Logan!

 This past weekend we went up to Logan for a day trip to visit our good friends Kim and Matt.  Kim and I have been friends since we were 5 years old in modern dance together.  Throughout our lives I feel like our seeing each other goes in waves.  Sometimes we see each other all the time, then life gets in the way and we go months without playing.  This is why we went to Logan.  Because I refuse to let some mountains and a long stretch of freeway come between me and one of my best friends.

I have had this visit on the calendar for month.  I was sooo excited!  We got up super early on Saturday and drove up.  First we stopped and had crepes with Porter's Dad and Grandpa since they live up there too.  Then we headed over to meet Kim and Matt.  We chilled for a bit then hit up the DI up there.  There was a beautiful bed spread there that I wanted really bad, but Porter wasn't convinced that it was worth redoing the color scheme in our room for.  So, alas, I left it there.  

Kim is going to Florida for 2 weeks, I know, lucky right?!  So she and I headed to the spa for her to get her first ever bikini wax.  The last time we tried waxing was in junior high for a dance.  She had bought some NADS, which was green gloopy gel that you smeared on your skin, put a little cloth on and ripped off.  It was supposed to be waxing without the hot wax.  Well, we put it on her upper lip, waited then ripped.  The good news was that it pulled the hair off.  Bad news, her skin came with it!!!  There was blood coming from all the little follicles and from the lack of skin.  It was so sad and funny at the same time.  Anyway, she was a little nervous.  I don't blame her!  I was having a manicure and scalp massage so there was no fussing on this end.  When she was done, I asked how it was.  Mind you, the waxing lady was still in the room, she said 'it was great!  Really great.'  As soon as the waxing lady left, it was a totally different story, she was like 'ouch! that hurt like a mother!'  Hahahaha!  Ah well, she will have a great time in her bikini on the warm sandy beaches.

Later we went for nummy Indian Food.  I had never had Indian before, so I was quite excited.  This is us before heading in.

This is some of our sampler plate.  And later we got a curry of some kind.  Matt ordered a Vindaloos, which is one of the spiciest curries.  I am proud to say I tried it, and actually like it.

 This is after our feast, we ate so much our guts were hanging out!

Afterwards we went to a cheese factory and grabbed some cheese and flavored milk.  We brought home cookies and creme milk, strawberry, mango and root beer milk.  All are pretty good but root beer is my favorite!  It tastes like a root beer float in your milk!  To end our trip we grabbed gelato.  Kim and I wanted to show you our favorite flavors.  Mine was the mama mia, vanilla, chocolate and cherry.  I miss Kim, but I love the time and silliness that we get to share!

'Wonders Never Cease'

Jeanette Viola Williams Jan. 29th, 1929 - Feb. 13, 2012

Porters sweet Grandmother passed away this last week.  She was a wonderful lady.  This was his Father's mother.  I only knew her for a few years, but she always welcomed me and made me feel right at home.  Her passing was not unexpected.  She had been in poor health for a while, but it is still sad to loose a loved one.  We know she is in a better place watching over us, but we will still miss her a lot!

 Kyle (Porter's Dad) wrote a song for her 20 years ago, 'Wonders Never Cease.'  He pulled it out for her funeral.  He and Porter's sister, McKenzie, played the guitars and we all sang.  This is a video of us practicing in Grandpa's living room before the funeral.  It was a lovely song.  Kyle has a real talent for song writing.  I asked them all why we didn't just hit the road and start singing for our supper?!  Okay, so maybe we are not quite ready for that, but the song was very nice at the service.

 Our family, just after the dedication of the grave.

The whole Williams Family.  There are a lot of us, wow!  We don't get to see this side of the family very ofter, especially all of us in one room on a stage.  It was a perfect picture opportunity.  Growing up, I come from a small family, which has it's perks, don't get me wrong.  But, I've always wanted to be a part of a big family.  Thankfully, marrying Porter not only scored me one hunk of a guy, but I also inherited his awesome (BIG!) family.  I'm a pretty lucky girl.  I get the best of both worlds,  my small family on one side and my big family on the other side. 

Homemade Applejacks!

Pintrest......one little word that gets me so excited when I hear it.  I (like so many others) am hooked on this.  I love looking at all the ideas and recipes.  I have quite a few pins on my food board.  And I have begun to test them out.  I use the app for pintrest on my iphone to look at my boards and pull up the recipes.  This makes it super easy to buy ingredients at the store and to follow the recipe on my phone as I cook.  The app really isn't good for anything else in my opinion.  But it sure is helpful to look at your own boards.  Pretty much every recipe I have tried has been quite good.  And Porter sure isn't complaining.  He keeps getting new and delicious food thrown in front of him with my eager little eyes watching to see if he likes it.  One of my favorite new recipes is so easy it will make you go "what?!!  why didn't I think of that?!" or at least that's what I said when I tried it.  You will need: 1 large apple, pancake batter, butter and syrup (the real maple kind is the only way to go!) First, whip up your pancake batter in a small bowl  and set aside.  Next, core your apple, then slice it into fairly thin slices, but not too thin.  Then, take your apple slices and dunk them in the batter until they are completely coated.

 Heat up a frying pan and set the apple slices in it.  I cooked ours at a lower medium heat, and I put a lid over them so the apple would get really tender.  They cook pretty fast, so don't leave to look at facebook, or pintrest!

 You will need to flip them at some point.  When they are done, scoop them out and put some yummy butter and syrup on them and you are ready to enjoy some of the better pancakes EVER!!!!

Porter LOVES them!!!  I hope you guys all try this.  I really am not a pancake girl.  They are usually too starchy for my liking, but the apple slice in the middle is a game changer for me.  I have made them 3 times, and will probably make them again this weekend!  Which, by the way,  I hope you have a lovely (3day!!!) weekend!

Afternoon musings

This is just a short video of me having some fun at the piano. Its not a perfect piece by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure is fun to play and sing. Also, it was recorded on my iphone. This is a song from "Songs for a New World." The title is 'Stars and the Moon.'

Thrifty Thursday

 Hello!  I'm excited to show you what treasures I found.  A few weeks ago my friend Ali and I went to the DI, which in Utah is the equivalent of the Salvation Army.  We found some fun little treasures.  I walked out with a few items including a nasty brown and gold lamp for $12.  However, the shape of the lamp was great! I took it home and painted it black.  Then a quick trip to Ikea to score a sweet lamp shade that was on sale for $9.99!  So, there it is a new lamp for $22! I love finding fun little treasures and up-cycling them.