Head cold, cold sore and freaked out for Saturday

Really, I HAVE to get feeling better by THURSDAY so I can have a good run on Saturday. Taking all prayers. I've had a nap everyday for 3 days now and still a rotten headache and aching. UGH.
GrandDad fell out on his walk...maybe put that ahead of my head cold. He's fine, but banged up on his nose, face and arms. Now he's rethinking his walks by himself. He already decided not to go to the dances that are more than 15 minutes away because he's been pulled over 3 times after his dances this last month....they always ask if he's been drinking...but it's just been late and his late night driving skills. I am so glad he's still together enough to make a decision like that. He'll come to me after we get Josh off to Africa.

Sitting Down

I had to put this on even though it's a goofy picture of Spencer. It's not often that I sit down...but if ever I do, immediately I have a son(s) next to me, taking off their shirt and just waiting for their back scratched. It will be an essential must for their future spouses to give back scratches.

It made me remember how when they were little if I ever crouched down to get a pan out of the cupboard or to pick something up, how they would jump on my back for a horse ride. Those days are gone. I really miss them. I'm gonna miss it when someone replaces me for the back scratches too. Wierd to think that their wives are alive on the planet right now busy becoming who they will be that will attract my sons to them. I'm praying for them. PLEASE be so kind and patient and understanding and GOOD women...and please want a dozen children each. And even though I'm not YOUR mom, please let me come for a week soon after the babies are born. Please.

Sam and Katie...Debbie brought me my rocks from the RANCH....THANK YOU!!!!! Mostly THANK YOU for thinking of me. The RANCH is in Donnelly Idaho and belongs to our dearest friends family. They share it with us every year for a week and it is truly HEAVEN ON EARTH--for me anyway. The mountains, the flat valley with cattle grazing in fields of wild daisies, the river with no one there except us, the cabin filled to the brim with childlren excited to be the center of their parents world for a week, the canoes on the pond, the horses, the 4 wheelers, the cooking together, the EATING together, skiing on the lake, going to sleep with the sound of crickets and cattle and the smell of that fresh fresh cooler mountain air. One of the things we do at the River is skip rocks and collect rocks. These were gathered with love for me by Sam and Katie since we missed our trip up there this year. I'm looking for the perfect container to put them in for my office.

The empty hummingbird feeder is now a forever remembrance of God's love for me. I am often fascinated at the ways Heavenly father speaks to me. I'll start at the beginning. You know I love hummingbirds. I have four feeders now. My yard is a virtual hummimgbird delight for the whole summer. A few weeks ago I realized most had left and that only a few were left. Then 2 weeks ago I realized just this ONE was hanging around and NOT moving on. All the feeders were empty and he would just come hover in front of me in the kitchen window like he was waiting for me to fill his tummy. I was torn as to whether I should I not. I wondered if he wasn't moving on even when all the others had because he had it so great here and was so loved. So, I decided NOT to fill the feeder. Sure enough. I haven't seen him for four days now. He has gone. On the second day he didn't show up my heart and mind were filled with feelings that that must be how it is with God with me. He wants to fill up my tummy,....my feeder, but there are times he just needs me to move on from what is so great and comfortable to a new place for my OWN good. I decided to leave the empty feeders up until the pumpkins are picked so I can keep chewing on the things I don't want to MOVE on with in my life.




The Olsen's have been our friends for over 25 years now. Jessica is Megan's age and is here with her husband. Randy and Tonya hadn't seen Michael yet or had the personal Mission report so they came for dinner and catch up. Our boys have been favorite friends thru the years as well. We've had our babies together and now she is getting to be a grandma with out me. Look at this baby!!! How could I NOT ache to have one of our own around. Pretty much every Harris loves a baby---i think it came fromMY genes...but boy...they make us HAPPY!!!
Nathaniel (on the left of Tonya) just got a big write up in the paper about his amazing football abilities. Paul will be home from his mission the first of December, and Silas still lets me hug him.

