finally a post.........

First, in May of 2011 there was a big hole in the ground. It was pretty exciting.

Then, they put up walls to pour cement in for the basement. That was even more exciting.

Then, all of a sudden, the next day...;)...there was a house framed. (We didn't take good pics during this stage)

Then a roof with tile on it was added.

Then it was stucco(ed)?

(first layer)

Then rock, and finishing touches. (and a truck we no longer have... i miss that one)

And now we are moved in! FINALLY! one crazy summer later. And I came home the other day to this:

My very attractive husband cutting up a tree in the back yard so that we won't freeze our hinders off at night. And then now that we've lived in our house for a month or so, we decided we wanted to add another member to the fam...

This here is Kojo. What a cutie patootie huh. He's an 8 month old Border Collie that we adopted from the Hurricane Shelter. He is such a good dog. We love him so much already. His name is from a language called Twi, the language Colten learned the most of while he was in Ghana. In Ghana, you are named for what day you were born. Kojo means Monday born, and we adopted him on Monday so we thought it was fitting. In this pic he looks like hes dead, but there will be much more alive pictures through the years to come I'm sure.

This was my first crafty project. I put together this African flower arrangement for our African-themed room. :) we're fun huh haha.

Technically this was the first project, but it's not done yet. I will spray paint the bottom of the lamp brown. but I hot glued this lamp to its plaidy perfection thanks to an idea from good ole' pinterest.

Lots has happened in 2011 that I am overwhelmed thinking back on. December has brought a lot of happiness though. It's like all the stress has finally started to release and although there's still so much ahead I'm so happy. I now work only at the movie theater, so even though I loved my other job, it's less stress to only have one. I will be getting my Associates Degree this spring semester. (finally) And things are looking good. I know that Heavenly Father loves me, despite the challenges I face and the tests I'm sure I fail, he keeps giving me opportunities to learn and grow. I'm thankful for that. Life's good. Gotta love it. :)

C.O.

We got an official Certificate of Occupancy today! That means we get to move in. Life has been craaaaaaaaaaaaaazy busy. One day I will post pictures. I'm just stoked we will be moving in this weekend hopefully- so to all family and friends who want to help- Saturday is the day :) woot woot!

Something That Works

It's been on my mind today, so here I go.

Things that work:
-Man made products: microwaves, washers&dryers, lights, cars, etc. They all work, and when they quit working, it works to just replace them.
-Some more random items:
Umbrellas-they work when it is raining
Alarm clocks- (hopefully) they work to get our day started on time
Lotion-works to help relieve dry skin (sounds like a commercial...)
Phones- work when we want to call people for any reason at all
-Things that work better if:
-Stop signs work better if you stop at them.
-Looking both ways before you cross the road usually works better if you are planning on making it to the other side...there's a pun here, I could also say that it works better to look both ways if you're planning on NOT making it to the other side yet...
-Hot chocolate works better if its cold outside
-People usually work better if they get enough rest, enough food, and enough playtime (playtime is in there for a reason, we all need it)
-Inspirational quotes work better if you read them frequently (as opposed to putting them on your wall and reading them once a year)
-Holidays work better if there's someone to share them with (could be a sad subject, but generally speaking we all know it's the truth)
-Marriages work better if both people want it to work.
-Books work better if people read them.

The list goes on and on. But the biggest one I want to add to the list is an explanation, and it's spiritual. Read on if interested...

We read in James that "faith without works is dead."(2:17) Therefore, faith, usually works better if, you put some action, some work, some belief, [all of the above] into it. I have been taught this, and I think I've even practiced it, but I think because sometimes we drift off the path of what we know to be true, I had lost sight of what this really means. When I read my scriptures, when I read conference talks, when I pray more fervently, and I sincerely try to love those around me the way that Christ does, faith is easier. I don't think faith is easy, but I think it can get easier as we put more into it. Haven't you ever heard a parent say, "you're only gonna get outta life what you put into it" ? I sure have. But with my lazy tendencies, and the natural woman inside of me saying 'that's too hard' I think I had forgotten what having faith is all about.

I feel...and truly felt today...what can only be described as, joy. Not because anything miraculous happened. In fact, I experienced trials today much as I do everyday, just as we all do every day. But because of some increased scripture reading, a lot more effort on my part in the prayer department, and trying to listen to the spirit, I feel like I dealt with those trials easier. Not only that, but I was able to say, with confidence, the things that Heavenly Father would have had me say. I didn't have a perfect day, don't start thinking that, and I didn't act perfectly today, but I had a certain feeling of peace, and as I wrote earlier, joy. I think that just happens when we learn more about the gospel. I think it happens when we realize how much God loves His children. My heart feels full today. As I sit here and think, it's truly not because I look to the future and don't see a million and a half things on my To Do List, but it is because I have more faith that Heavenly Father, and His Son are right there with me, to help me as I go through what life has in store. I'm thankful for that.

I guess that what I'm saying is, faith is a huge thing. In the Bible Jesus taught that even if you have (I wont word it exactly) 'faith has a mustard seed, you can move mountains.' In one of the conference talks a while back a general authority reminded us that for our day, faith as a mustard seed can move mountains of despair, mountains of stress, and i think that means it can fill valleys of emptiness too.

