"GHOUL-ASH"

A great Halloween dinner! Hearty and delicious. Serve with hot buttered noodles and a salad. This picture is from 'Martha' but you get the idea. "GHOUL-ASH"

1/4 cup butter melted

1/4 cup olive oil

3 lbs. stew meat cut into 1" pieces

salt and pepper to taste

4 tbsp. flour to coat stew meat

In heavy pot, combine butter and oil until hot. Coat meat with flour and salt and pepper. Brown meat in pot. Do this in batches. Do not over crowd the meat in the pot. Remove with slotted spoon to a dish and brown next batch until it is all done.

Add:

3 yellow onions peeled, cut in half, and sliced

4 cloves of garlic

1 bag of presliced fresh mushrooms (optional)

Saute in remaining oil/butter mixture. Adding a little more if needed. Saute until softened and translucent.

Add:

1 quart beef broth

1 14 oz. can tomatoes pureed in blender or food processor

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 cup paprika

Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. (you can also put it in a crock pot at this point and cook on low all day)

Add:

1 cup of baby carrots

3-6 large dice yukon gold potatoes OR 3 small russets, peeled and large dice

Cover and simmer until veges are soft and tender.

Serve over hot buttered wide egg noodles in a bowl

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives

Serves: 8-10

~~HALLOWEEN IS HERE~~

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Christine had the day off from school and we all slept in and then I put some cinnamon rolls in the oven. That was a festive way to start the day! Got the laundry done including P.E. clothes. Oooo-weee.

Here are the Halloween cupcakes I made for dessert. We had "Ghastly Ghoul-ash" for dinner with hot buttered noodles. Delish! Mike and Adrianne came over to celebrate with us and we had all the lights dimmed and the plethora of candles lit. It was quite fall-ish and festive!


I just had to include a photo of our fall leaves that had blown on the porch. Even in socal I had to make sure I have some trees that lose their leaves and turn color. These are from our white birches with the Halloween morning sun on them. It got a little cloudy later on in the day.

Christine in her Mermaid costume that she borrowed from Meredith. This was as she was getting ready for the Fall Festival for the stake youth dance last night.

Ariel look out! Christine's gonna give you a 'swim' for your money! With Amanda who is a Glow Stick this year. She came up and the girls got ready for the dance together. We have glitter all over the house. I'm not going to vacuum until tomorrow! Chris is taller than Mere, so we had a little 'leg' problem. What to do at the last minute??? We got a pair of black tights out of her drawer and I cut them off below the knee. PERFECT! Pearl bracelet and seashell necklace and she is good to go!

Mike and Adrianne holding dessert. Adrianne was doing some of the word searches in the book I'm working on. I'm trying to keep my brain stimulated! hahaha... We continue to get less and less trick or treaters each year. 15 years ago, we would run out of candy and tonight I think we had maybe 20-25 ring the bell. But those who were here were soooo adorable and cute. The neighborhood is growing up and being on a single loaded street has something to do with it too. Nobody wants to walk all the way down without another side to walk up. Adrianne answered one and the red Power Ranger gave her a hug to thank her for the candy! Tigger was with him and her heart was melted!

Christine went to Melissa's with some friends and they got ready to trick or treat. Her parents provided some dinner. She is spending the night and we will see her in the morning. I'm off to bed because we have to be at the Lowe's parking lot at 7am to get all our flyers for Prop. 8. We are walking all the neighborhoods in the ward and putting reminder flyers on the doors. Duff did sign holding/twirling tonight from 5-6pm and got yelled at and called some 'choice' words. It is interesting. There are so many who are very supportive and kind. However, the others are less than kind. Two days ago, a family was on a corner. A car drove by and threw an opened water bottle at their 12 year old daughter. Everyone was shocked, but calmed down until they realized it wasn't a bottle of water. The water had been poured out and it had been refilled with bleach! She is very lucky the only harm was to her clothes. This was bad but it could have been so much worse. The police have told us to have a video camera with us and be ready to record if needed. Wow.

Signs Gone Again...

Well, the 2nd night in a row and the signs are gone. On my way to the salon for my haircut yesterday I noticed that on one of the main street corners all the campaign signs were fine except for the prop.8 one that was left on the frame, but slashed. I guess whoever vandalized it left it that way for effect!

My stylist brought up the elections. She is so tired of them. All the advertising, the controversies. She has done my hair for probably 10 years now. She knows I am a member of the church. We have never discussed politics, but she wanted to understand a little more about this very heated proposition. I said a quick, silent prayer that I could be direct and yet choose the right approach and words so she could understand in the best way for her. So I started out by asking her if she ever prays and what prayer might mean to her. We talked about that for a few minutes. Then it transitioned into the actual proposition. We had a really nice conversation. Then I asked her how she was 'feeling'. She said she felt really good. I asked her to go home and pray about that 'feeling' and God would tell her how she should vote. She said she would! I always give her a hug when I leave. So yesterday I also said, "Now remember, Yes on Prop.8" and I winked. She smiled and thanked me for talking with her about it. I don't know how she will vote, and I probably won't ask her next time I'm in. But I do know the spirit was there as we talked and she felt it. I know that God answered that very quick, silent prayer I said in my heart. It might seem like a small thing, but it was very real.

I've Been Boo'ed!

I've been boo'ed by Jamie! Now here are the rules: I will leave a comment on your blog and let you know that I am boo'ing YOU! Then you can save the picture and put it on your sidebar to let others know that you've been officially BOO'ed!

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin Carving tomorrow! Yes, we are still doing it!

