What a great weekend!

Friday night, our friends the Shills, came over for dinner. We always enjoy seeing the Shills! They were our across the street neighbors for the first 5 years or so of living in our house. They were also the first people we met when we moved in! They are wonderful and have very sweet kids!

Jason and I made our Pork with root beer apples thing for them and it was very delicious! After dinner, we watched IRobot (love that show) so they could get a feel for surround sound. (They are on the tail end of finishing their basement, and are sort-of shopping for a system right now)
Anyway, it was a great night! We love you Chris and Chrissie! Thanks for coming over!

Saturday, we went to the movies and saw WALL-E. It's a sweet story of a robot who is all alone on Earth but longs to to find true love. Behind the main plot, there is a very subtle, yet powerful message to be kind to Earth.

It was so cute! So sweet! Thought provoking. Very entertaining!

I give it 4 1/2 stars!

One other note, when Jason left the movie, he said "I think that's my favorite Pixar movie yet"

I agree!

the summer movie season is upon us. Tuesday Hancock comes out. We may be seeing that next weekend!

You can also enjoy a couple songs from the movie as you are reading my blog (assuming you are reading this before I have added another post)

Goofing Around

Wednesday, Sue and Super and I went shopping for some Trek clothes at DI. Sue found some great purple high hilled shoes. Super couldn't get enough of them. I swear that the shoes had magical powers, because when she had them on, she was a different kid! She was so goofy! She wore them as much as she could for a couple of days. She wore them while taking Sue to work, she wore them to the grocery store. She even wore them while she was riding her scooter! What a nut!

Notice her Book of Mormon?... Future missionary? Probably not in those shoes!

Another story: Thursday night (I think) we went to Carl's Jr. to grab some dinner. Jason ordered "a six piece chicken star" for Super. The lady didn't understand what he said, so he repeated "one, six piece chicken star".

worker: We don't have 16 piece chicken star

Jason: no- one, six piece chicken star

worker: I know, we do not have a 16 piece chicken stars!

meanwhile: the worker proceeds to put a few different amounts of chicken stars on the screen. I think she had a 9 piece and 2- 6 piece chicken stars at this point. (what does that equal? 21? Well not six or sixteen)

So, I thought maybe I could be more clear and I say "No. Mam. We need one -six piece chicken stars"

worker: we don't have a sixteen piece chicken star

finally Jason says: how bout we just come in?

At this point, she has two nine piece chicken nuggets on the screen. Sue and I are doing our best to hold in our laugh. We don't want to seam rude, but come on? How hard is this? I don't know how to make it more clear. OH MY WORD!!! Well, we were almost crying we were laughing so hard (silently - We don't want to hurt her feelings or do something to our food)
I think the lady finally got someone to help her, because she finally got it through her head that we only needed one order of six pieces!

So the point? Well, I think it is very helpful when the people working the drive thu, it might be helpful to know English!

Flashback Friday

Yep, that's me on the left. See, I told you I used to be cute! (and skinny! )

The story behind the picture: In 1990 (yes, I am aware that that was almost a million years ago) I went with my high school choir group to California. It wasn't nearly as deluxe of a trip as Sue's recent tour, but we did have fun.

We went to the beach and to Sea World. The picture was taken just before my friend Lisa (next to me) and I went wondering down the beach by ourselves for a couple of hours. We met tons of people (mostly "guys") and took pictures with them too. Later that same day, two of the people we met on the beach came to Sea World looking for us, and we ditched the rest of our choir group to go hang out with them (very naughty). I ripped my shorts jumping a fence to get to where our bus was, and we ended up almost missing our bus ride home because of our gallivanting. Oh....to be young and stupid again :)

p.s. nothing says 90's like Def Leppard!

Lemon Gelato

I got a request for this recipe from one of my friends, so I thought I would just share it with everyone.

It was Sooooooooooooooo yummy! So creamy! Probably so fattening, but you only live once right?!

Anyway, if you double click on the picture you can see it really big and be able to read the recipe.

