MOSAIC

This is a mosaic about me.

Amber thanks for the fun challenge.

First you go to www.flickr.com/search. In the search box you put your answers to the questions below. Once you have chosen your fave pic, copy and paste the URL to the mosaic maker format www.bighugelabs.com

1. What you want to be when you grow up. (Happy and living a peaceful, joyful life)
2. What you love most in life. (In this life and in the next life an eternal family)
3. First Name (Jeannie-I wish I really had three wishes)
4. Your Nickname (Momma Warner-given to me by The Crew-Aaron's friends)
5. Who is your celebrity crush (I am in love with Stephanie Meyers books)
6. One word to describe you (Fun! Neil helped me decide this. I do like to have fun and be fun)
7. Favorite Dessert (Angel Food cake with strawberries- this is always my B-Day cake)
8. Dream Vacation (Anywhere tropical)
9. Favorite Drink (Rasberry Lemonade)
10. Favorite Color (Peach in all shades)
11. Your School (Springville Red Devils)
12. Favorite Food (Anything Mexican)

Now It's your turn!

Rock N Ribs

I thought I would take a turn and plan a date for Neil.

He is always so good at planning fun things for us to do.

Neil loves BBQ. We watch the BBQ contests on Food Network all the time.

We always say we want to go to one someday. Especially Memphis in May BBQ.

I heard that Rock N Ribs was coming to Utah and I thought this would be a

fun thing to surprise Neil and go do. So today we went.

It was NOTHING like it is on T.V.

We paid $5 to park $5 each to get in and then no samples.

Utah has a stupid rule that you can't give away food. (for health reasons)

You couldn't even go where they were making the food or look at the judging.

If you wanted food you had to buy it and then it was just local vendors.

None of the real good BBQ that was being judged.

We entered the wrong way and got to walk down the isle where the contestants

were preparing the food. That just made us want the food even more.

There was music. It was ok it was the music of "The School of Rock"

This young kid in the picture had a pretty good voice.

We though about buying some BBQ because that's what we came for.

But this was who was serving the food.

What???????

Ok no BBQ for us.

We instead decided we no longer wanted BBQ.

We went to Chin Wah and had chinese food instead.

Sorry Neil for the bust of a date. I owe ya still.

We did decide next BBQ cook-off we try will be the real deal.

Memphis in May here we come.

First day of School

This is Kinsey's last year of High school.

Kinsey is taking unified which is a really cool program at Orem High.

They have one class all day and they study science, english and biology.

They do a lot of field trips. The first week of school they went on a hike.

Sammy had to go early on the first day of school because of cheer.

So I tortured Kinsey to take a first day of school picture.

She was still brushing her teeth and not too excited about pictures.

Tova wanted his picture taken too. He needs a school haircut though.
This is the second day of school. No cheer today so they got to go to school together today.

Sammy and Kinsey are taking a Spanish class together.

They are both excited to talk Spanish with Aaron or at least get help with their homework.

I hope you have a great school year girls.

I love ya!

Sometimes you need to throw away the list!

Today I had planned on getting a lot accomplished. You know the usual.

Clean the house. Do laundry. The usual Saturday list.

Sometimes the best days are days when we abandon the list and go with the flow.

Today was a day where I went with the flow.

Today was a great day.

Kinsey hasn't been sleeping well and she hasn't felt well and hasn't eaten much because of being sick. She asked if I would take her to Rice King in Provo. Rice King has vegan food and she really likes it. In my mind my list of things I wanted to get done flashed and I almost said no we need to get this and that done.

But instead I said yes.

I am so glad I did. We had a great lunch and we had such a good talk. We both got fortunes that matched us both so well and we both kept them. Kinsey's said "put all your unhappiness aside and be happy". Mine said "stop worrying and take a chance".


After lunch we went to the Provo Farmers Market. It was so fun. It reminded me a little of New York street fairs. There was produce and food and jewlery and great music and lots of interesting things.

We really had a great time we bought some corn. (Kinsey's favorite) and some jewlery (cheap and unique). We also listened to some music. There was a fun band playing and as we walked further on there was this guy singing with his guitar. It was really mellow music. The kind that is sad but beautiful. It was a guy by the name of Colby Stead. We listened for awhile and loved it and decided we needed to buy a CD. We bought the CD and listened to it while we drove around and ran some errands. We both chose the song No as our favorite song.

While running errands we saw this old guy on a bike who had a grocery sack full of bread. We couldn't figure out what he was doing but after a while realized he was feeding the birds. It was so interesting to observe this. It struck Kinsey and I. He was doing a good deed that many driving around accomplishing their list might not see.

