Boats and planes revisited ***

With two little boys in the house, I've been getting a lot of help answering the door. One might say there is a mad dash when the door bell rings. A neighbor returned a pan a couple of nights ago. Raymond told him, "My daddy is going to doctor school and then he is going to drive boats and airplanes!"

The neighbor and I stared at one another. This was his father's motivation for becoming a doctor? At dinner, I related my story. His father looked at me and said, "What he meant to say was that to get to doctor school we will be riding on boats and airplanes!"

Ahh! That's better! They will be using many means of transportation to arrive on Nevis Island at the end of December so that daddy can go to doctor school.

It looks like they are in for an amazing and beautiful adventure!

I'm already planning my visit! You can, too, by going here.

***You can probably take the ferry and visit the island above from St. Kitt's. Andrew has decided on the newer medical school located on St. Kitt's instead of the school on Nevis. It seems to be a better fit and will only require four semesters in the Carribean with the fifth semester in Portland, Maine before starting clinicals. I'm still planning my visit!

I've been rollin' in the dough . . .

This is not a blog post inviting you to join a pyramid marketing scheme. This post is to invite you to attend the

Relief Society Broadcast and Dinner

at the Mesa East Stake Building. If you do so, you can have one of these rolls that I just spent several hours making. There will also be yummy salads and dessert. Most important, there will be lovely women to socialize with after hearing sweet messages delivered from the heart. Be there tomorrow, Saturday, at 4:45 PM!

Noise level has increased . . .

but so has the love!

Sadie Rae's Day

Grandpa brought Sadie "blue" balloons for her birthday. One of them was in the shape of "3". Blue is her favorite color.

Sadie is a little sweetheart with a soft voice and gentle way. It was a pleasure to share in her special day.

She had a very good time pulling that wrapping paper off of her presents.

Her cousin Julianna was in the house as well. I took several pictures. She's a mover and a shaker. This is the only one that was not blurry. She lowered her head before I pushed the button. That's okay. I love this view of her "do".

The other Janae

We enjoyed a delightful visit from nephew Kyle this weekend. He has begun a round of medical school interviews, the first being at the University of Arizona this morning. Doesn't he look grand in his new suit? I'd want him for my doctor! He'll be crisscrossing the country over the next few weeks and I know that he will be finding the best match for his future.

He brought this lovely lady with him who has a lovely name, Janae. We now have to differentiate between Kyle's Janae and my Janae. We loved meeting his new fiancee. It is so fun to be around a newly engaged couple with their abundance of love and awe for one another. Kyle graduates from BYU in December and then we get to go to a wedding! Congrats you two!

(Lowell, I took their pictures under the pomegranate tree just for you!)

(Lynette, the war is on! I made cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting to welcome your son and soon to be DIL. I know it is not as time consuming as the "hedgehogs" that you made for Nate and Nichelle, but I did my best to make some kind of impression!)

A little BYU football story

One of Glen and my first dates was a BYU football game in Cougar Stadium. We have attended games and bowl games over the years. We continue to be fans. Last Saturday we both made sure that the BYU/Oklahoma game was set to record on our DVR list. We didn't want to miss it.

Saturday dawned cloudy and threatening rain with temps in the 70's. We were in heaven and suddenly it was a day to trim and clean outside regardless of the thunderclaps overhead. It made our summer endurance mode truly endurable. It remained an outdoor day for Glen and he was glad to have the DVR in place as he finished up.

When he wanted to begin the game, I begged him to wait just a bit more while I got in a short swim and a shower thereby shutting out his chances of "catching up." I want to let you know that he still loves me even though the DVR shut off at 3 hours just as Max Hall was letting loose with the game winning touchdown pass. What timing!

Yeah BYU!!! Go Blue!!!

Chocolate addiction

This night blooming chocolate plant resides in my backyard. During the night while I sleep, the blooms open so that I might get a whiff of chocolate the next morning as I swim laps. You see, it resides at the end of the lap lane, just waiting for my nose while giving me the courage to go on. I get the smell without the calories.

I challenged Glen sometime back to give up his nightly ice cream habit. I told him that if he could do just that one thing, he would lose some weight. Guess what, he did and he has, some thirty pounds worth (he's also trying to create a new walking habit.)

Last week, I decided to challenge myself. If Sadie can give up her binkies, surely I can give up my chocolate binges. When the peanut M&M's were gone, that was it! I bragged at the office on Tuesday that I had been chocolate free for a week. A day or so later I realize that I lied.

Saturday, after the adult meeting for stake conference, our ward adults met at a home for an ice cream social. Glen and I furnished the chocolate ice cream which we did not eat. I however indulged in a scoop of vanilla with homemade HOT FUDGE sauce and fresh raspberries AND a small one of those condensed milk-chocolate-coconut bar things.

So I guess that come tomorrow, I am officially one week chocolate free. Now my dilemma, do I make brownies to go with the ice cream tonight when we feed the missionaries?!