Countdown to Halloween

Halloween is still several days away, but my kids have been ready for weeks.
Here's a glimpse of the preparations.

Marianne is in full decorating mode. Even our flowers fit in with the color scheme.

The boys helped decorate outside.

A close up of our front door.

Apparently decorating was too much for them, or else they needed to release some of that pre-trick-or-treating energy. The kids had a huge styrofoam war in the yard. It looked like a snowstorm had hit.

Aaron also attacked the dinner calendar that was posted on our frig. I left Halloween blank because I figured we'd have pizza or something. (Everyone is always in a big hurry to get out of the house on Halloween!) Anyway, I found our Halloween dinner listed as:
"little children that come along"

Here's Marianne formulating her plan of attack.

On a calmer day, Evan played at his Halloween recital.
He was hauntingly terrific!
He performed "I'm Not Afraid" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from the Peer Gynt Suite


Marianne gave her baby costume a test run at the Young Women "Big Sister, Little Sister" Halloween party. Here she is with her little sister from Primary.

The final sign that Halloween is on the way is
the CANDY and treats that are all around me!
Yikes, that's the scariest part of Halloween.
My willpower doesn't seem to be working lately.

Today we made my cousin LaRae's delicious pumpkin cookies.
Click HERE for her wonderful recipe.

But I'll bet she's never made them like we did!
We had 8 girls come over to our house this afternoon to discuss Helen Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life. Last week we toured the Braille Institute, but this week we decided to try something a bit more hands on. We made the cookies while blindfolded. Actually, each blindfolded girl had a "seeing" partner (hey, even Helen had her teacher Anne Sullivan). The girls gave verbal instructions and helped their "blind" partner measure and mix all of the ingredients. It wasn't easy, and it took a long time, but the girls had fun and the cookies turned out perfectly!

Out of My Comfort Zone Again

Jenny and I gave up our morning walk twice this week
to stand up for truth and right!

John and Aaron paved the way.
Last week they volunteered to stand on a busy corner during rush hour and
wave signs in support of Proposition 8

While they were there, some women came to protest holding up
"No on 8" signs.
One of the women was rather confrontational and asked Aaron,
"My sign stands for equality. What does yours stand for?"
I wouldn't have known what to say, but Aaron did.
He didn't hesitate. He replied, "My sign stands for morality."

This week was my chance to stand for morality.
I spent two mornings this week holding a sign, smiling and waving at all the drivers during the morning rush hour.
I also learned what "hate speech" really means.
One motorcyclist sat at the traffic light screaming obscenities and making crude gestures for several minutes.
A businessman rolled down his window to scream, "I hate you people!"
Several women flipped me off.
I was called a number of unprintable names.

Fortunately, about 80% of the response we received was positive.
Many people waved and honked their horns or gave us a thumbs up!

The other people with me had great attitudes. We continued to smile and wave regardless of the reaction of others. One man in our group was so positive. He laughed when we received what he called "a one finger salute". He explained, "That means they think we're #1!"

When I came home from sign waving, I decided it was time to fill out my absentee ballot and send it in. So I have officially voted!

And I'll be back on that street corner again next week.
I am only one person, but I'm doing what I can to make a difference
for my children
for my church
for my goverment
for the family
and for the future.

It's another example of the power of one

Ryan also voted for the first time today!!
He called me last night from Idaho when he was filling out his ballot.
This morning he reported that he had put in the the mail.

When will you vote?
Do you fill out an absentee ballot?

My Rival

She's served me well for twenty-one years
working hard
providing meals for my family
accompanying me to many church dinners
and potlucks.

But let's be honest . . .
she's looking rather
worse for wear
out of date
stained
and slightly dented.

I've been tempted by
shinier and prettier models
bigger and bolder
with more space
and more features.

Last week John told me that he had a gift certificate from work.
I could order something I wanted online.

He was surprised when I told him I wanted to replace my Rival.
"Doesn't she still work?" he asked.

A few days later the replacement arrived
she's big and beautiful
bright and shiny
just want I wanted

Presenting my brand new 7 quart Euro-Pro stainless steel crockpot!

I can't quite bring myself to get rid of my Rival.


Here are my boys making fun of me for taking pictures of my crockpots.
Marianne understands though.
She even took a picture of the chicken I was putting in for dinner.
She loves Honey Drumsticks.
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 spoonfuls of minced garlic
12 drumsticks
Cook 6-8 hours on low

Here's hoping your crockpot is serving you well!

Are you making any slow cooker meals this week?

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today my Dad celebrated his 68th birthday!

Here is my Dad & his sister Sherrie. Aren't they cute?
I love these hand colored photos.

My Dad as a handsome high school student.
On the corner of this picture he wrote "To My Anne. Love, Bob"
My parents were childhood sweethearts.

Dad as a young husband and father.
Isn't that baby just adorable?!

As a little girl, I loved spending time with my Dad. When I was pre-school age we lived across the street from the university where he taught. I remember him taking me to the school with him and walking through crunchy fall leaves.

