Congratulations!

It's official! Jessica was accepted to BYU Provo. We're so proud of her. She's not only a great student, but an incredible person. She will do well there. And what will we do at home without her? Well, we're not thinking about that. We're focusing on the positive, and there's a lot to be positive about. BYU is a great school. Mark and I have great memories of our time there. I miss those mountains! We're excited for her opportunity. She's already looked at potential classes and teachers. This feels like it's happening so fast. Can my baby really be going to college? It's not that it makes me feel old. I'm OK with that. But I'm starting to feel...I don't know...that mother bear instinct maybe? Over protective? Last week in Sunday school they asked me to describe how it felt to have Jessica leaving for college. I think they wanted me to say that I was ready for her to leave and happy for her to have the opportunity....(They were comparing it to how our Heavenly Father felt about us when He created the earth and sent us here to learn and grow.) ...I started to cry. I certainly feel those things, but I just hope... I don't know how to finish that sentence. I know it's something she needs to do, and we've tried to raise our children to be independent, self-sufficient and all the rest, but now that the time is coming for her to fly the nest, I don't know if I'm ready. Can't I just keep her home one more year?

But look at that beautiful valley! I know there are so many great things waiting for her, how could I ever think of holding her back? One of our returned missionaries came back to Arizona for a visit. He was helping his sister get settled at ASU. It was amazing to see how protective he was of her. That's when I realized, what I needed for a little peace of mind...I'm going to recruit some 'big brothers' to keep an eye on Jessica. Fortunately for us, we have several to choose from! All of our former assistants will be in Provo (except one that's living a little farther north), plus there are several other returned elders and sisters that will be there. I won't have to worry about her, and I know she'll write and call all the time so we won't be lonely for her...right Jess? We have just a few more months with our family all home together...I'm planning on making the most of it. Love you, Jessica. Congratulations!

Photography pin

This was a fun outing-though I don't know if you can tell it from the pictures. I had to get some shopping done for zone conference, and the kids, although bored, weren't that excited about going to the store with me. So we brought the camera along. They're always bugging me to let them take pictures of their own, but it seems like we're always in a rush when we're in picture mode...and since Brandon's working on different scout activity badges and pins, I thought I'd let them get creative. These first 3 are Brandon's attempts at capturing interesting angles and patterns.

The following three are fun to look at-but sad because bikes aren't meant to hang on a wall! (see our previous post about the bike trail.)

Here's Amanda having a go at-in a moving car no less.

I don't know how he did, but Jeff managed to get three shots of this rabbit as it ditched from side to side to get away from us. I tried several times, but all mine are blurry. He has 3 like this that you can actually see the rabbit!

Here's one Brandon took, but the lighting didn't work quite right (even on auto)...so we played with the picture at home later.

This was so fun, but I think I'm in trouble. It's so easy and crazy, the kids will want to do it all the time.

Jeffrey and I were at a local high school waiting for Amanda and Brandon to finish a piano rehearsal, so we had another experiment with changing angles on a subject. Anybody have a favorite?

At that same high school-we tried playing around with blurred images. Not too impressive, but fun to try.

We're going to try some with optical illusions, but that have to wait for another day.

Ghost

Glowing monsters
Horrifying Monsters
"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"
Scarrrrrryyyy
"Th th th th th th th th th th there it is!"

by Jeffrey Neal Bassett

Can you really call this work??

I have the perfect job! Just look at these kids!

Grace is such a girly girl.

Luke claimed this crib as his own and would not let anyone else sit in there with him (Grace)
She is constantly rocking the baby back and forth while she says "baby, baby, baby"

Her own little kitchen.

While I was taking pictures I discovered that she says "Cheeeeese". cute!!

They are always trying to play in the water but never succeed. I figured since it was almost time for baths anyways I might as well let them have a little fun.

Jack loves Jeffrey so much. He always tells him "Jeffrey, you're my best friend."

Sunday Fun

After Church, Mark got all the kids together and should us some new links on LDS.org - New Era . This first link is expecially for youth ages 12-18-linking each issue of the New Era magazine to activities on the web. It also has links to a you tube channel the church created just for them (Check out the side bar.) The Ensign also has a direct link to articles (to any of my friends of any religious background, each month there are great articles in the Ensign directed on helping establish strong families and marriages.) There is also another you tube channel titled 'Mormon Messages' that provide a balance for all the negative things people say about our faith: what we believe straight from us and not from our critics or detractors. (I've always wondered why if someone wanted to know about what I believe, they didn't just ask me instead of listening to people who will look for the worst and try to discount and twist the best.) The Mormon messages channel is updated each week with new videos. You can get a sampling of them from the side bar. Jeffrey's favorite section was the link to the friend magazine. Here's a pic of the menu:
So far, the game tab leads you to these two choices. He sat down and finished all the hidden puzzles all in one day. I'll admit, the hidden puzzles are always one of my favorites when the Friend comes out each month, and this time, and it's even better online-perfect for a young children. We also navigated some of the other links.

Morning Madness

What a way to start the day!

We hiked Camelback again Saturday...or at least the kids hiked it again and this time Mom & Dad joined them.

