Father's Day Tribute

I am admittedly a mama's boy. I always have been and I most likely always will be. If I ever have a problem or a question she is one of the first people that I call, although things have changed since I've been married, I now go to my beautiful wife first, my mom is still high on the list. All of that is probably due to the fact that until I was 6 I was able to spend every morning with her as she did her errands. She also spent a considerable amount of time as room mother once I was in school. She means the world to me.

But with that said, the older I get the more I appreciate what my Dad has been and done for me. From the time I was very young he was always there for me, even if not vocally. You see, my Dad and I were never buddy buddy like some kids are with their dads (at least how some Father/Son relationships seemed to me) but that's not the kind of guy he is...and in reality, it's not the type of kid I was. I never lacked a Dad when I needed him the most. His opinion always meant so much to me...so much in fact that for most of my childhood I had a shaved head and when I say shaved head I mean SHAVED head. According to my Dad the football players at the high school all shaved their heads and so because my dad wanted me to be a football player so did I.

In fact, I'm probably where I am right now because of my Dad. Sports were something we always had in common and that definitely rubbed off on me. It was with my Dad that I'd sit and watch Cowboys games in the early 90's as they rattled off championship after championship. It was with my Dad that I'd go down to the old Arlington stadium to watch Nolan Ryan pitch. It was my Dad who took me to the church and taught me the principles of basketball and how to actually use the backboard. He wanted me to excel so much and was ALWAYS at my games more so than even my mom (she always had some Relief Society thing to go to). My Dad is my biggest fan and I can't thank him enough for that.

My Mom was always at the forefront of my attention and I only wish I would have noticed my Dad's contribution earlier. Thankfully, I still am pretty young and can make up for all the times he sacrificed for me like the multiple times he hopped into one of my many cars, with and without air conditioning, in the middle of Summer to drive to and from Utah. On this Father's day I wish to honor him for that; For being the best Dad a kid could ever have. He did everything a good father is supposed to do. And now, as I'm closer to being a Father than I ever have been in my life (and no, she's not pregnant), I know that if I'm as good a dad as my own that everything will turn out just fine.

And for the first Father's day ever I'm blessed to have not just one great Dad but two. Our relationship is still just beginning but I couldn't have asked for a better father-in-law than the one that I have. He's just one more great example of what a good Father is supposed to be.

With that said, I want to wish both of my Father's and Father's everywhere a happy Father's day. I can't imagine a world without you (and wouldn't want to anyway).

I'm a Mormon

So to prove that I'm not a complete waste as a contributor to this blog I thought that I would update you all with a little bit of what I've been up to over the last...well, I won't try and quantify how long it's been since the last time I posted something.

There's been a lot but I'll stick to one of the things that has been the most enjoyable to work on. About a month ago, like usual, Beth volunteered me to do a project for her dad who just so happens to be the Young Men's President of their ward. You see, every year they have a tradition of doing a little dinner for all of the graduating seniors where they give their parents the opportunity to say a few words about their son or daughter. That sounds lovely doesn't it? Well Beth's dad and his Bishop had a slightly different idea in mind for this year's dinner. That's where I come in.

You may or may not have seen one of the church's latest publicity campaigns entitled, "I'm a Mormon". Well, it's quite the intriguing little campaign that follows around ever day "normal" people, all of whom are a little more than normal if you ask me, that do a variety of things but all of one thing in common, they're all Mormons. I explain this to you because this is exactly what I had been enlisted to do for the Seniors in the Hillcrest 1st Ward in American Fork.

Overall it was a really fun experience. I followed around Beth's dad as he interviewed all of the Seniors. It was surprisingly really fun being there and learning all of their stories. I had never met any of them but after each 45 minute interview I felt like I had known them for years. I think that mostly had to do with how well my father-in-law did at interviewing them and making them feel comfortably with a camera shoved in their face and a stranger (me) behind it. They all opened up and, although different, each had a compelling story about how their membership in the church has affected their lives.

In the end, and after hours of work sitting at my computer editing, all of the projects turned out brilliantly and the best part is that they all seemed to like it. I think that's pretty impressive seeing how amusing a bunch of 18-year-olds is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Anyway, I guess it's time to stop talking about the project and just show you what it was and let you be the judge.

Enjoy!

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I hope you liked them. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Gimme Some...

So in my goals for the summer

I've decided to start a new blog in which I showcase some of my talents.
But since that is still under construction, I thought I'd showcase it here.

I grew up in a house with a very talented mother/chef/woman.
One of our traditions includes sitting around the table making/cutting/decorating sugar cookies.

Now, since I'm starting a new blog and I want to think of you all as family
I'm sharing a VERY SECRET family recipe.

Aunt Neala's Sugar Cookies
(along with tips for the newest of new bakers)

2 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 Tbs white vinegar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp alt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs baking soda
5 cups flour

I like to save time by gathering all the ingredients at once.
This also cuts back on the repetitious refrigerator door opening.
Start by beating the sugar and shortening until combined and fluffy.
Tip Time: Line your measuring cup with plastic wrap for an easy shortening clean-up.
Add eggs, vinegar, salt and vanilla.
I also like to add a bit of almond extract as well for a little extra taste.
Beat these until combined.
Sift flour and baking soda together in a separate bowl.
Tip Time: I don't have a sifter, so I use a smaller measuring cup and just pour the flour into the correct measuring cup. This adds the appropriate amount of air and fluffiness to the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients... SLOWLY!
I usually add about 1/3 at a time.
Portion the dough off into 3 sections.
Roll out and cut.
Tip Time: For softer cookies, roll to about 1/3 inch thickness.
MAKE SURE all your cookies are the same thickness or they will bake differently.
Bake for 8-10 minutes @ 350.
Cool.
Tip Time: Seriously, these babies are best on day 3.
So I wrap them with a slice of bread to keep them soft and wait a while to frost.
Frost and ENJOY!
Now this spring sunshine is going to cheer up a friend in need!