My Dad taught me how to read with homemade flash cards before I went to school.
I think he was more excited than I was.
I've loved to read ever since!

My dad was the bishop of our ward when I was young and our ward had huge geographical boundaries. So my dad spent a lot of time driving. Sometimes he took me with him when he went to visit ward members. I loved going with him and I felt so grown up.

Here's my dad with Jenny and me.
Isn't this the funniest 1980s picture?!

When I went away to college, my Dad wanted to make sure I was well prepared. He gave me a tool kit and a flashlight. I was the only girl in my dorm with tools and it came in very handy when we wanted to "fix" our windows so that they opened more than 4 inches.

Tonight we celebrated with dinner at the Prado.

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you!

Tagged, My Way!

My cousin Kristin tagged me on her "8 Things" post. So I'm it!
But I just can't get excited about any of my 8 things, I'm going to do the Photo Tag instead!

Here is the 4th photo in my 4th folder.

This was taken almost exactly 2 years ago in October 2006. My kids were in a homeschool production of Beauty & The Beast. Marianne was a villager and a spoon (or was it a fork?)
Evan played Chip the teacup.

The kids performed on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday we got word that my father-in-law was ill and we headed up to Utah. He passed away before we arrived. So these pictures bring up a lot of emotions. Yesterday, October 15th was the 2 year anniversary of his passing.

I did my best to fix Marianne's red eyes on Photoshop. It was my first try.
How did I do?

Black Cat Cookies

Making Black Cat Cookies is one of our favorite Halloween traditions. We usually take them to "Boo" our neighbors. (Another fun tradition of leaving treats on the doorstep!)

Here's the recipe.

Beat together:
1 C creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 eggs

Gradually add:
1 box chocolate cake mix

Form 1 1/2 inch balls & flatten with the bottom
of a glass dipped in sugar.

Pinch ears & make whiskers with a fork

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

Remove from oven & immediately add candy corn eyes & a red hot nose.

Thank goodness for Marianne!

Marianne is getting us organized. I haven't been very good about planning dinners lately so we've been having a lot of things like: quesadillas, canned soup and (my favorite) fix-yer-ownie

Marianne came up with this week's menu and then even made a shopping list for me.
Sun - Stuffed Peppers
Mon - Canadian Bacon pizza
Tues - Fish tacos
Wed - Cream of Mushroom chicken & potatoes
Thurs - Chili
Fri - Leftovers
Sat - Bubble & Squeak

She already has a few things planned for next week. Lamb chops are her top pick for next week. Isn't she great?!

Here are a few of the simple recipes we're having this week. They're perfect for the autumn weather we've been having lately. Please post some of your favorite recipes on your blogs!! Marianne is looking for good ideas!

Stuffed Peppers

6-7 bell peppers (I like a variety of red, yellow & green and I found them on sale!)
1-2 lbs ground beef (I use ground turkey)
2 T chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 t salt
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cut top off each pepper and remove seeds and membranes.
2. Cook meat & onions, then drain and add all ingredients except cheese.
3. Place peppers in crock pot and stuff them with meat mixture.
4. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours
5. Sprinkle with cheese for the last few minutes.
If you didn't start early enough to use the crock pot, you can parboil the peppers for 5 minutes and then stuff, cover and cook them in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. Add cheese and cook 10 minutes more.

This is Aaron's favorite one to make. He calls it:
Dang Good Chili

2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans baked beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans kidney beans
1/3 cup dried onion
¾ cup BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic
1-2 lbs ground turkey (uncooked)

Cook in crock pot all day (Add salt & pepper before serving.)
If you don't want to use the crock pot, you can also simmer this on the stove top for an hour or so if you cook the ground turkey first.

My kids LOVE:
Bubble and Squeak

1 onion chopped
1 cup ground beef or turkey (we use more)
2 t oil
3 potatoes, chopped (we like to add more)
1 small head cabbage, chopped (red or green)
¼ Cup apple cider vinegar

Saute onion & turkey in oil. Add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are partially cooked. Wash cabbage and drain slightly. Add to skillet. Cook until potatoes are tender. Stir in vinegar. Cook until flavors are blended. We usually add salt and pepper or season salt.

Trip to Las Vegas & More Memories

It was a pretty quick trip to Las Vegas for the funeral, but we did manage to fit in some fun.

Marianne got to check out two of her favorite stores. This girl has a sense of taste that is amazing. I am sure she will have a beautiful home someday. Until then, I can just be grateful I have a few cute things in my kitchen thanks to her.

Aaron drove with his Grandpa and Aunt Jenny, so it was just the four of us in the car. Marianne kept us all busy looking for license plates. She managed to spot plates from 27 different states!

Here's Evan with a few funeral flowers. He took very good care of them and most of them are still alive 5 days later.

I have to throw in a few stories of trips my Grandpa took.