(Oh my goodness, what a busy day! I was up and out of the house the same time as Christine left for school to get my hair cut and weaved. Then home to gather my list and head out again. To the drug store to pick up a med and Halloween candy for the trick or treaters on Friday. Of course, I only buy the kind of candy I like, so I'll have to make sure I give it all out! Then to Raechal's to give some of the educational books I cleaned out of Christine's bookcase a couple of weeks ago. I had more errands to do and realized that my halloween candy would melt if I left it in the car. I didn't want to go all the way home or I might talk myself into not going back out, so she 'babysat' my candy for me! What a good friend. Then off to do some Christmas shopping. I have NEVER done this before. It feels so good. Just a little bit at a time. I don't feel all the pressure like I do when I leave it all until December. Went back to pick up the candy. Finally home and watered all the pots, and cleaned up the gutter in front of the house. Where did all the leaves and dirt come from????? Lindsey dropped by my 'catalog' stuff that I ordered from her (for more xmas gifts). I'm just crossing off that list! I got to thinking: I have good friends. It is interesting as you get older who your friends become. I have friends that are my mother's age. I have friends that are my age. And I have good friends who are my children's ages. I really enjoy that. We are all at different stages in life and yet have love and mutual respect for each other. Remember those Jr. High and high school years when friendships could be like a roller coaster?! How different they are when you are older. This is a good benefit of age. Tonight seems to be cooler and that is so nice.)

Natalie Is 2-5 Today!

Natalie was born at 4:55am on a Saturday morning. The day before, Friday, was a warm day, as it usually is here in California. We had dinner and I was really tired for some reason. The 'boys' and I watched Strawberry Shortcake's Bake Off at 7 pm and then Duff and I put them to bed and I headed for bed too. I woke up around midnight and just didn't 'feel good'. I got up and walked around for a few minutes trying to get comfortable. I wondered if I might be starting labor, but I so far had not ever delivered on my due date. About an hour later I decided to call the doctor, and he told us to go to the hospital. We called my mom and dad to get on their way, and then our neighbor, Jan Allen, to come and stay with the boys until they got there. It's a good thing we did. By the time I got to the hospital, I was well on 'my way', and she was born 2 hours later! Easy labor and delivery and q-u-i-c-k ! She came right on her due date and she has ALWAYS been a punctual gal!


Making faces with Grandpa Davis on a hot summer Saturday in the Westminster backyard. Almost looks like they are puckering up for a smooch!

Natalie and Mrs. Wells, her kindergarten teacher. They share the same birthday and celebrated at school together. Mrs. Wells was our favorite kindergarten teacher at Sequoia Elementary. It was like having your grandma be your teacher. No nonsense and soooooo MUCH love!

1 year ago.

Now married to her sweetheart.

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY NATALIE!

We send all our love for a great day!

Fun Facts About My Life

Angie had this and I thought it was kind of fun. Here are some facts about me in a nutshell. At some point it would be fun to expound on each one!

Copy and paste the words.
Bold the things you have done...

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band4. Visited Hawaii 5.Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a Praying Mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21.Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping (Who is really going to answer this truthfully???) 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30.Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke . 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business . 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60.Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67.Bounced a check . 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt. 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone . 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House . 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91.Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100. Talked your way out of a ticket

Take Courage!

Someone sent this to me, and I just love it! This is kind of how it is these days around here. We had our sign stolen out of our yard last night. When Duff took the garbage cans out to the street, he came back in and told me the sign was gone. Our neighbors signs were gone too. We found one on the hill in front of our house slashed and crumpled. A sign from one of our neighbor's down the street was slashed and then wadded up and thrown on their front porch. I found a piece of paper with the word 'evil' on it on our porch (obviously from someone's personal home printer). It made me think of the sunday school lesson yesterday about the beatitudes. (3 Nephi 12: 10-12) Persecution is difficult and yet when we pray about these matters we 'have great joy and [are] exceedingly glad' being filled with strength of the Lord.

Sunday...

I must have been tired. I woke up at 8:30, layed there for what I thought was going to be only a 'minute', and next time I looked at the clock it was 9:30! Yikes. Turned on Music and The Spoken Word (since I don't get to see that much in Calif.), while I made the bed, ate a banana, started packing and hopped in the shower.

Went to church. I had some very poignant feelings. I've been to our 'Utah' ward many times. But today I was by myself and it was a weird feeling. I decided to 'go with it' and ponder. At first I thought about the widows/widowers alone. Those who are single. What it must really be like to be lonely. Then it eventually moved to thinking about how when all is said and done, our salvation is up to us alone. It is an individual thing. I went over in my mind about me. Where am I?, how am I measuring up?, what can I do to improve? It felt good. When Sacrament meeting was over, I stood and squared my shoulders as I went to SS class grateful for the experience and a mental list of pieces in my life to tweak.

Home to finish packing (really not that much), close things down, and eat a quick piece of tilapia with some sauted spinach that just had to be eaten or I'd have to throw it away. Oh, it was yummy. And off to the airport. Duff brought Darla to pick me up. She was so happy to see me she kept wiggling all over the seat. She saw me through the window first and danced on her hind legs as I came to the car!

Can I just say, what a great hubby I have?! Here he has been nursing his bad back, which has improved a lot while I was gone, and yet he had a Sunday roast beef dinner ready for me when we got home. It just hit the spot! We picked up Christine and her friend Amanda from Sing Noel practice. They started in on the dishes for me. Thanks! Natalie did a good job on her lesson. It was on the proper bearing of testimony. Good job Nats!

Another Close One!

Well, the Cougars won, but it was back and forth the whole game. It truly came down to the last second of the 4th quarter. I've decided I like a good contest, but c'mon already, not quite so close! Darin and Nancee were our guests and we had a great time! They take care of our place for us when we are not here and we always like to treat them to a game each season. They are so down to earth and we get along well. It was just one of those instant 'connections'.

Bethany and her YW group were a riot! Such nice gals all around. They did their 'thing' downstairs and I watched some tv--Ocean's 11--and got farther into my book. Apparently they stayed up until 2:45am. I went to bed around midnight and didn't hear a thing! Good sound proofing or design, I guess. They left as we left for the game.

