Almost Famous!

I guess our Christmas card this year is being appreciated (even though I left Bowen's name off the instruction sheet, sorry Bo!) One of my friends from Texas passed it on to a friend whe featured me on her blog. Click here to see it. It is actually a really neat blog. I have been checking it out. She has some really neat ideas and I am happy to have made the cut! Kind of fun to see your hard work enjoyed by others. We have been very busy around these parts, therefore the posts have been sparse, but I will try to do better.

Whirlwind Week!

We've been busy! Last week was crazy and fun. My mom and dad came for a quick visit on Monday and Tuesday. I love it when they come. It adds so much fun to our regular routine. I could hang out with my mom everyday and never tire of her. We have a great time together. We shopped and got our nails done, and she helped me do a ton of Christmas cooking.
My dad had to work so we didn't see him as much, but he did help us finish an impossibly hard puzzle. We also got to eat out with him. My kids love it when he is around. He is such a fun grandpa. It is always such a let down when they leave. It wasn't too sad because we were headed up north the next day. But before we left I had a lot to finish up. I mailed the Christmas card, and had a fun group of girls over to make some wooden Christmas signs,and finally I made two very large boxes of Christmas candy for Carter's offices. Whew! Was I glad to finally get out of town. We went up north to attend Carter's office party. His company got us hotel rooms at The Canyons in Park City. It was beautiful! Lots of fresh snow. Carter and I left our kids with Carter's parents on Friday morning and we spent the day shopping and hanging out together in Park City. Later, we went to dinner and the company party at the Cabin Restaurant. It was delicious and so much fun to spend time alone with Cart. Thanks Pam and Ben for making such a fun getaway possible. It was hard to come home after such a fun weekend. The roads going home were a bit dicey, but it was worth it! I can tell it is officially the Christmas season because my head is filling with to do lists. Now what to do for the neighbors, Any suggestions?

Oh What Fun!

I love Christmas! On the day after Thanksgiving, the first thing I do when I wake up is put on some Christmas music and decorate. Then every morning after that I put on music, light a delicious smelling candle, turn on only the tree lights and sit and enjoy. I love everything that comes with Christmas, even crowds, last minute shopping and baking, baking and more baking. I love all the fun family traditions. We are making an effort this year to start our own. This will be the very first year EVER that I have been away from home on Christmas. I will be OK-right? There will be a Pie and Pajama night, a gingerbread house decorating night, a live nativity night, a couples Christmas party, and even a Christmas eve dinner and program-I think. How about sledding in the mountains, and Christmas stories each night. Sometimes, when Carter is gone, I'll pop the kids in the car and we will go out scouting "temple squarish" lights, stop for hot chocolate, and sing Christmas tunes at the top of our lungs. So far I am ahead of the Christmas rush, but we all know that could change dramatically. We are officially decorated, and the Christmas card is written, not sent, but written, and we have already watched a plethora of cheesy Hallmark Christmas dramas. Next on the to do list: candy making and present wrapping. Did I mention how much I love this holiday? I would love to know what all of your favorite Christmas traditions are, so leave a comment and help us fill our holiday with new traditions.

A Bountiful Weekend

We just returned from a wonderful thanksgiving visit home. It is always so fun to be with friends and family. On Wednesday afternoon we went to our traditional pre-thanksgiving movie with all of my siblings, their kids and grandma and grandpa. It was Coleson's fifth birthday, so we went to the Mayan for dinner afterwards. The kids just loved being together and the three little boys (Cole, Braxton, and Bowen)just couldn't keep their mitts of each other. I love being with my family, especially because Nate and I rarely see each other. He cracks me up!
The next morning Carter, Courtney and I braved the 19 degree weather and ran a little thanksgiving race organized by my friend Amber, and sister-in-law Corie. Too cold for me, but fun to see all my old friends. Later, we enjoyed a delicious thanksgiving dinner with the Bowen side. My Aunt Melissa and Uncle Bruce were the gracious hosts. Their home is beautiful and great for a large crowd. I love catching up with my cousins, they are all hilarious and so entertaining. It is fun to see what they are all up to. The Bowen women are amazing cooks! We just couldn't believe how delicious everything was. That night Ashley and I braved the midnight crowds at Fashion Place Mall. DUMB. We ended up at Wal-Mart, more my style. We didn't get the amazing deals that started at five in the morning, but we did have a blast together and got a lot of shopping done. Later that morning my mom, sisters and I shopped together. Nate was on his anniversary trip with Heather, so we missed them. We stopped at THE most Amazing little Bistro on 3300 South, called Zin's. Trust me, just try it. They brought us a bread basket with at least 5 different types of breads and pastries. Everything was delicious! I loved it.

