It's a Boy!!!

Shonna and Blake found out today that their baby is a boy!!!! He's due March 16th. That will even the score for the Hinton family: 2 girls, 2 boys!!!!

Strengthening Marriage- Lessons 2 &3

I missed writing about this last week, so here's two in one. Lesson 2: Communication Identify your ratio of positive to negative interactions with your spouse. See if your spouse agrees with your ratio. Find out from your spouse what a positive interaction entails. Identify what is negative interaction to each of you. Accentuate the positive/ Eliminate the negative. Each of you share one thing your spouse could do for you (change) that would make you happier. This is a positive thing to do frequently- but always 50/50. You share one, I share one. I got in trouble on this one. He had us do it right there: write down one thing they could do, then we went around the room and shared. Mine: Ken sit down, look me in the eye and listen, don't look at the clock. Ken agreed. Ken's: turn off the light when I leave a room. I mentioned to everyone that I call him the prince of darkness because he follows me around turning off lights. Shouldn't have said that! This week we had to report how we did on our request. That's all anybody remembered was me calling him the prince of darkness. Oh dear! Shouldn't have gone for the laugh! Lesson 3: Eliminate control: Fostering Equality and Unity Treat your wife as you would treat the Lord: respect, reverence, humility, etc. God has commanded us to love two people with all of our hearts: 1)Him ( Matt. 22:37) 2) Wife (D&C 42:22) Helpmeet=equal partner "Rule and reign" Rule means preside, not control. He had us each rate our spouse and how controlling they are on a scale of 1 to 10.

The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

My rating: 5 of 5 stars If someone had told me what this book was about before I read it, I probably wouldn't have read it. So why did I even finish it, let alone give it a five-star rating? Hmmm. . . good question. I think it's because of Jeanette's indominitable spirit- her love of her parents despite their weaknesses, her desire for family love and solidarity. It gives us a look into a dysfunctional family, and lets us see that everyone longs for family and love and goodness in their lives. We have two irresponsible, nomadic, selfish parents, who neglect their children, not providing for them the basic neccesities of life. And yet, as you read, you realize how much Jeanette loved and loves them. She has risen from the ashes of her childhood to give us this amazing story. It made me grateful for my childhood, and made me wonder why I haven't accomplished more. I recently saw, near my home, a mountain goat on the top of a sheer cliff. No way . .. how did he get up there? But there he was. Jeanette's father's pet name for her was "Mountain Goat." She couldn't have a more appropriate nickname. No way she is where she is, considering where she came from . .. and yet, there she is. That is inspiring. View all my reviews >>

Whirlwind Weekend

We crammed a lot into the 36 hours between noon Friday and midnight on Saturday. We traveled to Provo, visited with Jared and Kristen and kids a few minutes and celebrated Jared's birthday before heading to Ken's 30 year reunion of the Master of Accountancy Program at BYU. We enjoyed renewing old acquaintances there and hearing about the great things happening at BYU. Saturday morning, Kristen, Ken and I traveled to Logan to attend the wedding of W.Conrad and Hailey. (Jared graciously tended children all day so Kristen could go). It was so wonderful to be in Logan at autumn time and to be in the sacred Logan temple that ancestors help build and to have Kristen all to ourselves all day. The wedding was beautiful. They are a beautiful couple. Exciting news was shared that Allison's baby is a girl (along with Jessica's) and that Ami is expecting in April!!!! After pictures, we headed to the Logan cemetery to put pumpkins on my parents' grave. All of my siblings came, too except, of course, Patty and Hal. It was funny, we didn't discuss it as we parted at the cemetery, but we all went from there straight to the Bluebird chocolate store- tradition! We then headed to the wedding luncheon at Maddox. That was so delicious and so nice. The rolls were heavenly. Conrad's performance of "Don't Look Up" from Les Mis, was . . . well, Conraddy. At least it had the distinction, I'm quite sure, of being the only time that's ever been sung at a wedding! On the way into the luncheon, I had a little mishap. I was wearing not good shoes, and my heal caught on the asphalt and down I went- KERSPLAT! I first checked around to see who saw: everybody. Stink! Then I hurt and gracefully (NOT!) got up. Then I hurt some more. I still hurt. My left arm is so sore. Oh well, it could have been worse . . . I think. After the luncheon, the restroom was packed with people changing to head to the BYU game. It seems that Hailey's family are also avid BYU fans. Joan and Tom went with us, and we headed for the game, arriving nearly on time. We had tickets with Ken's fellow alumni, so that was fun . . .except of course, there wasn't much to cheer about. We left in the third quarter since we had a long drive ahead and Ken had to be to a 6am mtg. on Sunday... and we were losing miserably. It was a great weekend; great memories made!

