Homecoming 2009

Dibs asked Natalie Larsen to the dance...kinda.  He came home one night telling about the scheme he devised.  He had carefully opened a box of popcorn and wrote his name on the inside, and then hot glued the box back together.  The note that went on the outside said something like:  "Find my name inside."  He told of delivering the box and getting caught kinda.  I then asked,"But did the note say anything about the dance?"  He had a puzzled look and then said, "No, No I guess it didn't."  We laughed and tried to figure out a solution.  I finally said, "You should go back with a note that says : Now that you've popped the corn, I'll pop the question--Will you go to Homecoming with me?"  He never actually had to take the note.  She figured it out and answered him with a box stuffed full of "Yes" and "No" slips.  At the bottom of the box there was a cookie the size of a pie that said "Yes" spelled out in M&M's.  It was the tie breaker.  

They had 5 other couples with them on the date.  Homecoming consisted of a day date and then dinner and then the dance.  For their "Day Date" they went on a photo scavenger hunt, in groups of 4.  I don't know who won, or if it was even set-up as a competition. Dinner was yummy lasagne, green salad, and bread at the acclaimed restaurant: "On the Rooftop"... :)   The family had fun putting that all together!  Dibs made Natalie's wrist corsage.  It's a white band that buttons, with cotton flowers--a pink one, a tiny black one and a white one.  I wonder if he took a close-up photo of it.  It matched her beautiful dress perfectly.  The dance was enjoyable.  Dibs wore his nice Sunday shoes but switched into his comfy Converse sneakers.  From what I know it was fun for everyone.  I hope so! 

The Electric Peterman

Well, here's the finished product. Jeff made a coal box for our woodstove that is electrically run. It's pretty nifty. The kitchen stays cosy warm. Peterman puts in a bucket of coal in the magic black & red box, once in the morning, once in the evening. The electric part: a motor and timer. You can see the gear/pulley thingy. It's connected to an auger that advances the coal from the box to the stove's fire box. It will "purr" all night, coming on for 15 minutes every hour...that's how I understand it. I can cook without needing to figure in firebuilding time. It's virtually ready to go when I am. We can still use the stove if the electricity fails, but we'll just have to tend it ourselves. Jeff keeps things interesting at our home. He always has a new project on the back burner (pun intended!) :) We love his inventions and we love Him!!!

Where were you?

Back eight years ago I was in my front room. The children had fallen asleep after scriptures. I remember thinking "I want to watch the TODAY show (back when Katie Couric was still there) for a few minutes before I re-wake the children for school." I flipped on the TV, and Katie was talking about an airplane that had apparently flown WAY off course into one of the Twin towers. A few minutes later she had a confused look on her face when she confirmed reports that a second plane had crashed into the neighboring tower. I was scared and dumbfounded...and then the buildings began to deteriorate before our eyes...oh, and somewhere in there I woke the children for school. Dibs and Clarence were the only ones in Public Education then. I remember wanting to keep them home from school, but we live across the street from the then functioning Maeser school so I did send them. I wanted them to try to have a normal day. I needed to talk to family ( both sets of Moms & Dads, and Brothers & Sisters) to make sure they were all okay. I was relieved that my and Jeff's immediate families were okay...and then I began hearing stories of people who were lost or those who had jumped out of the buildings. Wow...that was a long time ago!!!!

I love to read!

Okay...I always seem to do this.  I decide to read a  book and then I read the series and I read them so fast I end up mourning the end of the characters and wanting them back immediately.  It happened that way last summer when I read the entire Twilight Saga in about a week...Crazy times!  It has happened again.  I started to read "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins last Thursday.  Lila bought the second in that series it's called, "Catching Fire", and I  just finished IT....and now I want MORE!!!!  NOW!  Both "HG" and "CF"are fantastic.  I won't ruin it for you, but if you like "Survivor" I think you'll like them!  There is a touch of romance, very mild.  (They kiss a few times, that's it.) It's action packed, there is mystery in it, and it's a little futuristic...It's hard to explain.  I just know it's good, and I'm hoping I don't have to wait an entire year before book 3 comes out!  

Get ready for Friday Night Pizza

It's like a holiday...Friday. It might seem boring, and I've blogged about this before, but I LOVE Pizza, and our family LOVEs to have it every Friday. Lately, it seems we've had it another night of the week, too. I've shared it before but here's "my" recipe again.

2 Pizzas

Put 1 Tablespoon of yeast in 1 cup of warm water.

Let it start to dissolve a little. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it dissolve & grow a little. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add 2 Tablespoons of oil. Mix in 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix only until it's barely "hanging together". It's ok if it seems a little gooey or sticky. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Divide the dough in half . Knead the first portion a little until it makes a good little ball. Dust the rolling out area with a scant amount of flour. Roll out. Repeat process with the other half. Decorate with Ragu or Hunts Spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, diced onions, green peppers, grated mozzarella, pepperoni, pinches of UNCOOKED ground sausage &/or hamburger. Whatever you want... Bake in a preheated 425* oven for 20 min.

NOTE: I used to precook the sausage meat and hamburger. About 7 years ago I watched my sister-in-law prepare her pizza. She didn't cook the meat. I couldn't believe it, but of course it's fine after 20 minutes in the 425* oven! So that's the way I do it now, too.

wackys family party

What happens when one is lucky enough to have ones actual birthday fall on a Sunday?   "Wacky" found out this year.  She had her "Friend Party" on Friday August 28, and the less crazy Family Party on Sunday August 30.    We consider the Sorensen's as family [we folks hope that SOMEday there will actually BE a family connection---am I supposed to say that out loud?  Time will tell :).... there are several possibilities. ]  so we invited them to share the Birthday Dinner, which just so happened to be Breakfast.  Shelly Merrill a cousin got to come too.  Lately the children have picked a Breakfast menu for "their dinner".  I'm ok with that---it's easier!!!  Lila and Dibs made her some 

"Wild Things" cupcakes that were amazing!  

We love our Little Wacky!!!  

Today in Church as another baby was being blessed I realised it has been 11 years exactly since Jeff blessed Our Little Redhead.  Wow-where has the time gone?  

We are so glad she's in our family!!!!