From Ben

Ben emailed this to me this morning and I thought it was so sweet, I posted the entire email. Hope that's OK with you, Ben. :)

Miss,

I tried to post this on your blog but I need an account.

Please post it for me.

I know that this is late and Miss you will probably not read this. Anyway I just want to say that it has been a wonderful 11 years and I only accept half of what Miss said and the only reason that half is true is because I was lucky enough to marry the one person that would make me who I am. I am the luckiest man in the world and I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. I love you Miss and I always will.

Love,

S. P. A.K.A. Sappy Pants

P.S. I don’t mean for this to go on the cookie blog either

Cookies

Yeah, yeah, I know. Baking cookies on the week I've started being healthy doesn't sound like a good idea. But, I realized if I take them to my family, it's not like I end up with three dozen for myself. And working out makes it a bit easier to tell myself, "NO." Besides, these cookies have oatmeal, whole wheat flour and pecans.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this recipe with you. It's quite tasty. I got it from the Crisco website. I tweaked it a little bit, and they turned out beautifully. They're crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Mmmmmm....

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

1 cup Crisco Butter Shortening
2 cups packed brown sugar (I changed from 1 c. white, 1 c. brown to 2 c. brown)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1Tbsp vanilla (the original called for 1 tsp)
2 cups uncooked quick oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir until combined. In electric mixer combine brown sugar, Crisco, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Add oats, chocolate chips, and pecans. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls (I use a small scooper) 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake. I mean it. They'll be too crunchy and you'll say to yourself, "I should have done what the recipe said." Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet and then remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Getting Healthy

So the other day I was reading a friend's blog and she had written about accomplishing her New Year's Resolution of losing 16 pounds by the time her family went to Hawaii, which is this week. It really encouraged me to get on track with my health. I eat whatever I want, and I never exercise. Yes, I know, naughty naughty.

Well, I didn't really want to do it by myself. And it's a lot easier to do it along with someone else, so I said to Ben that I bet I could lose 15 pounds before he could. "Bring it on," says Ben. I know he'll get there faster, but at least this way he is in the same boat as me, and when he is home he won't be eating 'bonbons' in front of me while I'm trying to be good.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to share this on my blog because I have read articles stating when you are trying to accomplish something important, it's best not to tell everyone because if you don't succeed there will be too much disappointment. Well, to heck with that article. Besides, not that many people read my blog.

So, I have started a sister blog to this blog. There is a link on this blog under 'Links' that will take you to my blog about my successes and failures of my goal to lose 15 pounds. Those of you who are interested can cheer me on when I do well and shake your finger at me when I don't. Go ahead, check it out. Thanks! :)

Happy Anniversary, Ben!

Tomorrow Ben and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary! He has today, this weekend, and all of next week off from work, which will be a great anniversary gift. I just wanted to post a few of the many reasons I love him.

He's a hard worker. He leaves us four days out of each week to work his job. I know it must be lonely when he has down time. I truly appreciate his sacrifice.

He still makes me laugh.

He still loves the way I look - even after three kids and 11 years of marriage! ;)

He changes just as many diapers as I do - without complaint.

He bakes awfully good desserts. His turtle cheesecake is naughty!

He gives of his time and service to others very freely. He always offers to help someone, and I sit and think, "Well, why didn't I do that?" That's just Ben.

He is my kid's dad. Not just someone I leave them with when I go out. He loves our kids!

He is a nerdy geologist. It's one of those quirks that makes him lovable in a cute, nerdy way.

He takes his job as provider very seriously. Over the past few years, I have noticed the weight of that responsibility upon his shoulders and I am thankful he takes that on with hard work and perseverance and hard work. ("You said hard work twice!" "That's because it takes twice as much hard work as perseverance!" Chicken Run)

He understands my need for female friendship and never complains or gets irritated with my need for socializing.

He puts up with me. Enough said.

He puts up with my family. Enough said.

And best of all, he is still my best friend. I honestly don't know where I would be in my life if I hadn't married him. He takes such good care of me - I'm spoiled.

I love you, Ben. Happy Anniversary.

Utah in June

I was planning on a walk this morning - that is until I saw the lovely June morning on my van and on the rooftops. The walk was a no-go. I opted to bake banana muffins instead. Mmmmm....

Riley's Early Entertainment and the Woes of Carter

First of all, I have to explain that Carter loves video games, especially The Legend of Zelda. He has this great knack at video games and puzzle solving. His memory is amazing - sometimes when I play with him and I can't remember what direction something is, he knows exactly where to go. Keep this in mind while you read on about this morning's early rising.

5:32 a.m. Riley at my bedside, "Sleep with you?" I let him climb in and I attempt to fall back to sleep. This is too early even by my standards.

5:38 a.m. "Drink," says Riley.

"It's in on your changing table shelf, Ri," I mumble.
"You get it," he demands.
"I'm trying to go back to sleep, you go get it," I mumble again. He turns his pout on and stalks out of the room to get his water. While he is opening the door to his and Carter's room, I hear Carter just whimpering. Riley races back in and in a breathy voice says, "Carter.....cry.....Carter.....sad!" (Whenever something is important or very exciting Riley always takes a very long pause between each word. Sometimes the pause is filled with silence, other times it is filled with complete gibberish.) So, I hop out of bed (the best I can at 5:40 in the morning) and head to Carter to see what the matter is.
"What's wrong, Carter?" I ask.
"I had a dream that I erased all the Zeldas!" he cries! It was just too much work not to laugh at that, so I had a quick giggle and brought him to bed with me. I tried to go back to sleep but between Carter laying with me, which is not a restful situation, Riley demanding breakfast, and two cats vying for position on the bed, I wasn't very successful. C'est la vie. Sigh.

Summer to Come

Ben went back to work this morning. Even though I miss him when he goes, I am used to him leaving. Riley was awake when Ben left this morning, and he was not used to Daddy leaving. "Stay here," he pleaded Ben, with his little lip pouting while he was trying not to cry. It was heartbreaking for me to watch, but poor Ben!

I took Melanie, Carter, and Riley swimming today with our cousins. It was still way too cold for my taste, but I suffered through it for an hour. When I said it was time to go, both Carter and Riley said "No, I want to stay." But since they were beginning to turn purple and their teeth were chattering it sounded more like, "N-n-no, I-I-I, w- w- want t-t-t0 st-st-stay." For the rest of the day Riley kept saying, "That swimming was fun!" It amazes me how kids don't notice the hot and cold weather like I do. I'm just patiently waiting for nearly 100 degree temperature and that is the time I will take a dip!