Amazing roses

I got these 8 days ago the Saturday before Valentine's day and they still look like new. As far as I'm concerned the only place to buy roses is the Safeway gas station. And that's about as exciting as my week has been.

Valentine's Day

I can't believe MK's freshman basketball season is over already! It was fun while it lasted. For some reason MK looks more like MK wearing her b-ball jersey:So when she went to relief society with me the other night it came as quite a shock to me to see her modeling this: She reluctantly agreed since all of the Young Women were wearing them in a fashion show for the moms. Since the theme was weddings I was asked to make a cake for the occasion:

For Valentine's Day Bruce gave me these gorgeous roses:

And to complete the perfection of this day devoted to love, these puppies showed up at my door from my little next door neighbor. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. samoas.

While google ing for the pic I stumbled across this article. Which I naturally scoffed at while I scarfed them down:)

Tips for Mindfully Eating Girl Scout Cookies
1) One reason people mindlessly over eat Girl Scout cookies is due to the way they are packaged. The Thin Mints come in a long sheath and the Samoa, for example, are in rows. The natural "pause point" is at the end of the row or the sheath. A "pause point" is the place that you naturally stop and ask yourself if you want more. This way of packaging unconsciously leads people to eat more than they normally would. (Consider how Pop Tarts are packed in a set of two, to subtly imply that you should naturally eat two). Therefore, a helpful hint is to divide these rows of cookies into smaller baggies. That way when you get to the bottom of a bag of two cookies (instead of a row of cookies) you stop and ask yourself, "do I want more?" Creating your own pause points helps you to think mindfully about whether you really want another cookie. We often automatically respond to the subtle cues of packaging rather than our true hunger.

2) If you don't want to waste the cookies but feel uncomfortable with how many you have on hand, there are recipes that call for using several cookies at once. See the recipes below. Bring one of these desserts to a potluck, or to an office meeting. http://www.girlscoutsww.org/cookies/recipes
http://baking.about.com/od/leftovergscookierecipes/Recipes_for_Leftover_Girl_Scout_Cookies.htm

4) Freeze a box. If you are like most parents, coworkers or grandparents, you buy multiple boxes to help your favorite little one. The good news is that they freeze well.

5) Bring a box to work or other events. They will be gone quickly. If you worry about contributing to other people's mindless eating, you might also consider dividing up the cookies and putting one or two on a small plate. Wrap them up with pretty paper. This way you are sharing the cookies without leading others to eat them mindlessly.

6) Get the facts. Check out the nutritonal information on your favorite cookie. http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/cookies_nutrition.asp

7) Don't panic! Remember that Girl Scout Cookies happen once a year. This challenge won't last forever. If you do like them, eat them mindfully, savor and enjoy. Eating too many of them takes out the joy of these little treats.

For more mindful eating tips, see www.eatingmindfully.com By: Dr. Susan Albers, author of the new book, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. and Eating Mindfully

Happy 17th Birthday, Mikey! And other cool stuff:)

It's been a crazy weekend. I've had a nasty cold so being on sudafed only makes things a little more surreal. Bruce got a call from Laura's boyfriend on Friday night. MK and I could only hear one end of the conversation, but we could sense the tension. Jordan called to ask for permission to propose. Of course Bruce raked him over the coals for a good 20 minutes. Later I learned that the poor boy was shaking like a leaf during the entire interview. But in the end, he passed and was finally let off the hook. The next night the deed was done. And there couldn't be two happier people. I am referring to myself and Jordan's mom. We think our kids did AOK:) Here are Jordan and Laura in front of the Washington Temple where they will be married on June 25th: Meanwhile there was the super bowl party to get ready for. For Christmas Nathan and Steph got Bruce the NFL Cookbook. It's by far his favorite Christmas present probably due to the fact that there isn't a single recipe in there that won't: A. clog your arteries or B. put you into a diabetic coma. Sunday after church was spent whipping up Warm German Potato Salad (the rue is made out of bacon grease) and Sticky Buns. OMG. Does he not understand that I must lose 30 pounds by June 25th? What is wrong with him???? In the end we had about 6 or 7 of his YM and some dads come over to watch the game. I have to admit that as far as superbowls go, this was a pretty good one. Congrats to the Packers.

