The Wait is Finally Over! And other news...

Okay...I've been a little lax in my postings...mainly because it's November and Nano time again - but there has been soooo much going on!

First - my granddaughter looked soooo cute in her little ladybug costume!  Mom had to come show her off on Halloween before heading to a party.  I just had to take pictures, ya know?  Don't you think she's just cute as a bug? lol

Then - we've been waiting for almost 2 weeks for my son to get his mission call.  It finally came yesterday!!  Party!!  So, he's going to....

The Carlsbad California mission!!  Way to go son!!  His cousin was there that had gone to California and had been the only one to guess California as a mission, so he won the big prize...lol  A lot of shrimp!

Anyway - life is just starting to get crazy - but it's been great.  Especially the leaves!  Our big tree has finally turned colors and is just starting to drop.  I'll have to take my annual photo of it and post it later...

But for now - I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it...

Can you hear the song now??

There Seems to be a Need...

There have been several comments to my husband at work about the food he takes for lunch.  If you read my food blog, you'll feel like you're having de'ja vu, but I wanted to post this here as well.  It seems that they have told him they would be willing to buy my food if it was pre-made for them.

I'm wondering how much of it is time and how much is knowledge.  I've volunteered to teach a couple of women in my neighborhood how to lighten up their menus and recipes, and they are totally excited.  I know for a long time I was frustrated with how to do the same thing, and it's been research and experimentation that made the difference.  I guess the fact that I've lost 80 pounds in a year makes people think I know all, or more than they do.  Perhaps - but I think it's all viewpoint.

So, I'm tossing the question out to the cosmic world of blogging to see if I get any kind of response.

What would you think of a web site that you could submit recipe or menu questions to and get help and advice for low fat, low sugar cooking?  Possibly even money saving tips, but I'm not expert in that area by any means.

Fall Colors

Fall is my favorite time of year, hands down.  I guess spring is in there too, followed by winter, but fall takes the prize.  I think the colors are just amazing and every year I try to get my family to go driving with me.  Last year we didn't make it, but this year I was determined.

Amazingly enough, by conference weekend (which is usually when we go) we still had leaves!  After conference was over we went driving up Lambs Canyon.  It was sooo gorgeous.  I couldn't believe the yellows.  On the way home we drove through East Canyon which had some pretty reds.  sigh.

It was a wonderful afternoon and I got my leaf fix for the year.  Fortunately, our big maple out front hasn't turned yet, so I still have that treat in store.

I'm a Grandma! Where Did Time Go??

by G.Parker

If you've ever watched Star Trek, you'll know there are a couple of episodes that involve time travel.  I feel like I've lived that this past week.  Last week my first grandchild was born.  It was like looking at a video of myself 23 years ago -- it looked that similar.  It freaked me out.  Not that I don't love this new little angel, quite the contrary -- she's a total doll.  But it's just so odd to suddenly go from being a parent to a grandparent.

And then I got the news that I'm a grandmother, again.  Another baby girl.  Wow.  We think it's kind of ironic -- we had twins first and now we have two grandbaby girls born in the same month.  I guess we'll never really know the feeling of 'one'.  I guess it's a lonely number that we'll never know...grin.

I did have a photo that someone had forwarded to me of this granddaughter, but I've been asked to remove it, so it's gone.  Take my word for it, she's cute!

So, despite actually having had a few minutes to write this week, the blog wasn't a priority, so you just get the news flash.  Next week it will be something writerly...is that a word Darvel?? 

Grandbaby Number two is here...

Well, as if having one grandchild wasn't thrilling enough, I just found out I now have 2!!!
The second one arrived much earlier than expected, though everyone is saying it was fine and full term, yada yada.  Anyway - granddaughter number two is here.  Carrie Lee Parker...doesn't that sound like a country singer's name?  lol
I don't have any photos yet, but when I do, I'll post it.
Life just keeps getting better and better... lol

Never Forget

Well...today is September 11th.  I can't believe it's been 9 years since that fatefull day in 2001.  I wish we had a huge flag to raise, but we don't.  We have two that we put in the window.  Last year I put yellow ribbons everywhere and my kids were asking why yellow ribbons?  I told them because we didn't want to forget.  They got it, but I'm not sure anyone who saw them did - they probably just thought we were remembering or honoring a specific individual.

