The Details

Okay Fam Bam. I think maybe I'll post some informational things here for your viewing pleasure.

First. Stephanie asked for the address of the College Inn where we'll be staying. The address is 123 E. 100 S., St. George, 84770.

Here's a link.

Next. I really do have a ring! Here's what it looks like:

Not only is it beautiful, but it's all paid for. :)

Next. Here's where we're getting married. You will notice that it's just four blocks from where we're staying. We didn't get a sealing room that's off the celestial room so you won't need to wear white.

Click this link.


Next. Our reception will be at Cottontown Village. It's in a dance hall but we actually aren't going to have dancing. (Sorry Mark! But we can have a Christmas dance party up at mom and dad's when we're there for Christmas).

Here's another link!

(I just learned how to use links. So it's link-fest 2K15 up in here.)


Next. Here's what I'll be wearing. 

One more link for the pile!

Next. Here are some ideas of things to wear.

Pretend like this is a working link! https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z764txf5kf7buoq/AAAOttD1BORQ3wpkANkFzV4qa?dl=0

(I emailed the link to you as well). Accessorize with gold, if you can. Because we want people to know how fancy we are. I have a bunch of gold jewelry if you want to borrow something of mine. 


Is there anything else you'd want to know about this shindig?
We'll be eating hot chocolate and donuts at the reception.
The sealing is at 10:40 and they want you there a half hour early.
Our wedding song is 'Uptown Funk'. Just kidding. It's 'Don't Go Breakin My Heart'. Just kidding. It's 'We are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together'. Just kidding. It's 'Under the Sea'. Just kidding. It's 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. Just kidding. We don't have a wedding song. That is real.

What We Wore

From left: Jason was himself; Paige was a minion; I did a reprisal of my old lady costume; Ruth was a chimp; George was old Thor; Gwen was a bat; James was a guy in jammies; Claire was a mouse. 

Vintage Mattress

Mom and Dad were kind and let us take the double bunk bed. (Not sure what y'all are going to sleep on now.  Sorry!)  I was changing sheets the other day and noticed this vintage tag.  Excuse the slinky dress.  Isn't this a classic?  Was the mattress from Boscov's thus the "Bosc-O-Pedic"? Had to share.

Btw, I posted our Halloween costumes here.

Some Things.

So, here are some things.

Salt Lake has been fun, but an opportunity came up to go back to my St. George school district. After discussing it with Trent, Mom, and my old boss, I decided to move back to St. George!

Also. Trent and I are talking about getting married. Soon. Like in December. Around Christmas time. Stayed tuned.

From the recipe files of Gwen Fillmore

OATMEAL CAKE:

When Grandma Fillmore (Gwen) passed away there was a whole bunch of her personal effects placed all over the pool table in the basement of the house.  I grabbed some glass items and doilies...should have taken more...and one of the things I got were a bunch of recipe cards.  I lived with her for a year and her cooking was simple but so delicious.

I've had these recipe cards for a while and always wonder why I'm holding onto them.  Now I've decided to scan the recipe cards, make the recipe and share it with everyone.  I know that some of them are in her handwriting and some aren't so I don't know if these are all "her" recipes, but she had them, so I consider them "hers."

So the first recipe will be one of Dad's favorites (we've been fortunate to have him at our house for his last two birthdays and this is what I've made him).  It's an oatmeal cake.  The directions are sparse--okay, they're non-existent, so I've done my best to make it like other cakes I've made.

You can't go wrong with a good old-fashioned oatmeal cake!!

Here's the recipe written out for you.
1 cup oatmeal added to 1-1/4 cups boiling water; let stand for 20 minutes.
1 cube butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
In a small bowl mix dry ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to the wet ones, then add the oatmeal, mix and pour into greased and floured pan(s).  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

For the topping:
6 T. butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup almonds

Here's an alternate recipe that I think I like better (1 stick butter, 3 T milk, 1-1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans).  Anyway, bring the butter, milk and sugar mixture to a boil (235 degrees or softball stage) then remove from heat, add vanilla, nuts and coconut.  As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, switch on the broiler, spoon topping over cake, put back in oven for less than a minute or until the topping boils, bubbles and turns brown.  Cool cake slightly and eat as soon as you can.

Stay tuned for another recipe from the files of Gwen Fillmore, in the meantime, ENJOY!

