Manti Pageant

Our family went to the Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant this weekend. I forgot my digital camera, so these pictures were taken with my cell phone. I think they're not too bad for a cell phone.
Ben gives Michelle a hug while waiting for the pageant to start.

The hardest part was the 1.5 hour wait for the pageant to begin. It was cold and threatening to rain at the first, but just in time for the production, all the clouds went away and the weather was beautiful, if a little chilly.

The Manti temple.

The Manti temple with the lights on, at about dusk.

We camped in our trailer at a campground in Mount Pleasant. Paul and I took a walk and I saw this Sego Lily. I'd never seen one before.

Summer Sewing School

Karen has been teaching sewing lessons to some of the young girls in the neighborhood. It has been a lot of fun! This week some of them made aprons out of dishtowels. They all bought their dishtowels at the same store, so they matched!

Andre Made it to Alaska!

It was a close thing. Okay, not really, but his flight from SLC to Phoenix did get cancelled. Fortunately, he was able to get a flight on a different carrier that flew him directly to Anchorage. That was the good news. The bad news was he had some really long waits to endure. He was four hours early for the flight when we dropped him off at the SLC airport, and had something like 18 hours to wait in Anchorage before his flight to Dillingham left.

He called me from the fish processing plant. He made it just fine, and anticipates starting working right away, getting things ready for the big crew that will be coming in next week.

So, here's hoping for a really great salmon run this year, so he works lots of hours and makes lots of money for his impending mission.

Andre Graduates

Andre graduated from Lehi High School on May 29, 2009. His robes were purple, although they look royal blue here. The ceremony took place at the Mariott Center on the campus of BYU. He was one of over 500 students graduating from his school. He missed his Tooele friends, and wished he could have walked with them, but mostly he's just glad to have graduated!


We took a picture with his seminary graduation certificate because he had to leave his robes in the Mariott Center before they would give him his diploma. So, these pictures were actually taken before he graduated--but not by much!


Andre is headed to Alaska on June 8 for the summer. He hopes to make better money than he did last year, and hopes the accommodations will be better as well! At least, he hopes, they will have water that doesn't leave brown stains on everything!


After his summer in Alaska, Andre will turn in his mission papers. He turns 19 on September 26.

Chicken Unique

Saturday I had gone to the store with two of my children. On my way out of the store, I was handed a pile of local coupons. My son took them to look at. He said, "Oh, a coupon for Chicken Unique." I said, "What?" He said, "Chick and Unique." I couldn't figure out what kind of establishment would call themselves Chicken Unique, or Chick and Unique. Made no sense to me. My daughter snatched the flier. She said "Chic and Unique." We had a good laugh over it. This particular son has even taken French in school!

Dad's Ordination

Last week, the Sunday before Mothers' Day, my dad was ordained as a patriarch by President Meek. It was a joyous, spiritual occasion. My brother, Dave, came up from Nevada for the occasion. We had a family picture taken outside the stake center, under a beautiful spring flowering tree.

Mothers' Day, 2009

I had a very nice Mothers' Day. My husband fixed me breakfast in bed for starters. We went to church at 9:30. The talks were nice, and all the women over 18 were given little bags of candy, with a quote by President Uchtdorf, which I really appreciated. This was the quote:

We are living in a great season for all women in the Church. You are an essential part of our Heavenly Father's plan--you are endowed with a divine birthright. You women are the real builders of nations wherever you live, because strong homes of love and peace will bring security to any nation.

May I invite you to rise to the great potential within you. But don't reach beyond your capacity.... Don't feel guilty or dwell on thoughts of failure. Don't compare yourself with others. Do the best you can, and the Lord will provide the rest. Have faith and confidence in Him, our Savior, and you will see miracles happen in your life and the lives of your loved ones. The virtue of your own personal life will be a light to those who sit in darkness.... Wherever you have been planted on this beautiful but often troubled earth of ours, you can be the one to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." (D&C 81:5).