This year, we're still celebrating the birth of my first grandchild.  We put pink balloons out on the mail box (we'd gotten some latex ones to take to the hospital and then remembered when we got there that they didn't want latex inside...sigh), but no yellow ribbon.  Our commemoration is going to be a little less obvious, I guess.  We have a neighborhood party, and I wonder if they planned it on this date on purpose.  It kind of makes me wonder.

I hope you've had a chance to reflect and remember.  I plan on teaching little Kestra all about this great country - if it holds together long enough for her to understand such things.

I hope you have a wonderful day and spend it with family.  It's a special day.  We're alive and free.  Not everyone is able to enjoy that.

I'm a Grandma!

Wow...I can't believe it finally happened.  My daughter had her baby!  She's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen (short of when my own children were born of course) and I just can't believe it.  Isn't she just sooo cute?  The biggest brown eyes...sigh.  Can't tell I like her or anything...  ;)

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's driving we will go...

Well...I didn't realize how long it's been since I posted.  Life has been absolutely nuts this past month.  We drove to California twice...once to southern Cal and once to northern.  We just can't get enough, ya know???  sigh.  The trip south was a funeral...sad and fun at the same time.  We never get to see my hubbies family there.  The trip north was fun, my uncle turned 90!!  He is really amazing.  I hope I have some of his genes...lol  I took the camera, but did I take any pictures??? NO.  I couldn't believe it.  I left the camera on my bed while we went to the party.  sigh.  So, I took some with my phone and we'll see if I can get them to send so I can post them later.  Now we just found out the hubby of one of his cousins we just met died in his sleep.  wow.
We might be heading back to California...
sigh.
In between that, we had a baby shower for my daughter, (which was fun) and a double wedding shower for my niece and nephew's fiance, which was hilarious.  Good times, I tell ya.  And work started back up...so like I said, crazy month.  I'm still trying to finish my earth oven...it's just slow going with everything else.  I'm determined to have it finished by Monday so we can make pizza for Labor Day!!!  We'll see how it goes...
;)

Still Going...just not there yet...

Well, I've lost another 5 pounds.  It's finally put me below the 250 mark!!  WOW!  It's so unreal to see the scale going that direction after SOOOO long.

The only problem is, my goal.  Remember the goal I said I wanted to reach by my birthday?  Well, that was to have gotten rid of 100 pounds by then.  I now have 29 to go, and that means 15 pounds a month.  UGH!  That's probably not going to happen, but I'm going to try my darndest.  My trainer said maybe by the END of October...lol   sigh.  July was just sooo hard, and so was June.  I had really hit a plateau and slowed down.  I'm just going to have to really kick things up.

At least she didn't recommend I change anything by way of diet...  ;)  I don't know if I could get any lower...lol  I'm really getting used to drinking breakfast...

Have a good one!

Well, there's progress...

I told my hubby I was bound and determined to get my earth oven done this week. I've taken FAR too long as it is. I really wanted it done in May. sigh.

Anyway, I finished leveling the ground and the bricks were pretty much level, so I said onward. I put the cinder blocks in, and it stayed level (miracles do happen!!), so I put the barrel on. You see, he suggested (my all knowing and amazing hubby) that I'd probably want to be able to reach the cooking area from the deck and not have to walk around, and he's probably right. So, in order to make it high enough, we have to stack things. ugh.

It looks rather ungainly, but the barrel is full to the brim with broken bricks to weigh it down and make it solid. With the ring on top, we're ready to fill it with the bottles and mud to make the heat sink base for the floor of the oven. Hopefully I'll have that done by tonight so I can start on the top tomorrow.  Eventually we're gonna put brick around the base so you don't see the barrel and stuff, and it will look cool.  But for now, pizza this weekend!!! (I hope!)

Well...step 3?

I'm building a mud oven. Did I mention that before? I realized that I should probably document the process, and since I've already missed part of it, here's where I'm at now.



We had to cut down the bush and cut back the tree that was there before, and then get the sprinkler moved that was back in the corner. It's now up in front of the rail road tie, and now I've put a layer of brick as the foundation. Problem is, we need to build up a good two feet before I put a barrel on it to make it the right height to reach from the deck. Sigh.

Anyone have spare cement blocks? ;)