Kinsey and I had such a good talk about noticing things in life and how important small things or small acts are.

It was a great day! Kinsey thank you for taking me out of the norm of the day and giving me an adventure. It was such an interesting good day. I love you Kinsey for opening my eyes to things I might not other wise see. For being kind hearted and for seeing the best in others that I might other wise over look or view in a different way.

Vegan Pizza with the girls

We went to Salt Lake to the Sage Cafe for Kinsey's favorite Vegan pizza.

The pizza was actually pretty good.

Kinsey was excited to share it with us.

The girls were so funny and cute with one another. It was a great day.

It is so great to see them smiling and laughing.

And of course we had to have dessert.

Vegan chocolate cake with soy ice cream.

It was yummy!

Change in Plans

(This photo is one Aaron took when he climbed Mt. Whitney. It's Beautiful and sets the reflective mood.)

I read a post today on Thepioneerwoman.com it was a post about are you where you thought you would be 5 -10 or 20 years ago. I read thru some of the answers and they were inspiring and made me think. I decided to do my own "Are you where you thought you would be post".

My answer to the question is yes and no. My guess is that would be most people's answer.

After all could we imagine how wonderful life is? How great it is to hold a newborn that you and your husband created. To look in their eye's and see the love looking back at you. The feeling that you are everything to this child and that they are depending on you for all their needs. That they are counting on you to teach them and love them no matter what. (Sometimes when teenagers the no matter what is a hard one to keep. Yet we do.)
Children teach us more than we do them sometimes. At least for me mine have.

When growing up I wanted to be a wife a mother. I wanted to have the perfect picket fence mormon home. I wanted to be a stay at home mom who kept a lovely home and cooked fabulous meals and did everything just right. You know "old fashioned". I guess honestly I wanted to have and be all the things I didn't have or at least was taken from me when I was young.

Marriage: I married young. Too young (19) I tell my girls all the time... wait live life a little more. But they have their own journey's to follow. Who knows what will be.

I was lucky so lucky. I married a wonderful man. Who I love more than anything. After almost 23 years of marriage I love him more each day and I am so proud of the man he is. He inspires me to be better. He is the best example and has the kindest giving heart.

Children: I thought I would have 5 or 6. It wasn't possible but I am so blessed to have been able to have the three I have. Others aren't as lucky and I am so grateful that I could have children.

Mother: I wanted to be the perfect mother. I wanted my children to say and feel that I was the best mother ever. I am not perfect. I have tried to be perfect and it is not possible. In fact trying to be perfect sets you up to fail. Teach your children. Example is the best teacher. The teaching part of being a parent is the hardest part to look back on. You could always do more. That is true and what we beat ourselves up about... I'm guessing for the rest of our lives. Do your best and try a little harder each day. Make it that simple.

My advice to all who reads this is Love your children unconditionally. Don't be like satan. Yep I said satan. Free agency is something we fought for in heaven and something as parents we fight against. Being a parent is the best and hardest thing I ever thought I would do. The answers I have found is love and acceptance.

Career: I didn't want a career (remember I'm old fashioned). I have had to work since I was well...I started babysitting at 9 and haven't stopped working since then. I still in my mind think I am going to have the chance to be a stay at home mom. My baby is 15 so nah I don't think so.
But our children have had the best of both their parents. We didn't have babysitters. Grandma some but we worked it out between Neil and I. We made the best of the situation and our children have had both of us in their lives.

Picket fence home: I spent a year planning and building a home. It was a wonderful home. I planned the yard and planted every plant. I loved having Christmas in this home. It snowed a lot there and there were deer everywhere. I loved the kids sitting at the top of the stairs waiting to get the ok to come down to open Christmas. There are many memories here. Happy times.
We sold this home over two years ago. I was devastated. I mourned it like a death. I was so sad and disappointed and I sure did feel sorry for myself. Why wasn't things working out better for us financially and on and on.

BUT... I have come thru the other side of it. I have grown and realized many things. It was just a house. Brick and stucco and paint and wood. It didn't make us a family. It was just a place to live. I can honestly say that a home is what you make it. It is what you do together as a family. It is the love you have for one another. It is sacrifice and encouragement and helping one another.

I no longer need the perfect picket fence home. Home is where ever we are as a family.

The one thing when we think of where we are going to be in 5- 10 or 20 years... we of course don't see are our trials. When we plan as children what our life will be like we plan only good things.

