Recipes

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 1/2 Cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 Butter softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2tsp vanilla
1/2 sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside. Beat te butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about one minute.  Continue beating and add eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and sour cream. Slowly add the flour mixture while beating, and beat just until combined.
3.Pour the batter into a greased 8 inch loaf pan and bake 50-60 min or until skewer comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan


Crepes
2 Eggs
2 TBS oil
3 TBS Sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/3 cups Milk

Guiltless Alfredo

2 cups milk
1/3 cup low fat cream cheese
2 Tbs flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs buter
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  In a blender, blend milk, cream cheese , flour, and salt until smooth
2. In a large, non stick sauce pan, melt butter on medium high  and add garlic for about 30 seconds
3. Add the milk mixture  stir constantly for about 3-4 min until it just comes to a simmer.  Keep sttirring and let it cook for a few minutes until sauce thickens
4. remove from heat and whisk in cheese, cover pan
5. Allow sauce to stand

Missing Nauvoo

So on the website for Nauvoo Pageant members they have requested that we submit our stories from visiting Nauvoo. I was very hesitant to share mine but I finally wrote it tonight. If you read my Nauvoo blog while I was gone you probably got most of this but I wanted to share anyways.

I have felt the urge to share this story on several occasions but I have neglected to do so because I somehow felt that it was not important or maybe that it was common. However I finally listened and I am sharing it now. It is kind of long and I am not the best writer but here goes.

My pageant story started in mid October of 2009. I had to do extra reading for my Old Testament class at BYU-Idaho and so I logged onto the LDS.org website. On the site was a random link to the pageant. I had done quite a lot of work in theater at BYU-I and thought that it would be fun to work in the costume shop. So I filled out my application but because it was so close to the deadline I was not able to complete my Ecclesiastical Endorsement. I thought "Oh well maybe next year" then in mid December I got an email stating I had been accepted. I was very excited! I filled my taxes to get my tax return early so that I could set aside the money I would need. However due to some unfortunate circumstances I ended up giving the money to my brother. I still felt ok about my finances though and I knew I still had the promise of a good paying job at the company I had done my internship in Business Management with as soon as I graduated in April. Then in March I became very ill with diverticulosis, which is in intestinal disease that can be quite painful. I was able to get it treated and somehow miraculously graduate from college. But life took and unexpected turn.

The job that I was promised fell through very abruptly. I never felt like the job was "right" but I was too drawn in by the prospects of financial security to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit. So I ended up moving in with my Mom and Grandma in Pocatello. I was very angry about it at first and felt very frustrated. After all I was a college graduate and should be able to take care of myself right? (You probably have guessed by this point but I tend to be very independent, usually to a fault. Heavenly Father is doing His best to teach me to be better about that.) I was bound and determined that I would find a good job in business and that somehow they would let me off work for nearly 3 weeks to go to Nauvoo. Everytime I prayed I felt like I should just sit tight and be patient things would work out. I stubbornly applied to probably 50 jobs, I had a few interviews but I got no where fast. I felt like it was impossible for me to financially go to Nauvoo, so I did the only logical thing. I went to the temple. After the temple trip I knew without a doubt that no matter what things would work out as long as I put in effort. In the meantime the little money I had ran out, but my Grandma needed a few things done around the house and she generously offered to pay me to do them. My Mom happened to have some old jewelery that she let me sell, and I also had a garage sale that several people donated items to. I am still not sure how exactly it came together but somehow I got the money I needed to go to Nauvoo.

Despite this mighty miracle I was still having a lot of doubts about myself and I felt a lot of fear about my future. I had learned to trust that if the Lord can get me to Nauvoo then he will take care of me once I get home. It is hard for me though. I am usually the type that likes to have my life planned and know what to expect in at least the next few months. I felt very strongly that once I went to Nauvoo I would be given direction as to what I should do for work.

Nauvoo was, well, amazing. Anyone who has been there knows and anyone who is going will find out very quickly. There is NO place like Nauvoo. I had many. many spiritual and amazing experiences there. And I must say working in the costume shop is where it's at! If you want to meet some wonderful women just go there! And don't forget to tell Susi, Terry and Kathleen that they are AWESOME!

