Piece of Elise

For Posterity's Sake

2011-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Punctuation

2011-09-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Speaking of grandma, how many of you are overjoyed about her 90th birthday party?! 1 month away!

Dreams Came True

2011-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I joined thousands of little girls, dads, moms, teens, and a few young adult men as our dreams came true. We were part of Taylor Swift's Speak Now World Tour 2011.
It was enhanting! She put on a better show than I could have dreamed of (& believe me, I've dreamed of it plenty). It was so fun to be surrounded by so many sweet fans that were ecstatic to be there.
A Taylor Swift song came on today & I almost cried. I don't know what as gotten into me.

P.S. It was a first date, how cool & kind is that! Even more cool, he knew every single word to every single song.

Relief Society Retreat

2011-09-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

"Mi Lynh, How do you feel about this adventure we're about to embark on?"

"Oh, really...me too!"

Car problems before we even got going, not going to stop us.

Roomies. We stuck together.

Bob the builder helmets for low course elements. We had to traverse a 50ft cable.
Helmets & duck tape goggles for the blind walk. I think the facilitators made us wear this stuff so they could laugh at us.
Pam repelling like a pro.
Mi Lynh about to zip away.
Pam loves buddies.
Pam about to jump off the 40ft perch element.
Beautiful drive home through the canyon.
I loooove Relief Society!

The Birthday Frog

2011-09-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

a few found x-country pics

2011-09-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

First high-5 of the trip. Vivian Park, Provo canyon.... we didn't know we were in for 16 hrs of driving that day.

Sharon, Vermont, birthplace of Joseph Smith.

Watermelon eating, high 5-ing, somewhere in New Hampshire.

Brothers

2011-09-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

I am very blessed to have 4 sweet brothers. They are all very different, but do have a few things in common.

1. I am their sister

2. They are very very nice to me; even though they may show it in different ways.

3. They are smart.

4. They never beat me up.

5. They are talented.

6. They like adventure.

Ben came up to hang out with Craig & I for the day before he left on a trip. We played games, had a curry dinner, went on a walk, and layed on the floor just enjoying being in the same place as each other. It was nice to have someone back me up when I tease Ben:)

I had to trick these two into a photo.

This morning I got to bid farewell to Craig as he went abroad. He was SOOO excited.

"I’m sailing! I’m sailing! I’m sailing!… I’m sailing! I’m sailing! I sail! I’m sailiiiiiing!"

2011-09-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I got sailing certified for our community lake & I was real excited to test my skills and take Pam out.

We went today, there wasn't much wind but it was very peaceful & good practice. We didn't capsize, no one got hit in the head, and we didn't even have to paddle/get rescued out of a situation. success.

I was trying to take a picture of Pam without looking. I would normally delete a picture like this, BUT can you believe how obnoxiously long those toes are? I don't think they stop growing. Jon, 1,2,3,4 I declare a toe war.

After we untied her from the mast. jk, Pam loves boating activities.

First

2011-09-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Attended my first ballet class tonight.

I'm going to have to not eat chocolate in bed...so much.

2011-08-31T18:29:00.001-07:00

I'm looking for an all white comforter, if you spot a good one anywhere let me know.

please.

3 ingredients to success

2011-08-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

success of an incredibly easy coconut macaroon.

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 large bag unsweetened coconut flakes

1tsp vanilla

combine, ball on cookie sheet, bake at 350 until tips are golden, jump up & down in excitement for them being soooo easy & yet soooo tasty.

other suggestions:

-use almond extract instead of vanilla

-add lemon & zest

-drizzle with chocolate

This will be the test to see if my roommates love me.

2011-08-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

My entire house smells like beans.

That reminds me of my first black bean cooking experience. I didn't rinse or soak my beans & just put them cooking in the crock pot all night. I was awoken at 4am because of the horrible "a rodent has been rotting behind the couch smell". That early morning, my apartment was home to the most pungent odor of my life thus far. No rodent, just poorly cooked beans.

On a better note. The beans were not nearly as foul smelling this time around. As soon as they were done, I decided on using them to try making black bean hummus.

Today's hummus making was infinitely better than THIS hummus making day.

Today I tried Black Bean & Chili Lime Hummus. Tasty.

Sorry, I haven't got a recipe.

Just follow a traditional hummus recipe but instead of garbanzo beans use black beans, & instead of lemon use lime, & then blend in something chilipeppery.

Next up is lentil hummus.

Ride by shooting

2011-08-28T16:01:00.001-07:00

In each new area I usually like to do some sort of shooting. Drive by, walk by, roll by, or in this case, ride by. On this particular shooting I will take you around the lake & tell you some options of the possible fun we could have. Come along.

If you come to visit, please wear your white linen pants; we will have a shoot on this dock & afterward we can put our feet in the lake & let the fish suck on our toes.

then we could have a stick race.

next, we could go sailing, or canoeing, or kayaking, or paddle boating, or row boating. you choose.
we could pick cattails & do a cattail craft like I used to do when I was little & leave bouquets of them on old peoples porches. they'll keep them there for years.
we could have dinner at my favorite place, the dock, & stop by the gelato shop for dessert.
we could walk downtown & watch the strands of lights light up.
& if it's a Friday or Saturday night we could listen to music in the park.
then we could complete this obstacle course &try to beat the 26 second record.
we might be exhausted by then, so we could put our feet in the sand & watch the stars.
just some options.

come visit.

don't forget those linen pants.

Utah Summer Hiking

2011-08-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

mountainous lakes are one of my favorite things.

rope swing into a mountainous lake, ohhhh my, one of my top favorite things.

Fair

2011-08-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's fair to say that I have been blog absent.

Be fair on me and remember that I have been moving and adjusting and going through difficulties.

but I am back thanks to you. There isn't much that makes me feel better than feeling wanted & appreciated. you have made me feel that way. So even if it means I post a picture of my feet because there is nothing quite as interesting in my life at the present time, I will.

Lucky for you, no feet picture this post.

