BRP's 35

35 random facts about my 35 year old husband.
1. He is the best teacher I know, he knows how to explain things and takes the time to do it.
2. He's a fast runner.
3. He loves cheesecake.
4. He's from Idaho.
5. He has the same shoes from his mission.
6. He's the oldest child in his family.
7. He likes to go snorkling.
8. He adores his family he grew up with and the one he lives with now.
9. He likes to garden.
10. He's interested in time lapse photography.
11. He likes soccer.
12. He hates mushrooms.
13. He's a bit of a pyromaniac.
14. His favorite meal would be steak and potatoes, just like a good Idaho boy.
15. He's a writer at heart.
16. He sleeps so quietly I wonder if he's still alive sometimes.
17. He can fall asleep anywhere anytime in any position within seconds, seriously.
18. He started working at the age of 13.
19. He saved $10,000 before he left on his mission, and brought money back home.
20. He started driving at the age of 14.
21. He plays the piano, oh so well.
22. He played the trombone in high school, we still have it.
23. His favorite color is blue, but he likes red a lot too.
24. He won't eat food if it's too late at night...weird huh? :)
25. He loves Olive Garden's salad and alfred0 dipping sauce.
26. He's a good cleaner.
27. If he uses something it always, always goes right back to where it's supposed to...such a foregin concept to me.
28. He doesn't like to ski.
29. He loves to go canoeing.
30. He loves music.
31. He loves chips and salsa.
32. He does not like the beach.
33. He's an eagle scout.
34. He's a perfect gentlemen.
35. He is loved immensely by many.
Happy Birthday Sweetheart,, YOU ARE THE BEST!

Food

We have a love/hate relationship. I love to eat it but hate to see it sit on my hips. I'm going on two weeks of no desserts, that's not to say no sugar, but no cakes, chocolate, ice cream and such. I most likely am a sugarholic, if it's in the house I'm going to eat it...I eat it to get rid of it quick so that I don't eat it. Like that logic? Some things I've learned is that I have more self restraint than I thought. I've been pretty good. Well, really good...I've made it through a baptism with elcairs and lemon cupcakes, a chocolate cake fixed for dinner with the missionaries, a birthday party with browies and ice cream, a painting party with that chex, chocolate powdered sugar mix, Melody's blogging about the hot now sign being on :), and a wedding cake with raspberry filling. I've found that I want the cakey stuff less as time goes on and that apples and bananas taste good when not being replaced with little debbie's. I haven't cut out anything remotely that might not be defined as a dessert, like banana bread that is oh so good but probably shouldn't classify.

The other thing I'm doing is charting my meals on www.mypyramid.gov . I love that it graphs out what you've eaten. It's the longest I've charted my meals. I love change what can I say.

Now with all this effort and preparing (just barely) for the 5K this coming week and aerobics. I've lost possibly one lb. But I know these things take time and I feel better on the inside. You know how you start working out and it feels like your body has made this huge transformation and well not really, that's where I'm at. The clothes still fit the same...ah well. I at least feel better and am proud of myself so far.

Now for more of the love for food and real reason for this post was to say I went to my cousin's wedding on St. George's Island that I haven't been to in evidently years and it was beautiful. I'm going to take the kids there in the next couple of weeks during the evening..it was gorgeous, the sand dunes, beautiful. The best part besides the nuptials was the food....yummy good. It was catered by this company out of Port St. Joe named Provisions and it was scrumptious. They served mini crab cakes with some kind of good dipping sauce. goat cheese something or other with grilled pita triangles. baked brie with pecans and brown sugar...I only had one small helping of this but my goodness so good. yellow honeydew that I didn't even know existed...was wonderful. roastbeef, herb turkey, ham and little rolls and horseradish for the roastbeef, you should never have roastbeef w/o horseradish in my opinion. Little eggrolls with the red spicy sauce. Cherry tomatoes stuffed with chicken salad and a cheesy artichoke dip that was amazing. I love weddings!!! and food :)

Fay & FHE

I didn't get pics of Fay, it did rain a whole lot, but nothing terrible here. Brandon's coworker from India who lives on the other side of town said it rained harder than she had ever seen and apparently it rains a lot in India. We just got a good washin and family fun. It's rare we get a day to just do nothing. The kids and I cleaned the house real good Friday so Friday evening we hung out and on Saturday everyone got to pick a game. I think Hannah's was ring around the rosie, Cole and Laura's was charades, they both love that...I think choices fizzled after that, but we played a new game I found in the back of the closet, not that we lack for board games but it's called hit the deck and Brandon, Cole and I had fun with that Saturday night. We ate good, had ice cream after bed time Friday night and a huge brunch on Saturday morning thanks to our chefs, Brandon and Laura. Hannah went down for a nap on Saturday afternoon, Brandon and Cole played Legos while Laura and I painted nails then we put on Star Wars and I had a long nap It was so much fun. Sunday the weather cleared enough to go to Stake Conference then we hung out and that evening we had thunder which hadn't accompanied the rain the previous days and every time it thundered Hannah screamed out, Rain guys, rain and we had to recognize it or she wouldn't stop. The child talks more than all of us put together...seriously.