I tend to like to see things right out in front of me, and my husband is even more so that way. He's very smart and detailed and so he's taught me to look at every detail and that's a very good trait to have, in business, and in many areas of life. These thoughts run through my head: Ya gotta look at the numbers! Ya gotta see if it really works! Ya gotta see if the investment you put in really gives back! I know, with all my heart, that "[when] ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true" (Alma 32:21) And I can testify, that through faith, I have gotten way more out, than what I put in. I had to make the investment, by doing more of what the Lord has asked me to do, and it's worth more than I ever realized.

Just an update...

We officially live with my parents. woot woot! I'ts nice though, we just have the basement to ourselves, my mom is still cooking dinner for an army of people every night, and I just feel like I have to clean less. It's nice. :) The house is taking longer than we thought, people keep asking, is it painted?...yes... what about the flooring?...all done except for carpet which is the last thing so it doesn't get all dirty...plumbing? basically almost all done just a few last things here and there, electricity? up and running and all the light fixtures are in! Stair rail is in, and the back deck is almost done, urgh it's just so close i can feel it, but yet it's still so far away. I keep getting all these ideas of how I want to decorate once we are actually in the house, and i'm excited, but theres just so much other stuff on our plates I don't know how we'll ever get it all done. We will though, one day, far away. It's been good though, quite a learning experience for mostly Colten, but also for me. For example: I learned how to grout tile, and therefore today I even helped my hubby do the hearthstone for our fireplace. *Seriously I'm going to post pics, but I want to post a final product picture- so i'm waiting until we finish the porch to post the whole process and maybe the shutters on the windows... I dont know for sure but the pics will come! eventually...

Still working on school, wonderful school. I'm learning a lot. as usual. thatswhatschoolisfor...ha I am trying to kick my toosh in gear though and work on MT stuff, I was a slacker for a little while, now I'm getting back on track cuz I really want to be done with it and start working! I'm just pluggin away at my other two jobs, and taking life as it comes. We start attending our new ward on Sunday-- I'm excited. Life's good. The Lord loves all of us. Just keep going. Just keep going. Just keep going.

One Year Anniversary

Well, we officially have been married for over a year now. crazy how time flies! Some days I just look at Colten and think, really? is it true? am I really finally married to my best friend? ...wait you mean I'm not just still writing him while he lives in Africa? Right! It's so exciting to not be in that stage, even though--as crazy as it sounds--there are times where I miss getting those letters and every monday morning checking my email...but then that feeling quickly goes away:)
I love my hubby so much. I was teaching the Beehives in our ward on sunday and the lesson was "Marriage Standards" and I was so thankful that I was able to testify of the temple and what a blessing it is to be married there. I was so thankful I was able to talk about my husband and what an amazing guy he is. I got all teary-eyed, but I hope the girls heard what I was saying, because I feel so blessed, and I want them to feel the same way too.

I love that my husband does the dishes. (not every day, but enough that it's still special and I'm still so thankful for it)
I love that he is such a hard worker. He has basically built our house, I've been there cheering him on, I even learned how to grout tile, but it doesn't even compare to the time, blood, sweat, and (i dont think he's cried over anything yet.. haha) more sweat that he has put into our house. I'm so thankful to him for all he does. I just wish I could show him that more.
I love that he is a nerd! Cuz I'm a nerd! So it's a perfect match!
I love being married to someone who knows (way better than I do) how to be quiet. Sounds weird, but I've realized he is so good at knowing when NOT to say something, when to hold his tongue, and that's a trait I need to absorb from him haha.
I love that he makes me laugh.
I love how handsome he is. mmm mmm good.
I love that he forgives me so easily.
I love that he is a righteous holder of the priesthood, and that he lives his life in a way that he doesn't accept exceptions, (if that makes sense) he just does the right things.
I love how good my husband is, which according to dictionary.com, that means, "morally excellent, virtuous, and righteous."

9-17-2010. a good day. a grand day. the day I married my best friend.

Reminiscing...sp?

Seeing as how Colten and I have an anniversary coming up, I was looking over my posts from this time last year and they are actually similar to how i'm feeling right now...I got a lot on my plate. Only this year, instead of school, work, and a weddin'---I got school, 2 jobs, and a house to be moving in soon. So i'm gonna copy my self-inspirational post that I did last year....

I WILL keep up on my homework/studies.

I WILL be patient while the house gets closer...and closer...and closer.

I WILL get all the stuff thats in our little casita out and into a new house before the end of this month...i hope. how does so much stuff accumulate?

I WILL keep going. :) sometimes that's all it comes down to.

I am so grateful to be married to a wonderful husband. I won't get too far on that one yet though, I'll do a gushy wushy mushy love post closer to our anniversary. with pictures. exciting. :)

Only In Hurricane

Only in hurricane can you go to a bank, and the teller, an older lady, offers you some home-grown tomatoes. I had this happen to me today, and it brought a serious smile to my face. The tomatoes were real tasty too.

Exciting News!

