The Castle...

More Cuteness...

2012-02-14T23:26:00.003-06:00

Growth Spurt

2012-02-11T16:37:00.004-06:00

Yes, it's another one. She has been VERY hungry this week and we know from experience that means she's getting bigger. We have noticed a few subtle changes in her development,
1. She is smiling A LOT more than normal.
2. She has developed a cough/laugh. When she finds something we do or say hilarious she makes a big smile and then gives a little *cough*.
3. She is talking more. She talks to Mummy A LOT! Conversations such as, 'I'm hungry and thirsty you may give me my milk now...not now but in a few minutes you will need to change my nappy...that was funny please do it again.'

Overall, we LOVE her and love watching her grow and learn. She is a smart little girl with a bright and happy demeanor.

JUST PRECIOUS!

Cute!

2012-01-05T12:37:00.000-06:00

A New Year A New Baby

2012-01-05T12:31:00.004-06:00

Here are some shots of our sweet girl and our sweet family...

Christmas

2012-01-05T12:21:00.000-06:00

The family came and oh what an awesome time! We all fit in our apartment and loved being able to talk until late and have breakfast together. We prefer this than doing hotels. It was a real treat to have family together. Here are a few shots of our moments...

Dear Nanny,

2011-12-08T17:58:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday!!!

We hope you are having a wonderful day!

You deserve it.

We hope this video will make it a little bit sweeter.

Love you!

Introducing Sydney...

2011-12-07T21:26:00.001-06:00

Trip to Utah and other pics

2011-11-19T12:53:00.001-06:00

Brahms has learned to stay outside of the studio. He is such a good boy although he does sneak in once in awhile to sniff at stuff.

BEAUTIFUL UTAH!

A little visit with a little friend :)

It was really good to see you Ansley!

Latest pics...

2011-11-19T12:07:00.001-06:00

Sorry about not posting. I've been reading book after book on pregnancy, labor, and child development. I'm absorbing a lot of information but no baby yet!!!

Scott tapping out a jazz tune for Sydney, 'Gotta train 'em while they're still in the oven'.

Here's the rocking chair. Posture-wise it is AMAZING! My back feels really good in this chair. I got it for $30 on craigslist. It's from Utah and is solid oak - yeah! I wanted solid wood rather than the latest baby rockers on the market because I wasn't comfortable with their design - little fingers getting caught in between the rocker bars is not good.

Getting up super early ... ah sweet mornings to come...

Rosie was so tired here that she just buried her whole face in the towel ears out to the sides :)

A pregnancy pic at Church.

I love getting photos of these two when they have their midday nap. They always have the cutest little poses.

Yey! Mum is here and she is really jet lagged!

Scott has a new set up for hauling his stuff to and from uni. It's pretty neat and he gets the exercise that he wants too.

Brahms has a new past time...

...staring out the window watching the world go by... or just the squirrels ;)

How we know it's winter and we should put the heater on - our pups stack sleep in order to keep warm.

Once there was a little fairy princess called Sydney who slept in an AWESOME IKEA bed with overhanging tropical leaves. Well, the princess is actually Mum for now. It will eventually become Sydney's fairy princess bed. Needs some pink somewhere. We are thinking this flower light from IKEA. I LOVE IKEA!

Well, she's due this Thursday just in time for Thanksgiving.

We'll let you know when she makes her debut.

Monday: Family Home Evening

2011-10-03T21:18:00.000-05:00

During General Conference, an idea came to mind about our family blog. Here is the first of what we hope are many posts on how to strengthen our families and improve ourselves and the lives of those around us.

Monday: Family Home Evening (FHE)
Lesson: Elder Richard G. Scott's message at the Saturday Morning Session
Activity: Walk the pups
Treat: Orange/Vanilla ice cream

A little time together as a family, no matter how small, can go a long way :)

8 months and counting...

2011-10-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

Home Sweet Home

2011-09-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

We missed the pups while we were away so we came home with a nice big bone from the store. Here is their reaction.

Brahms likes to drink the tomato plant water when it seeps out of the plant...dogs???

Best pals!

We needed a new and comfortable bed for them. Unfortunately, US capitalism has created prices for pet beds that range from $19 - infinity. So, I grabbed a pair of $2 towels and we made our own. Rosie likes the pleats on one side so she can get in and snuggle. Altogether, from start to finish, it took 20 minutes to make. The filling is a rug we no longer use folded over (the white thing in the background). There are no zippers. Everything is sown in a way the the pups cannot get to the rug. I can easily pull out the rug for washing things separately and to replace the towels someday.

As you can see Brahms is already quite at home chewing on it :) We don't mind, $4 is better than $35.

Cooking and Birthday Celebrations!!!

2011-09-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

I like making cakes.

Updates...

