Rescuing what's important.

I had a dream the other night that our home was about to be flooded and I had a half hour to remove anything I did not want destroyed. I ran around collecting photos, important papers, sentimental items, clothing etc. and shoved it all into 2 suitcases as our house bobbed up and down on the water like a boat. When I woke up I remembered this dream vividly and thought about all the items I did not think were important enough to save. Did I really need these items? Could I get rid of them and still live a happy and comfortable life? In other words, could I de-clutter my life by getting rid of all the unnecessary excess? It was an inspiring thought but not one I have taken into action...yet.

The next Sunday I was teaching a Sunday school lesson and we were discussing the story of the Nativity, specifically about making room for the Savior in our lives. It made me think of my dream and I wondered if the non-physical clutter in my life was taking up too much space, not leaving enough room for the Savior? Are there things I could do without in order to make room for the most important things?

So this year I am going to try to leave a little more space for my Savior in each day. Like my friend Meesh proclaimed as one of her New Year's resolutions: "Spend quiet time with Jesus daily," I want to give Him a little more wiggle room to send me more love, inspiration and guidance while I send Him a little more gratitude, faith and time.

Time to Review

Okay, I haven't made any 2011 resolutions yet but I probably should review a few of last year's to see how I did on them...

1. Sew something. Well I sewed a super hero cape for my nephew, an apron, some chicken pin cushions and I started a quilt so I'd say done and done......and I have a few more projects up my sleeve so if your birthday is coming up, get excited!

2. Buy a curling iron. Yes! So I guess this year my resolution should be to use it.

3. Go on one adventure a month. I think...yes.

4. Organize my recipes. Yes and they are so organized I was able to give a copy of my book to April for a bridal shower gift.

5. Finish the Book of Mormon with Steve. Yea! Yes!

6. Write in my journal monthly. Well, I only wrote in it once on Jan 17th, but I did blog at least once a month so does that count?

7. Visit Grandma Barney in California. We didn't make it to California this year but April pulled through for me and got married so Grandma came here to visit. Thanks April!

Breakfast anyone?

A friend brought over this treat to us on New Years Eve. New Years morning I sampled it and it was soooo gooooood that we ate all of it for breakfast. So, if your not off sweets for Jan as your New Years resolution, I highly recommend whipping up a batch.

Peanut Butter White Chocolate Popcorn
2 bags microwave popcorn (or you could use regular popcorn)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 bag white chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/2-1 cup Reeses Pieces or M&Ms

Pop the popcorn then sift through to remove all unpopped kernels. Soften the PB in the microwave over 30 seconds, stir into popcorn to coat evenly. Melt the white chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave (over 2 minutes on 50% power, then stir chips until smooth). Pour over popcorn and gently stir to coat popcorn evenly with chocolate. Add Reeses Pieces or M&Ms as you stir in the chocolate. Spread out popcorn on waxed paper to set. Enjoy!

Happy 2067!

While sitting in a dusty, dark airport in Nepal I saw a poster advertizing a new housing complex which would be completed in 2064. 2064?! Talk about planning ahead....or slow construction workers! Later I found out this poster was actually out of date because Nepal is currently in the year 2067. That would make me 89 years old! I'm glad I live in the US!

Yes. Yes I did.

Home Made Marshmallows.

Find the recipe here. Mallow Recipe

Namaste

Nepal is a small country that sits in between Tibet (China) and India. It is smaller than the state of Utah but has 27 million more people. Despite its size, travel is slow. What would take us an hour and a half to drive might take 6 hours in Nepal due to the skinny, winding roads, lack of any traffic rules and crowded streets. Nepal is home to eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mt. Everest, and is also home to the infamous Yeti. Kathmandu, its capitol, is a bustling city full of people, shops, taxis, bikes, street vendors, temples and just about anything else you can think of. In contrast, once you leave Kathmandu, there are beautiful grassy plains, vibrant jungles and quiet mountainscapes.
This was our destination.

After many hours in a plane, a quick layover in Hong Kong and a night in Kathmandu we headed to the Chitwan National Park. It was here that we got to ride an elephant in search of rhinos and other wild life.

