Around the World with Food

A couple of weeks ago, Brad and I had the opportunity to finally try Dominican food!  We were so excited to see what Taylor has been eating for the last year and a half.  We tried oxtail, pork and moro (mixed rice and beans) and we also had tostones and maduros (fried green and fried ripe plantains).  I was really nervous to try the oxtail, but it just tasted kind of like pot roast.  We both liked the tostones but didn't like the maduros much.  Taylor said that he has never even seen oxtail??? and was surprised that we didn't like the maduros cuz he likes it a lot.  He said that the tostones are served almost like french fries with every meal.  It was so fun to try some new stuff!

 Oxtail and Moro

Tostones and Maduros

While I am posting about food, I might as well include our experience with crickets!  Brad and I teach the 16 year old Sunday School class and we are teaching the New Testament this year.  We had a lesson that talked a lot about John the Baptist and so Brad got the clever idea to order some flavored crickets for those brave enough to try!  Unfortunately, we both got the flu (the worst I have ever had in my life) and had to get a substitute, so we weren't able to watch the kids do it.  Well, we had some extra boxes left over and Ryan had been begging for a month to try them.  In the meantime, I had sent a box over in Taylor's Valentine box for he and his companion to try.  Anyway, I finally let Ryan try them.  I think they were sour cream and onion?!  He wasn't scared at all and ate two of them.  They browbeat me into trying one and I thought I was gonna die.  I'm not the kind of girl who will necessarily try anything.  Needless to say, I was having cow and I look like such a dork in the picture!  At least I can say I did it now!

"Dan the Man" aka "Boonster" Turns 14!

Our Danny turned 14 today!  Wow, I know I say this all the time - but "where has the time gone!"  I don't have many digital pictures of Danny.  I need to go back through all the old pictures and scan them.  But, I was lucky to find some old ones that Brad took before I even had a digital camera.  I remember thinking that he was crazy to do it that way.  I liked my film camera. :)  Anyway, here are some cute memories of Danny.

 Danny was a slow walker.  The doctors were really worried about him and were testing for muscular dystrophy because he was so slow.  Thankfully, everything was just fine.  This pic was taken in Tom Sawyer's cave and my favorite memory then was that this was the first time he walked so long.  He hadn't been walking very long, but walked through the whole cave by himself and we were so proud!

 Danny has always been a great camper - I guess all our boys have.  But I LOVE this pic. So cute!  He was my little buddy back then.

 I'm not sure how old he is here, but he has such a cute grin!

 Ditto!  See the puppy calendar in the background?  When he was about this age, he used to crawl all around on the floor and pretend he was a puppy...constantly!

 Look at the tall handsome young man that he has grown into!  He was so surprised to get this BYU "Jimmer" jersey for his birthday.  We have all really enjoyed watching BYU do so well in the NCAA tournaments and we have all gone a little Jimmer crazy.

Happy Birthday Danny!  You are growing into such a kind and wonderful young man.  Dad and I appreciate so much how seriously you take your church callings and are proud of your growing knowledge of the Gospel.  I love to see you at night reading your scriptures right before bed.  Keep up the good work and you will go far in life.  We love you more than anything :D

Japan

In the last couple of weeks, there was an 8.9 earthquake just off the coast of Northern Japan and then a massive tsunami.  It has been absolutely heartbreaking watching footage and seeing pictures of the destruction that has taken place.  They are still unsure of the number of the dead. And to top it all off, there is a nuclear disaster/emergency taking place.  The tsunami flooded the power supply that keeps the fuel rods cool and many heros have spent the last 2 weeks trying to get it under control. It is freezing, there is a food shortage and the people there are suffering terribly.  What really tugs at my heartstrings is how the people are handling it.  They are patient and courteous and there is no looting going on like there would be almost any other place in the world. The news people are saying that the Japanese people are the most prepared on earth. I hope and pray that their suffering will be relieved soon and that the nuclear crisis will be resolved soon. I truly can't imagine what they must be going through.