As Nauvoo was coming to a close I still was not sure about work. I didn"t particularly want to go back to Pocatello but I had no idea where else to go. Then at lunch one day some of the core cast and costumers where talking about a different show called Savior of the World that takes place in Salt Lake City. I thought that sounded like a pretty cool experience but did not think much of it. It was one of those things that just stuck with me though. I finally talked to some people about it and found out that if I worked as a costumer there I would get paid. Long story short, I ended up working in Salt Lake City. It was a great and life changing experience.

When I left for Nauvoo last year I was feeling very lost, not spiritually but just..confused I guess. I wanted so badly to do the right thing, to choose the right career and be the strong, independent woman I thought I should be. Getting to Nauvoo was very humbling. I had to ask for A LOT of help from family and friends. By the time I got to Nauvoo I felt like I was broken, but being there restored my self confidence and my confidence in the Lord and made me much much stronger. I was able to remember that I really love being involved in theater and the creative process. It has made this last year much more bearable. It has been hard for me. Working for Savior of the World was great and just such a gift. However it was a temporary job. Once again I found myself with out a plan. In fact as I am typing this I have no plan, I know that where I am is where I am supposed to be and that these last few months have taught me more then I could imagine.

Going to Nauvoo last year was a struggle, I would say up to that point it was the second biggest trial of my faith. The Lord said go and I could not see how with my logical brain. This year I wanted SO badly to go but the Lord said stay. So while many of you are making final preparations I am here typing this story. Which in its own way is just as difficult. There have been several trials of faith in this last year. My experience in Nauvoo helped give me the faith to make it through. I learned that Heavenly Father really does have a plan for us. Sometimes we cannot see it with our logical brain and it does not make any sense to us at the time. I know without a doubt if we listen to the Lord He will direct our path, and I am so grateful that He does!

If you are going to Nauvoo this year I hope you have many great experiences there. And I hope you feel the love of our pioneer ancestors as I did. If you are like me and staying home, remember those things you learned there and let it give you strength.

With much love,
Shawna Remark
Green Cast
Costume Team 2010
Pocatello ID

A little reminder

So things since Nauvoo have been....well amazing. I have been working in the Cultural Arts department at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. We have been costuming the play Savior of the World. We also costumed for El Salvador del Mundo, which you may have guessed is the spanish version. It has been a great experience. El Salvador del Mundo was being filmed for distribution and so costuming for it was a bit of a challenge, there is also the fact that hispanic people tend to be shorter and narrower than caucasian people. The production ran for one week so it was hard to see all the cast go. We miss them a lot and had so much fun! It was hard for me because I was just starting to get to know some of the cast members and make friends. But hopefully I can continue to keep in contact with them. Savior of the World has been running for just over a week now and it has also been fun but very different. This was the first year El Salvador del Mundo has worked in the Conference Center Theater but Savior of the World has been running for several years. So working with the El Salvador cast I was on equal footing (being new to the theater myself) and with Savior of the World it is like joining an already established group of friends. So it is a little more challenging. But it is so fun! I am so happy to be here and living in Salt Lake!

Don't judge a book by it's firsts chapter

So people here are awesome! I love them very much but I won't lie there have been a few people who welll....let's just say it's a bit more challenging to love them. But when I try it just works...Also people change sometime they are just in an uncomfortable situation when you first see them or even the first few times and then suddenly they surprise you. For example, there is one guy in the core cast that I just feel soooo awkward talking to, nearly every other cast member has been fine and easy to get to know....a couple of times at lunch he has sat with us sewing ladies but he never looks at me or seems to acknowledge my existance in anyway. Today he came and sat right by me and still no recognition. I was kind of annoyed at that point and just decided he was a grumpy guy and I didn't need to get to know him. Then today on my way in to do costumes I ran into him several times. Each time he gave me a big smile and waved. I was slightly baffled. I actually talked to him tonight at the dance. It was still kind of weird and I had NO idea what to say but I think the feeling was mutual. I think that he is just a bit shy, despite the fact he is an actor. Then again I am the exact same way. Anyhow, I realized that I just to conclusions and I shouldn't have. Prehaps he has not been feeling well or something like that, who knows. But he did me a favor tonight which I really appreciated. Nauvoo has helped me change my perspective, I am sure it will take several times of coming here but I think coming has put me on a path that will better allow me to serve the Lord. I love this place, I love the people here, and I love the people who were here. Their sacrifice made it possible for us to live the way we do today!! Love you all!! Good night. :)

