Tuesday Tell All - Tiny Treasures‏

This week's topic took me down a stroll down memory lane. What a wonderful opportunity to write about my many "tiny treasures" that I have acquired over my life.

I got so wrapped up in finding all my special pieces of jewelry that I spent hours looking through boxes, baggies, drawers and my cedar chest in search of things. I guess that is what happens when you are constantly hiding valuable away from busy little inquisitive hands.

As I searched, I stumbled upon so many things I had forgotten and waves of memories came flooding back. The necklace I wore in my senior picture, earrings my mom bought for me for Halloween long ago, the watch I wore in my engagement photo, rings from Disneyland, pins from student council and cheer, things I had made, things people gave to me, and so many other treasures that my heart was touched as I rummaged through the bits of gold and sliver.

You can not put a monetary value on each piece. The thing that fills me with joy is the story every item brings, the people who have shared and the love I feel for them. These simple items remind me of them and their love.

As for the list, I have many items that I hold dear, but there are a few that are priceless and will be passed down with love as cherished heirlooms to my family.

My favorite piece of jewelry is my wedding ring. Rich and I went together to pick out settings and this is the one I selected. I knew long before I was engaged that I wanted a simple gold band with a round solitaire. He picked out the diamond so there was an element of surprise. My wedding band is not sautered together and I love that I can wear it alone if I am going on a trip and don't want to wear my diamond.

The next item is a beautiful old gold locket given to me by my Grandma Nance when I was twelve years old. This necklace was given to her when she was twelve from her dear Aunt Anne who lived in San Fransisco. Inside the locket are very small pictures of my grandma and grandpa on each side. When my Grandma gave an oral history to my brother Jeff for his 50 hour school project, he asked about her about special pieces of jewelry and she mentioned this locket and the ring that will follow. I am so honored that she would share a bit of her tiny treasures with me.

This ring is very special to me. It was also given to me by my Grandma Nance. It was her graduation ring that her parents gave to her when she was 18 and graduating from East High School in Salt Lake City. It a gold ring, with a pearl in the center and is flanked by two small rubies. I wore it on my wedding day, on my children's blessing days and to my siblings weddings. It its priceless.

I absolutely love all the little rings my parents gave to me when I was a teenager. They first sat me down on their bed and gave me the little heart ring that is gold and had a very tiny diamond in the middle. I wore it with pride in middle school and impressed all my friends that I was responsible enough for a ring with a bit of value. I learned to take great care with my rings and my parents gave me more for Christmas each year. The Sapphire flower was next, then the ruby, then the diamond and last was the emerald. I still wear them today and look forward to one day giving them to my own daughters.

I have to say that these little necklaces represent the most work I even had to do for jewelry. I earned my Faith in God award when I was in Primary (center pendant) and then over the years in the young women program completed all the requirement in the personal progress book and earned my Young womanhood medallion just days before my 18th birthday. I was so close to finishing, but was living in Hawaii and have given up home of earning it. My mom called and encouraged me to complete the last few service hours, so I began tutoring ESL students and organized a beach clean up. I was very proud to be presented with my necklace by my own father who was my home ward bishop when I went back to Utah during the Christmas break.

Rich has given me many wonderful gift over the years and has very good taste in jewelry. I thought I would document the first and the most recent of his purchases. He gave me the diamond heart for Christmas when we were engaged and surprised me with this lovely O shaped pendant last Christmas.

I love these little bracelets Brynn and Kaitlyn wore on their blessing day and when they were very young. A wonderful woman in Rich's Provo home ward named Robin Harmon made these for my girls and had her son bring them to the house on Christmas Eve. I was five months pregnant with the girls and discovered them in my stocking on Christmas morning. The delicate crystal beads and silver charm brought me to tears to think I would soon have two baby girls. It was a gift of love.

These next things are wonderful and I love them, but they don't hold quite the sentimental value that the previous items do.

I begged my parents to get my ears pierced when I was 3 years old. My parents told me that it would be painful, but I promised I would sit still and be brave. We took a trip to Trolley Square and picked out the little gold heart earrings and sat perfectly still as they pierced my ears. I loved them.

I wore the strawberry pendant when I was around three or four.

