Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to a man in touch with his inner bunny.
We love you!

HPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL

Greetings. I just wanted to let you all know everything is fine here in Lunch Lady Land.

THANKS!!!!

Whoever got rid of the ric-rack.......THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Thank a Vet

I think I've sent to all of you Papa Ray's story about his service in the United States Army during WWII. Tuesday would be a good day to take it out, dust it off and read it! You could even call him and thank him for his service to our country. He really is quite awesome, as are the other vets who have served and are serving our country! God bless America! And....God bless Papa Ray!

My Old Washington Home

We don't have hills and mountains full trees with beautiful fall-colored leaves like youse guys in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Utah. But hey, we do have A tree that is cool. I love this time of year, but it is too short. Plus I feel cheated out of the whole month of September since it was mostly spent in the hospital. But on the other hand I'm VERY grateful to be able to enjoy October and the months beyond.

Pumpkin Patch Hell

While at the pumpkin patch this last weekend words failed me (I know, WHAT?) This doesn't mean anything became physical, I simply excused myself before I blew a gasket . . . this video says it all.

My Old Kentucky Home

Christmas 2008 gift list

Giver: ----- Givee:
Mom-------- Jason
Dad--------- Emily
Melissa----- Chris
Jason------- Mindy
Chris------- Melissa
Amy------- Gerene
Ben-------- Kallen
Mindy------ Amy
Emily------- Dad
Kallen------- Ben

Brian------- Brandon
Zack-------- Ethan
Taylor------ Jack
Ethan------- Hannah
Brandon---- Taylor
Jack-------- Zack
Hannah----- Brian

HEY!

I need the Christmas list thing of who has who....I have ideas and a little bit of motivation right now, so I think if I get started now (instead of 2 weeks before Christmas) I may actually finish my project/present on time this year! Help!! Also, are guns ok to give kids? What if they shoot marshmallows?

Patriot Day

Today is Patriot Day. We flew our flag at half-staff today in rememberance of those who died on 9/11. The scriptures tell us we can humble ourselves or be compelled to be humble. My prayer is that Americans can one day come together in faith as was witnessed on 9/11 and the days following. We will be humbled one way or another, it might as well be on our terms.

There's nothing gross about this Labor Day

Since the cartoon image (vaginal birth) of Labor Day I posted may have "grossed" more than one of you out, I wanted to post another tribute to the great day we call "Labor." So a big shout-out to all the men (and women) who work so hard to provide conveniences and preserve our way of life. In fact, I am not sure one "holiday" is enough to recognize all the efforts of our cowboys, construction workers, police officers, G.I.'s, bikers(?), and Native Americans. Hooray for Labor Day!!

SPLEEN 101

Ok I did a little research (since we can't do much else right now!) and apparently this blog is also for education, so i thought i'd let ya'll in on what I found out:

Your spleen's main function is to act as a filter for your blood. It recognizes and removes old, malformed, or damaged red blood cells. When blood flows into your spleen, your spleen performs "quality control"; your red blood cells must pass through a maze of narrow passages. Healthy blood cells simply pass through the spleen and continue to circulate throughout your bloodstream. Blood cells that can't pass the test will be broken down in your spleen by macrophages. Macrophages are large white blood cells that specialize in destroying these unhealthy red blood cells.
Always economical, your spleen saves any useful components from the old cells, such as iron. It stores iron in the form of ferritin or bilirubin, and eventually returns the iron to your bone marrow, where hemoglobin is made. Hemoglobin is an important protein in your blood that transports oxygen from your lungs to all the parts of your body that need it.
Another useful thing your spleen can do is store blood. The blood vessels in human spleens are able to get wider or narrower, depending on your body's needs. When vessels are expanded, your spleen can actually hold up to a cup of reserve blood. If for any reason you need some extra blood – for example, if trauma causes you to lose blood – your spleen can respond by releasing that reserve blood back into your system.
Your spleen also plays an important part in your immune system, which helps your body fight infection. Just as it detects faulty red blood cells, your spleen can pick out any unwelcome micro-organisms (like bacteria or viruses) in your blood.
When one of these invaders is detected in your bloodstream, your spleen, along with your lymph nodes, jumps to action and creates an army of defender cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies, special proteins that weaken or kill bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that cause infection. Antibodies and white blood cells also stop infections from spreading through the body by trapping germs and destroying them.
Pretty cool, eh? Here's the "just in case" good news-

Does that mean I can't live without my spleen?
As you've seen, your spleen is a very useful organ, but it is not vital. Sometimes, a person's spleen does have to be surgically removed. This may be because the spleen becomes injured, or it may be taken out in the course of transplanting other organs.
Other parts of your body, like your lymph nodes and your liver, are able to step in and take over many of your spleen's functions. Because the spleen is so important to your immune system, people without spleens are more vulnerable to infections. This is why your doctor may tell you to take extra precautions, such as getting vaccinations, once your spleen has been removed. You will also be prescribed oral antibiotics to take daily; this is another way to prevent infection. Still, it's not uncommon to be without a spleen, and many people are able to enjoy full lives without one.
http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Ref+spleen

So there ya go in case anyone wanted a little more spleen information. Dad and Mom are still stuck in the hospital just waiting to hear what they're going to do (as of the time of this post.) We're all thinking of and praying for yous!! We love you Daddy!!

