all I wanted for Christmas

 Everytime anyone asked me what I wanted for Christmas, all I said was that I wanted my kids home.  That is exactly what i got. 

But now my big kids have gone back to their homes, to resume their lives.  And although I know that they are doing exactly what they should be doing (and doing it very well) I miss them dearly.

 

 



A walk back in time

A couple of months ago I started what has come to be known as "the negative project".  I found that Costco will transfer your negatives to a DVD for a fairly reasonable price.  So I started going back through all my old pictures and taking the negatives one year at a time to Costco to have them put on a DVD.  All our pictures from one year are on one DVD--brilliant plan--the people at Costco hate me.  I'm up to 1994....

Love my kids--Happy fall!

California to Nevada to Utah to Idaho to Nevada and home!

We took Michael to school at BYU Idaho this past weekend.  I learned a few things during our bazillion hour drive.

1.  Beverly Hills, Nevada apparently has nothing in common with Beverly Hills, California.  Here you will see a picture of the sign saying "Beverly Hills".

You can't see the sign--I know.  Steve asked if I wanted to stop to take a proper photo and I said, "NO",  no stopping if it will add even one minute to this insanely long, boring trip.

2.  Anyone who says the world is overpopulated has never been to Nevada.

3.  Idahoans' love their Subway.  There are very few things in Rexburg, Idaho as far as stores go, but I counted 3 Subways.

4.  The state symbol of Nevada.....

August 2009

September 2010

               

orange road construction barrels.  There were tons of them, lining the roads of Nevada.  I first observed this phenomenon last year when driving to BYU with Jessica.  I don't know if they have lots of money for road construction, nowhere to store the barrels, or if they just like the look.  I counted 2733 right outside Reno on our way there.

5.  I love my boy, he's all grown up!

Toy Story 3

Seeing Toy Story 3 on Friday night was bittersweet for me.  You see, I have an "Andy" of my own going off to college in the fall--and he too loved Woody with all his heart.

More festivities!

Another big event in our busy life--Michael's Senior Prom on Saturday night! 

Grandma's chocolate chip cookie secret!

Well my mom has always made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world and I have never been able to duplicate them--no matter how hard I've tried (mine always turn out looking a little bit like cat barf--actually a lot like cat barf--but that is another story). When we were visiting at Christmas Jessica wanted to make chocolate chip cookies and Grandma pulled out her recipe. I was skeptical; but they turned out perfectly--beautiful and delicious--and not a bit like cat barf!

So come to find out I had been using her recipe correctly, but I wasn't greasing the pans with shortening--and I think that is the trick! Yesterday Michael wanted to make chocolate chip cookies and so I told him to call Grandma and get her recipe and do them her way.


In no time at all (thanks to the help of my lovely new red kitchen aid mixer)

Michael had perfect, beautiful, non-cat barfy cookies!

After all these years, such a simple secret......