Halloween Shots

Hope everyone had a nice Halloween--here's a look some of our festivities.

Cute Halloween Girls

In their costumes at Daddy's work

Wearing their dresses I made them to go with some Halloween leggings and bows :)

Pumpkin Carving-

Dad and the girls before dinner.

Stephen carving his pumpkin....he didn't want me to take his picture---but really was having a good time :)

Rick and Karen

Mike, Kayla and Dad

Stephen and Rachel eating dessert

Rick in his Pirate costume

Ward Halloween Party-
If you're not sure---Rachel was a butterfly (princess), Jenna was a ladybug and I was a flower...




Jenna ate most of the night---She'd walk around with some kind of food in her hand and then just plop down on the floor somewhere and start eating....that's my girl :)

Park and Trick-or-Treating

More Delicious Recipes for special occasions

Since our blog is not very active I thought I would post four more absolutely delicious recipes. Be careful, very careful, as these are not for the feint of heart or those who are carefully watching their calorie intake.

This from our great temple missionary couple from Canada. A very moist and chocolate cake without the sweetness of the frosting.

POLKA-DATERS
1 1/2 cups of chopped dates
1 cup water
Cook these until soft, then cool

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
Beat these together

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add these to the butter mixture

Add dates, 1/2 pkg chocolate chips and 1/2 cup nuts [optional]
Pour into a greased 9X13 pan
Sprinkle rest of chocolate chips and more nuts [optional] on top. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes.

CARAMEL BARS
3/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup evaporated milk
German Chocolate Cake Mix
Mix, pat 1/2 mixture into a 9X13 greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips, mixture of 1 lb.bag of carmels melted with 1/2 cup evaporated milk, and 1 cup chopped nuts. Pat on rest of dough. [It will be very sticky, pat on in sections' Bake 15-19 minutes longer.
This is deadly delicious

BLACK BOTTOM COCONUT BARS
For chocolate base:
1/2 cup [1 stick] butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
Preheat oven to 375. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil [not overhang]
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt, whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spred butter in prepared pan. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

Coconut topping:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 package sweetened shredded coconut [7 oz.]

In medium bowl whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut [except 1/2 -3/4 cup reserved for sprinkling on top.]
Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved coconut.

Bake until golden brown - 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Life cake from pan, peel off foil and cut into bars.

PUMPKIN COOKIES
1/2 cup butter - softened
1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add chocolate chips and nuts if desired

Cream softened butter and sugar. Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla, mix well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt, mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 oven for 10-12 minutes

FROSTING FOR PUMPKIN COOKIES:
3 Tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup brown sugar

Cook until dissolved. Cool and add "
1 cup powdered sugar [or as much as you like for the desired consistency]
1 Teaspoon vanilla

Spread on cookies - it will be like a glaze.

Be grateful!

Last week as I was making my way through the Tulsa Airport, I noticed most of the foot traffic was stopped and the majority of people in the terminal were standing at the large windows on the East side of the terminal. So, despite being late for a meeting with the Boise State team, which was in town to play Tulsa, I stopped to see what was so interesting? I am glad I did. If you get the opportunity please rent the film, "Taking Chance", and remember this photo which I took standing alongside other grateful travelers. It was sad, but inspiring at the same time to see the care and honor they give these deserving soldiers making their final trip home. The precision of the honor guard, and the care in which they handle the casket was touching. And what really made it such an moving experience for me was watching all the ground crew, the pilots, baggage handlers and fellow passengers, like myself, who took just a few minutes to pause and pay our respect. All I could think about was some family was coming to the Tulsa Airport this day, and this was how they would have to welcome home their loved one.

Be grateful.

-toddy.

Recipes from the DR

You should all know that this is recipes from La Republica Dominica not the Doctor.
I have these two recipes that I love and want to share with you. The first is
TACO SOUP
And it is best made the day before you want to serve it.
Brown, cook and drain 1 lb. hamburger and 2 big onions

Mix the following ingredients in a large pan and bring to a boil:
2 can tomato sauce
2 cans black beans
2 can corn [or fresh frozen corn]
1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes
2 packets taco seasoning
3 1/2 cups water

Add hamburger and onions and simmer for 10-15 minutes, but I sometimes let it simmer for over an hour. Garnish with corn tortilla chips, sour cream, avacado, and shredded cheese.