Beauty & Culture

We had two concerts back to back last week.  This was the gorgeous view on the way into the high school where Danny's Jr. High orchestra was performing.  It took my breath away.  Watching my sons musical performances was pretty awesome too.  It makes me so happy that they love music and that they are trying to be well-rounded.  They do it because they want to.  :)

Danny in the 8th grade orchestra for Greenfield Junior High

Alex on the right in the back.  He is in the Concert Choir for Highland High School.

Kirk Jones

Mike Plowman, Brad, Steve Mousser, KIRK JONES, Mike Ward, John Davis

We had a dear friend pass away a couple of weeks ago.  He was only 53 years old.  His name was Kirk Jones and he had ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).  I have thought about Kirk and Karen a lot this last couple of weeks.  It is impossible to summarize his life in just a paragraph or two, but I just wanted to share how much he touched our lives.  And by "our" lives - I don't just mean my family's, but our whole "ward family".  Kirk and Karen moved into the ward 2 1/2 years ago.  They knew something was wrong and suspected ALS, but got the formal diagnosis soon after they moved in.  The thing that struck me so much about him was his friendliness and how happy he seemed.  Over the last couple of years, we watched his body wither away, but we were also privileged to watch his spirit grow brighter and stronger.  

He served as Executive Secretary to Brad while he was Bishop and was just released on October 31, 2010 with the rest of the bishopric.  He was so good at names.  I think he knew everyone and had the gift to make us all feel special and like he was our best friend.  Our ward had the opportunity to serve him and his family over the years, but I feel like what we received from Kirk was definitely more than we gave.  I know that he blessed my family's life greatly and we are so thankful that we got to know him.  We will miss him dearly.

Luckiest Boy in the World!

Danny went bowling for a friend's birthday.  Each boy was given a $5 card to use on some of the other games that were there.  Danny used that and $2 of his own and came home with a 16 gig Ipod Nano!  What?  That just doesn't happen!  He played one of those stupid chance games that I hate so bad, but it also had to do a lot with timing . . . which Danny obviously had :)  I am really happy (and jealous) :) for him that he won it - but now my boys are gonna think those games are even cooler.  It's a little too much like gambling for my taste so we usually try and stay away from them.  It's really ironic because ever since we have had kids, their dad has really discouraged them from playing those games - always telling them "you never win!"

Pinewood Derby 2011

 This week has really been a full one.  Brad and Ryan spent President's Day making Ryan's Pinewood Derby car.  Ryan really did a lot of the work and he loved it!  He LOVES spending time with his dad and he loves cub scouts.  He finished up his Wolf last month and is now a Bear.

 Here he is with the finished product - The Hotdog Mobile!  Aren't they cute?!

 Ready for the big race . . . can you see the excitement?

 Getting ready to push the button . . . 5-4-3-2-1!!!!!

 Ryan and Quinn

I Feel Like Super Mom!

 

This is the awesome quilt that I made for Emily's birthday!  It is made up of t-shirts that she has saved for YEARS - I'm talkin' some from 4-6th grade.  There are shirts from "Battle of the Books", "Jump-Rope-for-Heart", church girls camps, band, choir, you name it, it's there!  I am so glad that she saved all of those shirts.  What a great way to keep some memories :)

I am really proud of myself for making it!  I have tied quilts here and there, but never started completely from scratch.  It was a lot of fun and I am so glad that she loves it!

First Date

Tonight is the 25th anniversary of my first date with my hubby.  25 years . . . a quarter of a century - that is a long time!  But what's funny about it is that it seems like I have been with him for longer - forever in fact.  And I definitely mean that in a good way :).  It is sometimes difficult to really remember what life was like before Brad.  I remember things, but it seems like it was another lifetime.  This one, the one with him is the one I always dreamed about as a little girl.  I can't believe I get to live my life with him.  The best part is that if we live right, we will get to be together forever.

