Andes Mint Brownie Cookies

1 brownie mix (I used Albertson's brand)
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs

Mix above ingredients.

Add:

1 pkg. Andes creme de menthe baking chips (found in the baking isle next to the chocolate chips)

Form into balls with an ice cream scoop, or two spoons, or with your fingers. (Eat a little dough.) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Take out of oven and drop onto counter. Eat the deliciousness, and consider -- maybe -- sharing. . . . Maybe.

P.S. These are only REALLY yummy for two days, then they become quite stale. Of course, I continue to "suffer through" eating them, but thought you might want to be warned ahead of time.

Let's Play

O.k., so I've been tagged twice now. It's taken me quite a while to do this, I think I must have thought that I needed to come up with 6 SPECTACULAR quirks. That's nigh unto impossible. However, 6 UNSPECTACULAR quirks is much easier.



Here are the rules:

"MY UNSPECTACULAR QUIRKS"

1.Link to the person who tagged you

2.Mention the rules on your blog

3.Tell 6 unspectacular quirks about you

4.Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them

5.Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.



My wonderful friends who tagged me can be found at: http://fromthemixed-upfiles.blogspot.com/ and http://themanofsteelleg.blogspot.com/ .



1. I have phone-o-phobia. I intensely dislike, and get very anxious about, making phone calls. When I was a teenager, I worked in a strip mall, just two doors down from a Little Ceasar's Pizza. My co-workers and I would often get pizza to eat during our shifts. I was fortunate that usually whomever I was working with would place the order. However, one time I was at work with another phone-o-phobic person. Somehow it was decided that I would be the one to call. When the Little Ceasar's employee answered, I asked, "Um, . . . how do you order a baby pan-pan?" The employee, somewhat confused answered, "Uh, you say, 'baby pan-pan'." My co-worker and I were so embarrassed, and thought it was so funny, that we began laughing uncontrollably and couldn't speak -- so we hung up on the employee. I think we waited about two hours and then walked over and placed the order.



2. I make up songs each morning to wake Ben up. I usually sing to the tune of 'Happy Birthday'. This morning's song went like this: "Happy December 1st to you. Only 24 days until Christmas. You get to go to school, and learn a bunch of great stuff!" . . . What? These are UNSPECTACULAR quirks, remember?



3. I have an uncanny knack for planting my foot firmly in my mouth. For example, early in our marriage, I attended a wedding reception with James for a friend of his. When we first arrived, he informed me that there were like 14 kids in the family. I exclaimed, "14 kids!! From the same mother??? IS SHE DEAD???" As it turns out, not only was she alive and well, but she was standing directly behind me. Yup.



4. I have not yet mastered the art of keeping a clean car interior. Honestly, it's disgusting. The problem is, I usually (with this very moment being the exception) never think about it until we are getting into the car to go somewhere. I usually don't have time to do anything about it at that time. And, let's face it, if you travel much with kids, they tend to destroy any and all efforts toward cleanliness. I suppose I could not allow snacks or drinks in the car; never allow toys or books; and take ten minutes each time we arrive home to try to enforce clean up of the car, but I'll probably just continue to travel in filth.



5. I am addicted to your comments on my blog. If I post something at midnight, and then there are no comments by the next morning when I wake up and check, I'll say to James, in my saddest voice, "I guess nobody liked my post." I only check for comments about 30 billion times per day -- even when I haven't posted anything new.

6. I have a hard time throwing out food. Even if I know no one is going to eat it, I usually have to keep it until it looks like a science experiment. Then, I have no problem throwing it out. The exception to this was when we had a dog for two months. She was very good for taking care of any food that I knew we weren't going to eat.

P.S. I'd make up songs for Brianna to wake up to, but she is nearly always awake before me.

Um, I tag anyone who has not yet been tagged, and is anxious to share 6 unspectacular things about themselves with the whole of cyberspace.

