Sick

Sick -
and it stinks.
I really hate throwing up.

This Is a Long One, But Hopefully Worth the Read

I must admit, I'm hesitant to post this story, no one, not even James, has heard it in its entirety...but, every couple of months, I get the urge to write it up. Up until now, I've resisted those impulses because it's a story that has become a little sacred to me, and also I don't want people to think that I'm am trying to build myself up. That is not my intent! It is my hope that by sharing this with you, you will know that no matter who you are, or what circumstances you may be living in, you can do something to help others. That you will know that prayers are answered, that with the Lord all things are indeed possible, and that miracles still do happen. Like I said, this isn't a story about me, it's a story about a loving Father in Heaven taking care of his children in need. I feel humbled and blessed that I was able to be a part of it. Hopefully, by me sharing it, it will in turn help others.
It all started back in April of 2007. I was listening to a talk during General Conference. I don't remember what talk it was, but while I was listening, I was struck with the thought that I could be doing more to serve those in my community. The thought came with such force that I wasn't able to dismiss it, and within a couple of days, I was researching charity organizations in our area. From the beginning, I wanted to find some way to serve young mothers and their children, but I was having a hard time finding a way to do it. I searched for several days on the internet, but I didn't find any organization that fit exactly what I was looking for. I decided to pray about it, and was led to the Primary Children's Hospital website. I went to their donations page, and found pages and pages of things that you could donate, but nothing that included the parents of the children, as well. I was starting to get a little bit discouraged, and then I saw a link at the bottom of the site for its "sister" hospital: McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden. When I saw that, I got really excited because that is where I went to deliver my babies, and if I could find a way to serve through them, I would be doing something that directly impacted those in my own community.
I went to their donations page, and found a listing for "mother and baby packets". These were baskets that you could put together that included things not only for the newborn babies, but mothers as well. Once I saw the listing, I knew that was what I needed to do.
After contacting the woman in charge of donations for more details (she explained to me that this was an area of great need, since more and more mothers were showing up to have babies who had NOTHING), I put together a "wish list" of things to include in the basket, and then went to the store to figure out how much it would all cost.
When I got home and added it all up, I was a little disappointed. It would take A LOT of money to get everything on the list. James and I easily had enough money for things that we needed for our family, but we didn't have a lot of extra. So, I figured out how much I was able to put towards it every month, and discovered that it would take me about 8 months to collect all the things. As much as I wanted to go out and just get the things all at once, that really wasn't a financial possibility for us, and I committed myself to patiently collect the items as we were able.
Well, time went by, and I bought things with the allotted money for April and May. Then, I started to feel some urgency towards the project. I began to feel like the basket was intended for someone in particular, and that I needed to have it done and delivered to the hospital by the beginning of July.
At that point, I felt a little bit panicked. That meant that I would need to collect the rest of the items in six weeks, not six months. So, I took it to the Lord. I explained how I had been feeling that I needed to have the basket done by July, and that if this was the case, I needed help. I had already spent the allotted money for April and May, and I needed to be able to come up with six months worth of money in a matter of weeks. I didn't know how this would be possible, and I asked for help.
After that, I decided that the first thing that I would need to do was get started on the baby blanket and baby dress that I had been planning to crochet. But, like I said, I had no money to buy the yarn. As soon as I thought that, the idea came to me that I should check my wallet for the money. Now, this may not seem like a strange thought to anyone else, but it seemed strange to me. James and I don't carry cash. If I have cash, I spend it, so I simply don't carry it. I knew, I knew that there wouldn't be any money in my wallet, but I looked anyways. I found a couple of tens and a few dollar bills where I had been so sure I would find none. I couldn't believe it, but I also knew that it wouldn't be enough to buy all the yarn. Then the thought came to check the couch for money. For those of you familiar with our old couch, you know that it "ate" anything and everything it came in contact with, but again, James and I don't carry cash, so I reasoned that there would be no money to get lost in the couch. I checked anyways. To my amazement, I found several dollar bills and a handful of quarters, dimes and nickles. (To any of you that may have lost money in our couch, rest assured that it went to a good purpose!).
With the money safely tucked in my purse, I headed to the store to buy the yarn. Lo and behold, the yarn that I needed was on sale. I was still a little nervous that I wouldn't have enough money to buy it, but I waited in line to buy it anyways. When the cashier rung it up, it came out to the exact amount of money that I had found in my wallet and in the couch.
After that, things just started happening. Within a couple of days, a long lost rebate check for $50 (that I had completely forgotten about) showed up in the mail. Then came the two checks from our health insurance company (when Ethan was born the year before, somehow we overpaid our bill, and the insurance company had been sending us reimbursement checks as they got the problem straightened out). A few days after that, my mother-in-law called and asked me to make her several cards, which she paid me for. Also, at that time, I was making and selling cards out of a boutique in town. My sales soared in May and June, doubling my profits for those two months. Then came my birthday. People that didn't normally get me anything sent me money in the mail. Money was coming in every couple of days from unexpected sources. By the middle of June I had all the money that I needed to fill the basket. But it didn't stop there. Whenever I went out to buy the things on my list, almost without fail, those things would be on sale...unbelievable sales. Just one example is when I went to Mervyns to find some baby items, and practically everything in the baby section was on clearance. I was able to buy several outfits for $1.99 a piece. Because of that, I was able to buy many more things than had been on the original list.
By the first week in July, the basket was assembled and delivered to the hospital. They were so grateful especially since it was during their slow season for donations.
I really can't take the credit for what happened, but it strengthened my testimony of service and prayer. All I did was ask, and I was given above and beyond what I had asked for. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. All things are possible with the Lord.

