A Good, Cold Saturday

 I love it when I have a purpose for my Saturday.  That it's not just filled with cleaning house and getting things ready for Sunday.  Today was one of those.  I met this young man bright and early to take some late, winter senior pictures.  Here are a few of my favorites.

 This is Kamron.  He wasn't really comfortable smiling, and it was cold!  I was wearing thermals under my  jeans, three pairs of socks, two thermal tops, two sweatshirts, a big down coat, and heavy, thick fingerless gloves.  Kamron was wearing this.  But he was a great photography subject.  Not a single blinking eye in the whole batch of pictures we took. 

 I was practicing backlighting on these first few pictures.  I still need some practice, but these are the best I've done :)  I was reading my camera's manual, brushing up on backlighting techniques when I ran across a section that said, "This camera works in temperatures as low as 14 degrees.  It was currently 0 degrees at 7:30 this morning and I was pretty worried about my camera freezing up. Towards the end of the hour we managed to stay out and shoot, most of my pictures were blurry,  but luckily we got a lot of good ones early on. 

 Kamron was such a sport!  He even took off his jacket a few times, despite the cold,  so he would have some variety.  I titled this one above, "movie star" 

Here is one with a cute, natural smile.  I was pretty much a popcicle by the time we were done.  I can only imagine how cold Kamron was.  And, despite the cold, it was a great way to start a Saturday morning. 

I Love Christmas

I can't help it, as hard as I try not to, I just love Christmas.  For years I've tried to match Dave's unexcitement for all things Christmas.  Just this year as we were putting lights on the house - for YEARS I put up the lights myself because Dave could not see the point in it - he said, "Good thing you're here because I just wouldn't bother with lights at Christmas."  So, good thing I'm here :) 

  That's Brennan with his awkward smile and his girlfriend, Emma on Christmas morning. It was a quiet Christmas morning.  We stayed up late playing games and for the first year EVER, Dave and I were the first ones up.

 Later in the morning Drew and Kara came with Kara's brothers and sister. When Kara saw the Prime Rib, she said, Oooh, we should have fry bread!  So she and Kari whipped some up.  It was delish!!!  I had intended to make rolls, but fry bread was the perfect addition to our meal.  And these girls know how to make fry bread!!

 Here is our Prime Rib.  I am not a prime rib fan, but many people in my house are, so I make it at Christmas.  Here is my no fail method.  I make a rub of Kosher salt, pepper and minced garlic and rub it all over the prime rib.  Then I put it in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes and then turn the oven off and let it sit inside without opening the oven door!! for a couple of hours until we are almost ready to eat.  Then I turn the oven back on 375 and cook it for 45 minutes more.  Then I take it out and let it sit for 15 minutes while the juice settles, and walla!!  Perfect Prime Rib.  It works every time. I also cooked a roast in the crock pot for extra meat, for gravy drippings, and for those of us who like their beef well done.  Me!!

Drew spiking the punch with Sparkling Cherry soda.  He used to comb his hair when he lived with me.

Here we are waiting in anticipation for Dave to come home so we could eat!!  Not that we were hungry, we had been snacking on cheese logs and crackers and chips and salsa all morning.  But still . . . .

Turns out, it was Kari's birthday today.  She is 19 :)  Luckily, I made brownies for brownie sundays, so we stuck in some candles and sang Happy Birthday to Kari.

 As I sit here at 4:30 on a wonderful Christmas afternoon, snow covering the ground outside, the warmth of a blazing fire nearby, and contemplate the wonderful feelings of this day, my heart is full.  I am so blessed with comfort, family, friends and the gospel - all things that fill my life and make it complete.  And as this Christmas day comes to a close I hope I can keep the feelings that are in my heart right now.  The feelings of Christmas.  I love it!!!

The Ward Party and Beyond!!

 

Last year I was in charge of the entire Ward Christmas Party.  This year, I was only in charge of the food.  And helping decorate - because my friend, Rachel was in charge of decorating, and we help each other.  So after the Relief Society Christmas party on Tuesday evening and after etching mirrors until 11:00 Tuesday night for Young Women in Excellence, and after YW in Excellence Wednesday night, I decorated and cooked for the ward party all day on Thursday.  These were our tables.  Rachel made these very, very awesome looking lanterns.  And I promptly went out and bought the stuff to make one of my own!!

 

 Here was our pot of green beans.  There are five number 10 cans of green beans in this pot.  We added two more and still had barely enough.  And everyone gave me crap about how many cans of green beans I had.  Here is the proof - you will need seven number ten cans of green beans to feed 150 people.

 

We made these lovely green salads, and the young men and young women served them.  People had a choice of Ranch or Italian dressing.  Bet you can't guess what we used more of :)

Here are the many, many green salads waiting to go out.  One hundred and fifty green salads, baby!!

 

And here is just some of my totally rad kitchen help.  They were GREAT!!  Joan, the one looking at the camera, made the gravy.  We served 60 pounds of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and a roll.  All dished up onto a plate and served to our ward members by the youth of our ward.  My Dad would be so proud.  This is the way HE used to do ward dinners :)  It was EXHAUSTING!!

And now that those things are out of the way, it's time for Christmas crafting.  The best part of Christmas, I think!  This cute little Christmas memory tray, which took me WAY too long to make,  is going up on my wall at work.  And then I have lanterns to make, new nativity ornaments for the Living Room Christmas tree, SO much to do.  YAY!!

