Thanksgiving

The Book of Mormon (Alma 26:37)
"We see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen. "


I know Heavenly Father loves all of us, knows each one of us, everywhere. He is our kind loving Heavenly Father. I am so thankful for this knowledge. I am thankful for His Son, Our Savior. I am so thankful for my good husband, and my good children, and my good grandchildren. We are so very blessed.

I'm Coming Home

I've been in St. George the past few days.
I'll post more about that next week. 

November's Passed..........or is it Past ??

2017 - The boys finally got their 2016 Christmas Gift DONE !!
A day on the river with 801 Fly Fishing aka Derick Roskelley
What a great day !!

2016 - Tenzin's fundraiser.
The community came together to support Zac and CJ.
A day we will never forget. 

2015 - Grandpa Ben meeting Hadli for the first and last time.
Sweet sweet memories. 

2014 - Working on the building at the Property

2013 - Landon and family are in the Philippines

2012 - The beginning of the end (of Hostess)
There's Rog......on the phone as usual........

2011 - Manda and Bren get married !!

2010 - Election night at the courthouse

2009 - Landon's returns from his mission

2008 - First Thanksgiving in Grandpa and Grandma D's new house

2007 - Building the Pavilion at the Property

2006 - Cousins
Man, wouldn't this be a fun picture to re-create?? 

2005 - Manda and Cam are home in Utah
Happy Days 

2004 - Family picture taken just before Grandpa and Grandma D leave on mission to Cambodia

2003 - Thanksgiving at Grandma Rich's
Look how skinny Landon still is, after his appendix ordeal. 

2002 - IN LOVE !!
And lucky too  - after the accident

2001 - Grandma Tonks and Kuk
This is the last Thanksgiving Grandma would be with us.
She died in June 2002

Throwback Thursday - another blast in the past from my journal

January 5, 1983

 I wonder how long it will take until I fill this (journal) book? It's already holding 1980, 1981, and 1982. It's been 3 months since I've written. We had a very nice Christmas. Amanda is now 3 months shy of 3 years old, and Zac is almost a year and a half. I quit Browning on October 31, 1982, and have tended a few kids since then.

 Rog and I had a talk the other night, and I'm gonna start taking some college courses next semester (Spring Quarter), Winter Quarter just started. Hopefully, someday I can become a nurse. That has been my dream ever since I had Ambure. She would have been 5 years old soon (March 8th, 1983) and should have started Kindergarten next year. It's hard to believe. We put a little Christmas tree up on her grave this year. Amanda and I decorated it ourselves. It was done with love.

Saturday we are going to look at some bunk beds for the kids. LuAnn's friend at work is selling them for $90.00, and they come with mattresses and all. They have the drawers underneath for storage also. Rog is over playing church ball now. We didn't go because his game was at 9:00 p.m. He also plays Recreation ball on Monday's, and he has been asked to play in the Alumni game next month. I got him some new shoes and shorts so he really looks spiffy.

 In November, Amanda's urine had traces of sugar. We got the last check of that today, and it was clear.

 January 9, 1983 Today I am 22 years old. It's hard believing that I've been married since I was 16. Our 6 year anniversary will be this July. In the Spring Quarter at Weber State College, I'm going to start taking some classes. I'm going to try and get my generals out of the way, and then when Zac and Amanda get in school, I'll go after my nursing degree.

 In 1987, Zac will be in Kindergarten, and Amanda in 2nd grade. So in 1988, they'll both be full-time in school. 5 years from September. That's a long time, but I'll keep this goal in mind.

 (I ended up taking classes Spring Quarter 1983, and then was all signed up for Fall Quarter, but couldn't go because we didn't have enough money for registration.)

It's coming along

Kitchen is all painted, just working on the tile.
Hopefully it will be all done by January 1st.
Still need cupboards hung/set/painted
Baseboards installed/painted
Appliances in.
Barn door to pantry hung/painted
Hall-way painted.
Bedroom painted
Furniture/boxes/etc. hauled UP or OUT
Freezer/treadmill/TV upstairs
and the list goes on............

Pumpkin Pie

Treyson wanted me to make a Pumpkin Pie like Grandma D.
She uses a big SQUASH, but I decided to actually try a pumpkin, so we used one that hadn't been cut up as a Jack-o-Lantern for Halloween.  I cut it in 4th's and scooped out all the junk, oiled the "meat", and put it in the oven to bake.

It took about 1 1/2 hours to bake at 350

I was surprised that the pulp was kind of stringy like a spaghetti squash !

Scraped the pulp out, and all was left was the skin.

Mashed it all up with a potato masher - it was still quite lumpy, but I thought it would cook to mush when I got ready to make the pies.

I divided them into 3 cups per bag.  Grandma D's recipe calls for 3 cups (and other ingredients) and will make 3 pies. I have enough to make 24 pies (8 bags).  I kept one bag in the fridge, and then froze the rest.

So this Sunday, Treyson who wanted the PIE so badly, didn't want to come and bake, but these two did !
I let them help, or I should say, they really did most of the work.  They are becoming quite the bakers !!

Cooked it up on the stove - still looking very lumpy

Made the pie crusts too !

Love it !!

They were pretty proud. 

We had enough crust left over after making three crusts, so we made CRUSTOS !!

Wow - looks pretty smooth to me.............

