20 Jan 2017 - Sorry that it has been a while since we posted. Life has been...life. We got snow this evening which was fun, except that we were driving in it and nearly got in an accident when we came around a bend and found someone completely stopped in our lane! And there was a semi and another vehicle in the other lane. Dad Flake was driving (we were taking Katelyn back down to her parents) and the timing was perfect that he was able to swerve into the oncoming lane with inches to spare between oncoming traffic and the stalled car. It was enough to scare us all and so we called and told Nathan and Katie that we weren't coming and they would have to wait another day to see their kiddo.
We got a plecko fish and we named him Bob.
It has been a long couple of weeks but I guess we all have those types of weeks, right? So excited for the Mannings!
Hope that you all have a great week!
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Hart Happenings
Hello all,
I write this from my sickbed. Wo is me. But I plan on being fully recovered tomorrow.
The boys and I wanted to post our predictions about where Emma might serve her mission:
Alex: Montreal, Canada or Houston, Texas
Elise: Chile or New York
Ian: Japan or Washington state
Jack: China or New York
Peter: Russia or Texas
There you have it! Wherever you end up, we're super excited for you Em!
The Harts have decided that we really like to vacation and have lived it up since Christmas. We spent some good, quality time down in Utah with Joe and fam for Gracie's baptism. The kids made an awesome bottle flipping video while we were there. We enjoyed the Museum of Natural Curiosity with Lauren and Wesley and spent time with Alex's sister and her kids while we stayed at their house. Ian and I enjoyed the show Aida at the new Hale theater in Sandy (it is truly an amazing place) and we haven't stopped listening to the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman that we went to with Joe and Grace while we were down there. Such a good movie!
When we got home we started some spring cleaning which somehow morphed into a bathroom redo. So we are now in the middle of that. It's going to look gorgeous!
As Ruth alluded to, the weather has been spectacular of late. Temps in the 40's which seems quite balmy this time of year in Idaho.
Jack started indoor soccer this week. So fun to be going to his games again.
Things are great up here. Life is good and 2018 has all the signs of being a year for the record books!
I write this from my sickbed. Wo is me. But I plan on being fully recovered tomorrow.
The boys and I wanted to post our predictions about where Emma might serve her mission:
Alex: Montreal, Canada or Houston, Texas
Elise: Chile or New York
Ian: Japan or Washington state
Jack: China or New York
Peter: Russia or Texas
There you have it! Wherever you end up, we're super excited for you Em!
The Harts have decided that we really like to vacation and have lived it up since Christmas. We spent some good, quality time down in Utah with Joe and fam for Gracie's baptism. The kids made an awesome bottle flipping video while we were there. We enjoyed the Museum of Natural Curiosity with Lauren and Wesley and spent time with Alex's sister and her kids while we stayed at their house. Ian and I enjoyed the show Aida at the new Hale theater in Sandy (it is truly an amazing place) and we haven't stopped listening to the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman that we went to with Joe and Grace while we were down there. Such a good movie!
When we got home we started some spring cleaning which somehow morphed into a bathroom redo. So we are now in the middle of that. It's going to look gorgeous!
As Ruth alluded to, the weather has been spectacular of late. Temps in the 40's which seems quite balmy this time of year in Idaho.
Jack started indoor soccer this week. So fun to be going to his games again.
Things are great up here. Life is good and 2018 has all the signs of being a year for the record books!
Nilsson News
Yesterday, we took a quick trip to Hyde Park to play with Lauren, Nick and Wesley. It was fun for us and we hope we weren't too overwhelming. We also got to see Emma briefly and visit with Mom and Dad. We always like to visit with family and feel a little deprived of it since we were sick for so long!
The weather is playing tricks on us and making us believe that it is spring. We know that we have at least two more months of winter weather, unless of course we are really experiencing global warming, and if so, what is all the fuss about? It's quite enjoyable! Well, minus all the nasty muck and slush in the barnyard.
I happened upon a very tasty recipe that I think you all should try. Garrett and ALL my kids ate it and that is saying something! I changed only two things, I added peppers and used cilantro rather than spinach. This is my adapted version:
Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Sauce (over pasta)
4 chicken breasts chopped
2 Tb. butter
garlic salt & pepper
1 1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
chopped peppers (optional)
*Cook the chicken in the butter, sprinkled with seasonings. Remove the chicken and place in separate bowl. Add mushrooms and peppers to pan and saute. Remove and add to the bowl of chicken.
Sauce:
6 Tb. butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tb. flour
3/4 chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped cilantro (or spinach if your prefer)
*Melt butter in pan and briefly saute the garlic. Add the flour and then mix in remaining ingredients and thicken. Once thickened, mix in the chicken and mushrooms. Serve over pasta and enjoy!
I hope you like this tasty sauce! Have a wonderful week you lovely people you!