Note: olives also go good with this as do green chilies. It freezes really well.

The second recipe is a favorite of ours and was given to us by one of our senior missionaries originally from Mexico.

Tinga

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 cups finely chopped tomatoes
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 cooked whole chicken breast, shredded
1/3 can chipotle peppers

In a small amount of hot oil saute garlic and onion, add tomatoes. It should make a soupy sauce. add the chipotles. Depending on how spicy you want it chopped the chipotles otherwise leave them whole and just mix them in, the flavor will be there. Add the meat. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Serve with white rice, refried beans and avocados.
You can also use pork loin, cooked and shredded. It will even be a bit more flavorful.

The A's Pinky

If you don't like looking at broken fingers, read no more.

On Monday Annette visited the doctor and they took off the cast and gave her a small splint. During that time I thought it would be memorable to take a picture, complete with the pin still sticking out of the end of her finger.

After they pulled out a few stitches she looked down and got a little light headed. She asked me to distract her, so she could forget about her finger. I said something like, "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" She replied, "you need to do a lot better than that."

So I quickly thought, what is really distracting? What takes your mind off the here and now? Of course, a conversation with one of my brothers! The old flibbing of the flab (as I think Michael used to phrase it).

So I pulled out my cell phone and thought--Lee's at work and usually screens my calls; Matt's either working feverishly on some movie set or taking a nap; Mike's uncharacteristically serious when he's at work; and then Todd, yes Todd is the answer. It's Monday so he'll be home. I called Todd and put him on speaker phone and it worked better than vicodin.

As hoped he was highly entertaining and soon had Annette laughing. He hammered on Notre Dame football, the US Treasury, the skimpy number of little marshmellow bits in his morning bowl of Lucky Charms, etc. It was classic Todd. Thank you Todd.

For those who want to know, the pin stays in Annette's finger for another week. And the odd angle of her finger is to make sure it heals properly. It won't stay that way after the pin comes out.

Kathryn

Kathryn was kind enough to be my subject so I could test out some new favorite spots I found to take photos in Portland.

After hours of trying to post these pictures I finally got them up!

Here are some pictures of my dorm at BYUI!

This is my bed and it is probably the most dangerous bed ever. I hit my head almost every time I get up from my desk. It is almost impossible to climb up and down my bed without falling. I have not fallen of the bed yet but just wait it will happen.

Here is my dad trying to connect my computer to the internet... be was unsuccessful but it was a good effort:)

Yep! That's it for now.

Over and out from Rexburg!

:D

The girls get to school

So the last Big event of the Mellor summer is done. Joel and I dropped our baby off at BYUI. Surprisingly enough I did not cry - which (mom you may remember) is a far different story than when I dropped off Kristina. I don't think this reflects at all on the different personalities of my daughters but on the fact that I am really trying to learn to keep my emotions under control. I will admit to having very lonely feelings without my friend Alyssa but I am so excited for her and this new adventure! I am also glad that my other friends Kristina, Rachel and Jenna live near by :).
It was fun to meet up with Stuart and Hannah and share this adventure with them. When Joel and I left Rexburg on Tuesday afternoon we left both girls with blizzards and smiles after a final trip to Walmart! I was able to take some pictures of Alyssa and her new digs (sorry I did not get any of Hannah's room she said she would post those)








Joel and I were able to get to the beautiful Rexburg temple and we took the girls up for pictures before we left. The field they are in front of is across the street from the temple and is a field of plowed barley. I love barley but apparently in Idaho it is causing some controversy because all of that barley that has been planted (and there is a lot of it!) is being sold to Budwieser for the making of beer.
The temple is gorgeous as it presides over the school and the entire valley. It is very white and vertical and the interior is so bright and beautiful too!




