LA Temple Experiences

Our trip to Los Angeles a couple weeks ago was surrounded with a visit to the temple.  Let me just say I have never had quite the experience when going to the temple like I did on this visit.  The week prior I had called to make reservations for Nicole to attend and do some work while we were in the other area of the temple. 

 

 I wanted her to be able to participate and have a memorable experience as well...but the night before when we were getting ready for bed I asked if she had everything ready for our visit, including her recommend.  Guess what?  She forgot it!  Oh brother!  I thought that maybe if possible we could see if someone could call to verify her recommend.  All we could do was ask when we got there.

Outside the enterance of the temple...

Sooo...we got to the temple and asked.  The recorder came out and assisted us with verifying her recommend.  However, nobody answered the phones when he called.  All he could do at the time was leave a message.  I was told that I could go on and do what I needed to do.  I knew Nicole would be okay.  If she couldn't go into the temple she had plenty to do on her own.

 

I later found out she was able to go to her appointment, she was just late.  I was so happy!

Los Angeles, CA Temple

I'm not going to write about my overall experience because it is sacred and shouldn't be discussed, but I will share just one feeling I felt.  I have never been to the temple where there was so many people together in one session.  There was well over 150 people attending the session we went to.  That in itself was overwhelming, however that was minuet to what my personal feeling was. 

 

I was the last person to walk into the celestial room (remember I said there were tons of people), so the room was VERY full!  I wasn't able to find my mom right away.  All I saw was a bunch of people either sitting or standing all dressed in white throughout the room.  As I looked around to find my mom, a overwhelming feeling came to me that this is what it will be like when I enter into heaven.  I will walk in and see lots of people, some strangers, but some familiar.  I will recognize some and they will be looking for me as well waiting for me to join them.  Once that feeling came to me, I then saw my mom.  I had to sit down for a minute because I was overcome with strong emotions and tears began coming to me.  I didn't want to bring on the water works, but knew what I felt was right...

Nicole and I outside the temple.  Mom & Robbie were there too, but I can't seem to locate the pics of all of us...

This day was quite the experience for me.  I was very humbled for the little blessings that came this day.  Before we left for this quick trip, I told myself that I wanted the best experience I could possibly have.  At the end of the trip, I had just that!

Zoo Trip

A couple weeks ago we decided we wanted to take a quick trip out of town somewhere.  We couldn't decide where we wanted to go.  We thought about Utah, but we didn't want to deal with snow and super cold.  We thought maybe we would go to San Diego, but didn't feel completely satisfied with going there.  We thought maybe we would go to the San Diego Zoo, since last time we went there happened to be record rain fall.  We only saw a few super fabulous animals on that trip, but it was still vry memorable.  There aren't many people who would stick out walking through a zoo with non-stop rain.  We bought rain ponchos to help keep us dry, but our feet and legs were still wet.

 

Anyway...this time since we really didn't want to pay the full amount for the zoo because we would only be there a few hours, we decided that we would go to Los Angeles and see what we could do there.  There happens to be a zoo there...I had no idea!  It's even called the L.A. Zoo! 

 

We had plans for earlier in the day with other activities, so we didn't get to the zoo until about 1:00 in the afternoon.  We had 3 hours to get through the zoo.  We hurried to see as much as we could.  Just our luck though, by the time we got to the really exciting animals like elephants, giraffes, zebra, chimpanzees, and the black bear, it was feeding time...so they were standing at their gate waiting to go into their feeding area. So that left us with a GREAT view of most of the animals butts!

 

Despite the view of the animals butts, it was fun to at least see the different animals.  I didn't really have a favorite this time because just seeing the animals butts and nothing else wasn't really make them super exciting.  However, the coolest animals in my opinion were the meerkats and the giraffes.

 

Planet of the Apes anyone?

See they had their back to everyone.  They were waiting for food!  I kinda freaked out when they started making that ape sound that they make.  I had a flash of attacking apes! 

 

The meerkats were one of the first animals we saw.  They were really cool.  They hung out on this rock just watching the world go by.  When we were leaving, one of them was still hanging out on the same rock.  I kinda giggled because I they reminded me of when my kids were little when we would watch Meerkat Manor together.  (Adam absolutely loved that show!  I wonder ehat ever happened to that little family?)

