Spring....please come!

I am so wanting Spring.  I think most of us are.  I went out on Friday and noticed some pretty daffodils growing in my yard.  I grabbed the scissors so fast and made a beautiful little flower arrangement.  Well, not really an arrangement, but a nice bunch of flowers and placed them on my table.  Next morning, woke up to snow.  But the pretty flowers remind me that Spring is right around the corner.

Now, I have been lazy in updating my blog.  I am doing good keeping up with project life and if I ever figure out how to make a picture grid, I will grid up some pictures.  So for now, I am going to do a run down the best I can of some past events through the pictures I put up.  First, Denver.  We went there as a family.  Jeff gave us tickets to Taylor Swift concert and so we flew there for four days, saw Taylor twice and flew home.  These are some fun pictures of our trip.  I need to learn how to do a grid.  Help someone.

I hate pictures of me, but love my honey.  

This was a very fun trip with everyone.  Nice spring break for JJ.  

My Celestial Kingdom

Last night was our Stake's Relief Society Conference.  Of course I was so excited.  The guest speaker was Michael Wilcox.  Wait, is that his first name?  Oh it was so good.  A fun video from ladies in the stake talking about the importance of the temple in their lives and it was so professional. I learned this morning on my walk with Becky that it really was done by a professional who lives in our stake and just did it.  So awesome.  Turned out just perfect.  Anyway, after a long, wonderful talk about going to the temple and making it a place of refuge he ended by explaining what he thought was the Celestial Kingdom.  After much contemplating one night he was basically asking the Lord if he could see the Celestial Kingdom.  What is it like?  It must be beautiful with foilage and flowers, mansions galore.  We know this just by some reading and by going to the temple and learning.  Well, the picture that came to him was that of a beautiful woman with long, silver hair who just happened to be his wife.

He did the best job explaining and it touched everyone there.  The whole night was filled with the best feeling but as he was describing the Celestial Kingdom I totally agreed with his vision.  As he was talking about it I was visioning my family gathered around me all dressed in white and happy and so much love around.  And then I saw my wonderful husband and knew that he was my Celestial Kingdom.  I could be anywhere as long as I had him by my side.  I could live in the worst of conditions or the best of conditions as long as he was there.  He makes my life worth living.  He is my light, my life,  my everything.  I will never be able to express to him how much he makes my everyday living the best.  Life is rough at times and there are challenges we all face, but I truly feel I can face anything as long as "my honey" is with me.  He is my Celestial Kingdom.  Thank you Brother Wilcox for pointing that out to me and reminding me.  I am so very lucky to have Jeff Callor in my life.  He is a "GOOD" man.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

I found this recipe on the cutest blog many months ago.  My sister and I were texting back and forth late one night like we usually do and she said go check this site out.  So I did.  It is Kelly's House from Texas and she just blogs about fun simple things.  Well I found this recipe on that blog and have made it ever since.  Whenever anyone has this bread they always want the recipe.  It is moist and yummy.  I guess it is the cream cheese in it.  It also makes two loaves so you can share with neighbors.  Always like to share.  So here is the recipe and I will post a picture of it when it comes out of the oven.  Oh, and I never add the nuts.  Grew up with a mom who did not like nuts in anything so guess who never puts nuts in anything.  Like mother, like daughters.  Yup, my sister is the same and I am betting my girls will be the same.

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

3/4 cup butter softened
1- 8oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups self rising flour
3-4 medium sized mashed bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tea. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time beating until just blended. Gradually add the flour to the mixture, beating at low speed until just blended. Stir in bananas, nuts and vanilla. Spoon batter into two greased and floured 8x4 loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes. (if it starts getting too brown, put some aluminum foil over the top. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.
Makes 2 loaves. Recipe reprinted with permission.

Travel......

Oh if there was endless money, I would travel the world.  I would take my kids and family and just hit the sky and let go.