2011-09-20T13:08:00.002-05:00

We have been pretty occupied...with a trip overseas, baby coming, school, and exhaustion it's no wonder I'm late with these updates. Here is a slew of them. Enjoy!

Smarties Cake!

2011-09-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

It was a 2 layered brownie cake with chocolate filling. I couldn't find any smarties so we used M&Ms Reeses. The outer work is simply Kit Kats. We had a high calorie high fun birthday celebration. We had about 6 July birthdays to celebrate so this was worth the work! I found the idea here.

To Dos

2011-08-27T06:23:00.000-05:00

So, we are getting closer to the third trimester. There is about one week left. I keep wondering if and/or when the 'nesting' will start. So far, I am just getting together some projects to work on with mum when she gets here. Here are two...1. A sling and 2. A blessing dress made with material from my wedding dress (Thank you Florences for the idea).

Should be fun!

Have you ever wanted to reduce the clutter in your wardrobe?

2011-08-27T06:18:00.001-05:00

I tried following this chart but it is very hard (this is from 'The Minimalist' blog). We've learned that the less you have and the better quality items you have the longer they will last you, the less you will spend on new clothes and the simpler life will be. This can also be applied in the kitchen :)

Not sure if this applies to shoes yet - need to experiment with that :)

It's A Girl!

2011-08-26T23:56:00.000-05:00

Puppies, puppies, puppies

2011-08-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pics and vids of things we've seen...

A Wedding...

2011-07-05T22:30:00.000-05:00

As Saturday rolled around we went down to the Forth Worth Botanical Gardens for a beautiful wedding with, of course, beautiful music. Here are a couple of pics of the best musicians in town - no bias of course!

Planning for Baby Campbell

2011-06-10T16:43:00.000-05:00

I have been scouring through Baby magazines just to get an idea of what we are going to need for Baby Campbell. The process goes like this:
1. Gather magazines - free ones of course!
2. Read each one carefully - avoid advertising for products that are not needs.
3. Cut out pictures of things I like and will need - look for top ten lists.
4. Glue the pictures onto a sweet scrapbooking sheet - I chose a gender neutral pattern seeing as we are still waiting on that fine detail.
5. Make, ask around, or save up for the items on your collage - some things must be bought or made new.

Here is the process in picture form. I've included one item that I made in a day.

Brahms

2011-06-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

It's so amazing having a puppy in the house. He, along with little Rosie, bring us so much happiness but sometimes they get sick and...well...it's just down right sad. Over a month ago Brahms got Parvo and was very sick. Here are some pics so you can see him with his sad little eyes. It broke our hearts.

But when it was all over he recuperated quickly and got back to his old self.

To looking cute for a feed...

...to staring out the window with Rosie...

...and to falling asleep next to one of his most favorite humans!

Oh, and did I mention sleeping?

Cutest Pet In Town

2011-06-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

Is it hard to believe that this little guy won 1st prize?

He won some doggy treats that he is sharing with Rosie. He also won a $50 gift voucher for PetSmart. It's tiring being a STAR!

New Campbell on the Way!

2011-05-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

Sowing green!

2011-04-29T12:02:00.000-05:00

So this was Abuelita's favorite color and the apartment has taken on the green theme. Here is just one little thing added to make our place a home. We ound a antastic bright lime grreen wate jug om Portugal. It surprisingly handles A LOT o water which is nice or entertaining guests. Here's the story on the placemat.

The garden is also coming to bloom with tomatoes, onions, lemons, and more (hail stones)!

He's getting bigga!

2011-04-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Misc photos that you might like :)

2011-04-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

Gardening in the Castle

2011-03-10T18:19:00.000-06:00

Here is what we've been up to with our garden:
1. Start seeds
2. Transplant seeds
3. Watch plants Grow
4. Wait for fruit to grow and harvest time

This is by far one of the funnest things we have done. It is so exciting to be hard at work, to research, and to shop! Then, right when you think nothing is going to happen ... a seedling sprouts and BOOM many more follow. Can't wait to show you what the tomatoes, watermelon, chives, oregano, basil, lettuce, onions, asparagus, and parsley look like when fully grown.

Now I see why dad enjoys gardening so much!

Sleepy Puppies!

2011-03-01T15:29:00.000-06:00

Each photo was taken on a different day. Puppies need their sleep!

Introducing 'Brahms'

2011-02-15T14:45:00.001-06:00

Here is our new little family member. We named him after Johannes Brahms the composer. The two pieces that inspired us to name him are Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118: No. 2. Intermezzo in A Major and Violin Concerto in D, III. You can click on either title and it will take you to a video of the music. Very nice!