After we got home from church, we prepared a nice dinner, to which we had invited my parents and brother, Sam. My sister was invited too, but she spent the day with her in-laws. We had roast beef and mashed potatoes, rolls and greenbeans. For dessert we had cheesecake and snickerdoodles.

My children gave me some nice gifts. Ben had made a pinata that was about the size of two cereal bowls stuck together. It looked like a large egg. I cracked it open like an egg. Inside were Dum-Dum suckers and Smarties. I figured they canceled each other out! Of course, I shared the candy with the children. I also got a candy-gram from Dallin. It said:

Dear Mom, If you were a rancher then I would say you were a (Jolly Rancher). But you aren't a rancher. But you are still sweeter than (jelly beans). So have a happy Mothers day. I hope nobody (Snickers) at you at any time today. Lots of love: Dallin ♥ ♥ P.S. feel free to eat the candy. P.P.S. Keep being a great mom.

Lisette gave me a coupon booklet, and the other children gave me a hummingbird feeder. Paul gave me a nice new pan. I am slowly collecting new pans, and soon will have a complete set!

I decided to give my mother the first multi-signature book that I made. I think it turned out quite well for a first attempt. Here are some pictures of it:

My Dad, the Patriarch

Dad has always been the patriarch of our family, but recently he received a new calling. He has been called as the new patriarch of our stake! How wonderful that we live in the same stake! Of course, he could give his grandchildren blessings no matter where they live, but it's really great to be close.

I am so proud of my dad. The call was so unexpected. I don't think one ever expects to receive a calling like that. Dad says he's a little overwhelmed, but knows that with the Lord's help he can do the job. He will be ordained and set apart this Sunday.

Amazing Mint Brownies

I usually don't like mint brownies. I think often they taste like they have toothpaste in them! However, at a bridal shower recently, I found a mint brownie that was amazingly good! I finally got the recipe and I'm posting it here.

When Alex made the brownie part of these, he got distracted and made two mistakes. He didn't put enough cocoa in it, so the brownie part isn't as chocolatey, and he added twice as many chopped nuts as the recipe called for. The kids said we should call them mint tannies, since they aren't dark brown. They were still amazingly good!

MINT BROWNIES

3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 squares unsweetened chocolate or 2 Tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mint Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup canned milk
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2-3 drops green food coloring

Chocolate Frosting:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 small package semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup), melted

Melt butter and chocolate squares or butter and cocoa in small sauce pan. Mix sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with melted butter and chocolate until well blended. Add flour, salt and nuts. Pour into greased and floured 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool and frost with mint topping.

Mint Topping: Combine sugar, butter, milk, peppermint extract and food coloring in small bowl. Blend well. Spread on cooled brownies and chill. Frost with Chocolate Frosting.

Chocolate Frosting: Combine butter and melted chocolate chips in small bowl until well blended (I put both butter and chips in a bowl and microwaved them until melted, then stirred them together well). Spread on cooled brownies.

Muffy's Visit to the Groomer

Muffy, now 6 months old, had her first visit to the groomer's today. We think she looks So cute!!

Dupaix's Law Camping

I've decided that if Murphy can have a law, so can the Dupaixs. Our law would go something like this: "Whatever you are least prepared for will likely happen." That seemed to be the theme of our overnight RV camp-out.

So, here are some things we learned from this experience:

• You should take the generator, even if electricity is provided at the campgrounds. We didn't bring ours, and the power was out of service the whole time we were there.
  
• You should make sure the batteries on the trailer are well-charged before beginning your trip.
  
• Even if you don't think you will need them, take flashlights and extra batteries. Cell phones do work in a pinch, but not as well, and only until they run out of power.
  
• It's a good idea to bring winter-weight sleeping bags, even if you're inside the trailer, in case the heater doesn't work. Fortunately, we did have warm sleeping bags 'cause we didn't have heat!
  
• Consider bringing ice, just in case the fridge doesn't work. Our fridge didn't.
  
• Be flexible in meal planning--you might have to revise things. We had to eat perishables pretty quickly, as the fridge warmed up.
  
