Eat your vegetables.....

So, there's an unwritten rule (well I'm sure it's written somewhere...) that good cooks prepare a meal that includes a variety of colors and textures. Well, I improvised much of our meal tonight and this is how it turned out -


brown & crunchy!!!

Even the milk is chocolate, if you didn't notice... I told Paul about the rule and teased him that I should open up my own place. He agreed and named it for me, "Mary's Brown Crunchy Stuff." So despite the fact that it lacked color...variety...(except for the plates) etc, it was a very yummy meal! Since everyone knows how to heat up tater tots and smear peanut butter on celery sticks I'm including the recipe for my "brown crunchy" chicken only. It's from my friend Crystal Weber and is quite delicious! It's actually called "Crispy-honey Chicken Fingers."
Thanks Crystal!

CRISPY-HONEY CHICKEN FINGERS

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
pinch ground cinnamon
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" x 2" strips
3 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed

-Heat oven to 375°F.

-Lightly coat broiler pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, stir together honey, salt, chili powder, pepper, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon warm water. Add chicken strips, stir to coat. Place corn flakes in separate bowl. Transfer chicken strips to corn flake bowl. Coat well.

-Place chicken on pan.

-Bake 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink in the center. Serve with BBQ sauce.

***Special Note: As I already mentioned, I improvised much of this meal, including the chicken...I couldn't find my chili powder and substituted red pepper instead - really good but (warning!) a little spicy...I also used Honey Bunches of Oats cereal in place of corn flakes and we dipped the chicken fingers in honey mustard instead of barbecue sauce. Again, all very delicious. So needless to say, this recipe has a little bit of wiggle room. Hope you enjoy it!

Let it Snow....

And it did! Here's what we woke up to here in the valley. Good-ness! It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas....


These are our stairs leading up into the white winterland from our front door...


And this is what we see:


And this,


And this:

Hooray for snow!!!

Miracles Still Happen

Provo Tabernacle Fire Miracle

For those who have not heard about the fire, you can read about it here. This painting escaped with the image of Christ unscathed. Some call it a miracle. We agree.

Put on the Armor of Light: For Helen

This beautiful poem was written by my former bishop, Mike Fitzgerald and was read at Helen's funeral where I was blessed to be able to play the violin for her one last time. For those of you who never met Helen, let me just say that she was an angel. I love her so much and will miss her dearly.

{follow the link}
Put on the Armor of Light: For Helen: "Helen, now you are safe From the mortal storm. When the final leaf was Torn quietly from the tree, We watched in awe It’s upward flight Int..."

Surprise!!!

Paul and I are back in Utah now and mostly settled into our new cozy little apartment. We thankfully have reliable internet again and will be posting more often again soon. Meanwhile, we love you all and appreciate everyone's help and warm wishes. Check back again!!!

Our First Anniversary

August 8, 2009. One year ago, Paul and I were sealed together in the Manti, Utah temple as a couple for time and all eternity. What a wonderful year it has been and how swiftly it has flown! We wanted to make our first anniversary together really special and I thank Paul for making it happen. He is so good with surprises! Since our anniversary landed on a weekend, Paul booked two nights at a super quaint historic Bed & Breakfast near Adamstown, PA. It was only a short drive from Delaware and absolutely beautiful scenery.

We stayed in the Bella Vista room, a suite on the second floor with a white canopy bed and beautiful furnishings. I loved the view of the little town below and the candles in each of the windows. Our hostess and her husband left us a package of chocolates and a note wishing us the best on our first anniversary.


Adamstown Pennsylvania is a famous destination for antique shoppers. Some even call it the "Antique Capital." We both love historic items and antiques, so we really enjoyed going through more than TWENTY shops. It was neat to be surrounded by so many special heirlooms.

I found my absolute favorite Master bedroom suite set at an antique furniture warehouse (loaded with gorgeous wood pieces). It was only $25,000. Estimated to have been built around 1885, this original was made from mahogany and brass and phenomenal craftsmanship.

For our actual anniversary, we had dinner together at Stoudt's Black Angus Restaurant & Pub.
Despite its name, the restaurant was really nice.

Back at home, Paul surprised me with a vase of white daisies, which were our flowers at our wedding, and lots of chocolate.

I am married to my dream and I am the luckiest girl on earth!

Wisdom Teeth

August 30, 2010
I hurt. Today my one and only wisdom tooth was removed and I finally know what it’s like to have a tooth extracted. Painful! Not too bad actually. I think I react a little to Novocain, but even that has mostly disappeared. Now that the numbing is wearing off, I’m starting to feel the trauma one tiny little part of my mouth suffered today. I’ve been watching the pain, gauging carefully so I could pop some Extra Strength Tylenol before the numbing wore off completely and the pain became unbearable. I caught it mostly in time…About the point where I was starting to feel my jaw ache, I grabbed the Tylenol. Trying to get the dang thing open nearly brought me to tears. With each attempt to pop the lid off, the pain in my jaw seemed to escalate and it soon became too much to take (so much for prevention, I thought). I finally gave in and found the ibuprofen. No Tylenol today! It boggles my mind that a twenty-something adult can’t even get past the child safety-lock on a medicine bottle. I usually have Paul to come in and save me, but alas, I was on my own today so I am just lucky to have managed at all, thanks to the easier-to-open ibuprofen.

