Less Than A Month

I realized this week that in less than a month I'll be a married woman. That's a weird thought until I think about who I'm marrying, then I get super excited! The announcements are getting closer to getting into the mail (FYI), so keep an eye on your boxes. And here's a sneak peak at things yet to come later on.

This is actually the only pic I had on file right now, but it's a cute one and I wanted you guys to see the happiness!

And in other news: I have two birthdays shout outs.

Dear Jack (Nov 13) and Ellen (Nov 14),

I love you both and wish you a happy (combined) 30th birthday! I don't really like cake, so I hope this giant ice cream will tempt you sufficiently.

Love,

Aunt and just plain Sarah

"He's Got Some Dough!"

Wednesday, I was thinking all day that the weather is perfect for making doughnuts. (Wednesday in Idaho Falls the temp was 19 F with a feel temp of 50 F.) To my surprise (I'm still always surprised when this happens) and excitement, Matt called me up Wednesday night to ask if we could make doughnuts Thursday! =) Can I just say we're M.F.E.O.!!!

So Thursday, Matt picked me up and we went to get "ingredients." (I was not prepared for what was about to happen!) As we drove to the store I naively questioned, "what do we need, I have flour; I have yeast," each time, looking at him to see if that is the ingredient he thought we were missing. "Do we need eggs? No, we have LOTS of eggs; I have milk . . . wait, I don't have milk. We need milk." He smiled. I thought for sure we were going to the store for milk.

We walked in and went straight back to the dairy section, right past the milk, and over to the biscuits. He asked me what kind I wanted. I was so confused! He said, "Haven't you ever made biscuit doughnuts before?"

Nope! I had no clue that was possible. I don't even consider canned biscuits to be made of real dough. Don't ask me why. It just seems fake to me, and because of that fact, in a last ditch effort to save "homemade doughnut night" I suggested that we pick up some yummy pre-made pizza dough as well.

We were at a place where you bag it yourself, so at the check out, as I walked down to the end to bag, Matt put 5 cans of biscuits and one bag of pizza dough on the belt. "Wow! that's a lot of dough," said the lady at the register. Then she turned to me and laughed, "He's got some dough." I smiled and winked and said, "I know. That's why I like him." She went on about the dough, because honestly, it was a pretty funny joke (at the time), and then we bagged and ran.

Back at home Matt heated oil and cut holes. I steered clear (because bad things happen when I stand by Matt & hot oil at the same time . . . but that's another story) and carved more pumpkins. About 5 minutes later, Matt handed me the most perfect looking doughnut I've never tasted! And it was good. It didn't even taste like biscuits. I was impressed!

Not only does he have some dough . . . he knows what to do with it!

Here's what you will need to repeat this adventure for yourself:

1 can of any kind of biscuits

1 pot of cooking oil

1 large round bottle cap

cinnamon-sugar in a bowl.

paper towel

medal salad tongs or a slotted spoon

Here's what you do:

Heat oil. Mix cinnamon-sugar in a wide mouth bowl. Open the biscuits and reshape them on the counter. Use the bottle cap to make a hole in the middle of each biscuit. When oil is hot enough, drop each piece in and cook until golden brown. Remove with tongs or slotted spoon. tap on paper towel. Cover with cinnamon-sugar. Eat!

If you decide to try my idea and use pizza dough, just make the doughnuts and then let the dough rise in a low heated oven before frying.

Little Boys and Little Girls

About a month ago, Matt and I went over to his aunt's house to visit and show her the ring. While we were ringing the doorbell a little boy voice from the other side of a hedge in the yard said, "Are you the Library Lady?" I peeked though the hedge and said, "Yes I am. Are you going to come out and say hi?" Snickers insued, and three little boys ran to the porch of the neighbor's house.

We had a nice visit with Matt's aunt (dispite the little faces peering though her basement window, and the funny "she's with a boy." "is that her boyfriend." "I think she's on a date." conversation that was happening just outside.) Then as we stood on her porch again to say goodbye, three little boys, giggling in the distance, mustered their courage and trotted out in front of us in a straight line. (No primary teacher in the world could have created a straighter line.) I said, "Well Hello." and in response, the leader of the pack said, "We have something to say to you." "And what is that," I said. Then the count-off, and unexpectedly (although I sould have know better) three little boys started hureling berries at me and Matt.

