Fox Family Blog

Another Musician in the Family

2011-02-06T12:20:00.003-07:00

Jon Garry got a new sweet guitar for his birthday!

Sweet Home Alabama.

Welcome to the Hotel California.

Devil Went Down to Georgia.

Think he wants to go on vacation too?

Mallory & Her BFF

2011-01-15T22:02:00.002-07:00

The time has come, Chris left on his Mormon Mission this week. He'll be training/learning to speak Russian for the next 3 months, then off to

Vladivostok Region of Primorsky, Russia

My advice to Chris...bring a warm hat!

We'll miss this guy and look forward to his return.

Spring flowers on Michigan St

2009-06-15T11:55:00.001-06:00

Took these the day of the bike race. Thought the garden was coming along nicely.

See I have macro too Mal :)

This bush is absolutely loaded so I cut some for the living room.

Rhodies by the sun porch.

Cannot be a prettier flower but I might have had a better photo if I had my Granddaughter in it!

2009-06-15T11:47:00.000-06:00

Another view from the front of the house. The races went from 10 AM untill about 6 PM. It was kind of fun to watch, they really went fast!

2009-06-15T11:45:00.000-06:00

We had the "tour de Mt Pleasant this past weekend. There were hundreds of riders. One very spectacular crash on our corner late in the day. Thankfully onely one rider did not complete this race, he took the wheel off his bike and walked away.

Zoomed Petz

2009-05-23T16:54:00.006-06:00

I've just discovered the macro on my camera......

Eddy

Richard

Gary

Oooooodles of fun!

Prom '09

2009-05-14T14:21:00.005-06:00

It's fun taking photos of these teens... This is Prom night. (L to R) Michael, Hannah, Mallory and Chris.

And the token "look" pose

Michael and Hannah. Hannah wore her mom's prom dress. Love it!

Footwear

Michael getting his dance skills ready

Mallory's corsage

Pretty girlz

Mallory

And Hannah

Hannah's corsage...Macey's BEST. Love the dragonfly!

BFF's

How about that red hair?

My little Mal Pal is growing up!

Last Ski Day 2009

2009-04-21T07:10:00.005-06:00

Madison made her Confirmation!

2009-04-20T16:07:00.004-06:00

April Snow

2009-04-16T08:45:00.004-06:00

We woke up to a 5" blanket of snow this morning.

So Eddy and I headed out for some photos.

I love winter in Utah. There are mild days and cold days and snowy days like this.

Awwwwwwww!!!

With this much snow in the valley it can only mean one thing...super snow in the mountains. And that means great skiing this weekend!

A view to the north.

Even Gary went outside to check it out. He didn't like it so much.

I bet this will all be gone by this afternoon. Our temps were around 70 just last week.

I'm happy to see the snow make one last appearance before Spring.

La Paloma goes to dinner

2009-03-31T11:33:00.000-06:00

La Paloma goes to dinner.

2009-03-31T11:26:00.000-06:00

Mallory's Speech: The War in Iraq

2009-03-26T12:18:00.003-06:00

Mallory wrote and gave this speech today to her school. I thought it was great and thought you'd enjoy reading her point of view.

The War in Iraq
Mallory Straus B4

Good afternoon, my dear patriots.

Just this last week our country recognized its six-year anniversary of the Iraq War on March 20. Right now we have a total of 142,000 US troops over there fighting for national freedom. This fight is NOT without a cause.

For these past six years the media has attempted to convince us that it’s pointless for us to be in Iraq and that nothing is being accomplished. Their false opinions have poisoned the minds of millions of Americans and turned them against our president. Who here is sick to death of hearing people dis on Bush? I know I am! How many of you really know the reason for the start of this war?

Prior to the war, the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, and Spain claimed that Iraq’s possession of weapons of mass destruction posed an imminent threat to the securities of their countries and to their allies. Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror over the Iraqi people was growing stronger every day. They lived in a time of unrest. Hussein and Iraq were not only a danger to Iraq itself, but a grave potential threat to the United States and to peace and security in the Middle East region. Bush did what any concerned and intelligent president would do by sending our troops! We’re talking about weapons of mass destruction here, weapons that could wipe out entire cities of our friends and families here in America!

The military goals were to end the Hussein regime, eliminate weapons of mass destruction, distribute humanitarian aid, assist in creating a Democratic government as a model for other Middle East nations, and ultimately protect our great country from any future threats. In the words of George W. Bush, “We will meet our threat now with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of firefighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities”.

March 20, 2003 marked the initiation of Operation Iraqi Freedom. But not just the freedom of Iraq; the liberation from the threat to OUR freedom. On December 13, 2003, we succeeded in capturing Saddam Hussein, eliminating another dangerous menace threatening our country. My fellow citizens, the war has not been for nothing!

George Bush was courageous in protecting America from these omens by inducting the Iraq War. “The Iraqi war was necessary after years of failed diplomacy,” were the words of John McCain one year after the invasion of Iraq. President Bush set an example for any leader: look to the future, predict, and make sacrifices in order to preserve the peace and protection for the ones you watch over. Good Americans, I believe he did what any good president would do. This war was not just for the Middle East or the Iraqi people. It was for the protection of not only our foreign brethren. It was for the protection of America, and it was for YOU!

Ding & Dang Canyons: The San Rafael Swell 3/21/09

2009-03-23T14:19:00.010-06:00

Here is the whole group in Ding Canyon. (L-R) George Pierce (AKA Papa Georgio), Wyatt, Chris Busby, Mallory, Jon Garry and Jen.

We stopped at Goblin Valley to eat lunch before hitting the trail.

A perfect day for a hike, sunny and in the 60's.

George and Wyatt, best friends.

The approach to the canyons, a one mile hike through the desert in a dry wash.

Teen spirit and chaperone, Jon Garry.

More best friends, Chris and Mallory.

Mal got sand in her eyes from a gust of wind. Looks like they're feuding.

Ding Canyon was all about the ascent.

Jon Garry in the narrows.

At the top of Ding Canyon.

Now into Dang Canyon. Down-climbs the whole way.

Wyatt in a dry fall.

