Trip to Bountiful

Last week the kids and I went to Bountiful to stay with my sister for a couple days, since both our husbands were working non-human hours--we both needed the company. My kids were oh-so-happy to get out of our house and see some different faces. We had fun playing with Nina and Satchel, and Symonie took good care of me and the kids. I think all I did was eat, rest, and read!

Below are a few photos of our adventures up north. Makai doesn't care to be photographed these days, but loves to be behind the camera. He had some interesting subjects (but unfortunately, I deleted them. I'll have to remember next time to not do that).
After listening to me complain about Ame's constantly-tangled hair, Symonie whipped out the non-hair scissors and cut off the offending ends. Her hair is much more cooperative, not to mention even-lengthed. Thanks, Sym!

An Oldie but Goodie

Why did it seem he would last forever and never leave us? We all knew he was tired, old, and missing his Marjorie, but he has been a constant in the LDS world for decades. Goodbye, sweet man, I (and millions more) will forever be grateful for the life you spent serving others.

President Hinckley exhibited so many wonderful traits. I will remember:

• his optimism
• his humor
• his integrity
• his boldness
• his outreach to others
• his dedication
• his compassion
• his humility
  
• his conviction

A few days ago, I read on a friend's blog the following, said by our dear prophet. Wouldn't we all be wise to follow his counsel?

"My plea is that we stop seeking out the storm and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we accentuate the positive. I am asking that we look deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."

Menu Plan Monday - 1/28

We hardly followed last week's menu at all! I guess it's due to my not feeling well, and also because we spent a couple days in Bountiful with my sister. So, we're going to give it another try this week:

SUN: pot roast, carrots and potatoes, rolls, veggie tray
MON: enchiladas, black beans, Mexican rice, green salad
TUE: turkey burgers, chips, orange sections
WED: homemade mac 'n' cheese, crusty bread, green salad, apple slices
THU: sweet 'n' sour meatballs, steamed rice, steamed broccoli and carrots
FRI: potato bar + toppings (chili, cheese, broccoli, etc.)
SAT: cousin Marcus' wedding reception and dinner

10 Tips for using Google

10 tips to using Google…try them out!
(From Lifehacker.com; click there for more detailed explanations )

10. Get Local Time: Type in What time is it followed by any city to get the current time.

9. Track Flight Status: Enter the airline and flight number to find out the departure time and estimated arrival for any flight.

8. Convert Currency, Metrics, Bytes and More: Google has a built-in converter calculator. You can enter quarter cup in teaspoons, seconds in a year, 5 US dollars in Euros and countless others.

7. Search for Pages That are “Better Than,” “Similar to,” or “Reminds me of”: Enter “better than keyword” or “similar to keyword” to find Web pages you never knew existed.

6. Use Google as a Free Proxy: Enter cache:website.com to view a Web page that’s been blocked from the computer you’re using.

5. Remove Affiliate Links From Product Searches: To avoid seeing search results from certain sites, enter –site:website.com.

4. Find Related Items: Enter ~ before any search term to find related items as well.

3. Find Music and Comic Books: Enter -inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size +(wma|mp3) "Band or comic book name" to find music files and comic books.

2. See Images of People, Objects, Etc.: Type in a search term, and click on images to see photos of the results.

1. Search for Faces: If you’re looking for a photo of a person named Rose, and don’t want to see photos of the flower, add &imgtype=face to the end of your image search. It will show you only images of faces.

Where is it?

This is for you geography lovers (Mindy!)…saw this on Design Mom today…it's kind of fun. Test your geography/map knowledge (speed and accuracy) at travelpod.com.

I got to level 6, score of 171,853, travel IQ of 92. See if you can beat me!

Menu Plan Monday - 1/21

Our menu for this week:

SUN: BBQ boneless pork ribs, roasted red potatoes, corn, green salad, jello
MON: chicken enchiladas, black beans, Mexican rice, green salad
TUE: turkey burgers, chips, orange sections (bumped from last week)
WED: homemade mac-n-cheese, crusty bread, green salad, apple slices
THU: teriyaki chicken, stir-fried veggies, steamed rice
FRI: potato bar + toppings (chili, cheese, broccoli, etc.) (bumped from last week)
SAT: dinner at West Valley Ice Center (youth activity…ice skating)

Another one bites* the dust

My friend Wynne has succumbed to the intoxication that is "the Twilight Series" (otherwise known as "the vampire books"). She has even gone so far as to create fan art (she's in deep, folks!) and her own rehab group, something all of us readers could use.

Head on over to her site to check out her Bella/Edward/Jake graphics and sign up for detox, if you so desire. :)

*excuse the pun…I couldn't help myself. hee hee

A bit of diversion

This winter is killing me. I usually experience SAD (seasonal depression) to an extent anyway during the winter, but this year seems worse (maybe it's the longer cold stretches, more storms). And I have all-day sickness to boot. I NEED the sun, I NEED fresh air, I NEED a break from kids in the house all day long. I'm starting to feel frantic at the thought that it is only January. I want to go on a road trip! Any takers?