Robert and Natalie came up to load their table in the back of the truck, I picked up Darin and Nancee, and off to Provo we headed. Not too much traffic at all. I was kind of surprised. We got the table delivered (sorry I forgot to take a picture!), and off to the game. I followed all Duff's proven traffic tricks and we got there in a flash, got a great parking space and off we went! The weather was better than we could have even ordered up! 64*, bright blue skies, a few white clouds and the greenest grass and colors ever. I was dieing to try the new 'Cougar Tail', but they RAN OUT! We had a free coupon for one in our tote bags under our seats. From what I've seen and heard, they are a 18" maple bar that is supposed to be a 'take off' of Cosmo's tail. Hahaha. And they say they are scrumptious. Oh well, maybe next time. Any one want to share?

**I did learn something new at this game: When BYU scores, the yell-leaders hold the big flags with the B Y U on them and run around the field. I have always wondered how they get through that at that fast pace. Well today I noticed that they trade off 1/2 way around! I never observed that before! But sure enough, they hand the flag off and the second set finishes at top speed. Now I know.**

Had a delicious spinach omelette with a piece of toast and juice for dinner. Just hit the spot. Natalie is teaching RS tomorrow. She is nervous, but I'm confident she will do a great job. She called and read me her outline and we talked over a few points. It's gonna be very good.

Each Vote Counts!

I am feeling more urgent and more passionate with each day closer to the election. We are really living during prophecy being fulfilled. Where do we stand? Where are our hearts? This is a season for courage and action.

Woodpecker

I am at the cabin. I have been upstairs in the office loft checking emails and catching up on blogs and I had the door to the balcony open a little for some cool, crisp, fresh air. All of a sudden, I catch a flash out of the corner of my eye and hear little squeaks that are really close by. I got up very quietly from my chair and walked over to the open slider. I gently turned my head and come face to face with a woodpecker!!!! He screeched as loud as he could and I screamed as loud as I could. I'm sure we both scared each other 'to death'. We have one of these little guys who 'visits' us on occasion when the weather is nice at the front of the cabin. I wonder if he is the same bird. I am hear to tell you that it scared the be-jee-bees out of me! This picture is EXACTLY what he looked like. I got it off the internet.

We are hosting Bethany and her YW board who are coming for a leader retreat tonight through tomorrow. It will be fun. Then the game tomorrow with Nancee and Darin who help us take care of our place when we are not here. I'm off to the store to grab some 'treats' and drinks for the group. And then back to decorate the mantle for fall, and get lost in a good book.

In Plain English

Provident Living....

I just bought more food storage. Good deals just keep finding their way to me and I feel so strongly about it right now, so I add it to what we already have.

• 2 more 55 gallon water barrel drums
• freeze dried blueberries
• 2 cases of canned beef
• 2 cases of canned chicken
• 2 cases of bacon
• 2 cases of hamburger
• 1/2 case of butter
• 1/2 case of cheese

I have plenty of dried legumes and onions, carrots, so some meat to add to a good pot of beans would be good.

I think I need to concentrate now on medical supplies and I'm feeling insecure about water.

Time To Celebrate!

It's cousin Jennifer's birthday today! I remember the day she was born. It was much as it is today--October and hot and dry from the santa anas. My mom was driving me to high school that morning and as we went past the McDonald's on the corner of Torrance Blvd. she told me Auntie Dolene was in labor! By the time I got home, we had a baby! We went to the hospital that evening to see them. Only adults were allowed back into the rooms, so we 'kids' (yes, I was in high school and didn't take to that very well...) had to go outside and find the window to their room so we could see them! Maternity was on the ground floor, thankfully. But a lot of hospitals were spread out over one floor with a basement those days. I was the family babysitter for goodness sake, but still not allowed to go back.

She was a little cutie. Auntie Dolene wanted to name her Heidi, but Uncle Joe was set on Jennifer. She almost had him talked in to Heidi, but I guess too many of us kept calling her that and he felt pressured so he then 'insisted' on Jennifer. And the rest is history!

Happy Birthday, Heidi (oops), JENN! You are an amazing woman. Sending all our love to you. Have a wonderful day!

~AROUND TOWN~

• The Santa Ana winds returned about 3 in the morning and they are whipping around. It is HOT again. But the falling leaves make it look so autumn!


• Albertson's is remodeling, again. They took the bank out, sad-sad, and are moving the Starbucks to that area to make it bigger. Sections of the floor are ripped out and that makes pushing your cart interesting. They will also be moving the floral department to the front of the store. I don't know what they will be putting in it's current place. They are making the deli area and bakery larger and adding more quick meals in those sections.


• BIIIIGGGG accident on Dove Canyon Drive going up toward our house. A girl was drunk and drifted to the right side of the street just before Hillrise. Took out the light pole, bushes, and more bushes, and crashed into the block wall. Remember when the block wall wasn't there and only a small hedge was in it's place between the curb and the houses? Well, if it hadn't been put in that car would have been down the embankment and into at least the yards and most likely the backside of those homes! As it is, the cones have been there for a week now and the exposed electrical from the lightpost are covered and roped off with a wooden structure. Scarry! Luckily the girl was 'okay'.


• The election is getting closer each day. Have you gone over the issues and decided how you are voting? Natalie and Robert already voted and sent in their absentee ballots. Signs are everywhere and the 'twirling' for Yes on Prop 8 continues!


• For some reason, a section of our street didn't get their water bills, and we all got served with disconnect notices yesterday. It probably should have been a clue to the water company when so many of us in a row hadn't paid our bills! All is now corrected.