Things have been pretty interesting around here. One of the highlights since I moved in was having the FAV girls come over for a slumber party. In the short time they were here we:

squealed

ate junk food

watched a movie

slumbered in my bed

swam at the reservoir

went on a walking park tour

did an obstacle course

went shopping

ate b-fast out of one giant cereal bowl

cruised with the music up & the windows down.

& went to the FAIR

Sweet pinatas

real excited about local art

vibrating exercise machine

zebra in a cage
smelly pigs.

Thanks for coming gals!

Sum

2011-07-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Finished the X-country roadtrip...it was rad.
Maine was beautiful & wonderful & I will always love it.
Now I have moved into the most ideal of places & my life is feeling much more balanced and I am extremely excited for what is to come.

this is what happiness looks like

2011-06-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Great Salt Bay Wildlife Preserve

a great place to spend a Sunday

2011-06-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Staff Trip

2011-06-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Katahdin set the perfect backdrop for our Summer 2011 staff trip. The people were rad, the beach volleyball was rad, the hiking, canoeing, & rafting were all rad, the food was mmmmm, and it got us all pumped for a rad summer.

High 5 across America

2011-06-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Famous Little America, WY cones
Just outside of Lander, WY

Wallgreens Parking lot-Ohio

GlimmerGlass Lake, NY

Chaplain Canal Lock 9-New York

Devils Tower-WY

Mount Rushmore-South Dakota

Needles Hwy-South Dakota

Badlands-South Dakota

Blurry car pic-Minnesota

Cheese stop-Wisconsin

i swear i rotated the pictures.

2011-06-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here I sit in a small cafe in a town in coastal Maine just minutes before embaking on another spectacular, lifechanging summer. so many thoughts flooding my mind.

i need this summer.

before i jump into the camp. i want to document a few pictures from Pam & I's xcountry roadtrip.

SNOW!

Glimmerglass lake, NY.

South Dakota stop. Pam was constantly saying "this is soooo B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!"

Happy to be at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I was more happy to make Pam pose with vegetable people.

"A lock! A lock! it is now a goal of mine to see a lock! can we please stop?!" It was Saturday so I followed Adventure Saturday rules & we went.

Wyoming, can you believe it!

Also, Wyoming. The post office.

Devil's Tower. She IS the bear.

Mmmmhmmm.

Info about Mount Rushmore.

On a hand of a platter.

Needles Highway lake.

Danger.

How I feel about life.

Badlands!

Even more excitement.

Seneca Falls. Womens Rights.

X-country update

2011-06-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

We are doing very very well. We've been finding and beholding treasures we had no idea this country had. More to come on that...once my internet consistancy doesn't depend on McDonalds stops and late night hotels.

Adventures+Kids

2011-05-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I finally remembered to take my camera on Adventure Saturday. Like most often, I was too caught up adventuring to snap pics, but here are a few moments I did capture.

cutesies loving "getting lost" & exploring a new lake.

The highlight of the day for Eliza was finally getting to purchase the doll she had been working so hard for. It's name is Sofia, not to get confused with Sophia her sister.
Just after we reviewed the rules for Adventure Saturdays. They huddled for a group pi & some sort of cheer/squeal.

This Saturday will be my last Adventure Saturday for a while. They are really hoping one of you will come up and continue facilitating/driving for Adventure Saturdays. *They give great tips- hugs, songs, and kisses for the select few.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today I had the privilege of joining Sophia on her 2nd grade field trip. We got to take the bus, to take the ferry, to take our feet and minds through a neat whale museum.

Ice cream on a dock, in good weather; there are very few combinations in life I love more. Ha, Marae that reminds me of that time I interrupted your honeymoon to have gelato on a dock with you guys.

Bus ride after the fun filled, long day.

Thanks for inviting me, Soph.

2011-05-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

"THERE ARE IMMEASURABLE TREASURES THAT LIE DORMANT IN EACH OF US."

In a matter of seconds

2011-05-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I finally got to visit my middle school bff, Paige, & her adorably overactive son, Carter. Her husband, Devan, was out of town for work and so it was the perfect opportunity for a slumber party and giggle fest.

It was moving to spend time with Paige and to see her filling such a divine role that we had talked continuously about in young womens. We spent the majority of the weekend doing "mom things" and reminiscing our childhood. We also talked in depth about food and exchanged recipes. Aside from living life with her and Carter and just being in their presence, my favorite part of the weekend was working together to plant her first garden. Which got me very exited to plant my own someday.

We probably won't see one another for another few years but I love knowing that no matter the duration of time we are apart, we can pick right back up in a matter of seconds.

What a job, what a view.

2011-05-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

The other day this was our lunchtime entertainment, watching that brave man cut down the neighbor's tree.

That's a running chainsaw hanging from him.

can you explain

2011-04-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

why I often wake up at 8:34(I know what you are thinking. Yes, I have become somewhat of a late sleeper & I am enjoying it while I can)?-when I asked Ben that, he said "Uh, cause your alarm clock is set at 8:34". No, I don't set an alarm.

or why whenever I go into switch the laundry to the dryer there is almost always 6 minutes remaining for the washing machine.
things like this happen all of the time in my life. specifically with time and numbers.

Taylor Hicks

2011-04-27T23:48:00.000-07:00

David asked me to take his girls to a Taylor Hicks concert tonight since he was out of town. I had never cared for Taylor Hicks and so I was not particularly looking forward to it. However, I was looking forward to joining the girls for their first concert and being a part of their excitement.

For the past few days Eliza & I have been listening to some of his songs online to familiarize ourselves with his work. She liked dancing to some of his songs, but I still was not sold.

We arrived at the concert, which was held in an old theater, and found ourselves surrounded by an older generation of women. I guess that makes sense,Taylor was voted #1 Bachelor in 2006. I felt young, Eliza & Sophia ended up being one of very few children.

As soon as Taylor's band started warming up, my attitude changed and by the end of the concert I was sold. He is a great performer. Very talented and lots of energy( His gray shirt turned black by the end). The girls loved it. Sophia fell asleep cause it was way past her bedtime but Eliza boogied in her seat the entire concert. David, you would have loved it. Thank you for the opportunity.

Before the show

He was so sweet to the girls and thanked them for staying up to watch him.