Trials come to all of us. Some are consequences, some are allowed by our Father in Heaven and some are inflicted upon us by others. Trials find each of us. There is no escape. What matters is what we do during our trials. I think our true character comes out when we are in the midst of our trials. There have been times I have been proud of myself during trials and other times I am ashamed.

Here is one of the posts off thepioneerwoman.com that I liked and have to say says how I feel sometimes. "I am grumpy when I should have patience, I yell when I should forgive, I run when I should have courage…I am not who I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be".

This post has gotten long and I am afraid I have gone on and on. Thanks for listening.

Oh the other things about life real quick.

No I don't look like I thought or hoped. I would be 75lbs over (how did that happen?)
Nope I don't take as many vacations as I would have hoped. I haven't been out of the U.S. oh unless Tijuana counts.

I am blessed. So blessed. That's part of the reason I blog. My blog is my acknowledgement of all my blessings. Living proof to myself what a wonderful life I have.

No life isn't exactly what I thought or maybe even hoped sometimes that it would be.

In many ways it is better than I could have imagined and thru the living and thru the trials of this life I have come to see with different eyes than I once saw thru.

Your turn leave a comment or post on your blog "are you where you thought you would be 5-10 or 20 years ago".  

Cooking Class tonight was on Chocolate

Tonight was my class at The Little Theater in the Pleasant Grove Maceys.

The class was on Chocolate! Who doesn't love chocolate?

This is one of the recipes I demonstrated. It is Chocolate Trifle.

So easy to make.

Make a pan of brownies (recipe your choice)
Make a large container of chocolate pudding (instant)
8 oz cool whip container and a bag of chocolate covered toffee in a bag or break up skor bars.
Cut cooled brownies in 1 inch squares and then start layering. Brownies layer, pudding layer, brownie layer again etc. End with cool whip or whipped cream and top with the toffee bits.
Use a Trifle bowl (It's a clear bowl with a pedestal or use small cups which is what I used and then they are individual desserts. So easy and so impressive. Enjoy.
If you make it let me know what you think.

I did several chocolate desserts and fun things with chocolate. The class had about 35 people in it and everyone seemed to enjoy it. This is my third class. I teach once a month.

Here is one more quick recipe that was a hit.

Cracker Toffee

Ingredients:
1 box saltine crackers
1 cup butter (no substitutions)
1 cup brown sugar
1 package chocolate chips (your choice-I am a huge fan of milk chocolate)
1 small package chopped pecans

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (dull side up). Lay out saltine cracker to cover the cookie sheet as close as posssible. In a sauce pan add the 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Take off heat and pour over crackers. Put crackers in oven at 400 degrees and bake for 5 minutes. Take out of oven and pour chocolate chips over let them set for a minute then spread the chocolate chips with a knife over all of the crackers. Sprinkle nuts on top and press the nuts in a little. Let set until chocolate is set up. Then break in pieces along cracker lines.

This recipe sounds a little strange but it is easy and it is delish.
Give it a try and tell me what ya think.

100 Days left!

100 Days Left and Aaron will have been on his mission for 2 years.
We your family have missed you Aaron in so many ways.

You have been in the Mexico City South Mission in the biggest city in the world.

We have missed your funny cute ways and how you made us laugh and smile.

We missed 2 Birthdays

Two Christmas Seasons Feliz Navidad

And 2 of all other holdidays



Yet there is so much you and all of us have gained.

You have gained a stronger testimony and shared it with others and helped them come to know of the truth and gain their own testimonies and be baptized.

You have grown to love the scriptures.

You have read them thru many times in the last two years.

You tell us all the time.

"I love the Book of Mormon".

We are so proud of you. It hasn't been easy. You have had many challenges.

You have grown and learned so much.

You have given each of us strength when we needed it. You have been a great example.

We have prayed for you and felt your prayers for us.

We have all been blessed because of your service.

Your Father in Heaven is proud of you and loves you and so do we.

100 days but who's counting (of course I am)

EFY 2008

Sammy was at EFY this week. She got home today.

I am so glad you got to go to EFY Sammy.

Sammy said she loved it and felt the spirit so strong.

I am so glad you got to get away and take time from the world to focus on what's important.

These photos are small. Click on them and they go bigger.

Sammy met people from all over the world. England, Australia.

She said it was interesting talking to other teens about the church in other parts of the world.

Some are the only one's or one of few who are mormon in their high school.

Sammy loved the speakers. She also got to see Ryan Shupe.

Our family loves the song Dream Big!