Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving feast!

James was excited to have mom and dad home ALL DAY- and even though it rained all morning long, we still had a good time at home- mainly cooking!!! Well, mainly MOMMY cooking...

Here is our thanksgiving feast. Duck (see pics), mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, Jaquays, gravy, martinelli's- it all made for a delicious (and FILLING) dinner. We are truly thankful! In Primary, one of our teachers mentioned that her family does the thankful ABC's WHILE everyone is eating dinner! We thought that was a pretty good idea so we did it too! it took a lot of thought- especially Q, X, U- but it was fun and really made us think of what we are thankful for besides food.
Picture of the duck after glazing.
The duck right out of the oven! It was delicious! Duck is a very flavorful meat and we don't have a month's worth of leftovers hanging out in our fridge- very good! We truly enjoyed the day and have much to be thankful for!

Stockings!!

Here is is folks! The first of six stockings has been completed! I'm REALLY proud of this particular accomplishment because the pattern stocking and my stocking look so similar! And I did it all by myself! I am very happy with how well the stocking looks- so, pardon my tooting my own horn for a bit. :)

Primary Children's Hospital


Zoe Stweart
Mikey Taylor
Matty Taylor
Lucy LeBohec
Emmaline Huntzinger
On November 20th I took some of my piano students to Primary Children's Hospital for a small service project. It was only an hour long but the kids really enjoyed it. We played the piano for anyone who wanted to listen. I tried to warn them that this was really going to be more like playing a Nordstrom- where people listen while they do other things- than like a recital- where you have a captive audience who MUST clap for you no matter what! Here are some pictures of my students playing on the woefully out of tune piano. I think if someone really wants to do something nice for the hospital, they might donate an in-house piano tuner!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Duck Duck Goose



Are you thinking about thanksgiving yet? Perhaps you have made your menu, your shopping lists, invited your friends, decorated your home. Perhaps in the process of deciding what your main course will be the thought flashed through your mind- do I REALLY want to make Turkey again? Is it really worth the work? Do the left-overs REALLY taste that good? How many days of turkey sandwiches for lunch can I really handle?
 
These questions have been answered in an acceptable way for you all:
1. you really DONT want to make turkey again.
2. it's really NOT worth the work
3. The left overs are all white meat and do not taste that good!
4. any more than one day of leftovers is unacceptable.

So, I've found an alternative:
I'm making a duck! Thats right- the one that says Quack Quack. 
I'm excited for this because:
1. its all dark meat- yum!
2. Its small enough to feed 4 people well without too many left overs
3. It is an easy roast to to and won't fill up my oven completely
4. It won't take 10 hours to roast/smoke/deep fry/brine/carve.

Mainly I'm excited about this because I'm hoping to create a new thanksgiving tradition for my family-
but we're still having all the other fixin's!

Monday, November 17, 2008

What to write

I have decided that I'm a terrible blogger for a few reasons.
1. I don't take pictures like crazy (I'm looking at you, mom) and therefore, don't have the arsenal that most other folks have. Its not that I don't enjoy pictures- I think that maybe the things I take pictures of (James, James and more James) are less interesting to most other folks than they are to me. Verily, in an effort to spare you (dear readers) of the kind of insufferable bragging that inevitably seems to accompany pics of one's only child, I don't post pictures unless I've got either a great story to go with it, or a good picture.
2. When I write out my blog, I have a hard time being witty. Deanna Munoz is always entertaining, humble as pie, and I LOVE reading her blog because its FUN! Lanette Hopkins is fun to keep up with because she posts YUMMY recipies and I like hearing about her family because I love her so much (you too Deanna). Pretty much everyone my mom has a link to, I love to read, and I read them voraciously.
3. How honest can you actually be on a blog that millions of people have access to? There are things I would love to talk about, but maybe they're just not that appropriate for the blogosphere- like how much I hate how HUGE my boobs are now that I'm expecting again- things like that. This kind of blatant parading around of ones bra size is not that relevant to most folks lives- nor do they really want to hear about all the other things I may just need an outlet on. Thats why God created husbands though- right? and Best friends?
4. Sometimes, I really have nothing to say. John Cage said "I have nothing to say and I am saying it". This pretty much sums up a lot of how I feel about my life. Things are good- we have a home to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear and little things to look forward to. The gospel is still true and I love my family. When so many things are going right, I almost feel like I'll be tempting fate to talk about how good things really are on a blog. Its like when I put James down to bed. We always say our prayers and I always purposefully leave OUT a plea that we have a solid night of sleep- because if I ask for it, it NEVER happens. So, I don't say it out loud, but I'm desperately praying for it in my heart. I am extremely blessed to have the things, people, love, experiences et all that I do. And sometimes, just feeling that humble thankfulnesin my heart makes me so full, that I honestly don't think I could put it down in words- for fear that it will all be taken away. But I guess that's a huge weakness on my part- maybe i really do need these things taken for a short while so I can be more vocal in my gratitude. I don't know.

