freshly

Taste-testing original Hydrox cookies. I fell in love first with the beautiful packaging and typeface. But how do they compare to my eternal companion, Mr. Oreo? Considering Hydrox are "the original Kosher cookie" (meaning no lard in that oh-so-creamy filling) I think they hold up gosh darn well.Scrapbooking Wedding Sign-in Book for my shiny new sister. The glorious mess I made is still with us. I can't seem to finish projects in an orderly fashion.Congratulating newlyweds! Wishing Dan-the-Man and Alli the happiest of honeymoons. Click here for pics from the very talented J.O.P. who pinch-hit as wedding photog extraordinaire at the last minute. Muchas muchas gracias Jess!

Busting a move to Lauren's Front Row Summer Mix Shizzle
Thanks again LT!Busting a gut (still) at Palin/Hilary SNL Opener. Tina: you are SPOT ON girl.

Reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch


Eating "Good for You" muesli for breakfast, or anytime. How can you start your day out wrong with whatsherface on the packaging?Looking forward to "Lake Pal" with great pals.Avoiding asbestos abatement in my hallway. Ugh. Blech. Asbestos = no bueno. Hope you all have a rock your socks off worthy weekend. I'm off to test my not-so-skills at wake surfing again. See you next week! Cheers.

Christmas Wish List

Ba-humbug. Only available in Germany, of course. I would love to cruise around the country with my beau towing one of these bad boys. Maybe Santa has some connections...

Life sure has changed

Last weekend a couple of lady friends and I are out on the town. Or so we think. The husbands have been left behind for a few hours to fend for themselves. I remember when we used to be out stocking them, tracking them down like feisty, rabid hunters.
Things are different now; let me set the stage for you. We are idling in the drive-thru lane at Taco Bell. The clock on the dash reads 9:38 pm. Someone mentions that it's getting pretty late, we better hurry back to watch our chick-flick before it gets really late and we won't be able to stay awake through the entire movie. We concur with a nod and m-hmm in unison.
In nearby traffic a small 2 door car rigged with cheap flashy rims haphazardly attempts a u-turn, overshoots the corner, and rams the curb going way too fast. Stunned and shocked, we gasp very dramatically. How dare these young hoodlums drive so recklessly. We never did. It's obvious the car has blown a tire and the driver, feeling sheepish no doubt, pulls over to inspect said damage. A bent rim, I speculate. Does insurance cover that? Oh shush, I think to myself, only old people think about insurance at times like this. We crane our necks to get a load of this intense action. It's the most exciting thing that will happen all night. We'll repeat the story later to the one who sacrificed all the action to stay back with a sleeping babe. How ever will we calm down for a movie now?
I'm crammed into the back seat of a new SUV, sandwiched between 2 car seats. It's cool, but I'm child-locked in and I think I'm sitting on some kind of stuffed cartoon. I don't dare to check just in case it's not. Plus, I'm not wearing a seat belt and it feels rebellious, but not the thisisgoshdarnfun rebellious, the guilty kind of rebellious that actually stings a little. I used to never rarely feel that. Like the time we were supposed to go down to St. George for student council camp, but when we got there we didn't feel so much like student counciling, got our own hotel room, went to Vegas and had the time of our lives. Not even one tiny ping of guilt during or after that charade. But in this no seatbelt situation, I'm really living on the edge.
Back in the drive-thru it dawns on me. We routinely used to hit this same Taco Bell at roughly 2:00 am, and order our weight in diet coke, chicken quesadillas, and nachos slathered in greasy synthetic cheese sauce. And boy were those calories good. But this night, I don't order anything because I've already exceeded my daily carb intake, so no thanks I'll just stick with my diet water. I high-five myself silently for making the more responsible choice because it is after all, organic water, and it says so right on the bottle. We used to really go out on the town. Paint it red, the whole bit. Back then at 2:00 am, the night was a puppy, and we were well on our way to real excitement wherever or whatever that used to be. Either I can't remember, or I'm choosing to forget. At the time, it didn't seem to matter. We were the party, and everything else was our entourage.

Life sure has changed.

However the more I think about it, I really wouldn't have it any other way. Past or present.

