Nursery

The whole ward keeps asking us if serving in Nursery has been natural birth control for us. We think that's really silly. No Way! Nursery is awesome! Of course there are cranky kids and spills and falls and really short attention spans, but it really is the best class around. Today we saw Hunter, who we don't see that often. And I'm pretty sure he's grown like a foot in the last couple months. Holy cow, that is one tall 3 year old. Anyway, he and Ava really hit it off, and they were having a great time playing kitchen together after Hunter gave up his "Danger place" built of legos. It was pretty elaborate. Hunter cooked a lizard in the oven, but every time Ava asked what he wanted to order, he only wanted chicken nuggets. When I asked for a cookie, or ice cream, Ava said it was all gone. Eventually, Ava heard me say his name, which she had not known, and she got really excited and started telling us about the other Hunter she knew, who was her neighbor. Except she kept calling him "the bad Hunter". Haha. She also got really excited when I told her a secret, that we were having popcorn for a snack. It was cute how long she tried to whisper about it.

Jacob, our usual happy one, was not too happy today. I think he was having tooth problems. He got pretty mad when he was tired of doing one thing, but we weren't sure what he wanted to do next. At one point I had to put the bubbles away because everyone was screaming really loud in excitement, and I told them they could only use inside voices with bubbles. Jacob really wanted to play with bubbles, so I told him he would have to ask his friends not to scream. He did, and it was pretty cute. What else is cute is the way he says Aldridge, perfectly, but almost not sure if that's a real word or not. 

I love these kids, and I'm so thankful I've gotten to spend this year with them. I have gotten kind of attached, and I'll be sad when the older ones leave for sunbeams. What a quiet class we'll have again!

A Real Saturday

It seems like my husband and I have lost our Saturdays far too often in these past few months. I have to work, or he has to work, and only sometimes do we both have to work. It's especially lame for the one who has to spend Saturday alone... which for me makes it like every other day of the week. But today was a real, blissful, Saturday. Stephen did go to the office for a couple hours, but not for long. I made waffles in the morning, we flipped through channels on tv, then moved around out living room furniture and put up all the pictures that Stephen gave me last week. Well, he put them up. I helped. A little. Then he went to the office and I picked up the living room and kitchen. He came home and I made a yummy dinner, he picked up a pumpkin and some candy, just in case we had any trick or treaters. He also got some dry ice, and after he gutted the pumpkin he filled it with water and dry ice... and it was really, really cool. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean (that's about as scary a movie as I can stand.. lol) then our friends Barbie and Ken came to admire our new decor for a few minutes. We even drove around town in the dark to take a time lapse on the Boulevard. It was a FUN Saturday. So today that's what I'm thankful for. The way Saturday should be.

Main Street

I know, that sounds like a silly thing to be thankful for, but it really does make my life better. When walking to Curves, Bluff Street is the most direct way to get there. The walk is about a mile and a half, but Bluff Street is very busy, and it smells like cars and trucks. Those fumes can't be good for you. It almost seems to negate the whole point of walking. Sometimes I still go that way, but I usually regret it. Only slightly longer, at 1.6 miles, is to walk down Main Street instead, which is a lot quieter, and I see few to none huge trucks blowing black smoke. I can see the temple pretty much my whole way home, and I can walk past my friend's house. I still wouldn't call it a pretty walk on most of that particular part of Main Street, but it's much better that Bluff, so I'm a fan. And I even get a few more steps for my pedometer :)

Friday #10

This morning, the number is 193.2. Not much different from last week, but it still feels like success. Ok, it feels like cheating, because I have kind of been eating junk this week. Cookies, dove chocolates after 9pm, the anniversary m&ms that finally got to come out of the freezer, french toast, muffins, that kind of thing. I've only been to curves 3 times this week, counting later today. And only walked twice. But hey, I got rid of another 1/2 pound! And you know what? That means that since I've started counting (before I started Curves) I've lost 30 pounds this year! Woohoo!

The other night we went to ask Bishop if we could borrow his truck, and we came home with like a dozen pomegranates picked from a tree by the house where he grew up. Yesterday, I discovered that getting the seeds out of them is not as difficult as it's cracked up to be (heh) so now we have a bowl of them. I don't especially like the taste, but they are kind of addicting, nonetheless. I like the crunch. Sister Smith gave me a recipe for pomegranate salsa, and I'm pretty sure that would be awesome. I may try that today.

Beautiful Christmas Music

Does it seem a little early to be thankful for Christmas music? I don't think so. I'm not talking about the unbelievingly cheesy music that ruins your favorite pop station starting November 1st. I'm talking about the really good stuff. The hymns, the classics, Handel's Messiah, you get the picture. I LOVE choral music all the time, but especially during the Christmas season. And lucky for me, being in a choir means that Christmas starts even before Halloween can squeeze in. In face, Heritage Choir started rehearsing for Christmas tonight.

