YW's Daddy/Daughter activity!

A couple of weeks ago we had a daddy/daughter activity with the Laurel class... Ashlyn was the only Laurel who showed up, so we quickly recruited some of the bishopric and their daughters. We played games, ate pie, and things got a little crazy! Everyone was a good sport... thanks for coming!

It all started with a three-legged race...


Then we had a pie eating contest...






Amanda clearly won!


The girls tied their dad's ties








The dad's then did the girl's hair and makeup!






"No, Maddy. Do this!"

Kelly Clarkson concert

Last month, Jen and I attended the Kelly Clarkson concert and UVU. Hana gave her two tickets and Jen asked me to go with her. We bravely waded through the throngs of gay men and teenage girls and not suprisingly, we did not see a single person we knew! Go figure! We did have a lot of fun though and were home by 9! What a wild night!

Kelly


Jen with the super-creepy, very, very, very feminine gay man that talked our ears off in line for over an hour


Me with the crazy man


Some pictures of us having so much fun...






People I did not expect to see at the Kelly Clarkson concert...

Phil Spector


Rodney? Is that you?!


Frodo Baggins


Johnny Rzeznik


Taylor Hicks


Kelly Osborn


Matt Giraud


Jennifer Statham

Mother's Day!

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to go home for Mother's Day weekend. It was fun to hang out with my family, get massages, and ride our new scooters! Here are a couple of pics from my VERY short trip home!

Mom

Our Holly bush


Our house

The beautiful countryside


Bartholemew


Mountains...


... and green!


Dad in the garden


Laura and goofy Brian


Our new scooters!

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Growing up, I spent a LOT of time at my Grandparent's house. My Grandma always had something baking in the oven and we loved to sample her creations. These cookies are some of my favorites (the first thing I do when I get to their house is head for the freezer and grab one)! I have made them several times but they are never as good as when JoAnn makes them!


Here it is... directly from her:

Cream together 1 cup (2 cubes) butter, 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, and 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

Add: 2 Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla

Add: 1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp. Baking Soda

Add: 2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Oatmeal

Add: 1 Pkg Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake (however, I've done this on a couple of occasions when I was doing other things too. Ha!)

Love, Grandma

Coleslaw

One of my favorite things about summer is BBQs! A must-have staple in every BBQ should be coleslaw! Here is my favorite recipe for coleslaw... it is a KFC copycat-type recipe and it is wonderful!

Ingredients:

8 cups finely diced cabbage (about 1 head)
1/4 cup diced carrots

2 tablespoons minced onions
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

* Dice cabbage and carrots very fine (use the shredder disc on the food processor or buy the pre-diced coleslaw mix at the store).

* Pour cabbage and carrot mixture into large bowl and stir in minced onions.
* Mix remaining ingredients until smooth.
* Pour over vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly.
* Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving (I don't like to refrigerate for too long. There is nothing worse than soggy cabbage to me!).

Farewell to "Idol"

I can't believe it's finally over! I hate to admit it but "American Idol" is my guilty pleasure (the one show I watch) and it has ended, sadly. The finale last night was laced with superstar performances including: Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Keith Urban, Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart (yes, he is still alive. Barely.), KISS, Steve Martin, Carlos Santana, Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas, and, my all-time favorite band, Queen (or what is left of Queen)! The season ended bittersweet for me. I have been an Adam Lambert fan since the beginning and I thought he would take it all (until recently). I love everything about him. From his "screechy" rockstar voice to his excentric hair and crazy outfits. Most of all, I love his boots. I think Adam will be succesful even without the "Idol" title. Let's be honest, like him or not, he is a rockstar already.

On the other hand, Kris Allen came out of nowhere during the season. I had not even counted him as a contender till about halfway through the season. I have to admit there is something really cute about his boyish charm, humbleness, and the way he sings sideways out of his HUGE mouth. I honestly believed he had no chance competing with Adam until a couple of weeks ago (then I found out that everyone and their mom were voting for him). It is refreshing to see America chose the wholesome "boy-next-door" from Arkansas. I am happy for Kris (even though he spells his name like a girl) and his darling little wife. I think he really needed to win to ensure a succesful career and he probably deserves it. Adam was more talented but Kris was more likeable. End of story.

Overall, I think that this season was probably one of the best. The top 4 were amazing and I feel most of them could have taken the title any other year. I think they all will make great records and am looking forward to hearing them on the radio. But please, hire someone new to write their first single next year... I can't handle the cheesiness.

I guess I will have to find something productive to do on Tuesday and Wednesday nights now!