HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sam!!!

I LOVE THIS BOY!!!! 14 years ago I was walking around the block again and again with my back killing me, not being able to breathe, and pretty sure I was going to die....I took myself in to the hospital to have my blood checked and they KEPT me and they took Sam right away. I had to call Don at work and tell him to get out of his meeting and COME NOW cause they were prepping me for the C-section already. This BIG BEAUTIFUL BOY came at 9 lbs something (like 12 o13 oz i think) 3 weeks early. I laugh because I THOUGHT I was OLD...

Sam is just straight up JOY!!! This is our traditional breakfast in bed...he slept in the back room on the couch that is in there while we are remodeling...his brothers (Michael and Josh) are up making noise too late these days so he has gravitated upstairs for his beauty sleep.

OUCH

I need I need lots of kisses to make this one better.Okay...whatever....on my bike 25 miler and half way up the canyon wrecked. Ugh. Jeremy was an angel and cleaned the gravel out for me...what would a girl do without a Doctor brother? THANKS BUD!!!! It is KILLING me. I am such a BABY!!! Speaking of babies...saw Graham after the clean out and he is Beautiful and you would be amazed at how well his scar has healed. He smiled a couple of times...I'm even more in love with him. Thanks again for all your prayers. What a miracle modern medicine is.....

Recipes from Yesterday for my Girls

Chicken Fruity Pasta Salad
6 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
2 pkg colored noodles boiled and drained
2 cups sliced red grapes
2 cups sliced green grapes
4 cups apple with skins cut into bite sized pieces
1 large can cashews
2 cans pineapple tidbits (save juice)
4 cups chopped celery
4 cups chopped green onions

Soak apples in pineapple juice to
Dressing is 1 bottle of Kraft Coleslaw dressing mixed with one cup mayonaise.
I like it best chilled a few hours, and I don't add the cashews until just before
serving. Makes a TON... so great for a HUGE crowd or when you need to share with a
few neighbors.

Chocolate Bavarian Cake
1 German Chocolate Cake Mix divided into four 9" pans (or 2 nine inch pans and cut in half) for 4 layers.

FILLING and FROSTING:
1 pkg of cream cheese
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint whipping cream

Mix whipping cream until stiff, add brown sugar, vanilla and cream cheese until smooth. Frost layers as usual and chill overnight.

BANANA SLUSH
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
Cook to syrup for 15 minutes and cool. Add:
1 1/2 cup orange juice
3 large bananas, mashed (I put these lst 4 items in the blender)
1 forty six ounce can pineapple juice
1/4 cup lemon juice

Pour into 9 X 13 pan and freeze.
Cut into chunks and serve with generous 7-UP on top.

For your Daily LAUGH

Thanks Kristin!!!! This will make your cheeks hurt! I LOVED these :^)

http://despair.com

A Magazine Life

When I was a teenager I use to DREAM about being married (that happend)and haveing a gazillion babies(that started happening until my c-sectioned parts said ENOUGH) and lots of "woman" parties were we just lounged around laughing together and my life was beautiful....ANd TODAY my life was out of a Martha Stewart magazine!!! I cooked some of my yummiest recipes and had a birthday party for one of my favorite friends...JULIE!!! Happy Birthday JULIE!!!! Now, the cake may not LOOK like much...but you whip this baby up and see if it doesn't just rock your socks!!!

AND I was able to hang my new outdoor chandelier from Tiapai Trading---which was gloriously fun to decorate. Now I want to hang it in the house for always and keep it filled with fresh flowers and holiday stuff...imagine those Jack be Little pumpkins around the edges instead of the apples....GOODNESS life is fun!!!
THe weather couldn't have been more perfect..just a soft breeze under 80 degrees I'm sure.


I'm sad cause Traci left before we got the group picture ...doesn't Julie have amazingly cute friends?
Tell me this doesn't look like a Martha Stewart event. I was so excited I left it there until dark. I just ditched work for the entire day and layed in the swing after they were gone. I read ESCAPE and daydreamed about future picnics and parties -- this time with green grapes and BLT sandwhiches and some kind of water...probably should put in that pond or waterfall...or we could just move the party to the beach, lake or river....yep I like the water.