September 2, 2010
I'm writing from my bed. It's four-forty-something in the morning and my Tylenol is just kicking in. I was just starting to feel better from my extraction til I overdid it at work yesterday (painting a "firelane" on the curb at the daycare) and have been hurting significantly more since. Probably in large part due to the heat, lack of hydration, and the mistake of painting with my head upside-down while doing the bottom edge of the curb (throbbing, anyone?). Well, as long as it goes away and doesn't get worse, mmmm.....the extra strength Tylenol has started working and I am feeling much better! Hopefully it will only continue and I can get some more sleep tonight. I'll probably call my dentist tomorrow, just to make sure everything is okay. I am a bit of a hypochondriac, and after learning about dry socket from pre-mission family and friends as a teenager, have only been paranoid about having my wisdom tooth removed since. Oh well. At least it's gone...and there was only one...

Later...
I read online that the third day is the worst. I’m definitely feeling that right now. Hopefully that at least means that tomorrow will be better… I guess we’ll see.

September 3, 2010
If it’s true what they said about the third day, it would definitely explain the world of difference I feel between yesterday and today! I was lucky enough just to make it through yesterday, and Paul was a saint, putting up with all my whining and complaining. He even made a special trip to the store to bring me more of the foods I could eat (pudding, applesauce, ice cream…) and that really helped. Even dosed out all day on Extra Strength Tylenol and ibuprofen, I was in pain. What fun! Now I am feeling much better, very well rested and only a little sore. I’m on the mend again!! Hopefully for good, now.

*just a side note- we happened to get invited to dinner with Paul’s parents last night and ended up at a little seafood restaurant, “The Fish Whistle”? I was able to enjoy a small cup of soup and then gave in and ordered ice cream (no milkshakes) I also managed a couple of fries and bites of fish from Paul and his mom. Soon this will be over and I can eat REAL food again! I can’t complain though…I really have had it good. ;-)

September 4, 2010
I am feeling much better today and hardly hurting at all. Just a little achiness that will soon go away…I finally got up the courage to face my tooth yesterday! It had been sitting inside a small yellow envelope since the day it was pulled, and I’ll admit that I was nervous to see it. I imagined that it would be larger than expected and would probably startle me, and I was right. It was HUGE!!! I have no idea how that enormous thing fit into the tiny space on the back of my jaw line. Goodness. Well, either way, it’s out, and I feel much better about having it gone. My mother-in-law Dani gave me a tiny porcelain “tooth box” to keep it in that she gives her daycare kids whenever they lose teeth. I think I’ll use it. It’ll be fun to have around as proof that I can survive painful things. ;-)

Sharon

We had the wonderful opportunity of having my little sister Sharon spend a couple of weeks with us while we were in Texas this summer! We did lots of fun things together and made some great memories. Here are some pictures to share the fun....



Here we are all dressed up for church. Sharon was really cute about coming to my ward and sat with me all through Sunday School. We ended up leaving church early though to go home for a nap. After driving back from Utah the night before, it was definitely needed!


Sharon was my little maid. She loved cleaning my kitchen sinks
and left them sparkling every time.

On July 3rd, Sharon and I drove six hours out to Del Rio to pick Paul up from work. He had been out there for three weeks and we were missing each other terribly. We got to stay at a hotel that night, and Sharon was thrilled to have her own little bed! As the youngest of eight children, she is used to sharing hotel beds or camping out on the floor or a chair. Paul was a sweetheart to find a two-bed room! We were so happy to have Paul with us that night and so excited for the 4th of July the next day that we stayed up til three in the morning to watch a movie (National Treasure). Needless to say, we were a pretty tired on the way home Sunday, but we had fun. ;-)


Sunday was somewhat exhausting from the drive back to El Paso, but we were able to join some friends at a park for a barbecue and to run off some of our pent-up energy! After a while though, we returned to our apartment to finish our festivities together. We grilled steaks, sliced up some fresh watermelon, cooked up the corn on the cob and opened up the chips! It was a delicious meal. Sharon was really excited for the snap-its we got to throw off the balcony.

Our 4th of July Feast!!

One night, we surprised Paul with a homemade Banana Cake.




It turned out great and Sharon decorated it beautifully! It was a really yummy cake, too. ;P

I tried to find fun things for Sharon to do while she was here. Sadly, the weather didn't always cooperate with her unquenchable thirst for the pool, but we managed to find things to do inside. This simple wooden trinket box from the dollar store kept her quite happy. :)


Earlier in the week, I had suggested that we find a pinata to surprise Paul with when he came back from Del Rio. Sharon loved the idea, and we found this adorable puppy pinata at Party City. The only thing was, we weren't sure we could handle whacking at the cute little thing with a bat! Obviously, we managed as you will see below...