Of course this story has a happy ending. Matt defended my honor and the boys were tackled and challenged to a push-up contest.

This week we were talking about little boys and the funny things they do to get the attention of little girls. I said, "Little boys flirt by throwing rocks at girls."
"No they don't!" said Matt. "Boys only throw rocks at people they don't like."
I brought up our night at his aunt's house as an illustration.
"What were they throwing?" He said. "Not rocks."
"No, I guess they were just throwing berries."
Matt got a big grin on his face. "Well there you go. Boys of all ages know that if you like a girl, the best way to get her attention is to throw food at her."

How true that is!

Pumkin Carving

These are pumkins that I got from my garden this year!


Not all of them turned out good, but they all look pretty good in this picture!

This is Matt, getting ready to plunge into the job at hand.

This one is my job. I picked it because it has an extra long stem . . . and because I know I have more time and other options if this doesn't work out they way I always hope it will . . . . which means, fabulously.

And this is the final result. Happy early Halloween! Stay tuned for more thrilling pumpkin carving adventures.

First gift of the season!

Our "season" has started a little early here. Thursday the stroytime children told me it was snowing outside, and Saturday was an ugly mess of rain slush. Sunday morning was beautiful though. These pictures don't show the beauty of it very well, but I woke up to an inch or so and pretty white flake still coming down. It feels like Christmas Morning.

I also woke up to this:

Matt came by to give the first gift of the season . . . and what a gift it is. There is nothing more wonderful in life than the feeling you get when you give and recieve thanks. Sister Hinckley once said, "If you don't have anyone to thank, look at your toothbrush and say, 'Thank you.'" I have so very many people to thank!

By the way, if you haven't heard, Matthew and I are engaged and getting married here in Idaho on Dec 13th. =)

Matthew

This is Matthew

He is from Bluffdale, Utah. He looks really good in a white shirt and tie, and he knows more show tunes than me. What a catch!

Matthew sometimes likes to try on my cloths. I don't like that because sometimes he looks better in them than me! But I forgive him because he's a good gardener and he likes long walks on the beach ( and anywhere else for that matter).

He's a big hunk! a hard worker! a good cook! thoughtful, kind, curious (it's true), friendly, smart, and silly.

He makes me laugh, and today is his birthday!

This almost sounds like a personal add, so let me just say before any of you other girls get any ideas . . . Matthew is the man of my dreams, a deal too good for me to pass up. The best part is he'd say the same about me.

Garden Update

Welcome to the Garden!

There are lots of reasons why having a garden this year has been the best thing ever!
1. It's out in the country, but only about 6 miles from my house. I biked out there on Labor day. It was so much fun.

This is the front side of the garden. Can you see the bikes?


2. I planted lots of fun things in my garden, but got lots of interesting surprises too. I LOVE SURPRISES!

Can anyone help me name these mystery squash and gourds that just popped up in odd places?

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

Thanks,
These other things, I think I can identify!

palm size Cantaloupe & baby Watermelon

Oh how cute. I didn't think I would have any of these because they were planted so late in the season! But look, look, look.

Pumpkins!

I planted lots so I could carve lots for Halloween.

Tomatoes! Pear & Regular

The wind keeps blowing them over, but I'm excited to go out a pick some!

Crookneck Squash!

I like to pick them when they are small and eat them in salads. Thanks for the idea, Grandma J.

Yellow Frilly Squash!

Okay, you might have to help me out on this one. I can't remember its name either.

Back to the reasons why this is the best thing ever.

3. In the Back of my garden, I have rows of wild flowers and sunflowers. I love it because I've had fresh cut (wild) flowers on my table all summer long.

The back of the garden.

The back of my garden also hides my favorite veggies, so I can go back and weed and forget that I'm right off a busy country road.

Beans, (which I didn't take a picture of because we picked them all) and

Peas! Yum, My absolute favorite.

4. Sometimes I would just sit behind the sunflowers and eat peas instead of weeding my garden. That's one of the perks of being a grown up, I guess.

Look who else I found hiding behind the sunflowers. Matthew really likes my garden too.

And Carrots!