Of General Conference and Cinnamon Rolls . . .

It's that amazing and inspiring time of year rolling around again . . .

Every 6 months, every Spring and Fall the anticipation begins to build as our family takes the weekend off from our normal schedule of activities for the upcoming LDS General Conference weekend.  It's a tradition in itself with the anticipation rivaling a Christmas morning.  The best part is I know that my family scattered now around United States makes the same plans for breakfast in PJ's, snuggling on the couch with quilts and blankets, listening to General Conference (thank you to the LDS church for an internet broadcast!).

It's a time we can gather together, family, friends and neighbors are invited, for the feeding of both body and soul.  The nutrition of the mind and body are of equal importance at this time . . . so I'm planning my General Conference menus today!  The one recipe that is always on the menu are the morning General Conference Cinnamon rolls!  If you don't have this recipe - you NEED it now!  The recipe is meant to be started the evening before - but I do it the morning of all the time also.

Then comes the nourishment of a spiritual nature, peaceful feelings, confirmations of the spirit, answers to questions pondered, and even the words of reprovement leading to thoughts of self improvement.  It's all part of the package deal. I love that this frequently leads to stimulating family conversation, testimonies of our Savior, gratefulness for modern prophets who testify of gospel principles that apply to us each day.

Pajamas, quilts, cinnamon rolls, yummy family gathering . . . yes, I think we all look forward to this family time, and every family time . . . because of our knowledge that we can be a forever family.  What could be sweeter?  Not even those cinnamon rolls :D

But hmmm . . . pondering the rest of the menu . . . thinking crock pot, maybe pulled pork . . .

Would love to hear what your family favorite recipes are!! ??

Wait!  I think I'm hearing a little  . . . "from the crossroads of the West" . . . beginning . . .

For more information:
What is the Purpose of my Life?
Prophets and Apostles Speak today
Conference has Changed since 1911, but the Message hasn't
Music and the Spoken Word

Continue Reading...

The Good Earth . . .

I'm presenting in book club this month . . .


The Good Earth
by Pearl S Buck

A poignant tale about the life and labors of a Chinese farmer during the sweeping reign of the country¹s last emperor.

A novelist "is a storyteller in a village tent, and by his stories he entices people into his tent... And to farmers he must talk of their land, and to old men he must speak of peace, and to old women he must tell of their children, and to young men and women he must speak of each other. He must be satisfied if the common people hear him gladly. At least, so I have been taught in China." -Pearl S. Buck, from her 1938 Nobel Prize Lecture


"On 2 March 1931, Buck's novel The Good Earth was published. It immediately became an international bestseller, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932, and made Pearl Buck's name a household word.  The Good Earth portrays a Chinese peasant family whose husband and wife struggle with the harsh farming realities of northern China. Through laborious effort and dedication they struggle to more financially secure conditions but are never free from the various difficulties and disappointments that are the lot of humankind. By vividness of character portrayal and authenticity of setting, Buck was able to convey her material so that people the world over could identify closely with the events and characters presented... Chinese critics denounced The Good Earth for giving an unflattering portrait of Chinese life and for several alleged inaccuracies... Buck refuted these charges and demonstrated that the critics were distressed because they felt that any picture of Chinese life should focus on the intellectuals and the well educated and that the harsh realities of peasant life should be ignored" (ANB). On the strength of The Good Earth, Pearl Buck won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature.


Sounds wonderful!  I can't wait to get started!

Continue Reading...

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

We're celebrating this week around our home . . .

Just had to share these gorgeous photos - I just love 'em!





These cupcakes are full of sugar and spice and everything nice
for that's what little girls are made of . . .





Karianne's cute tummy starting her third-trimester - yay!

Looking forward to this new baby :)

We're getting closer . . .




If you're interested in making these fun cupcakes the recipe is here -
Martha Stewart S'Mores Cupcakes

Continue Reading...

And the Answer is . . . One Bite at a Time

If the answer is
One Bite at a Time
well then obviously the question would be what . . . . ??

Come on, I'm certain you have one of those big extra-large sized elephants in your life!

Like the one sitting in the middle of your living room
or the car
or the backyard . . .

Don't have an elephant?

Please come by and take a bite of mine - hee!!

My problem with eating an elephant is which juicy morsel do you prefer to begin with?
You could try his toes, where no one is likely to even notice that you took a bite . . .

You could try his trunk, where it would still be little and tiny, but a bit more obvious,
or maybe a big bite right out of his ear . . . hmmmm . . . that always seems to be my problem . . .



Where to begin?




But I've noticed the hardest part of eating an elephant is just getting started.  I would really love to hear how you decide which end of your elephant to begin with.

But for now . . . I think I'll just go frost those cupcakes, find two things on my list of things to do that are urgent for today,
 then go for a walk . . .

I think I need a little fresh air . . . 
those elephants
they certainly have a way of
crowding you right out of the house :)




Oh - and a little music always helps when you are elephant eating . . . just found out these guys will be in town on Sept 9th - I really must go, hope I'm done elephant eating by then :)

Continue Reading...

Jambo . . . Mambo . . . to you too!

I'm sure you've all gathered by now that our youngest 
Kelsie is volunteering in Tanzania
far far away on the opposite side of the world.

In a world much different from the one we experience here
in our homes of ease and comfort.

Just wanted to share these updates from her . . .

Each email, text message, Facebook post and blog update tugs at my heart . . .you too can follow her adventures (even from the comfort of your sofa :)

• kelsie.klein - the blog
• A photographic log of their journey so far
• More NOTES

I'm sure you can tell that I'm just so pleased and proud of her efforts.

And I'll accept any prayers on her behalf as well, we sure miss her around here but are so glad she has this wonderful opportunity.

Continue Reading...

Last Days of Winter

I keep thinking we are experiencing the last days of winter here in Utah!

These are photos from our early March cabin trip, for all our family and friends who now live outside of Utah, or far from our family cabin . . .
This is what you're missing out on!And can I say . . .
We are really missing you at the cabin also!
(location: Uintah mountains, just off the Mirror Lake Highway in between Kamas Utah and Mirror Lake.  Also known as the Soapstone Basin Road - for all you heavy duty snowmobilers out there)
This beautiful area has been a favorite of our family for many decades now.



This is me!My old girl - Cleo, the blond on the right is getting pretty old.She loves the cabin and would curl up and die if we left her home.But I have to do the one mile hike up the mountain with her in the snow each time we visit.  She is no longer able to run alongside the snowmobile.  Of course Conan, the black one, frolics all the way up running circles around us.


Always a great place to visit with family and friends.Thank you DAD for letting us use your snowmobiles each winter.We sure enjoy having this great opportunity.


Just a few of the winter scenes . . .
So   I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E  !!!!
And there is sooooOooO much snow in our Utah Mountains this winter!


No cabin trip would be complete without lots ofchocolateyummy foodgamesand family and friends!



Sorry Karianne and Greg!I should have pulled out my camera more before you had to take off,but I did get this photos of Norm and Karianne (below)



(we still are very fond of our 2002 Utah Winter Olympics jackets as you can see!!)

I have to explain the significance of this photo - there is soooo much snow on top of the wood pile that the kidsdug a tunnel running all the way through upon the top of the rooffrom one corner to the other.It was quite amazing!



Just one of my favorite photos from the trip.Hope you enjoy!
Here comes the sun! I feel it warming up soon :)

Continue Reading...