I got these pins from Disneyland back in 1988, before the craze of pin trading. I loved going each morning and receiving a free pin at the entry gate. I got the Sea World one that year too.

In junior high I taught myself how to make beaded jewelry and loved making ones with bright beads and creating flowers. These are a few ones that have lasted over the years.

This is one of my very favorite pendants. It is blown glass from Venice. I have worn it for years and years and goes with anything.

Often when my parents would go on trips they would bring me jewelry home for my souvenir. I love this gold bracelet that they bought for me from St Thomas.

I wore these earring at my wedding. They are cheap fashion jewelry from ZCMI, but thought they were simple and elegant.

I love all the necklaces that my Grandma Larsen has given to me for my birthday over the past few years. This one has my birthstone on the heart.

I love this necklace that Rich's parents gave to me this past birthday. It was a milestone one since I turned 30 and they sent this beautiful necklace that has my children's birthstones on the family tree. It is lovely and so special to wear my children close to my heart.

My one and only piece from Tiffany and Co. in NYC. My parents took a trip a few years ago and brought this silver daisy pendant back for me. My mom has a matching one too.

Greg and Kate really spoiled me last year when they drew my name for Christmas and gave me this beautiful necklace from San Francisco.

And last, I love this little pendant. I bought it at ShopKo a few years ago and think it is so pretty.

The only sad part of this whole thing is that I rarely wear all these beautiful things. The only thing that gets use everyday is my wedding ring. I tend to just put on a pair of gold hoops and my watch and I'm good for days. I do love my watch though. Rich gave it to me for Christmas years ago and it's the prettiest I've ever seen. Oh how my list could go on. Hopefully writing all this down will get me motivated to pull out something new everyday and make new memories enjoying them.

Tuesday Tell All Information

For all you wondering what Tuesday Tell All is, two of my friends that I got to know in Louisville, Marcie and Sally, (they now live in Utah and Idaho) came up with the idea of writing about specific topics on our blogs each Tuesday. It is a fun way to add some different types of posts to our online family journals. Plus, we all get to read each other's answers, which is a lot of fun. There are around 30 girls that participate.

Marcie emails the topic at the end of the week and then we all post on Tuesday. The topics have ranged from listing where we have lived, our favorite children's books, things we can't live without, to our childhood dreams.

If you would like to join in the fun, let me know. I will have Marcie add you to the list and we can get the other women's blog information to you so can read along.

Happy Writing!

Straight from their mouth....

Josh told me after school that tomorrow was "spiritual hat day". I corrected him and told him no, it was sprit and hat day. He shook his head no and repeated that it was spiritual hat day.

Later this evening while we were putting the backpacks together for the morning, Matt said, "Mom, tomorrow is spiritual water day." I didn't even have the heart to tell him he was wrong because I was trying very hard not to laugh. It really is just spirit day and you can buy water for a dollar as part of the schools fundraiser. They call it spirit water.We are quite the spiritual bunch! It seems that our boys have school and church mixed up a bit!

Veterans' Day

Today is Veterans' Day, a day when we can honor those men and women who have so courageously served our country in the armed forces. Who often have left behind loved ones for months and even years at a time to fight for freedom throughout the world and some have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives in the cause.

Three of our grandfathers fought in WWII. My mom's father was a merchant marine, my dad's father was in the army and would have stormed the beach in Japan had the atomic bomb not been dropped and the war ended. Rich's dad's father served for years in Europe as a medical doctor and did not meet his first born son until he was over two years old.

What true heroes these men are and what examples they have been to my children. I am grateful to those men and women who are fighting today. I pray for their safe return.

The boys school had an assembly today where the chorus sang songs about freedom and America. I love that they are gaining an appreciation and love for this wonderful country we are blessed to live in.

And I 'm proud to be an American,

Where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

Who gave that right to me,

And I'll gladly stand up next to you,

And defend her still today,

'Cause there aint no doubt, I love this land,

God Bless the U.S.A.!

