GDO pt. 2 - The Pics

                              On our way!

                              Top of the world!

Girls Day Out!

                                   
This weekend is a scout campout, so Ron took the three boys overnight.  Just me and Miss Priss for most of the day today and most of tomorrow.  I got in the car right after they left with a couple of bagels, the baby backpack (which she is way to big for) and some water bottles,  not knowing where I was going to go.  I just knew I wanted to be outside.

We ended up in Snow Canyon.  I just parked at the first spot I saw and started off with the map.  I'm a horrible planner-aheader, and also very impatient.  Those two qualities combined make for what some more positive people would call "spontaneous,"  but it's really just bad planner plus very impatient.  Usually I get lucky on these adventures though.  Today was no exception.  I just let Sarah roam and hike on the Three Ponds Trail.  We also did the Whipple loop, which is really cool for little kids.  There's a little slot canyon to walk through that she thought was cool.  We found some secluded little caves that she played around in for 20 minutes.  She also learned the very most important survival skill for camping women...   the squat.  First try and not a drop of pee on her feet or pants.  She's a natural outdoorswoman.  I couldn't be more proud.   I finally had to just put her in the backpack and drag her out because it was getting late.  We spend the next hour at the sand dunes in perfect weather, running around on the cool sand...   Perfect day.  I would love to post a gazilion pictures of Sarah that I took with  my phone here, but for some reason they aren't going through email like they usually do so easily.   These are the ones I took when I got my real camera and sat down at the sand dunes.

These times alone with Sarah are becoming more frequent since Ron has been called as the scout advisor for the Deacons.  I really enjoy the time with Miss Priss to do whatever I want.  All day today I've felt like I am in heaven with no errands to run, no one to get to a lesson, nothing that HAS to be cleaned and nobody waiting at home for something to eat.  However, I have realized something about myself as the night started coming on.  That is that even though I am most comfortable alone, it's not good for me.  Alone with my thoughts and I can bank on ending up depressed.  I really need to stay busy and surrounded by my responsibilities.  I'll enjoy the day alone tomorrow, but I'll be glad when the stinky boys get home. : )

Sarah digs the Chariot.  It's more like riding in a convertible than a stroller.  The only problem is that there isn't a brake or a safety strap.  I have to pay more attention.  And the front wheels swivel, which make it so much nicer when turning a corner, but it turns sometimes when I don't really want it to.  Overall, it's easier to run with.

I'm debating signing up for the Red Rock Ultra again.  I feel the need to cross a finish line. 

HAIR

I have hair issues.  It makes me crazy more than anything else about me, and that really says alot.  I don't like it long ~ It's straggly and frizzy.  I like I okay short, but when it's short I get funny comments.  Mainly from men. "Why did you do THAT?"  I don't like it blonde because I have dark eyebrows and it doesn't look like it matches.   With bangs.  Without bangs.  Long bangs, short bangs... It's naturally dark blonde with some fairly light streaks throughout, but it's mostly mousey.  I just dyed it darker than I ever have.  I felt like I maybe found something I could live with, but I am getting more uncomfortable comments from people than ever before.   My family saw me a couple of weeks ago and flat out told me it's awful.   What's a girl to do!? 

These are the two extremes.  I think I like it best somewhere in between.  Although I'm convinced I'm never actually going to like it no matter what.

A walk on the Beach...

I have become such a baby about the cold that we haven't been running outside at all for months.  Today was a beautiful day, (still freezing to me when we started but it warmed up after a while) so we ventured out after the boys left for the Klondike camp out.

The flood plain is cleared of all the shrubs and Tamarisk trees that are usually there, and there is a huge beach in it's place.  Sarah loves sand and rocks, so I let her play for a bit.  I love this age (hers) and watching her discover things and enjoy the simplest things so thoroughly.

We didn't get much further before coming to the section that was destroyed in the floods.  The river changed coarse and is now flowing where the path used to be.  Grrrr..

Last day of Summer break!

And the first run outdoors that I can remember. I don't think I've run outside more than 4 times this summer. And that's okay. Today was perfect temps probably still in the 70's at 8:30 when I left, which is unheard of during August, so even though there was other things that needed to be done this morning, I left the kids and did a very. slow. 13 miles. Noah had a birthday party at 10, so I woke him up and told him he was going to need to get himself ready for that, and that he also was going to have to just stick a ten dollar bill in an envelope for a gift because I wasn't about to skip the run for a trip to Target. Did I mention the ten dollars was Noahs, because I didn't even have any cash? Ryan had just walked in from a back to school sleep over party, so I told him his thank you to me for letting him do that (We don't usually allow sleepovers. A story for a different post.) was to watch Sarah while I was gone. The reason the run was so slow was because I went to (choke) Crossfit last night with Ron. I felt like I need a little change. A little push with the resistance training. It was fun and I think I'll keep going.

A few new favorite things

BTW, I found out by reading the results of the race that my time was 5:25, not 5:35. I'll take every minute I can get, thank you.

So I got some lotion for Mother's Day which I LOVE. I'm kind of a connoisseur of skin care. Mainly because I have the worst skin ever.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion. It stays on! Not just for a little bit. AND it's got just the slightest bit of shimmer in it. Who doesn't love a little shimmer? Not like the usual shimmer lotions that make you look like you sprinkled glitter on yourself. Not noticeable. Just makes you glow a little. I love finding a favorite, especially for something that is so troublesome for me.

Another relief is finding a good recipe that people in my house will eat, AND that doesn't require extra trips to the store. We've got a little bit of a food storage, and when money is tight I try relying mostly on that and just go to the store for produce. Over the years I've collected quite a few great recipes from Relief Societies which just use basic food storage. It's gratifying to pull out those binders, go to my own pantry and be able to make a little something. Cold cereal is so expensive. This granola recipe can be stored in a container and my kids eat it as cold cereal or as a snack. (Some kids require adaptations. But really the things that make it work or not are the honey and oats. You can vary all the other things to taste. Or cut out some of the oil to make it a little lower fat.)


6 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. brown sugar (make it as sweet or unsweet as you like)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. toasted shaved coconut
1/3 C. sesame seeds
1/4 C. sunflower seeds
1 C. chopped nuts of choice

Mix well, then add:
1/2 C. olive oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. honey


Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 30 min.
Last five minutes add 1/2 C. raisins or other dried fruit.
Add chocolate for a sweeter version.


Another recipe... My husband loves artisan bread when it's fresh, but it's expensive and doesn't last more than a day. A friend of mine makes great home made/only from food storage Italian hard rolls or bread. I can't make it as well as she can, but it dresses up a food storage dinner. Make it as a loaf or rolls. It's a time consuming recipe with three rises. Start it early!

Beat until frothy:
3 1/2 C warm water
2 T. Sugar
8 tsp. powdered egg whites (or 4 regular egg whites)
1 T. instant yeast
Then add:
2 C. flour (whole wheat, white, or a combination)

Let sit 30 minutes to ferment, loosely covered with plastic wrap

Slowly add 6 C. more flour and knead for 6-7 min.
If using WW flour, ad 1/4 C. olive oil (optional)
At the very end of kneading add 1 T. salt
You can also add some herbs here. Like a little Rosemary, if you want.

Let rise in bowl for 1 hr.

Punch down, form into loaves, balls or whatever.
Sprinkle with a little flour
Let rise 1 more hour.
Just before baking, brush with beaten egg whites.
Bake at 400 for 20 min. (or 15 min. for rolls.)
Mid way through baking, slash the top with a knife a couple of times.


My son makes this for me. It's such an easy, cheap chocolate fix. Not to horribly fattening either.

4 1/2 oz dark chocolate (unsweetened is fine if you want to add sugar to the egg yolks. For me, the darker the better!)
4 large eggs separated

Melt the chocolate
Whip the egg whites to soft peak stage
Mix egg yolks (and sugar, if using unsweetened chocolate, to taste)
Add egg yolks to cooled chocolate. Mix quickly!
Add whipped whites to egg/chocolate mixture and fold until it's well incorporated.
Chill in individual serving cups.
Sprinkle white chocolate over the top, or more dark chocolate, because... why not!?

Ryan made a batch of this on Mother's Day and put it in 6 little cups. I go pick one out every day... such a great, perfectly sized chocolatey treat!