Checking out the different rocks is one of the neat part of these canyons.

Angry hikers!

Jon Garry shows his canyon skills.

We even used a rope at one point.

This hike takes about 3.5 - 4 hours. The total hike is around 6.5 miles including a 1 mile approach to the canyons. It's a 3 hour drive each way. The San Rafael Swell is located in lower to mid-central Utah.

Close Up Photo for Mom

2009-03-16T09:37:00.005-06:00

Does this photo work?
It's of Jon and me from skiing yesterday. :o)

Fitness Boot Camp

2009-03-11T11:35:00.003-06:00

I did it, I joined. It's the hardest work I've ever done. Super sweat!
The photo above is the work out studio where I go every MWF at 6am with about 11 others. The other days of the week we are doing cardio at home.

My trainer is awesome and his name is Mat. He writes a fitness blog and it's very good! Check it out, maybe you'll learn something new or be inspired.

I signed up for 12 weeks and am almost done with week #2.

More Ski Photos

2009-02-03T12:04:00.003-07:00

I think we've skied more this year than any other year. This day was a misty or foggy day up in the higher elevations. Maybe it was just low cloud cover? The precipitation totally iced over on the goggles.

GET THOSE SKIS OUTTA MY FACE!

My favorite mogul run.

A view from mid mountain.

I ski a lot with Wyatt because Mallory is teaching. This is Wyatt above shredding.

The views are magnificent.

We even see moose occasionally.

Silly Superbowl Sunday

2009-02-02T08:32:00.003-07:00

This is our friend Bill. Though we had enchiladas and salad and rocky road cake before the game we all grazed all game long.

We totally bought into the 3D glasses madness. There turned out to be only 2 ads that used them!!!!!!!!!

This is Bill and Alyce, me and Rita and Paul

Here's a shot of us before dinner

And another one. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Maddie's Spectacles

2009-01-30T14:55:00.003-07:00

Madison had to get glasses. She can see now!

Jeff's Change of Command

2009-01-24T03:31:00.003-07:00

Jeff took Command of the AVIM - Bravo Company, 412th Aviation Support Battalion Friday. The camera died about 1/3 of the way thru the ceromony but we did manage to get a few photos...

The passing of the Guidon from the old commander to the new commander.

Cake #1

Cake #2

A rare family Amos Shot

The real commander :)

Skiing the Alpspitz

2009-01-24T02:56:00.007-07:00

Familie Amos headed to Garmish over MLK weekend since we had a 4 day break to do some skiing. We stayed at the Armed Forces Resort - Edelweiss.

The view from our room balcony

The kids relaxing in front of the fireplace in the lobby.

A view of Garmisch from up on the ski hill.

We watched a helicopter land on the mountian and evac a hurt skier - you can see the yellow chopper in the back.This is about a 1/3 of the way down the mountian. (Beth you probably remember this lodge :)

Jeff looking good.

The standard chairlift photo.

We had 2 gorgeous skiing days.

The kids took lessons both days and did awesome!
Sophie in Pink.

Olivia is a natural.

Livvy and Wolf got to go up the gondola the second day and ski at a kids area but the mountian.

Me & My Peeps

2009-01-12T11:08:00.002-07:00

Antelope Island

2009-01-12T10:35:00.007-07:00

We drove to Antelope Island. It's located in the Great Salt Lake.

That's the island off in the distance.

This is the trail you take to the summit of the island.

We arrived as the sun was setting.

Views of the Great Salt Lake. Parts of it were frozen over.

That's Wyatt off in the distance. It's an easy walk up to the summit.

The lighting here is beautiful this time of day.

Chris, Mallory and Wyatt.

There is a buffalo heard on the island. They roam free.

Rockin the sunset.

The moon was huge. And full.

We have amazing sunsets in Utah.

The rest of our Mexico pics

2009-01-08T13:24:00.003-07:00

The pool where we spent much of our time. In the background is the sushi restaurant. We tried it be it wasn't our favorite food.

This is Dos Lunas (two moons) restaurant. We found it kinda late in the trip but it was definitely one of our favorites!

Dad doing puzzles at the pool. We sat here a lot cause it had trees so we had shade for part of the time.

I will leave you with a Mexican sunrise seen from our balcony :)

Christmas in Mexico

2009-01-08T10:29:00.002-07:00

We went to Mexico for Christmas this year. I wasn't quite as exciting as going from a cold climate to a warm one. We missed the family so probably won't do that again. This is a view from our room balcony.

Here is another view from our balcony. This is the version of a Mexican hot tub. You just add water (no Jets!) but we did use it every day.

Another view from the balcony. You are looking at the infinity pool deck and the hotel next door

This is a veiw of of course the beach, ocean and two other decks one with a bar/snack restaurant.

A shot of the bar/snack restaurant

Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

2009-01-05T11:18:00.005-07:00

She's Walkin', She's Talkin', She's ONE!

2008-12-27T07:42:00.012-07:00

We can't believe a year has gone by already! Chloe is walking and talking. We celebrated her birthday a couple days early. She loved the cake as you can see by the look on her face!

Our yard in 2008

2008-12-14T09:33:00.002-07:00

One of my favorite pots this year

A frog living in the "bird"house Sarah gave to me. Apparently it makes a good frog home too!

Here is another bird house with an unusual occupant. A gecko!

Our 50s christmas party in the Villages

2008-12-14T09:24:00.002-07:00

My good friend Alyce and I in our poodle skirts!

Alyce in the hoola hoop contest

Friends Ginny, Maggie and Alcye

Of course you recognize Dad and I as Lucy and Ricky

another view of our poodle skirts

Summer in Michigan with the grandchildren

2008-12-14T09:14:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

2008-10-31T12:48:00.003-06:00

50 Strange Buildings of the World

2008-10-25T10:31:00.004-06:00

I came across this site with these unusual homes. Check these out and more, there's a bunch of them on the site.