Soccer Extravaganza

Two Saturdays ago the boys had their huge soccer extravaganza that wrapped up a great fall soccer season. (It was the same day as Trunk-0r-Treat so it was a crazy busy day.) The Generals ended up winning every game except the one that was a tie. They all played hard and I was pleased with the progress they made. It was very enjoyable to have all three on the same team and watch them play together.It was freezing cold, so the team ran around to keep warm until the match was ready to begin.Matt shows of his soccer tattoo.Trey was the starting goalie.Josh is ready for action!
Trey had a great throw in to Josh.All three Jacksons in together.The girls found their own way to entertain themselves.Josh scored TWICE!
Trey ran the ball down the entire field.
Only to be stopped at the last second. Good try!
After the game the coach handed out treats, trophies and awards. Matt got the Smart Player award. He is always thinking!
Josh got the All Around Soccer Star. He really improved and scored the most goals on the team.Trey got the Great Goalie award even thought the coach said she could have given him the long legs award because he can run so fast with his long limbs!
We celebrated after with lunch at the beans place- Qdoba that is.
And ended with ice cream cones from McDonald's.
A perfect day together!

Tagged- Jobs

I got tagged by my friend Melissa to write about all the real jobs I have had in my life. While the list isn't long, I am grateful that my parents taught me at a young ate the value of work, gave me opportunities to work and encouraged me to always do my best in whatever I did. I have never really written these down, so beware, I intend to write a little about each.

Baby sitter: This would have been my first paying job. Every once in a while I would watch my Aunt Marilyn's two kids, Ashley and Ryan. She was and still is my dad's nurse at the office. My cousins and I had a lot of fun playing together and I loved looking at the time pass on the clock and adding up how much money I had earned. I don't remember how much I got an hour, but Marilyn paid me very well. I didn't mind watching other peoples children, but there were a few neighbors that I hated to sit for. They paid me next to nothing and would always return late. The neighbors across the street were another story. I loved when Karen would call because she paid well and her kids were cute. I still remember her black, white and red kitchen. I didn't baby sit that often, but long enough to know it wasn't something I had a passion for.

Filing at my dad's office- 8th grade until college. During the summer somewhere around 7th or 8th grade my mom would drive me and my older brother over to my dad's office where we would file charts and paper work. This must have been a huge chore for her to get us to Springville, but it was great for us to have a real job.

This job lasted for years and I loved it. My dad paid us very generously and it was fun to be with him and my aunt. I loved the little room full of charts and the feeling of accomplishment when it was all organized.

When Greg got his license during his sophomore year he would drive us over in the blue Datsun while we listened to U2 and UB40 in the cassette player. We often would stop and get ice cream cones or chili cheese nachos at 7-Eleven in Springville. I continued to work at the office long after Greg stopped and eventually would copy the charts of women for the hospital, copy things for my dad, as well as file the paper work and charts and pull the list for the next day.

I miss working there and seeing my family so often. When I got married my dad changed office and it was a joy to be with my Uncle Dave as well. He was in the old office, but in the basement, so to share it with only him, was a real treat.

Cafeteria employee- Freshman year BYU-Hawaii. My mom called and told me if I got a job on campus that gave me benefits through the school I could pocket the extra money it would cost them to put me on a different medical insurance plan. I went in search of a job the next day. Obviously the extra few dollars were incentive enough and I didn't mind the thought of having some extra spending cash as it was the first time I lived away from home.

I went on a interview for a cleaning job, but they said that it was specifically for sponsor students (kids who were from other countries and worked jobs- usually at the Polynesia Cultural Center to pay for school), so I went to the next job interview on the list- cook at the cafeteria. I went thinking I would be working a few nights a week, but was surprised when they said it would be a morning job. A very early morning job. I started at 5 or 5:30 AM. I didn't work every morning, but the hours added up quickly.

I loved everything about my job. I got my own huge knife that I etched my name on and I stored it in my dorm room. Every morning as I ran to work in the dark (a whole 2 min run) I would pack my knife with me. Just someone try to attack me wielding a giant butcher knife! Then I would put on my hair net, my apron and get to work cooking breakfast and prepping for lunch. I usually made the oatmeal, washed and prepared the pans of rice, cut up veggies for soup and any other things they need to be done. I rarely cooked the eggs or pancakes out front, but did it a time or two. I remember getting to my 9 AM math class after my first morning on the job and my hand just reeked on onions that I had just chopped up for the soup. I thought it was so funny.