When I was younger, I always wanted to be a Flight Attendant.  Everything I did i.e. career paths in school, interest tests, research for jobs, always Flight Attendant was first. That was my dream so I could travel all around.  I almost did when I had finished 2 years of college except that I had a scholarship to Utah State and felt like I could not turn that down in order to go to Miami, Florida and pay like $3,000 for a Flight Attendant school.  Oh I wanted to really bad, but something inside wouldn't let me take that leap.  I had the support of my parents though.  So off to Utah State to graduate in Business Education.  Then a friend of mine decided she was heading off to training to be a Flight Attendant.  We graduated together.  She told me to come along.  Oh I would have........but.........I was in love and about to get married.  So I am not a Flight Attendant, never have been and most likely never will be, but I am going to travel little by little and fill up my map.

I found this map on a travel website and put in the places I have been.  So as I fill them in I am going to update it.  I put in Japan even though I have not been but I am going so just had to include that because I am so excited.  Ok, so let's see if it comes up.

Happy Traveling Everyone!!!!!

Running in the snow......

Waking up on a Saturday morning and going for a run is not always my first choice for a Saturday morning. EXCEPT when there is fresh snow falling from the sky.  Yup, the best time to go for a run.  I guess I should not say "run" in my case.  More a "waddle".  I use to run in my younger and skinnier days, but now I just waddle.  But waddle or run, it doesn't matter when the air is crisp and clean and there is that peaceful feel in the air that a fresh snow storm brings.  So Saturday, that is what I got to do.  I can't make if for long.  I waddled on for about 45 to 50 glorious minutes and enjoyed each one.  I wish I was in a little bit better shape but working on that.  I am always working on that.  I go through the good weeks and then the not so good weeks.  But for the most part I am out there waddling on and on.  Hopefully for many more years.  

Project Life

New years resolutions. Everyone asks and most everyone says LOSING
WEIGHT! I was asked and said my resolution is not to make a resolution to lose weight. Even though I need to I am just going to work on getting in better shape so I can run my mountain in the Spring. So what does this have to do with Project Life? Well everyone needs to set some sort of "better yourself" goal for the new year so I decided I was going to do a picture a day and journal about it. Yup, that is it. So since the first of the year, seven whole days, I have done just that. I think this will be fun because I have always loved to write in journals. So this year I will have a daily journal of my family's life. So excited. Ordered the kit from Becky Higgins, my favorite scrapbooking celebrity. Just love her style and it arrived and Jessica and I had fun going through it and putting it together. So below are some of the pictures I have taken so far!

The whole month of December!!!!!

Ok, this is going to be a very long post.  I am going to try to break it up with pictures.  It seems there is so much to remember and when I get writing I write.  This will be my journal entry so I am going to brag about my kids and really play catch up so it will be long and I am going to pretend no one will read this until I die, just like the 30 other journals I have.  Yes I am a journal writer since the ninth grade and I would fill up a journal a year for a long time.  Since the kids I don't fill one up as fast but still fill them up.  So here goes my long entry.

I am going to try to remember everything.  First, my JJ.  He had a busy December with basketball and soccer, piano and school choir.  I have some video of him so I will have to have Megan help me with that.  He performed with the school choir at Barnes and Noble and also for his school.  He enjoys doing that.  I am glad.  He gets a little shy at times but he does sing.  Grammy and Bapa got to see him when he sang for the school and Meg and Curt came to Barnes and Noble.  It was fun.  Gets us in the mood for Christmas even more.

His soccer is still going.  He had practices on Monday and futsol on Fridays.  It is ok.  He always has fun.   Basketball is on Tuesday and Thursday with games on Saturday.  He is loving playing basketball and it is fun to watch him.  He is like his dad when it comes to sports.  He is a natural.  His basketball team have fun and I love the fact that there is not a lot of pressure to win or be the best or any of that.  It is just very enjoyable.  Jessica says we get intense so I  have to work on that.  I love watching them play and want it to be fun and no pressure.  Parents tend to make sports full of pressure for these young boys and I really don't want that.  I want him to just have fun and if they win, they win.  If not, no big deal.  So it has been fun watching him play his sports.