Girls night out

Last night I ditched Don from our usual date night and went with Michelle, Debbie and Megan and her friend Kylie to TWO movies (which is one of my most favorite things ever and I've only ever done it a few times). I was sad to be disappointed in BOTH. First we saw THE WOMEN---I think Meg Ryan is one of the cutest women to ever hit the planet, and she WAS cute. BUT, the movie itself left you wanting more anything---resolution, lesson, moral, real friendship. Then we went to the new Richard Gere movie (mostly because I like the way he looks at his women)...and I could barely hang in there. I am really bugged when I can guess the story line. The acting was forced and felt like acting instead of being swept away. His character was undeveloped for the huge emotional swings they were trying to take me on. Maybe it's me. Everyone around me was crying like a baby and I was just irritated. I felt bad that I didn't feel bad. I'm getting too old. I WOULD however certainly LOVE to take a week and spend it at that beach house....
When I came home, Don was sleeping, but the candle was lit and he had picked the sunflowers and put them in a vase with this note. Real life is a good thing. Just that he thought of me while I was gone gave him LOTS of brownie points, but to actually take the time to SHOW it really made me feel grateful to be married to a man who is trying to keep the ZIP in the marriage. Oh yeah, and the other night when he gave me a foot rub when I was dying tired and that was ALL. More points. And then, I woke up in the middle of the night last night with a horrible head cold headache and he rubbed my head. Richard Gere hasn't ever done that for me. Go Esposo. I love you for it.
Can you believe I just had a wedding shower here and didn't take ONE picture? What was I thinking? Besides getting everyone fed and visiting? Dang I'm ticked I missed taking them. So fun to catch up with people I haven't seen in months.
Had my last longish run (12 miles) up the canyon this morning before the marathon.
1 WEEK TO THE MARATHON

I ran into Randy Nielson (no pun intended) up at Vivian Park (1/2 way) and we came down together. Our families have loved each other since BYU days. He runs my exact pace (about an 8 and a half minute mile) so we're going to try to find each other next Saturday in the sea of 7000 runners...can you believe 7000 other people are just as crazy? All for a stone finishing medal. Both of us are taking our ipods:) I hope it's warm enough to swim in the pool to help out the recovery. I WISH a hot tub was the best thing for you afterwards, but alas, NO. It will be great to have the family down there with me. Maybe they can scream for me the way I scream for them. I have to admit that was a wierd thing about the golf tournament...you can't scream "smash that puppy" or ANYTHING...Just quiet. It was hard for me to be good.

Golf GLORIOUS GOLF!!!!

Okay...true confession. Until today, I've never been on a golf course for golf---not really...I mean when I was a teenager with boyfriends, but not for golf and then the sprinklers ruined that fun. Don and I went to see Spencer and Sam in their last tournament before the Stat e Playoffs. I GET IT!!!! People, this has NOTHING to do with men chasing a little white ball all over the pretty green grass. This is about RElAXATION, about good friends spending the day together, about fun mini carts that you can zoom all over in, about Amazing burgers at the clubhouse, about wild turkeys and baby snakes and squirrels, about a WHOLE DAY OFF WORK...I AM a CONVERT!!! When do I get MY clubs? I wanna play!!! I can't tell you how many times SPencer has said that he is never happier than when on a Golf course...and today...Momma bear finally GETS IT!!!! He's missed 8 whole days of school for tournaments...now THAT is a SMART Boy!!! Spencer was AMaZInG!!!! He golfed a 74 and for most of the day he was 2 under. Spencer went out in the first seed and Sam in the last so I still don't know how Sam did. We had to hurry Don home to meetings at 6:30. I realize that I am putting ALOT of picutres on here from today...I just HAVE to so you can see how WONDERFUL the day has been. I am not kidding. I am going to get a group of friends and we're going to join in on this SECRET....OFTEN.

