This is where it all started

Actually it started the season before (I know they spelled my name wrong). We were working as bartenders in different lodges in Alta. I was at the Goldminer’s Daughter and Gary worked at the Peruvian. As you can see from his pass Gary had been in Alta for a few years (1998) I spent a season up there in 1997 and to make a long story short we had a mutual friend (Johnny B) who thought we would be good for each other. You see my aunt Laurel had given me tickets to a film festival. I ran into Johnny and figured he was harmless because he had a girlfriend at the time who was in Spain so I asked him if he wanted to go with me and he turned me down saying that I should ask Gary that he would really like to go with me. So I took Johnny’s advise and asked Gary to join me and the rest is history. Johnny is still proud to this day that he was such a successful match maker. I always remind him that we owe it all to him.

We celebrated our 5th anniversary on Saturday. We spent our first night without the wee one and ventured north to Lava Hot Springs. Turns out Ellie had a better time walking and talking with Grandpa and Grandma McKenney. Our experience in Lava well… lets just say we wont be going back and yuck pretty much sums it up. We tried to make the best of it.

Back to the important stuff though, Gary and I have had 5 years of joy, love, tears, laughter, stress, companionship, and all that makes up a good marriage. Over the last 5 years we have lived near the mouth of Little Cottonwood in Sandy, at the Entrada Ranch outside of Moab, in the “Slanty Shanty” in old town Park City, and now here in our little cabin in Timberlakes. We have had some good times and some hard times in all those places. I am looking forward to what lies a head of us and the many more adventures we are going to have together.

The family that get’s tats together stays together…

Compliments of our friend Jodi.

Breakfast

We had an excellent breakfast this morning. Apple Oven Pancakes from the Williams-Sonoma Essential Baking cookbook. My Mom gave me this book a few years back it has great basic recipes and I have officially put this one and the Ginger Scones on my top 10 favorite baked goodies list. I think I was actually the most animated over breakfast this morning. I got so excited seeing those puffy golden cakes. Gary isn’t much of a breakfast kind of guy, but me, ohh I love breakfast. It’s the little things that bring me pleasure like some good coffee in a beat up old red mug that I’ve had for years. I don’t know what it is about that mug but if it isn’t available to me in the morning the whole rest of the day can be thrown off. One time I caught a friend using it for her tea when I wanted it for my coffee oh the dilemma.  I couldn’t believe how it threw off my whole morning. What’s up with that? Do I have tale tale signs of OCD? Anyway, this was about those Apple Oven Pancakes…

Here is the recipe

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

4 cups diced peeled apples

2 Tbsp brown sugar

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 tsp grd cinnamon

4 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup whole milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Heat oven to 425. Saute apples in frying pan with 2tbsp butter just until tender

remove apples from heat sprinkle with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon

Place baking dish in oven heat for 5 min

Remove from oven and add remaining 2 tbsp butter to it coat with melted butter

Spoon apples over bottom of the dish

Whisk together eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, and salt

Pour over the apples

Bake until puffed and golden brown 20-25 minutes

Catching Up

I love this blog stuff. I love it because it keeps me close to my family. It is so great to be able to show the Frandsen’s in Germany and the Marcoccia’s in NY what we are up to and how much Ellie is growing and changing. I also love it because it has been the catalysis for getting back in touch with some friends.

Earlier this week Ellie and I took a little trip up North to catch up with my friend Robyn. I met Robyn in 1996, she was my roommate at Goldminer’s Daughter in Alta the first winter I spent up there. We got a long right away. I remember the first night there I was so intimidated and was pretty much “hiding out” in my room being the classic introvert that I am. She called me up and convinced me to walk across the hall and meet some of my fellow GMD cohorts. We had so much fun that winter, we both got stuck down the canyon during a major snow storm and stayed at my aunt Laurel’s house until the canyon opened back up and we could hitch a ride from Jim and Elfrieda Shane (owners of the GMD at the time). Robyn had picked up a little frog at the mall and I agreed to sneak it up the canyon in my bag. When the Shane’s came to pick us up they had their friends the McConkey’s with them and a dog. The dog proceeded to sniff and scratch at the bag the whole way up the canyon and Robyn kept taping my leg and grabbing my hand every time he scratched as I tried to keep a conversation with the Shanes’ and McConkeys going so they wouldn’t notice or suspect anything.  The rest is history…

Yesterday we had the pleasure of catching up with the Hamond’s. Angie and Steve both went to High School with me. Steve and I went to grade school together. I have such fond memories of Angie and Steve and our “gang” of friends we were such good kids and had so much fun together. Angie said this on her post as well we didn’t skip a beat, even though it’s been a while it didn’t feel that way. A sign of a good friendship and the strength of the bond we had when we were teenagers. We really enjoyed their company. Their kids are so sweet and cute. Angie’s daughter Brooke is so good with Ellie it was fun to watch them play and Chase is the spitting image of Steve it’s crazy. Their youngest Austin has a great personality and cracked us up a few times.

State Fair

Yesterday we took a trip down to Salt Lake for the Utah State Fair. We had a good time checking out the “Carni” rides, farm animals, and blue ribbon winners. Ellie was funny, we got her on a couple of the small rides like the train and merry-go-round. She seemed excited as we approached the rides but froze as soon as they would start. Then when it all ended she would be back to herself and clap and talk about it. We tried to get her to ride a pony as well but she wouldn’t leave the safety of her Daddy’s arms. She was happy to walk with the pony for a bit though. She was interested in the animals pointing, oohing, and razzing at them. We visited some goats, sheep, cows, and pigs. Awe the fair what an iconic American experience…