Wednesday Night Lights

The boys have officially started their football season. Brad coaches Jack and Charlie and their 1st and 2nd grade flag-football team.

Jack scored his first touchdown last night in the game. The play went off just as the coach had designed it. I was so proud and shocked to see scrappy Jack with the ball tucked under his arm running like crazy, the right direction and crossing the goal line. What a night. Charlie is a great defensive player and is great at returning kicks. He got a few punt returns that wound up gaining yards for the team.

Brad and Charlie helped out with the chains at Sam's game after the flag-football game. There was so much support for this 5th-6th grade football game. The parents all pitch in to make it happen.

The boys getting ready for their big night. Putting on their shoes. NO cleats in the house..

Charlie loves to wear Sam's helmet.

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.