Our Family Pictures

My friend, and fellow photographer, Kelli, offered to do a family photo swap with me. The deal was, I would take pictures of her family, and she would take pictures of my family, and then we would each do our own editing in Photoshop. I'm really happy with how ours turned out. These are the pictures we're using for our Christmas card this year, and I'll post more pictures on my photography blog as I get them edited. Thanks Kelli!! You're awesome!
P.S. Click here to see her photography blog.

A Small Christmas Miracle

The MBA program sponsored an angel tree this year for Christmas. For those who may not know what that is, names of children from the community who might not otherwise get any gifts for Christmas, are put on a tree, along with their clothing sizes, favorites, and things that they may want. Then, you can take an angel, and buy the thing listed on it. The MBA program had it divided up so that you only had to buy one thing if you wanted, but you could take as many papers as you wanted. James chose one for a little boy Matthew's age who wanted a Transformers book. We got a late start, and by the time we picked up the paper, I only had one day to shop for the gift. So, I packed up the boys and headed for Barnes and Noble.
Who knew that finding a Transformers book would be so hard?! I looked on my own for quite awhile, and didn't find anything, so I went to the service desk to see if they could help. Their computer listed several Transformers books that they supposedly had in stock, but none of them were shelved in the right places, so we came up empty. We knew that the books were in the store somewhere, but had no idea where. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The one book that we were able to find was in the comics section and it was really for someone older. It was basically a whole bunch of Transformers comics bound together in a book. I just didn't think that a four year old would like it much, and as a parent, it would be pretty monotonous reading to my kid.
I called James and asked what I should do. We were both pretty bummed that that was the only book I could find, but thought it was better than nothing. I just really didn't want to buy that book, and I knew that there was something better right there in the store, if I could only find it.
So, after surveying my children, one of which was singing Christmas songs at the top of his lungs and performing his signature "stomp dance" up and down the aisles of the store (Ethan), another sulking because I wasn't buying him a book and losing patience with the whole shopping thing (Matthew), and the last one a wriggling 22-pound bundle of energy who was dying to get down and wreak havoc on the orderly rows of books (Justin), I decided to take the plunge anyway and start going over every aisle of the store until I found the right Transformer book. Crazy? Maybe, but I couldn't stand the thought of disappointing a little kid on Christmas. It was slow going, and I think other bookstore patrons and probably some of the employees wished that I would take my unruly children and GO! But, I refused to give up. Finally at one point I stopped wrestling Justin and put him down...Ethan was now a dog...barking Christmas songs and crawling around on the floor, Matthew was sprawled on the floor, trying to take a nap, and then the inevitable happened: Justin knocked over a display of gift book box sets. I had about reached my breaking point and was planning on leaving once I picked up Justin's mess...
But, as I stooped down to pick up the first box that Justin had knocked to the floor, I came face to face with the perfect Transformers book. Not at all where it was supposed to be, but I FOUND IT!!!! If Justin hadn't knocked over that display, I might not have found the book. I was so happy, I actually scooped up a very surprised Justin and gave him the biggest hugs and kisses right there in the store in front of everyone, saying "thank you! thank you!" I'm sure I looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. I finished picking up the boxes, paid for the book, and left. It may seem like a small thing, but I really do think it was a miracle. Heavenly Father blesses us, especially when we are serving others. It may not seem important to anyone else, but it was important to that little boy and so I'm sure it was important to Heavenly Father. It really was a Christmas miracle of sorts.