Halloween Soup

Our family tradition for Halloween is to have this soup with pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins. It is a recipe that has evolved over the years, but one that I've made literally since the beginning of our marriage- probably the only one that I still make. I just kind of throw it together- no measuring, but this is my best guess: ½ lb. Hamburger, cooked with 1 chopped onion Put drained meat and onion in a crockpot with: 2 cans diced tomatoes 2 T.Better Than Bullion in 4 cups hot water (beef and can add ham flavored) Put whatever of the following you want: 1 cup Carrots- chopped, 1 cup potatoes-diced,1yellow squash-chopped,2 ribs celery w/tops-chopped,1/4 head cabbage-chopped fine, seasoning salt to taste, 3 T. sugar, salt and pepper,1 bay leaf,1/2tsp basil,1/2tsp thyme, Mrs. Dash, Mrs. Dash w/ garlic, v-8, Add later: can of green beans, can of corn, pearl barley or rice

Happy Birthday, Jared!

Today is Jared’s birthday. I’m sure he’d rather, be hunting . . .or fishing, but instead he’s spending the day at school and the day after tending the children so Kristen can attend her cousin’s wedding. We recently spent conference weekend with their family, and I was impressed again at what a good father he is. Jared is very creative and artistic. He made Brielle a conference bingo board. But he didn’t just make it for her and give it to her. He involved her in the creative process. He let her think of words that the speakers might say. He had her “pose” so he could draw a little girl praying for the “Prayer” square. He set her up in the high chair (so her little brother couldn’t steal the bingo marker chocolate chips) and then helped her listen for the words. I often think while watching him, “these kids just don’t know how lucky they are to have him for a dad.” And I guess that’s the way it should be. Happy birthday, Jared!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soup Season! My favorite season of the year. This is a very delicious version of Chicken Tortilla Soup: . . . .. . . .. . . .. 2 T. butter, 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 1/2 quarts chicken broth or stock (or I like to do 1 quart stock and 2 cups chicken broth made with BTB), 1 3/4 cup chunky sala, 1 cup frozen petite white corn, 1 can black beans,drained, 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded OR 1 whole roasted chicken (like from Costco)deboned and shredded, Tortilla strips or chips, . .. . . Garnishes for topping the soup: Cilantro, sour cream, avocado, lime juice . . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add green pepper, onion, and cumin. Simmer until tender. Stir in broth, salsa, corn, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for a few minutes. Add chicken. Heat through. Ladel into bowls and top with tortilla strips. Add garnishes of your choice. The lime juice is delicious.

Toe R Me

TOE R ME. That's how I feel. Like I AM a toe. Last week I stubbed it. It swelled up huge and turned beautiful shades of purple, grey, and black. It gradually healed until I noticed that there was just one little grey spot at the base of it and the swelling almost gone. Then yesterday morning, I stubbed the exact same toe!!!! AAAUGH! I did NOT swear, but I did bang on the table a few times and screamed woe is me and stuff. So now it's all swollen again and throbs. I guess it's good because I can keep pretty good track of my heart rate. Toe R Me.