Now, is this chandelier just too LOVELY or what...and it could be yours for 49$. I kind of want everyone to go get one so that when I have my children's wedding receptions I can borrow it from you and then I can hang them over tables all over the yard...just imagine it with me. Yep...too cool, I saw the pond in that imagining blitz...NEED that pond. Okay, I would probably choose the HOT TUB first...not that that would enhance the receptions...but then again, hey...we could put a whole new spin on receptions...maybe I'd like to go to them then.

Thank you for coming ladies. I LOVE YOU!!! I'm so glad we have birthdays!

I'll include the recipes in the next post.

I am SOOOO HAAPPPPPYYYY!!!!

In our church we are called from organization to organization to serve...it is a lay ministry---meaning that no one is paid. I have worked often with the Women in Relief Society (18-death), the Young Women (12-18) and also the Primary (18 months to 12 ). I have been with the Young Women for 2 years and 1 month now....and today they called me to be with the PRIMARY again!!!! I will SO MISS my Young Women...but can I just tell you that my heart is singing and racing and jumping up and down to be back in the Primary? And to make it even sweeter....Kim P is the new President and has ALWAYS been one of my favortite people on the planet!!! I will serve as her 1st counselor. I am SO READY to plan their activities...and just before all the fun holidays!!!! I was needing a change in my life...and remember the whole mid life crisis thing with my needing all that LOVE and ACCEPTANCE? Huge doses are on its way...NOTHING like the children to fill a heart. I get to start next week. Primary is one of the best kept secrects on the planet...I can't think of very many happier places to be.

The Ultimate Gift

This is a must see. If you haven't planned Family Night for tomorrow night-- you could pop some popcorn, make rootbeer floats, snug in with the fam and watch this...and then be prepared for some GREAT conversation afterwards. This is not a CHURCH movie, it is a LIFE movie and covers the sphere of HOW we choose to live. I was sad I missed it when it came out in the theatres. Even if you are not a video person I think you'd like it.

In the Groove

Running 12 miles is NOTHIN' with these guys along!!!!

Confession

Dear Friends,

I cannot stop giggling over the SEVERAL e-mails and few blog comments I have gotten over my visit to the Buddhist Group. I am not even sure what to say exactly except THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME and CARING about my Salvation.

As you know, Ilike to THINK about things for myself and try them on and see how they make me feel. I LIKE to KNOW about things and how they work. I love people and love to watch and see how things work for them. I would especially like to know about ME.

These are the things I know about me so far for sure:

1. I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father, and He LOVES ME, and I love him.

2. There is a plan for this life. There is too much evidence in the world that I can see that indicates that there is a PLAN for this life...I know there is a plan.

3. I know the plan revolves around our agency---in each person being able to choose their own course ---AND being able to course correct if we want.

4. I know that the plan is based on our learning to LOVE AND ACCEPT each other in the realness of our own selves and with a BODY. I believe/know that when any spiritual commandment is broken it is because we have loved someone less...and if we really LOVE them then we will apologize and make it better.

5. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as was Buddah and Martin Luther and Ghandi and Joseph Smith. I believe that Jesus Christ had a specific mission to fufill here on earth, to be the Savior of the World, making it possible for course correction and teaching us how to have the blessing of HAPPINESS while on this earth life journey. I believe we EACH have a mission that in some way is responsible for helping to touch the lives and courses of OTHERS. I am in awe of Buddah---of ANYONE who could so deliberately shut out the world and personal desires to listen to the Spirit, then devote their life to seeking and finding THEIR way to God. In my 45 years I just see that there are SO MANY WAYS to him...to LOVE. I want to be a QUEEN of loving...so I am watching and listening and trying out a few courses that have proven successful to others in learning to focus on TRUTH and LOVE. I want to BE LOVE. But it doesn't take very long into each day before I get distracted and begin to be less than I hoped.

With that poorly said, I have not left Mormonism, or Christianity. I AM having a mid life crisis which seems to be revolving around the need for MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE in my life. I'd pass around a sign up sheet so you could take a designated turn in helping me pass through it....but the other thing I know is that whenever I have crisis it's just God wanting me to TURN in some new direction. CAUTION: Woman Turning.

