It may seem silly, but I am grateful for the loving and tender heart of our crazy dog, Chester. He is so full of love and sends it as much as he craves it.
We take him with us on outings whenever possible… he attracts children like flies. It is so much fun to see the joy on the faces of these kids when they come over to pet and love him and he is just as happy to visit with them.
One of our little neighbor boys spent a few loving moments with Chester tonight:
A picture worth a thousand words.
We kicked off the three day weekend hosting a backyard movie on Thursday night. Friday came and went and Saturday too. When someone asked me today what we did for the holiday… I had to think a minute. I couldn’t remember what I did. So, my best guess is – I did a whole lot of nothing.
As Saturday is coming to an end and a lazy Sunday in the near future I am thinking that this was nearly a perfect holiday weekend.
What Chester ate today:
On of our favorite things to do in the summer is sitting in the backyard and enjoying a movie.
Last night was the perfect night for such an event! We invited some family and a few friends and enjoyed treats and Nemo.
It was nice to be able to put the yard into good use again!
On our first trip to the landfill this past weekend, I was disappointed I did not take my camera with me. It never occurred to me that the city dump would provide photo ops.
When we ended up taking a second trip – I quickly grabbed my camera. This is what caught my eye the first trip …
As homeowners, we have made many mistakes. Our list is quite long.
Today, we spent a good portion of the day, trying to fix some of those mistakes… the ones of the the garden variety that is. We have been pulling, cutting and repairing.
The newly exposed dirt uncovered MANY snails and their posterity. We capped the evening off with a thorough salting of the yard.
Tomorrow appears to be filled with just as much fun. On the agenda is pulling, repairing and hauling. Then we will be very close to having a blank canvas to make new mistakes with. I hope we don’t make the same ones.
If only I had a greener thumb!
In preparation for tomorrows Harry Potter Midnight Premier, I was given my usual “less than 24 hours notice” of the need for a costume by my oldest daughter.
When I explained that her job does not pay her enough to buy a new costume and accessories for a one-time-deal she resorted to what she had on hand. She even borrowed a tie from her dad.
Out of the kindness of my heart, and out of self-imposed guilt, I jumped online in search of instructions for homemade wands. I am proud to report that we have successfully put together a Harry Potter ensemble with no money down and zero trips to the local walmart or costume shop.
Stay tuned for the unveiling tomorrow. Here is a sneak peek:
Tonight, Evan suggested we go for a ride. I did not hesitate. I grabbed my camera and a leash for the dog and invited Taylor to join us. (She has been laying around the past few days, feeling under the weather.)
We headed south and then up Provo Canyon. Bridal Veil falls is seldom disappointing.
We then traveled through Midway to Pine Canyon Road. This took us to Guardsman pass and down to Brighton. (I fought off 7 million mosquitoes to get this picture at the summit.)
We saw three moose. (That, of course, made my trip!)
It is such a shame that we take for granted the beauty that is in our own backyard.
I love it when I successfully merge a recipe with my own ideas or personal preferences and create an instant HIT! I don’t attempt this very often and I think I have failed more than I have triumphed. Tonight was an exception to that rule. The best part is, I was able to rid my fridge of leftovers that my family refuses to eat. (I have quickly learned the best way to get rid of leftovers in my household is to recycle them.)
Chicken, Rice and Back Bean Casserole
(The amount of these ingredients may vary and will not alter the recipe. This is my best estimate as to how much I used tonight.)
Heat oven to 375. Place chicken, spices, cilantro, drained beans, and cooked rice in a bowl and mix together. Pour 1/2 of the enchilada sauce in a 9x13 pan. Top with half of the tortillas. (They will overlap.) Put 1/2 of chicken mixture over tortillas and top that with 1/2 of the cheese. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over this layer, top with remaining tortillas followed by the chicken mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream.
That is how long to took go get from this
To this
and back to this
and finally this
all cleaned up and everything.
Final inspection is all that remains…(we’ll see)
One week ago today, the sod project was completed… except for the cleanup. We are still staring at pallets and sod scraps in the gutter.
One the positive side, the grass is greening up beautifully. A few spots causing some concern, but promised to be replaced (perhaps by Halloween) if they don’t bounce back and green up.
My morning started off early. After sleeping in until 6:30 I got up and started preparing my donations for the family BBQ being hosted by my parents.
Later in the morning, my brother called to see if we were in Provo for the parade. After explaining that the parade was a pastime of the past, he informed us that his oldest daughter Rachel would be participating in a 3 vs. 3 soccer tournament in Provo. We promptly grabbed my camera, tossed a few chairs into the truck, leashed up the dog and headed south.
We enjoyed an exciting overtime-sudden death victory,
followed by a championship victory and award ceremony.
A quick stop for ice cream on the way home and then we grabbed the food and headed to the BBQ. A great evening with family – Mom & Dad, Evan’s mother, Eric and Tamra & kids, Uncle Ron & Aunt Julie. Travis, with kids in tow, made it up just in time to polish of the hamburgers and hot dogs.
It was great seeing Travis. I miss the days when we would get together with all of the cousins for holidays, birthdays, and other important events. It is too easy to let go of some of these memorable traditions when our lives become so busy with parenthood and we focus on creating traditions of our own. Perhaps an annual family event is in order. (If any Clinton/Rhea Smith descendant would like to offer some input as to what time of the year, season-wise, this event would best suit their family – please post a comment. I may take it under consideration.)
Kylee and her friends are on their way to Sugarhouse Park for fireworks and they rest of us have been debating on what our next course of action should be.
Last night, Evan and I took my camera out to the Rio Tinto Stadium to figure out what camera settings work best for fireworks. We caught a small pyrotechnics show and a few pictures worth saving. Tonight, after careful deliberation, we have determined that last nights show has met our firework quota and decided to opt out of traffic jams and crowds tonight. We told Taylor that we will do whatever she wanted. Without hesitation, she decided that a movie and popcorn in the comfort of home was what she was in the mood for.
So here I sit, blogging and finishing up Sharing Time while Evan and Tay rattle the windows in the basement.
Happy 4th of July! And may your celebration be just exactly what you want it to be.
(Rio Tinto Fireworks 7/3/09)
Today started off with breakfast at Hagermann’s. All-you-can-eat french toast. Then it was off to the Oquirrh Mountian Temple Open House. It was very crowded and it took a very long time to get through. In my opinion – the “flow” at the Draper Temple Open House was much smoother and more consistent. A very beautiful temple and worth it in spite of the standing around in lines,
The lightening damaged Angel Moroni:
