Banana Split Pie

I made this with a chocolate crust and it was tasty! A big thumbs-up from my family:

Banana Split Pie
2 c. cold milk
2 pkgs. (4 servings each) vanilla instant pudding
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
1 banana. sliced
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
2 Tbs. chocolate syrup
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Whisk milk and pudding mix together for 2 minutes. Spread 1 1/2 c. of the pudding onto bottom of pie crust. Top with half of the strawberries and the banana. Add half of the the whipped topping to remaining pudding; stir until well blended. Spread over fruit layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over pie to within 1 inch of edge. Drizzle with chocolate sauce; top with remaining strawberries and pecans.

Pretty Pots

All of my pots are planted and looking happy! Everything in the backyard is pink, orange and white in honor of the wedding, but the front yard pots are pink and purple, because that looks good with my house. I love pots!

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Mmmm! This was a yummy dessert I made for the lunch we had after Peter's graduation. Mom liked it so much that she gave up on spreading it on graham crackers and went straight to standing next to it, picking at it with the knife! (I feel safe saying that since she never reads this blog!) The recipe calls for rolling it in pecans, but I rolled it in more mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened (no substitutions)
3/4 c. confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. finely chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the sugars and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. cover, and chill for 2 hours.
Shape chilled mixture into a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.
Roll in chopped pecans before serving.
Serve with graham cracker squares.

Graduation #3- Bonneville High Style

Wow. Now I can say that ALL of my kids are out of public school. That's a strange thing to wrap my brain around! Youngest Son's graduation was nice, if quiet. The administrators must have threatened those kids with certain death, since there was not an air horn or inflatable beach ball to be found at the ceremony. He is a great kid with the greatest friends. Good job, buddy! We are proud of you!Graduation present: Luggage for The Mission!

Pool Party Slide Show

Memorial Day

Thank you to all the service men from every war who endured so much to protect our freedom. I can't imagine how hard and traumatic it would be to do the things they did.USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

Crazy Croquet!

We like to play croquet at our house! We play with a set that DH's family bought for his grandfather in 1963, so it's older than me. Some of the rubber mallet ends are getting a bit crumbly, but they still work! In our latest game, Oldest Son sent DH's ball across the pool and he had a hard time getting it back across! Xena observed it all from a safe distance. Smart cat.

Snorta!

We've found a new game at our house- it's called Snorta. It's a barnyard game. Everyone gets a little barn that hides a plastic animal that you pick from a bag. You get to make that animal's sound. It's crazy and confusing, trying to remember everyone's animal sounds, and sometimes someone will bust out with a sound that isn't made by any living creature! I'd recommend it for a wild family game!

Steven's Wedding

My nephew, Steven, was married yesterday to a cute girl named Jaycee. DH performed the ceremony. It was held at a nursery, so there were lots of photo opportunities!

Oldest Son and Future DIL:
My Oldest and youngest "S" nephews:Youngest "S" nephew:Two college nieces:My Sister-In-Law, (mother of the groom) with the bride's father:
And another of my nieces:
And the bride and groom. He wore a kilt!
It was a beautiful wedding in a beautiful place!

Bossed Around By Birds!

We've had some hard-working robins build a nest in our climbing rose bush. I think this is pretty neat, until I walk anywhere near the rose bush. The outside hose connection is right under the nest. Whichever bird parent is sitting on the egg(s) stays very still until they can't stand it any more an dive-bombs me. We've taken to locking the side door next to the rose bush to discourage bother the birds, but how long will this last? How long does it take for baby birds to hatch and get big enough to fly away on their own? I guess we'll find out!

Scholarship Assembly

We are really proud of YS! His Senior year at Bonneville is winding down and the scholarship assembly was yesterday. He was recognized for receiving the Aggie Scholar Scholarship and the Aggie Housing Scholarship at Utah State. He's going to have a lot of fun up in Logan! Here he is with Bonneville's principal, Mrs. Meyer. It was strange to think that it was one of my last visits to the high school...

The Horse Whiperer

There is a lady named Roxanne who comes to the barn occasionally to communicate with the horses. Now, I can be a huge skeptic when it comes to things like this, but she's been spot on about things she'd never know otherwise. Yesterday, she and a film crew came to the barn to film a reality show pilot. Rocko and I were lucky enough to be put on the list of horses and owners she would talk to on camera. We all had to sign waivers, and the film crew went to work. Crazy thing was, although a lot of what Roxanne told owners was about their riding, some was about the owner's personal relationships. Lollie was supposed to consider that change she was thinking about and Taylor was supposed to dump her boyfriend because her horse didn't like him. There was a gut-wrenching interview with Joy, her rebellious daughter, Chelsey, and their horse. Chelsey had some trouble with drugs last year and spent some time at a rehab unit. After she got home, she lost interest in riding. So, the first thing the horse wanted to know was why Chelsey wasn't riding her anymore. There were a lot of tears shed during their interview. Rocko and I were pretty far down the list and by the time they got to us, the big filming was over. But, here are a few things he had to say:

-Sometimes he knocks over jumps.
-He's had a falling out with his former friend, Squeegie.
-His shoulder is stiff.
-He likes being groomed.
-Everyone loves him.
-He doesn't like to be braided.
-He thinks I'm worried about what I'm going to wear when I ride him at the next show. (Who looks good in spandex pants?!)
Yes, I'm planning on riding him at the next show in June. Not in a jumping class, but in a flat class where we just walk, trot and canter. Apparently he knows I'll be riding him because he told Roxanne that he doesn't think we'll do very well. Thanks a lot, big guy.
Here's a pic of Roxanne and Taylor:
I would call what Roxanne has a Gift of the Spirit.

