Meal of the Month - July

Wow, summer has definitely arrived here in Utah, and I'm feeling the heat! The hot weather makes me not want to use the oven. So, here is an amazing new grilling recipe to add to your collection!

I didn't cook much this past month, what with moving and everything, so instead of sharing a recipe I made, I'm going to share with you a recipe I ate twice this month. Just as good, right? And believe me, it's delicious!

Our neighbors, the Pfunders, were the first ones to serve us up this tasty meal. Then, over the 4th of July, my Grandma T made us the same thing. We were thrilled, because it is soooooooooo yummy!

Grilled Marinated Turkey

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tsp. horseradish powder (optional-we had it once with and once without - tasted great both times)
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 24oz lemon-lime soda (7up or Sprite)
• boneless, skinless turkey (I have found online recipes that say you could use chicken, too, but we had turkey both times and it was scrumptious!)

Mix marinade ingredients together; add turkey pieces and marinate for at least 7 hours. Cook over grill on low heat until cooked through. Yum!!

And if you are looking for a cool, sweet, summery dessert, I did make this Pioneer Woman’s Key Lime Pie this month and I highly recommend it. Actually, I recommend anything Pioneer Woman recommends - if you haven't read her blog before, it's great!!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust

• 18 graham crackers (the 4-section large pieces)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Crush crackers in a food processor or Ziploc bag. Pour them into a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter. Press into a pie pan and bake for 5 minutes or until golden and set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Filling

• 1 heaping tablespoon lime zest
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• whipping cream

Mix lime zest, lime juice, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Add in condensed milk and mix on high until smooth and thick. Pour mixture into crust and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour—more if possible. Serve with sweetened whipped cream and more grated lime zest. Enjoy every single bite!

M.A.S.H.

Do you remember the game MASH? Please tell me you do! My sisters and I and our friends used to play it all the time, from the time we could write. This is how you play: there are different categories about your future life. You give three possible answers to each category. Then, the person writing begins drawing a spiral until the other person says, "Stop!" When you stop, you count how many lines you have across the spiral, and that is the magic number. Then you slowly eliminiate the answers in each category by counting to that number, until you have one answer left per category. And now you know exactly what your future is going to be like. :)

Well, last Sunday after Grandma's delicious lunch, Gerald was taking a short nap and I was trying to keep Katelee quiet. Brittany and Todd were sitting nearby, and we decided to play MASH with Katelee. Her first MASH game. We thought it was really funny! Here are the answers as she gave them to us. And they are all from her own brain. The answer in red is the one that 'won.'

By the way, you always write MASH at the top, and that stands for Mansion, Apartment, Shack, or House - telling you which one you will live in oneday.

Katelee's Game:

MASH

(live in a house)

Who will you marry?

1. Dominic

2. Daddy

3. Todd

How many children will you have?
1. one
2. two
3. five

Where will you live?
1. A castle
2. A farm
3. A school

What job will you have?
1. A penguin
2. fly airplanes
3. sing on a stage

What will you name your first child?
1. Erican
2. Sleeping Beauty
3. Cinderella

I was a little disappointed she didn't marry Dominic (???Where did she hear that name????) and become a professional penguin! Hee hee!

Id-E-Ho

We spent our three-day pioneer weekend visiting Idaho. And we had a TON of fun!

We stayed with my Grandma and Grandpa Klingler. Friday night we had pizza at their house with my sister Brittany and her husband Todd. We also learned a fun card game called "Do you wanna be a Codfish." I love learning new games!

Saturday was so busy but filled with fun! In the morning we helped Brittany and Todd move into their cute new apartment! Yes, we are becoming quite the moving experts! But Brittany and Todd were so prepared and organized, and they had about 1/4 of the amount of junk we do, so the move went very quickly and easily! I love their new apartment.

