Rice Pudding

This past weekend my oldest niece, Kelsey got married to the man of her dreams in the Denver, Colorado Temple. I wasn't able to attend so I have been a little home-(family) sick.

Tonight I decided to make one of my family's favorite comfort food dessert, Rice Pudding. I thought it would ease my homesickness a little. This recipe was from a cookbook my grandmother, Alta Taylor, owned when she was a young mother. When I was a little girl, my mom used to make a triple batch so we could eat it for breakfast the next morning too. Yum!

Rice Pudding
1/3 cup sugar
2 well beaten eggs
2 cups milk
1 T butter
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 C cooked rice
1/3 C raisins

Beat sugar and eggs together. Gradually add milk. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and pour into 1 quart casserole dish. (tripling this will fit in a 9x13 pan) Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes depending on how big you make the recipe. When done, a knife blade will come out clean.

Fun Run

Each year Colegio Maya has a Fun Run for the whole family. The school is K-12 (about 340 kids). Last year we all participated and had a great time. Brice was in the lead for his age group the whole time but stopped to get a drink of Gatorade and came in second. Kierstin, like always just wanted to have fun and told me she skipped (as in -to-my-Lou) the majority of the 3K race. She came in third without even trying. This year, the kids were bound and determined to get another trophy, especially the always competitive Brinley.

Brice and Kierstin-set loose to run as fast or as slow as they wanted. Even though Brice was one of the youngest in his age group, he placed third.

Blaine ran with Brinley. She started the race in tears because so many people came out of the starting block before her but quickly recovered. She had to slow down a few times to let Daddy catch up to her and would not let anyone pass her. She came in right after the 1st place male winner in her age group but strangely did not win. She was upset all day long because she did not have a trophy to bring home. Brice said she could have his but it just wasn't the same.

Luke started off in the stroller with me but quickly realized he wanted out and ran the majority of the race.

Monday at school, Brinley was presented with a package. It contained a nice note, a lot of candy and her trophy! Apparently they timed the kids in strollers on accident and not those who actually ran. She was so pleased she earned a trophy.

Worldly Influences

Monday night I sat down to read a few articles in the Friend to the kids. One we read was entitled "Broken Trust". It is about a girl who, while house sitting for a neighbor, breaks a figurine. She tries to hide her mistake and then feels guilty. She went to the neighbor and confessed and apologized.

After finishing the story I asked Brinley if she could tell me what it was about. She thought for a minute, stood up, started dancing and then replied, perfectly on key(if there is such thing as on key in a Miley Cyrus song);

"Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days. Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout. Everybody has those days. Nobody's perfect..."

ER Trip

Use of ER
Q69.08 ($8.64)
ER Doctor Fee
Q130.00 ($16.25)
1 Vial of Superglue
Q33.70 ($4.21)

Having a happy two year old with no scar on his forehead?

Priceless!

Last night Luke ran into a table, full speed, and sliced his forehead open. The other kids were frantic when they saw all of the blood. It is true, head wounds really do bleed a lot. Heather McGary took the girls to her house and Brice, Luke and I headed to the church to meet Blaine. (He was at the church doing interviews.)

I spent a few minutes looking for my camera before we left and then Brinley asked through her tears, "Mommy, can you please not take any pictures because I do not what to remember this!"

Blaine and his first counselor gave Luke a blessing in the church parking lot and then we drove to the Emergency Room.

I was nervous he would have a scar from the stitches but luckily they just super-glued it shut. He was a valiant soul and never even cried while they were cleaning his forehead or closing up the wound. I am sure the blessing was responsible for that peace.

p.s. Even though I was a little nervous about the medical facility, who can argue with a price like that?!?

Sampler Quilt

My good friend,Susan Blaylock, and I started a sampler quilt before I moved to Guatemala. We bought the fabric together and then split it down the middle so we each owned the same amount of the same fabric. Each week we would get together and choose a different pattern to learn. Even though we started with the same basics, we each picked our own fabric for each square. It was fun to see how the design could differ based on our color choices. Not only did I learn to quilt but our friendship was strengthen. Even though the blocks have been done for a long time, I recently sewed them into the quilt top.
Here is my finished quilt top.
And here is Susan's.

