Sara's making me blog again. That's right. MAKING me.

Well, according to Sara, I have a monthly blog quota of one a month. So here it is 11:50pm on the 30th of November. Met my quota, sucka! She says it doesn't have to be anything lengthy, but it should cover my brother's wedding, his reception, my stay in Utah, the reception here in Washington, the time I spent with my nieces and nephews, and Thanksgiving. So here's my recap, Scott-style.

David and Erin's wedding was beautiful. Erin and her family are truly wonderful. All I can say is: you lucked out, bro. :) For a much better blog on the wedding visit The Waldron Clan's blog: http://thewaldronclan.blogspot.com/

Here's Mr. Fugly with the much-better-looking Happy Couple.

...seriously. How great of a brother am I? I passed up the good genes so my siblings could have them all. I know. I know. I'm a giver.

And now for some super-cute niece/nephew pictures from the temple:

As for our stay in Utah, we came.

We ate.We conquered.Also, Joel is cool.
The reception in Washington was also very nice. Again, for a far superior blog on our trip,the WA reception, and Thanksgiving simply look below this sorry excuse for a blog and check out Sara's pro-style commentary.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, Dallin!

Claire! Aaaaaannnddd....GIRL VS. BEAST!!!

That's all for now folks! Blog finished, Sara appeased, Scott somewhat fulfilled.

FaceBook is a Sign of the Coming Apocalypse

So, I became an uber-junkie, Facebook-freak officially on 11/29/08 at 9:04 pm, when my semi-annoyed husband said, "Why don't you just create your own account," instead of contacting my friends through his account. 'Why not?' I thought - it would be a fun way to keep in contact with old mission companions, long-lost friends, and new friends. What I did not know....could not anticipate....is the addictive nature of the medium. I have literally spent the past hour and a half IM-ing an old mission companion, a friend from elementary school, and a pal from my ward all at the same time, and....wait for it.....I have never IM-ed before tonight. Earlier this evening I swapped emails with a guy from junior/high school who used to 'gleek' on me, and tracked down old friends from Federal Way - oh my gosh, Emily Wade is friends with Tami Hineman who has a connection to Inger Bjorn and she has a connection to Kacie Thiess and she has a connection to.....you get the point.....it's sheer madness. I have resolved to make my Facebook "stops" throughout the day a reward for getting something else done, otherwise there is no hope for me, or for Scott. Also, just a thought, am I wrong or does it seem that having the most "friends" is somehow a status symbol, much like having a bigger car, a bigger house, a bigger stick, etc. Just a thought....but I have already found myself teasing Scott about my rising number of friends - a number that started low from my effort to be discerning, but was quickly swayed and opened ot any-and-all by my own ego (that's right, I'll admit it). Plus, I have noticed that as soon as you join, all these people start 'climbing out of the woodworks', so to speak - I don't know whether to be flattered or frightened - quite a conundrum! But it is fun, I must admit!

http://www.facebook.com/

I feel that you should all join Facebook so that I don't feel so guilty about my guilty-pleasure.

Turkey Day!

I'm sure that many of you can relate to the stress associated wtih preparing a kickin' Thanksgiving feast. This year, I knew that we would have a small group over to our house, but that didn't decrease the pressure at all. I suppose that when I have been exposed to a certain "standard" for Thanksgiving day meals all of my life; seconded by the fact that when I only make the food for Thanksgiving once a year and in between Thanksgivings my mind tends to imagine the "legendary" taste of each dish; and thirdly, my kitchen skills have become rusty from lack of use - I was understandably anxious. That did not stop Scott and I from trying a few additions to our meal - Scott and I love to try knew recipes that we find on the Food Network website, and we love trying them out on our visitors. We found an amazing caramel apple pie recipe that we tried, and it was a huge success - Scott's mom said about the pie: "these apples are perfect, cooked to the right consistency of soft, but firm". If you are feeling up to the challenge, check out the link for the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/caramel-apple-pie-2003-1st-place-apple-recipe/index.html

