Happy Birthday Brandon

Today is my favorite Son-in-law's birthday. I can say he is my favorite, because he is my only one. :-) Here's what he looks like in case you've never met him. (He is the bigger of the two handsome men in this picture.)

I'm posting in blue because he is a tried and true BYU fan! Even when he says he doesn't like them because they aren't doing well, I suspect that deep down he still really likes them. Cougar loyalty runs deep.

Brandon has many admirable characteristics - hard worker, faithful Priesthood holder, good daddy, yummy omelet maker, doesn't mind that Ashley comes to visit often...the list goes on.

But the number one reason I like him so much is that he loves our daughter. This is evident in so many ways. As already mentioned, he works hard to provide for his family, and is willing to give up things, mainly his time, to perform well at whatever job he has. He pitches in at home giving her a break from the mundane tasks that are a part of running a home. Along with being a faithful Priesthood holder, Brandon knows the importance of a strong family. As he and Ashley raise Talmage, they make sure Scripture Study, Family Home Evening and Family Prayer are a part of their family life. As a parent, one couldn't wish for more in a Son-in-law.

Three cheers for Brandon! We love him!

Happy 26th Birthday!!!

A Good Week on the Hardwood

Who cares if the Super Bowl was today? We have bigger and better sports news. The athlete's are steroid-free, have squeaky-clean records, and are (for the most part) good sports. Not to mention, pretty darn cute!
Trevor's team has struggled all season to win a game. A week ago yesterday, his team tied their opponents. We were happy campers.

Yesterday, as the game unfolded, the fans began to feel a victory in sight. As the 4th quarter began, it became more exciting, and as you can see by the scoreboard, with 11 seconds to go, the home team was assured a victory!!!

Kristin's team is still looking for that elusive win. With only 3 teams in her age bracket, you get to know your competition pretty good, maybe a little better than you hope to. One team they face every other game is from a small community just east of here, and they are tough, intimidating and pretty physical. Combine that with their size (most of them bigger than our team) and it makes for some pretty discouraging outcomes.

The other team is a little more evenly matched, but has managed to be victorious in each game. But...the time before last, they only won by 2 points. Then, Thursday's game, although not a victory on the scoreboard, was very exciting to watch. Kristin's team held them scoreless in the 4th quarter. Her team had 6 points at the beginning of that quarter, and as you can see by the scoreboard in the picture, they made quite a comeback. The fans all thought a win was likely, but their shooting went cold and the final score was 17-25. Still...it was a good night!

She'll be in Primary no more

Happy Birthday Kristin




Yesterday was Kristin's 12th birthday, which means she has moved on from Primary and entered the world of Young Women. Hard to believe she's old enough to be in 6th Grade, let alone be out of Primary.

Her dinner choice garnered hurrah's by the whole family. Bulgogi, twice backed potatoes, jello, corn (with butter), crescent rolls from the can, and rhubarb/raspberry cobbler with ice cream for dessert!

She tried to gain a little advantage on blowing out her candles, but in the end, it was all good.

Lasagna Night

There's nothing like a man in the kitchen, and I had a cute one helping me today. Trevor tried his hand at putting together a lasagna and declared it easy. He also ate his larger than asked for helping in no time flat, supporting the theory that things you make yourself taste better than usual.


Here's Trevor's recipe for "Lazy Lasagna".

Brown 1 lb mild Italian sausage. Drain and mix with one large can spaghetti sauce and 1/3 cup water.

Mix together in large bowl - 12 oz of cottage cheese, 2 beaten eggs, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.

In the bottom of a 9x13 pan, sprayed with Pam, spread a large spoonful of the spaghetti sauce mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of sauce, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering. Spread remaining sauce on top of noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 deg. until noodles are tender and most of sauce is absorbed. Can remove foil towards the end and let it brown on top if desired. Cooking usually takes about 45 mins or so.