DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK

Quote of the day: "I never knew milk could be this fun!"

JEFFERSON'S BRIDGES

Aren't these awesome bridges? Beautiful.

MY FATHER ASKED ME TO

take a class with him - a three day quilting class. Seriously, how cool is that? Of course I said "yes!"
Today was our first class and we are having so much fun!

Here he is ironing like a pro with our quilting classmates.

My mom made us these cool pin cushions filled with crushed walnut shells to keep our pins sharp. Who knew?

PS - Mom, your pin cushions are a hit with the class.

ONE WORD

DAIYA
My taste buds are in heaven!

RAD GIFT

My sister made the coolest, most thoughtful present.

Stephanie asked all the family members to describe the nieces and nephews and for their birthdays this year she is using the descriptions to make them a wall print.

Isn't she the best!?!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

We have been celebrating with lots of green and topping the day off with shamrock sugar cookies.

Have a delicious St. Patrick's Day

FALL IN LOVE WITH LESS

via mnmlist via stephmodo

WISHES WERE GRANTED

peanut butter & jelly cake

peanut butter & jelly cookies

and

a macaroni & cheese bar

And of course lots and lots of presents.

PS - the peanut butter and jelly cake rocked the taste buds.

I'M NOT MENTIONING ANY NAMES,

but someone is sad that it isn't his birthday.It's hard being three.

MISCELLANEOUS

photos from our Yakima drive.

We found one of our old stickers. Fun find!

We were so happy to drive in no rain!

The way home was another story altogether. Rain, rain, more rain and someone might have slept.

YAKIMA WEDDING

My cousin, Wil, and his gorgeous bride, Phylicia, got married Saturday in Yakima.

It was a fun celebration filled with family, friends, love, music, food, bubbles and the over-bite shuffle.

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO

celebrate Landon's 6th birthday.

Landon is sweet, smart, loving, happy, thoughtful, funny, passionate, an awesome son, wonderful brother and just might be the best DS/Wii/Xbox 6 year old player in the West.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANDON!

WE LOVE YOU!!

THE DAY WE LEFT UTAH

it was absolutely gorgeous, which was a welcomed sight because it was dumping thick snow the night before.
We had a few hours to spare before our plane left, so we drove down to Provo.

We met my aunt and uncle for lunch and my father couldn't stop himself, much to our delight, from making a snow angel outside the restaurant.

We stopped by to check out the progress of the Provo Tabernacle.

I love that they are saving the brick. I wish we could have spent a little more time in Provo, but Delta doesn't wait for sightseers.

RAISIN FILLED COOKIES

I remember eating raisin filled cookies when we would visit Grandma Betty. I forgot that my mother had written grandma's recipe down for me and I came across it today. They taste just as good as I remember.

Filling:
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
juice of half a lemon
1 TBSP flour

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until thick. Set aside to cool.

Dough:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/4 cup flour

Cream butter, sugar and egg. Add milk and all other ingredients. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut into 3" circles. Place a heaping TBSP of raisin filling on each circle and top with another circle of dough. Crimp edges and pierce top with a fork.

Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

WE FOUND

the Provo, Utah house my mother lived in when she was younger.Next time we are in Utah, we are going to find the home of my great grandmother. That will definitely put a little skip in my step.

OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN MOURNING

the loss of Jeff. A husband, father, son, uncle, cousin, grandson and nephew to a family who loved him dearly and misses him.
There have been many tears, hugs, sleepless nights and through reminiscing we have found glimpses of smiles and even laughter. There are never ending stories of this great man who loved his family, life, joking and teasing.
Over 1000 people came to pay their respects at his viewing Sunday evening and it was an amazing sight to see how many lives he had touched in only 44 years.
Monday there was a beautiful, touching memorial service and he was buried by the snowy mountains he loved.

Jeffrey Cole Young

1966-2011

We love and miss you Jeff.

Until we meet again.

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO

celebrate Derek's birthday. Derek is fun, thoughtful, caring, smart, interesting, loyal, protective, loving, an awesome brother, wonderful uncle and half of the best chocolate covered spamball making duo ever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK!

WE LOVE YOU!!

I KNOW I'M GETTING OLDER BUT

in my mind, I'm still young and still invincible. Tragedies happen to others. Not our family. The deaths I have experienced have been with grandparents, and albeit sad, they were old and can be justified.
When I was 17 I lived with my aunt, uncle and cousins. They are my second family. They are not my aunt and uncle, they are my other mom and dad. My cousins are my brothers and sister.
Tuesday I got the worst phone call of my life. One I thought I wouldn't hear until we were "old". My cousin is only 44 and had a heart attack at work. He is leaving behind a gorgeous wife and four beautiful/handsome children. He loved his family so much, was a hard worker, loved to hunt, loved life, had the funniest goofy laugh that you just couldn't help yourself to laugh with him and was the king of teasers. 44 is too young to be called back home.
I know we believe families are forever and I know we will all see him again but the pain in my heart is so painful, I'm wondering 'why?' and my heart is breaking for his wife and children, his mother and father, brother and sister. They were all best friends.
I'll be with them soon, to hug them and cry with them. I wish I could take away the ache and pain of torn hearts.
Hug your family tight. Tell them you love them. We forget we are not invincible.

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO

celebrate Stephanie's birthday.

Stephanie is my adventure seeking sister who is:

fun

kind

thoughtful

loving

has the most contagious laugh

interesting

interested

smart

caring

talented

funny

awesome aunt

best sister ever

and will be marrying Batman.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!

WE LOVE YOU!!

KILL ME NOW

Mustache March has begun.