Here and Gone

Meg got to come home for a few days for Thanksgiving and her birthday. My first-born is 22 years old now. Can you believe it? She keeps growing and maturing but I just stay the same. The older she gets, the more people think that we are sisters rather than mother and daughter...Not. Ha! Ha!

The time flew by as we shopped, went out to eat, shopped, went to the movies, had Thanksgiving dinner with the fam (fifteen people at our house), went out to eat and shopped. And did I mention that we shopped?!? The days passed way too quickly and now she's back on her way to Cedar City. I can't wait for Christmas break when both she and Mal will be home and we'll all be together again. I miss my girls!!

Creative Biology

Marissa had to create a cell out of food for an assignment in her Biology class and this is what she came up with--pizza--which really is not surprising since Marissa would order Papa John's pizza every night for dinner if she could! Each part of the cell had to be represented and labelled. She used salami, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, olives, green peppers, carrots, and peas.

You're not surprised she got an A, are you? Me, neither!!

P-Dub Was Here

Have you heard of Ree Drumond aka The Pioneer Woman? She lives on a ranch in Oklahoma in the middle of nowhere. She homeschools her four children and she blogs....blogs alot. Her site is divided into five categories: confessions (life on the ranch), cooking, photography, home and garden, and homeschooling. Her blog has gained a huge following since she began just three years ago and she's won lots of awards for her site. She just published a cookbook and was in Kansas City for a signing. When I heard, I knew I had to be there. Since it was my sister, Rhonda, who introduced me to thepioneerwoman.com last year, I knew she had to be there with me!

Vivien Jennings, owner of Rainy Day Books who sponsored the event, collected questions from the audience and Ree proceeded to answer them. She is funny, clever, and very real about her family and their life on the ranch.

After the Q & A session, attendees were called to have their books autographed according to their ticket number. While we were waiting our turn, we visited with Ree's husband Marlboro Man (Ladd Drummond) and their two sons, Bryce and Todd. I convinced the boys to sign my cookbook as well.

Actually, Bryce signed for himself and his brother both because Todd really didn't want to have much to do with us. I think we were lucky to get that picture.

It was finally our turn to meet Ree. We talked about the gemstones in our wedding rings--garnets in hers and rubies in mine--and then the best place to get BBQ in KC. Arthur Bryant's is where Rhonda and I both suggested they go. Unfortunately, there was another book signing scheduled in St. Louis the next night so there would be no time for BBQ before leaving town...maybe next time.

I've tried several recipes from thepioneerwoman.com and many of my favorites are in this book. If you're looking for a gift idea for someone in your life who likes to cook, this would be a great choice!

Gridiron Blues

Yesterday was the final game of the football season for the ONW Ravens. Chase hasn't been able to play since mid-September because of a fractured metatarsal. You can read all about it in the "Fractured!" post of 10-2-09. (I'm going to find out how to make a link that will take you directly there...stay tuned!) The 2009 ONW 6th Grade Ravens.

This was the last season they will play together. Next year, they can play for their school teams. So sad Chase was only able to play two games before being injured. He LOVES football!

These pictures were taken back in September.

The boys were hyped up before their first game.

Chase was voted team captain by the other players. He gets to go out on the field before the game for the coin toss and a pep talk from the ref.

First and 10.

In the huddle.

Man down!

Chase sustained a serious neck injury wrestling last winter and it's still a little tender.

Coach Lichtenaur comes out to take a look.

Coach Wohlford gives Chase a hand up

and back into the game he goes.

Chase (#50) blocking a pass. Great game, Ravens!!

Game over!

Season almost over...we just don't know it yet! :-( Chase will play just one more game with the Ravens.

This is my favorite picture from last season. It was taken last October. Can you tell how much Chase has grown since then?!?

