Love is in the air

February is here and love is in the air.

When I was a kid I often dreamed about the man I would marry. I had no idea who it would be, just someone that made me feel special. As I got into my teen years and early 20's, I dated a lot. I made some really cool friends, but I just felt that something was missing. I knew I wanted someone who kind, caring, and someone who lifted me up. I didn't plan on marrying my best friend.

See, I've know Derek since I was 17. He moved from Utah, to Arkansas, in 87, the year I graduated from High School. He was a geeky kind of guy, long, thin, had glasses, but this geek had a really cool personality. He kinda intrigued me. We became friends as I headed of to college in Idaho in 88'. We kept in contact by letters mostly, still just friends. Then he got his mission call, and was sent to Japan. I think I wrote him 3 times, that was pretty good considering I had a boyfriend at the time. He reminds me " You always had a boyfriend!" I couldn't help it I was needy..lol Funny story: when I was 17, probably the second time I saw him at a church dance, I was with my then boyfriend, Joel. Derek asked me to dance, and my boyfriend answered for me

" she doesn't want to dance with you. Being the gentlemen that he was, he walked away without incident. Looking back, he says, I should have said something smart like "I didn't ask to dance with you", but he didn't want to start a fight.

We kept in touch a little bit through his mission, and by the time he came home, I was needing to get out of Arkansas. I had a dead end job at Harvest Foods, and my boyfriend Joey was on his in mission in Utah. I packed up my small Civic and moved to Utah to live my brother and his new wife, Becky.

On my trip to Utah, my stopping point was Albuquerque, NM. I had booked a hotel to stay at, but I got a call at home, a couple of days before I left on my trip. It was Derek and he informed that he was now home,and that his family had moved from Arkansas to New Mexico while he was on his mission. His family was inviting me to stay at their home over the weekend.

I reluctantly agreed, ( i hated meeting new people)but, his family was so warm and welcoming. We went to a single adult activity at the State Fair, and met a bunch of his cool friends. This was new for me, a guy I could be just friends with.

Now for the serious part, sometimes the transition from friends, to more than friends, is not always easy. I was torn. I had a boyfriend at the time. What should I do? I did a lot of thinking, and contemplating. I don't like to hurt people. I have been hurt many times, and its no fun.

Because I was young, and stupid, I didn't break up properly. Left my boyfriend just hanging, stopped writing altogether. It was a terrible thing. I know it happens all the time, but that doesn't make it right.

Meanwhile Derek and I were still getting to know each other, he living in NM, and I in Utah. I was so busy in Utah, working, involved in a singles branch, and helping watching my niece Whitney, while her mom worked. It was a good time for me. I was on my own, and able to take a step back, and take stock of myself. I knew there were some things I needed to change about myself. I needed to find out who I was, and what I wanted.

I wanted to be happy. I wanted to wake up everyday being positive, and not dwelling on what could have been. I wanted to get married in the temple, and change my life. That was Fall of 1991.

Derek finally moved up to Utah in August of 1992. Two days later he totally surprised me, by asking me to marry him. I said yes. It felt so right. We were married Decmeber 23rd 1992.

So how is it being married to your best friend? It's wonderful. I don't have to act a certain way, or put on a show. He loves me anyways. We just ceebrated our 16th year together. Although there has been many trials, and hardships, in our married life( that post would be really long!)

we made it through. I feel so blessed to have found him.

I hope at this time of year you, will take a look at your spouse, and remember the reason you fell in love with them. Forget their faults. We are all human. Some of our friends who married around the same time are divorced now. They say they fell out of love. I don't believe it.

They just forgot the reason they loved them in the first place.

So Happy Valentines Day. til next time...

who do you look like?