After the move, we went over to the Rexburg Spray Park. Katelee ran around in her swimming suit and played in the water and had a grand time. Brittany and Todd even went into the water with her for a little bit. Then we swang on the swings (Katelee's favorite playground activity) for a long time.

Then we met Grandma and Grandpa and my cousin Taucia at Taco Time for lunch. After that, we went to see the new Ice Age movie, which Katelee thought was a lot of fun! After the movie we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a barbecue with Cory, Stacie, and their girls. It was really fun to see everyone!

The night ended with Grandma's yummy cake and ice cream and another few rounds of Codfish followed by Progressive Rummy. I can't believe we crammed all that fun into one day!

Sunday we went to church with Brittany and Todd, ate one last meal of Grandma's delicious cooking (thanks Grandma!) and headed for Utah again.

We had a wonderful weekend. Brittany and Todd: we love you guys! Thank you for being a great aunt and uncle to Katelee and an amazing sister and brother-in-law to us! We love being with you guys and look forward to many more visits in the future! Grandma and Grandpa: as always, you are wonderful. We love visiting your home and spending time with you! Thanks for being great grandparents to all of us!

Homesick

Friday morning we had to stop by our old cul-de-sac to drop off something at a neighbor's house. As we got closer, Katelee started saying, "I want to go home." When we actually pulled into the cul-de-sac she noticed the new owners moving some final items into the house. "There are people in my house!" she exclaimed angrily!

We explained to her that it wasn't our house anymore, that the new people bought it and they lived there now, she started to sob. I couldn't help it. I started to cry, too. Then Gerald joined in. Awkward moment, with the new people standing a few feet away. We got out of the car and hurried into our neighbor's house.

We cried again when we talked to our friends, and again when we got into the car. And again when I said (without thinking), "Let's go home," and had to explain all over again that I didn't mean that exactly. And again when I told my mom the story, and again now that I'm typing it.

It's hard to move, but it's even harder when you don't have a 'home' of your own in the meantime. Katelee just needs a room that is filled with her own bed and bedding, her own toys, her own decor...we all need that. We need to be setting up our new home and meeting our new neighbors. Instead, we are just feeling really homesick.

On the other hand, though, we feel so blessed to have so many wonderful, wonderful family members in the area who would all take us in in a heartbeat. And we are so grateful for my Uncle Scott and Aunt Darla, who did take us in. They have a beautiful, comfortable home that is still close to Gerald's work and where Katelee enjoys being. They have been soooooooo hospitable and accomodating and kind. That is a huge blessing right now!

But I am looking forward to having my own home again, soon. (Only 11 more days!) Meanwhile, we are trying to avoid talking about home. And we are going to stay away from our old cul-de-sac. We had planned on spending time over there while we were still in Utah, but we just didn't realize how difficult it would be. So, to all my friends in my old ward who were planning on us visiting - maybe we could meet somewhere else?

Because right now I don't need any reminders of how homesick I really am.

Apron Question

I made an apron last week for my sweet sister, Brittany. I really wanted to post pictures of the apron because I think it is one of the cutest ones I have made! That fact has very little to do with me and absolutely everything to do with these beautiful fabrics. Hobby Lobby's fabric department is my new favorite place.

Pink & Green Apron

The three fabrics

Side A

Side B

Question: Do you like it better with the tie tied in the back?

Or the front?

I think the front, but I am no fashion expert, so I was wondering what you thought.

Flashback Friday

Gerald's 11th Birthday Party.

Look at that sweet face! Isn't Gerald about the cutest little boy ever?

Pictures from left to right is Gerald's brother Geoff, Gerald's brother George, Gerald, friend John and friend Chet.

One of my favorite parts of this picture is the look on Geoff's face; he's staring at that cake like he's about to lean over and take a bite out of it. I also love how George and wrestling friend Chet both have their hands on their hips. Don't they look sophisticated and smooth? Hee hee!

Empty

Well, my house is empty.

I feel empty, too.

Good-bye little house.  You have been well-loved and will be well-missed.

