YAY!  It's been a good week! Nothing special or out of the ordinary - no drama, or trauma, and nothing earth-shattering - just a great seven days of being healthy, loving my family, spending time with Kevin, and feeling the joy and peace the Savior brings into my life. ❤

We did yard work, mowed, edged, killed some dandelions, got rid of the pallets, the chewed up living room carpet, and our old coffee table. AND I finally took down our 4th of July lights and bunting. 

While on the topic of the coffee table, I think I mentioned that last week we received our replacement table, and sadly, it was also damaged.  I was ready to just cancel the order, but the lady I spoke with at Wayfair was so nice, she said we wouldn't need to send this one back, and she placed another order that should arrive tomorrow. I think if this one is damaged we will find the undamaged parts of both of the broken tables and put it together the best that we can - I just want to be done with it 😊

One evening this week, I was fixing taco rice for dinner, and while talking to Kate, she said she had recently read an article about taco rice in Okinawa.  So this may be an odd topic for a family blog, but who doesn't love an easy-to-fix, great-tasting dish????

This is what I learned - Okinawa taco rice was invented in 1984 by Matsuzo Gibo, who owned a restaurant, the Parlor Senri, located just outside of Camp Hansen.  Following World War II, the United States maintained a strong military presence in Okinawa and American service members who craved Tex-Mex foods found it difficult to find taco shells or tortillas. 

Matsuzo Gibo experimented with replacing taco shells with with steamed rice, topping it with taco-seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.  He named it "taco rice" so his staff could easily understand the order.

So, there you have it! The story behind taco rice.  I can still remember the first time I tried it.  To be honest it didn't sound appetizing to me at all, but the kids all like it, and one evening when I was working late at the elementary school, Kevin offered to pick some up for me at the bowling alley (I think that's where he got it from).  When I opened it up, there was a fly in it.😳😬😭

In my opinion flies rank right up there with dandelions, and spiders!  I don't understand why they needed to be created in the first place  - This meme says it all - Not only do I feel this way about spiders, but I have the same deep, dark feelings about flies!

And did you know a man actually burnt down his parent's house after he attempted to kill a spider with a blowtorch (that would be me with a fly)

On to more fun topics . . .

Today was our Sacrament Meeting Primary Program.  Our kids did such a great job, and their singing was amazing.  Jake had his Primary Program today also, as did Ben.  Angella sent me the link to their program so we were able to watch it over Zoom before going to Church. 

It was so good, and Ben did a great job reciting his part (He's in a white shirt with a vest, standing next to the teacher in a blue shirt.  Way to go Ben!!!

We just got home from having a delicious dinner with Adam, Cory, Lily, and Jake. It was nice to escape our kitchen for a couple of hours.  While we were there, Lily's cat, Danno joined us at the table - 

He just sat there very contentedly, until Kevin said something to him (we all know how he feels about cats) and Danno just gave him the look that said, "how dare you!"  She also said he is happy to be held upside- down.   

We feel so blessed to be able to spend time with the kids while they are still young.  Everyone is just growing up too fast!

Since NO ONE sent me any photos this week, I thought I would add some of my favorites 😁

Not only do these photos make me smile, they also bring back fond memories of fun times together ❤

This is the second promise from President Nelson, of the blessings that come to us as we spend time in the Temple.  

"Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work." 

 I have a testimony that attending the Temple doesn't necessarily take away the hard things in life, but it gives us the clarity we need to help us solve our problems, and the peace we seek for when we face the challenges and trials of everyday life. .  

Our Favorite Missionary - 

Paul has been great to share news and photos from his mission.  These are a couple of the most recent ones we have received.  

 It looks beautiful and I know so many people in his mission will be blessed by his example of faith and unconditional love. 

 If you have time to drop him a note, I know he would love it.  His current address is: Elder Paul Hopkins, 808 Washington Ave North, Long Beach, WA,   98631

WE LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU HAVE AN EXTRA WONDERFUL WEEK!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER!  It was interesting this morning, to look at our weather forecast and see our projected temperatures slip from the 80's to the 70's and even 60's over the next couple of weeks. I love a long Indian Summer where the temps stay warm into October, but it looks like I'm out of luck on that one.  (However, I do love pulling out my sweatshirts and hoodies. 😁)

  In case you didn't notice, the blog was closed for Labor Day 😀 - it was so nice to have an extra day to do some house cleaning, and take Sendai to the dog park.  Our Saturday morning started like this, when we came out of the bedroom and found Sendai asleep on the couch, breaking all of the house rules - thankfully I had covered the couch with a sheet the night before because she has been a little sneaky lately. 😕   Josh popped in for a visit on Saturday, which was nice because we hadn't seen him for  quite awhile.  