 

 

All I can say about the pink flamingo's is that they STINK!!!  I was looking at them and smelled how awful they were and thought "Who in the world would want a pink flamingo in their front yard?"  Real or plastic...yeah I don't get it!

 

 

This leopard was cool to see because it just wasn't laying around sleeping or its butt wasn't toward us.  But it was disgusting because as it was pacing its cage, it stopped turned its rear-end to the wall and sprayed it!  Yeah, after that I was done watching it!

 

That's me with what?  The African Elephants butt!!!

 

I think this is the otters...I can't remember and the picture isn't really great.  I remember there was a family of them curled up outside of the water area...

 

The giraffe were fun to see.  They are so tall it makes me realize just how short I really am.  The girafe of the left was 18' tall!  I think I took about 10 pictures of them just trying to get them facing the camera because they were pacing back and forth as well waiting for feeding time too!  It's a miracle I didn't just get their butts... (but the other pics did!)

 



Sorry...same picture!  For some reason I couldn't get it to delete...so just enjoy again! 

These are more elephants that were in the distance from the African Elephant.  Again...we were only lucky to geta glimpse of them.

 

This trip was quick but fun.  I always think its fun to do something away from home that's new.  This trip was definitely new!!!  However, it was very different too because there was only 4 of us that went...Nicole, Mom, Robbie and I.  I missed my other family members, but living in other states makes it a little difficult to make these quick random trips.  There will be other opportunities in the future though (I Hope)! 



My Valentine Surprise...

Every year Valentine's has always been such a ho-hum day.  This year really has been nothing different.  However...the majority of my immediate family members are in other states.  So I thought about doing something fun for all of them that would surprise them and be something special for them....

 I can cook very well, but cooking is not my most favorite thing to do. But baking and I do not in anyway get along with each other!  I have no patience to wait for the entire process to be complete!  There's the measuring, the mixing then the scooping and the forever waiting for the final goodies to be baked.  Yeah, it's too much for me.  

My poor family, whenever they wanted cookies, they either had to make them themselves or have grandma make them!  I just never really had any interest in doing it.  Another thing about baking...the horrible painstaking clean up!  How many bowls, pans, plates, measuring cups and spoons does something really need?  Apparently the entire kitchen because it seems like the entire kitchen gets spotlessly cleaned whenever baking happens...

Anyway, with all the being said...this year I decided that I would attempt to make for the first time ever sugar cookies that I absolutely LOVE to eat because the recipe is for soft cookies.  So I asked my mom if she would teach me (poor thing was probably thinking "Oh man, I'm in for it!!!)

So a couple weeks ago my grandma's recipe was pulled out of the recipe box and I was given the task to find all the ingredients.  I know what all the ingredients are, I just don't like doing all the measuring.  Next out came the mixing bowl...

Then I was told to measure everything as double.  No problem, except when it came to 1 1/2...oh that's 3.  Yes, I really have to think about this stuff.  (Is it a bad thing when I think about how much it is to a tank of gas? Yeah that's what I have always do to determine exactly how much a measurement is...) 

So it was time to cream butter and sugar...huh?  How in the world do I do that?  Well it goes into the mixer together!  I had no idea!  Then the flour and all the other dry stuff...but that has to be measured separately and then folded together!  Folded together?  Really?  That means the dry stuff mixed together BEFORE it goes into the creamed sugar stuff in the mixer...(Seriously, I was amazed) Then when you add the dry mixture to the buttery sugar, you only add a little at a time...

While adding a little in at a time, you have to stop and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to make sure its mixing completely...Problem!  I'm too short to see the sides of the mixing bowl!  So mom got the foot stool out for me so I can scrape the sides of the bowl better without hurting my toes because I was on my tip-toes trying to scrape the bowl!

That's me on the foot stool!  Yes I am that short!

Oh then once that's mixing you add one egg at a time.  Gees, no wonder I never liked baking!  Why can't you just put them in together?  What difference does it make?  Apparently it does, but I may never figure out why because I have to follow the recipe exactly!  

Once everything is all mixed together, get this...the cookie dough has to go into the fridge for 3 hours!  I don't know why, but that's what the recipe says to do....So okay what do I do with the 3 hours?  Well apparently a lot because I got stuff done!

