Tribute to Kate

I believe we are all born here with a mission in life. We all have gifts and talents that Heavenly Father wants us to use to benefit all his children. For most, (I'm mainly referring to myself) we discover our missions a little at a time through trial and error with a little inspiration here and there.

On Katherine's blessing day, her father and a group of worthy priesthood men gathered in a circle and held my little Katherine in their arms. We listened intently and were given some insight on her specific purpose here on earth. We were told that her special mission would be that of a healer and comforter. The words imprinted deep in my heart and what I already knew as her mother was verified in that blessing. This sweet spirit sent to our home was truly someone special. As I've watched her grow I have seen those words come to fruition.

I mentioned a few blog posts ago that for about half an hour we had a child go missing. Last Monday as we rounded up the herd for a quick family night, we noticed Miss Kate was missing. We searched every room in the house. No Katherine. Since time is of the essence around these parts, Brett proceeded with FHE while I called around. No luck. It was getting dark and I was really starting to get worried. I picked up the phone to look at the caller ID to see if someone had called her over. Sure enough the first name I saw was David Nielson. I remembered that she had planned the day before to go to the care center with them. Since it wasn't on the calender and I wasn't home when they picked her up, I completely forgot that's where she'd gone.

As she strolled in an hour later with a big smile on her face she said, "Oh mom, I love that place. I met the nicest people. I met a lady with your maiden name Zarate. I can't wait for you to meet her. And I saw Melba and held hands with Marjorie and ..."

Our princess at the 6th grade Medieval Banquet.

More pictures coming soon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I love any and all holidays; Birthday's- mine or anyone else I love, are my favorite. I love how everyone wears green or red or whatever the holiday demands as a way of uniting.

Twelve years ago on a blustery Chicago St. Paddy's day I anxiously awaited the birth of my very own good luck charm ~Miss Katherine. It was her due date after all! My previous two baby girls made their appearance into the world 10-14 days prior to their due date. Surely, the third would follow suit. Not so in her case. Papi came from Houston to help with the girls and get a peak of his 5th grandchild. We visited museums. We paced the aisles of Home Depot buying lumber to build bookcases, anything to pass the time and help things along. Nothing. It felt like an eternity and I honestly felt like she'd never come.

Two short days later she came and we have been celebrating ever since. I will write more about this sweet girl Thursday.

For now, I leave you with a special green recipe that we affectionately call our Cafe Rio dressing. It's yummy on salmon, salads and taquitos. With the help of my fabulous sister Crystal (Thank, thank you, Crystal for coming and helping me. Nobody except for Mom cooks as good as you!!!) I will be demonstrating this and other Mexican favorites at a cooking group tonight. Wish us luck.

Creamy Green Dressing: (compliments of Crystal)

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1 1/3 C sour cream (light)
3/4 C mayo (light)
4 Tbls Herdes green salsa (mild or hot)
juice of 1 lime
1 bunch of cilantro (stems removed)
dash of Tabasco sauce

Blend until smooth.

Ditto, what she said!

Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

I thought I'd share this wonderful clip I came across today. It is an LDS girl on a religious panel at Harvard being asked questions concerning Mormonism. Wow, I wish I could have spoken like that at age 20. Wish I could share my religious thoughts so eloquently today!

Who done it?

Well, it was another CRAZY week at comfy chaos headquarters. The busy week before was dance concert week. I am happy to report all three girls performed beautifully and we can all live to tell about it. Video clips for those interested coming soon.

Since I could easily write a blog post about each of the following events (and probably will) I thought I' d play a game instead and see in anyone out there could correctly match the following events to the corresponding person in my family. The first person to do this correctly wins a 10$ gift certificate to my FAVORITE March pick: RED MANGO. Since Grandma J and Katherine know all of the answers, I will have them wait to submit their guesses til after Monday evening when this little contest comes to a close. You can type in the number with the corresponding initials of the person who it's about in the comment section below. Sarah's initials will be SJ which stands for Sarah Jane. Her made up middle name, in case you didn't know. Every person in the family is represented twice except for Brett and Samuel who are only featured once. Good luck and Happy Guessing!

THE FOLLOWING TOOK PLACE
BETWEEN 6:00 P.M. (FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27) AND 8:00 P.M. (FRIDAY MARCH 6)

1. This person went missing for half an hour during family night. Nobody seemed to be in a panic except for a person named MOM.

