Then Sings My Soul - EVMCO Concert

 Me & my awesome stand partner!

Back in April, the kids & I participated in three EVMCO (East Valley Millennial Choirs & Orchestras) concerts.  It made for a very long, but rewarding weekend.  Peacock & Turkey sang Oh Happy Day & Onward, Christian Soldiers with their choirs.  Penguin's choir sang Peace Like a River, River in Judea, Holding Hands Around the World, & He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.

Watch the following video to learn more about EVMCO (which is growing to two new cities this fall) and listen to our latest recording of How Great Thou Art:

Raise the Bar: Self-Portrait

I came across a message on Facebook posted by my friend Libby ... she's hosting a photo challenge this year ...  one theme per week.  Maybe I'm too late to join the fun, but I still wanted to try this week's challenge because some of the other photographers had some fun results that inspired me & my cameras have been growing too much dust. Week one is the dreaded self-portrait.  To me, a self-portrait is nothing more than a crap-shoot cause I'm not behind the camera & able to see what's going on.  I fiddled around with my camera for a bit & gave-up because nothing was working how I wanted it to.  Tonight after the kids were in bed, I stuck my camera card into my computer and this one was my favorite:

To check out the results of some other photographers, go to Libby's blog!

Self Portrait - febphotoaday

Just sat at my desk and held the camera arms-length away. :)

Harry + Hermione

This past weekend, the hubby & I went to a Halloween party.  We were supposed to dress up as a famous couple ... it was a quick & easy choice for us .... Harry Potter & Hermione Granger!

The group:

Missing in Action ...

I know ... I know ... I've totally been MIA ... but I have lots of good excuses.  While I was in CA having a good time with my sister and performing with the OCMCO, I got a phone call letting me know that we have to move-out of our rental house.  It's a long, boring story, but it is what it is, so as soon as I got back, we started house hunting like mad people ... like 12+ hours a day between looking online and actually going out to tour homes.  If we can find something in the next few days, we have time to close and move-in instead of going to another rental.  We've also been tossing around the idea of renting again & building a custom home, but finding a lot to build on and the number of unknowns are somewhat daunting.  We'll see.

In other news, the EVMCO/OCMCO Salt Lake City concert sold-out around 4000 seats in less than 30 minutes!!  That was very exciting but at the same time very frustrating for all the people who got zero tickets.  And the word on the street is that the box office over-sold because they expect a certain number of no-shows but with all the people traveling from out-of-state and even some from out-of-country, we don't anticipate a lot of no-shows.  The directors of our organizations are now working on additional concerts in the Salt Lake City area.

Here is a preview of our upcoming May21st concert in Mesa, Arizona with country super-star Collin Raye ... tickets are on-sale now!!  You can not afford to miss this event!!

I've done zip-nada-zero-zilch baking the last few weeks ... and not much cooking either.  We usually stop for tacos or something around 8:30 at night after we are fried from house hunting.  I'm going to have lots of catching-up to do with my foodie groups.

Hope you are all enjoying a more calm & normal weekend than me!!  Happy Mother's Day!!

Alice Medrich's Chocolate Chip Cookies & Other Happenings

Life is just insane sometimes.   We had our dinner party a couple weeks ago & the weather cooperated beautifully.  No rain until after midnight that night.  It was great getting to know people from church that I might not usually work with or consider my "buds", but after spending some time with these people and having them in my home, we saw how interesting and fun it is to break out of your regular circle.  Some people came that I wasn't even sure if I knew what they looked like or who they were and now I'd definitely consider having them over for dinner again.

Two days after our dinner party, the Young Women presidency in our ward was released and a new presidency was called.  I was one of the few lucky ones that got to stay in YW with all the changes, so I am still a Laurel advisor.  But we realized at church that Sunday that we were supposed to be having a special mother-daughter activity 2 days later and there was no location reserved, no food planned, no decorations bought, etc.  Because I had just had a dinner party in my backyard and they were looking for an outdoor location for the get-together, I volunteered my yard & house.  More details for come....