For posterity's sake I will recall the details of that night!  We went to BYU's production of "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat".  It ended way sooner than we expected so we went to Brad's apartment and hung out.  We watched an episode of Taxi and chatted with roommates.  That's it - but we were together pretty much every day after that!

Brad, thank you for finding me and loving me.  Thanks for being my best friend and the one who I always would rather be with.  Thanks for putting up with all my flaws :)

First Born

THAT is the number of years ago that my first-born and only daughter Emily was born!  Emily was born on February 19, 1988.  I want to dedicate this post to the wonderful sister that she is to her FOUR little brothers.  Every time we had a baby, she would be sooooo excited and always hoping for a little sister.  I have to admit that she cried a couple of times when she found out each time that we were having a boy.  But...I do have to say that there was never a better sister ever.  When she was little, she made do with Taylor and conned him into playing dress-up with her and even barbies!  Taylor was given Ken and the "beast" from Beauty and the Beast so he would play with her!

She has always been so good to play games with them and hang out with them.  Especially since she has been gone for 5 years now.  She makes the most out of every minute she is home and the boys love it.  A week or two ago, she wrote the sweetest blog post about being a sister.  You can find it here.

 San Diego

 Washington D.C.

 Taylor and Emily Band Buddies

 Ryan HAD to be in the Senior Prom picture

Danny leaving Emily at her dorm at BYU - 4 1/2 years ago!

 Em had just gotten back from Mozambique

 Leaving Taylor at the MTC

Alex & Emily at Christmas

Nothing better than siblings :)

We love you so much Emily!  We are so glad that you are our daughter and sister.  You set such a wonderful example for us.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Birthdays & Disney Magic

I always knew that I have the best husband in the world - but gee whiz - he still catches me off guard.  January and into February was one of our worst on record.  I was sick for a whole month.  I had bronchitis and a sinus infection and then Ryan got sick.  He had a high fever and got sicker and sicker.  Four days in, I finally took him to the doctor and he said he had a really bad flu and that we would probably all get it.  This is where I proclaim what a bad mom I am, because I know I am supposed to get flu shots for myself and my children because we have lung issues in our family.  What can I say?  I just never found the time?  I don't know what the reason is, but I didn't do it . . . and can I just say that I will NEVER make that mistake again.  

That very night, Danny and I came down with the flu - on top of my bronchitis I already had.  I was the sickest I can remember being for a long time.  I literally did not move from my bed except to use the bathroom for 4 days.  It was horrible.  Then, poor Brad got sick on Friday night.  So, we all managed to get the flu except for Alex . . . go figure because he always gets sick.

The problem was, I just couldn't seem to kick everything even with antibiotics.  My birthday was coming up on February 5th and Brad started acting weirder and weirder.  Since he is notorious for fabulous birthday surprises, I asked him if he had plans.  He finally broke down and told me that he had been planning a surprise Disney trip since Thanksgiving.  Emily was even gonna fly down and drive over with us and then fly back to SLC from California.  Brad was struggling wondering if he should cancel everything.  With more confidence than I actually felt, I told him that things would be fine and we should just go.  I was surprised and excited, but boy was I worried.

Things turned out a lot better than I had hoped.  I stocked up on my cough meds and my breathing machine and off we went.  I'm embarrassed to admit it, but Brad rented a wheelchair to push me around the park.  I was just too weak and sick to do all the walking that Disneyland required.  Anyway, it was a WONDERFUL surprise and a much needed break in the sunshine for me and my family.  I love my awesome husband more than anything.  He is the best!!!!

 Waiting in line for the Matterhorn

 The longest line the whole time was for Toy Story Arcade.  Ryan got tired of standing :)

 Space Mountain

I LOVE the miniature villages in Storybook land!!

Alex and Danny look thrilled don't they?!

Ryan was so excited to be able to ride everything and to "drive" the Indiana Jones car

I love these kiddos and it sure makes me miss Elder McBride :)