2. Performed a gorgeous cello piece titled Ariosa by Bach at the SLC Quaker House and as of tomorrow will officially join the ranks of licensed drivers. (Heaven help us, EVERYONE!)

3. Rocked at a piano recital Friday night.

4. A different person who also rocked at a piano recital the following Friday night. HINT: This person occasionally chews his or her tongue when engaged in deep concentration.

5. Attended Parent/Teacher conference at the local Junior and Senior High. (Fifteen teachers visited in all)

6. Played in a wrestling tournament on Tuesday night. Lost one match and tied another but declared himself a winner nonetheless.

7. Was nominated the lady in waiting at a full fledged Medieval Banquet.

8. Is currently eating his family out of house and home. Must be a growth spurt!?

9. Went on a 3 day hiking trip to Moab.

10. Clocked in some hours at his or her part time job.

11. Spent 4 of the last 7 days in warm and sunny Arizona.

12. Applied for a new job.

13. Just passed off his 9th Suzuki song on the guitar.

14. This crazy haired person spent an hour every evening in a nice warm bubble bath playing with dinosaurs while the rest of us hammered away at homework, music and dinner prep. (How I wish I could claim that one.)

Run, run, leap

I happened upon dance at the age of 12. Because of where we lived, my Mom had the good sense of enrolling us in a magnet program in hopes of bettering our education. The nearest magnet school was Fleming Junior High which happened to have an emphasis in the arts. Unlike some of the kids that were bused in from all over town I had zero dance experience. However, because of my naturally small physique I looked like a dancer and fell right into place with the other kids in the class. I was taught to point my toes, feel the beat of the music and fly through the air from one end of the room to the other. This is were my life long love affair with dance began.

As I had 3 daughters of my own, I had a strong desire to give them a chance to experience the same love for dance that was given to me.

We found that place at CDT, the Children's Dance Theater, an extension of the Modern Dance Fine Arts department of the University of Utah. It is a company that focuses on technique and improvisation through creative and modern dance. Many of the dances they perform they have helped choreograph themselves.

This KSL news link gives a little glimpse of the girls in motion. Can you spot Kate in the pink outfit towards the end? She's on the center-left hand side of the screen. Don't blink, or you might miss it:)

There have been times when the girls have come home from dance and said to me, "Mom, I know that my life will get busy and there will be times I will want to quit dance. Whatever you do, don't listen to me. I love it, make sure I remember that."

When I watch them on stage I can't take my eyes off of them. I have to go back several times to watch the group as a whole and see the choreography. I am mesmerized. It is so beautiful to see them shine through their movement. It's times like that we remember why we love it so much.



In March of 2007, Miss Kate played the lead of Gabby in CDT's production of The Dream Stealer


This years poster which has graced every school, grocery store and library along the Wasatch front shows our Lisey flying through the trees.


I love the way their hands connect in this picture. CDT March 2008

little miss sunshine

Have you ever met a person who lights up a room just by walking in it? I have! She lives with me. Her name is Katherine.

Last Friday she flew out to Orlando to surprise her BFF Emma for her 12th birthday. She took my cell phone with her and checked in about every 3-4 hours faithfully. I felt like I was nursing again. It was so sweet. Because she is not quite 12 I had to get a special ticket to get through security to pick her up. As I came down the escalator I could see her tiny little figure in the distance jumping up and down behind a counter. Since she couldn't run to me, I ran to her. Boy did I miss her. She could hardly wait to tell me all about her many adventures and show me the hundred or so pictures she'd taken. We snuggled up in the back seat and scrolled through her camera as Brett chauffeured us home. I'm sure she'll give a play by play on her blog once she catches up on homework, but for now I'll share just a few of her favorites.


Her sweet friend Emma flew in from Virginia after a 12 hour delay. Katherine jumped out of the closet as she entered the room. What a surprise and sweet reunion.





This was Kate's first time touching the sands of the Atlantic Ocean. She ran out of the car and started dancing and twirling in sheer joy.




They got to visit a new attraction at Disney World called The American Idol Experience. I heard they featured Miss Kate as a back-up dancer on the jumbo screen.


These were two friends Katherine made on the airplane coming home. Word is they're coming over for dinner next time they're in Salt Lake.


She took this picture for Marisa and Grandma Martha as she was flying over Oklahoma. "So that they could see what the sun looked like on the other side of the clouds."