The weather is playing tricks on us and making us believe that it is spring. We know that we have at least two more months of winter weather, unless of course we are really experiencing global warming, and if so, what is all the fuss about? It's quite enjoyable! Well, minus all the nasty muck and slush in the barnyard.
I happened upon a very tasty recipe that I think you all should try. Garrett and ALL my kids ate it and that is saying something! I changed only two things, I added peppers and used cilantro rather than spinach. This is my adapted version:
Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Sauce (over pasta)
4 chicken breasts chopped
2 Tb. butter
garlic salt & pepper
1 1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
chopped peppers (optional)
*Cook the chicken in the butter, sprinkled with seasonings. Remove the chicken and place in separate bowl. Add mushrooms and peppers to pan and saute. Remove and add to the bowl of chicken.
Sauce:
6 Tb. butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tb. flour
3/4 chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped cilantro (or spinach if your prefer)
*Melt butter in pan and briefly saute the garlic. Add the flour and then mix in remaining ingredients and thicken. Once thickened, mix in the chicken and mushrooms. Serve over pasta and enjoy!
I hope you like this tasty sauce! Have a wonderful week you lovely people you!
Hyde Park Highlights
A lovely week it was. So great to have family come and visit. We were delighted that Nick and Lauren and Wesley came on Friday. Wesley is very entertaining these days and talks up a storm. He has become quite a tease and gives Lauren a run for her money sometimes. Thanks to the Nilssons for joining in the fun on Saturday. It was a lovely day and we had a great time visiting about gospel questions, websites, gardening, etc. I was thinking how fun it is to have family to bounce ideas around with, regardless of personal interest. Everyone seems willing to talk about and express opinions about any topic of discussion. It's very enlightening!
Dad and I are off to the Conference Center soon to attend Pres. and Sister Uchtdorf's World Wide Devotional for the YSAs. It is sure to be a great experience - from 3:00 - 10:00 p.m. at Temple Square, with refreshments for what they hope will be about 20,000 young single adults!! Have you ever heard of such a thing??!! Rumors are flying that President Uchtdorf plans to mill around temple square visiting and shaking hands. Unheard of! Delightful! We will report on whether that really happens or not. It's part of a great effort to connect with the members of the church in this age group. They are up against some tough things and the brethren are really reaching out to them.
It looks as though Dad may be facing yet another change in his retirement scheme. We will keep you posted on that one. It was supposed to happen in about 6 weeks from now, but appears that it may be pushed back until the end of August. There are some positive and some negative things about that. We do feel blessed and that the Lord's hand in is this, so we are waiting to see what happens.
There are four babies due, and overdue, right now in Logan, so I'm on pins and needles most days - wondering if I'm going to be home or not each day. Guess I'll just run off to Salt Lake! That's sure to bring a baby or two :/
Have a lovely week. We hope to see and/or hear from all of you soon....
Dad and I are off to the Conference Center soon to attend Pres. and Sister Uchtdorf's World Wide Devotional for the YSAs. It is sure to be a great experience - from 3:00 - 10:00 p.m. at Temple Square, with refreshments for what they hope will be about 20,000 young single adults!! Have you ever heard of such a thing??!! Rumors are flying that President Uchtdorf plans to mill around temple square visiting and shaking hands. Unheard of! Delightful! We will report on whether that really happens or not. It's part of a great effort to connect with the members of the church in this age group. They are up against some tough things and the brethren are really reaching out to them.
It looks as though Dad may be facing yet another change in his retirement scheme. We will keep you posted on that one. It was supposed to happen in about 6 weeks from now, but appears that it may be pushed back until the end of August. There are some positive and some negative things about that. We do feel blessed and that the Lord's hand in is this, so we are waiting to see what happens.
There are four babies due, and overdue, right now in Logan, so I'm on pins and needles most days - wondering if I'm going to be home or not each day. Guess I'll just run off to Salt Lake! That's sure to bring a baby or two :/
Have a lovely week. We hope to see and/or hear from all of you soon....
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Hyde Park Highlights
So glad to hear things are going better at the Nilssons! If I were Garrett, I might think about hiding the hammer and chisel :) Just kidding, Ruth! I'm excited to see what your efforts produce. Thanks for sharing the information about de-owning. I am excited to make some progress in that direction, too!
Grace's baptism yesterday was an especially sweet way to begin the new year. There was a warm, vibrant spirit there that kept reminding me of the reason we are invited, or instructed, or commanded to become as little children. It was wonderful to be with Grace and her family, Lori's family, the Mannings, Harts and Grandpa and Christi. I wish you could all have heard Lori and Grace sing "A Child's Prayer," accompanied by Lauren. It was very precious and filled with the spirit. Such a beautiful experience. Grace is a remarkable example of goodness and love and I hope to be like her, and our other grandchildren, one day.
