Table for Eight

NOTE #1 :   This excerpt comes from a book the Book Fairy gave me ( thank you! ),  Life is a Verb , by Patti Digh: *************** Let Go of the Monkey Bars "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." --Lao Tzu   Sometimes taking flight takes letting go. Letting go takes faith. Faith takes letting go. It all requires wings. And so it goes. As Kierkegaard said, "Without risk there is no faith, and the greater the risk, the greater the faith." Flying begins with a leap of faith. At the end of each year, I ask myself two questions: What do I want to create in this New Year and, perhaps even more importantly, what do I want to let go? This year, I needed to let go of a project I had been holding on to, one that was lucrative but deflected my attention from my real work. I needed to really let go, not pretend to let go, or hold on to vestiges of it to keep me comfortable. It was a letting go that sent me flying into that space between t...

Thanks to everyone who entered the King-Size Candybar Giveaway! We had 31 entrants on the blog and three entrants via email (who were unable to post their comments for one reason or another). That gave us a total of 34 entrants. And according to Random.org's awesome random-ness function, lucky NUMBER 2 is the winner of our contest! (PS: I assigned a number to each entry AS they came in. Rank order. First person was #1. Second was #2. And so on.) Congratulations to our winner: LUCKY #2 Shanna! 10 King-Size Candybars coming your way!

WARNING: Today's post is kinda yucky.  In a medical kinda way. You may think that photo above is Alvin the Chipmunk. But actually, the above photo is ME. Well, me for the past 48 hours. Let me 'splain, Lucy. You see, I broke a molar tooth this past summer, and due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn't able to have it fixed right away. So, Friday was The Day to have it repaired (code word = oral surgery). And, in true-to-me-form, the repair was not an easy one. No. We didn't get to go with Plan A (get a crown). Or Plan B (put in an implant). Or Plan C (put in an implant and have a bone graft). No. We went with Plan D (Put in an implant, have a bone graft, AND a sinus "lift.") (Apparently, when there's a lot of bone loss, your sinus can kind of "sink" into the area where your tooth was/is. So, the dentist has to RETURN the sinus to its place of origin.). Now, if you know me, you know that I can't stand the dentis...

Usually, I reserve the word LOVE for people, animals . . . things that can love you back. BUT, I do have two exceptions. I absolutely LOVE Granola and Bread! That's right: I love granola. And I love bread. (BTW: I'm pretty sure they love me back.) And since it's the weekend, I thought it would be fun to share a couple granola recipes with you--with hopes that you will LOVE them, too. (We'll post a bread recipe next weekend.) Now, I've already shared my love of Elvis Granola with you--banana chips, dark chocolate, peanut butter. YUM! (See archives for August 16, 2011.) PS: Not my Elvis Baby, but so cute! And Elvis Granola is probably one of my Top 3 Favorite Granola Recipes of All Time. (I love that phrase: "Of all time." Hyperbole rocks!) So, now I'd like to share MY OTHER TWO FAVORITE GRANOLA RECIPES OF ALL TIME : 1) Coconut, Chocolate, Cherry Granola  from KeepItSimpleFoods 2) Aunt Melissa's Granola fro...

Okay, so this is going to sound super silly, but I have to write this down (if only for myself): It's never too late. Never too late for what, you ask? Never too late to change. Never. No matter what your life is like or has been like, change is possible. I know, deep. I'm deep. (OMGoodness that makes me laugh.) So, how do I know this truth? In other words, what qualifies me to play a Life Coach on The Deseret Housewife Blog? Well, here's my story . . . for a good portion of the last 30 years, I lived a pretty sedentary life. Meaning, I wasn't one for working out and exercising. Sure, I had brief spells of exercising--a 5K here, a Walk-a-Thon there, using barbells at home for a month or so--but overall, I wasn't really challengeing myself physically. That is, until about a year ago, when for some odd reason my brain just locked onto this idea that I was going to push myself physically. Now, mind you, I've made dec...