Thursday things

I LOVE my bike. You can't really see the flowers that are worked into the leather on the seat. That little case holder on the back is going to help me get some lovely pictures of my canyon rides. See the flowers on the front base? THIS IS A CUTE BIKE. I LIKE her...and I love to bike. But I do have this whole thing about biking in traffic...I want to go AGAINST the traffic because I have this fear of being bumped in the butt by a car, and if I'm going to get hit, I'd at least like to see it coming.
THe garden is finally producing...gettin our first tomatoes (the zuchinni's have been crazy for a while) and the corn should come on by this weekend. I think I'll have enough pumpkins to make even me happy!!!

I knew you'd like to check in on the "chicks" and see how big they are now...definetly "fowl"teenagers. Eggs should start coming the middle of October. Finished Breaking Dawn today.

I didn't like it near as well as Stephanie's other books.

A Funny thing happend on the way...

Josh has dated Stephanie alot the last year. She just left for Utah State in Logan (about 2 1/2 hours from here). Josh got tickets to the Jack Johnson concert for Monday night and invited her to go. Yes, Josh IS almost 19 years old, but to drive home from Logan when he wouldn't get there --to Logan ,until 1:30 and then still have to drive 21/2 hours home-- made me crazy. So, being the control freak, keep my child safe mother that Iam (now you can see maybe why I have a little problem with the whole KENYA thing)...I insisted that he let me drive up there with him, drop me off at Preson's, pick me up after it was all over so I could drive back with him to keep him AWAKE. Which we did, and Megan decided to come along with me, and Josh was a great sport about it all and I drove home at 1:30 and we got here at 3:30 am ( I am TOO OLD for that--but I felt a little like Don Johnson on Miami VIce with the freeway so trafficless and Phil Collins on the radio). With that said, you will now understand WHY I was in Logan with Preston and the girlies on a Monday night. We had a yummiful dinner at Olive Garden and then Preston took us to his Buddhist Group meeting that he has been attending every Monday night for a while now. He is a great brother and has an amazing mind and he often shares his thoughts and life philosophies with me and lets me make up a few philosophies of my own:^) ANYWAY...I got to have my first ever Jeep ride on the way over( I don't get out much people, that's actually not that true, but still strange to be 45 and never been in a jeep). We met in this fellowship center that was in the house shown here and there were these cushions all around to kneel on for the meditation. I've done plenty of meditating before but not "formally" or with a group. About 13 or 14 people came and settled in to their positions on the floor...I sat on the couch pretty sure I couldn't stay on my knees or even Indian style for that long--Preston had prepared me that the meditation was usually 30 minutes. OK People. I LOVED this experience. I GET W H Y he goes each week. Our typical worship is nothing in comparison to this. A gentle man showed up and led us in a "guided" meditation with the theme being LOVING KINDNESS. We sat quietly about 10 minutes before he started reading a quote every few minutes. At first I was bugged thinking"Hey, I'm meditating here---I've got a lot of junk in the trunk to sort out and you keep interupting with your nice sayings...." But then I started focusing on the things he was reading and after he was done my brain would zoom in for this astonishing self analysis that was actually pretty LOVING AND KIND to myself, along with feeling alot of love for EVERYONE else on the planet. Anyway...who would have thunk that Natalie Harris would have been to a Buddhist Group meditating and loving it...but I did and I do and now I have one more new thing to love and want to know about....Here I come Barnes and Noble...I often wonder if I am the sole patronage keeping their stock rising.

Livin'

IF I were completely in charge of my life and my children's lives....this would be my daughter in law and Barb would be my "in law"...yep...IF I WERE IN CHARGE!!!!
Had a client's family over for dinner...they've been living out of suitcases for a few weeks and I KNEW they needed real food and a real house. They are fun and will be good friends even after the house saga is over (they are purchasing a short sale). She is beautiful. Inside and out.
Me doing my favorite...swinging with my boy...just hanging and loving and talking. Where IS Kristen?
Told ya she is beautiful. Inside and out. She's going to teach me how to play tennis.