Points to Ponder

A man traveling on a lonely country road got a flat tire. He found his spare in the trunk, but no jack. In the distance, he saw the lights of a farm house. He set off on foot toward the house to ask if he could borrow a jack.
After walking a while, he realized that the fields he was walking through probably belonged to the family in the farm house. He felt a little unsure as to how they might feel about a stranger cutting through their fields. But, with no other option before him, and the sunlight long behind him, he continued on.
A while later, the farm house lights turned off. "Oh great," he thought, "now I'll be getting the farmer out of bed." His imagination began to take flight, and he could just see the old farmer answering the door with a shotgun, and an unfriendly dog.
"It's not like I had a lot of options," the man thought defensively. And the more the man thought about the whole situation, and the more he imagined the farmer's cold greeting, the more he got upset.
Suddenly, he found himself pounding on the front door of the farm house. When the bleary-eyed farmer answered the door, the man shouted, "I don't want your %^*+#@ - >%^*+#@$# jack anyway!!!" And he turned on his heel and stalked back to his car.

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An old man sat on a park bench near the main square of the city. A couple approached him and asked, "Excuse us, but have you lived here long?"
The old man replied that he had lived in this town his whole life.
"Oh, that's great!" the couple replied, "You see, we're thinking of moving to this city, and are wondering if you could tell us what the people are like here."
"Well," replied the old man, "what are the people like in the town you're moving from?"
"Oh, they're just the most wonderful people you'll ever meet! We can hardly bear to move!"
"Oh," drawled the old man, "I think you'll find people to be about the same here."
"Oh, thank you! We just knew it!"

A short time later, another couple approached the old man, and asked the same questions, for the same reasons.
Again the old man inquired, "Well, what are the people like in the town you're moving from?"
"Oh, they're just awful! We can't wait to get out of that town and away from the lot of them!"
"Oh," drawled the old man again, "I think you'll find people to be about the same here."
"We had a feeling," they replied and went on their way.

A young fellow had overheard both of these exchanges, and couldn't help but to ask the old man, "Why is it that you gave each couple such different answers??"
The old man thought for a moment and then replied, "It's my experience that your life is really a mirror of what is inside. I actually gave them both the same answer. What is different is what is inside of each of them."

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In Mormon's parting words he counsels, "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been."

We ALL have imperfections. When we are made aware of someone else's imperfections, do we condemn them, or do we thank God for showing us so that we may learn to be more wise?

A Death, A Grounding, and A Gift

My desktop computer died. I mean really died. There's no pulse. It was really old, like a dinosaur. It had a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). The problem is: there was a LOT of important information stored there. Luckily, it was a donor, so it's possible that the hard drive could be used in a transplant. However, in the meantime, I've lost all of my e-mail addresses.

So, I'm asking a favor from my dear friends and family: please e-mail me with your address, phone numbers, and credit card # (ha, ha), so that I can create a new contacts list, I would GREATLY appreciate it. My e-mail address is the first initial of my husband's name, the first initial of my name, our full last name, at bresnan dot net.

THANK YOU!!!!!!


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Now for other news:

I am grounded from e-bay.

I very rarely go onto e-bay. I have made a bid a handful of times, sometimes on things I REALLY wanted to win. And have NEVER, I repeat, NEVER won a bid. However, approximately six weeks ago, I was feeling curious about how much a daybed with a trundle would cost to buy for Brianna. James and I had discussed the possibility of buying her a new bed for her birthday, . . . this coming June!

So, I got it into my head to start looking around. I searched all over the Internet, and it was looking way more expensive than I had thought.

When I decided to check out e-bay, it seemed an innocent enough thought. When I found a beautiful twin bed with a trundle, at just a fraction of the price of the others I'd seen, I made a bid -- without even thinking. I NEVER expected to win the bid. Did I stop to consider the gargantuan shipping cost? No, silly, I didn't stop to think about ANYTHING. I KNEW I would never win the bid. But, lo and behold, I guess there's a first time for everything.