As for my personal life, I'm consumed by rental-house problems ... again.  I tell ya ... renting has not been a good/fun experience for us.  But this most recent experience has kinda forced us to start considering buying a house.  We spent about 12 hours this weekend house-hunting.  We almost put an offer on a house.  We got pre-approved, had the offer all written up, but at the last minute decided to not go through with it.  The house was amazing.  The current owners are probably $1mill in debt on it & they are trying to short-sale the home.  They bought a home (probably when the market was high) and then gutted it.  The owner is a professional interior designer, so it was absolutely beautiful ... there wasn't one paint color or anything that I'd change and we even considered buying some of the furniture that she had in the home.  The yard was very family friendly, too ... a sports court (great spot to ride bikes in the backyard), sand & large swingset, firepit & gas fireplace, outdoor kitchen/built in BBQ, and all this was on about 3/4 of an acre.  It seemed to be everything we were looking for, but I just didn't love the floor plan or feel like it was as functional as I'd like for our family's needs.   There is another house we are considering, but it needs to be gutted ... not sure if it's had any updates or changes in nearly 30 years ... and we're still shopping around.

Last night we took our whole Young Women group (all the girls 12-18 years old who attend church with me) to see the Easter Pageant.  I snuck my hubby & kids in with the group cause if they didn't go last night, we wouldn't have been able to attend this year.  After saying no to putting an offer on the house, I needed to do something a little more fun, so I decided to bake some cookies to take & share with our young women group.  I have my favorite chocolate-chip cookie recipe, but I was in the mood to try Alice Medrich's "My Chocolate Chip Cookies" from her new cookie cookbook.  The recipe said I'd get about 60 cookies from one batch ... I must've made big cookies cause I got about 1/2 that many.  Realizing that we'd run out of treats very quickly with only 30 cookies, we whipped up a baking sheet of brownies.  Alice's recipe was pretty quick and easy & it's always nice to have a recipe that you don't have to shop or plan ahead for.  I thought her cookies were a little on the chewy side (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but the leftovers (I kept a few cookies at home for us to munch on today) have stayed much more fresh than my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.



Recording with Firefly

Yesterday I did something that I'd never done before ... I played my violin in a recording studio for an all-female country group, Firefly, because they are working on releasing a new song.  It was very educational and I'm way excited to hear the final product when it is released on itunes in April.  When I was growing-up, I always wanted to play my violin for Disney, so this gave me a little taste of that "dream job" I once wished for.  It was fun ... frustrating at times, but overall fun ... and I hope to do more recording at some point in my life.

Here is a somewhat crazy video that the Firefly girls took yesterday morning ... good luck finding me. :)

A Stylish Blogger Award

I won my first-ever blogging award!!  I'm quite excited and honored to have been chosen!  My new blogging friend, Yummy Chunklet, gave me this award, so hop over to her blog to check out all the yummy dishes that she's cooking up.

Because I was given a Stylish Blogger Award, I get to do four fun things...

First, thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award. Again, a huge thanks to Yummy Chunklet and congratulations on receiving one as well!

Second, share seven things about myself.

OK ... these are always hard for me...

#1: My toenails are ALWAYS painted.  Can't even hang-out in the house with unpainted toenails.

#2: I don't typically watch TV.  I do enjoy a Steelers football game here & there and I might watch a series via Netflix, but a weekend movie at home is more my thing.  So when all my friends are discussing some TV show, I'm usually somewhat clueless.  Personally, there are too many other things that I'd rather do ... like cooking, photoshopping, violining, and blogging!

#3: I sit 5th chair in the 1st violin section of the EVMCO Orchestra.  This is a volunteer group, but it's very different from any other volunteer symphony that I've ever played with.  I'm challenged and feel like I'm learning and growing a lot.  We will be performing at the Mesa Arts Center on March 5th & May 21st and then we will be traveling to Utah (SLC) to perform on June 3rd.

