Conference - October 2010

I love Conference weekend.  I mean, I really, really love it.  Let me count the ways . . .

1.  I love canceling everything (well, besides Joseph's soccer game on Saturday) and being together as a family. We haul down big blankets, pillows, and the huge beanbag and set up "nests" in the family room. Each person claims a spot and then sets out Conference activities and Conference Bingo (with M&Ms, of course). It feels so cozy to hang out together - I really love it. We are finally to the point where even our youngest child gets into Conference. When he heard it was Conference weekend he said, "All right, I LOVE Conference!"  Dan was super impressed until I pointed out that he really loves Conference because it means he can eat unlimited M&Ms and other junk food and play games with his sibs for hours each day, not because he particularly loves listening to eight hours of church. But, at this point, we will take what we can get, and we think it is okay that the positive associations come from non-religious things. The other aspects of Conference will come later for him.
Between sessions the kids came up with a "train" game where they took turns pulling each other on a blanket around the house on the wood floors.  It was quite the hit.  They even had to make a tally chart to keep track of train trips.















2. Good food.  We do it up big every year, and it is a feast for the whole family. Breakfast was Aunt Lindsey's recipe for french toast with incredible buttermilk syrup. Yum!

Saturday night, while Dan was at Priesthood session and dinner with friends, I made up several dips for us to snack on. One was a delicious favorite, "Cowboy Caviar."  Oh, so good. Bailey had found new recipes for us to try for several of the meals. We tried a recipe she had found for a Fire-Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. Every since we lived in AZ, we have been obsessed with finding a salsa as good as Tia Rosa's green tomatillo salsa. We have tried would-be contenders in restaurants and from grocery stores, but nothing ever came close.  Well, we finally have have a contender, folks. The salsa was somewhat labor intensive to make (roasting tomatillos and jalapenos, lots of fresh garlic, cilantro, etc.), but worth every second of work.  Wow. 

Cowboy Caviar

Fire-roasted tomatillo salsa

The next morning Bailey and I made homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting before Conference started. 

By this point we had lots of leftovers from the last few days, but for Sunday night dinner we made another new recipe for a Mexican chicken dish with poblano peppers and rice.  Thumbs up.

3.  I don't remember for sure at what point in my life Conference became a true source of spiritual food for me, but this aspect increases every year. I literally hunger and thirst after the words of the prophets and I look forward to the chance to hear the messages. There is always something I need to hear, I always feel enlightened and comforted, and my testimony that this is the true gospel and that God speaks to us through the prophet and his apostles is strengthened.

As each apostle speaks, we find his picture (posted on the fireplace) and then write a few words so we can remember the topic of his talk.  At then end of Conference we try to find themes in the messages.

Spotlight on Bailey

This month's Felida Ward Newsletter includes of spotlight of our very own Bailey Porter.  The following is the information we submitted (including the picture).

Bailey Nicole was born in Arizona on a blistering hot summer day (115 degrees).  She moved to Utah when she was a toddler and then to Washington when she was starting 4th grade.  She is the second child and the oldest daughter in the Porter home. She has always been close to her siblings, younger and older.  She brings enthusiasm, energy, and happiness to her home.

In the last six months Bailey passed her Mom in height - she grew six inches in six months!  The last few months she has been working hard to collect delicious recipes for a cookbook she is compiling for a Personal Progress project. She is also very interested in photography, and is currently learning to take pictures with a film SLR camera and then develop the film.  She plays piano, is a good swimmer, and is a voracious reader.  She and her Mom like to share good books with each other.  Bailey has always had an incredible memory for details - even as a young child she would remember the names of anyone she met (something her parents still struggle to do!)

Bailey is in 8th grade at VSAA, where she is doing great in school.  Next year she plans to attend Skyview, and she hopes to go to BYU or BYU-I for college.  At the moment her career interest is in helping special needs children.  She would do great at this - she has a special gift for patience and kindness and loves to work with children. 