Well, I got a new job! It pays a lot better, and it will be an exciting change :) I will still be working at the theater probably 2 nights a week until I finish this medical transcription program. I would just like to say though, that its amazing how much Heavenly Father cares about his children. Sometimes I feel like the deepest prayers in my heart that I might have never even actually prayed, are answered in ways I never could've dreamed up on my own. I'm so thankful for a Heavenly Father who knows me, and knows my needs, and helps me to endure through tough things, and then gives me a better way. I'm thankful for a mom who listens so well, and also guides me through tough things. I'm especially grateful for a husband who is so patient and listens as well, and helps me in every way he can.

I'm also STILL going to college this semester haha but only taking 2 classes. One of which I'm gonna test out of. I'm excited though, I'm taking a Child Development class and it should be very interesting.

We're shooting for next month to move in...end of next month, but next month! When the outside is stucco(ed?) I'm gonna do a whole start to finish post, we've been taking pictures at all the stages, and its pretty cool.

Lots of things going on, but I'm quite happy about where we're at. Completely random but very true: if you have a pandora account, you should create the station called "60s, 70s, and 80s pop" it's SOOO fun. some songs are dumb, naturally,they can't all be perfect, but for the most part i've adored it haha. I turn it on and just start dancing.

Wise Advice From Someone With Experience

When attempting to wash your car at home:

#1- use a hose. not a red bowl filled with water that you try to continuously fill with water and attempt to splash off your car/truck. there are a plethora of reasons behind this...

#2- check the weather report. in southern utah, even if it starts out as a sunny (and innocent) morning, the weather may become cruel and raining.

I had an off day....

Career Step---2 meanings

So, I officially enrolled, just now actually. Careerstep.com is where the magic began :) Actually it started with one idea from my hubby, who in casual conversation mentioned, Medical Transcription, I then discussed with my mom (what the heck) that was, and since that moment,every once in a while...[specifically on horrible days at work] it kept popping up in my mind, "Medical Transcription Sammy, Medical Transcription!" So, I finally listened and started finding out a little more about it, found careerstep.com, but couldn't make any for sure decisions.

Then... Last week in Young Womens all of us leaders had to introduce ourselves and one of my fellow leaders said that she did MT and that just got my mind really-a-goin, and so on Sunday I chatted with her about it, and she did it through careerstep.com too!!! Small world?! I think not! I think that Heavenly Father just gives us opportunities and says, "here ya go, its up to you though" As i was asking her all about the program she couldn't have been more in love with her job and more excited to tell me about it. She said, "the only downfall is I wish I'd done it sooner"
Most people don't feel that way about their jobs...

I'm hopefully on my way to feeling that way though! Ever since high school ended I have been trying to figure out what to do and gone lots of different routes, and ultimately I'd still like to become a teacher (i think) but this program can help me achieve a good job now, and I can continue to work towards that degree all the time. This job would also enable us to start a family (not that we're going to any time soon I'm not hinting) because I can work from home and would never have to quit my job! Its just good to find something I'm actually excited about!
*I even found out I guess my grandma polve used to do MT...must be in my blood... haha. Anyway, I'm excited, and I wanted to share with y'all.

Fun Ideas!

So, I've narrowed my thoughts, and I've found a "style," persay, that I love. And Colten likes it too. I love just good ole' country home decor. Literally I typed that into Bing and recieved pictures of homes that I love! Amazing ideas, some a little too weird, but some exactly what I picture. I love antique stuff, old wood, and it's cheap usually cuz my hubby and I can make stuff ourselves, or get something and turn it into what we want! We got a dining room table that we're gonna stain to a darker color, and we'll make it look good! (I'll post when we do) I'm just very excited :) this coming week the sheet rock will be put up and the stucco will be put on. Then it's all just painting and finish work. I'm so thankful to be married to an unbelievably hard worker. He is pretty amazing. Well, I took a break from cleaning (i've let our place get a smidge dirtier than it ever should be) so I needa get back to that. I'm excited though!

p.s....I think I'm gonna enroll in the online medical transcription program on monday!...wish me luck!

Life Changes.

This summer has been crazy. I have spent most of my time working, scheduling people, starting movies over and over and over again. Closing my eyes and telling myself, "you have to keep going just picture the paycheck" (which is actually surprisingly lower than what most people get paid for a management position, i'm not complainin i'm just sayin) and opening my eyes just to push start on another movie. My job has it's ups like every job but it definitely has its downs too. I have always tried to be professional about it, but sometimes my jar fills up an I'm ready to explode. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who is always listening and helping me out. Let's just say I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for any business ventures that might come my way. Also thankfully, I married into an awesome family who happens to be full of entreprenuers (sp?) and starting businesses is what they do! And they are successful at them! I'm also looking into starting a Medical Transcription program... work from home, make good money, hmmm sounds like my kind of job! haha we'll see though, I just need to buckle down and decide somethin. Something I do love doing- weddings. I don't wanna be in charge of em by all means, but I love working with my family and I am not yet sick of the daddy/daughter dances, all the first dances, the flowers, the treats, and all of the above. I really enjoy every once in a while gettin to even work with my hubby when he works at a wedding. It's fun:) I have some ideas rollin around in my head for different jobs, we'll see what happens.