Thursday night I did have fun, however. Book Club was a welcome distraction to my lame little world. I hosted, and although I wasn't feeling too hot, I felt much better once I started blabbing. The group had chosen to read the book Austenland by Shannon Hale. There really wasn't much to discuss from the book necessarily, although we did hear some good dating, matchmaking, and single-life stories. Thanks, Tooele girls, for making it a fun night! On a side note, the book was a fun read, especially if you're an Austen/Mr. Darcy lover, but it's pretty "fluffy"…you can finish it in one day easy. And besides, envisioning Colin Firth giving "the look" while you're reading can help lift any depression!

Menu Plan Monday - 1/14

Our menu for this week:

SUN: pork chops + rice + gravy, green salad, brownies + ice cream for dessert
MON: breaded chicken fingers + sauces, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
TUE: turkey burgers, chips, orange sections
WED: chicken pasta primavera, crusty bread, green salad
THU: black bean + rice skillet, quesadilla triangles
FRI: potato bar + toppings (chili, cheese, broccoli, etc.)
SAT: left-over buffet / FFY (fend for yourself)

Like Juno, I'm PG

(well, technically, Juno's PG-13). But like Juno the girl, I'm prego, preggers, expecting, knocked up, WITH CHILD. But unlike Juno, I am not in high school and I have a husband (who does not wear short shorts) and I will be keeping this baby, thank you very much.

So now you know why I've seemingly checked out of blogland in the past few weeks—if you even noticed, that is. It's a chore to eat breakfast and brush my teeth, let alone use my brain to think and write and post a photo. The blog has, unfortunately, gone the way of my appetite…down the priority totem pole. If I didn't plan meals, my husband would come home to absolutely nada each and every night.

Now for those, like me, who like details:

• I'm 10 weeks, due around August 11 (our anniversary!).
• We will find out the gender, according to Aki (though I personally would like to experience the surprise, since we have one of each).
• Can I say how glad I am I'm not working full-time right now? My heart is full of gratitude every day for my Aki who works so hard to provide.
• I'm considering buying this shirt, perfect for my (always) plus-size abdomen.While I'm on thoughts of Juno, I love this song from the movie. (good music throughout the show). I'm laughing again just rewatching these clips.
  

most played itunes

curious to know which songs are most played (not necessarily top rated) on my itunes, i was surprised to find:

1. peaceful, easy feeling (the eagles)
2. i will (alison krauss)
3. when the stars go blue (the coors)
4. i can't help falling in love with you (lick the tins)
5. colors (amos lee)
6. candy (martin sexton)
7. on my mind (kalai)
8. the one who knows (dar williams & alison krauss)
9. in my life (the beatles)
10. rainin' you (brad paisley)
11. trouble (ray lamontagne)
12. making memories of us (keith urban)

what's been played most on your list?

Happy birthday, people!

Birthdays I'm celebrating this month:

2 - high school bff Tawnya - no picture, sorry

3 - sis-in-law Amy

3 - nephew Ronan (6 yrs)

9 - dear mother Risa

14 - sis-in-law Shayla

16 - nephew Griffin (1 yr)

17 - nephew Satchel (1 yr)

18 - grandma Nau Funaki

30 - niece Allison (14 yrs)

and I'm certainly celebrating the 42nd wedding anniversary of my parents on the 26th!

Menu Plan Monday - 1/7

Our menu for this week:

SUN: crockpot roast w/ potatoes+carrots, green salad, strawberry+cream jello
MON: pork chop+rice bake, steamed green beans
TUE: tortilla soup+toppings, quesadilla triangles
WED: spaghetti, garlic bread, green salad
THU: breaded chicken fingers+dipping sauces, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
FRI: carne asada+tortillas+toppings, rice, black beans
SAT: left-over buffet / FFY (fend for yourself)

In with the new

We celebrated the end of 2007 last night by going to bed at our usual time (okay, a little later) after folding laundry and watching a movie with the kids. I kind of like the fact they didn't know that other people were celebrating, letting their kids stay up until midnight.

And here we are today, a new year at our feet. It's a good feeling, full of promise, potential. We'll be scratching out our resolutions tonight…sure to include mentions of diet Coke, TV, homemaking efforts and religious habits.

Aki's enjoying his day off work, watching all kinds of football today (but he'll fold all the laundry while he's at it). I'm getting some reading done, and helping the kids clean their room again, designating spaces for their new Christmas stuff, and trying to get motivated to tackle my room. And if we're feeling extra energy, we just might take down the Christmas lights/decorations, though being taken down doesn't mean they'll be put away.
...
Here's to you all writing some great resolutions! Remember to make them SMART goals: specific, measurable/meaningful, achievable, realistic/relevant, and timely.

Menu Plan Monday - 12/31

Our menu for this week (forgot to post it yesterday):

SUN: glazed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
MON: (New Year's Eve) Chinese food, steamed rice, chow mein
TUE: (New Year's Day) pizza, salad
WED: beef stew, rolls
THU: green chile chicken enchiladas, rice, beans, salad
FRI: breakfast (pancakes, fruit, eggs, ham)
SAT: grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, veggie tray