Mammy’s Cupboard (Natchez, MS, United States)

Erwin Wurm: House Attack (Viena, Austria)

Nautilus House (Mexico City, Mexico)

Fall Photoshoot

2008-10-20T08:34:00.002-06:00

School Picture Time

2008-10-14T16:55:00.003-06:00

Mallory, age 16
11th Grade

Wyatt, age 13
8th Grade
Note: Nice boogyman shirt for picture day, huh? Yeah, he took his school picture when Mallory and I were in South Africa.

South Africa Photos Finally Online!

2008-10-07T10:06:00.008-06:00

It took us a while, but the photos are up online at our new Shutterfly website. We've narrowed it down to around 400! Go check them out...

http://strausphotosite.shutterfly.com/

Here's just a few to wet your whistle...

This is us with Gary, Glenda's husband and Jenni Bowlin in Cape Town on the top of Table Mountain. That's the Atlantic ocean behind us. Gorgeous!

This is the largest bungee jumping bridge in the world. We actually saw a guy jump! This gorge lead out to the sea. That is the Indian ocean out on the left.

These two guys are Kyle and Stephan, sons of Glenda and Louise - the ladies who were in charge of the Scrapbooking convention . They helped us at the with the overhead projector and moving our laptop from classroom to classroom. They were a lot of fun!

Here we are with our game driver at Kichaka Lodge. (Thanks for the photo, Margie!) His name was Chikeri. I doubt I spelled that right. What a trip!

One of the Funniest Videos EVER...

2008-10-06T19:24:00.001-06:00

Another Video!

2008-10-01T09:35:00.004-06:00

Things are getting a little political around this Fox Blog. This is the second video that really struck me as remarkable. It's definitely worth watching and makes me proud to be a Catholic and an American.

Thanks for sending me the link mom!

For more info: www.catholicvote.com

MMMMmmmm...Soup!

2008-09-28T09:28:00.003-06:00

We're soup junkies over here in Utah. Now that things are cooling off for fall, soup making is in full swing in our kitchen. Yesterday I made up this recipe and it was a big success. It's quick to make, hearty, healthy and very delicious! Go ahead, make yourself a pot, you'll be glad you did.

Tortellini Spinach Soup
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups spinach, coarsley chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) canned diced tomatoes
1 cup diced artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 cups cheese tortellini (I used a small bag of frozen)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil in your favorite soup pot, add onion, red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until veggies are tender - about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add spinach, chicken broth, tomatoes and artichokes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Add tortellini, cook until heated. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve.

Vikings Vs. Cavemen

2008-09-26T20:46:00.008-06:00

My boy is really enjoying football. Just like his father, uncles and granddad, this is his sport.

A view of the field. There's no stadium or bleachers, but have you ever seen such great scenery surrounding a field?

There's Wyatt on the left.

The other team constantly double-teamed him. It takes at least two Cavemen to stop Wyatt, or at least slow him down.

A half-time break.

The coaches.

And Wyatt on the sidelines during an offensive play. He's just a little bigger than the other guys.

There he is in the center. Again, taking on two Cavemen.

There's Mallory and her friend Chris.

Here's a shot of our shoes.

More action - Wyatt is down in position, ready to block.

Even the Viking cheerleaders made an appearance.

Final score: Vikings - 7, Cavemen - 14

Teaching In South Africa

2008-09-26T17:16:00.003-06:00

It was a trip of a life time! Around The Block was invited to teach in South Africa at the Scrapbooking Convention. The first thing I must mention is how warm and classy the ladies (and men) of South Africa are! Teaching the classes was an absolute joy!

The ladies in our classes were so excited to use our clever ATB tools - and they just loved the Paper Taggers. Click on any of these photos to see them in full size.

Here are some more photos from our classes.

This was actually our smallest class at only 60 students (delegates)! The rest of the classes were over 100 - and one over 130!

This amazing lady was an assistant in one of the classes. She was so nice to give me her “real South African diamond” necklace after I complimented her on it! How generous and sweet!

Mallory, accompanied me on the trip and helped me in the classes. Here we are with more of the volunteer assistants - they were amazing help!

This photo includes me, Louise, Margie Aslett Romney (Making Memories) and Glenda. Louise and Glenda were our wonderful hosts. They are the brains behind the whole convention. They couldn’t have been more helpful, organized, generous and fun!!!

There were 7 other teachers at the event whom we had the pleasure of traveling with and getting to know. Margie Aslett Romney (Memory Makers), Stacey Julian, Kai Mei Smith (Font Werks, Canada), Celine Navarro (Designer, France), Rachael Schulz (Designer, Australia), Jenni Bowlin (Jenni Bowlin Designs) and Kelly White (My Minds Eye).

This is Rachael Schulz. We had to use microphones and projectors because the classes were so large. Rachael brought along her best friend Kim to help teach. Love those Aussie gals!

Here is Jenni Bowlin teaching her class.

Jenni’s project…gorgeous!

Here is Margie Aslett Romney teaching. During our break, Mallory and I sat in on one of Margie’s classes, what a blast! She is so much fun. And I swear she could be a stand-up comedian if she ever left scrapbooking and wanted a new job! Her class was all about using the many scraps every scrapbooker has on hand and can’t bear to throw away.

This is Celine’s class. Her scrapbooking style is amazing and she taught delegates how to use paint and textures in their designs. Celine is a mega-talent, and one to keep your eye on for trends.

I wish I had some photos of Kai Meh’s, Stacy’s and Kelly’s classes. We were so busy teaching that we couldn’t get over to their’s to take photos. We heard they were just awesome classes.

As guest teachers we were asked to judge a huge scrapbooking contest. Here are a few of the many gorgeous and beautifully designed projects. Judging was difficult! This is Kelly White trying to make up her mind…Love your red shoes Kelly!

Here are more entries behind Mallory. In front of Mallory is the winning entry for the 3D Paper Sculpture contest. Can you believe this whole thing is made of paper? It was gorgeous! We absolutely loved all of the entries, but this turtle really stole our hearts. It even had working lights inside.

We attended a Gala Crop Evening as well where Stacey Julian gave an amazing talk. Those photos to come…Also, we had a few days after all of the hard work of the classes to go on a safari! I’ll be posting those photos in the next few days.

A Must See Video

2008-09-23T07:34:00.002-06:00

My friend Crystal sent me this video, I thought it was great and absolutely worthy of a blog post. Be sure to watch through to the end...

