Cinnamon Rolls

Makes: 2 to 2 ½ dozen

Ingredients:

2 packages of yeast

½ cup water

2 cups of scaled milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of mashed potatoes

2 tsp. salt

½ cup of shortening

7 cups of flour

1 cup of raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

Softened butter and sugar and cinnamon.

Soften yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes. Pour hot milk over shortening. Cool to Lukewarm.

Stir in 4 cups flour, sugar, mashed potatoes, and eggs, salt and dissolved yeast. Stir raisins and chopped walnuts into dough. Slowly add remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. Cover. Let rise until double.

Divide dough in half. Roll into a 1/2" thick rectangle. Brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Starting with long side, roll up jelly roll style. Press edges. Cut in 1" slices.

Place on greased baking dish. Cover. Let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Let cool then frost. I like cream cheese frosting.

Don’t look at them for too long or they will be gone!

This Girl

Today this girl is 11 people years old; in dog years that makes her about 57 years old. 

Really not old enough to be grouchy but sometimes she just is.

Here she is in search of the unknown but she knows something is down there. She is persistent that way. She has had to endure a number of sisters and sometimes it has been easier than others.

Meeka and Belle

Lola and Belle

Kala and Belle

Dottie, Kala and Belle

Lately it seems she gets picked on more than she should; two’s company three’s a crowd.  So sometimes she gets special privileges.

It is not always easy to be Belle……..but we love her just the same!!  Happy Birthday, Bellie, Belle!!

Eleventh Hour

Sometimes the greatest ideas come at the 11th hour.  I’m not a big fan of the 11th hour; I prefer the 1st hour and I’m even happy with the 6th hour.  But when a great idea comes along there is nothing to do but run with it.  So I did!

Of course I couldn’t have done it with out the wonderful artist ability of D2!

Found

Happy to report I found one of the pairs of my missing shoes! This makes me happy!!




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Here we are on Monday…

It’s list time!

1. Declaration: This WILL be a great week!
2. Two yards of gravel……that’s like two tons!
3. 2,000 pounds is a ton; a yard of gravel weighs 2,750 pounds. So that is over a ton.  This is good information should you ever be asked to shovel gravel.
4. Moving two tons of gravel is harder the second day.
5. Muscles yell. Muscles yell loudly. Tylenol is my friend.
6. The aging process really isn’t is NOT for sissies.
7. Finding the right doctor can be a daunting task.
8. I want a doctor who knows my name before he looks at my chart; is that possible?
9. Headed to the Sunflower state on Friday. Is it Friday yet?
10. I’m reading the “The Newport Ladies Book Club” Series.  It’s good. I don’t sleep because of it.
11. We are on the countdown people.  Just four days left to Step Up for Down Syndrome and we are going to have Two Much Fun. Click HERE to donate!  All donations are greatly appreciated.
12. I love my life! I love the people who are in it. They make my hard days great!!! 

That’s it!

Sunday’s Scripture

Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.

~~Moroni 10:20

A House Built Upon Rock

Everywhere we turn in our yard there are rocks; many of them are unwanted rocks or the wrong size of rocks. Seems we are always gathering rocks or buying more rocks.  Today I spent the better part of my day moving this pile of gravel or baby rock as I like to call it.

We had ordered it before thinking about the fact that Val would not be able to move it due to a heart and shoulder issue he is having; no lifting for a while.  And of course we ordered two yards instead of one.  So he supervised and I shoveled.  It was a slow process.  I think it was harder for him to watch me then it was for me to actually do the work.  I move slow and my idea of a full wheelbarrow I’m sure was different than his but he never said otherwise.  He patiently watched and never once complained about my numerous breaks.

I’ve discovered that when I am anxiously engaged in work of this sort I tend to do a lot of reflecting.  As I shoveled what seemed to be endless loads of gravel I remembered another time I was doing the same thing.  I had borrowed my dad’s truck to get a load of gravel. We love gravel, it covers a myriad of sins in ones yard and looks good.  At the time I didn’t realize how much or how heavy a yard or more of gravel would be.  After they loaded the gravel in the truck I slowly drove it home knowing that I had definitely exceeded the weight limit the truck could handle.  Once I got home I knew I had to get that truck unloaded before my dad saw how much gravel I’d put in his truck.  Val was at work so the task was mine.  I was much younger then ……….. 35 years younger in fact and 7 or 8 months pregnant!!  But the job got done slowly back then and slowly today. 

I’m not afraid of hard work.  It reminds me that I have muscles that need more attention plus I love to see the end results.  Something else worth noting; the wheelbarrow in the picture, it has been with us more than 35 years.  I used it to unload my dad’s truck.  It is a bit rough around the edges, shiny paint gone and a few tiny holes.  But it has a solid wheel and it is still up for any job.

I love things like that!

Results of today’s work.

P Dog run and area by the swing done!

Friday

I’m glad for it!

Employee or Otherwise

"An employee with lousy customer service skills is really just a disengaged employee.  In other words, those that lack the ability to care about their job or take pride in their work."

Where do you fit?

Sometimes

It is hard to believe we have been traveling over the hill now for eleven years!!  Back and forth.  Back and forth we go.  There are times when for a variety of reasons we just don’t make it home.  Love that we have a home away from home!

Blessed!!

Heart of the Matter

The heart is an incredible machine.  It never takes a day off.  It asks for no vacation; which is amazing. Seriously who doesn’t want a vacation from time to time? Who doesn’t want to stop what they are doing and just do something else.

The heart is a hollow muscle that pumps approximately 4.7 - 5.7 liters (that's about 5 quarts) of blood per minute throughout the blood vessels to various parts of the body by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The average human heart, beating at 72 beats per minute, and will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during an average 66 year lifespan. That’s a lot of beats!