On Friday night we went to Mutual Dell up American Fork Canyon where we had a belated thanksgiving feast with Carter's family. The kids ran wild and played until they couldn't play any more. We played games all night and had so much fun.
That brings us to Saturday. Because we will not all be together on Christmas, my mom had our annual Christmas party on Saturday afternoon. Santa came, and the kids were in seventh heaven. Kate was petrified, Luke was stunned, Cooper was fascinated, and Jackson is a believer all over again.



There is nothing like a large dose of all the people I love to make me feel grateful and so abundantly blessed.

A New Holiday Favorite

This is one of the best Christmas books I have seen in stores in a long time. Where did I find it you ask? At none other than the local Wal-mart. I was toe tapping in one of the notoriously long lines, when I happened upon this Christmas classic. Granted, it looks a bit cheesy on the outside with the plastic gold ring on the cover and the crystal on the spine, but I'm a sucker for Christmas books and I dug deeper. I am glad I did. It is the classic story, "The Night Before Christmas". My gripe about most Christmas books is the illustrations, they never can depict Santa Claus like I picture him in my head. Not so in this book, the illustrations are eye candy. Each page has extra little tidbits. For instance, page one: there is a fold out naughty and nice list, a little slit with a removable folded fact sheet about Santa, a card that opens with a letter from Virginia to the editor asking "Is there a Santa Claus?", the editor's answer from the newspaper. and that is just page one! Each page has a part of the original story, and then something extra. A envelope with a letter to read, a recipe for Santa's favorite cookies, fun Christmas activity ideas, historical facts about Christmas all over the world, answers to how Santa could possibly reach each child in one night, or where he gets his flying reindeer, real websites that follow Santa sightings on Christmas eve, Santa humor (jokes), even Santa's passport. My kids absolutely died over this book. Their ages range from 3-12, and all of them just pour over it. Of course, if you have very small children, you would want to put it up high, as it also has one page that pops out. This book was a little on the pricey side, I paid 17.96 for it, but I did find it cheaper online at Barnes and Noble. I knew all that time in Wal-mart would pay off. Happy Reading!

Gratitude

I absolutely love President Eyring. His gentle, thought provoking sermons press me to improve and strive to live the Gospel more fully. His talk this conference "O Remember, Remember" was so beautiful. It may be that I needed to hear his message. He talked about writing down how he had seen the hand of God in his life. EVERYDAY. He Said, "I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done. More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened."


I loved this concept so much, I wanted to try it in our family. For family night tonight we studied President Eyring's talk and made gratitude journals. It was amazing how responsive the kids were. Each one has already added their first entry. Bowen's said "I am glad I am even in this world." Me too. I am often quick to forget when things are abundant and great, and quick to remember in times of trial. Hopefully these little journals will be a daily reminder of the never ending blessings from a loving Heavenly Father.















"Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him." President Henry B. Eyring

Is 13 Really a Lucky Number?

11/11/1994. Our wedding day exactly 13 years ago. We were blissfully in love, and blissfully naive (good thing). I remember our engagement and wedding so fondly. We had so much fun planing our wedding and our life together. I was definitely not looking to get married, but when I met Carter I KNEW. He was different from every boy I dated, a good different. My mom always said she thought we were soul mates. The last 13 years have not all been easy or without challenges. Marriage is definitely like a roller coaster, it has its ups and downs. What I appreciate about Carter is his willingness to improve and work on himself and our relationship. I hope I will always be willing to do the same. We went out to dinner and shopping last night. Today was the primary activity, so the day was spent in anxiety and frenzy. Last night Carter surprised me with roses and a new dress for the program. Thoughtful guy. We plan to officially celebrate next weekend when things have slowed down. I am so blessed to share my life with Carter. Here's hoping that 13 really is a lucky number.

One year Older and Wiser Too....Happy Birthday to You!