These pictures were too cute not to pass along. In the top picture, Ethan and Matthew are singing Christmas carols in front of the tree.

I know, I know

So, I realize that I haven't been the greatest at keeping up with my blog lately. Sorry. I've been swamped, frantically trying to get family pictures edited for clients in time for Christmas cards. I had to stay up very late three nights last week (going to bed anywhere from 2:30am to 5:00am...crazy, I know). I've really enjoyed it, but I'm glad that at least for now, I'm done. I plan to take a nice long break!

So, are you ready for the updates?

Christmas Garland

I decided to go old school and make a garland for our Christmas tree out of popcorn and cranberries. It took a long time, and it's not as long as it should be, but I actually enjoyed it. Ethan and Matthew helped by handing me the popcorn and cranberries, and James helped by popping the corn on the stove

Justin

I took Justin in for his 9 month check-up (just a little late) and he looks good. He weighs 22 lbs. and is 27 inches long. He's finally starting to stretch out...at least a little. He jumped from the 5th percentile in height to the 25th, so he's made progress! (In case anyone is wondering, he's in the 55th percentile for weight, so he's still short and fat!)

He's finally tall enough that he's been pulling himself up on anything and everything, and is so proud of himself when he does. He's also learned to climb the stairs with his two older brothers cheering him on and keeping him safe. Matthew climbs up the stairs behind him to catch him in case he falls, and Ethan climbs the stairs ahead of him encouraging him the whole way. It's pretty cute to watch!

Oh, and one of the things that we've been concerned about with him is his eating. He pushes food around in his mouth and then spits it out. He's wanted nothing to do with baby food for the last couple of months, and the only foods that we've gotten him to tolerate are avocados and mandarin oranges. Since he'll eat those two things, the pediatrician thinks he's just a picky eater, and that it's not a bigger problem like he doesn't know how to swallow or something. ANYWAYS, we're supposed to be trying out tons of different foods to see what he'll eat. I think the doctor had more nutritious things in mind, but we can now add chocolate doughnuts, candy canes and m&m's to the list of things he'll eat.

Ticket

I got a speeding ticket on Wednesday. I guess I technically deserved it, but it was still kinda cheap. I was driving in a part of town that I don't normally drive in. I was driving 37 mph on a 35 mph road...at least I thought it was 35. I guess I wasn't totally paying attention and drove through a school zone at that speed. It was at lunch time, there were no children in sight, no cones in the crosswalk, no crossing guard...the street was practically deserted. I didn't see any flashing lights to signify the 20 mph zone, and there were four of us cars all going the same speed. I just happened to be the last one line, so I'm the one that got pulled over.

When I saw the police lights, I pulled over, but I fully expected him to drive right by. I was shocked, shocked that he had pulled me over, the girl who has NEVER gotten pulled over ever, and prides herself on ALWAYS going the speed limit. I was embarrassed to say the least, and I cried, of course, but it did me no good. I either have to pay the ticket or go to traffic school. Not awesome.

Just to make things a little more interesting, I was on my way to a friend's house for lunch when I got pulled over, and I was a total, embarrassing wreck when I got there. Thanks, Kristen, for being so nice and understanding about it all!

Since We've Been Home

Life has been CRAZY. What with my photography, James' school, Dr. appointments, Christmas functions, MBASA activities, and life... well, I would take a picture and show the state of our house, but I'm too embarrassed. Think of the messiest house you've ever seen, and multiply it by 300,000,000.33(repeating, of course).
I finally admitted it to James, and I will admit it to you. I hate cleaning. I hate it. I love having a clean house, but I don't like to be the one to do it. Actually, there are times that I enjoy cleaning, but I hate having to pick up after other people. I actually went down to the play room and threw out two bulging bags of toys and games because the boys can't keep things picked up...yep, I'm one of those moms. Matthew caught me trying to sneak out to the garbage cans, and asked while eyeing the bags suspiciously (they're white, so you could clearly see their toys and games), "Hey mom, whatcha got there?" Anyways, I clean, I enjoy it for all of five minutes, then I could start the whole process all over again, and again, and again (.33 repeating of course). I don't enjoy spending every waking moment cleaning. There, I said it.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor about my gimpy finger...finally. So yes, I did not jam my finger, I tore some tendons. I braced it on my own for several weeks, but it's still not better. My options at this point are give it a go with a "real" splint specifically designed to cure the problem (apparently if you get the brace on your finger within 3 months of the incident, it can still work...I'm at 2 1/2 months right now), or go to an orthopedic specialist for surgery. We're trying the splint first. I have to leave it on for eight weeks, and I cannot, under any circumstances bend that finger. If I do, I erase any good that's been done, and we're back at square one. Surgery, with our "insurance" would set us back about $2000. Yeah. Oh, and don't even get me started on our "insurance". The fact that they will actually research loopholes (I kid you not) to get out of paying for Justin's appointments up at Primary Children's burns me up inside. Burns. Me. Up.

