10 day weather: Haziran 2012

27 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba

Happy Valentine's Day!

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It starts with this on the front door for him to find when he gets home from work.

I requested that we not do anything for Valentine's day because K already does so many sweet things for me. I don't believe that one day should mean so much and then we forget the important gestures the rest of the year. And I'm not a fan of gifts. I much prefer words, hugs, and acts of service, all of which I am given a life-time supply of daily.
But I couldn't help myself after getting an idea from a friend's blog. There is now an entire pack of heart-shaped sticky notes on the walls of our house.

It also worked out nicely that K went to work at 6:30 pm on the night of the 13th and will come home at 7:15 am on the morning of the 14th. It gave me the two+ hours I needed to put this together.

My entire valentine surprise cost me about $3.50. But took a lot of time, effort, and thought - which are the kind of gifts I prefer anyway.

I should have bought another pack. 150 sticky notes wasn't nearly enough to tell him everything I love about him.

I also saved my list because I think it would be a fun tradition to start. And to see how things change over the years and what will become important then. I know he'll always do things that make it so easy to love him, but I know that as our lives change, the stuff that means the most to me will change. But we'll change and grow together. (That's one of the sticky notes...)

Someone at Denny's must have synesthesia!

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Synesthesia is "a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway."
I have synesthesia, which I'm guessing comes from my brain trying to make up for my anosmia (lack of sense of smell...) and my husband thinks it's hysterical. For example, I don't like the taste of Bing cherries because they're too purpley-roundy. I prefer "low-pitched" flavors such as bacon and spinach over "high-pitched" flavors such as sugar and apple juice.
The number 7 is a chartreuse, weak-willed male that is bullied by a corpulent, over-confident royal purple number 8. Number 3 is pink and associated with the letter K. 2 is a pure, primary blue. 22 is a pretty sky-blue that is graceful and everything a woman should be. 222 is a little heavy set but she still retains some of her natural graces.
There are also hand-motions and sounds that go along with tastes. I once tasted a green smoothie and picked out the flavors: there was a "juuupe" (hand motion swiping just below my waist; deep voice) flavor that must be spinach. Then another "jupe!" (hand motion rounding over my head, high pitched, almost squeaky voice) flavor that could only be lime. Then a final "tst!" (fingers jabbing suddenly forward to make a point) flavor that was most likely ginger.
As the definition above states, these cross-sensory perceptions are totally involuntary. I never make them up consciously, they just come to me when I'm struggling to describe something. They also never change. 7 has always been and will always be chartreuse. But when I use these senses to describe another sensation, it makes sense to me.
However, I just saw a Denny's commercial that made me realize how my seemingly obviously connected sensory descriptions must seem like absolute nonsense (or worse, intentionally made up!) to other people.
What do you think?

I'm being responsible...

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It's 60 degrees outside and I'm sitting inside on the couch studying for my Life and Health Agent exam, which is Monday afternoon.
And further making me restless is knowing that Kevin is outside hiking, having a good time in the warmth and sunshine. He was sweet enough to offer to stay and help me study (and he really would have). But I've never known how to have someone help me study. And it does help me focus better with him not being here.
So here's to me being responsible.
(But I'm smiling because I can hear my neighbor singing to her two-year old "Singing in the Rain" and the two-year old is singing back her own version of it. That's right, start them off with show tunes young and they will grow to love them!)

I'm happiest when...

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I'm happiest when I take the time to read my scriptures, even when I think I won't get anything out of them.

I'm happiest when I say meaningful prayers and spend the time thinking about and thanking the Lord for my innumerable blessings.

I'm happiest when I'm driving to the temple, holding my husband's hand as we drive.

I'm happiest when I listen to all 8 hours of General Conference and then study each talk later when the transcripts are printed.

I'm happiest when I remember my Savior loves me and has suffered every pain and affliction so that my burdens can be lightened, my pains can be lessened, and my happiness can be deeper.

I'm a busy person and often times I think I will be happier if I just go to bed without reading my scriptures. Or that I can't possibly sit still long enough to listen to every talk from General Conference. But when I take the time to be still and let the Lord take control of my life a peace comes over me that I can never achieve by myself. I have seen the Lord's hand readily in my life recently and pray that as I continue to sacrifice MY will and obey HIS will that he will be able to mold me into a better Me. A happier me. A more peaceful me.