Today is Carter's 35th birthday-I love that he is older than me! What can I say about Carter that you don't already know? It seems like everyone likes Carter. He is quiet (unlike his wife), patient, agreeable, cheerful, and funny. I feel so blessed to have his calming influence in my life. My favorite thing about Carter is the wonderful father he is. He is a hands on dad for sure. He does baths, gets kids dressed, combs hair, does homework, plays, cleans, disciplines and spends lots of time with our kids, and never gets ruffled. They love him. When they get up in the night, they want Carter (yea!), when they get hurt, they want Carter, and when something exciting happens, they want Carter. Not all kids grow up with such an involved dad. He is blessed with a job that is very flexible. He often takes one of the boys to the job site, or makes it home for a game, or recital, or helps out at school. He lets our kids work along side him, and I can often hear him teaching them a life lesson or a gospel principal. He has a tender and loving relationship with his only daughter, he takes her and her giggly friends lots of places and always makes them feel welcome in our home. He is extremely popular with the tween girls. What a calming influence he has been in our family, it is a blessing to be around someone who never loses his temper, rarely raises his voice, and is constantly cheerful. What amazing gifts Carter is blessed with. Carter works hard to provide for our family, never thinking of himself and his own desires. He has willingly sacrificed so much for us over the years. Carter you are a joy to be around, a constant crack up, and great husband and father. Like good cheese, this guy just gets better with age. Happy 35th Carter! We love you!

Halleluiah, Halloween is Here...and Gone!

Since it is November 6th, I thought it was about time to blog about Halloween. We have been extremely busy around our house because of a fundraiser bake sale, and an upcoming primary program. More on those later. Halloween is always a fun time here, I love it, and the kids love it more. The festivities lasted extra long this year because of our ward's trunk-or-treat which was on the Saturday before Halloween. Carter and I dressed up this year--we just couldn't resist. Our costumes were especially poignant, because of where we live. If you have ever been to the Wal-Mart or Costco in St, George, you know exactly what I am talking about. We live in the land of the polygamists. Carter tried to find a sister wife, but we couldn't talk Courtney into dressing up. Too bad you can't see my Levi's under my dress and my sneakers. We had the most talked about costumes of the evening. Lately, our kids have been on a huge Star Wars kick, which is new to me, as I have never really been in to it myself. All of the kids wanted to be a Star Wars character, even Courtney. Courtney was Leia, Jackson was Obi Wan, Bowen was Darth Vader, and Coop was Yoda. They had a blast acting out the movies in their costumes. For family night, we dipped caramel apples for the kids teachers, and pretzels for the bake sale. On Halloween day, Yoda and I went to the elementary school to see Obi Wan and Vador in a Halloween parade. Obi Wan took Yoda along and lots of people made a fuss over them. Jackson said people kept saying how cute Cooper looked, but Cooper look at me and said "Mom doze yadies fink I am Shrek! (Those ladies think I am Shrek). Earlier in the morning I shut all the blinds, to make the house dark, and I "spooked" out the kitchen. There were spider webs, spiders, glowing lights, and terrifying music. The kids were excited to come home and see the transformation. I was dressed as a witch (not a stretch, I know) with orange and black striped tights, green hair and spider rings. We had an all orange dinner and started making doughnuts for later that night. Carter loaded the trailer on the four-wheeler, put hay on it and picked up most of the neighborhood kids. Off they went trick-or-treating. I stayed home to man the door and fry doughnuts for all the neighbors. It was so much fun. Our house was filled with all our friends and neighbors enjoying doughnuts and each others company. It was balmy weather, no coats, not even jackets! I love holidays, and I know why..I love being around all the people I love, doing something fun, breaking from the norm, relaxing, having fun....oh, and all the good food. Hope your holiday was full of fun too, bring on the turkey!

My First Tag

Thank you to my lovely cousin Emily for my first tag. This must be payback for always getting to "marry" her brother Scott when we played house. (We always fought over him, sorry Jeff.) Here are the rules:

1. The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about!

2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

* In my kindergarten class picture I was captured holding hands with the boy next to me. (I always liked boys A LOT)

* I am way funnier in a large crowd. Alone, not so much, just ask Cart.

* Carter is my favorite person to hang out with. I still call him too many times during the day. I still get butterflies before he comes home from work. Silly, but true.

* I always wanted to be a mom, and although it is not always easy, I absolutely love it. I have never once wished I was doing something else. There is honestly nothing I would rather be doing.

* When I was in high school, I organized a rally at the Utah State Capitol with over 1,000 high school students. We were instrumental in helping pass the "No Smoking in Public Places" bill.

* I am the only person I know who had, senior portraits, bridals, wedding photos, and an ultrasound, in the same year.

Now I'm done and chasing you down: TAG! Ashley Wood (you have to, you're my sister), Valarie Cluff, Liz Sullenger, Amber Peck (you obviously need a subject to blog about), Jonelle Morris, and Alisa Foy (I'm sure yours will be much more interesting).

