Pure Stella Sweetness

This is sweet:

But this is sweeter:

And don't you just love when kids dress themselves?

It doesn't get any better than that!

 

Paul McCartney Spectacular!!

Well I warned you yesterday that I would be doing a post about the Paul McCartney concert last night! It was seriously the BEST concert I think I have ever been to...and I have been to a lot of concerts!

Brad, Me, Julie & Chris

Van & Jan

Last year when we saw him in Las Vegas, I met the nicest lady and her hubs from California. We were gathered at the venue (in Vegas) waiting for Sir Paul to arrive hoping to snap a candid photo, which I did, she was standing next to me and we just started talking. Even though we have only communicated through Facebook, I consider Chris & Julie to be dear friends and hope to stay in contact for many many years. They came up for the concert and met up with us and our friends Van & Jan for dinner. It was great seeing them again!

Then the excitement began...Afterall, this was the 200th concert Sir Paul has played with his current band...

The concert was held at our soccer stadium (Rio Tinto) in SLC. It was a perfect venue and the weather was even better. There was a breeze the entire evening that kept us all relatively cool...

For my die-hard Beatle Buddies and those who were in attendance last night, Sir Paul did 40 songs...that's F.O.R.T.Y....4-0...here is a list, in order:

1. Venus & Mars
2. Rock Show
3. Jet
4. All My Loving
5. Letting Go
6. Drive My Car
7. Highway
8. Let Me Roll It
9. Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix jam)
10. The Long & Winding Road
11. 1985
12. Let 'Em In
13. My Love
14. I've Just Seen A Face
15. And I Love Her
16. Blackbird
17. Here Today
18. Dance Tonight
19. Mrs.Vanderbilt
20. Eleanor Rigby
21. Ram
22. Something
23. Sing The Changes
24. Band On The Run
25. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
26. Back In The U.S.S.R.
27. I've Got A Feeling
28. Paperback Writer
29. A Day In The Life
30. Give Peace A Chance
31. Let It Be
32. Live And Let Die
33. Hey Jude
34. Day Tripper
35. Lady Madonna
36. Get Back
37. Yesterday
38. Helter Skelter
39. Sgt. Pepper (Reprise)
40. The End

As you may have noticed, he played more Wings and solo stuff than I've seen him do before...personally, I was glad to hear it...It was an unbelieveable concert...the man is 68 years old, never stopped and I never saw him even take a drink of water! Last year I was on the front row and got spectacular pictures... this year I was a bit further back...

It was a great evening and I just want to thank Chris & Julie, Van & Jan and most importantly, my sweet hubs who was the best date ever!...Let's do it again next year!!

Nasty Virus & Updates

I have been gone for a few days from the blogging world. Yes, it's true, my computer got a nasty virus and I had to spend a couple of days scanning and eliminating ugly bugs. BUT, now I'm up and running at full capacity and happy to have survived whatever was infecting my precious computer...

To fill you in, tonight is the Paul McCartney concert (YES, I took the picture above at last years concert!) For those of you who know me, I am a HUGE Beatles fan and have been excited for this since I heard he was coming to SLC for the very first time. We are meeting up with some friends who we met at last year's concert in Las Vegas, Chris & Julie from California who are coming up for the big event...can't wait to see them again! Also, our good friends Van & Jan are meeting us for dinner beforehand so 'A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All'...prepare yourselves for a full rundown of the festivities on tomorrow's post...(just warning ya!)

My dad is doing much better. He has been home about a week now and he sounds like my old dad...yay! He is still in some pain, but he is hanging in there. Man oh man is he a strong bugger. He gets so close to the threshold of death and then he pulls through. He's still not eating much so we'll see how that affects him.

Everyone is doing well. My *Littles* are healthy and happy and feisty as ever. I watched 3 of them last night while my daughter worked and they were ADORABLE. They make me laugh and wear me out at the same time. My daughter took her oldest (who is 4) to register for Pre-School. The teacher was "interviewing" Alakina to see where she is in her development and during the process asked her to sing a song. Alakina thought for a moment and started singing..."Hey Jude, don't be afraid..." That's my girl!! Of course the teacher cracked up and even said how refreshing it was to not hear yet another version of "Twinkle Twinkle".

Well, that's about it. Not much has happened except the normal busy stuff that keeps life exciting. Please continue to keep little Jake in your prayers. His mother's blog address is: http://www.davisfamilyinmidway.blogspot.com/ There are some new pictures up of this sweet little man and his brothers. He's adorable! Leave her a comment showing your support, she has mentioned that that has really given her strength. A HUGE heartfelt *Thank You* to all of you who have left her a message and more importantly, for you who are praying for this sweet family. You're all amazing!