Is this what you call Tuna Surprise?

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I made Tuna Noodle Casserole tonight and just as I stuck it in the oven I saw the unused, but open, can of tuna sitting on the counter. Whoops. And because it already had the perfect layer of bread crumbs on top I didn't want to mix it back up again to mix in the tuna.

I was thinking of how to explain this to Kevin, who doesn't like tuna thanks to an unfortunate experience with Tuna pizza on his mission in Brazil. "No really! You can safely eat this! It's Tuna Noodle casserole....only it doesn't have tuna in it!" Or, "Hey, I came up with a dish I can serve to your vegetarian siblings! Aren't I considerate?!"

In the end I burnt it anyway but it's still edible thanks to the inordinate amount of cheese I made it with. I still don't think my husband will eat it. (But he'll demure kindly because he's just so thankful that I cook. Which makes me want to cook even more for him because he's grateful but does 't expect anything. He really should teach a class to men entitled "How to get your wife to do what you want...without nagging!") ((How did we get from tuna-less casserole to relationship advice?!))

25 Haziran 2012 Pazartesi

Mountain Weather

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Updated Monday 2 pm 6-24-2012
Looking at light mountain showers on Tuesday (6-25) then dry for Wednesday (6-27) and Thursday(6-28).

Email (click below) us and get your free mountain weather forecasts delivered to you via email. Special for KUOW listeners and Seattle Backpackers magazine readers

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24 Haziran 2012 Pazar

Happy Valentine's Day!

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It starts with this on the front door for him to find when he gets home from work.

It also worked out nicely that K went to work at 6:30 pm on the night of the 13th and will come home at 7:15 am on the morning of the 14th. It gave me the two+ hours I needed to put this together.

My entire valentine surprise cost me about $3.50. But took a lot of time, effort, and thought - which are the kind of gifts I prefer anyway.

I should have bought another pack. 150 sticky notes wasn't nearly enough to tell him everything I love about him.

Essential Components of Faith

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Begin thinking of faith in terms of "something to do" rather than something
to "have".

Faith must not be of the kind that sits and holds its hands, but rather the
sort of faith that spurs one on to work tirelessly and relentlessly.

If it makes a man work - and keep on working - it is genuine.

You must act as if you knew your success were already assured or you'll
never make the necessary efforts.... There is nothing mysterious about it. You
don't even have to "feel" faith. If you'll only begin to act "as if," then the
feeling...will come of its own accord.

The man who says he has faith he can do something and then does nothing,
has never known faith for it comes into being only at the point of action.

~Elmer Wheeler, The Wealth Within You, 1955

Someone at Denny's must have synesthesia!

I'm being responsible...

I'm happiest when...

23 Haziran 2012 Cumartesi

Surprises in marriage

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I've talked to many people recently that said they learned things about their spouse after they were married that surprised them, usually in a negative way. One woman was so surprised they seperated after 6 months. Another said she wished she'd taken more time to get to know, not her husband, but her prospective in-laws.
K has given me several surprises. Among those? He is such an amazing man. His capacity to love and serve outstrips any of the great people I've ever known. In fact, his amazingness surprises me so often I've stopped being surprised at his capacity to amaze me. I'm still wonderfully surprised every day when he does something so kind or funny or smart. But I've ceased being surprised by the fact that he's capable of surprising me. Now I just sit back and enjoy it instead of being floored by the fact that God must really love me to have given me such a great husband. (I'm running out of synonyms in this post for the word "amazing".)
Having spent the first five months of our courtship 700 miles apart probably taught us good communication skills. Plus he's also skilled at discussing important topics in a peaceful, open way so the fact that he hasn't surprised me doesn't actually surprise me.
I recently gave him a big surprise, however. I dance in my car while driving. He's never witnessed this but I confessed to him last night that I rock out in my car. This confession was extracted after an embarrassing encounter with the father of one of my Sunbeams (one of the 3 year old's I teach at church). I love the annonymity and ability to be completely free and blare my music that my car affords. Unfortunately half our ward lives on our street so the annonymity part is out the window.
I'd post a recent picture of us but, well, neither of us think we're very photogenic. So my camera doesn't get much use. And when I do pull it out, it usually gets filled with pictures of the top/side of my head and him grimacing. (He's 8 inches taller than me and I haven't learned my friend, Lacie's, skill of self-portraiting...)