Just what I needed

So the last couple of days I have been feeling a little weary, spiritually and physically. Not that I wasn't having fun in Nauvoo but I just felt....heavy I guess. Like I had so much on my mind. Well today we had a devotional given by the guy who used to play Parley P. Pratt, he is not the director his name is Paul Walstead. He is awesome! In the devotional he talked about how Satan tries to make us feel weary and he attacks us when he thinks we are weak. He then talked about when Nepho was commanded to build a boat. Nephi did not doubt or fear he just said "Ok where is the ore so I can build tools?" He also talked about Peter being a fisherman and how when the Savior walked across the water Peter got out of the boat in the middle of a storm even though he knew it was the safest place. It just touched me and I really felt like he was talking to me. He also said something that really touched me....he said "What defines who we are is the way we serve the Lord" It is my new motto.

Later in the day I was talking to one of the wonderful ladies I work with and she mentioned she served her mission in Belgium. I mentioned that two of my FHE brothers were from Belgium. She totally knew them when she was in Belgium!! How cool is that?? It is amazing how small a world it is! It really made Kathleen happy and it was cool.

Pictures from Nauvoo!

Ok I hope this works. I never can get pictures to load right. :) Today was amazing! I got to spend time at several places in Nauvoo that are usually swarmed with people, but I was by myself. It was so special!! I even was in the Red Brick store by myself which is crazy!! It was wonderful! My car broke down (due to user error) but one of the ladies in the sewing room called her husband and he helped me see the error of my ways :) Because to that time I ended up going to the brick making place and listened to the presentation which was fun. The missionary that was working was talking to us afterwords and he mentioned the directions to get to Inspiration point, there is a clearing that overlooks the river. Joseph Smith used to go there and ponder and pray. I felt the Spirit so strongly there!! It was just amazing!! You can feel the strength of those early saints. I love it here! I also went to a couple of short plays today. One is called the Letters of Emma and Joseph, in it the people that play Joseph and Emma in the pageant recite exerpts from correspondence between the Prophet and his wife. Then I went to the King Follett discourse which was given shortly before the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. Oh on another note I have been doing hair for two of the lead characters in the play which has been great!! I style Emma Smith's hair and also Becky Laird's hair, Becky is a fictional character but one that is a central roll for the portrayal of the story. I do the hair when Suzie (the costuming director) is busy, which lately has been quite often. I love it of course!

Ok here are the pics

The sky has been spectacular lately because of the crazy thunderstorms!

Check out facebook tomorrow for more!

100% humidity, 110% Exhaustion

So as you can tell from the title...I am a bit wore out. Thank goodness I have tomorrow morning off!!! Today was AMAZING though!! It started out with an amazing devotional given by the music director named Paul. He talked about the "ordinary" miracles in our lives. They are many!! It never ceases to amaze me how much God does to let us know He loves us! From then on the day was just emotional. I went to the temple with Janee, it is AWESOME!! Someone told me that they tried to keep the materials and workmanship as close to the original Nauvoo temple as possible. It just amazes me!!! It is so so so stunning!! This place....it is special, I wish I could take what I am feeling and give it to all of you but words cannot describe. There is just a special witness of the Savior that those early Saints left. They left it in the words and deeds. They left it in their sacrifice and their undying faith. I am sure that they, like us, had moments of trial and weakness but they made it through and so can we!!!

