FOR TIME & ALL ETERNITY

My sister and her fiance waited 7 months, but it finally happened! They were sealed yesterday in the Manti temple. I am so happy that they are so happy!

Here they are at the dinner. This is my new brother-in-law. It is so exciting, especially after everything they've been through. Yay for them!

It was an amazing ceremony and the family dinner afterward went off without a hitch, as well. We got to see lots of friends and family and that is always fun!

My camera was the only downer of the day. I had it on a tri-pod so that I could take a timed photo and be in it, and the wind blew it over. The screen is now cracked and doesn't work, but it does still take photos. What a freak thing...

SURGERY

Well, it happened. S was able to get her ACL surgery on Wednesday, but now she is going to miss our New York art trip. I am very sad. I really wanted us to go together. I even bought us tickets to Wicked. Hope someone will buy the extra from me... and someone will buy her plane ticket to New York too.

She is doing really well. We have to keep the ice machine on her all day for a couple days, and she's struggling with stairs, so she is staying with us for a few days. Today will be her first day of physical therapy. She has a long road ahead, but at least she got it done and can hopefully get better now.

STRATEGY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Last night S introduced us to a very fun new game her roommates are obsessed with. It is called Blokus. The best thing about it is that everyone in our family is old enough to play. We have a tendency to like games that are too hard for our smaller kids, so that is a big bonus.

I actually won the second time I played. S was very unhappy because she is used to winning. Heh heh heh (villainous laugh). She said I won because I made her be yellow- blue is the only color she'd ever played with, but I think it is my superior brain power!

WHEN PIGS FLY

Well, it finally happened... D got an answer! He asked a girl in his class to Junior Prom over a month ago and I was starting to wonder if an answer would ever come, but D never did. He wasn't worried at all.

Yesterday, there was a pink box on the porch with his name on it and a note that read: 'I decided that I would go to Prom with you when pigs fly...'  Then he opened the box and all these little pink balloons with pig faces on them flew out. It was very cute! At the bottom of the box it said: '...so I went out and found some-- YES!' So, I guess he's got a date and now we need to find a tux...

19 YEARS AND COUNTING

My oldest daughter, S, turns the big one- nine today. I just have to say how impressed I am with her and the way she lives her life. She is growing up into an amazingly competent, self-reliant woman. What more can parents ask for?

(This is a photo I took of her last week, I love it!)

She went with some of her friends to see the Grand Canyon for her birthday this weekend. I called her this morning to wish her happy birthday and she was in church. It made me so happy that she has such a strong testimony that she will go to church in a strange place where she knows no one and while she's on her own.

She is also a very talented artist. She is loving studying art and I am so proud of her and her work. This is a photo she took of the Manti temple to give my husband and I as a Christmas gift. I'll have to put some of her other art work on here sometime as well.

COOL PHOTOS

Here are the photos by Jason that I promised (from last Saturday). He is such a fabulous photographer!

I LOVE this one of D!

Little C with N FLYING on the fastest sled I have ever seen.

Our version of a chairlift.

I also love this photo of Little C. I love that face even more!

Here are N and Big C racing. Can you say Adrenaline Junkies?

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

My oldest daughter, S, tore her ACL last year snowboarding. She needs reconstructive surgery, but has put it off. Now, if she wants financial help, she has to have it approved and done by the end of the month. I am not sure if it will happen or not. We all know how fast red tape is cut.

Here she is in her paper shorts for the exam. The surgeon moved her knee joint in ways it shouldn't move. It really was gross.

We are torn (pun intended) about wanting to get it done soon, because we are headed to New York the first of next month and she will have to hobble around on crutches there. But then, on the other hand, to have help paying for it would be VERY nice, so we are just not sure how to feel about the whole thing. Basically we have ZERO control. I guess we'll just wait...

JUST ANOTHER DAY

Our Valentine's Day was not a fabulous day. I wasn't feeling anything close to perky, so it was very low-key. Big C has promised to take me out to dinner when I'm feeling better.

The kids came home from school with almost as much junk as they do during Halloween. For them, it was a success!

These are what I wish my cupcakes looked like.

I made cupcakes and some other treats to take to family and then for Family Night we played 'Cupid' and secretly delivered some of the treats to neighbors.

And, of course, I needed to have CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES! This year I made my own and they taste just as wonderful as if they'd been bought! I do love them so...

WHITE WEDDING

Last week we had a very fun RS Night. It was on Temple marriage. We brought our wedding dresses and photos to display, listened to a sealer from the Manti temple, and modeled our dresses. It was a blast!

Here I am during the fashion show. Luckily I was wearing a white shirt. You can't tell how my dress wouldn't even go up to my shoulders. Gosh, I used to be skinny!

Here is the lovely group, decked out in our wedding finery, doing our best model poses. I have an amazing ward with lots of great friends!