I remember the first time my Christmas season began before October was over. I was in Nauvoo that fall, and couldn't think of a better place to spend Christmas. We weren't even there for Christmas, but we sure made up for it with all our Christmas activities that stretched out for a blissful month and a half before we left. Our choir met every day before dinner, and we worked so, so hard to memorize 11 or 12 songs. I memorized two more, as I had a solo, and a duet with my friend Sterling. AND I had a solo in the Messiah sing... the hardest solo I've ever had in my life. The spirit of Christmas literally filled the halls of the JSA as we each had a different song stuck in our head. Ok, so most of the time it was the same song... (Remember? "Down in the town of Bethlehem, into a world full of woe.... What a wonder what a joy!" Haha, now it's stuck in your head again). Anyway, Christmas music is connected with some of the best memories. Memories of home, memories of Women's chorus, memories of service. Memories of Nauvoo, and Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. So don't feel bad listening to your Christmas playlist so early. I think I'm going to make mine now.

The awesome parts of my job

Today I am thankful for my job. And when I say that, surprisingly I am not talking about the part where I get paid. I'm talking about the part where I encounter some really awesome people while I am delivering their mail. Example, today I had to deliver an Express, which is a rare occurrence on my route. They are not really a big deal, especially when I know I'll get them done easily before the 2pm deadline. But they make me a little nervous, just because I get in bigger trouble if I happen to mess up on them. This particular package went to a very sweet old man who answered the door holding a baby grandson. I was impressed that he could hold the baby and sign for his Express at the same time. It just made me smile. I asked his name so that I could print it for him under his signature, since I knew that would be easier. He told me I had such a beautiful smile, and a great attitude, and asked if anyone had ever told me that before. I assured him they had, and he gave me a pat on the cheek and wished me good day. It was so sweet. I love people who are not afraid to compliment strangers. That sweet old man totally made my day. I wrote in my application letter that I wanted to really contribute to the community, and I really feel like I do. "Oh the mailman is a person in your neighborhood!" haha. I love when people wave hello, or stand in their driveway so I can give them the mail and a smile. There are a lot of things about my job that do annoy me, when when it all comes down to it, I'm so thankful that I get to have this experience!

31 Days of Thankful!

So, counting today and November 25, there are exactly thirty one days from today to Thanksgiving! I know we haven't quite passed Halloween, but lets be honest, Halloween isn't much without the gobs of candy, which I will not be partaking this year. Maybe a little. Thanksgiving is a much more substantial and meaningful holiday, which I love, and I'm ready to celebrate!

One year when I was little, my mom drew a turkey on a huge piece of poster board, and cut out hundreds of feathers from construction paper. We called it the Turkey of Thanksgiving, and every day we wrote something we were thankful for on a colored feather, and taped it onto the turkey. Everyone who visited our house had to make a feather. That turkey was really something by the time Thanksgiving rolled around. I continued the tradition three of the Thanksgivings I was away at school, with my friends and room mates. I wish I had pictures. I wish I had the turkey that my room mate Amelia made, which was awesome. I even used it again the next year.

Today I am thankful for anniversaries. Is this a shameless excuse to brag about my husband even though you know I'll be thankful for him in more than one post, and perhaps all of them? Maybe. But I am thankful for the full day that is especially set apart for remembering the beginning of our eternal relationship, and wondering at all that has happened since then. Ours was Sunday, but we tend to stretch out these weekend celebrations. Saturday Stephen had to work, but when he came home he surprised me with a TON of his pictures all printed and framed. Most of them were taken on our Honeymoon. I LOVE them, mostly because they are not just beautiful pictures, but they mean something to us, even if they are not all pictures of us. I can't wait to put them up on our wall. Sunday morning I made french toast and hot chocolate, and set the table with the China dishes that my mom gave us for our wedding. I had a roast in the crock pot, and after church we brought it on our trip to Kolob, where our friend let us spend the night in his ranch house. The house was freezing, and there wasn't any dry wood for a fire (not that Stephen didn't spend hours trying) but the scenery was just gorgeous. Monday morning, we reluctantly got out of bed, the only warm place in the house, and had hot chocolate and muffins for breakfast. The morning was absolutely beautiful, and we took our time cleaning up and getting ready to leave. It wasn't long, but it was so nice to get away together, some place quiet, and just be together, with no distractions. I imagine the getting away together part will be more and more important as more distractions come our way, so I'm glad we've started that now.

I know, I know, where are the pictures of this beautiful place? Well, Stephen took them all. And there aren't any of us because we were too cold. I'll work on that, if I can find my thumb drive.

Friday #9?

I'm sorry I didn't post last week. Forgive my moment of weakness. I'm back and ready to share!

The count today is 193.8! That's a good feeling since I've kind of been feeling a little stuck these last couple weeks. This week, and last, I started walking to Curves. It's hard. harder than I thought it would be. Before I went to curves I was used to walking 3 or 4 or more miles a day, five days a week. So I figured 1.5 miles one way, no big deal! I tell you what, the next day it's a big deal. It hurts. But I've found it hurts less if I make sure to stretch when I get home, after all that walking, and not just after my workout when I still have half an hour of walking left. It's not the prettiest walk, like the ones I took before, but it feels good to do it, and hopefully it will be a good boost for my metabolism.