We still haven't received the infamous bed. But, perhaps, I was not as crazy as I seemed. You see, shortly after said e-bay encounter, Brianna stopped sleeping in her toddler bed. She simply refused. She happily slept on the floor of her room. She'll sleep in other beds. But not the toddler bed.

So, last week, in an effort to gain some redemption (from the e-bay expenditure), I posted her toddler bed on Craig's list, and it quickly sold.

When I went to put her to "bed" that night, an interesting thing happened to me. I had been fine with her sleeping on the floor, when I knew that she had the option of a bed right next to her. It was her choice. But to put my baby to bed on the floor in a practically empty room, where she had no comfortable option, seemed criminal. I couldn't do it.

So, Ben and Brianna had their first sleep-over. Ben happens to have THREE beds in his room. He has the great bed that James built to go over the futon, but the futon is no longer in Ben's room. So, in a much wiser purchase, (off of craig's list) I bought a twin bed, with a trundle that fit PERFECTLY under Ben's bed. (It has already come in handy for guests, and now for Brianna).

This was all a really long explanation to get to the picture of what James found when he went to check on them later:

Good thing there are three beds in there.



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And, lastly, when Ben returned home from school yesterday, he presented me with this gift:



He explained to me that this was a massage rock for beetles or medium spiders.

I assured him that I would use it whenever I found myself massaging a beetle or medium sized spider.

Am I BUGGIN' ya? I don't mean to BUG ya!

Ben was in a school program all about bugs. We had to create a bug costume for him to wear. We turned his black sweat shirt inside out, and put yellow electricians tape in stripes. Then we stuck orange pipe cleaners through a winter hat to make antennae. But the wings were the best of all. James made them from some wire hangers and bubble wrap! They looked really great.
Ben had two performances; one for the students on Wednesday morning, and one on Thursday evening, for the parents. When he got home on Wednesday, I asked him how it had gone. He replied, "Don't EVER make me wings out of bubble wrap again! Everybody kept chasing me around the gym to pop the bubbles! Even when I asked them not to, they just couldn't help it!!" I couldn't help it, I was laughing my head off when he told me! Then, he said, "And you made my wings too big! I couldn't turn around during the songs, or I'd be knocking people over!" You guessed it, that made me laugh even harder!
During the evening performance, when the other kids turned around during the song, Ben looked right at me, and we both busted up!

So, do ya wanna know why we were late for Stake Conference yesterday?? It was all Brianna's fault! She just looked so darn beautiful that I had to take some pictures of her!!

What beautiful children/bugs I have!!

Me, Just Thinkin', Friends, Misc., A Prayer

I'm not sure what to write. I haven't had any brilliant insights, or really any deep thoughts for quite sometime, it seems. I was re-reading my posts from last November and had the very distinct thought that I liked who I was one year ago, much better than I like who I am now.

Many key things have improved in my life over this past year. I am so very blessed. However, I am feeling a bit lost, and am trying to get my feet under me. It's all part of moving, I guess.

Last time we moved, it coincided with the beginning of James' rigorous training. He began working 80-100+ hours per week. I was in a totally new town, didn't really know anyone. I had a one year old, and was a stay at home mom. James was gone, and even when he was home, he was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. He had nothing left to give. Though I didn't fully recognize it at the time, I fell into a deep depression.

Strangely enough, I think it was my decision to go back to work after about eight months that started to pull me out of my depression. It was only part time, two days per week, but I see it as a turning point in my downward spiral. Perhaps it was having to be dressed up and to someplace on time. Perhaps it was the interaction with other adults. Whatever it was, it helped.