THis is the week for weddings!!! I went to 3 this week!!! But my FAVORITE ideas to be remembered__ one family served COLD STONE!!! Had the servers and a portable freezer with waffle cups! Same family had you sign a polariod picture of yourselves instead of a wedding book. Then another family had glow bracelets for everyone. I LOVED the home they did this one at....the view was AMAZING...and when dark came the lights over Salt Lake were gorgeous.

Another Sunday come and gone. Loving the Oympics still...can't seem to tear myself away (until I fall asleep). It seems too unreal that school starts tomorrow. UGH. My Sister Kelly will fly out here to live on Tuesday. I made killer peach cobbler and my goal will be to not eat it all by myself . Megan is renting out her entire condo and has moved home as of tonight. Lots going on.

E-mails

Hey...just found SEVERAL e-mails that were put into my JUNK email box at my infinity account...please use my gmail account in the future.

God's Plan

I know I haven't been smart enough to figure out how to have our own pool and financially feel good about it...but I still have my plans. I love that God let my neighbors build one --- and that they share it with me after long runs. I was in it all alone this morning...and then the hot tub. Heaven. Just the perfect topping to a run.

LAST NIGHT

I got home from work late last night and the house was trashed...boys had had a GOOD day eating and leaving...SO I spent the next hour getting it all together...just in time to have the whole crew show up from floating the Provo River and decided to make Chicken Fetticinni Alfredo and lots of other stuff. I LOVE TO HAVE THEM HERE..but I'm still sad about the sink full of dishes...and it's 2:30 (can you tell I am home just waiting for an addendum?)
HEre they are hanging, cooking and watching the Olympics. Love these kids.

TODAY

I'm afraid to write what I'm really thinking sometimes for fear....and then I think...FEAR OF WHAT? WHO?Like anyone who knows me knows I'm a messed up human wallowing in the whole earth visit thing... SO...here goes. I met Becki at the mouth of Provo Canyon EARLY this am and we ran 10 miles up and then 10 miles down. It was BLACK dark when we started and we jumped a few times at various noises on the trail that we were sure were ugly monsters going to eat us...no actually we thought it was Satan Worshippers who would torture us and then kill us. Sad but true. So, if we really thought this how could our judgement allow us to GO there? We are a mystery to ourselves.

At first I was ticked because the air is already SO COOL (it was 57 degrees!!!) and it is only August. After the never ending last winter I can barely stand the thought of summer slipping away. But then I started getting HOT from the run upwards and the wind had that smell of fall and was just lightly kissing my skin...and the endorphins hit about the same time, and James Taylor was craddling my brain from my IPOD so no worries could penetrate the melody or lyrics, and the sun started to peak through the trees on the trail, and I could feel Becky breathing in sinc with me and our legs were surging in rythym ...and I had this total out of body GRATITUDE experience where I LOVED my body...every inch, every extra pound, every misproportioned section--I mean...I LOVED MY BODY!!! I AM and WAS so GRATEFUL that I came to earth...my mind kept taking me to sensory experiences that can never be taken away from me...sitting in a hot tub, floating in a pool with my ears under and the sun warming all the parts out of the water, holding my newborns, smelling my newborns, eating loved foods for the first time,(specifically egg rolls and cheesecake) being held, that feeling of total control and inner STRENGTH I feel at the final push of a race, and a few other things I won't mention.

.

So, I am here to set the record straight. I know you have heard me say that I'm not sure how I got on this planet and that I'm sure I didn't sign up for all of this...but I am lying. I would have signed up if it meant I only ever got TODAY and the total euphoria mixed in that 3 hour run. HOW can people NOT run? And could the body perception God please let this feeling stay for a few weeks...a few years might be nice.

I LOVE Bit O' Honey

Thursday Aug 14 2008

I'm LOVING the Olympics and sad I can't just sit and park myself to watch them ALL. The last 2 days have been filled with work and celebrating Kimmie's wedding. Hopefully I'll have pictures later. Sam made the VARSITY HS golf team and is at a tournament with SPencer all day today. Spencer is becoming a "bigger" man faster. Josh just hiked to the top of Timp all night, watched the sunrise and is off to sleep. Michael got hired at Macey's but is still hoping to find something a bit better. Megan still looking for a different job. A wild "God loves you" miracle happend yesterday. I'll post more about it later....