School is starting...yikes! and yep i'm still not done. haha. I told myself that i'm getting that dang associates degree though, and it is true I am going to! If I wanted to go crazy I could probably finish this semester, but it doesn't look like I'm gonna go crazy. I'm gonna wait and finish next spring I think...we'll see.

building a house...that's a speaks-for-itself kindof a change...idk what i'm gonna do, all we've ever lived in obviously is a one bedroom, very small but very perfectsized for only 2 people, a house at any size is bigger than the casita. the casita has been great though- i couldn't be more grateful to my family for lettin us occupy it :)

welp, my minds going crazy with decorating ideas, the thoughts of actually moving...and looking for other job opportunities, but its all very exciting:) this summer I've learned a lot about myself as I seem to do every new season of every year because life throws curveballs and each ones different so ya gotta keep learning how to catch em! I'm just excited for change!
and i'm excited cuz i think were going to cali tomorrow, just for overnight but its always fun to get away :) i think thats all folks. sorry for saying crazy so much. ;)

Heres where we're at...

Or at least where we were at...The tile is currently being put on the roof so it looks a little different now but this is the jist of our house. It is really long, but not very deep, kinda like a trailor haha. Thats why its not all the way in the pic, but on the far right its just the garage and on the left you can pretty much see what it looks like. Pretty exciting:)

Life's crazy right now- to say the least. Maybe, just maybe one day I'll get this patience thing down and stop worrying about everything. haha.

No Eggshells Here

Too often we are scared of eggshells.
Get out of my bread! Get out of the scrambled eggs! ...

I have learned of another place in which they do not belong.
Friendships. No eggshells please! Get out among friends!

No one likes the attempt of eggshell walking.
They aren't very sturdy.
If eggshells are in friendships, then those become lots less sturdy too.
In life we find friends who maybe didnt even know they gave us eggshells to try.

When those shells break, it is sad, very sad.
However, when you find a friend who hates eggshells too,
then we all shout WAHOOOO!
I'm lucky to have some of those precious friends.
I have found,
one of the most beautiful phrases in life can be phrased differently than you ever thought.

When I make a mistake, and I think "I'm sorry" and my eyes start to shed a tear,
It's nice to hear a friend say, "No Eggshells Here"
-Sammy Grace :)




"The simple but observable fact is that the more you love, the more you are able to love"
-Dr. Joyce Brothers



"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure teh betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I need a Hero!

Ok, so if you haven't noticed, my blog isn't deleted yet. I was like in the 90 percentage range of decision making to delete this blog, but the percentage has gone down. We'll just see what happens...

The title of this post has to do with a thought that came to me last night. I personally actually dont need a hero, because I know who my hero is.

However, working in the movie theater business gets a smidge tiring when (almost) every single movie in some form or another has a hero, a villain, a damsel in distress, and a happy ending. I'm losing my umph for watching movies because my predictions are becoming scarily more accurate. Last night my mind ventured into why, why is there a need, a dream, a hope for that one special hero that will come and save everyone and we wont have any troubles anymore? Why do our minds create and connect with story after story about that one man, the one man with magical powers, the one who has something none of us has? Then I'm thinking it was the spirit that helped me to know the answer.

IT'S BECAUSE: the reason we are all here on this planet is because way way way back in the day we chose to follow Christ. Satan presented a plan, and Christ presented a plan that was in line with our Heavenly Father's purposes and we all chose the...dare I say...the hero route. Now the last thing I want to do is make Christ's life and mission and His sacrifice seem a smaller ordeal, I don't want to really compare Him to the silly heros we watch in movies. But, it's understandable why we connect with that thought pattern so easily, because we always have! Our spirits remember choosing the path that would create a way for all of us to return to our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is the one, the Only Begotten Son, He did save us from physical death, and gave us a choice so that if we choose Him we can be saved from a spiritual death also. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Perfect Example. He is, in a sense, my hero. He died for me- and for all of us. He suffered for pains, temptations, sicknesses, sins, and basically for all the bad/hard stuff we would ever go through. No one else can do that. No one else. I'm glad that I know the truth. I'm glad I know who the real hero is for all of us. I am thankful that Heavenly Father is teaching me everyday--even though too many times I don't listen. I'm a work in progress though, and I'm never gonna stop tryin.

Those were my thoughts, this is a good reason to have a blog. Life's crazy right now, and it's good that I sit down and write at some point. Although I really miss the pen and paper for a journal... i'm a much faster typer.

I think...