Seminary Graduation

Last night was Seminary graduation. How in the world did those cute pre-schoolers/ squirrely 6th graders turn into almost grown-ups wearing missionary suits? I don't know. I've known most of these kids since they were 3 and some since they were born and they are a great group of kids. I'm so thankful that YS has such great friends!

Beach Pictures

We took some time off one evening to go take pictures at the beach! I used my new UV filter and liked how some of these turned out:

Time For Me To Take A Deep Mom-Breath

We've been in San Diego for the last few days, visiting California Western Law School where Oldest Son will be going in August. I guess if he goes to school there, then he and his wife-to-be have to live there too. I hadn't really thought of the reality of that until we all got there and stated to look for a place for them to live. It's kind of scary to think of them off on their own. To their credit, they are both excited to move to the Big City and become my Out-Of-Staters. I'm excited for them too, but I wish they weren't so FAR. At least San Diego is an awesome city, with perfect weather and beaches and a temple! Such a nice place for us to drop in for a quick visit!!

The law school is right downtown, looming above a freeway, about 3 blocks from Balboa Park and about 6 blocks from the harbor where the cruise ships dock:

The main building was built in 1929 and has been used for an Elk's Lodge, a Masonic Temple and a DMV. They have a 5 story law library to the west:And administrative offices across the street:OS thought it was a pretty great. They gave him his ready-made schedule for the Fall Semester. Apartment hunting went well. We found that it was a matter of choosing convenience or lifestyle. Apartments with in a few blocks of the law school cost the same as apartments out in the beautiful suburbs. In the end, they chose to live in Mission Valley. Their apartment complex is next to a trolley (electric light rail) station which will take OS to within 3 blocks of the law school in about 30 minutes.

They will be able to walk to the grocery store and the mall, and Qualcom Stadium, (where the Chargers play), is about a quarter mile away. The stake center is a 5 minute drive down the road and it's about 20 minutes to the San Diego Temple. All in all, it should be a nice experience for them, but I'm going to MISS them! I need to take a deep mom-breath, right Big Sis?

Another Yummy Recipe!

I made this last week for dinner and it didn't last long! Whatever Italian invented pizza was a genius.

Mother's Day Dessert

We had this at Grandma's yesterday, and it seemed to be a hit!Fruit-Topped Angel Food Cake Squares

1 loaf angel food cake (12x5 inch)
1 1/2 c. milk
3 (6 oz.) containers French Vanilla yogurt
1 can (14. oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 box (6 serving size) vanilla instant pudding
2 c. quartered fresh strawberries
2 c. fresh raspberries
2 c. fresh blueberries

Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Cut cake into 1 inch cubes; place in single layer in dish. In a medium bowl, mix milk, condensed milk, yogurt and pudding mix with wire wisk until well blended. Pour pudding over cake pieces; spread until cake is completely covered. Gently tap dish on work surface to remove air bubbles. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, gentle mix all berries. Cut dessert in squares and top with fruit.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! My boys and DH made breakfast for me this morning! Youngest Son made this cute Mickey pancake for me:

What's Wrong With This Picture?!

My Only Daughter and her husband, along with 2 other couples, are leaving today for a graduation trip to Southern California. What's wrong with this picture? I'm not there. I guess they didn't get the memo that I always go with family to Disneyland. They aren't ALLOWED to go without me. Hmm. Reality check: They don't have to plan their vacations to include me. They will have a great time! (But I wish I was there. Sigh.)

Rocko's Photo Shoot

After the rain finally stopped last Saturday, I went out to the barn to let Rocko out to stretch his long legs. I brought my camera along, and luckily the air was crystal clean and the light was just right for some good pictures. He splashed in the puddles and had a good time.

Rebellion In The Ranks

I guess my boys are feeling repressed by the new kitchen rules. These amendments appeared yesterday afternoon:
They don't seem to understand the logic of plates and cups going directly into the dishwasher instead of stopping off for a while in the sink. They know that I don't care for Pres. Obama, so that picture is just another dig. They also don't understand that this is not a Democracy, it's a Dictatorship! I have the ultimate power, because I can choose to make- or NOT make- the food. I will keep you posted with any new developments.

Kitchen Rules and Cup Justice

It's time for some new rules around this place. Now that work is almost officially over for the season, I want to start doing some of the things I've been putting off. Like having fun. Cleaning up after people is not my idea of having fun. So, now that Oldest Son has moved back home from college, and Youngest Son is back from California, I thought it would be a good time to implement some new kitchen rules:This is the new sign on my fridge. Good rules, I say. Cup Justice is something that happens around my house when everyone is home from school. We all have our own cups. We use our cups, then wash our cups in the sink and use them again. We do not get new cups out of the cupboard every time we want a new drink. This leads to a sink overflowing with cups, with no one to clean them except Mom. The kids came up with the name Cup Justice, which they yell at each other when there is a rule infraction. Bring on the Cup Justice!

Graduation #2- Utah State Style

Graduation #2!! It rained and rained for Oldest Son's graduation in Logan. But, USU invited families to come down on to the floor and take pictures of their graduates receiving their diplomas, so that was fun! He earned a double major in International Studies and History, with a minor in Spanish. We came prepared this time with the big cow bell, the duck call and a conch shell to blow. Yes, we made a spectacle of ourselves, but as least OS knew we were excited for him! Way to go, OS! In August he and FDIL will be off to law school in San Diego! (San Diego- such a nice place to visit!)