Just a little further....

     When I met Mike, one of the things I loved most about him is that he really encouraged me to do things on my own.  He liked the idea of me developing my talents and just doing what I wanted to do.  He never coddled me in any way and always encouraged me and believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. 

     Well, last night Mike and I went  for an evening walk and as usual he made me walk further than I wanted to.  Okay, so this has been a pet peeve of mine for many years.  Mike and I have been married for over 21 years now.  And from day one he has always tried to push me to do more than I wanted to do at the time.  This angers me greatly!! Why?  I dont know.  It may be because I don't like to be told what to do.  It may be because I dont like to do anything I don't WANT to do at the time.  It may be because it wasnt MY idea or it may be because I dont think I will make it.  Or maybe I am just stubborn...okay, okay, there's no maybe about that....Anyway, I dont know, but whatever the reason, it really gets on my nerves and I always find myself getting more and more upset with him as he tries harder and harder to calm me down and defuse my anger.

     So, as we were walking down the road at 7:00 last night and it was getting darker and darker outside, he talks me into going just to the top of the hill where Springville runs into Mapleton.  He say's "there's a house there that I want to show you".  So, I relunctantly agree and as we get closer I notice that it is now pitch black out and we still have to walk up this hill.  As we finally get to the top, I feel releived that we will see this house and then be able to turn around and go back.  Well, as we finally get to the top and I am complaining about walking that far, he then tells me that it is just around the corner and down the street!!! DANG IT!  He did it again!  I thouhgt we were just walking to the top of the hill but NO, we are walking to the top, around the corner and down the street!  As I am whinning and complaining, and Mike is trying to calm me, I am cracking up inside!  I am thinking about how funny we would sound to a stranger listening to us and just how silly this whole situation actually is.  Then I turn around to look at how far we had gone.  And do you know what??? The view was absolutely beautiful!  It was breath taking.  And once I was there, I didnt mind at all.  I love where we live there is just so much beauty all around us.

     So, I got to thinking about how thankful I am for my "pushy husband".  He really is a motivator.  I may not always like the way he goes about it but he always encourages me to do more.  Never letting me settle for mediocrity.  Like I said, sometimes he really gets on my nerves with his "you can do more" attitude.  But, you know what?  Heavenly Father knows me SO WELL.  He certainly knew me when he sent me Mike.  He is the same with our boys and I look at what great young men they have turned out to be and I think...Man it is a good thing I married this man.  He has always been like a steady river...always determined to keep going and to make it up the mountain...even when the mountain has a whiner like me climbing it!
So, from now on I am going to try to not whine so much about going "just a little further".....

Easy Microwave Carmel Popcorn

We've been craving carmel popcorn lately!

So, I made some last night.This is always a hit with the kids!

Mix 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup karo syrup, 1/4 cup butter in a pyrex bowl

and heat on high for 1 1/2 minutes.

Take out and stir til bubbles are gone.

 Put back in and cook on high again for 2 minutes more.

Take out and stir again and then add 1 tsp of baking soda and stir.

This is how it will look when after you stir in your baking soda.

Use 7 cups of regular popped popcorn in a brown paper bag

Pour the carmel mixture all over the popcorn in the bag

Stir quickly and thuroughly with a big spoon.

Put back into microwave and cook again for 2 minutes more

Take out and shake the bag well.

Then throw out onto wax paper on the counter top and let sit for just a sec.. 

and then EAT LIKE CRAZY before it's gone!

Yummy for my tummy!

The View From Here

I have a young friend who turned me on to all the EFY cd's!  Many years ago she copied a ton of them for me and I have loved them ever since. This is one of my favorites from EFY 2003 "Look and Live" and I believe it is the song that inspired my dream about climbing that mountain.  Thanks Christin!  I love you!

The View From Here

From where I'm standing I can see for miles
I see the world more clearly than before
I can see the path I chose that brought me to
  this place
A way I once questioned but not anymore

Up here peace flows like a river
And the light is so much brighter coming down from
   the sun
Up here I am standing on a mountain, on a rock
   that cant be moved
I feel no fear
It's beautiful
The view from here

I know you can see the peak and wonder if it's
   worth the climb
Sometimes it hurts and can bring you to your knees

On your knees is where you find strength beyond
   your own
To keep on moving until you see

Up here peace flows like a river
And the light is so much brighter coming down from
   the sun
Up here you'll be standing on a mountain, on a rock
   that can't be moved
Please don't fear
I want you to see
The view from here

Jesus went before us and he has marked the way
And he is standing at the top with outstretched
   arms
Can you hear him say

Up here my peace flows like a river
And my light is so much brighter for I am the sun
If you keep climbing, keep building on my rock
You won't be moved
No need to fear
I want you to see
The view from here

Won't you come and see
The veiw from here

The Mountains Inspire me!

     Well, can I just say that I woke up this morning and the mountains  looked like this.  With the weather changing now sometimes you cant even see them anymore because of the fog and clouds.  However,I am so enjoying the mountains since I've been here in Utah and I really look forward to seeing them covered in snow!

     So yes, the mountains so Inspire me!  I didnt use to feel that way.  In fact for many years we have come to Utah for one reason or another and Mike would always say how much he missed not being able to see them in California like we do here in Utah.  I would think, "so what".  Then I had a dream...yes one of MY dreams.

     This was about 7 years ago while I was going thru a very difficult time in my life.  I was trying my hardest to do everything I needed to do in order to get thru this trying time and for some reason I could just not pull myself out of the rutt I was in.  I felt like the walls were closing in around me and I just didnt want to be here anymore.  After going to bed one night, once again feeling terrible and praying to Heavenly Father to help me to see something good.   I had the following dream... 