Never a dull moment

So today was...well NOT dull! After coming back to my cabin and starting to fall asleep there was a HUGE HUGE thunderstorm!! Like tree limbs down everywhere, lightening blowing out the power thunderstorm! It was INTENSE! I am not going to lie I was kind of freaked out. It would shake my little cabin like there was an earthquake! I have been in crazy thunderstorms before but nothing like that! It calmed down around 9 am and I finally got some real sleep for about 2 hours.

Church was really nice today the ward is ridiculously large due to all the tourists to Nauvoo. But it was still really nice...then I went for a Sunday drive down by the river which was GORGEOUS...I will post a picture soon...but I got stuck in the mud turning around...I was still in my dress and high heels...haa haa haa...what an adventure!! I made it out though, all by myself...well with help from my Heavenly Father :)

After church I moved into a hotel with a girl named Janee who happened to have an extra bed and didn't want to stay by herself anyways! Wahoo! I am going to give her the money I would have been paying for my cabin. But I have air conditioning, running water, and an indoor toilet. It is amazing how much you miss those things!!! So I am here for about a week then back to the cabin I go...but at least they are moving me cabins so I will have an Air conditioner! I am just so so so so so so happy to be here...no matter where I am...but I won't lie. Being in a hotel is much more comfortable!

Zion

So since my youth in the church people talk about Zion. We talk of building Zion, of being a Zion people and other Zion things. I knew this meant that we are expected to work and sacrifice for others and that in this process we would find joy. Let me just say Nauvoo is Zion. I am exhausted beyond belief. Let me tell you why.

To start lets just say I have not been sleeping due to circumstances in my cabin...not that I am complaining I am glad to have a place to sleep. But running on about 3 to 4 hours of sleep, I started my day at 8 am. I got to the costume shop and started working on making a pattern for some bags that store small costume peices like scarves and things....(By the way Mom THANK YOU for teaching me how to look at something, think about it, and figure out how to make it from scratch!) Around noon they have us quit working and go home for a break...I finally left at 1:30 ish....got home and took a nap for about an hour and a half, then I was back at the shop at 4:30 to watch Suzie (the costume director) do hairstyles for the core cast members so that if there is an emergency I can do the hair. Then we went to Burlington for some random items, then I had to work the pageant until about 10:30. Then back to the shop we go and wait for the cast to check their costumes back in. This only happens on Saturday, and hurrah for that! We take ALL of the laundry to 3 different laundromats and wash and dry them, then we bring them back to the shop hang them up and sort them by size....let me give you an idea of what this entails...Most Women in the cast have a dress that has 5 pieces, they coordinate so that the costume gets lighter through the show...anyhow they have 3 bodices and 2 skirts, a petticoat, and pantaloons. Then they also have day caps, and shawls that have to be laundered. The men have pants, one shirt and two vests. This does not include the children's clothes. If we were not serving the church I don't think this would be possible! I have never seen laundry folded and hung up so quickly in my life!!

That is just the laundry story....I just cannot explain to you what it feels like here. Everyone smiles, everyone is your friend, everyone is happy. We work until we can barely move and yet we want to work more. It is just unbelievable! Not to mention all the wonderful sewing tricks I am learning!!

I guess back to the main point....it is Zion...for the first time in my life I know what that means....it is caring for your brother and sister...and also letting them care for you. Service is a two way street....I have learned that here more than any other time...not that I have not had service given to me, my family is ALWAYS helping me out! But here, a complete stranger will open their home, or give you a loaf of bread or help you learn to use a serger....It is just....amazing. I have learned that with the Love of Christ anything is possible...it binds us through the heart. It gives us compassion, humbles us, and allows us to accept. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can live....and I mean live...in so many senses of the word! It is happy here....just so happy!...I hope and pray when I leave here I can work just as hard because of the things I have learned.

I love you all!!

