Yesterday the kids were SO excited that it was warm enough to go outside and play. I think every kid in the neighborhood was out playing. Some friends gave Mark and Jessie their old rollerblades because they got new ones for Christmas. Mark and Jessie were thrilled.

I added 8 more pages to Jessie's scrapbook this morning. I hope you enjoy them.

Here are a few temple pictures at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. After the temple we all came back to our house for a chili and cornbread dinner. For dessert I made a chocolate cake with fudge frosting and mint cream fillings. Yummy! It was so fun to be around so much family telling stories and laughing. We set an extra table up in the living room and had just enough places for everyone. Spencer was totally exhasted after dinner, not having any nap at all, and fell asleep on Ken while he was rocked in the rocking chair.

Spencer and Abbie were playing with some material scraps. At first they wrapped their arms up like they had casts and then Spencer tried to make a tie out of his. He needed a little help so I tied it around my neck and then took it off and put it around his. He was very pleased and said, "Good bye Mom, I'm going to work," and marched off down the hall.

Here are a couple of cards we'll be making at my next card day in March.

I took Mark out to take his birthday pictures on Tuesday. Only about a month late, but we got it done. These were the ones I liked the best.

Today is a cleaning day. Tonight I'm having our RS cooking class here because the church building is having some work done on it this week and is closed. Linda Blackham is teaching the class on Creamy Soups. I love soup in the winter and hope to get some new tasty recipes.

I'm so excited for this weekend. My parents fly out on Friday to take David to the temple to recieve his endowment. It will be so fun to have them here.

On Sunday after church, Jessie and Abbie helped me make these twisted rolls. First we rolled the dough into snakes and then we twisted it onto the wooden skewers and left them to rise on a cookie sheet. I wanted to bake them in a way that would allow them to not have any flat sides where they had laid on a pan.

David came up with the cleaver idea on how to bake them. We put our metal veggie steamer bowl on a cookie sheet and poked the sticks through the holes in the steamer. We had to take one of the oven racks out so they would fit, but I think they turned out great. As I was watching them bake a few of them started to unwind off the stick, but most of them stayed on, and they all tasted great!

We probably got 10 inches of snow last night and it hasn't stopped falling. We've shoveled the driveway three times already. I shoveled last night about 7; David shoveled last night about 11 and Ken shoveld this morning at 6:30.

FUN, FUN, FUN! We took the bunnies out to see what they thought of the snow. Sergeant thought it was great to dig in, but Snowy wasn't so sure about it.

I can't wait for the kids to come home. It will be so fun to play with them.

To welcome David home after he recieved his mission call
the kids helped me decortate these signs we hung in the kitchen.

On Tuesday after I picked the kids up from 4-H Afterschool (Jessie is taking Egyptian Life and Mark is taking Cooking) we made some Indian bread, from India. I found the recipe in the Family Fun magazine and thougth it would be great to try.

They tasted pretty similar to regular tortiallas, excpet they were fresh and warm. Yum. We put a little honey butter on them to give them some flavor, which was a great idea until the honey started dripping off of them because they were so warm. Spencer was a sticky mess.

CONGRATULATIONS

DAVID!

Called to serve in the San Diego, California Mission!

David enters the MTC on May 7, and can't wait!

On Friday Abbie, Spencer and I made some cinnamon rolls to take up to ken at work. Abbie helped sprinkle on the brown sugar and after we cut them Spencer put them in the pan. We also made some bunny rolls to take to a friend. It was a "hare" past her birthday. They turned out pretty cute, if you ask me. Although we didn't get a picture of the final product because we ate them all. Abbie helped roll out the snakes to twist around and Spencer poked the tails into the loops. It was fun to have such good helpers.

And here is a photo of Spencer petting the bunnies this morning. Sometimes he is so nice to them and then the boy part of him comes out and he stomps around chasing after them. The white one is Snowy and the grey one is Sergeant.

Thoughts from Pres. Hinckley's funeral

We enjoyed watching President Hinckley's funeral today. It was such an uplifting, peaceful, moving tribute to this humble servant of the Lord. I loved how all the speakers taught doctrine while providing little glimpses into the daily life of Gordon B. Hinckley the man. I left the TV determined to be a better person. Julie mentioned how much she appreciated the details Pres. Monson and Pres. Eyring shared of the final days of his life. Even though we are not his biological family, we still claim him as a beloved brother, and felt like these details helped us.

And here's a quick anecdote to finish the day. Tonight at dinner, Spencer only managed to eat about half his macaroni and cheese. But once the ice cream came out, he finished not only his, but Jessie's and even mine! It's not often I need help with the ice cream. Of course, this seems only fair since I did help him with his Mac & Cheese (the good homemade kind, not the nasty boxed stuff!)

Have a wonderful day!

Ken

PS - Check back tomorrow for a photo or two!