I worked with the most amazing Hawaiian people ever. Each morning I would come Mary would give me a kiss on each cheek. She was my Hawaiian Mom. One of the main chef's name was Junior. He should have been named Bubba. He was a ginormous (truly huge) Hawaiian man who could put an entire chicken breast in his mouth and then pull out the bone- I saw him do it myself! He was crazy. He would send me into the back freezer to climb up on the boxes in search of things he was making for dinner parties and catering. There was a nice Hawaiian man that would come in each morning even earlier than me to make doughnuts. He was always smiling and laughing.

The most memorable day was December 7, Pearl Harbor Day. I was there listening to the radio and the tributes to the men and women lost and then heard first hand accounts from the women in the room about what it was like for them when they were on the island that day. I'll never forget that.

I don't remember if it was during fall semester or at the beginning of winter, my roommate Amanda got a job there too and we had fun working together. She worked nights once in awhile, while I only did the morning shift.

I'll tell you after working only a few days I decided to eat only packaged food. Since I was living on campus, I ate every meal at "The Caf." What I didn't know was that they would take yesterdays old food, scrape off the sauce (and any flies) and then reserve it for lunch. When I would boil my water for oatmeal in a huge vat that was attached to the wall and the water would boil over, cockroaches would fall to the floor dead from the hot water. When I went in search of cereal in the large stock room out front I saw a rat the size of a full grown cat (NO JOKE) scurry across the floor and then slide down out of sight on a poster leaning against the wall. It was crazy! Good memories!

Receptionist at Rich's dad's office (1999): Graduated from BYU with my BS in Elementary Education and promptly got a job answering phones at Rich's dad's orthopedic office. Wait, I went to school for 3 1/2 years and then went into the field of telephone operator? Actually, I graduated in December, making teaching school a bit tricky and Rich was in the middle of applying for medical school and interviews. I had no idea where we would be in the fall, so I happily took the job at the office. It was perfect. I worked 8 AM-6 PM, got free lunches (they would pick a menu out each day and then we could order whatever we wanted), drinks, goodies (this place was always well stocked with treats), if I worked over 40 hours I got overtime, I had great benefits and worked with the nicest bunch of employees and doctors around.

The only sad part was that Rich's dad wasn't there at the time. He was a mission president in Brazil, but his identical twin brother Bob and younger brother Scott were there, so I was still surrounded by family. I was pregnant with Trey and I worked up until the day I had him (well I worked on Friday and went into labor Saturday evening). The staff threw me a baby shower, the doctors gave me gifts and I still went in after he was born and did billing at night. It was the perfect fit for me at the time.

Receptionist at my dad's office/ Filing at the office: After I stopped working at the orthopedic office, my dad let me answer phones for him one morning a week and I brought Trey along. It was so much fun to be back in his office and bring my baby. I didn't do if for very long, but I loved working out front. I also continued to do filing for my dad. I did this until I moved to Louisville. I was very sad when my mom's little sister Julie took over for me, but truth be told, she's amazingly organized and does an even better job than I did.

School teacher: The first night I was in Louisville (we flew out and stayed with Josh and Tiffany while we looked for a house) I met Marcie Alcorn who also happened to be a school teacher. She told me that there might be an opening at her school (a private school in Middletown named Summit Academy) and arranged for me to meet with her principle on Monday. I went and met with her and then after I returned to Utah, I got a phone call (while I was eating at Cafe Rio with my Mom) that told me I could teach a few students every morning. It was perfect and I said yes immediately. Rich hadn't started school yet, so he could watch Trey while I was away. I started in January when the kids came back from their holiday break. I was in Marcie's classroom for the first bit and then took 2 students down stairs to my make shift classroom in the storage room. I put up a few things on the wall and some class room rules and worked with the boys in spelling, reading and handwriting. I think those were the basic concepts. Since there were only the three of us around a small table, we would play game together (spelling Go Fish- Do you have a s-h-e-l-l?) and for a treat would listen to books on tape. I was pregnant with Josh and Matt and knew I would be on bed rest (Trey came 2 weeks early) so I only taught until May 1st and then headed back to Utah where I rested until I had the boys. It was a wonderful job and I am still grateful to Marcie for helping me get it.

