Table for Eight

Utah weather can be pretty fickle, so you gotta just "go with it." And today it's rainy, cloudy, and around 45 degrees. So I'm thinking it's a good day to make soup. Tomorrow will probably be 80 degrees--so I'll be back to making tacos and wearing flip-flops--but in the meantime, here's what I'm planning to make tonight: *Miso Noodle Soup (*Recipe below) Have a fabulous weekend.  (c) Oprah.com, 2012-13. Miso Noodle Soup From Oprah.com Servings: Serves 6–8 (makes about 4 quarts) Ingredients 2 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil 2 leeks (white part only), split, rinsed, and sliced 2 cloves garlic , minced 1 medium bunch chard (about 1/2 pound) 4 medium carrots (about 3/4 pound), peeled and coarsely chopped 4 ounces buckwheat (soba) noodles 1 cup edamame (fresh or frozen) 1/2 cup miso 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (optional) 2 scallions , finely sliced Directions Set a large pot over medium-low heat. Add oil an...

Jr's new Halloween mask: a Thoroughbred Horse. SO FUNNY. (This morning he came out from the shower with his robe and this on!) Zu made this awesome pumpkin centerpiece after reading a craft section in The Friend magazine: http://www.lds.org/friend/2013/10/pumpkin-fun?lang=eng Jr did an art assignment/report on this piece of public art--outside at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art. (Artist = Michael Whiting) Lu grew these pumpkins--ALL on her own. (Like, we didn't even know she planted the seeds until the vine started growing!)

As I sit down to write this morning there's this ONE housefly that won't stop bugging me. And I mean bugging. Like, I'm seriously beginning to get angry at this fly. Now, I'm a person that has some experience with flies. To be brutally honest, most campsites in the game of Survivor have a bazillion flies and bugs . For reals. And the longer you are on the island--aka, "in the game"--the more you SEE how the lack of proper sanitation takes a toll on the environment. (If you get my drift. Ha! That's funny.) Anyway, my point!  Because Survivor players don't have access to running water, soap, trashcans, towels, a toliet ... there are a lot of flies, ants, and other critters that become pretty constant companions to the players. So, my point! I've been around a TON of insects, so I really should be able to handle ONE flippin' housefly. So, this has me thinking--since I love metaphors ... Maybe flies are a metaphor for ....

I love reading quotes. Whether they are insightful, motivational, or downright irreverent, for some reason, I can seriously spend hours just reading other people's one-liners about life, love, politics, fashion ... the universe. And with that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my current favorite quotes with you today (The ones with cool memes, at least):        And at last, two of my favorite irreverent ones. I apologize in advance for the swearing on/in the final one, but I don't know if that eyebrow quote would be AS hilarious without it. For reals. Here's to a day filled with lots of love and smiles. (And people with great eyebrows!)  

Even Harriet-the-dog threw up this weekend. What the what? Well, if there's anything positive about having the flu, it's having it over a weekend--so you can truly REST from your work/school/etc. Right? Uh, sure. Poor Bam, Dave, Zu and even Harriet-the-dog each caught a weird cold/flu-type thing that had them "down for the count" this weekend. It was awful. I was teasing Dave, but I'm not sure if it's worse to be the one with the flu--or the mom to the ones with the flu. Eeek! (We're talking a lot of laundry and disinfectant. If you're picking up what I'm layin' down.) Hopefully they will be on the mend here soon. And hopefully, the remaining non-flu family members have used enough Purell to keep us germ-free. Crossing my fingers. Hope your weekend was 'smarvelous. ***** PS: Booo. BYU lost this weekend. (Yay if you are a Ute fan--Liz B.) PPS: Not that it's a big deal in the Big Picture, but I did deactivate ...