It's a great climb, but it starts with some killer stairs that almost make me want to turn around, except that I know the fun part is just ahead. This is the part I like...climbing over all these huge red rocks.

It looks a lot smaller from the ground, and then you start hiking and wondering when it will end. Taylor kept taunting me with "one more climb like this last one and we're there."

In the picture below, Brandon has just scaled one of the steeper sections of the hike. There are some great iron rods drilled through the rock...I always to choose to hold tight to the rod. (One day I'll get a picture of those. Great object lesson.)

The crazy thing about this hike, are the people who lap you 3 or 4 times. They literally run up and down the mountain...and some of them are pretty old. There's a lady in our congregation that climbs almost every day. I don't know her exact age, but she and her husband retired years ago...70's?

That's Taylor way up there. The picture below is that same rock, but a different person in the distance and taken from a different angle. Brandon and I chose to stay on the trail and hike around that rock instead of up and over it.

Jeff dutifully packed snacks for the whole family. As impatient as I was to get started, I was grateful for them when we got to the top. It's fun to take a minute and catch your breath at the top and count all the tennis courts and pools below. There are some pretty incredible estates that you can see from up there. Somebody put a cardinals flag at the top.

Yes, I'm as tired as I look, but it's a great kind of tired.

Almost to the end of the trail...Jeff was the first one up, but the last one down. It's always amazing to watch him run up the hill, but when it comes time to climbing down, some of those descents are steep. He literally slides down on his rear.

The great things about a long hike on Saturday, is that everyone gets to bed on time in the evening so we can all wake up fresh for Sunday! By about 9:30 everyone, OK, almost everyone-Taylor was up a little longer, was sound asleep.

Sensible Shoes

I know I have sisters on both sides of this issue, so I'll tread carefully... What kind of crazy person invented high heels? I mean really! And is there honestly anyone out there who feels more comfortable in high heels? honestly?

Now these are some sensible shoes!

Way to go girls

Successful recipes

Are you ready for a great recipe? Last week we had a lunch with 10 of the Stake Presidents & their wives, President Clark and his wife from the Mesa Temple, Elder Wilford Anderson & his Wife, Elder Snow also from the seventy (he remembered being in Antelope last year and said great things!), and Elder & Sister Bednar. A family of 5 sisters in the hosting stake served a great meal. Here's the recipe for their adaptation of Chicken Rolls. You can find more great recipes from their cookbook, The Fat Sisters Cookbook.

Chicken Rolls

1 cup chopped chicken

3 oz. cream cheese

1 3oz. can mushrooms

2 Tbsp. butter

1 can refrigerator crescent rolls

1/3 c crushed seasoned croutons

1/2 tsp sage

1/4 c walnuts or pecans

3 Tbsp melted butter

Filling: Mix softened cream cheese and butter well, then stir in chicken & mushrooms. Separate crescent rolls. Spread each with 1/4 cup chicken mixture. Roll up; tuck sides and point under to seal.

Pulse croutons, nuts & sage in food processor. Dip each roll in melted butter, then crumb mixture. Put on cookie sheet and back 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve with a spoonful of gravy on top.

(Gravy-try cream of chicken soup thinned with 1/3 milk and add 2 Tbsp chopped chives.)

We liked the chicken rolls so much, we decided to make them for dinner tonight when Elder and Sister Perry came. They turned out great. They looked so good, I think they even would have made the list for those of my friends out there who only like to serve 'pretty' food.

Elder Perry is visiting several of the missions in the North America Southwest area; meeting with groups of missionaries and also with groups of leaders involved in missionary work (basically, everyone!). He gave the elders a 'recipe' for being successful teachers. They're very excited to work on the things he talked with them about. We're already planning how we can implement the things he taught into our trainings. The stake and ward leaders he met with were equally enthusiastic to come sit at the feet of an apostle and be instructed. I couldn't believe how crowded the building was! For some of our missionaries, it was their first full day in the mission field. What a way to start your mission!

January Transfer

Missionary life is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Never is that more blatant than transfer week. We literally drive one group to the airport and turn around to pick another group up. The goodbyes are still difficult and the hellos still exciting. 6 Missionaries left for home.

The evening before they leave they come over to our house. The kids keep them busy signing journals and telling stories.

Dinner's always fun, because they relax a little and start telling stories about all the crazy things that happen on a mission.

It gets really good when they start trying to out do each other on embarrassing moments.

The next morning we wake up around 4:30 to be up and ready to make them breakfast before they leave. Mark's the hero-he makes all the breakfast so all I have to do is wake-up and get dressed. Breakfast usually starts around 5:00 then they're out the door by 5:30 to make their early morning flights.

Jeffrey was afraid he'd miss saying goodbye, so he made this little bed in the hallway...it was still hard to get him alert enough to realize they were leaving.

Sister Bigelow and Sister Ashcraft right before packing into the van.

Elder Endemano's family came to pick him up a little while later. We usually don't have the chance to see these reunions, but it's always a great feeling when we get to see the other side of our goodbye's. This one was especially sweet, since Elder Endemano's role as assistant lead to a close bond between him and our whole family. We sure appreciate the influene he's had on them. It was fun to see him with his 'other' family.

Here's the slide show of our group leaving...

...and coming. I'll post something eventually about the group that came...