I'm Grateful

I'm grateful for many things but today I am grateful for the outdoors, nature, new growth....We went up Big Cottonwood Canyon and found a nice little trail. As we got further along the trail and the trees became more dense it was as if the trees were glowing at the tips. All of the new growth was beautiful! I am amazed at all of the beauty that surrounds us here. We go up to the mountains quite often but I have never felt as awestruck as I had this time around. When we take our short drive up to any one of the canyons and get up on the trails it feels as if we are the only ones there. And to be surrounded by all of HIS creations and to take it all in is a blessing in its self. Heavenly Father has got some real special talents in keeping everything so beautiful.

How Could You Not....

....love a face like this? This is Zachary's " OK MOM!!!! I'm done playing and want to go home" face.

PS.....

...a BIG SHOUT OUT to my cousin, Janette and her family! Janette, Scott, Emily and Curtis.... THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us stay with you guys. It was great to get to spend so much time with you all. We appreciated the love and hospitality. Curtis and Emily, thank you for playing with Zachary as much as you did. He loved all of the attention you gave him. I know that he misses you and the cats! =) Much love to you all!

Family Fun in Ohio

We spent the last several days in the great state of Ohio. My cousin, Tara, got married and we made it into a mini family reuinion.

The last time I was in Ohio was when my other cousin, Janette, was married which was about eleven or twelve years ago. So it was nice to go back again and spend some time with family. We ended up catching the same connecting flight in Chicago with my parents,
Kameron and Montana. Zachary was a champ on the flights on the way there and on the way home as well. He especially loved the cheetos that Montana was sharing with him on the plane.

Joe was able to get some time away from the restaurant and came with us. He finally got to meet my extended family out there. We spent the majority of the trip helping prepare for the wedding and then just relaxing and hanging out with family. We stayed with my cousin, Janette, and her family. They live in a little town with one stoplight and a volunteer fire department. In fact, my aunt and uncle live just a few buildings away from the fire department so we got to see everyone coming into town a couple of times to jump into the fire truck and take off.

The wedding was really nice and not even the thunderstorms could put a damper on it. Kameron was in the wedding party and looked gorgeous in her dress. My dad was even able to see a few of his cousins that he has not seen in quite some time. And I was able to get some great information for family history. Yipee!!!

All in all it was a fun time...now back to reality.

Check out this site...

Thanks to Tiffany for recommending this new blog called Safely Gathered In. We all know that it is a commandment to be prepared. In fact that seems to be a theme in our Stake this year. I'm always trying to find ways to improve our food storage and emergency preparedness and this website is awesome! Check it out I know that you will agree!

Friday Night Fun

If you live in the Salt Lake area I totally recommend that you check out Friday Night Flicks. Joe actually had Friday night off and we went to see Goonies! For anyone that knows me they know that Goonies is by far my favorite movie. I remember my parents had taped it off of HBO when my sister and I were younger. We watched that movie so much that the sound went out right on the part where the Fertelli's are putting Chunk's hand in the blender and would come back on about 5 min later. Anyhow, Salt Lake City is showing a different free movie in a different park every Friday night. I think that it is a great idea that is lots of fun!

A Little Tribute...

It is coming up on almost two years since Joe's dad passed away. I know that Joe misses him terribly. We often sit and talk about him and memories that Joe has of him while growing up. In my eyes he was a spiritual giant and a genius. Joe was recently interviewed by the Deseret News on an article that they were doing about fathers in the kitchen. They interviewed several local chefs. Here is what Joe had to say:

"Going on my first backpacking trip as a Boy Scout, my dad was our Scoutmaster and wanted to instill a sense of independence. We were responsible for planning our own menus, obtaining the food and cooking it with the equipment we provided for ourselves. As a patrol, we decided we would do pigs in a blanket over an open fire, because we didn't want to carry a backpacking stove.
"After about an hour we finally got the fire to where we wanted it (way too big). Impaling a hot dog on a stick, we wrapped the dough around it and held it over the flames. It ignited immediately, charring the outside and leaving the wiener cold. We ate it anyway. The second attempts were about as successful.
"Then we noticed my dad and the other leader eating a feast: homemade beef stew, French bread baked in a cast-iron frying pan and peach cobbler. I don't know if it was then or after we had eaten their leftovers and were washing their dishes for payment that I decided I was going to learn how to cook and cook well.
"The next trip was a well-thought out and executed meal. Within a year my troop was feeding our leftovers to other boys and getting our dishes done as payment.
"My dad's voice is still in my head: 'Don't sleep where the worms sleep and never, never eat what the worms eat.' His passion for good food and a perfect French omelet definitely headed me in to a culinary career. Cooking for him was one of my greatest joys." — Joseph Davis, executive chef, Baxter's American Restaurant

Stresssssssssss.....

Lately, I have found myself stressing over way too many things and letting more than one "issue" affect my mood and my entire day. Without being specific about these so called "issues" I taken some time to sit back and reflect. I have found that there is nothing more important to me than my little family and the Gospel. I may not be the perfect wife, mom, sibling, daughter of my earthly parents, and daughter of my Father in Heaven....but I try. Life certainly is not easy. I wish for the easy stuff to happen but it is far better for us to have the trials and find things out the hard way then to just have things handed to us. I need to be grateful for all of the many blessings that I have and not focus on the blessings that I might not have at this time. I'm grateful to be a wife to the most incredible husband. I am amazed at how Heavenly Father is able to match the right souls together at just the right moment in time. I am grateful to be a mother to my little prince Zachary. I must be doing something right as I still get hugs and big smiles each and everyday...they seem to be endless. I am grateful to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I know that I can turn to the scriptures and my Father in Heaven and find the comfort that I need at that specific time. And right now those are the only blessings to me that matter! But I'm certain that I am going to be grateful for chocolate in just a few minutes. =)