We have been supporting the Utes as well so that adds to the busy life.  But it is always fun to go to the games.  Jessica is in the Muss along with Curt and Megan.  Curt hasn't made it yet I don't think because he has had class.  Megan has and makes it more fun for Jessica.  There have been times when she has sat down there with all those noisy kids and cheered all by herself.  I admire her for that.

On to Jessica.  She studied so hard and finished up her first semester of college.  She did very well.  I am so happy for her.  It is amazing what she has done this quarter.  Her work is going well.  She works a lot and I know she does a great job.  She has been enjoying her sorority and the activities they have.  We have so enjoyed her and her sweet spirit.  She has been sweet with JJ (most of the time) :) and its just fun to have her around.  Glad she didn't move out.  When she is gone I miss her and don't want her to move out just quite yet.  :)  That's a mom for ya.  She is just such a great example to all of us and such a fun person to be around.  Lights up the room when she walks in and I am just so proud of her and all she has overcome and how she has overcome it.  She is definitely a spiritual giant and very special person.  She will make a great mom someday.  So good with the little ones.  Can't say enough good about my Jessica.

Megan had her graduation for her internship at the U in critical care.  She also got to go where she wanted to work at the Medical ICU at the University of Utah.  The graduation ceremony was great and so many came up to us and told us how wonderful Megan was.  It is a great mommy moment.  Moms need these moments.  I do anyway.  I am just so proud of what she has accomplished and in such a short time.  She is very good at what she does apparently.  The head management of a couple of units came up to us and told us how they so wanted her to work for their unit.  It was nice.  The main person told us she was a keeper.  I knew that.  Megan is kind and compassionate and I know she is a wonderful nurse.  So happy for her.  Now she will work for a couple of months before starting more school.  Never stops I guess.  Glad she likes to learn.  It was fun taking a tour of her unit and see where she works and some of the people she works with.  So interesting and fun.  Great job my nurse.  MICU nurse that is.  :)

Curt took the LSAT and we are waiting on scores for that.  Excited for him.  He is getting his school done and working towards law school.  That is so exciting.  It was so fun having him and Megan here on Christmas.  I sat there watching my son-in-law and silently thanked the Lord for him and his happy way.  He is so good with JJ and my parents and just fits with us.  I love that boy like my very own.  Yup I do.  So glad he is a part of our family and my daughters life.

We had the Christmas Eve family party on the 19th because that is when Lynn got off work.  We had everyone (except for Dixie) for the first time in years.  Once Dean arrived it was just perfect.  I just couldn't believe it.  It was a wonderful afternoon and evening.  I know it was long for some of the little ones but thank you to everyone who made it.  Lynn has been so sick this past summer and fall and still is and it was so good to see him.  We had like 34 people in our little house.  Now Jeff and I want to expand the house  Need another room to fit everyone in.  We just love doing the party and loved having everyone here.

Can't get these to line up.  Dean with Jacob, Jenz and others while Bry plays the guitar.  The rest of us and Jes, Meg, Curt.

Grammy and Bapa were with us for Christmas.  Meg and Curt were too and it was just a lovely Christmas day.  I sound like my mom when I say lovely but it was.  :)  We played games all day and ate and just so fun.  Saturday we headed to Helper to see Gramps and arrived to a full fledge dinner waiting for us.  Aunt Colleen and Gramps had cooked all morning.  It was so nice.  I felt guilty because I usually am the cook and it was weird just sitting down to the meal.  I loved it and it was so nice visiting with Gramps for a couple of days.  Did go to church with Grammy and Bapa so saw them for a few minutes but really just spend the time with Gramps.  I was surprised when I didn't leave.  I told him I was there to visit him.  I will make a trip to Grammy's in a couple of weeks.  I told Grammy how nice it was that they traveled up to see us and come for the holidays.  It really is a wonderful thing.  Love the holidays.


Now we will relax sort of.  Jeff is back to work tomorrow and I have a primary activity on Saturday but this is not a busy sports or piano or school week so that is nice.  I really enjoy this time of year.  2010 is quickly arriving and lots of plans for the year.  It will be an exciting year.  Ok, I think that about does it for this post.  I know I will think of things I missed but I will just have to add.