We were in the temple early on Wednesday morning when we heard that President Monson had passed away. It's the end of an era - all the prophets our children were raised with are now gone, well, at least the presidents of the church you were raised with are now gone. I thought I remembered that President Nelson and Elder Oaks were sustained the year Ruth was born, but I was wrong. They were both sustained the year before, in 1984, which still makes them seem like newbies in church leadership after President Monson had been there for so long! I'm grateful for the Plan of Salvation and to know that our dear President Monson is now with his wife and parents. What a well-lived life. Truly a noble prophet of God.
Perhaps you've seen this video that President Nelson recorded for his 90th birthday. If not, it's worth watching. I was amazed by some of the assignments he's had and things he's done. It will be a privilege to sustain him and another new apostle.
https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-russell-m-nelson-celebrates-90th-birthday?lang=eng
More changes this year: Most of you know by now that the little green Honda did not pass inspection. That's not a terrible thing - we actually expected it to not pass. The terrible thing was the cost to get it to pass - $1800, which is probably about 6 times its value. It has been a good, reliable, little car - for 310,000+ miles! We decided not to fix it or keep it. It went to the kidney foundation and we are mourning our loss. Emma is especially mourning. Actually, she is just angry. But it will be okay.
As for today... Dad and Emma had a very long interview. The longest interview he has given to date (over 2 hours!). But it was good and she was deemed ready to serve a mission..... Sorry these photos are blurry - she kept moving! I took a video, but can't get it to post, so if you're interested, I can text it to you or show you on my phone next time I see you.
"Come on Dad, just submit the thing!"
"Did you really send it? Is it there?"
"Woo Hoo!!"
One very happy girl!
Maybe now she'll forgive us (at least forgive Dad) for giving away the Honda :) We are not sure how long it will take to make the assignment and receive her call with the changes happening at church headquarters, but rest assured that she will certainly let you know when she gets a package in the mail!!
Have a great week, all!!!
correction
The book I referred to is actually called "Uncluttered With Kids" not decluttered. Sorry about that!
Nilsson News
I'm glad to see that we posted at least one time in December. Addy is sitting next to me and I asked her what we should write about and she said, "We were sick, sick, sick and we did nothing." That is actually not too far from the truth. The same nasty bug we had at Thanksgiving, infested our lives over Christmas and New Years. All of the kids caught it and had it about ten days. We are on the uphill climb though and all that seems to be lingering now are those obnoxious coughs. Aside from being sick, we did enjoy some time together over the holidays. We are gearing up to start a regular routine and get back into some school and inside projects.
I don't think Garrett is as excited about the projects as I am, but I am learning to be a little more independent in my abilities with the power tools. I think the fireplace makeover is the next on the list. I just need to locate the big hammer and chisel and I'll be well under way!
I love a new year and feeling like there is a clean slate in front of me. Something that has really been intriguing and appealing to Garrett and I has been this idea of minimalism. I read a wonderful book called "Declutter with Kids" by Joshua Becker. I thought it would have all these great organizational ideas and step by step how to's, but instead he wrote about rather than decluttering and getting a bunch of containers and boxes to put things in, to actually de-own. I loved his perspective that the less we own the more we can live and focus on things that are truly meaningful and important in our life. It is really a fabulous read and his website also has some great articles that I recommend reading (becomingminimalist.com). So, "de-owning" is one of my resolutions for this year and clearing out a lot of the unnecessary junk in my life.
Many of the testimonies in church today focused on President Monson. What a remarkable man he was! I'm so grateful that we belong to a church led by living prophets. I'm glad that there is an order of leadership and that we don't have to worry about an election process or anything. The church is true!
I don't think Garrett is as excited about the projects as I am, but I am learning to be a little more independent in my abilities with the power tools. I think the fireplace makeover is the next on the list. I just need to locate the big hammer and chisel and I'll be well under way!
I love a new year and feeling like there is a clean slate in front of me. Something that has really been intriguing and appealing to Garrett and I has been this idea of minimalism. I read a wonderful book called "Declutter with Kids" by Joshua Becker. I thought it would have all these great organizational ideas and step by step how to's, but instead he wrote about rather than decluttering and getting a bunch of containers and boxes to put things in, to actually de-own. I loved his perspective that the less we own the more we can live and focus on things that are truly meaningful and important in our life. It is really a fabulous read and his website also has some great articles that I recommend reading (becomingminimalist.com). So, "de-owning" is one of my resolutions for this year and clearing out a lot of the unnecessary junk in my life.
Many of the testimonies in church today focused on President Monson. What a remarkable man he was! I'm so grateful that we belong to a church led by living prophets. I'm glad that there is an order of leadership and that we don't have to worry about an election process or anything. The church is true!
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