We LOVE YOU Hermese

In our church we have a program called Visiting Teaching where each woman and a partner are assigned a certain number of other women that we visit each month. If there is an illness or heartache, we are the point person for helping their families. You can't help but love them and develop deep relationships. I Visit taught Hermese for over 2 years, and they just changed me about 7 months ago. She has been such a comfort and delight in my life. She ALWAYS told me how great I was and would specifically identify things she had seen me do so I knew she really had thought about ME. I felt SO loved by her. Whenever I tried to let her in on the REAL me she would laugh and say that made her love me all the more. So, it was so easy to be the real me when I was with her. She really helped me to learn to love myself more and lessen the expectations of myself. I just felt so LOVED when I was with her.I have marveled at how gracefully and mentally and physically she has born her age. (We just attended her 90th birthday party a few weeks ago) Too often I have used her as a comparison to my Grandfather and wondered at the difference, wishing GrandDad could be as well as Hermese. Well, you just never know. GrandDad is STILL kicking around ALONE in Bluevale (Yesterday he said he IS coming to live with us through the winter now he knows that his income tax problem is close to over) and Sunday night Hermese just went HOME. It's times like these when my testimony of God's love for us individually is strengthened. Hermese was FINE, but had had enough of being without her husband and wanted to move on. And GOD who couldn't help but ADORE her for all the LOVE she generates, just let her come. I think God had had enough of her being out of arms length. I actually believe that when you are that good---just GOODNESS embodied---90 years worth, that God won't deny you your loving hearts desire. I love you Hermese, and I'll be coming to find you soon after I get home too. Get the cookie dough ready.
Her funeral is Saturday at 11 during a wedding shower I am giving for a dear neighbor friend. I swear to you she would be upset with me if I cancelled the shower to go to her funeral. I think I'll just move the shower to later in the afternoon even though it's late notice. Hermese, I just want to be counted by the angels in heaven as someone loved by you. I KNOW it'll get me heavenly brownie points one day. I want to be like you. I want to be LOVE.

Fall Heaven

Megan and I rode our 24 mile route up the canyon this morning. It was COLD...my toes were about to fall off.
But..OH SO BEAUTIFUL. Something about James Taylor and me and the canyon---just feels SO GOOD. You can see the color has come...it's even more spectacular if you keep going up South Fork. I have looked at this picture of me long and hard. I know I am old. I swear I FEEL 18--okay, maybe 21 but when I see so much of my mother in myself I am still surprised. I am so grateful for a body that FEELS so YOUNG even if it's outer layers betray the feeling. REally, you just gotta go do the canyon. I haven't brought ALL the pretty branches home ---YET.

Another HAPPY Family Night

For the Harris Boys...just throw in a few pretty girls and they are HAPPY. This is the Hunsaker family and they have this DARLING German exchange student living with them this school year. Having Michael home and speaking German made it a natural choice for a get together. Another yummy dessert--pumpkin cake. If you stop and count up how many days of the week we are making treats, NO WONDER I weigh what I weigh!! But boy, the house sure smells good. Thanks Alli for the thoughts on the Atonement and Michael for your thoughts on Agency.