And then Lily, Jake, and Cory stopped in on their ways to Sam's Club.  They had been to the Mall where they have an RC store which has a scale crawler course that Jake loves.  He's pretty good at it too -

 We worked in the yard and got the lawn mowed.  Can you believe I have these flowers that started growing in our flower bed in the front yard at the beginning of the Summer.  

We finally figured out that this is what is called Phlox.  I'm not sure where it came from, I didn't plant it, and in spite of me, it's still alive - in fact this is the second time in two months that it has had blossoms.  I hope it spreads so maybe I will have more next summer. 

I got some Labor Day selfies from last week -

 Monday, we met Adam, Cory, Jake, Lily, and Milo at the Bear Creek Dog Park.  Sendai loves it there.  She and Milo ran so much they both ended up in the water to cool off.  

 We all got in a little walking exercise, and Jake found something to climb 😄

On the way home, we ran into some pretty heavy traffic, so Dad got off the freeway and there you go - right in front of us was a Dairy Queen😍.  I got my baby blizzard, Dad got a large vanilla ice cream cone, and Sendai got a pup cup and she was sooooooo happy

What a fun day we had - and always so great to spend time with family. 

Fun stories that made me chuckle (and laugh out loud) this week!  

Ji-Chan had asked Max last week if he would go to a funeral and write a note in the guest book for a friend we knew on our mission and also while we were stationed at Yokota, who just recently passed away.  Max, being the wonderful grandson that he is, walked into the funeral home only to find himself totally surrounded by Japanese people. He said he felt really awkward, but eventually found the guest book and was trying to write the note that Ji-Chan had sent him, when he noticed a long line starting to form behind him.  He hurried and finished and then two granddaughters of our friend escorted him into the service and down to the front row.😂.  Oh my goodness!  I would have loved to have seen this!!  He managed to stay for the opening song and prayer, but when the person giving the obituary stood up to speak, Max said he stood up and made a quick exit to freedom.  I always love getting a Max story!

Last night Angella and Ben were coming over to have dinner with us, but when the girls heard Ji-Chan was grilling they wanted to come too.  The girls brought their boyfriends so we had quite a houseful (except we were missing Emma 😢). While the meat was cooking we were sitting outside around the table visiting.    

We were laughing at Eilis because she really is the instigator of teasing Ben and always has been - who would have thought this could come from quiet, sweet, Eilis???? Then Hollie brought up a time she could remember when she got in trouble because of Emma and Eilis.

They were making "potions" and told Hollie to fill the kitchen sink all the way to the top - so Hollie did what they told her to do, but then got in BIG trouble by Angella.  Then Angella was telling us about the time she had asked Emma to clean the bedroom she shared with Eilis and Hollie. Apparently, Emma wasn't in the mood for cleaning so she paid Eilis a couple of dollars from the birthday money to do the cleaning. I guess Eilis didn't feel like cleaning either (and she didn't give the money back) so when Angella checked on the progress of the bedroom and discovered it hadn't been cleaned, she grounded Emma for a week.  So . . .Emma cut all of the hair off of Eilis' favorite doll. 😂  I love that these girls are such good friends today ❤

This week, I decided with Labor Day over I would put away my red, white, and blue and pull out some of my fall decorations.  I decided to order fall lights for the my tree on the front porch, so I got on Amazon, ordered the lights, but forgot to change the shipping address - 

so Blythe ended up with my Fall leaves and lights (in Florida, where they probably don't even have Fall).  She Facetimed me this week and had hung them over her sink.

AND, then there was Dad, who one afternoon, sat down on our coffee table and broke the glass on top - Ooops . . .  So since we needed to find a new coffee table, I decided we might as well get new carpets also.  The one we had in the living room had every corner chewed on by Sendai when she was a puppy.  The carpets and the coffee table came on Friday, so Dad and I worked yesterday to get rid of the old, and celebrate the new.  I love the new carpets - the quality is great, but sadly the coffee table had a huge crack in the side, so it will need to be replaced.  

Kate spent the first two weeks of students returning to the photo department by 

wearing a different "photo" t-shirt every day.  

Wish I could be so creative ❤

    THE COLORADO SPRINGS TEMPLE  

The groundbreaking was held yesterday for the Colorado Springs Temple. Throughout the years, President Nelson suggested 15 ways that the Temple can bless our lives.  I thought I would share one each week - 

1. "The temple is a place of peace and power, and spending time there will literally change a person's life."

