LINE UPON LINE

Recognizing God's Hands in Our Daily Blessings:

"In reality, there aren’t many things in a day that are totally without significance. Even the mundane and repetitious can be tiny but significant building blocks that in time establish the discipline and character and order needed to realize our plans and dreams. Therefore, as you ask in prayer for your daily bread, consider thoughtfully your needs—both what you may lack and what you must protect against. As you retire to bed, think about the successes and failures of the day and what will make the next day a little better. And thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day."

—D. Todd Christofferson

SOAPY SUMMER FUN

The kids found a pack of soap bars I had stashed away.  He grabbed Alyssa and they spent two hours first fighting over how many soap bars they each got, and then who had the best tools to carve, and then finally coming up with some fun lil’ soapy buddies!  They really did have a fun time doing this.  The soap they used is not what we bath with and was dirt cheap.  I’m gonna have to restock…cause this was a great boredom buster for them.

  

SOUTHERN STRAWBERRY COCONUT CAKE

I promised myself that if I was going to take time to pin so many recipes on Pinterest, that I was going to follow through with trying them.  The ones we really like, I will probably start posting on here to keep track and share a link to.  That means I’ll be trying to take photos of my food more often.  That’s a hard thing to do- I’m not in the business of trying to make them look all outstanding and everything, but it sure was fun for me to add a cute lil mint sprig from my new herb garden on top this delicious dessert.    And I think I did a pretty descent job makin’ swoopy waves of frosting fluff if I do say so myself. 

I found this one a while ago and finally got the itch to make it.  It was pretty yummy!  The Cream Cheese frosting is what sends it over the top!  I would definitely add extra strawberries to the cake batter next time, as well as top the frosting with coconut for even more flavor.  With it being such a rich cake, I will most likely bake cupcakes with this recipe, so that I can share them with our friendy friends!  Definitely worthy of a shower or ladies luncheon dessert.  If you’d like the recipe, you can click  HERE.

DARLEY REUNION 2012

Some of Grandpa John’s Sibling and posterity try to get together once a year with anyone who is around the area.  We usually go to Aunt Marilyn’s and it’s always fun for the kids to have water balloons launched into the yard at them.  Alyssa really gave Gramps a scare with one of the balloons.  Gramps…your expression is golden!       

2nd Generation pic of some cousins -Allen family

CARMELITA BARS

So, we made these Super Yummy Carmelita Bars last month, after one of our friends brought some to us a week before.  They were SOO GUUUD!  My neighbor said, in her cookbook they are called Carmel Bars for the Bishop.  I thought that was cute!  I also must confess that our friend actually brought a plate of bars over to Todd to say Thanks for watching their dog. She told the kids and I that we could each have  one or two but to make sure that we saved the rest for Todd.  WELL, that may or may not have happened.  OK, well, that did not happen.  In fact, he sold us out.  He told her he didn’t get any, after I specifically told him to say that the kids and I saved some of these to die for treats bars for him.  So, THAT’S why we had to make them on our own!  That, and we made them for our neighborhood walk and talk.  48 of them…gone in a second.  (OK, maybe not a second… )

FATHER’S DAY 2012

See that look below in the photo?  That’s called the “Really?” look.  As in ‘really?  you just said that?’ or Really?  you just did that, or asked that, or you believe that?’  The kids and I get that look quite often.  OK, maybe I get it a little more often than they do… but IT IS a look that is quintessentially “Todd.”  I saw the look after asking him a question a while ago and happened to have my camera in hand.  I lifted the camera up to snap a photo, (telling him why I was taking a photo), and thankfully he humored me enough (though not intentionally) by looking at me even more intently, and even said out loud what his face already had written… “Really?” 

SO, I am sharing this little snap of Todd for Father’s Day this year and saying to him (as I’m sure he’ll have that “really?” face staring at the computer when he reads this)  HAPPY FATHER’S DAY,  WE LOVE YOU…YES, REALLY!!

The kids loved making breakfast and giving royal treatment.  They both wrote homemade cards and vied for his attention.  Todd obliged, but also was able to sneak away a few times for some nice R&R. 

The past few years he has requested Flank Steak Pinwheels with spinach and gorgonzola for dinner.  We also made it special by adding some yummy melty cheese atop the steamed veggie plate.  The weather was so nice, we took a bike ride to see the new water fountain area near our home.

We love our Daddy very much and are soooo thankful for all he does for our lil’ family.  We wouldn’t trade him for the world!!  Nope…not even the stars in the sky! 

Todd and I are also very grateful for the Fathers and Grandfathers we have in ours and our kids lives.  We learn so much from them and the examples they set for us.  They each have many qualities which we aspire to incorporate in our own lives as well.  Two of which are helping hands and loving hearts.  Thanks for all you do and have done for us as well. 

   

DAILY GEMS

I subscribe to an email feed called daily gems, which is put out by the church. This is one that came through today. Usually they are snip its of talks or scriptures. I really like this one.

Waiting upon the Lord:

"Waiting upon the Lord gives us a priceless opportunity to discover that there are many who wait upon us. Our children wait upon us to show patience, love, and understanding toward them. Our parents wait upon us to show gratitude and compassion. Our brothers and sisters wait upon us to be tolerant, merciful, and forgiving. Our spouses wait upon us to love them as the Savior has loved each one of us."

—Robert D. Hales

YEE HAW!!

Here’s just a little peek  at one of our fun summer activities over the holidays.  Still pining after some down time to sort through pics of our recent activities to keep our online journey up to date sometime before the warm air fades. 

 

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Clearly, Our lil Rockstar has his lazy dog days of summer down, but we sure don't.  We've been runn'n a muck and busy as bees. The days are slipping away quickly in the blistering summer heat.  Between that and a bum computer, I've not been keeping up to date here on the blog.  Hoping to change yhat soon!