Leaving

It's still dark out, the cinnamon rolls are raising in their pans, the turkey is almost done for the soup, the kids are sleeping and Don is off to church meetings. I am alone with my feelings. It's pretty dang lonely. Three of Josh's friends have their Missionary Farewell's today. It will only be a matter of weeks before Josh has his. Yes, I love God. Yes, I want the world to have the happiness that comes from recognizing that God is their true Father and that through his son, Jesus Christ, we can and will be given help, insight, strength, courage, and most importantly---life eternal. I'm just selfish. Pure and simple. I don't want them to go. None of them. I want them all to stay around me. I am tired of change that hurts. Okay...please don't start sending me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to HELP ME feel better. I know all the stuff and heard all the stuff and LIVED all the stuff. I know life isn't about ME. I know it's a BLESSING to them. Michael LOVED his mission and would do it again right now. It's just....I have 3 more sons to go people. My heart is in pieces. No, I am not those other women who DELIGHT in their sons serving. I miss them to the core of my soul. BIG CHUNKS of me seem to be torn out when they are away. I already said it, I'M SELFISH. I get the problem. I just haven't gotten my soul to a place to make the problem seem doable. But no matter. November 4th I will put the sweetest son on the planet on a plane that will take him to Atlanta and then from there another 18 hours direct flight away from me. And he will love there. And he will share there. And he will testify there....and knowing Josh, he WILL change lives and spread hope. And I will be here. I will be working on sharing. I will continue to put the pieces of me together. It just feels ironic that I will send Josh across the planet to help others find true happiness when I'm still trying to get that whole thing together right here, right now.

I want to PLAY

It's 1:45 on Friday, it is GORGEOUS outside...and I want to PLAY!!!!!! Let's finish picking the rest of the peaches and eat the whole pan of cobbler when it's done...and lay on loungers in the sun and read each other a book ....and then go out for dinner and dancing...and then find a hot tub ....and then go to some 24 hour diner early in the am and eat french fries and chocolate shakes....and sleep in as long as we can stand it.... let's never talk about work or money the whole time...let's pretend we are rich and everyone in our family is healthy and plan the party of the year. Yeah....

Perfect Weather

Perfect weather, long day...just seems like I should be in a Hot Tub under the stars sipping something cold and sweet. My friend Karalee is teaching me how to get things for a steal through e-bay and ksl....I'm putting the hot tub to the top of the list. You are so invited over when it arrives. But you bring the drink...okay?

Lourdes remembering MOM XXOOXX

Lourdes closed an e-mail to me with the following....just SO NICE to have others remember her and how AMAZING she is...knew a few of you would appreciate it as well. THANK YOU LOURDES!!!!

I cannot express to you how much I am grieving for the loss of your mom. I know it was 12 years ago for you but for me it just happened. I always knew I would find you again, I just assumed she would be there with you. Well, I am sure she is but I was really looking forward to hearing her laugh. On my last visit to Gainesville I told her that I loved coming to see her and that it gave me strength and peace to know that nothing ever changed at the Broadhurst home. That served as an anchor for me. I had no idea when I said that how much I meant it. We lost touch after they moved and I never talked to her but I really felt some comfort as long as I thought she was somewhere on the planet just being her. So much of who I am as a mother and person has to do with what I learned from her. I had a garden because of her. I make hash browns from yesterday’s baked potatoes because of her. I did not murder Tony as a teenager because of her. Most importantly, I have tried to mentor young women in need in the same way she mentored me. Because of her there are 3 women who are members of the church because I opened my home to them in the same way she did for me. She was the single most positive force in my life and I tried to pattern myself after her. I fell miserably short but at least she gave me a goal to pursue. One of the first things I will ask God is why she was taken so early. Millions of people die every year, why are they never the right ones. I know we all fought a battle for the opportunity to come and live in a world that is unjust but I still get bewildered when horrible things happen to the finest of people. Your mom was an exceptionally good woman, Natalie, and I will always remember her beautiful smile, her sincere warmth, and how she taught me to love the Lord and myself. Thank you so much for sharing her with me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLY

Happy Birthday Sister!!! Hope your day and your life is all that you want it to be. I love you.

Baby Graham

Prayer time again. The veins on the left side of his heart have restricted in the healing process so he is back on Oxygen and other medicenes. The doctors are watching and waiting to see if they will heal themselves and reopen up some more or if they will have to do surgery. Obviously, we would like your love and prayers to be with us that he might be able to avoid the surgery. What a trooper this little guy is. And SOOOOooooo adorable. You can imagine the stress it must be on Kori and Jeremy so a prayer or two in their behalf would be sweet as well. THANKS!!!

Sweetest SURPRISE!!!