Harriet-the-dog LOVES ducks. Like L-O-V-E-S them. I'm pretty sure she dreamt about them all night last night. Ha! I have not been this excited for a weekend in a long time. It has felt like the busiest week ever. Thank goodness for weekends. Here's hoping we all have a wonderfully calm and relaxing weekend! **** PS: For those of you who've asked for my input on the newest season of Survivor (which started last Wed.) ... I have to be honest: I'm not watching this season.  I am definitely a Survivor die-hard fan, but the last time I played was SO emotional, draining, and downright painful, I'm not really ready to re-live that experience anytime soon (in HD, no less). (Plus, they are in the same location we were in ... so it's like flashback-central for me.) That being said, I am friends with Tyson--who's playing with his loved one Rachel--this season (S27 is called Blood vs. Water), and I absolutely love Tyson and Rachel! --We are all 3 ...

Me with our sweet baby Zu, a few years ago. I know it's completely stepping out on a limb to think that I could/should offer a parenting tip: I have SO much to learn yet myself. BUT, after Zu came home yesterday and shared this experience she had while riding her bike in our neighborhood . . . I just had to . And in my defense, I have had a few profound life experiences adopting 6 kiddos and living on a deserted island with "strangers" for 67 days--experiences that have taught me one SUPER IMPORTANT LIFE/PARENTING LESSON/LIFE-HACK: Whenever you meet someone--no matter where or how you come to meet--focus on what you have in common. Find the common ground. Even if the only thing you have in common is that you are both human beings on Planet E at this unique space/time: find the common ground. Your relationships, and the health of our societies, depend on us finding common ground one with another. I promise you--try it for a day and you will see what ...

Sunday afternoon we were all sitting at our kitchen table when Lu said, "Oh, I want a pear"--followed by a quick move to grab said-pear from a basket on the table. And somehow (seriously, we don't know how), she bonked her pinky on the hardwood table in a weird way when she went to reach for the pear. And immediately she flinched and said, "I think I broke my pinky." I couldn't imagine it; it seemed like a small bonk. But sure enough, her pinky finger got chubby and immediately hurt. And 24 hours later, the x-ray from the ER showed the pinky is, in fact, fractured. What the what?   It's wacky, I tell ya: breaking your pinky finger reaching for a pear. Fortunately it is a small fracture and it is likely to heal in about 2-3 weeks. Sometimes life is so nutty. Poor Lu and her pinky. Blasted pears! (PS: We were able to be online at the same time as our missionary son, Jay, yesterday--so we told him about Lu's finger. He's...

Jonathan apples ... by the bushel. "Small" shakes from Iceberg. Making no-sew fleece blankets. And more no-sew fleece blankets. And more!   Spending lots of time outdoors. And time with friends ... Bam w/ Janae. ***** Meanwhile ... Elder Meehan's out serving in Indiana--where we hope he's loving his first Fall in the midwest. (Photo taken during his time at the MTC in July.)

Me, on Survivor Caramoan--wearing a Lime Ricki swimsuit (with paint on it). (c) 2013, CBS, Monty Brinton. Even though Lime Ricki didn't ask me to do this, I feel like I should at least mention their kindness ... Contestants on Survivor are asked to submit/use their own swimsuits for gameplay--with a few restrictions/conditions: we are usually given a certain color scheme. (I think there are a few exceptions where wardrobe selects a bathing suit for players, but for the most part, we each purchase our own bathing suits.) When I played Survivor I wanted my clothing, if at all possible, to support a local Utah company (without them knowing--because we can't have any sponsorships). So both times I played I submitted Lime Ricki bathing suits for CBS' review. They are a local Utah swimwear company, and I have worn their suits for a few years now. Oddly, the first time I played, CBS ended up mixing and matching my Lime Ricki bottoms with a Target top (Survivor Sou...

About once a month Elder Meehan sends us the memory card for his camera and we are able SEE what missionary life is like for him in Indiana. It's kind of funny because photography is his passion, and so we end up with a lot (as in 700+ pics) of photo of landscapes and sunsets--which is great--but kinda funny, too. Here's a small sampling of this month's photos. He looks super happy--which makes us super happy. PS: Sorry about the "roadkill" pic, but I had to share. I guess when you are out riding your bike for 8-10 hours a day, you see a lot of strange and interesting things.