Someone at Denny's must have synesthesia!

Neat-o Nido!

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Several years ago I stopped drinking milk. I'm not necessarily allergic to it but it makes me cough, upsets my stomach if I drink it straight, and I just don't like it. (Luckily Kevin isn't a big fan of it, either...we're lucky that way - we like most of the same things. Except for chicken. He prefers chicken over steak, crazy man...) So I don't keep it in the house and just keep small, non-perishable quarts of soy milk for cereal or smoothies.

But soy milk does not make good pancakes or mashed potatoes. Or white sauce. Or really any other recipe that calls for milk. (It doesn't give the right consistency and it turns the food an almost bright yellow...bright yellow mashed potatoes are scary...) But I don't use it fast enough to warrant buying real milk and keeping it in the fridge because it goes sour too quickly. (I've been traumatized by having to take tiny sips of questionable milk since I can't use the smell-test method like normal people. And since I don't like the taste anyway, it always tastes bad to me...)

I eventually got the bright idea to buy dry, powdered milk so I could just mix up a cup at a time when needed. In the baking aisle they only sell those unwieldy boxes of non-fat milk and the non-fat variety isn't the greatest for recipes. It works, but usually the flavor isn't very rich and sauces end up being on the thin side.

Somehow I discovered a powdered whole milk called Nido that comes in a canister with a handy plastic lid to seal it. The label is mostly in Spanish but there are instructions in fine print in English (which I thought was pretty funny). AND it gives you the measurements for a single cup of milk. The non-fat dry milk only gave the measurements for a quarter, which is always a pain because then I had to go online to figure out the conversion from quarts to cups, which I never did. (Maybe that was my problem with the thin sauces...I never bothered to get the ratios correct...)
I've been looking everywhere for the past several months since I've been cooking more (but still not enough to buy a container of fresh milk) and could NOT find mi querida Nido. I ran across it recently and giddily purchased a small canister but couldn't find my way back to it until tonight. Funnily enough, it's not with the other dry milk at Walmart but is in the "Hispanic" section with all the rice and beans. I guess powdered milk is more of a Latin thing, culturally, than a "regular" American food? This also probably explains why the label is predominantly Spanish.
Here are some tips to using powdered milk in recipes.

I used to pre-mix the powder and water, then add it to a recipe. But you can just add the un-mixed water and powder straight to the recipe, then mix the entire recipe together. This saves time and cuts down on extra dirty dishes. (Unless you're making a white sauce, in which case you're supposed to add the milk all at once. Adding powder plus water will probably effect the cooking/thickening of the flour...)
Warm water mixes better.
4 Tablespoons of powder to one cup water makes one cup of milk. 1/4 cup is equivalent to 4 Tablespoons (don't ask me why I can remember THIS conversion...or that a tablespoon is 15 mL...)
The powder is good for an entire year, so I buy the big 3.52 pound canisters.

I'm being responsible...

I'm happiest when...

21 Haziran 2012 Perşembe

They loved my bread!

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My in-laws have designated me as the K family roll maker now! It's always nice when people really like your cooking.

By-hand loaf (left) vs. machine loaf (right). I'm excited to be getting rid of my bread machine!
My new-ish hobby is bread making and it's been going pretty well. For years I used a bread machine but right after we got married I got the itch to try it from scratch. I "inherited" my grandma's Kitchenaid mixer so it does all the hard work of mixing and kneading and does a really good job.

Kevin and I like whole wheat bread so that's what I started experimenting with, 100% whole wheat. It sort of stemmed from the fact that I'd like to get more whole grains into my diet, but in an easy, non-complicated, and yummy way. And since I'm never sure if the wheat bread I buy at the store is truly 100% whole wheat I thought I would make my own so I could control what exactly goes into it.