We got Brahms because we've wanted another family member and Scott has had his heart set on a wonderful full blooded beagle. So, starting last week I searched hi and low sending numerous emails and text messages that included all dogs on our list such as chiweenies. By Monday (Valentine's Day) we decided that it would be best not to get a dog because we hadn't found 'the one'. That same afternoon an email arrived in my inbox. It was from a reputable breeder in Springtown!!! He said that although we missed out on the last puppy, he had good news. It turns out that his daughter had just found out she was going to move and could not keep her little guy who happened to be the pick of the same litter!!! So not only were we being offered a full blooded male beagle but he was UKC registered, a puppy, and did I mention A BEAGLE!!!

On the way to pick him up we thought, 'Well, if Rosie and him don't get along or if we don't like the parents or anything! We will just come home no questions asked. We would not take home a puppy that was not going to be happy with us no matter what!

Luckily for us, the parents were amazing. They were placid and gentle. The dad was a bag of mush just wanting some love and ear scratching. He was very good looking too. The mother was dainty and sweet to us even though she was protecting a little puppy in her kennel. Needless to say as soon as Mr. Bill handed Scott the puppy the deal was done! Once Rosie confirmed that she would not eat him nor him eat her we were good.

Last night was more quiet than we expected. Rosie and Brahms slept in the crate and did fairly well. They went to sleep after about 10 minutes of wimpers. He is better today and can go in the crate with ease. He finds a little spot and falls asleep quite easily. We've done the laundry, checked the mail and have been playing, eating, sleeping, and pooping all day. Rosie is enjoying her new 'little brother'. She shares her food and water with him AND her toys. They are more alike than we thought seeing as they sigh, burp, and snore together. We're hoping things continue on this way :)

This little guy is going to bring us a lot of joy and be a great little loyal companion for Scott.

Hope you like the pics! He was posing, can you tell? :0)

PS...He hasn't howled yet.

The New Apartment - Part I

2010-12-27T21:11:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the pics Muma! We still have things out of place and not quite set up yet. These will be taken care of this week. We love our new apartment, the views, and the amenities. We have a tennis court just outside the window as well as a swimming pool, laundry care center, fitness room, and hot tub which we've already tried :) It's really peaceful here and we look forward to spending the next four years here.

The Entrance

2010-12-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

Here are some pics for a dear friend. Miss you!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T22:20:00.000-06:00

It wasn't going to be Christmas without a pretty little piece of Australia. So we went to a local craft store and picked up some unique floral gems hidden in the bushes. We found wattle, waratah, and eucalyptus to mention a few. The final result was just right!

We then has time to whip up a cake and form together some empanadas. We spent the rest of the evening with an awesome family we just met. We had so much fun playing Angry Santa! Rosie was the star of the night. She likes getting all the attention.

Rosie

2010-12-25T22:08:00.000-06:00

Vacation Time!

2010-12-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

We took the family to see some sites in New Orleans and surrounding areas. We had so much fun. We started with The Bass Pro Shop to try some alligator and see the manly hunting stuff, Oak Alley Plantation, The Superdome, The Frenchquarter, a carriage ride, some bignets, and finally the Hammond Zemurray Park Christmas lights. Rosie of course came with us too.

The hotel hot tub was a definite favorite though!

Graduation Day

2010-12-25T20:22:00.001-06:00

We did it!

We can't be more thankful to our families who gave us the support we needed to make it through two Masters programs. We are so glad they were able to be there with us. It made all the difference.

Yes, the color for Music is pink :)

This was the largest group ever to graduate from Southeastern Louisiana University. Students totaled more than 1000. It was neat to walk across the stage in our graduation gear. We shook the University President's hand and smiled for the cameras. It was a nice end to the journey.

It was my dream to graduate at BYUH and experience the leis. Scott made that dream come true. What a great husband! My two favorite leis were ones Mom brought down fresh from Oregon. She had them made and flew them down in Tupperware! They were AMAZING!

Graduating together was such a great feat. It was worth it!

Texas here we come!

Treat Time! FHE Treat Time!

2010-11-07T15:47:00.001-06:00

We are enjoying minute brownies and banana ice cream...mmmmmmmmmm

For the Minute Brownies
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/3 teaspoon vanilla
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)

For the Banana Ice Cream
1 c frozen banana
1 tsp sugar
1 T milk or water
Puree into creamy ice cream

Final Recital

2010-11-07T15:20:00.000-06:00

He did it! It's done! It was wonderful! Magnificent! Moving! Scott has got it! He has a most amazing talent and thankfully will continue sharing it for the rest of his life. Thanks go out to the talents of Dr. Jones - easily the best pianist in the South!

I cut my hair!!!

2010-10-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

Sorry mum ;) it'll grow long again in no time :)

Mmm Saturday Morning Healthy Whole Wheat Muffins

2010-10-16T13:37:00.001-05:00

Buddy's 'Bark' Rosie's 'Sit' and 'Nonitos' (Sleep)

2010-10-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

Other cute pics and the Sweater Project!