We started a new project while I am away. It is another sampler quilt but the fabrics are so bright and happy and yummy. They remind me of a quest bed in springtime.

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Blaine has been so busy lately. He changed positions at work, became bishop of our ward and started our non-profit organization which he is the president and CEO. All at the same time. When most people think weekends are a time for relaxing, he just switches hats and keeps on working. He came home on Sunday to spend some time with us in between interviews and a youth fireside and couldn't help but fall asleep after the girls gave him his weekly massage. I am so grateful for a husband that is devoted to everything he does.

25 Random Facts

1. I only buy white linens, underclothing and socks so everything can be bleached.
2. Blaine is a far better person than I am.
3. Organizing is one of my favorite things to do.
4. I always wanted to travel but never told anyone because I thought it would never come true.
5. I write lists, and lists of lists. I love crossing things off. It makes me feel accomplished. Sometimes I add things to lists that I have already done just so I can cross it off.
6. I have wanted to be a glass blower, CPA, finance major, bio engineer, nurse, physical therapist and personal trainer.
7. I don't collect anything. But I have thought of collecting chess sets from all the countries we have been to.
8. Escapist reading is a passion.
9. I like to cook and I LOVE to bake.
10. All of my kids are named after someone. Brice Stanley (Stanley is my Dad's middle name and his dad's name), Kierstin Michelle (Kierstin was the sister and mother of the first person baptized in Blaine's family), Brinley Janelle (Janelle is Blaine's sister), Luke Taylor (John Taylor is my fifth great-grandfather)
11. I like to quilt. I feel it shows the user how much you care about them.
12. I am sarcastic.
13. It would be very difficult to give up chocolate.
14. I have recently discovered I am allergic to green peppers, nuts and celery.
15. My kids should live closer to their cousins. I feel they are missing out on a huge blessing in life by being away from extended family.
16. I honestly love my mother-in-law. She is amazing.
17. My mother and I love to go to model homes together.
18. I am a procrastinator. I work best with a deadline.
19. Matchy-matchy is best. My decorating style is not eclectic. And it has to be symmetrical.
20. I asked for chickens for my 10th birthday and got them.
21. I pegged my pants in sixth grade.
22. The kitchen is only clean when there is nothing on the counters at all. No knick-knacks, no toaster, nada.
23. I am fluent in 1.75 languages.
24. Sisters are a girl's best friend.
25. I never thought I was a brave person until I moved to Guatemala.

Safari Chapina

One Saturday in March we headed to Esquintla to go to a drive-thru safari. I love being able to sit in my air conditioned car and see the animals up close. As always, we were cultured as we drove though the highlands of Guatemala to get there. The grounds were surprisingly beautiful and there were more animals than I was expecting. Our favorites were the monkeys, hippos and the lions. Mind you, there were no guidelines about feeding the animals, keeping your windows rolled up or even getting out of your car. I tried to have Brice stand by the hippo so we would remember how fat it was but I was over-ruled. The lions were lazily laying around when we got to them but the lioness did not like our continuous growling. She was sizing up Luke's head by the time we were ready to leave. As we were leaving the park, Blaine let each of the kids take a turn on his lap driving the car. I think that was their favorite part of our Saturday outing.

Time Out

Brinley needed to sit by herself the other day to calm down. She gets wild when she plays with Luke and teases a little too much. I had her go to her room and a few minutes later she came out without my permission. In her fake, high-pitched voice she asked me, "Do you think I look like a princess?" I don't think she remembered what she was supposed to be doing and I didn't have the heart to to bring it up.

Guatemala Education Fund

Last year Blaine and I realized many of the youth in our ward were not attending school because they did not have the means to pay for the tuition, school supplies or transportation. We formed a non-profit organization named Guatemala Education Fund to help those students who otherwise had no opportunity to go to school and also prvided them a mentor to help in the tutoring process.

We had our first student orientation for the Guatemala Education Fund in January. We have 24 students in the program. If you want to learn more, visit www.gteducationfund.org

Here is a picture of all the students, their parents and the volunteers that serve on the Board of Directors.