Andre Got His Mission Call Today!

Andre has been called to the South Carolina, Columbia Mission. The mission covers most of the state of South Carolina, with a little chunk at the top belonging to the NC Charlotte mission and a little bit of the lower part of the state in the Georgia mission. His mission president is the son of Bruce R. McConkie. Andre reports to the MTC on December 16, just 9 days before Christmas. He will spend Christmas at the MTC.

Andre is quite excited. His mission is right below the mission his mother served in, so she can tell him quite a bit about the climate and culture. We are all very pleased with his call.

Waiting For The Call

This is a picture of Andre, the day he was ordained an Elder by his dad. His papers are all complete and turned in. We're just waiting for that white envelope in the mail, telling us where he is going to be serving his mission. From what folks around here tell us, it will probably come October 1st. Andre will turn 19 on Saturday the 26th of September. We'll let you know where he's serving when we get the envelope!

Busy Summer Days!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks! The last few days of July and the first day of August, Paul and I went to Youth Conference with three of our teen-agers and 30-some youth from our ward. We asked if we could bring our travel trailer, and were given permission. We were very glad we brought it, not only because we had the best sleeping accommodations in the camp, but also because it was a make-shift camp medical center, and also because we found out we had bad tires on the trailer. Yep, we had a flat tire on the way up.

It happened on a steep, winding dirt road. The bishop was several cars ahead of us, pulling an open trailer with all the gear and food for the camp-out. The caravan had to stop and open a gate, and with no momentum, the bishop was unable to make it up the hill. Consequently, we also had stopped and couldn't make it up the hill either. The word from the top came that we would back down the hill and give the bishop a head-start up the hill. Ever tried backing a 41-foot trailer down a winding, dirt road? Did I mention there were 3-4 cars behind us? Paul actually did very well, but one of the kids who had gotten out of his vehicle to watch the show noticed one of our tires was flat. Waaaay flat. That tire was history. Providentially, there was a side road not too far down the canyon that we backed the trailer onto and were able to get the tire changed. We prayed that the other 3 tires would survive the experience of going in and back out of the canyon.

Youth conference was wonderful. It was well planned and I think the youth gained much from the exprience. The theme was B.O.O.T. camp, the acronym standing for Building On Our Testimonies. We got back to Lehi Saturday the 1st, and our first priority (even before we showered!) was to get the tires checked out. Sure enough, they all needed replacing. Sooo, $400 and a couple of hours later, we were much more confident about towing the trailer to our next grand adventure--the Stoddard Family Reunion!

We left for Mesa Verde, Colorado that next Tuesday. The drive in was blissfully uneventful. We traveled in carvan with my brother, Dave and my parents. We had a great reunion! Mesa Verde is full of so many interesting things to look at and explore. We could have spent ten-fold as much time there and not seen it all! The best part, as it always is, was visiting with family and watching the children reconnect with their cousins, some of whom they hadn't seen since our last reunion, two years ago.






All too soon, it was time to end the reunion and return home. Andre and Alex had agreed to be counselors at a scout camp starting the day we drove back home, so we took a different route back than the one we took getting to the reunion. At one point on our journey, we neglected to fill up with gas at the right time, and the gas gauge was wonky, and we ended up in a long canyon with no cell phone service--out of gas and stuck at the side of the road! Michelle and I walked down the steep, windy road (all too reminiscent of the prior week's break-down), waving our arms at approaching vehicles, trying to get someone to help us. Paul was visibly upset by the situation, but I was not too worried. We were carrying with us a mini-house with a bathroom, sleeping quarters, and all the reunion left-over food. We'd be fine if we had to stay there two days! Fortunately, a couple of kind older gentlemen stopped and agreed to call the highway patrol from the next town--30 miles up the road. It took another hour and a half for the highway patrol to arrive, but they put 2.5 gallons of gas in the Suburban, which got us up over the 8,000+ foot summit and we coasted down into the nearest town, where we filled up with gas and continued our journey.

After we got Alex and Andre dropped off at scout camp, we finally drove the last leg of our journey, arriving home around midnight. What an adventure! We had been in the car for over 13 hours!

Latest Benjaminism & Hairbows

Today we went to Thanksgiving Point Children's Gardens. We were quite disappointed that their water features were all turned off because they'd broken. So, we had a hot walk along the garden paths. We saw the observation beehive that we had installed a few years ago, fed the Koi and basically got really hot and tired.

When we got back into the big black Suburban, Benjamin said, "Whew! My kneepits are really sweaty!"

My latest craft venture is to make hair bows and lacy hats to put them on. I'm selling them both in my Etsy store, but no takers yet. Maybe they will sell better in the spring. Anyway, here are some pictures.

Mid July Updates

I can't believe we are almost half-way through July already! Yikes!

We don't hear much from Andre. He'd better do better as a missionary. But, if his Facebook status is any indication, the salmon run has pretty much petered out, so there isn't much work to do. That is very disappointing, as he needed to earn as much money as possible. Things will work out. I hope maybe the salmon will decide to resume their run. Go, salmon, go!!

Michelle has a boyfriend in the MTC. He has been sending her rather cryptic, mixed-message letters, which have upset her, so things have been interesting here on mail-call days (and often a few days after).

Alex left this morning at 4:45 for a week-long back-packing hike in the Unitas. His group leader is my parents' bishop, so I believe he is in good hands. I'm sure he'll have some great stories to tell when he gets back home.

Sewing classes are going quite well. I'm having a great time, and I think the girls are enjoying it too. It is nice that two of my daughters are in the classes. I don't know that I would take the time to teach them properly if it weren't structured like this.

The summer is going by very quickly. The children will be back in school on August 20th, just a month or so away. Between then and now, we will be involved in youth conference and a family reunion in Mesa Verde. Should be great fun!

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.