Moving on

Is this music not sweet? And the background super? Is not Alison the most thoughtful blogger in the world?

It has been a good week. I am trying to get over the whole Obama thing, because I don't want to be depressed for 4 years. I did like the recipes sent for funeral potatoes, and Stephanie, I think wearing black is a great idea.

The Hawkers came down on Tuesday, to take Rory to the MTC on Wednesday. Jason, Brandi, and Elyse came too. It was our first time with Elyse, and if she isn't just the cutest little thing! I was VERY impressed by her speech. She came up to a little snowman in my living room, and said "Snow". Now, how does a 15 month old FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA, know such a thing? She was pretty much followed around by her grandpa and grandma Hawker, who were eating up the grandparent thing. Will I be the same? Probably, since I love everything about babies/kids and am not even a grandparent yet!

We got an email from OSSO this week. They don't have enough volunteers down there in Ecuador right now! The economy has effected their volunteer numbers. OUR ORPHANS NEED HELP!! So, if you know anyone who can go help care for the cutest orphans ever, please refer them to OSSO.

I had a Spanish test this week. Did I say I was taking Spanish? Well, I did not have enough to do, so I decided I would fill my extra time trying to figure out what direct object and indirect object pronouns are--in Spanish, of course. So, for the test this week, La profesora comes and looks over my shoulder. "Are you auditing this class?", she asks. YES, I answered emphatically. So, she helped me to correct my test as I did it. I learned more, and tengo positive vibes de la clase tambien.

We dipped chocolates for Young Women's on Wednesday. This was also very well received. We will have to do it again. I still have at least 10 pounds of that 25 pounds of Guittard Milk Chocolate I got before Christmas. The dark chocolate is gone, of course. I had to go back for more dark chocolate last week to help medicate my depression. Thank goodness I am coming out of it!

Funeral Dinner

Yesterday for Sunday dinner we had a funeral dinner, to mourn Obama's funding of abortion. We had ham, rolls, homemade jam, salad, and of course, funeral potatoes. My friend Deanna reminded me that Obama was just overturning Bush's decision to NOT fund abortion clinics, and that in turn Bush had overturned Clinton's funding--this was just something that presidents of different political parties do. Now, I don't get it. Isn't Obama's big deal supposed to be CHANGE? Did he just mean CHANGE BACK?

This certainly has contributed my depressive mood this past week, my feeling that with a Democrat majority in the House, Senate, and of course, now, the White House, that there isn't anyone in the leadership of the nation that represents my values, specifically the fact abortion is WRONG, and should not be encouraged by paying for it. However, with a foot of new snow, and the dinner yesterday, my mood is a little lighter.

The funeral potatoes were pretty bad, though.

I am not sure what I did wrong. I think it might have been because I used shredded hash browns instead of cubed. Does anyone out there have suggestions? A good recipe? What else could I add for the perfect funeral dinner? I have four years to perfect this, and I would love to get it right.

Dark, Dark Nightmare

Last night Sam came in to my room in the middle of the night, dragging Annie and Ruth with him. He swore he had seen a man, trying to get into his room, insisting it was not a dream. Mike was at work, and Sam was scared. I told Sam I would look, and he wouldn't even let me look alone.

I looked everywere in the house, in every closet, under every bed, behind every door. When I found the garage door wide open, with the garage light on there at 3:30 in the morning, I looked all of those places again. Then, I lay awake for another hour listening to the sounds of the house and the night.

Today the nightmare came true.

Obama signed an executive order to fund abortion. Like the grim reaper, the now President of many Obama-loving and death-wishing Americans came into bedrooms, closets, and the sanctuary of the womb. Not only does he believe in killing babies himself, he wants all of us to help pay for it.

My worst nightmare.

Thanks goodness I have my sweet little Sam to hug and to hold, and my Ruth and other sweet children to comfort me. Obama has his two prize daughters--why did he let them live, while he supports funding "the intentional killing of an estimated 3,000 pre-born boys and girls each day"?

There is absolutely NOTHING Obama can do, NO "achievement" that he can obtain, that can justify killing unborn children.

Nothing.

A nightmare come true. The man at Sam's door was truly there. His name is Barack Hussein Obama.

Busy, busy, life

Rachel got her tonsils out a week ago. She is still having a really sore throat, and has just started back to school part days (no choir). Tonight was New Beginnings, with Ruth as one of the spotlighted ones since she will be a Beehive come October. Now, we have been feeling bad because Ruth was the only one her age born this entire year, but we found out tonight there are only six upcoming Beehives in the whole entire STAKE!! Missionary work needed! Affordable housing for families needed! Help reviewing Shawn's 4000 word essay needed, so this blog entry is OVER.

Hawaii bound

Last week, Shawn found out he has been accepted to BYU-Hawaii. It's a unique school, being owned by the LDS church and only having 2400 students - that's less than how many are in his high school, West High, which has 2700 students.

As his big sister, I am very proud of him and also a teensy bit jealous he has the chance to go to school on a tropical island with year-round warm weather, unique wildlife, pineapples and great surfing. Ethan and I are already contemplating a trip to go visit him when he is out there.

So far, he is pretty sure he is going and is planning to major in biochemistry. I think it will be the experience of a lifetime, and we are all are really excited for him.

Making Chocolates

These are pictures from a fun activity we did this Christmas. SINCE WE DON'T HAVE MICHELE OR HER SWEET BELGIAN CHOCOLATES, we did the only thing we could think to do--we made our own!! It was the only way we could handle Christmas without Michele.

We started with a 25 pound block of chocolate. I prefer dark, but there are a lot more in the house who prefer milk chocolate. Can you imagine how happy a 25 pound block of chocolate would make some people in this house? VERY HAPPY!!

Here we are making the centers for the chocolates


Here is the chocolate melting on the stove prior to dipping those centers. We made cherry chocolates, maple nut, vanilla, and chocolate turtles. And no, we don't have any pictures of the finished product. We took those chocolates to Idaho, and they are GONE! A Jensen and chocolate cannot be in the same room for long without one of them disappearing, and least in the original form (Jensen's are pretty good at storing chocolates on their different forms--check out the pictures). However, we do have chocolate left for another dipping day. Now, if we can keep Shawn from eating that big bar, perhaps when we get missing Michele, and her Belgian chocolates, we can try to substitute again...

Christmas, 2008

FINALLY getting to open presents Christmas morning!

Said finger prior to ring removal. Yes, it is much better now--Whew!

Christmas morning in the ER--yes, Rachel is volunteering to have the ring cut off of her finger!

Christmas Eve at Robyn and Blaine's

Cousins visiting

Jannelle and her bridesmaids Jannelle & Cody's wedding on December 20th Sam with Santa at the ward Christmas party We have had a wide variety of experiences this Christmas--check out the pictures!