All this time I thought this was a joke

Do you think Logan is telling the truth in this little clip?

While he was serving his mission in the Philippines in 2000, he sent us this video.

Today Den looked at it again, and I asked....is that really true what he said? 

Den said, "Of course not! Logan is just pulling your leg like he always does. He is so quick with his thinking! So quick!"





We didn't have google 20 years ago, so today I actually looked it up and guess what? 

This is what I found:

"The boondocks is an American expression from the Tagalog word bundók ("mountain"). It originally referred to a remote rural area, but now, is often applied to an out-of-the-way area considered backward and unsophisticated by city-folk."

Well who knew!
All these years I thought he was just entertaining his family back home. 

Happenings in the family

1. So happy I got to spend several hours with my cousin Kathy and her little granddaughter, Leonie. 

Her 7 year old sister was at Children's hospital here for a brain 

tumor (that was successfully removed after Christmas!)

2. Dennis thinks this snowman Leo made in Idaho is the cutest 

he's ever seen. I adore its tiny little head.

3. This week they have baby Daisy working hard in Texas.

4. I love this picture of baby Jack!
(McKay and McKenna's youngest.)

5. Amy had a little too much excitement the past week as this ladder fell on her bare foot.....

Incredibly, not broken. 

6. I was looking through an old journal of mine from 2012 

when Elora was about 9, and found this: 

"Elora and I talked about the little girl who got sick at her choir performance this week. She said the girl wanted to throw up on the bus but it was not allowed. I asked, "Well how can they not allow it?" She said her parents would get a bill for that. Then she went on to explain that if any kid gets sick at school and the janitor cleans it up, the parents will get a bill because the janitor is only hired to take out the trash."

Elora always told it like it was...

or rather, how she thought it was. 😮

7. This fell out of an old book I have.
I must have liked it then, as I do now.

What we did and what we ate the week Karen and Tyler were here...

I couldn't do much that week, 
but I did get a front row seat to lots of it....




And some really nice visitors came to see me while I was resting my leg...

(Leo would visit too, but he's over at my desk trying to figure out the lock.)

We had Chinese Food one night....

Notice the hearts on our mirrors? Brock and Erin tried to sneak in one evening and decorate when Den was in the hospital last August. I had just gotten home that night so it wasn't the surprise they were going for, but it meant ALOT to us.

I love those hearts so much I still can't take them down. 

One day it was pizza for lunch. 
They requested Marco's this time rather that Pizza Hut.

And these were a big hit in the mornings. 

Even those who didn't like sausage, liked these.

Not exactly health food though. 

 The kids loved the "dinosaur tails"...so I finally tried them... 

They are the "upper crust" of chicken nuggets.

Not your typical soft rubbery oven chicken nuggets. I promise.

Dinners for our week together this time:

1. chicken pasta salad, and mac and cheese for the kids

2. ordered Chinese food

3. Karen and Tyler went to Bakersfield and we all did our own thing

4. Karen made a wonderful vegan chili and salad

5. Tacos

6. leftover chili over baked potatoes and more Dinosaur tails

They got to have some cousin time, at least with Violet. 

Amy and the kids were in Utah most of that week. 

The gingerbread houses were a hit. 

Thanks to my friend telling me about the prebuilt ones. 

Daisy is just barely a year old 

and didn't want much to do with me. 

She would smile at me as long as I didn't get too close. 

She would always choose the baby doll amidst the toys. 

A girl after my own heart for sure!

I couldn't resist this one. It's me, age 1
My mom said I mothered everything in sight. 

I KNOW Daisy and I will be good friends in the future. 

It's not like the parents called them all to gather around Daisy.

They are in love with their baby sister.

I regret that walker is in so many pictures. 

It's put away now, but it sure did help with the pain. 

And this sweetheart was so much help! 

I had a difficult time even doing the smallest things (like putting the plug in the bathtub)...but she would come to my rescue. 

And she pretty much took over most of our meals.

Not the way I wanted that week to go. 

So thankful for family!

Oreo Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert

I know, Christmas desserts are over, but I don't see why this 
couldn't be adapted to other ice cream flavors. 


Since I don't eat desserts, I rate them by how quickly they disappear.

This one flew out of the pan. 

I also rate it by how easy it is to make.

It was, very! No baking. Just 4 ingredients.

And what I truly love, is it can be made weeks ahead then just stored it in the freezer where it belongs....with an attached baggie holding the additional smashed Oreos that belong on top (plus cool whip in the fridge)

Check out the recipe HERE. 

The interviews

I interviewed our Idaho grandkids separately,
 and their personalities came through....

10 moments in December

Here's 10 things before Christmas, I don't want to forget:

1. One evening while Den and I were out having dinner, I got a text from a friend that read, "Run! Don't walk to the craft store to get these for Tyler's kids when they come to visit."

She had remembered I looked EVERYWHERE for these last Christmas. ...The grands loved them, btw.

2. A lady in our neighborhood bookclub made these bookmarks for all 8 of us in the club. Pictures of all the books we reviewed since we began 2 1/2 years ago. 

Disclaimer: I didn't read all of them. 
And I can't recommend all the ones I did read, but there were some good ones too!

