Plum Cake

Look at the yummy cake I made!

Here is the recipe if you want to try it (I found the recipe online).

Ingredients

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cups plums, pitted and sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour one pie pan.

2. Separate the eggs. (Do not discard egg whites or yolks)

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and lemon zest.

4. Stir together the flour and baking powder and then beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. There will only be a little over an inch of batter. Arrange the plums attractively over the batter.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake tests done.

Closing out the Semester

With the end of the semester Christian's ROTC detachment had its official change of cadet leader ship. When this happens they have a big flight field review thing (I don't actually know what it is called and Christian isn't here to ask). Anyway they marched around on the field and gave out flight awards. Christian was the guidon bearer (Just as a review: the guidon is the flight flag and so the guidon bearer is the one who carries it. They had to use uniform guidons so this one was different than the one I already blogged about). Here are some pictures from the event.

Please take note of that little yellow ribbon hanging from the guidon. Bravo flight was named the honor flight. Later in the evening Christian and two other cadets received Commander's Coins for their roles in the Arnold Air Society Candidate Service Project. The service project was an interactive science fair headed by the AAS Candidates and completed in conjunction with three other ERAU organizations: the Society of Women Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Silver Wings. They had twelve booths that highlighted s topics in the areas of science, math, engineering, technology. All of the booths incorporated demonstrations or activities that the kids could participate in. It was really a great event. Here are some pictures.

Candidate Initiation Dinner

Last night we attended the Arnold Air Society Candidate Initiation Dunner. Christian and his fellow AAS Candidates completed their training. There training has included middle of the night workouts, lots of memorization and testing, a service project, and a fundraiser. They even had to carry around identical candidate binders everywhere and all the time. They were expected to be at all ROTC events 15 min early and to be meticulous in performance and attire at both ROTC and AAS events.
Last night that all ended at a formal initiation dinner, hosted by the candidates themselves. From 10:00 am to 3:00 pm we had candidates over at our place cooking for the dinner (main dish: Sun-dried tomato chicken alfredo). While that was going on another group was setting up at the hall.

At the dinner the candidate (now referred to as initiates) hosted the Colonel of their ROTC detachment, the guest speaker (Major Joshua Flatley of the Air National Guard) and his wife, as well as the active AAS members in the squadron. It was fun to see the initiates present humorous awards to their training staff and see pictures from the past two months of training.

There were two highlights of the evening. First, when the candidates were officially accepted into the society as their individual mentors took off their own AAS pin and fourragere (the cord that goes around the arm) and placed them on the initiates to wear for the remainder of the evening. The second highlight was when Christian was presented with the award for Honor Candidate. He was consistently ranked at the top of his candidate class throughout the training. With the award he was presented with the framed second lieutenant bar of Steven M. Sherp to safe guard and pass on to next years recipient. (Steven M. Sherp is the individual that their squadron is named after. He was the first cadet to be commissioned through the ERAU ROTC detachment. He was killed in a plane accident early in his military career) Christian was not aware of the award nor that he had been ranked so highly by his class.

It was a wonderful evening.

Happy Thanksgiving

Sorry, but I got a little busy and didn't finish off my Gratitude quotes. Here are a few to finish off the Thanksgiving season.

“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” ~ Johannes A. Gaertner

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” ~ William Faulkner

“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~ Anthony Robbins

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Here is a fun poem that I found. I hope you like it.

May your stuffing be tasty


May your turkey plump,


May your potatoes and gravy


Have nary a lump.


May your yams be delicious


And your pies take the prize,


And may your Thanksgiving dinner


Stay off your thighs!

Anonymous

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for no sleep?

It was a busy weekend, especially for Christian. He had his last Arnold Air Society training (15 hours!), the candidate service project (an interactive science fair for elementary and Jr. High school students - which he was in charge of), and a research paper (due today at 8:00 am). I was helping as much as I could. Sleep has been kept at a real minimum around here. With that in mind here is a quote for those days when it is hard to think of a reason to be thankful.