If you get the chance, GO. I might head south for another.

Bellingham

2011-04-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't know I could like this town anymore than I already did.
As it turns out, it is much much better with these 2 girlys.
As is everything,I should have known.

2011-04-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Tommy is the sweetest boy I have encountered. There are many reasons, but the main one on my mind is his sensitivity to my needs...or wants.
He has obviously noticed my love for chocolate because each time he gets his hands on chocolate he runs throughout the house, looking for me to give it to. remember he is only 1 year old(!). The other day I set him on the counter while I was cooking & he opened the baking cupboard & started banging on the chocolate chips saying "we, we,we" & pointing to me. what a sweetheart.

Happy Easter from them

2011-04-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

More of these cuties can be found in an album on facebook I created for you.

(Now I understand why moms don't have time for both FB & Blogger)

Tommy's nap time

2011-04-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

We try & squeeze in crafts & cooking during Tommy's nap time. Otherwise....well, you know how it ends up.

Here are the girls being adorable as ever.

Can you believe the magic?!

continually showing subtle evidence that they love him.

Releasing her kindergarten woes by smashing oreos.

Earth Day fairy

Leaf rubbing post cards

Completely enjoying their whipped cream lollipops.

The Test

2011-04-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

While spending the past month+ here at David & Jeanne's I have learned a great deal from them about life & running a household. I am very grateful for the opportunity.
I guess they wanted to test my skills when we decided for them to take a trip & leave 3 kids with me, Eliza (5), Alice (3), & Tommy (1). Which reminds me of this experience I had 3 years ago.

It is amazing how positively different people treat you when you've got 3 kids in tow.
I'll post some pictures of our happenings but for now here are a few highlights of the day.

The Easter egg hunt this morning was a success.They think Ben is the coolest guy ever because he is friends with the Easter Bunny. Tommy collected all of his eggs quickest. It worked out perfectly that his latest obsession has been balls. He thought all the eggs were balls so he went running to them.

This afternoon we were relaxing outside after our adventures of Adventure Saturday. I mentioned how a cup of ice cold lemonade would be perfect right then. Eliza hopped up & offered to make some. She insisted she did not need any help. Within minutes she returned with ice cold lemonades & coordinating straws. "What service" I said & proceeded to sip a giant sip. My face turned sour & puckered for at least 10 seconds. honestly. I wanted to support her service & so I drank as much of it as I could. It was reeeally sour.I finally asked her how she made it & told her that I'd love the recipe.
She said "It's really easy. You just mix that lemon stuff from the fridge & some sugar".
"Wow, that's all! No, water?" I responded.
"Nope." she said
Yes, yes I did just ingest nearly 8oz. of lemon juice.''

This evening Tommy had chipmunk cheeks & he wasn't opening his mouth for a while. I assumed that he had put something in his mouth that he was not supposed to. I asked him to open his mouth, but he would not. I asked him to spit out what was in his mouth, but he would not. Eliza tried to help, but no budging. Finally I put out my hand, motioning for him to spit it into my hand. He finally did. Seconds later, my hand was full of juice & he was laughing.

Everyone is doing really well. Tommy hasn't cried & Eliza is being a huge help. Ben was very kind to take the kids to the playground so I could clean up the house & breathe.
So far, I'd say we are somewhere in between thriving & just surviving.
Oh, & we miss you lots & lots.

for you

2011-04-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

fam- I just put up an album on facebook of a few photos Ben gave me from his camera. I figured that was the easiest way to get them to your eyes & your heart. Ben is talented, but you knew that. Your kids are adorable & you might want some of the pics. Or you just may want to look at them & relive the memories.

Did I mention?

2011-04-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I am going back to Maine this summer? This is how I feel about it: that's my completely overjoyed look if you couldn't tell.

things are changing

2011-04-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

i took the longest shower of my life the other day. seriously. 17 min. the day was spent painting & the evening spent showering. i think i finally broke through the barrier of just taking a shower to get the job done & actually enjoying it. for all you long showerers, i admit it, it was relaxing and i did not want to get out. i contemplated staying in forever....& that's when I turned the water from hot to cold.

my 5 year old niece claims she has a magical horse necklace that opens locked doors. magical or not, she proved some truth while I was in the restroom. goodbye privacy.

i stayed awake through an animated movie last night. a few words should alarm you, awake, animated, night. i know, like i said "things are changing". even more, i liked it. tangled. see it.

2011-03-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

if you find yourself with an empty jar of lemon curd, cause the kids(fine, me too) ate it by the spoon...err, bowl full, your lemon tree is unfruitful like ours, & you get a late night hankering for something lemony & zesty, I am pleased to tell you that it is possible to make lemon curd with bottled lemon juice. obviously it will not be as delightful. obviously it will not be as flavorful. obviously i don't recommend it over freshly juiced lemon curd. but I am here to tell you it works. i just did it. i prefer mine eaten atop a ginger cookie...or a finger. enjoy, until you get fresh lemons. also, my friend Rachel & her husband know where it's at. Lemon cupcakes, injected with lemon curd, with lemon zest meringue frosting. yes, yes, yes. check this baby out! mmmmmm. Oh, I mean these. yummmm.

I still pick out the brown ones.

2011-03-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Remember the days when trail mix used to be my favorite food & I slept in my sleeping bag 300 days a year? I'm aching to get more of that back in my life. Backpacking trip anyone? Oh, & sisters, don't forget to evaluate your August plans. We are shooting for a sisters Havasupai trip around the time of Grandma's 90th bday party.

Oh yeah, today.