Good-bye sweet cul-de-sac.

Good-bye to some of the best friends I have ever been privileged to know.

Our three years here have definitely shaped our lives forever.

We feel so blessed to have spent the time here that we did.

Katelee's Big Girl Bed!

Yes, it's true.  Shocking, I know, but true.  My very big, grown-up little girl still sleeps in a crib! But she loves her crib!  And so do I.  And when you don't need the crib for another baby, and when your child never tries to get out of the crib on her own, why mess with a good thing?

We decided, however, that when we take down the crib for the move, we won't set it up again.  I will probably cry.  When we first put up that crib, I expected it to be a fixture in our home for the next decade or so ... but life goes on.

Anyway, a year or more ago a dear friend in my ward mentioned she was trying to get rid of a twin-size bed frame.  She no longer needed it now that her youngest son had left on his mission.  She said she was giving it away for free, but it would need some work.  Now, it really wasn't that bad, but I still wish I had taken a BEFORE picture, so you could see how different it looks now.  

When it was given to us, it was a brown wood color.  It was sturdy but definitely well-used, marked with the usual signs of 18 years loved by a boy: nicks, a few watermarks, engravings, some candy stuck on in one place, etc.  

We started working on this project months ago, and have been really slow about getting it done.  Thanks to Gerald, however, who has really focused on it this past week, it is now complete and ready to use!  

We sanded it, primed it, added bead board to it, and painted it white.  I think it looks fabulous and will fit just perfectly in Katelee's sweet little girl room.  Here is the finished product:

You can see where Gerald added the bead board to the front and back.  I think it is the perfect touch and makes all the difference.  

He also added bead board in each of the little cubbies at the foot and head of the bed.  I love it!

Now I am just anxious to see it all put together in her cute new room.  We have darling new bedding to put on it and plan to fill the cubbies with her stuffed animals and dolls.  

ROAR!!!

Last week, at a HBA barbecue, Katelee had her face painted for the first time.  

As always, Katelee had a strong, unbendable opinion.

I asked her if she wanted to be a butterfly, or a flower, or a bunny rabbit.  

NO!

She wanted to be a 

tiger.

Okay.  Then the face-painter asked her if she wanted to 

be a purple or a pink or a blue tiger.

Katelee looked at her like she was nutty, and said, 

"No I want to be an 

ORANGE and BLACK tiger."

Well, at least she knows what she wants!  ;)

She spent the rest of the evening roaring and growling at anyone who would listen.

Grandparents are the BEST

My parents surprised us by coming to stay at our house for a couple of days this week.  We love having them around and had a great time!  

I noticed especially this time how much Katelee loves her grandpa.  And for good reason. Grandpa is so sweet with her.  He teases her, buys her treats, plays with her, sings songs with her . . . this morning he even played dolls with her while he was waiting for my mom.  Very, very cute.  

(Sorry these pictures are blurry; they were taken with Gerald's camera phone.)

Katelee also loves her grandma so much.  Grandma is always good to play with and talk to and tickle and get treats and prizes from.  This trip, grandma did something that endeared her to Katelee's heart for at least the next 10 years.  She gave her a special, unexpected present.  She gave her THIS: 

Spoiled.  Rotten.  :)  But, oh so happy!  She loves her new Cinderella dress!  In fact, she's hardly taken it off for the last two days.

Thank you, mom and dad, for being such wonderful grandparents to Katelee.  We couldn't ask for anything more - we love you!

Katie-fish

Katelee loves the water and loves to swim (although she is very cold intolerant; if it's not warm enough, she prefers to sit on the side).  We are so lucky to have good friends in our ward that live right next to their community pool.  Every Wednesday morning lots of moms and kids from our ward meet to go swimming.  It has been such a fun tradition this summer!  Katelee loves Wednesdays!  

Usually Katelee kicks herself around the pool in her trusty floatie ring.  