Make 'em and tell me what you think!

Love much,
Beth

New Graves

BY JOSEPH WALKER
To me, it was all about popularity.

That’s sort of the way my mind worked back in the days of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Brothers Gibb. I liked to listen to popular music. I liked to watch popular TV shows. I liked to wear my hair the way the popular guys wore it. I wanted attention from the popular girls.

It was all about being popular, and the way I saw it, the more flowers on a grave on Memorial Day, the more popular the dearly departed person must have been. And if they were popular, then they must have been cool – or at the very least, groovy – and therefore worthy of significant time and floral attention.

Which meant that Grandma Walker was, sadly, uncool. Or at least, not very popular. She usually had three or four bouquets around her headstone – nice, but not . . . you know . . . groovy.

That surprised me a little. I didn’t have a lot of memories of my Grandma Walker, but the memories I had were pleasant and sweet. She was tiny, I remember that. And she always wore her hair back in a bun. And she was always smiling. She was a wonderful grandma, as far as I could remember.

But, evidently, not cool.

Who knew?

One Memorial Day we were visiting the cemetery when I noticed a grave not far from Grandma’s grave that was literally covered with flowers. I had never seen such a display. I was sure it was the grave of a movie star or a former president or a Mousketeer or something – the person underneath so many flowers had to be supremely popular.

I wandered over to check out the headstone, but there wasn’t one. Obviously, whoever this was, it was someone of such immense popularity that the grave didn’t even need a headstone. I was embarrassed that I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how to find out without revealing my own ignorance. So I asked someone who already knew I was ignorant: Mom.

“Well, I can’t actually tell you who is buried there,” she said. “But I’m pretty sure it isn’t anyone famous. People who are famous don’t get buried here.”

“Then why are there so many flowers?” I asked. “There aren’t any other graves in this cemetery with that many flowers.”

She stopped arranging the lilacs and chrysanthemums she was preparing for Uncle Max’s grave and looked at me gently.

“That’s a new grave,” she said. “Whoever is buried there probably died in the last week or so. All of those flowers you see there are left over from the funeral.”

The thought sort of spooked me. Mom could see it in my eyes, so she put her arm around my shoulder and tried to explain.

“New graves are special,” she said. “They tell us that someone recently made the trip home to God. And they tell us where there is new sorrow for people who have recently lost someone they love. So you can’t do any running and playing around here today. There’s a new grave, and we need to be quiet and respectful.”

Mom’s words are echoing in my mind as I prepare for Memorial Day this year. While I visit her grave to pay my respects to her this weekend, I’ll also be thinking of dozens of new graves in Joplin, Mo., and elsewhere, and the new sorrow those graves represent. And I’ll offer a prayer for God’s comfort and peace for all who are visiting new graves this Memorial Day.

Quietly and respectfully.

Voting....

Alright....

This girl needs a change.

So... I'm counting on my faithful followers.

My WONDERFUL stylist,
aka twin
aka sister
Is moving soon so I need to make a decision about my upcoming hair appointments.

Short?
Long?
Red?
Blonde?
Sorry for the random pictures... Some are super old :)

OK folks...

Help me out!

READY...
Set...
VOTE!

Love much,
Beth

Losing...

I know I haven't blogged in a while
And this post isn't about much...

Just that I've lost 6 pounds.

Amazing what eating healthy can do... right?

Summer Lovin'

I can check off item #1 from my summer list.

Brian and I had a great time babysitting.
We also ended up not killing any of the kids which is a plus.

We got in about midnight so all the kiddos were in bed.
Tommy (10 months) greeted Brian in the morning like this.
Tommy is the sweetest little boy you will ever meet.
He seriously is so loving and doesn't care who is holding him.
As long as he gets fed.
He DEFINITELY likes his food.
Kinda like Brian.
No wonder they got along so well.

The first day we were there, we went with the whole family to Busch Gardens.
Becky (11) and JJ (9)
Brian became the hero at Busch Gardens when he won this GIANT dinosaur during a shooting game.
Which both my dad and brother lost.
So basically after $60... we got this dinosaur for FREE!!!
Don't you love arcade games?

After a wonderful Easter weekend, Brian and I hit up downtown DC.
My brother Joe flew us out a little early so that we could do some touring before we tended the little ones.
The first museum Brian wanted to hit?
National Air and Space Museum.
Brian wanted to read everything and take in all the facts.
Seriously?
I thought his brain was going to explode.

We went through a tour of the Capitol.
We tried several downtown cupcakeries.
We visited basically every museum.
And our favorite?
Well of course...
The Newseum.
Seriously it was awesome!
They have pieces of the Berlin Wall.
And other historic events that were covered and/or influenced by news outlets.
Plus they have this awesome view of downtown.

So after we played, it was time to knuckle down and become parents.
For 3 days.

On day, after getting the 3 oldest girls off to school we took the two boisterous ones to a nearby museum.
Full of boy things.
And as Dallin (2) would say it was was full of "air-pwanes and rockets and miss-os."
LOVE HIM!
And might I say this two are the cutest!
He looks like a Dad already, right?
:)

It was a busy couple of days... THAT'S FOR SURE.
It was a great experience and it was fun to let Brian bond with my nieces and nephews that he doesn't get to see very often.

And what did I learn about tending 5 kids?

I could probably handle one.
Maybe.

But...
Now it's back to the grind of things.
Work. Reading. Blogging.

Love much,
Beth