Enough rant.

Well, I have dishes and laundry calling my name, and we're trying to get decorated for Christmas (yay!), so ...

The end.

Our Thanksgiving...

...was awesome! We drove up to MT, and brought my brother, Brett, along. Robb was in CA with a girl (woo-woooo!). I hadn't been home for Thanksgiving since '99, and Brett since '98, so it was cool. We lucked out with no snow and clear roads...yay!!

The car ride up was great, thanks entirely to Brett who brought coloring books and crayons, let the boys play with his ipod, and entertained Justin. We want to take him on all our trips...I'm not sure he'd agree, though!

Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing, only because I didn't do any of the work. I know I was being lazy, but thanks for indulging me! While there, we launched rockets, saw Brooke and Al's new house, fed ducks, saw turkeys Thanksgving morning (live ones, running around on my parents' property), took lots of pictures, built a TTV contraption with my dad for my new hobby, and...

saw the Twilight movie with James - DID. NOT. LIKE. IT. I liked the books, especially the first one, but the movie was terrible. I even went into it with low expectations, and was greatly disappointed. I know I know, let's all make fun of me for liking the book, but don't dis it until you've read it. You really only need to read the first one. I think she should have stopped there. There. That's all I'm going to say about it.
I can't believe I'm going to say this, but being home almost, almost made me wish we lived there.

Classic Ethan

Matthew opening up his fancy cloth napkin

Feeding the Ducks

We went out to Brooke and Al's property to see their house that is almost finished. It will be so nice when it's done!

While we were there, we fed some ducks that they have raised from little ducklings. They boys loved it!

Justin and Grandma Hays

Isn't he cute?

Pictures just turn out better when I'm not smiling...make of it what you will

Hold still Matthew!! "It tickles!" he said.

Here ducky-ducky

The Rocket Launch

One of the fun things that the boys did, while visiting MT, was shoot off a model rocket. My dad and brothers have built quite a few over the years (I even built one, but it got lost during one fateful luanch...ROBB!!), and they are all displayed in the room that the boys sleep in. Matthew and Ethan were asking about them, so they decided to have a good, old-fashioned launch!

They couldn't find a battery that still worked, so they hooked the launcher up the the truck. Awesome.

Almost ready!

Matthew's turn

Chasing down the rocket after blast-off

Found it!

Yay for Ethan!

It says "love the headset", in case you can't read it

Ethan's turn

He wasn't so sure about it all

*All pictures courtesy of our handsome guest photographer, James

A Tale of Triumph and Tragedy

I forgot to post this, but better late than never, right?