Some Pics

We went to the beach and ate some snacks under the pier a while ago. The kids are growing up so quickly. It is a pleasure to be with them every day. We also went to the farmers market and Zephyr keeps talking about the trolley she got to "ride" on and ring the bell! There were chickens and fruits and vegetables and stalls with all sorts of crafts and clothes and food items. a regular fair. Loved it!

I wake up to this cheerful fellow every day.

The Temple CC and the DD

This is about our Temple Cultural Celebration and our Dedication Day a week ago!

There are nine stakes in the new temple district, and youth from those stakes performed dances around certain themes, like our frontier heritage, agriculture, sports, crossroads of America, etc. Our stake's youth combined with another stake to present an interpretation of the Indy 500.

See video below. It starts with the people in blue shirts on the right singing "Back Home Again in Indiana," then switches to a simulation of a race, complete with "crashes" and the team of medics. It concludes with the presentation of a jug of milk to the winner, which is a real thing.

James is somewhere in the group of black and white shirts (representing the checkered flag), wearing a white shirt.

We could have seen faces better if we had watched the live broadcast online, but it was really fun to be there in person, with so many other Church members.

James spent that whole day at the stadium practicing. At least one spot on his face had been sunscreened.

The next day was the dedication. The stake president gave us tickets to be at the temple for the final dedicatory session. We were praying to find someone close to the temple who could watch our four younger kids, and a family who used to live in our stake but who now live in northern Indy were the answer to our prayer. 

The window to the left of Jason's shoulder is in a waiting room, and that's where our seats were.

So, now our temple is open! It's 1.5 hours away (totally highway driving) vs. 2.3 hours to Louisville (mostly on winding roads). 

As a footnote, I tried going the first day it was officially open, and it was mobbed! (as I should have expected.) We may have to go back to Louisville for awhile until the hubbub dies down.

Us at the Indianapolis Temple

(Old draft, started Tues July 14)
Jason & I were invited to be tour guides for the VIP tours that started today. As part of training for that, we got to tour Monday night as a family, and today (Tuesday) we led a tour comprised of an interfaith women's group. Those were great experiences! 

I had wanted a family photo taken at the temple together Monday night. We started with freshly-combed hair, but then sat through a training meeting and then toured the temple. By the time we finished the tour, it was dark, but our stake president's wife still snapped this photo of us. We were a little disheveled, but we were happy since we had just had a wonderful time together.

Post script: The Browns and Treanors came, and we toured the temple together. It was so great! (True couldn't make it on this trip, and Jason & James had to dash off before this was taken.)

A few days after this was the day I had signed Jason up to help with parking at the open house. I had signed up James to go at the same time and help put on shoe coverings. Weston also got to go as a volunteer, which was really fun for James.

John Fillmore Family Values

A post from us South Carolinians!

Tonight for Family Home Evening I will be presenting this to our family. Here are some of our family values/attributes.


The Fillmores are Loyal.
The Fillmores are Generous.
The Fillmores are Adaptable.
The Fillmores are Patient.
The Fillmores are Motivated.
The Fillmores are Open-minded.
The Fillmores are Clever.
The Fillmores are Encouraging.
The Fillmores are Loyal.
The Fillmores are Compassionate.
The Fillmores are Respected.
The Fillmores are Industrious.
The Fillmores are Playful.
The Fillmores are Approachable.
The Fillmores are Experienced.
The Fillmores are Balanced.
The Fillmores are Encouraging.
The Fillmores are Dependable.
The Fillmores are Prepared.
The Fillmores are Courageous.
The Fillmores Persevere.
The Fillmores are Bold.
The Fillmores are Victorious.
The Fillmores Belong.

My Ida-home

When we were looking for a house in Idaho, we prayed that we would find the place we were supposed to be because it would be easy. I know this is not normally how it works, but it was what we needed and we were very blessed to get it. We love our house and our land-ladies and we have a good ward.

Let me show you around!

We live in the corner house of a short cul-de-sac. The boys will finally have a safe place to bike ride nearby!

Here is my kitchen! It's way bigger than my Oklahoma galley. And you can see the post-it notes that show which cabinet holds what. (A great trick for after you move, or when a mother/in-law comes to help out)

Here is the boys' room. I got it super-ultra-mega organized last month as we were unpacking all the books, toys, books, dinosaurs, and books. The maintenance has been pretty-good so far.

My new favorite spot in the house is our front bay window, which has a wooden ledge and lots of light for reading. Toss a couple of pillows up there and we can be content for hours.

This is the boys' bathroom. It's bigger than mine and I'm a little jealous of their skylight. Note: the laundry trap door.