#4: I love the beach.  On a warm, sunny day, I could sit on the beach and just read & munch on goodies and be totally content.  I don't really care if I get in the water or not ... I just like to be there & see it & smell it.  My kids never get bored and they find plenty of ways to entertain themselves at the beach, too.  And you can't forget all the good junk food that can be found on a nice boardwalk at night.  ahhhh.....

#5: I guess I can't talk about myself without talking about my three side-kicks.  I am the momma to three kiddies.  Penguin is 8 years old, Peacock is 4 years old, & Turkey is 3 years old. They keep me hopping!!

#6: I just finished making double batches of chocolate & butterscotch puddings.  Tomorrow night I'm teaching a how-to-make tarts class and I thought for beginners and the very limited time I have to teach, that pudding tarts would be the easiest.

#7: I used to read novels every night before bed to help me settle down and fall asleep.  I no longer seem to have problems falling asleep ... I'm more worn-out these days.  If I do read something after climbing into bed, it's a cookbook.

Third, award 15 recently discovered great bloggers. This is probably the best part about getting the award; sharing it with others! It’s my pleasure to give a “Stylish Blogger Award” to the following amazing blogs (in no particular order):

Janey-Lizzy

Blessings in a Basket

Cake or Death

Steph's Bite by Bite

The Campbell Family

The Meanest Mom

Miss Kris Kitchen

Life is Full

Napangel

Crissybug's Crazy Clan

Paradise Found

Go-Go Johnsons

Scrambled Hen Fruit

...So I only did 13, but it's minutes 'til midnight & I gotta go to bed!

Fourth, contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!  I'll do that tomorrow....

The EVMCO Bells Rang

Whew! What a weekend!!  I feel like I've been running for weeks and now today ... there is nothing that I have to do.  I'll probably start working on returning several phone calls, go through 100+ new emails,  finally finish some of those blog posts that I started but never finished, and begin thinking about Christmas festivities and traditions.

Saturday was a very fulfilling day.  After months of hard work and practicing and rehearsals, the EVMCO performed our Christmas show for two sold-out audiences ... probably about 3,000 people.   The first show went well, but the second show was indescribable ... at least from my perspective.  We were in our groove. :)  My two favorite pieces to perform were I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day and Carol of the Bells. Very powerful and Brett Stewart's arrangements of those pieces are like no other arrangements I've ever heard. I don't know if my head and back have ever hurt so bad after a concert, but I was too happy to care. A special thanks to those of you who came to see us perform (it's always fun to see familiar faces in the audience), who helped me with the kids, and who give feedback after the shows. 

On Sunday, I did something a bit crazy ... well, crazy for me. :)  The Chandler Symphony was in need of a couple first violinists for their Christmas benefit concerts, so I volunteered.  I showed-up to the concert without rehearsing with the group and played two concerts with them.  The first concert went well, but I was sight-reading.  By the time the second concert came around, I was able to relax and really enjoy myself.

Today I'm paying the price of playing four 90+ minute concerts this weekend, but I wouldn't trade it.  I feel rejuvenated.

A funny thing happens after our EVMCO concerts.  I wake up the next morning to photos in my inbox ... just don't know where they come from!! :) 

 

Congrats to my Penguin, too!  Her choir sang on Saturday night and they did a beautiful job!!  She sang When Christmas Comes to Town and The Polar Express ... both from the Polar Express movie.... and Christmas Bells are Ringing.  The children's voices were like bells and their harmonies were amazing!!

Getting to Know You with Dorie

On our French Fridays with Dorie website, all of us who are cooking along filled-out a "Getting to Know You" questionnaire:

Name: Frolicking Night Owl

Hometown: Gilbert, AZ

How you pay the bills: Ahhh… I rely on my husband to drill lots of teeth!

How many in your household? 5 … me, hubby, & 3 young kiddies

What is your favorite comfort food? Spaghetti with marinara sauce

Favorite dessert to whip up at midnight? Anything with Chocolate! … chocolate cheesecake, chocolate bread pudding, brownies, etc.