I am so thankful for all of the kindness and support I've been given this week . . . I just HAVE to have some way to return the kindness . And while my first choice was to bake a loaf of bread for each person I know, my second choice seems a little more "do-able" (And, doesn't require a Food Handlers Permit.): A King-Size Candy Giveaway! Entry Guidelines 1. Contest ends at 11:59pm on Monday, August 29, 2011. 2. One winner will be selected using Random.org . 3. Winner will receive 10 King-Size Candybars. 4. Winner must be in Continental US (for shipping purposes). 5. Family, friends, and previous Giveaway Winners may enter. 6. One entry per email address. Simply place a comment in the "Comment Section" for THIS POST (see below). 7. All information is kept confidential (aside from posting the first name of winner on the blog). PS: Happy "ALMOST" 12th BDay, Jr! Can't wait for tomorrow!

One of our youngest daughters (we have two the same age), has THE most beautiful, incredible, curly hair! I had never really seen anything like it . . . until they announced the cast of Survivor: South Pacific. Because one of the cast members HAS her hair, too! I love that! PS: Tomorrow is GIVEAWAY DAY . (It's been such a long time since I've held a giveaway. I can't wait!)

One of my first loaves of " Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day ." Love their recipes! A about 8 years ago, I went to an "Enrichment" class at church in California. The class was taught by our bishop's wife, a woman I absolutely love and admire (Sister Tanner). I signed up for the class because SHE was teaching it. I really didn't know what we'd be learning that night (these monthly classes run on all kind of topics--service auctions, birthday dinners, game nights, etc.); I only knew that I needed to bring a pie-tin if I wanted to participate. And so, I went to class pie-tin in-hand--and learned . . . to bake bread. And the rest, as they say, is  history . What I'm saying is, that night really changed my life. And I'm not exaggerating. To date, I think I've made bread--rain or shine, feast or famine, sickness or health--at least once a week EVERY week for the last 8 years. Learning to make bread was like a revelation to ...

NOTE: Today's post was originally published on my blog in July of 2010.  Based on all that's going on in my life, my friends' lives, and the world in general,  it felt like a good post to kick off a new week. About a year ago I was watching Larry King when he interviewed the Chapman family (Christian singer  Steven Curtis-Chapman's  family). The family was on to talk about their struggle to keep moving forward after the death of 5 year-old daughter. She had passed away as a result of a car accident on their property just a few short months before the interview (with the car being driven by their 16/17 year old son). It was a heartbreaking interview, so hard to hear and watch. Talk about pain. Talk about struggle. Talk about injustice. Talk about loss. Talk about grief. Talk about devastation . . . And yet, something Mary Beth Chapman (wife/mom) said during that interview has stuck with me all ...

There are so many names we call ourselves by: There's our first name. The name given to us at birth. Literally our "first" name on Earth. A name with profound meaning and purpose. Our middle name .  Often a name that tie us to a person, place, or time. (If you're a child of the 70s, then this name may even be a spice. LOL.) Our surname .  A names that reminds us of who we are, where and who we come from. Then, there are nicknames and pet names . Names that begin as terms of endearment. These names are assigned to us by our closest friends and loved ones. And then, there are the names--or labels--assigned to us by teachers, mentors, coworkers, and ourselves. Most often, these names/labels are positive--and come to kind of define us. Names like "hard-worker," "smart,"  "generous" or "Princess." But all too often, these names/labels are critical, harsh, and reflective of the frustration we feel at being hu...

Our daughter, LuLu . . . wearing her SaWEET Pie Party Hat. I know, summer's not over . . . yet . But I'm telling you, once fall is here, you've got to host a PIE PARTY. Because nothing showcases  HARVEST TIME like a Fall Pie Party ! Just think of the possibilities . . . you, your good friends, and CRISP GRANNY SMITH APPLE PIE SWEET POTATO PIE PUMPKIN SPICED PIE BUTTERMILK PIE Now, how fun is that? (Fun, I tell ya.) You can make these fun little pie hats out of tissue paper, brown grocery bags, and small pie tins. (Need to add string so they can tie on the noggin.) You can decorate your home with Pie Streamers. (Homemade to reflect the pies of your liking.) Have each guest bring a pie . . . or two!  (This is my favorite: apple and cranberry crumb. Come to mama!) Homemade OR store-bought pies are welcome. We're no respector of pies! Oh pumpkin . . . I heart you! The kids helped me with decorations. ...