Although this last week she refused the floatie and instead did the wall-crawl the entire time.  I think she pulled herself all around that large swimming pool like four or five times.  She was very proud of her newly discovered talent!

We are happy that we are moving to an apartment complex with a pool, but we are sure going to miss 'Swimming Wednesdays' with all our friends!

Flashback Friday

My baptismal day!

May 1989.

What a special day; I only wish I could remember it better.  Here are a few things I do remember:

• I remember that my mom made me that pink dress specially for the occasion.  I thought I was a princess wearing that dress.
• I remember that my dad baptized me.  It was comforting going into the font with my dad.
• I remember my grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles being there.
• I remember other kids from our stake were baptized on the same day.
• I remember the water was cold.
• I remember afterwards being in the dressing room with my mom, and she gave me a huge squeeze and said, "You did it!"  I remember being struck with how excited she was.
• I remember my Grandma Thurston gave me a new watch.
• I remember feeling really clean and good inside.
• I remember that I was confirmed a member of the church the next day in Sacrament Meeting.  Because it was Fast Sunday, I also bore my testimony in church by myself for the first time to the surprise of my parents.

Priorities

Hmmmm...

What should I do first today?

I could pack boxes, clean the kitchen, take a shower, unclog the clogged toilet, catch up on emails, return phone messages, get Katelee out of her dress-up clothes and comb her hair, prepare for today's piano lessons...

OR

Katelee and I could give ourselves pedicures and manicures.

That's it!  

We know our toes are beautiful.

Sometimes it's exhausting work to look this good.

Sorry about the underwear shot, but that laugh was too good to pass up.

This post is dedicated to Katelee,

for reminding me that even when life is hectic

you have to take a little time to pamper yourself.

Long-Time Friends

Yesterday I got together with two of my friends from high school.

I was going to title this post 'Old Friends,' but then that sounded like we were old.

(Maybe that is up for debate, but I say we are not!)

Anyway, I love both of these sweet girls and am sad that I am moving away to Denver where I will not see them as much anymore.  

One of them, Lindsey, has lived here in Utah Valley for quite awhile, and we have gotten together several times.  Not nearly enough, as it always goes, but still.  

The other one, Tammy, just barely moved here about a month ago.  Isn't it so ironic that now I'm moving away, just when we could start having so much fun together?!  ;)

I am so glad we got together yesterday.

It brought back fond memories and felt just like old times.

We talked and the kids played and had a great time!

Katelee loved all her "new friends" and asked about them for the rest of the day.

She also loved walking on Tammy's wall and swinging in Lindsey's fabulous tire swings.

Here are some pictures of all our kids:

As you can see, Lindsey and Tammy have been a little quicker at reproducing than I have! 

;)  Hee hee!

What a cute group of little ones!

Thank you, Tammy and Lindsey, for a wonderful day!

the beginning of the end

As of tomorrow, I will only have one week left in my house.  Things are starting to wrap up. For example, this week is my last week of piano lessons.  I really hate saying good-bye's.  This last half-hour with each of my students has been slightly awkward and sad.  I've tried to counter that by playing a game reviewing all the things they have learned, so at least they are getting treats and having fun.  Still, yesterday was hard for me; some of my students I have had for over 3 years now and I am really going to miss them.  

I have been trying to pack a few boxes every day in my spare time.  Who knew I had so much stuff?  I've been packing things we 'don't use' right now.  I have filled a lot of boxes with stuff we 'don't use.'  I'm starting to wonder why I have it all if we don't use it.  ;)

I've also hit that point where you start to think, "This is the last time _____________ (fill in the blank with just about anything.)" Blechy. I hate endings. I know, I know, this only means that new exciting things are beginning, blah, blah, blah. But I hate that right now I am in the part where everything is ending.  

the end

:)

A Day of PARTIES!

Yesterday was a full and busy day of fun!  We had three parties to attend, and luckily none of them conflicted with each other! 