The best restaurant you have ever been to? (and what did you have?) I don’t get out to many restaurants, but I love the grilled Mahi-Mahi at Cheesecake Factory or NY style pizza is always a fave or Primanti Bro’s sandwiches in Pittsburgh

Worst habit or vice? Coke … with chocolate.

If you were a biscuit, which would you be? Not much of a biscuit girl, but I like ones with cheese in them. I like homemade dinner rolls!

What is your mother’s best dish? Homemade pizzas on the grill

What is your motto? “Anyone who has been lifted to a plane of excellence is never again content with mediocrity”
 – Thomas S. Monson

Which kitchen gadget do you use the most? My knives, but that’s kinda boring, so I’m gonna say Williams Sonoma’s rubber spatulas

The soundtrack to your life is? You’ve Got Mail

Any last words? I’m obsessed with YUMMY food!

Talking Pennsylvanian

My dad sent this to me yesterday in an email.  Had to share it will all my P-A friends out there!!

Once a Pennsylvanian, ALWAYS a Pennsylvanian!

About Pennsylvanians:

• You've never referred to Philadelphia as anything but "Philly" and New Jersey has always been " Jersey"
• You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced Pee-ay). How many other states do that?
• "You guys" (or even ‘youze guys’ or 'yinz', in some places) is a perfectly acceptable reference to a group of men & women.
• You know how to respond to the question "Djeetyet?" (Didyoueatyet?)
• You learned to pronounce Bryn Mawr, Wilkes-Barre, Schuylkill , the Pocono's, Tamaqua, Tunkannock, Bala Cynwyd, Duquesne & Monongahela.
• You know what a "Mummer" is, and are disappointed if you can't catch at least highlights of the parade.
• You know what " Punxsutawney Phil" is, and what it means if he sees his shadow.
• And we know Lancaster is pronounced Lank-ister, not Lan-kaster.
• You know how to get 'rid' of things and how to read up.
• You can use the phrase "fire hall wedding reception" & not even bat an eye.
• You can't go to a wedding without hearing the "Chicken Dance," at least one polka & either an Italian song (sung in Italian,) or "Hava Nagila."
• At least 5 people on your block have electric "candles" in all or most their windows all year long.
• You know what a "Hex sign" is.
• You know what a "State Store" is, and your out-of-state friends find it incredulous that you can't purchase liquor at the mini-mart.
• You own only 4 condiments: salt, pepper, mustard & ketchup.
• Words like hoagie, crick, chipped ham, sticky buns, shoo-fly pie, pierogies whoopie-pies, & pocketbook actually mean something to you ... That's PA slang for purse!
• You not only have heard of Birch Beer, but you know it comes in several colors: Red, White, Brown, Gold.
• You know several places to purchase or that serve Scrapple, Summer Sausage and Hot Bacon Dressing.
• You know the difference between a cheese steak & a pizza steak sandwich, and know that you can't get a really good one outside PA. Except Atlantic City on the boardwalk.
• You live for summer, when street & county fairs signal the beginning of funnel cake season.
• Customers ask the waitress for "dippy eggs" for breakfast.
• You know that Blue Ball, Intercourse, Paradise, Climax, Bird-in-Hand, Beaver, Moon, Virginville, Mars, Bethlehem, Hershey, Indiana, Sinking Spring, Jersey Shore, State College, Washington Crossing, Jim Thorpe, King of Prussia, Wind Gap, and Slippery Rock are all PA towns … and the first three were consecutive stops on the old Reading RR! (PS – That’s pronounced Redd-ing.)
• You know what a township, borough, and commonwealth is.
• You can identify drivers from New York , New Jersey, or other neighboring states by their unique & irritating driving habits.
• A traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a horse-drawn carriage on the highway in Lancaster County. (And remember .. that’s Lank -ister!)
• You know several people who have hit deer more than once.
• You still keep kitty litter, starting fluid, de-icer, or a snow brush in your trunk, even if you now live in the south.
• Driving is always better in winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
• As a kid you built snow forts and leaf piles that were taller than you were.
• Most of your graduating class consisted of mostly Polish, German, & Italian names.
• You also know someone who lives "down the lane"
• We don’t go to the beach, we go ‘down the shore.’