Food Glorious Food! (TTA)

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that I love to eat. But here are some of my faves when it comes to food:

...at Mimi's Cafe: ***Monterey Omelette with Honey Oat Bran Muffin ***
...at Olive Garden: Pasta e Fagioli soup
...at El Habinero: Enchiladas smothered with chile verde
...at Red Lobster: the biscuits and salad with little shrimps on top
...at Akasaka Sushi: Spicy Crunch Roll/ Vegas Roll (it's a toss-up)
...at Taco Time: teeter totters (tater tots) and crispy tacos
...at Cold Stone: Founder's Favorite
...at Joni's Deli: Philly Steak and Cheese Sandwich
...at Cafe Rio: Pork Salad with black beans and house dressing

...at home: hmm, let's see...well, anything I didn't have to make (including take-out), taco soup (my fave, but not my kids' or husband's fave so I rarely make it), chef salad, practically all the ready-made stuff we've tried from Costco, pot roast (also never make, because my hubby hates pot roast) and we've been making stuff from the Taste of Home Magazine which I hope will have many new favorites. In fact, Sunday we made Lemon Gelato (Italian Ice Cream). Holy Cow! It was scrum-diddley-umptious!!!!!

***this is the meal I love the most right now. I crave it all the time, especially when I know I can't have it (like on Sundays or when the funds just aren't there) I think why I like this meal the most is because it reminds me of being on vacation! Also, most of the time when I get to eat it, it is on the RARE occasion that Jason and I actually go out on a d-a-t-e (what's that?)

You're probably asking yourself, what does vacation have to do with Mimi's and omelets? Well, we stayed at the Ho Jo last time we went to Disneyland, and there happened to be a Mimi's right next door to our hotel. We passed it every time we walked to DL, and on our last morning there, We ate breakfast at Mimi's prior to our departure (nice big words ha!)***

Good, Quick Read

Last night at about 2 am I finished a good, quick, read. (my rating: 4 stars)

It's about this man, Peter, who sort of finds a little girl who was kidnapped about a year before. Peter is a good Samaritan who just wants to get little Lisa home to her parents, but has some trouble on the way.

I really liked the pace of the book. It just starts out without a lot of back story.

The Hostess with the Mostess?

Just curious if anyone read this book besides myself. And if so, what did you think about it? I think my official rating on this one is maybe 3 out of 5 stars.
I'm not going to give an official review, because I don't want to say too much. I don't want to spoil it for you if you were planning to read it. but here's what I thought...
I felt like I it needed some good chase scenes (like in Eclipse) and I really wanted them to get out of that stupid mountain!
And, I liked Ian more. how bout anyone else?
And what about the ending, what did you think. I was feeling like that was the perfect solution to the problems about 100 pages before it happened! (sorry Stephanie Meyer...I am still one of your biggest fans)
************************************************************************************
TRUE STORY!!
Speaking of Stephanie Meyer...I have been meaning to Blog this for forever...
One time, a couple of months ago, one of my kids answered the phone just like I trained them to (saying "May I ask who's calling" when they don't know who it is) So, I'm in my room and I hear:

"Mo-ommm. Pho-ooone"
I ask "who is it?"
they say: "Stephanie Meyer"
My heart skips 10 or 12 beats, I can't remember for sure, and I think to myself...
how did she know I am one of her biggest fans? Oh, my word, what am I going to say? should I tell her about my ideas for the new book? oh, my word what should I say? I am running out of time to think, so I wing it...

me: Hello?
Stephanie Meyer: yes, Mrs. Barnett?
me: yes (inside, I am totally FREAKING OUT!!!!!)
Stephanie Meyer: yes, Mrs. Barnett, I am calling to remind you of your photograph appointment at .....
me: oh, yes thank you.
(can you believe I freaked out over that)

p.s. Sue told me today (Tuesday) who my "Stephanie Meyer" phone call was. It is this girl Shalysa's mom (and her name is really Stephanie Meyer, thought not spelled the same way) from the High school. She was helping the photographer by doing reminder phone calls.