Winter Quarters, Nebraska

The Indian Creek Ward had a youth temple trip to Winter Quarters today and Chris and I decided to accompany them. Winter Quarters is a beautiful temple with many unique stained glass windows portraying the history of the area.This was Chase's first time attending the temple and I was so glad to be there with him. (I have to tell you a funny story about this picture. Chase had changed into shorts and a hoodie for the bus ride home before Chris and I got to the visitor's center to tell him we wanted to take a picture so he put his shirt and tie on over his t-shirt and shorts to take this photo. That's why it's only from the waist up...khaki shorts and hairy legs below!)

There is a beautiful visitors center that tells the story of the great migration west and focuses on the time that the Saints spent here in the winter of 1846-47 after being driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois. Today when Chris and I walked in, we came upon Elder Dallin H. Oakes teaching the sister missionaries in the lobby! He and his wife were visiting his brother who is the temple president.

More that 600 people died during that winter. Most died of scurvy and malnutrition due to lack of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Many of those 600 who died were children under three years of age. This is a monument to the parents who had to bury so many of their little ones. Winter Quarters is a very special place that causes one to feel great respect and reverence for those early pioneers and all that they sacrificed in search of a place where they could worship in peace.

Young Women in Excellence

Today Marissa and I attended the Young Women in Excellence program in the Kaw River Ward. The program celebrates young (and old!) women who have completed the Personal Progress requirements necessary to receive the Young Womanhood Recognition Award. There were four recipients:

Cristal Perez, Marissa Miller, Maria Miller, and Aurora Molina. That's Norma Guenther, YW president, in the middle. Each of us took a few moments to talk about our projects and experiences and the things we learned while working on the Personal Progress program. Each of us received a necklace with the Salt Lake temple on the medallion. You can tell Chris and I are having trouble seeing the teeny, tiny clasps!!

Success!!

Irene Chavez baked cakes for the refreshments.

Isn't she so pretty?!?

Here's another yummy cake.

Norma has been a great YW president and friend to Marissa.

Mallorie, too. We love her!

Every mom should be lucky enough to have a woman like

Norma mentoring her daughters!

Aurora has been my friend ever since we came to Kaw River.

I love her!

Here's a blast from the past...Meagan and Mallorie receiving their Young Womanhood Recognition Awards in November of 2004.

Meg was 17 and Mal was 14. My how they've grown up!

Restricted...Temporarily!

Marissa got her restricted driver's license this morning. We were at the DMV twenty minutes before they opened and were the fourth ones in line. Marissa will be able to drive herself to school, work, and seminary (YEAH!!!) from now on. Her restricted license will convert to unrestricted on her birthday in six weeks...easy as pie. Unless, that is, she is convicted of two or more moving violations before then. Marissa is an excellent driver and I have no doubt that her record will remain clean...indefinately!!

Everyone's favorite part of getting a driver's license...

the dreaded photo!!

Now she's off to school and will drop Chase at Meadow Lane on the way. I guess the days of my embarassing them by wearing my PJ's while driving them to school are over!!

Dread-ful!!!

Marissa gave herself a dread...a dread, not many dreads.

Thank goodness!!!

Evidently, there's a tutorial on You-Tube on how to make them if you want to check it out. We've decided to educate the masses on how to care for dreads once you've got them. Who knew there were so many products involved in caring for and feeding your dread? Since Marissa has only one dread, it's necessary to separate it from the rest of her mundane and oh-so-ordinary locks. First, apply some Knotty Boy Dread Wax to help tame the frizzies and help stray hairs grow back into the dread. It's made from hemp, avocado, jojoba, kukui, and shea butter that are "like food for your hair" according to the label, but it doesn't smell too good. Now, work it into the dread real good. Next, apply some dread-butta, a moisturizer that softens and conditions the dread, because "Dreads are Betta with Dread-Butta!" This stuff smells really good, like sugar cookies!

Lastly, be proud of your dread, give it a name, and show the world how cool dreadies can be!

Peace, Love, and Dreads!!!