Feliz Cumpleaños Papi

(There are 5 missing grandchildren from this photo. An updated one will replace this one by the end of March.)


TOP 10 Things I've learned from my Dad:

1. Oatmeal for breakfast (cooked or raw) is a very good thing.

2. Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

3. Birthdays are a big deal. On each and every one of our birthdays (this includes daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren) he calls and serenades us with "Las Mañanitas" followed by Happy Birthday. He makes you feel like you are the most special person on the planet.

4. There is something good to be found in every situation.

5. If there's a will, there's a way. As long as it's God's will. Si Dios quiere.

6. Todo tiene su tiempo. There's a time for everything.

7. Every moment can be turned into a teaching moment.

8. It's never to late to change.

9. Modern technology (internet, online banking, e-mail, Skpe) is so cool! Boom!

10. When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God. Whether it be taking his monthly drive from his home in Mexico down to Houston to visit and tend to his widow friends, Nora and Angelina or getting to know the person standing next to him at the checkout stand- Dad is a friend to ALL. This is this secret to his happiness.

Gracias Papi, por ser tan buen ejemplo en nuestras vidas. Wish we were with you to celebrate your birthday. ¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

Con mucho amor,


Claudia

guess who's finally out of the closet?

When we moved into our home on Sunnydale 4 1/2 years ago, we not only doubled our previous home's square footage, but we inherited giant walk-in closets. This was unheard of in homes like ours built in the 1950's. With my one month old baby Samuel in tow, it made perfect sense to build him a little nest right next to me in my comfy, cozy closet. There was ample room for clothing, a full size crib and his dresser. The beauty of it all was that he could sleep to his hearts content in his little cave without being disturbed by his loud, older siblings. This worked out great for years. Once he got potty trained we tried to move him into Katherine's room where we had an extra bed but he refused. He said he liked his room and that his crib was "just the perfect size". No argument from me. Being my baby and all, I loved having him so close. I could go in before I dozed off and hear him breathe which has always made my sleepy eyes smile.

Last week he announced to me that he found a sleeping bag "just the perfect size" and that he was moving in with "the brothers". So just like that he moved out from under my protective wing and became an official big boy. I registered him for kindergarten a few days later. Tear.

So in answer to Grandma Martha's constant question, "Is that boy out of your closet yet?" I can answer, yes mom, he is. Loving life on the top bunk and sleeping soundly.








His favorite stuffed animal named Jeffy also made the move.

Love is...

...a husband who gets up before I do to shovel our oh, so steep driveway on a cold winter day. He also bought 3 mini shovels and taught our boys the art of shoveling.




...waking up Monday morning and finding ALL of Sunday nights dishes done. Brett does this daily with the help of his girls when they are not off at a dance lesson or heavenly engaged in homework or practice.



It's easy to love and snuggle your own kids, but Brett has a soft spot when it comes to babies, nieces and nephews. Here he is making up some sort of silly lullaby for sweetie pie Julia.



We call this his Remington Steel look! Go ahead Crystal, I dare you to say something. Ha! He fills my car with gas and twirls me around the kitchen. I could go on and on. Clearly, I am spoiled. I totally adore this man. So grateful he's mine.

These are a few of my favorite things...

I meant to start this last month, but who ever really starts resolutions in January?! On the first week of every month I want to try and share a little something or someplace that has brightened my day. If you talk with me on a daily or weekly basis you probably already know about these favorites of mine cause I'm all about sharing the love, right? I received the lovely cookbook pictured below back in 2001 from my dear mother-in-law Judith. I have given it as gifts countless times since then myself. It contains a hundred or so easy, delicious recipes that you will enjoy for years. The only catch is that it can only be purchased at Make-A-Wish Foundation. Call me if you have any problems acquiring it. It is a must for every cook out there. Promise.



Tortellini Soup

1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water
2 (13 3/4 ounce) cans beef broth
1/2 cup white wine or apple juice
3 carrots, sliced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup zucchini
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
8 ounces cheese tortellini (refrigerated or frozen)

fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In large soup pan, brown sausage. Drain fat and add chopped onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add water, broth, wine, carrots, tomatoes, basil, oregano, zucchini, parsley and peppers. Simmer 30 min. or longer. Add tortellini 5 to 10 min. before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

If you have this book already, what is your favorite recipe?