Tonight for FHE we had some small successes and more laughs so I thought I'd document it ;). Cole conducted and didn't whine, he selected people for song and prayer and there were no complaints. Everyone spoke their turn during family business even if it was to say they had nothing to say. Laura gave a lesson from the friend that she chose, with me whispering in her ear - it makes it go longer, but it's important to her to "do it". It was about a boy who was turning eight and and his friend's mom said he couldn't be friends with a mormon. So he's talking to his mom about it. His mom reads John 1:5 and talks about Joseph Smith seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the other occurrences he had. He eventually prays to know these things are true and gets a warm feeling and hugs his mom and knows that he has to do hard things like Joseph and as his little brother's come bustling in his room he says "Shhh, I don't want this feeling to go away." And Brandon said I think I can feel that here now too and there was no doubt about it...the kids didn't say a word...and that's saying something. Then for closing song Brandon got to choose the song and he chose Love is spoken here cause he loves it and we sang it the best ever, with Hannah chiming in on "here" at the end. Brandon had the activity and said since Hannah doesn't get to participate very much in FHE we would all choose a song that we know she'd like. He started with If you're happy and you know it and to say the least the kids were not excited about this activity. Laura did join in and chose Hannah's very favorite the alphabet song. Then I suggested ring around the rosies and everyone loves this one, even grown up Cole (eh and the other grown ups too) and we laughed our heads off. It was the best. Our home feels full of love and peace...a great weekend......We're sorry to interrupt this highly irregular showing to bring you back to reality. :) Ah well, it was good while it lasted.

There's was guy who came to church one Sunday and he was going to be away from his family for six weeks so we invited him over for dinner which happened to be Father's Day. My stepfather was coming over and the guy, Neal got there before my dad and I told him how my dad from the mountains and he was living in Tennessee and much like Brandon has served his mission there, went back home, returned to TN and met a girl, got married, stayed. Anyway, my dad arrived told Neal where he was from and Neal and his companion had actually opened the mission in the very, very small area of Virginia my dad was from. They talked all through dinner. My dad enjoyed it and so did Neal.

So while he was in town he came over one more time, but the good part was that he sent us home a dip one Sunday and roughly it was
you take some cream cheese (not sure how much, I messed up on the first one and put too much and haven't tried it again yet, I used a little less than a block...play with it)
spread in bottom of pan
mix together
a can of pinto beans
black beans
chili beans
can of rotel
brown sugar (play with this one too)
mix together
pour over cream cheese
sprinkle with sugar
bake until bubbly
he gave us ruffles plain chips which was excellent, but he says his family uses fritos
let me just tell you this was good stuff, I'm hungry

and there's another recipe, Thai Panang Curry, he gave us the ingredients and recipe for just before he left..it is so good here's the link to the recipe on the recipe blog...
http://delectablydeliciousdinners.blogspot.com/

My Laura

So Laura story, she started dance today and was so excited. Her teacher is an old friend of mine from the student ward, way back when. So I hadn't told Laura much about her and we were getting her dressed in the changing room and I said that her teacher was a member of our church, but went to the other building across town. She looked at me all concerned.."Do they believe in Jesus?" I said yes...she immediately replied "well that's good they believe in Jesus Christ" .... this sunk in for a minute as she rambled on and then she put her hand to her mouth and gasped "Does everyone in the city believe in Jesus?" I explained, no, probably not but Miss Raquelle believed the same things we did. I think she was truly comforted by this. So sweet... I was reading a memorial blog recently where a mother said about her deceased daughter something that reminded me so much of Laura I saved it.....

there were times in life when she was like a gale force hurricane wind ripping through your life and other times when she was a gentle delicate breeze on your cheek

....that's my Laura.

School and stuff

Laura's started kindergarten and is really good at school and let's it all out while at home. She loves packing lunch, the playground and being picked up through the drive thru :).

Cole's in 2nd grade, big boy. He wasn't excited about school, but the first day he spent fifteen minutes, literally, telling the first part of the box car kids. He's given us a summary everyday. The teacher has a store wherein the kids can earn "money" and buy or save when the store is open on Fridays. The child is in heaven. If only he were in class with his kindergarten crush I wouldn't know what to do with him so probably best that's not the case. He thought he was going to hate the back playground and he loves it. I'm so glad. The mornings are already a challenge, shoes crisis, breakfast crisis, snack crisis - but we're not off to a horrible start.

I do miss the kids but have enjoyed time with Hannah. I also enjoy lunches alone while Hannah naps. I know there will come a day where I will have too much time on my hands, alas the break is nice. Like I tell my kids there are advantages and disadvantages to everything. I usually say that when Hannah's giving them trouble.

I have found teaching my kids has taught that good one and another I really like is when someone has hit someone for someone saying something mean..I tell them
You can't choose what somene does to you, but you can always choose how you react to it, you can only control yourself. Why is this so hard to remember as adults? We're only human I suppose. Ah....life!

Time Flies

When you're having fun. On Thursday Brandon and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We have had a wonderful time building our lives together. We love our children, we love our home. we love each other and for the most part we love the life we're living. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. He's the best! Ten things I love about him are....

11. cultivated confidence (one to grow one, it's one of the things that attracted me to him and it keeps working)

10. hard working

9. money matters

8. when he writes..about anything

7. perfect patience with people

6. his appreciation of me being a mommy and always helping out with no complaints ever

5. he wouldn't knowingly hurt anyone, well not w/o a super good cause

4. his handsomeness, eyes, lips...you get the point

3. he always tries to be a better husband, as if he could be :)

2. the multifabulous job he does with our kids, that they have him to look to for an example

1. his desire to always be righteous and the discipline to get it right most of the time. I know his holding the priesthood makes an invaluable impact on our lives as a whole.