2011-03-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a good, good day. That last post was just way too long to continue. Ben & I explored a new ward today. Everyone was very nice. Almost, overly nice. People were continually introducing themselves. I still cannot decide if it was because Ben is so handsome or because I smelled of rump roast (morning dinner prep) on fast sunday. I don't know why today was such a great day, nothing phenominal happened. It was just one of those days that you sit, watch the sun set, & think to yourself "today was a good, good day" (in a non-Black Eyed Peas sort of way). Oh, and it probably helped that Ben made me a smoothie. willingly. I mean, I asked him and all, but I didn't think that he actually would. He continues to amaze me.

today

2011-03-27T19:36:00.001-07:00

a good day. actually a rather great day. wait, wait, wait, let's first talk about yesterday (you know how my mind works),also a great day. yesterday started out waking up sandwiched in my bed by the two cutest girls around. They had opted to sleep in my bed because they were too excited about "Adventure Saturday" (an adventure exploration tradition my friend Oliver passed to me)to keep quiet in their own beds. We were woken with news that a new buckskin filly had been born early that morning (don't worry mom, pictures are coming your way). They darted upstairs & out the door to welcome the newest little one into their family. While they were running off their excitement, I packed a basket of goods for the days adventure. Soon after, we loaded up & buckled up for the afternoon of adventure. Rules: 1.constant car dancing 2.must eat good food & get extra dessert 3.only positive adventure attitudes. Absolutely no crying, whining, or complaining. otherwise we adventure on home. 4.when someone sees something they want to stop & explore, they yell "stop! adventure over there!" With no real plans of a destination, we started driving on a pretty road towards the ocean. we should have known we were on the right path by following "Best Rd." First "stop!" was for an art show. it was in an old barn. it was gorgeous. Next "stop!" was for a daffodil field. my oh my, incredible. We then found ourselves eating on a dock in beautiful La Connor & walking by all sorts of fun shops & making sure to conquer any fears of docks by doing dock dances every time we found a dock. Next "stop!" was to see a 4 year old performing in a garden. 3x. Next we drove over a huge, orange bridge, just to get to the other side, turn around, & do it again. the view was breathtaking. Adventure then led us to more daffodil fields & fresh cookies. After that we were still yearning to get our toes in the sand so we drove until we found a bay where we could collect things, play tag with the water, and chase each other. Last "stop!" was a gigantic chair that we could climb on and a barn of a nursery to smell fresh flowers in...& of course get ice cream at. Actually, the real last "stop!" was home where we could hug baby, rest from a day of adventuring, & scheme up our next Adventure Saturday. What a great day.

don't hesitate

2011-03-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

don't hesitate to have this for breakfast...or dinner like we did over here. hootenanny pancakes, lemon curd, strawberries, & whipped cream. you won't regret it. well, i guess you could. like if you discovered you had become allergic to lemons after eating this & your throat swelled shut. or if you caught your fingers in the beaters while making whipped cream. but most likely you will not regret it.

word from Marae

2011-03-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

just a quick line- we're here & safe. and its beautiful! no demonstrations here. we feel safe. there is bad stuff going on elsewhere but we'll just stay here happily until further notice.

2011-03-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

This last trip was not my usual picture taking self. In fact, I did not even bring my camera. It was nice not to bombard everyone & everything with my lense. Instead, I just got to enjoy each moment.

Kim gave me these 2 pics. Thank you!

This was one of the days that we were in DC. We spent it touring the Capitol,walking around the National Mall, being rushed through the National Gallery of Art, and ending with much need chinese take-out while watching a rousing game of church ball.
One of my favorite metro stops. Where our friendships reached new heights.

2011-03-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

please pray for her & them

as they venture to Syria.

& I would not be opposed if you prayed that they would come back soooooon or that they would

at least gift baby Nors to me.

so many good ones

2011-03-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you haven't caught on, I will most likely keep posting these photos while it's on my mind.

What a great day this was. Grandma invited some of my Provo friends to join us for dinner. The entire evening she kept them on their toes with her wit and jokes. This "heart's desire"shopping cart was in her building & Evan thought it necessary to have a photo shoot with it. Evan continues to be one of my favorite people to photograph. Photo shoots with him usually turn into improv singing sessions.

another

2011-03-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Most serene lake of last year. This was after I first moved to DC last year and ended up going for a Sunday drive. I can think of few better places to have a picnic & take a nap. mmmmmm, it was delightful.

While sorting my pictures, I found some that need to be published/enjoyed/remembered....and some that need to be revisited.

2011-03-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving 2010. Adorable nieces. Just after their halftime performance & before the girls photoshoot.

2011-03-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

the other day I was on a walk with the girls. Sophia stopped us all, lined Alice, Eliza, & I up & proceeded to take a picture of our feet. "make sure your feet are smiling".

Ben was later thumbing through the pictures & insisted that I had taught her that. I assured him that I had not.

Anyhow, I thought you would like to revisit this photo from a roadtrip a while back.

5 points for who can tell me the location this photo was taken, &

10 points for who can tell me where those shoes are now.

2011-03-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

You know how I love to be mysterious. Pardon me for any instances when I was ambiguous and short; where I may have come across rude rather than mysterious. please accept my apology.
Now that I am open, OK, I'll tell you. I'm in Washington for a couple months with family and then will head to Maine for the summer.

While I am in an apologetic mood, I'd like to apologize for not blogging.
I know I could just post a post, pretend like I haven't been aloof for the past month, and continue living life. I also know that it seems like I apologize for my poor blogging skills every few months and then follow with a short spurt of consistent blogging. Just to find myself slacking off once again. I don't care that I don't blog consistently, but I do care that I apologize & then too easily throw that apology to the wind. So, I guess I'd actually like to apologize for not being something that I said I would. Normally I would follow up by saying that you can trust me and my blog to be here for you. I'll be honest, you cannot trust my blogs consistency but I sincerely hope that you know you can trust that I will always be here for you. Despite what my mother thinks, even if there are no new words on my blog, I am most likely alive, most likely doing well, and most certainly happy to be there for you wherever, whenever.

Continuing with the apologies. D. Lindsey Kids, sorry for picking out the 2 most ginormous chunks of cookie from the grasshopper ice cream tonight. I am still working on that character flaw.

2011-03-04T13:53:00.001-08:00

I've become one of those bloggers that doesn't blog while on vacation...the problem for you is that my life is becoming more and more of a vacation.

sorry.

just know that I am really enjoying things here.

& also that I just took a vacation minute to blog for you.

Too far-the update

2011-02-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Mom is having singing practice, while we are trying to load the Uhaul.
We would have been moved in if it were not for all her "stuff".
Her current favorite store is Hot Topic...they have such cute costumes.