In the morning, I knew we needed to get the stuffing started early, but it was difficult getting out of bed. I kept remembering the years of living at home with my parents, when my sister and I were recruited to help my mom in the kitchen while my brothers played games or slept in - the very "50's house-wife" mentality of it used to drive me nuts. But while Scott and I peeled onions and cooked sausage for the stuffing, I pointed to a picture of my mom and told Scott - "it's thanks to my mom that I can even wield a knife and attack these recipes." I really am grateful to my mom that she "insisted" on my Thanksgiving-day-help. This was also the first year that I have ever been fully in charge of cooking the turkey, and I knew the pressure was on. However....Scott and I hit it out of the park with the turkey. My father-in-law stated: "this is the best turkey I have ever eaten - it's practically melting in my mouth." Knowing that turkey has the potential to be disastrously dry, Scott and I did our turkey-research. I credit the turkey-success to several factors: 1) we got our turkey from Trader Joe's (we love that store) and it was an 'already brined turkey'; 2) we decided to brine the turkey again, overnight, and found a great brine at Safeway, of all places; 3) we followed the simple cooking instructions from Alton Brown on the food network website: Check out his video from the link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/10-thanksgiving-turkey-tips/video/index.html (look for the video called "Cooking the Perfect Turkey"). Scott and I jokingly referred to our foil shield, recommended by Alton Brown, as the "Breast Plate of Righteousness" - it really did guarantee the successful even-cooking of the bird.

In all, we had a lovely dinner, ate way too much, reminisced about past Thanksgivings, and enjoyed the company of family. Scott and I frequently stopped to acknowledge how grateful we are for each other, and for our numerous blessings. I hope that all of you family and friends had an equally enjoyable day of thanks!A very satisfied bunch: Sara, Mom Hinckley, Scott (in the mirror), Dad Hinckley, Grandma Ruby

After the eating was done, Scott and I "bested" his parents in a hilarious game of 'Turbo' Cranium. Top Left/Right: Mom and Dad Hinckley put their heads together on how to answer a question. Middle: Scott uses his 'mad' drawing skills to help me come up with the answer - and he did it with his eyes closed. Bottom Left/Right: Dad Hinckley had to 'sculpt' Mom Hinckley - the bottom left picture was "Frankenstein" - they not only got the answers before the timer went off, they were good sports about it too!

To cap-off our Thanksgiving weekend, Scott and I got together with our good friends, Brandon and Katie Whitley. I met Katie my first year teaching when we were assigned to be team teachers, and when we introduced our then-boyfriends for the first time, they realized that they knew each other. We have enjoyed their friendship for many years now, through moves, changes in jobs/school, and weddings - just one more thing that Scott and I are grateful for this Thanksgiving season.

Just in Case You Were Wondering...

Just in case any of you were desperately wondering what "marrieds without kids" do late on a Saturday night, the answer is revealed below:

That's right folks - Scott and I got our 'craft' on. I can't really take credit for the idea of the Turkey Cookie cuteness - we actually received some similiar-looking cookies from our home teachers this week and we decided it would be a fun idea as treats to give out to friends and co-workers. Usually Scott works on Saturday nights, but he was 'let go' from his job early this week because there was a shooting at the mall where his salon his located. Is it so wrong that I was just glad he was home early? Scott usually poo-poos his ability to do 'crafty' projects for one reason or another: "my hands are clumsy", "I'm not creative", "I don't have the patience". And while I don't consider myself to be 'in-to' crafts, I do like projects and trying to do something I never have. In an effort to appeal to this interest, Scott once took me to a paint-your-own-pottery store and we chose items and then designed and painted them. Scott's by-product of that evening has earned a special place in our home - one that Scott is convinced comes from a place of mockery. You be the judge of Scott's efforts:

Scott's spoon-holder with orange-tree motif. If we all give him props for his efforts, I may be able to wrangle him in to more craft-oriented projects. Tonight he got off to a self-proclaimed "rocky start":But soon he was able to master the subtle skills required of the Turkey Cookie:

And loving it.....

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y-Night!