We had YW in Excellence tonight. It was really good. The YW leaders did a very nice program. Kim Gardner was one of the speakers. Victoria wrote a song that Erin Penrod sang about the 'gates' in a woman's life. It was stunning. The theme was about the gates in our lives that we must pass through and stay on the path to the next gate. Nothing to really take a picture of except perhaps the decorations and Christine's display of her value project, besides she was very against me taking a photo tonight. We found out at 5:30pm that she had to bring something to display! Yikes, I was in the middle of making dinner and Elyse was here giving Christine a haircut. Since she had done the garden this summer, I ran out and grabbed some of the very last of the tomatoes, and cut fresh herbs which are the only things left. We put it in a small basket with a cloth napkin and it looked passable! Shaun had the kitchen cleaned up, diswasher emptied, and the trash out. That was WONDERFUL to come home to! Duff is still not moving too well, although better, and his hopes for getting on that airplane tomorrow are fading! Mine too. I love it when we go together and have some time alone. Here's hoping for some major improvement over night.

Blackened Salmon Salad

The a/c is back on and the Santa Ana winds are supposed to return and tomorrow is predicted to be 91*. So it felt like we should have a 'light'-er dinner tonight. Here is Blackened Salmon Salad that is similar to that on the menu at Archibald's restaurant at Gardner Village.

Enough salmon for 4-6 servings, cut into serving sizes.

Pre-heat a grill pan or heavy skillet on high. Sprinkle with some olive oil and using a paper towel lightly spread it on the pan. (do not use Pam on a grill pan. It gets gunky over time.) While the pan is heating, sprinkle the salmon with a cajun/blackening spice on both sides and rub it in with your fingers. You can find this special blend of cajun/blackening spices at just about any grocery store in the spice aisle or butcher section. Place fish on hot grill pan and don't move it! Sear on each side 3-4 minutes. Remove to a platter and let cool a little.

While the fish is cooling, mix in large bowl:

1 bag of romaine hearts

1-2 cups of grated carrots (if you don't grate your own the ones already grated for you in the produce section work fine)

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced

2 tomatoes, diced or equivalent amount of grape tomatoes cut in half

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

1 small can mandarin oranges, drained

red onion or green onion to taste

1/2-1 cup grated cheese

sliced roasted almonds (optional)

Brianna's Blush Wine Viniagrette Dressing to taste.(there is no wine in this! The 'wine' stands for red wine vinegar)
Plate the salad mixture in the center of a plate and top with a piece of salmon. Serve with a roll or crusty bread.

This is VERY GOOD! You could probably use any meat, but fish is especially good with this.

( Duff's back is still not good. He slept 'okay'. About 9:15am, all of a sudden he is up, trying to put clothes on, has Christine get him the crutches out of the closet, and is insisting that staying in bed is driving him CRAZY and he is going to drive himself to the chiropractor! I am just about to step into the shower so I can make my 10am visiting teaching appointment. I'm telling him he CANNOT drive himself, and he is telling me 'yes he can'. He starts down the stairs and I'm scared to death he is going to fall head first. I throw some clothes on and find Shaun and he ended up driving him over while I went and got in the shower and kept my appointment [which I couldn't cancel because this gal is BUSY and I had to go.] Good thing Shaun took him: when I got home he was asleep in bed and when I went over to him he was as white as the sheets. When he woke up I got the details: he almost passed out and threw up during the exam. There was no way he could have driven home. He made it down for dinner and sat for a little bit at the computer to go through emails. He is now laying in bed making calls for church. I hope he starts seeing improvement tomorrow. Shaun is out to dinner with some friends and Christine is doing homework.)

We Decided To Boycott

Well, well. What an interesting last 20 hours it has been around here. We learned late yesterday afternoon that the California Teachers Association gave $1.25 million dollars to support No on Prop. 8! We couldn't believe it! Our state teachers association is supporting gay marriage and the ability to teach it and other related topics in our schools without even so much as a heads up or input from any of us PARENTS/FAMILIES whose children these are. In talking to our individual school principal, our school is taking a benign position, BUT they will be bound by law if this doesn't pass. A boycott was called for.

So to boycott or not to boycott today was the question. There were/are many valid aspects to both positions. Most of them $$ and tit-for-tat related. But Christine stayed home today because she is a 13 year old middle school age student. It has deepened our conversations with her about the importance of this matter. And she will always remember that she stayed home because the cause was vital, and the stand important. She won't remember the technicality of the positions--that is not why she stayed home, to punish the district by not getting $$ for her being there, that was not the point because the CTA already gave the money--but she will remember and be able to tell her children that she did all she could within her own sphere. I hope that makes sense. Some high school kids are putting together petitions, etc. to send which is awesome, but she's an 8th grader who wears yellow and stands up in class discussions and now she stayed home for one day.

She won't forget that.

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

This is always a good one! Quick and easy and delicious. We had this for dinner tonight with some fresh broccoli and rice a roni and salad. Yum!

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

1 sleeve or 2 cups crushed Ritz crackers

3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. seasoned salt

12-16 oz. (or 1-2 small) plain yogurt

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Dry parsley leaves

1 cube butter or margarine

Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Crush crackers in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin or smooth side of a meat mallet. Add salts and shake to mix well. Pour into pie pan or other similar low dish. Stir yogurt and put in similar dish. With tongs, coat each piece with plain yogurt on each side. Coat each piece in crumb mixture on each side. Spray 9 X 13 pan with Pam. Carefully place each coated chicken breast in pan. Sprinkle with dry parsley leaves.

Drizzle with melted butter or margarine and bake at 350* for 45-60 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Serve with vegetable and salad.

(Mike and Adrianne came over for dinner and FHE. It's always a treat when they visit. I like having them close. We had FHE in our bedroom because Duff threw his back out. He got ready for work and bent over to pick up his slacks and it just went out! He limped downstairs thinking he could still go to work. Haha. He raised his arm up to get the Aleve out of the cupboard to take one and dropped them and when he tried to bend to get the bottle, it went out even more. He literally crawled up the stairs to get into bed and called work to say he would not be in. So we gathered around the bed while he talked to us about Prop. 8 If it wasn't such a serious topic, we would have laughed at the sight of our he-man dad doing family home evening laying flat in bed! He is not a good patient. Tomorrow is our turn to twirl signs on the major street corners during the peak going home from work time. We'll see if he can make it! Christine made chocolate chip cookie dough and we had pizookies for dessert.)