After another LONG day at work, I came home to Jeremy and Kiddies playing in the back yard on THE most beautiful afternoon. We decided to order Chinese take out for dinner. While we were waiting the phone rings and low and behold !!!!!IT IS LOURDES!!!! My High School friend...when I was a sophmore she was a senior. She didn't even stay at my high school the whole year...but it was true SISTERHOOD (Hey Lourdes... remember WE ARE FAMILY....my my my sisters and me?) Anyway. Lourdes is love, laughter and happiness rolled up into any time you've got to spend with her. We lost touch after Megan was born so we have JUST begun to catch up on 20 years...
This is her with her daughters. The bride lives only 10 minutes from me!!!!! And Lourdes is coming in NOVEMBER to visit her!!! Anyway...I feel like heaven remembered I was on the planet today and sent me some sunshine.

Heavenly Day

How to relieve stress...go celebrate Jamie's birthday!!! Jamie LOVES me...and I LOVE her!!! We started out heading to Spanish Fork to visit a quilt shop and there they gave us a flyer with 13 OTHER quilt shops...so what could a girl do? We hit 4 of them!!! We both bought the kits to this pumpkin quilt below. Hands down my favorite was the one on main street in Payson. We ended up eating at the Trolley Car Diner in Springville and it was DECADENT...check out that carrot cake people...
It was a great break from real life. I'm going to schedule more of these. Now Jamie and I have to go rent a motel room for a weeked so we can sew our quilts without interuption and eat things nobody needs to know we ate.

Moral Dilema

23 Days to the Marathon...our last 20 miler is on Saturday...and I can't decide WHAT to do. The race is some US Track and Field Qualifier something or other so it has to enforce and regulate the race by certain guidelines. The guideline that they haven't been enforcing before is the use of NO IPODS or electronic musical devices. They say it is for insurance reasons but go figure..??? ANYWAY...It is already embarressing that it takes me around 4 hours to run this puppy...but THEY CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE J O Y OF IT!!! Really, I KNOW I can go 3 hours on my own...but that last 6 miles...I NEED all that Michael Jackson, Craig Morgan, Rascal Flatts, and Jock Jams can give me. Listening puts and keeps me in that I LOVE RUNNING groove. Now the race officials have forwarned us that this year they will kick runners off the course and NOT give them their finishing medal if they are spotted with ear phones. Can you hear me sobbing? I KNOW I can finish the race...I don't need them for a TIME now that I have my Garmin Forerunner....but I still can't imagine going all the way down their, running it and NOT getting the medal to hang with my others...yea, I'm four years old...it's all about the "prize". SOoooo...should I just stay home and run my own and not pay for the hotel and buy my own "prize"...or should I just go and TRY to do it their way and if I freak out have a SHUFFLE hidden in my pocket and pray i don't get caught....or go run with my IPOD in full view and not take the medal at the finish? Whoever screwed this up for the rest of the runners in the world...I'm really ticked at you right now. I'v never heard of anything so ridiculous...we run on roads that the traffic has been blocked...so it must have been that some ninny somewhere fell and got hurt with an IPOD on, sued, and now the rest of us have to have our joy messed over. There. Please be gentle with any comments. Especially those of you astonished that if I do go either way I plan on bringing the musical device.

Happiness is coming home from work to a BABY!!!

It was a long day,--- with one lost client that I've spent several days with---they went for a For Sale by Owner with a killer price who had no desire to have an agent in the mix, another day to add to the last 5 months working on a short sale from hell, and wrapped it up with a sweet close with my most perfect client of the year--perfect because she and the deal have just flowed and been EASY. But to come home and have Jeremy and gang (can't say "girlies" anymore:^) ) here. AHHHHhhhhhh. Yes. That was heaven. It was Graham's first time here!!! Isn't he beautiful? You would NEVER know the ordeal he's been through just trying to stay on the planet with us!