South Africa Preview

2008-09-21T15:28:00.008-06:00

Mallory and I just returned from South Africa yesterday.

This is the group of amazing folks we travelled with - they were all so much fun!!! We really enjoyed everyone. Our hosts were terrific! They're in the back row, the guy in the white shirt - Gary and the lady in the red sweater - Glenda and Glenda's Aunt Val on the far right in the white top. People in our group were from all over the globe - the USA, Canada, Australia, France and South Africa.

Above is the group from Utah at the Awards Banquet. We had to speak in front of a crowd of 800 people. That's the largest I've ever spoken in front of, and yes, of course I tripped infront of everyone walking up to the stage! Just keeping it real...

We were invited to South Africa to teach scrapbooking classes at a scrapbooking convention. Here's a photo of the Scrapbooking page Mallory and I taught. The classes were so large (over 100) that I had to use a microphone and a projector.

Wow, what a trip.

Mallory said it was her favorite trip ever. Here she is in Kysna.

Some trips are just trips, this one was monumental, outstanding, extraordinary. We saw so much...Soweto, Johannesburg, a breath-taking Safari,

the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, countrysides, mountains, gorges, bungee jumping, wonderful people, breathtaking views, Garden Route drive,

Table Rock tram ride, fabulous food, Nelson Mandella and Desmund Tutu's homes, Regina Mundi Catholic Church, a Scrapbooking Store and much, much more.

These are just a few of our photos, we'll be posting more over the next week.

Yay! New Carpet

2008-09-08T11:59:00.002-06:00

Last Friday our new carpet was installed. We put all the furniture back and re-arranged it all. We also bought a new fancy Dyson vacuum to keep it all fresh. Looks like a new home!

Go Vikings!

2008-08-26T22:22:00.004-06:00

Tonight was Wyatt's first football game - the season opener!

Mallory and George sat with me on the sidelines to watch the game. Note phone in Mallory's hand. She sent over 12,000 text messages during the length of the game. Good thing we have an unlimited text plan.

There's Wyatt (No. 65) behind George. He's walking with his team to the sidelines for the start.

George brought along drawing materials as we had some time to wait before the game started.

Just before the game started I took this photo of Wyatt.

Some action shots.

Wyatt played defense the whole game, either nose tackle or defensive tackle. He had so much fun and stopped a lot of Cavemen from advancing.

These guys were hamming it up on the sidelines. They were Wyatt's cheering section.

Wyatt is down in the ready position.

Half time photo. He was walking by me quickly to join the coaches in a huddle.

There they go.

The Vikings didn't win. Cavemen: 14, Vikings: 0.
Maybe next time.

Next game: September 3 @ 5pm

The Boy Has Changed...

2008-08-20T09:41:00.007-06:00

It's hard to imagine he's only in 8th grade. He's taller than me already, I guess that's what happens when you keep feeding them.

We haven't called him by his nicknames in a long time. No more Whitey, Butchie-Wa-Wa or Boy Boy. Somehow they just don't fit so much anymore. Little Wyatt isn't so little now.

He is still interested in dinosaurs and drawing, but now football and weightlifting are a big part of his world.

Wyatt plays lineman. The first game of the season is August 26th and I can't wait. I was just corrected, Wyatt's position is left tackle.

The Many Faces of Eddy

2008-08-19T19:56:00.002-06:00

Another Redhead

2008-08-05T13:56:00.004-06:00

Meet Gary, our newest addition to the Straus clan!

Everyone say it at once..."AAAAaaawwwwwwwww!!!"

Redheads

2008-08-04T16:28:00.003-06:00

Once we made it to Fort Leavenworth, KS, we pushed on further to Michigan.

I had the special pleasure of riding with Sophie (and baby), Livvy, Eddy and Chili.

Are we there yet?

It was a 14.5 hour ride.

On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again...

Drive Across America

2008-08-04T16:14:00.006-06:00

America is vast.
We drove across the desert and the fruited plains. And then we drove further. Here are some shots from the road. Below, Wyoming HooDoos.

There were turbines all across Wyoming and Colorado.

Check out the clouds and a storm in the distance. This is somewhere in Wyoming.

We were approaching a storm. Note faint rainbow in the background.

Life is a highway, I want to ride it all night long.

Town mascot?

WELCOME GARY!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-04T09:43:00.003-06:00

Welcome new kitty Gary! This is Gary the morning he is moving to Utah. We sure did like Gary!! We know he will have a great life in Utah!!

Preparing for Jeff's Return

2008-08-04T09:22:00.006-06:00

Here are the kids painting some banners for the house to welcome dad home :)

Here are the completed banners put up on the house! Jeff loved them

Mmmm...Delicious!

2008-07-28T09:27:00.003-06:00

This morning we made Danish Pastry. It's fluffy and flaky and not too sweet. We put walnuts on top, but you can use your favorite nuts. Almonds are delish too.

Danish Pastry

Step 1
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
Cut butter into flour until butter is tiny sized. Then mix in 2 tbsp of water to make the dough come together.

Place on cookie sheets and form out into 2 long strips approx. 4.5 inches x 16 inches in size. The dough will be thin.

Step 2
1 cup water
1 stick butter
Place in saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat.

Add:
1 cup flour, mix until blended

Add:
2 capfulls (about 1 tsp.) pure almond extract, mix until blended

Add:
3 eggs - one at a time, mixing really well in between each egg. Be sure to beat in the eggs well, this makes the pastry fluffy.

Step 3
Bake at 350 40-45 minutes until browned.

Step 4
Mix powdered sugar (about 3/4 cup), milk (about 2 tsp) and a tiny bit of almond extract for a glaze. Drizzle glaze over pastries and then sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Enjoy!

Old Good Stuff

2008-07-08T07:29:00.005-06:00

Now that we're staying at Dad's and Mom's house in Mt. Pleasant, we're finding all kinds of artifacts from our childhood. These items warm our hearts.

Check out this old pot. It has seen many, many chili dinners, chicken and dumplings and soups.