If You Don't Stand For Something You'll Fall For Everything

Isn't that a great little 'ditty'? One of the speakers mentioned that in there talk at the Stake Youth Standards Night tonight. I just loved it.

Yes, we had our 1st standards night after 5 years off. At first I was kind of dragging my feet about it, but after we went with Christine, I was so pumped up! It was an awesome fireside. The speakers were amazing, the musical number by the Starr family was awesome. I knew that a couple of their children sang WELL, but I didn't know that the entire family--parents included-- sang like that! Wow. It was simple but so impressive.

President Vidmar:

• Them that honor me, I will honor. (in Proverbs)


• He had Brother Schwerman stand next to him. He is an old German man who was baptized at 10, and drafted into the German army at 16. He ended up in a Russian prison camp for 5 years and told about that. He was determined to keep the word of wisdom! He had a choice to drink the coffee or the typhoid infested water. He drank the water for 5 years as his liquid and let the Lord decide if he should live or die from it. That is obedience and FAITH!


• Story of the Mist Trail at Yosemite. This was exciting because we have actually climbed this as a family! It is a pretty tough, narrow trail up, up, up. The falls next to it are so powerful that it creates a heavy mist along the trail you are climbing. Hence the name. You end up pretty wet from it when you get to the top. At the top it is absolutely breathtaking. The year round runoff goes along some smooth granite stones that look and act as water slides. They end up pooling in to a large 'pond' that is so inviting. BUT there are signs that tell you not to even put a toe in or the current can sweep you away and plunge you over the falls to your DEATH. The signs actually say, 'how many will die this year?' So obviously some people must not be very smart and think it won't effect them. They will be the exception. He likened this to us and keeping the commandments and standards. We might put a toe in and think, oh this isn't bad, and then we go up to the ankles, and it still isn't dangerous. Then we find ourselves up to our knees and suddenly the current hits us full force and we are swept over the falls! Thank goodness for the atonement, because unlike the certainty of physical death going over the falls, we have repentance that can save our lives spiritually. (we did this hike before Christine was born, so now I guess we'll have to go again and take her. I better get into shape!)


• The way you live the standards not only effects you, it effects others. How you act and behave will determine how the gospel is viewed by others. It is not just about you.
  

President Brennan:

• Christ didn't say--Well, Heavenly Father, this is MY body, so I don't have to get crucified or go through Gethsemane. I can do what I want! It won't effect anyone else. He said, Not my will but thine be done.


• We often won't know or understand the 'why' until years later.


• See past the 'smokescreen of Satan'. (This was a good one!) He doesn't have a body, so he will do ANYTHING to get you to abuse yours in any way possible. He knows the eternal importance of a body and since he doesn't have one he wants you to underestimate the importance of yours.


• page 16 in For The Strength Of Youth pamphlet. Your dress should prepare you to wear the holy garment.


• Fathers: take a very strong, personal, bigger role in how your daughter dresses. Teach her, and then tell her lovingly and kindly that you will wait for her to change her clothes.


• Mothers: do not live vicariously through your daughters trying to recapture some of your lost youth. Be a mother! Teach through word and example.

As you can see, the remarks were very candid and straightforward, but full of love and kindness.It was a great meeting and I had forgotten how much I LOVE these firesides.

(I am finally out of my church clothes and it feels wonderful. I've been dressed up since 10am. Church was great and it felt good to connect with everyone. The sacrament speakers were very good and I felt the spirit. I was asked to stay in the chapel and help the primary with their program practice. I loved it. I am heartsick that I will miss the program next week. So I was glad I got to see it while they practiced today. RS was good too. We came home and I popped dinner in the oven and Christine went to her presidency meeting. She got home and we ate in a jiffy because then she was back to the church for Sing Noel practice. It is our stake's big Christmas program for the community that we do in December. She sings in the YW choir. Then we met her at the Standards fireside. Whew. What a day. It was long but filled with a great spirit and feeling. Shaun taught his primary boys before they went to Deacon's quorum. None of them are in the program this year. And he had friends over to watch the baseball game. When we got back from the fireside, they were eating all the leftovers. There went our dinner for tomorrow, but it is always a good feeling to see them having a good time together and I'm glad they enjoyed the food.)

Saturday Schedule

I finally got into bed around 1am after our Disneyland night. I sat straight up in bed at 7:11am with my mind ready to go for the day. I looked over at Duff, who by some miracle was still asleep (he is usually a very early riser), and it didn't take much to talk myself into laying back down and quickly returning to the land of slumber! Next thing I remember was waking up and it was 9 o'clock! Dang, now I'm racing against the clock! Too much to do.

I brushed my teeth, threw some clothes on and went to the church to update all the vt information. The RS president needs several reports in multiple copies for a meeting once a month and this Sunday was that meeting. Our bishop is really going after those who need strengthening and fellowship and so the organization heads and those with stewardship in a HT and VT capacity are part of this effort. I've served in several leadership callings and this angle is not one I've been a part of before. I think it's a great thing. We just had VT interviews last month and made quite a few changes as a result of those, so there was a lot to do. As I've mentioned before, you cannot do this from a home computer. It has to be done on the MLS system at the church and it is a very different program than what one is used to on a home computer. So off I went.

Then made a couple of VT deliveries and home to shower and divide and conquer. Christine wanted to go to the mall with some friends. We have very strict rules about that. So Duff went with her to 'chaperone' for the 90 minutes that she could be there and I went and did the weekly grocery shopping. HOLY COW! Groceries have shot up. I was driving home and thought 'good gracious. We have got to make some adjustments here!' At least a small portion was for food storage. I could feel a little better knowing that.

I got a very exciting text message from my cousin, Roberta, in Idaho. They are in the middle of the potato harvest and she got a big bag of 'fresh out of the ground' taters and she is sending them to us via her son, Cameron, who is in the SLake area. I will be able to pick them up on Thursday night. Ohhhhhhhhhh. Guess what we're going to be eating for dinner that night! Can you just smell and taste that through cyber space????? THANKS, Berta and fam! Click on her name and go read all her lessons on the potato harvest. I had no idea....