Kid Day

2011-01-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend was rad.
That is all.

Fine, I'll tell you more.
Well just about Saturday, Kid Day. It looked like this:
cake & fro yo for breakfast
side ponytail & stretch pants
tug of war
dancing
friends
running/skipping
cold hotdog & pizza
sticking head out window
nickel arcade
jumping up & down, lots
river trail bike ride
swinging
kids meal
making annoying sounds
Airborne (picture a warehouse packed with trampolines, even along the wall. Jumping like mad)
dodgeball
& treats

Kids day has become one of my favorite days of the year.

Oh look, it is me with one of the sweetest bikes ever & the runniest nose ever. so smooth, referring to the bike.

leftovers

2011-01-31T19:57:00.001-08:00

Many of you may know,
I
do
not
like
leftovers.
Well, that was until today. I had roasted some root vegetables the other day. They were delicious, but that is beside the point, and having to rush out the door for the weekend adventures, I could not eat them all. I ended up with leftovers.
Today I perused my fridge & cupboards for a hearty breakfast & decided on making eggs with the leftover roasted veggies.
oh my. It was tasty.
I think I might roast some more tonight so I can have leftovers tomorrow.
You should most definitely do the same.

BrookieBrooks

2011-01-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I'm happy we could celebrate your Birthday at FunQuest this past Thanksgiving. Grandma was really thinking when she had an Everybody Birthday Party.

You are the greatest. I hope our mock date last week helped for all your upcoming dates. sorry for any misery it may have caused.

recommendation

2011-01-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

had these the other day. yum. have some. or make them.there are all sorts of easy recipes to make them. low sugar. delicious.

I hate sorting silverware.

2011-01-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

My 2nd week of 2011 goal is to learn to love emptying/sorting silverware..or at least like it...or at least not flee the kitchen when it needs to be done.

Today, when I loaded the dishwasher I presorted the silverware. knives altogether, forks together, spoons together, etc. When it came time to empty the clean silverware, I simply grabbed the bundle and put it in the divided slot. wahoo, I even felt sort of satisfied. obviously, if I felt the need to blog about it.

the mystery ingredient is...

2011-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was making homemade macaroni for a friend.
I got the whole wheat pasta shells and decided to use pepperjack cheese to divert attention away from any possible grainy taste.
It was all making sense in my head as I began cooking. & then I realized that I had no milk! a basic for mac n' cheese, but the butter was melted in the saucepan & I needed milk, quick! I browsed the fridge & my cupboard for a palatable substitute. I eventually decided on....eggnog. I figured with the already overpowering flavors, no eggnog would be sensed.... I was wrong. Eggnog was still very obvious by the time the sauce was supposed to be complete so I continually poured in hot sauce to ever more mask the eggnoggy taste. & i think it worked!
It actually turned out surprisingly delicious.
Now will I ever purposefully use eggnog instead of milk?
not planning on it.

Oh, btw. When my friend had finished a few helpings, I asked him if he liked eggnog.
his reply was "no".hehehe.

craft day

2011-01-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

This morning I crafted this picture/frame.
There are all sorts of choices you can do; lots of temples, The American Flag, The Constitution, family pictures, etc.
If you live in the Salt Lake/Provo areas & are interested I can hook you up.

photo find 1

2011-01-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

pull-ups, not the upgrade from a diaper.

2011-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

Today I did a personal record of 5 pull-ups.
Feeling so confident, I made a bet with a boy....but figured that boys naturally could do like 10x as many pull-ups as girls. So he had to do 50. He said that that was ridiculous & not even possible. I told him that my brother could do it, eeeeasy. & so now the bet has been turned to you. Please don't let me down.
First brother to do 50 pull-ups please report.

I have no doubt that Ben will do an entire post about the next few sentences I am about to type.

2011-01-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

I have discovered that I do not like most breads, but I love toast.
Like, so much that I ate an entire loaf of rye toast last week. record.
FYI:I bought three loaves of bread my entire college career, 2 loaves being pumpkin chocolate chip (& zero packs of ramen).

"SHOTGUN"

2010-12-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

Amongst the excitement of Rachel & Jon having their baby-CONGRATS btw! & deciding on a name, I got to thinking.
& I thought to myself, "all the good baby names will be taken by the time I have kids".
& I started to stress, almost to the convulsing state. I calmed myself down and thought to myself again, "My siblings are decent people. JK (& I really said JK in my thoughts), they are wonderful people and they will respect a request I have. "
My request is:

I hereby request the reservation of these names for my children:

Lauren Pearl
Edwin
Marae
Leisel
Eleanor

Please respect this reservation, not like when I reserved shotgun or a chair, but really really let me reserve them.

Thank you.

2 pics, 2 days

2010-12-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

Since posting last, life has only gotten better.
My Birthday was divine.
Here is the only non-blurry birthday pic that was captured...not quite sure what I was doing but from the looks of things, I picked up on Olivia's posing skills well.
I was in awe at the number of friends and family that remembered to wish me Happy Birthday during this busy time of year. Thank you.

Christmas quickly approached and I was more than delighted to get to spend some time with grams this year.
My friend's family was also very kind to include me in their Christmas celebrations.
Christmas morning 2010

Later that day I got to go to Doug & Trudy's with Grams.
It was nice to hang upside down at their house,
see cousins I hadn't for a while,
as well as learn to make toffee from the master, not saying I mastered it. someday i will. someday.

