NUMB3R5

Did you know there are 34 people in my family?

2 parents
6 kids
6 spouses
20 grandchildren

Did you also know that I am 34 years old this year?

Did you know that Mark and I were friends for 5 years before we dated and got engaged?

Did you know that we’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary this December?

Did you know that Baskin Robbins boasts of 31 flavors?

Did you know that Mark’s family has 20 people?

2 parents
4 kids
4 spouses
10 grandchildren

Did you know that I have no idea how many first cousins I have on my Dad’s side of the family? I think it’s 30 something. If I bumped into one of my cousins at Temple Square in SLC, I don’t know if we’d recognize each other.

Did you know that I only have 1 Aunt and 1 cousin on my Mom’s side?

Did you know that I was 14 when I became a “woman”?

Did you know that I was 24 when I got married?

Did you know that I have 2 sets of shampoo/conditioner that I rotate depending on the day of the week?

Did you know that I spend over 300 minutes driving to and from Detroit every week?

Did you know that the price of gas and groceries is making my checkbook look like this…0000000000?

Did you know that I have 2 children born 21 months apart?

Did you know that Maryn has 2 missing teeth right now?

Did you know that Avery is now 2 inches taller than Maryn?

Did you know that I only went on 3 dates in high school?

Did you know that Mark has been in school for over 22 years of his life?

Did you know that I changed my major 2 times?

Did you know that my wedding ring has 5 diamonds?

Did you know that I served in 4 cities in the Czech Republic on my mission?

Did you know that I helped to convert 4 people on my mission, and they were all women?

Did you know that a half-marathon is 13.1 miles?

Did you know that I have a Visiting Teaching appointment tonight at 7?

Did you know that I have 30 registered blog readers?

And 1 of them is you!!

I Heart RS

Do you remember last year when we all got blown away by Sister Julie B. Beck? When she laid the “smack-down” on us, the sisters of the Relief Society? I do. It was a powerful talk and has remained one of my faves throughout this past year.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from her talk, “What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable” at last year’s Broadcast:

“Knowing and defending the divine roles of women is so important in a world where women are bombarded with false messages about their identity. Popular media figures on the radio and television set themselves up as authorities and spokespersons for women. While these media messages may contain elements of truth, most preach a gospel of individual fulfillment and self-worship, often misleading women regarding their true identity and worth. These voices offer a counterfeit happiness, and as a result, many women are miserable, lonely, and confused.”

“The only place Latter-day Saint women will learn the whole and complete truth about their indispensable role in the plan of happiness is in this Church and its doctrine. We know that in the great premortal conflict we sided with our Savior, Jesus Christ, to preserve our potential to belong to eternal families. We know we are daughters of God, and we know what we are to do. Women find true happiness when they understand and delight in their unique role within the plan of salvation. The things women can and should do very best are championed and taught without apology here. (…)”

“Because families are eternal, we cannot afford to be casual or complacent about those relationships. Much of the great work of this society in the past has been centered in helping Latter-day Saint women strengthen families, with emphasis on improving our nurturing skills—homemaking skills, parenting skills, and marriage skills. Families mean work, but they are our great work—and we are not afraid of work. This is what we do best; no one does families better than the sisters of this Relief Society. We uphold, nourish, and protect them.”

“Notwithstanding the important relief efforts of the past, the greatest and most important work for the women of this Church still lies ahead. The earth must be prepared to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must help with this preparation in the midst of wars, turmoil, natural calamities, and an increase of evil. There has not been a time in the history of the world when a full-scale relief effort was more needed. Because we are disciples of Jesus Christ and we have made covenants with Him, we are already committed by covenant to participate in that relief effort.”

“Every leader knows that families are being hit hard by the storms of this world, storms such as addictions, debt, unfaithfulness, and disobedience. The Savior saw our day as “the beginning of sorrows,” when many would be deceived. He told of wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences. This describes the world we live in today, and it is essential that the women of this Church take hold of their responsibility to be prepared in all things.”

Hope you enjoy the session this year…I know I’m hoping to.

2 Good 2 B True?

You know that thing that Dr. Evil does when he's intrigued at the thought of something...raising a backward pinky to his puckered lips, raising an eyebrow, and emoting.

That's what I did when I saw today's post over at Make-n-Takes.

Behold the possibilities:




Chocolate Cake in a Mug in the Microwave in 5 Minutes (Seriously???Can it be true?!?)

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Instructions:

Mix flour, sugar and cocoa:
Spoon in 1 egg
Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug
Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!

I think a little homemade frosting or even the can kind sounds delish with this. I think you know what me and the girls will be whipping up for dessert tonight.

Crossing fingers...will report.