Cooper's Three!

Super Cooper is Three!

Can you believe it! Time surely does fly when you're having fun. Cooper was born on "Octover 26" (as he likes to say it) 2003. He was born five weeks early, which I thought was a brilliant idea -at first. Brilliant that is, until I found myself surrounded by respiratory therapists and NICU doctors in the delivery room. Cooper entered the world in a whirlwind, and was whisked off to the NICU. He was cute right from the start. He was tiny, had dimples and the most clear blue eyes you have ever seen. Watching him struggle the first few days of his life, was honestly one of the most frightening and trying things I have experienced. He quickly recovered and we were overjoyed to bring him home. He was an easy, happy baby. He is calm, like his dad, happy and funny. This kid quotes Nacho Libre, Brian Reagan, and anything else that strikes him funny. Even at three, he really gets sarcasm. He cracks us up. I go shopping with some ladies in our ward, whose children are all grown. I always drag Coop along. He says " I wuuuuv shopping with the yadies." They love shopping with him too, they can't believe how he just sits quietly and enjoys himself. I really wanted Cooper to be a girl, I am so glad he was Cooper instead. For his birthday we had to make a quick trip up north, so when we arrived at Grandma Bowen's she had balloons, and cupcakes all ready for Cooper. We got to party with all the Bowen cousins. Later, we visited Build-a-Bear, where Cooper, without hesitation picked a turtle in a Jazz uniform. He has not put it away since. We had such a fun time. I think we enjoy Cooper so much because he is number four, maybe it is neglect, maybe we have calmed down, whatever it is, we all love him. Happy Birthday Super Cooper!

Passion

No, this post is not about Carter and I. My nine year old has it. I have never seen anything like it. A passion for the game of football. Jackson just cannot get enough. He plays it, he watches it, he listens to it, he collects football cards, he wants football jerseys and hats, and he never quits talking about it. It boggles my mind. How can a nine year old kid know so many stats? Carter loves sports too, but he is not one of those guys that absolutely cannot miss a particular game, or has a game on all the time. We rarely watch TV at our house, so it is not like Jackson has grown up over exposed to football. It seems as though he was born with the passion. Shortly after Jackson was born he took and insane liking to any kind of ball. Cute, right? Sort of. Until you hear "Mom, what if I don't make it to the NFL?" everyday. My response? "Jackson, we will talk about it after your mission. You might want to think of a back-up plan."















Jackson is good at sports. When we put him in soccer at age three, we were worried. He sat in the center of their field and stared blankly down the field, until he accidentally scored a goal and the crowd went wild. It was all downhill from there. He must have liked the attention. He loves to golf and has a great drive. He shoots hoops endlessly, he loves to skateboard, he is good at soccer, but doesn't really like it. He loves baseball, though it is not as action-packed as he likes. But football, my bony, little Jackson LOVES football. He just gets it, he knows how it works, on his team this year he called plays, explained to his team the fundamentals, and knew when the other team was going to "blitz" (whatever that means). He is torqued at me because a would not let him play tackle football this year. Besides the fact that it cost two hundred dollars and they practiced EVERY DAY after school, and had more that one game a week, he is skinny, fast, but really skinny. Do I want a nine year old with a knee of back injury, I think not. I know I sound like one of those over protective moms, but seriously, do we have to start all this already. Secretly I take pleasure in Jackson's success on the football field, I picture myself dressed in his high school colors, Carter next to me with Jackson's number painted on his bare, not so youthful chest, cheering, as Jackson leads his high school team to victory. Would I be disappointed if this did not happen, absolutely not. Jackson likes the piano, loves to read, and is a great student. Oh, and now he has a back up plan, he and Courtney are opening a dental office together (painted the Colts colors). He will find success, where ever he goes, if I can channel his football passion into whatever he does. Just think, I have two more just like him. Rah! Rah!

Two Great New Places to Visit!

Here are two new websites to check out. Just click on the underlined words to go straight to them. The First is my little sisters new venture, Hatties Decor. She is so crafty and cute. Her stuff is darling and I want one of everything. She is constantly coming up with new ideas, so check her store out often. The next is my amazing cousins new website, Toy Bugle. Jeff is living in New York and is a brilliant guy. This is his new endevor. The website is so fun, especially with Christmas just around the corner. It has really great ideas for kids. My cousin Emily is an editor and contributor, so it is a family affair. Now you can see why I am so very proud of my gene pool! (Not so shallow after all!)