Thankful Day Nine

 

Today I am thankful for my church callings.  Every one.  One of my official callings is music chorister in Sacrament meeting.  I share that calling with two other people, so I only conduct every third month.  I love being involved in music in some way, and it's always fun to sit on the stand and watch what goes on out in the congregation.  It gets to be pretty entertaining sometimes.  Congregation people, just a heads up; someone is always watching :)

My second and third callings are in the Young Womens.  I am the secretary and personal progress leader in my ward YW's and get to work with the lovely ladies above . . .

And 1st councilor in the stake YW's - no pictures of us yet.  We're new :)  And I love it. 

I was trying to fall to sleep the other night and I started counting my church callings (instead of sheep)  My first calling came when I was twelve - I was called by my Bishop (who was also my Dad :)  to play the piano in the junior primary.  That was back in the day when primary was on a weekday afternoon.  So my Mom picked me up from school and took me to primary to play the piano.  From there I moved to Jr. Primary chorister and on and on . . . to where I am today.  With the three BEST callings in the church.  And I am SO thankful :)

 

Thankful Day Eight

I considered cheating and making each one of these kids a separate day, and I am SO thankful for them they really could be, but I won't.  Today I am thankful for each one of my grandkids.  

Aiden, I love you best because you were my first.  You came to us as a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.  You were meant to be a part of our family and your Mom and Dad had the courage to reach out, grab you and bring you in.  You are smart and funny and SO VERY COOL.  When I try to think what my life would be like without you, it hurts so much I stop breathing for a minute.  I love you!  And I am thankful every day for you.

Porter, I love you best because you were the first baby of MY first baby.  You are sweet and kind and have the BEST red hair.  You are smart and perceptive and I love how you run to me whenever you see me.  I also love that you KNOW you are going on a mission, and that you are going to Madagascar.  I love a young man who knows who he is and where he's going :)  I love you!  And I am thankful every day for you. 

Chaser, I love you best because you are my buddy.  Every Gramma needs a buddy, and not every grandkid wants his Gramma along everywhere he goes.  But you always want me to come along and you always quietly walk up and slip your hand into mine and walk along side of me.  I love your bright smile and how excited you are about things.  You are smart and handsome and a lot of fun to hang out with.  I love your good athletic ability, I love your giggle, and I love you!   And I am thankful every day for you.

Bridger, I love you best because you are my special little dimples guy.  I could fall into those dimples and live there :) And into your beautiful blue eyes.   You are a great looking hunk of a guy who is going to drive the girls crazy someday - hopefully a long ways off with the girls thing!!  You are creative and smart and full of personality.  I love how you and Porter are such good buddies.  Someday you will discover that there is no better friend than a brother!!  I love how excited you ALWAYS are to see me.  I love you!!  And I am thankful every day for you.

Brody, I love you best because you ALWAYS make me laugh.  And I LOVE to laugh.  Your Mom could always do that, too :)  You are SO handsome and polite and you try SO hard to be good.  Anything Chase can do you try to do, too.  You are SO brave, you dare to try ANYTHING!!  It is SO much fun to watch you bulldoze your way through life :)  You are incredibly handsome and sweet and I love you!!  And I am thankful every day for you.

Capri, I love you best because you were my first grand daughter.  Girls are just special, there's no getting around it.  I love your spunky attitude.  I've always wanted a spunky attitude, but I'm too shy for one.  I love that you are a little bundle of fire that isn't going to let ANYONE run over her.  Channel that spunk in the right direction and you can do ANYTHING you want in this world.  You are beautiful and fun and full of personality.  I love your chatter, how happy you are, and how much you love your brother :)  You are such a blessing to your Mom and Dad and to Aiden, and to me.  I love you, and I am thankful every day for you.  

 

Years ago I used to write poetry - well, my kind of poetry.  One day someone called my poems "Relief Society Poetry" and I haven't written a poem since.  Someday I am going to try and pull how I feel about my grandchildren out of my heart and put those feelings into a poem.  But for now I'll just say how lucky I feel to have these six beautiful people in my life.  Thank you Heavenly Father.  I am so blessed. 

Thankful Day Seven

 

Today, I am thankful for a Prophet - the watchman on the tower.  And I will be watching and following him more closely now than ever before.  And I watched him PRETTY closely before - just ask my kids :) I am also thankful that when I want a picture of President Monson, so I type "president" into google, President Monson comes up before President Obama.  Probably alphabetical, but today it was reassuring and as it should be.  Because of my beliefs, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. 

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

Thankful Day Six

Yes, I am officially skipping Monday.  Not that I wasn't thankful on Monday, but I'm skipping it and going on to Tuesday's Thankful post.  Today I am thankful for the right to VOTE!  Even though I voted early, so my voting was done and I did NOT vote today, I am thankful that I, as a woman and a citizen of this great United States, can have my voice heard and my opinion count.  And now, a voting story . . .






Several many, many years ago, when we moved into our house, we needed to register to vote in our new voting district.  Dave and I were busy then with a business and four little active kids and voting just wasn't a top priority for us (gasp!!).  But Grandma Cozzens was the voting registrar and she got us over to her house to register to vote just days before the upcoming election.  But THEN . . . .come election day, we got busy and FORGOT TO VOTE.  Both of us!  A few days after the election we were at a friend's house and a new lady who had just moved into our ward stopped by, so my friend was introducing her to us, and when she came to me she said, "This is Carri Cozzens"  and the new lady said, "Oh!  You're the one who didn't vote."  I was a little confused.  "I was the ONLY one?!"  I asked.  Turns out, she volunteered to be a voting judge so she could get to know some people in our community, and she noticed that I had gone to the trouble to register just a few days earlier, but then had NOT voted.  It left an impression.  Not a good one I assume.  And I have NEVER forgotten to vote again.   
All the Fingers I have are crossed for the RIGHT man to win tonight!!  God Bless America.