Eden Pictures

Eden's favorite place to sit while mom gets ready (and first ponytail):


Yesterday morning while eating pancakes, Eden pulled her dad's place mat and succeeded in pulling off the plate. Our first broken plate:



We finally got a bumper pad because she was getting her arm caught in the crib bars. She seems to like to move into the corner and then rub her head around. This is how we found her one morning ... serious bedhead!


Her cousin, Allison, bought her this dress (with her own money). She wore it to stake conference (even though she was sick and not feeling well):

Airline Deal

Southwest Airlines is having a deal right now - $49-99 each way - nation wide. You have to fly mid-week and of course seats are limited and who knows how long the sale will be on...

Fly somewhere warm! (hmmmm 'bama is pretty warm...)

Buttermilk Pancakes/Waffles

These are so good! They've been in the Beck family for years (as long as I can remember). They are pretty easy and if you cut the recipe in 1/3 it is perfect for a couple.

Buttermilk Pankcakes/Waffles
3 C flour (1C)
1/4 C sugar (1T)
1 rounded T baking powder (1 rounded t)
1 t salt (1/3t)
3 T oil (1T)
3 eggs (1)
1 C buttermilk (1/3C)
2 C water (2/3C)

Mix dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir just enough to make flour wet (lumpy is ok). You don't want to over-stir because then you'll have tough pancakes.

Bonus Recipe
Caramel Syrup (perfect on top of your waffles)

In large pan combine:
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C buttermilk
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
2 T Karo syrup

Mix and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Yummmm!

Why I'm Glad I "Settled" for a Furnace Instead of Waiting for a Fireworks Show

Last week I heard an essay on NPR from a single 40-something woman about the possible benefits of "settling" for "Mr. Good Enough." It wasn't as cynical as it might sound. She stated that as she has talked more to her married friends, she has come to realize that marriage is much more like running a small non-profit business (the home) than it is a romantic movie (lets face it, I'm no Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, J-Lo, Reese Witherspoon, or Drew Barrymore).

I AGREE!!!!

Throughout my single thirties, people would either say or imply "you shouldn't be so picky." I tried to explain to them that I didn't think I was all that picky about the man I married. He could be short or tall, thin or chunky, a doctor or a teacher. I just really didn't care much what he looked like or did for a living or any of that stuff. I was, I would continue, VERY picky about the kind of relationship I wanted in a marriage. I needed to have a relationship that included good communication, mutual respect, like-goals, ideas, and ideals. I desired a relationship with a man who promoted laughter and accepted tears.

I remember many conversations with other singles (especially men) where I postulated that "romance" as the movies portrayed it is not only overrated and unlikely, but it isn't really even truly love. I imagined that I would rather have a spouse who chose me instead of having some chemical reaction. What is romantic about chemicals? Most notably were the conversations with ... we'll call him Don Madris ... who was always very surprised and skeptical about my theories. "What about fireworks?" he would ask. "Fireworks are great but they don't last long and often you get burned," I would respond. I wanted something that would last even if it didn't flash.

In sharing my unproven theory, I would often say, "there are four kinds of connection that are important to me: 1-Spiritual, 2-Intellectual, 3-Emotional, and 4-Physical." It seemed to me that the first three on my list were actually harder to come by than the last. I surmised and hoped that if I could find the first three, the last would fall into place.

Two years ago today my theories began to be tested. While Phil and I (abruptly) began to discuss the possibilities of marriage, a friend sent me an email on valentines day, 2006. He had no idea that Phil and I were contemplating the big question (nobody did, we had gone our separate ways and had steered clear of each other for several weeks before the phone call from Phil that changed our lives). This friend told me of his penny test. "You throw a penny into the air and if you can't say 'YES, I want to marry this person!' before the penny hits the floor, you shouldn't do it." PANIC! What was I doing thinking about marrying Phil then? Fortunately, I called Phil and he convinced me to move forward with our discussions (sometimes we actually called them "negotiations" - how romantic is that?). Two weeks later we got engaged. Even during our engagement there were moments of fear and panic. I consider it one of the Lord's tender mercies that we didn't both have those moments at the same time.

Fast forward (although there is a lot to fast forward through) to today. It is Valentines Day. There is a bowl of candy and a plant for me and a teddy bear for Eden that miraculously appeared on our breakfast table. Eden has the flu (the fourth day of a really terrible bug which has required constant holding and comfort). Phil is off to get a haircut and then to teach even though he is starting to feel sick. I feel achey (is it from holding Eden or am I getting sick too?). Nothing to inspire the ooh and ahh of a firework show today. Instead, I have my constant, reliable furnace. He keeps me warm, he gets up with the baby, he deals with my emotions and tears, he laughs with me, he helps me laugh at myself, he talks through the mundane issues of household chores and finances, he helps me try to be a good YW president, he lets me help him sometimes ... the list goes on and on.

If you ask me, I was absolutely right Don Madris! There is something wonderfully romantic about a relationship that works because the two people involved have made a choice to make it so. I'm so glad Phil chose me (and I him) two years ago!