As for why I thought she was calling me? Well, I'm VERY passionate about those books and have visited her website frequently. But the biggest thing you have to remember, it was a phone call that started it all. I didn't have time to think about it rationally. I'm just a great big DORK!

My Little Mermaids

We bought a pool pass again this summer and have been spending most days there during the week! This sounds mean, but for the most part we do it while Jason is at work. (he's not really into swimming though!)It has been so much fun! Super has pretty much taught herself how to swim, and Loo had lessons a few years ago, so we could definitely use some real lessons again, but for now, we are just plain having fun!

Today, I took my camera to the pool and got some cute pics of the girls. Sue wouldn't let me take pictures of her...she said it was embarrassing!

Here is a link to some video I took today.

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1127023&t=1107

When it's all over.....sleep!

My New Favorite Thing

I have discovered a new love... the Taste of Home Magazine. I know it's not new, but it's new to us! Jason and I picked up the magazine at the check-out stand a month or so ago, and decided that we should rejuvenate our cook-life! We thought a subscription to the magazine may be just what we needed!

It has been wonderful! We have tried a few new recipes and are very excited to try some more!

The other night, we made Grilled Chicken with Salsa. pictured on bottom right. If you can't read the recipe very well, double click on the image, and it will come up really big, and if that doesn't work, and your are still interested, let me know I will type it out for you.

I think next we are going to try a Lemon Gelato (Italian Ice Cream)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/

Tuesday Tell All

Today's topic is "SMELL": I know I have mentioned this before, but I have a thing for smells! I have what I call "go-go-gadget-NOSE". So, I'm a little neurotic when it comes to smells!

You know how "every girl's crazy for a sharp dressed man"? Well, this girl's crazy for a sharp smellin' man! Angel and Polo Black to be exact! They are my absolute faves for Jason!

I love the smell of clean white laundry (I love the scent of bleach). I like to scrub my kitchen and bathroom with soft scrub (with bleach of course) because of the smell!

.

I love Febreze! I really do! My new favorite scent is the pink one called Powder & Pamper. Mmm! Smells good! I just sprayed down my house after finding the can! Mmm! I also like the one in the blue can called Rocky Springs and Cool. It reminds me of the smell of your skin when you just get out of the shower. Kind of like Irish Spring soap or something like that!

I love the smell of hotel/casino lobbies in Vegas. They always have a huge fresh flower arrangements and most have some kind of water feature, so the smell is sort of chlorine-flowery. Occasionally, I will smell that smell here (not in my house) like the Mayan has that kind of smell too. Whenever I smell that smell, it reminds me of being on vacation.

I'm sure I could go on about smells, but you probably have more important things to do than to read what I like to smell, and I need to go pretend I'm a good wife, and go clean something!

TTFN!

Happy Father's Day Jason

Happy Father's Day to the most important Dad in my life, my husband!

When Sue was really young, she didn't know what the word daddy was, she thought it was someone's name. In fact, my friend at the time, Kim (she's now my sister-in-law, but that's a story for another day) was married and had two kids. She was my neighbor, and would watch Sue for me sometimes. Anyway, her kids would call her husband Tom "Daddy" because he was, and Sue would call him Daddy too. She thought that was his name! Well, I tried to explain to my two year old, that she didn't have a daddy yet, but when we found a great man, we would get married, and she would have a daddy too!
Well, about 6 month's to a year later, along came Jason... we met on my friend Kim's porch. I as coming up to her place to do some laundry, and he was coming down the stairs to leave. Kim said "have you met my neighbor?" She knew we hadn't actually met before, but she thought it was a great opportunity to introduce us!
A short time passed, and it was Easter. Kim set up a double date for Jason and I, and we went to the 49th Street Galleria (remember that place) for an Easter Egg Hunt.
A few weeks later, we went on our first real date, and the rest is history! Here's an interesting tidbit: my friend Erika watched Sue for me while Jason and I went out. After Jason dropped me back off at home, she said "you're going to marry that man!"
My point with this story is that Jason has been "Daddy" since the first time we went out. We may not have called him that right away, be he filled those shoes almost immediately! And that, my friends, is just one of the reasons why I love my hubby!