My bathroom: so small I had to install an over-the-potty shelf. Note: the laundry trap door.

The house is only one floor, so the little laundry door system isn't a laundry "chute" per se. It's more like the laundry drops 1.5 feet into my small basket in my laundry room. And I put towels on the shelf above the trap doors in case I get stuck after my shower with no towel. I can just open the trap door and reach up and get one! Also Frederick can use the trap door to talk to me when I'm on the potty... which I'm not fond of doing.

This is the nice fenced yard viewed from the patio.

This is the nice fenced yard viewed from the opposite side of the yard.

We do like our house!

Lil Look-Alikes

Little Chance

Little Linus

Aren't they cute twin cousins?

No More Dermoid!

*Bloody Skin to follow*

dermoid cyst

A dermoid cyst is a teratoma of a cystic nature that contains an array of developmentally mature, solid tissues. It frequently consists of skin, hair follicles, and sweat glands.

If you remember, Roger had a little dermoid on the back of his head behind his ear. They're almost always benign, but if he ever fell on it (as toddlers are wont to do) it could rupture and create a lot of painful scar tissue.

Last May, he got it removed a friendly oculo-plastic surgeon who has experience working delicately on people's heads. She sent us some pictures.

The closed incision. Note Dr. Moreau's beautiful suture work.

The thing!

Roger's head has healed beautifully: the scar is barely noticeable. (It's that shiny line)

A Tribute to Annmarie

On June 7, 2015, I had to give a 5-minute spotlight of Annmarie in Relief Society as the graduating Young Women were being welcomed in.  Annmarie is special and unique and I wanted to give a spotlight that reflected her creativity; this is what I wrote down and shared with the RS sisters.  

Annmarie is classic...
If Annmarie was a shoe, she'd be a black, patented leather stiletto pump.
If Annmarie was a fictional character, she'd be Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice.
If Annmarie was a movie, she'd be Sabrina.

Annmarie is fiercely independent...
If Annmarie was an animal she'd be a shark--because they leave their mothers early and are not afraid.
If Annmarie was a tree she's be a mighty oak.

Annmarie is creative...
If Annmarie was a lamp, she'd be a lava lamp because their ebbing and flowing with creativity.
If Annmarie was a landscape, she'd be a beautiful sunset.

Annmarie is caring and sweet...
If Annmarie was a candy bar, she'd be a Dove bar.
If Annmarie was a historic hero, she'd be Florence Nightingale.

   

 Annmarie is smart...
If Annmarie was an insect, she'd be a bee.
If Annmarie was an article of clothing, she'd be a maxi dress WITH pockets.

Annmarie is a social butterfly...
If Annmarie was a meal, she'd be a fondue party.
If Annmarie was a dance, she'd be a country reel.

Annmarie is spiritually strong...
If Annmarie was a building, she'd be a temple.
If Annmarie was a church historical figure, she'd be Emma Smith.

Incidentally, I was chosen to go first out of the other five mothers/daughters, and although my remarks were meant to be jovial and lighthearted, I read the first sentence, looked up, and the ladies were all teary and crying!  Being in Primary all my life, I'm not used to that type of crying, but I guess the sisters all know how hard it will be for me when Annmarie leaves for the first time.  Anyway, after that it was difficult to read through it without being emotional.

Shrug Your Shoulders

Somehow we acquired a Barbie pillow case. I was about to give it away, because besides showing Barbie immodestly dressed, it wasn't even big enough to fit a standard pillow! Paige implored, and I agreed to keep it and try to enlarge it. But first I did some creative appliqué to help Barbie abide by our family dress standards. See photos below.  

That was a personally satisfying project because I want it to passively teach my daughters (and sons) of the importance of modesty. (Now what to do about the rest of the naked Barbie dolls around the house?!)

Before

After. Don't you notice her face more in this view?

Tired & Retired

Our amazing mom lead the Clap Out at Riverview on May 29th, her final day of teaching school at Alpine School District. She deserves plenty of applause!

If you ask her what it's like to be retired, she'll say, "I haven't found that out yet."  She went straight from school to UT girls camp then to KY girls camp, and now she's packing up for a mission.  So someday she'll report on what it feels like to be re-tired.  But for now, I think she's just plain tired!!

Mom & Dad Racquetball

Still going every Saturday morning. I hope I'm this healthy at 66.