Platapoos Out.

*Update: We made these little babies last night and they were good. Kinda chewy and dense though. We used regular flour, and I bet the cake flour would make it fluffier. It was really rich. We split 2 mugs worth 4 ways. I also made a chocolate butter-cream frosting and the girls added sprinkles. It's definitely a fun way to get the kids cooking in the kitchen!! And don't worry, it looks like it's going to overflow in the microwave, but it doesn't. And it pops right out of the mug, no need to spray or grease. Saweet!

Tag...Remember These?

Been awhile. This one's from J. Vos.

I am Suzanne Marie Day Brown.
I miss girl’s camp.
I think about where we will be in the next five years.
I love Fall/Autumn.
I know how to make people laugh.
I want QDoba for dinner every night.
I have too much guilt.
I wish that money grew on trees.
I hate insensitive, crazy drivers.
I am scared of my kids being kidnapped or prey to CM’s.
I feel it all, I feel it all…the wings are wide, the wings are wide…(Feist!)
I hear the clickety-clack and hackity-hack of my boss, whose cube is just over the wall from mine.
I smell something funky coming from the office kitchen area.
I don't always remember birthdays.
I wonder who our next President will be.
I care about the environment and global warming.
I am not afraid of having to move again, if it happens.
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when I am alone, I believe in God even though I cannot see Him (this was a quote that hung on a corkboard in our laundry room growing up).
I dance like a child of the 80’s.
I sing off-key on purpose just to get a laugh out of my kids.
I write technical documents, and blog posts, lots and lots of blog posts.
I win at Tic-Tac-Toe with Avery...not as much as I used to though.
I lose at Apple to Apples…mine never gets picked.
I never want my kids to grow up, even though I know they have to.
I listen to the River, 93.9 lately.
I can be found at cube 6W-2525, or in my van commuting, or in the kitchen, but not enough in my bed or on the couch.
I read all day, most days.
I am happy most of the time, but mostly when I am with the ones I love.
I tag anyone.

I said a “Boom-Chicka-Boom”!! (now you repeat)

So this weekend, I took a serious walk down memory lane. It was so monumental, I just have to share. These pictures may look like nothing more than a bunch of broken down cabins and overgrown nature to some of you, but for me and my peeps, they are history...deep, meaningful, and important memories of our lives together. You see, girl’s camp is kinda sacred for me. Many of my happiest and important memories from my youth happened there. I was lucky enough to have attended all four of my years at the same campground…back then it was called “Waterloo” Recreation Area. Now it’s changed hands a few times, and is called “Cedar Lake Outdoor Center". The name may have changed but the place was like walking back in time. Very few things have changed and it even smelled exactly like I remembered it. Join me for a walk down memory lane with my bestest friends of all time: Becky (Ursem) Yawney, Sheila (Fisher) Southerland, and Casey (Hicks) Clark.

(from left: Sheila, me, Casey, and Becky)

I met these girls (except Casey) when I was 12. In this cabin. Becky asked us to cut her hair. It took Sister Freeman hours to even it back out. Her Mom was not happy when she got home with short hair.

Our 2nd year, we met up again in these cabins. Sheila asked if I remembered being pen-pals after camp ended this year. I did. I also remembered that she bore her testimony 7 times that year.

(The picture below is the trail that led up to the 2nd year cabins. We remembered being so scared when we had to walk it in the dark that we'd sprint from the Lodge all the way up this trail, and feeling like our lungs would collapse because it was sooo far. After walking it yesterday, I was amazed at how short it actually was.)

Our 3rd year we went back to the cabins we were in our 1st year. I told the puppy dog story at this very campfire circle. It made me famous. When we saw this campfire circle, Becky pointed and said, “That’s where you told us about the puppy.” And we all laughed.

Our 4th year, we stayed in this cabin. We were Adventurers. It was a big deal…WE were a big deal. Becky said this was her favorite year. She said important things happened in this cabin that year, and had to get a peek inside.

We wandered down to the lakefront. “Do you remember the year we made a mud pit right over there and had mud wrestling?” (If that doesn’t give you an idea about how fun girls camp was for us, I don’t know what will.)

We wandered back up the trail towards the Lodge, where we sat and talked some more. We talked about leaders we had (Sister Freeman, Sister Black, Sister Mendenhall, etc.), friends we had (the Swanson sisters, Emily Cook, Lana, Heather G, and the Stamper girls), how they affected us then, how we remember them now, where they are at. We remembered the craft cabin, first aid classes, getting lost on pretty much every hike we went on, and camp songs!! Stan, Stan the lavatory man, Waddlay-Achay, the song about petting my cat named Grace (a bit controversial), and ESPECIALLY leading the group in rousing renditions of “Boom-Chicka-Boom” right where we were sitting.