2010-10-03T14:49:00.000-05:00

Movie Night!

Glued to the screen...

How do you prevent an almost hairless little girl chiweenie from freezing during winter jogs?

Make her a sweater!

Modeling the sweater...oo lala Rosie!

Can't forget the tail hole!

Nap time!

Buddy gets one too!

Utter Cuteness!

2010-10-03T11:30:00.001-05:00

Just a little hungry...

Where's Buddy?

2010-09-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

Guess who wanted to help me do the laundry?

What a little gentleman.

Visiting Teaching and Recipes

2010-09-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

I was thinking for this months Visiting Teaching Message I would do something a little different. Here we have neat little plastic bags which will be filled with the best homemade granola I can make (Scott says its the best he's ever had but I think he's just IN LOVE!). I will then tie each bag closed with brown ribbon and decorate with little white and brown baubles (each representing white and milk chocolate - fake of course due to the heat we are experiencing). The message will be attached to the bag.

This is what I got for Visiting Teaching this month thanks to Crystal. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea. It is a food storage basket filled with the more desirable items like dehydrated blue berries, strawberries, mangoes, peaches, and apples plus 9 grain cereal. I can't wait to try them all.
The mangoes are almost gone! ;)

And finally the latest creation...butter pecan ice cream with frozen blueberries, banana, cinnamon, and peanuts.

This has been a good week!

The Pups

2010-09-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

Here we are having a little treat maze. We spread the tiny chewy meaty treats across the floor in different patterns then let the pups loose and 5 minutes later they are fed, entertained, and spend another 5 minutes searching for more food. Great way to buy time!

Oh, and a little rest is nice at the end... another 5 minutes ;)

Our Herb Garden

2010-09-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

It's a small start but we decided to put together a herb garden. We went all out by spending a whole $8 on 4 different, and amazing, herbs. From left to right we have chives, Basil, Parsley, and Dill. Each are fragrant and a wonderful addition to our little kitchen. So far we put chives in our scrambled eggs and parsley in our hummus. We will be putting some basil in a salad and the dill is resting after a not-so-good time in the car on the way back from the nursery.

Research online tells me that the herbs will most likely only last a season...that's perfect for us!

Things we've been upto...

2010-09-19T21:29:00.002-05:00

We painted our apartment and it looks so much better. See the dull tan is gone!

Scott also gigged at Tsunami. It is a restaurant on a rooftop overlooking the Mississippi. He is sooooo talented and quite popular at the moment.

Playing in the back yard!!!

2010-08-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

Playing in the back yard!!!

2010-08-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

Fun With the Pups

2010-08-01T22:26:00.002-05:00

Here you see a few moments of fun with our new puppies. A day out with them turned out to be a whole lot of fun!

New Additions to the Campbell Family!!!

2010-07-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

Welcome home Rose and Buddy.
We found them at the pound.
Rose is a Chiweenie (Chihuahua Weener Dog Cross) and Buddy is a pure bred Dachshund. She is still a pup and loves to play with her toys and to run outside on the grass. She can jump 3 feet in the air! Buddy just got home today and is a little sore from the 'Snip snip' visit to the Vet. He is so placid and docile that he just relaxed us immediately. We love them already!

We will be going to some Independence Day lunches this weekend and look forward to taking them along so they can get used to people and kids. They seem to do very well already.

A Scott gift or what?

2010-06-24T20:30:00.002-05:00

Ahhh Home Sweet Home!

2010-06-02T18:43:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pics of our adventures...
We started working on Mom's Mother's Day/Birthday present (a beautiful flower and vegetable garden). Before we started, however, Rowdy asked for a ride in the truck. Scott helped him in the back and off they went down the drive and through the neighborhood, Rowdy's jowls and ears flapping in the wind!

We noticed some visitors on the front lawn one afternoon. It was a real treat! They didn't mind the paparazzi.

The final two photos are of us admiring the wall we built in a day. Dad taught us some great lessons like start with a plan, prepare your materials first, be organized, and don't hit your finger with the hammer...it hurts!

More Crawfish!

2010-06-02T17:59:00.000-05:00

We had one more crawfish dinner. Thank you to the Garlands and our cooked little red friends!

Happy Birthday Scott

2010-04-25T10:37:00.001-05:00

I decided, in all fairness, that Scott needs two weekends worth of birthday. It seems that he is always doing something for school (an assignment, performance, etc) or gigging!!! or involved in a church activity. He never seems to have a birth day celebration at all. So, the day after his birthday we went to a crawfish boil with some family friends. It was so amazing to see all those little critters and then realise we were going to eat them! I baked a cake, we sang happy birthday, and the day turned out to be quite pleasant with our friends. Now, yesterday, part II of Scott's birthday we went to a MUSIC STORE!!! What better way to celebrate Scott Campbell's birthday than to go to a music store. I remember his eyes were as wide as a child's at Christmas. He got a flute case, flute cleaning kit, and a classical fake book which kept him occupied that whole night. We then went to the temple and that was just icing on the cake. Going to the temple is like defragmenting a PC hard drive - don't you think?