Too bad there isn't something yum in there. Sarah thinks it could possibly be the oldest pot in the world.

I'm not sure the last time these were used, but I'm sure they were part of many delicious meals.

Bisquick muffin cutters, spatulas and ladles - all things no kitchen can be without.

And this gem, truly a kitchen classic.

Fun at the Fireworks

2008-07-05T05:13:00.014-06:00

We had a great time at the Mt. Pleasant Fireworks. We sat with the whole Arends family in the parking lot of their business right across from the casino where they lit them off this year.

Chloe enjoyed the small fireworks display in the parking lot, but fell asleep for the big show.

Here we are waiting for the big show to start.

Mal showed us "The Look." Uh, huh we're cool:)

Haley and Mallory both took a lot of great shots during the fireworks show.

Thirsty Cats

2008-07-02T04:44:00.003-06:00

Snickerdoodle prefers to just stick his head right in the cup!

Oh Chili!

2008-06-30T07:27:00.003-06:00

Chili likes to drink from a cup. And he's not picky, he doesn't mind whose cup it is. He just sticks his furry little paw in there and drinks to his heart content.

This is how he does it...

First he checks the area out to see if anyone is looking. Then slowly lowers his paw in.

And gets it wet, and licks.

And licks.

And licks.

Mmmm...delicious!

Then he goes for more.

And by this time, he doesn't care if anyone is looking. He's deep in thought and process.

Sometimes he realizes that he has water on his paw and flings it. It's great to get wet by that.

Hmmm...maybe I'm done.

Or not.

And it continues. And then I get a clean glass and fresh water. And try to hide it from him.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2008-06-29T15:22:00.005-06:00

Mallory tried her hand at cake yesterday. It turned out beautifully and tasted great!

Today I made my very first pineapple upside-down cake. It was so easy and it looked like it belonged in a cookbook! It was incredibly tasty, too! YUM!

Moped Time!

2008-06-27T18:32:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Uncle Bob brought over Granddad's old moped that he had been fixing (for three years). We put in some gas and fired it up!

It was so much fun!

Granddad observes. "Pull the clutch. Give it more gas."

Doesn't Uncle Paul look good? Today he got the other moped, Grandmother's, up and running and we got licenses for it. Then we took rides all day.

There I go! Yahoo!!

Mmmmm, Salty!

2008-06-22T22:33:00.007-06:00

We took a drive to the west desert today.

Can you guess where we went?

The ground, up close.

You can see for miles. It's flat, just like the name.

Hey everybody! Get 'yer guns - let's go shoot up a sign! Wooo hooo! Yee haw!

We may or may have not done a land speed test to determine whether or not the car can go 116mph.

The thinker.

The poser.

The walker.

The jumper.

The __________. (Fill it in yourself.)

Would you like some for your food?
There is a Morton's salt factory on the way to the salt flats.

We had the whole place to ourselves.

Chain Reaction

2008-06-22T17:37:00.003-06:00

Haley had a fun idea to set up a chain reaction today. The Goal: To get the rubber ducky in the tub. It was a success (after several tries)!

The Cutest Photo Ever?

2008-06-21T06:55:00.003-06:00

Have you ever seen anything cuter than a kitty sniffing a flower? Ok, maybe a kitty and a dolphin looking at each other might be cuter. But I'm not sure.

Remember this Peony? I had big hopes and it didn't let me down.

Check this out!

And once again, because of the cuteness - is it killing you yet?

Counting the Days

2008-06-20T07:36:00.006-06:00

My family's age, in days...
Eddy is 1161 days old today.
Chili is 3734 days old today. (More or less, we don't know his exact Bday)
Wyatt is 4940 days old today.
Mallory is 5932 days old today.
Jen is 14,897 days old today.

How many days old are you?

Today, June 20, is Tony's Birthday! Wyatt and I are going to celebrate with a little birthday cake. You should have some too - Tony would want you to! :o)

Cascade Springs - Alpine Loop Drive

2008-06-19T08:01:00.009-06:00

Here's some more photos of our drive. So the view above is what the mouth of the canyon looks like. This is about 10 minutes from our house.

Once in the canyon, you drive up - up - up, then cross a summit and go down, past Sundance Resort and come out through Provo Canyon. The tallest peak with snow in the upper right is Mt. Timpanogos, the peak you can see from our back yard and the tallest in the Wasatch Range. The Wasatch Mountains are considered part of the Rocky Mountain Range - the furthest west line.

See Eddy smile. Car rides and mountains are on his top 5 favorites list.

See Wyatt smile. Car rides and mountains might be on his top 5 favorites list. Maybe I'll ask him about that.

There is a place up there called Aspen Grove. Gorgeous.

Wyatt was taking these photos as I was driving.

We are in the 5000 - 10,000 range for elevation through out the drive. I painted a picture of a view in this area a few years ago.

I was more artsy a few years ago. I would like to start painting again. Maybe I will.

In a little valley area there is this nature reserve called Cascade Springs. Everything is green and the air is so fresh.

Here is the color version of that photo that made you cold. Sorry about that, Mom.

You have to watch out for Stinging Nettle.

And running sasquatches...

And boys carrying 75 pound dogs.

Why is this funny?

Mountain Drive

2008-06-18T09:09:00.004-06:00

Last night Wyatt and I went on a drive through American Fork Canyon. It felt good to get out of the house and breathe fresh air. We stopped and went for a walk at Cascade Springs. I'll post more photos later today.

I have no idea why this text is underlined.

Learn Stuff About Lymphoma

2008-06-17T18:17:00.003-06:00

I found this site helpful. Here is another one.

This one is from Sarah.

I just found this site about chemotherapy.

Positive thoughts for Paul!

Happy Father's day!

2008-06-17T16:40:00.004-06:00

Grandad had to work hard on his day. He weedwhacked, mowed the lawn, fixed Grandmother's fish pump (damaged by the fallen tree :) ), and then he took a rest. There he is on his well-deserved break. He did not want us to take, or post, this picture.

Here's the finished conservatory. Grandmother's hard work really paid off!

Grandmother finished all her pots on Sunday. We would like to enter what seems to be the blog "Pretty Pots" competition. Grandmother says she should win because she has the pretty granddaughter in hers!