We saw a few animals but no rhinos. We also took a canoe ride down the river and then walked back through the jungle – again, searching for the rhino. I saw the tip of a rhino ear before it ran off through the tall grass but that was it.

Then it was a long bus ride to the lake town of Pokhara where there is a great view of the Annapurna range. We woke up early one morning and hiked to the top of a hill to watch the sun rise over these beautiful mountains. We also boated in the lake, went for walks, and visited a bat cave and climbing museum while in this town.

Then it was back to Kathmandu to meet up with the group we would be taking into a rural village for a week. But first we visited the famous Monkey Temple (a Buddhist temple) that as you might imagine was full of monkeys!
This place was bursting with people offering sacrifices, praying, lighting candles and we even got to hear Buddhist monks chanting in one of the temples. It was almost overwhelming with all of the sights, sounds and smells and was one of the coolest places I have ever been.



Early the next morning our group loaded onto a bus for the long drive to the small village of Madi Chitwan. During the rainy season this village is inaccessible because the rivers swell and become impassable. No one can get in and no one can get out which means no access to outside resources including medical assistance. Most of the villagers can grow just enough food for their family for the year which might consists of rice, corn, mustard oil, potatoes, cauliflower, some beans and maybe a few chickens, goats and a buffalo for milking. There are a few communal water pumps around the village, a church, a community center and a school. Kids will walk up to an hour each way to get to school.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the 45 min walk from the community center where we were staying to the school we were painting. Each misty morning we walked past bright yellow mustard fields, past small homes, smiling children, working villagers and wandering animals. It was so peaceful and beautiful.

Many of the villagers spoke at least some English so we could communicate a little that way or try to practice the few small phrases of Nepalese we had learned which often ended in giggles and confused looks.

We were fed well while in the village, lots of rice, potatoes, curry, beans. We even ate yak cheese and buffalo milk every morning which was actually very good.

Our project for the week was to help paint the old school which is right next door to the 8 new classrooms that CHOICE Humanitarian is currently helping to build. Since we are not all construction workers, we painted.

Since we were in the classrooms, the children had to have their lessons outside and I’m sure we were not too much of a distraction for them as they took their tests. Throughout the day, various villagers would stop by to help in between their own chores and responsibilities.

The villagers were very gracious and warmed up considerably after a day or so. They have never had a group of foreigners visit their community before so this was all very new to them. The day we arrived, they greeted us with dancing, gave us tikas (blessings on the forehead) and garlands of marigolds. This same celebration ceremony was repeated as we left and included a gift of a hand woven bowl and a small packet of soy nuts.

Then we began our long journey home. Being in a plane for hours on end, although annoying and uncomfortable, was a vital part of the trip. For a few hours you are flying in the air, not a part of any country, but in limbo as you transition from one place and culture to another. The long flight gave me an opportunity to decompress, digest and reflect on the experiences in Nepal to prepare to enter US again. It has been wonderful to reunite with family, friends, favorite foods, my bed and a warm shower but I also wonder when we will get to return to Nepal to enjoy all it has to offer again.

For more photos click HERE.

Birthday Bliss

For my birthday Steve surprised me with a snowshoe trip to a yurt with friends. Merissa and I left a few hours early to get the yurt ready for the rest of the crew. We were so happy to have Steve's GPS or we may never have found the thing tucked away on a "knoll" after 2 hours of hiking in the dark (parents read: a short walk on a groomed trail in the middle of the day). Once we got there we were quickly warming our feet by the wood burning stove and checking in on the rest of the crew by radio, giving them snow reports and directions.

We spent the evening eating and playing games and hoping we weren't going to get snowed in as a storm began brewing outside.

We did make it out with no problem {phew} and enjoyed a beautiful hike out with snow flakes falling all around us. Beautiful. It was so much fun and a wonderful way to spend my birthday: with the best husband, the greatest friends and the beautiful outdoors.

Spooky Halloweens of Years Past!

(Darin, Shelly, Me: 1982)

As kids, Halloween was awesome! We loved decorating the yard and piecing together an outfit from the box of homemade Halloween costumes.

(Here is one such homemade costume.

I'm not really sure what I am either. Awesome. 1987)

(This is one of my favorite photos of us decorating.)

