Across the Border

We visited the cousins yesterday after Victor's BB game. While on the way home from Hunter High, R decided to stop and pick up some carnita meat so we kept our eyes open for a Mexican market, as we were in that type of area. Sure enough, we found a market and it was very busy, a whole crowd of Latinos outside. R didn't want to stop, but I told him it would be fun. The boys, J, V and V's friend, Austin, decided they'd be safer in the car (R had them scared) so they locked themselves in while R and I headed inside. I said to R, "How are you going to send your sons to Tijuana on a mission if you won't let them enter the Mexican Market in Taylorsville, Utah?" so he changed his mind and I went back and coaxed out the boys. There was some kind of party going on w/a radio station outside doing prizes and a very crowded, but fun party including the above-pictured mariachi band inside. There was even a restaurant in the back and R bought some tamales. I headed to the bakery and R to the meat department. He cooked up some chopped up chicken last night and I took a few bites, wrapped in a tortilla, and discreetly dumped mine in the garbage. It tasted like the chicken got cut up including all the fat, gristle, cartilage--yuck!!! Even R couldn't stomach it and tossed the entire cooked chicken later in the garbage. We're hoping for better luck tonight w/the carnita meat.

Austin wasn't so sure about hanging around w/his Gonzalez friend--but he ended up with a bottle of pop.

Draper Temple

Last Saturday night we went to the Draper Temple's open house. I forgot to take my camera to get some outside shots, but it's gorgeous. It had snowed that day and there was still quite a bit of snow up on this east bench of the valley, so it was very pretty with the white lights of the temple reflecting off the snow. There were three different starting points and we were in the blue zone, meaning that we met at a stake center, saw a filmstrip about the purpose of temples in general, boarded a bus for a five-minute ride to the temple with a volunteer reading some FYI info about this temple and area of the valley. What I had read in the Church News earlier that day was that this temple has the sego lily as a symbol worked into the temple, which I noticed in the carpet and ceilings, the sego lily once growing abundantly on the foothills and serving as a source of food for the early pioneers. We then exited to an adjacent church building for refreshments and add'l open house info, then boarding our "blue" bus back to our van. I liked the hand-painted murals in two of the ordinance rooms the best. The Oquirrh Temple, which is really close to my house, but won't be in our temple district, is on schedule for completion here in a couple months.

Valentine's Day

Rafael brought home some roses the other day and they're still looking absolutely gorgeous. So what can I do to show my love and appreciation? Why cook, of course.

This is my attempt at a heart pancake. The next ones came out much better (just had to practice). Tony was up first, so I made him breakfast, including warmed syrup, and then R, V and J got up, as they're headed out the door soon to pick up food contributions for the local food bank. They'd better fuel up 'cause it's cold and snowing outside.

Nos. 21 and 22 on the Hard Court

No. 21 (Victor) and no. 22 (Tony) are on the court together representing the Copperview 3rd Ward. While it's too hard to see, Jared is actually sitting on the stage taking a few stats. The team has probably played a half dozen games so far and they're undefeated. Way to go guys. Church ball--lots of fun.

Again, the Gonzalez boys lined up at the foul line waiting for that rebound.

Stains are Washed Away

Can't believe it took getting my carpets cleaned for me to pull out my camera, take a picture and then record a blog. But what a relief to get this done! I have a home carpet cleaner (which doesn't do anything quite like the powerful, truck-mounted systems), but have been too busy to even want to consider doing it myself, so took advantage of a really good pricing ad and made the call. Am wondering how long it will take for the stains to reappear. I'm trying really hard to enforce a socks-only policy, but....

I finished my two-week billing period last night and had a record number of lines--9867. Wow, too many, and that's without utilizing templates, just straight typing, true 65 characters=1 line. Can't keep up the pace.

Also, some good news. We're refinancing. I've been doing this electronically for the most part, though had to run to OfficeMax last night to fax a few docs. We're locked in at 4.25. We're going to do a cash back so that we have some $ to finish the basement, yes, finally!!! This should have been done five years ago, but we just never wanted to take out a loan and was always hoping to save up enough ourselves (LOL). Anyway, the rates are down and we just can't put it off anymore. We're above 800 on our credit score which allows us have rock-bottom rates--patting ourselves on our backs for living w/i our means all these years. Now, comes the faith that we'll both have jobs to pay off the loan and get us to our retirement years (provided there's any money left in our retirement accounts after the markets settle).

Tony has a new best friend. I'll take a picture and post tomorrow.