We are so glad that Bailey is part of our family!

Joseph ate bacon!

Okay, I know this doesn't qualify as something to celebrate in most homes, but we are always elated when our youngest tries a new food. Since he was a baby, Joseph has had what we call "food issues." As in, he is opposed to most food.

This is likely because of problems with his sensory integration system. He is hyper-sensitive to the smells, tastes, and textures of food. If we let him, he would live forever on the few "safe" foods he has found. We do all sorts of things to encourage him to be more adventurous with food . . . and we are not above some targeted bribery. We have recognized that, at least a quarter of the time, he likes a food once he tries it.  So, we give him an incentive to try something new, usually a small toy.

The other day Dan brought home some  superhero figurines which made Joseph's eyes shine in anticipation.  First, he tried (for the second time ever) bread.  Yes, Joseph hates bread.  (He does, however, eat the crust on pepperoni pizza, which we have repeatedly explained is actually bread, but who can reason with a five-year-old?) He forced himself to eat a freshly made dinner roll.  He gagged, grimaced, cried, and finally succeeded.  Did he like it?  Not really.  But at least he tried.

The next morning, sitting at the breakfast table, he looked at the plate of bacon and said the beautiful words,"I want to try bacon." We all held our breath as he tried a bite.  And then another bite, and then two whole pieces.  He liked it!  He says, "bacon is delicious." He wanted bacon every meal for the next two days, and I was fine with it.  Because a little artery-clogging bacon is not going to hurt a kid who subsists mainly on grapes, bananas, apples. strawberries, yogurt, sunflower seeds, and an occasional piece of pizza or chicken nugget!

Victoria, B.C.

Dan in front of the famous Empress Hotel

On Labor Day weekend Dan and I used our passports! We got the kids situated at friend's houses (we worried they would be sad, but they couldn't wait for us to leave) and left for 2 1/2 days.  We drove four hours north to the very tip of the Olympic peninsula, Port Angeles, WA.  (Readers of the Twilight series will recognize references to this town.)  We parked our car and took a passenger ferry over to Vancouver Island.

We stepped off the ferry and onto the beautiful, charming city of Victoria. Our hotel, the Grand Pacific, was in the center of the action, right by the waterfront. We walked everywhere for two days, enjoying the lively but not crowded tourist scene. There was a wooden boat festival while we were there, so the harbor was filled with colorful watercraft.  Right next to that was a jazz festival. We got recommendations from the concierge and online and walked to great restaurants.  One night we ate very delicious and unusual Italian food, the next night good Thai curry.

This is my favorite part of the gardens - the sunken gardens. 

We enjoyed everything we visited - the B.C. Museum (with history of the British Columbian people, about which we knew nothing), the Parliament Building (our favorite tour - we had a wonderful tour guide who explained Canadian government to us - another thing we knew nothing about), and Butchart Gardens.  The Gardens are definitely overpriced, but were amazing.  Dan was such a good sport about my garden wanderings. He said, "it was interesting for the first hour and a half. The last hour was more painful."  The gardens were really gorgeous.

Even the garbage cans are decorated at Butchart Gardens!

The dahlias were in full bloom, and they were amazing.

This is an awesome dancing fountain.

The Parliament  Building at night

Horsedrawn carriages are all over the downtown area, but we preferred to walk.

The inside dome of the Parliament Building

There is a funny story behind this picture - we were walking along the waterfront and saw a statue. We were totally clueless that it was a "living statue" - someone dressed up like a statue.  We stood in front of her for a minute or so, wondering why there was a statue of Annie Oakley in Victoria.  Then the woman slowly blinked her eye, and we saw the tip hat in front of her. Once we caught on, we put a tip in the hat and the statue came alive and motioned Dan over to pose for a picture.  So fun!