New Blog For Jake

The sweet mother of precious Jake has started a blog to updated everyone on his condition and she talks of the accident. Her blog address is http://www.davisfamilyinmidway.blogspot.com/ Please remember the entire family in your prayers and leave her a comment. I know this will mean a lot to her.

Thanks, as always, you are all A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!

Homemade Pita Bread

My hubs and I love to eat fresh fruits and vegetables during the Spring and Summer months. One way we love eating them is in Pita Bread as a Veggie Pita Sandwich. I bought some "fresh" pitas the other day and, although they were good, I figured I could make them better! So here is what I did:

To make 8 pitas:

3 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t. Sea Salt
1 T. Sugar, Honey or Agave
2 t. Yeast (or 1 packet)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 C. Warm water (room temp)
2 T. Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients into bowl. NOTE: If you are using packaged yeast, follow the directions on the packet. If you are using bulk yeast, just throw it in! Mix and let your mixer (I use my Bosch) do the kneading for 10 min. If you are doing it by hand, knead it for 10 minutes or until your hands get tired.

(The purpose of kneading is to completely combine the ingredients as well as break down the the flour so the dough becomes stretchy and elastic which will help it rise better).

When the dough has been completely kneaded, place it into a bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Gently roll the ball around so that the oil coats it completely. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

After it has risen, punch the dough down which releases some of the trapped gasses. Divide into 8 equal sized pieces. Roll into balls, cover with a damp cloth and let rise again for 20 min.

While the dough is "resting" preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone or pizza stone, place it into the oven while it is heating up. If not, take a baking sheet and place it upside down on the middle of the rack and let it heat up.

Now that the balls have rested for their 20 min., take a small bit of flour and sprinkle it onto a cutting board or counter top. Take each ball and flatten with either your hands or a rolling pin to about 1/8" thick (Thinner dough will puff better). If the dough does not cooperate and won't stretch , you can cover it with a damp cloth and let raise again for 5-10 min. before trying again.

Take a spray mist bottle and spray a light mist of water over your cooking surface. This is supposed to help the pitas not blister...if you don't have a mister, don't worry, I've skipped this step and they have been just fine.

Now place as many of the pitas onto your cooking surface as it will allow. They can be fairly close, they don't spread out much so you should be OK with an inch between each one. Bake for 3-5 minutes. They should be baked through and puffy within that time. They won't really brown, just make sure they puff up. If you want them crispy, bake an additional 3-5 minutes. They are best when eaten just out of the oven, but they will last in the refrigerator for several days if kept in a plastic bag..

I'm going to try Whole Wheat next...I'll let you know how they turn out and post rhe recipe.

These are delicious and so much cheaper than what you can buy at the store. It takes up about 2 hours of your day, but most of that is the rising time...ENJOY!!

Update on Jake

Here is an update on the post below entitled " A Plea For Your Prayers"

Jake continues to be in critical but stable condition. He was originally considered for a research study that has been effective in this type of situation. I don't understand all of the parameters, but he was not selected for the treatment, but they are using a scaled down version that keeps him intentionally unconscious with a body temperature of about 97 degrees. He will be kept in this state for 5 days (which started Saturday night), and they will then gradually return him to a normal temperature and stop administering the drugs that keep him sedated. The bottom line is that we are in a holding pattern until Thursday or Friday and probably will not see much change before then.

There have been areas of both progress and concern. Most of his vitals look good, his coloring is excellent, and he has opened his eyes several times. He has also moved his arms and legs but the way he moves them is sometimes a good sign and other times a cause for concern.

There was a concern this morning that Jake’s brain may be swelling, and the results of a CAT scan confirmed it. They then did an MRI and found that Jake had suffered a minor stroke this morning. The stroke sets him back at least a day, so they’re looking at Friday or Saturday now before they try to wake him up.

His amazing family is holding up well. He has two older brothers and the oldest has been quite shaken up over this whole situation...he is doing much better. Let's remember them in our prayers as well. Afterall, they were witnesses to this tragic accident. His parents are overwhelmed (in a good way!) by the outpouring of love and support from their ward family, which has been non-stop since Saturday. They have said that the non-stop visits from caring friends and neighbors have been just what they needed. They have felt the strength of the prayers and fasting, and asked that we continue to pray for Jake throughout the week.

Prayers, fasting, and spiritual focus help us tap into the greatest power there is, especially when it is coupled with the humility of putting the Lord’s will first. Like the loaves and the fishes, He is able to take a seemingly small offering and magnify it - until there is enough and to spare.

Independence Day Celebration

Here in Utah, the 4th of July celebrations commenced on Saturday, July 3rd and ended Monday on July 5th reserving Sunday, the 4th as the Sabbath. In our small town, this was a BIG weekend!

