"Happiness is Lubbuck Texas in your rear view mirror..."

Thirty-two years ago, I was knocked out for some oral surgery and nine months later gave birth to a baby girl. My husband had threatened to sue the oral surgeon if she had come out looking Italian, but she came out with blond hair and a pink complexion, just like her daddy. We named her Melissa and called her Missy. We were living in Lubbuck, Texas at the time and she was born in the spring during a tornado warning. It was definitely an omen. She bounced into this world and hasn't slowed down since. There's a song written by Mac Davis that says, "Happiness is Lubbuck Texas in your rear view mirror". We did leave Lubbuck behind, but we definitely brought the happiness with us. Happy Birthday, Missy!!

Mixed emotions

I now know it's possible to be incredibly happy and incredibly sad at the same time. We had twin girls born yesterday. The most darling little granddaughters, the size of little baby dolls. What a joyous occasion for our family. Then, I remembered, they will soon be moving thousands of miles away and sadness enveloped me. Our oldest daughter and her family will also be moving far away this summer. Seems like our own children were just newborn babies and now they're all grown up with families of their own, but no matter how old they get, they'll still be our children. Sometimes there are happy tears and sometimes there are tears of sadness. The challenge is to enjoy the happy times without letting sadness steal away those happy moments. We need to enjoy every moment, every gift that we are given and when the storms come, we dance and thank God for those moments that bring us so much joy and happiness.

Pedicures

I used to think it was incredible that women would actually pay someone to paint their toe nails. That was until I actually experienced a pedicure. My daughter-in-law took me to the salon on my birthday one year and I soon discovered the reason why pedicures are so popular. First, you sit in a lounge chair that is massaging your back through the entire procress as you soak your feet in warm, bubbly water while the pedicurist trims your nails and removes the dry skin from your feet until they're nice and smooth. Then she smiles as she massages your feet and legs (below the knee) with soothing oil. Aaaaaaah!! She then paints your nails the color you've selected. Sometimes I choose hot pink or sometimes plum. You leave the salon feeling oh so pampered. There's just something about having beautiful feet that makes you want to head to the mall for a new pair of sandals....and something inside your head whispers, "Oh you are sooo worth it!!"

Who do you think you are?

There's a new show on TV that researches the ancestry of famous people.
They are so excited to learn their family history and to find their roots. I have been fortunate to know about my ancestry most of my life. I have 16 sets of great-great grandparents. Most of them were born in England, a few were born in Sweden. They listened to the Mormon missionaries, joined the church and migrated to the United States. All of them crossed the plains in covered wagons and are buried in Utah, the state where I was born. My ancestors are very important to me. Without their dedication, faith and perseverance, I would not be who I am today.....and I would be living in England!!

Resurrection

I was driving early this morning and was amazed at the beautiful world we live in. After a long, cold, dead winter, the earth has been resurrected. What was "dead" is now alive. The trees are blooming, the flowers have risen, the grass is green. It's a beautiful reminder that we too will be resurrected. Our Savior made it possible for the dead to live again. Spring is a reminder of this amazing gift. "Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me...."

Danish Aebleskivers

2 eggs
3 Tbl melted butter
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Mix together and fry in Aebleskiver pan.

Aebleskivers

There is a town in southern California called Solvang that was founded by a group of Danish settlers near the turn of the century (1900). We were introduced to Solvang by some friends and were enchanted with the town, its customs and especially its food. We devoured delicious servings of Aebleskivers sprinkled with powdered sugar and sausage served with applesauce and raspberry preserves. An Aebleskiver is a pancake that is fried in a special pan that shapes them into a ball. We bought a pan and started our semi-annual tradition of Aebleskiver breakfasts. The first Sunday in April and October we don't have our normal church meetings, instead we stay home and watch a broadcast over satellite. We cook Aebleskivers and sausage with all the condiments. Over the years, we have challenged our guests to see who could eat the most. The record is held by a young missionary who ate forty-four....yes, 44!!! It's a tradition our family looks forward to and enjoys every time we gather together on "Aebleskiver Sunday".