A Good Day at Work

John and I went back to work Tuesday after our health issues. John found out that while he was working from the hospital, he won a contest. His prize was a 32" LCD TV! The same day I found out that the city budget I submitted for review to a national organization several months ago had won the Distinguished Budget Award. My prize is a plaque and national honors. My boss was very excited and bragged on me to the mayor and city council. He also keeps lamenting the fact that I'm leaving.

I realized that very soon my accolades will change from certificates and plaques to refrigerator art and wildflowers (or flowering weeds). Instead of sexual harassment training, I will have unlimited hugs and kisses. Instead of family pictures on my desk, I will have the real things to play with.

Can you tell I'm excited?

John

John was back in the hospital again. He had been having problems with his transplanted kidney which had failed over 3 years ago. They thought it was an infection at first and released him from the local hospital on Halloween with antibiotics. Unfortunately, the antibiotics did not work and he was sent up to the University hospital to have the failed transplant removed. This doesn't change anything with his dialysis, they just took out a failed organ.

As you can see, he kept on working from his phone in the hospital bed.

Halloween

So here it is finally and barely before Thanksgiving. We all had fun dressing up. There was Commando Guy (Jonny), Black Spiderman (Chris), Flash (Adam), Ladybug (Micaela) and Elizabeth the Pirate (Mom). There were many Black Spidermen, I could only find Chris by checking his shoes. Micaela enjoyed Halloween a lot more this year. She was pretty and she knew it!

We had lots of fun walking around the neighborhood, visiting with friends and panhandling for sugar. Don't tell on me, but I re-gifted most of the kids' candy later that night.

Chili Cookoff

Our ward does a chili cookoff instead of a Halloween party each year. It is a fun and popular event. This year I found a Weight Watchers chili recipe and decided to enter the contest. I am not comfortable cooking, but I can follow a recipe. I ended up coming in second place. One of the other entrants teased that after honing his recipe over decades, he came in third behind two women that had never made chili before. I've included the recipe here for anyone interested.

Three Bean and Pork Slow Cooker Chili

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion(s), chopped
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1 cup carrot(s), chopped
• 1 Tbsp chili powder, medium-hot
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1 small jalapeno pepper(s), seeded, chopped (don't touch seeds with bare hands) or 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 pound lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned tomato puree
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green pepper, celery and onion, undrained
• 6 oz canned tomato paste

Instructions

• Combine onion, garlic, carrots, chili powder, oregano, jalapeno, salt and pepper in a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker; stir. Add remaining ingredients; stir again.
  
  
• Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 6 to 8 hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Timpanogos Cave

I have lived in Utah for 20 years and I finally went to Timpanogos Cave. Jonny, Chris and I went with the Scout Troop on Thursday. It was quite a hike, and my legs still feel it, but it was so worth it. (I'm glad we didn't go in the heat of the summer!)

They tell you not to bring food into the cave. That's because they already have plenty. There's the Hersey's Kiss, Butterscotch Falls, Chocolate Falls and the Salt and Pepper Shakers. There's also lots of bacon (aka draperies) throughout.

There are also formations of animals. We saw a rat, a chicken, a St. Bernard, a dinosaur's head and a bear's bottom. We had a great tour guide who had lots of great information and was funny too. Chris was nervous about bats. She assured us that bats were very rare in those caves because of the number of people there each day. She had only seen two or three bats all summer. So guess what happened? We saw a bat. Luckily it was in one of the bigger caves and was high above us so we were able to enjoy the surprise. The boys had a blast. Just don't tell them that they exercised and learned about geology! That will be our little secret.

A-D-A-M

Adam learned to spell his name today. He's been struggling. He knows A, but he can't remember D and M. He really wanted to learn the letters of his name. He kept asking me to spell it then would ask again 10 seconds later because he couldn't remember.

Finally I had a great idea (I was due for one). He likes music and learns songs quickly. In a matter of a few minutes he learned to spell his name. (Watch the video.) He was so excited! We went right to his preschool teacher's house and he sang it for her. She said she wants him to sing it for his class tomorrow! (You might have to push the play button more than once.)

Life is full of changes

After 9 years I have given notice to my full time job. I told them I have been asked to take my other job from part time to full time. There will be a severe pay cut and longer hours, but the benefits will be great! I have always had another job in addition to being Mom. Now, after almost 12 years of being a mom, I am going to try to slow down and focus on my family.

I feel like I need to take some classes or go to some training so I can learn to do all the things Moms are supposed to do. I'd settle for seeing a job description. John showed me one from the Ensign last night.

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985): “To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home—which is society’s basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife” (“Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, 103).

NO PRESSURE!