It was such a full-circle moment for me. Here I was with these women I love, at this place that brought us together (and we’re still together!!), and we have these wonderful lives and have grown into such amazing women each in our own way (if I do say so myself). I wonder if our leaders knew the potential that we had back then. Or if WE did. If I could tell those girls we were then (at 12 years old…we were babies!!) that 22 years later, they would still be friends, and would return to the same cabins one Sunday afternoon (kids, husbands, and lives on hold for a few precious hours), I don’t know if I would’ve believed it. And I still kinda don’t believe it. It was surreal. And awesome, and I relished every moment of it.

Thanks for a fun weekend Becky, Sheila, and Casey! And let’s KIT this summer! Stay sweet and cool! Peace Out! (or as my daughter Maryn would say, Platypus Out!)

Your Love is Better Than Chocolate

(10 points to whoever can name the singer of this tune…one of my favorite songs of all time.)

I just had a “Whatchamacallit” candy bar. It seems rather an odd sort of craving, doesn’t it? I can’t tell you the last time I had one, or even if I’ve ever had the distinct inclination to buy one. I don’t think it’s ever happened. But there was a reason for it today, and it seems kind of strange, but I thought I’d share it with you anyway. You see, the “Whatchamacallit” is the favorite candy bar of Alex Murphy. Some of you may know who Alex is, others may not. Alex is the grown up daughter of my visiting teacher and friend, Teresa. And she is so cute, and spunky, and makes me laugh almost every time I talk to her, or Teresa tells me stories about her. She was our ward chorister for a long time before she went off to BYU-Idaho and I always loved watching her lead the music, mostly because I was always interested to see what daring outfit she had chosen for the day. (Did I mention she is really spunky?) She is always full of color and light. (I kind of half designated Alex as a girl that if given the opportunity, I might arrange a date with my equally darling and spunky nephew, Collin. Alas, he is on a mission for two years and kind of out-of-the-dating-scene.) Well. Like I already mentioned Alex went off to BYU-Idaho in January of this past year. It was her first semester of college and her first time flying the coop. She had a great time, and while she was there…mere weeks, or maybe months after getting there, she did what many young Mormon girls do when offered a plentiful smorgasbord of RM’s to date…she got engaged! And her wedding is set for December of this year. Whewee, right? I think Teresa is slowly coming to grips with the fact that her first-born is actually getting married, and is now furiously trying to assist and plan with preparations. And I have to admit, I’m quite fascinated with the whole thing. When I found out that she was engaged, I was thrilled and delighted for her (albeit a little disappointed for my nephew Collin). And I loved hearing the details of how it all played out. Well, my wonderful visiting teacher Teresa graced me with her presence last night, and I got another slice of voyeuristic romance through the latest goings on of the “Alex and Lawson” engagement story. So I hope they don’t kill me for sharing this (I doubt they would), but I couldn’t help but just get all those giddy butterfly-ish feelings when I remembered what “young and engaged love” felt like. Anyway, this is the story:

Apparently when the semester at BYUI ended, they agreed to both go home and work and save lots of money and prepare for their wedding in December. (They said their goodbyes in July…that’s over 5 months of apart-ness.) They had planned a rendezvous at the halfway point…the beginning of October. And pretty much that’s what they’ve been living for ever since. Alex is so smitten. It’s all she can think and talk about. It occupies her every breath, it seems. If you are on Facebook, and she is your friend you will see that Lawson is about every other word and her profile is loaded with sweet love notes and other momentos of his affection for her. It’s so cute, it’s sickening. Anyway, she’s been a trooper to hear her Mom and Dad talk about it. But the thing is, her Mom and Dad are really cool, and hip, and totally in love themselves. And they remember what it was like when they were young and engaged, and how being apart felt like you were dying a slow, tragic death. I guess Alex was having a little talk time with her Daddy a few weeks ago, and trying to put on a brave face. The conversation went something like this, (insert heavy sigh) “oh, Daddy, I miss him soooooo much. I just don’t know if I can go on like this. I love him sooooooo much.” And her Daddy, being her “Daddy” melted, and on the sly, he devised a plan to reunite his love-sick daughter and her far-away prince. He bought a plane ticket and made arrangements with his future son-in-law. He exclaimed to his wife after making the purchase, “I just can’t stand it anymore!” Isn’t that adorable? Then he called Alex’s boss to get the day off work for her. So the whole thing went down yesterday. I guess Alex was at work when Lawson’s plane landed in Detroit, and he was met by Teresa, Darrin, and Lauren. (The little brothers were not told about the plan, because well, they’re little brothers and surely would’ve foiled the whole thing.) They met for the first time and hugged and drove him back to their home. After visiting for awhile, Dad suggested they go do something nice for Alex while they waited for her to get off of work. (She still didn’t know he was there.) Lawson picked up a Whatchamacallit (her favorite) and placed it on her dashboard, along with vacuuming and washing her car. I guess when she got in her car at the end of the day and saw it, she thought of him and how he was the only one who knew it was her favorite and thought, “maybe, just maybe, it was from HIM!!” She drove home and walked through the front door, and her charming young groom-to-be turned from the couch and said, “hi honey!” And Teresa said Alex’s mouth dropped, and her eyes filled up with tears, and she could barely squeak out “what are you doing here?!?” as she charged into his arms. And the whole family giggled and squealed with delight. It was just so stinking sweet.