I'm gonna delete my blog. It's moments away, but its gonna be a messy break up cuz theres things about the blogging world that i do like. its a long story, a long explanation, and it will probably be my next post, i'm just preparing you for the sad day when sammy says bye to blogging. (because i'm sure you're all dying to read about my life....cough cough sarcasm cough cough)

but i might as well give y'all a last run down of how life's going before i peace out forever.

building a house, yes we are. the basement is in and framed, and the main floor will be framed next week, and the garage is also getting poured next week. am i a little overwhelmed? duh.

still not done with school? i am not done yet, but hopefully by the end of this year i will have my associates degree in something. wish me luck.

prego? negative. and not for a while folks.

dream job? where am i headed with my life? well, my dream job would be to be a seminary teacher. i'm a loooooong ways away from that, but one day i hope to become that.

still married? yes. for some reason in the first year of marriage (at least i hope this happened to you folks or else everyone and their dog just thinks colten and i wont work out) people keep asking colten and i, "so do ya still love each other?" isn't that weird to ask people straight up how their marriage is going at any stage of the game? i think it is...maybe thats just me tho. just sayin- i dont go around asking people who have been married for 20 years, "so do you still love each other?" and i certainly dont ask old couples the same question. maybe i should tho....

still working at the ole cinemas? yep. could talk about THAT subject forever but i wont.

excited to go to school in the fall? yes. excited to move into a house this fall? yes. overwhelmed? yes. thankful? yes. beyond measure. stressed tho? yes. but one of these days i'll learn not to sweat the small stuff, and to trust more in the Lord. it's a life long process- and thats just the way it is.

KOLOB

This was actually up where Colten proposed, i think just before he did?

These are last summer's photos, but we didn't take any for our first trip this year, but that's cuz it was a work trip i'll tell you what. haha. Colten and Kelby had to put up tons of fence, and Kathie and I attacked the cabin, mice tend to reside there over the winter no matter how good they close it up, so we have to clean everything up, but now its all clean and ready for all summer long! I love Kolob. I don't think I went up there once while Colten was gone though, I didn't really have anyone to go with, and its not the same without Colten. It's a beautiful place no matter what though, and I can't wait to spend weekends up at the cabin with my hubby!

In other news, the work on the house is officially beginning today folks. Today! Colten is going to begin the digging/whatever to get our lot ready. I'm excited!

Ticked

positivity leaving for 2 seconds...





i'm pretty sure a denny's employee jacked my phone. my brand new phone. my brand new smart phone that i was having so much fun with. i need to get over it, and i'm almost there, but i'm still bugged and resisting the urge to just drive over there and search all of their things till i find it. i went to verizon though and put it on the 'lost or stolen' list and so they can never use the phone, they could try and sell it though so i'm keeping my eyes open on ksl or craigslist to find it.



ok bringing positivity back...


our house plans are finished. and they are going through the city and should be reviewed on wednesday and hopefully pass the requirements. :) i'm excited! it will be good. good good.

relay for life was this weekend, and i sang at it, but i'm not sure if it sounded good or not because of the wind and idk the music was really loud but i think it went ok...

we went to vegas and listened to an older couple that colten knew on his mission give their non-homecoming talk/homecoming talk and they were an awesome couple, colten loves them and i can easily see why.

well, this is whats happening in the iverson home. sorry no pics. have a good day. watch your phones so they dont get stoled.

Honey Oat Bread Recipe

I don't have pics, but just trust me on this- this is yummmmmy bread. It's gone before there's time for pictures! It's quoted by my brother-in-law to be "unreal" and my sister-in-law as "delicious" I can promise you, you won't regret trying this out. This is the bread that I make regularly. I love it, Colten loves it, and I haven't found anyone yet who hasn't thoroughly enjoyed it.

And it's easy.

Start out with about 5 cups of flour, though you might use about 7 cups altogether
Sift the flour! even if it says presifted, i sift it anyway
2 eggs
3 Tbls of soy lecithin OR dough enhancer (can be found at leavitts kitchen center) both work
1 cup oats
1/2 cup of honey (darker the honey, darker the bread will look)
2 Tbls of veg. oil
1 Tbls of salt
2 active dry yeast packets, or about 41/2 tsp of yeast if going out of a jar
2 1/2 cups warm water (actual recipe calls for 2 1/3 cups...i've done both it worked each time)
1 tablespoon sugar

I hope i don't make this sound too complicated, because its truly easy. if it were hard i wouldn't make it as often as i do, and i don't have a breadmaker.

First, get your water, it needs to be warm. my sister Jenny taught me the best trick or explanation for just how warm, "it's the right temperature when it the water doesn't feel like it's pinching your skin" ---that is the truth, test it with your pinky, there is a change in temperature where the water stops pinching. just make sure its not too hot. then add the sugar into the water, and the yeast. Stir with a spoon every once in a while to "proof?" it i think its called...

Then, sift the first 5 cups of flour mixed with the dough enhancer/soy lecithin into a big bowl. And throw everything else in there! What I do with the eggs- i crack the first one into the bowl, but the second one i crack into a separate bowl, whisk it, and use most of it for the bread, but I save a enough to brush the top of the dough right before it goes into the oven to help it look brown and beautiful when it comes out.

Once the yeast is ready, and added to the other ingredients, mix all together until it becomes hard to mix--then dump onto a counter that has flour (lots) on it and start playing with it! or kneading it--for technical terms. it starts out feeling like its not gonna turn into real dough, but just keep adding flour, getting your hands dirty, and kneading that dough like your life depends on it... when it feels a lot more sturdy, put it in a clean bowl and let it rise for around 45 min, it might rise fast, if it isnt then just give it time. (mine rose for an hour yesterday or more and was still grand)

Then punch it down and knead again! add flour obviously to make it less sticky, but you wont need as much flour this time. (if its really sticky, keep adding flour, I've never added too much flour and i've added a lot before) when its ready, separate into 2 or 3 loaves. i usually do 2 big loaves, but this is a alot of dough and would be fine for 3 medium sized loaves. Put in greased bread pans, and let rise a second time for 30-40 min, (this is a good time to preheat oven and leave the pans on top of the oven so they will rise even better) and then stick in the oven at 325 for 50-60 min. top of bread will look done a little sooner so make sure and go the full 50 at least because the browning created by the eggwash can be a tad deceiving.

