THE MOM SONG

Check this out http://www.ldsmag.com/youtube/081230mom.html My friend Julie emailed me this...it explains it all

Happy Birthday Maccoy

Today is my (step) grandson Maccoy's 10th B-day. He lives in Nevada so we don't get to see him very often. But I did hear he is coming to visit his Dad and stepmom this coming week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MACCOY...We love and miss you!

Merry Christmas

Christmas has come and gone for another year. When I was a kid still at home, as soon as we had opened all our presents my dad would always say "well kids, what do you want next year?" I miss my parents especially at Christmas time but they are now spending Christmas with Jesus, Dad since 2001 and Mom since 2003. I know they are watching over us. This year for Christmas Moyd and I together purchased a Grandfather clock and a Home Theatre system. I also received a new watch, a fleece jacket and some Swisa Beauty products, a scrapbook and accessories to go with it, some Prada Perfume...it smells wonderful! and also 2 wall hanging Lizard DVD Holders. Thank you all for the nice gifts. Moyd received some new clothes, Crab Crackers and small forks, Dremel workstand and dremel tools. Thank you for the nice gifts. Marissa and kids, Jason and family hopefully will arrive tomorrow to visit. Josh and Cassie will be here on Sunday. We have gifts for you all. I haven't heard yet from my Cassie...I hope she had a Merry Christmas and that she is feeling better! WE LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL. WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Licorice Caramels

My sister knows I just LOVE BLACK LICORICE so she sent me this recipe. This will be my project for the day! YUMMY

LICORICE CARAMELS

1(14-oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

2 cups grandulated sugar

1 cup butter (no substitutes)

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 t. anise extract oil

black paste food coloring

Combine first 5 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. This will take approx.15 to 20 mins. Mixture will turn from a pale yellow to to a golden brown. Stir in anise extract and enough pasteto make caramels a dark black. Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch pan and let cool. Cut into small squares and wrap each piece in waxpaper.

Hooray

Yay...Hooray...the computer is fixed! It had contracted the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH but thanks to Mikey...it is alive once again!!!

Cassie and Christmas

Yesterday I picked Cassie up at the airport. It was so good to see her again! On our way home we stopped in Layton and ate at Chili's, then off to Target as she needed to do some Christmas shopping. When we arrived home, we waited for Moyd to get home from work then we let her open her gifts from us. And I forgot to take pictures, shame on me! She received some $$$, socks, gift card to Starbucks, and the best gift of all was her new LEXUS, yes a LEXUS! (matchbox size) She wanted a BMW but it was $75,000. So anyways, she had to settle with the second choice. Today it will be off to Montpelier to visit with her sis Marissa and family, then Marissa will take her back to the airport on Saturday. Such a short visit, but its always nice to see her. We wish Cass a very Merry Christmas and a safe trip home! We Love you ;)

The Reason for the Season

Jesus is Better than Santa Santa lives at the North Pole. JESUS is everywhere. Santa rides in a sleigh, JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water. Santa comes but once a year, JESUS is an ever present help. Santa fills your stockings with goodies, JESUS supplies all your needs. Santa comes down your chimney uninvited, JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart. You have to stand in line to see Santa, JESUS is as close as the mention of His name. Santa lets you sit on his lap, JESUS lets you rest in His arms. Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?" JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly, JESUS has a heart full of love. All Santa can offer is HO HO HO, JESUS offers health, help and hope. Santa says "You better not cry" JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you. Santa's little helpers make toys, JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions. Santa may make you chuckle but JESUS gives you joy that is your strength. While Santa puts gifts under your tree, JESUS became our gift and died on the tree. It's obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in Christmas. Jesus is still the reason for the season.

Happy Birthday Cassandra

Today marks the 23rd milestone for Cassie Lin, my youngest. She lives in Arizona so we don't get to see her very often. 23 years ago today the road from Smithfield to Logan was closed due to a snowstorm, that rarely ever happened. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it to the hospital or not, but we did. Happy Birthday kid! We hope you have a great day :) We Love and Miss you.

L to R: Cassie, Marissa, Jason

My Favorite Fruit Cake Recipe

Ingredients:1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 4 large eggs, 2 cups dried fruit, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, nuts, bottle of whiskey. Procedure:Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again. To be sure it is the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity. Sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find. Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window, check the whiskey again and go to bed.

How Santa's Sleigh Works

Rustic on the outside and state-of-the-art on the inside, Santa's sleigh would have to be a marvel in engineering. These are the main parts of the sleigh that would be needed to get Santa across the world in one night. The front of the sleigh's dashboard would be dominated by Santa's own GPS navigator -- the elves would map out millions of destinations before Christmas Eve, just to make sure Santa doesn't miss anyone. The device would also have a built-in Naughty-or-Nice sensor that keeps Santa updated on children's activities. This is important, as even the most minor of naughty deeds committed within the last few hours of Dec. 24 can determine whether or not a child receives a shiny lump of coal. A speedometer on the far left of the dashboard would allow Santa to monitor his flying speeds. On the far right would be a radio communicator -- Mrs. Claus sends broadcasts, and the elves update Santa with weather reports and toy inventory. For in-flight entertainment, we'd like to the think that the elves would have installed an iPod dock -- perhaps even a red-and-green iPod, which would come with enough memory to play Christmas songs for the entire year through. There would also be a hot cocoa dispenser in the middle of the console, and fuel for the reindeer (in the form of carrots) in a compartment located on the left side of the sleigh. Ever wonder how Santa fits all of those presents into one bag? Think of a transdimensional present compartment in the form of a traditional gift sack, which would act as a portal between the sleigh and the North Pole. However, we'd also like to think that Santa may have harnessed the power of nanotechnology and found a way to miniaturize millions of presents into one large bag. But this information remains unconfirmed. What is antimatter? Is it some kind of magical substance Santa uses to power his sleigh? Antimatter is the opposite of regular matter -- the mirror image of normal particles that make up everything we can see or touch. The big draw to antimatter is the amount of energy it helps create. When antimatter and matter come into contact, they annihilate each other -- breaking apart into tons of smaller particles -- and 100 percent of their masses convert into energy. Although antimatter propulsion rockets are mainly used in science-fiction shows to allow spaceships to travel at warp speed, the possibility of designing one is very real -- NASA is currently developing one that would get us to Mars within a matter of weeks. [source: NASA] Santa's would have to be way ahead of the game, however, and we'd like to imagine that he has his own custom Stardust Antimatter Rocket. It would be small enough to install in the back of his sleigh and fast enough to deliver every present to all good children across the globe. Of course, if the rocket ever malfunctions, the reindeer would be there to back Santa up.