Fireworks: flashy, hot, exciting, sometimes volatile, sometimes burn, can't exist during a storm, colorful, get old - you need to see new ones to elicit the same "ooh and ahh".

Furnaces: constant, warm, reliable, come in different shapes and sizes, reliable even during a storm (if you have your generator), easy to take for granted but immediately missed if not there.

Pizza Crust and Breadsticks

I found this recipe for quick breadsticks and decided to use it for pizza crust too and it is the best I've found (for quick recipes).

Pizza Crust/Breadsticks

Brew:
1 T (or package) dry yeast
1/2 C warm water
1 t sugar

(you can combine these ingredients right in your mixer or bowl and let them brew, make sure you wait to add the following ingredients until the yeast is frothy)

Add:
1 C warm water
3 C flour
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
knead (by hand or with mixer) for 3 minutes

Add:
1 C flour
blend this last flour into the dough until well mixed

You can immediately form into pizza dough or into 24 breadsticks. Create and cook your pizza according to your pizza recipe. Brush the breadsticks with egg (well beaten) and sprinkle with garlic and/or parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes.

enjoy!

A 3 Year Old Explains...

Today on RadioWest, Doug Fabrizio was interviewing Howard Berkus about the press conference yesterday with President Monson. They talked about the church's stand on women and the Priesthood. It made me think that perhaps the church could use my 3 year old nephew to help explain things (see the last paragraph on my SIL's post).

I Voted

Phil and I went to our neighborhood community center to vote this morning. We each got a sticker exactly like this one. Eden got one too. Have I mentioned that the neighborhood we live in is a very "well established" one? (That is code for "everyone-in-our-neighborhood-is-really-
really-old-except-for-us.")

Although we often don't dress Eden in lots of pink, today her daddy dressed her in a pink turtle-neck (with thin blue stripes) and pink sweat pants. She was looking all girl. Imagine my surprise when one of the many elderly gentlemen at the community center approached me and said, "he is a cute little fella, i'int he?" "Is he a good boy?" "Is he always such a happy little fella?" etc. I can only imagine that this man's ability to see color has deteriorated along with his four front teeth (which were completely missing, creating a rather adorable grin). He really was a nice man.

Our ballots here were different than I've ever seen. There is a broken (in the middle) arrow. The voter is given a black marker with the instructions to draw a line through the broken section of the candidate/delegate of choice. I completed my ballot and went to take Eden from Phil who was carefully completing his arrows (not just a line connecting the two parts but actually "finishing" the arrows). I LOVE this man/artist of mine!

As we left the community center we were approached by a reporter with a video camera. She asked if we would do an interview for the local newspaper. She asked us who we voted for and why. It made me glad that I voted for the actual candidate I hope wins instead of my one-time plan of voting for Obama simply as an anti-Hillary vote. I figure Alabama is going republican and probably not with my guy so my vote could be best used voting against the Clintons. This morning I decided to vote my honest choice instead of such a calculated, strategic, cynical vote. I'm glad that the Anniston Star doesn't have to do a story on my strategy.

After we voted, Eden and I went ... where else ... to Target. I was picking out the ice cream for our FHE tonight (Phil teaches on Mondays so we have it on Tuesdays, unless of course he has a show opening or I have YWs on Tuesdays, then we have it on Sundays, unless of course he has had chemo that weekend, then we have it on Thursdays, at any rate, we are having FHE tonight and since he has chemo this weekend and will therefore be unable to eat anything cooler than room temperature we are having ice cream tonight - because we can). After selecting the Target brand version of Moose Tracks, I turned my attention back to my cutie. She had that "who me?" look on her face so I immediately scanned her to see why she looked so guilty. It wasn't long before I realized that her "I Voted" sticker was no longer on her pink-with-blue-stripes shirt. At that very moment she tightened her lips as if to say, "I dare you to infiltrate and retrieve." I won. The sticker was not ingested (although I suspect most of the adhesive was).

Good times!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Introducing a new feature on this blog ... "Food Friday". Each Friday (for as long as I'm amused by this) I will post a recipe. This will accomplish two things: 1) eventually I will have all my recipes available on this blog for myself to access and search - so much easier than my disorganized recipe book; 2) others will have access to some tried and true recipes.

Today's Recipe is for:

Buttermilk Biscuits
3 C flour
2 T sugar
1 T (rounded) baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1/3 C shortening
1 C buttermilk
water as needed (approx. 1/3 to 1/2 C)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and crumble. Stir in buttermilk and enough water to make a moist (but not runny) dough. You can either roll these out and cut them into circles or spoon drop them with a large tablespoon. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Variations:

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits - add 1/2 C of shredded cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients.

Garlic Biscuits - add 2 t of minced garlic just before the buttermilk -OR- sprinkle biscuits with garlic powder or salt before baking.

Parmesan Biscuits - sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of biscuits before baking.

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits - add 1/2 C of raisins to dry ingredients. After mixing the dough lightly fold in a mixture of 1 1/2 t cinnamon and 1/2 C brown sugar. This mixture should not be mixed all the way in but should be "marbled" throughout. You can glaze with a powder sugar glaze or serve "as is."