The last couple weeks there have been WAY too many home made caramel apples in my life. And in my stomach. But now that all of Jennie's caramel apple stuff is used up, I think I'm safe. There is still one on my counter meant for my husband, but I don't think he's going to eat it. It's so pretty though! Very hard to resist. I think I better make some of those banana muffins.

Pumpkin Trifle

Last week I got this email from Taste of Home with my "bonus" recipes for the month. The pumpkin trifle caught my eye, probably because it was so pretty and I was definitely feeling the fall recipe vibes. Oh, and because of the little red heart signifying a "healthy" dessert. I did my best, but I couldn't find all the healthy ingredients, so I improvised a little. I made it on Saturday night. On Sunday we shared it with the McBrides. Tonight we finally finished the last of it. Soooo. So. Yummy. I'm not a huge pumpkin pie fan. I love the taste of it, but the texture of the pumpkin filling gets to me for some reason. This is an amazing alternative. Here's the recipe...

Ingredients

• 1 package (14-1/2 ounces) gingerbread cake mix
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1 egg
• 4 cups cold fat-free milk
• 4 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice
• 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
• Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water and egg, beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 8-in. square baking pan.
• Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. When completely cooled, crumble the cake. Set aside 1/4 cup crumbs for garnish.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in pumpkin and spices until well blended.
• In a trifle bowl or 3-1/2-qt. glass serving bowl, layer a fourth of the cake crumbs, half of the pumpkin mixture, a fourth of the cake crumbs and half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Garnish with reserved cake crumbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. Yield: 18 servings.

Facebook Fast

I tend to feel bored a lot, even when I know there is plenty I could be doing. Ok, especially when there is plenty I could be doing. I often spend hours every day on facebook, playing tetris, or some other time consuming, time wasting game that will not ever make me a better person no matter how many levels I beat. And that makes me feel more bored, not less. Now, I love facebook. I have over 500 friends, and I enjoy hearing what they are up to, and seeing pictures of their friends and families. I enjoy sharing my pictures, and sharing my joys and successes with lots of people who care. But sometimes I know it's time for a break. Sometimes I just need to refocus my life, and the way I spend my time. I do lots of good things every day, but I can do even more. I bet I could even stay home all day (except for going to the gym) and never be bored. 

Today I'm starting my facebook fast. I've done this before, but this time it's for a whole month. Actually, a little longer. I'm not going to even look at facebook until my birthday on November 21st. That might mean that I blog a little more, but hopefully it won't mean that I find something equally time wasting to fill those daily hours with. 

Remembering

I keep catching myself thinking about Jerusalem these past couple days. Yesterday I walked into the Bosch Kitchen store, and it smelled just like the Old City. That's pretty much the smell you get any time you have that many competing spices in one place. I'm sure I smelled it before I went to Israel, but now that smell and that place are inseparably connected in my mind. It's the same thing when I cook falafel, which obviously has a lot of spices.

Today I walked to Curves, which is about the same distance as walking from the Jerusalem Center to the Old City. I wore my colorful Jerusalem bag because it's the only purse I have that is hands free - good for walking. I thought about all the times I walked down the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley and back up to Damascus Gate, and still wish I had made that walk more often while I was there. Yesterday someone mentioned eating Talapia, and of course I thought of my St. Peter's fish at Ein Gev. The other day the ladies at Curves were talking about eating "safe food" while traveling, and I told them all about my experience in Egypt. I often wear my "What the Tell" tshirt when I work out, and always light up when anyone asks me about it. As soon as Halloween is over, I'm going to bring out my Nativity. If I can wait that long. I'm always looking for an excuse to go back to Jerusalem, and to bring Stephen with me because I want him to have that experience too. And I want to take MORE pictures. Because pictures are never enough.

Friday #7... on a Monday

This seems like a good time to look at the big picture. Mostly because I have the weight and measurement report from Curves right here in front of me, and I'm pretty proud of it, so I want to share. Since May, I have lost 21.5 lbs (and I had already lost three or four before I started Curves) and 16 inches overall. More importantly, my BMI started at 36.36, and is now at 32.78. I'm shooting for 25, but that's a pretty significant improvement towards a healthy body. Even if this year were over, to say I lost 25 pounds this year is pretty amazing, especially knowing I could do it again next year and feel even better about it.

I knew I'd gain last week because I had lost so much water the week before. But to be positive, I only gained one pound, even with that weekend trip up north. That's pretty good. That reminds me that I am in control, and that's pretty powerful.

Friday #6 - a short one before our weekend trip

So as I predicted last week, working 5 days in a row has definitely taken a toll on me. The current number is 195, but before you get too excited about that, remember that even a normal weekend would send that number back up a pound or two. My goal for this vacation weekend is not to let it get further than that. The low for this week was 194 when I got home from work yesterday. It was hot this week, very hot, and that's a lot of water my friends. I could be wrong. It might stay off if I do it right this weekend. I did drink lots of water out there, and didn't really get dehydrated at all. And I was moving constantly between 7am and 4pm. But I didn't go to Curves even once this week. They were long days at work, but that's another story. Hopefully today I'll get a decent walk around campus :) Yes, I FINALLY get to visit Provo again. And hear my Singers!!!!!