Coming to a close

2010-12-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

The golden year of my life is coming to a close.
I wouldn't say that the gold is wearing off but rather
that from this year I learned what gold is
& my lifes luster will never be the same.
Since I was in & out of many of your lives,
I'll fill you in.
My golden year looked something like this:
It started by packing my bags and moving into the dream home, the Manor House(yeah, that one that I left Maine to move into). In that dream home, I lived with the raddest girls & enjoyed doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted-Don't worry there was structure & direction to my life.
While there, some of the highlights were:
Cooking classes
an incredible ward
Voice lessons...and being reminded why I dropped out years ago.
Cool people & building lasting friendships
Ben temporarily living in UT
Washington trip
miraculous foot healing
cooking lots
abandoning my 9:30 bedtime
mom & dad visiting
finding out my BFF sister was 4 1/2mo. pregnant
Walking club
NYC trip
friends visiting
greatest Hometeachers ever
Whitney visiting
being Gmas sidekick
trip to California
tennis Club
Girls nights with Badger Creek gals
St. George trip
working at the ropes course
living by the Jensens
Swimming nearly every summer day
hiking Timp
throwing parties
Heber Valley Girls Camp
cruising town on my beach cruiser
Park City
crafting
rad SC job offer
seeing Craig after along time
getting into grad school, moving to grad school, dropping out all within one week.
spontaneously moving to Washington DC
living in a lovely house there & learning lots from my roomies
new appreciation for politics & history by working for my Congressman
meeting more rad people
exploring & sightseeing
meeting baby Nora & loooooving her
embracing everyone in the family & partying lots
convincing Marae & Ben to leave Nora with me while they move to a far off land
moving to UT & starting another adventure
& apparently creating the longest blog post ever

Wow, what a blessed life.
I truly believe that the most golden realization of this year has come as I (humbly)realized I need to stop trying to be so independent and start depending on the Lord.
He really really knows what is best, can make anything happen, & is extremely supportive.
Looking back & looking forward, I know each year can be golden and I will just continue to polish it; all part of the progression of life.
I am so grateful for all I have,
all I am,
and all I can be.

Thank you all for being a part of me.

today I

2010-12-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

-went to my new singles ward.
-was kindly reminded to start up blogging again.
-saw Santa get out of his car. Btw, he drives a Subaru
-am eating a goody bag of candy that I got in Relief Society for dinner. Cupboards are empty since I just moved into my new place. It really is called RELIEF Society for a reason.
-am admitting that this morning I opened my 12 days of Christmas presents out of order-I opened 12/24 today- so I can break up the candy intake with pistachios. Sorry Dad, but thank you so much for the gifts.
-finally have my scriptures to read after pulling them out of the piles of belongings that were being stored in my car until I found a home. There is something special about touching them rather than just reading off a computer screen.
-listened to "Breath of Heaven", one of my favorite Christmas songs.
-hope you call me.

The after Thanksgiving party-away from the bright lights & smoke

2010-12-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Lindsey Family Thanksgiving 2010

(just missing Mussie & Craig)

Baby Nora sandwich
Teepee cousin fun

The boys hate when I take their picture.

1/2time show during the Nevada/BSU game

Lou on mom's yellow swing

The boys doing what they love before Hyrum's baptism

The time we celebrated Thanksgiving at a casino

2010-12-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Do not worry, we got our bird eventually; the best turkey ever, brined and smoked by Ben.

P-is for the Party

2010-12-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Girls slumber 2010

the norm

2010-12-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

It has become the norm when I return home to find my room smothered in something foofy, costumey, and overly ridiculous.
This time my clothes were taken to storage and the closets filled with costumes.
If this wasn't enough to sulk about, I was expected to do so on a bed of can can skirts wearing my choice of 20 headpieces.

all part of mom's plan to:

change the life I know

make me a Reno star

bring her pure joy

raw preview

2010-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

the nieces at Thanksgiving

Bald spot

2010-11-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

The mice, they just won't go away.
I got the super power stick prebaited mice traps the other day.
I didn't want themto have to to slowly starve & die.
but it was coming to that.
I took the traps out of the box & as I pulled them apart
one flew out of my hand, and landed...
in my hair!
it really was super power stick.

Find out for yourself if I now have a bald spot this Thanksgiving.

Today, I felt

2010-11-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

peace as the sun set over Gettysburg.

shout out to Pammycakes

2010-11-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Just found these predate photoshoot pics from when I got to double with Pam earlier his year.

Love that girl.

The crows were scared

2010-11-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Since my arms were permanently outstretched all night I couldn't take pictures & didn't want people to have to locate my camera on my person. This is the only picture I've received so far.
This really isn't the most functional costume. I couldn't eat-without being an animal, I couldn't walk straight through doorways or hallways, my hat fell off a few times & getting it back on was a challenge, and my dancing was inhibited-but who really knows what to do with their arms while they're dancing anyway. I finally banned myself from the dance floor midway through the party because I was a hazard to people...especially when I mimicked a skydancer.

shoutout to mama for sending me a costume, so I didn't have to be "the kid that thinks they're too cool to dress up".

he startled me.

2010-11-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

walking home from work today.
I heard a startling noise behind me.
I looked back & it was a blurr, confused.
the picture became more clear:
a 70 yr old man
wearing a suit
wearing converse sneakers
on a retro bike
cruising down a hill
yodeling.

& then I smiled.
a big, big smile.

on this brisk, rainy day

2010-11-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

i had the fortune of doing just what i wanted.
stayed in my flannel PJ's way too long.
went on a rainy run to wake myself up.
clean & sorted my stuff.
drank hot chocolate & from my window watched the rain wash everything clean.
caught up on blogs.
bundled up & braved the weather for a walk to my workplace on my day off.
got total hookups at work.
came home & baked/experimented.
looked for more jobs.
read.

and all the while the rain hit the earth accompanying life.

again, waiting for the snap.

2010-10-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

the mice, they ate the peanut butter nougat right off of the traps without setting them off.
this is war.
i told them that too.
traps are reset with super sticky peanut butter.
again, waiting for the snap.

the package i took outside to open

2010-10-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

i've never been so excited to open a package & have straw fall out.
you guessed it, i am being a scarecrow for halloween.
mom sent me a lovely package of straw & overalls.
thank you thank you thank you.
hopefully i can make you as proud as Craig & I did during that scarecrow contest we won 5 years ago.

waiting for the snap

2010-10-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

I finally got those mouse traps.
4 set.
part of me wants to sleep downstairs
just so i can hear the snap
& celebrate!

they have been eating away at my food for 1.5 months now;
they don't listen to my whisper threats,
i've warned them this is coming.
they can either leave for good
or be snapped.
their choice.

tire mark

2010-10-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

I noticed what looks to be a tire mark across the sleeve of my jacket.
how it got there, I have no idea.
if i got run over while wearing my jacket...i cannot remember.
but i do remember when
(story time)
5 years ago mom & grandma were taking a trip to rexburg for some reason.
marae & I convinced them that it was necessary to take a truckload of clothing there to meet our upcoming semester's needs. We piled the truck with everything & anything we thought we would possibly want during our residence/adventure at Comanche drive & thanked out moving crew.
they had a successful trip.
marae & I arrived a week later to start partying & one day i put on my eighth grade khaki jacket and soon noticed a tire mark on the sleeve.
i didn't think i had been run over.
later i was talking on the phone with mama, telling her everrything, like all new freshmen do.
i told her about the tire mark on my sleeve & she started laughing.