As you know, we splurged at the beginning of the school year and bought BYU football tickets. We took the boys to all the home games, except two. One we got a sitter for, and just James and I went (sheer joy!) and the other, Matthew had a practice for the Primary Program, so James took his brother and one of his nephews.
It was hard work to bring the boys, and I didn't get to see much of the games (boo!) but, I'm glad that we did it. Matthew and Ethan are now true-blue-dyed-in-the-wool Cougar fans. They both know all the words to the fight song, and sing it on a regular basis...pretty cute, if I do say so myself!
Well, for the boys, seeing the team run out onto the field at the beginning of each game and watching for Cosmo were the highlights of their football watching experience...especially watching for Cosmo. Matthew told me at the first game that he would really LOVE to meet Cosmo..."set that up for me, will ya mom?" Right. But, lo and behold, on the last home game that we attended, I spied Cosmo doing a meet and greet with the fans just a few rows behind us. I grabbed Matthew, RAN up the stairs, and reached the landing where Cosmo was, just in time to see him turn around and start running further up the stairs. But I was not about to be thwarted! I set Matthew down, and lunged for him, grabbed his furry arm, and gave it a good tug. He turned around and gave me a puzzled look (now I know he wears a mask, and couldn't really give me a puzzled look, but trust me, it was there) and so I pointed down at Matthew and said "This little guy really wants to meet you. " Cosmo then stooped down and shook his hand and they started conversing (now I know Cosmo doesn't really talk, but trust me, they were communicating). I felt pretty darn proud of myself. I was the best mom in the world. I, I arranged a meeting with Cosmo for Matthew. Right at the height if my triumph, as I was basking in the wonderfulness that I was, something caught my attention. I turned around, and what I saw wrenched the heart right out of my chest: there was little Ethan trying with all his might to climb the massive stadium stairs, shouting "Mom, wait for me! Don't forget me!" as he went. I glanced at Matthew who was still conversing with Cosmo and surveyed the crowd of other anxious parents waiting for their turn, and swiftly ran back down the stairs, scooped up Ethan, ran up the stairs AGAIN, and got there to see Cosmo disappear into the crowd. I felt terrible. I don't know what I felt worse about: that Ethan didn't get to meet Cosmo, or that I didn't even think to bring him in the first place. And, just to rub a little salt in the wound, Matthew said "Hey mom, next time bring your camera, you didn't even get a picture." I was crying, but trying to hide it, as I brought them both back to our seats, I cried when I told James what happened, I cried when I told my mom about it later, and I'm tearing up as I think about it now. "Don't worry," Matthew told Ethan, "you'll get to meet him when we go to the basketball games." Right.

Recipe(s) of the Week

These recipes are AWESOME! I love Kraft Food and Family Magazine. It's free, you can sign up to get it on their website, or just go to their website to find recipes there. The Parmesan Chicken Bundles are so, so good. James and my boys will even eat the spinach in it with no complaints, because you can't taste it...if you add enough cheese to anything, it's good! (as James always says)

Tips:

• The great thing about doing these recipes together is that you can use one package of cream cheese for the main dish and the dessert, and one container of grated parmesan cheese (with a little left over) for the chicken and the veggies
• For the roasted vegetables, you can add any veggies you like, just make sure that they're thinly sliced so that they all roast evenly (this is another recipe where my kids will actually eat the vegetables)
• For the chocolate mousse, the original recipe calls for 3 squares of chocolate and 3oz. of cream cheese. After reading the reviews, I changed the amounts to 5 squares and 4 oz. of cream cheese. It is REALLY rich, but that's how I like it. A little goes a looooong way! If you prefer, change the amounts back to the original recipe
  

The Recipes:

Parmesan Chicken Bundles

(photo and recipe courtesy of Kraft Food and Family)

Prep Time:35 min
Total Time:1 hr 5 min
Makes:6 servings

What You Need:
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1-1/4 cups Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

Make It:
PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread evenly onto chicken breasts. Starting at one of the short ends of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.
BEAT egg in shallow bowl or pie plate. Mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and the cracker crumbs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with the spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Zesty Roasted Green Beans

Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:53 min
Makes:6 servings, about 1 cup each

What You Need:
1 lb. whole frozen or fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 bell pepper (any color) cut into thin strips

1 large red onion, cut into thin strips

1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Make It:
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Toss vegetables with dressing and cheese in large roasting pan.
BAKE 30 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring after 15 min.

Chocolate Creme Mousse

(photo and recipe courtesy of Kraft Food and Family)

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:3 hr 15 min
Makes:6 servings

What You Need:
5 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
2-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

Make It:
MICROWAVE chocolate on HIGH 45 seconds to 1 minute or until chocolate is completely melted when stirred. Cool slightly.
BEAT cream cheese and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; beat until well blended. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping.
PIPE evenly into 6 individual dessert dishes or spoon into serving bowl. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup whipped topping. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

Enjoy!!

Okay, okay!

So, I knew that the butternut sqash soup might not be for everyone...but we liked it, and our kids liked it, so I posted it anyways. Apparently in some families there have been tears and terror associated with the soup. Sorry. The recipes that I'm posting next weeks are much better. Perhaps I shouldn't have gone with such a "risky" recipe to start. Everyone likes chicken, right?