So, here is my desire:
I want to become as good a blogger as Bonnie, Lanette, Deanna, my parents and all the wonderful people who I check up on even though they probably don't know it.
I am in the process of a few big things right now. One, I'm growing a baby. Thats pretty big- even though its only about 2 inches long now and weighs about 2 sugar packets.
Two, I have a piano studio and we are going to Primary Childrens Medical Center this saturday to perform a small recital for the folks who are not going to have a "Merry Christmas"- I'm intending to blog about that extensively. We're doing this twice this season and I may go by myself a few times because I think everyone deserves to hear something beautiful this christmas- and if I can bring that to even one family who will appreciate it, I will feel that my talents have been put to good use.
Three, I am making stockings. Nice ones- Velvet, like my Aunt Janet used to make. Complete with Gothic calligraphy cross stitching names and the whole shebang- I'm doing everything. I would like to write about my experiences doing this, although they may turn into frustrated rants about how I can't seem to get the spacing just right! 
If I thing of another thing to write, I'll insert it here and there.

The "tag line" of my blog says: All the world is music and it happens everyday. Make your music count. Let this holiday be the one where you truly make your music count- give to those in need, comfort those who stand in need of comfort and life the burden of someone new. That is the best music of all.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Baz

As most of you know- those who know me well at least- I am a sucker for movies directed by Baz Luhrmann. These are: Strictly Ballroom (love that Paso Doble), Romeo + Juliet (also included fanastic music by Radiohead), Moulin Rouge (need I say more?)- and coming out this month- AUSTRALIA. There are a few reasons why I am so excited for this! 
1. It has Hugh Jackman who I think is a wonderful actor and I am happy to see him collaborate with Baz.
2. Hugh Jackman is Australian, ergo, when he speaks, the accent is REAL. Thats refreshing.
3. Nicole Kidman is reuniting with Baz for movie no.2. I think this is a great idea! She really was fantastic in Moulin Rouge! and I'm sure will be equally luminescent in Australia.
I don't know what the rating on this film is or will be, but I am really happy that Baz has been doing what he does best: make wonderfully exciting films!
oh! no.4 I like that Nicole Kidman has super fair skin- because I do too! Woo hoo Whiteys! I guess that really wasn't a reason why I'm excited to see this film, but oh well.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Some Halloween and random pics








Just nap anywhere.... This was taken on sunday afternoon- please disregard the MESS in the background...but so sweet! James has this strange love affair with Laundry baskets- clean or dirty (although this one is full of clean clothes), whenever he sees one, he just can't seem to resist the urge to sit in them!
Okay let me explain this photo: James recently has discovered that he LIKES 2-d animation a la "Robin Hood" and "Fantasia", both of which are classics that I HIGHLY approve of. He just LOVES watching Fantasia 2000 and I know- its not all 2-d animation- but he's all about the Beethoven at the beginning- Beethoven, Symphony no. 5, mvt. 1. You know: da-da-da-DUM...
Well, we decided to play him the REAL version of it because, c'mon, the disney version is 3 minutes long. This picture above is the reaction. He is completely enraptured, engrossed, focused etc.etc.etc... Which, of course, we think is AWESOME!
Heeeeeere is the Halloween costume (plus dad and uncle Jesse). It took me a while to make it but darn it! It was worth it!
Side view of le petite Chef. He WAS looking at the camera- then Papa said something to him and he turned! Blast!
The Halloween boy and his Papa! It was a fun night for everyone- except me. I wasn't feeling wonderful and the 'hot dog/ potato bar" at the ward party was SO unappetizing! Plus- can you believe it- chocolate gives me heartburn! I'm so disappointed! Halloween is the ONLY holiday where you get to eat all the candy you want and I can't because it gives me burnies. It was truly a depressing experience.