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” – Buddha (I think)

We are still alive ... and, thanks to his research paper, we both know much more about the aerial contributions to combat in WWI, so I guess we learned something too.

We should be thankful. And we are!

A Reading Assignment

First, a quote from Dr. Seuss. He really is a fount of wisdom (and had great illustrations too). Here is a line from Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are.

"Just tell yourself, Duckie, you're really quite lucky!”

Go to the library and take a moment to read this fun book. Celebrate all the little ways that you are blessed. Then follow this advice from Charles Dickens:

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”

While you are at the library, read through The Giving Tree as well. Remember that giving isn't about what we get back but rather the joy that exists in the chance to bless the lives of others.

Two for One

I didn't have time to post yesterday so I didn't post a quote. If you suffered yesterday because you were missing my quote then here is a fitting one today:

“So not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” – Epicurus

And now you need not long for a gratitude quote. You have one, and that is something to be grateful for!

“Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” - Estonian Proverb

Only five more days until Thanksgiving.

More on Gratitude

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." Gladys Browyn Stern

Say thank you to someone today!

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Aesop

Thanksgiving Countdown

Thanks giving is just over a week away and I have decided to count down to the big day with inspiring quotes on gratitude. Every day from now until Thanksgiving I will post a quote at least loosely related to being thankful: some serious, some...not. Enjoy.

“What to do if you find yourself stuck with no hope of rescue: Consider yourself lucky that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far, which given your present circumstances seems more likely, consider yourself lucky that it won’t be troubling you much longer.”

Douglas Noel Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Fancy Mac

Fancy Mac is a staple in our diet. We eat it almost once a week; we even had it tonight (thus the inspiration for this blog). "What is Fancy Mac?" you ask. Well, for the most part it's left overs and Macaroni and Cheese. Basically we use what we have in the fridge to fancy up the macaroni. How do you do that? Easy.

1) Make macaroni and cheese

2) Add shredded cheese and whatever else you want to it

3) Bake it for a little while in the oven

Chicken is our favorite addition. With Mac & Cheese you would think ham, but no, chicken is the best. Tonights Fancy Mac was onion, corn, and leftover barbecued chicken from last night. maybe this sounds strange to you, but I suggest you try it if you have never done so. I am telling, you it is good stuff.

Veteran's Day

My Veteran's Day actually began on Wednesday. I was a sub in a third grade class. The last segment of the day was spent with students getting to hear from veterans who were invited to their classrooms. They rotated through and met with five different individuals. It was wonderful to see them listen and ask questions. They were completely engrossed (though that may have had something to do with the Humvee that the Army ROTC brought for them to see and sit in) It was good for the students to see many of the different ways that veterans serve. They met an Army cook, a Navy fireman, a Navy engineer's mate, a Master Chief of the Air Force who transported diplomats all over the world, and a WWII Veteran who later became one of the original soldiers in the missile and rocket programs.

On Thursday we went to the Veteran's Day Parade held through the large VA Hospital grounds. I went to watch Christian march with the AFROTC cadets. I have never really enjoyed parades before. I always found them a bit boring, however, yesterday was different. It was very moving to watch the flag lowered to half mast and learn that an guard of cadets had been standing watch for the past 24 hours to honor veterans, to hear a small choir of children sing a sweet and heartfelt "Thank You Song," and to see the unveiling of a new memorial. When the parade started this time I enjoyed watching the various entries pass, but most of all I enjoyed seeing the veterans in the crowd stand a little straighter and silently salute every passing American flag. I am truly grateful for their service and sacrifice.

Sarah and Gilbert got married!

Christian and I drove to Salt Lake City this weekend for his sister, Sarah's, wedding. It was a wonderful weekend with great time with family. Sarah was beautiful in her dress. Gilbert is a really great guy. We are happy to have him as part of the family. Unfortunately we did not take many pictures, okay hardly any. Here is the only picture we have of Sarah. She was singing a song with her dad.

Christian did get this picture of the car. He and Jake were pretty proud of the job they did (with the help of Gilbert's buddies, of course).

I will try to get some pictures of the bride and groom and post them.