I got the scrapper...mom got the beaters!  Dough going into the fridge for 3 hours!

3 Hours Later!!!

Now it's time to roll the dough out.  Oh man!  I have NEVER used a rolling pin.  I had no clue what to do now.  Make sure you have plenty of flour to roll the dough out because it will stick!  (See a huge mess!)  You roll like this, then this, then turn this way...I didn't think I could handle doing that...seemed way over my non-baking skills!  So I was given the rolling pin and told to roll.  I rolled!  Let's just say...it wasn't as bad as I thought!  

Cutting the cookies was no big deal.  Push the cookie cutter into the dough then plop it onto the cookie sheet.  The problem here was, the racks in the over have to be moved.  I never would have known to do that and why....

So with the racks in different places its time to bake cookies.  5 minutes on the bottom rack, move them to the top rack to 2 more minutes.  In the meantime keep rolling and cutting cookies! 

I was trying to be happy...but inside I was crying!  

Okay, this is where I have to admit...I was so ready to give up and say "SCREW IT"  I was getting so stressed out with moving trays, rolling and cutting.  I never thought I was going to get to the end of the dough.  FINALLY after what seemed like hours of this moving, rolling, cutting, scooping the last cookies were D.O.N.E.!  

Finished product of the first time EVER making sugar cookies!

I was relieved when it was finally done.  I had to keep telling myself I am doing this because I need to be able to know how to do this.  One day my kids will have kids and will send them to grandma to make cookies.  How sad would it be if I said "Let's go to the store and buy them!"  Yes, I would totally do that!  But my kids loved helping bake cookies, so I think it would be a good idea to start learning how to do this thing called baking.  I was happy when I finished this batch and had already decided that I was going to attempt to make more the next day all by myself without my mom's help.  Guess what?  I did it.  This time I wasn't as stressed out and it got done so much faster than it did the day before.

Clean up is never fun.  I had to refill the flour container for the next batch...
Yup, that's me on the foot stool again! 

I bought a few tubs of frosting and a couple containers for mailing.  I packaged the cookies up with frosting and sprinkles so they could be frosted when everyone got them.  I sent them packed in a container with the frosting inside and packed with different kinds of Valentine candies so they were somewhat padded.  Valentine cards, and boxes of chocolates were all packed into the boxes and shipped off to Josh and Adam in North Dakota, and Breanne and Tyler in Cedar City.  

As of yesterday everyone got their cookies.  The cookies were baked with love!  It was a totally new experience for me, and one I will definitely be attempting again!  

Oh, I make enough cookies to take to 8 different families at church and for mom to take to work for the staff.  I hope everyone liked them because they were definitely a labor of love!

Road Trip Time Waster

One of my most favorite things to do is go on road trips with my family.  Normally these trips are quick weekend trips to somewhere. We have been to many different places just for a quick get away...

Zion, Grand Canyon, Disneyland, Bryce Canyon, Manti, UT, the beach, Knotts Berry Farm, San Diego Zoo, can't forget the cabin and the many adventures we go on when we're there

To pass the time in the car one of usually takes out our camera to take random pictures. This always gets us laughing ridiculously loud.

Nicole, Lulu & I on our move back to Las Vegas....sitting in traffic somewhere in Washington  or Oregon!

Someone found the distort button!!!

Passing time on our way to Universal Studios...

Most recently on our way to CA

I have a ton of car pictures, I just don't have them all readily available at this time like I do these.  I have picture of everyone in the family at one point of another in the car doing something random like pulling a face, wearing a fake mustache.  It's fun for me to look at these pictures because I remember the moment in time when it was taken and memories come rushing back like it was yesterday.

Other time waster while in the car is listening to music.  If I'm driving I play all kinds of music....pop in that Michael Jackson CD and I'm a real happy driver for several hours. My family has learned to tolerate it...

When Josh drives we normally watch movies. When mom drives, its normally Robbie talking the entire way. This trip we have the satellite radio...rocking out to the oldies has been fun.

I'm so glad I have so many memories of different road trips. These memories will be in my heart and memory forever because they are always with family who I love...

( Nicole is always with me on our road trips, I promise other family members have been on the trips too...I just don't' have those pics available at the moment, so Nicole is the victim of crazy pictures on this blog post!!!)