• Consider not wearing makeup. That way, if the water heater doesn't work, you don't have to scrub your face with cold water for too long.
  
• Remember to bring and apply sunscreen. Early in the season, nobody has built up a tan yet. This is particularly important around water.
  
• Remember to put chemicals in your RV toilet. I'm not going to explain that one.
  
• Make sure the towing vehicle is in good running order before you leave for vacation. Had we done this, we would have made it all the way home, instead of most of the way home.
  
• Always treat your extended family kindly. They may have to rescue you some day. Thanks Becky, Mike & Dad!!
  
• Kids are amazingly resilient. In spite of all the things that went wrong, ours considered it a grand adventure and never complained. They kept talking about how much better we had it than the pioneers did!

The kids search for tiny shells along the bank of the river.

This was supposed to show the mist rising off the water. It was a hot springs. The water was quite warm.


Andre caught a fish! We think it was a yellow carp. Unfortunately, because the fridge didn't work, we had to give the fish to our cats when we got home. The cats didn't complain!

Spring Break

Wouldn't you know it, just as soon as our kids got off for spring break, it started snowing. It snowed a little here and there, and melted rapidly. On the night of the 15th, however, it REALLY snowed! Paul and Michelle had to get up super-early to take Michelle's roommate, who has been staying with us, to the airport. We had about a foot of snow on the ground! It looked like Christmas. They had to be out the door before any snowplows came by, too. The amazing thing was that once they got past the point of the mountain, there was no snow on the ground! It really concentrated on our area. These are some pictures I took a little later that morning.

April Family Celebrations

We've had numerous extended family members come to town this month. The first week of April and into General Conference weekend, we had my sister, Sue, and her family in town. They were here to listen to their son, Zachary, give organ and piano performances prior to his graduating from BYU. He also went through the temple and was ordained an Elder while his family were here. He has been called to serve a mission in the New York north, spanish speaking mission. He leaves in just a couple of weeks.


While they were here, they were thrilled that it snowed. Being from Las Vegas, they don't get much opportunity to enjoy snow. This is little brother, Aiden, beside a snowman he and Ben created in the back yard. They used almonds for the eyes. Aiden and his sister stayed at our house all week. It was too bad their spring break was a week before our kids' spring break!



For Easter, my brother, Alan, and his family were visiting from Minnesota. Their purpose in coming to Utah was to help their BYU-student son get ready for his mission to Brazil. The younger girls got to dye Easter eggs with our kids and other cousins on the Saturday before Easter. Lisette and her cousin, Alyssa, really hit it off. They became fast friends. The two of them collected the eggs our ducks have started laying.



We had a houseful for Easter dinner. We had two of my siblings and their families, and also my parents over. The food was the extremely tasty, and the company was fine as well. It was a great day.

New Recipe Invention - Chocolate Pecan Bars

The only picture I got is when they were almost gone!

This is just too good not to pass along!

I was going to make blonde brownies today, and as I was making them, decided to try something different and add pecans. Oh, my sweet goey goodness! You just have to try these! If you like pecan pie and chocolate, this is the dessert for you. They're best eaten warm, in my opinion, but there's really no wrong way to eat them.

CHOCOLATE PECAN BARS

2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
24 pecan halves

Cream butter, brown sugar and eggs. Add rest of ingredients EXCEPT the last two. Spread in a 9 x 13-inch pan and press pecan halves into the tops of where you will cut the bars. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Eight Large Pizzas, Please

We're getting ready for a combined young men/young women activity tonight. We're having a pizza baking contest. The youth were divided into 8 groups of 8-9 kids, and asked to choose a sauce and up to 8 other pizza toppings. Tonight they will put together their pizzas, bake them at the homes of church members living nearby, and then bring their creations back to the church for judging. I got to make the pizza crusts.



I've never pre-baked pizza crusts before, but I think they turned out great! Look out Boboli! We'll see how they work when they're topped and baked again, but I have high hopes.