Northern Exposure

Our family just returned from visiting up north. We had such a good time. It is fun and exciting to see everyone. It is always diffficult to come home and adjust to "real life". My mom is the best hostess. She is a great cook and always makes it challenging to "be good." My kids enjoy having breakfast at "Grandma's Restaurant", and are severely disappointed that there is no such thing as "Mom's Restaurant" when we return home. We always visit Grandma Richards. She is now 97 years old, and I thought she looked so great this trip. She is so bright and fun to visit with. My kids adore her and she always loves on them. I cannot believe how amazing she is. She was telling me how she visits the temple once a month, about her gospel doctrine class, her branch and her friends at the Charleston. She is such a fine example of enduring well. She is so faithful. We just love our Grandma! I feel so blessed that my children have the priviledge of knowing thier great grandma. While we were there we visited the Hanson Planetarium, the Children's Museum, Krispy Kreme, and the gateway.















These are all great places to go, especially because we don't have anything like them in St. George. I think that is a good thing, as I sit and balance the old checkbook. One of the highlights of the trip was our "girls day" with my mom and sisters. Courtney tended for us, great girl that she is. We went to lunch at a place in Salt Lake called Les Madeleine's, it is a little french bistro and bakery. It is famous for it's pastries and award winning pastry chef. This was particularly exciting for me because of my love of baking (especially pastries). They had some awesome desserts, and we tried a few new things. I came home with some new ideas to experiment with. After lunch we headed to Gygi's for some culinary shopping. I could have stayed there all day! Gygi's is one of my favorite stores in the world. They have anything and everything you need for the kitchen. I stocked up on dipping chocolate, parchment paper, doughnut cutters, cute food gift boxes,and a few other goodies. Then we were on our way to Tai Pan, that store is ginormous (that word is now in the dictionary)! They have their Christmas trees out and decorated, so it was fun to get some new ideas. It was a fun day and made me a little sad to realize how much I miss my mom and sisters. While we were in northern Utah we also visited Carter's mom and dad in their new house. It was a great house and seemed to fit them so well. Northern Utah was ablaze with brilliant fall colors, it was beautiful. Needless to say, we made some wonderful memories this weekend, and I will be behind on the laundry for a month.

Who's Down For A Mani Pedi?

"Sew" What?

Since when do I sew? Apparently it is my new hobby. I just got the bug one day. I have sewn before, but I have never been officially "taught" how, I just kind of figure things out on my own. Which in translation means- don't look to close. I saw some vintage aprons online one day, and I thought, "hmmmm...I think I could sew those." So I tried. Anyone who knows how to sew knows this is a very simple project. Not that impressive. I found this cute fabric at Deseret Book for 1/2 off, and I just had to try. I thought these would be great friend gifts for christmas. My mom has been working on a family cookbook and these would compliment it perfectly. So if you're reading this, you might now know what you are getting for christmas. I am having a great time testing my abilites and unpicking seam after seam after seam. The first apron I made had slight gathering at the waist. That would be fine except for I have always been gifted in the hip area. Ruffles + Hips = Bigger hips. Not good. I absolutly love the fabric though. Next, I tried one for Courtney. She wants to sew them for her girlfriends for christmas too. I left out the gathers and I did long ties so you could tie it around front or in back. I liked it much better. I don't dig the fabric Courtney picked out, so I'm anxious to try one on some cuter fabric. I have three other sewing projects I am working on...so stay tuned!

Sinful

Here is my latest culinary experiment. I am ashamed to say that I have never made a cheesecake. I really wanted to try my hand at it. I found this recipe online, and went for it. This particular cheesecake had a lot of ingredients and took a bit more work, but it was well worth it. It turned out marvelous. I took it to a primary meeting, and it was a huge hit! Someone even said it tasted like a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. Once again, not one of my healthiest recipes. For some reason, if I make a treat I don't have to eat it, I am just satisfied to try the recipe and send the end results away, but I do feel the need to taste it first to see if it is good enough to send away. Sort of a double edged sword. I will post some healthier recipes soon.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup butter, melted
50 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered English toffee
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine wafer crumbs, powdered sugar and cocoa with the melted margarine. Mix well. Press onto the bottom and half-way up the side of 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow to cool.
Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a saucepan over low heat, melt the caramels together with the chocolate chips and evaporated milk stir until smooth and pour into crust.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and flour; beat until smooth. Add eggs, then yolks, one at a time. Blend in heavy cream and vanilla. Add 3 cut up candy bars to mixture. Pour over caramel and toffee layers. Wrap outside of pan with foil.
Set in a large pan that has been filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes; reduce oven to 250 degrees and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit for 1 hour. Remove from water. Chill overnight in the refrigerator. Top with 2 more Heath Bar candy bars that have been chopped. Drizzle with remaining chocolate and caramel.