I found this neat site, through my friend Tiffany. It shows you what celebrity you look like.
It's pretty cool, although I look like someone (Bridget Fonda) who most people have never even heard of !
Take a look at the side bar ...go try it!
http://www.myheritage.com/celebrity-face-recognition?morph=1

You all know how much I love to cook. Well, recently I have been taking a look at my favorite meals and converting them into healthier versions. A lot of you are familiar with the Sneaky Chef books where you hide pureed veggies in children's food. I recently found another book by the same author, called How to Cheat on Your Man in the Kitchen. The title intrigued me, and of course it's for men who are picky eaters. You know who you are, you only eat one

vegetable - potatoes! I had to laugh thinking, okay, we have to even treat our men like children. lol... Anyhow here is one of my favs, we have tried at home....

Brawny Brownies

- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped (or use 3/4
cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #1)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe #13)
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- One-half teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Butter or non-stick cooking spray
- Optional extra boost: 1 cup chopped walnuts
> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
> Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 13-by- 9-inch or 9-inch square
baking pan.
> Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler or metal bowl over
simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat
and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs,
vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled
chocolate mixture.
> In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, oat bran, cinnamon, coffee powder, cocoa
powder, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the
chopped walnuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
> Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely
in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered
sugar, if desired.

You really cannot tell that there is spinach in it. They are so moist! Of course I modify the recipe using rice flour, and leave out the oats, for my gluten-free friends.

books and more books

I don't know what has gotten into me lately! Since we have had a break from home-schooling, i have some time to do one of my favorite things, Reading! I just cant seems to get enough. On our vacation to Utah, I read the last of the Harry Potter series, Deathly Hallows.
Now those of you that know me, I usually like to read about believable things, not fantasy or make believe, but last year after going to see Order of the Phoenix with Derek, I knew I had to start reading the books. I think I was the only one on the planet who had never read a Harry Potter book. I started in January and finished the series in December. We made a deal, if I read the Potter series, Derek would read all the Twilight series. He actually enjoyed the books(except for some crazy parts in the 4th book)

In our branch we have book club also. I love getting together and discussing the finer points of a book. Last year we read: The Deerslayer,Les Miserables and Little Women, just to name a few.
I love to escape with a good book, so this indulgence is purely selfish on my part.
This past weekend I read 2 books, Jacob Have I Loved(my selection for Book Club in January), and Sonia O Brien's Epicenter. I really enjoyed her book, kind of departure from her usual storyline.

Today is Monday and the end of Christmas vacation. Back to more 5th grade reading text. Not
that I'm complaining, I'm learning so much too. I must have been asleep in 5th grade Science, because the assignments are so interesting to me now.
Well, I'm off to wake up the sleepy-head, so we can get started....

Happy New year and Family part 2

Hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and Day. We spent ours reading, eating lil. smokies, baby carrots, cheese and crackers.We watched football and folded mounds of laundry. I hate coming back from a trip becasue we usually have a pile of clothes to wash!

All in all, it was pretty quiet here, except for the neighbors popping off firecrackers!

I cant believe it is 2009. It s kinda scary, Kate will start Kindergarten in the fall, leaving me and Jacob at home.That will be different.

Dereks contract runs out at Saint Anthonys this year, so we will be shopping around probably for a new job by years end. Lots of changes on the horizion for our family.

Anyhow, and now onto our Utah trip..part 2 the Harrison Clan. As I said before, my parents were in Utah too for Christmas, and it was nice to be around my brother and his children. Well, they really arent children anymore, they are teenagers. Whitney is 16 and Curt 14. They are good kids. When I am around them they remind me so much of thier Mom. It was still hard to be in their house.I kept expecting to see Becky pop around a corner. She's been gone 3 years now.

Anyhow, we had fun Karoke-ing, Steve and I did some duets from the 80's- we both love to sing. My parents put up with our antics, and our noise. Christmas Day we had a big meal, and watched a lot of TV. I only wish that my sisters could have been there too. Here's a shot of the family on Sunday before Christmas. Thats my mom on the left, Whitney, my brother Steve, my dad and Curtis. What a good-looking bunch!

I got to meet my brothers girlfriend, Stephanie also. She seems pretty nice. I wish we lived closer so I could get to know her and her family better. As usual the mountains in Utah were beautiful. Derek snapped this picture outside my brothers front door:

Utah cetainly is beautiful, but there are so many people there! I'll stick with my littel po'dunk town here in AR ;)