Today we had a

wonderful Women's conference in our Stake.

I was inspired in ways to enhance family history and also decorate for Natalie's wedding.

This is how I

hope it is with Gary and me.  

From the news:

 "After spending 67 years together as devoted husband and wife, there was no question how Floyd and Violet Hartwig would end their lives — together.

Sensing the couple was close to death, their children pushed their two hospice beds together and gently placed their father's hand in the mother's palm.

Floyd, 90, died first. Violet, 89, followed five hours later. They died Feb. 11 at home, just as they had wished, the family said.

"They wanted to go together," their daughter, said Thursday. "It was meant to be that way."

Went to Yoga,

came home and made 5 dozen cupcakes, went to lunch bunch, went shopping, came home,  finished key fobs, and now straightening the house for an 8 pm meeting.

That has been my day.  

Another

really big birthday.  Today Marshall Zane turns 5!

Our interview with Marshall was a little shorter (due to too many other fun things going on).

Favorite Color:  Pink, Yellow, Blue

Food:  Graham Crackers and milk.

Toy:  Tractors

Favorite thing to do with Mommy:  Snuggle

Favorite thing to do with Daddy:  Fight (I think he meant wrestle)

Favorite candy:  Gum

Here are pictures Misty sent with Harrison and Marshall with their cards and cakes:

Happy Birthday, Marshall

We love you!

Apparently my

brain does not operate first thing in the morning.  I walked to yoga this morning because Natalie was using my car.  It wasn't until I was putting my shoes on to come back home that I discovered this.

Well, at least they are both black.  

Harrison

Jess Bishop turns 10 today!

In my interview with Harrison at Christmas I learned these interesting facts:

Favorite Color:  Blue

Favorite Food:  Rice and Meatballs

Favorite Candy:  Snickers

Favorite Activity:  Being here with us. (We really like that one)

Favorite Animal: Hyena

Favorite Game: Baseball

What do you picture yourself doing in 10 years:  Playing baseball at BYU.

When do you feel most spiritual?  Praying

What do you appreciate about your family?  Mom does everything for me.  Being at Gamer's practice with Dad

Hardest subject in school?  Reading

How many children would you like?  1 boy and 1 girl

Where would you like to live?  Utah

Favorite Movie:  Guardians of the Galaxy

Favorite TV show:  Nicky, Ricki, Dicky, and Dawn

Most happy? Here Skiing

What like to do with friends?  Play X-box with Alex

Happy Birthday, Harrison.  

We love you!

I was teaching

a primary class today about Prophets.  I didn't have much time to prepare, as I just got called to substitute yesterday.  

The lesson plan suggested having a man come in to portray King Benjamin giving his sermon from the tower.  So, I asked the first available man I saw, and he was a very good sport.  He did a great job, and looked very official, wearing my blue bathrobe. 

The quote

"Pride comes before the fall" was literally the case with the boiled raisin cake I made today. 

We went to dinner at Charlene and Greg's and I wanted to make a boiled raisin birthday cake for Richard.  That is his favorite cake that Mom made.

I was so proud if myself because the cakes came out perfectly.   You'll have to trust me on that, because I didn't take a picture.   But, believe me,  they were perfectly rounded.  And I was proud.

But I didn't have time to let it cool before frosting it. That's when the "fall" happened.  

I guess the only redeeming thing is that mom's always had a few cracks in it, too, but I think I out did her on this one.

I'm trying

not to add a lame post like last night. I have so many books and calendars the girls have made for us that I want to post and preserve digitally.

Here is a sample of 1 of them.  I was looking at this book because I'm supposed to make a sample of a recipe that has either come down to me or that I am passing on to my family.    Since it is so late, I don't have time to scan all of it, but here is a sampling.   This was put together by Tiffany for Mother's day in 2008.

 

Yes.

I'm regretting it.

I'm going

to miss Patrick Jane.  It was a sweet ending, though.

I've been hitting the

stores for after valentine candy sales.

All for the candy buffet at the wedding.  

I've been wanting

to get down to see my cousin, Dianne, every since they moved.   Gary and Lynn drove down to Nephi with us to visit her and her husband, Tom.  Tom has had a series of strokes and is pretty much immobile now.  While he is very aware, he can't talk much.   They are such good people and have had so many hardships in life.  Two of their sons were killed in an automobile accident about 20 years ago.

Now they are facing life decisions that are so difficult.  Dianne is so sentimental, and as we sat and visited, she pointed out how the lap trays we were using had been her mom and dads.  Then as we were leaving, she pointed out the porch swing that had been at my grandparent's home.   In my grandma's history, she said said "if that swing could talk, it would have lots of stories to tell."   What she was referring to was that it had survived all of the romances of her 5 daughters.

 

I revised this recipe

after trying them at Tiffany's.  Luci loves Nutella, so I wanted to try them out while I was there.

We liked the original recipe, but the bread was a little too dry.  Also, in the original recipe,  the Nutella was added on top of the batter and was swirled in.  But when done that way, the Nutella on the top hardened.  In this adaptation the nutella stays creamy.