My first try at bread by hand. This is a half-whole wheat, half white flour loaf.
I've never made a terrible loaf but I'm getting better at getting a nicer texture. I still haven't made a good sandwich loaf that holds up as firmly as store bought but it does hold up decently enough and tastes delicious. I also make it into muffins to eat for breakfast while driving to work and Kevin puts them in his lunch for work. (I'd really like to figure out the cost, too...)
My mother-in-law asked me to bring rolls for this Sunday's family dinner (probably thinking I'd just buy them at the store...). So I thought I'd try my hand at white rolls because I remembered how fast the white rolls went at Thanksgiving. (I think my father-in-law made those.) In my bread making research a few months ago I discovered the website for King Arthur Flour that has some awesome looking recipes and good descriptions. Their flour is too expensive so I won't buy it, but I will make their recipes! They're full of tips and then people ask questions and get answers in the comments section which is super helpful.

Parker House Roll
I ended up making Parker House Rolls and they were DEE-Licious! Totally full of butter and white flour, but hey, it was a birthday dinner so it didn't have to be 100% healthy, right? And as soon as my in-laws tasted them they said, "Ok, Amanda, you're now designated as the roll-maker in the family." Total triumph. They even liked my funky looking (but still yummy) wheat rolls.
Here's the link to the recipe for the Parker House Rolls. The instructions sound confusing, but once you're actually making them it makes sense. Next I think I'm going to make the Herb and Onion rolls (if I can figure out how to make the cloverleaf roll shape...) and possibly the Naan. If I could find a good recipe for sweet Naan, Kevin and I would be in heaven. It's one of our favorite Indian foods.

Herb and Onion cloverleaf roll
On a side note, because we live in the Great American Desert, I have to add anywhere from 5-8 tablespoons of extra water to each recipe. This is where I'm really learning how to judge the right dough texture because it's different with each day's changing humidity (or rather, non-humidity here in Utah...)

Clean teeth!!!

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On Tuesday we went to the dentist for cleanings. I was sooo excited. No really. I was super excited. I haven't been to the dentist since late 2007 or early 2008 when I went back to school and hence lost my dental insurance. I try to brush twice a day (especially at night) and floss once a day but sometimes it just doesn't happen. So I was nervous that I would have cavities but anxious to get in and be seen to stop them before they got bad.

No cavities! My dentist oo'd and ahhh'd over my teeth and was surprised I hadn't been seen in 4 years. Kevin also had a clean bill of health. It's been a year for him, instead of the usual 6 months because, well, he was too busy dating someone to go into the dentist.

I have to admit that some of my good oral health (or most of it) is due to good genetics. My parents both have great teeth.

So now my teeth are all clean and feel GREAT! I love going to the dentist. I "blame" all of this on my dentist, Dr. Mark, that took care of my teeth from the time I was 3 until I was I was about 22. He was amazing.

Also, please forgive the poor writing of my recent posts. I haven't taken the time to write them well, figuring that you'd rather hear from me than read a once-in-a-blue-moon post that has been well written. So these are all admittedly more stream-of-consciousness than I would prefer. But at least they're written.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...

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I have a cooking blog. Not because I think my cooking is especially share-worthy. But I got the idea from my big sister. She created a blog of her family favorites and once she got them perfected, she planned to print it into a book.

No, this is not my photo. I own only a small handful of cookbooks...and I rarely use them. I get most of my recipes from my mother, my mother-in-law, and Allrecipes.com
So I created my own blog and didn't bother to share it with anyone, because let's be honest - I'm not exactly known for my culinary skills. But it's been great because I can tweak the recipes...and then remember my tweaks. Or I can put tips in like "no really, follow this step..." or "make sure to have all your ingredients measured out before this step because you won't have time before it burns..."
And another plus - when I'm at work I can look up one of my recipes and figure out what ingredients I need to buy at the store on my way home. And since I still don't know where any of my recipes are after moving 3 times in the last 9 months it's been a great place to store them. I just whip out my iPod and use it to view my blog while cooking.
My mom wanted the link, so I should probably share it with the rest of you. There aren't many recipes, and none of them are especially amazing, but they work for me.
Mae's Cookbook
Keep in mind this is a work in progress. I frequently edit recipes previously posted.