Our New Lady Susan

2010-04-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

We finally have our official Campbell family gathering table which seats 8 plus a few high chairs for any babies ;) . It is counter height and has some nice stools, and a bench, oh and a Lazy * I mean LADY Susan as you can see from the box below. The Food Nanny (BYUTV) says that successful meal times need at least 3 elements 1. Good food, 2. Good conversation, and a 3. Gathering place.

Fun @ Fontainbleu

2010-04-08T22:56:00.000-05:00

We decided to take off one day and venture into the Louisiana wilderness. We found a baby alligator, deer and hog tracks, a nasty looking bull thistle plant, and a great sense of gratitude for beautiful swamp land.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

2010-03-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

Dinner was lobster and lobster ravioli mmmm very nice! No, I did not get Scott that car but it sure is a wildly fantastic idea!!! ... someday ;)

Dynamo @ Baton Rouge Symphony

2010-03-30T18:34:00.001-05:00

While the sax quartet played a painter painted how their music inspired him (shown in photo).

St Patick's Day Dinner Mmmmmmm

2010-03-30T18:32:00.000-05:00

Bored + Wheat Grinder = Focaccia/Pannini

2010-03-30T11:32:00.001-05:00

I didn't get a picture of the final result because it was too yummy! Here is what it may look like in the future with some practise...

They are very popular in Sydney and now part of the Campbell Family menu ;)

Mmmm Frittata

2010-03-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

Think we'll be trying this tonight!

Foozeball Anyone?

2010-03-15T17:08:00.001-05:00

Mel got home the night before Scott was to return from NASA (National American Saxophone Alliance) Convention and lo and behold what was on the side of the road being thrown away? This,

It was 'wrapped' and left as an Early Anniversary Gift for Scott - the Babe!

Here's the happy reaction and his belly ;)

We've played everyday since it arrived!
Special thanks go out to Becca and Beth for lugging the thing up the stairs to the apartment together. Casualty incidences include a pinched finger and a big bruise ;( thank you for the hard work ladies!!!

Palmeni and friends - need we say more!

2010-02-22T10:52:00.000-06:00

MARDI GRAS!!!!!!

2010-02-22T10:49:00.000-06:00

We got to go to New Orleans and enjoy a couple of grand parades. We got beaded out, sunburnt, ate muffulattas with Red Beans and Rice, walked through the French quarter, ate Bignets and got home exhausted - would do it all again it was so much fun!!!

Canal Street - packed with people waiting for the floats

Bourbon Street - notice the 'Who Dat' behind Scott

Us - freezing at the local parade - we went to Cane's with our friends and they treated us to deep fried chicken and toast! The sauce is pretty good.

Sanitarium Recipes

2010-01-17T20:21:00.002-06:00

For recipes that will tantalize the taste buds and provide TLC to your ticka' check out recipes at sanitarium.com.au

Chrissie in Aussie part 1

2010-01-17T19:58:00.000-06:00

Chrisse in Aussie Part II

2010-01-17T19:49:00.000-06:00

The fence...before

Chrisse in Aussie Part III

2010-01-15T17:54:00.000-06:00

Outing with the boys - had such a great time! They are so funny!

We always have time for IKEA.

Lunch with dad was great. We had paella, salad, crusty white bread, and ice cream with peaches.

Dinner at Spanish Tapas, again a great night with the fam. We watched a great flamenco show and ate churros and hot chocolate for dessert.

Dinner at a Crowne Plaza restaurant all expenses paid by Delta because we sacrified our seats. Give and ye shall recieve

Scott's new sweater from Mum.

Studio Recital

2009-12-04T10:21:00.004-06:00

We had all our students and their families come over for a recital. The students have been working on two pieces to perform. It was a great night. We saw some talent and awesome personalities! Here is a pic of Scott performing with his student who is taking clarinet and penny whistle lessons. We LOVE teaching music!

2009-11-29T17:22:00.002-06:00

Tim Tams sold at Target!
Our conclusion is that US Tim Tams are not the same as Australian ones. The chocolate is not as creamy and flavorful. However, we are pleased that we can share this Aussie treat with friends and family here.

Earplugs and Altisimos

2009-11-13T10:35:00.004-06:00

It's official! I have begun using earplugs during Scott's practise sessions. He has to practice what are called altisimos or the highest notes in and above the register of the saxophone. Sometimes it sounds like running nails down a chalkboard! So grateful for the jazz ;)

Keeping the Home Clean and Organized

2009-11-13T10:26:00.005-06:00

I've seen families use these charts to keep everything clean and tidy. I came across the below picture and thought it was GREAT! We'll definitely use this system with our children one day. Using it now isn't such a bad idea either ;) You can get a free copy to print here.