Hinton Sibling Reunion

We had a nice time at the Hinton sibling reunion near Hollbrook, Arizona in the White Mountains this weekend. We left on Thursday morning and got home on Saturday night. We went in a van with two of Ken's brothers, Don and Ada and Dave and Gerri. All eight couples were there. We stayed in a cabin/lodge owned by people in Rick and Sherrie's stake. It was a lovely seven bedroom home. It was very nice. We had a good time. We visited, ate good food, watched movies, ate, had a talent show and ate, and ate. The highlight for me was going to the Snowflake, AZ temple on Saturday. It was nice to all be in the temple together. I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa were smiling down on us. I lied . . .the highlight was listening to the BYU game on the way home. We called Lu at Flagstaff, saying we couldn't get the game and asking what was happening. She kept us informed until just after Flagstaff when we finally got reception on KSL.I use the term "reception" loosely. We could mostly hear the game across the Indian reservation. We would be hearing just fine, then suddenly Greg Wrubell and Mark Lyons would be joined by a "band" playing on another station. They sounded a lot like Shonna's 6th grade band concerts (sorry, Shonna) I wondered how they got on the radio. Then they'd fade and we'd get Hy ya ya ya! HY ya ya ya! stuff. It sounded like an Indian pow wow. Then that would fade and we'd get some lady singing at the top of her lungs in Spanish. I grew to hate her. But when it got really bad, I'd call Lu and she'd clarify what had just happened. BYU kicked the last field goal while we waited in the car (before going in to go potty) at Jacob's Lake Lodge. Whew! Blessed relief! (on both the Cougars and the potty)

Strengthening Marriage

Ken and I are taking a recently created "Strengthening Marriage" class in our stake. The stake presidency decided to invite all of the bishops and their wives to take it this first round, with the stake presidency and their wives. It will be every Sunday evening. Ken had other obligations this week, so I attended alone, then "gave" him the class after- altering only slightly the presentation! Hopefully, he'll be able to attend from now on. It's quite a commitment for these bishops: they come running in with their hair blowing back(those who haven't lost their hair yet). Their wives are sitting there, waiting- probably haven't seen their husbands that day except when they were up on the stand during Sacrament meeting. The stake presidency felt it would be good for them to experience the class. Then they'll know what they're recommending. So, here's what I learned: *The brain is neutral. You decide whether a thought is positive or negative. We need to choose to focus on the good in our spouse; not the negatives. Couples having trouble invariably are choosing to focus on negative. Accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative. . . . . . . . . . . . . *Responding to hysteria with hysteria only heightens hysteria. . . . . . . . . . . . *Want the highest degree of celestial kingdom? President Kimball said that only those couples who have learned to love each other so much that neither death nor hell can separate them will achieve it. We were asked to write a list of five character traits or qualities that we love in our spouse. Here's my list: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. sense of humor 2. kind 3. gentle 4. gentleman 5. loving 6. self-disciplined 7. hard worker 8. goal-oriented 9. clean 10.satisfiser 11.decisive 12.confident 13.spiritual 14.complimentary 15.secure (financial; socially- I know he won't embarrass me in public) 16.helpful 17.appreciative 18.consistent 19.patient 20.loves learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Challenge: Commit to only entertain positive thoughts of spouse. So, there you have it: Class One.

Tempting . . .

Ken may look like a mild-mannered man. He is. But when flies are in the house, he morphs into a hunter. It's him against the flies . . .and he ALWAYS wins. Last week, we were with Kristen and Jared for conference. They had a couple of flies in the house. Ken. Fly swatter. Dead flies. You get the picture. I guess Brielle got it, too. Yesterday morning, the phone rang. Ken answered. It was Brielle. "Grandpa, I just can't get him." "Can't get who?" "The fly." "Do you want Grandpa to come and get him for you." "Yes." Man, it was tempting to get in the car and drive the four hours to get that little invader. . . and to kiss his huntress.

