letters to Beth {breakfast for dinner, cooking with pumpkin, & Emily with an E}

{breakfast for dinner}

Dear Beth,
Last night I made your famous hash browns you taught me how to make. Shred, squeeze the water out, and a frying pan with a cube of butter. Amazing every time. Remember when we were just young little chicks in college, and we said we were going to make our kids breakfast for dinner every night for their entire lives, but we were going to call if dinner? And then one day, when they were older, they would go to their friend's house, and their mom would make breakfast for dinner, but our kids would be like "this isn't breakfast for dinner, this is dinner!" Or they'd be eating breakfast with them the next morning, and they'd be having bacon and eggs and hash browns and they'd be like "oh, dinner for breakfast!" and their friends would think our kids were really weird. I am laughing so hard right now about it. We were so hilarious. We are still so hilarious. I miss you a million!

After all of my international traveling as a child, I had all but decided never to leave home for anywhere other than the tropics in my adulthood. However, all of your European travels have caused me to reconsider. I never even knew Croatia was somewhere I would want to travel to. I stand corrected. I love all of the colorful houses in Europe. It's like San Francisco, but old fashioned. Storybook old fashioned. All of the hillsides and cobblestone streets make me want to sell the house and cars, and buy bikes to come live by you. Then I remember how much I love Utah and our garden and peach tree, and I decide maybe we'd better just come for a visit instead. 10 year anniversary trip??? The only thing Salt Lake is missing is a beach. I tell Sean all of the time how we've been jipped here in the Great Salt Lake Valley, what was once an ocean bed of salt water. If only we had a beautiful sandy beach to go with it. With an ocean mist and breeze coming up off of the water and into your face. I can almost smell it right now. About once a year we will get a good foggy night, and it will feel like we live by the sea. Sometimes I wish that I could live in Green Gables. You know, Anne with an E of Green Gables. By the sea. Without any distractions of modern life. Riding in a carriage through orchards of flowers, milking the cows, and going to bed early without the distractions of phones and televisions. But then I think eh, I really like air conditioning and my washer and dryer, and I decide maybe I'd just rather go find a pretty orchard to run my kids around in.

I feel like my taste buds are being dis-serviced here in America as you describe all of your food discoveries afar. Those pumpkin raviollis sound like something I want to make. I have started all of my traditional fall baking. Pumpkin cookies and caramel apples are always the first things I make. I found these caramel apple wraps at Winco last year. LIFE CHANGING. Peel, wrap around apple, stick {included in 5 pack}, warm in your oven for 5 min at 200*. Makes making caramel apples a CINCH! 5-pack for $2. I bought 10 packs because last year I only bought 2 packs, and when I went to get more they were all sold out, and the produce guy said "next year buys lots when you see them because I can only get a few boxes in, and they always sell out fast." So that's just what I did this year, and I'm holding them hostage like prisoners of war. It's a beautiful thing. The caramel apples, not the POW's:). I love to dunk mine in white chocolate and crushed oreos after I caramel them all up. TO DIE FOR. I used to buy gummy worms and drape them over the top so it would look like dirt and worms, but now I never plan ahead enough to have that part organized, and really, I'm never in the mood for gummy worms when I eat them. The white chocolate, caramel, and crushed oreos always take me way over the top by themselves.

i love you! i miss you! and i hope you can find caramel wraps to try in europe. 

otherwise, i'll make sure to save you a package for your next visit.

i had two favorite conference talks.

the one by elder holland, and i can't remember who the other one was by or what it was about because chase is climbing on me and max is blasting her fairyland show on my phone next to me.

I am so awesome huh?

Love you!!!!

Emily, with an E.
P.S.
chase learned to climb up onto the bistro chairs this weekend.
about once a day i come downstairs and find him sitting on top of the kitchen table. it makes me laugh, and then i feel kind of irresponsible, and just know he's going to fall off eventually when i'm busy doing laundry or something, and i just hope he doesn't break anything when he does.
not to fret, i always move him off and tell him no, no.
after i take a few pictures of him to send to sean.
then he waves his little pointer finger and says "no, no" just like bear used to do. it's so adorable.

he also put an entire roll of toilet paper, 

roll included, into the toilet bowl this weekend.

while i was doing laundry.

wee devil.
trouble!

Happy Monday to you in Germany!!!

Is it already Tuesday there by now?

shazam!

1st day of nursery.

not even a kiss goodbye.

set him down at the door,

and he took off running for the bins of trucks and cars.

takes after his big brother.

such a nursery gem those boys are.

second set of double gibbies in the nursery at the same time.

2 yrs apart with spring birthdays will do that to ya.

it's a beautiful thing.

hip hip hooray!

max was looking up at me like, "ma, you're not staying?"

and i was all,

"B-Y-E."

{wink}

that's what i lipped to the nursery leaders across the room.

and then i scooted myself right out to sunday school.

shazam:)

letters to Emily {pumpkin cooking, allergic reactions, & Croatia}

Dearest Emily,

I have been meaning to write you back!  I love all your wisdom and your beautiful family.  You are amazing.  Life is great here in Heidelberg.  I love the fall leaves changing colors and cooking everything pumpkin....from ricotta pumpkin ravioli's to pumpkin bread.  