You have heard me say that I live in a very small town founded by the Swiss. It is a valley high atop the great Rocky Mountains with picturesque views at every turn. The architeture is, for the most part, Swiss with many chalet style homes and buildings. There is wildlife that freely roams our neighborhoods and the landscape is that of most mountain resort towns, filled with majestic pine trees, mighty oaks and just about any other indigenous flora. I love it and have said many times that I feel like I live in a postcard!

Anyway, our town may be small, but we celebrate in a big way! Saturday commenced with the "Plein Aire" art exhibit, Main Street musicians, multitudes of families filling our parks with barbeques, and fireworks that were shot off of Memorial Hill that rival any big city!

On Monday morning at 6:00 AM, we were all awaken by the sound of a cannon blasting multiple rounds (not sure how many) which served as a great reminder of the troops of men who foght for the liberty and freedoms that we now enjoy. At 7:00 AM, we gathered together at Town Square for a sunrise devotional.service. We were treated to hear our adorable Swiss Miss girls sing, our Swiss Choir sing and our Swiss Belles play stirring patriotic anthems on their bells. It was charming and wonderful.

We also had a guest speaker. She was amazing and none other than Sheri Dew. Anyone from Utah knows who Sheri Dew is, she is a wonderful woman of strength and integrity who has risen to local fame as an acclaimed author of two biographies of LDS church leaders as well as several other uplifting books, she is the CEO of Deseret Book and she has served in many leadership positions in our church. She is very intelligent and yet very personable.

Sheri has never been married and although it has been her desire to find a husband and marry, for whatever reason, it just hasn't happened. She is very candid and open about this. She adores her nieces and nephews and speaks of them often. I was particularly touched by one story of her nephew; This was about 12 years ago. She said that her phone rang and it was her brother who called telling her that his then 8 year old son had asked the blessing on the food and asked Heavely Father to "help Aunt Sheri find a good husband who doesn't smoke or drink, say bad words or LITTER!"...

They cracked up. As she thought of this sweet prayer, she thought about "litter". She thought of how it is trash that is selfishly discarded with no regard for anyone else because it needs to be picked up and is always done so by someone else. She went on to say that we all leave a "trail" behind us as we go through life. Do we leave "garbage" for others to deal with?

This got me thinking. As I was sitting there listening to this beautiful disertation on our responsibilities to leave this world a better place than we found it (and not just physically!) I thought about our Founding Fathers and all that they did to ensure the freedoms that we now enjoy. They had foresight and wanted to leave a trail of integrity and liberty for all of us. They weren't perfect, but they were some of the finest men and pledged their lives, honor and personal fortunes in order to "leave a trail" for the rest of us.

So my goal, as I go on with my life, is to be conscious of the trail that I leave for my posterity. To remember that others have to clean up after me if I don't do it myself. I am so grateful for amazing people who have the gift to inspire and uplift. I am thankful for the "trail" that has been left for me and all of us...I am thankful to have the freedom to live where I choose and to enjoy the simple everyday pleasures that I often take for granted...

A Plea For Your Prayers

As time FLIES by (Yes, we are MORE than half way to Christmas!!), we celebrated yet another holiday. I love that we have these holidays to serve as reminders of significant events. I observed so many people visiting our town this past weekend and saw families gather together to barbeque and eat copious amounts of food, play in the park, ride bikes, take carriage rides, and on and on. It was a beautiful weekend, the weather was perfect and there was laughter and joy felt throughout the valley.

I was getting ready to attend one of these family barbeques when I received a text from a good friend of mine. She said "Have you heard?" I answered with a hesitant "no" wondering what she was talking about. She then sent me a dreaded, heartbreaking text informing me that a sweet young family in our ward (congregation) was at a family pool party and that their precious 2 year old boy had drowned. I was shocked...I went numb. As I proceeded to ask for more information, she told me that his father immediately began CPR and when the paramedics arrived, they found a pulse. He was life-flighted to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake (God bless PCMC) and was on life-support.

My heart ached for this sweet family who was facing the most horrific pain and agony I could ever imagine. The prognosis was not good. EMT's on scene were skeptical at best. I went to the family party, we all were saddened, but we ended up having a great evening, yet in the recesses of our minds and hearts was this tragic moment and we were all somber.

On the first Sunday of each month, in our church we have what we call "Fast and Testimony" meeting. We are asked to fast just once a month (preferrably for a 24 hour period), donate the money we would have spent on those meals to help those in need and use it as an opportunity to become closer to our Heavenly Father. When we fast, we are to do so with a purpose...it's usually personal, but we had been asked to fast for this young child and his family beginning Saturday night. Sunday was our fast and testimony meeting where anyone in the ward can get up and share their testimony of their beliefs. It's a beautiful meeting and this past Sunday was no exception.