I hope this didn't sound too crazy- it takes time, but I like it because I can start the recipe, then go do something else while it rises, come back and finish. I've experimented with this bread a couple times and it seems pretty fool proof. the texture has come out slightly different as I've changed the recipe, but I believe i've got it pretty much perfected. it's super delicious. just the sound of Honey Oat bread makes most of us go, "ooooo..... aaaaahhhhh" so for fun just try it out and see if ya like it.:)
Also- I usually make the full recipe and wrap one loaf in tinfoil and put it in the freezer, its still good when we thaw it out and use it. I'm not sure how long it would last in there...cuz we use it pretty quick, but I'd say it freezes pretty well.

Today.

Today is, what i like to joke as, housewife day. why? because i get to feel like a housewife a little bit more than usual. Today i do not have to work. Today i do not have school. Today i will make bread (because i haven't made it in a couple weeks now and we don't buy it so we've just been lacking) and i have decided to try my first attempt at homemade chicken noodle soup. Today i will have dinner prepared by the time my hubby is home. (i think...) Today i will not change from pajamas to regular clothes because i do not need to. Today i will be doing a lot of dishes. Today i will vacuum, clean the bathroom, wash our sheets, and do loads of laundry that are currently piled on the floor. Why all today you ask? because at my job, I do the scheduling for about 30 people, and yet I still ended up needing to work for the next seven days. Some double shifts, some late nights, and some making $ is in store starting tomorrow. So today is a precious day. a special day. Here I come bread- chicken noodle soup- and empty sink- although you three do not exist yet i am going to create you! yay!

I might leave the house for one thing, because today is pay day...and thats just uplifting no matter who ya are or where ya from.

Oh Susannah. I only have one ya know.

This fella, Forrest Barnard, is who my lil sister is marrying on Friday, April 22nd 2011. I only have one little sister- i spent most of my time being a little sister too so to have one that i could torture and yet be best friends with was so great. p.s. nana you know im still sorry i was such a bum to you at times growing up. i wuv you. this post is for you.

these are my most recent pics- obviously from our weddin day. but its hard to get pics when they live in idaho. we just needa be better at carrying a camera.

i love this picture. i just love it. sisters are sisters forever ya know? forever. and i'm like tearing up thinking about this lil sis. i love her. i'm so happy for her. i'm gonna bawl this weekend. she looks so pretty in her dress- refer to my cousins blog on the left hand side click on "Amy & Drew" and you will find some of her bridals.

random photo i had on my comp. funny- susannah and i sometimes (especially now that its even more special when we get to see each other) like to sit really close. hence, this is a small recliner, we both are in this recliner. and of course our cutiepatootie niece grace is sharing with the love. nana and i are nerds.

obviously you cant see her face, but her camo jacket, john deere hat w/flames, and her big ole shades make it impossible to not know its her. :) hahaha. this was us trying to figure our way through utah on a little road trip adventure in which we had to go pick up one of my good friends. this was fun. just fun. we needed that trip. nana, lets do this again sometime.

this was just another random pic- us at general conference last april i believe. its a pic from a phone which explains why it kinda looks weird.

i just wanted to dedicate a post all to my lil sis. because you know, she is my buddy for life and even after. i forget sometimes that there is one other person in this world who really does think a lot like me, talks like me, (cant tell the difference between us on the phone) laughs at the same exact stuff as me, and even laughs at my dumb jokes, and idk- someone to tell me im pretty when im feelin the opposite. she's always made me feel like i'm important. even when we were little she always wanted to be my twin (which drove me completely insane) it still made me feel good to know she wanted to be like me. but see, she was always the loving sister who wanted to go around and give the world a hug. and secretly i really wanted to be like her.

ya probably didnt know this, but when nana was little (im not gonna get into alll the details) she got really sick. we almost lost her. i still remember being a little gal laying in my bed and crying cuz i didn't want her to leave me. i knew my life wouldn't be the same if i didn't grow up with her. somehow, thanks to a loving Heavenly Father who answers prayers of little girls and of loving mothers (and everyone) susie q is still with us. and is doing awesome. i'm so lucky to have a good sister like her. i love my whole family- they are all amazing, but this post is dedicated to the baby of the fam- the caboose, the little gal who we tricked into believing bum was spelled bumb. (that was me and jesse who did that, still funny, high five jesse!) but it just goes to show how trusting she was and still is, and her innocent and loving spirit will always show us all up.

Forrest is about to be sealed for eternity to an angel. I couldn't have picked anyone better for her to spend the rest of her life with. I love these two amazing people. I am so excited for this weekend-most of all to be there to see my little sister get married in the temple. wow...it will be an incredible experience. I love you nana! Congrats on gettin hitched! :)

last of all, a poem, i wrote this for susannah December 12, 1008. she was feelin down and so i decided to throw somethin together quickly and it turned out great.