Put it all away and then got ready for Erin's wedding reception. It was in Doug and Linda's backyard, which is amazing. Erin was gorgeous. The whole thing was done in very good taste and very timeless and classy. Simply stated and very elegant. Dinner was good and we saw many friends from the MLake ward that we haven't been able to visit with in a while. When we first moved here we were all in the same ward and as the area has grown they just kept dividing so none of us have moved, just the boundaries have changed. Nice reunions! And of course, we got to spend more time with Meredith and her family.

Home and tidied things up. Flipped through the tv channels and Dan In Real Life was on. Oh, we had several good laughs!

Busy day, but a good one, and I'm sure we'll all sleep very well. Nighty, night!

"Frightful" Friday--Not!

Meredith got into town on Thursday midday. She is here for her cousin, Erin's, wedding on Saturday. They had the shower on Thursday night. It was a recipe shower. Everyone had to bring a dish in the different categories of appetizer, beverage, main dish, breads, desserts, etc. Mere made her cowboy cookie recipe for the dessert category. Then they had Erin's fiance come in and taste test everything and choose a winner for each part. Meredith won 1t place in the cookie division! Everyone had to submit their recipes before the shower and the hostesses put a recipe book together for all the guests, since everybody got to sample all the dishes. I thought that was pretty cool. ---Anyway, she surprised Christine yesterday and picked her up at the school and they took J.T. and went straight to Disneyland. Her sis, Megan, and Duff and I joined them in the evening.
Here are Megan, J.T., Mere, and Christine in front of the giant Mickey jack-o-lantern. You cannot believe the decorations and flowers! I would love a Disneyland yard! All the flowers are some shade of yellow and orange, sometimes with some purple mixed in. So autumnal and Halloweenish.

We ate dinner in Tomorrowland. All of a sudden the stage came up, the lights went on, and a very young version of Elvis performed. Now, I am not an Elvis fan per se. But I have to say, this guy was amazing! l-r: Megan, Christine, Meredith, and J.T.

Guess I caught them both by surprise since they both have their eyes shut. This is on Pirates of the Caribbean right before you go down the first big drop.
A scarecrow along the path to the Haunted Mansion, which was our last ride for the night!

I took a picture of the Mansion, but with all the people around and not the same lighting, it didn't turn out like this one off the internet, so I'll use this one instead. But it really does look like this and it is soooooooo fun! There is nothing like the Haunted Mansion in the fall.

There were so many people from Utah. We kept seeing car after car with a Utah license plate in the Mickey and Friends parking structure. And lots of people with either Y or U tshirts on. Then it dawned on me: Oh, yeah. UEA long weekend. Of course!

Right after dinner, J.T. was desperate to go on the Matterhorn. The line was not bad at all, about 20 minutes is all. Duff wasn't doing too well after. He got motion sick. So he ended up going home about an hour later, and I stayed with the others and we closed the place down. We had a great vantage point for the fireworks show. Right at the canal for the Storybook Boats. Even now, when Tinkerbell flies through the sky it thrills me!

Duff is still licking his wounds from the stinging BYU loss on Thursday. He had his yearly eye appointment. His vision stayed the same in the left eye, and only a slight change/loss in the right. New glasses are on the way! I've been doing little things that when added together are huge. It seems like a wedding has loomed either on the forefront or right beneath the surface for the last two years and there is so much I have ignored and just let go and it feels sooooo good to finally get to those things in a normal manner again. Christmas lists and shopping are coming along, and I hope to be done in about 2-3 weeks. I have NEVER done that before and it feels magnificent. I hope to be able to really enjoy and focus on the 'reason for the season'. Wish me luck!

~More Input Needed~

Moving on to another room and additional advice:

I am now working on all of our movies. I have slowly been replacing our favorite VHS with DVD's. Next question: what do I do with all of the old VHS movies? They take up so much space and really aren't practical anymore.

Help!

Yellow Shirt Update----

It went well. On another related note: In one of her classes, the days discussion was on current events (ie: political issues). The teacher happened to pick Prop. 8. She gave a 'review' and then asked for 5 volunteers to give their views. (Yes, this is 8th grade middle school) Christine raised her hand and was the last one chosen. So she got to give the closing viewpoint. From what we hear she gave a rousing pro opinion to the proposition. At the end she talked about how intolerant the con supporters are being to the pro supporters. Kind of ironic that they keep crying out for tolerance and yet are being most intolerant using vandalism, etc. in their anger. We have not had any of the backlash personally, but some of our neighbors have and other friends as well. Signs being stolen, destroyed and left in yards, cars vandalized that have Yes on Prop.8 stickers on them, etc.

Christine got a lot of applause when she finished. There is a part of me as her mother that just HATES that this is the world she faces at 13 years old. Yes, there is a part of me that still wants to be a pollyanna. I like rose-colored glasses! Actually I wish the world could be rose-colored! And then there is another part of me that KNOWS the most valiant and strong spirits were saved to come now. I'm very proud of her for standing up yesterday.

The Magic Took A Time Out!

Oh, my BYU Cougars! The magic just wasn't there tonight. A sad loss to TCU. Wow, were they good! It was 90* outside today, but I had the air on and chilled the house so we could enjoy a big pot of chili and even made some BYU mint brownies to celebrate the win. Well, we ended up eating them for consolation instead.

But I'll share the recipe here with you , because whether it's a win or a loss, these are awesome!

BYU MINT BROWNIES

1 cup margarine

1/2 cup cocoa

2 Tbsp. honey

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

12 oz. chocolate frosting

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Mix in nuts. Bake in greased 9 X 13 pan at 350* for 25 minutes. Cool.