Crafty Me

I am pretty proud of my recent crafty moment. Christian's ROTC flight needed a guidon. A guidon is basically one of those notched flags that units carry when they march. Christian was in charge of getting the guidon for the flight. Christian designed the flag and I put it together for him.

(By the way, I know it is spelled banshees, but the flight spells it with a /z/.)

Update

Yesterday we went to a BBQ with the Arnold Air Society Candidates (Christian in one of the candidates) at park near the school. We were at the top of a hill so I took some pictures to give an idea of what the landscape looks like in our area. The park is about two minutes away from our apartment.

The clouds in the pictures look nice and puffy, but some were actually more ominous looking. We have been having a bit of rain and cold nights. Because of this, Christian and I brought jackets to theBBQ, just in case. In the end we didn't need them. Where am I going with this? Well, when we came home Christian brought them in and, because he was in a bit of a rush (he had to go to a meeting), he just plopped them on the table. Like this.

I was working on other things so I just left them. When he got back form his meeting we found that the jackets had been put to good use.

Apparently a pile of cozy jackets is an upgrade from curling up on the corner of the bed.

One last thing - I'm not sick any more. Yea!

Don't get mono. It is not fun.

Hypothetically Speaking

Let's say you were feeling sick- feverish, achy, light headed- but then you started to get better except for you throat which really hurt on one side, and then you looked inside and saw that you had a crazy swollen and white tonsil, so you went to the doctor and he looked and said that you had strep throat, but then after five days of antibiotics you didn't get better-you got worse- then let's say you went in again and this doctor looked at you and said I want to do a blood test to be sure but I think you have mono, and lets say he did the test and you did have mono, but of course mono is a virus and not a bacteria so there is nothing you can take to make it any better; you have to wait it out and drink water all the time and mostly feel miserable for days and days, and then you count back and realize that you have been sick for two weeks already and there is no end in sight.

That would really stink wouldn't it.

Let's try again

I tried to post these pictures earlier but was told that you could not click on them. You should be able to click on the pictures and have them enlarge so you can see all the pictures. Here is a second attempt. You can scroll down to see descriptions of the pictures

Quarantine

I had intended for the next post to be about our new city here but a few things have come up to throw me off beat. First, Christian had been sick with some sort of bug. He was pretty miserable I was sticking close to help out. He has gotten well so that's a plus. Then at the end of last week I started to head downhill. I felt terrible and was in no mood to drive around and take pictures for the blog. Yesterday I was feeling much better with the exception of some soreness in my throat that hadn't faded yet. I admit that I was happy to let Christian know that my superior female genes had fought this off illness with fewer symptoms than he did. Unfortunately, when I looked in my throat out of curiosity I found a swollen, white covered tonsil. When I think swollen tonsils I think tonsillitis - that sort of freaked me out. A trip to the doctor today gives the good news - no tonsillitis, and the bad news - strep throat. The doctor suggests that the strep throat probably hit my already weakened immune system. So much for superior genes. This is my second bout of strep in three months.

On the positive side I would like to recognize Christians wonderful ness. He has been wonderful the whole time I was sick, but this morning he really wins the prize. Knowing that I was really worried last night over the whole tonsil thing he got up really early and cleaned the whole kitchen as a surprise! He then got ready and went to his 6am ROTC physical training. It was wonderful.

So...We moved to Arizona

Christian and I have moved to Arizona! We backed up a truck (with help - Thanks a bunch!), towed the car, and drove eight hours with Matdy the cat. On the subject of Matdy I would like to make five points: 1) yes, that is how I spell her name, 2) over the counter cat calming drugs do not really work, 3) my cat foams at the mouth if you give her dramamine, 4) she is not afraid to continually express her distaste for car travel, and 5) thankfully the volume on the truck radio is louder than Matdy. I feel that sums up the drive.

Matdy's objections aside, we are excited for our start here in Arizona. We were very happy to have members of the Elders Quorum who helped to move our many boxes to our upstairs apartment.

We are loving our new home in Arizona and look forward to telling you all about it!