It's a Tough Life

Observations

At 9am this morning, I strapped the boys in the car, and headed to Salt Lake for Justin's seventh (!) Dr. appointment in three weeks. We were picking up his new helmet. James was at home in bed, suffering from a miserable cold.
Even so, it hit me, I was happy. Happy. In that moment, I felt truly and perfectly happy. It was a beautiful drizzly morning. The mountains were wrapped in white mist. Rain gently pattered on our once-dirty-but-now-clean car. (I love rainy days). One of my favorite songs was playing on the radio. I was singing along. Justin was babbling in his adorable baby voice. Matthew and Ethan were happily munching on cold frosted strawberry pop-tarts (of the Walmart variety). And I was happy. It reminded me of a quote by Elder Ballard:
"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

***

While we were waiting for adjustments to be made to Jusin's helmet, Matthew was flipping through one of their magazines. The company that makes craniofacial helmets also makes prosthetics. The magazine that he was looking at featured all sorts of new and innovative prosthetic limbs. There was one article in particular that fascinated Matthew. It was on athletes in the Special Olympics, and included several pages of pictures of men and women competing in various sporting events who had prosthetic limbs. And, I have to say, I was a little proud of him. Instead of pointing to the pictures and laughing, or saying "Ewww!", or "weird", or something like that, he was simply fascinated by the "robotic arms and legs". He told me that he thought it was cool that if someone didn't have an arm or leg, that they could get another one. "Look how fast they're running!", he would say, or "Wow, he's really strong!" He also told me that he hopes he never loses a body part, because it would hurt, but just in case he did, he picked out a sleek looking leg that he wanted me to get him. Matthew has his moments (don't we all?), but he really is a sweet kid. I hope he never loses his ability to look straight past the outside appearance and find the really awesome in people.

***

On our way home, we were stopped at a red light. The pedestrians in front of our car were given the signal to walk. One of them was an older man with a slight limp. As he proceeded across the street, a car waiting to turn right blared his horn at him. The look on the man's face as he continued to cross the street wrenched my heart. Instead of looking angry, like I would have, he continued staring straight ahead. He looked embarrassed and humiliated that all attention was drawn to him as he tried to make his way to the sidewalk. He looked ashamed. I felt terrible that he would feel ashamed, instead of the cruel (yes, cruel) person who inflicted such a blow to another's self-esteem. It made me wonder: Do we realize how our actions effect those around us?

***

As I headed towards the freeway, I looked in my side mirror and realized that a police car was directly behind me. I was a little startled as I wondered how long he had been following me. Then I got a little panicky when I realized that I had no idea what the speed limit on that road was. I opted for a "safe" 38mph. He continued to follow me as I got on the freeway in the carpool only entrance. I panicked again, not knowing how fast I should be going. Sure, the speed limit is 65mph, but we all know that the flow of traffic is generally closer to 75mph. But, if you remember, James was pulled over a few months ago for going about ten over the speed limit. What do I DO?!! The worst part was being in the carpool lane. That blasted double white line prevented me from getting over into the next lane. I traveled at a conservative 68.5mph, and merged into the lane on my right as soon as the blessed dotted line appeared (signaling, of course). The police car left me in the dust.

Recipe of the Week

(photo courtesy of kraftfoodandfamily.com)

I've decided to start posting some of my favorite recipes each week. I love trying new ones, and I love to share them, but I'm bad at copying them down and getting them out. So, I thought this would be a fun way to share.

We tried this recipe last week for the first time, and LOVED it. If you're not a squash fan, this recipe may not be for you. But, I will say this: I like squash okay, but I don't love it. However, I love this soup.

Tips:

• Don't skip the sour cream!! It makes this recipe. Trust me.
• The easiest way to peel a butternut squash is to cut off the ends, then microwave it for three minutes. Use a vegetable peeler, I think it's easier than a paring knife.
• While it's good the night you make it, it's even better the next day.
• Instead of crackers, I sliced a loaf of french bread in half length-wise, buttered it, sprinkled it lightly with garlic powder, and broiled it on a cookie sheet until golden brown.

The recipe: (courtesy of Kraft Food and Family dot com)

Butternut Squash Soup

Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:45 min
Makes:8 servings, about 1 cup soup and 5 crackers each

What You Need:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 or 2 butternut squash (4 lb.total), peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1/2 cup Sour Cream
Saltine Crackers

Make It:
HEAT oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add squash, onions and garlic; cook 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in allspice; cook and stir 1 min.
ADD broth. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on low heat 15 min. or until squash is tender. Process, in batches, in food processor (or blender) until smooth. Return to saucepan; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
LADLE into 8 bowls. Add 1 Tbsp. sour cream to each serving; swirl slightly. Serve with crackers.