YEAH!! THAT'S "PA" AND WE LOVE IT

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope that you're enjoying your Mother's Day and that you are milking it for all it's worth!  :)  I read on another blog that, "being a mother is the coolest, hardest, sweetest, most rewarding, least rewarding, humbling, liberating, terrifying, joyful, nothing like you expected, bewildering, heartwarming, heartbreaking, most intense ride on the planet."  It made me laugh cause I totally agree, esp. the "nothing like you exptected" part!!

In all seriousness, being a mother is the "job" I always wanted to have when I grew-up.  I am so thankful for my three little birds.  They are the light of my life and I hope that I will always remember that they are the greatest blessing I have ... even on days when they drive me absolutely nuts! 

As we all celebrate the women in our lives today, remember the women who strongly desire to be a mother, but for whatever reason are not.  Remember them in your prayers, take them a goodie, or do something for them to help brighten their day today.

Finally, as you watch this video, remember who you are & think about your purpose here on Earth.  I think the phrase, "I am not my body," will remain with me for the rest of my life.  When I watch Stephanie, I am so much more appreciative of the little things like being able to lift my kids out of the bathtub, cuddling with them in their fresh towel, and smelling their freshly washed hair without causing my physical body pain.

Check out Stephanie's Blog HERE.

Obsessed?

Hubby & I have found a new obsession ... LOST!  We are officially Lost addicts.  We can not go to bed at night without watching at least one episode of Lost ... sometimes we watch several episodes in one sitting.  I don't know why I didn't watch the show until recently, but it's one of the best shows I've seen in a very long time.  We're a few episodes into season 2, so don't leave any comments that are spoilers for me! :)

Curious ... who is your favorite character?  I think I'd have to say mine is Jack although I'm intrigued by the Korean couple and, at times, Sawyer is hilarious ... he's growing on me.

My Favorite Restaurants

Here is an old restaurant meme.  If you want to play, here are the rules:

1. Link to name of person that tagged you.

2. Include state and country you live in.

3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.

4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged

I live in the East Valley area of Phoenix in Arizona.

1. Casanova Brothers: GREAT NY style pizza, delish pasta dishes & even desserts.  If you're looking for good Italian food in the Phoenix area, I'd say this is the place to go.  Lots of fresh, homemade menu items.  I'm a spaghetti girl, so I'll always recommend that, but they have awesome pizza ... some of my faves are cheese, veggie, & caprese.

2. Costa Vida: If you haven't been, GO!  My favorite menu item here is the veggie salad ... beans, rice, hot tortilla, guac, pico ... yum!

3. Del Taco:  As for fast food, Del Taco is probably my favorite these days.  I can feed my family for under $10 and I think Del Taco tops Taco Bell.  Let's see ... at Del Taco some of my regulars are the veggie works burrito, tostadas & crunchy tacos with beans.

4. Gecko Grill: noticing a pattern ... it's hard to find good food around here that's isn't Mexican ... but Gecko Grill is loved by all!  I love their cheese enchiladas (without onion for me), tostadas, rice, grilled fish tacos & I can't leave without a cold glass of horchata!

5. I'd have to say that the Cheesecake Factory wins my final spot.  For special occasions, I like to go get grilled Mahi-Mahi with mashed potatoes & asparagus.  I love cheesecake, so I always try to save room for dessert.  I don't think I have a favorite flavor though.  Do you?

So, now I gotta cheat.  If I could eat anything in the world right now, it would be a big ol' fat sandwich from Primanti Bro's in Pittsburgh.  They're HUGE & most definitely unique.  If you go to the Strip District location on a Saturday, even in the middle of the afternoon, be prepared to wait in a line that goes out the door & down the street!  They put the fries & coleslaw right on the sandwich ... mmm ... heaven.  I think that's what I'll be making for dinner tonight. 