Tended a little boy: During the time I taught school, I also watched a little boy Monday-Thursday. His mom was another LDS lady I had met that first night in Louisville and she taught PE at the same school. I would wait for Jessica to arrive (she only taught in the afternoon) and then took her little boy home with me. He would stay until 4:30 PM or so each day. We needed the extra money, but I also thought that it would be good for Trey (he was about 15 months at the time) to be around a little boy that was around his age. Austin was just a bit younger. I did that until we left for Utah in May.

And that is the end of my official list. I haven't worked a real job since Josh and Matt arrived and what a blessing that has been. They keep me busier working that I ever did when I got an actual pay check. Now a days the only thing I get money for is if I start selling of my things on Ebay or Amazon.com (which I do on occasion), but the bad part about that is I end up buying while I'm selling.

So now you know even more about me. That could be a good or bad thing I guess. The beauty of a blog.

I do get to tag others so: Heather D., Lacey, Stephanie and Sue. You're it!

Sour Cream Potatoes

Our ward Relief Society is putting together a cookbook and as I went through my recipes I found this one for the best Sour Cream Potatoes. I hadn't made it in ages. I made a batch and liked it so much it that I made it again last night for the second time this week. With the holidays so close, this recipe would be easy to whip up and take along to families parties or holiday get togethers.

Sour Cream Potatoes

1 pint sour cream

32 oz. frozen hash browns (I use the shredded kind and could only find a 28 oz bag and they worked fine)

12 oz pkg bacon cooked and crumbled

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 Tb dry onion (rehydrated-toss water)

2 tsp parsley

2 c. longhorn cheese (I use cheddar)

1 tsp. garlic pepper (I leave this out and just put in some pepper)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a greased 9 X 13 inch glass baking dish.

Optional Topping: 1 c. crushed cornflakes and 1/2 cube margarine.

Bake 350 for 45 min. (Though I was in a rush last night and baked mine at 375 for less time and it worked just fine!)

Crimes of Fashion

I do love a good fashion critique, and after the past two days, I know we've been breaking a lot of fashion rules 101.

My little fashion bug Brynn has discovered a totally new look. It's called layering, but in a major way!Yesterday she just wasn't content until she put on her FAVORITE shirt (stripes) and a pair of denim capris over her jeans. She continued to bring in more pants, but I drew the line at two.

After a little tub time this morning (I love the hooded towels Rich's college basketball coach sent to us when the girls were born),Kaitlyn went with a simple conservative look (the bow hung in there for a mere 3 seconds!), but Brynn had other plans. Brynn went to her room (she is all of 19 months) and brought in her Halloween costume (minus the fairy wings) and the black turtle neck and plopped it on the floor next to me. Then she went back and got her black dress shoes. I didn't want to fight her so she wore this get up all day. Yes, she wore it to the boys school when we ate lunch with them (the boys got a kick out of it and the other girls gave ooh and ahh's) and to Wal-mart. More than one older woman stopped me and told me it was a great idea to get extra wear out of her costume. The truth was I certainly had nothing to do with it.
By evening she had rummaged through the clean clothes waiting to be folded and found the stripe shirt again. I think I had better hide that thing tomorrow!

I do have to laugh because I have numerous photos of me when I was small (but not 19 months) with layer after layer of clothes. I guess Brynn just takes after her mother. It's cute for two days, but I really hope this passion is short lived!

Tuesday Tell All: Movie Madness

Break out the Cherry Nibs, the hot salty popcorn and extra large diet drink and let's discuss some of my favorite movies. At least that is what I would like to eat if I were actually going to get a chance to watch one. I just can't seem to find the time.

When I read the topic, I have to be honest, nothing really popped out at me. I had to scan through my movie closet for hints. I like to see movies and at times have loved some, but I am not really a huge movie lover. I can't remember the last movie I saw with Rich in the theater. I don't know when I popped a DVD in the player and never watch old movies on TV or cable. On occasion rent a few DVD's and when I do, I get it, watch it that day and then return it as soon as I push eject. I know Rich will never get a chance to view it and I despise late fees.

With that said, I do enjoy watching movies and hold a special place in my heart for a few. I broke my list down like a timeline (that may be on my mind since I spent the last week creating Josh and Matt's own timelines for their huge school project, but I digress). I'll start with the ones I loved as a child and then work my way up, So, as they say, "On with the show".......

