2 Shaved Heads, A Swim Meet and my hand

Chauncey is on the high school swim team and they have a tradition that they all shave their heads in a buzz when they go to the Regional Competition. Last night the team had a big spaghetti dinner, then all the boys that wanted to follow the tradition went over to the coach’s house to get their heads buzzed! It’s Chauncey’s first year on the team so he was pretty excited about it. Ken decided that he would shave his head in support of all of all of Chauncey’s hard work. Last night Chauncey shaved his dad’s head in a buzz. I’ve never seen my sweet hubby without hair!

So, how do you think my guys look?

Chauncey will be swimming the 200 Freestyle and the 500 Freestyle. He’s also an alternate for the 400 Freestyle Relay. I can’t wait to go watch the meet today!

Before we go to the meet I’m seeing a surgeon about my hand. So cross your fingers for me that I don’t need surgery.  It’s been two weeks and my hand has finally quit throbbing all the time.

Soft and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies

We arrived home from our trip to Maine around 10:30pm Thursday night. My sweet hubby had to go to Denver, Colorado Wednesday morning on a business trip. He won't be home until tomorrow. So I'm posting this picture of him from our little trip to Paris, Idaho right before we flew to Maine. (I don't have very many pictures of him) I posting this picture of him because I miss him! It's been almost 3 weeks since I've seen him!

I made these cookies while I was in Maine. I love making cookies for the grandkids and my kids! This recipe makes a lot, but I kept hearing little feet running through the kitchen when I had my back turned, so every time I took a new batch out of the oven, there wasn't many left from the previous batch! These are nice and soft and kind of cakey.

Soft and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies

1cup butter shortening
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients.

Cream sugar into shortening. Add milk and vanilla beat until fluffy. Blend in egg. Then add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chips.

Drop by teaspoon onto greased baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes for chewy cookies or 10-13 minutes for crispy cookies. ENJOY!!!

My Marathon and Something To Keep You Smiling

This is me coming into the finish line of the Top Of Utah Marathon! Oh my gosh, I'm almost done! What a journey!


This is me, still smiling after running 26.2 miles! This is my last marathon, yay! I want to quit running ultra races so I can keep my knees for playing with my grandkids!

This is my training buddy Andrea. She was running so strong! She flew down the canyon and I lost her somewhere in the first six miles. She finished way ahead of me. She did such a great job! I had my son Chauncey and a running buddy meet me at mile 20. It was so great to have them to run with!



My calf muscles spasmed the last few miles of the race making it impossible to run. They did ease us a little and I was able to run the last mile after we hit Maine Street in Logan. It hurt so bad to try to stretch them out!


Some friends of ours in Logan met us for a picnic after the race. She's the one that took all these great pictures! This is me, rested, with my sweet hubby (who also got up at 3:30am to take us to the buses to head up to the race) and my son Chauncey, who ran the last six miles!



Here's my finishers Medal. Yup, when you run a marathon you get a great running shirt and hardware! Love the hardware! I ran a half marathon this year and I really liked it, so that's what I want to do next year. You still get a shirt and hardware when you run a half marathon!

Here's a fun little story I thought I'd share today!

One day God was looking down at earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. So He sent an angel to earth for a time. When the angel returned, he told God, 'Yes, it's bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not.
God thought for a moment and said,
'Maybe I'd better send down a 2nd angel to get another opinion.'
So God called another angel and sent him to earth for a time.
When the angel returned, he said to God,
'Yes, it's true. The earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good..'
God wasn't pleased.
So He decided to e-mail the 5% that were good because He wanted to encourage them and give them something to help them keep going.
Do you know what the e-mail said?


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Okay......I was just wondering because I didn't get one either.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Deb posted this the other day over at The Wise Old Owl. Don't worry, she said I could borrow it!

Metamorphosis Monday

It's time again for Metamorphosis Monday! I did a cute project for my two granddaughters and my daughter while my oldest daughter Jennie and her 3 kids were visiting a couple of weeks ago!





What can you do with 2 vintage pillowcases purchased for fifty cents a piece and an old crib sheet? Make some dresses! I made dresses for my two little granddaughters, and a top for my daughter!



This is Sloan holding my granddaughter Jillian and the cutie sitting down is Amelia!

These dresses were so easy to make! You cut one piece of fabric for the main piece of the dress. This piece is (armpit measurement to below the knee) and the chest measurement times 2. Sew the ends together. Then gather the top and either hem the bottom or cut it to use the hem of the pillowcase.

Then you cut another piece seven inches long by the chest measurement plus 1.5 inches. You sew the ends together, then fold both sides up to meet in the middle and press. Then fold in half right sides out and press. Pin this to the gathered part of the dress, with the dress piece inside. Then sew it all together. Now cut four pieces of fabric that are 1.5 by 11 and fold the long sides up, press, then fold in half. This will be the straps. Try the dress on and pin the straps in place, then sew. I used an old crib sheet for the contrasting band on the girls dresses.

You can find a great tutorial for this dress at Lil Blue Boo.

This is Amilia on the bridge at the creek. We went to the creek for a picnic the day before my daughter left to go home.




Kids can't resist playing in a creek! This is Amelia.




Am I a proud grandma or what! This is Jillian and Amelia's in the background.




We had a nice little picnic on the bridge.



This is a picture that my daughter Jennie took, so she's not in it. In fact she took all the pictures so we didn't get one of her. This is my mom on the left, then my grandson Reese, my son Chauncey, my daughter Sloan, me and my hubby Ken holding our granddaughter Jillian.


Here's a great cookie recipe I found for a nice crunchy type chocolate chip cookie!





Ranger Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick oatmeal
2 cups flake type cereal
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream the sugars and shortening for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl whisk the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix just until mixed. Beat in the chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheets with a cookie scoop and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.


Now head on over to Between Naps on The Porch and see what everyone else is up too!


This is Chauncey making a fun noise with his stick. This is a tunnel that goes under the freeway to the other side of the creek. This is such a gorgeous little hidden area that not to many people know about!

Amish Friendship Bread Waffles and Hubbies REO Firetruck!

This is my sweet hubbies pride and joy! It's his 1930's REO Firetruck. He was washing it this morning. He can't really take it through a car wash with the open cab!
Do you notice the holes in the knees of his jeans? I'm stealing them from him real soon to make some more pot holders!





I like this recipe because you can make it up the night before. I didn't, I made it and used it right away, and my family ate all of them except one square! I forgot to take a picture of the big ones, so here's the one lonely square!

Amish Friendship Bread Waffles

Sponge

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk, I used milk with 2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Batter

2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda

In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients from the sponge, then add the buttermilk (warm it a little in the microwave) and the starter and whisk. sponge ingredients. Cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature overnight, or as long as possible.

Mix the batter ingredients and add them to the sponge and whisk. Cook in a hot greased waffle iron per manufacturers instructions.