I'm being responsible...

I'm happiest when...

20 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba

It's Good to be Back!

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I simply cannot tell you how right it feels to be blogging again --- and your kind and encouraging comments yesterday confirmed that decision. THANK YOU!

I gave a lot of thought to reinventing "my" blog --- starting from scratch with a new domain, new name, new focus. But in the end I decided that this blog is truly a reflection of me. Three years ago my primary focus in life, outside family of course, was teaching and reading. Period. I was a two dimensional character. But over these past three years I have not so much reinvented myself as I have discovered new aspects of me. The butterfly is still the caterpillar - just in a different state. I am still Molly, but in a new (and hopefully improved) way. This blog will reflect that inner transformation.

So I decided to give the blog a new look - a facelift, so to speak. I had maintained the same blog design for nearly two years and it signaled to me the bookishness of my personality. I thought it might be best to change the outer design to signal to others that this blog is different - the same, but different. I even changed my profile picture - from the one taken nearly seven years ago to one that I took myself on Halloween. I have recently cut my hair from shoulder length to chin length --- and my costume that day was an authentic French beret. Not really a costume, but more an inner connection with my Parisian love affair and desire to revisit that city on a regular basis. It is not the most flattering picture that I have ever taken, but it is significant.

I currently have many posts ideas rambling around in my head - but I have promised myself that I will not stress posting every day - or even on a more modified schedule. I will post when I have the time - and the material. And I will thoroughly enjoy every minute of it!

Happy December to you all.

A Photo Assignment - third time's a charm?

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I have spent a large part of this long weekend practicing photography. Yes, I finally got my head out of the books, took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather (Sunday = 55 degrees; Monday = 67 degrees!), and went for a photo shoot.

The assignment was to really spend time on one subject and photograph that subject from a varieties of different angles, perspective, etc. The first time I read the lesson, I interpreted "subject" in a broad sense. I decided that I would go to the local arboretum and photograph nature. While there was little floral vegetation, there were some variety of plant life and tranquil spots by the water. I took 242 pictures, of which I am willing to share three. Not great odds, but I did learn quite a bit about light and how the angle of the sun in relation to the subject can dramatically alter the mood of the picture. I learned to use my exposure compensation to help overcome my ineptitude of proper manual settings.

This is actually one of the first photos I took. I liked the way the sun provided the warm glow to these cat's tails. I had hoped to have the rocks a bit less in focus, so that the cat's tails would truly stand out, but my camera lens did not stop down far enough.
I experimented for quite some time with this subject, and in a couple of pictures I focused on just one of the stalks, but I thought this group of three made for a more cohesive shot.

This picture allowed me to play with depth of field a bit more. As I study it, however, I wish there was more of a contrast between the subject and the background. Oh well, I am definitely still learning.

After spending quite some time trying to take a picture of the rope bridge (to no avail) I looked behind me and noticed these benches next to the water. I thought it might be fun to take a picture of this spot in the middle of winter - and then return in six months and see how the tree has filled out and the grass has greened up.
While I don't think this is a spectacular photo (and I am sure many of you with far better composition techniques could give me a few pointers), I do like the idea that it could inspire a story. Who might walk into this setting and sit down by the water? A romantic couple? A lonely teen? A young mother with her newborn?

After this shoot I came home and read some of the message boards for the class. Apparently same subject meant, literally, the same subject. If I wanted to photograph flowers, then the same flower from a variety of perspectives, angles, etc. Of course, this makes more sense: if I am truly going to develop my eye for the beauty around me, I need to slow down and really see the beauty up close, far away, underneath, overhead, etc.

Occasionally Jude has to show
Feeny who's boss.

Ok -- so round two. We were encouraged to find a subject that evokes an emotional response from us - something that we find inspirational. Well, for me, that would be my dogs. So I went out to the backyard for about thirty minutes and took another 211 pictures (isn't it wonderful that we don't have to pay for the developing of film in this day and age?!). I tried to focus my attention on the newest member of the canine family, but it was impossible not to include the other three in this photo shoot. There was lots of sniffing......running....rough-housing.

