Marley and Me

Matt and I were able to squeeze in our weekly date night. After all the hustle and bustle of the holidays it was a welcome get away. We decided to see the newly released Marley and Me. I had read the book by John Grogan last year and loved it and I must say the movie did not disappoint. Like the book it had you laughing one moment and crying the next. If you have a beloved dog as we do, it will be that much more endearing to you. Two big thumbs up from both Matt and I. A must see for you and your family on Christmas break.

Christmas Day Breakfast

The scene outside our door this morning looked like a winter wonderland, perfectly ordered for Christmas Day! We were lucky that everyone was able to make it out to our house for another tradition we all enjoy together, Christmas Breakfast. Matt loves to cook, and breakfast is his specialty. We were joined by Nanny and Papa, aunts and uncles and all of our fun cousins. We are so blessed to have so many people on both sides of our families who love us and want to share the holidays together. This year our menu was simple:

Cinnamon French Toast

Ham

Fresh Fruit

Quiche

Caramel Apple cider & Milk

The quiche seemed to be a big hit and was made that much easier by preparing it a day ahead of time and simply warming it in the oven. I love this recipe, from one of my favorite sites http://allrecipes.com/. I use all of the ingredients suggested in the recipe and make the addition of ham and mushrooms to it. It is heavenly delicious.

Quick Quiche

8 slices bacon

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

4 ounces shredded swiss cheese

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. ( I brown my onions in a little of the bacon grease).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate.

3. Line bottom of pie plate with cheese, bacon and anything else you would like to add in. Combine eggs, butter, onion, salt, flour and milk; whisk together until smooth; pour into pie plate.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 35- 40 minutes or until set. Serve hot or cold.

Christmas Lights

The lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake City are so breathtaking especially at Christmas time. Our family has always had a tradition of going to see them each year. We love listening to the beautiful music sung by choirs there and the spirit filled messages of our Saviors birth. This year we went twice. The first time we took our friends the Mota's with us, then later our extended family on the Larsen side went together. It is a wonderful way to kick off our holiday season and reminds us that Christ is the true reason we celebrate this joyous time of year. We wish all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Winter Blast from the Past

(Kenzie, Tayler, Brittney, Colton, Braiden and Caleb)

I absolutely love this time of year. From the very first snowfall to the excitement of the Christmas season. Even simple rituals like making hot chocolate on a cold wintry day or building a snowman with the kids. The holidays are a great time to enjoy family and friends. The memories we create together are precious reflections that make life worth living. One of my favorites was a few years ago when my extended family got together for a tubing and sleigh riding adventure on a frozen lake. We made our way up to the Price/Wellington area where my Uncle Larry lives. When we arrived we realized that this wasn't just any ordinary sledding, my Uncle has a very unconventional imagination and had created what he called the "ghetto sled". It was made out of the hood of a car and the bench seat of an old truck welded together. He attached this sled to his 4 wheeler and pulled it around the lake. We were a little reluctant at first to try it, but we finally decided to give it a whirl. Together the four of us went for a spin, we had to keep our arms linked so that we didn't lose anyone off the side. By the end we were all laughing so hard we were literally crying. The entire afternoon was spent on the lake eating, enjoying each others company and hoping to get another ride on that silly "ghetto sled".
(Lisa, Dede, Tracy and Suzy Q.)

State Champs

Wow, what a game it was. Alta vs. Bingham for the State 5A Championship title. Caleb was so excited to dress for this intense battle, even as a Junior. It was played at Rice Eccles Stadium on Friday, November 21st. Both teams were tough. At first it seemed that Bingham (one of our biggest rivals) might pull off a win. With just 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the game, the score was 6-17 (Bingham's favor). Alta made a touchdown plus a 2 point conversion. We held them. They punted to us and we scored another touchdown, with only 30 seconds left on the clock. They got the ball but we held them until the end and were victorious at last. Final score Alta 21 Bingham 17!!!! Can you say, "Scream your guts out." Matt had laryngitis for 2 whole days. It was so exciting, words cannot express te buzz that was in the stands. The Hawks truly rocked! Great year Caleb!