     I dreamed that I was led thru a forest of trees for a bit by a young friend, and she brought me to this wide open beautiful feild.  I was left standing in front of a river bed and beautiful nature all around me and ahead of me were tall mountains.  I thought "oh how beautiful".  Then my young friend said, "you just have to go up that mountain"...and she was gone.  I looked at the mountain ahead of me and it didnt seem too awfully big to climb so I headed towards it and I heard someone beside me say, "no, that one", and a man was standing there beside me and he pointed to another mountain and it was at least twice the size of the little one.  I paniced!  And I said "I cant climb that one, it's much too big". But the man said,"yes, you can, you 'll be fine" and he took off ahead of me up the very mountain I was to climb.  He didn't wait for me, he just went ahead very determined.  So, there I was alone with this huge mountain to climb. 

     So, I started towards the mountain.  After traveling for a bit I found it was getting harder to climb.  In fact, there was gravel underneath my feet and they began to lose their grip.  So, I stopped and looked down and realized that I had gotten about a third of the way up.  I then found an edge so I decided to sit on it and just relax.  I looked down and thought "wow, what a beautiful sight"!  So, I just sat there.  Then I saw something fly thru the air and land on the waters banks below.  They looked like eagles with beautiful wings and once again I was in awe! Then suddenly as I looked closer, the so called "eagles" were not eagles at all, they were vultures and they had spotted me.  I could see their peircing eyes looking straight at me as they started walking towards me.  So, I knew that I could not stay there all comfortable anymore.  I had to continue up the mountain. So, reluctantly, but quickly, I began again to climb.  Now it was even harder to climb this mountain as I was scared and the gravel continued to be so loose that I began to cry.  With each step now I was sure it was my last and that I would not make it and fall to my death.  Finally I found a large tree to hide behind where the vultures could no longer see me.  I felt safe.  But I knew I could not stay there.  So, I continued on to climb.  I looked up and saw that I still had so very far to go to reach the top and I began to cry harder and to give up hope, even though I knew that I could not stop because there was no where else to go.  I continued to climb and cry with every step.  In my dream I could feel the unsteady ground beneath me, it was so real and frightening, and I felt extremely insecure as I climbed and cried.  Then suddenly I came to a beautiful platform out of no where with a beautiful doorway.  And then I woke up!

And this is what I got out of this dream....

  We all have mountains to climb. We will want to give up at times and at times we will want to sit and just relax.  But to sit and be idol is dangerous and leaves us open to the adversary.  We must continue to climb no matter how hard it is.  Someone has led the way and is waiting for us.  And we never know when we will reach the top, so we just have to do our best, not give up, and trust that our Heavenly Father is aware of us and is always there for us.

 This dream gave me hope, changed my whole perspective and my life!

Now I love the mountains! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

As you can see this receipe is delicious!  About finished the first pan before I could tear myself away to take a picture of this yummy recipe!  So, here's the recipe!

2 1/2 c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

3 c granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1 c canola or vegtable oil

4 large eggs

2/3 c water

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans or three 8x4 inch loaf pans.

In large bowl, mix fours, sugar, baking soda cinnamon, netmeg and salt together.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 c water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

It did not say how long to bake.  I baked both pans at the same time for one hour and it was perfect!



I dont mean to be a bad Mom....I love my Sugar Bear!

I am feeling sick this morning.  Not literally, but emotionally.  That's always how I feel when I know I have let my kids down.  Especially when they have worked so hard.

 Last night Stephen played his last Sophomore football game for the year as well as his last JV game.  It was a busy night.  I had activity days and an appointment and Mike had to take Bryce to a concert at the high school for his music class.  So, since the high school is so close we went to the games off and on throughout the night.  Grandma Nelson was great and attended both games beginning to end.  She was Stephen's greatest support yesterday. However, by the time the second game was over, no one was there and Stephen felt very unloved:(  The first thing he did is text me and ask where we were.  I told him that we had been there but that I had an appointment, but it didnt matter because when he finally finished and looked in the stands for his family...we werent there.  I am sick, sick, sick!  Mike and I felt like a couple of "Loser Parents" last night! 

Stephen is a fantastic football player and often is the guy making the touchdowns for his team, so it is very exciting to watch him play.  However, last night he did not do as well as he usually does (even though he still made a couple of touchdowns) and so I know that made it even worse.  Many of his friends parents drive 3-4 hours away to watch their kids play football and we never did.  So, we probably look like the non-supportive parents of the bunch.  Anyway, Stephen is usually pretty understanding but last night was the breaking point for him.  Not only was it his last games, but he also needed to see our support because he did not play as well as he had hoped.  This moring when he left he did not say a whole lot to me.  I want to cry:(

  We really are not bad parents...I swear... we usually go to all his games.  We did miss 2 or 3 this year though.  So, I've learned my lesson.  It's not so much that we cant ever miss, it's just that some games you just CANT miss... which are...Homecoming game, biggest Rival game, at least one of the far away games, and the LAST games....oh, and be in the stands when he is finished and MAKE SURE he sees us!  I dont mean to be A Bad Mom.....I really dont.   I love my Sugar Bear!  You better believe we will be there tonight for his last Varsity Game...I hope he does something amazing!!!

p.s. thanks for your input on the gables....still up in the air but I'll let you know what we decide.

Taking a vote...

Idea #1 stone peak

Idea #2 timber peak with single posts

Idea #3 timbers with double posts

Okay, we like all 3 of these views for the front gable of the house (the place where the roof peaks in front)

I'd like your vote.  Which veiw do YOU like best? 

View #1, View #2 or View #3?

Leave a comment and let me know...thanks for your input!