So now I need to tag 5 people…

Tara Phelps

Katie Minharo

Audra Campbell

Nancy Tiffany

Sarah Marshall

I wanna know where you love to eat!  Play along, leave me a link to your blog & I'll pay you a visit!

2009 in Review

**What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

Hired a moving company to move us across the country.  It's amazing what a few guys can get done in a day!!

**Did you keep your New Years' resolutions?

Don't know that I really wrote anything down.  I have daily, weekly, monthly as well as yearly resolutions that I'm constantly making ... mostly in my head.  I tried hard at mothering, home schooling, supporting my husband, church stuff, etc.

**Did anyone close to you give birth?

My cousin Shelley gave birth to her 3rd child and several of my close friends including Natalie & Audra had babies too.  Our friend Madelyn also had a baby and gave her baby the same name as Penguin & my friend Mikelle's baby boy was given the same name as Turkey.  Kinda cool!

**Did anyone close to you die?

Jeepers ... this is awful.  Don't think so.

**What countries did you visit?

I like the good ol' U.S. of A!  Good food, clean water, toilets  .... all good stuff!

**What states did you visit?

UT, VA, PA, DC, NC & MI; Just drove through: OH, IN, IL, MO, OK, TX, NM, MD, & WV

**What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

More patience, 3 children who use the potty, & income for all 12 months

**What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Monday, August 10th ... the day we said good-bye to Pittsburgh.

**What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Job hunting & moving were probably the biggest jobs, but one acheivement that was a bit more rewarding was watching my husband walk across the stage at Heinz Hall at graduation & hearing him being called "doctor" for the first time.

**What was your biggest failure?

Bad days ... days when I have no patience.

**Did you suffer illness or injury?

Probably nothing more than a runny nose.

**What was the best thing you bought?

A big screen TV ... we are no longer watching our favorite movies on a 10-yr old tube TV!

**Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

People in society, the news, & government figures.

**Whose behavior impressed you?

This may sound weird, but I'm always impressed by Paula Deen ... she's upbeat, happy, & beautiful!

**Where did most of your money go?

Housing, utilities, food, holidays, & student loans.

**What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Graduation.

**What song will always remind you of 2009?

I probably didn't buy any CD's in 2009, so just something that I heard on the radio like:

**Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, richer, nicer?

Warmer!

 **What do you wish you'd done more of?

Spent more time with friends, played in the snow more & I always wish I would have taken more photos!

**What do you wish you'd done less of?

Looking to the future.

**How did you spend Christmas?

Christmas morning was at home and Christmas night at my parents' home.  Christmas Eve was spent with my in-laws.

**What was your favorite TV program?

American Idol ... probably the only show I watched ... at least faithfully.  Can't forget Steelers football!

**What was the best book you read in 2009?

Twilight series.  I was somewhat skeptical before reading them and I still don't really love the author's style, but all that aside I thoroughly enjoyed my Twilight reads!!

**What did you want and get?

Sell our home.

**What were your favorite films of this year?

New Moon

**What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Went to Del Taco for lunch with my mom & the kids and I think I went to Pei Wei with my family, parents & a couple siblings for dinner.

**What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

My year was pretty satisfying ... it would be nice to be a perfect person.

**How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Cozy & comfy in the winter!  Lots of jeans.

**What kept you sane?

Music ... listening to music, playing the piano & participating in symphonies.

**What drove you insane?

Potty training & drama

**What political issue stirred you the most?

Health care reform, Same-sex issues, Government spending, Abortion

**Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009

Do what is best for me & my family ... not what other people think is best.

**What are you most excited for in 2010?

Hmmm ... don't know.  I'll be an aunt for the first time (on my side of the family) this year.  I'm excited to have a newborn around!  Mostly just moving forward & progressing with life.

**What are you least excited for in 2010?

The possibility of another job change which may mean moving.