They sell these lovely little pumpkins that taste like heaven.  Put them in a soup, put them in a pie, you will never go back to canned pumpkin ever again!  We went to Croatia for conference weekend and it was so fun!  Uncharted territory is what it felt like.  The food was delicious.  They are known for there olive orchards there, so we picked up some local olive oil off the side of the road from this nice Croatian man that almost made me drink olive alcohol!  Don't worry, I didn't end up drinking it, once I figured out what he was saying and what he handed me I just laughed and gave the shot back to him!  He couldn't believe I would turn down such a delicacy!  But hey, we're mormon, that's what we do!  I actually got into the ocean and it was heaven.  While i was swimming Smith got bit by a mosquito 8 times on his face.  Smith is severely allergic to mosquito bites.  His face swelled up so much!  Poor little SMithy.  I felt so bad for him.  But his swelling always goes down within three days.  I know you saw the post of Bear when he got all blotchy from some chips that the ingredients said, "sussmolkenpolver" which translates in english to "sweet milk powder"  I somehow skipped that and gave them to Bear and he was loving them!  All of a sudden he started to rub his eyes and got all blotchy....time for the allergy drill.  Take off his clothes put him in the bath and make him chug his prescribed dose of benedryl.    That was a  mild reaction though.  Not too scary.  I actually was quite composed this time.  As in, I didn't swear, (maybe in German, but that doesn't count) and my heart rate wasn't as high as it usually gets with a reaction.   It's when his mouth swells and I can't see his eyes very well because he is so puffy that I do the above to the extreme.  Ha ha!  Bear is getting so fun!  He climbed up all the stairs to our apartment by himself today!  I looked at Bryce and said, "now it's time for another one...right?"  He defintely laughed about that.  I always thought once Bear can get up the stairs by himself we should have another one.....I don't see that happening...  

Anyway, how are you?  How was conference?  What was your favorite talk?  I miss you and your lovely family.  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!

love

Beth Wethy

firecrackle, cinderella, & evil black ninjas

sean: once upon a time there was a guy named firecrackle.

brennnan: the guy with four eyes and TWO swords. 

sean: and a princess named ariel max. together they went to a ball.

brennan: firecrackle doesn't dance. he only eats food and drinks.

sean: so firecrackle held ariel's arm, and walked her in.

brennan: no, no, no, he does NOT hold arms of girls.

sean: ok, he held her hand.

brennan: NO, NO, NO, no holding!

sean: ok, they walked in side by side into the ball. ariel danced by herself, and firecrackle went to the food table.

max: mommy, sing the be-bastian song.

me: later.

brennan: firecrackle has 4 eyes and two swords. 

sean: so firecrackle is wearing his suit at the ball.

brennan: no, no, no, NO suit. just his fighting clothes.

sean: he has to wear his fancy suit OVER his fighting clothes. that's what spies do.

brennan: ok, yes.

sean: so he's wearing his fancy suit OVER his fighting clothes, and ariel is dancing by herself, and firecrackle is eating food and drinking soda at the food table, and all of a sudden he has a bad feeling that something bad is going to happen to ariel.

max: no, no, no, i want to be cinderella.

sean: ok, he's worried about cinderella, and then as firecrackle starts walking over to cinderella, evil black ninjas start descending from the ceiling.

brennan: no, no, no dad. they had to go down.

sean: descending is a fancy word for going down.

brennan: oh. 

sean: so firecrackle pulls off his fancy suit and is there in his fighting clothes!!!! 

{brennan kicks off his covers, does three different sets of intense ninja moves.}

sean: calm down.

max: mom, why are you and dad laughing?

me: because dad and brennan are hilarious.

max: oh.

and then max asked me to scratch her back, legs, arms, stomach, and i somehow missed the end of the story, but i'm pretty sure firecrackle saved the princess and got a kiss on the cheek at the end. yes, that's right because brennan was laughing in a fit of horror that such an awful thing would happen. NO KISSING. there's NO KISSING. that's what he said. and then there was something about sean telling brennan to tell his kindergarten teacher tomorrow that he {brennan} "has the skills to pay the billZ." at which point max kicked me in the neck twice and i called it a night.

stories and songs are my absolute favorite part of our day.

favorite.

