On the Fifth day of Christmas...

Your true love (me) gave to you:

A Golden Spoon Yogurt!

Leave a comment and Kate will pick the winner, and I'll mail the card to you. (Lurkers are welcome to participate, I would totally comment on a strangers blog if it involved free Golden Spoon, just for the record.)

This one is for California, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

your true love (me) gave to you:

A Christmas Story

A Brother Like That

Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: "It is more blessed to give..."

On the Third Day of Christmas...

your true love (me) gave to  you..

My Favorite Hot Chocolate Recipe

Single Serving:

Heat mug full of milk, then add:

2 heaping tablespoon HERSHEY'S Cocoa

2 heaping tablespoon sugar and 

Dash salt 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

If you want to share:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
Dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups (1 qt.) milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Miniature marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream(optional)
Directions:
1. Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.

2 Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Five 8-oz. servings.

(Or just throw it all into your Cocomotion. )

VARIATIONS: Add one of the following with the vanilla extract:

SPICED COCOA: 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Serve with cinnamon stick, if desired.

MINT COCOA: 1/2 teaspoon mint extract OR 3 tablespoons crushed hard peppermint candy OR 2 to 3 tablespoons white creme de menthe. Serve with peppermint candy stick, if desired.

COCOA AU LAIT: Omit marshmallows or whipped cream. Spoon 2 tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream on top of each cup of cocoa at serving time.

SLIM-TRIM COCOA: Omit sugar. Combine cocoa, salt and water; substitute nonfat milk. Proceed as above. With vanilla, stir in sugar substitute with sweetening equivalence of 1/2 cup sugar.

CANADIAN COCOA: 1/2 teaspoon maple extract

On the Second Day of Christmas

Your true love (me) gave to you...
A Christmas story!

It is my favorite Christmas Story. It it a little long, but it really changed how I look at Christmas.

The Christmas Envelope -By Nancy Gavin It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas -- oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing that he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly. "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached youth league football, baseball, and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year, and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition -- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, their toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown, and someday will expand even further, with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation, watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. May we all remember the true reason for the season, this year and always.


So, two years ago, we started this tradition in our family. My mom wanted a Christmas Envelope instead of gift. We decided to put together a blanket, some food, a McDonald's Gift Card, and Book of Mormon. Matt and I had been praying that we could find someone who really could use what we had to offer. One day we found him. He was on the bridge over the freeway. We parked at the nearest gas station and got out package out of the truck. We had in the in car all ready for a couple of weeks. We walked over to the bridge and approached the man. He was so surprised that we were talking to him. We introduced ourselves to him, and he to us. We told him we had a blanket that we wanted to give to him. He quickly said, "Oh no! It is cold, you need that blanket!" We told him we had others at home, and this was for him. He was so thankful, and told us he had nothing to give us in return, but that he would sing us a song. So there were stood, over the freeway, being serenaded by a man we had never met. It was a beautiful and memorable experience. I will never forget it.
Oh, and Kate chose Danica for the Toffee!!! Email me your address! I know Claire will love it!
It probably won't look pretty when it gets there...so here is evidence that it once was.

It's Raining, It's Pouring.

We are still in our PJs and I had toffee for breakfast.I love it. (And her sweet face)

True Love: Sweet Summer-Matt's version

We had a bunch of fun dates, and a good time getting to know each other. It was a dream come true. I finally met the girl of my dreams, but I was concerned that she was leaving my life as fast as she came into it. I knew I had to do something or she would leave me.

First official date at the Shore Bird

I was planning on going back to school and in the process of doing that, so I was a little uncertain of how this would all work out. But I knew I had to do something if we were still going to date.

We hung out every day. We went surfing together, we went to Waimea Falls, we wento the beach, visited Diamond Head, hiked lighthouse, and went to the Reggae Feast. I thought Ani was an all around cool chick. She liked all the same stuff I liked, and we had really easy conversations. This was working out just great. Not to mention she was drop-dead hotness.
Diamond Head

When the time came to make the decision I didn’t know what to do. I had planned a trip to come visit her in California, so I knew I had an extra two weeks to make my decision. It kept putting it off, and putting it off.

To be continued….

True Love: Summer Lovin'-Ani's version

And for the rest of the summer we did not leave each other’s side. My best friend Bree, due to be married in a few short weeks, was in a serious accident, and in a coma. Matt was there to support me, listen, and let me cry on his arms. I got to see his tender side, and also found that he had a strong testimony. We also had lots of fun. We hiked up to Diamond Head and to the Lighthouse, we snorkeled, played golf, we went camping and skydiving with friends. We explored the jungle, we swan in waterfalls, and laid on the beach. We fell in love.
Skydiving

I was on cloud nine! One problem was that the summer was coming to an end. Very quickly. I was in a panic. I had been dropping hints that he should move to Utah the whole summer. He said he would seriously think about it if he did not get into school. But if he passed his test, which would allow him to go back to school, then he would stay. Since I was living in his old house, and he didn’t change his mailing address, the test results would arrive in my front yard. I ran to the mail everyday. I had decided to leave it all up to fate. If he passed, then we were not meant to be. If he failed, we were destined. I prayed every night that he would fail.

After a fun day of hiking and swimming at the beach with some friends, my roommate called. Dun Dun Dun….it had arrived. I had a pit in my stomach the whole way home. He went in to get it. Got back in the car and opened it. He needed a 550 to pass. And a 550 is what he got. My heart broke. I said, “Good job Mattie.” And then got out of the car and walked in. I was planning how I would distance myself from the best thing that had ever happened to me. I was not going to get my involved only to make the heartbreak worse. That night we had a long talk about everything and decided to just take it a day at a time. If it was meant to be, it would work out.