There were/are wonderful people in my last ward who reached out to me, and continued to reach out to me, and who didn't give up on me even though I was very hard to reach. My shy tendencies combined with the depression did not make it easy for them. I count them as some of my very dearest friends. Whenever I sing "Nearer My God to Thee" I think of them when I come to the line: "angels to beckon me, nearer my God to thee". They are sisters of my heart. Their strength, wisdom, examples, friendship, and the beauty of how they lived their lives and how they reached out to and served me and each other truly lifted me, and helped me to become a person that I actually liked. They helped me to find a voice and a confidence that I had never before enjoyed.

I'm afraid I've lost some of that now. I may be one of those people who needs a really strong support system in order to be a balanced, positive contributor to society. I'm struggling with not having any close friends here yet. I'm struggling with figuring out James' and my roles in our new situation. And, I'm afraid, I'm struggling with another downward spiral.

I want to get back to that person that I was and liked a year ago. But, I must say, I don't want any of the trials back that have passed, whether in full or in part. Although, I am grateful for the growth and blessings that have come from them. I suppose that this is a new trial, of sorts. I'm sure that new growth and new blessings will come with this new trial. Maybe I'll even start having insights and deep thoughts, and maybe a friend or two. . . . I wish I wasn't so hard to get to know.

Can a person take all of the wonderful things that they've learned and become, and still retain them even with a cross-country move that feels as if it's turned their world on end? I know a person should be able to; but can THIS person?

Oh, please, Father in Heaven, let me retain my old friendships, and create new. Let me build on the lessons and blessings that I have received, and help me to receive any new blessings and lessons that Thou hast in store for me. Help me to be able to make a positive impact on those within my circle of influence. Help me to enjoy the blessings that each day has to offer.

O Por Satrda

The lyrics to Ben's most recent song, entitled, O Por Satrda (Oh, Poor Saturday):

Oh, poor Saturday
Forgets his underwear
Forgets his socks
Runs into Mrs. Weirdy
Never sees the sun
Everyday is late for school
Goes to the Principal everyday
His mommy gives him spanks all day
Never lets him run or play
Oh poor Saturday!!

For your convenience, I translated from the phonetic spellings. I will try to get video of him singing this for you.

A Fun and Adventurous Weekend

Look at these cute kids! Ben felt that he needed to look very intense for the pictures -- we don't know why, we don't question why.
Brianna absolutely LOVED trick-or-treating, and made a point of informing most people that she was dressed as a "fuh-fie fairy" (a butterfly fairy). She would turn around so that people could get a better look at her wings! She was really cute about the whole thing.

Then, Saturday morning, we headed off on an adventure to attend our first BYU game in a decade! It was so fun, and really quite an exciting game. BYU won, (which may be due, in part, to Ben's prayer) but it was a close, back and forth game with LOTS of mistakes. Strangely enough, that does keep a game very interesting and exciting!

I included this first picture because I look so amazingly fabulous! Apparently, James was taking our picture while I was busy eating a mouthful of popcorn. Oh well.

Isn't she the cutest little cougar fan?? She loved Cosmo, but she did keep getting confused. She kept saying, "Go Buckeyes!" I guess you can take the girl out of Ohio, but you can't take Ohio out of the girl!

Every time the other team would score, they would fire a cannon. It was quite loud, and Brianna didn't like it a bit. However, it wasn't until after the third or fourth time that I finally figured out what she kept saying afterward: "Softly! No slam the door!"

Ben liked the game as well. He was able to follow and understand it pretty well. Afterward, at the hotel, he and James watched the end of the Texas vs Texas Tech game, and Ben was really into it, and commenting. It made me smile to hear him sounding so grown up. Brianna kept yelling at the TV "Get him! Get him!" I guess she learned a thing or two about football, too.

Brianna almost got to meet Cosmo, but that was as close as they came. We had pretty good seats, and could see the field very well.

On our drive home, Sunday, our car began to malfunction as we came over some very BIG mountains. The accelerator just decided to stop accelerating, so we turned around and limped back, on a different, flatter road and ran into this scene. James immediately pulled over and jumped out to get some great pictures. In the end, we went to a Checker Auto Parts, where they checked the codes and found that it was an O2 sensor malfunction. They cleared the code, and we drove home just fine.