Love Me Some Mountains

Over the weekend BD and I took a little time to enjoy the fall beauty in the Uinta Mountains. This is the perfect time of year for backpacking, and we couldn't let the summer slip away without getting a little nature on us. Plus, we really lucked out with terrific weather. I love that we are so close to such breathtaking landscape.
We hiked to Twin Lakes and found a perfect campsite on the upper rim - fit for a queen - with views of both lakes.
After we settled into camp, we were off for some exploring. Wielding his camera, BD was in heaven playing around with the landscapes.
We found ourselves perched on a mountain cliff overlooking Wall Lake. BD took a little nap. He was in such a deep relaxation I had to shake him awake. It was incredibly peaceful.
A master fire builder at work. I love a good campfire. We sat around the fire for hours into the night watching the flames die and the coals burn way down. The moon was full and bright, perfectly round. Everything was picture perfect...until I tried to sleep. It's a rule when we're camping that BD has to stay awake until I'm asleep. He tried so hard, bless his heart. But he eventually gave in while I concentrated on every snap, crackle, and pop in the forest, convinced that a herd of moose was walking through our camp. Next time, BD won't forget the Tylenol PM to drug me with. Isn't our tent cozy?

Enjoying the early morning sun over the lake. Not wanting to pack up and pack out.We took a different route on the way out so that we could find some hidden lakes. It was much longer and harder than the hike in. We rewarded ourselves with milkshakes from Dick's in Kamas.Love the mountains for the...
wisper of the trees
calm of the lake
light of the moon
warmth of the fire
twinkle of the stars
still of the night
beauty of the earth

A Beautiful Boy

am so grateful for the beauty and blessing of adoption
am so happy for the proud new family of this beautiful baby boy
am so proud of her

A Shiny New Sister & Cake Pops!

Little BIL Dan has found the one and only person that makes his world complete, she said YES, and that means I'm getting a brand spanking NEW sister. I absolutely love her! Alli is one of the most genuine people I've ever met. True story. To say I'm thrilled to have her in the family is an understatement.For her bridal shower Alli requested Cake Pops; I obliged. I aim to please, especially new sisters. New sisters get whatever they want.

Cake Pop Tutorial

First, check out Bakerella's site as she's constantly posting new ideas for beautiful baking in general. She also gives a great how-to on these adorable little bites of delicious. Here's my spin on the same thing.
1. Bake a cake, let it cool. Admire your work. Then, completely destroy it. I'm talking total obliteration here. I use my kitchen work horse to save oodles of time.2. In a large bowl drop heaping spoonfuls of cream cheese frosting right into the crumbs. I use the can, don't tell the cream cheese fairy gods. Or my grandmother, as she would not approve of frosting in a can. 3. With a large spoon, mix the frosting and crumbs together. You'll need to use your muscles to get the crumbles and frosting nice and happily married. But all marriages take some work, so it's a good lesson for the blushing bride to be. 4. With your very very clean hands, begin rolling the cake mixture into balls, about yea big.5. Keep rolling. Wash your hands every 15 balls or so. Refrigerate to solidify, maybe 1 hour. Or stick them in the freezer to save time. I won't tell on you. 6. Stab the chilled cake balls with a lollipop stick and dip into melted chocolate, candy melts, almond bark, whathaveyou.7. Decorate! This is the fun part. Sprinkles, jimmies, sanding sugar, nonpareils, dragees, crystal sugar, candy; endless possibilities.8. And just when you think they could not possibly get any cuter, add some ribbon. Now go ahead and die of a cuteness overdose.9. Oh, and don't forget to eat them. They are bite size afterall. I dare you to eat just one.Welcome to the family Alli! You and Dan certainly have a bright and beautiful life ahead of you. While I can't promise you that your new family isn't without it's quirks {yours truly}. I can promise you this: we're gonna have so much fun.

Movie Clip Party

To play along with blogging bff Kami's Movie Clip Party...Here are my top five favorite movie clips of all time.
1. The Princess Bride. This is probably my most quoted movie and I never tire of watching it. Over and over. The Princess Bride is the total package: hilarious, adventurous, a love story above all else, and it stars Fred Savage at a really adorable age. I dig the scene at Miracle Max's: "Have fun stormin' the castle..." Love it.

2. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (don't judge me). The Kill Bill's are truly exquisite movies. But for all intensive purposes, Vol. 2 has the most liberating 5 minutes in all of movie making history. Every time I see this clip it changes my life: The motherly instinct that lies deep within me is ignited and I'm instantly thrust into lioness protecting her cubs mode. Without giving away too much, a prerequisite to the scene is that Beatrix Kiddo a.k.a. The Bride (Uma Thurma) was betrayed by her former deadly assign squad, led by her former boss: Bill. They attempted to kill her and stole her kid. Her baby. Her only bambino. And she's vowed to get her back. Go Mama Go...

3. Rushmore. This is by far my very favorite Wes Anderson film and I think it's brilliant. I first saw this movie with my sister and brother-in-law and vividly remember thinking that it was the weirdest yet most charming movie I'd ever seen. It's been on my top 10 ever since.

4. Braveheart. I can't think of any other movie that evokes as much heart for family, home, and country as Braveheart does. And I'm Scottish, through and through, so naturally this is considered to be part of my family history. So kind of Mel to star as my great-great-great-something. I couldn't pick just one scene so I choose the trailer.