2009-11-09T23:01:00.002-06:00

Just spotted this recipe for apple crisp (Dutch Apple Pie) from this website via the 'Safely Gathered In' button located middle-left of our blog spot. Will try it and let you know what it's like.

2009-11-09T22:42:00.004-06:00

Scott and I attended a masterclass today with Tony Degradi, most likely the top tenor saxophonist in the region. He performs like no other. We were able to see him live at Snug Harbor in New Orleans when Mom was here last year. Scott got to perform for him and received good Jazz Counsel. He even asked if Scott and Vitali (our friend from Maldova) could play another song. So, off they went and played again! As you might be thinking, Scott is currently on cloud nine ;)

2009-11-08T17:58:00.002-06:00

Scott has been playing this Shubert piece off youtube for awhile. He needs to analyze it for school. It depicts a woman at a spinning wheel (listen to the piano) singing about her lost love. You can literally hear the spinning wheel stop and try to start back then start back up again. It's really neat how he put music to poems like this. Enjoy!

2009-11-08T17:34:00.003-06:00

We just discovered a new PBS show entitled, 'Made In Spain' which shows the various aspects of Spanish cuisine. I tell you what, it brings back memories from my childhood and makes me grateful for having parents that stayed close to their culture. Have a look at the way they prepare their food, serve it, and enjoy it! Mmmmmm our favorites are tortilla de patatas, paella, and tapas. Below you see olives, ham, cheese, olive oil, saffron etc...foods I was raised on. Love it!

2009-11-08T13:53:00.007-06:00

Oh great! Another hurricane heading straight for us...

I got this graphic from the National Hurricane Center. We keep refreshing the page for updates.

2009-11-07T19:06:00.004-06:00

We had a wonderful weekend of new recipes! The first was inspired by our days in Hawaii and is called Island Chicken with Pineapple Salsa served on a bed of warm rice - very tasty. The next two were obtained from my childhood memories but officially found in a Spanish Cuisine book. We made homemade dulce leche ice cream and Spanish hot chocolate. The ice cream is absolutely delicious (we will never purchase store bought again) and the hot chocolate is ... AMAZING! If you're interested in these last two recipes let me know and I will post them. Ahhh sweet heritage ;)

2009-11-07T19:00:00.002-06:00

For the Whole Wheat Bread Recipe we use go here. It has wonderful texture and flavor and makes store bought bread look and taste well...under par. Hope you enjoy it all but especially Aunt Tawnya!

2009-11-05T11:58:00.005-06:00

We were just in contact with a couple of dear friends, the Florences, who were our surrogate parents in Hawaii and who made the best gourmet meatballs for our wedding reception! We love you guys! Here are just a few videos of Scott's music performances just for you!

Family Home Evening and Fortune Cookies

2009-11-03T18:43:00.004-06:00

I asked Scott if we could make something for his Studio Class. I'm not sure how the idea of fortune cookies came up but they turned out to be a success. The class devoured them all and spent some time reading over their jazz quotes (I replaced fortunes for jazz quotes). Here are some pics of the fun filled cooking process (burn't fingers are not fun the following day).

You can find the recipe here.

TK and the Right Pieces

2009-11-01T14:02:00.002-06:00

We spent last night at a gig in Independence. It was so SO SO much fun we enjoyed the music, the people, and the dancing (kinda)! Here are some pics from the fun we had...

Our Temple Trip

2009-11-01T13:57:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we went to the Baton Rouge temple and experienced a very special morning that we will never forget. We are so grateful to be close to a temple to serve there. We love it!!!

2009-10-30T12:59:00.000-05:00

I really like this idea for Christmas gifts. It's practical, can be as expensive/affordable as needed, and organized...

2009-10-30T11:31:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of surprising Scott tonight by making these<--- Click on 'these'.

2009-10-30T11:00:00.003-05:00

Just a few things we've been up to this past week...
Astroboy was pretty neat - he was my favourite to watch when I was a little girl. Now I have Scott ;)

We made calzones (Italian food for those spanish speakers) yesterday. They were really tasty and made with 100% home ground whole wheat. We've also found a new treat too - pesto!

mmmmm! ;)

2009-10-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

Why you don't want to visit Louisiana after rain...

Scott and the Wiseguys

2009-09-26T21:03:00.003-05:00

Last night Scott was invited to play on stage as on of the Tenors. Here's what we were up to for date night.