As if I need more motivation to get into shape, we were asked to be a Ma and Pa for trek in July. So the weekend after the wedding you'll find us herding 10-12 of Oakton Stake's finest youth as they push a heavily laden handcart over hills and in the heat at the Marriott Ranch. Bruce can't wait. I, on the other hand....

Today is Mikey's 17th birthday. We love him. His birthday coincided with Spirit week. He gets into creatively dressing for each day. Yesterday was "snowed in day". Most kids just wore warm PJs. But not Mikey. He went as the abominable snow man. Today is "dressed to impress day" which would not be complete without his shiny disco shirt. (pictures coming soon) His best outfit of the week is for tomorrow which is "the best of 2010 day". He's dressing as a Chilean miner:
Happy Birthday!!!!

Think Spring

The groundhog didn't see his shadow. They say that means an early spring. I say it means squat. To take my mind off the dismal cloudy weather and the nasty dirty snow and the cold hard fact that we are only half way through winter, I hit up my scrap pile.
I chose yellow because it reminds me of the all too elusive sunshine. And I used up my leftover batiks. No better way to justify ordering more of my favorite kind of fabric. I simply salivate over the stuff.

Crazy Snowstorm

MK woke up yesterday proclaiming it to be the best day of her life. No school! But there was a price to pay in the form of our neighbor's tree in our front yard.
But we actually got off easy. Bruce got home from work by 6:00 pm on the metro while some of our friends were stranded in their cars and took up to 7 hours to get home from work. We were also lucky enough not to lose power so we could see the Jimmer Show.
He is un-freakin-believable! GO COUGARS! Here's Tom with a giant Jimmer head at the game.Bruce had fun last night driving the suburban around in the 6 inches of heavy wet snow to pick up some friends to watch the game with us. And of course there was no school again today so we can dig out of the winter wonderland that is our cul-de-sac.

RIP Shirley V

This morning when I heard that Shirley Vlasic had passed away my first thoughts were of how I wish I had done more. But then I thought of all the things I did do with Shirley and it made me happy to have known her. I will remember the following things about her:
She was one of a kind.
She worked hard.
She walked far to get to her jobs over the years.
She loved all things colonial Williamsburg including making candles.
She loved little kids--especially Ella Stevenson.
She loved everybody for that matter.
She loved to comment in SS, RS and institute and sometimes it was hard to get her to stop.
She knew her scriptures.
She had 3 or 4 bags with her everywhere she went.
She did her genealogy and temple work.
She was generous with the little she had.
She loved to write notes to people and send them in the mail.
She was without guile.
She would greet me every Sunday with a "Happy Sabbath".
She had no close family.
She was happy.

Vienna Ward was her family. I'm grateful for all of the families in the ward who stepped it up over the years to take care of her. This scripture pretty much sums up why I really wish I had done more....

• Matthew 25:40

  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Ice Day

What a surprise! MK was so convinced that the sleet last night wouldn't amount to anything that she was up and halfway ready for school before I woke up to tell her she could go back to sleep. It hadn't even occurred to her to check the FCPS website. It was so nice to stay in and keep warm. It was also a good opportunity to do a little organizing. I ended up with 3 hefty trash bags full of junk to get rid of out of my scrapbooking/sewing/guest room. It was LONG overdue. Today is also Grandpa D's birthday:) Here's a recent photo:

Check out that dimple. It's been passed down to Mikey:) I had big plans to take lunch over but the ice storm had other ideas. Instead I honored him by watching Bringing up Baby starring fellow birthday boy, Cary Grant.And while I'm on the topic, here are my top five favorite Cary Grant movies:

5. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

4. North by Northwest

3. Charade
2. An Affair to RememberAnd my all time favorite: 1. His Girl Friday
I highly recommend all of the above!