The day we left, we rode the ferry back to Port Angeles and then drove the long(er) way home, through  Forks. This detour added an hour to our trip, but it was fun to see the tiny little town which has been turned on its head by the Twilight phenomenon. In case you are wondering, there is not much to see there, and, no, we did not see any vampires or werewolves.  The drive from Port Angeles to Forks along the end of the Olympic Peninsula is one of the prettiest I have ever enjoyed.  Mostly, the drive home was fun because we had five blissful hours to just talk, without anyone whining in the back seat.  We made plans for the new school year, discussed each of the kids and what we can do to support and help them, and had a good time visiting.   It was great to spend time together with my best friend, and I look forward to more trips in the future!

Look carefully at the marquee on the hotel sign.  Get it?

Literally the entire town is devoted to Twilight paraphernalia.  Crazy!

The End of Summer

Where did summer go? We all agree that summer went by much too fast this year. We did many fun things, and the weeks were so packed with fun that there were few lazy days of summer left. I am always sad when the kids go back to school. I miss seeing my kids during the day. And I am so glad that my kids are involved in so many great activities after school, but I groan at the thought of the hours I will spend in the car getting them to and from these activities.

But, life is full of mercies, and this is one of them . . . every year, when I am feeling my most sentimental about summer ending and the kids leaving, I am blessed with a few days when they fight and whine incessantly. It is on those days that I look around my house (which is a disaster) and listen to doors slamming and voices screaming and I think . . . . okay, let school begin.  And so it did.

Bailey, who is our oldest at home now, is 13 years old and in 8th grade. 

This is her last year of Middle School!

Aubrey on her first day of 5th grade, her last year of elementary school.

Joseph entered Kindergarten! He was very excited and not a bit scared. He is ready for school and loves to learn and play with friends. 

Sitting at his desk, a little unsure.

Leaving class on the first day.  "That was so great, Mom!  I love Kindergarten!  And tomorrow can I take the bus home?"

These were the rice krispie treat "apples" I made for a treat after the first day of school.

For dinner on the first day of school, we had Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup and homemade breadsticks. Yum!  Especially good, since our weather the first week of school was rainy and cold.

I'm only as old as I feel

And I don't feel any older that 29!  I had a wonderful 40th birthday last week.  As is always the case in our family, I had a birthday WEEK. We started the Saturday before my birthday with a family dinner out to Sweet Tomatoes and night at the movies (Karate Kid 2). Sunday after church the girls spoiled me. Bailey presented me with a beautiful menu, from which I could choose our Sunday dinner.  I chose, and she made it herself! (Hawaiian haystacks and delicious homemade breadsticks).  Aubrey handed me an invitation to a spa, which was located in my bedroom upstairs.  She had me soak in a bubble bath (in my swimsuit) and then get dressed and relax on the bed while she rubbed lotion into my feet and hands.  She played relaxing Sunday music in the background and even had candles and seashells spread artfully around the room (thanks to a visit to the Dollar Store the day before).

The next day was my birthday. At 11:30 I heard a revving engine outside my door. It was the "Birthday Bus" - my friend Shalee's motor home.  She and Misty picked me up, gave me a birthday sombrero and medallion to wear, and then drove to pick up more friends.  We rode in the birthday bus to downtown Vancouver, laughing and jamming to music, where even more friends met us for lunch! There were pictures taken of the event, and when I get them I will add them to this post. We had a great time, and I felt very loved by wonderful friends.

During the day Bailey set up a reading spot for me on my bed.  Aubrey was the waitress who checked on me and tended to my every need.

The night of my birthday Dan and the kids busily prepared the kitchen for another celebration.  When I came down, it looked like this.  As you can see, I am very young to have an 18 year old son!

The next day Bailey decorated the bonus room with loads of crepe paper for a "movie night."  There was a concession stand stocked with treats, and everything was free for me, the birthday girl. My girls watched all six hours of Pride and Prejudice with me (the very best version of the movie)!  I have asked them to watch this for years, and they had resisted, but a few hours into it and they were hooked on the subtle humor and romance only Jane Austen can provide.  It was great!