I love that I can make spaghetti and corn and french bread and they just don't care... we can just kick our shoes off and relax with each other. The girls headed to the sandbox and Kori just snugged into the couch while we abused Jeremy and had him give the boys their golf physicals. Family is such a sweet sauve to every day survival.

See my peach trees? These were saved from an orchard about to be dozed by Jamie...he brought me this stick and said...I'm sure you can make this grow...it must have been his confidence, cause this little tree has now been with us for four seasons and just look!!! Another reason I may never weigh in the 120's again. Okay the peaches are so tasty alone, but do this number on them, add a little vanilla ice cream while warm, and then you can hug and kiss me!

PEACH COBBLER for a CROWD
(I have a HUGE pan I put this in...for a 9X13 cut recipe in half)
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
4 cups flour
8 tsp baking powder
Mix and spread on bottom of pan/ top with:
4 cups fruit
4 cups sugar (yes, it's true, just pour over the peaches)
4 cups boiling water (pour over everything just before putting in oven)
Bake at 350-375 until golden brown on top.
Ummmmmm.
No, I'm NOT sharing my peaches.

YES I dyed my hair darker. YES I've gained another 5 pounds while training for a marathon. YES I'm still afraid to get on my bike after "the Crash".YES I am too tired to try to make my peach tree picture match up with the text. NO I am certainly NOT grumpy. YES I am in complete control of myself. I think I have just the right amount of energy to make another pan of these melt in your mouth brownies we made for Sunday treat that I can't get my taste buds to quit demanding!!! Wrap your lips around these babies and see if you don't gain 5 pounds too...no matter how many miles you run each day!!!

Brownies with a Mission

1 cookie sheet (the one bigger than 9X13)
1 cup butter softened
2 3/4 cup sugar
6 eggs added one at a time
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or a bit more
When cooled a bit, ice with this:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
3 TBLSP cocoa
BOil these 3 together then pour over 4-5 cups powdered sugar
stir till spreading consistency.
Check the room for intruders and possible hijackers.
Get a fork.
Eat till head feels fuzzy. Wrap and hide with care, will need more about every 30 minutes. Eat and repeat. Leave pan in sink for "someone" else to wash. Go lay down and rest and dream.

Why I plant ZINNIAS

It just gives me a buzz to cut such cheery colors and fill vases full all over the house. This is my favorite vase, I would buy 5 more if I could find it again. Hard to believe such happy beauty can be obtained for a $1.19 package of seeds.

I could see my breath during my run this morning...and the trees are changing up in the canyon.
My pumpkins are already orange which is wierd, especially since I planted them LATE. Hope they aren't rotten by the time Halloween rolls around.

These photos of Sam half way through his buzz made me laugh...thought you might like a look.

Falling /Rising Stars

OK...I forgot that the reason I LOVE to run in the dark morning is all the AMAZING falling stars I see...2 breath taking ones this morning. And speaking of stars...I finally have my girl. I pretty much am SO opposed to Obama AND McCain that I have felt at a frustrated loss as to who I would vote for...Last night this gal ROCKED my Heart ---I want HER for President...the question is...could I vote her knowning that McCain will be the guy in charge? She has definitely swayed my vote toward him. You go girl!!! Sarah Palin...with all your REALNESS you make me proud to be an American.

Fall is here

It was a nippy 48 degrees for my run this morning. Running on the canal you pass apple orchards and you can smell them before you can see them...hmmmm. I am such a ninny. I'm scared after my fall to get back on my bike, and I was scared to run this morning because it is super dark now at 4:30 and I was sure I would hit a pothole or a rock and fall...I did it anyway, but my nerves were on end. I'm pretty ticked about this whole scraped up thing. Anyway...Just seems like summer was WAY too short.

My sister Kelly has decided to now go BACK to NC and not stay in Utah...so a whiz of a move. Sad to see Jax go. So alot going on with that getting it all wrapped up.

Anyone have any great apple cake or other recipes that they want to share?