Just hangin' out with Jack.......

....and I'm wishin' I had somethin' interesting to blog about but I'm just here hangin' out with my Kentucky family watchin' the little ones while Shana and Laynee are off to the mountains on a 4th grade field trip. Spencer's got a bit o' pink eye so they won't allow him at the hospital, oh darn....so we've been chillin' and grillin'....no, not really grillin' but Seth and I have been doing rhyming words this mornin' so I just thought I'd throw that in for him. They are off havin' lunch with Drew right now so Jack and I thought we'd send our greetings out to the blogging world. I got here Saturday after they had 6 days with no power.....except the generator that Mason left behind, but it came on again at 4:00 so it's as if nothing ever happened....so it seems to me, but as I walk down the streets I can see the trees that have fallen in the harsh winds. The weather is great though and I've enjoyed sitting outside watching the boys play.

Happy Birthday, McKay.....

Just wanted to share this serene scene that I saw looking over the William's deck yesterday at McKay's birthday party. I'd like to be a swan and just float in the water all day and look pretty. I swam for 4 hours yesterday and became "one" with the water and it was really hard getting out and getting on with life.....and when I did get out, it was anything but pretty....so what does that have to do with anything? Nothing except a swan is in the water and I was in the water and I like the water so maybe it would be nice to be a swan, that's all. Take it how you wish....just my random thinking on this Saturday morning as I head to see my loved ones in Kentucky. Today is McKay's actual 4th birthday. We celebrated in fine fashion....as I said earlier, at the pool, in the water. So, that's it. My blogging brain isn't working well these days. Hopefully, I'll get more inspiration as I have some "thinking" time on the plane. Have a great week-end......whomever may read this. Go throw some bread to a swan today.

Count your blessings....name them one by one....

My family in Kentucky is feeling the effects of Ike. They are without power and have been since Sunday. No rain but big winds.....thank goodness for the generator that Mason left them. They are able to power their refrigerator and freezer and a couple of the neighbor's refrigerators as well. They are reaping the rewards of being prepared and they have been doing a lot of grilling. I talked to Drew and asked him what they do. He says they go to the Dollar Store (so apparently some businesses have power) but sounds like a lot of the gas stations don't. Apparently the hospital does as Spencer has been going to work but the schools don't because the kids have been out for 2 days and sounds like possibly another week or two. I asked Laynee what they do and she says they put candles on the piano and she and Drew entertain every night. She says they are living like pioneers. I also have talked to Lauri a couple of times and her circumstances are about the same but that's the norm for where she is but I'm sure she doesn't sit and play the piano at night. She is going to appreciate some very crucial American amenities when she gets home. We all have lots to be thankful for and sometimes we don't know it until we are left without it. In these dire times, may we appreciate what we do have......and follow our prophet's counsel to get prepared.

I enjoyed the week-end with Diana. She came Saturday and I also tended Miller. He was good and we were able to go to dinner. We went to church then enjoyed a fun practice for our high school 40th reunion that is coming up. We're both sorry we didn't take pictures but it was fun to see some classmates again and get ready for this fun event. Monday morning, we drove up to the Ledges to show her the development up there then headed to Frei's Fruit Market and the gift shop next door. It was fun to have her here for a couple of days.....

Random thoughts.......about Fridays and hats....

I just feel like blogging but don't really have too much to say today other than it's a Friday and I've always hated Fridays.....seems like all my life I get anxiety when the week ends. I think I like the order that comes with the week-days and when I was young, I would wonder what to do because Fridays should be fun and if I didn't have something "fun" to do, it was a waste and then when I had kids I knew they felt like Fridays should be "fun" and they would always ask for sleepovers and I hated sleepovers because, once again, it was getting outside of my "order" box and I didn't like that so I'd try to think of something that would be "funner" than sleepovers but most of the time I would just give in and let them happen. Anyway, it's Friday and I guess I am having a sleep-over with George, Emily and Evan so I am looking forward to this Friday night. So, what I'm really writing about is that I'm still knitting but needed to have a diversion from socks for a little while. Since my sock give-away is about here, I decided to take a break and work on some hats. My loved ones up north in the really cold country need something to keep their heads warm so I decided to try all different sizes. You never know if they work until the winter is over and if the hat got worn, it was good, if not, try something different next season. Ya, I know, you could just go to Old Navy and buy a hat for a few bucks but here's a quote that tells how I feel about that.
"My mother didn't knit a stitch; she taught me that it's cheaper, easier and faster to buy a sweater. Her lesson, therefore, is that I don't knit to make things. I knit to make myself happy." --Annie Modesitt
Hats off to anyone that reads this....happy Friday night!!!!!

9-11!!!! Where were you 7 years ago?.....

I was getting a new refrigeration unit and anxiously awaiting the arrival of Andrew Scott, son of Spencer and Shana to arrive the next day. Happy Birthday, tomorrow Drewby. Now, 7 years later, I'm anxiously awaiting a week from now when I can go and see Drew and his siblings again and take him out for his birthday dinner....but the business at hand has been getting Lauri off to Mexico. And that we did....yesterday. 'Hasta la vista, Lauri. I will miss you. Lauri has a blog and you catch her weekly journal by clicking on these "Goodbye" pictures.

Orange you glad it's soccer season?

Last Saturday we had non-stop games......Sorry, Maycee. By 12:00 it was too hot to get the camera out and take any more pictures. I'll get you next time. We started with McKay's, then Emily's, then Maycee's. In a couple of weeks I'll get to see Drewby's. I love watching my grandkids participate in anything, sports, music, school, playing..... I try to get to their schools at least once a year to see them in action. Good kids doing good things. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em. I'm going to try to get my grandma blog caught up one of these days.

Who needs a Pumpkin Spice candle when you have tomatoe soup.....

I wish there were a gadget that would let me post the smell on my blog that's in my house right now. I think I'll just keep a pot of tomatoe soup simmering all winter long. I wanted to post a picture of the beautiful bottles filled with this "gold" but I lost my camera (I actually found it but it's at Mason's) so I'm posting the original recipe from Mrs. Ludwig's cookbook and you can see how well used it is. It has been one of those recipes that everyone in my family would eat so every fall, I would hunt down lugs and lugs of tomatoes and spend a few days cooking, squeezing and bottling this tasty treat. My kitchen is a mess but it's a beautiful mess. So, I got these tomatoes from JoEllen's dad, Joe Shelton in Lehi and it's been great to be able to fill up a few jars again. This is just one of those smells that brings me back to a wonderful time in my life, raising my kids, seeing them off to school, then welcoming them home to tomatoe soup and homemade bread. Aw....the memories. Some days that's all that keeps me going.....Mrs. Ludwig's tomatoe soup forever. When I was just 16, Scott took me to Ludwig's German Restaurant up by Leeds for my birthday and it soon became our favorite place to go, so these great recipes from her book bring me even more warm memories of yummy food and good times.

Welcome September......

My birthday boys this month are Drewby and McKay....Drew will be 7 and McKay will be 4. Oh my how time flies. I've spent a lot of time with these two when I would visit them in Kentucky and they have been good little friends. Drew loves sports and is involved right now in soccer but also loves baseball, basketball and Nintendo DS, does well in school and has a kind heart. McKay is a "live wire" and loves to be active, makes friends easily and loves to play. He's in pre-school and is doing great. He loves his super heroes and always wants to watch Power Rangers. He builds with legos and loves my motorcyle. Happy Birthday, boys.....your B-amma loves you both.