3. Den wasn't able to set up our tree this year due to his back hurting. 

We sort of missed having a tree.

Our ministering brother from church, who knew nothing about this, brought us over a poinsettia the week before Christmas. I would never had known that a simple little red plant would have brought us so much joy, but it did!

4. Everywhere we went throughout the month of December people were saying Merry Christmas to us....even before we said it to them! Something had drastically changed since last year. We don't know what or why, but it was SO nice to hear.

5. I was bored while waiting with Den to see his neurologist so I took this picture and sent it to a friend. 

She right away texted back:

"You need to buy him some cool socks. haha  Have you seen the BYU ones?" 

And she proceeded to send me some links. I did buy the socks, and he was happy Christmas morning! 

We get by with a little help from our friends.

6. Right before our Christmas church service on the 22nd, I walked to the back row of the chapel to say Merry Christmas to a couple I'd known for years. She said to me, "Just think Jill, we could be sitting side by side today." 

I just stared at her trying to think what she meant. Then she said, "With Dennis' stroke, and Mike's heart problems we could be widows right now sitting together." 

Nothing like immediate perspective.

7. During that same church service I turned around to see who was behind us like I always do, and then had to do a double take. There was Sierra and Thomas sitting together with their 11 month old baby boy. I had thought Thomas was still in Iraq...he wasn't suppose to get back until January!  

But there he was with his wife and baby son. This sight made me SO happy since I had worried and prayed for this little family since he was deployed there shortly after their baby was born.

I told them after the meeting that if nothing else good happens to me this Christmas, this is enough....just knowing they are back together again!

8. I also noticed that day at church another young couple sitting in front of us. Throughout much of the service the man had his arm dangling down beside him, which I couldn't figure out. I finally realized he was holding hands with his 4 month old daughter from her little carrier below! The sweetest sight! This went on for about half the meeting.

9. On Christmas Eve as Den and I were driving out of Savemart parking lot we saw a very elderly man walking sort stooped over, while carrying in his hands, a pie and a can of beans. I told Den, it was so sad. That elderly hunched over man was going to be alone for Christmas with his pie and can of beans. 

Den saw it differently. He said, "Oh he's going to his family gathering and his son asked him..."hey Dad, can you bring a pie and a can of beans?" 

I'm hoping Den's version was the correct one!

10. Later on in that night on Christmas Eve, I felt a bit down with my leg hurting and Dennis pretty much having to wait on me. But then I thought, wait a sec.....I told that couple in our ward I was going to be happy for them regardless. It worked, and I was! 

I pictured them getting to celebrate Christmas with their baby boy....after being apart for 9 months! It truly did make our Christmas special too. 

Beside the fact that we have a pretty darn good life...and we knew Karen and Tyler and their 4 would be arriving the 26th!  

Violet came to the rescue

Violet may be only 8 1/2 but she's mighty. 

She said she would come to help me.

And she did!

She got the dirty spots off our tile.

And she brought me new ice packs for my leg when I needed them.

She even found Juliet's missing Cinderella dress 

(that Violet handed down to her!..btw, that picture was a re-enactment)

She opened and closed the windows when I needed them. 

I was glad I had Violet's happy food in the freezer.

And she in turn, was glad she had happy food for her friend Vi. 

Finally that plastic mac and cheese 

we've had hanging around all these years, made sense.

Violet always always asks for frozen cookies

so I made sure to have some waiting for her.

We also shared one of these GF bars.

They were good, but she liked them more than I did.

At bedtime, I told Violet I couldn't make the bed, 

and would she mind just sleeping with blankets this one time?

She hesitantly said: 

"Well I've never slept without sheets....but okay."

She's a sweetheart.

After Violet got Vi and herself to sleep,

plus another stray baby that Daisy loved while she was here....

I hobbled in and put a morning snack and activity in like I always 

do...(so the grandparents can sleep past 7am if they want)

Next morning she wanted me to smell all the markers.

As much as she begged, I just could not do the rotten tooth.

We then headed out to the Farmer's Market.

She asked if Vi could come along. Of course!

You are such a treasure, Violet!

She told me just as she was leaving to head home, 

"Whenever you need me Grandma Honey, just call me. 

I'll be there!"

PS  Karen and Tyler were here about a week and what a blessing that was to us. More on that later....

Stealing diapers

While Den and I were going through check out at Savemart last night, the manager quickly came up and threw several large boxes of diapers near the register. 

(Actually the diapers last night were red, so I think they were Huggies)

Then he announced to the checker that he just intercepted a man trying to steal them. The manager said he could even see a driver ready to take off after those diapers were loaded up. 

But instead, he was able to stop the thief and rescue the diapers, which he estimated were $120. worth.

Listening in, I asked the manager, "So what did the guy say when you took the diapers away from him?" 

"Nothing."

"Did you call the police?" 

He shook his head and said, "No, no need. I got the diapers back so all is well." 

All is well? But that thief is just going to try it again at the next store. 

When did this become okay? 

Den told me on the way home that shoplifting is hardly considered a crime anymore. Really??

This world is worse than I thought.