Settling In

So today was interesting. I woke up late because I was told I did not have to be in until 10:30 for an orientation. Well I called around 9:30 to see where to go and they told me I should have been there already!! So off I went. It seems things are not quite as organized for volunteer crew as it is for the family casts. The Volunteers come in at random times and so it is much more relaxed. I wandered around for quite a while getting information and packets and such. Then I went to work sewing. The ladies in the sewing room are hilarious! Most of them are in their 40's or older so I am learning a lot from them. I love to chat with them and hear their stories.

Tonight I worked the pageant...I enjoyed it A LOT almost more than watching last night. Prehaps it was because I was distracted last night and my mind was filled with all the anticipation of today. But I think what I loved the most about today was watching things behind the scenes. There is a big old fashioned pioneer dance number and then a scottish number well all many of the people who are backstage at that point got together and started doing that dance along with them. It was funny and looked like so much fun! We laughed and talked and helped people change costumes. It just somehow felt different...I was so moved by the cast...I know the sacrifices I have made and I know theirs must also be increadable. I can't really explain it but there is this excitement and joy as everyone runs on stage to celebrate the lives of the people who lived here. They say in the show "When you are here, we (the pioneers) are here" And they are...their sacrifice and spirit lives on through this pageant.

Tonight one of the sewing ladies told me how she had be talking to her husband about me...he is a practical man and apperantly could not wrap his head around the fact that I had somehow just graduated college and yet I was able to come. Sometimes I wonder myself. It has surprised many people...most of all me...God is in the details. I don't know why it was so important for me to be here....I am sure there are people just a capable...but here I am. It is amazing and beautiful. I would not have been able to come without the love and support of my family!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Nauvoo the City Beautiful

Well everyone I am here! All safe and sound. The drive out was fairly uneventful. It was so nice to be able to stop last night and rest in Omaha. Thankfully Daniel was able to contact one of the members he taught and she let us (Lori the woman riding with me and I) stay. I got sick last night when we got close to Omaha so it was nice to stop.

I got into Nauvoo at about 6pm today and got situated in my cabin. It is tiny...and I mean tiny...It is about 5ft by 8ft square. But with just me in here it makes it kind of cozy. The AC doesn't work but luckily tonight is a fairly cool night. It is only 78 right now so pray that the weather will stay good please. :) Also tonight I saw a possum. There is a path near my cabin that leads to the main lodge and it went wondering across in the light. The whole camp is surrounded by the thickest woods I have ever seen. I was hoping the lightening bugs would be out but alas the only thing I have found are mosquitoes. Either I am getting slow or the mosquitoes here are ridiculously fast! On any account they are tolerable.

I went to the pageant tonight. It is AMAZING! Parley P Pratt is the narrator and tells how Nauvoo came to be. It is really simple and beautiful in lighting and staging and just all around design. I love this place and the people who sacrificed so much to come here and build the temple and then were driven out and had to go across country to build again. What faith! I love them for it. They are here....the legacy they left for us lingers in this place. If you have never come to Nauvoo you should make it a priority. It truly is The City Beautiful.

The Beggining of Nauvoo Adventures!

So by now most of you know I am going to Nauvoo. I am going to work in the Nauvoo Pageant as a costumer. I am excited. Since the moment I set eyes on the link to the Pageant my life has been one small miracle after another! In the first place I just happened upon the link because I was doing some homework for my Old Testament class. To complete the application I was supposed to get an ecclesiastical endorsement but because I found the link only a week before it was due I was not able to get the interview. So I kind of wrote off the application. Then a couple months later I got an email. I had been accepted!!!! Well I became unsure if I was going to go because of just graduating and the expenses that go with that. I also as nervous about finding a job that would let me leave for 3 weeks in the summer. So I ended up at my Grandma's with no job which has been hard. But it has been a HUGE blessing. In so many ways! But because I am staying here I am able to afford the trip. I have been doing extra work for Grandma so that I can earn money. It has not been much but somehow it has added up. I also found work helping out my Grandma's visiting teacher with some family history. It has been crazy!! Once I finally decided to go I had to get housing which is hard to get in Nauvoo...especially since I waited so long....I sent an email to a place called Camp Nauvoo....the response was that usually they do not rent cabins for so long a time but they happen to have enough room for that time period!!!!!!!!!! It is only 8$ a night which is great!! So I was very happy about that...then today I got a message that a woman from Provo needs a ride to Nauvoo!!!! She has made the trip before and the company will be great!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe how this is working out! My Heavenly Father is AMAZING!! Things work out. Somehow, someway He will find a way. So that is all for now....it has already been a faith building amazing journey and I have not even gone yet!!! Keep coming back for more Nauvoo Adventures!