Happy Labor Day

Have a good one!

Peaches & Cream Cheese Cake/Pie

Peach season is upon us!!! This recipe calls for canned peaches, but I have used fresh as well. It is SOOOO yummy! It's one of my favorite non-chocolate desserts :)

3/4 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 pkg. 3 1/4 oz. instant vanilla pudding
1 egg
1 C. milk
3 T. melted butter
1- 15 oz. can sliced peaches

Mix flour baking powder, salt, vanilla pudding together in medium bowl. Add milk and stir. Add egg and melted butter. Pour into a 10 inch pie pan. Arrange peach slices on top of cake batter (after straining off juice--but RESERVE 3 tablesppon of the peach juice).

In separate bowl:
Mix together
1-8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 C. sugar
3 T. of reserved peach juice

Spread cream cheese mixture on top of peaches.

Mix together some cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprindle on top of cream cheese mixture.

Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes. YUM-O!!!!!

Let's get educated!

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
chit-chat
noun
1. light informal conversation for social occasions
verb
1.
talk socially without exchanging too much information; "the men were sitting in the cafe and shooting the breeze"
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
news
Audio Help /nuz, nyuz/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nooz, nyooz] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun (usually used with a singular verb )
1. a report of a recent event; intelligence; information: His family has had no news of his whereabouts for months.
2. the presentation of a report on recent or new events in a newspaper or other periodical or on radio or television.
3. such reports taken collectively; information reported: There's good news tonight.
4. a person, thing, or event considered as a choice subject for journalistic treatment; newsworthy material. Compare copy (def. 5).
5. newspaper.
6. newscast.

Ode to Carpooling

There are many personal benefits to carpooling:

• Reducing your gasoline costs, tolls and insurance
  
• Reducing the cost of depreciation of your personal vehicle
  
• Reducing the wear and tear on your vehicle
  
• Making personal vehicle(s) more available to other family members on weekdays
  
• Encouraging new friendships
  
• Reducing stress
  
• Eliminating temptation for illegal driving and reducing absenteeism, if a driver’s license is suspended or revoked

Carpooling also benefits employers and the environment by:

• Reducing congestion within existing parking areas
  
• Reducing capital costs of building additional parking spaces
  
• Improving employee morale
  
• Improving community relations by reducing neighborhood traffic and parking problems
  
• Reducing absenteeism and late arrivals
  
• Reducing traffic congestion
  
• Improving air quality
  
• Conserving energy
  
• Conserving oil

Way to go, Dad! First place for being so environmentally conscious as well as reaping some of the carpooling benefits for yourself.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN THE LIVIN' IS EASY, GRASS IS GROWIN' AND THE ZUCCHINI IS TOO!

We grew 1 zucchini plant this year! Before we left for Chris and Amy's we picked the 3 little zuchinnis on the plant and took them with us. Chris made delicious fried zucchini---yummy! We were discussing the casserole we used to make with the cheese and bread crumbs....so here it is!
Zucchini Casserole ala Grandma Lucille
Peel and parboil zucchini (Just barely boil and drain.)
Spread in casserole dish and cover with lots of grated Monterrey Jack cheese.
Beat 6 eggs and pour over zucchini.
Salt and pepper and top with buttered bread crumbs.
Bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (Until eggs are set and not runny—yuck!)

Here’s another on I found that sounded a little better. (More jazzed up)
SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
2 lbs yellow summer squash, sliced (about 6 cups) You could also use zucchini
¼ C. chopped onion
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 C. sour cream
1 C. shredded carrots
1 8-oz. pkg. herb-season stuffing mix
½ c. butter, melted
In saucepan, cook sliced squash and chopped onion in boiling, salted water for five minutes. Drain. Combine soup and sour cream. Stir in carrots. Fold in drained squash and onion. Combine stuffing mix and butter. Spread half of stuffing mix in bottom of baking dish. Spoon vegetable mix on top. Sprinkle remaining stuffing over vegetable mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Cheese Stuffed Zucchini
6 zucchini, 6-7” long 2 eggs, well beaten 1 ½ C. cheddar cheese
½ C. cottage cheese 2 tsp. chopped parsley 2 T. chopped onion
½ t. salt 1/8 t. pepper ½ C. cracker crumbs 2 T. melted butter
Cut off ends of zucchini and scrub well. Cook whole in boiling water about 12 minutes, or until barely tender. Remove from water and cut in halves lengthwise. Scoop out center pulp. Invert on paper towels to drain. Combine eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, parsley, onion, salt and pepper. Arrange squash in greased pan and fill with cheese mixture. Toss crumbs with butter and sprinkle over top of zucchini. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serves 12 (Better invite company!!!) This would be good with some fresh basil too!!!