Scott and Mel Meet Rowdy

2009-09-26T17:17:00.013-05:00

Towards the end of July we got to go home to Oregon and see Mom, Dad and Keith's new house. Before we went though we were told of a new member of the family - Rowdy. As we made it to the house we saw him in his play pen long and lanky drooling like a full blooded Blood Hound should.

While on the plane Mel was reading 'Where the Red Fern Grows' so this was a neat experience meeting a real Blood Hound. After our trip we didn't mind changing our clothes three times a day due to Rowdy's spagetti ;)Here are some shots from our trip.

Family photo taken by Holly Campbell. Anyone can point and shoot but it takes real talent to capture what we were feeling that day - thank you Holly you're AMAZING!

Gold mining!!! It was an awesome experience with fantastic members of our family!

We surprised Nanny and Papa at McDonalds with a bit of jazz for breakfast ;)

We all ripped off Mom and Dad's deck and put in a new one...

Mmmmmm Oregon blackberry pie and vanilla ice cream...

Charming South Carolina

2009-09-23T10:22:00.003-05:00

Back in May, we decided to take a trip to see our friends, the Gunters, in South Carolina. It took us more than the estimated 12 hours to get there. We took a few detours and struggled to find Subways for lunch when we were somewhere in Florida.

We arrived late and received a warm welcome from our dear friends. BYU-Hawaii is where we first met. They were the courtship catalysts for us and we will be forever grateful. Once we moved into TVA we were blessed to find that we had been assigned the apartment below t hem. We miss those days of FHE, snacks, parties and seeing new little Ansley in her sweet outfits from Mom and Dad.

Here are our treasured memories from that trip.

Christmas in both Hemispheres

2009-03-04T10:54:00.000-06:00

Yep, we were in Australia for Christmas then zoomed across the International Date Line to celebrate a belated Christmas with family in Oregon. We loved both and cherish the memories! Already missing everyone from home(s)!!!!

Mardigras

2009-03-04T10:35:00.000-06:00

Beads, Beads and more beads! Family friends invited us to join their crew in what was a fun evening watching the Mardi Gras parade. We had some tasty pizza and awesome brownies, met some good people that we look upto and watched the floats go by as they threw beaded necklaces at us.

Scott has been playing at some Mardi Gras balls. He really enjoys the music and has fun playing with the other band members. I got to join in on one of their performances and had fun watching the crowd host a Mardi Gras King and Queen processional. They later did the Cupid Shuffle which was really cute. The group leader who also happens to be a Band Director told me that Scott's solos are exceptional and that he expects Scott to have a promising career in music. The lead singer 'Star' loves hearing Scott play. She says he becomes the highlight of the piece that is, the crowd pleaser of the night.

Food and Jazz in New Orleans

2008-10-29T16:28:00.002-05:00

Whoa! What a trip. Mom, Scott and I took off early on a mini adventure to enjoy the sights and sounds of the New Orleans French Quarter. After finding our way to St Charles St we drove by lovely homes and other places of importance such as Loyola University. A note about Loyola, previously, Scott and I entered the University after our Houma trip in order to seek out some sax info. It was well worth walking up and down unfamiliar halls as we found a sax student to talk to and the Professor over Saxophone and Jazz Performance. Yes, Scott was in music heaven.
After finding a parking spot, we walked all over the south side of the quarter enjoying the 'trading' going on. Lots of little trinkets, souvenirs, art, 'art and other items were on sale. We could have had our portrait drawn/painted/sketched or our futures fortold by a Tarot reader. There were so many things to see and do but the one thing that we wanted to do the most was to HEAR SOME JAZZ!
At about 4pm we heard some of that melodious goodness coming from a nearby street. We doubled timed ourselves toward the sound and found the streets had been closed off and a band was making their way toward us. Closely behind the band was a couple, just married and in their wedding attire jumping around and dancing to the music. They were happy as ever. We followed the sound and the wedding party ended up at an Irish Pub. Scott spent the next 10 minutes chatting to the Tenor player who had a Zinner mouth piece. Oh man! This thing was 'totally rad'. You could change the disposition of the horn from soft classical to loud and brassy. Certainly ont he Christmas list when we can afford it.

We then made our way to the Jazz Preservation Hall and heard some of the good stuff from way back. It was a real treat to be part of something so historical and educational.
At the end of the day, Scott had made reservations for dinner and concert at a place called Snug Harbor. The food was really good and so was the music. Unfortunately, the night crowd and obscene 'art' ont he walls deems it as NOT a place for all ages let alone children. Other than that, we really really enjoyed the food and music. The bass player was phenomenal and the sax player was great too. The guitar man was pretty chill and the drummer...well...he was not completely sober.
We enjoyed the rest of the weekend with mom and her AMAZING cookies. It was overall a wonderful weekend.