Sometimes in all that beating the heart just is not strong enough to keep on going on. Sometimes the heart just stops. When that happens those are just not good days. Nobody is happy then. Sometimes we get lucky and the heart gives us warnings and lets us know it needs some help. It needs our undivided attention. Maybe it needs a little tune up or just a little cardiac ablation to get back into that smooth beating rhythm.

I am grateful for the miracle of modern medicine and all it can do. But the miraculous effect of prayer…..now that is really what is at the heart of the matter!!

Monday Whys and Wonderments

• Why is it that some days you feel on top of the world and other days you feel like the world is on top of you?
• Who came up with Planks anyway?
• Why does it have to be dark in the morning.  I would like it to be light from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  I think that is a reasonable request.  That’s how my world is going to be.
• Could we just have more common sense people?!?  Seems like the number of people with common sense dwindles with every breathe I take.
• Wish I could figure out how to get more sleep.  Don’t say go to bed earlier.
• How does a grown women lose misplace a two pair of shoes?  This is making me crazy.
• I used to have chocolate in my nightstand for a late night snack.  Those days are ancient history.  Sad.

That’s a wrap for my Monday whys and wonderments.

Sunday’s Good Words

It Has To Be

Times Three

Are you sensing a pattern here.  I promise hope this will be my last time post for a while.  The time I speak of is when you are waiting for someone to get out of surgery.  That is when time slows to a snails pace.  Surgery that is suppose to last an hour and a half and goes almost four hours.  That is when time stops completely and your mind goes into full-force worry and wonder what if mode.  And there is no amount of anything that will get time moving again.  I’m not a fan of this time. I’m happy to say my worry was for not.  That’s fantastic news.

Times Two

Last night as I wrote I wrote about the speed of time.  Time going fast.  Time going slow. I wanted time to go faster last night.  And then just like that in less than 24 hours time, time started to speed up again.  The cardiologist’s office called to say they had an opening next Tuesday and would we like to take it.  Yes. Please. That was an answer to prayers; just like that!!  Thank you to all who offered prayers!  They were answered!!!!

Time

This time of year it seems like time speeds up.  It actually starts the downhill fly in July when I start seeing Christmas stuff in the stores; a good reason to avoid going to the store.  So hard to see Christmas in July.  And then we come to October…….and time should just be flying by like the speed of sound, right?  Well it would be except when you have to wait for a medical procedure.  Yup Mr. Man is having more heart issues.  Instead of stopping now it is racing.  As he puts it, it is stuck in 3rd gear and won’t gear down.  So he has to have it shocked!  I know sounds serious and anything to do with the heart is but we are confident in his new cardiologist and we just wish October 22nd would come soon rather than later.

Sushi Tuesday

Sushi is always best with friends and family:

Sometimes we eat it faster than I can get a picture of it.

It is just so good……

More

It always happens the days after General Conference.  I find myself wanting needing more.  Tonight we listened to The Spoken Word.  The amazing music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was just what I needed. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Love that song. Love the way it makes me feel. So peaceful. So uplifting.

183rd Semiannual General Conference

This is weekend like the first weekend in April I look forward to more than any other throughout the year.  This is the weekend that I am most spiritually recharged.  Read and hear more about it here. And these are some of the things I learned and loved about this weekend:

“Look ahead and believe.” Edward Dube

“As we live the law of tithing, we often receive significant but subtle blessings.” David A. Bednar

“Believe in miracles.” Jeffrey R. Holland

“Fatigue is the common enemy of us all-–so slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill.” Jeffrey R. Holland

“The miracle of becoming one [in unity] requires the help of heaven, and it takes time.” Henry B. Eyring

“The decisions you make in your daily life will determine what happens to you later.” Bonnie L. Oscarson

“A testimony, like your body, needs to be in shape if you want it to endure.” Richard J. Maynes

"As you lose your life in ... service ... Satan's temptations lose power in your life." Richard G. Scott

“Repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future.” Richard G. Scott

"A fundamental question remains to be answered ... shall I falter, or shall I finish?" Thomas S. Monson

"Difficulties allow us to change for the better." Thomas S. Monson

“Don’t forget to look up.” Adrián Ochoa

“It’s not just the thoughts of our hearts that are important but the 'intents.' ” Terence M. Vinson

“You are never too young to learn, never too old to change.” Russell M. Nelson

(This post represents both Saturday and Sunday; it’s that good!)

Nuts

Over the course of my life I have traveled between California and Utah approximately one million times; I do not exaggerate.  Trust me I know the road.  I know where the best bathrooms are; I just don’t “go” anywhere.  I know where the (relatively speaking of course) best places to eat are.  And now I know where the best nuts are.

If I could stop eating them I would, but I can’t. They are that good!!

Plank Challenge

I’m not much on exercise.  We fight with each other like cats and dogs.  My Dil2 seems to like to exercise/run for some reason but due to health issues can’t.  She however can “Plank.”  So she invited all she knows to a 30-Day Plank Challenge; I can do that says I.  I saw the chart and thought 20 seconds a day and building to 5 minutes; I will do that.  There is even rest days in the 30 day challenge; I like that!  Then I tried it!!

Wish me luck………I’m going to need it!

These Two

• October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  Love this month.
• In an effort to spread awareness I’ve committed to blog for the next 31 days as part of 31 for 21. 
• It is not hard when I have those two in my life as inspiration. 
• Join in by following the link on the button below!
• You know you want to!!

Time to Step Up

Yes indeed it is that time of year.  The time when we Step Up for Down Syndrome.  I’m so excited that I will be taking part in my third Step Up for Down Syndrome walk with these amazing grans!

You too can be part of the team.  Just follow this link. 

Thank you so much!

Your support is greatly appreciated!!!