Thanks to this !!
I ended up PUREEING the HECK out of it, and it turned out smooth as silk

And VERY YUMMY too !
Unfortunately the filling was still pretty hot, and you have to wait for it to cool before putting in the pie shells, so they only went home with CRUSTOS on Sunday evening.  

The pies turned out WONDERFULLY, and SCRUMPTIOUS !!
Thanks Boys !!
I also ended up making little pie shells on the back of muffin tins, and filling them individually.  I took a couple to Mom and Dad, and a couple to my friend Phyllis at the Family Tree, and hope to give one to my ministering family tonight. 

Primary Program

These two did so well at their Primary Program yesterday.
At the first they all stood up around the outside aisles of the chapel, and held hands and sang a song, Holding Hands Around the World.  Click here to listen   It was so wonderful.
Then when each child gave their talk, the first thing they said was, "My name is ___________, and I am a Child of God"
It was powerful, and beautiful.

This is what Payson said.
He did so awesome, he read it entirely by himself, and didn't miss a word.  There was an older boy there, standing by each child, helping them with the words, basically reading a line (whispering in their ear), and then they repeated it.  When Payson got up there, he didn't even let the kid TRY to help him, he just spoke right up and read it like a PRO, seriously.
It was one of the best Primary Programs I've ever seen. 

Come From Away

Yesterday, Annette and I went to Salt Lake, to the Eccles Theater to see a play called, COME FROM AWAY.

It is the story of what happened in Gander Newfoundland on 9/11

38 planes were diverted to this small town with an airport..........increasing the population from 6,600 to 15,000 in ONE DAY.  The "Plane People" stayed there for 5 days, and the people of Gander took care of them, fed them, and loved them.

This musical/play was GREAT !!

Made you laugh - Made you cry

Made you believe in people BEING GOOD.

Check it out - here

Thanks to my good friend and co-worker, Matt, who provided the tickets while they were out of town and unable to attend.  

We PAINT !

We are slowly but surely getting the basement kitchen redone.
Paint was on the agenda today.......... It turned out GREAT !!
Hopefully start on tile this weekend........  Zac?  Zac buddy?  .....are you busy.....??

Flash back to the Past - November 1980 !!!

Taken from my Journal -

November 4, 1980

Well, Ronald Reagan will be our new President of the United States for the next 4 years.  Jimmy Carter lost really bad.  I voted today, and when I got in the booth  really felt special to think that my vote would really count.  I know you aren't supposed to tell anyone how you voted, but here's how I did.

Ronald Reagan - President of the United States

Scott Matheson - Governor of Utah

Jake Garn - Senator

Jim Hansen - Congressman

Don Turner - 4 year commissioner (Morgan County)

Frank Bohman 2 year commissioner (Morgan County)

Don Dinsdale (schoolboard)

Glen Brown - State representative #66 (district)

So far, Reagan, Matheson, and Garn have won for sure.  It's still to close to call between Jim Hansen and Gunn McKay. (Hansen won) Locally we won't know until tomorrow.  Today's Tuesday (Roger's day off). He came home last night at 10:30 p.m.,  and had to work today for 8 hours starting at 6:00 a.m.  Well I went up to Grandma Dickson's and he called me about 11:00 a.m. and said that they had asked him to drive to Idaho with Bob Wilson on a 16 hour drive.  So he didn't get to vote.  He'll probably get home about 3:00 a.m.  Mandy is all better now, and I'm so glad.  Tonight was our ward bazaar and election dinner.  I really don't think it was a very good turnout.  My Quiet Book was priced at $9.00 (WOW!)  Considering I only spent $3.00 in making it, I thought it was priced quite high.  Not very many things were sold.  I bought a little glass snowman for $4.00 and some baked goods for $1.00  I've been up to Grandma Dickson's today sewing on a dress for me and I'm going up tomorrow to finish it while Roger sleeps.  I heard tonight that Imperial Motel 400 is selling Color TV's for $100.00.  Joan & Chet got one, and I called down tonight and reserved us one, if we can come up with $100.00 by Thursday.  We are going down to Ogden Thursday to get my hair frosted and cut.  Linda also laid me away an electronic game for Roger for Christmas.  I'm still stuck at my weight between 125 and 130 pounds.  I sure wish I'd drop some more, but at least I'm still dieting and exercising.  The second weekend of deer hunting, Roger got a big 3 point, but he gave it to Buck. (Bruce's brother)  Mervyns had a sale on drapes and we went down and got a raincheck for some for our living room.  I'm really excited.  Next month we decided to get pregnant.  That will put me having a baby in the end of September, 1981. (Hello Zac !)  I'm not looking forward to going to work in January (work at IRS - data entry) .  The more I think about it, the more depressed I'll get.  Roger is really good with Mandy, but to think I'll not be with her from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. really bums me out.  I'm going to try to nurse her before I go at 6:00 a.m., and then Rog can feed her at 8:00 a.m. and at 12:00 noon  with maybe a bottle in between.  She might need a bottle in the afternoon, but I hope not.  Then I'll nurse her when I get home at 4:00 p.m., then feed her at 6:00 p.m., and before I get to bed at 9:00 p.m.  I'm glad I'll only be working for 6 months.  I hate our stupid car. (I think I'm referring to the orange/red maverick stick shift)  This Saturday we're going to Ogden and look at cars and see what one we want.