Sorry I have not figured out how to turn my photos :(

The A and Sports Injuries

As some of you may have heard, Annette has once again sustained a sports injury. She broke her pinky bowling. Well, technically, she was not actually bowling, but picking up a bowling ball. She says it happened because she has such "big guns" and does not know her own strength. She was taking a ball off the rack at the back of the alley, behind the bowling lanes, and she somehow picked it up so fast that she hit the top of her pinky on the bar above the rack. So her pinky was smashed between the bowling ball and the metal bar. I suspect most bowling ball accidents happen because the bowling ball is heavy and gravity pulls it down onto fingers and toes and whatnot. In this case, the weight of the ball and gravity were actually slowing her down, trying to prevent her from whacking her pinky so hard against the metal bar at the top of the rack. But not even gravity could do much to restrain the force of her mighty muscles (yes, it's back to the "big guns" explanation), and so she broke her pinky right at the last joint. The doctor said it's called a DIP fracture, but the term has nothing to do with how she did it. (I'm not making that up; apparently DIP stands for digital interphalangial).

Because the fracture occurred at the joint, it doesn't heal very well without some extra help so on Tuesday she had to have surgery and get some pins put in. Here she is after the surgery.

Her biggest complaint is that the cast (which will be on for four weeks) interferes with the gang signs she likes to throw.

It was out-patient surgery, so she is home, resting reasonably well.

Announcement

Gracie Kay Harris is getting baptized Sept 12th at 4:00 pm!!! All are invited. *Call "Hamster" (Aimee) for details.

Camping on the WA coast

Daniel (and someone posing in the background)

Rachel (playing in the sand and staying at least 20 feet from the water at all times)

Kris & Kayla (being adorable while babysitting my camera)

Daniel (posing with the football)

Mike (smiling)

Kayla & Joel & Rick (?)

Jenna (holding mom's hand)

Jenna (loving the ocean almost as much as her uncle Joel)

Kayla & Rachel (enjoying the beach)

Kayla & Jenna (ditto)

Joel (looking northwestern)

Joel (kissing) Me

Joel (watching the sunset)

Joel (watching the sunset with) Me

Plants (bathed by a setting sun)

Daniel (teaching Jenna about sunsets and the green flash of light)

Mama Mellor & Joel & Daniel (looking too cool)

(uncle) Daniel & Rachel

Mama Mellor & Rachel (proof she did actually touch the water)

Rachel (making an adorable face)

Rachel (flying a kite)

Jenna (holding on)

Jenna (really holding on)

Mama Mellor & Jenna & Kris (in the water)

Ditto (ditto)

Rachel (looking annoyed)

Mama Mellor (having fun)

Alyssa (leaping)

Rachel & Kris & Jenna

Daniel (throwing a frisbee)

Jenna (and legs)

And Now Introducing.....Easton Lee Martinez

Well, Desiree asked me to write a small blog on the Harris family blog about our new addition to the family. So, here it goes.

Weighing in at 9lbs 4 oz and stretching out at 21 and 1/2 inches long. We introduce to each of you our new 3rd baseman. Easton "Manny being Manny" Lee Martinez. The name Easton comes from a long line of wonderful baseball bats and other sports equipment. After many hours of negotiation and due to the trade deadline for names. "Dodger" Lee Martinez was ruled out by Des and Easton it became. Actually, I mentioned it to Des thinking it would never happen, but it worked!!
Anyway, the labor and delivery went very well. So well in fact, the doctor announced to Desiree as she pushed, that she was, "Good birthing stock," and that she was, "allowed to be prego again in six months." I don't remember anything after that. You all must know that in all actuality. Des is the most fun person to be around while giving birth. She thoroughly enjoys it and does an awful good job of producing offspring quite quickly. She also heals super fast. I think she may be a mutant. Plus, she's super hot!! Sorry, I got lost in my mind for a minute.
Anyway, we love you all and hope you enjoy this photo of the Boy. If you would like to see more and hear about Desiree's point of view. Go to kenanddesfamily.blogspot.com