Once when we were at his house, he announced that he needed to go to the Grand Canyon for some business. We quickly packed our bags and hopped in his Town Car. I don't think Grandpa stopped the whole way there. When we finally arrived we were so excited and went to look over the edge of the canyon. We spent about 10 minutes oohing & aahing and then my Grandpa said, "Well, I took care of my business. Let's get going." We couldn't believe he wanted to head home already. My Mom finally convinced him to let us take a look in the gift shop, but I don't think we were there more than 30 minutes total!!

It was a very BIG deal when my Grandparents came to visit us at our home in Iowa. I was about 9 years old and was very diligent about practicing my piano every morning before school. One day I was playing a simple version of Beethoven's Fifth at about 7:30 AM. I should mention that the piano was in the family room where my grandparents were sleeping. Grandpa sat up in bed and hollered, "What in the sam hill is that?"
I replied, "It's just me practicing Grandpa."
"Oh good" he answered. "I thought I'd died and woken up at my funeral."

During this same trip my Grandpa was shocked to discover that our only TV was a black & white model. He was not going to watch his football game without color, so he went out and bought a color TV. My brother Scott and I were worried that he might decide to take it home with him and were thrilled when he left it behind!

Grandpa took another shopping trip and offered to buy us something at the toy store. The store was full of beautiful toys and dolls. I saw so many things I really wanted, but I didn't want to seem greedy. Maybe they were too expensive. After all, this was the only time Grandpa had ever taken me shopping so I decided to play it safe and I chose a simple "Quick Curl Barbie" that cost a modest $5.oo. Meanwhile, my brother Scott picked out the biggest electric train set in the store. I couldn't believe that I had been so stupid. I always hated that Barbie!

Families are Forever

My Grandpa's funeral turned out to be a beautiful family reunion!
All 6 of his children participated in the services and it was great to hear their memories of their father.
The great-grandchildren all sang "A Child's Prayer" and Aaron even got up there even though he was much older than all the Primary children.
All of Grandpa's grandchildren were there and it was so much fun to visit with all of my cousins!
Here are a few pictures:

Mom & Dad before the funeral service

Evan at the graveside service

Marianne at the cemetery

Me and my sibs

Four generations of strong women!

To Grandpa

My Mom called my cell phone before 7:30 this morning.
She knows that I am up early, but I was surprised to hear from her at that hour.
After years of getting up early with her family, she is finally at a stage where she can sleep in when she wants to!

She was calling to tell me that my Grandpa had passed away in the wee hours of the morning.

My Grandpa, Herman Arthur Zobrist was 88.
He is the father of 6 children, 34 grandchildren
and well over 100 great and great-great grandchildren!

Here he is with some of his posterity at our family reunion in 2007.

And Grandpa had an impact on thousands of other families!
He was a sealer in the Las Vegas temple and he performed an incredible number of ordinances as he served in that capacity. Before the Las Vegas temple was built, he and my Grandma used to make the drive to St. George, UT to serve in that temple.

Grandpa loved the temple!

I think that one of the saddest days of his life was when he had to give up temple service for health reasons.

My Grandpa called me "Moni"
Family legend has it that my cousin LaRae couldn't pronounce my name and so I became "Moni". The rest of the family gave up the nickname when I was still a little girl, but it stuck with Grandpa!

My family lived with my grandparents the summer that I turned 11.
I'm sure that it wasn't easy having three kids around 24 hours a day, and I'm sure my grandpa was grumpy.
But that's not what I remember.
I remember having a great time swimming in the pool, eating lots of Hostess snacks, reading books, magazines and The National Enquirer, riding in his Lincoln Towne Car, admiring the Blue Marlin hanging above his couch & watching lots of TV with Grandpa (as long as we were quiet!)

10 years later when John and I got married, he bought the diamond for my wedding ring from my grandpa. During our honeymoon we stayed at my grandparent's condo in Hawaii. Grandpa always had a special connection with John. He really enjoyed talking to him. One of the last times I visited Grandpa, it was just the kids and I. Every few minutes Grandpa would ask me, "Where's John?" or "Why isn't John here." And he was genuinely disappointed every time I explained that John was at home working.
"Oh, I know," said Grandpa. "It's hard to get away." And he proceeded to ask me all about John's family and how they were doing.

It was a sweet thing to see Grandpa soften in his later years.
My kids always enjoyed seeing him and getting a big kiss and hug from him. He even let them ride his "jazzy" a few times. During one of our last visits he told my boys that they shouldn't be focused on money and that family and the temple were the most important things.
And although he couldn't remember what he had for lunch, he amazed us all with a geography lesson about the Swiss alps!

I am grateful that my children have had the blessing of knowing their great-grandparents in this life. I look forward to the day when we will all be together again.

Moni misses you Grandpa!

It's A Holiday!

Did you know that this Saturday is World Card Making Day? It began in 2006 as National Card Making Day but has now expanded to global proportions!

How do I know this? Well I have a card maker living in my home! Be sure to check out Marianne's card blog at: Cardz4U She has some great new Halloween & Fall cards!