utah trip

Pictures from our trip to Utah last week:

We left Thursday and drove to Vegas.  Faith wanted to stop and take pictures of the temple...

We stayed at "South Point."  There were only two beds which meant us girls all slept in the same bed...

In the car...

We stopped again in St. George to see the temple...

At the reunion on Friday...

We stayed Friday-Sunday at the Homestead Resort in Midway, UT...

Lunch at the park on Saturday...

Sunday, on our way to Salt Lake, we stopped and had lunch in Park City.  The park we ate at had these cool fish sculptures...

Mom's "inexpensive and quick" project that we helped her put together Sunday for her "Sister's Party"...

Monday we stopped and let Faith go in and see her school and talk to the housing people...

CROWN BURGER!!!

Salt Lake temple...

Driving home...

typical sunday dinner conversation

Last week Dad decided he wanted Seven Layer Dip for dinner for Father's Day.  In order to make it more of a meal we decided to also add in some baked chicken, for those that wanted it, and some veggies and fruit.  While we were discussing this Dad asked, "And what do you eat it with?"  Mom looked at him for a moment and said, "Tortilla chips."  Dad looked confused and asked, "Not Fritos?"  At which point it was discovered that Dad might not actually know what Seven Layer Dip was and was confusing it for a Frito casserole that my mom sometimes makes.  When mom described the Frito casserole Dad said, "Yeah!  That's what I'm thinking of!"  She then described what Seven Layer Dip was and he said, "Yeah!  That's what I'm thinking of!"  At which point we were ALL confused.

Fast forward to today.

Mom made Seven Layer Dip (as pictured below after everyone dug into it) and then said she still wasn't sure this is what Dad really wanted since she's still not sure HE knows what he wants or what Seven Layer Dip IS.  And thus began the below conversation:

Dad: So what's in this dip?
Mom: *explaining layers*
Dad: But no Fritos?
Mom: No.  That's hot.
J.R.: This dip is supposed to be cooked?
Cheryl: No.  This is a cold dip, the Frito casserole is something that is cooked.
J.R.: It might be better if it was cooked.
Mom: You don't cook Seven Layer Dip, it's supposed to be cold.
J.R.: How many layers is in the Frito casserole?
Cheryl: Four
Steven: I thought Frito casserole was called Missionary Dip.
Rest of the table: What?! *accompanied by LOL'ing*
Steven: We always have it when the missionaries come over for dinner, I thought it was Missionary Dip.
J.R.: No, that's Missionary pancakes.  But that's really only two layers.
Faith: Three if you add syrup.
J.R.: Yeah!  Pancakes, peanut butter, and syrup.
Dad: But this isn't Frito dip?
Mom: No!
Julia: Where are the tater tots?
Cheryl: Tater tots?!
Julia: Yeah, for the tater tot dip.
Steven: No, that's Shepard's Pie.
Mom: *choking on water as she dies laughing at the table*
J.R.: Maybe if we add a mayonaise sauce to it...
Dad: A Ritz salad!  Apples, potatoes, and grapefruit in a mayonaise sauce. (side note: this is a quote from the British TV show Faulty Towers that has become a family tradition)
J.R.: And a screwdriver.
Julia: I'm still waiting for the tater tots.
Mom: *rolling her eyes*
Dad: This is really good dip.  I wish we had some Fritos...

what's the best cure for cramps?

A story about a good-looking cowboy!!

My favorite author does it again!  Her newest book came out yesterday and I devoured it today in about 6 hours.  I couldn't put it down and I'm sad now that it's over.  If you want a great story to get lost in for a while, you won't be disappointed. Heath is the perfect wounded hero in a cowboy hat that I just want to wrap my arms around, get lost in his blue eyes, and maybe lick, but definitely kiss.

Sigh...why don't they make men like this anymore??  Every time I read a story like this I get that Paula Cole song "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone" repeating in my head.  I seriously should have been born in the 1800's....

96 hour kit

For the last 6 weeks my family has been working on getting our 72 hour kits in order.  For years, we've been warned about being prepared for the last days.  Well.  It's the last days, and now the rest of the world is starting to catch on to the fact that we need to be prepared for the emergencies that are inevitably coming.  So...we've spent the last several weeks devoting FHE to different areas of a 72 hour kit.  We also decided that instead of 3 days, we want to have it ready for 4--96 hours.

Below is my kit.  There are still a few little things I need to get, but at least I have the majority of what I would need were I to be either home-bound, or need to leave my house for a few days.

First Aid Kit:

I got most of the stuff from the dollar store, so it only took about $40 to 

put this together, including the container.  

Food:

I tried to get everything so it wouldn't need to be heated or take extra

water to make.  I'm still trying to come up with something for dinner.  Right

now I have instant soup packages, just so I have something.

Extras:

The trick to a 72/96 hour kit is to try and plan for any emergency, but also keep 

everything limited due to space and weight.   What I've packed: TP, a map of AZ, ponchos,

candles and waterproof matches, tampons, a cup, a washcloth, hand wipes, a space blanket,

travel toothbrush/paste, and a section of The Book of Mormon.

Clothes:

Best to have a full change of clothes, plus underwear and shoes.

This is a cool little stove that JR showed us how to make out of a cat food can and

a hole punch.  All you do is pour some methyl alcohol and it will burn.  Last night he

demonstrated it and it was pretty awesome!

This is everything stuffed in the rolling suitcase I've decided to use:

And this is where it lives now in my front coat closet, along with my water jugs:

I still need to get a few things like some rope, a flashlight, and a Leatherman, but like I said: at least I'm more prepared than I used to be!