I guess I should do this more

i don't know why I stopped blogging. I suppose it is time, at least that was my excuse last semester at BYUI, now I don't know what my excuse is. :) So a little life update. Most of you know but I GRADUATED!!! Holy cow! Seriously I never EVER EVER thought I was going to do that. I don't know why I kept going after I got my associates degree...I never planned on it. I felt so strongly though that it was the right thing and I am glad. I feel so....accomplished. Now what?

Right now I am just living with Grandma. But my Mom lives here too and my Aunt is here a lot. It can be really hard for me some days. I am used to being fairly independent, I usually have my time and I can do what I want. Living with my family means coordinating plans and telling people what I am doing. I have gotten used to it though. I am enjoying spending the time here. I love love love being able to spend this time with my Grandma. I think it is an opportunity most people never get. She is my only living biological grandparent. She is funny and I love her.

I am also planning a trip to Nauvoo next month. It has been really crazy that I am able to go. It is completely volunteer, I have to pay for transportation, housing, food, everything. But things have been working out. I found housing when I shouldn't have been able too, I have transportation. It is just crazy. It is going to be AMAZING! One of those once in a lifetime things. There is definitely a reason my Heavenly Father wants me there...perhaps it is just to prove to me that He really can do anything. Even get a poor college graduate half way across the country.

Other than that I just hang out and do some work. I have been trying to be really active in my singles ward and make sure that I socialize. My ward is pretty great. I have enjoyed it a lot. So yeah...that is my life...ya'll probably know that all but there it is anyhow. :)

A Beautiful Mess

I am sleepy so I just want to say that my roomates are still amazing! I also just have to mention how great life can be. It is hard and stressful and crazy but it is good. I am having my share of trials right now...ok really it is not very many and there are days I just want to have a quiet simple life...then I remember the times when it is quiet and I am glad for the chaos. School can be so hard sometimes but I love it. I love to craziness. I love having to stay up till 4 in the morning to do homework. I love somehow finding time in all that to do family history work...I love learning to juggle...I think as I get older I am learning how to enjoy now to forget the past and not overly concern myself with the future...I am not always good at this...I am a planner and as such I remember everything and I think I have to plan everthing and do everything and everything has to be just right. WHO CARES!! Life it life...it comes and goes and we just have to hang on to what we know is right and do the best we can. It is funny for me to have this change...I have had my "life plan" for several years...I knew what I wanted to be when I "grow up" and suddenly that is changing and the opportunity for new things has presented itself. In that past that would have scared me but now I think Oh good...something new. I really think California changed me...maybe that is why I loved it so much...that and the beach...:) I don't know what is going to happen...and that does intimidate me but somehow it is going to work...it may suck but it will work...maybe that is the key to happiness..just learning to lose control and enjoy the ride...hmm...

The simple things

So coming back to school was a little nerve raking for me. Most of my close friends up here at BYUI have graduated or they are married. I was nervous about moving into a new apartment complex and I was nervous about my class load (justifiably so) Well in the end it has all worked out!! I am quickly making new friends, and my roomates are GREAT! They are a lot of fun! I am really grateful to my Heavenly Father for helping me out!...I know that Laura talked me into moving here for a reason...I am sure I would have had nice roomates else where but these ones are great! I can't believe it is my last year here in Rexburg! This place has been such a great place for me to grow and learn! I am 3 times the person I would have been had I not come here!! I truly am grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with amazing friends who help guide and direct me to the places I need to be. Today I am grateful for the simple things. :)