Temple Quarry Trail

This morning, Ken and I hiked the temple quarry trail . It's about a three mile hike on the black ridge. It's the trail the pioneers used to attain lava rock for the St. George temple foundation and basement. It is just amazing to me the effort it must have taken to first, build the trail, then blast the rock and get it out with the wagons. It's hard to even imagine how overwhelming that task must have seemed to the pioneers. . . and it's sometimes too hard for me to DRIVE the seven minutes to the temple and sit there in air conditioned comfort. Thank you, Pioneers! The view from up there was beautiful. It's a beautiful autumn day. You can see where they drilled to blast the rock to make the trail around the mountain. You can see where they hammered into the lava rock to break apart the lava. What a job!!!

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

This recipe won the "main dish dinner" category for the Pillsbury Bake-off. We tried it the other night and really liked it. It does taste like a loaded baked potato. Loaded Baked Potato Pizza -- Serves: 6 servings Ingredients: 1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury(r) refrigerated classic pizza crust 1 medium white potato 1 tablespoon CRISCO(r) Pure Olive Oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 box (10 oz) Green Giant(r) frozen broccoli and cheese sauce 2/3 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon ranch dressing 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (4 oz) 5 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped 1 small tomato, seeded, chopped (1/2 cup) 2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons) Directions: Directions Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray large cookie sheet with CRISCO(r) Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven; set aside. Meanwhile, pierce potato with fork; place on microwavable paper towel in microwave oven. Microwave 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until tender. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. When potato is cool enough to handle, peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 cup). In small bowl, mix potato, oil, salt and pepper; set aside. Cook broccoli in microwave as directed on box. Empty from pouch into another small bowl to cool slightly; set aside. In another small bowl, mix sour cream and ranch dressing. Spread mixture over pizza crust to within 1/2-inch of edges of crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with bacon. Spread broccoli mixture and potato mixture evenly over bacon. Sprinkle tomato, onions and remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potato mixture. Bake 15 to 22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Conference Weekend

We had a magnificent Conference weekend! We traveled to Provo on Friday and attended the 7:00pm BYU/ Utah State game. It was so fun to be there. We actually got there in time for the pre-game show. Lavell Edwards Stadium is the prettiest in the world, I think. In the second half, Kristen and Jared left their seats to join us because we happened to have two extra seats by us. It was a great game. After the game, we went to Kristen and Jared's for visiting and treats. On Saturday, Nathan and I were the first awake. I could hear him in his crib, just singing and talking, so I hurried and showered and got ready, then went into his room. He was SO surprised to see me, and just shouted out, "Gwamma!!" . . . melt my heart! On Sunday when he woke up, he knew I was there, so he banged on the wall and shouted, "Gwamma, where are you?" I went in and got him out and we played for awhile. He then found his dirty "Y Cougar shit" from the day before and wanted me to put it on him. Can I just say, he LOVES that shirt. I told him it was dirty (and believe me, it was). He said "Wash it!" I told him we could wear another shirt. He went to his play toolbox and got out the pliers and said, "I fix it" and then proceeded to "fix" the shirt for the next few minutes. Man, he's cute. We had a fun day, listening to conference. Jared made conference bingo for Brielle and put her on the highest setting of the high chair, hoping to be out of reach of little Nathan. "He can still reach me!!!" He liked to steal and eat the markers for the game. But I was impressed how well Brielle listened with that game and the color tie game. Between sessions, we took an adventurous trip to Wal-mart. We let the kids push strollers, and they pretty much took over the store. We did a lot of chasing. While the guys went to priesthood session, Kristen and I took the kids to Dillards for a little shopping. After getting the kids to bed and the priesthood session, we played a rousing game of "All" (the guys cleaned our clock) and had Pazookies (YUM!) We awoke to rain on Sunday, and enjoyed both sessions of conference. I loved Elder Holland's powerful talk on the Book of Mormon. I went away from conference with some specific goals to be better. We had to leave right after the afternoon session for Ken to get home to set apart a brother in the stake. We are so grateful to Lu and Jar for hosting us. They fed us delicious food (monkey bread, barbecued salmon and veggies, Cafe Rio elk - so good!!!!) It was so fun to share the game and conference with them!!! (Consider this your heartfelt thank you note!)