I Wish You Enough

I got this from a lady I visit teach. I thought it was really nice, so I'm posting it here. It came with a heart warming little story that took place in an airport, but the poem was the important part, so that's what I'm including.



I Wish You Enough

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "hello's" to get you through
The final "goodbye."

Michelle's Home for the Weekend!

Michelle drove home for a whirlwind visit. It is so nice to have her home. She's cheerful and energetic. She loves college life and is doing well in her studies. She's been doing laundry, of course, and brought home some things she won't need in the next few weeks until school gets out.

Meanwhile, we had two of our cats fixed yesterday. We found this clinic in Orem called "No More Homeless Pets." All they do is spay and neuter surgeries and vaccinations. They are very reasonably priced, and seemed to do a good job and take good care of our kitties.

I'm taking a bookbinding class at a community arts center here in town. It's really fun! Next week I'll finish up the class.

A Visit With Friends

It has been a full day! Our family, my parents, and my sister and her family all performed a musical number in our sacrament meeting this morning. We sang "A Child's Prayer," while my niece and nephew played the violin and cello respectively. My brother-in-law played the piano for us. It went pretty well. I think I was the only one who messed up. I have yet to perform anything in this area without making at least one mistake. Not sure why that is. Maybe I need humbling!

After our sacrament meeting we went just a couple of miles away to Mark Johnston's farewell in Highland. We enjoyed their sacrament meeting, and then had a nice luncheon at the Johnston's house. Many Johnston relatives were there, and also some friends. We were thrilled to see the Cluffs there, and also the Blacks sat behind us in sacrament meeting. So nice to see friends from Tooele. We talked quite a bit with the Cluffs, who told us some of the news from Tooele 4th ward. Made us quite homesick.

After the luncheon we came home and got special recommends for the Draper temple dedication, which will take place on my birthday. The Cluffs came over to our house shortly after that, and we gave them "the tour." It was so nice to visit with them. We would love to have all of our Tooele friends come see us!

This evening we went to a stake high priest quorum meeting. It was nice. The new stake president is an old friend from my mission. It is the first stake I've lived in where the stake president is younger than me!

Family Poetry Night

We have Family Home Evening at my parents' house every first Sunday. My sister, Becky and her family come too, and any other relatives that happen to be in town. Last night my mom presented family poetry, written by ancestors and sisters of ancestors. She also shared some of my poetry from 20-odd years ago. Then, we had the assignment to come up with a poem as a family. Here's ours. Only the first line is accurate--just for the record:

Dupaix Pets

The house of Dupaix is full of pets
With dogs and cats and a bird,
Ducks, a giraffe, an elephant too,
And a hippopotamus herd.

In the kitchen lives a very fine goat
Who eats up all the trash.
And, in the bathtub up the stairs
A dolphin and trout make a splash.

Polar bears, penguins a whale and a seal
Are at home in the freezer out back.
In the yard, lions, tigers and bears
And horses circle the track.

Oh, how can we live in such a place?
Where do we sleep at night
While the owls, bats and other fowl things
Think that is the best time for flight?

We ran out of time, but the kids wanted some kind of ending that indicated we live in a zoo (!).

Today my mom gave me a poem Dad tore out of the local newspaper. It's really cute. It's by Shel Silverstein.

Snowball
I made myself a snowball as perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas and a pillow for its head.
Then, last night it ran away.
But first--it wet the bed.

Beef Enchiladas

Tonight we had beef enchiladas for dinner. They were so yummy! I thought I'd share the recipe here. It is my brother, Dan's, recipe.

BEEF ENCHILADAS

1 lb. hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 10-oz. can refried beans
2 10-oz. cans enchilada sauce
1 10-oz. can tomato soup
12 flour tortillas
2 cups grated cheese
Sour cream

Brown hamburger with onion. Add 1 can refried beans. Mix enchilada sauce and tomato soup in separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup of mix to meat mixture. Pour enough tomato soup mix to cover bottom of 9" X 12" pan. Fill tortillas with meat mix and roll, then place in pan. Cover tortillas with remainder of sauce and cheese. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with sour cream.