Dan surprised me with details about a trip he had planned for later in the week - a vacation to Victoria Island in Vancouver, B.C.!  We spent a few days securing arrangements for the kids for two nights, and then we were off for a fabulous weekend.  More about Victoria in another post.

I feel like the most blessed woman alive. Each decade of my life is only getting better, so bring on the 40s! Life is good.

Aubrey's Haircut

Aubrey had decided that she wanted to have "real bangs" cut at her next haircut.  I was unsure.  In my experience bangs are a pain to keep up. Of course, my hair is super curly and crazy and difficult to manage when cut short. She convinced me that she would keep up the hairstyle herself, so I agreed.

She loves her new style, and she looks super cute!

We did it!

Back in April we set a family goal to read the Book of Mormon together before Brandon left to college. It took us until the very last minute to meet this goal. We dropped off Brandon at BYU on the 19th of August. The evening of August 18th we sat together in my parent's basement in Draper, UT, and read the last two chapters of Moroni together. We did it!

I am not going to pretend this was an easy goal for us to complete at this point in our lives. This was the busiest summer I remember experiencing. Nonstop graduation-related activities started in May/June, followed up by visits from family, and then our family traveling for a number of  weeks. Vacations really altered our reading schedule of two chapters a day. Too often we missed reading during vacation days. On days when we were "catching up" we often needed to read three or four chapters at a time. Sometimes the kids were patient with this, sometimes they weren't. Sometimes the youngest child was whining, sometimes it was an older child (sometimes it was an adult).

We also didn't experience an instant infusion of calmness and peace in our home. Kids still argued at least as much as usual. Each person dealt with their personal trials. Our parenting challenges remained and maybe intensified.  As we did our best to faithfully read, despite obstacles, our problems were not immediately solved. Too often, scripture time was Family Fight Time. I can't count the number of times Dan or I had to march a child out of the room for time-out DURING scripture study. Sometimes I wondered how the Spirit could possibly be in the Porter home for any extended period of time.

So was it worth it?  Absolutely.

I was reminded of a valuable truth.  Living the precepts of the gospel and trying to be faithful does not spare us from trials. Just look at the lives of the faithful people in the Book of Mormon who were besieged with persecution and war. There were many times when the Spirit did testify to us sweetly, and times when the passages we read inspired a discussion that helped to build and strengthen our testimonies. .

Sometimes I think about the Jaredites, whose barges were plunged under the water in violent storms and thrown back and forth by merciless wind as they tried to make it to the promised land which they believed existed and was possible for them to achieve. I'm sure they would have preferred to travel on a luxury cruise liner, with very little rocking on the waves and plenty of sunshine and fresh air.  But, they called upon God when they were "encompassed about by many waters, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters (Ether 6:7)." They were driven forth, and the very wind and storm which caused their discomfort propelled them to the promised land.  I see the journey of our family (and maybe all families) in this story. The very challenges which vex us are driving us to where we need to be, if we are calling on the Lord for help.

There were many wonderful moments that I hope have imprinted themselves upon the fabric of our family. Stories of faith, perseverance, courage, love, and guidance. Stories about "real super-heroes" for Joseph to emulate (even better than Spiderman). Stories about real people enduring real trials and learning to be faithful and humble and patient. We saw again the devastating effects of the cycle of pride and wealth, and we thought about how that applies to us today. We talked about how merciful the Lord was to His people, even when they didn't deserve mercy. We felt the pain of Mormon and Moroni as they watched a civilization move rapidly from righteousness to depraved wickedness, and we felt Moroni's loneliness as he stood alone as last righteous holdout in a wicked world.

Every time I read the Book of Mormon, I feel an even stronger witness that it is full of truth and power. I love this book of scripture. The sound of my children reading the words of the prophets out loud is one of the sweetest sounds I know.

I am grateful for the chance to read the Book of Mormon this summer. I'm even grateful that it was a hard challenge, because the effort made the victory even sweeter.