I kind of want to leave that mark on my sleeve just so I can always remember
what a sweet sweet woman grandma Pearl is.

as it turns out grandma & her had quite the adventure hauling our stuff.

part way through the trip, a bag of my clothes flew out the back of the
truck. Mom thought it was a good excuse to get rid of some of my clothes so she
kept driving.
grandma, what a sweet sweet soul, insisted she stop the truck.
mom listened.
grandma got out of the truck and ran across the freeway in the dark to
retrieve my scattered clothes.

part of me wants to leave my mark on my sleeve to remind me what a sweet sweet soul grandma Pearl is.

Festivities of Fall have begun

2010-10-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

met new friends that happen to like adventures as much as I do

Lancaster Dutch Market. Greatest pretzels ever. it may help that they are dipped in a vat of butter.

Do not be deceived by the commercial building & lettering, go inside & delight.That is how he do. 1/2pie 1/2 gal.12 people to finish this slice of heaven.Off to the patch.so nice & so fun.

aren't they happy & wonderful!

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!

Apple Picking. You best believe that the next post will deal with the goods made from those apples.

Happenings of Today:

2010-10-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

-Received an official researchers ID for The National Archives
-Got the greatest creamed honey
-Was proposed to by a stranger
-Attempted to go to the cannery but just ended up in Anacostia
-Got hookups to view a case at the Supreme Court
-Came home to a sparkling clean bathtub
-Ate a very large hamburger
-Made plans for Saturday apple picking with new friends

& he looked like this

2010-10-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today, I was on the sidewalk between the Capitol & the Supreme Court & I saw more black cars in a row than ever before. Car show? Parade? Funeral?
They all drove right passed me. I thought about sticking out my thumb to see if they would take me wherever they were headed. Just as that thought ran through my head, I heard that this man was in one of the cars:
sure enough. he passed by & looked just like that.
It was rad seeing his motorcade.

The mice are getting rowdy

2010-09-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

As Fall arrived, it seems that so did the mice...but only in my food cupboard.
I kept forgetting to get mice traps so I dealt by:
1.putting the majority of my food in the refrigerator
2.whispering threats to them often
3.the food that I did keep in the cupboard, I would stack in assumed difficult to get into formations.

This morning when I went downstairs for breakfast. I smelt it...Peanut Butter, but how! I had put my pb container on top of my oatmeal container. I opened the cupboard to find the container still in place but the lid had been removed & there were mouse droppings in it. How is it even possible? They must have stayed up all night twirling on the lid trying to get it undone.
After a moment of :
1.puzzle
2.gagging
3.more whisper threats

I got rid of the nastiness & told myself that today was still going to be a good day despite not having pb on my bagel. & so I forgave them.

I am still trying to forgive them for eating my cliff bars & symphony bar.

on a hand of a platter

2010-09-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

The other day I was laying on my bed exhausted. The only thing I could think about was how I wanted a really really good, rich chocolate dessert. I started looking at pictures online & was trying to gather the energy to trek to a restaurant to pick one up.
No Joke,
within minutes there was a knock at my door & this lovely thing

appeared on a hand of a platter. A voice from the hall sweetly said "can I tempt you with homemade brownies & homemade brownie batter ice cream". Yes! I've never wanted to be tempted more in my life. It really wasn't a temptation, but more a blessing.
& let me tell you, it tasted 1,000x better than my picture portrays.
The creator of that goodness, my amazing cook/baker roommate & author of this blog.
What an inspiration, what a culinary blessing in my life.

Take a look at the moon tonight

2010-09-24T19:16:00.001-07:00

as I was walking the DC streets it seemed just right.

Today I had an intensive training on the Capitol.

hours and hours of details that I am supposed to memorize to teach constituents.

One of my goals when moving out here was to become more interested and involved in history.

Today I gained a different view of history & it was definitely inspiring, motivating, and empowering.... maybe empowering in not the most beneficial way. I am still sooo amazed at the power my employee badge has. No line waiting & tons of access. When I was wandering around the Capitol I kept feeling like I may be going in places I wasn't authorized so I kept approaching security & asking them if I was actually allowed to go there, they would smile & nod & I would smile gigantically as I continued with a hop in my step.

So do I

2010-09-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

Today I went to a seminar with Elder Chris Langley. It was fantastic. He has got a big business similar, in a sense, to Woodgrain.
His main approach to his lecture was relating Gospel Principles to Good business skills. Afterwards I was talking to him and he told me that he knew my father. Dad, he thinks you are a good man. So do I.
The LDS community out here is neat and it is always fun to realize what a small world we live in.

Started my internship

2010-09-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

this week. Nice view of our Nations Capitol Building. It is pretty rad. I cannot tell you much about it

not because of sworn secrecy, just because I don't have the time right now.

Just know, it is rad & you should come visit.

Nice people

2010-09-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love riding the metro here in DC. It is clean, prompt, and I always have fun people watching.