Banana Nutella Muffins  -- Makes about 16 muffins

                                                                                                      

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1/2 cup butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 T milk

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t salt

3 bananas (enough to make 1 c. mashed bananas)

1/3 to 1/2 cup Nutella

Combine butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla.   Add flour, soda, and salt until well incorporated.  Fill muffin tins 1/2 full with batter.  Drop approx 1 T. nutella on top of that.  Then add enough batter so the cups are about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes or until top pops back when after touching it.   

Enjoy!  

I had an

unexpectedly nice Valentine's day.  Until Thursday, when Gary got notice that the robot challenge in Price was cancelled, I was expecting him to be gone all day.

So, that was a nice surprise.  We went to breakfast before my Saturday Sampler quilt class then came home and watched a movie.  Then we were feeling kind of sluggish, so we went and walked the mall before eating dinner at the eatery. (That may seem a little counter productive, but I guess it is better than eating out and not walking).

I'm afraid that regular mall walking would be kind of hazardous to our finances. I would be tempted to buy things (that I didn't even know I needed) just because I saw them in the store windows.  

Valentine's Eve

and we got this cute note



and some yummy brownies from cute little Maris across the street.
It didn't think to take pictures of the brownies before we ate them,
but they were very yummy, too.

I guess my

daughters know me pretty well.

After getting home from Yoga, I gave Misty a call.  One of the first things she asked was "Are you calling me to get out of cleaning up the deep?"

Really, am I that obvious? I had to admit to her that, while I did want to talk with her, there was an element of calculated procrastination involved.

I finally did stop procrastinating and ventured down.  It's not picture worthy yet, but I made great progress.  After 4 straight hours downstairs, I finally got ready for the day. Then I left Gary a message telling him that I deserved to be taken out to dinner.

Yes, I am that obvious.

It didn't happen.

I decided to go out and do some errands before I got started.  That was my first mistake.  Since I was out, and now have paint swatches, I decided to visit a few craft stores in search of more fun wedding ideas.  One thing led to another. Then I came home and read the paper (current events are very important you know).

Then I decided that I needed to stop procrastinating and get to it.

I went downstairs and worked for a half hour, became overwhelmed, and decided that I just didn't have the energy.

A fresh mind and body are definitely needed to tackle the emotional and physical clutter of the deep.  

So, I'm not making any more promises, but hopefully by this weekend?

Would you believe

that the deep is still a huge mess from Christmas?

If you know me, then that doesn't surprise you.

But, I'm making a public commitment to finish it up tomorrow.

And take a picture.

Now that is a scary thought.

Spent some time

With these cute valentines tonight.  We started putting valentine stickers on cards and ended up putting them on ourselves.

Remnants of our

Early valentine breakfast.

A selfie of

me and the bride to be.



We had a marathon 7 hour shopping trip (with a break for lunch at Zupa's).  The good news is that we came home with bridesmaid dresses for Lydia and Eliza, and we ordered Natalie's wedding dress.  Pretty good for all in one day!

The worst part for Natalie is that I am being a bridezilla mother and "demanding" that she and Trent decide which "paint swatches" of coral and teal they are going with.  (You will notice them tucked into the dresses.)

I keep seeing cute ribbon, paper, and other accessories, but there are so many different shades and tones that I don't know whether they will work.  So, I think I am very justified in being demanding.   Not that I need to justify myself or anything.

Though it was just the two of us shopping, we had Misty and Lydia and Tiffany and Eliza as consultants via texting.  That way they were involved in the decision making without having to walk into a store (which neither Misty or Tiffany particularly enjoy).

There will be no pictures of the wedding dress, though.  Natalie is adamant that Trent not see the dress, or her in the dress, before the wedding.  I don't know if she will be able to pull that off,  but I can guarantee is that she will be beautiful.
 

I showed Gary this picture

 (the sample one at the quilt store), and then showed him mine.



I commented that mine looks a little (ok, a lot) different.  He told me that mine was just fine, and that he "wasn't about to trash my applique."

I think he's learned to be a very sweet and diplomatic husband.

There has been

record breaking warm weather the last few days.  I actually went out and cleaned the storage shed (to make room for wedding paraphernalia) without a coat.  And I was still sweating.   Forecast for tomorrow: 67 degrees.  

I'm doing the

Saturday Sampler quilt class again.  I'm not sure if I have posted anything about it this year, as I am already behind a couple of months. What really holds me up is applique.  I'm just really not very good at it, and this year there is a lot of it.  So, I signed up for a 2 hour class tomorrow on applique.  Hopefully that will help so I will enjoy it more and get better at it.  

Gary said that

he should never have doubted me.

(and my tendency to pick up things for a really 

good deal or even free)

I have 49 of these and my friend, Diane, just brought me 60 more.  

(She knows how to get things for a really good deal, too)

 We are thinking of  putting a monogram of Natalie and Trent's initials where the "bride" and "groom" are.  Then we can use them as chair backers for the wedding.

I have 150 or so of these.

Still deciding how to best use those.

And about 15 of these below.


Maybe they can be the candy jar labels?


For sure we have to use them, if for no other reason than to justify their storage space in the "Deep."

We love these

T-shirts Misty gave us for Christmas.

It's tradition.

I haven't been able to capture them asleep yet.  But Gary definitely cheered at this commercial.