I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!

Let the Voice of the People Be Heard!

A dear friend of mine shared with me that when she was growing up, they had a neighbor who would often comment to her mother that he always waited for the political signs to show up on her lawn in order for him to know for whom to vote.

In regard to the gifts of the Spirit we learn:

For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 46:11 - 14)

I am wondering if there might be a parallel to things as they are in the political arena. I, personally, believe that my right to vote is a privilege, and I humbly acknowledge that there are many in today's world who live without that privilege. I am very aware of, and incredibly grateful for those who risked and/or gave their lives in order to afford me a right to vote. I am grateful to live in a country that believes in letting each voice be heard. I want you to know and understand that I don't take this responsibility/privilege lightly.

That being said, I feel like a total idiot whenever the topic of politics comes up. I feel like an infant trying to understand the conversation of adults around me. I trust none of the propaganda. I feel like I'm drowning in an ocean of political mumbo jumbo with every corrupt politician for himself, and I keep hoping for some life-line of truth to be thrown to me.

Because of this, I pay very close attention to the views of those whom I know and trust who are close to me. These people, though they may not know it, are like my friend's mom. I am "watching for the signs" to pop up in their yards, so to speak.

Currently, there is an on-going discussion, via e-mail, about our current political situation between my family members. I doubt any of them comprehends how I'm hanging on every word; how I appreciate the expressions of their beliefs and positions in ways that even I can understand. There are others whom I trust, whose opinions I respect and would love to hear. You, dear reader, are included. (At least everyone that I know of who reads this blog.)

Sadly, in religion and politics, people often hold back in sharing what they feel and believe, for fear of offending, or starting a heated debate. I don't like heated debates either, in fact, I usually stop listening when it gets that way. But, I do believe that we are meant to discuss and share, and that if each person understands that every person has a right to their own opinions and stances, and if we can each respect that, then why can't there be more open discussions?

For those of you who hold back for these reasons, let me just say, that there are some of us out here who need "to believe on your words." I think the voice of the people, not the politicians, needs to be heard more often for those of us who need help understanding this stuff.

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Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 29:26 - 27)

Brianna Joy

Yesterday, as I was putting something on the shelf in my pantry, I knocked something off of the shelf and it fell directly on my toe. Ouch, ouch, owie!!! As I said something to this effect, Brianna inquired, "What happened? Whatsa matter?" I told her that something fell on my toe and she responded, "Oh, sweetheart! I'm sooo sorry!"

It was so sweet and came so naturally to her.

She's just like that. Very sweet and tenderhearted, but with a large dose of mischievousness. She loooves to tease. And, when she's told not to do something, she'll make and maintain eye contact with you while she proceeds to do exactly what you just told her not to do.

When we were at the store a while ago, she swiped a candy at the check-out and was holding it behind her back while smiling sweetly at James and I. James said, "No, Brianna, put it back. That's not yours." She quickly moved to other tactics, such as trying to make us laugh, while still keeping the candy. When that didn't work, the cute little stinker tried to open the package before James could get it away from her.

Yesterday, little Brianna was sick. She had a little fever and a lot of diarrhea. Her poor little bum was just hurting soo much. We talked about her getting a blessing, and later, she went to the door that her Daddy leaves and comes through and said, "Daddy, prayer" and put her little hands on her head. When daddy got home, she received her blessing and is feeling much better today.

Whenever I sneeze, I can pretty much count on Brianna to say, "bless you." She is really quite consistent with her manners: please, thank you, you're welcome, etc. She is so incredibly smart and perceptive. She misses nothing, not even little nuances of movement or meaning and can imitate immediately.

She is so strong in gymnastics. The teacher/coach and the other parents are always commenting on her strength and abilities. James and I often say how glad we are that we don't live in China, where she would be sure to be swiped for a future Olympic team. (You know, in, like, eight years or so.)