MINT LAYER

5 Tbsp. margarine, softened

dash of salt

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. mint extract

1-3 drops of green food coloring

3 Tbsp. milk

Mix margarine, salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the consistency is a little thinner than frosting. Spread evenly on top of the brownies and put in the freezer until it stiffens. Remove and carefully frost with the chocolate frosting. Cut and serve.

( Busy day. Got clean sheets on Christine's bed, vacuumed her room really well, turned over the mattress, did 6 loads of laundry, got some more Halloween decorations out, dinner, watered all the pots, did visiting teaching calls, put wedding ribbon away. Duff picked tomatoes off of two more plants and pulled them up. We have one plant left that is producing still and we will eek out all we can from it.)

Bookcase Done

I appreciate everyone's input on my book dilemna. Can you believe that this entire thing was full to the brim with books! Here's what I did:

~~Every book that had a child's name in it or I knew was their's I made a pile for. This took care of quite a few!

~~All the damaged books with binding problems, back or front cover missing (!), I threw away.

~~I made a pile of darling books still in great condition to take to the church nursery.

~~Another pile is going to one of the local preschools.

~~A box is going to the cabin. These were mostly classic collections, like Nancy Drew, Dr. Seuss, etc. They will be good for sitting on the decks or in the window seats to have a good read.

~~I tossed all the elementary obsolete books. (I went through a 'freak out' period in the late 80's when I thought the end of the world would be in 2000 and I acquired all the obsolete books from the elementary school so I could home school my kids. Sorry.)

~~And then I kept the favorites that were only in tip-top condition. I found among them some OLD books of mine from when I was a little girl. It thrilled me so much, that it helped me make the decisions I did. These along with the faves I packed in a box that I will put away in the garage for 'another day'.

Wow. What a good feeling. It was actually kind of 'liberating' to make the piles, assign them a place and throw the others in the trash can! And now the bookcase looks like it belongs in a young teenage girl's bedroom!

Yellow?

Christine and her church friends have been getting 'flack' at school about Prop. 8 and the upcoming election. I grew up in good ole liberal socal too, but honestly the stuff I had to support/defend is nothing compared to what she faces on a daily basis. She is a normal teenager by all definitions--can be a little mouthy, grouchy, starting to have 'crushes', messy room, etc. but she is also very strong in her convictions. She and her friends talked and decided to all wear yellow today in a show of support for Prop. 8 to the other students at the middle school. Yellow is one of the main colors in pro prop 8 literature/stickers/signs. She has conversations daily with other friends defending and explaining the proposition. I never had to do that in 8th grade!

Can you believe that we don't have ONE piece of yellow clothing in this house? Not one! (Oh, that's not entirely true. She has a white dress with yellow flowers on it, but she was NOT going to wear a dress.) This came as a surprise to all of us. Not even her dad or brother had a yellow tshirt she could wear. Wow. I love yellow. So much so that quite a bit of the interior of my house is painted yellow. So she had to go with yellow accessories.

Guess we ought to pick up a few tshirts of an array of colors! I pray for her everyday that she will continue to be strong. She is such a good girl. Good Luck today, Christine!

What To Do?

I need some input.

I am cleaning out rooms, closets, drawers, etc. Purging, straightening, cleaning. I don't know what it is about fall that makes me do this, but every year at this time I get itchy to do it. It makes me feel good.

Okay, here is my dilemma: Christine has a tall bookcase in her room. It has been the bookcase for years for all the 'family books'. All the little Golden books, Dr. Suess books, Magic Treehouse, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Goosebumps, etc. and now she has been cramming her library in it. So I've decided to make it truly hers now.

So what do I do with all the books? I have already packed away the Nancy Drew, MTreehouse, Goosebumps, Hardy Boys for the cabin. I don't have any grandchildren -yet- but looking toward that time should I pack them all away? give them away? throw them away? donate? and just get new when the babies arrive?

Let me hear from you grandma's out there and you mother's who bring your children to grandma's. What works for you? How do you set it up? etc.

Thanks, and hurry! I have books all over the place waiting for me to figure it out!

~Windies~

It's that time of year again. October brings the Santa Ana winds, or what Miguel our gardner affectionately calls them : the windies! Hot, dry, wind/air from the deserts that convinces one that surely the end of the world is about to arrive. That suffocating, dry, headache producing air and wind. Sunday night was true to form. When we got up on Monday, here was a large portion of one of our precious Liquid Ambers on the ground. At least this time it didn't land on one of our neighbors cars like it did last year!
Miguel and his crew got all the trees trimmed at the other end of the block last week and were going to start on our end this week. Oops! for us. You can also see a palm frond from someone elses yard up the street made it's way and got tangled in with ours. Oh, this makes me so sad, because the 'color' these trees give is amazing in the fall.

It came from this tree. Oh well. They grow fast! Part of the problem I guess! Several fires are raging again this year, but none close to us this time, thank goodness. However, more santa anas are predicted for this weekend and you never know!

Prop 8

We've been working hard on Prop. 8 for the upcoming election. We worked so hard several years ago the first time around. Walking the neighborhoods was a real eye opener and a great learning experience. It is a wonderful thing to talk to your neighbors about the importance of protecting marriage. The conference talks on this subject were plain and clear.

Meredith's dad was asked to do this commercial. http://www.protectmarriage.com/ (Click on News and Media and then video. There are two: the utube on the top and the other done in 9/29/08.) He did a great job. It has brought it's share of controversy. The personal attacks on him have been nasty, even to the point of jeopardizing his employment who gave him their blessing before he made it. That is how highly charged this campaign is.

3 weeks and 1 day to go.

"Do What Is Right"

I was watching general conference again this morning while Duff was taking the kids to the airport. The choir sang the hymn Do What Is Right in-between speakers. I love this song. I learned something from this song that helped my testimony when I was a little girl.