It's healthy and cost effective...love it.

YUM!

I am very thankful that proposition 8 in California, and proposition 102 in Arizona passed.

To everyone who helped make this happen, those who posted signs in their yards, stood along the highway and waved signs, went to rallies, knocked on doors, posted on their blogs, sent emails, talked to their friends and family, prayed, and voted, I say thank you. It affects us all. And even though I had hoped for a different outcome in the Presidential race, the passing of these two propositions has given me hope. Hope that the good people of America CAN make a difference if we are willing to try. Thank you.

Just What I Need, a New Obsession...

I have been wanting to get into digital scrapbooking for awhile. I love the graphic design look of it, it's much more cost effective, and NO MESS!!! Well, one of the MBA spouses taught a class (I couldn't make it that night, but I got the notes and talked to several people who did attend) and now I'm hooked. She prints off her 12x12 pages at Costco, and they look great.

And, in case you're wondering who the beautiful family is in the photograph, they were my latest subjects from my most recent family photo shoot. If you haven't checked out my photography blog in awhile, you should. Click here.

Things On My Fantasy Wishlist

Red bowl-lift Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

This brush set for digital scrapbooking by Anna Aspnes

(this one I can actually afford to get :) )

Photoshop cs4...can we say EXPENSIVE?!

Nikon 50mm f 1.8 prime lens

Sweet beach cruiser

All For One and One For All!

Lace. Velvet. Tights. Feathers. Curly long hair. That's right! Halloween at the Hatch house again..for our three BOYS.
The pictures from Halloween aren't my best effort. I thought about getting the boys all dressed up again and taking new pictures, but that is so much work. I'm letting go of some of my pefectionistic tendencies and I'm using the pictures I have.

They're the Three Musketeers. Only one person got it. Most thought that they were two pirates and a princess (Justin gets mistaken for a girl on a regular basis).

"What do expect when he's dressed in velvet and lace?" James asked. I'll give him that one, but dressed in BLUE BOY CLOTHES every other day of his life?

James wasn't thrilled with being the designated candy-hander-outer while I got the boys ready for bed.

James in action.

James mad at me for taking so many pictures of him.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!

Ties

This is my honey:

He needed some new ties. I went to Macys. I bought these ties:

They were on sale for $9.99 each. I saved $120. Awesome.

THE END

NAC!

Last week was crazy busy. Among other things, the Marriot School hosted the annual NAC (National Advisory Council - aka BYU's elite alumni) Conference. Thursday night, we went to a fancy dinner at BYU. It was fun to get all dressed up. I even did my own hair, and yes, I'm rather proud of how it turned out.
Wait a minute! Fancy dinner at BYU, you ask? Yes, it is possible. They held it in the Wilk Ballroom, and it was beautiful. They had tealights on the table, creating subtle illumination and nice ambiance, gorgeous flower arrangements, and the food was amazing. The highlight of the meal was the dessert. I'm not really sure what it was (it was that fancy), but I think it was some sort of frozen mousse. It was three layers: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry with a huge fancy fluff of whipped cream on top. A delicious tower of goodness. It tasted even better than it looked, and it looked GOOD! There were three MBA couples at each table (assigned seating) and one NAC couple. Our couple was from Texas, and he was the retired CFO of the largest oil refining company in the world (Valero - they operate the Diamond Shamrock gas stations). All of the MBAers were a little nervous to be socializing with these prestigious business people, but they turned out to be very nice and down-to-earth. Our couple happened to be born and raised in MT, so we had a lot to talk about, and I feel like I we really hit it off. After dinner, they had Q&A sessions within your specific area of study. So for us, it was Corporate Finance, and the couple that headed our session happened to be the couple that we ate dinner with. They gave a lot of good advice about careers, but the wife also gave lots of advice on raising a family, strengthening your marriage, and family life in general.
On Friday, the spouses were invited to a nice luncheon with the NAC spouses at the Hinckley Building. Again, the food was amazing, and it was awesome to socialize with these smart, accomplished women. Most of them are/were stay-at-home moms. One of the spouses at my table is running for Congress. She was very interesting to talk to. Both women at our table were very open and answered all of our questions about balancing kids and time for yourself, not feeling sorry for yourself when your husband has to travel, setting realistic expectations for yourself as a mom, wife, and woman, and how to enjoy life in all its forms.
It was such an amazing opportunity, and we had a great time. Have I mentioned that I'm so glad that James decided to go back to school?

