2024

 I went down blogger lane today. What fun memories flooded me as I remembered daily logging in and checking on the recent updates. Most of you haven't blogged since 2014. Suzy won with having the most recent post I found (2022) with the exception of Nancy Heiss who is still going strong. 

I also walked down the individual blogs I kept as diaries for my kids. I'm SO glad I preserved these memories but the part that's frustrating for my brain is I want ALL of this in one place! I have handwritten journals, scrapbooks, online blogs, Facebook memories, Instagram which also get converted to Chatbooks, Audrey's art Instagram. Am I missing anything?

Most of the blogs I read, due to the time of my life when all of us were consistently posting, I lived in Seattle and so was flooded with memories of Seattle.

We had good church community. I am so grateful for the young and old members alike whom got together regularly. We bonded with SO many people in that ward and we were served so abundantly. I was sleep deprived and had so many helpers take Michael so I could sleep. We had some good neighbors who were good to us.

Other blogs I read were of cousins. I have so many fantastic, wonderful cousins. I am grateful for the blogs that kept me connected to them in a way that I don't feel as much today, unfortunately. Thankfully Facebook keeps many of those connections alive.

And do you remember Google Circles, or something like that?

Anyway, I am very curious who may ever come back to visit my blog and when! So, if you are here -- please, please leave a comment and say Hello!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

Once upon a time I made these beauties. A loaded bite of chocolate covered strawberry on your cupcake. Milk chocolate frosting ringed with white chocolate, hold a fresh dipped strawberry in place and why not add chocolate shavings for the final touch?

I was proud to deliver these to some friends on their birthdays, and one just for fun....and then of course, I kept some for myself. Hope you like them!

Check out my new blog Birthday Party Ideas in the near future for more

Angry Birds Star Wars Birthday Celebration

ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS BIRTHDAY PARTY
Cake 
I wanted something simple but that reflected the cartoon nature of Angry Birds. I LOVE how these turned out. One cake mix is all it took. Chewbacca's belt is the nougat from a Three Musketeers bar that I cut up. Outlining their eyes in black really made their features pop!

Party Favors
Create pool noodle light sabers! THESE THINGS ARE THE BEST! We have had ours now for almost two years, and they are one of the most popular toys whenever friends come to visit. Kids can smack as hard as they can and they don't hurt. Buy Monster Funnoodle Pool Noodle Foam Asstd Colors from Amazon. Cut them in half, and then use duct and electric tape for your handle design.

Party Games
Red Light, Green Light modified to Angry Birds Star Wars RED BIRD/GREEN PIG (I let my son color them).

Check out my new blog Birthday Party Ideas in the near future for more

Easter Cupcakes

Celebrate Easter with cupcakes. Melted white chocolate, dried on wax paper for the handles. Whopper Eggs and coconut to top.

Check out my new blog Birthday Party Ideas (in the near future) for more

Pacman Birthday Cake

Check out my new blog Birthday Party Ideas in the near future for more

Pacman Birthday Cake. Watch out mini-ghosts!
This is the cake we made for my son's 3rd birthday. In case you need a quick refresher of the game: https://www.google.com/doodles/30th-anniversary-of-pac-man

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Video from 8/24/2011

For whatever reason I can't watch videos directly from iPhoto, so I am now uploading some here that I want to see. 

72 Hour Kits

I've determined that the purpose of my 72 hour kits are for the chance that I'll have to evacuate my house for a period of time, and possibly live out of a tent. Ironically, I don't own a tent. Perhaps I should buy one......and some sleeping bags to go with it. Do you ever feel like you are never prepared enough?

Alas, I've done 72 hour kits over and over again and this time I decided it was time to go a much simpler route

• Everything in there had to have an expiration of at least 12 months from the day I purchased it
• Our entire family's kit would be combined instead of three separate backpacks

What's Inside Small Rolling Suitcase:

Fruit Strips (3)---Dried Apple Slices (3)---Cup o' Noodles (3) ---Large Pineapple Juice (1)---Individual OJ's (3)---Beef Jerky packs (4)---Mountain House Dried Dinners (4)---Mountain House Dessert (1)---Trident Gum---2 liter water for cooking

My sister told me about Mountain House. She vouched for the value of the food as she's eaten it during hiking adventures. She clarifies it's not as good as it would be from your own kitchen, but it's good. I researched these a bit online and then found them at Winco! I haven't tasted one though. If I need them, I'm sure I'll happily eat them.

Benefits:

• 10 Year Shelf life
• Just add hot water into the pouch
• Apx 2 Servings per package

I plan on picking up a few more during my next trip, and pretty soon I won't really have to check on my 72 hour kits as often! Honestly, the 72 Hour Kit box they have online doesn't seem like a bad deal at all. Of course, it's only their pouches. I'd probably still stick some snacky type foods into my other backpack.

Packed into the case and there's still room for more

What's Inside the Backpack

Toilet Paper---Garbage Bags (ponchos/rain protection/etc...)---Extra shirt and socks for each of us---Ziploc bag contains things like toothbrushes/floss/paste--feminine items---batteries---flashlight---plastic silverware---can opener---bandaids---hand sanitizer

I know there are many more things I can tuck into there, but for the time being the only additional things I plan to tuck away are:

• list of emergency contacts and personal info
• list of everything else that doesn't fit in the bag that we'd need to remember to grab. This includes:
• A couple cases of water bottles
• Extra Contacts/Glasses (probably should tuck some contact solution in there)
• Sleeping Bags/Tent ....oh wait

Holidays-An All In One Package

 Halloween 2012 • Ironman • Loki • The Avengers • Trunk/Trick-or-Treats

 Thanksgiving • Utah • Cousins • Volleyball • Games • Heiss' Wedding

Christmas Season • Gift Exchange • Santa Train • Gingerbread Cookies • More to come!

Trunk-or-Treat 2012

My first picture really has no relation to the Trunk-or-Treat festivities, other than I took this picture on the same day. My curls came together very nicely and sometimes I become a little self-absorbed and want to remember good-hair days.

 I was thrilled to see the donut-on-a-string game at the church for no reason other than I recently saw the pics on Nancy's blog and thought it looked very fun. I have decided if Michael is to ever eat a donut again, this will be the way he has to do it so at least he can burn some calories why downing the sugar.

This video is nothing other than watching Michael hop around the cake walk, but you do get a a glimpse of Richard in his sombrero with his fancy (real) mustache. I like the mustache. :) Unfortunately he is going to shave it off for the debut of his real Halloween costume.

You eventually do what you gotta do!