Low-Cost, Not Low-Class

Many of you out there in blogger-land have never known the "joys" of being involved in a traditional LDS (Mormon) reception. While they are not wholly different than the receptions you might attend for a non-Mormon family member or friend, they are frequently held in the Cultural Hall of LDS chapel buildings; most LDS families who hold their receptions in the Cultural Hall do so because it is free to LDS families. It occurred to me this weekend while helping with my brother-in-law wedding activities, that it is ironic how one can find help to "Cook on a Dime" or "Shop on a Shoestring", but when it comes to frugal LDS families who want to host a lovely event for their freidns and family, on behalf of their son or daughter, the resources are scarce. Last night my in-laws hosted one such event for their son, David, who married Erin Taylor in Utah last Friday. This event was not the actual reception, which was held in Utah, but rather an Open House for David's family and friends. Mom Hinckley was obviously "stressed" about the whole affair, as it can be a tremendous amount of work to carry out such a large task in a short period of time. My sister-in-law, Missi, and I agree that even when someone says, "I don't want you to get carried away," or "don't do much," it's a nice thought, but rarely realistic. When you are preparing an Open House on a budget, it unfortunately often means more work for the family. My brother-in-law, Pete, noted that it would be beneficial to every LDS family for someone to begin compiling a resource book full of examples of "classy" Cultural Receptions. After last night's shenanigans to pull-off a beautiful event, however, I am recusing myself from such a task. What I learned about myself and my extended family yesterday, is that when faced with an all-day, mind-scrambling, stress-inducing, overwhelming job, it is the overwhelming love and desire to help that allows you to pull-through, keep pushing, and work magic. I think the Hinckley clan did themselves proud last night and as far as Cultural Hall receptions go....this one was beautiful, and the guests enjoyed themselves, which is always a sign that you have succeeded. Please enjoy the pictures of our event:

Mom Hinckley made the beautiful runners for the tables. Missi and I designed the table decorations - I felt inspired by Ballard Designs or Pottery Barn - a mix of sophisticated elements and organic elements (see: Cranberries floating in water).

The Hinckley-grandmas didn't want to stand and receive guests for 2 hours, so we created a comfy seating area for them to relax in while guests made their way past them to the receiving line.

Dave and Erin made out like bandits! We borrowed the beautiful linens from my friends in Federal Way - the Duecks.

The cake table - sorry the focus is fuzzy.

The refreshment table looked awesome - more eclectic decorations, but with a common theme: chunky black candlesticks, framed pictures, red flowers, and greenery. The white lights glowing under the gauzy tulle created a nice touch. Plus, Mom Hinckley made all the food - what a champ!

Drinks and Sweets!

The family table was angled after the receiving line so guests could easily recognize and then chat with extended family.

The sign-in table set the tone for the whole reception.

This backdrop, in front of which the receiving line stood, was borrowed from my old stake in Federal Way - it was been passed around to many families there - but it was new to the families here in Puyallup. It added a nice feeling of being inside someone's home. The screen above the backdrop displayed a "loop" of pictures from the actual wedding/reception in Utah and distracted the guests who had to stand in line for a while.

The receiving line from the left: Brother Taylor, Sister Taylor, Erin, David, Mom Hinckley, and Dad Hinckley.

Strings of white lights helped to lower the effect of the ceiling and it seemed as it their were twinkling stars.

We would have only given our entire Saturday to produce these "smiling" faces.

It took nearly 8 hours to create the Open House, and little more than an hour and a half to tear the whole thing down. My mother-in-law queried whether it was all "worth it," but I guess I'm the kind of 'freak' who likes to take something from nothing and create a beautiful result. Plus, I think I inherited my "like" of developing these events from my own beautiful mom; she worked so hard to create a beautiful reception for me and I suppose I just want the same result for everyone else. Congrats Dave and Erin!