I think this is so true! Attending the Temple strengthens our relationship with Jesus Christ.  I always leave with thoughts of how I can improve my relationships with family and friends, and an understanding of goals that will help me get there.  And I absolutely agree, that the peace I find in the Temple is often difficult to experience anywhere else.  Below is the link from a local news station that reported on the Church and the Temple groundbreaking. 

https://youtu.be/_FiQQdQC7Xc?si=y3NsqVZIhrWRFnLW

I love you all so much!  Let us know if there is anything you need - a hug, phone call, email, care package, shirt, shoes, or advice from life-experienced older person, etc., etc., etc.,  We are always here for you ❤

 Our last Sunday in August!  Where did our Summer go???? It seems our summer days were filled with doctor and dentist appointments, school work, yard work, Kevin's Institute classes, not to mention, 7 birthdays, 1 wedding and reception, and 1 amazing missionary delivered to the MTC!  

 Some happy news from Paul - his first missionary assignment is in Long Beach, Washington - population, 1,792 people, and I'm thinking before he is transferred he will have met all 1,792 of them. 

His address is -  808 Washington Ave North

Long Beach, WA 98631

I am sure he would love to hear from anyone who has time to drop him a note, send an email, or care package.  Hopefully, Adam and Cory will be able to talk to him tomorrow. ❤

TIME FOR TWO APOLOGIES!

 These two cute boys just started life in 3rd Grade, NOT 2nd grade as I posted last week.  Maybe it was wishful thinking, or I'm in denial, but I am sad not to have any "littles" around making messes, digging for bugs in the backyard, and giving me hugs without having to be reminded. 😁

 Even though they are growing up so quickly, I love that they are still like to come visit, eat pancakes, make cookies, and play games with me. 

 (And my Mom would be so happy that they love to play Rumikub) 😊

Apology #2 is the forgotten pancake recipe.  I mentioned that Kate gave me a recipe for protein pancakes that we loved.  You all know that Kevin is a "picky" pancake eater, and they got two 👍👍 thumbs up from him - so here you go: 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 mins  | Cook Time: 10 mins  | Servings: Servings 8 pancakes 

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup Stonyfield Greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple syrup and berries, for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another larger bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Then whisk in the Greek yogurt, milk and vanilla extract.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, being careful not to over mix; a few lumps are okay.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, pour 3-4 circles of batter into the pan. Cook until the pancakes are puffed on top and golden brown on the bottom, 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side until risen and cooked through, 1-2 minutes more.

Serve with maple syrup, and fresh fruit, as desired. (or peanut butter for more protein) 😋

Nutrition:

Calories: 108kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 331mg, Potassium: 86mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 81IU, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 1mg

Enjoy!

A PHONE THAT ISN'T ACTUALLY A PHONE (To quote Kate)😀

 This is Sayre with his new phone, that isn't actually a phone.  He loves to listen to music and audiobooks, especially when overwhelmed.  He had an MP3 player, but it stopped working with Apple Music, so Kate and Jonathan found a refurbished iPhone SE with no phone number and no sim.  He is so proud that he has a phone, even though it functions like an iPod.  I loved that he Facetimed me yesterday so he could show it to me.  

SUNDAY (OR SATURDAY) SELFIES 

 We got to see Angella, Ben, and Hollie for a few minutes this morning before we left for Church.  Angella had a little bit of a cold and wasn't feeling her best, but Ben was pretty happy and Hollie is getting anxious, excited, and nervous about starting her new job.  Over the next couple of weeks she will be training, and then we'll have to hit the Broadmoor and find her pastries.  

 Can you remember when she was this little? 

SAD NEWS OF THE WEEK - 

Helma's daughter, Donna passed away Thursday morning.  It was a sweet experience to be there but also very hard.  Her son, Grant, texted me early Thursday morning and said they had taken her back to the hospital.  I went up around 10:00 and her three children, and her sister Diana, were surrounding her bed singing to her.  Piper, her little service dog was nuzzled up against her side when she passed away about an hour later.  I am so grateful we have the Gospel perspective of knowing she is reunited with her Mom and her son that passed away several years ago.  She was such a wonderful person and it was a blessing to know her.  She will definitely be missed! 😥

 I have stayed busy the last few weeks, helping out at Liberty, and trying to get things done around the house,  So much that needs to be done and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish it all.  There has been a couple of days when I have felt discouraged that I am not able to do everything on my list - that happens when you have a bazillion things on your to-do list - so what I am learning (again) that I need to be more patient, and I can't make everything a priority.  My favorite quote this week - COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT! (thank you Elder Wirthlin)

Have a great week, and send me photos!