Tuesday, March 24, 2009

She went to the Beauty Salon....

She was overdue for a haircut!

So I made an appointment and took her down and she had her hairs cut and her hairs washed and she had her nails done.....

Now she looks like a whole new doggy.




BEFORE



AFTER

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Chocolate and Science mmmmm delicious!

Today I took the kids to the Discovery Museum at the Gateway.... They were hosting a Chocolate Fest. It was held by the American Chemistry Society. The whole hands on exhibit was about how chemistry affects Chocolate. We did several experiments, and at the end we went through a room that had chocolate vendors, including Mrs. Cavanaugh's, C. Cummings, and then there were some chocolate tastings as well. The best part well after the Chocolate of course was that the first 1,000 attendees got in free! Free Chocolate, there is nothing better than that!

It was very well organized and we had a wonderful time.
The first activity was Chocolate as an Acid neutrilizer. We took PH strips and dipped them in vinegar and then we stirred up some chocolate chips in the vinegar for a few minutes. After that we used the PH strips again and we were able to see the difference in PH levels.
Q. What did I learn?
A. When you get acid reflux eat chocolate!



Next we learned that water and vegetable oil do not have electrolytes while Gatorade and Chocolate milk have tons of electrolytes.
Q. What did I learn?
A. That when you need to rehydrate drink Gatorade or better yet Chocolate Milk!

Then we moved on to discover that chocolate and gum do not mix.... but why? It is because the oil causes the gum to dissolve. It makes a huge mess in your mouth. I could get really technical but I only remember the basics, sorry.

Q. What did I learn?
A. Under no circumstances should you ever eat chocolate while chewing gum.... throw away the gum and enjoy your chocolate!

We also learned why an m&m will dissolve faster in different solutions that others. We dropped an m&m into each of 3 cups the first was just plain old H2O, the second was H2O and we added 1 tsp. of sugar, the third was H2O and we added 3 tsp. of sugar. The m&m coating dissolved fastest in the plain H2O. Then in the second place was the H2O and 1 tsp. of sugar. The reason behind this was because the sugar took up most of the room in the solution. When there was not any sugar present it was able to dissolve faster.
Q. What did I learn?
A. Frankly I don't know!




We moved on to one of the more interesting experiments, in which we had to use one of our senses....

This was very cool, 1st we had to choose a mystery liquid to put into a balloon, but only a few drops. Then we had to blow up the balloon and tie it. after that we sniffed the balloon and it smelled like vanilla! We were able to sniff the ones that had been sitting there for a little while and it was pretty amazing. The ones with orange extract smelled like a lemon-lime beverage, but still like a rubber balloon. The vanilla one also still smelled like a rubber balloon. However the chocolate one smelled like Chocolate with out the rubber balloon smell. The chocolate scented balloon was the strongest smelling. And you know what? They had made one and stuck it under the table and it was orange and vanilla scented and it smelled like a dreamcicle.
Q. What did I learn?
A. I really like Chocolate scented balloons!

The last hands on project we did was to make white chocolate roses.....

I don't have photos of our White Chocolate roses because our hands were very messy at this point. We were able to take small rounds of white chocolate the size of pennies and flatten them and shape them into a rose and then we put them on skewers to take home.
Q. What did I learn?
A. Playing with Chocolate is just as much fun as eating it!
After this we were given a goody bag with a kids newspaper and other goodies from the American Chemistry Society and ushered into "The Chocolate Room." Here we were given a small paper sack and told to gather the chocolates that we wanted. Mrs. Cavanaugh's gave us a choice of 1 chocolate where as C. Cummings told us we needed to take one of everything and they had about 8 different chocolates on hand! On the end of their table they were hand dipping strawberries in chocolate and told us to make sure we ate one right away.... my favorite! Then we went to the last table and we were given 4 squares of chocolate each, and told to take them home and have a family chocolate tasting. I know what I am having for dessert!
We really enjoyed our Chocolate Fest experience and we were also able to explore the children's museum as well and that was great fun!!!! If you have not taken your kids to the Discovery Children's museum I encourage you to do it. We had tons of fun and it is so much cooler than the old Children's museum.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Thrift Store Treasure Hunting

I love to hunt for treasures at my local thrift stores. I usually come away with something really fantastic that I just can't live with out. For example I bought a Cutco Knife for a quarter.... oh yes I did, as a matter of fact I went back a few months after that excursion and found the exact same Cutco Knife for 50 cents and I bought it. These knives retail at $80 each. So I went looking for a potato masher one day and low and behold I found a Cutco masher for 50 cents wow! I really was stoked about that one, and they all match, with the rosewood handles.....
Ok, so my latest greatest find, the one I am all giddy about is this green jacket I found at the DI (Deseret Industries for those of you not in Utah). I was actually not hunting for a jacket but I found one anyway. The first thing I noticed about it was the color.... oh, it was the most fantastic shade of green. Then I checked the size and it was just my exact perfect fit. Finally the price came into play 5 Whole Dollars!!!! I didn't care what it took, IT was going home with me. The last thing I noticed, and that was not until I got it home, was that it was LEATHER real, genuine leather. Can You Believe It???