And now for some pics:

Happy Father's Day

I thought it might be fun to pull out one of the old pictures of my dad for this post. Check out that car and my clothes! Too funny!

Anyway, Happy Father's Day Dad!

Tuesday Tell All

This week's topic is favorite sounds:

You know the time of year, when you can open the windows to cool off your house? Like a warm spring day, or late fall... Well, that's when I like to open my windows, feel the gentile cool breeze coming in, and hear the birds chirping and maybe even the sound of an airplane going by. I love to hear the first sounds of the lawn mowers too.
I also love to be in the car alone, and crank up the stereo really loud to my favorite song or cd. I sing like my life depends on it, (probably not one of everyone else's favorite sounds....that's why I do this only with the windows up!)
I love to hear my children laughing and being goofy! I love to stand outside the door, so they don't see me, and listen to what they are saying!

Cute Fathers Day card

Ok, I was preparing my lesson for young women's this week, and came across the cutest little card that is super easy to make! (My young women loved it too) Oh, and for a father's day card, you probably won't need a little Missionary tag!
Here is the link for instructions:
http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/downloads/missionary_shirt.pdf

An easier way to multiply!

My friend Jenny is a teacher, and the other day she went to a math convention. They taught her a cool new way to multiply that you may want to teach your kids! Here goes:

Take any two numbers to be multiplied. half the first and double the second until you reach one. (If you get a half, say 12.5, just write 12 and keep going).
For example:
24 x 25
half is 12 50 doubled
half is 6 100 doubled
half is 3 200
half is 1.5 so write 1 400

Now cross out any that start with an even number on the left (so you cross out 24, 12, and 6.) Now add the second half of the problem (the part on the right so 200 +400) This is your answer.... 600

Here's an easier number:
8 x 7
half is 4 14
half is 2 28
half is 1 56

cross out the lines that have 8, 4, and 2.... so the answer is 56

Very cool Jenny! Thanks for sharing ...and letting me copy off your paper :)

Tell me something

I love to have feedback on my blog! I love to see who is visiting it and see what you're thinking! Looking for things to say...here are some ideas: Tell me I'm an idiot! Say "cute picture", "you look fat", "Coke is bad for you", "I hate you" Just say SOMETHING! all you have to do is click the little comment button on the bottom of the post (do you see it? it's the one that says 0 comments) ...click it and type something!
please?
Whew! Thanks for letting me get on my soapbox!

Busy Weekend

Wow! What a busy weekend! Friday we went to see my friends Charlotte, Carrie, Samantha, and Miranda. The guys were there too! We had tons of fun and we even celebrated Samantha's 50 birthday!

Saturday, we had Melinda and Duane over for a little b-day thing. Jason cooked a yummy pork and root beer apples thing (a recipe from The Blue Bayou) it was scrum-diddley-umptious! After dinner Melinda and I made a poor attempt to make pretzel rods. I don't know why, but each time we try, we fail! Our chocolate started to get the consistency of frosting!!!! Why does it do that!!! We gave up on the rods and came up with a new creation: Tom Sawyer's rafts! Basically like a pretzel rod casserole! You should try it!

Toms Sawyer's rafts:
melt caramels
melt chocolate
butter a pan, line pretzel rods in pan, pour melted caramels on top, pour melted chocolate on top, then top with favorite coating! We are a fan of toffee bits, so that's what we used. Then, let set, and enjoy! Mm Mm good!

Today (Sunday) my Grandma called us in the morning and asked us if we wanted to come up for a dinner thing! So we got ready, then went up to Logan for the day! We hung out at my grandmas for a little bit and then went to my aunt Cathy's house for a BBQ. The girls got to hang out with cousins!
We had such a nice day everyone! Cathy, your new kitchens are beautiful! Thank you for having us!
We missed you Jen & Taylor; Keli, Chad, Eisley and Kade; and Cherie. But we're excited to come back up soon! In fact, when we got home, Lexie said "we should do that every Sunday"
What a busy weekend!