How about this fuschia?

Back door display. Stay tuned!

Happy 233rd Birthday Army

2008-06-15T12:15:00.006-06:00

Last night I was an honored guest at the AUSA (Association of the United States Army) Army Ball. General Shinseki was the guest speaker along with a lot of top army brass from the area. They invited all the spouses of deployed soliders to attend free and also the soldiers that are in the wounded warrior program here. I was really blown away at the fuss they made over us. The called our names along with our spouses names and where they were serving and then presented all of us with flowers and a gift bag which included a free nights stay at a local Kansas city Hotel when our husband gets back. (I got the Aladdin Boutique hotel) http://www.hialaddin.com/site.htm. It was a really fun night away. This is the group of ladies that I came with.

Your Giggle For The Day!

2008-06-14T14:14:00.003-06:00

DEE-LISH

2008-06-10T14:53:00.005-06:00

Today Wyatt made me lunch. I want Wyatt to make me lunch everyday. This is possibly the best sandwich I have ever eaten. Note to Wyatt: Please pursue culinary school. You're an amazing chef. Thanks. Love, Mom

Baguette Sub
1 French Baguette, cut in half lengthwise
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp. pesto
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup drained artichoke hearts, chopped
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped (can substitute 1 cup thawed frozen spinach squeezed dry)
1 cup chopped pepperoni

Cut baguette in half and remove soft inside if desired. Mix cream cheese and pesto; spread onto insides of bread. Mix together remaining ingredients and spread on bottom half of baguette. Put on top of bread and wrap in foil. Can refrigerate for a couple of hours and serve cold or put into 350 degree oven for 25 minutes and serve hot. (We ate ours hot.)

P.S. Wyatt got this recipe from his Grandmother ML. She taught him to make the sandwich on her last visit to our home in Utah. Note to Mom: Please keep teaching my children delicious recipes like this! Thanks. Love, Jen

Swinging Baby

2008-06-08T22:31:00.003-06:00

Today Maddy and I took Chloe to the park for her first experience on the swing - so much fun!

Too much excitement for one day!

Miscellaneous from Michigan

2008-06-08T15:28:00.004-06:00

We worked on the house and in the gardens all day! Mallory trimmed the lilac bushes and Grandmother painted the conservatory. Granddad powerwashed the patio (it had already been done three days ago.....). Don't worry! He also put the windows on the conservatory and mowed the lawn.

What did YOU do today??

We had a HUGE storm today at 3:00 pm. One minute it was dry and the next it was pouring rain! The wind took down 2 maple trees next door. It barely missed our house!

The tree fell in the pond!

It also buried our fence.

Here is a view of the huge tree from the kitchen window. Quite the excitement!

On a happier note, here is a cute picture of Maddie/y with baby Chloe!

The girls are wearing their new Chinky jammies here! Thanks Aunt Jenny!

Grandmother looks so glamorous slicing onions!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chuck Norris: An American Hero

2008-06-07T19:04:00.016-06:00

Chuck Norris has gained recent fame in our household. Wyatt really really looks up to the guy. If I had to choose a role model for my boy, it would probably be Chuck. (And his Grandfather, or John Wayne). It has become an evening event to watch episodes of Walker Texas Ranger that Wyatt has recorded daily on the DVR. Can you believe it's the Hallmark Channel that is re-running the episodes?

How can a person not love the theme song? Maybe it is one of the best ever written. (Well, except for Land of the Lost, which happens to be one of my childhood favorites. I still don't know why Steve thought it was stupid.) ~ Sigh ~

See for yourself.

Here's the words so you can sing along:
In the eyes of a ranger,
The unsuspecting stranger
Had better know the truth of wrong from right.
Cause the eyes of a ranger are upon you,
Any wrong you do he's gonna see,
When you're in Texas look behind you,
Cause that's where the rangers are gonna be.

We also laugh at Chuck Norris jokes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoloy card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO.

When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.

When Chuck Norris goes to donate blood -- he declines the syringe, and instead requests a hand gun and a bucket.

Chuck Norris uses pepperspray as eye drops.

Chuck Norris drinks napalm to quell his heartburn.

Chuck Norris doesn't go on the Internet, he has every Internet site stored in his memory. And he refreshes web pages by blinking.

And then there's the Chuck Norris Action Jeans. He's a true American Hero, it cannot be denied.

Enough said.

Fishing Trip in Canada

2008-05-30T20:38:00.013-06:00

Grandad and I went on a trip to Canada with a couple of his friends, Dennis, Ben and Ben's son, Alex. Here are a couple of pictures from the trip...Thats one big fish! Its called a Pike. They always bite off your lines and are really slimy.

Todays catch: Six Walleye, one Pike. Thats all we kept, though. We caught anywhere from fourty to fifty fish every day.

This is our cabin, a lot more roomy than I expected.
It was so beautiful there, especially in the mornings and in the evenings.

Thats Ben, who just pulled up a big Pike, which shortly after bit off his hook. Don't mind the finger in the corner.

Thats our plane, the Beaver.
Dennis sat at the back of the boat and drove me and Grandad around the lake. Once again, sorry about the finger.
It was so peaceful there, too.

That's one huge Walleye!
Above, Grandad, cleaning the fish after a good day of fishing.

Thats the end of our trip, and it was the best trip ever! Thank you so much Grandad, I hope I can go again!

Trip To The Orient

2008-05-29T09:04:00.005-06:00

I have posted a bunch of photos from my trip to the Orient on the Around The Block Blog. You can view them by clicking here:

Hong Kong

Taiwan Photos

More Hong Kong Photos

Guangzhou, China Photos

Hong Kong Street Market Photos

Mallory's Spring Orchestra Concert

2008-05-28T10:27:00.010-06:00

Wow! I can't believe the progress. Mal's orchestra sounds so great - there was a lot of improvement over the year. Mal was invited to join the Chamber Orchestra next Fall- that is a big honor!

Here she is after the performance and a photo with her teacher, Mr. Beck. By the way, Mr. Beck is also Wyatt's orchestra teacher.

