A Thousand Memories

A picture's worth a thousand memories.

A few months ago I was working on a memory book for my sister in honor of her 40th birthday. One of my brother's emailed this pic to me. I had never seen it before. He said it was of our one-day trip to Yosemite. We went so we could say we'd been there.

There's 7 kids peeking out of the back there so we know Jonny was the baby. We have coats and jackets on so it wasn't summer yet. We have the station wagon so we know it was during our Manteca days. It was before Dad died, but not too long before--I'm guessing within 6 months.

We had a large family, we had family outings, we were comfortable being close with each other. We had a camera, we had coats, food, clothes, gas for the car, pacifiers. I remember that coat, I remember that car. I remember that trip.

We had love. And now we have memories. I thought it was amazing how one picture--not even an award winning picture--can say so much.

Mental Health Day

(tired mother's day flowers)

A couple of weeks ago, we told C that she could pick a day to take off. She's a senior, works hard, has been so busy and was getting burnt out. Just the notion of a day off picked up her spirits and she chose a day that I would have off work and we could spend the day together. She was able to miss school but would have to go to work later that afternoon.

Finally the day came. We decided to go to the new outlet mall that probably isn't that new anymore but we hadn't been there yet so it was new to us. I drove her seminary route for her and let her sleep in and then got the other kids to school. We printed off a map of the stores and talked about which ones we HAD to visit and then we hit the road.

We had so much fun. Just the two of us. The weather was perfect and because it was a regular day, the stores weren't that crowded. We shopped and bought things we just had to have. C found the perfect pair of Converse to wear with her prom dress. I bought a pair, too, just because. I found a new dress that I love and a new purse, too. C loved visiting Aeropostale and her other favorites. She found some pants that she liked and were also dress-code appropriate for BYU-Idaho. We had Chinese for lunch and Smoothie King for fun.

When we were finally on our way home, I couldn't help but feel so happy and very content. I had been able to spend some awesome time, one on one with a daughter that will be out and on her own in a few short months. We had good conversation and enjoyed each others company. It was very renewing and relaxing.

Even though it was initially supposed to be a mental health day for C, it turned out to be exactly what I needed. And I didn't even know it until it was over. I think I had been just as burnt out with my schedule and demands as C had been. It's amazing what getting out of the normal routine can do for you. We had a perfect day.

Thanks C., Love you!

What Were We Thinking???

We did not wake up Saturday and know that we were going to have a new puppy by the end of the day. We did not.

We already have a dog and a hedgehog. Over the years, we've had a snake, many birds, a cat, frogs, hermit crabs, and many fish. We are, obviously, pet people, so we knew what we were getting into. And did we want to get into that again? The house training, the "stop chewing on that" training, the "sit" and "heel" training. What about fleas? When we held that puppy in our arms did any of that matter?


Let me try to explain how such a thing might just sneak up on you--About a year ago, I told B that when his older brother, J, left for college, he could get his very own puppy. The reasoning was that he would have 4 years at home without any sibilngs. It sounded reasonable and it still does because it's about 5 years away.


Then, J started asking for a puppy. (He sometimes gets a one-track mind and is very focused on whatever ambition is his focus.) He did research and came up with this plan--The dog for us was a miniature poodle, smaller than a standard and larger than a toy. This dog would not shed, and would not make us sneeze (that's why our Australian Shepherd is an outside dog). J would train it and since poodles are the second smartest breed, that part would be easy. AND--He would help pay for it.


We thought his plan was very nice and well-thought out. Then he started asking for the puppy now. So he could have some time with it before college started (in 5 years). He's very good at planting seeds. We have always answered the kids queries with "It sounds nice," "Maybe one day," or the famous, "We'll see."


Then yesterday. It began like any normal Saturday. Some of the kids had fundraising projects for summer camps, some of us had errands to run, and the yard needed a mow and trim. Then I ran an errand right out on the main street right by our house. And there it was on the side of the road. An SUV with the back open and a sign "Mini Poodles for Sale." Just like that, the opportunity had dropped in our laps. We drove by a couple of times, held spontaneous family councils to negotiate and list pros and cons.

You kind of know that when there's that much conversation about it, it's bound to happen. As parents, we couldn't change the subject or get around it any longer. We drove by and stopped and picked one out. A cute little boy that the kids named "Ray." They named him after the heroic lightening bug in "Princess and the Frog."


We love our new li'l Ray and last night we celebrated with a pile of Beignets that C made. Yum!

Paula Deen's French Quarter Beignets

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions
Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.


Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours. (we put it in a warm oven for 20 minutes)

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.