2008-10-22T08:17:00.000-05:00

This is an article in a local news paper. The people in the photo are mostly from our ward including our bishop with the blue hat on and our first counselor with him. Melissa and I were right there with them. We must have been hard at work while they were standing around:)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Last modified Wednesday, October 15, 2008 5:16 PM CDT
Livingston Parish LDS volunteers carrying debris to the street are (from left) Chris Lundburg, Ben Tassin, Jeremy Garcia, Ryan Cancienne and Joe Johnson. (Photo submitted by Tina Barillleau)

Mormons join Houma clean-up with MLK III

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Livingston Parish area were part of a team of 1,400 volunteers to link arms with Martin Luther King III and community leaders to restore the homes and hopes of residents of hurricane-ravaged Houma.

Under the direction of Ray Burkart, local leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, volunteers removed trees, cleaned up debris, and cleared flooded homes of ruined furniture and other personal household items.

President Burkart said, "In Houma, we had a chance to put into action what we truly believe. Service to our fellow man is what it is all about. As the Savior said, '...in as much as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.'"

Debbie Gomez, President of Relief Society, and her crew turned out to make sure the 70-plus volunteers from the local area had plenty of water and food as they worked.

As the volunteers flooded the streets in their yellow "Mormon Helping Hands" T-shirts, the distance some of these volunteers had traveled became apparent. Volunteers had come from Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and more.

One woman, Cristy Kassel, drove a Bobcat to clear debris. She and her family arrived from Madison, Miss., to help out in the effort. Kassel said she had been driving the Bobcat for about ten years and had traveled to many places to help in hurricane recovery including Waveland and Picayune, Miss., Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Houma, and Lake Charles. She originally purchased the Bobcat to clear her own land.

Kassel said, "I have a lot of fun and just go to help out wherever the church asks us to."

Volunteers encountered people who, despite their sad circumstances, have great faith and were filled with gratitude for the help offered. Beulah Guidry is 87 years old and lived alone in a little frame house. She is fortunate to have her children near by, but she lost everything in the floods that came with Hurricane Ike.

Her sons managed to save a few items of importance to her like the doll her son, Lester, gave her, but her house of 60 years, where she raised her family, will likely be bulldozed after the insurance company comes out.

Guidry said, "All I can do is sit down and pray. Crying doesn't help."

Martin Luther King III thanked God for the wonderful opportunity and wonderful weather in Houma.

"It takes just a few good men and women to bring about change," King stated. "I am just so thankful, honored, and humbled to have the opportunity to be with you [the LDS volunteers] today as change is brought to this community, because you personify, as one of the major religious institutions of our world, you personify the epic of service. All of us could have chosen to be somewhere else today. But the fact is you chose to be here to make a change in this community. And none of us or any of the individuals of this community can thank you enough for that, and it will probably change the lives of a number of persons today."

Joel T. Chaisson, President of the Louisiana State Senate, was also on hand to accept over 1,000 tarps for the state of Louisiana. Chaisson recognized the volunteers for paying their own gas, food, and lodging.

"It is truly heartwarming to see so many dedicated individuals come here today at your own expense to help us in our time of need," Chaisson said. I can't tell you how much it means to the citizens of Terrebonne Parish and the citizens of the state of Louisiana."

Terrebone Parish President Michel Claudet expressed his gratitude while drawing laughter with his welcoming remarks to the volunteers: "Usually when we welcome people to our parish, I point out all the nicest places of the parish you should go to. Today we are doing just the opposite. We are pointing out the worst places of the parish you need to go to."

The "Mormon Helping Hands" crew worked to do what they could to start the process of cleaning up Houma while offering hope to those in very discouraging circumstances.

Hawaii

2008-10-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

We miss Hawaii we are going to visit two times. We are going to visit my wife's family in Australia for Christmas break and will spend a little time. Where we first met. We can't wait to see her family. It will be wonderful to see and spend time with them and the koalas as well;)

This photo is out in the ocean a little before we left Laie. We look forward to visiting our friends back there as well.

My First Blog

2008-10-08T13:46:00.000-05:00

Hey! This is my first blog. Pretty cool. I saw a friends and thought it was pretty cool. This is also hopefully a way to get more involved on the web as Elder Ballard taught us not long ago in the Ensign.
Right now Melissa and I live in Louisiana. We have had a wonderful time. We are glad we moved (even if we had to survive 2 major hurricanes in one month. The ward here is great and we have had neat opportunities to serve. One of which we clean up in Houma, LA.
We joined some 1,400 other members wearing "Mormon, Helping Hands" shirts and did some serious clean up in the serious south. They were hard hit by both hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Some had water 3 feet high in their houses and we helped gut them out or clean around the properties. It was a wonderful experience.
The University here is wonderful as well. The faculty are very knowledgeable and competent. Heavenly Father really guided us to this place and we are so grateful for Him. He has helped us all along the way.