Goals and Lists

So James and I have come to the conclusion that he is obsessed with goals and I am obsessed with lists. I love the feeling of checking something off a list. A lot of the time I will not accomplish the original items on my list but instead will add the things that I did do during the day, just so I can check them off and it looks like I achieved most of my plan.


James loves to set goals for self improvement especially in the area of education. He wants to know everything. This is often overwhelming to me. His latest is that he wants to learn American Sign Language and French. (I'm still trying to master Spanish and English for that matter). James picked up a sign language book at BYU library and I have been impressed with his motivation. He's learned a lot of signs. I was impressed with all the signs I remembered back from the days when I lived with Kyle and JoEllen. I would sit with George in front of the TV watching "Signing Time" over and over again.

For the last week we have been learning new signs. We checked out a bunch of signing time videos at the Provo Library and now James can't stop singing and signing... "There's singing time, and dancing time, and laughing time and playing time but now it is our favorite time, SIGNING TIME... It's signing time with Alex and Leah... it's signing time with Alex and Leah... Come and play.... Come and play.."

I have been doing a lot of research for my new job and over and over again it talks about the benefits of teaching kids to sign in the first few years of their life. So now we have the big challenge of teaching our kids to speak Spanish, American Sign Language, and English. Hopefully they are not super confused all the time.

"Food, glorious food..."

My dad used to sing this when dinner was on the table just before we were going to eat or in the preparing of a delicious new meal. I didn't know it was a real song until 7th grade choir class when we watched the musical "Oliver" and I was absolutely amazed that there were words that came after those three words. All the years growing up I thought Dad had made it up. (On a side note, I was also amazed to find out there were more words to the cougar fight song that my dad would sing to wake us up in the morning.)

I have been impressed with the tributes that have been made on my dad's behalf. Yesterday, marked 9 years after his passing. I wondered what I could add. My mom talked about lessons that he taught, and my sister brought up so many memories that I share with her of him. I decided I would make a tribute by sharing a few of his signature recipes that I loved most.

Recipe #1
Egg Nogg

Raw eggs
Lots of Sugar
Milk
Vanilla

Blend in a blender and drink. Dad used to wake up early and make a big batch of this to share with us kids. Looking back, I can't believe that I drank this as often as we did... and I loved it. It's a little nauseating to think about now, but I remember that dad used to sip it and enjoy it a lot. He was quite the morning person, always ready to give me and my friends a ride to Dixie Middle School, way before we were really ready to go, but the other option was walk so we would arrive early and figure out how to kill a half hour, before school started.

Recipe #2
Dutch Oven Cobbler

1 Can of Fruit filling
1 box of Cake Mix

Cover Dutch oven with tinfoil, pour in fruit filling, and spread on the top, dry cake mix. Cook over whatever cooking source is available until fruit is boiling into the dry cake mix. Eat with Vanilla ice cream

Dad took Traci and I camping nearly every week it felt like for a couple of summers. Whenever we went the menu seemed to always stay the same. Italian Sausage soup or spaghetti, and Cobbler for desert. The Fruit filling would change each time, but the recipe was always the same. So simple but sooooo... delicious.

I think dad brought me and Traci along most of the time, just so that he didn't have to do all the work. I remember pulling up to the campsite, he would un hitch the camper, pull out a lawn chair and a book and Traci and I would set up the camper and set up camp. We used to laugh about that. We would each do some of the cooking as well.

Recipe #3
Singles Ward Pine Valley Party

Hamburgers (and a few Turkey burgers for the girls that wouldn't eat red meat. I always thought my dad was so nice to consider a few of these students in his ward and provide this for them.)
Buckets of Sliced potatoes in water from Dixie College that would be turned into delicious Dutch oven potatoes.
About 7 too many pans of Dixie College's 7 layer bean dip and Huge Bags of round tortilla chips.
A volley ball net and ball
And about a dozen boxes of Meadow gold ice cream sandwiches.

Throw it all together with a hundred or so college students and I'd say, my dad knew how to throw a good party

The last few years of his life when my dad was a college singles ward bishop, I remember looking forward to these annual parties. The menu was always exactly the same. But I loved to go with him to pick up the buckets of potatoes and dip and then stop at the meadow gold factory on our way out of town to head up to pine valley. I never socialized much with the college kids, because I was still in high school, but i enjoyed helping out where I could and watching it all take place from a distance. I was always very impressed with how well my dad did at remembering all of their names. I also remember how much I loved to hear him laugh with his counselors, Chris Cannon, and Craig Segmiller before all of the kids started to arrive.

Recipe #4
Italian Sausage Soup

Italian Sausage
1 can of Beef Broth
1 can of Italian Stewed tomatoes
Broccoli
Penne Noodles

Cook thoroughly and sip slowly, as it cleans your nostrils.

This was one of our favorite when dad started cooking and looking for new recipes. It was a mutual understanding that Mom didn't appreciate it as much as Dad, Traci and I did, so we would often make it when mom was away or when we were camping. I remember when dad would often escape to Pine Valley by himself, he rarely thought to bring food. Occasionally I would slip up there on a school night and bring the ingredients for Italian Sausage Soup with me. Dad would be "puttering" in his garden and I'd cook inside. I loved to hear his grunts and sighs as he ate the soup. He was always so appreciative of the gesture to bring him up a meal. I don't remember what our conversations would consist of during those evenings but I always left feeling glad that I spent a few hours up there alone with him.