First of all, Saturday morning our cul-de-sac had our 5th annual summer breakfast in the circle which also turned into a good-bye party for us.  I am feeling so sad even as I type this to think that this was our last summer breakfast party here.  We have loved this cul-de-sac; it is full of wonderful, friendly people who are sincerely good neighbors and great friends.  We will miss being part of this circle dearly.

Anyway, back to the breakfast - thank you so much everyone for a lovely morning!  The food was delicious, the weather felt perfect, and we had so much fun visiting with everyone.  I didn't think to get my camera out until after more than half of the neighborhood and disbursed and gone home, but I did get a few pictures.

Katelee with the next-door-neighbor girls, Lia and Laura.

More neighborhood kids: Jake, Lia, Josh, Katelee, Reagan, LauraCollecting bugs (of course).Val and Brenda's beautiful yard, where they hosted the breakfast. 

 The kids are still collecting bugs.

The start of Katelee's bug collection for the morning.  I didn't get a picture, but later she must have had 30 or 40 bugs in that one hand!  ;)  

Later that afternoon Katelee and I were invited to attend a birthday party at the Discovery Musuem for one of Katelee's sweet little friends who was turning four.  We carpooled up to the museum with some other friends, and had an absolute blast!  First, we went to the 'birthday room' where the kids dressed up like royalty, played a few games, opened gifts and enjoyed cupcakes.  If you know anything about Katelee, then you know that she was in heaven wearing these beautiful princess dresses!

Princess Katelee
Arts and craftsTelling her friend on the phone all about the party!The darling birthday girl!Katelee & AlexisOther sweet friendsKatelee kept changing her dress because she couldn't decide which one was prettiest. Eating delicious cupcakes!The whole gang.

After the birthday room we went and played in the children's museum for a while.  We both had so, so much fun!  

Later that evening, our family had a little bridal shower for our soon-to-be sister-in-law, Bonnie.  We had a lot of fun!  The guys and the kids all went over to the Willden's to hang out, and all the girls came over to my house.  We ate homemade Cafe Rio salads (I'll post the recipes sometime) and LeRita's homemade cheesecake.  Yum!  We also played that funny game where Bonnie had to answer questions about Geoff.  She actually did really, really well (they were hard questions!) but still had about 8 pieces of chewing gum in her mouth by the end.  It probably almost broke her jaw, but she was a great sport about it and we had a lot of laughs! We gave Bonnie her gift, then we visited and chatted and laughed until it was time to go.  It was nice to spend time together!

Here is a picture of Bonnie with Mom Reynolds.

Whew!  What a fun day!

Living in the Light!

When we were looking for an apartment in Denver, we were disappointed about the fact that most of the apartments do not have light fixtures.  They do have light switches connected to an outlet, but you have to supply your own lighting.  

I love light, and need lots and lots of it.  When I spend time in a dark or gloomy place, I get depressed.  One of the things I have loved about my house is the big, plentiful windows and bright overhead lights.

So, I am determined we are not going to live in the dark.  I began saving up a little money to buy some lamps.  And then I went to Wal-Mart and Target and saw how much even cheap lamps are.  Bummer.  I've never shopped for lamps before.  They could add up fast.

So I turned to one of my new favorite things - the KSL classifieds.  We've sold several things on the classifieds over the years, and bought a few things too.  But shopping for lamps on the classifieds became my new hobby.    Here are the lamps I've bought so far on the classifieds - for a grand total of $35.  

Cute matching lamps for the sofa table in the living room.

Silver lamp for on top of the piano.

Silver floor lamp for our bedroom.  (Matches the bedside lamps we already own.)

Multi-colored lamp for either Katelee's room or the office.

We also bought a desk lamp and some overhead hanging lights for Katelee's room from IKEA (love that place!).  

So, combined with the few other lamps we already owned, I think we are well on our way to filling our new apartment with light.  And HOORAY for doing it so inexpensively!