Girl's Camp

Yes. It is true. I went to Camp 11 days after I got married. What can I say-it's Girl's Camp. I had a great time working with the YCL's. One of the groups I worked with was the song time group. These four girls did a fantastic job, and I was taken back many years to when I was a YCL song leader with Sarah Weaver. No joke. That is when I first really met and got to like Sarah. If you go back even further you get my first year at camp when Emily Weaver was my YCL (That was the first time the Stake tried the camp by years instead of by Wards. This year they tried it again). Outside of camp, and of course years later when they were living at my house, I never saw them much. Now I married to their brother!

I was also was one of the leaders on the third year hike. My parents led this hike when I was a third year. It has been nice to help lead what I often think of as "their" hike. This is my second year as a third year hike leader. Thanks to Trisha the hike was more of a death march than last year! We hiked in a day most of the old overnight hike trail, as well as up a spur to an overlook. It was fantastic. Our girls were full of energy and I was almost killed by two who had way to much energy. I had to implement the "we stop and wait for everyone anytime we cross a trail or road" policy for "hike safety" and mostly to catch my breath.

The big highlight of the week was when Dad and CHRISTIAN came on Friday night. I admit I love camp, but I started missing my new husband by lunch time on Monday. We entertained the girls during song time with Sipping Cider complete with prop (Christian) and big smooch at the appropriate "sipping cider lip to lip" moment. It was definitely Girl's Camp come full circle because I remember being mortified when I watched my parents perform the same routine.

Our Wedding

Christian and I were married on July 8th at the Los Angeles Temple. We were blesses to have friends and family come down to LA to be with us. Here are some pictures of our day.

We had two receptions. One in Bakersfield and one in Tehachapi. I don't have any pictures from the Tehachapi reception so Bakersfield pictures will have to suffice. We took quite a few family shots before the reception.

On the Saturday of the Bakersfield reception we gathered all who wanted to and went down the river. What a blast!

For our Honeymoon we spent a day at Disney Land and then went on a cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. Disney Land was fun and the weather perfect. Christian especially loved the Day One Disney signs that were up as it was our first day of marriage. When it was time for our cruise things were a little more stressful. A traffic accident on I-5 put us over two hours behind schedule and we arrived in Long Beach to board literally five minutes before the scheduled disembarkment and about 30 minutes after final boarding. Luckily we weren't the only ones stuck on the freeway and the cruise line was able to put of the departure and allow latecomers. After that it was smooth sailing (literally and figuratively). We enjoyed our time on the ship as well as activities ashore. We even came back once to the cabin to find my had on a little towel creature.

Bridal Shower

A wonderful bridal shower was thrown by my good friend Karissa and my sister Tiffany. They did a wonderful job.

Tiffany, Sarah, and my soon to be sister-in-law Emily sang a funny song about marrige to the tune of "Sisters" from the movie White Christmas.

They were great. A big thank you to all who came!

What has been taking up my time?

So, I met this guy...

He asked me to marry him! (I said yes)

Think of those little chains you make to count down the days to Christmas. We made some to count down to our wedding.

Posts on wedding events to follow.

Three Stars

I realize that I am a bit behind in my blog. I have been a bit distracted these last few months (more on that in a later post). I need to catch-up on three very important birthdays.

This past November Jacob turned 1. He is full of energy and personality. He is likes everyone and smiles all the time! Happy Birthday to him.

Happy Late Birthday to Alyssa! (March was quite a ways away) We are so far out that I don't remember what books I sent to Alyssa, which means that rest of you will have to wonder what literary marvel you are missing out on.

Last but not least is a May Birthday girl. Alexis is my eldest niece (she also plays soccer, which is a big plus in my book). This adventurous girl reminded me of a mouse named Abel. In Abel's Island this adventurer becomes stranded on an island in the middle of a river. The idea of surviving alone sounded fun to me and I wanted to be as brave and resourceful as Abel.

Happy Birthdays to my three stars. I'm sorry that I was so behind in posting. What could I possible have been doing to keep me so distracted? Hmmm...