Today the Sun's On Us

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Sam's First Football Game

Wednesday night lights in Cedar City. Because Sam joined the team late and is still learning the plays he wasn't played in this game. He supported his team. Helped with the chains and learned the plays so hopefully he can play in the next game on Saturday.

Girl's Weekend at the St. Regis at Dana Point

The View from our room...Ahhhh palm trees. I didn't realize how much I was missing them until I saw them. They gave me a tug back to Abu Dhabi. But I was home. With some of my favorite women, my Mom and sisters. I needed to feel the sand, the sun and to see those palms.

Barb's ideal vacation breakfast. A danish from the hotel bakery and good Diet Coke.

The Sand, the Sun...and Trader Joes for lunch. We couldn't ask for more.

Sarah and Bergen

(who got to join her Mom on the weekend due to her great behavior and youth.)

Eating, another of our favorite things to due on vacation.

The beautiful St. Regis hotel in Dana Point. Our home away from home for 3 nights. What a vacation. Girl's weekend at the St. Regis is a dream we've had for years. Finally we made it happen.

Jenn on the beach, checking on things back home.

Beach Baby

Beach Feet

I LOVE Peaches!

What is not to love about peaches? Their color, their soft fuzz, the occasional dry leaf left hanging from the stem. It all makes me smile. As a child I would get in the car with Mom and drive through Sardine canyon to Brigham City, Peach Mecca. We would buy bushels of peaches to take home to Logan and bottle for a treat during the winter months. One autumn day I remember laying the backseat of the car with the peaches. I loved the way they smelled and their nice plump bodies. I wanted to climb into the bushel baskets and become part of the peaches. (The memory is so clear I can smell the peaches as I recall it.) Two peaches were held gently in my hands as I rubbed my cheeks with the soft fuzz. By the time we arrived home in Logan I had a rash on both cheeks! Its a funny memory to think how miserable I was with little pieces of peach fuzz stuck into my cheeks. They had become part of me.

I still love peaches. It's unconditional.

Peach season means peach cobbler.

Grandma Watts used to make such great peach cobbler. I'm so happy she took the time to teach me how to make cobbler. As summer days would shorten and school would begin I always had a nice peach cobbler to look forward to as an after-school snack. Either Mom or Grandma would treat me with a cobbler through the entire peach season. To this day, my favorite dessert is Peach Cobbler.

The past 3 years I've missed peach season because we always returned to Abu Dhabi before peaches were ready. This year I've loved making Peach Cobbler while wearing Grandma Watts' apron. I've also branched out to make home-made peach ice cream to serve with it...

Never enough peach on peach flavor.

The only bad thing about peaches..They signal the end of summer. The beginning of fall and the coming of winter months. We haven't seen winter for 3 years. Already we are feeling the cold seep into our bones. American football season is beginning and the kids are living an All-American lifestyle in a beautiful, clean, small town.

PS: I did freeze some peaches so I can enjoy the flavor of late summer sometime in the middle of winter.

Grandma Watts' Peach Cobbler

4-5 peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 C sugar
2 Tbl. Corn Starch
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 C water
Mix and pour last 4 ingredients over peaches in a casserole pan
(Grandma always made it in a tin bread pan but I've started making it in a ceramic casserole dish)
Be sure the liquid mixture comes to the top of the sliced peaches.

Mix separately:
1 C Flour
1/4 C Sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 heaping tsp. Baking Powder
2 heaping Tbl. shortening
Cut into a grainy mixture and add milk to make a dough type consistency
Drop mixture on top of peach mixture, covering completely.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. or until golden brown.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Thunderbirds Boosters

Living in Cedar City allows us to be part of the athletics at Southern Utah University. The kids are part of the Thunderbird Kids. Before every home game they lead the team out onto the field. This first game of the season was against rival Dixie. The teams haven't played for over 40 years because last time they played there was a riot after! SUU won convincingly.

Sam Turns 11

This is the first birthday in 3 years that Sam has spent in Utah with cousins and Grandparents. He had a great time. Fortunately, his birthday always falls close to Labor Day weekend and this year it was on the Saturday before. This made it possible for Aunt Joleen to come from Las Vegas, Grandma and Grandpa Cook to come from Orem, Bobbi and Grandpa John from Logan and Cory, Angie and kids from Riverton. We had a fabulous time celebrating both Sam's and Grandma Cook's birthday.

Sam and Grandma blowing out their candles

The Cakes.

Bobbi and Grandpa John stopped in on their way to St. George, spent the night Friday in order to take Sam to breakfast on his birthday. They went to his favorite restaurant: IHOP.

Barbie and Ken???

Otherwise known as Cory and Angie. Cory is Brad's younger brother. In addition to looking like models they are great fun to hang out with. Their kids and ours get along great and everybody has a friend. Thanks for the great weekend guys!

This is why we came home!

Hiking with cousins on Labor Day

We had a fabulous time with Cory and Angie and kids. We were thrilled they would make the trip to spend the weekend with us to celebrate Sam's birthday and to hike and hang out and make up for lost time. We are all ready for more hiking. Especially in the water!