Makes me smile

Loads of smiles this weekend because:

1.  General Conference

Loved the wonderful, inspirational and uplifting messages

Loved President Monson's funny little shrugs and eyerolls

Loved the temple announcements

Love, love, love

2.  Had my whole family at the breakfast table on Sunday

for our BIG BREAKFAST FEAST

blueberry muffins

homemade hashbrowns from real potatoes

eggs & toast

fresh peach smoothie

cantaloupe (yes, we risked it and it was delicious!!)

3. Maddie got some pictures taken for her senior year.

We invited her BFF Kendal, to come along too.

We love her.

I love watching these two.

My friend Karman (see her photography blog here) was in charge of this photo session 

and was kind enough to let me tag along and snap some pics too.

She's awesome. I love her.

 This one is one of my favorites, even though her skirt is a little hiked up.. little hussy...

 He loves me.. he loves me not.. HE LOVES ME!

 Love these two.. makes me smile

4.  Bike bowling also makes me smile..

5.  I learned how to fishbone braid.

Love it.

 6.  Hats for bad hair days (or conference weekends)

7.  Hiking in the beautiful canyons.  Love the fresh mountain air & amazing colors!

GOOD BITES

 'Tis the season for my fabulous

canning skills to make an appearance.

I canned dozens of quarts of beautiful Lemon Alberta peaches, 

which involves boiling, peeling, pitting, slicing, measuring, 

praying, yelling, swearing, etc..

Love me some good canned peaches.

But the best is the fresh peach pies that I make.

Seriously, do not even think that you have a better dessert,

because I don't think it is possible.

It doesn't look like much, but it is HEAVEN!!

Recipe as follows:

Fresh Peach Pie

1 9 inch graham cracker pie crust

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup water

3 T cornstarch

1 T butter

2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and mashed

1/4 teas ground nutmeg

1 teas vanilla

4 cups fresh peaches-pitted, skinned (optional) and sliced

Combine sugar, water, cornstarch, butter, mashed peaches, and nutmeg in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until clear and thick.  Stir in vanilla.  

Fill pie shell with sliced fresh peaches, alternating with the glaze.  Refrigerate.

RULES:

1.Don't you dare use a normal pie crust. You must use a graham cracker crust.

2.Don't you dare top it with anything other than real whipped cream.  Cool Whip?? Don't make me slap you.

3.This recipe is supposed to be enough for 1 pie, but I think it is enough for 2 pies.     

4.Don't make less than 2 pies because I promise you will want to eat 1 entire pie yourself.

Feel free to be jealous of my Martha Stewartness.

Or my Rachel Rayness.

Come to think of it, 

I am actually a canner that has no equal.

Veggies for my dinner of chicken lettuce wraps... YUM-O! 

 Sadie must be a tasty little treat for some sort of

nasty insect.  She has 17 of these horribly itchy bites all over

her.  They almost look like chicken pox, but they are bites of

some sort.  Don't really look like mosquito bites, and they don't act like them either.

They kind of crust over and get really big and they are deep.

I am not sure what bit her, but it got her good.

Sunday in Big Cottonwood Canyon

 "Look Mom! I found a cool fing (thing)!"

It was a lighter.

That worked.

Super.

The next item he found and brought to me was

a cigarette or "ciggy fingey" as he called it.

The third item was broken glass.

Not kidding.

He feels left out because he has not been able to visit the ER as a patient.

Soon, Luke, I am sure it will be very soon.

Hot dogs, s'mores and pasta salad!!

The best is coming home smelling like a campfire.

LOVE IT!!

Of course I was yelling.."Luke, don't you dare jump!!"

He did anyway and then did his little victory dance.

Little stinker.

HOMECOMING 2011

Seriously-- she is so annoying when I am trying to take pictures.

 This is what the family was doing while we were 

waiting for Maddie to be picked up.

Told ya.. we all love us some football!!

Yes, I know he is black.

He is also very sweet and respectful.

He is given me no reason to dislike him.

Deal with it.

BFF's in their black and white and gold.

Cute little seniors.

Sophie looks thinner don't you think?

I know, I know.  She is really putting on the pounds. 

We are thinking maybe gastric bypass for her for Christmas.

Maybe a little face lift too.

Possibly even some breast implants to help balance out 

that junk in the trunk she's got goin' on.  

Whatever!   It takes all shapes, sizes and colors to make this world go round!!

I still love football

It was all going so well.

Tanner, co-captain this week, was ready to go.

Mom, Dad and best cousin Cole were here, ready to support Tanner in his big game.

I had reservations.  Todd had reservations.  My mom had reservations.

Because, you see.. all was not well.

Tough-guy Tanner was playing hurt.  We should not have let him play this week.

But, we did.

And Tanner got more hurt.

4th play of the game, no less.  We basically had just got sat down and we were off to the hospital.

Stupid ER visit ($2000), with accompanying MRI ($2200) and CT scan ($800).  Oh yes, don't forget the abdominal ultrasound ($400) and chest X-ray ($523).  You do realize I am just guessing on those prices and that it is probably going to be triple those amounts.  And the most offensive thing of all!!!??  I had to eat in the cafeteria and it cost me $9.44 for a nasty grilled cheese sandwich and rubber fries.

A.N.N.O.Y.I.N.G!!!

Tanner has a cord contusion, but the good news is no neck fracture or disc herniation.  We were quite worried because he had significant weakness on his right side as well as nerve pain down his arm into his hand.  He also had some neck pain.  BUT!! He is just fine.  No football for 2 weeks and then we will see how it goes.  He has to wear his fabulous "necklace" for as long as he has neck pain.  Isn't it cute?  I like how it pushes his cheeks up and makes his face look all swollen.  Such a sad thing for my boy.

We still love football in this house, but we love Tanner WAY more.

So... we will have to do some crocheting and mincing for the girlie-girl salads we will be eating for the next 2 weeks.

Judgers... beware.  When Tanner gets well I will have him squash you.

This is the play that started our

day of ER fun..

Curse you, stupid 79.

Tanner told Todd after his fun visit that he felt "violated".

I wasn't there in the trauma bay when he got there, but I guess

they cut off ALL of your clothes,

--horrifying for any teenager-- 

Todd explained to Tanner that he actually got the very nice version of the trauma room.

Usually, not only do they strip you down and not cover your nakedness, but 

ALL trauma patients are gifted the gloved finger in the rectum exam.

(check for blood)

So, Tanner took back the word violated when he heard what horrors he narrowly escaped.

They actually almost cut his jersey off but Todd stopped them.

They had to be stopped.

Shut up, it was his jersey...

You don't cut the jersey.

The only thing that comforted him..

not me, or his father.

It was his helmet with all of it's "lacerations and bruises"

 

I am sure you are also judging me for taking pictures of my son while going through his ordeal in the ER.  Do you not realize that we go to the ER so often that it is really the equivalent of a day at the park?


This was merely a day at the park in what has become my life.