THE EASIEST FAMILY HOME EVENING EVER

I was at the computer. Phil was in the recliner. He reclined all the way and closed his eyes.

"Are we having naps for Family Home Evening?" I asked.

"Yup," he said.

I got up and reclined too. We slept 2 1/2 hours!

Easiest Family Home Evening we've ever done.

PS And why are we so tired? Because there is a snorer/cougher in the bed. I'm not going to mention names but one night one of us got up and watched TV until 2:20 because one of us was snored and coughed wide awake. (Bless the snorer/cougher's little heart.)

WHY DO I WAIT SO LONG TO GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN?

Today I didn't get started in the kitchen until after 2:00. First I made whole wheat bread. Note to self: Let the bread rise as high as you want it because it 'aint gonna rise any more in the dang oven! My squatty loaves have the same amount of calories as normal loaves but you don't think so as you see your tiny little sandwich. sigh

Yes, the bread is two inches high!

Mrs. Bird came by and I sat on the lawn swings with her until the bread came out of the oven. Note to self: You were so smart to buy that portable timer that lets you know the squatty bread is ready to come out of the oven while you are sitting on the lawn swings with Mrs. Bird.

You should get one of these!

After she left I put the spaghetti sauce on to simmer and made the Magleby's rolls--also called Parmesan Rolls--that I love so much. While they were rising I made the lemon layer dessert that I love even more than the Magleby's rolls. I made a whole cookie sheet full because we were having Family Home Evening on the lawn swings. Note to self: That was such a good idea, having Family Home Evening on the lawn swings. Too bad winter is coming.

Roll recipe here. Lemon Layer Dessert recipe here.

Then I made salad and salad dressing and boiled spaghetti noodles and had dinner to my neighbor only six minutes late. We came home and snarfed our dinner and then went outside to enjoy our neighbors. The lesson was on The Journey and rescuing others. (One of the stories was about the rescue of the Willie and Martin Handcart Company's when they were coming to the Salt Lake Valley.)

We all have journey's and have all been rescued at one time or another. I hope I can help other's through their hard times--their journeys.

By the time it got dark--and cold--we disbanded and then we took leftover dessert to four houses. Note to self: Do not leave any dessert at home or you will eat it all. You know how you are! (We do have two pieces left. Two for me, none for Phil. Just kidding. Kind of.)

Now, it's quiet and dark and I'm thinking of bed. And the Lemon Layer Dessert in the fridge. Note to self: You should have given it all away.

I hope your afternoon wasn't as frantic as mine. And that your bread rises and that you have self control. And that, if you need rescuing, that someone will be there to rescue you. And if you are able, I hope you will rescue someone else. A kind word. A phone call. Money in an envelope. Unconditional love. I hope you don't have to wade through ice cold water and carry someone on your back to safety, but if you did have to, I hope you would. I hope I would too.

CAKE AND COOKIES

Tonight I whipped up a cake, we called a couple of neighbors, and we had Family Home Evening on the lawn swings. Toward the end a bunch of teenagers--in two cars and a motorcycle--roared up and delivered these cookies. They were from the BYU ward Phil serves in. Yesterday in one of their meeting they talked about the kids serving others. So, today we got cookies! I have a feeling the Bishop and his two counselors got cookies too. I made a cake that I got off Muum's Musings and served it after our lawn swings lesson. It was delicious. Recipe here.

It was so pleasant to have neighbors over. I love them all.

We had a couple of youth here, one eighteen years old and one a returned missionary and they both refused cake and ice cream! Amazing. Then our newest returned missionary--he served in South Africa--, came by to tell his mom he was going for a run. He refused cake too. "That would defeat the purpose of the run," he said.

So the youth are healthy and the rest of us...let's not even think about it.

GREED

On Monday night we had dinner with some of our grandkids. Our son and daughter-in-law cooked--that makes it even better. Corned beef and cabbage, something I don't cook--it was delicious.

After dinner we had Family Home Evening with the kids. First we had a lesson on Joseph Smith's first vision and then we played "Greed" and then had sherbet for our treat. Greed is our new favorite game and Joe Cool had the high score. We don't know if it's his fur hat--which he has worn all winter, indoors and out--or if it's where he sat at the table--that spot was lucky for him last week too--or if it was just plain luck.

She started out with a low score but made up for it at the end. This photo was obviously after a successful roll of the dice.

Yup, I'm the winner!

This scooping of the sherbet is serious business!

Serious...

...very serious!

And eating is serious too.

Well, not too serious.

We are so lucky to have such great grandkids. They are good sports, we laugh a lot, we learn things and enjoy them. I even get to tell the girls a story when they are all tucked in bed. What could be better than that?