Flowers again

So I like flowers... what can I say? I am trying to find every one I can and take a picture of them! I am planning an alphabetical scrapbook with flowers as the theme, too!











I love the columbine and the bleeding hearts... they are cool! Of course, I love pansies and carnations and the mums, too... okay, I know, I will just say I like them all!

So, while I was visiting Mom and Dad, we took a little trip over to Ephriam to a festival that was going on...a Scandanavian festival... apparently the Dutch settled the area we know as San Pete County... that is also where my Mom was born! There was a quilt display in an old mercantile upstairs, so we ventured in... what talent! I have GOT to learn to quilt! That is going to be a goal of mine... the quilts were all so pretty and there was even one that dated back to the Civil War era! Cool huh! Thought I'd share some pics of the ones I liked most.

Dutch Oven Potatoes ! I haven't had these for probably close to 20 years! Mom and Dad make the best, too! I asked Mom for the recipe, but she only said "Whatever you want to put in, you put in!".... Not much help, but I will share what we had in this particular pot. Although I can't think of anything that could improve on it!

6 to 7 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 onions, sliced thin
1 mild italian sausage, cut into 1-in. chunks
4 to 5 strips bacon
1-1/2 Cups cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown sausage and bacon in dutch oven over hot coals, then add onion and sliced potatoes. Stir and put lid on dutch oven. Placed hot coals on lid. Cook for about an hour, placing cheese over the top of the potatoes about the last 5-10 minutes until melted.

You can also do this in a roasting pan in the oven, but it tastes WAAAY better outta the dutch oven !!!

The Family

Since I haven't posted in awhile, I thought I at least try to get some pics up from my latest visit. Johnny is now 11 months old and is just a sweetie! He always seems to have this huge smile on his face, and he has found his tongue... he sticks it out when that smile pops!

Kaylee is 14 now and a typical teenager... bored with everything and everyone! She is staying with Mom and Dad and (trying)patiently to wait for her Mom to come up. She thinks I am old and outdated, but I think I surprised her with my music tastes...I may not know all the music she likes, but I showed her I can pick a good song or two, also! She likes EMO... I bet she didn't think I knew what that was! HAHAHA!

Katie is the best Mom. She takes very good care of lil' Johnny, and she and I get along very well. JD picked a good one!

JD is a wonderful father, too. Johnny has JD wrapped around his little finger! They even have matching cowboy hats!

Dad is very busy in his huge garden. He works from sun-up to sun-down out there..I helped plant some corn while I was visiting... he also put in beans and raspberries, too! I know he has waited for the nice weather to return so he could play in the dirt again!

Mom is busy with D U P.... (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers) She is even an officer in her "camp"... that is what they call their groups. I think she really enjoys it... she was telling me that she would be going up to SLC to an all-day event with all the other "camps"... sounds interesting, huh!

Greetings from the Moon!

These are photos I took of the lunar eclipse taken 2/20/08.... they really aren't as good as I had hoped they would be.....there were clouds moving in and a storm was a 'brewin'.... but I did the best I could and I can at least say I did it! Full moon rising

Shadow of earth beginning to move across the moon. almost half- way there!
Getting darker!

Showing signs of the reddish-orange eclipse!
Camera is struggling to capture the moon now....
I swear I was using a tripod!
Best pic I have of the full eclipse!
oooops! Did the moon move? Or is it just "mooning" me....???

Well, so much for my astrology lesson in photos.... At least I can say I was there and now I can prove it!

Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!

As promised, here are some pics of li'l Johnny. As his auntie Stacey, I am obligated to brag and say how very handsome he is and that he is smart as a whip, cute as a button, and is as sweet as Southern sweet tea! But in reality, he is all that and alot more!!! heeheehee He has stolen my heart, as well as all his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and, of course, his mommy and daddys'!!! Just look at that smile! ^ I know y'all haven't seen a sweeter expression than this one! Bless his little heart!
This is one of my favorite pics... he is looking at, and might I add, talking to the Christmas tree!

He loves my camera, and my camera loves him, too!
Mommys are simply the best!
Look mommy! I can put my entire fist into my mouth! ( such talent... and so young, too!)

Sorry, but I have to brag on l'il Johnny! He is my l'il pumpkin!!!

Welcome to the new year!

Christmas was a blast... I surprised Mom and Dad and came "home" for a visit! Mom cried, of course, and Dad was glad to see me. I enjoyed my trip, but didn't have time to go see all my friends. (Mona is kinda a long way from anywhere) JD and Katie and I all drove down Christmas Eve and we were able to spend a few days hangin' out.

I took family pics and we had them framed for Mom and Dad's present. Li'l Johnny is now 6 months old and is as cute as a button! JD is just about the best Dad I've seen... he does bathtime and dirty diapers, too! Katie is a great Mom and gives him just the right amount of love!

Me, I just enjoyed being where I could finally have a WHITE CHRISTMAS for a change! I just couldn't get enough of that blissful white stuff! I know, I know.... just give it a winter or two of it, and I'll be sick of it, right???? But I tell you, it sure makes for some great photo ops!

We had some time to take pics of Mom and Dad, too. They have both been dieting for the last year and are now waifs. Not me, though, so you won't get to see my fat butt today! lol.... Dad also shaved his beard and has a goatie now! He really looks great, I think!

It was nice to be around family this year and makes me think about how much I've missed the last 21 years living here in the South. Don't get me wrong, I do love Georgia, but I am at a point in my life now where I am thinking I need to be closer to my parents. Rogers parents are both gone now, and I don't want to have any regrets about not having been closer if ( God forbid) anything should happen. Roger is wanting to move to Utah, too, but I am not pushing him this time. It will have to be at his own pace and when he is ready it will happen.

In the meantime, I took these pics to help him to long for the country! This isn't far from Mom and Dad's place... it is Mount Nebo. They don't see this view from the house, but they do see it from a different angle standing on there back porch.

This one was taken up Salt Creek Canyon on the Nebo Loop. It was very cold this day, but I was all smiles!

This is another view in Salt Creek Canyon.

I will post more pics of the baby in a few days. I took a TON of him! Of course, by the next time I see him, I am sure he won't look a thing like he did at Christmas time! DANGIT!