All in all, it was a very fun two weeks and we LOVED having you with us Sharon!

Another new niece!!!

Welcome Akaiah Encarnacion Jackson, second daughter of my brother Matt and his wife, Eli. She was born on May 26, 2010 at 1:30 a.m. She is just as beautiful as in her picture and such a sweetheart. I got to hold her when I took a short trip to Utah in June and can't wait for Paul to meet her too. She is precious. Her big sister Alai is so proud of her and very helpful. I loved watching her give Akaiah her binkie in the car while I was riding with them. What adorable sisters! We love you, Akaiah!

Our New Niece!!!

Felicity Ruth Jackson arrived on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 2:50 p.m. She weighed in at a healthy 6 pounds, 15 ounces and is 19 and a half inches long. She is beautiful.

Things We've Done (separately or together)

...Things We've done and Places We've Been (in bold)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (I wish...)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (tried)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse (I think...)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (trick question)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (Mary whimpering....)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check(s)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar or Escargot

72. Pieced a quilt (it only says pieced, not finished!)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (& Book of Mormon)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

365 Wonderful Days

~March 8, 2010~

For the past several weeks, Paul and I have been reminding each other that March 8th was coming up.... as if either of us could forget. March 8th, 2009 was the day that Paul and I first met at a dinner date hosted at Sam Menasco's apartment in Provo, UT. We celebrated it like a miniature anniversary. I am still learning (quite pleasantly) what a romantic man I call my husband! Though I knew we would be making a special dinner that night, I was elated to come home from school to find a vase of beautiful flowers on the table, a special gift and a homemade card (designed and created by Paul himself). What a special surprise! Not only was it sweet that he got me flowers, they were daisies, which was the main flower at our wedding.

My beautiful daisies.

The figurine was especially meaningful, one reason being that I collect Willow Tree (especially the young family themes) but mostly that it represents what Paul and I look forward so much to having, our own family. I was so touched by all of it and feel so lucky to be married to this wonderful man!

The rest of the evening followed nicely as well. We prepared the same dinner we ate that night- Parmesan Chicken, peas and mashed potatoes (which I made characteristically late) and enjoyed a quiet movie together at home. We are happy to have known each other for over a year now and to be happily married for seven months!!

Recipe for Parmesan Chicken

Compliments of Michelle Shade

1 bottle Italian Dressing

3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Large Ziplock bag

4-6 chicken breasts

Pour dressing into bag. Add parmesan cheese and squish bag to mix.

Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Place marinated chicken in a baking dish or pan.

Add remaining marinade (pour some over chicken).

Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done. Enjoy!

*Special Note: Best served with garlic mashed potatoes and peas.

St. George Getaway!!

Mary and I took a much needed getaway to St. George at the end of February. We didn't really have any plans we just found a place to go and started the drive down. We ended up staying at a historic Bed and Breakfast called the Seven Wives Inn. You can go here to learn about the history of the place.

We stayed in the Harriet-Quaint room on the second floor. We had our own balcony, which was sweet, and our own bathroom. The staff there was great. They weren't "in your face" like I've heard can be the case at bed and breakfasts. I'm not really a breakfast person, but the food was good.

When we finally decided to get out of bed the first morning, we went to do some shopping at the outlets. We didn't buy anything though. I was always under the impression that outlets were the place to get good deals. It seemed everything was just as expensive if not worse than shopping anywhere else. Whatever. We did hit up a really old antique shop. It was packed with so much stuff that you could barely walk from room to room without knocking things over. We found some treasures there.

On Sunday we went to the St. George Temple and took some pictures. We walked around for a bit and then went to the Tabernacle. We toured it against our will. We heard there was an art gallery there depicting the ministry of Jesus Christ. We went to see that cause we toured it back in August when Sam and Amber got hitched. But as soon as we got there, they took us right in and started the tour without asking any questions. I can't fault 'em though. They just seemed really excited. It was a good refresher course. We did get to see the paintings in the basement afterwards. It was a really neat experience. After that we went to the St. George 13th Ward. It reminded me a lot of the Smyrna Ward back home. Enough said. But it was good.

On our way out of town we stopped at Silver Reef. It used to be a silver mining community but is now a ghost town. We didn't see any ghosts... or silver for that matter, but we got some sweet pics, so it was a fair trade.

200 days...

Paul and I have been married for two hundred days today (think of how many minutes that is!) and what a wonderful discovery that is! Marriage is our favorite institution and we are definitely satisfied customers. ;-) We are rapidly approaching our one year anniversary from the day we first laid eyes on each other, March 8, 2009. What an amazing year it has been!

Life has its many challenges and hardships, but we've grown so close together as we've faced them side by side and have learned that two truly are stronger than one. Thank God for love and marriage.