The Strength of Youth

About 3 or 4 months ago, I was called to be the Laurel Advisor in my ward. I wasn't so sure about it - I've been so tired recently, the last year had been pretty tough, and I just didn't know if I had the emotional reserves.

I accepted, cuz that's what you do when extended a calling, and it's been a good time thus far. The girls are good, the leaders are great, the Young Women President is pretty grounded.

Tonight we had the New Beginnings program for Personal Progress. The Church has added a new value to the Young Women Theme - virtue - and I was asked to introduce it. It was a pretty spiritual experience (and I bawled like a baby).

These young women are incredibly strong and have really great testimonies. The world is putting a lot of pressure on our youth to be anything other than a strong son or daughter of God. It's so easy to slip and commit serious sin. I pray that the youth today can stay strong and understand their true worth.

He's a good kitty...

A scaredy kitty, but a good kitty. His name is Schwammi and he's about 6 years old now.

Mike found him at a job site in Spanish Fork about 5 years ago and, after asking around to see if anyone was missing a little kitty, he snuck him home and put him in the little shed in the backyard. (His dad didn't want another cat after their last one, Trigger, had died.)

Schwammi was about 6 months old when Mike found him, but looked more like about 2 months old because he was so undernourished. He's grown quite a bit from the little, cute, somewhat pathetic-looking little kitty with a really sad meow.

Now, he's big and well-fed and curious, and yes, scared of everything. He runs away from all strangers, but is curious enough to watch from around the corner. He will try any food - if he's in the basement with us and we have dinner plates, he'll come up and put his face right next to the plate. He enjoys yogurt, Lifesaver sours, mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC, and tuna - of course.

The funniest thing he does is plop on the floor and roll over onto his back and spread his legs - all the better for you to scratch his belly.

He's an outdoor cat right now, but when we move from Dean's place, we're going to find a place that will take a pets and make him into an indoor cat. So, all you allergic family members out there, bring your Benadryl with you when you come to stay!

Update - just saw something else funny. Mike and I are watching "Dogs 101" on Animal Planet right now and had paused it on a close-up image of a dog. Mike grabbed Schwammi and held him up next to the TV. Schwam immediately let out a hiss and reached out with his claws. Mike started to put him down and Schwam again let out a hiss and then bolted for the living room door where he peaked into the room with his back all arched up and his fur extended. Pretty hilarious.

Winter Wonderland!

The snow has been falling... and falling... and falling...

The weekend before Christmas we had a crazy storm that brought in large amounts of snow. Right before Christmas, we got another load of snow dumped on us. Mike had a hard time getting out of our culdesac with his car - he got stuck 4 times just trying to get out of our neighborhood. Yep, 4 times. This storm gave us probably 8 inches of snow.

The last couple of days we ended up with another 12 inches or so. Really light, dry, powdery snow, but still crazy amounts. The ski resorts around the Wasatch Front are loving it because the base is so fantastic right now, but it's a different story down here in town since we aren't seeing the snow plows very often. I don't know that they plowed our neighborhood once around Christmas. We had to get a guy in the ward to do that for us so that we could at least drive around without getting stuck.

Here's a picture of a little kid's picnic table covered in snow. The green thing is the top of the table and that's about 18 inches of snow piled on top of it:


Hopefully all the snow will help with the drought situation that Utah's been in for a while. It was looking like a dry winter, but fingers are crossed that we'll continue to get good amounts of moisture throughout the winter.

How do I get used to having a camera?

So, my husband gets me this fabulous digital camera for Christmas. It has exactly what I want, it's not super-tiny (like the cell phone in Zoolander) and it's just all-around wonderful.

The problem? I forget that I have it. So, I'm not taking any pictures (not that Mike and I are all that exciting but still).

The question? How do I get used to having a camera around so that when something exciting does happen I'm ready for it?

I'm open to all suggestions.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I just want to tell everyone Happy New Year! 2008 has come to a close - it was a long year, full of many trials, but it also had some great times.

Here's hoping that 2009 brings you all the joy, love, opportunities, and wonderfulness that you each deserve.

Love you all!

The Snow is Falling, the Decorations Are Up, and I'm Feeling the Holiday Spirit!

The snow has finally started falling here in Provo - we've seen some pretty good snow around Northern Utah. I don't know that it will keep us drought-free, but at least it's falling like it should in December. (The picture below is looking at Collins Peak at Alta Ski Resort.)
I've also got my Christmas decorations up and I'm feeling the Christmas spirit - Yeah! I don't know why I've had such a hard time this year getting excited for the holidays, but for some reason, it's taken a lot to get here. It has been a long hard year - I don't know that I'll look back on 2008 with loads of fondness - and I know that it's affecting me and making it more difficult to feel happy and excited. I'm glad that it's coming to a close.

Christmas should be a great one this year. Mike and I have decided to stay home and celebrate ourselves and that's good. We'll be with family before the holidays, which will be fun. Mom and Dad are having a pre-Christmas celebration this coming weekend and Kristin, Heather, and Becky and their families will all be there (well, everyone except Jake since he had to work). So, it'll be fun. I'll miss Travis and Preston, but you take what you can get when you can get it.

Christmas Spirit - What Christmas Spirit?

I'm feeling a little Grinch-y. Christmas season is upon us but I'm having a bit of trouble getting into the proper Christmas mood. It's sunny and 40+ degrees here, there's not a speck of snow on the ground, and I've yet to drag my Christmas decorations out of the shed.

I'm watching the Provo High Track Team run by my office window right now and every single one of them is in shorts! Seriously, it is only 40 degrees outside, but I guess the lack of snow is confusing those poor young kids.

It's time to force myself to feel the joy of the season! Yep, it's time to decorate for Christmas and bring my little office tree into work and turn on the lights. I need it - I need the reminder of what this season is and trees, lights, pretty ornaments, and music will do that better than snow on the ground ever could.

Next time I post, I'll be happy and filled with the Christmas spirit. At least, I better!

Thanksgiving has come and gone - but what to do with all this turkey?!

Thanksgiving was a success - 9 people chowing down on tender and juicy turkey, mounds of mashed potatoes (see my post on my humangous potato to see what we mashed up), loads of gravy, rolls, veggies, cranberry sauce, yams and apples, and apple salad. I had purchased and thawed a 20-lb bird, thinking we'd need all that meat, but we didn't. We had enough bird left to fill 6-quart size bags - 6! (Yeah, I don't estimate all that well apparently.)


So, now, what do we do with all that turkey? Turkey sandwiches will only take you so far before you start craving something else, but you definitely cannot let all the meat go to waste.


I'm trying to figure out what to do with leftover turkey meat that would be tasty, filling and won't require huge amounts of effort. So far, I've come up with turkey quesadillas, turkey pot pie, a twist on Shepherd Pie, and... nothing else. Can I get some help, please?

Some days are better than others...

Some days really are better than others...

- some days start off really great;
- some days don't have stupid people to deal with;
- some days your legs don't ache from walking for hours;
- some days things simply work.

I voted... Did you?

It's incredibly interesting to watch the democratic process at work. Our nation is amazing - not perfect, but it's incredibly heartening to see something so important to the world take place without violence or craziness (well, too much craziness).