Trading Faces

I got to go back in time tonight. Back to "mutual" (it's not even called that anymore) and back to the early 90's. Courtney took me to her young women's activity, where we got to apply each others make-up. Courtney went first and did a great job on my make-up. I was next--I just couldn't let this opportunity pass. Earlier in the day I was on a mission, a mission to find blue mascara. This proved extremely difficult to find hmmmmm....I wonder why. After ransacking the make-up isles of several stores I came upon cobalt blue mascara! Jackpot! I also purchased aqua eyeliner, and purple and pink eyeshadow. I am ashamed to say, my pulse quickened, and lots of "rad" memories came flooding back. So when it was my turn to apply Courtney's make-up, I turned her away from the mirror and took her back in time. There were muffled giggles, a few gasps, and a surprised audience of teenagers. Courtney knew something was up, she was excited. I continued to apply. Remember? Half pink, half purple on the eyelids. Aqua liner, cobalt blue mascara, and florescent pink lips. Ring any bells? We all have similar make-up mishaps. Admit it.















I turned Court to the mirror.
Courtney: gasp "Mom, I look good!"
Mom: "What?"
Courtney:"Look how long my eyelashes are."
Mom: "What?"
Mom: "You do understand you will never leave the house like this--Don't you?"
Courtney: dejected "yes mom"
Mom:"This did not go as planned."
I guess a 12 year old is a 12 year old, even when it comes to blue mascara. Let's be honest, what were we thinking in the early 90's? Needless to day this was a fun activity, and a priceless opportunity to spend time with my only daughter. I really love that girl, she has been a source of laughter, fun, goodness, and pleasure her whole life. I enjoy her so much and I feel so blessed to be her mom! Court you are so RAD!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

And we did! All of my sister-in-laws on Carter's side (and his mom) came to St. George for a "girls only weekend". This was pretty amazing considering 11 out of 12 were able to make the trip. Gaylee came from Alaska, Barb from Washington, Emmalee from Logan, and every one else from Utah County northward. They arrived in a very large, very white van. Now, you should know that where we live when 12 women and 3 babies file out of a van it can only mean one thing--Polygamists! That's right, there were 12 of us in all--quite a sight. Our first night together we met at Olive Garden and stuffed ourselves full of delicious food, and good conversation. It was so fun to see the newest Cluff babies (although they are never the newest Cluff babies for long!). After dinner we went back to the condo for a rousing game of BINGO. How can BINGO be rousing you ask? If you include cute fall prizes! Those Cluff sisters can be competitive, I guess it's because they were raised with so many brothers! We had a great time playing together and catching up. The next morning they went to breakfast and got pedicures, I met up with them later for some shopping. Later that evening we met for dinner and went to Tuachan to see "My Fair Lady." All I can say is, it's a good thing I knew my way to Tuachan, I got us there plenty early for the show! ;) Hee Hee! I was so fun to see everyone again. I slept at home and had to get my kids to school, so I'm sure there are many gaps to fill in. It was a really fun weekend. Thanks Pam for providing such a fun weekend filled with good memories for us!

For Ashley

My little sister Ashley has been pestering me to post the latest recipes that I've tried. If I had a fast metabolism,(or better self-control) I would try a new recipe or two every day.
Creamy, Tomato Basil Soup

INGREDIENTS
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.
Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

*This soup is soooo good, although it is definitely not a low-fat recipe. I am working on slimming it down. It is a nice one to take to someone who needs a meal.
I added cheese filled tortellini (because it didn't have enough calories to start with)! The recipe for the focaccia is at the very bottom of the blog.


Cream Filled Cupcakes

For this recipe I just kind of faked it. Because I also like fast, and easy recipes, I used a chocolate cake mix for the cupcakes. After they were completely cooled I used a pastry bag with a large tip to pipe a mixture of homemade frosting and sweetened whipping cream into the middles. You could also add some cream cheese. I then frosted the tops with homemade chocolate frosting and piped the white swirls. Next time I make these I want to try topping these with ganache, they would look more professional. These were a huge hit with both the adults and the kids.