Below are a couple snippets of one of the pieces they played. Can you guess what song it is?

Henry Doorly Zoo

2008-05-28T09:40:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we went to the Henry Doorley Zoo in Omaha - it was a great zoo with lots of fantastic animals. The kids had a ball.

Flower Sharing

2008-05-28T09:29:00.005-06:00

After looking at that awesome bleeding heart, Jen inspired me to take some photos to share of my work thus far. Don't you just love daisies - they are my favorite!!

Here are my day lillies that I planted last year just now starting to bloom!

Wyatt's Spring Orchestra Concert

2008-05-22T10:27:00.001-06:00

Here's a couple photos from the event:

Where I've Been

2008-05-22T10:04:00.004-06:00

I found this neat website that creates a map of places you've been, where you've lived and places you want to visit.

Here's my map:

Visit this website to create your own. We'd love to see yours!

Cheapest Gas Price

2008-05-21T08:04:00.003-06:00

Just click on this link and type in your zip code to find the least expensive gas near you.

You can also see what everyone else around the US is paying for gas. Alaska is over $4!

Mal Wants To Win!

2008-05-16T18:06:00.006-06:00

Be Still My Bleeding Heart

2008-05-14T09:36:00.010-06:00

I'd like to fancy myself a gardener.

You know, like my knowledgeable and skillful Garden Clubber mom, Mary Lou.

I have this Bleeding Heart plant that I planted about 5 years ago on the corner of the house. Every year it gets larger and produces more and more flowers. This year it's bigger than ever.

Don't you love the flowers?

And it seems to look even more wonderful when a cute doggie sits by it.

(High voice) "Hi Eddy Mateo! Do you love the Bleeding Heart? Oh boy! Sure you do! It's your favorite!"

Look how well this Peony is doing this Spring. It was planted the same time as the Bleeding Heart. I'm expecting big things from this one.

And this sweet little corner of the property, we refer to it as The Ghetto. Try not to stare at the two dead trees or all of the weeds, or the dirt pile behind the dead trees, or the neighbors camouflaged tarp covered dog pen. You can hardly see it.

Looks like I have some work to do.

Instead, let's look at this. AAAaaaawwwww!

Treadmill Challenge

2008-05-13T22:33:00.006-06:00

Who is this old guy?

13 looking like 23.
What in the world? Where in the heck did my little Wyatt go? Dog-gone-it, he done growed up!

In an effort to tone up a bit, this month we are having a contest to see who goes the most minutes. The rules are simple - a minimum of 15 minutes a day. Outside running or walking counts too. Double minutes for walking/running with Eddy.

Run, Wyatt, Run!
(Name that movie line, insert another name instead of Wyatt.)

Wyatt designed a logo and Mallory designed an exercise log. We are keeping track officially. The winner gets an iPod!

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-11T11:34:00.005-06:00

From Chili

Moonlight Dance

2008-05-06T19:27:00.005-06:00

Haley had a piece of art chosen to be in the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools art fair. The art fair was held at the CMU Art Gallery. She titled her picture, Moonlight Dance.

Mallory Went To The Prom

2008-05-04T10:26:00.002-06:00

This is her date, Amon.

Spring Break @ Disneyland

2008-04-21T19:46:00.017-06:00

We started off the trip with a pic with Goofy at the park entrance.

Wyatt got a new hat for the trip.

And yes, he wore it every day. Because he could. It was a hair-gel free trip. Boom chicka waa wah!

We rode the hotel shuttle to and from the park every day. It was delightful. See, you can tell from our happy smiles.
It's magical.

It's the happiest place on earth!

Below, Mom's favorite ride, Tower of Terror, oops, I mean, Peter Pan. She can fly. Wait, what am I saying, this isn't Peter Pan, it's the Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs ride. Looks like Mallory likes it too. I think I'm all messed up from that tea cup.

We waited in line a lot. This is the Jungle cruise queue.

And on the ride..."Watch out! That rhino gets his point across every time!"

Because everyone needs a photo of the castle. The cherry tree was in full bloom, and so were the crowds. But not too much. We can't complain, no way, we had them fancy FassPasses.

Wyatt wins the horse race. My sweet little Wyatt.

Bonus for us, our friends The McClains, were at the park too! This shot is in the Thunder Mountain Railroad line.

That's a lot of teen spirit.

I got a new hat too. The kids didn't like it. "It's not your style mom, sheesh, camo and distressed and a skull!" Get over it yee putrid varmits! It's a pirate hat!

Can you guess where they are now? Mom says, "That photo is really DARK of Wyatt." I'm sure she was thinking, "Gee, Jen, how about a better photo?" Sorry to disappoint, this was the best shot, and I even color corrected it. (Skills!)

It was taken in the Nemo Submarine ride. Hey it's dark down there you know. And no, the Nemo ride wasn't worth waiting 50 minutes in line for. Ooops, did I type that? Yeah, I pretty much agree with my BFF Stacey, she says, "Not worth more than a 20 minute wait." Of course, none of our spawn agree.

Ok, imagine this...you're waiting in line for the Matterhorn at about 9pm on a Thursday in April and you turn around and there's a guy reading the bible! Kripes, that's dedication to the Lord! I think maybe he was saying some last prayers. He is REALLY scared of the Yetti that lurks within. (Note: Mal kept telling Wyatt to smile really big so we could get the shot. Wyatt really wasn't that happy - it's a fake smile.)

I thought you might benefit from seeing "the new look". This new look trend is made popular by teens across America. Even ones in Utah. Even mine. Hey, Mister, give me that bible!

We made our way over to California Adventure. It's right across the walkway.

My little sweet innocent children. What-everz.

We only watched one parade the whole trip. (We were trying to cut back.) These floats were so neat from the Pixar Parade in California Adventure.

And we ate well on the trip. Mmmmm...cake and ice cream.

California Adventure was sponsoring a Food & Wine festival. Mom and I went to some cooking demonstrations.

What is she eating?

How about a closer look of chipolte brown sugar glazed salmon with roasted corn and black bean relish and avocado tomatillo sauce. What? You say you want the recipe? Mmmmmm...Delicious! Come to my house in Utah and we shall feast!