Dear Susannah,

You Rock My World.

Your just that kind of girl.

Rainbows are not as pretty as you

Thank good you have a normal size shoe.....................(if you know me you know i dont)

Lifes gonna get better i promise dude

I hope the laundry detergent i bought works for you..(i know, but it rhymed and i did buy some)

I love christmas-i know we'll have fun

even if this year isn't the 'best' one.

Life will keep goin after this new year,

everyone will be talking about how samuel killed that big deer (i am sooo random sometimes)

I love you sister don't ever forget

I promise that life will be good ready, get set!

You are a hottie no matter what anyone says

But even on the inside your prettier than flowers

This hard stuff ain't your fault

Don't hold up your feelings in a vault

Be strong---you go girl

Simply because you rock my world.

Love, Sammy

it made her laugh. thats what its purpose was. so there ya go people i have the best lil sister in the world. just sayin.

Little Addition to the Family...

Did I scare ya? cuz i not prego. no no no. and the addition to our fam is littler than most of its species.

We got a 2004 Honda Rebel. size: 250. (all i know is that means its a small motorcycle, and i know that for sure cuz the guy who sold it to us said the reason for selling it is cuz he was too fat for it.)

This is not the motorcycle, but ours looks exactly like this. We got a screeeeamin deal on it, and long story short- the bike only had 24 miles on it. ya, the guy also didn't know anything about motorcycles in general...including how to read the trip odometer vs actual mileage.

its been fun cruising around on this here and there. i'm not gonna get on it till i get me a helmet tho- and i need to get a helmet that i actually LIKE- so im gonna be a stickler about that. we're actually trying to sell it- see if we can't make a little extra money on it, but i kinda wanna keep it... normally i'm not a fan of motorcycles, but this one has a hard time goin over 60 mph so i'm not too worried.

oh blogger blogger.

well, i want to i guess its called, "export my blog" but my sis tells me it dont work right, and i dont wanna pay to make it a book, but eventually im planning on saying goodbye to the blogging world...

until then....

here's whats up.

House Plans. That's whats up! i am getting excited! i am lookin and lookin and believe it or not i keep turning to Mexican Style anything! ya know the beautiful awesome tiles such as these:

this is where the tiles would be placed, backsplash of our kitchen. this is just an idea. i dont love the white cupboards though, i'd go with something else. ivory with a rustic/brown wash to em, most likely. i want to paint my own tiles, but seeing how brushfire pottery no longer exists (sadface times ten) i prob wont do that.

here's the conclusion i came to, i love rustic cabin looking homes/decor, but they lack color 90 percent of the time, i like color. not crazy crazy colors, but i like color. so somehow in the mesh of color and cabins, i have found how much i love mexican style. cuz they bring everything together beautifully. but then there's the touch of Africa that i want somewhere in our house with all our stuff from Ghana, and there's just lots of ideas running through my head. people are gonna think i'm crazy for trying to mix Africa, Mexico, Cowboy, and a little bit of contemporary into one home. However, many thought i was initially crazy to do an African themed wedding with animal prints gallore- and i think with the help of an amazing mother-in-law it was very successful. i think i can do a sweet looking house. i really believe it. even with all my likes. oh and ya wanna know what other country has awesome style? Greece! Mamma Mia! thats what i'm talkin about.

i like dark wood, pretty much across the board (that was kindof funny how i said that) so idk i just have lots of ideas. hope i can figure it all out! haha pretty exciting tho.

Serious Coupon Trip

So tonight I got 70 32 oz bottles of powerade for 6 dollars (and i think 41 cents but not sure). Thanks to awesome ladies in my fam and ward who occasionally clue me in when they're about to get a serious deal i now have powerade for a long time. i guess including the coupons (which we got off ebay) i spent 12 bucks. but i believe that still evens out to 17 cents a bottle. if you dont count the price of the coupons- and still count what we paid for them at the store with dang tax- we got em for 9 cents a bottle. sweeeeeeeeet huh. yep. thought i'd share that with y'all. :) i'm excited. OOOOOoh and i only have to finish the border to my quilt and i will be all done with it:) score.

Washington DC!

So, what happened was, on Tuesday (a couple weeks ago) we got a phone call. It was from Colten's brother- he asked if we wanted to go with the Young Farmers and Ranchers group (sent by the Farm Bureau) to Washington DC to tour it, and to talk to our senators and representatives from the state of Utah about issues regarding agriculture....we were to leave that Friday. Well, initially both of us were like, ahhhh we have jobs, we have school we can't miss all of this... but then Colten's bro gave colten a talking-to and he was right, this is a once in a lifetime oppurtunity and so we took it! It was soo much fun. Now y'all get to take the trip with us! The above picture is of the changing of the guards outside the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" which is in Arlington Cemetary.

This was IDK what but it was also in arlington, and i didn't think colten was allowed to go sit down there so I didn't go down to that part but colten sure did and we got a pic of it.

