Lava Hot Springs

Just got back from an outing to Lava Hot Springs. Greg and I went with Lauren and her friend Laura Wouden. We camped at the KOA campground....I would not recommend it...noisy with a train that passes every hour or so day and night, and a major highway with trucks that have screechy breaks. Not to mention our site backed the river that made me feel like I needed to go potty all night! But the trip was fun enough to write home about so I will overlook the campsite!
Lava Hot Springs is a little sleepy town in Idaho. There are natural mineral springs minus the sulfur that is often in hot pots. The town has some fun things to do for a quick get away. There is a large olympic sized swimming pool with platform diving boards and water slides. We didn't try out the platform diving boards...too old and too chicken! My sister did it when we were young and ended up with a few stitches...bad memories.

The next thing we did was soak in the hot pools. There is an area that has been cemented in and there are about 6 large hot pools. Kind of like massive hot tubs. They range in temperatures of 102 to 110. They made me a little sick to my stomach after sitting in them for too long, but they were fun, and if it would have been a chillier day I would have enjoyed them more.

The final thing we did was tubing on the Portneuf river. It was a blast. The river is fairly shallow, not to swift, and the hot springs feed into it making the water fairly warm. There are tube rental places all over town. It was swift enough with a few rapids to keep things exciting, but not too dangerous that I was scared. I'd definitely recommend it. I think Lava Hot Springs would be a great place for a youth activity. Either a Youth Conference or a girls camp.

Ryan's Farewell

Ryan got his mission call to the Georgia Atlanta mission, and left for the MTC on June 20, 2012. It's been an interesting period of time as he has prepared to get ready to go.

Shopping with a rather OCD child can take a long time. It can cost a lot of money...to find the right suit, shirts, and shoes that feel right! He is a little, okay probably a lot nervous about the whole thing, but I think he will do great!

I made a You Tube Video, and I can't get it to link into the blog, but you can view it from here. These are of friends and family at his farewell.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4YdQarNMXQ

I am starting a blog for his mission. The link is www.calledtoserveinatlanta.blogspot.com

Lauren and Ryan in the car on the way to the MTC

She said she is keeping it on her phone until he gets home...that will work as long as she doesn't get her picture taken with Justin Beiber!

It was a great year...hopefully many more to come!

Its wonderful how life evolves. Even though there have been many times I would have liked to make time stand still, it has kept marching forward. I find it doesn't do anyone any good to long for the past, or try to stop time from moving forward. I find that we have to decide each day what we will do to make the next days better, and take time in our days to enjoy the moments we are living and experiencing.
I feel a little sentimental and "old" because I see my children growing up. It seems like such a short time ago I spent almost every waking...and some of the moments I needed to be sleeping, caring for them...loving them, teaching them, policing them, directing them, nurturing them and making sure they were safe, healthy and progressing. Now I find myself with great memories, some regrets, and marveling at who they are becoming.
It is a payday for me to spend Sunday evenings with my family. It seems that is the day we all find time to spend a few moments together. There are other times too, any time I get a few minutes in their busy lives is wonderful! Can't move on to 2012 without remembering some of the great things from 2011...I wasn't a very good poster! I resolve to do better...but here is are some of the important things from 2011.

Cameron's Nursing School Graduation May 2011

• Cameron graduated from SLCC with a RN degree! Lots of years of studying and working hard to finally reach this goal…..and for an encore, he passed his NCLEX exam and is trying to find a nursing job. Not quite the shortage of nurses that there was when he started studying nursing. Never fear Cam, the job market in nursing ebbs and flows with the economy, I have faith it will turn around! For now he is focusing on his job at the Apple Store at Gateway Mall in downtown SLC. He has been given some promotions and really loves what he is doing there.

Ryan on a "Swamp Tour" in Louisiana

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Ryan's High School Graduation...1 month after he graduated from Salt Lake Community College...kind of funny....

Ryan and his friends in Oceanside for his Graduation trip

• Ryan Graduated from High School and Salt Lake Community College with high honors! He starts BYU in the fall. received a scholarship sponsored by Coca Cola and went to New Orleans, LA to receive it. Greg and I accompanied him and it was an awesome trip! Great food, jazz music, warm weather when we were freezing in Utah…it was a true adventure.

Greg and Karine--Hawaiian Cruise February 2011

• Greg and I went on a fantastic cruise to Hawaii. We went with Karine's parents and some other friends...a neighbor organized the cruise, and many people from the neighborhood went. What a way to spend 10 days in February! Wish we were there now. Whenever it is cold here I have warm relaxing thoughts of Hawaii!

Matt and Sharlene's Sealing in the Salt Lake Temple July 1, 2011

• 
  Matt and Sharlene were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple in July--so happy for them and their cute little family.
  
  
  Juliette Kay Romero born Oct 11, 2011

• Juliette Kay Romero was born in October! We think she is absolutely perfect! We adore her! Matt and Sharlene are such wonderful parents!

Taylor with Juliette...the whole family can't get enough of her!

• 

Cam and Lindsey's dog Bruce...

• We had a great Christmas. Cam and Lindsey have moved into the basement for a while. Cam's graduation gift was a dog, a puggle, they named, Bruce. He is the most photogenic dog I have ever seen. He has found his way into our hearts and loves romping with Milo and Rocky. They are saving for a house and seeing what job opportunities are best for them right now. It was nice to have them around for the holidays...I think Taylor has enjoyed having his brother back home too!

March Madness!!!