ALL WE EVER DO

I know it seems like all we ever do is go skiing and play in the snow, but what else is there to do in the winter? Winter seems to last FOREVER. If I couldn't go outside and enjoy myself occasionally, I don't know what I would do. Go into deep depression, probably. Yesterday was a primo day for being outside in the winter. Sunny and warm. I drove the snowmobiles all day without gloves, never put on a hat, and never wore a coat. SO wonderful!

S came and brought her roommate. We were so glad to be with her again. We don't get to see her much anymore. Here they are (making a sandwich out of Princess P) on the snowmobile.

Little C does a board grab. Pretty good for only boarding a year.

The boys, of course, did some awesome jumps that needed to be photographed. Our photographer friend was there and took some really great shots too. I'll post them later when he sends them to me.

Quite a few of our friends were able to come too and it was lots of fun for the kids. D and A getting towed up the hill.

We grilled hot dogs and had snacks. Here are Little C and two of his buddies that were there.

We all came home with shiny, red faces. It was a perfect day!

TEACHER APPRECIATION

I am the 'head' Room Mother for Little C's 4th grade class this year. I just didn't know what to do for Teacher Appreciation week, so I went in and took a photo of his class.

They are holding letters you can barely see, but they had a lot of fun. I am going to print it and frame it for Mr. Clark (and also give him a package of Twix bars). It is hard to know what to do, but I hope this will be something he can remember this class with. He is a pretty awesome teacher.

SCANDINAVIAN COOKIES

When I was growing up I loved these rosette cookies and would pick them as the Family Home Evening treat almost every time it was my turn.

A few days ago, while cleaning out my pantry, I came across the tools to make the cookies and decided I should make them for my family. I have fond memories of my mom instructing me on how to make them. (I even remembered through all the years).

Some of my kids liked them, some didn't, but my husband loved them and ate quite a few. Here's a recipe if you're interested...

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine eggs, sugar and salt; beat well. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
2. Heat a rosette iron in deep, hot oil (400 degrees) for 2 minutes.
3. Drain excess oil from iron. Dip in batter to 1/4 inch from the top of the iron, then dip iron immediately into hot oil (400 degrees).
4. Fry rosette until golden, about 30 seconds. Rosette will fall off iron as it cooks.
5. Reheat iron 1 minute; make next rosette.
6. Sprinkle rosettes with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar. Yum!

STORMY SKI DAY

It was a beautiful day... down in the valley- 36 f when we left home. By the time we were driving up Fairview Canyon it was slick, snow-packed roads. The temp dropped to 24 f and the wind was BLOWING something fierce! Most of the kids lasted an hour and then went and sat in the truck.

But of course Big C, D and I stuck it out. The snow was actually pretty good.

The terrain park was in fine form for the kids. This is D jumping the Pac Man car.

Big C and I did a backcountry run and it was great! I stole this photo off of the internet, but this is the type of terrain we did. POWDER SWEET POWDER! It turned out to be a pretty fabulous day.

OUR LAST PINEWOOD DERBY

I am not a fan of the Pinewood Derby. I know, I'm a horrible person. I just hate how it turns into a thing for the Dads not the boys. I think they should put together the kits at den meeting and let the dads come and watch later. But, I'll get off my soapbox and tell you about our latest experience...

Little C had the fastest car last night! We were blown away because he used his car from last YEAR! Funny, huh?

Here he is with the winning car and the certificate. He was very happy. He'd never won before.

Here is Princess P (on the right), watching the action.

Here is Little C with both cars. The one on the left is the slowest car ever made and that is why he used his one from last year. He insisted on making his car this year into the Bugatti Veyron SS (fastest car in the world- at one point or another).

This is it. Here is a link to watch it in action. (I am not really a car person, but it is pretty exciting, and a beautiful car to boot).

This is the Big C/Little C pinewood derby version. Ironic, is it not, how it was the slowest car there last night. So Little C could claim he had the fastest car and the slowest car there. I'm just glad our days of Pinewood Drama are over.

CLASSICS

There are some movies that are just timeless for me. I can watch them over and over and they never get old. Here are some of my favorites:

Such great memories from High School and now my kids love it too. "I want my two dollars!"

Another quote-able movie. "Out of the way, Peck!" is a favorite at our house. The special effects in this movie make my kids laugh. It is also one of the reasons I used to LOVE Val Kilmer...

SUCH a favorite at our house. I need to get this on DVD before our VCR dies. "No more rhymes now, I mean it! Anybody wanna peanut?"

This one I do have on DVD and I am so glad. Even with a mullet, Kevin Costner looks good in this movie. And Alan Rickman is the ULTIMATE bad guy as the Sheriff!

I can watch either one of these versions all day every day. What is it about Jane Austen that I love? GREAT stories, great men, great heroines... maybe? Mmmm, I'm off to watch a movie!