Unfortunately, today I was reminded of the severity of my childhood motion sickness. As I was riding the metro, I got an overwhelming feeling of ,well, horribleness. LIke, really really awful. Hot, sweaty, dizzy, and wanting to vomit immediately. There was no trash can, and I had not bags. I thought I could tough it and make it to a safe neighborhood to get out & sprawl on the grass, breath some fresh air, and stabilize myself. So I put on tons of Burt's Bees chapstick and puckered my lips so I could constantly smell them (peppermint helps me) and put my head in my lap & tried to think good thoughts for as long as I could. I don't know how many stops I made it but at one point I covered my mouth & RAN out the metro, up the ridiculously long escalator, and barely made it to the trash can. Where I proceeded to vomit, 4 times. People started to gather, I wiped my hair out of my face & turned & smile at them like it was no big deal. Then I couldn't resist, 1 more convulsion & outpouring of nastiness. A very nice family comforted me & asked what they could do for me. When I said "nothing", they insisted on at least a face wipe to freshen up. That did feel nice. What nice people.

I continued on my day of adventuring and met more and more and more nice people.

Spires and spires

2010-09-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was sooo sick of looking for jobs and such, so I took a break and went on a walk down the street to this beautiful place, The National Cathedral.

Today was adventure day, oh & it was an adventure. It started off by metro-ing and attempting to walk to this place, The Latter Day Saint Temple.

.
After missing my appointment and walking along windy roads with a strange man following me, I only got to see the Angel Moroni before I decided it was best to turn around. Luckily, I got to visit last week and take it all in up close. My friend Leah is serving in the visitors center there, so it was delightful to get to see her

I was starting to think that the reason things have been so good lately

2010-09-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

was because this stuff:

has been in my fridge since moving. No, not the same bottle, definitely not the same bottle. I'm starting to believe it will be in my fridge till the day I die.

Renaissance

2010-09-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I went on my first out-of-area adventure & attended the renaissance festival. It was interesting; yes, I use that in the tone of voice meaning "It was so bizarre, I have no other word to describe it nicely".

Upon arrival we swam through fields of thousands of cars, from every state too, to be greeted by men in tights at the castle gate.
People watching was interesting enough but amongst all of the people were some neat activities.

pictured here is my knight in dull armor getting ready to joust.
Here is the peasant tug of war.

Tons of people were gnawing on giant turkey legs.

There was axe throwing and other dangerous competitions.

Plays every hour.

My favorite was the castle rock climbing. No need for Rapunzel to have long hair in this fairy tale

The award ceremony.

It turned out to be really fun. We ended the evening in Annapolis at Buddy's Crab & Rib house overlooking the pier. Sooo, divine.

When you come visit, I cannot guarantee that there will be a Renaissance festival going on but I will wear tights for you & take you to Buddy's.

Dear Loved One,

2010-09-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hey! It's been a while. I miss you, sometimes I don't take time to express it because I get caught up in the commotion of this lovely city. But I do, & here's to you.

This morning I set out on a full day of exploring. I keep having to rotate shoes because I've been exploring for so many days I have blisters in all areas of my foot from different pairs of shoes.
I am mainly doing all of this exploring so when you come visit, I know exactly where to take you.

I had all the necessities in my pouch:
map
metro card
debit card
bandaids
ibuprofen
chocolate
fruit leather
camera
sunglasses
chapstick
focus vitamin water
pen

First stop:

I guess the breakfast there is divine but I went in the market building & couldn't handle the dead fish smell while eating. So I couldn't tell you for sure.
sooo... I mainly stuck to the open-air portion of the market
Marae, Asian Pears by the truck load.
Almost as big of cowboy boot collection as mom has.
Rad rug made out of felt balls.
Neat market, we'll probably go when you come.

Next stop:
Old Town Alexandria, VA

I rode around on the trolley and checked out the art festival going on this weekend....& then got lost amongst all the boutiques & cool shops.

Then I stopped to pay a visit at the Pentagon but as soon as I got to the Memorial, tons of security showed up & they evacuated the area due to a suspicious package.

On the metro ride back, I jumped off a stop too early & ran up this HUGE elevator to quickly find a restroom...just to realize I was at the wrong stop.
The right stop I was looking for was taking me to Georgetown & specifically Georgetown Cupcake. I searched high & low for this place. I was overjoyed when I saw the sign...that joy plummeted as I discovered the line for 3/4 of a block out the door. I knew it was popular but wow! I decided just to wait until you come visit so we can wait in line together.
9 hours & a lot of walked miles later, I find myself back at home writing to you.

Love,

Elise

P.S. can't wait to see you, I'll get your bed ready.

Sorry

2010-09-09T16:25:00.001-07:00

I have not posted in a while.
This whole moving transition has thrown off my funk,
in a good way.
a real good way, friends.

Whitney,

2010-08-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

you will be happy to hear that grandma did
this
in the kitchen today.

she would like a live version from you this Thanksgiving.

Don't forget the lime on your watermelon

2010-08-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

she, smiling at her green thumb, showed pride in her gargantuan watermelon retrieved from the garden. "It's amazing, they just keep getting bigger and bigger".

he, drew a smile in response to his cunning action as his secret slipped to my ear "That watermelon's roots weren't in our garden".

We will be waiting

2010-08-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Marae,

There is a spot for you on the froyo cone.
We will be waiting.
We cannot wait!
But we will be waiting.

sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters.

tahoe in one image

2010-08-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

yes, please.

"we have to shoot the rabbits!"-mama

2010-08-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

she exclaimed as she came in from getting basil(which the rabbits had eaten)from the garden,for the pesto, for the paninis I was going to make for dinner.

As I arrived home

2010-08-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

dad was in the yard like always,
mom was sewing,
and
CRCRdayufaduhnation gave me a nice welcoming home with some Middle Eastern snacks he made.
It was pleasant to see them all after 9 months of absense.
Craig was eager to show us all the gifts he brought home from Jerusalem.
This is about how it went:
Craig as he unveils each item, "This is for....oh me, this is for...me,this is for....oh me agiain, this is for....oh look something else for me, I swear I got you guys stuff. Oh yeah here it is, Ma, here is a nicey scarf; Elise, check this shirt & oil lamp out; Dad, oil from Israel; Haha, wouldn't Ben like this shirt(identical to mine)?"

Thanks
CrCr for the goods
Dad for a hot dinner
Mom for being so excited about your quilts
All for the nice welcome home.

Greatest news of the night, mom has all the stuff for me to make pesto tomorrow.