In a time long, long ago, before the Disney Princess era of movies, Sing-Along-DVD's and exquisite dress up gown for little girls, there was a beautiful animated Disney feature film named Sleeping Beauty. I loved it and is still my favorite of all the Disney movies. I love the three sweet fairies (3 cups of various sizes!), Maleficent is the perfect villain, that Prince Phillip actually has a personality and who doesn't love that scene when Aurora is dancing with the animals and Phillip steps in. It's perfect!

Love this movie. Saw in in 1985 when it was released and dreamed of one day of stumbling upon adventure after finding a secret passage way only to later discover a hidden pirate ship full of treasure. Great movie.
This is probably my FAVORITE MOVIE. I love the story, how clever it is, the dialog and still find myself quoting it on a regular basis. It is the perfect fairy tale with a bit of a twist. INCONCEIVABLE!
This would probably have to me my RUNNER-UP. So the message isn't all that great and it stinks that Sandy ends up smoking decked out in black leather, but I loved this movie the minute I saw it. Sadly, my mom doesn't have the same love for it as I. Probably because being a mother, she had a better perspective on life and this movies lesson. I agree, but I'll always love Grease. These were the first movies that made me feel that excitement and longing for a sequel. When we visited Universal Studios in LA and saw the set, it was like I had died and gone to heaven. I'll never forget seeing the clock tower and wondering if they would really invent a Hovercraft in my lifetime. I thought they would be so fun to ride! I love the first and third movie, but they could have done so much more with number two.
Who doesn't love Indiana? There were scenes from these flicks that my brothers and I acted out on more than one occasion. I could sit and watch these again.
The PERFECT LOVE STORY. At the end of this movie, when he shows up and drops the ring in the money catch, it made me want to find that special someone and get engaged. This is one of the all time best!
Good movie, but even better music. Almost all of the songs I selected for my wedding video were off the soundtrack. Great memories.
I love Jane Austen's books and movies, but Emma was the first movie that came to mind. (Though no movie can compare to the book Pride and Prejudice.) I thought Gwyneth played the perfect Emma. The costumes were divine and we all need a little light romance once in a while. (I almost put Ever After instead of Emma. Great movie too.) I have to laugh at my dad here. He hates all of the movies made of this era. He thinks everyone is lazy and boring. I would say, only the lucky ones!
This movie touched me to the core and I only saw it once. Yes, it is rated R, there is very strong language and horrific battle scenes, but it showed me the realities of war. It is ugly, violent, vicious and heart breaking. Both of my grandfathers fought in WWII. This was their reality. I sat in the theater, next to my brothers and wept during the film as I thought of them being sent off to battle. I never thought of war the same way again.The first film introduced me into the land of J.R.R. Tolkien. It's not like I didn't know about the books. My dad had read the entire series and loved them all. He even read The Hobbit aloud to us when I was young, but when I tried to start The Fellowship of the Ring, the names were so similar and I had a hard time getting into it. Then I watched the first movie and knew I couldn't wait a year to see how the story progressed, so I got out my boxed set (from a book order of course!) and flew through The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Then I read The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Hobbit and bought and read The Similarian. I took notes, studied the genealogy in the back index, called my dad to discuss, called Todd Hamilton (fellow LOTR fan) to discuss. I loved them all. The movies are just like the books and are the only movie trilogy that really does capture what is found on the page. Well done!
Fun movies, NOT as good as the books, but the cast is perfect (except for the 2nd Dumbledore, but what can you do when the original actor dies?) and the music is by far the best part of the movie. The theme song captures the magic of Harry. With the Christmas season nearly upon us (only 2 weeks and 2 days until my tree will be up- crazy!) I had to put my two favorite Christmas movies. Honestly, Elf is one of my all time favorites and I watch it throughout the year, but it is even extra special near December. I love this movie and laugh every time.
You really don't think you could celebrate Christmas and not view How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated version)! I love the music, the message and we call our meat Roast Beast to this day!

Maybe I'll have to pull out a few and watch while I do laundry, clean bathrooms and touch up paint. Maybe.... Happy Viewing to All!