This is Chef Mark, the genius behind the Salmon. I color corrected this photo to a vintage sepia tone just because I liked it. I know what you're thinking.

How about this for a parting photo?

What is your favorite Disneyland/California Adventure ride?
Hurry tell us now!

View this quiz on Quibblo
More quizzes on Quibblo

Googly Eyes Gardner

2008-04-10T10:55:00.000-06:00

It's worth the wait of the download!

SNL - Funny as Ever

2008-04-08T21:58:00.004-06:00

I can remember watching Saturday Night Live for the first time as a babysitter in the late 1970's. Some of the first actors I remember were Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Jim Belushi. I never did understand those cone-heads. In the 1980's and 1990's I really enjoyed David Spade, Chris Farley and Adam Sandler. Now my favorites are Kristin Wiig, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.

Sorry about the annoying commercial you have to watch first. I hope you enjoy this skit as much as I do featuring Kristen Wiig.

No More Braces

2008-04-05T14:43:00.005-06:00

Raclette grillin' with the Euler's and McKenna

2008-03-27T08:39:00.002-06:00

Easter Skiing in Utah

2008-03-23T20:33:00.013-06:00

Today was probably our best ski day this year. Great weather - nice and sunny and no wind. And the temps were over 20 degrees! (That's usually how cold it is up there.) Today was around 35.

There was hardly anyone at the mountain - I think most folks want to be home on Easter. Not us! This meant more of the mountain for us!

Here we all are on the lift up. This was our first run. Take a good look at Mallory's braces (green rubber bands this month for St. Pat's day) she get's them off April 2!

A little different perspective for you...our skis looking down at the fresh corduroy. Ahhh...freshly groomed slopes just waiting for our tracks.

This is our shadow. Oh sunny day!

Even the Easter Bunny was out on the mountain.

Mal just checked in with her boss. We are waiting to hear which hours she is teaching today. Maybe these guys are tired of me taking photos? Oh get over yourselves you ornery teenagers.

Ok, happy again. Mal can ski all morning with us. She works in the afternoon.

Another one, got to catch them smiling when I can!

At the top of the mountain at the saddle. Overlooking Heber Valley.

Jen was here (too).

And a closer view because we love it so much. Down in there is one of the venues for the winter 2002 Olympics where the cross-country skiing events took place.

We're having some crazy fun here. Or maybe not so much, but we look kind of goofy. Ok, maybe Mal looks like a rad shredder and I just look um...slanted and my ski is lifted?

Ok, here's a nice one for mom. Oh, maybe mom likes the crazy one?

Wyatt skiied his first black diamond runs today! I told him he might as well try - he's wearing a helmet and plus- you're good enough, kid! We call them blades instead of black diamonds. We learned that is the "cool" lingo today.

Check out that scenery. Every view is amazing. Off to the blade, Wyatt!

This view is from the westernmost chairlift on the mountain. The mountain centered in the photo is Mt. Timponogos. This is the backside of the mountain as we know it. The front side is mountain we see from our back yard at home!

Brighton ski resort closes April 20 this year. We hope to make it back out again before the season ends, but we're not sure if we can because we have so much going on this spring. We personally invite all of you to come visit next year and ski with us. It really is the best snow on earth and the mountain is amazing!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T14:10:00.009-06:00

Chloe was baptised today. Here are pictures of her in the beautiful gown. Hope you all have a Happy Easter!

Chloe's 3 Month Pictures

2008-03-22T17:08:00.014-06:00

Chloe had her 3 month pictures taken today at Sears. You can check out the portraits online to see all of the poses. They are pretty cute. The last two poses are our favorites. After the pictures are processed we will be sure to mail you all her picture.

To view them:
Go to www.searsportrait.com and click View My Pictures. You can log in with my email and password by clicking on Already a Member?. Email - foxgirls@charter.net - Password - chloepics

Winter In Michigan

2008-03-15T17:38:00.004-06:00

Our good friends Tom & Sue who live in Michigan sent us the very cool photo. Tom says, "Most of us Michiganders knew we had snow in Feb, but you may not have seen it from space." We thought you'd enjoy the view. Thanks Tom and Sue!

Haley in the News

2008-03-11T10:17:00.003-06:00

Haley is on the 3rd grade Student Council at Vowles. They made the Morning Sun. Haley was excited to see herself in the newspaper!

Ski Day with Kurt

2008-03-04T19:11:00.010-07:00

Kurt came to Salt Lake for a conference. He lives in Seattle now and works at expedia.com. He came a couple days early to ski with us. It was just like old times - only better!

Here we are on the lift.

Our first run of the day, this is how the day started out...

Another run and Mal rode behind us on the chair. Who is that guy?

After lunch, Mal left us to go teach. She has a job at the ski resort as a Peer Ski Instructor. She assists the Ski Instructors with the little ones. She loves her job!

We headed over to the Great Western slopes. Surprisingly there was a lot of ice on the cat track down to the run. It was in the high teens, pretty sunny and windy. Neck gators and goggles were a must!

There was a guy behind a sign that said "Action Photos" on this run. We could see him from the chairlift as we were going up the mountain. We couldn't find him anywhere when we got to where he was so we took our own pictures.

That's Kurt looking king-ish and Wyatt is that little speck near Kurt's knee.

Wyatt caught up, now who's king-ish? More like giant-ish from this perspective.

And Jen taking a rest - our thighs were burning on these last few runs!

We decided to go take a break and warm up. Here's all of our skiis taking a rest too.

Kurt gives the evil eye.

Wyatt gives the stink eye.

One last look at a video from the day of Wyatt showing off his skills.

Wyatt Made a Pizza - Elf Size

2008-02-24T19:34:00.004-07:00

It was for his math class. He made it using Fimo clay and the box is made of chipboard. The assignment taught him scale and percentages. This is 1/7th the size of a 16" pizza.

Monitor- cleaner

2008-02-18T17:48:00.005-07:00

Can't get the inside of your monitor clean? Click here for a good scrubbin'!

Smiley Baby

2008-02-15T15:33:00.002-07:00

Chloe started smiling!