Sometimes I get up in the morning and realize, "HOLY COW, I am the mother of not one, not two, not three, but 6 kiddos!" I mean, really, being a mom is a big deal when you think about it. And being a mom to SIX kiddos is a really BiG deal. And today, I think I'm feeling a little bit like the city girl who bought a farm and moved to the country to grow corn . . . before she understood a thing about crops, seasons or soil! (LOL) It's enough to give a girl an anxiety attack! Because, as you know from your own life experience, moms play a pretty big role in how we view the world, ourselves, life, marriage, work, entertainment, service, food, learning, God . . . And list goes on and on and on. ( As my anxiety goes up and up and up! ) And I can say this here, but I think it wasn't until our oldest son became a teenager that I really-- really --understood the depth of this role called "mom." It's not just working in the clas...

Papaya and ZuZu. I can't believe I'm saying this: school is starting soon . How can that be right? It feels like summer was only 4 weeks long. Don't go so soon summer. We were just getting into the groove of all things sunny . Oh, well--rather than fight it, I guess I should go with the flow and just make the most of these final days without schedules, deadlines, carpools, and homework. Oh, summer . . . I heart you. New rec center in the city next door to us. (I promise you, the pools I swam in as a kid looked NOTHING like this.) ZuZu jumping off the diving board. A section for the smaller kids. (See what I mean . . . did YOUR city pool look like this back in the 80s? I don't think so.) And finally . . . my public service announcement for the ladies: Please. Do yourself a favor and get thee to a Target STAT. Then, pick up one of these fluorescent bras (under $10). I'm telling you, you will smile everytime you wear i...

For some reason I'm in an Elvis kinda mood. I think it has something to do with the fact that our daughter, Bam, loaded the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack onto my iPod, so I've been listening to The King as I workout each morning. Nevertheless (Which means . . . what? Never less? Huh?) . . . I wanted to make this Elvis Week at our house, and so, we're doing All Things Elvis : --listening to XM's Elvis Station --watching an old Elvis movie --and making Elvis Granola. What? Elvis didn't eat granola? Maybe he did--in between those fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches . You never know! Besides, even if Elvis didn't eat granola, he would have--if he was able to eat his very own   ELVIS GRANOLA ! So, if you're a granola fan--AND an Elvis fan--you have to try this recipe. I'm tellin' ya it's just good clean fun! PS: Some call it a dessert granola . (Ahem, Janae.) Not me. I call it breakfast with The King . Elvis Granola (from Eat...

Surfer Bethany Hamilton. (Probably one of the most inspiring people on Planet E.) Most people never get there. They're afraid or unwilling to demand enough of themselves and take the easy road, the path of least resistance. But struggling and suffering, as I now saw it, were the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not constantly demanding more from yourself—expanding and learning as you go—you’re choosing a numb existence.  You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip. Life is a not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,  but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out . . . loudly proclaiming: "WOW!! What a ride!" --Dean Karnezes, Ultramarathon Man (PS:Dave-man, thank you for giving me this quote at a time when I needed it most. XOXO)

Jr. and Papaya at the Dr. Who Party. That's a sonic screwdriver Jr.'s holding. I realized something this past week: photos on your phone are much more spontaneous--and sometimes more personal (aka private)--than photos on your "regular" camera. How do I know? Well, Sunday night I handed my phone to a friend in order to show her some photos of our daughter's baptism . . . and before I could say "BOO," I'm pretty sure she was swiping through a few other phone photos. Now, I'm 41 and have been married for 20 years, so it's not like I'm taking pictures nakey or anything. BUT, I did immediately think to myself, "Oh, please tell me there aren't any nutty photos on there." ( Not naughty, NUTTY .) And that's about the time--I'm 99% sure--she came upon the photo of my fluorescent bra ! I'd snapped that photo in order to encourage every woman I know to get a fluorescent bra (they're fun, I tell ya...