These pictures are all in backwards order by the way because this was the last day we were there. This was at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum which was a pretty cool place.

Arlington Cemetary- what a special spirit that resides here! Very cool.

This is Senator Orrin Hatch. May I just mention that we were on the front row during this part because our assignment was to talk to him personally, and somehow colten snuck in a picture- and it really wasn't a moment where it was appropriate for picture taking but he still did it anyway. We took another picture with him where he put his arm around me and said, "I like it when the women stand by me in pictures" we have yet to recieve that pic from email but it was cool too :) I loved this man, he's been doing his job for a loooong time, and he knows what he's talking about.
He said a lot of great things and I agreed with everything he said. Colten and I spoke to him about Estate Taxes but we were telling someone to agree with us when he already whole heartedly did haha. (which we knew but we still had to talk to him) Basically, estate taxes are dumb and he knows it and he is trying to abolish them.

This was us outside the capitol. aren't we cute? :) p.s. i was cold 90% of the time we were there. and everyone kept saying "Oh you guys got good weather to come and enjoy here" and i kept thinking "um, i'm from southern utah people. i dont do well with any cold at all." so i'm wearing this jacket in every pic basically.

Also at one of the smithsonians... the natural history one....this is the BIGGEST DIAMOND IN THE WORLD. and its blue:) kinda cool.

Big mouth shark. Real big mouth shark.

Irish Elk- apparently they were huuuuuge. like this fella for example. its funny, when i went with my fam to england/scotland/wales- in Scotland (i think) in one of the castles, there were antlers on the wall about this same size and they also said it was from an Irish elk- so they couldn't be tooo old but they were huge thats for sure.

In the same museum they also had an african section which i thought was a little random, but there was a lot about Ghana so of course Colten about died of happiness. This is how he would actually barter with ghanaians (whatever it is he's doing with his hands) so we had to take this picture.

She was a nice lady too.

The capitol. Cool pic huh. We thought so.

This was at Old Ebbit's Grill which apparently has been around for like um, forever. Pretty much every president has eaten here and it's a favorite of them. I had crab cakes that were scrumptious. my hair looks a little funny but it rained that day so give me a break.

In the capitol, each state gets to contribute 2 statues of people from their state that are special basically. So ours were Philo T. Farnsworth (who invented the TV and who i'm related to cool huh) and none other than the admired Brigham Young who is shown above. we thought that was awesome.

While touring the capitol our tour guide made us wear head phones so we could hear him talking the whole time, but we were probably only like 5 feet away from him 90% of the time so it was dumb that we had to wear them but i still followed the rules. i was also a little bored of him cuz he was a rude tour guide. but the capitol was cool.

in this room in the capitol there are like 6 huge paintings, and of all people pictured, one of them was Pocahontus (the real one, not disney fantasized one) on her wedding day, idk we didnt take a pic of that cuz i wanted to, but oh well.

inside of the capitol dome

Another picture that was inappropriate to take but colten snuck one anyway, this was where we were learning a little more about all the issues we were to talk to the big guys about.

Public transportation. Interesting. Kinda gross and just exactly what ya see in the movies. I definitely felt out of place every time we used the metro system. Especially if colten was wearing his cowboy hat- we stood out like....i wont say, we just really stood out.

The place Abraham Lincoln got shot. Fords theatre. I couldn't tell ya why but i didn't have a good feeling in this end of town.

The most chinese part of china town was this thing over the road. But we still lived it up in Chinatown.

All of our tour guides told us the same thing, there are about 3 chinese restaurants in china town. So after trying desperately to find somewhere to eat- we ended up following the other couple we were with to a place i wont ever eat at again. i dont look unhappy in this picture, but i was. some of you know where we ended up eating, but i dont wanna tell cuz i am embarrassed about it.

this was in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Yet again another very interesting tour guide. this was right above a place i cant remember the exact name of but the majority of the people died here. :(

I love my nerd hubby.

All we got to see of the washington dc temple. right there. and we only saw that much cuz we convinced our bus driver to take a small detour. its pretty though.

The next bunch of pics are from Mount Vernon- George Washington's home. this was part of the farm where the slaves lived and the little hut up there is actually a very big grainery. it was cool.

the river down the hill from the house. colten is purposely posing like that fyi. aint he a cutie?

a door down to (what they told us) was where some folks were buried at one time or still might be i can't remember....

just walkin around mt vernon and its hugeness.

view from ole George's back porch. a bit jealous? yes me too.

his house. fun fact for ya (guess that movie) outside of his house looks exactly like it has white bricks covering it. but actually, its wood cut out to look like bricks then covered in the white stuff. who knew?

Washington Monument. This thing is tall. We saw it more close up the first night but that night we didn't have the camera.

This is my hubby outside the White House Visitor's center in which we watched a movie that toured us through the white house because we couldn't go in the actual white house. everyone else on the tour could but we couldn't because we were called short notice--which was because we were in place of another couple that was supposed to go. They apparently do a background check six months in advance. but everyone told us the white house tour was lame. so i think we actually got the better end of the deal.

thats all folks! we had a blast! now i gotta go pack cuz we goin campin. woot woot. yeah for allergies. they;ll probably be awesome on our camping trip.