Those are the memories I leave with all of you today. I had a great father and I am very blessed to have a wonderful husband that possesses so many of his good qualities. I am even more grateful for a Father in Heaven and his plan of salvation that will allow us all to be together again one day.

A little about Kids On The Move and what's new in our lives

Yesterday was my first day of work at Kids On The Move. Just to tell you a little bit more about KOTM, it is a non-profit organization mandated by the state. It works in conjunction with the Alpine School district meaning that it serves all the special needs kids in the Alpine school district area ages 0-3 years old. KOTM is an early intervention program for kids with special needs. It has been the most fascinating couple of days working there learning about all they do. Compared to the last company I worked for, it feels a little bit like I'm working at Disneyland, with all the magic included. It actually is a funny sight to see, because my office where I work, there are cubicles, with computers and files but at every desk are big bags of toys and toys laying out by bookshelves. It made me laugh. I even see some of my co-workers playing with those toys (purely research) figuring out what will be good to help their kiddos with the developmental goals that they are working on. It's so cool.

I still won't try to explain my job, but a part of my job is that I help with two play groups during the week for transition age kids (meaning the kids close to turning three that will be transitioning into pre-school). Today was my first play group. It was soooooo much fun! The kids that attend are amazing, and I love the attitude of KOTM. It's really just all about having fun and learning in the process. I was working at an art station with one kiddo and we were gluing fuzzies on a paper. He wanted to try using the glue. I was hesitant to give it to him, thinking maybe that would be too big of a mess. I quickly noticed that another instructor gave the kiddo she was working with the glue and so I let him have at it. It was awesome. He glued about a dozen or more different colored fuzzies on one piece of paper. It made me happy.

My only regret is that I can't take James to work with me. Not that I'm so pathetic that I can't live with out my husband for a few hours in the day, mostly just because I love watching him with kids and he would have soooo much fun in these play groups; tossing the kids around and playing with them. He's sort of my inspiration. I got there today and I thought to myself "what would james do?" and immediately I started trying to climb through a tunnel that I would never fit in or bowled the kids down with a giant exercise ball. Naturally they loved it all. He's a natural when it comes to kid and will be a great teacher and father some day.

I don't really have much else to add to that. It's been a great week. James and I celebrated on Friday and went to dinner at Gloria's Little Italy. It was my last day of work at NES and James had received the highest score in his class on his spanish literature test (I'm bragging because it was a really hard test and he studied very hard, and because he wouldn't do it himself). Anyway, back to the point of this story,... James and I don't eat out very often and when we do we almost always go to Diegos. (Diego's is pretty much the best Mexican Restraunt I've tried on this side of the border). But we decided to try something new. We splurged a little, but it was delicious, and I dare say the best Italian food I've ever tried. So if you are in the Provo area, and want to eat something delicious, I would try Gloria's Little Italy. (Unless you're in the mood for something cheaper and more mexicany... then go to Diego's HANDS DOWN!)

A new blogger in town... keep your expectations low.

So I promised my little sister at the beginning of the week I would start a blog. James set up this blog during a class in the Winter semester. The two posts below were for that class. I decided to leave them because for now they are his contribution to the blog. I hope he will contribute more later.

I once was a faithful blogger. It lasted for 3 months when I was in Mexico doing interesting things everyday. I like to think my life is interesting now, but probably only to those foreign or unaware of practices that are common occurance to the ways we live. For example, I think the friends I made in my small Mexican village might find this blog fascinating where as the blog I was keeping during my time in Mexico might seem far to daily and very dull. Regardless, I have committed myself to one blog a week, and I am determined to see it through.

James commented that one good thing about starting a blog is that it will encourage us to take more pictures. We happen to be the two most pathetic picture takers I know. I picked up my camera blew off the dust and this was the last picture that was taken on it. This was on our honeymoon. That was nearly 2 months ago. This is why we pay photographers to take pictures at special events. I was grateful to my friend Elizabeth for taking pictures at our wedding otherwise if it were left up to James or me, it would not have been documented so well.

To catch anyone up that cares, I got married. It was a beautiful day, and everything turned out perfect. The flowers (thanks Traci and Elizabeth), the cookies (thanks mom), the food (thanks mom and DSC), and most of all all the people that showed up for the event. It was a blast to see everyone and have everyone gather around. I feel blessed and privileged to have such wonderful family and friends.

We had a wonderful time in Zion's and then a quick trip to Silver City, NM for Anna's graduation and then back to Provo to settle back into real life.

It took us nearly 3 weeks to get our one bedroom apartment in order, but now we love it and sometimes would just assume stay home as go out. James is back in school and I've been working full-time as an Employment Specialist for people with disabilities. That will only be my job title for one more day. As of Monday my new job title will be Transition Coordinator for special needs families and children. I will be working for a non-profit organization called Kids On The Move. I am very excited for the change. Everything is better about this new job compared to my old one. So I am very excited to say the least.