(California Raisins, Superman, Strawberry Shortcake, Witch: 1981)

We would use plastic orange sacks for real trick-or-treating (not the sad trunk-or-treating that is so popular now) and when we got home we would line up all our candy in rows to compare our hauls. When we got older we devised a rubber spider tied to a fishing line that ran through our front room window. This way we could drop the spider on trick-or-treaters as they walked up the porch and then listen to them scream!

Sigh, those were good time.

This year we enjoyed a Halloween party with friends and even got dressed up for the occasion. Not a single trick-or-treater came to the door but we had a fun time eating and playing.

(Marilyn and hubby Joe DiMaggio: 2010)

(goblin key lime cream cheese ball)

FALL

It is officially my favorite time of year again. I love the crips air, the bright orange pumpkins and the yellow aspen trees. I've already had a pumpkin smoothy at Jamba Juice, put out my 3 Halloween decorations, gone leaf watching, drunk apple cider and gotten a start on making Christmas gifts. Sorry, if I have you for Christmas, you might be getting something homemade. It is also the time Steve and I get to celebrate our anniverssary. Yeah! I can't belive it has been two year already. It has been way too much fun! The official day is tomorrow and since it was my turn to plan the celebration we are going to dinner and a play.

Yesterday we drove the Alpine loop and this is what we saw. It was so amazing! It is such stunning gift of beauty.

My Friends.

This video was made on a recent expedition to Guatemala. The end is especially cute. Love it!

Hawaii Bliss!

Steve and I made it safely back from Paradise and now we need a vacation from our vacation! Phew! Here is a quick recap of our amazing adventure.

Arrival. Checked into our beautiful beach resort.

Day 1. Took 2 amazing hikes in Waimea Canyon, hiding under trees during the occasional shower.
We even met some of the locals. I think there are more chickens on Kauai than people!

Day 2. Helicopter Ride. Hello! Can you say Amazing! This is also the day my appetite packed its bags and headed back to the main land. Wouldn't even stop for a virgin beach boy daiquiri at Duke's ocean-side grill. I could hardly eat a thing all week! It was a weird illness that made me feel a little funky all the time. It put a small damper on our trip and I didn't reunite with my appetite until I got back to Utah. Bummer. But the helicopter ride was magical.

Day 3. Woke up at 3:50 am to drive to the other side of the island. Tried to take a kayak trip along the famous - and infamous - Napali coast but the ocean was angry that day my friends. When one of our experienced guides opted out of the trip because of the high surf, we took his lead and canceled the trip. We tried to reschedule but the remainder of the week was full. Guess we will just have to go back. So, instead we hiked to a secluded beach and waterfall. It was so beautiful, full of ferns, tall bamboo and cool plants.

Day 4. Slept in! Visited a quiet Hindu monastery which had chocolate scented orchids. Then we visited a botanical garden and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the crystal blue ocean and relaxing.

Day 5. Rented snorkel gear in the morning and saw some amazing fish. Long skinny ones, florescent ones, tiny ones, large ones, an eel. It was the coolest snorkeling I have ever done. I was way impressed. We rented surfboards and tried to surf but the beach we were on was severely lacking waves. We did more floating than anything but had fun anyway. We drove up the coast that eventing for a nice dinner, well Steve ate...I mostly nibbled on some tasty curry veggies.

Day 6. Tried to surf again in the morning, and the sea was calm...again. So we consoled ourselves with some pineapple and a trip to the spouting horn. Then off to eat snow cones on the beach before catching a flight to Oahu.

Day 7. Honolulu Oahu is a huge city which obviously had its hay day 40 years ago and has been going down hill ever since. But it does have some redeeming qualities...like Peal Harbor. We visited the Bowfin submarine and it was amazing! I loved hearing about the men on that submarine and their experiences during WWII. It was very inspiring. Then we visited the Polynesian Culture Center and enjoyed some good shows. Day 8. We returned to Pearl Harbor to visit the Missouri Battleship and the Arizona Memorial. Then we went to the huge flea market and drove north to the Dole Plantation. We ate Dole Whips and watched a bird eat fries right off Steve's plate with no fear. It was the craziest thing! Sadly we then headed to the airport for our all night flight.