Ben, you don't know what you're missing! Mmmmmm good!

New Rule

Ok, new rule. Out of respect for one another I vote that while the Mom and the Dad are visiting one of us (the siblings and out families), the only reason another sibling should call is in the event of an emergency and not just to chit chat. This is valuable time and I know this sounds selfish, but when they are at my house I want their full attention. I will respect their time with all of you, so please do likewise and let me be selfish with my sort time with them. Thank you, I love you all, nobody should be upset or hurt over this, if you are . . . blog it.

LET'S GIVE MOM A HAND

A day playing on the slip-n-slide

I need a change of hair.....which do you think for Big Momma?

Need to know...........

FYI: I am having carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand on July 21st.
Also: Can someone who knows how, please spiff up this blog.....it is boring! We need a different background or something. I tried, but failed miserably.

Busy Summer

Hi everybody. It has been a while since I have talked to many of you, so I wanted to say hello and that I hope all is well with you and yours. You would think summer would be a time when life slows down a bit without school and holidays, but the opposite seems true. I hope to someday live in a place where we can all get together on the 4th of July to eat potato and macaroni salads, watermelon, and whatever's on the grill. Then we could possibly play volleyball, of course there'd be swimming, and then a roman candle fight or two. I miss you all and wish you a safe holiday.

-bB

GOOD ADVICE FROM A PROPHET

"President Brigham Young instructed parents by saying:
"'If each and every one of us who are parents will reflect upon the responsibilities devolving upon us, we shall come to the conclusion that we should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate.' (Journal of Discourses, 14:192)
"If we are to instill faith in our children, they must see us demonstrate our faith in their young lives. They must see us on our knees daily, asking the Lord for His blessings and expressing our gratitude unto Him. They need to see us using our priesthood to administer to those in need, and to bless our children. They need to see us reverently worshiping in our sacrament meetings. They need to see us cheerfully and willingly giving of our time and talents to the building of the Lord's kingdom here on earth. They need to see us proving our faith by the payment of our tithes and offerings to Him. They need to see us diligently studying and discussing the scriptures to increase our faith and understanding."

We have been able to see the Olympic Rain forest with its' mossy tall trees and green growth. We made it to Hurricane Ridge where we saw the Olympic Mountains (behind Dad's head). We also got to see the Tall ships in Port Angeles. Dad was in Heaven! I have picked up enough sand dollars for every child in my class this fall. Lots of shells and rocks! Yes, I'm getting made fun of by Ralph and Dad.....the crazy shell lady. Oh, we have seen elk, racoons, eagles, and deer, but NO Vampires or Werewolves.

Greetings from the Olympic Rainforest

Hair Experiments Part II

I vote for the blue!

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's day, Daddy and all youse boys that make me an Aunt. Love you!!!

Quote from Chad Hawkin's book "Faith in the Service"

I thought this was pretty cool: "As a soldier in Afghanistan, when I think of Father’s Day, my first thoughts are not about my personal relationship with my father or my son’s relationship with me. My initial reflections are on the gratitude I have for the founding fathers of the United States of America—those who built our great nation and fought for freedom for the original colonies and along the frontier. They risked their lives, fortunes, and honor to establish a sovereign nation where citizens could have liberty while pursuing a life of happiness. Those who sacrificed so much to establish the freedom and liberty of this country have blessed the lives of its citizens for generations, and the events surrounding the founding of America established an environment that allowed the gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored." HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU FATHERS, AND FATHER WANNABEES.

A sense of the Sacred

"The importance of having a sense of the sacred is simply this--if one does not appreciate holy things, he will lose them.
Absent a feeling of reverence, he will grow increasingly casual in attitude and lax in conduct. He will drift from the moorings that his covenants with God could provide. His feeling of accountability to God will diminish and then be forgotten. Thereafter, he will care only about his own comfort and satisfying his uncontrolled appetites. Finally, he will come to despise sacred things, even God, and then he will despise himself.

"On the
other hand, with a sense of the sacred, one grows in understanding and truth. The Holy Spirit becomes his frequent and then constant companion.
More and more he will stand in holy places and be entrusted with holy things. Just the opposite of cynicism and despair, his end is eternal life."

(D. Todd Christofferson, "A Sense of the Sacred," CES fireside for young adults, Nov. 7, 2004)

hair experiments

I think the short hair is your best option here Mom......stay away from the extensions and spiral perm.

Whaddya think??

So every summer (especially since I moved to Vegas) I contemplate chopping off my hair. Here are some "potentials" that I downloaded off the internet. Any suggestions?

(This is the before picture, so keep that in mind before making an "eew gross!" comment on this one...it might hurt my feel-badders!)

OK----I'M DONE

You guys are all loosers! Do you know how long I spent finding the pictures and putting them on the blog??? I'm done! Nobody looks or responds! So, you're on your own! Mama's mad!

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mother's who have made me a Grandma!