Can I tell you?

Can I tell you how much I love these young men? I don't think I can express it on a blog. Court of Honor last night and I was a proud mom. We walked out of our church and this beautiful sunset was waiting for us. Have a great Monday.

SHINE in '09!

For all of you who are not involved in Scentsy I think these pics might make you want to be involved in Scentsy! These pics are from the Shine in '09! Scentsy convention held this month in Salt Lake City. I will not try to tell you who is in each pic, you know who you are and I want each of you to know how grateful I am to know you and I loved spending time with each of you at convention. I need to let Julie Rains, Suzanne Camarena, and Karen Ingalls know that I don't have pics of you and if you have any to share I would love them. Seeing these pictures again today has made my heart grow at least 3 sizes and I hope it does the same for you! Have a Scentsational day!

Thumbprints

OOOOO-weeee!, what a delicious cookie!

Jam Thumbprints
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 to 1/2 cup raspberry jam

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping bowl. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2. Grease a cookie sheet; set aside. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in egg whites, then in walnuts. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Bake in a 375* oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Just before serving fill centers with jam.

Bountiful Baskets this!

I love my sister. She lives in Phoenix.
Every other Saturday she picks up a 'Bountiful Basket' from a co-op for a scentsational price with vegetables, fruit, galore! This 'Bountiful Basket is a great deal for the people of the desert where fresh things are few and far between and she is so excited to tell me what she received in her basket.
Well sister, I had a dear neighbor bring me fresh picked raspberries last night which I made into raspberry jam and this morning I went out to my garden a picked my own bountiful basket.
BOUNTIFUL BASKET THIS SISTER!

Salsa

I love this time of the year when veggies and fruit are abundant and I get to can them. Saturday evening I canned salsa. My Dad grows tomatoes, jalapenos and anaheim peppers for my mom and me to can. I picked up onions, garlic and hot wax peppers from Grant's Vineyard garden center. I enjoy cooking and canning, but most of all I love to look at the finished product and know my family will enjoy eating it.

Birdie Sling Baby Bag for Amber

My cute neighbor Amber is going to have her first sweet baby in just days. This Birdie Sling Baby bag shall be my shower gift to her. I think it turned out so cute! I have made one before and I must say the 2nd one is so much easier to assemble. I might be able to sew the third one in my sleep. I hope she likes it.

Jared

Tonight my nephew Jared came over to get a hair cut because tomorrow he is getting his Senior pictures taken. The last time I saw Jared was last April and I think he grew 6 inches and gained some muscle. He is such a handsome young man, especially with his new DO! I hope he has a great senior year.

All Three.

This morning all three of my gang went to school and Grandma Fitzsimmons goes back home to Pennsylvania, we will miss her and love her very much!

Don't you just want to squeeze these young men?

I can't believe how fast they grow, and how handsome they are!

Cotton, the girls are waiting at the school for you to arrive so they can get a hug!

Tristan, the girls are gonna be lovin' you from dusk to dawn!
Justus, what can I say, May the force be with you.

Oh yeah guys, please study hard and be a good example to those around you. Now I will go and clean your toilets and they will be clean and sparkly until 2:45 p.m. when you all return home. I love my gang!

P.S. I haven't got the hang of putting the correct comments under the corresponding photos, please bear with me. Have a good day!

Jr. High School

Well, I sent my baby to Jr. High this morning. There were definitely mixed emotions in my heart as he jumped on his skateboard and left.
There will be no more recess stories to hear about, no more class programs to attend, guess I will have to sign up for the Pioneer Posse at the Jr. High and monitor the halls at lunch time to see my baby during the day.
There was a time when I would get a call at least once a week from a little boy at the elementary school - "Mom, I don't feel good can you come get me?" This was Justus, he wasn't really sick I think he just wanted to be with Mom. I am grateful for those 'sick days'.
He will do fine at Jr. High and I hope he will choose friends that are good friends, friends that he will have for the rest of his life.
What a handsome guy. I love you Justus.

Cody and Melissa

Now I have been home 14 hours and I am repacking my suitcase to attend the Shine in '09 Scentsy convention. There will be 27 consultants from my downline there and I am way excited to see them, alot of them I have only corresponded through email with. What a blast! Wish you were here Lori.

My nephew Cody married his sweetheart Melissa on the 8th of August and I was able to be in Phoenix for the wedding. Can I tell you I have not seen my nephew this happy for a very long time and I am excited to have Melissa for a niece. She is a cute, cute gal and they are so giddy together.
I spent alot of time with my sis and I wish we lived closer to one another. My sister took great care of my family and me while we were at her beautiful home. I spent time with my 3 nieces and my twin nephews too. They are each beautifu/handsome and amazing and all have bright futures ahead of them.
My niece Shawny has a sweet apartment that I got to see. I felt the Spirit of the Holy Ghost there as soon as I walked in. She has a knack for decorating and I can tell she loves making her house a home.
Oh yeah, the first night we were there we went to the Skye restaraunt where my niece Marci works to see Meigen my other niece perform in Idol in the Skye, Skye's version of American Idol. My brother in law Perry ordered the Seafood tower for an appetizer and I thought we would all have mercury poinsoning by the end of the evening. Marci broiled us delicious New York Strips and we enjoyed the evening. Who ordered the poo poo platter?

Boys and Miranda

The Beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Temple.
Last month Mike's sister Pam and family flew to Utah to spend some time with us. We enjoyed our time together and I miss my sister Pam! Our boys had fun with their cousin Miranda and I wanted to share some pictures. If it seems that Miranda is posing in some of these pics, she is, she loves the camera.