Payson Temple Day

Today we went to the Payson Utah Temple Open House.  Jill and her family went today too, but at a different time.  It was beautiful inside.  The decor reminded me of turn-of-the-century times, like 100 years ago.  I could picture Harriet Stark Wride or Emily Beckstead Fillmore sitting on sofas of that style, although the grandeur of the building would probably be beyond their imagination. It was ornate, lovely, detailed, and peaceful.   You can see a slideshow here showing more of the inside, please watch it, it shows everything better than I can.

There was a theme of apple blossoms in the stained glass, woodwork, and doorhandles, etc., which is significant because both the Wride's and Fillmore's had orchards.  There was even a painting of a woman using an apron to collect apples.  In a tribute Grandma Gwen wrote of her mother Harriet, she mentioned how she (Gwen) would climb up the trees and toss apples to her mother, and Harriet would catch the apples in her apron.  So that painting is for us!

There were also wheat patterns in the glass, and the tile on the floor looked like quilting patterns. I'm so amazed at all the handcrafted details that are so appropriate to the region.

After the tour, we drove around Payson and Grandpa showed us where his aunts lived and where he used to play with cousins.  We stopped here at Peteetneet School, established in 1901, where Grandma Gwen went to school and her sister Mary taught.  It's a Utah Historic Site.

Peteetneet is a Ute word.  The town could have been called that (there are stranger Utah town names like Parowan, Hurricane, Laverkin, Tooele, Orderville), but it was named after a guy named Pace. This monument honors the Ute people.  The kids tried to look stoic.

Then we stopped by the Payson cemetary to see if we could find some of the relatives we learned about yesterday.  After searching and clever detective work we found Gwen's parents, Harriet & Lewis.  We were so excited to find them and the other Wride relatives surrounding them.  We took a four generation photo.

Payson Ancestor Day

Tomorrow we will go to the Payson Utah Temple Open House. To get ready for that, tonight we had a special Family Home Evening to learn about our ancestors from Payson.  To participate, these were our instructions.

1. Choose an ancestor.
Harriet Stark Wride - Grandma
Lewis William Barry Wride - Ephraim
George Riley Fillmore - Owen
Emily Lucretia Beckstead Fillmore - Melinda
Daniel Stark - Isaac
Annie, Eloise, Mary, Hattie, or Winnie Wride - Ella
Gwendolyn Ethel Wride Fillmore - Grandpa

2. Learn about him/her (using FamilySearch or family history books)
Find a picture
Childhood, brothers & sisters
Married life, job, children, spouse
Testimony and church service
What do you have in common with him/her?

3. Present ancestor to us.

Be creative! Make a slideshow, puppet, skit, brochure, or report

___________________________________________________________

It turned out really well.  Everyone did great presentations and paid attention really well. It was fun for us all to become more familiar with the Wride and Fillmore families. Here are some of the presentations:

(Ella wanted to add more but ran out of time.)



Now we're more excited to see the farms, landscape, and buildings that our ancestors knew and loved. The temple also apparently has orchard motifs, which will remind us of the orchards where both families raised their families.  I just know being there with grandpa will be very special. We have some really wonderful ancestors!

Tidy

In March, I read Marie Kondo's "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up."  I loved it!  For me, it answered the question "How do I know when I am done decluttering?"  Instead of focusing on what can I get rid of (which is where I was), she focuses on what you should keep.  Keep only the things that "spark joy!"  The method to going through your stuff is to do one category at a time (and in a specific order).  You do this by first getting out every item of that category and picking up every single item one at a time.

Here are all of my clothes (every season, even maternity) piled on my bed.

After lots of sorting, picking up each item, and asking myself if it "sparks joy," these are the items that will be leaving.  (Don't worry, I'm not donating items that don't belong to me.  They'll be in the next throwdown.  But if there is anything specific you are looking to add to your wardrobe, let me know and I'll see if I have one going out!)  I also got rid of lots of hangers.  

Now for the BEFORE and AFTER pictures!

Top of my closet before and after:

Bottom of my closet before and after:

Drawers before (on left) and after (on right):

This is the closet in another room where I kept my off season clothes (and off season decorations).  Oh, and Zeal and Liberty have some clothes in there, too.  ;)  These two are from before...

These are after...  It went from three bins and a box to two bins.  And it's just maternity clothes in the bins now.  

More pictures from my closet now:

Now that I have completed clothes and accessories, I'll be moving on to books, then (non-sentimental) papers, then miscellaneous categories, and then sentimental categories.  If any before and after pictures are blog worthy, you'll be the first to know!