The Department of Redundancy Department

Welcome to Utah! For those of you who regularly check on this blog, let me begin by emphasizing that we are nothing if not true to our blog-promise: Scott and me lead mostly ordinary, mostly boring lives - therefore, there is nothing much to report on. Suddenly, Scott and I have had several occasions occur within the span of a few weeks. I suppose that's how life goes - in fits and spurts - and so does our blog! You may have noticed the title of our first blog in many weeks....I wondered if it was even worth my time and effort to post, as both my sister, Katie, and my sister-in-law, Kristi, have already posted pictures of our time together. Oh well....I will attempt to put my own unique spin on the the happenings. Scott and I have not had an opportunity to see my sister, her husband, Eric, and her two kids, Mallory and Elliot, until last week in Utah. We had not seen the kids for several months, and they have certainly grown up a lot. I realized in visiting with Katie's family, that I miss out on so much of her kids' day-to-day growth and learning when I don't get to see them as often as I would like. Mallory, nearly four, is precocious, impulsive, inquisitive, and downright hilarious! She knows what she wants and loves life and people. She burst through the door of our bedroom the first morning that we spent at Katie's home, and shouted, "Wake up Aunt Sara and Uncle Scotty!" and then proceeded to tear through our room investigating our luggage, jewelry, etc. One of my favorite comments: "Oh, Aunt Sara, I like your bracelet...it is soooo beautiful." One morning while I put on my make-up in the basement, Mallory was playing on the ground nearby. She quickly became fascinated with the make-up routine, and moved closer; Mallory and I began to talk and she mentioned that there were both advantages to being a "grown-up" and a "kid". When I asked her whether it was better to be a grown-up or a kid she astutely replied: "It's good to be a grown-up and a kid, but not a giant, because they scare grown-ups and kids." Later, when Scott joined us in the basement and in the conversation, Mallory seemed fine that he was there, but suddenly stated, "Uncle Scotty....stop looking at my face!" Shortly thereafter, she told him that he needed to leave because "this is just a girl talk." Mallory and Scott definitely seemed to have a 'love-hate' relationship. One night after returning from Scott's brother's wedding (the reason for our trip to Utah), Mallory saw Scott and exclaimed, "Uncle Scotty, you look like...(pause)...a chon-chon." (For those of you not familliar with the Fey-family lexicon, a 'chon-chon' is a silly noun, adjective, adverb, etc. meant to describe a 'stinker' or something similar). When called a 'chon-chon' by her uncles, Mallory often declares, "I'm not a chon-chon, I'm a princess!" to which Scott replied, "You're the princess of the chon-chons" - that sure blew her mind!
Elliot, on the other hand, is generally more laid-back than Mallory, but he sure loves to be around people. He immediately took a liking to Scott and would often shout from across the room, "Scotty - football!" In perhaps the greatest irony of our trip, Elliot deemed Scott his 'football buddy' (Dad Hinckley - perhaps your dreams weren't totally misplaced). Elliot had a blow-up football that he would frequently bring to Scott so that they could play with it. Both Scott and I laughed every time we saw Elliot run around the house on tip-toes - I'm not sure if it was the "prissiness" of the movement or the relative speed he used while running "en pointe", but it was a real sight. In the morning, Katie would come down to our room and open the door so that Elliot could come in to say good morning. However, he would never come much closer than the doorframe when he saw us laying in bed - I suppose that it looked somewhat like two disembodied heads laying in the bed. When I would say, "Come here buddy," he would point his finger and us and shout, "No!" He is a sweet little guy.
I really came to admire my sister and her husband - for their love and caring toward their children. I believe my sister inherited my mother's true longing to be a mother - and to devote her whole life to that calling. While I have not chosen to follow that same path in my life, I hope that when Scott and I do eventually become parents, I will find the same joy in parenting that I witnessed this week.

My brother Joel found ways to entertain himself while we toured Wheeler Farms in Salt Lake - nice "robot"!

From the left, all of the family who enjoyed a hayride at Wheeler Farms: Scott, Mallory, Kristi, Daniel, Joel, Eric, Katie, Elliot. What a handsome family!

Elliot sure loved him some chickens - the more frenetic the chickens became the more excited Elliot got.
The fowl at Wheeler Farms eat well - if I were a duck, I wouldn't bother looking over the 'next hill' - these guys probably eat several times a day. Maybe they've become so lazy they can't fly away?

Scott and me discovered this place while watching Food Network - Les Madeleines in Salt Lake makes some of the best pastries I've ever had. Check them out:http://les-madeleines.com/

It was such a beautiful day we had to visit Temple Square in Salt Lake - I'm always awed by the craftmanship of the temple.Here we are at Temple Square: Kristi, Daniel, Scott, and Joel.