Blueberry Biscuits - After mixing the dough, lightly fold in 1/2 C of blueberries. These may be glazed as well.

NOTE: when making these for just Phil and me, I will third the recipe and it is just the right amount.

Gordon B. Hinckley, the Prophet

I have seen many wonderful thoughts and tributes to President Hinckley since his passing this week. So many lives have been enriched by his selfless service and example. It has been interesting to hear what those outside our faith have had to say about him. They have paid great tribute and yet they don't really understand the greatness of this man because they don't understand the greatness of the position he's occupied for the past thirteen years.

That makes me think. Perhaps none of us understands the greatness of others because we don't really understand their divine nature. We are taught that each of us is a Child of God and yet do we really believe it about ourselves? Do we really believe it about others?

The following are fabulous words by President Hinckley to the young women of the church. To me, it shows the amazing optimism, love, and motivation of this prophet who so clearly loves people and honors women (first and foremost his wife with whom he is now reunited and that just makes me happy).

“You are creatures of divinity, you are daughters of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner …

“Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience, positive, wonderful, purposeful experience that will lead to life eternal. He has given you this glorious church, His church, to guide you and direct you, to give you opportunity for growth and experience, to teach you and lead you and encourage you, to bless you with eternal marriage, to seal upon you a covenant between you and Him that will make of you His chosen daughter, one upon whom He may look with love and with a desire to help. May God bless you richly and abundantly, my dear young friends, His wonderful daughters.”

RandomTag

Alisha just tagged me and I'm accepting. What follows is a list of 7 Random Facts about Heidi Jo:

• I have a scar on the big toe on my right foot. When I was a toddler my toe got caught in the spokes of a tricycle that was being pushed. I have no memory of this incident.

• Phil was my first (and last) blue-eyed boyfriend (unless you count Kelly Bateman from 7th grade).

• I have lived in 7 different states, some of them multiple times: MT, AZ, OR, ID, OR, UT, NH, OR, UT, MT, UT, AL.

• I have a Masters in History (my research was on slave literacy and my focus was Antebellum America) from MSU.

• I LOVE Phish Food ice cream (Ben & Jerrys).

• When I was little I felt compelled to use every crayon on every page in the coloring book and then I put the crayons back in the box according to "families" (red and blue were the parents of pink and sky blue, orange and green were married, yellow and purple, etc. I hated getting the really big boxes because it was just too hard!).

• I would love to visit South Africa and Greece someday (not necessarily on the same trip).

And now I tag anyone who would like to be tagged...

Eden Update

More Eden pictures because she is just so dang cute!

After her bath:





























Her impression of Elder Holland:

Eating a chewy, gooey teething stick:

The Gratitude Journal

In our front room on a small table resides a book. It is there for all to read and even write in if they choose (although no non-Kesler has so chosen yet). The things written in the book are not in an organized or chronological order. Sometimes they are written at an angle, sometimes vertically; sometimes in red, sometimes in black (I don't think we have any other colors yet). Usually the entries aren't long or thoughty. Often they are just a word or two. It is our Gratitude Journal.

Here are some randomly selected entries:

"Cool, cotton sheets" - phil 10/12/07

"Honesty" - hjk 1/15/08

"My wife will hold my hand in good and hard times" - 1/17/07 (we can safely assume this is phil although it wasn't signed)

"SNOW in AL!" - heidi 1/16/08

"a perfect baby-Eden" - phil 11/12/07
"a perfect baby" - hjk 11/12/07 (this was the date of her 6 month check up and the doctor said, in his Antonio Bandera-voice, "oh, mommy, she is perrrfect")

"Eden's hugs" - hjk 11/8/07

"The Spirit of inspiration and personal revelation" - Heidi Jo 11/10/07

"Zofran that dissolves on your tongue" - phil 10/19/07
"Amen to that!" -hjk 10/21/07

"Post chemo Sunday pizza" - pak 10/4/07

"NPR" - hjk 9/27/07

"a good roof in the rain" - phil 11/14/07

Well, I think that will be it for now. What would you add to our little book?

Eden with the giggles

This is what happens around here when Eden doesn't get her nap. Pretty cute!

Romney Wins!

... in Nevada and (more significantly) on Musings and Mysteries!

Mitt's speechification:
"Thank you to all the Musings and Mysteries readers who voted for me! I think I received more votes on this blog than I did in Wyoming (and I still won Wyoming). Without the support of people like you, our road to change would be impossible. Now, go out there and make whatever promises you need to..."


The results (these results reflect voting on this blog only, they are not official in any way and carry no delegates)
Romney - 13 (59%)
Huckabee - 0 (0%)
McCain - 1 (4%)
Clinton - 0 (0%)
Obama - 2 (9%)
Edwards - 0 (0%)
Another Republican - 1 (4%)
Another Democrat - 1 (4%)
I'm not voting - 0 (0%)
Undecided - 4 (18)

Baby Kesler-Pitt

Yesterday at the doctor's office (yet another new doctor) the nurse just fell in love with Eden. She said, "She's like a baby model" and "She is like Brad Pitt's baby."

If "she is like Brad Pitt's baby,"
which one of us is "like Brad Pitt?"