I am a thrift store junkie..... I used to hate it when my mom would take us to the Second Hand store to get all of our "New School Clothes". Now it seems like the cool thing to do with every one searching for vintage and retro style clothing. And now there are cool stores for teens that are second hand stores such as "Plato's Closet" and "Kid To Kid" for younger kids, all of which I shop and love. My kids don't mind so much shopping there as long as they are picking out the clothes and I am not forcing them to wear plaid pants from the 70's. We usually stick to good looking jeans (meaning no holes in the knees) and some shirts with no stains. America's throw aways are not what they used to be..... We are such a wealthy nation or atleast we think we are. That we don't hesitate to throw something out just because we are sick of it or it is just not our style any more. I love this kind of recycling. Generally you can find things at the thrift stores that are practically brand new. I have walked out with things that have their original price tags on them! I have also purchased serving dishes for weddings and events that I have catered. And once I got a bundt pan for a buck.... Miss Erin called me one day and asked if I had a bundt pan she could borrow and I said I did not, however I just happened to be at the DI, in the kitchen section and walked by one as we were talking, so I picked it up. And then there was the time I needed to replace someones crockpot lid. (It took a tumble in the back of my car) I found the lid I needed, they had tons to choose from.

Ok if you are a thirift store junkie I want to hear about your best find ever! Oh and Happy Hunting.....

Monday, March 9, 2009

Jeremy Riddle Concert

Tonight was the Jeremy Riddle Concert and his CD premier for his second album. Steadfast opened for them. Steadfast is a local band and as far as I know the members still attend Life Church in West Valley. They were really, really, good!!! The Worship atmosphere was incredible, there was such an attitude of praise. Jeremy Riddle came on the stage and he was very sick with a cold. We would have never known it after he started playing and worshiping. He really gave it everything he had. You could completely see that he was doing it for the Lord and not for us. It was so refreshing to be in that kind of atmosphere..... God was in the house as always and His people were praising Him!

I got to thinking while we were there, how deafening the music and the praises of His people were. And I thought to myself, How much louder it must be in the throne room of Heaven?
I can't wait to get there and make my joyful noise!!!!

Most of us in this photo have been involved in the worship team at our church at one time or another in some way or another. We love it and we worship at church however, there is a responsibility that comes with that. We have to draw people into worship, and we have to be very careful not to be a distraction. So it is really nice to be able to come to a concert and let someone else draw people into worship, let ourselves be drawn into worship without worrying about anything else. Most of us on the praise team don't get that kind of experience very often. We usually wait till monday morning when we are in the car alone and we are worshiping and driving. (I dare say that is as dangerous as texting while driving, you see I have a tendency to worship while I drive and I tend to close my eyes while I worship.....) Most of our worship time comes when we are alone, not with a group of Jesus Followers. So tonight I found myself "Surrendered In Praise."


Thursday, March 5, 2009

Photo of Fuzzy Wuzzy

I have had a lot of people tell me that I did not post a pic of Justin with out his Fuzzzzzzz.
Well to be honest I have not seen him for more than about 2 hours total in the last 3 days so I had not been able to get that pic yet... but with out further ado.....


He is sick He got a cold of some sort and it probably did not help that he had to sit under the green cloud out at magcor.



Here's the funny part, he had to shave all of it off for 1 day and a few hours worth of work....they are already moving him out to project topaz again in the West Jordan area. Praise the Lord !!!!!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a Bear

You know that nursery rhyme Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair?
I stepped into that nursery rhyme today and I just don't know what to think.... You see Justin got a call today that he would be going to work at Magcorp for a few weeks they need an electrician who can weld and he is the only one that they have. So he headed home from work for lunch, and he shaved off all of his facial hair..... well except his eye brows of course! He has to be able to wear a respirator if need be. When he stepped out of the bathroom to show me his handi work I was wigged out. Then he promptly left to go do a respirator test at WorkMed and purchase his respirator etc....He left me there with my jaw dropped and a million thoughts rampaging through my little blown mind. I have not seen him with out his mustache and beard for over 6 years. He looks so different, I can't stop looking at him! It just makes me wonder if I could pick him out of a crowd now if I had to? His face is very soft and he looks older than I remember him with out all the hair, But in a more mature way, not ancient like. I admit I like looking at him, always have, but now it is more like curiosity. I find myself staring at him and I embarassed myself by staring at him for a long time and he caught me. I know the kids think it is strange as well. I think he looks really good I think this no facial hair thing could grow on me.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
If Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
Then Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't Fuzzy was HE?