It was Sunday, June 2, 1968. My dad's side of the family met regularly on the 1st Sunday of each month for a Family Meeting. It was fast Sunday so in those days we went to church in the morning and had Sunday School and Fast and Testimony meeting right after. Usually we had SS and then went home and came back for Sacrament meeting in the evening. But on fast Sunday we had the whole rest of the day uninterrupted. On this particular Sunday, we met in Monterey Park at my dad's aunt and uncle's home. They had a pool in their backyard and we LOVED to swim there. It was a warm day and so the 'younger' kids got to go swimming while the adults had the meeting and visited. It was a great day!

We drove home and I remember that it was dark and late. We pulled into the driveway and garage. We 3 kids had fallen asleep on the ride home. We came into the house quietly and went to our rooms to get ready for bed. They were ransacked! Our home had been broken into and we were robbed! If you have never experienced this, let me tell you that it is AWFUL! It is such a violating feeling to have your drawers dumped on the floor, items hanging out of your closets, etc. My dad called the police right away. Our late night became very late as the police came and investigated everything and took our statements and pictures. I remember shaking and shaking. It must have been shock. I remember going outside in the back yard with my dad and one of the policemen. Our next door neighbor was out on their patio, apparently concerned with what was happening at our house. My dad said hello and waved. He waved back and went in through the sliding door. We later learned that he wasn't the neighbor at all! It was most likely the burglar because our neighbors were out of town and when they got back their home had been robbed as well and it appeared that the burglar slept in one of their beds! The nerve! We cleaned things up and went to bed, but didn't sleep much.

My dad's gun was missing. A few days later, Robert Kennedy was shot and killed with the same kind of gun that was stolen from our house. We spent a few days with a lot of anxiety until the serial numbers didn't match up. Whew......

The next day, Monday, I was practicing the piano. I liked to play the church hymns and pretend I was the organist/pianist and was accompanying in church. Oh, childhood fantasies! That is the farthest of dreams for me now. I turned to the hymn, Do What Is Right, and played it over and over. The message sank into my heart as I was still trying to come to terms with our break-in. Even though we had gone to church, we had not kept the Sabbath Day holy. We had gone swimming without any thought or regard to keeping the sabbath. ".....let the consequence follow". Now, I understand that our break-in probably had nothing to do us kids swimming (but you never know...), BUT it pierced my heart with the importance of doing what is right in all circumstances.

And I've never forgotten that experience.

LIQUID GOLD

One more project completed! Yes, there was one more. When at the grocery store, I happened on to the very last of the raspberries. They needed to move them quickly and the price for a flat was one I couldn't pass up. Besides, we only had 2 jars left to get us to next summer. SOoooo....

Here is the pure liquid gold of smashed raspberries. Oh, can you just smell and taste it?

We were just shy on the last batch, so we mixed some fresh peaches with it. If you've never had raspberry/peach jam you really need to try it!

Here is the finished product. 24 1/2 pints. That will see us through next summer! We love it on toast, rolls, ice cream, pancakes and waffles, you name it!

Rah! Rah!

Well, I am a true fan after all! Hahaha! We bundled up and headed for Provo despite driving down in snow flurries. By the time we got to Provo, it was just cloudy and COLD. Good decision! Natalie and Robert sat in our seats with us and Josh and Meredith got to go to the tent with us. Since Mere had never been, Duff thought it was the fair way to split up the perks.

Players celebrating one of the touchdowns. We won 21-3, but it took the whole game to do it. No blow-out this time. A few scarry moments when we couldn't generate any offense, but kudos to the defense who kept New Mexico to only a field goal.

Meredith and Josh freezing their little patooties off!

Duff and I at the bitter end. Yes, it was very cold!

I don't know why, but I always like to get a shot of the scoreboard after. This one was mostly to show how cloudy, windy and cold it was. Brrrr.... But NO rain or snow for the entire game. Yippee!

The drive home seemed long, but we finally warmed up. I got ready for bed and into some pj's and cozied up on the couch with a quilt. The next thing I knew, Meredith was gently waking me up to show me her 'project'. She stayed up until 11:40 pm sewing her heart out so she could finish her goal of where she wanted to be before they go home tomorrow morning! Bed, here I come.

SNOW-- Here We Go!

Oh boy. We woke up to the white stuff this morning! I am conflicted: part of me wants to just stay here hunkered down with hot chocolate and watch the game on tv getting to see all the replays and listen to the color commentary--but the other part of me wants to weather out the storm down in Provo and 'be true to my school'. But that means freezing and miserable. I'm a loyal Cougar fan, right?

I'll keep you posted!

Projects, Projects!

It has been 'project central' here this week, and they are wrapping up even as we speak!
Natalie and Robert have no kitchen table. They have been sitting on the floor to eat and study. Aunt Jan gave them this table out of her basement. It used to be Mike and Julie's. So it's been 'around'! Nats and Rob sanded the whole thing down (even the leaf) and decided to paint it. The top was pretty banged up and now there is not a mark in it. They have worked really hard and learned a lot. Natalie says she actually enjoyed it, but Robert not so much, I think!

The finished table. It turned out great, don't ya think? The leaf is over drying on a shelf.

Meredith had the great honor of 'christening' the new sewing machine today. She has been working her little heart out on her special project for Josh's Christmas present. She hasn't had much sewing experience, but is picking it up quickly and doing a really good job! I'd love to show you a picture of what she's working on because it is so dang cute, but that will have to wait until after the holidays so it can stay a surprise. She has been sewing for almost 8 hours. She is DETERMINED to be at a certain stage before she has to go home.

And of course, the puzzles are finally finished. I think I'll leave them up on the small table. They took a lot of work. Item to note: the fall picture was way too HARD. We won't get that brand again. But the winter one is a Charles Wysocki (who I love anyway) and it is challenging, but not discouraging.

And glory be! I finished ALL of my cross-stitch pillow covers for Christmas gifts this evening. I am thrilled. I have them all lined up on the piano bench just so I can look at them in the morning and feel really good about crossing them off my list. Well, and also so I can admire how cute they are!