In hindsight, this was not a great subject choice. Yes, they inspire me and bring me great joy. Yes, they are my most photographed subject by a margin of about 3:1 --- but to try for a variety of angles and perspectives is impossible. If I tried to sit on the ground, they were on top of me. If I tried to crouch in their face, they would attempt to lick the lens. It was definitely a humorous shoot, but not terribly productive for this assignment.

I did however find a couple of photos that are worth sharing....and again, I did learn a valuable lesson even if it wasn't the focus of this particular assignment. I learned that when photographing nature, I like to use Aperture Priority, as I prefer the control over depth of field. But when shooting dogs, particularly six month old puppies, Shutter Priority is the way to go. I set the shutter speed at 1/250 and the ISO to 200 (it was partially shaded), and I let the camera adjust the aperture accordingly.

So, I am wondering if perhaps I should try this assignment one more time. I am thinking of perhaps trying to photograph my nook - filled with shelves of books (my next favorite pastime to my dogs). Or perhaps I could photograph my car (now that would provide all kinds of angles for different perspectives) - or maybe my morning cup of coffee? I don't know....apparently developing my creative eye is going to take a bit longer than most.

KUOW Hike- Sauer Mountain

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Update Tuesday May 15, 2012Sauer Mountain east of Leavenworth. Snowfree hike with lots of wildflowers and great views.All photos by Alan BauerPhoto below is view of Enchantments from the top

Check out Green Trails Maps for directions. Map for this week's trip is 178. Click link below for complete list of maps.http:// http://greentrailsmaps.com/maps/index_Map_wa/

Photo below is many of the Balsam Root

Photo below is Ponderosa Pine Tree

Photo below is one of the many flowers, Oregon Anemone

Driving Direction: Drive Highway 2 to milepost 103.7 (three miles east of Leavenworth). At the traffic light leading into Peshastin, turn onto Main Street and cross the Wenatchee River on the old concrete bridge. Stay on the main road as it jogs and after about 0.3 mile go under the railroad tracks and take an immediate left turn. Drive through Peshastin on what will become North Road. In about a mile (after the Icicle Ridge Winery and just before the cemetery), turn right on Anderson Canyon Road and drive uphill. At a fork in the road, stay left and keep going a short distance until the county road ends (about 0.6 miles from North Road). The trailhead is at the end of the road. Pleas note that the trail is closed from October 14 to March 21.

Trail stats: Roundtrip distance is roughly 5.5 miles top is 3110 feet and 1800 foot gain. No permits are needed this starts on private property so please respect that.
Directions are the best estimates that we have so please bring map and compass and or GPS.Map of trail thanks to Wenatchee Outdoors for some of the trail and map content http://www.justgetout.net/Wenatchee/14485
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KUOW Hike of the Week- Palisades

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Updated Tuesday May 22, 2012This hike is good rain or shine and is snowfree the first 4 milesPhoto below is waterfalls, photo by Alan Bauer

Check out Green Trails Maps for directions. Map for this week's trip is 238. Click link below for complete list of maps.http:// http://greentrailsmaps.com/maps/index_Map_wa/

Photo below is some steep elevation gain, where is the escalator?, photo by Dennis Long

Photo below is hiking on the moss lined trail, photo by Alan Bauer

Photo below is view at 2.5 miles in, photo by Alan Bauer

photo below is view point at 3.7 miles,photo by Alan Bauer

Photo below is lunch spot (3.7 miles in) with views, photo by Alan Bauer

Photo below was taken last year and is off trail to Little Ranger Peak. There is still snow now. Photo by Dennis Long

Driving Directions: From Enumclaw drive east about 28 miles on State Route 410, park on the left side of the highway parking is limited. Need trail pass.
Trail stats: Hike on trail number 1198 can go 2.5 miles (one way) to the a view point which is a 1000 foot gain. Or you can hike 3.7 miles (one way) to second viewpoint.

Directions are the best estimate. Please bring map and compass and GPS.