So I went to work trying to figure out a plan. I found out they had my major at BYU-H, so I quickly applied to stay as a full time student for the Fall. And I tried to find out where Matt could further his education on the mainland. (He had already graduated with a degree in business, but wanted to be a teacher.)

Climbing around in the trees in the jungle

Matt had an obligation with some friends one night, and I was surprised when he showed up late, just as I was about to go to bed. He told me he was taking me somewhere. We drove up to a golf course and walked up to the top of the hill that looked over the ocean. He pulled me close, and put one of his earphones into my ear, and one into his own. “We need to catch up on our dances.” And so we danced. I knew it would work out.

It had to.
Reggae Concert

To be continued...

These two are my favorite people in the world.

On the First Days of Christmas

your true love (me) gave to you...

Christmas Toffee!

Compliments of: French Knots

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter
½-cup brown sugar
½ cup of white sugar

1/2 cup of your favorite nuts

1/2 package of chocolate chips

Prep: On the bottom of a 9x13-glass pan, spread a light coat of butter and ¼ cup
your favorite nuts. Also, have a small bowl of ice water ready to test your toffee.

The toffee recipe needs constant attention and stirring for about 10 minutes. In a
heavy saucepan, add butter and sugars and melt on high heat. Once the butter and
sugars have melted and started to boil, the toffee will go through 4 stages.

Stage 1: butter and sugars are melted, but not mixed. Keep stirring.
Stage 2: Butter and sugars are mixed and start to cook. Keep stirring.
Stage 3: Butter and sugars are bubbling. Keep stirring.
Stage 4: Butter and sugars change color, slightly (from light tan to dark tan) toffee
looks almost like taffy, it becomes smooth not bubbly. Keep stirring and start to
test for hard crack.

Hard Crack: Hard crack is when you take a small piece of toffee and when it hits
ice-cold water, it sizzles. This is when the toffee is done!

Pour toffee evenly into buttered 9x13 pan, do not spread or stir, just pour
directly from saucepan. Sprinkle with your favorite chocolate chips on top,
the hot toffee will melt the chips in a few minutes. With a spatula, spread the
melted chips over the toffee and sprinkle with your favorite nuts.

Allow toffee to completely cool, break apart with a knife and enjoy!

I am going to make this tonight and send it to one of you!
Comment if you want someeeeee!

True Love: A moment to never be forgotten- Matt's version

The next day we went to the beach and then we went Costco. It was really fun hanging out with Ani. It was good to get out of Laie and do something with her. It was like a 30 minute drive to the other side of the Island, but it went fast as we talked. On the way back I got the call that my car broke down and I was angry. I was disappointed because I wanted to hang out with Ani more. I called her that night and asked her to hang out the next day. I wanted to spend more time with her.
I made Sunday dinner for Ani the next night out on the deck. I wanted to set the mood. I was trying to better my chances, and she was digging it. I wasn’t nervous that night.
We ended up in the hammock again. We were cuddling and I thought this would be my best opportunities to go in for the kill and boy was it a good one. I thought, “Man, this is great. It couldn’t get better than this. Over looking the ocean, swaying in the breeze, with just the sounds of the waves crashing.
It was the start of a pretty sweet summer.

To be continued...

True Love: Movie Night-Matt's version

After the hammock night, I was decided to pursue Ani. I was going to take it slow and steady. I wanted to get to know her first before I did anything to jeopardize that. We had been hanging out every day since the hammock.
We decided to watch a movie at our house and Ani and I ended up on the love seat. I can’t remember what movie it was, I just remember thinking I better make a move or something.
I just casually reached over to my right and grabbed her hand. Ani was putting out the vibe, so I went for it. I didn’t want to go right in for the kill, so I worked may way into the full-blown hand hold. After about 5 or 10 minutes, I slipped my fingers around hers and thought, “Man, that was easy!” Then, she got up to go to the bathroom! I was thinking, “Now I have to start all over again!” When she came back, she sat a little closer than she was before. She was making it easier for me. I put my arm around her and I was feeling like a million bucks.
Later that night we went for a walk on the beach, we went down to the beach right by my house. I remember thinking we were walking forever, I was trying to find the perfect romantic spot to make a move, but then I wussed out. There was an old lounge chair out on the sand and we sat there talking about our families, and our plans, and I thought “I just gotta make a move!”
Then we kept talking, and I was losing focus, and after about a half hour we got up and were hugging, and I was thinking that it would be the perfect time to kiss her right then, but then I got too nervous. I could tell that she knew that something was up, so I decided not to kiss her then.
It was the perfect opportunity, and I didn’t take it. I just wanted the moment and the timing to be right. But I knew I had to do it soon...

To be continued...

I need practice and you need pictures. I am going to be doing a few freebies..let me know if you are interested.
Comment or email!

My Funny Baby

Kate has been cracking us up lately. She has definitely discovered how loud she can talk and how to say Dadadadada. It is the cutest thing. In this video she also does her signature funny face in the beginning! I love it. Enjoy.

'Tis the Season

For Christmas Trees...

Ward Christmas Parties...
Cute reindeer hats....
Lot of pictures...

And plum tuckered babies.

Our Extended Vacation

We decided to come home a day early to beat the traffic. But, we were not ready for the fun to be over. So we went Whale Watching. Random, yes, but fun. It was very foggy and cold for the first hour, and then it cleared up, warmed up, and we had fun! Kate was out once the boat got rockin' back and forth, and woke up just as we came back into the harbor! We did not see any whales, but we got free tickets to go back.