Okay...Half marathon update...

Cleaned up knee..more black and blue today.

SOOOooooo...I ran like the wind (7 1/2 minute miles for 5.1 miles--just so you know, for ME that is too fast) when I fell...( I know it was 5.1 because my GARMIN was hit on the way down and lapped me then). I kind of think I passed out because I only remember the IMPACT of the fall and I fell FLAT on my cheek, shoulder, knees, forearms and THUMBS....yes thumbs...i run with them up and the rest of my hands folded and I hit them straight on...anyway...too wierd. I could go on and tell you the whole story about the guy who wouldn't let me up and then needed to "stay with me to monitor me"...but let's cut to the important part... I think I was only down about 4-5 minutes, got back in the race and still finished at 1:58...I was hoping for a 1:50...but with everything burning and bleeding and hurting I don't think that was too bad. Megan's room mate came up on me after a few minutes and helped to convince the GUY that he should let me go because she was a nurse and would keep and eye on me. THANK YOU EMILY!!!!

My cheek...looks like Don has been beating me...the flash didn't get it so well.
Road rash shoulder...okay, I'm disappointed you can't see how narly it is...
Must be the flash. You'll notice you can't tell in the party pics either...my hair hides my cheek.

After the "REPORT"....

Other boys/MEN who served in Germany with Michael...Jesse Hardman, Kylan Zibetiti, Peter Boggs and Michael.
My favorite part of these gatherings are when the food is all out and I get to just sit and veg with my family...Big Sister and Baby Brother...

Don's Step Dad Leonard, his oldest sister Kathy and his MOM XXOOXX
Brother Steele brougth Josh a walking stick he made for him since he's officially out of the troop now...
Of course of ALL THE FOOD we had, Elle's favorite was still YOGART!
More of that favorite hangin' out....Kori stayed home with Graham to keep him safe from germs.
Bell family came by with MANY other families that I did NOT get pictures of because I was visiting....

Michael and Grandmom Mary
High School friends of Michael...
Fam minus Megan (sleeping) plus Bro. Dutzi who was visiting from Germany.

Michael with Mission Plaque that hung in Chapel for 2 years while gone.

Everyone has left and I am ALONE with ALOT of amazing FOOD...I'll share if you'll come....

Michael's Homecoming Report

Please forgive me...I haven't called around to personally invite everyone to Michael's Homecoming Report. BUT PLEASE COME IF YOU CAN. He will speak at our Sacrament Meeting THIS Sunday at 1pm--our chapel is the Stake Center on 600 N in Lindon...just around the corner from our home. And yes, there will be lots of yummy treats at our house after the meetings (4pm). Please come.

Soooooooo... it's STILL busy. I got this wierdo freaky eye infection (probably from leaving my contacts in too long) and my left eye looked like it was on fire and ached this dull aggravating ache. Jeremy fixed me up and I am praying to look somewhat normal for pictures on Sunday.

I'm running a half marathon tommorrow--yes, with all this company here. The course is suppose to be up Provo Canyon but the canyon has been closed for 2 weeks with the fires up there, so we'll see where they decide to run the route. I feel fat. Happens to my brain when I eat half a loaf of angel food cake. My weight hasn't changed but I still FEEL fatter. Lovely.

Michael is adjusting okay. Alot of the time he isn't quite sure what to do with himself. Dad is convalesing nicely and will stay here through the weekend. We expect Don's Mom and step Dad as well as his oldest sister Kathy sometime Saturday morning. I'm being creative on the sleeping arrangments--well, I'm still TRYING to be creative on the sleeping arrangements. I love a full house. Someone told me yesterday that nobody loved a full house and I was crazy. I told her that I TRULY DO LOVE a full house...she just not must of ever had the house full of the RIGHT people.

Less is more is NOT true when it comes to Hummingbird feeders. I just put up 2 more and now we have 4 ....my day ended late last night...about 8pm when I finally walked through the door. I got dinner on and hurried out to read BREAKING DAWN on the swing ...and the Hummiongbirds where SPECTACULAR!!! I had 3 or 4 before, but I swear I had at least 10 last night and they were "war-ing" over the feeders. I LOVE my back yard.