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Extended weather forecast Cascades

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Issued Wednesday June 20, 2012

Forecast models continue the pattern of bringing troughs of low pressure that drop down from the Gulf of Alaska to cooler temperatures and precipitation at times. This pattern will continue at times and the map below (500 mb- 18,000 feet) indicates this as there is a trough of low pressure of the Washington coast on June 28. We see this pattern occurring on and off between now and June 28. However we will get a ridge of high pressure (like June 20 and June 21) that builds briefly for a warm and dry pattern.

19 Haziran 2012 Salı

Licensed to Sell!

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That's Amanda K., Agent, to you! I am now licensed to sell Life and Accident and Health Insurance in the State of Utah.
I've been studying since August for this exam (with a little break to get married...) and just took it yesterday, passing with an 85%. It's such a relief to have this over with! But I did learn a lot.
Funny story about the exam process. I had just gotten engaged but we hadn't told anyone yet. One day, while discussing the licensing, my boss asked excitedly, "So, are you ready to become Amanda H., Agent?!" I stuttered and don't really remember what my response was. I just knew that it looked like I didn't want to become licensed. After we announced our engagement I had to tell him, "I really was looking forward to becoming licensed, I just wasn't planning on being Amanda H., Agent. I plan on being Amanda K., Agent!"

Be jealous

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In the past 4 days my husband has, of his own volition:
-Cooked dinner
-Gone grocery shopping for me
-taken out the trash
-cleaned the kitchen
-washed all the dishes (twice)
-fixed my vacuum cleaner
-washed all the bedding
-folded and put away three loads of laundry (and in the right places, too!)
-made the bed by himself (a king-sized mattress isn't easy to tackle by yourself)
-thanked me for all my cleaning (thus validating all my hard work...)
-left me an encouraging note in magnet letters on our fridge
-taken me out to dinner
-read scriptures and prayed with me everyday
-complimented my outfit
- made me laugh 97 times
-made me feel incredibly loved and lucky 13,579 times

In contrast I only brought home fast food twice, vacuumed once, and did the laundry. (I don't mind putting the clothes IN the washer, I hate putting them away afterwards...)

3 steps!!!

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Back when I was taking my niece and nephews to the SLO Farmers Market I devised an explicit guideline to keep them safe and close. They had to be three steps or closer and we would play around with counting how far those three steps could be. It worked beautifully and the kids always stayed three steps or closer. I'm sure the vendors thought I was crazy when they would hear me randomly call "Three steps!" and see three young kids zoom back toward me.

I teach the Sunbeams now (the three year olds at my church) and have recycled this technique. It only worked occasionally because the kids would get so excited to be out walking that they'd start racing each other. And calling (in a half whisper so as not to disrupt the other Sacrament meeting going on) "Come back! Stop running!" worked about as well as herding cats with a hotshot.

But somewhere along the way my little Sunbeams developed their own game of Three Steps. Because lets face it, although they CAN count to three, they can't do it and walk at the same time. So to them "three steps" means, vaguely, stay close enough to Sister K. that she stops squawking at them to stop running.

Now all I have to say is, "Look! I stopped!" And they say, "Backingupbackingupbackingup!" while scooting backwards (usually with their little tushes sticking out and their arms pumping). Pretty soon every single one of my Sunbeams is within three steps of me and stock still. It's amazing and works every single time.

Today I was following one of the kids and his mom to primary (Sunday School for kids under 12... We have sharing time first as a large group then break into our individual classes). His older brother was racing ahead of them and I heard my little Sunbeam call, "G! You're too many steps ahead! You have to be Three Steps!" I felt the need to translate for his mother.

This is also the same kid who will remind everyone on our walks, "Evewy body! You have tuh be quiet!" And then promptly follows it up with, "And listen to me!"

I'm happiest when...

I am my own horror movie

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I don't like scary movies. At all. And I realized why this week. I am my own horror movie.

Work has been good but super busy so I've been tense which usually leads to more night terrors. Kevin was awake and in the other room, wearing headphones, for most of them but came in when I didn't stop screaming during one of them. (Apparently one scream is his threshold- more than that and he'll come check on me. Only one and he'll take it as normal and ignore it. Good to know in case I'm actually being attacked...)

He said even through his music he could hear me screaming and it sounded like a classic horror movie scream.

And in case you're wondering, yes, it FEELS like a classic horror movie, too.