Tribute to my Dad

So tomorrow it will be five years since my Dad passed away. For those of you who don't know he was killed in a motorcycle accident. Someone passed illegally and well yeah. It still seems strange most days...not having him around. I know people always say Time heals all wounds but I don't think that is true...I think that we become stronger. I don't think it will ever go away..nor do I expect it to. I will always miss my Father but I know with out any doubt in my mind that I will see him again!!! I also know that he keeps on eye on me, he lets me know in little ways. A song here, a funny joke there. Anyhow the real reason I am writing this is because I wanted to give ya'll a little glimps of what my Dad is like. These are a few of the things I miss most...He had this laugh that was almost like a snicker...like he had some inside joke that made what ever was funny even funnier. He laughed often and always enjoyed a good joke. We used to watch football together and he would swear at the refs for making a bad call even if they were right. He always had a five o'clock shadow...lol...he could shave and like two minutes later his face was all stubbly again. He loved all things outdoors, camping, fishing, 4 wheeling. He was the hardest worker I have and I am pretty sure I will ever know. He rebuilt our house with 3 blown discs in his back...I don't know about you but I have tweeked my back and little and it hurt like crazy! So I can't imagine 3 blown discs. He loved to figure things out...how to wire the house...how to fix a car...what ever he just liked learning. He was so impatient whenever we had to stand in line or anything but he would drive slowly down the country roads just to look at scenery. He loved to chat with people...he made friends very quickly. Mom or I would ask him to run to the store for eggs or something and he would be gone forever...cuz he found someone to talk to...he used to call me and talk...but sometimes I would get frustrated cuz he could turn a 3 minute conversation into a 15 mintue one...lol..I miss that. He had gas ALL the time...lol...he would make it stink and then laugh while we all gagged. He LOVED to play jokes on anyone one of his favorite was to sneak up on someone (especially in the dark) and make a snarling noise....my Mom was often his favorite victim....:) He had a stubborn streak, and often a one track mind...once he made his mind up about something it was hard for him to let it go. He was great at working with wood and metal and often made things for us using the scroll saw. He spoiled me rotten...I am such a Daddy's girl. I don't know maybe all these things don't add up to you but they are all these little memories that to me add up to a whole lot. He is a great man and a great Dad...the best I could have ever asked for...he was not perfect haa haa...he would often lose his temper with his tools or what ever and then he would swear at them...he has this kind of Donald Duck voice and then you knew he was really mad....stupid **&#&* tools why did you fall on the *&((*&# floor!! Haa haa...I miss him and I can't wait to see him again when the time comes and feel his stubble face and give him a huge hug!! Well thanks for sticking with me...I know this is a long post but I just wanted to leave you with a poem I wrote for him when he died...I remember this poster he got for my Mom when she started teaching called "Everything I needed to know in life I learned in Kindergarten" For some reason I remembered him getting her that so this poem is kind of like that....

"Everything I need to know I learned from my Dad"

Everything can be fixed...eventually
No one is lost forever
You never have to "grow up" you just have to pay a few bills
Talking to yourself is ok
Paint DOES NOT wash out of clothes
If you want pizza for dinner ask Dad to cook
Laughter really is the best medicine
If you tease someone enough they will get back at you eventually
Share what you have, even if you don't have much
Live for those you love
Pain can be ignored
Work hard, it is always worth it
Play as much as you can, as hard as you can
Honor your promises
Love your family, and they will return your love

So there ya have it...my Dad...he was kind of crazy but I love him!

Tenika invite me to your blog!

Haa haa....so I keep trying to view your blog and I have not been invited...well I was but I didn't accept cuz I am dunb like that...anyhow I am bored out of my mind as usual!! Eric and Jen are writing their talks for church tommorrow so I am gooofing around trying not to annalyze anything too much.

So I am trying to sound optomistic but I truly belive this. I am so greatful for the promises and blessings of a loving Heavenly Father! Somedays it is really hard to be patient and to trust that where I am in my life is where I am supposed to be. I know I have lots of work to do but who doesn't I just have to remind myself to keep going day in and day out and that someday my Heavenly Father will keep His end of the bargian if I can just keep mine.