5. An Affair to Remember. I had to throw in a classic. Deborah Kerr reminds me of my grandma, especially in this movie, because my grandma was crippled as well from a terrible accident, yada yada, the whole thing makes me sniffly. I love this final scene when they finally realize what happened on that fateful day...

There you have it! My top 5 movies. I hope you play along!

I'll have Today's Special with a side of nostalgia

I woke up from the most curious of dreams over the weekend, one starring Muffy Mouse. Muffy! Yes, you heard me correctly: Muffy. Mouse.
I attended a flagship year-round elementary school (go Orchard Eagles!) where the idea was to attend school year-round, taking longer breaks throughout the year. My mom always worked, thus, I was farmed out to the grandma's most everyday of being "off-track." I loved it. Among other nostalgic memories of that time with my grandma's was the luxury of watching TV. The boob tube. Watching TV was a novelty and special privilege because there WAS NO TV at my house. So if you quote something funny from "Full House" or "Saved by the Bell" I might respond with a deer in the headlights look only because I have no idea what you are talking about. But at grandma's house I was allowed to watch shows like Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Today's Special. Thank you, grandma. This tiny exposure to TV in my kinder years saved my childhood and afforded me the gateway to a well-rounded and happy adulthood. Or not. You decide.
When I woke up with Muffy on my mind, I went straight to the internets and lookey what I found:

Jeff! Jodie! Sam! Muffy! Nostalgia overload. I can picture my ponytailed 6 year old self now: hand-me-down cutoff's and a raspberry stained t-shirt - sprawled out on my grandma's shag carpet, elbows propped up on a giant green pillow - totally and completely sucked in to the giant 20 inch box in front of me. My favorite part was when Jeff and Jodie jump into the stars and turn into rainbows (1:11). Brilllllllliant! The more I searched around, results just got better and better and better. Back then I thought the TXL Series 4 computer was A-MAZE-ZA-ZING. Turns out, I still do.
Which shows bring you back to your youth?

Due West:: Lake Tahoe

North, South, East or West?
It doesn't matter where we go, or what we'll do when we arrive: BD simply loves being on the road. As it turns out, I drew WEST.1 rainstorm, 2 pit stops, and 8 hours later we were in Lake Tahoe enjoying breathtaking views and crisp mountain air. After some exploring, we bunked up for the night at a lake side lodge near Kings Beach and soaked in a hot tub underneath the moonless starlit sky.In the morning we found creamy hot chocolate and a hearty breakfast inside an unassuming cafe. Such a beautiful day couldn't be wasted in the car alone, so we set out to find some hiking trails.As luck would have it, right away we found a trail to Eagle Lake, which was absolutely stunning. We made a mental note on our places to see again list and vowed to come back when we had more dedicated time. I had to use serious restraint not to jump into the water. It was crystal clear blue and calling my name. But alas, the risk of having someone steal our clothes from the shore was far too great. Next time I won't forget my swimming suit.But just so we're clear...I totally would have done it. A kind soul offered to take our picture, for which we were grateful.Views of Emerald Bay from the trail. Starting to realize that the longer we stay...the longer the drive home. Someday our lives will be completely different. Spontaneity will be but a thing of the past. And new adventures with diapers and first steps will fill our days. But I'm forever grateful for the memories we're making along the way.

Harvest Time

What to do with a garden full of veggies and trees full of fruit? Reap the reward of our labors! ...and I use the term "our labors" very loosely here because I didn't participate in any of the actual laboring to grow all the beautiful food we ate and preserved. I left that part to my mom and sisters, who have gardens and trees to labor with. However, I did come to help with the peeling, chopping, squeezing, mashing, stirring, blanching, cooking, canning, laughing, crying (from the onions of course), and taste-testing. We prepared:
Fire roasted zucchini, squash, and mushrooms
Grilled corn on the cob with lime
Fresh bruschetta and garden herbs
Greek salad with lemon cucumbers
Mom's peach pie

We preserved:

Peach jam
Strawberry-peach jam
Salsa
Zucchini relish

Some quality time in the kitchen with family does good things for the soul. Brook, you really outdid yourself this time!

Just for the record, water sports are not my forte

On the Lake

9 Girls
1 Captain
Good times had by all.

Thanks Wildings! For more pics clickity here.

Vote! Now!

My blogging friend Chari made this awesome video for the Boys and Girls Club in Utah County.
Watch it HERE.
Go to www.pressplayatgap.com to register and vote for her video. It takes 2 seconds and you will help them win $10,000! Go ahead, do your GOOD DEED for the day. And then tell a friend.