The man conducting the meeting got up and shared with us a few texts that he had received at the onset of the meeting. He explained that he normally does not text during Sacrament Meeting, but this was an exception. He read a text from a young man in our ward who was not at church at that moment because he was down in SLC at the hospital with this family supporting them. This man was sending updates on this little boy's condition and had just sent one stating that he had begun to breathe on his own, was off life support, was coughing, awake and becoming alert! It was truly miraculous and he wept as he read the text...so did everyone else.

When he sat down, several of our young women (ages 12-18) got up and tearfully shared their testimony of the power of fasting and prayer as well as their feelings of love and genuine concern for this family. The mother is one of their leaders and they love and respect her so much. They each told of how they were fasting and asked their Heavenly Father to bless this family with love, comfort, support and understanding. But what touched me the most was that each of these young ladies asked that "His will be done"...knowing that His will might be to take this sweet little soul back to His presence...

As of right now, I don't know any more than this: This little boy is conscious. He is breathing on his own. He is responding and he is alive! I don't know of any long term effects or if there is any brain damage. I don't know if he will make it or not. I do know that angels are watching over him and I know that there is a group of teenage girls who are praying and have fasted over a holiday that normally includes obscene amounts of their favorite foods. They have selflessly given of their hearts to a little boy who needs many prayers and a family who is hurting. I love these young women. I am honored to be in their presence and to know them. I am proud of them and I look to their example of righteousness as a beacon to the world. Teenagers often get a bad rap, but these teenagers are strong and they are valiant and I am honored to know them.

I will keep you posted with updates of this sweet wee one. I love all of my blogging friends and I know that your prayers are powerful. I know that EVERY prayer is answered in the Lord's way. Thank you in advance for keeping him in your prayers...his name is Jake.

Be The Change...

These past few months have been extremely trying and challenging for my hubs and me as we have encountered so many *life changes* that were, for the most part, very unexpected. But things HAD to change and that's how life is...constantly changing. During this time, I have shed many tears, both happy and sad. I have learned many lessons and have let go of some unresolved issues that I have come to realize will never be resolved...and that's O.K.

I was cleaning out my computer yesterday and ran across these sayings that I hadn't seen in a few years:

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever."

"To believe in something and not live it, is dishonest."

"The weak never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." ~Mahatma Ghandi

I LOVE these sayings! When I re-read them yesterday, my heart was touched as never before. When we encounter trials and challenges that test our very souls, I believe that we become like pliable putty that can then be molded into the person we are supposed to be. Through our desperation, we become submissive to the will of the Father and find within us a resolve to do "whatever it takes" to find the peace and happiness we know is possible. At least such is the case with me.

I went to a Womens Retreat with my ward the other night and there was a devotional where 3 women spoke of trials and how to find the *Lighthouse* during the storms of life. All 3 were amazing and touched me, but one woman spoke to my heart and gave me a totally new perspective on how we should look at our life's trials.

This young woman is married with 5 children. Currently, her husband is in a psychiatric unit suffering from depression and anxiety. She has stood by him through this and visits him regularly. She spoke of one particular visit: It was a Sunday. She had come directly from church and was wearing her Sunday best, fully made up-he was in his hospital gown and had a scruffy face due to the fact that he is not allowed any sharp objects and together they sat reading Psalms. She had one leg draped over his lap and her head was resting on his shoulder. Suddenly, she had an image in her mind that was clear and very real, of an angel painting the two of them. She said that she thought how pathetic they must have looked and why would anyone (angel or otherwise) want to paint a picture of the two of them sitting together, looking like they did in a psychiatric unit??...then it hit her...

She realized that because the Lord can see the *Big Picture*, He sees the Beauty in our trials and looks at them as Works of Art. He knows that there will be a mess before we're through, but He also knows that we can emerge more beautiful and stronger than ever, thus creating a great Masterpiece.

Wow...that struck a chord with me. It gave me a new perspective and a new resolve to work on embracing my trials. What Brad and I have gone through these past two months has made us stronger and, although we have not yet created a masterpiece, we are in the process of creating something more beautiful then before. We are stronger and more resiliant. We are more humble and more forgiving. We are kinder and  more gentle. We are far from perfect, but we are on the path. Change had to come...things couldn't stay the same. So now instead of waiting for everyone else and everything else to change, we realize that we must "Be The Change".

Peace has come to us. That gentle peace that comes from knowing that we are not alone; that we are being watched over and that we are loved by so many, both here on earth and in the Heavens above.

One of my most favorite scriptures is Isaiah 41:10

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

What more can I ask?

My First Blog Award!

What a nice surprise I had today from a lovely blogger named Kristine. She left a kind comment on my last post and honored me with this sweet award.

I checked out her blog and it is BEAUTIFUL and she has such inspiring photographs that, of course, she took! I am SO envious of these amazing women who understand the art of photography...now, more than ever, I am inspired to take a class and learn how to use a camera!

Thanks, Kristine...looking forward to a long friendship!