And it is, isn’t it? Just about the sweetest story you’ve ever heard? Doesn’t it just make you swoon? And long and yearn for the days when you were so young and so in love and so obsessed and hopelessly useless to anybody or anything other than HIM? Being apart was tragic. You needed him to “complete” you. HA! I totally remember the days.

It reminded me of a roommate I had at USU (Cindy Robertson…Diane will remember her). She was engaged and she and her fiancée would hide behind the couch to play their shmoopy love games. They’d crouch down so nobody could see them and sit facing one another, touching and caressing each other’s faces. It was disgusting to me, and I (was not dating or engaged at this time) vowed NEVER to act like that when it was me.

And I didn’t, gosh darnit. I don’t think Mark and I ever sat across from each other and caressed each other’s faces during our engagement. (We were too busy doing other things…ahem!! Just kidding!!) But all those same feelings that I know they must have had that caused them to want to do that…well, I could relate. I wanted to be with him 24/7. We lived in different states (Utah/Idaho), and it was grueling. I remember doing irrational things, saying and writing sappy things on the phone or by email…the whole bit. And her “Whatchamacallit” candy bar reminded me that Mark did the same thing…bought me boxes and boxes of Junior Mints every time he saw me, just because he knew they were my favorite. Awww.

Not like things have changed that dramatically from then (10 years ago this year). I guess it just takes seeing it manifested in somebody so young and fresh to be reminded of it. It’s fun to watch and live vicariously. And remember what it was like. If anything, it’s a good way for us to celebrate our own engagement coming up in a couple weeks. (I’ll write the whole sordid tale later.)

So go buy yourself a Whatchamacallit or some Junior Mints or whatever is your favorite, and remember your own sappy love story today. And if you see Alex and Lawson at Church on Sunday, don’t tell ‘em I told you!!

Back Online

Hooray!! Power's back!! Not sure exactly when, but as Mark pulled into the driveway last night, he clicked the opener and the garage door went up. The girls and he started cheering and called me to share the happy news...I was still on my way home. So our stint with pioneer living is over. We have heat, light,working appliances, and most importantly...TV!! We were even able to catch a bit of "The Biggest Loser" last night. Anybody else on board with that show this season? I love it. It helps keep me motivated in my own weight loss/maintenance journey.

Speaking of which, my half-marathon training is going well. "Well" in the sense that I'm on schedule and getting my runs in. If things seem off on my "log your run" sidebar it's because I'm doing things a week behind. When I was sick a couple weeks ago, I didn't do anything and started where I had left off the next week. Now instead of tapering at the end for 3 weeks, I'll just taper for 2. And sometimes I switch up the days I run depending on my schedule at work, etc. So, it's all good. I'm getting it done. Today was a first for me. The 5 milers were taking too long to do at work, so I woke up at 5:30 today to get it done before work!! I NEVER thought I'd see the day that I actually woke up on purpose in the wee hours of the morning to exercise...never!! But the day has come. It wasn't so bad, but a little dark and chilly. If I do it again, I should probably run on a road that has more light. And if you think that's hardcore, listen to this...last Saturday I did my 9 miler in the rain!! Mostly it was just drizzle, but when you're out in it for over an hour and a half, you get pretty soaked. I actually improved my time from the week before because I think I subconsciously just wanted to get the dang thing over with. HA! Whatever works, I guess. This Saturday I have a 10-miler scheduled. I kind of dread it at first, and then when I'm actually doing it I just keep saying to myself, "don't stop, don't stop,..." the whole time. And somehow I get it done. I can't say it's been a load of fun. It's been hard. And I haven't really loved it like I thought I would. But it's one of those things that I just have to do now. I've come this far, and I can't just stop now. What I'm learning more than anything is discipline, perserverance, and pushing the limits. I know that's what I'm doing, and I hope I can keep up with it. Still taking it one mile at a time.