Cozy and Growing

It's been 1 week and a day since I discovered the birds nest with three growing babies just off our deck. We check every day to see if the mother robin is there and several times we have seen the baby birds with mouths wide open as she is feeding them. How quickly they are growing! If you click on the picture and let it fill your screen, you can see just how much they have grown in 8 days. Amazing. I think of Emily and KC's little darlings growing cozily too.

In the Leafy Treetops

Today I worked with Clyde on testing all the sprinklers, which meant I had to turn on a station, come to the back yard and deck to see if all the heads worked, several times. Look what I spotted in the tree next to our deck! Not like last year when all I saw was the left overs. Baby birds! If you click on the picture and let it fill your screen you can see one little eye peeking out. I think there are three! Stay tuned.

I'm thinking about three babies all the time - growing strong, nurtured by Emily and KC loved by all. Read their story here. Fills me with gratitude, hope, love, and excitement.

New York

We had a great time in New York two weeks ago. Some photos for you.
Our hotel was right on Times Square and it was quite the happening place, with tons of tourists, lots of lights, and traffic.If you look closely, you can see the ball that drops and 2009 on top of the building. That building is empty and makes all it's money by having all those lighted billboards on it. Every building in Times Square must have 35% of their building covered in billboards!KC and Emily came up for a short visit and we saw some great sights. The view from the Top of the Rock ( Rockefeller Center) was spectacular. Here is one with KC and Emily and the Empire State building in the background.
We spent some time admiring the Statue of Liberty up close - she is very impressive!
Here's some details on her specs.
Clyde and I took a night time 2 hour bus tour all around the lower Manhattan and Brooklyn sites. We learned a lot!

A thankful heart

Tonight Clyde and I went to a concert by all the BYU choirs and the Philharmonic orchestra. It was filmed for later public television dates. The theme was, "A Pilgrim's Journey Home" to signify we are all pilgrims on the same journey through life and to our heavenly home. It was wonderful and moving. I loved it when the choirs filled up the sides of the DeJong concert hall and sang to us in surround sound - there was not room on the stage for everyone with the philharmonic too. One exciting moment came when we realized that Mack Wilberg of Tabernacle Choir fame was sitting two rows in front of us, just a few seats too far away to talk to him. I have wanted to tell him many times how much his music has touched me and enriched my life. He has a gift for arranging and on many many Sundays and other days I feel so uplifted and full of the spirit when I listen to the Tab choir. Even tonight I kind of wished I could go thank him, but we went out different doors on each side of the hall and I am sure he went to congratulate the BYU conductors. So a while later, after we had waited for Linda D. to figure out if Mikey needed a ride, we left the HFAC. Just as we approached the sidewalk by the ASB, there was Mack Wilberg! I didn't hesitate a second before I greeted him like an old friend and shook his hand and told him how MUCH I love his music and how it has enriched my life. We talked about how we were sad when he left BYU, but that now we get to hear much more of his music now that he is with the Choir. He was very gracious and humble and thankful for my thoughts. We waved goodbye as if we might see each other again as we went to our cars. It was a sweet moment in a very wonderful night.

70's Cousin's Dinner

I recently made a dish that we all used to make when we were in college. It was a big hit with the students at my office, so I decided to make the whole meal for cousin's dinner using recipes that were popular when I was in college. (the 70's)
Menu:
Tater Tot Casserole
Jello salad with a twist
green salad with croutons and Ranch dressing (Ranch was very new and 'in')
frozen peas and carrots
Rhodes rolls (also new and so convenient in the 70's)
chocolate cake and caramel swirled ice cream (Casey's request for his b/day cake)

The recipe:
Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can evaporated milk
1/2 bag tater tots, frozen
cook beef and onion (you can even add celery). Stir in soup and milk. Mix in tater tots and pour into 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 40 -55 minutes till bubbly

I made this a lot in college - it still tastes good!

Jello Salad with a twist
1 carton cottage cheese
1 carton cool whip
1 -2 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 small box orange jello
mix all together, place in fridge for 30 minutes.
Tasty and so easy. We all made this a lot also in the 70's cause it was fancy and fast.

Ready for spring

More snow today. I am not sure this all will melt by March 21, the first day of spring. It snowed all day AGAIN, today. We can barely see or reach our mailbox. Can you see it?
I am SO SO looking forward to warmer days and flowers.

UPDATE: There may be hope that the snow can melt after all! Casey, Cisco, and Ryan Nielson made a human size 'snow cave/tunnel' from the mail box to the sidewalk last night on Valentines Eve. When it does warm up there's already a bunch of snow that is gone!

The mighty tunnel diggers. And proud of it.

Mugs multiplied

I just wanted to document what I pulled out of my cupboard when I was cleaning up Christmas stuff. After 33 years of marriage, and the last 19 in Utah in one house, it seems that mugs multiply! Beware. I took at least half of these to DI, put the Christmas ones away for next year and only have 16 on my shelf - that is plenty!! There are more shelves that need a clutter diet.