FIVE.

i found him on the brown post outside of my mom's front door.

on my way to collect chase from GiGi's.

i ran back into my mom's house screaming for a cup.

she was in the middle of leaving a message for someone on their answering machine.

that was probably the funniest part.

listening to her explain why she stopped in the middle of her message and then have to explain what in the heck she was actually leaving a message about.

memories:)

sorry mom.

so then i ran out to the backyard carrying the leaf bug in a red spiderman cup,

hollering for the kids to come see what i caught.

it was tickling the inside of my palm.

and part of me was nervous about maybe these bugs bite?

but really,

green leaf bug.

obviously no need to bite when you're main defense is to look like an actual leaf.

so the kids all ran over,

and the leaf bug flew from the ground, to the fence, to the patio chairs, to my foot.

and jaren and brennan decided he might like to be pet with a leaf stem.

so they pet him with a leaf stem,

and do you know what?

i think that leaf bug might actually have liked it.

he didn't fly away,

and they were soft and sweet with him.

and i was just so glad we weren't at home watching tv on the couch.

that's exactly what i thought.

on further inspection it was declared that our little leafy friend only had 5 legs.

and did i know that insects have 6 legs?

yep.

so then they counted his legs about a hundred times just to make sure it was in fact a leaf bug amputee.

and then he flew away and they walked off talking about how he must have lost that 6th missing leg.

i promise you,

there is no cooler insect other than the preying mantis than this.

and i'd say it's really more of a tie.

the great pumpkin paint.

GiGi showed up with pumpkins on monday at the family yard.

andrea pulled out her old crafting paints, brushes, and smocks.

and the kids got to work.

and then chase ate an entire brush full of baby blue acrylic paint.

i dipped it right into the bottle for him,

and he ate it like an ice cream cone,

faster than a new york minute.

andrea and i read the labels twice for warnings.

no warnings:)

chase kept licking his lips and pushing his tongue out over his teeth.

all we could do was laugh.

letters to Beth {conference & luxury applesauce}

dear beth,

today i was in my kitchen.

all day.

it was very fulfilling,

listening to conference 

and cooking in my kitchen.

but now,

i don't want to cook for a few days.

i'm all cooked out.

mostly b/c i'm just plain sick of the dishes.

i'm really no fan of dishes.

some people like them.

laundry i like.

dishes i do not.

sean cleaned up the last of them 

for me tonight,

and it was such a relief.

what a guy!

how do you watch conference in germany?

i was thinking about you today.

about how your mom gave me almost all of my conference traditions.

sitting on your couch,

taking notes in our conference notebooks,

cuddled under blankets.

those were relaxing conference days!

now i cook for my family,

help keep my kids entertained and within earshot of the speaker's voices,

and listen the very best i can.

i love it.

i absolutely love it!

new traditions and ways of enjoying the conference spirit in our home.

it was great, great, great.

chase played with paper dixie cups on the kitchen floor next to me for half an hour,

and then went off to find his cars.

i let max get the markers out for the first time in two weeks,

under strict instructions to only color on the paper.

"where?" i said.

"on the paper" she chimed back.

there was a table incident in the tv room two weeks ago.

i still can't get the marker off of the game table top.

any wood cleaning tricks for me would be much appreciated.

so today was her first day back at the markers,

and it went well.

brennan got in on it too.

success and marker happiness all around.

i was so pleased.

we let brennan watch netflix and play games on the ipad for the first session today,

so it was really quiet and calm.

during both sessions yesterday he and max played toys together.

i couldn't believe it.

i didn't even have to put anyone in time out.

they played and listened, and i sat on the couch and listened, 

and made sure chase wasn't unraveling the toilet paper again in the bathroom.

for the second session today we didn't let anyone have any phones or ipads.

it wouldn't have worked,

except my cousins came over after the family yard lunch between conference sessions,

so they all played while we listened.

i made applesauce.

sean's favorite with the red hots.

i will save a quart for you.

i got the apples from my neighbor Briar's tree.

two different blends.

it's DELISH!

i just LOOOOVE using the apple corer and peeler.

an hour of bliss.

john helped me with a few,

and then audrey came over and showed us a way that was about a million times easier for how to use the apple corer and peeler.

life changing.

john made dixie cup towers over and over again.

he kept trying to make them taller than the last.

finally brennan knocked his tallest one down, 

and the big kids assured him he wasn't the one that knocked it down, and then they called the tower making quits.

they all ended up on the trampoline while i made soup,

and it was just so warm and gorgeous outside.

despite us waking up to blankets of frost the last two mornings, it was the perfect sunny, warm, fall weather today.

i loved watching them all play outside together, 

and it made fear the long cold winter that is coming.

when i create my own world,

i fully plan on making it snow warm.

boy do i wish i had two 13 year olds around to help me every day.

good company AND good helpers.

plus, they say really awesome things about life.

audrey sauteed my ground sausage, 

while john played with chase and brennan.

it was absolutely JOYFUL!

and by 7:34pm brennan was falling asleep at the dinner table,

asking to go to bed.

that has happened OHHHH maybe one other time in his entire life.

god bless 13 year old cousins.

i actually felt like i got to LISTEN 

to conference for the first time in 6 years.

a win for sure.

and so that's what i'm wondering,

do you watch general conference from home online?

how does the time change work with that?

do you watch it later?

stay up in the middle of the night?

what do you make?

the scones?

can your allergy people eat them?

probably not.

enlighten me oh beth of many lands!

and tell me all about your german escapades.

i miss you,

and brennan saw your video on facebook today and said,

"i want them to come back from germany. i miss them."

out of the mouths of babes!

love,

emily 

{all of those apples,

and this is what we get.

i can never believe how far they cook down.

tomatoes too. who knew applesauce was such a luxury?}