Yuck

The Good News:

Ethan found his sippy that's been missing for two weeks.

The Bad News:

He took a drink and then threw up.

Timely Picture

In response to bottles of bleach being thrown on supporters of prop 8 while at a rally in CA , this picture has been circulating. And while yes, the picture is a little funny, I think we are closer to living under the same circumstances that we read about in the Book of Mormon than some may think. We are absolutley fighting a battle for right. Which side are you on?

More In Support of Prop 8

Here are some more links for support of proposition 8 that I've copied and pasted into this post. Even if we don't live in CA, there is a lot that we can do in the next few days. Please help.

http://www.protectmarriage.com/

From Frank Schubert, campaign manager for prop 8:
" Will you be with us during this time of critical need? Through the grace of God, one of our most fervent supporters has agreed to make a sacrificial gift to match, dollar for dollar, whatever you and others can donate, up to a total of $1 million. That means that every dollar you give will buy two dollars in advertising time. Please help us buy more advertising time now. And if you can make a sacrificial gift yourself, we ask you to prayerfully consider doing so immediately. The institution of marriage which we so dearly love depends on what we do together over the next few days. "

A video clip of supporters in CA lining the Pacific Coast Highway waving signs. If we can get as many people to view this quickly, it quite possibly could get promoted to the front page on YouTube, allowing hundreds of thousands of folks to view this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlDacmjDP8s

Another article on the scary things that will be taught in our schools if prop 8 fails:
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78829

The latest ad in support of prop 8:
Watch the ad here.

If you can, please email these links and post them on your blogs. We need as much help as we can get!

Another Tag

First Tag- ABC Tag
A- Attached or Single? Attached
B- Best Friend? James
C- Cake or Pie? MY apple pie...I know that sounds really snobby, but I really like my apple pie
E- Essential Item? Alas, the finger splint - best friend and worst enemy
F- Favorite Color?red
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? worms - I don't know why, they just taste better
H- Hometown? Darby, the sticks
I- Indulgence(s)? shopping sales
J- January or July? June
K- Kids? 3, but I keep thinking we have 4 - Is someone trying to tell me something?
L- Life is incomplete without? James and my kids - corny, but true
M- Marriage Date? August 14, 2003
N- Number of Siblings? 2 bros, 1 sis
O- Oranges or Apples? Gala apples
P-Phobias? I'm afraid of heights
Q- Quotes? "It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot
R- Reason to Smile? I'm almost done with the Halloween costumes
S- Season? Fall and Spring
T- Tag 5 People? If you're reading this, I tag you
U- Unknown Fact? I wish that were graceful, but I'm not
V- Very Favorite Store? Barnes and Noble, Tai Pan, Amazon, any craft/hobby store...need I go on?
W- Worst Habit? Not showering everyday...I know, it's gross
Y- Your Favorite Food? Italian food and seafood
Z- Zodiac? gemini

Vote YES on Prop 8!!

I don't live in a state where we get to vote on this, but I know that there must be people who read this blog that do, and I encourage you to vote YES on Proposition 8. Irregardless of religion and politics, it is our sacred responsibility as parents to raise our children how we see fit, NOT that of the schools, or anyone else for that matter. If Proposition 8 fails, same sex marriage and homosexuality will be taught as normal, moral behavior to our young, impressionable children. This is not okay, and it is time for us to take a stand. This is not about discrimination, but it is about rights. We need to protect our right to protect the institution of the family. We need to protect our right to teach our families what we want, how we want, when we want to. If you are on the fence about this issue, please take a moment to view this clip , it is only a few minutes long and well worth your time to see what will happen if proposition 8 fails. Before you vote, please think of the implications that it will have on families across the country. If you have children, are related to people that have children, or know people that have children, this affects you. Vote YES on Proposition 8.

Yes, I'm Busy

I should be busy making dinner for tonight.
I should be busy cleaning up the 100th mess Ethan made today.
I should be busy editing and processing family pictures.
I should be busy doing laundry.
But, as I am constantly being reminded, childhood only comes once, and is fleeting.
So instead, I am busy playing Twister/tag/wrestle.
I am busy with my boys.