For Tenika

Jen's bridal shower went well. Not too many people showed up mostly her aunts but if was fun. I am still trying to find a job but I have a couple people that are supposed to be calling me. We will see. I am coming this weekend to Utah!! I am excited to get out of Poky for the weekend. I am coming down cuz Elder Stoker is coming home and has his homecoming this weekend. I am also going to practice Jen's wedding updo so that it is not quite so stressful in California.

Last weekend I went camping and 4-wheeling with my family. It was great! My Brother is funny he told me he was proud of me for not being a pansy really it was not that hard of a trail on Saturday. The one we went on Sunday (yes we ride 4 wheelers on Sunday we are going to hell...lol) was a little more of a challenge and had a ton of mudpddles that were HUGE!!! :) so fun! I was muddy from head to toe...my 4 wheeler got most of it though when we started it was dark green when we left it was brown. I had a great time with my Brother it is so fun to have him around.

So since it was Mother's day last week I just thought I would say I LOVE YOU MOM! My Mom is pretty much the coolest! She is very strong and I have a lot of respect for her and all she does. She is a hard worker and she has always put our needs before her own. So thanks Mom for all you do!!

Boredom

Well it has been quite a while since my last post so I decided I should write something to the whole 2 or 3 people that follow this blog and regularly hear from me anyways...The end of the semester was crazy stressful but I got through and I am "home" in Pocatello right now. I hang out with my Grandma and clean house all day. It is kind of like being a Mom. It is fun though. She is crazy and I totally love her! She has demensia so somedays can be really really hard and frustrating. I am also looking for a job still but it is hard to find one because I need to have some time off to go to my friend Jen's wedding in California where I spent my last summer. I am soooooo excited to go down! It is going to be a lot of fun and I get to do her hair and make-up which I am way excited for. I rented a hotel room at this cool hotel really close to the Santa Anita Race track in Arcadia. It has really pretty grounds. Hmm...not much else is new so TTFN

Life is a bowl of goodness!

Ok so I don't remember exactly how it came up but while talking with Jeff last Saturday (or maybe Friday) he said "Life is a bowl of goodness, all we have to do is lift our spoons and partake." Profound wisdom...haa haa.. it is true though!! This last couple of weeks has been really tough for me. I have a lot on my plate right now, what with school, volunteering, and a church calling. I have been feeling like a complete failure because I wasn't doing everything perfectly for everyone. I let myself get down and let things slide for a while. This included not doing homework for one class that is not that hard and struggling through homework for my Access class which is extremely hard for me. I felt like because I could not do everything I did not want to do anything. This feeling was made worse when I looked at my midterm grade and realized I was getting 40% in my Access class. On Friday after class I was walking home thinking I just needed to drop the class so that I did not get a 'F' but I was not sure when i could possibly retake it. I was in tears by time I reached my apartment and feeling completely hopeless and like a failure as an adult. I mean isn't every 26 year old supposed to be able to perfectly juggle their life!! HA! It was then I realized that just because I had dropped the ball did not mean I could not pick it back up! I also realized that if I gave up on this class I was taking the easy way out and I would that much more inclined to take the easy road for the rest of my life. So I did the only logical thing....I got on my knees and prayed. After praying I got on my computer and got to work. I worked over 10 hours this weekend on my project, there were times I was ready to throw it out the window but with the help of my Heavenly Father and the encouragment of my roomate I turned it in. I got a 9 out of 10 and the compliments of my instructor! I was so completely thrilled!! I felt like I could conquer anything at the point! It may seem like a simple silly thing but I had pushed myself and I had suceeded! I know that with my Heavenly Father's help and with the great people he has blessed me with in my life I can do anything. I just have to keep going, and when I drop the ball I have to pick it up and try again. So back to the main point. Life really is a bowl of goodness. We are all sitting at the table but it is up to us to decide if we will partake. We must dig in with whatever means we have, silver spoon, fingers, or just slurp it up!!
So today take action and enjoy your "bowl of goodness"!!!