Today I am thankful it is the Sabbath, a day of rest. In the past, and being a stay-at-home mom for 22 years, Sunday, often times, was my busiest day of the week. Sad, but true. This week, however, after doing a week of demolating, painting, muding, sanding, cleaning, sweeping, shopping, planning, deciding, supervising, I am thankful there is a day in seven set aside to rest. I don't have to decide, "shall I work today?" I know I'm not, and it is a good feeling. Thank you Heavenly Father for knowing what your children need.

Money talks

I was speaking with the man who is going to lay carpet at our townhouse and he was impressed that we had a "family project" going to fix the place up. He said it just "wouldn't fly" at his house. I told him money talks at our house. . . . Chancy and McKay and now my nephew Baxter have a sign in sheet sitting on the kitchen counter at the townhouse. They sign in when we get there and sign out when they quit working. Every time they start to get tired (I am giving them breaks lest you think I'm overworking them) I say "just go sign out." This, so far, works like magic. They have running totals on paper and in their minds of their wages adding up and what they are going to spend it on. It is kind-of cute.

Working together has been fun. We've had some gut busting laughter going on when we bump into each other and get paint blobs on each other. It's a lot of work, and also a great bonding time. Yesterday I was talking to someone about what we were doing and he asked if it were a house we were working on. McKay chimed in and said he was mighty glad it wasn't a house, the townhouse was plenty big enough! I agree. I'm glad we started small!

Digging in . . .

Today I awoke at 6:30. The boys and I had agreed to wake up at 7:30 so we could leave at 8:00 and get over to the townhouse and work, work, work. In my mind I was thinking, to shower or not to shower? Lately, when I've known I will be outside sweating it up I've decided to just forgo the shower. I am not proud to admit, but last week I went almost 3 whole days without one. I didn't start out saying "I'm going three days without showering" but it just ended up that way. Now I know why my grandpa only took one bath a week. If Sunday and church didn't occur he probably wouldn't have showered then. WHAT WAS THE USE? You just get dirty again . . . . I have to say, I've never smelled anything quite like grandpa smelled on a Saturday afternoon. Whew! We wouldn't get anywhere near him and I feel sorry for those who were around me last week!! Today I knew the townhouse had no water, no electricity and we were going to be broiling, so the shower went out the window. When I took the boys for lunch I couldn't help looking around and noticing how fresh everyone looked! WoW! they have lives of leisure! I'll have you know, I did come home and take a shower. My piano students will thank me, even though they don't know why they should be thanking me!

Flip that House

I have just embarked on one of the most stupidest or one of the smartest things I have ever done. I've been working on this for months and after several failed attempts (or learning experiences) it is finally coming to fruition. On Saturday we closed on a little foreclosure townhouse that I bought on the courthouse steps. Closing brought a few surprises. Being an investor vs. being buying a home to live in is very eye opening. They really sock-it-to investors, believe you me. Anyhow, now the race is on. We are going to try to get this house turned around and ready for market and if the market doesn't work for us we will rent it. WISH US LUCK! This is going to be a great way to keep my boys busy this final month of summer. I'll have to take some "before" and "after" pictures and post them later.

Mmmmm Mmmmmm Good

I made this Vidalia Onion Pie last night for dinner. Oh Boy, is it good. The secret to getting this pie to be eaten by your family is to never let the word "onion" pass your lips while making it or while serving it. You also have to make sure that no one comes into the kitchen while you are baking it, because 3 large onions go into this baby. "What is it?" they asked. "Quiche." I said. There were only 4 of us at the dinner table and it is 3/4 of the way gone. Here is the recipe:

Vidalia Onion Pie

3 cups thinly sliced Vidalia onions

3 T butter, melted

One 9 inch prebaked deep-dish pie shell (I put mine in a regular pie dish)

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

3 T all-purpose flour

4 slices bacon, cripsly cooked and crumbled (I cheat, I use precooked bacon, didn't even warm it up)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Saute' onion in butter until lightly browned (fruit of the gods!! what an aroma!!!). Spoon into pie shell. Combine milk, sour cream, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well and pour over onion mixture. Garnish with bacon. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm in center. Pie has taste and texture of a quiche.

I had to cook this much longer after an extra 15 minutes it still wasn't set up, so I turned it up to 350 and baked another 10 minutes. This recipe comes from "The Lady & Sons" Cookbook by Paula Deen. She is on the Food Network another of my favorite channels, if I ever turn on the TV.

Anniversery

I looked back to my first blog entry . . . . July 9, 2006. I've been blogging for a full two years! I can't believe how time has flown. What a nice journal to have. . . . I used to journal a lot, but my journaling was down to about 1 entry a year, pretty sad. Blurb.com (and probably others) offers the making of a blog into a book. It is easier said than done, when you download your blog into their book format, all the pictures aren't a high enough pixel to print. . . . but I do have the high pixel pictures . . . . and the blog entries . . . . I think I'll give it a try!

Sunday Mornings

I like quiet Sunday mornings. Every morning is quiet for me, but Sunday is different. Sunday is the day I don't have to go ripping through the house trying to get all my chores done. Except for the dishes, and except for home teachers coming, we just chill and let the house fall apart. It is a time for putting finishing touches on my Sunday School lesson (church starts at 11:30) reflecting on the past week, and putting plans in place for the next week, reading blogs . . . .

This week has been an awesome one for me. Halley coming home has been a complete joy. I am going to cry like a baby when she leaves, but I won't think about that now . . . . . We haven't really had any plans, we have just enjoyed visiting and being with her.

How to cut a watermelon

Today I needed to cut up a watermelon. I remembered back to my early days when I was first in the Relief Society of our church and thought. . . I'm going to try to cut it how I learned to do it in that little mini class of "how to cut a watermelon." I was able to cut up the watermelon in about 5 to 10 minutes. The old-fashioned "balling" of the watermelon is what I usually do and it takes forever and wastes a lot more of the watermelon. I searched the Internet and it didn't take long to come up with pictures of the same technic I used. I did it a little differently than the last picture, I cut the watermelon into smaller pieces to cube it up, but this is pretty much the method. Give it a try!!! OH! Watermelon is also one of my favorite things!