Ryan 10 year old baseball
Taylor in Little League All-stars
Matt and Taylor at Great America in California
Taylor his Senior year Taylorsville Tennis team
Lauren playing Soccer
So for the most part, with a house full of boys, sports has been part of our life. I have always loved sports...as a spectator, never very good at any of them. A huge part of my time as a mother has been spent cheering on the boys and their sports. They have done Karate,Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Soccer. Lauren played soccer for awhile and loved it. Lauren was a babe in arms as we toted her to baseball games at all times of the day and night. Poor thing. Many a nap was had in the stroller, bundled up to keep warm. She was yelling plays to the players by the time she could talk, and had the snack bar routine down pat!


So now our boys aren't involved in sports, and Lauren would love to do soccer again, but we haven't signed her up....we spend our time cheering for the Jazz and BYU! It is the season of college basketball playoffs, and BYU is still in the tournament. Hopefully this post won't jinx them! Hopefully they make it to the "Sweet 16". Jimmer Fredette is all the rage, and seems unstoppable. GO CouGARS!

Entering the Grandma Era

Just before we left on a spectacular vacation to Hawaii, (to be blogged in another post), Matt and Sharlene came over to our house to announce the future arrival of our first grandchild! I've been waiting to post about it until she had been to the doctor and was ready to make the announcement to everyone, but now it is official!
Greg decided we should call him/her Rango, until we know what sex the baby is and Matt and Shar decide on a name. I think it has a cute ring to it, and it will motivate his/her parents to decide on a better name! Rango is a lizard from a new animated movie we saw last weekend. He is a funny little character, and lets face it, fetal babies really do look a bit like lizards!
Congratulations to Matt and Sharlene. The due date is October 14, 2011.

Family Movie Night

So while Greg snores away in the other room and I can't fall asleep...because I have a problem with sleeping when I am suppose to be sleeping...I thought I'd make a new post.

We decided a few weeks ago to start having a Family Movie Night. We have to plan times to get together with our family because we are all so busy, and we thought it would be fun to visit in each others homes. Our first movie night was last night....and it didn't disappoint!

Cam and Lindsey hosted it, and we watched Mega Mind. Not many of us had seen it before, and it was a hit! So cute, funny and entertaining. This movie critic will just say I stayed awake for the entire movie, and that is enough said! Clever, funny, witty and perfect for a family movie night!

Lindsey wowed us with Cafe Rio pork and the fixin's. Adding the recipe from our family recipe blog (ourtastybites.blogspot.com) for anyone who wants to try it out...YUMMY

Cafe Rio Pork Salads

Recipes from: Caryn Waterman

Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork

2 Cups Pace Salsa

1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Can Coke or Dr. Pepper

1 3lb. Pork Tenderloin or Center-Cut Pork Loin

Cut the pot into large chunks and place in a crock pot. Fill it half way up with water. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Drain off the water. Shred the port and remove any excess fat. Put salsa, soda, and brown sugar in a blender and mix well. Pour over the shredded port and cook in the crock pot for 3 more hours on low.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 Cup Mayonaise

4 tbs. Green Salsa Verde

1-2 Cloves of Garlic

3/4-1 Cup Chopped Cilantro

1 tsp. Lime Juice

1/2-1 Small Jalepeno, seeds removed.

Blend everything together in a blender. Add a little milk if the dressing is too thick.



Black Beans

2- 16 oz. Cans Black Bean

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Juice from 1/2 a Lime

In a medium sauce pan, combine beans, onions and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Season the beans with cayenne and salt. Add pepper if needed. Simmer for 15 minutes, add lime juice, and serve.

Cafe Rio Rice

4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon

4 tsp. Chopped Garlic

1/2 Bunch Chopped Cilantro

1 tsp. Cumin

1 Can Green Chilies

3/4 tsp. Salt

1 tbs. Butter

1/2 of a Chopped Onion

Blend ingredients together in a blender, then put in a pan on the stove. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of MINUTE rice and simmer for 30 minutes.

Thanks Cam and Lindsey for a fun night! I look forward to next month!

Christmas and a New Year 2011!

Christmas was great for many reasons. I love the holiday season, although I do get stressed out about getting everything done. This year I did pretty good. No last minute wrapping on Christmas Eve, Cards sent out BEFORE Christmas, neighbor gift delivered on time....But I think the best part of this Christmas was the time I spent with my family. I saw more of my older boys and their wives, than I have in a long time. I miss them. I miss seeing them everyday, so it was fun to see them a little more. I know they are busy, so I really treasure the times we spend together. I love Sunday dinners and getting together for even a short time during the week. During the holidays it was like lots of Sunday dinners closer together. It was great! It was also fun to see my darling nieces and nephews and my brothers and sisters. I have a spectacular extended family who I love very much.

Christmas used to be exciting for me because of the excitement the kids had for the gifts they would get. The skateboards, the game systems, the vacations, the gadgets....etc. Now everyone pretty much knows what they are getting and the excitement level is much less. I think I need some grandchildren to bring the excitement back to Christmas! I'll be patient though..no pressure. I enjoyed this Christmas seeing the kids be excited for the gifts they were giving. They were all generous and thoughtful and made sure Greg and I knew we are loved, not necessarily by the gifts, but the kind words and actions.

Each New Year we have a family "toast". It is a time of reflection over the last year and looking forward to the New Year. Some of the family actually kept their resolutions from last year! Way to go!!! Greg dropped some pounds, Ryan went a year without fast food, I am more technical...can't you tell :) I can now put my own music on my I-pod, and I keep plugging along with this blog. Before our toast Greg shared with us some counsel from Elder Jeffery Holland.
I thought I'd add some tidbits of his advise for the New Year.

• As a new year begins and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in....when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.
• There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life--either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.
• God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year--and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• The poet Robert Browning wrote: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be....
• Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow and forever. That is a New Year;s resolution I ask you to keep!

The entire article can be found in the January 2010 Ensign

As a family we made our own resolutions. They were heart felt and it was a warm fuzzy time for me. I need that sometimes as a mom!

Best wishes for a Spectacular New Year to everyone!